Fashionably Yours

Check out some of the hottest new summer fragrances in town:

Vera Wang Love struck:

Lovestruck is described as a sparkling, addictive floral fragrance,  said to be inspired by a modern day version of the story of Romeo and Juliet!

Vera Wang Lovestruck

It opens with notes of exotic and juicy pink guava and soothing angelica blossom. The middle notes blend sensual tuberose with aquatic lotus flower while woody notes and sheer musk form the perfume base.

Carolina Herera 212 Pop:

This limited edition summer fragrance is described as a modern, lively and fresh floral – fruity scent.

Carolina Herrera 212 Pop

Top notes are Bergamont and grapefruit, middle notes combine rose and other floral scents while the base notes are primarily musk and sandalwood.

Guess Seductive Wild:

Guess Seductive Wild is a special summer edition that’s meant to be sensual, free spited and bold, but there’s nothing remotely wild or seductive about the ho- hum packaging.

Guess Seductive Wild summer edition

But the fragrance makes up for the plain Jane bottle! For a sultry summer afternoon, try this  unusual blend of floral and wood. Guess Seductive Wild Summer also reveals fruity notes of lychee, pear and red berries while the floral heart blends rose, jasmine and orange blossom. The warmer trail blends cashmere wood, musks and vanilla. I’m sold!

Miss Pucci:

Emilio Pucci’s summer offering is youthful, fresh and modern, with a retro twist.

Miss Pucci

It is described as a sparkling musky floral scent that comes alive with traces of magnolia and Sicilian winter lemon. The middle or heart notes Turkish rose and Comoros ylang-ylang lend an exotic touch to it while its base lingers on woody Texas cedar, powdered iris from Florence, and white musk.

YSL Saharienne :

Simply exotic!

YSL Saharienne

Described as wild and provocatively feminine, the top note is a blend of lemon, Italian bergamot and mandarin. At the heart are white flower petals, orange leaf, galbanum and black currant bud. The base is warm and sensual due to the spiciness of pink pepper and ginger.

Celebrity fragrances galore this summer!

Rihanna: Rebl Fleur

Clearly she’s been putting more thought into her perfume’s name than her songs of late- Latest album : Thumbs down. Latest perfume : Way to Go!

Reb'l Fleur by Rihanna

Katy Perry: Purr

Purr? Really?!

Purr by Katy Perry

Top note combines peach nectar and forbidden apple, evolves with a distinct floral bouquet of jasmine blossom, Bulgarian rose and vanilla orchid, and finally the base note reveals accents of creamy sandalwood and musk.

Fergie: Outspoken

Outspoken by Fergie

The fergy-licious singer launches her second fragrance: It’s a fruity floral scent with notes of frozen blackberry, starfruit, saffron, tuberose, jasmine, passion flower, ebony, black leather and vetiver.

From faces to nails, from shoes to bags… the nude trend continues to delight. Nudes come in undertones ranging from salmon pinks to subtle peach to pale browns and off whites. Choose the nude shade closest to your own complexion and wear it with exaggerated color accents. Here’s how one can make the most of it!

Bobbi Brown Nude collection

Giuseppe Zanotti

Stylebop.com

Butter nude nail color

Aldo nude pumps

Nude nails

Team the nudes with bold pink accessories

Herve Leger

Asos pussybow blouse

D&G

Fitted black blazer looks delectable with a nude dress

Team up your nudes with tangerine orange accessories

Pale nude top VILA

Bruges crossbody bag

Alexander McQueen Resort 2011

Burberry brown watch compliments the pale brown nude undertone

Fashiolista.com

Fashiolista.com

Faux leather tan bomber jacket

How do you stay stylish without going broke? When this big fashion emergency shows up and you literally have ‘nothing to wear’… We’ve all been there, haven’t we? So here are a bunch of time-tested, trial- and- error- proofed measures that’ll make you look like a million bucks – on a budget!

The art of shopping- simplified:

Step one:

Inventory Check
Before you set out on your shopping spree, make sure you’ve checked out your closet thoroughly.
This will prevent you from duplicating stuff that you already have or ending up buying things that don’t go with any of your other outfits. Having just gone through your closet will refresh your memory; remind you of what you need most and what you must avoid – Saves you a lot of trouble, time and money.

Step two:

Trust your instincts:
If you’re making excuses for those pants you’ve tried on; debating for and against it in your head, then it’s a clear NO. Only buy something when you simply don’t see any reason not to! Go with your instincts when they say you absolutely must have it or dump the thing as soon as you find yourself debating  and stop holding up the fitting room queue!

Step Three:

Do the Math:
When you pick out a piece, think of how many times can you wear it and how much can it be mixed and matched with other outfits in your closet. For example, a particular purple silk top can go with your :

1. White skirt
2. Black or grey trousers
3. Denims
4. Red printed pants
5.  Chocolate brown Shorts
6.  Black pencil skirt

Now that you know you can get 6 possible outfits from this piece, simply divide the price of the purple silk top by the number of times you can wear it: i.e Rs 1500 divided by 6= Rs 250 which is the real VALUE of the top for YOU! Grab it.

Step Four:

Skimp and splurge sensibly

Like one of my previous posts suggested, some wardrobe items are to be splurged on because they are versatile while others can be skimped on,  for value. For example, a pair of trousers or a well fitted jacket are expensive, but versatile and give value for money but when it comes to dresses, you can’t mix and match as much, so make sure you don’t buy super expensive dresses- you can never wear them more than 3-4 times before they’re exhausted. So spend sensibly on dresses and other one piece ensembles.

Polyvore.com

Step Five:

Do your homework!

Get registered and listed on all your favorite stores so you’re the first to get news of their big sales and discounts. Scope out all the factory outlets and thrift stores, skim Facebook for indie boutique exhibits- they offer unique, trendy and creative stuff without the ridiculous price tags.