The beauty of women might lie in her eyes, but it is her beautiful tresses that woo a man away. So much so, that our very own Bollywood has been writing song odes to the magic of wide flowing hair. But the picture looks more like a drama than a real life segment because nobody’s got smooth silky hair, say what?! Truth be told, it is a task in today’s time to take care of a healthy hair care regime. Forget the styling part, but the basic requirement of keeping the hair in the best condition possible is no less than going to war. From dryness, flakiness, dehydration, hair fall, dandruff, oily scalp, split ends to the rigorous prayers of growing hair longer than the deadline is no less than a nightmare. Top it all with the evil eyes of commercial hair (not so) care brands that promise fighting for you, while in reality they are the chemical gods in disguise hiding the multiple after effects of curing one problem. Imagine applying a serum/shampoo to ward off dandruff, which actually ends up drying your scalp off to the extent that the pores become dehydrated, resulting in dull and weak hair strands. In our desi world of Ayurveda and centuries old ritual of applying organic formulas to cure almost any bodily problem, there are certain brands that are still following the norms. Scientifically proven, most of the organic bases are harmless to our body and their results are long lasting as opposed to the chemical treatments that come with an expiry date. Himalaya Herbals is one such Indian brand that is not only convincingly priced, but their ever evoluting products too are quite promising. Been following their products since a long time now, I have seen their products and ranges developing …
Continue readingJuly 2015
Food is the identity of each region that landmarks this globe. Be it a small mud-abode accumulation of villagers or a full blown metro city; their are certain flavours of that particular land that differentiates from the other imported delicacies that are prepared. Derived from the local produce of particular regions, these delicacies are a kind of trophy that the residents proudly boost about. India too is defined by such cuisines, that are locals of a particular region. Be it the ingredients used, the preparation technique or even the moisture in the air; achieving the exact flavours is a delicate affair, when prepared in a foreign land. In this modern world where import-export has become a daily wager, it is no biggie to find cuisines of far of lands being prepared and served with utmost excellence, almost anywhere and everywhere. But like I said earlier, it is very hard to brush up the exact flavours that are authentic of that particular dish or cuisine. And given the immense amount of spices that we are now able to purchase effortlessly, the actual taste of a dish can be altered with and prepared in the easiest way we like. One such celebrated cuisines of India comes from the land of the Nawabs – Awadh (Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh). Not to be mistaken as a ‘Mughal cuisine’, Awadhi food is largely influenced by the Kashmir, Punjab, Hyderabad and Central Asian cooking techniques. Quoted as the food for the royals, Awadhi food is rich in spices and specializes in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. From Kebabs, Biryanis, Sheermal or the Indian breads like Roomali rotis and Warqi Parathas; Awadhi food is a paradise for non-vegetarian (lamb & chicken meat) lovers. Also, Awadhi Bawarchis (chef) and Rakabdars (Gourmet Cooks) were the ones who introduced ‘dum style of cooking’ …
Continue readingWhy Godrej Nupur Coconut Henna Crème Haircolour? First visible signs of ageing include graying of hair. While for decades that has been the norm, in recent years the graying of hair has developed in younger generation too. Thanks to the polluted environment that we live in now, colouring hair has become more of a necessity, than just adding some extra shades to your tresses. I have seen my girlfriends making monthly appointments to their hair stylists for retouching their pre-matured grey hair. If that dilemma was not enough, then come the after effects of brushing up chemicals on your natural hair. Hair fall, weak strands, dandruff, itchy scalp and what not. In short, grey hair only signals towards the downfall of the quality of hair.
Continue readingIn this world of hospitality and restaurant market, it indeed is a nerve-wrecking competition to secure a place and maintain it on a longer run. As my parents picture the days gone by, in the older days it was indeed a rare treat to plan out a restaurant get together and shell out a month’s savings to savour the delicacies and live up the luxurious ambience. But in this uptight corridor of pleasing the masses, every large and small city (even countryside towns) of the world now have restaurant chains and hoteliers dishing out cuisines of the globe. Sure, producing some eclectic platters is the current hot-seller in this market, but their are certain flavours of a house that have helped them stretch out as one of the best in business, over decades. One such chain of food & beverages recently celebrated its 10th Anniversary. Woah! Called ‘Indigo Deli’, the restaurant chain is spread across Mumbai and Delhi. A part of deGustibus Hospitality, Indigo Delicatessen is not only famous for its array of gourmet style food platters, but also for its in-house range of bakery produces. Also excelling in fine gastronomy, Indigo Deli serves mouth watering nibblers, continental main courses and a divine range of in-house ice creams and other sweet-tooth servings. Did I mention that they are located in one of the best city view lands of Delhi and Mumbai? The one where I reviewed their platters was at Ambiance Mall, Vasant Kunj. Go for a romantic table for two with a view of the city or plan out a bottoms-up eve or brunch with girlies at their roof-top set up! If all this was not enough, they introduced a whole new range of delicacies to mark their 10th anniversary. Burgers were their main attraction, but being a foodie looking …
Continue readingNo amount of hours spent at a spa will help achieve nirvana to a woman than an hour’s worth of time spent at a ‘sale-zone’ will. Their is something possessive about this term ‘sale’ that just makes a lady go bonkers with excitement and her bank balance rattling up at the rate of ‘sold-outs’ that gets added on to her wardrobe.
Continue readingMany a trends keep resurfacing time and now on the fashion front. From seeking retro summer trends inspiration of a legendary fashion show or editorial spread to simply soaking up the tones of a historic design has become a norm of this industry. But then there are certain ‘evergreen trends’ then tend to repeat with decades passing by and still manage to become a rage even in the current world of vogue wherein being quirky and normcore are absolutely normal! This international Spring Summer Trends 2015 showcase too saw some nostalgic Déjà vu’s happening on the runway, for both men and women. While most of the designs followed the basics and a few presented art on the front, their were a few designers who adored the classic trends and made it a point to present them in futuristic silhouettes that the people of the current world can adore and wear. There is something about the 1970’s (wish I was born in that era *Sigh!*) that keeps resurfacing in terms of fashion picks on designers labels. Have actually lost count of the times when someone referred a particular silhouette or design to something that was introduced in and around the 1970’s timeline. Was that the time our fashion goddess came down on earth and sprinkled some modish inspiration on our lace & layered land? Maybe! 1970’s Marrakech Maxi Flows We just can’t do without having some free-flow silhouettes in our summer wardrobe. Which is why any trend that works around these almost-floor touching fabric arrangements are a win-win situation for us. And when someone amalgamates it with bohemian side of style, the wishlist scribbles topple down with these added as the top priority. Many designers internationally and even on Indian front have presented this earthy yet eye-catchy trend on the runways this year. From …
Continue readingI absolutely love the current mood of weather. Being an ardent fan of this romantic monsoon season, I always go cray with my style regime and take to the wet streets with a broad smile! The madness of temperature fluctuation and humid-dry weather conditions always end up making my skin go crazy. And I guess it’s not just me, but most of us fall prey to sulking over sometimes dry and sometimes oily skin conditions. Am I right, or am I right? If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook, you’ll know that since the last few months I have taken up the art of applying lipsticks in different shades, seriously. But looking at the current condition of the weather, I am kind of restraining from get a smudged up look with a lipstick on. To make things more eventful, chapped lips and non-pigmented lip balms are making the conditions gloomier. Well, when there is a will, there is a way. Oriflame has proven this term right, by introducing so super luscious ‘The One Color Unlimited Lip Gloss’ in the market. Indeed, it is the one! Why I say so? Because this lip product is unlike your regular lip glosses and comes with 3 major benefits. It moisturizes the lips like any other lip balm. It adds sheen just like any other lip gloss. It adds the right pigmentation to your lips just like any other lipstick. Ain’t it a win win situation for the current situation? My experience The packaging is light, sleek and comes with an easy to apply applicator. Applicator is soft on the lips and its make helps in preventing excess usage. I reviewed the plum shade that absolutely matched my skin tone. The longevity of the product depends on what you do post application. …
Continue reading