This deceptively simple yet nutrition packed smoothie is super delicious and is the perfect way to start your morning. Loaded with calcium, fiber, vitamins and healthy fats, this creamy vegan smoothie has just the right amount of sweetness (thanks to banana and dates) and the addition of cinnamon gives it a nice flavor and a spicy kick. It takes only three minutes and literally four (even 3 if you want to skip vanilla) ingredients to have a delicious yet filling breakfast - banana, cinnamon, almond milk and vanilla. I always use home-made almond milk, it's really simple to make at home and healthier than most options available in the market. For almond milk, you just need to soak in almonds overnight, blend it with 2x water and strain it - there you have almond milk in no time! You can play around with the ratios and ingredients of this smoothie as well. Add water to make it less creamy, replace banana with apple or just throw in an apple for extra nutrition and flavor

Here I am talking about summer bags (from Fastrack) and you are wondering, summer is long gone. But my oh my, does summer ever end? (at least it never does in Mumbai) Now even if you're not a big timer TV viewer, you couldn't have possibly missed the uber-cool Fastrack TV advertisement (featuring their summer handbag), where you spot this young hot college gal waking to an alarm in boy's hostel, hurriedly grabbing her stripey bag and getting dressed en route while crossing the lawns and jumping through the wall. The ad ends with: ‘Wanna move on? Blame Fastrack’. I absolutely loved it and its fab music (btw if you're wondering the Fastrack ad is playing the no.  Short Skirt Long Jacket by Cake). Young, fun and carefree the summer bags ad of Fastrack definitely hits a chord with the young generation, and it even tickled my inquisitive bone to check out how these bags are after all. They sure looked interesting on screen. And finally, the two bags from their collect

A killer breakfast that tastes delicious, is packed with nutrients and looks like a culinary delight right out of a five-star kitchen is just what you need to pep up your breakfast or brunch affair. How? With offering your good'ole smoothies a complete makeover - blending it thick, served in a bowl and creating an artistic topping to it. In fact they have been officially declared as the new Instagram star of the healthy world! Smoothie bowls make for a filling breakfast that can keep you satiated until lunch time or a great choice even for a brunch when you want something healthy and super filling (have a larger portion in this case). The best thing about the smoothie bowls are they are your guilt-free treats and if made with the right ingredients it's a great healthy replacement of your nasty sundaes and sugary desserts. The ingredients possibilities of creating a smoothie bowl is limitless - you have to run your imagination and make sure to create right combina

When it comes to beauty I've always been picky about what I put on my face and body. Somehow the likes of chemical loaded products never made the cut for me. Finding quality skincare and makeup that's devoid of harsh chemicals and is also cruelty free and vegan friendly is a bit of a challenge, especially if you are living in India (for that matter even Dubai). For years I had to rely on my friends or family (or even their friends and family) travelling from US or UK to get my monthly beauty fix. Then came the era of online shopping, which means you could get a access to the best beauty products online , delivered right to your doorstep, which was otherwise hard to find in India. But then there was another problem. While now I have access to some great products, I still wouldn't know which product is suitable for my skin, hair and body type. At good beauty stores like Space NK or Liberty of London you have access to experts who understand your beauty needs and recomm

My partner in crime   Welcomed by fresh fruits and orange juice in the suite  (and I did some nail art myself with my vegan nail polishes) This beach side restaurant with its breathtaking views is perfect for sunset and after hours Opulence and grandeur is synonymous with Middle East and considering Emirates Palace is the property of UAE's richest Emirate Abu Dhabi no expense was spared at making this 21st century Palace hotel. No wonder it is the most expensive hotel ever built (a whopping $3.8 billion - no kidding!) and the place is indeed pure luxury where you are treated like a royalty. The hotel was built to create the most lavish seven star experience conceivable and they for sure succeeded at it. We decided to stay at the hotel for the weekend and it was indeed an amazing experience. The service and attention to details is remarkable and the staff is super courteous. The moment you arrive you are presented with a 3-rose bouquet and som

Finding the perfect lipstick is somewhat like dating. You have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince. No one can deny the power of a good lipstick. The perfect lipstick can immediately transform your look and boost your confidence. But just like a bad relationship the wrong lipstick can do havoc not only to your looks but your health as well. So when you got to spend your bucks on one, it better be good. Did you know most lipsticks, including the big names, include harmful chemicals (like lead and parabens) and animal ingredients (carmine,lanolin and beeswax to name a few)? Fortunately after a lot of frog kissing episodes, I've finally found the perfect one {I mean the lipstick}! The Tattoo queen turned Sephora best-seller makes one of the best vegan lipsticks that I have come across and there's a reason why her lipsticks are flying off the shelves - they're absolutely amazing. Yes I am talking about Kat Von D (sold exclusively at Sephora and her own onl

This post was last updated on 3-Oct-2016 Internet has changed the dynamics of shopping - the ease, product and price comparison, convenience, comfort and variety it offers (just at the click of a button) gives it an edge over conventional shopping for most of your shopping needs. Although it can be addictive, I find it the best medium to make your essential purchases especially when it comes to skincare products. Having lived in England for quite a while, when I got back to India I always missed good online shopping websites back home and when it came to no online beauty stores there absolutely was none. Finding vegan makeup was especially hard. However, over the years many online stores have propped up in India and finally we have some great online beauty stores where we can shop for almost every makeup and skincare brands from the household names to the luxury and exotic international brands that have yet not opened their stores in India and are almost hard to find here. He

Despite the most unexpected pouring in the dessert and the inconvenient location (yes reaching Design District was really a task) the enthusiasm of the Fashion Week took the winning among the Dubai fashionistas as they showed up at the Dubai Design District braving the rains strutting in their stilettos, showing off their meticulously contoured face and layers of waterproof mascara. Nothing could stop the middle eastern divas from their most anticipated event - Fashion Forward Dubai! It wasn't just the catwalks, but this season had some really interesting talks too - one particularly close to my heart {and also what my blog is about} ethical fashion. It was the first time I actually heard the term "Ethical fashion" echoed in the fashion circles of Dubai, as there aren't many brands here and those which are, are also not really marketed as "Ethical" (did you know Stella Jean is ethical?). On day 2 of the fashion forward the rain Gods decided to bless the