Choco Cherry Custard Tart

Ok… so this is my first food recipe online. Not actually mine – I saw the recipe on www.worldfoody.com – but it is so simple to make and so yummy that I had to share it with you all. So here it is: Choco Cherry Custard Tart. The recipe that I am sharing serves 4, has a preparation time of 15 minutes and cooking time of just 30 minutes.

 Choco Cherry Custard Tart   Ingredients   For tart shell: Refined Flour - 150 grams Butter - 50 grams Sugar - 5 grams Salt - a pinch Iced Water   For filling: Cherries, drained - 1 can Thick vanilla custard - 2 cups Milk Chocolate - 100 grams Fresh Cream - 100 grams

Method – Crumble all the ingredients of tart shell with finger tips & add chilled water, just enough to bind and let it rest for few minutes in refrigerator. – Roll out the dough & arrange it on a tart mould. Blind bake the tart until golden and keep it aside. – De-stone all the cherries and keep them chilled in the refrigerator. – Melt milk chocolate over a double boiler, add fresh cream, mix well, & pour over the baked tart shell. Refrigerate until chilled. – Prepare thick vanilla custard, let it cool slightly & pour it over the chilled chocolate coated tart and decorate all the pitted cherries over it. – Chill it further until set; decorate with swirls of whipped cream, few whole cherries & little melted chocolate. Serve it alongside Vanilla or Chocolate Ice-Cream or with a hot cup of coffee.

Increase the longevity of your home décor

A perfect summer house décor. Pic: kidlark.com

I have been thinking of redoing my home. You know its summers and you want your home to look bright and lively. Also, with summers – especially in the UK - the thing is you want to soak in the goodness of the sun as much as you can, enjoy the sunlight when the days are just soooooo long and you have plenty of time to organise barbeques, get-togethers and (especially this year) World Cup parties. And to do that, you want your home to look and feel just perfect.

With so many home décor glossies flooding the market, people often make the mistake of doing up their homes just by looking at the pictures - either because a specific style looked pretty or because it is in vogue. I admit, I too have fallen prey to having my room done just the way a home décor magazine thought rooms should look like. But, soon I realised, my home is my haven, my most prized possession - so now whenever I decide to do style my home, I just pause and think about three main issues - budget, my personal style and longevity.

Keeping up with the trends in home décor can turn out to be a pretty expensive affair and your personal choice is well, your personal choice. So, while I can’t really do anything about the first two things – budget and your personal style, I can surely share some tips and tricks for the third, i.e the longevity of your home décor.

So this year, instead of following the latest, opt for timeless, and believe you me, a classic home décor scores over fleeting fads any day.

Here are some home décor trends that I personally like and I think will keep your style fresh for years to come.

Less is always more

Going minimalistic is the mantra that you should be following. Fitting in more stuff than required will make the place look cramped. The less you have crowding your shelves and tables, the better your home will look. The same goes for the layout of each room. Chose and keep those furniture items that are measured according to the space in a room.

Add a little pop

You can brighten up your room or living room just by adding some bright coloured cushions or with some interesting décor items like a candle holder or a bright multi-coloured vase. Pic: Macy's.com

The trend in colours keeps changing every year. From lemon green to fiery orange, decorators will suggest you different colours according to different seasons, but as much as you would like to stick to the ‘in fad’ colours, don’t make the mistake of bringing home a blood red couch or painting the living room lemon green. To add that extra pop to your room, what you can do is choose accessories such as throw pillows, vases and even art in bold accent shades. These are easy to swap out every season or the next year.

Chose utility over style

As posh as that couch with egg-shaped seats looks in the magazine, don't buy something on which you can't comfortably sit. The same goes for other furniture and utility items in your home. Buy stuff that could actually be used, instead of investing in something that you are going to just place in a corner to be looked and admired at by your guests.

Comfort comes first

Choose comfort over style every time. Pic: sheknows.co.uk 

A visit to a home décor or furniture shop might make you want to buy ‘oh that jazzy little sofa that can be folded into an armchair’, but remember - just as the functionality of a product is important, comfort too plays an equally important role - especially when you are buying furniture. It's not worth if you have to replace your couch because you just can never relax on it. Buy something that looks good but at the same time feels good too.

Say no to clutter

According to Vaastu and Feng Shui (whatever you follow), a neat and organized house is a happy house. Having smart storage solutions never goes out of style and will ensure your home is always in order. From bookshelves to hidden closets and drawers to compartmentalized kitchen, you can easily make storage a part of your design aesthetic.

Colour them in warm tones



Whatever be your style or décor, warm, neutral colours will always look chic, royal and in trend. Pic: cdn.decoist.com and househunting.com 

Shades like caramel, plum and earth are all timeless because they warm up your space. Colour your walls in these warm tones and you can be rest assured that your home will always look chic and cozy. Some people are also preferring pastel shades instead of warm tones to bring a more vibrant and lively touch to their room – but it ultimately depends on your personality and the kind of personality that you would want to give your home. Warm shades will make your home classy and chic, pastel shades will make it look vibrant and lively. So, pick whatever you like most.

While all the above mentioned ideas are simple tips and tricks to increase the longevity of your home décor, you must also keep in mind that not every single thing in your home must fall in the ‘timeless’ category. Trying to do so might make your home look boring rather than inviting. The trick here is to try and balance both. Follow the above mentioned tips and mix them with the latest trends to keep your décor fresh and fun. For example – you can paint your bedroom walls in a warm colour like ochre, and then give it a little pop by putting in the latest fabric print curtains or on your bed sheets and pillows. This way, as the trends come and go, you can easily update these items without requiring a complete makeover.

If you have some interesting DIY home décor tips and tricks, do share them with me and I am still in the thinking mode for doing up my living room J

Gwendoline Christie's red carpet looks

Now that Gwendoline Christie has been signed on for the next Star Wars along with Lupita Nyong'o, I'm sure we will be seeing Christie in many more stunning red carpet dresses as she makes her appearance during her required rounds of promotions...

Here's a look at some of her previous Red carpet dresses.. Pick your favourite.

 

 

 

 

 

Brienne of Tarth... like never before

I could not believe my eyes, when I saw these pics on the internet. I bet, no one can identify who she actually is unless I use Brienne of Tarth and Game of Thrones in the same sentence along with her real name. Yes, she is the one who fought the bloody duel and nearly killed The Hound in the finale episode of Game of Thrones Season 4. She is the one who has named her sword The Oath Keeper. And she is the 6 feet 3 inch actress Gwendoline Christie.



Gwendoline Christie as Brienne in Game of Thrones.  

The Brit actress was spotted attending the 2014 Fragrance Foundation Awards in Manhattan wearing a dress that seemed like it was made just for her.



Christie looks absolutely stunning in this beautiful dress.

 
The actress further added inches to her towering frame by wearing white stilettoes. 



She definitely towers over everyone else in her stunning stilettoes.

 
Have to say, she was an absolute delight in the white and pink dress, complemented with a gorgeous smile.

Gwendoline Christie shows off her dress.

A welcome break from her tomboyish, armour-clad, and a bit scary look in GOT. What say?

Top 5 destinations for adventurers

For those who enjoy living on the edge and want their trips full of adrenaline rush and adventurous activities, here’s my pick of top five destinations that you should travel to feel pumped up...

Adventurers’ paradise

The ultimate adrenaline rush. Pic: balitourvacation

Multiple adventures, one destination – that’s Bali for you. Great surf, ancient temples, lush jungle, you will find all this and more at one of the most spectacular locations on planet Earth. Known as Indonesia’s paradise, Bali is an excellent place to discover something new. Many a times you must have heard people talking or raving about the picturesque beaches in Bali, however there are a lot of daredevil experiences to be had.

Bring forth the adventurer in you and enjoy the rapids of Ayung River that make for an amazing wild white water rafting ride. To challenge yourself, you can go cycling down the steep slopes of the Mount Batur volcano. If all this sweat through physical activity doesn’t take your breath away, the amazing views over endless green valleys and rice fields, lined with tiny Balinese villages, definitely will.

Under water thrills

Discover the underwater world and be amazed! Pic: cozumelscuba.net

If you are a water baby and enjoy stunts and adventures related to water, especially underwater exploring, then there is no place quite like Mexico’s Palancar Reef. Be it exploring and watching other worldly marine life or challenging yourself with some technically powerful dives, Palancar Reef is the place to be. Diving deep at this huge site off the southwest side of the island of Cozumel, you can even venture into the Palancar Caves to gaze at large brain corals and explore swim-through tunnels, or the Palancar Gardens to look at the tropical fish and perhaps even spot an enormous sea turtle.

Life on a wild safari

Jungle love. Pic: riftvalleyexpeditions.com

As a child, how many of you envisioned a trip to African forests to meet the wild, giant gorilla? At least I did. So, it is but natural that an expedition to an African country to meet mountain gorillas could be a trip that’s on many an adventurous travellers final check list. To make this childhood fantasy come true, all you need to do is pack your bags and travel to Uganda. Gorillas are now an endangered species, and there are only around 800 left in the world. Out of this number, over half of these gorillas live in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla Park.

Tracking or trailing gorillas can be an arduous experience, however the unimaginable reward of seeing these rare beasts in the wild will certainly make you happy that you pushed yourself.

Bollywood’s go to destination

Awesome natural beauty. Pic: screativeimage.com

While talking about top destinations for adventure, how can we leave Switzerland out? Made so famous by our Bollywood films, Switzerland is an ideal place for those who love doing their adventure in the midst of beautiful surroundings.

Skiing at the Alps is one thing, however if you want to challenge yourself, then get out of your comfort zone and out on the risky Via Ferrata from Mürren to Gimmelwald. This ‘iron road’ of ladders, ropes and rungs, and a petrifyingly high steel suspension bridge, was formerly built for troops making their way through the mountains in World War I. These days, adventure junkies make the dizzying, 2.2km journey on careful harness, just for kicks. Though it is very safe, first timers should rent a guide in order to learn the proper techniques. 

Conquering the mountains

The charm of mountain life. Pic: travelpod.com

Pic: c14l.com

Yangshuo, a charming former fishing village, has found itself christened the adventure capital of China – partly due to its approachability, but principally due to the rock-climbing opportunities afforded by its several limestone karst peaks that rise extraordinarily from the thick emerald-green vegetation. A lively scene of local and international climbers enjoy, without a doubt, one of the best concentration of climbs in Asia, most of which are accessible by a short bike or bus ride from downtown. Many routes are well secured, though the more daring climber can still find fresh, and in some cases near vertical, routes to master.

Some feel good shopping.. peeptoes love

I absolutely loooooove reading people's shopping posts so here is mine and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed spending on it :p. So, I was looking to buy some cool heels that will work well with my dresses as well as with my new bootcut jeans (yeah.. ok, I may have been spending a little too much on shopping, I admit).

I went to almost all major shops, looking for something that would look chic, add a lil inches to my frame and was comfortable enough for me to strut around… and I found exactly that at ZARA. (Here I would like to add a Disclaimer: Although Zara products are mentioned and featured in this post I have not been paid by Zara to write this article and will not be receiving any payment for the publishing of this article. Please do not feel I am pushing any form of marketing upon you - the reader – instead I am just sharing what I think is a good purchase. Everything you read in this article are my own words and are not in any way affiliated with the brand of Zara.)

So, here is what I bought and I think it is really cool. What do you think?

It is just the right colour – will go with almost everything - and the heels are just perfect to be worn on a sunny day out.

HEEL HEIGHT: 3.5 inches (approx)
SIZES: Available in sizes 3-8
COLOUR: Peach Nude
PADDING: Comfortable padded insole concentrating on the ball of the foot
WIDTH: Available in wide width (which I love as I have broad feet)
COLOUR: Available in 2 colours – Navy Blue and Peach nude

PRICE: £29.99 (Isn't that cool!!!) 

 

 

 

 

Healty hair, skin and YOU

 

OK... so now this post is a compilation of all the awesome natural stuff that you can do to achieve excellent skin, healthy hair and a beautiful body. These are just simple tips and tricks that I have personally tried and it has worked well for me... so I thought of sharing it all with my readers. Here it is:  

 

The first one is on general detox

Now, all of you (ok, most of you) would agree that our body needs to undergo a detox every week. If not every week, then at least twice a month. Now by detox, I don't mean you going out to a clinic and indulging in those expensive treatments. You can flush out the toxins very easily in the comfort of your home by just drinking water, mixed with some special, easily available, ingredients.

Make your own detox water

 

Just take 2 lts of water and add 1 cucumber, 1 lemon, a dozen mint leaves and keep it in the fridge overnight and then drink every day. Simple. Isn't it. You can make and preserve this water for 3-5 days maximum or make your fresh detox water every day. Drink this detox water and you'll get clear skin in no time.

Have a great hair day, every day!

Now, here, I am speaking for myself. The UK weather isn't working too well with my hair and my scalp. My hair has become frizzy and dry and if I use conditioning products and serums then, for a day or two, my hair looks good, but the third day, my scalp becomes so oily (because of the serum and other leave in products) that it starts to itch. So, here's what I do take care of my hair problem, and believe you me, it has worked (for me at least, and I hope it works for others too who are facing similar issues)

Make your own scalp cleaners like THIS:

 

A face that looks like a million bucks

Taking care of your face should be a ritual that every girl should follow. While we all know about the three steps - wash, tone, moisturise - there is another step that should be included in your face cleaning ritual - Scrub. While scrubbing your face daily isn't recommended, you can do so once a week, or twice maybe, but no more. Scrubbing helps remove dead cells from your skin, giving it a natural glow.

Here's how you can make you home scrub:

 

What about your body?

We all take good care of our face, but what about the body? Many of us are guilty of not taking good care of the skin on our body. The rest of your skin is as prone to dryness, rashes, acne and blackheads as the skin on your face. Taking care and maintaining a healthy skin on your body isn't a task that everyone believes it to be. With just a few minutes extra, you can have skin that's as soft and supple as a baby's.  

Here's how you can get that baby soft skin:

 

Go on, try these out, you have nothing to lose, but a lot to gain… and let me know if any of it worked well for you. You can even share your own go to tips and tricks for healthy hair, skin and overall body.  

Cheers!!!

Style at your fingertips

It's no longer your clothes, your hairstyle and not even your accessories... With your nails becoming the new way to express yourself, your style statement just extended right down to your fingertips…

Flower Power. Pic: nailartsdesign.com

Katy Perry used them to model then husband Russell Brand's face during her 'honeymoon' (pun intended) period, while Beyonce and Rihanna used them to show their political preferences during the last US general elections. Lady Gaga has always been known to use them in a gothic way, while our Desi girl, Priyanka Chopra was seen using them to promote her international music album. What?? Before you start getting all sorts of weird ideas in your head, allow us to throw some light on the above statement. We are talking about nail art and its growing fetish among celebs and commoners alike.
 

Katy Perry turned Russell's face into an interesting nail art. Pic: jaclynsantos.com

While Katy Perry used her nails to splash ex-husband Russell Brand's face at the 2010 MTV Music Awards, Rihanna and Beyonce painted Barack Obama's face on their nails to show their support for the Democrat. Lady Gaga is mostly photographed with gothic nail art, while Priyanka Chopra flaunted Swarovski on her fingernails on the cover of her new international music album.
Well, the point that we are trying to make is — applying plain nail polish is just not enough. With nail art increasingly getting recognition as a work of art, the days of nails being ‘that neglected part of your body’ are gone. Nails are now treated as miniature pieces of canvas, where nailists (as nail artists are called) can play around with nail paints ranging from shiny gold to envious green, metallic blue or yellow, top them up with crystals or glitter and make designs of any shape and size.

Most women feel or rather have a misconception that maintaining nails is a difficult task. But it isn't so. With the kind of products that are used these days, getting a crystal manicure or the all-time favourite French manicure is just a matter of an hour or less. Moreover, the stuff that is sometimes used to attach these crystals or other fancy products on your nails actually helps the nails from becoming yellow or wearing off."

The sponge technique. Pic: noboizallowed.com

Use your nails to express your creativity. Pic: naildesigny.com

The newspaper print is a hot one these days. Pic: media.tumblr.com

Red hot nails. Pic: fashionsy.com

Just like everything popular, nail art too is increasingly becoming accessible and has harboured many cheap imitations and D-I-Y (Do-It-Yourself) kits that are now easily available over the counter. If you want to channelise your creativity and think you have a steady hand to do artistic things on your nails, then D-I-Y kits are just the things that you should get. What’s more, you can do all this while sitting in the comfort of your home. These simple kits are armed with everything that you’ll need to adorn your nails — from crystals to glitter to little pearls, beads or flowers — just go for the one that you fancy and you will get assorted colour nail polish, nail varnish brushes, glue, painting pens, neon or glitter shades and much more depending on the kind of kit you buy. There are a lot of options available on online shopping sites too, such as eBay and OLX.

But, if you are thinking these things are meant for those who have ‘shit loads of time’ then you can go for nail art stickers — simple apply these stickers to your natural nails and voila, you’ll get an instant fashion update. This super easy method means that anyone can achieve gorgeous and professional looking nails in no time and with almost one-fourth the money you would dole out on a manicure.

For those who have brittle or weak nails (including those who bite their nails like myself) and are feeling helpless reading about all the great stuff that is mentioned in this article — there is hope for you all too. You guys can get pre-painted nails (also known as acrylic nails or nail extensions) in various shapes and sizes and designs — ranging from cracks, stripes, swirls, flowers, dots, crystals and many others. Just attach these nails to your original nails and you are ready to ooze glamour.

With so many options available in the market, it is only fair to say that nail art seems to be exploding at the moment — and with the pace things are moving, I don’t see this trend going away anytime soon. So, what are you waiting for — get in on the action, instantly update your nails and hop on to the glam wagon.

What’s your travel personality?

True, everybody needs a holiday, but a perfect holiday differs from person to person. Whether you prefer a relaxing break by the beach or an adventurous trip exploring unknown locations, travel becomes easy and a lot more fun when you know what kind of traveller you are…

 

Explore the world....

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of travel? Does your mind jump to the finances first, making mental calculations of what place or destination would prove more economical or does the hippie in you take over, bringing forth your wanderlust regardless of where and how you will travel?
While there is no debating the fact that in our busy lives, we all crave for that one holiday every season that will rejuvenate you and make you feel alive again, yet planning a travel can be a task in itself. Do you travel solo or with friends? Plan a vacation with family or try going with an unknown group on a Europe or Asian tour? Go bungee jumping and skiing or soak in the picturesque greenery of a countryside? There are countless questions to address while organising a trip, often making the ‘planning’ part of a vacation a big task. However, these numerous ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ can be resolved if you know the answer to one simple question – what is your travel personality?
There are many kinds of travel personalities, and often we’re a bit of a mixture of them ourselves. But finding out your own travel personality will help you a great deal in preparing for your next trip. Here’s a look at some of the travel personalities:

A Traveller or a tourist

If you have travelled around a lot and are through with your bit of sightseeing, but are still travelling to satisfy that inner urge of finding meaning or seeking something new then you fall in the category of a Traveller. The Traveller is not usually a first timer. He/ she has mostly been there, done that in terms of sightseeing and clicking pictures from the window of a tour bus. Now they want something more - experiencing a country and its culture from the inside.
A Tourist, on the other hand, is mostly a first timer, who tends to travel to popular destinations in order to tick off the sights. They like to travel in groups, with a check list in hand, visiting all the famous places and clicking pictures, so that they can later boast about where all they went. Sticking to a given itinerary, they are the ones most likely to buy souvenirs like ‘I love London’ tees or Eiffel Tower key chains and later flaunt them to their friends or family. And the good thing is, they are usually happy doing this kind of travel.

The ultimate adrenaline rush

The Adventurer

Open-minded, enthusiastic, explorer, fun-loving, curious and social – these are the words that best describe the Adventurer. The Adventurer are  more or less an off shoot of the Traveller as they like to explore off beaten destinations and will usually travel more often than anyone else seeking adventure at every turn. There are no fixed schedules or planned tours in an adventurer’s diary. They’re happy to lie down pretty much anywhere, find or make their own routes and interact with people while exploring their culture. Most of these adventurers prefer to travel solo as they love their freedom to move just about anywhere.

The Planner

If you have the habit of preparing excel sheets before every departure and like to travel with a map and a guide book in hand, with destinations dully marked with ETA and all, then you most definitely fall in the category of being a Planner. The Planner usually has everything listed out, right down to places to eat and which tour to catch, on their excel sheets. It is unlikely to find a Planner taking a break in between his/ her sightseeing to enjoy a cup of coffee or being impulsive and taking a detour to visit an exciting exhibition. Weather they are travelling for the first time or not to a certain destination, the Planners like to be in control of every aspect of their itinerary.

The Relaxer

Chill, relax, unwind....

Relaxers don’t really care where they go on holiday they’ve just gone there to chill. These are the kind of people who have worked hard in their 9-5 job, and now just want to soak in the beauty of nature and relax, while doing nothing on their holiday. A Relaxer will typically book into a country house or a beach resort and stay put for the rest of the week. You will find them leaving their room only to go out for dinner – usually at the same place every night – or maybe take a day tour. They are the ones you will find staying in bed all morning, preferring to have their breakfast in their room or sit by the pool or beach the rest of the day. In short, words like explore, adventure, socializing, etc are not in their dictionary. Be careful if you are planning a trip with a Relaxer – it can be real hard work to get them moving.

Spender or miser?

We all must have come across this category at least once during our travel, unless you have always travelled solo. Both these kind of personalities come to the forefront when you travel in a group – someone would want to stay in a cheap hotel to save money, the other might want a hotel with a spa and a pool. While we all must have done frugal travel when we were students and money was always an issue, but for some frugal travel becomes a permanent mode of travel.
 The Splurger, on the other hand, often goes somewhere simply to spend all their monthly savings. They plan their travel keeping in mind all the luxuries available. The Splurger is most likely to be a person who works hard, earns a good pay packet and believes that he/ she deserves a bit of luxury. They are most likely to book into a five star hotel will all the possible treats available. They might not be a part of a group while deciding what all places to see, but will be at the forefront while booking a hotel or while zeroing in on a place to eat.
These are just a few broad categories of travel personalities that one might come across in his/her life. However, this is by no means a comprehensive list and it is possible to have various traits from several categories.

So which category do you fall in?

Return of 90s 'fashion' spirit

Let’s start on a serious note. Are you a child of the ‘90s?  If yes, then most often than not, you must be reminiscing about the ‘good ol-days’. Good ol’ days? Those were like ages ago, you say. Well yes, we are in 2013 and yes, we are getting old. I’m sure the kids born in the millennial generation thinks we are maybe ‘antiques’. As much as the truth hurts, but we, the kids of 90s, sure had our own share of fun, fashion and entertainment at that time - we had masala packed films full of melodrama (no realist tomfoolery that took over Bollywood in 2010 and 2011), Michael Jackson and Backstreet Boyz’s music internationally and the likes of Alisha Chinoy, Baba Sehgal, Lucky Ali and Shaan ruling the roost at home. We also had Byomkesh Bakshi and Captain Vyom as our desi heroes, and slam books instead of confession pages to pour our hearts out. But most importantly, 90s was the time when we started experimenting with fashion.

The 90s marked a shift in fashion for both men and women as India opened its doors to international brands like GAP, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana and Levis through its new economic policies. No more casual or over the top dressing - with designers like Manish Malhotra and Surily Goel designing for Bollywood stars, clothes in 90s became charming, sexy, and street as in Rangeela; feminine minus the garishness as in Raja Hindustani and breezy and fresh as in Dil To Pagal Hai. In fact Kuch Kuch Hota Hai took college fashion to a whole new level with young boys and girls sporting sweatshirts and ultra minis respectively.

Whatever it was, 90s fashion did leave an impact on our generation. And I'm glad that some of those trends are back. Here are some of those trends that have risen from the 90s fashion list...

Crop em' up ladies: Miley, Selena and Gwyneth show off their slender waistline

Tank and crop tops and hot pants

Urmila Matondkar became an overnight sensation sporting a mix of what can be best called a mix of desi belle meets femme fatale outfits in Rangeela. Her wardrobe consisted of thigh high boots, miniskirts and floral dresses - all of which have made a comeback in today’s fashion scene. What’s more, the good ol’ Dungarees or the overalls as they are sometimes called have also managed to sneak back in with the likes of Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana sporting them off and on.  

Chiffon saris

Made famous by Karisma Kapoor in Raja Hindustani and Madhuri Dixit in Dil Toh Pagal Hai, chiffon saris have become a must for your summer wardrobe. Solid or pastel, neon or net, pick any colour, but the mantra of wearing them still remains the same as it was in the 90s - minimalistic accessories and simple hairstyle.

Actresses Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra go grunge. Pic: metromela.com

Grunge

Remember the grunge look Rani Mukerji sported in Bichhoo? Be it her leather minis or jackets, lofty oversized shirts and even the neck chokers or seed beads - it is all back. Ripped jeans too are an important part of grunge dressing - the more tattered and torn the better, and with stars like Anushka Sharma, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra sporting the look, we can safely say that grunge is in.  

Miley in hot high waisted shorts. pic: celebitchy.com

High Waisted Shorts

Miley Cyrus can single handedly be credited for bringing this trend back in fashion. It wouldn't be wrong to say that high-waisted shorts have become a part of her signature style, as she is often clicked roaming around in them. Though Piggy Chops (in her Exotic video) and Dippy (in the movie Cocktail) have tried to ooze their sex appeal in these shorts, youngsters back home are yet to take a fancy to this garment, but like everything else, it is just a matter of time before the trend catches up.  

The kurtis and the Anarkalis

Designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla first introduced the Anarkali in 1988, while the kurtis made their ramp debut in 1998 through designer Monisha Jaising. While Anarkalis have become a staple for every women be it on television shows, social functions and even red carpet appearances, when it comes to traditional wear, kurtis on the other hand have seen various adaptations and modifications to remain in trend. Popular in the 90s as an embroidered light garment, kurtis have evolved to kurti dresses, tunics and kaftans.

Jelly'like': Jelly sandals come in really nice and vibrant colours

Jelly sandals and bellies

Katy Perry, Anne Hathaway, Katie Holmes - international celebs have been rocking this trend for some time now, and with the desi junta back here following suit, flip-flops and jelly sandals have made a comeback in vibrant colors. These are not just perfect for a monsoon day out but also helps brighten up your day by adding colour to your outfit. Recently actress Aditi Rao Hydari of Murder 3 fame launched a whole new monsoon collection for a big footwear company aimed to ‘beat the monsoon doldrums with vibrant colored footwear’. In fact, if I might add this in this section - platform flip-flops too have made a comeback. As ugly as they look, they are back on the display windows - Sad, but true.

While there are many other items too that have or are on the verge of bursting upon the fashion scene, we think these five trends are here to stay. What say!