From how to buy Rhode Skin in India to which Brazilian bum cream and perfumed Mughal dream should share space on your bathroom shelf, bpb Blush is the handy-dandy beauty & wellness list you need this summer. Includes tried-and-rested recommendations from dermats, formulation experts, hairstylists & beauty editors. Download as a PDF while re-applying your sunscreen.
This one’s a treasure trove of, from what we gather, authentic international products, many of which aren’t available on the Tira-Nykaa-Sephora Trifecta. Starting with Hailey Bieber’s viral bubble phone case with a built-in lip balm slot – what else do you need this summer!? - and ending with Glossier’s solid perfume, we fell down a very expensive rabbit hole, filled with Rhode Skin peptide lip tints, Maison Margiela Replica, Skims, La Roche Posay, Westman Atelier and more. Expect a long-ish shipping time, ranging from 7 to 19 days.
Shop in India at www.luxebykan.com, Instagram, free shipping over Rs 8k.
The Swedish fashion label’s first ever fragrance, Wallpaper Magazine tells us, "evokes the softness of a scarf". We want to be wrapped up in this already. French perfume house Frédéric Malle is behind this rose-violet-peach skin perfume that’s out later this month. Yes, the perfume’s sorta pink.
Shop while travelling abroad.
Everyone’s favourite powder room beauty flex brand also does a lovely personal product. Roll the Ginger Flight Therapy on your pulse points during a turbulent voyage by air or sea to deal with nausea; to combat a particularly stressful day at the office; or to calm a stomach upset. It’s a lightweight oil made with ginger root, lavender and geranium.
Shop while travelling abroad, online at www.aesop.com.
Our favourite new Indian brand to gift, Atomicc Code’s candles, home fragrances and incense sticks are beautiful inside-out. Major points for packaging - look how pretty! - that doesn’t carry expected Indian motifs, as well as for its formulations that aren’t tripping all over jasmine. We love the Grapefruit-Bergamot-Rose Awaken combination found across their room spray, incense sticks and voluptuous three-wick candles. Everything is vegan, non-toxic and cruelty free.
Shop at atomicccode.com, Instagram, Rs 1,700 for Calm Incense Sticks.
Awear’s consideration comes across not only in its skincare formulations (nature meets science in bio innovation) but also in the amazing micro details that make up its retail experience. For instance, the brand tells you how long a product will last (always useful considering our beauty budgets these days), and each purchase comes with a fun hack and fact about skincare. For instance, the Superfood Enzyme Cleanser can also be used as a purifying face mask when mixed with a cream or serum. This along with their very effective Peptide Glow Serum and Dual Spot Treatment Serum are part of the Glass Skin range that work to remove blemishes, pigmentation, and dullness. The very best thing about Awear is that its formulations are specially made for brown skin and keep in mind not just your skin health but overall skin wellness.
Shop at awearbeauty.com, 9871829990, Instagram, Rs 1,299 for the cleanser.
This much-like meringue looking treat isn’t in fact dessert, but soap whipped into a velvety texture and sold in jars. Not only do these fluffy body soaps feel luxe to the touch, they also make for fun gifts; our favourites: Egyptian Cotton and Glacial Glow made from glacial marine clay and sweet almond oil. While you fan out for these fluffies, also remember to pick up their body butters and lotions for after-shower slickness. One of our favourite pre-sleep rituals includes the Night Night lotion which combines the heady aroma of rose and lavender essential oils. We know we’ll wake up on the right side of the bed tomorrow. Can’t say the same about you.
Shop at battiandco.com, 8828861806, Instagram, Rs 599 for a whipped soap.
Presenting the Stanley Cup of creams: an elegant, essential route to hydration. This swimming-pool blue, feather-light gel cream offers bursts of moisture by way of oats, ceramide, hyaluronic acid, squalane and other clean, non-synthetic ingredients. The True Cream Aqua Bomb is just what you need for summer, followed by the silky UV Protector multi sunscreen (SPF 50+), whose natural beige hue is built to blend with any skin colour, is sweat and water resistant. Pro-tip: also works well as a make-up primer.
Shop at www.belifindia.in, Instagram, Rs 2,541 for UV protector multi sunscreen+SPF50+/PA++++.
Made in France and bottled in India (a spritz from the Ritz?), this contemporary fragrance house’s perfumes cast a spell that is at once new and nostalgic. Much love, labour and storytelling goes into its making; and sourcing of fine ingredients from around the world: vetiver oil from Haiti, nutmeg from Indonesia, cinnamon from Sri Lanka, as well as indigenous ingredients from Coonoor, Kannauj, and Tirupati. The result is 8 beautifully crafted & packaged perfumes (3 for men, 3 for women, and 2 unisex). The tuberose-leather Moiré, in our opinion, is one of the sexiest things to smell like, hot with cool currents of cardamom, cassis buds, sandalwood, apricot, and neroli.
Shop at www.bombayperfumery.com, Instagram, start at Rs 3,900.
Mamta Mody, senior beauty editor at Tata CLiQ & Tata CLiQ Palette reveals that the most stunning arches in the country have been blessed by Suman Jalaf. The trusted and hugely coveted brow guru is known for her microblading skills and for creating thick natural-looking eyebrows. Yes, we know skinny 90s brows are back but we’re not ready for those yet. If you already love your brows, Mamta recommends trying her bespoke shaping and tinting services.
Suman travels between London & Dubai with annual pit stops in India; book an appointment via Whatsapp +971 54 250 6811 or DM@browsbysuman.
We’re over the moon that our favourite faux lash freelancer Chand, now has his own salon, The Glam Lab. Credited with regularly laying the foundations of fake lashes for celebrities like Jacqueline Fernandes, Malaika Arora and Aamir Khan, Chand is skilled, efficient and reliable. No EyeD required.
At Waterfield Road, Bandra, 7290845713.
There’s a new(ish) Chanel beauty store at Palladium and yes, they’re always out of our favourite Les Beiges Water Fresh Tint foundation that’s super wet and glowy (it is composed of 75 percent water); better for those who don’t need much coverage. It feels like less of a hassle to buy it at the airport, instead of checking in multiple times at the store, where you could stop by for all new blue bits from Spring ’24 inspired by the marine world. Think Lagune nail lacquer, Mermaid Glow Baume and Bleu Abysse eye pencil.
Order via the Chanel store in Delhi and Palladium, Mumbai, Rs 5,525 for the foundation or while travelling abroad.
Siblings Daniel and Elina Hsiung run Ciette, a highly curated K-beauty-buffet for India featuring Cosrx; Dear, Klairs and others. Our pet Ciette pick is Beauty of Joseon, which relies on the Joseon Dynasty’s favourite ingredients: rice water as seen in an excellent super-glowy cream and probiotic sunscreen; as well as ginseng, inspired by Hwang Jini, the dynasty’s "most beautiful woman” who used ginseng decoction as bath water.
Shop at ciettebeauty.com, Instagram, Rs 1,550 for Ginseng Essence Water.
This plant-based brand throws shade with all kinds of sun protection formats: drops, sprays, mists, tints and creams. In her latest Instagram post, Dr Pooja Shah Talera, dermat and founder at Kosa Wellbeing recommends that you incorporate Coola’s Refreshing Water Mist Sunscreen into your summer routine. Also look up Kosa for a list of super facials when you are in Pune next, and browse their online store for a select list of international and homegrown brands including Biologique Recherche.
Shop Coola and get facial appointments at kosawellbeing.com, Instagram, Rs 4,499.
Imagine if a unicorn made sunscreen for reluctant SPFers. It’s a weird day dream, but we’ve had it before and d’you made it come true with their latest: a sparkly, ultra-thin aqua blue gel cream that glides on as a serum, and therefore leaves no white cast. SPF 50++, built with 14 plant extracts.
Shop at www.dyou.co, Instagram, Rs 2,200 for unkissed sunscreen.
When we read “gentle power” on this brand’s vision board, we instantly wanted to steal the description for our IG bios. Surrender to its soft strength, this buzzy new homegrown brand, which debuts two vegan products built with smart ingredients - super pretty and charged up to counter free radicals and support your skin’s eco-system. The Spark Change moisturiser (protects against ageing, UV rays, environmental stressors) is airy enough to be your summer BFF; while the Peace Host gel face wash feels like silk and best of all, exfoliates and tones in addition to cleansing. Big bpb points to any beauty product that multi-tasks.
Shop at dabtofab.co, 8374621038, Instagram, Rs 1,650 for Peace host.
This Devgan, not related to Ajay, is equally starry, a NY based board-certified plastic surgeon and beauty brand founder whose services and products have amassed fans like Jennifer Aniston, Bella Hadid and Anne Hathaway. Her Platinum Lip Plumper is wildly effective, showing-off filler like lips in minutes, minus the burning/tingling sensation. It is also deeply hydrating with SPF 30 protection.
Shop while travelling abroad, online at Net-a-porter, approx Rs 4,159.
Winner of the Pea-body award for the most serene beauty ceremonies goes to Earth Ritual, which features the Butterfly Pea flower or Aparajita, renowned in Ayurveda for its mood-boosting properties. Their Ritual Of Calm Bundle, comprising a low-foaming body wash, creamy lotion, and gentle exfoliation sugar polish, is perfect for unwinding after a long day. Infused with Earth Ritual’s signature blend of lavender, rosemary, and patchouli essential oils, these vegan & cruelty free products create a herbaceous, woody aroma conducive to relaxation. Complete your calming ritual with the Night Queen & Jasmine Body Mist, crafted from jasmine sambac and night queen hydrosol. Founder Rutuja Dandekar envisions Earth Ritual not as an escape, but as an elevation of the present moment—a private sanctuary for self-discovery.
Shop at earthritual.in, 8104051955, Instagram, Rs 3,520 for Ritual of Calm Bundle.
Beauty content creator (Isle of Glow) and Sunday Forever founder Sakshi Kabra sends a jewel of a beauty juggler our way. It’s eye wateringly expensive, but we’re assured that this is a multi-ritual wonder balm. “It can be used in four ways: as the final step of your skincare, especially under make-up; as a mask; as a sleeping mask combined with a facial massage because the balm gives a lot of slip; and finally as a highlighter”. Available at the tony Glow Clinics, which is also something you should look up.
Available at Glow Clinics in Chennai, Hyderabad & Bangalore, ship across India, call 9888525555, Instagram, Rs 21,456.
Rockstar tattoo artist Vishaka, who runs f2f in Assagao, Goa, is doing a summer tour, appearing in Mumbai on April 18 & 20 at the Shlo Poke Studio, before she heads to Bangalore, Pondichery & Chennai (see dates here). Go get one of her delicate handpoked tattoo skin illustrations that range from ankle vespas and finger flowers to Cubist faces and jellyfish.
Assagao, Goa, Instagram, in Mumbai on April 18 & 20 at Shlo Poke Studio, price depends on tattoo.
One of the first cross-over K-beauty brands - remember the sheet masks from way back when? - this e-shop is where you go to save face. This summer, they’re shining the sun light on three essentials: a Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil that takes you a step closer to dewy skin; a feather light Rice & Ceramide Moisturizing Emulsion to feed and fan your skin barrier; and a vegan, non-greasy, no-white-cast sun serum (SPF 50 and PA++++ protection) that’s going to be a regular tube in your s(h)elf care routine.
Shop at thefaceshop.in, Instagram, 25% off on the sun serum, now at Rs 1,651.
Haldi Doodh gets a glow up at Gunam, a crowd favourite on the luxe beauty brand circuit. After winning us over with skin care - our pick is the Daily Liquid Exfoliant that is effective but kind - we welcome their newest beauty supplement category that offers a whole host of benefits from youthfulness to gut health. First, a fresh turmeric juice powder-Curcumin formula with the addition of Ayurvedic Trikatu, Vitamin C-rich Acerola Cherry extract and citrus bioflavonoids for immune and skin-boosting goodness; as well as a vibrant Blue Spirulina powder derived from blue-green algae to maintain your skin's vitality.
Shop at gunambeauty.com, 7736945888, Instagram, Rs 2,000 for 100 ml for Daily Liquid Exfoliant.
Habbits is bringing sexy b(l)ack with their activated charcoal mouthwash and teeth whitening powder. This new nature + science led oral beauty label is all about safe and effective at-home teeth whitening solutions. The charcoal and spearmint whitening natural mouthwash (prevents plaque buildup & removes stains) looks great on a shelf and feels better in your mouth as it is alcohol free with no harsh sensation. The Charcoal & Ylang ylang-mint whitening powder is peroxide-free, whitens your teeth and remineralizes enamel. A happy side effect of both: minty fresh kisses.
Shop at www.habbits.in, Instagram, Rs 696 for a bundle of whitening powder & mouthwash.
For pocket-sized poshness, we swipe our cards at Hermès Beauty, where even a little lipstick can feel a-lot-of lavish. The body is made up of two lacquered, polished and brushed metal magnetic halves with a gold seal and a canvas pouch; the lipstick itself is monogramed and carries a subtle scent built by an Hermès’ nose. We love that the red of Rouge Casque is intense, vivid, velvety and so, so moisturising; also special mention for the most attractive pink shade for brown skin we’ve found yet. So far we’ve had to rummage through the Horniman Circle store’s drawer chest for availability, so we welcome the news of a beauty-only store opening at Jio World Plaza on April 26. Note: Yes, the lipstick costs a pretty penny but it takes a while to diminish in spite of daily wear.
Shop at Hermès stores, Rs 7,000 for a lipstick.
Launched in Japan in 2022, and in India in ‘23, founder Ishvani Patel who lived in Tokyo for a decade, hopes to bring the “profound teachings of Japanese wellness” to us. Their Mugwort Leaf Extract shaving gel and mist for men are super soothing, as are their matchas and luxury teas. Special shout out for the natural loofah Konjac Sponge that looks to us like a marine creature. See you later, Bob!
Shop at ilemjapan.com, Instagram, start at Rs 1,200.
Tel maalish gets a posh upgrade with this Bhringraj, Brahmi & Amla hair oil that boosts hair growth and prevents dandruff, but is also a good base for cute hair looks without imparting a gross unctuous feel.
Shop at india.indewild.com, Instagram, start at Rs 799.
K18 has had all the girls spending their lunch money on tresses over dresses this past year. Both, beauty editor Meher Jadhwani and our fav hairstylist Samantha Wadhwani are summer crushing and gushing over this “engineered with biotechnology” hair mask. “It works for any hair type and strengthens and reconstructs without weighing it down,” says Samantha.
Shop at k18hair.co.in, Instagram, starts at Rs 1,080.
We’re not usually fans of celebrity beauty labels but Kay by Katrina’s lip oil is both, budget and beloved. Use for hydration, shine and treatment; we apply a coat daily before bedtime so our lips can rise and shine.
We’re so proud of the Goodearth group for bottling and exporting India’s ancient olfactive heritage to Bergdorfs, Harrods and Moda Operandi. Born in Madurai and crafted in Grasse, these perfumes and attars capture the country’s horticulture and history to include ingredients prized by Mughal royalty and Lord Shiva; those that capture the smell of fleeting seasons; and the “narcotic” scent of the night tuberose.
Shop at www.lilanur.com, Instagram, USD 285 for Rajni Nocturne Parfums.
We’re dragging ‘Tomato Girl Summer’ into 2024, lusting over these candles, engraved bathing bars and body lotions, that are inspired by ancient Greek and Roman bathing rituals. The herbaceous fragrance of home-grown tomato vines is meant to be uplifting and energising; add to this Loewe’s cucumber, luscious pea and oregano home scents and you’ve got yourself a sexy little salad.
Shop while travelling abroad, online on Net-a-porter.
It is soothing just to stop and stare at these beautifully packaged products that in 2023, won a Kyoorius Design Award for branding and identity. The ‘monks’ who run NamoMonk believe in harnessing the power of fragrances, likening its ability to elevate your daily experience to ‘a walk through the woods’. Their essential oils and incense sticks are excellent for personal spaces and for gifting. Our favourites: the cinnamon essential oil that offers relief from fatigue, flu symptoms, acne, ageing and bad moods, and evokes a feeling of the warm winter sun + the nostalgia of sweet-spicy bakery scents; see their full list of steam distilled, top quality 8 oils here. The Sambrani incense sticks (all natural, handmade) with their balsamic-amber-vanilla notes are an instant mood lifter.
Shop at namomonk.com, Instagram, Rs 349 for incense sticks.
Match your cosmetics with your cocktail over at O&O Beauty, where their star product - All Over Colour - in the shade of Bubbly Rosé awaits. This little dome shaped box with a luxe applicator glides over lips, lids and cheeks, offering effervescent bursts of dusky peach-pink tones. Other vegan, multi-tasking marvels here include the Glow Blush (highlighter, eye shadow, blush all rolled into one) built with botanical oils and fruit extracts to impart a sun kissed feel, and the Velvet Kiss lipstick that’s not only super creamy but also acts as a lip serum. We’re going to kiss and tell that our favourite shade is the soft Curious Coral.
Shop at oandobeauty.com, Instagram, Rs 1,450 for All Over Colour.
Handmade with fresh goat milk and infused with juniper berry essential oil, this sexy black cube in the hue of a moonless night sky is our favourite soap to show off in the guest bathroom. Using fresh goat milk as the base, o.w.n’s hand-cut, small-batch artisanal soap bars are both, pretty and potent, and available in varieties of Triple Butter, Saffron Almond, Rose Geranium, Night Jasmine and Lotus Lavender. Thanks to the goat milk, these soaps are all capable of hydrating, soothing, repairing and renewing skin, along with the added benefits of each of the individual varieties. PS: o.w.n also sells these cute stoneware soap dishes that extend the life of your soap bar.
Shop at www.o-w-n.in, 9082540678, Instagram, start at Rs 325.
Presenting Pahadi Local 2.woah! Founder Jessica Jayne, Marvellous Mrs Mountains herself, went back to the drawing board with all kinds of experts to resurface with new products, packaging and persistence. We love the balm made from the brand's (and your) most favourite ingredient - apricot kernel oil - which is great for dry knees and elbows. We’ve also been spritzing our faces with the oil-enriched Mountain Mist every night before bed.
Shop at pahadilocal.com, 7506336263, Instagram, Rs 675 for Mountain Mist.
The make-up maven responsible for Maison Margiela models’ hyper porcelain skin at the Paris SS24 show, has a line of products that are now available in India via Nykaa. Reflect on how you can use these to achieve a more practical but still ultra lit-from-within glass skin effect using the label’s Sublime Perfection foundation, setting powder, and highlighter-balm duo.
Shop at Nykaa here, Rs 3,900 for setting powder.
Italian haircare label (available in India online and at select salons) has a Kokum Nut Butter and Rose Extract deep moisture mask that hairstylist Samantha Wadhwani swears by for a cool-cruel summer, paired with pH’s Deep Moisture shampoo. The result is soft, perfumed hair with a shine that can blind the sun itself.
Shop at www.phlaboratories.in and at select offline spots including Samantha’s Salon, Instagram, Rs 2,850.
Rajshree Pathy, co-founder at Kama Ayurveda launched Qi Ayurveda today (April 15), with a range of haircare that uses highly potent formulation blend distilled ayurvedic oils with award-winning Swiss certified actives. Divided into Treat, Cleanse & Condition, hair oils, shampoos and conditioners offer relief from frizz, dryness, breakage, scalp issues and general hair wellness. Read details here, don’t tress us out.
Shop at www.qiayurveda.com, Instagram, start at Rs 1,800.
We’re waxing eloquent about these CannaCalm candles built with hemp that balances a woody aroma with notes of pine-grapefruit-sage, and poured into a frosted container. The result, folks at River Apothecary tell us, is meant to evoke a “relaxing evening” kinda vibe. Down by this River, hemp is also used in a super effective Pain Massage Oil (in lavender, orange, jasmine) formula that helps release tension, stress and anxiety and is great for those suffering from chronic pain, arthritis, sciatica and fibromyalgia.
Shop at riverapothecary.com, Instagram, Rs 1,200 for a hemp candle.
If you couldn’t be bothered to double cleanse - us too! - grab this little hard worker. The Double Duty Cleanser is non-stripping, hydrating and removes makeup, dirt, SPF and the city off your face while double cleansing in one step. Speaking of multi-taskers, Sixam Glow’s pumpkin-carrot-squalane-sea salt triple action exfoliating mask bids farewell to bumpy, dull and rough skin.
Shop at sixamglow.com, Instagram, Rs 890 for Double Duty Cleanser.
The viral Brazilian Bum Bum Cream that followed us around on Instagram for many, many years is now officially available on Nykaa, with its crushed cupuaçu seeds and ultra-fine sugar crystal DNA, born to buff and smooth. Mega-rich Brazilian butters go into everything else they do as well - deos, perfume sprays, lipsticks - to keep you unbothered, moisturized, happy, in your lane, focused and flourishing.
A reliable route to beauty supplements, SolSkin’s dermatologist-formulated tablets are made by employing organic sources without added sugar or sugar substitutes, making it healthier than many other effervescent tablets, gummies and strips in the market. The Ra Vitamin C+ tablets contain Acerola, Amla, Grapefruit and Orange Peel Extract which promise immunity boosting, radiant skin and reduced heart disease risk. The Ra Skin Bright (Alpha Lipoic Acid, Resveratrol and more) is the other glow-getter in the SolSkin fam, which combines powerful antioxidants to promote skin brightening while addressing issues like acne, pigmentation & uneven skin tone. When combined with these two, Ra Defense also works wonders as an anti-inflammatory to further reduce acne scars, spots and pigmentation.
Shop at solskincorp.com, 9920801805, Instagram, Rs 900 for Ra Vitamin C Plus.
Run by celebrity dermatologist Dr Batul Patel who is often the first to bring trendy Hollywood (FDA-approved) treatments to India. The Faceworkout is a non-invasive procedure aimed at rejuvenating and sculpting your face using a combination of radiofrequency (RF) diathermy and muscle contractions. Visible results: elevates eyebrows, reduces nasolabial folds, and firms the jawline and neck area. We’re also tried-and-tested fans of this clinic’s Hollywood Facial, favoured in the starry world by the Kardashians. Dr Patel also leaves us with this: the Mesoestetic Mesoprotech Melan 130 Pigment Control is the best summer investment sunscreen.
South Bombay, Bandra, Andheri, 7506737366, Instagram, price depends on treatment.
We don’t mean to pile on the celebrity beauty brand fatigue, but Serena Williams’ Wyn Beauty seems to be scoring major points on the beauty circuit. Especially the Glideline Waterproof Liquid Liner that claims to be sweat proof and comes with a super skinny applicator that makes it easy to recreate Serena’s signature on-court cat eye. We’re proud that India’s Good Glamm group is a collaborator.
Shop at www.wynbeauty.com while travelling abroad.
Products that have persisted and turned into perennial favourites: iSClinical’s Reparative Moisture Emulsion, Dior Addict Lip Glow (001); Augustinus Bader Retinol Serum; Biologique Recherche’s Masque Vivant; Sunday Forever’s pure mulberry silk bedding; Pureearth Mitti Face Masque.
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