http://www.femefashions.com http://www.femefashions.com en http://backend.userland.com/rss092 complexion is dark? We have a host of fairness creams - both desi and international brands - which promise to make you look a lot fairer and a new YOU.

As I recall, for decades, women had their loyalty towards Vicco Turmeric and Fair & Lovely - leading fairness creams. I have seen my grand mother, mother and aunts use it very religiously every day. But the thing is, all of them were decently fair in colour, so I could hardly see the difference in their skin become brighter or white .

With time, more and more number of local and international brands have hit the market, leaving the consumer more confused. The fashion conscious women have became the easy target for cosmetic giants. From creams making you look fairer to those promising to fight wrinkles, age spots, dullness etc. etc., are leaving the women wanting for more. From Ponds to Oil of Olay, Lakme to Nutrogena the list is endless.

To let the secret out, even I have tried almost all brands that promised to make my skin (read skin of all women) fairer, smooth and supple. Having failed to get the results I was looking for, I am now trying one more new product of repute that I picked from a leading super market. Wish me luck that at least this cream will make my face look brighter and leave the skin smooth.

As a leading cosmetic brand says, "loving the skin we're in is the most beautiful feeling of all".

More...]]> http://www.femefashions.com/feme/blogs/Complexion-Mania/330.php suitable footwear is no easy task. Most of the times, we make bizarre selection of footwear that is unapproved for the outfit you are wearing. This can kill your overall dressing, and all the effort in trying to present yourself the best goes down the drain.

Often our gossip columns make bold comments on such wrong choices made by our B-town ladies. The same applies to us as well. Don't go in for footwear just because it is of a reputed brand, expensive and has good designs. You should first see if the footwear you have selected is comfortable on your feet and it matches your outfit.

Just because you are short doesn't mean you have to wear high-heeled footwear. If you are not comfortable walking with it, you could end up tripping often and sprain your ankle. I have noticed this with many women. If you are short, so be it. You still can carry it off well.

From slip-ons to shoes, loafers to ballerinas, plain sandals to sneakers, and the ankle-length boots, you have a good number of choices to pick. Each one makes your dressing complete when you make the right choice.

More...]]> http://www.femefashions.com/feme/blogs/Complexion-Mania/326.php silk sarees, the first thing that comes to our mind is Kancheepuram, the Silk Town of Tamil Nadu. The richness of the nine-yard wonder, also known as Kanjeevaram sarees, is best seen in the traditional South Indian weddings, where, from the bride to the wedding attendees, everyone competes with one another showcasing the best of their collection.

However, the last few years saw lehengas and gagra cholis replacing sarees for the bride during the wedding reception. However, the ancient, traditional drape is back in style again. These days, the brides in South Indian weddings are preferring sarees for all occasions during their wedding.

Silk weavers are experimenting with rich colour combinations and unimaginable designs that would leave the bride adding more to her collection. What more, the sarees are draped in such unusual styles that it is no less to any designer wear. Sarees, with contrast colour combinations, when draped in new styles look like a two-piece or a three-piece dress similar to a lehenga.

If you are not a saree lover, why don't you try some exclusive silk drapes and enhance your looks! You’ll just fall in love with it.


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So what can we do in the monsoon to care for the skin???

Cleanse skin with gentle cleansers:
The high humidity during the monsoon months can cause sweat to run in rivulets over your body. This can create a build-up of dust, dirt, grime and other toxins on the surface of your skin
Skin will also have a tendency to go drier and gets easily dehydrated in the monsoon season, so use a gentle cleanser unless you have acne prone or very oily skin.

For normal to dry skin: use a soap free cleanser as soap is very dehydrating for the skin.

For acne prone / oily skin: use a Salicylic acid based cleanser once a day in the morning and a soap free cleanser at night.

Moisturize your skin:
Monsoons can cause a de-hydrating effect on dry skin and an over-hydrating effect on oily skin. Use a good moisturiser.
For normal to dry: Use a cream based moisturiser or a rich lotion
For acne prone / oily: Use a light lotion, avoid heavy moisturisers

If skin feels very dry you can also use a hyaluronic acid based skin serum with the moisturiser to keep the skin soft and hydrated

Use Sunscreen:
Just because the clouds have moved in and it is not so bright or sunny anymore, it does not mean that you can stop using the sunscreens or stop bothering about sun exposure.

True, the days are dull and not so bright but what you have to remember is that the clouds block only 20% of the radiation, so you are still being exposed to the harmful sun rays and this can lead to long term skin damage like pre mature ageing, lines, wrinkles and sagging.

You can use a lesser strength SPF than the summer time. SPF 24 – 30 is ideal in the monsoon times. Use a water proof sunscreen so that should you get drenched in the rain, the sunscreen still stays on.
The sunscreen has to be reapplied every 4 – 5 hrs

Use skin fresheners on a regular basis:
Use skin fresheners, like rose water or thermal waters that can be sprayed onto the skin. This keeps the skin hydrated and prevents dehydration. This is especially useful for persons who work in a air conditioned environment.

Go for Detox & Hydrating facials:
This is the time to have detox facials that help drain the body lymphatics and toxins.

Protect your skin from fungal infection:
Humid weather in the rainy season brings with it one of the major skin care issue of fungal infections. Fungus grows easily in areas where warm moisture can accumulate and foster growth, like between your toes, armpits and groin. One way to take care of this is to bath with an anti-fungal soap and apply anti-fungal powder after the bath. Try to avoid keeping your skin wet for a long time and if you have been in rain, take a bath in lukewarm water.

Eat Right:
It is essential to eat healthy at all times not just during monsoon. Nutritional supplements are usually advised to give extra protection and care for the skin during the monsoon. Take Vit E, Fish Oil (Omega 3) capsules. These are rich in oils and will help with skin nutrition and nourishment. Also take a multi mineral tablet that contains zinc as this is essential for skin healing processes. Also take Vit C so that you can boost your resistance during the monsoon.

Let your body rest:
Try to get at least 6 – 8 hrs of uninterrupted sleep at night so that the body gets time to recover and recoup for the next day. During this period your skin also vitalize itself.

Avoid heavy makeup:
Let your skin breathe, so avoid heavy makeup, at least during the day. Use light water based foundations if you must use a foundation during the day. Avoid cake / heavy solid foundations during the monsoon. Opt for water proof make up so that it does not run if you should get wet in the rain.

So protect your skin and have a blast this Monsoon!!!



More...]]> http://www.femefashions.com/feme/blogs/Indian-skin/312.php beautiful and gorgeous, or that of handy beauty tips, I just can't flip to the next page. Though I don't experiment all of those on myself, I like to try it out on friends or just pass on the tips to them. Women, most often, are never satisfied with the way they look. Thanks to cosmetics and make-up, which help us get the look we yearn for.

Well, I came across an article on a website, where the author says that an extra care and attention to your problem areas like eyes, lips, cheeks, nose and forehead will give you the desired result.

Define your eyes - The first step is to define your eyes with a coloured liner. Instead of usual black eye pencil, try brighter shades like blue and green. Even grey looks remarkable on almost everyone. Swipe a glittering white shadow on the inner corners of your eyes in a sideways V shape. Next lock the curve with lengthening mascara.

Your way to Jolie-like plush lips - Apply a colourless lip balm to the skin just above your cupid's bow (the area below your nose and between the peaks of your top lip). This makes the lips look fuller and larger. Open your mouth wide to make an ‘O’ and carefully apply a moisturising lipstick. Now wipe of the balm from the centre of your bottom lip and admire the new you in the mirror.

Chiselled cheeks - To make round cheeks look more chiselled, you need a highlighting powder and a bronzer that's two shades darker than your skin tone. Make a fish face, and dust the bronzer on the hollows of your cheeks. Smile and brush the highlighter from the apples of your cheeks to your temples. The contrasting tones will define and shape the cheekbones for a sexy look.

Get a perfect nose - To wither a larger or wider nose, apply your usual foundation to your nose and swipe a streak of highlighter down the centre of its bridge and back up in a straight line. The light colour squeezed between the foundation-coated skin will make the sides of your nose appear darker and give a slim effect in seconds.

For a smaller forehead - A big forehead may earn you the reputation of being lucky, but unfortunately it doesn’t do much for your looks. Bangs can instantaneously fill the gap between your eyebrows and hairline. But if you don’t want to disturb your hairdo, grab a matte bronzer and a big powder brush. Remember that bronzer creates a shadow-effect, helping a large area appear smaller.


More...]]> http://www.femefashions.com/feme/blogs/Complexion-Mania/304.php dark burgundy shade when you colour your hair using a natural product.

I was discussing with a friend about the harmful effects of colouring the hair with hair dyes available in the market, with chemicals in them. At the same time, I was also checking on the effectiveness of using henna to get a reddish tinge to the locks. Many a times, you may not get the required shade when the henna powder is of poor quality or when the mixing goes wrong. Then how to get the required reddish or burgundy shade?

She suggested the use of beetroot with henna to get an effective colour similar to that of burgundy. I was surprised!
I was not sure of its effectiveness when she told me. Trust me, it works wonders! I made a mixture of henna with beetroot juice and let it stay overnight. Next morning I applied the henna paste covering all the strands and allowed it to soak for three hours and washed my hair. The burgundy tinge was very evident and it gave a very satisfying result.

Isn't this an easy way to give a lovely burgundy tinge to your hair? Since all the ingredients are natural, what's the harm in trying it out?

More...]]> http://www.femefashions.com/feme/blogs/Complexion-Mania/285.php Anneli Rufus has compiled a list of 15 warning signs that someone is heading for a divorce. Rufus, who has delved into decades of scientific research to find out the reasons for a divorce, warns you to take care of these warning signs to have a happy married life.

For those of you, who have not read this on Yahoo, I am pasting the same here for your convenience.

Rufus' 15 signs that you are headed towards divorce:

1. If you're a woman who got married before the age of eighteen, your marriage faces a 48 per cent likelihood of divorce within ten years.
2. If you're a woman who wants a child much more strongly than your spouse does, it's twice as likely that your marriage is nearing an end.
3. If you have two sons, you face a 36.9 per cent likelihood of divorce, but if you have two daughters, the likelihood rises to 43.1 per cent.
4. If you're a man with high basal testosterone, you're 43 per cent more likely to get divorced than men with low testosterone levels.
5. If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, you are 22.7 per cent more likely to divorce before that child turns eight years old than parents of a child without ADHD.
6. If you are currently married but have cohabited with a lover other than your current spouse, you are slightly more than twice as likely to divorce than someone who has never cohabited.
7. If you didn't smile for photographs early in life, your marriage is more likely to end in divorce than if you smiled intensely in early photographs.
8. If your child has died after the twentieth week of pregnancy, during labour, or soon after labour, you are 40 per cent more likely to divorce than if you had not lost a child.
9. If you're a woman who has recently been diagnosed with cancer or multiple sclerosis, your marriage is six times more likely to end in divorce than if your husband had been diagnosed with those diseases instead.
10. If you're a Caucasian woman and you're separated from your spouse, there's a 98 per cent chance that you'll be divorced within six years of that separation. If you're a Hispanic woman, the likelihood is 80 percent. If you're an African-American woman, the likelihood is 72 per cent.
11. If you're a dancer or choreographer, you face a 43.05 per cent likelihood of divorce, compared with mathematicians, who face 19.15 per cent likelihood, and animal trainers, who face 22.5 per cent likelihood.
12. If you're a farmer, you face only a 7.63 per cent likelihood of divorce, joined by other low-risk occupations such as nuclear engineers, who face a 7.29 per cent likelihood, and optometrists, who face a mere 4.01 per cent likelihood.
13. If either you or your spouse has suffered a brain injury, your marriage faces a 17 per cent chance of ending in divorce.
14. If you're an African-American woman, your first marriage has a 47 per cent likelihood of ending in divorce within ten years; for Hispanic women, the likelihood is 34 per cent; for Caucasian women, it's 32 per cent; for Asian women, it's 20 per cent.
15. If you're a woman serving actively in the military, your marriage is 250 per cent more likely to end in divorce than that of a man serving actively in the military.

More...]]> http://www.femefashions.com/feme/blogs/Complexion-Mania/270.php Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson wants to age naturally. She has said that she doesn't feel the need to go under the knife for a youthful face.

Nobody would have raised brows if Pamela, who underwent a breast enlargement operation when she was 22 after appearing on the cover of Playboy magazine, did something to her face – like the botox or a cosmetic surgery.

Is 43-year old Pammy dear setting an example for her contemporaries and young celebs to age naturally? Looks so. The actress has also said that she does not put a lot of effort into herself with beauty products and hair care, and she haven’t had a facial for a while. Way to be natural!


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One has to choose a sunscreen that is best at blocking harmful ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B radiation that cause sunburns, wrinkles, and certain skin cancers.

Before purchasing a sunscreen, you need to ask yourself the following:
What is my skin type?

Oily / Dry / Combination / Sensitive

This will help you decide on the consistency of the sunscreen
Oily: fluid / spray / gel
Dry: cream / lotion
Combination: fluid / spray
Sensitive: hypo-allergic & fragrance free

How much sun exposure do I get in a day?

1 - 2 hrs ( I get to work and stay there till evening)
3 - 5 hrs (I run errands and spend a large amount of time in the sun)
> than 6 hrs ( Outdoor job / play a lot of sports)

This will help you decide on the SPF factor.
The SPF factor determines how long you can be in the sun without getting burnt. On average a SPF pf 26 is recommended. and re- application after 4 hrs is mandatory.

If you get more than 3 - 4 hrs of sun exposure in a day, apply a SPF of 50 and above.

Regardless of the SPF, sunscreen have to reapplied after 4 hrs

How much to apply?

The lab tests for SPF grading is conducted using 5 ml / 1 teaspoon full of the product.
In reality we only apply a pea size or a 25 paise coin size which is about 1.5 - 2 ml

So effectively we are only getting half the SPF of protection unless you apply 1 teaspoon of the product on the face.

Hence it is recommended to use a higher SPF daily

What label to look for?

Remember to look for a broad spectrum SPF as this covers UVA & UVB.


Which areas should I apply the sunscreen on?

Apply the SPF to all exposed areas - face, ears, neck, hands and feet for total protection.

These are some tips to help you with choosing a suitable sunscreen




More...]]> http://www.femefashions.com/feme/blogs/Indian-skin/217.php make-up on your face before going to bed. But you should take care while removing eye make-up as the skin is delicate around your eyes. If eye make-up is not removed properly, it causes blackening of the skin similar to dark circles and also allows formation of wrinkles.

The thumb rule is - before removing the overall face make-up, first remove your eye make-up. Generally, we wash the face with soap and wipe it away or use eye make-up remover and cleanser. But, did you know that you can also reach out to olive oil or Vaseline available at home in case you don't have an eye make-up remover? These are equally effective while removing eye make-up.

It is said that even the Baby oil works wonders. These products available at home are an equally effective alternative to make-up removers and they are also less expensive.

Olive oil and baby oil not only helps in soothing the skin around your eyes, it also leaves it fresh and irritation free.

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