Curry Perfume

Almost everyone everywhere will tell you that curry is one of the most amazing smells on this good earth - but no one wants to smell like it!

Smelling like curry outside of your house is like announcing that you are: 1. Here 2. Ethnic and 3. Foreign - everyone looks at you like you have personally imposed on their life.

If you have long hair? Curry will cling to your hair like my nephew clings to his mom - hanging on for dear life. The worst is when the elevator doors shut and cut off the supply of new air. The air quickly goes from fresh to ethnic in 2.3 seconds and everyone gives you the side-eye of shame. Amirite?! Once, I was actually told that smelling like curry is unprofessional?!

ATTENTION OFFICE PEOPLE: Stop glaring at me while I am heating up my lunch. Heating up your Cup-O-Noodles after I’ve just reheated my chicken curry in the microwave is NOT the same as heating up anything fish! Your Cup-O-Noodles will not taste like curry, but it sure will taste like fish!

It’s refreshing to meet someone who appreciates the smell of curry so much that in the most random of places, like the nightclub, he is able to sift through the Chanel Chance you practically showered in to cover up that curry smell and say: “You smell good…did you make curry today?” I think the next question we can all agree on should be, “will you marry me?”

I think it is time to stop being embarrassed of smelling too “ethnic.” It’s OK to shut your bedroom door and open a window while you cook to avoid all your clothes in your closet smelling like curry, but the next time you let you hair down from being in a high bun all day and the fragrant released is curry, just smile and appreciate that you had the best lunch at work today - and now everyone knows it. 

FYI- Curry scented perfume is actually a thing. 

Auntie, you want me to bleach my skin?!

An Auntie are aunts that are the best at spoiling you, but they can also sometimes can be the worst! They can be nosy, gossipy, and armed with every other ridiculous opinion under the sun. Aunties are masters of throwing subtle shade. It’s always a competition when it comes to Aunties, especially when it comes to the title of who makes the best curry. Aunties are the first to comment on how fat you have gotten, but be the first to give you a big steaming plate of food and expect that you eat all of it.

Aunties can be critical of physical appearance and sometimes give you the worst makeup and hair advice ever. Auntie, perms are not in anymore! (UGH!)

Example: While getting ready for bed one evening, my Auntie gave me a tube of “Fair & Lovely,” a skin bleaching cream for my face and body. She told me that I would look prettier if I was a little lighter. I was offended by what she said, but I was a teenager and wanted to be prettier, so I used the nasty lotion on my face and skin. I remember it smelled terrible and even burned a little as I was putting it on; I ended up washed it off immediately thinking – “is it possible to be unfair and lovely?”

I didn’t learn about colorism and how it is a symptom of racism until I was older. Learning that truth helped me embrace my darker skin color in a way that I was not able to before. Projected beauty standards are everywhere. Ideal “fair skin” nonsense is even present in Bollywood movies - they often use special lighting to make the actor or actress appear lighter.

As a future Auntie (because it’s inevitable for Desi girls everywhere), “Fair & Lovely” cream will never be found in my home and hopefully people stop buying their products soon. Although, their website seems to be fraught with lots of evidence that colorism is alive and well.

It is important that we teach and practice self-acceptances - we are all lovely no matter our skin tone. Despite the bad habits of some Aunties (which is really just internalized oppression), Aunties give the best hugs, guaranteed non-stop laughter, and amazing food.