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This Valentine’s, girls get to take the leap & pop the Big Q Hey girlies, here’s yet another chance for you to outdo the men. This Valentine’s, you are officially authorised to take the plunge. Wondering what are we talking about? Well, legend has it that in a leap year, a woman can propose to the man she loves. And yes, some even say that men aren’t allowed to decline the proposal. Hmm...Now that sounds like a win-win situation girlies, what say? We clued-up the city’s girlie brigade on the tradition and got them to share their ideas of popping up the question. And yes, we aren’t revealing their entire plans or their real names to keep their secret guarded.
Now, before you think of roses or candies, let’s tell you that our gals in love aren’t so boring! Meet Smriti, working in a BPO, who plans to drive her guy uphill and pop the question there with a glass of champagne. Her reasoning, “ Ever since I’ve been with him, he is the one whose been driving, despite being tired or unwell, so I’ve decided to pick him up from the office and drive him crazy this time.” Well, that’s what we call a considerate-romantic-adventurous date. Our next girl in love is meticulously planning for the moment. Gurpreet already has with her over 100 small chits ready with messages for her guy. Numbered and placed at different locations (books, dashboard, cupboard...) they will go on from messages like You look great in that black sweatshirt and culminate to I Love You! Talk of literary love and there is Swati from Department of English to quote. The budding poetess is going to propose her man with a self composed two pages long poem. “It traces the journey from the day I saw him a year back to today, when I’ve decided to speak my heart out,” she says.
Now, who told you that you could fall in love only at a coffee shop or at a college fest? Meet Pooja, who was stuck by the cupid struck at a music shop. Four months back, Pooja bumped into her guy at the Music World and soon they started to meet there more often. So, what is Pooja’s plan? “I completely understand his taste in music now. I’m going to surprise and propose him with a hamper of CD collections of his choice.” Oh la la, musical romance! Harshita from P.U. too is thinking on the same lines, “ I am going to write a CD with all those songs that we played when we went on a drive or danced to at functions and intersperse it with what I feel from him.” This sounds different, doesn’t it? See, we told you that city girls aren’t boring! Well, so brace yourself to expect the unexpected this Valentine’s.
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SCIENTISTS have issued a warning that love puts your body through the same amount of pressure as stress. Too much adrenaline is very harmful, people, so enjoy your healthy single status! But if you must, try these out... *
Do you have any raisins? No? How about a date? *
Hi, I’m Mr Right. Someone said you were looking for me! *
You know you are good enough to give my last name to. *n Is that the sun coming up... or is that just you lighting up my world? *
Look, I’m either going to your place with you, or behind you... your choice *
When I saw you I fell over and bumped my head. I’ll have to take your name and number for insurance purposes. *
Shall we talk or continue flirting from a distance? *
Pardon me, but what pickup line works best with you? *
Is there a rainbow today? I just found the treasure I’ve been searching for! *
I think I feel like Richard Gere — I’m standing next to you, the Pretty Woman. 3rd Law of Love: For every idiot there is an equal and opposite gender idiot. Singles are people with incomparable intelligence..!! |
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Love Wrapped YET AGAIN, it’s that time of the year when we’re busy scouring the stationers’ for pink cellophanes, wrapping those candy hearts, blowing up tacky heart-shaped balloons, and scribbling some soppy dooh-daas (read freaky bad poetry) on cards. For, love may be a 365-day epidemic, but aren’t we all expected to take out all of our 364-day-love, air it and display it big and bold on Valentines Day. So, for all those cupid-struck lovers, who’ve been racking their brains for the perfect Valentine’s gift, here’s some inspiration. But, we promise these will warm your sweetheart’s heart much more than any sweet nothings. Pretty Adornments Choco-bloc Never opt for generic chocolates. Think fresh, say chocolate fondue with melted chocolate, mixed with a touch of heavy cream, and served with fruit or cookies. Check out flavours like Irish Coffee Dark Truffle, Cointreau, Champagne filled, Baileys and liquor-flavored chocolates at Nik Baker’s-9 (Rs 275- 525). You can also lay your hands on cookies like Italian biscuiti, almond nut, choco-dip, choco-fudge, choco-walnut dip (Rs 110-350), besides the heart-shaped and bunny-like cakes and brownies available at various bakers in town. Or make your own hamper with chocolates, brownies and chocolate flavoured cosmetics. And if it doesn’t sound like a sensual enough gift, sponsor him/her a chocolate indulgence spa (Choco Spa, Cleopatra-Rs 999). From a luxurious chocolate rub wrap to a fun choco pedicure and facial to a sensual cocoa butter massage, the spa ensures your flame gets choco-blacked! Cute n’ conventional For all those who are obsessed with chocolates, plush toys or candy hearts, the city has a plethora of heart-shaped and cutesy options. At Dewsun-11 there are stuff toys that sing one complete love song (Rs 590 onwards). The smaller versions come in form of key chains that sing ‘I love you’ (Rs 49). There is also a pearl pendent set that comes in a box called Love Pearl. The surprise element lies in the colour of the pearl, which you can choose from a chart that comes along. Say, white for health and peach for love (Rs 229). Want to express your love in verses? Choose from the quotation plates that let you write your and your beloved’s name in permanent ink. (Rs 120 onwards) For art lovers, there are figurines of enwinding couples in metal and stone (Rs 3000). For those who love to sing to their hearts’ content, there’s a book that promises to make you an expert of romantic filmy songs. All you need is a guitar and start practicing the notes given there. Or simpler still, pick up a plastic rose that sings ‘I love you’ (Rs 45) from Jewels-11.You could also lay your hands on metallic-tone Cupids for Rs 895 and gift baskets of assorted items for Rs 499. Preciously Yours |
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Predictably boring ALL excited to celebrate the Hallmark Day or the Archies Day, oops we mean the Valentines Day? Hmm… if the thought of what to buy for your sweetheart hasn’t begun to trouble you yet, this piece is for you. And especially for those who’ll thoughtlessly drop by the gift shop on the D-day and waste money over anything that’s there on the shelves. Well, we are not going to tell you what to buy for your sweetie pie or coochie pie . Rather, we’ve compiled for you a list of the things that you should just not buy. Bloom Gloom: Oh god, now we simply fail to understand why do you want to buy a posy on the very day when it is priced at ten or twenty times the normal. Come on, you can rather buy her a 100 more roses at the same price on the 15th or 13th, than on 14th! And, yes strictly her, puhleeseee. Never ever surprise a man with flowers. Whoever told you that men, metro sexual or not, like roses, needs some lessons on the rules of gifting. And if your gal raises her brow over this wise decision, tell her you don’t want to give her something that will dry up in a day. Rather, put in her some sense on how insensitive a thing is it to be plucking the flowers. And, if she still insists, then as a colleague here suggests — buy flowers in advance and give her a fossilised bouquet! Bitter Choice: We’ve got our facts right. One, girls simply love chocolates. Two, these come in all ranges and flavours. Yet, despite of all this, we say chocolates make a poor choice.Why? What happened to all that talk on calories and breaking bones in gym classes? Also chocolates have now become the staple gift for each occasion, be it Diwali or X-mas. And then, men prefer liquor to liqueur chocs, girlie. Not-so-cute:
Okie, you may be calling her baby, nona bachcha, chutka or Pidley (though, we think you need a lesson on nicknames too) but then, she’s not young enough to be playing with a teddy bear. And, all you guys have to confess that you really don’t think that the stuffed bear responsible for a hole in your pocket is all that cute, specially the one that comes with a press me button that cracks into a moronic I Love You! Allergic to: Ugggh... just stay away from anything that’s heart shaped! Cakes, balloons, chocolates, key chains and even wrapping sheets! This is one day of the year when we develop an allergy to the colour red and the shape heart. It is just oh-not-so-cool. And all you guys who think that driving around the geri route with heart shaped balloons in the car is cool, let’s tell you, you remind us of the idiot Subodh in Dil Chahta Hai! Faux Glitter: Gals love ice! Yes, ice that’s what the Gen Y is calling a diamond these day. But, they like real diamonds guys, not the faux ones. Okie, now we don’t want you to borrow, steal or beg to buy her the real stone, rather we advise you buy her gold or even silver. Come on, real men never give in for imitation. After all, your love is at stake. |
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Red packaging is not passé when it comes to Valentine’s Day perfumes Isn’t romance all about a feeling that lingers on our senses and consequently in our memories for a long time? A sweet sensation that delights and tickles, time and again! No wonder when it comes to celebrating and recreating the romance in our lives, nothing can be more powerful than a perfume. Call it a magical fragrance, a soft, subtle scent or a sensational seduction. But the fact remains that the power of perfume, as a perfectly heart-warming Valentine gift, remains unconquerable. We scour the city’s fragrant lanes for stores that are stocking a real ‘scentsational treat.’ And well, our sweet smelling picks of the season are right here, just for you: Red Riding Hood
Though many of us have actually come to destest its overdose on Valentine’s Day, red (in it’s varying shades) continues to rule hearts and more, around this time. And in case, you’d like to give in to the mushy feeling by expressing your passion with the colour, try picking up Nina Ricci’s Nina (Rs 1,850 for 30ml). Packaged in a pretty red, apple-shaped bottle, this sumptuous fruity-floral fragrance is sure to woo your ladylove. But in case she’s fond of gift packs, vouch for Nina’s Valentine pack, having both its body lotion and perfume (Rs 3,500). Another sensually red fragrance is Azzaro’s Visit (Rs 3,040 for 75 ml). Packed in a woman’s silhouette-shaped, wine red bottle, this resinous fragrance is available in both EDT and EDP avatars. Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door Velvet (Rs 1,360 for 30 ml) and Escada’s Magnetism (Rs 2,450) are other oriental whiffs in a flaming red bottles. Passionate purple
Another romantic colour in vogue this season is purple, so pick up the brand’s perennial favourite Love in Paris (Rs 1,950 for 30ml) in a white and mauve packaging. Characterised by its soft, powdery, abstract floral fragrance, its subtle magic is sure to enthrall your beloved. Another sensually packaged perfume is Midnight Fantasy- Britney Spears (Rs 1,760 for30 ml). Intensely fresh and exotic, this spicy fragrance comes wrapped in a grape- purple packing. Candy pink
Another colour to fall for this season is of course, what else but baby pink. Men may detest this digene-like shade, we agree, but while picking up gifts for gals, pink still remains the best bet. A hot pick here is Azzaro’s Azzaro Now (Rs 1,100 for 30 ml), a highly textured, woody fragrance in a baby pink packaging. And well, besides being latest on the brand’s staple of perfumes, this fragrance would also appeal to gizmo-lovers and corporate honchos, it being shaped like a PC’s mouse! Another interesting fragrance here is Elizabeth Arden’s In Control-curious (Rs 2,200 for 50 ml), in a sleek, black bottle with pink lid. A very typical Valentine gift can be Love at First Glow- Jennifer Lopez in a pink, candy hearts pack (Rs 2,150 for 50 ml). Sunshine hues
Men only!
Though we don’t recommend perfumes as a gift for men, check out Bvlgari’s Aqua (Rs 3,300 for 100 ml), a fresh whiff in a smart black bottle. Besides, Ferrari Extreme (Rs 1,450 for 50ml), Azzaro’s Now (Rs 1,100 for 30ml) in a mouse-shaped bottle, Burberry Weekend (Rs 1,500 for 30 ml), Adidas Victory League (Rs 375 for 50 ml).
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Luv & Roses... Bigger
the better, seems to be the mantra for our lovebirds. For, is there any better way of saying ‘I love you’ other than with a bunch of flowers? And if the bunch happens to be a 5-feet-tall lifestyle basket of multicoloured roses or a simple bouquet of 1,000 red roses, it certainly helps the receiver to decipher the depth of one’s emotion. Our florists in the city have already put on their thinking caps to come out with innovative ways and means to cater to the lovers’ whims and fancies. After all, going by the records, they get clients who want to send 1,000-rose-bouquets to their sweethearts every half-an-hour on the Valentine’s Day or the ones who start sending a bouquet every morning, starting from February 7 and send a room-full of flowers on February 14. Sahil Jain of Exotic Flowers-10 has chalked quite a few floral strategies that range from bouquet of red lavenders adorned with gold and red balloons, with crystal pearls hanging all around (Rs 500 onwards) to bunches of daffodils, aesthetically placed in a bamboo basket that Sahil calls Dancing Daffodils. If one wants to go off the beaten track, then there are bouquets of baby pink lilies tied with same coloured ribbons and pink crystal pearls thrown here and there for the same price or red anthurium, an import from Bangkok, in chocolate wood vase with a chocolate handle for a slightly higher price, Rs 1,000 onwards. And for those who want to stand tall, there are lifestyle baskets 4 to 5 feet tall, which come with a bunch of multi-coloured roses placed in a natural tree trunk, a huge teddy bear hugging the truck and accessorised with golden bells, ribbons and a red candle on top. Well, one has to shell out something between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 for these. Birinder Khullar of Green House-9 is also planning a few innovative floral designs for Valentine’s Day. “I am going to experiment with red roses in combination with lots of dry accessories and wooden containers and drift woods for the base,” says Birinder. Besides there will be water arrangements with floating hearts and candles and also a chimney-like arrangement with candles which a couple can place on a private-dining sitting arrangement for a cozy candlelight dinner. Flower Zone-10, a franchise of Fern ‘n’ Petals, is planning to bring in designers from Delhi to do the needful. “The most popular, of course, are those heart-shaped bouquets of red roses, but our designers will add some surprise elements,” informs Tutal of Flower Zone. Others like Gupta’s Green Valley Flowers-34 and Khoobsurat Florist-34 have equipped themselves with the base ingredients — red roses and hearts, but are waiting for the hype to reach its climax to come out with their innovative designs. Their excitement and the fragrance of the fresh flowers are a temptation enough to place an order, if not for that telltale bouquet of red roses, then at least, one of those yellow-roses for a close friend! |
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Will You
Marry Me? ROSES, candies, cakes, candlelight dinners...Phew, how can you just fall in the rat race on this day too and just let the special moment pass by? Come on, on this one day you can think differently! And if you can’t, then take a clue from a few ideas we’ve compiled for you. Language of Love: Take a small blank notepad and write, “Will you marry me?” on each page in a different language. Start with the language your sweetheart knows the least and lead up to her/his native language. Here’s some help to get you started: Spanish: “Te Casas Conmigo?” Japanese:
“Watashito kekkon shite kuremasuka?” Finnish: “Haluatko naida minut?” German: “Willst du mich heiraten?” Italian: “Lo sposerete?” French: “Veux-tu m’épouser?” Portuguese: “Queres casar comigo?” Love is ‘on’ the air: Set the alarm clock of your loved one to a radio station and let her/him wake up with the RJ announcing your love on air! Or take a cue from 9 bake ki setting on Big FM or Love Guru on My FM. Want to keep it simple, then just dedicate a song. Book of Love:
Buy your sweetheart’s favourite book or any romantic novel. Stick together most of the pages, keeping it open in one place and in that slot, keep the engagement ring. Captured: Make an album of your relationship, with pictures of the two of you eating, drinking, reading... together. On the second last page, write — What will the future bring? And on the last page write — How about marriage? Words are all you have: Can’t write? Well, head to any gift shop and take help from there. We know this is plagiarism, but then, all is fair in love and war. Scribble the words from the love cards there on a paper or note them down in your mobile and flatter your loved one! In between the lines: Don’t do anything fancy, just take him/her out for a coffee. And then in a very casual approach, suddenly say, Do you think we should announce our engagement in the paper? And, when your soon-to-be fiancé realises what you’ve said, take the ring out of your pocket. Techno Love: Load the I-pod of your guy/ gal with her favourite numbers or even a cricket commentary would do and then in the middle of it announce your love! Or how about wrapping up the remote and giving to your guy with a message and a ring saying, All yours! Careless Whispers: Give the multiplexes a break and head to a museum instead. As you walk by soaking in the lessons of history, whisper the magical words and watch her/his eyes shine! Quite a historical moment it will be and then, they have really low entry fees at museums! Oops, now where did money come in between love? |
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How not to
pop the question OKIE,
now when there are rules to propose, then there have to be rules of how
not to propose. We spoke to the city’s ‘in love’ individuals and
laid down a few of them. First, don’t be confused. Decide if you want to be friends or more than that. And puhleeseee, spare us from that sickening sentence — Can I have friendship with you? Also, if you really like a guy/gal, speak for yourself. The idea of sending the message via a friend is a very bad idea. And yes, speaking your heart out in front of hundreds or thousands, for that matter even ten people, is another bad choice. Keep it private, to avoid getting embarrassed. After all, there are possibilities of getting no as an answer. Violins playing in the backdrop, candle light dinner and a glass of wine. Sounds perfect, right? Wait, you forgot to drop the ring in the glass. Hold, don’t drop it. Why? Cos’ your loved one may just choke! Yes, there have been instances of the ring getting stuck in the throat while sipping the wine. So, avoid that, for the ring definitely looks better on the finger! Now, we know that women like men with a good sense of humour, but keep the humour away when you are proposing. The girl might not take you seriously. Another basic rule is not to propose while you are biting into a burger with extra cheese. Nobody likes the sight of I love you being spoken with food popping out of the mouth. Short Messaging Service or whatever an SMS stands for, whoever told you that you could propose through a forward message or even a personal one, delete his number from your phonebook now. How can words blinking on a mobile screen spell romance, we just fail to understand. Shy or nervous, these emotions don’t qualify as excuses for a SMS proposal. And we assume that you know that E-cards too fall in the same category. Don’t you want to see your loved one’s expression or the shine in her/his eyes? Ughh.... Now did we hear someone say Orkut, Facebook, Hi5? If you think that a proposal via a social networking site is romantic, then carry on and send virtual kisses or roses... for, we don’t have the time to set your mind right, we have other important stuff to do. Last, don’t propose if you don’t mean it. It may be the season of love, but that doesn’t mean you utter the magical words just for the heck of it. Right? So, peep inside before you speak out! Under the stars: Go to the terrace, open a bottle of champagne, lie on the back and watch the stars. Trust us, you won’t need words here. But, mind you, check the weather forecast before you go for this!
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Love’s in the air! ONCE again, the time has come for heart-shaped candies, exquisite greeting cards, boxes of chocolates, and beribboned bouquets! Valentines Day is all about expressing our love for the ones we care for, be it friends, spouses, or parents, but somewhere along the line, it has become monopolised by young generation, eager to ask the all-important question: “Will you be my Valentine?” After all, in the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything, and two minus one equals NOTHING! Did I write this witty one? Nah, Mignon Mclaughlin did! So let this day of romance be filled with red roses, sweet nothings and somethings! Bittersweet chocolate cake with decadent glaze 2 cups maida 150 gm cooking chocolate 1 ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt 2 tbsp coffee 2 cups grain-sugar 1 cup butter, softened 3 eggs 1 tsp vanilla (For the glaze) 50 gm chocolate 3 tbsp butter 1¼ cup icing sugar ½ tsp vanilla Method Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease a cake tin, dust with maida and line with butter paper. Sieve together the maida, baking powder, soda and salt. Dissolve the coffee in 1¼ cup of warm water. Beat the sugar, butter and vanilla until creamy. Beat in the eggs one by one. Melt the chocolate in a heavy pan held over boiling water and add to the beaten mix. Add the flour mixture to it alternated with the coffee liquid. Pour into the waiting cake tin and bake for 50-60 minutes. Make a glaze by heating the butter and adding broken chocolate to it. Turn off the heat and stir in the icing sugar, vanilla and 3 tbsp of water. Stir till really smooth and drizzle generously over the cooled cake. Honeyed Heart-Cookies 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup grain sugar 1/2 cup honey ½ tsp almond essence ¼ cup water ¼ tsp salt ½ tsp baking soda 3 cups maida Method Beat the butter, sugar, honey and essence till light and fluffy. Add flour and then the water to make a dough using your fingers. Roll out to a ¼ inch thickness. Stamp out with a heart shaped cookie cutter and bake (the poor hearts!) in a preheated oven at 300ºF for 20-25 minutes. Decorate using the glaze recipe given below. Omit the chocolate if you so desire and experiment with a dash of food colour. Cappuccino Walnut Fudge 1 can condensed milk 100 gm chocolate 100 gm cocoa powder 1-2 tsp coffee powder ½ cup powdered sugar ¾ cup chopped walnuts/ almonds Method Lightly grease a shallow tray with butter. Heat the condensed milk and cocoa in a heavy pan on low heat. Add the coffee dissolved in ¼ cup of water, followed by the sugar and the broken bits of chocolate. Continue stirring vigorously or the mixture will get scorched. Turn off the heat, add walnuts and let the mixture cool slightly. Pour into the prepared tray, level with a spatula or a knife and cut into pieces when firm. Want a more romantic effect? Stamp out fancy shapes of the fudge with a heart shaped cookie cutter. |
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Dress me hot! Attention love-struck guys and gals. Most of you may be fashion loyalists to the core, but hey, it’s Valentine’s Day and you can’t take any chances. While spending time with your beloved on this special occasion, you need to be dressed just right. Here are a few fashion sins you must avoid: Don’t ‘Gimme red’! Always hated broody lovers swearing by heart-shaped reddish balloons? Can’t stand beloveds being wooed with equally detesting red flowers? Well, here’s our mission ‘Rescue-yourself-from-red’ to offer some respite. When the whole ‘lovey-dovey’ world’s going berserk in bloody reds, we advise you to try the season’s zany burst of colours – grape purples, leafy greens, sulphur yellows, electric blues and fruity fuchsias. And well, all those die-hard red fanatics, fret not. If you’ve grown up painting every Valentine season with brazen, untamed reds, build a sensuous drama with the hue by wearing it unconventionally. You could use this colour as your eye-shadow, with a generous coat of black mascara. And in case, you’re coating your eyes with transparent mascara, fill your lips with a red lip-gloss or a red lipstick! It won’t appear overdone if blended with a minimal eye make-up . Accessories in the colour can also look out striking. And well, if that’s not fiery enough, set your hair set into soft curls and insert a red feather.Who said style birds of the same feather don’t flock together? Our Pick:
Go for solid black, charcoal, coffee, wine, cherry, electric blue, hot pink and grapefruit purple Bling can sting You’ve practically scoured the entire city hunting for those teeny-weeny accessories. But remember to avoid wearing too many of them together. Wear one, or maximum two of your collectables and choose the pieces which make you stand out. Brooches are very hot this season, so wear them on your dress, tuck them on your belt or simply flaunt a string with a brooch as a neckpiece! Our pick: Check out the crystal and stone studded brooches (Rs 250-650) *
Gitanjali, a Valentine’s collection by Gili (Rs 7,000 to Rs 45,000) *
Mont Blanc’s rodium-plated silver and diamond charms and neckpieces (Rs 3,000- 22,000). Matchy-matchy, no papa Gals, how interesting is a guy in blue trousers, blue socks, blue shoes and a blue tie on a blue shirt? And how many guys would go nuts about a pink-ribboned girl in a pink skirt and pink shoes? Well, style’s more about creating an interesting look by coordinating pieces rather than matching everything. Our Pick: Just buy one new item and mix it with your existing collectables. Get practical It’s V-Day, yes, but wearing weather and age inappropriate clothes can be the worst fashion faux pas. Never squeeze into sizes smaller than you. They’ll make you appear larger than your size. That wine, sexy number can look good if worn with a smart coat, rather than just wearing it and catching pneumonia the next day! The season’s sales give you an added advantage over the ongoing chill. Our pick:
Checkered and woven tweed coats (Rs 1,000-3,000) *
Leather jackets (Rs 5,000-6000) Fur embellished Swede and woolen coats (Rs 750- 2,000) *
Lycra and lace leggings (Rs 350-450) *
Corduroy coats in bright colours at Ebony, Whistles, Kapsons (Rs 750- 2,000) *
Capes, ponchos and knee-length knitted tunics (Rs 1,800-3,000) Freedom from fixations Love changes everything, right? So, why shouldn’t it change the fashion statement you’re fixated with? Go experimental and bold this Valentine’s by letting go of your style idioms that have got clichéd. Believe us, your beloved will love the change! Our Pick: Midnight and Oasis Club-wear Collection (Rs 349-1,499) by Madame. The brand’s Surf Spirit collection is the best bet, if you are going for a holiday with your Valentine! *
Designer club-wear satin shirts with high-collars and designer mens’wear by Nino Mantelli Shiny disco Always wanted to be a far cry from the bubblegum teenybopper? Young ladies can look their sensual best in Satya Paul cocktail saree or Rohit Bal’s designer anaarkalis. Girls can get into designer tunics, shimmery tops and slim-fit jeans to highlight those awesome curves. Young gals, retro is still in, so get nostalgic by donning tunics with billowing winged sleeves, blouson tops cigarette pants and broad hair bands in polkas and bold graphic prints.Slip into a pair of wedge-heeled boots or cute ballerinas and go partying…and if the paparazzi’s lurking nearby, strike a pose! And guys, get glammed up in bright-coloured satin and organza shirts. Climb a few notches higher on the stylo-meter by accessorising with silk scarves, velvet jackets, designer cufflinks, knotted ties and swede/velvet jackets. Our pick: Nostalgia-retro collection at Madame *
Three piece suits with vascets, coordinated with a bow tie and silk scarf with brooch (Rs 6,000-15,000) *
Swede/velvet-jackets and two-buttoned coats with leather piping on the collar/ - slim fit- (Rs 2,500-5,000) *
High-collared club-wear shirts in satin and organza. Vouch for all bright colours and prints — wines, purple, hot pinks, electric blue, cherry red (Rs 700-3,000) Check-out Apparel: Samsaara-17, Meena Bazaar-NAC, Kapsons, Whistles and Madame-17, Ivory- 9, Ten West and Waga-10, Expressions and Just Casuals-9, Polka and Shelley’s-8 Jewellery and accessories: Jewels-10, Silver Haze and Ebony-9, Mont Blanc-17, Trends- 37, Bittu Bangles-22 |
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Help your girl buckle up her curvy waist in style with Hidesign’s range of ranched and woven belts. Or pick the regular, sleek ones in interesting shades of red and wine (Rs 545-1,045). The faux leather ones are available at Polka-8, Tit-bits 19, Tycoon-19, Ten West-10, Ebony-9 and Meena Bazaar-NAC (Rs 325-1,200). Another girlie accessory is a soft, sensual scarf, stole or shawl (At Ezma-17, Meena Bazaar-NAC, Expressions-9). Ezma’s Valentine collection of 21 coloured pure pashmina shawls in a box cost Rs 1,01000. Besides, there are Mohini hand embroidered shawls (Rs 25,000) and shawls with aariwork (Rs 42,000). Girls can pick Satya Paul ties (Rs 495-2,995) and Ezma’s Italian chiruti tweed ties (Rs 18,000) for their guys. 
And if you want gift him some big time fun, then take your pick from gorgeous, extra-large watch by Tag Heur (Sporty, S shaped Aquaracer- Rs 40,000 to 60,000 and SLR for Mercedes-Benz-Rs 1,83,000) or Mont Blanc (Rs 53,000-80,000). But if he’s not a watch-lover, then choose from Mont Blanc’s diamond studded cufflinks, diamond studded bracelets (Rs 30-33,000) or belts (Rs 7,700-11,700). Mont Blanc’s range of ballpoint and fountain pens with pearls and lacquer finish make up an ideal gift for a corporate honcho. These come with a special leather pen pouch in colours like purple, brown and blue (Rs 22,000-52,000). Those who find this tad too expensive can vouch for the brand’s business card holders (Rs 4,000) or Hidesign’s office portfolios (Rs 4,000-8,000). Plus, there are smart stainless steel accessories like pen, pad and business card holders by Art d’inox (Rs 250-500) and wallets by Hidesign (Rs 500-1,000)
Do you know of anyone who doesn’t love jewellery? Gold, silver, and precious gems are gifts that last a lifetime. You can pick cocktail rings, pendants, earrings in pure silver, American diamonds and zircons (Rs 550-5,550), 18-carat gold and diamond pieces from Ola, Valentine teen collection from Gili (Rs 7,000-36,000), exclusive diamond jewellery by Sparkles, D’ damas and Tanishq (Rs 6,000- 600000). Brooches available at Ivory-9 and Jewels-11 are another hot picks (Rs 300- 1,000). Mont Blanc offers bracelets, necklaces and charms in silver with rodium plating and diamonds, Swarovski and real stones (Rs 3,000-21,000). 
For those more into tangy aromas, a must pick is Nina’s L’Air du Temps (Rs 1,900 for 30ml). The fragrance being citrus, remains light, fresh and not too heavy, very much like it’s cheerful, sunshine yellow packaging. Escada’s Sunset Heat (Rs 2,850 for 100ml) is another orange candy like fragrance in a flaming orange packing. Another fruity pick is Tommy Girl 10 EDT (Rs 1,450 for 30ml).