Dazzling Diwali Decor with Pepperfry.com

It's time to spruce up the pad and bring in the festivities.

Diwali is a time to shop till you drop and burn a hole in your pockets but surely not all shopping needs to be burden to your finances! 

A quick guide to spruce up your home and make it dazzling on a budget from a range of Pepperfry products.

All products are from Pepperfry.

Royal elegance 

Make use of bold colorful bright reds, oranges, yellows. Throw in gold in the form of lamps, diyas and lanterns generously. Bring the festivities in with warm golden yellow lights with shades of the red family in rich fabrics. 

Royal 

1)The Attic Dausa Jharokha - Rs 2215 

2)eCraftIndia Brown Brass Antique Finish Laxmi, Ganesha and Saraswati on Lotus Figurine - Rs 775 

3)Vyom Shop Peacock Divi - Rs 818 

4)Resonance Orange Glass with Lace Candle Holder - Set of Three Rs 270 

5)Vyom Shop Bowl - Rs 954 

6)Tu Casa Green LED Classic Candle Holder- Rs 687 

7)RangDesi Red and Golden Cotton Brocade Cushion Cover Rs 271 

Spiritual 

In the buzz of Diwali, get peaceful with earthy hues, shades of white and off whites or bring a little glamour with silver. 

Keep it simple, pleasant and serene while you add a hint of colour through candles and fragrance through fresh flowers or incense. 

Spiritual 

1)Ellielle Artefacts Fibre golden sitting buddha Rs 1154

2)Pasabahce Legacy Candy Box 22 Mm Rs 1552 

3)Micasa White with Gold Border Design Candles - Set of 3 Ts 1919 

4)Resonance Luminary Orange Carved Buddha Face Candle Rs 1145 

5)S9home by Seasons Greys Cushion Cover Rs 298 

6)Unravel India Wooden 3 Tea light set with Base Tray Rs769 

Vintage 

Straight from the era gone by, use subtle but beautiful shades and emphasise on details using glass, crystal and antique silver. 

Accentuate your furniture and curtains with romantic sheer fabrics in pleasing hues. Let the old fashioned chandelier lights and fragrance of jasmines, tuber roses (Rajnigandha) and marigold win every bodies heart over. Old is definitely gold! 

Vintage 

1)Ganesh Wall Hanging Deepak With Bells By Handecor Rs 1023 

2)Handecor Decorative Golden Brass Shankh Rs 671

3)Vyom Shop Bowl Rs 2178 

4)DecorifyMe Nickel Plated Aluminium Candle Stand Rs 2299 

5)Handecor Parrot Hanging Diya Rs 1319 

6)Stybuzz Traditional Indian Woman Multicoloured Silk Cushion Cover Rs159 

Dazzle your home with Pepperfry.com this Diwali. Have a Happy Diwali you all !! 

xoxo

Bhakti 

My favorite shopping in Bangkok

Bangkok is no doubt a shoppers paradise, shopping is a day- night activity and everyone who visits this place has their personal favorites. (Read more about Bangkok shopping)
I too have my personal favorite shopping places in this heaven for shopping.
Let me take you through my best and must shopping places to visit whenever in Bangkok.

Must:
Whenever shopping in markets or malls, do carry shopping trolleys, you will be thankful later on after having bought bags and bags of goodies.( it sure becomes difficult to carry all the bags around)
Shopping trolleys are easily available everywhere. One can get a good deal in the Pratunam market.
Most of these markets and malls have maps available free of charge for easy accessibility, do utilize them, It sure makes the experience comfortable.
Wear comfortable clothes and footwear, carry loads of change and stay hydrated.
HAGGLE - must

 

 

Pratunam  Market
Its a maze of small alleys criss crossed and jam packed with vendors selling different variety of goods, clothes, shoes, and fashion accessories at wholesale prices.  Prices are very cheap, and most shops offer retail prices for single pieces.

Pratunam city complex
AC version of Pratunam market, a respite from heat surely however do not expect same prices as that of the market out on the road. Plenty of fashionable clothing and shoes. There are a few jewelry and crafts shops, as well as cosmetic stores are located within.

Indra Square
you will get really good deals and a good variety. Only a few minutes walk from Pratunam Wholesale Market, the Indra Square consists of several floors with hundreds of small shops selling from children clothing, men and women fashion wear, to accessories.

Baiyoke Towers :
another good shopping mall in this area

Platinum Fashion Mall 
Platinum Fashion Mall - a AC version of the Chatuchak Weekend Market. I prefer this any day over Chatuchak market. really good quality products, the rates are higher than the markets but then you really get a very nice quality. However one does find a lot of sale deals and whole sale deals too. Do check the garments bought on sale for defects and holes.
Do visit both the buildings of Platinum mall.

 

 

All these shopping places are a walking distance from each other. (located very close by)
I prefer to shop at this one place rather than going to Chatuchak which is really far and I think over hyped. one does get some lucky deals at Chatuchak, but I find it expensive and more touristy and over priced. A must watch for first timers, being the biggest market and all. Other than that I would give it a miss.



MBK mall
A must visit for all the mobile and camera accessories, you do get lovely souveneirs, silk and some really good deals. Dvds, gadgets, accessories, food courts everything over here is really good. Also spas to relax the tired soul and it is connected to BTS directly.
It also houses Warehouse and Tokyo departmental store.

 

Warehouse:
Branded clothes at knock out prices. Do check for defects as many of them are factory rejects but you will surely get some good ones. Warehouse is there in most of the malls like MBK, Terminal 21, Big C etc.

Pink Pvssy
My one stop shop for all my accessories and likes. They have an amazing collection at really good prices. They have outlets all over Bangkok. Spotting Pink Pvssy wont be a difficult job at all. Must visit.



 just a small glimpse ;p

These are my favorite places to shop when in Bangkok.
What about yours?
Do share them with me, I would love to hear all about these shopping secrets of yours.

Happy shopping :)

xoxo
Bhakti









 

Gift your Valentine a Giftease

So many online shopping sites have sprung up in such little time, online shopping is the big present as well as a juicy promising future. The question remains which site to chose over the another. Every site has a strength it uses for its benefit, and deciding becomes a big question.
I came across one such site Giftease claiming to be an online gifting specialist, based from Pune. Giftease started operations with a store in Phoenix Market city, mall in Pune in 2013 And thus followed the launch of the Giftease website in May 2013 and since then there is no looking back.
Currently they are delivering to over 5000 locations in India and as you read this, this number keeps on growing.
Oh, boy, was I impressed. In this cut throat competition, Giftease is like a fresh air of uniqueness. Read on and share my experience with me to believe it.

 

 

The site offers a huge range of products and are still adding many to their list. They have a huge collection of conventional, quirky as well as unusual gifts under the same roof. They have some of the best brands to offer, jewelry, accessories for men and women, chocolates, flowers, gift hampers, gift cards from the best of the brands, Home, family, kids, teens, bags, scarves, fragrances, dining vouchers, spa vouchers, café vouchers, gadgets, watches and much more, they have it all.

The website is so user friendly and easy to use and at the same time attractive. One can shop based on occasion, gift type, romantic or quirky, naughty or nice, price range and many other criteria which makes shopping a sheer joy and you can just go on and on. Hold your breath, the site has got something for everyone, gifts on budget, luxury gifts and all this with really good discounts and offers.
 Not only this they have an unique service 'gift via email'. This service allows you to send gifts to anyone even if you just know their email and phone no's, isn't it awesome?
 They also have something called 'gift wiz', where one just need to give in details like your budget, who the gift is for, occasion and delivery date,, voila and your work is done, they will take care of everything and a beautiful gift will be delivered to the desired person you wanted.
They even had products distributed in different segments according to the time taken for delivery, like next day, after 3 days and so on. There is also an option to select your own delivery date, so convenient, isn't it ?

I was hooked to this website and couldn't stop myself shopping again for my valentine.
Though the website was really user friendly and simple yet I took a very long time to shop as I was so confused between such varied variety to select from.
Finally this is my haul from Giftease-

Perfume , hand cuffs and chocolates for my hubby, what a deadly combination, you will definitely agree with me on this, wont you ? (naughty smile )
How can I be left behind, I bought a tote having quirky Taj Mahal  print and a pretty floral stole for myself.
The billing was smooth, short and easy, at the end I was surprised again. Well a good surprise that was, giftease really takes care of minutest details and here they provided a service of attaching a sweet message according to the occasion, and there were lot of messages one could chose from, they also provided the free Giftease gift wrapping, and another designer wrapping for a nominal charge.


 My Haul

        

It was an amazing experience to shop from Giftease and I am sure returning to this website. You too
should have a look, you would be definitely surprised and for the good. :)

Some things to tempt you, from Giftease.




































Happy Shopping !!


xoxo
Bhakti
P.S. This is a sponsored post.

 

A mane story

A screaming toddler being taken to the barbers shop to trim her hair again, short really short, after a while the screams give way to silent sobs and sighs. Till then the barber has worked his hands over the hair which now resembles a freshly mowed lawn. The sequence goes on for years and now the girl who is no more a toddler is habituated to the short hair and the easy maintenance of them(perks of short hair). Time passes the girl enters her teens and all conscious of her appearance now, takes the ever longing task of the once toddler In her hands and thus begins the relationship with my hair.

Yes I grew my hair in my teens till then all my life I had a smart boy cut. Smart though it was it can never match the charm of long hair. And this is how I was the proud owner of long tresses of dark brown hair. I played with them unconsciously when I was joyous, rolled them in my fingers in my pensive thoughts, hid beneath it when wanted to escape questions. It was then I realized how I loved my long silky soft mane. They were my best friend. I tried then to recharge it regularly to keep it as beautiful as ever and this marked my introduction to the charming Sunsilk products and thus started the process of recharging my hair to make it healthy, nourish it and make it grow longer .

This relationship with my hair thus continued, when I met a boy once on entering a class and swished my hair behind with one movement of my head. Then I knew, after that the boy never stopped looking at me or my hair. We became friends and I still remember that he played with my hair once and I swished my hair back again in that same movement, and scolded him don't touch my hair. Years have passed and I still let him play with my hair sometimes swishing and scolding him, as he is my beloved husband now and exchanging naughty loving smiles.
I remember him telling me once that since childhood he wanted a partner who had beautiful long hair, and here he fell in love with me and my hair. hehe  I still hide behind my hair when I have done something naughty, I still curl my hair with my fingers when I am thinking.
I love to feel the wind in my open hair when I ride my bike, my most memorable moments with my hubby on our bike rides with the lovely cool wind in my hair.
We love travelling, me and my hubby and I love to get picture perfect snaps with my hair open
I always keep my hair open, I color it, I make it go under so much treatment, I literally torture it from every thing I do still it never complains and remains the same as gorgeous as it ever was.  I love it by recharging it with the best possible care.

I need to recharge my hair with all the care I can get to keep recharging my husbands love for my hair as well as mine. It's my best friend and best friends deserve the very best. Guess in order to recharge me and my life and everything I love in it, I will always recharge them for the rest of my life. I will recharge them to be who I am, to continue being so.
Had it not been for Sunsilk recharge my life wouldn't be the same at all, would it? Thanks Sunsilk for recharging my hair and my life. I owe you big time:)


My Many Mane Moods -- ;p

and thus the mane story continues ......


xoxo
Bhakti

This post is written for Sunsilk contest on Indiblogger.

Much deserved break at Four Fountains Spa

As you all know that I keep on bantering about the holiday season with every ounce of enthusiasm, how could this post be any different?
The joy of my holidays is increased courtesy The Four Fountain Spa and their invitation to pamper myself with their exotic treatments. WOW!! I am all excited and happy, after all what more does a girl need ;p
One doesn't require any particular time to destress and pamper oneself at the spa but still I think this is the apt month for spa, or spa month. You ask why so, let me explain. Back from a holiday vacation , renew your self , rejuvenate for the beginning of holidays after work ,or just pamper your self for the wedding season , whatever be your reason, mine was two in one- returning back from Thailand vacation (as if I got less massages over there) and starting the Christmas holiday with renewed vigor. Point proved:) (sheepish grin).

There are many outlets available in my city, I chose one convenient to me, booked an appointment over the phone. This was not my first trip to their spa, I quite like it as they have lot of offers deals and different types of memberships one can avail. It's clean, hygienic, in budget. I love their therapies.:)

As Thailand is not fair to your skin I chose a Lightening Facial with ocean mist mask as my face required the pampering and to get rid of my holiday tan.

After an hour of gently exfoliating, cleansing, toning, massaging, scrubbing, steaming, application of mask and finally moisturizing.  I felt really great, pampered and my face felt clean and was glowing.

The service they gave was good , my appointment was on schedule. They also accept Sodexo gift pass. The manager assisted me in choosing a package, the masseur was nice, kept enquiring about my comfort ,but could be a bit discreet as in whenever I was dozing off she would announce to me though in a soft tone that we are doing this. Which would awaken me from my lumber, they can tell u at the beginning the process is going to involve these steps, and let you drift off in the la la land without any disturbance, the noise from the hallway by the staff members also added to the disturbance. Other than these minor hiccups I thoroughly enjoyed my self. Soothing music, in the background, green tea completed the experience. The freebie cream they gave to apply at night for relaxation got a smile to my face. ( we girls I tell you);p
Looking forward to them starting a couple massage which is yet not on their menu..

I, Me, Myself.

I believe that I am most important, cause if I am not happy and content I cannot spread happiness to everybody around me and then my life wont be the way it is and I wont be the way I am without happiness and happiness of my loved ones. So I am selfish in this area ;p. I need myself to be happy and hence I require my 'me time'.

For me, me times means getting happiness in small things that I love. Just crashing on the couch and watching TV or my favorite movie. Reading a book curled up in bed, writing, a hot cup of coffee and some music in background.
 Did I forget to tell you that no matter what I am a neat freak and I require my surroundings and my home neat as per me and smelling good (one headache for hubby dear..he he) A very important component for my me or we time.
 Hubby dearest is very smart and has found one solution and that is Ambipur set and refresh.
That is another story, well Ambi pur along with Indiblogger sent me a sample of Ambi pur set and refresh which just on a click goes for 60 days continuously emitting fragrance, all for Rs 220. The fragrance they sent was Thai dragon fruit which was so heavenly easy to use and efficient that I fell in love with it. I just tend to forget everything and just relax, and that's why hubby dearest takes advantage of this and now makes sure Ambi pur set and refresh never goes out of stock at our home (wicked, isn't he?) ;p. So now at our house, I am mostly in a good mood and happy and content, all taken care by my hubby( Ambi pur to be honest). See how naughty he is all for his own welfare(so he can keep his side untidy). There is one Ambi pur set and refresh on my bedside table permanently :).



Inspired by the Ambi pur fragrance this is what I painted (painting being another of my favorite things).

 

I definitely recommend Ambi Pur set and refresh.

 

xoxo

Bhakti

 

A Little Bottle of Serenity ..

Yesterday after having a somewhat rough day - work, arguments, stress, lots of uninvited guests, cooking, cleaning. I was exhausted. I was so frustrated and generally angry.
 I needed a breather so badly. Right then my eyes fell on a package in the corner, my eyebrows were raised with irritation even further. One more thing to clean. I got up with vengeance to take care(destroy) of it. It was wrapped up. I opened it still angry. I was feeling suffocated and claustrophobic the packet still in my hand.
 Without a blink of the eye I took my bag and the car keys still looking at the parcel and walked out of the house. Sat in the car, took a breather, opened the bag.
It was a gift from Ambi pur - a small mini vent clip car freshener in my favorite fragrance - Lavender. I then remembered of having to applied for a sample on Indiblogger , as hubby and me are both loyal fans of Ambi Pur. I think it is the best in the market. Unlike other brands the technique of fixing it to the vent is very easy plus it stays there without wobbling or falling down from the ac vent on sharp turns. I love the small and cute vent. It disperses fragrance mildly and refreshes the entire car. I like to keep the dispersion of fragrance on minimum mode and I am very satisfied by the result I get. Lavender very popular in therapies and spas and being well known for its excellent soothing, relaxing and refreshing properties is my all time favorite.
No wonder, it got a tiny hint of smile to my face. I plugged it in the vent, put some soft music and dreading the traffic still started the car. With expectations of chaos, traffic, honking horns, ditches, stress I left my home with no set destination in mind. I just wanted to get out.
No sooner than I did, my nerves began to calm down and a soothing, rejuvenating fragrance was mildly engulfing me.  A tranquil oasis of Lavender was cocooning me. What more, that was what was required to soothe my tired body and soul, a breath of fresh air. I began to relax and enjoyed my drive with the soft music and equally soft fragrant Ambi pur. After half an hour of my own personal therapy, I was rejuvenated to head back home and tackle everything with renewed vigor.


I smiled to myself ( a hearty smile) and thanked my little bottle of serenity (all at Rs 199 only for 30 days)

 

xoxo

Bhakti

 

Mogra

This post is written for Smelly to Smiley Ambi Pur contest (Indiblogger).www.facebook.com/AmbiPurIndia

We often take little things for granted. Fail to observe the trivial things. But they are stored deep down somewhere. Every corner in the house we have been living and spending all our time is filled with memories. It is also filled with innumerable smells, and every smell or fragrance has a memory attached to it, some moments which are special or not so special; but yet which have a deep place in our heart. Some fragrances which unknowingly rekindle memories long forgotten.Smell and memory go hand in hand, they are stored together in the brain.
Consciously or sub consciously every smell or fragrance has some thing to say, some significant memory.
Today evening when I lit an incense stick which spread the aroma of Mogra flowers (Jasmine) everywhere in my home, I sat back relaxed and felt good instantly. I love this feeling. At the same instance the door bell rang, as if to disturb me from my serene state. Unwillingly I got up to open the door and see who was this intruder. It was one of my close friend and as soon as she came in and got a whiff of Mogra, she commented that I am obsessed with Mogra and should be a brand ambassador of it.
Well to tell the truth - My entire house smells of Mogra. You will find whiffs of Mogra incense in almost all my perfumes.
Almost all my air fresheners and fragrances have notes of Mogra.
"Why this attraction to Mogra?" she prodded me further.
Instead of answering her question I was lost in my memories. I was lost in my childhood. I was engulfed in a happy protected cocoon. For me Mogra means home, the eternal love, my parents, my childhood home, a treasure trove of memories.
I was introduced to this fragrance quite early in life, they say a baby can smell since the time he/she is in his/her mother's womb. So I guess that's how I was introduced.
Born and brought up in a Maharashtrian family where garlands made of Mogra adorn the hair of the ladies. They are the symbol of love.
My father on his way back home after work every evening used to get Garland of Mogra for my mother without fail. This was a ritual. The ritual of their love for each other. He giving it to her and she very lovingly sporting it on her hair with pride. Their love made everything so loving around them. The whole family chatted over cups of chai(tea) and pakodas(snacks), played games or went out for a stroll with the fragrance of Mogra lingering all around us. The fragrance of Mogra mixed with spices of the kitchen is what my mother smells like even today. For me this is the best fragrance ever in my life, the Fragrance of my mother, the fragrance of my childhood, of my parent's eternal love, of their presence, a happy childhood, comfort, peace, life, love. Even today my father gets Mogra garland for my mother and the ritual continues the difference is that I am not physically part of that childhood magic. I try to recreate that magic, their eternal love, their presence now at my own home with the Mogra smell and get lost in my own tranquil oasis of beautiful memories and also take inspiration to carve some of my own such memories along the way.
As if to shake me from my thoughts my friend asked me again " are you even here?"

I answered her as if answering my own question- Yes I am. and you are right I am obsessed, deeply in love and completely addicted to Mogra(with a wink and a smile). She was left as confused as ever.

xoxo

Bhakti

Park Avenue Beer Shampoo Review

Beer though not for the body but is awesome for the hair ( beer drinkers will say otherwise ;;p ).Washing your hair with beer nourishes them. It also is known to repair damaged hair and give them a volume, boost, shine and make them soft and silky. Wow! although it is a bit inconvenient for non beer drinkers to get a bottle of beer every time you wash your hair.(just imagine ;o)

Bless Park Avenue for launching a Beer Shampoo in India at a reasonable rate. I no longer have to nick my Hubby's beer.

The manufacturers claim that the shampoo is made from real beer.
The shampoo promises soft silky hair with volume.
The shampoo comes in a plastic bottle which resembles just like a beer bottle with flip on lid.
It smells and looks like beer too.
the shampoo is in the form of gel and lathers well.
It is a unisex shampoo.
Its available for Rs 160 for 200ml.

Pink's Verdict:

Pros
My hair is straight and silky and scalp is oily, hence I need a shampoo which cleans oil thoroughly and gives some volume to my hair or else they fall very flat.
A small amount of this shampoo lathered well on my mid length hair. I did not use a conditioner along with this shampoo.
The result was gorgeous, my hair was thoroughly cleaned. It was soft and silky than ever. The shampoo also gave bounce to my hair and added volume.
The shampoo certainly delivered what it promised.
Its priced reasonably.

Cons
The shampoo smells like beer, although the smell leaves once you wash your hair. So I missed the gorgeous fragrance that linger on your hair after you wash it with other products.
The flip open lid of the shampoo is very delicate and easily breakable.
The shampoo is not easily available in the market even after a considerable amount of time after its launch.

All in all  I love this shampoo and will keep using it. I definitely recommend it though products act differently on different types of hair and body.

Hope you enjoy this shampoo.

xoxo
Bhakti

Add ons accessories - a must add on to any closet. Review

One rainy afternoon I got a parcel from Add ons accessories(yippy!how can a freebie not get a smile to anyone's face.. Naughty smile).

Add ons accessories is a well renowned brand offering a wide range of women accessories at a desirable price. The line comprises of bags, belts, shoes, fashion jewellery, hair accessories, scarves, eyewear etc.. It has many outlets located all over India. It also caters to online customers. 

Add ons launched their vibrant new collection - vivid. It's an instant glam up quotient for any outfit. The collection surely lives up to its name by providing unique and myriad designs. Satiating the taste of diverse range of fashionistas. It gives different looks and trends on the go at a reasonable price. From classy to crazy and cute to wild the collection has something to quench the thirst of any fashion diva.

Here goes my gift...

Its simply stunning, isn't it ? Cant wait to try it on.

Tada!!!!!!!!

Trousers- Max

Shirt-Westside

Bag- Dubai

Shoes- Inc 5

Neckpiece- Add Ons same one available here