Posts in category: Life Style

Priyanka Chopra Jonas attended Ralph Lauren’s Spring 2026 runway show in New York City on Wednesday evening in the brand’s bronzed jacquard jacket and skirt set with a paisley print. Staged inside the company’s headquarters at 650 Madison Avenue and outside the official fashion week calendar, the show drew a select set of celebrity attendees, among whom Chopra Jonas stood out in the textured RL number.

Instagram.com/priyankachopra

The look, styled by duo Wayman and Micah was an interesting intersection of evening chic and boardroom edge. Featuring a structured blazer in bronzed metallic jacquard, the ensemble had a notched lapel neckline that plunged down to the midriff and dramatic shoulder pads. The jacket was cinched at the waist with a broad brown leather belt before it gave way to a floor-sweeping skirt. Fluid, flouncy, and subtly ruffled, complemented the clean lines of the jacket well. The fabric itself was a textured metallic weave that shifted between copper and gold tones, underscoring Ralph Lauren’s ability to reimagine tailoring through an eveningwear lens.

No heavy jewellery was in sight, and Chopra Jonas was seen wearing sculptural earrings and two statement rings from Bvlgari on both middle fingers. Her muted tortoiseshell French manicure and chocolate jelly cat-eye pedicure extended the earthy palette of the look.

If you live in Mumbai, you learn quickly that walking is rarely romantic. The footpaths are often uneven, traffic doesn’t stop and the heat presses down until even a two-minute stroll feels like a battle. The city moves fast and fiercely, but it rarely makes space for those on foot. It will teach you to run, but delete the concept of “walk” from your internal storage.

One evening after work, with no taxi or rickshaw in sight, I did the unthinkable: I walked. What should have been frustrating became strangely calming. The next day, the same thing happened. No ride, another walk, the same sense of release. What began as an accident soon turned into the simplest ritual I’ve ever kept.

I realised self-care, especially in a city like Mumbai, has to be active and improvised, not a scented-candle moment slotted between meetings. For me it became walking: unplanned, unscheduled, but non-negotiable.

At first, the idea felt exhausting; I’d hype myself up just to cross a few lanes. But by the time I reached home, the mood shift was real. Tired but clear-headed, I started to look forward to those commutes. Soon the walks weren’t just for getting home: I picked up groceries, met friends, ran errands. Small, everyday detours turned into micro rituals.

My school mathematics teacher once made us copy formulas for 21 days. By the end, they stuck — my first lesson in habit-building. The science behind the 21-day rule may be contested, but the principle is this: do something often enough and it takes root. That’s exactly what happened with walking.

These short walks broke the spiral of stress. I’d reach home calmer, not in a yoga-class way but in the raw way anger drains after it’s walked out of you.

Experts say the benefits go well beyond mood. Dr Prarthana Shah, an integrative health coach, notes that five short casual walks of 7–10 minutes can boost heart health, lower blood pressure and help control blood sugar. For those with time, a 50-minute walk offers even greater cardiovascular gains, but, as she says, “Exercise should be easy to fit into your daily life and adapt to your schedule.”

The impact is psychological too. “Movement can absolutely bring us into a meditative state,” says yoga instructor Amy Kim. “In yoga, we often move to help us eventually sit still. Presence, awareness and mindfulness all begin with movement.” Walking also reduces stress hormones while raising dopamine and serotonin, and the neurochemical shift that makes you feel lighter. Even the physical act of moving forward can create the illusion of progress on days you feel stuck.

The year is 2015. A lipstick-as-colour-corrector video pushed Deepica Mutyala’s face onto millions of screens. Back then, YouTube beauty tutorials were still rough around the edges, and the idea of a brown-skinned woman teaching the world to colour correct with a red lipstick was unheard of. Today, there are entire shelves, campaigns and hashtags shaped by that moment.

Mutyala was 25, working full-time in product development, not chasing internet fame. But her accidental virality–at a time when likes still felt like surprises–lung her into a new orbit. News stories followed. Her Instagram exploded and her beauty brand, Live Tinted, was born from a viral moment and built for all skin tones. So did rounds of funding, features on the founder and the usual headlines about breaking glass ceilings. She became a case study in representation. The ‘girlboss’ arc played out in real time.

What followed wasn’t just a wave of support, but also scrutiny. “There was this unspoken pressure to be everything at once. Relatable and aspirational.

Loud and palatable. Brown, but brand-safe,” she says. The early years weren’t just about building a business; they were about decoding how much of herself to make legible to the world.

Mutyala is 36 now. The decade since has brought scale, visibility, pressure and an internal shift she’s still in the thick of. She’s less interested in hustling toward the next milestone and more focused on slowing down enough to ask: What do I actually want now? That question shows up in her personal life too.

“No one knows who I’ve dated. I’ve never posted that,” she says, when talking about boundaries. The algorithm may have helped build the brand, but not every part of her life is open to the public.

The tension between visibility and privacy shows up in smaller ways too. “My audience loves content about my family, and I love sharing it. But when I go home, I just want to eat dosas on the ​​couch and watch a Hindi movie without documenting it,” she says.

She isn’t stepping back or burning out. But the version of ambition that powered her 20s doesn’t feel quite right anymore. “I want the kid and the company. I used to believe you couldn’t have both. But that’s changed.”

If there’s any game better fit for a gathering of close friends, it’s the game of “Most Likely To” questions (the this or that game is a close second). Imagine this: You’re all sitting around a table or on the ground in a circle, tossing out friend’s names for the most random honorifics. “Most likely to open a pizza restaurant,” “most likely to sob uncontrollably through a horror film,” “most likely to get lost in the woods.” It’s even better when no one agrees on one single person for the title.

But “most likely to” is a game with many sides. Playing it with close friends brings the advantage of, well, having embarrassing personal anecdotes to defend your picks. But playing it with strangers is a sure-fire way to get to know someone quickly. There’s something especially funny about assigning someone you’ve only met once to “most likely to run a bird sanctuary.”

For the best results, get a group that’s a mix of people who know each other well and a few newbies. It’s a great icebreaker. While you can buy a set of cards that lay out the various most likely to situations, we think it’s more fun to make up your own. Grab a bowl, give everyone a pen and paper, and tell them to come up with a specific number of scenarios. To make it a bit easier, we pulled together some really good “who’s most likely to” questions for your next round.

In this article:

Most Likely To Questions for Friends

1. Who is most likely to compete on a reality dating show?
2. Who is most likely to show up late with Starbucks in hand?
3. Who is most likely to direct a music video that blows up on YouTube?
4. Who is most likely to survive to the end of a horror film?
5. Who is most likely to adopt way too many pets at once?
6. Who is most likely to run for office just to prove a point?
7. Who is most likely to win a dance battle?
8. Who is most likely to launch their own skincare line?
9. Who is most likely to roast everyone in the group with scary accuracy?
10. Who is most likely to bring up astrology to explain literally everything?
11. Who is most likely to become a celebrity’s personal stylist?
12. Who is most likely to respond to a text message three weeks later?
13. Who is most likely to live abroad?
14. Who is most likely to compete on Survivor (and actually win)?
15. Who is most likely to turn their life into a reality TV show?
16. Who is most likely to give the best advice?
17. Who is most likely to write fanfic that secretly blows up online?
18. Who is most likely to go viral for a hot take?
19. Who is most likely to start a business?
20. Who is most likely to win a costume contest with zero prep time?
21. Who is most likely to have their own Netflix stand-up special?
22. Who is most likely to survive a zombie apocalypse?
23. Who is most likely to make friends with a stranger in the bathroom line?
24. Who is most likely to say “I’m broke” but still show up with a $7 latte?
25. Who is most likely to remain calm during a big storm?
26. Who is most likely to win a Nobel Peace Prize?
27. Who is most likely to become a wedding officiant?
28. Who is most likely to drop everything to help a stranger?
29. Who is most likely to have a crush on three people at the same time?
30. Who is most likely to break their phone screen within a week of getting it?
31. Who is most likely to leave without saying goodbye?
32. Who is most likely to order food, take two bites, and be “so full”?
33. Who is most likely to teach you something new?
34. Who is most likely to win at trivia?
35. Who is most likely to become a professor?
36. Who is most likely to have their phone at 2%… always?
37. Who is most likely to fall for an obvious scam?
38. Who is most likely to host a podcast?
39. Who is most likely to give the best hug?
40. Who is most likely to turn a game night into a full-on competition?
41. Who is most likely to hand write a letter?
42. Who is most likely to write a book?
43. Who is most likely to start drama and then say, “I hate drama”?
44. Who is most likely to plan the entire group vacation?
45. Who is most likely to overshare online?
46. Who is most likely to start a band just for the aesthetic?
47. Who is most likely to open a store that only sells oddly specific things?
48. Who is most likely to run a fan club for their favorite celebrity?
49. Who is most likely to get their catchphrase turned into a viral TikTok sound?
50. Who is most likely to get hired as a professional hype person?

Most likely to questions for couples

1. Who is most likely to post a gushy anniversary caption?
2. Who is most likely to buy matching pajama sets?
3. Who is most likely to forget where they parked the car?
4. Who is most likely to binge an entire series without waiting for their partner?
5. Who is most likely to show up in a new country without any of the currency?
6. Who is most likely to plan the coolest dates?
7. Who is most likely to adopt multiple pets without warning?
8. Who is most likely to retell a story over and over?
9. Who is most likely to cry during a rom-com?
10. Who is most likely to accidentally spoil a surprise?
11. Who is most likely to get hangry first?
12. Who is most likely to suggest moving abroad together?
13. Who is most likely to write a love song?
14. Who is most likely to decorate the house for every holiday?
15. Who is most likely to eat off of someone else’s plate?
16. Who is most likely to forget what they argued about five minutes later?
17. Who is most likely to dress their pet up?
18. Who is most likely to get weirdly competitive over mini golf?
19. Who is most likely to get stage-five obsessed with a new hobby?
20. Who is most likely to avoid conflict?
21. Who is most likely to take “just a bite” and eat half your food?
22. Who is most likely to try to DIY home repairs and make it worse?
23. Who is most likely to fall asleep first?
24. Who is most likely to volunteer the two of you for something without asking first?
25. Who is most likely to climb a mountain?
26. Who is most likely to take the middle seat on an airplane?
27. Who is most likely to go skydiving?
28. Who is most likely to drive on long road trips?
29. Who is most likely to pick a fight over thermostat settings?
30. Who is most likely to make friends with strangers on vacation?
31. Who is most likely to talk about starting a business together?
32. Who is most likely to get lost driving — even with GPS on?
33. Who is most likely to want a big, elaborate family holiday celebration?
34. Who is most likely to win an argument by making the other laugh?
35. Who is most likely to get FOMO and drag you to three events in one night?
36. Who is most likely to organize the couple’s calendar so you don’t double-book?
37. Who is most likely to talk through an entire movie?
38. Who is most likely to retell your “first date” story differently every time?
39. Who is most likely to befriend your Uber driver?
40. Who is most likely to turn a quick errand into an all-day outing?
41. Who is most likely to run out of gas because they “thought it would last”?
42. Who is most likely to try a TikTok recipe and set off the smoke alarm?
43. Who is most likely to plan your couple Halloween costumes a year in advance?
44. Who is most likely to snooze their alarm five times in a row?
45. Who is most likely to stay calm during an emergency?

Juicy most likely to questions

1. Who is most likely to marry someone rich and famous?
2. Who is most likely to flirt their way out of trouble?
3. Who is most likely to go skinny dipping?
4. Who is most likely to date more than one person at a time?
5. Who is most likely to kiss and tell?
6. Who is most likely to sneak into a concert or event without a ticket?
7. Who is most likely to pee in the shower?
8. Who is most likely to get arrested?
9. Who is most likely to die first in a horror film?
10. Who is most likely to expose receipts during an argument?
11. Who is most likely to kiss someone at a party just for attention?
12. Who is most likely to be on the news for being involved with a scam?
13. Who is most likely to go a week without a shower?
14. Who is most likely to go through someone’s phone without permission?
15. Who is most likely to end up in a news headline?
16. Who is most likely to hook up with their ex again?
17. Who is most likely to tattle on someone?
18. Who is most likely to never change their sheets?
19. Who is most likely to send their food back at a restaurant?
20. Who is most likely to fall in love with their best friend?
21. Who is most likely to get into a love triangle?
22. Who is most likely to go on a date just for free food?
23. Who is most likely to end up dating someone way older?
24. Who is most likely to lead someone on just for the attention?
25. Who is most likely to start dating someone new a week after a breakup?
26. Who is most likely to quit a job on the spot after one bad day?
27. Who is most likely to stir up drama at a family holiday dinner?
28. Who is most likely to drop a “you won’t believe what I heard” the second they walk in the room?
29. Who is most likely to fake being sick to get out of plans?
30. Who is most likely to say “I’m over it” and then bring it up again a week late
31. Who is most likely to block someone with little provocation?
32. Who is most likely to keep a secret until it’s convenient to spill?
33. Who is most likely to post a breakup TikTok within 24 hours?
34. Who is most likely to pretend they didn’t see a message but actually did?
35. Who is most likely to screenshot a conversation “just in case”?
36. Who is most likely to post a cryptic message and refuse to explain it?
37. Who is most likely to take karaoke way too seriously?
38. Who is most likely to pull a dramatic stunt just because they’re bored?
39. Who is most likely to take the longest getting ready and still be late?
40. Who is most likely to start dating someone just to make someone else jealous?

Funny most likely to questions

1. Who is most likely to ignore a phone call?
2. Who is most likely to become obsessed with a random hobby, like extreme ironing?
3. Who is most likely to take a nap in the middle of a party?
4. Who is most likely to wear socks with sandals?
5. Who is most likely to sleep with a teddy bear?
6. Who is most likely to eat cereal for dinner?
7. Who is most likely to get married on a cruise ship?
8. Who is most likely to still be using Myspace?
9. Who is most likely to think they’re an expert after watching a single Youtube video?
10. Who is most likely to survive an alien abduction?
11. Who is most likely to participate in a historic reenactment?
12. Who is most likely to have a pet ferret?
13. Who is most likely to lose a presidential election?
14. Who is most likely to know the lyrics to every single Taylor Swift song?
15. Who is most likely to not own a TV?
16. Who is most likely to get lost in their own city?
17. Who is most likely to run the most finsta accounts?
18. Who is most likely to throw a surprise party for themself?
19. Who is most likely to lie in a job interview?
20. Who is most likely to ghost someone?
21. Who is most likely to fall in love the quickest?
22. Who is most likely to hire a matchmaker?
23. Who is most likely to use a selfie stick?
24. Who is most likely to go to band camp?
25. Who is most likely to end up on America’s Got Talent?
26. Who is most likely to join a cult?
27. Who is most likely to become a weather reporter?
28. Who is most likely to trip over absolutely nothing?
29. Who is most likely to accidentally become a millionaire?
30. Who is most likely to forget deodorant?
31. Who is most likely to yell at a bug?
32. Who is most likely to get scared by an inanimate object?
33. Who is most likely to accidentally start a fire making instant ramen?
34. Who is most likely to become their parent(s)?
35. Who is most likely to win a hot dog eating contest?
36. Who is most likely to fall asleep on public transportation and miss their stop?
37. Who is most likely to buy a unicycle and call it their “new vibe”?
38. Who is most likely to open a PowerPoint presentation about why they deserve the last slice of pizza?
39. Who is most likely to accidentally marry someone in Vegas?
40. Who is most likely to convince themselves their house is haunted?
41. Who is most likely to befriend a raccoon?
42. Who is most likely to RSVP “maybe” to their own birthday party?
43. Who is most likely to get tricked into a pyramid scheme… twice?
44. Who is most likely to end up locked inside a porta potty at a festival?
45. Who is most likely to go to the airport a day early by mistake?
46. Who is most likely to wear sunglasses at night and claim it’s a “vibe”?
47. Who is most likely to clap when the movie ends at the theater?
48. Who is most likely to have coupons in their bag right now?
49. Who is most likely to spend 20 minutes telling a story with no ending?
50. Who is most likely to text someone while they’re in the same room?

Interesting most likely to questions

1. Who is most likely to become an anarchist?
2. Who is most likely to move into a lighthouse just for the aesthetic?
3. Who is most likely to host a travel show?
4. Who is most likely to live off the grid and raise goats?
5. Who is most likely to change their name and move to Central America?
6. Who is most likely to join the circus and love it?
7. Who is most likely to disappear for a year and come back with a mysterious tattoo?
8. Who is most likely to join a pirate crew if it was still an option?
9. Who is most likely to decide they’re a prophet and start a movement?
10. Who is most likely to fake their own death and watch their funeral?
11. Who is most likely to join a Renaissance fair full-time?
12. Who is most likely to open a fortune-telling business?
13. Who is most likely to start their own nonprofit?
14. Who is most likely to become a doomsday prepper?
15. Who is most likely to change careers every six months forever?
16. Who is most likely to live on a houseboat?
17. Who is most likely to impersonate a celebrity and get away with it?
18. Who is most likely to release an experimental album no one understands?
19. Who is most likely to accidentally become a political exile?
20. Who is most likely to start a podcast interviewing ghosts?
21. Who is most likely to live in a yurt?
22. Who is most likely to become an urban legend in their hometown?
23. Who is most likely to accidentally win a Guinness World Record?
24. Who is most likely to buy a castle on eBay?
25. Who is most likely to hike the entire Appalachian Trail?
26. Who is most likely to become obsessed with treasure hunting?
27. Who is most likely to start a museum for something weirdly specific?
28. Who is most likely to get kicked out of jury duty?
29. Who is most likely to start a fight with a mascot at a sporting event?
30. Who is most likely to work as a park ranger?
31. Who is most likely to move to Mars at the first opportunity?
32. Who is most likely to move to a tiny house permanently?
33. Who is most likely to get banned from karaoke night for hogging the mic?
34. Who is most likely to become mayor?
35. Who is most likely to live in an airport?
36. Who is most likely to accidentally cause an international incident?
37. Who is most likely to live in a hotel permanently, Eloise-style?
38. Who is most likely to adopt a pet pig?
39. Who is most likely to convince people they are an undercover royal?
40. Who is most likely to get cast as the villain in a blockbuster movie?
41. Who is most likely to design their own clothing line?
42. Who is most likely to get a PhD in something very niche?
43. Who is most likely to become an inventor with patents to their name?
44. Who is most likely to move to Alaska for the adventure?
45. Who is most likely to write a children’s book series?

Random most likely to questions

1. Who is most likely to introduce themselves with a fake name at Starbucks?
2. Who is most likely to host a talent show for their pets?
3. Who is most likely to write letters to the editor about very minor issues?
4. Who is most likely to learn how to play an obscure instrument?
5. Who is most likely to insist on using a flip phone?
6. Who is most likely to become an expert in knots?
7. Who is most likely to subscribe to obscure print magazines?
8. Who is most likely to get deeply into birdwatching by accident?
9. Who is most likely to need to pee five times on an hour-long car trip?
10. Who is most likely to reread the same book every year for decades?
11. Who is most likely to start a side hustle selling oddly specific things on Depop?
12. Who is most likely to name their Wi-Fi something dramatic and petty?
13. Who is most likely to have 30 tabs open at all times?
14. Who is most likely to build an oddly elaborate Spotify playlist for every mood?
15. Who is most likely to accidentally go viral on TikTok?
16. Who is most likely to delete a post because it didn’t get enough likes?
17. Who is most likely to ghost someone and then text “wyd” two weeks later?
18. Who is most likely to spend all their money on skincare products?
19. Who is most likely to dye their hair a random color out of boredom?
20. Who is most likely to impulse-buy crystals?
21. Who is most likely to text in all lowercase just for the aesthetic?
22. Who is most likely to create a burner account just to comment unhinged things?
23. Who is most likely to buy merch for an artist they don’t even listen to?
24. Who is most likely to claim they’re “detoxing from social media” and be back in two days?
25. Who is most likely to go on a rant about astrology signs?
26. Who is most likely to send a text, panic, and immediately put their phone on airplane mode?
27. Who is most likely to turn a group chat into their personal diary?
28. Who is most likely to dye their hair after one bad day?
29. Who is most likely to collect random screenshots like they’re evidence?
30. Who is most likely to take a personality quiz and let it dictate their life?
31. Who is most likely to comment something cryptic on their own post?
32. Who is most likely to show up overdressed for everything?
33. Who is most likely to start an oddly specific collection (like keychains or rubber ducks)?
34. Who is most likely to write a dramatic caption for a completely normal picture?
35. Who is most likely to spend their whole paycheck on concert tickets?
36. Who is most likely to lose their phone while holding it?
37. Who is most likely to record a 10-minute voice note instead of texting?
38. Who is most likely to get invested in celebrity drama like it’s homework?
39. Who is most likely to leave a group chat without warning?
40. Who is most likely to still use emojis everyone else stopped using?
41. Who is most likely to always have an iced coffee, no matter the weather?
42. Who is most likely to text “on my way” while still getting ready?
43. Who is most likely to get “mysteriously sick” whenever plans involve effort?
44. Who is most likely to “ironically” get bangs and regret it?
45. Who is most likely to go MIA for days and come back like nothing happened?

This article first appeared on teenvogue.com

Also read:

201 actually interesting questions to ask to get to know someone

145 interesting questions to ask your roommate to get to know them better

75 questions for teens to ask your parents, from funny to deep

In addition to the commingling of objects and memory, Ahmed’s work also accommodates a second, more contemplative visual language. One that is not bursting from the margins but is slower, sequential and narrative-led. In Nur & the Nightmare, an illustrated series of 12 miniature-inspired­ artworks, she topples the folkloric trope of women being abducted by malignant djinns to present a consensual love story between Nur, a princess, and Kabus, a female-presenting djinn. “In South Asian mythology, djinns are often viewed as shape-shifting beings, so their gender is in flux too. It made me want to toy with the idea of humans embodying djinns,” she explains. In the section titled Falling, Nur and Kabus are seen resting in the shade of a tree. The text reads: “Nur spoke of the deep rot in her kingdom, Kabus spoke of the limits of Djinn law. Their shadows met like old lovers, their darknesses reaching out to discover each other. Nur saw her reflection playing on the pearly wings of Kabus and found her comfort there.”

Nur and the Nightmare (panel 3) by Reya Ahmed.

Moving In, Moving Out by Reya Ahmed.

Your progress may seem slow, but Scorpio, you are gaining karmic brownie points from the cosmos, okay? Now, yes, you love saving the day, but at this point in time, you must remember that what is needed is for you to keep your eyes and ears open as much as you do your heart. So that neither are you taken advantage of nor are you overlooked. It’s a fine balance you must strike and Scorps, your angels are flagging this important message highlighting burnout. So to avoid it, breathe, take on your plate only as much as you can handle and focus on your skills while finding a way to seek assistance for all that you know you’d rather delegate.

Cosmic tip: New opportunities await you, Scorps. Good things are brewing.

Wishful thinking backed by no intention or drive to make a change brings absolutely no momentum in life, Sag. And hello, what are you without that spark of fire in your belly? Sure, things may have felt tough and challenging in your past, but also, did they not eventually work out for better outcomes than you imagined? Now tell me, are you going to say yes to that invite or not? Perhaps it’s time to let your hair down just for a bit and have fun, you never know how the Universe decides to surprise you.

Cosmic tip: Try new things but wait a little before cementing your decision in.

If you have not been able to see eye to eye with something or someone lately, Capricorn, it may be time to turn inward. It may be time for you to really reassess what has been going on and what really needs to change. You may need to take charge of this situation in a more intellectual manner than to get fully emotionally engaged with it. Open your heart and mind to those around you, but first ask yourself how would you like to lead?

Cosmic tip: Teething challenges can be surmounted if you decide to tread with gentle, yet effective care.

Believe in yourself now, Aquarius, because if you will not, then who will! This is the most fertile time for you to spark that fire, ignite that passion and really take steps to change your life now. Things may or may not conspire overnight; however, they will surely begin to move in a direction you will love and be grateful for in the future. So seek out mentors or be one, take the trusted route or add your own twist, join a community or build one—but whatever it is that you feel is the need of the hour for you—do it now!

Cosmic tip: If you are willing to see the humour in a situation, you will notice that even the stickiest spots have something paradoxically beautiful about them

Are you moving to a new home, city or a new phase in life, Pisces? Well, you may be feeling scared of the unknown and perhaps even procrastinating a few decisions to ease yourself into this transition; however, your angels remind you that you must ensure you see multiple sides of the coin sooner than you are planning to so that you can make your moves in time. It’s likely to feel like a very watery day—emotionally charged, structureless and fluid. However, remember that you have the power to decide how much force you allow this water to flow through.

Cosmic tip: Open your eyes to the possibilities.

Janhvi Kapoor turned heads at the Toronto Film Festival premiere of her film Homebound with three distinctive looks that blended the best of Indian craftsmanship with global fashion. All three ensembles were styled by Rhea Kapoor, who seamlessly blended archival pieces with Indian sensibilities to create a versatile and grounded lookbook for the actress.

For her first look, Janhvi Kapoor donned one that was old, new, borrowed, and blue. A resham sari by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla formed the centerpiece of the outfit, echoing the designer duo’s penchant for intricate embroideries, as well as their dedication towards preserving Indian artisanal crafts. Featuring resham embroidery inspired by the detailed motifs of jamawar patterns, the sari paid tribute to Kashmiri heritage.

Stylist Rhea Kapoor combined elements from Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla’s archives, as well as personal pieces to achieve Janhvi’s final look. An antique jamawar shawl from her own collection was draped over the actress’s shoulders, fringed with handmade silk resham tassels for lush texture. The sari was then layered with a vintage men’s jamawar jacket from the 1980s, upcycled and reembroidered by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. Traditionally, up to 50 colours can be woven into a single jamawar shawl, with rich shades of red, gold, green, and blue being the most popular.

Rhea Kapoor took further inspiration from Indian rituals by pairing the sari with shoulder-grazing silver earrings that were inspired by the Kashmiri dejhur: a traditional bridal ornament passed down through generations. A handcrafted bangle from Amrapali Jewels and a custom ‘chabi ka guccha’ by Apala by Sumit finished the look. Kapoor’s block heels, also designed by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, mirrored the jamawar motifs of the sari.

The first stirrings of mahua’s renaissance come, fittingly, from its own heartland. Sohrai, a skincare brand by Rupesh Pawar and Khanak Gupta, draws its name from a tribal harvest festival and its potency from the exquisite lipid profile of mahua oil. “While most oils lean heavily on a single fatty acid- olive on oleic, coconut on saturated fats, rosehip on linoleic-mahua stands apart with its beautifully balanced profile,” explains ​​Gupta, the CEO of Sohrai. “With 46 per cent oleic, 20 per cent stearic and 19 per cent palmitic acid, mahua delivers both deep hydration and lightweight nourishment,” she says, citing recent studies on its fatty acid profile published in the Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society and the Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources.

Pawar, Sohrai’s chief technical officer, calls himself an “oil scientist”. He grew up in Maharashtra’s Nanded district, a tribal belt festooned with mahua groves. “In our folklore, ganja and mahua are siblings,” he explains. “Mahua is the sweet, nurturing sister. Ganja, the wild, untamed brother. Mahua soothes the body; ganja frees the mind.”

Pawar is uniquely positioned, rooted in his upbringing and trained in research and development. His proprietary enzyme-extracted mahua butter claims to deliver lipids deeper into the skin. “This is India’s answer to cacao or shea butter,” he says.

Tree of Life by Kalyan Joshi, Courtesy of Baro Art

‘The beauty industry’s interests are piqued. In 2023, Estée Lauder’s New Incubation Ventures awarded Sohrai its Impact award, with plans to incorporate the velvet-textured butter into upcoming formulations.

Before Sohrai’s rise, Global Beauty Secrets joined hands with Mrinalika M Bhanjdeo of the erstwhile Mayurbhanj royal family to launch the Kukmu Mahua face oil. “I grew up watching tribal communities weave wonders from the mahua tree,” says Bhanjdeo. “Its seed oil, dense with fatty acids, was too extraordinary to leave in the shadows.” Its oil is prized for eczema, psoriasis, dry skin and body aches, explains ​​Dr Gunvant Yeola, an Ayurvedic physician and principal of Pune’s Dr DY Patil College of Ayurved. “Its bark calms redness and itching while mahua wine forms the base or most medicated wines.”

‘The belief in the mahua flower’s ​​immortality comes from its unusual resilience. Once dried, it can be brought back to life simply by being soaked in water. These “reborn blooms are then fermented into the heady, floral liquor that forms the centrepiece of tribal birth, marriage and death rituals. While some parts of post-colonial India grew squeamish about alcohol, these communities never abandoned their sacred brew.

Of all the adjustments one makes when moving countries, I hadn’t expected the lack of retinol to deliver the sharpest shock.

A month into Berlin, I plunged my fingers into my jar of Olay retinol night cream only to find—nothing. Missing day one of my carefully rotated five-day skin-cycling ritual felt like the start of a dermal apocalypse. What I didn’t realise then was that I was mourning more than skincare.

Amazon mocked me with imports priced at nearly four times what I’d pay in India. Google offered no salvation. My backups, global and domestic alike, were suddenly unavailable or prohibitively expensive.

Growing up in India, “global beauty” was shorthand for the American, occasionally French label (rarely made in France). My definition was shaped by my aunt’s US-returned suitcases: St Ives scrubs, Clinique, Kiehl’s, Sephora lip balms. They were impossibly chic, impossibly “international”. Add TV ads and the women’s magazine spreads I devoured at the beauty parlour, and my mental map of “global” was sealed. German skincare never figured; it was simply foreign.

And then Berlin happened. I ran out of things I relied on, perhaps, for things more than skincare.

Late one night, scrolling past Google’s glossy carousel of overpriced imports, I found it: a €5.99 (₹540) “Nachtcreme with retinol and bakuchiol” at DM Drogerie Markt. It was my first true introduction to German skincare, a category I had never considered seriously until necessity forced my hand.

German skincare struck me as clinical rather than theatrical. No ornate packaging or lofty claims. Just fragrance-free, efficient formulations with ingredients traceable to research. The EU’s stringent regulations meant every jar was already science-screened. Beauty here felt pharmacy or need-led. It was skincare without the theatre.

My bathroom in Delhi had resembled a stock exchange: creams, serums, toners, masks abandoned mid-rotation, edging towards expiry. German skincare broke that cycle. It reminded me that skincare could be less about foraging for spectacle and more about helping the body’s largest organ do its job.

The timing felt apt. Globally, beauty is reconsidering itself. Social media dermatologists are validating simpler routines, and consumers are asking whether cabinets crammed with bottles signify care or just marketing.

Berlin already held the answer: efficacy over excess, science over spectacle. German beauty’s legacy is long-established; it’s the birthplace of Nivea, a brand that feels as Indian, if not more, than the homegrown Boroline. Balea delivers on everything from serums to dry shampoo. Eucerin’s anti-pigment illuminating eye cream is my daily saviour. Elkos hand cream from Edeka, under €2 (₹180), is everywhere. Biotulin’s Supreme Skin Gel offers the famous “no-needle botox” effect. And Less’s face oil lives up to its name: understated, elegant.

Tamannaah Bhatia leaned into after-dark glam at her latest promotional event, making the sculpted Hervé Léger her statement for the evening as she introduced her new show. Styled by Leepakshi Ellawadi and team, the actor slipped into The Ines Gown, a black bodycon with a fringed hem, cut-outs and silver hardware. On her feet, a pair of Christian Louboutin Hot Chick Sling Pumps in classic black streamlined the look.

The gown, unmistakably Hervé Léger in its construction, had a second-skin-like silhouette with four panels of sharp cut-outs at the midriff and thigh, punctuated by metallic beads that broke the monochrome. While the bodice was fitted with a square neckline and thick straps, the bottom hem featured a broad, ankle grazing fringe, which swayed with each step she took and gave the dress a pleasant bohemian edge. The tasselled bottom reinforced a trend that has been taking hold across runways: the return of the fringe, this time with more experimentation and structure.

Of course, the fringe is no stranger to the fashion cycle. It has been swinging in and out of style over the decades, from the jazz-age Charleston dress to boho suede in the ‘70s and ’80s rock leathers. But this time around, it’s showing up with a different energy. Designers are turning the fringe into a design accent by experimenting with varied materials like thread, leather, metal and crystal on tailored, fitted and boxy silhouettes, adding an element of fluidity to otherwise buttoned up outfits. From fringed hoods at Bottega Veneta to tasselled skirts at Isabel Marant and Ralph Lauren, the fringe has made its presence known across Spring/Summer 2025 runways. It carried through into Fall/Winter 2025 too, with Schiaparelli working it into full-length leather coats and Lacoste offering slinky, fully tasselled co-ords. Even Louis Vuitton’s FW25 played with the detail, adding unexpected texture to a fringed skirt recently worn by Deepika Padukone at the LVMH Prize finale.

For beauty, Tamannaah Bhatia’s choices remained pared down yet refined. Her hair was left in soft, voluminous waves that mirrored the fluidity of the fringe in her dress. Smoky eyes with iridescent shimmer, rosy cheeks and a muted pink lip brought focus to the eyes without overwhelming the look. A pair of sculptural silver earrings and a stack of rings added further metallic shine to the ensemble, keeping the overall styling modern and unfussy.

From Vogue’s fashion desk:

“Tamannaah brings flirty fun in this black tasselled Hervé Léger. Reimagine it as a playful tasselled knit or crochet skirt—let the skirt be your statement piece. Pair down with a plain, slouchy round-neck tee for an elevated daytime look. Add a stack of bangles, a cool pair of shades and complete the look with your go-to sneakers,” says Vogue India’s Associate Fashion Editor, Divya Balakrishnan.