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DIY Face Masks

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Breakouts and dull lifeless skin is something that bothers everyone time to time. Now it’s true that we can’t go out and buy ourselves our favorite clay or sheet masks to get ride of these, or go get a good treatment for our skin. But its ALSO true that we have more than enough things at home in our kitchens and refrigerators to help us!

Natural ingredients catch our attention when they are in products, right? So why don’t we make simple masks for our faces at home with these ingredients?!

Cleansing Mask

In a bowl mix together yogurt (dahi), turmeric powder (haldi) and honey. Apply the mixture to you face and let it dry. Wash off with lukewarm water, using circular motions.

Moisturizing Mask

One word – mayonnaise. Your favorite condiment will also turn into you favorite mask! Just apply it all over your face and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Rinse it off with cool water.

Brightening and Anti-wrinkle Mask

Mash up 2-3 strawberries in a bowl and add some honey. Apply on the face and leave for 15-20 minutes, or until its dry. Wipe away gently with a damp towel.

Scrubbing Mask

Mix together in a bowl some granulated sugar, lemon juice and water until its a thick paste. Scrub the face gently for smooth soft skin and rinse off with lukewarm water.

Ways to Spice Up Your Room

The Belle Brew, , , , , , , 7 Comments

Being home 24*7, not knowing when you’ll be able to set foot outside? You can redecorate your room! I don’t know about you, but being in my room had DEFINITELY made me dislike my room and be a bit bored of it. You can always add or replace small things in your room to freshen it up a little when a full-fledged paint job and makeover is not possible! Our rooms are where we spend most of the time and still they end up being ignored more often than not!

Start by getting on Pinterest or Tumblr or any other app for some décor inspo, pin things, write down what you want to do, create the theme you want in your room.

Here’s what you should do next –

  • Play with the layout of furniture – Shifting you bed to a different place, moving your dresser or table and other furniture will instantly make your room feel a little different, a little new. It changes the layout of the room, therefore makes it feel fresh and new!
  • Add paintings or pictures – everyone has a bit of an artist in them, make paintings and put them on your wall as a collage. Maybe you’re not one for paintings, find old pictures from albums, or pictures that inspire you from magazines and create a masterpiece on your wall. This is a great way to personalize and make your room truly YOUR OWN!
  • Fairy Lights – lighting definitely does make all the difference. I personally LOVE having fairy lights in my room. You can string them around furniture, or even on your wall in a shape.
  • DIY Canopy – canopies tend to make rooms look 100 times dreamier and softer! I used old net curtains and a string of led lights to make one above the headboard of my bed! Another option is using colorful bedsheets for a more vibrant canopy with string lights.
  • Books as décor – clean and color coordinate your books and arrange them on your shelves. You have an aesthetic display and somewhere to keep your books! 2 in 1 décor and organization idea!
  • Picture collage – this idea can be incorporated anywhere you want. A wall, the doors of your closet, or as in my case – my room’s door itself! String a bunch of twine on your door with push pins and clip on some pictures with some of your most favorite memories!
  • Greenery – add some plants, fake or real depends on your choice! Plants elevate a room ten times more and I can guarantee that. My mother has little plants ALL over the house! You can add a bunch of fake flowers in a beautiful vase and set it on a shelf. A very easy way to adding real plants is through a money plant. Every household tends to have atleast one money plant. Cut up a little sapling from near the root of the plant and put it in a vase or bottle filled up with water and you’re done!

Figure Out your Style

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Every morning when I opened my wardrobe to dress up, I would be hit with a mix of monochromatic, 90s college style, glam girl, minimalist and every other style under the sky! Figuring out your style has got to be the most difficult task a fashion enthusiast can think of. There are so many trends to dabble in, so many things to experiment with! There are so many things that catch your eye, it is impossible to choose one!

Style is as much about knowing about yourself as it is knowing what you want to portray with your outfits. Once you are sure of what YOU like, other peoples’ opinions don’t matter one bit.

These are a few things that helped me figure out where I wanted my style to go-

  • Find fashion inspiration – check out celebrities, fashion icons and other people who’s overall style and outfits inspire you. You don’t need to embark on this ‘style finding’ journey alone! Browse things on Instagram, Google, Pinterest or anywhere else you can find something you like!
  • Pin it! – don’t forget to save EVERYTHING you like! An outfit, a single piece that inspires you or fits your personality, anything! This way you know where to go when you need inspiration to form an outfit when in need.
  • See which colors attract you the most – color palettes are the most important part of any project! Knowing which colors are your favorite to wear and suit you best will help you identify which style resonates with your personality the most.
  • See what fits your idea of ‘my style’ and what LITERALLY fits you! – always only go for pieces that fit! BOTH your style and your body! It is important to feel comfortable in what you wear, your style is how you portray many characteristics of your personality and so comfort is key.
  • Accentuate your favorite features of yourself – everyone has a feature about themselves that they absolutely love! It is a great idea to incorporate that feature in your style every day. This way you learn to and put yourself in the habit to love yourself even more!
  • Go on a purge through your closet! – attack your closet as soon as you figure out where you want to go with your style. Try on every piece you like and fits your style, donate what you’re not going to use and appreciate again. This way you will make space for your new pieces and make sure you ONLY own what you absolutely love!
  • Always keep your wardrobe decluttered – its easier to choose what to wear when you don’t have an overcrowded closet! You will be able to sift through and wear every item if you don’t have 50 things to choose from. This also makes sure you create less waste and live a more sustainable life in the fashion area.

Lastly, I just want to say DRESS HOWEVER YOU WANT TO, THERE IS NO CORRECT WAY TO STYLE YOURSELF, YOUR STYLE IS WHAT YOU WANT IT TO BE! You don’t have to limit to one, club two together, or three, or however many you like. Be unapologetically YOU!

15 Things to do When You’re Stuck Home Amid the Corona Outbreak!

The Belle Brew, , , , , , , , 3 Comments

‘I’m bored!’ How many times have you felt and thought this in the last 3 days? I have lost count for myself! With being home to ensure safety and good health, comes the unlimited amount of time you have on your hands now. Here’s a few things you can do to NOT waste all this time you have!

  • Learn new recipes – cooking is as fun as it is time consuming. Take out that recipe that’s forgotten on a shelf and put it to its right use!
  • Complete that task you have procrastinated for SO LONG – yes, you know what I’m talking about! Do it, right now, you would not even realize how quickly it will be done!
  • Start an in-depth cleaning spree! – you’ve been looking at how cluttered and messy everything is, but you have put it off because you have more important tasks outside of home, right? Well now that you’re home bound, buckle up and start cleaning space by space!
  • Take an online class – do a short course, or learn a skill online. Maybe an instrument or drawing, or even calligraphy.
  • Host a themed movie night – call in all your friends, or family and take out all the cozy blankets and pillows. Set up fairy lights and watch your all-time favorite movies.
  • Self-care night (or a whole day if that’s your jam!) – whip up the face masks and massager and hair care products. Give your body the full pamper sesh that it so deserves!
  • Have an indoor picnic – set up your living room as a picnic spot, spread a sheet have some juice and make a whole tiffin you can carry from your kitchen to your indoor picnic spot! Change it up so you don’t feel gloomy about being home.
  • Start a project (big or small, doesn’t matter) – maybe a DIY project or maybe just a passion task you couldn’t take out the time for before is EXACTLY what you should be doing right now!
  • Host an English tea party for fun – who hasn’t dreamt of having a fancy tea party in their childhood! Well now is your time to live that cute little dream.
  • Have a sleepover that you couldn’t otherwise because of your busy schedules – all your friends are now doing exactly what you are – being bored at home! Make plans for a good old sleep over, play board games and have a fun karaoke and everything else you love to do at sleepovers!
  • Make a fancy meal, set the table and go the extra mile JUST FOR YOURSELF! – set out your nicest cutlery and serve up a great home cooked meal (includes microwaveable pasta if you’re lazy :p ). Light a candle put on your favorite music and enjoy your me time.
  • Plant seedlings – planting little seedlings and watching them grow every day is one satisfaction nothing else can give you. Create a little garden if you may, or just a few plants, everything you give back to the nature is what it gives right back to you!
  • Declutter and clean your closet (ah, finally enough time to do all of the closet!) – tired of being able to clean just one shelf at a time and messing it up by the time you reach the second one? Well now you have all the time in the world to do a full-fledged clean!
  • Create a scrapbook – scrapbooks are a lot of fun to make, you revisit all your memories and look at all your pictures. Make one so you have something lovely to look back at every time you think of your past years!
  • Redecorate your room, give your room a 360 makeover! – being home 24*7 is going to start hating your room or make you sick of it! (NGL that’s what I’m feeling right now!) Shift your furniture a little, add décor pieces and spice up your room if you don’t want to do a full-fledged room transformation.

2 Ingredient Recipes for Quick Snacking!

The Belle Brew, , , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

Let’s be real, odd time snacking is something we’re all guilty of. Now who wants to make a whole meal when all they want is a quick yummy filling snack!? So, here are a few very fast and easy to make recipes for those sudden weird bursts of hunger!!

Oreo Cake/Brownie

Who said cake isn’t for one!? Blend a pack of Oreos in a blender and add milk according to what you’re looking to make (more milk if you want a cake and less if you want a brownie). Pour it in a buttered container and chuck it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and VOILA, you have a quick dessert! (I garnished mine with a bunch of watermelon seeds for some extra health!)

Chocolate Souffle

Image courtesy – Tasty https://tasty.co/recipe/2-ingredient-chocolate-souffle

Finally, a recipe that involves something everyone loves, Nutella! In a bowl, mix eggs and Nutella and put it in a buttered ramekin and pour this mix and put into a microwave till it’s risen.

Banana Pancakes

Mash up a banana and whisk in an egg into it. Cook on medium heat on a non-stick pan and garnish with your favorite toppings!

Banana Oatmeal/Muesli Cookies

For these cookies, all you need is a banana and half a cup of oats or muesli, whichever you prefer! Mash up the bananas and add the oats/muesli and make small balls out of the mixture and bake in the microwave. Breakfast cookies or an on the way snack is ready!

Strawberry Sorbet

Image Courtesy – Tasty https://tasty.co/recipe/strawberry-2-ingredient-sorbet

Remove the stems of a pint of strawberries, mash them up or put in a blender, stir in honey according to how much you prefer. put in a tin and chuck it in the freezer. Serve up scooped and cold.

9 Ways to Style your Scarves

The Belle Brew1 Comment

Scarves have got to be one clothing item that adds to the looks of an outfit without taking away anything from it! Being styled in the countless ways of tucking, tying, draping and folding, this one piece of fabric can be worn in several ways without ever looking boring. It is so versatile, you won’t have to worry about your scarf ever starting to look monotonous. Here are a few ways to wear your scarves a few more times than once!

Knotted Basic Loop

Double loop a scarf around your neck and make a knot on the side and that’s the look.

European Way

Fold a scarf into half, put it around your neck, pull the ends through the loop and you’re done!

Belted Jacket

Draped the scarf over your shoulder or neck, cinch it with a belt around the waist to give it more shape and you have a coverup for cooler days, or even a beach look!

Faux Infinity

Tie the two ends of the scarf in a knot and loop it around your neck in an infinity style for a quick casual look.

Figure 8 Knot

Fold the scarf in half, put it around your neck, next, pull one end through the loop, now twist the loop and pull other end through the loop. This is a quick yet fancy way to style your scarf.

Pretzel

Fold the scarf in half, put around your neck and pull one end through the loop, now pull other end over and then through the loop, above the first end. Pull it taught or loosen it up, according to your choice.

The Rose

SO THIS IS SOMETHING I RANDOMLY CAM UP WITH WHILE TIEING MY SCARF IN SEVERAL WAYS FOR THIS POST! Make a basic double loop around your neck, next, pull half of one end through the loops, pull the other end through the half loop to make it like a knotted rose-like shape.

Waterfall

Double loop the scarf around your neck like normal, keeping one end short, tuck one edge of the other end near the shorter end and let the rest of it drape naturally like its ‘falling/flowing’ like water.

Casual Swing/Reverse Pretzel

Fold the scarf in half, put it around your neck, pull one end through the loop, bring the other end over the loop and finally pull it through the loop.

Refer to our Instagram page for video tutorials!! https://www.instagram.com/tbb.blog/

5 Things to Pick You Up on a Dull Day

The Belle Brew, , 1 Comment

There’s always that one day when you don’t feel like doing anything or being productive. As much as staying in bed like a dull cloud seems like a good idea on such a day, you shouldn’t, because let’s face it, it tends to make you even more GLOOMIER! Doing just a couple of things to ease the mind can actually transform your bad day into a great one.

  • Read a book – just pick up a book, or a kindle if that’s what you prefer. Any genre and any author. Maybe your all time favorite book will help you feel a bit better or maybe trying a new genre, something out of the blue.
  • Take a long walk (if it’s not too cold!) – walk around, look at the wonderful things that exist. Yes, this sounds like something out of a meditation book, but trust me it works. Watch birds fly and the different flowers be at their fullest of bloom. It gives a sense of satisfaction nothing else can give you.
  • Paint or draw – I am one of those people who can paint somewhat okay when they’re sad! By no means am I saying be sad, paint, but it does help some people! You definitely don’t need to be an artist to draw or paint, take it as a hobby. Put on paper what you’re feeling or thinking.
  • Buy yourself a plant (a fake one like me if you don’t have a green thumb!) – I can’t stress enough on how good looking at a green element of the nature makes you feel when you wake up every day. Water your plant, take care of it and watch it grow because YOU look after it. (P.S. as a bonus, it also makes your room look cuter!)
  • Eat – probably the most important thing in this list can be food, who doesn’t love to eat! Everyone has that one thing they can eat all their life if they don’t get anything else. You can even choose to try something new, something you’ve never had. You can appreciate your all time favorite a more, or maybe you can find a new favorite!

Different things make different people feel better. This is just a small list of things that make me feel a little better, and I hope it helps atleast some of you!

How to be Your Own Valentine!

The Belle Brew, , , 1 Comment

Loving and appreciating yourself has become severely underrated. Valentine’s is not just about having a date and going out with them and making someone else feel special. It’s the day of love, so why not be your own ‘special person’ and love YOURSELF this Valentine’s? The more you love yourself, the more you’re full of love and happiness to shower your close ones with. So here’s a few things you can do for yourself this Valentine’s –

  • Bake a cake for yourself – or any dessert of your choice. Nothing better than pampering that sweet tooth to make yourself happy! Chocolate dipped strawberries are also a classic and easy-peasy option.
  • Go on a date with your mother – or both your parents! Nothing better than going out for a fancy meal with the people you’ve loved for all the time you’ve been on earth. It’s the one love that will never end or make you feel low.
  • Have a movie marathon – whip out those comfy fuzzy socks and pajamas. Grab as many snacks as you want and watch rom-coms, what better way to remind yourself how beautiful the feeling of love really is. You can watch any other genre you prefer as well. Two of my most favorites have got to be the horror genre and rom-coms.
  • Dress up! Wear your fanciest dress, do your hair and makeup and look your best, for YOU! Go out to a fancy place, or something else you like. Buy yourself a nice meal and treat you, YOU DESERVE IT GIRL!
  •  A short solo trip – pack a small bag and go out for a day or two. Explore a new place a little and click LOTS of pictures, so when you look back at them you remember everything you’ve done to make yourself happy. You don’t need no one else to make you happy!
  • Buy a bunch of flowers – make yourself a custom bouquet that no one else will have but you! Use it to decorate your home, or send it over to your parents or someone you love, nothing makes you feel warm on the inside quite like fresh fragrant flowers!
  • At home pamper sesh – stay in, sleep for a little longer, be dressed in the comfiest of clothes. Do face masks, take a long bath (less often ofc, we need the water!), do your nails and hair. Eat your favorite meal, read a good book. Do what makes you feel happy and full on the inside.
  • Celebrate Galentine’s Day! It’s the day before Valentine’s, so the 13th of February. It’s the day you make your gal pals feel loved and appreciated. You can have a girls’ day out or even an at home spa/pamper day with your girl besties!
  • Lastly, LOVE YOURSELF. Love yourself like no other, reward yourself with happiness because you deserve it!

Just another blog?

The Belle Brew, , , , 1 Comment

Being an enthusiast about more than one topic, I couldn’t decide what to start a blog about. The fact that I did not want to limit myself to one topic made me choose to begin a Lifestyle Blog.

What is a lifestyle blog? Usually a lifestyle blog will tell you about the personal experiences and life of the blogger. It is different from any other blog by the means that it is about interests, likes and less about story telling. To me, lifestyle blogging is not just about how I lead a life, it’s about sharing aspects of my life that you can add in your life, about sharing experiences and ideas.

I have started this lifestyle blog to be able to share with you the aspects of it I’m passionate about. Namely fashion, beauty, travel, décor, food and the likes. I want to be able to incorporate details in a way that I create content that caters to everyone. This blog is about experiences, suggestions, ideas and personal style and much more fun.