Shòngruff

Sunday, February 17, 2019

Exploring Manali, Solang, Tosh & Kheer Ganga Everything in Just 4 Days

I do not know whether I should be happy or regretful that I finally mustered the strength to pen down my blog and edit this long due post and video of my Kheer Ganga trek (almost 6 months, sobs😢). This happened because I was focusing on the video, and editing a video is a gigantic task!

So without digressing much, I will head straight to the topic:

The trip began on Wednesday. It was going to be a long weekend holiday because it was Diwali time. There was a pang of guilt inside me that this Diwali, I was not going home, my grandmother would be alone at home, without me. But I was keen to go to Spiti this time.

Wait..wait..wait wasn't this post about Kheer Ganga? You must be wondering right now!

The thing is my brother & I was eager to visit Spiti anyhow. Now that we had 4 days off from our offices, we could have easily taken 1 or 2 days further off and tick Spiti off the bucket list✅ But destiny had its own plans.
On Wednesday night, we boarded our HRTC bus. I really recommend the govt. volvo buses whenever you are traveling to the mountains. They are the most comfortable and are on time always.

Day 1 (Manali Day):

Let's begin...

Welcome to Manali!

We got down at Manali bus stand. I cannot explain how the breath of fresh cold air captivated me for a few seconds only to be ruined by the shrilling noise of buses, unruly taxis, and their drivers. The mismanagement was clearly visible.

A proper set up is needed where buses, autos, and taxis can stand separately along with the installation of dustbins every 100 meters because it is one of the busiest bus stands in the Himachal Pradesh.
We inquired about the mode of transport to Spiti. Buses were shut down on that route because snowfall was expected during that time. And taxis were charging freaking 12,000/- for one side.

So we had to skip it! Now I was like "Isse acha to main ghar hi chali jati Diwali pe". I was feeling more guilty with every passing moment while seeing people coming to their home for the festival. Then I thought, "Ab kuch nahi ho sakta ta".

We walked to the Manali motors shop to hire a scooter. and did get one. But while doing some research I found that the best shop in Manali to hire bikes is EPIC BIKES. (Call Karan 8894777300).
We glided through the roads of old Manali and Solang for the whole day on our scooter.

Solang, Yak, and Hadimba

And with that, Day 1 ended only after a long stroll in the market where you can buy a souvenir or two and enjoy delicious food while enjoying flavors of "pahadi" culture all around.

Exploring streets of Manali

At night we went out again to a nearby cafe to celebrate Diwali.

Happy Diwali!

To explore how to have fun while in Manali: 10 Things You Can Do Nearby Manali

Do not miss out on Hadimba Temple, stopping by at roadside waterfalls (some of them will surprise you!), paragliding (for the adventure sports lover, there are many other activities at Solang valley) and pictures with the yak.

They were cute.

So it was Manali exploration for day 1, where we covered all the nearby tourist spots on our scooter, enjoyed some "golgappas" in the old Manali market(good for an evening stroll) and then celebrated Diwali.

Day 2 (Let's go to Tosh):

The next day started with a journey. We were supposed to leave Manali for Tosh. On our way, we were to pass through the "smokey" town Kasol and the "hot springs" of Manikarnan. We were ready!

Bhai looking for the bus.

Bummer!

Well, it didn't go as planned. For the whole day, we were hopping from one bus to another.

First, we boarded a bus from Manali to Manikaran. From there we took a local bus to Barshaini. From Barshaini, you can either walk up to Tosh or take a taxi costing about Rs. 100 per head (we took the taxi, of course) because we wanted to reach there before it got dark.

Milestone 'Tosh' achieved

And finally, by around 5 in the evening, we reached Tosh. It drizzled that night and past midnight we were welcomed by a sky full of constellations. Strange no! one moment cloudy, another moment clear night. You may think it is all so exhausting, we are picking our bags every morning and heading for a new journey. But apart from the time crunch that we 9-5 job people have, this was our plan. We were mentally prepared. We wanted to explore every place in whatever time we had. Yes, it does at times wants you to get up early but it is actually fun. You get so many memories with you. I do both sorts of travels which involve all day explorations and full day chilling. Believe me, both have perks of their own.

Spent the night in a very trippy cafe of Tosh, or that's what I thought until morning. Morning sprinkled a different light on it.

My Budgeted room with an awesome view

The hotel was Blue Diamond (Cost - Rs 400 per room). We did not notice how amazing the place was until this moment(morning) when the whole room was lit with the sunrise surrounded by the blue hay of the mountains.

Can Brushing get more beautiful?

You can also spend a day or two in Tosh if you want to have a relaxing holiday. Though I prefer Kalga(In the next blog ;) ) than Tosh.

Day 3 (Kheer Ganga):

Well, you got an introduction to the third day already.

View at the top

We had to walk down approx 1.5 km to the base of Kheer Ganga trek. It is a 14 km trek located at the height of 2960 m in Parvati valley. On the whole trek, you will either find snow-white, maybe that is why they call it 'Kheer Ganga', Parvati river roaring or following you. The view is magnificent enough to fulfill a traveler's lust.

Best Time To Trek: April to November

There are two ways to reach to Kheer Ganga. One through:

1. Nakthan Village-

The way we choose as we were coming from Tosh. It is less steep than the other one. The only problem is you will find ample sunshine on this path. Do not forget to pack 40+ SPF to save yourself from tanning. There is one small shop at the beginning where you can have some drinks and biscuits. Next stop is that Nakthan village only.

You will never be alone

Cute Bindi Boy

Aesthetic houses

Waterfalls on the way to Kheerganga, the view, doggies and me!

It took us 3.5 hours to reach the top. The difficulty level is easy, the only problem for the beginners will be the long distance. It definitely requires stamina and a strong will. But the trail is not steep.

Kheer Ganga Trek is full of Waterfalls. You will find Dozens of them

If you don't have water, you know what to do ;)

But the moment you will step your feet inside the hot water pool. You will forget everything, every obstacle that you faced on the trek and tiredness will just vanish away.

Temple & the ladies pool

The view is so mesmerizing, and the no.of women travelers are less as compared to men. So there are chances that you might get the whole pool all to yourself. But sitting for prolonged hours in sulfur spring can cause nausea. Sulfur-rich hot springs help treat dry scalp, arthritic pain and internal problems such as menopausal symptoms and digestive disorders. Hot springs help your body relax and reduce stress.

The second way is from:

2. Kalga Village-

It is greener and shadier. You will find one big waterfall on your way. You can choose this way if staying in Kalgah.

Even at a dist of 0.5 Km from the waterfall. It was chilling

We were completely exhausted by the time we reached the top. My brother wanted the best location for our tents whereas I was like, "this one at the beginning looks fine" because I was exhausted. We got one soon though. All this time I was frantically looking for a cellular network.

Network Connectivity: An issue at times!

Only BSNL works at the top! That too not a very strong connection. But it helped. I was able to make 2-3 calls with a breaking voice. When you start the trek it is all fine, after covering distance of 7 km or so, the network vanishes.

Day 3 (The NIGHT):

The night at Kheer Ganga was a night that I will never forget. One obvious reason it was damn cold and second is scary to start with:

After we went to sleep. At about 2 in the night, the dogs started barking. Initially, it was coming from a distance, but then the barking started getting closer. We were awake now. I was thinking why isn't any local shushing them down. I tried closing my eyes and sleeping when I heard something unlocking the zip of our tent.

All of a sudden I remembered what a women told us while we were waiting for our Bus at Manikaran, she said- "Be safe, there are dayans (witches) up there". I got the shit scared. "F**k man! any animal cannot unlock the zip", I said to myself. An animal would smash on the tent side with his paws. And guess what followed? we heard a smaaaashhh!!!

My brother tried to shoo away the animal or whatever it was, with the wooden stick(we used for support while trekking) while making some annoying sounds in Kashmiri.

Oh god, it was so hilarious(now, not then). I said the animal does not understand Kashmiri say it in Hindi. And then we laughed.

I was scared because he didn't stop barking, even for a second. Literally! I was like how is he breathing because he was like bow bow bow and bow just near our tent. I, a true Hindu started chanting "Jai Hanuman gyaan gun sagar..."

I could not understand how can anyone (here incase my brother) can sleep under such circumstances. I had taken pledges in my mind- I won't trouble my parents, I will be a good girl blah, blah, and blah.

I did not sleep until dawn. The barking had faded but it was still there. It was 5AM when the sky softly glowed in the twilight. I rested a bit and finally got up at 6. When I came out of the tent, this little beauty was found outside our tent. I was talking to him, "where you one the one who didn't let me sleep" "bad boy". But maybe he was, in fact, saving others. Maybe he saw some creature entering the tent area in search of food and he was trying to scare it or let others know of the other creature's presence. All remained a mystery!

Next morning (Soul in Kasol)-

It took us 2 hours of continuous walking and running to reach the bottom. I love downward treks!
The hardest part was to travel from the bridge to Barshaini. It was 12 noon with the Sun shining bright and no trees around. There was hydroelectric dam construction going on.

We got a bus there. It takes you to Bhunter via Kasol. The bus service is after every 1 hour.
We got down at Kasol to hop into our favourite cafe on Parvati river side and chill for 3 hours. We had late night bus from Bhuntar.

Me lost in nature, colorful Kasol market & a house in Chalal

Mystical Parvati River

I hope you enjoyed the journey. Do not forget to share your views and stories.
We would love to hear them. Till then, Keep traveling and be safe.

Hippie!
Shongruff

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Tricks On How To Look Posh And High Class In Cheap Clothes

How to look high class and posh is a very common question nowadays? Is it possible to look high class with cheap clothes? It is actually not an easy task to look high class in cheap clothes. However, you can make your appearance high class even if you don’t have the bank account to match.

Below we have listed for you ways to look high class and posh in cheap clothes.

First and foremost-

1. The Fitting

Always wear fitted garments as they are a sign of wealth, elegance and taste. You can easily get a refined and classy look with well-tailored clothes. Always remember that everybody’s body has its own shape and it is very important to wear well-fitted clothes as the time you wear fitted clothing you will instantly look much more expensive.

2. Loosen Up The Buttons

Replace the old buttons on your cheap clothes with the new and classy plastic buttons to alter your overall look. The best way to look high class with cheap clothes is to shop for stylish buttons to replace them on your old clothes. You can also buy these buttons for your cheap clothes online at discounted rates.

3. No Stain Policy!

Don’t wear clothes with stains as it will never add to your personality. If you find any kind of stain on your clothes immediately take it to dry cleaners to see what they can do with it. If nothing is possible, then you can donate it to poor people. In case you find a ripped or broken button on your old cloth, make it ripped before anybody notices. Considering these little things will offer a big change in your personality and is the best way to look classy in cheap clothes.

How to get every stain out of your white t-shirt

4. Stay Away From Distressed Fabrics

Distressed fabrics can easily end up looking old as well as worn out especially when they are super cheap, to begin with. There are several exceptions such as ripped jeans that look cool and trendy at a cheap cost too. Wearing ripped jeans is the best way to look high class in cheap clothes. Many stylish denim distressing techniques help you to offer a high-class look in cheap clothes.

5. Restrict Washing Too Much

Restrict your washing if you want your clothes to look new always. Don’t wash your clothes too much as it fades away the color of the fabric and dulls its shine. Always wash your clothes with good quality detergent followed by a fabric conditioner. In fact, good quality washing detergents will give cheap clothes a rich look and amazing shine.

6. Stop Being Extraaaa

Looking high class is no big deal, you just have to be simple yet sassy. Start your shopping by buying simpler stuff. Your simple choice will automatically give you a posh and high class looks in cheap clothing. Avoid jeweled embellishments or else pleated tops, whiskered and distressed denim. Go for basics first! Try to streamline your look as a whole like wear one cheap bracelet to look more classy and posh, instead of wearing three or more bracelets at once. Wear hoops and simple studs to maintain the posh vibe.

7. Classy Handbag

Always try to hang structured handbag whether it is a large or else a small one but it will add more to your classy and posh look. Try to buy some neutral colors of handbag for a high-class look with cheap clothes. When choosing a handbag for yourself stick to simple bags as it will assist you to get a high-class look with cheap clothes. A simple clutch will look classier than a heavy and big bag.

To get a posh and high-class look with cheap clothes always make sure that you are buying the right kinds of clothing. Caring for them properly will help you to maintain your expensive look with cheap outfits.

8. Shades of Riches

Black, white, space blue and nude are the color for the rich. These are like the basic requirement. They go with everything. It is so easy to look like a princess! You should go for monochromes like Meghan Markle.

You definitely need to follow 'Komal Pandey' on Instagram for her daily effective fashion hacks. She is a fashion goddess who can make rag look like a rich.

See you tomorrow with a new post on Fashion, Beauty and Travel. Till then,

Lots of ❤

Team Shongruff

- A Glow of Happiness!

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Daily Beauty Tips For Lazy Girls

Lazy girls want to look beautiful without spending more time on themselves. Actually, they need maximum returns by spending minimal time, and that is what we need in today busy life routine. We have listed below some amazing no effort beauty hacks for lazy girls who will for sure prove to be the life-changing for them:

1. Keep makeup remover next to your bed

If you are too lazy to get up from your bed to take off your makeup, then make a habit to keep makeup remover next to your bed. At night when you are much lazy and exhausted and cannot even stand for 30 seconds, then include this beauty hack in your daily routine. Sleeping with your makeup on will damage your skin and also cause infections and breakouts.

2. Moisturize when you are in the shower

Image result for moisturize when you are in shower GIF

Lazy girls can moisturize themselves while you are still in the shower. After washing out shower gel, you can easily and quickly douse your skin with body oil. After applying it, you can also rinse excess oil from your skin and after getting out pat dry it and get a moisturized skin in no time. It is the quick beauty tip for lazy girls that can do wonders. With this, you have easily sealed the moisture in your skin for the whole day and also saved your time too.

3. Blast your skin with a blow dryer

This is among the best beauty tips for lazy girls as in case you are too impatient to wait to dry out self-tanner, moisturizer or else toner. You can blow dryer to dry them out easily and quickly for your makeup to set. Some beauty products need time to dry out and which is a very important step to make your makeup long lasting. So try out blow dryer which will speed up the drying procedure.

4. Apply one product to add color

Image result for multitasking with lipstick GIF

If you are among those lazy girls who don’t want to mess with entire makeup regime, then use one product wonder stick. You can use lipstick to add color to your brow bone, lips, and cheek bone after applying blend it with your fingers to look beautiful in no time.

5. Easy steps for highlighting and contouring

Image result for highlighting and contouring GIF

Best beauty tips for lazy girls includes a highlighting and contouring process in an easy way which they can include in their daily beauty regime. You can easily and quickly highlight your face in just three steps. Use a concealer which is two shades lighter than your skin tone and draw a top line above brow along with middle line above cheekbone and bottom line above jawbone. To contour in an easy way draw backward three lines in the shape of E with two shades darker than your skin tone. Make lines in similar way top line on the temple, middle on the cheekbone and bottom line on the jawbone. Blend these lines to get a flawless and seamless finish.

6. Lack of hand eye co-ordination

Girls love winged liner but lack proper hand-eye coordination. A girl in a hurry can easily clean the messy edges by using cotton swab coated with petroleum jelly. It is actually difficult to draw a perfect winged liner in one go, so not to worry as petroleum jelly is the best beauty product for lazy girls which they should carry all the time with them.

7. Use nude eye pencil to awake inner rim

Image result for nude eye pencil for inner rim GIF

If you want to look lively instantly and feeling lazy to get ready, then this is the best beauty tip for the lazy girl. You can use a nude pencil to make your eyes look amazing. Use it in your inner rim or waterline to brighten your eyes. It will give you a look of a princess with wide eyes, and all will praise you for sure.

· Greasy hair beauty hack

One of the most useful beauty tips for lazy girls as it is winter now and it is not possible to wash your hair on a daily basis. In case your front hair appears greasy, and rest is fine then you can solve this problem too. You just have to tie your back hair section with a rubber band and wash only the front part of hair in the sink. Finally, laziness of girls will be justified when you just wash that section of hair which you need should look good or else we can take the help of dry shampoos. Dry shampoo works simply: the alcohol or starch in the product soaks up the excess oil and grease in your hair, giving it a cleaner, fresher appearance. Traditionally, shaking corn starch or talcum powder into hair has achieved the same effect, but most current products deliver the drying agents via an aerosol spray.

8. Laziness to blow dry your washed hair

Image result for blow dry washed hair GIF

In case you have washed your hair and actually not in the mood to blow-dry it. In such a situation you can 'loosely' twist your wet hair into a low bun and clutch it with the clip. The time it is dried out naturally you can untwist them and separate the tendrils with the help of your fingers. Apply hair setting spray and you will get beautiful waves with laziness at home.

9. Apply sleeping masks

Image result for face masks while sleeping GIF

The best ways to get beautiful skin while your sleep and which will justify your laziness too. There are many sleeping masks available to treat your skin right. Before bed, you can use these face packs which you can apply. After applying the sleeping face masks massage them well to get amazing skin pampering benefits. You do not need to get up and wash your face afterwards! In the morning wake up with a refreshed face. This is among the best beauty tips which every lazy girl should follow.

10. Get shimmering glow instantly

Image result for glow with highlighter GIF

Every lazy girl wants to look beautiful by using less makeup and in no time. The highlighter is one of the best secret weapons of lazy girls to get instant beauty. Highlighter ad shimmering glow to your skin instantly, you can dab little of it to brighten your eyes and also underneath foundation to get a realistic look radiance without any efforts.

1 Mascara multitasking

Multitasking products for lazy girls have beauty powers. Mascara is one of them which help girls to define brows. Mascara also help to cover up the stray gray easily in your hairline instantly. Mascara is considered as one of the best beauty products which every lazy girl needs.

Above listed beauty tips for lazy girls will help you out to look and feel the best without spending more time. The above beauty tips help you to spend less time by speeding up the beauty process. For sure you will experience less efforts and more payoff by applying all lazy girls beauty hacks. So, even when you feel lazy, you can stay beautiful.

Wednesday, February 06, 2019

After Hair-Colouring Care Tips For Damaged, Rough Hair

Want to experiment with various hair colors, but worried about the damage post hair color? Treat your hair with a different color to upgrade your looks without worrying about hair damage. Whether it is blonde, black, red, brunette or blue colored hair needs extra care and attention. Spending a high amount in a hair salon is really not affordable. It is very essential to understand how to care for colored treated hair to help it last longer and to ensure that your hair will stay strong and healthy in the long run. I personally have the experience of Hair Smoothening, and coloring my hair. Below we have listed some easy home tips to take care of colored hair:

Image result for hair care tips after colouring hd images

1. Coconut oil massage on a regular basis

Coconut oil massage is one of the best ways to protect colored hair from any kind of damage. Coconut oil proves to be best for your hair, especially after coloring. The oil has many ingredients which help to make your hair color last longer and give them shiny.

2. Sulfate free shampoo

Which shampoo to use on colored hair? It is also one of the most major concerns amid girls. Always keep in mind to use sulfate free shampoo on colored hair to prevent them from appearing dull and rough. Using a shampoo that contains sulfate will offer a dull look to them. This is a very simple tip to consider to get healthy colored hair. So look for the ingredient list the next time.
The body Shop Banana truly nourishing shampoo

3. Moisture-rich conditioner

After washing your colored hair with sulfate-free shampoo, never forget to condition them. If you want healthy colored hair then it essential to treat them with moisturizer rich conditioner. This moisture-rich conditioner for colored hair will let them stay hydrated and prevent scalp to dry. Get damage free colored hair by choosing the right conditioner.

The first time I got my hair colored, the stylist recommended this L'Oreal product. I experienced a lot of hair fall. But later, I realized that it wasn't the masque's fault but of stylist. He had damaged my hair. Yes! we do have to give the job to the trust-worthy person. Otherwise, after doing the second time, this product is working great.

Some other nice products that you can consider are:-

Wella Moisturizing-Treatment mask & L'Oreal Mythic oil masque

4. Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is fully packed with proteins and which can do wonders to your colored hair. Applying mayonnaise on colored hair as a conditioner or a hair mask, provides nourishment and also softens its texture. Hair care tips for colored hair will be incomplete without mentioning mayonnaise, so treat your hair once a week with it. It is the best home remedy to get shiny colored hair in no time.

5. Olive oil

Olive oil is also an excellent hair conditioner for colored hair specifically.
I remember as a kid, I never had long hair, it was shoulder length bob cut and I never was able to grow long hair because of the split ends. That time, the lady who was my stylist recommended me to use 'Jetoon ka tel'.

It will help your hair to look more lustrous and also assist them to go healthier. Just warm olive oil and apply on the scalp with your fingers. Give a perfect scalp massage to your colored hair which will help you out and gives you healthy colored hair.

6. Eggs

One thing that your hair faces after coloring is the protein damage and to fix side effects of hair coloring treat your hair with eggs once a week. It is one of the best ways to get nourishment for colored hair and one of the best DIY hair masks for colored hair specifically.

7. Fruity Spa!

Using avocado will do wonders for your hair as it helps you to reduce post colored hair damage. It also helps to make colored hair shiny at home and also last your hair color for a longer time. Mix avocado with a ripe banana to increase its benefits and to get bouncy colored hair. You can also add up curd in this mixture to enhance its benefits. This is one of the best hair masks for colored hair as it is overloaded with Vitamin E, B, and K which is excellent for healthy colored hair. It is difficult to find avocados in the local Indian markets. You can replace it with banana or peanut butter.

Some more things to consider

Numerous things are there which you should keep in mind to maintain colored hair naturally. Follow below points for long-lasting hair color:

· Don’t wash colored hair too soon as it will make your color fade away very soon. Wash your colored hair after three days of coloring as it will lock the color in hair for the long run.

· Avoid hot showers as it will damage your colored hair and offer them the dull look. Shampoo your colored hair with mild lukewarm water and rinse off with cold water. It will help you to maintain shine after hair color sitting.

· To get healthy hair after coloring avoid washing it daily. You will also wash away the natural oils present in the scalp with daily washing of colored hair. So wash your hair in alternate days as it is the best technique to maintain healthy hair after coloring.

Now don’t worry about how to take care of colored hair. To get healthy hair just follows above-listed home hair care tips post hair color. This will for sure help your hair color to last extended period of time and maintain your colored hair health. With little but proper care keep color-treated hair shiny and beautiful.

Xoxo, Love!
Shongruff ❤
-A Glow Of Happiness Team

Saturday, February 02, 2019

6 Super Easy Simple Hair Hacks To Get Long, Thick, Healthy & Beautiful Hair at Home

Having long hair is annoying and wonderful both at the same time.

Every time we go for a haircut, we keep on stressing on one thing- " Bhaiya, Please maintain the length". Long hair is like childhood dreams, wild fantasy and life goals for Indian women. I am not generalizing but yes to the majority it is. We take care of our hair like our baby. But still, we don't get what we want. Why is so? Why even after oiling your hair, applying costly shampoos and conditioners and serums, why are they still ending at the floor? Because while focussing on the complicated things we forget about the basic needs of our hair, which are-

1. Combing

Before sleeping, never forget to take out the tangles out of the hair. Even if you have not combed the entire day. Make combing before sleep a habit. It not only awakens your follicles but keeps hair frizz-free.

2. Tilt Ya Head

Another thing that you need to follow before sleep is dropping your head down from the side of the bed for 5 minutes. Gently massage your hair and scalp. No need of any hair oil. This will supply blood to your scalp and help in the growth of your hair.

3. Fingernails

You must have seen our own Baba Ramdev doing this exercise. 10-15 minutes every day just rub the nails of your fingers against each other. You can do it while sitting in the metro, in auto, in your cab, anytime. People with high blood pressure and pregnant women should not do this without consulting their doctor because it makes blood rush.

4. Braiding

Braiding is very common in Asian culture to get long, healthy hair. Loose Braid while sleeping will help you have nice curls and untangles locks. You will experience less hair loss the next morning.

5. Caring for hair follicles

Have you ever experienced pain when you change your hair partition? That is because your follicles have been stressed to stay in one direction for a long period of time. In the hair follicle, there are small muscles attached to each hair. They are used to a certain tension when you wear the same part for a long time. You change the part you effectively get muscle cramps in all of those muscles. Say no to the tight pony. It gradually recedes your hairline. Your forehead appears bigger when you start aging.

6. Towel-Drying

We have seen this and it happens in every other household. We rub our hair like anything after washing. Most stylists would agree that you should never dry your hair with a regular towel. That's because hair is especially delicate when it's wet, and the texture and material of a regular towel are often too coarse and dry for fragile wet hair to handle. Your average bath towel also isn't too great at absorbing water, so if you do choose to blow dry your hair after towel drying it, you're not preventing heat damage too. We can't just let the wet hair hanging on our shoulders in winters. It is better to use any T-shirt material to soak the excess water.