Pond's Perfect Match: The Finalists + Skincare tips from Dr. Aparna Santhanam

Do you guys remember the Pond's Perfect Match contest I mentioned in this post? Well that contest has drawn to a close, & four finalists have been selected!

They are Swati Gupta, Sneha Kumthekar, Monal Kotak & Ayushi Bahuguna. Two of them are from Mumbai & two from Delhi.

They each got a specialized skin consultation with Pond’s Beauty and Skincare Expert Dr. Aparna Santhanam.

I got to speak with Dr. Aparna too, & asked her about some general tips for having healthy skin. Here is what she said-

The main thing to maintain healthy youthful skin is regular skin care from a young age. When you're young, your skin is pretty healthy (save for the occasional breakouts) you we don't tend to have a proper skin care routine, but you should! Your skin will thank you later.

Proper all round skin care can be summarized in 5 simple tips, they're what Dr. Aparna likes to call 'The Power of 5':

1. External Skincare

This includes a regular cleanse-tone-moisturize routine, it's as important as brushing your teeth regularly. As younger skin is mostly normal or oily (very rarely dry), remember to use a light, water based moisturizer, one that isn't too heavy.

2. Proper treatment

This step means, when you have any kind of skin ailment, do seek proper treatment from a dermatologist, don't just follow tips by family members or friends. Everyone's skin is different & should be treated accordingly. Skin is said to be the largest organ of our body & shouldn't be ignored.

3. Diet

If you have skin that's prone to pimples, cut down on sugar & milk. Protein is very important, as nails, hair etc. are made of it. If you're vegetarian, eat adequate amounts of groundnut & soya for proteins. It is important to not just eat green vegetables but follow a rainbow diet, because in food different colors provide different nutrients. Drink lots of water regularly to flush toxins. Exercises, especially slow ones like yoga too are good for the body as well as mind.

4. Stress

Stress tends to cause havoc for the skin, so remember to keep your stress levels in check.

5. Sun

The sun is great for vitamin D, but make sure you use sunscreen before going out to protect yourself from harmful UV rays. Some tanning looks great but prolonged exposure to the sun causes uneven, patchy darkening. For those crunched for time, a lightening + sunscreen cream is good, to remove patchiness as well as protect one from the sun.

I can't wait to see who wins the date with Ranvijay. The winner will be picked by him this Saturday. I will keep you guys informed.

love,
Magali

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Trèsmode Spring Summer 2012

Pictures I took of Trèsmode's latest collection, Color Blush.

Women's can choose from wooden wedges, strappy sandals & sky scraper heels while men have the elegant options of suede loafers to casual high tops. Trèsmode always presents an array of exceptional choices and textures with panache.

I love the look of those sexy block heels, but they're not something I would wear. The loafers look very smart. The menswear addict that I am, I love the oxfords & brogues from the mens collection (in the last photo) but they won't have my size in men's. Still, I think Trèsmode is one of India's most stylish shoe brands, truly in tune with global trends.

love,
Magali

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The Lost Girl {an outfit}

An outfit post, inspired by a D H Lawrence classic (& the Penguin notebook I bought), as well as this lovely dress from French Connection's Spring Summer 2012 collection.

French Connection Dress // Coffee Tattlys by Julia Rothman // fabulloso box bag // Leather sandals from Bandra // c/o Monavé vegan lip glaze // Maybelline Colossal Kajal // Maybelline Colorama Coral Chic nail polish

The first true 'what I wore' post I've done in a while. I had a lot of gusto for doing it last year, but eventually that gusto seemed to fade & I went a few months (the whole of the monsoons & winters, actually) But when I recently bought this dress & knew I wanted to style it & share it on this blog. :)

I love love love this French Connection dress. They have it in about four variants (different shades, similar print & same cut), this one appealed to me most because of the bright colors. Summer dresses are my favorite! This one runs slightly large, actually but you can't tell much because of the sash. It will fit easily even if I gain a few kilos, & that's a plus point in my book. And when I brought the dress home & looked into my box I was happy to see that my coral Maybelline nailpolish matched the dress perfectly! Coral is such a pretty shade.
I've always been the (permanent) tattoo kind of girl, but at the start of this year I gifted myself a 'subscription' to tattly, I get new ones in the mail every month. I am starting to enjoy how fun & non committal temporary tattoos are. “Life is too short to drink bad wine and wear ugly temporary tattoos.” -Tattly founder Tina Roth Eisenberg. A lot of people think they're overpriced. I won't deny that they are on the pricier side as far as temporary tattoos go, but they're drawings by amazing artists (like Marc Johns & Julia Rothman, to name two) & they last quite a while too, so I think the price is justified. Mom & me both put on tattlys from their coffee set & went to the coffee shop straight afterwards. It was fun, really. :D
And when I saw this fabulous box bag from fabulloso on a fashion blog, I knew I had to have it. I love anything French, I love anything that looks vintagey & boxy. The vintage french imagery is just darling. Also fabulloso's customer service was ace, I had a problem & the went out of their way to help. Also the packaging- fabulous again! It didn't look like just an online order of a bag, but rather a gift to myself. I feel like this bag was made for me, ha! It's made of wood but still very light & durable. It's perfect, the only problem is that I keep knocking it around on all kinds of hard surfaces, clumsy me!

I love the lip glaze that Monavé sent me, it's vegan (& gluten free). It smells delightful & feels good on the lips too, it may not last for the longest time but it still feels right using products like this.

I think I'm going to make it a tradition of taking instax photos of an outfit! The one with mom & me was a self timer win! Oh & I must mention that all my outfit photos, including this one are taken by mom (it's mentioned on my FAQ page too). She was just complaining about how I trouble her so much to take these & don't give her due credit, so here you are, mom!

love,
Magali

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New Wallet

For three & a half years, I've used the same Hello Kitty wallet (it can be seen in this post). As mentioned in that post, it was a gift from a once close friend who I don't see much of since I moved & we're no longer in the same college. But I digress... back to the wallet, it's faux leather, & despite the hello kitties on the outside, unbranded. I've never even used a cell phone that as long as I've used the wallet. And despite the fact that it gets handled a lot, it is still in very good condition (save for some minor fraying on the inside).

But for some time now I've been on the lookout for a new one. I was very comfortable with the overall shape/layout of the old one so I wanted something similar but with more pockets, & more classic looking.

So the other day mom & me were at Shoppers Stop & we were browsing through the leather good when we came across the Blue & Blues section. They had some colorful leather wallets, but what caught my attention was this gorgeous brown wallet.

It's similar to my older one but with more pockets (see my lovely Life etc. business cards!) & everything about it is perfect. I didn't know a simple wallet could make me so happy, but it does. :)

Also, though this is labelled a 'stuff I bought' post, my mom actually bought me this, so thank you mom!

love,
Magali

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Calvin Klein Jeans Spring Summer 2012

The tagline for Calvin Kleins Jeans' latest collection is Bold Minimalism.

{blue two button blazer}

The colors have been inspired by the ocean. I love the little bits of metallic & bright pops of color. Also, their sunglasses & wallets are so awesome. The thing about about Calvin Klein jeans that I love is that it manages to stay classic & on trend at the same time.

love,
Magali

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