Bloggers Meet at VLCC Chandigarh: #VLCCStyleStatements

Much like changes in fashion trends, a typical perception of 'beauty' has also dramatically evolved in past years. While there was a time when women with fuller body type, darker hair colour, and fairer skin tone were considered ideal; it's the era where the fancy for glowing skin and curvy feminine appeal has gained popularity as the symbol of beauty. And now the pressure to always look and feel good is not overpowering, courtesy VLCC.

VLCC is widely recognized for its unique approach towards beauty and wellness since its inception. Thanks to their therapies and treatments that many women have gained a lot of confidence in themselves. Those who think VLCC is primarily into slimming and weight loss practices might be glad to know that the brand offers an array of beauty and dermatological services for both men and women of any age group. I personally have experienced and reviewed their effective beauty session some time ago.

Just a few days back, I received an exclusive invite for #VLCCStyleStatements Bloggers Meet to be held at VLCC Wellness Centre, Chandigarh and I grabbed the opportunity with both hands to update myself with latest advancements in VLCC products and services :)

I had to struggle really hard to reach the venue in time on the scheduled day, as it was a working day for me, but I managed to ;)

Here is a glimpse of salon reception area with nice decor aesthetics to make customers feel good from the very moment they walk through the door.

To my delight, I got a warm welcome by courteous VLCC staff including Ms. Manveer, the Cluster Head for Wellness Services. The event began with an introduction to Ms. Sushmita Verma, the VLCC Category Manager for Beauty.

The bloggers had so much to ask about the common problems related to skin/hair/nails/health issues that almost everybody faces at some point of time, and the lady furnished some valuable pieces of information out of her expertise in the area. She made us well-informed about Visionergy, DNA Diet, Vampire Facelift and many other Dermat services in which the brand specializes.

While we jotted down some practically workable tips for attaining youthful, stress-free skin; the in-house dietitian Ms. Bipasha joined the conversation and apprised us with excellent ideas to enjoy a healthy lifestyle by incorporating right kind of fruits/veggies/liquid diet in appropriate quantity in our meals so as to boost our physical well-being.

It was great effort by Ms. Bipasha to recommend and get served a guilt-free snacks palette for us that was simply delectable ;)

 And that's my share ;)

While we least expected it, the hall echoed with the sound of applauds to welcome none other than Ms. Daphne Danielson, the international skin expert of VLCC. I was impressed by the way she conversed with every single person during Q&A session with a lot of poise and left no query unanswered. She'd been unquestionably knowledgeable and proved her worth by familiarizing us with pros n cons of popular therapies, treatments or products which are a rage in the industry for hair treatment, nail extension, dermatological services and everything else. I felt truly in love with her sense of humor that was an instant stress-buster for everyone ;)

A few bloggers got an experiential service as well wherein they got to pamper themselves with massages etc, but I couldn't avail as I was pressed for time. (better luck next time) ;)

After a fruitful afternoon spent at the VLCC Wellness Centre, I came back home richer in knowledge for self-wellness, building a stronger bloggers' network and holding a lovely goodie bag in my hand ;)

And now some more fun pictures from the memorable event...

Selfie Time ;)

With Sushmita and Manveer 

  With Chandigarh Bloggers Squad

With Daphne 

All my readers can use coupon code SNQ88C06 to get 10% discount to avail any service with VLCC (valid over and above the current discount)

The T&C for the codes are as follows:

- One time use 

- Valid till 30th April, 2017

- Not applicable on high end Dermat services

My #VLCCStyleStatements Experience at Chandigarh

I've been associated with World of Moms, an exclusive online community for moms, since past few months. WOM has given me a wonderful platform to express and exchange my views on motherhood (parenthood) and has gotten me acquainted with various hacks and tips to be a better mom in every possible manner.

As mothers are always over-burdened with responsibilities of their families and kids, WOM recently went an extra mile to comfort mommies like me who barely get any self-pampering time. Team WOM collaborated with VLCC, the leading Beauty and Wellness brand of the country and offered me a #VLCCStyleStatements service.

It all began when I was asked to choose a date and time slot as per my convenience. My appointment was scheduled and confirmed without any hassle. On reaching the venue, I was greeted by the salon in-charge. She explained to me the benefits of Envia Charm Facial as an advanced beauty service beyond an ordinary facial.

VLCC presents a range of premium Envia facials namely Gold Dazzle, Silver, Clarifying and Hydrating, whereas Envia Charm has made its place recently on this unique premium offering from the coveted Envia range.

The stage was all set for me already when the well-trained staff member took me to the cabin!

I could see a fresh Envia Charm Facial Kit being opened for me. Due to my curiosity, I devoted a good ten minutes reading labels of all the products, understanding about the different components of the service.

I was really impressed to know that Envia Charm is a paraben-free facial with Orange, Lemon, Mulberry and Saffron extracts. 

The products used throughout the facial are rich in antioxidants such as Vitamin A, E, and F, which encourage collagen synthesis. This facial also contains naturally reduced Glutathione which is a very powerful antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and gives a fairer complexion.

The lady began with cleansing to substantially remove dirt, pollutants and excess oil from my face and neck, followed by applying an astringent toner. It was followed by applying an exfoliating gel. Simultaneously, I was given steam with a firm yet gentle massage. Extracting the blackheads and whiteheads had been really painful for my sensitive skin and gave me teary eyes, but my nose felt really clean later. This was again followed by a toner.

Next she massaged my face and neck with a shiny massage cream derived from natural botanical extracts; she massaged it completely into my skin, till it was fully absorbed. I was in a state of total relaxation and could have gone off to sleep if I allowed myself to!

Finally, a peel-off face mask was applied. I actually expected it to be the concluding step for the facial, but I was given one more round of massage with the Eventone cream that was meant to give sun protection as well as long lasting hydration. The process ended with placing a sheet mask on my face soaked in hydrating serum to improve skin elasticity and reduce wrinkles.

Though my intention wasn't to attain a fairer looking skin tone in a day, that is exactly what happened. My skin truly looked super clear, clean, and fairer, post the Envia Charm Facial. My skin gets tanned quite a lot due to extensive driving everyday; but this facial treatment gave my skin a radiant glow and an overall youthful look with a telling difference.

VLCC brings to fore the longing for healthy, even-toned skin with this impeccable offering for all age groups. I'm more than satisfied with the renewed texture of my skin and recommend this service to all those who long for rejuvenated skin.

Venue & Contact Info: 

VLCC Wellness Center, SCO 425-426, 1st Floor, Sector 35-C, Above KFC, Chandigarh, 160035, Ph. 0172-2600424

The Kylin Experience (Chandigarh) : Restaurant Review

Winter Mornings, Warm Sun and Weekends. Isn't it an awesome blend? And if you get to spoil yourself with a dine-out opportunity on a lazy Sunday, your day is made.

The last weekend, I got an invite to review The Kylin Experience, Chandigarh that is recognized as one of the finest restaurant for multi-cuisine dining. 

Location:

Kylin is located at the third floor of Elante Mall, Chandigarh which happens to be the most sought after hang out places of 'The City Beautiful'. Elante Mall is the second largest mall of Northern India and it's top floor boasts of a spacious food court, an amazing courtyard full of cafes, food joints and restaurants. And here is where Kylin welcomes you proudly with an easily accessible locus. It is quite trouble-free to reach the restaurant.

Ambiance:

The interior of the restaurant is aesthetically designed with exposed red bricks on the walls all over. The walls have got gracefully implanted geometric frames decorated with tiny colourful plants in them which pleases the senses. The restaurant entrance flanked by an alluring Budhha statue kept at a rack marks holiness at the place. 

Critical to any restaurant, whether it is casual, sophisticated, rustic or modern, is Lighting. At Kylin, the entire space is sufficiently lit with assortment of multi-coloured pendant lights hung on the ceiling to spread omni-directional glare. Not only the lights are functional to the purpose, but create an intimate ambiance to impress you enough for a return.

One can notice the extra efforts put to combine iron-grill panels behind with colored lights to pull off a richer texture and color.

Seating:
At Kylin, the seating layout emphasizes on the comfort to add to the diner's experience. They have variety of seating options within the allocated area. You may choose to enjoy wall-side comfy seating with wooden partition fixtures between tables or occupy center seats which are space-efficient and encourage conversation during dining.  

The line between a restaurant and bar is getting harder to parse these days, so Kylin presents an exclusive high-rise bar-stools arrangement for its bar area on one side of restaurant. The spectacular bar features a great display where one can indulge in watching the bartenders crafting a perfect drink for you. The bar area is well-managed to introduce dramatic lighting from behind the premium liquor bottles to manifest the pop lighting effect.

Food & Service:

Talking about the foodies delight now; I had been invited to taste and review the newly introduced Winter Special menu at Kylin that offers an incredible mix of Soup Meals and Sizzlers.  

The cuisine offered at Kylin is an amalgamation of Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, Burmese, and Asian, so they guarantee you to offer delicacies beyond the monotonous.

Before I could begin my food tasting session, I informed the Kylin staff about my Vegetarian preference. An usual kind of menu with a wooden base arrived at my table and the head chef himself came to greet and guide me about his dishes. The experienced and friendly chef gave me utmost information about the preparation and ingredients gone into every dish. 

For the starters, the small bite-sized portions of Dim sums arrived in cute bamboo basket having Mushroom & Bok Choy,  Broccolli & Almond and Tofu & Vegetables variants. The flavour of each filling could be felt in every bite as the aptly steamed, nearly transparent dim sums melted in my mouth.

I demanded my all time favourite Mojito on being asked for drinks, while my son who accompanied me to the venue, got to sip a specially made mocktail by the chef. We opted for refreshing yet non-alcoholic versions, ofcourse.

Moving to the main offerings in the winter menu, we were served these soup meals -

Asparagus & lotus Stem With Dumplings, is a clear broth with vegetables, mushrooms, star anise and rice noodles in it. 

Thukpa, is a yellow coloured Tibetan soup with tangy taste with loads of veggies, baby corns and noodles in it. People who enjoy non-vegetarian food can get the veggies substituted with chicken in their Thukpa. 

Now this one had been a beautiful presentation indeed. The family-sized serving of this soup is named as Steam Boat. Resembling to a real one, it's one of  the finest offering in the menu. There are options to customize the  soup with choicest veggies, chicken or sea food as per own liking. You can even enhance the flavours using the variety of condiments served with the dish.

There is no tampering done with the ingredients to bring out authentic flavours of dishes so that they may represent the cuisine they actually belong to.

So we slurped and spooned our way through the restaurant’s finest 'meals in a bowl'. I recommend these soup meals especially to those who prefer a quick lunch and avoid heavy fried food. These soup meals are generously seasoned and don't push you to compromise in either taste or health, rather you feel 'full' and 'content' after finishing one bowl.

For a complete Kylin Experience, we were served delicious Sizzlers in the second phase-

Chilli Paneer With Hakka Noodles, is a full meal prepared with paneer and capsicum with gravy made of combination of vinegar and oriental sauces. It was truly the tastiest accompaniment to the noodles. The deep fried baby potatoes and crunchy bell-pepper in the platter tasted yummilicious.  

Another flavourful sizzler variant came all decked up with bowlful of veggies and a huge spring roll sleeping over a bed of hakka noodles and it's named as Exotic Veggies in Ginger Chilli With Hakka Noodles.  

I'm usually a more-n-more veggies kind of person who loves to munch veggies really fondly. With many slices of baby corns in the dish, I simply devoured this dish to my heart content.

The sizzlers menu at Kylin also offers variety of non-vegetarian delicacies like Chilli Chicken With Veg Fried Rice and Duck in Orange Liquor Sauce With Flat Noodles. 

The chef insisted on tasting his signature dish i.e. Kylin Special Sushi and my son was absolutely delighted to know that chef had a Veg Sushi Platter on his menu for us. Though the attention paid by the staff towards minute details was especially apparent in the presentation and quality of every dish, the Sushi platter instantaneously won our appreciation. 

The tiny dipping bowl were filled with soy sauce and dipping a piece of sushi into soy actually improved the flavour of vinegered rice with a bit of savouriness

Concluding the fine dining experience at Kylin with desserts was amazing. The chef presented a trio of homemade icecreams in basil, star anise and coconut flavours which made for an even better dining experience. 

I couldn't leave without admiring fast paced service by staff throughout. The service scores full marks for friendly, quick and accommodating experience.

On a cue, The Kylin Experience absorbs the grandeur of the city for being one of best place for casual dining and a must-visit restaurant for lovers of multi-cuisine food.  When you visit the place, don't forget to glance at this corner where the extensive awards won by the restaurant are exhibited with pride.

Timing: 11 am to 11:30 pm

Contact Info: 0172-4012542

Other Branches: Delhi & Gurgaon.

Cost: Rs. 1200/- to 1500/- for two persons.

I rate the location, food, service, hospitality and pricing of Kylin, a perfect 5/5.