If you’ve ever stopped in your tracks to pick a kaleidoscopic piece of glass or a shiny stone, then pencil in a date with the Hoglund glass art collection at Effervescence.

The wooden ramp at Effervescence’s entrance transports you into a surreal world dedicated to the art of hand-blown glass. Masterpieces created by a New Zealand-based Swedish couple Ola Hoglund and Marie Simberg-Hoglund have found patrons the world over, including Elton John and Bill Clinton. Allow your senses to be overwhelmed by the whirling vistas of colour and illusory depths.

The current Rainforest Gaal collection is an ode to nature captured in glass. Created in their private ‘jungle studio’ in Port Douglas, Australia, bordering on the Daintree World Heritage National Park, it’s easy to understand the inspiration. You’ll love the exotically named vases like Voile, Eclipse and Lunar. Psychedelic platters, exquisite penguins, ethereal bottles and swirls suspended in glass in the form of pendants vie for attention with the plasma screen, which shows the masters at work. Every breath the Hoglunds take will leave you breathless.

Their perfume bottle, celebrating sunlight glinting on a green sea, nearly sent our Trendy Beauty Spotter fishing for her credit card.

Fragile yet inspired. It’s beauty frozen in time.

Effervescence, 27 R, Laxmi Industrial Estate, New Link Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai; Tel: 26329283/ 26391205; Price: Between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5 lakh.

What’s the secret behind the glowing Greek skin tone, Spanish ardour, Italian creativity, French je ne sais quois and Turkish delight? Being the cerulean Mediterranean may be one reason. But the subtler one could be their olive oil.

Now that Indians are sipping and spitting olive oil at the International Olive Council’s tastings, ahead-of-the-curve buyers like you are scanning the market for the good stuff.

Our Trendy Taster did some samplings to help you go olive.

Heavy-duty frying or roasting
Light and easy Italian Bertolli’s Olio di Oliva. Less flavourful but familiar Figaro in its deep green can which has been on Indian shelves for the longest time. Or Olitalia’s Pomace Oil.

From pastas to non-veg grills
Bertolli’s pure Classico or full-bodied extra virgin Robusto. Olitalia’s or Leonardo’s regular olive.

Drizzling over salad, pasta, fish or veggies
Mild and herby extra virgin Gentile from Bertolli. Olitalia’s extra virgin which won the Superior Taste Award in 2006. Or the special Family Reserve from Borges of California, which is cold-pressed from handpicked Arbequina olives.

For dipping your warm bread in like the Italians do
Bertolli’s fruity and well-rounded extra virgin Originale. Or the one our Trendy Taster gave the thumbs up to: the stronger flavoured and more aromatic Fillipo Berio’s extra virgin.

Oil’s well that tastes swell.

Price: Between Rs 70 to Rs 100 per 100 ml, depending on the brand, with Filipo Berio topping the range. For details on organising an olive oil appreciation evening, visit www.olive2india.com or email Rachna on rsharma@scs-group.com.

When junk was the rage, you stuck to silver. When bling was in, you took a shine to precious metals. When talk turns to stones, you think diamonds. And when it comes to signature jewellery, you trust only the expert designer.

Which is why the Shobha Asar show this weekend is a must visit. Jeweller to the stars — Bollywood babe of the mo Kareena Kapoor is a fan — this Mumbai-based brand has four lines that cater to every garment in your wardrobe. Looking for timeless appeal? Pick up a piece from Shobha’s classic line, incorporating large stones, pearls and diamonds. To complement a contemporary outfit, choose from light necklaces and bracelets featuring onyx, aquamarine, tourmaline or topaz.

To match that Benarasi silk in plum — the colour of the season — there are traditional sets; to go with the rich green draped Tarun Tahiliani, shoulder-dusters in emeralds and diamonds.

The girl’s best friend, in fact, is Shobha’s inspiration as well, but she doesn’t believe they should come with strings attached. Her diamonds use an invisible setting that draws all eyes to the cut and the colour — and to what it does to the wearer.

The roses for the table will wait. The rose-cut for your neck may not.

The Shobha Asar show at the Orchid, The Oberoi, 39, MG Road, Bangalore, on November 24-25, from 10.30 am to 8 pm. Tel: 0 22-6661 5080. Website: www.shobhaasar.com. Prices start from Rs 40,000 and go up to Rs 40,00,000.

Keeping it current is your style mantra. Nothing in your wardrobe is older than your last haircut. But you still get wistful over feather boas and your mum’s leg warmers sometimes.

Check out Anise, Bungalow 8’s latest collection, lovingly put together by vintage design connoisseur Anita Trehan. It’s all about jewellery and handbags from the 1920s onwards, from some of the world’s best craftsmen.

Bling from a bygone era gleams in blond tones, embellished with faux diamonds, rubies, pearls, crystal. Each one-of-a-kind piece has a fascinating history and will become a conversation piece that stands out in the crowd. Our Trendy Fashionista wanted to buy up all the fabulous cuffs, especially the ones with dragon heads studded with semi-precious stones.

The store’s creative director Maithili Ahluwalia reccos the look for this season: Layer on separates — long chains, heavy pendants on delicate strings of metal, multiple bracelets and cuffs. Top with a high-profile bag from Judith Lieber, Gucci or Dolce and Gabbana.

Best buy: the suede Gucci clutch from 1925, minus the in-your-face monogram. Ideal for the classicist in you.

Anise at Bungalow 8: Wankhede Stadium, E-F Block, Entrance between Sonawala Bldg and Zaver Mahal or ‘D’ Rd near Vinoo Mankad Gate, Marine Drive, Mumbai; Tel 22819880/1; www.bungaloweight.com; Prices: Jewellery Rs 3,500-Rs 25,000, bags around Rs 7,000-12,000, rare labels for more (Gucci clutch Rs 35,000).

Come on bay-bee, let’s do the twist. Rocker Chubby Checker’s tunes had couples dancing without touching for the first time ever. Almost 50 years down the line, though, the Twist is all about touch and feel-good.

Like the swinging ’60s couples, the new Twist spa-salon believes in moving two entities to a single rhythm, all to a euphoric end.
Rejuvenate while your hair is restyled. Relax while you recharge. All in a tranquil setting with bamboo accessories and earthy tones that offers a ticket to ride to zen zone. Making sure you get there is Sumathi Venkataswami, technical trainer, South India, for L’Oreal, who works on hair and skin in tandem with dermatologist/cosmetologist Dr Nazima Ruby.

The Twist team examines each client for serious skin problems before recommending treatments. Parlour rituals complement the dermacare. Ditto for the hair care. Our Trendy spa-fiend loved the way the salon products brought her rambunctious curls under control.

Put the rock ‘n’ roll back in your life.

Twist, 3C, 1st floor, Manu Plaza, opp Sri Kalyana Mahaganapathi Temple, 9th Main, HRBR, 1st Block, Kalyanagar, Bangalore 560043. Tel: 41646757. Mention Trendylicious and get 15% off on all treatments till Valentine’s Day. Haircuts start at Rs 350, skin and hair consultations and treatment at Rs 800.

You wake up to Ella Fitzgerald. Go to work with Coltrane and Davis. Come home and dine to Dinah. Pour yourself a glass of wine, then fall asleep to a Gershwin lullaby.

With the annual Jazz Utsav (formerly Jazz Yatra) back in town, it’s time to refresh your anthem.

Bop live to a global syncope. On day one, begin by holding up a candle to the classics with a Norwegian tribute to Chet Baker. Swing by Germany’s cool Café du Sport. End with a rousing finale with Belgian ‘Shooting Star’ Sascha Ley.

Day two hooks up coast-to-coast, with Honduran Wanayran Angerer and Cameronian Ba Banga Nyeck exchanging notes across the Atlantic. Spread your listening further afield, starting with the Polish Krzysztof Herdzin on his piano and stopping only with UK’s London Bebop Collective, fronted by Jake Fryer’s saxophone.

Then it’s the traditional closing night with a return to roots — an all-Indian evening with Sonia Saigal and Friends, up from Mumbai, Chennai’s Madhav Chari and Ramamani, Amit Heri and Karl Peters of Bangalore.

Jam and jive.

Jazz Utsav, Nov 23-25,6.30pm-10pm,at FICCI Auditorium, Tansen Marg. New Delhi. Tickets: Rs 300 per day, available separately. Available at Steakhouse, 13/8 Jorbagh Market; ph: 24611008. The Music Shop, 18-AB Khan Market; ph: 24618464. Also at the venue on programme days. Or email capitaljazz@gmail.com.

French rolls for breakfast. French films on your laptop. French kissing on your fifth date. It’s clear that the Gallic influence touches your life in many ways. Now, Paris just got a tad closer to you.

Ted Lapidus, the French designer label that’s been worn by everyone from Bridget Bardot to the Beatles, has just brought their new women’s line to town. Stock up on the classic cut essentials at an inaugural discount — sleek, pinstriped trousers, well-fitted shirts, classic leather bags, perfumes, watches and elegant jackets.

The colour pallette is understated and very European, with careful detailing of buttonholes, grommets, collar seams and such. Our Trendy pick is the luxurious crush-silk capped sleeve top with a low frilled neck in pearl and black that will add glam to any ensemble and take a ‘work-hard, party-harder’ gal from day to night effortlessly. And while you’re at it, choose a beautiful tie or superbly-crafted jacket for your man.

Clothes that whisper, not shout. Tres Bien.

Ted Lapidus stores, in Mumbai: (just opened) G-3 VN Sphere, Junction of Turner Road and Linking Road, Next to Watches of Switzerland, Bandra (W); Tel: (022) 26452168/9; in Delhi: (women’s line available from next week) Great India Place, Unitech Mall, Sector 18, NOIDA; Tel: (0120) 4222600/1/2. Inaugural prices start at Rs 999. After Dec 1, prices start at Rs 1,500 for separates and go upto Rs 23,000 for business suits.

Remember that dream where you’re in office and you enter and you have no shoes on? Yeeeeeowww, wasn’t it?

Step in, in style, everyday — dream or no dream — with help from Reliance Footprints. After bringing you telecom, fruits and veg, now Reliance is also the newest shoe-horn in the market.

One three-level store, many I-love-my-shoe brands, and a zillion ways to say wow. Footprints pays homage to the humble shoe with brands ranging from Nike and Reebok to Scholl’s and Clark’s. The ground floor stocks handbags, belts, socks and women’s shoes. Wedges, strappies, heels, party, sporty, Lee Cooper, Crocs, Puma, Ecco, Tosca, Inc5 — they’re all here. Yes, and they do have enough shop assistants to patiently slip on one after another till you say ‘yessss’.

When your feet need a break and a li’l exercising, use ‘em to trot upstairs to check out the men’s range. Josef Seibel sits elegantly beside Florsheim, while Converse, Mancini and Monza quietly look on. On the other side, we have Frisbee, Levi’s, Woodland, Gaitonde and a gang of sporty ones chilling out watching you watching them. Oooh, and there are baby shoes too.

So the next time you’re walking down 100 Ft Road, and feel your feet yelling for a break, you know where to head.

Reliance Footprints, 100 Ft Road, Indiranagar, before Coffee Day, Bangalore. Tel: 41498280. Price ranges from Rs 300 to Rs 4000.

Textured walls. Check.
Concealed wiring. Check.
Open shelving. Check.
Intense colours. Check.
Diffused, eccentric lighting. check.
Interesting home accessories. Uhhh — haven’t had the time to trawl the markets of Marrakech or Chor Bazaar.

Forget the glossy malls and the designer stores, if it’s a touch of idiosyncrasy you want to add to your carefully crafted home, you’ve come to the right place. A quaint lane in the old part of mill-city leads to an impressive wooden door framed by a white-washed Mediterranean facade. Beyond this door lies the world of Mystique. Ochre-tinted walls play host to select pieces that are part of the current South-East Asian collection. This brand new store certainly doesn’t believe in cramming its shelves; each object is lovingly displayed like a work of art.

Eyeball masks, artefacts, vases or metal furniture with precious stones inlay. Or carry home a life-size weathered wood Buddha if you have the space to house him. If not, consider some uber-glam wall hangings and twisty tea-light trees that take your breath away with their surreal charm. Our Trendy Shopper was especially impressed with the sculpted sandstone candle holders. Also don’t miss Mystique’s one-of-a-kind handmade semi-precious jewellery line.

Everything in the store has an aura of the enigmatic. You’ll soon find yourself succumbing.

Mystique, Keshavrao Khadye Marg, Jacob Circle, 7 Road, Opp Simplex Mills, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai; Tel: 23082037, 9920410464; Prices: Commence from Rs 150 and go up to Rs 1,50,000.

The stars were brighter last night. The air, distinctly nippier. At the poolside party, saree pallavs were hugged a little tighter, the dupattas doubled as shawls. The season for bare shoulders is past.

But there’s no reason why your style quotient should drop with the mercury. Grab a silk or organza wrap from Belaku. Paisley prints or dramatically geometric. Muted red, pale green or a dazzling gold. Each of these scarves is painstakingly handprinted to perfection.

Throw one around your shoulders. Or wind a raw silk or cotton tie-up belt around your waist or hips. Sense the temperature rise as onlookers take in the gold and silver highlights on the bright blue and black belts. Coordinate scarf and belt. Or make them clash.

Rifle through the handmade paper notepads covered in raw silk, the block-printed cards and gift bags embossed with leaves and papers. Admire the wrapping paper printed with Japanese kites or curlicues reminiscent of Mughal inlay work.

Look good. Feel better: Each of these treasures has been created by underprivileged women working with design consultants.

Belaku Trust sale on November 21 at Raintree, 4, Sankey Road, Bangalore. From 10.30 am to 6.30 pm. Scarves and belts start from Rs 300, notepads from Rs 100, wine bags from Rs 70, wrapping paper from Rs 30. Contact Belaku Trust on 26654145 or email belaku@vsnl.com.