Books This Week 9

Hello people. Another edition of books this week in the offing. Let's get straight to it

Such A Long Journey- Rohington Mistry

I wanted to read this since I read 'A Fine Balance' by the same author last year (& if I'm a little more honest- since it was banned a few years back). I finally found this floating somewhere on the net. I'm disappointed with this book. It starts out great bit loses steam midway. Also I felt like there were a lot of loose ends at the end of the book. You keep waiting for answers but it never comes. The author could have added another 50 pages & ended it properly with answers to what happened to whom.

Gossip Girl- Cecilia von Ziegesar

Picked up this just for fun. You can read on auto pilot. One time read

Gorgeous For Good - Sophie Uliano

Love this one. I really liked that a "green beauty" enthusiast could be so practical. It's full of tips about beauty, health & fitness. The highlight though is her 30 day program which has a holistic approach towards beauty. She has even included recipes she has used. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has 'let themselves go' & is trying to get back into the groove of things.

That's all for this week. Any interesting reads lately?

My Very Own Box - December

Winter is definitely here & by the looks of it, is planning on staying for long. This month's box is made up of only necessities. Let's look at the stuff I got this time.

Ayur Herbal Body Lotion in Cocoa Butter

INR 200 for 1000 ml

I tend to buy the biggest sized bottles available when it comes to body lotions. I have used their 1 litre sized bottles while in college (it's super cost effective). It smells good & moisturises well.

Health & Glow Cocoa Body Butter

INR 199 for 250 ml

Before online shopping became such a rage, Health & Glow was THE place to buy makeup & beauty products. It wasn't before long that they came out with their own line of products. I really like this body butter-it smells amazing & is not sticky but moisturises really well.

Oriflame Tender Care Gift Box-Caramel, Vanilla, Coconut, Cherry

INR 1295 for 15 ml ×4

I like how cute this looks-4 tiny pots housed in a cardboard box supported by sponge. You can remove the sponge & use it as a jewelry box. Caramel & Cherry are my top favorites followed by Vanilla. I don't like the coconut one- I'm using it as a cuticle butter so it stays far away from my nose.

Books This Week 8

Hello all, time for mini reviews of books I've read past week.

The Palace of Illusions- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

This had been on my to read list from a long time. I love mythology, especially Indian & was looking forward to reading this book. This book tells the story of Mahabharata from the viewpoint of Draupadi. I enjoyed reading it but as with all popular mythological books, there is nothing new- it's a story we all have heard a million times. To be fair, the book is not boring & there are tonnes of smaller stories woven within the storyline. Liked it, just didn't love it.

Frugal Isn't Cheap- Clare K Levison

Since I'm struggling with my spending habits it made sense to pick up this book. I really liked the fact that the author doesn't blame credit cards for over spending. It's not like the card jumped out & decided to shop. High time for adults to start behaving like adults. The rest of the book is made up of points we've all heard & read before- it's a different thing that we don't follow them. Nice no- nonsense book.

1001 Ways To Stay Young Naturally- Susannah Marriott

This book has been targeted at 50 + age group but I feel everyone can benefit from the information. It's categorized into different areas like exercise,  skin care etc. The tip format makes it super easy to read. I think I'll dip back into this from time to time.

See you all next week. Cherrs

November Empties

Hi all, time for another empties post. Let's see what I managed to use up this month

Vaadi Herbals Lavender Shampoo

INR 59 for 110 ml

Love the smell but it doesn't do anything spectacular for my hair. No repurchase.

Garnier Fructis Oil- in- Cream

Free Sample of 7.5 gm

I finally caved in & bought a small tube of this & guess what! I've been bombarded with samples left, right & centre. Smells a bit strong like all Garnier Fructis products. Nothing special- its just leave in conditioner & I'm in no hurry to ditch my hair oil. Not repurchasing

Vaadi Herbals Olive Facial Bar

INR 34 for 25 gm

Had high hopes after seeing how good Vaadi Herbals Soaps were but this one dried out my skin terribly. Still have 5 more of these (Did I mention I have a bulk buying problem?) Obviously not repurchasing.

Aquasource Normal/Combination Skin Gel

Free Sample of 1.5 ml

One more sample. What exactly are you supposed to gague with 1.5 ml of product? Beats me. Smells ok, is lighter than Aloe Vera gel. Not buying retail.

Aroma Treasures Golden Glow Cream

Free Sample of 5 gm

Slightly heavy cream with a heady jasmine scent. Bit too rich for my oily skin. Have bought Aroma Treasures Golden Glow Oil last month.

Vaadi Herbals Exotic Kiwi Soap

INR 38 for 75 gm

I think this will be a staple in my bathroom.  Love these soaps.

Sure Women Anti- Perspirant Roll- on

INR 80 for 40 ml

Will buy this till the end of time. Why are there no non- alcoholic roll- ons in India?

Now for the decluttering part. You will be surprised with what you can unearth if only you clean your vanity regularly

Green Tea Sheet Mask

INR 25

This one's ancient. I had a mad sheet mask phase about 5 years back. It sounds good in theory but I simply can't relax with sheet masks on. They threaten to slip whenever I'm about to relax even a teeny bit. Glad that phase is gone.

Aromance Peppermint Essential Oil

INR 60 for 10 ml

Had bought this when I first started out with Essential Oils. There's still a bit left but don't want to use anymore.

That's all for this month. Cheers.