Sabyasachi's floral fantasy - In photos!

Sabyasachi is not known as master couturier for nothing. From A-list bollywood stars to blushing brides, many have been seen flaunting his designs and upping their sartorial sense. One of his signature prints - florals - have been seen on Bollywood divas left right and centre. Here is an amalgamation of this rage called floral prints that was given a new dimension by the designer, and how it has evolved over the years!

I first noticed the master craftsman weaving his magic on flowers in his Winter Festive Look 2012'

Pic Courtesy: Google.com

It was soon a national rage. Sri Devi looked flawless in her English Vinglish avatar - simple floral Sabyasachi saris.

Pic Courtesy: Google.com

From Kajol to Kalki, everyone has been swept in the Sabyasachi floral wave!

Pic Courtesy: Google.com

This chic floral crop top and lehenga which Kangna wore for Tanu Weds Manu promotions smacks off Parisian elements yet gives an ethnic vibe!

Pic Courtesy: Google.com

How can we miss out on this one? This floral dress is Sabyasachi at his best! After all, it had to be flaunted at the prestigious Cannes!

Pic Courtesy: Google.com

And...Deepika has always adored his work, especially this particular floral rendition. Proof is below!

Pic Courtesy: Deepika Padukone Facebook

Pic Courtesy: Google.com

Pic Courtesy: Google.com

Colorama Verde Palmeira Review

It's that time of summers again when one can go all out with colors and throw all caution to the wind. Whenever I'm out shopping or hunting for new ideas for my next post these days, I see girls in yellow chinos, red kimonos, blue loafers et al. Since one very conspicuous way to add color to your look is with a nail paint, a green nail polish is definitely called for. If you want to make a detour from your vibrant red's and pinks, then try the Colorama Verde Palmeira shade which is just the right shade of green! I love most Colorama nail shades but this is one of my personal favorites!

For a 100 bucks, I would definitely give this one a thumbs up. It's neither too flashy, nor that dirty shade of green I was afraid of purchasing!

I have gushed about this shade with my colleagues too when I wore it with this summer jacket to office. (You can read more about this look here.) 

I loved the shade but certain cons with every product are unmissable. Let's start with pros first:

Pros:

• This is one of my favorite shades of green, so I'm a little biased.
• Chip-resistant
• Value for money
• Smooth application
• Though I had to apply three coats, and three smooth ones without any smudges, the paint stayed for a good week, which is hard to find even with the more expensive brands!

Cons:

• The only issue is the color pay off. I had to put three coats to make the right pop of green to come out,
• This brand is not easily available!

I would recommend this shade for girls who love the color green. Good day to you all!

Adding a formal punch to life with Summer Jackets

Summer jackets have been and shall always remain my one true love. They are great for formalizing your tank tops, or add that elegant casual flair when paired with jeans. For those who wonder about the concept of summer jackets, they come somewhere between shrugs and formal coats/jackets. They are made from summer-friendly fabrics like cotton mostly, so you don't have to worry about feeling hot and inconveniencing yourself!

How to style summer jackets?

This is your guide to finding and accessorising the summer jacket of your dreams. For an unadulterated formal look, add a bit of classy appeal with high neck tops over your chinos and chain necklaces. Who said jackets were only good for a formal vibe? They look good when added as layers over maxi dresses/skirts!

I own atleast a dozen summer jackets. Here's how I accessorised them!                                                              

When you're clad in florals or turquoise blue, the day is bound to be a good one!

My stitched ethnic summer jacket

And I couldn't have enough of them in Dubai too. Here's to travelling stylishly!

Where to buy summer jackets?

Some of us are always at a loss over where to get the right fit, color and style in summer jackets. Many brands offer them at exhorbitant rates. But no, none of the ones I own are pricey. So, where exactly to shop for summer jackets?

Buy summer jackets online: Online shopping websites like Jabong.com, Limeroad.com and many more offer different variations in pastel as well as classic dark shades.

Get them stitched: (P.S. The floral and ethnic summer jackets in the pics above are stitched) Get basic cotton materials from any fabric shop and leave the rest to the tailor. Rajouri Garden and Shahpur Jat markets are the best places to procure elegant, sturdy materials. I was surprised to see how well my stitched (and customised) summer jacket came along, even better than the ready made ones.

Travel and shop: This is not always the easy way out and travel always opens our eyes to places, things and fashion that we never saw before. The long blue jacket above was bought from the flea markets of China :)

Psst..Now would be a right time to flaunt my splurge at Dubai, since you guys are getting to know about my love for travel. Zara scarf, MAC blush, MAC Captive lipstick (Review coming soon) and Chanel No. 5. Proud!!!

Coming up - Review of one of my fav green nail paints...

Tackling the Monday Blues, Fashionably: Outfit of the Day #1

Monday blues are a universal phenomenon. I would urge you all to take special care while dressing up and styling on a Monday, so that every time you look into the mirror, it takes the load off the hectic schedule. Accessorize as much as you like and a put a loud lipstick and nail paint. Wondering how all that is possible? That's because I created the balance with a grey formal summer jacket (in the subsequent posts, you would learn more about my love for summer jackets!). The cat eye glasses are however, optional! 

Here are the details of what I wore today:

Grey Jacket: Jabong.com (Shop here)

White Top: Vero Moda

Denims: Dorothy Perkins

Black Stilettos: Carlton London

Rings and Necklace: G.K. M-Block Market

I'm wearing Colorbar Orange Blossom lip shade, perceived by many as too loud a color to complement formal wear. However for me, everything is allowed on a Monday. Check out the shade review and swatches here. The green nail paint is from Colorama and it's review will follow shortly!

I hope you liked 'What I wore today'. Coming up..a collaboration of my favorite summer jackets!

For the love of 'scarlet' : My Favorite Red Lip Shades!

Red is the ultimate cure for sadness! I read this quote somewhere and it changed my life. May be that's why I could swim in a pool of red lipsticks and never come out. Like many of you, I plead guilty of owning many red lipsticks in all possible shades of red (a dozen in my case) from almost all famous beauty brands on Earth.

I found it reasonable to share my 6 favorite shades which are an amalgamation of matte shades, rich glosses and liquid lipstick, so you can pick what suits you best!

(L-R: MAC Ruby Woo, Chambor Gypsy Red, Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Standout, Revlon Lip Gloss in Fire, Colorbar Lip Gloss in Bitten Red, Colorbar Orange Blossom)

And here are the swatches :-

(L-R: MAC Ruby Woo, Chambor Gypsy Red, Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Standout, Revlon Lip Gloss in Fire, Colorbar Lip Gloss in Bitten Red, Colorbar Orange Blossom)

A shade like MAC Ruby Woo needs no introduction. Women all over the world have made this their signature red shade. Apply 2 coats and your lips will be painted scarlet. 

I fell in love with Chambor lipsticks after I bought the Gypsy red color about a year ago. It's not a conventional red, and would do interesting things with your face once you apply it. 

The Revlon Matte Balm was one of the most interesting finds. This is a deep red color with a mahogany tint. Coat your lips with a burst of deep red color infused with triple butter complex and long stay formula.

The following Revlon and Colorbar lip glosses are hardly glosses. They are almost lipsticks with loads of sheen. If you love your glosses to be rich in color, and you love red, you'll be hooked to these two shades just like I am.

Colorbar Orange Blossom is a peppy orangey-red number, almost edging towards brown at times depending on how many coats you apply. 

Out of these 6 shades, you would find MAC Ruby Woo slightly highly priced, but it is worth every penny. I'm sporting Ruby Woo in this pic!

My Red Lipsticks are my babies and it would be hard to pin-point which one I love most. All I need is one of them and I'll land up on a beach, whether I'm physically there or not, if you know what I mean :)

Black Saree and Oxidised Jewellery Kind of a Day...

Sarees have always been my favorite item of festive wear. Whether its as simple as a cotton saree or a luscious tussar silk saree like the one in the pictures, I like them all. A black silk saree with silver oxidised jewellery sounds good, delectable almost. I thought I could never go wrong with that look. I was wrong!!!

The black and silver combo made me look completely washed out, and soon I had to come up with a way to introduce color into my look. It was my cousin's wedding and I wanted to look my best! I did not want to want to go with multi-colored or embroidered lace as that was taking away from the classy elegance of the saree. Hence, the mirror work multi-colored tassles came into the picture! All I had to do was attach them to the drawstrings of my blouse and I was decked up with baubles in front and back!

Saree: Bihar Emporium

Necklace: Cottage Emporium

Earrings: Fab India

Silver Cuff: Janpath

Multi-colored tassles: Local shops in West Delhi :)

Put together, I think I pulled off a decent enough look, with a little touch of Mac Ruby Woo too. I have six red lipsticks in my beauty box. Coming up..My Fav 5 Red Lipsticks!

When this Exotic Wonderland Metamorphosed into Unicorn Island for us: Goa in pictures!

I still remember the day when me and a colleague made an impromptu decision of booking return tickets to Goa. Little did we know that we were making one of the best decisions of our lives. I truly left a piece of me back there in Goa. It is much more than just a land of the hippies. It has a therapeutic effect on mind, body and soul! As for the rest, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Hotel Riverside, Baga

I could't have enough of my blue cottage

Jet Ski #1 @ Baga Beach

Spotting ships @ Aguada Fort

Oh you beauty - Candolim Beach!

Jet Ski #2 @ Vagator Beach

Anjuna Flea Market - all smiles!

Morjim Beach :)

Finally, sunrise!

Jet Ski #3 @ Colva Beach