So many markets. So little time.

Whether you need a little reminder of what stores and restos are in which spots, or you can recite the tenants of GK and South Extension Markets without even a hint — you’ll love Trendy’s favourite stops in GK-I M-Block Market.

Start your shopping spree at Italian brand Miss Sixty’s first Indian outlet. Couture and pret daily wear. And don’t forget to check out the jeans. (read our 4-24-2007 review)

Then pick out what you’ll wear under those new duds at Straps. Bras, camisoles, satin slips, and matching wraps in a variety of brands and prices. (read our 9-13-2006 review)

When you’re done, take a load off at pan-Asian street food cafe, Saltz. Try the Malay salad, which comes with bean sprouts, tofu, potatoes tossed in a delish peanut dressing. Have that with Pho, a Vietnamese flat noodle soup. (read our 5-29-2007 review)

Miss Sixty, M-56, M Block market, GK Part-I, New Delhi. Telephone: 46536107/108. Prices: Start at Rs. 1,999 for tops, Rs. 5,000 for jeans.
Straps, M-32, GK -1, M block market, New Delhi. Telephone: 46566489. Prices from Rs 200-2000.
Saltz, M-69, 1st Floor, M-block GK-I Market, New Delhi. Telephone: 46536233, 46536281. Home delivery available in GK. Meal for two: Rs. 1,000.

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Scarlet shoes, dancing on the table, Swarovski-encrusted cellphone — there are times when your flair for the dramatic extends to everything. But what’s a girl to do when she’s in high yee-ha mode but chained to her desk?

Hit Flamboyanté, the new deli-restaurant-lounge bar, for the perfect mid-day break. There’s an Asian fine dining section and lounge too. But we give top billing to the huge, welcoming, open-air courtyard deli (covered for the monsoons) with a wooden floor and chillaxed vibe. Gossip about the hottie at the next table, as you sip on one of their coffees on ice.

Our Trendy Taster says the Flamboyanté Pizza — with its smoked chicken and jalapeno combo — is outstanding. The crostini platter transports you even higher — soft foccacia topped with grated parmesan cheese, served with aglio olio and basil pesto sauces.

As they say on the menu, Flamboyanté is another name for the gulmohar. And like the flamboyantly flowering tree, this deli’s in full bloom right now.

Flamboyanté, World Trade Centre, The Arcade, Shop 7, Ground Floor, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai. Tel: 22180433/34. Email: caterindia@gmail.com. Meal for two: Rs. 750 and up.

Hand-painted pottery. Hand-woven dhurries. Hand-made curios. Your living room is a mix of the earthy and elegant, nothing artificial about it.

Here’s something else you can liven up a corner with: Delhi-based duo Kapil Mathur and Shilpi Budhiraja’s distinctive, eye-catching brassware, currently being exhibited at the Next Shop. Handcrafted bowls, trays, vases and candle stands that bring the metal, long banished from our kitchens, back into vogue.

Each piece by their firm — aline design industry — has beads, sequins or brightly-coloured metallic yarn threaded through tiny punctures in the metal. Mathur and Budhiraja, both 28-year-old alumni of NIFT, create a lovely embroidery in lively turquoise, burnished gold and shimmering ivory, showing off the matte background.

The shapes of the products themselves are simple — conical and cylindrical for candle stands and vases; square and round for trays. But most pieces are available in various sizes, so you can create your own patterns in the display.

Go on, be bold. Be brassy.

Exhibition on until July 22 at the Next Shop outlets at N-16 Greater Kailash I; Ph:011-2923938/29231045; 118, first floor, Mega Mall, DLF Phase 1, Gurgaon; Tel:0124-4101952; and 11, L-1, Centrestage Mall, Sector-18, Noida; Tel:0120-2510320, 2510216. Select products will be available afterwards too. Prices start at Rs. 1,100.

Cargoes for college. Linen pants for lunch. Skinny jeans for a night out.

And a huge pinch of salt for every compliment to your femininity. Wasn’t it your man who joked that all you’d need for a night over was your toothbrush, since all his clothes would do for you?

A girl needs her second-skin jeans. But for those days when Annie’s Song plays in your i-Pod, abandon the unisexual. Touch your essence with Salt.

Designer Ruchi Mehta nips silks and chiffons to show off your Scarlett O’Hara waistline. And creates empire lines for those laid waste. There are gentle frills, chic ruches, dainty puff sleeves. Simple tunics and ’60s smocks.

Blouses slip over the head. Dresses take shape without fasteners. Skirts cling at the right places without zips that get stuck at the wrong times. Just the touch of sensuality, not steel.

The all-woman theme extends to the colours: pebble, pewter, petrol. And chocolate, olive and khaki. For more smouldering moods, try the sunset mauves and dull Mediterranean blues. All of Salt uses textures — think quilting and vintage embroidery — and can be complemented by scarves and bags in patchwork and two-toned basket weaves.

Because you were born for compliments.

Salt exhibition on till July 22 at Cinnamon, 11, Walton Road, Bangalore 560001. Tel: 22212426, 22229794. Blouses, skirts, tunics: Rs. 900-6,000. Bags: Rs. 2,000-3,500. Scarves: Rs. 2,000-2,500.

You sealed the pact to see Harry through to the end of You-Know-Who, pre-ordering your copy of Deathly Hallows (out July 21). You’ve got best-seat tickets for Order of the Phoenix tonight too. But until then, what?

Make sure you haven’t missed a trick: browse Trendy’s pick of wizardly websites before the showdown.

www.jkrowling.com: The official mussed-up desktop belonging to Jo, as Joanne K Rowling likes her fans to address her. Too late to unlock the Room of Requirement? You can still rummage in the Rubbish Bin, rifle through Extra Stuff and get spooked by Peeves.

floo-network.org: One absolutely fabulous pipe of portals.
Over on hp-lexicon.org, meet magical creatures in the Bestiary; brush up your Hogwarts history; trace timelines — and crack Jo’s Easter eggs. Only info that’s been tapped by the author’s wand of approval makes it to accio-quote.org. Trawl the-leaky-cauldron.org for news and views.

mugglenet.com: In these chatrooms, Jo-in-disguise was once famously snubbed; its Wall of Shame remains among her favourites.

harrypotter.warnerbros.com: When your head’s bursting with hinkypunks, horcruxes and ‘Snape good/bad?’, take some downtime, have fun tiptoeing around the Marauder’s Map.

Along the way, you might even get to squeeze some pumpkin juice.

Mopety-mope office atmosphere with caustic remarks thrown over shoulders. Grimy-grey drizzly weather. And dahling, you’re your grimmest best, Morticia Addams style. Misty charcoal blacks, dirty browns. All with a scowl thrown in. You’re behaving rather Brit, what?

So why not lose that stiff upper lip? Book a ticket for the hilarious comedy, Python Hyssssteria. (Four s’s cos they take comedy v v v v seriously.) An ensemble of 15 sketches adapted from the ’60s Brit cult TV series Monty Python’s Flying Circus, this comedy is bizarre, berserk and very British.

A rip-roaring exchange between Michelangelo and the Pope on who’s to be featured in ‘The Last Supper’ and who’s not. A mad shopkeeper who gives haggling-hell to all customers. A bloke who wants to buy an argument and many more, all acted out by the maddest actors from Evam, Chennai.

Add to this, crazy costumes, wacky props, foot-tapping music, knee-jerking dance, interactivity and a script that’d get Shakespeare turning in his grave.

Slither down and book your tickets. Before the week turns greyer.

Best of Python Hyssssteria. July 13 & 14, Alliance Francaise de Bangalore auditorium. Tickets available for Rs 100 at the Alliance Francaise cafeteria. Call (080) 41231340/4/5/6 or email Evam Productions, Chennai, at mailevam@gmail.com.

You’re getting ready for a date. Your dress is gorgeous, make-up impeccable and shoes — to die for. Just one problem — the monsoon is starting to feel like one long bad hair day.

Let Greco-Australian hair stylist Christiaan Georgio come to the rescue at his new Mumbai salon. Trained at Vidal Sassoon and Trevor Sorbie Hair Academy in London and Melbourne Hair Academy, he’s tamed the trés chic tresses of stars like Eva Longoria, Angelina Jolie and Monica Bellucci.

Georgio gave Trendy a few of his best tips to maximise your mane mojo:

Day: High ponytails are refreshing. Add a heavy blunt fringe just above the eyes for that Prima Donna look.

Night: Let your hair down and have some fun. Literally. A slightly ruffled, just-out-of-bed avatar will have you looking relaxed-glam.

Colour: Highlights are passé, solids are in. Go global with a suitable hue and one or two slices of the front hair strategically coloured in different shades. Chocolate browns and honeys go great with Indian skin. Avoid orange and gold.

Accessorise: Diamante-studded hairpins or ribbons brighten up the mood, but don’t overdo it.

Care: Avoid rebonding and perming in such humid climate. Keep hair clean. Go easy on conditioner and heavy hair products. Use a light Paul Mitchell spray for finishing and rich texture.

International Salon Christiaan Georgio, Grand Hyatt, Off Western Express Highway, Santacruz (E), Mumbai. Tel: 66761216. Haircut + styling by Christiaan: Rs 2,500 + Rs 1,000 (plus taxes).
Paul Mitchell sprays: Available at leading salons across the country; Price: Super Clean Spray for medium hold, Rs 850 for 359ml. Super Clean Extra Spray for firm hold Rs 950 for 359 ml. an dRs 1600 for 647ml. Extra Body Finishing Spray for strong hold, Rs 1200 for 400 ml.

Denims are every Trendy girl’s best friend.

And if you’re looking for a hip denim skirt, try GAS, the premium Italian apparel and accessories brand that’s been selling in India since April. (read our 04-30-2007 review) For that careless just-put-myself-together look, team a sensual tee with ultra-high denim shorts or a denim skirt with studs and rhinestones.

Our Trendy Shopaholic has a few other fave spots to pick up jeans — you can never have too many pairs.

Italian brand Miss Sixty also opened their doors in April with an array of gorgeous jeans. Couture and pret blend to create sexy sophistication in light-as-air fabrics in washes and textures, spanning classic blue to edgy grey. There’s a fit for every body type, and every style — wide legs, comfort fit, ultra slim. (read our 04-24-2007 review)

Fightercock, a new pret store by designer couple Nandita Basu and Abhishek Gupta, has sturdy denims and tweeds that speak volumes about your radical spirit. (read our 03-21-2007 review)

Our Trendy Fashionista can’t get enough of Nautica’s denims, especially the jeans, which come with tags like Malibu, Miami and the very haute Nikki. (read our 05-04-2007 review)

And don’t forget the famous jeans from Calvin Klein (faded, ripped, solids, lights, darks) and French Connection (known for their cuts as much as the colours they come in). Both are must-haves for your summer wardrobe.

GAS, In Bangalore: Shoppers Stop, Garuda Mall, Magrath Road. GAS store also coming soon. In Delhi: F-29, Malhotra Building, Connaught Place. Telephone: 64597220. In Mumbai: Baba Art Gallery, Ground floor, Meharabad Cooperative Housing Society, Warden Road. Telephone: 65173040. Prices: starting at Rs. 850.

French Connection, Shoppers Stop, Dynamix Mall, Juhu, Mumbai 400 049. Also at Vama, Kanchanjunga, 72, Peddar Road, Mumbai 400 026; and Shoppers stop, Inorbit Mall, Link Road, Malad (w), Mumbai 400 064. Prices start at Rs. 2,500.

Click here for more Trendylicious picks in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.

Barbeque Nation’s just opened up their newest dining spot in Bangalore.

Part of a nationwide chain, this is Bangalore’s very first eatery that lets you cook your own kebabs in individual grills set in each table.

The fixed-price meal starts with a spread of Mediterranean, Oriental and Asian starters and salads that will balance the heavy kababs to come.

The buffet also has main courses, plus all-you-can-eat vegetarian and non-vegetarian kebabs added to your table-side grill. Yes, you can have a third helping of those pure-sin prawns with basil pesto.

Our Trendy Taster also loved the fresh fruit margaritas and the desserts.

The interiors are cosy, perfect for that special date. The rooftop, where a Polish band plays every night except Monday, is lively, perfect for chilling with the gang.

Barbeque Nation, Plot-4005, 100 ft Road, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore. Telephone: 32503344, 32504455.
Price: Rs. 450 per person (includes full buffet). Complimentary glass of beer served at lunch.

Click here for more Trendylicious picks in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.

In the boardroom, you fire point blank. You’re on target with your beau. But in front of the mirror you like to use some camouflage. Your secret weapon? A true-toned concealer.

Our Trendy Tester manoeuvred through beauty counters for the best new concealers. Off, forever, with those blotches, scars, and stubborn dark circles.

Camouflage: Body Shop Concealer Pencil, Rs. 945
Conceal Claim: Super smoother with organic bees wax, vitamin E and jojoba. Comes in eight shades.
Trendy Take: Our Tester’s fave. Hides the toughest dark circles, redness and sun burn.

Camouflage: Clarins Instant Light Perfecting Touch, Rs. 1,250
Conceal Claim: Light reflecting pigment hides flaws and shadows.
Trendy Take: Another fave. Ultra-light, with a great natural finish.

Camouflage: Chambor, Touch Up Concealer Stick, Rs. 495
Conceal Claim: Natural oils make it an instant soother. Comes in four shades.
Trendy Take: VFM. Light, creamy texture. Blends well.

Camouflage : L’Oreal True Match Super Blendable Concealer, Rs. 575
Conceal Claim: Opti-Blend complex helps seamless spread. Comes in nine shades.
Trendy Take: Great colour range. Light liquid with powder finish. Good for some serious hiding.

Trendy Tip: Pat your concealer in place. Never rub it in.

Body Shop — Delhi: M 53-A, Greater Kailash Part I. Tel: 41735139.
Mumbai: Shop No 6, first floor, Inorbit Mall, Malad (West). Tel: 67102021.
Bangalore: Lido Mall, Shop 5, 1st Floor, Swami Vivekanand Road. Tel: 41477272. Cosmos Mall, Brookfields. Tel: 41477427.

L’Oreal — Delhi: Shoppers Stop, Ansal Plaza, Khelgaon Marg. Tel: 26258866.
Mumbai: Shoppers Stop, Dynamix Mall, JVPD Scheme, Vile Parle (W). Tel: 26256271.
Bangalore: Shoppers Stop, Commerce @ Mantri, Ground Floor, N.S. Palaya, Bannerghatta Road. Tel: 5121 5681.