Posts in category: Life Style

Major opportunities: openness, renewal, personal liberation.

Year 6: Maturity and commitment

The sixth year sees a shift to anchoring, responsibility and deeper meaning. “The 6 pushes us to refocus on what’s essential: relationships, commitments, the home, intensely personal values,” she says. “It’s a time to question what really matters, what you want to give your energy to. The balance between giving and receiving, between self and others, becomes a central theme. The 6 teaches maturity of heart: acting on conviction, committing to what resonates fully.”

Major challenges: emotional overload, fear of disappointment, tendency towards perfectionism.

Major opportunities: harmony, sincere commitment, relational alignment.

Year 7: Introspection and meaning

Year 7 marks a necessary pause in the rhythm of the cycle. “It’s a year of assessment, reflection and self-reflection. It invites us to take a step back, to look at how far we’ve come, to understand what still makes sense and what no longer resonates. It’s a more inward-looking period, often marked by existential questioning and an emerging clarity. Year 7 sets the stage for the transformation to come.”

Major challenges: questioning, doubts about direction.

Major opportunities: inner clarity, spiritual awakening, deep understanding.

Year 8: Power and materialisation

Energy becomes denser and more intense in Year 8. “It’s a year of expansion, success, harvest. The 8 speaks of personal power, decisive choices and conscious action. “Projects materialise, efforts bear fruit, but this outward success is accompanied by inner work on balance,” Jorge says. “This is a year to assume one’s power, without excess or fear, and to anchor success in correctness.”

Major challenges: control, overwork.

Major opportunities: success, recognition, leadership.

Year 9: Closure and transformation

The final stage of the cycle, the ninth year, symbolises closure and rebirth. “It’s a period of liberation, sorting and emotional purification,” affirms Jorge. “It pushes us to let go of what no longer belongs: relationships, situations, patterns or attachments that have become obsolete. The 9 invites us to honour the past while opening the door to renewal.” It’s a year of taking stock and healing, and then, preparing for what could come next.

Major challenges: detachment, nostalgia, fear of emptiness.

Major opportunities: liberation, healing, opening to a new cycle.

This article first appeared on Vogue.fr

A spot can emerge for any number of reasons. One of those reasons might be a process known as skin purging, which refers to what happens when a new treatment or product ramps up cell turnover and thus rapidly brings underlying blemishes to the surface of the skin.

Whether you’re a skincare buff with an elaborate 10-step nighttime routine or a minimalist with a tightly edited roster of trusted products, determining the cause of the outbreak and the appropriate course of action to follow can be a minefield.

Here, we break down everything you need to know about skin purging, including its typical duration and how to treat it.

What is skin purging?

“Skin purging occurs when a product or treatment speeds up the skin’s cell turnover, leading to tiny open or closed comedones that usually manifest as whiteheads on the skin,” explains Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme. Active ingredients that work deep within the skin, like retinoids or azelaic acid, are often the culprits.

“It can look like a sudden wave of new blemishes or blocked pores as the skin clears house,” Dr Sam Bunting adds. “I like to call this acne turbulence. It’s an emotionally charged but often necessary phase on the path to clearer skin.”

What causes skin purging?

Dr Beibei Du-Harpur asserts that any product or treatment that speeds up cell turnover can do this, although most notably retinoids and exfoliants. Bunting agrees, explaining how “sleeping time bombs under the surface of your skin, the clogged pores destined to become breakouts, are triggered to emerge at once, rather than gradually over time”.

It’s often most noticeable in areas where you usually break out, because that’s where the underlying congestion sits. Dr Justine Hextall, La Roche-Posay consultant dermatologist, adds that applying products with strong active ingredients too frequently can cause significant purging.

How long does skin purging last?

“It can last from four days to six weeks, but on average, you can expect it to occur for around two weeks,” says Ejikeme. “It’s most intense if you’re prone to closed comedones, which are little, skin-coloured bumps under the surface,” Bunting adds. The good news is that once the skin has adjusted to your new routine, the flare settles, and you’ll start to see positive changes shortly after. Patience and consistency are key.

Is skin purging a good thing?

“Purging is neither good nor bad, and it can happen after using excellent products,” says Ejikeme. It can also happen if your skin barrier is compromised. “The risk of purging can be reduced if you first repair the barrier function, then slowly start the treatment or slowly introduce the product.”

Du-Harpur notes that while it’s not a fun experience, skin purging can, over time, “reflect the reduction of micro-comedones or acne precursors”, meaning your skin might be less acne-prone in the long run. Bunting agrees, noting that purging is “the skin’s way of resetting, uncomfortable in the short term, but often the gateway to long-term skin clarity”.

How does one distinguish skin purging from breakouts?

“Classic purging occurs only where you typically get breakouts, while irritation or new acne from an unsuitable product can appear anywhere, often as small, red, itchy bumps,” Bunting explains. If your skin feels sore, inflamed, or flaky all over, it’s more likely to be irritation or even a disrupted barrier, rather than purging. “Sometimes, both can happen together, which is why barrier support is crucial during this phase,” she says.

Photographed by Marina Oya. Styled by Rumsha Hassan. Makeup: Emilia Weryńska. Lighting: A’lon Peoples. Production assistance: Fernando Lopez.

Off stage, the 25-year-old slips into an alter ego—one who, at least from what I can see on Zoom, feels worlds apart from the dazzling character she transforms into on stage. The sequins are swapped for a plain black tank top and her kohl-lined eyes soften behind a pair of scholarly spectacles. The only remnant of her performing persona is a silver Om necklace glinting at her collarbone. This version of Raj is at home in her parents’ unassuming garage, which doubles as her recording studio. “Like most Indian parents, they love having us home,” she smiles, referring to her 19-year-old sister Lara Raj, a member of the global girl group Katseye. The garage is their creative playground and shared work area. “We respect each other’s art so much, we give each other space. We’re really good at trading off,” Raj grins.

The siblings have a knack for decorating too. The studio is a glorious riot: wall-mounted Lana Del Rey posters rub shoulders with Britney Spears’s Blackout cover and Lionel Richie vinyls, heady incense swirls around prayer candles tangled in mic stands, and a whiteboard scribbled with ideas holds a mirror to their fever dreams. One wall is claimed by a futuristic art print of blurred faces, a striking contrast to the cavalcade of mirror-work cushions from Rajasthan scattered across a pair of couches. In the centre, a coffee table groans under the weight of Vivienne Westwood Catwalk, a hardcover by Rick Rubin, and half-empty wine glasses from a moonlit soirée. Behind it, a gigantic mirror gleams, reflecting a rack of floaty outfits. Part shrine, part stage set, part mad scientist’s lab—every corner hums with the sisters’ restless, irrepressible energy.

You are shining, you are smiling, and you are doing it all in a way that places your power in love. Scorpio, we are not talking about flowery stuff. We are talking about building your wealth and investments through people and connections—from the heart, not from the mind. You may be at a place in your life where you are willing and ready to give your ideas a shot, perhaps even to begin afresh and anew. But really, all the cosmos wants you to know and remember is that your time is now.

Cosmic tip: Stay curious and embrace new beginnings.

You are asking for a way out and are desperate for it—you may have been praying to all the heavens and Gods, and perhaps may have even been feeling exasperated, however, Sag, beneath it all, you are also brimming with ideas and possibilities—and the cosmos wants you to remember that all the what if are very plausible if you detach from getting overly obsessed with the specific outcomes or processes you expect. The path to getting the ball rolling is to remember that you are not the puppet at the hands of destiny;, you have the power and strength to be the hand that makes things happen.

Cosmic tip: it is unhealthy attachments that are keeping you feeling stuck—not the situation itself.

You may feel like you are trudging along—and hey, you might just be, but Capricorn, do you see how far you’ve actually come? It is not only commendable, but also applause-worthy. Now you know that tiny little voice is telling you something? To keep going? Keep going, Cap. For a short bit, detach from the world if you need to—to self-preserve, to find your voice, to find your drive. But when you are ready, jump right in and win this game called life, okay?

Cosmic tip: Savour and safeguard everything—be it your health, your wealth, your life force or anything else.

You have many options on the table, Aquarius. And while they may feel overwhelming at first, if you allow yourself some breathing space, you will be able to pick up on the pulse of all that is available to you and how your body, mind and spirit respond to it. Deep down, you know it is time for you to get going. And you also know that there is this one thing or option that leaves you feeling sleepless out of excitement and joy—this is the option you must opt for, however unfamiliar it may feel. Take time to familiarise yourself with the groundwork needed, but take a shot at it.

Psyllium husk is not pretty. It looks like something you’d dust off on a floor mat. Yet in the second coming of gut health, Isabgol, as we know it, is shining bright.

Our grandparents’ favourite pre-meal ritual has sat in the background as gummies and powders took up social media real estate.

Most of us are running a fibre deficit without realising it. Urban life is basically designed to make you eat fewer plants and more packaging. Many “healthy” meals too fall short on soluble fibre, which is what keeps your glucose curve from doing parkour.

A randomised trial published in Nutrition Journal found that 10.5 grams of psyllium husk a day helped type 2 diabetes patients bring fasting blood sugar down from 163 mg/dL to 119 mg/dL in eight weeks. That drop is significant enough to make even sceptics sit up straighter. Another study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition noted that psyllium husk helped most when glycaemic control was already messy, which feels poetic in its own way.

The gut and the brain have been talking behind our backs

We treat the gut like plumbing when, in reality, it behaves more like a nosy neighbour with a direct line to your brain. When fibre ferments, your gut bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), tiny molecules that end up playing translator between your digestion and your stress response.

They work through a few very real pathways. They appear to stimulate receptors linked to the vagus nerve, which sends the brain a message that the internal environment is safe enough to power down. They may influence the hormonal loop that governs cortisol. In a 2020 randomised trial published in Neuropsychopharmacology, healthy men given SCFAs through colon-delivery capsules had a significantly lower cortisol surge when exposed to an acute stress test compared with placebo. Their subjective stress didn’t change, but their bodies reacted with more composure, which says a lot about how these molecules operate.

SCFAs also support the gut lining, which reduces inflammation, and inflammation is one of the fastest ways to make your whole system feel on edge. A review in Frontiers in Endocrinology summarises this, noting that SCFAs may influence the human HPA axis, the circuit that decides how dramatically your stress hormones rise and fall.

The gut often creates more daily background noise than we realise. When fermentation patterns improve and inflammation falls, the nervous system stops receiving distress signals it never needed in the first place. The research is early and far from conclusive, but the emerging human trials hint that these gut-made molecules are worth paying attention to.

India’s fibre paradox

For a cuisine built on vegetables, lentils and grains, we still miss a lot of the fibres our gut needs. Add long workdays, unpredictable sleep and the national habit of eating dinner far too late, and the gut ends up carrying more than its share. This is the backdrop where psyllium starts to feel logical, filling a gap our routines keep widening.

Fashion is coming out of the basement at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Announced today, “Costume Art,” the spring 2026 exhibition at the Costume Institute, will mark the inauguration of the nearly 12,000-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries, adjacent to The Met’s Great Hall. “It’s a huge moment for the Costume Institute,” says curator in charge Andrew Bolton. “It will be transformative for our department, but I also think it’s going to be transformative to fashion more generally—the fact that an art museum like The Met is actually giving a central location to fashion.”

To mark the momentous occasion, Bolton has conceived an exhibition that addresses “the centrality of the dressed body in the museum’s vast collection,” by pairing paintings, sculptures, and other objects spanning the 5,000 years of art represented in The Met, alongside historical and contemporary garments from the Costume Institute.

The Naked Body: Adam and Eve, Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471– 1528), 1504; Fletcher Fund, 1919 (19.73.1). Photo © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ensemble, Walter Van Beirendonck (Belgian,
born 1957), spring/summer 2009; Purchase,
Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2020
(2020.45a–d). Photo: Anna-Marie Kellen © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Reclaimed Body: La Poupeé, Hans Bellmer (German, born Poland, 1902–1975), ca. 1936; Ford Motor Company Collection, Gift of Ford Motor Company and John C. Waddell, 1987 (1987.1100.333). © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ensemble, Rei Kawakubo (Japanese, born 1942) for Comme des Garçons (Japanese, founded 1969), fall/winter 2017–18; Purchase, Funds from various donors, by exchange, 2018
(2018.23a). Photo” Anna-Marie Kellen © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

“What connects every curatorial department and what connects every single gallery in the museum is fashion, or the dressed body,” Bolton says. “It’s the common thread throughout the whole museum, which is really what the initial idea for the exhibition was, this epiphany: I know that we’ve often been seen as the stepchild, but, in fact, the dressed body is front and center in every gallery you come across. Even the nude is never naked,” he continues. “It’s always inscribed with cultural values and ideas.”

The art and fashion divide stubbornly persists despite Costume Institute exhibitions like “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” which was the most-visited exhibition in The Met’s history with 1.66 million visitors. Bolton figures that the hierarchy endures precisely because of clothing’s connection to the body. “Fashion’s acceptance as an art form has really occurred on art’s terms,” he explains. “It’s premised on the negation, on the renunciation, of the body, and on the [fact that] aesthetics are about disembodied and disinterested contemplation.”

The Anatomical Body: Plate 33 in Govard Bidloo, Ontleading des menschlyken Lichaems, Abraham Blooteling (Dutch, 1640–1690) and Pieter van Gunst (Dutch, 1659–1724) After Gerard de Lairesse (Dutch, 1641–1711), 1728; Gift of Lincoln Kirstein, 1952 (52.546.5). Photo: Mark Morosse © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

“Corset Anatomia” ensemble, Renata Buzzo (Brazilian, born 1986), spring/summer 2025;
Courtesy Renata Buzzo. Photo: Anna-Marie Kellen © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Pregnant Body: Eleanor, Harry Callahan (American, 1912–1999), 1949; Gift of Joyce and Robert Menschel, 1991 (1991.1304). © The Estate of Harry Callahan; Courtesy Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

“Pregnancy” dress, Georgina Godley (British, born 1955), fall/winter 1986–87, edition 2025; Purchase, Anthony Gould Fund, 2025. Photo: Anna-Marie Kellen © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Traditionally, Bolton admits, Costume Institute shows have emphasized clothing’s visual appeal, with the mannequins disappearing behind or underneath garments. His bold idea for “Costume Art” is to insist on the significance of the body, or “the indivisible connection between our bodies and the clothes we wear.” Fashion, he insists, actually “has an edge on art because it is about one’s lived, embodied experience.”

He’s organised the exhibition around a series of thematic body types loosely divided into three categories. These include bodies omnipresent in art, like the classical body and the nude body; other kinds of bodies that are more often overlooked, like aging bodies and pregnant bodies; and still more that are universal, like the anatomical body. Bolton’s is a much more expansive view of the corporeal than the fashion industry itself often promotes, with its rail-thin models and narrow size ranges. “The idea was to put the body back into discussions about art and fashion, and to embrace the body, not to take it away as a way of elevating fashion to an art form,” he explains.

The Classical Body: Terracotta statuette of Nike, the personification of victory, Greek, late 5th century BCE; Rogers Fund, 1907 (07.286.23). Photo © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

“Delphos” gown, Adèle Henriette Elisabeth Nigrin Fortuny (French, 1877–1965) and Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo (Spanish, 1871–1949) for Fortuny (Italian, founded 1906), 1920s; Gift of Estate of Lillian Gish, 1995 (1995.28.6a). Photo” Anna-Marie Kellen © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

“Bustle” muslin, Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978), 1947; Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the
Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Millicent Huttleston Rogers, 1949 (2009.300.752). Photo” Anna-Marie Kellen © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Abstract Body: Impression of Amélie de Montfort, Jean- Baptiste Carpeaux (French, 1827–1875), ca. 1867–69; Purchase, Friends of European
Sculpture and Decorative Arts Gifts, 1989 (1989.289.2). Photo © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Evening dress, Mon. Vignon (French, ca. 1850-
1910), 1875–78; Gift of Mary Pierrepont
Beckwith, 1969 (C.I69.14.12a, b).
Photo: Anna-Marie Kellen © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Indeed, the exhibition has been designed, by Miriam Peterson and Nathan Rich of the Brooklyn firm Peterson Rich Office, to privilege fashion. In the high ceiling room of the Condé M. Nast Galleries (there is also a low ceilinged room), clothing will be displayed on mannequins perched on 6-foot pedestals, onto which the artwork will be embedded. “When you walk in, your eye immediately goes up, you look at the fashions first,” Bolton says.

Departure, a guest project presented by Serendipity Arts Festival and Vadehra Art Gallery.

Also on display at Alserkal Art Week is Devadeep Gupta’s mixed-media installation, We Must Therefore Turn Our Attention Skywards, brought to the fair by Prameya Art Foundation, and comprising digital prints, photographs, a sculptural installation and a 4-channel soundscape. The work was developed as part of the Discover grant, which Prameya Art Foundation offers in collaboration with India Art Fair to support emerging practices that, in the words of curator Anushka Rajendran, transcend market-led approaches to art-making and forms of showing. “Artistic responses to ecology are especially powerful, because artists work at the intersection of several schools of thinking in a way that pure disciplines are unable to,” Rajendran explains. Gupta’s work emerges from such an intersection of colonial legacy, cultural heritage and ecological degradation. We Must Therefore Turn Our Attention Skywards addresses the human and more-than-human agents in the Dehing-Patkai rainforest in Assam, once mined for coal, now overrun by industrialists and cartels that continue the coloniser’s extractive legacy. “The project brings together archival research and anthropological research through various lines of inquiry,” says Rajendran. “There’s the critical take on industrial mining, the patterns of more-than-human life forms in the ecosystem, the life of the soil and the indigenous communities whose livelihoods have become entwined with economies that may be considered illicit.”

Sonam Kapoor rarely misses a chance to champion Indian craft, and this time, she turned to Manipur’s EAST for the Architectural Digest dinner hosted at her Mumbai home. The actor slipped into the label’s Tangkhul Kashan-inspired ĀKHA set from the Patron Collection, a series Easternlight Zimik created as a tribute to the clients and collaborators who’ve supported his journey from Ukhrul to international platforms. It’s the same body of work he recently showcased in Seoul, handloom-rooted in Tangkhul Naga identity, reinterpreted with a deeply personal design language.

The ĀKHA look leaned into the language of Tangkhul textiles with minimal interference: a wrap-style upper layer tied at the back, worn over a black collared shirt and paired with a matching skirt or kashan, its monochrome palette and clean lines keeping the focus firmly on the craft. The textile referenced Kashan traditions through its linear motifs, ribbed panels and tasselled ends, each pattern a deliberate signifier within Tangkhul weaving, where shifts in line, density and rhythm often carry cultural meaning.

Her jewellery from Zoya added metallic polish: a sleek gold choker inlaid with tiny emeralds, paired with delicate diamond-and-gold studs and a single gold band ring, while black kitten heels finished the look.

Her beauty look stayed minimal with centre-parted hair worn down, smoky eyes, and barely-there matte skin, keeping the focus on the craft-forward silhouette.

From Vogue’s fashion desk:

“The Tangkhul Kashan inspired set is already a statement in and of itself. Go heavier on the metal jewellery to amplify the look; think oversized and oxidised molten metal jewellery,” says Vogue India fashion associate Manglien Gangte.

Also read:

Sonam Kapoor celebrates India’s textile heritage with patchwork craft and vintage embroidery

Isha Ambani’s blush pink ensemble by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla featured 3,670 hours of zardozi

Alia Bhatt turns to the archives in a gilded Ritu Kumar ensemble

There’s no shortage of high-shine occasionwear right now, which is why Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s latest Anamika Khanna sari feels like a conscious pivot. The work here is measured, layered and far more about technique than theatrics for the sake of it.

Styled by Ami Patel, the sari is built on a sheer, lightly crinkled base embroidered with dense threadwork at the hem that gradually thins as it climbs the drape. The border carries fine gold detailing that gives the pallu a defined edge when pinned at the shoulder. The blouse mirrors the same language: compact embroidery, short sleeves and a sculpted neckline that frames the jewellery rather than competing with it.

Her jewellery adds volume. A layered gold choker sits close to the neck, paired with earrings, a round maang tikka and multiple kadas at the wrist. A kamar patta pulls the look together at the waist without interrupting the fall of the fabric.

Her hair is set into a centre-parted low updo with loose tendrils softening the face. The makeup stays warm and seamless: brushed brows, a diffused wing, a hint of shine on the lids and a rose-toned lip that keeps everything in the same tonal lane as the sari.

From Vogue’s fashion desk:

“To embody Priyanka’s devi aesthetic, start with an off-white or ivory Chikankari sari or any subtle tone-on-tone weave. Pair it with a matching blouse; the blouse silhouette truly defines the mood, so consider a sweetheart neckline. Adorn your braid with mogras or baby breath. With the jewellery stray from tradition and opt for diamond and platinum pieces for some edge,” says Vogue India fashion associate Divya Balakrishnan.

It usually starts as a small discomfort. An invisible heaviness behind the ribs, a faint sour taste creeping up the throat or that dull, ballooned feeling that makes you unbutton your jeans at the end of the day. For most of us, acidity and bloating are so routine that they’ve become background noise, never getting the attention that they should.

When lockdown first crept up on us, I blamed my recurring acidity on the food experimentation I partook in. But even on days I ate clean, the burn would return like clockwork around 11 pm, when my laptop light was the only one still on. Turns out, it wasn’t just the food. It was everything else.

“Acidity and bloating are almost always the result of disrupted rhythms,” explains Nicole Linhares Kedia, sports nutritionist and integrated health coach. “Overeating, excessive caffeine, poor sleep. All of these confuse the body’s internal clock.”

It’s a distinctly Indian storm, too. While acidity and bloating are universal, Kedia says she sees it far more here than overseas. “We’ve normalised irregularity. Late dinners, skipping breakfast, long commutes and constant stress. Combine that with our love for fried, spicy carbs and unwalkable cities and you’ve got the perfect storm.”

Even culturally, food is celebration, comfort and a lot of times, coping. But our plates have evolved faster than our lifestyles. The post-dinner walk has been replaced by screens and a ‘home-cooked’ meal by delivery apps. We’re a generation living in constant low-grade digestive distress.

The real culprit

A lot is going on beneath the surface that we need to educate ourselves on. Neha Ranglani, integrative nutritionist, points to a deeper, often-misunderstood root: low stomach acid.

“Most people assume acidity means too much acid. In reality, it’s often the opposite. When stomach acid is low, food doesn’t digest properly, it ferments. That creates gas, bloating and pressure, which pushes acid upward, causing reflux.”

Many of us pop antacids at the first sign of discomfort, unknowingly worsening the problem by neutralising what little acid we have left. A 2023 study published in the Indian Journal of Gastroenterology by Ghoshal et al. found a high prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) among Indian adults and a growing dependence on antacids in urban populations.

Why women feel it more

“Hormonal fluctuations during PMS, pregnancy or menopause directly affect gut motility,” says Kedia. “The mental load of juggling work, home and emotional labour add up to a demographic that’s both chronically stressed and rarely on schedule.”

There’s also the quiet cultural layer. Indian women are often the last to sit down to eat, sometimes skipping meals or reheating leftovers after everyone else is done. “You can’t separate digestion from lifestyle,” Ranglani adds. “Stress, sleep, hydration, movement, they all play a role in how food moves through you.”

A case of the city stomach

If you live in an Indian city, you can probably picture it: an overworked stomach processing a late dinner of butter chicken at 10 pm, followed by two hours of scrolling under blue light, and a non-negotiable 7 am alarm. Your gut doesn’t get rest, it just negotiates survival.