bangalore blogger | Lofty Spectrums

Tête-à-tête with Gopal Pillai, the director, seller services, Amazon

November 29, 2016

Amazon India is the country’s largest online store, with more than 80 million products and 120,000 sellers. Amazon is also come up with a programme promoting female entrepreneurs by starting women owned delivery service wherein they promote weavers of India and artisans in textiles. People or cooperatives are trained to sell and promote their products online so that their reach becomes big and the sellers have a bigger audience for the make in India products and weaves, thereby reaching to global consumer.

Amazon has left behind its competitors including Snapdeal and Flipcart and fuelled e-commerce in India. According to the reports by Morgan Stanley, the online transactions are expected to reach $137 billions within 5 years. This has been achieved by Amazon despite the stringent rules imposed by the Govt. of India. Govt imposed strict FDI policy to protect the interest of domestic suppliers and industries, thus restricting foreign retailers from selling directly to Indian consumers. And then Amazon created a new business model and established its e-commerce in India and directly reached to local sellers. Then it recruited local suppliers and initiated into local market by establishing, for example, the award winning Amazon chai market. Here they started a fleet of three wheeler chai carts across 31 cities and navigated many miles serving over 37,000 cups of tea and signing up more than 10k sellers along the way. This unique way of establishing ubiquitous e-commerce all over the country and subsequently promoting the local sellers has brought Amazon a very long way. As Govindarajan wrote in the Harvard Business Review, “From product to delivery, Amazon has reinvented its ecosystem to address the challenges it has faced conducting an e-commerce enterprise in India.”

In conversation with Gopal Pillai, the Director and GM, Seller services, Amazon India. Gopal Pillai was here at ThinkBig 2016, organised by WeConnect international which was Asia’s biggest women entrepreneurs gathering. ThinkBig saw the women rise up and come like roaring waves for the summit. Women entrepreneurs came from all parts of the world and even from the tier 2 and tier three cities of India to be a part of this summit which served as an excellent platform for promoting women owned businesses.

in Fashion

Black is the new black

November 29, 2016

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Hello sunshine, the season of boots and jackets is back again. In bangalore the chill in the air is just enough to give you the feel of slight winters in the evenings and late nights. So if you are stepping out for any Christmas parties or just a retail therapy, you can go ahead with knee high boots or the thigh highs.They go with practically anything, be it a short dress or skirt or skinny jeans. You can even pair them with black skinnies. The jacket with the studs is again another piece which you could carry with any outfit. This season is all about embellished jackets and capes. So whether it’s a bomber or a short one or a long coat or even a cape in velvets or silk over a dress, boots can be equally complementing for all the looks.

[Outfit Details]

Black leather skirt- diesel
Black jacket – Elle

Photography- Vasanthan Kumaraswamy
Make up- Shaggy Khuman

in LifeStyle

Neelam Chhibber- the co founder of Mother Earth

November 26, 2016

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Every time you shop at Mother Earth, you spend towards artisans. You participate in preserving our heritage of centuries old art and craft; sustaining it for the future and nurturing the livelihood of the artisans. The artistic, philanthropist and dynamic Neelam Chibber is the co- founder of Mother Earth and has been awarded the WomenChangeMaker, a fellowship by Womanity Foundation, which is a Geneva based non-profit organization.

She was the winner of the 2011 India Social Entrepreneur of the Year award. Neelam Chhiber is the co-founder of Industree, a social enterprise that connects rural producers to urban markets. She is an Industrial Designer from National Institute of Design and alumunus of Social impact International, as well as Global Social Benefit Incubator , Santa Clara University, USA. Here’s a tête-à-tête with her when she was at the ThinkBig summit 2016, organised by Weconnect.

So when You go to Mother Earth and buy a Kalamkari or a Dabu collection, you are also helping an artisan when at the same time upping your style quotient.This unique concept by Neelam Chibber of mixing design which is universally appealing with the rural age old traditional art and craft, makes it all the more a huge success.

You can find Neelam Chhibber on Facebook | Twitter | linkedin | industree | Mother Earth

Anuja Pandey

in LifeStyle

Elizabeth Vazquez – a tête-à-tête with the CEO of Weconnect international in ThinkBig 2016 summit- bangalore

November 25, 2016

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WEConnect International’s fourth annual ThinkBig Summit is Asia’s largest women entrepreneurship and economic empowerment platform. The main goal of ThinkBig 2016 was to connect women-owned businesses with public and private sector opportunities that could dramatically impact the growth of their businesses. The Summit enabled almost 4,000 dynamic participants to engage in two days of inspiring and interactive sessions. Bangalore saw the women entrepreneurs come together like the roaring waves of the ocean at the thinkbig summit 2016. This path breaking initiative was organised by WeConnect International.

Here is a quick conversation with the President and CEO of WEConnect International Elizabeth Vazquez who took time during ThinkBig 2016, in bangalore recently.

As Elizabeth says that Weconnect international is a valuable resource to women owned companies who want to grow their businesses, who want to connect, who want to create jobs, who want access to market, who want to sell their products. Weconnect international’s women owned businesses represent over a 100 countries and hence is a very powerful platform for connecting with new market and building new business. Elizabeth said that women suppliers are needed since they are half of the population and they are the decision makers when it comes to making consumer purchasing decisions. Hence supplier diversity and inclusion is important for corporations too for the fact that if they want to give profit to their shareholders then they need to engage all their end users and women constitute half of the population.

in LifeStyle

ThinkBig 2016 Summit- Asia’s largest summit for women entrepreneurs

November 18, 2016

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If you can dream it, you can achieve it.- Zig Ziglar

Investing in women’s economic empowerment is an investment worth millions as it sets a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth. Women make enormous contributions to economies, whether in businesses, on farms, as entrepreneurs, or working as employees from home or in industries.

WEConnect International’s fourth annual ThinkBig Summit is Asia’s largest women entrepreneurship and economic empowerment platform. The main goal of ThinkBig 2016 was to connect women-owned businesses with public and private sector opportunities that could dramatically impact the growth of their businesses. The Summit enabled almost 4,000 dynamic participants to engage in two days of inspiring and interactive sessions.

This is Asia’s largest platform for women entrepreneurs connecting women owned businesses with public and private sector opportunities.

This is an age of innovation, ideas, initiatives and knowledge exchange. #Thinkbig #weconnect gave an apt platform to network, share knowledge, and get to understand the know-hows of business.

Bangalore saw the women entrepreneurs come together like the roaring waves of the ocean at the thinkbig summit 2016. This path breaking initiative was organised by WeConnect International and supported by government of Karnataka. This thingbig summit is surely one which would be remembered by all and appreciated for providing an apt platform to women entrepreneurs where they got a chance to connect, learn, network, Exchange information and ideas, about the latest schemes that have been taken out for the economic upliftment of women. The various panel discussions which were held over a Period of two days were extremely informative and useful. Women joined this summit which almost seemed like a movement for economic development globally. We could see that women from all over the world and our own country, including tier two and three towns, also joined the summit, thereby making it a complete success. This platform served as a source to very many useful informations. ThinkBig saw the launch of the website of ‘Karnataka ladies Association and manufacturers Park’ ( K -lamp) to boost the business prospects of women from Bidar, Yadgir, Bellary, Raichur, Koppal and Gulbarga.

Another programme for women with no previous entrepreneurial background, for start ups was also unveiled, where the IIM-B will give a capsule course to the chosen bright ideas for start ups and this is backed and sponsored by Goldman Sachs, as announced by the CEO of Goldman Sachs, Bunty Bohra.

There were seminars and various panel discussions on such programmes which are there to support women entrepreneurs . The idea of the discussions was to enlighten about what measures are being taken for the upliftment and how they could use it if they have knowledge of the same.

In fact UNDP also threw light on its project Disha which is the new and innovative idea. It is an effort to tackle lack of information, direction regarding entrepreneurship in the segments of our society where Internet and access to knowledge is restricted and less. So the aim of the project is to give right information to the right people by guiding them to right direction, at right time, thereby enabling them to become successful in their endeavours which they otherwise don’t for the lack of information.

To empower women entrepreneurs government of Karnataka is coming up with four exclusive women’s parks at Ramnagar, Bellary, Gulbarga and Dharwad. These are planned keeping in mind the requirement of women entrepreneurs. These will be equipped with the state of the art civil, financial and social infrastructure as announced by CM of Karnataka Sri Siddaramaiah. State government also offers 50 % grant for Sc/ST for setting up industries.

Weconnect International certifies and gives the “women owned businesses” a recognition and also connects them globally. Hence WeConnect , ThinkBig summit provided a right approach and also a platform for the public-sector, government sector, private companies and industries and entrepreneurs to come together and look for sustainable way to bring social and economic empowerment of women for complete transformation. The panel discussions on building partnership, on economy and technology, on human rights and business ethics, were absolutely mind-stirring as so much of knowledge exchange and Idea sharing happened in these dialogues among the Panelists and the global audience. Everybody, from grassroots level to the creamiest layer., had something to ask, inquire, suggest and talk about.

There were discussions where personalities like Lalita Kumaramangalam, who is the chairperson of National commission of women, Elizabeth, the CEO of Weconnect international, Bunty Vohra, the CEO of Goldman Sachs, Jenny Grieser who is the senior director for women’s economy empowerment for Walmart, Dr. Priti G.Adani, chairperson for Adani foundation, Ratna Prabha, addl. chief secretary of government of Karnataka, were actively pronouncing and delivering messages and supporting the cause of the coming together for this summit. The representation from IKEA, AWAKE and also many other NGOs was also there in strong number.

The presence of big names like the Amazon, Shop clues, Walmart, the various consulates from world over, the specialists in their fields and a lot many from every walk of life made it a very successful and fruitful event.

The beautiful cultural shows by artists from various states and parts of our state too made it a very colourful event. Women from smallest of towns and villages, from the self help groups, to the biggest of industries, everyone enthusiastically participated in putting up exhibition and stalls of their products

Hence WeConnect ThinkBig made it an apt ground to solve, resolve, suggest, network, connect and evolve for women in business and otherwise. The smiles on so many faces make me more modest, the success stories of women from Rural backgrounds inspires us and stories of women who go on struggling without any support and despite failures, is something that commands respect from every woman who is Cocooned, loved and respected and inspires us to take a path breaking initiative to extend the similar support to such people who don’t get any. For with rights also come duties, if you have right over something then you also are obliged towards someone.

I am proud to be associated with the WeConnect international and ThinkBig 2016 as the blogger for the event. It makes the belief of a she in herself stronger for the ones who are unsheltered, unprotected and yet the Shakt, the inspiration. At this Summit, women took back knowledge, networks, ideas with them along with the belief of dreaming big, thinking big, and acting big with the ThinkBig 2016.

I will be posting the video chats with a lot many of women entrepreneurs and influential personalities hereafter.

in Fashion

Fusion- antique jewelry with western outfit

November 13, 2016

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Fashion is all about experimenting. We all have been wearing antiques with our lehnga, saree, anarkali and other ethnic dresses but this wedding season let’s give it a twist and add some fizz to your look. So c’mon girls whether it’s your wedding or friends wedding, gear up in high fashion. Anyway prints are big time hit and off shoulders add the sizzle to it. So it is another wedding in the family and I choose this printed skirt for my model with lots of color thrown into it and electric blue giving it the jazz. I paired it with one of the antique sets , the navaratan chokar set with big jhumki earring. This is the statement piece of jewelry which is very interesting and you surely would be the head turner this wedding season. Braiding is back so you can avoid the tongs or straighteners for all the havoc they do to your hair.

To change the look and go a little more simpler you could just wear a chandbala which is so interesting. So girls go have all the crazy fun with this minimalistic look for any Mehndi ceremony or any day party. Happy wedding season

=Outfit Details=
Makeup- Charu Mati
Dress designer- Mutiyaar by Ridhi Arora

Model- Khushboo
Photography by – Vedansh Pandey

Styling, direction and written by- Ashish Dubey

in LifeStyle

Taste of Puglia- Sheraton Grand Gateway

November 12, 2016

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Bene, the Award winning signature Italian Restaurant at Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway offers an exclusive range of divine Italian food. Presently the Bene is hosting traditional, rustic south Italian food festival called the “Taste of Puglia” and it will go on till the 13th of this month. Chef Giuseppe is the Head Chef at Bene, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway’s signature Italian dining venue. An enthusiastic and pioneering chef, he brings his diverse expertise to the culinary aspects of Bene for this food festival with his specially curated menu which is so typical to homes of the south of Italy.

The Sundays see a lovely concept of laying the Grandma’s table wherein a table for 18-20 people is laid and is loaded with delicious delicacies. You may not know a lot of them but this is how traditionally Italians in their rustic set up used to get together and eat, drink and make merry, singing out songs and playing instruments and occasionally dancing. The idea is to make merry and open your heart and senses.

Chef Giuseppe Lioce is truly an Italian by temperament and we had a lovely time interacting with him. We were invited by the very warm team of Brigade gateway for a lavish lunch and the chef created a unique experience for us with his jovial attitude and we struck a special camaraderie and he truly enlivened the dining experience at Bene. He served us some of his signature dishes but we had to start with a Chardonnay and some fresh olives stuffed with almonds which are specific to Italy. Signature bread was also served with Bene dips and olive oil.

The restaurant has a characteristic Italian/Californian style in contrast to the traditional Italian décor set in cheerful colors with natural wood and stone in a functional yet modern design.

Once you are there you choose from an impressive array of appetizers and salads, soups, pastas, pizzas, cheese, hand crafted by the Italian Master himself Chef Giuseppe Lioce all of which are impeccably flavored and are made from the freshest local ingredients together with fine imported Italian products, authentic recipes with innovative and exquisite presentations. We also did a tour of the herbs that were grown there itself for the fresh aroma it imaprts to the food. The menu features a wide selection of traditional Italian dishes along with creative house specialties with the famous Pizzaiolo, Pizza Bar that helps the guests in selecting the pizza of their choice while they have a sip of their favorite beverage.

It was a fine dining experience with lovely music playing, wine n food in ample, cheer in the air and laughter riots amongst us.

The French windows invite people into the restaurant with action, music and aroma from the open kitchen and bread ovens. Natural light, windows with a view, large and picturesque botanical arrangements and the opening to the outdoor terrace accentuate the fine Italian experience.

Bruchetta pugliese – homemade PUGLIA BREAD and its topped with fresh cherry tomatoes from the terrace of sheraton itself. Then it has sundried tomatoes, shaved aged parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil and argula leaves to imaprt that fresh flavour. This was one of the appetisers we began with.

Polpettine di zucchine- this is again an appetiser which is zucchine fritters served with chili tomato sauce and dry olives from Bari.

Panzeroti pugliesi- this is like mini folded pizza and it was so soft and deliciosly filled with stuffing of burrata cheese and tomato and basil. This just melted in my mouth.

Cavatelli alla pugliese- this is again homemade cavatelli pasta and it also looks easy to roll out but really,no. this is cooked in rich basil pesto, black olives, sundried tomatoes and creamy burrata top it and slurp. So we had two kinds of pasta,one in veg and another in non veg selection.

Orecchiette al ragu- this is homemade orecchiette pasta which chef told me how to make and is usually made in every household of Bari and I tried my hands at it. This is traditionally slow cooked with lamb ragout and left on the flame for hours together as Sundays church would keep women busy and as they come home it is already done. Then it is topped with pecorino cheese and enjoyed as a Sunday meal by all and one together. This was amazing and I love my experience of trying to roll it out, though unsuccessfully.

Pollo alla pugliese- this is chicken cooked in casserole with rosemary,fresh tomato, potato and grilled onion, and served with fresh salad.

Cocule- these are potato dumplings baked in oven with chili gravy tomato sauce, topped with salted ricotta cheese shavings and spinach.

Semi freddo al caffe- this was the dessert for us, coffee ice cream cake, almond foam, and some citrus seasonal fruits.

Freshly baked pizza in the clay oven

The food festival is on

Where – Sheraton
When – 4th to 13th of Nov

Book your table for lunch or dinner

You can find Sheraton on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube

in LifeStyle

Embark on a journey into your inner space with Antarmahal – a collection of fabrics by Atmosphere

November 11, 2016

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Good morning and cheers to today! This is the season of the new, the trees are shedding their old leaves for fresh ones, it is officially autumn. The festive aroma of air, food, wine and crackers is already pervading the environment. Deepawali marks a beginning to things new and fresh, trendy and fashionable, be it your own clothes or personal style, or prepping up your home to give your space a warmer and stylish feel. And if you are looking to alchemise your home or work space thereby transforming it into a fleek and stylishly well groomed one then Atmosphere luxury fabrics are the ones which will do the magic, and definitely leave you spell bound. The panache and elegant class that your home reflects is always a part of who you are, so come, explore, discover your own self in the journey of making up your abode into an Antarmahal of your dreams.

A global luxury home textile brand, atmosphere is only for the aesthetically inclined. With an international presence, the brand is known for its impeccable design vocabulary.

The brand offers an exclusive collection of luxury Drapery, Upholstery, Bed Linen and Accessories, with emphasis on an evolved aesthetic and superior quality, coupled with originality in designs. With design studios in Bangalore, Milan and New York their visions are seamlessly transformed into quality fabrics – the result is a marvel!

Yesterday I had the privilege to spend time at the their high end store on the upmarket Lavelle Road and with pleasure I’d like to share more about their latest collection ANTARMAHAL, which has been created with the aim of creating luxurious spaces for modern day royalty.

The Antarmahal collection is an ode, a poetry – a befitting tribute to the opulence and grandeur of a bygone era. Antarmahal means ‘inner chambers of the palace’, and draws inspiration from a spirited, glamorous, royal Maharani whose sensuality and identity and sophistication can be catered to by equally luxurious fabrics, adding to the glory and charm of a royal lifestyle.

Antarmahal lionises the royalty of a lady by contributing to her inner discovery when she is in her space – a luxury that is priceless!

From concept to creation, Antarmahal started with the vision of what our customers are looking for, and how we can best help them create the spaces that will complement their lifestyles,
explains Akanksha Himatsingka, Managing director, Atmosphere.

The collection has a wide variety of textiles like opulent velvets, gossamer fine sheers, upholsteries with zari woven into the fabric, spelling elegant regality and luxury. The fabrics have been created taking references from Indian royalty and study of dyeing techniques used in the times of kings and queens. Mood boards with Indian hues like Aam, Basanti, Dhani, Kesar amongst others were created to set the mood for rolling out a collection as royal as this.

Atmosphere has recently launched its new website and offers an interesting service for “Home Styling.” Prior appointments must be scheduled and are available online for a minimal fee. The in house stylists help you style your interiors and give a make-over to your home by creating an Atmosphere that is truly unique.

On returning home, I laid out the bed-linen, the bed spread and pillow cases in my bedroom and enjoyed the experience the brand boasts about. The touch and feel of the products were just as promised, a befitting presence in the most personal of spaces – one’s bedroom. The soothing light hues help you unwind as you enter your cocoon after a hard day’s work. The perfect blend of aesthetics and functionality reflect your personality, your abode highlighted by the Atmosphere identity,

Make your spaces unique and luxurious with a versatile selection of fabrics at Atmosphere, from baroque velvets to contemporary sheers, from soft cottons to rich silks, designed to awaken the senses, both visual and tactile.

Awaken your senses as I did.

Brocade flower and makamali

=Outfit Details=
Benarasi saree my mom’s
Brand collaboration- Atmosphere
Venue partner- atmosphere store Lavelle road

You can find Atmosphere on Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

Styling and written by- Anuja Pandey

in Fashion, LifeStyle

Volvo S90 : Redefining the idea of luxury

November 8, 2016

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The 2016 Volvo S90 has been quite the highly awaited offering from the automaker, which was finally launched on Friday with much aplomb and aesthetics.

We Were delighted and very thrilled to have been invited for the same event and launch party and it was an experience of its own kind. Both of us were flown and the hospitality at Hyatt was amazing as we were very well taken care of.

It indeed was a star studded evening in the presence of imposing, news making, wave creating Bollywood’s Big B and Jaya Bachchan and the charming Abhishek Bachchan. The launch happened at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai, in the open lawns under the starry sky, canopied beautifully for the event.

The event was made extra special by the launch of first western collection by none other than the most artistic and awe inspiring duo- Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla.
The beautifully done up runway was an art in itself with the backdrop of trees laden with snow and as the models embarked their walk on the runway, they were playing like beautiful birds romancing sensuously around trees and then did they start walking the ramp one by one with the soft music and light textured feathers & feminine fluidity of form was totally accentuated. The theme was birds and we could prominently see it in the western clothing line launch of Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla.

The capes in feathers and other fluid materials like lace etc with trails and the shorter capes too gave the perfect feminine form an aura of royalty and magnificence, with a hint of superiority that a woman in control enjoys due to her form and beauty, that is unique to the gifted gender , ie, womanhood. The colours were black n grey to start with and then followed the pristine whites. It gave an impression so angelic and pure !

The ramp, the music and the models, the collection of clothes showcased , all was giving an ethereal and ecstatic feel. It almost seemed like a piece of paradise on earth for some time.

And finally the fabulously classy Shweta Bachchan Nanda enthralled the audience as she walked the runway with elan and poise, and artistically etched the drama on stage with movements which were so telling and mesmerising.

This was definitely the moment when the Big B himself was so thrilled to see his daughter and the pride and happiness on his face was oh so unmissable. It was adorable. I could just totally relate to it for this reminded me so much of my mother.

The showstopper was the Scandinavian beauty which combines Swedish technology, the Volvo S90. It was driven and stopped on the center of the stage with aplomb and its elegance totally complemented luxury, unmatched and unparalleled.
Volvo S90, the launch of this beauty in the most aesthetic way is an expression that evokes a high sense of elegant refinement. Underneath the crisply sculpted exterior lies a new chassis that delivers the perfect combination of precise handling and welcome effort. Volvo S90 definitely is designed to deliver a higher grade of luxury.

It has 3 – point safety belt and side impact airbags- inventions that have saved lives and changed automotive history thereby valuing people. It has intuitive senses and its intelli safe innovations support you while you are driving. The Volvo S90 has been designed around you.

Volvo in India with prices starting at Rs. 53.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Swedish carmaker’s flagship sedan in India competes with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Jaguar XF. Review of the same will follow soon.

=Event- launch of Volvo S90 =
Hospitality partner- Grand Hyatt, Mumbai
Travel partner- Jet Airways
Designer collection- launch of Khosla Jani western fall collection

in Wellness & Beauty

Skincare with INNISFREE

November 5, 2016

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This year is going by so fast, I can’t believe it’s already November, Diwali is over and the nip of the air has that slight chill which touches the tip of my nose as I step out early in the morning and we’re so close to the holidays. There are a few ways I switch up my beauty routine to suit the change in season around this time of year. Small tweaks to your makeup and skincare will make all the difference as we go from fall to winter. Today I will discuss my skin care routine and next to follow would be the hair care.

I love to try a lot of products from various brands, only switching often can surely lead to sensitivity and break outs. So the best way, that I have learnt overtime, to switch products is to change with the season as you would require a change in your routine anyways.

So I was travelling and it was almost few years back when INNISFREE was not launched in India and since I had read how Julia Roberts loves this brand for its against animal testing and all natural so I had to buy this and soon it became a part of my routine over years.

Innisfree is a naturalism-oriented cosmetics brand created by Amore Pacific.The brand name originated from W. B. Yeats’ poem, ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’.

It is one of the few Korean brands that use organic ingredients certified by France’s ECOCERT organization. Innisfree is known for being South Korea’s first all-natural

INNISFREE real quinoa mask

A refreshing finish from fresh, natural ingredients
Abundant nutritional formula for resilient skin
Resilient texture with the sizzle of grain
Refreshes skin with a delicate natural fragrance while applying this mask.

This is a woderful and I totally swear by it for it doesn’t disturb the ph balance of my skin. This is so soothing to skin. You can just leave it on for 10 mins and then wash it off with lukewarm water. And yes you are all set and the nourishment to the skin keeps it supple n healthy.

When I had initially bought there was this olive self heating pack and a almond sugar scrub which was again lovely and now it’s been discontinued from the product line somehow.

=Product INNISFREE=
You can find in innisfreeworld.com

Anuja Pandey

in Fashion

The Fine Art Of Zari, Perfected- reviving Kanjeevaram

October 29, 2016

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A Silk saree is synonymous with tradition and it would hold its importance always despite all odds. No matter how modern or westernised a woman gets or how expensive a sari gets, a quintessential Kanjeevaram would always be worn for festivals or weddings or any other important ceremonies in any Indian family and would never go out of vogue. The eye for exquisite details and uncompromising stand on quality is what has earned Kanjeevaram silk its name.

Silk sarees are family heirlooms and the effort for the revival of kanjeevaram which is been taken up by the registry of sarees is a commendably genuine way of trying to bring back kanjeevarams in the life of a modern woman. The hope to show how old forms, colors and patterns can easily find new relevance in contemporary living is the purpose of The Registry of sarees, and revival of kanjeevaram movement.

Kausalya Satyakumar, Apoorva Sadanand and Ally Matthan together formed The Registry of Sarees which will have a two-fold approach — focussed learning events on indigenous techniques and second, lending support to struggling looms. It’s Ally Matthan who generated so much of enthusiasm amongst women all over India with the #100sareepact movement.

I was invited by my beautiful friend Arshia for attending this event and there was a talk by the evergreen beauty, Kausalya Satyakumar, who is an expert on textile.

This celebration of traditional art of weaving of Kanjeevarams was one of its kind where beautifully woven sarees were showcased brilliantly and what a marvel it was!! During the talk a lot of light was thrown on the making of kanjeevaram, the intricate motifs, the designs and the weaving of the Kanjeevarams.

The patterns and designs in the Kanjeevaram Sarees are inspired with images and scriptures in South Indian temples or natural features like leaves, birds and animal.

The registry of sarees has taken yali as its symbol which is a mythical creature and we usually chance to see this on the pillars of the temples of south India.

The Yali is a mythical creature that marries the regal will and fierceness of a lion, the strength and wisdom of an elephant and the graceful speed and elegance of the horse and the sharpness of an eagle. A symbol of intense protection that safeguards our most precious values. In doing so the whole of four creatures become more powerful than the individual being. Hence the symbol so strong since the effort is to keep the traditional art of weaving going, to safeguard our culture , to keep up the handicraft, handloom and the artisans. If it were not for this, India won’t have ever earned the recognition globally that it has, due to its deep rooted culture, heritage and architecture.

The Yali’s treasure chest had an interesting amalgamation of beautiful vintage sarees which had delicate interplay of motifs and very typically traditional colours like parrot green and various shades of greens, the brick red colour and many more. The beautiful saris in the equally complementing interiors of the Phoenix kessaku was a perfect visual treat and a sensual journey into the world of traditional Kanjeevarams. The typical motifs were Mayil-kannu (peacock eye), rudraksha’s, malli- moggu (jasmine drops) .

Each saree is a limited edition piece crafted in collaboration with the weaver’s inspiration and the designer’s inputs.

In her expert talk Kausalya said “there is no motif that is completely new, they have all evolved from the temple architecture and, again, they symbolise the confluence of different sects, different energies”. She told how peacock and chakram are representation of the Shaivism and vaishnavism respectively. The peacock is the vehicle of Lord Murugan , thus a representation of Shiva and chakra as we all know is the symbol of Lord Vishnu. These motifs are used in all forms of sarees, be it Orissa, Paithani, or, Benarasi saree but in different forms. The idea is to not dilute the traditional motifs, instead retain it and create an awareness, and thus adopt it in a more contemporary and trendy form and make it a part of our modern living.

As the splendid Kanjeevarams were laid out for delectation and as Kausalya went on giving the minutest of details of the sarees , I felt the beauty of the sarees had ensorcelled me. I am somebody who has hardly worn a Kanjeevaram but with the awareness increased my inclination to wear these work of art more often, for the love of labour apart from the charm it holds in its brilliance. So I chose to drape one of these black n gold over my animal printed top, this is more effortless style and this look can be carried off with ease even though you wear a Kanjeevaram.

The other one , ie, the green one is been woven in Korwai technique where the body and the border are two different colors and are joined using the third shuttle. Normally this is how Kanjeevaram sarees were woven, and it requires a third hand in the weaving and it used to be the child of the family, but with the abolition of child labour, it became difficult to employ one more working hand and that is why the sarees with Korwai technique are more expensive. So I chose to go on with the traditional look in this saree pairing it up with a brocade blouse for the festival and Pooja season that it is. here you go girls, what are you waiting for, dig in your mom’s wardrobe and pick out the old Kanjeevaram– time to revive and celebrate.

This is the season of festivities and celebration, mirth n cheer is in the air, and wherever you step out now, the first thought that crosses your mind is what are you going to gift to your friends and family. Everyone is gifting and we all talk about the art of gifting but do we really know or understand the concept, or, do we actually comprehend what is the ‘art of gifting’. I heard somewhere today on radio ” it is not the art of gifting, it’s the art of caring and sharing…” Indian handloom , weaving , and handicraft ….is getting no path to prosper or progress and bloom, instead it’s withering, dying and getting extinct. This is where your role starts and if a little thought goes before buying a gift this Diwali , then you would not be just gifting something to your friend but also a family of an artisan. Probably this Diwali you could gift a smile to a million dollar weaver who is perishing somewhere in the thin air with the smoke of the crackers.

Happy Deepawali to all of you and let there be light in the lives of all our fellow beings.

Be lofty as you celebrate and keep safe🙏🙏🙏💕❤️❤

[Outfit Details]

I am wearing Kanjeevaram by – the Registry of Sarees

My friend Arshia is wearing a Ganga Jamuna Kanjeevaram ( her own collection)

Venue partner- Phoenix kessaku

You can find The Registry of Sarees | Facebook | Blog

Styling and direction and written by – Anuja Pandey

in Fashion

A lunch date with Missoni

October 22, 2016

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I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this… (Pablo Neruda)

it’s Missoni kaftan dress, makes me perfect for a cruise or yatch party or even a brunch.

So there was this exhibition at the Taj of many a luxury designers and brands in fashion and I was invited there .These brands which were showcased here have not yet made an entry in the bangalore scene of fashion so this would also give an assessment of the choice and and an insight into the potential clients and market analysis of our lovely city, bangalore.

It was a breezy warm noon. The autumns in bangalore are different from any part of the world, they are nice, romantic and the weather of bangalore scores and gets all the brownie points , if any Bangalorean has to speak about this place. Unlike anywhere else in India , this place is so moderate, summers are never harsh and winters are just cool enough to let you use a few jackets , that too hardly. I swear by the weather here as you can practically pull out anything from your wardrobe any time of the year without any fear of fashion failure or disasters. But personally I believe in style and personal style, and not so much in fashion.

So here I was at the Taj Westend and the brands showcased were all from Roberto Cavalli , to what not .So I chose try on a Missoni. The gown I tried was one of the Kaftan styles. And Asian and Middle East impact on the fashion scene is big this season. This was one of the exotic pieces and I had to wear and write about.

Kaftans are comfortable loose garments that somehow offer both modesty and allure. They are both glamorous and comfortable, exotic yet simple. A kaftan can be an expensive, designer made status symbol, or an inexpensive discount store purchase. They can be found at ethnic specialty boutiques, or made at home with or without a pattern.

Kaftans look wonderful on young women as well as older women, thin or heavy set women. They are airy and cool on a hot summer day, or cozy worn over a turtle neck. The one I am wearing has a v neck and perfectly suits the season and my mood.( I love effortless style and fashion that complements your attitude).

In this gown or kaftan dress the Iconic Missoni patterns in Stripes, squares and zigzags exist by side, influencing one another, drawing closer to one another and superimposing themselves n an endless interlacing of horizontal bands, vertical ribs.Contrasting space-dyes and solid colours, flow through the netting.
This season´s Spring 2017 collection represents the essence of the Missoni language viewed from a contemporary perspective, re-visiting the ‘put-together’ look . Missoni represents modern elegance that is versatile and multicoloured and plays on a refined mixing and matching of woven fabric, knitwear colours, yarns, stitches and patterns.

This is one brand where fashion typically is not the put together look but being comfortable in your skin is what matters.

You won’t really need to accessorise a Missoni with its class coupled with ‘devil may care’ attitude, yet i thought of putting on a Swarovski to compliment the beauty, that is Missoni, I was flaunting. I would love to make it a part of my personal collection , how about you !!

It made for a perfect day which was followed by some lovely high tea.

[Outfit Details]
I’m wearing – Missoni with Swarovski neck chain

Venue- Taj Westend

Anuja Pandey

in Travel

Interesting Facts about Chikmagalur Coffee. For Coffee lover’s

June 28, 2016

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A planter’s pride – Chikmagalur is the paradise.

Chikmagalur is a paradise for a nature lover, a bliss for a writer, and a delight for a coffee connoisseur; and, yes, not the least the pride of a planter. It’s a perfect summer retreat for a relaxing break from the monotonous routine, and when I feel the need of fresh breath of air to revive me into myself I head to malnad.

Hence today we hit the road for a trip to Chikmagalur and this is not my first trip to this place as I have spent some wonder years here inmalnad. We reached there late evening as the sun was setting and the birds were all going to their abode and the beautiful, mystical hills nestled together looked sun-kissed and the blanket of greenery as far as I could see was a treat to my eyes.

The morning was so beautiful as I woke up to the pitter patter of the occasional showers, the whole atmosphere was oh so green amidst the blue open skies. The window pane still had the droplets of rains telling the romantic saga of night. I woke up to the aroma of freshly brewed filter coffee and felt so very rejuvenated and happy.

Chikmagalur is like heaven and if I chance to come here I usually stay in a home stay. The property here was a coffee plantation and amidst it was the bungalow of the owner where we stayed in a cosy room. The floor was wooden and the ceilings high with a red brick terrace that slopes down to make it easy for rains to fall off since rains are very heavy here and hence the name Malnad, thereby implying the region of rains.

I could see the arica trees, the coffee below it, the teak leaves brushing against each other with every gush of wind, the nature seemed like freshly bathed and so green as if singing to the tunes of wind. The pepper climbers were creeping up the trees and there were occasional jackfruit trees here n there. We were taken for a tour of the plantation and explained extensively about the spices and coffee, when does a coffee plant bloom its white flowers that look like drops of frost on the plants, though this is not yet the season of flowers. Now taste the local coffee with me as the aroma of it lingers on like the sweet memories of your first love. The birthplace of coffee in India is Chikmagalur and as history tells it is the arab pilgrim known as Baba Budan who smuggled seven seeds of coffee from Mecca, and sowed coffee seeds at the same hill which is known after him. These are the local varieties of coffee

Panduranga coffee
Arabica coffee– this is light copper in colour and this is what you would love when you are camping on the misty mountains of the western ghats. This gives an unforgettable kick and makes you alive.
Vanilla coffee where vanilla beans are locally dipped into the coffee decoction and traditionally it is served with black jaggery in black coffee. Mmm the addiction to vanillicious coffee is out of this earth.
The blended coffee is a perfect mix of arabica 90% and robusta 10% . The beans are roasted to exemplary perfection. This is best used in cold coffee.
Mysore coffee is the aromatic one, here the blend is with Mysore coffee beans which makes it unique.

We had a sumptuous breakfast which was typical to malnad, some kanchipuram idlis, Mysore bondas and set dosas with all sort of chutneys, tomato, coconut, peanut, and ginger.

Afterwards we went out to bike around. The whole day was full of fun activities. And then afternoon we left for baba budangiri hills. This is a hill and we drove down n then trekked up to the top of the hill to view the beautiful valleys of western ghats. The sunset is picturesque from this place so it is worth the climb and there is a ‘devasthana’ , ie, a temple where we attended the Pujo and started back. The trek was beautiful although this is not the season for trekking anymore since rains have started and leeches in the season to come will be in plenty.

We returned to our home stay where our hostess had arranged a beautiful spread of dinner for us. It was typical malnad cuisine, we relished on Kerala red rice, some rice balls called as ‘kodalu’, ‘hirekai palya’ ( ridge gourd veg), chicken local style preparation, and sambhar. The salad, rasam, and curd is a staple accompaniment. The sweet was ‘shavige’ ( vermicelli)n sweetened coconut milk along with it.

After the dinner we walked a mile, the drizzle had started again. A day well spent away from the chaos of city life.

The next morning we were starting back and on the way had planned to go to the Shanti falls. The Kemmanagundi is very beautiful too and an ideal place for a day picnic but monsoon season should be avoided if you are travelling to Chikmagalur. Thus hence we arrived at the Shanti falls where you trek and reach amidst the lush forest. As I reached there I splashed water on my face, it felt so good, I was back to life sorrounded with greenery of spectacular Kemmenagundi.

I perfectly had a lofty day on the mountains of Chikmagalur in the plantation and expect the following mornings to rush in the beautiful spectrums to my vision.