Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Closet organisation?

Since summer is almost gone (at least it has in Bangalore), it's time to get your winter swag on and that is why we decided to tell you guys a few simple steps to organize your closet! We know that closet organization can be a little tricky and a lot of us struggle with keeping it in order but with these simple tips you will be able to make your closet a little more organized that what it already is!

1. Dump everything on your bed first. Clean your bed and then dump all your clothes on it. It makes it easier to sort it out. Bring in your stuff from everywhere possible to evaluate your whole situation. This is also a great way to ensure you finish organizing everything because nobody likes to sleep on a messy bed!

2. Once everything is out, make sure you clean the insides of your wardrobe thoroughly. There must be a lot of dust settled in there so it's advisable to clean it up properly before you put your clothes in there again.

3. Keep, repair and remove: Divide your clothes into these three categories. Keep is when you know you're going to wear these clothes long term and they need no fixing. Repair is for when you have to get a part of it altered or put an extra button etc., and remove for when you know you will no longer use these clothes. Think about the throw clothes carefully. Think if you see a future with those clothes and then decide. You can either give them away to charity or sell them online You can also do DIYs on some and fix them. Sometimes you won't even know how some things got in there: Throw them :P

4. You NEED to separate your clothes in different categories. Pile them up and set it up in your closet it in such a way that you can see everything easily when you open your closet in the morning. We're all lazy, so having it all right in front of you makes it much easier.  Color coding them is an option if you have the patience. :P

5. Hot glue on slippery hangers. If your hangers are slippery, put hot glue on it sides and wait for it to dry, then hang your clothes on it. Hopefully they wont slip off then.

6. Laundry is the key. While making piles make sure that the clothes that need to go to the laundry, go there. Sniff them and check them for stains. This goes even for the seasonal clothes. You don't want to take them out 6 months later and find them stinking and not ready to use.

7.  Give a deadline to a few clothes. If you have "maybe" pile then ask yourself when was the last time you actually wore that? You'll have your answer right there. If you're still not sure if you have to get rid of it or not then keep it in your wardrobe in a separate pile and if you don't use it in the next two months or so then you probably need to get rid of it.

8.  After you're done with all of the above, put your keep pile back inside and you're set!

I know organizing your closet is a huge task but it gets annoying to see a very messed up wardrobe and when we can't find anything to wear, it gets worse. I'm the laziest person I know and  I do this routine only once in 4 or 5 months and just struggle once it goes haywire again. I cleaned mine recently and decided to share these steps with you guys. Helped me quite a bit, hope it helps you guys too :)

Until next time,
                  -  MYD!

Friday, June 24, 2016

Skincare basics with Himalaya!

During my early teenage years I used to use only Himalaya products on my skin religiously but somehow I grew out of it. Last month, I happened to walk past the Himalaya outlet near home and decided to go take a look. I saw a couple of products that caught my eye and I am so glad I bought them all! I have been using these products regularly for the past few weeks and I have fallen in love with Himalaya all over again!

One of the things that I absolutely love about Himalaya is that it uses all natural based ingredients and is 100% paraben free. This makes it very gentle on your skin. Let's start by talking about cleansing. I have oily to combination skin and the Lemon Face Wash is the best thing that can happen to people of my skin type. It deeply cleanses your face and makes it oil free. It also smells really fresh and I love how my skin feels and smells after using this product.  

Now let's move on to scrubbing. Using scrubs is an important step in keeping your skin healthy. I bought two different face scrubs from there - Purifying Neem Scrub and Gentle Exfoliating Apricot Scrub. Both these scrubs are extremely gentle and delicate on your skin. I especially love the neem scrub because it smells heavenly and it's also great for acne prone skin like mine! Apricot is known for its exfoliating properties and this scrub does full justice to that.  The scrub gently exfoliates and nourishes the skin and is great for people from normal to dry skin!

This next step is something most of us skip owing to our laziness but this is one important step that we must follow at-least twice a week and that is using a face pack. Himalaya has a range of various face packs but I decided to give the Neem Pack and the Kesar Face Pack a try. The neem pack is amazing for people with acne prone skin but this pack smells very medicinal. The smell is just one thing that I didn't really like about this product. It makes your skin look very healthy and prevents zits at the same time so it's great for oily skin! If you are very particular about the way your products smell then you should try the Kesar face pack. It has a wonderful odor and it also clarifies the skin and gives it a natural glow. It contains turmeric as well so it can help fight zits too. 

The last product is something that most of us don't use and that is a night cream. Our body repairs our skin every night and applying a good night cream will enhance the process making your skin better. The Revitalizing Night Cream is suitable for all skin types and is perfect if you're trying a night cream for the first time. It helps repair your skin overnight and also makes it baby soft when you wake up the next morning. If you're feeling that your skin is looking dull and tired then give this cream a try and I am sure you won't be disappointed! 

The reason I love Himalaya products so much is because not only are they amazing and give quick results but they are also very affordable. This is one brand that our moms have always spoken highly about and trust me they were right all along. We apply so many harsh chemical based products on our skin everyday and our skin does deserve a little natural pampering to make sure its healthy and glowing!

Price details :
Lemon Face Wash - Rs 55/- for 50ml 
Purifying Neem Scrub - Rs 70/- for 50g
Gentle Exfoliating Apricot Scrub - Rs 70/- for 50g
Purifying Neem Pack - Rs 70/- for 50g
Kesar Face Pack - Rs 70/- for 50g
Revitalizing Night Cream - Rs 200/- for 50g

Until next time, 
                MYD :)

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Mind over matter.

"Before you start assuming, there's this crazy thing called ASKING."
That's the first quote I read on facebook this morning and somewhere down the line we all know it makes perfect sense. We as human beings tend to make assumptions all the time, it's like a bad habit our parents never told us to get rid of. Before assuming we don't even give a minute to analyse or think about the what's and the why's of the situation. We just love jumping onto conclusions, don't we?

But have you ever thought why it is easier to just assume and skip the communication part? Mind over matter. We let our minds take complete control of a situation but the mind is a wanderer. We need to channelize our minds and think before we take a stupid step. We make assumptions all the time because we don't have the courage to ask questions. Think about it, is a wrong assumption really worth spoiling the bond you have with another person? Get your facts straight then you can happily jump to a conclusion.

We have no clue what someone else is thinking unless you ask them. You're not a mind reader. Basically, if you don't have first hand information about something and your thoughts are running wild, you're on an assumption spree. We love filling in the gaps with our assumptions.

Communication is the key. It is the problem solver. It helps you think straight and always gives you the right answer. The truth might be harsh but the only way to deal with it is to accept it. We usually assume the things we WANT to hear. It doesn't work that way. It's either black or white, no grey. And in the end its only your decision that matters. No one can control your mind, it's only you.

Challenge your assumptions and jump onto reality instead :)

See you on Friday!
             - MYD :)

Friday, June 17, 2016

10 beauty hacks

We love making lists as it makes our otherwise messy lives a little organized. So for today's post we decided to compile 10 beauty hacks that we swear by. We have tried many many hacks over the past few years and these are our favorites. Here is our list -

1. Stock up cotton earbuds. These can be used for so many different purposes and are also travel friendly. Messed your winged eyeliner? Clean it with some concealer and earbud. Need to fix your eye shadow? Use an earbud. Your favorite red lipstick is bleeding out at a party? Even it out with a earbud. So many uses, just one product!

2. Tea tree oil on zits. Tea tree oil is one of my favorite essential oils. I love how it smells and it also has anti inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It works great for acne. If you have got an annoying zit that just won't go no matter what you do, try tea tree oil. Just dab a little bit of this oil on an earbud and apply it directly onto the zit at night. The zit will disappear overnight! You can also mix a few drops of this oil into your regular moisturizer if you have acne prone skin. 

3. Jojoba oil for your hair. Jojoba oil is great for your hair. It makes your hair silky and also promotes hair growth. All you have to do is mix a few drops of jojoba oil with the regular oil that you use before washing your hair.

4. Use different brands of shampoo and conditioner together. I always use a different brand of shampoo and a different brand of conditioner together depending on what kind of nutrition my hair needs. I don't prefer switching my shampoo much but I change my conditioner quite often. Lately I have been loving the 6 oil conditioner by L'Oreal. I even mentioned this in my last post right here.

5. Glycerin as primer. If chemical primers irritate your skin then mix a few drops of glycerin into your moisturizer and use it beneath your make up as a primer. It will make your makeup last so much longer!

6. Essential oil mix for skin. I absolutely love essential oils and this hack is by far my favorite ever. All you have to do is mix half a tablespoon of jojoba oil and grapeseed oil with 5 drops of peppermint oil and 2-3 drops of tea tree oil. Apply this mix on your face and leave it overnight. Your face will feel so much better the next morning. And don't worry, this mixture doesn't leave your skin oily one bit. It gets absorbed into your skin like magic!

7. Coconut oil as makeup remover. If you are anything like me then makeup removers are a nightmare. They always make me break out. Coconut oil is a great substitute for chemical makeup removers. It melts away your makeup so easily. And yes, it does melt your waterproof mascara as well!

8. Almond oil for longer lashes. I am a sucker for long lashes. I think eye-lashes are pretty much the first things I notice in people. I know that's super weird. I found that applying a little bit of almond oil on your lashes overnight strengthens and thickens them and also helps them grow longer.

9. Aloe gel on skin. Aloe gel is great for calming your skin down. It even helps reduce acne and makes your skin soft and supple. You can leave the aloe gel on your face overnight and let it work it's magic.

10. Mix lipstick shades. I love customizing shades according to my outfit and mood. Mix lipstick shades to achieve the perfect look.

img source: google.com

So these were our ten personal favorite hacks. If you try any of them then do let us know if it worked for you. Also if you have any other hacks then share it with us as well. We love trying new hacks!

         MYD :)

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Sri Lanka '16

Let me start by saying that pre-planning your holiday is a very good idea otherwise you will be stuck at the airport at a tourist agency planning your 4-day holiday for 3 hours and trust me, its annoying as hell. Especially when you have no idea about the country you're in.
And that's exactly what happened to us. First, ours was a last minute plan because until the night before the flight, we had been contemplating whether to go or  not. You see, earlier that week, Sri Lanka had been hit by some really bad floods which caused a lot of damage in a few villages near Colombo and some other nearby cities. So obviously, it was a huge risk because the weather was so unpredictable. We took the risk anyway and I think that was one of the best decisions!
Since our trip was short, we couldn't visit all the places but what we saw made it worth our while.

The place had such a good vibe as we landed at the Sri Lanka airport. The airport was lit up with lanterns everywhere. It was beautiful.

So after all the hassle at the airport about planning our whereabouts, we headed into the city of Colombo. We took a 3-day package which included all hotel reservations, a vehicle for us to move around in (with the driver of course) and a list of places we should be visiting. 

This was our ride. Super comfy! and these are all over the city.
 Day 1:

We started off with Negombo beach. The weather was quite gloomy and rainy so we couldn't enjoy the beach much but well, it was a start. Negombo is a clean and nice tourist area and has quite a few shops and cafes.

On the way to our hotel, the driver told us the country was celebrating its festival of Vesak Poya that weekend. Vesak or Buddha Purnima marks the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha. It is mainly celebrated by Buddhists on a full moon day in Sri Lanka. The entire city is so lit up during these three days of the festival, it's beyond beautiful.  Vesak Kudus (lanterns) at every shop, house, temple, restaurant and even streets! Imagine the sight, just stunning! :D They signify the light of the Buddha, Dharma and the Sangha. I was so excited to be a part of this festival.

There were festive vibes at every corner of the city. We visited the Goldfish beach first. There was so much hustle and bustle at the beach with kids flying kites everywhere to getting free ice cream on the streets; it was amazing to see how lively the city was! We also went to the Pettah River, a famous floating market in Colombo. 

Goldfish Beach
Goldfish beach

The streets during the festival

Floating market

The festival started at around 7:30 in the evening. The sight was beautiful! Groups of people from  the community organisation sang and danced to the Bhakti Gee (Buddhist devotional songs). All devotees, dressed in white, lined up outside the temple for the darshan and maha aarti. Celebrations also include alms-giving and setting up of thoranas of different kinds on either side of the street. The festival is a feast to your eyes, if you happen to get a chance then do attend it because what's better than visiting a country when it is at it's cultural best?! 

City lights




Day 2:

The next day we left early for a 3 hour long drive to Sigiriya. En-route we saw so many Hindu temples and Dambulla. Dambulla is the largest preserved cave temple situated in the north of the Kandy district. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to go visit the cave but we could see a huge statue of the Buddha on the mountain top. Magnificent! 
We stopped at Parera and sons for snacks. They have quite a few outlets there. I spotted many of them throughout the journey. The only thing that clicked about this place was the unique presentation of their burger. See for yourself!

Sigiriya is known as the 8th wonder of the world by the local people of Sri Lanka. It was built by Kasyapa in 5th century AD and is of huge historical importance that is dominated by a giant column of rock of almost 200 mts. The king selected this site for his new capital and decorated its sides with beautiful frescos. On a plateau half way up the rock, he built a gate way in the form of a lion's paw (Sihagiri- the lion rock).  As we entered the monument, there was a huge board which showed a map of the entire monument and directions. A guide took us around the entire rock till we reached the top. The place was divided into the inner and outer mode. On the way to the Mirror wall, we saw the king's pleasure garden, his summer house, swimming pool, etc. The significance of the mirror wall was that it has a certain shine which reflected the frescos made on the rock. Back then, it had been polished with honey, egg whites and calcium carbonate to bring such shine into it. It retains some of its shine till date! Once you reach the top of the rock, the view is breathtaking. On the way down, there's a slide rock which was used to attack the enemy. This is one of the most visited spots by tourists in Sri Lanka.

It is said that the king used to watch his 500 queens from that throne while they bathed in the swimming pool. :P

Sigiriya Rock
The lions paw

The view
Shopping at the end
We had lunch at a place called Travelers Inn. Here, we finally got to have some traditional Sri Lankan food. They love curry and rice. Frankly speaking, the cuisine is very similar to Indian food and the spices they use are also very similar to ours.

Our stay for day 2 was fixed in Kandy so on the way, we visited the Golden Temple at Dambulla and did some street shopping there as well. We also had the chance to taste some jack fruit jaggery and tea the people had been providing on the streets for free in the festive spirit. 

The Golden temple
Our last stop before calling it a day was the  Dalada Maligawa Temple and trust me it is one of most beautiful temples I have ever seen. It was completely lit up when we reached and they had a huge crowd queuing up to seek blessings during the festive season. The temple was stunning inside-out! It had a lake around it and the ceilings and walls inside had paintings on them throughout. There was a room with the statue of the Buddha and all around the room was his story depicted with pictorial depictions. This place is must visit if you happen to visit Sri Lanka. Loved every bit of this one :) We ended day 2 with the some awesome dinner at the River Side resort at Kandy,

River side resort, Kandy
Day 3:

Most of day 3 was travelling from city to city and hopping from one minor tourist stop to another, our destination being Galle.
We left for Galle after a delicious English breakfast at the resort. We passed through the car city on our way, Katugustota. It is called so because all sort of cars are sold in this city. We also happened to see a newly married couple in their traditional attire, they looked adorable. 
We then visited the tea factory and saw how the entire tea making process is done. They served us with some delicious tea later on as well. 
Sri Lanka is famous for its leather products. Our next stop was the leather shop where we could buy a variety of shoes, bags, bracelets, etc. 

The tea factory

the leather shop
I think the most interesting part of this day was the lunch we had at a local restaurant in a random city on our way to Galle. The food was typical Sri Lankan and the place was like how we have dhabas here. After travelling for about 2 more hours post lunch we reached Hikkaduwa where we were supposed to stay the night. Galle is just a little further, so we decided to go to the Galle fort and then came back and checked into our hotel.
The Galle fort is basically a Dutch colony surrounded by the ocean. You can also see a lighthouse at a distance. There are a lot of street shops and food joints. This place is located very close to the railway station, in case you're looking for some alternate means of travel. We got back to Hikkaduwa and went straight to the beach after checking in. Hikkaduwa is famous for water adventure sports like snorkeling and scuba diving but unfortunately we were there in an off- season and the ocean was too rough to do any water activity :( Nevertheless, we had a great time at the beautiful beach and made full use of the amenities provided by the resort. We ended the oh-so hectic day 3 with some street shopping in the night.

View from Galle fort (panorama)

Galle fort

Hikkaduwa beach

This marks the end of our journey to this beautiful country and a great kick-start to the summer of 2016. I know we missed out quite a few places but there's always a next time! 
I hope you guys had a great time reading my experience as much as i loved sharing it with you guys :) Don't forget to share your travel stories with us :)

Until next time,
                     MYD (:

Friday, June 10, 2016

Travel hacks!

Summer is here! :D  I'm sure all you guys are making some travel plans and to make all your lives easier, MYD brings to you: TRAVEL HACKS.

1. Roll your clothes instead of folding: You'd be surprised with how much space you can save.

2. ALWAYS carry extra bags: Like small cloth bags. It's always easier to stuff in some dirty laundry or some extra stuff you might be carrying into another bag. This way you can separate it from the rest of your luggage.

3. Wet-wipes are life-savers: You're a tourist. Tourists travel almost all day long, carry wet-wipes. So when you start feeling sticky or you just want to freshen up a bit, wet-wipes come in handy. Trust me.

4. Get a local sim: It's always better and cheaper to use data services at local rates because we need some reliable internet for Snap-chatting ;)

5.Don't just stick to the tourist spots. Try and get the feel of the city: Feel the culture of the place you're in. Try as much of the local cuisine as possible, take unusual road trips, interact with localites, attend a cultural festival if possible; It'll be an experience to remember.

6. Always check cancellation and change rules: Just in case you need to do some last minute changes.

7. Please do the planning in advance: You do not want to be loitering clueless in an unknown place moreover travel agents cannot always be trusted, they might trick you and burn a hole in your pocket. Do a thorough research of the place.

8. Learn how to bargain: The shopkeepers at local markets love ripping you off as soon as they figure out you're a foreigner. Be careful and purchase things wisely.

9. Before planning the trip, find out if it is off season or not:  Because you don't want to go there and find out that every place you wanted to go to  and every adventure you want to try is unavailable at that time.

10. Wrap earphones around a card: They don't get tangled this way. #lifehack

11. Carry travel size toiletries to save space: use something like contact lens cases to carry small amounts of powder, lotion etc. or carry testers if you find them, they're so handy.

12. Keep all the important documents like passport, visa, flight tickets etc in a particular pouch or case and keep it in the same place, always: You don't have to lose your mind every damn time when you need it!

13. Carry earrings by inserting them into button holes: They're much  easier to carry this way.

img source: google.com

These are all 100%  tried, tested, experienced and realization-hit hacks. Trust us on this and you will thank us later (:
Do share any unique travel hacks if you have any, we'd love to hear from you!
Bon Voyage!

       MYD :)