Feminine, fashionable, and a fall to die for. With a texture that makes pure silk look silly and a colour range that’s timeless, a tussar sari is the Trendy chica’s infallible fallback for formal family dos, and occasions too special for that LBD.

And when it comes to traditional saris, no one does it better than Utsav. The little store, which counts chief ministers and arty actresses among its faithful, is now all grown up. It’s marking renovation and expansion with a week-long festival of tussar - that most adult of fabrics - in saris, stoles and salwar kameez coordinates.

We suggest you go the whole six yards. Drape yourself in these luxe lengths and imagine how you can do a Trendy take on your mum’s look. Ditch the cliched cholis; try a contrast corset. Wear a poloneck and drop the pallav in a straight line along the right. Or go Coorgi, and wear it on bare skin. Don’t forget a gigantic bindi, kohl lines and a clean chignon. The sari will be a statement again.

While at the store, feast your eyes on the Uppadas, embellished with silver and gold zari, the kantha embroidery on close-woven ikats, and the block-printed Bhagalpuris in earth tones. Pick up a Kanjeevaram with Kalakshetra motifs if there’s a wedding within a month.

But first, try a tussar. Help your wardrobe come of age.

Utsav, Shop No. 3, Krishi Vihar, Josip Broz Tito Marg, New Delhi. Telehone 26242420.
Prices start at Rs. 2850 (sarees), Rs. 700 (stoles), Rs. 350 a metre for tussar material (salwar-kameez coordinates).
Exhibition on till Feb 3.

Don’t forget to enter our Valentine’s Day Giveaway.

A sweet dreams cuppa. A seduction tool. A perk-me-up pleaser, a feel-good gift. Chocolate’s a part of your life in more ways than you know.

Or it will be, once you’ve browsed through Appartment 9. Though spelt wrong, the two-level store has got its accents just right, with chocolate. Signature shades of the original colour of indulgence suffuse square suede stools, Buddha busts and deliciously large and low coffee tables.

Love the touch-feel of melted chocolate? Wrap yourself in one of those cappuccino coverlets, or lie back on a selection of cushions encased in silk, velvet, suede or linen. Most of these objets d’heart are designed and manufactured in-house, the rest are exclusively commissioned from South-East Asia.

Because brown can be boring, the resident designer jazzes it up each season with a single colour off the fashion ramp. Chocolate-hot right now are teal and lime green. Next up, in spring, is fuchsia-and-chocolate. Finally, your home can live up to your wardrobe.

The store itself – a branch of the mother shop in Delhi’s GK-II – is a feast for the senses, with leafy greens against dark wood, muted lighting and soulful French music.

Go, indulge, even before the formal opening on Saturday. Chocolate has never been so sin-free.

Appartment 9, Sunny House, Mereweather Road , Colaba, Mumbai 400001. Telephone: 32489601, 32489602. Prices begin at Rs. 125.

Don’t forget to enter our Valentine’s Day Giveaway.

Trendylicious travelled to the Pink City for a special instalment of Diamonds in the Rough, our occasional hunts for the best jewellery and accessories. Jaipur’s beautiful baubles blow away the jewellery selection in big cities, so how do you choose? We bargained for everything from huge, loose semi-precious stones to kundan and meenakari. (Click for our earlier Bandra/Khar and Townside hunts.)

First stop: G. V. Gems & Handicrafts. This narrow jewellery store in bustling Johari Bazar stands out for unique, quality wares. Just be sure to bargain hard!
Diamond: Elephant-motif meena bangles, contemporary silver studs and chunky cocktail rings.
42 Johari Bazar, 302003. Telephone: (141) 2566439.
Price: From Rs. 500 (earrings/rings) to Rs. 4,000 (larger silver sets).

Next stop: Sanjeev Gems. This wholesale dealer of semi-precious stones sells retail to private clients. Schedule an appointment in advance and get more than your money’s worth.
Diamond: Mix and match your favourite strands of citrine, pink tourmaline, smoky topaz and sapphire. And lots of orangey carnelian, the hot colour for this spring.
1276 Khowalon Ka Chowk, Gopal Ji Ka Rasta, Johari Bazar, 302003. Telelphone: 141 2567310.
Price: From Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 5,000 (gemstone necklaces).

Last: Gem Palace. This institution’s jewellery shows at exhibits at the New York Metropolitan Museum and their by-appointment outpost at The Courtyard in Mumbai. For a better selection still, head straight to this stunning Jaipur landmark.
Diamond: Exquisitely crafted traditional and Russian-styled pieces, as well as loose stones.
MI Road, 302003. Telephone: 141 237 4175.
Price: From Rs. 2,500 (single strand necklaces) to Rs. 50,000 (exclusive pieces).

Our trendy tips: Be creative and ask shop keepers to string stones to suit your style. And to score sterling silver, always check for the “92.5″ engraved label so you know it’s the real deal.

You believe in putting your money where your mouth is. Now that the season of chapped lips is nearly over, let it be in tubes, tints and top-ups. Our Trendy Tester lists the most BeautyLicious loot.

Lipsticks: In spring, “nude-coloured lips work any time on all complexions,” says make-up maestro Jojo.

Can’t say buh-bye to colour? “Red is making a slight comeback. Orange is trendy, though best suited to fairer skins,” says Jojo. “My personal faves, though, are jewel tones. Chanel’s Rouge Allure is my number one recco.”

Our Trendy Tester’s has a favourite jewel tone, too: Versace’s lipstick number V2065. Its rich purple earthy shimmer just glides on.

BriDelicious’ top-pick makeup pro Ambika Pillai is looking to “fruity or fleshy” pinks. “I’ll go with Viva Glam 2 from MAC and Clover Pink from Body Shop,” she says.

Lipgloss: For work or a lunch out with the girls, go bare. “Nude lipstick with a coat of gloss works for day and night,” says Pillai. “Color Bar’s transparent glosses are durable and give a super-glassy finish.”

Liptints: Cosmetologist Samantha Kochhar vetoes lipsticks. “Lips will be healthy and juicy, not made-up. Tinted lip conditioners, which contain moisturising and softening agents that plump up the lips and add just a hint of colour, will be hot.”

Samantha also likes natural-effect lip-stains. “The high-pigment liquid make-up is applied to the mouth and then wiped off. So you look like you’ve sucked on a lolly,” she says. “Lip-conditioners by Nars and lip-stains by Belle are unavailable locally. But MAC’s lightly tinted lip-conditioners are a close substitute.”

The Body Shop lipsticks, Rs. 975-1200. In Delhi: The Body Shop, Westgate Mall, Rajouri Garden; M-53 A, Main Market, GK-I. Telephone: 41735139. In Mumbai: The Body Shop, Inorbit Mall, Malad. Telephone: 67102021/2.
Chanel lipsticks, Rs. 1250-1450. In Delhi: at Chanel Boutique, Imperial Hotel, Janpath. Telephone: 41116840, 41116844. In Mumbai: Chanel counter, La Galleria, Landmark building, Bandra. Telephone: 55033691.
Color Bar lipsticks and glosses, Rs. 90 and upwards, at all beauty shops.
MAC lipsticks and lip-conditioners, Rs. 920 upwards. In Delhi: Kunchals, M-14, Main Market, GK-I. Telephone: 29281863. In Mumbai: Shoppers’ Stop, Dynamix Mall, Juhu. Telephone: 26705603.
Versace lipsticks, Rs. 1085. In Delhi: Kunchals, M-14, Main Market, GK-I. Telephone: 29281863. In Mumbai: The Beauty Shop, 751, S V Road, Next to Rajasthan Restaurant, Khar West, Mumbai. Telephone: 26052947; Bharat-Dorris Godambe’s counter at Citi Mall, Telephone: 65823213/4.

See you next on Monday. Enjoy Republic Day and don’t forget to enter our Valentine’s Day Giveaway

After the R-Day parade ends, you’ll have one day more before the new week. In the second part of our occasional Wildlife Weekends series, we recommend a day trip to Sultanpur National Park.

You’ll hear whirring and chirping as you take the park’s brick-paved path to the lake. There you’ll spot at least 250 kinds of birds going about their business – paddling, foraging, or just taking off across the water to alight on the other side. You can’t join them in the water: no boating, no swimming!

Take two hours to walk around the perimeter, and feast your eyes on the splendid sights – shovellers (spot them as they keep their heads in the water when they search for food), green-headed mallards, long-legged storks, big and small cormorants, herons, egrets, geese, lapwings, resident through the year.

But the real VIPs are the migratory guests from Central Europe and Asia. You see flashes of pink-and-orange as the rosy pelicans turn to face you. And if you are lucky, you will spot the gorgeous Siberian cranes, wheeling wingspan-to-wingspan, across the sky.

Sultanpur National Park, 50 kms from New Delhi, 15 kms from Gurgaon. The easiest way to get there is by road, and takes about an hour-and-a half from any central point in New Delhi.

Click here for our first Wildlife Weekend in Ranthambore.

See you next on Monday. Enjoy Republic Day and don’t forget to enter our Valentine’s Day Giveaway

You’re a discerning diva. You like designer wear as much as the next girl, but you like picking up raaste ka maal to create your own style statement even more. Our Trendy Shopaholic knows just where to find international brands like Gap, Banana Republic and Zara at prices that pleasure.

H2O
You’ll find: Zara flouncy cutwork lace cotton skirts. Pair them with tube tops, gold tie-up Roman sandals and a tan. Act cool when asked about your Mediterranean holiday.
Wallet damage: Rs. 300-700 for dresses and skirts.
Dheeraj Sneha, ground floor, A wing, 30th road, near Shiv Sagar, Bandra (W). Telephone: 22914540.

Fendi
You’ll find: Mango racer backs and gold-embossed cotton tees. Unmistakeable gym-chic. Plus loads of Abercrombie & Fitch fitted pieces for inspired layering.
Wallet damage: Rs. 350-500 for tees.
5 Natasha Shopping Centre, 52 Hill Road, Bandra (W). Telephone: 26402831.

Cotton On
You’ll find: Charlotte Russe and Topshop vintage dresses, tunics and psychedelic tops. Pair with ballerina flats and a bright scarf, and your mum might join you to “Do the Locomotion.”
Wallet damage: Rs. 350-800 for dresses and tunics.
83 Pearl Heaven, Chappell Road, beside Barista, Bandra (W). Telephone: 26554445.

Clothes Rack
You’ll find: Gap fitted suede jackets, black pinstriped trousers, skinny pants and candy-stripe shirts. Throw in some funky jewellery and your street chic will shame any Prada-wearing devil.
Wallet damage: Rs. 400-700 for jackets and trousers.
33D Laxmi Industrial Estate, Andheri Link Road, Andheri (W). Telephone: 26322419/420.
Also in Bandra (W) 26058800/26498902; Breach Candy 23635059; Cuffe Parade 2187995; Vile Parle 24531023; Matunga 24123394; Chembur 25201510; Opera House 23824996/23888368.

And you don’t have to wait to trawl the streets. These shops are among the few open on R-Day.

You have lots of options this Valentine’s Day. Your regular beau is planning surprises. That long line of guys standing outside your home is hoping you’ll pick one of them instead. Even your childhood sweetheart still thinks about you.

Trendylicious and our generous sponsors want a chance to win you over, so we’re throwing a Valentine’s Day Giveaway with prizes sure to lure your heart.

Sounds tempting? Just refer the Trendylicious e-newsletter to a friend before Valentine’s Day. When your friend subscribes, you and your friend each get a chance to win one of our most Trendylicious gifts.

We’ll dress you up in a new outfit from Sisley in Delhi, and take you out to lunch with Sisley’s fashionistas to celebrate your new look.

Or we’ll pamper you from head to toe at the Sva Spa & Salon in Mumbai with a Glow Scrub, Radiance Facial, Hydrating Hair Treatment and a Hot Stone Manicure and Pedicure, followed by lunch with Sva and Trendy.

Time will stand still on a gorgeous watch by Esprit or Mexx. As will your heart when you see baubles from Watches and More, sellers of Pierre Cardin, Esprit and Mexx.

You’ll glow after a trip to the Kaya Skin Clinic for a Skin Consultation, Skin Polishing and Laser Patch Test. And you’ll have eyes for Trendy, after Kaya’s Eye Rejuvenator.

Read about Trendy chicas like you with a subscription to ELLE Magazine. Or carry your style around town in a Trendylicious Tote Bag.

25 Trendylicious readers will take home gifts for Valentine’s Day. So click here to be our Trendy Valentine and win!

Plump. Pliant. Plush. If it’s leather, it’s got to be all of the above, right?

Wrong. This month The Next Shop is showing leather furniture and accessories with a stark-but-sensual, minimalist look by eight-month-old Delhi-based company Urbane.

Switch from the usual cane and jute to burnished, embossed, and animal-printed leather coffee tables, consoles, and stools. They’re intended to fill your home’s empty spaces without disturbing existing arrangements. So, don’t throw out your sofa. Just add a sleek nesting table.

The many-buckled desk blotter and lizard printed-jewellery boxes make great gifts. Your mum will love the nicely conditioned fruit bowl: if you pour a glass of water inside, it won’t drip through. Or pick up, all for yourself, that capacious tote with rivets.

Trendylicious loved the elegantly shaped S-table, a three-tiered corner arrangement in deer-print. And the full-length bronzed mirror frames, which feel deliciously like your man’s stubble.

Great way to get some skin in the bedroom.

The exhibition is on until Jan 28 at The Next Shop, 6, N Block Market, G K 1, New Delhi. Telephone: 011-29230110,29239381. Also available at Next outlets in Centrestage Mall, ground floor, Sector18, Noida, and DLF Mega Mall, First Floor, Phase 1,Gurgaon.
Prices start at Rs. 549.

You’re in the place called perfection. Your personal life’s rocking. You’ve clinched the big business deal. You’re in the mood to celebrate, but none of your regular five-stars do it for you anymore.

For occasions that are just a little less special than you are, there’s the all-new Chef’s Studio. Located in the heritage wing of the Taj at Colaba, it’s a superbly stylish one-table dining room, where master chef Hemant Oberoi redefines fine dining for up to six people at a time.

The menu, decided in consultation with the client, draws on the best of The Zodiac Grill and Wasabi, the hotel’s signature restaurants. At a recent party, uber-discreet waitstaff served Beluga caviar, Kobe tenderloin with truffles, champagne jelly and lobster cigars on Limoges porcelain, accompanied by perfectly paired wines of the best vintage in Riedel goblets.

Should you want to extend the experience, you can work the interactive interface through a flat-screen TV that connects you to any area of the attached kitchenette. Or admire the plate signed by Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and the kids when they stopped by recently.

We suggest you focus on your company. And the food. It’s as perfect as your mood.

Chef’s Studio, Taj Mahal Palace & Towers, Colaba, Mumbai. Telephone: 66653366. Reserving a week ahead is recommended.
Dinner for two to six starts at Rs. 75,000 (inclusive of taxes).

Eating butter doesn’t get you a sexy waistline. But for sexy skin, you can’t go wrong with body butter. Heavier in oil content than lotions, it works particularly well on dry skin in cold weather, and it’s red hot right now. Our Trendy Tester has the scoop on the crème de la crème.

L’Occitane Verbana Pure Shea Butter: Rs. 1,800
Made of: 100% shea butter
Trendy Take: Rub a bit between the palms before use. Use at night for rough, flaky skin and dehydrated hair. Tangy, citrus fragrance.
In Delhi: Ravissant, 50 & 51 Community Center, New Friends Colony. Telephone: (91) 11 2683 8642.
In Mumbai: Ravissant, L/14 Lobby Level, The Oberoi Towers, Nariman Point. Telephone: (91) 22 2284 2586.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Body Butter: Rs. 1,295
Made of: Vitamin E, shea butter, cocoa butter, lanolin, soya oil
Trendy Take: It’s creamy and rich. Fine, dry lines vanish and skin stays soft. Delicate scent. The cream to pick with your eyes closed.
In Delhi: M 53-A, Greater Kailash Part I, 110048. Telephone: 41735139.
In Mumbai: Shop No 6, first floor, Inorbit Mall, Malad (West), Telephone: 67102021.

H2O + Spa Revitalising Body Butter: Rs. 1,200
Made of: Coconut oil, algae and aloe vera, vitamins B, A, C, E
Trendy Take: Great for normal to oily skin, but really parched skin may need reapplication before evening. Tangy, spicy fragrance.
In Delhi: M -50, GK M Block Market-I, 110048. Telephone: 41734049.
In Mumbai: Atria Mall, Colaba. Telephone: 22840722.

Forest Essentials Extra-Rich Luxury Body Crème with Vitamin E: Rs. 575
Made of: Almond oil, wheatgerm oil, vitamin E, glycerine and lanolin
Trendy Take: Definitely VFM. Feels luxurious and absorbs well, but you’ll need more than a dollop for dry, rough patches. Lends a wonderful sheen and a soothing fragrance.
In Delhi: 46-B Khan Market, 110003. Telephone: 41757057.
In Mumbai: Tirupati Appartments, Bhulabhai Desai Road. Telephone: 30908114.

Lush Mange Too Massage Bar: Rs. 570
Made of: Cocoa butter, shea butter, mango butter, fresh bananas and vanilla
Trendy Take: Ideal as a couple’s rub-down for very dry skin. Get your man to use long, firm strokes, as this chocolate-scented bar can get sticky.
Order by mail at www.lushindia.com. Or visit their retail stores in Bangalore: Outlet # 133, 1st Floor, The Forum, Audugodi Main Road, Kormangala, 560 095. Telephone: 80 22067611/99. # 101, 1st Floor, Garuda, Magrath Road, 560 025. Telephone: 80 56641110/11.