Five Must have Shoes Every Woman must Possess

                                           

The market today is full of mind boggling variety of footwear ranging from the most high end ones that will put you back by half a million to the more affordable shoes for  woman that you will find on most street markets .So here is a list of basic shoes for your closet that will come in handy at all times and save some precious moolah by narrowing down the number of shoes :
                                               
1.Black Pumps  - Pumps are basically shoes that have  closed counters and a cut out top line which exposes most of  the top of the foot from the toe box onwards. A classic pump has a seamless vamp and is made without laces, buckles, straps or ties.
                                             

    

However certain toe box styles have been introduced like peep toes, open toes, pointed toes, rounded toes, ankle straps and other adornments, and they can have heels of varying heights and types too.
A basic black mid heeled pump is the little black dress of fashion .It accentuates the calves and adds height to your frame .They will never let you down – be it a formal do or a party and  pull together any outfit and give you effortless sophistication .

2. Ankle strap sandals – Sandals are an open type of footwear that keeps almost all of the foot bare, except by straps going over the instep and, sometimes, around the ankle ,consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot. Sandals can also have a heel.                                
                                           
A nude coloured ankle strap , barely there sandals give the illusion of longer and slimmer legs .Best worn with skinny jeans and skirts but can be worn with mostly anything .

3. Sleek Ankle boots – Ankle length boots in brown or black will not only keep your toes snug but also add an edge to your outfit .Ankle length boots are great for those who have short legs or thin legs unlike the knee length ones that need long legs to look good .From jeans to skirts of all lengths - it works with everything –from gothic to casual !

source -pinterest 

                                             
                                             

         

4. Loafers /Mocassins – Till now loafers were something only men wore, but this comfortable shoe is a woman’s best friend.  Loafers are shoes that do not have to be laced up and one can just slide the foot in for the same reason, they are called slip-ons. Usually, loafers have a low heel or no heel. It is great for casual outings and occasions that call for you to be on your feet for a long time .They go well with almost all outfits from jeans to long or short skirts .You can choose in pretty pastel shades or go bold with red or blue !
                                                   

source -fashiongum.com

                                                   

5.Sports Shoes or Sneakers  – When I say shoes I mean all types of shoes  for all occasions - including sports and fitness and a basic training shoe that has a flexible sole and is lightweight enough for all sorts of fitness activity.You can get a decent pair of sports shoes for women under 500 or if you are seriously into sports then it may set you back by a few thousands .Nevertheless a good pair of  sport shoes is a must for  your shoe closet .Not only are they highly comfortable for those long shopping trips or running on the treadmill but they are also a style statement .You can pair them with faded jeans or skirts and shirt dresses for a casual or bohemian look .    

source -whowhatwear.com

                                                   
                                                     

 

You can add various more shoe styles to this list –espadrilles, kitten heels,brogues ,stilettos etc., but these basic shoes whether they are  Jimmy choo or more affordable shoes for women , will suffice for all your daily needs and fashion statements .

So, Happy Shoe Shopping to You !

Restaurant Review : Papa Buns Indirapuram

                                               

The NCR region is now a hot favorite with brands who are looking for upcoming neighborhoods and markets .I was recently invited to review the newly launched Papa Buns outlet at Indirapuram.

Address – Papa Buns, G 10 ,GC Grand Market ,Next to GC Grand Society ,Indirapuram, Ghaziabad ,
                  U.P.- 201014
Phone     - 011 33106178

Timing – 12pm - 8pm

I interacted with the owner Mr. Amit Mathur, a man who has had a lot of experience in the food industry in Dubai and who has now ventured into food business in India .Papa Buns is an Indian chain of coffee shops.Their signature dish is the hot bun and Bunny Chow ,both mini meals in themselves with an array of fillings to cater to different palates .

                                                           

   

The Bunny Chow originated from Indian community in Durban, South Africa and this dish is basically a loaf of bread which is scooped out in the center and filled with hot curry of one’s liking and served .Then one can tuck in by the breaking the bread and dipping it into  the spicy gravy.

                                            

Ambience – Since the outlet was opened to public just the previous day, it was all decked up with colourful ribbons and balloons. Going with the expected young clientele; it had light, fun coloured furniture and a warm airy atmosphere .They have air conditioning and most importantly generator back up since U.P. is infamous for long power cuts.
                                               
I started off with a cold coffee which was quite refreshing and energizing in the hot weather.
Since it was hot we chose to skip the teas and coffees and settled for Milkshakes and coffees.

Blue Island Nutty Brownie –This shake is a combination of soft serve vanilla ice cream, blended with nutty brownie, chocolate sauce and topped with whipped cream .Quite creamy and good !

                                                

Oreo shakes –Now who doesn't love an Oreo and on top of that an Oreo shake !This again had soft serve vanilla blended with Oreo cookies, chocolate sauce and topped with whipped cream .Thick and delicious!

                                                               

Passion Fruit Iced Tea – Refreshing but overtly sweet for my taste.

       
Hazelnut Cold Coffee – Cold coffee with hazelnut flavor, it was nice, though I would have preferred it a wee bit colder.

                                                         

Vegetarian Club Sandwich – The club sandwich was a disappointment in terms of taste, presentation and ingredients.


                                              

Papa Special Non vegetarian Pizza – A loaded Pizza .It had a thick crust and had loads of chicken ,olives and cheese and was finished in a jiffy .


                                            

Pasta Alfredo – The pasta had a bite to it and had generous amounts of chicken in a white cheesy sauce. Quite good!
                                            
                                             
Green Basil Pesto Pasta - The pasta was al dente and warm with lot of mozzarella on top, it had hints of basil and had generous amounts of peppers and olives .I would have preferred a little less cheese but otherwise it was a winner.

                                                    

Chicken Korma Bunny Chow – This was a loaf of bread scooped out in the centre and filled to the brim with hot and spicy chicken korma and they make sure to give you a leg piece every time .The gravy was sizzling and spicy but mind you it is tough to finish this dish on your own because it is very generously portioned.

                                            
                                               
Chocolate Bun – For desserts, I ordered a Chocolate filled freshly baked bun .Hot Crisp rounded bun and when you cut it open, you get warm liquid heaven chocolate oozing out! This bun was a hit with the youngsters.

                                       

FINAL VERDICT - There were a few hiccoughs ( read long power cuts ,non- functioning toilets...) but I think these are only  teething troubles for the freshly opened outlet as Mr. Amit Mathur assured me that he is already looking into ways of taking care of these infrastructural problems. All in all this place offers great fare, which is a class apart from what is being offered in the area and fun ambience and at pocket friendly prices too .

I rate it a 3.5/5 

Fragrance Review - Yardley English lavender EDT

I received this fragrance as a  gift on Mother's day from my sweethearts .Needless to say I was overjoyed to see them putting in so much effort to make me happy. They added a personalised note to the gift too !
                                                           

                                   
Price  - Rs 849/- for 125 ml

Presentation - It comes in a cylindrical tall glass bottle with a golden top .

It claims to have top notes of Lavender leaves, Neroli and clary sage , Middle notes of Lavender oil and geranium and base notes of sandalwood ,tonka beans and musk .

What I liked about  Yardley English lavender EDT

1. The price is very affordable .

2. It has good longevity ,one would think that a cheap perfume may not last long but this one does last 3-4 hours easily even in hot summer season .

3. A moderate sillage (diffusion power).

4. A  nice floral Fougere perfume , like freshly cut grass ,great for summers .Can be worn as Night fragrance too .It has strong and sharp notes of Lavender probably because of the lavender oil , I can only smell lavender,geranium and musk though .

                                                         

                  What I did not like about  Yardley English lavender EDT

1. It has a very sharp smell , and it does not dilute over time ,so I generally stick to one spray or two .

2. It is a unidimensional perfume , not complex , not layered .Though some may like it because it  stays true with the passage of time .

3. For some strange reasons it gives me an old woman feel !


FINAL VERDICT - I rate it a 3.5/5 .A pocket friendly,long lasting perfume worth trying .

IGP.com - Website Review

Father's Day is just around the corner and my kids were after me to help select an appropriate gift for their Dad.We did not want to get the usual flowers and cake and trudging from one shop to another with the kids was out of question in in this hot weather .

So we decided to explore different websites for online gifting and zeroed in on Indian Gifts Portal  because this one is proactive.If you are at a loss about about what to gift,they have a wide range of suggestions and filters according to profession,personal taste,age and sex of the person whom you want to gift.So for an elderly father, you could select from sugar free goodies,a carved walking stick or even a pocket watch ! ... And there are many more to choose from .

After going through the exhaustive gifts menu the kids asked me to order a Park Avenue Essentials Grooming Kit for men .

PROS of IGP.com

1.Established in 2001, Indian Gifts Portal (IGP.com) is one of the oldest, LARGEST and most experienced gifting portal in India .IGP.com ships orders to 150+ countries (including USA, UK, Australia, Canada etc) and 7,000+ pin codes in India.

2.It is a very user friendly website.The website loads quickly.Navigation is easy.Good quality images .

3.Filters and classification of gifts by age (kid ,young ,elderly ),occasion (birthday, anniversary,Valentine's day,Father's day ,festivals etc.) and even personality of the receiver (professional ,nature lover ,home maker,party lover etc.)!

4. I was very happy with the prompt delivery.Our gifts were delivered the very next day of ordering.

5. Good packaging - Our order was packed with enough care to ensure that it reached us undamaged and intact.

                        

The gift - unwrapped !

CONS of IGP.com

1. I found that there was no detailed description of gifts, like for instance for a shirt, it was not mentioned if it was slim fit or a regular fit neither a size chart was included.For jewellery,the description does not include the length or width of the article.Though they do have a provision wherein if you are interested in an item and want to know details of the item selected,then you can just fill a form through their website and they will call you back or send the details .I did not try this feature though .

FINAL VERDICT  - I rate it a 4.5/5. This one makes gifting a pleasure to both the giver and the receiver .

Food Review - The Drunk House (Rajouri Garden,Delhi )

                                                 

I recently visited The Drunk House Restaurant and Lounge in Rajouri Garden ,Delhi .This place is very popular among the Kitty ladies groups of that area and on most afternoons if you walk in there may very well be a  kitty party in progress .

                                                      

Ambience 

Before you get any ideas about this place because of the Kitty reference , let me clarify that this place has an upbeat and modern feel to it and yet a cosy tavern like feel because of the wooden furniture and dim lighting .It has an in house DJ and a large screen for the young crowds .

                                                         

                                                      

Service -      

I was particularly happy with the service as all the servers knew the details and descriptions about the food on the menu .They were also attentive and the food arrived in a short while of ordering .

Menu 

Starters - For starters there was mutton Keema Pao( mutton mince in tawa masala served with pao ) , honey chilli potatoes (crispy potato batons tossed in sweet and spicy sauce ) and Jalapeno poppers (Cheesy croquettes of jalapeno served with Cajun Mayo ).

Jalapeno poppers

                                              

The Mutton Keema Pao and the Jalapeno Poppers stood out among the starters .

Honey Chilli Potatoes

                                                

Drinks and Beverages  - I tried their Mint Mojito, Peach lemonade , Chocolate Cookie Negroni (Chocolate Cookie Syrup, Bourbon, Espresso and Vermouth ),Teekha Beer (kiwi,Chat masala, Black salt and Beer ) and Mint and cucumber daiquiri .

 

Chocolate Cookie Negroni 

                                                       

Mint Mojito

                                                        

Peach lemonade 

                                                             

Teekha Beer 

                                                           

Main course -

Pasta Alfredo  , Pasta Arrabbiata, Mediterranean Sandwiches (grilled assorted Pepper ,zucchini sandwiched in bread with Basil Pesto Mayo ) ,Corn Pepper Pizza .

Pasta Arrabbiata

                                         

Corn and Pepper Pizza 

                                          

                                                                   

Pasta Alfredo

                                        

The Pasta Arrabiata was very flavorful and al dente and in every bite of the mediterranean sandwiches one could taste the pesto and the zucchini .Yum !!

Mediterranean Sandwiches 

                                     

 For main course I ordered a Stir fried Chinese greens, Plain rice ,Paneer Lababdar ,Lacha parantha ,Dal Makhan wali and Vegetable Biryani .The breads were very good and most of the dishes served were very good especially the Dal .The Stir Fried Chinese greens with rice was also quite good but i feel the flavors could have been built a bit more .

                                        

      

Stir fried Chinese greens

                                             

Dal Makhan wali 

Fish Masala Curry

                                                 

Paneer Lababdar

                                                   

Desserts - Chocolate Walnut brownie,Candy Putin ( Fried kit kat bar topped with caramel sauce and warm marshmallows ,Gems and Chocolate pizza . The Candy Putin desserts won unanimously for its melt in the mouth kitkats and marshmallows .

Gems and Chocolate pizza 

                                   

                                   

Candy Putin

                                     

                                       

                                          

Sheesha - I tried their pan flavoured Sheesha and it was very nice and had a great flavor too .                                                                                           

                                              

FINAL VERDICT - All in all , a great place with Good food and even better drinks coupled with brisk service and cool ambience .This place is definitely happening and I rate it a 4.5/5 .