We’ve decided to start reviewing all kinds of beauty, skin & hair products for you on MissMalini.com by trying them on ourselves! (See what lengths we’ll go to for you?) But I figured why not begin with a few tried and tested grooming/beauty favourites that Team MissMalini & friends swear by and that you might want to get your hands on STAT! Read on and leave me a heads up about with YOUR own favourite products are in the comments below 🙂 xoxo
Gigi Bedi, “As a climber, I can’t survive without these 2 things: Bodyshop Hemp Hand Protector – I destroy my fingers on the rocks and this is the only hand repair cream that fixes my digits.Iits a bit stinky so I wouldn’t use it before a date but I’ll take smooth hands over sandpaper skin any day! Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunblock – my skin is as confused as I am and this is the only sunscreen that it likes – it’s light – non sticky – super effective at high altitudes and comes in the perfect size for travel.
Rashmi Daryanani, “Maybelline Baby Lips! I’ve tried everything from herbal lip balms to high-end ones to regular old Chapstick, but nothing has worked the way this has. I never used to wear lipstick before because my lips used to dry out and chap a lot, but ever since I’ve started using this product my lips have gotten so much better and now I’m obsessed with wearing all sorts of lip colours 🙂 It’s definitely the main reason behind my lipstick obsession!”
Karen Alfonso, “The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Facewash – I have horrible acne and tried almost everything available to mankind, this one; is the best product to keep pimples at bay. M.A.C Ruby Woo – I love a red pout and this particular shade makes me feel like I can kick some ass. Clinique Chubby Stick – Love the lip balm and the burst of colour – who doesn’t love double duty products? Bourjois Lash & Lengthening Mascara – choosing a favourite mascara for me is like choosing between my (non existent) children, the bourjois one gives me thick, defined lashes as well long ones. (I wear it way too often for my own good.) Maybelline Make-Up Remover: For the longest time, I used baby oil (try it for stubborn kohl and mascara) however, the Maybelline one has got me converted thanks to it water-based formula and easy removal – just one swipe and it is done!
Dhruvi Shah, “So, ever since I watched this movie Why I Wore Red Lipstick To My Mastectomy, I’ve been obsessed with red lipstick. I feel a certain something wearing it and am always looking for a good shade. So, on one of my make-up hauls, I picked up this L’Oréal Nutri Shine Strawberry Juice lipstick. It easily glides on, is moisturising and looks smooth. And the other day, Vikram, from our neighbouring office walked in asking if any of us had red lipstick. In 2.5 seconds, I had handed him mine. 15 minutes later, he returned it and everyone on that side of the office was wearing the lip colour. So, it’s a real girl beauty product that works on everyone! You can buy it here. And the picture above I took right after wearing the lipstick in office. No other make-up. 😛
Ranjit Rodricks, “I love using FabIndia soaps. The Rose soap is really refreshing to use for your morning bath, before you leave for work because it invigorates you. And the Mint soap is super to use once you get home after a tiring day because it makes you tingle all over (literally!) and totally refreshes you.”
Anushka Mulchandani, “One grooming product I cant do without is my hair iron without a doubt. I have curly and overly frizzy hair and I can’t leave the house without drying and ironing my hair first. I use the iron to add curls to my hair too. I use a Remington. One beauty product I cant do without is Nivea’s strawberry lip balm. It gives just a slight amount of color to your lips when you use it and is perfect for everyday use (when you don’t want to overdo the lipsticks). I even use it as a base before I use my lipsticks to get a bit of a glossy feel to it!”
Marv D’Souza, “For my hair, I use the L’Oreal PlayBall Deviation paste. It’s perfect for my texture and comes high recommended by my friend and hair stylist, Sushil Charles from Smashh the Salon. Also, I am secretly addicted to my strawberry Eos lip balm!”
Surelee Joseph, “Cetaphil. Why? because every dermatologist tells you to use it and it is the best! Thousands of people spend crazy amount of money on skincare, when truthfully you really don’t need to. I’ve been using Cetaphil for 6 years and it’s the best. I have dry skin and I have to be diligent everyday with my skin care so that my skin doesn’t get too dry and Cetaphil works for me.”
Nowshad Rizwanullah, “Old Spice Red Zone Soft Solid Antiperspirant & Deodorant. This is the only product I have been loyal to, for over 10 years now. Goes on easy, smells good, and most importantly it’s an antiperspirant so it keeps you nice and dry throughout the day (unlike spray deodorants that promise you hot chicks and leave you sad and alone with sweaty pits). Don’t mess around in this department. Find something that works and stick with it!”
PS. Boy’s check out what OTHER mistakes you might be making here.
MissMalini, “I used to have terrible acne all the way up to my 30s, until I discovered Proactive Repairing Treatment, which is still my go to pimple annihilator! On good skin days I absolutely swear by MAC Prep & Prime skin base visage and Select Moisturecover concealer for a dewy finish (which I discovered on my last MAC makeup haul). I also never go ANYWHERE without my kajal – currently Maybelline’s Colossal kajal – and a Baby Lips lip balm that gives my lips a lasting juicy texture. For my hair I find I have to keep changing up my shampoo for good results, but the one conditioner I just adore is Kerastase Lait Apres-Soleil leave-in conditioner that combats the drying effects of UV rays, sea water and chlorine. It makes my hair soft and shiny, saves it from damage and smells just yummy – which reminds me I need to go shopping!”
Psst! Make sure you check out the top 20 items in my makeup kit as well 🙂
Heena Jain, “The one beauty product I don’t leave home without, is eyeliner. I love L’Oreal linear intense felt tip liquid liner, in carbon black. It glides on smooth and the felt tip applicator makes using liquid linear fool proof. It also stays put in Mumbai’s humid weather and doesn’t run or smudge (I hate having the black eye look at the end of the day!).”
Andrea Brown, “My favorite beauty product is organic, cold pressed coconut oil. I’m one of those people that pretty much pray to the holy grail of the stuff. I use it for oil pulling, an aryuvedic dental technique, as eye makeup remover, leave in hair conditioner, shaving balm and as body moisturizer. Add in organic, local honey and you have a great, chemical free face mask.”
Zina Tasreen, “The product I swear by is BIODERMA innovation, Sébium H2O. It’s godsend! Just a swab of it takes off all the grime, sebum and make-up from your skin — perfect for your end-of-day grooming rituals. The best thing about it is that it does industrial-strength cleaning without stripping off any moisture, and incredibly, I haven’t had any major breakouts since I started using it some 1.5 years ago :-D”
Danny Sura, “Ok so one beauty/grooming product I love to use Johnson’s Baby Lotion (that I bring back by the bucket load from UK). I love the smell of it and how smooth and soft it makes my skin look.”
Ridhima Sinha, “I love Maybelline’s Baby Lips lip balm in hot pink! It acts as a light, non greasy moisturising base on days when you’re too lazy or want to go makeup free. And it has a pop of color to pick up your look instantly!”
Khyati Gandhi, “My favourite beauty product is the L’Oréal paris super liner carbon gloss. I love it because:
1. it is super easy to use and carry
2. super dark and lasts really long
3. highlights the eyes and makes them look beautiful
4. makes me feel confident and ready to conquer the world :)”
Aayushi Bhargava, I love the Maybelline Gel liner, it works very well on the eyes. It is an everyday wear for me. It does not smudge and is super dark! And sometimes if I forget to take it off at night, it does not even look smudged the next morning :p
Deepa Berar, “My absolute fav makeup product is mascara. If there’s one thing I won’t leave home without, it is my mascara. I love how it makes your eyes come alive, and the thicker & longer the better!! My current mascara obsession is Illamasqua’s mascara in Raven. It’s super dark black & it makes your lashes HUGE.”