Lifestyle – Footloose Forever

5 Amazing Antique Stores in India

May 30, 2017May 28, 2017Posted in LifestyleTagged antique, antique shops, antique store, artifacts, Calcutta, collectibles, heritage, India Travel, Pondicherry, Udaipur12 Comments

Antiques, those rugged pieces of things from a bygone era. The times we live in is influenced by the materials we use. So, every century has an intrinsic feature symbolizing the imprint of that age. These imprints become a timeless classic as they age. Antiques are these timeless classics lying over for decades. It can be anything from artworks like embroidered carpets to sculptures to paintings to daily utensils. A thing of the past which is of valuable importance in this age. As these antiques impart an aesthetic value to our daily live, it is often associated with a sophisticated form of living. A mark of the elite and rich people. Though, there are some passionate old souls who look for the historic value and collect antiques but still this antique market is driven by the lifestyle choice of the rich.

India with its diverse forms of arts and utilities has a vast range of antiques. It might be regarded as an antique collector’s paradise. Here, in this part of the world, the market is thronged by antique products. However, some of the antique stores enjoy a greater footprint than others. Here, we are describing 5 such antique shops of India.

Heritage Arts Antique Store of Cochin, Kerala

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A unique antique stored set up in 1989. These stores truly depict its passion for antique things. This can be easily recognized by its rustic fervour and the range of products out there on display. Not only do they sell different antique products life old wooden furniture, sculptures, paintings, carpets and other utensils they also have a museum themed restaurant. In the restaurant, one gets to dine amongst old heritage ambience. The retail brand also has a spice shop which sells authentic fresh spices and flavours.

To know more about Kerala, see: https://footlooseforever.com/2017/01/23/why-kerala-is-really-gods-own-country/

Mayur Arts in Udaipur, Rajasthan

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One of the oldest stores in India, this prestigious antique store is a gem in the collector’s circuit. The shop came about in the year 1978. The products sold here boasts of the rich Mughal and Pathan heritage. The items sold are genuine and one of a kind, almost all of them are meticulously curated by the shop owner Hemant Periwal. Apart from the usual wooden, brass and metallic artifacts, the shops sell royal treasures like pichharis and miniature paintings from the Mughal era.

To know more about tourist destinations in Rajasthan, check out: http://www.transindiatravels.com/rajasthan/tourist-places-to-visit-in-rajasthan/

Russel Exchange of Calcutta, West Bengal

The first and the foremost antique shop of India came up in the City of Joy, Calcutta. This is an old school antique store founded as early as 1940. It is a well-known auction house with a recognition predating the foundation of independent India. The owners of this shop Arshad and Saleem makes sure about its inclusiveness even in this changing time. The vitality of this shop is its versatile list of items. The lists literally have everything under the sun, from colonial furniture, Mughal paintings, gramophones to carpets and chandeliers. One can even get hold of rare clothing and books here.

Suman’s Exchange of Calcutta, West Bengal

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Another old antique shop having a successful run since decades. This one too is situated on Russel Street. However, it is relatively new (venturing into the market in late 1972) than Russel Exchange. The shop is thronged by common people, collectors, historians, students all alike. It has a range of artifacts, old school furniture, clothing, sculptures and paintings which are sold at the weekly Sunday auction.

Geethanjali In Pondicherry

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An art within an art. This is what you will feel if you visit Geenthanjali antique store in Pondicherry. The store is housed in a 19th-century French mansion. How cool is that! The collectible items include a range of artifacts from southern Indian. It has beautiful Tanjore paintings, wooden furniture, brass and metallic objects, lavish wooden doors, oleographs made by Ravi Varma, four poster beds and other valuable items.

If you plan to visit Pondicherry, make your itinerary accordingly: http://www.transindiatravels.com/pondicherry/10-places-to-visit-in-pondicherry/

Overall, these places offer quite an exquisite experience to collectors. Don’t miss an opportunity to grasp those rare collectibles. Hurry up and head to the next auction.

A Guest Post by Rohit

Rohit Agarwal is a passionate traveller and writer who shares his experiences on TransIndiaTravels.com from his many travelling excursions and expeditions of around the world.

11 Travel Accessories Every Adventurer Needs

August 27, 2015August 28, 2015Posted in LifestyleTagged smart luggage, Travel, travel accessories, travel gears, travel packing aid, travel tips4 Comments

This post was posted by The Hipmunk on Hipmunk’s Tailwind blog on August 27th.

The number of travel accessories designed to make life easier on the road just keeps growing. From electronic luggage scales to portable Bluetooth speakers, there are so many things that can come in handy while traveling. Take a look at these 11 travel accessories that help you no matter where you go.

Neck Pillow

You can’t rest at five-star hotels in Miami every time you’re tired. A neck pillow can make sleeping in random places, like a train stop, much more comfortable.

Travel Packing Aid

A travel packing aid can help you neatly organize toiletries, travel documents and currency, ensuring important items are easily accessible and secure.

USB Utility Charge Tool

Even if you’re looking to be unplugged for your next trip, you’re still going to need to charge your smartphone, laptop, camera and so on. A USB utility charge tool means you only have to bring one product to charge all your devices.

Smart Luggage

Smart Luggage has arrived, and the features are amazing. Fingerprint locking mechanisms, built-in GPS systems, digital scale sensors, anti-theft systems, shape-changing abilities and more are available right now to make traveling safer and more convenient.

Shoe Bag

Why stink up the rest of your bag? Shoe bags are a great way to keep your luggage clean, and are a necessity for most vacations as you may need sandals for some activities and gym shoes or boots for others.

Self-Sealing Dry Bags

Clothing or other belongings occasionally get wet. That’s just part of traveling. A dry bag ensures that those wet items don’t soak the rest of your stuff.

Wine Bag

This can serve two purposes: one is to actually store wine and bottles of liquor; the other is to store glass items and other fragile things.

Waterproof Travel Backpack

Rolling around luggage can get annoying, especially if you’re on the move a lot and not just chilling in hotels in Paris or wherever else. Go with a sturdy, waterproof backpack that protects your belongings and is easy to carry.

Waterproof Phone Case

A phone is a necessity for most travelers, so using a waterproof phone case to protect it from water damage and accidental drops just makes sense.

Umbrella

It rains almost everywhere in the world at some time or another. Bring an umbrella.

First Aid Kit

Whether you’re backpacking your way through southeast Asia or sleeping in one of those luxurious hotels in Dubai, you never know when an accident could happen. So be prepared.

More travel accessories are being created all the time. Use the ones on this list, but also keep an eye out for new travel items to make your trip perfect.

Buying Diamond Ring Online – What I Learnt

May 21, 2015Posted in LifestyleTagged diamond ring, diamond ring online, fashion, jewellery, jewelry, online jewelry shopping, solitaire ring10 Comments

A couple of weeks before the last Valentine’s Day a friend of mine sought my help on buying a diamond ring. It was his long cherished desire to surprise his wife by presenting her a solitaire diamond ring. And what could be more romantic than offering it on a Valentine’s Day? 🙂

Now, diamond jewelry is something we don’t buy often. Secondly, it was difficult for him to make time from his busy schedule and visit the local jewelry stores in search of his solitaire. Even if he could manage he also wanted me to accompany him. Unfortunately, it was a pretty bad week for me at work too. I knew I won’t be able to make time. Suddenly this idea hit my mind.

Why not buy a diamond ring online?

We don’t have to go anywhere to do that. Most importantly, like any brick and mortar jewelry shop, we will have an array of solitaire rings to choose from. Products are displayed with clear images and detailed information on online stores. What we need to do is a bit of research online. It can be done sitting in the comfort of home or during the break in office. In our case, my friend had already made up his mind. He wanted to buy a yellow gold solitaire diamond ring. He set his budget Rs 35,000-40,000. So that made our search narrower and the research easier.

But as soon as I gave the proposal guess my friend’s reaction. “What… Buying a diamond ring online!!!… Are you out of your mind?” Well, it was expected. Online jewelry shopping, especially gold and diamond, is not so popular a concept in India compared to online purchase of clothing and accessories.

But buying expensive items such as diamond jewelry online (from a trusted brand) can actually be good for your pocket.

Price is the biggest factor for many. If you have limited budget you may have to compromise on quality and/or size of a diamond while buying locally. On the contrary, you not only get extensive choices online but also wide range of pricing. Additionally, there are special offers and discounts available at online stores most of the time. Why not take advantage of that as well?

But yes, you need to know a few important things to save yourself from a bad purchase.

After deciding your budget and the type of jewelry you need to choose your brand wisely. I suggested Candere to my friend. Candere is a prominent name when it comes to jewelry. My reasons for choosing this brand were –

Wide range of selection
Bespoke international designs at affordable price
Products available on EMI (which I think is a great advantage)
Products comes with insured free shipping, jewelry certifications and lifetime exchange
Guaranteed ‘express delivery’ within 7 days anywhere in India (which my friend badly needed at that time)
30-days return policy with 100 percent money back guarantee
Lifetime warranty

We had to explore the product gallery at our convenient times, select the diamond ring and place the order – it was easy.

If you are thinking how I am supposed to be sure about the size of the ring, there is no reason to worry. Choosing your diamond ring size is very easy with measurement provided in centimeters on Candere product gallery. If you still have confusion go through their elaborate size chart before hitting the ‘shop now’ button.

Checking the certification

Candere diamond jewelry come with certification from the world’s top gemological institutes – GIA (Gemological Institute of America), IGI (International Gemological Institute) or HKD Diamond Laboratories Canada.

More information on gradation of the quality of a diamond

The Four C’s defined by GIA – Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat are the primary deciding factors of a diamond’s quality.

Color: Colorless diamonds are of highest value. The color of a diamond is rated using a scale ranging D to Z where D indicates colorlessness and Z indicates a visible yellowish hue. Remember that D-F category diamonds are completely colorless and are most coveted items while S-Z is noticeable yellow which should be avoided when you aim for a colorless diamond.

Clarity: The clarity of a diamond is determined by the amount and type of inclusions (impurities) in it detected under 10x magnification. The diamond is graded in a clarity scale of FL (flawless), IF (Internally Flawless), VVS (Very Very Slightly Included), VS (Very Slightly Included), SI (Slightly Included) and I (Included). In case of VVS to SI graded diamonds inclusions are not visible to the naked eye.

Cut: Don’t confuse cut with the shape of a diamond. It refers to the angle with which the diamond is cut. The angular cutting helps in total internal reflection which lends the diamond its sparkling shine. The finer the cut is the brighter the stone.

Carat: Carat refers to the weight of a diamond and not size. One carat equals to 0.2 gram.

Hope this information helps. Happy shopping! 🙂

P.S: Finally, my friend was convinced to buy his diamond ring online. Later, he told me that it was the best Valentine’s Day in his life so far. Well… you know why. 😉

Travel in Style in Leggings – Do’s and Don’t’s

April 29, 2015May 18, 2015Posted in LifestyleTagged coloured leggings, fashion, layered clothing, leggings, lifestyle, oleva leggings, printed leggings12 Comments

Summer is in full swing. Many of you might be thinking of switching to leggings from jeans; if not already have done so. Light, stretchable, skin-friendly cotton-lycra leggings are ideal for hot and humid tropical summer. Those who are involved in 9 to 5 jobs know best. Sitting 8 hours in the cubicle in a pair of trousers or jeans can be uneasy at times. I used to feel this problem especially after lunch. 🙂 But leggings can give you the desired comfort at its best.

Now this was about office goers. What about the travel buffs? The best thing about stashing 5-6 leggings in your rucksack is that neither they eat up much of your storage space nor they add much weight to your backpack. On the contrary, when you are on a backpacking tour you can’t afford to carry equal number of jeans in your bag, right? If you want to travel light yet don’t want to get bored with your look (in same jeans and a couple of tops) leggings and layered clothing is the way to go.

However, wearing leggings involves some rules.

Do’s

Length of top: Team up your leggings with long tops or tunics or short dresses of mid-thigh length (or kurti for ethnic wear) so that you butt remains covered. Otherwise, it looks odd and you may make yourself ridiculous. Please note that you can wear leggings with your miniskirts too.

Knit: Go for thick, double knit leggings to prevent showing skin through clothing.

Colours: Leggings are not just about neutral colours like black, white or beige. Coloured leggings are very much in vogue these days. If solid colour is your preference go for Oleva Leggings. They offer high-quality leggings in a wide range of colours to choose from. You can buy free-size Oleva leggings online right from the comfort of your home. Remember, when you experiment with coloured leggings keep your top neutral or in lighter shades. It will not only highlight your legs but also maintain a balance in your look.

Layers: Wear layered clothing with leggings. It not only looks stylish but also practical for backpackers travelling to regions where temperature fluctuates during night and day. When the ensemble is in solid colours, casually wrap a printed scarf around the neck for a more dramatic look.

Prints: Mix and match your solid colour tops with printed leggings and vice versa. Animal prints, multi-coloured geometric prints, exotic tribal prints can do wonder.

Shoes: Choose your shoes wisely with leggings. Flats and flip-flops are for casual summer look while boots and pumps lend a formal impression.

Don’t’s

Carry your white/off-white leggings while travelling as they easily gets dirty and you may not get a chance to wash your clothes on the go.
Wear leggings made of finer fabric. It can show your bulges and mar the look.
Wear short top or tank top with leggings.

Here is how our favorite celebs flaunt their legs in leggings.

So what are you waiting for? Add a dash of colours to your wardrobes this summer with economical, high-quality Oleva leggings and create your own style statement.

Images are collected from Google Images.

How to Beautify Yourself This Summer

April 24, 2015April 28, 2016Posted in LifestyleTagged beauty, beauty tips, lifestyle, personal care, skin care, summer, sunscreen12 Comments

beauty, summer, skin care, personal care, beauty tips

Staying beautiful in summer is a relatively difficult task. Constant sweating on hot and humid days makes a person look weary and tired. However, some highly effective sun protection lotions make sure that women of all ages retain their beauty in summer too. A branded sunscreen lotion nourishes the skin and gives you a glamorous look all the time.

Harmful UV rays from the sun can badly affect your skin. Problems like sunburn, dark patches and other skin related diseases can easily invade your body unless you take protective measures.

You can easily protect your skin during summer by following these simple tips.

Always use a branded sunscreen lotion or cream while going outside. If the product is not available in your locality you can buy it from online stores. Buying online also makes you eligible for good discount and cash back with active discount coupons available exclusively at cashkaro.com.

Your daily intake of fruits and vegetables should be the part of a proper diet. Usually cucumber, watermelon and gourd among other food are essential to keep your internal health alright.

Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. An adult person should take 8-10 glasses of water every day. It helps to flush the toxins out of our body.

Wake up early in the morning and sleep early in the night. It is also important to stay away from stressful life and keep yourself calm and relaxed as much as possible.

Wear light cotton clothes in summer. This will keep you relaxed and cool.

How to Purchase Beauty Products Conveniently from Home

Shopping in summer means more exhaustion. Visiting one shop to another in search of your favorite product could be a time taking and laborious task. However, online shopping can solve all your problems in no time. It is a very simple process to buy your favorite products online. You need to select the products on online shopping websites to avail the deal.

Once you have selected your beauty products on the site, you need to furnish your credit card or debit card details. Once the checkout process is completed you will receive an email confirmation that the transaction is successful. The products will be delivered to you after 1 or 2 days.

Some Quintessential Beauty Products for summer

Anti-Pollutant Face Wash: We are well aware of the fact that pollution can affect our skin and face. Don’t forget to wash your face and neck twice a day with an anti pollutant face wash on a daily basis.

Body Lotion: It is also important to have the necessary amount of moisture present in your skin. Although we regularly use moisturizer in winter, we often neglect moisturizing our skin during summer. It is definitely not a good practice. A body lotion with the goodness of Aloe Vera is the ideal one you should buy.

Sunscreen Lotion or cream: Use a good branded sunscreen lotion regularly in the summer to stay protected from scorching sunlight. The best way to buy one is to visit stores like nykaa. Shop for your favorite brand and get discount with the use of nykaa coupons to save more.

Branded perfume: Getting out without perfume, especially during summer, is unimaginable. You must always keep a good quality perfume with refreshing fragrance at your disposal.

Vanishing cream: Sweating makes life miserable in summer. However, you can still look refreshed and rejuvenated by using a branded vanishing lotion or cream. Fair and Lovely is one of the most famous brands specializing in selling vanishing cream.

Therefore, staying beautiful is no big deal. You only need to dedicate a certain amount of time for skin and face care every day. Remember beauty doesn’t fade away on its own unless we constantly ignore it.

Benefits of having black t-shirts in your wardrobe

April 24, 2015April 26, 2015Posted in LifestyleTagged black dress, black t-shirts, clothing, fashion12 Comments

When I was in college I could never wear black t-shirts with jeans although I loved black so much. Can you guess why? Well, both my parents had an aversion for black clothes as they considered black depressing and it represented negativity. It took me so long to convince them about the benefits of wearing black, by then my days in college were over! (sigh)

When it comes to wearing black, I have seen there are three categories of people in the world – those who don’t like to wear black (probably inspired by similar thoughts as my parents once had.) those who wear black only because they are not sure what colour to wear and find black mitigates the risk of going wrong and finally, those who love to wear black (not just for one reason, but for several reasons) …just like me. 🙂

Gone are those days when that little black dress (LBD) was a staple for women’s wardrobe only. Modern metro sexual man has pretty good fashion sense and he has become conscious about what he wears and how he looks while going out. So, men also need to add black casuals to their wardrobes.

The advantages of wearing black are many

Black makes you look slender. Black helps to hide your baby fat and ensures a more shapely appearance. As a reason black dresses have always been popular among women. So guys, why don’t you try that trick too? In fact, a black t-shirt has all the potential to make you look sexier. 😉

Having a few black t-shirts in your wardrobe can actually save your time. Be it a party, special occasion, date or a casual night out there are times when you get confused what to wear and what not to wear. That’s the time you should put on black without wasting your time in such quandary. You know, I wear black when I am in a hurry. 😀

It’s easy to team up a black t-shirt with any shade of jeans or trousers. You can enjoy more freedom and flexibility when it comes to selecting accessories to match black outfit than to clothes of any other colour.

Black is a convenient choice for backpackers and travellers. If you are a footloose like me you know how convenient it is to wear black on the go. Whenever I travel I carry t-shirts of dark shades such as black, navy blue, maroon or coffee. Since dark colours camouflage dirt and stains well I don’t need to wash my clothes often during backpacking trips.

Black clothing has some distinctive psychological effects. Black hides the odds and the irregularities on your body. So you come out as a more confident person more in control of how you look than you do in any other shades. Most importantly, when it comes to fashion, black is the mark of elegance and sophistication.

Things you should consider while buying black t-shirts

If you don’t find plain black t-shirts appealing then go for graphic t-shirts. Remember black doesn’t look equally good on all fabrics. The shade looks more attractive on viscose and synthetic materials than on cotton. Cotton t-shirts also tend to wear out quickly. So be careful about the quality of fabric before buying anything in black.

Black is mysterious. Black is seductive. Black is stylish. Add a dash of black to your attire to up your style quotient and see the difference. 🙂

Best Deo Options for Men to Stay Cool and Feel Fresh in Summer

April 18, 2015April 27, 2015Posted in LifestyleTagged body odour, deodorants, personal careLeave a comment

To those men who still in this misconception that smell from sweating increases their macho appeal to women. To those men who don’t even understand how badly they smell and it is because of this people avoid them and for nothing else. To those men who sweat a lot and feel embarrassed about it but don’t know how to get rid of this stinking sweaty smell.

You might think why I am suddenly after stinking men? (No offence please, rather when you take your shirt off just smell once and you’ll know) I am among that unfortunate lot who often face the trouble of tolerating stinky people in public transport or stinky colleagues during the office hours, especially in summer. With summer round the corner, I thought it would be good time to talk about the topic.

Let me share a fact I read in an article on The Huffington Post – “While women have more sweat glands than men, men’s sweat glands produce more sweat.”

Some men think that sweaty smell increases their macho appeal to women (well, it could be your woman think that way about you but not the whole world, so please think before you go out). Some are completely ignorant about how smelly they can be and how terrible people around them may feel because of that. Well, when you appear well-dressed with neat and clean hair you look impressive at the first glance. But as you come closer with your suffocating body odour the impression index suddenly drops down to zero. Do you understand that? Perspiration is natural in a humid tropical country like ours but there are weapons like deodorants to fight with body odour.

I have noticed the younger generations are lot smarter. They are conscious not just about looking good but also smelling good and feeling good. And trust me, women like that and appreciate that.

It’s not that only appearance is important, because not everyone is blessed with good looks. What is important is to feel good and that’s definitely not destiny. It’s in your hand. Look around and you’ll find a variety of deodorants for men. Their refreshing fragrance will keep you cool and energized all day long. There are costly products like Loreal Men Expert Deodorant which offer longer lasting fragrance. But if you are like me who easily get bored of using the same deodorant everyday go for less expensive ones such as Nike, Fogg, Adidas, Axe or others. Pick three or four different deodorants and use them alternatively during the week. Buying online can save you money with some cool discount offers on products.

Remember, it’s not that sweat causes body odour.

It is the bacteria accumulating on particular areas of our body (e.g. armpit) that cause the stench. Deodorants contain antimicrobial element that fights and prevents odour for a limited period though. If you have the tendency of stinking you can apply deodorants twice or thrice a day. Believe me; personal care is equally important for both women and men. It is the first step to develop a healthy body and mind.

Disclaimer: All images in this post are taken from the internet.