Lesson to learn: Keep it simple.
Beckham showed us that it’s okay to let your hair be sometimes—just straight, long, loose. Parted in the middle, tucked behind the ear—fuss-free and real. The models at Bibhu Mohapatra channeled similar carefree tresses, parted unevenly. Just like at Simkhai, where it was tied at the nape into a low ponytail. Back to basics.
Victoria Beckham

Bibhu Mohapatra

Jonathan Simkhai

Lesson to learn: You don’t need to be perfect.
It maybe nightmarish for a perfectionist to walk out with tousled, unkempt hair, but that’s exactly why you need to try it, to break out of your comfort zone. There’s something inexplicably sexy about messy, bed-head curls. Maybe it’s the devil-may-care attitude that’s tempting, but we’re spritzing some texturising spray this week to find out.

Lesson to learn: Change is good.
You know it’s time for a drastic makeover when your identity is defined by the length of your locks. You cannot imagine how life is going to change if you get a blunt bob with choppy bangs, like the models at Wang. Give it a shot.

Lesson to learn: Wet look is achievable, and it lasts.
Slicked-back hair is sophisticated and also talks a lot about your complex styling abilities. Work a high shine gel from root to tips using a fine-toothed comb and move in the direction of where you want the hair to sit. Thakoon’s spring/summer 2017 show saw models wearing this do in high top knots.
Thakoon

Noon

Altuzarra

Lesson to learn: Accessorise!
It just takes your hair game to a whole new level. Pretty, embellished hair pins will add the romance missing from your life.

Lesson to learn: Top knot upgraded.
Tie your top knot really high, at the crown, on the side. Not your usual bun, this.

Lesson to learn: Put a ribbon on it.
If you’re not into severe updos, try Marchesa’s dreamy chignons, loosely tied at the back like you would without a mirror. The romantic addition: silk bows and floral crowns.

Lesson to learn: Double the bun.
Bring back the ’80s or show your love for Princess Leia by sporting little huns (half-buns).

Whether they’re the result of a late night Netflix binge or stress, there are few sure-fire solutions for dark circles (de-stressing, sleeping well and a good concealer are amongst the best). For a quick fix, try Dr Jamuna Pai’s recipe: Mix 1 tsp milk powder, 1⁄2 tsp curd, 2 drops of lemon juice and 2 drops of honey. Apply the paste on the dark circles. Wait for 10-15 minutes and wash it off with cold water.

A little bit of scouting and you’ll find that you don’t need to go for a facial regularly to get your skin glowing. There are at-home peels and masks that will do the work of a facialist for you. Try Dior’s DreamSkin 1-Minute Mask.

Take a smudging brush or use your pinky to smoke out your already smudged out kohl that you’ve worn through the day, for evening drinks. It will take all of 60 seconds to go from drab to glam. Top it up with multiple mascara coats.

Apply a coat of sandy glitter over your unevenly coloured talons. This will not only intensify the colour of your glitter paint, but also give it more depth and texture. Experiment with colours—you don’t have to do blue on blue. Try blue over black to give a dark cobalt glitter effect.

It’s possible; BBlunt’s Adhuna Akhtar tells you how: “Flip damp hair over and apply a curl cream from mid-lengths to ends of your hair, scrunching it with your fingers in an upward direction. For longer lasting waves/curls, roll curls in place using U-pins and allow to dry normally at room temperature. The dryer your hair is when you release the set, the wavier your hair will be. For kinkier waves, French braid or rope braid each section and secure the ends with elastics or twist each section into a small bun and secure on the sides of your head. Use a light-hold styling product. Keep it for as long as you can (overnight if possible), then take out the braids/buns and separate the strands with your fingers, tousling as you go.

One end fills, shapes and defines, the other puts everything in place. Shiseido Eyebrow Styling Duo, Rs 2,000

So fuss-free and easy, it lets you draw a perfect cat eye on the go. Kiko Ultimate Pen Longwear Eyeliner, Rs 850

Powder, cream, liquid, blush, bronzer, base—there’s nothing this can’t tackle. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Brush, Rs 3,100

One volumises, the other lengthens, the third curls. This one does it all. Revlon Ultimate All-in-One Mascara, Rs 1,095

This evens out skin, makes your base go on and on and on, and it has SPF! Dior Diorskin Forever & Ever Wear Extreme Perfection & Hold Makeup Base Primer, Rs 3,350

Use it individually to add a flush, illuminate or sculpt, or swirl together to skimp on steps. Lakmé Absolute Shimmer Brick in Pink Hero, Rs 725

12 colours, endless eyeshadow possibilities. Urban Decay Naked 3, Rs 3,650

This one pencil = kohl, eyeliner and a smoky shadow substitute. L’Oréal Paris Infallible Silkissime Eye Pencil, Rs 575

This one is worth its weight in gold for its flawless, fabulous finish. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, Rs 4,300

Because that’s all you need to go from boring to bold. Nykaa So Matte! Lipstick in Notorious Red, Rs 399

It’s all you need to fake the #Iwokeuplikethis face. NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer, Rs 2,050

We didn’t think healthy and bread could be used in the same sentence, until this wholesome alternative was introduced by owner and head baker-chef Jeremie Sabbagh. With a crunchy crust and a moist inside, this bread uses ingredients like buckwheat, sunflower seeds and almond powder to make it nutrient-rich. It’s somewhere between a cake and a bread, and is probably more flavourful than your regular loaf, courtesy buckwheat. Remember though, since it’s free of any preservatives, consume it fresh on the same day as you purchase it, or slice it up and freeze it for later use. PS. It takes almost 30 hours to create a batch of their gluten-free bread, which only makes it all the more worthy of consumption.

Your search for authentic wholewheat bread minus the faux-brown colour ends at this iconic Mumbai eatery. The vintage Irani café is one of the few remaining wonders of Mumbai’s old-school culinary delights, and apart from their simple khari biscuits (which are impossible eat just one of) and mawa cake, their chai and bun maska make for great treats.

If you like to explore your options before picking the one, stop over at Foodhall at Palladium. Sugarfree sourdough, sundried tomato and feta baguette, wholewheat burger buns, quinoa bread, rolled oats bread are just few of the varieties in their list of over fifty kinds of breads.

Over a 100 years old, you might as well name them bread-baking veterans of Mumbai. The recipes have been passed down by generations, and you can devour everything from cream rolls and whole wheat and honey to rustic oats and rye breads.

You can sign up for a monthly subscription online with Danz, so your bread basket is will always have options of multigrain, whole wheat and quinoa breads to butter for brekky.

Hearth-baked rustic breads, crusty baguettes, five-grain with flax seeds, rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, and dense rye loaves comprise the bread family here. They use a natural sourdough starter to give their breads lift.

It’s made of oats and super seeds. The gluten-free loaf has a loyal following too.

Head chef and founder Sanjana made her own cultures to bake bread, to suit Indian temperatures, and her secret ingredient, liquid levain, is what makes her loaves flavourful, crusty but also mellow, so they can make for the perfect base for tartines and sandwiches. They have healthy variants like amaranth, buckwheat and quinoa, but you can also indulge in potato and rosemary or dark rye walnut and fig breads.

Early every morning at 7am, a truck loaded with freshly baked bread leaves the Magazine Street Kitchen and reaches restaurants like Le15, Woodside Inn and Kaboom. Now, you can get your loaf directly from the source, at their first outlet in Khar. Their baskets are brimming with sourdough loaves, ciabatta and baguettes, and you can try their cruffins—a croissant-muffin hybrid) from their Viennoiserie.

This artisanal bakery has on display an extensive variety, ranging from brioches and ragi breads, to banana bread and wholewheat pizza base.

Apart from probably the best hot chocolate in the neighbourhood, Birdsong also bakes breads in-house, including their organic gluten-free bread made from amaranth, and the usual suspects—multigrain and whole wheat.

It’s a simple, healthy, delicious loaf: no grain, no gluten, no dairy, no yeast.

It’s the season to not be afraid, to be fluid and fun, to go over the top. The ’80s taught us that a sensual scarlet can easily be pulled off as a glossy pout or even on the eyes, bold and bright. Play with colours and textures, go big on brights and don’t be afraid to shout out your personality loud and clear.

Amit Aggarwal

Soltee

Chanel

Summer skin needs to be fresh and hydrated. Like that warm flush on your cheeks after a short mountain hike. That luminous glow from a run. To get this no make-up freshness, start with thoroughly moisturising a cleansed face. Face oils are super nourishing, and great to prep your skin for make-up. Start with primer so your make-up stays. A light, breathable water-based foundation only on parts that need coverage, followed by a liquid luminiser or a glow balm, peachy cream blush and transluscent lip gloss, and you’ve got your summer skin ready.

Ashima Leena

Abhi Singh

Not So Serious by Pallavi Mohan

The glitter trend continues to take centre-stage on the runway, and we like a subtle dusting of it right in the centre of the lips, or as a finishing layer on your eyeshadow.

Road To Chanderi

JJ Valaya

Fendi

Be unpredictable. A swipe of bright yellow just at the wing of your eye, a blend of rainbow colours on your lids, a geometric block liner to give you a strong edge—it’s about strategic shapes and placement.

First Cut

Ikai by Ragini Ahuja

Salvatore Ferragamo

A cool, carefree look to go with your warm summer nights. It’s ironically a fresh take on kohl. And you don’t need to go all-out with your smoky, a slight smear should do it.

Armani

Altuzarra

Balmain 

Leave your brows alone, let them grow, pluck out only those that have strayed too far, brush them up and you’re good to go.

Italian Show

Anavilla 

Isabel Marant

Bright, sunny coral dominates Bobbi Brown’s Havana Brights collection. The cream shadow stick gets a dual-ended upgrade; there are illuminating cheek palettes for that sunkissed flush; and a squeezable liquid art stick. With its longwear, hydrating formula, this one is Indian-summer-approved. Bobbi Brown Havana Brights collection, Rs 2,600 onwards

And we mean Clinique’s Crayola Chubby Sticks. Do we see your inner child jumping with joy, itching to open a new box of crayons, ready to doodle and fill in the gaps with colourful chalk all day? Now you’ll be able to colour within the lines of your pucker. Clinique Crayola Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm, Rs 1,500 each

Decléor is sui generis in the skincare world—it bottles aromatherapy in the form of essential oils blended with botanical oils to bring the body’s natural balance back. Pure extracts of neroli, jasmine or rose enter your blood flow to energise, awaken and bring life back to your skin. Try their facial rituals, which start with a consultation and end with you taking home a personalised kit (because you will want to continue feeling its sensorial effects once you leave the spa). My facial—I picked hydration over their anti-ageing and radiance-specific treatments, and got a 90-minute massage—was a combination of delicate and strong movements. This was complemented by a back massage using shiatzu and tai chi techniques. My masseuse ensured the essential oils sunk deep into my skin and mind with her skilled fingers, leaving me with a flushed glow and a relaxed soul. Decléor Aromessence Néroli Hydrating Oil Serum, Rs 2,500

It’s the upper layer of the skin that the epidermis needs to function well, and Dior has infused haberlea leaf extract and mallow flower to guard it. Try the three three minute masks—fresh jelly to energise, pink clay to refine and mattify and a smooth balm to plump and nourish. There’s also a blue sorbet crème and an exfoliating powder in the mix. Dior Hydra Life Masks, 3,800 each

This tender floral bouquet of the ‘harbingers of spring’ combines the delicateness of flower petals with fruity notes of cherry. To put things into perspective: it’ll smell like the first breath of air you take on a fresh spring morning outdoors. L’Occitane Cerisier Pastel EDT (50ml), Rs 2,990

…with the L’Oréal Illuminators, which come in powder and creamy squeezable form. Swirl up the blush-highlighter compact duo to get a rosy radiance, or pick from the three liquid luminisers based on your glow preference—Ice for cool complexions, Golden for a sunny hue on warm skin tones and Rose for a pale pink flush. L’Oréal Paris True Match Powder Illuminator, Rs 999, L’Oréal Paris True Match Liquid Glow Illuminator, Rs 799

…to Maccosmetics.in. You no longer have to trawl the malls to restock your M.A.C arsenal. Look out for… exclusive collections, some revealed on the website before they hit the stores; a make-up expert to solve matters of mascara and more; and a whole section dedicated to beauty inspirations. Log on now… for the Work It Out summer collection, a bright mix of coloured mascaras, crystal glosses and pastel lip shades, which makes its debut on the site this month. M.A.C Work It Out collection, Rs 990 onwards

A sleek do-it-all dual-ended liner, Revlon’s ColorStay 2 In 1 Angled Kajal comes with an angled tip so you can go from super skinny to really thick by changing the way you hold it. The other end is a smudge brush, for when you want to smoke out your kohl and give it an evening update. Revlon ColorStay 2 in 1 Angled Kajal, Rs 895

The plant can survive biting cold temperatures because it’s loaded with minerals, nutrients and Vitamin C. The Body Shop has extracted this unique power from it and infused it into their Drops of Light range that brightens, tones, minimises pores and smoothens, and gets our vote because it’s sensitive-skin-friendly. The Body Shop Drops of Light Pure Healthy Brightening Serum, Rs 2,450

Next time you visit the salon for mocha highlights, don’t forget a touch of malic acid. It’s what L’Oréal Professionnel’s Smartbond is made of. The in-salon treatment strengthens hair, reconstructs weak bonds, prevents colour fading, and brightens and softens dyed hair—another reason to not delay the makeover.

Divya Jagwani, our fashion bookings editor, is known for her long, voluminous, mocha-highlighted waves. Her ultimate hair mask recipe: “Egg yolk and olive oil blended together—instant shine and direct protein for hair. Tried and tested, and it works!”

One would think our fashion coordinator and stylist, Priyanka Parkash’s secret for bright, flushed skin is her happy, chirpy attitude. But she also gets by with a little help from this exfoliating coffee scrub: “Mix a bottle of regular instant coffee powder, sugar, coconut oil and three-four drops of vanilla essence in a bowl. Put in a jar and shove it on your bathroom shelf. Each day before getting out of the shower, scrub it all over and rinse off. If the smell of coffee is too strong, you can use a mild soap right after. It’s great for keeping the skin around the thighs and buttocks tight!”

Beauty editor Nidhi Sharma Punjabi has got more than a trick or two up her sleeve for that forever-glowing skin, but she swears by this cleansing concoction: “Cold, full-fat milk makes one hell of a creamy cleanser. For my dry, cranky skin I also mix in a bit of oatmeal powder to the milk and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. The soothing mix calms any inflammation and redness and leaves skin with a nourished glow, something you’ll never get out of store-bought foaming cleanser.”

You’ll often see Chandni Sehgal, senior copy editor, strutting about the office with little white spots on her face. It’s her foolproof DIY beauty trick, and whether the team approves or not, the even-toned skin talks for itself: “Our associate photo editor Ankita has a permanent grouse against me applying multani mitti (Fuller’s earth) while at the office, but mixed with cold rose water, it is the best spot-remedy to dry up angry pimples without leaving a mark. No amount of gels and creams have worked as effectively as this for me. The earth is very drying, so use judiciously if your skin is dry or combination.”

What with all those multiple outdoor shoots, our assistant photo editor, Ankita Chandra, needs a face mask to refresh and unclog her skin. Plus, it has another use too: “Malai + haldi + honey—if nothing else, it makes you feel like you’re doing your bit towards your skin and can walk around the house for a full hour without having to talk to anyone. Win-win.”

Editorial assistant Janine Dubash has a solution for the universal dark circles problem, and it’s not slices of cucumber: “Let’s leave the cucumber for our evening caprioskas. I like to peel and grate raw potato, strain the juice and refrigerate it. Then, soak two cotton balls in the juice and leave it on my eyes for twenty minutes.”

Nitya Chablani, our digital features editor, might have one too many millennial lifestyle issues that need solving, but the one problem that most millennials face, ain’t messing with her. Zits. Her solution: “Squirt the juice from orange peels on your zit. It’ll burn. A lot. But you might wake up the next morning without that pimple staring you in the face.”

The intense black kajal and the forever top-lid-only liner flick are long due for an upgrade. Make a colour swap or give it an artistic makeover.

Break the monotony of black with a colourful iteration and unexpected placement. It doesn’t need to be precise or always sitting on the lashline—work it like artistic strokes or along the crease in bright, happy colours. Seen at: Guapa

If you don’t want to stray far from the classic shape, deconstruct it by starting in the middle of the upper and lower lid and making it meet not in an upward but a central feline flick. Add an unpredictable flash of silvery shadow or pop of colour in the inner corners. Seen at: Elie Saab

From schoolgirl plaits to slinky fishtails—Indian hair is made for twists and turns. It’s time to make these twists riskier.

Summon your inner warrior princess with scalp braids that loop all the way to the ends of your strands. Give your hair part a severe, braided step up. Seen at: Emporio Armani

Add dimensional drama at the back and let your soft braid sit romantically at the nape, bundled in a delicate chignon. Best of both worlds. Seen at: Erdem

Indian lips have always sung a deep, dark saga—in melancholic tunes of browns and burgundys; the pitch, flat-out matte. It’s time to change the way we sing our love for broody tones.

If you don’t want to give up your burgundy addiction, by all means, don’t. In the modern version, just dab out the dark and let a stainy, after-effect remain. Seen at: Payal Pratap

Swipe on a high-shine gloss over your ruby red, or drizzle it with a hint of golden glitter. Dark doesn’t have to be dull anymore. Seen at: DKNY

Not your regular bullet, the new generation of lippies can be twisted up, squeezed out or coloured in. Get Clinique’s liquid lip plumping gloss for a luminous sheer-coloured finish with intense shine. Precise like a lip liner and smooth like a creamy lipstick, you’ll be
 as much at ease colouring your pucker with Lakmé’s bright crayons as you were during drawing class at school.

Clinique Chubby Plump & Shine Liquid Lip Pumping Gloss in Vavava Violet, Rs 1,500

Lakmé Enrich Lip Crayon in Candid Coral, Rs 185

This oil blend of olive lipids, evening primrose oil and lavender essential oil breaks up dirt, sunscreen and the most rigid make-up, and needs no other cleansing agents after. Massage onto dry skin, follow with water to emulsify, then rinse and moisturise.

Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil, Rs 3,200

Your sweet-smelling Moroccanoil arsenal is going to get a whole lot sweeter, and wider. The brand is now into body care, with butters and oils, cleansing bars, milks, buffs and creams on offer. Try: Massage the intense hydrating treatment twice 
a week on dry areas, or add it 
to your essential oil or to your 
bath to replenish extremely dry skin.

Moroccanoil Fleur de Rose Body Buff, Rs 4,770

Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Treatment, Rs 3,600

There are always three kinds of stuff beauty editors get sent—stuff they kinda like, use for a bit and then lose in the depths of their handbags; stuff that gets tossed into drawers or gifted to greedy family/friends and colleagues; and, finally, stuff that totally floors them, finds prime real estate in their bathroom cabinets and induces panic attacks even when they are nowhere close to finishing. Davines is the third kind. Let me tell you, I’m not a beauty editor easily pleased—I know the history and geography of brands that people don’t know exist, read (and re-read!) product reviews in my lunch break and find time to try on at least three new brands on every holiday. I was introduced to Italy-based Davines as a kind gift from
a celebrity facialist, and one shampoo, one conditioner and a hundred hours of research later, I’m a total convert. The airy formulas of the shampoos are packed with botanicals to leave your hair as light as silk, the conditioners feel/smell/look more like puddings than masks and answer every hair problem. As for me, I don’t remember what life was before the Oi collection. As someone who never does anything remotely exciting with her hair (it’s always let loose or in an I’m-trying-to-work bun) and washes them every single day, this quartet of shampoo, conditioner, oil and milk is a lifesaver. Besides, Davines smells deliciously divine. —Nidhi Sharma Punjabi

Davines Oi All In One Milk, Rs 2,080

Davines Oi Oil, Rs 2,860

Ever thought a bathing soap could feel like sensuous silk delicately grazing your skin? With Forest Essentials’s new soaps, made with a generous washing of cow’s ghee, pure silk and organic oils of coconut, palm and almond, that feeling might just be amplified.

Forest Essentials Silk Soap, Rs 750

To mark the designer’s 35th year in the fashion industry, Carolina Herrera de Baez along with the house’s first perfumer, Carlos Benaim, has re-interpreted the classic CH New York scent, intensifying and modernising the original. Celebrate this floral bouquet of jasmine and tuberose on a
 bright summery noon.

Carolina Herrera Caroline Herrera New York, Rs 15,900

Chanel’s Rouge Coco Gloss is not just gloss; it’s a non-sticky, super light, Vitamin E- and coconut oil-infused nourishing superhero version of a gloss. And it comes in 24 shades—everything from chocolate and caramel to plum and pink to pick from. Its superpower lies in its exclusive hydraboost complex which ensures lips stay supple through multiple rounds of mocha and margarita.

Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss, Rs 2,500

That silky smooth feeling can be extended to your nails too, in cool pastel paints to off set hot summer days. Nykaa’s five come in soft mint and peach tones in a pretty pearlescent finish. Revlon’s ultra-glossy gel lacquers are just a bit more saturated and bright, if you want to go for sky blue or blush.

Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Nail Enamel in Love Struck, Rs 399

Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Nail Enamel in Cardshark, Rs 399

Nykaa Silk Nail Enamel in An Affair to Remember, Rs 179

Nykaa Silk Nail Enamel in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Rs 179

Tresemmé took a stroll outside its science labs to find botanicals it could blend and came up with two strong concoctions. The first uses olive and camelia oils to soften and nurture, the second works with ginseng and neem to purify and revitalise.

Tresemmé Botanique range, starting Rs 70

Tresemmé Botanique range, starting Rs 70

We have a feeling you suffer from chronic fatigue-eye syndrome. Symptoms include puffy dark eye bags. Solution: This little eye treatment with sea water extract that comes with a cooling massage applicator and can be masked and massaged to de-stress your peepers.

Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift, Rs 4,596