my life, my stories

A few years back as I turned 30, I came across many blog posts with titles like "10 things 30 year olds should not do, or should do, or should have done already."  while I don't believe that age is something that should define what we can or cannot do, I think having a basic understanding of makeup and how to use it to your own advantage, to enhance your own self is something every girl/woman/lady should know. And so a group of us got the know-how from Mansi @hairsprayandartist , who works out from her makeup and hair studio in Dona Paul, and has wielded her magic over many a bride and model with her makeup brushes. the participants ranged from teenager and college student Veeral, who even at 19 has a huge social media following, to 30 plus, working mother like me. Mansi began by explaining the essentials in our makeup kits; brushes, colour pallettes, foundations, primers, lipcolour, kajal, and so forth. She prefers to start with eye makeup ev

They are talking about me in hushed tones, afraid maybe, of what I would hear. But God knows I have heard it all, and seen it all. Grubby hand after grubby hand has clutched at me greedily all through my life. I have been exchanged under the table in the official buildings, exchanged over a bed in brothels, passed along rolexed hands in posh casinos and tucked into the skimpy tank tops of escort girls. What have I not done for my masters? I have stolen for them, lied for them, cheated for them, even killed for them. Yes, killed too. I have served underworld dons, corrupt politicians, God men and terrorists; and today they talk about me in hushed tones, as if anything could be blasphemous to me. They are calling me black now. But I have seen a lot of colours in my time. Green of greed during elections, or the biley yellow of the drunkard beggar as he bought his desi daru, bright pink of a call girls lips as she pressed me to her lips. Black, I have seen that too; hidden in bo