Winter Skincare Update





Since the advent of colder weather, I have had to reign in my skincare and keep it simple - and moisture focused. But before that, I had a trouble spot where it was a break-out cycle, non stop. No matter what I tried (medicated, deep cleansing, masks), I still had residents on my face. Then some research later, I realized I was probably not clearing out my pores as well as I could and that I needed to drink at LOT MORE WATER.

Fall Thrift Haul finds under $6: Steve Madden, Zara and more

It's no secret that I love wardrobe updates. And thrift shopping. So as bad a habit as it is, at least it isn't an expensive one.





7-book Fall/Winter Reading List



Dye-it-yourself

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Fall Essentials - Makeup & Skincare


New apartment, new decor.






Fall Goodwill Pieces







I went to Goodwill today to drop off some clothes and other knick-knacks that have no place in my shoebox home anymore, and I decided to browse around and look at the sweaters and coats to see if there was anything worthwhile for fall. I LOVE buying winter stuff from Goodwill because the pieces are so...different? In stores, at least the ones that are on the typical fashion cycle, have pretty similarly cut clothes. And I'm always on the lookout for something a little bit different. And that I don't have to spend pre-fall prices on because well, unemployed.

And I think I had a VERY good day.

I am completely aware that it is too hot to wear any of this except the last dress, but hey. Just getting ahead.

1. Eddie Bauer Sweater - $5.49
The first thing I found was a long sweater-hoodie hybrid. It is extremely cozy and has a detachable fur lining on the hood. I would wear this out or even around the house - it's the perfect sweater for when you want to look a little bit put together but not put in much effort. And I think it would fare well even as outerwear till the end of this year - till the snow comes in, that is. Factoring in Eddie Bauer as performance wear cold weather, I'm hoping that it does it's job.

2. ABG sweater dress - $5.49
This baby still had the original tag on. It's in an XL, but works so well as a slouchy sweater dress. It looks oversized on me but hangs nicely. I love the leather detail on the sagging pockets. I'm sure I'll get loads of wear out of this. I'm also on the hunt for a pair of thigh-high boots, so paired with this, I think it'd both keep me warm and look like I tried at life, too.

3. Giacca coat - $6.79
This bomber styled quilted jacket is EVERYTHING. I've been on the hunt for a khaki coat, but I had enough jackets last season, so this was a welcome change to that line-up. It is ridiculously warm, and the (faux) fur detail gives it a nice touch. It also keeps me warm without making me look like I'm in my third term and about to pop.

4. Diane Von Furstenburg slip dress - $4.99
Need I say more. This silk (yes!) slip dress feels amazing on the skin, and I've worn it NON STOP. As a dress both belted and without and as a top tucked into shorts. It's so versatile and I think I can even get away layering it for the fall.

Like I said, the Goodwill Gods were definitely on my side today and I think for the prices, I snagged some insanely good deals. Now for the next haul...


House hunting in NYC


Let's face it. Adulting is hard. When we were kids, we thought 20-something year olds had their entire lives together. Now I count doing laundry and taking out the trash on the same day as having it together.

Oh, and I also know my bank account number off by heart.

After moving to NYC, there has been no greater or harder task than finding a house. And now that it's my 5th move (yes you heard me right), I think that I have successfully lived in all living situations with all manner of people.

I'm going to reel off some tips so grab a pen and paper. Or just screenshot this. I'm going to make this as concise as possible but there seriously is a lot to cover. There are so many ways to find a living situation in NYC - don't just feel like you need to throw down on a 1 year lease the moment you land here.

And yes - this is particularly aimed at people who are from other countries, who may not have friends and relatives in NYC to crash with.

1. Where can I live?

You may want to live like a Gossip Girl but you probably are gonna end up like Max and Caroline (props if you get the reference). Don't feel like you need to live IN Manhattan. If you have a budget that can accommodate that - then go ahead. But trust me, with the subway system, you can pretty much live near JFK and still get to work on time (for reference, that's around 15 miles/25 KM - and I know because I've done it). As long as you get an apartment near (10 minutes walking) a subway line OR a bus stop, you will be fine. Look at Queens, Brooklyn - loads of people end up living in Jersey. Again, you'll be saving on rent a TON, even with the additional travel expense (Jersey isn't covered by the NYC subway system, passes are more expensive). I go to school near Grand Central, and I've lived an hour away and have been totally fine with making it to class/work.

2. Where do you find apartment listings?

There are three main places I think I've looked for apartments.

  • Craigslist (no, I'm not kidding)
      So since I looked for apartments last, I feel like the number of listings on CL has gone down. Maybe cause of all the new apps/sites? But I found my last living situation there and it was a beautiful apartment. Had some issues from the landlord end but I lived with 3 other perfectly nice girls in a HUGE 4 Bedroom, 2 bathroom in Bed-Sty. I also know a lot of friends who've found apartments/roommates from Craigslist. I will give you one piece of advice though - if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Promises for 2 bedrooms for 1200 in Park Slope are a LIE. Also, if anyone asks you to wire them money/give you credit card details, don't do it. Sounds like stupid advice but trust me, I know some stupid people with stupid stories.
Try looking at apartments which have realtor numbers/management companies attached to them. A call is always better than a vague email. And if they have posted the exact address, put it into Google and see if it comes up on any other more legit sites like Zillow/Trulia. They will usually list a broker and a management company, along with better images/info about the house.
  • Apps/sites - Zillow, Trulia, Streeteasy, Naked
This is probably the safest way to rent out an apartment. There's a lot of information given about each apartment and it's often linked to a broker and a management agency. This way, you can call them immediately to schedule a viewing. And some brokers will have other listings you can look at if you don't like the one you see/don't get approved for it.
  • Facebook groups - Gypsy, NYC Roommatchers - there's loads if you just look. Some of these are private groups, but apply to them anyway.
The BEST place for leases and subleases. This is perfect if you want an interim situation for a few months while you're still house hunting. Write up a nice post about yourself, put a smiley picture up, state your budget and someone will probably be looking for roommates. Alternatively, people post roommate seeking ads which basically means that they have a house set up, and they want one person to come in to replace themselves or another roommate that is moving out.  More often than not, you'll have to sit down for a roommate interview with the other members of the house, to see if you fit in.
Be nice. Bring wine. Or beer. Or anything really. Free food is always appreciated.

Should I use a broker?

Brokers are agents that work for management companies that have apartment listings with them. They will also be in touch with the landlords of these apartments. So here's the deal. Brokers work on commission. That means that if you get approved for an apartment, they can charge you a fee (ALWAYS ask what their fee is before you work with them). It ranges from one month's rent to 12-15% annual rent (usually for fancier places - completely justified because you literally have the entire weight of house hunting lifted off - or if the broker is just a greedy <insert bad word> and wants to charge you a shit ton even if the apartment is a shoebox and he knows you can't afford it). SOMETIMES, apartments are listed as no fee. This means that the LANDLORD pays the broker fee, and you don't have to. These are usually for higher priced apartments or if the apartment has not been rented out because it's a horrible space/has violations/is a 20 min walk to the subway. Make sure you always find out if it's fee or no fee before hand - some brokers will double charge you.

I've worked with brokers twice - both were very nice people. One was a no fee apartment and one was a fee (the place I'm moving into now). Shoutout to my broker here, but she actually worked with us a TON and even gave us a discount on her fee because she knew we were spending a little more than we needed to on the apartment.

So it's up to you. If you are able to find a hit on CL or FB, no broker needed. If you're kinda desperate to move, and you don't have the resources/time to keep scouring the internet, or if no one is getting back to you, work with a broker. Find one online listed with an apartment and they can work with you till you get a place.

What-are-all-these-words-i-dont-understand-pls-halp.

App fee - the application fee. Usually ranges for 50-100$, includes a credit check and bg check. This is non refundable, even if you get denied.

Credit Score - To all of you non-US citizens, a credit score is basically a score that tells you how responsible you are with your credit cards and loan payments. It denotes your financial history and basically tells the brokers/landlords if you are capable and responsible. BUT, being a foriegn student, most times you will NOT have a credit score and thus, you need a guarantor. The only way to rent an apartment with no credit score, being an international, is to pay like 6-12 months rent upfront. So...yeah.

Guarantor - A person that essentially guarantees that you will pay your rent for the year. There are financial and legal obligations, should anything go wrong, so if you EVER have to use a guarantor, make sure it's family or a close friend. They should be living in the US, ideally in the same state as you (but this wasn't the case for me) with a good credit score. This is the only way you can get a house/sign a lease, in my opinion, without paying a ton of rent upfront.

Good faith deposit - A lot of brokers need you to pay a deposit (ranges from half a month to one month's rent) along with your application to take the house off the market. Otherwise people can still apply for it and get approved really quickly - especially people with credit scores of their own.


Another tip - look up your potential apartment (after you get the address) on the NYC Buildings website. It tells you the past violations, complaints and status of the buildings. Learned this the HARD way.

I know this doesn't really cover EVERYTHING, but it's a decent amount of info if you've never house hunted here before and don't know what to expect. Again, this is all information that I have collected from my own experiences, maybe there are better ways to get apartments but this is perfect if you're looking for an apartment with a lower budget and don't know the ins and outs of landlords (in NYC, some of them are absolute predators).

Leave a comment below for any further questions that you have - I'll reply to them ASAP!

It's getting hot in here...












Summer hit me like a train in the city. Don't get me wrong, I love that it's warmer but oh my, is it hot. But being from Chennai I was like, how bad CAN it get?
It can get bad.

I was naive enough to think that I didn't need sunscreen last summer (and that was in August), and then had my first ever sunburn. This year, I learned nothing, apparently, and am currently nursing dry patches on my forehead on nose (Calamine lotion and Aloe vera gel helps). But then I realized that it was time to cater to summer skincare needs.

So these 5 things are what I use pretty much every day to keep my face/body in check.

1.  Olay Complete all day moisture cream for Normal Skin

What's in a name? In this one, a lot, apparently. Facial SPF is very important - the sun is brutal, especially if you live in a place where the UV index is high. When we were kids, we all put body sunscreen on our face cause YOLO, but now that age has caught up with me (sigh), I realized I needed facial SPF. There are SO MANY on the market, but cause my skin is the happiest (relatively, I have eczema) in the summer, my face tends to be a bit combination but mostly normal. I put this on in the morning every day, under my makeup. It's light, not oily at all, and I do feel like it moisturizes my face after I exfoliate. And it acts as a primer.
P.S Get it at CVS - it's ~$8. You'll save a couple bucks cause it's $12 at Duane Reade.

2. Walgreens Clear Zinc Sunscreen (SPF 50)

To be honest I picked this up on a whim cause I didn't want to splash out on a fancy sunscreen. And it said clear zinc (this basically means that it doesn't leave that hideous streaky white stain behind). I mean, I guess it seems to be working on my body cause I don't seem to have peeled/burned even on the hottest days! Store brand but what a winner.

3. The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil - Miracle Solid oil for body and hair

This is probably my favorite of the lot. So it's basically this really hard solid that warms up to your fingers and you can slap on. I get dry knees/legs and I throw this in my bag and take it to work. Sometimes, a heavy cream won't do, and I hate petroleum jelly in the summer. It has a light scent, nothing too unpleasant. And as for hair - when I've JUST washed my hair, it tends to be really soft with no body. this gives it a bit of texture and hold. Also great as a cuticle rescue oil!

4. Burt's Bees Cleansing oil

It's the typical massage in, wet your hands, it turns milky, wash off situation. It's great even with lipstick/mascara and my face doesn't feel stripped. I use it morning and night - I do double cleanse at night though, and follow up with another soap based cleanser.
Another reason I love this during the warmer months is that because it doesn't strip your skin, you don't need to compensate with a heavy moisturizer, which makes me feel like an oily mess.

I will say, close your eyes, it stings a little. It's great for the summer cause it leaves your face feeling really moisturized and dewy in the morning - I feel like it really makes a difference with my makeup.


5. Lip Ice Sheer Color

This is a dupe. An actual dupe for the Dior Lip glow. Adjusts to the pH/Temperature/I don't know what of your skin and leaves it so smooth. And those days where it's too hot to wear makeup or even lipstick - this is my go-to. The best part about this is, it's my new favorite lipbalm and it was discovered by my best friends husband! Thankfully it is available on the Amazon US site, or I'd have to fly to Malaysia to restock...#thankyouImran

H&M Beauty Haul











I'm probably one of the last people in the world to talk about the new (well, not anymore) H&M beauty launch, but I still felt like I needed to post about it. I also apologize for being MIA - It's been a crazy couple of months.

I visited the Herald Square store the week everything came out, and was blown away by pretty much what everyone else was - the PACKAGING. For a low-priced, fast fashion cosmetic range, they had really spent time on the packaging. A few drugstore brands can certainly take a leaf out of their book.

I browsed around and wanted to try pretty much everything, but I narrowed it down to two lipsticks and an eyeshadow palette. And threw in a body splash cause I think I was rushing to an interview and forgot to spritz on perfume. Pigmentation and color pay off are probably the best quality parameters for any cosmetic, so this seemed like a decently representative sample.

Their shade range for eyeshadows and lipsticks are insane. There are so many colors, and a crazy amount of variety. Even while having a good ol' swatch, I realized that the color payoff was looking pretty freaking decent for the price. I took everything home, had a play, and wrote this up.

1. H&M Matte Lipstick in Lenox Lounge and Route 66 ($9.99 each)

Right off the bat, these blew me away. The formulation reminds me of a higher end lipstick and it is very forgiving through the day - it stains out instead of disappearing in chunks and sticking to the little cracks in your lips. I have been on this fruitless hunt for a day time red that isn't Ruby Woo, also was kinda pink-ish and was matte. When I put this in my basket I had 0 hopes for it. I thought it would disappoint me like all the other reds I've bought that are sitting in the bottom of my makeup bag and are now used for color correction. Lenox Lounge is pretty much the most amazing red for any skin tone.  Route 66 is a perfect no-makeup-makeup-MLBB nude. I'll be honest, it's a tad bit too pink but I make it work cause i put the tiniest hint of gloss over the top. 10/10 for both.

2. H&M Eyeshadow Palette in Aubergine Dream ($9.99)

Well, if you take a look at the photos, you can probably already tell what my take on this is. It's a 9-shade palette with some pretty beautiful colors - mattes, glitters and satin finishes - something for everyone. And a 10 Dollar price tag for 9 shades. When I swatched it in store, it gave me bad payoff (for some reason, the single eye shadows swatch BEAUTIFULLY), but I thought maybe the palette had been exposed to air for too long, or had dried up and that a new one would swatch like their single pans would. Sigh. They didn't. They're sheer washes of color at best. I use a primer or a cream eye shadow base when I use this palette which I know, isn't that big a deal, but I expected to be able to throw this in my bag as an on-the-go product. The brown and reddish brown shades stay on a little better and don't really need a primer, but aren't high on the pigmentation scale. So unless you can take the trouble to use a primer or a base for this, I wouldn't recommend it. Check out the singles instead.

3. H&M Buttercream Dream Body Mist ($4.99)

This was definitely an afterthought product, but I was so pleasantly surprised. If you like sweet scents, this is something you need. I throw it in my bag and reapply when needed, but surprisingly, the silage is pretty darn decent. I can smell it on my clothes for at least a couple days afterwards, and on my skin the whole day. And the price. Come on.

I definitely want to try out the blushes in the line, and I heard they're releasing a Conscious Beauty line - packaging looks amazing for that too!

Goodwill 101




I've gotten quite a few questions over the past few months relating to one thing - Goodwill shopping.
It's something that I wanted to do as soon as I came here because I've heard SO much about it from US based blogs and vlogs. Back in the UK, there is a similar concept called Charity Shopping but the stores are smaller and more full of bric-a-brac than clothes.

I thought I'd do a series of posts that basically help you all (well, my US based friends) shop at Goodwill!

There are a few things you need to know straight off the bat.

  1. Goodwills can be HUGE. Some of them have clothes organised by size, some don't. Some organise by color, some don't. Some don't even organise past men's/women's. But that is exactly what makes it exciting. It's like a treasure hunt.
  2. There are tonnes of Goodwills in NYC. Don't just look at the ones in midtown. The best ones are the ones that are in Brooklyn or even uptown (cause that's where you can score some designer shi*).
  3. You need patience. Go through all the racks. It takes a few visits to really know what is worth it, what's overpriced and what you need to buy RIGHT NOW or you'll spend the rest of your life regretting it.
Items are typically priced between $5-25 (this is mostly clothing) but when you figure out the half-off color (will talk more about this later), you can score for as little as $1.50-2. I've gotten skirts for $2. With the original label on.

So here's a step by step to get you started.
  1. Before you go, set a budget. It's VERY easy to buy a bunch of crap you won't even wear. There is a 7 day return policy, but who has time for that. I can say with pride that I've probably made only 2-3 bad buys out of the 38749832 things I've bought in the past six months.
  2. Check which color is half off this week. Each item is color-tagged (I think it's blue, purple, green, pink, orange, yellow and white) with a specific price - so if all the blue tags are 1/2 off that week, you're going to be paying half of the price 
  3. Make sure you have a good 2-3 hours set aside for this. Hit up a couple of Goodwills, not just one. Get lost in the racks.
  4. Try on stuff. The lines to the changing rooms can get a bit crazy - but with the assortment of clothing, you never know what will look good on you - sometimes the most unexpected things do!
  5. This is just my personal rule of thumb - either get things that look new or if they don't, at least they should have some sort of aesthetic value. Like a worn denim jacket where the previous owner has stitched on buttons and studs. NOT a ratty sweater with holes in it which looks like it's falling apart at the seams. 
  6. Check out the homeware section. You can get new Ikea plates and mugs for less than a dollar. And some really cute crockery.
Some of my favorite Goodwill stores are at:
  • 217 W 79th St - UWS - Great for designer/contemporary stuff. The shit that rich people throw away...
  • 157 West 72nd Street - Same. I found some amazing shoes for $4
  • 258 Livingston St - This one is huge. Stock changes almost every three days. My favorite buy is my camel Armani coat. 
I hope this helps! I will do another post with my favorite Goodwill buys next - seriously, this has become something of an addiction.




Post Break Detox: How to fix your life











Now that break is over I finally have to face reality. I have two more semesters left till I graduate. Therefore, I have to make some lifestyle changes.

Like waking up.
And going outdoors.
And interacting with humans.

Although all that sounds very, very difficult, I know I need to start somewhere. And I decided to make some skincare and other updates to my jet-set, riveting life.

The weather is now colder. It literally happened over night. One day it was 15C and the next day, it was 0. I guess it's officially winter when you can't open your window to let fresh air in because you're scared you'll die of pneumonia. My skin freaks out every time the seasons transition, be it back home or when I'm away. When it gets colder, my skin gets drier, therefore (bless it) it overcompensates with producing oil which gives me zits. It's a lovely cycle. There isn't much I can do when it starts, but I've gotten better at making sure it doesn't happen after the first couple times.

The first thing I'd like to talk about is the Vernal Spot Corrector. I don't know what N-E means but whatevs. It's a serum that is meant to erase acne scarring of which I have a bit thanks to my lovely zits. It's a slow working product but after three weeks of use, I saw results. I use this at night, under my moisturizer to even out my skintone.

I'm sure you've all heard of the whole stigma attached to how you shouldn't use oils on oily skin. Boo. It's all a lie. I find that when I use my deep pore cleanser, my skin dries out. And I need to put some oil in to kind of balance it out. I jumped on the Rosehip oil bandwagon months ago and I haven't looked back. It's a light, barely scented oil that absorbs really quickly and is brilliant for multipurpose use. I put it on my skin, my face, my hair and my nails. I got mine off Amazon (woot for Prime) but you can find it almost anywhere these days. I highly recommend it. It also dulls scarring so if you can't get your hands on a spot - correcting product as such, use this. I dislike the fact that a lot of the anti-scarring products have bleach - so thing is a nice, natural alternative. I don't know enough science to tell you what in Rosehip oil removes scars. Google it. And PM me.

I've been using charcoal and mud masks/products from the time I was a teenager and they've always, always worked for me. I jump between oily and combination skin, and charcoal is good for both. One thing I will say is that, never overuse charcoal. It's something that sucks all the crap out of your pores and dries you out. While that all sounds satisfying, using a charcoal based product every day will leave your skin feeling like a piece of paper. There are two products I've been using in particular, but of course, there are tonnes of alternatives. This Liora Organic Dead Sea Mud Mask Treatment is one of my favorite masks. It's almost like a mud-serum (trust me, it isn't as gross as it sounds) that goes on super light and dries, giving you a nice, light mask instead of those cementy ones where you feel like you'll crack your face off if you smile. It always leaves my skin feeling smooth and bouncy. I commit to using this around once a week and it works really well. This again, is off Amazon but you can find so many dead sea/charcoal masks on the market that work just as well.

Now, to the thing that my mother called a dish sponge. The Konjac Sponge is a natural exfoliator made from the Konjac root. Fun fact: another name for the Konjac flower is Voodoo Lily (I LOVE THAT). It's one of those Japanese beauty trends that has gone global. I have two - a white one and this black charcoal activated one. The white one is for every day use and this one is meant for a couple times a week. I first thought it'd be gimmicky as hell but NO. I cannot tell you how amazing my skin feels. I wet it, put my cleanser in the center of it and gently buff it into my skin. It removes EVERYTHING. Definitely on my holy grail list of Shit That I Put On My Face.

Lastly, it should come as no surprise to anyone that the number one rule to save your skin and fix your life is water. Hydration is basically the best thing that you can do to your skin. No amount of fancy cleansers, masks or serums can even level with the things that flushing out your system with those 6 or 8 or whatever the number of approved glasses is. I drink tea a lot too, which is a great anti-oxidant. I'm hooked to this fancy artisan tea that I treated myself to which is Ginger-peach. No milk, no sugar.

Also, being a dog person that lives in NYC, I know that it's going to be a while before I ever get a dog. So I bought a plant instead. Meet Cindy. She's a succulent and she can basically never die. Also, having plants around me keeps me calm and happy. Placebo? We'll never know.

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