EMPTIES + MINI REVIEWS (Earthwise Beauty, Honua Skincare, Lepaar, Just Herbs)

Nothing like an Empties post to make you feel accomplished, right? After my last Empties post, which was in March this year, I have returned with a few more used-up products along with my mini reviews on them. Most of these products I have reviewed in depth previously on this blog so I'll link up wherever applicable. Nevertheless, if you have specific questions, please ask in the comments below. :)

Hawaiian Beauty Water by Honua Skincare:
My thoughts on this gentle, all-natural liquid exfoliant are mentioned here, but you'd see that my opinion on this exfoliant treatment toner hasn't changed much. I still think that my skin is too resilient to notice any exfoliating effect from this product. That said, it may be a good option for those with sensitive skin, who want to try exfoliation but are feeling unsure about it. After using up half of the bottle's contents, I used the remainder to spritz on my face to prevent certain clay-based masks from drying up too soon. It seemed to work well when combined with other skincare products such as the Earthwise Beauty Frightening Green Mask, Blackstrap Molasses Mask, etc. The Hawaiian Beauty Water has gorgeous ingredients such as hibiscus, coconut water, papaya enzymes, willow bark, witch hazel and more. I only wish it worked on my skin!


Earthwise Beauty Cistus and Moonlight Face Mist:
I love this mist to bits! Previously reviewed here on my blog, the scent of this mist is completely unique and unlike anything else on the market. The floral, honey-like scent laced with a touch of green makes up for a such a soothing ritual, be it in the mornings or at nighttime. In the morning rush hour, this slows me down for a brief few seconds and in the evening, it calms my frazzled, often overworked self. Performance-wise, this hydrates my skin without leaving behind a greasy after-feel, which so many other mists do because of the inclusion of oils. This is yet another product that is free of essential oils. I'm so glad to see Ava repackage this mist into a 100 ml bottle because the 60 ml runs out pretty soon.


Earthwise Beauty Ambrosia del Cerrado:
This was my first bottle of the Ambrosia del Cerrado from Earthwise Beauty and like every other product from the line, this doesn't disappoint. Although Ava describes this as a moisturiser, I think it also has slight treatment-like properties. What I mean is, it doesn't just hydrate the skin but also lightens spots when used consistently over a period of time. In a way, it's a grown-up moisturiser. The colour and the scent are so refreshing, but what I appreciate more are the ingredients and the performance. It's one of the few green beauty products out there that is free of essential oils and therefore safe for everyone to use. The Ambrosia also pairs very well with Earthwise's Ruby Facial Oil (also free of essential oils), sharing not only a few ingredients such as pequi and buriti oils but also the scent profile, obviously due to the same ingredients. I love to mix the Ruby oil with the Ambrosia into an emulsion, which is what I reach for when I'm short on time. My Ruby oil is long gone but this moisturiser is still good on its own. I'm currently on my second bottle of this. You can find my review on this here.


Just Herbs Gotukola Indian Ginseng Rejuvenating Beauty Elixir Facial Serum:
Previously reviewed here and here, this is my second-time purchase of this serum. I was blown away by it the first time around, and I'm still blown away by it. The serum is a potent combo of deep yet lightweight hydration (thanks to the Indian Senna seed extract) and brightening (mostly due to liquorice). The only thing one needs to keep in mind is, don't use this as a moisturiser. It is formulated as a serum for a specific reason. The botanical hyaluronic acid in it requires that you top it up with a regular moisturiser otherwise the hyaluronic acid in it will draw moisture out of your skin; the serum therefore needs to be 'sealed in' with something on top of it. Also, if you don't use a moisturiser on top of this, it leaves a slightly sticky feeling (similar to conventional hyaluronic acid) which is not pleasant.


Lepaar Skin Precious Face Oil:
Included in a Boxwalla beauty box last year, this face oil is lovely, with a lush scent and feel and a performance that matches its aesthetic value. When I used it alone for several days (as recommended by the brand) I noticed it gave a brightening effect similar to the Earthwise Beauty Ruby Face Oil (also included in one of the Boxwalla beauty boxes). While the Ruby has a spicy, tropical scent, this has a fruity and cookie-like vanilla-ish scent rounded off with a grown-up frankincense. I also like to mix this with the Ambrosia del Cerrado and sometimes even with the Farizad's Veil sunscreen powder. Although it doesn't have the tint of the Ruby oil, it doesnt't leave too much of a white cast despite that. While the Ruby is more easily available, I don't see the Lepaar products stocked at too many online retailers.


Earthwise Beauty Sungod Mask:
This powdered mask is quite unsual. Ava's intent behind this was to create a skincare product to address overexposure to sun and skin aging through the use of sun-reminiscent botanicals. While I loved the glow it gave me, I don't think I used it long enough to notice any remarkable effects, considering I had a sample jar, which lasted 2-3 uses. Ava does mention on her site though that this is not a short-term brightening mask but rather a long-term skin investment.


That's it, folks! I'm quite happy that I have cleared up some more space on my skincare shelf. These two empties posts have also been a good exercise in figuring out the overall patterns in my usage of skincare and my preferences. I am now more aware of what I tend to lean towards in terms of ingredients, scents and textures, and what my topmost priorities are from a skincare product. My ultimate goal is to reduce the amount of skincare that I buy; less is definitely more. This also means fewer Empties blog posts in future (hopefully). 😃

REVIEW: Just Herbs Gotukola Indian Ginseng Rejuvenating Beauty Elixir Facial Serum (new packaging)

This has to be the longest product name ever! But does the product live up to the hype-r long name? (see what I did there?!) Bad puns aside, let's dive in!


In recent years, Just Herbs has emerged as a well-respected organic and wildcrafted skincare brand in India. Its Ayurvedic approach to skincare and a line-up of products that fulfil the requirements of modern-day skincare routines has made the brand quite popular. What I mean by modern-day skincare routines is that Indian consumers, in particular, have only now begun to think beyond the three-step CTM (cleansing, toning, moisturising) routine. There is so much more to a skincare routine than simply using one over-drying face wash, one astringent-heavy toner, and one super heavy cream!


Skincare needs have transcended these limitations and Just Herbs has recognised and more importantly, tapped into these needs by coming out with suitable products. This is why you will find in their line-up a cleansing milk for makeup removal, a ph-balanced hydrating face wash, cleansing grains or ubtan-like face cleansers, hydrating alcohol-free toners that also take away the remnants of makeup/cleanser if any, facial oil, face masks, gels, creams and a sun protective tinted moisturiser. 


But my introduction to this brand was a nifty 15 ml bottle of the Gotukola Indian Ginseng Rejuvenating Beauty Elixir Facial Serum. A few years ago, when Just Herbs had just come out with the aforementioned serum, I was intrigued. It was the first time an Indian brand had used the word 'serum' in one of its products. The texture was neither like a gel nor like a cream. The ingredients sounded impressive as they are revered highly in Ayurveda. It seemed like a recipe for success. I bought the product immediately, even though at the time, INR 985 was unheard of for a 15 ml skincare product in India.


If you are interested in reading about what I thought of this serum back then, go to this blog post of mine wherein I have reviewed it in detail. But this current blog post is about reviewing the serum in its new avatar. Since the time I had last reviewed it which was two years ago, the product has undergone newer packaging. Back in 2016, it had a dropper-style bottle, which is not problematic in itself except that the product consistency was so thick that the pipette would not dispense it effortlessly. It would often get stuck in the pipette, and towards the end of my use, there was a lot of product left in the pipette, which I was forced to throw away because it just wouldn't come out. I had mentioned this point in my review and I'm glad Just Herbs paid heed to it and changed the packaging. The bottle now has a pump-style packaging which is just what I had asked for. Thank you, Just Herbs. 😍


Ingredients-wise, I am seeing a few new ingredients. I don't remember seeing eucalyptus leaf extract, fumittory or colloidal oats on the product label of the bottle I had two years ago. Apart from that, the 15 ml bottle has a bigger sister now; you can now get it in a 30 ml bottle too. The price has also changed. Earlier, the 15 ml bottle was priced at INR 985; now, it's priced at INR 1125. The 30 ml bottle is priced at INR 1825.


So, how does this new serum compare to its predecessor? As mentioned before, I'm loving the pump-style bottle, especially because the product seems to have an even thicker consistency than before. If you watch the video I had uploaded in my previous review, you'd see the texture being a mix of runny and thick. The product seemed to be almost 'unblended'. But now, it has an even texture and consistency, similar to many lotion-like serums available from other brands. I don't mind the new texture as the product sinks into the skin just as effortlessly. A big thumbs up from me!


The previous formulation had a very pronounced 'sweet sugared bread' scent. The repackaged product has an overall scent that is sweet and herbal. I love it! Scent is such a subjective aspect and one that may or may not matter. However, I always like to include a note on product scent because I think it ultimately helps in making a decision whether to purchase a product or not. Having said that, the scent dissipates completely once the product is applied.


Price-wise, I'm bummed that it has increased even further but like I said before, I don't mind using expensive skincare as long as it performs so I don't mind the price that much. In the long run, my skin thanks me for the 'skinvestment'. Having said that, this serum is still more affordable than many skincare serums I purchase from overseas brands.


Now, the question that matters the most. Does this serum perform? Yes, it does! I can say this with confidence because when I was testing it, I did notice visible results. Whenever I test products like this, which are treatment products, I test them exclusively, meaning, I don't use any other skincare during the testing phase so that I can gauge the results clearly and do not mistake the results (whether positive or negative) with any other skincare product that I might be using at the time. The results I noted were: visibly brightened skin, a lit-from-within glow and diminished brown spots. Skin hydration was at its best when I was using the serum. In fact, this was the only product I was using for hydration and it didn't fail me. If hydration, brightening and subtle reduction in brown spots are your concerns, this serum is a good choice. 


The Just Herbs Elixir does not help with reducing acne, which is fair enough because the company does not claim this in the first place. But in my experience, dehydration is one of the major causes of acne so if acne is a concern for you, this serum will definitely help. You can supplement your acne regimen with this serum as it would work in tandem with your acne-reducing products.


Will I repurchase this? A resounding yes! I'm proud that an Indian skincare brand has a product that can compete with some highly-raved skincare products from overseas and more importantly, deliver on its claims. It is no wonder that this serum is a crowd favourite and the newer packaging has only made it better.


You can purchase your serum from the Just Herbs site, or even from nykaa.com. I prefer buying it from the Just Herbs site because I'm assured of product freshness and also because I am entitled to free samples with purchase.

REVIEW: Just Herbs Gotukola Indian Ginseng Rejuvenating Beauty Elixir

After having talked about the various types of moisture in my previous blog post, today I want to talk about a recently purchased serum, which looks promising so far.

The Gotukola Indian Ginseng Rejuvenating Beauty Elixir by the Ayurvedic brand Just Herbs.

What is it:
A lightweight serum to be used at night to target concerns like aging, hyperpigmentation and dullness. The blurb on the company's website calls it: This multi-tasking night serum is a synergistic blend of treasured Indian herbs to nourish and restore a natural glow and youthfulness to tired, ageing and pigmented skin. Plant polyphenols, carotenoids and flavonoids present in these precious botanicals prevent and reverse free-radical and DNA damage and block the inflammatory changes that result during the skin ageing process.

What does it contain:
As the long product name suggests, the serum contains Gotukola, which is basically brahmi or centella, used for ages in Indian haircare products. Honestly, this is the first time I have come across centella in an Indian skincare product. Korean skincare products, which I have said are miles ahead of skincare products found elsewhere, have been using centella for quite some time now. An example of highly-raved centella-based Korean products is the Cosrx centella anti-blemish range.

Anyway, coming back to the Just Herbs elixir, it also contains Indian Ginseng or Ashwagandha, known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It contains cold-pressed oils of rosehip (excellent for combating dryness), wheatgerm, safflower and one of my favourite skincare ingredients, moringa seeds, which come from the drumstick tree. Who would have thought! It also has liquorice (for brightening) and nagkesar for its retexturising, toning and firming properties. Last but not least, the elixir also contains Indian Senna, which is considered to be a good alternative to the moisture powerhouse ingredient hyaluronic acid.

How's the packaging:
Now, here's where I have a small problem with this product. Although the tinted glass bottle with its pipette looks appealing, it's cumbersome having to unscrew the bottle, press the pipette, dispense and then screw back. I wish Just Herbs would consider a pump-style bottle, which is much easier to use--pump and go.

How to use it:
Like most serums, you take a pea-sized amount on your fingertips and gently press onto cleansed and toned skin. A heads-up for those who want to know what it smells like--sweet bread! Yep, it smells like sugared bread--think Wibs Tooty Fruity bread. It doesn't bother me as once you put it on, the smell dissipates.

How does it perform:
This is the part that matters the most. To begin with, the serum, being lightweight, is a joy to use, especially on combination skin types, which is my skin type. The moment you press it in the skin, you can almost feel a 'sluuurrrppp' moment taking place, which is my way of saying that the skin has greedily soaked it all in. This moisture-gulping property can be attributed to the Indian Senna, which instantly adds hydration to the skin. 

Having said that, this is a serum, which does not replace a moisturiser, at least for me. Even though the elixir contains emollient oils, I need a moisturiser on top to help 'seal in' the moisture. Plus, the meagre quantity of the serum means that you'd be using more than is required if you use it as a moisturiser.

Claim-wise, the serum does help in evening out the skin tone, however, since I don't suffer from major hyperpigmentation, I cannot comment on that part. The hydrating quality helps in filling any fine lines and gives an instant plumping effect. So, dullness--check, hydration--check.

How is it priced:
Compared to most Indian skincare products, the elixir's price might seem a bit steep; Rs. 985 for a meagre 15 ml. For that price, I would have hoped for a 30 ml. Then again, I have used more expensive products with similar quality so I shouldn't be complaining.

Skinsleuth Says:
Go for it! It's worth a try simply because it's hard to come by a good-quality serum in the Indian skincare market. Tip: if you have always found eye creams to be rather heavy and oily around the eyes, try this serum in that area. No irritations (at least for me), maximum hydration and no icky feeling after application. Like I said, sluuuurrrp!