I know I haven’t done an OOTD here since a long time, that’s coz of Instagram! Yes, I usually post my OOTD’s and outfit pics with details there, so you don’t see many OOTD’s here on the blog. If you want to see my regular OOTD’s, follow me on Instagram @bhumika_t
I did a special shoot for 3 outfits recently and hence I made sure I post it on the blog and not just Instagram.
I had this dress since quite some time now, but due to monsoons or some or the other event, I couldn’t get to shoot in this. Also since the material is raw silk, it gets crinkled super easily. This shoot was right after I had got this from ironing and still it has crinkled :/
But nonetheless, it is also the material which is very comfortable and looks really nice! Love the silhouette.
I love the sleeves and the gold embellishment work on the sleeves. This dress is from a Kolkata based brand Mada Sasa. They make customized fusion wear like drapes, gowns, kurtis, tunics, etc. Also they make it in your customized sizing as per the measurements given. Check out more on www.madasasa.com or their facebook page HERE
I paired it with my nude Zara strappy heels, a cocktail ring, fusion bracelet and a gold clutch.
Dress: Mada Sasa
Heels: Zara
Ring: Eesha Zaveri
Bracelet: House of Tuhina
Earrings: Dang
Clutch: Gift from Kerastase
Eyes are the windows to one’s heart. So true! But they are a lot more than that. They are also indicators of your health. Given the kind of lifestyles we all are living, we frequently tend to cross paths with dark circles, patchiness, discoloration, puffy eyes and what not. The first stage is of denial when we see signs of these pesky woes. Conveniently and more aptly sceptically we wring up our hands in disbelief brushing aside those signs.
A few more days roll by and then those signs begin drawing unwanted attention for people point it out. That sends the ‘Oh-No- Something’s-Wrong’ flag soaring high. Petrified, we wade across over-the-counter measures and what not to allay them but more often than not, such products do not throw positive results. Disappointed, we fall into a whirlpool of pessimism. But hey, worry not. We have a treasure trove of pocket-friendly recipes-none invasive, painful or costing you an arm and a leg at your disposal that’ll leave you heaving a sigh of respite.
1. MALAI/MILK CREAM- Milk has great lightening abilities for the skin and can be a very affordable option for dealing with dark circles under the eyes, which can have great results. Milk cream is a derivative of milk. Being a powerhouse of fats, malai is what you need if you suffer from under-eye discoloration.
PROCEDURE- Simply dab and massage a tbsp. of fresh milk cream using your ring finger (for it is the gentlest in massaging) carefully on your under-eye area. Do not let it enter your eyes. If it does, wash off immediately. That’s it. Sleep with it. In the morning, you can wash it off. Let it work its magic overnight. Continue every night for at least a week. It shows results and how! I vouch for this method provided it is followed painstakingly and regularly. And yes, it softens the area too. Double-whammy, did I hear you say that?
2. ALMOND OIL- Here comes the weapon that has been relied upon since times immemorial to banish those dark circles- Almond oil. Shouldn’t there have been drumrolls in the background as I introduced it?
Coming to its virtues, almond oil is anti-inflammatory, thus it reduces puffy bags under the eyes and dark circles. It is a good source of vitamin K, which improves clotting, reducing discoloration under the eyes.
PROCEDURE- Application is simple. Simply slather and massage the under-eye area with almond oil (few drops) every night dedicatedly without fail for at least a fortnight. Sleep with it and let your skin repair itself overnight.
3. EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL- If almond oil has made an appearance on this list, can EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil) stay far behind? EVOO is the best grade of olive oil for it is least processed and contains maximum nutrition. It comes in glass bottles and is higher than all other variants. It works wonders in allaying wrinkles. Ladies approaching their twilight years can still shed a few years of age off their skin with the help of this wonder oil.
PROCEDURE- Massage a few drops of it on your under-eye area. Please note that massaging is important. That is what matters else the oil will merely sit on your skin and not nourish it the way you want to. Do this every night for 5 minutes gently for at least a fortnight. You will be spellbound with the positive turn of events.
4. GREEN TEA BAGS- Packed with a number of antioxidants, green tea helps banish dark circles and keeps them at bay for as long as you continue sipping (or as I do, gulping) it.
PROCEDURE- Put two green tea bags in the refrigerator for at least an hour. After that, keep them on your eyes. It’s alright if it’s not entirely on your under-eyes. It nourishes eyelashes too so, you have the best of both worlds there.
5. CUCUMBER JUICE- Not only is the cool cucumber (you surely would have heard the phrase ‘as cool as a cucumber’) rich in vitamins and minerals which helps to hydrate, nourish and tone skin, but also brighten the under eye area, so that you can say ‘good bye’ to those pesky dark circles permanently. What needs to be done?
PROCEDURE- Mince a cucumber into a few slices. Actually, two would do. Freeze them for half an hour and then, keep them on your eyes. Bid farewell to all those woes pertaining to your under-eye area.
Editor’s Note: Those are fab tips Nidhal. I swear by almond oil, I am currently using the Cold Pressed Sweet Almond Oil and 3 drops are more than enough! Also just wanted to add, be careful when using the oil, make sure you don’t go too close to the eyes or it doesn’t enter inside, it kind of blurs vision for the entire night :/ Also I recommend the Rogan Badam Shirin, it’s the most economical and easily available option when it comes to purity.
Aishwarya & Sonam at Cannes 2016: Outfits & Makeup
Hey guys,
You all must have seen 100’s of pictures of both Aishwarya Rai and Sonam Kapoor from the Cannes Film Festival 2016. It’s the 15th year Aishwarya Rai was present at Cannes and she was there for all four days while Sonam Kapoor joined later for 2 days. Katrina Kaif was not present at Cannes this year due to her shoot commitments.
You must have seen the Infallible Range Makeup Collection launch for Cannes 2016 HERE, where I also reviewed & swatched the lip glosses.
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya’s first look on the red carpet was a Ali Younes Couture golden gown, which she paired with smokey blue eyes and glossy nude lips. The dress was ok, the cape was not flattering and something was not right with the fit around her waist.
She wore a red ruffled gown from Naeem Khan with bold red lips.
Later she donned a Rohit Bal gold and brown ensemble for the Sarabjit screening. She paired it with smokey eyes and nude lips, like the makeup, the dress is quite ok.
The Elie Saab gown was the showstopper! Bold red lips and a winged eyeliner, soft wavy hair, she looked ethereal. The bold lips were achieved using a mix of shades from the L’Oreal Paris LA Lip Palette, I hope they launch it in India soon!
Her last look was a blush pink floral Rami Kadi bardot dress and brown smokey eyes with super bright and bold lilac lips with her hair tied slick back! While I did like the dress, I don’t like the lips at all! Pastel lilac is not her colour, she is fair with green eyes and pastel lilacs will just wash her out, a beautiful deep purple like MAC Recollection or something like that would have looked gorgeous on her!
Sonam Kapoor
Sonam’s first appearance was in Rimzim Dadu black and blue sari. She went with a blue liner, pink cheeks,fuchsia lips and a sleek low bun. I loved the earrings and harness behind! The makeup looked quite fresh and nice, I did not like the sari though, looked like vinyl :/
She later wore a flowy, white Ralph & Russo dress on the red carpet. Straight hair and gold smokey eyes with half brown half bronze liner and pinky nude lips, I guess since her gown was white, she could have gone with pink or a brighter shade. This looked good too, I liked the overall look and how it turned up.
And finally she wore another white Ralph & Russo flowy gown with a floral cape and Bulgari jewellery. A bow shaped sleek bun and bronze pink eyes with a smoked winged liner, highlighted cheeks, fluttery lashes and soft pink lips. This was my favourite look of hers in Cannes 2016.
At the end for the Chopard After party, she wore a gorgeous black Ralph & Russo gown with Chopard jewellery, of course. Again a sleek bun but with bronzed face and bold red lips this time. I loved this look too.
Image Source: Google
Whose look did you like the most? My favourite has to be Aishwarya’s Elie Saab look.
Bra issues are something which we have to face everyday in our life and still behave like there is nothing bothering you. But even then deep inside you know there is something really uncomfortable. I am sure there is no lady in the world who have never faced even a single bra issue. Be it one size larger cup, marks of uneasy straps on your shoulders and god knows what more. So, here I have listed down some of the most common bra issues and their easy peasy solutions. so, let’s begin –
1. Unflattering fat – Have you ever noticed something improper or unflattering in your back shape. Well, that is because you are wearing your bra too high. May be the bra straps are just near your shoulder blades and thus they are hurting you and giving you an extremely bad back shape. So, what you can do is just lower your bra straps or wear a bra which has wider back straps so that it covers more area.
2. Uneasy marks on your shoulders and back – Well, that happens with everyone i guess. Some or the other bra straps leaves marks on your shoulders. I suggest immediately changing the straps or going for the one which has wider straps.
3. Regular sliding of bra straps – This is an indication of weight loss. Well, not always. It can also be the case that you have worn a bra for too long and thus it has gone all loose and that is the major reason why it is sliding. So, either tighten your straps or change your bra or best go for the criss cross straps. They remain fitted for a very longer time.
4. B**bs are over exposed – It can also be the case that the b**bs which are meant to stay inside the bra is coming out more often. This can make you really uncomfortable and give a bad shape to your dress. This is majorly because you are using a size smaller than your bra. Before buying a bra make sure that you try it in the store.
5. Visible pointes – Well, i am sure you might have understood what i am saying here. Has it ever happened to you that you are dressed fabulous but suddenly you noticed that the nip*les are visible even over the top and all pointed out. This is the time when you should go for thicker fabrics bra or use pasties underneath the bra.
6. Hate under wired bra – Well, i know a number of people who don’t wear under wired bra because it hurt them deeply and leave marks on their chest. Well, that is not something because of the bra. That is only because you are wearing the wrong size.
7. Bra and b**bs both travel downward – Another classic example of wearing a faulty size bra is this. The straps which are meant to stay at the back keeps dropping downwards and b**bs also keep dropping continuously.
8. Right bo**b smaller than the left b**b – well, every girls faces this issue. In some of them this big and small thing is less noticeable whereas in some it; more evident. You can easily take care of this by just adjusting your bra straps.
9. Tightening your bra by the last hook – Well, when you are trying your bra in the store before buying make sure that you tighten it by the first hook and not by the last one.
10. Replacing your bra – Well, you should replace your bra every 6 months to 9 months time, because by this time you have worn out your bras and they would be much more loose and all torn out.
These were some of the most common bra issues. Let me know what are the other bra issues you face on everyday basis in the comments down below.
Editor’s Note: This was a very helpful post Pallavi. Even though we know most of these points, we often tend to ignore them and reading them reminds us of these.
OOTD: Denim Blue Off Shoulder Crop Top, Floral Pencil Skirt
Hey guys,
OOTD time! The moment I saw this crop top in the Stalkbuylove’s Stalker magazine early last month in the New Arrivals, I knew I had to get this! It is off shoulder, which is a trend quite IN this spring/summer. Also the denim blue colour would compliment a lot of different bottoms from black to bright colors to floral like I have paired it with today. Crop tops are absolutely fabulous with anything high waist like high waisted denims/skirts/culottes.
I have paired crop tops with culottes, palazzos and lace mini skirt earlier. And yes with pencil skirts too, see HEREand HERE. And of course, when they come with it’s own set i.e. co-ordinates/matching separatesmakes it all the more better coz you can not only wear them as coords but also separately with basics.
I have paired this Chester crop top with a black floral skirt. I had this skirt since quite some time (shown in this HAUL video), when I saw this crop top, I knew I would be pairing it with this skirt 😀 Yes, I mentally put together my outfits all the time 😉
Also I love bucket bags, if you know I already have the big orange one from StalkBuyLove which I love using. And I also like backpacks, so when I saw this tan backpack which is like a bucket bag i.e. 2 in 1, I immediately added it to the cart!
Tip: Tan/Neutral bags and shoes will always work with everything, so if you like something in tan, don’t think twice and just get it, you will be surely using that a lot.
I completed the look with my Daniel Wellington watch and these black Forever 21 mules. Now I know mules don’t have a strap behind usually, but this one does. Had got them during sale, again had showed these in the above linked haul video.
Flared Jeans: The Comeback of the 1990’s & Ways to Style It
By Sanchaita
Flared Jeans were out-of-the fashion scene throughout the 2000’s, mainly because skinny and super-skinny jeans were winning hearts all over the world, and why not? They are extremely well-fitted and looked so good. But now, the fashion from the gone eras is making a comeback, be it Palazzo’s, Crop-tops, Flared Jeans, Midi’s, and so on.
In this article, I’m going to write about how to rock the Flared-Jeans and can look as good as skinny jeans, and is so much more comfortable than the skinny ones because let’s admit it, no matter how good a pair of skinny jeans look, they are too-tight to breathe-in and too uncomfortable during the harsh summer days, and yeah, we do need to shift to something different after years of wearing the same skin tight jeans!
The Summer-Spring Look
Flared Jeans can be paired up with a summer-top or even a crop-top. This outfit is perfect for a casual day out with friends, or for movies. Semi-fitted or well fitted tops will look better with the flared jeans as loose or ill fitted tops will fail to give some balance to your body, thus making you look shabby. Pair these jeans with wedges, and you’re good to go!
The Winter Look
Long sweaters and the flared jeans- best look for a chilly winter day. Pair this look with a matching accessory- a chunky necklace or earrings, and/or a handbag, with light makeup. With Flared Jeans, heels or wedges is preferred because if you wear flats instead, the bottom-part of the jeans will be dragging through the floor, and undoubtedly look bad.
The Distressed Look
Yes, ripped and distressed flared jeans do exist and look as good as ripped skinny jeans. Crop-top, spaghetti tops would look best with these pair of Jeans. This is the ready-for-Coachella kind of look. Hair tied into a messy pony or bun, and a sling, and you’re ready to rock!
The Cropped One
Cropped flared-jeans paired with a shirt and scarpin heels is one way to rock the bell-bottoms look. This look is great for formal settings, and jeans can be changed for flared pants, and it would look as good. Too-much cropped flared jeans/pants would look baggy.
The No-effort look
Pair the Jeans with a casual v-neck top, printed or plain, paired with sunglasses and a handbag/sling and you’re ready for a hot-summer day. This look is easy and for those days when you are feeling lazy and don’t really feel like dressing up.
The Kimono look
Kimonos are the current favourite. I see almost everyone around me wearing kimonos with a short-dress, with shorts, with skirts, and with a pair of skinny jeans. But, kimonos can be paired up with flared jeans and tank tops and they look great! If doesn’t matter if your kimono is plain or printed, try wearing it with a pair of flared jeans and you’ll do justice to the boho-vibes.
The other-colours look
Flared-Jeans doesn’t always have to be blue (the basic denim colour). It can be red, or black, purple or even pink. Go for your favourite coloured flared jeans, and rock it either with a solid coloured shirt or striped or even floral, because hey, bold is beautiful.
The Biker-Look
Who said leather jackets look good only with skin-tight jeans or pants? When you wear a leather jacket with flared-jeans, they not only look classy, but they add a bit of texture to your outfit as well. There are so many other ways to rock the flared-jeans, all you need to do is find the right pair of the flared-jeans, some accessories, be it sunglasses, scarves, chunky pieces of jewellery and you’re ready to conquer the world woman!
Editor’s Note: Oo..I love this compilation Sanchaita, I remember wearing my flared jeans a lot when I was in college 🙂 I am so glad it’s back.
What do you guys think of the flared jeans trend? And how do you prefer to style it?
I know it’s been ages since I did any OOTD post here, but I did manage to click pics and a short video when I dressed up. I did not attend many events this month, also was working very hard on the blog and currently happy with the way the numbers are going 🙂 Thanks to my writers and your love and support throughout.
Coming to the outfits, if you saw my previous haul video, I showed you guys the Anita Dongre maxi dress which I got during their sale, the first outfit is that 🙂
Outfit 1:
I am loving maxi dresses and I picked this Anita Dongre maxi dress during their sale. It’s a black, white and orange printed maxi dress which cinches at the waist and flares after the waistline. It also has cutout at the shoulders. Whenever I can’t decide what to wear, I will just pick this up. I paired it with my navy blue Michael Kors sling and watch, in all the three outfits you will see the same bag and watch coz I have only been using this in the month of Feb. And of course my favourite black block heels with gold ankle strap.
Dress: AND
Bag, Watch: Michael Kors
Ring: Zotiqq
Shoes: Shown HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE
On lips: Sephora Rouge Cream Lipstick in R08 Firework
Outfit 2:
This is an old dress, mint and flared. It’s perfect for summers and Mumbai is already super hot and humid, yesterday night was scorching! I paired it with the same shoes, bag and watch as above. You must have seen me wearing this before too.
Dress: Romwe
Bag, Watch: Michael Kors
Earrings: Accessorize
Shoes: Same as above
This is my latest buy, a super comfortable denim shift shirt dress. Again something I can wear anytime and anywhere, since it’s a shift dress, it is easy to wear, walk around, do anything. Just throw it on and not worry about anything.
Dress: StalkBuyLove
Bag, Watch: Michael Kors
Shoes: Zaful
On Lips: MAC Cosmetics Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick Recollection
I hope you liked the looks, do let me know your favourite in the comments below.
Types of Anarkalis & Choosing Anarkali for your Body Type
Hi guys,
When it comes to Indian wear, anarkalis have been back in fashion since the past 5-6 years and they are still in trend, I don’t think that trend is going anywhere. Simply because they are super comfortable and easy to wear for weddings, etc. too. Anarkali is the only outfit which is traditional Indian wear and yet very comfortable to wear and roam around in 😀 When you get best of both worlds, stick to it.
Today I am talking about different types of anarkalis and how to choose one according to your body type.
1. Cotton Anarkali
These are the most simple and basic kinds, which you can wear to work or a light function. Comfortable yet traditional and very light. There are many options of anarkali suits online by BIBA and on Myntra, Jabong, etc.
2. Silk Anarkali
Silk ones can be a little heavier or lighter depending on the embellishments on it, but certainly expensive. You can go for the lighter silk ones for a daytime function and the heavier ones for some big function or wedding.
3. Asymmetric Anarkali
Asymmetric Anarkalis are quite in trend and look chic too. These again can be in lighter cotton ones or heavier silk or bridal ones. I love how it is shorter in the front and slightly longer behind, this would work on short girls too. I know how it is difficult to find a anarkali when you are short. Been there :/
4. Layered Anarkali
Again just like the asymmetric ones, layered ones are also pretty IN and I absolutely love them. They give a jacket kind of look or 2-3 layers which are shorter and keep on increasing in length. Currently the mesh capes are quite in trend and would look good over an anarkali too.
5. Bridal Anarkali
Now this is something very heavy, Sikh brides usually wear a suit or anarkali during their Anand Karaj. They can opt for a super heavy embellished anarkali. Also if you want to wear one for your mehendi or sangeet, the bridal ones are perfect.
Choosing an Anarkali according to body type
Inverted Triangle- If you have an inverted triangle body type i.e top heavy with broad shoulders, avoid boat necks, high neck collars or bulky shoulder patterns as that will bring more attention towards the broad shoulders.
Hourglass- Well if you have an hourglass figure, all anarkalis will look fabulous on you. Just make sure it accentuates your waist well and the flare starts below the waist.
Apple shaped- If you are apple shapes, wear empire line silhouettes in anarkalis which means the flare starting just below your waist which will help you hide your core problem area.
Pear shaped- If you have a well defined waist, then you can go for anarkalis starting below the waist and the flare will hide your lower problem area or else again empire line will work the best.
Short, petite girls- If you are short or petite, go for shorter kurtas with less flare as you don’t want the anarkali to look like a gown and neither like you wearing a tent.
If you are tall, anarkalis are made for you! You can wear them anytime, anywhere 😀
I hope this helped, do let me know in the comments below. If you are a bride-to-be, keep these tips in mind and choose an anarkali according to your body type.
Do you like Anarkalis? Which is your favourite type?
So My Envy Box in association with NIMAI have launched this designer jewellery subscription box and I am amongst the 4 lucky bloggers for whom My Envy Box curated this special box this month.
MRP: Rs.2450/- per month- Buy HERE (Less for 3, 6 and 12 months susbcriptions)
About the Designer Jewelery Box: Get a surprise box of 2-3 curated items of designer jewelry typically worth well over twice the cost of the box!
Semi-Precious & Fashion Jewelry from established/up & coming Indian Designers
Jewelry curated by our partners at NIMAI
1% of revenue from Jewelry Box donated to Made By Survivors.
Some of the brands they would have are Zariin, Eesha Zaveri, Dang, etc and all the pieces of jewellery are pretty expensive, worth much more than the price of the box. Also every person would get a different box with different pieces.
The value of the 2-3 designer jewellery pieces every month would be in the total range of Rs.7000-12000/- and the price of the box is Rs.2450/- Also there is 10% off for this month of Feb using ‘JEWEL10′
To start with the box, it’s a beautiful navy blue colored velvet box with a mirror inside, the entire interior part is also velvet and the box itself is amazing. Perfect to store all your jewellery in the future too and makes a nice trousseau box for the brides-to-be.
Let me show you what I got in my box:
Pair of black and gold earrings from Zariin, my favourite gold and mint pair of earrings from Dang and a beautiful blue stone cocktail ring from Eesha Zaveri
I love each and every piece in the box, all the designs are totally my style. I don’t like chunky diamante pieces and I love stones and gems, also delicate and minute work is what I completely love. Both the set of earrings are something that would work with many different outfits from Indian to western, loved both of them!
I definitely suggest checking the My Envy Box designer jewelery box and also with the 10% off this month, it would be around Rs.2200/- and you will get 3 designer jewellery pieces, worth a try! Highly recommended.
Have you checked out the new My Envy Box Designer Jewelery Box yet?
Continuing the bridal posts from last month, today we are talking about wedding trousseau. How to plan it, what all to include, etc.
Trousseau mostly includes a new wardrobe, jewellery, makeup, clutches, shoes, basically everything a bride needs post wedding. Now every family has a different budget and different customs, some have a total of 11 outfits to give and some have 21 to 51 depending on the budget.
A bride should always mix and match the outfits in a trousseau, go for some anarkalis, some lehengas, sarees, kurtis and even western dresses for your honeymoon and the likes, so you have 1-2 options for every occasion post your wedding for at least a few months. But also keep your choice and lifestyle in mind, if you wear more of western wear and hardly wear any sarees, go for some basic 2-3 pieces and not more. Keep a balance and include everything but more of what you would actually need and use.
Coming to the outfits, what you must include is one piece of each type, like embroidery work, thread work, real silk, organza, zardozi, benarasi, gotta patti, so that from a simple occasion to a more grand occasion, you are sorted for everything. Also always have basic colors of blouses, petticoats and churidhars like gold, silver, red, green, blue, black and white so that you can mix and match.
Do not forget to include 1-2 classic pieces like silk, kanjeevaram, benarasi sarees or dresses that you can wear on any occasion and whatever the current trends, coz classic never goes out of style.
Also as already mentioned include more of western wear if that is what you are going to wear more of, anyway. New pair of denims, few tops, dresses, maxi dresses, skirts, and anything you can mix and match, a honeymoon wardrobe basically 😀
Lingerie, the most important, the right style and fit of lingerie can make or break your outfit. Invest in different types of lingerie & night wear like strapless, sports bra, lace, set of briefs and a few different styles of night wear.
Do not forget the accessories, bags and shoes. A basic gold and silver clutch for weddings, a formal bag, a casual bag and 2-3 pairs of basic shoes again including wedding wear, casual wear and a formal heels will keep you sorted. For accessories, buy only stuff that you would wear and matches your style from chunky statement pieces to delicate and dainty pieces, choose what you would actually use and relates to your style.
The most expensive part of your trousseau is the jewellery, invest in one gold and one diamond set at least but keep in mind your style when you buy it. For me personally, I like small and delicate jewellery and chose accordingly. Invest in classics that would go with your wedding wear and also evening or formal wear at the same time.
Makeup, again as I mentioned a lot of times, choose basic colors like golds, greens and browns for eye shadows or go for a palette which has all the basic shades. Or pick single eyeshadows and combine them in a magnetic palette to make your own customized palette. For lipsticks, choose a red, orange, nude, pink and you will be sorted for all outfits. But always try the shade before and pick up a tone that matches and works for your skin. Blush and highlighter are also an important part. Read my detailed post on what makeup your should include in your wedding trousseau HERE.
A cupboard to keep all the above stuff 😀 Also if you are setting up a new home, some basic home accessories can also be included. A bed spread, bed sheet and the likes would anyway be a part of trousseau. You will also be gifted dinner sets, tea sets and a lot of home accessories on your wedding, so maybe can buy those later.
Do not shop way too much and always be mindful of your budget. The key here is a balance of everything but within your budget 🙂
Do let me know your thoughts in the comments below.