The Fleamarket Queen

{ REVIEW } BRaun Face Epilator & Cleanser 810

I am a low-fuss person when it comes to taking care of my skin. Not because I have a problem free skin , but because its extremely demanding. The combination acne prone skin is the most tricky one to take care of. Over the years, I have shortlisted the products that keep my skin sane.

In short, I need a moisturizer, cleanser and BB cream to take me through the day. The more I experiment with skin masks/toners etc, the more it acts up.

When I came across the Braun face epilator, I was resistant. I just felt this product might not be something I can incorporate in my regime for 2 reasons: 1. I have the fear of a anything that stings/pains. 2. I wasn't sure if pore-cleansing with a brush would please my acne prone skin.

However, the Braun team, just said one thing- Try it. You might be surprised. So , there I was holding the product with all inhibitions and least hopeful of it doing any wonders .But then, to make myself at ease, just like you are reading this review, I went on to read all beauty blogs that have tried this product. The reviews were positive and I now felt prepared to give this a shot.

Beauty is skin deep. And as Jessica Alba, Braun Beauty ambassador puts it- Braun face gives women the confidence & freedom to either wear makeup or not. So lets see, how this product got close to its claims!

First Look:

1. Lightweight ,Sleek and travel-friendly ( 340gm )
2. Good grip
3. Swapping the cleansing head with the epilator head slightly tricky as its a no-twist mechanism where you directly pull the heads to swap.
4. The brush bristles are silky soft
5. Looks very chic, kind of justifying the price tag. ( MRP: 4900, Available online on Amazon at INR 3999)

First use: Cleansing

1. I used a face wash on my face and then used the cleansing option for about 5 minutes.
2. The vibrations are very minor and you dont even hear the motor spinning the cleansing head
3. The brush is very gentle on the face unlike how you might think looking at the pictures here
4. The face feels fresh and clean post usage
5. No irritation was felt post cleasing and I can easily use this thrice in a week, or maybe daily in summers.
6. I will post my experience after continuous use in a few days.

First use: Epilator

1. This epilator is meant for the face, but I am such a chicken. I have never used any products to pull hair from my face. Yes, I dont even do my eyebrows, thanks to my genes, I dont need to. So how did I test the epilator you ask?

Well, I used it on the fine hairs on my fingers. The epilator head can move in two directions, clockwise and anticlockwise and you get the hang of it once you notice the direction of the hair against which you need to run the epilator. Each pull feels like a quick sting , but no pain thereafter.
You might feel a little tenderness at the spot but within minutes , that feeling is gone. And what precision! Much better than a razor for such fine hair.

I stayed hair-free for 2 weeks and saw very little growth in the 3rd week.

Verdict: And yes, I dont call it the final verdict because I am still using the cleansing brush and need to be more regular with it. So yes, to remove makeup, impurities , from the skin, this cleansing option technically does a better job than regular cleansing with your hands.

The epilator certainly will surprise you with its ease of use and results. Its a win-win situation as both attachments are extremely useful and do their job well. I still feel the price tag of 4900, might be a little steep for the Indian market. The cleansing brush needs to be replaced every 3 months as recommended however, I couldnt find refills in the market, so I will be checking with Braun on this. This Face 810 is certainly a keeper and takes grooming to another level of ease! You must give it a go!

Till next time, CIAO

A Fantastico Getaway in the ZICA!

Hola Guys!

First of all thanks for enjoying virtually on twitter as much as I enjoyed my drive with fellow bloggers in the Fantastico ZICA!

This time , it was unlike any other! The excitement was at a different level since Messi was announced as the brand ambassador! The car had to have an edge. And yes, you need not be a driver really to understand if the car can live up to your expectations! Let me tell you how!

My favorite trips in my car are to the mall ( Need I say that :P) While I sit next to Nik, I always like to have as many slots for all my things as much as he would like. At times , we fight over whose bottle gets to stay in which slot ( apparently our little car has 2 different slot sizes so only one of our bottle fits!) . And as always, Nik collects the parking ticket which mysteriously vanishes from his wallet each time! And ofcourse, when parents are home, they have to keep the water bottles in a bag behind or we have to keep passing those from the front!When it comes to music, the driver should like the music or he might be demotivated on long drives :P
Forget it when the music taste is completely opposite if the backseat is full! And, dont even get me started when I tirelessly hold my phone with Google Maps on it , whenever we are out on a secret trail!

Little things, but who thought , all this can change for the better! Let me begin:

1. The Zica has space for 5Litres of liquid or 7 bottle slots including at the backseat!
2. It has a parking ticket slot near the steering! Beat that!
3. It has a IPAD/tablet slot
4. It has an app for music sharing so that all passengers can queue songs each from their phone , so its a family jukebox !!!
5. There is a navigation system , which guides you ( Voice) while you drive and its amazingly accurate! If you are listening to music and you need to take a diversion, the navigation voice takes over. If you are getting a call, the call takes over! Priorities, check!

These are the top 5 things , I like about the ZICA , that sets it apart from a user experience perspective. The internet is full with all things technical , and you can succumb to all the world class goodness this car is made of. This car is modern , stylish and unlike any other car from TATA.

Thanks to our twitter fans, it was fun doing some LIVE tasks during the 2.5 hours drive around GOA. I recorded some real fun videos of friendly. Here's a little photo/video story ! The car will be officially launched in 2016, Till then , feast your eyes on the ZICA here 😬 while I relive once again the wonderful weekend we had at the luxurious ALila Diwa Goa! More funny videos coming in 2 days, so come back here! As always , indiblogger nails yet another blogger soiree!
Till , next time, CIAO!

1. Touch down Alila Diwa Goa

2. The breathtaking infinity pool made us wanting to take a quick dip

3. The gorgeous room and the bath was luxurious

4. Lunch followed by a quick trip to the beach and some games

5. Team Tata surprises us with a private locker room each. And a cute kit complete with a number 10 Messi Tee & a bottle

6. A mysterious door opened like sesame revealing the fantastico vehicle! The color is so attractive , isn't it?

7. Mandatory posing with the car! I totally nailed the reporter wala look complete with my scarf ! And glad I met my blog reader Shilpa who clicked this one for me !

8. The car reveal led to a karaoke night with yummy delicacies and old songs that made us so nostalgic ! The karaoke singer at Alila is amaxongly talented!

9. It was a long day and I prepared myself for the long trip in the zica the other day with a warm bubble bath ! Ee how I loved it!

10. Inside the zica with the fantastico team D8!

And here come all an the crazy tasks!

Finally Found you

Countless assurances, endless stories. They all told me one thing , there's a match for you somewhere. And one day, you will find it. Me, like a hopeless romantic that I am, believed and yearned to meet my match.
As time fled, my curiosity grew, no it wasn't dampened. My faith was unshakable. It was etched so deeply in my mind- I almost read those stories like hymns. Everyday, with the same conviction.

Not too long ago, I was seen shopping with mum. A very rare combination. She is not a shopaholic. But someone who knows style. She created real pretty frocks when I was a child, every year for my birthday till I was 6. She forced me into Baggy Jeans- Balloon frocks- All that 90s jazz I despised. She plainly dismissed my love for low-waist denims & bell-bottoms when I relentlessly kept piling on those.

However, there are a few shopping moments thereafter , where we shared those "AHA" moments - we found that perfect dress that would suit me in the early 2000s. And those dresses killed it, everywhere I went. Those were floor length pencil skirts in crochet & printed velvet. So exotic , I could barely walk in them, but when I did, it was a catwalk .

So when this autumn, I went shopping with mom, after maybe a decade, we found our favorite place. We saw this skirt and it was paired with a oriental zipper crop-top. But it was sold out ! He let me try an alteration piece. How cruel! I couldnt sleep. I came back next day and forced him to show me more. I wanted the same skirt color. He showed me the pinks , greens ,but I wasn't impressed. He then phoned another branch, to check if the same skirt I had fallen for was available with a different upper. And yes it was.

Without a blink, I said yes. And I got it home. Both me and mum marveling at the idea of how and where I can wear this combination. We found it.