Product Descriptions
Himalaya Herbal Kajal: This creamy herbal kajal is infused with damask rose, almond oil and triphala (an aryuvedic herbal rasayana churna that has equal parts of Amalaki, bibhitaki and Haritaki…uh…what?? Let's just say it’s a mix ...of 3 super berries, herbalicious and good for you). Can be found in India or on eBay.
Hashmi Kajal:
This is the old school kajal all Indian girls used growing up. It has a chalky consistency, may or may not contain lead (still remains unknown), and boasts supreme staying power. This tried and true kajal can be found in the back of your grandmaa's closet or at your friendly local Indian grocer.
I wore each one of these for a week to take a look at 3 factors on the Meena Kajal Scale (MKS):
1: Jet blackness, 2: Smudgyness, 3: Staying power
Below are my findings!
1: Jet Blackness - Himalaya kajal is definitely more of a deep, dark black compared to the Hashmi kajal. Its smooth consistency makes it look like it has more depth, whereas the Hashmi looks flat and almost powdery. Himalaya: 9/10, Hashmi: 6/10
2: Smudgyness - Himalaya smudges more in this category just because of its creamy texture. Hashmi definitely gave less smudgyness around the eyes. However, the caveat is that this smudgyness factor can be different based on your own eyes…it is dependent on eye sensitivity, how much your eye waters naturally, how much you rub/touch your eyes, and eye shape. Himalaya: 6/10, Hashmi: 8/10.
3: Staying Power - Given the Hashmi consistancy (it "feels" waterproof), I thought that Hashmi would last longer than Himalaya. However, after walking around for a few days with Hashmi on one eye and Himalaya on the other (and then switched for a truly controlled experiment), I realized that both have a very similar staying power. Himalaya: 7/10, Hashmi: 7/10.
It was a close call (Himalaya: 22/30 & Hashmi: 21/30) but based on the scores and overall feel, I vote Himalaya Herbal Kajal as the winner. Bonus points for the warm fuzzy feeling of putting roses on your eyes instead of lead.
Stay tuned for Round 2: Himalaya Kajal vs. Shahnaz Husain Kajal!
