Face (the truth) time

I'm giving you, here, just the introduction to a piece I wrote for Delhi City Limits in Nov 06 -- the very introduction which did not appear in the mag because of its length limit, and the very piece which I am slightly embarrassed to have "reported" (it was a chocolate facial, man!).

'Well-meaning salonistas always seem to know more about your skin and hair – or how to make it more beauteous – than you do, or want to know. Having apologetically mumbled “Umm, yes, but I don’t want blonde highlights” enough times, I thought I had perfected a fairly impregnable and strict Persona for Parlors. Sampling a chocolate facial, for the cause of brides who read City Limits, undid it all in a matter of seconds.

Before I begin, here are some tips. First off, ye brides young and old, remember to schedule your facials at least 24 hours before the big day, which is when their wonders are said to become most apparent. To be on the safe side, start making rounds of your salon a month or two in advance: Figure n Face in Jangpura Extension offers a complete bridal makeover spread over two months. Second off, don’t be intimidated by the unrelenting scrutiny of people you have entrusted your skin with. Thirdly, and also to counter the effects of this scrutiny, choose things with comforting words like “chocolate” in them.'

(Read the remaining sections, "An Ingénue and a Chocolate Facial" and "Verdict", in CL)

The story has two postscripts. One, I left for Bombay and then Goa soon as I had sent it off to the editor, where my aristocratically-inclined, very sensitive skin peeled.

Two, I went to F&F a couple of days ago (mainly curiosity) and found the printed story framed and hanging from a wall, with my byline prominent.