…And a giveaway!
Ria Kaushal wrote to me a couple of weeks back and shared a few tantalizing images from her home, along with the inspiring story of the origin of her organic, handmade, ayurvedic skin care line called Skin Apotheke.
Giveaway alert! Continue reading to win fabulous products from the line!
Mmm…I wonder how she knew about the two loves of my life – beautiful homes and fabulous skin!
I am so excited to share Ria’s lovely home in Miami with you. Ria has a natural flair for styling and it is inspiring to see how she transforms a room just by rearranging a few decor pieces and adding fresh flowers and tea lights.
Ria enjoys hunting for eclectic pieces on sites like EBay, One Kings Lane, Fab.com, Amazon and stores like Kilol, Anokhi, FabIndia and Good Earth back home in India.
I love how Ria uses textiles to change the look of the bedroom. She made the headboard herself using a large canvas and fabric from Anokhi.
And the view that draws her back home, each day 🙂
This lovely warm home is where Ria works hard to create her organic skin care range of products for us. A quick introduction to
Skin Apotheke:
Skin Apotheke is fresh handmade organic skin care based on ayurvedic principals from India. Ayurveda is the oldest healing science dating back to 1500 BC and ayurvedic beauty is holistic, deriving its knowledge from the laws of nature. Skin Apotheke products are 100% natural, organically sourced, chemical free, paraben and synthetic free products that deliver. Skin Apotheke uses only premium USDA certified organic oils, butters, flowers, herbs and other botanicals for all the skincare and incorporates some of the most effective anti-aging ingredients available in the market.
The Giveaway!
Ria has very graciously offered to giveaway, not one, but two of her products to ‘An Indian Summer’ readers. And we will pick two readers (by random number selection), who will receive these amazing skin care products in a package:
Thank you, Ria!
How to enter the giveaway?
Just comment on this post, and
Apart from letting us know how you like Ria’s home 🙂
Tell us your favorite skin or hair care tip!
You have a week to comment
Make sure you leave your email ID so that we can reach you
Ria and I will announce the names of the two lucky readers
57 Comments
Nadia
It's so beautiful!
Bhavna Bhatanagar
Emailed comment from a subscriber:
Lovely flower arrangements. Subtle Indian aesthetic. Don't over do the makeup or you will look like a clown. Talia mapwad@gmail.com
Bhavna Bhatanagar
Emailed comment from a subscriber:
Hello there,
I'm a loyal reader of Indian Summer. You keep inspiring me and the way I create what surrounds me. Thank you:-)
As for Ria's home- I love the way she organizes her books- on the floor, under the tables..plus amazing colors and prints of the fabrics everywhere…
Agata from Poland
Anonymous
I love your blog and have been following it religously from Singapore.
My tips come from my mother who still looks like she hasn't aged over the years.
Hair – coconut oil always soothes distressed and dry hair leaving you silky soft and smooth tresses.
Face – mix saffron, sandalwood and milk with any face pack you have for glowing skin.
Most importantly a good night's sleep!
Keep up with the awesome posts!
Much love,
Vijaya – vijaya_krishnan36@yahoo.com.sg
GB
Gorgeous home! It strikes the perfect balance between the Indian aesthetic and global style(I think I have a new girl-crush now!)
My skincare tip–steer clear of makeup. Even the best products add age to your skin. Au naturel (I'm only talking skincare here!)is the way to go!
Anonymous
What a beautifully conceived home, replenished by the senses. There is a sense of a sanctuary here. A divine place of dwelling and repose. What every home should be.
No real beauty tips to offer. That is why I am eagerly waiting for Ria's parcel to come through my door!
Sharm — gabrielsp_2000@yahoo.com
Nimita
What a super home… wow! Love the colours, textiles… and the atmosphere…
The best tip I can give is… well… nothing! No stress, no fuss makes for awesome hair and skin! 🙂
Le Misérable
Ria's home in a gist, is the reason why they say there is no place like home. 🙂
The skincare tip I swear by is, 'Olive Oil'.
It is just about as close to as we have gotten to the youth potion yet. Also, it can be used as a make-up remover and myth buster, it does not clog pores!!
AND, it is an excellent cooking oil, lower in saturated fats unlike some others. So, it helps lower cholesterol levels, thus lesser breakouts, therefore healthier skin! 🙂
Pooja – pooja90chauhan@gmail.com
Anonymous
Ria's home exudes warmth, character and sophistication.A delightful melange of so many wonderful elements yet not cluttered in the least.A truely beautiful home is one that takes your breath away and makes you long to be there..and I'm officially jealous of the breathtaking space she's created-a definite inspiration.
I have 2 skin care tips I swear by- the efforless one is to cut rub strawberries on your face and leave the juice for 5 minutes for an instant glow.
The second needs a bit more effort but it's well worth it – soak 'masoor dal'(red lentils)in milk overnight, grind up the paste in the morning and apply to the face fpr smooth, glowing skin.
Aparna (aparna1201@yahoo.com)
N S
Beautiful home. Thanks for featuring Ria's home and work. Just ordered 3 of her products. Eagerly waiting for the shipping. My favorite skin care tip is applying honey on face for 10 minutes and rinse with warm water.
julie
Gorgeous home ! I love the bedroom and shall pinterest it.If i had a home like that, i wouldnt complain when holidays end at all.
Renate
I love those textiles in the bedroom! So lovely!
Such a good idea, it changes the look of the room completely.
As for skincare, moisturizing from the inside out is what I think is the most important. Drink plenty of water!
bal
Hey loving the interior! MAybe because so many elements are similar to my home in the UK (books, textiles and leather pouffes to name but a few!).
My beauty tip – always use a hot muslin cloth to get the cleanest skin ever then a few splashes of water closes up all the pores.
(email bals1d@yahoo.com)
kelly@refresheddesigns.
The colours are so beautiful! I love the books under your tables.
Phylicia
(My favorite skincare tip is using clay masks to rejuvenate your skin! So refreshing! 🙂
Phylicia
I LOVE Ria's use of books underneath her tables etc. Beautiful home!
Aaina
Ethnic done beautifully.
Nice.
My beauty tip, drinks lots of water and moisturize your skin and be happy and kind.
Aaina
TwoCJesus
What AMAZING pictures! They R all so BEAUTIFUL!! The colors grab you immediately and immediately I was transported to your abode. I LUV LUV the picture at night that shows the water! I can only image the fragrances and aromas of your products within your home. Ah to fall asleep with the aromas and awaken with the aromas, what a blessing!
Orjen
Very soothing home design. I would LOVE to live there. Favourite sin care tip: remember to let your skin breathe (as in "don't clog it with beauty products 24 h a day)!
anca.orjen [at] gmail [dot] com
Preethi
Excellent use of colors and fabric. My skin and hair tip is oil pulling in empty stomach. Take a spoon of sesame/sun flower oil and gargle in empty stomach for 10-15 minutes. It gives a natural glow to your skin and stops hair fall/graying by cleansing the toxins from your body. I have been following it for the past couple of weeks and am seeing pimples disappear.
notyet100
Luv her space ,hair care tip i oil my hair once a week with coconut oil 🙂 it feel goods when I wash my hair after that )
Vivi
Wow! I love how she designed her house, looks cozy and lively at the same time. 🙂 I love how she used lots of colors and textures without overcrowding the space. 🙂
And I'm glad I found this giveaway! 😀
My favorite beauty tip is to always drink lots of water… nothing beats hydration from within. My skin really looks more plumped when I take at least 2 liters of water.
my email ad is: vivi [@] ecobeautysecrets .com
sangita pillai
HI Ria, your home is beautiful, I always find that when you are living away from India, you tend to decorate your home with things that remind you of India and these always give a refreshing feel to the house – the brass artefacts, the colourful textiles, the way the flowers are arranged, the colours – especially, oranges and reds, all make it a home away from 'home'. love it!!
My skincare tip: living in a tropical place like Singapore, we have fruits like papayas, bananas and avocados all year round. I use whatever fruit I have on hand, mash it and use it as a face mask. Mashed avocado on your hair gives a smooth and shining mane. Try it!!
Vanessa Zambrano
Love Love the photos and the wonderful eclectic decor! I use Befine skin care and sunscreen!
I will recommend this site to my friend her blog is "Travel Designery" and I think she would absolutely love it! Cant wait to hear who won the logo contest tommorrow!
xoxo, V
We Blog Artists
I could melt in her interiors…SO beautiful…LOVE the warmth of each corner,richly filled with textures and fragrance.
I exfoliate every evening(when I remember) and put suntan lotion(Avene factor 60) on my skin in the morning before leaving the house.
GREAT giveaway and my first time visiting your blog…love it!
HUGS
Char.x
Scandinavian Retro
Such a lovely home! Inspiring with lovely oriental details – just love it! Have a fab day.
holygypsy
I have been reading your blog for a while now.. I love the house. The simple use of such traditional settings sure would make her feel right at home.. She has a bit of her culture with this home for sure in Miami…
My favorite skin tip is making a scrub of honey and salt and just clean your face with it!
brinda
my kitchen shelf recipe for a gud skin is to use rice flour to gently exfoliate the skin.
its great alternative to the scrubs available in the market and all natural without any side effects!!
brinda
OMG…!!ria ur home and the view is Drop Dead Gorgeous!!:)
books so beautifully add to the charm of ur decor!!amazing!
stella chhabra
beautiful home so truely indian…my skin care tip use a lot of rose water to hydrate your skin and glycerine to moisturize !!!!!
Kamini
Oh one more thing I forgot to mention – absolutely love the use of books in her decor. Amazing!
Kamini
Oh good god! What a mind bogglingly beautiful home! Just amazing, I can keep looking at it! My skin care tip – eat lots of fruits, veggies esp green leafy ones, and drink lots of water every day. Stay away from oils, fats, sweets and your skin will stay young and dewy fresh forever!!!
Miss Frangipani
What a gorgeous home. Everything is put together so nicely. I'd love to live in a curated, colorful home like this.
Multani Mitti (Fullers Earth) has always been my go-to remedy for dry skin, sunburn or just a general pick-me-up. Mix it with water, haldi, milk, sandalwood or whatever you like to create a unique and refreshing skin care package at home.
Rashmi
What I love about this home is eye Ria has for the details. The antique pieces, the beautiful carpets, the books (so many of them) and the light in the rooms.. none of them jarring.. forming a cohesive living space.. Congrats on having such a beautiful home Ria.
Regards
Rashmi
SooZeQue
love all the textures and books turned all different directions has always been something I love to do. My skin/hair take a beating living in Arizona, I'm bad about sunscreen, but I do try to moisturize like crazy. Love Olive Oil
Nags
i love how vibrant the colours are. anokhi is a favourite of mine too 🙂 i love using LUSH products and use their masks and soaps regularly. my most favourite skin tip which i follow religiously is not to over-wash my face. I scrub, use mask, etc in the night, clean my face thoroughly and in the morning, only wash well again with plain water and don't use any cleanser.
anamica
Hi,
Ria's home is gorgeous..My skincare Tip is Cleanse,Tone and Moisturise it.And dont forgot to use sunscreen lotion 20 min before you step out.Drink Lot of water .
Thanks,
Anamica
(anamicamohan@gmail.com)
Hanna
so pretty! I love making a scrub out of brown sugar and olive oil to use in the shower.
Aastha
Beautiful home! my hair care tip is yogurt before i shampoo. works wonder on my dry scalp!
I Heart All of this
Ria, you have a very Beautiful Home, so effortless yet very peaceful & stylish.
I love the way you have displayed your books around the floors, the bedspreads, the rugs and the flowers look just beautiful, can almost smell them.
What I love most apart from the gorgeous black cat is the white dish with black paisley designs… I would love to have one of those.
Thank you for sharing your home.
Beauty tip – always moisturise..and smile.
Poorvi
Love Ria's eclectic sensibility and great taste in textiles.
My mom takes great care of her skin and hair and I have yet to learn from her. She'd keep any portion of any fresh fruit to add to her daily facial mask of chandan and multani mitti as the liquid that binds. So much so that one is about to throw a peel and she shrieks, "wait, I can use it!" She also makes this great anti-foot tearing solution from glycerine and lemon juice.
vala....
oh so many gems …I love the way she turns books into furniture and the rug and the orange bedspread…really lovely.. I was going to mention coconut oil but since that has been done my top natural beauty tip is to remove your mascara or eye makeup with a drop of olive oil on cotton…you'll notice full and long lashes in a few weeks…
Vidya
Omgggg such a lovely home and a lovely cat :)!
Anjali
Lovely home! With such beautiful fabrics and colors used through0ut..
My favorite skincare trip…
1 teaspoon honey mixed with 1 teaspoon milk and and few drops of lemon juice. Apply all over your face and neck. Leave it on for 10-20 mins. I have even left in on at times for up-to hours as I go around my weekend cleaning routine..Honey nourishes the skin, lemon helps de-tan and milk refreshes. An easy way to beautiful skin without the unhealthy chemicals..
Kala
I love all the elements in Ria's beautiful home, simply gorgeous! My skin care tip, I moisturize my entire body soon after my shower every day:)
Yoli
She has exquisite taste. I love how she is particular about details. Thank you and Ria for sharing her lovely home.
Anonymous
WoW, this house has everything a person could ever need,
colors – check
individuality – check
light – check
freshness – check
textiles – check
beauty – check
design – check
pets – check
view – check and mother of it all
a hammock?? – check
I can just imagine myself lounging around all day, all night, creating beautiful organic skin care, what a lucky gal
My skin care tip after seeing this is to live just like this, when you are surrounded by such beauty you will have awesome skin anyways!
Neha@ All things beautiful
PS: Thank you Bhavna, for hsring such a beautiful home!
Neha@ All things beautiful
Wow Ria….what a lovely home! ….and so much warmth! I love the fabrics, the bedspreads, the rugs, and my most favorite are the embroidered footstools….where did you get those? Please tell me….please. I can easily say that your home is totally my kind of space. LOVED it!
My favorite skin care tip is the regular use of a toner, it really helps even out the skin tone and reduces blemishes etc. Would love to win one of Ria's products.
– Neha (mail2neha@gmail.com)
Designwali
so much colour! my current skin obsession is maria bedescu's vitamin C serum. best thing ever.
Manjari
This home is just to beautiful, its full of life, energy…would like to copy so much from it
Dee
Gorgeous colors!
My favorite (and classic) skin care tip is to moisturize! Even skin that tends to be a bit oily like mine needs to moisturize. And for the hair, dry shampoo is a lifesaver!
-Danielle
lifewithpiper@yahoo
http://inspired-days.blogspot.com/
Jennifer
This is truly a gorgeous home, I love the color and textiles and the rug, where did she get the rug? any idea? and God is that a Hermes tray??
the view is to die for, and the skincare line looks good enough to eat! I am loving it.
Vijaya
Its a lovely home and I love the shin care products!
My haircare tip is that coconut oil is the best natural conditioner. Massage your scalp with it and gently rub it into your hair and leave it for around half an hour before washing it off.
Email id:vijaya.232@gmail.com
Suzy
I just love this blog! My favorite tip is using extra virgin coconut oil. It is the first thing on my skin when I get out the shower, my hand lotion when feeling dry and a great scalp conditioner.
Alicia
My favorite skin tip is vaseline! It can be used on anything from nail cuticles to lips to elbows and knees. Love your blog!
alicia.loos@verizon.net
Once Upon A Tea Time
Its a gorgeous home! I love all the different textures.