#TrendAlert : Chokers and How to style them!

Minimal Jewellery is the current accessorising trend right now. And an extension to this hot trend are chokers.

With all the trends from the 90's making a solid comeback, it is no surprise that chokers are so hot right now! Chokers are versatile, fashionably light and make a lasting statement. From the basic black chokers to elaborate layered pieces with gold and stone embellishments, there is one perfect choker for every outfit. 

Unlike what many think, accessorising with a choker need not necessarily make you look goth! Follow these basic style tips to make your choker look work for you:

1) Always keep the choker understated if you are wearing it in the day. They can be thinner, with probably an embellishment or two for the added glitz

2) Experiment with colourful chokers or chokers with a slight colour pop to wear on your monochrome outfit. Wearing an all black ensemble with a black choker will definitely not un-goth your look.

3) When in doubt, layer your solid coloured choker with dainty gold or silver chains. The choice of the metallic tone totally depends on your personal taste. 

4) I say it with love when I ask you to ditch the elastic chokers. They are too 'been there, done that'. It is time you moved on to chokers that are either lace or suede or just a satin strap.

5) If you do not own a bright and solid coloured choker for your outfit, the removable bra strap will make for the perfect choker. Added bonus? They are super soft on your skin!

Be it a dress or a pair of jeans or a traditional lehenga skirt that you are planning on wearing, there is a perfect choker necklace for you.

Dress : Choose lace and dainty metal chokers with floral embellishments

Jeans : Your standard black chokers, in all the variations you can imagine. Even if you choose colours, stick to solid colours and avoid prints and designs.

Traditional : Polki to the rescue! There are countless chokers made out of polki and pearls that will go best with a traditional outfit of your choice. If you are looking for silver toned chokers, go boho-chic!!!

You can shop the choker trend right here

You can also order these limited pieces by filling the order form right here. The prices and the choker styles are mentioned below :)

Layered Choker and Gold Necklace
Price - 250/-

Studded Black Choker
Price - 210/-

Basic Black Choker with Tassel (available colours Red and Black)
Price - 210/-

Layered Choker with Black Stone
Price - 250/-

Dreamcatcher Choker
Price - 250/-

Snake Chain Choker (available in Red)
Price - 250/-

Tie-around Choker
Price - 190/-

Circle Link Choker
Price - 210/-

Gold Collar Cuff
Price - 290/-

Shells and silver Choker
Price - 290/-

Rhinestone and Pearls Choker
Price - 320/-

Antique Silver Choker Necklace
Price - 390/-

How to style traditional jewellery in off-beat ways

Starting this week, every Tuesday, I will introduce to you, a trend. Be it lifestyle or fashion related or a newer style in jewellery or just a random habit gaining a lot of mobility with the people at the time. You see the upside of playing loosely with the term Trend!!!

Kicking off the series is my favourite! Traditional Indian Jewellery!

Being a plus size woman, experimenting with clothes comes rather difficultly to me because of the limited options in stores. Naturally, my need to over accessorise with jewellery and over the top makeup (read red lips and winged liners). Hence, my obsessive love for all things jewellery. I even considered a serious career in jewellery designer but turns out to be a designer of any sort, you need to be good with the pencil and my drawing skills are as amateur as a 5 year old. As can be easily deduced from my personality by now, I am a jewellery hoarder. Anything particularly stylish or classic, I must have it. This goes for both Indian traditional and Contemporary statement jewellery. Of late, I have taken it upon myself to experiment with styles and not limit wearing Indian jewels only with ethnic-wear.

Now to why I am writing this!
How to style traditional jewellery in off-beat ways.

Limiting yourself to wearing your handpicked ethnic jewellery pieces only with Indian clothes is a thing of the past. Since a lot of traditional and contemporary styles of jewellery overlap is style and form, using them to complete outfits of a different style family is the new fashion fad. Here are some ways you can use your heavy traditional jewellery in off-beat ways to style your outfit.

1. Choker style necklaces
Most traditional necklaces come in choker variations today and because of that they can be worn with western dresses and tops that have a slight dip in the neckline.

Source : Pinterest

2. Heavy Golden Jhumkas
Whip out that solid coloured dress and accessorise them with the jhumkas or replicate the Sonam Kapoor look when she sported heavy gold jhumkas with her powder blue evening gown in Cannes. It cannot go wrong!

Source : Polka Cafe

3. Anything Polki
How many times have you wanted to wear that royal polki necklace but could not because the dress would not allow it. Not anymore! Take cue from style divas of our time and rock a super heavy polki necklace with a fitted bodycon dress.

Source : Quora

4. Gemstones Jewellery
Precious stone jewellery is a risky thing! Not only they need to be worn with a particular colour palette but they also have to be balanced out to the T. Solve all those problems by donning your coloured precious stones necklace with the classic LBD.

Source : Pinterest

5. Silver Jewellery and Bangles

Spruce up your boring office outfit with a pop of silver. Picture a white shirt with a pair of Kutchi earrings or a contemporary kurta accessorised with a beaten silver necklace. You can also layer your look with different bangles thrown on together but avoid the noisy ones in a workplace. 

Source : Myntra

There you go! 5 unusual ways to incorporate traditional Indian jewellery in your looks. Think you can add anything more to this? Do tell. I would love to keep adding to the list above because there can never be an excess of good things. 

Want to own some striking traditional jewels yourself? Head over to this page and take a look at their exclusive bi-weekly preview of Indian Traditional Jewels. 

#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!

#MovieReview : Fan

Shahrukh Khan is a weird human being, a weirder actor. Just when you thought he had lost his marbles with his recent feature films letting us down a great deal (read Dilwale and Happy New Year), this movie is sure to make you feel real proud of being an SRK fan. With the likes of Swades and Chak de India in his kitty, SRK does not really need to prove his mettle but his choice of movies in the last couple of years have got us wondering if SRK was losing his sheen. But all that will seem reduntant somehow when you watch the movie. It was unreal watching SRK play a character like Gaurav after so many years! Unreal and refreshing.

The plot of the movie is quite uncomplicated. Gaurav Chandna from Delhi is a hardcore Aryan Khanna fan and has been idolising the actor since he was a little boy. He has a shrine of sorts dedicated to the actor built right in his bedroom. He also resembles his idol, joking in his monologue at the beginning of the movie that God moulded his face with the clay that was left after He was finished with Aryan Khanna. He wins a actor-lookalike prize in his colony after he puts up a great show posing as Aryan Khanna, with the help of his ever-so-adorable parents. He sets out to Mumbai to meet SRK on his birthday and give him that trophy. What happens after is what the movie is all about.

The thing that will strike you when you first see the movie will be how the 'Fan - Gaurav' resembles the pre-DDLJ era Shahrukh Khan, right out of Darr and Anjaam. The hero and the anti-hero played by the same actor is not a novel concept in Indian cinema but the way the relationship between a superstar and his (self-proclaimed) greatest fan unfolds on the silver screen is in this movie is fresh baked cookies. The movie sure does fizz out in terms of drama in the second half, but SRK whilst playing both Gaurav and Aryan, more than makes up for it with his brilliant acting. 

The movie has been shot brilliantly and Maneesh Sharma's love for Delhi continues as he captures the city in its raw hide in some shots. However, one might wonder that the casting was deliberately done in a way that the major limelight could be thrown on SRK alone. Nevertheless, that wasn't necessary because this is his movie out and out. If you want to go watch the movie or if you do not, you really must. SRK fan or not, you will like this movie for what it is. While you are at it, don't expect a wonderfully written script, it definitely could have been better. Watch it for the performances. And Gaurav.

#ShaadiSeries : I did my own make-up!

When I first set out to look for a make-up artist who would help me deck up for the wedding, I looked EVERYWHERE! I even considered, for a fraction of a second, to hire a professional cinema level artist even if it paid a bomb. But then I wanted all that time I spent on Youtube and Pinterest to be as productive as possible so in spite of being a newbie to make-up, I decided to be my own make-up artist. To be honest, I did not ever meet a bride who told me that she managed successfully with a make-up regime of her own but I told myself I was going to crack it and so I did. The month leading up to the wedding, a number of my acquaintances and friends were tying the knot. I was figuratively mortified when I saw some of them made-up faces. Glowing 'post uptan and haldi' faces hiding beneath an inch of high-definition foundation and concealer. The natural blush was covered and a fake one was given courtesy a M.A.C blush. Those horrendous black smokey eyes on a hot pink lehenga and eyebrows that were drawn jet black. Everything about these brides sadly was unreal and dissatisfying. This became another reason why I went on to choose what I did. Also, I have a blemish free skin and fortunately for me the only base I need for my make-up is some BB cream and compact powder. I will not take all the credit because I did get a lot of help from my friends and cousins in getting dressed with them donning roles of assistants, hairdressers and make-up professionals on the D-Day but it was all worth it. 

Here are the looks from the three big wedding functions where I managed to do my own make-up (well, almost) 

My baby sister cherry came in to for a final showcase of the look after I was done and went on to put blush on my cheeks for the final effect.

My best friend Khansa came in like a genie on the Reception day and with the skill of an artist helped me out with some basic contouring for a slightly more finished look. All the days, another one of my besties Meeta, did my hair. For draping the dupatta and the saree, I had MAJOR help from my cousin Jyothi and Bua.

It all fell together beautifully and I don't think I could have managed to look as natural and glowing as this if I had opted for professional salon make-up.

But if you are planning to go the same way that I did, always keep in mind that you are not a bridezilla in the making who might just have a mega meltdown on the D-day if things do not go your way. Always be on the lookout for a eye-liner related mishap. Also, doing your own work on your wedding is not what a lot of brides consider ideal and if you are one of those, get a professional and don't pay heed to what I just said.

I intend to rant a lot more about my shaadi in this series. Stay tuned for the next one! Until then, tata!

D

#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

#Photostory : A day in the life of Mumma

Celebrating my mother with a series of photographs I clicked of her over the day. She is the woman I look up to because she embodies joy and courage in the face of testing times. Her transformation from being a housewife to a woman who works and handles a business is commendable. Now the eldest member of the family, she guides us like the true matriarch that she is, inspiring us along the way. 

I welcome any feedback you, the viewer, may have.
Happy viewing

An early start to the day

Her constant companion - Suhana

Getting ready for work

At work : A Cafe she runs along with the family

Meeting with relatives and well-wishers

Caught candid

Deep in conversation

Homework follows

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