If you are a reader, you must know that buying every book you want to read could be a costly affair. While we do have eBooks available for lesser price but I feel they do not have the kind of charm that a physical book has. Buying used books for half the price is a good idea but for a person like me, commuting to the market where we get used/secondhand books is a headache as it's pretty far from my place!

I have been on a hunt for a website that offers used books in good quality and at a great price and my search ended when I found out about - Bookchor.com 

Bookchor.com was started in October 2015 and offers more than 1,00,000 titles. The website (they also have Android and iOS apps) also has books ranging from academic streams like medical, engineering, various other competitions, cooking, baking etc apart from novels. So far, I have placed four orders with them (I have purchased about 15-16 books from them) and have never been disappointed. The packages are shipped within 2-4 days via reputed courier agencies. I have always received my orders within 2-3 days of shipping and their is free shipping if your cart value is above INR 200. Otherwise, a minimal charge of INR 50 is levied. So cheap, right? And they ship pan India.

The folks at Bookchor have thought of everything, literally. I mean once the order is shipped, they have made sure that it can be tracked easily through the tracking number provided on order page. All you have to do is, click the courier agency website link, paste the tracking number and you are done! Isn't it as easy as 1-2-3? ☺

The best thing about Bookchor.com (other than their throwaway prices) is the quality of books. The pages of the books may be brown but there is no sign of any wear and tear. Each book comes with a cute bookmark and every order comes with a cute handwritten note which adds a personal touch. BC recently turned one and they gave away a goodie bag with every order.... and it goes without saying, I loved my goodie bag!

Most of the books that I have purchased were from their Sunday Market where they offer select titles for lower prices which will definitely not burn a hole in your pocket. 

So, if you are looking to purchase used books at great prices then head straight to Bookchor.

Have you ever purchased books from Bookchor? Share your experience below!

Till next time,

Deepika

Credit: Nature's Destiny FB Page

There's a different sort of joy in buying something that is handmade, because, when you buy handmade you are buying a tiny bit of somebody's love, soul, happiness and hard work. And, we at The Brown Muses, love it even more when it's a woman entrepreneur (yeah, we are a little biased!) at the helm of affairs.

In today's blog post, we have Mrs. Aishwarya Ravi of Nature's Destiny, a talented soaper from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She handcrafts cold processed soaps, beard balms, lip balms etc. using pure and natural ingredients. Her products are 100% chemical and preservative free. Mrs. Ravi was kind of enough to take some time out from her busy schedule for us and answer some of the questions that we asked her.

Read on to know about her brand, her vision for the brand, her top products and more!

Q: You have a unique brand name. How was the name 'Nature's Destiny' conceived, and what inspired you to come up with a brand of your own?

A: In the search of chemical free, all natural products for my little one, I stumbled upon handmade soaps. I found much joy and peace in using such products and realised eventually that I enjoyed and felt passionate about not just using but also making them for other people out there.

It almost felt like destiny that I would find my calling in something that I felt so strongly about. And that is how Nature’s Destiny was conceived, an amalgamation of my belief in natural products and my destiny to work in this field.

Q: How would you state your brand's philosophy in a few words?

A: Organic or natural products should not be considered as items of luxury. They are a part of my everyday life and when I can use it, I believe everyone else can and deserves to use it too.

Q: Why should people be using natural/organic beauty products as opposed to "other" commercial products?

A: Because you should think a million times before you expose your body to harsh and unforgiving chemicals. There is a reason these products are called natural and organic. They are not made in a lab with beakers or test tubes but from items sourced from the ground, and they are pure, safe and worth the investment you are making.

Q: What should people bear in mind while buying natural/organic products?

A: There are a lot of people in the market who offer natural and organic products. Please make it a point to talk to them before you buy from them. I am sure all of them are more than willing to help you select something that would work out the best for you.

Also, never buy products in bulk. Buy multiple products in small quantities, see what works the best for you and then invest in them. Do keep in mind, for any product to work, you need to give it time. Loyalty to the product is a very important part of the process of becoming all natural.

Lastly, like the saying goes, "when you buy handmade products you are encouraging someone to live their passion". So go out there and be your awesome self and help someone out!

Q: Why do you think people are steering towards green beauty products these days?

A: Natural and handmade products have the transparency that no commercial products can offer. Family and friends are the ambassadors and not celebrities. People nowadays want natural products since they have realised that long term benefits are important and to match the fast paced lifestyle they are looking out for easy options, for instance, something in between time-consuming shikakai and luxury brand  shampoos, and brands like ND are here to provide that.

Q: What are your favourite ingredients to work with?

A: My favourite ingredient would be coconut oil. It is very versatile, gives visible results and is easily available. I use it in almost all the soaps. I think it's the best.

Q:  If you had to recommend your top 3 beauty products from your brand, which ones would they be?

 A: Let me pick one for each skin type:

Q:  Where do you see Nature's Destiny in next five years?

A: I have some ideas and action plans lined up to make ND a well known, recognised and liked brand. In 5 years from now, I think we will have established a wider base of loyal customers and will have a prominent place in the skin care products arena.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

I love Carrot Soap and Castile Soap from the brand. My review for Castile Soap could be read HERE. Both the soaps are a great for dry skin so I would recommend getting these two soaps! Mrs Ravi also takes custom orders for specific skin concerns or gifting purposes. To get in touch with her, hop on the brand's Facebook store HERE.

The thing with Ladies Watches is as they say, “A woman can never have enough clothes and shoes”, and the same rule of thumb applies for a wristwatch. It would not be wrong to say that a wristwatch is the handiest staple accessory for the woman of today, who believes in exhibiting beauty-with-brains. Like every other accessory, you need one for every occasion. The best thing about the amazing new trends in wristwatches that emerged in 2016 is that they offer something for everyone. While a floral wristwatch would sport a casual T-shirt and jeans look best, a geometrically patterned knitted watch is all the rage for its Bohemian vibe. Planning on hanging out with friends this weekend? A multicoloured woven watch like this one can be paired perfectly with an easy breezy, floral or plain chiffon flared long dress or a long skirt. The obsession with Turkish jewellery across the world (especially Pakistan) is apparently not going to end anytime soon. Jewelled Turkish style watches, which can be best worn during the festive season, are another addition to the latest wristwatch trends. If you're into all-things-vintage, the denim watch or Eiffel Tower watch is sure to make your style game strong. Also, there are those with charms, chains and beads, which the younger lot (read: college and university going girls) can sport on any day, from the bonfire golden night to just any other day at the institution. Those who want their watches to match each and every outfit or pair of shoes they wear can go for the easy-on-pocket watch set which comes with interchangeable straps.

Mishikrafts Assorted Chocolates

Chocolates are something that we all love, don't we? They make for such a versatile gift for any occasion. I LOVE chocolates. I mean, I am the type of person who can gobble down a big bar of chocolate in no time. It's embarrassing, I know, but I cannot help it (please tell me you guys also do it!!).

Before moving forward, let me take a moment to introduce the new series on the blog where we will be talking about the products (or just about anything) that we are currently loving and it will be a little hatke from the reviews that we do, generally. So, today in the first post for the series, I will be talking about the chocolates that I purchased from Mishikrafts.

Dark Chocolates

So, I got two flavours which were namely plain dark chocolate and roasted almond dark chocolate. The chocolates came in a bite size in various shapes wrapped in silver foil because that helped (to an extent...shh) to keep my intake in check. I mean like I said earlier I can gobble down chocolates in the blink of an eye, so please don't judge, theek hai? If I had to describe these chocolates in a few words, I would say I absolutely loved them! I mean they were not too bitter and tasted much better than the commercial ones. The roasted almond chocolate was a tad better than the plain one in my opinion.


The founder of the brand, Ms. Priya Jain, handcrafts all the chocolates with utmost care. The brand offers many customising options so you can pick up chocolates for any occasion by having it customised accordingly with options starting from INR 50. For placing orders, check out brand's official Facebook page HERE. The chocolates that I bought are priced at INR 100 for 100 gm of plain dark chocolates and INR 150 for 100 gm of roasted almond dark chocolate.

Dark chocolates are known to possess benefits for a healthy heart, weight loss, reduced stress, diabetes prevention etc. So, go munch away on these tasty treats.... but remember, moderation is the key!


Disclosure: The products featured in this post are my own purchase and the views expressed hereby are strictly unbiased, based on my personal experience.


 

I hope you guys enjoyed reading about my new discovery. I am pumped to review the products, so keep your eyes peeled to our social media accounts for further updates. 

Till next time, 

Deepika

My favourite season a.k.a winter is slowly approaching and I couldn't be happier. The cosy feel of winters, the beverages, and snuggling in the blanket and catching movies/reading books are a few things that I like to indulge in to enjoy the season completely! However, there's a grey character in this happy tale, which unfortunately goes by the name of dry skin and dry lips. Although my skin remains dry throughout the year, but the things go on another level when chill hits the air. To tackle the menace, I love me a bar of a moisturising handmade soap alongside body butters/oils. In this post, I will be sharing my experience with Castile Soap that comes from the house of Nature's Destiny. The brand is headed by Mrs Aishwarya Ravi which is based at Chennai, Tamil Nadu and handcrafts cold processed soaps, natural detergents, shaving balm etc.

About The Brand:

• Handmade. 
• Chemical free.
• Cruelty-free.
• Unscented. 
• Made of 100% olive oil.
• Safe for babies and children.
• Suitable for all skin types.
• Olive oil contains Vitamins A & E which fight free radicals. 
• Olive oil is known to soften skin.
• Cleanses the skin gently without clogging pores.
• Prolonged use makes the skin smooth. 
• Fights skin ailments like eczema, dermatitis.
• Reasonably priced. 
• Causes no irritation.

• Since olive oil is a "soft oil", the bar melts quickly even when dried between uses. 

Have any of you used Castile Soap? If so, what has your experience been like?

Till next time,

Deepika.

Disclosure: The product featured in this post is my own purchase and the views expressed hereby are strictly unbiased, based on my personal experience.