I like travelling light but as someone with a diligent skincare ritual, the irony lies in having to lug around tubs and bottles everywhere I go. There’s also the fact that your favourite products don’t usually come in travel sizes. This is why when I chanced upon the DHC Beauty x Belif Let’s Get Glowing Kit last year, I sent up a few prayers before adding it to the cart within minutes. The limited-edition kit came stacked with five cult products from Japan’s DHC Beauty and Korea’s belif: DHC’s Deep Cleansing Oil and Face Wash Powder, belif’s Numero 10 Essence toner + serum, The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb and UV protector multi sunscreen+ SPF50+. For the past year and a half, the kit has kept my skin hydrated in sunny Goa, chilly Kodaikanal and all places in between. —Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran
While writing a story about my current favourite wine label, Bargylus from Syria, I stumbled upon the podcast Wine Blast. It offers the kind of history lessons that will thrill wine geeks. An episode on Arab wines, for instance, opened my eyes to a whole new universe. For, the Middle East used to be the world’s wine bowl, and it’s from there that vines were taken to France. Another fascinating episode with the grape genealogist José Vouillamoz takes listeners down the rabbit hole of where and how wine began. Each episode features experts who specialise in different fields; from viticulture to writing. The hosts, British husband-wife duo Susie Barrie and Peter, demystify a dizzying variety of wines with a good dose of cheeky humour, even describing one white as David Beckham. Now, who wouldn’t be curious about that bottle? — Jahnabee Borah
Over the past year, I have come across two master weavers who have taken the task of popularising their craft into their own hands—Rajesh Khanna in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, and Nisha Verma in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh. Straddling tradition and modernity, they are carrying forward centuries-old legacies while taking charge of marketing and sales. In the pandemic years, they started using WhatsApp to reach out. They take customers through the history of the craft, help them choose textiles, and courier these to your home. I have been ordering from Khanna for a year and from Verma more recently, and what you see on the phone is what you get. —Avantika Bhuyan
I spent ages this week hunting for a good-looking but sturdy new iPhone cover but eventually returned to Spigen, the brand that has stood the test of time for me. My ultra hybrid Spigen cover has lasted over three years, longer than my tempered glass, which I had to replace once. The cover’s hardiness ensured I bought a Spigen phone case for my mother too. For my iPhone, a brand that is sought after but not known for its toughness, has fallen many times—on its face on the road, and innumerable times from the too-small pockets that all women’s pants seem to have. It has even survived the family dogs trampling on it. If flashy is what you want, Spigen covers aren’t for you, though they do come in multiple colours and types.— Dakshayani Kumaramangalam
