December 2019 - The Pretty City Girl | Indian Travel & Lifestyle Blog

I don't really require a moisturiser staying in Mumbai. I use any lotion either received through collaboration or as a gift from my friends. But ever since the duration of my stays in Pune has widened, I started needing a moisturiser more than I thought I would. Unlike Mumbai, Pune has a dry climate. Forget winters, sometimes even in summers, you require some moisturising. So just imagine how dry the winters in Pune must be! But, I didn't want to moisturise my face with those body lotions so I thought of getting the right kind of moisturiser for the face (and I was okay to pay any price for it). I was looking for something that is not commercialised and is recommended by dermatologists.

Nowadays, I don't hunt on the internet for any recommendation. I just ask my best friends what they're using and I go ahead and buy the product. Of course, I read the ingredients and the features, and if they coordinate with my liking, I purchase the product straightaway. I've already bought three products purely on my friend's recommendations and they've been truly life-changing for me.

One of my best friends applies full coverage makeup on a daily basis but I was unaware of her step-by-step makeup routine, or for that matter, her skincare routine. Eventually, I came to know she moisturises the face and then applies makeup on top of it. So when I was hunting for a face moisturiser, I thought of asking her since her makeup is always on point. She suggested the Cetaphil Moisturising Cream, which was prescribed by her doctor. I went ahead and purchased the cream.

So how is the Cetaphil Moisturing Cream? Worth the purchase? Read the review -

CETAPHIL MOISTURISING CREAM REVIEW

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream is a rich, fragrance-free moisturizer that delivers intense hydration and replenishes sensitive, dry skin. This is a unique formula with HELO* SYSTEM that binds water to the skin, preventing moisture loss. It’s designed to provide immediate and long-lasting relief. This non-greasy formula absorbs quickly and goes to work right away, helping to leave dry skin soft and smooth to the touch. (*H- Humectant; E- Emollients; L- Lipids; O- Occlusive)

PACKAGING
The product comes in a tube (not to mistake it with the moisturising lotion that comes in a bottle). The branding is in blue and green and though the product bends towards the medicinal side more than the commercial side, the branding looks quite nice for that.

There's a flip cover to open the tube and taking out the cream is an easy, smooth process.

APPLICATION
After washing face, I applied the moisturising cream to only those areas of my face that felt stretched. I applied near my smile lines, i.e., on my cheeks, and a slight on my forehead. Just a little product is enough to cover the face. I have combination skin so I require less than a pea amount of the cream to cover my face.

I truly liked the consistency and the opening of the product. I've been using lotion on my face all my life so it felt good to use cream instead of lotion. And the fact that you can squeeze how much ever product you want satisfies me as when you squeeze a lotion, a lot of it ends up on your palm leading to a greasy face!

OVERALL EXPERIENCE
Like I told you, I was looking for a moisturiser on my face that does not have cosmetic features and is recommended by a doctor. I was done with using lotions on my face and ending up with that greasy, dark look. I have used this product quite less as it provides intense hydration. The fact that it does not contain fragrance makes me wanna jump with joy because I have an allergy to strong perfume smells. I can easily apply this on my face and sleep at nights without fearing sore throat.

I cannot say the product doesn't make my face look oil-free, but it is better considering other products I have tried. And, if you top it up with a talcum powder/compact powder then you have a lovely looking face! Your skin becomes smooth to touch and have a nice matte yet moisturised look. The lasting power depends on the humid levels, but yes, you need to apply after every wash.

PROS
- Only a little product is required
- Intense moisturising
- Non-greasy
- No fragrance
- Non-comedogenic (doesn't clog pores)
- Recommended by dermatologists

CONS
- Slightly expensive
- Usually not available at a local chemist

WILL I BUY IT AGAIN?
I don't think I'll be needing one any time soon considering how frequently and how much of a moisturiser I use. But yes, I definitely will! It moisturises my skin without making it look greasy.

EXTRA DETAILS
Price: Rs 389
Weight: 80 g
Where can you get it: In multichain drug stores such as Wellness Forever or online

December 23, 2019 1 comments

Days quickly blend together when you’re busy. You might be greeting the beginning of September one day and next thing you know, December is ending already. That means it’s almost Christmas, and you should be done with your gift shopping by now. If you haven’t even written a list of the people you need to buy gifts for, you’re in serious holiday-rush trouble.

One person who will always be on your list is your best friend. However, this doesn’t necessarily make the gift-buying process easy. You’ve been buying them gifts through the years and you don’t want a repeat of items you’ve previously bought. Here’s how you can find useful gits for your best friend this Christmas:

Scope their Social Media Accounts

If you and your best friend are two busy people, chances are you don’t get to spend as much time together. This means there is not much time to see them in their natural habitat and talk about the littlest detail that can give you an idea of the perfect gift. Fortunately, their social media accounts will give you plenty of ideas, especially if they post about their personal passion more than their professional achievements. From their social media, you can get some ideas on what kinds of products to buy.

Are they a fan of having their makeup on point? Eyebrow makeup for sale might come in handy. Do they choose comfort over style? Those comfortable hoodies and pajamas might be more to their liking. Take their social media account and use the information you gather wisely.

Think Back to Past Events

Not repeating gifts is an unspoken rule; however, it’s not a hard rule. You can bend it if you remember your best friend being exceptionally happy with one gift you gave them some years ago. But add a modern twist to it. For instance, if they loved the planner you got them in 2017, give them a more trendy version this year. How about those organizers with free coupons in them? Similarly, if your friend is a fan of gift checks over gifts, take that as your cue to just get them something they can use however they want. What if your friend doesn’t like receiving expensive gifts? Consider going the DIY route and giving them a personal item that you made yourself.

Trust Your Gut

The whole gift-giving process can be quite the stress if you have so many casual acquaintances to buy gifts for. You don’t know what they want and how they will react to your gift. Giving them something is just a courtesy––and you don’t expect much from them either. However, if there’s one person who shouldn’t be giving you a problem, that’s your best friend. If you see something that immediately makes you think of them, perhaps that is the perfect gift. Forget prices and trends and everything else––if it feels right, then it must be.

Your Christmas is better spent relaxing and taking some time off with your friends and family. So don’t stress over gifts and let your friendship guide you to the best present you can find.

December 20, 2019 No comments

Mount Abu was the first destination of my 40-day solo trip around India. I've been wanting to visit it since I was a kid. I had heard about honeymooners picking it; rather, my aunt who recently got married, went to Mount Abu for her honeymoon.

When I thought about this hill station, I had imagined it to be a desert completely. I thought since it's in Rajasthan, it might have sandy mountains with people that look like Arabs. Yeah, that's how I imagined Mount Abu as a kid! So this was the first place on my trip and I included it because I wanted to see what exactly is this place!

It turned out, there are no sandy mountains or Arabs residing here. Mount Abu is a hill station in Rajasthan and is frequented by Gujaratis and Rajasthanis due to its proximity. Now since this was my first destination on such a long solo trip, I wanted to ensure my stay is comfortable, luxurious, and cheerful. I checked for Mount Abu resorts online and liked the Hotel Aravali the most. I was looking for a lavish stay that's good on the pockets and went ahead to book a room for myself.

I took a bus from Udaipur to Mount Abu and reached the bus depot early afternoon. On reaching the bus stop, I hired a cab for Rs 100 (that's the minimum cab fare I suppose). The distance was a walk away but I was too tired.

ABOUT HOTEL ARAVALI, MOUNT ABU

At Mount Abu, often referred to an ‘Oasis in the Desert-scape of Rajasthan’, Hotel Aravali offers you the perfect relaxation experience with the finest mix of amenities and hospitality. Here you can indulge your senses in the world’s oldest mountain range. Hotel Aravali provides a unique ambience where modern architecture meets nature through personalised big and small gardens at different levels. With a humble beginning of 4 rooms in 1978, Hotel Aravali now provides 12 villas and 20 rooms. Situated at different levels of a hill to enhance the feeling of being part of the Aravalis. The distinct architecture breaks the traditional separation between open and closed spaces, creating an intimate relaxation experience for the guests.

CHECK-IN AT HOTEL ARAVALI, MOUNT ABU

After I reached the resort, my luggage was carried to the lobby area. I could understand the level of hospitality right then and knew I'd picked the correct resort as my first stay. After the check-in formalities, I was escorted to my room. The lobby area was near to the restaurant, which was aesthetic in itself. I especially liked the tiny fountains that led to the lobby. And all the landscape decoration was done by the owner's wife, which was absolutely incredible! To have a vision of a professional designer is totally applaudable!

THE STAY AT HOTEL ARAVALI, MOUNT ABU

I entered my room to find it big and luxurious. I was staying here for a night but wished I could extend my stay. The bed was comfortable, the bathroom huge and hygienic with branded toiletries provided. The lighting was calm and relaxing. I had called in for coffee and it arrived on time. Room service was really appreciable.

All in all, the stay was undeniably soothing and safe for a female solo traveller.

DINING & FOOD AT HOTEL ARAVALI, MOUNT ABU

I reached around noon so I had the opportunity to have lunch twice during my stay. As soon as I entered my room, I first ordered coffee. After freshening up, I went to their restaurant 'Silver Oak' for lunch. There was a buffet placed since a huge group had come there for a stay. The restaurant has glass walls and throws a gorgeous view. Undeniably refreshing after two long days of travel.

The food was lip-smacking. I served myself some Punjabi dishes along with naan, jeera rice, dal tadka, and raita. Next afternoon for lunch, I ordered veg biryani, which was equally a delish!

The dinner that night was extremely tasty. I had dal makhani, bhindi fry, butter rotis, paneer butter masala, and two veg starters. I had such a soundless sleep after all that food!

For breakfast I remember, I was not keeping well. I asked them to suggest something that was light yet filling. I had a long day to go. Firstly, I was sightseeing in Mount Abu, followed by an overnight bus to Jaipur the same evening. They gave me a glass of orange juice, coffee, chilli cheese toast sandwich (which was the best I'd ever had!), fruits such as banana, watermelon, and apple. Trust me, I felt so relieved and energetic after having this.
I was feeling too nauseated in the morning and did not want to have any paratha or omelettes. This breakfast was healthy, light, refreshing, and just the kind I needed!

AMENITIES AT HOTEL ARAVALI, MOUNT ABU

The hotel has a multi-activity hall that offers activities such as table tennis, carrom and a host of board games for guests of all ages. This hall also caters as a venue for film screenings, private parties, and gatherings. Hotel Aravali offers an unparalleled business experience with an air-conditioned conference hall and Wifi service.

EXPERIENCE AT HOTEL ARAVALI, MOUNT ABU

I absolutely loved my stay at Hotel Aravali. It was comfortable, relaxing, luxurious. The food was tasty, the restaurant clean and had a beautiful, refreshing view. The area and the steps especially truly reminded me of staying on a mountain slope. The staff is friendly. Must stay place when you visit Mount Abu, I'd say!

HOW TO REACH HOTEL ARAVALI, MOUNT ABU

You can get buses to Mount Abu from top cities like Udaipur, Jaipur, and Ajmer. The bus will drop you at Koyla bus depot from where you can take a cab for Hotel Aravali. The distance is not much so you can walk using maps as well. However, if you're tired, get a cab! the minimum fare is Rs 100 (that's what the cabbie told me!).

BOOK A STAY AT HOTEL ARAVALI, MOUNT ABU

Website: http://www.hotelaravali.in

December 14, 2019 No comments

With the recent shocking and maddening news about different rape cases registered on one single day in different parts of the country, re-emerged the old fear. Is India not really safe for women? I met a friend yesterday who has to travel to Hyderabad for work and she said she's worried because of the recent brutal rape happened in the city. I was saddened to know this is what women feel. I shared my two bits to her. I told her how it is safe and how she should not worry at all. But she was not convinced. I couldn't understand how to explain it to her.

Manikaran, Himachal Pradesh

Is India safe for solo women travellers? Well, it is subjective. And situational. I travelled alone around India, covering all the five directions of the country – West, North, North East, East, and South. So I'm in a good position to answer this question. What I experienced and the people I met and the kind of night travels I had on my 40-day solo trip around India, I can certainly say, India is safe for solo women travellers. Of course, at certain points in my trip, I did feel a storm of fear in my heart but that's got nothing to do with the men I came across on my journey. It was the fear in my heart; the men, irrespective of in which part of the country I was, never made me feel unsafe.

They were quite inquisitive on how and why I was travelling alone, and depending on the situation (and the current state of mind), my answers changed. Most of the times I would lie saying, "My friend is in the room; she has already visited Taj Mahal, so she's least interested to visit it again", or "Actually, my parents have already been to Konark and Puri so they'll be joining me here tomorrow." That's how I reassured to myself that I was safe (even though it was not true).

One of those times when I was terrified, was on my one-day sightseeing to Konark and Puri from Bhubaneswar. Since it gets dark too early in the east (just at 5:30 pm), I was terrified. It was just me and my taxi driver in the car. It was almost 6:00 pm and pitch dark around. My taxi driver, who was in his 40s, asked me if I don't get scared to travel alone. At that point, I already was slightly terrified due to the dark, but I answered confidently, "No, I don't get scared to travel alone. Sometimes you just have to trust men around you." I tried my best to tell him to not mess with me indirectly. Later in the conversation, I also mentioned how my dad was in the Navy (to make things better for me).

I was certainly terrified when he asked if I wanted to have tea. I was wondering, why would he want to drink tea now? I understand he's tired with the driving, but oh boy, it was total dark around. He stopped at a dhaba on our way to Bhubaneswar, and brought me a glass of tea. I shouldn't have taken that tea, I feel. But most of the times, I don't refuse tea. I was tired and needed some refreshment. We finished our tea and resumed the journey. The man did not make me feel unsafe; it was just the prevailing fear in my heart.

Kheerganga trek

Another situation when I was totally scared was when I was reaching Agra from Jaipur. My bus was supposed to reach Agra at 10:00 pm, but it got late and reached at 12:30 am! Just imagine! I had never been to Uttar Pradesh before so I did not have any clue about the state. I had asked my hostel to arrange a pickup for me but they refused. I tried booking Ola/Uber and after multiple attempts, I got an Ola auto finally. I was petrified, to be very frank.

To add to the drama, the bus stopped 5 minutes before my dropping point and waited there to unload some goods for a nice 20 minutes. My auto driver called me saying he had reached the pickup point but there was no way I could reach it. So I requested the driver to come to this petrol pump where the bus was. I'm so glad he came and did not cancel my ride because one inconvenience to the drivers and they straightaway cancel your ride!

My auto driver, a guy probably in his early 30s, arrived and the men from my bus helped me load my luggage in the vehicle. At 12:30 am, we were riding for my hostel on the lonely streets of Agra. On hearing my driver's sick voice (he sounded unwell with a sore throat), I started a conversation. "Is your throat not okay?" The driver replied, "Yes. It's been like this since a few days now. Just 4 days ago, I was down with a fever." I replied in a relaxed way knowing the driver is buying my conversation, "Yeah. The weather is really confusing. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it is sunny."

I did not realise when we reached my hostel. I just thought the talks about the weather and the driver's health would keep him busy to think of anything else. I was ecstatic. I was telling to myself how if I passed this test, it was equivalent to winning the world. The driver dropped me at the hostel safely and at 12:45 am, after all the check-in procedures, I was finally into my room.

Coorg, Karnataka

I faced similar situations where I was either boarding late night or getting off late night, however, not even once did I come across any bad vibe from anyone around me. Whatever I felt, it was just the prevailing fear in my heart. I suppressed it many times by acting all tough and badass. It certainly helped me be strong, courageous, and a don't-mess-with-me woman around. Was it my posture? Was it my attitude? Was it my clothing style? Or was it the goodness in people around me? I do not know. All I can say from experience is that it is safe for a solo woman traveller in India.

SAFETY TIPS FOR SOLO WOMEN TRAVELLERS IN INDIA

To talk about the precautions or safety tips, firstly, is to know where you're staying. Don't go for shady stays just because you're on a tight budget. It is better to be safe than sorry. Secondly, when it is dark, try to be around people. For late-night local travel, use Ola/Uber apps or simply, be on your toes even if you're going by local taxi/auto. Your attitude and confidence matter; do not show you're a weak person, even though internally, you want to cry running into someone's arms. On this trip, I had neither carried a knife (I had carried one but they confiscated it on the airport in the mid of the trip) nor a pepper spray. I had no self-defence tools with me (frightens me now to know!).

Your clothes. Well, no hard rule as such. But whenever you are wearing shorts/sleeveless and you know you will be reaching your room late, carry some covering, just in case. During day time, there's no need to fear. Keep your phone with you and a power bank, especially if it's gonna be a long day. Do keep your family updated with the live location on WhatsApp.

Amer Fort, Jaipur

That's it, folks. I hope you never keep yourself from travelling solo only because you are afraid of abductions and rape. Be brave and show it through your body language, clothes, facial expressions, and your personality. I would just like to add one sentence that personally pushes me to achieve the impossible,

"You are anyway going to die one day. It is better to do something you love and die than do nothing and die."

Am I right? Go ahead and plan your solo travel you've always been hoping. All my good wishes to you! You're brave; don't let these evil men or news or anybody for that matter tell you otherwise.

December 06, 2019 No comments

CETAPHIL MOISTURISING CREAM REVIEW

SAFETY TIPS FOR SOLO WOMEN TRAVELLERS IN INDIA

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