Keep it natural

Deccan Herald

Heavy make-up should be reserved for occasions only, say experts

Nothing beats natural beauty and often make-up adds to it. While heavy make-up suits special occasions like weddings and other formal night functions, it can look disastrous during daytime. Simplicity and minimalistic is the look to be donned for routine outings.

Though there can be any number of looks depending upon the occasion, there are a few basics that one can apply in routine times. Not only does a basic touch up give a natural look, but also saves on time that it might take to put on complete make-up. 

Celebrity make-up artist Vidya Tikari says anything that is creamy and glossy should be avoided for no-occasion makeup. She says the makeup to be applied for for daily routine should be neither too heavy nor cream-based. “The mak-up has to be simple. Rather than compact, loose foundation should be applied if you are not going to any special function. It holds better than compact one,” advises Vidya. 

Hair and make-up artist Aashmeen Munjaal differs a little with Vidya though. She says kajal, lip colour and non-transferrable foundation are basics that any woman can apply before stepping out of home. “Generally, women prefer compacts but non-transferable supple foundation has a cream base which is good for routine makeup. It gels with all kinds of skin and complexions. Matt foundation with little blush on in peach or pink colour also go well with the daily office look,” she explains. 

When it comes to the eyes, kajal, mascara and eye-liner are quick to apply and they stick well for six-seven hours. Heavy eye-shadow and dramatic eye makeup should be kept for special occasions. “Of course one can go for different colours and hues of kajal and eye-liner but heavy eye makeup doesn’t give a good impression when one is going to the market or office,” says Aashmeen. 

However, if one wants to go with eye-shadow everyday, a liquid one is advisable. “The eye-shadow should be liquid and mascara and eye-liner water-proof,” says Vidya. 

There has to be a balance between eye and lip make-up. One of them should be toned down. Shehnaz, makeup artist at F1 Salon, says, “During daytime, if you are keeping the eye make-up dark, lip colour or lip gloss should be in a lighter shade and vice versa. Only one of them should be dark. One can go for firm golden eye shadow.”

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Creator Public Relations

Time for parents to get tips

Deccan Herald

Being a parent can be a joyful experience but it also is a tough job. No parent is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Even loving parents do things they don’t mean to do.

But if you think you’re having trouble as a parent and its is becoming increasingly difficult to rear your child correctly, get help. Parenting is one of the toughest jobs on earth as there is usually no prior training or qualification for the position. So, to save first-time parents from making serious mistakes, now there are online portals offering tips. 

One such portal is Parentune.com, a pro-parent community that aims at bringing about a shift in parenting by creating an empowering system for each parent and child. It focuses on making parenting a pleasurable experience rather than a chore and helps reducing anxiety. 

Founded by Nitin Pandey, it envisions empowering parents to do more for their child while helping improve the quality of development and progress. “An empowered pro-parent community is crucial in order to improve a child’s development. I want to empower each parent to achieve more for his or her child and moreover, this gives an opportunity to enable a positive shift and improve quality of lives too.”

Another portal which provides tips to parents or would-be parents is IndiaParenting.com by Nirali Sanghi. The site is a storehouse of information related to all aspects of parenting. It offers indepth information addressing issues ranging from conceiving a baby, singing rhymes, to solving problems related to a teenager. It also offers complete guidelines on raising children, making them aware of the rich cultural heritage and traditions of India. It also offers interactive tools such as due date calculator to choosing a lucky name for babies. 

Kid&Parent.com and parentree.com are also portals which have specific tools and applications relevant and useful for parents and can be accessed as per requirement, time and schedules. These portals also reach out to a much larger cross-section of parents. Parents too can share their experiences online and provide helpful advice to others facing similar issues.

Clinical psychologist  Jeetendar Kaur feels these sites are a welcome trend and especially helpful for new-age parents. “It is very good option. At times you are not in a position to talk to someone about the problems because of a variety of reasons. At that time these portals come in handy. Also, one doesn’t have to give explanations as to why she/he is not able to handle a child. 

“Earlier things were different with joint families and women staying at home but now the lady has to manage office, household chores, husbands and kids. So, a basic training is very much needed.”

So, for all you parents seeking help for better parenting these are new ways to get your questions answered!

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/284655/time-parents-get-tips.html

Creator Public Relations

Travel tips: How to be a safe lone ranger...

Hindustan Times, New Delhi

Radhika’s husband is not into travel. Not for him, the hassle of packing bags, negotiating guides, staying in different hotels and bumping into strangers. She loves all this and soaks in the sights, sounds and smells of a new place – be it the dusty deserted inner villages in the far flung deserts of Rajasthan or the swanky casinos of Las Vegas. Between the two of them, they have managed to make peace with her decision then to travel alone. Sometimes she gangs up with girlie friends, at other times she joins a tour company and often enough she embarks on trips all by herself.

She has now been travelling alone for almost a decade and has mastered the art of planning itineraries, making changes as she goes along and maximising benefits on her ‘Happiness Quotient’ as she gets more and more travel savvy. She shares some of these learnings with readers of hindustantimes.com

Extensive research and referencing

Thanks to the Internet, there is a whole lot of information out there for you to soak in. But remember not all sources and websites will be truly authentic. You will have to back all the tid bits you have gathered with due referencing from friends, tour operators and generally folks who may have been on the journey you are planning. Also, within the World Wide Web domain there are ways of getting authentic information. Anjalee Rangachary, an avid traveller swears by the reviews on sites like makemytrip and traveltalkononline saying she and her family have been going to places recommended there and have done their hotel, cab, coach, guide bookings from them and never gone wrong. In fact the resorts they have stayed in are not run of the mill and on the usual tourist advisories. So, go beyond the official tourism websites and research extensively. There are blogs and travel accounts and in some places you can even write and engage with a fellow traveller online. Get your facts on all aspects of your travel – where to stay, what to see, where to eat, what to shop, what to avoid, how long to be in one place and other little bits of information which only a like minded traveller whose only agenda is to make the most of his/her travel, can share.

Planning the logistics

Be very clear of your budget. This will help you stay on course as you plan your itinerary. Be focused as you figure what airline you want to fly, what kind of lodging facility you are looking for, how many days you want to stop over at the different places you would be visiting, would you be hanging out with local friends in some place, what are your priorities in sight seeing and how best should you carry your money (travellers cheques, local currency, dollars etc). Sufficient thought must be given to planning the logistics. Depending on what you want to see while at your chosen travel destination, you should figure the most efficient way of holidaying. If it is a luxury holiday you are seeking then it may not be a priority for you to be close to the places you want to see. But if it is comfort, economy and less hassle that are the key drivers for you then you need to make a cost effective and yet efficient choice. For example, when visiting Los Angeles, Sudha decided to skip staying at a friends’ place and instead opted to stay in the hotel within Disneyland. This way she saved cab fare from LA to Disneyland, which was about $200 one way and also she could spend two full days, soaking in a lot more. Also she met up with other fellow budget travellers and benefitted from their advice, tips and company. Explore all options and then take a very informed decision.

Mapping a detailed Plan of Action

Along with securing your accommodation, prepare an itinerary for each day before you leave. This should include everything from visiting all the famous landmarks to relaxation time. Detailed lists must be drawn up with places to stay, addresses, phone numbers, distance to travel to most places, preferred mode of transport, cost involved etc. The lists can be updated as you get more information. Having day-wise plans would be good for they would at a glance give you clarity on any windows that may be available to squeeze in anything extra that you may wish to do. Getting the most of a trip is never a coincidence. It requires clarity of thought, detailed planning and being smart about all final decisions. It also entails a fair amount of flexibility. Many of us tend to spend a lot of time on our itinerary and then do not want to make changes. While being firm and unwavering is a good thing, being rigid and closed to suggestions may not be travel-wise. So be a bit flexible and make your own assessments before tweaking or altering plans if they are indeed better for you.

Having a Plan B

This is the most important part of your plan, particularly when you are going solo. Murphy’s Law states that things will go wrong when they have to and this unfortunately does happen. Rains and bad weather could lead to flights being cancelled. There could be a goof up on your hotel booking so inspite of a confirmed reservation you may land at your hotel in the middle of the night and be told that you do not have a room. There could be a bad experience with a cabbie who may take you on a wild run of the city, before dropping you off to your destination, presenting a ridiculously overcharged bill. You may lose your passport. Things happen. So have your wits about yourself and always be prepared for any eventuality. Having the right phone numbers on you and enough money to get back to your hotel and a local contact who you can turn to would be safe bets. But mostly, you will have to rely on your own wisdom. Ofcourse technology has ensured that we can never really be too alone. Whether it is skype or twitter, blogs, facebook, email and international roaming on your mobile, you can connect with anyone, anywhere in the world at any time of day or night. Use all that to advantage.

Must Carry Items

* Carry a bilingual dictionary for figuring the most commonly used terms and phrases in the country you are visiting

* Maps are a must to navigate cities, towns and local areas. They give you a clearer understanding of where you are and where you want to be and also help you with directions when checking with locals who may not figure your pronunciation but will be able to guide you via a map

* Photocopy all your important documents, like passport, visa, insurance etc and also email them to yourself

* Split your currency into travellers cheques and cash and also carry your international credit card with their customer service line numbers etc

* Print outs of details around the places you are visiting

* List of all confirmations of hotels, cabs etc that you have booked from your home country

* Spare lock, torch, measuring tape, medicine kit and small sewing kit

* Finally, travel light

Unable to recognise colour?

Can one live with colour blindness all through life? Yes, but there are ways to correct it, suggests Dr Ankur Agarwal.Colour blindness refers to a range of conditions that are characterised by an inability to view certain colours. It occurs when one or more of the cone types are faulty or missing. 

This means that you will have difficulty seeing the cone colour that is missing or faulty. A common complaint is the inability to distinguish between certain shades of red and green.

The essential difference between the colour blind and others is the lack of a few cones in the cornea. In other words, having a colour deficit in vision means an inability to discriminate between saturation, brightness and clarity. 

There are two types of photo-sensitive receptors in the eyes — rods and cones. Rods function mainly in dim light and provide black-and-white vision while cones support day time vision and perception of colour. A third, much rarer type of photoreceptor, is the photosensitive ganglion cell which is important for reflexive responses to bright daylight.

The retina has an optic nerve too,  apart from rods and cones. This nerve aids in the development of the retina and originates as an outgrowth of the brain. It is hence, considered a part of the central nervous system (CNS) and is actually a brain tissue.

For some colour deficient individuals, terms such as red, orange, yellow and green are simply different names of the same colour. The same is true for violet, lavender, purple and blue. Among the colours, the most often confused hues are pink and grey, orange and red, white and green, green and brown, blue, green and grey, green and yellow, brown and maroon, and beige and green. 

Pastels and muted ones are difficult to distinguish too. The colour vision defect may be so bad that the affected person cannot distinguish brown socks from green socks, a red traffic light from an amber one or green grass from brown soil by colour alone.

According to a recent survey, 18 million people in India suffer from colour blindness, out of which 3.25 per cent are residents of New Delhi. At the same time, China has 20 million patients, USA, Europe and Canada have 39 million people suffering from this disease.

This data has raised a huge concern. The calibre of people working in the beauty and fashion industry is judged by their ability to recognise and work with colours. Moreover, it’s all the more important for drivers, navigators, pilots etc., to reckon these colours as millions of lives depend on them.

In most cases, this condition is genetic and also can act as a prompter for cataract, glaucoma, diabetes, age-related macular degeneration and optic nerve degeneration. The disease also results due to some medicines reacting with different body parts. About 1 in 10 men have some form of colour blindness. Very few women are colour blind.

The ageing process can be a factor too. With the passing years, we may experience subtle changes in our vision in general, including changes and weakening of colour reception.

Symptoms
*Trouble seeing colours and its brightness the usual way

*Inability to tell the difference between shades of the same or similar colours 

*In rare cases, you may see only black, white, and grey

*Rapid, side-to-side eye movements (nystagmus) and other symptoms may occur in severe cases

*Often, the symptoms may be so mild that some people do not know they are colour blind. A parent may notice signs of colour blindness when a child is learning about shades

Diagnosis

There are tests that can measure how well one can recognise different colours. One test involves looking at sets of coloured dots and trying to find a pattern in them, such as a letter or number. The patterns you see help your doctor know which colours you have trouble with.

In another type of test, you arrange coloured chips in order according to how similar the colours are. People with difficulty in this area will not be able to detect the difference in shade. 

A colour vision problem can have a big impact on a person’s life and it is important to detect the problem as early as possible. In children, colour vision problems can affect learning abilities and reading development.

A compromised vision  may limit one’s career choices. Most experts recommend eye exams for children between ages 3 and 5. Vision screening is recommended for all children at least once before entering school, preferably between the ages of 3 and 4.

Treatment

It is easy to fight this condition at a young age. If diagnosed early, a successful cure is possible. As soon as the symptoms are noticed in a child, consult a doctor. 

Very often, such a condition either goes unnoticed or neglected. Visual receptors can help fix the deficit. 

Even common forms of blindness such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy can be corrected by targeting the cone cells. There are still questions about safety though.

Creator Public Relations