Beauty and Personal Grooming

When it comes to London style , one only needs to channel their inner Middleton . Whether you're more inspired by Kate or Pippa , we can all agree that their style is both elegant but casual, structured but relaxed. The Middleton's embody these qualities, the most distinctive and important features of London style.   And the best part of London style? It's fairly easy to recreate anywhere in the world.

The bindi —a small dot, a blazing round, or an intricate design—graces foreheads across India and far beyond, its appeal transcending borders and cultures. It might manifest as a humble drop, a bold vertical line, or a delicate horizontal stroke. At its most elaborate, it transforms into a miniature alpana (rangoli), painstakingly crafted with a fine-tipped stick into squiggles, triangles, and circles, forming a mesmerizing artistic tableau. Known as bindi, bindiya, tilak, or bottu , this forehead adornment is far more than a decorative flourish—it embodies auspiciousness, good fortune, and festivity, a symbol steeped in centuries of meaning. No longer exclusive to India, its trend is sweeping the globe; you don’t need to travel to the subcontinent to see this beautiful, circle-shaped embellishment adorning the faces and bodies of people from all walks of life, from Mumbai’s bustling markets to the streets of New York or London. Rooted in Hindu Dharma since ancient times, the bindi’s...

Dehydration (loss of water in large amounts) is a nasty bugger and frequently affects us whenever we neglect taking requisite amount of water needed by our bodies. Dehydration leads to listlessness, benumbed senses and an overall feeling of fatigue. Hydration is a a crucial part of life itself and water losses of a mere 1 or 2% of our body weight can impair our functions - both mental and physical. Various studies have revealed that 7% loss in water content can disrupt our delicate internal balance and result in total body collapse.

Rhea Pillai, one of India's ace models, who has walked the ramp for many a reputed fashion designer is and an Art of Living Instructor shares some of her health and beauty tips . Rhea is an ardent follower of Yoga and emphasises the correlation between health and beauty . Let's see what Rhea has got to say.

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J.M asks : I am a 20 year old college student from Bengaluru. I have a pretty face but my problem is that I am fat at the waist and thighs.  This happened when I stopped dancing Bharatanatyam, which I was learning from 8 years.  But now I want to do something to acquire a svelte figure.  I don’t want to squander exorbitant amounts by going to the gym. So can you please suggest simple, but cost- effective exercises that are best suited to reduce my thighs and waist?

Everyone of us likes to dress well, and we do it as best as we possibly can. But contrary to what most of us think, the real source of good dressing up is neither the fashionable boutique in that posh locality of your town, nor the best cloth shop – but your own wardrobe, well-maintained and orderly. A few missing matching blouses or petticoat could render a whole pile of saris useless. Rows and rows of pretty, dainty but ill-maintained dresses could make it difficult for you to select even one wearable dress for a party or an outing. And, here is where the importance of rearranging the wardrobe, from time to time, arises. Wardrobes are bound to get messed up in the hurry of getting dressed up in a jiffy. Blouses and tops are likely to disappear into the folds of saris and bigger dresses. A peep into your wardrobe once in a while to find out what is missing and what has to be replaced, makes your dressing more efficient and effective.

Thousands of men and women get a tummy tuck every year. Also known as abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck is an elective cosmetic surgical procedure that can dramatically improve your body contour if you’ve lost a lot of weight, have given birth, or are unhappy with the way aging has affected your body.

Calling couch potatoes and mouse maniacs! The lazy dude, who is at home surfing the Net or flicking channels, needs to pull up his socks. People who drive down to the nearby mall or ride elevators to reach floors that can be climbed, need to think again. Sedentary lifestyles increase the risk of heart attacks, high blood pressure, paralytic strokes, diabetes and even some cancers. Affirms a renowned Cardiologist, “A sedentary lifestyle can lead to rise in blood pressure, impaired glucose tolerance, higher blood lipid (triglycerides) and obesity. Obesity is an ailment in itself and its incidence is increasing in the urban teen”

As a winter sports enthusiast, by the time December and January roll around, I'm ready to hit the slopes along with everyone else. While many snow sport fanatics, male and female, spend plenty of money on new gear: ski boots, ski jackets or snowboard pants few people stop to think about the importance of skin care. Our skin takes a beating every winter, especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors. Dry, chapped or wind-burned skin is misery, especially when combined with the general "Winter Blues" feeling that sets in sometime around February. Check out these few products to help keep your skin in great shape all winter long:

Chitra asks: I have an oily skin prone to occasional pimples. On the advice of a friend (or should I call her my foe), I started washing my face with hot water and followed this with a massage every morning.  The result was that I developed wrinkles and open pores. Later on, in the hope of improving my damaged skin, I started using Vitamin-E oil and buttermilk, but this has caused pimples.  Please suggest home-remedies and DIY beauty aids to heal my skin.

Take a look at this weird Laser Hair Removal Ad by Ogilvy, Tel Aviv. Source

Summers are ideal for losing weight and winters are meant to laze around. Perhaps that's why people tend to put on more weight during winters. At least that's what this article from Daily Mail says. Apparently, way back in our ancestors’ time, usually the winter months were associated with famine. So that the lack of food may not affect us, we were genetically programmed to increase fat stores in autumn to help us survive — this theory being called the ‘thrifty gene hypothesis’.