Fitter Me: My diet and Exercise Regime!

Since I am tied indoors due to the heavy rain I thot I might as well do this post ;)

So first the diet that I follow:

Morning (6/7) : That's when I get up :)  2 glasses of water + 4 almonds + a glass of green tea.Along with this a fruit/carrot/tomato.I need fuel to work out ;)

Workout

Post-workout (9/10) : A glass of protein.

Mid morning(10/11) : 1 small cup of  Red/brown rice with veggies and lil pickle.

Lunch (1/2) : 2 Roti with veggies/2 dosa/3 idly/ 2 idiyappam/poha

After 1/2 hr:1 glass of milk with turmeric (good for stomach)

Evening : Green tea with a fruit/dates/roasted channa/chivda/Roasted Makhnas(its my fav) U can get Makhnas from Bombay General stores near Duraisamy Subway (opp to Pothys).They are very nutritious and taste yummy.I forgot to mention them in the previous post.

Dinner(7): Salad comprising of carrots,cucumbers,tomatoes,mushrooms,cabbage anything that's there in the fridge at that time ;)  
+
A glass of protein if I workout in the evening.

Late night : I am mostly awake till 11 so I munch on carrots/drink milk.
* I stay away from oily and junk foods
*I recommend not to have carbohydrates(carbs) at night since they take longer to digest and since u will be asleep mostly by that time u won't need tat energy and it will be stored as fat.
*Also try having early dinner mostly by 7 or 8.
*Including more protein in ur diet is important since Protein provides u with immediate energy hence u will feel great as well as not crave for *stuff* (junk)
*Ur body needs nutrients and when u eat junk food u do not provide it with sufficient nutrients hence ur body will send u signals to eat more food.when u do not provide it even then it becomes a cycle. U will feel hungry and tired and pile on pounds!
* If I am hungry between meals I munch on fruits and nuts and drink buttermilk!

My Exercise Regime : I workout at home.No gymshym for me.There is no good 1 nearby and if it's far I start procastinating.

That's me :D

Morning : (after some fuel)

 20 to 30 mins walk in the park (fast walking).I do not jog.But am not regular with this 1 ;)

 Strength training for an hour

Yoga for 30 mins which includes 6 sets of suryanamaskar and some asanas.

Evening: (5)

Cardio training for 1 hr

 or

1 hr or more of shuttle

Yup My workout is intense so I make sure I eat a lot of veggies.I will share my initial workouts in the upcoming posts :)


Keep tuned in for my Next Posts which will be on What to Eat and What Not to Eat and Exercises which worked for me ;)

Till then
Ciao
Raaga 

SkinCare: Lotus AlphaMoist Hydroxy Moisturiser Review!

I am a great fan of Lotus skin care products :) I have used their Aloehydra moisturiser(perfect for normal-oily skin),Jojoba facewash(one with the milli capsules),Clay mask(which was a disappontment) and their Lip Therapy which are the best non tinted lip balms :)

My skin is now normal-dry and I wanted a day moisturiser that would not make me sweat and provide proper hydration.I had the choice of Alphamoist and Sheamoist.But I didn't find the smell of sheamoist much to my liking.

Price : 185/- Rs. for 80 ml

Packaging : It comes in a bottle with a nozzle at the top which helps u control the amount.But the cap does not hold strong as with other lotus products.It is loosely held and can break easily.And cuz of this it is not travel friendly.
 

Texture: The texture is between creme and gel.I find it a lil similar to the Lotus Micro emulsion.The moisturizer is water based hence u wont find it heavy or greasy :)


Color: The cream is white in color but becomes transparent as u blend it.U won't find any whitish cast.

smooth hydrated skin :)

Finish: Since it is water based it does not make skin oily.Instead it provides good hydration
 to the skin for a healthy glow :) Does not mattify the skin if u are looking for it and does not cause oiliness either.

It does not make tall claims of whitening or brightening which is good considering most of the products which claim fail at that! 

Being a day moisturiser it lacks in SPF which is a high con but I make peace with it since I always apply my Neutrogena SPF 50 + Sunscreen.

My Verdict: A moisturiser that will suit normal,oily and dry skin but extreme dry/oily skin can look for other options like Aloe vera gels(oily skin) and Aroma Magic Almond lotion/Olay/Lotus gel creme/Lakme Peach milk for dry skin :)
Also it might not suit dry skin in the winters.

RATING :
4.2 out of 5

Hope u find my review helpful :) Happy Shopping!

Lipstick Love : NYX Round Lipstick Lip Creme in 565 B52 Swatches!

How excited do u get when u find an awesome product in ur makeup stash which u had ignored till now??

I was jumping all over the place :D And that was because I found this particular lipstick so good both the color and the texture :)
I had actually worn it once or twice but as with all NYX lipsticks this one smells like detergent and I kept away from it .

But the other day I took this out and tried it on..it was so creamy and the color is such a pretty Pinkish brown that I could see stars in the daylight :D :P (in a gud way of course)

• I found it is actually a Lipstick Lip Creme on google (decode urself) and is the creamiest lipstick I have ever used.
• It is packed with pigments and a single swipe is enuf to cover any degree of pigmentation.
• It is a pinkish brown shade that is on the brighter side.It is not ur regular n*de shade but will brighten up ur face.

• The color is not overpowering either.
• The finish is glossy and makes the lips look plump.
• It keeps my lips hydrated as long as I wear it.I do not need a lip balm with this :)
• Due to the creamy texture it has the tendency to bleed and lasts 2-3 hrs on me.
• Does not settle into fine lines nor does it stain ur lips.
• This one melts so u need to refrigerate it
• The smell is not pleasing to put it mildly ;).

All in all I would say a must have lipstick owing to its texture and pigmentation.The color is rich and will suit duskier skintones too.I can't thank Rekha enough for including this in her giveaway :D Thank u again :)
I compared this with Lakme Rose Kissed and found them to b almost similar but this one is more intense and has a more brownish undertone.
And I also swatched this with My Mahogany and the colors are very different.My mahogany is kind of peachy browny shade while this one is pinky browny.Check out for urself ;)

Left:My mahogany Right: NYX lipcream in 565 B52

 What r ur experiences with NYX lipsticks??

Lip Swatches!

I never post lip swatches as I cannot get a proper shot mostly.But this time I ended up liking some shots so I am posting them here :D

Berry Brilliant

Pink Ruby

NYX Lip Creme in 565 B52

Rose Kissed

Hope u liked my lip swatches!

Fitter Me : Healthy Indian Snacks!

I am starting a new series :Fitter Me to inculcate a sense of fitness and lose weight.I will post exercises,diet and rules that help me to lose weight :) And Believe me I have lost a LOT of weight dng those exercises and diet ;) Hope u guys benefit from these :) I will try to do a post atleast once a week but no promises :) So this is a random compilation of snacks I love and are low in calories and nutritious too :)

1.

 

Dates: Dates have lesser calories than ur Jalebis and Rasagullas and satisfy ur sweet cravings too :) Strawberries have lesser calories than dates but I can't find strawberries in all the seasons ;)

2.

Chivda : Ahhh I use Cardia Extra Virgin Olive Oil for my cooking and use 4 tsps max for making chivda :) It is a healthier version but be vigilant on the salt as too much leads to water retention :)

3.

Peanuts: I never liked peanuts pehle.But now I have developed a liking.It is a great snack and the fat it has is Unsaturated fatty acid which is actually good for us :)It lowers bad cholestral.

4.

 Khakhras: Who doesn't love these?? They are crispy,yummy and perfect replacements for those bag of nachos.Try making at home.U can find a lot of recipes on youtube.
If u r lazy and want to buy them U can get these in various versions at :
Mansukh's in Ramasamy Street near the new flyover on the Usman Road in T.nagar
The street is opposite to the Wine Shop in Dhandapani street.

5.

Roasted Chana Dal :We call it uppu kadalai in Tamil.It tastes so good :) 


Also If u guys want to indulge once in a while u can get the Alive Multigrain Thins which has 232 calories in a single 15Rs. packet :\

Toss those packets of Lays and Kurkures and Hug these healthy replacements :)


Please share ur healthy snacking options and ur opinions on this post :)

Lipstick Love : Maybelline The Jewels Berry Brilliant Lipstick Review and Swatches!

Almost the whole of the blogging world is going gaga over the Jewels collection from Maybelline Colorsensational range ! 
I for once had no intentions to get any shade from this range as I feared none of the shades would suit me and rather would luk garish against my skin.So when the SA tried to swatch I was unwilling but she was so sweet seriously!And the moment she swatched Berry Brilliant I fell in love :P It is darker than Fuchsia Crystal.And another shade Rubylicious is a gorgeous pinkish red!

Price : Rs.350/-

•  The packaging is similar to the normal Colorsensational ones but has a baby pink cap with multi dimensional strips on it.The Jewels was printed on the cover and I nearly regretted removing the cover ;) It would have been great if it had been printed on the cap instead :) 

• Berry Brilliant is a pretty berry shade with fuchsia and plum in it :)

• The texture is smooth and creamy but feels very light on the lips.

• The pigmentation is the best part : highly pigmented and u need a single swipe to cover the dark areas of the lips.

• It is very moisturising more like a lip balm and the finish is glossy.After half an hour or so the glossiness vanishes but still lips feel soft!

• The staying power is 3 hrs or so on me and with meal it leaves behind a baby pink tint to be exact.

• It does bleed due to the balmy texture.

• This shade adds such a pop of color that I prefer keeping the rest of the face natural.

• Suits fair and dusky skin tones :) 

• Maybelline has definitely hit the Jackpot with this range.Wish they bring more everyday wear kind of shades under this.

• Perfect for fall and winter :) And U can rock Navratri and Diwali with shades from this range ;)

• I have swatched some other shades which I thot might be similar but Colorbar Velvet Matte Oh My Magenta was the only 1 close.

From L-R:Colorbar V.M. Oh My Magenta,Colorbar V.M. Rum Raisin,Amway Attitude Plum Shine,MAybelline Berry Brilliant.Bottom:Maybelline Raspberry Sorbet.

U can see how glossy Berry Brilliant is ;) It is d star of the swatch :P

RATING :
4.8 out of 5

RECO: U ought to own a single shade from the range and this color is a great 1 to own for the coming days ;)

Oranges and Peaches Lip colors!

Being a student my pocket money and hence my purchases are limited!But I do own a few lipsticks.And I wanted to show u the lipsticks that I liked wearing in summers :)


I have also included 2 coral shades:the lotus one and the maybelline moisture extreme one :)

The shades are:

• Maybelline moisture extreme lipstick in Coral pink : The name is apt for this shade.A coral mixed with Pink and is popular from the the collection.Check out d review here .
• Lotus Pure Colors Carnation Lipstick : It is a coral shade with peachy undertone and sometimes even looks coral red on my lips.A confusing shade but brightens up my face in a poof! Reviewed here.

• Revlon Colorburst lipstick in Peach(075) : It is a proper peach color with lil shimmer.I am no fan of frosty shades but this one looks natural on me and the shimmers are not OTT, Reviewed here .

Lotus carnation,Amway Attitude choco temptation,maybelline coral pink,revlon colorburst

• Amway Attitude Lipstick in Choco Temptation : It is orange -brown lipstick with gold shimmers. A favorite shade :) Reviewed here.
  

•  Bourjois Levres Contour Lip pencil in Peche Voluptese : It is a pretty peachy orange shade great for summers :)

L-R : NYX Peach lip gloss,JOrdana spice liner,Bourjois Peche voluptese,Amway attitude choco temptation,Revlon peach,Lotus Carnation,Maybelline coral pink

Nyx gloss and bourjois peche voluptese

Jordana Spice lip liner

• Jordana Lip Liner in Spice : It is a rusty burnt orange shade but won't hold in Chennai heat.

• NYX Round Lip gloss in Peach : It is a peach gloss with pinkish undertones to it.A great everyday lip gloss :)

Products Being Loved!

My skin has improved a lot but I am still staying away from Blushes!It is Lipstick love all the way these days :)

So the products am using and loving for a while now :

• Lotus Alphamoist Moisturiser : It is moisturising and oil free.Oil free is a bonus since Chennai weather makes me sweat a lot and alphamoist stands the heat :) My skin is now between normal and dry.But I can't use this for winters..not enough.Extremely Dry skinned ppl plz stay away. REVIEW coming soon!
• Maybelline Colorsensational The Jewels Berry Brilliant Lipstick : I seriously didn't want a shade from the Jewels Collection!Thot no shade would look good on me.But gave in and got this ;) The shades are all fall.shades and sooooooo moisturising.Rubylicious and this one are my fav :) Grab one if u haven't! Detailed REVIEW soon!
• Lakme Eyeconic Curling Mascara : I am now bored of Kareena.Seems like she is everywhere..every ad, every Tv serial, every reality show phew!But I liked her catchy eyes in the Lakme Eyeconic ad and hence got this :)

• Himalaya Revitalizing Night Cream : Nights are cold now and I need an oil based cream to prevent peeling skin and this baby fits the bill perfectly ;) Doesn't make my skin oily ,is moisturising and imparts a healthy glow in the morning.This is my 4th tub :)
• Vaseline Cocoa Glow Body Lotion : The heavenly smell!And the moisturization make it one of the best body lotions available in our country ;) I have done a mini review on it here .
• Bourjois Levres Contour pencil in Peche Voluptese : This is a peachy orange lip pencil and would be a great buy for fair skin :) Another pending review.
• Lotus Herbals Kajal : This is my favorite after the Amway Attitude Kajal.Is less smudgy than Himalaya kajal and I have a special thing for herbal stuff  :D

my favourite quote!!d left one!

  

 I can't finish this post without a word on my current favorite songs : 

• White Flag by Dido : I love her breezy voice and the lyrics are definitely something!
• She wolf (falling to pieces) by David Guetta feat Sia : The  Music video is awesome :)
• Open Gangnam Style by PSY : Some1 who hasn't listened to this one is living behind rocks ;) The music is catchy and the dance steps are hilarious!No wonder it is 1 of the most watched videos on youtube .