Jan
13

The Inspired Bride: E-Shoot Inspiration from L’Officiel Photoshoot with Sonakshi Sinha

I don’t feature many e-shoots.  I don’t feature much e-shoot inspiration.  I think there many reasons for this…but lately I’ve been warming up to the idea, as I’m starting to see that it can actually be a totally fun way to conceive your very own magazine style photoshoot. Inspiration is everywhere, and so are talented photographers, stylists, decorators, hairstylists and make-up artists to make your vision come through.  They are also great because really, who has to wait to be engaged, or if you’re already married, they can be a great way to celebrate a new marriage, a longtime love, an anniversary, or as a gift to yourselves, because everyone in love deserves it.

I love the romantic feel of these behind-the-scenes images from a recent photoshoot that Sonakshi Sinha did in Sri Lanka for l’officiel magazine.  They have that quintissential photoshoot quality, with a  long-haired beauty, in a breezy field wearing a couture gown, that I think might be incredible to emulate. All images via Pinkvilla.

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Jan
13

Designer Bride: Tarun Tahiliani

Longtime followers of my blog will recall previous images from Tarun Tahiliani’s 2011 collection, posted here.  I’ve found some more images from the campaign, entitled, “A Display of Artisanal Finery” that I thought I might share with you.  These are slightly more conceptual, and not all of them are something you may consider wearing for your wedding day, but they are every bit as pretty. All images via A Fine Frenzy Tumblr.

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Jan
11

The Designer Bride: Meanwhile, Backstage…

You know that feeling, when you buy something new, and it’s all shiny and pretty in it’s packaging and you touch it gingerly and unwrap it slowly to enjoy it’s lovely new-ness?  Well, as I work my away around familiarizing myself in my new environment, please accept this sweet little offering of makeup inspiration from backstage at Tarun Tahiliani for TT Bridal Couture.  Proof that often, what’s behind the scenes is just as lovely as what’s center stage.

 

 

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Jan
9

My Weekend: An Unexpectedly Long Break and Changes on the Blog

Hi everyone, how are you all?  I’ve missed blogging loads!  I ended up taking a longer than expected break, with the kids at home and all the things I needed to get done away from the computer.  I did manage to get some Boxing Day shopping done, in my spite of my plans to avoid the malls, mostly some basic pants and bottoms from Zara, and some makeup.  I still need to pick up some body washes from Bath and Body Works.  A new pair of trainers (yeah, so far I am keeping good on my plan to work out more), and a new purse.  Also, Mexx has their spring stuff out, and they have the most ADORABLE clothes for their Easter collection, I’m definitely getting my kids’ Eid shopping from there.  It actually reminds me of the stuff from Next in the UK, which I am missing terribly right now.   I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well, and now are rested for the remainder of winter.  Don’t worry, we’re already halfway till spring!

As you may have noticed, I’m working on updating the blog.  The site is courtesy of the friend of a friend, who writes her own yummy food blog here.  I’m adding features like a browsable gallery of weddings, and designers, and as I update these various spaces, I’ll let you know.  In the meantime, please excuse me for the absence, I’ll be returning to my routine posting schedule.

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Jan
8

Sunday Afternoon Pretty: Bollywood Japonesque

Malaika Arora for Cosmopolitan India via BollywoodUpdates

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Jan
1

Sunday Afternoon Pretty: Looking Back…

This has been, hands down one of the most formative and mind-opening years of my life.  I have met people who have enriched my experience, taught me to LOVE, to love myself, to be open to change and to accept that some things are not meant to be.  I enter 2012 in an incredibly zen frame of mind, and I am so looking forward to expanding my horizons, I wish you all the same for the coming year.  Thanks for joining me on my journey.  To more learning, loving, growing and joy in the New Year.

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Dec
23

tgif! holiday edition

Don’t these look so yumm and super cute?  And who doesn’t love strawberries? Santa’s Hat Brownies via daisy’s world via style-de-naal.

Yaaay!  An excuse for a vacay.  Soooo…I’ve promised myself a blogger-free week until New Year’s…and yeah, we’ll see how that goes, but I’m excited for the changes I’ve got in store for the blog, so I’ll still be at work behind the scenes.  Still, hopefully a little break from the blogging will take the edge off this writer’s block I’ve had lately, and I’ll be able to come back with some really fresh content in the New Year.  I’m also thinking about how I want to blog in the coming year, particularly my level of commitment to it. What do you guys think, more, less, different topics, any particular fashion shows, designers, wedding styles, parts of the world? 

Personally, I don’t think I’ll be shopping much next week, since I find there are never any ACTUAL deals on Boxing Week, and the real discounts start at the end of January.  Or maybe it’s just my luck?  I don’t know.  I will spend my time printing all my pictures, which I’ve been collecting from three different computers and put them in a photo album, AAAAND I’m thinking of joining a gym.  I know what you guys are thinking, it’s  New Year’s resolution thing, but it isn’t, because those never work for me!  This is more of a I should have done this ages ago, and I finally have the money and it just happens to coincide with New Year’s.  I’m just not sure if a gym membership with is worth the investment.  What about you, do you make resolutions, and are you good at keeping any?

Take care, one and all, whether you are celebrating or not.  And if you are, have a very safe and Happy Holidays, I’ll see you in the New Year.  Lots of love!

XOX Asiya

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Dec
21

Love-ly Locks: Adding Volume to Your Hairstyles

Chances are, you want to add a little bit of oomph to your hair for that added drama under your dupatta.  A lot of times, extensions are recommended as an option by many hairstylists, but I personally feel they aren’t always the best option.  They are expensive, can be time consuming depending on the procedure, may just look fake if they aren’t the good kinds.  Maybe you want a temporary, fuss-free solution, instead of a long-term one that will require a little bit of upkeep while they are in.

Another alternative, teasing, is fine, but not my personal favourite.  Basically, the hairstylist will back comb your roots until they are tight and compact enough to stand up a bit and look voluminous when you smooth them over. With a little bit of hairspray you can smooth it over and set your dupatta on top and it will sit over your hair without crushing it.  This is the technique I went with, since my hair was plenty long enough anyway.  Thing is, on my wedding day at the end of the night, I was standing in the bathroom back at the hotel, frantically trying to comb it out and get rid of all the kinks from the teasing before my husband saw me.  My hair was seriously all over the place, knotty, puffy, and kind of dry. Not a good look on the wedding night.

Enter the rat roll.  They are cheap, easy to use, you can keep your hair smooth, and in a ponytail, or in loose curls, so when you undo it at the end of the day, you are still left with sexy hair to finish the night with.  What it is is a hair foundation, made of mesh or foam, that comes in a range of natural colours including black and dark brown.  They generally come in three shapes, a round ball, and doughnut shape and sort of a tube shape.  All you do is wrap them around your hair, or your hair around them, and pin in place.  They can achieve a variety of hairstyles, and to get an idea of how to use them, you can just google for video tutorials.

Paris Hilton via/ Adele via thebeautydepartment via adele.tv/ bouffant hairstyle via thehairymonster/
 images of hair foundations via thehairymonster. Prepared and designed by Asiya.

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Dec
20

Love-ly Locks: Bridal Hairstyles from B:Blunt Hair Salon

If you are the type of bride who finds the traditional hairstyles a little too pretty, a little too been there, done that; I may have just the salon for you.  B:Blunt Hair Salon, based in India, has been the number one name is colouring, cutting and styling since they opened in 2004, so now that they’ve decided to enter the fray and offer their clientele a complete range of bridal services, they are raising the bar just a bit higher for everyone else.  With salons in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore, they will offer services ranging from pre-wedding day hair, nail and foot care, to full hairstyling and makeup services for the big event. 

The salon plans to offer up an arsenal of their best stylists, including nationally renowned talent Adhuna Bhabani-Akhtar, Osh Bhabani, Shefali Shetty and award winning stylists, Avan Contractor and Brent Barber.  They plan to focus on creating “unique designs for the fashion forward bride with a twist on the classic looks.”  I can’t wait to see their work showing up the most fashionable of India’s A-list brides in the months to come!

All images courtesy of B:Blunt Salon

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Dec
19

Guest Blog: Bloggers’ Fave Five Fashion Moments

Hello everyone, and happy Monday!  One more week till Christmas if you’re celebrating, and the New Year is just around the corner!  Can you believe it?  I’ve got loads of errands to run before everything is shut for the holidays, and besides, with the new year just around the corner, there’s a to-do list to clear and preparations to make for some new plans in 2012!  While I’m away, please welcome Curly Fry of Kapray Shapray blog, she has amazing taste and I really love checking out her style finds, so I was excited when she agreed to share her favourites with us here today.  When you see her picks, you’ll understand why! 

Hi all, I had a hard time finding my top five fashion looks, as I like so many and I kept changing my mind! Enjoy x

1. Subyasaachi Anarkali 

Subyasaachi is well known for his rich, classic looking styles, and this one is no different. The antique, dull-gold colours of this anarkali appeals to me because of how luxurious and classic it makes the outfit look. This would make a great mehndi outfit for a bride. What I love is how wearable this outfit is as well, it was designed a few years ago yet still would fit in with today’s fashion, it’s modest and is overdone in terms of style or detail. I also like how the model’s toned down hair, make-up and even flat shoes compliment the outfit completely, showing how it’s such an effortless outfit.

2. The Bunto/Bina Bride

I love love LOVE this combination of two of my favourite Pakistani (fashion) artists – Bina Khan the make up artist and Bunto Kazmi’s the bridal designer – on this very beautiful bride. This bride looks so regal, serene and absolutely stunning in rich colours and subtle, yet striking make-up. I’m sure I’m not alone is being enamoured with Bunto Kazmi’s work, and her signature rich work and intricate design can certainly be seen here, while Bina Khan’s natural-looking make up emphasises the bride’s natural beauty. You know when you see a bride’s picture and you think ‘that’s the look for me’, and hope you’ll look like that, ? This was the one for me, I love everything about the this bride, right down to the pearl necklace detail :)

3. Bipasha’s Smouldering Eyeliner

For Bollywood, this is actually not a very complicated look, and Bipasha certainly pulls it off well. Her eye make-up is immaculately done here, with the emphasis being on smouldering, black eyeliner. Paired with nude lipstick, Bipasha glows in a smokey-eyed look after my own heart.

4. Tammana’s Maxi Dress

Maxi dresses have always been a yes for me, partly because they look modest and go well with my hijab, and partly because they feel so nice and swishy when you walk in them :) This dress fits my profile quite suitably, its nice and swishy and it looks so pretty because of all the work on the bodice of the dress. I don’t think many people can pull off white dresses, but on Tollywood actress Tammana it looks very elegant, and very feminine. It’s certainly something I have my eye on, as I’d love to wear something similar to this.

5. Nilofer Shahid’s White Bridal Gown

I’ve always been a red wedding dress girl, rather than classic white wedding dresses. So this showstopping number is certainly an eye-opener in terms of mixing traditional designs with white, dazzling wedding dresses, and changing the idea of having a white wedding dress. I’ve seen a few imitations of this dress, but none of them have come close to this beautiful original, and it only goes to show how unique it is. I like how flattering the shape of this dress is, and how classic it looks, which can be tailored to suit almost any occasion, be it wedding, valima, reception, registry and so on!

Thank you Curly Fry!  I love that Bina Khan Bride, right down to that gorgeous pearl set, I think I have a new favourite on my own list!

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