Self Love with jabong.com and New Look

I've been MIA in the past week, I know. Test after test, assignment after assignment, I almost drowned, but not quite. Stayed afloat long enough and, gosh, now I'm jumping with joy. I quit the writing gig that I had been doing since the past 9 months, it had drained me long enough, no more! I've finished all manners of short films and research papers. I have stayed up long enough. Now, I have the one month of pure freedom that I've been craving since March 2015. I've waited long enough for this. That is a lot of Is, I know. Despite the many lessons that we've been taught, that's not a bad thing.

Funnily enough, it's Valentine's Day today. Love is in the air. Self love, to be precise. I truly detest the idea of Valentine's Day, but if I must dedicate a day to love somebody, it is going to be myself. And no, I'm not going to buy synthetic red hearts or chocolate to do that. God knows I hate those. I'm going to indulge in the things I love the most, and not just for this one day. 

1. Will stay in bed the whole day, if I so wish. 

2. Will not slow down, and will finish reading Bridget Jones in one sitting, if I feel so inclined.

3. Will eat all the cheese.

4. All of the cheese.

5. Will spontaneously dance if I want to, even if it is in the middle of class (already done woo-hoo!)

6. Loiter aimlessly on pretty streets, or by the sea. Why should boys have all the fun?

7. Will wear the most comfortable clothes on the planet (while looking great, of course. It is a fashion blog, girls.)

Comfortable clothes brings me to this brilliant tunic by New Look, ordered from Jabong.com. I have been a huge fan of the brand since last year. The clothes are young, yet retain sophistication. Love a new trend? Go to jabong.com and check out the collection by New Look—I can guarantee that you'll find whatever it is that you were looking for. This lovely tunic is so versatile, it can be worn with sneakers as I have), paired with a pair of sleek stilettos, or even tucked into your jeans. The irregular stripes are a nice change from the usual, and it's comfy enough for me to jump around if I feel like (must add to the above list), and then lounge around on park benches.

Scroll down for outfit details!

Outfit Details:

Dress by New Look (via Jabong.com) [here. On sale!]

Get the complete collection here

Shoes by Nike (Sky hi dunks)

Ode to Winter (ft. Pearl)

I'm writing this immediately after typing out a rather long and tedious research paper on the European Migrant Crisis. 

I'm truly exhausted. 

Fortunately, I managed to squeeze in a short vacation to New Delhi into this crazy month and I don't feel as crappy as I would have in any other January of any other year. I finally managed to get a taste of real, shiver-y sweater weather after a pretty long time, and boy did it feel good. Gone was the warm, muggy air, and my cheeks finally felt a cool breeze after eons. I didn't even care that it stung a bit. What can I say, I am a winter baby.

Sadly, I wasn't able to get too many photos of all the cozy clothes that I wore in the capital (I did get snaps of some gorgeous artwork, which is all on my Instagram). However, I had done a shoot in a trench coat some time back (when I had really long hair), and that's my tribute to the lovely, lovely winter that I got to experience last week. Meet Pearl, the beautiful black creature in these photos who happens to be my heart and soul. We thought it would be edgy to have me walking a dog in a trench. It just turned out to be extremely cute, and she looks better than me all the time, anyway! Have a look at me being pulled around in heels because Pearl hates getting her pictures taken. Outfit details below.

Trench Coat from Zara

White Turtleneck from New Look

Jeans from Zara

Grey Snakeskin Print Pumps from Charles & Keith

Photographs by Vaishnavi Kukillaya

Feeling Pink with Jabong and Lakmé

I've never been a user of heavy makeup, but I'm of the firm belief that certain essentials are important to look good everyday. Basic black eyeliner, kohl, and a pretty pink lipstick are my go-to cosmetics. I especially tend to hoard shades of pink, and recently ordered this gorgeous Lakmé Enrich Satins lipstick in shade P166 from jabong.com. I was sure it would be somewhat similar to the three thousand other pinks I own, but was in for a pleasant surprise when I received the package a couple days later (in a very cute little box, with bubble wrap, hooray!). The colour is a lovely light pink, very barbie-like, and the texture is a moisturizing creamy matte. It would compliment both red and yellow toned skin, and look great with most any outfit. I teamed it with a flowing black lace shirt and Victorian-inspired velvet choker, and pulled my hair back to let the rosy pink take center-stage. The best part? After almost 6 hours of eating and talking, the lipstick stayed intact. 

Final verdict: Everyone should get one. The entire Enrich Satins range by Lakmé is available on jabong.com, and has some really beautiful shades. This particular pink is a pretty handy little lipstick to keep in your handbag, and will add a touch of softness and romance to your look of the day, even if it's all black with a choker! 

Scroll down for links and outfit + makeup details!

Shop the entire range at http://www.jabong.com/Lakme/

Shop Lakmé Enrich Satins shade P166 at http://m.jabong.com/Lakme-P166-Enrich-Satins-Lipstick-

1568332.html

Shop for other super cool things at http://www.jabong.com

Photographs by Vaishnavi Kukillaya

Winter Isn't Coming- Songs to Survive the Seasonal Slump

Bombay isn't well known for it's winter, never has been. It usually only gets chilly in the mornings, then it's the scorching sun and blazing heat again for the rest of the day. But this year, it's been constant summer for the bay, not even the occasional nippy dawn has graced us sweaty folks. While the weather is beyond any of our control, what we wear everyday is. When winter disappoints, dress ferociously (and swishily) for summer. Wear blue capes and green culottes, and soak in some January sunshine by the seaside. Plug in earphones and listen to these tunes, if you should feel like.

(All Afternoon) In Love- The Vaccines

Luna- Bombay Bicycle Club

Ease- Troye Sivan

Here Comes The Sun- The Beatles

Wait- M83

Cigarette Daydreams- Cage the Elephant

Out Of The Woods- Foals

Sight Of The Sun- Fun

Queen Of Peace- Florence + The Machine

Life On Earth- Band of Horses

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Find the outfit details and the full playlist below.

Top from Zara

Culottes from Zara [here]

Shoes from Charles & Keith

Bag from Accessorize

Photographs by Vaishnavi Kukillaya

Things I've Learnt in the First Week of 2016

Stay still, would you? Just for a moment. Just to let me wrap my head around things.

But she inched away; slowly at first and then all at once. She slipped and slid and raced till she flew.

Would you believe that we've already lived a whole week of twenty sixteen? Which means we have fifty-one weeks to go. That went by pretty fast, don't you think? I'm still mentally stuck in December; the heady haze of holiday stupor still clouds my mind. The celebration is over, but it feels like it's yet to come— the sparkling dresses are yet to be worn, the red in our glasses is yet to be drunk, and the red on our lips is yet to be smudged. Once I shed my fanciful notions, however, I can see and share with you the first lessons of the brand new year.

As one gets older, the harder it is to fix a disrupted sleep cycle. Gone are the days when I could spend holidays sleeping at 6 am and waking up at 3 pm, and then immediately shift to the usual 11 pm to 6 am sleep schedule when college resumed. If I could, I would spend the rest of my days as a nocturnal being, but even after a week, I'm struggling with sleepless nights, comatose mornings, and gargantuan headaches. 

The Sherlock Special ruined my life. While I had braced myself for the worst, it was just not enough. At the end of those 90 minutes, my body and soul was in pieces, strewn about my living room and floating in the wind. My heart will ache till 2017, of that I am certain.

People don't change. Resolutions are fleeting, and nobody ever sees them all the way to the end. While we may make a big deal about rebranding ourselves for the next three-sixty-five days, we stay exactly the same. We hold onto the same expectations, the same dreams, the same grudges, the same affections. 

Some books are best read at a leisurely pace. For most of my life, I have devoured books at alarming rates— gobbled them up and spit them out. Lately I have been reading Wuthering Heights, and I've realised that the only way I can appreciate this beautiful piece of literature is by taking my time with it. Honestly, this was something I had learnt some time ago, but it felt necessary to include it in this list.

Graduating is a massive deal. And the only time one understands how daunting it is, is when they're nearing it. Life as I know it will be over in the next three months, and I'm scared. I don't know what's in store for me, and the decisions that I make now will affect the entire course of my life, and frankly that is ridiculous! I can safely say that I am terrified.

Taking photographs is difficult. I have been trying to click beautiful, clean flat lays for the blog, and my, is it a task! I am confident that I will do better with them in the near future, but till then I shall toil away with chart papers, cosmetics, and trinkets till I get it right.

I am a lifelong introvert. I knew this all along, but it's now set in stone. Pointedly avoiding all social gatherings and spending my free time under my covers with my favourite novel/ TV show/ Instagram is still my proverbial jam, and I wouldn't give it up for even a brand new wardrobe (gasp!)

7 days, 7 lessons.

Tell me yours!

Photograph by Vaishnavi Kukillaya

Skinny Scarves, Momos, and Sangria

This outfit is my monochrome dream 'fit. I have a weakness for stripes, and I love combining different types together. Horizontal, vertical, thick, thin— It's easy to pair them when they follow a similar colour scheme. Not wanting to take away from the b&w magnificence, I kept accessories small (scroll down for accessory details), and my shoes grey. Skinny scarves are my new obsession! This black one was actually a light trench coat belt that turned out to be the right width and length. I'll probably buy one of every colour when I go to the shops, next.

--x-x-x-x--

I've thought long and hard about what to write today, but most of what came to mind was meretricious and kind of pretentious. I'm sure you wouldn't want to hear about the garden in my soul.

So I'm just going to tell you how I spent my day.

I woke this morning (after having slept for only a few hours) with a mission— I wanted to cook momos. So at 7 am I lay under my covers, eyes aching with lack of sleep, and googled recipes for the dish. It looked deceptively easy. Twelve hours later, I was in the kitchen covered in flour and chicken mince. My sister had made sangria at home, so I sipped on it while rolling and filling, rolling and filling, rolling and filling. 

At that precise point I realised that I couldn't have spent my day any better. With the smell of food wafting in the air, and the warm chatter of loved ones, I was content.

 Merry Christmas!

Scroll down for outfit + accessory details.

Details: Gold watch (Tommy Hilfiger) , black and gold bow bracelet (20dresses.com), gold rings (H&M), nude manicure.

What I'm wearing:

Shirt from Zara

Skirt from Forever New [similar here]

Skinny Scarf (makeshift) [similar here from Zara]

Snakeskin printed pumps from Charles & Keith

Vintage shades from Ray Ban

Photographs by Vaishnavi Kukillaya

The Holiday Edit: Have a Very Zara Christmas!

Those who know me know that I swear by Zara. It's easily my favourite high street brand. The minimalist and sophisticated approach that the brand has towards fashion is the reason why my wardrobe is bursting with pieces from it—everything from t-shirts to gowns.

While browsing in a Zara store is always a spiritual experience, my favourite time of the year to go is during the fall/winter period. Their holiday collection is absolutely gorgeous, and some pieces are a must for this season. Here are my holiday favourites from Zara that I'm currently adding to my closet (and you should too!) 

[Note: Click on the subheads to go to the Zara website to have a better look.]

Studio Velvet Trousers

These velvet soft trousers are my ideal pair of pants. Slouchy yet structured, and comfortable beyond imagination, the deep jade colour makes this my number one festive pick.

Blazer with Back Pleat

The retro cape-like silhouette is the highlight of this blazing red jacket. Watch Santa get jealous of how christmas-sy you look in this pretty pleated piece.

Beaded Drawstring Bag

For me, December is that time of the year when it's absolutely acceptable (and necessary!) to bring out all the bling. Trade in your sensible everyday tote for this beaded beauty and dance away with all your essentials tucked into this nifty purse.

 Tie Style Scarf

This season saw the unprecedented rise of the skinny scarf across fashions. This burgundy scarf can dress up any old outfit and make it go from drab to fab in seconds. Definitely an investment!

Velvet Studio Dress

With Alexander Wang bringing out the sleepwear-inspired look for Spring/Summer 2016, I feel it's time to usher in the trend a little early with this shimmering dress. Velvet is becoming a quick favourite of mine for the coming months.

Peplum Blouse

The unique pleated and cinched peplum waistline of this blouse makes it stand out for me. The bold fire-engine red is a fitting ode to the holiday spirit and cheer.

Sequinned Blouse

This dreamy, sequinned off-the-shoulder blouse is the perfect amalgamation of dainty and party. It's easy to jazz up your favourite jeans and heels with this top.

 Swiss Dot Tights

I unfailingly associate Christmas with tights in my mind—Every. Single. Year. The holidays call for dresses, and winter calls for tights, and these adorable dotted tights are the best solution to goosebumps-covered legs.

Long Earrings

Your go-to bauble for wintry night-outs has to be these collarbone-grazing gem and chain earrings. There can be no other in this 'lobe' affair.

Strappy Top with Neck Tie

What looks great with strappy tops? Answer: skinny scarves. Here, you get both together, and do they look absolutely smashing!

Halter Neck Shimmer Thread Dress

This shimmering piece should be the dress for your New Year's Eve celebrations. Skip all jewellery and wear it with your favourite heels and your hair down.

Laminated Flat Shoes

These mirror finish flats are my holiday shoes, period. The trendy slipper shape with the sensible single inch heel make this an on-point fashion and comfort choice.

Gemstone Necklaces

This set of five minimalist necklaces is absolutely stunning. Perfect for adding a chic amount of sparkle to your ensemble, the amulet-like pendants provide for a pop of colour. Wear them all together or separately!

So there you have it—my holiday edit from Zara. Happy shopping!