Summers are here!

So,the piece of news is that summers are here since our city isn't blessed with a season called spring. I'll be honest,I'm not the biggest fan of this season. I hate the perspiration,I hate the almost non-existent opportunities of layering,I hate the clumsy feel...Actually,apart from the seasonal fruits and the afternoon nap(which is a luxury I can't afford any more),I hate almost everything about summers. But,since I can still cheat and coax myself into believing that it's not summer-summer yet,thanks to the evening breeze,I leave no stones unturned to take a long walk down my favourite parts of the city in the afternoon(read after 5). There's one thing I love about the hot yet not so summery afternoons these days-I get to show my legs without getting an uneven(and therefore bad) tan! So,decided to meet up my girlies for an evening of cupcakes and everything fun(don't worry,the health freak in me is very much alive. So,I let them gain all the weight and had only green tea and coleslaw sandwich). There's this little place called Mrs Magpie near Vivekananda Park. We thought Anu's new DSLR deserved a cute setting like this one for its first outing. The results are here for you-

Skirt,ring,jooti-New Market,cuff-Park Street,top-gifted,sling-B.K.Market

Strangers are alike

One night of blur is all it takes to rediscover yourself. The ones you're fond of but kept pushing away, the torn paper you had used for scribbling and then tucked away somewhere else,the feelings you thought you were done with,the fears you thought you didn't fear any more. One of my most favourite poets had once told me,"I know you never forgot the fear." As the first rays of the morning sun melts my insomniac dreams,I see his chest rising and dropping and I wonder what he had meant. The tricky thing about alcohol is that it makes you delusional. You tend to get a little unsure of yourself. At least that's what happens to me. I look around,tracing his touch along my fingers and then deep down. I don't know what it means. I don't know why I have that throbbing pain rising near my vertebra. All I know is that I'm supposed to go home,take a shower and forget all about it. All I know is that I won't. I've done this way too many times to doubt my stupidity now. I somehow want to run away.
                                                                He drags me closer and locks his lips between those of mine. Last night was a night of dreams and nightmares. I didn't sleep well. But at the same time,waking up to his embrace was comforting,to say the least. I know the other one will call sooner or lesser. I know he'll be happy for me. I know I'd keep wondering whether I'm in love with any or both of them.
                                                                                                                                 As the silent tears stream down my cheeks,I give in to the friend I had avoided for so long! My words. My words are all I'll ever have. Like I faintly remember telling him...the words that followed like open-ended arguments,the dreams I never weaved and never will...I walk the path all alone to see my happiness etherized like a dead beauty-cold,untouched,distant.

Doll-ed up for an evening of all things pretty

Hola readers,how have you been? If you're there in my Facebook friend list or you happen to follow me on Twitter,you must know about the IIM-C cultural fest I had been talking about. Well,we participated in a lot of events-treasure hunt,junk art,fashion times,splash painting,sports quiz,Calcutta quiz,fashion show,group dance,solo dance and what not. Unfortunately,we couldn't win any of the flagship events. We didn't even qualify to the finals in the fashion show. I qualified for the finals in the solo dance but everything went wrong on stage. I slipped,I couldn't reach center stage with my drag(yes,the stage was a hundred times bigger than what I'm used to and we didn't get a stage slot earlier),my music started off beat and a jump didn't happen. Our group dance was better but we didn't win. We only managed to win in minor events like treasure hunt,junk art etc.
                        Anyway,so,the invitation to attend a make up workshop and cupcake party "Doll up" at Scoop couldn't have come at a better time! Nothing beats frustration like pretty,yummy cupcakes! Scoop,a baby of the sassy girl Johanne Mantosh (and one of THE hottest women entrepreneurs too,if I may add)had been open for a while . She started at the age of twenty and now it is ready to take on the big bad world. The baby is ready to rock you. Her parents started this in the early 90s,the name back then was given by the ice cream company kwality. Business was good. So,they kept the name. The decor inside,as she puts it, is pure "eye candy". It's a heaven for those like me who have been brought up on a staple diet of chick flicks. And what's in there for the guys? The bird-watching? Well,she boasts that it's "hot enough". Even though she claims to be a gypsy queen and apparently the restaurant looks like the ideal place for lovebirds or girls' day outs,she says a sizeable portion of the crowd happens to be family. The child,attracted by the weird decor,drags the family in and they keep coming back. Actually,to look at it again,it DOES look more like a family place than I thought. There's something in every corner that talks about the important people in her life. Something that reminds her of her brother,something else for her mom,something for her dog and finally,a LOT of things for her boyfriend. Being a woman entrepreneur in a city where women aren't known to have their best times mustn't have been easy,I wonder. Even the jovial smile fades a little as she remembers the years of  struggle. The family support might have made it easier but nevertheless,convincing everyone that this PYT with spidery long legs can be their boss and "kick their ass" has been difficult. "I grew up in this area and men haven't been the best",she admits. So,according to her,coming to a restaurant like this and having women serve them itself is an empowering experience for the women customers. Does she see herself  leaning more towards lifestyle than hardcore F&B,I ask. Well,you know what,she doesn't care. Because,for her,"every moment is like a shot". Any further plans? She'd like to open a restaurant in Delhi someday,she says. But Calcutta crowd is more loyal,she adds, In Delhi,people have more money than they can manage and therefore,they are like,"what's next?". And with that,I finished my tenth piece of cupcake. Johanne,being the amazing host she is,forced us to gain at least five kilos with the yummiest cupcakes and marshmallows. We were presented with a gift pack of candies as soon as we entered. Then arrived the prettiest bunch of calories I've ever set my eyes on with fresh lime sodas and chocolate milkshakes for company. Before we were done with the sinfully sweet cupcakes,in came the sandwiches,quick bites,pizzas,burgers,paneer and chicken tikkas and what not. The idea of marrying these two ideas came to her when she was visiting Delhi.

                        After a mouthful of the finger foods,we decided to talk makeup with the co-host of the event,Mou. Her make up studio at Hazra called Studio 84 was born three years ago,thanks to a personal setback she had had. She was down,she did a little makeup one night and she realised that she "was good". She "was good to go". Finding a name for her place was equally random. She decided to go with numbers because "numbers are always lucky". And 84 happens to be her birthyear. So,what better than 'Studio 84'? The X factor of her place is that it's dedicated to ONLY makeup. No facial,nothing else other than makeup. And her makeup is "not regular makeup". She has certified thirty women in Kolkata and more than hundred in the villages,thanks to her connection with an NGO. She gave them one month sessions and seeing ALL of them working now inflates her with pride. She has switched to more workshops now since she has a little time to spare and she has seen many people don't have the time to go through a dedicated course. "I don't have makeup secrets",she says with a cheeky smile. She teaches whatever she knows and keeps nothing to herself. And that's probably why she has such a personal relationship with her clients that she has women calling her up when they are pregnant after getting their bridal makeup done by her. She says she has learnt seventy percent from academics and she is thirty percent self-taught. She is always on Youtube and uses a lot of international brands in her makeup. However,while teaching,she promotes people to use any kind of makeup because,as the Bengali saying goes,"naach na jaanley uThhaan bNyaka(if you don't know how to dance,you'll find the stage faulty)",she believes "if you know the naach,you can do it with anything". She has always been an "emo gothic person" interested in fashion,makeup,photography but she never knew it'd be her career. Even Johanne is one of her loyal clients and that's how they came up with the idea of a tea party cum makeup workshop. Since I'm not a very makeup person,I ask her three makeup tips for someone who knows absolutely nothing about makeup(without telling her who the person concerned was of course). Prompt comes the reply,
i)The foundation has to be exactly the same shade of your complexion. If it's one shade lighter,it's wrong. If it's one shade darker,it's wrong.
ii)You cannot wear eyeliner or kohl that is not smudge-proof.
iii)Young girls shouldn't wear dark colors. They make you look older. And none of us want to look old,right?
However,Studio 84 is anything but your regular beauty parlor. You don't go to her just because you want a makeup artist. It's only by appointment and you go there because you want to share a piece of your life with her. You have to see her work and be comfortable with her style before you get your makeup done by her because,well,she's "very scared of criticism". Where does she see her baby after ten years,I ask her. "It will be THE place when you think of makeup",she replies.

 

After the hearty chats over heartier food with these two ladies,it was time for the workshop. The live makeovers,a lot of handy makeup tips and some more mouth-watering delicacies later,I left for home since I was in a hurry. But the gracious host didn't forget the discount coupon I was 'entitled to' for my participation. Well,I had a blast in there(the pictures say it better than I do).

Blazer-Simpark Mall,maxi dress,yellow sling,blue ring-B.K.Market,silver cuff,silver rings-Old New Market,gladiators-Metro Plaza

 
 
 
 
And the next time you're shopping anywhere near Esplanade,you know where to go for a girly gossip session or a quick bite. And when it's time to flaunt what you've bought after hours of rummaging through clothes,you know who'd add just the right touch of perfection to your look.
                                 If things go my way,I'll be back with some very interesting details about the party I'm supposed to go to on 14th(no,I still don't have a boyfriend,people,in case that's what you thought). Till then,take care and keep it stylish.

Adrenalize 2013-part II

Even though this is the outfit post I had promised,I'm doing this post to give you a big piece of news. Well,as far as the fash-frat of India(and abroad) is concerned,Fashion Bombay needs no introduction,does it? For us fashion bloggers,Sonu and Jasleen from Fashion Bombay epitomise everything fashion. We have stopped keeping track of the endless days we have spent arguing over who to pick as a favourite-Sonu or Jasleen. Then we kind of reached a conclusion in order to put an end to it. We decided that Jasleen is the most well-dressed Mrs. while Sonu is her bachelor counterpart. Now,they have decided to unsettle our lives once again because,hold your breath,our very own Sonu is getting married! Our heartiest congratulations to the newly-married couple! And,do keep an eye on their blog for the wedding special posts! Meanwhile,feel free to check the tribute I had given them on my blog long back here.

                                                                                               And now,coming back to the outfit I wore to Adrenalize 2013,here are the pictures. Enjoy and keep it stylish.

Denims-Simpark mall,bird print shirt,pink cardigan,blue sling,blue ring,yellow brogues-B.K.Market,silver ring,hairband-New Market

Adrenalize 2013

The world of blogging has opened up so many opportunities to me that I can't even stop talking about it once I start! I'm thankful to my whimsical self for suddenly coming up with the idea of having a personal space where I could rant all I wanted. Who knew I'd actually get hired for covering awesome events,thanks to all that ranting?
                                                                                                       I've always been interested in the media but getting professionally hired to cover events like hotshot press people is something else. Credit goes to Ginger Claps for bringing out the page 3 reporter side of me. Without them,I'd have been just another wannabe clicking pictures of myself in regular outfits and trying to get her voice heard. After the first wine tasting occasion Four Seasons came up with at Oasis(and treated us bloggers to yummy delicacies
paired with yummier wines,if I might add),it was time for the annual gym party at the Tolly Club sponsored by Four Seasons and ITC Sonar. When Four Seasons was there,I just knew that the party couldn't have got any cooler. The icing on the cake?We were to be given unlimited wine! So,all us Kolkata bloggers decided that this is one party we CANNOT miss at any cost!
                                                    We reached the venue around 7 p.m. and were asked to participate in the
wine trail if we were interested. We decided to go in and start drinking instead.So,imagine our disappointment when we found out that the winners of the wine trail were to be given,well,what else,wine as gifts. The wine bottles served at our table helped us get over the disastrous consequences of our actions. In order to console us heartbroken alcoholics,a very hospitable Mr. P.P.K.Mitter took us to the photo-booth where we could not only get ourselves clicked against the brand logo but get the printout of the pictures in a flat fifteen minutes! Even though the models with the watch-glass figure who were there to click pictures with us gave me a complex,the excitement of showing my mom that I finally am taking my baby steps towards becoming quite the social butterfly(yes,for her,photographs are only those that come in a piece of paper)overcame everything. The horse racing started in no time and amidst the fun and laughter started the two biggest attractions of the evening-the live dessert demonstration by eminent chefs from ITC Sonar and the grape-stomping. Megha,being the fitness freak she is,wasted no time in getting ALL the healthy cooking tips from the chef while taking down a few notes. Post-cooking,it was time to pounce upon the healthy dessert made using Four Seasons wines,masacarpone,pears etc. Contrary to our expectation,we got to know that dessert needn't always be sweet,it's just a preparation we end our meals with.The dessert the chef made wasn't too sweet and that's why I could see myself finishing off kilos of it without feeling even slightly guilty.To add to our culinary vocab,the chef gave us hard copies of the recipe too. The grape-stomping turned out to be THE event that night! We all had eew-eewed at the idea of making someone else drink our feet. Worse,we were thinking what if I end up drinking my own feet? But once we decided to shed our inhibition and just get in there,it proved to be one of THE most exciting things we've ever done! We were too busy having fun to even take a picture! Post fun session,emcee Gunjan announced that it was time to hit the dance floor. After more than one serving of chicken tikka,paneer tikka and mutton hyderabadi biryani with salan,thanks to our free food coupons,we were definitely in a mood to burn some calorie. DJ Happy's scintillating beats set us grooving in no time. Debi made her debut on the dance floor and had quite a time. But then,that we all did. I can't thank Four Seasons and Ginger Claps enough for inviting us to be a part of the event! Okay,I'll shut up now and let the pictures do the talking. I've one outfit post coming up too but more on that later. Take care and keep it stylish,y'all!

A new year without resolutions

Red blouse and checked jacket-Metro Plaza,black shorts,ring and stockings-New Market,sling-Simpark Mall,shoes-B.K.Market

Even though 2013 started with a whiskey shot,as the crescendo went higher in the nightclubs near my place,I lost myself in my dreams with my best friend sleeping next to me. After a few drinks are downed,the hookah starts to weave its magic and the world seems unbelievably happy. 2012 was a year of all things new. I got back to the dating game after years,I got into a B school,I started dancing at the parties,I tried to get over my obsession with dance and I fell in love with myself all over again. It was a year of success and failure. It was a year of accepting my flaws and being happy with them. It was a year of rediscovering myself. So,on 1st Jan,2013,around 2 a.m.,when I was sleeping peacefully in the arms of the girl who has always loved me unconditionally,I realised I was a content person. I have accepted my defeat as far as many of my earlier passions are concerned. I no more think that I have it in me to become a good dancer. I no more fight with my mom and tell her that I want to be alone because it's fashionably poetic. I know I'm not ready for a relationship. I probably would never be ready. But I know I don't want to die alone. I know the empty walls of my room give me the creeps. I know death doesn't smell like sweet baby breath and I know all my dark fantasies were fake. I love life no matter what I claim. I broke many promises and I'm hardly perfect. While stepping into the new year,I didn't want to fool myself with many more false promises. I want 2013 to be another year of imperfection. I want to make mistakes. I want to fall in love,again. I'm not afraid to fall out of love either. I want to laugh,I want to cry. I want to count stars and sleep with my mouth wide open. I want to live my life to the fullest even if that means losing out on a few 'opportunities for the betterment of my career'. I want to have fun with my friends and go to bed with no complaints. Who knew it'd take three bad relationships to make an optimist out of me?
                                                                The pictures are from the semi-meet I had told you about. I've not been able to meet my girls that frequently ever since college started. I more than made up for it in December with one meet and two semi-meets. This one happened when Sushmita came to Kolkata. I've been an ardent follower of her blog for years! So,Anu suggested we all meet for shopping. So,we went for a shopping extravaganza at B.K.Market first where all of them bought shoes except for yours truly(yes,contrary to popular belief,I don't shop impulsively. I buy everything after a lot of planning). Then we had chaat,phuchka and tikiya chhola at Lord Sinha Road,lusted over some more shoes at Lady Gaga,sat at the ground floor of Metro Plaza and had an enthusiastic discussion about Delhi men,Masaba Gupta and quirky prints. So,a fun day without making a hole in my wallet,you see.

Turning 23

Once I'm done having my fair share of fun on Christmas and NYE,the only occasion that I look forward to till Durga Pujo is probably my b'day. I not only love my b'day like anything, I want others to love it too. So, even though I drag my friends to walk for hours for finding the perfect gift for me, I believe in treating them to a hearty meal that day(not to mention anything about how insanely fun I tend to be on my b'day). This year, my friends decided to chip in to give me a hookah for my b'day. And, half of my class dropped by for a grand(low on ambiance, high on enjoyment) party at my place. I got a lot of gifts from them that I'd be wearing in my coming outfit posts. Till then,I'll leave you with the pictures and, I almost forgot, happy new year!

Shoes,bag,bird-print shirt-B.K.Market,white denims-Simpark mall,red blazer,rings-New Market,headband-Gariahat

The grilled or baked(read fried) fish,:-P

The main course spread

P.S. We played host to Sushmita when she came to Kolkata last week.  But, more on that later.