All posts by : AyFa Collections

In a dusty onion pink Mayyur Girotra kurta set, Mrunal Thakur brought romance to the frame. The short kurti and churidaar were drenched in fine silver zari work, paired with an airy dupatta. Styled by Sheefa Gilani with jhumkas from Curio Cottage and Aprajita Toor heels, her look was soft and contemporary.

Instagram.com/mrunalthakur

Instagram.com/mrunalthakur

Sonali Bendre went the clean-elegant route in a solid green Ekaya Banaras sari, styled by Archana Walavalkar. Chunky Valliyan jewellery, juttis by Inochhi and a cinching belt brought a bold, modern edge to the traditional drape. Her curled hair and polished accessories kept the mood sharp.

Rakul Preet Singh chose a bubblegum pink lehenga by Gopi Vaid. The corset blouse featured princess seams and a deep V neckline, heavily embroidered with gold accents. The voluminous skirt with a detailed embroidered lace at the hem balanced the structure on top. Her hair, half-up-half-down, showcased a multi-rowed diamond polki choker, matching jhumkas, stacked bangles and rings.

instagram.com/rakulpreet

Manushi Chillar chose restraint in a butter-yellow satin-finish kurti paired with a matching embroidered dupatta. The tone-on-tone look leaned into simplicity without feeling sparse.

Foundation has come a long way from the cakey nightmares that once dominated beauty aisles. The rise of cushion foundations has changed the game: portable compacts designed to deliver convenience with a finish that looks like skin, only fresher, more even and more radiant. Depending on the formula, you can sheer it out for a glow that mimics eight hours of sleep or build it up to full coverage for a high-glam finish.

Unlike liquid foundations that live in bottles and call for brushes or blenders, this Korea-born format keeps things simple. The pigment is housed in a sponge and activated with a tap of the puff—no extra tools or fingers required. Many of the latest cushion foundations even blur the line between skincare and makeup, enriched with hydrators, brightening actives and SPF protection.

For quick touch-ups, all-day radiance, or coverage without the heaviness, cushion foundations are the effortless solution. Here are five that deliver on their promise.

Kay Beauty Hydrating Skin Cushion Foundation

Kay Beauty’s first cushion foundation is a homegrown option that marries skincare and makeup seamlessly. With its dewy, radiant finish and buildable, weightless coverage, it creates a smooth, seamless base that lasts all day. Hyaluronic acid keeps skin hydrated, while SPF shields against sun damage. Developed in collaboration with Korean experts, it brings international innovation with an Indian sensibility, making it ideal for everyday wear.

Dior Capture DreamSkin Moist & Perfect Cushion Foundation

Dior’s luxury take on cushion foundations offers makeup with skincare benefits. The formula blurs pores, tones down redness and delivers luminous, natural-looking coverage with SPF 50 protection. Hydrating glycerin ensures the skin stays plump and comfortable, while Dior’s signature Longoza and Opilia complex targets signs of ageing and unevenness. The finish strikes a rare balance: fresh, matte and radiant all at once.

Tirtir Mask Fit Red Cushion Foundation

This viral cushion foundation works overtime to blur pores, smooth blemishes and even out tone, while hydrating skin with water bloom extract and niacinamide. Its silky, powder-cream texture glides easily onto skin, setting into a naturally flawless finish that lasts up to 72 hours. With SPF 40 PA++, it doubles as a shield against UV damage, keeping skin luminous and nourished without any heaviness.

Dolce & Gabbana Cushion Foundation

True to Dolce & Gabbana’s high-end aesthetic, this cushion foundation offers a silky, luminous finish that feels as good as it looks. Infused with niacinamide, the formula brightens, hydrates and smooths for up to 24 hours, ensuring skin looks fresh and vibrant from day to night. With SPF 50 PA++++, it delivers top-tier protection against sun damage while maintaining a glossy, natural-looking glow that elevates everyday wear into something indulgent.

Milk Touch All-Day Skin Fit Milky Glow Cushion Foundation

For those who like their cushion foundation to lean skincare-first, Milk Touch delivers a lightweight, brightening formula packed with glutathione and skincare essence. The finish is semi-glow—enough radiance to look luminous but still refined enough to last all day. Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica, panthenol, and Hedera Helix work in harmony to hydrate, soothe, and firm skin, while SPF protection keeps environmental damage at bay. Smooth, buildable, and never greasy, it’s a compact that does it all.

Also read:

7 types of foundation and how to find the right one for your skin

Why applying makeup with your fingers isn’t a beauty faux pas

For makeup that won’t sit still, these 12 primers hold it down

Oh my god, guys, you got ENGAGED? I’m so happy for you! Made my day, honestly. Thanks so much for letting me know. Well, me and your 281 million other followers on Instagram…

Is it just me or is there something about Taylor Swift’s betrothal to NFL star Travis Kelce that feels a lot more personal than any other ‘extremely famous celebrity engaged to a less famous celebrity’? The culmination of their two-year relationship is something many of us are strangely invested in, even if we’re only mild Swifties. Even pals who have never shown any interest in the singer prior to this have piped up to say that this was the heartwarming slash distracting news they needed. Truth be told, there have been friends’ engagements that I was less emotionally invested in than this one. That’s normal, right?

Maybe it’s because the narrative arc that Swift has taken us on over her 11 albums so far (the 12th, The Life of a Showgirl, arriving imminently) is so familiar and relatable that it feels personal: first love, unrequited love, on-and-off-then-on-again love. Love that is cruel, manipulative, hopeful, comfortable, addictive, frustrating, depressing and a giant red flag. Doesn’t that describe our 20s and 30s, too? She’s not our best friend, but she’s occasionally felt like one—or, at least, someone going through the same old crap that we all have. (Admittedly, while turning her heartbreak into a billion-dollar music empire).

Perhaps it’s because she and Kelce, on a recent episode of his New Heights podcast, came across as genuinely happy and in love, which feels at odds with the cynical view of relationships we hold more widely. He seems comfortable in championing her success loudly and proudly; she spoke of the sort of happy-ever-after love story she’d wanted since her teen years and which he’d offered on a plate. Not that most women—no doubt Swift included—crave that above all else, but it’s nice to see that the modern fairy tale can be compatible with equality. Their relationship shows that powerful women can be adored for their ambition, rather than pulled downwards in order to satisfy someone else’s ego. It’s why the internet is already calling Kelce ‘Travis Swift’.

No matter the kind of relationship you had with your mother growing up, Arundhati Roy’s memoir will unlock something primal in you. Some chapters will make you want to call up your mum and let her offload on you with abandon—it doesn’t matter what she’s saying as long as you can hear the sound of her voice. Other chapters will feel like you’re drowning under the weight of all the words you’ve never said to her. Whichever side you fall on, Mother Mary Comes to Me (published by Penguin Random House India) is a book of kinship: between a headstrong mother and her unyielding daughter; between a brutally honest author and her eager readers.

Mary Roy, founder of the prestigious Pallikoodam school in Kottayam, women’s rights activist and the persistent woman who fought and won a Supreme Court lawsuit against the inheritance law of Kerala’s Syrian Malabar Nasrani community, is the sometimes-hero, sometimes-villain protagonist of her author-daughter’s latest book. When she passed in 2022 at the age of 89, the shape of Roy’s own memoir began to form. But because so much of who the 61-year-old Booker-winning author is today is inextricably tied to her mother, Mother Mary Comes to Me ends up being as much the late Mary’s memoir as it is her daughter’s.

When Roy appears on Zoom, her grey curls are wet—whether from the shower or a walk in Delhi’s rains, I know not. In any case, to ask Arundhati Roy about the weather feels both irrelevant and irreverent. Instead, I launch into an impassioned preamble about how the book felt like a gentle breeze caressing my cheek at times, and at others, like a gigantic brick hitting me square in the face. I prattle on about mothers who demand too much and daughters who leave—both physically and emotionally. How does one write about a mother, I ask, who abandoned her young daughter by the roadside when she failed to dazzle a stranger with her intelligence, and only returned to fetch her after dark had fallen? How does one write about a mother who checked herself into a hospital to read her daughter’s first book because she was worried about how she might be depicted within its pages? “Did you feel like this was a book of rage?” Roy interrupts me, not unkindly. “I see it as a book of complicated love. I didn’t want my mother to destroy me, but I didn’t want to destroy her either.”

Cosmic tip: Slowly, but steadily, things will even themselves out.

Watch your flowers bloom, Leo. Watch your seedlings hatch, care for them and get excited with their every move. Your grounded, nurturing energy is what lays the foundations for your nascent and new ideas to rise from. There may be a lot to pick from, but what truly excites you, pick that. Happier, more harmonious times lie right ahead of you, enjoy the finery of your life a little, indulge in the quiet, fleeting moments that spark wonder, contentment and inspiration all at the same time. The Universe is on your side. Ask and get ready to receive.

Cosmic tip: Make informed choices based on intuitive, practical wisdom.

You made your pick and now you may be wondering if that was the right thing to do, Virgo. Don’t you sweat the small stuff and most definitely don’t you look at bygones at something that turned your life upside down. A bigger, better, more stable hand is here for you, supporting your every step. Step out of this vicious cycle and look ahead in life—towards the new innings that await.

Cosmic tip: Walk away from joyless encounters to new fresh beginnings.

There is something deeper that needs to be addressed. There is something more than is currently meeting the eye.Libra, you have been looking long term, you have been building castles and laying foundations, but what if your masterplan belongs in the 1800s not in 2025? What I’m getting at is, why build things upon foundations that are not meant for your current season or the time to come? You have shifted vibrationally and even in your outlook towards life. So embrace the change, get minimal about things and focus on the bare necessities, get with the Scandinavian design trend—classic, minimal, neat and crisp, only apply it to everything in your life.

Cosmic tip: Less is more—less drama is more happiness, less clutter is more peace, less noise is more silence, and less validation is more self-approval.

Watch out for hidden agendas, Scorpio. Be it within relationships, patterns, or partnerships on the work or professional front. Remember that not everyone who is sweet can be trusted and not everyone who shares bitter truths has your worst interests in mind. As you draw your focus back onto your core, what forms your inner circle, your fortune begins to shift for the better. You realise that although material gains and resources may seem cyclical, they always work out in your favour.

America’s pop-culture sweethearts are getting married, and we’ve got the details on Taylor Swift’s engagement ring.

Photo: Courtesy of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

The pair announced their engagement news earlier today, August 26. Or, as they put it in a joint Instagram post: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”

Swift wore a black-and-white striped Ralph Lauren halter dress, brown Louis Vuitton heeled sandals, and a gold Cartier Santos Demoiselle Quartz watch with a diamond-encrusted face for her flower-filled engagement to the Kansas City Chiefs tight end. But, unsurprisingly, our eyes were trained on her ring.

Kelce worked with Kindred Lubeck of Artifex Fine Jewelry to design the ring. Kelce popped the question with a brilliant-cut old mine diamond, rounded at the corners, which was bezel-set in yellow gold with engraving on the side of the band. Clearly, there was no need to sacrifice any of the four C’s: the colourless diamond took up much of her left ring finger’s real estate.

Photo: Courtesy of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

For modest puja ceremonies, it`s essential to locate the proper outfits which might be simple, elegant, and comfortable. The salwar kameez is a traditional and flexible Indian outfit, which is notable for formal activities like this. It’s clean to discover a layout that suits the peaceful and religious temper of a puja due to the fact that there are such a lot of shapes, colors, and styles to choose from.

Stunning Salwar Kameez Designs Perfect for the Puja Rituals

We have seven beautiful salwar kameez styles to draw your attention to in case you are organizing a low-key puja.

1. Traditional Cotton Salwar Kameez for Ease  of Wear and Easy Care

For early morning pujas and different simple rituals, it’s far traditional to wear a cotton salwar kameez. This light and ethereal garment will keep you comfortable even after hours of prayer. Designs with smooth colors, small prints, or traditional styles like florals and paisleys are exquisite for a sacred area due to the fact that they’re easy, elegant, and beautiful.

How to Style it?

Add simple earrings like a sequence or silver jhumkas on your cotton salwar kameez to make its appearance even better. A neat bun or knot could make your appearance better. Finish off the appearance with a couple of informal juttis.

2. Elevate Your Style with the Anarkali Salwar Kameez

Small puja gatherings are perfect for the anarkali salwar kameez because of its royal, however delicate attitude. The flared form and flowing sample of an Anarkali make it a traditional piece that appears modern and classy. Choose silk or georgette in gentle colors and with small sewing for a glance, this is easy and stunning.

How to Style it?

Select a gentle, airy dupatta with hems and drape it delicately over your shoulders to decorate your appearance. To maintain things seeming natural, add a few suitable jewelry (chandbalis, pearl studs, etc.) and follow kajal and nude lipstick smoothly.

3. The Classic Straight-Cut Salwar Kameez

A straight-cut salwar kameez is a versatile alternative that fits semi-formal activities like pujas in addition to informal ones. Its smooth layout and handy portability provide it with an elegant beauty. Choose designs that gradually consist of festive components, together with difficult threadwork, zari borders, or block prints. Pastel colorings like mustard yellow, sage green, or baby crimson are perfect for those varieties of activities.

How to Style It?

Try the usage of a contrasting dupatta with a straight-cut salwar kameez to create a statement. Accessorize your ensemble with a bracelet that embodies the current layout and exquisite stud earrings.

4. Palazzo Salwar Kameez with a Modern Flair

Traditional Indian outfits may be up to date with palazzo salwar kameez. Because it combines palazzo pants with a kameez, which may be quick or medium length, this design is both comfortable and stylish, making it best for a small puja. Look for designs that feature delicate prints, replicate work, or embroidery to create a festive but diffused look. This design is most at home in muted, pastel, or neutral hues.

How to Style It?

Use a dupatta with complex embroidery or tassels to feature aptitude in your outfit. The very last accents are oxidized jewelry (bangles, jhumkas, etc.) and Kolhapuri sandals.

5. Sharara-Inspired Salwar Kameez for a Festive Atmosphere

A sharara salwar suit is a top-notch alternative for a puja ritual and offers any ensemble a touch of strength and joy. The best balance among the historical and modern styles is executed through pairing the short kameez with the ethereal dupatta and flared sharara pants. Use delicate embroidery or pastel shades to make it easy but stylish.

How to Style It?

Try a tiny maang tikka or a couple of striking jewelry for an additional festive touch. For shoes, mojaris or juttis with embroidery are an undying alternative.

How to Pick the Ideal Salwar Kameez for a Minimal Puja Rituals?

1. The Importance of Comfort

Due to the lengthy hours spent dancing, it’s far endorsed to wear light and breathable fabrics like cotton, silk, or georgette for modest puja celebrations.

2. Stay Modest

Maintain clean, straightforward designs. Instead, choose undying patterns, sensitive embroidery, or easy decorations.

3. Select Vibrant Colors

Great options for puja apparel include earthy tones, soft pastels, and colorful tints like orange or yellow.

4. Carefully Choose Your Accessories

The secret’s to decorate subtly, however elegantly. You can entire your appearance with earrings, bangles, and a bindi.

5. Emphasize Draping

Be cautious with the dupatta drape for an air of delicate elegance. You can pin your hair to one side for a tremendous appearance or permit it to cling freely for a comfortable vibe.

Final Words

Salwar kameez is an undying and flexible preference for basic puja rituals due to its stability in culture and flair. You can select a fashion that enhances your taste, whether or not it`s the subdued beauty of an Anarkali or the modern-day edge of a sharara. You can also additionally prepare a fashionable and sensible outfit by paying close interest to the fabrics, colors, and add-ons you pick. If you need your puja day to be in reality unforgettable, don this fashion of salwar kameez!

Lightweight, modest, and elegant styles in cotton, silk, or georgette are ideal for puja rituals.

Shades like yellow, red, green, cream, and white are often considered holy and festive.

Yes, by changing accessories and dupattas, you can easily reuse the outfit for pujas, festivals, or family gatherings.