Models Puja and Pinky and actress June Maliah at the launch of Tressbay. Picture by Rashbehari Das

Move over hair and skincare salons, the latest services to hit the beauty block are all about art — for the body, nails, and tresses. Tressbay, a ’Oreal collaboration salon that was launched at the Enclave in Alipore on Monday, is a sprawling one-of-its-kind outlet for men and women. Apart from offering beauty, hair and skincare services, the salon also features a nail bar, a colour bar, a massage parlour and even body tattoo facilities.

The nail bar offers complete hand and feet care with special provisions for nail tattooing. The colour bar unit from ’Oreal provides online demo to the clients who can see a visual of the end result before taking the colour plunge.

The massage parlour offers exotic massages by expert masseurs from Singapore and Thailand. Balinese, Hawaiian, Tressbay, Stress Relieving, Thai, Ayurvedic and Chakra Head and Shoulder are a few of the varieties priced at Rs 800 per hour.

The beauty services offered are also a class apart. Facials are done only after a consultant analyses the client’s skin and works out a customised skincare plan. There are sauna and steam facilities too.

Fair cause

When around 50 ladies get together for a cause, the results are bound to look good. For evidence, check out Aakarshan, a three-day lifestyle fair at the Ice Skating Rink.

Organised by Inner Wheel Club of Calcutta Mahanagar, the exhibition is a fundraiser for its social projects, including work with the physically and mentally challenged, helping schools for the underprivileged, funding an eye hospital and sinking tubewells.

“We have been organising Aakarshan for the past six years, and it has become a very successful platform for the club and participants,” explains member Rashi Mehta. With some stalls appearing year after year, the event has become a place for selling and networking with buyers.

Clothes, bed linens, gifts, ornaments, jewellery and even appliances are all on display at 55 stalls. Some retailers have come down from other cities expressly for the expo. Like Monica Bhagwagar, whose paper products from Nagpur were a big draw. “We are trying to popularise customised stationery as a gift item,” she explains.

Two NGOs are also represented. Products from the vocational training centre at Manovikas Kendra, a school for the physically and mentally challenged, are up for sale. Kids from an orphanage run by Women’s Interlink Foundation are also available.

With over 5,000 patrons expected till July 15, rakhi, just around the corner, is a main impetus for shoppers looking for innovative gifts for family.

Telly fest

(Left to right) Arindam Sil, Rupa Ganguly, Shankar Chakraborty, Pijush Ganguly and Rwita Dutta Chakraborty. Picture by Aranya Sen

Endless rounds of tea, some good telefilms and lots of adda. That’s Nandan for you when the Second Bangla Telefilm Festival rolls in next weekend. After a successful start last year, Nandan and Eastern Motion Pictures Artistes’ Forum are jointly dishing out a package of 20 telefilms from July 23 to August 1.

To be screened at Nandan II, the telefilms have been picked from 88 screened on four channels between April 1, 2003 and March 31, 2004. Of these, 10 were shown on ETV Bangla, seven on Tara Bangla, two on Akash Bangla and one on Alpha Bangla. The 10-day fare takes off at Nandan I with Tapan Sinha’s Admi Aur Aurat.

“This year’s festival introduces several new film-makers like Atanu Ghosh, Saibal Mitra and John. A panel comprising Nimai Bhattacharya, Dolly Basu, Sreelekha Mitra, Indrani Sen, Sutapa Talukdar and others has chosen the telefilms,” announced Nandan director Ansu Sur on Tuesday. “We have requested film-maker Tarun Majumdar to unveil the event,” he added.

“The festival has been able to develop a competitive spirit among the artistes and technicians, which is a significant contribution,” said Rupa Ganguly, secretary, Artistes’ Forum.

Two shows have been slotted for the weekdays, and the two Sundays in between will have three shows. The audience can avail of a subscription rate of Rs 20 per show in the 200-seater Nandan II auditorium.

Adding a dash of glamour, small-screen stars will potter around the Nandan campus as volunteers. While Koneenica Banerjee will help light the inaugural lamp, Chandrayee Ghosh will stand by during the souvenir release and Rwita Dutta Chakraborty will host the event.