Hey Everyone!
As much as I love red on my nails,  I am equally fond of red on my lips and in clothes and hair (Yes hair too! Will post some pics soon)
I have a huge stash of red lip colors, which I love wearing whenever possible but feel kinda sad when people specially my clients come and tell me that they don't like wearing red mostly because they think it is very loud, looks made up, not sure of which red and so on.  
So, I came up with an idea of this series of post "Dare to wear Red" where I'll try to answer all the problem areas. And what could be a better day to talk about Lipsticks, other than the National Lipstick Day, that we are celebrating today! And moreover, M.A.C is offereing a lipstick free on purchase of two lip products. If you can't go to a M.A.C store, shop online on Nykaa

Red lips spell classy, dramatic, sexy and confident all the same time. But, most of us are hesitant to wear red lipstick, fearing that it makes us feel older, too dramatic or made up or over-the-top.
The fact is that one can wear a red lip colour anytime in the day, for any occasion and with any skin tone; the trick is to find the shade which is ‘THE RED’ for you!

​Find the Perfect Red

 Finding the perfect red depends on your skin undertone and the intensity of your complexion.
Here’s a list of reds to go with your skin complexion:-

• Pink undertones, light complexion - Coral reds, reds with orange tone
• Yellow undertone, light complexion - Wine reds or reds with blue tones
• Light complexion - Use lipsticks with sheer and shiny finish
• Medium complexion of any undertone- Use true reds or red with pink tones, with shiny or matte finish
• Olive skin - Rich crimson reds with matte finish
• Deep/ Dark complexion - Blue or brown based Reds with matte finish

Understanding your skin tone to find the red lip colour can work very well and you’ll never hesitate again to wear red.

​Next in this series- How to wear Red Lipstick! Keep a lookout!

What's your favorite Red Lipstick? Do share in comments
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 Being a bigger size since time immemorial, hunting for decent plus size wear has been always on my mind. Apart from the local sellers, where you may or may not find your size or your choice, in the last 15 years or so, a lot of brands have come up with big sizes and quite a lot of them are pocket friendly too and may also give you option of Indian, Western and Indo Western wear.
Let's have a look at them

1. GIA by Westside
The most important reason I want to talk about this brand first is that this was the first brand I where I could find my size and am a Westside Loyalist since 2002. Gia as a brand has come up a long way since I first started wearing it. It is now called GIA Curves and most of the designs focus on enhancing your curves.
The size range is from XS (Size 14) to XXXL (Size 26) and you get tops, blouses, t-shirts, jeans, formal pants, skirts and almost everything. Most of the stuff is priced between ₹800-1500 with few exceptions.
Also in Westside, you may fit into some of their pretty ethnic stuff from Utsa, Verk and Zuba if you are my size or little smaller (I wear 20-22 of Gia and for ethnic brands, I fit into XL-XXL depending on the style)
Since I have never come back empty handed from GIA... I would like to give it 4.5/5
Like the Westside Facebook Page or Follow them on Instagram to keep an eye on their latest collection

2. AND 
Legendary designer Anita Dongre's Pret Western wear line gives a good variety for bigger sized girls too. The designs are based on needs of an Indian women and clothes are designed keeping in mind the comfort and lifestyle. You get dresses, shirts, tops and tunics, leggings, skirts, pants and so on. You may get upto size 18 (and sometimes even size 20) in most of their designs, though it may not be displayed, you can always check with the store assistants, they'll help you with sizes. Most of the stuff is in the range of  ₹1500-3000, of course with a few exceptions.
I like AND for their interesting and flattering cuts. Though I fit into their size 18-20, I do not have all the design options open, yet I love to check out their collection when I am out for shopping. My rating would be 4/5.
Like the AND Facebook Page or follow AND on Instagram to know about their latest collection
You may also shop on AND website

3. Global Desi
Global Desi is the fusion wear brand from The House of Anita Dongre known for its boho-chic look. The designs combine the Indian colors, prints and textures to suit the wider audience globally. You get tunics, kurtas, jackets, suits and a variety of other styles. The sizes range from XS to XXL and price range is between ₹1500-3000 with few exceptions.
​I love the brand for their unique designs and cuts. Again I fit mostly into XXL and if lucky then in XL . Again my rating would be 4/5.
Like Global Desi FB page and follow Global Desi on Instagram to check their latest arrivals. You can also shop on Global Desi Website.

4.  Marks & Spencer
This UK originated department store caters to Indian market too. The clothes range from formals to semi formals to club wear and beach wear and lingerie too. I love to check out the store when I am looking for formals specially trousers, jackets or skirts. Also, we get nice dresses and tops in the bigger sizes. The sizes range from 8-16 and sometimes upto 20 and price are usually ₹1500 onwards.
I really like their formal wear collection and fit into size 18-20. I would rate it 3.5/5 as the price may be sometimes on the higher side.
Like Marks & Spencer India Facebook page to get latest updates. Check out Marks & Spencer India Website to find their stores near you.

5. Mustard
Mustard is an Indian brand catering to ready to wear clothes for regular and plus size. They have both Indian and Western wear. The sizes range from -2(XS) to 7 (6XL) for both tops and bottoms. The average price ranges from ₹1000 to ₹2000 with few exceptions.Apart from Jeans, Trousers, Tops, Kurtas, Skirts, you also get Palazzos, Capris, Stoles and Dupattas too. 
Sometimes I do not like the fabric or the design but whenever I visit the store, there will be atleast one piece that will catch my eyes and I'll get compliments whenever I wear that. I fit into their size 3-5 depending on the cut. I would rate it 3.5/5... that 0.5 extra for that one piece that I always find!
You may like Mustard Facebook page and follow Mustard on Instagram. You can also shop from Mustard Website. 

That was the list of my favorite stores for plus size shopping. There are a lot of online stores that have come up but I am a bit hesitant to shop online mainly because of the fit as with different cuts and styles, I fit into different sizes and the other reason is that I hate to wait!!

So what are your favorite plus size brands? Do share in comments.
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As promised in my Summer Skin Care post, here I am with Summer Makeup Tips. Summer could be quite exciting with all the light and airy clothes and refreshing cold drinks to sip, but definitely not with makeup melting away from your face. To look well-groomed and polished, makeup becomes a necessity but most women prefer to go out sans makeup as it’s not going to stay on their face anyways! But, if you make some modification to your usual makeup routine, you can definitely make your makeup stay longer in hot summer months. 

Summer makeup should be light, natural and glowy but not shiny and you can always make it more interesting by playing with colors.

Let me share few tricks with you…
1. Prepping the face- Cleanse your face with a water based cleanser, use toner and moisturizer and apply sun protection or go for a primer. Primer help to provide a smooth canvas, keep oil secretion in control and make the makeup last. Primers usually come with SPF 20- 35. My favorite summer primer is Colorbar Perfect Match Primer (Buy it here on Nykaa)

2. Switch the foundation for tinted moisturizer and concealer- Foundation can make the makeup look heavy and cakey. Apply the tinted moisturizer and cover the dark circles, blemishes etc. with a light concealer. If you feel the need for little more coverage, dab with some powder foundation. 

3. Brighten your eyes and make your eye makeup stay- Use an eye primer over your eyelids. Apply a cream based eye shadow in copper, bronze or rose pink if you are fair toned. And top it up with powder shadow in the same shade with slight shimmer. To make the liner last long, apply the pencil liner and using an angular brush, top it up with powder eyeshadow in same color. Gel eyeliner may be used for a defined sharp line. Apply waterproof mascara.

4. Switch the pink blush for caramel/ bronze or coral- These shades of blush will give a beautiful sun kissed look to the skin. 

5. Ditch heavy lipstick- Go for lip stains or tinted lip balm for fresh look. If your lips are pigmented, line them with a nude lip liner in the color of your lips and top up with stains or tints. The lipliner will also help the color stay longer. 

6. Have Fun with colors- Go ahead with fun and playful colors on your eyes. Go for colorful eyeshadows, eyeliner and even mascara. Colors add life to your face and make you look bright and youthful.

7. Combat the shine- Nothing works better than blotting paper for shine. Keep them handy and use whenever you feel oily on your T-zone.

Hope with this, you’ll be more confidant wearing makeup in summer

What are your favorite summer makeup tips? Do share in comments!
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It is just the beginning of April and it already seems like we are well into summers, into cool and airy clothes, into the water pools, sipping cold drinks and ofcourse trying to beat the heat. Summer, although is fun in some ways but believe me trying to protect yourself from the heat and the problems that come along with the heat can be a big task. To ease your job to some extent, here we are with some tips for summer to take care of your skin and body

• Stay Hydrated- Drink as much water as possible to prevent your body from dehydration. Drink cooling juices like watermelon without adding sugar. Also avoid taking a lot of tea or coffee as it can lead to dehydration. Other cooling summer drinks include mango panna, kokum sharbat, lassi, thandai, lime juice etc.
• Cleanse your face twice a day using a water or gel based cleanser to get rid of all the sweat, dirt, oil etc. If you have excessively dry skin, then go in for a cream based cleanser.
• Use a Toner after cleansing the face. The most effective and cooling toner is the rose water. Toner helps to close the pores and keep the skin cool. Decant some rosewater into a spray bottle and keep in refrigerator overnight and spray it on your face after cleansing. You may keep the bottle in your bag and use it throughout the day.
• Moisturize- Summer does not equate to no moisturizer. Even though the skin tends to get sweaty and oily, a water based light moisturizer is a must in summers too. This helps to keep your skin hydrated. 
• Sun Protection- Sunscreen is a must have in summer. Make sure it is broad spectrum formulation to protect from both UVA and UVB rays and the SPF should be 30 or more. Apply sunscreen atleast 30 minutes before going out in sun and reapply after every 3-4 hours depending on the exposure. If you are going to spend longer hours in the sun or are on the beach make sure to apply SPF 50. 
• Exfoliation- Exfoliating the skin to remove dead cells become even more important in summer as it also helps to take off the tanned skin.
• Lips- Lips usually get too dry in summer and a layer of dry skin is formed. To keep your lips soft and supple in the scorching heat, exfoliate them with a lip scrub or a mixture of coarse sugar and lemon juice and use a lip balm with SPF 15 if you are going out in the sun.
• Feet- Although summer let you wear your strappy and open footwear but that often brings along the problem of dry feet. Scrub of dead skin every day or atleast alternate days and apply foot cream to make your heels summer ready for open sandals. Make your pedicurist your best friend and meet her every fortnight. 
• Sunburn- In case of excess sun exposure or sun burn, apply aloe vera gel to soothe the skin.
• Tan Removal- A homemade pack can be used all over the body to get rid of tan. Mix besan with yoghurt and lemon juice. Apply on the tanned areas and let it dry. Once dried, scrub it off and wash with water.
• Cooling Face pack- Mix half of grated cucumber with one tablespoon of yoghurt. Apply on your face and wash off after drying. While the pack is on, put cotton pad soaked in rosewater on your eyes to soothe them.
• Diet- Eat lots of fruits and food rich in Vitamin A, C and E and Antioxidants. All the summer fruits like watermelon, muskmelon, along with tomatoes, berries, bell pepper etc. must be consumed. 

How are you getting Summer ready? Do share in comments
Signing off for now