Summer Jewelry for the Minimalist

I recently went on a trip to the Andamans (it was nothing short of insane). And on beach holidays, you get to wear the cutest jewelry. I don't usually carry statement necklaces when I travel because 1) I'm always scared they'll break and 2) I prefer travelling really light in the trinkets department.

And I realized that I tend to wear a type of jewelry during the summer that never sees the light of day post August. Not like we in Chennai have seasons other than the monsoon (more like summer, summermore, summermost), but I thought I'd share with you some stuff that I would pack if I was going on a more resort-y kind of holiday. The Andamans was more of the 'getupits5amweregoingtobelatefortheferry' variety, so I barely wore the jewelry I packed. I hope this gives you guys some inspiration on what to wear for those beachy, summery days.

Items:
1. Turquoise Stone pendant - Matalan (UK) - ten million years ago
2. Skull Pendant - JC Penny (USA) - on sale for like $4
3. Layered bracelet - Ayesha
4. White shell bracelet - gift from the mother
5. Feather Necklace - Primark
6. Anchor bracelet - Accessorize

More Summer Staples: Keep it Light

I find myself going with the whole 'less is more' concept during the summer. I mean yeah, I love wearing pops of color (OCCASIONALLY). I don't know if it's a placebo thing, but I feel myself wearing dantier jewelry, nuder nailpolish, lighter perfumes and floatier scarves. I think I trick myself into believing that the less shit I put on myself, the less heat I will feel.
And it works!

Here are some lovely products that I'm sure you can get a hold of, and if not, anything similar works too!

So the scarf that is playing background is this lovely sheer one from Delhi which cost me all of 70 INR. It has some fancy label attached to it also. Export reject WIN. I love dark florals for summer, so this had to come home with me. Whenever I wear a tank, this usually goes over it. I need to find more of these.

I love this delicate art-deco-ish number from Forever New. I somehow CANNOT do chunky statement pieces during the summer months, so this does a great job of dressing an outfit up. I usually pair it with this midi ring from Forever 21.

Lovely, light fragrances. The Lychee Blossom Body mist from the Body Shop  is for those days where I want something refreshingly cool - it has a permanent place at the bottom of my bag (thank you to Dipali who got me this for my last birthday :D). The Aqua Lily Eau De Toilette (Discontinued)  is what I use as my 'going out' perfume during the summer. I simply cannot do those heavy, sweet scents that I enjoy during the cooler (cooler being 39 degrees) months. Very sophisticated, and boy, does it linger.

Best. Nude. Ever. Revlon nailpolish in the shade 011 Sheer Rose. Suits my skin tone. And it just is WONDERFUL when you want something clear, but with a hint of color. 

So there we have it. A few summer bits I've been loving over the past week of this lovely Agni Nakshatram that the universe has blessed us with. Stay hydrated!

- A

Necklace Layering - 2 ways

So as I was rummaging around in my jewelry, I realized I have far too many necklaces.
And most of them never see the light of day, but I keep buying more.

And then I felt really bad and vowed never to buy more.

Then I realized that would never happen because YOLO.

So, jumping on the layering bandwagon, I decided to style two sets of necklaces two ways. Almost a 'Good Girl gone Bad' teeehheeehee.

*clears throat*
Anyway.

This first set is a pair of statement necklaces. I think layering statement necklaces is something that you can totally get away with if you're wearing a really plain blouse, or a top. Make sure that the necklaces are related in some way (or not, if you're going for that). This can be in terms of tones, the stonework, the shape, whatever.
I wore this with a collared shirt because I think it adds that extra dimension - you can put one necklace so that it peeps under the collar, and the other one can be all out.

One necklace must hang lower/wider than the other, or they will end up sitting one on top of the other and give you this very unflattering 'aunty at a wedding' vibe that just isn't a good look at all. Fail.

 

 Behind the scenes :P. Me myself and I need to get that tripod back from my friend's house :P
Or my FRIENDS could take pictures for me (WINK WINK, HINT HINT)



This second set is a lot edgier and something I love wearing. Anyone who knows me knows I love me a little  lot Gothic Lolita, so the crosses and skulls are right up my alley. Here the key is balancing out the lengths. Make sure you've got one closer to the neck and one that sits nicely near your well, boob area, and in between can be whatever you want. I love how they get all intertwined (intertwined, not tangled) because it looks very rocker chic.

So let me know how you guys get on with this. I am not sure whether this will make you look at the millions of necklaces that I am sure you all own and encourage you to utilize them better or go the completely opposite way and will send you out on a spree to buy more pieces to layer with.

I am not responsible for the latter.

P.S If you do end up buying more, please tell me, because I will feel so much better about myself :P

Happy Tuesday!

Purchases: A few new buys (for fall)

Well yes. I am one of those people who cannot stand the A/C below 24 and the moment the monsoon rolls in, I bring out my sweaters. I am useless. But I am a true Chennai child. I need my warmth.
And I exploit that five degree temperature drop we get after August. I call it 'fall'. My parents laugh but I really enjoy layering clothes and buying darker colored lipstick/nailpolish.
And that is just what I did.

I also managed to try out a site called everstylish.com. I saw some really cute jewelry on sale there so I thought I'd give it a go. I will give you my honest opinion on that too.

NOTE: The sweater in the picture is not something I got recently although for those of you who like that kinda stuff - Mango and M&S do some adorable sweaters, both thick and thin.

The three pieces of jewelry that I picked were all very different. One of them was statement-ish, one more subtle and one because it had a freakin' skeleton hand. Enough said.
As with all online shopping, you can never really tell the quality from the photo. You can never tell if it's plastic or metal. But, once you've shopped around enough (I'm not proud of it) you know what to look for to tell the difference. Also, they're on sale now so if you want to pick some stuff up - go here

1. Braided gold chain pendant (INR 499)
    I really loved this piece. Possibly my favorite from the lot. It was exactly what I expected it to be, all       metal. The chain was really good quality too. Can see myself wearing this a lot with plain tops or collared blouses.



2. Silver and black statement necklace (INR 399)
 A nice, bold piece to wear with both Indian (I definitely think so) and regular clothing. Very versatile. I was a bit disappointed though - the chain was metal but the pendant pieces were plastic. It still looks like metal though so I don't mind so much.




3. Skeleton hand necklace (INR 199)
This one was an impulse buy. It was purely for the pendant more than anything. I could tell the chain was plastic from the picture itself. I probably will switch up the chain for a black leather strip or thick thread.
The pendant itself is a lightweight metal. Love the detailing on it. Phew.


Overall, I thought this site is a big hit-and-miss and has a lot to do with luck. I am not a fan of the pretty-yet-deceptive photography. Also the range is pretty small. But some of the pieces are very unique (lolita-esque wrist chains, hamsa pendants and a couple of really nice statement pieces that are all under the INR 500 mark). I'd give it a 3/5.

And now to the two 'fall' make up items.
I got away with the first one using the 'it's my birthday soon' excuse.
Story of my life.

4. L'oreal Color Riche Moist Matte (phew) in Arabian Nights (INR 899)
Holy crap. This goes on like a dream and sets into your lips SO WELL. You can hardly tell that it's matte. Doesn't dry out or look cakey. I am no beauty guru but this lipstick is the bomb. Vogue thinks so too, it won the Vogue Beauty Award for the shade Raspberry Syrup in the same line (check that out too)
It is a very flattering berry-plum color that reminds me of MAC's Rebel. I honestly think I prefer this one. If you're in the market for a color that isnt the regular red or pink, I think you should look at this one. Don't be fooled by the lipstick itself - it looks really dark. But when it's actually on you, it's a lot more subtle. If that's what you like.

5. Maybelline Color Show nailpolish in Crazy Berry (INR 75)
This was literally SUCH an impulse buy. I walked into Health and Glow with my friend, needed 200 to swipe my card, saw this near the counter, grabbed it and billed. I didn't expect it to be anything great. Looked like a run of the mill purple. Credit goes to said friend for picking the color.
BUT NO.
On my fingers, it looks like this vampy-sexy-malificenty-vixeny color that is a very good alternative to black.
P.S Not a fan of the name. A lot of the names for this line sound like they were just thought up overnight. By a 7-year-old.


I will do a post showing how the lipstick and the nailpolish look on me as soon as I can, if this can help a few of you out :)