Jan 25, 2013

Chanel & MAC Shopping

Its been a month that I did some makeup shopping at Christmas. Sharing product photos here, reviews will follow in some time. Enjoy !!







Jan 16, 2013

Blue On Red Carpet: Golden Globes, Peoples Choice, Critics' Choice

How much do we yearn for a clear blue sky in chilly winters or to feel the cool blue water in scorching summers? This award season blue is the coolest color on red carpet, sported by many celebrities in gowns, accessories and makeup. And it certainly complimented different skin tones and hair colors. Blue is for everyone. Enjoy the photos.

Amanda Seyfried at Critics' Choice Awards in Marios Schwab asymmetrical dress


Amy Adams at Critics' Choice Awards in Vionnet dress


Naomi Watts at Critics' Choice Awards in Pucci strapless gown and blue earrings


Jessica Chastain at Golden Globes Awards in seafoam blue Calvin Klein halter-neck gown


Rosario Dawson at Golden Globes Awards in seafoam blue Antonio Berardi gown


Nicole Richie at Golden Globes Awards in icy blue Naeem Khan gown


Nancy O' Dell at Golden Globes Awards


Alyssa Milano at Golden Globes Awards sporting turquoise blue earrings


Lana Del Ray at Golden Globes Awards afterparty sporting turquoise blue earrings


Nina Dobrev at Golden Globes Awards Instyle afterparty wearing sky blue dress


Salma Hayek at Golden Globes Awards sporting turquoise blue earrings



Rachel Leigh Cook at Peoples Choice Awards in Oliver Tolentino strapless gown



Kristin Kreuk at Peoples Choice Awards carrying blue box clutch


Paris Hilton at Peoples Choice Awards complimenting her multi colored dress with blue heels


Rumer Willis at Peoples Choice Awards sporting deep blue earrings


Saved a good one for the last.
Taylor Swift at Peoples Choice Awards in stunning white Ralph Lauren gown and blue earrings.



My favourite is Amanda Seyfried and Amy Adams' look. Nina Dobrev's is fun loving and Naomi Watts' earrings looked beautiful with the black gown. Jessica Chastain and Rosario Dawson sported trendy pastel blues in simple silhouettes.

Image links 1 2 3 4 5 6  

Jan 15, 2013

Movie Review: The Artist, by Michel Hazanavicius

The Artist begins with a movie premiere starring George Valentin, the superstar of silent movies and always dressed impeccably. Outside the premiere while interacting with the media, George has a sudden encounter with a female fan. Enter Peppy Miller, the bubbly, flirtatious and good hearted lady. From here on, their destiny reverse roles. George, constantly opposed to talking, berates the new age of cinema, the talkies and Peppy Miller, slowly rises up in the industry, becoming a superstar of the talkies. After the professional and personal downfall, depressed, George has a near death experience and Peppy takes care of him. Still, George remains averse to her affection due to his own pride and stubborn head. George tries committing suicide and Peppy saves him again. This time however, George agrees to doing a musical with Peppy and finally sound comes into the movie. As the scene finishes, one can hear the only audible line of George "With pleasure !" in his strong French accent.

Watch out for the scenes of George with his pet and buddy, Uggie, who stars with him in all silent movies. The chemistry of George and Peppy in his dressing room, drawing a beauty spot on her. During a dance sequence in which Peppy is an extra but both ruin the shot every time they look into each other's eyes. Also when George has broken up with his studio and is going down the stairs, meeting Peppy on her way up entering the studio as their fresh face. This scene is symbolic of their respective careers at that time.

The Artist is a tribute to the silent movie era and shows how much could be emoted with silence.



Jan 14, 2013

Happy Makar Sankranti !!


Meethe gur me mil gaye til
Udi patang aur khil gaye dil
Har pal sukh aur har din shaanti
Aap sab ke liye laaye Makar Sankranti (smsdose.com)

(image courtesy: 123greetings.com)

Jan 10, 2013

Mascara: Maxfactor Xperience Volumising Mascara and Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara

Maxfactor Xperience Volumising Mascara in Black is a deep black mascara from the Xperience range. As claimed by the product formulation to be mousse like, I find it between wet and dry. This texture does not make the lashes heavy, just coats them extra black color. Dries fast. Also it does not clump and keeps the lashes looking natural, no gathering. The brush has short bristles with very defined gaps which actually combs the lashes in good manner.  The brush picks precise amount of mascara at one time. The brush is not helpful for lower lashes. The mascara is not waterproof and removal is easy.





About the volumising part, it does not help much in one coat. But the brush and mousse texture helps here, I apply 2-3 coats without clumping which gives some length and volume. The packaging is classic and the wand could easily be rotated to coat the lashes nicely.

Recommendation - Maxfactor Xperience Volumising Mascara is the perfect daytime mascara. Application is easy and no dramatic lashes. Good to go for office, work and fast schedules. Very happy go lucky mascara.

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara by Fabulash in Blackest Black is deep black mascara, claims to condition the lashes to become stronger and lusher. The texture is wet which does not dry fast. It has a traditional brush, long and dense bristles which picks up good amount of mascara, I have to wipe off extra. However, on application there is no clumping. It requires 2 coats to deposit well and add some drama. It also applies well on lower lashes. This is not waterproof but takes some effort to remove.The packaging is stylish, looks good in hand and this is a big fat tube. 









About the claims of Grow Luscious, I have to use it longer to see any growth.

Recommendation - This is a traditional mascara in good packaging, one coat is good enough for daytime and 2-3 coats for the evening.

Tip - I softly wiggle the mascara brush at the roots and then straight to tip, it gives denser look.

Jan 7, 2013

KARL LAGERFELD : marie claire Interview

(As published in marie claire Volume 7 Issue 12 December 2012)




THE WORLD ACCORDING TO KARL
From his fashion rules and favourite food to the grooming secrets of his Twitter-star cat Choupette, Marie Claire gets an exclusive glimpse behind MR LAGERFELD's dark glasses
By Jess Wood. Self-portrait by Karl Lagerfeld




Given the chance to grill Karl Lagerfeld, the king of fashion, where would you start? Is there ever a moment when it's acceptable to lower the dark glasses? Why does he love black and white? What does he eat for breakfast? And that's without even starting on the lifestyle secrets of Choupette the cat, star of Twitterverse. Thanks to the six collections a year Lagerfeld designs for Chanel, his influence over what we all want to wear is unrivalled. This season he's launching the latest addition to his own empire (which already includes clothes, fragrances, eyewear, even a long-stemmed glass for his diet coke) - Karl Lagerfeld Paris,  a collection of typically monochromatic, impeccably sharp tailoring and leather. We asked him the burning questions that have been on our minds for so long...



Where are you now and what were you doing right before this interview?
At one of the seven desks in my home in Paris, overlooking the Seine and the Louvre.

What is the idea behind Karl Lagerfeld Paris?
It is my idea of how I think this label should look, and it expresses my personal taste.

How does it differ from KARL?
The prices are different, but the spirit is from the same family.

Karl Lagerfeld Paris features a lot of monochrome. What is it about black and white that you are drawn to when designing, and why do you wear black and white yourself?
It is - and always was  - my favourite colour mix. I am a black and white person, I love black and white movies. I discovered my love for monochrome as a boy with the illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley, and it influenced my taste forever.

How many white shirts, black jackets and jeans do you own?
I don't count. I am a shirt freak. Hilditch & Key in Paris has made my shirts since I was 16. They've done over 300 designs for me. Black jeans and black jackets are the 'base' and I don't like to wear the same clothes often. Let's say I have a few...

Which black piece should every woman own?
A black jacket.

And which white piece?
A white shirt. The same for boys.

What's the perfect jacket like?
You feel it on your back the moment you put it on. Fit is the secret. And the proportions have to be right. A black jacket has to be love at first sight the minute you put it on; if not, don't buy it.

If clothes maketh a man, do accessories maketh the woman? If so, what's worth investing in?
For women, the most important accessories are still shoes and handbags. With these, everybody is model size.

Which three things you can not get through the day without?
It depends on your day. The most important things is to stay impeccable. I love jackets, and if there is a lot of action during the day, I will change it twice. Nobody will notice that it is not the same jacket, but they ask you how you can stay so impeccable.

We've been following your cat Choupette on Twitter...
She gets offers for advertisements and movies, but it is out of the question. She is a princess, not working class like me.

What's her wardrobe like?
She need nothing. Her natural fur is impeccable. We brush it twice a day.

Tell us what is typical evening in your life. What are you drinking, eating, reading, watching?
Diet Coke and proteins. Newspapers in French, English and German. No television; I watch Choupette and the boats going past on the Seine.



Do you prefer eating in or out?
I prefer eating at home. My cook is so good that health food tastes like the most refined French cooking.

How many iPods you have?
Many, because I never fill them up completely and I have different iPods for different kinds of music.

What's playing right now?
If not Patti Smith's latest album, I also still hear a lot of Adele and Florence & the Machine.

What's your favourite sound? And why?
I have more than one favourite sound, but I especially love Arabic music. Why? I have no idea.

You're a fan of architecture. What are your favourite buildings?
There are several; from ancient times, the Pantheon in Rome; the Institut de France in Paris, founded by Cardinal Mazarin in the 17th century (it's nearly next door to my home); from the '20s I like the Einstein Tower in Potsdam by Erich Mendelsohn; from the '30s, the villa Malaparte in Capri; and more recently, the buildings of Zaha Hadid and Tadao Ando. They are so different in style, but I love the world of both.

Are you a sleep junkie, or can you survive on not very much?
If I had to, I am sure I could survive on very little.

When do your sunglasses go on in the morning? And what stage do they come off at night?
Actually, I never wear glasses at home. That is my mask for the outside world. I am a little short-sighted, but I can read and sketch without glasses and see the Louvre clearly in front of me. Once, when I was very young, I got a glass of whisky in my face by accident. I was not even meant for me, but if I had been without my glasses I would have last an eye, so I never go out without my trademark dark glasses. I like to watch, not to be watched. eyes can show emotions that you don't want everybody to see, and today with the iPhone, everybody in the streets and even in shops can photograph you without asking.

Do you have a favourite pair from the new collection?
I have so many different ones and I try not to love just one style, even if in most of my photographs, I wear the same.

Are there any moments when sunglasses should not be worn?
At home, in bed, wherever you are unwatched. Otherwise, I hide my eyes from public gaze.

How many books do you own?
Nobody knows how many books I own because I continue to buy them all the time. I cannot resist; and I want to see and know as much as possible. Books are beautiful today; the ugly books are not needed any longer with the internet, etc. I have my favourite ones on a huge shelf beside my bed.

What's your biggest fear?
Lack of time. Days are too short for all the things I do. As I sleep  at least seven hours, there are never enough hours left.

If you weren't a designer...
A photographer, a publisher (I am both, actually), an illustrator, a caricature artist or a linguist.

And if you could own any work of art, which would it be?
I'd like The Sleeping Muse by Constantin Brancusi.

Jan 3, 2013

ZARA, Bangalore - Sale starts today

!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 !!!

The much awaited sale of this new year has started today in ZARA. So, ladies and gentlemen, shop till you drop but also be gentle on your wallets. As for myself, I visited ZARA, Phoenix Marketcity. Been there, done that.