Beyond Spirit Fesival

I'm not sure how many of you have heard about the beautiful Kasol, popularly known as the Parvati Valley. Its a small village in Himachal Pradesh, which goes unnoticed while we head to Manikaran Sahab. Predominantly known for its hippies and local hasish, Its a place you would want to be this summer. The valley's festival season has started and after a long wait we finally have a chance to act crazy with everyone else. The last time we made a trip was in winters when the hippie population is hibernating. But the place looked charming and peaceful and my husband and I couldn't get over the Parvati Valley for long. All I'm excited about is the maddening music and my outfit posts in the gorgeous valley. Take a look how charming Manali looks in fall.

The Creative side -effects of the Local hashish

My staple diet to my begin my day-Nutella pancaked wity black coffee

In the fall

 

LWD- No fuss affair

From the cutie-next-door to the glam doll, a LWD is a the covetable fashion item. From breakfast party to strolling on the beach to shaking your booty in the club, you don't have to worry too much when you have this baby in your possession. With endless styling possibilities, this was a perfect choice for lunch with my cousins.
I have worn this before for a dinner. You could see look HERE

Look 2

Throw a printed shirt over,secure it with a belt also adding a pop of color with the same. A cutesy hair clip adds that little teen flavor needed for a bunch of pretty girls to get noticed.

Lips- Colorbar Thrilling Pink-61p
Nails- Avon Tangestic

East meets West

We all have been inspired by our grandmothers at some point in life, so no matter how many trends we follow, how short we go on the LBDs, Indian girls can never get rid of their fusion streak. We all love mixing. Following trends while adding a little bit of Indianness to the outfit can very unique and refreshing at the same time. Western stylish teamed with Indian fabrics and colors is not only innovative and interesting but also flatters the Indian body type and complexion too well.

How to do it your way-

1. The Dupatta(drape)- You could use your dupatta or your mother's old dupatta as a scarf around the neck on a dress or tee to add the Indian touch.

2. Indian fabrics-  Mixing Indian fabric with western designs is the basic key to the Indo-western look. Wear brocade pants instead of churidaars with your kurta/kameez or even a LBD/LWD. See Outfit Here

3. Printed pants/salwars- Bright colorful prints are a trademark of our culture, and so you can't get an Indo-western outfit right without it. A pair of printed pants worn with a tunic would look just right, or a salwar worn with an overized shirt/button down shirt can be uber cool.  

4. Beaded clutches- Clutches and bags with thread work/bead work , Indian motifs are a fabulous way to throw in some ethnicity to the outfit.

5. Jewellery- Bold ethnic pieces, multistring beaded necklaces, Kadas with the intricate Indian work, jhumkis, anklets, statement stone rings are all ways to grabbing eyesballs. You could also wear glass bangles with an outfit for a flashing Indian touch. Ethnic jewellery with a gown, for eg wearing kundan with a silk gown for a cocktail party can be quite a stunner. See Outfit Here

6. Jodhpuris/ mojris- Embroidered mojris can add crucial finishing touches to a western outfit and add can also make a great Indo-western outfit. Wearing mojris with a tunic/maxi or Rajasthani chappals with denim shorts can be a few options. See Outfit Here

7. Embroidered jackets- Jackets with Indian motifs or patch work can look chic for running errands or going for dinner to a fancy place. You could experiment with the length for several occasions. Like a patched/mirror work silk jacket can be a good choice to funk and ethnic touches to a basic white shirt-blue denim combo, cropped brocade jacket over a maxi can look sassy for a dinner date, while a zari jacket over a lehanga can look equally flamboyant.

8. Corsets- When we talk of western designs corsets cannot be missed. Halters, strappy garments and tube necklines  in Indian suits and  blouses/cholis are a hit with designers for the classy brides.
 Go ahead and have a colorful Indian summer:)

Im wearing a poppy top with stone-work long skirt with Gold cuff

Neon DIY shoes

Are you thinking of throwing away an old pair of shoes?? well, think again. If you're a creative person like me, and like to customize your own stuff, you will surely love this. I saw a picture of these button DIY shoes somewhere on google, and that very moment I knew what I wanted to do with my old pair of off white ballerina. I chose neon and Aquamarine crystals to give a neon shiny effect to the shoes for this summer. 


What you will need:
1. fabric glue(if you're shoes are of fabric)
2. Some flat back crystals( so that they stick easily) You could use buttons, stones or whatever stuff you like for decorating.

This was an easy DIY as the crystals got stuck easily, and I didn't have to do much work. But yes if you're thinking of re-doing your faux-leather shoes then you will have to find the right glue to work with. Anyways mine were fabric so I didn't have to worry about it too much:)

Time for Tee

The tee is the a fashion staple. Its a girls best friend in times of rush, trouble and when she's feeling lazy. There can be no rules of wearing this versatile piece of clothing. While a half tucked in tee can give you an easy grunge look, the tee with a short pleated skirt screams sexy, and yet with your quirky tights the tee is plain chic. The fresh light mood of a basic tee makes it a winning outfit choice in all seasons for both men and women.

I decided to wear it semi-formally for a lunch with my friend and her client. I kept it simple with light makeup and an all black outfit. A tote is definitely a savior in times like theses and compliments a semi formal outfit to the fullest. For other looks in the tee you can see HERE.

Colour Blocked

Last season we saw a lot of color-blocking and I'm glad its here to stay this season also. Its a trend I love watching most, with so many options to explore. We see to many odd and new color coded outfits, which is the beauty of this trend. The working lady to the party animal, all have their own take on this trend. You can look sophisticated to casual to chic with this trend.  An interesting part of this trend is it slims you down if you wear it right. This could never be done before so easily! I'll be using this outfit for a contest on StylePile. You could see my entries here and here vote for me!

1. To begin with you could use one bright hue with a light hue.
2.Always keep a neutral or earthy color if the other two colors are bright.
3. You could mix in patterns if you like.
4. Neons can make the look bolder than the average.
5. With black being a covetable fashion item, busrts of colors with it can look crisp and trendy.
6. Always use darkers shades on the problem areas(dark bottom for the pear shaped, darker tops for apple shaped)
7. Color blocking with jewellery has become more and more of a fashion staple.
8. Pick a color blocked dress instead, if you can't figure out how and what!!
9. Do not mix more than 4 colors in one outfit. Can create a lot of confusion. I think three colors create the best color blocked look.
10. Experiment with combinations you would otherwise never dare to put together.
11. The daring ones can pick up one color in different tones, and wear them all together. Keep shoes neutral.

This post is special because I'm wearing my DIY collar here. With everyone making theses, I had to make one for myself.

80s+90s= 2013 Hippie

When I think 80s, I think stone washed denims, jheri curls, animal prints, neons, mini skirts, high waisted pants, wayfarers, shoulderpads, lace dresses. When I think 90s, I think Bright and Bold. Though the 90s saw some trends taken in from the 80s like the denim jackets, acid wash denims, lace dresses and neons, big hair, 90s was the revival of the hippies.  With the bold prints, statement jewellery, big florals. the grunge style with the boots, the baggy trousers, the palazzo pants, drop-crotch pants and oversized shirts, their was the 'Turtle Neck' or also commonly known as the polo neck . While it was mostly associated with the soldiers, some women weren't afraid to make it their own.. Making a comeback from the 60s, I thought I'd give this classic a try for very obvious reasons- its comfortable, flattering and versatile. Mixing the pants with neons and raybans from the 80s and statement jewellery and turtleneck form the 90s, I tried creating a chic hippie look. What do you think??

How you could style your turtleneck-
1. The pear/petite shaped  can wear the turtle neck with skinny jeans as it defines the body type perfectly. You could also wear it with a pleated calf length skirt . A statement necklace completes the look and give that womanly edge to the otherwise masculine style. For the extra dose of sensuality turtleneck dresses can be a fabulous choice, with smoking heels and a gorgeous sequined clutch.

2. Though its suggested that the apple/hourglass shaped should avoid this neckline as it can make their upper half look bigger, I would say don't hesitate to experiment ladies. Try wearing your blouse with wide legged pants/palazzo for a cool casual look. For work you could offset your basic bottoms with a tailored turtle half sleeve. You could also pair it up with an A-line knee length skirt and blocked heels. Finish with a pendant necklace, as it draws attention from the bust, and makes the torso look longer. Wearing chunky neckpieces could do just the opposite for this body type. So stick to sleeker designs.
The hourglass shaped can add a belt around the stomach to draw attention to the waist line. Avoid belt right under the bust, as it could make your bust visually bigger.

3. The best way to wear your hair is tied back, adding dangling earrings if you have a round face(can make your face visually longer), and big hoops if you have  a long face.

Not very monochrome

I always feel I can't get monochrome right ever, because I cant avoid color at all times. This is an old outfit that I was saving for later. What I like about the picture is the backdrop. Its taken near a construction site with a freshly painted wall. The wall looked good enough for this outfit. Like you all well by now that even if I go monochrome, I cannot be totally one color. Hence the pop of color, which is a very quintessential part of my outfits. The multi-string pearls add that little touch of sophistication to the whole outfit.

Looking Around-2

What is personal style?? I think its something that defines who you are. for example- Some like wearing black with white to keep it simple, others prefer an all black outfit for making a statement and yet some like me would opt for black with a louder color like yellow or hot pink. So that pretty much says it all, I guess. That's the motivation behind this series of posts- Looking Around. I believe its only our choices that make us who we are and sets that first impression on people. There is nothing like good dressing sense or bad. Its just confidence or no confidence. So if you wrap a stole around the neck with confidence, you could make a statement like Isla Fisher of the Confessions of a Shopaholic, and get noticed as the 'girl in the green scarf'. Enough talking, lets see who is next on my list of stylish women.

I went to Pune last month and decided to do a feature my sister. She's a kind of person who doesn't experiment too much, and if she does, then she needs constant reassurance about how she looks. But once she's sure you'll see that:)  She's stopped wearing western clothing a long time back, even longer than I can remember to cover her weight gain. Our society is such that if you gain weight, and experiment too much, you're seen as someone who is bold and wants to get noticed, which is not very in your favour a lot of times. So the choice of clothing happens in direction of heaps of clothing on your body, which only means hiding. But even with that I think my sister works it quite well. Her style is very casual. I remember her picking up stuff that I couldn't even look at but she loved, only because it was comfortable and far from getting noticed too much.

 She's on my list of stylish women, because she is an example of a plus size woman, who manages to look good all times, no matter what she wears. Her secret to looking good I think is not only that pinch of confidence, but also that smile that she wears all the time. A beautiful face with a gorgeous smile is sometimes all you need to wear for a  party, and the rest just walks along.

For the shoot we chose a crisp mint green cotton salwar suit, with a chandheri dupatta. For a brand new mom and a busy tschool teacher, the bold lines of the chandheri and the mint green statement ring adds the edge needed for a casual day outfit like this one. And not forgetting the 'smile'.

The bottom line- Confidence+gorgeous smile= fabulous outfit!!

Red pout and glitter nails

We think of red when we think love. But this Valentines Day, I'm planning to wear something that doesn't catch too much attention, but want the makeup a bit loud with the right accessories. So here's the plan- A red hot pout with glitter nails, a hot trend these days, is on my mind. What do you think??

International Giveaway

Its giveaway week ladies. My fellow blogger The Glamorous Housewife is having a giveaway, celebrating 30,000 hits everyday on her blog. You could get lucky and get yourself a glamorous cocktail ring. The giveaway is international.To enter Click Here.

Colors for the perfect pout

I'm a kind of person that didn't experiment too much with makeup brands. Lakme being a favourite since I was kid(I have mentiuoned earlier, my father worked in the company for 25 years, hence the liking) , Street Wear was the next in line, followed by Maybelline. But last month I thought I should try other brands as well, and stop playing safe all the time with colors. I purchased three new 10 new lip colors, 3 mascaras, 2 kajal pencils, 4 new blushes,  nail paints are a regular buy, some facepacks. But because this is my first review, I'd be starting with some color. So I'll be reviewing 3 lip shades today.

1.  Colorlife Lipstick Shade05( Rs75)
This shade is a deep red. The brand is new, so I was not sure as to how it would be, But I read reviews about it and they were pretty good, so I was tempted. I ordered it from Urban touch.The color doesnt look so bright in the pictures as it is in person.

• The lipstick glides on smoothly. 
• The color is rich.
• Staying on for pretty good time.
• Good quality for the price.
• Suitable for all skin tones, especially indian tones, as the color is warm.
• overall 4.5/5

2. Lotus Herbals-Perky Peach 690(Rs233)

This a nude shade, which I was looking for, for a long time. Thanks to Urban Touch, I saved myself from the trouble of going out for it.

• Nice nude, with a pink undertone.
• Would be a more suitable color for fairer skin tones. Though it looked good on me, but I somehow felt it didn't go too well with my original lipcolor(which is a bit dark). Can make lips look pale, so you could also apply another shade over it(if you like)
• Moisturizing and smooth application.
• Lovely fragrance
• Stays for a fair amount of time.
• overall 4/5

 

3. Colorbar Peach Crush 59p( Rs 200)

I just loved this shade. This has become a favourite, and I mean top favourite. This is a matte shade and the color is gorgeous, you'll love it. I have received too many compliments for this one shade, that I haven't received in long time. Its just the shade for all seasons. Worn here also.

• Matte shade
• Stays for as long as you can imagine. Even after you're done eating a whole meal, it will be there(though a little washed out) but not completely gone.
• Perfect peach pink color
• Too good for the price.
• Not too dry, which is the best part.

Hope you guys like the review. Keep reading.