Monica Vaswani of "Family Karma" Shares Her Must-Have Products
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Between her cooking skills and extensive coupon collection, Monica Vaswani instantly became a fan favorite on Bravo's "Family Karma." The reality TV show follows the lives of a tight-knit group of friends and their families, including the Vaswani household, as they navigate the complexities of their Indian heritage and American upbringing in Miami. "I feel very blessed to have been part of a show that highlighted our culture and did it justice. I felt they really gave an authentic view to not only our stories but our community, at least in South Florida," she says.
Viewers adore her relationship with her dad, Raj Vaswani, crowning him the ultimate girl dad. She was often portrayed as the "good Indian girl," yet many relate to her ups and downs of being a 20-something figuring out life. On the "good Indian girl" stereotype, Vaswani says, "Most people, when you get told that, they'd probably be really happy. I took an extra effort to maybe express my flaws. Even on social media, I don't wanna show the 'reel,' I wanna show, like, the real — the actual reality of things."
Vaswani was especially vulnerable when she opened up about her relationship with now-fiancé Rish Karam on the show's second and third seasons: "This journey has not been super smooth, and that's just the reality of it. But being able to share that with the audience and being able to be real about it I think is probably the one thing that I'm most proud of."
Vaswani explains that not everyone is able to be as comfortable in front of the cameras, but she and Karam are goofballs behind the scenes. "If there's something that I want to do, he's just my number-one cheerleader. Even if he doesn't wanna do something, he'll do it for me, so that's really special."
Although we did not get to see her proposal happen on screen, Vaswani shared a few of the details with us: "We did it in a really special place in Palm Beach, [FL], which has always been a very soft spot in my heart. That's where we always do our staycations, and it's our little go-to getaway that we spend our time at, so having it be there was really, really perfect," she says.
While we wait for Bravo to make season four happen, Vaswani is prepping for wedding planning and growing as a content creator. She often loves to share her favorite products with her audience, so we had to ask her about her current must haves. From her go-to nude lipstick to her heated blanket, check out Vaswani's favorite products ahead.
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Monica Vaswani's Affordable Must Have
"I love just a natural matte brown lip, that's my signature look," Vaswani says. Her go-to lipstick for her perfect nude is the Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Ultra-Comfort Transfer-Proof Lipstick in Wifey ($23). "I'm a huge fan of Huda Kattan, so I love to support anything that she does. I think that she really understands our skin tone better than anybody else."
Vaswani's everyday makeup look consists of nudes, browns, and bronzey shades, noting that these tones help accentuate her features as a Brown woman. Vaswani also loves using MAC Cosmetics's Lip Liner in Cork and a clear gloss.
Pro Tip: She notes that the formula is a little drying and recommends carrying a gloss to help keep your lips hydrated throughout the day.
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Monica Vaswani's Investment Must Have
The Louis Vuitton Palm Springs MM ($2,710) isn't just a designer purchase for Vaswani: she treated herself to this bag during a two-day layover in Venice when she was on the way to her Harper's Bazaar shoot, a milestone near and dear to her. "I don't buy designer items very often. I really have to think about what I'm going to buy, and I wanna make sure that the piece is classic, but also I want a memory associated with it," she says.
Vaswani opted for the larger backpack, noting its versatility from day trips to an overnight bag. "It can just hold so much. If you're one of those girlies who likes to have a few more things in your purse, I think invest in this bag," she says. She carries a hand sanitizer, lightweight jacket, nylon cloth for cleaning screens and cameras, LED selfie light, and pair of extra slippers for when she wants to change out of her heels.
Pro Tip: Vaswani suggests going for a bigger bag since it's more practical in terms of carrying more items, as opposed to a smaller bag that might not be as useful on a daily basis.
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Monica Vaswani's Morning-Routine Must Have
Vaswani starts her mornings off by spending time with her puppy and drinking a cup of chai. "I love the good classic black tea, and I like it strong," she says. She uses the Tapal Danedar 2-Cup Round Tea Bags ($17), which have a rich flavor. She prefers not to have that masala flavor in her daily chai and enjoys it on the sweeter end.
Vaswani first fills up her Corningware mug with water and a tea bag. "Put it in the microwave for a minute and 55, not over, it can't be two minutes because it'll overflow," she says. She then lets it steep for a minute before adding a splash of whole milk and sugar.
Pro Tip: Since these are conveniently in tea-bag form, she loves to pack a few of them with her when she's out of town.
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Monica Vaswani's Sleep Must Have
Although she lives in Florida, Vaswani can't go without her Bedsure Heated Blanket Electric Throw ($40), describing the feeling as a warm hug. "There's something about the heat that just knocks me out. It's like white noise for me. It's just like the moment I feel the warmth in my skin, I'm out, like, out like a light; that's my melatonin," she says.
This heated blanket comes in a wide variety of colors, ranging from a throw to a king. It has four hourly time settings and six heat levels.
Vaswani unwinds for the night with a bath, her skin-care routine, and even an extra facial treatment, like steaming or ice rolling. She sets the tone by lighting a candle, adding essential oils to her diffuser, and sometimes turning on her starlight projector.
Pro Tip: Vaswani recommends sticking to a throw or a smaller-size heated blanket so that it's easier to move around the house.
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Monica Vaswani's Travel Must Have
"I'm the queen of overpacking," Vaswani says. In fact, she prefers soft-top suitcases so that she can stretch them out and squeeze in as many things as possible. Vaswani is able to be an overpacker by using the Easortm Packing Cubes 9 Set ($25, originally $30). "It helps me organize my bag a little bit better, but it helps me go in and out of a place easier, too," she says.
This nine-piece set comes with five packing cubes, including two large, two small, and one medium, along with a toiletries bag, a shoe bag, a flat-pocket case, and a drawstring laundry bag.
Pro Tip: She recommends always doing laundry as soon as you unpack. She also loves to save samples and minis of beauty products for travel.
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