How To: Curl It Up

Glam Styler & Blow dryer- Philips Kerashine range, Heat Protectant- Tresemme, Curl Booster- The Body Shop, Old clips, On my lips- Please me by Mac

You know those days when you're in a hurry but you'd also like to look a little different but you really can spare just 10 minutes on your hair before you have to rush out that door? I have a little secret for you! I was sent over the Philips Kerashine range last month and I have been experimenting with it since. Out of all the tools they sent, I was very keen on the Glam Styler! One, because I have never seen a similar looking styling tool before and second because it claimed to give me that just-out-of-bed-but-fabulous hair. I have really long hair at the moment, so it takes me anywhere between 20-30 minutes to style it all but it took me exactly 10 minutes to achieve this causal, laid back yet chic look! It not only got rid of the excess frizz but also added volume, softness and shine due to the Keratin infused properties. I know it's almost too good to believe so I'm giving away one Glam Styler to a lucky winner! All you have to do to win it is :

- Comment below and tell me why you should win this amongst everyone else!

- Don't forget to Tweet your anwsers to me @aayushibangur with the hastag #glamstylerbemine

-I will announce the winner on the 27th February on my Facebook Page

Now on to how I achieved this look using some simple steps.

What you need:- 

The Philips Glam Styler

Heat protectant

Any Curl booster serum/cream

Small clips

Hairbrush

Blow dryer

Steps :-

1) Assemble everything you need to get started.

2) After washing your hair, spray some heat protectant before you use any styling tools. Even though the Kerashine range protects your hair from damage unlike other tools, I would do it for saftey.

3) Blow dry your hair, if needed. You can even achieve this look with second day hair.

4) Divide your hair into sections so that you can quickly and effectively curl your hair.

5) I prefer using The Body Shop Curl Booster cream because it helps the curl to hold better and stay for longer. And it smells really good!

6) Brush a section with the Glam Styler and once you reach the end, start rolling the section up and hold it for about 30-45 seconds depending on your hair length.

7) Twist the top to retract the bristles and softly roll out the hair. Repeat the same steps on all the sections and voila!

I love this look for everyday or those days when I need to get to a meeting or an event and I don't have the time to do my hair or visit a salon! You can even achieve tighter curls by taking smaller sections or holding each section for longer! I am absolutely addicted to this & am so glad that I was introduced to it! Enter the contest and you can have one of your own. 

Goodluck!

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How To : Bedazzled Clutch

Clutch(old)- Zara, Glue Gun- Stationery store, Floral embellishments- Something Special

Ever since I saw the embellished clutches by Prada and Miu Miu, I have been itching to make one of my own. For the longest time, I couldn't find the kind of embellishments I wanted. But I finally found these gorgeous holographic flowers lying in a corner at the craft store and I knew this was it! I didn't want to make it too blingy so I stuck to simple yet alluring embellishments. You can pick embellishments of your choice. You could even try using your old bracelets, earrings or necklaces.

What you need:-

An old clutch bag

Embellishments of choice

Colour pencils/ Pens

Glue Gun

Steps :-

1) The first and most important part of this diy is picking the embellishments you want. Once you have that sorted, it's child's play.

2) Using a colour pencil or pen, mark the spots where you'd want to place your embellishments. I went for simple rows and columns. You could however play with patterns and create something fun.

3) Now using a glue gun or fabric glue, stick the embellishments on to the bag.

4) Let it dry for about 2 hours and then you're ready to flaunt it!

I hope you guys try this fun and quick revamp trick yourself! For me, I can't wait to take this beloved to the Lakme Fashion week!

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How To : Spike It Up

Shirt(old)- Pull & Bear, Spikes- Something Special(Bandra)

I have been loving anything  and everything with studs or spikes on it. But I don't wish to spend all my money on these trendy pieces. So, while I splurged on a few items, I had to find a cheaper alternative to deal with this obsession and hence this do-it-yourself  idea! Follow these simple steps and you can stud anything from your t-shirts to your shorts to the pockets on your jeans. So let's get started!

What you need :-

- A shirt or any basic piece
- Spikes (whatever size you want)
- A needle
- Matching thread
- Some sewing skills


Steps

1) Once you've selected the piece you want to add spikes to, select a thread in a matching colour and thread your needle.

2) I wanted to add the spikes to the pocket of my shirt. I decided to add three lines of spikes and marked the spots with a marker so that it's easier once I start sewing them on.

3) Once done with the first line, I followed the marked spots and continued with the other two. When you're done, don't forget to knot the loose end of the thread.

And that's it. That's how easy this is. I am in love with my new shirt and have been flaunting it around since the day it was done. So this weekend, grab a cup of your favourite coffee and take on this easy task!

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How To : Shoe Makeover

Loafers-Wanted shoes, Spray paint, glue gun and half pearls - Stationary store

Embellished shoes were all over the fall runaways. Be it the metallic heels or studded loafers, they were all seen in plenty. I don't wear loafers that often, I'm more of a sandals/ballet flats person. But embellished anything is always tempting and hence the thought of turning my loafers into something pretty so that I could at least wear them. So here's how you can upgrade your shoes from boring to 'where'd you get them?!' shoes. 

What you need :- 

- Shoes/ Loafers

- Gold spray paint

- Half pearls

- Scotch tape

- Glue gun / Glue

- Newspaper

Steps

1) Start of with taping off the sections of your shoes which you don't want the spray paint to ruin. I wanted to spray paint the heel and bottom seem of my shoes so I taped the shoe accordingly.

2) Hold the spray paint can a few inches away from your shoe and start to evenly spray the paint. Go slow to achieve that even, smooth look. Don't forget to lay some newspaper where you're doing this as you don't want to ruin your flooring now, do you?

3) Let the paint dry for about an hour. My loafers had tassels in the front, so I decided to take them out and spray paint them separately.

4) Once the paint is dry, take your glue gun and start placing the pearls where you'd like to. I decided to place two stripes around the heel.

5) Let that dry for about 15 minutes. And voila.

Your perfect pair of fall loafers are right in front of you. Time to go flaunt them!

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How to : Collar Chain

Skull Earrings- Blur, Chain- Craft store, Shirt- Lazymanxcatshop, On my nails- Paz by Zoya

I've been seeing these collar chains all over Asos and even though I've been tempted to add some to my cart, I wanted to first, give this idea a try. This is by far the easiest do-it-yourself project but I had to share it with you! You probably have all the things you need at home and it will take you 2 minutes to transform your old shirt into something a bit more trendy. So let's begin.

What you need :-
-Stud earrings (plain or jeweled)
-Gold or silver chain
-Scissor

Steps
1) Pick out some cool stud earrings from your existing collection or from any store. I found my skull earrings at Blur and because skulls are so in this season, I decided to use these.

2) Next, measure the length of the chain and cut it according to how long you'd want it to hang from your collar. If you ask me, 15cms is good.

3)Now put the chain in from behind your earring and glue it in place if you want. I didn't glue mine because I plan to use this chain with various other earrings.

4)Pierce it through your collar and put the screw on.

And voila. Wasn't this a child's play? Too bad it didn't strike you before you saw this. Now go, try it. 

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How To : Embellished Shoulders

I was strolling at Zara the other day when I came across this embellished t-shirt. Now I've been seeing a lot of these embellished clothes at almost every store with stones either on the shoulder or the collar or the sleeves or the neckline or even all over. Though they are wonderful to look at, I can't imagine wearing most of them for too long. But with the Zara t-shirt, I almost bought it, but then I realized that I could actually just make this myself, if not the exact same thing, something similar which would have the same effect. So here I am, sharing this idea with you! I hope you try this and save yourself some precious bucks. Let's get started.

What you need :-
- An old or new t-shirt/jumper (mine is old)
- Some stones to embellish
- A chalk
- Fabric glue or Glue gun

Steps
1) Wear the old t-shirt and mark the center of your shoulder with a chalk. This will help you in deciding where you would want to ideally place the stones.

2) Keeping the center in mind, use the chalk to mark the rest of the spots for the jewels.

3) Use your glue gun or fabric glue to securely place those stones on to the spots marked.

4) Repeat the steps on the other side. Leave it to dry over night and voila!

You will wake up with a trendy piece lying in your wardrobe and what's even better? You actually made it!

PS :- For those of you who are wondering about how to wash this? Just dry clean it my friend. 

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How To : Blue Smokey Eyes

Products Used  : -
Bobbi Brown's Creamy Concealer in the shade Natural
L'oreal's True Match Mineral's Powder
Urban Decay's Eyeshadow primer potion
L'oreal's Infalliable Eyeshadow in All Night Blue from the new L'or collection!
Dior's eyeshadow in Argentic
L'oreal's Super liner eyeliner
Maybelline's The Falsies Mascara
Mac's Fix Plus

Tools Used : -
The Body shop's Eyeshadow Blender brush
Sponge tip eyeshadow brush (Beauty Center)
Eyelash curler from Faces

Steps : -
1) Apply some concealer around your eyes to create an even base and cover up any darkness. Set it with any setting powder or foundation.

2) Use a eye shadow primer to make sure that your eye shadow lasts longer and to make the colours look vibrant.

3) Using a eye shadow blending brush start blending the dark blue colour into your crease. Slowly increase the amount to darken the shadow. Gradually building the colour up will help you to achieve the look better than going super dark all at once.

4) Spray some fix plus on to your sponge tip brush and dip it into any silver shadow. Now apply this eye shadow on to the middle and inner corner's of your eyes.

5) Next, apply a thin eye liner using either an eyeliner brush or in my case L'oreal's Super Liner.

6) Curl your eyelashes and coat them with your favourite Mascara preferably waterproof.

And voila. Go ahead and rock this Monsoon friendly night time look! 

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How to : Studded Shoes

Shoes- Colaba(Rs.150), Studs- Something Special, Glue gun- Any stationery shop


I have been seeing studded shoes, clothes and bags in almost every store and on every website since over a month now. And though I like the trend, I wasn't sold out by any particular piece. So I decided to try my hands on making something similar which  would be easy on my pocket and would satiate my need of having something studded! I studded a pair of black shoes, you could use the same technique and stud an old bag or even the pocket or collar of an old t-shirt or blouse. 

What you need :-
- Flat studs
- Glue gun/ Adhesive
- A pen
- A pair of old or new shoes

Steps
1) Take a pen and mark the places on the shoes where you would like to place your studs. This will make it easier when you start placing the studs.

2) Now take your glue gun and apply some of that glue to the marked spots and simultaneously place the studs before the glue dries.

3) Check if you want to add some more studs here and there to make it look better.

4)Let the glue dry for an hour or so before you flaunt them. And there, you have your own pair of studded shoes.

A tip- Don't worry about the studs being symmetrical unless you have a particular pattern in mind. 

Hope this gave you some fun ideas! Also, don't forget to enter the Styledrive for Spring Break Giveaway which ends tomorrow! 

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How To : Dainty Nails

Shirt- Topshop, Necklace- Colaba, Polishes used- Orange Mimosa by Colorbar, Opi's Extra-va-vaganza, Incolor Chrome nail makeup 04(random), Revlon's nail enamel in Natural

Hey everyone! S & I have just been so caught up with work for the past couple of weeks so we have had no time to go shoot an outfit post! So I thought meanwhile I'd share a few how to's with you! I hope you guys enjoyed the previous one. Anyway, this has been my favourite way of wearing my nails since December. I love the two-toned, shimmery & dainty effect that it gives.

What you need :-

Your favourite nail varnish shade

A glitter polish

A polish with chunkier glitter

Top coat

Steps

1) Apply two coats of your favourite nail varnish. I am obsessed with tangerine(which our dearest Pantone says is the colour of the year). You could switch it up with a pastel colour or a darker shade.

2) Carefully apply a coat of the glitter polish but make sure to apply it only up to the middle of your nails.

3) Apply a coat of the chunkier glitter polish on the top half of each nail where you applied the smaller glitter polish.

4) Lastly, just apply a top coat to make sure the glitter stays in place and to give your nails a smooth finish.

And voilà. Hope you guys liked it! Do post pictures on my Facebook Page if you happen to try it.

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How To : Summer Braid

Shirt- H&M, Red Ring- Styldrv, Spiral Ring- Aldo, On my nails- Orange Mimosa by Colorbar


Having your hair in a braid is perfect for spring/summer. So why not add a little twist to the old, conventional braid? It's easy and you'll have people pondering over it. Here's how you get it :-


Step 1- Comb your hair out with a brush or a wide tooth comb to make sure that your hair is free of knots and tangles. You could try this hairstyle with freshly washed & dried hair or even with second day hair.

Step 2-  Divide your hair into three sections like you would for a normal braid. However, for this one make sure that the middle section is thicker than the other 2 sections, which should be sectioned approximately equally.

Step 3- Now leave the side sections and braid the middle section like you would in a normal braid.

Step 4- Secure this braid with a hair elastic similar to your hair colour so that it merges into you hair.

Step 5- Now braid your hair with all the three sections like you would while making a normal braid.

Step 6- Secure this with a hair elastic too.

Step 7- Now just to add some more fun, I used a spiral ring to cover up the hair elastic. This will make sure your braid grabs all the eyeballs it possibly could. This step is obviously optional but I suggest you try it. You could use any fancy ring you already own.

So here we are with a messy, old yet new summer braid. It'll look a bit more textured than a normal braid and people will assume that you have actually put in some time in doing you hair! You can loosen it a bit if you want to make it look even more messy. You could even go one step further and tie your braid up in a side bun. Hope you guys will try this out.

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How to : Wear Neon Lips

Jumper- Zara, Lipstick- Nyx Matte Lipstick in Shocking Pink 

I know this is a little early considering spring is not even close but I have been obsessed with wearing bright/neon colors so I just thought this could help you. Here's what you need to do :-

Step 1 : - Use any lip scrub to get rid of the dead skin. The one I am using is from Lush in Bubblegum. If you don't own any lip scrub, don't fret. Just mix some olive oil or baby oil with sugar and lightly rub it on your lips. It will give you the same result.

Step 2 : - Apply your favourite lip balm or lip conditioner to moisturize and prep your lips for the lipstick. The lipstick that I am going to use can be drying specially during winters. So i'd suggest you apply a considerate amount.

Step 3 : - Now outline your lips with a concealer. Make sure to blend it well around the lip area making sure you leave no lines or patches. All the attention is going to be on your lips so you can't leave the surrounding area unattended. And this will also brighten up the area making it look flawless.

Step 4 : - Take your favourite neon/bright lipstick and apply it carefully on to your lips. The lipstick I am using is a Nyx Matte lipstick in the shade Shocking Pink. I have now become confident enough to apply it directly from the tube but if you don't have a steady hand yet, I'd recommend you use a lip brush to get that perfection. Make sure to cover the side area of your lips. I personally would leave them matte but if you're a gloss girl go ahead and dab some.

And now? Get out and rock it! Beware of the stares! I hope this helped you all. Have a happy and bright day.

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