Note on BlackLivesMatter
A few readers have asked why I have not written in support of BlackLivesMatter or why my social media does not carry a black post. In the final year of my law degree (I was 20) I wrote my Ph.D. style dissertation titled “Will the real Thomas Clarence stand-up?” Although, in retrospect, I could have written, “Will the real Anita Hill get a medal for public service?”
If you have no inkling as to what such a thesis could or did entail, I don’t owe you an explanation. I have done my part supporting African-Americans for about 15 years now. I have nothing to prove by jumping on the BLM bandwagon. I will continue writing my blogs as normal.
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Today’s blog
These have been 3 products that I have used essentially every day of the lockdown. I have grown very attached to them and I’m unsure what I’ll replace them with in the future. Such are the uncertain times we all face: between COVID-19, rioting in the US, incessant earthquake tremors and locusts, I hope the Angel of Death now takes a prolonged leave of absence.
We could do with a break. That and I hope Jack Dorsey, has the courage to evict Trump off Twitter.
Forest Essential’s Solid Perfume
Source: Forest Essentials (INR 3,800)The Raving Fan…
I first heard of this product in the Khan Market, New Delhi branch of Forest Essentials. You know the one – full of really unhelpful staff pandering to foreigners.
Anywho, a young woman in her flowing salwar kameez, kolhapuri chappals, and Maggi noodle hair bounded in the store with the single-minded focus of Elon Musk. She then swiftly and immediately, accosted a sales assistant and demanded to know why this solid perfume was not on the shelves.
She did a better job of persuading me to buy this perfume than any other salesperson that day. I could easily make her my shopping warrior in crime. She knew everything about the perfume and by the looks of it, more than any of the sales staff! My friend recently described her as a “Raving Fan” – the fan that would always support Forest Essential and what every brand coveted.
About the perfume….
The perfume oil from white flowers called Parijat oil is a single note fragrance, that fills your senses with a delicate, subtle white floral smell. It isn’t a clean smell like Love in White by Creed, but this only adds to its beauty. As I await my Forest Essential’s order, I am currently scraping the bottom of the old-fashioned compact with a toothpick.
P.S. If you ever wondered what having a private blend of perfume would smell like then I suggest you use this product. The perfume blends with the oils in your skin, so that it smells ever so differently each time.
Kiehl’s Buttermask for lips (US$26)
I bought this before the lockdown because I needed an additional item for my shopping bag to qualify for free shipping.
This product has an odd smell. It is off-putting the first time you use it. Apparently the product contains a “mango butter” and it is difficult for me to imagine that the marketing guru christening this product “Buttermask” has ever seen, smelt or tasted a mango.
Where art thou Alphonso Mango?
Anywho, this is a wonderful addition to my skincare routine. I never thought I needed a “treatment” for my lips because I am (kind of addicted) to lip balms.
I could not have been more wrong, as apart from leaving my lips soft and hydrated, they are also lighter in colour. Being dark-skinned, I just took it for granted that my lips would get darker as I grew older. It never occurred to me to connect my natural lip colour to hydration levels.
Thank you Kiehl’s for making this excellent product. You could still improve your Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Clay mask.
NEOM Organics Body and Hand lotion
The first time I came across this brand was in Selfridges departmental store when I lived in London. You know, back in the day, pre-Instagram, when Selfridges actually stocked things you wanted to buy.
This brand occupied the smallest of corners on the lower ground floor and the emphasis then was on the aroma and purity of the brand. I am so glad absolutely nothing about this brand has changed.
This “MAKE YOU HAPPY” hand lotion has been my constant companion throughout the lockdown. It is a Godsend. I am not sure how happy it makes me, but I am definitely not sad for using it and its a pleasure to use this product. It absorbs into your skin quickly and is hydrating.
Jigsaw Puzzles
Don’t judge me. I love puzzles. Always have. It’s a solitary activity where you can let your mind empty out but still be focussed. I am too cheap to pay for real jigsaw puzzles. Therefore, I have discovered these free options
Source: National GeographicNew Yorker Magazine cover puzzles
Similarly, there are 3 levels of difficulty. All the puzzles are archive copies of the New Yorker’s front cover. If there was ever a visual American history lesson, its this. I’d add that the ad at the side is marginally distracting.
That’s it from me. Au revoir.