Tuesday, 27 September 2016
Game of Brow's!!
Emily Ratajkowski, Angelina Jolie, Adele,Emma Watson and David Beckam have all got one thing in common............
AMAZING BROWS!
From Freida Kahlo’s innocuous unibrows to the
spectacle-worthy Cleopatra’s dramatic brow perfection, brow
trends have come and gone! We have succumbed to merciless tweezing, painful
waxing and of course agonizing plucking – all in the quest for picture perfect
arched goodness! In the Game of Brow’s, Cara D’s Bold and
Beautiful untamed lashes has set new standards in facial topiary! Fret
not, with my top-notch brow techniques, you can up your brow-game and Let your
eye(brows)do the talking ;)!!
Eyebrows, many a times is an afterthought. It’s absolute power and might
is ever so often forgotten and even the most delicate of strokes can transform
the mundane brow to brow-ilicious goodness! So keeping your brows
clean and polished is of paramount importance! I prefer the subtle classy brow
look and the overly filled-razor sharp edged brows packed with concealer is a
major NO-NO for me! I have acquired years of practiced perfection,
involving meticulous experimentation and research to pin-down my A-Z Brow
Guide!
It’s all about the tools!
Here are a few of the products that I reach out
Here are a few of the products that I reach out
Eyebrow Pencil : ABH brow pencil and Maybelline brow duo shaper.
ABH Brow Powder Duo/MAC espresso eyeshadow
Clear Gel
Faces/ABH Duo brush
MAC Vanilla Eyeshadow/Makeup Geek Vanilla bean eyeshadow
Faces/ABH Duo brush
MAC Vanilla Eyeshadow/Makeup Geek Vanilla bean eyeshadow
Whipping them into Shape!
Brow Guru, Zoey Van Jones and other industry experts have endorsed
Fuller eyebrows! For the not-so Brooke-Shields like brows many of us have,
whipping your brows into good shape is the best place to start! Threading has
been my chosen method for years now! Agreed, it is one of the slightly
more-painful methods, but sans the chemicals in waxing and with long lasting
results it certainly makes a strong argument! Threading my forehead was an
accidental discovery, it instantaneously brightened my face, the results were
so convincing that I have stuck to it, till date! A fortnightly trip (damn the
hormones!)to the salon is the norm!
The Powder v/s Pencil Conundrum
If you are new to the eyebrow biz then start with a pencil, as it
gives more control. Pencils allow you to create small hair like strokes to fill
in your eyebrows. Bear in mind, filling your eyebrows is not the same as
Painting by Numbers, refrain from creating contours and then block shading with
your pencil! Pencil is more forgiving when it comes to excessive product, you
can blend it out using a clean spoolie and this removes any harsh makeup up and
renders a natural finish!
Powder is good if you are after a natural, well-blended look. You can
top the powder with a brow gel for long lasting results like a pencil or
cream. I love the MAC eyeshadow espresso, you can also use ABH duo powder or
this one from Gerard cosmetics. Use an angle brush to give a natural unkempt
touch to your brows.
Nitty-gritties of Filling them up!
When it comes to creating beautiful brows, spoolie is your partner in
crime! I would start by brushing my eyebrows to better sense the shape and
gauge the area I need to fill in. Guidelines help to visualise the end result,
the starting point of your brow should align with the upper bridge of your
nostrils and the end point with the lower bridge.
Whilst filling in, always start with gentle strokes from the arch of
your brows and work towards the end.
My eyebrows are thick towards the inner half and lighter towards the
outer half;I tend to switch between an eyebrow pencil and a powder. As a rule
of thumb, I use a lighter colour to fill in the inner half section and a darker
shade for the outer half.
Final Touches!
If you are short on time, a touch of brow gel can work wonders! It tames
all those unruly brows and holds them in place! You can choose to use a brow
gel on its own or use it to set pencil/powder.
The Last word!
One major rule while doing your eyebrows is to not to change the shape
too much. Each facial shape and feature can pull off a certain kind of look
better and certainly stray away from overdoing your brows.
Be it tweezing or threading, creating clear guidelines with a pencil is
the best approach before removing hair. This can serve as a cautionary measure
as well from over tweezing.
The key to mastering brow art is, understanding the angle and proportion
of your eyebrows. An easy way to determine where your brows should start and
end is:
- Place
your pencil/brush against the side of your nose keeping it vertical. The
point where the pencil and eyebrows meet is where your brows should begin.
- Place
the pencil/brush against the side of your nostril. Angle it along the
outside corner of your lower lash line and that is the point where your
brow ends. Make sure your brown does not go lower than that.
My last bit of advice being, as a safe measure avoid shaping/tweezing
your eyebrows on the eve or day of any event to dodge unwarranted
allergic reactions!
The future is certainly filled with creative h
I had so much fun doing this post with
inspiration from Into The Gloss and their
article on brows!
Until Next time!
Merin
Saturday, 17 September 2016
Watch out world- Janki Prakash has arrived!
It was a
dull, grey Tuesday evening!Call it Destiny or perhaps super natural forces of
sorts had its play in orchestrating this rendezvous between three girls living in
different parts of the world,it had to be more than sheer coincidence when they
happened to be in the same city at the same time! With the newly opened
no-qualms cafe chosen as the place of meet,
like a vision (and punctual to the dot) Janki appears, clad in a smart
chequered blouse and pale pink culottes, paired with sassy strappy sandals, her
red locks fluttered ever so slightly in the mild wind and there was no denying-
she certainly stood apart!
Janki is
just back from her month long adventure in Jakarta! She breaks into a
beaming smile(the one you see on blushing brides :D)as she shares her countless
awesome experiences at ESMOD, to be frank I could listen to her all day long,
her passion for clothes and her tenacity is utterly infectious and electrifying.
I had fondly known Sree all my life, my friend’s sister,a fun-loving junior at school, the ever-so compassionate Doctor at her family-run clinic, She is one of the fourth generation doctors in the family and to see her transform into this confident, vivacious diva- Janki, is surely amazing! She admits, the move from medicine to fashion was in no way an easy decision and she was so consumed by her love for fashion that any more time away from it ,felt torturous, as deep down all she thought about was clothes!
Whilst her
friends worried about Pathology and Microbiology, young Sree would sketch to
her hearts content, Lab manuals were gratifyingly filled with couture
conceptions! She loved to dress up and
enthusiastically looked for pieces that were unique which proved to be more of
a disappointing affair and she soon took to creating her own outfits.
With family
and friends taking to her for style advice and persistent requests to make them
outfits Sree soon realized her true-calling was in fashion! The fulfilment she
got from making an outfit was second to none, it was addictive and she wanted
more!
The moment of epiphany was when one of the outfits designed by her and worn by the bridesmaid at her friend’s wedding received rave reviews, they loved everything about the outfit, she gleams! Days passed after the wedding and people would still complement her for the detailing on the garment – and from then on, there was no looking back and thus the label and the diva Janki Prakash was born.
Sree adopted her mother’s second name Janki to represent the label and her. The vision is clear - she wants to create classy, comfortable couture for women! She is super sensitive when it comes to clothing for larger women and the lack of choices absolutely infuriates her! She wants to create super classy,chic clothes for all the plus sized women out there and save them from the misery of all the mundane outfit choices they often have to resign to.
She also has an eye on Men’s fashion, the meticulous craftsmanship that goes into a finely tailored suit or a crisp shirt certainly inspires her, and would love to jazz up the space. An ardent makeup-junkie herself, Janki is a self-confessed shopaholic and hoards on all bright coloured lippies and enamels and would love to add her artistic flair and put her spin on makeup and styling! In addition to planning her flagship store,She is keenly working on putting up a website as well to show case her work!
You can follow Janki @jankiprakash on Instagram and @Sreelakshmi Prakash on facebook for a glimpse into her exciting world!
And as for this post, We are absolutely thrilled to have collaborated with this gorgeous diva! With Onam festivities in full swing in Kerala, it seemed like a natural choice to go for creamy, golden hues.
Time
certainly was not on our side on this one,Janki took to the challenge in
Gladiator-style, at the other end of a 48 hour sleepless stretch was 3
magnificent garments, Hand sewn and hemmed to perfection!
Artistic flair comes second nature to Janki,the ball-room worthy dress was absolute OMPHHH! It truly takes creative genius to transform an otherwise uninteresting garment to a smashing piece! I felt like a zillion dollars and I could tirelessly twirl in it all day long :D!
As for
Merin’s outfit, the finely tailored jacket from exquisite black brocade was
jaw-droppingly amazing! It elevated the golden halter neck silhouette to
royalty-worthy! With the ensemble, Janki strikes a fine balance between
traditional and contemporary not a small feat,many renowned designers aspire to achieve what she
pulls off with absolute ease!
With the drape saree in dreamy chiffon and a dainty blouse,Janki was Goodess personified! The infinity saree and the myriad pleats was tucked and pinned with surgical precision! With glam heels and a metal detail belt, one would suspect she’s stepped out from a fashion catalogue!
We are absolutely
ecstatic to have featured this diva!
As for Janki,she is ready for the next adventure,you might find her sketching under a mighty oak somewhere in central park or perhaps one might find her admiring the Eiffel, armed withed a coffee, croissant and her inspiration pad-one thing is certain, this diva will certainly stand out, no matter where- Watch out world- Janki Prakash has arrived!
PS
: We wish you a slightly late but a very happy onam and special thanks to celebrated photographer
Anvar Zayyan for the epic pictures. This young chap is always buzzing with energy
and he certainly knows his beans! His
insta feed @anvarzayan is an explosion of colour and amazing portratures! To see
more of his work head to his page, Tadpol photography.
Monday, 12 September 2016
Here is Why Culottes should be a must-have item in your Wardrobe!
Once upon time there was the gaucho and
then came the mighty elephant legs and palazzo!Then there were skorts(lots of
it) and short pants( I lived in those,
made me want to run errands all the time lol), But the recent fashion renaissance –saw the
reincarnation of this clothing item in the form of culottes.
If you are still hesitant on taking the
culotte plunge and you’re sceptical whether it’s too much of high-fashion item
for your wardrobe- Congratulations (as google would say- are you feeling lucky),YOU have reached the right place! We hope to
break the culotte myths and make you a convert;) Read on to see why.
Not
sure how to wear them?
Well, that's the fun part!For a solid coloured culottes, you can pair it with the same coloured top – a bardot or a tank
top to create a cheat’s jumpsuit! You can pair with the same coloured, loose
fit blouse with wide legged culottes to create the illusion of a sundress that
is unique and add some jewellery to take the outfit to the next level. If it’s
a printed number that your heart is inclining towards, choose a crisp white top
and some chic pieces of jewellery to elevate the look.This satin number is absolutely
stunning for any glam events.
I am
too short/curvy/athletic for culottes!
Aha,This is what makes culottes a killer
piece for every girls wardrobe. Be it any body type, with a few insider tricks
you can work culottes in your favour. Being a 5.3” (read 5.5” lol), I did a bit
of playing around, and the best bet for us(the slightly shorter ones) is to go for a
high-waist pair. With the high waist, it creates the illusion of more length,
you can pair it with a crop top for a casual look or an off-shoulder number for
a chic style, a nice sleeveless blouse, and a good pair of heels and you are
work ready! This belted number from ASOS is absolutely fab.
If you are towards the larger/curvy side
of the spectrum, opt for a nice long pair of culottes, as this will accentuate
your figure whilst smartly concealing all the problematic areas. Pair it with a
nice long jacket for a smart –work look.This one from Zara might be the perfect
choice for you!
For the athletic ones out there, pair it
with nice wide legged culottes that stops right above your ankle to create a
lot of volume.This tie wait number from COS is super classy and a good
reference for you!
Is it
really worth it??
The answer is YES, YES, YES and YES!
Very rarely, you come across a wardrobe piece that is versatile and chic at the
same time! The possibilities are literally endless with a good pair of culottes.
Be it a date night or a sporty casual look, you can pretty much use the pieces
in your wardrobe to create looks to suit any occasion. It will be the best
wardrobe decision you have made in your life, Trust me!
In this look I have paired a denim
culottes from Zara(Similar one here) with a white ruffled top from H&M. It
surely is a season of cheap thrills (a SIA reference :D) and some frills!
H&M has embraced the frills whole-heartedly, there are plentiful frilly
numbers to choose from! Be it a shirt frill or bell sleeves with frills or a
crisp white top that can be beautifully paired with denim for a vintage vibe,
H&M is my first choice this season for frills.
We really hope that you are inspired to
embrace culottes and take the mighty plunge!
Carpe Diem!
 |
| PS: couldn't help not posting this pic:D This chap was super adorable! |
Thursday, 8 September 2016
Its a touch of heaven with this New Found Baby Skin Care Range!(Its EPIC!!!)
The ‘Post-Vacation-Blues’ is certainly setting into scene as we are slowly lunging into the last lap of our school holidays! The kids and I, we had an absolute ball! The dramatic toy shopping’s remained dramatic as one would expect, the animated expressions after long bubbly baths and the loud giggles and giddy laughs from the sugar consumed have all been the high lights of this vacation and I am lazily dreading the morning alarm and the ever so treacherous school run, as normalcy resumes in a week’s time!
Today I am psyched to present
to you a brand that is super close my heart –ROOTED,an organic home
brand founded
by Yasmin Bagasrawala .
The journey began about 5 years back, when Yasmin discovered that her baby was allergic to Vitamin E based products. What ensued was months of exasperating disappointment, with hardly any organic based ranges for infants in the market- there was nothing for Yasmin to fall back to!
Necessity surely has a way with inventions they say ;).However, Yasmin proves it’s not just necessity but creative genius and untainted gusto that’s required to convert a gap in market to a successful business proposition and after months of countless home experiments with naturally sourced ingredients, Yasmin successfully nailed a concoction for a diaper rash cream. The word spread like wild fire and with orders from friends and family, Yasmin surely saw the potential in her venture and there was no looking back!
The journey began about 5 years back, when Yasmin discovered that her baby was allergic to Vitamin E based products. What ensued was months of exasperating disappointment, with hardly any organic based ranges for infants in the market- there was nothing for Yasmin to fall back to!
Necessity surely has a way with inventions they say ;).However, Yasmin proves it’s not just necessity but creative genius and untainted gusto that’s required to convert a gap in market to a successful business proposition and after months of countless home experiments with naturally sourced ingredients, Yasmin successfully nailed a concoction for a diaper rash cream. The word spread like wild fire and with orders from friends and family, Yasmin surely saw the potential in her venture and there was no looking back!
5 years,15+ products developed and many a bottles sold, Even today she rushes back from her 9 to 5 job, looking forward to packing and bottling every product with utmost care and love!
Today I am featuring the All Purpose Baby Balm from Rooted,Its extremely moisturizing, anti-fungal, antiseptic, anti-bacterial solution for diaper rashes,cuts,insect/mosquito bites(We get quite a few here in Kerala),dry skin eczema and scaly scalp.
A generous amount of moisturizer after his morning shower and by evening, I could see visible results on the first use, which is an absolute rarity! We have been using the product religiously since then and has been a fix for his dry skin woes as well.
The ingredients used in the
balm are Extra virgin Coconut oil,Argan oil,Vitamin E, Cocoa butter, Tea Tree,
Lavender & Lemon essential Oils and
Beeswax. When you open the lid, the aromatics of the lavender and lemon is very
pleasing. The product is packaged in a travel sized purple glass jar with a
shelf life of 6 months and for extended life, you can resort to refrigerating the
product.
The All Purpose Baby Balm is
priced at Rs 875 INR, You can place your order via their fb page(** Currently shipped across India).
I have bought a whole load of stuff from Rooted, detailed reviews will be coming
up soon, So stay tuned !
Until Next time!
Take care
Monday, 5 September 2016
For the love of Summer and Strawberries!
My love for
strawberries is second to none and I deem it a cardinal sin, if one doesn’t indulge
in abundant portions of pretty much ‘all-things strawberry’ during summer! I
have jarred some of this sunshine already, which I know for sure , will be my
saving grace on one of those long cold winter nights, there were some glorious (
Eton)Messes and heavenly pink smoothies
were downed down shamelessly! But with my hand on my chest, I declare the
simple but divine –strawberries and cream to have captured my heart, yet
another season! It certainly, is the simple things in life that matter!
I have
totally jazzed it up with some honey-toasted nuts, for a crumble like texture!
With little effort and a handful of ingredients, you can transform this classy
number to something memorable!
So here goes…..
Ingredients:
Freshly chopped
up strawberries 250gms
Rolled
Oats ½ cup
Almond Flour
1/4th cup
Brown
Sugar 3 tbsp.
Cinnamon 1 tsp
Butter 3 tbsp.
Hazel Nut,
Almonds, Pistachios - roughly grounded
Honey(or
maple syrup) 4tbsp
Some fresh
cream to serve up.
Method:
Preheat the
oven at 200deg cel. Using a rolling pin I roughly grounded all the nuts, you
want reasonably sized chunks for the crumble. Mix all the dry ingredients along
with the butter in a large mason jar It
can get a bit messy and sticky as you pour in the dripply honey and work with
the crumble. Once the ingredients have blended in, spread it thinly over a nice
tray , lined with some backing parchment. This prevents the crumble for
sticking to the base of the tin.
Now place
the nutty mix in the oven for about 10mins, until the mix is a nice golden texture.
I would recommend guarding your batch like hawk, a min or two of extra oven
time could totally burn the crumble!
Once the
crumble is done, you can serve it either hot or cold! Scoop up some generous
portion of strawberry and some fine cream and top with the lovely nutty mix for a
taste of heaven!
I told ya,
its dead easy!
Tell us
about your summer recipes! Any ‘much-loved’ celebratory recipe in your household!
Until Next
time
Take care!
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