Shop Only from Reputable Sellers

Whenever you shop for antique jewellery, whether you’re searching for something special for yourself or for someone in your life, always shop from retailers that have a reputation for selling high quality antique items that are truly antique. Some retailers may actually try to sell you what they call ‘vintage jewellery’ when it’s really just a knock-off. A good place to start is Berganza Hatton Garden, where you can shop for a variety of different antique styles from various eras throughout history.

Do Your Research Prior to Shopping

When you shop for antique jewellery, it’s a good idea to have a specific era in mind from which you’d like to shop. Researching that era ahead of time will provide you with a clear overview of what the jewellery of that time period looked like. In this way, you’ll learn how to look for the right materials and craftsmanship that will prove a piece is truly antique and from the era that you’re most interested in. Knowing when certain materials, such as metals like gold and silver, or pearls and gemstones, were most popular will help you shop smart.

Know How to Recognise Pieces from the Most Popular Eras

Some eras, in particular, are the most popular in the world of antique jewellery. For example, the Art Nouveau period, which ran from 1890-1910, featured jewellery that was inspired by nature, with feminine elements and soft curves.

On the other hand, the Edwardian era, which ran from 1900-1920, showcased jewellery that had a lot of floral elements, while the Art Deco period, which ran from 1920-1930, was characterised by geometric shapes, straight lines, and an architectural feel.

The 1930s to the 1950s are considered the Retro period, and the jewellery from that era will feature feminine elements, such as bows and flowers, as well as asymmetric shapes, and you’ll also find the very popular diamond engagement ring.  

Understand the Different Diamond Cuts from Different Eras

Knowing the differences in the way that diamonds were cut through the eras will also help you shop smart.

Older eras will feature diamonds that were faceted to reflect light, and they’ll have high crowns and corners that are gently rounded. In the early 1900s, though, you’ll see a lot of traditionally round diamonds, much like the modern diamond, and these rocks will have internal reflections as well. After the Retro period of the 1950s, the modern round diamond was established, and you’ll still see the same cuts for diamonds today.

With the tips above, you can shop for antique jewellery and rest assured that you’re making the best choice.

The post A Crash Course in Antique Jewellery appeared first on Magali Vaz | Fashion, Lifestyle & Travel Blog.

1. Chocolates

   What’s a stroll through Duty Free without shopping for chocolates? A good practise to get a great deal at duty free is again to not buy the commonly available stuff but for the more luxe brands like Ghirrardeli. Chocolate brands often have great offers if you a larger amount & they give out merchandise.

2. Luxury Fashion

   

   While you shouldn’t pay much attention to regular clothes at duty free, it can be the best place to get your fill of luxury fashion whether it’s the latest Prada sunglasses or MiuMiu bag, or even some sweet designer luggage!

3. Luxury Beauty

   I’d advise you to avoid shopping for a lot of makeup at duty frees as you’re bound to get better deals at your destination but if you’re looking to pick up high end makeup (think Tom Ford, Guerlain, Esteé Lauder & the likes) & even the best luxe skincare, it just doesn’t get better than this. In fact this alone is a great excuse for me to plan my next trip.

4. Local Produce

   If the country you’re visiting is known for some kind of famous local produce (think Maple Syrup in Canada, Tequila in Mexico etc.) there’s a good chance you’ll get those things cheaper at duty free. Don’t take that as a rule though, & do a bit of quick internet research before making your purchase.

5. Alcohol

   If you drink, duty free is one of the best places to buy alcohol, especially the more premium varieties. We never return without a trip overseas without a couple of bottles of Baileys Irish Crème (our guilty pleasure!)

These are just a few tips to help you make the most of shopping during your foreign trips. To avoid risks, I always carry a minimal amount of cash & depend on cards for most purchases as it’s just safer. Which is why I’m so excited to take the new Axis Bank Multi-Currency Forex Card with me on my next international trip! It’s an awesome card that allows you to preload multiple currencies onto a single card, so it’s great if you’re visiting multiple destinations at a time as it saves you the trouble of carrying multiple cards!

Not only is the Axis Bank Multi-Currency Forex Card accepted at 30 million retail and online stores, it is also the only card that lets you shop directly at duty free outlets across International Terminals in India. So here’s something you can do with that extra cash on your card once you’re back from holiday.
Happy Travels + Shopping – Make it count! x

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April was quite a whirlwind month – I went to Delhi (& vlogged the whole trip – it was awesome!) turned 24 & went to Goa with one of my best friends. There wasn’t too much time to breathe, but as the weather got a lot hotter, I had to find ways to deal with that. Here are a few things I loved in the month of April, from skincare to beauty & hair. Here’s hoping these things make it a bit easier to get through the Indian summer.

April Favorites

→ Sephora Smoothing Primer (as seen in my Sephora haul video)

→ Johnsons Baby Skincare Wipes

→ Sugar Matte As Hell Lip Crayon ‘Mary Poppins’ (detailed review of the entire range is here)

→ Colorbar Kiss Proof Lip Stain ‘Haute Latte’

→ Maybelline Superstay Nail Colour ‘Rose Poudre’

→ The Body Shop CHANGE Hemp Hand Protector

→ Batiste Dry Shampoo (Clean & Classic Original)

As always, you can find more details + prices on the video page. And don’t forget to subscribe to my channel because I have a lot of fabulous stuff (how I bought Colourpop in India, Goa Vlogs, tea & more…) coming your way this month. And for the duration of May I’ll be posting two videos a week, one each on Monday & Thursday. Feel free to leave a comment with any video requests you might have! x

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Now that almost two whole months have passed since Mumbai got it’s very own Sephora Outlet, I’m finally sharing my Sephora Haul video here on the blog. I attended the Sephora Mumbai pre launch party (& vlogged it of course!) I found the store to be average sized – somehow I expected bigger, but very well stocked. I was excited to find brands like Stila, Makeup Forever, Benefit that weren’t previously available in Mumbai. Luckily we were allowed to shop that evening so I picked up a few things & subsequently shared them in the haul video (which you can watch above!)

I visited the Sephora again about ten days ago & was shocked to find the store quite empty. I guess the still hadn’t properly restocked from the initial rush + excitement. Have you been to Sephora Mumbai yet? Were you happy or disappointed?

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If you’re new to my blog, one thing you have to know about me is that I am a total jeans person. I got my first pair when I was about 7 (they were stone washed), I think & I never got out (it seems). I’ve probably had at least one pair of every type of that there are, over the years- deep blue, bleached, stone washed, distressed, ripped & embroidered ones in almost every color that there is. Jeans were my go-to during college & I still wear them very, very often.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be quite excited about what I have to share with you – BRAND FACTORY outlets in Thane, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Mysore, Hubli, Mangalore, Ahmedabad and Nagpur are offering a 3 day sale (13th to 15th March) with over 1.5 Lakh Branded Pieces on sale.

I actually visited their massive Mumbai outlet in Vikhroli yesterday evening for a little preview of what’s in store (& I filmed a vlog, of course!

The post Brand Factory 3 Day Denim Deals + Preview Video appeared first on Magali Vaz | Fashion, Lifestyle & Travel Blog.

I don’t discuss ethnic wear much on this blog because I wear it so rarely. I can do fusion but not a full-on Indian look, you know? I didn’t even wear a saree to my school farewell party, everyone wears a saree to farewell.

But I have an Indian wedding to attend in December, & I decided that would be the day I first wear a saree. My mom has some nice ones, but the few I liked are a little too casual for a wedding so I decided it was about time that I got my first saree! *squeals*

After researching a few prominent ethnic wear stores in Mumbai, I decided to settle on Kalki. They deal in sarees, suits, lehengas & gowns. There are two stores in Mumbai- one in Santa Cruz & the other at Worli. I visited the latter.

First impressions as I stepped in the door? SO.MANY.CLOTHES. Hundreds? Thousands? I’m not sure. Even with the number of garments they have the place is not cluttered. I was spoilt for choice.

The pink salwar kameez really caught my eye. It’s unique & fun, with a dhoti type silhouette &  a lipstick print on the skirt area. Perfect for a beauty blogger!

They do have some more casual, everyday salwar kameezes but the focus is on wedding sarees & designer sarees.

Just a few of the lehengas.

I already mentioned that I had gone to buy my first saree & I wouldn’t leave there until I had one. I already knew what material I wanted – raw silk! It falls as nicely as regular silk but is not too shiny. It’s almost like cotton in appearance. The saleswoman was very helpful & fluent with English too, which is a big plus for me. I didn’t get her name but if you go to the store I’m sure you’ll meet her.

In the end I settled on a lovely pink, red & off-white raw silk saree. I really like it! I can’t wait to show it to you guys, I just need to get the blouse stitched.

love,
Magali

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When I was just finished with sniffing all the candles like a loony person I saw that they also have incense sticks so I picked up two packs in Ocean Breeze & Lemon, & my do they smell divine! I had to buy a holder too obviously.And finally the spa therapist recommended the rosemary-hibiscus hair mask for my mom. It’s supposed to control hair fall. It’s all powder & has to be mixed with water I think it should last long (would you guys be interested in occasional guest reviews from my mom, with products that are more suited to a slightly older age group?) 

Last stop… Clarins! The lovely ladies at Vellvette (the folks behind The Vellvette box) held an event to launch the new Clarins BB Cream. There was some pampering, some trials, & we bought a few things too.
This was the first event I went to by the Vellvette team & I must say I really enjoyed it. They were all extremely friendly & warm & made sure we were comfortable. The Clarins sales assistants, not so much. I know they’re sales assistants & all but the one assigned to my mom was so f*cking pushy. She kept insisting that we buy both the serums (at around 4.5k each) & even when we agreed to buy one she wouldn’t quit. We had to gently tell her no for about 10 minutes (I’m thinking we should have screamed instead?) & after that she started sulking so badly. What a sour experience. Despite liking Clarins a lot I feel like never buying from them again because they hire horrible people like that.

The full-sized Clarins products – I’m most excited about the Lotus Oil. The eye shadows aren’t for me (I prefer neutrals!) but they were got with someone in mind.

So what do you think of the haul? Any favorites?
Regarding the talk about this becoming a beauty blog, I was kidding, but only sort of. When I started this blog back in 2009 it started as a fashion blog. I wasn’t really interested make up or beauty. But since then my interests have changed. Not like I’m less interested in dressing up but it’s quite a bother to take outfit photos all the time. I’m trying to set a rate of one per month at least (there’s one coming up in just a couple of days) but I just wanted you guys to understand that there will be a change in direction, with a lot more beauty products being reviewed because I enjoy it right now & it’s fitting into my life well, if that makes sense. So, we cool?

love,
Magali

The post Collective Haul | The Nature’s Co., Clarins & Soulflower appeared first on Magali Vaz | Fashion, Lifestyle & Travel Blog.

The Cocoa Trees is a Singapore based-boutique store that offers a delicious spectrum of branded chocolates which cater to a variety of individual needs.

Tons of different variants of Dairy Milk.M&M’s dispensers (which can also be used as coin banks). There was also a cute M&M’s clock. These are the kind of things that make me regress – I was so close to picking up one of these, I actually had to remind myself of my age.Milka was introduced to us by a family friend from Germany – it’s a lovely treat that we get once a year. So glad that they’re available here now. If you like milk chocolate, you must get your hands on some.Oreo tins shaped like giant ores? I want to decorate with these.For the little ones.Zaini eggs with little Disney figurines inside.

There seriously is an amazing selection in there. I ended up buying some zaini eggs (they remind me of the kinder surprise my dad used to buy me by the dozen when I was little) & some nutty dairy milk.

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Clear Conscience (eco friendly) detergent, chocolates with very Indian flavors – nimboo (lime), dalchini (cinnamon), etc.Reprints of vintage journals & pamphlets.Notebooks bound with actual vintage paper.The Inega calendar & various prints (I really liked the self-raising flour sack print in the middle).The famous & very cool Indian Stretchable Time watch by Hyphen (available only here!)

Indians have a reputation for being perpetually late, so the digits on this watch are intentionally off. Read more about it on designboom.

There are a lot of things that I didn’t manage to get in these photos (like t-shirts & magnets) but this is a well curated shop with a lot of interesting things. If you love design, you have to go!

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