Best of 2009

Roundup of some of the best posts from the year 2009. Enjoy!.

How tos, Beauty Tips, Skin care tips, Style Tips, Homemade beauty aids and Home remedies:

·        Bleaching your skin? Follow these dos and donts

·        Skin pick-me-up

·        Should you use shampoo and conditioner of the same brand?

·        Home remedies for hardened palms

·        Puff out puffy eyes

·        Glass stuck in your palm? Here's what you should do.

·        Style tips from a reader

·        Beauty tips from a reader

·        Style tip: Get out of that rut and reinvent yourself

·        Happy Feet during monsoon

·        Beautiful Mane this monsoon

·        Beautiful eyes this monsoon

·        Homemade Facial Masks with ingredients from your kitchen

·        Homemade Masoor Dal Scrub

·        Skin care tip: Wash your face thoroughly before you exercise

Remedy for itchy dandruff- Readers contribution

For very itchy dandruff, try the following home remedy. Take about 1½  teaspoons of powdered black pepper (Kali mirch) seeds, mix with half cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Apply to the scalp and a little more on the irritated area. Let it stay for 35 minutes. Wash it off with any shampoo of your choice. Continue this treatment once a week till all the dandruff disappears. Don’t discontinue this treatment altogether. Instead of a week, use it once in two months.
(Contributed by reader Meetu)

Myths related to teeth

Here are 3 common myths regarding dental care, gear up to stash them away.

Myth 1: You don’t need to see a dentist unless you have a problem.

You couldn’t be more mistaken. Tooth decay is completely painless in the initial stages. And some decays are not evident, but have progressed profoundly all the same and so present you with swelling and pain indicative of infection. Visit a dentist every six months so he can fill teeth with cavities, cleanse the oral environment by removing tartar and ascertain that you are brushing your teeth right.

Myth 2: Cleaning at the dentist makes teeth loose.

On the contrary! If you do not get teeth cleansed, you could end up with several loose teeth. Poor oral hygiene initiates formation and growth of soft plaque (comprising of microorganisms) on the surfaces of and in between teeth which, when left untouched hardens to form an adherent mass called tartar. This tartar encroaches on the gums and over a period of time aids in diminishing support to the teeth making some of them unsteady. Since tartar cannot be removed by tooth brushing, ultrasonic cleaning of teeth will do good more than you can fathom.

Myth 3: Tooth extraction affects eyesight.

In earlier times, perhaps, elderly people who got their teeth removed also happened to develop dimming eyesight subsequent to the extraction; so they inadvertently linked the two and the word has been passed on. Well, if an extraction is warranted, go ahead and get it done. You are not going to see any less after that.

Image credits:fotosearch.com

(Compiled by Smitha with inputs from Dr. Smriti)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Homemade Masoor Dal Scrub

A homemade, highly economical face scrub that you can use without much trouble. Soak the pink washed 2 tbsp whole masoor or split masoor dal (red lentils) (You can also buy it from here) overnight in a cup of water. In the morning grind it into a paste and add a few drops of coconut oil/olive oil in it. Apply on your face and allow it to dry a bit. Then scrub it off with a cotton wool soaked in glycerine in small circular motions to slough off dead skin. Your skin will literally glow. Do this twice a week if your skin is oily/combination and once a week if it's normal to dry.

Masoor Dal (Red lentils)

(Contributed by reader Vaishali Sinha)

Makeup Quotes

Interesting quotes on makeup. Enjoy!

Taking joy in living is a woman's best cosmetic. - Rosalind Russell

The most beautiful make-up of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy. - Yves Saint Laurent

Beneath the makeup and behind the smile is just a girl who wishes for the world. - Marilyn Monroe

Pretty smiles and makeup can hide so much these days. - Unknown

I don't think makeup is rocket science or a cure for cancer. - Cindy Crawford

I want to be a guy, but I want to wear a lot of makeup. - Gwen Stefani

I love the confidence that makeup gives me. - Tyra Banks

It is said that no star is a heroine to her makeup artist - Richard Corliss

I'm attracted to roles where I don't have to wear makeup. - Robin Tunney

The sweetest thing a guy said is that I look pretty with or without makeup. - Vanessa Hudgens

The best thing is to look natural, but it takes makeup to look natural. - Calvin Klein

Just because you want to be glamorous, don't be a sheep about your eye makeup. - Loretta Young

I hardly wear any makeup. - Jules Asner

Adjust your makeup to the light in which your wear it. - Helena Rubinstein

I don't believe makeup and the right hairstyle alone can make a woman beautiful. The most radiant woman in the room is the one full of life and experience. - Sharon Stone

Kiss and make up - but too much makeup has ruined many a kiss. - Mae West

The best thing is to look natural, but it takes makeup to look natural - Calvin Klein

The reason there are so few female politicians is that it is too much trouble to put makeup on two faces. - Maureen Murphy

Banish bad hair days with these solutions

Tress distress? No worries. Here are some great solutions to get the look you want:


Get it straight
For a smooth, sleek look, try shape contouring non-sticky gel which will provide "hold" and even protect hair from heat styling. Don't expect it to iron out the curliest of locks but it will tame wavy hair into submission.

Neetu Chandra's Beauty & Fitness Secrets

Upcoming actress Neetu Chandra of Garam Masala, Traffic Signal and Oye Lucky Lucky Oye fame is a fitness freak and a total sports person (She loves playing basketball whenever she's free!).

This sexy and seductive actress with a passion and boldness to do whatever she wants to do reveals some of her beauty and fitness secrets.

Neetu Chandra's Beauty and Fitness Tips & Secrets

I kick-start my day with: Yoga and my vocal trainer who trains me to modulate my voice for better dialogue delivery.

My skin loves: Body Shop face packs.

I pamper my skin with: Clinique Sunscreen.

My hair loves: Tigi Bedhead products. I also condition with a curd pack.

My lips love: MAC lip balms.

I primp my eyes with: Maybelline Mascara

My fitness Mantra: Kathak and gym workouts.

Little known facts about me: I'm a black belt holder in Taekwondo and besides being a national games silver medal winner in the martial art, I also represented India in International Taekwondo Championship at Hong Kong in 1996.

Pre-Party Quick Fix: A light foundation from MAC, mascara and lipgloss

My favorite beauty treatment: A clean up at the Blush Clinic.

What keeps me energized: A good and healthy diet.

One beauty rule I always follow: I clean my face thoroughly to remove traces of makeup and dirt.

I keep my skin stress free by: Applying a chilled homemade cucumber face pack.

On a bad hair day: I go in for a hair massage at the Aroma Garden Salon.

Night-Time Beauty Routine: I apply a Clinique under-eye cream and Body Shop cream.

Beauty Advice: Religiously follow your routine - be it exercise or diets... the results will definitely show gradually!

Pic credits: santabanta.com

(Guest Post by Smitha)

Winter Quotes

You may be having your reasons for loving or loathing winters; that's not what we are going to discuss. We'll just give a dekko at an interesting collection of quotes on "Winter" and muse over them.

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.
-- Edith Sitwell

Take winter as you find him, and he turns out to be a thoroughly honest fellow; with no nonsense in him, which is a great comfort in the long-run.
-- James Russell Lowell

Goodness, Time's rude hand defies,
And winter lives when beauty dies.
--  Henry Kirke White

Winter, which strips the leaves from around us, makes us see the distant regions they formerly concealed; so does old age nob us of our enjoyments, only to enlarge the prospect of eternity before us.
-- Richter

After winter spring will come.
-- Hans Andersen

Never are voices so beautiful as on a winter's evening, when dusk almost hides the body, and they seem to issue from nothingness with a note of intimacy seldom heard by day.
-- Virginia Woolf

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.
-- Victor Hugo

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.
-- Anne Bradstreet

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
-- Albert Camus

One kind word can warm three winter months.
-- Japanese proverb

Spring, summer, and fall fill us with hope; winter alone reminds us of the human condition.
- Mignon McLaughlin

Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in winter. Who would think that those branches would turn green again and blossom, but we hope it, we know it.
-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

For the unlearned, old age is winter; for the learned it is the season of the harvest.
-- The Talmud

Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories.
-- From the movie An Affair to Remember

Adversity draws men together and produces beauty and harmony in life's relationships, just as the cold of winter produces ice-flowers on the window-panes, which vanish with the warmth.
-- Soren Kierkegaar

Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat.
-- Unknown

Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.
-- Yoko Ono

I like these cold, gray winter days.  Days like these let you savor a bad mood. 
-- Bill Watterson

Winter Skin Care Tips from Dr. Snehal

Dr. Snehal Sriram, Head, Medical Services, Kaya Skin Clinic has certain essential tips that will help keep your skin glowing even in the chill.

• For one, she says, eat a balanced diet, which includes vegetables, fruits, and fresh fish every day.
• Try to avoid alcohol and coffee. Both dehydrate the skin and cause more drying and itching.
• Use a humidifier inside the house to keep the skin moist.
• Exercise helps produce sweat and increases blood flow to the skin, which improves the skin’s hydration.
• Colloidal oat meal baths, in addition to preventing water loss, also soothe the skin.
• While taking a shower in winter, alternate moderately hot water with cold water for a few seconds. This provides an internal massaging effect with improved circulation and better hydration of the skin.
• Don’t worry too much about the havoc played on the skin by the changing weather. Just lead your life normally and welcome the arrival of winter.

Sameera Reddy’s fitness regime

Hot and happening, Sameera Reddy, is an absolute stunner. However few know that Sameera had to really work hard to shed all her baby fat when she decided to make her debut on the silver screen. A fitness freak, Sameera shares how to keep fit with proper food intake and exercise:

Her day begins with:

I start my day with a glass of coconut water followed with a papaya, couple of oranges and figs. Preferably, I eat only fruits in the morning.

Her diet:

Even if I have a shoot, I carry food from home that mom lovingly packs for me. In fact, she keeps track of what I need to eat all through my day. I eat 2 rotis with bhaji and green salads for my lunch. In the evening again, I have to have my fruits and nariyal pani (tender coconut water). At night, I relish grilled chicken or else fish with lots of green salads. It’s better not to eat late at night as the body’s metabolism slows down. So I make it a point to have an early dinner between 8-9 PM. Besides, I also find it healthier to have smaller meals through the day rather than having two heavy meals. I also avoid aerated drinks and drink nariyal pani whenever I am thirsty. It’s the best liquid intake that keeps your body fit and energetic.