Luxury Oils & Balms

My love, admiration and respect for oils and lush balms is known to every shred of living organism on planet earth. Generally the variety and choices of these lush treatments vary between high, mid and low end. Below are my chosen indulgences and absolute treats for my skin. The price points are insane, however the one off feeling they provide is irreplaceable with instant gratification.

May Lindstrom The Blue Cocoon would come as no surprise to absolutely any skincare lover. Before trying this product, I heard umpteen number of rave reviews but always held slight skpeticism. Eventually I folded and indulged and much to my surprise (and secret high expctations) all claims, rave reviews, gushes, & hypes stood true.

The balm is a treat for the skin. It smell insanely divine and melts away all the stresses. It helps calm my skin down from any inflammation, irritation, redness, or dryness ($160 50ml – $3.2 per ml).

Mahalo The Rare Indigo Balm is my joy ride. As soon as I open the jar I find myself sniffing the pot like K9 unit at the airport. I take forver doing my routine with this bad boy, because I spend more time sticking my snout in the pot than actual application on skin. Very easily carried away, but a little goes a long way. The texture and consistency of this balm is what make it sooooo unique and delectable ($110 30ml – $3.67 per ml).

Darphin 8 Flower Nectar is a walk in a garden. Slightly different texture to regular oils but good heavens this oil is Flowery Dreaminess… Glorified! Darphin also have individual flower facial elixirs like Chamomile, Rose, Jasmine, Niaouli, Tangerine, and Orange Blossom. Now imagine a congregation of all these lovely florals coming together for an orgasmic union. I reserve this oil for when I truly need a pick me up, when I feel world is crashing down on me (yes hormones I’m referring to you) or when my skin has behaved so darn well it deserves an incredibly euphoric treat ($150 15ml – $10 per ml).

Kama Ayurveda Kumkumadi Oil was a complete surprise in a 12ml bottle. Picked up with zero expectations and it surpassed everything else. Ingredient wise, possibly the most unique on this list (refer to my review, you’ll know what I mean) and has a certain richness about it. This brand came at my forefront because of this oil and I can unbashedly admit it was “the discovery” of 2015 for me (INR 1,890 Rs157.50 per ml, USD $53 12ml – $4.4 per ml).

MV Organic Skincare Rose Plus Booster Oil is an oldie but always a Goodie!! I’m an old lady at heart and soul and I’m obsessed with anything Rose. But we know rose scents are so awfully plagarised in the market and we’ve all come across hideous, synthetic, nauseating, vile versions of rose. All that….until you come across this unsuspecting bottle of rose heaven. Blended with Camellia, Jojoba, Rosehip, Rose Damascena Oil, Geranium, Rosemary, basically a pinnacle of perfection. Top marks for its versatility in use with a cleanser, mask, oils and creams. Skin is calm, stable and “sensible” the following morning (USD$120 $3.42 per ml, AUD$99 $2.8 per ml, GBP £72.00 35ml -£2.05 per ml).

Hope you’ve enjoyed this read, tell me what are fave oil indulgences? I would love to expand this palette.

HHW.com

xx

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Kama Ayurveda – Kumkumadi Facial Elixir

Ayurveda is the science of life and well-being. The oldest documented body of holistic medical knowledge, it is a system of plant oils and herbs originating in India over 6,000 years ago. After centuries of testing, Ayurvedic science has proven effective, alleviating concerns about side effects.

Kama Ayurveda, a skincare brand from India, established on virtues of a holistic life through ancient Ayurvedic Medicine and Science. One of the first products I tried from their extensive range was KumKumadi Beauty Fluid.

Claims: A unique 100% Ayurvedic anti-ageing serum that hydrates cleans and illuminates the skin. Miraculous Beauty Fluid is a unique blend of oils and herbs formulated to help skin look young and healthy. In Ayurveda, rare pure saffron is known to help illuminate skin color; extracts of Indian madder and the Banyan tree help smooth fine lines; Vetiver, sandalwood and lotus cool and cleanse while helping to clear blemishes; and liqorice acts as an antiseptic, protects the skin from bacterial and fungal infections and improve skin texture.

Ingredients on Package: Sesasum Indicum Oil, Caprae Lac, Caesalpinia Sappan, Crocus Sativus, Ficus Benghalensis, Glycyrrhiza Glabra, Monochoria Vaginalis, Nelumbo Nucifera, Rubia Cordifolia, Vetiveria Zizanoides, Laciferra Lacca

Ingredients in Plain English: Sesame oil (carrier oil), Goat Milk, Sappan Wood, Saffron Cocus, Indian Banyan Tree, Liquorice, Pickerel Weed, Indian Lotus (Sacred Lotus), Indian Madder, Vetiver, Resin secreted from female Lac Bug on trees

There is certain richness about this oil which can be attributed straight to its unique ingredient list. These ingredients are not seen everyday in a growing market of facial oils. However, if you’ve used Ayurveda oils before this lineup wouldn’t come as a surprise. The lush oil is packaged in a 12ml dark brown glass bottle with a pipette. Admittedly, slightly on the pricier side however in my opinion, it is worth it as a little goes a long way.

 

The aroma may not please everyone, but personally I’m in Love. It has a decent hit of botanical scent, with subtle woody notes wonderfully blended and balanced with the sweetness of saffron. The rich deep yellow shade would be attributed to the saffron as well. The texture is not heavy which allows it to blend seamlessly in the skin and ‘yellowness’ disappears completely. I use about 2-3 drops and push it in my skin and noticed the skin immediately absorbs it (scent lingers for few minutes). The following morning, my skin is noticeably plump, no visible redness, calm and brighter. It also claims to help with fine lines however I’m not a suitable candidate to assess that at this stage, but I still think it’s wonderful as a preventative measure.

Layered under my favourite serum Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair II, the results following morning are nothing short of WOW. On occasions, I wear my Mixologist hat, and mix this oil with Goodness Labs Chia Seed oil or The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum in Oil (proportion 2:2 drops). It feels like ‘Pampered Skin from a 12ml Bottle’. I have many facial oils, but this one is reserved as my Treat or Royalty Facial oil.

HHW.com

xx