Enliven Skin Care Vitamin A and E Hand and Body Lotion Review

Monsoons aren't exactly in my favourites' list. Not only the dull days and continuous rains depresses me, my skin starts acting up too, getting all dry and flaky. So in need of a good moisturiser and bored with my previous ones (read: curiosity about this one ;) ), led me to try out the Enliven Skin Care Vitamin A and E Hand and Body Lotion and after using it for over 3 weeks, here is my review on it.

PRICE:  Rs.150 - Rs.199 (Marked differently by retailers)

QUANTITY: 400ml

INGREDIENTS:

WHAT IT CLAIMS: Enliven Dry Skin Lotion with Vitamin A & E helps maintain the skin's natural moisture level, leaving it soft and smooth.

MY EXPERIENCE: Enliven Vitamin A and E Hand and Body Lotion comes in a sturdy, semi-transparent, flip-top cap packaging. The lotion is water based yet thick in consistency and has got a mild, indiscernible fragrance. It spreads easily, though takes quite a while to get absorbed completely. However, when it gets absorbed fully, it doesn't feel greasy or make skin oily at all. 

Rather, it leaves a soft and healthy suppleness to the skin and keeps it hydrated for a long time. I don't require re-application except on my hands, which I have an OCD to wash too often :P. However, it is not an intense moisturiser, so might not be enough moisturising for dry skin in winters. The 400ml quantity is huge and would easily last 2 months even on regular usage. In a gist,

WHAT I LIKED:

• The lotion is water based but thick in consistency and hydrates skin well.
• Makes skin soft and supple.
• Doesn't leave any greasy/oily feeling after it gets absorbed completely.
• Come in a sturdy, functional, semi transparent packaging, and one can see how much quantity is left.
• The quantity is huge and the price is economical too.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:

• Takes quite a bit of time to get fully absorbed.
• Won't be enough moisturising in winters.
• Availability might be a problem as I have seen it only on a few online shopping sites.
  

VERDICT: It is pretty decent and economical body lotion. Though I don't like to spend the extra minutes for it to get fully absorbed, I quite like the light and non greasy formula that adds a  healthy suppleness to my skin and for that it scores high. Would recommend it for dry/dull skin in the monsoons.

RATINGS:  4 out of 5

Enliven Luxury Bath + Shower Gel in Calming Review

Yeah, I am a hoarder! I have lost count of how many bath products I have reviewed in last few months. :P But how can you stop yourself, when you see such a chubby bottle, with some blue ocean like liquid, at an unbelievable price and quantity! You got to grab it as fast as you can! Right? I had to get this Enliven Luxury Bath + Shower Gel in Calming as it sounded so luxurious and peaceful (?) at the same time. Err...yeah I know I sound crazy! :P Read on know how it fared.

PRICE:  Rs. 175

QUANTITY: 500 ml

INGREDIENTS:

WHAT IT CLAIMS:  Infused with essential oils, this luxury shower gel has extracts of Cedarwood & Patchouli. Enliven has injected a touch of class with the launch of Enliven Luxury line. This new range includes new aroma combinations infused with essential oils.

MY EXPERIENCE: Enliven is a British health and beauty company, Made in England at DCS Manufacturing in Stratford-upon-Avon. Enliven products are not tested on animals, are vegan and are also halal. Enliven Luxury Bath + Shower Gel in Calming claims to have extracts of Cedarwood & Patchouli, though I find the smell to be like men's after shave cologne (Old Spice? ;) ). But I actually like the smell, as I am fond of woody, musky aromas than fruity/citrusy smell. The shower gel is palest blue in color, and very runny in texture, though the flippy dispensing mouth controls the flow.   

Coming to the not so good part, it requires heaps and heaps of the gel to lather properly. I am using it everyday, for hardly three weeks and the 500ml bottle is about to finish now :(. Since so much of the gel is required, it takes load and loads of water and time to completely wash off, else it gives a slippery feeling. Added to it, the packaging is too bulky to be used in the shower. Oh and don't expect the smell to stay for more than 2 minutes. Didn't exactly dry out my skin but you cannot skip the moisturiser after using this. Adding up the pros and cons,

WHAT I LIKED:

• The price for the quantity certainly seems a bargain.
• I like the woody cologne like smell.
• The packaging with the tiny flip dispenser mouth is perfect and controls the amount of flow.
• Enliven claims to be a vegan product.
• Didn't dry out my skin.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:

• Huge quantity of gel is required to lather it up, hence finishes up pretty fast. 
• Takes longer to wash off completely.
• Smell doesn't last at all.
• The bottle is bulky to hold in shower.

VERDICT: I am kinda disappointed with it as I expected it to be better. I like the smell, but I don't see the point of repurchasing it after adding up the cons. Nothing luxurious about it.

RATINGS:  3 out of 5

Collective Haul from MedplusBeauty and StyleCraze

Happy Janmasthami to all of you :D. #JustRealised Lord Krishna must have been a Leo too :P ;) Duh! No, I am not speaking of his Narasimha avatar. (Hey, I don't mean to hurt/disrespect anyone's religious belief.)

Coming back to the post. Most of you might know already about my recent win in Medplus beauty contest. I have received the gift vouchers as of now and waiting for the rest of the prize :P. Following are some of my buys from Medplusbeauty.com. Yeah, I know I am lucky :P :D

• Fem Fairness Cream Bleach Milk Pearl & Blueberry
• Sunsilk Keratinology Heat Protector Spray  
• Philips Hp8310 Thin Plate Straightener 
• Braun Silk Epil Soft Perfection Easy 3170 L Epilator 

• Enliven Calming Luxury Bath+Shower Gel
• Maybelline Colorama Nail Polish 760 Coral  
• Maybelline Colorama Nail Polish 221 Sexy
• Elizabeth Arden 5th Ave After Five Eau De Parfum

• Aloe Veda Moisturising Bathing Bar - Patchouli With Cinnamon Leaf Oil 
• Lotus Herbals Color Dew Nail Enamel 81 Pure White  
• Faces Long Wear Eye Pencil Metal Brown 05 
• Maybelline Vivid & Smooth Eyeliner 007 Metallic Silver 
• Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Gloss 065 Hooked On Pink  
• Bourjois Sweet Kiss Lipstick 51 Rose Seduisant
• Roots Anti Bacteria All Purpose Brush
• Pond's Age Miracle Concentrated Resurfacing Serum

Next is my haul from Stylecraze.com :D. This time my package got delayed by more than 10 days, and no, it wasn't due to Stylecraze's or aramex's fault, but the courier guy who was responsible for my package, had gone on a holiday for a few days, along with my package :P, and here I was irritating the hell out of Stylecraze's and aramex's customer support day and night.

• Enliven Nail Polish Remover With Strengthening Pro Vitamin B5
• Enliven Daily Care Vitamin A And E Hand And Body Lotion  
• Himalaya Purifying Neem Face Wash
• NYX Round Lipstick in Doll  
• Orly Miniature Nail Lacquer in Velvet Rope 
• Khadi Natural Mint Soap 

Another random buy,

I needed a makeup organizer/drawer and I got this one from a local store. Guess what, it costed me Rs.170 only, but the major con is, it's really small and my skin care products won't fit in and I need atleast two/three more of this to fit in my whole makeup stuff :P. Still on the hunt for an affordable makeup organizer/drawer. Couldn't find it in Big Bazaar, neither any local shops near my place has those large stackable plastic drawers. If anyone from Kolkata reading this, knows from where I can get them, kindly let me know!

So that's my haul. Some of them are repeated buys, so would do a separate swatch post for the new shades of the repeated products and lots of reviews coming up. ;)