Kathmandu: If the sweltering heat is making you secretly wish to pamper your skin, head for The Hyatt Beauty Parlour. For this is the only place in town where you will get casmara, oxygen, fresh fruit and flower gel facial massage, the latter dermatologically “the facial” for the season. Ms Dolly Singh, who has 10 years experience in the trade and runs her own show with help from none other than the famed Sylvie at Kamaladi, is happy to point out the merits of each treatment (and apparently there are more 40 different varieties on offer):

“You use green apple for the extra glow it gives to your kin and orange to lessen pigmentation. Never use lemon on dry skin, go for the delicate jasmine or pineapple or even strawberry. Mint facials are specially refreshing after a busy day out in the sun.” But there’s more good news. There’s a discount on summer facials till August end. And now we come to the three secrets of beauty. According to writer-socialite Shobha Dé, they are a great bod, great skin and great hair, in that particular order, and Singh seconds this line of thinking, adding: “Beauty is especially important for women because it is an inextricable part of their persona, so you will rarely find an ugly and confident woman. And it’s also rare that you can’t transform a woman, any woman, with the aid of accessories and make-up into a full blossomed beauty.” So what’s holding you back from joining the beautiful brig-ade? — HNS