Ever been stranded at home with a fractured foot? One of things that I almost did in those five weeks was to write a manual on How to Be a Model Patient!

The other, which I did go ahead with, was to have me my own film festival. Now, I never do anything by halves, so I joined all three DVD rental sites in Delhi, and lived to tell the tale!

Seventymm: The large menu includes — apart from the usual suspects — some regional and world cinema as well as TV series from Mahabharata to Grey’s Anatomy (imagine a McDreamy marathon!!). Navigation is easy; subscriptions start at Rs 250 a month plus security (six movies a month; four days’ time limit per film).

Deliveries were a tad iffy, though — I waited two days just to get “Johnny Gaddar” picked up.

Moviemart: Currently restricted to south and west Delhi. The collection is smaller but as varied — movies, PC games, concert videos, Yoga demos et al. Plans start at Rs 499 per month plus security for unlimited movies.

The response time was good. They let me select the exact movie I wanted instead of following the “queue” system of the others. I finally got to see “The Departed”, aeons after the Oscar-winner ceased being fashionable!

Bigflix: The huge collection (they are the biggest, and newest of the services) is well categorized and also includes documentaries and plays apart from a variety of English, Hindi and regional films and TV shows. Navigation and search is very easy. Subscriptions start at Rs 299 a month plus security for unlimited movies — no time limits except on very new films (48 hours in that case).

By far the best managed service, with the quickest response time. The first DVD was delivered within 6 hours of my joining — the new hit “Aamir”.
So easy now to give the crowded multiplex a miss!

Seventymm: 60600070 / www.seventymm.com; Bigflix: 39885454 / www.bigflix.com ;Moviemart: 41444877 / www.moviemart.in.

The story of my life: my lips are nice, my nose is in the right place, and brows are well defined. But oh, I could have done with thicker lashes.

No amount of snipping-with-scissors, nor castor oil applications made any difference. That’s when I decided to make mascara my best friend.

I tooth-combed the beauty counters to come up with my top finds:

L’Oreal Double Extension Beauty Tube, Rs 700
Mascara point: The white base coat builds lashes by slicking on, on each lash. The black adds colour and volume.
My fave. Even after a full day, my lashes looked and felt as thick. No other eye makeup needed.

MAC Pro Lash, Rs 1,100
Mascara point: Lengthening and thickening mascara that’s smudge-proof and flake-free.
True to claim, my lashes had volume, eyes looked more defined. Perfect for layering: one coat-definition; two coats- depth; three coats- totally sensual. Great for smoky, party eyes.

Maybelline Define-A-Lash, Rs 280
Mascara point: Lash conditioning, waterproof formula.
I picked this for everyday wear. Goes on clean. Sits lightly. Just right for that no makeup, fresh-faced look.

Clinique High Definition Lashes, Rs 1,075
Mascara point: Unique wand design with comb and brush. Long-wearing, flake-free colour.
The brush is indeed unique. The brush colours, and the comb makes the lashes clump-free for that neat, wide-eyed look.

Now I’m practicing fluttering my shining lashes!

Trendy Tip: When putting it on, look up and move the wand zig-zag from root to tip for an even spread.

Available at leading departmental stores and beauty counters.

Impossible deadlines, grouchy boss, multiple bad hair days, a broken heel — yep, my week had definitely not been the best. I needed some super serious TLC and a tub of chocolate ice-cream wasn’t going to make the cut.

So over the blissfully long weekend, I hopped over to check out the new Trance spa. In looks, it didn’t match up to the rose-petals-and-muted-lighting images you see in glossies. But what they lacked in visual appeal they more than made up with their services.

The Rose Butter and Body Spa felt as delicious as it sounded: A body polish of aromatic rose and rosehip flower oils and mineral salts, followed by a massage of rose flower body butter that improves skin elasticity and prevents stretch marks. Then came a sinful body wrap in chocolate — and I was as yummy as a perfectly made dark chocolate mousse.

A relaxing steam bath later, it was time to pamper those stiletto-battered feet. The Foot Reflexology Massage — a combination of massage techniques using scented lotions — was just what the foot fairy ordered.

The spa also has an ayurvedic practitioner who helps sort out those stubborn aches and pains through massages like Shirodhara, where a stream of oil is poured on to the middle of the forehead, and Kati Basti, where warm medicated oil is placed over the lower back in a black gram flour dough. There are also exotic floral facials and aroma mani-pedis.

Before I stepped out all dew fresh and satin soft, I booked a Dead Sea massage, with Dead Sea mineral salts, lemongrass, lavender, vanilla and patchouli oils.

Mmmm. Sometimes, beauty is all about being skin deep.

Trance Spa, #2, 2nd cross, off Nandidurg road, Jaymahal Extn, Bangalore 46. Tel: 42048219. Massages range from Rs 550-2200. Salon services from Rs 250.

Now, my friends know I’m snooty when it comes to fusing flavours. No mish-mash of pizza and Punjabi for me, please! Which is why they eyed me askance when I asked them over for a “tri-fusion” meal. But hey, this was the best kind of stir-up — from Malaysia, where food from mainland China melds with sauce from South India, and spice from Persia.

The menu from Malaysian delivery service Kayalan, begun early this year, but only now getting popular, is short and smart. (So is the website) And the time-tested combinations much more flavourful than any yoked-together nouvelle fusion I’ve tried of late. Kula Naidu, third-generation Malaysian of Indian origin, started this enterprise to counter the craving for the food of his homeland (his family moved to India when he was in his teens).So he brought his kind of food over to our homes, packed in lovely cardboard boxes lined with foil and banana leaf to keep the flavours piping hot and fresh.

Kayalan’s kitchen is admittedly biased towards meat-eaters. But I dare veggie-lovers to complain over the Nyonya-style sayur lemak (veg curry in a light coconut broth). The Mee Goreng and Nasi Goreng with super-spicy red sambal has become a fiery fave. There’s also satay, otak-otak (fish steamed in banana leaf), pandan chicken (flavoured with screwpine), curry puffs (you’ll soon say sayonara to samosa!), rendang (very like a Thai red curry). And soupy curry laksa (noodles in spicy-sweet coconut broth) and smoky char kway teow (a divine stir-fry of fat rice noodles with crab meat, prawns and chicken).

The way they’re licking their chopsticks and chops, my friends won’t need cajoling to order again. And again. And this well-kept secret will be a secret no more.

Kayalan, 56, Main Road, Neb Sarai, New Delhi; ph: 9310219192; www.kayalan.com. Prices: Meal for two Rs 1,500.

Mumbai Trendy is off today and will be back Thursday. Wishing our Parsi readers a Happy New Year!

My niece can just about sit up, but she’s already my favourite playmate. Our game goes like this: She looks up at me and I gently flick her cheek. Unbelievably soft skin trembles and falls back into place below her beautiful eyes. My niece gurgles and smiles and is all ready for a second round.

Silk and gossamer are all very well, but if I could have one wish, it would be to have skin like a baby’s. New to look at, soft to touch, perfectly Ph balanced. Since fairy godmothers are hard to come by these days, though, I’m hoping Clarins’ Younger Longer Balm, just launched in India, will do the trick.

On my finger, the product felt heavy and thick. But the moment I smoothed it on to my face with little patting motions, my skin soaked it up and, within seconds, was feeling moisturised, light and non-sticky.

According to the Clarins’ experts, the Younger Longer Balm feeds the facial skin’s nerve-ends and capillaries: These are the first victims of the ageing process and start losing out on essential nutrition after the mid-20s. The Clarins product combines two plant-based ingredients — maritime pine and Centella Asiatica (brahmi) — with advanced technology and various vitamins. The recommended patting method of application ensures the nutrients reach the epidermis quickly.

Ten days after I started using the balm, I can tell you that my niece has just started turning the tables in our little game. Now she looks into my eyes and makes a play for my cheek.

Clarins Younger Longer Balm. Price: Rs 3750 At Clarins counters at Shoppers’ Stops nationwide, also at the Central malls and at Parcos, Leela Galleria, Leela Kempinski, Airport Road, Bangalore 6.

I’ve done the 6am Bollywood dance-aerobics, strengthened my core with Pilates, improved my flexibility with yoga, even sweated it out at the gym. But something was missing: Fresh air and the great outdoors. But while I loved the picture of myself sprinting through a tree-lined park, wind in my hair, one thing held me back: I run like a girl.

Fortunately, I discovered Sabine Tietge’s Runner Girls India, the first club of its kind in India. Sabine’s aim is to get Bangalore’s women moving — and not just because running is healthy or good exercise, but because it’s fun!

The group organizes fortnightly GORs (Girls-Only-Runs) in Cubbon Park, where women runners of all levels (newbies to marathoners), ages (I even met a friend’s mother there) and nationalities can safely run together, without encountering ogling eyes and snide remarks. Post-run, we adjourned to a restaurant for breakfast and bonded over marathon prep and shoe-talk (and not a mention of Manolo!) Even I, a confirmed couch potato, was swept up in the wave of camaraderie and enthusiasm.

Sabine is now working on adding even more juice to RGI’s website. So, apart from the existing discussion rooms and marathon training plans, expect nutrition tips, books and even suggestions on where to buy the coolest and most comfortable running gear (in sizes for Indian women, mind you!). Which girl doesn’t want to accessorize a little, while working up a sweat?

So get your sneaks on and get out there. And run like a girl.

Runner Girls India. GORs are held every fortnight in Cubbon Park; C25K (’Couch to 5K’), a nine-week course comprising three sessions of 30 minutes each on Mon-Wed-Fri at Cubbon Park, to be launched soon. Contact Sabine at sabine@runnergirlsindia.com to join up for free. Website: http://www.runnergirlsindia.com. Coming soon to Mumbai!

SAMANTHA RONSON LIVE, ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY 18TH AUGUST HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT WEEK.
FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 91.22.4033-2300.

Monday nights are sacred to me. After a hectic weekend of schmoozing, dancing and brunching, Monday is the night I usually reserve for something a little more relaxed like yoga or chilling with a DVD. However, the coming Monday may have to be an exception — Samantha Ronson, DJ to the stars and spotted ubiquitously around Hollywood with actress Lindsay Lohan, will be spinning in Mumbai at Blue Frog in a very special event.

Blue Frog opened its doors earlier this year and has since been showcasing acts from India and around the world. Unassumingly encased within the immense walls of an old warehouse in our city’s mill district, this sleek venue is the perfect spot for Ronson to make her Bollywood debut.

Ronson was destined to be in the music business. Her stepfather is the Foreigner’s Mick Jones and her brother is three-time Grammy award-winning superstar DJ Mark Ronson. Yet it wasn’t until Ronson was 20 and pressed to fill in as DJ at a club that was one of her regular hangouts that she discovered her own music talents.

Sam now spins at some of the most high-profile gigs around the globe and loves giving people something to dance to. I’m excited about her bodacious spinning skills — she’s known for mixing in everything from the most current hip hop to riffs from George Michael, The Police, Kanye West, Maroon 5 and even The Pussycat Dolls!

But music apart, the query on everyone’s lips is whether or not LiLo will also be at Monday night’s gig. Either way, I know I’m going to be breaking my weeknight rule and booking a pod (shhh, that’s what the tables set in circular niches are called at the Frog) to get a front row angle on all the action.

Who said Mondays shouldn’t be fun days?

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT WEEK. PLEASE CONTACT BLUE FROG FOR MORE INFORMATION.
DJ Samantha Ronson, (originally scheduled for Monday, August 18, from 10:30 PM) at Blue Frog, D/2 Mathuradas Mills Compound, NM Joshi Marg, Lower Pare, Mumbail; Tel: 40332300; Entrance fee with a complimentary drinks voucher for IMFL: Rs. 500; Website: www.bluefrog.co.in and www.samantharonson.com.

I love rain-spattered mornings. The soft showers and gorgeous breeze makes me just wanna round up my gang, get into the car, and hit the highway! A pit-stop for a sumptuous brunch, and back home for a looooong siesta: can you think of a better way to spend the day?

Here are three of my fave monsoon brunch getaways:

Fort Unchagaon: A stunning Raj era building, with emerald lawns, pink bougainvilleas and sprawling domed terraces where the clouds seem close enough to touch! They do a very nice continental menu, but I also quite like their home-style paranthas and simple yellow dal.

Neemrana Fort Palace: If the magnificence of the towering dull-gold fort isn’t enough to lure you, the super lunch buffet surely will. It’s all there — fresh fruit salad, dal makhni, freshly tossed pasta arrabiatta, souffles at the dessert counter. Choose your table near the lovely lily pond if the weather allows al-fresco seating, and don’t resist second helpings!

Fort Kesroli: Tiny fort-turned-hotel, set on a cliff in the middle of expansive mustard fields. Large hanging balconies and terraces with cute patio furniture, to snuggle and soak in those 180-degree views. And a great buffet at their cosy dining hall (Indian and continental dishes, awesome chicken curry); carry your plate to the lawn outside and let the birds serenade you!

That To Do list? Just a blip on my radar.

Make sure to call the hotels to book your meals just as you head out.
Fort Unchagaon, Garhmukteshwar, Uttar Pradesh. Contact the manager at 0573-4279130 or the Leisure Hotels’ Delhi office at 011-46520000. Rs. 350 plus taxes. Timings: 1 to 3 pm.
Neemrana Fort Palace, Village Neemrana, District Alwar, Rajasthan, Ph: (01494) 246006/ 07/ 08. Rs. 700 plus taxes (800 plus taxes on Sundays).Timings: 12.30 to 2.30 pm.
Fort Kesroli, Near MIA Post Office, Bahala, Alwar, Rajasthan, Ph: (01468)-289352. Rs. 400 plus taxes. Timings: 12.30 to 2.30 pm.

Wishing all our Trendy readers a very happy I Day and Rakhi!

All through my student life and into the first years as a working woman, I lived on a shoestring. Mattresses doubled up for seating and sleeping. Colourful bandhni and bold prints covered all surfaces. Ready-to-hang curtains billowed in the breeze from the windows.

But now, with a diamond ring on the third finger, I’m ready to move on. A three-piece suite for the living room, a solid wood eight-seater dining table, a leather-headboarded bed. And for upholstery, I’m looking no further than Seasons’ Club Class. One of the premium furnishing brands in the country, Seasons’ Club Class stores — just launched in Bangalore and already a presence in Mumbai, Delhi and Gurgaon — offers five international labels: Saum & Viebahn from Germany, Warwick and Prestigious from the UK, Kobe from the Netherlands and Parzan from Turkey.

Then there’s their Seasons’ own Spring-Summer ‘08 collection, evocatively called ‘Grounded Brights’: Bold designs and colours in striped velvets and jacquards in traditional paisleys, ornamental leatherites in magical neutrals, blends and silks in prints and solids. In all, there are 700 assortments of fabrics, decoratives, accessories, rugs, bedcovers, cushions and artifacts.

I especially loved the Kashmir Chinar leaf logos for my sofa upholstery: They come in four colours, in keeping with the way the leaves change colour with the passage of the year. Now, Seasons will help me keep tab on, well, the seasons!

Seasons’ Club Class. Site: www.seasonsfurnishings.com. Price range: Cushion covers: Rs 490 to Rs 1,850, rugs Rs 8,290 onwards, sheers Rs 399 to Rs 1,450, fabrics Rs 400 to Rs. 6,000 per meter and international fabrics Rs 2000 to Rs 15,000.
Bangalore: 3293, 1st floor, 12th Main, HAL 2nd stage, Indiranagar. Tel: 080-32467297/25219575.
Mumbai: C5-6 Abhishek building, Dalia Industrial Estate, New Link Road, Andheri West. Tel: 9820437131.
New Delhi: Eros Corporate Tower, Opp. Hotel Intercontinental, Nehru Place. Tel: 011-41805566-88.

As toddlers, our mum dressed us alike. For every frock, my bro had a similar shirt. The single-digit years thus saw us in a procession of gender-neutral checks, stripes and solids.

We hated it, my bro and I. In my teenage, I went pastel and floral with a vengeance. My bro, he discovered anti-fits and grunge. Now as 20-somethings, we make our distinct style statements. And share a laugh over the twin-horror years.

But clothes-shopping for each other, that’s something we don’t do — what if our pinstripes end up the same? However, two top European menswear brands, new in town, are forcing me to reconsider ahead of Rakhi on Saturday.

First up, Paul Smith, the British label. The Paul Smith Collection is sporty, with cropped jackets and short-sleeve shirts. PS, inspired by rock stars who abandon the high life for the country, has jerseys, prints, knitwear. And Paul Smith Jeans is all about adventure: washed and organic materials, slim denims and poplin trekking jackets.

I swooned, though, over Paul Smith London. The classic two- and three-button suits in sophisticated fabrics and yarn mixes in subtle designs and strong colours would dress up my bro perfectly. And then I spotted PSST!, a rock music-inspired line in dyed velvet, military satin and rubber-coated skinny denims with heavily studded, zip-embellished low-slung waistbands.

This? That? Or spoil him and get both?

Or neither? I walked into Ermenegildo Zegna. The Italian brand’s new autumn-winter range includes impeccably cut suits in flannels, silks and dark tones, a resort line (jackets, bags and scarves too) in natural fibres, an informal line in complementary jackets and trousers and superb use of purple and green. I loved their laser-cut, no-stitch knitwear.

Maybe I’ll just play eeny-meeny-miny-moe. Just like my bro and I used to.

Paul Smith and Ermenegildo Zegna are both at UB City, 24, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore 1. Prices. Paul Smith: Rs 3500 upwards. Zegna: Rs 9000 upwards.