Youshine on twitter Contest

Is there anything we enjoy more than fun, fast evolving trends? Yes, probably a shaken martini but we won't get into the after dark concoctions here.

The coolest new trend, much like pop-up sales is hosting a twitter contest. Quicker than blogposts and its actually a lot of fun cause it is so mobile, literally.

Collaborating with one of my favourite sponsors Youshine, presenting to you a 3 day Twitter contest where the rules are really simple. The coolest part of course, you stand to win a gift voucher worth Rs. 1000 (INR) courtesy of Youshine.

What do you have to do? Of course to get you started, I am hoping all of you are signed into twitter, rearing to go. Here's what you have to do:

1. Follow Youshine and FTLOFAOT on twitter.
2. Once you have done that, pick your favourite item from the Youshine website and tweet "Love this product from @Youshinein *insert link to your favourite product*" Do not forget to tag Shreya_1 (thats me) in the tweet too. Also, please use (hashtag) #youshinein to help us track your tweets.
3. There is no third step. :)

So get cracking, pick your favourite product and tweet about it as explained above, tagging Youshine and me in the tweet, alongwith the correct #youshinein.

One of you will be the lucky winner, picked at the end of 3 days.

This contest is open to all Indian residents and ends on 25th October, 12 a.m.

Good luck. 

XOXO

Shopping at Youshine: A review

Having been a shopper at Youshine for about a year now, this post has long been due. The idea behind reviewing the services of some of the most popular online/offline retail outlets is to ensure that my readers make an informed choice. The idea also is to create awareness about the options in the market because as consumers we are entitled to the best quality and the best bargains.
My most favourite aspect of shopping at Youshine is the fact that they add new products every week. They have an interesting mix of new-age edgy styles and some old classics that never go out of fashion.  Their forte, in my opinion is the mixed bag of jewelry they do. Any trend that hits the market and a very affordable version of that is mostly available with them within a few weeks. A shopper has all the payment options of course, including cash on delivery. The delivery of your shopped items is made within the next 3-4 days and it has never exceeded that for me. What is also amazing and needs to definitely be mentioned here is the fact that never, in a year's time have I ever had to get in touch with customer care at Youshine concerning any delay, wrong item or loss of a package. That in my opinion definitely makes for a great shopping experience.
Will I continue to shop there? Yes.
Will I recommend it to others? A sure yes.
A sneak peek into my latest purchases from Youshine. Bauble bar. :)

Find them on Facebook and also find their stores in your city here.

XOXO

Scarlet and Emerald

The winter is fast approaching and along with the smoggy silhouettes of the Diwali crackers appearing in the sky, we are ready to take baby steps towards what I call, 'bundling up'.
While I will never claim to be an expert at doing casual fashion with brilliance, blogging makes you adventurous when it comes to your sartorial choices. With the right pinterest inspirations and with just the right about amount of inspiration from the Man Repeller herself, I decided to partake in the fall fashion romance, casual style. It helps that I still decided to add a little bit of classic me in it via the multi-colored (dominated by shades of scarlet and emerald), paisley printed Kashmiri scarf sent over to me by the lovely folks at KCS Kashmir Shawl Emporium. Dilliwalas who love scarves and pieces of fine Kashmiri apparel as much as I do, head over to their store in Janpath. The rich variety of Pashminas will definitely not disappoint. :)
If there is one thing that I have learned about transforming day looks to night, a bright lipstick and some jewelry usually do the trick. My dennis crystal earrings from Outhouse are intricately ornamental and the right amount of bling for me to pull my hair back, even at night.
As the days become shorter and the nights become longer, the warm tones get exchanged for the cooler tones, the sparkling mojitos in mason jars are replaced by large mugs of hot chocolate. Make that extra large with marshmallows on the side.

Wearing:
Tee: Mango
Ripped skinnies: Diesel
Nude clutch: Aldo
Spiked pumps: Zara
Gold rings: Forever 21 and ASOS
Scarf: C/O KCS Kashmir Shawl Emporium
Earrings: Outhouse at Pernia's Pop-up shop

Love and wishes for all the festivities ahead of you.
XOXO

Blueprint Coleccion-II

If you saw my article in the Blueprint e-magazine of this month here, then you are probably familiar with this bit of styling I endeavored with this lovely Blueprint Yellow Tale dress.
What I find most intriguing about this dress is the quilted yellow jacket which goes over a plain black cotton shift with the most interesting fold up sleeve details. Like you heard me say, an ideal dress for a day out picnicking in the woods. While I admit we aren't exactly lucky enough to pack our bags and wander off into the woods as and when we please, at least playing dress up can make us believe that. Styled with a comfy yet chic pair of brogues, a loose side braid and edgy accessories, this look has been styled for the adventurous fashionista in the woods. Of course, as I go from post to post, the make up skills acquire a certain finesse which I'm certain my readers would enjoy. The smokey eyes have been done with a combination of black, grey and blue eyeshadow colors (Naked Palette by Urban Decay+ Calvin Klein eye shadow). The dramatic glossy plum lips are the final touch, just the bit of Noir element in the look.

Wearing:
Yellow tale dress: Blueprint Coleccion
Hand chain bracelet: C/O Youshine
Earrings: Some boutique whose name I do not recollect (GK-I, M-block Market, Delhi)
Nude brogues: Zara
Plum lippy: Bodyshop

XOXO

Marc Jacobs' last at Louis Vuitton

There are few fashion week shows that acquire the cult status mostly for what they stand for. As we saw (yeah, okay buffered on the internet), the sixteen years of Marc Jacobs' showmanship at LVMH flashed before us over 41 intricately designed outfits, it made us realize, there is no better way for this term to end. As much as it is a loss that Louis Vuitton would definitely feel considering the energy and the insane contemporary fashion and cultural aesthetics that Jacobs pumped into the Louis Vuitton brand, we wait on the IPO for Marc's own brand Marc Jacobs to begin of which LVMH is also an investor. Like they say, every dark cloud has a silver lining.

While reading up on him and fishing out old pieces on his work, I chanced upon this stellar piece here, dated circa last year when Louvre's Musee des Arts Decoratifs saw an exhibition to exalt and juxtapose what Marc Jacobs brought to Louis Vuitton's vision. It makes you realize how important it is to build upon a strong foundation that a brand exists upon. Its equally important to extend that vision into your personal ideas and inspirations as a Creative Director. Just what Marc Jacobs brought to Louis Vuitton's strongly cemented foundation from around the time haute couture Parisienne was born can be seen over the sixteen years of highly commendable Ready-to-Wear and the iconic LV-hologrammed leather goods. 

The show could easily be described in two words: Eerily surreal. While the two words together bring in their individual meaning and elements, as a description they are the ideal match for a gothic glam vanity fair. 

The set was a labyrinth of escalators, elevators, carousels, fountains and Mongolian rugs. A final tribute to all the sets he ever created as a part of Louis Vuitton's magic land, this show surpassed it all. The key  elements of his final bow at the Paris Fashion Week included embellishments of crystals and feathers over tulle dresses, leotards and jackets with Over-the-top exaggerated shoulder embellishments bringing back the '20s, slouchy pants and bucket bags with plenty of crystal embellishments. The highlight could not possibly be anything else other than the neatly assembled feather plumes on the models' heads. The make up included blanched faces with an iridescent glow. With the Louis Vuitton grandfather clock turning ten, let the show begin. :)

My favourite piece. Flapper feel to a sporty numbered jersey!

Images courtesy: Style.com

To the sixteen years of spectacular shows and bringing that larger-than-life fashion era to Louis Vuitton. To the man who is truly one of the most influential people in the world today.

To the showgirl in all of us. Leaving us with some last minute wisdom.

XOXO

Blueprint Coleccion-I

The designer duo over at Blueprint Coleccion, Navya and Divya invited me to be a part of and write for the October issue of their monthly magazine. Find me from P.52 to P. 59, styling two stunning Blueprint Coleccion pieces of apparel with the accompanying write up. You can read the magazine here on Issuu or right here on Youtube.
I shall be sharing the complete looks from this feature, over two posts here at FTLOFAOT. The first one is the Flamingo.

Wearing:
Flamingo dress: Blueprint Colección
Floral headgear: Accessorize
Gold cuff: Forever 21
Black T-strapped shoes: Steve Madden

Do check out the feature and post in their monthly magazine and wait for Part-II right here. :)

XOXO