FACES – The launch of five international looks

Recently, I came across a video where a fashion blogger raised certain questions about the judgmental aspect of the society when it comes to make-up. Suffering from acne, her dilemma was very evident from her tone, and her valid questions were hard to ignore. She asked: “For obvious reasons, I apply make-up to hide my disease, and people accept me like this; then why, at the same time, they accuse me for displaying something which I am not? And, if I choose not to apply make-up, why the society consider me ugly?” This video also reminds me of a conversation which I had with one of my friends lately where she said: “I feel insecure without make-up, and I apply it to get accepted in the crowd.” I do not use cosmetics, and, unfortunately, I was also a part of the society group whatsoever who dashed into conclusions, but these questions blew my mind, and the epiphany hit my obstructed thoughts where I asked myself: “Why are we so hypocrite?

There are many reasons regarding why people use make-up:

1. They like spending time with themselves which leads to overall satisfaction
2. Make-up further enhances the beauty
3. They feel more confident

Applying make-up is a personal choice, and we have no right to judge anyone. Fortunately, I understood this message during an event organized by FACES cosmetics brand where they introduced their new beauty kits. In all honesty, I felt like a misfit, initially, with no make-up, but the eventful and fun-packed evening showed me various other perspectives of using cosmetics which belie with the narrow approach of judging people. In other words, it was a great event, and it changed my overall orientation towards the cosmetics.

The Event:
FACES cosmetics in collaboration with Ms. Bipasha Basu who is the creative director of The Trunk Label launched a new product known as ‘IT KIT’, which offers a perfect blend of fashion and beauty. This signature IT KIT is available in five eclectic mix of styles where each one of them is meant for a different make-over. With the appealing tagline of “60 second style makeover”, these different styles contain stunning beauty goodies and a statement jewelry by The Trunk Label. These travel friendly IT KITS come in a glamorous gold pouch and can get you ready for any occasion effortlessly.

Floral Darling It Kit:
It contains the Rosa Bracelet and Ring Set from TheTrunkLabel.com while gorgeously complementing these make up essentials from Faces – Ultime Pro Long wear Pretty Me lipstick, Glam On Coral Pink blush, Metal brown eye pencil and Hi Shine True Peach nail enamel.

Scarlet Siren It Kit
It contains the Perlanecklace from TheTrunkLabel.com crafted from decadent pearls and stunningly completes the Scarlet Siren look with these make up essentials from Faces -Ultime Pro Long wear Red Addict Lipstick, Ultime Pro Lip Crème Red Mary, Solid Black eye pencil and the Tinted Red nail enamel.

Azure Mermaid It Kit
Cerulean shades swiped across dreamy eyes translate the calm ocean’s sentiment, while nude pouts and rosy cheeks spell au natural. The Neelam necklace from TheTrunkLabel.com seamlessly completes your Azure Mermaid look along with these make up essentials from Faces – Ultime Pro Nude Mojito Lip Crème, Glam On Perfect Noir black eyeliner, I shine Quartet Blue eye shadow and the Glam On Cocktail Peach blush.

Pop Princess It Kit
The Pop Princess It Kit contains the Madonna Necklace from TheTrunkLabel.com complemented by 5 yummy-as-candy shades for your nails from Faces – Hi Shine Enchanted nail enamel, Fire Stick, Hi Shine envy, Ibiza, Hi shine Lemon Fizz and Invisible Mermaid nail enamel along with a nail enamel remover.

Glam Goddess It Kit
This Glam Goddess It Kit consists of the Goldie Necklace from TheTrunkLabel.com, and the glittering make up essentials from Faces – Glam On Captivate Color Perfect eye shadow palette, Glam On Color Perfect Bare Again lipstick, Hi Shine Bombay Lights nail enamel and Glam On Gold Dust blush. This was my favorite among all.

My Verdict:
Their distinctive and innovative idea about these kits is worth appreciating. As the catchy tagline of “60 second style makeover” suggests, the products are simple to use, and they make you glamorous within minutes. In other words, you do not have to worry about the mix and match of the colors of various cosmetic products because everything you need for your make-over is in one single gold pouch. For example: the glam goddess IT KIT, my personal favorite, contains a necklace, a nail color, an eye shadow, a brush, and a lip-color. All these products go very well with each other, and their complementary relationship allows you a wonderful make-over without the need of any other product. If this concept becomes successful, gone will be the days where women struggle to match the colors of their various cosmetic products.

The ambient event was very well organized, and the products were demonstrated beautifully. Along with the delicious snacks and mocktails, the hosts were extremely humble in interacting with the bloggers. A fun activity where the bloggers had to do their make-over by selecting any brand new IT KIT was awkward for a no make-up user like me, but it was fun. Without any option to roll out, I had to participate, and finally, I applied the make-up with a rudimentary attempt. Thanks to my partner for choosing the most subtle “Glam goddess” kit which was perfect for people like me. I loved the subtle stroke of make-over, and it gave an appealing touch to my personality. I absolutely marveled at the imperceptibility of the Glam Goddess IT KIT and decided to use it going forward. Fortunately, the invited bloggers were handed over the kits which they used during the fun activity.

I was glad to be a part of this event where I learnt few things and went home with a very different perspective relating to cosmetics.

A collaboration of coffee and visual art

In all honesty, the heading of an invitation reading “an interactive coffee and art performance” left me in a state of flux, and the ambiguity about this abstract topic kept on bothering me until I reached the venue. However, the first ten minutes of the event gave me an insight about the entire concept and that was just the beginning of my excitement.

As I am a part of Team Shivangi Reviews, I was invited to cover this event. It was organised by Tourism Victoria, and it featured a collaboration of aromatic coffee and creative art. Tourism Victoria is a Victorian government lead tourism agency which works to develop the local and global market potential for Victoria’s tourism industry. The occasion was all about the beautiful and interactive coffee and art performance  put together by the multiple world latte art champion St. Ali Barista – Ben Morrow and renowned visual artist Harun Robert where both of them demonstrated their talent and creativity in blending the latte with the visual art. Ben Morrow is a latte art expert, and his finesse has allowed him to be at the forefront for half a decade. On the other hand, Harun Robert a.k.a. Rob is a visual artist from India. At Melbourne, coffee is a passion and an important part of their culture. Melbourne is home to a plethora of cafes, and this culture is growing exponentially. Also, according to the latest survey, Melbourne is the world’s most livable city. In short, it was the occasion to bring a glimpse of Melbourne into India by blending the art of coffee and art.

At this time, you all must be thinking: “What exactly is the meaning of collaboration of coffee and visual art?” The winsome artists – Ben Morrow and Harun Robert – demonstrated their remarkable calibre in preparing the coffee and designing the spectacular paintings respectively, and they combined both the arts by making Latte a part of the masterpieces. In other words, Ben Morrow enthralled the audience by creating different designs on top of the lattes and then Harun Robert took the control to present those lattes on his beautiful coffee canvas as shown in the below images. The marvelous display of blending the coffee with the visual art was the show stopper. The aesthetic masterpieces designed by Rob were amazing, and he also used coffee as a color while creating them. The below image shows Ben Morrow creating a wonderful design on a latte.

Ben Morrow and Harun Robert

This beautiful canvas depicts the culture of Melbourne. Several latte designs on this visual art show cycling, love of cricket, a Yacht, and a parachute where each one of them is symbolic for the city. These things represent or define the spirit of Melbourne, and this was one of the focus points of this event. The images below exhibit the great combination of Latte and the visual art, and every image reflects the charm of Melbourne in it.

The below image reflects the importance of Cricket where Ben Morrow merged his latte designs of wickets and a cricket ball with the canvas.

This image shows the culture of sailing and water balloons in Melbourne.

Melbourne presented on a beautiful canvas where the latte depicts a half moon.

The session was followed by another aspect where Ben morrow gave the audience a chance to experience the Melbourne’s finest coffees. The excitement to experience the aroma of wonderful coffee was very evident. The scent of coffee was omnipresent, and being a fervent fan of it, I enjoyed every aspect of the demonstration.

Overall, it was a very unique event which presented an abstract art. I enjoyed it.

CORPCHEF – An Inter Corporate MasterChef Tournament in Mumbai

Being a culinary expert, my relationship with food has always been special, and the immense pleasure which I get from cooking is beyond measure. During my stint in an IT firm, I did not encounter with a single person who liked – or I would say loved – cooking, and I started believing that the art of cooking is losing its charm these days especially in case of the corporate professionals. However, the Inter Corporate MasterChef competition proved me wrong to some extent, and it was a great opportunity for me to witness the finesse of some culinary experts who basically are the modern day corporate professionals.

As I am a part of Team Shivangi Reviews, I was invited to cover this event. Known as CORPCHEF, this event was organised by Party Sharty company, and this programme intended to recognise and reward people – professionals from companies such as J.P. Morgan, Yes bank etc. – exhibiting great cooking skills. Amit Mehta who is the owner of the aforementioned company did a stellar job in managing the entire show. A total of 53 teams, where each team comprised of two people, participated in this corporate battle. The tournament consisted of three rounds, and the elimination of some teams at the end of every round gave three major finalists at the end. The lucrative prizes consisted of Club Mahindra holiday packages and a trophy for all the three major winners. It was a great way for the participants to take a break from their monotonous routine and indulge themselves into a different excursion altogether.

The sight of corporate people wearing aprons and toques, showing their creative aspect in cooking wonderful dishes at their respective counters, and running with their presentable plates all around the place was hard to miss. Some dishes looked absolutely spectacular in presentation. The energy and liveliness at the event were the irrefutable facts that demonstrated the fun and culinary merriment among the crowd. The programme had some fun activities for the spectators as well where the correct answers to some culinary questions such as: what is the difference between a Biryani and a Pulao, what are the different types of Pasta etc. gave them an opportunity to win some gift hampers. The huge open space was covered, and the absence of air conditioning system resulted in too hot and sultry environment; however, this fact did not seem to bother the cheerful crowd, and everyone at the event- especially the audience cheering their favourite teams – continued to actively participate with great merriment and gusto.

Sodexo which is a hospitality company was the major sponsor of this event. I had the impression that Sodexo only distributes meal coupons to the corporate people; however, after meeting some in-house chefs of Sodexo at the event, I realised that this huge company has a plethora of services to offer, surprisingly. With a presence across 80 countries, Sodexo is the world’s leading provider of Quality of Life services whether in corporate, healthcare, universities, schools, remote sites, sports & leisure environments. Its basic objective is to enhance the health and well-being of employees, students, patients, doctors, through a wide range of services from construction to reception, sterilization of medical equipment, cleaning and food services. For example: if the quality of food in a school does not match the normal standards, Sodexo sends its team of chefs where they give required training to the school staff in order to maintain the quality of food. There are many more examples about how Sodexo plays an important role in providing quality of life services, and I was very glad to know all these details about this company in the event.

Raisa DSouza and Naveen Khadilkar who are the in-house chefs at Sodexo were the judges of the corporate MasterChef competition. Along with judging the competition, Raisa DSouza with her amazing culinary skills gave a live demo of the dish Chicken Mousse tartlet with spicy fig jam. Everybody enjoyed her 30 minutes session, and I took some great tips from it. Raisa Dsouza has been associated with Sodexo from the last three years, and she mentors lot of people in her current role. She uses her culinary knowledge to develop the company’s profile, and her main focus is to position Sodexo on the food segment. It was an immense pleasure to connect with her, and she did enlighten me about all the work – other then meal coupons – taken care by Sodexo.

I had a wonderful time in attending the event where I also got the opportunity to connect with some great people.

 

Dutch food festival in Mumbai

Dutch food festival – The moment I heard about this festival, an epiphany hit me which made me realise that I have not experienced Dutch cuisine till now. Being a food reviewer, where my profession requires me to be well conversant with the different cuisines of food, the aforementioned fact of my unawareness of Dutch cuisine did vex me; however, at the same time, I was thrilled about this opportunity, and I started looking forward to try something very different. In other words, it was the time for me to learn – and write – about a new excursion which I never explored earlier.

As I am a part of Team Shivangi Reviews, I was invited to cover this event. Known as Holland meets Mumbai, this event was launched on June 1 at Foodhall – a  premium lifestyle food superstore – which is located inside the Palladium Mall at Lower Parel, and the objective of this event is to bring its patrons the culinary flavours of Dutch cuisine. This cuisine is traditionally rustic with bread, cheese like Gouda, meat and vegetables such as potatoes and asparagus, and berries which play an important part of the food. The country’s cuisine is shaped by the practice of fishing and farming, including cultivation of the soil for raising crops and the raising of domesticated animals, and the history of the Netherlands.
The Dutch cuisine has gained popularity amongst food connoisseurs across the globe owing to its simple and straightforward flavours. This food festival will take you to the Orange land with some of its most enjoyable savouries such as Stroop Waffle, a waffle made from thin layers of baked dough with a caramel-like syrup filling and world famous cheeses such as Edam and Gouda. This event will continue till June 6.

The food festival was quite an interesting affair where the famous Dutch delicacies –  such as different types of cheese, pancakes, Stamppot, Dutch famous pea soup, waffle cones, apple pie etc. – looked delectable. All the aforementioned food items were for sale ; however, all of them had some trial items – mini or you can say free versions – so that people can taste them before buying. In the juices category, there were four types: grapefruits and mango mix juice, passion fruit ice tea, cucumber aloe vera juice, and jalapeño lemonade where the last one was the most interesting in taste with the pungent flavour of jalapeños. Beautiful pancakes with blueberry compote were tasty; however, while doing the pulse check of the event, a lady mentioned to me that she had much better pancakes in Europe. Of course, and I have no doubt to this fact because every country has different quality and taste in terms of ingredients.

My favorite part of the show  was the demonstration of different categories of Dutch cheese. This section was stunning, and the beautiful sight of different types of cheese – such as Gouda, Edam, smoke cheese with chilly, and Gauda with green pesto – was divine and heavenly. Of course, I tasted all of them, and every type of cheese was delicious.

The entire event was good; however, I felt that some things were not properly organised. The team – or whoever was responsible – did not replenish the trial versions of Dutch delicacies constantly, and as a result, people had to wait to try them. I waited too long to try two very special Dutch delicacies; however, I gave up at the end because the trial items did not come at all. I wish they could have organised this in a better way.

I was fortunate enough to meet the Consulate of the General Kingdom of the Netherlands, and he was extremely kind to answer some of my questions regarding this food festival. He mentioned that food is a great way to bring people together, and he understands that Indians love food and good flavours. He further mentioned that Indians love to experiment, and he and his team would like to bring something new to them; hence, they launched this food festival. I also inquired about Dutch cuisine, and he very graciously stated that Dutch is a very cold country; hence, the food is heavy and sweet. A majority of the population is non-vegetarian, but Dutch has great deal of vegetarian food as well. Lastly, he mentioned that through this initiative, their intention is to bring the two nations together.

At the end, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the organizers of the event as it gave me – and to lot of other people – a huge opportunity to experience and understand the Dutch cuisine. It is a great platform for the food reviewers and bloggers to expand their horizon in terms of food and its knowledge.

DIVA’NI store’s first anniversary celebration in Mumbai

No matter in which era we are, most of us have grown up watching Yashraj movies where Yash Chopra showcased his finesse in converting beautiful actresses into stunning divas. He was definitely an exception in this process where he transformed many heroines into fabulous and gorgeous characters. The costumes and dress designs in YashRaj movies – where people were said to be so enamoured with the leading ladies – have always inspired many cinema lovers and have brought new trends in the movie industry. My recent visit to a DIVA’NI store in Mumbai, where we were invited to cover the launch, gave me a little flashback of all my childhood memories from Yash Chopra movies where I got a chance: to see the store’s new collection known as The Midsummer Dream, to meet some celebrities, and to see a glimpse of the photographs of ravishing leading ladies of YashRaj films. I was invited to this event as a part of Team Shivangi Reviews and India Fashion Club.

Before I begin with my experience at the DIVA’NI store, I would like to introduce this brand to all my readers.

DIVA’NI is India’s first cinema-inspired brand brought to you by YashRaj Films and KBSH Private Limited where the latter is a textiles and apparels industry. DiVA’NI draws its inspiration from the legendary Yash Chopra, who put as much effort into draping his heroines, as he did in painting beautiful visual imageries on reel, his memorable cinematic artistry and costumes have catapulted many heroines to diva and enamored a generation of cinema lovers. In the same essence DIVA’NI brings out the diva in every woman, giving her the freedom to wear her mind, expressing her innermost feelings. DIVA’NI is freedom, inspired by fashion, film and femininity.

On May 29, 2015, DIVA’NI completed its one year in the city of Mumbai, and on this occasion, the brand unveiled its prêt-a-porter collection: The Midsummer Dream – a collection that wraps vibrant flora’s and bold colors in romantic breezy silhouettes. The minimalist embroidery takes the front seat, as colors play in this Diva’ni’s celebratory collection. A complete silhouette makeover from the house of Diva’ni, this aims to add a youthful charm to everyone’s wardrobe. This beautiful store with a monochromatic white décor was a reflection of sophistication and magnificence. It looked like a gorgeous film set with impeccable lighting and brightness. The first floor demonstrated the beautiful new collection, and the same floor also had a separate wedding couture section where the sight of fabulous bridal dresses was breathtaking. The section reminded me of the grandeur weddings at Yash Chopra’s movies. The various photographs of him with the gentry of Bollywood: Amitabh Bachan, Rishi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar etc. were hard to miss, and I spent a considerable amount of time by looking at all these legends under one roof. However, I was amazed to see a section known as “Wall of Fame” – a wall – which showed the photographs of the leading ladies – along with a picture of Shah Rukh Khan – of the YashRaj films demonstrating DIVA’NI’s haute couture. On this occasion, the entrance of the store was filled with photographers from the media. The event was not a big fashion fiesta; however, it was a delightful small affair which also saw the presence of some celebrities, who came to support the brand. The non-stop flash lights were always an indication of the arrival of some celebrity, and the lights flashed limitlessly when Pamela Chopra who is the wife of Yash Chopra arrived. She looked elegant and graceful in a green salwaar kameej, and her humbleness impressed me a lot. Bhumi Pednekar and Rhea Chakraborty were also a part of the store’s one year celebrations, and they did review the collection as well.

The Midsummer Dream collection at the store was very appealing. It consisted of Indian, western, and Indo-Western dresses. A part of the collection had the bohemian style with metal ornaments. Some dresses were hand painted, some had tea dip colors, and some were a voluminous melange of floral patterns. The avant-garde collection was beautiful, and I loved the vibrancy in the colors. They were absolutely stellar, and I liked all of them. It was hard for me to take my eyes off the beautiful dresses.

The colors were perfect and soothing for this sultry and hot weather. Mostly, every color had a separate section which was a nice way to present different styles and shades in the same color. The combination of great designs and wonderful colors made the entire collection absolutely stunning. My personal favorite was the Turquoise collection in which some dresses had the lovely Bohemian style. The bridal collection in and of itself was spectacular. The beautiful, stylish, and super heavy bridal dresses were prominent in the entire store where great designs and patterns were hard to miss.

Overall, I had a nice time, and it was great to be a part of DIVA’NI’s one year celebrations. I wish the team all the best for this endeavor.