Jumping on the Argan oil bandwagon

I have a proud announcement to make today. 

It’s been months now that I have given up my shampoo addiction. Yes, I don’t wash my hair everyday anymore! It’s so liberating because I never thought this would be possible. I had read on multiple websites that washing your hair everyday actually makes it greasier but I never believed them. I could not bear the thought of getting through a day with unwashed dirty hair. But in the numbing winter of Delhi, the infamous Dilli ki sardi, it suddenly started to seem like a very attractive option to spend lesser time in contact with biting cold water. So I tried it and I am so glad I did. Because it’s true! You can train your hair. 

My hair has totally gotten used to being washed every other day and it behaves. That being said, however, it does need a little boost to not frizz out. So I have incorporated a Remington straightener and… you guessed it, Argan oil in my hair care routine.

I got the Moroccan oil version of it from the Looks Salon in Sector 18, Noida for around Rs. 2500/-. Seemed steep for oil while I was getting it, but now I think it’s totally worth it. I need only one pump at a time so it’s easily going to last me for about six months.

I apply it along the length of my hair from about my ears to the ends. I don’t apply it near the scalp because of my grease-o-phobia. But it really helps smooth out my locks, makes them shiny and ready for styling. Even the day after I use it, my hair looks fresh and non-greasy. The smell also scores a point from my side.

All in all, it’s quite a good product. I’m not calling it a miracle in a bottle that will tame even the craziest of hairs because I don’t have the experience. But if your demands from your hair products are not much except that it does its job for the day and doesn’t weigh it down, this is pretty much as good as it gets.

My third day natural hair

After Moroccan oil

A Trip to the Village

Do you collect old Bollywood movie posters? Or do you enjoy reading little-known rare books? Maybe you love interacting with travel freaks just like you? Perhaps you just love shopping for a social cause? No matter what feeds your creative soul, Hauz Khas Village has something for you. 

I am a foodie and my heart has been stolen by Gunpowder – a Kerala food heaven. I won’t tell you where exactly it is because the search for it adds as much flavor to the food as the chef. And man, does the chef do his job well! Go for the Toddy shop meen curry with steamed rice. No, no, go for the chicken korma and appam. You have to have the Soondal of course! And the Porothas you can’t miss. Actually you know what, go there again and again and try the entire menu. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed. Oh and don’t forget to finish off with a cup of filter coffee.

 A well-fed me decided to check some of the clothes stores and found this really cool store called Maati which had gorgeous hand-made T-shirts and an interesting story. You can read more about them here.

Still wondering what to do on a wintry Sunday afternoon?

You could fly away

Lazy afternoon swim

The writing on the wall

Plant that!

Love is in the gate

The 3rd?

Yell Yellow!

Paint me Serpent

I spy Gunpowder

Washing away the sins

The golden rule to beautiful skin is to clean it of all the makeup, oil and grime at the end of the day. We all know that. But scrubbing it with harmful chemicals and stripping it of all softness and goodness of natural oils is a crime, in my opinion. That is why I am very particular about how I go about cleaning my skin before bed.

My skin type is fairly normal but slightly sensitive. As in, if I use strong products on it, I instantly suffer from redness. Also, I wear lenses so my eyes are kind of sensitive too. They stream like the Nile if any irritating chemicals come near it.

On heavy makeup days, I use Clean & Clear Morning Energy Purifying Apple as the first step. Now if you have read my earlier posts, you would know that I am obsessed with this face wash, & in all flavors. I use the Strawberry for my morning routine, Apple to remove makeup and Lemon as an emergency face wash that I carry around.  They make my skin squeaky clean, smell amazing and look adorable.

I follow up with Cetaphil Non-irritating Cleanser to remove all traces of makeup. On at-home days, I use only Cetaphil to clean up. I love this cleanser as it is fragrance-free and hypo-allergenic and doesn’t make my eyes water when I am removing my eye makeup.

What is your night cleansing routine? Are you particular about your cleansers too?

What Lies Beneath

I usually don’t do much with my hair. I tend to just leave it loose in a messy hair style on regular days or tie it up neatly for office. I don’t use any styling products (!) The reason behind this is that I have very brittle, thin and oily hair. I have to wash and blow-dry it every single day and I think that is as much damage that can be inflicted on my poor hair. So, no, no styling products for me, please.

But even a careful girl gets bored and finding myself itching to do something new, I decided to give the wrap-around ponytail a try. It seemed so simple and didn't require any products specifically, a BIG plus.

So I wore it to office yesterday and it was so elegant and sweet, I loved it.

Note to self: Find more simple hairstyles like this to try out.

If you are wondering how to get this look yourself, check out the video below, its by this Hairstyle channel on Youtube.

Two of a kind

When I was a little girl in school, I was interested only in chocolates and Harry Potter. 

I had a friend, however, who was more interested in lip gloss and French manicures. She had this one habit which the rest of us found very amusing. If she found something that she really liked, she would buy it in every colour it was available in. So she would have the same “perfectly fitting” shirt in black and white and navy, and the same pair of loafers in cream, pink, brown and black! It was insane to me then.

But this weekend when I went on a shopping spree and found these super-cute scrunch ballet flats by Inc 5 at The Shopper’s Stop, I just had to get them in blue AND camel. If they would have been available in black, I probably would have bought those too!

Well, how things change.

What about you? Do you buy the same item in different colours often? Does it make you feel slightly crazy, too?