Christian Louboutin Jeweled Slingback

Hi ladies! Our last shoe post was all about comfort and style for the practical bride. The Sari-Clad Bride has already given you advice on what you should look for in bridal shoes if you love your feet more than your shoes. But we have to say that if there can be exceptions to the Octet rule of atomic bonding, there are exceptions to our rules as well. Plus, our readers have spoken! You wanted to know about the lavish and just plain outrageous (in a good way of course!) styles for bridal shoes which will make your guests do a double-take at your feet! So here are some of those exceptional exceptions. We do have to warn you: such envious action does come at a price!

If you haven’t  heard of Andrew Gn yet, these shoes will definitely make you want to find out more! The Kaki Stone-Embellished Sandals ($800.00) are just gorgeous and perfect if you have some green in your bridal sari or lehenga or in your wedding color scheme. The ankle strap is not cuffed around the ankle but a wide oval shaped strap which allows room for your anklet (nupur/payaal). But with such embellishments on your shoes, who needs anklets? You may also choose to wear this for your mehndi/henna celebration, if you plan on wearing green.

Andrew Gn Stone Embellished Sandal

The Manolo Blahnik Jeweled Satin D’Orsay Sandals ($715.00) are classic for weddings whether American or South Asian. A lot of modern brides are choosing white, beige, silver, or dull gold bridal wear nowadays and these are just what we recommend for you. If you look around a little bit, you may find them in other colors to match your style as well.

Manolo Blahnik Jeweled D'Orsay

These Miu Miu Alba Jeweled Sandals ($750.00) are a beautiful gold-tone leather with a bejeweled front to fall in love with. Given that most South Asian brides wear gold or gold-tone jewelry, you can totally pull these off with any color bridal wear. Yes, the ankle straps go against our advice, but they are necessary to hold these bad-ass high heels in place.

Miu Miu Jeweled Sandal

Leave it to Christian Louboutin to come up with something so exquisite for your feet! The Sari-Clad Bride absolutely LOVES these Jeweled Platform Slingbacks ($2,830.00)! (note the capitalized love and exclamation point) The allover multicolor bejeweled design makes these shoes as festive as shoes can be in order to represent the festive South Asian weddings. Don’t worry about matching them to your bridal wear – these girls will go with just about anything.

Christian Louboutin Jeweled Slingback

Want to know what shoes we would recommend for you? Whether you are the bride-to-be or just a wedding attendee, leave a comment or email us with your shoe necessities and budget, and we will find what you are looking for!

What you should look for while shopping for comfy bridal shoes:

• A medium heel: Perfect for adding a few inches to your height without overwhelming you.

• A cone-shaped heel: Provides more support than pencil heels.

• The slip-on style: For easy access, since various South Asian wedding rituals require the bride to put her shoes on and off.

• Avoid ankle straps: As we usually like to wear anklets (nupur/payalias), shoes with ankle straps may get in the way.

• Open toe/open front: Makes your feet look less official and more fun and flirty. Not to mention,      you don’t want to cover the gorgeous henna/mehndi designs!

• Bejeweled front: With all the decorative clothes and jewelry to wear, an ornamental touch in the front is more than enough to make a fashion statement.

www.piperlime.com

The Bandolino Quitarah evening sandals ($34.99) are a good example of all of the above. Note the medium cone-shaped heel and the jeweled details on the top – this may not be something right out of Vogue, but it will definitely work with a bridal sari or lehenga. We love is that it’s also leather!

www.piperlime.com

If you need a little support in the back to hold your shoes in place, Caparros Drew silk evening sandals ($19.97) are the type you should go for. The slingback style is better than a full on ankle strap and won’t get in the way of your anklet. We love the simplicity of the shoe and you can’t beat the price!

www.nordstrom.com

These Athena Alexander ‘Abel’ sandals ($74.95) have the rhinestone-studded ornament in the front which are perfect for showing off under your elaborate wedding lehenga or sari. We love the openness of the shoe which also allows us to show off the mehndi/henna design on our feet!

www.nordstrom.com

The J. Renee ‘Maryanne’ slingback shoes ($49.90) are the perfect red to match your sari or lehenga (comes in 6 other colors as well including gold and silver). It may not be as embellished in the front but the bright bold color totally makes up for it!

Gorgeous Karishma Kapoor on her wedding day

A modern take
We love the simple halter top and intricate skirt on this lehenga–perfect for a modern bride’s reception look.
Where: Silkthreads
How much: $1495.00

A sweet ‘n’ simple version
This baby-pink lehenga will make you feel like a princess on your Big day.
Where: mariab.com
How much: Contact for details

mariab.com

A gharara version
Pearls, Svaroviski crystals–what more does a bride need?
Where: bargello.com
How much: On sale for $920.00

bargello.com

An Artistic Take
This multi-shaded lehenga is for the bride who likes to mix things up.
Where: bargello.com
How much: On sale for $1360.00

bargello.com

The show-off-your curves version
Flaunt your curves in this dusky pink mermaid-skirted lehenga.
Where: bargello.com
How much: On sale for $1440.95

bargello.com

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

We discovered a few jewelry shopping basics;

• Bridal sets prices depend on karat, weight, color, intricacy of design, and whether all-gold, semi-precious and precious gemstones.
• Gold sets with gemstones are usually more expensive.
• This summer, the price of 22-karat gold varies between 32.5 dollars per gram to 36dollars per gram–depending how well you could bargain (in which case, taking along a particularly annoying Auntie might help!).
• Tip: Pay in cash and you won’t have to pay taxes, which can be a hefty sum, considering the thousands of dollars one set costs!

Here are some traditional, 22-karat bridal sets our friend, Syeda, tried out.

price: $6230
178 grams
$35.00/gram

price: $3,557
107.8 grams
$33/gram

price: $3,400
100 grams
$34/gram

price: $4,336
133.4 grams
$32.5/gram

Pohela Boishakh

Every year, on the first day of the year, Bengalis all over Bangladesh and India celebrate Pohela Boishakh–the Bengali New Year.  This day is filled with food, songs, new saris, etc.  However, one tradition that I learned about during my recent trip to Dhaka, Bangladesh was that of ‘Hal Khata’.  Hal Khata, which literally translates to ‘New Notebook’ in Bangla, is a custom in which jewelry buyers pay up all their debts to jewelry stores on Pohela Boishakh.  In order to show their appreciation, jewelry stores invite their customers for a feast on Pohela Boishakh, which occurs mid-April of every year.

Hal Khata is not only a fun celebration, but also a chance for jewelry stores to introduce their new line of jewelry for the upcoming year and a good time for brides to scope out the goods! My first experience of this Hal Khata tradition was on April of this year and when I stepped into New Jawra House in Dhaka–I was amazed to see the food, festivities, and the displays of new jewelry.

Pohela Boishakh

The Bengali New Year, Pohela Boishakh, is an ideal date for brides to buy jewelry.  Jewelry stores display never before seen items–the majority of which are booked and sold on this day.  I encountered several brides-to-be purchasing their wedding jewelry far in advance of their wedding date to get the best designs and prices. So if you’re planning a shopping trip for your trousseau in Bangladesh or Bengal in India, going during ‘Hal Khata’ would be a smart decision!

Dubai Gold Souq = SHOPPING HEAVEN

When stepping into the shopping complexes in Dubai, your eyes will first be greeted by GOLD–almost everywhere!  Gold shops in Dubai, in my opinion, are more prevalent than clothing, or even food!

My mom and I had began our 3 and a half week venture to begin my brother’s wedding shopping and it all started in Dubai. My mom and I thought our two day shopping trip was far too short, but we managed to purchase a storm and in my opinion, Dubai = shopping haven!!

It is always easier to travel when you have family internationally and I recommend always taking a local when shopping abroad unless you’re familiar with the area.  It was my mom’s first time returning to Dubai since the 5 years she lived there during her adolescence and my first time in Dubai so we were excited to bring on the shopping!

Dubai Gold Souq

On our first day, we ventured into Sharjah to begin our shopping excursion and it all began with gold shops in Gold Souq.  We were surrounded by gold to the point where our eyes begin to just see yellow lights.  Growing up, I thought only South Asians had a fascination with gold, but rest assured, people in the UAE are just as obsessed.  The interesting aspect of shopping in Dubai is that it is, in essence, a cultural hub; there is jewelry  from all parts of the Middle East/Eastern world along with food and clothing as well.  Stepping into a jewelry store, you can expect to find traditional Gujrati wedding jewelry to even the most precious gems of Jaipur–kundan.

Dubai Gold Souq

However, salesmen in Dubai-like all parts of the world-sense tourists!  As I’ve mentioned previously, be sure to take a local when buying high-value items such as jewelry. Without my uncle’s help, my mom would have thrown away hundreds of dollars because the salespeople definitely sensed we were tourists.

In addition to Dubai being a Gold Haven—there are also tons and tons of fabulous places to shop for clothing.  I absolutely fell in LOVE with the salwar kameezes/suits  available in Dubai.  I found one of my favorite shops–Bareeze–there and went completely insane buying anything that I laid my eyes on in the store.  Bareeze also sells fabric by the yard; Bareeze chiffon embroidered sarees would make a great addition to any bridal trousseau!  Dubai, in my opinion, is heavily influenced by Pakistani fashion and I was able to buy tons of kameezes that I would not find anywhere else aside from Lahore and Karachi.

If you are a South Asian bride and you have a little extra money to splurge–do it in Dubai!  You will not be disappointed; you’ll find all that your little heart desires–jewelry and clothing from several South Asian designers ranging from Pakistani, to Indian, to Arab–you name it! Shop your heart out in Dubai!

Trosseau shopping in South Asia

In South Asian culture, it’s not unheard of to go back home to shop for your wedding, whether that be India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, etc. In fact, many brides do just that in order to save time, money, and have a larger selection of choices for wedding fashion. I did my own Reception shopping in Dhaka, Bangladesh and recently completed wedding shopping for my brother’s upcoming wedding in Dubai, Dhaka, and Kolkata.

Here are some important things to keep in mind when shopping abroad;

DO:

• Plan far in advance. -Make sure you have adequate time for you each city or area of a city you plan to shop in.
• Try to take a local wherever you go as you will get ripped off if anyone senses you are a tourist .
• Do go to popular stores/stores that carry a high volume of wedding attire.
• Research fashion trends so you know what is out there and recent.
• Act like you are willing to buy–show interest in everything whether or not you like it. Once the sales person has gotten a grasp of your taste, he will show you more of what you want.  If you act uninterested in even the “uglier” items, he will get frustrated and think you are not there to buy anything.

DON’T:

• Buy the first thing you see! There will be plenty of other options for better deals and perhaps even quality.
• Share too much about where you are from–sales people can be shady and will sell you older designs if they sense aren’t a local.
• settle for anything. Bargain, bargain, bargain!