Swatched: The Sexiness That is Chanel Peridot

August 29, 2011 By 1 Comment

This is clearly the ‘It’ nail polish of the season and sceptical though I was about a green-blue-gold colour, one swipe was all it took to hook me on Chanel’s Peridot. Based on the gemstone that is also known as ‘the evening emerald’, this is one nail polish that reaches out to grab you from right across the room. Case in point – even my totally oblivious husband noticed it within the dark confines of a car!

Depending on the angle, the extremely limited edition duochromatic colour is an astonishing fusion of green and antique gold, with indigo ribboning. In sunlight and night sparkles, it is mega-reflective with high shimmer; in more sedate white light, it looks golden in the middle and green on the edges. The formula is thin without being sheer – two coats is perfect for an opaque result – and even though there is a metallic finish, it was easy to control brush strokes. Take a look:

Chanel Peridot in sunlight

Chanel Peridot in white evening light

Chanel Peridot in a mellow yellow light


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Why Turmeric Is Worth It’s Weight In Gold

August 26, 2011 By 4 Comments

Wonder why turmeric forms such an essential part of every bridal beauty ritual in India and several other ancient Asian cultures? That’s because this yellow-coloured spice is known to have potent anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antibacterial, antioxidant and blood purifying properties. This is what made it possible for Indian women to banish spots for centuries, keep their skin supple and to mop up those free radicals.

Turmeric has been known to have potent anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antibacterial, antioxidant and blood purifying properties since centuries. Today, its benefits are also backed by science

Turmeric (or haldi, as it is known in the region) has been a staple of traditional therapeutic systems like Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha – and today, the benefits are backed by science. Regular use is said to make the skin soft and smooth, impart a glow and produce a fairer complexion. Turmeric paste is also prescribed in Indian medicine for various skin ailments like pigmentation, blotches and eczema. Besides this, it is used in traditional medicine for cuts and burns as it is believed to have an antiseptic effect and the ability to promote healing. In fact, turmeric is currently even being investigated for possible benefits in Alzheimer’s, cancer and arthritis.

Regular use makes the skin soft and smooth, imparts a glow and produces a fairer complexion. Turmeric paste is also prescribed for various skin ailments like pigmentation, blotches and eczema

Now, many of us would avoid putting turmeric on our faces for fear we end up looking like a character out of The Simpsons, but this potent ingredient is increasingly showing up in leading international products like  Ole Henriksen Visual Truth Eye Creme and DDF Anti-Ageing Restorative Advanced Firming Cream. So, it’s definitely worth a try in the natural form!

However, which variety to pick? Aam Haldi or Ambia Haldi is cooling, making it perfect for skin eruptions. For an easy formulation, take a spoon of aam haldi powder, add two strands of saffron and a teaspoon of unboiled milk, then mix into a paste. Apply on eruptions and leave for about 20 minutes. Doing this daily will get rid of the spots sans a single mark.

Kathakali Dancer

Cochin haldi (also known as jungle haldi) is another favourite. This is a kind of wild turmeric used by the famous kathakali dancers. These performers have to use a great deal of makeup and Cochin haldi is the only thing that has been proven to protect their faces from the harmful effects of this makeup over a long period of time. Want to try it? Substitute this variety for aam haldi in the above face pack and apply for a deep cleanse.

However, even if you can’t find these two varieties, plain turmeric from the grocers can be substituted for its more exotic cousins. Just remember: Whole turmeric (which you grind into a paste with a little water) trumps powder; and organic powder trumps the non-organic version in potency.

Whole Turmeric

Here are some more recipes that can be easily conjured up at home:

To treat acne or pigmentation marks, mix one tablespoon of turmeric with a few drops of milk. Apply on skin for 15-20 minutes and then wash off with plain water.

For oily skin, mix two tablespoons of sandalwood powder, milk, a few drops of lemon and a pinch of turmeric powder to make a mask. Apply on face and let it dry, then wash off with warm water.

Body (including facial) hair can be removed by making a paste of turmeric and sugar and applying it all over the skin. Leave on for a couple of hours and then scrub gently. A regular application of this paste discourages hair growth altogether.

To remove dark under eye circles, add a pinch of turmeric to two tablespoons of buttermilk and apply this around your eyes. Wash with cold water after 15 minutes.

To gain strength, protect the body against infections and strengthen bones (thereby reducing the risk of osteoporosis), boil a half-inch piece of turmeric with half a glass of milk. Once the milk has turned yellow, remove from heat, let it cool slightly drink three times a week, at night. You can add one tablespoon of turmeric powder in place of the turmeric piece.

However, make sure that you are wearing old clothes that you don’t mind staining when you try any of these recipes!

In culinary terms, turmeric’s antioxidant properties means that the long shelf life of Indian pickles is due to the generous amounts of turmeric that they contain. When turmeric is added to vegetables, its anti-microbial properties kill harmful bacteria and render powerless the eggs and larvae of intestinal worms that may not have been washed off before cooking.

Filed Under: Ayurveda, Beauty, Skincare, Spices Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Beauty Alert: Chanel Launches Denim-Inspired Nail Polishes

August 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

On September 8th, Chanel will launch it’s latest nail collection – Les Jeans de Chanel – inspired by (no prizes for guessing!) blue jeans. I am betting the polishes will rouse a cult following, becoming an instant beauty staple just like their fashion counterpart. I am also betting that they’ll be gone faster than you can click your pretty polished fingers, so stay primed to act fast!

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Kokum Comes of Age

August 23, 2011 By 1 Comment

Now, this is an Indian ingredient that I never thought I would see on an international platform  – that too, courtesy one of my favourite brands. Burt’s Bees latest Lip Balm is anchored around, of all things, kokum butter – a little known fruit that is native to India’s Western Ghats and is rarely seen beyond this area.

In fact, I had never heard of kokum till it was introduced to me by my grandmom-in-law in Mumbai. Scientifically known as Garcinia Indica, the kokum tree is a tropical that is difficult to propagate. Its fruit looks like a small plum, and which becomes dark red when ripe. In culinary terms, it is used as a souring agent (like tamarind) and has a sharp, acidic flavor with a fruity aroma.

Kokum seeds contain 23-26% oil, which is the original moisturiser for Western India. It has high levels of Vitamin E, is non-comodegenic (non-pore clogging), reduces degeneration of skin cells and restores elasticity

Kokum Butter

However, the local population has known for centuries that kokum has limitless beauty and medicinal benefits as well. The seed contains 23-26% oil (or butter), which is the original moisturiser for this part of India. It has high levels of Vitamin E, is non-comodegenic (non-pore clogging) and has a relatively high meting point, which means that it retains a solid shape at room temperature and does not need refrigeration. That’s why, like in the case of Burt’s Bees here, it is perfect for creating a moisturising beauty product that uses less wax and more butters for deep hydration.

When used in the purest form, its held near a flame and the melted oil is applied to cracked heels or dry skin. You will still see it being use thus in most traditional houses, which swear that nothing keeps skin glowing, hydrated and wrinkle-free than this simple formulation, which reduces degeneration of skin cells and restores elasticity. Kokum butter is also excellent for healing burns and allergic rashes, since it simultaneously cools the skin while hydrating.

Kokum extract is used to relieve gastric problems like acidity, flatulence, constipation and indigestion. It is also helpful in controlling diabetes and is especially popular during summer as it has a cooling effect and shields the body against dehydration and sunstroke

Besides this, kokum also contains rich amounts of anti-oxidants that bind with free radicals and prevent oxidative damage to body cells. They also promote cell regeneration and repair. The fruit is steeped in water to create a cooling concoction that is traditionally used to relieve gastric problems like acidity, flatulence, constipation and indigestion. It is also helpful in controlling diabetes and is especially popular during scorching summer months as it has a cooling effect and shields the body against dehydration and sunstroke.

One of the easiest ways to enjoy this delectable, multi-benefit laden fruit is through the appetizing sol kadhi, which is a much-in-demand summer drink as it cools the body internally, thereby reducing sun damage and keeping heat-related problems like acne at bay. Kokum is easily available in Indian stores across the world – when buying, look for dark, soft, pliable rinds that release their juices easily. Then just dunk in the water and enjoy!

Kokum Fruit. Photo courtesy Aliya Leekong

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Wishing Coco a Happy 128th B’day (And Telling Some Untold Stories)!

August 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Had she lived, Coco Chanel would have turned 128-years-old today. Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, a.k.a. Coco, was born on 19 August, 1883 in a poorhouse in Loire Valley, France. The employees of the facility were illiterate and her name was spelled ‘Chasnel’ instead of ‘Chanel’.

The powerhouse who revolutionised fashion and beauty learned to sew while staying in the orphanage of the Roman Catholic convent of Aubazine. Her nickname – Coco – overshadowed her real name (Gabrielle) after her 1905 rendering of the song Qui qu`a vu Coco dans le Trocadero for a crowd of uniformed admirers at a music hall in a small, provincial town in France.

Aubazine

What you probably don’t know is how much Aubazine shaped Chanel’s aesthetics. In fact, No. 5 was a direct output of Coco’s stay in this place

However, you already know all this by heart, don’t you? What you probably don’t know is how much Aubazine shaped Chanel’s aesthetics. In fact, No. 5 was a direct output of Coco’s stay in this place. For centuries, devotional life at Aubazine had revolved around perfumes – the echoing nave had been the location of perfumed rituals for hundreds of years and the ravines around the abbey were planted with richly scented flowers through the year.

The paths, which led Chanel to the her daily prayers, were laid out in circular patterns repeating the number ’5′, sometimes patterned out in stars

And that was not all: Even the number ’5′ was an intrinsic heritage of this abbey. Aubazine had been founded by Cistercians – a Catholic order which placed great emphasis on numerology. The number five signified the pure embodiment of a thing, its spirit, its mystic meaning – something untouchable and beautiful. The paths, which led Chanel to the her daily prayers, were laid out in circular patterns repeating the number, sometimes patterned out in stars. In the abbey gardens was also a five-petalled flower called Cistus, from which the Cistercians took their name. Little wonder then that this number was to play such an important role in her life, beginning by shaping the signature of her very first perfume, which was launched in 1919. When presented with glass vials of scent, she chose the sample contained in the fifth vial telling Master perfumer Ernest Beaux that, “I present my dress collections on the fifth of May, the fifth month of the year and so we will let this sample number five keep the name it has already, it will bring good luck.”

And indeed it brought good luck in spades, building the base for a career that has far outlived its architects. Time passed and in 1970, Coco created her last fragrance – a green blend of iris, neroli, vetiver, and cedar wood – which she named after her birth date (August 19). Initially meant to be gift for herself, it soon became a major hit with Chanel devotees. Today, forty years later, the House of Chanel has launched an update on the original: No 19 Poudré. Perfumer Jacques Polge’s soft new interpretation stays true to the original’s neroli top notes, iris heart, and vetiver base notes, adding mandarin orange, jasmine absolute, white musk, and tonka bean. So, which one are you buying to commemorate this legendary lady today?

In 1970, Coco created her last fragrance, which she named after her birth date (August 19). Today, forty years later, the House of Chanel has launched an update on the original: No 19 Poudré

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