Watercolors...

 Pastels. They can make you look instantly fresh and cheery on a gloomy day. Bright colors do that too. But there's a certain air of sophistication about pastels.

The biggest mistake you can make when working with pastels, is pairing it with black. Sure, it's a fool proof combo and all that, but why play it safe when you can match it with other shades of the same palette and look like you stepped out of a fairy tale? Try lavender and baby yellow, Mint and light coral, Beige and baby pink, Mint and soft pinks...and there's just so much you can work with. That's the best part about matching chalky colors. They all sit together beautifully!
Another no-no when wearing pastels? Loud lips. Steer clear from red or anything dark. Light, natural shades are the better choice here.

Sunkissed.

 Summer calls for loud colors and nothing beats a good shade of bright Orange. I added in accents of green and brown to make it a little less orangey. Remember, when wearing casual dresses, its always nice to add a little bit of quirkiness into it. Stack up some Indian bangles, double up necklaces or add belts. I always feel that its best to play around when it comes to a single item of clothing, like dresses. 3 other people might be wearing the same thing, but the trick is to add in your own style and make it yours. That way, its not just a dress.

On another note, I haven't been blogging much because I've been extremely busy, wrapping up a few meetings before I leave on holiday to India for a whole month, starting August 1st. Be prepared to be bombed with lots of Indian outfit posts!

Dress: Zara, Shoes:FCUK, Bag and Bangles:Monsoon, Tank top: Camaieu, Necklace:Gifted

I'll tell you this much...

• Always trust your inner voice.
• Don't let people bring you down with harsh words. They have a right to say what they want. On a public forum even. Learn to ignore.
• Don't let ANYBODY tell you you can't do something you really want to do. 
• Never give up on your dreams. You may go off course for a bit, but make sure your're close to the track to jump right back on.
• Never associate yourself with negative people. Negative people = negative thoughts, pointless drama and unwanted chaos. You have better things in life to be worried about.
• If you want something really bad, make it yours.

Feel free to share your thoughts below...

Monochrome with a twist !

 If you follow me on Instagram ( @askthestylecouncil ), you probable know my penchant for black and white. And since monochrome is bang on trend this season, I've been working with a lot of it. But I personally feel that a little bit of color can instantly add a little something extra to the overall look. Be it hot pink, a flash of green or my personal favorite, red.
You can add these accents on your accessories, shoes, handbag or even make up, like lipstick or eyeliner. Ok not red eyeliner, perhaps blue or emerald.
On another note, ladies, its the peak of summer on the island right now, so make sure you're knotting your hair up in the day time to avoid sun damage, and by that I mean your hair can turn an unhealthy, lighter color if exposed to the sun for long. So either knot it up, or wear a hat!

Blouse and Skirt: Mango, Accessories: Monsoon

Saks Fifth Avenue F/W preview

Bahrain Bloggers were recently invited to a private preview of the Fall Winter collection at Saks Fifth Avenue yesterday. It was great meeting all my blogger friends again and we got to meet the gorgeous ladies from the SAKS team as well. After a little bit of chit chat, we had a little too much fun dressing up mannequins with items from the store. And as you can imagine, all of us got a little carried away and one mannequin simply wasn't enough.
Now there are quite a few pictures, a little more than the usual number I upload,so I'm to stop going on and on and let the photographs do their job.

P.S: Stop by Saks sometime. Our styled mannequins will be there all week!

Picking out pieces from a store that is oozing with gorgeous stuff isn't really an easy thing to do.

Picking out shoes.. even harder.

The gorgeous Mara couldn't  make up her mind.. so 3 pairs of shoes? Hell yeah!

Styled my mannequin in Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and Stella Mc Cartney

Mara and her styled mannequin. Love love love the head scarf!

Ali and Ali's mannequin version of himself!

Inside joke between this hottie and myself... "LOOOL"

Girly giggles with the beautiful Georgina

All smiles with the Arabella girls!

With the Obai and Hill girls!

Group shot ! Say Cheese Style !

RAWR !

Being dramatic today.With red lips, subtle smokey eyes and all.

Rule number one about working with leopard prints- Don't try to add in too much color.It's always best to let the printed piece be the hero of the outfit.Adding in colored trousers or a bright dress would be wrong.That is the biggest mistake you can ever make. Keep it on the safer side. Black, white, off white, tans, naturals, stone and brown is OK. And the only color that I, personally think sits exceptionally well with leopard prints is.. RED. oh yes red.It's bold, daring and instantly transforms you into a siren. As if red lips didn't do that already, Pair it with an animal print dress and you'll know what I'm talking about. You can even add accents with red shoes, a belt or a clutch if you're not a lipstick person. Note the subtle red on the lining of my clutch.
On a completely different note, I hate this heat. I hate it. It's hot enough to fry eggs on the road.

Dress: River Island, Shoes:Forever21, Clutch:Lancome, Blazer:Mango, Necklace:Stradivarius, Cuff:Anna Dello Russo for HM