Beauty, Himalaya Herbals, Shopping

Himalaya Herbals Face Scrubs and the Power of Exfoliation

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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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Book, Harry Potter, Random Musings

Potterhead For Life!

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My obsession with Harry Potter borders on the abnormal. I’ve drawn lightening bolt scars on my forehead with red felt tip pens. I’ve fashioned wizard hats for myself from black chart paper. I wrote myself a Hogwarts acceptance letter after I got tired of waiting for an owl to arrive with mine. I read and re-read the books so much that at some point I could recite certain dialogues by heart. Harry Potter was not just a book for me – I am not talking about the movies here – it was an important part of my childhood.

(Image Courtesy: Nicole Mody)
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Food, Jaipur, Rajasthan, Travel

Jaipur Diaries – Painting The Town Pink

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Jaipur is a smorgasbord of culture, colour, and chaos. A city that sits on a threshold of a vibrant, historic past and an emerging future. Jaipur is where I decided to take a whirlwind 48 hour getaway and immerse myself head first into the land of palaces, shop for local artisanal crafts, and gorge on some delicious traditional fare. And most importantly decided to spend some quality time with myself.

My previous Rajasthan holiday took place roughly fifteen years ago, though some memories still remained etched in my mind. A wobbly camel ride in the heat. Spotting peacocks on the drive upto Jaigarh Fort. Biting into a crunchy, flaky kachori and then wiping my hands on my mother’s dupatta later. Looking up at the regal, ancient forts in amazement, wondering how they managed to build such structures back then. Fifteen years down the line, I experienced a strong sense of déjà vu throughout the trip. Some things never really change, do they?

The Great Wall of Jaigarh
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Food, Indian cuisine, Kangan, Review, The Westin

Bringing In The New At Kangan, The Westin Mumbai Garden City

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For some reason a lot of us, including me, tend to look at Indian cuisine as the last resort when considering options for a fine dine meal. Pan Asian – yes! Italian – yes! But some how traditional Mughlai and Awadhi cuisine is never really considered ‘fine dine’ material. But in the last few years a pleasant change of sorts is visible. Regional Indian cuisine has started receiving the due it deserves. Indian cuisine has become ‘cool’ again with the integration of modern cooking techniques with age-old recipes as well as futuristic plating. 

And then there are restaurants like Kangan at the Westin Mumbai Garden City, Goregaon that stay true to the desi roots by bringing us dishes that are rich and exquisite – a meal fit for royalty! All of this at a stunning venue – a restaurant perched atop the 18th floor with a beautiful view of the city by night. And a meal put together by a maestro with tons of experience and expertise in the area of Mughlai and Awadhi cuisine – Chef Angad Rai. If these aren’t the ingredients for a perfect meal, then I don’t know what is!

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Food, Holiday, Singapore, Travel, Vacation

Singapore Diaries: Five Reasons to Visit!

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I remember my father bringing home a brochure highlighting Singapore Tourism from one of his travels, roughly a decade ago. The 3D-glasses that came alongside the mag brought alive the pages – Toucans from Jurong Bird Park squawked at me, the cable car ride to Sentosa island whirred past, and the white tigers at the Singapore Zoo roared at me, inviting me to come aboard. It is amazing how some small, insignificant memories remain imprinted in one’s mind.

A month ago, I happened to remember that magazine, whose pages I so longingly turned through, hoping to visit all of these places someday. And on a whim, we decided to take a family holiday to Singapore! With places such as Sentosa Island and Universal Studios on the itinerary – places that I was looking forward to seeing with my parents, re-living childhood, and becoming their little girl once again. And then there was the lure of Singapore’s multidimensional food scene. Dishes that I had heard of, read and even tasted back home, that enticed me to try the real deal.

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