// July Favorites //

Goodbye July and a warm hello to August! I know, I know, it is almost the middle of this month and I'm a little late but it's never too late to do a favorites post I guess! In this post I'm talking about some products and items I've been using or wearing and loving this season. If you follow me on Instagram you probably saw this list first! Nevertheless, follow me on Instagram if you haven't already to see a snippet of my newest posts. Without further yap-ping (if that's a word haha) let's get into it >>

# Victoria's Secret Body Lotion 

In my recent trip to Scandinavia, I bought some items from the 'Pink' range of Victoria's Secret, one of which was the Wild & Breezy body lotion. The body lotion needless to say smells amaazing. The consistency is not very thick and sticky which is what I personally prefer. It does not have any sun protection which could be it's only flaw. Apart from that, it does a great job at hydrating my skin and creates a perfect base for any scent.

# Nykaa Matte Nail polish

You're probably living under a rock if you don't know about matte nail polish. It is so trendy and everybody has been rocking a neat coat of matte nail polish. I'm a huge fan of Nykaa's range which is easily available online and in stores. I prefer nudes and pinks and opted for a rosy nude that goes well with almost everything and looks super classy.

# Victoria's Secret Perfume

If you've been following my blog since a long time you'd know that I am a big fan (or rather hoarder) of perfumes and love finding distinct scents and perfumes. The "Pure Seduction" scent is a delight for every girl. It isn't very strong and isn't too mild as well. It is just the perfect balance. Not very long lasting like most VS perfumes, but who's complaining?

# Kumkumadi teenage night cream

Another forest essentials product had to be on my favorites list! Forest Essentials has been a company that my entire family uses religiously. Needless to say, I'm a fan of their wide range of natural products and their blend of luxury and nature is very compelling. When I got to know that they had launched a cream for teenagers especially those with troubling skin, I knew I had to buy one for myself. Of course, it is pricey for a teenager, but I love the product anyway. It hasn't helped my skin change drastically and I'll have to wait a few more months to see a significant change. The product come in a medium sized box that'll last you a very long time. The consistency is amazing and the scent is good. It will help you get rid of any irritation and also redness to some extent.

# Cat eye reflectors

I have spoken about these sunglasses for so long now! I have a profound craze for cool sunglasses and can never get enough of them. These cat eye reflectors from River Island are indeed my new favorite.

# Fur Sliders

Fur sliders are sooo big this season! They are the more stylish and edgy way to wear chappals and I clearly can't get over how comfortable and stylish they are. I bought mine from Zara and you could buy them literally anywhere because they're widely available at a lot of stores. 

# Quirky White sneakers

White sneakers just got an update! They have become so much more than just regular shoes and quirky patches and embroidery have made it all the more stylish. I bought mine from Shein.com They have a pineapple print on them and trust me, I'm obsessed! 

Thanks guys for reading along! See you soooon.

                               ~Thought for the week~

"Never regret anything in life. If it is good, its wonderful. If it is bad, its an experience."

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Room Tour! // New Beginnings

Hola beautiful people! How's everyone doing? Hope you're enjoying the brand new layout and theme of my website, let me know in the comments below. This blog post is rather a special one because after a really long time I've re-embraced my love for blogging and passion for fashion, yes that rhymed! From almost shutting my website to re-building it I'm really happy about my enthusiasm to create new content and share it with you guys. In this 2.0 updated version of my blog I want to change things up big time! Firstly, the content. I don't want to stick to fashion, but want to be more open about my life experiences. Be it traveling, funny anecdotes or experiences of my first's, I want to talk about it and make this website my online diary, quiet literally! No, I haven't started over with the intention of becoming popular or increasing followers, but I've done this for my love for blogging that I lost somewhere amidst the Instagram competition to stand out and reach the 'k' followers.I hope you guys follow me along with this journey and support me.

 In other news, I'm currently learning Spanish which explains the introductory hola :p According to the app that I'm learning it on I'm 12% fluent in the language, let's see how long it takes me to reach a full 100! One bummer this week has definitely been the underwhelming rains in Mumbai and makes me majorly reminisce 2007/8 rainfall.

If you've been following me on social media (which you should be) you'd know that I recently filmed and captured the fairly new elements of my room to put together a room tour. Here are a few photos and details of the items in my room. Full video is on Instagram, check it out!

 Here's the layout of my room. That's my bed from style spa which I've for many years now. The highlight of the bed is definitely the covers. Bought this 'high school musical' themed bed sheet from Shoppers Stop. The blanket is from D'decor and is undoubtedly the best one I've owned yet.

That's my favorite window. Irrespective of the fact that I live in one of the busiest cities in the country I'm fortunate to have a quiet amidst the noise in my little corner. It's the lush green trees and birds chirping that really get me going in the morning!

A major part of my room re-decoration was this wall. I've wanted a world map of some sort in my room for the longest time and this idea of painting it on my blue textured wall couldn't have been any better. The wall reminds me of how vast the earth is. The more you travel, the more you realize that there's so many countries yet unexplored and so many sights yet unseen. They say its a small world, but is it? The wall depicts my passion for traveling and makes me feel grateful all the time.

No room is complete without some tumblr inspo and DIY love. I saw this wall grid in one of Alisha Marie's videos and wanted to put up something similar in my room. So I diy'ed it (if that's a word) and used an old grill. Spray painted that and hug it up. It's still not done yet because I need to put up more pictures and accesories.

Next up is my desk that I truly adore. Woodwork really fascinates and FabIndia is literally a place I could spend hours admiring just that! I bought this table a couple of years ago and must say, it's still in great shape. I got it polished last month for the first time. On my table I have some plants and flowers. If you ever happen to visit my house you'd know my mom is a plant LOVER and over the period of time she has turned me into one too. Needless to say, I have a lot of plants in room including these cute saplings that I purchased from a store opposite Mini Punjab in Pali hill, Bandra. 

This gorgeous cane art that I don't like to call a bin stands beside this table. I bought it from Arabella (Pali hill, Bandra) and you must visit this store if you want to buy some cool home decor with intricate details.

Can't miss out this hanging lamp again from Fab India. 

Here's my 'vanity' as I like to call it! A huge mirror that usually distracts me while I'm studying, some fairy lights from Fab India (I'm quite a FabIndia hoarder) and of course my storage full of products, oils, comic books and random bits and bobs. 

A Kashmiri mattress because every Indian home is incomplete without one.

Wanted to include another pair of creepers in this blog post. Ah, the joy of having greens around you is weirdly enriching!

Gracias! Thanks guys for reading along. Adios, see you next week!

..Thought for the week..

We rise by lifting others and supporting others success won't dampen yours. Empower & grow.

Pots of positivity,

Juweria <3

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10 must do in Norway (Summer)

The last and final part of the #scandinaviaseries is finally here! Can we just take a moment to notice the fact that every other post of mine begins with a "Sorry I've been so inactive lat.." ? Just wanted to tell you guys that I'm studying in 12th grade now which means I am surrounded with work and a ton of different things to do! Anyway, let's finish this series on a high note. I'm going to be chatting about one of the most breathtaking country I have ever had the fortune to visit, Norway. From crystal blue water to the spotless white snow, this place has so much to offer for every nature lover.Norway is a country ten times smaller than India with some of the best scenic wonders in the world and not to forget, a very tourist friendly country with the most friendly locals. 
I have listed down 10 must do's in this post that I experienced and you should too if you're visiting the country in no particular order. Have a look!

#1 Shop at Karl Johans, Oslo

The capital city unlike other capitals isn't as bustling as you would expect it to be. The city has got quite corners, lush green streets and a lot of cycles. Being a lover of the city vibe, Karl Johan street was an instant hit with me. Live artists performing, rock bands performing in the corner, lovely shopping stores and the best add-on being the fact that it is a walking street, so no vehicles. I did quite a lot of shopping from stores like Lush and Victoria's secret which are yet to arrive in India along with some local brands like bik bok and stadium which I absolutely loved! Do visit this street while you're in Oslo if you love shopping and want to enjoy a lit evening at a cafe around the corner with good music.

#2 Visit Geilo

Geilo was undoubtedly a hidden gem. While road tripping around Norway and stopping by numerous towns, little did I know that one night at the resort town of Geilo would be such a delight. I visited the town in summer which means there was so snow activity (which is what it is well known for), but that didn't stop us from hiking up on a snowy mountain or relaxing in a hot pool. I stayed at Vestllia hotel which I highly recommend for a cozy getaway overlooking snow.

Here's a link to the official Geilo website: https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/eastern-norway/geilo/

#3 Stay at Dragsvik Hotel, Balestrand

Probably my favorite accommodation in the entire trip was this cozy two storey guesthouse. This country style house was no where close to a hotel room. Overlooking a glistening lake, the cozy rooms with woolen blankets and wooden balconies were all I could ever ask for. The room had a little kitchen, dining area and the fluffiest bed I've ever layed on. The staff is super sweet too and they provide you with cycles to ride across the hill side too! A must must must visit if you stop by Balestrand.

#4 Cruise across Naeoyfjord fjord

How can i talk about Norway and not talk about the famous fjords? The view cannot be captured from the best lenses in the world. Of course, there are a lot fjords in Norway and honestly all are very famous and equally stunning. So take a pick on the fjord you want to visit, but don't come back home without cruising across one. There are plenty of boats and cruises that travel in and around Norway and it is definitely worth the money!

#5 Eat at a sea food market in Bergen

After a long journey to the Southwestern coast of Norway to the picturesque city of Bergen the first thing we did was indulge in some fresh Norwegian sea food produce! From salmon to cod fish there was just so much to offer. The open air sea food market in tucked on the side of the streets is quite a sight to see. So grab a table by the lake and enjoy some scrumptious food! We ate at a place called "Fish Me" which served really good food.

Here's a link to the official site of Bergen tourism
https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/fjord-norway/bergen/

#6 Experience the midnight sun & of course the Northern lights!

Unfortunately I couldn't experience the northern lights despite travelling so far away but having said that I thoroughly enjoyed the Norwegian summers! Norway is packed with natural wonders and the Midnight sun is one you can experience during the summer time. Being an Indian I'm used to the calling it a day by 7:00pm, but in Norway it is a totally different ball game all together. The sun sets at around 3, sometimes 4:00am and on some days doesn't set at all! It is on such days you feel grateful for the existence of curtains :-p

#7 Music festivals

If you're an avid follower of electronic and metal music you'd know that some of the world chart toppers from these genres are from Norway. Right from Alan Walker to Kygo are from Norway! If you're a music buff plan a midnight sun concert or experience Vinjerock, a music festival 1060 metres above sea level!

#8 Make a pit stop at Voringfoss

I saw the most beautiful sight of nature in the entire trip in this one stop. At first I was too lazy to get out of the car mid-way the road trip, but was stunned to see nature at it's absolute best. Waterfalls, rainbows and a mist of fog, it looked like a painting. 

#9 Eat authentic Norwegian food at grefsenkollen restaurant

The urge to eat local food when travelling abroad is real! Our local guide suggested us this cafe which was just beyond incredible. This restaurant which is actually a wedding chapel too looked from straight off  a Magic tree house dream! Must eat the famous local apple cake along with open sandwiches and fish cakes!

#10 Take a cross country cruise

If i had to point out one of the most fun nights of my life, it would be the night at a cruise while travelling from Denmark to Norway. Yes, this doesn't count as things to do in 'Norway' but where else would you find yourself surrounded by snow capped mountains and majestic waves? The Scandinavian cruise lines are wonederful and you must try it out!

This marks the end of my #scandinaviaseries I really hope you guys enjoyed it! Let me know what series you want to see next and have a good day!

Let's be friends, find me on social media!

~ Instagram 

~ Twitter

~ Roposso app: @JuweriaJilani

~ Wooplr app: @JuweriaJilani

Mail me : ria_juweria@yahoo.co.in

Thanks for reading!

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Ultimate Scandinavia Travel Guide!

Hey lovelies! Hope everybody is having a great week. For me, it has been an incredible week in Mumbai with the rains pouring in and the days getting slightly cooler. Talking about cooler weather, I'm totally reminiscing the Scandinavian weather and also, of course the trip! While thinking about what exactly it is that I want to share with you guys in the second post, I thought I'd do something different this time. Since, I traveled to five countries and numerous cities I figured it would be difficult to write about each and every place. So, I have planned on sharing a guide for you guys talking you through the do's and dont's and some tips. Let's begin, shall we?

~ Money matters

One very important aspect of the trip that we were unaware about was the fact that every country accepts only their local currency. Which means, for a person like me who had been hopping from one country to another it was absolutely inconvenient to queue up at money transfer counters everyday other day. 

Nevertheless, Ria money transfer is the best money exchange store in Scandinavia and had the best prices. The best way to spend money is via a credit card. Right from buying a bottle of coke to booking your hotel, credit cards are accepted everywhere. Make sure you're going tax-free while using your card too. You can exchange a slip for cash at the airport before departing, but make sure you're doing that in the same country. 

~Walk/cycle

The worst decision you can make while moving around the city is using the taxi or public transport. Especially the metro was very expensive. Since, cycles are available for hire almost everywhere and the cities are relatively small you should definitely opt for cycling or walking. Honestly, walking is the most genuine way to explore a city, it's people, the culture and the food scene. Cities like Copenhagen and Helsinki are also explored very well via ferries, give that a shot too!

~  Pack warm

Whether it is summer or winter, the temperatures are always low. Especially for Indians, the summer season too is unbearable. Carry thermals, warm jackets, extra t-shirts and comfortable shoes with thick socks if you're going to walk on snow and glaciers. Also, carry waterproofs because it can rain anytime.

~ When to visit? 

May-August is the best time to visit Scandic countries. I was lucky enough to bask under the sun for almost my entire trip along with experiencing the midnight sun. If you want to experience the ice and snow, that too is available minus the skiing. Have a look at the temperatures prior to planning your dates because trust me you don't want to be shivering in the cold and have zero visibility in the fog!

~ Prefer Waterways

One of the best journeys we had during the trip was the ones we had in the ferries. The gorgeous fjords and secluded towns by the coast were just amazing to look at. Since I didn't travel via the rails I don't know if it is worth it, as far as I know, it is moderately priced and has stunning views too. We took innumerable ferries in this trip including the ones from one town to another with our vehicle. It was really efficient and worth it! Especially in cities like Helsinki and Copenhagen, a ferry guided tour is a must to see a different side of the city.

~ Travelling by road

So we traveled to all the towns in Norway via road which wasn't a bad decision at all! We saw the most beautiful sights including the vast expanse of Norwegian ice and the gushing the flow of white water while doing so and the tourist friendly pit stops and cozy cafes on the way are just fantastic add-ons. The roads are safe too.

~ Invest in a good local guide

Most of the times you'll find it tough to get around the city because of language issues. It is of course great to explore on your own, but hiring a local guide who is well acquainted with the local language and culture can sure be handy! Here's a picture of us with our guide whom we nicknamed "Mr.Trump" because his original name was too difficult to pronounce and rhymed with Trump! 

~ Deadlines

When planning your day keep in mind that almost everything in the city shuts post 6:30/7. It is definitely odd for me because I'm the kind of person who always plans post 7! Mainly the malls and shopping outlets shut at 6:30 pm so make sure you're early for your shopping sprees.

~Save money on water

The water in Scandinavian countries is one of the purest. It is said that their bathing water is purer than India's drinking water! Keeping in mind that tap water is absolutely safe, you can save a lot of bucks on bottles.

~ Last but not the least, click loads of photos! The scenic beauty can't be captured even with the best dslr's, but nevertheless these memories can surely last forever!

Let's be friends, find me on social media!

~ Instagram 

~ Twitter

~ Roposso app: @JuweriaJilani

~ Wooplr app: @JuweriaJilani

Mail me : ria_juweria@yahoo.co.in

Thanks for reading!

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