And a simple pedicure it must not be — more than just cleaning the toenails. I needed one of the new Freespirit Orchid Foot Facials that Lakme Salon came out with a few months ago. It is not your run-of-the-mill pedicure but a foot treatment involving steps just like in a facial — cleansing, scrub, massage, mask et al targeting problems like pigmentation, aging skin, and dehydration.

So off I went to the nearest Lakme Salon seeking solace for my soles. It was not really the first time that I was entering a Lakme Salon, so there was a sense of familiarity. The same beige and purple decor and a smiling receptionist, who ensured I got what I had come for, a foot facial. Seeing the condition of my feet she suggested I try the soothing Freespirit Orchid Foot Facial — a treatment that complements the Freespirit Orchid Facial. This particular treatment with floral extracts and essential oils soften, and hydrate dry parched skin. I needed that dose of moisturiser.

As I sat at the pedicure station, my tired feet were soaked in cool water with rose petals in them. The pedicurist first cleaned, filed, and buffed my nails and heels like in any pedicure. Then came the actual foot facial as a lovely floral foot scrub was massaged on my feet and calves to exfoliate dead skin cells, and prep the skin. Post scrub was the soothing massage using dollops of cream with orchid extracts. The skin on my legs and feet was toned using an orchid foot mask that also had a cooling effect on my dehydrated skin. After moisturisation with a light lotion, my nails were prettified with a lovely shell pink polish.

No more Diwali-shopping damage! My feet gloried in their new look for weeks.

Available at all Lakme Salons Across The Country. For locations, check www.lakmeindia.com. Price: Rs 425 for foot facial.

Then along came Varuna Jani with her V Glam collection. Limited edition jewellery that burns the style charts, not your pocketbook. Just five pieces in every design ensures that I get the aura of exclusivity that other affordable bauble-makers don’t give me. New designs every three months means that I’ll always have a stunner up my sleeve that my friends don’t.

The latest range has a beautifully shaped three-colour ring that is just right with my pink-and-blue streaked tresses. What better way to brighten up a cloudy day than with a sparkle of daily glam?

Available at: Varuna Jani Exclusive Store, Ramani Villa, 1st Road, TPS IV, Lane opposite Standard Chartered Bank, Bandra (W), Mumbai; Tel: 26512719/23; Price: Rs 20,000 to Rs 5,00,000.

Such an excitingly refreshing change from yesterday’s soft-focus, rosy romance, I thought. Just perfect for this season, when I need a bit of bold bronze to radiate my magnetic charm to the max. For a wild night out on the town, I got to pick from bronzing powders, luster drops and skinsheens in rich, dark and intense golden hues. I loved the way my cheekbones stood up and took a bow after I applied the pearly mid-tone plum powder blush called On A Mission. And when I added the finishing touches with Night Manoeuvres (a deep charcoal brown with pearl eye shadow) and Mercenary (a radical blackened-bronze nail colour that matched the Style Warrior lip glass I had on) I was all set for the victory march!

And the range is a keeper, all packaged in super stylish zebra and leopard prints, with a colour spectrum that is sure to endure thanks to its ’survival-of-the-fittest’ allure.

MAC’s new range is available at Melange, 33 Altamount Road, Mumbai; Tel: 23541097/98; and MAC, Dynamix Mall, Juhu, Mumbai; and all MAC locations across the country; Price: Rs 3,000 onwards.

Sign up for a session of Lakme’s new Nirvana Glow Facial, of course! I rushed to the nearest Lakme Salon and asked for the whole works — a mind-body balancing therapy based on face reflexology, acupressure, aromatherapy, and skin treatment with active skin brightening products. That’s what the brochure said, but on enquiry I found that my 2 hour long treatment included facial, body massage, head massage, shampoo, and blow dry — the whole works.

I was justifiably thrilled. In the therapy room I took in the soft mood lifting aroma as the therapist cleansed my face and scrubbed it gently with an exfoliator. To improve the tone, and feed my dry skin, she used a cool, tingling hydrating mask and massaged in the Glow serum. Then came the fun bit when I was made to choose the aroma oil that best defined my mood at the time — you get four options: floral, calming, balancer, mood uplifter. I picked calming, and my therapist was quick to note my actual state of mind. It was impressive. Then came the actual face reflexology massage with tapping, kneading, friction and de-stressing strokes — I recommend it for those looking for a truly new facial experience. This was followed by the hands and feet acupressure and the Oriental Bundle Poultice Massage for the back. By the time I was given the head massage I had drifted into a tranquil space.

As I stepped out after my treatment, I knew I would be heading back there again soon for my monthly calming session.

Lakme Salons. www.lakme.com. Price: Rs 2,900.

So, I'm predictably enthused about my all-new discovery -- the fantastic new Tapas menu at the Taj Land's End's Atrium Lounge! I've always loved the intimate ambience and the way the lobby is set afire by the rays of the setting sun just as the live band starts up. It sends just the right quiver of anticipation to accompany my Tapas platter, an exquisite assortment of finger foods of meats, sandwiches and compact meals served with contemporary accompaniments.

Luckily, this Tapas inspired menu is on all day. Served in pristine white plates these small, yet filling, meals are simply mind-blowing. The fresh spices, the unique concept, well-balanced portions and the great service are what make them a 'must-have'. There are a whole lot of dishes to choose from, but my pick of the menu are the Cajun Spiced Prawns accompanied by a Mango Salsa and the Lamb skewers which are fantastic spiced in Indianish flavours. My BFF, a veggie-enthusiast, was thrilled with the Asian-marinated Tofu on a bed of Soba Noodles. I've also tried their sandwich meal which is the Tofu and Cheese Sandwich with a shot of Gazpacho (a cold soup) and an unusual Watermelon Steak with figs and goat cheese. The health conscious can opt for a light and healthy salad Tapas. Plus, there's an array of breads like multi-grain, rye, buttermilk and wholewheat, each brimming with exquisite fillings. And when it comes to Spanish drinks, you can't go wrong with a Margarita, and my fave is their fresh Kiwi variant.

Let the fun begin. Ole!

Atrium Lounge: Lobby of Taj Land’s End, Band Stand, Bandra (W), Mumbai; Tel: 022-66681234; Tapas Platter: Between Rs 500 and Rs 600 (including taxes).

Based loosely on the Jessica Lall murder, it narrates the story of a handful of people the protagonist knew — who they were and how they were affected by the tragedy. This, of course, includes the murderer and although Lall’s character in the story is a popular film actress, the murderer is still a politician’s son, the bar owners socialites and designers. Shanghvi’s style is obsessively lyrical and even as you make comparisons with the events that unfolded in the last decade, the novel stands entirely on its own.

Not much unfolds in terms of action — we know how the real story concluded but I always wondered what the story was behind the headlines, the convictions. How the people who retracted their testimonies slept at night. According to Shanghvi, quite well.

Flamingoes is of course a work of fiction, and some of Shanghvi’s resolutions too simplistic but I found myself waiting to go back home and pick up where I left off. It was both the thrill of a new insight on an old story and the fact that Shanghvi’s prose gave it a whole new personality.

The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay by Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi, Penguin, Rs 499. Available at bookstores across the country.

And just when I’d given up on the inch-tape that refused to budge despite my regular exercise routine, my girlfriends told me about this great product that’s been a rage in London, and now splayed on the pages of Vogue — Rodial’s Tummy Tuck. It’s available at Urban Shore, a classy beauty store in Greater Kailash that’s like a candy shop for those used to trips abroad to get their favourite brands!

I’d always been wary about slimming products, but this one sure is as revolutionary as it claims to be. The brainchild of Maria Hatzistefanis, who wanted to get rid of those last few inches of post-natal fat, Tummy Tuck has stomach flattening micro fibers with fig extract and neuropeptides (they simulate a cell reaction in the brain similar to that of the body’s natural response to exercise), that help break down fatty cells and boost cell metabolism. The promise was two centimetres in 8 weeks, and my tummy proved it! All I had to do was apply five pumps of the lotion on my problematic love handles and navel, twice a day. Of course, which doesn’t mean I pigged out on the greasy stuff anymore — just a regular routine of healthy non-fat diet and plenty of water were enough to show me the results in just 4 weeks time. The tum was taut and firm, showing the promise of those neat curves I’d been wanting for so long!

No more slaving at the gym or wondering about liposuction: I’ve found the perfect tummy-tamer!

Rodial’s Tummy Tuck, Rs. 9,350, available at Urban Shore, N8, N Block, Greater Kailash, New Delhi. Ph: 46548122. Log on to www.urbanshore.in.

A rosy-cheeked Kareena Kapoor, wearing Giorgio Armani on the Swarovski-studded collector’s edition cover shot by Suresh Natarajan, sets the standard straight away. And as I plow into the goodies between the covers, I know I’m in for quite a treat — Joan Collins on ’80s style to a scintillating photo feature on dhoti drapes by Farrokh Chothia!

They’ve got the mix right. Editor Sujata Assomull deftly stirs in the best of global trends with local style. I get to feast my eyes on a grapefruit James Ferreira ensemble next to one in vanilla from Dolce & Gabbana and lots more in the excellently done How to Wear It pages.

They’ve got the ads right. Everything from Madonna in Louis Vuitton’s shock-value spread featuring the Kalahari bag to Gwyneth Paltrow for Tod’s latest campaign.

They’ve even got the people right. Effortless elegance by Haseena Jethmalani. Farhan Akhtar’s sis Zoya writing about his wife Adhuna’s personal style. Padma Lakshmi on living the fashionable life. Arjun Rampal talking about the chic women he knows and notices. Chitrangada Singh in a lush make-up guide. Katrina Kaif’s beauty secrets. Solve Sundsbo’s photographic take on the iconic looks for the coming season. And the glorious India tribute from the Who’s Who of global fashion.

Of course, being a fussy fashionista myself, I’d like to see a few changes too. A little less film and some edgier fashion. Attention to styling (in Jatin Kampani’s pictures of this spring’s new silhouettes, the footwear didn’t fit properly or tied shabbily). And most of all, a lot more passion for all things Indian. Why Mauritius for the Kareena-Saif shoot when there are kilometres of beaches here?

But apart from these little quibbles, going by the first issue, I’m going to be a believer in this 140-year-old bible that brings the buzz of the bazaar back to India.

Harper’s Bazaar India: Price: Rs 100; Available at all leading bookstores and news vendors.