GLAMOROUS ACCESSORIES: Vintage Bridal Hair Accessories by Flo & Percy

I came across these bridal hair accessories and jewellery by English vintage bridal jewellery designer Flo and Percy while looking through an English bridal magazine, and saw some lovely hair accessories would could be worn in an Asian wedding (by the bride or the guests!) in a pretty Western-Eastern fusion twist.

According to their website, materials are sourced worldwide and come from many different time periods and uses different heirlooms to create beautiful pieces for brides to treasure. I also find it interesting that the name 'Flo and Percy' comes from the fact that married couple Florence and Percy were married for 80 years and held the record for the longest marriage in the world, which is something the company hopes to pass onto any new brides with their accessories.

Here's just a few examples of their lovely pieces from their various collections, and how they have been worn. I've noticed a strong theme of older eras, such as the 1920s look to a lot of these pieces, or themed weddings. I love for example, the Wonderland collection which has pieces named after various characters of the famous 'Alice in Wonderland' book.

The Mad Hatter Comb, taken from Brides etc magazine

A 1920's-inspired hair band/tiara from the collection 

A hair comb from the Magdalene collection 

 A beautiful tiara/hair band from the Bohemia collection

 The White Queen hairband/comb from the Wonderland Collection

Hairband from the Looking Glass collection

Although the designs and pieces are not cheap at all, being bespoke pieces and probably valuable ones too, it's a great place to look for the bride who doesn't want something too fussy, and there's plenty of inspiration to be had. Not all brides may want to wear a dupatta in their hair, and having a fresh, more relaxed look such as pretty hair and wearing hair accessories may be something which appeal to them. It's also a lovely look for those who may be looking for something different to incorporate into their style, and even for those who are going for a slightly more modern, Western/fusion look without making it too fussy.

Personally I'd even consider pinning some of these as hijab accessories, I'm always on the look-out for something different (and sparkly!) and these would give a very different look to an outfit!

Blue Cupcakes!

I love novelty cupcakes and cakes, and although these aren't really novelty or out-of-the-ordinary, I still loved them. We got these as samples for my sister's wedding as she is considering cupcakes for the main day, and what I loved the most was the fact that they were a very vivid shade of blue. Cupcakes are a very fashionable food item at the moment, but they're also very practical seeing as they're easy to divide up between guests, and convenient enough to go with the party decor!

I loved the individual looks of these, they looked exquisitely made and gave that personal touch that we're always looking for :)

MAKE-UP REVIEW: Avengers Inspired Make-Up

Every now and then I'll see some make-up looks inspired by something unexpected which I also love - and this is certainly an amazing example! Finnish make-up extraordinaire Jangsara experiments with all sorts of colours and looks, and in this case, has used the entire cast of the Avengers for her latest eye-make up experiments. Although I'm not sure how practical these would look as normal party make-up, it's been done beautifully, with rich, smouldering colours in a way which I really, really like. There's a real art to these, and it's been created in a way which looks very wearable and pretty. I love how the colours and proportions have been matched so closely, as well as the use of beautiful, rich eye shadows. Maybe something to try for a Halloween Eid party this year?

Image belongs to Jangsara.blogspot.com

HIGH STREET DESIGNS: Red & Velvet Anarkali Dress by RDC

Oh dear, I seem to be posting a lot about RDC, I know, but just wanted to post quickly about a pretty dress which caught my eye the last few days when going past the store. It's the perfect balance of elegance (and swishy!) and beautiful, rich colours. I love the fact that it's a fairly traditional design, yet very flattering in terms of the A-line skirt and the rich work on the bodice and hem. I'd love to wear this piece, but unfortunately the price tag is just too high for me!

What do you think of this dress? Is it something you'd like to wear?

 Image belongs to RDC London

GLAMOROUS ACCESSORIES: Sonar Jewellery At Bridal Couture Week 2012

I've been seeing several beautiful outfits from various designers throughout the Bridal Couture Week which took place last week, so rather than post about these, I thought I'd look at some of the beautiful jewellery which was used. The main supplier appeared to be Pakistani jewellers Sonar, from which I've seen some beautiful pieces in their collection before.

Pakistani actress Reema appeared to be at the forefront of the campaign for Sonar, which has some beautiful pieces made from precious stones and metal. Her pictures from the BCW have since been used for some of their advertisement pieces as well, showing how well she wore the traditional (although quite heavy-looking!) pieces.
There were some very pretty bridal jewellery - I especially found the tikka/half-matta-patti style head-piece which is being worn, which is an alternative to some hair pieces I've seen. I did like the 'naath' piece or the nose-ring, which I'm not usually a fan on, but here it looks quite elegant and simple.

And here's just a few other examples of jewellery pieces modelled along with various designer's outfits throughout BCW. Note how the focus seems to be on beautiful, big stones, with a lot of tikka's and matched together earrings to add a bit of sparkle to the outfits.

Images via Sonar FB Group

This is just a portion of the  jewellery that was showcased on the catwalk during BCW, although I'd love to visit the store itself one day and see some of the pieces up close!

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Karishma Kapoor's Rajasthani Style in 'Dangerous Ishhq'

Karishma Kapoor has been busy promoting her comeback to Bollywood films, notably the upcoming 'Dangerous Ishhq', which promises to be interesting (and in 3D!). It's looking to be an interesting watch, I don't know much about the storyline but it seems to involve some kind of horror-slash-reincarnation story, although the costumes themselves seem tobe something to look out for, definitely.

There seems to be a strong Rajasthani theme running in the outfits and film sets of the film, which is kept pretty simple with the focus of pretty jewellery and rich colours, rather than over-heavy outfits. I've always loved this strand of traditional Indian style, and from an initial perspective, seems to be quite well done in this film so far.

First one to catch my eye was this bright blue and pink combination, which seems to have a fitted gold bodice or jacket on it as well. The richness of this outfit is certainly in it's small details, such as the pretty jewellery, the gold hem of the dupatta, and the well-put-together colours.

I also love how a lot of Karishma's outfits in this film appear to be a dress style with a nice swishy skirt, yet also very, very modest. A lot of these outfits also show how a traditional woman in the older eras in India would have kept her head covered and wore modest clothes, with the emphasis on rich colours and fabrics, and while these outfits may not look entirely authentic, it's a good mix of current trends and the Rajasthani style which the designers for this film tried to stick to.

Another colour combination which I liked was, surprisingly, this yellow and orange combination. Apart from the fact that it would make a lovely mehndi outfit for someone, it's a very flattering colour combination on Asian skin and again, relies on the cut of the dress and the colours to make a pretty statement. The jewellery here is also very pretty, not too overstated to crowd the face and compliments the outfit well.

Another outfit which I noticed was this turquoise and orange mix, which is a colour combination that I've seen quite a few times (such as bridal outfits) and which looks quite pretty together. These two colours are rich, yet 'rusty' colours which compliment each other and the skin tone, and again, it's not difficult to see how the print of the dress and the panels make the dress what it is. Although I wouldn't personally go for these colours, I've seen some very nice examples of these two colours together, and here, it seems to work.

Even more traditional looking than the above outfits are these dresses, which uses traditional looking jewellery such as the 'borla tikka' and the thick metal bangles. I've seen similar styles to this pink one that Karishma is wearing, and again, it seems to try to stick to the Rajasthani theme quite well. I think I'd like to see a fuller picture of this outfit, but I imagine it's a lengha which uses the duppata to drape across the front as well for modesty. Although I prefer Karishma with her hair looking looser for a more softer look, the look here has a lot more details to look at and uses dull colours with the pink fairly well.

Also in a similar style is this navy embroidered outfit below, which uses a similar type of jewellery style but with a very different colour effect. I think the jewellery in this case fits the intended style very well, although the look slightly ages Karishma a little.

All images taken from scenes of Dangerous Ishhq and belong to respective directors/producers

I think there's a good mix of bright colours and variations here, and the costumes of this movie promise to be something interesting to see. I like the fact that Karishma is trying an under-used style here, especially as the Rajasthani look was something that was often seen in Bollywood in the 90s but it not so much the same in today's films, and I also like the fact that a lot of these outfits are wearable - modest, pretty and feminine. I'm pretty sure these styles would be very easy to find and probably not very expensive as they're not heavily embellished either. If anyone does see something like this in today's shops or catwalk, do point them out to me!

DESIGNER MODE: Aisha Khadeejah

I've recently come across the designs of Pakistan-based designer Aisha Khadeejah, and have liked a lot of what she has designed, due to the pretty, feminine colours, the use of sparkly crystals and work, and the fact that a lot of her designs appear to be long flowing dresses which I've always been a fan of.
Although most of the images of her designs on her Facebook group appear to be of real brides, I've tried not to post too many of these as are still the brides' private pictures.

Here's a few examples of the types of colours and designs Aisha Khadeejah has used, which often seen to be light pinks or peachy pink colours, or even pretty off-white colours. I like how natural these colours look, and in these cases they look extremely flattering in a way which seems classic rather than something which is purely a fashionable look which would suit the catwalk. The designs I have posted are just some of her promotional images, but the images of her bridal-wear show a bigger range of designs (for examples this lovely, very sparkly piece).

Another example of her designs I wanted to post about were these two below. These were the valima/reception outfit (top) and the Engagement outfit (bottom) worn by Aisha's sister-in-law, who also helps to promote and run the business. I really liked both of these outfits, as the colours used was kept very simple, the work on the outfit complements the design and the shape of the outfits, and  and yet looked really beautiful on the bride. I'm a huge fan of maxi dresses and the nude/mink coloured reception dress looks beautiful in this style.

I think my favourite designs of Aisha's, though, has to be this maxi dress below. I first saw the dress in navy, which I loved because it looks so elegant, and then I saw the pretty pink one which was designed a little later, and I love how different and fresh it looks in a completely opposite colour.

 Images from Aisha Khadeejah FB Group

I have emailed this designer to ask how much her designs are, and have found most of the prices to be reasonable (although still not cheap!). Considering some of the prices for some designer pieces that are being made in Pakistan right now, the prices were still better than some that I've been quoted. The maxi dresses above, for example, were quoted as being worked out to about £500 each, which is still a bit pricey, but better than a lot of other designs I've looked that have cost a lot more.

I do like the style of this designer though, Aisha Khadeejah seems to have a pretty and fresh look about her designs and seem to have designed a lot of maxi dress styles which appeals to me a lot. I'll certainly be looking out for any of her latest designs in the future!

QUIRKY FASHION: Hand-Bag Shaped Lip Glosses

I bought these for my niece recently, as I thought they were quite cute and was sure she'd love them (she did!). I'm sure we've all seen the latest tend of lipbalms and lipglosses in cupcakes-shapes, mini shoes, handbags and goodness know what else, so I thought I'd join the tween craze and buy a couple of these prettily-made lovelies. These were perfect for a young girl, pinky, shimmery and not too thick or shiny, and of course easy to apply! I'm not sure I'm in favour of buying every novelty make-up or jewellery out there but it's nice to buy something cute every now and then : )

Come on, I know you like them!

BRIDE COUTURE: Chinese Ambassador Gets Married Pakistani-Style

I don't normally post too much about the news and entertainment, but I saw this today and thought it was lovely - a Chinese diplomat for the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, Islamabad who got married in a traditional Pakistani style - and couldn't resist sharing. I love hearing about this kind of culture-crossing, and the example of this couple, Wang Qianting, a journalist and Wang Shengjie, a diplomat of the Chinese embassy is definitely something to smile about. I love how both the bride and groom carried their outfits beautifully and look so at ease with their outfits and the wedding. I can imagine that Asian weddings and their bright colours and glamour appeal to a lot of non-Asians (certainly I know a lot of people who express admiration for our sparkly weddings, decoration and clothes!) so it's nice to see in cases like this.

Here's hoping we see more beautifully arranged wedding like this :)

 Image from here

KAPRAY SHAPRAY: Madhuri Dixit joins the Madam Tussauds Crew

Another Bollywood icon joined the celebrity posse at London's Madame Tussauds last month, after Kareena Kapoor unveiled her model not too long ago. Madhuri Dixit looked prettier than her model (in my opinion!) in a summery yellow sari, and looked as youthful as ever. Can't say I loved the pink sari on Madhuri's waxwork double, but it made a pretty contrast against Madhuri herself. I'm glad she's managed to get a spot in the Museum, as she's definitely an actress amongst many who have made a contribution to Bollywood cinema.

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