A Few Of Aakanksha Singh Devi's Favourite Things

Ain’t no bag like an Old Tree bag! I love this brand, and have loved it since the day it came onto LBB! Not only is this a homegrown brand, that is all heart, but it’s stylish, and super durable. I carry half my room in my bag — laptop, notebook, water bottle, coffee cup, coffee packets, makeup, keys, a book, earphone, wallet, umbrella, chargers and a body spray, and this one fits it all easily. And the best part? The straps are so sturdy, yet soft, it doesn’t cut into your shoulder. I’ve been a fan since 2017!

When it comes to home workouts, I’m not too fussy. But for running, I will take nothing less than Nike. And the Pegasus collection is my pick. Currently, it’s the Pegasus 38 that comes with memory foam, so works well for my small-ish feet.

I was given the Huda Beauty Nude Eyeshadow Palette - medium, and absolutely loved it. It’s easy to apply, even without a brush, because work straight to dinner means makeup at the traffic light! It lasts really long even with lots of eye poking and rubbing (blame glasses and contact lenses!) so I went ahead and got the light, and heavy options too. They shimmer just a hint so you don’t look like a disco ball but shine enough too!

Once a journalist, always a journalist, right? And this Moleskine pocket notebook is just perfect to jot down all my scribbles, be it on work, travels or just to remind myself to do something. It’s my favourite LBB after LBB!

Blue jeans, black boots and a black shirt, that’s my uniform! And these boots from Steve Madden are THE ONES. Or well, whatever is the closest version the brand comes up with every year or each season. Essentially, I will get the boots that have a 1-inch heel, knee-high, a metal buckle and wide enough for my skinny jeans to go into. I can walk the earth in these!

I discovered this on LBB three years ago, and I genuinely did not expect it to be so good. It’s a great scrub but is really gentle on the skin without compromising on the cleaning efficacy. The aloe vera really hydrates the skin, and heals it too. Plus, it’s blue and looks so lovely in my shower.

I swear by the Nothing Ear (1) earphones, the black ones at that. I use it mostly for running and for calls, occasionally. While the sound quality is fantastic, what I appreciate the most is that it ACTUALLY fits well, and doesn’t fall off every 10 metres. It’s snug, not tight, and it’s slightly water resistant, so it survives drizzles and sweat!

With mountains in my blood, I don’t often feel cold, but when I do, my go-to is the Ultra Light Down Vest from UNIQLO. It’s really light, and keeps you very warm. I’ve been at -2 degree Celcius with this, and just a t-shirt, and felt like a warm bunny. Thankfully, it’s also slightly water repellant, so you can get by in a sharp shower, or if you have to dash across the street in the rain. It comes with a nifty bag that you can squeeze the vest jacket into. That also fits in your handbag, so you can see why I love it!

A very dear friend gave this to me. It’s one of my favourite books of all time. It’s written well, and the story is beautiful, but most may not find it as striking. Words like “The never-ending ache of love and sorrow” will always have my heart. Plus, I am a Greek mythology geek. So, this one sits on my Favourite List alongside Homer's Iliad!

I love coffee. Maybe a little too much. I can cheat on this one, right? Yes, I can. So, for South Indian filter coffee, my favourite is Urubage from Seven Beans Coffee. It's strong, and quite intense. I also really enjoy Nandan’s South Filter. It’s a good, robust and traditional one! Then for an Indo-Colombian blend, which is milder and I usually have without milk, I pick Coffee First’s Armonia. And saving the controversial one for last. VS Mani’s Instant Filter Coffee. Don’t judge. It’s amazing. Okay, I’ll stop now!