Femina

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Editor's Letter Water is the elixir of life. It knows no boundaries or discrimination. Almost all our activities depend on water. Taking cue from the underwater trend this season, we decided to take inspiration from the world of water too. But we don’t just talk about the fashion trend (surprised?). We decided to dig a little deeper and explore other more significant tangents as well.

If you’ve been feeling beat and yearning for ways to recharge, our Cover Focus is what you’ve been looking for. A step by step guide, it gives you seven easy ways to replenish that lost charisma in life. Speaking of, we have also lined up spa therapies that utilize the healing quality of water to soothe and calm you this summer. Also in sync with the same, Your Style features make up and accessories inspired by water. While we bust some classic myths that have always surrounded water, we also bring you some delectable seafood recipes.

Women just like you brings you real life accounts of women who have achieved amazing heights both personally and professionally, stories that will motivate and inspire. So this summer, we hope that the cooling and refreshing sense of water surrounds you physically as well as emotionally.

Having said that, crossing our fingers, hoping for a good monsoon too!

Saumya Kharbanda

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For all the women you are

Chief Executive Officer Editor Executive Editor Managing Editor Associate Editor Assistant Editors Beauty Editor Senior Features Writer Features Writer Features Writer cum Copy Editor Assistant Production Editor Chief Copy Editor Copy Editors Senior Stylist Fashion Assistant Pre-production Editorial Assistant Post-production Editorial Assistant Contributing Editors

Regional Editor' New Delhi Features Editor, New Delhi Regional Editor, Bangalore Regional Editor, Pune Features Editor, Kolkata Regional Editor, Chennai Features Editor, Ahmedabad Creative Director Deputy Art Directors Assistant Art Directors Senior Graphic Designers Graphic Designer Photographer Photo Researcher Fashion and Shoot Co - ordinator Post-production Editorial Assistants Personal Assistant Brand Publisher Brand Manager Marketing Assistant Chief Financial Officer Publisher, Print & Production Controller

Tarun Rai Saumya Kharbanda Deepa Menon Kermin Bhot Deepa Suryanarayan Eva Pavithran, Urvashi Pant Mansa Jain Ananya Mittal Shruti Shyam Sneha Ullal Parita Patel Ananya Mittal Ridhima Sapre, Beverley Lewis Shruti Shyam Saloni Dhruv Deepa Ramakrishnan Madhuri Kirtikar Varkha Chulani, Dr Jaishree Sharad, Kapil Bhalla, Raghavendra Rathore, Pooja Bedi Rukshana Eisa, Deanne Panday Purabi Shridhar Anindita Ghosh Madhuri Velegar K Corina B Manuel Roshni Mitra Neeti Jaychander Shivli Tyagi Meetesh Taneja Bendi Vishan, Pooja Mertia Renu Sharma Tewary, Pinky Akola Zubair Ahmed Shaikh, Vaibhav Nadgaonkar, Sandesh Patil Bhushan Tondwalkar Sunil Kumar Amrita Das Kavya Kolli Bernes Mendes, Shagufta Patel Fatema Kera Soela Joshi Pooja Jauhari Hiral Tolia S Subramaniam Joji Varghese

Worldwide Media Pvt. Ltd. Femina takes no responsibitily for unsolicited photographs or material ALL PHOTOGRAPHS. UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED, ARE USED FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY Printed and published by Joji Varghese for and on behalf of owners of Worldwide Media Pvt Ltd The Times of India Building Dr DN Road, Fart Mumbai 400 001 and printed at Raihans Enterprises No: 134,4th Main Road, Industrial Town, Rajajinagar Bangalore 560044, lndia, and published at World wide Media Pvt Ltd, The Times at lndia Building, Dr DN Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 O01. Editor: Tanya Chaitanya All rights reserved worldwide. Reproducing in any manner without prior written permission prohibited.

PUBLISHED FORTHE PERIOD OF MAY 4, 2012 TO MAY 17, 2012

For editorial queries, email femina@wwm.co.in

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SUBSCRIPTIONS NATIONAL SUBSCRIPTIONS MARKETING MANAGER Priyadarshi Banerjee priyadarshi.banerjee@wwm.co.in SUBSCRIPTIONS CENTRES North 011 39898090 East 033 39898090 West 022 39898090 South 080 39898090 SMS: FESUB to 58888 Online: http:,/mags.timesgroup com./ femina.html AD SALES DIRECTOR AD SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT JyotiVerma Jyoti.verma@wwm.co.in WEST GENERAL MANAGER Gautam Chopra gautam.choPra@wwm.co in MUMBAI Reenna C Dave reena.dave@wwm co.in PUNE Ekta Dang ekta.dang@wwm.co in AHMEDABAD Nishi Shukla nishi.shukla@wwm.co.in NORTH BUSINESS HEAD Sohan Singh sohan.singh@wm.co.in DELHI/NOIDA Gaurav Arora gaurav.arora4@wwm.co.in Sachin Saxena sachin.saxena@wwm.co.in Ruchi Goyal ruchi.goyal@wwm.co.in JAIPUR Pushpesh Sood pushpesh.sood@wwm.co.in SOUTH GENERAL MANAGER Pravin Menon pravin.menon@wwm.co.in CHENNAI ON Rajesh on.rajesh@wwm.co.in BANGALORE Shailender Nehru shailender.nehru@wwm.co.in HYDERABAD Bhavani ReddY bhavani.a@wwm.co.in KOCHI Rashmi Pradeep rashmi.pradeePl@wwm.co.in EAST GENERAL MANAGER Alka Kakar alka.kakar@wwm.co.in

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74 LUST BUYS Break your bank for this YOUR FORTNIGHT WITH FEMINA

76 Fashion Swap Best bargains for your pocket!

78 THE LOOT Blue eyes 80 MAKE OVER YOUR STYLE Back to basics Work the classic blue denim – white shirt look. We tell you how

30 PLAN YOUR FORTNIGHT Catch the peformance of Menwhopause at Hard Rock Café 38 GLAM HEADLINES Who is the most stylish of them all?

Your It List SHOPPING 60 Experimint Freshen your wardrobe with mint colored clothing 62 Palazzo Pants Try the palazzo pants for a modern and contemporary look 64 Bag that mail Make a statement with envelope clutches 66 Neon and on Add an accent of color to your wardrobe 68 FASHION Fashion Update A low-down on what’s in and what you should own 70 WHAT’S IN HER WARDROBE Mile high style The most important part of Rikki Gupta’s wardrobe is her dresses.

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86 BEAUTY BULLETIN Aqua secrets Spa therapies straight from the sea 92 BEAUTY Beauty update Statement lips, smooth skins and home shopping 94 RED-CARPET READY Tricks of the braid Get the perfect braided look 96 BEAUTY 101 On a wing and a scarlet prayer Learn how to get the perfect winged eyeliner and red lips 98 HAIR DOS Fishtail and waterfall braid 102 HEALTH BULLETIN Water conundrum Busting classic myths associated with water 111 MANE EVENT Classy Chignon Add a classy touch to your tresses with braided chignon and playful hair ornaments 112 BEAUTY PLUS Makeup mayhem Quick fixes for makeup blunders

114 HEALTH PLUS Crash and burn Why crash dieting is harmful for you

Women Just Like You 120 ONE ON ONE Ritu Beri 124 WHAT IT TAKES TO BE The beauty queen of India - Shahnaz Hussain 128 FOR ALL THE WOMEN YOU ARE Hobbies and hard work Find out how these women balance their passion and profession

44 COVER FOCUS: Hit the Refresh Button

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Your Life, Your Way 134 YOUR RELATIONSHIPS Loving the distance Long distance is naturally hard. We bring you ways to cope 136 YOUR SEX LIFE Friends with benefits Casual sex. It’s as simple as that.

138 VOX POP Are you married to your job?

Your Lifestyle

Your Space

160 FOODIE The Ocean's Bounty Mouth-Watering Seafood Recipes

174 FICTION The Widow Sheila tries to come to terms with the loss of her husband.

164 INTERIORS Bedrooms on a Budget Tips to spruce up your bedroom at very reasonable rates.

175 REVIEW The Lost Story The Lucky One

168 TRAVEL Hello Bali!

Visit the beautiful cosatlines of Bali.

176 MIND GAMES Word of the Day: Human Microphone!

142 BE MORE She asked for it Is the victim really responsible? Our cops certainly seem to think so 145 JOB SMARTS Dealing with the difficult Workplace situations can get uncomfortable. We tell you how to deal with them

Your Style 149 FASHION FEATURE Beauty and the Blue Feel exotic with accessories inspired by the underwater trend this season

In every issue 19 Editor's letter 20 Tombstone 26 What's on femina.in 28 Your say 93 Skin queries 108 Fitness Q&A 144 Love Q&A 180 Shopping list

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what's on femina.in It's not just the new fashion trends , flawless complexion or the latest make up sensations that make you stand out. Your confidence , sense of humour , generosity , your ability to take on challenges and enthusiasm with which you live every moment of life , all these and more make you the beautiful person you are. It is this beauty we are celebrating on your favourite corner of the Web this fortnight.

Log on to enjoy being the focus of our fashion , beauty and relationship titbits. And join us as we raise toast to women like you who are making this world a beautiful place. Check into your virtual home to pamper all the women you are.

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beauty.femina.in From your outfits to your nails and even your cheeks, bright candy colours are taking over the world this summer. But applying them smartly is important to avoid the school girl look. fashion.femina.in Lace dresses continue to be in vogue. But this summer, delicate, vintage inspired lace in subtle colours is out and bold lace with an element of quirkiness is in. food.femina.in Modern cocktails you must try this summer. It's time to pull out your cocktail shaker and stir up refreshing modern summer cocktails from vodka thyme lemonade to lemony spiked sweet tea. buzz.femina.in Hot ‘off-screen’ WAGs of Indian cricketers Suresh Raina is rumoured to be the new man in actress Anushka Sharma's life. This latest love story is one of the many that connect the world of cricket and Bollywood yet again. spotlight.femina.in Numerous Indian women have dazzled in front of the lens but only a few dare to go behind it and make their mark in the seemingly male-dominated profession of fashion photography. travel.femina.in Do you get goose bumps looking at those rugged old walls of beautiful monuments that have historical stories etched all over them? health.femina.in The latest fad amongst the French women, the Fork Diet works on the simple rule of eating only what you can pick up with your fork after 6 pm. That ticks off from your plate most meats, breads, fresh fruits, cereals, and so much more. But is it practical? Does it deprive your body of essential nutrients? Does it actually help you shed a few kilos?

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your say Write to us at femina@wwm.co.in

It is always a great pleasure to read Femina.

But kudos to you, especially for your March 16, 2012 issue. lt was very motivating for women who really want to do something in life but do not know how to go about it ('The game changers’, Cover focus). lt's been a very eventful and fruitful year for lndian women. Your article shows that these women had the inner motivation to become successful. March 8, lnternational Women's Day, is one day when we should salute and recognize the many unsung and unheard women crusaders. These women are, in their own way, spreading the message of the need for education and equality for the girl child. Your article has helped me gather my strength.

Revathi B, via email

A woman is expected to perform perfectly at all times, and when you are a working mother, it can get rather difficult. I had no time to look after myself-my baby demanded all my attention. But then, I found strength in your articles to fight gender bias in the office and to fight off the blues, making me proud to be a woman.

Stress and anxiety are common in today's women, but now I want to try and be more positive and enthusiastic without dithering in the face of failures.

Thank you, Femina.

Reah R, via email

What I like most about reading Femina is that I get to read some amazing stories of courage. Your March 5,2O12 issue was a breezy read.

I really liked your fashion stories and liked the stories in the Women Just Like You section. I must congratulate you for putting together yet another great issue.

Natasha Ghatge, Shimla

Your March 26,2012 issue was indulgent and inspiring. f he Cover focus 'The game changers' was an eye opener about women who are changing the face of their profession.

Women are getting more intelligent, bolder and smarter with every generation. I used to feel guilty and inferior, which kept me from grabbing many opportunities in life.

But reading your magazine brings me joy and faith in myself. Thank you for the inspiration.

Jyoti R, via email

HONESTLY SPEAKING...

I quite enjoyed reading Pooja Misrrah interview in the March 5, 2012 issue (What it takes to be...). lt was very interesting, and I am glad you featured her. Honestly, the hoopla around her entry and exit from Bigg Boss 5 reminds me of Rakhi Sawant from a few years ago. Everyone now has an opinion on Pooja. While she does seem a little delusional, I admire the way she has ensured that she remains in the spotlight, and that people keep talking about her. It’s a tough world out there, and Pooja’s trying hard to make her mark, to be remembered. For that alone, I like her.

Dharini Sheth,Mumbai 28 • FEMINA • May17, 2012

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I just came into my own sexuality at thirty. I don't think it's something you can deeply experience at 18 or any time before that.

Eva Longoria

YOUR FORTNIGHT WITH FEMINA STAR OF THE MONTH Actress Parineeti Chopra of Ladies vs Ricky Bhal will now be seen in her second film Ishaqzaade. The actress is currently very busy promoting her film.

She says more than acting, she loves to sing and is a trained singer. Chances are that Parineeti might take up singing seriously in future. When asked if she's seeing anyone, she says “No, but I have crushes. I like Saif Ali Khan but please don’t tell him. Whenever I meet Kareena Kapoor, I will tell her that you have competition,” Parineeti Chopra said.

“Ishaqzaade” hit theaters on May 11. The film will launch Boney Kapoor’s son Arjun Kapoor.

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On Femina.in Fiery as it can get, Bollywood's latest actor-director duo to declare war with each other are Priyanka Chopra and Karan Johar. On buzz.femina.in, we get the latest on who's fighting whom, and which celebrities are the new BFFs.

WRITING IN

The other day, I heard a young girl in my neighborhood declare to her friends of the latest crash diet she's following.

This made me realize, loosing weight has become a serious issue now. This obsession with young girls trying to lose weight is very unhealthy. Pretty soon, we're going to have skeletons shopping in the kids' section.

Kalpana Sharma, 25

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YOUR FORTNIGHT WITH FEMINA

MAY 2 - MAY 17, 2012

{FOR THE MULTI TASKER IN YOU} The Mt. Abu Summer Festival kicks off with ballad singing, followed by regional folk dancing. The festival also offers sports such as boat racing on Nakki Lake, and a roller skating race. It concludes with a fireworks display. The highlight of the festival is the Sham-e-Qawwali musical show, which features some of the most renowned qawwals from parts of India.

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may fri Today is Buddha Jayanti (also known as Buddha Purnima) which celebrates may sat the birthday of Lord Buddha.

Being the most sacred Buddhist festival, it is celebrated with prayer meets, recitation of Buddhist scriptures, meditation and processions at various Buddhist sites across India, particularly at Bodhgaya. Head to the Buddha Jayanti Park in Delhi to be a part of the celebration

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Pick up your favourite outfit from the latest collection of Zara which has a lot of feminine shapes, flowers and see-through items this summer. It's the first time that Zara has done such a collection. Our recommendation: the sheer black pleated pants and the printed shorts. may

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may tue

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mon

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may sun If you have not had the chance to visit it yet, make sure not to miss the closing day of ‘Pink is the Navy Blue of India’, a collection of Norman Parkinson’s photographs at the ICIA House, Mumbai. What is amazing about it is that his iconic and incongruous images, (shot for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar), juxtapose Indian landscape and architecture extremely well with high fashion and date back to his travels to India in the 1950s when he brought along supermodels and haute couture.

Catch John Irving’s new book releasing today called In One Person. It is also John Irving's first novel told in the first person since A Prayer for Owen Meany. In One Person is the story of a 60-year-old bisexual man who wants to make himself worthwhile

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YOUR FORTNIGHT WITH FEMINA

MAY 2 - MAY 17, 2012

{FOR THE MULTI TASKER IN YOU}

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may wed

If you’d rather not spend hours trying on lingerie I sweaty trial rooms, log on to www. zivame.com, an online lingerie store featuring brands like Enamor, Jockey, Hanes, Lovable and Triumph. Browse over 500 styles and choose by category, color and size.

It also offers detailed descriptions and images allowing you to understand the look of the pieces.

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may thur

11 may fri

Wasabi by Morimoto at The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Mumbai is the city’s most exclusive Japanese haute cuisine restaurants. The place is all about whisky mixed with Japanese spice. The restaurant stocks malts that date back to the 1930s and 40s. Also watch the chefs at the sushi counter and in the teppanyaki kitchen show off their skills.

What to Try - Japanese beer or rice wine along with crab samosas and iberico ham with figs. If you just want to try something completely out of the box then opt for the guacamole pani puri with tamarind dressing, for that global twist

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12 may sat

Ooty, a popular hill station in Tamil Nadu comes alive every May with the Summer Festival.

The flower show at the Botanical Gardens is particularly stunning.

Other festival activities include cultural events, boat racing, and trekking. The festival lasts through the second week of May. Dark Shadows is an upcoming fantasy comedy film based on the 1966–1971 gothic soap opera of the same name. The film is directed by Tim Burton and stars the versatile actor Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins, a 200-year-old vampire, and Michelle Pfeiffer as his cousin Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, a reclusive matriarch of the Collins family. An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection.

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YOUR FORTNIGHT WITH FEMINA

MAY 2 - MAY 17, 2012

{FOR THE MULTI TASKER IN YOU}

Hold your breath because Gossip Girl Season Finale is here titled The Return of the Ring. Spoiler alert - Blair is faced with the choice between between Chuck and Dan yet again while Nate asks Lola to move in with him and Lily makes an important decision about her marriage. Tune in to The CW at 8 pm to catch another nail biting episode.

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may mon

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Same Time Next Year is a romantic comic tale of an adventurous housewife, Doris and a henpecked husband, George, both of whom are not married to each other but happen to meet in Goa, post-which they decide to meet every year - Same Time Same Place.

Catch it at Alliance Francaise, Delhi

may sun

If you love elegant yet quirky home décor, head to the Good Earth store near you.

Check out the recently launched Mughal Pop Collection by Mozes Singh which includes cushions, mugs, vases and much more. Good Earth always has beautiful collections and this one in particular is a visual treat. Mozes Singh is a Mumbai based film-maker, writer and product designer.

Good Earth products are available at Khan market and Select Citywalk, Saket in New Delhi and at Mumbai

15 may tue

Menwhopause is a 5 piece rock band from New Delhi known for being one of the first bands in India to distribute their music for free over the internet. Most recently the band hit the headlines for performing inside Asia's largest prison, Tihar Jail. Catch them perform live at Hard Rock Café, Pune Want to try your hand at adventure sports? Head to jumpin heights, which offers training in bungee jumping and other sporting activities in Rishikesh. Visit www. jumpinheights.com

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17 may thur

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YOUR FORTNIGHT WITH FEMINA

MAY 2 - MAY 17, 2012

GLAM HEADLINES Your fortnifhtly dose of glitz, glamour, and gossip.

STYLE FILE: KANGNA RANAUT She is called the style icon by many in bollywood for her eye for style. Always reinventing her look, Kangna ranks high on the fashion score.

Going for a cute look, Kangna picks a tiered dress for her birthday.

Looking sensual in a lace dress, Kangna attended HT Brunch's Dialogues event.

Kangna brought vintage back at the recent awards show and looked lovely.

Keeping it simple, Kangna was seen a white floral dress during the promotion of her movie.

She goes for glam in a look that's all glitter and gold.

Kangna lights up a casual look with a hint of quirkiness. Love the Vivienne Westwood pumps.

For a wedding , Kangna was all in for some skin-show but she looked fab as always.

Going all ethnic was Kangna in a award show and she looked pretty.

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YOUR FORTNIGHT WITH FEMINA

MAY 2 - MAY 17, 2012

GLAM HEADLINES Your fortnifhtly dose of glitz, glamour, and gossip.

GIRLS GONE WRONG SIMONE KHAN Miss Khan is all set to demonstrate her Kung Fu skills to anyone who comes her way.

NATASHA POONAWALA Is she appearing in the next episode of the ' Battlestar galactica'?

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By any chance , did this pretty lady run out of clothes and decide to cover herself with this cheap chandelier.

ISHA KOPPIKAR

JIAH KHAN We know your past hasn’t been all that exciting , but really Jiah! Which era are you from?

Looks like Ms. Sen asked some tentwala to design her dress.

Are our designers not good enough for you.

SUSHMITA SEN

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YOUR FORTNIGHT WITH FEMINA

MAY 2 - MAY 17, 2012

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GOSSIP QUEEN 2

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Recreating the Magic Karishma Kapoor Karishma now hopes to return with a bang with Vikram Bhatt’s supernatural 3D thriller Dangerous Ishq, where she will be seen in different avatars.

Raveena Tandon Raveena is now all set to play a protagonist and her first such endeavour is Shobhna’s 7 Nights, in which she will be seen in a bold avatar.

Sridevi She was the queen of Bollywood during the late 80s and early 90s and she is making a comeback with English Vinglish, directed by R Balki’s wife Gauri Shinde.

Madhuri Dixit This 44-year-old is set to create magic in her new innings with Dedh Ishqiya and Gulab Gang.

Manisha Koirala One of the most beautiful actors of her time, Koirala will be seen in a full-fledged role in 3D horror movie BHHOOoo!, a sequel to Ram Gopal Varma’s 2003 film Bhoot.

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ISHQ VISHQ

TAILORS..REALLY?

Latest buzz is that PC wants to rekindle her "dostana " with choclate boy Shahid.

Wonder what happened to Shahrukh. What more , she is even eyeing another film with her once lover boy. But every time she says yes to one project, he says no.

Or vice versa. Priyanka was seen trying to make amends at the promotion of 'Teri Meri Kahani' and be friends with her on-off ‘boyfriend’ once more. But why does PC want to revise her status with Sasha? And what caused any change of heart? Think Think.

Ace designer Manish Arora he’s not kept in touch with Indian fashion scene as most Indian designers are glorified tailors.

“Indian fashion is 98% bridal wear, and I don’t think that is fashion. Designers here are making clothes that people want, and that makes Indian designers more of tailors,” said the designer at the launch of his Spring Summer’12 collection in Delhi on Friday.

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HIT THE

REFRESH

BUTTON Cover Focus:

A step by step guide on how to gain back lost vigor in life.

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Summer is that time of the year when everything around feels dry and lifeless.

At a time like this what one yearns for is rejuvenation. Just like the cyclic nature of water helps it regenerate, we also need a cyclic replenishing routine.

However many obstacles (like stress) can hamper this process. These days when there are problems at every corner and everyone seems to be living and breathing stress, it is imperative to find healthy ways for not only stress relief but also holistic living. Trying to undo the tension can just add more stress if you take the wrong approach. But there’s no need to do that; there are many healthy, proven ways to get stress relief.

Ananya Mittal brings you these easy steps to replenish your lost vigor and vitality.

Feel free to use some or all of these steps whenever you feel under the weather. They are not only easy but also a lot of fun!

1. Detox

The first step to rejuvenation is certainly detoxification. It not only flushes out all toxins from your body but helps achieve a healthier way of eating and leaves one feeling clean and pure.

Several methods of detoxification are currently available. These include fasting, specific diets, colon therapy, vitamin therapy, chelation therapy, and hyperthermia. The easiest, most inexpensive and effective methods of detoxification are fasting and specific dietary regimens one of them being water and juice fasts. Experts recommend beginners to do one or the other over every weekend for a few months. A water only fast starting Friday evening and ending Sunday morning (or just all day Saturday, as an alternative) should be broken with a day of raw foods (fruit/salad only, plus water), not with a heavy meal. Make sure that not less than four, and not more than eight, pints of water are consumed during the fast.

As a word of caution - All long-term fasts require medical supervision as well as prior assessment as to levels of nutrients, to insure that deficiency does not occur. Weekend fasts are safe for most people, although it is still wise to seek advice from a professional experienced in detoxification. Keep in mind that the goal is to achieve a healthier way of eating, not weight loss. Regardless of which program you choose, make sure you get plenty of rest, and keep warm.

2. Socialize

All detoxification therapies aside, one thing that energizes us like nothing else is a good old round of bitching with girlfriends. Engaging

Make sure that not less than four, and not more than eight, pints of water are consumed during the fast.

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in a session of bashing your boss (or boyfriend or that one friend who annoys you every time she opens her mouth), can help vent frustration in a relatively harmless manner.

Though excessive gossip in the long run may prove to be harmful, you can allow yourself minor digressions.

Apart from this studies show that your support system plays a key role in your well being.

So if you have been feeling beat up lately, spending quality time with friends and family who give you a sense of belonging, purpose, and fun may provide all the stress relief you need.

Pack up a picnic basket for a day out with the family or meet friends for lunch and a movie, there are numerous ways to spend quality time with your 46 • FEMINA • May17, 2012

loved ones.

3. Indulge

Someone once said - in order to love others, we first need to love ourselves. They could not have been more correct.

Taking out time exclusively for yourself is essential (and does not make you self obsessed). It leaves you better equipped to handle people and situations outside. A trip to the spa, buying that dress that makes you feel gorgeous or reading a book, you can indulge in any activity that you enjoy.

We usually have a tendency to put ourselves last especially when tension spikes but prioritizing healthy eating, physical activity, relationships, and sleep is necessary if you want to avoid making your

stress worse. Even a seemingly harmless source of stress relief, such as computer games, can add to your problems if it cuts into the time you need to take care of yourself (chances are that if you play computer games more than seven hours a week, you could be losing two hours of sleep a night — which will actually add to your tension in the long run).

Also remember to be kind to yourself. Think about positive affirmations daily. Thinking negative thoughts only makes you feel bad and poisons your system. Tell yourself you are doing a good job, and believe it!

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4. Exercise

Exercise plays a huge role in your everyday life not only for the obvious reasons of keeping you physically fit but because it governs your stamina, stress levels and general well being. It is an effective way to manage stress that doesn’t have to add to your financial woes. A 20-minute walk or jog around your block can yield up to 12 hours of improved mood. The main thing is to find a physical activity that you enjoy, whether it’s dancing or fishing.

Practicing deep breathing and meditation exercises daily (especially when you feel tension rising) can kick start your mechanism and give you radiant skin. It keeps you calm and centered

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and builds resistance against disorders and diseases.

If you are cooped up inside all day, take a few minutes to get outside and see the sun. A little time in the great outdoors can improve your mood and help you relax However laughter really is the best medicine.

It is proven to lower tension, and at the same time, improves blood flow and the health of your heart. Rent a funny movie or hang out with that wannabe-comedian pal, and forget about your worries for a while.

5. Explore

New is always exciting. Try a new adventure

be it camping or talking to a musical. There is no limit to the stranger. Doing something you adventures you can undertake have never done before gives you even within your regular life. a sense of exhilaration (because Dabbling in art, culture and of the adrenaline rush!) that few literature will appeal to other things can give you. your intellect and give you You can explore all kinds of opportunity to meet new people. things. Give your sex life a new This not only helps you be more angle by surprising your partner aware of the world around you with sexy lingerie or scented but makes you feel like a part of candles and the perfect ambience. something big and exciting.

Visit places in your city that you Exploring the frontiers of your have never bothered to check comfort zone will give you the out before. Take a new route confidence to take on anything to work or don’t eat at your in life and will make everyday favorite regular restaurant. hassles seem minor and Visit the theatre and watch a irrelevant.

6. Introspect

Our thoughts are usually such a tangle; sometimes what we really need is some time with ourselves to organize them. Solutions to a lot of issues reside within our own consciousness; it’s just a matter of finding them.

However introspection can only happen in a place and time where you feel comfortable, secure and at peace. Finding

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that may prove to be difficult at first but be assured you will find it. Not everyone needs or even wants a quite room or garden to introspect.

For some, it happens on their commute to work or right before falling asleep. However make sure to not confuse meditation with introspection. They may aid one another but are quite distinct.

Dedicating a period of time every day to write about a situation that is bothering you may reduce tension and give you stress relief for the rest of the day. Keeping a journal can also help you solve problems or find positive angles amongst the stressors.

Someone once said - in order to love others, we first need to love ourselves. They could not have been more correct.

Taking out time exclusively for yourself is essential (and does not make you self obsessed). It leaves you better equipped to handle people and situations outside. We usually have a tendency to put ourselves last especially when tension spikes but prioritizing healthy eating, physical activity, relationships, and sleep is necessary if you want to avoid making your stress worse.

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Introspection can only happen in a place and time where you feel comfortable, secure and at peace.

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7. Change

Inculcating small habits can make a huge difference to your personal as well as social life. Showing thanks for your family, friends, and loved ones and being thankful for the positive aspects of your life has a calming affect. Not only does it give you perspective, it makes other people feel good, too. Consciously make the effort to not crib about things that actually do not make much difference.

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Sometimes, however, big changes are called for. In some scenarios, the best way to obtain stress relief is to remove your source of tension. If you are in a job working at a certain pace in an environment that is objectively painful because of your boss, coworkers, and so on, and you’re doing it because you can earn ten percent more money than doing something else, you could calculate that you might be better off doing something else. Getting out of a relationship that you have outgrown and that gives you

nothing but sadness would perhaps be a wise choice.

Either way change is good in life. One needs to be open to it if not embrace it. It protects you from getting stagnated in life and allows room for new opportunities.

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"I wasn't thrown out of Paco Rabbane, it was a mutual agreement to part ways."

Manish Arora

YOUR IT LIST What Femina is lusting after this fortnight

Go wild with this summer with these Cat Eye Shades from Marc Jacobs.

Fendi's range of striped heels are oh so ditzy, and definitely to die for this season. Satin finish, bold colours with alternating stripes and peep toes, cute enough to drool over.

On Femina.in Lace dresses continue to be in vogue. But this summer, delicate, vintage inspired lace in subtle colours is out and bold lace with an element of quirkiness is in.

Skinnies, Minis, and flappers are in this season. Find out more on fashion.femina.in.

WRITING IN I work a 9 to 5 job as a receptionist in a doctor's office.

I really enjoy going through Femina's style pages because they're backed up by interesting trends and the latest information, which I really feel I can use everyday. Thank you, Femina!

Srishti Kumar, Lucknow May17, 2012 • FEMINA • 59

Your It list • shopping

Style Notes • Add print with your mint jeans and you are all set for the Brunch with your friends.

• Combine mint green with other pastels or light colours to create a more ‘soft’ look • Don’t underestimate the power of accessories. If you’re feeling timid about trying the mint trend, just pick up a mint clutch, statement necklace, or pretty pair of flats.

Promod, K 800

Aldo, K 3,000

Mango, K 990 ASOS, K 1,925 Debenhams, K 550

EXPERIMINT Accessorize, K 1,500

Freshen up your wardrobe this summer with one of the biggest colours of the season.

Mango, K 990

H&M, K ASOS, K 6,600 Mango, K 1,990

Zara, K 4,690

Vero Moda, K 1,399

THE COMPLETE LOOK Promod, K 1,400

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Top Shop, K 1,600

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Your It list • shopping

PALAZZO PANTS Modern and stylish, these wide leg trousers are designed for a contemporary look and flattering silhouette.

Zara, K 4,450

ASOS, K 900

Style Notes • Dress them up for the office or

Debenhams, K 1,750

Marks & Spencers, K 3,675

dress them down for a more casual look.

• Team them with a loose shirt tucked in for a straight-off-thecatwalk look.

• Finish the look with quirky accessories. Scarves, headbands and glasses will add character.

Dynamite, K 1,196

Dynamite, K 1,196

THE COMPLETE LOOK

Top Shop, K 1,196

Dynamite, K 1,196 Dynamite, K 1,196 Dynamite, K 1,196

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Your It list • shopping

BAG THAT MAIL Envelope Clutches are here to stay and a must have in your bag collection.

ASOS, K 1,800

Accessorize, K 3,375

Forever New, K 1,300

Nine West, K 3,588

Aldo, K 2,340 Dynamite, K 1,196

Forever New, K 1300

Vero Moda K 1560

Style Notes • Gone are the time when clutches were to be worn just with dresses. Think about envelope clutches as more than just a night-time accessory.

• Envelope Clutches are cute and edgy, they add a dash of playfulness to your outfit.

Charles & Kieth, K 2500 • Envelope clutches go well with any outfit. You can carry more than just a phone, lipstick & a mirror in an envelope clutch.

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THE COMPLETE LOOK Forever New, K 1670

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Your It list • shopping

Manish Arora, K 60,000

ASOS, K 450 Mango, K 990 Forever 21, K 250

Mango, K 1,850

NEON AND ON Neon is all the rage and there is really little to hate about the trend.

Mango, K 490 Nida Mehmood, K 1,575

??

Style Notes • Wear a neon accessory with an otherwise simple outfit to bring a burst of neon, or pair it with your favourite colourful shoes to really make things pop.

• When wearing neon, the whenin-doubt approach to footwear is go gold. Try gold ballet flats or sandals.

• If you are brave enough to wear neon with neon, start small with accessories or beauty products.

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Zara, K 1,790

THE COMPLETE LOOK Netporter.com, K 800 Aldo, K 4,500

Marks & Spencer, K 1,899

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Your It list • fashion

FASHION UPDATE Here's what you should be stocking up this fortnight.

1Pleated Dress

Pleated dresses are the perfect warm weather staple. The ladylike style is a chic alternative to cut-off shorts and miniskirts and — bonus! — super easy to pack for a weekend getaway. Try one with a cropped blazer and a cute flats for the office or make an unexpected statement with neon add ons.

1

Price: K 4,630 Available at: Forever New

2Evening Clutch 5

Price: K 1,300 Available at: Globus

Make a refined style statement with this glamorous evening clutch. This clutch from Haute Curry manifests the aura of luxury that a fashionable woman wears.

The perfectly sized clutch is aptly compact to be carried to parties easily and will definitely suit any of your pretty party gowns.

3Sash Belt

"I like to wear things that emphasize my waist, so I wear a lot of belts." This pretty belt from Zara is perfect to break monotony when wearing solids.

3

4Slip it On

Price: K 990 Available at: Zara

Loafers are unique and have moved between function and casual style in both men's and women's fashion. Viable with everything from a suit to jeans , their versatility will enable you to make a smooth transition from work to play.

5Colour-Me-Bright

Be ready to beat this heat with this interesting hamper pants from Globus.

Suited for a busy day at work as well as casual brunch with friends , these colorful pants have the vitality which will keep you going in this hot weather.

4

Price: K 1,699 Available at: freecultr.com

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2 Price: K 538 Available at: Shopper's Stop

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Your It list • what's in her wardrobe

Mile High Style For Kingfisher pilot Rikki Gupta , dresses are the best fashion creation, ever. Mansa Jain finds out what makes her oh so fly.

Chanel

Tiffany

Chanel

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• Designs on style For me it's all about quality and therefore I prefer to buy branded stuff . I love designs that have style and elegance and prefer to stay on the safer side.

• Add ons I think bags and clutches can make or break a look. Even a simple LBD looks great when teamed with an eye catching bag.

I like to keep my look really minimal and so I use accessories very rarely but I have an eye for quirky pieces.

• Shopping Strategy My friends think I am born to shop . I am an impulsive buyer and its very rare that I plan and go for shopping.

• Hoarding Habit I have this bad habit of never throwing anything away. I think I have denims of all cuts and shapes still stacked up somewhere. There are clothes which that I do not fit in anymore yet I don’t have the heart to throw them or give them away.

• Style Sisters My sister Somya is a textile designer and she knows how to make ordinary things look stylish.

We generally end up buying same things so there's less scope of borrowing. Also , since we are of the same size , shopping for each other becomes much easier.

• Make up Mantras When I am flying , I stick to the bare essentials , hint of kajal and lip gloss complete my look. And if I am going out partying , then its properly done eyes and coral lipstick.

• Most Expensive Purchase My wedding Lehenga from Sabyasachi

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Your It list • what's in her wardrobe

Chumbak

Nina Riccci

Sabyasachi

Forever New FCUK

Longines

• Favourite budget buy A pair of Chumbak shorts , they are fun and very different from what I generally wear.

• Favourite shopping destination Bangkok for its variety of the most amazing products. Europe for its old times charm. But after shopping around the globe , my favourite shopping destination remains Delhi.

• Not Fashionable but I think you will still find my wardrobe filled with these hamper pants which were such a craze at one time. I find them so comfortable.

• Most Valuable Wardrobe Possession My solitaire. Suraj (husband) gave it to me when we got engaged and its closest to my heart.

• Best Fashion Invention Ever Definitely dresses. I think once you come out of your jeans and get into a dress, your personality changes in split seconds.

• Fashion Regret A bubble dress , I bought in school. I still shudder when I think of it.

• Most recent purchase A lovely pair of heels from Louboutin. I was dying for them to open in India and finally its here.

• Always Misplace My watches. I can never find them when I need them • Wardrobe status It's always flooded. I keep putting off the cleaning for as long as I can . And just wear the new clothes that lie in one pile.

• One thing that’s always with you when you fly My Chanel aviators.

Zara

Louboutin

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Your It list • lust buys

BREAK YOUR BANK FOR THIS

Pinky Saraf Clutch, Price on Request

2

3

Shaheen Abbas Earrings, Price on Request

Christian Louboutin Peep Toes, Price on Request

Cartier Brooch, Price on Request

1

5

4

Isharya Ring, Price on Request

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Your It list • shopping

FASHION SWAP Here’s what you might covet this fortnight

SAVE

SPEND

SPLURGE

Aldo

I 1,560

Tresmode

I 7,199

Chanel

OR

OR

OR

Mango

Ralph Lauren

Miu Miu

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I 11,200

Prices on Request

May17, 2012 • FEMINA • 77

Your It list • the loot

BLUE EYES

Beat the summer heat with one of the coolest colours of the season.

Lacoste, K 6,136

Ray Ban, K 8,500 Ray Ban, K 5,090

Fast Track, K 1,250

Blue Crown, K 1,200

Chanel, K 1,200

Vettorio Fratini, K 1,790

Ray Ban, K 7,450

Police, K 8,890

Prada, K 15,080

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Your It list • makeover your style

BACK TO BASICS

Fashion changes every season but some things are fashionable forever. One such example is the combination of white with denims. Mansa Jain tells you how to make this look interesting by just using simple add ons.

MEHER KOHLI, 22 Perk it Up Transform your basic look of White top with blue shorts by adding black stocking. To make it interesting , use a colourful sling bag. This unconventional choice is sure to stand out.

"I ALWAYS THOUGHT WHITE AND DENIM WERE JUST MADE FOR INTERVIEWS. BUT A LITTLE ADD ON MAKES IT A PERFECT OUTFIT FOR ME TO WEAR WHILE HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS AS WELL." Shirt : Zara,K 3,250 Sweater : Zara,K 3,250 Shorts: Zara, K 2,200 Bag: River Island, K 4,100 Shoes: Aldo, K 2,500 Watch: Toywatch, K 25,000

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Your It list • makeover your style

MEGHNA GUPTA, 19 Perk it Up With a white kurti , instead of churidar or patiala, use a blue denim. To glam up this indo western look , add a kalamkari waist coat. Its sure to earn you a second look. Coloured juttis and bangles complete the look.

"I PREFER KEEPING IT ETHNIC AND NOW I KNOW HOW TO DO THAT IN STYLE." Blue Jeans: Levis, K 2,999 Kurtii: Anokhi, K 1,199 Waist Coat: Fabindia K 800 Jutti: Shoppers Stop, K 570 Bangles: Globus , K 450

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Your It list • makeover your style

DRISHTY VASWANI, 19 Perk it Up Add a little drama to your neat look with an exaggerated bow. Keep the shirt tucked out and make sure that the jeans are fitted. A neat pony tail and a matching bag completes the look.

"IT'S NICE TO KNOW YOU DON’T HAVE TO SPEND INSANE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD." Shirt : Marks & Spencers, K 1,250 Jeans: Zara, K 2,200 Bag: TRF, K 3,400 Shoes: Aldo, K 2,700 Bow: Miss Jo, K 450

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AQUA SPA SECRETS The latest on all the water spa treatments available in India.

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Skin is the largest organ of the body. No one has perfect skin. The chemicals in the air, water, and food have many negative effects on the skin. With water there are no boundaries, no religions, no differences. Water has the ability to cleanse, balance and heal. When infused with the ancient therapeutic traditions it opens a whole new world of wellness, health and beauty in mind and body. Ananya Mittal analyses these spa treatments coming straight from the sea that can work wonders.

Thalassotherapy

Thalassotherapy is a rediscovered spa treatment based on an ancient belief in the natural healing properties of seawater. The word itself was coined in 19th Century France from the Greek "thalassa" meaning sea and "therapeia" meaning healing. Today, it is used as an alternative treatment for medical conditions and has become a popular tourist attraction for relaxation and stress reduction as well as a favorite method of anti-aging healing by maintaining healthy circulation in the body.

Thalassotherapy's main objective is to increase blood circulation that is reduced by the depletion of vital minerals caused by stress, poor diet, and pollution. Since the chemical make-up of seawater is so similar to that of human blood, immersions in water when heated to body temperature results in trace minerals and ions such as magnesium, potassium, and calcium sulphates to be absorbed directly by the skin. This not only increases blood circulation but has beneficial effects upon the pores of the skin such as toning and moisturizing. It also helps to detoxify and nourish skin, as well as to relax the body.

Thalassotherapy works wonders for the blood circulation and in firming the skin. It also relieves stress

and tiredness and is a very relaxing form of therapy. It also provides relief from aches and pains in the joints and the back.

Some extra benefits of thalassotherapy are muscle toning and skin cleansing, weight loss aided by improved metabolism, improved cardiovascular functioning, boosting of the immune system, improvement of sleep quality, relief of the symptoms of back and muscular pain, and stress.

Available at – The Leela Kempinski - Gurgaon, Delhi NCR www.theleela.com Seaweed Facial and Wraps

Seaweed is a wonder plant that is rich in minerals, amino acids, vitamins and trace elements capturing all the richness the sea has to offer. Seaweed body wraps cleanse and detoxify the body making it an excellent herbal skin care treatment. The skin absorbs the minerals that are essential for restoring its tone and vitality. These minerals in the seaweed body wrap help to disperse local fatty deposits ensuring soft, fresh and healthy looking skin.

General seaweed body wrap applications are for cellulite, connective tissue debility with water retention, slackened dermal tissue after pregnancy and after intensive slimming treatment.

Seaweed restores moisture levels, revitalizes and firms the skin, nourishes, oxygenate and detoxifies the skin, reduces appearance of cellulite, balances, hydrates, is cell generating, purifying, remineralizes, absorbs easily, improves skin texture and tone, makes May17, 2012 • FEMINA • 87

hair shiny, cleanses, soothes, slows skin aging, protects from environmental elements, contains antioxidants and betacarotene.

Seaweed is high in antibacterial properties that work well for the treatment of acne. When applied topically, seaweeds draw out toxins from our body and your skin will absorb its nutrients through the pores. The vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes present in sea seaweeds, are potent antioxidants with a lot of skin healing and rejuvenating properties. Seaweed does wonders to aging skin by working to promote tissue regeneration activities in the skin to create skin elasticity.

Continual use of natural seaweed skin care can increase levels of skin hydration and to promote a healthy glowing complexion. Seaweed is full

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of lipids, proteins, minerals and vitamins, which are easy to absorb to deeply moisturize and nourish the skin.

Seaweed is packed with high concentrations of minerals such as fluorine, magnesium and calcium which will enable you to achieve and restore a radiant skin complexion. The minerals contained in seaweed help to maintain the skins natural moisture balance - which is neither too dry nor too oily.

Available at – The Four Fountains Spa- Mumbai www.thefourfountainsspa.in Sea Salt Scrubs

Body scrubs not only exfoliate but also rehydrate the skin, leaving it smooth, soft and glowing. They are especially useful when end-of-summer tans begin to fade or mid-

summer sunburns begin to peel. The body scrub is also a natural remedy for people with sensitive skin. Naturally the benefits of using scrubs are numerous.

The reason why sea salt scrubs are so great is that sea salt is rich in many minerals like magnesium, calcium, bromide and it helps cleanse the body of toxins, eases muscle and joint pain and rejuvenates skin cells.

Sea salt improves the condition and texture of the skin and helps promote healing. Sea salt scrubs help remove dead cells from the surface of the skin to reveal a fresher clearer complexion. The sea salt draws out impurities and toxins, while cleansing and opening up clogged pores, stimulating blood circulation. Regular use of salt scrubs also helps prevent spots and pimples, and sea salt solution disinfects and heals minor cuts and grazes.

A sea salt scrub is a treat for both body and mind. The benefits can be doubled if sea salt is infused with natural oils.

The result is both calming and invigorating.

Available at – Ista Hotel and Spa – Bangalore, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Pune, Ahmadabad www.istahotels.com Fish Pedicure (Ichthyotherapy)

Ichthyotherapy is the use of fresh water or marine organisms, or ‘fish’, as agents of skin conditioning and cleansing.

The name comes from the Greek name for fish –Ichthys.

This natural treatment is performed by ‘Garra Rufa’ fish, also known as ‘Doctor Fish’, that come from Kangal in Turkey and the Middle East

Fish pedicures stimulate acupuncture point and modulate nervous system to relax the body and release fatigue.

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Water is the basic medium used for therapy in spas because not only does it have multiple benefits attributed to it, but also because in water there is increased mobility and muscular relaxation and decreased muscle spasm.

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Steam Therapy

and was discovered in the early 1800’s. When one receives a Fish Pedicure, hundreds of toothless fish use their powerful sucking lips, to literally suck away your dead skin, unveiling your healthy, soft skin that lies beneath.

With Fish Pedicure the feet are well hydrated and gain a fresh soft and supple look.

Corns, calluses, heel fissures and other foot conditions that can lead to major foot problem can be prevented through fish pedicure. It helps in getting rid of skin smear and aging cortex.

It stimulates acupuncture point and modulate nervous system to relax the body and release fatigue. It’s a kind of biological therapy that cures various kinds of skin diseases.

This natural treatment proof effectiveness in common skin problems with no side effects.

Available at – Elite Fish Pedicure – Mumbai www.elitefishpedicure.com Hydrotherapy

Water is the basic medium used for therapy in spas because not only does it have

multiple benefits attributed to it, but also because in water there is increased mobility and muscular relaxation and decreased muscle spasm.

There is decreased pain due to warmth and support since gravity is countered by buoyancy and increased muscle strength and endurance due to the greater resistance in water. There is improvement in swelling, due to hydrostatic pressure, enhanced balance and stabilization.

The benefits of hydrotherapy include dramatically increasing the elimination of waste, thus assisting detoxification; loosening tense, tight muscles and encouraging relaxation; increasing the metabolic rate and digestion activity; hydrating the cells, improving skin and muscle tone; boosting the immune system, allowing it to function more efficiently; improving the function of the internal organs by stimulating their blood supply.

Available at – Quan Spa at JW Marriott Hotel- Mumbai www.quanspa.com

Steam rooms have been used for thousands of years to open the skin’s pores and cleanse the body. First used by the Turks and Romans, steam treatments produce a moist heat (similar to that in the rainforest) which is fantastic for making you sweat.

The skin is body’s largest exit route for salts, toxins, and metabolic wastes. Entering a steam room is a great way to prepare for a spa treatment; it helps warm up the muscles for a deeper massage, and opens your pores to make salt and detox scrubs more effective.

But it doesn’t stop there, it is also great after a treatment; the steam helps speed up the body’s ability to release toxins following a massage and gets rid of lactic acid build-up so the muscles aren’t sore the following day.

Both Hippocrates and the Greek physician Parmenides are credited for saying, "Give me the power to create a fever and I will cure any illness."

Regardless as to who said it first, working up a sweat is great therapy for both mind and body. Specific benefits from regular steam treatments include relieving general muscle tension, reducing toxins from skin, improving complexion, boosting immune and circulation system, increasing energy levels, increasing blood flow, producing a general calm feeling.

Available at – Shangri-La Eros Hotel and Spa – New Delhi www.shangri-la.com•

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Your It list • beauty

BEAUTY UPDATE

This fortnight, the focus is on statement lips and smooth skin, some home shopping and a way to make 'make up' stay

1Get Shimmery

If coral is your new favourite this season then this is the color for you.

Get this on and you are all set to go out partying . Described as a bright pink orange, it is simply coral- a bright coral. If you're looking for a true coral lipstick, this is the one. Make Me Simmer is a part of the MACs latest collection MAC Shop Shop Shop, Cook Cook Cook Collection.

2Shiny & Smooth

If you are fed up going through the hassles of going to the store and buying stuffs , here is the perfect solution for you. Kiehl's bring for you the collection of a promising skincare products which can be delivered to your doorstep with the Kiehl's on Wheels program, with which your choice of products will be delivered at your doorstep.

Price: K 990, Available at MAC

1

3At Your Steps 2 Available at: The Body Shop

"I like to wear things that emphasize my waist, so I wear a lot of belts." This pretty belt from Zara is perfect to break monotony when wearing solids.

4Rehydrated

Body shop brings for you the possibility to hydrate your face. Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Mask - this moisturizing facial mask once a week as part of your total skin care regime. Just keep in mind to stay away from this product if you have oily skin. On the other hand, this product is ideal for dry skin.

4 Available at: All leading retail outlets

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3

Price: K 676 Available at: All Leading Retial Outlets

Your It list • skin queries

I am 46 years old and the mother of two grown children.

I lead a hectic life at home and at work. Of late, I have realised that my face looks tired and my skin looks as if its hanging loose. I have lost a little weight but it makes me look much older.

I do regular peels with my doctor and get myself facials as well. Is there a non surgical way to look fresh?

Technology today has advanced to a point where you can look younger and fresher with just needles and no downtime at all. These methods have been tried and tested and proven to be safe. The lines around the eyes and the frown and forehead lines can be tackled with Botox , a two minute procedure that shows results in a week's time. The hollowness around the eyes , the flat cheeks , the thinning of the skin , forces of gravity and our hectic lifestyle , all contribute to an aged look .

Filling up your sunken eyes , creating high cheekbones , restoring the apples in your cheeks or recreating a sharper jaw line with dermal fills can make you look years younger and boost your confidence almost instantly. the fillers could also be injected in the laugh lines and used to lift the droop of your mouth. All this with no downtime , unless there is a bruising which can take 1 weeks time to heal. Choose a dermatologist or a cosmetic physician who is specialised and very experienced in these matter.

I recently recovered from Malaria , for which I was taking strong medication . I think because of this , my hair has started to fall out in bunches. I don’t know if my hair will grow back. Please help.

VARKHA CHULANI

You seen to have a condition called Telogen Effluvium. It is a reactive process caused by the medication you were taking as well as the stress caused due to malaria. You should take supplements of iron , calcium and biotin for three months and your diet should be rich in proteins. It usually takes about three to five months for hair fall to come under control and for new hair to grow.

I am a 30-year-old woman with a pale complexion. I have the following queries: I don't know my skin type. Is there a method to determine it?

I used to have glowing skin when I was in my 20s, but now it is quite dull.

I also had pimples during my teens that left behind marks. How do I brighten my complexion?

And lastly, I want to apply henna to my hair. How should this be prepared?

To answer your first query, you can determine your skin type according to the degree of oiliness or dryness.

Take a cotton ball and moisten it with rubbing alcohol. Rub the moistened cotton along the sides of your nose. Wait for ten minutes and repeat this process with another cotton ball.

Examine the second one. If it is oily, your skin is oily.

In order to give your face a glow, you can apply the following mixture: a teaspoon each of turmeric, red sandalwood powder* and Bengal gram flour with enough milk cream to form a thick paste. Use once a day and wash off after 30 minutes.

To get rid of pimples and scars caused by pimples, regularly apply tomato pulp on your face.

Leave it on for an hour and wash off with warm water.

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Your It list • red-carpet ready

RED CARPET BREAKDOWN:

TRICKS OF THE BRAID

1 ) Tresemme Smooth Iron Style And Hold Styling Spray : K 572 2) YSL Rouge Volupté Lipstick In Coral Sun : K 1,768 3) Lakme Absolute Kohl Ultimate : K 650

Some celebs managed to get hteir look right, we'd rather not know what's going on with some others. By Mansa Jain

DO: REGAL Eesha Gupta

2

3

1

Hair Eesha Gupta's simple side braid pony tail is a hairstyle that can be chic for day or night. To get this look , Brush your hair thoroughly. Use Tresmme styling spray for long lasting hold and frizz protection.

Eyes Smoky eyes in black with lots of mascara and heavy use of kajal on the inner rims finish this look perfectly.

Lips Add a pop of color to your look with a coral lip color.

DON'T: VAMP Neha Dhupia

Hair The herringbone would have looked better only if that side puff was missing.

Eyes If the theme was halloween , we wouldn’t have said anything , but this we cannot take. What Neha should do is take a napkin and get rid of the kohl that is on her eyes.

Lips The light touch of lip color does little to take our attention away from the dark eyes.

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Your It list • beauty 101

ON A WING AND A SCARLET PRAYER The winged eyeliner look is a favourite this season. It's dramatic, but not over the top, and is very easy to pull off. It's also very versatile, it goes well with both western and ethnic indian outfits.

For instant glamour, pair the winged eyeliner with a classic red lip that never goes out of fashion. With just a little extra effort, you can ensure the red lip lasts through the day.

1. Using a toothbrush or disposable mascara wand, remove any dead skin by gently scrubbing in circular motions on your lips. Apply a light coat of lip balm.

1. Using a liquid liner for clear definition, start with drawing a line from the outer corner of your eye, slanting upward toward the tip of the eyebrow.

The longer this line is, the more dramatic the look will be. A line of about 3-4 mm is moderate.

2. Outline the lips using a nude liner to prevent feathering.

2. Draw a line on the other eye to match. Symmetry is key.

3. Apply red lipstick directly from the tube.

3. Drag the brush across the lash line, starting from the inner corner of your eye.

4. Using an eyeshadow blending brush and translucent loose powder, powder your lips to really set the color.

4. Soften the joint in the two lines you've drawn by filling in the corner and creating a smooth curve.

5. Apply a second coat with a lip brush to smooth edges and perfect lines.

5. There is no need for any more eye make-up. The clean look gives a good contrast for the drama created by the wing.

Tip: If you rest your elbow on a flat surface in front of your mirror, it will give you a steady hand, because you're only allowed to move your wrist.

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Tip: The firmer your press the brush, the thicker the line will be.

Tip: Apply a light coloured concealer over lips to even out skin tone and give a good base.

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Your It list • hairdos

THE FISHTAIL BRAID The fishtail braid is one of the simpler braids, but can be a little tricky to start with.

A simple trick is to being by tying your hair using an elastic, and then cut it out at the end. By doing this, you never have to worry about holding 4 confusing pieces together to get your braid going. You can just go straight into it!

1. For a smooth braid, bush your hair out and tie into a pony-tail either at the back, or even off to the side. For a messier braid with extra texture, just comb through your hair with your fingers and tie it into a messy pony. Remember to use a disposable elastic, or a rubber band you're not attached to!

2. Split the pony tail into two separate pieces.

3. Take a piece from the outer part of one side and pass it to the second side. The thinner this section is, the more intricate your braid will look, but it will also take more time to finish.

4. Next, take a piece from the outer part of the second side and pass it back to the first side. Keep these pieces a consistent thickness for a nice, even, braid.

5. Continue passing hair from one side to the other till you reach the end.

6. Once you've finished braiding, CAREFULLY cut the elastic at the top.

7. You can modify the braid by loosening it up a little if you wish, or give it an interesting twist by adding a fun hair accessory like a bow or a pin.

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Your It list • hairdos

THE WATERFALL BRAID The waterfall braid is a quick, easy, and fun style, perfect for those those days that you're in the mood for something different, but can't bring yourself to put in too much extra effort to style your hair.

1. Take a section of your hair from the front, and divide it into three.

2. Start it like a regular braid, moving backward.

3. Take the top strand, and move it to the middle, and then let it drop through.

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4. Gently twist the remaining two pieces upward.

5. Pick up another new piece from the top and add it to the braid, and let this one drop through the other two pieces as well.

6. Twist again and repeat. Keep going like this till you reach the back. Tie the end with an elastic, and secure it with a bobby pin.

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THE WATER

CONUNDRUM Water is essential for survival but for something so simple, it seems to be clouded by plenty of myths and misconceptions. From the truth about drinking eight glasses of water per day to refilling plastic bottles, Ananya Mittal tries to separate the myths from the facts about drinking water.

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1. Everyone needs to drink eight glasses of water a day.

Myth -This is perhaps the most classic myth about water. Water may be the easiest and most economical fluid to keep one hydrated, but the latest research indicates that women should strive for about two liters or eight glasses a day and men should aim for three liters or 12 glasses a day of any fluid, not just water, and even out of this about 80% comes from beverages and 20% from food. In fact, no one really knows where the ‘eight glasses a day’ myth came from.

2. Drinking water flushes toxins from the body.

Fact - Though water does not necessarily neutralize toxins, the kidneys do use water to get rid of certain waste products. If one fails to drink enough water, the kidneys will not have the amount of fluid required to function properly.

3. Bottled water can cause tooth decay.

Myth - Bottled water by itself does not cause the teeth to decay, but it usually does not contain any fluoride, which is added to tap water to help prevent tooth decay. Fluoride is an important element in the mineralization of bone and teeth and with the increased consumption of bottled water, which is not fluoridated; there has been an increase in dental cavities. So it is essentially the lack of fluoride that is responsible for tooth decay.

4. Drinking water can help keep the skin moist.

Myth - While it used to be believed that staying properly hydrated led to youthful, vibrant skin, the reality is that the amount of water one drinks probably has very little to do with what their skin looks like. The moisture level of skin is not determined by internal factors. Instead, external factors such as skin cleansing, the environment, the number of oil glands, and the functioning of these oil-producing glands determine how dry the skin is. The water that is consumed internally does not reach the epidermis (the top layer of the skin) and thereby does not have much effect on its appearance.

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Your It list • health bulletin

5. Drinking water helps one lose weight.

Fact - Drinking water does not specifically trigger weight loss, but it can aid in the process.

Water replaces other calorieladen beverages in the diet, causing one to reduce their overall number of calories.

Also, it can make one feel fuller, so they may eat less at each meal. Water, particularly cold water, may even play a role in increasing metabolism. So water can prove to be a very useful tool for people on a diet.

6. Yellow urine is a sign of dehydration.

Myth - It can be, but not all yellow urine is a cause for alarm. Dehydration leads to increased urine concentration,

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turning urine dark yellow.

Ideally urine should be straw yellow in color. Other factors, though, such as taking a multivitamin, can also lead to yellow urine.

7. If one is thirsty, they are already dehydrated.

Myth - If one starts to feel thirsty, then they are headed in the wrong direction and should grab a drink of water, but thirst does not necessarily indicate dehydration. Thirst begins when the concentration of substances in the blood has risen by less than 2 percent and dehydration starts when the concentration of water in the body falls by 2 per cent or more. Since the human body is 70 per cent water it takes quite a while for that kind of a fall.

8. One needs sports drinks, not water, to function at a high level in athletics.

Myth - Sports drinks may have fancier advertising campaigns, but water is really all one needs to get the necessary fluid to participate in most athletic endeavors. Water is most important for athletes of all ages as it is the single most important way the body has to transport nutrients and energy and remove heat during exercise. A sports or vitamin beverage may taste better, but is not necessary for hydration and is expensive. However, people who run marathons or compete in highly strenuous activities may need to supplement their water intake with sports drinks to offset the salt they lose due to heavy sweating over long periods of

Women should strive for about two liters or eight glasses a day and men should aim for three liters or 12 glasses a day of any fluid, not just water.

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Your It list • health bulletin

time. This does not apply to most people who are simply exercising to get fit at the gym, for instance.

9. It is possible to drink too much water.

Water, particularly cold water, may even play a role in increasing metabolism. So water can prove to be a very useful tool for people on a diet.

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Fact - People with certain health conditions can put themselves at risk of complications if they drink too much water. People with some heart conditions, high blood pressure, or swelling of the lower legs (edema) need to avoid excess water.

Also if one has a history of kidney problems, especially if you they have had a transplant, they should consult the doctor before increasing fluid intake. In addition, drinking too much water while eating, may also be harmful as it dilutes stomach acid and can cause digestion problems.

10. One should not reuse plastic water bottles.

Fact – Plastic water bottles can present certain risks to people who drink their contents and then fill them up time and again. These bottles leach chemicals into the water after multiple uses.

The bottle, if not properly cleaned, may harbor bacteria from the mouth. So it can safely be said that getting rid of the plastic bottle from time to time is a good idea. •

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Your It list • health q & a

My metabolism is really slow. I am 24 and eat thrice a day.

My meals consists of just 1 chapati with dal and vegetables.

Despite this I put on weight. How can I increase my metabolism?

Your metabolism is the rate at which you burn calories ; if its sluggish , its because you need to eat five smaller meals a day instead of three. All meals should have complex cards , essential fats and proteins , except dinner which can be just protein and veggies. The more muscle mass you develop , the more your metabolism revs up. So weight / resistance training is essential in your workout routine ; compound moves and multimuscle group workouts burn more fat and increase metabolism. Get medical tests done to rule out a thyroid problem , as it is also a reason for sluggish metabolism.

I want to get a prominent and defined collarbone. What exercises can I do for this?

Your collarbone is the bone between your breast bone and shoulder blade. Losing fat around this area will make it show more prominently.

Exercises like push-ups , chest flies and presses for the uppers chest will help. Diet plays an important role in helping you lose the fat around this area - once you cut the fat , your collarbones will show more prominently. Cardiovascular exercises like running , skipping , power walking , and working on the elliptical , stepper and cross trainer will help you burn fat. However losing too much weight is unhealthy. Maintain an average healthy Body Mass Index , which is between 18.5 and 24.9. Anything below or over is unhealthy. Your diet should be balanced , do not starve yourself.

I am 25 , 5'6" and weigh 57 kg. I want an exercise regimen that is a mixture of something 108 • FEMINA • May17, 2012

fun - like a dance workout , something relaxing , and an aggressive workout , like weight.

What would you suggest for me?

There are many dance workout options available to you.

Bollywood dancing is a lot of fun and full of energy. Zumba has a lot of calorie - burning moves , while jazz dancing is motivating and intense.

Relaxing workouts include Vinyasa yoga and Hatha yoga , which have asanas done one after the other , holding postures while focusing on breathing and alignment. End the class with meditation or breathing exercise to leave you calm and relaxed. Aggressive or intense workouts can be spinning , playing a sport like soccer , basketball , squash or tennis , going for a boot camp or cross - fit. Weight training and circuit training with bursts f cardio in between , are both very intense and calorie burning . Watch your form and technique , and breathe properly throughout all the exercises.

I live on my own and since I don't like to cook , I often end up eating outside junk food. I have put up a lot of weight in the past year. Please help.

Firstly , you need to sort out your eating habits. Start by stocking up on healthy snacks like nuts , roasted non salty chivdas , low - fat yoghurt and cheese , fruits , dry fruits and salad veggies like carrot and cucumber. When eating out , choose healthy options like at a Chinese place , pick steamed veggies or fish , greens and soups. If having a sub, go for extra lettuce , salad and grilled chicken. Avoid mayonnaise , salt and salad dressings and avoid dessert completely. Avoid fried food and curries. You could find out if there are any healthy Tiffin services that cater to your area. It's better than eating junk. The weight will reduce once you start eating healthy and well balanced diet and supplement it with an exercise plan. Running / walking , swimming , gymming , playing a sport or cycling are all great for burning calories.

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2

BRAIDED

1

Sonam adds a fun element to her classy tied back hair with a hair band.

To get Sonam's Look , flat iron your hair with a severe middle parting and tie a neat bun using pins. Spray with a styling spray to keep in place.

1. Olive Fruit Oil Deeply Repairative Hair Pack, K 1,300 2. TRES Extra Firm Control Mousse, K 280

Kardashian's side bun has a neater , slightly preppy feel to it.

To get his look , straighten your hair , keeping middle partition and then tie a bun taking it to the back.

CLASSY CHIGNON Add a classy touch to your tresses with braided chignon or playful hair ornaments. By Mansa Jain

2 1

TIED BACK Sonam brings the Grecian look back with her braided chignon.

Start braiding your hair from the front and loosely tie it in a bun at the back. Use hair cream to smoothen out short hairs.

Kim brings classic old school Hollywood glamour back with a severe tied back bun, 1. Sunsilk Keratinology Shampoo, K 200 using a braid.

2. The Body Shop Guarana Berry To get this look , make a tight braid and Volumizing Mousse, K 570 twist it around to turn it into a bun. Use serum to banish any flyways.

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In a rush to leave the house, and you've managed to smudge your eyeliner? Is there more mascara on your eyelid than on your eyelashes? Make up blunders are a nightmare to deal with early in the morning. We've all been there – a twitch of your hand at the wrong time, or too much pressure where it wasn't really needed in the first place, and everything seems to go wrong. Fortunately, make up is only temporary and most blunders can be fixed without having to start all over again! Saumya Kharbanda takes you through a list of handy quick fixes that we hope will come to your rescue.

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Uneven Kohl Liner or Kajal Getting your eye make-up to be symmetric can be a challenge sometimes. If your kohl is thicker on one eye than the other, first decide whether you want to make thicken the other one, or thin it out. If you want a thinner line, lightly wet an earbud, squeeze out the excess water onto a tissue, and drag it across the line, twirling it slightly. It might be easier to just draw the other one thicker to match, but remember not to go overboard – you don't want to end up looking like you haven't slept!

Liquid Liner Gone Awry Try to catch it before it fully dries up if you can.

Dip a clean earbud into body lotion and erase the mistake with a quick drag and wipe. Body lotion works much better than make-up remover for this, because the make-up remover will leave an oily base on your skin, and it will make it difficult for the new line to adhere to.

Cakey concealer If your concealer looks too heavy, dampen your fingers (make sure they're not too wet) and smoothen it out.

Too-Bright Blush: If your blush is starting to make you look like you're just a little too embarrassed about something, you might have used too heavy a hand. It's an easy fix, simply dab back over it with the makeup sponge you used to apply your foundation, or a layer a neutral blush shade over it.

Mascara Mishaps Again, use a slightly-wet earbud, press it directly on the mascara mark, twirl it 180 degrees, dragging it just a millimetre as you lift it off.

Make Up Mask If you've over-powdered your face, or it looks like you're wearing a mask of make-up, spray a light mist of water from a distance, or dampen your hands and lightly press them all over your face for ten seconds to dilute everything. Then, with a sponge, smooth out any unevenness or

patches that may have formed. Be very careful not to use too much water, because it may cause your make-up to start running down your face.

Lip Slip Sometimes you just don't realise how dark a lip colour is till you've already applied it. If it's too dark, blot it with a tissue as many times as necessary to tone it down, then add lip balm. Or, blot once, and apply a layer of a lighter shade on top.

If the lip liner is too harsh, dab a little lip balm on your finger, and thin it out while blending it inward. You can also use a lip brush if it's handy for the same results.

Complexion complex If you're very fair and your make up foundation looks too pink, or you have darker skin and your make-up has a grey or ashy tone to it, you can correct it with a yellow shade of powder. It's simple and quick, and it's a great item to have in your make-up kit.

Remember, almost every situation can be salvaged, and sometimes, masterpieces are born from mistakes that had to be corrected. •

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Your It list • health plus

CRASH AND

BURN

Trying to fit into that dress you have lined up for your cousin’s wedding? Getting ready to hit the beach in that bikini? If so, then the thought of losing a few extra kilos before slipping into that form fitting outfit must have crossed your mind. You may even be considering going on a crash diet in order to lose the weight as quickly as possible. Before you decide to plunge into a crash diet, Ananya Mittal presents you with some facts that you need to know.

What is a Crash Diet?

A crash diet is one of the most restrictive types of weight loss plans that one can follow. It involves drastically cutting back on daily intake of calories and fat and is often paired with other weight loss ‘fixes’, including extreme exercise routines and the use of diuretics or diet pills. However, crash diets are recognized by health care professionals and dieticians as being a very dangerous way of trying to lose the excess weight.

Do Crash Diets Work?

If you follow a crash diet, you will probably notice that you do lose a significant

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amount of weight in the first week or so.

However, this weight loss is not true weight loss; instead it can be attributed to the loss of water weight that happens during crash diets. This is because low-calorie diets cause the body to burn up excess glycogen, a type of glucose that absorbs excess fluid inside the body. Additionally, weight loss during crash diets doesn't continue for a very long time. Eventually, you will find yourself hitting a weight loss plateau, during which it will become more and more difficult for you to lose weight.

The majority of crash dieters find that this weight loss plateau is followed by a period of weight gain. Many

followers of crash diets even end up putting back on all of the weight they lost, along with additional pounds.

What are the Health Risks of Crash Diets?

Crash diets aren't only a poor way of losing weight and maintaining healthy weight loss, but they are also very dangerous for your body. There are both short-term and long-term health effects that you could experience by following a strict crash diet.

Mental Health Problems

Crash diets are extremely hard on your overall mental and emotional health.

Not only do crash diets cause extreme food cravings, but they can also wreak havoc with your mood. You may find yourself feeling more irritable or depressed than usual when you are on a crash diet. Crash diets can also set people up for serious mental health disorders, particularly eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.

Nutritional Deficiency

Long-term crash dieting can result in serious nutritional deficiencies, as a result of eating a poor variety of foods. In particular, crash dieters are putting themselves at risk for iron deficiency (anemia), vitamin B12 deficiency,

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Your It list • health plus

potassium and sodium deficiency. Potassium and sodium deficiency is particularly dangerous since electrolytes are used by the body to ensure proper nerve and muscle function and in regulating the way that the heart beats. If potassium and sodium levels become low enough, you could suffer from a heart attack.

Vital Organ Damage

Crash diets are extremely dangerous for your vital organs, including your heart, kidneys, liver, and brain. In order to perform their daily functions, your vital organs rely on energy from your carbohydrate intake.

During strict crash diets, carbohydrate and calorie intake is so low, that your organs cannot get enough energy from these sources. As a result, your organs begin to burn muscle tissue in order to get adequate 116 • FEMINA • May17, 2012

amounts of energy to perform vital functions. If your calorie intake becomes low enough, your body will even begin to burn the muscle tissue that makes up your actual organs in order to provide your brain with sufficient energy to function. This can result in serious health problems, including liver failure, kidney failure, heart attack and stroke.

Osteoporosis

Long-term crash dieters frequently suffer from osteoporosis, a disease that causes the bones in your body to become extremely brittle.

This is because fast crash diets severely limit your intake of calcium. As a result, calcium begins to leach out of the bones in your body, leaving them particularly fragile. Many crash dieters suffer broken bones, particularly hips and wrists, as

a result of their osteoporosis.

Avoiding Crash Diets: Losing Weight the Healthy Way If you are intent on losing some weight, it is best to avoid crash at all costs. Instead, engage in healthy weight loss methods by following these tips: •Speak with your doctor before beginning any weight loss plan.

They can provide you with tips on how to lose weight safely.

•Don't cut back on calories too quickly. Instead, slowly reduce calories so that your body's metabolism doesn't slow down.

•Focus on limiting portion sizes and choosing healthier food options. Pair this with regular exercise and you will find that the weight drops off!

•Look at your weight loss plan not as a diet, but as a healthy new lifestyle. This will encourage you to continue to with healthy eating habits on a long-term basis.

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"When I became Miss World, I couldn't believe I had won it. I used to sleep with my crown because I was scared someone would steal it. In a minute the world changed for me."

Priyanka Chopra, on why she's successful today

WOMEN just like YOU Friendly Farming

On Femina.in In a world, where we are constantly tempted by brand new baubles - chic furniture, pretty home linen, lavish home furnishings - it gets very difficult to feel content with how we've decorated our homes. Visit beautifully redecorated homes with us on spotlight.femina.in for tips on how to do it yourself.

WRITING IN

Innovative measures by female farmers across India are helping several poor families adapt better to climate change and keep hunger at bay. As Sursati from village Janakpur, district Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, explains, “Earlier, we could not produce enough food for a year because our village would get waterlogged by the flood waters.

Now, using early maturing paddy varieties and organic manure to revive soil fertility, we can at least eat for all 12 months from the same piece of land.”

Reading the Winners issue certainly was inspiring. It is so lovely to see so many women standing up for what they believe in, and being successful in what they do.

Kudos to Femina for being a display for sheer talent and hard work.

Asha Krishnamurthy, Chennai

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Women Just Like You • one on one

RITU BERI

A graduate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Ritu Beri is a New Delhi based international designer. In 1990, she launched her label in India and since then, there has been no looking back. She was the first Indian designer to present in Paris animist recently published 'Firefly-A Fairytale', published at Rs. 1 Lakh. Success, awards, acclaims, distinctions have been punctuating Ritu's career, along the way. The Time Magazine featured Ritu as one of the 'People to Watch in International Business.'

Apart from couture designing for the likes of Bill Clinton, Nicole Kidman and Elizabeth Jagger, to name a few, She talks to Shruti Shyam about how she started off, and life now.

What, according to you, is fashion?

Fashion is endless. The roots of fashion go deep into the yester years. Fashion is not restricted to clothes but extends to beauty, hair, footwear and other such accessories. It reflects on the personality, and is as important as a beautiful outfit.

How did you create a style for yourself?

My mother inspired me a lot – she is beautiful and stunning. I remember as a child, she lit up the army evenings with not just her looks, but her intrinsic style as well. I always loved to watch her dressing up. Her pastel chiffons that floated around her, her elegance in pearls and diamonds were her trademark.

My father too is an immaculate dresser and has a great sense of colors.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I take inspiration from life, things and people around me. Like any other form of art it requires equal amount 120 • FEMINA • May17, 2012

of research and study, and it’s a constant challenge to achieve something beyond the ordinary. I believe that India today is of great interest to people globally and has also greatly influenced the Fashion Capitals of the World. Top designers are looking at India for inspiration and using Indian craftsmen to realize their couture collections. India today is therefore constantly spotted on the fashionable ramps of the world and is a huge sense of inspiration.

Tell us a little bit about your new book -“Firefly a Fairytale”

What can we look forward to in your upcoming collection?

What is the biggest myth about the industry?

My upcoming collection is all about sprightly silhouettes and youthful charm. It comprises of dresses that evoke sensuality and romance, full skirts floating on clouds of tulle. Tone-ontone sequins, teardrop beads and swarovski crystal bring to these pieces subtle touches light. Feather weight like organza, lace and crochet are embellished to create magical pieces.

“Firefly a Fairytale” is an exciting and aspirational book about my dreams. It illustrates unbelievable similarities of various cultures of the world. It is about innumerous influence on fashion like the intrigue of history, the drama of Architecture, the experimental play of photography, the magic of Paris, which has played an important part in my evolution as a designer.

That being a designer is easy and anyone can be a fashion designer.

What kind of advice would you give to a young budding designer?

My only advice would be – make the best use of all the opportunities that come your way and learn as much as you can. But always be original.•

"My inspiration comes from what makes my generation tick."

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Women Just Like You • what it takes to be

They call her the Helena Rubinstein of India and she’s one of the country’s most successful women. Shahnaz Hussain shares her thoughts on ayurveda and entrepreneurship in an exclusive interview with Ananya Mittal while giving a sneak-peak into her daily life.

THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF INDIA “Most people in India don’t really know Nike,” Husain says when asked to compare her brand’s recognition at home with that of another name. “Coca-Cola is more like it.”

Nearly 40 years ago, Husain began creating simple beauty treatments in her home based on India’s ancient science of ayurveda as well as beauty routines learned from her mother. Today she has blended earthy tradition with aggressive modern marketing to create an ambitious little beauty empire. Finances of the family-run company are private, but officials say it encompasses some 300 salon franchises, 53 beauty schools, 3,000 employees and nearly two dozen product lines. In India, her potions are sold through an estimated 150,000 stores.

Internationally, the Shahnaz Husain brand is available from Seoul to Dubai to London.

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“Entrepreneurship actually implies an independence of spirit. It is this independence that women in India have begun to express over the last two or three decades. That is why the percentage of women among the total number of entrepreneurs in India has been steadily growing”, says she. Ayurveda, which roughly means “life knowledge” in Hindi, is one of the world’s oldest systems of medicine, having originated in India some 5,000 years ago. By drawing on ancient herbal therapies to develop beauty treatments that Husain claims will improve vision, treat decaying teeth, heal dry skin and enhance eyelash growth

among other things—and then marking them up to luxury prices—she is ringing up sales to women drawn to the natural.

With a lifestyle seeming more Trump than Gandhi, she’s built one of the best-known beauty names in India. Husain declines to specify her age beyond saying she’s in her 60s.

“You never give your age in the beauty business,” she says in her deep, gravelly voice.

Shahnaz Husain’s day typically begins with twenty minutes of yoga and stretching exercises.

“It’s good to keep the body supple,” she says. Next comes a 20-minute soak in bath water sprinkled with rose petals and drops of sandalwood oil.

Ghazal music is usually playing softly. Husain washes her face with milk and graham flour.

After the bath, she uses her Shaflower lotion, which counts wild turmeric and conessi bark among its active ingredients. A pedicure, manicure and a facial massage with aloe vera follow.

Twice a week, Husain treats her hair with 16 egg whites mixed with lemon juice and olive oil. To keep her enormous mane a deep burgundy, she regularly applies a blend of henna powder, ground coffee beans, lemon juice, tea and as many as 20 eggs.

Calling herself a “workaholic,” Husain says she often works until 4 a.m. or 5 a.m., concluding her day with a foot massage given by one of her live-in beauticians. About 26 servants are on 24-hour call in Husain’s main New Delhi residence The daytime household staff of 60 operates by a system of small buzzers placed on Husain’s favorite chairs in each room.

Senior advisers at her company keep in regular contact with Husain via her two cellphones that she frequently speaks into at the same time, even while multiple callers stand by on her landline.

In her primary residence, she set up the public sitting room—“the white house,” she calls it—with several white couches covered in faux white fur and dotted with goldsequined throw pillows. Statues of horses, Buddhas, swans and cherubs, in crystal, porcelain and gold, fill tables and shelves scattered throughout the room, lit by multiple crystal chandeliers. Husain likes to keep her reflection nearby.

Most rooms have mirrors on the walls, and jeweled hand mirrors

remain within arm’s reach. A mirror is also attached to the back of the driver’s headrest in her cars, so she can see herself while in transit.

Husain’s fashion taste is also elaborate. She designs all of her clothes, which are sewn by four staff tailors and two embroiderers, she says. Before heading to a nearby mall to relax in her favorite New Delhi coffee shop, Husain donned a full-length brown suede jacket with a coordinating top and skirt. The ensemble featured trim and giant pockets made in Louis Vuitton’s brown leather monogram print. “I’ve probably had 11 Louis Vuitton bags cut up to decorate my clothes,” she says, pulling out what looks like a diamond-encrusted Louis Vuitton cellphone. “I’d make a great ambassador for Louis Vuitton, too.”

Husain, a Muslim, was born in Hyderabad to a politically powerful, liberal-minded father and a wealthy, conservative mother. She led a sheltered childhood, which included attending boarding school and riding in chauffeured cars with curtained windows, in keeping with her mother’s view of propriety. But from an early age, Husain had a hunger for publicity. “When there was lightning, I would run outdoors,” she says. “I’d tell everyone, ‘God is taking my picture!’ ” She excelled in school, making her father proud. “I lived to

please him,” Husain says.

But her outgoing personality troubled her mother. “‘This girl is going to get out of control; let’s get her married,’ my mother said.” By age 14, Husain was engaged; she met her fiancé only once in a supervised gathering. “I was told there was a boy here I was to marry,” she says. “I walked into the room, said hello, and then walked out. That’s all I saw of him.”

Married at 15, she became a mother within a year. Then restlessness set in. “I cried every day; I was so bored,” she recalls. To pass the time, she started attending beauty classes in New Delhi.

Eventually, Husain’s father arranged for her husband, who worked for the Indian government, to land a post abroad. In London, Husain enrolled in a course at Helena Rubinstein. She also took classes offered by L’Oreal, Schwarzkopf and other beauty companies in Tehran, where her husband was eventually based. “I didn’t want to learn hair and makeup; I wanted only to do beauty treatments like massage,” she says. “I’m not a beautician; I’m a therapist.”

Husain and her husband returned to India and settled in New Delhi. Husain set up shop at home. She offered free consultations and then charged for natural remedies, a novel concept for a salon at that time in New Delhi, she says. Clients flocked. “The only thing I didn’t have time to do was count all my money,” Husain jokes.

Concocting facial scrubs in her store, she named her shop Shahnaz Husain Salon. “I never thought of calling it anything else.”

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Women Just Like You • what it takes to be

Husain washes her face with milk and graham flour. After the bath, she uses her Shaflower lotion, which counts wild turmeric and conessi bark among its active ingredients.

A pedicure, manicure and a facial massage with aloe vera follow. Twice a week, Husain treats her hair with 16 egg whites mixed with lemon juice and olive oil. To keep her enormous mane a deep burgundy, she regularly applies a blend of henna powder, ground coffee beans, lemon juice, tea and as many as 20 eggs.

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When clients began asking for lotions to take home, Husain started selling her products in small bottles bought at a local market that she labeled herself.

One of her first creations, Shagrain, was inspired by her mother’s recipe of rice and Rose petals, herbs and sandalwood oil for a nightly exfoliation.

After Husain’s salon had been open five years, a Calcutta client asked her if she could open a franchise salon there. “I didn’t know what a franchise was,” Husain says. “But I agreed anyway.”

The young entrepreneur gave birth to a second child, a son.

Today she speaks lovingly of the relationship that gradually blossomed with her husband.

In 1987, he resigned from his government post to work with Husain on her business, in an unusual arrangement for India, where women are often expected to mind the household after marriage. When her husband suffered a fatal cardiac arrest in 1997, she says, she nearly died of a broken heart. “I didn’t know life without him.”

Today, Husain is remarried to Raj Kumar Puri, who calls himself an investor and says he isn’t involved in running Husain’s business. Husain devotes herself to developing products and diversifying her company.

Serving as president of the company is Husain’s daughter, Nelofar Currimbhoy, who closely resembles her mother.

Currimbhoy is expected to succeed Husain. “She’s an aura; it’s so hard to describe her,” Currimbhoy says of her mother. “I will have very big shoes to fill.” A third generation has even joined the executive

ranks: Currimbhoy’s son is a vice president. Mother and daughter develop new formulations, collaborating with a team of chemists and ayurvedic doctors on staff.

Sometimes, they consult Sanskrit scholars who have expertise in ayurvedic recipes.

Often, Husain weighs in.

During a recent meeting with her staff, Husain rejected new packaging prototypes for a skin-care line called Shahnaz Ayurveda. The problem: The bottles didn’t bear her photo.

“We’ve tried to launch products here without my face on them, and they always fail,” she says.

“People need to see me.”•

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Women Just Like You • all the women you are

HOBBIES AND

HARD WORK

There are people whose excellence in a hobby enables them to scale such heights that they come to be better known for their passion than their profession. There are others who strive to strike a balance between their calling and their creativity so as to achieve proficiency in both realms. A few such persons share their experiences with Ananya Mittal and tell how their hobbies complement or enrich their professional pursuits.

With due concentration, I follow my routine of doing riyaz or writing from early morning till office time and again after office hours.

Dr Savita Malhotra

Shovana Narayan

Many may not be aware of the fact that renowned Kathak guru and performer Padmashri Shovana Narayan is a senior bureaucrat, holding the post of Director-General (Audit), Government of India. She is the perfect example of striking a balance between a demanding career as a senior civil servant (IAAS 1976 batch) and a creative calling as a nationally and internationally renowned classical dancer. Sharing her success mantra and unflinching zeal to perform and promote Kathak, she maintains that one needs to be clear about 128 • FEMINA • May17, 2012

one’s aims and objectives and formulate a disciplined work and time schedule to accomplish these.

Says Shovana, "With due concentration, I follow my routine of doing riyaz or writing from early morning till office time and again after office hours. My 10 books, besides three unpublished works, 28 productions presented worldwide, the lecturedemonstrations and solo performances have all been possible without any strain, as I have learnt to extract pleasure from hard work and my achievements."

Who would know the therapeutic powers of music better than a psychiatrist?

Well-known psychiatrist Dr Savita Malhotra, a senior professor at the PGI, Chandigarh, says her tryst with classical music dates to over two decades back, when she engaged a music teacher for her daughter Aseemita, who never took more than a passing interest in this art. "The ragas enraptured me so much that instead of her, I started taking

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Women Just Like You • all the women you are

have much relevance for my profession as a psychiatrist, but honestly, the daily riyaz on my keyboard or harmonium eases my work stress and certainly helps me enjoy my job more and understand my patients’ problems better," the doctor adds.

Dr Harshinder Kaur

music lessons, before finally securing a Sangeet Vishard degree from the Pracheen Kala Kendra. Despite a tight work schedule, I never missed concerts by music wizards like Parveen Sultana and Pandit Jasraj in and around the city.

However, poetry is my first love and a Haryana Urdu Akademi Award for my book encouraged me a lot to learn the language and obtain a diploma in Urdu," says Savita.

"Technically, my hobby does not

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Technically, my hobby does not have much relevance for my profession as a psychiatrist, but honestly, the daily riyaz on my keyboard or harmonium eases my work stress and certainly helps me enjoy my job more and understand my patients’ problems better.

For Patiala-based paediatrician Dr Harshinder Kaur, creative satisfaction lies in writing and social service. A deputy medical superintendent at Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, she is better known as a social scientist and author.

Just back after having been honoured as an international woman activist at the UN, she has earlier been felicitated with a Lifetime Achievement Award by parliamentarians in Ottawa (2010), among others.

The author of 15 books, her story "Female Foeticide — A Curse" remains the closest to her heart and is being turned into a Hollywood movie titled, Roaring Silence. Its royalty has been kept aside in the contract to be used for the welfare of poor Punjabi girls, claims Harshinder. "I am providing monetary help to 322 poor girls for their education through a charitable trust," says this winner of the Bharat Jyoti Award- 2010 for social service.•

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"If you're upset with how you look at 25, life's going to be tough."

Susan Sarandon, Actor

Your LIFE, Your WAY RAISE YOUR GLASSES

Geomteric Porn What sort of abstract art could possibly be so scandalous to be turned down by apple and android as an app. Is this app really too sexy for your iphone? Surrounded by controversy, this app has now been uploaded onto the internet. Check out a delightfully interesting use of geometric graphics on geometricporn.com.

On Femina.in Now that your much cherished friend has turned toxic, do you think deleting her from your Facebook account and unfollowing her on Twitter are the best ways to exclude her from your life? Probably not. Log on to relationships.femina.in to read about more dignified to break up with your friend.

WRITING IN We all know chocolate is good for you, but recent studies show that even red wine is great for health. The list of wine’s benefits is long—and getting longer by the day. Already well-known as heart healthy, wine in moderation might help you lose weight, reduce forgetfulness, boost your immunity, and help prevent bone loss. When researchers gave memory quizzes to women in their 70s, those who drank one drink or more every day scored much better than those who drank less or not at all. Wine helps prevent clots and reduce blood vessel inflammation. Studies find that people who drink wine daily have lower body mass than those who indulge occasionally; moderate wine drinkers have narrower waists and less abdominal fat than people who drink liquor. Alcohol may encourage your body to burn extra calories for as long as 90 minutes after you down a glass. So, ladies, it's time to pick up that bottle and pour yourself a glass.

Work has been hectic over the last couple of months, but last month's article about staying happy at work, and learning to enjoy your job even when times get tough really helped me get through this tough period at the office. I can't wait to read the latest travel issue to take a well deserved break this summer.

Nitasha Shah, New Delhi May17, 2012 • FEMINA • 133

Your Life, Your Way • your relationships

LOVING THE

DISTANCE

Does distance make the heart grow fonder?

Or out of sight, out of mind?

Venturing into a long distance relationship is, often, riddled with anxiety and apprehensions, and you're not really sure how to make it work. If you've ever been in a long distance relationship, you will know it's not quite so simple, and takes a bit of getting used to, as Mansa Jain and Saumya Kharbanda tell us.

With LDRs comes loneliness and longing and no matter how much we think that we know our partner, the truth is that despite our best intentions, there is no stopping our imagination from running wild. We picture our significant other partying into the early hours of the morning (with that girl from the office who doesn't seem to be familiar with the concept of personal space, no less!). If we don't hear from them at an appointed time or we can't get hold of them when we really feel the need to talk, then our mind is filled with all kind of possibilities, and it's not always a rosy picture.

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The success mantra of making a LDR work lies in being open and honest with each other.

The most crucial thing to keep in mind is communication. Together you have to figure out ways to spend time together despite your busy schedules. With technology growing so fast you have the options of being connected through email, instant messaging, video conferencing, texting, and a whole host of other options.

Keeping each other updated and in the loop, and sharing your lives has become extremely easy.

Communication is absolutely vital. Sharing your

thoughts is the key ingredient as telepathy still isn't effective (we wish!). And most importantly if you have a problem , talk it out. It's very crucial to speak out if something's bothering you. Be open and honest with each other. Setting some time aside for each other, something convenient for both of you, is also a good idea.

But remember, it's not always possible to be completely regular.

How do you keep connected?

Give each other space. If you're in different places, chances are you both are leading very different lives. Having completely different circles of friends is almost inevitable. While it's nice to be in the know, trying to control his life might cause some trouble. Curiosity and interest is good, intrusion is not.

There's really no universal formula that is guaranteed to work for everyone. In the end, all that matters is that you're both equally committed to the relationship, and willing to put in the extra effort to make it work. There also needs to be a certain amount of trust, so put those worst-case scenarios and unnecessary doubts away. It might take sone time to figure out what system works best for you, but it'll probably be worth it. •

Keep in mind that distance may not be the worse thing. Staying apart re-enforces the love that at times is lacking even when you stay together.

And after all that time of being apart, think of how great it'll be when you're both finally in the same place again. Distance also gives you a chance to re-invent your relationship and get creative. Sometimes, a hand written letter coming coming from miles away can be perfect way to cheer up your better half. A surprise bouquet or a card is just enough to brighten up their day.

I think the most important part of being in a LDR is sharing each and everything. Nothing is too small to share, even if it's just a short text. So many little things can happen during the course of a day and if you share these little things, that will help you feel connected to each other.

Meghna Shah (Age : 42)

We asked various women who are in happy long distance relationships and this is what they have to say.

How do you keep the romance alive when you're so far apart?

Being far doesn't matter as we remain connected 24*7 via skype or our blackberry. We create romance even with this distance and I think it's the best feeling ever.

Navrupa Bhattacharya (Age : 30)

How do you ensure the commitment to each other and maintain the trust that is absolutely necessary to make an LDR work?

I make sure that we have a conversation daily and keep each other updated about our activities.

Also I keep a tab on his activities by at times checking his mails and chats.

Somya Gupta (Age : 24)

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FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS A healthy physical relationship, with no strings attached. Shruti Shyam tells you how friends with benefits can be all you need, minus the frills.

Casual sex. It's as simple as that.

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What could possibly be better than dating?

Perhaps the prospect of a physical relationship with no attachments whatsoever. We're all busy, we've all got jobs, and some of us don't have the time or the patience to handle a full time relationship. So, what's the next best thing? A friend to fulfill those special needs of yours.

Up until a while ago, kissing in Bollywood movies was taboo, and the prerequisite to the happily ever after was a big fat Indian wedding. Now, however, times are changing. Generation Y speaks freely of sex, women are independent, and a relationship isn't really something we're constantly on the lookout for.

set right for this. But for those who believe that lovemaking and not mechanical sex is what's important, it is obviously detrimental as it violates every bit of their expectations."

There's a big red warning sign on this sort of relationship - it isn't for everybody. If you are the type of person who gets easily attached to people, steer away from the prospect of having a friend with benefits. You get emotionally involved far too quickly? Then this is not for you.

You have to have your mind clearly set about what it is you want. If you suddenly find yourself falling for your 'friend', stop with the 'benefits'!

In the end, you will get hurt. A surefire way to make it work? Make sure your 'Friends with Benefits' relationship isn't the primary relationship in your life. Too much of our energy tends to go in to a primary relationship and this makes us too emotionally attached to the relationship. Make sure the primary relationship is supportive, encouraging and boosts your self esteem. Whether it's a best friend, a sibling or an ex who has become a special confidante, you need to make someone other than your “FWB” the person who gets the most of your attention.

Casual sex. It's as simple as that. How do you go about it? Know what you expect out of it. Choose a friend you enjoy spending time with, and someone who is on the same page as you in terms of what they want. Set the rules. You always need boundaries so that neither of you gets hurt in the process. Make them clear, and make sure both of you are okay with it. Remember to stick to the rules, because it's very easy to get sidetracked. And voila! You're having great sex, without the fuss of all the kinks that come with a relationship.

According to relationship therapist, Rachna Kothari, "Mutually, if two friends agree that there're no expectations, no commitments, then it's not detrimental because their attitudes are

Do it right.

So, ladies, a few rules you must consider before you decide to go all out.

1. You cannot get upset when you see him with other girls. Or even if you do, you cannot hold it against him.

2. Neither of you has rights on each other's time so no one can complain if there's no call or haven't seen or spent time with each other recently.

3. Neither of you can expect anything beyond the sex.

4. Don't read into him cuddling or looking into your eyes. It just means he felt like cuddling and he wanted to look into your eyes. It doesn't mean he wants to be your boyfriend.

What's really great about the entire system is that it's all about experimentation and improvement in all your (ahem) techniques. You get better at all forms of foreplay, the sex, and you enjoy yourself in the process. It's a win-win situation. So, go out there and get yourself a 'Friend'!

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Are you married to your job?

We all talk about the bad things (and good!) that happen at the workplace, but let's face it, we spend more than half our day at the office. Shruti Shyam asks 5 women how attached they are to their jobs.

"My job takes up a lot of time, so in that sense, I am married to my job. I do, however, make it a point to spend all my free time with my husband and kids."

Madhulika Choudhary, 29 Lawyer

"For me, work isn't about something that has to be done as a routine, and that's why I love it so much. I enjoy traveling, it is now a part of my life, and that's one of the reasons work is go great."

Astha Sharma, 24 Travel Writer 138 • FEMINA • May17, 2012

"I am married to my job, and I love it."

Kavya Kapoor

"I'm from a science background, and I worked as an engineer. I was unhappy. Then advertising found me. I definitely have to work long hours, but my husband understands. I am married to my job, and I love it."

Sushmita Rawat, 31 Kavya Kapoor , 26 PR Professional Advertising Proessional

"I wish I didn't have to work such long hours. I enjoy what I do, but I definitely feel like I deserve long holidays during the year.

I feel like I'm married to my job, but I really wish I wasn't."

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Your Life, Your Way • be more

SHE ASKED FOR IT. The latest trend today is apparently playing the blame game.

Victimizing the victim has become the norm with women involved in rape cases, and the Indian police is doing nothing to help the cause. Shruti Shyam goes into the dirty details.

We live in a society that teaches women to be careful not to get raped, instead of teaching men not to rape. Recent events in the capital have proved that this country certainly isn't the safest place for women, but what is even more shocking is the Indian police's reaction to such cases. Apparently, the women are to blame.

In 2010, more than 410 rape cases were reported in Delhi, the highest among the thirty five major cities in the country.

Do rape cases really happen?

A surprisingly large number of officers on the police force don't think so. Recognition of a crime as abominable as rape is something the police in the NCR do not appear to have come to terms with. 17 out of 30 policemen insist “real rape” cases are rare. What is a 'real rape'? Sunil Kumar of the Delhi Police says, ‘Go to a pub in Greater Kailash, South Delhi, where there’s free entry for girls. You’ll find those who want to do ‘it’ for a thousand rupees.

They’ll drink and also have sex with you. But the day someone uses force, it’s rape’ Women everywhere in India are being targeted, being blamed for something some man with a disturbed mind is causing.

Recently, Sub Inspector Arjun Singh, SHO Surajpur Police Station, Greater Noida, made a statement that caused social activists and women

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everywhere to question the competence of the Indian Police force. 'If girls don’t stay within their boundaries, if they don’t wear appropriate clothes, then naturally there is attraction.

This attraction makes men aggressive, prompting them to just do it.'

A number of policemen believe that what a woman wears is the principal reason for rape. A conservatively dressed woman is safe, but if her clothes are “suggestive”, then she’s asking for it.

When it comes to gang-rapes, the justification is even more bizarre. While the policemen admit that force is used, again the blame is pinned on the victim. She must have been friendly with at least one of the perpetrators.

When asked about sensitization in the police, Inspector Sunil Kumar of Delhi Police shrugged away the query, saying rape is the girl’s fault anyway, particularly if she is a ‘Delhi girl’: “If a girl living in Delhi doesn’t want this trauma she will not encourage it. Suppose you are two people and I am a girl dating you both. I am flirting with one person and ignoring you, then after I see you jealous, I come to you. Then one day when he (the other person) is drunk, he might come with two-three friends and ask me to join him. In a fit of vindictiveness, he will try to

have sex with me, againstmy wishes. But first, it is my fault because I courted disaster.

No rape can happen in Delhi without the girl’s provocation.”

The bigger question now is, if the police in the Delhi

In India, physicians are allowed to perform a “finger” test on rape victims to determine their level of sexual activity. If a physician is able to insert two fingers into the victim’s vagina, she may be considered “habituated” to sex. Results of the examination are admissible in court and can be used to undermine the credibility of an unmarried rape survivor, according to a recent Human Rights Watch report. There are several international instruments that commit states, including India, to uphold women’s right to pursue medical attention and legal remedies, and would prohibit the use of the finger test.

The international community has taken measures to stop sexual violence and encourage the prosecution of sexual offenders. According to United Nations Resolution 62/134, states are obligated to exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate, and punish sexual crimes.

“A number of policemen believe that what a woman wears is the principal reason for rape.

A conservatively dressed woman is safe, but if her clothes are suggestive, then she’s asking for it.”

metropolitan area — with its supposed sensitivity to individual rights — nurtures such a mindset, what of the average cop, in the back of beyond? The thought is terrifying. Is rape India’s most

under-reported crime? Does anybody seriously believe that less than 25,000 women get raped in India each year?•

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Your Life, Your Way • love q & a

I have a big crush on this guy who is a year senior to me.

We don't have any classes together but we are both in band and on the college paper. I know I love him because I just can't get him off of my mind. At a party I confessed my true feelings and he told me he liked me too - as a friend. He said he just wanted us to be friends right now. I really, really want to be with him, how do I make him love me?

You are suffering from a killer one-sided crush, also known as "unrequited love", and there really isn't much you can do to change it into a relationship. I'll be blunt.

You cannot make somebody love you. You can't even make them like you. There are no magic spells or secret tricks that will make a person suddenly feel for you the way you feel for them. Although it is hard to accept that this person doesn't return your feelings, it may help you to know that the pain you now feel will be erased from your heart when you find someone who does love you back. Since he has made his feelings for you clear, namely that he wants to be friends, you really only have one choice. You have to honour his feelings and wishes. Take heart, all is not lost! Friendship is always a good place to start.

I am very depressed because my family is not able to find a good match for me. I have found one guy and my family liked that guy but when they went to his home town to meet his family, they didn't like the family at all. They gave me all negative indications that his mother and sister are mad but when I talked with this guy he felt very bad. Please help me out. What should I do next as I am not able to rationally figure out whether my family is right or this guy?

The unfortunate fact is that in India, more often than not, the girl marries the family and not just the guy. Your parents have your best interests at heart and if they disprove of his family, chances are that they are right.

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Obviously, your guy is not going to like it because no one likes to hear negative things about their parents. That's normal. Why don't you propose to your guy that you want to spend some time with his family before you decide one way or the other?

Take another trip to see them with your parents and if possible spend 2-3 days there. And ask the guy to be there as well, so you can observe his interaction and relationship with his family.

Family dynamics are very important and if you observe properly, you'll learn a lot about how they think and function.

But get to know them properly before taking a call.

Hi I am 21 years old. I am in serious relationship with

my boyfriend from the past 8 months. He is also of my age.

We both love each other a lot.

From the past few weeks we are masturbating together. I want to know does it have any kind of harmful effect on our health and stability of our relationship. Is masturbation for girls safe?

Masturbation is completely safe and healthy. This way you don't have to worry about pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

There are no adverse effects on the relationship unless you reach a point where you prefer this over actual intimacy with each other. The frequency is increasing because it feels good. Don't worry too much about it, just enjoy yourself and see where it goes.

POOJA BEDI

DEALING WITH THE DIFFICULT Why should difficult coworkers get in the way of your doing well at work? Shruti Shyam gives you tips on how to overcome these problems for a successful life at work.

You've got a great job, a nice boss and an amazing salary, and yet your coworker in the next cubicle and you, aren't exactly on the best of terms.

So what do you do? Here are a few tips to ensure you stay on good terms with the people you work with.

ideas, you want to be taken seriously. Don't get bogged down by workplace pressure.

Always have a positive attitude and be aware when you are at office. Avoid office politics and try to stay away from it and don't get dragged into one as that may lead to trouble.

Make yourself heard.

Handle yourself well.

This really helps overcoming many problems. Your efforts will be recognized and you can have a good standing in your office. Be direct and truthful and have a calm and cool demeanor. Talk with an authoritative tone so that people do not think that you are not serious enough about situations. Try not to have one on one meetings as that can arouse several complications.

Very soon you will see our problems at work are getting resolved.

State your viewpoints with conviction.

When you're sharing your

People often lose their jobs when they are unnecessarily dragged into office politics. Call for professional help if you are too stressed handling problems at work. Be enthusiastic about things.

Have a bright outlook.

It always helps to come into work everyday with a big smile on your face. If you look happy at work, you, and everyone around you will feel happy at work. Entrepreneur, Anchal Jairath says 'Who said problems are bad, it opens up a new challenging day for you and teaches you many important things.'

How to deal with backstabbing coworkers.

These days keeping yourself safe requires more than simply checking to make sure the door is locked before you go to sleep.

Sadly, it's often necessary to keep up a defensive guard at the workplace as well.

So what can you do? Backstabbers are often familiar faces who are friendly in public. If they are successful, you may not even recognize them as such until the damage is done. Here's what you can do to shield yourself: Think before speaking.

Pathological backstabbers are constantly trolling for information, secrets, dirt. They may initiate a conversation in which they seem to give out some personal information which may or may not be fabricated in order to get you to reciprocate as is common in friendly conversation. Remember, with backstabbers, anything you say can and will be held against you. Some warning signs are overly friendly smiles or gestures. Don't be paranoid, just be observant.

Don't get involved, but don't disconnect either. Backstabbing is a habitual offense. Some do it primarily because they believe it will serve their purposes, some do it because pulling someone down makes them feel better about themselves.

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"Sportswear is more stylized this season.

Look for colour, architectural lines and prints inspired by cartoons and superheroes."

Shantanu and Nikhil, Designers

YOUR STYLE Soft spring-time pastel clothes and hues are in. Yummy ice-cream shades in light and floaty fabrics give glamour to girlish looks. Though the palette is pale, these fashion-forward looks are certainly not subdued.

On Femina.in From your outfits to your nails and even your cheeks, bright candy colours are taking over the world this summer. But applying them smartly is important to avoid the school girl look. Check out beauty.femina.in

WRITING IN

RAISE YOUR GLASSES Gauri and Nainika present colour blocking with interesting cuts.

Your article on healthy diets for a healthy life really inspired my teenage daughter to start eating right again. Thank you, Femina, for all the help!

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This season fashion seems to have finally found its Atlantis. While designers the world over (Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci, to name a few) envisioned a futuristic water world this Spring Summer, we bring you glamorous ways to wear this trend. Feel as exotic as a mermaid stepped out of the ocean with make up and accessories inspired from the ocean.

Lily Flower: Accessorize, H 345 Shell Earring : Kenneth Cole, H 1,560 Shell neckpiece: Barney's, H 5,699

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Earrings: net-a-porter.com, H 2,195 Beaded blue neckpiece: JC Penny, H 6,720

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Flower: Zara , H152 450 • FEMINA • May17, 2012 Earrings: Good earth , H 800

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Zara, H 450 Earrings: Fabindia, H 670

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Flower: Etsy, H 540 Bracelet: Shopper stop, H 990 Beaded Hair band: Pantaloons, H 345 Flower Bracelet: Kazo, H 790 Earrings: Zara, H 450

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White Flower: Vero 620 2012 156 • Moda, FEMINA H• May17, Beaded White Neckpiece: Jcrew , H 1,345

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"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Design is knowing which ones to keep.”

Scott Adams, Cartoonist

YOUR LIFESTYLE SUMMER COOLER Want a quick fix to the summer heat? Nimbu Pani with a twist. Just mix in the water, sugar, a little salt to taste and a squeeze of a juicy lemon. Here's the kicker - basil seeds, for that extra zing of a flavor, to keep you refreshed through the heat. You can even add other garnishes like 'boondi' and chaat masala for taste.

On Femina.in Chef Manu Nair takes you beyond the usual sambhar and avial, and gives you a taste of Kerala's lip-smacking chutneys and side dishes. Peek into Kerala's secrets and learn to make authentic Malayalam food on food.femina.in

WRITING IN A mouth full of white teeth not only makes your smile more beautiful, it also makes you look Spas are making a mark with their invigorating messages, younger. However, beverages exotic facials, hair treatments, luxurious body wraps and scrubs in cities and industrial like black coffee, when taken towns. Today's busy lives are calling for regular visits to various spas. Spas of India: constantly can take their toll on Collectors' Guide (Thompson Press), edited by Parineeta Sethi and Khuushboo Jain, one’s pearly pearls, replacing dwells at length on the tradition and culture of spas in India arrived in bookshops early them with discolored fangs. this month. "Spa as we know today are sanctums of rejuvenation, relaxation and a world When the pearls go a shade of healing. The spa dates back to ancient Greece when baths were built around volcanoes darker, one can brush with the or natural hot springs," says Sethi. regular toothpaste then pour some "Today, the spa is an interesting combination of ancient traditions and modern extra virgin oil on a white wash mechanical wonders. Though modern spas have undergone a paradigm shift in their cloth and scrub the enamel. treatment procedures, they still retain water therapy as their nucleus," she said Fatima K, Hyderabad

RELAX, REFRESH, REJUVENATE

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Your Lifestyle • foodie

THE OCEAN'S BOUNTY

Spicy Blackened Fish Fajitas Ingredients

Serves: 4 Ready in: 30 minutes

Preparation method Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 20 mins

60 ml maple syrup 30 ml soy sauce 1 clove garlic, minced 1 g garlic salt 0.3 g ground black pepper 455 g salmon

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1. In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.

2. Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture.

Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

4. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon uncovered 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.

Lemon Seafood Risotto Ingredients

Preparation method

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, cleaned and thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 230g Arborio rice 500ml chicken stock, divided 250ml dry white wine, optional 250g scallops 250g medium prawns, peeled and deveined 60g fresh sweet peas, trimmed and halved crossways 1 medium red pepper, diced 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons dried basil 2 tablespoons lemon juice ground black pepper to taste

Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 25 mins

Serves: 6 Ready in: 55 minutes

1. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Cook the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring frequently.

2.Pour in 350ml of the chicken stock, and bring to boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes, continuing to stir. Pour in the remaining chicken stock and wine, increase heat to medium, and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add the scallops, prawns, peas and red pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until the remaining liquid is almost absorbed, and the seafood has cooked, about 5 minutes. When the rice is just tender and slightly creamy, season with Parmesan cheese, basil, lemon juice and pepper.

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Your Lifestyle • foodie

Maple Salmon

Serves: 4 Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Preparation method

Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 20 mins

60 ml maple syrup 30 ml soy sauce 1 clove garlic, minced 1 g garlic salt 0.3 g ground black pepper 455 g salmon Small tortillas Lime wedges Cilantro Grated cheddar or cotija

1. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Cook the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring frequently.

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2.Pour in 350ml of the chicken stock, and bring to boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes, continuing to stir. Pour in the remaining chicken stock and wine, increase heat to medium, and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add the scallops, prawns, peas and red pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until the remaining liquid is almost absorbed, and the seafood has cooked, about 5 minutes.

When the rice is just tender and slightly creamy, season with Parmesan cheese, basil, lemon juice and pepper.

May17, 2012 • FEMINA • 163

BEDROOMS ON A BUDGET When you think about your bedroom, what comes to mind? Do you think of it as a serene oasis, a place where you can escape and relax after a hectic day? Or is it a jumbled mess of clothes, generic posters, and boring furniture?

Shruti Shyam gives you tips to spruce up your bedroom, at very reasonable rates.

Of all the areas in the home, the bedroom is usually the room that gets the least amount of attention. After all, most of your own time there is spent sleeping. In many homes, the bedroom is the most unimaginative, disorganized room in the house, when it should be the most inviting.

The bedroom is where you go to relax and recharge. If you’re ready to revamp your bedroom, and you’re on a tight budget, check out some of these creative ideas to help get you started.

Repaint First, consider putting on a fresh coat of paint. Don’t underestimate the power of a new colour in your bedroom.

When choosing a paint color for your bedroom, first think 164 • FEMINA • May17, 2012

of how certain colours make you feel. For a relaxing touch, use cool blues. If you want your bedroom to feel sexy and intimate, then choose a red or purple shade for the walls, since those colors often add energy and a romantic atmosphere to a space. Green is great for feeling calm. If you want to feel energized in your bedroom, then go with a yellow or orange color.

Find Great Art Do you have any art hanging up in your bedroom? Many people don’t, but adding art that’s meaningful to you is a wonderful way to add character to your bedroom.

The good news is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to buy contemporary fine art on a budget, from places like Good

Earth.

You can also get great art by visiting art schools. Many schools, at the end of every semester, put on a student show and sell their art for very reasonable rates. Not only is this a great way to find beautiful pieces for your bedroom, but also to support emerging artists as well.

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Your Lifestyle • interiors

Another cheap art idea is to buy a blank canvas. In nice cursive writing, display your favorite quotes or passages from your favorite book, or just go wild, splash lots of paint and put it up on display in your bedroom.

Go DIY with Furniture If you can’t afford a whole new bedroom set, why not be frugal and eco-friendly and buy used pieces?

Don’t worry about the paint or finish when you’re looking at chairs and tables. These items can always be repainted and varnished if required. Knobs and drawer handles can be replaced with new or vintage pieces.

Remember, your personal touch always makes your furniture far more interesting.

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Redo Your Headboard

create some visual interest.

Does your bed’s headboard make you snooze? There are some amazing ways to transform your headboard without spending a lot of money, especially if you use items you find, or that have been lying around the house.

You could even go as far as using an old door. Chop off the ends, sand it down, repaint it, and lay it on its side. You now have a completely unique headboard with plenty of character.

You could also use wrought iron fencing, short wooden fencing, plywood covered with cedar paneling, or even several old mirrors to create a headboard.

You’re only limited by your own imagination.

You could also cover your current headboard in fabric. Put some quilt batting underneath, and then staple both the batting and the fabric right into the wood. In the middle, create three “rows” using tacks. This will both secure the middle of the batting and fabric and

More Bedroom Design Tips If you want your bedroom to be truly relaxing, keep the TV out.

Feng Shui experts claim that having a TV in your bedroom is one of the worst things you can do because you’re tempted to watch TV late, and late night TV watching has been proven to cause you to stay awake longer, and negatively impact your sleep.

If your bedroom ends up catching clutter from the entire house, focus on organizing

your space first. Use underbed storage bins, and make sure your night stands have adequate storage so that countertops stay clear.

This works especially well with vintage posters, graphic design pieces, and old movie posters.

You can also do this with record albums.

If you have scarves or fabric that go with the color of your walls, use these to hide ugly dressers and night stands.

Simply drape the fabric on the countertops and let them hang off the sides.

You can make a creative statement by hanging clothes on your wall instead of in your closet. Buy some pipe from the Home Store and bolt it to the wall; you’ll have an uber cool industrial clothes rack to display your more interesting pieces.

Adding plants to your bedroom is another way to add some life and personality. Plants are also beneficial because they add humidity, in addition to cleansing the air.

Many people like hanging pictures of their family in the bedroom. Think twice before you do this. Your bedroom is meant to be a private space for you and your spouse or partner.

Having pictures of your family everywhere can, even subconsciously, make you feel uncomfortable.

If you have posters you love, don’t clutter all the walls hanging them up. Make more of an impact by grouping them all together on one wall, making it look almost like wallpaper.

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travel

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Hello Bali!

Bali may be small in size – you can drive around the entire coast in one long day – but its prominence as a destination is huge, and rightfully so. Bali’s small size doesn’t make for uniformity. The popular Indonesian island combines green rice terraces with long tropical beaches and volcanoes. Ask travellers what Bali means to them and you’ll get as many answers as there are flowers on a frangipani tree. Virescent rice terraces, pulse-pounding surf, enchanting temple ceremonies, mesmerising dance performances and ribbons of beaches are just some of the images people cherish.

The manic whirl of Kuta segues into the luxury of Seminyak. The artistic swirl of Ubud is a counterpoint to misty treks amid the volcanoes.

Mellow beach towns like Amed, Lovina and Pemuteran can be found right round the coast and just offshore is the laid-back idyll of Nusa Lembongan. Likewise, traditional Hindu temples and artistic towns such as Ubud provide a counterpoint to party capital, Kuta.

A visit to Bali means that you are in the most visitor-friendly island of Indonesia. There are pleasures of the body, whether a massage on the beach or a hedonistic interlude in a sybaritic spa. Shopping that will put ‘extra bag’ at the top of your list. Food and drink ranging from the freshest local cuisine bursting with the flavours of the markets to food from around the globe, often prepared by chefs and served in restaurants that are world class. From a cold Bintang at sunset to an epic night clubbing in Kuta, your social whirl is limited only by your own fortitude.

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Your Lifestyle • travel

Eat & drink

Visit Bali's best-known dive area, Pulau Menjangan, is good for divers and snorkellers, and is located in the Taman Nasional Bali Barat park. Expect tropical fish, corals, clear water and underwater cliffs.

Perched in Bali's central mountains, Ubud's focus remains on Balinese culture in all its forms.

The Agung Rai Museum of Art is a gallery and cultural centre where you can take courses in batik and Balinese history.

At Jatiluwih, which means 'Truly Marvellous', you will be rewarded with vistas of centuriesold rice terraces that have been nominated for Unesco status. You'll understand why when you see the panorama from the twisting 12-mile road.

Get out for a walk along the water channels.

For out-of-the-way beaches, head to Bingin. The scenery here is superb, with cliffs dropping down to a row of houses and the foaming edge of the sea. The surf can be savage, but the white sands are calm and the roaring breakers mesmerising.

The village of Munduk is one of Bali's most appealing mountain retreats, and is set among hillsides covered with rice, coffee and fruit plantations. Waterfalls tumble off precipices and there are great trekking opportunities around the lakes of Danau Tamblingan and Danau Buyan.

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Few locals making the trek up the hill pass the open-air Nasi Ayam Kedewatan without stopping. The star is the superlative sate lilit (minced chicken satay with lemongrass).

It's all about pork at muchloved open-front stall, Warung Dobiel in the south's Nusa Dua. Pork satay, pork soup and beans with shredded pork are favourites. The sautéed jackfruit will make you a convert; the green sambal (chilli-based sauce) is redolent with spices. Seating is at long tables.

Join the lunchtime lines outside Warung Ibu Oka , opposite Ubud Palace. They're waiting for the eponymous Balinese-style roast suckling pig. Locals and expats in the know travel far for meat they say is the most tender and tasty on the island.

At night, hundreds of candles twinkle around outdoor tables at The Living Room. The décor combines Balinese thatching and colonial posh, and the menu fuses French classics with Asian flair.

Arguably Bali's finest restaurant, Blossom has high-end décor and a creatively global menu. Try the lobster mango-shiro miso with mandarin salt.

Sleep Matahari Cottages has six flamboyantly themed rooms, including the 'Batavia Dacha' and the 'Indian Pasha', stuffed with Balinese furniture and colourful soft furnishings. There's an Elizabethan-themed library and an elaborate high tea is served on silver.

Turn left after the toll gate for Mu, the most stylish option in Bingin. Thatched bungalows are scattered about a landscaped compound dominated by a cliffside infinity pool. All have hot tubs with sea views.

At Taman Sari bungalows are set on a long stretch of quiet beach, and feature intricate carvings and other traditional artwork. The open-air bathrooms are delightful places for that wake-up shower.

Founded in order to help develop sustainable

tourism, the Puri Lumbung Cottages are set among rice fields with views down to the coast.

Dozens of trekking options and courses are offered, including dance and cooking. The hotel's restaurant, Warung Kopi Bali, is excellent.

On a ridge near Sayan stands the unique Bambu Indah, a compound of 100-year-old royal Javanese houses. Several outbuildings create a timeless, yet luxurious village. Rooms are works of art, with tasteful batik bedspreads and simple, authentic decoration.

Getting Around Public transport is provided by minibuses called bemo. You can hire a car at the airport (from £14 per day; balicarhire.com), but as roads can be busy, taxis are the safest option and tend to have meters. Bali Taxi is the most reliable.

As you stumble upon the exquisite little offerings left all over the island that materialise as if by magic, you’ll see that the tiny tapestry of colours and textures is a metaphor for Bali itself.

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Brain Teaser How can you throw a ball as hard as you can and have it come back to you, even if it doesn't bounce off anything? There is nothing attached to it, and no one else catches or throws it back to you.

Throw it straight up in the air

YOUR SPACE BRING ON THE MUSIC DJ Norman Cook's two-hour-long performance in Gurgaon last week was just not enough for the Indian audience as they kept chanting "we want more".On his maiden performance in India, Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim, drove the crowd crazy with his techno hits like "Praise You", "The Rockafeller Skank" and "Right Here Right Now". The 48-year-old started his performance surprisingly on time, and as he entered the venue, he greeted his fans with a 'Namaste'.

On Femina.in An upcoming trend catches people's fancy faster than an epidemic disease. Then there comes a time when everyone overindulges in them so much that they lose their class to become mass. That's when you know it's time to wave good-bye to them. Read about these sort of fads that have gradually became so mainstream that they have come close to being discarded altogether on buzz.femina.in.

BEAUTY QUEEN

BIG IS BEAUTIFUL Indian modeling magazine and community, Jurgita is encouraging plus size women to model. They have asked women above Size 14, with dreams to model, to create a profile with photographs and submit to their website, Jurgita.com. Looks like India has finally decided to follow in the footsteps of the West. Plus size models everywhere are the new faces of brands. Women like Tara Lynn and Juntine Legault are the kind of women we should aspire to be. They're healthy and comfortable in their skin. Here's to all those women who have revolutionized the Fahion industry by showing us all, that skinny is not fashion.

At 19 years, Vanya Mishra from Chandigarh won everyone's hearts and the title of Femina Miss.

India. The quote she lives by? "If you believe that you can touch the stars, then you really can but if you think that you are a nobody then you will always remain a nobody". You go, Vanya!

May17, 2012 • FEMINA • 173

Your Space • fiction

Part 1 of 3

The Widow

Sheila tries to come to terms with the loss of her husband. By Komal Gupta

S

Flashback

heila sat with a crumpled white saree on the floor. With her kohl lined eyes and supple skin, she seemed beautiful as ever. Her mind was filled with a volcano of thoughts. She looked around at her room. The ebony wardrobe they had bought on their first anniversary, the digital photo album that her daughter had gifted on their 16th anniversary earlier this month. The pillow whose covers smelled of the jasmine oil her husband applied every day. The curtains that she had purchased from the last sale at Marks & Spencers.

The room was silent ..eeriengly silent. Sheila was lost in her thoughts. Shrill cries in the adjoining room brought her back. Wearingly she got up and wore the saree she was clutching and went out.

Looking at her, her sister and mother came and hugged her and started wailing. Her husband ‘s lifeless body lie on the floor. His mother and relatives were crying near it . She went and sat down on the floor next to his body. Her mother-in-law clutched both her hands and broke the glass bangles she had been wearing.

Dozens of relatives hugged her, sympathized , cried, praised 174 • FEMINA • May17, 2012

her husband and left. She sat there motionless. Not a single tear could be seen in her eyes.

Relatives wailed loudly in an attempt to make her cry. Her sister and mother shook her in an attempt to pull her out of the self imposed trans. But there was no change. She didn’t cry.

She looked at her husbands dead body one last time and kept staring till the male relatives took it away. The female relatives followed the funeral procession to a distance and came back. She didn’t move.

When they all came back, she got up and locked herself in the same room.

Several thousand memories came gushing to her.

Theirs was a love marriage.

They had met 20 years back, in college, in India Everyone knew that they were destined to be with each other, they were just so compatible. She was the college beauty queen. He was the class champion, the know it all. She was articulate, he was the elocutionist. Soon after college, he completed his MBA and was placed in a top audit firm . They got married soon.

The marriage was grandeur, she being the daughter of the most prominent lawyers in the city. Immediately after marriage they flew to Europe where they spent the most

beautiful 15 days of their life.

Immediately after marriage, they went to London where he was working on an international assignment. He got a offer soon and they made London their home. The first year of their marriage passed in no time. Everything was so perfect. She didn’t wish to work so she became a full time home maker and he with her support, kept steadily climbing the ladders of corporate success.

She delivered a baby girl in their second year of marriage.

He doted on their little princess.

With the love and support of their parents, life was a bed of roses, roses without thorns.

That was then…

As Sheila thought this, Her silky hair was falling over her face. She lifted her hands to brush aside the hair when a large burn mark on her hand caught her attention.

She remembered the faithful night when she went to his office hoping to give him a surprise as he was busy in quarter endings. She tip toed in his cabin, only to find him and his female colleague together in the office. •

Your Space • predictions

BOOK REVIEW: THE LOST STORY A joint venture by Amit Goyal and Sudhanshu Gupta, “The Lost Story” is the story of a Booker Prize Winning writer Saleem Afzal, who hasn’t written a book in the last 23 years and Sandy, an aspiring young writer who gets the opportunity to work with him on a collection of short stories. The idea and entire premise of the book is that each of them has to write one half of a story, leaving it for the other to finish it.

Together, their imaginations run wild, churning story after story – a tale of a haunted house, the

apocalypse and its aftermath, a journey back home gone crazy, and of a young terrorist and his mentor.

As these stories are being churned, there is another story which remains unfinished – Saleem’s Lost Story. The last book he was working on. Sandy's curiosity rouses questions: What is the Lost Story? What happened to Saleem while he was writing it? What is the secret behind his accident? Why won’t anyone tell Sandy anything about it?

The writing was fast. The stories were crisp.

The intermingling chapters of stories and the conversations and scenes of Saleem’s and Sandy’s lives are very tactfully written. Amit and Sudhanshu have kept the book simple, yet the story stays interesting- the reader is left wondering about the various possibilities at the end of each story.

MOVIE REVIEW: THE LUCKY ONE Logan Thibault (Zac Efron), a marine having served three tours in the Iraq war finally decides to call it quits.

Before that, however, he has an unfinished task: He needs to find the woman whose picture he has been carrying with him through the war. His friend and he both feel that Beth's picture has been his saving grace.

He sets out to find her, but then love, has never really been that simple.

The setting is perfect: the woody countryside, flowing streams and a relaxed life. Adapted from one of the best selling contemporary romantic authors, Nicholas Sparks, the movie had a lot to live unto. Zac, like Logan in the pages, is a man of few words, rarely smiles and plays his character with conviction. Taylor Schilling's Beth also delivers a good performance.

There is, however, still something missing.

Director Scott Hicks doesn't allow the slow development of the love between Beth and Logan. If you aren't looking for a recreation of 'The Notebook' and 'A Walk to Remember', this movie might just be your cup of tea.

May17, 2012 • FEMINA • 175

Your Space • mind games

The word this fortnight Human Microphone Definition (noun) : A tactic protestors use to circumvent police bans on electronic ampilfication of speech in a public place. One person starts to speak to a large crowd. After he speaks , everyone within hearing distance would loudly repeat whatever was said , allowing people outside of hearing distance to hear the speech.

Usage: The Human Microphone on Wall Street announced this speech recently : " This is slow and cumbersome!" " THIS IS SLOW AND CUMBERSOME!' " But it really makes you think." " BUT IT REALLY MAKES YOU THINK."

Trivia

Fwd:

This is a list of some lesser known Phobia

Grew up in the 70's?

Allodoxaphobia : Fear of opinions Caligynephobia : Fear of beautiful women Dikephobia : Fear of justice Misosphy : Fear and hatred of wisdom Papaphobia : Fear of the pope Prosophobia : Fear of progress

Visit memory lane You thought your dad rocked because your family got your own color Tv when the Asian games happened. (Everybody else got one around now, so no one came over to your house to watch.)

You dreaded the death of any political leader because of the period of mourning on TV. How much Shahtriya Sangeet can a kid take?

Indira Gandhi was the prime minister. She'd always been PM and she'd always be PM. The only 'gadgets' in the house were the TV , the fridge and if your mother was creative and your father was rich , then maybe a mixer.

You thought you were so cool because you knew all songs by Abba and Boney M. School teachers , your parents and even your neighbours could whack you. And it was okay.

Taking photographs was a big thing but a reel of 36 exposures was expensive and it meant you would spend half an hour setting and posing for each picture .

That's why you now have old family picture. That's why you now have old family pictures where even is standing at attention , holding their breath.

Your hormones went berserk when you heard Disco Deewane by Naziya and Zoheb Hassan.

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Crossword

Across 1. Type of equilibrium 5. Marcel Marceau and others 10. Friedman co-author Schwartz 14. Make eyes at 15. Goal of "cap and trade" 16. Pork ___ 17. Game Theory pioneer (full name) 20. Sen's research aimed at getting people to ___ 21. ___-Ball 22. Lets up

23. Leg part 24. Most stylish 26. Orchestral anti-sex-discrimination device 29. Opponents of fresh-water macro 30. Verve 31. Pluck 32. T-shirt size: Abbr.

35. Nobel Laureate for input-output (full name) 39. Health resort 40. Taboos

41. Departed 42. Type of man who is a weak argument 43. Property rights theorist and family members 45. What the audience does at an Ely Lecture 48. Inaccuracy in estimates 49. Rand economist, Jan Paul _____ 50. Harvard economist Oliver ____ 51. Fin'l. mkts. regulator 54. Chicago agricultural economics Nobelist (full name) 58. Hard work 59. Jeopardy 60. ____ Colada 61. Sea eagles 62. Nobel Laureate Sir Richard 63. Best economist in a department Down 1. Short article in AER 2. Turkish leader 3. Economist's job position 4. Line that fluctuates with business cycles 5. Mechanism design Nobelist 6. "A Doll's House" playwright 7. A spice or a spray 8. Biblical verb ending 9. Understand 10. French Nobel Laureate 11. Random error 12. Dressed to the _____ 13. Emotion when opening a referee report 18. Organization of Hispanic economists 19. Post-Ash Wednesday adjective 23. Nobel famine expert and family 24. Fiscal policy tool 25. Hodgepodge 26. Stitches

27. What an audience should do after an Ely Lecture 28. Tabula ___ 29. Nobel growth model originator 31. Talkative birds 32. Examples of expert witness perjury 33. A Grossman at Princeton 34. Young newts 36. Have in mind 37. Love ____ 38. "___ the night before ..."

42. Backless seats 43. Simple shape 44. Precursor to Congressional testimony 45. Starbucks order 46. Blood-tinged discharge 47. Ben, son of Herb 48. Washbowl 50. Health Economics Research Organization: abbr.

51. Incision 52. Sicilian volcano 53. The FED chair is the Money ____ 55. Special ___ 56. Make flax 57. Pkg. deliverer

Spot the Differences

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Your Lifestyle • travel

YOUR STOCKISTS' guide 7 For All Mankind, Available at Denim Story Accessorize, Shop No 45. Ground Floor.

Atria Millennium Mall. Next To Nehru Planetarium.

Opposite Poonam Chambers. Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli. Mumbai: Jewel Square. Pune Address Home, Raghuvanshi Mills Compound. Lower Parel.

Mumbai Agni, A/lO, Nandbhuvan Industrial Estate, Mahakali Caves Road, Andheri (E). & Shop No 110, Prime Mall. Ground Floor, Near Alta Irla Market. Vile Parle (W). Mumbai AND by Anita Dongre, Balai Niwas, Linking Road, Khar (W) & High Street Phoenix. Lower Parel & Atria Mall. Dr Annie Besant Road.

Worli & Inorbit Mall. Malad & 2nd Floor.

Mega Mall. Goregaon (W) & Ground Floor, RCity. LBS Marg.

Ghatkopar (W). Mumbai: 2nd Floor, Metropolitan Mall. MG Road, Gurgaon: 2nd Floor.

Lido Mall. Swami Vivekananda Road.

Ulsoor. Bangalore: 1st Floor.

Iscon Mega Mall, Near lskcon Temple. SG Highway & Ground Floor, Gulmohar Park. Near Fun Republic, Satellite Road.

Ahmedabad: Ashapura Apparees Unit No 2.3. & 4.

Pacific Plaza Building. Plot No 570. Masjid Lane. Opposite BS Road, Dadar (W), Mumbai Ayesha Accessories. Inhiniti Mall, G 28. Ground Floor, Near Goregaon Sports Club, Next To D Mart. Link Road. Malad (W). Mumbai B:Kind, Available at Options. Shop No 9. Ground Floor, Raheja Classic Building.

Kamats Club & Cinemax.

Lokhandwala Complex. Ott New Link Road. Andheri (W).

Mumbai Bestylish, www.bestylish.com Bracialeto, Available at Fuel, Denim Story, Shop No 5.

Ground Floor, Swashraya Building. 81 E Road. Kishco Cutlery Lane. Marine Drive.

Mumbai Diesel, Western Wind Building. Opposite Maneckji Cooper School. Juhu Tara

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Road. Santacruz (W). & Palladium Mall. Senapati Bapat Marg. Lower Parel. Mumbai Espi-it, Phoenix Mills, Senapati Bapat Marg. Lower Parel (W) & Everest Classic. Opp Woodland Showroom & Deutsche Bank.

Linking Road. Khar & Linking Road. Bandra (W), Mumbai: F 12. Select Citywalk Mall.

Saket & M-64, M Block Market.

Greater Kailash Part I. New Delhi; Jewel Square. Pune: Ananda Bhavan, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore Fabindia, Grand Galleria Mall.

Phoenix Malls Compound.

Lower Parel. Mumbai Farah Khan.

AKM Mehrasons, G-25. South Extension 1. Near Heritage.

New Delhi Fendi, The Ta Mahal Palace and Tower, Apollo Bunder, Colaba. Mumbai: DLF Emporio Mall. Nelson Mandela Road.

Vasant Kunj. New Delhi Forever New. Phoenix Mills Compound. Senapati Bapat Marg. Lower Parel (W) & Oberoi M all. Off Western Express Highway, Mumbai: The West End Mall, Ferozepur Road.

Ludhiana. Punjab: Phoenix, No 57. Defence Colony. 100 Feet Road. Indiranagar, Bangalore: Jewel Square. Pune French Connection, 318.

Satyam Building, Ground Floor, Opposite Guru Showroom, Khar Linking Road. Bandra (W). & Dyriamix Mall. SD Marg. JVPD Scheme, Vile Parle (W).

Mumbai: Jewel Square. Pune Fuel.

Chowpatty. Opposite Sukh Sagar.

Grant Road. Mumbai: Sterling Centre. 11. Moledina Road. Camp, Pune GAS, Linking Road. Santacruz (W). Mumbai Gehna Jewellers.

Kakad Palace Ground Floor. Turner Road, Bandra (W). Mumbai Globus.

133. Jehangir Building, Near Bombay Stock Exchange. Next To HDFC Bank. Kalaghoda.

MG Road. Fort, Mumbai Good Earth, Raghuvanshi Mills Compound. Lower Parel.

Mumbai

Jimmy Chou. The Galleria.

Trident. Nariman Point.

Mumbai Just Jewellery. 802/A Tîrupati Apartments, Bhulabhai Desai Road. Mahalaxmi. Mumbai Le Mill, Railway Bridge. Wadì Bunder, & Lifestyle. Phoenix Mills.

Senapati Bapat Marg. Lower Parel (W). Mumbai Lee. Shop No 13.

Cusrcw Part Rehem Mansion. Next to Electric House.

Colaba Causeway. SBS Road. Colaba. Mumbai Mahesh Nota ndass, 898.

Notan Plaza. Turner Road.

Bandra (W). Mumbai Malaga.

Crystal Building. 36.

Aitamount Road. Kemps Corner. Mumbai Malkish Jewels, Suite No 304. Opposite Tavaa Hotel. 36. Turner Road, Bandra (W). Mumbai Mango, Corinthian Building, Ground Floor. Linking Road. Khar (W) & Atna Mall.

Dr Annie Besant Road. Worli.

Mumbai: Jewel Square. Pune Manubhai Jewellers.

Shop No 5.6,7. Megh Apartment. Opposite HSBC Bank.

LT Road Borivili (W). Mumbas Marc Cain, Comer V,ew, l5th-33rd Road Crossroad.

Bandra (W). Mumbai Mark Ecko. Available at the Time Factory Marks & Spencer, Phoenix Mills. Senapati Bapat Marg. Lower Parel (W), & Star Mall, 1st & 2nd Floor.

Opposite Plaza Cinema. N C Kelkar MG Road. Dadar (W). Mega Mall, Andheri(W). Mumbai: Ansal Plaza. Aridrews Ganj.

New Delhi Mochi. Unit No 114.

Infinity Mall 1st Floor. Next To Fame Adlabs, Oshiwara.

Andheri Link Road. Andheri (W).

Mumbal Mont Blanc. The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower. Apollo Bunder.

Colaba & Grand Hyatt Hotel, Santacruz (E) & JW Marriott.

Juhu Tara Road, Juhu (W) & Inorbit Mall. Link Road, Malad.

Mumbai: The Taj Mahal Hotel.

1.

Mansingh Road & Maurya Sheraton Hotel and Towers.

Dip’omatic Enclave. New Delhi: Park Sheraton Hotel and Towers.

132. TTK Road. Chennai; Hotel Leela Palace. Airport Road & UB City Ma II, 24. Vitthal Mallya Road.

Bangalore: Available at Shoppers Stop. 1st Floor, Suburbia Mall.

Next To Great Punjab Restaurant.

Linking Road Bandra (W).

Mora Taara. Shop no-101. Galaxy Shopping Mall. Silokhara.

Sector -15 Part-2. Gurgaon: 6, ManE Mansion. Opp Villa Theresa School. Mumbai Mozaic Design Ambience. Victor Villa. Opp Axis Bank. Turner Road. Mumbai Only.

Dhanraj Apartments. A Block, Ground and Mezz Floors, CS Marg Unit. Colaba & LBS Marg.

Ghatkopar (W) & Senapati Bapat Marg. Lower Parel. Mumbat OVS Industry. Infiniti Mall, Oshiwara, New Link Road. Mumbai Pallate.

Badami Manor. Opposite Turf Club. Race Course. Tulsiwadi.

Mumbai Popley Eternal. Plot No-188-A. Turner Road.

Bandra (W). Mumbai Prornod. Atria Mall, Dr Annie Besant Road. Worli.

Mumbai; Select Citywalk Mall, New Delhi; Jewel Square. Pune Time Factory, Sunbird Court.

Ground Floor. Inorbit Mall.

Vashi. Navi Mumbai Trésmode, Linking Road, Bandra (W).

Turqolse. Next to lES College, Opposite Lilavati Hospital, Bandra (W), Mumbai United Colors of Benetton. Ground Floor.

Raheja Centre, Linking Road, Santacruz (W) & Atria Mall.

Dr Annie Besant Road. Worli & 38, Rehman Mansion. Colaba Causeway, Mumbai VBJ. Rani Seethai Hall Parallel to Gemini Flyover. 1st Floor, 603.

CITY EVENTS

north YOUR GUIDE TO EVENTS IN THE NORTH VISUAL TREAT FOR ART CONNOISSEURS Papia Ghoshal's art works will bring some visual treat for the art connoisseurs of Delhi. The exhibition of paintings 'Tantra Shunya' at Azad Bhavan Art Gallery will remain open from May 5 to May 9.

THE ORANGE BALL "Oranje Waanzin", which translates to Orange Madness, gripped the capital recently, as the Dutch Embassy organized 'The Orange Ball' to celebrate the 74th birthday of Holland's Queen Beatrix.

Everyone had to dress up in their best orange clothing.

BUBBLES SABHARWAL PLAY AT OLIVE The indecisive weather in Delhi created a glitch at Olive at the Qutub, Mehrauli, last week.

As part of their Supper Theatre series, she enacted 'See-Saw', at Olive instead of in the courtyard as was planned, because of a heavy downpour.

CELEBRATION OF SUCCESS IN DELHI It was the meeting of two real estate giants, Ansal Buildwell and the Pivotal Group, that resulted in the launch of Royal Heritage, a royalty themed luxury township in Faridabad.

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ALL THE

BUZZ

ALL THE CELEB NEWS YOU NEED

RANA DAGGUBATI DITCHES BIPASHA While actor Rana Daggubati continues to deny speculations linking him to actress BipashaBasu, there seems to be someone else that the actor is involved with. The actor recently confessed to having that special someone in his life.

BOLLYWOOD BECKONS ITS MARRIED HEROINES Publicity for KarismaKapoor's comeback film Dangerous Ishq is on a roll. And then there will be a slew of movies marking the return of other married actresses, be it Madhuri Dixit or ManishaKoirala. Bollywood once considered marriage AISHWARYA’S STARRY ‘NAKHRAS’! the death knell for its You can’t expect to be taken seriously female leads, but no more! in Bollywood if you don’t know how to throw a tantrum. Luckily for Abhishek and AishwaryaBachchan, they have some practice!

Reliable sources reveal the couple drove the organisersof a recent awards ceremony nuts with their crazy demands. Taking full advantage of the fact that international guest John Travolta had expressed a desire to meet the former Miss World, the actress and her husband are believed to have laid down an impossible list of conditions in exchange for attending the event. Not only did they insist on knowing the entire guest list, the seating arrangement and the flow of the event well in advance, they also refused to pull into the venue and step onto the red carpet before other celebrity guests were seated.

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YOUR GUIDE TO PARTIES THAT ROCKED THE NORTH CHARU PARASHAR'S DO FOR FRIENDS The holiday season might be away, but it seems like the Delhi social circuit has already started planning for it.

When Charu Parashar hosted an evening for her friends recently, vacation plans were a hot topic of discussion. Charu told us, "Even I want to plan for a holiday soon, since I've been working a lot past few months." There were bouts of laughter at one end of this soiree, and low-pitched gossip at another. We saw Ramneek Pantal quickly gulping down a slice of pizza and declaring to her friends, "Dekha, main khaatihoon."

SonuWassan also made an appearance with her daughter Avantika.

DELHI CELEBS AT ASHIMA AND LEENA SINGH'S DO When Ashima and Leena Singh hosted an evening in the capital recently, the weather gods were kind to them, and we heard many guests commenting on how unusually cool the summer evening was.

They played the perfect hostesses, greeting each guest at the entrance and showing them around, though Ashima appeared to be a lot more relaxed than Leena. "I've called only close friends. Once you have completed about 20

years in the industry, it's not the people you call to your party who matter but your work speaks for itself and the people who come are those who appreciate it," Ashima told us.

'Ashima appeared to be a lot more relaxed than Leena'

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What's new in town

STYLE FILES FRESH ‘N’ FAB A collection called Lime Chuski that is drool worthy WHAT: Spring-Summer 2012 Collection by Gautam Gupta WHAT WE LOVED : The new collection from Gautam Gupta under his label Autre has been appropriately named Lime Chuski as it oozes freshness and flamboyance. Blending in the best of India and the West, the collection is a beautiful coming together of bright colours, flowing and carefree silhouettes, soft textiles with digital printing and rich Indian embroidery.

The fabrics - georgettes, chiffons, chanderis, organza, cotton and linen - are perfect for the warm Indian months The collection is available at Autre, M-8, GK I, Main Road, Delhi.

PRICE POINTS: On request SARI SAGA The classic Indian wear weaves a unique tale WHAT :Kiran Uttam Ghosh WHAT WE LOVED: A range of saris with a beautiful twist from designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh’s pret line - Chiconomics. The traditional wear gets a dramatic touch with sensual understated sexy zipped edges and heat pressed pleat. The saris are fluid and light weight and have been designed using cutting edge technology on fabrics like georgettes and chiffons. What also sets them apart are the choice of colors, the favoured shades of the season, which include bright acid hues like orange, lime green and coral, with more mellow . jewel toned range. Check them out at Ogaan H2, Hauz Khas Village, Delhi.

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STYLE FILES

THE RIGHT SPIRIT A fashion line with attitude and aplomb WHAT: Esprit WHAT WE LOVED: The youthful brand lives up to its name with its Spring-Summer Collection that is spunky and smart and above all, affordable luxury. There are dresses with various silhouettes including casual and formal ones, tops, summer cardigans, T-shirts and stoles. The collection also extends to accessories like shoes. bags and belts. The shade card too is extensive from deep solids to bright tones, some with attractive perky prints. The range is available at all Esprit outlets countrywide.

PRICE POINTS: On request.

BLING IT ON! Trendy neckpieces to flaunt this season WHAT: Mango WHAT WE LOVED: This season, Mango brings beautiful creations to adorn beautiful necks. Whether it s the neck piece with the fish in coloured stones, pink and cream-beaded necklaces, the beetle pendant in red and green or the metallic coin necklace, it is difficult to choose favourites. Find them at Mango showrooms across the nation.

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What's new in town

STYLE FILES

BAG A DEAL Fossil’s leather handbags are stylish and easy on the pocket WHAT : Fossil WHAT WE LOVED: Brilliant colours and quirky patterns define the women’s leather handbags from Fossil.

Introducing innovative twists in the popular Vintage Re-issue, Maddox, Mason and Key-per collections, these bags are sure to lend an element of flamboyance to the well-dressed woman’s wardrobe. Available in satchels, totes, mini, cross-body and travel silhouettes with iconic turn-lock hardware, chain link straps and zip detailing, this collection can be bought from select Shoppers’ Stop stores.

PRICE POINTS: From Rs 4,595 onwards.

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FEISTY FEET FASHION It’s time to flaunt those sexy heels and pretty flats WHAT: Clarks WHAT WE LOVED: This nostalgic vintage glamour range nods to stylish icons from a golden age. For instance, the almond-toe ballerina pump is inspired by Audrey Hepburn. We also love the day-to-night investment shoe featuring a metal tipped bow that comes in a Liberty Art Fabric or in black, nude or regal purple.

Check them out at Clarks, UG 35, Metropolis Mall, MG Road, Gurgaon.

PRICE POINTS:Rs 3,299 to Rs 3,999.

BEAUTY FILES DELISH TEMPTATION Smell fresh and fabulous with this new offering WHAT: DKNY Golden Delicious WHAT WE LOVED: DKNY introduces the new DKNY Golden Delicious, a tantalising blend of sensations special to New York. Reflecting both innocence and seduction, it is a radiant new scent for the modern day woman. Breathtakingly vibrant, this luscious floral fragrance draws you in with golden warmth and inviting sensuality. A glamorous burst of Golden Delicious Apple and succulent Orange Flower Water create a moderñ and memorable character that shines throughout the scent. DKNY Golden Delicious is now available across all leading department stores in India.

PRICE POINTS: EDT (100 ml), Rs 3590

THE SCENT TRAIL Feel feminine in this flirty ‘fume WHAT: Baiser Vole

by Cartier Parfums WHAT WE LOVED: Following in the precious, creative wake of the Les Heures De Parfum collection and other tailor-made fragranceS Cartier Parfums presents a striking new feminine scent designed by perfumer Mathilde Laurent called Baiser Vole. A celebration of passion, it brings to mind a bouquet of flowers. The perfumes are available at the Cartier Boutique, DLF Emporio, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.

PRICE POINTS: On request

BEAUTY UNCOVERED Slather on and peel off for fresh new skin WHAT: Passion Peel Off

by Montagne Jeunesse WHAT WE LOVED: Get seduced by a fruity cocktail with the Passion Peel Off face masque from Montagne Jeunesse. Packed with a scrumptious super-fruit blend of anti-oxidants, this oh-so girly pampering masque smoothes onto the face, simply sets and saucily peels off to give you perfectly purified kissable skin.

PRICE POINTS: Rs 15O.

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For all the women you are

Dancing on the edge

Bharatnatyam exponent Savitha Sastry believes in innovating with the script while remaining true to the form. By Kavita Devgan For Savitha Sastry, the moment of truth of knowing what she wanted to do in her life came when as a five-year-old, she paid 25 paise to her domestic help to play-act a Bollywood dance sequence with her. Incidentally, Savitha’s first performance was at the age of nine in Mumbai. Since then, her passion for dance burns brightly perhaps even more intensely than before.

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you blinding glory in classical dance. It is a long path of hard work and endless practice. And no one knows it better than Savitha. But what this talented danseuse does differently is that she brings alive the classical traditions of the dance, albeit with a twist. She has managed to introduce innovation without tampering with its traditional form.

“I decided to tell a novel story. I realised right in the beginning that I wanted to take Bharatnatyarn out of the period it usually represents

(the 1800s and the early 1900s), and make it entertaining to the audience—both connoisseurs and novices,” she states. And she has achieved this by keeping in mind that every movement in a dance performance has to be understood by even the lay audience. So she choreographs ensuring that every bit contributes to the story; nothing is superfluous or added to show off her skills as a dancer. And all this within the bounds of Bharatnatyam, a dance form that she believes can express any story situation or imagery better than any other.

practice. But my mother understood the necessity of a regime, and every day, I would get a cassette tape running for 45 minutes to practice to. Unless I danced the whole 45 minutes, there was no stepping out to play!” she recalls laughingly. “But my interest grew to an extent where I would cycle down to Adyar Laxman’s house at 6 am, often waking him up to start my dance class, which would go on till 7.30 am. And then, I would cycle to school.”

MAKING A NAME Savitha decided to innovate with her performances when she realised that shows were poorly attended because PATH TO GLORY the audience was bored with what Her family resided in Kings they had been seeing over and over Circle, Mumbai, right across from again. “I learnt that entertaining the Shanmukananda Hall, the centre audience was far more important of south Indian classical dance than impressing a critic,” she recalls. and theatre in the city. This gave She began dancing to original stories her convenient access to shows by written specifically for her by writer amongst the greatest talents of that Shrikant. And while her presentation time. “As a young child, I could took shape, she continued to use the wander off unobstructed to the classicism of the dance technique. green rooms and gawk at dancers “I’ve shifted the onus from technique like Sarijukta Panigrahi, Padma to storytelling. I feel I have managed Subramaniam, Liema Malini and Vyjayanthi Mala’ she recalls. Needless to put the audience ahead of the technique and the baggage of what to say it created a deep and lasting Bharatnatyam ‘should be’.” Her impression, sparking off a lifelong love affair. Savitha trained in Mumbai first production, a dance ballet titled Music Within in 2010, which with Guru Mahalingam Pillai, and is a touching story of a deaf girl later in Chennai with Padrnashree Adyar K Laxman, and Padmabhushan and her journey through music, got much accolade across the world.

Dhananjayan and his wife Shanta Her newest production, Soul Cages, Dhananjayan. But, of course, it was is repeating the same story.• not all roses—it took commitment and hard work. “Like any child, I loved performances, but not the May17, 2012 • FEMINA • 193

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For all the women you are

Just passing Mr Saxobeat is a huge hit.

How sweet is success?

Its a very nice feeling to see my song doing well and becoming successful. After Mr Saxobeat's success, life's been super hectic and exhausting. I am involved in a lot more travelling and stage shows but I've always dreamt about this, and now that this has come true I am trying to make the most of it.

How did Mr Saxobeat happen?

It wasn’t an instant hit - it took over a year to catch on. It just spread on the Internet. and before I knew, it received a million hits online.

Labels from different countries and Europe started contacting my managers and asked if I could sing it for their shows.

Whats it about your music or your voice that appeals to an international audience?

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If you haven’t heard Romanian singer Alexandra Stan’s global dance hit Mr Saxobeat, you definitely need to up your cool meter! We caught up with the sensation when she was in Delhi recently. By Anindita Ghosh

music and Romanian pop music and this is the inspiration behind my songs. I think my music brings freshness and Mr Saxobeat is a great blend of instruments and beats.

What are your future projects?

I am working on my next protect that will be experimental - something new and different. My managers are exposing me to different countries and audiences and making sure that I am getting to perform in different countries and getting to know the music scenario internationally.

Do you find it hard to cope with the fame?

My routine these days exhausts me.

But there’s nothing else that makes me happier than music. I have always wanted to do this, and I am trying to enjoy it to the maximum. •

Steeped in history

Kavita Devgan revisits Gwalior, a city where she grew up and takes us through a nostalgia trip.

I have been justifiably proud of Gwalior all through my growing-up years there - this small city, which has over the years expanded to become semicosmopolitan, mostly thanks to its close proximity to Delhi (only three-and-half hours away by train from Delhi and an hour or so from the biggest tourist hub

of India, Agra). But I had left the city for good almost 20 years ago and settled in Delhi, so when an opportunity came to revisit the place with family and go through the familiar landmarks of the city, it was an opportunity heaven sent, too good to be missed.

The imposing fort

We started with the fort of course, towering over the city, and I wanted to ascertain if it was really as fascinating as I remembered it to be.

Well, the fort is indeed huge, and there are people who actually stay inside it even today.

Gwalior Fort is very wellknown the world over not only for its size and May17, 2012 • FEMINA • 197

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beauty but also because this was the place from where Rani of Jhansi, during the rising of 1857-1858, jumped from with her horse and died just a little way off. Tantia Tope was also associated with this landmark site.

Of course, I have known these things for ages, like every Indian kid who has read about it in the history books.

But what I discovered this time was that the fort is also apparently of mathematical interest.

That’s because of what is written on a tablet, recording the establishment of a small ninth century Hindu temple on the eastern side of tile plateau.

By accident, it records the oldest zero in India for which one can assign a definite date.

We then moved on to check out the unusual Vishnu temple called Chatur Bhuja, by virtue of it being a monolith (carved out of a single chunk of stone). It is almost derelict today hut worth a dekko simply because it was made as far back as perhaps 876 AD. Next, 200 • FEMINA • May17, 2012

we saw the Sas Bahu temples, both adjacent to each other and have magnificent carvings.

Finally, the last mundir on the itinerary was the Teli Ka Mundir, filled with images of coiled serpents, passionate couples, river god and a flying Garuda. We then moved to Suraj Kund, which dates back to the 15th century and is believed to be the place where the Sage Gwalipa healed the Rajput king Suraj Sen. The famous Scindia School too is spread over a big part of the fort and can be seen in parts as one goes round. The sister school, my Alma Mater, Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, is located below in the main city.

I knew we’d need a full day to explore the fort and was right. So after paying our respects at the famous Gurudwara that’s in the fort’s precincts and heard the soothing kirtan, we went to check out the Manmandir Palace, which is almost vacant inside but still worth a visit if only to be transported back to the medieval era instantly.

It is totally worn out by the passage of time but the Jauhar Pond, where the Rajput ladies committed sati in its premises is a must-see.

There, we ended the day with the interesting sound and light show.

The royal mansions The next day, we had a date with the royalty. Or at least with whatever is left of it. Jai Vilas Palace is a different story altogether. Constructed

by Maharaja Jiyaji Rao Scindia, one part of this palace has been converted into a museum and (Jivaji Rao Scindia Museum) exhibits a collection of antiques belonging to the Scindia reign.

The huge Belgian chandeliers, a glass cradle from Italy and swords that were once worn by Aurangzeb and Shah Jahan are major attractions, in addition to many delightful collections of coins, miniature paintings, weapons etc. Unfortunately, a mechanical silver dinner train that used to serve drinks and food running

on a track made on a huge dining table is no longer on display, but I remember being fascinated with it during my childhood trips. The goldpainted Durbar Hall continued to hold me in awe as it did back when I was a child. In the evening, we went to look up The Sun Temple.

This newly built temple is dedicated to the Sun god and is a facsimile of the famous Sun temple of Konark, Orissa. It is beautiful, clean, has a wonderful ambience and is very well maintained—a delightful addition to the city and rightly a must-add to the list of places to see in the city.

expansion, Gwalior remains steeped in history and is as charming as ever.

TRAVEL NOTES How to reach: It is about 300 km from Delhi (takes seven to eight hours by car). Train travel is very convenient as there are many Delhi-GwaliorDelhi trains all through the day.

Shatabdi Express and Taj Express are two very convenient trains.

When to go: Gwalior has extreme weathercorching summers and chilly winters. The best time is between September and November and February and March.

Best for the last Then it was time to visit the Tansen Where to stay: Usha Kiran Palace tomb. The father of Hindustani the Taj Palace Resort is a top-end classical music lies buried here property (www.tajpalacehotels.com) in the tomb of his mentor Hazrat Surya Hotel (http:// Ghaus. The tomb was built in the thesuryahotel.com/) early Mughal architectural style and Hotel Central palace (contact: is visited by almost every tourist to 0751 2232440) Gwalìor. There is a tamarind tree near Hotel Surbhi (http://www. it, which is claimed to be as old as hotelsurbhi .in/) the tomb. Another place we wanted to visit but did not have time for on What to buy: Chanderi saris, handthis trip is Sarod Char, the ancestral woven carpets, wall hangings, pearl house of the famous Gwalior gharana jewellery, stone idols of gods and of Indian classical music from which goddesses. Look up the Government hails the Sarod maestro Amlad All Emporium, Mirgnayani. Markets to Khan. It now houses a museum visit are Bara, Lashkar, Rajwara and of musical instruments. This trip Patankar Bazaar. Also visit Sonagiri brought back many old memories and (about 50 kms away from Jhansi made many fresh ones, this time with Road). There are 108 Jam temples family. And on the way back to Delhi, there, which date back 1,500 years, I found myself comparing old Gwalior all arranged on the steps of a hill. from my memories with the new, and found that while a lot of the oldworld charm got lost with the city’s May17, 2012 • FEMINA • 201

Model of the fortnight

MEGHA BAJAJ Having grown up around music, dance and theatre, Megha stuck by her passion and stood her ground until her parents agreed to let her make a profession of it.

Dance, music and theatre, Megha has done it all. But her sights are set even higher. And as is obvious, this 23-year-old damsel is ball of energy and youthful grace. Someone who has loved performing since she was little, Megha was always certain that she would end up making a career in modeling and acting. She took her first steps in the industry when she participated in the Punjab Fashion Week in 2010. “And after walking the ramp for designers like Ritu Kumar, Riyaz Gangji, Alkesh Ramwani and Akhil Nikhil, I realized how passionate I was about modeling, and nothing could ever interest me more than this,” she says. And clearly, there was no looking back.

Megha shot for many magazines and lifestyle sections of various print media such as newspapers and magazines in Punjab, including Hindustan Times and Indian Express.

Her determination to pursue a career in the industry was growing by the day. “And one day, I knew I had to move to Mumbai to be in the right place so that I could grow. And despite the struggles all along, I convinced my family it is what made me happy,” reminisces Megha. “Today their faith in me and their unrelenting support have made my decision and all my struggles to make my mar here all the more worthwhile.” Megha continues 202 • FEMINA • May17, 2012

to make plans for the future. “I can’t predict where I will be five years from now but I am sure that I’ll be here in this industry doing bigger and better things with each passing day. I can’t imagine myslf being anywhere else,” she says.

Vital Stats: Height: 5’7’’ Bust: 34’’ Waist: 26’’ Eye color: Brown

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