Indian bags are a global hit

 While 'desi' fashionistas continue to fawn over their Chanels and Bottega Venettas, Indian branded bags are finding a place in the hallowed shelves of high-end retail stores abroad and on the arms of Hollywood beauties.
The use of Indian craftsmen by luxury giants like Hermes and Chanel to create their coveted bags has been a well kept secret but A-listers like Julia Roberts and Sienna Miller are now proudly sporting totes with a 'Made in India' tag.

Designer Meera Mahadevia, who was the first ever Indian accessory designer to showcase at the Vendome Luxury Exhibition in Paris this year, says that the international clientele values Indian craftmanship.
 

"Handcrafted goods are a hit in the West and there is no beating Indian craftsmen when it comes to leather, metal and thread work," said the designer whose couture collection retails in luxury stores like Neiman Marcus and Selfridges.

While Mahadevia's bags are crafted in metal and embellished with stones, Radhika Gupta who designed a special range of ethnic bags for Hollywood superstar Julia Roberts, had a hit with her multi-coloured totes which retail in stores from Tokyo to Kuwait.

"I have stuck to traditional motifs while designing the bags and that has paid off. Minimalism has been done to death by Western brands, so the Indian sense of opulence and colour is a hit," said Radhika.

The international trend for boho bags, a favourite of stars like Sienna Miller and Kate Hudson, too is driving the popularity of Indian bags.

"Sienna Miller has been often photographed with her Indian tote that she bought during a trip here and that is fantastic advertisement for Indian products," said Nicole Rohe, a buyer from the US store Anthropologie who was at the recently concluded Wills India Fashion Week.

Proof of the pudding were the accessory stalls at the event which did brisk business.

So what is it about Indian accessories that attracts global buyers.

"India is famed for it's colours and the vivid hues of Indian accessories really sets them apart. I was so surprised when I was told that a lot of the bags with intricate work was hand crafted by craftsmen. Such beautiful craft is rare," said Rohe.

But while the global clientele is lapping up the Indian goods, foreign labels continue to rule the roost back home.

"I have noticed that for Indian women a bag is a lot more about acquisition than aesthetics, therefore the clamouring for a Louis Vuitton or a Pucci. I would like to see a lot Indian women carry my bags," said Mahadevia. 
[via wonderwoman.intoday.in]

3 Easy looks for this winter

The season to brush up your make-up is here... Get ideas from these three easy looks to make the difference.

Fresh in pink
A subtle glow on the cheeks with raspberry-pink lips and a slight shimmer on the eyes is just perfect for a day out with family and friends.

Apply foundation - as described in the "Natural & Glowing". Apply a cream-based light-pink or peach eye shadow on your upper lids and an ivory eye shadow just below the eyebrows to highlight; finally coat your lashes with a mascara (try a brown).

Apply a rosy-pink blush on your cheekbones; blend the shade with a powder brush in small, gentle, downwards strokes directed towards the ears. Moisten your lips with a generous quantity of lip balm. Wait for a few minutes to let absorb, line the lips with a pink lipliner and fill in with a creamy, raspberry-pink lip colour. Finish off with a candy-coloured lip gloss.

(Tip: If you have a wheatish to dusky skin tone, instead of candy and raspberry pinks, opt for peachy pinks or brownish pinks - these are earthier and warmer.)

NATURAL AND GLOWING

You needn't turn up like a Christmas tree for a festive lunch. Master the art of the "no-makeup look" to create the perfect palette.

The trick is to create a perfect base - get a facial done, eyebrows shaped and unwanted facial hair removed a couple of days before the party. On a slightly damp face, massage in a hydrating moisturiser.
Dot your face with an illuminating foundation and blend it with a wet sponge in quick strokes - don't let the foundation sit on a spot for long, it'll get absorbed; and look patchy. Cover blemishes with a concealer (don't blend the concealer, set it by gently patting it over the blemish with your fingertips).

Apply lipgloss on your lids and "finish" with a coat of transparent mascara on your lashes. Add a hint of peach blush on your cheekbones. Touch up lips with balm and fill in with a creamy beige lipstick. Gel or hair serum on damp hair completes the picture.

EYE DRAMA
Let your eyes do the talking. Try experimenting with darker hues and keep the rest of the face neutral. This look is a guaranteed eye-catcher.

Use a tinted foundation. Apply a creamy, bronze eye shadow on your upper lids, and line the inner rims of your eye with kohl (pull the stroke upwards to make you eyes look bigger). Ivory eye shadow goes on to the inner corner of your eye.

Line the upper eyelid with a black eyeliner (start from the middle of the lid and move to the outer corner, then begin from the inner corner and move to the centre). Smudge the line with an eye shadow brush and a dark eye shadow. Finally try a touch of creamy, brown shadow on the corner of the eye, and "pull" it slightly upward to give the eyes an elongated look. Blend in with a bronze eye shadow.

Apply a bronzer on the cheekbones. Outline your lips with a winecoloured lipliner and fill in with a lipstick of the same shade. Dust in some illuminating powder to finish the look.





[via wonderwoman.intoday]

Chocolate Cough Medicine

What is it about chocolate and medical cures? Chocolate benefits keep appearing regularly. It supposedly reduces wrinkles and aging according to Barry Callebaut AG (BYCBF.PK) the large chocolate maker, and it is even good for your liver. Chocolate has even helped Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B) stock portfolio.

Now British scientists are working on developing a persistent cough remedy made out of chocolate. A company called SEEK, which is not publicly traded, is working on creating a drug called BC1036 which utilizes theobromine, a major ingredient in chocolate and cocoa.

Fortunately, there are several stocks with a significant exposure to chocolate, a few with dividends. Here are a couple that may be worth sinking your teeth into.

Hershey (HSY), founded in 1894 is the largest manufacturer of chocolate in North America and one of the largest candy companies in the world. Hershey’s Kisses were invented in 1901 and their chocolate chips were released in 1928. The stock has a price to earnings ratio of 22, a forward PE of 17, with a delicious yield of 2.7%. It sports a price earnings growth ratio of 2.14.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. (RMCF) based in Durango, Colorado, which makes and markets caramels, creams, mints, and truffles. The company, which was founded in 1981, has over 300 franchise locations in 40 states, along with Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The P/E is 15.4, and the company pays a very tasty yield of 4.2%.

If you want to see a free Excel list of all the publicly traded chocolate stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

[via anirudhsethireport.com]

A beauty splurge for New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve is one night where venturing into over-the-top territory is perfectly acceptable, dare we say encouraged. Beyond the dress, the shoes, the jewellery (oh, god and the hair, the manicure, and new stockings, we need to make a list, we’re not ready), we’re also adding to our want list Guerlain’s limited edition La Nuit en Rose makeup kit ($230, guerlain.com).

Fashion news: Knicks player to launch line with Rachel Roy, and Joan Rivers says Prada hates America

 

Up-and-comer Arizona Muse posed in Marrakesh for YSL‘s spring campaign. The American model will also star in Prada’s spring ads. [The Fashion Spot]
“Lady Gaga wants to look crazy — her next outfit I know is going to be surf and turf. It’s the ones that think they look great, and you go, “Are you out of your mind?” Or the ones who have become total fashion victims. I just think Prada should be shut down, and truly I think they hate Americans. I think they’re still angry at us for WWII.” More of Joan Rivers‘s bon mots at the link. [The Cut]

Beauty

In which we meet Nael, the manly masseur

He’ll have you at hello—or more specifically, at his handshake. With a firm but gentle grasp and smooth skin, soft from kneading oil into muscles all day long, you can just tell that these hands, belonging to Nael Dababneh, a massage therapist at The Hazelton hotel, are going to work magic.
Deep in the lower level below one of Toronto’s swishiest hotels, the Spa at the Hazelton is a study in neutral marble and frosted glass, with a mosaic-tiled lap pool and a eucalyptus steam room. Such a luxurious setting promises a fantastic body scrub and mud wrap (which certainly is delivered) but not necessarily a strong, therapeutic massage. But Dababneh’s baby face and sweet manner belie his masterful technique.
The first session with a male masseur is always interesting—many women prefer not to attempt it at all, perhaps uncomfortable at the idea of being kneaded in the altogether by a man they don’t know. Even if you’re not particularly bothered by it, a certain awkwardness does come to mind. So it’s a testament to Dababneh’s skill at putting his clients at ease that about 10 minutes in, any awareness of the situation has disappeared (save for the always awkward moment in the middle, male massage therapist or no, when you lumpenly heave yourself over onto your back, with hair stuck to your forehead and perhaps a droplet of drool skirting your chin) because there are so many other things to focus on—i.e. how goddamn blissful this feels.
At the outset, Dababneh dutifully asks about any areas of concern, and responds to a bit of inarticulate blathering about sporadically sore shoulders, neck, upper and lower back with an unfazed “I’ll just see what the tissues are telling me.”
I can’t be sure exactly what my tissues told him, but over the course of 60 minutes he correctly identified the hand I write with (left), the shoulder I carry my overstuffed handbag on (also the left) and where my mouse sits on my desk (the right). He detects a spot of tendonitis in my left wrist, which has since become glaringly obvious in every yoga and workout class, and offers tips to protect and correct it, such as making sure to keep the wrist firm and straight while lifting hand weights.
Afterwards, when I’m back in my robe, sipping water and blinking madly, he asks me whether the aforementioned sore shoulders/neck/back feel better. They do, but all I can do is garble incoherently, and apologize, saying I’m feeling more than a little out of it. “That’s a good thing!” he says kindly, and gives me his card. I’ll be keeping it close.
Signature massage, $140 for 60 minutes, Spa at the Hazelton.
 
[via fashionmagazine.com]

Get that winter glow

Come winter and it’s time for some extra tender loving care for your skin. While the harsh summer sun may be out for some time, the dry winter winds can be equally unrelenting for the skin. The low humidity during winter can cause the skin to become dry, flaky and dull. So we give you expert tipsand tricks on how to get that baby soft skin with a super party glow even in mid-winter. Read on to bid shriveled, alligator skin a good bye this season. Dry skin worries
Dr Sangeeta Amladi, Head Medical Services, Kaya Skin Clinic says, “External causes like low humidity enhances the drying effect on the skin. Exposure to dry wind and cold water further increases dryness. Also when the blood vessels supplying the skin become constricted, it reduces blood flow to the skin and sweat glands and oil producing glands in the body.” When the water content of the skin diminishes both inside and outside, the skin cells become shrunken and dry.
Massage moments
Dr Shobha Sehgal  Head Beauty, VLCC Health Care says, “The pre-bath warm oil massage, preferably almond oil, is compulsory in winter, especially for your elbows and knees. The massage not only ensures silky smooth skin, it also tones the muscles, soothes the nerves and aids blood circulation.” Also avoid using products (lotion, hand sanitiser, etc) on your hands that contain alcohol.
Beauty basics
Ashish Gupta, from Damai spa, Gurgaon says, “Go for deep, penetrative moisture massages this season. Aromatic oil or vitamin C complex massage are the treatments to opt for. Also while putting make up prep up your skin by slathering moisture on the still damp skin.”

Homemade wonders
Mix honey and milk and apply on the face. Mix half-a-cup honey to your bath water for soft skin.     
Aloe Vera also helps to remove dead skin cells and is healing, and moisturising. Apply Aloe Vera gel topically on affected areas.
A face mask comprising of egg white and honey gently removes the tan.
For oily skin, soak multani mitti and mint powder in yoghurt for 30 minutes and mix them. Apply it on face for 15 minutes and then wash with lukewarm water and then by cold water.
Food-wise
A healthy diet during this season should include the following;         
A bowl of green vegetables like spinach, avocado and asparagus with a seasoning of garlic
A salad consisting of grapes, oranges, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and onions
A bowl of fruits including watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, apricots
Other healthy practices
Skin cleansing should be limited to once or twice a day. 
Avoid frequent application of moisturisers specially on face as over doing it could clog the pore
Exercise will clear your pores, increase your metabolism, and cleansing by sweating.
Smashing smackers 
Here’s how to make a lip balm  for winter:
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon of beeswax
1 teaspoon apricot kernel oil
1 teaspoon of calendula oil
Few drops of essential oil of lemon and orange
Method: Melt the Beeswax. Add apricot and calendula oil into it while stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir. Add the essential oil, when cold. Store in a glass pot.
What to avoid Harsh soaps, scrubs and loofas
Toners and astringent
Long hours in AC
Frequent shampooing
And for the hair
Avoid taking hot showers or washing your hair in very hot water, use warm or cool water
A leave-in conditioner works wonders for dry and brittle hair 
Using a blow dryer, curling iron or flat iron dries hair out even more in winter.

[via hindustantimes.com]