Shikha Gianchandani- Shikha Gianchandani
6 ways to treat yourself during the festive season
Updated: Dec 30, 2020
To all my South Asians dealing with post-Diwali blues, getting ready for Black Friday, or just simply looking for a way to treat yourself during the festive season, this edition of #Trending is dedicated to you.
Here’s 6 ways to treat yourself during the festive season:
Flowers 💐
You’re probably thinking flowers is a bit too simplistic, but I’m not talking about flowers from just any company. I’m talking about roses from Venusetfleur!
The idea for Venusetfleur came when Sunny Chadha wanted to gift his then long-distance girlfriend, now wife, Seema Bansal a bouquet of roses. The bouquet that arrived at Seema’s doorstep was in poor condition, which sparked an idea to create a flower arrangement company. Venusetfleur is unique because the company ensures the flowers get proprietary treatment which allows their color and scent to be maintained for a year.
Body care/Wellness 🧼
Ummskincare was founded by Anisha Vinjamuri with body care/wellness in mind that is free of toxins, parabens, phthalates, dye, harmful chemicals, and animal cruelty. The brand has a beautiful range of spa bundles that were created to deliver a luxurious experience from the comfort of your house. They also, may or may not have launched a line with Indian Matchmaking’s, Aparna Shewakramani.
Jewellery 💎
Alaya - I think I’m a little obsessed with this brand because I’ve seen Seerat Saini incorporate their accessories for her stunning OOTD pictures- so shoutout to her! Alaya was founded by Alisha Datwani in 2019 who had the vision to create a brand that would make people feel confident and fashionable without breaking the bank. The brand’s identity is an homage to Indian culture and the two cities that Alisha calls home - New York and Miami.
Skincare 💆🏾♀️
Based in New York, Glowbar is a facial startup founded by Rachel Liverman and Neha Govindraj. Each facial appointment is 30 minutes long. It begins with a consultation session with an esthetician which maps out a treatment program according to an algorithm. The treatment program could offer anything from chemical peels to high-frequency and micro-current vibrations. Glowbar is definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for personalized and quick treatments in an increasingly competitive skincare market.
Beauty Subscription Box 🛍
Lades, it’s time to buy a box of goodies from a company created by desi women, for desi women!
I think from all the things I’ve talked about a desi beauty/wellness subscription box might one of my favorite things to feature so far. The Katra Box team wanted to build a brand that uplifts and recognizes the strides today’s brown women are making. Keeping our diasporic identities in mind the company creates subscription boxes by working with ethical, fair trade, and sustainable companies.
Bags 👜
With $500 in her bank account, a need for an elegant, vegan bag, and the drive to work on a company created in memory of her mother who passed away - Salima Visram launched Samara in 2017.
Fast-forward today, Salima’s brand is quickly paving the way in fashion by ramping up production to over 70,000 bags and is generating $2 million dollars in revenue. With it’s growing popularity the brand continues to be transparent about the materials they use and their promise to give back a portion of their profits towards supporting The Soular Backpack, an initiative started to provide children in East Africa with a backpack outfitted with a solar panel.
That's it for me this week! Join us again next week for some more #Trending content to come out of the diaspora. Here are some links below to keep up-to-date with Pardesi: