BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Beautiful Brides in Housefull 2

I didn't think there would be much to look at in comedy sequel, Housefull 2, and to be honest, the storyline was a little predictable. What I did love was the beautiful bridal scenes at the end of the movie (spoilers, sorry!) which featured 4 beautiful actresses in some really colourful, bright bridal costumes which actually looked really nice together.

I liked how each bride was given her own individual look and colour to set them apart slightly, yet they all complimented each other and still managed to look slightly traditional Indian - and of course they all looked stunning. Here are the brides' in their full (and colourful) glory, complete with beautiful make-up and accessories.

First up was Asin's bridal look, who was the only bride who wore mainly red, with slight accents of green, giving a very traditional colour combination. I love her kundan-style jewellery, and the fact that the accessories were quite simple, letting the outfit shine, while the make-up was also kept quite neutral. I like the fact that both the outfit and the accessories of this bride are easy to find on the high street, and are quite in fashion (especially in some of the London high street shops!)

Next was Jacqueline, whose look I think I like the most, although it does help that she is an absolute stunner. Her colour combination was a bit more interesting, a mix of rusty orange, red and hot pink, which looked quite pretty together and still quite bridal, finished off with beaded jewellery and a pretty, long plait. Again, I like the fact that her face is not over-crowded, and the fact that the style of her choli is quite simple so it doesn't look too much with the heavy lengha.

After this was Shazahn, a new actress who looked very pretty and feminine in a very funky yellow lengha with purple, pink and red complimenting colours, which again gave a very bridal look but also made it look very stylish. I think this could have been a risky colour combination because there are a lot of colours, but it does look pretty together and is toned down by her pretty dupatta setting and the fact that her jewellery is chunky yet simple.

Lastly is Zarine, who has a very traditional look, right down to the hair pieces and the matta-patti she wears which look lovely with her pink shaded outfit.  She's also the most accessorised bride of them all, with regal-style jewellery, which is again, emphasised by her simple make-up style and less embellished outfit.  I didn't get to see this outfit properly, especially as Zarine's duppatta is pinned towards the front so the lengha is slightly covered at the front and gives more of a colour block, but it is nevertheless still a very pretty bridal look and looks the most traditional in terms of jewellery.

All images belong to producers/directors of film and are copyright

Overall, the bridal look of this film was stunning - and it just shows how much the styles of Bollywood has changed compared to the older eras of Bollywood. Although the brides' style may not be to everyone's taste (some of us may not like the half-choli look, for example), I definitely think these brides looks beautiful, and each look has been well-put together so they wouldn't look out of place on the catwalk or on a real bride! I also like the fact that the actresses wore the same outfits on the ramp for a fashion show later on too, which you can see pictures of here and here.

What did you think of these outfits, pretty and wearable, or too bright and gaudy? Which outfit did you like best?

GLAMOROUS ACCESSORIES: Birthday Presents for my Mum

It was my mum's birthday recently, so I took the chance to buy these lovelies which I'd been eyeing up for a while, and buy them for her (which also made up for me forgetting to give them to her on the day, I'm a bad daughter, me). I'm pretty sure that I've inherited my love of sparkly, girly things from my mother, so I was pretty sure that she'd loved these, and thankfully, she did - I bought her a stone-embedded, gold-plated bangle and a gold-plated ring with a semi-precious ring. They weren't horrendously expensive (around £15 for the ring and £25 for the bangle), and I think that they were pretty good value for money - certainly I can imagine my mum being able to wear this a lot, and they're certainly beautiful items which get oohed-and-ahhed over.

The shop I bought these from have beautiful pieces, each which are as as unique as the next, and there's always a new piece of carefully-sourced jewellery in there everytime I go in. If you're anywhere near this shop, be sure to go in and have a look!  In the mean-time, do let me know what you think or these, good bargain or no?

BRIDE COUTURE: A Dreamy White Anarkali Affair

I've seen several versions of the white-and-gold or white-and-silver anarkali outfit, and this is certainly one of the more prettier ones, although I think I like it more because of it's regal setting and the dreamy style of the whole image. I love how the outfit itself is not too blingy, and has a slightly traditional look to it because of the shimmery type of work it has - not to mention the model's simple hair and shoes!

Unfortunately, I have no idea who the designer for this outfit is, so I can't say a lot about the outfit and I don't have more pictures of it (I'm not even sure I can remember where I found this image from either, quite possible Bollywood Nerd's beautiful tumblr!) - but I do think this picture is a great way of showing how brides don't necessarily need to overload to look beautiful :)

The Valima

My sister's valima reception was the final celebration of the whole wedding, which took place a week after the actual wedding day to give some time for the newly-wed couple to rest after a week of non-stop celebrations! So it was definitely a relaxed day for all of us, and the atmosphere was a fun one (mainly

The theme of the reception was blue and white, which was incorporated in all of the decor and the outfits, which looked really pretty together. I've seen this colour combination before, but I think that because the bride and groom were going for more of an 'English' reception style, it looked really well put-together and organised.

The cake also matched this theme, which was the same white and light blue colour (and yes, it tasted as scrumptious as it looks!) - I loved the delicate, hand-made flower icing on the side of the cake.

My sister's reception dress was one which everyone fell in love with as soon as she stepped out of the car and into the hall - it was an English, white, lace wedding dress with a full trail and white veil at the back. Most of us agreed that it made her look like a traditional orthodox Italian or Greek bride, rather than a Pakistani one! The shape was beautifully fitted, and the delicate lace really completed the look, along with her off-white court shoes.

The bouquet (my favourite part of the whole outfit!) was a beautiful, custom-made brooch bouquet which my sister ordered specially from a brooch-designer in America. Everyone (rightfully) oohed-and-ahhed over the bouquet with its heavy and intricate brooches and silk petals. The best bit about this bouquet is also the fact that she gets to keep it as a keepsake (despite several people urging her to 'throw it at the girls' at the end of the day, never mind what injuries the heavy bouquet might inflict.)
I love how elegant and detailed the bouquet looks in these pictures too, although it was a lot more sparkly in real life!

The bridesmaid also wore a matching white dress with a blue sath to match the blue-and-white theme, which looked beautiful with her white bolero and a smaller white rose bouquet (which we tried to add some bling to with a blue stone ring, but it just didn't have the same effect on everyone that the bride's bouquet did.)

The boys were also very smartly dressed, in off-white waistcoats and cravats which looked great with their sister's bridesmaid dress. This is pretty much the only picture I have of them where they're standing still!

My dress was a maxi dress in grey, with purple and grass green accents, as I really loved this colour combination and wanted to go for something which wasn't too bright. We (the sisters) didn't wear matching outfits this time around, but we decided to go for soft colours to compliment the bride's white dress. I accessorised with a green clutch bag and a huge purple and gold hijab pin (which was actually a kundan earring) and opted not to wear any bangles as the sleeves of the dress were long and fitted, and there was enough work on the cuffs.

Here's some of the other friends and family's outfits, which I absolutely loved, as everyone looked so elegant together and the colours really came together. It's easy to see which party people belong to, as most of us on the bride's side were wearing pinks, greys and corals, and the groom's party chose blues and greens. While this colour theme was not entirely intentional, it looked great on the day and was only more blinged up with everyone's beautiful bangles and accessories!

 

Here's a random picture of the chocolate fountain, which had a pretty fruit arrangements, and which didn't stay this pretty for long!

And lastly, the scene in the hall at the end of the day after a lot of walking around, getting in the way of photographers (yep, that one was me), and eating a lot of cake. I was expecting some of the boys to jump up and start dancing, but sadly, I was disappointed and everyone went home at the end of the evening.

It was a great day for all of us, spending quality time together (and taking quality pictures!), with a lot of jokes and cake to be had - before the bride and groom whisked off to the honeymoon, of course :)

FASHION'S PASSIONS & PATTERNS: The Moustache Motif

I've been seeing the moustache trend everywhere these days, and I must say, it has caught my interest a little, especially when my sister bought me this moochi ring which I actually love! I can't say I'd go to the full level of sticking on moustaches on everywhere, but I do love a quirky piece in fashion trends, and this is certainly that. So here's something I've been wearing these days, even if it's just to get a few laughs out of my friends.

Can't quite see this in the South Asian fashion catwalks quite yet though!

Bollywood Moments...Colourful Duppatta Moments

I love this scene in this film, it's so vibrant, colourful and pretty and would probably make a great moment for someone's mehndi dance too. For now though, it's just twirling around in your room with a dupatta...!

Image belongs to directors/producers of Kal Ho Na Ho