Tag: fashion

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5 tips to ace your cocktail party look

Fashion designer Monica Garg dishes out the secrets behind putting together a good look for every kind of cocktail party.
Monica Garg Director International Luxury Academy (2)
Monica Garg

One of the trickiest things is to choose the right dress for a cocktail party. Though there are no fixed dress codes for such events, you do not want to end up under- or over-dressed. Start by finding out the nature of the cocktail party – this will help you decide on the acceptable dress code.

1. Cocktail parties are normally formal. Conventionally, the appropriate dresses would be those which are mid-thigh to knee length. You can always try a little flirty cocktail frock, metallic embellishments, cropped jackets, embellished tops, slim black pants, and black party dress teamed with metallic pumps. Whatever you choose to wear for the night, do not forget to jazz it up with an eye catching handbag and statement jewellery to complete the look.

2. Do not hit cocktail parties in tailored outfits, or dull corporate clothes teamed with day bags. You might end up being out of sync with the rest of the crowd.

3. If you don’t have time to buy a new dress, mix ‘n’ match the dresses that you already have in your wardrobe. You can combine a skirt in a solid colour with an embellished top. If you have to go directly from office to the party, just nip in to the ladies’ room and exchange your suit for something more glam, such as a sequinned tank top.

4. If you are headed to a dinner party, you can choose from either Indian wear or Western clothes. You can choose harem pants, printed tank tops, or solid tops with ankle boots for your friends-only dinner party. You can also try a flowy dress with a leather jacket, dark skinny jeans, chiffon maxi dresses, pumps, chain bracelet, beaded sandals teamed with cocktail rings and chunky necklaces.

5. It is always a tricky balance between under-dressing and over-dressing at formal dinner parties. To be on the safer side, set aside a pair or two of funky earrings or scarves in your bag to change your look at the last moment, if need be.

Monica Garg is the Director, International Luxury Academy, Delhi.

(Picture courtesy creativefashionglee.com. Image is used for representational purpose only)

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Here’s how you can look great this season

Hair and makeup expert Puja Taluja gives some tips on the right colours and looks to nail the spring summer season.

Spring summer has brought back many trends that were passé recently. Follow these tips to prepare yourself for the upcoming season.

Make a statement bare faced. Keep it minimal, real and natural. Emphasise your natural beauty. Highlight only one feature of your face and focus on maintaining natural glow. Look fresh and feel elegant in this look.

The perfect pout. The flawless, matte red pout, rich rosy red lips are always in vogue. Don’t put red all over your mouth. Start off darker in the centre and gradually go lighter as you move out to the corners. You can also use candy pink for summers – the sweeter your colour looks, the better it fits the season. Include coral shades in your make up kit as well. Besides the reds and corals to make a statement, even candy or blush pink will be a perfect shade for a spring summer afternoon. In terms of the skin, it’s needless to say that a sun-kissed look or a perfectly bronzed skin is a must for spring summer 2015.

Sparkle those eyes. The colour purple has made a comeback for eye make-up in shades of deep grape, pretty lilac, and icy lavender on the eyelids. Another look you can don this spring is gold sheen. Applying a small amount of gold on your eyelids will definitely make you look like a goddess of spring. Get this look by applying gold shimmer eye shadow on your eyelids. Line your eyes with eyeliner. Curl your lashes and apply a thick coat of mascara. If you want to try something different, add drama by extending cat’s eye to get lion’s eyes. Spring summer is going to be all about making a statement through your eyes, so don’t be afraid to adorn some bright colours for your eye shadows, from orange to aqua to different hues of blues. You need to add some bright colours of eye pencils in your make up kit. Urban Decay has some very nice and extensive variety of eye pencils and colours to choose from, in creamy textures. You can be innovative and also apply bright shades on your lower lash line and add volumes of mascara.

The concept of darker eye brows are out and more natural eye brows would work well this summer spring. Also, the extreme winged look will still be much in vogue. Eye liner is something you can never get enough of, as it’s the classic make up look and is timeless. But even in terms of applying the liner, you can be experimental and apply it in many different shapes to get a new look.

Blush it up. This summer, compliment your make up with loads of blush in pink, fuchsia or beige. Apply a dash of blush to define your cheekbones better. Perfectly bronzed skin is a must for spring summer 2015. Bobby Brown has a fantastic bronzer called Bronze Glow which can give a perfectly bronzed look. Also, try different shades of pinks on your cheeks to give a soft, girly colour to your face.

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A pop-up shop…for three months!

Le Box, a place where fashion designers will display their collections for three months, starts at Ave 29, Hughes Road.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Mumbai loves pop-ups. The city flocks to pop-up shops offering food, clothes, jewellery and more, and can’t seem to get enough of them. Cashing in on this trend is Le Box, a fashion pop-up starting today, October 16, at Ave 29. Le Box will be on for three months, and is slated to showcase the works of designers Anoli Khandelwal, Sohni Patel, Vaani Anand, Yoshita Yadav, Sonam Parmar and Darshan Dhupia. The idea was conceptualised by Ave 29’s Atmika Didwania and Pia Shivdasani.

Kat & PiaThe duo (in pic on left) says, “The idea is to promote the pop up theme in Mumbai while maintaining the elegance and standards of the designers and their products. Le Box is not an exhibition or store, but an experience that offers something new and convenient to the designers as well as the customer. It gives the designers a luxurious and well-managed space to showcase their product without the hassle of investing in an independent store, so this is a ‘store in a store’ concept. Customers get the advantage of a well-located space that offers them new and difficult-to-find boutique designer products in one place.”

The store will provide designers the chance to to increase customer-product interaction over an extended period of time, without the need to invest in brick and mortar spaces to meet clients. They can also test new markets for their wares. Le Box is also hosting monthly events to engage bloggers, stylists and customers.

Head to Ave 29, Hughes Road. Located in the same building as Juice, B:Blunt and Surprise Lifestyle Store.

 (Picture courtesy www.ave29.com)

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Clutch that

With the sale of e-books spiraling upwards, two Mumbaikars have found a unique way to give hardbound classics a makeover.
by Ritika Bhandari Parekh

There is hardly any sitcom fan who is not charmed by the geeky ways of the TV character Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory. They will most certainly agree that, geeks will rule the world or have already started their reign.

MihirVandana Merging the geeky ways of avid readers with the fashionable trend of clutches is Mumbai duo Vandana Panjabi and Mihir Desai. Their fledgling venture ‘Carpe Diem’ is all about book clutches for passionate readers. One can take their pick from their curated collection orcustomise a special book into a clutch.

‘Carpe Diem’, which translates into ‘Seize the day’ in Latin, inspired 28-year old Juhu resident, marketing graduate and shipbroker Mihir to experiment with his novel idea. He says, “I think fashion these days can be classified into people who follow it, and people who flaunt intellect through it. We noticed this gap in the market and with Carpe Diem, fashion merges with intellect. You are flaunting your intellectual, spiritual and emotional connect with the titles you read, believe and connect with.”

Vandana, a 26-year old PR consultant from Yari Road confesses, “It was Mihir who suggested that we should do something different and when he said it involved books, I was all ears! We began our journey in August 2013 and I can say that we have seized the day by working on a concept we were so enthusiastic and passionate about.” She admits her love for reading makes her lose herself for hours in a book store. While ‘Money Man’ Mihir, as Vandana calls him, started to read at the age of 23 and has devoured best sellers from Indian and international authors alike.

What’s it like?

The process of making of a book clutch starts with the hunting of second-hand books in a good condition. The clutches with suitable handles are then made in anything between a week to 10 days. Vandana points out, “The most important step we take while making these clutches or desk boxes, is to understand the market and their preferences, and accordingly select the titles, because that is how our product connects with our audience and their thought process. Everything else is very technical.”

If the customer has a specific book in mind, he can also provide them with a copy or they will scout for it accordingly. As for the pages, does it become a part of their raddi? Cal - chromo 2“Definitely not! We keep the pages and restore them with paper covers. After all, as readers we can make use of the book and also pass it on to our family and friends,” Vandana says.

They believe that a book clutch is an apt fashion accessory for enthusiastic readers who wish to flaunt their opinion in a subtle way, and yet make a statement with it. While the girls can opt for the book clutch, the guys can reveal their nerdy side via tablet sleeves and desk boxes. Mihir says, “Avid readers have a changing emotional quotient with the varied subjects they read. The book clutch can highlight their current emotional state.”

Vandana is hopeful that with the reading culture shifting from books to e-books, the book clutch will revive interest in printed books and the joy they bring.

So if you have it, ‘it’ being a memorable hard-bound book cover, then simply flaunt it!

Contact Carpe Diem via their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/CarpeDiemMumbai and take a pick from their existing collection or simply demand a customised title.

(Pictures courtesy Vandana Panjabi and Mihir Desai)

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DIY: Make your own nail polish display stand

Hassled by rows of nail polish bottles that you always end up knocking over? This easy-to-make stand will surely help.
by Ankita Pathak

Most of us have rows and rows of nail polish bottles that take a great deal of arranging. Besides, when we want a colour in the back row, we have to lift each bottle separately to get the required bottle.

But today, this easy DIY nail polish display stand will just make your life easier. Plus, it looks really pretty and is fun to make!

Add your own spin to the three-tier cupcake stand by turning it into a display! Having a rotating fixture is super convenient for larger table top displays, especially for makeup and nail polish holders.  You don’t have to worry about knocking over what’s in front of you and can conveniently view things in the back just by turning the stand.

You will need:

– Rotating kitchen bearing

– 2 square pieces of wood or anything with  a flat surface

– A glue gun

– Glue sticks

– Ruler

– Blade

– Pretty plates in small, medium and large sizes

– Spacers : old glasses or candle holders

The process:

– Have your glue gun heated and ready, starting with the smallest plate first. With the plate upside down, measure and mark the center of the plate with a marker or masking tape.

– Next, mark the circumference of the glass around the center of the plate. This will help center the glass nicely.

– With a hot glue gun, apply glue to the rim of the glass, then quickly put it on the plate before the glue hardens.  This is why you should make markings first to avoid gluing the glass unevenly.

– It’s time to mark the larger plate the same way you did with the plate before. nail-polish-organization

– Place the hot glue onto the open end of your glass and quickly cover it with the plate.

– Use rubbing alcohol to remove the marks you made with your sharpie. If you want your display to be taller, just repeat the earlier steps.

– Take out that bearing and the two flat boards. Next, sandwich the bearing between the boards. Make sure to mount it in the center!

– Ready your glue gun and place glue on all four corners of your bearing. Quickly apply on one board, and repeat with the other piece of wood.

– Now, to mount the base to your display, apply glue to the top surface of your sandwich, then quickly place the whole display you made earlier over  it.

Voila…your stand is ready!

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Pairing your makeup and jewellery

How do you know which accessory best matches with your make-up? Our tips will help you put your look together.
by Ankita Pathak

Accessories are the perfect way to further your form of expression and can really make an outfit come alive. And jewellery is an amazing source of inspiration for your makeup and can be paired together the same way you’d match a red shoe with a red bag or clash a lace top with spiked earrings. Here are some handy tips.

Bright earrings

Match your bright statement earrings with your lip colour. Keep in mind that if its bright, it’ll work!  Balance your neon pink earrings with bright matte hot pink lipstick and a soft gold shadow.

Ring and BronzerBig rings

Sure, the colours of your ring are bright, but the feel is hippie and boho, so don’t match the colours but clash it instead by understating your makeup. Keep everything light and airy by swapping foundation with a tinted moisturiser and add a sweep of bronzer for a bronze goddess look!

Chunky necklace

Accessorise your chunky neckpieces with filled-in bold brows or a sweep of cat-eye liner for a strong yet perfect look.

Arm candy

The obvious choice would be to pull out the gold and silver from your collection and match it with your eyeshadow. But something about Arm candy and Mascarathat feels a little too contrived…so leave the lids bare and highlight your lashes instead by using a mascara wand for a full and soft look. Then add a peachy glow directly along your cheekbones to keep everything earthy yet ethereal.

Matching your jewellery and makeup will guarantee to give you a pulled together look. Once your outfit and trendy accessories are chosen, make sure to pair the right make up to your look so it doesn’t turn into a disaster.

(Featured image courtesy make-up.womenxone.com)

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