WHAT'S NEW IN FALL BEAUTY : KCFW MEDIA SWAG BAG

Who doesn't love a Bold lip at this time of the year ? And when the days are nippy and chilly, creamy blushes make more sense. Perusing the aisles of my favorite beauty stores, every season, is a favorite habit of mine. To check out and try out the new launches. This season, I did not have to physically go and presses the aisles. As one of the Official Media of the recently concluded Kansas City Fashion Week, I was invited by ULTA to attend a reception. And lo and behold, we were presented with a bevy of new Beauty launches,which had been handpicked by the experts. Thank you ULTA for such an awesome Swag Bag. 

So in case you are planning to shop some Makeup (and some skin care) for Fall, this list might help you out.

IT Cosmetics Blurred Lines Smooth Fill Gel Creme Lipstick -Believe 
This color is described as Sheer Berry Flush. It does have a good amount of frost or shimmer through it. Good for use during the day when the weather is crisp. Its pretty hydrating nd does now dry out the lips.

BUTTER LONDON Shadow Clutch in Pretty Proper

This palette included 6 neutral shades which are mix of mattes and glitters. The shades include Chantilly Lace(Matte Soft Pink), Suede(Matte Stone Grey), Brocade(Cool Charcoal Sheen) , Cashmere(Matte Cool Nude), Satin (cool rose gold Shimmer), Velvet (Deep Esperesso Sheen) . This palette veers more on the cool side, and the other palette in this collection is called NATURAL CHARM veers on the warm side. As I have a warm undertone, I would have personally picked out the warmer palette. The shades are pigmented and could be useful for the Holiday season. It comes in a sturdy plastic packaging. This palette can be used a whole, or even the individual pans can slide out, to purchase more pans and create your own collection. Good for travel. It also comes with a good sized mirror which makes it ideal for use, when one is traveling.

ULTA METALS EYESHADOW PALETTE

ULTA Metals Eye Shadow Palette is a basic palette with 12 eyeshadows. It has a mix of matte and shimmers and the jewel tones make it very appropriate for the season. It also comes with a  full size brush. The darker colors are more pigmented than the neutral shades.

BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector -Opal

This is a cram highlighter which has been infused by light diffusing pigments. I am not that great with cream products, but maybe I will change for the better. It comes across as much darker in the pan, than when its watched or actually used on the cheeks . Gives the skin a very dewy finish when used as a finishing product.

STILA Got Inked Cushion Eyeliner - Blue Sapphire Ink
As you know, I am a fan of gel eyeliners and am partial to my favorites. But this eyeliner is actually a liquid liner which has been package in a  way that the product is dispensed through a cushion like mesh. I loved the color which is a beautiful midnight blue. A metallic finish liner, can be a must have for the Holidays.

MISS SPA Facial Sheet Mask  and REDKEN Triple Take Hairspray 32
The Miss Spa Facial Sheet Mask set is a set of three sheet masks. Honestly this is a great product for days when I do a DIY Spa day at home. The three masks in this pack are the Miss Spa Brightening Facila Mask, Miss Spa Moisturizing Mask and Miss Spa Exfoliating Mask .


The RedKen  Triple Take Hairspray is a strong hold hair spray without the feeling of crunch.

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THE BLOG GUILD FALL HAPPY HOUR

Kansas City is a treasure trove of talented bloggers. And last Wednesday was yet another opportunity for all these talented bloggers to get together and let their hair down. It was time for the Fall Happy Hour of The Blog Guild  . This time was the venue was Julep in Westport.

I really love hanging out in Westport and doing that with my favorite girls in the city was indeed special. It was a pretty informal meet up this time, where the idea was just to mingle. And everyone seemed to be doing just that. 

As Julep calls itself a cocktail club, with an impressive collection of Whiskey, I started off my evening with a Whiskey based Cocktail - 'The Monarch.' I wanted to pick out something potent to kickstart the evening, and it was the suggestion of a fellow blogger at my table. It was strong, yet smooth. The Monarch was a mix of Rittenhouse Rye, Luxardo Maraschino, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Olive Heights Braeburn belle Bitters. 

Julep was kind enough to provide us with some yummy bites. Deviled eggs which had been topped with Okra slices was clearly the surprise on the plate. 

For my Outfit, I picked up a purple Aztec printed chiffon dress, with a nice ruffle collar. Paired it with a  trusty denim jacket and some leopard pumps. Mixed in some ethnic Indian silver jewelry. It was one of those Fall days which was still warm and I could get away wearing dress without a pair of leggings. Not to forget my carry all black leather bag. 

Coming back to the Meet Up. What's Happy Hour without another round of spirits. After the strong Monarch, I veered down the lanes of something fresh.' London Calling ,' it was for me this time. This was a mix of cucumber infused Vodka, Lime, Ginger and Soda. 

Sipping on, Mingling on, Nibbling on, the evening rolled on. There was a surprise giveaway from the girls of Hello Big Idea  and it was such fun playing fastest finger first. 

Huge Thank you to The Blog Guild for yet another fun evening with the girls. Its always great to meet the creative energies behind the amazing blogs. 

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WHAT I WORE FOR KCFW DAY 3 : UNION STATION : OOTD

I have a thing for Full Skirts. But I am also very particular about them. They just have to have the right amount of flair for my petite frame. So its not always that I get a great skirt which I can pair to my heart's delight. So when I found this red flared skirt, I wanted to buy it in every color available. But judgement and my purse strings prevailed and I just picked out the brightest cherry red.


This skirt is a statement in itself for its color and cut. So it seemed to be the perfect anchor for my ensemble for KCFW Day 3. I paired it with a black and white printed blouse and my trust Leopard pumps. Somehow wanted to carry the graphics of the print in the top to the spots on my Leopard pumps. The red was supposed to break the monotony of the prints.

For my accessories, I opted for my Valkyrie Wings from Juicy Couture and a set of silver chains from H&M .

I knew this Day screamed out for MAC RUBY WOO lipstick . What else would you pair with that killer skirt. It had to be something iconic .  for my yes, it was Smokey Eyes once again. And yes, Urban Decay Naked 1 palette again. The colors I had selected were Sidecar and Creep. Th rest was my basic Make up Tourine with eth regulars.

Outfit Details : 
Red Full Skirt from New York and Company (sold out), similar Here
Black and White Full Sleeve Shirt from New York and Compmany(sold out)
Leopard Pumps from Nine West (Elise)
Earrings: Juicy Couture
Necklace: H&M 

Makeup Details : 
MAC Ruby Woo
Urban Decay Naked 1
Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation in Golden Neutral
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original
MAC ProlongWear Concealer in NW20
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
NARS Orgasm Blush

Photographs by Laura Noll Photography and Debashish Dasgupta 

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DURGA PUJOR KHAWA DAWA : FESTIVE FEASTING

This is no ordinary Sunday for Bengalis spread across the globe. Those of us in North America are getting ready to say our Goodbyes for the year and those in India are getting ready to welcome Her. Yes, Its Durga Puja. The biggest Socio-religious festival binding Hindu Bengalis all over . Its a Five day Festival which on one side marks the victory of Good over Evil and also celebrates the Homecoming of our Mother Goddess Maa Durga.

Legend has it that Goddess Durga was created with all the powers of the all the gods in Heaven to defeat a buffalo headed demon , named Mahishasur, who was wreaking destruction across Heaven and Earth. And Maa Durga,riding her loyal Lion, wielding weapons in ten hands, defeated the demon after a long fight. The other legend is that Maa Durga ,along with four of her children, leaves her heavenly abode in the Himalayas, and visits Earth, which is her Paternal Home. 

Monday, the 19th of October marks the beginning of the festivities in India this year. But those of us, who are far away from our homeland, celebrate it over a convenient weekend, closer to the actual dates. This year we are celebrating it from Friday October 16th to Sunday 18th, here in Kansas City. Five days of festivities are squeezed in three days and we soak in as much as can. 

We, Bengalis are known for our love for food. And Durga Puja has its own unique saga with food. Starting with a vegetarian fare, the menu switches to succulent goat curries and yummy fish. Who can forget all the street food which can be found all across Kolkata at this time of the year. Being far away from Kolkata, I do miss all the special Bengali food, whipped up specially at this time of the year. So I decided to take you all on a culinary journey with me as I share some of my favorites from the seemingly endless list of Bengali Food. 

SHASTI - SAPTAMI - AUSHTOMI : 

The first three days of Durga Puja are marked by a vegetarian fare at home or at the Puja Pandals. But if you want you share of Non Vegetarian food, stop by any of the make shift food stalls which come up around the Pandals, or sit down for a lunch or dinner served at any of the restaurants. For me this is the time, to binge on Luchi and some more Luchi. 

                                           Luchi - Shada Alur Torkari -Chholar Daal   

                                                      Potol- er Dolma  (Stuffed with a coconut filling ) 

                                                             Niramish Alur Dom

And if I am not stuffing my face with Luchi , then I am queueing up at my local Pujo Pandal for my share of Bhog-er Khichuri. You can make Khichuri at home, but there is something divinely different about the Khichuri which has been offered to the Goddess. I am not much a Khichuri fan, but this time of the year, I crave for it for sure. 

                                                                            Khichuri

NABAMI: 

Nabami marks the day when non vegetarian fare takes centre stage in the festive menu. Goat Curry is almost a must have for every foodie, paired with some fragrant and slightly sweet Bengali Pulao. And if there's Goat, Rui Maachh can't be far behind. 

                                                          Bengali Mishti Pulao 

                                                           Kosha Mangsho 

                                                        Rui Maachher Jhaal

DASHAMI : 

Finally the day when we bid farewell to Maa Durga. The married ladies offer her vermillion as she starts her journey for the year. The last day of feasting concludes with some Biriyani and Chicken Chaap, if I am roaming the streets in Kolkata, trying to get a last glimpse of the various Pandals, before the Goddess is led to her immersion. And if I am home, then nothing beats my Mother's Ilish Machher Jhaal. And loads of sweets and Mishti Doi. 

                                                Kolkata Style Goat Biriyani

                                                                Chicken Chaap  

                                                                 Shorshe Ilish

                                                                  Mishti Doi

Phew, now I feel hungry !!! 

Wish you'll a very very Happy Durga Pujo !! Bon Appetit !!!

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INTERVIEW WITH DESIGNER ALICIA JANESKO - KCFW FINALE SPECIAL

Being one of the Official Media for Kansas City Fashion Week for Spring Summer 2016, I was paired with Designer Alicia Janesko for an exclusive interview.  We met up on the first day of KCFW and watched a runway show together . On the day of her show, we got chatty backstage, as hair and make up progressed in the Final Day of KCFW.

Front row fun at KCFw with Designer Alicia Janesko, Editor Katie Van Luchene and Designer Ngan Vuong

Kansas City Fashion Week Spring Summer 2016 ended with the runway show of Designer Alicia Janesko. And she ended it in style. Her models shushed out on the runway in hand crafted Resort Wear. As if that not enough to blow our minds away, Alicia brought in Rapper Kenneth Dumas as her showstopper.

Journospeak : What is the Inspiration for this collection ? 
Alicia Janesko : The inspiration for this collection is the Met Ball meeting the MOMA.

Journospeak: Your collection is mostly monochromes. Is it a conscious move away from color? 
Alicia Janesko: I didn't want my collection tone anything expected. Spring Summer does not always have to be color. My focus is on Evening Wear- Resort Wear and I think Monochromes do more justice to that.

Back Stage Action at the Janesko Camp: KCFW Finale 

Journospeak: Have you shown your work previously at KCFW? 
AJ: Yes, I have shown once at KCFW. But this is the first time I am collaborating with my sister Jennifer Janesko. All my fabric has been hand painted by my sister Jennifer Janesko after which it has been crafted into the outfits. We had bought solid fabric and  then Jennifer has hand painted each fabric. Also every outfit has been paired with Jewelry by Jennifer.

Journospeak: Whats one word with which you could decide your line? 
AJ: Wearable Art .

Journospeak: What makes your latest collection aesthetically stand out ? 
AJ : My focus is on Caftans(Resort Wear). Roberto Cavalli and Diane Von Furstenberg do a lot of Caftans. But their price points are much higher. I wanted to create a line of caftans which do not compromise on the aesthetics but are more approachable price point wise.

Journospeak : KC as a fashion destinaion ?
AJ : Kansas City is very receptive when it comes to fashion and very supportive. I was one of the first designers to have my own Designer Pop Up Shop here in the city and the response was pretty good.

As a Designer in KC, you do face some challenges. We don't have access to great fabric, there are no speciality Fabric Stores, like those in NYC. Also its often difficult to bring together great seamstresses or even printing fabric to your convenience. But there's a lot which is coming up. Rightfully Sewn - formerly fashion Accelerator of Kansas City by Jennifer Lapka Pfeifer is a great initiative. Its a resource for  fashion designers providing them access to fabric, seamstresses, and even fabric printing options among a few things. Check out the Fashion Designer Professional Development Seminar and Fabric Tradeshow, benefitting Rightfully Sewn on Oct 16th 2015. 

Journospeak : Lets talk about some of your favorites from the current collection 
Alicia Janesko: Its diffciult to pick favorites from a ny collection. But yes, every Outfit has a different story to tell.

Alicia Janesko : This is an example of a Classic Caftan design. But the graphic element in it, combined with the clean lines, will make heads turn. You have to be confident of yourself when you wear this Caftan. This is very representative of who I am.

Alicia Janesko: Moving away from just being Caftans, this is an example of how resort wear can also be classic evening Wear. This is a double layer outfit .It has been lined with Nude to give  its different dimension. there is something very sexy about Nudes. It has been hand painted with stripes and circles . To make the outfit more edgy we have paired it with Gladiator Sandals.

Alicia Janesko : This Outfit has been put together by creating a hand painted Camo Top on Nude fabric. We have used a ready made store bought Silk Accordion Skirt and had that dyed to bring it together.

Alicia Janesko : The finale piece has been created with Ostrich Feathers which were pasted by Jennifer. It was more than 30 hours of work on just the the feathers.

Journospeak: Whats next on the cards for Alicia Janesko? 
AJ : Omaha and Nashville Fashion Week are on my mind.

KCFW Management in Alicia Janesko Caftans, pose with the Designer 

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