I’ve always been a bit lackadaisical about my beauty routine, and for a while been meaning to address that. As much as I love a nice, long, luxurious pampering session at a spa or even my little hidden-away-in-a-corner favourite parlour, I usually have neither the time nor the energy to get out of the house and do something about it. So when I got a message from POPxo’s Marketing Director, the fab Sanjana Eipe, saying “Here’s the BodyShop Fuji Green Tea range – do you want to try the products?” I thought “Game ON!” Here’s how it played out…
Day 1: Good Morning, Monday!
My first step is to try out the Green Tea body wash. I’m not a morning person, but life at POPxo is hectic as it is exciting, so the first thing I do when I wake up is catch up on emails and work on the day’s stories a bit. Ergo, bath products that scream #WakeyWakey to my system are absolutely essential. My usual preference is a mint-based soap or shower gel, and I wondered whether Green Tea would be as effective. Good news: it works! It doesn’t have the chilliness of mint, but the refreshing aroma of fresh tea serves just as well as a wake-up call. (My one note of caution: don’t accidentally get any in your mouth – it does taste like tea leaves.) I finish up with the body lotion. A few spritzes of body mist, and I’m out of the door.
Day 2: Tuesday Night Shenanigans
The morning ritual is the same. But I decided to amp up my beauty game by adding a night-time component to it. I’m knackered by the time I get home thanks to a day of intense meetings. While the morning hit of tea-infused goodness had been essential to start the day off feeling fresh and frisky, I’m really looking forward to my evening shower as a pick-me-up. Once I’m through, I sit down virtuously with the tub of body butter. Nothing like a good session of pampering myself to feel all set for a good night’s sleep. The butter is a fair bit heavier than the lotion, so the process of moisturizing takes longer. But it’s totally worth it, since I wake up the next morning in an AC-freezed room with skin that feels not the slightest bit dry. I’m impressed – since I’m used to waking up in the mornings feeling slightly dehydrated. Good show, body butter!
Day 3: Grit-Free Wednesday
It’s the middle of the work week, and there’s already a desperate longing for the weekend ahead. And by the end of the day, my body’s complaining too. Three days of dust and travel, and my skin feels gritty and grumpy. I fish out the exfoliating soap and give myself a thorough scrub with it. Wonder of wonders, I end up feeling not just thoroughly cleansed but also lighter. Score one for mid-week exfoliation! Body-buttered as the evening before, I head to bed feeling smug and satisfied.
Day 4: Mostly Misty Thursday
It’s time to test out the full power of the body mist. It smells absolutely amazing, and it’s great to use a fragrance from the same scent family as the other products I’m using – no clash of conflicting notes as I go through my day. And I’m kind of in love since I go more for citrusy or leafy fragrances instead of floral ones – green tea is perfect, since it’s neither too lemony nor too garden-like. The only problem is that since I’m not a deodorant person, the body mist does not survive my 30-minute, late-afternoon/ tea-time walk, and I’d been topping up with my regular perfume. I’d not been carting the mist around since it comes in a glass bottle and weighs my bag down dreadfully. But today I do, and spray myself diligently before heading out for my walk. And I come back feeling joyous – the top-up held, and I’m going to be able to end my day as well-scented as the morning. To avoid carrying the bottle around all day, I decide to leave a second one in my cubby-hole.
Day 5: Thank God It’s Friday!
I haven’t yet sung praises of the body lotion – and there ARE praises to be sung. It’s quite brilliant because it is very light and non-sticky. Perfect for the climate and a full day ahead – I’ve been using it diligently all week. Especially since I was thrilled to discover on Monday itself that I didn’t need to re-moisturize my hands and feet – my skin still felt sufficiently hydrated come 5 p.m. This Friday, we’re heading for a working dinner (making memes is on the agenda), and I want to try something with the moisturizer. My usual go-to for evenings out is a nice skirt plus baby oil – which is super-effective for adding some shine to one’s legs with practically no effort. I make up a DIY alternative – adding a pinch of body-glitter to a coin-sized amount of moisturizer and using that instead. Voila! Instant sparkle. More appropriate for date night than office drinks, but luckily POPxo is not a place where the bosses ever judge you for looking a bit glam!!
Day 6: Saturday Sorbet
It’s been a super-hectic week, and I plan a lazy, lazy day for myself as a reward. And I decided to try out the body sorbet. The first time I’d heard the phrase, I’d gone “Huh?” No better time than a day of sloth to actually experiment. After a brunch of biryani, I shower and try out the Green Tea sorbet. The texture is slightly grainy when I apply it, and it takes a couple of minutes for it to be properly warmed up by my body temp and melt into my skin. I can still feel it after a good five minutes – it’s an unfamiliar sensation, but a nice one. I can actually almost feel the hydration. Weird, but also cool. And definitely effective! On to a marathon session of movies in bed, then.
Day 7: Sunday Stands For Spa Day
What better way to celebrate Sunday than with a home spa? I start with adding that by-now-constant-companion body wash to a bucket of warm water and soaking my feet for a good half hour while I sip on a cup of steaming Green Tea. Works like a charm to soften up my feet for a thorough home pedicure. Then I dip into the jar of body scrub and indulge myself with a hearty session of exfoliate-and-cleanse. I step out of the bathroom feeling rejuvenated and like a new person altogether. I use the sorbet, the body butter, the mist – the whole shebang. And then give myself up to the joys of lunch and siesta.
In conclusion: the test drive has been successful, and I think I’ve established my weekly beauty routine. And found the perfect products that I’m willing to splurge on. So YAY!
P.S.: The gorgeous Jacqueline Fernandez is the brand ambassador for The BodyShop’s Fuji Green Tea range. I’m not surprised she looks so good all the time! 🙂
* This is a sponsored post for The BodyShop. Check out the Fuji Green Tea range of products here.