Online Gifts Store Review: IGP.com | Gifting made Easy

The best part about the holiday season is exchanging of gifts. We dont celebrate Christmas at our place but since my sister had her engagement this week I wanted to make this time special for her and decided to bring back some school memories by playing secret santa to her.

Secret santa is a game we 3 sisters played with our school friends years ago . In this game we wrote all our names on chits and everyone would randomly pick one name then get a gift for the same person on Christmas eve to celebrate the season of cheer and happiness. Choosing a gift for my sister is very difficult because she is very picky so I wanted safe and decided to gift her something she totally loves aka skin care and makeup. I found out about IGP.com which is India's largest online gifting store and was impressed with beauty hampers on their site. I zeroed in on the Lotus herbals beauty hamper for my sister and today I will share my detailed shopping experience .

About IGP.com

IGP.com is one of India’s largest online gifts store specializing in gifts for all ages and occasions. IGP also known as Indian gifts portal was established in 2001 and specializes in flowers, cakes, chocolates, personalized products, festival merchandise, kids, home & living and fashion categories.

My Experience with IGP.com

Choosing the right gift can be very tricky but IGP helps make gifting a delightful experience. Even if you have nothing particular in mind IGP.com can help you get a perfect gift as they have neatly categorized gifts to shop by occasion, recipient, relationship and festival. So if you are looking for gifts for mom or for your baby nephew you can easily browse to the proper category and explore options keeping your budget in mind.  I wanted a beauty related gift so I chose the fashion and lifestyle category and explored options under beauty and personal care gifts. I loved the variety of gift hampers available and chose the Lotus CTM routine trio gift pack. I added the item to my cart and proceeded to check out where I was asked to register with email and password before completing the payment process. 

Payment process is simple . You can pay with Credit or Debit Card, Net Banking, wallets like Paytm and mobikwik and even Paypal .

Shipping: Varied delivery options are offered by IGP and the best thing about them is that they ship gifts to other countries. If you want to send a gift to your friends in a different country you can do it conveniently with Indian gifts portal. I was gifting to my sister so i chose standard delivery and shipped it to my home address. My order was placed on 21st of December and I received it in 2 days well in advance before Xmas.

Packaging: The gift hamper I ordered was carefully bubble wrapped and packed nicely in a cardboard box with no chance of leakage of the skin care products. My sister loved this unexpected gift and rushed to open it . I liked that IGP had MRP scribbled out on all three products which is something I always do. I dont like people to know exactly how much I spent on their gift . 

Customer service : For any clarification or queries you can call IGP on +91-(22) 4343-3333 or mail them at support@igp.com .

Why choose IGP.com for gifting ?

*Website is categorized nicely to make gifting a delightful and hassle free experience
* Wide range of gifting categories available including cakes, flowers, curated hampers and personlized gifts.
* Gifts are packaged neatly and delivered safely
* IGP offers Free shipping in India to 7,000+ pin codes . You can choose standard delivery or a tentative delivery date according to your convenience.
* Indian Gifts Portal (IGP.com) Makes international gifting possible by delivering to 150+ countries (including USA, UK, Australia, Canada etc) .
* Last minute gifting is also facilitated by IGP and they have same day delivery network in 300 cities in India.

Would I recommend IGP.com?

Yes, I would definitely recommend IGP to surprise your loved ones with unique gifts especially if they live abroad. Do check out their curated hampers collections if you are out of gift ideas, I personally love their fashion and lifestyle gift hampers a lot.


Overall I had a great experience with IGP.com and you should definitely try this website to make gifting a fun and delightful this new year.

Have you shopped from  IGP.com ? Tell me about your experience.

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Tips and tricks on How to style Little Black Dress

The holiday season is here and its time to party like there is no tomorrow. If you cant decide what to wear this season then trust black and turn to your versatile Little Black Dress to grab attention of one and all. LBD is a versatile classic and can be worn on everyday of the week with a few styling tweaks. Here I bring to you some very fun and exciting ways to style a LBD.

18 fun ways to Style your Little Black Dress

#1 Add Sparkle with statement Jewellery

Add  a bit of glam to your holiday LBD look with statement jewellery pieces. You can try chunky bracelets, cocktail rings, ear cuffs or statement neck pieces. Personally I feel statement necklaces are the best way to add a pop of colour to your LBD look. Try jewellery in mint, gold, turquoise or bright red.

#2 wrap a scarf over your LBD for winter look

Scarves and stoles are nice additions to your winter LBD look. Wrap a scarf in a bright colour to spice up your little black dress. Adding printed scarves like florals, animal prints or polka dots to a solid colour dress like LBD is also a good idea. Experiment crazy with scarves tied in different ways and stoles of different materials like silk or traditional weaves. You can also use a traditional dupatta like phulkari as a cover up on your LBD

#3 Team LBD with a shirt

For a grunge look layer your classic black dress with a plaid shirt. Teaming your LBD with a shirt makes it perfect for a daytime casual look. You can pair the shirt + LBD look with  boots or sneakers for an edgy look or go for pumps for a more polished chic look.

#4 Cinch with a belt

 Use a belt to define your waist and flaunt curves in your LBD. Go for a metallic belt for a glammed out look or use your silk scarf like a belt for a more fun look. To keep things subtle cinch your waist with a thin black belt.

#5 Cozy in with a sweater for Casual look

It is winter and what better way to keep yourself warm than to pair your LBD with a knitter sweater? For more warm and comfortable look wear boots and add a printed scarf . If it isnt too cold at your place then layer your LBD with a contrasting shrug .

 #6 Show some Denim Love with a denim jacket over LBD

You can wear your sequined little black dress like a casual day outfit by pairing it with a denim jean jacket. Even if your LBD is plain add a denim jacket for a chic casual look

#7 Layer LBD over a T shirt

#8 Wear the LBD leggings combo

Dull days dont mean you cant dress up in a LBD.  Pair your classic Little black dress with a legging or stocking for a winter ready look.  Experiment with legging colours, prints and patterns. Opt for vibrant colours, sheer paneled ones or Aztec prints to bring in more drama.

#9 Sporty chic with sneakers or converse

Teaming your LBD with a pair of sporty shoes can actually work . If you are someone who loves the comfy converse then its time to try this chic combination for a day time look. Go for black sneakers with your LBD if you want to play more safe and dont want your shoes to attract attention. This look works best for a day out shopping with your girl gang

#11 Top with a vest jacket

#11 Slip on a Cape jacket or long coat

If you own a boring LBD then pair it with a nice long coat pr a cape style jacket. Sheer capes are also super in trend these days and you an pair a lace cape over your little black dress for a more feminine look.

#12 Go professional with a blazer

#13 Pop of print underneath LBD

Adding a pop of print under your sleeveless LBD is fun and quirky. This school girl inspired look will work nicely in winters

#14 Layer LBD over crisp white shirt for formal look

#15 Dress up your LBD with tights or stockings

Beat the chilly weather with a pair of black tights teamed with your LBD for a sleek streamlined party look. you can even dres down this look to wear to your office.

#14 Add a collar necklace to high neck LBD

If you love statement pieces then get creative with your LBD and add an embellished collar necklace for some sparkly party look. If you want to stay away from bling then go for a contrasting coloured collar necklace but make sure to try this only with your high neck LBD. Deepika here wears a LBD which has an attached collar but you can always rely on neklaces or just update your LBD by getting a collar stitched from local darzi.

#15 Go unexpected with distressed denim jeans

LBD and Jeans are both wardrobe staples but have you thought about wearing these two together? This combination may seem a little wild and unusal but you can always give it a try and wear your black dress like a kurta paired with denim.

#16 Bling up LBD with a brooch pin

Add some jazz to your plain LBD with a sparkly brooch pin

#17 Toughen up lBD look with ankle boots

#18 Use shoes to add a pop of colour to your LBD 

Pair your LBD with heels in firey red or hot pink and party hop in super style.

Additional Tips and tricks on ways to style your LBD

* A saucy red pout complements a LBD nicely so dont be afraid to go all out on your make up and opt for statement red lips.
* LBD is like a blank canvas on which you have complete freedom to experiment and switch things up. So get creative and think out of the box, play with details, indulge in funky layerering and dont be afraid to accessorize your LBD look to up the glam quotient.
* Pair your LBD with pumps for classic appeal. Go for nude pumps  to give an illusion of longer legs.
* Adding metallic accents to your LBD  is a good way to sparkle in a party look. Accessories in gold and silver go well with black and vibrant colours also make an LBD pop. wear a huge metallic belt, brooch pins, arm cuffs or a pair of oxidized danglers.
* When shopping for an LBD keep your body shape in mind . Also the length of your LBD matters a lot, ideally your black dress should end before your knee but ofcourse you an experiment and see what suits you best.

How will you style your LBD this holiday season?

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12 Fun and Exciting Ways to Style Your Plain Saree

Indian women love their sarees but these days it is all about flaunting designer blouses and unconventional drapes more than sarees. If you really want your designer blouses with heavy work to attract all the limelight it is best to pair them with plain sarees.

Plain sarees were hot in trend in 80's but the trend faded with time and like all major trends the Plain saree trend has made a comeback. Many celebrities have been spotted in plain sarees paired with extravagant designer blouses. The thing with plain sarees is that you can easily dress up or down depending on the occasion or event and you have ample space to experiment and get creative with styling ideas. You can flaunt a plain saree to work, to a brunch date or even to a wedding with appropriate styling and accessorizing.

 Here I bring to you some Fun and exciting ways to flaunt your plain saree.

#1 Pair your Plain Saree with embellished high neck blouse

High neck blouse designs are in vouge these days and there isnt a better way to style them than to pair with a plain saree. Kareena Kapoor pairs a simple white saree with gold border with this fully embellished fun high neck blouse. High neck blouse means you have freedom to experiment with the saree drape without looking trashy and this minimalistic drape draws entire attention to the innovative blouse.

#2 Add a extravagant waist belt or kamar bandh

So you have a wedding reception to attend and cant figure out what to wear. Want something easy breezy yet wedding appropriate? Try pairing your plain saree with an embellished blouse and add a kamarbandh for added glam and a more defined look. Get experimental with your choice of waist belt and dont go for the traditional ones, try metallic studded belts or pearl classic ones for a indo western feel to your saree look.

#3 Spice up your simple saree look with jewellery

If you have an opulent rani haar sitting pretty in your stash its time to flaunt it. Pair your simple plain saree with an equally simple blouse and go over board with accessories. A plain saree is perfect canvas to show off your heavy jewellery and you wont even look like trying too hard. With jewellery I mean any kind of jewelry, you dont have to stick to earrings and neck piece. Explore your experimental side and pair your simple saree with a tika, matha patti, jhumkas, arm bands, palm cuffs and even modern statement neck pieces. Oxidized silver jewellery and tribal necklaces add a very cultural touch to your saree look so try them with plain sarees also.

#4 Get glammy with Pant style drape

Unconventional saree drapes are nice way to modernise a saree look. Pant style saree drape will look amazing with a plain saree but make sure you pair your saree with an embellished or embroidered pant for a more festive look. If you want to really pair a plain pant with plain saree then go in for contrasting colours for a more visually appealing look.

#5 Pair with a kitschy quirky blouse

Quirky prints are so in trend and you can try these prints even with a traditional saree look. Get a blouse stitched in a kitschy print and grab all attention at an event the effortless way.

#6 Embrace floral prints

 I love floral prints and it is good to see designers bring in different kinds of vibrant florals in ethnic wear. For a summery day look team your plain saree with a floral printed blouse.

#7 Team plain saree with a printed blouse

The simplest way to flaunt a plain saree is to wear it with a printed blouse. Go for vibrant prints with your saree for a popping look.

#8 Flaunt your Back with designer blouses

Plain sarees are a nice way to show off your back. Hunt down that designer blouse with a sexy back design from your wardrobe and pair it with your plain saree and dont forgt to pull your into a bun or sweep it to the side.

#9 Play with jackets
 

Adding a silk or an embellished jacket to your plain saree is good idea for a winter wedding look. You can even add a blazer for a streamlined office look.

#10 Cape it 

Cape trend is super hot at the moment and many celebrities are doing the sheer capes on saris. You can also try this trend with plain sarees. Add a sheer cape to your saree for a chic diva look

#11 Show some love to pearls

Pearls are classic but women dont pair them with saris these days. Plain sarees will look great with pearls and Sonam Kapoor totally nails this mint saree look accessorized with pearl jewellery.

You can even go for pearl embellished blouse with your plain saree but make sure the saree colour complement pearls nicely.

#12 Add a pinafore

This is strictly for crazy experimental kinds. You can add more drama to a plain saree look by adding a contrasting pinfore. The pinafore can act like a cover up and can also have funky prints for more sash. Try this if you really want to wear a saree and hide your belly fat.

Have any more ideas to style a plain saree? Tell me in comments below!


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#Trending: Shirt style Choli with Lehenga skirt

Style trends keep evolving to suit the tastes of changing times. Modernizing ethnic wear is one very popular current trend and indo-western fusion wear is preferred by most indian women these days for  a traditional look with a touch of  contemporary style. Styling a flowy lehenga skirt with a shirt is the new in thing in weddings these days. 

Anushka Sharma in ADHM was spotted in a lehenga paired with crisp white shirt for her mehendi look in the song 'cutiepie '. I loved this chic lehenga look instantly which is equal parts modern and equal parts traditional. The layered jewellery on the shirt blouse gives a more dressed up wedding appropriate outfit. You can try this lehenga skirt and shirt choli combination for your friends wedding, sisters sangeet or your own mehendi!

If you want a youthful and fun ethnic look then this hatke pairing of shirt style Choli with Lehenga skirt is just Purrr-fect. Anushka Sharma isnt the first to be spotted in this shirt-lehenga combination and this idea has been pretty popular at fashion weeks before.

Pair your lehenga and shirt blouse with extravagant rani haars and knot the shirt on your waist for a more hip funk look.

This is also a nice way to re use your wedding Lehenga. Just use a crisp shirt from your wardrobe and pair it with your lehenga, also skip the dupatta. 

 The lehenga and shirt pairing can also be worn to work

Alia bhat was spotted in a similar shirt style choli

What do you think of Shirt style Choli with Lehenga skirt Would you wear it? 

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10 Celebrities in designer Raw Mango Sarees | Details on where to Buy Raw Mango

Saree is an iconic Indian garment and it is now preferred by many Indian celebrities even when they walk red carpets abroad. A lot of effort has been put into modernizing the saree but there is another trend these days of going back to the roots and wearing traditional handloom sarees. Indian Fashion scene is embracing traditional textiles and designers like Anavila, gaurang shah and Sanjay garg are being favoured by bollywood celebrities. Today I am going to talk about Raw mango a label by designer Sanjay Garg which deal in traditional handwoven textiles . 

About Raw Mango:

Raw Mango is a brand by Sanjay Garg dealing in contemporary Indian handwoven textiles like saris, fabrics and stoles. Traditional techniques are fused with modern accents to make timeless classic designs. I love the use of vibrant colours in Raw Mango sarees and skillful craftman ship.

Celebrities in designer Raw Mango Sarees

#1 Divya Khosla Kumar in a blue Raw Mango saree with high neck blouse

Divya wore the pretty combination of blue and pink for the music launch of Sanam Re. A blue saree paired with pink full sleeve brocade blouse looked gorgeous and the addition of gajra in hair made the look more traditional. It was a good move to pair that high neck blouse with a choker type neckpiece and studs.

#2 Tamannaah in Indigo sari with striped pink blouse

For Baahubali Malayalam Audio Launch Tamannah went the traditional route wearing an Indigo and gold chanderi saree which she paired with a striped pink blouse and jhumkas. The additon of a bindi and hair in bun completes this gorgeous look .

#3 Raashi Khanna in a cream Raw mango saree with ulta drape

A nice way to to spice up Indian weaves is to play with the drapes and Raashi does just that here. She paired this look with a chunky necklace.

#4 Kajol in double colour Raw Mango saree

#5 Dia Mirza in Yellow Raw Mango saree with blue blouse

Choosing the sari route for filmfare awards red carpet Dia mirza looked elegant and graceful. I love the colour combination of yellow and indigo here and the beaded navratan mala fit in nicely with the high neck blouse.

#6 Sonam Kapoor in Powder blue Raw mango saree

Sonam Kapoor loves wearing sarees and looked lovely in this blue saree which she paired with gold earrings. This raw mango saree look has dreamy vintage vibes thanks to the sheer sleeves blouse sonam kapoor wore but i wish the blouse fit her better.

#7 Sandhya Mridul In Raw Mango saree with red blouse

For screening of Angry Indian Goddesses at a Film Festival Sandhya chose a raw Mango saree whih she paired with a red blouse and bindi.

#8 Konkana sen Sharma in handwoven raw mango saree

 Konkana sen Sharma is often spotted in sarees and she looked classic beauty in this white and gold saree. attending the wedding reception of Kunal Kapoor and Soha Ali Khan Konkana kept things festive by pairing the saree with a striped blouse, a neck piece, earrings and potli.

#9 Tisca Choapra in checkered pink Raw Mango saree

Attending Retail Jeweller India Awards Tisca wore a vibrant plaid raw mango saree whih she paired with bindi earrings and a clutch. I dont like the saree much but Tisca sure looks elegant and her blouse gives this look a modern touch.

#10 Neha Dhupia in blue saree with shirt blouse

 
Trust Neha Dhupia to always keep things interesting. Here she pairs a shirt style blouse with a traditional raw mango saree.

Where to Buy Raw Mango Sarees ? 

If you love traditional weaves, a raw Mango saree is definitely on your wish list. Handwoven sarees are actually easily available in India and without the designer tags will cost a lot less but if you really want a Raw Mango because they are innovative and sophisticated versions of traditional handwoven fabric then here is the complete store list to help you buy these timeless sarees.

Buy Raw Mango Sarees Online

Ogaan Online

Ogaan | Multi designer boutique in India has some nice raw mango sarees and blouses but many pieces are sold out!

Jaypore

Jaypore |  Good collection of silk sarees and chanderi sarees from Raw mango

Pernia's Pop-up Shop

Pernia's Pop up Shop

By Elora
Byelora |  Based in Australia, ships to USA, UK, Hong Kong and more

Buy Raw Mango Sarees offline

Bangalore
*Stand alone Store
Raw Mango, Cinnamon, 24, Gangadhar Chetty Road, Sivanchetti Gardens
call 080-41213161

Delhi
* 3 & 4, Malcha Marg Market, Near HDFC Bank, 2nd Floor, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, 110021
Ph: 011-4171 6121

*Raw Mango, Angoori Badi, Farm AA 3, Ansal Villa, Satbadi, Chhatarpur
Ph: 011-65026437

*Good Earth, 9 ABC Khan Market
Ph: 011-24647175

Chennai
*Good Earth, 3, Rutland Gate, 4th St, Thousand Lights
Ph: 044-43087878

*Amethyst, Next to Corporation Bank, Whites road, Royapettah
Ph: 044-45991633

Ahmedabad
*Elan, Hill Plaza, Opp. Sears Towers, Gulbai Tekra, Ahmedabad.
Ph: 079-26569699

Hyderabad
*Elahe, Milestone 476, Road 10, Banjara Hills
Ph: 040-23350130/66

*Good Earth, 6- 8-606/D, Raod no-12, Banjara hills
Ph: 040-23338000

Kolkata
* 85 Lansdowne, 85 B , Sarat Bose Rd.
Ph: 033-40051585

Mumbai
* Ensemble, 130/132, Great western bldg, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg.
Ph: 022-22872282

* Good Earth, Raghuvanshi Mansion , Lower Parel
Ph: 022-24951954

Raw mango sarees at Good Earth Stores

You Can Buy Raw Mango sarees on all good earth stores. Visit here for complete store list. They have stores in Turkey and istanbul too.

More from Raw Mango:

I have kept focus on Raw Mango Sarees in this post but that is not the only thing the brand deals in. They also have beautiful handwoven shawls, stoles and dupattas. The new collection also has raw mango lehenga in various designs.

For more connect with Raw Mango on facebook 


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