Category Archives: Beauty

Alchemy Festival @ Southbank & upcoming exclusive Asian designer wear trunk shows

22nd May 2015

I’m a little late in writing about this years Alchemy festival @ Southbank. There’s only a few days left but there’s plenty of events left to go to… Get blown away by the mighty Bishi, or get your groove on to The Friday Night DJ Mix presented by BBC Asian Network, sing along to Bollytastic Shreya Ghosal or wander through the exhibitions and tuck into the best of Indian street food at the accompanying food festival. Basically there’s something to do for whatever your age or tastes!


Bishi’ Never Seen Your Face.

I’ve also had a lot of press releases pop into my inbox this week and here’s a few that I thought were worth sharing..

Hina Rasim presents Eid Shopping Soiree Sat 23rd May London.

Fashionista, Hina Rasim is known for bringing over the hottest Pakistani labels over to London for exclusive trunk shows. She’s back again this time with a selection of pieces by Ammara Khan, Elan, Rozina Munib, Sania Maskatiya and Faiza Samee.

hina r

Soltee by Sulakshana Monga 29th-31st May Birmingham

Sulakshana Monga will be presenting her label Soltee by Sulakshana Monga at a trunk show in Birmingham on 29th-31st May. She will be bringing her latest collection as shown at the recent Amazon Indian Fashion Week and will be available for one to one bridal consultations too.

Flyer

Suzali London launch event 23rd & 24th May

Blogger Vic from London Ki Ladki emailed me through details of Suzali launch this weekend. Designers that will be showcased at the event include Nida Azwer, Shirin Hassan, Naureen Arbab, Lalarukh, Sarah Anees and Mehreen Nooran.

Suzali

Have a great Bank Holiday Weekend and I’ll be back soon with some posts of what I’ve been up to the last couple of months…including highlights from my sister’s hen party in Portugal…the highs- The Ah-mazing EMO Tivoli Victoria which was a gastronomic delight to the lows- a really disappointing experience with Pink Monkey Stag & Hen that we booked an activity with.

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My Top 10 Asian Bridal Shopping Tips

6th February 2015

I’m sure regular readers and my twitter followers will be expecting today’s post to be on the recent AH-MAZING Aashni & Co wedding show + my guest appearance on BBC London’s Jo Good show. But as I’m still suffering from a dirty ole cold- it’s this bridal post that’s been in my pending box that’s going out today!

Vogue india bridalImage Credit: Vogue India…still love this editorial!

Bridal shopping can be exciting and fun but on the flip side it can be overwhelming and confusing too. So here’s a few tips that might help…

budget

I’d say the first thing to do is to set a budget for all your bridal outfits. And make a list of how many pieces you need. Be flexible within your budget. It’s tempting to break down your budget-allocating certain amounts to different occasion outfits but it doesn’t always work like that. I had in mind that I’d spend around £2k for my reception gown and I ended up buying a gorgeous Varun Bahl gown for £750.

RESEARCH

Wherever you decide to do your shopping do your research. I did my wedding shopping in Mumbai and yep I already had a heads up on where to go because my blog is all about Indian fashion and I’m an avid reader of Indian fashion magazines. So getting a basic list was easy enough but I still carried on asking family and friends for recommendations. I also read a lot of Indian wedding blogs and that’s how my list doubled. I made sure I had each store’s address, telephone number, opening times and price range. Even when we were in India we’d ask for further recommendations. We bought a couple of gowns from Sonaakshi Raaj (I heart her work) and she told us to visit Tamanna Punjabi Kapoor’s store as we were still looking for my sister’s mehndi outfit. And bingo that’s where we got my sis STUNNING lengha from.

OPEN

It’s great to have an idea of what you’d like to wear. I know so many brides who create a scrap book or pinterest boards on outfits they like. BUT does it mean those styles suit you? For both my Sabyasachi and Manish Malhotra  lenghas – I had to be made to try them on by my mum and my sister. I wasn’t keen on either of them on the hanger – neither were what I had imagined I’d wear. but when I wore them it was a different story- I loved them both. So be open minded and try different styles & colours.

SMALL

Take your bridal shopping seriously. There may be hangers on that want to join you- because for them its a fun day out! but for you its another opinion that you might not necessarily want. I shopped with my mum and sister and they know me and I trust them- that’s why when they made try on styles I wasn’t sure of I did!

ADV

Right so I know alot of brides leave their wedding shopping till the last minute in order to shop once they’ve got down to their ideal weight. But the biggest disadvantage to this is that it reduces your options when shopping. You may have to buy off the rack designs that are than adjusted to fit you or may have a nail biting time hoping your ordered piece comes in time. Remember custom orders can take between 1-6 months (and maybe even longer) to make. I personally would recommend brides have all their pieces with them at least a month before their wedding. This allows time to get any adjustments done as well as hair and make up trials done with the outfits and of course any last min accessory shopping.

RAMP

This is a goldilocks kinda tip- You’ve got to ramp up your usual look so there’s no mistaking who the bride is but on the other hand don’t go so out there that you end up looking like someone else entirely. No Renee Zellwegers please! I remember my mum insisting I try a bright fuschia lipstick at my wedding make up trial- I hadn’t been a lippy girl till then and I was ummming and ahhing. Anyway, Gini the mua said try it, if you don’t like it we won’t use it on the day and again my Mum was right. It completed the look- its just because I wasn’t used to seeing myself all glammed up!

MIX

Asian weddings have so many different events. Make sure you mix up your looks so you look different on each occasion. A friend (quite rightly) told me off at a recent wedding because on each occasion I was wearing either a cream or white based outfit! And make sure you go for looks that suit the event- if you’re having a beach party wearing a heavy lengha that you can’t move in just isn’t going to work.

FIT

I am so ridiculously fussy when it comes to the fit of my Indian clothes because no matter how stunning the outfit is if the fit isn’t right it won’t look as wow as it could.

AGE

Work with what you’ve got. And remember you’re young and beautiful so don’t hide away the body that in 30 years time you’d wished you’d showed off more. My belly is always hanging out! I just think while I’ve still got a small waist and only a mini muffin top I may as well work it while I can. LOL!

HAPPY

Lastly and importantly- you’ve got to be happy in what you’re wearing! If everyone loves an outfit but you don’t- don’t get it! It’s your wedding, your choice!

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x

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GLOWWBOX review part 2

10th January 2015

Here’s part two of the Glowwbox December Box review- this time its all about how the Brown Girl aka Moi got on. For a start regular readers will know I’m a self confessed make-up dunce. So I like the idea of a beauty box service that provides an edit of the best products that work for my skin tone. I had given the Motions hair products and the Bellapierre shimmer to Tess and was left with Mehron Mascara, Inlight-Super Food Face Mask and Lord & Berry lipsticks.

FullSizeRender (1)

I loved the Lord & Berry lipstick and the Mehron Mascara. The lippy is a really flattering glossy nude and the mascara was a really deep intense black. The face mask is still untouched but I’m saving it for when I get a window of pamper time!

FullSizeRender (4) Copying what the BBloggers do- the holding of the lipstick shot!

Lord & BerryScreenshot of the pic I tweeted with the lippy on. The reply I got from a follower is quite possibly the funniest tweet I’ve ever got! LOLLL!

The picture isn’t that clear and it looks more subtle than the lipstick actually was- it’s a deeper pinky brown nude than the pic shows. I’m thinking its time I get a proper camera instead of my camera phone.

I do think the Glowwbox service is fab. For £15 a month there’s an array of products in each box and its great to be introduced to products that I don’t normally hear of. Suggestions for the Glowwbox team would be to aim products depending on subscriber. The Afro- Caribbean Motions product were great for Tess but not me. And I’d really like to see videos or blog posts that show how to use some of the products. Tess and I didn’t really know the best way to apply the shimmer and a tutorial would have been great.

Subscribe to Glowwbox for £15 a month + P&P www.glowwbox.com

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@GlowwBox

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GLOWWBOX Review Part 1

9th January 2015

I’m kicking off the new year with a beauty post reviewing Glowwbox! Glowwbox is a beauty box subscription service that describes itself as…

a luxury beauty package of some of the best in beauty suitable for women with darker skin tones.

Opening the beautifully packaged box I found an array of gorgeous goodies! After having a read of the products I decided to enlist the help of my friend Tess from afrotee_tee. I thought seeing as the two full sized products- The Motions hair product is aimed at Afro- Carribean women. It would be good to get Tess to review them. I also gave her the Bellapierre- Mineral Eye Shadow, Celebration to check out too.

Here’s how she got on with the products. Full details on how to subscribe to Glowwbox are below.

FullSizeRender

First product I tried out was what we both described as the “glitter stuff”. It’s a little pot of gold dust by Bellàpierre cosmetics, and to be honest with you I was skeptical of trying this out as it was “glitter stuff” and I didn’t want to look like a black Pat Butcher on bad day, not only that, unless I was having a ditzy moment ( and I do have a few) I didn’t know if this was eye shadow or highlighter or a body shimmer! None the less I gave it a go. Making sure I applied this stuff in the bathroom so my cream carpets were not marked gold, I was pleasantly surprised at how much power was on my eye brush but not a lot on my eyes. I found the more I blended the product in the less I saw of it. For something so shimmery I thought the opposite would have happened. As I was going to work I only applied to the tear ducts, subtle yet effective and off to work I went.

tess 1

The next time I decided to wear Bellàpierre cosmetics “glitter stuff” was on my 12th year anniversary with hubby (we have only been married for 4months, but together for 12) anyway I piled it on my eyes. Same effect happened the more I blended it in the more I felt it disappeared slightly, and the more glitter I found on my face rather than eyelids. I decided this time to apply it all over the lid with a black liner which I found helped protrude the colour a bit. In my bathroom light it looked too much but I rolled with it and went out. In the bathroom light of the restaurant it doesn’t look as bright but I liked the look. Overall as a choice of eyeshadow I’m not sure I like this colour as it didn’t give the pop that I thought it would, whether it being the way I applied it or due to my complexion! I wouldn’t mind trying out something brighter – I may just Ms Butcher a run for her money bless her fully covered lids!

tess 2

The other products I tried were two hair products from the Motions range. Since deciding to go natural in 2012 (that’s no chemicals to permanently straighten) I have become what’s known in the natural hair community as a “product junkie”. So to say I was excited to try these hair products, was an understatement.
The first was the naturals textures moisturizing cleanser. I had been wearing my hair in a weave (a protective style, less stress on my hair and easier to maintain) and decided to take it out during the xmas period to give my scalp a breather… Amen!

tess 4

Cleansers are less harsher than shampoos as they don’t usually contain sulfates that can strip hair of its oils, but do the same thing as a shampoo. There are many blogs and sites that speak about the difference between shampoos and cleansers so you can have a read in your spare time. Anywho – I found this cleanser great for my hair! If my hair hadn’t been in a weave for so long yuck, one lather would have been enough, I ended up washing my hair twice. My hair felt clean and my scalp was rid of all the build- up! Scalp and hair freee yay!!!

I then followed up with the natural textures deep conditioning masque! As a deep conditioner goes this was very runny and not as thick or creamy as other conditioners I have used before. Smelled nice and not to heavy so I wasn’t worried about my hair smelling like tutti fruity chewits! My hair didn’t feel covered like it does with others and I found that I was applying more and more of the conditioner onto my hair, by the time I looked in the container I realised that I could have potentially finished the lot in one go… not good. I left the conditioner in for half an hour with no heat . Once I washed it out my hair was soft and manageable and I was impressed. Still wasn’t sure if this was down to the amount I put in or just the fact the product did its thing. I still have some left so ill be applying it again but sparingly.

Look out for me on instagram: afrotee_tee where you can see my length check progress styles… my journey basically. Hopefully if I’m good I may be here again!
See ya’s laters!!

Subscribe to Glowwbox for £15 a month + P&P www.glowwbox.com

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Thanks Tess aka the black Pat Butcher! Ohhh Tess you know that’s going to be your new nickname lol!

Part 2: Will be out tomorrow!!

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FAISANA-Fashion weekend 2nd-3rd May 2014

25th April 2014

Writing this ole blog means that now and then I get an invite or two to upcoming Asian events. Some invites I’m a nah, some a hmmm and once in a while I’m a hell ya! The Fasiana– Fashion weekend takes place over the bank holiday at the May Fair Hotel and def falls into the later category. Hosted by Radhika Hasan (RHL), Aamna & Aisha (A&A) and Cchavi Seth Management the two day event brings over leading Indian designers- Anita Dongre (how much did I crush over her Jaipur Bride photoshoot earlier this year?) Rina Dhaka & Bhairavi Jaikishan and Pakistani designers Umar Sayeed, Nida Azwer and Sania Maskatiya. All the designers will be coming over to personally represent their brands.

Anita Dongre Hapers Bazaar Bride India

Anita Dongre Hapers Bazaar Bride India

The Fasiana fashion weekend opens on 2nd May with the glamorous ‘Champagne, Canapes and Couture’ evening which features a champagne reception, walking exhibits, a fashion show, live music and a special performance by Kathak dancer Fasih ur Rahman of the Akademi institute. Tickets are available here and if you can’t make it down on Friday the event continues with a free open exhibition 12-7pm where designers will be retailing their latest ready to wear and couture pieces at their Indian and Pakistani prices.

Nida Azwer

Nida Azwer

Rina Dhaka Rina Dhaka

Website: http://www.faisanaweekend.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/faisanafashionweekend

Twitter: @FaisanaWknd #FaisanaWknd

Faisana: Fashion Weekend

Friday 2nd May 2014: Champagne, Canapes and Couture evening. Invite/ ticket only, 7-9.30pm. For tickets, email: admin@faisanaweekend.com

Saturday 3rd May 2014: Grand Trunk Show. Admission: Free to attend, 12-7pm

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Vogue India: A Vogue Wedding Love Story

18th November 2013

I mentioned in my last post that I had just been to Mumbai to do my wedding shopping and I promise I will post my shopping guide this week!!! but for now I’ll start the week off with some swooooonnnnnalioussss bridal images from November’s Vogue India- It had to be you…

Jodhpur's Umaid Bhavan, Vogue India, Bride, Bridal, Wedding, Fashion, India, November, 2013, bride,

Jodhpur's Umaid Bhavan, Vogue India, Bride, Bridal, Wedding, Fashion, India, November, 2013, bride,

Jodhpur's Umaid Bhavan, Vogue India, Bride, Bridal, Wedding, Fashion, India, November, 2013, bride,

Jodhpur's Umaid Bhavan, Vogue India, Bride, Bridal, Wedding, Fashion, India, November, 2013, bride,

Jodhpur's Umaid Bhavan, Vogue India, Bride, Bridal, Wedding, Fashion, India, November, 2013, bride,

Jodhpur's Umaid Bhavan, Vogue India, Bride, Bridal, Wedding, Fashion, India, November, 2013, bride,

Jodhpur's Umaid Bhavan, Vogue India, Bride, Bridal, Wedding, Fashion, India, November, 2013, bride,

and as always the accompanying video is just as much a visual treat as the magazine pics

Images: Vogue India

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Wedding Weds: Bridal inspiration at the Emmys

25th September 2013

It was full on glam earlier this week at the Emmy awards and there were plenty of gowns that had more than a hint of bridal about them. Many of the gowns were working this (and next seasons) hot trend- texture. And I’ve got to say some of the textured gowns were a little too twee for me that’s why my fave was the J Mendel gown Kate Mara wore. The placement geometric lace and thigh high split gave the gown a real edge.

Kate Mara, Emmys, 2013, J Mendel, White, Wedding, Dress, gown, Bride, Bridal

Marchesa, Kerry Washington, Emmys, 2013, Bride, Bridal, White, Wedding Dress, Kerry Washington in Marchesa

Claire Danes, Emmys 2013, Homeland, Armani Prive, Wedding, White, Bride, Bridal, Dress, GownClaire Danes in Armani Prive

Taylor, Schilling, Thakoon, Emmys, 2013, White, Bride, Bridal, Wedding, DressTaylor Schilling in Thakoon

Images 1, 2 & 3 Vogue India

Image 4 : I’m a little

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Supa Dupa Fly: Revlon for Sophia Webster LFW S/S 14

23rd Sept 2013

Revlon is one of those make up brands that has never really made much of an impression on me. I’ve always presumed it was a bit dated. I might have to take another look after stumbling across their work at the Ahh-mazing Sophia Webster’s S/s 14 London Fashion Week presentation: Supa Dupa Fly. Sophia Webster is one of London’s brightest design talents and I love that her S/s 14 presentation was a fun, colourful fantasy just like her footwear and bags! Revlon’s team matched Sophia designs with bonkers hair, fresh make up and delicious graphic nails.

Sophia Webster, London Fashion Week, Supa Dupa Fly, S/s 14, LFW, Spring Summer, Accessories, Shoes, Pumps, Make-Up, Revlon

Sophia Webster, London Fashion Week, Supa Dupa Fly, S/s 14, LFW, Spring Summer, Accessories, Shoes, Pumps, Make-Up, Revlon

Sophia Webster, London Fashion Week, Supa Dupa Fly, S/s 14, LFW, Spring Summer, Accessories, Shoes, Pumps, Make-Up, Revlon

Sophia Webster, London Fashion Week, Supa Dupa Fly, S/s 14, LFW, Spring Summer, Accessories, Shoes, Pumps, Make-Up, Revlon

Sophia Webster, London Fashion Week, Supa Dupa Fly, S/s 14, LFW, Spring Summer, Accessories, Shoes, Pumps, Make-Up, Revlon

Sophia Webster, London Fashion Week, Supa Dupa Fly, S/s 14, LFW, Spring Summer, Accessories, Shoes, Pumps, Make-Up, Revlon

Sophia Webster, London Fashion Week, Supa Dupa Fly, S/s 14, LFW, Spring Summer, Accessories, Shoes, Pumps, Make-Up, Revlon

Sophia Webster, London Fashion Week, Supa Dupa Fly, S/s 14, LFW, Spring Summer, Accessories, Shoes, Pumps, Make-Up, Revlon

Sophia Webster, London Fashion Week, Supa Dupa Fly, S/s 14, LFW, Spring Summer, Accessories, Shoes, Pumps, Make-Up, Revlon

Images: Revlon Facebook, Sophia Webster Facebook

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Wedding Wednesday: Prince Rahim Aga Khan marries Supermodel Kendra Spears

4th Sept 2013

For this week’s Wedding Weds I’m sharing a real wedding and a Royal wedding at that! Prince Rahim Aga Khan married Kendra Spears or as she has now been named Princess Salwa a few days ago. The glamourous couple wore Manav Gangwani for the ceremony. Princess Salma wore an elegant ivory and gold embroidered Sari and Prince Rahim Aga Khan an Ivory brocade Sherwani. The couple were introduced to Manav through Naomi Campbell who he dressed for Naomi’s ex beau’s 50’th birthday bash in India. We’re so used to seeing couples in India attire wearing bright colours, heavy embellishment and jewellery that its refreshing to see such a toned down yet stunning look.

Kendra Spears, wedding, sari, Manav Gangwani, Prince, Rahim Aga Khan,

Kendra Spears, wedding, sari, Manav Gangwani, Prince, Rahim Aga Khan,

Kendra Spears, wedding, sari, Manav Gangwani, Prince, Rahim Aga Khan,

Kendra Spears, wedding, sari, Manav Gangwani, Prince, Rahim Aga Khan,

Congrats to the couple and to Manav Gangwani!

Images: Manav Gangwani Twitter and Kendra Spears Twitter.

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A/w 13 Beauty Trend: 1930’s glamour meets Vamp

2nd Sept 2013

Taking a break from fashion in this post and concentrating on beauty. I noticed that 1930’s Hollywood glamour meets Vamp was trending at the recent PCJ Delhi Couture Fashion Week and Lakme Fashion Week at both Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi. It’s a fab look and the fact it works on every skin tone makes me love this trend even more! You can go for a more plummy brown shade or plummy black shade- either makes for a strong evening look.

beauty, trend. a/w, 13, manish malhotra, vamp, 1930's, hollywood glamour, lipstick, eyeshadow, MAC, Charlotte Tillbury, Eyeliner, taylor swift, selena gomez, vma, mtvStrong brows and Vampy lippy at Manish Malhotra’s PCJ Delhi Couture Fashion Week.

beauty, trend. a/w, 13, manish malhotra, vamp, 1930's, hollywood glamour, lipstick, eyeshadow, MAC, Charlotte Tillbury, Eyeliner, taylor swift, selena gomez, vma, mtvCeleb Make Up Artist- Charlotte Tilbury on the Right is due to launch her new Make Up range in a couple of days and here’s her ‘Vintage Vamp’

beauty, trend. a/w, 13, manish malhotra, vamp, 1930's, hollywood glamour, lipstick, eyeshadow, MAC, Charlotte Tillbury, Eyeliner, taylor swift, selena gomez, vma, mtvTaylor Swift rocking Old Hollywood glamour meets Vamp.

beauty, trend. a/w, 13, manish malhotra, vamp, 1930's, hollywood glamour, lipstick, eyeshadow, MAC, Charlotte Tillbury, Eyeliner, taylor swift, selena gomez, vma, mtvSabyasachi’s Old World Glamour Vampy lips and smokey eyes.

beauty, trend. a/w, 13, manish malhotra, vamp, 1930's, hollywood glamour, lipstick, eyeshadow, MAC, Charlotte Tillbury, Eyeliner, taylor swift, selena gomez, vma, mtvGo for these shades of plumy/brown to get the look. L-R Tom Ford Lipstick in Plum, M.A.C Matte Lipstick Diva, Bobbi Brown Lipstick in Black Raspberry.

Images: Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr

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