BRIDE COUTURE: Maram & Aabroo Signature Brides

How gorgeous does this bride look? And what an interesting idea of having yourself stylishly filmed on your big day. Created by Pakistani make-up and photographer duo Maram and Aabroo, this video shows how they have created a lovely look here, making the bride look beautifully regal.

Video Belongs to Maram & Aabroo - mascotfilms

LOVELY HIJAB: Vintage Hat Pins

I came across these in my wanderings around London city and found these beauties in a bespoke jewellery and clothes shop in Greenwich. They are apparently antiques (well some of them anyway) and were originally hat pins, although the shop-owner said there were many hijabis who had expressed an interest in them. They look truly beautiful together, but a bit too big for me I think! But very tempting, am still considering going back there to buy a few!

KAPRAY SHAPRAY: Peshawar Style Outfits on Sonam Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee

I recently saw some pictures of Sonam Kapoor at someone's wedding, and rather admired the outfit she was wearing. Created by well-known Indian fashion Anuradha Vakil, Sonam wears a coppery orange kameez with light blue dupatta and peshwar-style pyjamas, and this is a wonderful combination. I love the complete modesty of this outfit, and the fact that this is something which really goes with today's trends without looking at if it is too much. With three-quarter length sleeves and a long kameez on top on wide-legged trousers, Sonam looks gorgeously elegant in this outfit, and how often do you see a celebrity wearing khusay instead of heels?! I love the work on this whole suit, its intricate and well done, and the motif pattern on the kameez really works here.

 Image Source

I noticed this outfit mainly because of a similar one to this from the past, in which the lovely brown-eyed beauty Rani Mukherjee wore for her Saawariya premiere back in 2007: a dazzling bright blue and hot pink suit by the same designer:

Image Source

I really love how the well both of these outfits are carried off by the actresses, and how for each there is a different style; I'm not a fan of orange clothes at all and yet it looks amazing here on Sonam. Similarly, I find blue and hot pink a bit of a typical colour combination normally (especially on the usual high street!), but the motif design looks beautifully traditional and looks very well done on Rani's outfit.
Which of the two do you prefer?

MAKE-UP REVIEW: Jessica Rabbit Make Up

We all like getting tips on how to do make up, especially from experts, and there are hundreds of videos and tutorials on the internet for this purpose. One such blog is the phenomenon that is American make-up artist Jessica Harlow, who has created her own following with her tutorials, tips and advice on not only how to do make up, but also to have more confidence in your image. Her blog has hundreds of different style videos based on celebrities, different eras and various subtleties of make up, so there's something to suit everyone. I think my personal favourite is her take on Jessica Rabbit from the classic animation Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and you can also watch her step-by-step tutorial here. Have a quick browse, you may find something you like!

All images belong to Jessica Harlow Blog

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Sonam Kapoor's Elegance in Thank You

Bollywood movie Thank You, featuring a range of well-known actors, follows the usual stupid storyline of husbands who cheat on their wives and give the most bizarre, unrealistic excuses which, incredibly, their wives seem to believe. And of course the usual slapstick palaver that follows. Suffice to say that I was not a fan of the movie. What I will talk about is Sonam Kapoor and how elegant she looked in the movie. I think I am not alone in saying that Sonam Kapoor is creating her own niche in modern dress sense and her own soft style of elegance to suit her personality. First up I'd like to note her hairstyles in the film, beautifully simple and yet effective, be it a twist of a bun, or loose curls:

'Eek, I'm naked'! Ok she's not, but the way some films these days are going...

Not to mention her lovely make up to go with her carefully picked outfits...

....And her fabulous jewellery, be it traditional or contemporary...

...And of course, with every film there is a bridal moment, and Sonam Kapoor's character is no exception (despite the fact she is already married throughout the film - the costume designers just need an excuse to have a wedding scene don't they, otherwise it's just not a proper Bollywood film). Here we have Sonam in a red number, but what really stands out is her natural make up and the detail in her jewellery and her effortless hairstyle:

All images belong to respective photographers. directors and producers

I think that Sonam Kapoor in general had a good look in this film, she didn't have a overloaded, try-too-hard look and her natural beauty shines through. Coupled with her lovely trademark hairstyles and and very natural make up, although the movie itself was not a success, I certainly think Sonam managed to leave her mark.

MEHNDI NIGHTS: Mehndi Thaals

I love mehndi thaals, they're such a nice traditional touch for any mehndi event and they are always a chance for people to get really creative and colourful, whether to fit into a certain theme or just to display as centrepiece. Below is a mehndi thaal I made for my brother's wedding, to take to his bride on her mehndi night a while back. More pictures coming up soon!

BRIDE COUTURE: Ayesha Takia's Golden Glow

I came across Ayesha Takia's wedding pictures to her partner Farhan Azmi recently (which I hadn't seen before, even though she got married back in 2009) and was struck by the golden glowy look she had. Her shimmering golden look suits her fair skin and the light tones of pink and gold make up (although I can't say I'm too keen on her green contacts!) I also like how the gold colour of her suit blends well with the diamante jewellery and work on her dress. What I like most about these wedding pictures though is how happy the couple look, and how well they compliment each other :)

All photographs and more can be seen here

LOVELY HIJAB: Button Hair Slides

One accessory which looks great with scarves is hair clips and slides, which come in all shapes, colours and sizes. One of my favourite are these button-shaped slides, they are a really simple way to add a funky twist to the hijab without overdoing it. And they look quite cute on :)

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Om Shanti Om's Retro Style

I know 'Om Shanti Om' has been analysed to death already since it was released a good few years ago, but just wanted to post a few quick pics about the retro style of the outfits in this fulm, and also a few of the traditional ones. This film is one in which Deepika Padukone really shines, and in my personal opinion, I don't think any of her other film has made her look as beautiful as she did in this one. What I loved about the fitted kameezes with small slits and the tight churidar trousers she wears is the bright simple colours which flatter her skin tone, coupled with the 70's style make up and hair which looks great (even with the little touches like the lace sleeves, faux pearls and beehive hair!)

Another outfit I wanted to look at is the pink outfit she wears, which is basically a long-sleeved choli with a lehnga skirt. I like this outfit as it's very feminine and elegant. I also wanted to point this outfit out as I have an outfit very similar to this (which will be posted in more detail later on!)

I also liked this layered, red-and-purple dress, which looks looks quite ball-gowny yet surprisingly pretty in its layers of colours.

The next, more traditional outfit is this gold and velvet black combination, which she modelled for the catwalk ramp shortly after the film's release. I think what I love most about this outfit is the fitted sleeves and hemlines of the dress.

Lastly, this green and black dress also deserves a mention, as I think green is one of those colours that can often go wrong, and in this case it looks lovely as a maxi dress with black work (apologies for the picture quality, it was really difficult trying to get hold of some!)

All images owned by respective directors, producers and photographers of Om Shanti Om

Some lovely outfits here, and justice done to the 70's style here I think!

COPYCAT DESIGNS & DRESSES #3: Deep Red Anarkali

This next outfit in my wardrobe is this deep red anarkali dress (although I'm not sure who designed this one), which was designed and altered for one of my best friend's wedding (which was only last week!). I love the rich ruby red colour of this dress, and the elegance of this style. Below are pictures of the original design, which was meant to be an embellished motif jacket on top of a plainer kameez with work on the neck, and straight slim trousers.

I ordered this dress from India, and tried not to change it too much, other than add full sleeves and make the dupatta heavier. Although I did like the jacket idea, I thought it would be simpler to have the design as one piece, due to the heavy work that was on the dress. I kept the colour of the dress in the same ruby red colour, and changed the design slightly to be a one-piece anarkali dress style with fitted churidar trousers. Below are the results of the dress that I ended up with:

The actual work on the dress making up the embellishments consisted of beadwork, stones, diamantes and a little metal dabka work, with the main material of the dress being made of georgette and the trousers being made from raw silk. Below is a close-up of the neckline, the hemline and the motif work on the dress.

The Good: The overall look of the dress was quite sparkly, there was a slightly traditional look to it due to the gold work, which worked a lot better than silver work may have done. The warmer tones of this, combined with the rich red was quite a flattering colour on my skin, and didn't look too bright or garish either. I also loved the fit of the sleeves, they were perfectly fitted and were kept quite simple so that it was easy to wear glammed up bangles with. I also am glad that I kept the dress a little loose for my shape, rather than making it a close fit to my body, which meant that the dress had a good swing to it and didn't feel uncomfortably tight.

The Bad: I wasn't too keen on the hem of the dress, as it looked a little cheap. Although it is apparently in fashion at the moment to have suits with a satin or bordered hem, I didn't think this hem suited the dress, and would have preferred a plain red one similar to the original design. However as this was a dull golden bronze colour, it didn't stand out too much, and rather gave a little flash of colour at the bottom of the dress and the border of the dupatta. I also think that the neckline of the dress was too heavy - although it worked for the original design, in my dress it looked like it was too much, as the motif design was all over the dress and would have been enough. This made the dress seem a little chaotic and lost the elegance a little.

The Ugly: It would have been nicer if the dress had been made from chiffon rather than georgette to give it a more delicate look. Although this may be more of a blessing really, as in my experience chiffon gets caught on the embellihed work easily and pulls the fabric, whereas in this case, because the material was thicker it did not catch at all.

OVERALL: I love how the dress flowed nicely despite the heavy work it carried, and that the actual designs and kaam didn't look too overdone, but rather had a sparkly effect. I also think that it was a good idea to change the design from the two-piece kameez and jacket design to the anarkali dress style, as this made the dress easier to move about in, and kept the dress much simpler. I also loved the colour of the dress, it was a rich red colour which didn't get overtaken by the glitter of the gold work. I would still make some changes to the dress, such as making the neckline embellishment lighter and perhaps changing the hem. The fact that the dress only came up to my mid-shin rather than being longer, as is the current fashion did not actually make the dress look bad, as it just gave an extra swish to the dress, and meant I wouldn't trip over the hem! I would say that I am quite happy with the dress, it is quite a classic design; red and gold is always going to flatter my skin tone and it is definitely a wearable piece.