Special Occasion - Understated Elegance
December has always been one of my favourite months. I love the feel of nippy days, christmas trees , holiday lights. There is that magical festive spirit in the air, the feeling of gratitude for another year gone by and the excitement to start afresh. It is also the season to dress up, host festive parties, attend holiday weddings, bond with friends and families, looking and feeling gorgeous along the way.
On the post today, I am wearing a look that I’d possibly wear to a special occasion this holiday season ; a wedding, an engagement or a family do. It is a rather understated look but it sits right where I’d see elegance in traditional attire.
Outfit
I have played it safe with the color of the saree itself. How can anyone go wrong with a gold and off white combo!? To me, it is one of those combinations that is subtle and has a regal touch to it. As against the widely seen thick gold border against an off white body of the saree in cottons and silks, what made me pick this one was the self thread-work all over and the muted gold geometric border. For all of you who enquired, I picked up this kota saree a few years ago at an exhibition from Raintree, Bangalore. The label is IHA, a brand which curates sarees from weavers across different parts of India. It is one of those sarees which you can easily work paired with differently designed blouses. The kota fabric is super light making it perfect for a young mother like myself to walk around in at ease.
Jewellery
I mentioned understated, didn’t I :) ? The saree found an ideal match in these stunning meenakari designer earrings from Antegra. Staying true to the definition of costume jewelry, I am pleased with how this pair elevates the attire without taking away from it. If you are looking for gold plated silver jewelry in unique designs, you must check out their collection on Instagram.
Makeup
Guess what is one of the other things that I love about December and the winter months? The opportunity to enjoy wine on your lips and in your glass! Wine, Plum, Berry, Deep Red are a few of my favourite shades for the season and I have somehow always mustered a mysterious level of confidence to wear these bold colors quite easily in winter. For this look, I lined my whole lips with Bobbi Brown lip pencil in Sangria (a dark, slightly purplish red) and then went over it with Diva from MAC (a deep reddish burgundy in matte finish).
When it comes to eye makeup, I like keeping it simple while doing a dark lip to keeps things balanced. Just a bit of soft brown to define the crease, a thin line to define the eyes and muted gold shimmer all over the lids. If you have eyes that are on the smaller side, illuminating shades of eye shadow help open up your eyes. The rich lips and soft eyes look quite fresh and modern and doesn’t need anything else on the face. I have used a bronzer though, my favourite Shimmer Brick in Bronze from Bobbi Brown to give my cheeks a natural flush of healthy looking color.
Hair
This hairdo which is a middle-parted messy bun is something that I love round the year. It is chic, modern and refined. Isha has done a fabulous job in adding a few braids for detailing around the bun making it less basic. I like how a few strands softly curled and pulled out on either sides makes it less uptight and more free spirited.
I am super glad to hear from so many of you that you liked how the look has been put together. It is a wonderful feeling to get appreciation for something that you have put time and effort into. So, thanks a ton :-)I hope the details will help you easily recreate and put your own twist into it.
Before I close, I received a question on skincare during winter. I’m just listing my quick foolproof tips for surviving the winter skin woes.
Drink lot of water. There is nothing more effective than hydrating from within.
Cleanse without drying out the skin. Use a cleansing oil/cleansing milk than a face wash in winter.
Moisturize heavily. Go for thicker, richer formula like creams over lotions.
These are quick to remember, effective steps if followed religiously. Hope that helps :-)
Wishing you all a Merry Merry Christmas and a Wonderful 2019. Lots of love from our Little family to yours xoxo
Photo Credits: VJ Wesley
