Once upon a time, there was a girl who used to rush to the salon every first week of the month to get a pampering facial done. Then the girl became a mum, went back to work and realised the only luxury she could afford was—sleep!

Welcome to the world of busy mums and working ladies who are spinning several different plates and often have no time to take off for themselves. The girl in the above story is me (no prizes for guessing) and like most of busy mums I hardly have time to go and get a proper facial done but that however does not mean I cannot take care of the situation. Like any resourceful mum, I would say the answer is home bound facials. Perhaps not as pampering as it sounds but definitely worth the effort.

L'oreal Paris Clay Mask Review

 

Few days ago, I tested the pure clay mask from L’oreal Paris. The range comes in a pretty glass jar and has three varieties: Purify & Mattify Mask (Green mask), Detox & Brightening Mask (Charcoal) and Exfoliate & Refine Mask (Red). I opted for the Red one due to my skin issues but you can use all three together as well. The masks are made of three mineral Clays: Kaolinite, Montmorillonite and Ghassoul. The mask with red algae is heaven sent for oily skin.

My skin is also prone to breakouts. This helps in gently exfoliating it and giving it a nice natural glow. My skin also starts resembling an oil field after few days hence this is helping me in balancing it and giving it a sheen without any fuss. It also passed the husband test–when you test something and your busy husband sees the difference without you a dropping a hint! This is not a made-up test but a great litmus test for major products in my home. Lol! Needless to say, I am ecstatic about finding this product.

My second favourite is Indian healing facial clay made of fuller’s earth (taken in a different pot in the photo) Fuller’s Earth is an age old beauty/ facial ingredient from the sub-continent and is known absorbing excess oil, removing scars and treating acne. I mix a small amount with rose water, apply for 15-20 minutes and then wash it off with warm water. The result is clearer and healthier skin in minutes.

Last but not the least is the Ultimelt by Soap and Glory. This creamy mask comes with a towel. For getting the maximum benefit out of this, apply some of the cream and massage it. Next, warm the towel a bit using warm water and keep it on your face. Leave it for five minutes and gently take the cream off. If you wish, you can also steam your face before putting the towel on your face.  For £10, this is definitely a good value for money.

So, you see ladies so what if you are crushing it in the boardroom as well as the drawing room with your kids. There is definitely no reason for you not to feel and look like million bucks even though you feel shattered and exhausted for most part of the day 😉

Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed this post. Have a lovely Friday and weekend 🙂 Don’t forget to follow me. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.

 

Why fit in when you were born to stand out- Anna Wintour

Happy Thursday my beautiful friends. I hope you are waiting for the weekend just like I am.

One of the tricks, I have learned in my short life as a style blogger is that to create unforgettable and stand out looks, what you really need is a few key pieces that can be mixed in million ways. I have always had a soft spot for embroidery. There is something so earthy, quirky, colourful and striking about decorating fabric with thread and yarn. A seemingly humble process that can completely transform a plain piece of fabric.

Winter Fashion Ideas Romwe

Why seemingly you ask? The truth is I have been trying to get the knack of it since childhood but after all these years I have managed to realise that I simply do not have the talent or patience for it. It is sad really because I remember my grandmother turning simple pieces of fabric into exquisite art. Clearly, talent skipped a generation (at least in my case).

Winter Fashion Ideas Romwe

Winter Fashion Ideas Romwe

Skirt: Romwe, Boots: Ego, Satchel: Zatchel, Jacket: New Look 

Fortunately, we have few retailers who have some really interesting embroidery pieces that can up the ante of any wardrobe.  I am of course talking about Romwe. This perfect piece of embroidered mini skirt should become a wardrobe staple. It can easily be dressed up with an exquisite blouse and statement earrings for a night out or dressed down with boots, tights, sweater and a hat. My winter uniform, really.

Winter Fashion Ideas Romwe

Winter Fashion Ideas Romwe

This is the kind of thing I would wear to enjoy a sunny wintry morning with the hubby and child. I have accessorised it with my pink satchel, turquoise blue cocktail ring and tassel earrings. See lunch date outfits need not be boring but with few interesting pieces (like this skirt in my case) you can elevate the simplest look and make it unforgettable.

Thank you for reading. Hope you liked the post. Don’t forget to follow me. You can also follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Thank you Romwe for sponsoring this post.

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face—Victor Hugo

When I was in Bombay (Mumbai) I could never understand why the tourist friends I made from UK spoke so much about weather. Talking about whether so regularly is a very quintessential British tradition. Only after making Britain my new home have I realised why. It does dictate every facet of your life. Be it your activity, your clothes and whether or not you should carry a brolly (the answer is yes, carry it always). No doubt in guessing that this post is also about weather or rather British winter.

When it comes to winter dressing my biggest rule of thumb is—comfort. I especially get drawn towards big, chunky knits that I can practically hide under. Indeed, it is my fashion de rigueur. So, when I got a chance to collaborate with Romwe once again, I naturally picked this oversized sweater in the prettiest shade of blue.

Oversized sweater from Romwe winter fashion

Oversized sweater from Romwe winter fashion

Now, don’t assume that just because we are talking about winter dressing and chunky sweaters it would mean grand mommy fashion. This pretty blue thing comes with a pretty back lattice design and can be worn as an off-shoulder top. I have paired this with black ripped jeans and ankle booties. I have used nifty little accessories like beret, a red bag and statement necklace and earrings to give a boho touch.

Oversized sweater fashion from Romwe

Oversized sweater fashion from Romwe

Oversized sweater fashion romwe

Sweater: Romwe, Jeans: DIY, Accessories: India street shops, Bag: Next (old) like this one too, shoes: Marks & Spencer 

This is the kind of thing I wear on a busy winter morning when I want to be comfortable, colourful and free spirited.

Thank you for reading. Hope you liked the post. Don’t forget to follow me. You can also follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Thank you Romwe for sponsoring this post.

The yellow-orange leaves that you collect for no reason, the pain that you hide in your laughter, the first love letter, now crumpled and lost in the pages of an old book, the peck on the cheek that you get after a hard day, the hug that you give when your own strength is ebbing away, the helplessness hidden in your sigh and the dance in your step that doesn’t die away. These are just some of the things that make you, that complete you. That tells, carry on soldier, you are doing great.

At times I am convinced that I am full of paradoxes. I am calm and the storm, the black and the white, the vice and the virtue, the mess and the harmony. Most of the time (especially of late) I am trying to find myself amidst all the haze and the chaos. What has all that got to do with fashion you ask? I hear you. As I have often stated in this blog, fashion or style is not an entity existing alone in an ivory tower. It is personal, political and everything in between. Above all it is a way you express yourself (and your various moods to the world).

Of late I am all about experimenting with colours, textures and unlikely combinations. In my previous post, you saw me wearing Gingham blouse with Indian style jhumkas. In here, I am mixing two unlikely colour and textures. Although I love colourful ensembles, I would have never thought of wearing pink with olive green. I literally threw this look together when I was dashing for work early in the morning. But I was surprised how well it came together. Another experiment I have done here is combining leather with knit wear. Once again, I never thought it could be done but as I have shown you here it can be. Paradoxes, you see.

leather skirt style

leather skirt style

To bring out the look in its completely, I have gone for black accessories like polka dot tights, knee high boots and bag. But once again to give it a dash of sass, I have used quirky and colourful earrings. If you are still unsure of colour blocking, I would suggest to start small. Pair bright colours with a muted ones, add colourful accessories and voila you would have a look which is easy to pull yet make you stand out of the crowd.

leather skirt style

leather skirt style

Sweater: Ralph Lauren, Skirt: Amazon Fashion, Boots: Ego, Bag: Osprey, Earrings: Independent designer 

So, next time if you are bogged down about paradoxes don’t be after all a bit of variety hurt no one.

Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful weekend and hope you liked my post. Don’t forget to follow me. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. 

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I have never seen elegance go out of style—Sonya Teclai

A very Happy New Year to all my amazing readers and blogging friends. I hope your year started with a bang.

As I mentioned in my previous post, New Year means a time for new opportunities, new challenges and new adventures. For me, it is also the time to step back, introspect and re-invent myself. When I am talking about re-invention, i am not merely talking about physical one. For me, this year, re-invention is focused more on emotional, mental and spiritual aspects.

It is about finding myself in the chaos and incessant chatter of life, it is about learning to let go and it is about de-cluttering my life of negativity, of toxic people, de-cluttering my mind and of achieving some clarity (at least that’s my aim, how much of this I achieve is a question of time).

At the same time, it is also about reinventing myself, learning new things, experimenting (sartorially and otherwise) and once again learning to have faith in me and in people around me.

Gingham blouse trend from Shein

To be honest, I was not too sure, on how I wanted to start the first fashion post of the year on this blog. I was toying if I should glam up or dress down. At the end, I chose what reckoned with me the most. If you know me, you know that l love all things quirky. So, when Shein asked me collaborate with them, I jumped in and chose this cute and quirky gingham billow sleeve blouse with cut out high neck.

Gingham blouse fashion trend, Shein

It is chic, effortless, minimal, quirky (that word again!) and fun. These are the qualities i love and always aim for in my looks and in my life. I chose to pair with ripped jeans, a bright bag and to go back to my Indian roots—Indian style jhumkas. I love mixing oriental/Eastern elements with Western ones (and you will see such mash ups more often this year) and this is just an example how it can be done without going overboard. For footwear, I have used oldie but gold of an ankle boots. I chose this laid back style also because of the fact that it is still supremely cold in UK and I am not quite ready to let go of comfortable dressing. But this is a versatile blouse and I can totally see myself wearing it with black skirt and pumps in spring/summer.

Gingham blouse style by Shein

Gingham blouse fashion trend, Shein

So what do you guys think? Isn’t effortless chic the new black? If you loved this blouse, don’t forget to check Shein for this and more amazing items they have.

Gingham blouse fashion trend, Shein

Blouse: Shein, Ripped Jeans: Diy, Bag: Zara, Earrings/Bracelet: Amazon(UK), Boots: New Look

Thank you for reading. Hope you liked the post. Don’t forget to follow me. You can also follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Thank you Shein for sponsoring this post.