June Favorites: Color Theory

It’s June already? Crazy how time flies. In just a few days, my month spent on the East Coast will be over, and I will be basking in the California sun for the rest of the summer. Hooray! This will be the longest span I’ve spent in the Bay Area (2 months!) and I’m quite excited to explore.

This gets me to another topic, what I will be wearing. Unless you are living under a rock, it’s clear that brights are this year’s “thing”. Here are a few of my favorite pieces I’ve picked up recently.

J Brand 811 Mid-Rise Jeans (in several colors) – J Brand makes my favorite denim, hands down. They always fit me perfectly. In fact, I’d say 95% of my “denim wardrobe” consists of J Brand, with some odd pairs of Citizens of Humanity and True Religion thrown in. The 811 is my ultimate: mid-rise (no risk of underwear peeking out) and skinny. The fun colors they had this season were an extra bonus. I’ve been wearing these with everything – boxy tee shirts, silk blouses (J. Crew’s are my fave, and much more affordable than Equipment!), and neutral colored sweaters on chilly nights.

Zara TRF Floral Pants – I bought this pair back in India, but Zara still has an awesome selection of floral pants. Ever since I spotted prints like this on the Celine S/S runway, I was obsessed. This pair fits well, has adorable tuxedo detailing, and best of all, was super affordable, since unfortunately, I don’t think floral, skintight pants are exactly considered a classic.

Multitude of colorful tees – Joe Fresh, Aritzia (my favorite store for basics), James Perse, Alternative Apparel, J. Crew,  Leslie Fremar for Fruit of the Loom. I love plain tees, and stock up on them every season. There is nothing like a well-fitting tee shirt to wear with everything from boyfriend jeans to pencil skirts to tie-dyed cutoffs a la Isabel Marant (I picked mine up from Forever 21). I am currently loving H&M and James Perse’s mens tees, which I buy in a size small, for that effortless “boyfriend” look, tucked into pants and worn with an oversized rhinestone necklace.

Fun, citron heels from Thailand – Ever since Miu Miu’s polka dot platform sandals from last spring, I’ve been hunting down an affordable pair that uses dots as an accent. I found this pair at Zen Department Store in Bangkok, Thailand, in April, and I love how they add a touch of whimsy to an otherwise simple outfit.

My favorite jewelry right now – Woven Skull bracelet (unknown brand), Tai Shell Bracelet, and Tiffany & Co. Key necklace with additional charms by Dyanne Bell.

The best part about the “brights” look is that dressing is as easy as one, two, three – pick a bottom, add a contrasting color top, and finish with fun jewelry (vintage rhinestone necklaces from Ebay are my go-to).

Blonde Ambition

     I’ll admit it: I can be obsessive compulsive. Especially when it comes to my hair. I’ve had times where I have gone back to the stylist several times to fix my color and cut exactly how I want it. Yes; I am THAT client.

     Over the past year, I have dramatically lightened my hair from deep chesnut brown to pale golden blonde. The reason? I was bored. It was not an easy journey. I went through various shades, from a horrid highlight experience (yellow chunks on dark hair – not cute) to some reddish light browns, to dark blonde, and now, well, platinumesque. Obviously, I did not really think about the fact that super-light hair would only make me stand out more in a country full of dark, shiny, perfect manes. You see, I’m not really the best at making plans.

     So here I am, a month in, with roots that can be seen from quite a far distance. Wearing sunglasses as a headband can only get you so far. I decided to look up the best salons in Mumbai, and pray for someone who was familiar with fine, wavy, unruly, damaged, “white girl hair”. I stumbled upon the b:blunt chain of salons when passing by one in Kemps Corner, and decided to give them a try based on a recommendation. Boy, am I happy I took that chance.

     Despite the fact that I was 30 minutes late to my appointment (Mumbai traffic!), Michelle, my colorist, could not have been any more patient or kind. She decided to double process my hair, with a golden shade and a whiter shade, running some all the way through. Four hours later, with about 500 (no joke) foils on my head going in every which direction, I knew I had found a great stylist. The patience and time she took was amazing to me! She and her assistant worked diligently and I was super-excited to see the results.

     The moment we all wait for: the blow out. And I couldn’t have been happier! First off, I have never had two people work with brushes at once: talk about pampering. Once it was fully dried - I was ecstatic. She used my favorite Kerastase Elixir Ultime, which made me like her even more. My hair was exactly the shade of blonde I had wanted, with highlights framing my face and barely any remnant of the dark color that once was on my ends. What a treat! And quite the deal – it was about $160 US dollars for perfect highlights and color, not to mention 5 hours total of the stylists time!

     Michelle was fabulous, and from her recommendation I will most certainly be trying out the Bikram Yoga in Bandra (90 minutes of sweaty hell for that post-exercise endorphin bliss – why not?). On the way back, I checked out a cutting-edge shop she had recommended in Santacruz, called Attic. What a treat! Indian-inspired but with a western flair, the clothes here were stunning, with this-season neons canoodling with vintage lace and immaculate embroidery. An orange patchwork maxi dress, which had an essence of Balenciaga, was a standout, but unfortunately, I have nowhere to wear it and had to pass. I did pick up a quirky little picture book entitled, “Kumari Loves a Monster”, and I plan to go back to purchase some gifts for friends before I head home.

     Well, the point of this very long post, besides gushing about Michelle’s talent and patience, is that I am fairly certain I have found the answer to every blonde’s greatest enemy: brasiness. What is it? $4 shampoo you can get almost anywhere.

     For some time after lightening my locks, I had been using Joico’s Color Endure Violet Shampoo. Sure, it kept my strands free of orange tones, but it was so drying I was using a deep conditioning mask almost daily. After running out, I decided I would try out Unite’s Blonda Toning Shampoo. While it certainly worked, the scent was overpowering, like a grape popsicle gone wrong, and lingered all day. So here I was, hair getting brassier by the second, out of options, so it seemed.

     I was in CVS picking up a prescription when I noticed Jhirmack’s Silver Plus Brightening Shampoo. I figured, “hey, why not, if it doesn’t work, I throw it away.” Well, this shampoo is absolutely incredible! I can use it daily, without my hair getting dry or too ashy, and it preserves my color completely. I’m pretty sure the water in my shower here in India has quite a few impurities, so this is really a marvel. Followed with Oribe’s Conditioner for Beautiful Color, my hair has never looked better.

     Upon research, I found out that Jhirmack is pretty old school - check out this ad from 1988. History is the test of great hair care...right?

     The only problem? Where o’ where in India can I find this shampoo?

Bombay Dreams

          I can safely venture to say that in the past week, I’ve learned more than I have in 20 years. India has been incredible, and this is just the beginning.

View of the Arabian Sea from a coffee shop in Bandra

         Last night, on a terrace atop a sixteen-story building with an uncompromised view of the Arabian Sea, I contemplated how blessed I was to be somewhere as incredible as Bombay. lt’s a city of contrast, change, dreams, opportunity, devastation, poverty, wealth, and above all – an enchanting magic.

         Because my courses have yet to begin, I’ve had a little time to explore, but I’ve only scratched the surface. From the Gateway of India to Marine Drive to the fabulous seaside enclave of Bandra, there are numerous hotspots in Mumbai that I have already fallen in love with.

         My day isn’t complete without a fresh coconut water, and the colors of the city have inspired my dress and makeup style tremendously. The weather thus far has been a dream: about 80 degrees during the day, and a breezy 65 degrees at night. This means that all of the spring/summer trends I’ve been dying to try out since I saw them in September are wearable without potentially contracting frostbite, as they would have been at this time in New York.

Very chic girls wearing stunning saris

My finds so far: an embroidered pillow, jewelry

An Indian-style arm party

These earrings reminded me a bit of Chanel pre-fall: Paris Bombay

         I’ll end this post with pictures, because I think they express far more than my words could. Tomorrow I am doing makeup for a photoshoot, so a post about that should soon follow!