5 best lip balms!

Lip balm – a must have in a girls purse.

I personally love lip balms and I have tried a variety of them.

I have rounded up the best 5 options and these 5 life-saving balms will soothe and nourish even the most winter-abused lips 

So, say goodbye to chapped lips this season!

#1 The body shop’s strawberry lip balm (Born lippy)

This has to be my favorite! I have totally fallen in love with it. The consistency of the balm is just perfect, easy to apply.  It smells so good that it becomes difficult to refrain from licking your lips. It’s glossy and has a very light pink tint which adds a little bit colour to your lips. It moisturizes well, but it’s definitely not an intense moisturizing lip balm. It’s very affordable.

The cons are that it does not stay on for a long time. You have to keep reapplying. Secondly, it come in a small tub/ jar like container, which according to a few people is not very hygienic ( I don’t mind though ).

#2 Kiehl’s Lip Balm – SPF 15

Who wouldn't want to own a Kiehl's lip balm? One of the leading Skin Care brands, Kiehl’s lip balms are very well known. It contains SPF 15 and has UVA and UVB protection which is perfect for those harsh summers. It’s moisturizing, comes in beautiful colours .

It’s a lot more expensive than regular lip balms, but definitely worth a try.

#3 Lush – None of Your Beeswax

It is a vegan product. This lip balm is free of Beeswax and Honey and contains carnauba wax instead.It has an excellent moisturizing and healing properties. I has natural ingredients with a beautifully mild fragrance. Hence perfect for sensitive lips.

Cons- Expensive and Tin packaging (not very hygienic again according to some people)

#4 Clinique Superbalm Lip Treatment

If your lips are so chapped that they hurt, you need more than your average balm to sooth and heal them. Its glossy and it won’t rub off easily because it’s a little sticky. If you apply this before bed, you are sure to wake up with beautiful, soft lips.

It’s definitely very expensive, but worth a try if you have very dry lips

#5 The Body Shop Shea Lip Butter

This buttery balm gives instant hydration. It contains Shea butter which leaves your lips hydrated soft and smooth..

XOXO

Shama

Yummy Ramadan Recipes! #1 SAMOSA

Let me first brief you about Ramadan.

In Islam, Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, introspection and prayer.

For one month, Muslims will be fasting from dawn to dusk, allowing no intake of any food or drink beyond their lips until Iftar (meal for breaking fast at sun set).

The first food/recipe that hits my mind when I think about Ramadan is the Samosa. So, here's a recipe of mutton or kheema samosa as the perfect Iftar snack.

I personally love the samosa and you will too!

INGREDIENTS

For the Filling:

• -       Minced Lamb meet/ Kheema -500gms
• -          3 medium sized onions, chopped
• -          Ginger-garlic paste- 2 tbsps.
• -          3 medium sized potatoes, chopped
• -          5-6 Finely chopped green chillies
• -          50 gm. coriander leaves, chopped
• -          ½ Tsp. turmeric powder
• -          ½ Tsp. red chilli powder
• -          1 tsp. coriander powder/ dhanya powder
• -          Salt to taste
• -          2tbsps. of any refined cooking oil
• -          Other veggies like beans, carrot (OPTIONAL)

For the covering:

In this recipe, I am using ready-made samosa patti/leaves (SWITZ BRAND)

(If you are interested in preparing a homemade covering, then do leave a comment below).

For the sealing paste:

• -          2 Tbsps. of water
• -          3 Tsps.  Of All purpose flour/maida

METHOD:

• Choose lamb mince without any fat and wash the mince once to remove any blood and let it sit on a strainer for 15 minutes as the water drains out.
• Heat 2 Tbsps. oil in a thick bottom nonstick pan/ kadai, add a little onion (about 2 Tbsps.), and sauté till pale in color, add ginger and garlic paste, continue sautéing till the moisture evaporates.
• Add lamb mince and continue sautéing till all the water from lamb is evaporated.
• Add the remaining onion, chopped green chillies and chopped potatoes.
• Add salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and chili powder, and continue cooking till the lamb mince is totally dry.
• Cover the pan and let the mixture cook for 5 minutes on low heat.
• Add coriander leaves and mix well. Remove from fire and allow to cool completely.
• For the sealing paste, you just need to mix the flour with water. Stir it well to form a thick paste.

For the covering, follow the following procedure.

Ready made samosa patti/leaves

This is how the samosa patti looks like.

Fold the patti to form a triangle

Fold further into the shape of a cone

Put the filling into the cone

Apply the sealing paste on the corners

Fold further and seal the ends

Add caption

 Deep Fry on a medium to low flame and serve with tomato ketchup

Enjoy your yummy samosas!

Ooops!! I haven’t blogged in a long time…

It’s been 3 years since my last rant. Wow, how does time fly!

I’ve thought about updating the blog many times, but whenever I do, I think “What do I write?”

Also, several things have been up. Most important (and time consuming) was my Dental course, which I (thankfully) completed in 2013!

Then………. Guess what? I got married.

After marriage, I couldn’t write as I was hungrily savoring the moments I could find with my husband and family. (lol)

The truth is I have been very  “LAZY”. Once you stop it's easy to keep stopping. The further you get away from writing, the harder it is to pick up.

My calendar is beginning to lighten a little and I suspect I will be blogging more frequently soon. 

I’m prepared for new things…and for new blog entries. So stay tuned.