#ShaadiSeries : Mehendi-ed

I had a difficult time zeroing in on a lot of vendors that I had needed help from during my wedding and finding the right Mehendi artist was one of them. I have a full figure body and naturally my hands are quite big which according to a lot of mehendi artists are a gold mine for them as they provide a bigger canvas to draw various complex and ornate designs. So when a friend suggested a mehendi artist to me, I got in touch with her and we sat down to brainstorm a few Mehendi designs that she could use for me. Let me divulge the readers in a little background here.



In Indian traditions, applying mehendi or henna is embraced as the most ornamental way of getting yourself ready for an occasion. No matter how big or small the festivity, there is an inlaid compulsion for the women in the household to get their hands and feet tattooed with henna. Like all other arts, Mehendi too has evolved a great deal over the years. In earlier days, women plucked out the leaves off of the mehendi plant and ground them into a paste and applied it onto their palms and feet in simple round designs. As the tradition furthered, mehendi came to be ground even finer, put into plastic or polythene cones and was applied on the hand in the form of elaborate designs. Over the years, mehendi cones have been selling commercially in stores all over the country and even abroad where the trend of temporary henna tattoos has really caught on. Mehendi designs too have evolved over this time, from basic traditional to modern contemporary designs like Arabic design.

So there we sat pondering over Mehendi Designs and I came across this mobile application called Ethnico. It was amazing as it had a plethora of ideas I could use for my own wedding mehendi application. We also found a lot of design inspirations for the rest of my family who had mehendi applied both in Arabic Style and Traditional. I selected a few designs that were my favorite from the list and I think anyone who is looking at getting bridal mehendi applied must consider these designs:

1. This ornate Leg Mehendi

​2. This beautiful Bridal Mehendi with incorporations like the Bride, Groom, Shehnai and the Palanquin in the Mehendi. I eventually ended up getting mehendi applied very similar to this one.

3. Basic Arabic Mehendi Designs like this one

There I had it, my problem well taken care of by this really resourceful website that I came across. I recommend the Ethnico app to anyone who is looking for traditional Indian design inspirations. Head over to their website http://www.ethnicoapp.com/ or download their app. I am sure you will not be disappointed.

Chocolate Pariah no more with PlaceofOrigin.in

Moving to a town has its ups and downs. Having lived in the city all my life, access to a plethora of exotic foods and products was super easy but having moved to Kakinada a few months back I have come to realize that it isn’t the case here. I am hardly complaining but I miss my goodies and the little guilty pleasures from time to time whenever the chocolate cravings kick in. My sweet tooth is super specific and I rarely get to indulge my greedy self here. That was until I came across the website PlaceofOrigin.in

Place of Origin is a concept online marketplace where specialty Indian foods, confectioneries, savory products and many other varieties of food can be directly bought from the source of the product itself. What caught my eye particularly was the sweets and chocolates section! Being a chocoholic of sorts, I raided the chocolates section of the website and was mesmerized by the sheer variety that they have on the website. There is a chocolate for everyone! The variety is insane : they have the regular milk chocolate, the dark chocolate, gluten free chocolate, lactose free vegan chocolate, organic chocolate, truffles, traditional chocolate bars, raw cocoa, fruit and nut chocolates and a lot more! Check this out if you do not believe me!

Scouting through the products, I stumbled upon the store Mason & Co from Auroville (in Pondicherry) that makes vegan organic chocolates. Since they are milk free and hardly have any sugar, they are dark chocolate in flavor and my absolute favorite. On my last visit to Pondicherry late last year, I could not get my hands on these yummy chocolates and it has me elated that I do not have to wait to get the chocolate. Looks like I have decided what I am buying!

You can check out the Mason & Co chocolate store here. They are a 100% certifiably organic and boast of being one of the best dark chocolates ever.

You can also browse through the Chocolates section of the website here and find your perfect flavor

The PlacesofOrigin website is here, and I dare you to not find a regional food that you have loved for years and could not lay hands on because you could not access it geographically. Chances are, you might find it on their website!

#ShaadiSeries : What I wore

Being a plus size bride is a nightmare in itself. Not counting the limited number of options you have clothes-wise, there is also a flurry of opinions from shopkeepers and stylists urging you to 'settle' for the options you have. One can argue that we can get clothes designed and stitched, but I am a fan of trying on clothes and the whole charade of playing dress-up. 

Here is a breakdown of the outfits I wore for the wedding hullabaloo! 

My maasi (mother's sister) helped me find this very beautiful anarkali style floor length. It came in the red-pink colour and has a gold embroidered bodice. It also has a detailed and embellished neckline saving me the trouble of dressing it up with a necklace. I chose to wear this at a pre-wedding dinner with the family and accessorized it with these gorgeous earrings by Vastradi Jewels. This dress was picked up from a private designer boutique in Bangalore. 

Earrings by Vastradi

For another pre-wedding function, Moong Bikhrai which marks the official beginning of all wedding preparations, I chose to go funky. I opted for this straight fit long orange kurta that I bought from CottonZone in Hyderabad. Since I believe in 'Go big or go home' when it comes to accessorizing, I decided to sport this pharoah inspired neck-piece I bought from BlissBox last year. It made my simple kurta pop and had me function ready in seconds.

This 4 toned ombre saree with gota and thread work running along the border is my dream! I bought it from a store called Patrani in Bada Bazaar in Kolkata.

For my Sangeet function, I wanted a dress that was flowy and worthy of a princess. I did not want a lehenga because that would make dancing a real pain and who wants that! This floor length gold anarkali gown is all shimmer and all love. The pink in the dupatta and the dress pops like magic. I bought it from Mebaz in Hyderabad. This store is a haven for partywear gowns and anarkalis and offers the largest variety in terms of sizes and range. You can get the same dress here! 

For the wedding pooja, I wore this Baby pink crepe-silk with a fuchsia pink and gold border. I bought this from Bangalore

My Reception outfit is a raw silk lehenga in coral-orange-red colour family and it is beyond gorgeous. Bought this from Kolkata as well. But this outfit is so very special that I think I will have to do a separate post only for this!

That is it for the clothes! Sometimes I wish I had a longer wedding only so that I got to doll-up for every occasion. 

For the next of my posts in the #ShaadiSeries, do stay tuned!

Love, 

D

My Rad Red Lipstick

I have discussed this a lot of times before this on other social media platforms about why a bold red lipstick is my go-to always. A late night epiphany led me to believe that a red lipstick gives me that much needed confidence boost and I strongly concur with that thought process. 

Quoting the character Martha Rodgers from the crime drama Castle, 

"Newsflash! She already has body image issues. It's an intrinsic part of being a woman. Every woman in the world has some part of herself that she absolutely hates. Her hands are too small, her feet are too big, her hair is too straight, too curly, her ears stick out, her bum's too flat, her nose is too big and, you know, nothing you can say will change how we feel. What men don't understand is, the right clothes, the right shoes, the right makeup, it just... It, it hides the flaws we think we have. They make us look more beautiful to ourselves. That's what makes us look beautiful to others."

She could not have been more correct about pointing out the intricacies of what women want and why they want it. Yes, we want to be noticed and appreciated. But before that, we want to be able to look in the mirror and smile at the reflection that looks back at us. My Rad Red Lipstick does that for me. It hides the flaws I think I have and makes my face glow like I have a spotlight following me all the bloody time! 

The biggest flaw I have is the fact that I am fat, obese even. I have always been told reassuringly that I more than make up for this flaw with my absolutely charming personality and a decently pretty face. But growing up hits hard and looking at myself there is a part of me that constantly wished that I went to sleep and woke up the next day having miraculously shed the excess weight. Well that did not happen so I looked for ways to hide that flaw I thought I had. I dressed down for the longest time right after my teens, sporting only oversized Tshirts and Jeans. For the slightest time, that made me comfortable. But after a couple of years, the red lips rage caught on and that is when I tried my first red. I still remember the first red lipstick I ever tried on, which I ended up buying later that week. It was Revlon's "Love that Red" which I still use sometimes (I am on the 3rd lipstick now!) Some of my recent favourites are Mac's "Lady Danger" and Wild n West's Glossy Red Lipstick.

Wet n Wild Glossy Red

Revlon - Love that Red

Mac Lady Danger

My rad red lipstick was my saving grace, that led me to accept my flaws and feel fabulous. I ask of you this, find your rad quotient. If you are way too confused, trust me, the red lipstick is every woman's best friend.

My Garba Garb and Social Awkwardness

Navratri is just around the corner and my facebook timeline is full of pre-events and people planning in advance. Falguni Pathak was in town just last week and it pretty much kick started the whole Dandiya/Garba fever. Irrespective of the community one belongs to or where they are from, Dandiya craze catches on. 

I, on the other hand, am not a very Dandiya friendly person. It sure involves one of my passions - Dancing. But it also brings to fore my social awkward behaviour around strangers in a dance-type setting. This is the same reason, 'Going to a Nightclub' is not on my bucket list. I'll clarify a few things here. I am a very social person generally. I will not be joking if I said I am a very happy smiling person around acquaintances and strangers even. And crowds make me jubilant. As long as it is an audience. I am somewhat of a performer, you see. If it is me on the stage, dancing, facing an huge audience then you will find no person happier than me. But dancing with scores of people you do not know gives me the creeps. So my Navratri nights are pretty much spent at home, playing dress-up with my little cousin. Social awkwardness does not get in the way of me getting all decked up! 

Sharing a few picture of my FAVOURITE lehenga which my Papa bought for me as a gift in 2011. The Lehenga is from Jodhpur and what I love about it is that it is a crazy colourful rendition of me on fabric. And the Gheraa (flare) of the lehenga makes it a perfect wear for a dance performance related occasion. 

No matter what your fashion weeks say about pastels and nudes, bright colour is the way to go if you are going Navratri shopping this weekend.

Cheers! 

D

Your DNA speaks Skin and here is how!

by Disha Bhandari 

"You can get your skin treated and pampered with therapies and treatments that are personally designed keeping your DNA and genetic makeup in mind".

Sounds like something a female researcher would say to the popular cheerleader in a B-rated Sci-Fi movie. Now that is one movie I am never going to watch. But for what you just read in the beginning of the post, it is in fact not as unreal as Kylie Jenner's lips.

I was at the VLCC centre at Banjara Hills, Hyderabad last week for a bloggers' meet. Time for a little background story here:

So VLCC or Vandana Luthra Curls and Curves is a wellness company widely recognised both nationally and internationally. They are well known for their effective weight loss management programs and therapeutic approach to beauty treatments. Our meet was scheduled at the centre one afternoon and we got to discuss their newest breakthrough in the field of wellness and beauty heralded by the sweet Dr.Yasmin. Oh hey, there's us! 

@ the VLCC Bloggers' Meet

Coming back to this amazing new skin treatment we talked about, it is this! 

The basis of this revolutionary program launched by VLCC is the uniqueness of everyone's DNA. In the simplest terms, it is common knowledge that every human being has a DNA makeup that is unique to him. Like fingerprints, no two DNA sets are the same. The DNA carries information about your body in the minutest detail. It is this nature of the DNA that forms the basis of VLCC's DNA based Skin Care and Anti Aging program. 

And this is how it is done:

A simple yet comprehensive DNA test is done at the centre. The report takes about a week to get ready. This report has information in detail from your DNA which is tested for Collagen Degeneration, Sun Damage and Pigmentation, Skin Sensitivity and Inflammation, Production of Anti-oxidants, Skin Hydration status and Glycation (Damage from Sugar). The team of experts at VLCC then suggest a very personalised treatment for you based on the report. While 30% of skin damage is due to your surroundings and environment, 70% of a person's skin problems can be attributed to DNA mutations or anomalies. These can be corrected in a very scientific way through this approach. The experts suggest a treatment which is a combination of face packs, salon treatments, procedures and efficient dietary and lifestyle consultation. There is also a comprehensive consultation offered after the completion of the treatment that will guide you to retaining the results. VLCC also houses a whole range of beauty products that can help you for result retention in the future. One such product I loved is the Dermaheal Eye Filler Mask. You have got to try one! 

I also volunteered to give a sample of my DNA from my buccal cavity for testing. The team would get in touch with me in a week with the results. I am excited for the consultation! I will let you know how that goes when it does in another post.

The good peeps at the centre gave us a tour of the centre. Before that day, I predominantly recognised VLCC as a weight loss and wellness centre but I stood corrected when I took the tour. There are a host of other services offered at the VLCC centre which imbibes their mantra of holistic wellness such as a Wellness Exercise centre, Ayurveda, Yoga and Physiotherapy run with the guidance of Shilpa Shetty and a Beauty Salon.

The Yoga and Physiotherapy room

State of the art Beauty Salon

You may have heard about the DNA SLIM programs by VLCC which works on the same principle as above. Rush to your nearest VLCC centre for a DNA consultation for treatment for the skin or slimming. This is by far the most scientific approach to skincare and slimming that I have ever come across. 

If you have any questions, post them in the comments, or tweet them to me.

@TheChinki

And if you are not following me on Instagram yet, here I am : @TheChinki_

Also, I regret not having taken my camera along! Next time, you will not be disappointed!

Until next time,

Cheers!

D

6 times I fell fabulously in love with Amrapali Jewels

I have an exaggerated sense of fashion and style, and it is pretty much evident in what I wear, do and endorse. This sense of overdoing a look makes me love jewellery more than it should be loved. I cannot begin to tell how many times I have had to explain myself after I am back from a shopping spree and all my bags have accessories and colourful junk. Speaking of exorbitant styles, I have had my eye on Amrapali Jewels for over two years now. Quite frankly, it was when I saw Kirron Kher rocking a gorgeous neckpiece over her Gaurang saree so masterfully. Since then, it is with religious dedication that I keep up with their collections and if I had the means, I would own each piece. Alas! I had no golden goose for a pet but hey, a girl can dream! 

Here it is, my dream jewels from Amrapali. My little bejewelled bucket list, you may call it.

1. Passa

I would never wear a Passa really, I am more of a Maang-Tikka person but this one I would totally wear. A part of the collection that Manish Arora designed for Amrapali, it speaks colour and elegance in one stroke. Notice the enamel work in the head of the passa! Stunning, right! 

2. Bangles and Ring

Also a part of the Manish Arora Collection for Amrapali, the ring is my showstopper. What I also love about the bangles are how effortless they are to style even it is with a casual day outfit. Colour speaks to me and my vain self is satisfied with that little mirror element in the ring. Truly, a masterpiece.

3. Chandbaalis

Every woman MUST own a royal pair of Chandbaalis. It is a wardrobe must-have. And how perfect are these earrings to fill that void! 

 4. Necklace

Statement Necklaces are difficult to adorn really, especially if you have to make the decision between making your outfit speak for itself or the jewellery. I would totally let this necklace steal all the limelight if I ever laid my hands on them! The silver, the radha-krishna scene and the sheer size and make of this necklace is totally me! LOVE!

5. Chandrika Earrings

When Tribe by Amrapali launched the Chandrika collection a few months ago, it was like Christmas! I saw these earrings in their release post on instagram and I swear, it was love at first sight. I am literally saving up to buy these. Unlike a lot of the jewellery I love, this one here is devoid of a lot of colour but the elaborate design makes up for it, and how! 

6. Gokru Bangles

In Marwari traditions, 3D bangles like these with mounts on the periphery of the bangle are called Gokru (pronounced Gawk-roo). They are pretty much worn on every occassion. Manish Arora's take on the traditional Gokru with a Jhumka twist and the induction of colours through enameling is pure genius. Need em! 

The list could seriously go on, but I have my heart REALLY set on these for now. More additions in later posts. If you have a favourite, not just from Amrapali, do let me know or link them to me in the comments below. I would love to check them out! 

Until next time,

Cheers! 

D!