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Stay beautiful, at home
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User-friendly and over-the-counter beauty kits are finding more takers
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Photo: S. Thanthoni
Self grooming Do It Yourself beauty kits for facials, pedicures, hair care and French manicures are all the rage
It is that time of the week when nails are chipped and begging for a manicure. And well, it seems to be a bad hair week as well. A visit to the parlour would mean a considerable hole in the pocket, since a mini facial, pedicure and few more ‘to
dos’ get suddenly remembered during the visit.
And the one hour at the beauty parlour visit extends to two and a quarter. And for those who want to save the green bucks and time, the availability of ready beauty kits and help across the counter at departmental and cosmetic stores comes as manna. Some time ago all one got to purchase was a face wash, cold wax, moisturiser and conditioner. Today swanky beauty stores offer these and a lot more.
A visit to one such store will find exotic hand and nail cream sitting next to hydrating face packs. Looking for sheen? Then go for the Shahnaz Husain range of facials replete with diamond (really!) exfoliating scrub, moisturiser and mask. If you believe in stone power choose from a gem therapy range, a topaz a.k.a pukhraj based option that would make your facial exclusive, based on your star sign.
For the pedicure junkies, there are pedisalts (sea salts) that you can add to the hot water tub for a good soak with aromatherapy oils.
Value for money
With handy home kits available for all possible services one avails at a parlour, from hygienic wax strips, French manicure kits and imported pedicure kits in stainless steel in classy cases, the latter priced between Rs. 250 and Rs. 350, there is value for money proposition that comes along with these kits.
Pick up a Dr Scholl’s corn and calluses foot file with a pumice stone and brush for a total of Rs. 250. That will take care of your pedicures for months to come.
Says Manoj Agarwal of Balaji Cosmetique, “The reason people are opting for these are because mostly these are easy to use and people are well informed on the various processes.”
“It makes sense to pick these self-facial kits for those hectic international tours and when you are hard pressed for time with the home, work and children. Also this way you know what is going into the beauty drill.
Earlier I used to make my home hair packs and face scrubs. Today you get everything, from a massage cream to a face pack to tighten the pores, which is a great time saver,” says Sowmya, a marketing professional.
A typical pedicure kit such as VLCC Pediglow Foot Care comes with the cleanser, cream and rest and step-wise procedure – soak, scrub, massage and follow up with a foot spray. And come out with pretty pink feet in forty minutes – the time it would take for the rice in the cooker to get done.
Likewise a Shahnaz Dried Compressed Facial mask offering O2 therapy comes with 10 face masks for Rs. 650 that can take you through ten home facials. “It is always better to be equipped at home with all the paraphernalia. Commuting between home and office can be taxing and it is difficult to take out time before work or after to visit the parlour or spa. The neighbourhood ones that you want to visit on Sundays end up doing a shoddy job,” says Jayashri, a lecturer in a junior college.
The coming days with traffic jams and commuting woes might just add to the numbers of people going in for the self help beauty kits.
Parlour visits could be reserved for those very special occasions like bridal hair dos, mehendi and ear piercing then.
SYEDA FARIDA
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