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Bijoya with Rang

No season or festivity is complete without the perfect attire that will make you shine on that given day. And Rang's Bijoya celebration is a fashion special that should not be missed. From gorgeous saris to their simpler versions, Rang has its shelves filled with shalwar kameez sets, panjabis, fatuas, kurtis, T-shirts and much more.

Fabrics used are endi, end cotton, raw silk, jamdani, muslin, cotton, dhupian, etc. which have been further embellished with hand block prints, spray paint, appliqué and embroidery.
Available at all Rang outlets.

Kay Kraft

Autumn is the season of white cotton-candy clouds and dense grass on the fields. This is a season of romance, a pleasant break from the scorching summer heat and the incessant monsoon showers.

Kay Kraft is all set to welcome autumn in all its glory. Check out the latest seasonal collection of KK, which is a celebration of life and colour.

Available at all Kay Kraft outlets.

Rangta at Sunrise Plaza

This boutique, not new to the city's fashonistas, has a new outlet at Sunrise Plaza, Dhanmondi (Second floor) where all their latest saris, shalwar kameez sets, fatuas, shirts and panjabis are offered.

Contact: 0119 987 3560.

TIPS

Make-up that makes you look older!
Make-up, one of man's designs to make womankind and at times mankind look attractive and cover up flaws. Over-enthusiasm, the fine line between turning this design of making one look appealing into, well, let us just say the opposite of that. While you may think using make-up is actually making you look pretty, it may be doing exactly the opposite. Here are 10 make-up mistakes that you can make which adds 10 years to your looks.

Mistake #1: Using too much foundation
A foundation that's too thick will settle into fine lines and sap the luminosity from your skin. Only use foundation where you need it to even out discoloration. You do not have to cover every inch of your skin. When buying a foundation, avoid those described as "matte," "velvet," and "long-wearing"; look for sheer liquid formulas with light-diffusing pigments.

Mistake #2: Over-concealing your under-eye circles
A thick concealer that comes in a stick or pot will eradicate the shadows under your eyes, but it will also draw attention to the fine lines that usually show up in that area first (because the skin there is thin). A brush-on highlighter to camouflage dark circles, apply it only near the inner corners of your under-eye area, where shadows are most prominent (and lines least).

Mistake #3: Wearing deep, dark lip colours
A dark colour makes any surface look smaller -- a welcome illusion perhaps on your hips but not your lips. To make your mouth look fuller (a hallmark of a youthful face), choose bright lipsticks and glosses (peaches, pinks, vibrant reds) over deep shades (burgundies, wines, browns). Makeup artists use another trick to create the illusion of luscious lips: before applying colour, trace a highlighter pencil along your upper lip line, then buff it out with your finger.

Mistake #4: Finishing with powder
Youthful skin reflects light. Powders prevent light reflection and tend to magnify lines in the skin. If powder has been the final step of your makeup routine since high school, it can be difficult to quit. Follow this three-step program: First, switch to a very sheer translucent powder. Then, start using it only on your nose and chin. Finally, trade the powder for a packet of blotting tissues--use one, only on the T-zone (nose, chin, and forehead), if you're shiny midday. Blotting tissues are widely available at stores like Almas.

Mistake #5: Wearing black eyeliner
Don't skip eyeliner altogether--it's a great way to make your eyes look more open--but choose brown over black, which can be harsh. And keep the color diffuse. You want to define the eyes with softness and blending, not strict lines. A thick liner can leave the upper lids looking heavier than they are. The best technique: Trace a brown pencil liner along the upper lash line (into the roots of the lashes), focusing on the outer corners; smudge it with a Q-tip.

Mistake #6: Going overboard with lip liner
A lip liner can define your lips and prevent color from feathering into any lines around the mouth--but choose one very carefully. If you line your lips too heavily, or with a color that's too dark, they'll look tight and pursed. For the most natural effect, your lip liner should match the color of your lips, not the color of your lipstick. Choose a creamy formula that won't adhere to any dry patches, and use it to fill in your lips entirely, so it wears evenly.

MAN TO MAN

Manly or mainly maddening?

Pull up a chair and sit down. Today we shall rectify a stereotype that has for far too long been slung over our necks. Its time to separate the men from the boys, simply by addressing the issues that have given us an unfair label; issues remnants from an infancy some of us have failed to leave behind, while some are just plain bad habits some among us have tried to unsuccessfully glorify.

Hell bent on unkempt
Greasy hair, wrinkled clothes, barely shaved or shoulders celebrating a Christmas of dandruff flakes is not a manly look. It's a homeless look and somehow the hobo-do never set the ramps on fire. You probably won't change that. Never in history has looking like a breeding ground for parasites been a fashion statement. Shampoo, shave and iron.

Un-keen on hygiene
Is the best place for storing dirt, underneath your fingernails? Does washing your hands before a meal take away additional flavour? Do your shirts and pants substitute for tissue paper? If you logically answered in the negative for all three questions posed above, then why do you do it still? Save your breath, we both know the truth. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. So, would you rather not live the illusion of the god you think you are?

Gaseous exchange
The less said the better, wouldn't you agree? The next time you wish to express your appreciation for a meal, gulp down and hold the burp in. The 'better the mouth than' excuse is quite redundant, because people who don't burp after a meal aren't prone to flatulence. Big boys play different. Compliment a meal with a compliment; a verbal and socially acceptable one.

The firm germ
Some men like to impose their manliness on others, even when the occasion doesn't call for it. They can be loud to the point of becoming a nuisance and boastful till it's embarrassing. They also try to show their strictness whenever possible; all this to prove that they are manly men, firm in their stance and immovable. However, when a simple hand-shake becomes a bone crunching affair, lines need to be drawn. We get it; you are firm and what not. But if you must prove that at every chance, you hint at over-compensating for something. And that's not manly.

A spittle less conversation
Men make it a point to spit every once in a while, almost to remind themselves of their manhood. Men spit at least 6 times more than a woman. Is it because women make less saliva? Not in the least. Spitting for men is like throwing down the gauntlet or marking a territory. It doesn't make sense, really. It's nasty is what it is. Swallow then.

Before we explore Misterconception and Misterunderstood, next time, remember what we discussed today. Class over.

By Osama Rahman
Photo: Lifestyle Archive

SPECIAL FEATURE

The virtual market

A few years ago shopaholics were inconvenienced by having to limit their shopping sprees till around 10 at night, when Dhaka shopping malls used to finally pull down their shutters. Then electricity savings became an issue of great concern, with the country spending most of the 24-hours without it than with it, so great injustice befell shopaholics as a precious couple of business hours for shops were slashed.

Like the ever so knowledgeable and easily accessible alternative to a sage that it is, the Internet had a solution for the woes of shoppers -- online businesses.

Although, like everything else, it took a little while for our country to catch up with this technique, it finally did and now it seems like it is here to stay. Rewinding back memory lane Cell-Bazaar could be said to be one of the pioneers of online business in the country back in 2006, both accessible through SMS and the web. Around the same time Facebook started gaining popularity as a social networking site among the youth of Bangladesh.

Facebook eventually became an integral part of the everyday lives of youngsters here and some of these very users realised the potential of this site. While the makers of Facebook earned money by putting up advertisements, its users realised they could too, and they did by starting their own businesses on Facebook.

It has almost been two years since the first few pages sprouted up with their product offers. Now every time one logs onto Facebook they are bombarded with pictures and offers from these businesses either through likes of the users themselves or through friends' likes. The business model is such that you like a product, book it, decide on a meeting spot and collect it from the owner.

The up-sides of doing business on Facebook? None of the costs of setting up a bricks-and-mortar business needs to be borne and there are zero marketing costs! Moreover, the target market for such business spends a major part of their day online so the owners have everything they need in one place.

Owners at times give away discounts and free gifts through contests as their marketing strategies but these are not the only tricks they have up their sleeves!

Owners make sure to keep track of visitors of other pages and when they spot them buying from that page, they have spotted their potential buyer! The next time the unsuspecting customer logs onto Facebook he/she will have messages from the owner promoting their product.

While the initial Facebook businesses were mainly clothing ventures, the list has increased to include shoes, jewellery, make-up and bags in the fashion section and home décor, photography, bakeries and even catering, among others.

Owners are mostly university-going students who have created a source of earning, most of them by doing something they are passionate about. Clothing store Viola offers both Eastern and Western outfits designed by the owner who has a knack for fashion; the same goes for Andeem, the result of its owners' passion towards designing their own outfits, which offers eastern wear and whose designs are at times showcased at exhibitions.

While stores offering designs by owners themselves are somewhat limited those offering Pakistani Lawn kameez from different brands almost inundate Facebook with most of them offering similar prices. White Collar Apparels and Overture are a couple of the T-shirt stores on Facebook that offer quirky, youthful and fun T-shirts at extremely reasonable prices.

Travelling abroad every now and then to get branded cosmetics and bags and shoes is not exactly feasible. That is exactly why some of the Facebook stores bring branded cosmetics, shoes and bags for their client base from places like the U.S., the U.K. and Bangkok.

Charismatic Emotions, which was recently started by the owners of Sparkling Emotions, a Facebook store selling jewellery and clothing from abroad, sells cosmetics from brands like Sally Hansen, NIX, Mac, Eos, Nars, Victoria's Secrets and many more. Style Lab brings in shoes from brands like Marc Antonio and also takes custom orders from UK based sites.

Offering an assortment of items such as clothes, home décor, stationery, etc. Jhijhipoka is a Facebook store that has things that will definitely make you go “aww!” and want to spend your money on at least one of them. Thus store has in stock a range of hand-made products perfect for children and gifts.

Not limited to non-perishable goods anymore Facebook even has its own collection of bakeries and when we say bakeries these are nowhere near our regular local bakery shops! These online-outlets provide cakes and pastries and sweet treats that are nothing less than the ones on the Fabulous Cakes TV show on TLC.

Silver Lining is one such bakery which provides you with novelty cakes. Starting from football-themed to princess-themed to superhero-themed cakes, this bakery gives you anything that you ask for. Another such patisserie is Desree Daily Desserts, which specialises in making an assortment of desserts that are rare to find in our local bakeries.

As the number of these online stores has grown, many of the owners have taken the initiative of organising fairs, where people get to see and buy the products first-hand with one of them being “Way to Fame”, which has had many successful instalments this past season.

With people becoming busier by the day, online shopping is a worthwhile solution when you do not have time to spare to walk from mall to mall. Undoubtedly more are to join this growing base of entrepreneurs, indeed staying true to the essence of Digital Bangladesh.

By Karishma Ameen

POP UP

The sweet surprise

Dejected that you cannot indulge your sweet tooth because you have turned over a healthy leaf? Enjoying a small amount of flavonoid-filled dark chocolate may prevent clogged arteries and reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Also, eating up to 3.6 ounces daily can be as effective as beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors at lowering blood pressure, notes a recent Archives of Internal Medicine study.

Bonus benefits: Studies have shown that eating chocolate releases serotonin, the feel-better brain chemical.

NOTICE

In keeping with our motto to continually reinvent ourselves, we have recently launched our very own Facebook page. Take the time to browse through our content, unseen pictures and much more. Be sure to leave your comments and suggestions.

We hope that our dear readers will not only be part of this change but lead us in new directions by expressing themselves and letting their views and preferences be known.
Like our page now at https: facebook.com/lifestyleds