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The Glintz Beauty Journal
Skincare, makeup and haircare advice written for Pakistani weather, water and skin.
A Skincare Routine That Survives Karachi Humidity
Most skincare advice is written for cold, dry climates. Here is what actually works when the air holds more water than your moisturiser does.
Winter Skincare for Lahore and Islamabad
The routine that kept your skin balanced in September will leave it tight and flaking by December. Here is what to change, and what to leave alone.
The Sunscreen Guide for Pakistani Skin
Sunscreen is the single most effective anti-ageing and anti-pigmentation product available, and the one most people skip. Here is how to find one you will actually wear.
Hard Water Is Probably Ruining Your Hair
If your conditioner stopped working and your hair feels coated no matter what you use, the problem is more likely your tap than your shampoo.
How to Choose a Vitamin C Serum That Actually Works
Most vitamin C serums are bought on the strength of the number on the bottle. That number is close to the least useful thing on the label.
Foundation Shade Matching for South Asian Skin
The shade looked right in the bottle and wrong on your face. That is almost always undertone, not depth — and it is fixable once you know what to look for.
What Order Should You Apply Skincare In?
The rule is simpler than the internet makes it sound: thinnest to thickest, with two exceptions worth knowing.
How to Spot Fake Beauty Products
A counterfeit serum is not just a waste of money. Here is how to check what you are buying before it goes anywhere near your face.
What Niacinamide Actually Does
Niacinamide is in almost everything now, which is usually a sign an ingredient is being oversold. In this case the claims mostly hold up.
Retinol vs Bakuchiol — Which Should You Use?
Bakuchiol is marketed as a natural retinol alternative. The comparison is more interesting, and more limited, than that phrase suggests.
How to Oil Your Hair Properly
Hair oiling is one of the few traditional practices that modern research has largely vindicated. It is also widely done in a way that undoes the benefit.
What "Cruelty-Free" Actually Means
Four words appear on almost every beauty product now. Two of them mean something specific, one means very little, and one means nothing at all.