Novel Concept - The Glossybox!

I happened to read on another blog about the Glossybox concept and I went here to find out what its all about! I think its a fantastic idea and I just can't get over how cool it is!

Briefly ( if you are lazy to go check the link!), its a free mail order service, where they send you 5 luxury high-end cosmetics and beauty products in a miniature size to test and check if it works for you. You have to pay a 10£ subscription every month and can even unsubscribe if you are not interested after some time or for a particular month.

Honestly, I think its a fantastic deal coz I saw some videos on youtube and the sizes were not miniature at all. I don't know about others, but I sure think it works for me...hell, you could win me over with the packaging alone! :) Even someone gives me gifts, I am more interested in the wrapping than the gift itself! I know, how child-like am I?

The glossybox concept is being introduced in Europe ( launched in UK already)...and coming to France ( yaaayyyyy!!! I can't wait!)...its a similar version of the Birchbox in the U.S. ( read about it here).

It feels great that the customers are valued and their opinions matter. It also makes sense to try something out before you actually buy the full-size product, especially when it is something expensive. How many of us really use an entire product?

We all know, MAC cosmetics are comparatively pricey as compared to its contemporaries. However, I save up to buy their stuff coz they are just fantastic, quality make up and last for a long time. It is indeed, a good investment in the long run! I can't wait for the glossybox to be launched in France now! Others living in U.K, go on and try it out!

Here is a lovely little video explaining the scheme :)
http://www.glossybox.co.uk/how-it-works

Weekends are made up of...

...S has been in U.K. through the week....and it has been really difficult for us being a weekend couple of sorts! Thankfully, his work there is over and he is back to being in good ol' Paris! The flipside of this whole travel thingy....has been that he brings me lots of fashion magazines in ENGLISH!! Yayyy!!!! :)....

They have these really nice promotions in the U.K and they give out free cosmetics and bodycare stuff along with these magazines and the last time I was in London, I got a free lipgloss, mascara and nailpolish! Needless to say, with this lot, I got some good stuff - nailpolishes, summer beauty books and bodyshop body butter! How cool is that?

...I had collected some pine cones on our trip to Annecy and the Ardennes...I have gold dust and paint....and I made these with them....plan to hang them in corners...as of now, they lie on a glass bowl with the potpourri...


P.S - In the background, its our new rug in lime green, yup! we really experiment with color and I must say it looks very refreshing and different from the usual stuff! ;)

Printemps Fashion!

....After winter comes spring! Thankfully!....there is so much sunshine, cheer and flowers everywhere....it obviously means the colours need to come out in the open, cheerful flowers....and bright summery colours!

We went on a lovely weekend driving to the French Ardennes....driving through Reims, Givet, Charleville-Mezieres...and out came the very few dresses and flowery skirts that I own! :) I bought this skirt for a good bargain at a street market in Paris! :) Its a breezy material and just right for the summer....

* Tip: I am slimmer below the knees... :). If you would like to look slimmer or longer, it helps to wear an A-line or Pencil skirt just right below the knee...it creates a nice silhouette and for travel, flowy skirts are more convenient and easy to move about!

As I have mentioned here ( click to read that post) before, I am a little hesitant to wear dresses too often...but since I have bought them....I better wear them somewhere and it does suit me, I guess! :) I bought this halter neck dress for the lovely colour ( for a holiday to Spain in 2010) and bright flowers...I used to wear a top underneath....now I have graduated to a shrug! :)

Coming to the shrug, I bought it in the recent sale in February in Paris! (Recently, I have made a resolution to become a practical shopper and not the impulsive buyer that I normally am! ) I love Crochet...but it is often expensive! So when I saw this, I literally pounced on it! ;) I am trying to add a flavour of femininity to my personality and I feel crochet is the way to go! :)

I am also a big fan of turquoise and my eyes are always attracted to the colour! I bought this turquoise pendant....which I have been dying to wear with the right clothes! Here it is! :)

Take a look at my personalized furniture!

Back in 2010, I bought this in an effort to be more organized and blogged about it here .

I loved the bright and vibrant colors of the cloth drawers ...and recently, I had an urge to do

something with it! :) I thought I could "personalize" it, so I found a font that I liked on our very own Microsoft Word and did this!

I took large print outs of the font, and simply copied the style using a glass paint out liner.

I added a few trimmings like my different brooches to make it all girly and "pretty"!

Its all MINE! What??!! It has my name on it....Have a look! :D

Simply organized!

...I have a lot of costume jewellery and I am always looking for ways to save some space and organize my stuff, so I can find them when I want to...I saw this really simple video on youtube ( I didn't note down the link!) about how you can organize your earrings easily....

Often, if I don't get down to doing something immediately, I never get down to do it...and since it was really easy...I did! I wanted to share this with all of you....if it helps!

All you need is -

1. a thin stole or shawl that looks nice and bright!

2. a wooden hanger!

yup, that's it! - Hang the stole on the hanger....and start piercing your earrings on to it!...Voila!

Darn simple, isn't it? :)

Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments...

My Winter Fashion!

It's cold and I am always covered in layers and layers of clothes. After the initial excitement of the snow and winter clothes, it tends to get repetitive, wearing jackets ALL the time! For our weekend trip to Annecy, I decided to try and wear something different from a jacket atleast one day! Though, it was pretty cold, I managed to stay warm!

With the sales happening in Paris ( there are major sales here only twice in a year - January and July; discounts are as much as 70% off), of course I decided to check out the stores! ( I mean, OF COURSE ;)... I found this knitted skirt for a real good bargain, and I decided to wear it with a formal blazer under layers and layers of sweater-tops! For once, I decided to skip the winter jacket!

I do like the structured look of this ensemble, the skirt is a military-green with large pockets on both sides! :)

I also carried some colorful scarves to brighten up my regular black-grey jackets...they are the simplest accessory and a total space-saver that makes S most happy! ;)

Incidentally, the jacket is also from the Sales and I bought it at 50% off and it really keeps me warm! :) I am a big "red" fan and I add a lot of red in my clothes and to my home decor! It brightens up your day, IMHO! You can find many "red accents" in my living room too!

I bought this light blazer from H&M about a year back, when I started working here. But I never got a chance to wear them...so I chose this weekend trip to Annecy to wear it! When you wear formal clothes, rather mix a bit of formal with casual, it makes you look chic!

Annecy was gorgeous and I felt like it was a combination of Venice and Amsterdam with all the bridges and canals! I am having a ball regularly posting pictures from Annecy, Check it out too! Many people are unaware of this beautiful little city near the Alps, they also happen to be one of the contenders for the Winter Olympics in 2018, so there was a lot of promotion everywhere around the town!

Joyeux anniversaire, mon amour!

Dear S,
...I am wishing you in French too, after all when in France, be French!

Your birthdays are often the beginning of a new journey or something really fun in all these years, be it our new home or moving to Paris in February or many other milestone beginnings!
I am totally looking forward to this year too, am sure God has a lot of fun and excitement planned for you, coz you are his favourite child! You must be - why else would he create just a perfect guy?

You are such a wonderful man and I truly feel that you deserve all the happiness, love, success and much more! I don't think I am biassed, I am sure a lot of people feel the same way about you. :) You know what, you are not just a year older, a year better!

May this birthday be just the beginning of a year filled with happy memories, wonderful moments, shining dreams and good health. I can never explain in words, how blessed and thankful I am for you - the biggest blessing in my life.

Happy birthday Darling Boy!
J

Comfortable Silence...

...I always love the New Year, for me it is reminiscent of hope, excitement and a wee bit anxiety of what is to come? Sometimes, a wee bit too much excitement or anxiety depending on my state of mind! S had to remind me that its just another day, being his practical self, while I expect miracles overnight like a little child...I mull over it and realize that this is who I AM, someone who gets excited over every tiny detail...

I always thought its a good thing to be an open book, you know? Often, even a stranger can just glance at me and know what I am feeling! Over time, I wanted to be mysterious and alluring. But try as much, I end up being like an "open-book exam". I have finally come to terms with the fact that this is ME! I don't want to say "Take it or leave it..." but I would like to say I love the way I am... do you?

There is not as much noise in my head as it used to be...am enjoying the comforting silence...I don't think I have changed radically within the last year, it has been a gradual and positive change, both emotionally and physically.

- Offlate, my opinions and instincts have begun to matter to me. Usually, I would ignore them, thinking I don't have the knowledge or expertise to take an informed decision. NOW, I listen to my heart, even if my mind feels differently and it makes me happy. Finally, that's what matters!

- I have reduced physically, feel more energetic, healthier and fitter. I would like to think I have gained mentally and grown into a mature and happy mind, body and soul.

- I have realized that when you smile more...you attract a lot of happiness to yourself and the people around you! I try to stay away from negative people. I do believe in negative energy and negative vibes.

- I have let go of my inhibitions...I don't think twice about complimenting someone or a complete stranger. Once, while shopping somewhere in India. while I stood in the queue to pay for the shopping, a young girl in college maybe, stood behind me wearing some gorgeous shoes I simply loved! Earlier, I would have just thought to myself that those shoes are awesome! But that day, I smiled at her and said " Your shoes are really cool" and it was so lovely to see genuine happiness on her face and she beamed at me. I realized that I had changed...for good! :)

- I am a blessed soul in many aspects and I am very thankful to God for everything and everyone he has given me. I truly am!

- I am trying really hard to take each day as it comes....i LOVE surprises, but not shocks! So its difficult for me to let go and not worry about the future. But I am consciously trying to enjoy every moment and every day instead of focussing on tomorrow!

Indeed, "Happiness is a state of mind"! Peace, love, joy, happiness and good health to you and yours in 2011! :)

Christmas and Winter in Paris!

I am so glad and blessed that I live in Paris and can see the most spectacular views from my living room...as often as I say it, I don't seem to be convinced that its true!

Winter has set in, and my long time dream of witnessing snow came true last year! This year I act like I see snow and experience winter all the time!! ;) We came back from all the sunshine in India to a heavily snowing Paris...the apartment was ice cold and it took us a few minutes to warm ourselves as well as our home! But once we settled down, the snowflakes falling....the misty Eiffel....hot steaming cups of coffee....and the satisfaction of returning to your own 'Home Sweet Home'....its an emotion that can't be described or explained easily as I felt it...

I love Christmas and especially New Year's for a lot of reasons - it brings hope of course, apart from that all the cutesy Christmas decorations, wreaths, pinecones....they are so classy and so not over-the-top, yet festive! I love it and I was very keen on decorating our home before we left on our vacation to India! I managed to click some pictures after we got back...

The blue charm in the middle is an evil-eye remover that we bought in Greece last year! Buri nazar waalon, tera muh kaala types!














I bought these colorful cloth balls in a string and hung these gold-dusted pinecones with a invisible wires used on badminton rackets and voila! they look like they are hanging in thin air! Well, at least I like to think they do...

...and I just love wreaths and it actually has an interesting significance to it too. It is said that in Eastern Europe, people used to illuminate wreaths made of evergreen leaves in winters, with the belief that it would bring spring and sunshine...Last year, before I could buy one, it all went out of stock! I did'nt want to miss it this year too...so I hurried to buy one!

So, we are all prepared for the New Year's with a lot of hope, cheer and happiness! Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a new year filled with loads of love, happiness, success and prosperity!

MIA!

...coz I am holidaying in India, to be specific in Pondicherry! For the first
time, I am embracing the sun and the heat with open arms after the numbing cold winters in Paris (I will go back to all the snow soon)...

Down South, people head to Pondy just as people head to Goa in the West! I found a really cute jumpsuit for a song here, thanks to my brother's superior bargaining skills. Knowing me, I am thoroughly enjoying the shopping, sun, beaches, love, laughter, happiness and all the shopping!!! Did I say that already? ;)

Jumpsuits are really cool, casual and are best paired with a tight-fitting top! This black jumpsuit in cotton takes the cake!!