Real Bride: Lady in White from Karen Wise Photography

For the fusion bride, it can be a challenge to find something that is that perfect marriage of east and west.  A lot of brides opt for a white sari or lengha, others go with a ball gown in red.  When I found this real bride via Karen Wise Photography, I knew I had to post her look because I think it will be so inspiring for brides looking for something new. 

The bride had a gown custom made from cream-coloured sarees!  It even has the most beautiful matching stole (longer than a shawl, shorter than a dupatta) made from the pallu of one of the sarees.  The red and gold border is not too over-the top, and the off-centre flowers in her hair are the perfect touch to set it off.  To match, she wore red patent Via Spiga pumps.  The result is a classy, timeless look and great contrast to her reception look, which was a red lengha with matching gold sandals.  The neutral-toned red and gold makeup on her eyes, transitions smoothly between dresses.

This beautiful bride was photographed in NYC by fellow Canadian Karen Wise of Karen Wise Photography, too see the rest of this wedding and get all the details on the vendors, click here.  Karen has been voted one of the world's top ten wedding photogs by American Photo Magazine and by The Knot magazine.  Her work has been featured in numerous magazines including my all-time favourite Martha Stwewart Weddings.  So we know she can take a picture, but like a true professional, I found her accessible and communicative.  You can see more of Karen's work via her website or get in touch with her via her blog.

Designs on Love: Al-Qamar Mehndi Kone

A new type of henna is available on the shelves of your local desi supermarket.  It comes in a plastic tube and is supposed to be more convenient and easier to apply than your old-fashioned mehndi cone.  Since my sister regularly wears henna, I decided she was the ideal candidate to test drive one of these henna tubes.  I chose Qamar Kone, mostly because it was the only one my local grocer had, and also because at $1.99, it was too cheap not to pick up.  Here are the results:

The cone applies "like molasses" according to my sister.  It comes out really thick from the precut plastic applicator, and doesn't thin out after a few squirts, so it was difficult to get a nice design.  I didn't do a very good job, as you can see.  My sister had previously done her other hand with a regular cone, so you can see the difference between the way the two apply.

Qamar cone dries to a flat black finish, almost like a black marker, and it bleeds into the skin, which was gross, so we were worried about what the final colour would look like.  After about two hours, my sister had to wash it off to run some errands, so we figured that was long enough, since one of the benefits of these cones is supposed to be better colour payoff in a faster time frame.  The colour was a pleasantly dark red colour, which was nice.  It was obviously much darker than the one applied by cone, which would generally take over 4 hours to achieve it's best colour.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this cone to anyone because of the sloppy way in which it applies.  It's completely useless for anything other than making hearts on my daughter's palm.  I couldn't even recommend it for nails because of the way it bleeds.

I did a little googling and discovered that someone else has posted pictures of their efforts with Al-Qamar Kone.  They managed to do better than me (who wouldn't) in actually applying the stuff, but it is still pretty thick, eliminating an chance to add detail.  Click here to see the results mehndi ke rang achieved.

Update: Since writing this post, I had a chance to think about it, and I realized that if you can get your hands on those sticky henna stencils from India or the Middle East, this cone would actually be a great way to apply them.  I don't have any right now, but if I ever do get my hands on some, i'll try it out.  Also, we discovered (to my sister's relief) that the colour doesn't last as long as regular mehndi, which is a huge bonus if you or your partner hate henna.  AND, it doesn't smell.

The Budget Bride: Hand vs. Machine Embroidery

In  my primer on purchasing your lengha, which you can read by clicking here, I mentioned about the cost differences between hand and machine embroidery.  I thought I would go into more detail so that you can make the most effective choice for both your budget and your look.

High Cost Embroidery
Hand Embroidery:  The main reason for the higher cost of this type of embroidery is its labour intensiveness. It takes longer, and requires more man-hours from the tailor, who has to do most of it on-site, so it obviously translates into a more expensive garment.  There are, however, reasons to choose hand embroidery.  You can get a greater variation in detail, the ability to use more materials in the creation of a motif, and hand knotted embroidery lasts longer. 

Low Cost Embroidery
Machine embroidery:  This is faster, and cheaper, so it has seen a increasing prevalence in the market.  Since it is done in a factory, tailors usually only have to cut and stitch, saving them a lot of time, and you a lot of money.  It means a compromise on the number of techniques available, can look cheap, since there is little variation in the work that adds to the natural beauty of a garment. Machine embroidery relies primarily on the use of sequins, although it is used heavily for threadwork and certain kinds of beads may be applied by machine.

The garment on the left, embroidered by hand in India, cost $35 for the three piece suit. Account for the fact that this single motif is the only embellishment on 2 metres of polyester rayon, with no work on the dupatta, and it's actually pretty expensive. The suit on the right, is a polyester suit machine-embroidered with silver sequins and beads across the entire front portion of the kameez. The dupatta too has embroidery on it and the whole three-piece suit cost $30 in the UK.

More often than not, a bridal lengha will be fully hand embroidered, in order to ensure that the garment is both high qualtiy and has that custom touch.  It is however, possible these days to find machine-embroidered suits, and with improvements in machinery and technique, they are becoming increasingly better.   If you are on a budget, to get the most bang for your buck, you have one of two choices, go for few hand embroidered details on a natural fabric, or, a lot of machine embroidered detail, again, on a natural fabric.  As always, I am completely against the use of synthetic fabrics in creating a bridal lengha because I believe strongly in quality over quantity, and your wedding day is not the occassion to look cheap. 

Bollywood Bride: Zarine Khan in Veer

Veer, Salman Khan's "magnum opus," is reportedly a dream ten years in the making.  I'm assuming that's Bollywood-speak for, "he spent ten years watching Hollywood movies, making note of his favourite scenes, which he subsequently gave to his writers, who came up with this."  The movie stars Salman Khan as Veer Pratap Singh opposite Zarine Khan as Princess Yashodra, and to be quite truthful, it is one hot mess.  But a mess is always sadder when there is a very pretty girl caught in the middle of it. 

Salman Khan and Zarine Khan as students at an English University in the 20's.  I think maybe Salman is channeling Devdas?  Also, when I first saw this scene in the promos, I thought Zarine was Katrina Kaif.  I like her cute earrings, those rubies look real...mmmm...rubies.

Again, doesn't she look like Katrina?   I feel bad for saying it, because a pretty girl should look like herself, and not be cast to be a copycat of another famous actress.  Can anyone say pathway to broken dreams? They put her in yellow a lot in this movie.  In this scene I thougt she was at some plantation in the deep south, Gone With The Wind style.

The schizophrenic plot has a negative effect on the costume direction, and I have to question the wardrobe people's assertion that they spent a lot of time researching this movie.  There are parts where I think this movie might be a western, other times I think maybe they are aiming for the late 17th century england, or medieval India, but there's only one time where I get the feeling that it is set in the 20's and even that only lasts for about five minutes.  Then it switches over to fifties, Lou Bega style.

Apparently Zarine Khan was chosen because she resembled that other girl...Katrina Kaif.  Well, she kind of does, and when I saw the promo for this movie, I thought it was Katrina.  This is unfortunate because Zarine is actually a very pretty girl, so it's sad to see her cast just because she looks like someone else. Supposedly they asked her to gain weight for this role, but it seems to me that she is naturally big-built girl, which is nice for a change. 

Zarine Khan is Yashodra as she ascends to the throne as crown-princess, and is possibly channeling Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth.

If I had to choose a favourite look in this movie, it would be this dramatic red and gold makeup for the battle scene.  It's done really nicely.

What's a Salman Khan movie without an epic fight scene as the hero battles for the heart of heroine.  Have you noticed how he always loses?  Well, in this story, he won, but then he leaves her the day after her wedding night to fight the English for supremacy over a made-up kingdom and then he dies.  But not without leaving his audience with a rousing  patriotic plea for an independent and free India.

I think the idea was to show a transition between England and Indian in that time period, and demonstrate the characters' ease in both worlds through the use of costumes.  Unfortunately, it didn't work. The whole thing just felt so disjointed, and it was hard to feel grounded in the movie's historical context.  Period costumes are more effective director chooses one or two styles and does multiple variations on that, rather than trying to work in eight or nine completely different looks.  This movie had sarees, lenghas, full-length ballgowns, kaftans, and even an English school uniform.  It was all too much.  I did, however, find that by the end, Zarine Khan had grown on me, and I now feel she is quite beautiful in her own right, and hope she finds success as more than just a Katrina look-a-like.  All images are screenshots from copy of Veer, distributed by Eros International.

The Picture-Perfect Bride: Makeup Tips

As an art, makeup is a powerful medium because of its accessibility, the expression of the canvas and the range of colour, style, and application technique.  Application varies based on different factors including the medium of viewing the work.  As far as bridal makeup is concerned, much of how it is seen will be through the photography, so it is important to create a look with this in mind. In Robert Jones' book, "Makeup Makeovers: Weddings"  He has an entire section devoted to achieving a camera-ready look.  Here are a few tips I felt were most relevant to the Indian/Pakistani Bride:

The flash of a camera can wash you out, so to avoid that, use contouring and highlighting techniques to create areas of dark and light on your face for the camera to identify.  Click here to see a primer.

Consider powder to be an essential part of your makeup repertoire.  It will eliminate shine, which the camera has a tendency to pick up as white patches.  A matte face, best achieved through airbrush, always looks more flawless.

In terms of lighting, softer light equals more attention to detail in your makeup, brighter light means you can be more forgiving, since the light will "wash out" some details.

If you like a dewy finish in your foundation, this will look best in an indoor setting, so plan to pose for your photographs at an indoor location.

Warm colours are more flattering that cool shades, since they give the impression of glowing skin. If you are not sure which is which, the makeup counter girls are always helpful in demonstrating the difference.

Avoid frosty-coloured anything, or you will look fake. At least one shade of eyeshadow should be matte to avoid an overly shiny lid.  Robert Jones says he usually chooses to keep the midtone matte.

For lips, choose a tone a few shades darker than your own and make sure to properly define them with lipliner.  It helps to "erase" the natural lipline with concealer to give you a bare canvas.

Image Source: Amna Hakim Photography

Trendspotting: Headpieces

When I first saw this picture on the cover of Life and Style Magazine while shopping at Wal-Mart over the weekend, I practically ran out the door in excitement, 'cause I knew I had to blog about it.  And then I had to go back in because I'd forgotten to pick up my purchases. 

Alicia Keys being escorted up the Aisle by her father. Source: AliciaKeysWeb

I was so excited because this picture is so perfect, with the sea in the background and the ethereal dusk as they seal their vows with a kiss.  But also because I am so excited to see Alicia Keys as a bride.  She has always been a  heavenly, spiritual beauty and she really suits this pregnancy.  She is totally the Earth-Mama type.  The beautiful grecian style gown she is wearing suits her blooming figure and is complemented by the jeweled headpiece she is wearing.

Matha-Patti from Kyle's 2010 lookbook. Source: FashionBride

I've noticed a resurgence of the matha-patti (indian word for head piece, also known as shinghar-patti) in recent seasons, and I mentioned it in my Spring/Summer 2010 Trendspotting. It's been included in Kyle's latest bridal lookbook, and celebrities are all wearing one variation or another of the headband on the red carpet.  It is a happy medium between the tikka and the bridal bindi that goes over the eyebrows.  It's not for everyone however, and I would definitely recommend trying several designs if you are interested in wearing this look.

The models of Asiana Magazine Spring 2010 wearing three different styles of matha patti. 

These looks were created by Ambreen Makeup (check the bridal section). Source: indianmusic4u.co.uk

You aren't limited to just purpose-made headpieces, since a lot of other jewellery pieces, such as a necklace or bracelet could be adapted for this use.  To get some ideas, check out this post from Sovina at Wedding on the Cards Blog.

Real Bride: Three Looks, One Gorgeous Bride from Amna Hakim - Part II

This post is the continuation of a previous post which you can check out by clicking here

So usually, when I do a montage of a bride, I like to post some details of the wedding as well, just to balance out the whole board and also because a lot of times the bride's look ties into the decor.  This time, I opted to show only pictures of the bride, because there were so many beautiful ones.  I could write a whole other post on the setting alone, but my blog is not focused on that topic, even though every now and then I am very very tempted to start writing on weddings as a whole.  Hmmmm...

There are some great shots here, from the full-length traditional portrait, posed headshots, candids, and a few close-ups of the mehndi (one of my personal favourite details)  I absolutely love her makeup on the second day, i.e. reception.  The cream tones are so flattering on her and such a contrast to the sultry red and black of her walima shots.  It just goes to show you that you can easily stay within the realm of tasteful but still explore completely different makeup colours to keep your look fresh.

This bride was photographed by Amna Hakim of Amna Hakim Photography. To view more of her work, on my site you can go to my real bride index and search for brides photographed by Amna Hakim.  Definitely check out her website and her blog, by clicking here.

Real Bride: Three Looks, One Gorgeous Bride from Amna Hakim Photography

I haven't done a real bride post in a while, and there are two reason for that:  Because I am relatively new to the blogging scene, photographers don't receive as much exposure on my site.  Hopefully that will change as my readership grows, and I will be able to showcase more beautiful brides.   

But it's also because, I like to post stuff I really like, not just because it's there, but because when I see it, I want to show it to everyone around me.  But that hasn't happened in a while, so I thought, why not check out Amna's blog? She always has good stuff.  I did, and I didn't regret it.  I was on her blog for a couple of hours, perusing through all the stuff I missed.  My curry got burnt, my daughter will need to go into therapy someday because her mothered ignores her to look at the wedding albums of complete strangers, but I found a beautiful wedding worth sharing. 

The bride in these pictures is beee-youtiful and I am sure you will fall in love with her look after seeing these pictures.  She isn't wearing any makeup at her mehndi/mehfil, traditional pakistani-style, but she is definitely glowing.  And I am loving the dramatic red and and black makeup on her first day face.  This bride rocks every look she wears.  I've posted three boards here, the next three should be posted in a post several hours after this.  This bride was photographed by Amna of Amna Hakim Photography.

Just as testament to Amna's eye for great pictures...she makes banquet halls look good. There are some real gems in this group of pictures and all of them are worth a look, I really recommend you check out the rest of this wedding by clicking here, here, here, and here. Also, a little bit out of my scope, but still beautiful, is this beautiful Canadian bride at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa (yay Ottawa!), definitely check them out while you are on Amna's Blog.

Love at First Sight: Black Embellished Cuff from Avaa

When the girls at Avaa got in touch with me about their new store, I was hesitant to post about it at first.  I don't want my blog to be a long PR campaign for every new shop with something to sell, but then I visited their site, and I realized, if they hadn't told me about it, I still would have found it, and loved it.  So, I'm being naughty, and loving something I shouldn't.  But sometimes, half the attraction of something lies in the fact that you're not supposed to have it.

Black embellished cuff bracelet. Source: Avaa

This black embellished cuff from Avaa had me at first click.  I love flowers, love crystals, and love black.  The whole bohemian, vintage vibe of this cuff, right down to the bejewelled butterfly makes my heart long to buy it.  It's a little above my price range, but that's not a problem.  I'll just do what I do when I can't justify spending that much on myself: I'll buy it as a gift for someone else.  Price: £35.00 from Avaa UK

The Zen Bride: Our Martyr Compex

Growing up, we didn't watch Indian television or film, so it was quite an education for me when I moved in with my in-laws, who followed all the dramas on Star Plus and watched a Bollywood movie or two every week.  It quickly became clear that the ideal heroine was pleasantly pretty, a good cook, and perfect housewife, respectful and obedient, devout and wise .  These qualities are fine in and of themselves, but then they add a tendency to suffer quietly under the abuse of her husband, in-laws, and various other characters.

The "woman as martyr" is an age-old theme rife with pitfalls. For one, we short-change ourselves of our rights, needs and natural desires and end up becoming resentful and depressed.  And unlike the soaps where the family eventually realizes the heroine was right all along and then they become devoted and loving towards her, in real life you end up with a whole bunch of spoiled and ungrateful children, husbands, and family.

The martyr complex communicates one more subtext to those around us, and that is of infallibility.  By assuming the role of the sacrificial goat, what one is essentially saying is, "Don't look at me, I'm the blameless victim of the wrongs of others."  One of my teachers, a Philosophy professor, once pointed out to me that in literature and drama, if one reads carefully, you will find that at some point every victim becomes are accomplices in their own victimization by allowing it to happen.  If art imitates life, it follows that desi women share some of the blame in allowing themselves to be treated like doormats, and need to accept that their martyrdom is leading to the destruction of our beloved family unit.

Source: Juhi Chawla as the long-suffering bhabi in Paheli

My Weekend: Muslimfest and Henna Sooq

Enjoying the beautiful weather at Muslimfest.

This weekend I took the kids to Muslimfest, a Muslim arts, culture and literature festival held on the lawn of the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga.  The festival features a fun village, bazaar, outdoor stage shows, workshops, art exhibits, and, if you're interested, a match-making service.  I like taking my daughter because I want her to get a sense of her heritage, although she mostly leaves with a lasting impression of bouncy castles, halal hotdogs, and ice cream.  You can catch the festival every year on the first of July.

Getting our Henna done at Muslimfest.

My favourite aspect is the bazaar, because I am always interested in entrepreuneurship and it's nice to meet small business owners who are passionate about their product.  I mentioned that if I would talk about any wedding related vendors I came across, because last year I saw several vendors selling gorgeous costume jewellery.  Unfortunately, I didn't see them this year, but I did have a chance to meet Khadija Dawn Carryl of Henna Sooq. 

The finished design with pink glitter for extra prettiness.

I've noticed the shop at several fairs and festivals now, and have seen their product range grow from a few different types of henna to various natural beauty products, body glitters, henna design booklets and argan oil, a special oil from morrocco known for its health benefits. 

Henna Sooq products and stall at Muslimfest.

My daughter was looking forward to getting her henna done, so we headed straight for the stall, which is at Muslimfest every year.  They sprinkle a bit of glitter on top of the henna which actually looks really pretty.  My daughter chose (surprise, surprise) the pink glitter, but Khadija herself had her design covered in gold glitter, which looked really lovely.  It actually looks so pretty that you don't want to wash the paste off.  You can catch Khadija at different events throughout the GTA.  Her and her staff are also available for henna nights, special occassions, fundraisers, and other events.  Check out her website and online store by clicking here.