Gold Mornings!

I strongly believe in the saying that morning shows the day. I love beautiful mornings and I have a few habits which I adore. Like most technology crazed people, I too start my day by peeking a look at my phone.
I have a routine of first thanking God for gifting me a wonderful day and then I meticulously check my texts.  Some people start your day with a smile and add that extra touch to it just with their mere presence. I believe it is this special jazz of having the group of special people which turns a good morning into a gold morning. I have always believed that it is people who are precious and who make us happy.
Every morning, I believe it is upon us to make things pretty, to add that extra jazz, the touch of golden glimmer to what would otherwise be a mundane morning. I make sure to go that extra mile and pick my favorite people to start the day with. I always begin my mornings with a smile as it is one of the best ways of kick starting a day.
I believe that if you can get on with gold like morning which infuses a lot of positivity in you, you are sure to proceed to have an even better day.
I grew up reading that every time a guy texts a girl “hey beautiful”, it makes our day.
While I do believe in this dreamy romantic world, but I also know that it is upon us to make our mornings beautiful too.
So, I relive good times, talk to my favorite people, and thank the good God and start a new day on a high to have a truly gold morning.

When your morning is crappy, there isn’t much of a chance that the rest of the day is going to be any good. Being an advocate of good beautiful mornings, I love the new concept of #Colgate360GoldMornings.

We all need to have a pretty smile because a smile is one of the perfect curves which set all things straight. So, if you too are looking to have a gold morning and may be bring in the best smile in the life of the people you know and the peeps you love, it is time to grab the new gold toothbrush from Colgate.

I have managed to make my mornings beautiful so far. Now it is upon you to embark the same change too. Turning things into gold needs a little happiness, lots of love and the right decision. Colgate really got it right with their campaign. You should too!

Catch the details here.

Makeup tips for the monsoon season

Monsoons in India are a mess and looking good takes a backseat when you have to handle umbrellas and bulky raincoats. It is also the time when humidity rises and your hair’s texture and skin’s oil secretion go haywire. Most make-up artists and stylists suggest a minimalist look. Here are a few tips that you can follow to keep your skin and hair in order even during downpours.

Cleaning the Skin

Keeping your skin clean during monsoons is very important as bacterial action and oil secretion rises around this time. Women with oily T-zones and combination skins are bound to experience a bout of acne. To avoid these problems, it would be best to use herbal astringents to get rid of the excess oil.

Picture Credit: Jabong.com

You can keep a few wet and dry tissues to keep removing excess oil from the face. Those with dry and normal skin would do well to use ice on their face to remove grime and grease. Before going to bed, use a water based moisturizer from Lakme or L’Oreal. If you have oily skin, its better you use no night cream.

Creating a Makeup Base

Do not use foundation creams as bases for makeup if you don’t want them rolling down your cheeks after a heavy downpour. Instead, use face powder, only sparingly to create a light base. You should use only that much which will absorb the oil from your face.

Picture Credit: Jabong.com

A light BB cream from MAC can also be used but make sure it dissolves perfectly in your skin.

If you like using blush, go for cream blush which are water proof and add a rosy tint to your face.

Doing up your Eyes

Indian women love wearing kajal but this is unfortunately the season to put them away. Some brands like Faces have introduced water and smudge proof kajal which lasts long and you can try them out. Instead of kajal, you can go for waterproof eyeliner from Maybelline that is likely to last longer than traditional kajal pencils.

Picture Credit: Jabong.com

You can also add to the beauty of your eyes by thickening the lashes with waterproof mascara. Brands like Revlon produce them with good quality waterproofing that keeps them on for long hours, till you remove them with a cleanser. A touch of pink eye shadow shall also brighten up your look. However, make sure it is only minimal as you don’t want to deal with layers of melting pancakes.

Sunscreen

Come sun or rain, using a sunscreen is must because it protects your skin from harmful UV rays. They are available in various SPF ratings which offer different levels of protection. You can use a water based sunscreen from VLCC or Vichy can work wonders on your skin during this time.

Picture Credit: Jabong.com

For completing your look, wear your hair in a tight ponytail or go short by trying out bobs and pixie cuts. Monsoon months lead to a lot of hair fall and shorter hair shall prevent it. Keep your hair clean by using mild herbal shampoos and conditioners to keep frizz and tangle away.

Author bio

Minakshi Pharswal is a blogger working with one of India’s leading online fashion destination. Being a part of the Fashion industry, she loves to write about latest trends in fashion and beauty.

Maxi dress: A summer must have

Style, comfort, versatile, chic, elegant, sexy, hot, vibrant, unique and flattering, you name it and maxi dresses have it all. When scorching heat of the sun is planning to make us all, suffer in Indian continent, maxi dresses or long dresses have emerged as an angel for all the chicas out there. This guardian angel of the fashion world is not just gorgeous, but it flatters all kinds of body type.

And not just the summer months, but with right accessories and fabric selection, maxi dresses (or long dresses as they are known among some of the dress lovers), you can wear these dresses in winters as well.

It is practically the only kind of dress which can cover your fashion needs from beach to a black tie event altogether round the year. You just have to ensure that the style you have selected flatters your body type.

Although maxi dresses or long dresses look great on every body type regardless of the popular notion that vertically challenged girls cannot pull off this style, body type consideration is a must to follow!

Free flowing garb, flattering structure and a sexy neckline, maxi dresses are divided into these three structures. While shopping for them, you can focus on these pointers and shop the one that emphasizes your good looks. Some of the maxi dress styles that are popular this summer season,

The Solid colored ones!

Entire dress has the same color and no prints at all in this most basic maxi dress style. If you have a slim body structure, this style will flatter on your body. Also if you are vertically challenged like me, a single color will make you look taller.

The Printed ones!

Yes, like all the springs and summers gone so far, SS15 has brought the prints trend back and with a bang. From footwear to clutch bags, everything you can imagine in the fashion world has prints on it this year so how can maxi dresses be left behind.

Although prints look gorgeous, they can bring in undue attention to your body. If you are curvy and have an hourglass figure, avoid large bulky prints. You can go with the small prints with a plunging V-neckline. This will focus attention to your neck, giving a streamlined structure.

The Boho Chic ones!

Boho chic style is making a comeback this year with a tad bit of hotness added to it. Loose, free flowing and adorned with wildest prints, with a touch of nature and earthiness, Boho styled maxi dresses are all about this. Wear them with Boho styled gladiator sandals or platform sandals with large hoop earrings studded with beads and rosy colored vintage aviator sunglasses!

The Asymmetric ones!

If you have tried asymmetric dresses and tops, it is time for the lopsided maxi dresses. Similar to its fellows, this one also has a lopsided or uneven hemline or neckline. With a plethora of prints, lopsided hemlines are a treat to wear. If you are looking for a beach perfect look, these ones in sheer fabric can be an option. Wear them with beaded necklaces, hat and colorful flip-flops to the beach or pool, whichever is closer to you!

The Sheer ones!

Aah the sexy and stunning sheer ones. These are my favorite when it comes to dressing seductively for some occasion, (if you know what I mean). Sheer fabric of these maxi dresses adds a glamorous feel to it.

Also, they are quite comfortable for the summer season. What else is there to say!

If you are vertically challenged like me, try out the overall sheer ones instead of the ones on the hemline only. These might make you look shorter, and we don’t want that!

Maxi dresses have been in trend for decades as a comfort wear, but with the new collection it has become an Haute Couture trend hot throughout the year. Style them with a sassy touch, flattering accessories and a touch of makeup to look fresh as a spring gale!

Author Bio: Minakshi Pharswal is a blogger working with one of India’s leading online fashion destination. Being a part of the Fashion industry, she loves to write about latest trends in fashion and beauty.

Be You

I was born with an average face. I have never quite considered myself to be ugly, but I knew I wasn’t one of those picked ones who could look like they are ready to walk the ramp even when they have barely woken up. While there are a lot of adage that states that beauty fades with time and true beauty isn’t skin deep, but ask any girl born with an average face and they will always tell that once in a while, on a few lonely nights, the mirror tells a very sad story. You crave to be a little more perfect, with a little fuller face, with some remarkable features that make you stand out from the rest. Sometimes you feel beautiful because the ones you love compliment you with their heart but, you really need to do something to look okay, if not exceptionally beautiful.

While I do wish I had a few inborn extraordinary features, but I realized that there are ways I could improve things at least a little bit. I am not a huge fan of lots of makeup (okay, some of my friends won’t agree) because I detest the whole tiresome effort of washing them off. This is when I chanced upon the magic of ayurveda and how natural ways of skin care could bring in the best rewards.

Now, I don’t expect to grow three tones fairer or even get a fully shaped nose or even the perfect round eyes, but thanks to the best ayurvedic tips which I learnt, I embraced the art of being myself. As I know the pain and dilemma of feeling not enough, I would love to share the tits and bits of what I know about the natural ways of having a good skin.

The first thing to do is to drink ample water because it flushes away the unwanted toxin. I know it isn’t the easiest thing to do because true to God, I hate drinking water. (I know I am weird, I hear this a lot.)

The next thing is to really wear less makeup and choose natural ayurvedic creams like VICCO Turmeric Cream. Natural creams are free of synthetic chemicals and thus they do not harm the skin and keep it fresh.

Try and apply some neem paste to your face. There are a lot of perks of choosing neem. If you are tired of acne marks, neem can be your savior. Not just acne, even those with a blemish prone skin can choose neem too. Also, make it a point to wash your face with rose water quite a lot of times.

I tried all of this and while I am still the ordinary girl with average looks, I at least do not wake up with nightmares of acne and blemishes. Last but not the least, learn to be you. I am average but I am okay being so because once in a while. It is okay to be okay. Okay? Okay!

(By God, I love the end of this post. I am smart, if not pretty *low modesty alert*) Watch this YouTube advert to make up for the insanity let loose at the end of the post.

Pretty Fat?

Have you seen someone really fat and wondered how beautiful she may be? Be honest. Very few of us do so. There are a lot of reasons why we have this stereotype. People tend to believe that a girl can be either fat or beautiful. The society is fed up with the concept of being thin.
I am one of those lesser lucky girl who always looks at the mirror and sighs how the world would have been different if I were prettier. However, the extra flab meant that I found myself thinking that I would be either fat or beautiful.
Soon, I realized that I didn’t have to pick one of the two. I realized I loved “and”. People can be beautiful with all the extra pounds. Beauty is a subjective term and to bring it into simpler terms, beauty always lies in the eyes of the beholder.
It is upon you to find what is beautiful. I am not saying that I have the prettiest face because I believe being beautiful has a lot more to do with heart than with the outer reflection of my face.
I chose my “and” and today I am happy that I didn’t restrict myself when it came down to the choices. I am fat, I agree. I am a little on the chubby side, I agree too. None of the fat girls are pretty, I do not agree to it. It is a myth and myths are best avoided rather than followed.
Not having the prettiest face and having a few extra pounds do not make a girl ugly. As long as you can light up someone’s life, be the smile in someone’s sky and bring happiness, I can be fat and beautiful.
I chose my and. Now it’s up to you. Go do so. Remember, you’re beautiful no matter what the weighing machine and the morons say!

“This post is a part of #UseYourAnd activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette Venus“.

Watch this video here.

Hey YOU!

Hey you,

How’s the weather tonight? Do you feel the blues? Is your heart fluttering red? Did you find a green eyed guy? Is the rainbow smiling down upon you?

So many colors, so many shades and just a single you!

Do you still wonder at the roads you took; the turns you missed, the lanes you left, the people who are no longer yours, the ones you miss, the ones who miss you, the ones that never stayed, the ones who still stand by your side?

So many questions, so many puzzles and just a single you!

Do you still think of memories you made? Do you smile reading the old conversations? Do you talk to the people you did ten years back? Are you in touch with the ones who once touched your heart and left footprints that you thought would never fade? Did the touch of love blossom the flowers inside you?

So many doubts, so many memories and just a single you!

Are you happy? Is your today beautiful? Is yesterday still your home because you’re scared that you’re falling in love with your today? Are you still scared like you were back when you first started?

So many fears, so many regrets and just a single you!

Has your favorite book changed? Is HE still your favorite author? Did you find a new favorite poem? Is red still your favorite shade? Are rains still your favorite feeling?

So many changes, so many options and just a single you!

Yes, with time, a lot of things change.

People will come and go.

Happiness comes, stays ad leaves. Sorrow does the same, but time never stays. Passes us along, touching us, caressing us and making us a person who is so same and yet so different.

This letter is addressed to my former self which is the current me for the times to come. I’ll read this when I’m 42 (I’m 24 now) and wonder how much has changed in my life.

Read it and talk to yourself of all the things that you thought were permanent but they left and you didn’t!

Life is so much more than few perfect promises. Life is believing the promise even when the people you made them to, no longer stay. Life is loving the sameness even when things have changed. Life is living your today even when yesterday is your beloved home. Life is smiling as you recollect memories that can never again be a reality.

I’ve met people who may or may not stay in my tomorrow, but I know, the memories of them will never leave because favorite poems, stories, people and even shades do change, but footprints left deep in the heart are locked for times no clock will ever measure.

Life was beautiful. It is beautiful. It will be beautiful.

All you need is the eyes that you need to borrow to see the shine.

Some people fall in love and others make you fall in love with life ❤

I do not know how long the feeling stays, so for as long as it does, I chant the rhythmic murmurs of heartfelt love. because miracles are people.

When I’m 42, I would still think of few things which I did when I was(am) 24.

Age is just a number! Life is a story.

Hey you!! Smile. Love. Live.

Much lovies,

(A happy RED) Shade.

The Beautiful, Ugly And Forgotten

~~In the shoes of a girl who is NOT beautiful~~

Disclaimer: If you’re not feeling good, please refrain from reading this. This post is not going to be uplifting or inspiring or at east that is what I feel right now. May be, the footnote will have something else to say.

 

 

“It’s alright, if you’re not pretty. Beauty is only skin deep. It’s the heart that counts. Beauty is temporary, it fades. The inner beauty of your heart is what truly stays.”

 

YEAH, some of the best and the most brilliant words, but isn’t it ironical that all the times I’ve heard this line, the people who told these have always been MIRROR SMASHING PRETTY. It’s a privilege to be beautiful and this is why beautiful people can walk away with beautiful phrases like this beauty I just quoted and expect the “forgotten averages” to feel “beautiful” . Seriously, isn’t it like the biggest bleeping oxymoron?

 

 

I am not always so shitty and bitchy, but I never appreciate a beautiful person asking a non beautiful person to feel alright even if they’re not beautiful. Everyone at the bottom of their heart craves beauty. When you find someone looking at you like you’re the best piece of art they’ve ever witnessed, you feel  ALIVE in every sense of the word. However. this type of feeling doesn’t stays forever. Sooner rather than later, you will fall in a groove where the once electrifying look shall appear normal to you.

 

 

However, when an averagely alright girl with a forgotten face contour is made to feel beautiful, she remembers the moment. No, not just the moment, she remembers the date, the event that took place before it, the situation the exact words, the after events, the feeling, how long it lasted and above all, the sincerity.

 

I have only believed in being beautiful on those rare moments when sincerity dripped from the words of the ones who told. Even when I had loved the people with all my heart I seldom believe in being beautiful. I never understood why some girl are prettier than others, why some girls are fatter than others. Heck, not just girls, it goes for boys too, But girls need to live up to the beauty tag.

 

 

I am not ugly, but being beautiful.. heck it was not to be and shall not be. If i were pretty, I would not question those who love me. If I were pretty, I would not stay awake at 2 in the night questioning myself. If I were pretty, I would never wonder if my story is going to meet its end. If I were pretty, I would never look at pretty girls and sigh at the difference. If I were pretty, I would not have to convince myself that fairy tales could also be for forgotten. If I were pretty, I would never be scared of being forgotten.

 

 

Right when I wonder all this, I murmur, may be, even if I was pretty, I would still be wondering all of this because pretty girls do not get it all. Pretty girls live with broken heart too. Pretty girls too ruin their mascaras, pretty girls too stay awake in the night.

 

The thing is we hardly believe ourselves to be pretty. It takes a person to make you feel beautiful. I might not be beautiful, but I will try and make someone else feel so. May be, that’s what being beautiful is all about 🙂

 

My “Dream” In My “Dreams”

As I lazily open my dreamy eyes, it takes some time to adjust to the scenery. Sometimes, my dreams show me things I will never have and yet when I wake up, I feel a sense of completeness because I have lived them when I couldn’t have them in reality.

I love my dreams immensely because I believe they’re more than just figments of imagination. I’ve met people I shall never see in my life, but in those three or four hours of uninterrupted sleep, I’ve stayed with them, spoken to them, laughed with them, held hands, seen the stars together and had a great day packed with sugar sweet memories. Why should I be sad on waking up?

They’re a part of my reality. I lived these memories and on those 2 o clock nights, when I am awake like an owl, I think of these dreams and smile to myself and hug myself close because it was as much real as my reality is.

No, I refuse to believe that dreams are unreal. I see them, I feel them, I recall them and they leave a tingling sensation of the best memories I could ever make. I don’t tell my dreams mostly to people I’ve seen. If I do and they do not react the way I had dreamt about, a little part of me shall be disappointed because there will now be two pictures of the same shot.

However, right now, as I type this, I am smiling because I woke up to a beautiful dream… I met someone I’ve wanted to but perhaps never will. It was surreal and so exceptionally beautiful that my day has already kicked off to a pretty start.

I feel my dreams are God’s way of telling me yes, you love them and you may not have them but go see them with eyes shut tight because my dreams are the place I truly am, unashamedly myself.

 

With eyes clasped tight,

I block the thoughts

That brings me down

In my dreams,

We sit next by the old building

That smells of the by gone times

I look up at the sky

And you follow the gaze

Stars, I whisper

And starts you say

We smile at the sky

Because that’s what joins us

“I never thought this would be true

And here you are,

It is all like a dream”

“And then I get lost in the eyes

May be, it’s a dream

May be, you will wake up

And look dreamily around,

But so what if it’s a dream

At least, we’ve lived the dream

We’ve met and spoken

And our long conversations

Did take place

Who says, dreams are unreal

They’re a part of us”

I stare at the face

And then look behind

To catch the sight of the sky

“Yes”, I whisper

“Dreams are real

Because you too are a dream

Let’s sail together

And make the most of times

Before I open my eyes

And you’re again gone

For now, keep me to yourself

And we will together see

The land of my dreams

And what you mean to me

Let me write to you

The poetry I want

Hear me sing the songs

That reminds me of you

My wild fat voice

With no symphony of their own

And you will laugh

Like you’ve never laughed before

Hearing you laugh,

I shall again fall

Deep down in love

Because seeing your dream in dreams

Feels magically real”

Come, Before I Fall

~~Sometimes, a poetry is so much more than just another poetry. Some pieces entail significant emotional investment.. This one did.~~

Ever since I laid my eyes on this picture, I knew what I am going to write.

 

This picture is of one of the smartest person I’ve met online and it is she herself. I don’t intend to call her all of what I will be writing, but of all people, I know she will understand what and why the poetry means. Some pictures do not talk about the person, but about the emotions. Anshu Dhamiwal, you will forever be someone I shall love, regardless of the number of days we go without talking.

You see the eyes

But don’t look at the iris

The eyes do smile

But the iris will haunt

The eye lashes flutter

You feel poetry

But don’t look beyond

There’s a rage within

Her eyes are fire

They have been burnt before

She speaks of love

But she is contriving your fall

She is terrified to fall

She has been abandoned by all

She knows beauty

She despises it all

Beautiful people say

Beauty is temporary

But, look at an average

And she will speak

Of the nights she stayed awake

Because

Another beautiful girl took away

The heart which was supposed 

To fall for her

If you’re pretty,

You never question

If your love loves you,

But when you’re not

Every night is a struggle

As you play with your lash

Wondering

Why did your love love you at all?

When there is nothing in you

That can captivate

That can enchant

What if another pretty girl

Strolls along?

Is it not human for him

To let his heart beat

And just like that

Another beautiful girl will rob

Her

Of the tale she had fully scripted

No.

False are the lies

That tell

It’s okay not to be pretty.

Do not believe them.

Or else,

Don’t love.

You ask too many questions

People will leave.

No one stays.

They go.

Pretty girls.

They always take away

That which was never theirs.

 

I play with my eye lashes

You call me beautiful

But am I?

No.

I will never believe

That which I am not.

But, I know you love me

But, the question is how long.

For someone who is poetry,

Beauty shall come your way

Too many fancy faces

Too thick eyelashes

And soon you will forget

I will be a figment

Of yet another tale

That won’t complete

 

So, I pluck my eyelash

One after the other

If I can’t be pretty,

I should stand out

So, that when you leave me alone

You will shudder at the sight of me

 

But, as I clip another lash

The tears begin to fall

No.

I don’t want to scare you

I want to belong

I want you to be there

When my insecurities grow strong

I want you to whisper

That you will love me

Even when I am a hundred pounds and more

Even when I donot have a speck of powder

Even when my skin are dotted with freckles

Even when my eyes are fat with tears

Even when my lashes are all shed and gone

Because you told me, you love my heart

And a  heart has no face

 

Tell me again and again

Tell me before,

I chop all the lashes

And repulse at my reflection

I am not beautiful

But, hearts have never been seen

If you fell for my heart

Let these lashes bleed

I’v read, “Love is blind“

Then why do we need the eyes

Tell me you will love me

Even when I have shed it all

 

My lashes can never be

Like the ones you see

On fancy pages of magazines

They will always be ordinary

Like it was supposed to be

My insecurities are strong

I don’t trust myself

I don’t know why you love me

When you could have the ones

Who wear the tall heels and 

Look like a trophy

When you could have the ones

Who looked like movie stars

When you could have the ones

Who could kill with the looks

Tell me once, you love me

For reasons I would believe

Don’t tell me I am pretty

‘coz I know I am not

If you could convince me today,

I want you to repeat it tomorrow

 

Because ever since I knew what forever meant

I’ve seen pretty girls take it all

You won’t understand my fears

Because you have never felt ordinary

It takes an ordinary to know an ordinary

And you’ve always been a poetry

 

Don’t leave me alone

As my insecurities grow strong

I clip another lash

They fall in the hole

Come back to me

Before

I too shall fall

Or wait 

Have you already gone?

Another pretty girl snaps it all.

 

Footnote: I am seriously sorry for the type of depression this poetry oozes. Lately, I’ve been writing a little more of dark tones. For Anshu Dhamiwal, I want to say, you are by all means beautiful and you know I mean it when i say it, but this picture shook me so hard that I wanted to tell the tale of those who are not as blessed.

 

I know, I don’t have to explain.. you will understand.. I am not calling the non pretty girls names too.. yes, people are beautiful in their own ways, but sometimes, it takes a lot of convincing to feel that way… this poetry has solely to do with me and my thoughts.. I am not wishing to call anyone any names here. Those who know me will know that I am speaking the truth, My insecurities are very high… for the rest, i apologize for whatever you think I mean but I don’t.

 

25&26

“You asked me today to let you go.

But how can I let you go, my love!

When I never had you at all!”

Source: Bhavya Kaushik

“You scare me.. terribly.. because you make me crave for things I know, I shall never have. I am terrified of waking up one day and finding all the best moments to be a dream, but these thoughts only come when you’re not around. When you’re with me, I could be in a haunted house and still sing poetry. Don’t leave me. I and you are not meant to be, but we will still be. Let our middle last longer than any end ever had”

Self