An Hour at the Four Fountains Spa

Today’s post is not about any product. Rather I’ll talk about my experience at the Four Fountains Spa. 

Few weeks ago, I received a complimentary offer from the Four Fountains Spa and I utilized this opportunity, to rejuvenate myself, before leaving for the mini year end-vacation in Hyderabad. Though I had been to their spa before for a Foot Refloxology session, I wanted to try their therapies etc.

The Four Fountains Spa is India’s largest chain of affordable day spas. They have 19 spas located in prime locations across 10 cities of India such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Aurangabad, Goa, Manali, Bhopal, Kolkata, Delhi and Gurgaon. In Pune there are 5 centres, catering to different parts of the city.

The therapies offered at the Four Fountains Spa include spa therapies for de-stressing, de-toxification, immunity and beauty for women as well as men. There are special therapies designed for prospective brides and grooms and lifestyle packages designed for IT Professionals, Homemakers etc.

I went to the spa on Dec 27^th and was greeted by the staff who were quite cordial. As soon as I entered, I could feel the relaxed, coziness and calmness of the interiors. The melodious music playing subtly in the background and the soft lights create the perfect mood, making you eager to plunge into the experience.

The lady at the reception informed me that I could choose any therapy I wanted. And though I felt like choosing all the therapies, I settled for the Healing Facial eventually. I chose this facial because I knew the after-effects of the Hyderabadi biryani hogging, would eventually show on my face, after I’m home.

While the health-in-charge (the term used by the staff for your therapist) was preparing stuff for the facial, I was asked a series of questions as part of the Stress Test, to determine the level of stress in my life! The questions were based on my profession, the kind of lifestyle I lead – meal habits, and whether I experience headaches etc. Ratings were done on three categories – Often, Sometimes, and Never. And to my surprise – I fell into the Highly Stressed category (shucks ya!) and was advised a spa therapy every fortnight.

Right after this, my therapist summoned me to proceed to a room. Here too, the soft lights and the melodious music and the clean room soothed my nerves a great deal. I was asked to change my upper garments and wear the tube top provided by the spa. I was quite impressed by the towels and the garments they provided. Now, I was all set for the experience.

The facial began with cleaning. The therapist cleaned my face with a cleanser. Then she massaged my face with a cream for quite some time and strokes were very soothing, almost lulling me into sleep. Thereafter, she wiped off the cream, and scrubbed and massaged my face with an exfoliator. Lastly, she massaged my face using a thick cream and then she did the best ever foot massage. I wish the therapists at Four Fountains increase the duration of this foot massage, which would be like a cherry on the cake!

I’ll conclude by saying that the facial at the Four Fountains has been a truly experience and now I’m planning to try a few of the other therapies that they offer, Shirodhara, for instance. And yes, I have not spotted a single zit on my face, even after hogging the rich Hyderabadi food, non-stop for 4 days, which is like a miracle for me. :)

Lastly, here's me with a clean face posing inside the Golconda Fort, Hyderabad. 

Keep watching this space for an interesting contest where you can win vouchers sponsored by the Four Fountains Spa. Click here to check the various therapies they offer. 

A Jewellery Haul for my 3rd Wedding Anniversary

As you have already read, my 3rd wedding anniversary is only a few days away. Hence, I am in a good mood. And you dont need an astrologer to say that good moods lead to hauls or shopping. :)

I hauled and this time I bought two sets of jewellery and they are as different as chalk and cheese. The first one is a maroon colored traditional dokra set with the neckpiece made of thread. And the second set is a lovely oxidised set that I was lusting for... I don’t know since when.

However this does not mean that I was not in hunt for the first one though.
 

I bought these sets from a dear friend, who is my classmate. She is a junk jewellery enthusiast herself, and sells her own handcrafted jewellery too.

Now I will let the pictures do the talking. Take a look at the pictures and please be cautious, since this is a picture heavy post. :)

 

How did you like my haul? Please share in the comments below. :) Am already overjoyed and cannot wait to wear these sets. :)

Of Weddings and My Ramblings: Part I

Only 8 days are left before my cousin becomes a husband of a blushing bride officially. And only 5 days to go for my 3^rd wedding anniversary. Yay!

Yeah I cannot stop rejoicing and you guessed right. It’s marriage season and hence today I’ll talk about how I prepared myself for my special day, about 3.5 years ago.

Gaachkouto, name of the red item in the Bride's hands here.
Symbolically, it is supposed to be held in the hands of Goddess Lakshmi.  

To begin with, this post will be divided into two parts. So part 1, will focus on my preparation 6 months before my wedding date was finalised. And part 2 will discuss my beauty regime and tips 2 weeks before the Big Day. Here you go!

Part I

6 months to go: My Ramblings

·         My wedding date was finalised in Aug 2009. This gave me 6 months to rejuvenate myself for the D Day. By the way, I am a Bengali, and I did deck up as typical Bengali bride.

·         As soon as the news was broken to me, I felt goose bumps. Why? Because I was overwhelmed to know that my life would be changing 6 months down the line.

·         I would not be able to plan my life for myself. Instead my plans and life henceforth would revolve around my husband and his family.

A typical Bengali Bride

Plus Points:

·         I knew my husband for quite a long time, before I wed him. And we got along very well and are great friends to this day! So the fear of getting married to an unknown man was thankfully not there.

·         My friends and seniors and my aunts were very helpful in bolstering me. They advised me that though a wedding changes a woman’s life in many ways, yet it’s not an earth-shattering event. So all will be well in due course of time.

·         This frank tête-à-tête gave me a lot of confidence.  

A Bengali Bride and Groom

The Basic Problems:

·         Body Weight: My mum reminded me of this problem that I was always happy to ignore previously. But now I could not, since I knew I would be scrutinised keenly by a lot of people on the D Day.

·         My strategy: My work timings and my long commute did not allow me to go to a gym for a workout. Plus, I was living on my own, which compounded the problem manifold. A very good friend G (who’s very senior) came to my help. She suggested me to alter my diet. I ate less of rice and more of chapattis. Green vegetables and fruits became part of my diet. I opted for plain ghar ka khana and seldom ate at restaurants.

·         Beauty Regimen: I always followed a beauty regime before. So I just made slight alterations to this. My skin is combination type with a fair complexion, and by God’s grace, I am blessed with a smooth and glowing complexion. But my only problem was acne. And of course, as a would be bride, I wanted my skin to glow more.

·         My Strategy: To tackle the acne problem and to add more glow to my skin, I resorted to internal care. That is, I took the help of a skin purifying tonic. Many people, including my roommate, recommended Safi, which is extremely bitter. So I bought Baidyanath Surakta. Being sweet, I drank 1 tbsp of this tonic every night. And I did see results. Often I also drank Triphala soaked in water, when my tonic would finish and I could not buy another bottle due to lack of time etc. J

·         Natural skin care: I began using natural herbs like fresh Aloe Vera gel to moisturise my skin and to reduce acne and acne scars. I applied a solution of honey and lemon juice all over my face for 30 mins at times. At times, I made a paste of mint leaves and left it for 20 mins on my face. The results were great I must say.

·         As advised by a lot of people, I adopted natural skin care and did not get facials done until before my wedding.

·         Hair Care: I have always used Ritha, shikakai and awla to wash my hair. And I continued that. The addition here was head massage! I went in for a head massage every fortnight and boy, how relieving it was!

And lastly, I would just relax and enjoy the last few days (read months) of my spinsterhood, read books, laze away and think Positive! 

That’s it for today ladies... And as I leave, here's a sneak preview of how I looked during the Haldi ceremony.

In the next part, I will discuss what I did 2 weeks before I got married. And you will get to see a few more of my wedding pics in that post itself. So wait and watch! Until then Tada! :)

What did you do as part of your preparation for your Wedding Day? Pls share