Life is short

Life is too short to play this game
It doesn’t matter who gets the blame
Know to you who means the most
Or in this jungle you’ll forever be lost

Colour of the year 2015: Luscious or Depressing?

This post comes later than I would have wanted but I was so busy exploring WordPress and all the nice blogs on here that I completely forgot that I myself have a blog which needs to be updated. Anyway, so the time is finally here and I am really excited to be sharing something again!

The inspiration for this post came when I was surfing through and pinning some interesting pictures on my Pinterest account. Like every year, the global color authority-Pantone, after lots of research, deliberations and discussions with the experts, has declared a brand new hue as the color that is expected to rule the rest of the year. The color of 2015 is an earthy red hue which takes its name after the fortified wine of Sicilian origin called Marsala.

My first reaction to the color was “it is so Fall-Winter!” I mean it isn’t exactly a vibrant colour so I don’t see it as a fitting summer shade. I then went on to research a little about the colour to see how the fashion community has received it, and as far as I could gather the comments have not been too positive. While Pantone describes the color as impactful, full-bodied (meaning rich and satisfying!), tasteful and sophisticated; on the other hand, others have gone on to call the muted scarlet shade ‘icky‘ (because of its association with certain types of food), ‘gag-inducing’, (apparently the colour evokes certain bodily processes) gloomy, and just plain boring!

Here’s my personal opinion about the color. Yes, unlike the previous colors of the year, for example Emerald Green (2013) or Radiant Orchid (2014), Marsala isn’t very uplifting or vibrant, but I feel that such a muted color has its own place in the world.

One thing is for sure that it doesn’t make me feel icky (because if that was the case then red had to be the ickiest color in the world, because after all red is associated with all things gory)! I find that it’s a good enough color which can be paired with neutrals like black, browns or even grays. On top of that, I feel this color can actually look quite luxurious when used with the right kinds of luscious fabrics, or even leather for that matter!

What do you think, is this colour up your street? How would you use it!

For the love of nude lipsticks

Alright, so let me be honest, I had never imagined that my very first post on this blog named ‘Design Nosh’ would be about makeup since I don’t exactly consider myself a makeup junkie, but certain something coaxed me into writing about the wonders of nude lipsticks. And what exactly is that thing? Well, it  isn’t actually a thing but more like a scene! The scene of Delhi. You go out and see lovely girls in all kinds of bright statement lips; a pink pout can never be missed in the clubs or the streets of this city! To be frank I don’t hate bright colours or even pink for that matter, but I feel that Indian girls have overdone the bright lip thingy. It would be an incredible relief to see more Indian women go the nude lips way, don’t you think? And why not! Here are a few reasons why you should embrace nude lips:

1. The world has accepted nude lips as the new classic. Don’t believe me? The British high street department store Debenhams has reported that for the first time in 3 years nude lipsticks have officially overtaken red lipsticks in terms of sales! This clearly means that nude lips are very much in vogue!

2. Nude lips look great with every and any outfit! Would it not be difficult to sport a red lip with a green dress (without looking like a Christmas tree)? And you can’t always wear an orange lip, can you? That’s why you can bet on nude lips! They look perfect with any colour or any style!

3. Nude lips look incredibly sexy! Men can never decide if they love makeup on women or hate it but we all know that they prefer that women keep it minimal. Either rock a red lip and keep the rest of your makeup and outfit simple, or wear a sultry nude lip and keep them begging for more!

4. Love her or despise her, there is no denying that Kim Kardashian West is a fashion icon for the generation of today. In fact her makeup looks are one of the most requested for on YouTube! Mrs. West has undergone a massive makeover and her makeup, that often features a sultry nude lip, is not to be missed! She may not be the best role model but her nude lips are definitely on point!

Now that we’ve discussed the reasons to sport nude lips, let’s move on to the how to part! Indian skin tones range from very fair to dusky to dark, hence what works for your caramel skin-toned friend might not work for you. This means that you have to be very careful when selecting your perfect nude lipstick shade. Here are some rules to keep in mind while you go shopping for that perfect nude lippy the next time:

1. Don’t go for a shade that matches exactly with the colour of your facial skin as you don’t want your lips to blend in with your skin or you might end up looking like you have no lips at all! Look for a colour that is warmer; you want more pigment in your lips so that there is a clear distinction between the skin and the lips.

2. Don’t go for a shade that is too pale. The colour of your lippy should closely match with the real colour of your lips, but in no way should it be lighter as it will make you look washed out rather than sultry!

Here’s hoping we get to see more Indian women sporting understated yet very glam nude lips. Are you ready to hop on the nude lip bandwagon?

Welcome to Design Nosh: A blog from India on all things design!

A big warm hello to 2015 and to all you lovers of beautiful things. My name is Swati, and i am from India. This is my, as of now, personal blog where i will be sharing with you my love for design and just about everything that inspires me and everything that i feel will inspire you as a reader/viewer! Hope to make this a success. Stay hooked!

P.S. I will be adding more introduction as this blog starts to move in the right direction! I hope you stay with me and send your comments in order to make it better and better!