Posts in category: Life Style

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.

M·A·C Glow Play Cushiony Blush

Gucci Blush De Beauté

₹3,900, available in stores

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.

How you show up within your relationships is how the Universe shows up for you, Taurus. If you want to put an end to challenging times, decide to put an end to the pitiless loop you think you are stuck in. Instead of waiting for the cosmos to initiate change, consider making changes in your way in your life. We get it, Capricorn, Earth school ain’t easy. You’ve got to pay the bills, you’ve got to grow, feel fulfilled, and rewarded all the same. However, here’s the cheat code for you—the more you clutch onto your ‘assets’, the harder they become to keep for you. So try this—replace “what if I lose this?” with “What amazing things are in store for me, if I only try something new?” You deserve this celebration and the abundance that surrounds you, Cancer. Your eyes have been set on the prize for a while, and you, my dear friend, have been busy getting your energetic frequency from being frazzled to being with it. The wheel of fortune turns in your favour, and Sag, how you deserve this! This is your time to fiercely defend all that you believe in and stand for. This is your time to trust your inner vision over what the world tries to make you believe. This is your time to make yourself believe in your magic again. Things are moving fast, and although you may have felt like you were stuck in a sea storm, suddenly the sun beams through the clouds, and rough waters feel like they are parting ways to reveal your hidden secret path, Pisces.

Read on for what the stars have in store for you and make sure you check out your sun, moon, and rising signs for the complete picture.

Instead of getting sentimental about a whole host of things that you perhaps had made peace with in the past, Aries, it may be time for you to just regain your rationality and begin balancing the scales once again. Missed opportunities, however distant in the past, rarely feel good; however, they often lead you to places that you would have otherwise not encountered had you trodden on that path. Where are you now? And most importantly, are you not happy here? Move on, get a grip and begin afresh.

Once dismissed as an office uniform, the workwear kurta is stepping into a smarter, sharper space. With designers refining cuts, prints, and fabrics, it’s no longer a Monday-to-Friday default—it’s a year-round wardrobe anchor. Here’s how to choose the right one.

Solid colours

A solid silk or linen kurta is the most versatile base you can own. Look for clean, uninterrupted lines. Think concealed plackets and side slits cut for movement. In summer, it holds its own with tailored trousers and flat sandals. In cooler months, it layers easily under a blazer or sleeveless jacket. The restraint here is intentional; it is about letting the cut and fabric do the work.

Prints & Patterns

Small-scale geometrics, block prints, micro florals. In grounded tones can shift your look without overwhelming it. Keep the pairing minimal with neutral trousers, a single piece of jewellery, so the kurta remains the focal point. It’s the kind of print you can wear to a client pitch and also a long weekend getaway with the girls.

Knee lengths

A knee-length kurta is the easiest piece to reframe with layers. For over-airconditioned offices, throw on a sharp blazer or a longline jacket; it instantly changes the proportion and adds structure. When winter sets in, switch to fine-knit cardigans or a handloom wool stole. The key is to add warmth without bulk, keeping the lines clean and the movement easy.

Pockets, please

Function doesn’t have to kill form. Choose a workwear kurta with pockets deep enough for your phone or card case because nobody wants to carry a bag to the pantry. Go for lengths that balance well with flats or heels. These details mean you’ll reach for it as instinctively on Monday as you do on Friday.

Detailed sleeves

Sleeves are where you can signal personality without breaking dress codes. Cuffed with light embroidery or a voluminous sleeve for a little bit of movement. Just keep the volume in check; the goal is to suggest intention, not to sweep your sleeve through your 4 p.m. chai.

Also read:

20 labels that are making must-have kurtas fit for your monsoon wardrobe

15 offbeat blouse styles to go with your cocktail saris

Best work bags to invest in, according to your girl-boss style

“You either have to be flawless or you’re a failure,” Martinez says. “There’s no middle ground or grey area.” Not only is this all-or-nothing thinking inaccurate, it also leaves no room for nuance, self-compassion or growth. (And really, how could anyone be confident when their brain is feeding them such unforgiving thoughts after small slipups?)

3. You interpret even gentle feedback as proof you’re failing

No one enjoys receiving constructive criticism. But even the mildest, most well-meaning suggestions can hit like personal attacks for those struggling with an inferiority complex…and be enough to spark a shame spiral.

A casual comment from your boss about improving a task, for example, might be interpreted as confirmation that you suck at your job. (Ugh, why’d they even hire me? Everyone knows I don’t belong.) A gentle comment from your partner about how you could’ve handled last night’s disagreement differently may suddenly become proof that you’re an all-around inadequate person who deserves to get dumped.

“When we receive feedback, it’s normal to have a moment of self-doubt. We feel bad, but that usually passes,” Martinez explains. However, “some people might ruminate on it or obsess about it for days, since it reinforces all of this negative stuff that they already believe about themselves.”

4. You look at other people’s wins and automatically wonder what’s wrong with you

It’s pretty much impossible not to do this to some extent (thanks, social media highlight reels). However, with inferiority complexes, those comparisons don’t just feel like passing moments of envy. Instead, they become a lens through which you judge your worth…or rather, your perceived lack of it, according to Bryant.

Whether someone announces a new gig, shares an engagement update or posts about their impressive lifting PR, your mind might race with thoughts like, “No matter how hard I try, I’ll never be as good as this person,” or, “I’m clearly not talented enough, or else I’d be where they are now.” You’re not simply wishing you had what they had—you’re convinced there’s something flawed about you for not measuring up.

5. You try really, really hard to gain other people’s approval

If you’re convinced you’re somehow lacking as you are, it makes sense that you might feel the pressure to “earn” your worth. Because when you don’t believe you’re sufficient on your own, external praise and approval become your only lifeline to fill that void. That’s why, with inferiority complexes, “there’s often this real, Olympic-level people-pleasing with hardly any boundaries,” Martinez says.

There’s no pomp when Sudha Murty enters the room. In fact, no one really notices. The videographers are busy priming their cameras, her staff is whirring around the sidelines and I am admiring a painting depicting the Mahabharata—made by a Kolkata-based collective of the Bengal School, she tells me later. “Which magazine?” she asks, smiling, as I hurriedly turn, take notice and mutter an answer. “Ah yes, please sit.” So I do. In videos and pictures, Murty seems larger somehow, a powerhouse of a person, but here, in the upstairs atrium of her office in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar, she seems slighter, smaller, even simpler. She is dressed modestly, in a green cotton salwar kameez, and it’s her face that fills in the absent details when I show her a video of my daughter thanking her for writing one of her favourite children’s books, The Gopi Diaries, starring her real-life Golden Retriever, who now snoozes lazily by her feet.

As a staff member arrives bearing a tray full of spiced coriander-sprinkled buttermilk, the conversation turns to whether it is homemade. “It is,” she nods sagely—as are most other things she eats. “I don’t go to restaurants. Why drive, park and waste time in traffic when you can eat at home? It’s easier and faster.” When the cameras flick on, framing her face, we are on the topic of kitchens and cooking, and how she and her husband, N. R. Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, managed to build both a healthy company and healthy eating habits back in the day. “When he was building Infosys, he never had time to cook,” she says, adding that there was never a day when he finished a meal without washing his plate. “He was very helpful even then,” adds Murty, whose own plate, in those days, was overflowing. “I’ve always been working, so I never became an expert at cooking. I know the basics—rice, sambar, roti, sabzi—but not dishes like holige [a sweet flatbread from Karnataka]. Our meals are always simple.” That explains why she sought help from her mother in the kitchen. “My parents lived below us, so my mother cooked for the family for a long time. It was only when she became old that we sought outside help.”

As a Padma Shri awardee, Rajya Sabha member, founder of the Infosys Foundation and a prolific author, philanthropist and educator, Murty is no stranger to breaking stereotypes. She earned her bachelor’s degree in engineering from BVB College of Engineering and Technology as the only girl in her class. “There were no toilets, so I wouldn’t drink water from 7am to noon. Then I’d walk home, use the restroom, have lunch and be back in the lab at 2pm,” recalls the multihyphenate, who went on to complete her master’s degree in computer science from the Indian Institute of Science. Her grandmother discouraged her from studying engineering, insisting it was meant for boys and warning that it would hurt her prospects in the marriage market. She persevered, repeating history upon becoming the first female engineer at Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (now Tata Motors) in 1974. When she married Narayana Murthy in 1978, she did so with one condition—she would spell her surname as Murty, not Murthy, as it aligned with the Sanskrit alphabet.