I’m getting married in a hindu ceremony in December. I have been looking for modern hairstyles to wear under my chunni that covers my head, but all I find are traditional buns. I was hoping you could post some pics that are of more modern hairstyles that are not all buns. Thanks so much!

Sincerely,

Priyanka

Dear Priyanka,

It’s hard to find the perfect hairdo that’s modern and will look great with our Eastern wear. We scoured the web for a few examples and we are also checking in with our professional hair experts to bring you some step by steps! Feel free to browse through the following looks for some inspiration in the meanwhile.

Topsy-Turvy Bun

A Modern Beehive

The Anarkali Movement

Braid-it

Bridal Bedroom Hair

Bohemian Rhapsody

Side-Tuck

The palette also makes for a great Bridesmaid gift, especially since it’s only $29!

courtesy of Ayesha Khan

Singhar by Ayesha
www.singhar.com
SingharBeauty@aol.com

Who are you?
My name is a Ayesha Khan and I am a Stylist.

What do you do?
I mainly do makeup along with hair and styling for brides, models and anyone who is in need of a makeover.

Where are you based?
I am based in New York.

When and How did you get started in the South Asian wedding industry?
Being a model myself, I started doing makeup for fashion shows and photo shoots since I was 18 years old. One thing lead to another and people started asking me to do their wedding makeup. Every time I would attend a South Asian wedding, I would see a pretty bride with beautiful clothes and jewelry but not appropriate makeup. This inspired me more to become a makeup artist.

courtesy of Ayesha Khan

Why do you do what you do?
I have always been passionate about fashion. Makeup is a big part of it. When people meet you, they look at your face first. It makes me happy knowing that I can be a part of someone’s special day and I made them look their best.

Do you work exclusively on South Asian weddings?
No, I do other weddings besides South Asian.

Describe some of your inspirations.
I am inspired by colors. Every aspect of our lives is defined by a color. There are happy colors and there are colors that define other moods. Being a painter, you can liven up something by adding or subtracting colors.

What are some mistakes you see most South Asian brides (and families) make?
Families are very stressed and paranoid throughout the whole wedding planning time. Whatever vendor they choose, they should trust them and not be skeptical about their work. Trust is a very important thing. If you choose a makeup artist, trust their abilities, otherwise don’t book them.

courtesy of Ayesha Khan

Do you only cater to certain budgets only?
I cater to all budgets depending on the requirement of the client.

Tell us about your strongest area.
My strongest area is that I can create a different look for each of my client. I have never repeated the same look twice. Each person requires a different look with colors according to their skin type, their complexion and facial features.

Tell us about your weakest area.
My weakest area is being friendly and acknowledging my client’s needs. Sometimes it gets into a frenzy and clients just think they should get what they want whether it looks good on them or not.

How would you describe your working style?
Being organized is super necessary and scheduling everything on time.

What’s your number one wedding tip?
Don’t stress and plan ahead.

courtesy of Ayesha Khan

Courtesy of www.Akiyohenna.com

Who are you?

www.Akiyohenna.com

Email: akiyo@akiyohenna.com

Phone: 917-607-6897

What do you do?

I am a professional henna/mehndi artist in the business since 2002. I have a degree in fine arts and specialized in pattern design. I also worked in the textile industry for the past 10 years. Besides henna, I design using body glitter as well as crystals and rhinestones.

Where are you based?

I am based in Astoria, Queens, New York. I usually provide services within Long Island, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut but occasionally travel outside the tri-state area as well.

When and How did you get started in the South Asian wedding industry?

I started doing henna on my own and not at a salon, about 7 years ago with mostly American clients. The first couple of years, I worked parties for bridal shower, birthdays, social events. Eventually I wanted to expand my vision and started doing bridal henna around 2004 and have had a consistent South Asian client base since 2007.

Courtesy of www.Akiyohenna.com

Why do you do what you do?

One of the reasons I do what I do is because I like henna’s artistic expression. I have a huge passion for art itself and henna, to me, is a very unique medium to express my love for pattern design.

Do you work exclusively on South Asian weddings?

My bridal client base is mostly South Asian women. However, I have served a lot of American weddings, as well as other occasions such as birthday parties, holiday parties, bridal showers, and social events.

Describe some of your inspirations.

When I do bridal henna, my inspiration usually comes from my clients’ sense of fashion. I always try to incorporate aspects of their bridal jewelries, saris, etc to create a custom design, unique to the bride only.

Courtesy of www.Akiyohenna.com

What are some mistakes you see most South Asian brides (and families) make?

I feel like often the brides make the mistake of not meeting with their henna artist beforehand to discuss what they actually want. A henna artist’s work in South Asian weddings is as important as the makeup artist or hairdresser.  Also, a henna artist may have a portfolio of pictures but not necessarily his/her actual work. More often than not, the bride may have contacted a salon or company providing the service and the actual artist doing the henna did not do the designs themselves.

Do you only cater to certain budgets only?

My rates are listed on my website. However, I do try to cater to my client’s financial needs

Tell us about your strongest area.

I think what makes my service unique is that I actually meet with the bride and discuss what they are looking for and be clear about what we are actually doing together. With an educational background in fine arts, I draw my ideas from the bride and take her fashion into consideration. I don’t just take a design and place it on the body. I create design thoughtfully to compliment the person and her body. 95% what they get is a custom design and unique only to them. I also mix my own mehndi, for which the powder comes from Morocco directly.

Courtesy of www.Akiyohenna.com

How would you describe your working style?

I think I have a very modern take to this very traditional form of art. I like to work with contrast and spacing and make sure the design flows.

Describe a particularly memorable wedding you’ve worked on.

At one wedding, the bride could not wear mehndi for personal reasons. As a result she motivated me to seek an alternative to mehndi, and got me started on working with gold and silver body glitter along with crystals and rhinestones. You can find examples on my website under luxe glow gallery.

My most memorable event would have to be for a cancer patient who had a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery. She threw a “boob shower” after her successful recovery and allowed me to design around her new breasts.

What’s your number one wedding tip?

Weddings can be overwhelming but it is always good to meet with people providing services beforehand to get a better feeling of their work and express what you expect from them. Sometimes brides go by the prices but the work itself may not be great. Always check the quality of work and it’s worth it to pay a little bit more for something that you will love, especially for such an important event as your own wedding!

Henna/Mehndi

Henna or mehndi (if you already didn’t know) is a dye used for skin decoration. This is done by applying a paste made from the leaves of a flower plant also known as Henna, Hina, or Mehndi plant. The dye can be bought in a paste or powder form. Although it can be worn for any occasion, it is a century old tradition for the bride-to-be (and sometimes even the bridegroom!) to wear mehndi. For wedding ceremonies, it is usually worn on the hands and feet but sometimes extended over the forearms and legs. Here are a few essential tips that you must consider before putting on your bridal mehndi:

• Try your best to NEVER use black henna/mehndi. Henna/mehndi is usually a shade of green. Black henna/mehndi has a chemical called paraphenylenediamine (PPD), which is harmful when used directly on the skin, especially if you have sensitive skin. You might react to it your first time or after several uses. It is best to avoid this type of henna/mehndi.
• Thoroughly wash and dry the area where you will apply mehndi, but do not moisturize using lotion or anything else.
• As the mehndi dries within several hours after application, you can wet it a number of ways so that it may release more dye and deepen the color. You can wet it with tea-soaked water. Take a tea bag and soak it in warm water and then squeeze it over your mehndi lightly. You can also put tea tree oil over it using a cotton swab. The best and most employed method is a mixture of sugar and lemon or lime juice gently poured or applied using a cotton swab or brush over your dried mehndi. Alternatively, you or your henna artist may mix the mehndi with the above mentioned items before applying.
• The general rule is that the warmer your skin, the darker the color will be. So if you have cooler skin then you can seal and wrap it to trap your body heat, which in turn will help the mehndi release the dye even more and deepen the color. You can also seal it by applying hair gel. Pump a little hair gel into a bowl and use a cotton swab or small brush to apply the gel over your mehndi work. You can use a liquid bandage instead of hair gel as well. Afterwards, you can use facial tissue or toilet paper to wrap over your mehndi work and then wrap a plastic wrap on top of it to keep it in place and trap your body heat. You can also wear socks or gloves over the tissue instead of using plastic wrap. Sealing and wrapping should be done after your mehndi has dried a little bit so that it doesn’t end up smudging.
• Alternatively, you can also apply light heat over your mehndi work to bring out the color. Use a clothing steamer, a hair dryer at low speed, or keep your designed hands or feet close to a heater, heated pot, or the stove if possible. Be careful not to burn yourself! You don’t need to do this for the whole time that you have your menhdi on – just when you feel it drying up and only to moisten it up a bit. We recommend applying heat every hour for several minutes until you see it softening up. Do not heat it to a point when it may turn liquid and run or smudge.
• You need to leave the mehndi on for at least 4-6 hours or overnight. The longer you keep it on, the darker it will get.
• What we learned from experience is that it is best to use oil to take off your dried mehndi and wait a while before washing with water. Mustard oil is a good option, but other natural oils can be used as well.
• Know that the mehndi color deepens even more within the first 48 hours of application. So even though the color may not be as dark as you would like after you take it off, you will see a darker effect within the next day or two.
• The duration of the mehndi stain on your skin depends on how long you keep it on and how much you wash the stained areas. Usually the deep hue stays 3-4 days and will fade slowly over the next week or two. A good mehndi mix can stay dark up to 7-10 days and fade over a period of four to six weeks after application.

Asiana Wedding Magazine is a South Asian wedding magazine based out of the U.K. and India and truth be told, a single edition is really pricy in the U.S.! So, the Sari-Clad Bride decided to take the liberty and provide her readers with scans of  ‘Bridal Images: the professional guide to this season’s essential looks’–a story Asiana Wedding ran in Vol 3. Issue 1 2009.

We were definitely inspired by some of these beautiful bridal looks–a traditional wedding day look is paired with a more modern reception look. Print out your favorite and take it to your makeup artist so you can look exactly the way you want to on your Big Day! If you don’t see something you like, check out part 1, for more looks.

Traditional: Base: To give a flawless complexion, apply MAC face and body combined with MAC studio fix. Stick to the winter theme by using warm peachy tones applied swiftly on the cheeks using MAC skin finish powder. Eyes: It's imperative that the eyes complement the intricate nature of the outfit and jewelry, achieved here by using a palette of peaches, browns and pinks the enhance the eye colour--blend the darker tones and add definition by applying a coat of black eyeliner. Lips: Plump up the pout with a shade of peach to help enhance the lip's natural colour. Hair: For an intricate finish, keep the bun low and simple, allowing the heavily adorned dupatta to rest effortlessly.

Reception Image: Base: Achieve a winter wonderland glow by applying MAC face and body with studio fix all over the face. Briskly brush pink undertones onto the cheeks for a fresh and innocent look that contrasts with her dynamite cheekbones. For further definition, add sparkle and sheen to the bride's face with skin finish powder. Eyes: Make your eyelids go a-flutter with a smoky green eyeshade with a hint of purple to complement the elegance of the hairpiece. Lips: Sensual yet sinless is a difficult but oh so desirable shade to by--Seema swears by Viva glam V pink with gloss. Hair: Curls have been used here to give a soft and elegant look, offset by the strong impact achieved with the dramatic headpiece hairpiece.

Traditional: Base: Us a natural beige foundation to help illuminate the skin and leave the bride with a smooth finish and a natural glow. Eyes: A mixture of orange and red is applied to toe top of the eyelids to complete the outfit, while the gold highlighter under the brow really helps to give her the bride-eyed feel. A black kohl inside the eye and a black eyeliner on the top eyelid completes this striking traditional look. Lops: To match the eyelids, use the blend or orange to bring a touch of subtleness to this empowering regal look. Hair: Backcomb with a high bun to crease height and allow plenty of room for both the stunning detail of the dupatta and the hairstyle to make their mark on this strictly traditional but adventurous bride.

Reception: Again, keep the base simple by priming with a neutral beige foundation and setting with loose fixing powder, to allow the dazzling jewelry by Kyles to make their sparkling statement. Eyes: Use sea-green eyeshadow on the lids, blended in with a dusty gold shade on the sockets, with a silver highlighter to complement the jewelry. Keep the cheeks natural with just a touch of light pink to help contrast with the black kohl and black eyeliner. Lips: A neutral pink colour is brushed and buffed onto the lops for a youthful pout. Hair: Backcomb and tie to one side, before adding soft curls left loose at the bottom. Finish off with a striking diamond hairpiece to complete the dazzling reception look.

Traditional: BASE: Apply MAC full cover to zap away any imperfections, then set the base with a fixing powder to ensure a long-lasting solid foundation. Add warmth to the cheeks with soft pink blusher defining the cheekbones. EYES: Combine the three shades of purple on the eyelid, blend in softly using a darker shade on the outer corner to define the eyes, followed by a silver highlighter under the brows to show off the bride's brow line and brighten up the area. Add a green shade on the inner corners, then finish off with black eyeliner, mascara and purple eye shadow under the eye. LIPS: Maintain natural elegance with soft pink lip gloss to complement the colours in the outfit. Hair: Wave the front, part in the middle, then put the rest of the hair in a traditional high bun.

Reception: BASE: Simple and natural are the key attributes to this look. Apply MAC liquid foundation for a light and subtler cover, then add colour to the skin using a pale pink blusher for that fresh, vibrant feel. EYES: Frame your face with blue eyeshadow to making the eyes appear pronounced, before adding further definition by sweeping it softly across the eyelids, exaggerating the striking appeal with dainty false lashes. LIPS: For natural elegance, subtly apply a neutral pink lip gloss to give the bride a tender yet tantalizing pout. HAIR: Softly apply curls, then take away a section to transform into a braid. Then pull back the hair into a ponytail, braid around it, and hold in place with a glittering pearl Alice band.

TRADITIONAL: Base: after applying Mac Primer, a medium-coverage foundation was applied, then set with powder to make a lasting impact while minimizing shine. Contouring and highlighting was used to enhance the cheekbones and add dimension to the skin. The warmth in the cheeks comes comes courtesy of the soft Mac Ambering Rose blush. EYES: To enhance the neutral tones of the outfit, golds and browns were used--with MAC Fluidline liner defining the eyes and false eyelashes injecting the wow factor. LIPS: A peachy brown colour keeps the lips soft and enchanting. HAIR: Parted diagonally to make room for the tikka, then pinned in a high and wide bun to give support to the chuni, with special attention given to the visible area of the hair.

RECEPTION: BASE: A dewy look was created using supercover foundation with a hydrating spray to give a natural yet flawless skin. The cheeks were enhanced with MAC breath of plum, then highlighted with the MAC Belightful sheer powder. EYES: White and silvery colours have been used on the eyes to complement the detailing of the outfit. MAC colour pigments help to give a subtle sparkle to the eyes. Lips: A MAC rose pink lipstick adds a burst of dainty colour to the look, finished off with MAC Pinkarat pink gloss. Hair: Backcombed to give height and shape to the crown, then curled and swept elegantly to the side. Natural hair extensions were then applied to create the illusion of long luscious curls.

Here are the Sari-Clad Bride’s top shopping destinations in Kolkata;

Park Street courtesy of India Mike

Courtesy of James Nichloas Sears

• Park Street: For major wedding sari shopping for the bride, mother of the bride, sisters, and close family that you need to gift saris, you can rely on Park Street for a one-stop shopping experience.  On the Sari-Clad Bride’s recently Kolkata shopping spree, Park Street was her favorite destination. In two days on Park Street, we bought over 30+ beautiful saris from stores such as Sarovar, Savera, Rangoli,  and several other stores.  Additionally, you will find stores for designers kameezes along Park Street. Just a simple stroll down Park Street will cover all your bases for wedding sari shopping!

• Like The Sari-Clad Bride, we are certain that our readers also love several Indian designers.  When it comes to shopping for Designer Bridal Wear, it is best to visit South City Mall located in Salt Lake, along with The Forum.  You’ll find designer shoes, saris, lehengas, and all wedding essentials from the likes of Ritu Kumar, menswear designer Gatha to name a few.

South City Mall courtesy of Kolkata Mirror

The Forum courtesy of Skyscrapercity

• For Wedding trinkets and bangles and other accessories, The Sari-Clad Bride loves New Market. Here, you will find lots of varieties of wedding accessories at bargain prices!

• Jewelry shopping Kolkata should be an essential aspect of wedding shopping in India and The Sari-Clad brides recommends buying jewelry from B.C. Sen Jewellers (http://www.bcsenjewellers.com/event/index.htm)–if you prefer the sit-down, calm environment or Nemichand Bamalwa & Sons (http://www.bamalwa.com)  if you enjoy the hustle and bustle of jewelry business!  Also, The Sari-Clad bride recommends that you check out Anjali Jewelers!

Okay ladies, the big day’s over, and now you’re ready to jet off on your honeymoon with your hubby dearest. Most of us tend to give our clothes, shoes and accessories too much importance and forget skin/hair care essentials. Here’s a quick list of what you should definitely have ready.

Make-up Bag Essentials:

1. Foundation/Concealer/Powder: Since you’re going to be relaxing more, don’t worry about full-coverage foundation. Instead opt for a tinted moisturizer like Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer–it gives you the right amount of coverage, gives your skin that extra boost of moisture, and includes SPF 20.

lauramercier.com

If you feel you absolutely need concealer, my favorite one that goes on flawlessly is Benefit Erase Paste. It’s strong enough to cover anything, from pimple scars to undereye circles; Benefit’s got you covered. Go over the tinted moisturizer to finish off your look with Make Up For Ever Duo Mat Powder Foundation. It goes on like a dream, stays on the whole day, and also gives you that extra bit of coverage. Now, I know there are some of you who love their foundation and aren’t willing to let go that easily. To you ladies, I bring Revlon Custom Creations Foundation. I know you’re probably wondering why am I recommending this one. Well for starters, this has 5 shade settings in every bottle, which range from light to dark within each color family. It’s a perfect honeymoon essential because your skin will change in tone if you’re out in the sun all the time, and instead of cursing at your skin for not matching your foundation anymore, you have up to 5 shades to play around with to match you perfectly. Finish off with powder after.

2. Eyebrows: Us desi women tend to think that we don’t need to fill in our eyebrows. That is the biggest myth around town. Some are blessed with dark eyebrows, but some of us have to rely on eyebrow fillers. I love using brown eye shadow to give my arches a natural look. I would recommend M.A.C Espresso Eyeshadow. Now, the great thing about Espresso is that it triples as a great crease color, and it makes a gorgeous eye liner when you lined with a damp eye liner brush. Even if you decide you want to go the au naturel route make sure you fill in your eyebrows, they give your eyes so much more depth and instantly make them bright.

tarte.com

3. Eyes: All you need is one eye shadow palette that has your day colors and your night colors. My favorite palette is Tarte Eye Couture Day-To-Night Eye Palette. It’s perfect because it comes with a double ended brush, eyeliner and 10 eye shadows. They all blend beautifully and go on like a dream. Now all you need is your favorite mascara and your eye lash curler and you’re all set.

4. Blush: When it comes to blush, I’ve always preferred cheek stains. They look natural and blend into your skin as if you’re glowing from within. My favorite cheek stains are from Benefit. Benetint (I prefer the Pocketpal version while traveling, it doubles as a lip stain as well) and Posietint are allthat you need for your whole trip. Alternate between the two, with what you’re wearing.

5. Lips: Lips are tricky, we all love our lip gloss and lipstick. But, a honeymoon includes kissing, cuddling and no time for touch-ups. So you want to grab 1-2 stains. Now you can use Benetint and Posietint. But check our Urban Decay’s Lip Envy Lip Stain in Envious and Greedy. Also don’t forget your lip balm.

And don’t forget haircare; shampoo and conditioner are essential! Also, be sure to pack  hair wax to tame frizziness if you’re going to tropical places.

When it comes to skincare, you always want to remember to pack your trusty face wash, moisturizer and sun block. My favorite sun block has to be Neutrogena Dry-Touch SPF 70–it is sweat proof, water-proof and doesn’t leave you feeling cakey and ghastly looking. I cannot stress enough how important sun block is. Make sure you slather it on you and hubby if you’re going to hot and sunny parts of the world.

And you’re done! Have a great time on your honeymoon ladies! =)

xo,

i♥makeup

Asiana Wedding Magazine

RECEPTION LOOK 

Asiana Wedding Magazine

Credit: Asiana Wedding Magazine

 

 

RECEPTION LOOK

Credit: Asiana Wedding Magazine

 

TRADITIONAL LOOK

Credit: Asiana Wedding Magazine

 

RECEPTION LOOK

Credit: Asiana Wedding Magazine

 

TRADITIONAL LOOK

Credit: Asiana Wedding Magazine

 

RECEPTION LOOK

Credit: Asiana Wedding Magazine

 

TRADITIONAL LOOK

Credit: Asiana Wedding Magazine

 

RECEPTION LOOK 

Credit: Asiana Wedding Magazine