Maintaining a good skin tone is not easy these days. We face many skincare challenges such as poor diet, pollution, and lack of time to take care of oneself. All these have a cumulative effect on our health in general, and often our skin shows first the damages caused by the negative lifestyle.
When our skin is not healthy, it immediately affects our looks, makes us look aged and dull. This, in turn, affects our self-esteem. A good skin care routine is only as good as the products you use. While good quality products can help your skin look better now as well as in the future, poor quality products can be ineffective and even cause harm.
Why is good skin care important?
Good skin care is important for the following reasons:
1. It helps your skin stay in good condition:
You’re shedding skin cells throughout the day, so it’s important to keep your skin glowing and in good condition. An effective routine can help prevent acne, treat wrinkles, and help keep your skin looking its best.
2. Your skin will look more youthful:
As you age, your skin’s cells turn over more slowly, make it look duller and less radiant. Using a quality skin care line can help remove dead skin cells so your body will replace them with newer, more youthful cells.
3. Prevention is easier than correction:
Preventing skin problems is easier and less costly than trying to fix them in the future.
4. Your self-confidence will get a boost:
When your skin looks better, you’ll feel better about yourself and have more self-confidence.
What are some good skin care methods?
The following components can create a good, effective skin care routine:
1.Cleanser:
Wash your face gently with a product designed for your face. If you have dry skin, you’ll want to choose a cleanser that doesn’t have alcohol, and if you have oily skin, look for an oil-free cleanser. Afterward, rinse with warm water.
2. Toner:
Toner is used after washing your face, and it helps smooth and calm skin while restoring nutrients.
3. Moisturizer:
Moisturizers should be used every time you wash your face, even if you have oily skin. If you have this type of skin, choose an oil-free or gel product.
4. Sunscreen:
Even if your moisturizer has a sunscreen, it can still help to use a separate sunscreen every day, even if it’s cloudy. Choose one that provides broad-spectrum protection and has an SPF of at least 30.
5. Exfoliator:
Exfoliators are optional and can be used after a cleanser but before a moisturizer. They should only be used a maximum of once or twice a week.
6. Serum:
A serum can help address specific issues, such as redness.
What benefits do quality skin care products provide?
The following are some of the benefits of quality skin care products:
1.Quality ingredients:
Similar to the benefits that healthy food provides for your body, quality skin-care ingredients can improve your skin.
2. Protection from environmental damage:
such as pollution
3. Help fighting the effects of aging:
such as wrinkles and sunspots
4. Results for the money:
Even if quality products cost more in some cases, they’re worth the money. If you use ineffective products, you’re wasting money.
5. Exceeding standards:
Quality skin care products are more refined, with fewer bacteria and impurities.
Why should you avoid poor quality skin care products?
Poor quality skin care products are more likely to cause the following negative effects:
1.Ineffective results
2. Infections
3. Allergic reactions such as rashes
4. Worsening problems by clogging pores, causing breakouts, etc.
Beauty brands that deserve to be on your radar, and eventually in your beauty cabinet are:
The mind may wither. The body may deteriorate. But the love of art and fashion is what keeps us young. The one constant thing in the world is our eternal love for jewellery.
Since ancient times, we have adorned ourselves with whatever we could find, such as animal bones, teeth of predators, bird feathers and shells and carapaces from the ocean. For years, pharaohs, sultans and emperors wore jewellery as a way of displaying wealth and power. Since then, we have come a long way, but the times have not evolved much.
Even though the reasons for wearing jewellery has not changed, the type of jewellery we wear certainly has. The Cuban link chain is one such type that will never go out of fashion in the world of fine jewellery. Yet, it could never compete with the renowned gold-coloured chains.
Cuban link chains, also known as Miami Cuban links, has a unique interlocked pattern and a thick texture to give prominence to the round or oval links. The links intersecting to form a rope-like design ensures durability and high quality. It explains why they can be crafted into large and heavy pieces while looking versatile and stylish at the same time.
Despite the many claims, the exact origin of the Cuban links is unknown. But they are likely to be the product of a hip-hop jewellery movement in the late 1970s that originated in Miami. There are a plethora of types of jewellery in the market that tend to disappear into the wind and come back in vogue a few years later. But, the Cuban link has managed to stay relevant and never went out of style till today. It has found its way to the wish list of many in recent times. The one thing we can say for sure is that it is here to stay.
The Cuban link is not for the faint-hearted. It doesn’t necessarily cost an arm and a leg, but it does cost sky-high, which is why we can see many rappers favouring and flaunting it for all the world to see. After all, solid gold and chock full of diamonds make up the Cuban links. A single chain can cost nearly $27,000. But a more valuable one could cost ten times more than that. It is a representation of all the success and hard work they have endured.
The Cuban links are generally handmade and the diamonds set by hand since they require extreme and impeccable craftsmanship. Designing a single chain calls for the skill of more than five experienced jewellers. It can take over twelve hours to create high-quality pieces that are worthy of the spotlight.
The most attractive feature is that you can style the Cuban link the way you want, like a long chain or a choker. Go for a basic yet stylish look or wear it extravagantly with other pendants. Else, you could wear it as a choker, just as Rihanna did in one of her outfits. Ultimately, the choice dwells with you.
With the legacy of the Cuban links evolving every day, it comes real close to being the best friend for both men and women. There is no reason why you should be modest about its allure. If you got it, why not flaunt it!
I was one of those few God’s favorites who had clear skin and perfect hair during my early and mid-teens. To my horror, my late-teens turned out to be a can of worms when I started getting oily skin, breakouts, acne, frizz, dandruff, hair fall, and what-not.
One of the main misconceptions about having oily skin is that people advise you to wash your face often to keep the oiliness at bay. Not knowing better, I followed the routine religiously. My mom and my grandma recommended some DIYs that could potentially benefit my skin. So, I tried putting lemon, baking soda, cinnamon powder, and other nasties to restore the natural oil balance. I never applied moisturizer or sunscreen for fear that it may make my skin oilier. I basically went all the way out, trying to get back my perfect skin. Unknowingly, I did more harm than good.
Fast forward to my days in college. I was tremendously insecure about my never-ending acne while all the other girls flaunted their flawless skin. I started wearing makeup in hopes that it would conceal my blemishes and imperfections. Again, I did not follow the correct methods in applying or removing the makeup.
I finally gave up thinking that perfect skin was not for me. I reverted back to my old ways when I let my skin do what it does naturally. It did not improve my skin, but it did not worsen it too. This was the time that I came across an Instagram page of a skincare blogger. Despite my skepticism, I was curious about what she had to say. I browsed through her feed. Based on her experience and reviews, I figured that she knew what she was talking about.
I messaged her and told her about my woes. She recommended that I start off simple with a mild cleanser, a moisturizer, and sunscreen. I decided to give it a try. What did I have to lose anyway? To this day, that was the best decision that I had ever taken.
After noticing a few positive changes in my skin, I researched various products. I desperately wanted to get it right this time. I thought a skincare routine might seem like high maintenance, but it really wasn’t. I learned that investing early in skincare could have lasting effects. Besides, less is more. It is vital to not layer too many products. Skincare makes you age gracefully. As we know, prevention is always better than cure. So, why take chances with your skin?
The basic skincare regimen consists of only three steps: cleanse, moisturize and protect against the sun. It is necessary to invest in a mild cleanser, a hydrating moisturizer, and a sunscreen having an SPF of at least 30. The first step is to identify your skin type and your skin concerns. The next step is to know the layering of your products. The final and crucial step is consistency. After following this routine initially, you can build on it using toners, exfoliators, serums, face masks, facial oils, etc.
Skincare is not an overnight miracle. It does not provide a temporary fix but gets the ball rolling to healthier skin. Patience is the key to seeing good results. You have to test different products to find which works best for you. To commit fully to having healthy skin, you should be ready to invest your time, energy, and money.
Every skin is unique. The same product can give different results for another person. A bad experience with a product does not signify that it is not a quality product. Based on your age, allergies, expectations, skin needs, preference of a fragrance or a texture, the results and experiences vary.
The billion-dollar skincare industry is growing steadily every day and doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. For the most part, it consists of fraudulent and deceptive claims. A new brand launches a new product every hour. The industry thrives by feeding on your insecurities and flaws. Even though we don’t need most skincare products, the companies persuade us to buy more and more products. But, that does not mean that the entire industry is a scam. Ultimately, it is in our hands to not fall prey to the scamming leeches and invest in the right products.
Skincare changed my life for the better. It boosted my confidence and made me feel comfortable in my own skin. “Perfect skin” does not exist. Instead, healthy skin is what we should strive for.
“Sonnet 18” or “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day” is one of the most acclaimed of all 154 sonnets written is written by English poet and playwright William Shakespeare. The poem was likely written in the 1590s, though it was not published until 1609. Like many of Shakespeare’s sonnets, the poem grapples with the nature of beauty and with the capability of verse to express that beauty. Praising his friend (considered to be a young man), the poem essays several clichéd metaphors and similes. The young man’s beauty can be best expressed by comparing him to the poem itself.
Shakespeare’s Sonnets are usually spectacular, sometimes unsettling, and sometimes ambiguous in their meanings. As sonnets, their central theme is ‘love’, but they also exhibit upon change, time, passion, loss, betrayal, and the unsettled gap in fantasy and fact when it comes to the person you admire. These are verses composed to remember the poet’s friend for eternity. In the memorable lines of Sonnet 18 Shakespeare implies that his poem bestows immortality: “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.” The writer commences the appreciation of his dear friend without pretence, then he gradually creates the image of his friend into that of an ideal being. His friend is first compared to summer in the octave, but, in the line “But thy eternal summer shall not fade”, he is summer, and thus, he has transformed into the pattern by which real beauty can be judged.
The poet’s response to such great happiness and beauty is to assure that his companion is eternally in human recollection, kept from the emptiness that follows death. He comprehends that the individual human body cannot survive the passage of time and that it will ultimately wither away. As an outcome of the manner of aging, this body will die, for humankind is transient. It is said that to be born is to die. Thus, nobody can avoid death. But, the death of a person does not imply the end of the human race. Man, as a species will live on. Moreover, because of that, their creation will likewise endure. The poet understands that there is just one way to become eternal, and that is through the creation of timeless artwork. He is certain that his verse will be known and possessed in high appreciation for several generations. That is why the people of whom he expresses in his poetry will also prevail. In this way, upcoming readers of his verse will get to know that there was once a wonderful person who was the poet’s muse and inspiration. He achieves this through his verse, believing that, as history writes itself, his friend will become one with time. When the poet and his companion are no more, their fair image will be kept alive through the power of verse. Therefore, the beauty may not sustain, but the appreciation of that beauty in the poet’s expressions will live on.
In today’s world, almost every individual is obsessed with fair complexion. The obsession of fair skin has led the companies producing fairness products to earn profit more than any other business in the market.
The obsession for fair complexion is mostly found in the youth, who waste their money in buying expensive products hoping for a fairer skin but end up harming it.
You must have seen that the matrimonial Columns seem to be incomplete without people showing their desire for fair complexion in their spouse. The colour discrimination leads to alot of mental health issues for many individuals. People commit suicide under societal pressure for fair complexion and outer appearance.
We must understand that “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” and the colour of one’s skin is just concerned with the outer appearance and we cannot judge them because of it. An individual is beautiful by their heart not by their appearance.
How empowering was it to watch Indians hold the “BLACK LIVES MATTER” placard in one hand supporting the protests in the United States and with the other hand applying a cream of poisonous chemicals to their naturally gifted skin. In this black and white world why do we hate brown? From the soil that gives birth to plants to the earthen pots which store our precious waters to the wood that burns into the flames of tomorrow’s ashes -brown is everywhere.
“Beta dhoop me mat khelo, tan ho jaaoge!”, yells the Indian parent while some family in the Europe takes their sons and daughters to play on the beach and get some tan. A land that prays Lord Krishna who is described to be as dark as the thunderous rain clouds and yet portrays him blue because anything is better than black anything is better than brown anything is better than dark.
Etymologically speaking, the Sanskrit word ‘Krishna’ means black or dark. At times, it is also translated as “all attractive”. According to Vedas, Lord Krishna is a dark-skinned God. Even in traditional patta chitras (cloth art) in Odisha, Lord Krishna and Vishnu are always shown having black skin.
50,000 years ago when our ancestors migrated from the North to the African and Asian continents, they were exposed to the UV rays of the Sun which is saturated at the equator and the tropic of Capricorn. Those days’ sunscreens were not invented hence due to evolution and the wonderful science of human body’s biology it produced melanin under the skin which acted as a natural sun screen. Skin creating its own protective layers, how cool is that?
But we as Indians would rather prefer skin burns and skin cancers than having a healthy skin. When my mother read the matrimony classified newspapers for my elder sibling’s marriage, her face falls down as she looks at those advertisements. No no-hold your horses, it’s not what you are thinking, everybody is progressive nowadays, nobody is asking for dowry. All they ask is – “seeking a fair bride for my son”, “fair and handsome boy with a fit body”, “girl should be white toned and open minded”, “boy should not be dark and not restrict our daughter from wearing her choice of clothing.” (no dowry).
To parents who are afraid because – log kya kahenge?Maa lets not look for brides or grooms who are fair, let’s look for individuals who treat people fairly. Let’s not buy besan (gram flour) for face masks rather let’s lather some potatoes in them and fry it in oil as we watch the fair besan turn into a beautiful crispy brown tasty pakodas (fritters). Fairness creams or home remedies for instant glow neither teach us to be a human with a clean heart, a heart free from the ignorance. Instead of handing a tube of glow and lovely to your loved one’s let’s make them stand in front of the mirror holding their head high because any shade is beautiful any shape is beautiful any scar is beautiful. Before teaching to love others let’s start by loving ourselves. It’s time we realise love comes in all shapes and shades, it’s time we loved all shapes and shades.
Forget snow white, I’m chocolate brown, I will write my own fairy-tale. A tale of every brown Indian girl and boy who is torn apart by the expectations of society and yet stands proud with a personality and smile beautiful than any white skinned magazine covers. To every Bollywood song that calls the actress “Gori” I would like to say – “Gore Rang Pe Na itna Gumaan kar. Gora Rang Do Din mein Dhal Jaayega” – don’t show such pride of your fair skin, the fairness will fade in time. What will remain is the virtues, beliefs, kindness and opinions .
Changing the name from fair to glow will not enlighten the young minds but it will give light to the years of colourism and discrimination to continue its course in every generation to come. Brown is beautiful and so is every colour ever discovered.
Carved over a period of several centuries, the mystery of Ajanta Caves might never have been uncovered had it not been for a chance pursuit of a tiger by the British Officer John Smith in the year 1819! As old as 200 BCE, the caves are located in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra. Over the multitude of years they fell into disuse and a forest grew over and around them. Carved over many many years by different artisans, they are believed to have been made a refuge for the Buddhist monks during the rains. Some go as far as to say that they were pathways to heaven.
With numerous carvings that describe the life and times of the eras, they are like a window that one can peek through into the glorious past of India. The caves run for a mind numbing length of 29 rock cut caves, all of which have both female and male representation, which is a rare sight! Examples of immense scientific calculations are evident too, as the sun lights up cave 19 on the winter solstice and cave 26 on the Summer solstice in a precision that has persisted over the years!
The monument to love that inspired the Taj Mahal-The Humayun Tomb
The Humayun’s Tomb
Pick up any form of literature and you will notice that ‘Taj Mahal’ has forever been cited as the all enduring monument of the love of a king for a queen. But, there was one tomb before that, that a grieving widow built for the love and devotion that she felt towards her husband; The Humayun Tomb. The pioneering example of Mughal architecture, its glorious combination of Persian and Indian architecture forms was to set a prelude to an era that was to be embellished by the grandeur of Mughal architecture. Bega Begum, spent her entire life overseeing the construction and design of this tomb that was commissioned to the great Persian architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyas.
One of its kind architecture, this garden tomb houses the graves of over 150 members of the Mughal family. The UNESCO cites it’s reasons for considering it as one of the greatest examples of architecture by saying, “This building tradition culminated in the Taj Mahal, constructed a century later. Despite being the first standardized example of this style, Humayun’s Tomb is an architectural achievement of the highest order.”
Konark Sun Temple
An ode to Sun God, where even stones speak up in prayer- Konark Temple
No text of architecture in India is complete without the mention of Sun Temple at Konark, the namesake of the city itself is an elegy to the Sun God, Kona (Corner) and Arka (Sun). On the sparkling coasts of Bay of Bengal rests this edifice that commemorates the work of the masters of ancient times. The temple has an elaborate and intricate mammoth structure that depicts the chariot of the Sun God replete with 24 carved wheels, each of them 3 m in diameter, pulled by seven horses and guarded by two lions at the entrance that bravely crush elephants.
An example of beautiful melee of science, architecture and devotions the sun dials on the temple can calculate time to the exact minute even to this day! There are also three statues of the sun god that catch the rays of the sun precisely at dawn, noon and sunset! Rabindranath Tagore has famously said about the temple “Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man.” The temple beckons to question the monotonous styles of architecture that India has regressed itself to!
A eulogy to undying love set in white marble- The Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
Ask anyone, any man or woman about the icon they associate with India, and their answers would most likely allude to the Taj Mahal. Built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, it is one of the most grandiose gestures of love to ever be materialized on the face of earth. As famously said by the greatest poet, Rabindranath Tagore, “The Taj Mahal rises above the banks of the river like a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time.” Inspite of the multitude of tourists that visit it, the declarations of love that it has witnessed and countless examples that it has set, there is a sense of melancholy as one approaches the monument, a sense of pain of a lover separated from his wife by death.
The Taj Mahal was built in 1653 AD by over twenty thousand artisans who toiled over 22 years! The white marble was bought in from Makrana in Rajasthan and was transported by elephants. In its days of glory the Taj Mahal was adorned with no less than 28 types of precious stones, brought in from as far as Tibet and Persia. Like the moods of his lady love, the exterior of the Taj also changes colors from a pinkish hue in the dawn to a dull gold at noon and finally, all enduring sparkling white under the moonlight. Legends say that as the emperor lay imprisoned by his own son in the Agra Fort, he derived solace from gazing at the tomb of his beloved wife, at whose side he was finally laid to rest.
The integral land of three beliefs, The Ellora Caves
Ellora caves
The Ellora caves is a sculpture’s beautiful blended expression of three major Indian regions: Buddhism, Brahmanism and Jainism. There is something beautiful about this place that takes you to a journey in the past where all these religions born and grew together. The 34 monasteries and temples are carved and dug all together on the wall of a huge basalt cliff in Maharashtra. These splendors of art is a beautiful combination of, when art meets religion
The twelve caves of the Buddhist group speaks about the benevolence of this calm religion, Buddhism. The ‘Cavern of the Ten Avatars’ is a majestic art piece constructed under the reign of Krishna I. The ethnicity of Jain group is well reflected by the sanctuaries carved by the Digambra sect of this pure religion. These gems of art are the immortal legends of the vast rock-cut architecture in India. The elegance of Dravidian Sikhara, which is a flat roofed madapa positioned over sixteen pillar, the gigantic Ravana figure reflecting the strength of this villainous legend as the sculpture here shows him lifting Mt Kailasha is an epitome of the ancient Indian art.
Where the walls sing and sculptures dance, the Chola temples
Brihadisvara Temple
The beautiful Chola temples are living tales of the vast empire that Cholas established in Thanjavur. These magnificent temples built during the reign of Rajaraja were the epitome of the vast religious inclination of these rulers as the inscriptions and the chronicles on the wall sing about their opulent rule. This temple in the ancient time was note a mere religious center but a full functional business establishment which was served and maintained by a permanent staff of several hundred priests, 400 devadasi and 57 musicians.
Airavatesvara Temple At Darasuram
The temple was also used for lending money to ship-owners, craft guilds and villagers on a fixed interest rates. The entire temple carved in granite is believed to be inspired by the Pallava architecture. The beautifully adorned 108 poses of the Bharata- Natyam on the walls reflects the hours of torturous patience the sculptures went through. The beautiful series of carvings depicting the legend ruler Rajaraja conversing with his guru, Karuvir Devar is stunningly sculpted in rich colors which rewinds you to the beautiful ancient time of king and queens.
A rock cut sonnet to the great war of Mahabharata, Mahabalipuram
Shore temple Mahabalipuram
It is a widely accepted belief that the great war fought between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, at Kurukshetra, is instrumental in shaping the history and geography of the Indian subcontinent as we know today. The temples of Mahabalipuram demonstrate exactly that, in the rock cut carvings of the great temple architectures, one can clearly see the scenes from the great epic.
The architecture demonstrates a clear allusion to the sectarianism that had started during the period as different areas were assigned to different Gods. The travels of Marco Polo also describe the Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram that belonged to the original structure built in the time when the city was a thriving merchant port. Out of these seven only one has survived in the form of a beautiful shore temple!
Sunset reflection of shore temple
The architect represents neither a Dionysian nor an Apollinian condition: here it is the mighty act of will, the will which moves mountains, the intoxication of the strong will, which demands artistic expression. The most powerful men have always inspired the architects; the architect has always been influenced by power.
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