That’s one of the things I love about makeup. You can change your whole attitude by just doing your eyeliner or lipstick differently.

During this pandemic time, a bit of makeup might lift up your mood and give you that right attitude to face the daily hurdles. Our guest blogger, Madhuparna Kar has shared some simple and useful makeup tips, and her journey into this world of beauty.

Am I beauty obsessed?

I first became aware of my passion for skincare when I developed severe dull skin during my postpartum.

Back then, the maternity leave was just 3 months; so, the thought of showing that face to work gave me nightmares.

I started researching the Internet. I read about a zillion articles on the web about skincare and then followed the routine which suited me.

This fixed my skin within six weeks’ time! I was so inspired by the impact and positive change in my life that I decided on never taking my skin for granted.

That’s how I became what I am today – a beauty obsessed!

Makeup came way later into my life. I mean, I never was aloof to the art of making myself attractive. I knew the basic functionalities of a kajal, eyeliner, foundation, compact, and a bit of eyeshadow too back in my college days. But that was it! High-end and drugstore products, contouring, highlighting, baking, cut crease, or kabuki brushes- these terms were alien to me.

While skincare is more important in the long run, that does not mean we should consider makeup our enemy.

Makeup can do so much for you and the best part is that it comes off at the end of the day and you can experiment with so many things every day.

Read More: Fitness Starts With I

Simple Makeup Tips

Have dark circles or redness you want to cover up? Color correctors are your BFFs.

Have blemishes or scars? Concealer will save the day.

Have enlarged pores and fine lines? A primer will fill it all and make a smooth base.

Have uneven skin? A foundation will take care of it all.

Need to chisel out your face? Contour it out.

Want to look lit from within? Highlighter! and the list is never-ending.

Just remember that the main principle behind makeup is to enhance what we already have: natural beauty.

Makeup is not a mask to hide behind. It is just a smart way to cover some imperfections.

And that is how the fine lines between skincare and makeup began to blur. Even the beauty industry is now infusing skincare with makeup, offering the best of both worlds.

In the end, I would say the choice for makeup is yours. Good skin is the key to great-looking makeup. Even if your skin is perfect most of the time, there may be breakouts now and then and makeup can be a quick fix.

My Go to Brands

I personally am not a high-end brand person. Come on let’s face it, I am no Beyonce!! So, I try to pick products that are pocket friendly and still do the job right. Here is a list of my goto products which I use.

Concealer and correctors

The perfect destination:  L.A Girl PRO. Conceal concealers/correctors. I am totally bowled over by its performance. In terms of coverage, shade selection and of course money, this one clearly is a winner!

Price:  Around Rs 600 for 8g

Buy the L.A Girl PRO Conceal online.

Primer: Lakme Absolute Blur Perfect Makeup Primer

A perfecting primer that instantly blurs imperfections and reduces the appearance of pores for up to eight hours.

Price:  Around Rs 700 for 30g

Buy Lakme Absolute Blur Perfect Makeup Primer online.

Foundation: Maybelline New York Super Stay Full Coverage Foundation

Nothing is as perfect as this. Been my bestie for years now. A vast range of shades to choose from.

Price – Rs 750 for 30ml

Buy Maybelline New York Super Stay Full Coverage Foundation online.

Highlighter: Maybelline New York Face Studio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter

Absolutely nothing comes close to this. And the glow it gives is legit.

Price – Rs 550

Buy online the Maybelline New York Face Studio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter.

Contour: Kay Beauty Contour Stick

This one was tricky. I was searching for a contour stick to suit my wheatish complexion but failed to find one. And then I bumped into this holy product. It melts in the skin like butter. The pigmentation is just perfect.

Price – Rs 600

Buy online the Kay Beauty Contour Stick.

Bottom Line: Keep it Sweet and Subtle

Makeup is important, but too many women make the mistake of wearing so much that they lose its benefits.

Be mindful of the impression you want to make, and focus on using makeup to enhance your natural beauty.

I would be lying if I said I am a makeup expert, but yes, I am learning. Makeup is an art form, which requires extensive research and practice to master. But at the end of the day, creating a new look does give me a feeling of euphoria. A smokey eye, a cut crease, or a dewy look, you name it, and Google will provide you with more videos than you can think of.

I would say if you have the time, energy and inclination, go for it. I promise you will feel the difference!

My Inspiration

I have been following this angel for quite some time now on Instagram and Youtube. Her name is Malvika Sitlani Aryan. Her makeup tips are unbeatable – she makes it look like a cakewalk.

Insta Handle: malvikasitlaniofficial

Down below are listed 3 videos of her youtube channel where you can learn the basic makeup tips. It helped me with the basics, so just go for them.

Class 1 – HOW TO GET THE PERFECT BASE | For beginners | Malvika Sitlani

Class 2 – How to Contour, Blush & Highlight | For Beginners | Malvika Sitlani

Class 3 – EYEBROWS & EYESHADOW | For beginners | Malvika Sitlani

About Madhuparna Kar

A techie by profession, Madhuparna Kar is a fashion enthusiast. She lives in Kolkata with her cute little six-year-old son and hubby. She not only enjoys dressing up but also has loads of useful tricks and tips in her kitty. Besides taking care of her external beauty, she’s a fitness freak. Check out her Insta handle @madhuparna4u, for some fitness and makeup tips.

Disclaimer: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a small commission if you purchase products via our website. Your purchases support us in bringing you informative and fun-filled articles.

The post Making Yourself Up With Some Useful Makeup Tips appeared first on KolkataFusion.

A few months ago, an event was organized in the school where I work, wherein the students had to submit a rangoli design made on a piece of paper. Here in Bangalore, the pan-India background of the students is quite obvious. I was intrigued to see the regional touches in the Rangoli designs submitted.

Rangoli in West Bengal

In this pandemonium, my mind often races back to the happier times- to those of my childhood days.

As a young girl, I remember, the night prior to the Saraswati Puja, I was made to study for a couple of hours extra as the books would be resting at the deity’s feet for the next two days.

So, right after dinner, my mother would tuck her pallu in her waist and make me a loose batter made up of ‘Atop chaal’ ( refined rice)  and water. She would then give me a piece of clean cloth, and with a twinkle in her eyes, she would say, “Go, now make something beautiful!” I would then sit and make the rangoli (or “Alpona,” as we call it in Bengali). Often this would continue till midnight. I would be accompanied by my Thamma, who would lie on the cot right next to me and narrate the stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata while I worked. Amidst the quietness of the night, she hummed through and the room would turn into a magical place with her vivid descriptions.

Also Read: The scroll painters of Naya – the village of myths and lores

Rangoli in South India

A few years later, when I was in college, I happened to visit Kerala and Kanyakumari for college excursions. The train was late, we reached the hotel at the crack of dawn. While on the way to the hotel, my curiosity was aroused again when I noticed ladies making rangolis at their thresholds. It was not wet; on the contrary, they were using some kind of a white powder. The rangolis looked very different too. There were no floral patterns, but an intricate pattern of dots and lines. The receptionist later explained that these were traditionally called Kolam in Tamil Nadu and Muggulu Rangoli in Andhra Pradesh. Rice flour was used to make these so that the ants and the birds didn’t have to go elsewhere looking for food. I was fascinated!

Kolams are still made at the thresholds of houses after the floor is wet wiped. In rural areas, much like that in Bengal, the floor is first smeared with cowdung. It is believed to have antiseptic properties.

Across India, special occasions are celebrated by laying down beautiful and colourful rangolis. In Bengal, we call it Alpona. It is called Aripana in Bihar, Kolam in Tamil Nadu, Muggulu rangoli in Andhra, Chouk Purna in Chattisgarh, Joti in Odhisha and so on.

But how did it all start?

To assign this practice to the recent past would be an anachronism. There are myriad stories and anecdotes to support the creation of such rangolis.

Thamma once told me that the first Rangoli ever was made by Lopamudra, the wife of Agastya Muni. She wanted to help her husband in his daily rituals and decided to decorate the Yajnakunda. So, she invoked all the five elements from nature and, therefore, derived red colour from the fire, white from the wind, black from the soil, green from the water and blue from the sky. That’s how the first-ever rangoli was created.

One more story from Mithila, Bihar, mentions that King Dhrupad was ecstatic when Ram wed Sita and commanded the royal servants to decorate the whole palace with ‘Aripanas.’

Another story from Southern India mentions how the Gopis drew kolams to drown their sorrows when Lord Krishna left Vrindavan.

Some of the common motifs used in such rangolis are also very riveting. Considering the fact that during ancient times, the means of communication were very limited. Yet, there were many similarities in the Vedic symbols used in the designs pan India.

Such designs became absorbed into tribal households as well. One could find evidence of these symbols on the walls of the mud houses in many tribal villages across the country as well.

The practice of drawing threshold rangolis resonates with the idea of “Vasudaiva Kutumbakam”- the entire universe is a single family. The designs are primarily symmetrical, which portrays the idea of Shiva and Shakti and idealizes universal balance. Rangolis are made to drive away evil spirits and channelize positive energy to promote a sense of unity and peace.

I genuinely feel that we all should realize the significance of these traditional practices. And arise from “me and you” to “us.”

Trivia

In several Asian cultures, we find a prevalent spiritual symbol called ‘Mandala.’ It is also found in several monasteries in Sikkim. Mandala directly translates in Sanskrit to a round object. It is believed that as one progresses from the outer core of the mandala towards the centre, all his sufferings transform into joy.

About Ria S. Mazumdar

Based in Bangalore, Ria is an educator by profession, artist and singer by passion. A true Bong at heart- that kind of a person who would choose fuchka over panipuri, polau over biryani and ‘mamlet’ over “omlette”!

The post History and Significance of Rangoli appeared first on KolkataFusion.

একটা ছোট কামরা । না রেলগাড়ির কামরা নয় ।এটা বড়ো মাপের একটা ঘরের অংশ ।ঘরটার মাঝে একটা দেয়াল দিয়ে বারো আনা আর চার আনা দুটি অংশে ভাগ করা । আমরা চার আনার অংশটা কে কামরা বলছি । ঘরটাকে এইভাবে ভাগ করার কারণ, বারো আনার ঘরটাকে ভাড়া দেওয়া । ভাড়া খুবই কম ।তবে ভাড়ার অর্থ মালিকের একটি আয়ের উৎস।

ঘরের মালিক লোকটার বয়স প্রায় ছাব্বিশ । রোগা রোগা হাত পা । মুখটা  শীর্ণ । পকেটে থাকা ওয়ালেটের অবস্থা আরো করুন । চার আনার কামরার সিলিংএর কিছুটা চোকলা উঠে গেছে । ঘরের কোনের বেসিনের পাইপ এ  কিছু সমস্যা আছে । জল পড়ছে টপ-টপ করে । শব্দও হচ্ছে ।

লোকটা পাঁচ তারা হোটেলে বেহালা বাজায় । ছ’ বছরের হতাশা ওর মুখে জুটিয়েছে লম্বাটে সিগেরেট । আর যৌবন পরিণত হয়েছে সিগেরেটের ছাই তে । ক্যালেন্ডারের ক্রুশবিদ্ধ যীশুর মতো সেও আটকে পড়েছে । রোজ রোজ হোটেলে সস্তা হিন্দি সুর বাজাতে বাজাতে হাঁফিয়ে গেছে  ও । এ যেন এক চক্রব্যূহ , সাজানো হয়েছে  তাকে ঘিরে । স্বপ্নের কাছে পরাজয় অবশ্য তার গা-সওয়া হয়ে গেছে । গা-সওয়া হয়ে গেছে  এই আলো-আঁধারি নির্বাসন ।

To read more interesting Bengali articles, click

লোকটা ঘরে বসে কিছু একটা পড়ছে । অবশ্য কাছে থেকে লক্ষ্য করলে দেখা যাবে যে ওই  ‘কিছু ‘ টা উল্টো করে ধরা আর চোখের দৃষ্টি শূণ্য । অর্থাৎ আমাদের শিল্পী মশাই কিছু ভাবছেন ।

কাগজের ঠান্ডা বিজ্ঞাপন শিল্প-সত্ত্বায় উষ্ণতা এনেছে। বিজ্ঞাপনটা একটা প্রতিযোগিতার ।  লোকটা তড়াক করে লাফিয়ে উঠেছিল বিজ্ঞাপনটা দেখে । এতে একটা সংগীত -প্রতিষ্ঠান একটা বেহালা বাজানোর প্রতিযোগিতার প্রচার করেছে । এতে যেকোনো ব্যাক্তি প্রতিষ্ঠানের নিজস্ব রেকর্ডিং ষ্টুডিওতে নিজের সৃষ্টি করা বেহালার সুরের রেকর্ডিং করতে পারবে । তাও নাম মাত্র মূল্যে। পরে সেই রেকর্ডিং করা কপি জমা দেওয়া যাবে সেই প্রতিষ্ঠানে ।

বেহালা থেকে বিমর্ষতার সুর ধ্বনিত হয় । কিছু দিনের মধ্যেই সে রেকর্ডিং স্টুডিওর সঙ্গে যোগাযোগ করলো । আরো কিছু দিনের মধ্যেই সুরের প্রাথমিক পর্যায় তৈরী হয়ে গেলো । এরপর কিছু এডিট ও ফিল্টার  করে সে তার বেহালার সুরের কপি জমা দিয়ে দেয় প্রতিষ্ঠানটিতে ।

আস্তে আস্তে ফলপ্রকাশের দিন চলে আসে। শিল্পী মশাই মনে মনে বেশ উত্তেজিত। এই কয়েকদিনে তার শারীরিক ও মানসিক  অবস্থার বেশ পরিবর্তন এসেছে ।পাঁচতারা হোটেলে বাজনা বাজাতে যায়নি সে প্রায় দু সপ্তাহ । সিগেরেট খাওয়ায় নিয়ন্ত্রণ আনতে হয়েছে । গলায় খুব যন্ত্রনা আর ঘড়ঘড়ে কাশি , তার কণ্ঠরোধ করছে ।

জীবনে প্রথমবার ট্যাক্সি ডেকে শিল্পী মশাই চললেন সংগীত প্রতিষ্ঠানে । অডিটোরিয়ামে বেশ কিছুক্ষন বিভিন্ন বক্তার বক্তৃতার পর, ফলাফল ঘোষণা শুরু হয় । বক্তৃতা শোনার মতো অবস্থা তার ছিলোনা । চোখ ঘোলাটে হয়ে আসছিলো । গলায় অসম্ভব জ্বালা করছিলো । ফলাফল ঘোষণার সময় প্রথমেই নিজের নাম শুনে কোনো মতে মঞ্চে ওঠে । প্রতিষ্ঠানের সম্পাদক তার হাতে পদকটা তুলে দেওয়ার প্রায় সঙ্গে সঙ্গেই ধড়াস করে মঞ্চে পড়ে  যায় ।  একটু হুড়োহুড়ি । একটু হইচই। তখন শিল্পী মশাই এর চোখে জল । কিন্তু মুখে হাসি । কিছুক্ষনের মধ্যেই ডাক্তার আসেন । হাতে পালস পান না ।  আর হ্যাঁ, চার আনার ছোটো কামরার বেসিনের পাইপ থেকে জল পড়ার টপ-টপ  শব্দ আর কোনো দিনও পাওয়া যায় নি ।

About Sarasij Basu Mallick

Sarasij comes from Sheakhala, a small town in the Hooghly district. He is a Mathematics geek studying at Serampore College.
Books have always fascinated him from his early childhood and they drive him to ‘think’ differently. In his words, “Yes any form of art requires thinking. But, while writing, I have to realize that thinking is not the key to good stories. Good stories go much beyond writing – It needs to explore culture – politics – history and much more! I try to encapsulate some of my thought through my writings. And, I have an irrefragable idea that one day my pen will help me to explore myself.”

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of www.kolkatafusion.wordpress.com. Any omissions or errors are the author’s and KolkataFusion does not assume any liability or responsibility for them.

The post চার আনার কামরা appeared first on KolkataFusion.

Though Earth’s age is more than 4.5 billion years, we started celebrating its birthday just a few decades back. It was a conscientious effort to make the inhabitants of this Earth, that’s us, aware about her natural bounty and beauty. The Earth Day pledges to keep the planet beautiful, as it was, when it was formed.

Before we share the poem, a brief history

US Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson with 20 million American families had first celebrated Earth Day on April 22, 1970. They took to the streets to raise environmental awareness among people. In 2016, the event got acceptance by many other countries and it’s a world event celebrated on April 22, every year.

Earth Day 2021 Theme

The theme of Earth Day 2021 is Restore Our Earth. The focus is primarily on examining natural processes, finding out new green technologies and innovative ways to restore the world’s ecosystems

To know more, read Forbes’ article.

Happy Earth Day

-Diptanu Chakraborty

Click for more article by our Kid bloggers.

The post Happy Earth Day 2021 appeared first on KolkataFusion.

I am The Black Diamond Express. I am a superfast weekly express from Howrah station Kolkata in West Bengal to Dhanbad. My inaugural run was on 1^st July 2013. I am Coalfield express’s sibling as we both have the same loco WAP 7 of Howrah electric loco shed. We both travel from Howrah to Dhanbad. Being a daily train, I am busy as I have to take the passengers back to their homes and on their journeys every day. I love children a lot – and they love me so much.

Enters Coronavirus

One day I heard the driver was talking to a person about a lockdown. Some virus named Coronavirus had come from China. People were dying, so lockdown was started. I was shed with all my friends like Coalfield, Jan Shatabdi, Poorva, Shatabdi, Duronto and Rajdhani. The driver patted me and said that we need to be safe or else we will fall sick, so all trains were closed. I felt very sad and was crying. I was missing the driver, all the children and also the passengers. I was also missing the outside view of Nature like green trees, crops, the rivers flowing under the bridge. Seeing me so sad Coalfield said ‘Knedona knedona…sob kichu thik hobe…amar babula’. (Don’t cry, everything will be fine).

I was in the shed for a long time, missing all the good golden memories I had while I travelled. I remembered women carrying babies in their laps, the first journey of children. And I also often thought of a small child named Roopo, who really loved me and used to travel from Asansol to Howrah. Roopo always said hello to me, waving his hand, and shared his stories and songs with me.

While we were in the shed, Shatabdi was called for his special duty. So, I called cousin WAP 5 to take Shatabdi and make children happy and help the passengers. I felt gloomy and thought, ‘When will my turn come?’ Before leaving, Shatabdi gave me a peck on the cheek. Some trains were released.

Finally….

One day, on 12^th February, my ‘annaprasan’ started. I got new coaches. I was thrilled and on the 13^th, I was released to do my special duty. All the children were happy. I was the Howrah Dhanbad Special train who wanted to give happy memories. When I went out on the tracks, I felt so glad as I finally got the fresh air of Nature. I looked around and saw trees dancing with happiness, rivers clapping, clouds were crying with joy and all the plants were hugging. The passengers again started travelling. They were all wearing masks. They were happy to see me. All the kids were proud to see me because I was back. All the compartments were back. The AC compartments made me chilly while the sweet breezes from the Non-AC Compartments uplifted my mood.

Click to Read More Stories By Our Young Writers.

I am looking forward to seeing Roopo travel in my coaches again. I love that child Roopo and he too loves me. The Boy Roopo Visited Me & spoke to the engine driver and I felt happy. I want to continue my journey and make everyone happy again.

By and lots of love,

Black Diamond Express

About Diptanu Chakraborty

Diptanu Chakraborty, currently studying at standard 7 at The Cambridge School, has started his storytelling journey when he was only 4.5 yrs. His mum was the sole listener to his 4 line stories. He is fascinated with dragons, dinosaurs, volcanoes, trains and interprets the world in his own creative way with vivid descriptions. Seeing the usual stuffs in an unusual way~  may be the most important virtue of any writer and Diptanu is blessed with it. He also tends to bring in elements he is scared of like lightning, cockroach, airplanes and deals with them in a fun manner in his stories. And, if you have ever known that High Functioning Autistic children have communication problems then his stories will make you rethink!
So, let’s explore Diptanu’s world of imagination!

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of www.kolkatafusion.com. Any omissions or errors are the author’s and KolkataFusion does not assume any liability or responsibility for them.

The post An Autobiography of Black Diamond Express appeared first on KolkataFusion.

Creativity thrives when it openly welcomes novel ideas and encourages growth through constant debates and discussions of the higher-order.

This section is for our guests, our readers, who want to share their personal experiences, stories or events related to Bengalis, Kolkata, and Bengal with all of us. The write-ups can be on Bengali culture, fashion, lifestyle, food, Adda and travel. Send in your entries with corresponding images (should ideally be of high quality) that adds value to your words, and we will publish them with your name. Please don’t forget to add your brief bio along with your blog link or youtube link, along with the article. 

Once you publish more than 2 blogs with us, you can be assigned individual login credentials, and then you will be free to update your expressions on the Guest Posts section of KolkataFusion, using the same.

We will also be more than happy to share your words, paintings, sketches, photographs – in short anything that captures the essence of life, particularly life in Bengal or a Bengali life anywhere on this earth.

Let’s brew in some stories together. Your collaborations are our prized possessions.

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You asked me several times

The brand of my perfume, you

Even searched my jewelry box

And made a long face when all

Your suspicions went wrong like

A morn that couldn’t tell the day

You never believed me when

I said that jasmine is a mind-tree

It grows inside me, in my mind,

Loaded with floral fragrance

In my soul, it grows to live

I water the sapling every day

With wishes that soar above the

Uterine walls of this burnt house

I sing a lullaby every night,

To the tree born in my mind

I am a mother, ’tis my child

Though you tell me endlessly

that I am a childless woman

About Shyamasri Maji 

Shyamasri Maji is an Assistant Professor in English at Durgapur Women’s College (affiliated to Kazi Nazrul University, Asansol). Areas of her research interest include Diasporic Studies, Postcolonial literature and the Anglo-Indian community. Her articles have been published in international journals such as Antipodes, Indialogs, Doc On-Line, International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies and Third World Thematics (Routledge). She writes short stories and poems in English, some of which have been published in Muse India (“The Nettle Leaves”), Six Seasons Review (“Maya’s Apartment”), Story Mirror (“The Birthday Party”), Setu (“Skin Poems”), Kolkata Fusion, Indian Periodical and Teesta Review.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of www.kolkatafusion.wordpress.com. Any omissions or errors are the author’s and KolkataFusion does not assume any liability or responsibility for them.

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