WIW 1: Last of the Bangalore Days




So the weather today was pretty much atrociously hot. So what better color to wear than black, right?
Sigh.

Either way. Couple weeks ago, I was wandering around Comm Street trying to find a cropped sweater to wear. And I found this beauty for 250 INR. Like, what. I love the knit. It's heavy, but not chunky, you know? Again, a lovely addition to the new basic capsule wardrobe that I'm building up.
I layered it with another crochet edged crop top so I wouldn't have to wear a bandeau bra (too damn tight and sticky for weather like this. Wanted it to be all easy breezy in that general area.)

Bag from New Look, you can read the post here.

Also enjoying the fact that I can ponytail my hair again after two damn years.

Happy Thursday!

The Mid Week Therapy Night

There are those days at the end of the week (or even in the middle) where I need some serious relaxation/pamper time. When your budget is tight and you don't exactly have the facilities required for a bath tub AND no Wi-fi in your PG (yes folks, it is true),
To be honest, I think it's given me time to really switch off when I get home and spend time reading or watching Desperate Housewives on TV.

But all in all, these nights are when I really get to spend some 'me' time and chill the f*** out.







I usually start off with a nice warm shower (hot water damages my skin like CRAZY). The Palmolive Thermal Spa Skin Renewal Crushed Coconut Body Wash is one of the best scrub-cream wash combinations ever. I feel like a hula dancer when I step out of the shower. Really moisturizing, gets the job done. Although it says to apply it with a loofah, I feel like that defeats the purpose of getting down and dirty with the scrub. So I use it with my hands first and then go over it with a wet loofah.

After that, this is the time where I work on my face. The Jovees Apricot and Almond scrub is what I use to get all that grit off my face. It's not harsh at all, but gently exfoliates, leaving your skin feeling soft and supple.

Then, pore strip time.
When people ask me how much my tattoos hurt - here is an answer. 1 pore strip pulling = 5 tattoos.
But the satisfaction of seeing all the goo from your pores on that strip is satisfying to the nth degree. I used the Clenz U (much Wow) carbon strips from Health n Glow. You get 3 in a pack for a little over 100 INR, so it's pretty worth it, cause they're really nice quality too.

I paint my nails because well, makes me feel ladylike.

And for my beverage choice - I love a cup of Cadbury's Cocoa. For you tea drinkers, Tulsi Ginger Green tea is my alternative. You get this at places like Fab India or Nilgiris. 130 INR for 25 sachets or so.

Like I said, my room is a Wifi free zone, so I love curling up in bed with my drink and listening to Radiolab podcasts - DEFINITELY check them out here. They really simplify science and technology for challenged people such as I. A book that I've been loving lately - The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. The 'real' story of the Dracula. Chilling, gripping, and makes me sleep with my light on...

Another favorite I've had this month is my headphones. They're these - the Philips ActionFit sport headphones. They fit SO snugly, they NEVER flop out, and they're so comfortable to fall asleep in. I credit my S.O for helping me out with this, I know 0 about headphones/audio paraphernalia and this was a pretty sweet deal at INR 539.

So this is how I unwind and destress. This doesn't even have to be on a weekend. Just whenever you have a couple hours to yourself.

Try this, I swear it works!



The Skin Perfecter that actually Perfects


When I finally bit the bullet and bought the full size of the Loreal Paris Skin Perfect 20+ (phew), I felt no buyer's remorse whatsoever.


This product is REALLY targeted at the 20-30 age bracket. Loreal really understood that the issues 20-year-olds face with their skin are extremely different from what say, a 40 year old would. I definitely don't have the time for a beauty regime with my schedule, and Bangalore pollution makes it that much worse! Plus those late nights don't exactly have me looking like a Disney princess.

This is truly an erase-all/do-over/imsorryididntgetenoughsleep for your face.

 I'm not a fan of whitening day creams, so I was skeptical at first, but this didn't have that instant 'bleached' effect that some lower priced day creams do (I'm talking to YOU, Garnier White Complete Multi Action Fairness Cream). It's also really light, so it doesn't leave you feeling oily or greasy.

It's made my skin very smooth and imperfections have reduced a LOT (even some old zit scars have noticeably faded)  - basically, it does exactly what it says on the tin, which I really appreciate.

Would I recommend this? Absolutely. I see results, and that is good enough for me. And at 325 INR for 50g, it didn't break the bank.

Bag-packing.


So I'm pretty sure a lot of you are going away on holiday this summer. And some of you may not have the luxury of a 25kg check-in luggage, if you're backpacking.

I've had a bit of experience, living out of a tiny bag when I was traipsing around Scotland and London (but it had wheels, so it's not EXACTLY backpacking). And I didn't know if I was hiking, biking, or partying. It's all about being prepared for anything, but without OVERPACKING.
So one of my lovely friends who is backpacking in Europe this summer asked me if I could do a post on this.
And I realized while making this list, that it would definitely serve as a master list for myself as I travel this summer.

So, in essence, you need 3 main bags. A backpack/duffel, a totebag (packed INSIDE your backpack when you start your trip, but used to hold things that you may buy through the trip, and a big makeup/washbag (preferably with compartments).

Like, I said, pack minimal, but with clothes you can multipurpose with. Dressing up/dressing down items is something that is very important. You may be trawling through mud one day, and the next day, you may have a swanky dinner. You need to be ready for anything.

So without further ado here are my lists:









AND FINALLY...

Keep your passport in a place YOU can access easily. The front zip of your backpack is not the best place. Buy a plastic pouch that you can keep all your documents in that serves as waterproof protection also, and slip this in between your clothes.

Buy a couple of pouches for your electronics (waterproof, preferably) so that your wires don't get tangled up.


GOLDEN RULE FOR STUFFING YOUR CLOTHES IN: ALWAYS ROLL. NEVER FOLD.

Happy Holidaying, and let me know if you guys want a makeup/jewelry accompaniment!



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