Munni of all Trades

Award winning Lifestyle and Travel Blog by Khushboo Motihar

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Always look on The Bright Side!

Hello everyone,
I know have been complaining about the rains a lot in the past few days, but hey you need to sympathize with me. I came to Bangalore with all my summery dresses and here I have not been able to flaunt them even once. But then, I have definitely been inspired to look at the bright side by…

The Bright Side! 🙂
Their range of products is absolutely exciting and I am in love with their quirky door signs. The minute I got their products in my hand, I happily started clicking photographs in different poses. Their door signs they are a match made in heaven for my sister’s dangerous room (you seriously cannot predict what chemical you will find her brewing there.)

The Bright Side’s door signs

Check out my reactions!

Look how happy I was to enter the room the first time around.

Woah! Seriously shocking experiments transpire there. Can’t tell you. Top Secret!


The Bright Side’s car signs

The car sign has definitely inspired me to save for my Nano but till then I think I can definitely put it up in my hall so that my visitors can enjoy a chuckle.

What I love about their products
The designs are refreshing, they have a wide range of door signs and instead of going the predictable route of having “Princesss” and “Superman” designs they have dared to be different.
What I did not like about their products
The rubber like thing that they have given for the car sign is not strong enough and it kept falling down even while I was clicking its photographs. I can imagine it fall off the car every time there is a bump. I think they need to improvise on this a little.
That is all from me for now. Do tell me which products you liked the best 🙂

How to paint within your budget

Are you any good at making budgets? Me? Not so much. I do intend to spend thriftily and try to get the maximum of whatever I can spend but so far I have been unsuccessful. This summer for instance, I am going to get my drawing room painted. It is looking a little drab and I wanted to add a nice splash of colour to brighten it up. But getting a room painted is not easy as it sounds.
First you need to decide what kind of paint you want to opt for, then go and hire somebody whose work is fabulous, get a quotation, bargain, bargain again and finally settle down. Many a time, you end up spending more than required simply because the painter decides to take you for a ride. 
This is where Asian Paints has decided to intervene. By creating a set of wonderful tools that will help you get a realistic estimate before you approach anyone else. What’s more! You don’t even have to go on the look out for professionals anymore. Just call them up and they will be happy to recommend someone in your locality.

 Now you must be excited to know more about the tools I have mentioned. Here you go. I made a realistic estimate on the basis of my apartment. 

Once you are on the page, you can choose which surface you are going to paint. I was going to paint my drawing room and therefore chose ‘exteriors’.


Next I chose the option ‘repainting’

Now in the third step you have to be really careful. If you don’t know the exact dimensions of your room then it is best to opt for an approximate number and that is exactly what I did!

 The fourth step was my favourite! I got to choose between the various kinds of paints that Asian Paints has.

I finally decided to opt for the Luxury emulsion

Once I selected it, I was immediately given an approximate budget not including the labour costs. Besides this I could also contact the nearest dealer or get help from their customer service executive. So without even breaking a sweat, I sat in the comfort of my bedroom and got a budget estimation in minutes!

I love this tool by Asian Paints. What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below J

April Nine to Nine Fab Bag Review

Hey everybody,
I am sure you know or at least must have heard of the Fab Bag and the unique subscription service they offer. After resisting for a really long time, I finally took the plunge and today I bring to you my first ever Fab Bag review! J
The April Fab had a Nine to Nine theme which means it had products that you would come of use all day long. I must say I was really excited to see what my Fab Bag would contain. I dutifully filled up all my details and kept my fingers crossed for the Fab Bag to arrive soon. And it did! Have a look at my zebra print Fab Bag!

This is what my April Fab Bag contained
Denman Hair Brush – Rs 475/-
Malawara Shower Gel – Rs 300/- for 60 ml.
Malawara Body Lotion – Rs 390/- for 60 ml.
Iraya Anti Acne Gel – Rs 325/- for 50g.
City Color Blush Quad – Rs 500.
A fab post magazine.

I must say I struck absolute gold with my first Fab Bag! I loved all the products it contained and I was absolutely delighted with the fact that the products matched what I had filled up in the questionnaire.


The Denman Hair Brush is absolutely amazing and it was something I desperately needed to tame my wild locks. I am going to slip it in my bag right away. I liked the fact that it was packed carefully because it wouldn’t fit in the Fab Bag.
The Malwara combination of Shower Gel and Body Lotion smells absolutely divine. It is refreshing and absolutely apt for the sticky summers of Mumbai. The lotion has citrus notes and I have already started using it!
While I don’t have acne prone skin, in the summers my skin tends to act out a little. So I am glad to receive the Iraya Anti Acne Gel. I will let you know how it worked out for me.

As for the quad, I love the shades. They are absolutely perfect for the summer when I like to go for light subdued pinks and peaches.
For me, the April Fab Bag was absolutely Fabulous (I know this sounds corny, but it is true. Promise!) At Rs. 599, it is worth every rupee you spend on it and I am looking forward to what the team has in store for us for May.

The ONE Colour Unlimited Lipstick – Absolute Blush: Review and Swatches

Hello all my wonderful readers,
I am in Bangalore at the moment and it is raining heavily over you and therefore I have been very irregular in writing my posts. Today I am going to review Oriflame The one Color Unlimited Lipstick Absolute Blush.
Packaging
It comes in an inky blue cardboard packaging. I loved the overall look of the lipstick.
Price of Oriflame The ONE Color Unlimited Lipstick Absolute Blush: INR 499 for 1.7g 

My review

The Oriflame The One Color Unlimited Lipstick Absolute Blush has a moisture rich formula. I love how it glides on the lips with absolute ease. But you have to be very careful though I almost managed to spoil the shape of mine. Absolute Blush is a nice bright pink colour and one the first application it is almost as light as a tinted lip balm. In the swatch that you see, I have applied it on my lips twice. If you like a darker shade then you would have to go for three to four applications.
Swatch

The colour lasted for about 3 hours for me post which I had to reapply it lightly. What I loved about this lipstick was the fact that it did not dry out my lips. Usually before applying any lipstick I have to apply a coat of lip balm but seeing that Oriflame The One Color Unlimited lipstick is enriched with essential oils, I opted not to.
I think you can easily pair this lipstick with a formal outfit though you may want to reapply and go for a darker tone if you want to pair it with casual clothes.
Pros
Hydrates my lips
Colour is versatile and can be paired with anything
Affordable
Travel friendly
Love the packaging

Cons
Not for those with pigmented lips
Lasts for about three hours and needs reapplication throughout the day
My final verdict
Do invest in this product if you are looking for an affordable lipstick that keeps your lips hydrated.

The Boat School of Varanasi: Making gentle waves in the education system

One of the biggest problems that this country with over 1.2 billion people faces is lack of education. Even in the areas where it is available, it is often done in a mundane manner with the focus inadvertently being rote learning and not gaining knowledge. But before we bridge the knowledge, we need to focus on making India 100% literate. India, currently, has the largest population of illiterate adults in the world with 287 million, 37% of the global total.

But recently, I’ve come across an interesting initiative which was highlighted by Tata Capital and Do Right that is taking place in the religious, cultural and traditional hub of India, Varanasi. It is on the banks of the holy river Ganga that one sees young children working or whiling away their time for want of a school. Ajeet Singh, realized that the only way to get these children to learn was to innovate the hub of learning i.e. transform their school. Under his leadership, Guria, an NGO started a novel and unique ‘boat school’. It is in this school that the children spend two hours after their regular school day to study, play or revise freely without any pressures or tensions.

As the float on River Ganga, these children gain useful knowledge under the watchful eyes of their teachers which helps them excel at school and become educated and learned citizens in the future. This initiative sounds wonderful doesn’t it? But it needs your help and mine to continue. The NGO requires funds to continue its wonderful work and expand it in the future so that they can reach out to many ore children.
Despite doing all it can to create a stimulating environment for the children, this boat school has a lot more potential and further enhancements can be made. But they funds for this transformation.
The magical transformation includes: Makeover of the interiors, a library, educational toys, stationery, a computer and a painting kit. 

How can you help?
Do share about the good work that Tata Capital is doing on social media and keep on the lookout for their next initiative.