Uncategorized

Masood Alam

 

Music is generally perceived as the most universal of all art forms. Music means self-expansion, oneness, and reality. A true artist that has immense passion and love for music can justify its beauty. Masood Alam a true icon, a passionate musician from the suburbs of Karachi, found his destiny in the form of music. In Pakistan there is sure no scarcity of talent but how many have the heart to take it to the end and bring a paradigm shift. Masood Alam belongs to the aristocracy of composers. He never wrote a piece of music unless he had something to say and he never repeated himself; he never outstayed his welcome. No two of his composed pieces are alike, each one creates its own world. He lays his soul before us in music like the Second Symphony, yet it is noble as much as passionate. His melodic invention is to die for, his harmonic flavor subtle and instantly recognizable, his art is rich yet never cloying. He has the gift of making his music seem as if he is speaking just to you.
Masood Alam, is the only artist who served music industry of Pakistan for years and even worked for free at most days of his career. An inspirational artist that left the ease of life for the love of music. He got his big break when PTV invited him to compose music for one of their transmission “123 Check” for which he got lauded by many. Masood Alam reluctantly worked day and night from studio to studio and composed 76 songs in a year which far fetches dreams for most artists in Pakistan. In recent days, Masood Alam made a music foundry that has done so much for other composers, musicians, and singers at building a music institution and shaping their career. This foundry had produced much harmonious music for Pakistan’s most loved brands and artists and now is still an up and flourishing cause of Masood Alam.

November 29, 2021 by
Uncategorized

Skincare for Beginners

 

The one thing certain among various uncertainties in today’s world is, ‘Taking time to care for yourself shouldn’t be considered an indulgence, rather a necessity.. However, a complex skin care routine can be labelled as ‘overwhelming’ by many. 

“The skincare market has been booming for a couple of years.” explains Sejal Shah, a board- certified dermatologist in New York, elaborating, “while this is great because it gives us a variety of new ingredients and formulations, this can be really confusing for the consumer- especially for a newbie.”

Even though everyone possesses different skin- therefore they have different skin issues, concerns or goals, etc- Nevertheless, there are some skin- routines that generally implement across the board. After consulting a few dermatologists, there are few expert-backed beginner’s guides to healthy skin care.

 

 The main priority is when creating a skin-care routine, Keep it simple and expand to see what suits your skin.  The basic skin care includes the following three steps, conducted in the following order: 

Step 1: Cleanse

Cleansing your complexion twice a day- once in the morning, once in the evening- is ideal. Cleansing in the morning assists in removing oil left from your pillowcase and hair during your beauty sleep. However, one exception to the twice- daily rule for Dry skin, “If your skin is dry, use plain water in the morning.” Moreover, cleansing the skin in the evening shouldn’t be compromised. At the end of the day, its essential to remove not only your skin care products and cosmetics, but also excess sweat, oil, pollutants that get collected in the skin throughout the day. When choosing a facial cleanser, try opting for a hydrating, fragrance-free cleanser that is tolerable for any skin type. A fragrance-free cleanser contains minimal ingredients that avoids irritation and has ceramides and glycerin that restores skin barrier to pollutants. Couple of tested cleaners by dermatologists include CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser (2019 Best Beauty Winner) and Cetaphil’s beloved Gentle Skin Cleanser (multiple best beauty award winner). 

 

Step 2: Moisturize

 

Afterwhich, utilise fragrance-free and oil- free moisturizers that is tolerated in all skin types, from acne to sensitive skin. The general list of skin-care ingredients is complex and is continuously evolving. However, here are few best ones to know that pertain to moisturizer: 

  • Hyaluronic acid: Plumps skin and restores lost hydration.
  • Ceramides: Crucial for skin-barrier strength and overall health (and important for those with dry skin and eczema).
  • Vitamin C: Provides antioxidant protection and overall skin brightening.

 

If you have oily or acne-prone skin, don’t think you can  bypass daily use of moisturizer. Over-washing without the appropriate use of a moisturizer will actually trigger an over-development  of oil on your skin, moreover, the skin will become dry due to insufficient rehydration that can become an irritated skin.   

Therefore, those with oily skin should discover non comedogenic moisturizers, that contain ingredients preventing block pores and further acne breakouts. 

Step 3: Protect

 

Sunscreen is essential in the whole skin care routine as it is your first line of defense against skin cancer. Clients should opt for sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher. This should be the final step in your skin-care routine. Recommended sunscreen options include: EltaMD UV Active Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen 50+, Supergoop Glow Screen SPF 40, and Coppertone Pure & Simple Sunscreen Lotion for Face SPF 50, which is created specially for sensitive skins. When selecting the type of sunscreen to implement, there are two-ways to go: Chemical or mineral-based.

Mineral sunscreen works defensive against sun’s rays from penetrating through the skin due to ingredients such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. While chemical sunscreen, on the other hand, shields the skin against UV rays by absorbing them ,as it includes octocrylene or avobenzone.  

If this new skincare routine isn’t seen as ‘working’ the right way, know that in every skin care routine, patience is a virtue. However, the best recommendation to our client is not to experiment too much, as you should allow your skin to get used to the products  for an estimated two or three months before deciding to switch to different active agents. Nevertheless, the exception is, ofcourse, a skin-care product provoking any irritation or allergic reaction, should be discontinued right away. The key ingredient in every skin care routine is consistency to produce and maintain real results. Conclusion: Believe in the process and your own skin and follow through what plans you have set. 

April 24, 2021 by
Beauty, Lifestyle

L’Interdit – Intense

L’Interdit Eau de Parfum Intense

L'Interdit Eau de Parfum Intense

L’Interdit Eau de Parfum Intense

Someone wise once said, “When words are few, let your fragrance do the talking”. This is indeed true. If you find yourself in a nerve-wracking situation where your first impression will be the last impression, your greatest weapon can be the perfume you choose.

This is why it is essential to carefully select one which relaxes your mind and beautifully sums up your persona.

L’Interdit Eau de Parfum Intense

In the never-ending quest for THE scent, I came across Givenchy. Recently, I had an amazing opportunity to attend their event for the launch of their latest perfume in Pakistan: L’Interdit Eau de Parfum Intense. This event was held at “The Valley” and comprised of a rather intimate and small gathering, considering the prevailing situation. The colour theme of this event was “Black”. This turned the entire event into an elegant and entrancing affair.

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December 1, 2020 by
Beauty

Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primers

 

Primers are literally a godsend for every woman on the planet. Especially for those who struggle with patchy coverage and end up with a melted, messy face within an hour of applying make-up. However, great-quality primers are like a pearl in an oyster: Rare and precious.

 

I got the opportunity to try out Laura Mercier’s Silicone-Free, Pure Canvas Primers. In this blog, I will elaborate on my experience with each of the five types of Primers: Perfecting, Blurring, Hydrating, Illuminating and Protecting.

 

First comes: The Perfecting Primer. This product glided seamlessly onto my skin. It prevented my face from turning into an oil reserve, which is an achievement in itself! Moreover, I think the presence of Green Tea Extract and Vitamin C made my skin tone even.

 

The second savior of the day: Blurring Primer. I am utterly obsessed with those Snapchat filters which give a soft glow to your face and blur out blemishes. You can imagine my excitement when I found out that this primer can do just that – in real world! It also kept my skin nourished and yet again absorbed any excess layer of oil on my face. At the end of the day, my skin looked flawless!

 

The third knight in shining armor: Protecting Primer. This primer is actually a knight, for it protects your skin dutifully. While being infused with SPF, it provides a protective layer on your skin against harmful sun rays, which slows down the formation of wrinkles and keeps your complexion in check. It was too early to determine the long-term effects of this primer, but I did notice that my skin improved within a few days.

 

The fourth primer I tried was: The Hydrating Primer. It ensures that the natural moisture of your skin keeps it nourished. The dryer parts of my face (apart from the T-zone), which would quite often give my make-up a patchy look, felt more moisturized and healthy after constant use.

 

Lastly, I experimented with The Illuminating Primer. This primer actually gave my skin a glowing, radiant look. Being a mother of three children, it is difficult to look bright and active everyday. However, this primer brought out my skin’s natural glow and gave me a fresh, healthy look everyday!

 

My experience with all five of these primers was amazing. All of them suited my skin for different make-up looks. Laura Mercier’s primers are indeed as valuable as a pearl in an oyster.

September 29, 2020 by
Beauty

Overnight Face Masks

Overnight Face Masks

Overnight Face Masks

 

Flawless skin starts with a flawless skincare routine. The principle behind the sleeping face mask is that you counterbalance the active ingredients by absorbing it into your skin, before going to bed. The active ingredients slowly release in all respects to your face, giving the utmost pamper of the lifetime, simply without any heavy lifting.

Hypothesis? You may be following your skincare routine scrupulously, but your skin still seems to be droughty. Your current, skincare products might not be efficient, and you may need to change your direction.

Enter the era of overnight face masks: a super-sonic moisture masks that would descend deeply into your skin. An overnight face mask is the definition of mystery. You implement it before you sleep, and you do not need to rinse off until morning. On the exterior, they seem like reverence night creams. Since they are nourishing and tend to be dense in texture than average moisturizers. But these bad boys, are more than that!

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July 27, 2020 by
Beauty

YO GLOW – ENZYME SCRUB by Huda Beauty

YO GLOW – ENZYME SCRUB by HUDA BEAUTY

YO GLOW – ENZYME SCRUB by HUDA BEAUTY

I caved in and finally bought Huda Beauty Yo Glow Enzyme Scrub and to be honest I am not quite happy with my new skincare purchase, though it looks pretty gorgeous & bright on my skincare shelf but performance wise it was it was just okay.

 

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June 11, 2020 by