FOLLOWING TRENDS: Colourful Capes

I've been seeing a surge of jackets and capes in fashion trends in the last few months, and have been loving the variety that have become available. I've seen these being worn over the short kameez and cigarette trousers look, as well as skinny jeans and a simple top, and love the way it can really make a look.

I recently saw these colourful capes in clothes store Henna Mehndi, which had some cotton jackets in a variety of colours, and took the opportunity to try some on, which the staff kindly let me take photos of. I loved the ones below most, the black, white and pink print cape appealed me to more, but the one on the right was very colourful, and reminded me of a bright, Pakistani truck style pattern which I thought would be perfect to wear to a mehndi.

The print styles are harlequin print styles, and while these look a little like they may belong to the circus, I love how funky they look, and also how bright they were, making a difference from the more sober outfits I've seen!

I decided to try on the black, white and pink one print cape, which was surprisingly longer than it looked on the hanger, but was shorter at the front and had a slight tail to the back. I loved the fit of this cape, it was slightly loose on the sides (and being one size only, there's not much you can do about getting a bigger or smaller size), but it draped quite nicely, and the neon pink border stood out quite nicely.

I also tried another cape, this was a sleeveless one with chevron, zig-zag stripes and harlequin print in black, white, green and red. This one came up slightly shorter on me, and was less volumous than the first cape, but while it looked nice on the hanger, I didn't like this one was much as the first, as it looked a little too random. I do think this would make an interesting statement piece (with red shoes and red lips!) but I wouldn't have bought this one.

I didn't end up buying a cape in the end, as I couldn't decide which to buy, but the prices were very reasonable, with the cheaper cotton ones being £35, and the ones above being between £55 to £60. I think these would make a lovely accessories for summer, especially worn over a plain outfit for a more striking look. I would love to  get a printed cape or jacket for this summer, so I'll be sure to post when I do get one!

What do you think of these capes? Would you buy one?

Sunday Sneak Peeks!

I know it's Monday today. not Sunday, but here's a look at what I wore to a family wedding yesterday. I managed to re-wear my wedding shoes and my wedding jewellery (which I was really excited about, as I LOVE the rani-haar style necklace I got!) with lots of cream and peach accents.

Outfit of the day pics coming very soon, but for now here's a sneak peek at the jewellery and what I wore it with :)

OUTFIT OF THE DAY: The Mint Green Maxi Dress

I've had this dress for a while, and haven't gotten much wear out of it for a while (by which I mean, at least a couple of years!) and remembered it while going through my wardrobe a week or two ago. I bought this outfit from Bombay Looks based in East London, which carried this outfit in quite a few colours - I seen a variation of this through the last couple of years in the shops, and I think there's still similar looking maxi dresses in the store now.

I was quite pleased that it still fit me (it was a little loose on me when I bought it), and it's in a lovely shade of mint/sea-green which is a perfect colour for this season and for summer. The best thing about this dress is that even though there's not a lot of work, and it's not heavy, the skirt has a lot of material and it's very swishy. It also didn't need anything underneath as it came to below my ankles and the dupatta which came with it came in handy to wear as a hijab scarf.

Here's me twirling around, I was trying to show much much volume the skirt had, and how flattering it was - it really felt effortless on. The dress was originally sleeveless, so I had long sleeves sewn on in the same colour, which really made a difference to the dress and gave it a more modest look - which I was relieved with, as there are some sleeveless dresses which just don't work with sleeves!

I'm sure you can tell I had a lot of fun wearing this dress, and took the opportunity to do a few girly twirls in it. I love the fact that it elongated my figure as well, making me look taller and slimmer, as well as the fact that it didn't need much accessorising at all.

It's not often I get to wear maxi dresses, and I'm sure I'll be getting more wear out of this during the summer - this shade of green is very on trend at the moment, and it's very easy to wear. I usually have a separate dupatta with my outfits as well as my hijab scarf, but with this dress I didn't feel the need, it felt more of a Westernised dress and was quite flowy enough that it didn't need another scarf!

GLAMOROUS ACCESSORIES: The Bata Shoes

So surprisingly, I've never had anything from Bata before (nor did my parents, I think, but I could be wrong), so I never used to see these in the house.

Having said that. I now have my very own Bata chappal shoes from a brand which is actually quite trendy, and has moved on from the cliche styles that we used to make fun of! I also like the fact that their designs are becoming in-line with high street and designer trends, so that they don't remind you of your parent's slippers!

I picked up this pair from, of all places, TK Makk (I believe it's know as TJ Maxx in America), in a pretty powder blue colour which really appealed to me because I though it was a lovely shade to have for summer. I also like the fact that they're slightly sandals-y, and have a slingback look which makes them feel more casual too.

I've already manage to try them on today and wander around up the street (to the nearby, teeny park with my DSLR for a few minutes, and then back!) and they're super comfy. One of my sisters said they're too pointy and that she didn't like them, but what does she know.

I'm already thinking of different outfits I can wear this with to work (or on a holiday!), and I'll be sure to post my results!

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: The Kapoor Sisters in Anamika Khanna at Lakme Fashion Week

Kareena Kapoor and Karishma Kapoor yesterday appeared at Lakme Fashion Week to support designer Anamika Khanna, with Kareena as the showstopper, and Karishma as a guest to support her sister - both wearing the designer's clothes.

Anamika's collection was quite monochrome, with plenty of vampy blacks, shimmering silvers and whites and gorgeous worked drapes.

Kareena as the showstopper, sported a worked blouse, with a draped skirt piece and a shawl, generally giving a loose, layered look which looked striking against the dark lips and dramatic hair. While I'm not sure how wearable this piece is for the public consumer, Kareena certainly carried this off well, although I prefer the worked blouse over the skirt, which didn't really appeal to me.

Karishma also wore an Anamika Khanna ensemble, with a pretty embroidered white blouse, and a layered, draped sari which looked almost like a one-should maxi dress. Again, the sari draping didn't appeal to me much, but I loved Karishma's blouse and her make-up was spot-on, making her look fresh and glowy.

Overall I like the look the sisters went for were carried off well by them, and I'm leaning towards Karishma's look more than Kareena's mainly because it was simpler and seemed a little more wearable (I'd love to pair that blouse with a maxi skirt or another sari!).

On a side note, after seeing pictures of the after-show get together, I did think that the sisters and Kareena's husband, Saif looked sweet together, showing a relaxed friendship between the trio, with Saif just seeming like a loved-up husband appearing to support his wife!

Image source: here, here, and here

DESIGNER MODE: Geometric Designs by SVA

It's not often that you see abstract, geometric designs in fashion done well, but in this case, a geometric collection from SVA by Sonam and Paras Modi are pretty amazing, and it's making me covet a piece for myself!

There's something almost boho chic about this collection, understated flowy skirts, printed kurtas, maxi and anarkali dresses and gorgeous fitted jackets.

Most of the collection is in black and white, with accents of gold, but it works wonderfully, making for statement pieces which need hardly any dressing up at all - I can imagine these being perfect for summer weather!

I hadn't realised until I began writing this post and looking up more information, that this collection was actually from last year (see asianfashionblog's post on this at the Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive fashion show). Nevertheless, it's still very on-trend, the designs are beautifully made and are a perfect alternative to a lot of the bling and colours which are available in the fashion industry.

I'd love to get my hands on one of these, particularly a printed kurta or printed maxi dress for the summer, While the heavier outfits such as bridals, lenghas and embellished outfits are a bit more pricey, the simpler stuff like the tops and kurtas are not - they range from about $109 (about £73) upwards, which is not too bad for a designer piece.

You can see more of this collection (and buy too!) here, here and here - what do you think of this collection?

GLAMOROUS ACCESSORIES: The Tree Clutch Bag from Raishmas

I've been eyeing up this clutch bag for a while now, from East London designers Raishma, which recently re-located to the newly-opened East Shopping Centre, and had it's official opening yesterday.

Raishma have a range of bridal, formal, and Western-inspired wear, and also carry some clutch bags and jewellery - the clutch bag range caught my eye as something beautifully made and also very, vary reasonably priced.

This is the clutch I bought, there's a good range of colours but I went with the grey with gold embellishment as it has such a pretty look and would make a lovely statement piece.

I like that Raishma have established themselves in terms of fusion fashion - I know a few friends who bought their wedding bridals from Raishma which looked amazing, but recently I've been seeing a lot of their range of ready-wear formals, which draws on various influences from English and Indian fashion, for some very pretty, wearable outfits. I also like that they are one of the few brands which have a easy to navigate website that allows you to buy their products online, ideal for those who can't come to the store.

I've seen some of the dresses in store, and love the 1920s-inspired dresses particularly, perfect to dress up for a night out, or to pair with leggings or churidar pants, throw on a scarf and making a perfect Asian suit for a function.

I was debating on whether to buy this colour, or another clutch in black with gold work, which looked a little more dramatic. I went with the grey because it's harder to find a grey clutch that looks pretty, and which also works with accessorising both Asian and Western outfits.

If you're in the area, I'd certainly recommend having a browse in Raishmas, if not for the accessories then for the pretty formals. I'll certainly be getting use from this clutch soon as I have a few events coming up very soon - what do you think of it?  Have you bought anything from this company?

OUTFIT OF THE DAY: The Black, Gold and Hot Pink Lakhany Outfit

This is something I wore this weekend, a Lakhani embroidered cotton outfit I bought more than a year ago, and haven't gotten a lot of wear out of. The outfit itself is from the 2012-2013 collection range, and while I can see fashion trends are changing, this one still feels very wearable because of how well-stitched it is and the flattering shape of it. I got this stitched as a long kameez as per the trends at the time I bought it, with straight pants and churidar/long sleeves which creased up at the wrists.

I've worn this outfit a couple of times before, but wanted to get more wear out of it this summer, so pulled it out this weekend while the sun was shining. The dupatta/scarf for this outfit is beautiful, I know the white version of this outfit comes with a yellow, grey, white and black scarf, but I love the vibrant summery colours of this scarf, which really sparks up the outfit.

I chose to wear the outfit with gold heels and my kundan ring from my mehndi day (which also has a matching tikka, but I didn't wear that!).

I kept this look simple this time, mainly because the outfit was quite heavily embroidered, and I also didn't want to over-bling the outfit. I love how flattering the lines of this outfit was on me, and the fact that even though it was quite long, it elongated my figure and was very comfortable. This is me wearing it, making the most of the sun and doing my usual posey poses!

 

Outfit - LSM via PakLinks

Shoes - Carvela

Ring - Gul Mohar

I took a lot more silly photos with this, and had a lot of fun in my back garden enjoying the sun and the grass under my feet (and ignoring my neighbours pretending not to see me). It makes for a perfect outfit for a dawati (dinner, usually at friend's/relatives houses) and also feel very modest on. It was quite easy to match a hot pink hijab to it (I would have worn hot pink shoes but I don't have hot pink, only coral pink!), although I can imagine this with a matte gold or even a black hijab for a different look.

I'm hoping to get more wear out of this during the summer, I have a couple of mehndis coming up I could wear this to (or dholkis!), although my wardrobe is probably big enough that I have other outfits to get wear out of!

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Aishwariya's 70s Chic in Vogue, India

I do like Aishwariya Rai Bachan, not only is she a beautiful woman, but she's very classy - in the way she handled criticism in the 'fat-debate' and in her discreet manners which keeps her being a style icon.

She's appeared in a photoshoot for Vogue India, featuring the former Miss World in 70's hair, casual-formal Tommy Hilfiger outfits, and a very natural looking beauty (I know she's got make-up on, but it doesn't look dramatic and she looks flawless, glowy).

I love that Ash kept to an almost casual look, focusings on her curves, her wavy locks and a very sensual image that focuses on her eyes and her beauty. She also comments that on the idea of a comback - Comeback? What comeback - "Why, she never went away."
Certainly, she's always been in the limelight - whether it was for her baby weight, for her fashion style or for her role as ambassador for more than one brand.

You can read a part of the interview here - what do you think of Aishwariya's new look? In the latest trend of bobcuts that are popping up here and there, I love Aishwariya's new fringe and new look, and will wait to see what else she will be offering.

 

Picture Credits

Things I've been doing: February Edition

I'm a bit late with this, but thought I'd post it anyway, since it's only the beginning of March! I thought I'd do a quick catch-up post about what I've been up to, I'm starting to get out of winter hibernation mode and into spring mode right now (I just spent half this weekend soaking up the weak sun in the garden, making the most of it!)

Went to Choccywoccydoodah
My friend and I decided to treat ourselves for no reason other than we are both chocoholics, to a visit to the wonderful Choccywoccydoodah. You can see more pictures here, but it was an amazing visit to see some seriously beautiful cakes with a lot of detail. Brides-to-be, here's a place to go for inspiration for cakes - I doubt they're cheap, but there's some seriously beautiful floral cakes at the moment that I wouldn't have minded having for my wedding!

Bought some scarves and lipsticks
I've posted before about my latest haul, and I've manage to use most of the things I bought, my favourites being the scarves and the NYX lipsticks. I'm putting a hold on anything new at the moment, and looking at re-inventing styles using the things I already have (and saving up for other things for a few weeks or so!)

Met Dian Pelangi
I hopped along to a hijab styling workshop by reknowned Indonesian designer Dian Pelangi, whose designs I've followed for a while. I love how hijab friendly her designs are, and this workshop was a lovely opportunity to meet fellow bloggers, photographers and stylists, who gave a lot of advice and input into blogging and fashion.

Went to a birthday party for my niece, who turned two.
It wasn't an extravagant affair, but was full of fun, partly because of all the happy toddlers and good company, and partly because of all the beautiful decoration, cake, cupcakes and food made by the birthday girl's parents.

Celebrated World Hijab Day (well, kind of). 
I didn't do anything as such, but I did love the beautiful messages and contributions from hijabis and non-hijabis all over - I loved the fact that there were non-Muslims out there willing to try hijab in various countries to see what it was like. Overall, it was overwhelmingly positive and sweet - and a really lovely thing to see.

Went to the Brits Awards
My husband was lucky enough to be taken to the Brits Awards at the end of February by his company, guess who got to be plus one? I don't follow musicians as much as I used to, but it was great to see a lot of big names, and the atmosphere was pretty electric, making for a fun night out.

I've had a pretty eventful month, but with the warmer months coming up, I'm hoping for more (good!) stuff to happen - Mr Curly Fries and I have been talking about holidays, new places to visit, cooking and new things to try.

On another note, it's International Women's Day today, another day to celebrate! Although on that note, I'd like to emphasise that I'm all for women equality, and less for men-bashing - although I can certainly see a change in Asian women's position in today's society changing compared to the last few decades!

I'm off to watch some old movies and eat junk for now, but I'll be posting something soon enough!

Happy weekendings all xx

MAKE-UP REVIEW: Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream Swatches

I posted recently about some long-wear matte lip creams I bought from Nyx, I bought a few soft matte lip creams which I've been wanting to try for a while. They're quite reasonably priced on the official website, but I managed to find them a little cheaper from a seller on eBay from America, although the postage did add to the costs!

I love that these come in a large range of colours, and that they're all named after major cities in the world - it makes a nice difference from the usual names for lipsticks and made them sound really fun. I picked a bunch of colours, some nudes, some reds, some pinks and some corals, and also a dark purple that looked interesting - they all had a good variety of colour so that they didn't look the same as each other too much.

(I'll apologise in advance for the quality of the pictures with my lip swatches, I tried to use my DSLR camera to take the pictures but couldn't get a decent angle without being able to to see! I ended up using my mobile phone camera for most of them, but made sure the lighting was clear so that the colours came out as close as possible to how they actually looked!)

San Paulo
This was a lovely pink on me, slightly deeper than I thought it would be but still very pretty because it was such a fun, bright pink without being too vivid or neon like a lot of other liquid lipsticks I've used. For some reason the colour looks a little patchy in my picture, but it was a fairly flattering colour in a mid-pink shade.

Antwerp
This was a really pretty coral shade, a little bright but very summery, being a nice balance of coral and peach.. It looks a little brighter than the tube suggests, but is also a light shade which looks a little warm and suited my skin pretty well.

Cannes
This was a really pretty pale pink which had slightly nude tones to it. On me, it looked more pink with a blue undertone, but it's a very easy colour to wear and looked almost light lilac without dulling my skin. I got a few compliments from this lip shade, it's quite versatile and would suit a lot of skin shades.

Transylvania
This was a little dark for me, it was a deep, rich purple which looked amazing in colour, but not so amazing on my lips because it didn't really suit me at all, and it was really difficult to get a good picture of the colour without it looking black. Having said that, I loved the rich shade of it, I'm not sure I'd wear it on a night out, but it was lovely to try it. I think a lighter version of this colour, Copenhagen, would be a lot more wearable (I tried to get that shade but it was sold out in most places!)

Ibiza
This was another really pretty coral colour that I really loved, less brighter than Antwerp was but very soft and corally. This was one of my favourite shades, perfect for summer (and spring) and very easy to wear, although I needed a decent nude lipliner underneath to get the true colour of the lip cream on my lips.

Morocco
I quite liked this colour, it was a bright shade of red which was almost orange, and very flattering on the lips, surprisingly making them look fuller. I don't often wear post-box reds like this so it was great fun to try this one out, and it pretty much lasted right until lunch without fading at all.

Zurich
This was another one of my favourite shades out of all of the ones I bought, it was a really pretty nude that was lighter and less mauve-y than Cannes. This was another lip cream that got compliments, and also was perfect for an everyday nude which lasted quite a while.

Amsterdam

I ended up trying this shade twice, because of the versatility of this colour. From the tube I assumed this would be a deep dull red, but it ended up being a a pinky shade, due to the light coloured lipliner underneath. I loved the shade, but it made me wonder whether I could get a deeper colour by wearing a deeper lipliner under it.

So I tried this lip colour again, and ended up with a pinky-red - it's what I imagine a neon red would look like, without being

I've worn a few of these colours again, because of how ideal they are for every day, and the colours are pretty flattering. While they were pretty long-wearing and quite pigmented, they didn't last the whole day - usually it would wear off during lunch and I'd have to re-apply (I think the only exception to this was Morocco, but even this was half-worn off!)

I'd definitely recommend these lip creams, they're amazing value for their price and they come in a big enough range of colours that they would suit a lot of skin types and preferences. I'm already thinking of ordering a few more colours (although not yet, probably on pay day!) and have been recommending the colours to my sisters for them to try.

What do you think of these colours? Have you tried any of the Nyx lips creams?