Two Homegrown Himalayan Brands That You Must Check Out

In this age of blatant consumerism, I was recently introduced to two home grown, 100% desi brands that epitomize the concept of ‘Make In India’. Read on to know more about Himalaya2Home and Aromazeia, and my recommendations from both these webstores –

Himalaya2Home

I was introduced to the Himalaya2Home brand by Mr. Alok Bhatt, who shared detailed insights into Garhwali and Kumaoni food practices with me post my return from Mussoorie. I was looking for a platform for my readers (and myself) , where they could order grains and pulses that I devoured during my trip and vouched for – and Himalaya2Home fulfilled all our requirements. Here you’ll find cereals, pulses, spices, herbs, honey, oil and personal care products all originating from the mountains.

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Books n Beyond Box – The May Harry Potter Special

I am a sucker for monthly subscription boxes. As regular readers of the blog, you’ll must have been subjected to a number of beauty and food subscription box reviews on these very pages. This is the first time I’ve subscribed to a book subscription box, and decided to review it on the blog. What motivated me you ask? Two words – Harry Potter.

Books n Beyond Box is one of the many book subscription boxes that have popped up in the country, over the past few months. This is not a novel concept abroad however, but shipping costs to India have deterred me from ordering in the past. Book subscription boxes fulfill your monthly quota of book shopping, by sending home a box filled with books and reading related goodies. Most book boxes contain a copy (or two) of the latest bestseller, reading related merchandise (such as bookmarks, book sleeves, notepads etc.), some snacks to nibble on while you read, and other assorted knick knacks.

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Himalaya Herbals Face Scrubs and the Power of Exfoliation

I am a strong believer in the power of exfoliation and the magic it has on your skin. I am someone whose face is a dermatologist’s delight – blackheads, white heads, clogged pores and acne! And I found the answer to all my problems years ago when I started using face scrubs on a regular basis. Just a basic cleanse-tone-moisturize routine is not enough, one needs to scrub as well! Using a good face scrub once a week for normal skin, or twice a week if you have oily skin is a must to exfoliate and remove dead skin, which in the long run helps keep a lot of skin issues at bay.

Himalaya Herbals is a skin care brand I swear by – made in India for skin types world over. Very few skin care companies combine traditional Ayurveda with modern skin care to provide their customers the best. I’ve been using their Purifying Neem Pack since a while now, and I am immensely pleased at how it works on my acne prone skin, keeping blemishes at bay. I was on the lookout for a face scrub that would work on my acne prone skin, without being too harsh. I decided to try their Purifying Neem Scrub recently, and share my experience with you all.

Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Scrub brings together the goodness of Neem, Apricot, and Turmeric – three ingredients that are known to work wonders on oily, acne prone skin. While neem’s anti-bacterial properties work on attacking acne and keeping pimples at bay, the anti-septic properties of turmeric soothe the skin. Apricot granules act as the exfoliating agent here. The combined effect of all three primary ingredients make this an ideal scrub if your skin is oily and acne prone like mine.

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Shopping for a Good Cause

After agriculture, the vocation that provides sustenance to a large number of people in rural India is the handicraft industry. Artisans who create beautiful handicrafts are found in each and every Indian state, with each art form being distinct and varied from the next. There is unfortunately, a huge gaping hole in the market between the artist and the consumer. Somewhere, a bridge is required so that the consumers have easier access to the products, and the artists are able to sell their wares effortlessly.

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Burgundy Is The New Black. Burgundy Box – Review

Welcome to the dawn of the intelligent, well-read home chef. A cook that wants to experiment with different cuisines, innovative dishes, and newer concepts in today’s fast paced age. Which explains why gourmet recipe kits have flooded the market today, each one offering different dishes, but demonstrating the same underlying concept of empowering the home chef.

What is a DIY gourmet recipe kit? A box that contains the exact measured ingredients, a step-by-step recipe, that helps you create a restaurant quality dish at home. It completely eliminates the hassle of scouting for recipes, narrowing down ingredients, purchasing those ingredients from your nearest market – your personal shopper cum cooking teacher – all packed in one box. Having reviewed and ordered from a number of companies that provide this service – I must say I am hooked! It works perfectly for a career woman like me, who loves cooking but somewhere falls short of the time to do so.

I recently got to try the Burgundy Box , another DIY meal kit that recently hit the market. They sent over a Chettinad Egg curry kit that I whipped up. What really excited me about this one was that the recipes were curated and created by Chef Ajay Chopra, who believes that ‘AnyBody Can Cook’. The Burgundy Box experience was lovely in every way – an exciting recipe, easy to follow directions, excellent quality ingredients and a delicious end product. Here are five reasons why you should consider ordering from the Burgundy Box. And why I most definitely will order again.

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