Unclutter with BoxMySpace!

Mumbai is a city that is over-populated. Zillions flock to this city to fulfill their dreams and Mumbai makes them its own too but at a cost. The cost we pay is having to cut down on living spaces and paying a premium price for the smallest of houses. It's only the affluent here who can afford huge houses here and I definitely am not one of them. Being a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger, there is a constant flow of related stuff into the house. For me discarding things is also very difficult and hence my house is overflowing with stuff. Add to that Aryaa's entry into our lives last year and obviously a flood of things that I need and must have for her. My 2 bedroom started feeling like a studio apartment. Somehow PS and I tried to buy more wardrobes and fit everything in, not to forget I already had 3 of my own other than what PS had. We somehow were managing until we needed a lot more stuff for Aryaa and add to that her birthday last month. That was it! I had no more space left. We had reached saturation point and a solution was much needed!

This was when I was contacted by BoxMySpace - an innovative valet storage service in Mumbai, Nasik and Pune. You can store such things with them that you might want keep for the long run but don't necessarily have the space to keep at home. They offer storage by the box or by the space. The service includes picking up of things from your doorstep, storing it safely  in their warehouses and delivering it back to you in less than 24 hours to you when you need it. The USP I would say would be that they upload images of all the items you have stored with them online in your account so that you have a visual reference for anytime that you need something back. They have monthly, quarterly, half yearly and yearly packages available for you to choose as per your requirement.

This is how it works!

 And this is how pocket friendly it is!

Aryaa received a lot of things on her birthday. While the gifts were lovely, a lot of them were something that she would be able to use only after a few months and so we decided to use the services of BoxMySpace for the same. There were also a few things of hers that she had grown out of but I would need them for the next baby like her carrier and rocker and so I decided to send that off to BoxMySpace too. Here is how my cluttered bedroom work corner looked with all the stuff before I started uncluttering.

Work in progress

And finally my uncluttered bedroom work corner! :)

Can you see the difference? Well it made a huge one to me and I know I can call back for these as and when I want :)

To know more about BoxMySpace, please visit them on:

Website - www.boxmyspace.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/boxmyspace

Twitter - https://twitter.com/boxmyspace

I am nominating 2 of my blogger friends who I am sure need these services ;-) and they are Prerna Sinha from MaaofallBlogs and Dollie Solanki from Indian Shringar.

Do check out the services of BoxMySpace if you too have a space crunch issue and they for sure can help you out!

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

    

You can also email me on ritchstyles@gmail.com :)

CONTEST: Get Styled by Ri(t)ch Styles in Promod's A/W 2015 Collection at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla (Entries Closed)

When it comes to zeroing down on chosen brands that offer comfort with style, Promod is one such brand that comes top of mind. What delights me even more is that Promod is launching their Autumn-Winter 2015 collection at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla and they have partnered with Ri(t)ch Styles for an exciting styling contest where 2 lucky winners will get styled by me on the 15th of September 2015!!! But before we get to the contest let me give you an idea of what the collection has in store for you. I have put together some pretty looks for you to see how chic and fashionable you are going to look this Autumn-Winter with Promod :)

Work, drinks or dinner, this outfit works for everything. Pair it with black heels or brown boots depending on your style of dressing and you are set!

This is my favourite kind of outfit and it works perfect for college or running around for your chores. I would pair it with a pair of white hi-tops to seal the look!

Cute and sporty, this outfit is perfect for the brunch with the girls or a movie date. Pair these with a pair of black canvas sneakers to get all the compliments to make your day!

The collection comprises of cotton, knits, denim, crêpe and lace: fabrics that are comfortable and a pleasure to wear in all kinds of weather depending on where you are :) Sharply tailored clothes in flattering designs sum up this gorgeous collection. The collection offers a huge variety that you can style into different looks for everyday to make your own personal statement depending on what you feel works for you. Versatility is the key that makes this collection a truly covetable one! Promod has always striven to create fashion that people want to wear and they have proved that once again.

When I have to shop at Promod, I head to Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla. Phoenix Marketcity is a shopper’s paradise in the heart of Mumbai on LBS Marg that offers the best of domestic and international brands along with entertainment and commercial office spaces under one roof. It houses close to 350 plus brands in the ranks of Zara, Nautica, Accessorize, Claire’s, Hush Puppies, Catwalk, Puma, Aldo, Charles & Keith, Swarovski, Vero Moda, Jack and Jones, Only, French Connection, United Colors of Benetton, Luxury Boulevard, La Senza, Lifestyle, Diesel, Avirate, Hamley’s, Mango, Promod, DKNY, Boardriders and many more. You even have a variety of entertainment options such as Happy Planet, PVR Gold Class, 16 Lane Amoeba Bowling alley, Snow World, What The Fun Lasertag and more. The mall provides over 70 chic upscale all day dining options thus giving you the best of shopping and food to make your time memorable.

Contest Time!

It's time for the contest now and 2 of you lucky girls like I mentioned above, will get styled by me on the 15th of September 2015 from 5 to 9 pm at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla and also get vouchers from Promod and a surprise goodie bag from Promod and Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla. To participate you need to answer a simple question and complete a few steps and who knows you could be one of the winners!

Here's my question

Which is your favourite look from Promod's Autumn Winter 2015 collection above and how would you style it?

And here are the steps:

• Drop your answers as comments below with the hash tag #PromodStyleMeUp
• Follow Promod on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
• Follow Marketcity on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
• Follow Ri(t)ch Styles on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
• Please drop your social media handles along with the answer to the question for us to crosscheck. Also leave your email id for us to be able to contact you incase you win!
• Do remember that you need to answer the question and follow all steps as they are mandatory to be eligible to win
• Winners will be announced on my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, so make sure you have followed all the conditions above :)
• Contest ends on 10th September 2015
• Contest is open to Mumbai Residents only

Looking forward to your entries!! Keep them coming :)

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

    

You can also email me on ritchstyles@gmail.com :)

Radiant skin with the goodness of Oxygen

The minute I mention to people that I bleach, I get the strangest stares like I am committing some biggggggggg crime. Well if you live in a city like Bombay(I still prefer to call it that than Mumbai,) then the pollution plays havoc with your skin especially if you travel within the city regularly. Along with pollution you are exposed to the harsh rays of the sun which together can cause real damage like dulling the skin, accelerated aging and uneven skin tone. All this is mainly caused because the level of oxygen in our skin decreases. But how would bleaching be an answer to this you must be wondering as bleach is considered harmful by most people, and that is why most people judge my beauty sense and knowledge. Well it is because I use the Oxylife Crème Bleach for women which is an amazing product that contains the goodness of oxygen and is suitable for any skin type.

Before my pregnancy I would usually head to the salon for my bleaching sessions, and the product used was of a brand of international repute. It was with the goodness of oxygen as well, but when I got pregnant I stopped bleaching altogether due to the doctor asking me to stop these treatments. Thankfully pregnancy had a good effect on my skin and as I hardly stepped out, my skin had a nice pregnancy glow to it which did not make me miss bleaching too much. After Aryaa was born, I decided to get back to bleaching as my engagements outside increased and my sleep reduced due to which the glow began to fade. But the salon that I earlier went too was in Colaba and so it was just not possible for me to go there all the way from Vashi. That is when a blogger friend of mine told me about Oxylife Crème Bleach which I could use at home and get similar results. The next day I went right ahead and bought it. What she said was true, it is a revolutionary bleach and after 10 months of no bleaching, the change showed immediately. Its special oxygen technology infuses a healthy glow and makes your skin look flawless.

When the scientifically formulated Oxylife Crème Bleach is applied on the skin, pure oxygen is released but the micro structurants that it contains help prevent the released oxygen from escaping into the atmosphere. The oxygen then carries active ingredients into the skin and thereby nourishes, energizes and protects it. The bleach comes with a very effective post-bleach radiance serum which further nourishes the skin and in tandem with the bleach, helps repair 5 problems like dark spots, uneven skin tone, dull skin, dead skin cells and sun tan for long lasting radiance. This cream is not for those who are looking at very strong bleaches. This is a mild yet effective bleach. The best part is that it contains no ammonia which is what most people fear.

If you have never used this before, I recommend a patch test first. Here are the directions for use:

1. Wash face with plain water and pat dry.
2. Take Crème bleach and powder activator in the ratio of 7:1 and mix well.
3. Mix well for 2 minutes till the powder activator doesn't dissolve completely.
4. Use the spatula and apply the mixture to the face and neck. Avoid eyebrows and around the eyes.
5. If your skin tone is fair leave on for 15-20 mins, if wheatish then 10-15 minutes and if darker then up to 10 minutes. Over time you will come to the time that works best for you.
6. After the recommended time is up, wash off with plain water.
7. When done, apply the post-bleach serum to the bleached area.

Here are the precautions you need to take:

1. Do not use soap for 5 hours after bleach
2. Avoid stepping out in the sun immediately
3. Use it once in every 2-3 weeks and not earlier

The Oxylife Crème Bleach costs INR 35/- for the 7gms pack which is for 1 use and INR 80/- for the 27gms pack which suffices for 3 uses.

My experience with this product was a good one. While I did feel a tingling sensation in the first 5 mins, it is normal for my skin to react that way with the mildest of bleaches and it is nothing to worry about. It has given me radiant skin and reduced my trips to the salon with similar effects coming for about 1/10th price. You must definitely give this a try! :)

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

    

You can also email me on ritchstyles@gmail.com :)

My Junior Fashonista! :)

As a fashion blogger, shoots are a frequent part of my life. Posing for the shutterbugs is one of my most comfortable activities on a constant basis. Taking Aryaa along on shoots has also become a regular thing and having her around makes it even more fun for me. But what I never ever had expected this early was Aryaa's observation skills to be so perfect that she would start to pose comfortably for the camera :) A few months ago, we'd gone on a holiday and one of the mornings, I decided to do a photo shoot with her after a dip in the pool. I pulled the camera out and had barely focused it on her, that I saw her giving me a smile, then a side pose, then an on the stomach pose and it went on and on and on! Check this out - this is madam's swimsuit shoot! How perfect are her poses! I loved the outcome. Well, I definitely see a junior fashion blogger in the making :)

Butterfly Swimming Costume - Mothercare

Pink Shorts - Westside

My love for clothes and all that makes me look good is a world renowned story ;-) but when Aryaa was born, it was yet to be seen how much she would take after me. She started showing her comfort in complex outfits right from the beginning. I would say complex because it would mean frilly dresses or Indian clothes, shoes, socks, headbands and at times jackets. Neither did she cry or react while being made to wear everything nor while she had to keep them on for hours. That was when it was clear that she was totally like me in respect to dressing up :) See for yourself :)

 

I enjoy dressing Aryaa up, and shopping for her as well as putting together combinations and looks for her is something I totally love. If she is going to continue showing me the signs that she already is, this mother-daughter duo is going to have a great time together sharing their love for similar things.

 

Do you have similar stories about your kids? Well I would love to know if you do and you can share them with me in the comments below :)

 

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

    

You can also email me on ritchstyles@gmail.com :)

Monsoon Magic at JUICE! #GetTheLookWithJUICE Contest! (Entries Closed)

Monsoons can be a real dampner for most of us as far as our hair is concerned. While my hair grows much faster during monsoons, the humidity squeezes the life out of it and leaves it lacking volume and bounce along with losing shape due to the speed at which it grows. Hence a haircut is imperative for me in between the monsoon season every year. While I have tried different salons every year for my monsoon cut, no one ever gave me the desired effect that I wanted - a hair cut that would look voluminous and not get weighed down by the humidity, and also be a style that would not lose shape too soon after the cut. 

This year when the acclaimed hair experts at JUICE claimed to have come up with monsoon specific haircuts, I was skeptical as well as excited to try a look since I had more or less come to a conclusion that monsoon specific hair cuts were a myth. Nevertheless I decided to make a one last attempt and thankfully it isn't going to be my last attempt because I was given the most wonderful haircut I have had in years! Here is my experience for you guys :-) (and I also have a contest for you post the experiential!)

This was how I walked into the salon!

The process started with a hair wash as my hair was to be cut when wet.

And then started the chopping :)

I was given the haircut by Priti Sawant - Creative Director of the Vashi and Kemps Corner salon. She decided to give me a multiple layered cut at the back to give me volume, with softer layers at the front. For the crown we decided to go for a side swept fringe but the best part of this fringe was that we decided to change the direction of my hair parting and that was what made the most difference to this haircut.

Done Dana Done Done! How fabulous does this look!!

You can actually see the voluminous look that this haircut gives and how much changing the side of the fringe also has made a difference!

It's been a few weeks since I got the haircut and it is totally a fuss free haircut to style. You can just towel dry your hair, comb it and let it air dry on its own and it still looks perfect. You don't need to use any heat devices to style your hair. This has been one of the most no hassle haircuts that I have gotten done in my life and I know I am going to go back to JUICE again in the future for my haircuts. Haircuts with a Creative Director start from INR 1800/- onwards.

Thank you JUICE for proving to me that monsoon haircuts are not a myth ;-) BTW, they have styles for men too, so all the men out there reading this post, do try out their services.

Now to the exciting part of this post - CONTEST ALERT!

 Participate in the '#GetTheLookWithJuice' contest and you could win a free 'Monsoon Makeover' at JUICE Salon.

Here's my question

How do you like to style your hair during monsoons?

Here is how you can participate:

• Drop your answers as comments below with the hash tag #GetTheLookWithJuice
• Follow me on 
• Twitter - www.twitter.com/RitchStyles
• Facebook - www.Facebook.com/RitchStyles
• Instagram - instagram.com/ritcha
• YouTube - www.YouTube.com/user/RitchStyles
• Only one entry per person
• Contest ends on 14th September 2015
• Contest is open to Indian Residents only
• Winner will be announced on my Facebook page and Twitter

We have an Instagram contest coming up too so stay tuned! :)

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

    

You can also email me on ritchstyles@gmail.com :)