If you're someone who is least interested in makeup and dismisses lip balm as a makeup product, then let me tell you, a lip balm is not a makeup product. It is a necessity; it is a skincare product and should be with you all the time. 

Back in the day, I was a girl who hated lip balm because I thought it was too feminine. I used to hate those girls who wore it and used to hate those girls, even more, who carried a lip balm with them. 

However, gradually I realized that a lip balm is much more than a product to add gloss to your lips. I realized that lip balm is supposed to be applied by those humans that have dry or pale lips, irrespective of the gender. I cannot emphasize on just how important a lip balm is.

I'm not saying this because it's obvious, but because I have experienced it myself. I always had a set of dry puckers that looked ugly. My lips usually turn pale and dry when I'm tired, dehydrated or cold. Majority of times, I am either tired or dehydrated, so you would always find my lips dull and sometimes flaky too.

But ever since I've started applying lip balm (and not just applying, but also started carrying a lip balm), I've noticed a significant change in my lips. I don't prefer the tinted lip balms so I always go with the colourless ones. Now if you see my lips, you would find them soft and without any peel off. As far as the colour is concerned, since the original colour of my lips is baby pink, the colour is intact; the lips don't look pale, but hydrated. 

I am currently using the Maybelline Baby Lips Watermelon Smooth colourless lip balm and I apply it once in the morning and then touch it up after lunch. By following this short routine, my lips are blessed with moisture. Now I wear lip balm every time I decide to go with colourless lips. It's a healthy alternative for lipsticks, I feel. 

So all you women who think lip balms are totally girly, then think again. I urge you to try wearing a lip balm for a month and see the beautiful transformation it brings. 

How many times has it happened with you that in order to keep your work PC organized, you had to delete your old files thinking you wouldn’t be needing them anymore? And then all of a sudden your boss asks you about that file and you’re almost dead in some other universe? Like you wish you hadn’t pressed that damn ‘shift’ button along with the ‘delete’? 

It has happened to me too. This post is going to be about saving your old files and strategically overcoming the OCD! 

So what do you do? The main hack here is to NOT press Shift + Delete together! No matter how heavy your recycle bin gets, do not press Shift + Delete. This was the sole reason behind the post. You have to manage space on your computer in such a way that you don't have to delete items permanently. So, every once in a while, you probably will have to spend some time organising items on your computer. Well, I know it gets boring to do that, but a little time spent organising items will save you your regrets later. 

The next important tip is to delete absolutely useless files! For example, unnecessary data, perished records, extra copies of work files, any personal stuff sitting on your office computer etc needs to go away. Another step that can help you is, instead of permanently deleting the items, you can send them to the amazingly considerate recycle/trash bin! By doing so, you can at any time later restore the item from the bin whenever needed. But, that doesn't mean you will turn a blind eye to your recycle bin! You do need to clean it once in a while.

Now, having read this, I hope you don't have to encounter the near death experience of not having the required file on your PC again!

Do let me know how you manage space on your PC!

Now that I finally have a steady income, I have planned to travel a lot. My next long trip would be to Gokarna, Karnataka, which I'm going in the first week of September. Then sometime in December, I am planning on going to Agra. I want to see the Taj Mahal, and I think it's a shame that I haven't seen it yet! People around the world come to marvel at this wonder, but even though I live in India, I haven't seen it yet.

The Taj Mahal is still a little far away for this, what's worse is that I haven't been to Delhi as well. It's funny; I have been at the Delhi airport and its railway station, but haven't stepped on its roads!

So for the Agra trip, I would take a flight to Delhi, explore a little in the capital city, and then stay at one of the hotels in Agra. I had checked for the flights yesterday and the best deal I'm getting so far is on Go Airlines. I would book the flight in a day or two before there's a hike in the price!

The itinerary is not planned yet so I cannot write much about my Agra travel trip as of now, but, yes, the Gokarna trip is definitely on. I'm leaving on the first and coming back on the 10th of September. Of course, I'm going to be sharing pictures, information, and my travelogue right on the blog (yes, I would be carrying my laptop there), so you won't miss out on anything.

The reason why this Gokarna trip is going to be phenomenal is that it's going to be a backpacking trip. We're just going to book a hotel for one night, and that too, because we would be reaching our destination by midnight. The plan as of now looks like this:

Mumbai > Malvan (one night) > Goa (three nights) > Gokarna (four nights) > Mumbai

And what's even better is that we are going there to explore and not to visit any tourist attraction. So it's going to be a crazy backpacking trip! Are you wondering whom I'm going there with? It's with my colleagues!

So I'm really excited for both the trips. But before that, there's Ganesh Chaturthi, and like every year, I would be celebrating it in Pune. That's what the rest of my 2017 looks like. I would share the details of my Agra trip once there is a structured itinerary, so stay tuned for that.

I hope your rest of 2017 is as wanderlusty as mine. Comment below if you want to know what I'm carrying to my beach-exclusive backpacking trip to Goa and Gokarna!

What are your travel plans for 2017?

Vanavidhi is a brand of luxurious organic products. I would review their Green Tea Spa Darjeeling Mild Brew scrub soon, so stay tuned for that. But for now, let's swim across the review of their coconut natural face wash.

The packaging of this sample bottle gives a rich look to the product. The cap is golden and the bottle is transparent; both of it are of plastic. The best thing about this bottle is the reusability; we can reuse the bottle once the product is over. This is a perfect travel sized bottle, so filling it with your daily essentials like face wash or lotion would make it an ideal travel buddy.

The brand name is embossed in gold, which just uplifts the product packaging.

The application is simple. Just take a little amount of the product on your palm, put some water, make a foam, and apply on the face! 

I haven't used a face wash this delicate on skin. The fragrance of the coconuts takes you on a dreamy tropical tour. The skin becomes so smooth, and along with bringing a healthy glow to the face, all the makeup, dirt, and oil is washed away too. 

- High-grade fragrance

- Super cleansing

- Travel-friendly (because it's a sample)

- Classy packaging

- Unbelievably smooth skin

- Beautiful glow

- Expensive

Highly recommended! By far the best face wash I have used. It gives a rich cleansing that leaves behind a soft supple skin with a baby-like glow. If ever I increase my budget, I'm sure to purchase this. I use it usually when I have a long day with makeup on the face. It magically takes away all the dirt. I'm in utter love with it and use it only on special occasions. If your skin requires some pick-me-up from time to time, then this product is worth every penny.

WEIGHT: 30ml

PRICE: Rs. 990 for 100ml

FROM: Vanavidhi.in

The Accessory Funk team sent me these stunning bracelets. I was looking for chic bracelets since a long time. I was stunned at seeing these; it was like love at first sight!

The sea blue colour coupled with the intricate design makes it a perfect accessory. You can pair it with simply any outfit, may it be a summer dress or a loose tunic, it's crazy how this bracelet goes well with anything. I wear it daily and my naked wrists look so, so put-together!

Since after work hours, there is no good light, I had to wait for the weekend for this photo shoot. However, unfortunately, it was raining like cats and dogs, so I had to shoot on my terrace. The lighting was bad but I'm happy the way the shots have turned out.

This shoot is concentrating more on the bracelet, the makeup, and my new haircut. 

This is going to be a hilarious post. The first experiences are always funny! 

The Bella team was kind enough to send me their products for trial. I was happy to receive them. So when I was opening the box and taking out all the products they'd sent me, I came across a crazy (controversial?) pack of tampons. Since tampons are to be inserted in the vaginas, they are kind of a big deal, at least I think they are. 

I was excited to try them out and so were my girlfriends. None of them has ever worn a tampon so this was like an experiment for the whole lot! I was waiting for my period and finally, since it was the third day yesterday, I thought of trying it out.

I didn't want to risk any spill or awkwardness while in office, so I waited until I got home. I went through the pamphlet and read the instructions. I removed the old pad from my underwear, lied down on the bed, and accordingly inserted the tampon. 

Here I was, finally with a tampon inside my body! There were a few things I experienced in the 1.5 hours of wearing a tampon:

1. It constantly felt like there was something inside my vagina, I could not take those thoughts away. It felt like there was a bar or something. Seriously, it was very awkward down there!

2. I was in pain; it was sort of burning.

3. After 1.5 hours, when I visited the loo, the tampon came out; only a quarter of it was still inside the vagina. Also, it became full wet due to the urine. Gross!

4. I could not sit straight. I was relaxed only if I leant back a little. Sitting upright brought an immense amount of pain along.

5. I couldn't walk! I had to spread my legs and walk in a weird way, probably the way clowns walk.

7. Lastly, I would say, it is easy to wear a tampon, no doubt, but it needs to fully go in. And, once you put it in, you will constantly feel like there's something inside!

This is what I experienced and oh God, was it phenomenal! I had worn a tampon at 9:00 pm and took it out (thanks to the loo break) at 10:30 pm. Those were a few insane hours of my life! 

Oh well, I don't think so. Though the Bella team had sent me a pack of eight tampons, which means I still have seven more trials. But, I would think a hundred times before using one again!

Have you worn a tampon before? How was your experience? Please comment below and share it with me! 

Some offices have a canteen, whereas some don't. I have worked at big places like Vogue India, Zoom TV, and ET Now, out of which, the former did not have a separate canteen and the latter two did have one. Even if your workplace has a canteen, there are times when you feel like not leaving your desk area and eating right at it. The office desk is like a comfort zone that we build; everything around it is warm and feels like our second home. 

So if you eat lunch at your desk, you might have been super conscious to eat around your colleagues. You might have feared spilling dal or might have wondered how to instantly clean your hands without letting the world know you've just had something greasy. I also used to face such problems before, but now I have a great tip for all those who eat at their desk!

I would share my procedure so that you get an idea of how to eat at your work place in a much-sophisticated way.

1.  I make space for my lunch by shifting the keyboard and mouse towards the desktop.

2. I wash my hands in the wash basin to ensure my hands are free of germs.

3. I always have a bunch of tissues in my bag. So I take one tissue and lay it open on my desk.

4. Then, I place the lunchboxes on the tissue, while carefully placing the lids on the non-tissue are of my desk, thus ensuring I don't spill the gravy off the lid. 

5. After I'm done eating, I crush the aluminium foil (in which I carry rotis) and throw the foil in one of the lunchboxes. 

6. Later, I carefully place the lunchboxes aside, pick up the tissue, wipe my hands, wipe drops on the desk or the lunchbox (if there are any), crush the tissue, and throw it in the lunch box along with the aluminium foil. (If a dustbin is right near your legs, then you can throw the tissue and foil in it, but if it's far away, then throw it in your lunchbox.)

7. Lastly, I wash my hands in the wash basin so that I feel purified to work again. 

This is such a fuss-free, sophisticated procedure, that no matter the amount of liquid you're carrying, the desk still remains neat and tidy, plus your colleagues around notice how well-bred you are!

What are your tricks?

I was unaware of cysteine treatment until I saw a friend with magically transformed hair. I saw a change in the texture and overall quality in her Instagram pictures, so I immediately messaged her asking if she had done anything. That's when cysteine treatment was introduced to me.

She told me everything about it––right from the expense to the maintenance––and oh boy, it was expensive! I stalked her Instagram pictures even further to determine whether the cost and the after effect matched on any level. I did think that the cysteine treatment was a little more pricey after analysing. I searched for more cysteine treated hair online, went through more pictures, and came to a conclusion: let's try it out once. I went to the nearest hair studio for consultation and cost. Since the salon had newly opened, a 30% discount was ongoing there. 

I also wanted to go for a bob cut, so the cost for cysteine treatment dropped down as for neck-length hair, the cost was Rs. 6,000, and after discount, plus including a haircut, my final amount was Rs. 4,500 only. 

Anyone who has done a cysteine treatment for a higher cost would totally be envious of me right now because doing it for such a low price is just unbelievable. 

So before I begin talking about my cysteine hair story, let me share some facts I gathered via online research and through my friend and the hair stylist.

In my last month's Pixie Dust Box I had received a sample of True Elements' Harippa Roasted Sunflower Seeds in a chilli garlic flavour. I had written a separate review on it, and the True Elements team loved it so much that they sent a full sized product in a different variant. 

This one includes pumpkin seeds along with traces of sunflower, chia, and flax seeds (I'll list down the ingredients below). Contrary to the previous one I had reviewed, this has a sweet flavour because it is roasted in honey. Let's now read my take of this super healthy and super tasty snack.

PACKAGING

The packaging is wondrous. I had liked their sample packaging too, so what I am sure of is that this brand concentrates a lot on the packaging. I admire brands that include packaging in their priority list. The snack comes in a sturdy plastic container with a white plastic cap. The built is so good that we can reuse the bottle after the snack gets over. The colours used are orange and yellow, depicting the colours of pumpkin and sunflower. The fonts are brilliant and in harmony too.

INGREDIENTS

Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, honey, jaggery, salt.

TASTE

The best part about this flavour is the pinch of saltiness. For someone who doesn't enjoy the sweet flavour that much, the saltiness is what gives the taste a green signal. The taste will remind you of a chikki, and oh, it's delicious. (Let me reemphasize on how good the salt tastes in it!)

PROS

- High-quality packaging

- Appetizing flavour

- Healthy

- Can reuse the container

- Travel friendly

CONS

- Slightly expensive

CONCLUSION

If you want snacks on the go or to eat at the office, then this is the best bet. It is healthy, tasty, has a cute packaging, and is a good munch-me option. I say, you buy it once and try it for once.

EXTRA DETAILS

WEIGHT: 125g

FLAVOUR: Honey

PRICE: Rs. 99

FROM: True-elements.com

Which is your favourite healthy snacks?

When I was discussing with my friends about panty liners, I was shocked because they didn't know about it. That's when I thought that it was a high time I share about the need of wearing panty liners. From personal experience, I can guarantee that it's not a waste of money, but will surely be of great help.




















WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO START USING PANTY LINERS?
This question is for little girls who have reached puberty and are unaware about this. I recommend girls above 18 years to use panty liners since this is the time they start knowing their body. Also, this is the time when people around mock for a stain on pants or a foul smell. So unless you're 18, I don't recommend you to wear them.

If you're still unsure of why you should purchase panty liners, then read further. I recommend you to always stock a pack of them so that you can use one whenever you want. Enlisted below are reasons why you should wear a panty liner:

TO CATCH ODOUR
You can smell the odour when you're unwell, tired or dehydrated. No matter the reason, panty liners can absorb it all. If you're wearing a liner and sitting in an air conditioned room, nobody would catch even a whiff. The panty liners are designed in such a way that they catch your odour and give a light fragrance in return.

TO KEEP THINGS DRY
If you pee a little while laughing or constantly visit loo during those rainy days, then you must have experienced wetness on your undy. The wetness could lead to odour, or even worse, infection. The best way is to wear a cottony soft panty liner that would absorb all the wetness and keep you dry down there.

FOR IMPROMPTU PERIOD
You might have experienced a delay in the period, but have you ever had a period before the due date? Imagine you're sitting in the office, working hard on your presentation, and you notice a little cramp. You check and it's blood! The period has started before the due date! What now? You start hunting for a pad, but until you get one, your undy's all bloody. If you would have had a panty liner, you could have searched for a pad without worrying about any stain.

FOR THE FIFTH DAY OF PERIOD
You've already worn those damn pads for four days and though there's hardly any flow on the fifth, you still have to wear, because if you don't, then stains! For all those who get annoyed of wearing pads for four days straight, panty liner on the fifth is the best option. It catches the super light flow as well as keep you dry and odourless. (Also, free from those extra long pads!)

TO ABSORB WHITE DISCHARGE
Lastly, when you're PMSing, you notice a white discharge. Again, the discharge could be because you're unwell or have a period due, but it certainly wets your undy and leaves behind a fishy odour. So even if you wish to skip wearing it throughout the rest of the month, you should certainly wear it a week before your due date.

If you have further questions regarding which panty liner to buy, when to use, and where to find them, feel free to ask.

Have you ever used a panty liner before? Share your experience!