Swathy and Sky

3 Face Care Products I am absolutely Loving

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face serum, lip balm, face wash, face care, skin care

I have always been a huge skin care buff if you have followed me long enough. Albeit my interest and patience has waned a lot in the last couple of years, I am back in the game full time. I no longer spend time on my skin as much as I used but I have been faithful to serums, moisturizers and face wash. I have also started exploring Indian skin care brands, not happy with all of them but some are absolutely fantastic.

Aminu Nourishing Sleep Oil

One of the best things in Indian skin care scene, the aroma is the highlight of the product. You absolutely must experience this before sleep. It has a unique supari-like smell that reminds me of my grandfather. I used to steal the muskmelon seeds which accompany the hard bits of the betel nut seeds. Anyways, the oil is not heavy, instantly relaxes the body and mind and provides a luxurious experience. The whole 30ml goes a long way.

Innisfree Volcanic Clusters BHA Pore Face Wash

I suppose I can officially end my search for the best face wash now. Does not dry out my skin but leaves it clean, no stretchy feeling and no film left behind either. Not sure if it works on the blackheads but I am okay with that. Expensive? Yes but I am tired of looking for a cruelty free face wash which is not extremely pocket heavy. Little product goes a long way again.

D’You Tender Lip Nectar

This is probably the only lip balm I have not hated or disliked. Its different and does not get into my teeth or mouth and I like the applicator as well. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Felt so. To be fair, most of the times, I forget to apply it so my lip balms last forever. Howsoever it fits in your budget, definitely try to give this a go!!

Love, Swathy!

Sky and her Nemesis.

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reactive dog, dog reactivity, outdoor exposure, socialization

This girl is going to be the death of us!! Today, all of a sudden we were attacked and I could not stop laughing.

What am I talking about? Let me start from the beginning.

Everyone who meets Sky will describe her differently. She comes across as friendly, adorable, well-behaved, nervous, active, fattu (extremely coward) or downright aggressive depending on the temperament of the person she is meeting.

Having said that, when it comes to her own kind or size, she is a bully. When she doesn’t like the other dog (which is mostly the case) or finds a suspicious stray balloon billowing in the breeze aimlessly, she is wont to bark. She loves jumping on the lizard, pawing at the poor snail and chasing the cats. So, naturally, when she finds any creature lounging under a car, she does everything to ensure the place is returned to its original empty state just for her to sniff and enjoy.

Such is the usual scenario on our walks. However, this day was going to be different. One morning (a month or two back), Sky was casually investigating the interesting smell near an SUV with no intention of jumping on anyone. Seeing her carefree, I went into a thought break and lo behold, I am jerked out of the way and I witness a cat screaming at Sky for daring to step around a car. The lunge was so sudden, it stunned Sky for a second. As she gathered her marbles, she tried to use her voice but the result was a long grumble in the loudest volume she could manage.

That was my dog who is known for her loud barks and who has never once grumbled or made a squeak in the last 5 years.

In her confusion, Sky continued the walk. While coming back the same route, Sky herself steered clear of the side where she was almost assaulted. However, we soon discovered the cat was still tracking Sky. She even crawled from one car to the other following us with a withering stare till we disappeared from her horizon.

Although I still couldn’t stop laughing, I felt bad for Sky. Poor girl was seriously shaken out of her wits. Thankfully, Sky was back to normal by the fourth day. But, I do suppose she thinks about the cat whenever she approaches any car since then. Just the other day, it had rained and the roads were slick and muddy. Sky was walking in the middle of the road to avoid getting dirty, I was relaxed and lost in the good news I had received when I was yanked urgently.

The same cat was standing opposite us, all her fur and fury raised and erect, stalk walking towards the same car, settling down by the rear wheel, all the while staring at Sky as if daring her. Sky got her memo, did a full U-turn and walked back while stealing glances at the cat trying to make out why she was being bullied for a change. On our next round, she (Sky) refused to take the right, changed the side of the road and made a beeline straight home.

The final straw was today when we walked by the same offending car. We were towards the other side of the road and going straight, Sky wasn’t even looking or sniffing and suddenly I find her throwing herself from my left to my right with the cat right behind her. Why the cat chose to accost us, she can only answer. Now, it just feels like the cat is taking revenge for some other lifetime. Today did give me a heart attack and a good dose of endorphins. Now, Sky stands at the crossroads, calculates if she should take the risk and decides it’s not worth it. We are leaving soon so I suppose it was the cat’s way of saying Boo, Good bye!

On Writing!

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writing, process of writing, what to write, stephen king on writing
Photo by Athena Sandrini from Pexels

Stephen King advises to write with honesty and let the vulnerability of the author shine in the writing. I truly believe this is the hardest step for any writer to overcome.

Writing is a task which requires you to unburden and pour out your soul. However, for most people, although we are comfortable showing some parts of ourselves, we would love to keep the rest hidden away.

I have been battling with this struggle for years now. Whenever I start with a blank screen, words appear out of thin air when I am in the flow. The moment I step into the task consciously, I lose my memory, the castle I have built in the head suddenly vanishes and I am left gasping at the empty air trying to piece the article back together.

As soon as the process of writing becomes intimate, I back out. I do not want to reveal those thoughts to the world, I want to lock them behind the strongest wall, barred with huge chains and padded with a giant lock. Showing myself, revealing my innermost thoughts, laying down my fears and my dreams is frightening. It gives you, the reader, power over me.

Then comes the perpetual lurking fear of not being good enough – for others, and, before that, for my own self. I am my harshest critic. Before I can convince others of my worth, I need to convince myself.

When one struggles with such despair and such judgement, it is impossible to carry on. I have done everything in my power to overcome these insecurities and I failed every single time. Yet, the desire does not abandon me. It has stayed with me for over 15 years. The foundation I had laid back then has survived through all the ups and downs in my life. Yet with time, the desire to write and the fear of backlash just got stronger.

Finally, following yet another failure, I am back to writing and publishing regularly since this August. I am proud to add this article, the one you are reading currently, is the third post I published this month. Following King’s advice in part, I have put in my fears here, most I still leave for another time. And, I will see you next week with yet another piece of my soul.

Staying Consistent, Swathy and Sky