March 27, 2026

What 5 Days in India Taught Me About Growth

What a Wellness Trip to India Taught me

WORDS BY VANITA PARTI MBE, FOUNDER OF BBB

Sitting and staring at the rain beating down against the windows, feeling depleted of sunlight, vitamin D and feeling unable muster the energy to make sensible decisions, I decided to book a last-minute flight to India.

I took off to a retreat called Vana, somewhere, that I have been recommended time and time again and dreamt of visiting but never pressed the 'Go' button.

On landing, I could feel that the air was immediately crisper, the skies bluer than Delhi and most certainly London. We (my husband and I) were picked up by hotel car and taken an hour’s drive along the windy roads to Vana.

I went to India expecting to reset my body.

What I didn’t expect was to rethink how we approach beauty entirely.

WHAT INDIA TAUGHT ME ABOUT GROWTH

The Diagnosis Most People Skip

At Vana, everything starts with diagnosis.

An Ayurvedic doctor read my pulse and mapped out exactly what was happening internally:

Overstimulated pitta (inflammation)
Stress held physically (shoulders, gut)
Imbalance affecting recovery + regeneration

And this is where most beauty routines can start to feel misaligned to you and your needs. People jump straight to:

“Best brow gel”
“Fastest lash serum”
“Strongest hold”

Instead of asking 'What do I actually need right now?'

WHAT INDIA TAUGHT ME ABOUT GROWTH

Why Quick Fixes Don’t Work (In Wellness or Beauty)

For five days, everything followed a system:

Morning treatments → stimulate
Midday nourishment → repair
Evening rituals → restore

No shortcuts. No “instant results”.

And yet…

My skin improved
My energy stabilised
My body responded

Because consistency compounds. Quick fixes collapse, which is the same pattern we see in brows and lashes daily.

WHAT INDIA TAUGHT ME ABOUT GROWTH

The Real Insight

After shaping 20 million brows, we’ve seen it firsthand:

Most people:

Over-style
Under-nourish
Chase trends
Ignore structure

The result? Brows and lashes that weaken over time.

Instead, the highest-performing routines follow a system:

1. Stimulate growth → Serums

2. Support the fibre → Oils & conditioning

3. Structure the result → Hold & definition

which routine do you need?

Brow & Lash Growth

Hold & Definition

The Ritual I Took Home

Aside from the Ayurvedic rituals I brought home, I came back far more intentional about my routine than ever before.

I wore very little makeup at Vana, but I still packed a few brow and lash essentials. After days filled with oils, treatments and early mornings, they became less about “getting ready” and more about bringing structure, brightness and balance back to my face.

MORNINGS (Stimulate & Structure)

Mornings were simple.

Slightly puffy-eyed from early yoga, I focused on lifting and waking up the face - Lash Boost and Brow Boost to support growth, followed by Clear Brow Lock to hold everything in place without stiffness. A coat of Lash Lift Mascara and a touch of Kajal Liner made me look far more awake than I felt.

Shop My Morning Routine

EVENINGS (Repair & Restore)

At night, I reached for our Nourishing Brow Oil and Lash Oil - a softer, restorative step that felt in keeping with everything I was learning there.

Brow Oil, in particular, became part of my wind-down; rolled onto my temples, then pressed through the brows with a gentle massage.

Shop My Evening Routine

WEEKLY (Reset)

What stayed with me most was the idea that not everything needs more. Sometimes it needs rhythm. A little less over-styling, a little more consistency, and the right products used in the right order.

Everything else stayed minimal - Nars tinted moisturiser and blusher in Orgasm, Skinceuticals Factor 50 SPF, and Laniege lip balm for plumper lips. Not essential for downward dog, but enough to feel like myself.

I came back to London feeling lighter, clearer, and far more aware that the best routines don’t overwhelm - they support.