Style inspiration can come from anywhere!

South Asia (which comprises of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka) offers a wealth of beauty in clothing with vibrant colors, intricate stitching and embellishments, and accessories that include some of the world's most beautiful jewelry.

One of the most recognized garments in the world, the sari, comes from South Asia. The sari is an unstitched piece of cloth measuring about 45" wide and 7 yards long. With the earliest saris found in sculptures dating back to 100 B.C., it is one of the oldest types of clothing still worn today.

Although the sari's basic components haven't changed much through the centuries, we've seen updated styles on how it's worn. These trends include a variety of blouses it's paired with - spaghetti strap, strapless bandeau, halter, 3/4 sleeve - as well as popular colors, patterns, and embellishments.

I love how elegant saris look - and I know many people who would agree :) The way it hides one shoulder mysteriously while exposing the other gives a chic look that, paired with its long silhouette, gives a statuesque feel.


It looks like J.Lo thinks so too! She wore a sari-inspired vintage Valentino to the Oscars a few years ago:



A fresh take on the sari pairs it with brooches and belts to give it a modern look:



The arm band is a nice touch, too.



































What do you think of these looks?


Saris shown here by Indian designer Tarun Tahiliani

Hello everybody!

Here is today's style inspiration - for the bedroom.


This room would have been just ordinary with its blue and gray palette - gray walls, window treatments, and carpet paired with a blue bed frame and bench. But the red color block pillows and bed covering inject an unexpected dose of color. More importantly, the painting on the wall brings the entire look together by incorporating similar bold colors and continuing the theme of red blocks.

The tradition of French royal furniture began with the organization of arts under Louis XIV. Thus, I guess we have him to thank for this beautiful furniture that remains elegant and timeless:

Another thing South Asia does best is jewelry - and they should know, they've been doing it since 1500 BC! From South Asia we get gold, ruby, emeralds, and raw uncut diamonds to die for!

In the right shapes and designs, these pieces worn with western clothes make for a unique outfit, mixing modern with exotic.

Cate Blanchett stunned us all a few years ago by pairing a simple black dress with these surprise gold Indian pieces in the back, in her hair, and on her arm:



































 Bollywood is now taking the same cue, with actresses Sonam Kapoor and Deepika sighted pairing traditional Indian jewelry with modern western dresses:

Some of you have requested suggestions for good bronzers out there. There are literally hundreds on the market. So how's a girl to know which one is best?

A good bronzer can be the difference between

this:



















and this:





















Jennifer Lopez is the queen of bronzer, so let's take a tip from her on how to apply bronzer right:



Bronzer is best applied along your hairline - that means along your cheekbones and along the hairline on your forehead.
















My favorite bronzers are from Nars and Guerlain.

Nars gives you bold color and the convenience of a blush and bronzer in one palette:











But probably nothing compares to the original, Guerlain. Introduced in 1984, Terracotta was the first and probably is still the best.














A really under-appreciated brand is The Body Shop. One of the first to come out with the "shimmer waves" product, theirs still remains my favorite. The mix of colors in the compact provides an iridescent glow that forgivingly hides imperfections.













I usually dust this shimmer over my bronzer and blush when I'm finished.

We love wallpaper - the difference it can make in a room is astounding!

Wallpaper was initially popular in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries as an inexpensive alternative for costly hangings. Its use however, has fallen into disfavor as it's become increasingly viewed as old-fashioned and frumpy.

But with the advent of gorgeous patterns by modern designers (one of my favorites is York), wallpaper deserves a comeback!

We recently used wallpaper to spice up our foyer and guest bathroom.


The guest bathroom on the first floor of our home was totally bare. Completely white walls, silver fixtures, and a slate-gray tiled floor gave the room a sterile feel.

I always loved the look of those tiny powder rooms with the cute floral wallpaper patterns. So we opted for this pattern, a more modern take on the floral motif with gold accents.

Take a look at the before and afters!

BATHROOM BEFORE:


























































BATHROOM AFTER:



























































Now we just need a few bathroom accessories and we're done!

The previous home owners had chosen a matte red accent wall for the foyer. Because we had already chosen red for the fireplace and because red didn't really fit in the theme of our living room, we decided to change it. We went with this diamond-patterned gold and bronze wallpaper.

Here is the before and after:

FOYER BEFORE:















FOYER AFTER:



































Now we just need to add a foyer table, a wall hanging and a few more accessories and we're done!

What do you guys think of the changes?

Now for more of my favorite subject - fashion fusion!

Indian designer Monisha Jaising creates designs using traditionally western silhouettes - long gowns, short skirts and dresses, and pairs them with what South Asia does best: hand-embroidered sequins and beading. When done right, the sequins add sparkle that take an ordinary dress and make it eye-catching and elegant.

Take a look at some of her designs.

The gold and black short dress Katrina wears in the first photo is cute and totally wearable to a dinner party.

Which is your favorite?

Flipping through Bollywood photos, I came across this up and coming Bollywood actress - Chitrangada Singh. Usually I can't tell one from the other since they all have the same look going for them - tight clothes, skinny, fake boobs, long straight hair.

But this actress has such a sophisticated and beautiful look, I had to do a posting on her! Doesn't she look more mature and less plastic than the other ones? I've never seen her act, but I hope her acting skills are better than the unfortunate excuses for actresses we have in Bollywood today!

I love me some Gwen Stefani!

Do you think these kids will grow up with a complex that their mom is cooler than they are? I love that Gwen is staying true to her fashionable edgy self even while taking her kids to the playground. Keep it real girlfriend!

When I first heard about eyelash extensions, I thought, "No way, they actually make such a thing?!" And I wondered how great they must be - despite someone bringing a tweezer to your eye like this:















Anyway, I decided to go ahead and give them a try.



At first I thought they were great: my lashes looked super long and the individual lashes looked more natural than the standard. I also liked the low maintenance of it all - I didn't have to wear any mascara, which made my lashes look even more natural without the mascara clumpiness. *Note: it's better not to wear any mascara with eyelash extensions because the mascara tends to clump and tangle the extensions.

The extensions lasted about a week - I slept with them, showered with them, washed my face (but made sure to be careful). And they lasted good and sturdy.

The problem was when I tried taking them off. It took me 3 or 4 more days of rubbing that eyelash adhesive remover all over my lids, praying to high heaven they would come off - but they didn't budge! In the end I had to painfully yank out a few of my own lashes to which the false ones had adhered just to get rid of them.

Because they were practically impossible to remove, I probably wouldn't do them ever again - unless I find one that comes with a better adhesive remover!

Have any of you had better luck?

You know how there are some looks that just stay with you long after? Angelina Jolie's appearance at the Oscars a few years ago where she paired a simple black gown with these stunning emerald earrings is one of them. Those earrings, with no other jewelry, were the statement piece that rocked this look for her. And I want a pair!

In everything from blazers to gowns, to shift dresses!

From the Trillby in NYC:

















Love this teak wood center table and tufted couch.