Tuesday 27 September 2016

Game of Brow's!! 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 


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

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.




It’s certainly deemed a cardinal sin to match your brow colour to your hair colour and it’s worth investing time in picking out the right colour.

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.

Once I am done filling my eyebrows I set the underneath of my brows with a shimmer highlighter powder to make my arch pop. I am not a huge fan of using a concealer on a regular basis and I use them only in SOS situations when there is a serious case of badly over grown brows!



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 hope in the browspace, with the likes of invisbrow and the avant-garde highline brow there has been much excitement!


  
I had so much fun doing this post with inspiration from Into The Gloss and their article on brows!


Until Next time!

Merin


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Saturday 17 September 2016

Watch out world- Janki Prakash has arrived! 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.




























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Monday 12 September 2016

 Here is Why Culottes should be a must-have item in your Wardrobe! 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!



















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Thursday 8 September 2016

Its a touch of heaven with this New Found Baby Skin Care Range!(Its EPIC!!!) 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!







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. 








I absolutely love this product. Nevan, my little one, has been a victim of serious case of mosquito attacks and with large rashes all over his leg, the baby balm has been an absolute saviour. 






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










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Monday 5 September 2016

 For the love of Summer and Strawberries! 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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