The secret to Spotless Radiance

Do you care for your skin?

Experienced pigmentation or dark spots?

Looking for a way out?

If you replied with a YES to all the above questions, let me bring in the secret to spotless radiant skin, the all new formulation of Pond's White Beauty infused with GenWhite technology. 

I'm a college going student and being in the art field with trips to the markets or seeking inspiration, exposed to the sun on a daily basis. Long term exposure to harmful UV rays of the sun cause inflammation and pigmentation which eventually result in dark spots on your skin. Hence, taking care of my skin without spending a lot of time is something that I am always on the vouch for. One such recent discovery was the relaunch of Pond's White Beauty and I decided to try out the 7-day challenge.

Day 1: First look, the packaging is pretty decent and standard. The consistency of the product is rich with the signature Pond's fragrance and the application is smooth. I have dry skin with an oily t-zone area. The first application at 8:30 am whilst heading out for college initially made me worry if it'd make my skin break out during the day with Karachi's scorching heat. However, as airbrushed and dry my face felt when I first put it on, it felt the same after a good 7 hours when I got back home. 
Day 2-5: The cream settled down and absorbed into my skin with a satin finish each passing day and I was a happy camper that it replaced my moisturizer without costing me a fortune no matter if it didn't work on the dark spots or hyper pigmentation.

Day 6-7: To my utter surprise, I did feel a couple of spot around my nose on the road to fading away. Nonetheless, my skin was soft as ever and almost compares to a baby's touch. Who doesn't like that?
 

After the 7 day challenge, I was invited to the official Pond's White Beauty relaunch event held on Friday, the 29th of August, 2014, to know what goes into this new formula and how it works. The event was buzzing with some other beautiful women on the lookout for skincare insights, finger licking snacks and a disclosure to #SpotlessRadiance.

Glimpses from Pond's White Beauty relaunch.

Saeeda Mandviwalla, the woman behind the Pond’s Skin Center here in Karachi, revealed that the Pond’s White Beauty’s GenWhite formula contains 3 main ingredients:

1.     1. Fairness Actives, more simply known as Pro-Vitamins to lighten skin, reduce dark spots and improve skin texture

2.     2. Skin Benefit Actives to moisturize and soothe skin. They also prevent oxidization which causes wear and tear. This destruction and disintegration of the skin causes aging and more importantly, skin cells to die. The Allantoin in Pond’s White Beauty acts as an Anti-Oxidant and keeps repairing the skin.

3.     3. Triple Sun-Screens to protect against harmful UV rays (UVA/UVB) of the sun.

Overall verdict, I'm sold for this product.

In a nutshell: Simple and travel friendly packaging, super rich and creamy formula, oil free and keeps your skin dry to the touch, enriched with SPF, acts as a moisturizer and the best part, helps lighten the spots from deep within your skin without causing a dent to your fortune.

For more information, check Pond’s Pakistan on facebook.com/pondspakistan or twitter.com/pondspk

Beauty is - The light in your heart

Got dark circles? Conceal them.

Sick of acne? Slab a layer of foundation.

Tired of curly/wavy hair? Straighten them.

Too fat to fit in a dress? Shed those pounds.

There's a solution for each of the above problems and much more. However, is it really worth it at the end of the day or a week later if you don't feel good within?

Sadly, the answer is NO.

According to a recent experiment conducted by Dove, it revealed that an alarming 80% of women fell hesitant to share the way they look. Hence, the right state of mind of can unlock the raw beauty within which is sure to unleash a whole new world out there for you.

Here is the short film which will help you unveil the powerful woman inside you.


Dove: Patches from Dove Pakistan on Vimeo.

Dove revealed this documentary globally in 58 countries at the same time including Pakistan. At the launch event held on 9th April, 2014 at Verde Bistro Cafe, notable bloggers and people of great influence were invited to talk and inspire everyone to develop a strong relationship with their own inner beauty.

Beauty is just a state of mind.

As one says, “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.”

If you feel beautiful inside, those under eye bags, acne, curly hair or the extra pounds will take a rear seat and your confidence will pack you to an amazing world outside.

Don't forget, you're beautiful, just the way you are.

Chambaili - the thought provoking journey

The past couple of weeks have been tough for Pakistan owing to the upcoming General Elections 2013. To release a movie on the aforementioned subject in such a scenario is sure to seek attention of the people by heaps and bounds from all walks of life.

The film revolves around the struggle that a common middle classed man has to undergo in order to achieve his goals and stand up for his rights. This politically inclined venture makes one realize about the power of vote and how each person counts to make a difference in the society.

As a dialogue from the film aptly says,
'Tu aam sahi, ahem hai.
Tu kuch nahi, yeh weham hai.'

(You may be common, but you are important.
You are nothing, this is a doubt.)

The dialogues of the film are sure to be given a big hand. They perfectly do the task of keeping one hooked till the end. The music adds an extra touch to the entire experience. The casting is done pretty well too. Sardar Sahab's role demanded this particular attitude whereas Musa's required the perfect amount of revolutionary flare along with patriotism which was delievered perfectly by the respective actors. Saif's character is also portrayed very nicely keeping in mind the transitions that it goes through. However, the acting felt going over the board at some points. Particularly some scenes which featured the female leads.

One thing which struck me is that there was too much going on at the same time and at a fast pace. The switch from one scene to another is hard to keep track of at some points while the audience was left wondering over the previous happening. Whereas some felt ending abruptly. Things did seem rushed and didn't give one enough time to wander into their thoughts at some points.

Despite the glitches, which can definitely be kept aside considering the amount of hard work that is put into the film, it is indeed a great watch. This film greatly benefits the Pakistani cinema in such times. From emotion to drama, power to eye-opening realities, flavors of patriotism and the feeling of doing something worthwhile. This film is sure to get you off your feet and take you into the real world with a sense of responsibility towards the state.
Highly recommend this thought provoking and mind boggling tale to each one of you.

Have a great time :)

Advertising and the happening world of Digital Media - DigIt12

 In the swift moving world today, no brand or product can survive without vast advertising and marketing strategies designed and executed by professionals. Digital media is the significant necessity of the world. Marketing is an art, to formulate ideas and campaigns for the brand. Advertising being the technology, that transports the message forward. For the same cause, Digital Marketing and Advertising Conference was held in Karachi at Sheraton Hotel on December 18, 2012. The convention was titled Dig-It 2012 and was organized by the Pakistan Advertiser’s Society, PAS.

View of the audience at the conference

The conference had different sessions all day long. To commence the event, Mr. Abrar Hasan, Chairman of PAS and CEO National Foods, presented the welcome address. The framework for the following program was then laid by Mr. Javed Jabbar, Former Information Minister of Pakistan. He spoke about the Evolution of Advertising in Pakistan and the themes and trends which follow. “Advertisers have become shapers and controllers of Media content which isn’t really good. Media consumption has exceeded way above expectations. Ethics always constitute the stability of a society.” He was quoted as saying. 

Mr. Shakir Moin was called on to present the Digital Journey at the famous soft drink brand, Coca-Cola. Directing the audience through a visually strong and eye-catching presentation laden with statistics, info graphics, television commercials and campaigns; he said, “We've learnt over the years; if we do not create stories, we cannot reach our consumers.” He illustrated how a soft drink can change so many lives.

The convention further proceeded with sessions on Re-defining Brand Strategy and Positioning in the Digital Context, What is digital in Pakistan from a media buyers perspective, Audience measurement and digital marketing ROI and Building Skill sets in Digital. The audience present inside the sessions was connected to the people all around the world via social networking websites. Each fragment of valuable information was being quoted online, credits to the internet provided by Wateen Telecom.

“Smartphones are changing the way we approach Social Media. 1 of every 4 people in Pakistan have access to it.” quoted Mr. Farhan Qureshi, CEO Starcom, as saying during his session. He said, “Digital medium has been much more effective in comparison to the relative Media Medians.” The question was whether to pitch for traditional advertising or the digital one.

“Digital Media requires a lot of content; for which you require a lot of thinking. Brands fear taking risks.” said Aly Mustansir, Head of Brand Management and Marketing at HBL. While Mr. Amin Rammal, Partner of The Brand Crew was quoted as saying, “When Facebook and Google weren't there, we focused on banner advertisement.”

During a panel discussion with Yasmeen Malik, Naeem
Zamindar, Hassan Shahid and Bilal Farrukh.

 

The event witnessed speakers from all around the world, including USA and Australia. Richard Webb, CEO Effective Measure, Australia also shared with the audience the statistics of his venture. Alongside, Babar Bhatti, CEO MutualMind, USA said, “Business executives should not limit themselves to social media terms while pitching digital marketing ideas. Marketing has a lot of other sub lines such as customer care, consumer metrics, lead generation etc.”

While speaking about digital media, Mr. Monis Rahman, founder rozee.pk, was ashamed to say, “Pakistan spends 1.2% on digital advertising. It’s a sad number as digital is the key in this day and age.” The speakers emphasized on the need of knowing their audience. They advised to target the campaigns with precision to maximize the reach.

Mr. Salman Abedin, JWT and Program Manager for MS. Szabist said, “There is a need to increase engagement between industries and academia. We focus on skills required today but we don't focus on what's needed tomorrow!”

 Amongst all the sessions, the convention also featured a couple syndicate sessions on Social Media Revolution, Mobile Marketing and Digital Audience Measurement & Social Media ROI. One such quoted Adnan Shahid from Branding Bees as saying, “Stop thinking 'Campaigns.' Start making 'Conversations.”

A discussion on the inside story of Mobile Marketing was scheduled as well. The panel discussed about 3G and its challenges in Pakistan. The panel also had Naeem Zamindar, CEO of Wateen Telecom as saying, “3G is a desperate need of Pakistan.”

The conference eventually came to an end with a hot seat debate talking about the generation gap. On a concluding note, Mehmood Nanji, Advisor to Millac Foods said, “Social media is the way to go forward for brands but not 100%.”

To begin with..

When things aren't working,
Life comes to a halt,
Efforts go down the drain,
The mind surrenders,
While the soul is never crushed.

Yet, it always longs to ask,
Why was I the chosen one?
Where did I do go wrong?
What have I done to deserve this?
When will He lend a hand to me?

Gradually, a voice intercedes the heart,
It gives a hope,
A bright light to look forward to,
Strengthens the mind
And says everything will be fine, soon.

There are times in life, when we question everything that comes our way. Be it people, moments, emotions or feelings. In the race of life, we often misjudge them and they eventually end up harming our own little selves. The worst part being, we are so caught up our routines and the fast paced life, we fail to understand their impact right that moment. It is in the later years that we realize what we have missed out all along the way.

We often judge people by their words and actions. We fail to understand what the heart desires. It just calls for a little love and peace to go a long way. It just starves for a humble deed filled with care. It just needs to be valued and respected.

Is that too much to ask for?

Anyway, that’s how life continues. With every new leaf of paper, a fresh voyage coupled with loads of experience and lessons is scribbled into the book of life.

And with the wish that this blog will hopefully help me discover the new horizons in the upcoming journey, I sign off until next time J