The thought of those gloomy clouds, getting drenched in rain gives a feeling of enjoyment but when it comes to rain damaging our hair or skin, the feeling fades out. If you are from the subcontinent, the effect is all the more alarming, making it necessary to take care of your skin and hair in this capricious climate.
Fashion Tips Hair: Monsoon is not a friendly season when we talk about tresses. The raised bar of moisture in the atmosphere makes the texture of hair dull, flat and tangled resulting in limpness, greasiness, dandruff and hair fall. Follow these simple tips to say a goodbye to a bad hair day during monsoons.
1. Always cover your hair.
2. Don't use hair sprays or gels as the hair lacquers and gums can stick to scalp causing dandruff.
3. A big no to hot hair treatments like perming or straightening during this season. Put your hair dryers away.
Stylist Sylivieshared, "Frizzy hair is a common problem in monsoons, because of the excess humidity in the air that tends to make the hair coarse. Therefore conditioning is very important in monsoon. Go for a mild shampoo that will add right lustre and bounce to your tresses". "Forest Essential's herb-based shampoos are free from harsh, damaging sulphate cleansers. They do not strip the scalp of its natural oils and offer a combination of plant-derived cleansing agents that help balance the hair's natural PH," said Mira Kulkarni director of Forest Essential. Wear your hair short, or opt for a style that can bounce back easily after being wet. Stylist Clint Fernandesinformed, "A simple bun with a clip or just a simple ponytail of your straight silky hair will give a simple yet stylish look in monsoon. Go for zero chemical shampoos by Fab India.
Makeup Tips : In monsoon, dense makeup bears a risk of being smudged and washed out so go for the light and sheer make up. "The best option is to remain make-up free. Use waterproof mascara, liners, oil based kajal (kohl) and long stayed lipsticks," said Clint. "The Body ShopOil Free Foundationis perfect for monsoon augmented with Marula oil Some of the other products best for rainy season are The Body Shop Poppy Seed Reviving Maskand the Waterproof Mascara," said Shriti MalhotraGM, The Body Shop.
Eyes: Forget the eyebrow pencil for some time; keep them in shape with threading. Power based eye shadow in light pinks, nudes, sheer green or light purple can be used. To add drama to your eyes, stick to water-resistant eye liners in fresh colours like green and blue. Avoid concealer, touch up those dark circles with a dab of water-resistant foundations.
Foundations: One can replace foundation with face powder that matches with the skin tone. Waterproof moisturizers can also be used to serve as a base for the makeup.
Blusher: Oil based crème blush in shades of pink, peach and brown are best. Earthy and pastel shades like brown or peaches are going to rule.
Lips: Stay away from lip glosses and lip liners. Use matt lip colours or lightly tinted lip balms. Spa Sonia Michon-Floc'hlay Vice President of Estee Lauder revealed, "Don't forget to exfoliate as it will remove all the dead cells and rejuvenate your skin."
Treatments like detox wraps, spa pedicure and manicure specifically powered with the natural goodness of aloe vera, spirulina papaya and peppermint oil serve the purpose the best.
Guys and Girls, it's time to fold your pants up! The wardrobe during the monsoon is restricted to the two C's- Colour and Comfort. Go bright and flashy this monsoon. Vivid coloured tops and dresses are totally in vogue. Fashion Bulletin Dress up in peacock blue, soft pinks and bright orange sexiest colours of this season. On the other hand, muted shades of grey and black and earthy tones of beige, brown and khaki will also spell style. Fabrics are natural - cotton, linenmostly, but developed ones like enzyme washed satins and crushed polyviscose knits in modalare in.
Capris in hues of dark brown and black work best with bright, solid colours to lighten one's spirits on a dull day. Girls, the shorter the pant, the better it is! Team up Capris with short ¾ length ethnic kurtis in hues of peacock blue, purple, red, maroonand parrot green. Fashion Tips Short flare skirts and knee length halter neck dresses with a scarfof exotic designs are a must have for evening wear. Asymmetrical synthetic kaftans are super hot this season when teamed with a tight fitting mini skirt. Fitted synthetic jackets in Chinese white and lemony yellow work best on any sporty outfit.Say goodbye to full length denims, long ethnic skirts, saris and leather this season. However, if you are a denim freak, opt for light weight denim fabrics. Knee length Cargos of synthetic fabrics are a must have in casuals this season, for men and women both. Cargos in hues of red rust, light orange and military green are best for everyday rains.
We spoke to ace designers like Arshiya Fakih, Lina Tipnis, Shane Peacock, Narendra Kumar and Namrata G to figure out the key looks for men and women;
Key Looks for Women:
1. Denim or cotton capris in earthy tones look best when worn below trendy tunic kaftans inspired by the 80’s prints. Can be accessorised with bold statement pieces in single tone shades and matching filp-flops.
2. A sporty sleeveless or a racer-back tee will attract all the attention when teamed up with shorts or hot pants, all in vibrant colours like sun yellow, hot pink, etc. Crocs or water friendly sports footwear work best here.
3. Trapez-shaped dresses with naturally inspired prints and excessive green foliage worn with basic pumps, replace the little black dress at the more formal occasions.
4. Trendy tops above roll up denims above unisex sandals can be experimented at whim. Another hot favourite is the boyfriend jeans, apt for the care a damn monsoon look.
5. Mini-skirts in colours of the rainbow should be worn with a white top and accessorised with funky and colourful neck pieces and earrings.
Key Looks for Men:
1. A pastel shirt with prints or plaids suits best with simple jeans. Comfy slippons spell both style and functionality.
2. Chinos in linen and cargos in cotton look best with military inspired tees to complete that trendy safari look. Boots or covered sandals will go with this one.
3. Lean fitted trousers should be worn with a trendy shirt with oversized pockets, tennis shoes complete the look.
4. Single breasted, buttoned trench coat in black with contrasting big collar shirts inspired by the 70's is the way to be at a night occasion.
5. Three fourth cargos and a sporty vest with a slingy pouch matching those crocs readies you for hitting the beach.
On the first day of the luxury & lifestyle exhibition, Extravaganza at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai, international designer Marc Cain's summer prints stood tall, attracting one and all. The high end luxury brand continued to live up to the expectations of hundreds of women and men alike, who anxiously had been waiting for over an hour to be treated with the designs for the ongoing Spring- Summer season.
Bright coloured dresses and easy-going tops above a pair comfy trouser formed the silhouettes of the designs. Fashion Tips the collection struck a balance between formal nightwear and semi formal street wear. While the formal palettes comprised of animal prints, muted silver and shinning black and white, the semi formal collection was dipped in multi coloured prints in which yellow, red and green dominated the hues.
A unique feature of the collection was the bags that the models flaunted as they strutted down the runway. While the shades contrasted the respective colours on the body, the attribute that reverbed synonymously was- Big is Better! The look carried by the models was that of sheer flamboyance and carelessly cool, a style statement that strongly echoes a care-a-damn attitude.
While the ramp show saw some of the regular faces of the runway, it will remain etched in the memories of many for staging a comeback for super model Aditi Gowitriker, who has been on a hiatus for the longest time ever! Where have you been, is the inquisitive question. "Well, just have been around. Enjoying life with friends and family", replies Aditi casually. Fashion Bulletin But what about the millions of fans who have longed interminably for a glimpse of you? "Can not forget them ever. I am always there for them", she claims, which brings us back to the first question, Where? "They can see me on the website, keep mailing me on the fan club and catch a glimpse of me every time I attend a function", she instructs modestly.
So what happened to good old cat walking which we all miss? "You gotta be kidding me! Look at me, if I adorn the ramp now it will have to be called elephant walking!" Though that might be the case, it's really not that bad after all-I try to cajole her. Then what made you grace the runway here? "Oh this is just a casual walk that I am taking for Marc Cain because I am in them all the time. It's always a pleasure to show off something that you have always believed in. I am not going to praise the collection endlessly because frankly, the designs speak for themselves. But I thoroughly enjoyed myself here", she expresses gratefully.