Beauty Resolutions 2016

Everyone goes in to make resolutions in a hope that they can follow them even after the first week of January and I am no different. I prefer to set realistic goals and take them through the year... So let's go and check out my beauty resolutions for 2016... I know I am late to make resolutions, but wanted to let 2016 sink in so that they are more realistic... :D

1. Drink lots of water during the day... even though I do it now but want to keep doing it forever
2. Follow CTM (Cleansing, Toning, Moisturizing) religiously
3. Experiment with makeup and try looks that are beyond my comfort zone
4. Getting a good 6-7 hours sleep every night... will have to work really hard for this
5.  Be regular with this blog... again a lot of hard work required here ;)

What are your beauty resolutions for 2016? Do leave a comment

Signing off for now

Chill Out! Says Pantone with Colours of the Year 2016

Today Pantone decided to announce the 'Color(s) of Year' 2016. Pantone is the world-renowned authority on color and provider of color systems and leading technology for the selection and accurate communication of color across a variety of industries. The PANTONE® name is known worldwide as the standard language for color communication from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer.

Every year, Pantone announces the Color of the year, which then becomes the sought after color in that year and most of the color trends- fashion, beauty, make up, interiors revolve around that color both in Spring and Fall.

In 2015, the Color of the Year was MARSALA and the Color of the Year before that were

Source: www.pantone.com

And the Colors of the Year 2016 are ROSE QUARTZ and SERENITY ... Yes, this is the first time when Pantone came up with two colors of year. After the rustic, robust and earthy Marsala from 2015, Rose Quartz and Serenity are soft, muted, calming and relaxing! That is just what Pantone says with these two colors that the world needs to relax and chill out!

"Joined together, Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace." says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. With modern day stresses, people are always on a look out for an antidote in the form of relaxation and wellness, the two colors are aimed toward that.

Source: www.pantone.com

Rose Quartz is a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure. Serenity is weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, bringing feelings of respite and relaxation even in turbulent times.

The colors can be joined easily with other mid-tones including greens and purples, rich browns, and all shades of yellow and pink. Add in silver or hot brights for more splash and sparkle.

My Take on Rose Quartz and Serenity

Although the colors come across as Baby Colors- Blue for a Boy and Pink for a Girl but with these colors Pantone intends to lead society towards Gender Equality and making a consumer use color as a form of expression rather than a stereotype... I like the concept!

The merging of cool and warm brings about a sense of balance. 

Rose Quartz could be a great neutral and can be used as a nude in outfits, accessories and footwear. Although will not work very well in makeup for Indian skin tones, however nail paints in this color are always classic. An interesting color for precious and fine jewellery... I am looking forward to make the maximum with this color. Incidentally, it is also one of my favorite colors

As for Serenity, I won't say it's a favorite too as I am not really fond of this muted blue tone and specially for Indian skin tones, I do not recommend it to be used in larger quantity. It can be used as accents in outfits, accessories. An interesting color to be used as highlighter in makeup and nail paints will work well.

In the end, I would wind up the post by saying that I love the concept of two colors trying to bring about a change in society!! Let's see howto make best of these colors in 2016.

What do you think of the two colors? Do leave a comment and share your views

Signing off for now

Review- Mink Laundry Service

You all must be wondering if I am out of my mind to review a laundry service here on this beauty and makeup blog!

But considering myself as an Image Consultant, where I help people to select, maintain and keep their clothes in a good condition, Laundry services become an important part of your wardrobe upkeep and now-a-days, most of us prefer to go to a professional laundry service for maintenance of our clothes on which we have spend a good amount of our income.

Apart from the usual outfits and clothes, there are some clothes or accessories that can't be washed or cleaned at home and we need specialists for them. These could be your embroidered or embellished clothes, delicate silks, formal shirts, leather/ suede handbags or probably your shoes.

So to tell you how this all started, I was approached by Ashish, who along with his two partners has come up with a laundry startup and I was so looking forward to such a service. They had their launch offer "5 Clothes on Us!!". That sounded wonderful and so I decided to go ahead trusting them with 5 of our (mine and hubby's) clothes.

Since I was more keen on testing out their service rather than just using up the exciting offer, I decided to give them 5 different types of clothes that require different expertise.

Also, they promise an unmatched service, which makes the offer even more interesting and exciting.

So, I took couple of days to sort my clothes. To try out the services and efficiency, I decided to give five different garments- a stone work and embroidered kurta, a silk sari, a jeans, a formal trousers and a formal shirt (last two being hubby's). 

All these will require different set of procedure for laundry and care. Also the final presentation of each piece would be different. After I was ready with my cothes, I decided to place the order. So I opened their website http://mink.co.in/ and got my order scheduled for pick up.

Within 10 minutes I received a call to confirm that their pickup personnel will be at my door step within 15 minutes... That sounded quick!!

So I was waiting, eyes glued to the clock and tadaaa... in 10 minutes bell rang and I saw a gentleman in crisp white shirt and blue jeans and introduced himself as Rohit from Mink and was there to collect my order. I was impressed with the dressing and appearance of this gentleman, I mean how many times have you seen a laundry pick up guy dressed in Smart Casual?? He was carrying a non woven fibre bag to collect the clothes and told me about the quick check in process. 

The "MINK" Laundry Bag

This would mean that they'll just mention the number of clothes collected on a receipt and take our signature and once in office, they would connect with the client over e-mail or whatsapp to inform about the condition of clothes received. Also, being knowledgeable in textiles and laundry process, I asked Rohit if he would like me to give a brief as to what has to be done with every garment but he sounded quite confident about the textile experts at MINK who'll know what to do. So, I decided to zip my mouth and let them figure out. Rohit left promising the delivery within 2 days. 

In sometime, I received a whatsapp message regarding some damage on the embroidered kurta and I was asked if they should proceed further. I gave them a thumbs up!

The next evening, I get a text that my clothes are ready to be delivered and confirming the time of delivery. I told them to come the following day.

On Tuesday evening, Ashish came carrying a paper bag (again dressed in Smart Casuals)... Each garment was individually packed- kurta and shirt in a paper bag with all the packing material and as good as new. The jeans, trousers and sari were folded well and were packed in a non woven fabric bag. I was greatly impressed. The clothes were looking as good as new and I am still not willing to open them up.

Definitely, I would rate them as Outstanding in their service ranging from-

• The ease of scheduling the pick up, 
• The customer interaction with pick up and delivery personnel, their attitude and presentation, 
• Quick check in process
• Update on the status of clothes received
• Presentation of the clothes received

The prices are comparable to the other similar services but definitely the experience is unmatched. I could trust them with my clothes and would definitely be seeing them more often.

OFFER FOR READERS
Are you all interested in trying out their services or want to make your clothes as good as new... Give your clothes a makeover with the special offer only for readers of my blog. Mention the code MAKEOVER while placing your order and get three of your clothes done complimentary by MINK. For the time being, MINK offers services in and around Powai and Andheri but will be taking over Mumbai in no time.

Share your experience with laundry services that you've availed so far and also what are your expectations from MINK in comments...

Place your orders by visiting http://mink.co.in/ or WhatsApp/SMS/Call 808080-2442 and don't forget to use MAKEOVER!!

Something more exciting coming up soon for you all... so stay tuned!

Signing off

Color of the Year- 2015

Sorry people for the late post... this post was due since long and before we move any further into 2015... this deserves to be posted... So here we go...

In the last week of December 2014, Pantone declared the 'Color of the Year' for 2015. Pantone is the world-renowned authority on color and provider of color systems and leading technology for the selection and accurate communication of color across a variety of industries. The PANTONE® name is known worldwide as the standard language for color communication from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer.

Every year, Pantone announces the Color of the year, which then becomes the sought after color in that year and most of the color trends- fashion, beauty, make up, interiors revolve around that color both in Spring and Fall.

In 2014, the Color of the Year was Radiant Orchid and the Color of the Year before that were

And the Color of the Year 2015 is.... MARSALA, a naturally robust and earthy wine red. 

"While PANTONE 18-3224 Radiant Orchid, the captivating 2014 color of the year, encouraged creativity and innovation, Marsala enriches our mind, body and soul, exuding confidence and stability," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. 

"Much like the fortified wine that gives Marsala its name, this tasteful hue embodies the satisfying richness of a fulfilling meal, while its grounding red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated, natural earthiness. This hearty, yet stylish tone is universally appealing and translates easily to fashion, beauty, industrial design, home furnishings and interiors."

(Source: http://www.pantone.com/)

Marsala in Fashion & Beauty

"The impactful, full-bodied qualities of Marsala make for an elegant statement color when the color is used on its own or as a compelling accent when paired with many other colors."

"An incredibly versatile color for beauty, Marsala is an appealing and sophisticated shade that’s flattering against many skin tones."

My Take on the Color of the Year 2015

A beautiful colour, intense and goes with different families of color from neutrals to metallics to blues and greens, oranges and yellow... WOW.

A wonderful color for fashion and makeup- who won't like the wine red lips or nails or a dress that goes well for both day and night wear, and can take you from work to play!

Those who do not like wearing true red for any reason will find a way to wear red with this color. Marsala is a pretty color for most of the Indian skin tones and the best part is that it can be worn easily by both men and women.

In love with this color already... looking forward to working with Marsala (the color... not the wine!! *wink* *wink*) this year!!

How do you feel about Marsala? Would you like to have it in your wardrobe or makeup?? Do leave a comment and share your thoughts!

Signing off for now