All posts by : AyFa Collections

Cosmic tip: No matter what, those who matter, stick together.

People will come and go, you may also be travelling this week, whatever the case, with you, Scorpio, remember to keep your health as your topmost priority. Let your creative juices flow in ways that surprise you because you really are not stuck. Sure, you wish things were different, but what if the cosmos is really sending you a shooting star? Make your wish and expect it to come true, but first, bring your focus back to yourself. Because not only is health true wealth, but so is your vibe a magnet for all the good that you attract.

Cosmic tip: What is the most creative, yet implausible thing you can do to make this situation work? Do it.

This time in your life is a reminder to go back to the basics, Sag. It is about acknowledging and holding onto what lights you up, who and what truly matter, and perhaps even filtering out all that doesn’t. Pour your energy into the basics, and you know what, everything will work out better than you can imagine. This is your wake-up call to be yourself, to not work only towards pleasing others, but also towards making yourself truly happy. If you’ve been wearing a mask all along, pretending to be someone you aren’t or pretending to have it all together, allow the mask to come off. And BREATHE. You are here to taste freedom, not facades.

Cosmic tip: Let go of old hurts and choose to look forward towards the sun.

Synergise. Capricorn, your ability to take people forward with you wherever you go, no matter how hard it is, is your strength, and while you may have been pouring yourself relentlessly into someone or something, your respite is coming soon. You have this uncanny ability to spot the silver lining in the grey clouds, and this is a quality that may not be so popularly found, but must be treasured. When looking to find a solution, look around, seek assistance, and perhaps even think of the best possible outcome. You know, the Universe will capture your ideas in a snapshot and deliver them to your doorstep.

It’s safe to say the 2025 globetrotter is going through something of a reckoning. For the first time, we’re starting to ask ourselves not just where we want to go, but what we are going for. “I’m on holiday to chill and have fun, not tire myself out more than I would on a regular day,” shares Maitreyi Bhatia, who recently spent her honeymoon exploring the Prague-Vienna-Budapest circuit. She and her husband had signed up for a walking tour on their first day in Prague, but realised they were too jet-lagged to enjoy it and gave themselves permission to bow out midway. “My job is exhausting enough,” Bhatia adds, echoing what seems to be a universal sentiment of late capitalism and job insecurity. “I want to return energised, not more burnt out than I was before I came here.”

Photographed by Avani Rai

This shift in sentiment has been brewing for years, and slow travel has gone from being a hashtag to a marketing buzzword that tourism boards are increasingly leaning into. Even though the most recent season of The White Lotus was set in Thailand, which happens to be the it-destination of 2025, it’s telling that rather than rush to discover their surroundings, we see the characters sitting by the pool, sipping cocktails and experiencing the native culture through genuine character-building connections with the locals. Mysore-based therapist Akhila Phadnis believes travel is no longer about the prestige associated with geotagging an exotic location on your Instagram post or copping a rare Michelin-star meal. It’s become about exploring, if only temporarily, a new way of living. Staying in an Airbnb, doing your own laundry, going grocery shopping and learning to navigate the public transport system probably provide the most authentic insights into how other cultures operate. “Indians statistically spend the least amount of time on self-care,” Phadnis explains. “The possibility that you can do chores like laundry and grocery shopping after a full day of work and still have time left for other stuff is a mind-blowing concept for us.”

I was eight years old when Bend It Like Beckham (2002) landed in cinemas. Gurinder Chadha’s raucous, cross-cultural comedy—the tale of Jess (Parminder Nagra), a football-obsessed Punjabi girl, who meets Jules (Keira Knightley), a fellow player who aspires to greatness, and joins the latter’s scrappy local team in Hounslow—hit me like a truck. Like so many other people, I felt like it was made solely and specifically for me.

I was born in Kolkata, in northeastern India, and raised on a diet of Bollywood movies, musical extravaganzas in which everyone looked like (albeit older and far more sophisticated versions of) me. All of that changed when, shortly after my seventh birthday, I flew to London with my mother. She’d won a scholarship to do a master’s in the UK, but didn’t want to be apart from me for the whole year, so, together, we moved into a tiny flat in north London, and I joined a new school where, suddenly, almost no one looked like me.

It took some adjusting. The winter was cold. I spent weekends obsessively rewatching the Bollywood movies I always turned to for comfort. I read a lot—books felt less complicated than people. But one of the few things that got me out of the flat was football.

The first summer after we moved, it was the 2002 World Cup, the tournament dominated by the ultimate champions, Brazil, and their top scorer, the almost balletic Ronaldo. (Not Cristiano, he was only 17 then.) I was captivated. Once I started playing myself, at school, I couldn’t get enough. There was something about running wild on the pitch—tackling classmates, dribbling through a crush of muddy football boots, passing, scoring, hitting the post, the smell of dirt and grass stains on everything. I felt totally free and outside of my head, in a way I never really was otherwise.

And it was that year that Bend It Like Beckham came out. I staunchly believe that it was and remains a pretty perfect film. (Okay, Jonathan Rhys Meyers’s Joe telling Jess that he understands how she felt being called a “Paki” on the pitch because, “I’m Irish”, wasn’t great, but apart from that.)

It’s infinitely quotable. (Including “I’m Irish”, to be fair.) The extended credits sequence is one for the ages. The needledrops couldn’t be better: Blondie’s ‘Atomic’, Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Move on Up’, Texas’s ‘Inner Smile’, Basement Jaxx’s ‘Do Your Thing’ and Bina Mistry’s ‘Hot Hot Hot’, as well as both Victoria Beckham’s ‘I Wish’ and Mel C’s ‘Independence Day’.

If I were to ever go on University Challenge, I’d choose two specialist subjects: moisturising, and facial hair removal. Being blessed with the sort of hair that grows in all places at all times, learning how to best remove facial hair quickly and effectively has become my life’s work. From bracing myself to pull off wax strips to dabbling in laser hair removal to trying to avoid inhaling the fumes of powerful hair removal creams, rare is the hair removal method I haven’t experimented with.

All of this experience means I know the best method for you will depend on many factors: your threshold for pain, whether you’d prefer to do it yourself or see a professional, how quickly your hair grows back, and the sensitivity (or not) of your skin. Here’s a breakdown of the best way to remove unwanted hair, directly from the experts.

What’s the best method to remove facial hair?

(One caveat before we dive in: whether you choose to keep or remove facial hair is a personal preference. This is for people who are looking for advice on removing it in a skin-safe way.)

1. Waxing

One of the quickest ways to remove facial hair, waxing can leave skin noticeably smoother and hair-free for anywhere between two and four weeks. At home, wax strips are the most common way to remove facial hair while, in a salon, hot wax is more likely to be used.

“In addition to hair removal, waxing also gently exfoliates the skin by removing dead skin cells,” Monica Ella Botros, managing director at Strip Hair Removal Experts, tells British Vogue. “However, facial skin is significantly more delicate and sensitive than the skin on the rest of the body, so it does require extra care.”

One concern about facial waxing is that some people experience bumps and small breakouts afterwards, something Botros says is avoidable with the right after-care routine. “Breakouts and bumps happen when bacteria enter the freshly ‘opened’ pores (the removal of the hair follicle leaves an opening in the skin),” she explains.

“For the first 12 to 24 hours, you must avoid using any perfumed products on the treated area, as well as refraining from hot baths, showers, sunbathing, sun beds, swimming and strenuous exercise.” Steam, sweat and SPF are all things that can trigger post-wax irritation. This applies also to strong topical treatments, like retinol, potent exfoliators and peels.

Benefits of waxing

• Quick
• Cost-effective
• Easy to do at home
• Extended hair-free period

Drawbacks of waxing

• Depending on your pain threshold, it can hurt
• Possibility of post-wax breakouts
• Can increase the likelihood of ingrown hairs
• Can cause irritation in sensitive skin types

2. Threading

Threading involves taking a carefully twisted piece of cotton thread and using the tension to hold and pull onto unwanted hairs.

Cosmic tip: Look at all that you have learned and choose to move forward with that.

Do you have faith, Sag? Do you really believe in a higher power working through you? Because it is. You are undergoing a deep emotional reset and whether it surfaces as a health challenge or a tough situation in your life that needs you to show up with resilience, remember that whatever you water, grows. So mindfully and intentionally water your relationships, your health, your wellness, and your soul and watch it bloom in real-time. You’ve got this.

Cosmic tip: Let your faith be bigger than your worries.

Your gateway to the divine is through your heart, through the relationships you hold dear, through the many ways in which you show up for yourself and others, through the way you serve the world around you, through the way you choose to be you, unfiltered, through everything you do. Your purpose in life is to heal, and you do it by simply existing, Capricorn. Try falling a little more in love with life and a little less with your duties and worries. You are here to experience and share love, that is your greatest blessing and purpose.

Cosmic tip: Go easy on yourself and your servitude. Life is meant to be experienced not rushed through.

You know what you want and you know how you wish to get there too, Aquarius. You are being watched over and protected so if there ever was a time for you to dream big, it would be now. Rustle up a plan, set floating goals, keep your integrity and love for things in the fore and keep your spirits high because the higher realms are now working through you. Have a little confidence in yourself and a lot more confidence in the cosmos. Everything is on track, even when you may feel it isn’t and your floating goals will only let you get to the next point fluidly and effectively.

Cosmic tip: Stick to your inner goals and the cosmos will align everything.

Are your worries real or mere projections of what may actually feel amiss, Pisces? Right when you least expect it, an epiphany will come flooding through your energy field making you view life differently, embedding a willingness to perhaps even show up differently. Your willingness to give life another chance, to give fresh opportunities another chance and to even explore new avenues, perhaps old ones with new glasses on, is opening up a doorway that leads you to a beautiful space in life. Wellness and harmony are your biggest goals and you are only willing to accept these as your new normal.

Cosmic tip: It is a time of big blessed change for you.

Over the past decade at Balenciaga, Demna didn’t just dress a new generation—he dismantled codes, re-cut silhouettes, and shoved the runway into places it had no business going. From mud pits and chip bags couture to cartoon cameos, he turned Balenciaga into fashion’s most disobedient house.

For some, it was a revival; an audacious update of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s legacy. For others, it was a high-fashion hoax. But love it or loathe it, you couldn’t look away.

As his final couture show approaches, we look back at 10 moments that prove it was never just about clothes.

1. The Debut, FW16

Demna’s first look hit the runway like a slap. Classic Balenciaga silhouettes, like the cocoon silhouette reimagined through anoraks and puffer jackets.

2. The Triple S Sneaker, FW17 Menswear

A silhouette that changed the language of footwear. Ugly became aspirational. Suddenly, everyone was running after the dad trainer.

3. The Couture Reset, Fall 2021 Couture

No music, no fanfare. Blacked-out salons and silence so loud it left a dent. The house’s first couture show in over five decades and Demna handed us a fashion mic drop.

4. The Mud Show, SS23

The message: fashion doesn’t float above the world, it is in the soil with us. Brutal, timely, unforgettable.

5. The Simpsons Screening, SS22

The FROW was replaced by Springfield’s finest. A 10-minute episode that packed more commentary than most seasons. A masterstroke of mass culture meets the meme-literate power of fashion.

6. The Arena Tote, SS17 Menswear

A ₹1.7L calfskin version of an Ikea shopping bag. This was not just viral bait; this was Demna’s commentary on consumerism and the absurdity of value in fashion.

7. The Lay’s x Balenciaga leather chip bag, SS23

Another object of hyperluxury satire.

For city-wear homeowners looking to create the perfect holiday home amidst nature, Shroff has an important tip. “My biggest piece of advice is to respect nature. Don’t go against it. Study the context of the space you are building in,” she states. “If it’s a mountain, don’t excavate it more than required. Terrace it gently. Work with the slopes the site has given you. You can go to the top of a mountain and flatten it out and build a big, fat house there but when you’re working with nature, you will understand how it protects you back and supports the way you feel in your house.” Passionately, Shroff posits how uprooting trees may loosen the soil upon which your home is built, leading the ground to collapse. On the contrary, if your house is placed around trees, you have a better grasp of maintenance and drainage issues.

Practicality, she concedes, is what most people fail to consider while building their dream home. “You’re so engulfed in luxury and the wants on your wish list that you forget you need to think about the smaller things,” she notes. “Like segregating your public, private and service spaces, planning for ventilation, planning for overhangs if your second home is in a hill station. You need to think from a practical perspective before you think about the frills and aesthetics.” Shroff encourages seeking inspiration in travels: think the vibrant colours of Guanajuato’s hillside homes, courtyards present in Roman homes or the jharokhas in Mughal architecture. “Everything that you’re looking for is on some level emulating what you’ve already seen. Be it a mosaic, a pool, the way someone uses bricks, their grills, patterns, arches. A walk through a lane away from home may be all the inspiration you need.”

Clarifying shampoos often get a bad rap–from fears that they will cause your colour to fade or will be too harsh on your hair. Yet, the overload of products over time, pollution, and heat styling do cause build-up, which in turn can weigh your strands down and make them appear dull and lifeless. This is when you need to turn to a clarifying shampoo to get back that radiance and shine and to revitalise your hair. What’s key is to pick a gentle but effective formula that soothes a dry, itchy scalp while thoroughly cleaning away any dirt, impurities, and build-up.

Dr Rinky Kapoor, dermatologist and dermato-surgeon, The Esthetic Clinics, believes that clarifying shampoos are the best way to get rid of a build-up of silicone, wax, moisturisers, hard water and excessive chlorine exposure. “But it is important to use them correctly so that they clean without drying and damaging your scalp and strands,” she says.

She advises using a clarifying shampoo once a week if you use tons of styling products, once a fortnight for oily hair, and once a month for those with normal hair who don’t style their hair with heat or products daily. If you’ve coloured your hair, wait for some weeks before using one.

A clarifying shampoo can also become your saviour during the muggy monsoon season when humidity swells up your strands and oiliness becomes second nature for your roots.

It’s not just how often you use it, though, but how you use it. “Wash your hair twice with a clarifying shampoo. First, gently massage your scalp and wash it off. Don’t worry if it does not lather. For the second wash, gently work up a lather, and let it sit for a minute before rinsing. Always finish with a moisturising conditioner to prevent your hair from drying out,” she says. Look for ingredients like charcoal, ginseng, sage, eucalyptus, salicylic acid and rosemary.

To make it easy, our pick of clarifying shampoos literally do the heavy lifting for you and leave your hair bouncy, airy and fresh.

Kérastase Symbiose Bain Pureté Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, ₹2,950

Aveda Rosemary Mint Purifying Shampoo, ₹1,200

Anomaly Clarifying Shampoo, ₹820

Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure Clean Balance Deep Cleansing Shampoo With Tocopherol, ₹1,975

Olaplex No. 4C Blond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo, ₹3,200

L’Oreal Professionnel Scalp Advanced Anti-Dandruff Dermo-Clarifier Shampoo, ₹990

Also read:

Humidity-proof hair is a myth—here’s what to do instead

5 dry shampoos that work, plus the hacks that make them better

When your hair’s acting out, vitamin A could be what it’s missing

After the most fortunate new moon of the year on June 25, the full moon on July 10 promises to be even more grounding. Dubbed the ‘buck moon’, echoing the period when the antlers of male deer begin to grow, this full moon is synonymous with evolution and growth. “On July 10, the full moon will shine in the second decan of Capricorn, opposite the sun in Cancer. This will be a lunation of clarification and refocusing,” says astrologer Annabelle Lhem, founder of the podcast The Art of Astrology podcast. In short, we will feel urged to assert our priorities, to keep only what is truly valuable, to consolidate what counts. This full moon sheds light on what we can act upon with pride and what it’s time to leave behind. “We’re not talking about exuberant expansion here but growth around our supports, built on solid foundations,” Lhem clarifies. “A lunation to refine our choices, assert our desires and set clear milestones towards what really makes us feel good.”

How the full moon on July 10 will affect each zodiac sign:

Aries & Aries ascendant: Assume what you’re building

Since the end of December, your place in the world has been changing. What you build—in your work, your authority or your social role—is more assertive. This full moon could mark a visible turning point: recognition received, a milestone reached, a posture assumed with greater strength. You’re consolidating an ambition that has taken shape over time. And what you’re experiencing today testifies to your ability to embody your goals in new ways.

This lunation also calls into question your position in the intimate sphere. A new maturity is required of you: with regard to your loved ones, your parents or your family. You’re changing your stance, sometimes subtly, sometimes with the feeling of having more to carry. Perhaps you’re laying the foundations for a new home or structuring it differently. This is an opportunity to adjust yourself; no longer according to what’s expected of you, but to what you can offer going forward.

Taurus & Taurus ascendant: clarify meaning, refocus course

Since the end of December last year, something has changed in the way you transmit, work or see your usefulness. This full moon can illuminate an evolution in your activity: a professional repositioning, a new way of sharing your expertise or the desire to embody a more aligned meaning in what you do. It’s no longer just a question of doing things well, but of doing them based on what you feel is right, nourishing and sustainable.

On a more intimate level, a cycle is coming to an end. Perhaps you’re feeling a discreet but decisive inner transformation. Your beliefs are evolving and your outlook on life is becoming clearer. It may be a more spiritual quest or a need to listen, heal and be alone. You’re entering a moment of transition, not necessarily visible from the outside, but one that demands honesty with yourself: about what still carries you and what you’re ready to let go of.

Gemini & Gemini ascendant: the alliance that transforms

In terms of personal and professional fulfilment, this full moon can mark the materialisation of an important mutation within your groups, collaborations or work network. Your contribution is redefined, as is your place in shared projects. For some, this may also mean financial advances linked to these alliances or shared commitments. Some relationships evolve and change shape, marking a decisive turning point in the way you build connections.

If this all sounds too good to be true, it’s surprisingly not. Dieras says that clear proteins such as Ensure Clear or Boost Breeze are well-established in the medical community and used in hospitals for certain patients. (“Clear protein is not new,” she adds. Apparently, just new to social media). But when it comes to brands claiming their clear protein is less acidic or has other benefits, that’s where the science might get a little murky.

“While clear protein can be easier to digest for many due to hydrolysation, statements about pH levels and energy exertion require more scientific backing,” says Manaker. “Studies could explore these claims in more depth, particularly focusing on digestive efficiency, long-term usage and the mechanisms behind these potential benefits.”

Clear protein vs whey protein

The main differences between clear protein and whey protein are the formulation and consistency. Clear protein is made from whey protein; it undergoes additional processing to achieve its lighter consistency and different flavouring and colouring. But Dieras says both are sources of additional protein, so which one you pick may just depend on what your health goals are. “If someone is in a calorie deficit, a clear protein option may help them meet their protein needs while maintaining a calorie deficit,” she says. “If the goal is to put on muscle mass and gain weight, a high-calorie option may be best.”

Manaker adds that there is limited data on which protein supplement is better. But because both provide essential amino acids, she says they can be great options for those looking to increase their protein intake. “Until we have more data to prove otherwise, neither is inherently better [than the other],” she says. “It’s all about what fits your goals and lifestyle.”

How to pick the right protein supplement

Again, this comes down to your goals and taste preferences. “From my perspective, both clear protein and traditional whey protein powder can be fantastic additions to your routine; it all depends on how you like to enjoy your protein,” says Manaker. “Whether you’re a fan of refreshing, light drinks or you prefer a classic, creamy shake, there’s an option out there for you that can fit into your goals and lifestyle.”

The most important thing to consider when choosing the right protein—or any—supplement is making sure you understand the ingredients that you’re ingesting. You should always choose a supplement that goes through third-party testing to screen for contaminants. Manaker says to also read labels thoroughly and check for any unnecessary fillers like added sugars that might not align with your dietary wants. If you have any questions, ask your provider if clear protein is right for you.

And while both experts say that these supplements are a great addition to a routine if you’re keen for added protein, the best source will still be whole foods like chicken, fish, beans or tofu for a well-rounded diet. “Remember, clear protein is a supplement, not a meal replacement,” says Manaker.

This article first appeared on Vogue.com

Also read:

How to choose the right protein powder, according to experts

8 delicious high-protein foods to eat every day

What a high-protein diet is doing to your gut health