All posts by : AyFa Collections

I’d heard the buzz around anti-inflammatory foods but I’d never paid it much attention. That changed during a five-day stay at SHA’s Rebalance & Energise programme in Cancún, Mexico, where I lived out the anti-inflammatory lifestyle in full. To my surprise, I left not only with glowing skin and a calmer gut, but with a sense of how small, consistent changes to my diet could have lasting effects.

I had lived with digestive issues for years. Bloating, constipation, colitis and heartburn. At SHA, everything from my meals to my sleep and treatments was recalibrated. And it worked. I felt the difference almost immediately. As SHA’s expert nutritionist, Nelly Victoria Gutiérrez, told me, chronic low-grade inflammation often shows up in ways we miss.

“If you have symptoms such as persistent fatigue, digestive problems, joint pain, frequent allergies, mood swings, rosacea, acne, mental fog, or hormonal imbalances, it’s likely that your body is suffering from some inflammation,” she explained.

I arrived a little sceptical, but within five days, I noticed remarkable changes. My digestion felt smoother, my mood more stable, my skin clearer and my allergies noticeably better. At SHA, I learned that nutrition works best when supported by other habits too—consistent sleep, acupuncture, therapeutic massages and even certain in-clinic treatments all played a role. But the dietary shifts were the ones I took home. They’re the reason I still feel better long after I left.

The benefits of eating anti-inflammatory foods

According to Gutiérrez, eating anti-inflammatory foods help reduce chronic inflammation and improve overall health. Some of the key benefits include:

1. Better digestion and immunity
2. Hormone balance and improved metabolism
3. More energy and mental clarity
4. Calmer skin and joints
5. A more diverse gut microbiome
6. Lower risk of cardiovascular and autoimmune conditions

Reducing inflammation, she added, also supports healthy ageing by improving how cells function and lowering oxidative stress.

What to avoid on an anti-inflammatory diet

While individual plans should be personalised, some ingredients are typically left out. These include:

1. White sugar and refined flour
2. Ultra-processed snacks and packaged foods
3. Artificial sweeteners and preservatives
4. Trans fats, processed meats and conventional dairy
5. Alcohol, soft drinks and energy drinks
6. Excess caffeine and fast food

Across red carpets and couture reveals, the mood was soft edges, seamless blends and tones that spoke in the same register. Triptii Dimri’s brushed shimmer, Janhvi Kapoor’s layered pinks, and Madhuri Dixit’s mirrored tones each landed without excess. No sculpted theatrics or overstated glow, just considered choices that let skin breathe and shimmer settle like memory. Ahead, a closer look at the faces that stood out by doing less, but doing it well.

Nimrat Kaur’s beauty look echoed the romantic palette of her floral sari. Her skin was matte but never flat, with blush bringing warmth to the centre of the face. A flush of eyeshadow from the same colour family and light mascara framed the eyes without getting dramatic. The lips stayed in the same key: a mauve-tinted pink that pulled everything together.

Khushi Kapoor’s skin caught light without flashback: glass-like across the cheeks and brow, set just enough to hold. A champagne shimmer swept across her lids, lifted slightly at the outer corners with soft lashes and a flick of mascara. The brows were brushed up and barely filled. Her lips, lined with precision and glazed in a warm nude-pink, gave the whole look its shape.

Triptii Dimri’s look leaned on softness without slipping into bare-faced. Look closely and you’ll see her lids carry a bronze shimmer that catches the light, paired with mascara and brushed-up brows. The skin stays close to its natural texture, with just a trace of warmth on the cheeks. A rose-brown gloss brought the lightest pop of colour to the look. Nothing sculpted, nothing exaggerated. Everything in place.

A peachy-pink sweeps across Madhuri Dixit Nene’s lids and diffuses into a soft crease. The blush—cool pink and placed high—mirrored the eyeshadow in tone and finish. Her lashes were defined, brows filled with a light hand, and her lips carried a satin rose for a beauty look that stays in conversation with her ensemble.

Dia Mirza’s beauty look kept to a narrative. A soft brown shimmer across the lids, lashes brushed just enough to frame the eyes. Her skin stayed radiant without reflect, and the lips wore a muted rose that balanced the eyes without mirroring them. With hair pulled back and no strong lines or colour to the face, the makeup synchronised with the forest-inspired Anita Dongre outfit.

There are saris that feel inherently time-honoured, then there are some that feel unmistakably contemporary. But you can’t say the same about Madhuri Dixit Nene’s latest look that bridges the gap between the two. The sari devotee, who has worn countless saris that span the range from heavy Paithanis to gossamer chiffons, has an impeccable knack for when to uphold tradition and when to rewrite its rules. This peach creation feels like a sophisticated collision of old-world charm and playful modernity.

From the House of Masaba, Dixit Nene’s sari boasts an interplay of textiles and an ornate border featuring aari embroidery, sequin work and kiran detailing. The foundation of the six-yard is raw silk. It forms the canvas upon which whimsical motifs of palm blooms are placed, creating a tropical look instead of a traditional one. But it is the tissue pallu that steals the spotlight. Tissue, a textile born of ancient looms, commands attention for its gossamer quality and metallic sheen. Historians trace tissue’s lineage to royal ateliers, where master weavers imbued the fabric with gold and silver threads, crafting pieces reserved for coronations and courtyard ceremonies.

The base is raw silk, bordered with aari embroidery, sequin work and kiran edging. Scattered across it are palm bloom motifs, a playful departure from the more familiar floral or paisley patterns. The pallu, in crushed tissue, adds texture and shine to the ensemble. Tissue—a fabric once woven in royal ateliers with gold and silver threads—has long been prized for its gossamer finish and metallic gleam, making it a favourite for celebratory occasions.

The Bridgerton actor wore a Gaurav Gupta gown that included the designer’s signature abstract loop off-shoulder detail that enhanced the figure flattering dress. Simultaneously, the satin sky-blue puffed drape around the waist was akin to the attire of Coughlan’s character—Penelope Featherington—from the series and added an element of grandeur to the look.

Beyoncé in Manish Malhotra

In line with her Cowboy Carter–tour theme, Beyoncé’s sequinned chaps were a custom creation by designer Manish Malhotra. The sequins in her high-octane-glamour bottoms glimmered on stage while the double-horse-shoe-buckle belt added a rodeo touch to it. It would be a sin not to mention her bodysuit that was studded with 10,000 Swarovski crystals.

French Montana in Manish Malhotra

Raising the cool quotient, Moroccan American rap sensation French Montana sported a statement jacket from designer Manish Malhotra’s World Collection for his performance at the WPL final in Mumbai. The jacket was doused in silver-, grey- and black-acrylic mosaic embellishments; wide-leg black trousers and a basic black T-shirt completed the look.

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Cosmic tip: The floodgates are opening up for you if you allow yourself to go with the flow of the great cosmic mind.

Adjust your binoculars and look at your life once again. Sag , you may have just started off something professionally, and it may be looking up already. That contract you were waiting on, comes through, that deal you felt was unfair—either makes sense or vibrates out of your life depending on where you are at now. Have some faith and confidence in yourself, because your captivity is simply an illusion; you are free to choose the direction you like.

Cosmic tip: Learn all there is to know and then make your choice.

Your loving, patient, tenderhearted nature is one that provides real resolve in times of need Cap, And look at you—ever ready to learn and be on the go. Is it time for you to go back to school and make notes? Learn all there is to know, and then slowly, when the time is right, you will receive opportunities to apply all you have learnt and forge new paths towards security, abundance and prosperity. Darling, the very fact that you love a good challenge means you are wired to succeed.

Cosmic tip: Your dependability and resilience make you a fantastic leader in life.

A major day—a major turn of events, Aquarius . You may have been closing loops lately, and you may also have been winding things down to set new, more aligned things up. And here is the thing—you are in a wonderful space now that not only allows you to give birth to your dreams but also nurture yourself and them through the entire process of creation. You are going to be leaving the heaviness of your previous world behind, and for that, you may need to acclimate and ease into newer ways of being—ones that involve celebrating each day as if it were your first and last, with gratitude and enchantment.

Cosmic tip: Soar. Up, up, up.

You may have tried scuba diving, you may have tried jumping through hoops, you may even have tried soaring above your current landscape; however, Pisces , have you tried standing your ground yet? Have you tried anchoring your emotions and intentions so firmly that your ideas flow like rivers, creating fertile lands wherever you are? No? Then try it, please. You will not regret it.

Cosmic tip: Don’t you ever underestimate yourself ever again.

Learning to skateboard wasn’t part of the plan. A year has passed, but that blood report still unsettles me. My cholesterol had raced near the line of danger. At 24, if crossed, it could unravel a life I’d only just started to build.

I knew I had to make lifestyle changes, partly to silence the taunts from my parents, but mostly to avoid becoming another statistic in the growing number of young adults facing heart attacks. Only a fitness phase could rewrite the script for me. Like any other sensible person, I tapped my phone. In the court of Instagram wellness, the verdicts arrived quickly: bubble baths, journalling, face masks, matcha in handmade mugs and those White Lotus–style retreats promising to fix your life. All of it was made to look effortless. Each scroll revealed women who are aesthetic and soothing, like joy is just one eucalyptus pillow spray away.

Somewhere deep down, all of us (me) want to be like the wellness girl on our feed after a long day of work and dive into the curated avalanche of health and fitness routines sold to us. You want to fit into that mould.

It’s easier to stay in the shapes we’re handed than risk being the one who breaks the pattern. No wonder we’re all addicted to algorithmic sameness—there’s comfort in doing what looks right, even when it doesn’t feel right. That’s not to say the mould doesn’t work for anyone, but it left me with questions.

How do we gain wellness from trends, and more importantly, from which trend? How do we actually know what the best thing to do for our body is amidst all this noise? How do I decide what act of labourious wellness will make me feel good?

With all of this lingering dread lying next to me on my bed, I wondered what kept me so healthy as a teenager. Just a few years prior, I could breeze through the day without a hint of fatigue, fuelled by nothing more than hostel Maggi and parathas. Maybe it was just my youth, unburdened by smartphones and the office grind and filled with play.

Image courtesy of Paridhi Badgotri

While mascara and lipstick are non-negotiables for many, the true power of blush—with its lifting effect—often goes unnoticed. But how to apply blush so it can do more than add colour to the complexion? Properly placed, blush can open up the eyes, ward off signs of fatigue, and impart a natural, glowing complexion. It’s even an instant pick-me-up, perfect for mature skin and anyone wanting a fresh, rested look.

Typically, makeup artists suggest smiling during application and placing blush directly on the cheeks. This works well for those with naturally prominent cheekbones, but it may have the opposite effect for those seeking a lifted look—once the face is at rest, the blush can settle lower, subtly pulling the face downward. Instead, a lifting effect calls for placing blush higher on the face, drawing features upward. Here are three expert techniques to apply blush with a lifting effect, ensuring a rejuvenating finish while avoiding common pitfalls.

How to apply blush for a lifted look

Celebrity makeup artist Mia Hawkswell, known for her work with Pamela Anderson and Rose Byrne, shares a key tip for an instant lift: always blend blush upward. This technique is especially effective for enhancing cheekbones that need a boost in definition. To achieve this effect, start by applying blush to the highest part of the cheek, blending it up toward the temples.

This method not only highlights the cheekbones but also creates a lifted, more sculpted look. For best results, choose stick or cream blushes, which allow for precise placement and easy blending. Use a brush or beauty blender, working in an upward and outward motion to keep the face lifted and smooth, giving a fresh, wrinkle-free finish.

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The L-shaped blush

The L-shaped blush technique has gained popularity on social media for its anti-ageing benefits, offering a simple yet effective way to achieve a lifted look. By placing your fingers in an “L” shape on the cheekbone—with your index finger pointing toward the temple and your thumb resting on the cheek—you can outline the ideal area to apply powder blush for an instant lifting effect. Afghan-Canadian makeup artist Frouzan, also known as Froartistry, takes this technique further, recommending liquid blush to achieve the same sculpted, lifted result with a fresh, dewy finish.

Somewhere between a fast fashion surplus haul and a ‘Thrift Flip’ Instagram reel, the Delhi thrift market and second-hand economy is a world of contrasts. Crumpled tags are showcased as fashion statements, and every ₹80 dress comes with a sustainability hashtag and a soft, vintage-style filter. Thrifting, once a compulsion of class, rebranded itself as cool. But in Raghubir Nagar in West Delhi, thrift is stitched into the streets—old clothes flow across boundary walls, dry on roadside fences and drape over jhuggis.

Here, circular fashion isn’t a lifestyle—it’s a livelihood. It begins with migrants from Gujarat’s Devipujak community—also known as Waghri, a historically nomadic caste group that was once listed under the British-era Criminal Tribes Act. Though denotified post-Independence, stigma persists; in Gujarat, ‘Waghri’ is still used as a slur. Many in the community have long sustained themselves through the informal cloth trade, going door to door to collect old garments in exchange for utensils.

Gauri Ben, 36, is one of them—a pherewali whose marketplace is Delhi’s manicured, gated colonies. “I don’t even remember when I started,” she says. “Ever since I was a child, I’ve been doing this. We’d go on pheris with our mothers, then help them mend the clothes afterwards. This is the only work we’ve ever known.”

Photographed by Maria Cassagne

In a country where more than a million tonnes of textiles are discarded annually, the labour of women like Gauri forms an invisible infrastructure that helps households offload old clothes. “While textile waste generated from factories is easier to manage, the real challenge lies in post-consumer waste—the clothes that have already been worn,” says Ina Bahuguna, Program Manager at the Estonia-based Reverse Resources, a global platform that tracks and connects textile waste from factories to recyclers. “One of the few ways our informal systems respond to this crisis is through the labour of women who have been doing this work for generations.”

These second-hand textiles feed into Delhi’s export channels and weekly haats, sustaining a steady resale economy for the city’s poor for nearly a century. Even today, nearly 1,500 women continue to work in this informal yet organised ecosystem.

By 11am, Gauri is halfway through her route. Her day begins at utensil shops in Raghubir Nagar, where she picks up steel pots, ceramic bowls or bone china to barter for clothes. With her dupatta pulled tight and a growing bag slung over her shoulder, she moves from one stop to the next. Then, in groups, she and other pheriwalis board shared autos and head out to Delhi’s gated colonies in places like Rajouri Garden, Janakpuri, Paschim Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, among others. Gauri knows which doors to knock on: homes with a history of generous giveaways, ‘madams’ who are regulars and whom she’s built trust with, or families mid-way through a seasonal wardrobe purge.

Straight out of a romantic comedy, Sujala Newar and Rashid Currawalla met at a New Year’s Eve party they were never meant to attend. “I guess the universe had a different plan,” reveals Newar, who runs The Local Vintage across Shillong and Mumbai. The meet-cute blossomed into a decade-long relationship between her and Rashid, who manages his family’s shipping
and logistics business.

When it came to the proposal, Newar had a hunch that Rashid would do it during her birthday trip to Thailand last year. “But knowing how meticulous he is about safeguarding our valuables while travelling, I wasn’t sure if there would be a ring,” Newar shares. A proposal without a ring might seem unconventional—until you realise it was a prank.

“Just before my birthday dinner, he gave a sweet speech and knelt down—without a ring. He had me wear my own ring, promising to get me an actual one once we returned home.

I was annoyed, especially when he insisted that I put my ring back in the safe before heading out. When I opened the safe, the real engagement ring was inside. I was surprised and he was chuffed,” she says.

Following the passing of Newar’s grandmother in February, the couple had a civil ceremony in May with their loved ones. What began as a modest celebration gradually transformed into something more meaningful. Newar explains: “We figured if we were going to do it, we should do it in a way that honours both our cultures.” This led to a Nepali wedding in Shillong and a traditional Parsi ceremony in Mumbai.

But their venue underwent a dramatic transformation just weeks before the Shillong wedding. “When I visited with my decorator for a walk-through, I was shocked to see that the trees
on one side of the property had been chopped to make way for a road,” she recalls. So, they brought their “enchanted forest” vision to life at a new outpost, The Oak, with abundant greenery and white florals creating a mystical atmosphere under the winter morning sun.

Their Nepali ceremony condensed elaborate customs into a meaningful 45-minute ritual. When Rashid and his wedding party arrived, they received a traditional Newari shagun platter that included boiled egg, samay baji, sel roti and whisky. “Though we’re Hindu, the Newar customs differ quite a bit,” Newar explains. The couple exchanged garlands of dubo (Bermuda grass), symbolising prosperity. The priest then conducted a brief puja and kanyadaan, followed by the sindoor and potay ceremony. “Potay is the Nepali version of the mangalsutra.”

Between award stages, couture showcases and beauty brand launches, ivory emerged as the week’s most visible shade. Khushi Kapoor turned heads at Gaurav Gupta’s first bridal couture showcase in Mumbai in a sculpted fishtail gown. Alongside Neha Dhupia’s pearl-white gown and Nimrat Kaur’s floral-detailed sari, these looks proved that pale tones can be as impactful as vivid colour on the red carpet.

Here are some of the looks that stood out for their craftsmanship and styling.

Khushi Kapoor attended Gaurav Gupta’s first bridal couture showcase in Mumbai in a sculpted fishtail gown from the label’s Jyogitrama collection. The ivory piece was hand-embroidered with silver beadwork and finished with a dramatic flare at the hem. She paired it with diamond jewellery that caught the light against the gown’s structure.

At the Filmfare Awards, Malavika Mohanan chose a silver gown by Shantnu & Nikhil featuring a plunging sweetheart neckline, asymmetric straps and a fitted silhouette. A subtle flare in georgette added movement, with diamond accessories completing the look.