IndianBeautyReviewer: August 2014

Hey Everyone,

I`m really glad to be a part of the “Say Yes to Color” Campaign with Casting Crème Gloss started by L`oreal Paris recently. Through this campaign I got a chance to express my love for hair coloring and hair styling that I have had since I was a kid.

I took this opportunity to dig into the pics collection in my hard disk and tried to select the ones in which I felt beautiful / khoobsurat because of my colored hair. There were many more pics in which my hair stood out but either due to some technical error the pics were saved in a really small size and the color couldn’t be appreciated in the pic so much. So naturally I skipped those.

I have not just had one #khoobsuratmoment but several #khoobsuratmoment s because of coloring my hair since I was in 9^th or 10^th standard.

My hair journey actually began during the time of prep leaves of my Class X board exams. That was the first time ever I did something to my hair to experience a #khoobsuratmoment.

I was really bored and exhausted of studying non-stop. So I decided to take a break. In one such study break I recall watching a TV show in which beauty tips were being discussed. The lady was telling of ways to enhance the red color of the hair which shows up after Henna mixture is applied to the hair. She told that if we crush and grind a few red Hibiscus flowers and mix them in the Henna paste and then apply Henna to the hair, the red tinge of the hair from the Henna is much more dark and visible. It was a "desi nuskha" to color your hair red which appealed so much to me not only coz it was regarding beautification which I love but it sounded so creative and experimental that I couldn’t resist going ahead and trying it on myself.

I went downstairs to my garden and started searching for some fully bloomed red Hibiscus flowers for my experiment. How did I know I had red Hibiscus flowers in my garden, You would ask?

Because when they showed the pic of those flowers on the show I remembered my Mom placing exactly those flowers at my home altar infront of Durga Maa. It is in such situations where an eccentrically creative and beauty inquisitive mind like mine works at its creative best. LOL!

Anyways so I finally found plenty of those flowers in my garden and I went ahead with the procedure that was told on the show. The henna mixture was ready but I was caught “wasting my precious study time” and I was shoved towards my books again after a little scolding.

My experiment was left in between but the next day I somehow managed to apply it to my hair and after washing it off my hair had the most fabulous intense red color which I enjoyed admiring and flaunting a lot. I remember my friends complimenting me and saying that I had red hair just like Kate Winslet in Titanic... So that was my first #khoobsuratmoment :)

Indianbeautyreviewer : Henna Colored Hair

#khoobsuratmoment ‘Say Yes To Color’ with Casting Crème Gloss Campaign from L`Oreal Paris

Indianbeautyreviewer : Henna Colored Hair

#khoobsuratmoment ‘Say Yes To Color’ with Casting Crème Gloss Campaign from L`Oreal Paris

Indianbeautyreviewer : Henna Colored Hair

#khoobsuratmoment ‘Say Yes To Color’ with Casting Crème Gloss Campaign from L`Oreal Paris

Then came my fascination with blonde hair.

I had absolutely no awareness of hair colors at that time. But I did know that bleaching the hair turns them golden. So that`s what I did...I bleached my hair with the regular face bleach and Behold! They turned golden...I was so proud of myself coz of my successful hair experiments all working in my favour! First time I bleached my hair and they turned golden...I was asked at a party... "Have you done something to them or are they naturally golden?” What do you think I said ? ;)Wink... Well that`s really not important but what`s important is that I had another #khoobsuratmoment at that party :)

Then gradually several hair companies introduced hair colors in the market which not only served to hide the greys but also make a fashion statement with different hair colors suiting different skin tones. I got my hair colored for the first time at a L`oreal Salon in Lucknow. The effect was great . My third #khoobsuratmoment... and then many more followed...

Indianbeautyreviewer : Blonde Highlights from L`oreal Paris Salon

#khoobsuratmoment ‘Say Yes To Color’ with Casting Crème Gloss Campaign from L`Oreal Paris

Indianbeautyreviewer on way to Tirupathi Balaji Temple : Blonde Highlights from L`oreal Paris Hair Salon

#khoobsuratmoment ‘Say Yes To Color’ with Casting Crème Gloss Campaign from L`Oreal Paris

Indianbeautyreviewer at a Conference in Chennai : Blonde Highlights at L`oreal Paris Hair Salon

#khoobsuratmoment ‘Say Yes To Color’ with Casting Crème Gloss Campaign from L`Oreal Paris

In the following years, I took admission in Post Grad and I often found myself not having enough time to visit the salon. But a more convincing reason to skip the salon was coz I could not do anything drastic with my hair as it would interfere with my “studious image”. It was an au natura`le phase for quite some time.

Indianbeautyreviewer : Au Naturale Hair

#khoobsuratmoment ‘Say Yes To Color’ with Casting Crème Gloss Campaign from L`Oreal Paris

Indianbeautyreviewer : Au Naturale Hair

#khoobsuratmoment ‘Say Yes To Color’ with Casting Crème Gloss Campaign from L`Oreal Paris

But I was a beauty buff at heart and could not resist changing my haircolor and hairstyle for long. While I was thinking of coloring my hair yet not going overboard, it was pure luck that L`oreal Paris Casting Crème Gloss Haircolors were introduced in the market.

Casting Crème Gloss is a no ammonia hair color that not only transforms your hair into a new gorgeous shade but also gives it a glossy shine. It is available in 12 different shades and you can watch your hair transform in just 20 minutes at home!

I went ahead and picked the 360 Black Cherry color for myself. I figured it would satisfy my urge of experimenting with a new haircolor without making it too obvious. With this haircolor I would get a no-fuss easy and quick at home DIY hair color application and it would give it a cherry red hint with a gorgeous shine too. I was totally convinced and went ahead with coloring my hair at home after reading the instructions on the pack which were very easy to follow. It took just 20 minutes to transform my hair. When I went to college the next day, my friends thought that I had had a keratin shine restore treatment when actually I had only colored my hair with L`oreal Paris Casting Crème Gloss in 360 Black Cherry. They even started to photograph my hair for thier future reference, thus the cut photo in which my hair was the focus... Yet another #khoobsuratmoment ! :)

#khoobsuratmoment ‘Say Yes To Color’ with Casting Crème Gloss from L`Oreal Paris : Hair color 360 Black Cherry#khoobsuratmoment ‘Say Yes To Color’ with Casting Crème Gloss Campaign from L`Oreal Paris

I even had a phase in between when I got bored of long hair and wanted a drastic change of hairstyle coz I couldn't experiment too much with hair color...I just went to my favorite L`oreal Paris Salon and Got this super short bob hair cut... I got tonnes of compliments the next day :)

Add captionIndianbeautyreviewer : Short Hairstyles#khoobsuratmoment ‘Say Yes To Color’ with Casting Crème Gloss Campaign from L`Oreal Paris

Finally Post Grad was over and I was a free bird. It had been long since I had had blonde highlights and now it was my time to shine....I visited my favorite L'oreal Salon and this was the result of it. Currently I am rocking my blonde highlights and light brown colored hair but I will be going for a change of hair color soon as anyways my hair need a root touch-up so why not try something new !

Indianbeautyreviewer : Blonde Highlights on Light Brown Colored Hair at L`oreal Paris Salon

#khoobsuratmoment ‘Say Yes To Color’ with Casting Crème Gloss Campaign from L`Oreal Paris

Indianbeautyreviewer : Blonde Highlights on Light Brown Colored Hair at L`oreal Paris Salon

#khoobsuratmoment ‘Say Yes To Color’ with Casting Crème Gloss Campaign from L`Oreal Paris

So my dear readers I hope you all enjoyed reading my hair coloring ecsapades which led me to have not one but several khoobsurat moments... Thanx to L`oreal Paris Hair Salons and the easy to use Casting Cre`me Gloss DIY at-home hair color kits.

Through this Campaign I got a chance to share my #khoobsuratmoment as a result of which I eneded up recalling all the lovely times I had had in the past and recent past . I feel so nostalgic and I am experiencing rite now yet another.... #khoobsuratmoment !

C u all soon,

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PRESS RELEASE

What: WE COUTURE EXHIBITION 2014 by THE LADIES’ WING OF IMC

When: 21st And 22nd August, 2014.

Where: World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai.

Timings: 11 am - 8 pm

This year, the exhibition promotes Indian weavers through the "Art and Craft Council" initiative!

WE COUTURE EXHIBITION 2014 :

The PREMIER Exhibition of the Ladies’ Wing of Indian Merchants’ Chamber has arrived. With its huge turnout, impeccable style and fabulous participants, the IMC WE Exhibition has proved to be the finest so far. Over the last 26 years, the IMC has put up a fabulous show, choosing the most appropriate participants with a wide array of products.

This year the Women Entrepreneurs (WE) exhibition will bedazzle shoppers at a bigger and more luxurious space at World Trade Center, Cuffe Parade, on 21st& 22nd August 2014. This season too, WE 2014 is a motley spread of fashion, jewellery, beauty and wellness all under one platform. Women entrepreneurs with culinary skill will also bring their expertise to the show.

WE COUTURE EXHIBITION 2014 is one of the year’s most awaited exhibitions which always has ladies queuing up in order to shop from their favourite designers. It has become a trademark for Diwali, Raksha Bandhan and even Wedding Trousseau shopping.

In addition to the budding entrepreneurs this year IMC Ladies 'Wing has a special corner for weavers from across India with exquisite arts and crafts stalls to promote creative artisans and weavers. The ladies wing of the IMC will be supporting weaver clusters through their ‘Art and Craft Council’. The endeavor would be to revive the dying arts of handloom weaves and bettering their lot.

Another interesting pre-exhibition event this year is a mix of art and fashion. Students from various Fashion Designing Institutes like SNDT, are putting up installations across the city in prominent areas like Palladium and other public spaces. These installations will be judged by an esteemed panel of judges such as Arzan Khambatta, Nicholai Sachdev, Umesh Jinvani and more. This again is another way the IMC Ladies Wing is giving an opportunity to young women to express themselves artistically.

In addition, We Couture Exhibition 2014 will also host live fashion shows throughout the day of the exhibition wherein models will showcase the clothes/jewellery of the IMC Participants. This will give shoppers an opportunity to view what is on display and the participants also get a chance to see their creations on a ramp!

WE COUTURE Exhibition will create a comfortable ambience for all visitors by including food courts, a special lounge area to interact and relax.

About Ladies’ Wing of IMC:

Ladies’ Wing of IMC, established in 1966, gives special focus to women empowerment through entrepreneurial development for women. Currently the President is Aarti Sanghi. Over 2200 women members, comprising a mix of entrepreneurs, professionals, corporate leaders, academicians, bankers, journalists, artists, social activists and home makers, interact on variety of subjects from politics and economics to culture and development. IMC Ladies Wing organizes wide ranging events – seminars, conferences, business delegations, industry visits and interactive meetings with international delegations, politicians, bureaucrats and others leading personalities.

Here are the Profiles of a few of the participants :

Name of the participant: Abha Shah & Avni Agarwal

Brand: Chic N Urban

To lift up your Spirit and add Zing to the season we present our Easy to wear and smartly styled tops, classic shirts, Indo western Tunics in silk satins, chiffons and georgettes in a variety of vibrant prints.

Chic N Urban by Abha Shah & Avni Agarwal

Charu Bhagvat and Royal Hathkargha Vikas Samiti, Maheshwar

An exclusive collection of classic Maheshwaris with a blend of weave and print in festive colours. These sarees, dupattas and fabrics are handwoven by the highly skilled weavers of Maheshwar.

Maheshwar is a small town in Madhya Pradesh, about 100 kms, a 2 hours drive from Indore. In Maheshwar, a lot of weaving is done by women to support their family because most of the money earned by their husbands goes in drinking. Lady weavers used to work at master weavers place and hence they would not get proper justice for their work.

So, we provided them with looms in their own houses so that they can take care of their families and in their free time do weaving and hence become independent. Women weavers are highly skilled, hard working, efficient and interested in learning new techniques so we could introduce new designs.

Every day they faced many problems and so we thought of starting this NGO in order to help them. We even help them with finances or with any medical help. We have also opened their bank accounts to help them support their family health and daughter’s weddings.

Whenever we hold exhibitions in big cities, we take them so that they can see the world around, educate themselves and in turn educate their daughters also. Hence, we formed this NGO to help them. We provide them with good designs and raw materials so that their products are easily sold in Mumbai markets.

Our NGO has become successful due to the hard work of master weavers, lady weavers and the designs and trends of market colours which I give them and hence our products are sold out easily which attracts a good amount of business for the weavers. Today they are independent and get a lot of work from many reputed designers.

Charu Bhagvat and Royal Hathkargha Vikas Samiti, Maheshwar

Name of the participant: Gayatri Chopra

Brand: Gayatri Chopra

Gayatri chopra bags launched in 2009 are an eclectic mix of ethnicity infused with bright colours and contemporary shapes, popularly known for its embroidered box clutches and briefcase bags.

Gayatri Chopra

Name of the participant: Gouri Gupta

Brand: Gouri's

Started as an experiment for her family's nutritional needs, today GOURI’S offers hand-made, preservatives-free, & organic energy bars, cereals, brownies, & teacakes using traditional gluten-free millets, palm jaggery & honey.

Gouri's by Gouri Gupta

"The Research Society" is a 69 year old NGO working with those who are mentally challenged. We aim at providing a holistic approach to the management of individuals who are Intellectually Challenged.

Our spectrum of services includes:

1. Diagnosis and Therapeutic Intervention - Multidisciplinary team of professionals assess the children with the aim of early detection, diagnosis, treatment, training & rehabilitation. We also use this data to write Research Papers.

2. Jai Vakeel School - Apart from functional academics, our students also learn dance, music, sports etc. 350 children in the age group of 6 -18 years.

3. Vocational Training & Rehabilitation Centre - The students here are learning different vocations and we are working towards making them as independent as possible.

4. Autism Centre - Educational and therapeutic intervention to individuals with Autism and Mental Retardation. 30 children in this section.

5. Residential Section - Provides respite to the parents of Persons with Disabilities (PWD’s) on a short term and long term basis. Nearly 40 students in this section.

6. College of Special Education - Trains qualified professionals, who will work with special children.

7. Rural Branches - 2 rural branches at Pune & Nashik District, where we do schooling and pre-vocational activities. Approx. 40 children in each.

8. Pediatric Neurology Medical Camps in the Districts of Maharashtra. Our qualified team of doctors and therapists go into the villages to identify, diagnose & treat children with disabilities. We also train the local NGO’s, therapists and doctor to regularly monitor the children seen by us and try to integrate them into mainstream life. Till date we have covered 12 districts of Maharashtra. We have reached out and tested over 5000 children- they have been given free medicines, nutritional supplements as well as different need based interventions.

Encouraging self reliance in the children and young adults is one of the main aims of TRS.

The Vocational Training Centre trains young adults in various vocations.

The Jai Vakeel Vocational Training & Sheltered Workshop was started in 1948 and is today the largest centre for Vocational Training in the country. Students from the age group of 18 to 21 years are taught one or more skills based on their aptitude and ability. While the aim is to train them and place them in other organisations or encourage them to be self employed, at 21, the students that cannot be placed outside are employed in our ‘Sheltered Workshop’. The products made by them are then sold in an attempt to create and spread awareness as well as to showcase the talents and abilities of these students. Each student in the Sheltered Workshop is paid a monthly stipend based on their productivity. This goes a long way in helping build their self esteem and self confidence.

Currently we have approximately 300 students in the 11 different Vocational classes on our campus:

· Art & Craft Class – Gift bags

· Agarbatti Class

· Book Binding

· Candle Making

· Envelope Making – Paper envelopes & Cash gift envelopes

· Flowers &Toran Making

· Home Science – Pickles &Mukhwas

· Jewellery Making – Key chains& Necklaces

· Paper Bags & Mat Making

· Sewing & Embroidery Class

· Weaving Class

‘The Research Society"

Name of the participant: Juveca Panda

Brand: Anonymous Co.

We at Anonymous Co. believe that fashion is more than just a logo; it’s about you and your style. Keeping this ideology in mind, our range of products caters to the needs of its fashion forward customers through an extensive collection of affordable apparels, accessories and bags.

Anonymous Co. by Juveca Panda

Name of the participant: Kalli Mehra, Kunti Shah and Medha Toprani

Brand: Kokommo

KOKOMMO specializes in premium clutches and high - end fashion jewellery. The collection ranges from contemporary classics to bridal wear, versatile enough to work with both, an Indian & western aesthetic.

Kokommo by Kalli Mehra, Kunti Shah and Medha Toprani

Name of the participant: Kejal Savla & Purvi V. Dhulla

Brand: WINK

Our Roots:

As graduates from the design school, we Kejal Savla & Purvi V. Dhulla Started our own brand *WINK*.

We wanted to design, to source, to travel and understand design in all its glory and intricacy.

Under this brand we design beautiful hand crafted clutches, bags, accessories & limited edition gift hampers.

Our Signature Style:

Our style is experimental where we fuse elements & motifs from various cultures & trends with the aim of creating original products.

WINK by Kejal Savla & Purvi V. Dhulla

Name of the participant: Mohini Rajani & Neeru Kohli

Brand: EUTHENIA

Mohini Rajani & Neeru Kohli, two individuals with like minded creative thoughts, come together to showcase their vision and concept through - EUTHENIA

Steady growth and repute, prestigious fashion promotions and events has catapulted brand Euthenia to the creme de la creme giving exposure to end users who understand the aesthetics of fashion and styling.

Our repertoire is extensive and varied... A breathtaking range of tunics and high end garments with intricate styling, delicate hand and machine embroideries , the use of a vast variety of fabrics and textures such as chinon georgette, innovative blends, high end cottons to name a few put together to create a mind blowing range of fashion.

EUTHENIA by Mohini Rajani & Neeru Kohli

Name of the participant: Shelina Kukar and Camelia Dalal

Brand: Art Apparel and Accessories

Art Apparel and Accessories are synonymous for their stylish yet practical designs that really capture what a woman wants in an evening bag. Their bags are not ‘of a season’ but are those that can last a lifetime and be part of a story for generations. They also design an exclusive range of sandals.

Art Apparel and Accessories by Shelina Kukar and Camelia Dalal

NGO - Shree Atmavallabh Swavlamban Mahila Mangal Kendra

“SHREE ATMAVALLABH SWAVLAMBAN MAHILA MANGAL KENDRA” is an NGO organisation instituted by women for women with the purpose of helping unfortunate women to re-discover their lives and to put back smiles on their faces and for a promising today and tomorrow.

In the quiet suburb of Nalasopara, these ladies come in and work to earn their daily living. They are provided with subsidized housing and food along with free educational help for their children and vocational training. Some children have qualified as chartered accountants and MBA’s!

Activities: Handicrafts (Rangoli, Torans, Envelopes, Bags), Chocolates, Snacks, Healthy Khakhras

NGO - Shree Atmavallabh Swavlamban Mahila Mangal Kendra

Name of the participant: Sneh Todi

Brand: Sneh Todi (S.P.N Designs Pvt Ltd)

Years of innovative jewellery designing and exceptional craftsmanship are the trademark of the mother and daughter TRIO of Sneh , Priyanka and Nisha Todi.

Their use of quality diamonds, rubies, emeralds and pearls ensures that their pieces form a stunning collection of heirloom and contemporary jewellery.

S.P.N Designs Pvt Ltd by Sneh Todi

SPUN - Weaving the threads of life to empower thousands of individuals who dared to stay connected to their roots.

Apart from the fact that the word SPUN is aptly derived from the corporate name Welspun, it emanates from tradition; songs, ballads, lyrics, and epics woven into pictorial fabrics. Typically, narrated by the women folk to their off springs, as they create or embellish household or decorative fabrics.

Hence ‘SPUN’; spinning and weaving tales is intrinsic to our folklore and our history.

It is linked to Gandhian principles of a self sufficient lifestyle; spinning yarn on the chakra which is directly linked to being an ‘income generating initiative’.

Sustainable empowerment of women has always been the focal point of Welspun’s Corporate Social Value initiatives.

At the outset, the primary objective of SPUN was to recycle the surplus fabric into viable merchandise. However, it was soon realised that we could empower hundreds of women at our centres by way of making beautiful handcrafted products using this fabric.

In order to take this initiative to the next level, we collaborated with various non-governmental organisations in different parts of Gujarat, giving us an opportunity to make a greater number of women self-reliant, in addition to those working at our CSR centres.

Our aim is to support the artisans and promote their crafts by giving inputs on designs, fair remuneration as well as providing them a foundation to market their skills.

The designs on the various products reflect the manner in which the traditional crafts of Gujarat have been revived and preserved in a contemporary way.

Furthermore, we are benefitting over 300 farmers and 30 weavers through our efforts to revive the use of Kala Cotton, now known as old world cotton as part of our initiative.

Lastly, each creation of SPUN is much more than aesthetics. It is an impression of an artist’s dreams, her hard work, and her life. To put it simply, it is an extension of her soul and it is this soul that lends every SPUN product a character of its own and makes it unique.

SPUN

Name of the participant: Swati Goradia

Brand: SARTORIAL by Swati Goradia

Sartorial is a culmination of my dreams for marrying impeccable international cuts with Indian craftsmanship. Long experiments with unconventional fabrics have brought forth creations that represent the aspirations of the modern Indian woman, “Global in outlook, but with an Indian soul”!