Lounge Loves: The spud brothers, Pakistani dramas and more

Fae your fears

It would be fair to say that this is the first sunscreen I love unreservedly and have recommended the most—and I have been through a few sunscreen brands. The Fae Skin SPF Juice is exactly what it claims to be—milky, spreads super quick and absorbs even quicker, hydrates the skin and even makes it look dewy. If you have dry skin, you may need to use a moisturiser with it, but most people would find it doubles as one, no sweat (literally). Because it is a milky lotion, it leaves no white cast, and is a great make-up base as well. Fae’s no fuss, minimalist packaging suits me, and the product looks chic, though I don’t understand the need for all the asterisks in the brand name, or the technical specs: “SPF of 50+ and PA++++, a Boots star rating, and critical wavelength of 379nm”. Without wanting to nerd out over all that, this is a great sunscreen. 

— Shrabonti Bagchi

Drama from across the border

The man makes a sign with his hands. The woman asks, “Dil toot gaya?” and then smiles, “toot kay bhi mera hi hai”. I used to like Pakistani dramas till they also started getting loud like our serials. But once in a while there is a drama that breaks the clutter with its sparkling dialogue and chemistry between the lead pair. The above exchange is from Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum, with Hania Aamir playing Sharjeena who marries Mustafa (Fahad Mustafa) after her fiancé—his brother—calls off their wedding. Mustafa, who has returned to acting after a decade, has your heart as the “loser”, good-for-nothing son. Truth be told, I still watch video clips of Kashaf Murtaza and Zaroon Junaid from Zindagi Gulzar Hai. —Nipa Charagi

Also read: Kafka’s novel with 3D sound

Djokovic on greatness

The School of Greatness is the podcast equivalent of the Oprah Winfrey Show. Its host Lewis Howes interviews people from all walks of life on overcoming challenges, personal growth and redefining success. Earlier this month, Howes interviewed Novak Djokovic after the latter’s historic Olympic win. This is the tennis superstar’s first podcast and the expectation was he would talk about bagging the Olympic gold that eluded him since he began playing professionally nearly two decades ago. Instead, the episode took a diversion spotlighting Djokovic’s childhood in war-torn Yugoslavia. I will say no more. Give it a listen, and you could get hooked to other episodes; particularly those on reaching financial freedom. — Jahnabee Borah

Who wants a spud?

How interesting can a jacket potato be? With The Spud Brothers (@therealspudbros), a content creating duo based in Preston, UK, they can be more than just a plate of food. On their Instagram and TikTok handles, Harley and Jacob Nelson, stream their daily dealings with customers from their jacket potato food truck. There’s an inexplainable joy in seeing them slice into a hot potato, lather it with butter, sprinkle some salt and pepper, and then add the toppings of the customer’s choice. Cheese, beans and crispy onions on a bed of hot mushy potatoes? Yes, please. The first and last customers of the day often get their orders free—one of the many giveaways the brothers do in their videos. The duo has racked up millions of views on TikTok and their Instagram handle has more than 528,000 followers. — Nitin Sreedhar

Also read: Lounge Loves: ‘Sprint’, the scarf hunter and more