There are 3 kinds of products –

The ones that you use and forget about, once it is over.

The ones that you regret purchasing.

The ones that you fall in love with. The ones that become a part of your daily life. The ones for which you don’t need recommendations from any beauty blogger. 😉

Every person has a few products that he or she loves and has a close association with and this blog is to honour those products. I’ll share with you 7 cult classics from my beauty stash. Some of them are new additions while a few have been there for years now.

I’ll start with the new additions first and then continue talking about the older ones.

All right, let’s begin. 🙂

Bon Organic’s Aloe Vera Gel

I’ve been attracted to Aloe Vera for a very long time now. Two years back, I forced my husband to bring his two huge aloe vera plants (from his bachelor abode) to our new home. Though the plant adorned our garden well, I never had the patience to cut the leaf, clean the sap and extract the gel. The two plants got washed away during the Chennai floods. 😛

So, that was when I started looking for aloe vera gels available in the market. Sadly all were green in colour and filled with chemicals and preservatives. For a long time, I used Patanjali’s aloe vera gel (which has some chemicals & colours, but, it is still good).

A few months back I discovered Bon Organics while searching for clean aloe vera gels and my search for good aloe gels ended there. The one I have is pure aloe vera devoid of chemicals, colours, fragrance and preservative. They also have different variants but I feel the plain aloe gel suits me well.

I use it almost every day on my skin. I love to use this especially after coming back from work in the evening. There is something so refreshing about this simple aloe vera gel. Occasionally, I use it on my hair as well. This one is a true beauty classic.

Zofla’s Rose Water

My favourite rose water is from a brand called Zofla (@zoflalife) and it is 100% natural, steam distilled rose water made from Kannauj Roses (The same roses used in Kama Ayurveda’s Rose Water).

Rose Water of the Kannauj Rose has been known and used for centuries for its fragrance and flavour. Kannauj Rose is considered special since it has the same specifications as the Bulgarian Rose.

I stumbled upon this brand when I was looking for a natural, kannauj rose water that is not only effective but also priced reasonably. This would cost you Rs.160 for 100ml which I think is very good for a rose water of this quality.

I use it in a lot of different ways and so could you –

• Spray it on your face. It is refreshing.
  
• Use it as a toner. It is natural and has no alcohol or any other bad stuff.
• Mix it with your face pack. I also spray this on my face when I use any kind of clay face pack. It prevents excessive drying.
• Spray it on your hair. Trust me, it feels so good. 🙂
• I also spray it on my body before applying any body oil.

The only con that comes to my mind is the plastic bottle. A tinted glass bottle would have worked really well. Otherwise, one of the best rose waters available in the Indian market at a reasonable price. I am sure that I will be using this rose water for a long time to come.

Greenberry Organic’s MUDASH 3 In 1 Face Mask, Scrub and Cleanser

I am so glad I discovered Greenberry Organic’s MUDASH. This face-mask+scrub+cleanser is infused with Activated Charcoal, Tea Tree, Jojoba, Clove Oil & Bentonite, Kaolin Clay. It is also Paraben, Sulphate & Phthalate FREE.

I have begun to appreciate products that can multitask ever since I have started to reduce the number of products I consume. MUDASH can be used a gentle cleanser, an effective scrub and also as a quick 5-minute facemask. I personally use it while I am bathing. That way the product has enough time to work on my skin and my skin looks bright every time I use this.

I also love to have this with me when I travel. I love travelling, but, it leaves my skin dull and exhausted. This one takes care of that. Plus, I don’t have to carry a million things with me because this works as a cleanser-scrub-mask. Truly, this is a GEM. If you haven’t tried this yet, I highly recommend you to give MUDASH a try. It is not Amazon’s Best Seller for no reason.

Burt Bees Hand Salve

Yet another beauty classic from my stash is the Burt Bee’s Hand Salve. I have DRY skin and I like products that help me tackle my dry skin. Even though this is a Hand Salve, I almost use this like a Body Salve. This works very well and little goes a long way. I started using this last October and I am still on my first tin. You get the idea, right? I use this on my hands, my feet and on my super dry knees. I use it every day, everywhere.

The best part about this Burt Bee’s Salve is that it is 100% natural, brimming with botanical oils and herbs. It has a soothing fragrance. Just make sure not to put too much on, else, you’ll get your hands greasy. This is a sweet relief for the dry skin.

In India, you can get this from Sephora or Nykaa. US/UK folks, you guys are the lucky ones!

Patanjali Beauty Cream

I have always been a moisturizer kind of person. I cannot wear foundation / BB / CC creams whatsoever. Not that I haven’t tried. I have but I cannot wear it for a long time.  So yes, day creams and moisturizers work very well for me. I have used day creams from a lot of brands – Olay, Ponds, Lotus, Lakme etc. Name it. I have used it.

But, I never loved any of those creams as much as I loved this simple Patanjali Beauty Cream. This does not claim of boosting ‘fairness’ or ‘brightening’ up your skin tone like most brands. This does not have harmful chemicals which the brands I mentioned above contain. This does not have SILICONES, so no slippery-smooth skin. This is a very simple, everyday cream that moisturizes my skin so well. The best part about this cream is, it almost feels like my second skin. I do not feel I’ve applied anything on my skin. Plus, my Chambor Silver Shadow Compact works very well with this.

I am so glad I discovered this cream over 2 years ago while I was shopping in Baroda. I haven’t gone back to using those nasty day creams ever. Highly recommend this product.

Chambor Silver Shadow Compact Powder

I started using this compact powder soon after I started working at Amazon which was around 6 years back (2011 to be precise). And, I’ve been using it ever since. This is one of my favourite products and I think I will continue to repurchase till Chambor produces it. ?

If you’re looking for a compact powder with a natural finish, do check this one out. It evens out the skin and feels very very natural. This works perfectly even without a foundation/base. I use it directly after using the Patanjali’s Beauty Cream.

Another thing which I love about this one is it comes with 2 separate pans which can be replaced. This is priced at Rs.995 and you know what? The 2 pans last for at least 8 – 9 months. Just so you know, I use this product every day.

Having said that, I would definitely appreciate if they provide different applicators for each pan. Considering this product lasts for nearly a year, using the same applicator gets a little gross. Washing the applicator makes it hard and unusable. However, there is still the huge powder brush that comes to my saviour when I dispose the applicator.

There are 4 different shades – RR1, RR2, RR3, and RR5. I am dusky and RR5 works well for me. You can test these compact powder at the Chambor product counters in Lifestyle Stores.

This product is a classic and I am never letting it go.

Annai Aravind Herbals Hair and Body Wash

I saved my most favourite and trusted product for the end. Annai Aravind Herbals is a known name in Chennai for their herbal powders, natural medicines et al. I remember this very well. Annai Aravind’s outlet opened right opposite my house (in Chennai) when I was in my 12th standard. That’s almost 11 years. Maybe even more. And, I have been using this product since then. Can you imagine? 🙂

I have loved using natural cleansers for hair. But I always had a problem because the homemade shikaki cleanser would never remove the oil and grease. Either, I had to follow up with a shampoo or I needed my mom’s help to get rid of the excess oil. All that changed when I started using this cleanser. For a long time now, this has been my favourite and the most trusted hair cleanser.

You need to get used to using this. It is not easy-cleansing like shampoo. You cannot use it on days when you are running short of time (Definitely not on weekdays, if you go for work). I use this only during weekends. My hair feels very good every time I use it.

Again, this doubles up as my body cleanser and face wash on most of the days. There are days when I don’t use soap and use this as my ‘soap’. Works very, very well.

I love this one. And, I am never going to stop using this. 11 years and counting. 🙂

Note: This is the website – http://www.annaiaravindhherbals.com/

Do call them up and find out if they deliver to your city.

Ah! This blog was quite a trip down the memory lane.

So those were my cult favourites from my beauty stash which I am in love with. I would love if you tell me your favourite products and your memories associated with it. Will you? Comment below. Lets chat. 🙂

All these products are listed in The Store section of the blog which is a personally curated compilation of all my favourite things & products that I use on a day-day basis. I am sure you will find something useful for yourself.

Connect with me on Instagram for daily musings. Thank You for reading!