Look Book

Seventy-four recipes of making lassi. That’s something most of the people have unheard of. The idea that came out of compulsion has made the food lovers really enthralled. The seasoned travel trade entrepreneur, Radha Bhatia has penned a book titled “Lassis of India- Smoothies With a Twist”. And the most cherished part of the book is that it has bagged the ‘Best in the world 2020’ award in the category ‘Drinks With No Alcohol’, Food & Drink Culture at the coveted Gourmand World Award. The book previously was the winner from India in the Gourmand World Awards in the category ‘Non-Alcoholic Drinks’.   The author, Radha Bhatia is an entrepreneur in the travel and trade domain with over 45 years of significant industry presence. She decided to write a book on ‘Lassis of India’ to reach out to the younger generation who are influenced by western culture and always talk about smoothies. To encourage the children to read the book it has been titled- ‘Lassis of India- Smoothies with a Twist’. The book unfurls with traditional ‘Panchamrit’ and its historical background citing the author’s passion about Indian culture and cooking.   The book is a compilation of 74 recipes of lassi curated by her, which includes traditional recipes from different states of India to modern-day smoothies. The book is just not a compilation of recipes but is a grandmother’s labour of love as it incorporates five generations of stories, wisdom and kitchen secrets. The book is an amalgamation of recipes and stories and has undergone extensive research that explores Indian cultural roots, local customs, climate and cuisines, featuring a compilation of 17 traditional recipes from various states blending with the local food and climate. The traditional recipes comprise the ever-popular Punjabi ‘Meethi Lassi’ to the ‘Talicha More’ of Tamil Nadu; each with their unique taste and health benefits.   The other 57 recipes are lassis with a twist – prepared with herbs, fruits and nuts, which appeal to a younger generation, keeping the taste buds of children in mind. Since these lassis or smoothies are freshly prepared and don’t have any harmful preservatives, they are tasty as well as healthy. All the recipes in the book are simple to follow and intended for those who love to cook at home. As the author explains, “By spreading the word about these healthy beverages, I hope to pass on this priceless legacy to the new generation and help them live a healthier life.” Further talking about the importance of indigenous products she adds, “When I was growing up, it was difficult to imagine a meal without a tall glass of lassi. The yogurt based elixir was not a peripheral element of our dining culture, but occupied centre-stage. My eyes lit-up each time I looked at my grandmother’ Smt. Chandra kishori Bhatia, fondly called Ammaji of Mussoorie, churning milk in large handi with a madhani (wooden churner) which we are soon introducing in our property.   Also talking about the initiative taken by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be vocal for local, she adds that now the entire world is going to look up to India for its food, culture & tradition. Indian food & ayurveda will catch the world’s attention in the years to come. For instance turmeric, basmati rice, spices and all kinds of herbs, all are home grown, which the world enjoys. In my book, we have talked about traditional recipes, which is particularly meaningful in the current COVID pandemic since the traditional recipes contain herbs and spices that are natural immunity boosters. Parents can encourage children to try out these simple, health enriching recipes with ingredients that are readily available in every Indian kitchen. This will not only keep them engaged, but also help them develop a taste for healthy beverages.”  So, let’s have your romance continue with the Indian tradition of yogurt drinks.

‘Roses are red, Pistachios are green’, ‘Crunchy Coconutta’ and ‘Zero Dark Thirty’…well…these are some of the signature bakes at Sugar Out, a sugar-free bakery run solely by multitasking women. Right from its investors to its gorgeous eco-friendly packaging…it’s women power all the way!   So what makes it unique…you ask?   True to its name, Sugar Out’s sole promise is to offer bagsful of flavor in all their delicious bakes with tremendous health benefits! Indulgence is now truly guilt free..   Founded by Annaya Dk Rohira, who was born with a sweet tooth, desserts were parts of her every meal. But post-delivery of her first baby, her weight & blood sugar levels were through the roof and she then realized how refined sugars were affecting her health. She resolved to make things better for herself and a few kitchen experiments later, her second baby “Sugar Out” was born.   Committed to keeping refined sugars at bay, Sugar Out’s bakes use 100% natural sweeteners and ingredients, and fresh fruits ensuring that their cakes, muffins, brownies and cookies make the perfect anytime dessert for kids and adults alike.   Sugar Out’s extensive menu that includes ‘Go bananas with dark chocolate’ cake, ’24 Karrot’ cake, Rich Coffee Muffins, Vegan Choco-chip cookies and Flourless gooey chocolate fudgy brownies, ensure that you are spoilt for choice.   Filmeraa, The.Design.Story and Besko Coffee are some of the loyal clients who have pledged to keep ‘Sugar Out’ !   If it’s not their carefully crafted hampers for special occasions, there is constant innovation for every celebration to include gluten-free, vegan & dairy-free ‘Superfood Laddoos’ for Rakhi, ‘Handi Mousse’ for Janamashtami, ‘Coco-Choco Modak’ for Ganpati and numerous other bon-bon that keeps the ladies at Sugar Out on their toes.   To know more about their healthy treats or what’s new in their kitchen in the leafy neighborhood in Delhi, reach out to them on 9873-191-192 or sugaroutbyannaya@gmail.com   You can also follow them on Facebook & Instagram @sugaroutbyannaya

Nina is the face of the future of dance. Her passion, zeal and drive have broadened many a horizon. Nina aims to discover the hidden gems that do not see the spotlight. Her endevours culminated into the first ever Free Virtual Dance Competition 2020.   Talent needs a platform. Nina has the vision that passionate dancers should be given a chance to shine and display the talent to dazzle the world. The dance competition showcases dancer of exceptional caliber to the world at large. The gripping ambience and the taut compilation of the competition that is staged online and is absolutely free for aspirants is the highlight.   The competition hosted 5 categories, namely – 10-18 years, 19-35 years, 36-50 years, 50+ years and groups / Duo category – to make it a fair competition. Ninaschoreography received a whopping 50 audition videos during the competition. Each video was competitive and buzzed with talent and skill. Thereafter, Nina scrutinized minutely to whittle down to 25. These were then judged by the eminent judges to select the best of the best dancers in the UK.   The judges were a select panel that boasts of the highest talent and skill in the muse. The following were in charge of fair competition:   Simran Ahuja- Miss India 2013, Actress and an international celebrity anchor, dancer extraordinaire who has won 18 folk dance competitions globally.   Vicky Dadhich– A social media star, Dancer, choreographer, celebrity trainer for super stars.   Kamlesh Patel– Dance India Dance finalist, who has performed for the highest authorities like PM Narendra Modi ji .   Nina Darmeci is a well-known Choreographer and a Zumba Instructor based in London. She is a rising star on the international dancing arena and the founder of Ninaschoreography. Her brilliance is unparalleled and her passion unleashed the fiery competition that has the winners from every category.   All the participants have performed brilliantly and show promise to bedazzle the dance fraternity for many years to come. Shine on Ninaschoreography, with the brilliance of the sun, the horizon will expand as you keep pushing the barriers! BNB

All time great poet and artist Rabindranath Tagore wrote in Gitanjali, ” (God) Give me the strength never to disown the poor.” I am recalling the words of modern Indian painting immortal Sayed Haider Raza, ‘Colour and sketch are the silent words of God’s prayer.” Poet and noted arts administrator Ashok Vajpeyi penned, “Art is a spiritual act. It connects us to Virat.” Swami Vivekanand said, ” … The first of all worship is the worship of Virat — of all those all around us… the first God we have to worship are own countrymen (who are poor and hungry)… my God the poor of all races.” Art comes from the heart .An artist and his/her art work touch it’s height when it have a charitable mission. Fund raising for charity by auctioning or selling of art work have been in practice worldwide.   One of the brightest stars of celluloid world, glamorous bollywood actress and a fine artist Sonakshi Sinha has auctioned her digital prints, sketches and large canvas paintings to help the daily wage workers who are passing through the worst phase of their lives due to COVID-19. Sonakshi Sinha, full of human feelings, came forward to be the savior of daily wage workers and other needy.   Her art works are captivating, beautiful and amazing. She says about her art work, “I make it with nothing but love.” Revealing the cause and motto to auction her art work, she says, ” What good are we, if we cannot do for others. My art is my safe space, my solace. It helps me center and channelize my thoughts and just brings a sense of calm and relief to me. And relief is what I want to bring to those for whom this pandemic has been a nightmare, people who have no income and therefore no food to feed themselves or their families, the daily wage earners. I have decided to auction a mix of my canvasses and hand sketches that I have created with all my hearts.” She echoes the feeling of Mother Theresa. Mother Theresa said, “It is not how much we give but how much love we put into it.”   She further elaborates the modus operandi.”The proceeds from the auction will be donated to Give India to provide meals the daily wagers, homeless, and the less privileged.” Teamed up with Fankind , online fundraising platform she auctioned her art work. Fankind is a platform where many big names of different fields are associated with it. Celebrity Anushula Kapoor is the founder of this platform. Fankind brings fans and celebrities together for charity. GiveIndia has been roped in as the philanthropy partner.   Moreover, the team of Sonakshi Sinha has already distributed 1500+ PPE kits to doctors, nurses till date. Talking to Beauty & The Best, she assured, “Distribution of PPE kits will go on. My fans are on this mission. Doctors, nurses and other medical staffs are the frontline fighters of corona virus war. Everyone must help and respect them.”   Sonakshi Sinha, a celebrity of her own space and style serves the society in the time of crisis in her own way.

The ongoing phase of life has taught us two vital lessons. We have to live with corona virus in the years to come and many of us have to wear mask for the life-long. If we step out of the house even for a minute without wearing mask, the corona virus will jump like a hidden cheetah and we will go to the laps of the end of lives .The entire human race is on the verge of their last breath. Every person infected with deadly pandemic corona virus is a courier of death for other people. No one knows who is infected. Masks are the only protective shields that can protect us from this unprecedented, unknown global threat. It is good that several Indian states had made mandatory to wear mask whenever anyone is stepping out of one’s home.   Responsible and sensitive citizen, known philanthropist, Delhi based Priya Jain, a successful entrepreneur, owner of online global venture Fashion Gypsy and champion of Save Girls and Make In India campaigns, was worried since the day corona virus broke out in China. A well read person Priya Jain knew that India would have to face this global crisis sooner or later. As soon as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced lockdown to break the chain of corona virus in India, she went on providing meal and money to needy. She also made available masks, procuring from market, to common people. But it was not possible for her to donate masks to each and everyone. She made a mission to aware all to wear masks . She could understand that high price of masks is a major obstacle. She became restless. On11thApril, 2020 Prime Minister urged people to use homemade cotton masks instead of branded one. It showed her way. She patronized an NGO and instructed them to manufacture cotton made masks in collaboration with Fashion Gypsy.   She provided them required raw materials in bulk. Talking exclusively about her initiative, Priya Jain quoted an international study, “Masks made out of cotton fabric is enough to stop 99 percent of droplets from falling on others while sneezing or coughing.” She further said, “Such masks are economically affordable to common people. Our NGO is manufacturing designer and colorful printed masks. College going youth and working people love to wear. Moreover these masks are useful and effective for the prevention of COVID-19 from from the kitchen use. We got positive feedback from elderly people, children, doctors and nurses in the hospitals/ nursing homes, private offices and houses.”   Rejoicing the success she revealed her larger goal. She said, “I am promoting Indian cotton. Each penny earned from this project has been utilizing in ‘Save Girls’ Campaign. And ultimately farmers are beneficiaries as they are producers of cotton seeds.”   Society acknowledged and acclaimed her endeavors. Her philanthropic way to serve and save the lives of people during lockdown drew national attention. She was bestowed upon a prestigious award, “Corona Warrior Honour” by World Book of Records” for her outstanding dedication and service to the nation for fighting against COVID-19 epidemic during lockdown.

“As the world is undergoing a crisis and India is also severely affected. However for us the crisis will be over soon & I will explain why?” says Dr. Acharya Vinod Kumar Ojha, Vedic and celebrity astrologer.   Jupiter the ruling planet for India in 2020 is entering Capricorn from 30th June and staying there till 20th November .This is a period which will see a breakthrough and some level of control but till then corona would have taken a turn for worse worldwide.   A complete control over the pandemic will only be achieved between September & November. There are several reasons for the outbreak but most important of all is the collective karmic cycle that has finally caught up with the humanity. A return to “Satvik “lifestyle is an update on corona virus and its cure from acclaimed astrologer @acharyavinodkumar.   People should have faith in almighty and with the spiritual guidance of our soul & ancestors it will give us the faith to fight against this life threatening disease and corona will start losing its grip from India & worldwide from 29th May onwards.   I want to re-iterate that things are moving swiftly & corona cycle will end soon. However, right now the virus is at its peak. But dear readers please remember that the impact of this deadly disease though high, is bound to come down.   Lots of people on social media platforms are asking me if corona will ever end & that do we need to live with this deadly virus throughout our lives?   We had predicted that till 29th May this Virus is going to peak and start losing teeth post that.   So why has there been a delay? Why is the end not in sight? Let me tell you one straight reason from the astrological perspective. 2020 is the year of Rahuji – which makes it a highly volatile and unpredictable year however starting May 30th planet Mars / Mangal will get stronger which will infuse a lot of positive energy to drive the negativity that has been gripping the world.   Hence according to my renewed astrological readings there will be some respite post 29th May & to a certain extent a control on corona virus can be found between September to November 2020 & the disease will ultimately wither away and we don’t have to live with it .   I would advise all my readers to lead as much of a Satvik life as possible. Improve your karmic & energy cycle . Karma is one major reason that nature turned its back towards the humanity.   While you pray I urge you all to send prayers for the departed souls who may have not found the mukti from this world due to lack of a proper send off. My blessings to all.  

Marriages are made in heaven, that’s what some people believe. Married couples go along with this saying and suddenly a small issue can become so big that it makes a couple lose control and carry on arguing even if they have kids or have been married for many years. And this breaking point is truly very painful not just for the couple but for everyone else in the surroundings too.   In married life if any conflicts arise, it is always good to sort it out through understanding and forgiveness. That being said, you must also know that living with an abuser makes you dead and stops all your progress and thinking power which makes you ill in more ways than one.   If you are trapped with an abuser in this lockdown period and you feel that you are not safe, then don’t wait: Just call the police. Talk to your neighbors if any neighbors are there. Don’t leave the house without informing the local police. Also inform a few of your friends or Relatives. Take your ID and job card with you. Go to a safe place.   Being an International Accredited mediator and an International Motivational Speaker I receive calls from random people, and they need moral support and a space to be able to share their sufferings. I feel that listening to someone is the most important part of help and support.   Once the sufferer vents it all out, then they are ready to talk about the solution. I have a few sad calls, where one mother was trapped with her abusive professionally qualified husband who was literally using her like his punching bag, and she was not able to understand how to get rid of him in this COVID 19 crisis. I asked her to share everything with me till she was calm and made her contact the women cell but, in the meantime, I was talking to her like a friend which made her feel the comfort of having someone with her through her tough time. She was morally strong after contacting me, and the police came to her house and gave her husband a warning. She is now living in a peaceful environment and is in touch with few of her relatives and friends.   Once I had a call from a widow mother who was so scared and screaming about her son who is a drug user and he was selling his mother’s house stuff to get money for his addiction and every now and then he was threatening her to kill her and take her to the police. I asked the mother to call the police without any delay and she did and now the man is in jail for threatening and being abusive.   Another case of a few teens and young adults who graduated from their university last September and they were in the preparations of new job and business but due to COVID19 both got stuck and they did not have anything else to do other than quarrelling.  Here I intervened and spoke to them and told them to keep themselves busy in some other task like making some music or some food if interested.  And believe me that worked as now they both are busy in being creative through music and other things.   Few final words of advice: Understand that everyone is under stress. And going through a varied range of emotional turmoil. Try to be more Empathetic and Understanding Try to keep yourself busy in pampering yourself rather than being over clingy; Give space to each other. Little space can bring you even closer. Write or read whenever you get time to express your Emotion. Stay away from hot discussion   Sometime the obvious thing might be to respond with a comeback but those are the time you should take the unobvious path and walk away or stay silent.   BritAsian Virtual Star Contest Sakshi Vishwesh   In the time of lockdown when everything around was closed and people were strictly advised to stay at home, Sakshi Vishwesh (Dir. BritAsian Events UK Ltd.) visualised a curio idea of BritAsian virtual star contest to motivate all asians (especially women) across the globe to feel confident about themselves during the time of Covid-19 pandemic, & helping NHS (National Health Service UK). The event was in association with Beauty & the Best Magazine, Jasmine Soni from Soni Makeovers, Mir Ali from 199photos and Phibrows by Yasmin.   Says, Sakshi, “The contest spread widely & we had contestants participated from India, Scotland and London. It helped contestants divert their minds from the negativity and encouraged them to feel positive about themselves. BritAsian’s Virtual Star contest made contestants connect globally with others asking for votes & in return to spread awareness about their own initiatives too.”   I’am Nadia Mirza-Saadi, a 20 year-old Glaswegian Astrophysics student with heritage from Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. I have been a radio presenter on Edinburgh-based Sunoh Radio, I attended the Global Girls? Media School in London, the Girls? Rock Glasgow School and the Young Curators? Lab of the UK Asian Film Festival.   I’ve been involved with bringing about social change from a young age and won The Alstead Award for Service to the Community.   BritAsian’s Virtual Star contestant has helped me get back in touch with old friends and the support for my entry to the contest has been amazing, especially during the lockdown.   I started the Instagram #CountMyFollicles hair positivity campaign. The lockdown closed all beauticians. High time to kick-start the campaign and enter the beauty contest, to spread hair positivity! My aim is not to pressure others to keep their hair but to help our beautiful wee girls, especially from BAME communities, feel self-confident rather than being bullied as I was.   The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance, and then even the small steps and little victories along your

Lucilia Fernandes is a British fashion designer and founder of Lucilia Couture. Lucilia is a bespoke designer of ladies, men’s, children’s, swimwear and fashion Jewellery designer . Lucilia runs her own fashion boutique shop in London. She has also showcased her designs in various exhibitions around the world from Morocco, India, London’s O2 , Miami and Madeira. Her collection focuses on everyday wear and evening wear, which makes a women look effortlessly glamorous and beautiful. Her range is for all ages and for all shapes and sizes. Her beautiful collection is all about colour palettes, beautiful prints and details. She is also a fashion and beauty ambassador for wellbeing products and travel blogger on social media. She is also a Beauty pageant judge and has judged many beauty pageants in India . In December of 2019 Lucilia and Elma Aviero’s the sister of Christiano’s Ronaldo did a fabulous fashion show in Goa onboard a grand Casino ship. Multi award winner, she has been awarded in London, India and USA for her fashion designing and in business. Lucilia doesn’t stop there, she is now launching her own makeup brand in 2020, soon coming up with her own wines and cookery books too. www.luciliacouture.co.uk insta-@glam_look_2020

Arpita Das is a highly qualified beauty professional with a passion for Training and Education. She possesses rich international experience of working with many reputed salons and spas in the USA and India, while advancing her expertise in Skincare. Armed with the rich operating experience of developing and managing Salons and Spas, Ms Das easily cover a wide spectrum of responsibilities from Sales Strategy and Marketing, to Training and Education. After serving the industry for such a long time, Arpita started her own premier Beauty & Wellness Consulting company in India, named “Beauness By Arpita”. The vision for “Beauness By Arpita” as a brand is to level up the industry standard. Knowing the Beauty and Wellness industry inside out, Arpita understands that skilled professionals need a lot of guidance to move in the right direction. Her aim is to guide the professionals to run the show with the correct intent and the right skills. And also guide them to run the business successfully and ethically. She enjoys mentoring students and individuals that are interested in making a career in the Beauty Industry and has trained over 5000 operators nationally and internationally. She single handedly managed and delivered Corporate Trainings for Brands like Lakme, Kaya Skincare, Enrich Salons and VLCC. Arpita has an immense Technical knowledge and has worked hard to make “REPECHAGE” become a leading Skincare Brand in India with her serious commitment and dedication to training and innovative education approach. She has also been a Panelist and judged various reputed beauty pageants in India. She has also been a part of Regional and National Jury for Beauty and Wellness Sector Skill Council. With her dedication and hard work she has won many awards like the “Excellence in Esthetics Customer Service” in individual category by Indian Salon and Wellness Congress (Franchise India). Recently, “Beauness By Arpita” was awarded the ASSOCHAM start-up of the year 2018 at the 2nd edition of Beauty, Wellness & Personal Care Awards Nite 2018. There is no stopping her, she has many plans down the pipeline. One of them is to take more international projects and establish the “Beauness By Arpita” brand name on foreign land. Currently, they have prospects in places like Dubai, Malaysia, Hong Kong to name a few for associating in terms of international projects. Simultaneously, she is also working to set up Beauness branches in other metro cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru. Along with these, the brand will be getting into distribution of multiple product lines like skin care, hair care etc. of both national and international brands.

Preeti Jain, a delhi based freelance makeup artist. Expert in bridal, party and occasional festive makeup Do contact or drop a message at Instagram : Preeti_jain_celebrity_makeover Facebook: Preeti_jain_celebrity_makeover Gmail : pjmakeovers@gmail.com Phone: 9560213259