5 New Year's Style Resolutions to Help You Look and Feel Your Best in 2023

As we begin the new year, it's the perfect time to set some style resolutions for ourselves. Whether you want to try out new trends, refresh your wardrobe, or simply put more thought into your daily outfits, here are some ideas to get you started on your style resolutions for 2023.

A Big Thank you on Ri(t)ch Styles 12th Blogversary!

I completed 12 beautiful years of my blogging journey yesterday. From 2009 to 2021 - it's been quite a ride! A journey which I started alone, but along the way these 2 joined me at different points, became a vital part of it all and have made it even more memorable. Aryaa definitely is the best business partner ever, and you will have to agree that the cutest business partner one can have. Prateek's support has undeniably a huge huge role to play. 

Benefits of Sabja/Basil Seeds & How to include it into your Diet

A lot of you have seen me on my Instagram regularly consuming Sabja/Basil Seeds for over a year now. Some people asked me why I take it, what are the benefits and some people asked me for recipes that could help them to consume it. So today I thought, a blog post would be the perfect way to spell it all out. And this also spells the beginning of my May 2020 Blogging Challenge which I am super excited about.😊

Recipe Time: Gobi Manchurian/Cauliflower Manchurian

Chinese food is my favourite cuisine and to keep a balance between ordering out and eating at home I keep trying out recipes at home. A few weekends ago, I developed this sudden craving for eating veg manchurian but had limited resources at home, so the next best alternative was Gobi Manchurian, and though it was my first time that I was making it myself, it turned out great! I ran a poll on my Instagram stories where the majority was a YES for the recipe, so here it is! The recipe took hardly 30 minutes to put together and totally satiated my cravings!

It's my birthday month and so is SRK's! Happy Birthday Shah Rukh Khan!

Happy Birthday fellow Scorpion! It has always been a pleasure to see you on screen creating magic with your movies and giving us some major life goals! I have had the pleasure to see you from Fauji to Jab Harry Met Sejal, and my love, adulation and respect for you has only grown. From those smashing Bollywood hits to the being India's favourite lover boy, we all have enjoyed the various genres you have experimented in cinema. I have laughed with you, cried with you, danced with you and fallen in love with you every time I saw you on screen and when in person, my heart skipped God knows how many beats! For me I have forever swooned over that quicksilver intelligence of yours, your good looks, those dimples and one of the sweetest smiles ever! And your TED Talk only immensely increased what I felt for you -  you prove you are the King of Romance in India, coz you make people fall in love not only with you emotionally but also intellectually!

Perfect haircare with the Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil - Vital Ingredients

Some products over time with use become your Holy Grail products and one such product that I can’t do without anymore is the Dabur Vatika Coconut Enriched Hair Oil. You guys have read my experience here and also the damages that it cures here, but do you know what all it’s enriched with?

Here you go!

It has these miracle ingredients which have done wonders for my hair:

• Coconut Oil – Tones hair thus preventing hair breakage and hair fall, prevents hair damage and premature hair graying, removes dandruff and prevents frizz and split ends.
• Amla- Conditions hair, removes dandruff, helps, scalp produce natural oils, rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants that prevent premature graying.
• Henna- Adds shine and volume, colours hair naturally, prevents damage, promotes hair growth, reduces hair fall, prevents hair from greying.
• Lemon- Fights dandruff, strengthens hair roots, prevents hair loss, stimulates hair growth, deep conditions hair, adds strength and makes the hair shinier and thicker.

There is a variant that has Hibiscus too!

Hibiscus- Encourages hair growth, discourages split ends, prevents pre-mature greying of the hair strands, thickens hair and helps eliminate toxins.

Not only did Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil strengthen my hair from root to tip and encourage hair growth, it also helped against hair loss, hair damage and I still am free from any premature graying. It has worked wonders from the first use itself and is something that I recommend to everyone now.

If you haven’t tried it yet, it is something that you must.  You can now even request a sample for yourself here to try it before you buy it - https://www.mybeautynaturally.com/beauty-care-products/pages/hair-product/3/-vatika-coconut-oil

Let me know your experience with the Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil as I am sure you will have lots to share with me :)

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Reasons for hair damage and my recommended solution! :)

My hair for me is what makes the day or breaks the day. If I am stepping out and my hair is not ok, you will very evidently see me not being my usual self cause my hair plays a huge role in my confidence levels as well. Well a bad hair also happens to a lot of us because of hair damage which is caused by

• weather changes that cause the hair to be subjected to varying temperatures and too much sun
• hormonal changes
• nutritional imbalance
• chemical damages like bleaching, perming, over colouring the hair, straightening with strong chemicals
• using a very strong shampoo and conditoner
• using a wrong shampoo or conditioner not suited for your hair type or not treatment specific incase your hair is coloured or chemically treated
• brushing wet hair
• over towelling causing friction and breakage
• daily heat exposure for styling
• overdose of styling products
• tying hair too tight
• not using oil on a regular basis

All this hair damage can result in

• hair breakage
• hair fall
• split ends
• dandruff
• roughness

Such damages make people want to cut their hair short but in most cases it's personal wrong doing which people never want to admit to. They make it sound more like how they want a change in their lives and hence have decided to go short. I cut my hair as I underwent hair damage due to hormonal reasons but to grow it back to a size that I could experiment again with was all thanks to Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil enriched with the goodness of 8 herbs which is why it is a wonder product! While you cannot undo the damage, you can always do damage control and this product is perfect for that. Apply it overnight or if in a hurry before your bath and you are bound to see the damage in your hair reduce.

You can also take a very small amount and use it to detangle your hair after you wash your hair. This avoids breakages caused while detangling hair. The fragrance is lovely and the oil is not at all sticky thus keeping away your stresses of landing up with sticky hair. You can read my experience with the oil here for you to know why I strongly recommend it :)

Also along with using the oil try to correct what you might be doing wrong as listed as reasons above to reduce hair damage in the future :)

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My Crowning Glory Essential

If you ask me what have I been most experimental with in my life, I would say - My Hair! Whether it's been about colouring it in sane or wild colours, or playing with its length, I have never given it too much of a thought and taken some really impromptu decisions. However, recently my decision to go short was more need based and not experimental, as after having Aryaa(my baby girl) I experienced some hair loss like most women do and also hated my hair being yanked by the baby. For those of you who follow my blog, you saw how short I went, but if you didn't then here you go :)

I loved loved loved the haircut but then I get bored very easily too, and so within a month or two, it was time to grow it all back again :) I was back on track to doing everything it takes to get the length longer, and then somebody recommended the Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil to me. Now I was done with coconut oils a long time ago when I saw them not really having an effect on my hair, and hence hadn't used one for the last 10-12 years. My first reaction was obviously in the negative, but my friend told me to give it a chance once and just to make her happy I decided to give it a try. Boy am I glad I did! It has definitely changed my perspective about coconut oils, but then this is not just a simple coconut oil, it is enriched with the goodness of 8 herbs which is why it is a wonder product!

  

While I had my haircut 5 months ago, I have been using this oil for the last 2 months and look at the length of my hair now!

The oil has not only strengthened my hair, but my hair fall has also reduced to a great extent(it could also be due to the stabilisation of my hormones). It also has played a huge role in the reduction of dandruff(I have a really dry scalp due to my the nature of my dry skin) and my dependence on dandruff treatments has greatly reduced.

The oil is very light in texture and has a lovely fragrance to it, unlike the strong smell of other coconut oils. It's light green in colour, not at all sticky until and unless you land up using more than required, and gives a nice shine to the hair which is very visible especially after you wash the oil off. What is very important too is that it has worked on my coloured hair without causing any damage. I generally use the oil on my scalp and hair and give myself a head massage before leaving it overnight. At times I even use a hot towel on it for about 10 minutes before I head to bed. It is really pocket friendly at INR 84/- for 150ml

If you would ask my feedback, this is a nice natural oil with essential herbs that is also very pocket friendly. In case it doesn't work for you, it doesn't hurt the pocket and if it works, then bingo! :) I would surely recommend this to you as it has worked well for me and if you try it out, do share your experience with me :)

If you like what you see on Ri(t)ch Styles and want to stay updated regularly, follow Ri(t)ch Styles on 

    

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Tips for Holi - Haircare, Skincare, Nails & More - All that you need to know!

You won't find a festival anywhere in the world as colourful as the Indian festival of Holi. It is celebrated to commemorate the victory of good over evil, and the end of the winter season transitioning into spring. Holi can be a crazy festival with the colours, water and fun, yet it can be really dangerous. So here are some really simple yet effective tips for you to take care and play without any worries about your skin, hair and nails. Check them out!

Do follow these so that while you have fun, you also play safe! Happy Holi Everyone! 

For more such videos, check out my Youtube channel

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Hosting the perfect #WorldCup2015 party at home

India is a cricket crazy country and World Cup 2015 is here! Indians reading this I know I don't need to tell you that, but you need to go on reading this post cause most of you do not know what it takes to throw a good World Cup party at home. Trust me, I am talking out of experience. There ae very few parties that I have attended that have been nicely planned. Very basic things get messed up is what I have seen, so here are some really simple and thoughtful tips that will help you throw some really good parties this World Cup!

1. Timing is everything
Since the World Cup this time is happening in Australia, the match start timings are ranging anywhere from IST 3:30 in the morning to 12 in the afternoon. The most ideal here would be a lunch party as it would be simplest to manage. Also weekends would be easier. So check the schedule and plan a party on such a day that everything falls together and so does a match between 2 countries that everyone will enjoy!

2. Location within the house
Knowing which area you are going throw the party will make a lot of planning very easy. So decide whether its going to be in front of the TV or the garden or the patio. This will help you understand the number of people you can invite, decorations, what kind of food arrangements, seating arrangements and a lot more.

3. Budget
Once you have decided the timing and area, you will know what scale you can have the party on and then will need to take a call on the budget so that accordingly you can start to factor in on the costs. A little alteration here and there is ok but there should always be a general idea in your mind of your spending. You can also work the other way around and plan the budget first and then the location and accordingly other things. It depends on the kind of party you have in mind. Some people do not have any budget in mind and are game to spend whatever it takes.

4. Send out the invites
There are various ways these days to invite people for a party. You can call, you can email, you can whatsapp and you can also create an event on facebook! Make sure to send out directions to your house too incase a lot of people don't know your place. You do not want everybody calling you on the day of the party while you are busy with preparations.

5. Decorations and Gifts
Thankfully when it comes to cricket, everyone will be mostly supporting India, and so you can decorate with balloons and decorations in the country flag colour or the team jersey colour. Get jerseys for everyone if you want. You could also customize the jerseys with everyone's names and favourite number or birth date. You can keep whistles that everyone might wanna blow, pom poms or posters that everyone might wanna wave on a 4 or a 6.

6. Seating
If indoors and a small group, make sure there is enough place for everyone as you don't want to be falling over each other or dropping things on one another or looking to find yourself a seat. Get the extra chairs inside, cushions, carpets, mattresses and tables to seat people and keep all your drinks and food handy. If outside then you can spread the seating over a larger area or even make it a theatre kind of seating.

7. Drinks and Food
You can make it a BYOB(Bring-Your-Own-Booze) party if you have a lower budget or stock your bar after checking with your friends on what they would like to drink. Stock up on the sodas well. If the party is in the open you can have a barbecue. If the party is inside the house, buy some snacks like chips and nachos and circulate the packets, but for the main course, food is best ordered from outside. Keep it simple like Pizzas or Chinese take away. Even children enjoy these. I am in fact going to be ordering from foodpanda as they have a special scheme going on for 45 days through the World Cup, where you can get great savings from all the restaurants in your area right in one place, from the comfort of your house. Check it out here - https://www.foodpanda.in/contents/cricbites.html

8. Take care
Make sure you don't keep things around that people can trip on. Keep the washrooms clean and keep checking on them so that no one is at inconvenience as most people will be rushing in and out not wanting to miss anything. Make arrangements for people to stay back in case they have a little too much to drink and the excitement gets to them. If there are children who may not want to watch the game, make sure to set up a play area for them or they will be interrupting your fun. Keep your dressing simple as well as request your guests to keep their dressing simple and comfortable which will allow you/them to sit up on the couch or down on the floor without thinking twice.

While parties can be made really extravagant, all these easy to follow tips will help you have a nice and perfectly great time while hosting a great World Cup party in the spirit of the game! Keep the support coming! Jeetega bhai Jeetega - India Jeetega! :)

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Home Decor @ Studio Pepperfry - Experience it before you buy it!

When I started this blog, I'd never thought that I would be sharing posts on home decor with my readers in a few years to come. But as I moved ahead in life, came marriage and a home which was all mine, and there surfaced my interest in home decor from where there was no looking back. I am constantly on the lookout for unique pieces to do up my place. It means going to stores, visiting flea markets and buying online. The pleasure and satisfaction that it gives me when people walk into my house and appreciate the effort Prateek and me put in, is worth all the effort.

Innovation is the key to survive in this competitive world. Especially in a country like India, where similar ideas are turned into businesses by a million people and only a few survive the rut, why because they dared to be different! It means investment of innovative ideas, time and money to a whole new level, even though less effort and money can give you results. The effort is put in because one is looking at long run survival rather than making a quick buck.When I look at the various online businesses that have sprung up in India in the last few years, most of them look the same to me. Sometimes due to the similarity, I even tend to mix names up. But those few that stand out are always on top of mind.

One such online business that has stolen my heart recently is Pepperfry.com. Till a few months ago, it was one of the few good furniture and home decor marketplaces online, but come December 2014 it became my go-to site as it introduced a concept that no one else had in this country. It launched "Studio Pepperfry” - a one of its kind concept store which is basically an experience studio for you to check out a curated range of furniture from the online portfolio of Pepperfry as well as get design consultancy done for your house. This concept totally stole my heart as it introduces Indian consumers to a whole new dimension of online buying. What impressed me about the studio is that you will find no sales counter there, as the store is just to experience the cutting edge design, various types of furniture with different wood finishes and get an idea of the overall quality of the furniture from Pepperfry. Having a no-sales-point shows that despite bearing overheads, the brand is not looking at immediate offline sales but sticking to its model of online sales which is its main business. I visited the studio at Kanjurmarg, Mumbai and loved how tastefully it had been set-up. 

Here are some of my favourite pieces that I never really noticed online!

The lounge chair and and the book shelf are on my to 'Sure to buy list'! And while I am telling you about what I'm going to buy, let me tell you how the order placing process works once you are at the Pepperfry Studio. On reaching the studio, there are numerous interior design consultants who assist you in browsing through the entire range of 11,000 Pepperfry furniture items online and then run you through the type of wood and finishes with reference to the pieces at the store. Once you have finalised your piece, they help you in ordering via iPads at the studio and you don't need to wait till you head back home to place the order. You can also come to the store with your budget and aspirations, and these experts will offer you free in-store design consultancy on furniture products to furnish your home, reflecting the latest and best in contemporary home design while working around your budgets. All in all simple and fuss free :-)

There is more good news for you guys from Pepperfry. They have recently launched a contest called Design Democracy, which is based on the prinicple of 'Furniture from the people, by the people for the people'. It is again a first-of-its-kind initiative and all interested to participate can visit this page on the website - www.pepperfry.com/designdemocracy.html and submit their prototype designs. Check-out Pepperfry’s official Facebook and twitter page & www.pepperfry.com for more details. The winning designs will be brought to life by Pepperfry’s which will then go up for sale on the website. The competition ends on 28th February 2015 so hurry!

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