You’ve been there. Dabbed on the black eyeshadow that looked beautiful on your gal-pal, and wondered why it gave you panda eyes. Or maybe your local salon gave you a haircut straight out of a fashion mag. And it looked far from picture-perfect.

That’s when you wished for a New Best Friend. An image expert, a no-nonsense critic and a soul sistah, rolled into one. Or into Gouri Kapur. Aesthete and make-up guru to Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif, Kapur now shares her mojo with the girl-next-door to transform her into the gorgeous-girl-next-door.

Too-wide cheekbones? Kapur works bronzing powder down the sides to shape the face.

Grapefruit forehead? She creates bangs to disguise the depth.

Problem skin? Kapur dabs concealer and pats on translucent powder to banish blemishes.

Shiny eyelids? She applies pressed powder on the area before applying eyeshadow.

Best of all? She shows you how to do all this by yourself. So you look your best every day. Plus, Kapur suggests colours and styles in clothing. And helps you find make-up that suits you.

You. Not your best friend. Or should that be old best friend?

Contact Gouri Kapur on 9844110132. Two-day makeover session starts from Rs. 12,000.

Gold-digging is so last decade. And self-funding senoritas like us, who like to manage our own moolah, prefer to spend it wisely. And spend it well.

Contemporary brides and their guests are turning away from the heavy-duty tola-centric ‘gold-and-diamond set’ mentality and adopting the less-is-more approach. It’s plated silver jewellery, embellished with semi-precious stones — from agate to garnet to zircon to lapis lazuli. The early adapters of this easy-on-the-eye (and wallet) look — Malaika Arora-Khan, Sophie Choudhury, Pooja Bedi, Rani Mukherjee, Neha Dupia — are all wearing it, especially for summer weddings.

Our Trendy Fashionista found a delicious assortment of designs at SIA Art Jewellery. Traditional jadau cuts with Mughal influences, arm bands in kundan and a seductive Queen’s Collection in coloured stones. The recently launched Victorian Collection has chokers of semi-cultured pearls in teardrop patterns. For cocktails or bachelorette bashes, there’s a very girlie Ribbon Collection.

The best thing is that you could even wear these versatile gems with your honeymoon bikini in Bali! Jewels that you’ll enjoy. Not lock away in your bank locker.

SIA Art Jewellery. In Bangalore: 080-66641131; Delhi (Greater Kailash 1: 011-41734746, Gurgaon: 0124-5044567, Rajouri Garden: 011-42131994/95); Mumbai (Kemp’s Corner: 022-23812628, Santacruz: 022-26053068/7442/4159, Inorbit Mall, Malad: 022-32952972).
Prices: Range from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 30,000.

Deadlines, dates, diets, do-this, do-that. When the outside world threatens your inner peace, you know it’s time to retreat into yourself. Charge the auras, light the flame. And emerge calmer, softer, in tune with earth and eternity.

When you need to reconnect with your essence, wrap yourself in Haldi and walk an inch above the ground. Roopa and Kanick, the designers behind the label, have just launched Parallelo, their Spring-Summer ‘07 line. Inspired by parallel lines (that never meet and promise to go on till the end of summer), this range carries all of spring’s earthy tones.

Delicate, Madhubani-inspired embroidery, pristine prints and fabulously feminine cuts come together for a line that makes sure you look your best, even when that summer sun is shooting darts.

Pick from skirts, tops, dresses in cotton and linen. And choose from exclusively dyed colours that range from soft clays to jaded emeralds and rusted browns with an occasional fuchsia surprise.

Slip into one. And slip out into the open.

Haldi. At Collage, Wood Street, telephone: 2556818/9; 100 ft, 777/1, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, telephone: 25277752/ 25278616; and Marmalade, 3 Magrath Road, telephone: 41221814.
Website: www.haldi.in (coming soon).
Prices range from Rs. 600 to Rs. 2000.

You love smoked salmon. He loves his tandoori. You like to swirl your wine. He prefers to chug beer from the bottle. Is there a place where the twain shall meet?

Our Trendy Foodie says Fine Dine is it. Stylish interiors, ambient lighting, cosy seating, a fabulous eyeful of Chowpatty Beach and friendly service make this a great place to relax in good company.

And their brand new menu, just introduced by young and enthusiastic Executive Chef Anshuman Nadkarni, will have global cuisine tangoing across your tongue.

The tingle begins at the beginning. The classic Caesar Salad, served with a twist, becomes The Other Caesar. The choice of toppings like malai paneer or chunky tuna, sets an innovative standard for the rest of the meal. Norwegian Smoked Salmon with Havarti, a dill-flavoured Danish cheese, in a citrus-chilli dressing. Coconutty Thai Risotto made with Arborio rice. Chilli Cream Lobster flavoured with cilantro and served with saffron pilaf. Smoked duck lasagna. Honey Mustard Chicken with the smoky aroma of the tandoor.

You’re happy, he’s happy. And with candle-light on Fridays, two become one. Just like the food.

Fine Dine, 39-B, Chowpatty Sea Face Road, Mumbai. Telephone: 23696991/2/3.
Prices: A meal for two, without wine, starts at about Rs. 1,000.

You trot the globe. Sip the rough red at Italian trattorias. Sample the oven-fresh baguette at French bistros. But you can’t wait to come home to Bangali doi maach, and Rajasthani papad ki sabzi.

Save the moussaka for the next trip out. Savour Mosaic’s masoor tenga, mirch-baigan ka salan and Moplah neichoru. Restaurateur Utpala Mukherjee’s eatery is that truly rare thing — a superb mélange of authentic flavours from across the country that uplifts regional faves into contemporary classics.

The soup — a chicken rasam — is a welcome-home cuddle; the seafood moily out-and-out seduction, the clams and shrimps a perfect balance of milky sweet, tangy and smoky southern spice. The sungat diya misa maas — Assam-style prawns spectacularly stacked in a green bamboo tower — lives up to its tall promise. Our Trendy Taster was left rapturous after the gubani ka meetha (spicy apricot puree).

Veggies will love the koomu bharthad (Coorgi mushrooms) and the ultra-divine Mughlai-style lauki, stuffed with paneer and dry fruits in saffron-flavoured yoghurt .

Make the trip.

Mosaic, M45/1 Connaught Place (opposite Shankar Market), New Delhi. Telephone: 23416842/6105.
Price: Rs. 800 for two, not including alcohol.

Your red-scented candles have burned down to their ends. Your pink roses have wilted. You even ate all of the candies in that extra-large box of chocolates.

But our love has only grown for the many readers who entered our Trendylicious Valentine’s Day Giveaway to win fabulous prizes from Sisley, Sva Spa, Watches and More, Kaya Skin Clinic and ELLE magazine.

Tanushree, our Delhi grand-prize winner, spent an afternoon being outfitted in Sisley’s fashionable and feminine spring collection. She took home a classy and classic daytime look — a blue-on-white patterned A-line skirt, paired with a white shirt accented by a gorgeous girlie ruffle. For the evening, Tanushree chose a sexy black tunic that will take her to any party destination.

“The entire experience was wonderful,” Tanushree gushed about her prize. “I understood what they mean when they say the customer is the king (or queen, in my case). I cherish every moment.”

Shraddha, our Mumbai grand-prize winner, has not yet made it to the Sva Spa and Salon because of her busy travel schedule. But she has a fabulous spa day in store, which will begin with the Sva Glow Scrub to purify the skin in a luxurious massage. She’ll then have a Radiance Facial, enriched with Sva’s own mask that gives a clean look and lightens skin pigment. A Hydrating Hair Treatment and Hot Stone Manicure and Pedicure will top off her rejuvenating treatment.

Special thanks to Kaya Skin Clinic, Watches and More and ELLE Magazine, and to all our readers who entered for such a great Trendy event!

Click here for more photos and quotes from our winners.

Switch from sexy slingbacks to snug sneakers. Top up your hot pink backpack with some heavy-duty Banana Boat sunblock. Ditch the 40-degree furnace for the cooler slopes of Matheran.

The quaint toy train up from Neral is back on its narrow gauge tracks now, after being washed away during 26/7. This little chugger, which takes you via charming stops like Jummapatti and Water Pipe, is an import from Darjeeling.

As you enter the no-vehicles-permitted summer retreat, mint-fresh air fills your jaded lungs. The canopy of trees soothes your city-jangled nerves. Our Trendy Travelista says steer clear of the touristy spots and brash hotels close to the bazaar. Instead, find a cozy, homestead-turned-hotel and settle down with a paperback and a tall, cool drink. Or ramble through the forest on foot or horseback to off-the-beaten track ‘points’ like Lord’s Seat or Malet’s Spring.

Recharge. Rejuvenate. Rejoice.

Train fare: Ist class (cushioned seats, picture windows): Rs. 210; IInd class: Rs. 22.
Stay at: Neemrana group’s Verandah in the Forest, is a 19th century bungalow with no air-conditioning. Great for authenticity and secluded location. Rs. 3,500-5,000/day, plus taxes, exclusive of meals. Telephone: 24364230/24322495.
Lords, another heritage home, promises superb views and hearty food. Rs. 6,000/couple for a two-night package (inclusive of all meals). Telephone: 30968614, 26106978.

You’ve fought for your space. In the boardroom. In the A-list. Among the cognoscenti. You know the difference between
demanding your space. And commanding it.

By rights, you’ll be at home in Spa.ce. Spread across 5,000 sq ft, the newest spa in town luxuriates in its vastness.

It cocoons you in touchy-feely splendour, with art, antiques and textiles sourced from across the country. Minimalist is for the minions. For the queen bee, size does matter.

Waft across on the soothing strains of music to the capacious treatment rooms. Choose from the menu of Swedish, Thai, Balinese, sports and aromatherapy massages.

Or go in for a signature treatment. Mocca involves a rubdown with ground coffee, followed by a massage with olive oil, cocoabutter and sea salt. Olive Bliss treats the body with marine salts and then soaks it in warm olive oil and dried coconut.

Float to the Jacuzzi, the largest in town. It accommodates eight, but assures near-solitude. For the finishing touch, visit the hair salon. Or the nail bar.

The red carpets aren’t just in your mind.

Spa.ce, 70, Cunningham Road , Bangalore 5600052. Telephone: 41327526. Massages start from Rs. 750; signature treatments from Rs. 1000.

You’re tired of fine-dining in your pretties. Of pecking politely at minimalist plates, with their swirls of sauce and teeny-tiny portions. What you want, for a change, is something which lets you get your French manicure messy and just dig in.

Ditch the iceberg lettuce. Go for the Gujarati thaali at Rajdhani, the 47-year-old Mumbai-born chain, which is the latest entrant on Delhi’s eat beat. The just-opened CP outlet has two floors and sumptuous soul food.

Service begins briskly, and stays superfast like the train which gives the restaurant its name. Dhokla and stuffed samosa are the appetizers with delicious chutneys — our Trendy Taster loved the garlic-and-tomato. While the three seasonal vegetables served are satisfying, it’s the staples — sweet kadhi, the teekhi daal (usually tuvar), and the sweet daal (a mix of tuvar and moong) — which are the real winners. All served up with hot puris, rotis lavishly smeared with ghee, theplas and rice. And for dessert? Shrikhand or corn halwa, but all through summer you can gorge on fresh aam ras.

Strike the gong in appreciation and you’ll hear a collective Aau Jo. Welcome, come again.

Rajdhani, at Metropolitan Mall, Gurgaon (telephone: 0124-4379001/02), and opposite PVR, Rivoli, Connaught Place, New Delhi (telephone: 23346300/23346400). Opening shortly in Noida and Rohini.
Cost: Rs. 135 per head on weekdays and Rs. 160 on Sundays and holidays.

You are the epitome of woman power. You wow influential board members with your intellect. But your corporate persona is as easily shed as your Armani suit. Your spirit roams free with the wind.

Reveal your inner gypsy with an accessory that defines freedom. The Jewelry Project’s seasonal signature line, Wanderlust, is your consort through realms of stylish fantasy. These five-foot-long wraps, strung with beads in silver, natural stones, glass and wood, with specks of gold and dimensions of funkiness, are the last word in silent statements.

In our Trendy Fashionista’s fave wrap, the beads spell out: “We are all wanderers on this earth. Our hearts are full of wonder and our souls are deep with dreams.” The proverbs can be customized on request.

Wear them wrapped queen-like around your neck, or in long lazy loops over different parts of your body. Belt them over your skinniest jeans or throw them on casually, stole-like. Interact in your inimitable way with jewellery that sets your creativity on fire and wraps you in exciting possibilities

Wanderlust could so easily be the eighth deadly sin.

Contact Deepti Sudhindra at thejewelryproject@gmail.com. Home-delivered in Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai. Prices start at Rs. 12,000.