Summer Special: Basic skincare routine we all must follow!

 

Wonder how to indulge in proper care of your skin this summer? Leading Aesthetician & Cosmetologist and Founder-Director of ALPS Beauty Clinics, Mrs Bharti Taneja, reveals just the right steps - just for you!

Morning Care to Infuse Fresh Energy

Cleansing: As the first thing in the morning, wash your face with a mild, soap-free and non-foaming cleanser as foaming ones tend to leave our skin dry. Just take an ounce on your palms and massage your face for few 2-3 minutes. Now, wash off with cool water and pat dry with a clean towel.

Exfoliating: A must for removing dead cells and grime - this ritual should be followed daily for few seconds without shying. There are several good exfoliators/scrubbers available in market, you can just get one which suits your skin type. Otherwise, you can also go for a homemade one. Mix equal quantities of kaolin powder, sandalwood powder and add few pinches of and turmeric poppy seeds. Now, dilute this combination with milk (for dry skin), curd (for oily skin) or cucumber juice (for normal skin) and massage your face using it in circular motion. Wash off to reveal a fresh and energised skin.

Toning: Toner is a liquid meant to close the opened pores while cleansing.  Toning makes our skin look firm and lifted. It should be followed after every cleansing ritual. You can also try making a homemade toner. Boil tulsi, neem and mint leaves together in a litre of water and wait till half of it evaporates. Now, store and apply whenever needed

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Moisturising: The most compulsory of all and should be followed by people of every skin-type. It provides your skin with the softness and suppleness along with the much-needed hydration. For oily skin, use gel-moisturisers, people with normal-skin can go for water-based one; whereas rich moisturisers can be the perfect option for dry skin texture.

Protection: Sun has several adverse effects on our skin like tanning, early signs of ageing and dark spots. Therefore, do not forget to protect your skin from the sun during the day by applying a sunscreen of SPF 30 or more that has UVA, UVB filter and PA+++.

Night Regime to Provide Rich Nourishment

Makeup Removal: You must have been listening to this advice since ages. But, to keep skin problems at a distance and attain forever young looking skin, you must remove all traces of your makeup before you hit the bed. Wipe off your makeup using a cotton ball dipped in cleansing milk or olive oil to remove all the grease, grime and traces of beauty products applied. Follow by washing your face with a mild face wash and toning the skin with a suitable toner.

Night Nourishment: End up with a nourishing night cream according to your skin. Apply a nourishing night cream containing, collagen, retinol or AHA so that your skin replenishes and regenerates itself while you are asleep. Do this along with a soothing under-eye serum and get ready for your nap. This will just act like a mini-daily facial for you! 

www.alpsbeautyclinic.com

Five ways to avoid brittleness to grow your nails faster

Who doesn’t want a set of long and sexy nails?

But very few of us are blessed with such wonder nails as most of us the face problem of brittle nails due the unhealthy lives we lead. But you can now shed your worries, as Permanent Makeup expert and Executive Director of ALPS Beauty Clinics, Ms. Gunjan Gaur, shares some fantastic tips to grow your talons while keeping brittleness at bay!

Massage magic: Massage your nails for 10 minutes after dipping it in almond oil every night before bed to make them stronger from within. The almond oil will nourish your talons; preventing brittleness and boosting nail growth. The remedy will show up its effects with steady implementation; so please be patient enough to encounter effects.

File right:  Always file your nails while they are painted to prevent further brittleness and turn them longer. Besides, it is advisable to never keep your nail-bed nude and apply a transparent nail paint to keep them protected and away from fragility.

Bitterness works: Nail biting not only looks unattractive but can damage your cuticle, gums and can cause brittleness. In that case bitterness can often work in your favor! Yes, just catch hold of a taste-inhibitor to wave off your woes this time. Buy BITREX from your local chemist and apply it onto your nails with a nail paint brush, this awful edible liquid will keep you miles away from biting these bacterial “hubs” ever again.

Nutrition is important: Nails are made up of keratin- a hard protein, therefore, it becomes important to have a wholesome diet containing necessary vitamins, especially, B-complex, vitamin-E; for boosting the keratin formation. This will not only nourish, but boost the growth of nails too. So, aim for long and strong talons, by consuming B-complex enriched foods such as; fish, egg, beans, broccoli, milk and milk products, potatoes, red meat and more… It is also advisable to have all your raw-veggies/salad of your plate before the main-course, to obtain maximum benefit from it.

Permanent nail extensions: As a permanent solution, go for beautiful permanent nail extensions in order to make them longer and exotic! For this special acrylic powder and liquids are used to paste the natural looking long nails on the original nails. These extensions are beautiful, longer lasting, grow along your nails and stay for more than a month. And, while they grow, a little filling can be done at the nail bed so that they do not look artificial.

(The author is the Executive Director of ALPS Clinic and Academy)

Engagement Hairstyles according to face shape

  

While weddings are all about high drama and opulence, engagements are more about subdued glamour and effortless charm. Let your lovely hair take the centre stage at your engagement and create an unforgettable magic! Renowned beauty expert, cosmetologist and founder-director of Alps Beauty Clinic, Bharti Taneja tells how to choose an elegant hairstyle according to your face shape  

Oval shape – Well balanced and attractive, this is the ideal face shape that women want. From buns to braids, this face shape can carry off any hairstyle with great sophistication. However, if you wish to try something different and make a greater impact, then go for a little imperfection! Don a low, sophisticated knot and let some of the strands fall out and frame the face and the back of the neck. You can also adorn this easy side bun with floral wreath or matching hair accessories.

Round Shape – Adding length to the face and slenderizing the jaw line is required for the round face. You can either go for a ‘bun with a puff in the centre’ to create an illusion of length and volume or go with a ‘sultry side braid with side-swept bangs from both sides of the face’ for a more romantic appeal. The side fishtail braid takes away the attention from the roundness of the face and the side bangs add a little flamboyance to your hair.

Long/ Oblong Shape – In this face shape, the aim should be to reduce the length of the face; an illusion of width is required for a long face. Nothing frames this face shape best like fringes; they subtely cut the length of the face. You can go for a chic chignon with deep side part complimented by fringes. Embellish the chignon with a jewelled hair accessory.

Square Shape – Softening the wide corners of the face and adding an illusion of length is required for square face. After parting hair down the middle, leave a few bangs covering forehead and jawline. Now make a puff in the centre which will add length to your face and finish off with a bun or a fishtail braid. Like bangs, razor cut layers also beautifully shape both sides of your face and create an illusion of oval shape.

Heart-shaped – Narrowing the width of the forehead and adding width to the chin and jaw line are required for a heart-shaped face. The half up and half down hairstyle perfectly suits this face shape. Hair cascading down the middle of the back is great for an easy & effortless engagement look. After parting hair down the middle, section off a half-inch piece on each side and twist, wrapping it toward the back of the head. Depending on how embellished your dress is, you can keep the twists in place with a sparkly pin or barrette.

(The author is the Director of ALPS Clinic and Academy)

Expert Health And Beauty Tips For Busy Brides To Get Glowing Skin

You tend to indulge in every aspect of beauty before your much-awaited wedding to emerge as a perfect bride; be it your hair, makeup or your outfit.  In the meanwhile, no matter how hard you try, the never-ending wedding shopping and tiresome outings makes it difficult for your skin to retain its glow.

As what you eat shows absolutely on your skin, therefore with a proper and healthy diet regime, you can certainly maintain your beauty while you are out to shop. Let me share a healthy regime that all busy brides should follow, if they wish to emerge as the prettiest bride of the world!

Eat Healthy

Wedding shopping snatches a lot of your time for sure. During this whole hustle-bustle of wedding preparations you end up messing-up with your daily schedule. In that case, you might often go out skipping on the essential meals as well as the nutritional needs, which would make your skin to lose its lustre. Therefore, it is advisable to have a wholesome meal, which includes yoghurt, sprouts, eggs, veggies, etc., as your breakfast. This will help you to stay active and energised for the rest of the day.

But, in case you are in an excessive hurry, here is a quick and healthy recipe that would help you get your dose of wholesome nutrition in a jiffy.

For this,

• Steam a bowlful of sprouts in a microwave.
• Add chopped red pepper, yellow pepper, tomato, onion, green chilies and mix well.
• Now, garnish with grinded homemade cottage cheese (toned paneer), lemon juice and add salt-to-taste.

The sprouts will fulfil the protein needs of your body while multi-coloured veggies in the recipe contain antioxidants, which are excellent for your skin’s healthy and beauty. Besides these, paneer acts a great calcium source, and lemon will make your skin glow with health through its vitamin-C content. Now isn’t it a quick, hassle-free and tasty way to keep yourself healthy and beautiful? So, try it out!

Apart from these sprouts, you can also make a chickpea salad, or keep a healthy roll or sandwich with you while you are on the go.

Tasty Fruits

Yes, often while shopping, you also might feel the urge of having something to eat, after getting all tired and exhausted. Well, instead of having oily-fried food that is available readily in the market, having an apple or an orange as your midday snack is a wiser choice.

Besides the fact that they hydrate and rejuvenate your skin, the very smell of a fruit can prove quite de-stressing on a hectic day. Therefore, carrying a pre-washed fruit in your bag is advisable, when you are out running around for your wedding-preparations.

You can also have a glass full of fresh fruit juice to brighten your skin tone from within. For instance, juice of pomegranate with pineapple would fulfil iron and vitamin-C needs of your body; while infusing a natural flush on your skin.

Water Power

Benefits of water for supple skin are not hidden from anyone; and since it is your wedding, so its significance becomes more. Guzzling around 10-12 glasses of water improves the blood circulation and flushes the toxins out of your body. This will also help to keep your skin hydrated while making your skin texture smoother and glowing. 

You may also opt for fruit juices, lemonade, coconut water or other healthy drinks to keep yourself hydrated along with satiating your taste buds in a healthy way. Just stay far away from aerated beverages and hard drinks. As, these prove to be great alternatives for water and are easily available everywhere.

So, no matter how busy you are, now no need to use that as an excuse to ignore your health and skin. Use these tips to keep your skin healthy and beautiful. 

How to select the best salon for your bridal makeup

Choosing a perfect parlor for makeup on your D-day is absolutely not a cakewalk; after all it’s the most-special day in your life and you want to look no less – but, the best. And, as superbly done makeup can earn you immense admiration, you certainly want to leave no stone unturned to choose a parlor that will turn your dream of looking like a princess on your nuptials, so very true! Bharti Taneja, Renowned Beauty Expert and Founder-Director of ALPS Beauty Clinics, shares ten commendable tips for choosing the finest salon for your wedding.

Bharti Taneja's ALPS

1. You should not solely rely on salon advertisements and its punch-lines blindly.  You may consult your close friends or colleagues, when it comes to choosing the right parlor for your marriage-makeup.

2. You should not get swept away by just looking at the lavish decoration or outer embellishments of a salon. It is important to keep other factors in mind such as; cleanliness arrangements, technical facilities and service quality, provided in a parlor to select the best one.

3. To be on a safer side, it is advisable visit the parlor with extra time in-hand. Beauty services done in hurry seldom emerge as good, and make you create a wrong notion about the concerned salon in your mind, which is not fair too.

4. Choose a parlor according to your personality – the one which understands your opinions and views too in an amicable way. This understanding between both will help you avail to their service in a better way.

5. Though it is important to keep your budget in mind while choosing a salon, but if splurging a bit more gives you a chance to look like a ‘celebrity bride’, there isn’t any harm in doing that – after all marriage happens only once in a lifetime.

6. Please keep in mind that your chosen salon observes cleanliness and neatness before and during the services. Scrutinize if they use fresh towels, head-bands, combs along with sterilized blades and needles; as repeated usage of these items can lead to infections and can be otherwise dangerous too.

7. Check for the availability of an Expert Consulting Doctor in the salon, as besides the aesthetic aspect (skin and hair), he will also take over your diet regime and suggest you a diet plan that will not only maintain your weight but infuse a healthy and natural glow on you too.

8. Look out for the one which is technology-savvy and hence uses advanced and latest equipments for beauty treatments. Treatments such as; Laser, Derma Abrasion needs specific equipments which has to be there for their implementation.

9. You should examine if they keep and use quality cosmetic products which suits you and cause no harm. As, usage of cheap and low-cost beauty products may hamper your skin and hair both, which is not acceptable.

10. Last, but not the least. It is recommended to choose a salon with expert skin, hair and fashion consultants not to lag behind in any aspect of your nuptials; be it choosing the best wedding trousseau, latest jewellery, suitable makeup for your skin or perfect hair-do. These specialists make sure to endow you with the best of all for you to realize your ‘dream-wedding’.