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Jun 29, 2016

#Giveaway: Meet Bipasha Basu and Win Innisfree Products

Holla Mumbaikars,

Here's an interesting and super cool contest with you all on my #Instagram account. 

This July, Innisfree is launching a super new store in Mumbai and we are going to cover it. So if you have not followed us on our social media platforms like Snapchat [Ektakhetan], Twitter and Instagram yet, do click on the links and #followme today.

Gosh, I am using just too many hashtags here. Nevertheless, as long as they help me relaying this beautiful giveaway that I am doing with Innisfree to more people across Mumbai especially the fans of Bollywood Actress Bipasha Basu and, Mumbaikars who love environment-friendly beauty products like Innisfree.

Yes, here's an opportunity for you to win big. How? Check this out-




So, what stops you? Check out my Instagram profile and do the following-

1) Follow @Innisfreeindia and @ektakhetan on Instagram
2) Tag 5 of your friends to play this contest and follow us
3) Repost this image on your Instagram page using #InnisfreeHauteKutirContest [so we can follow your entries]

Hurry, the contest is on from 29th June to 1st July 2016 and is open for anyone [male/female] living in Mumbai [even if you are travelling to Mumbai during that duration you are eligible to win]

The winner will get to attend the store opening this week and meet Bipasha Basu who will be present for the prestigious launch. Also, the winner will win 2 amazing products from Innisfree worth Rs 2000 and above.

If you cannot make for the launch, you can collect your prize within 2 weeks of winners announcement from their store. So hurry, what are you waiting for?

Participate today and spread the word. Here's the direct link to #InnisfreeHauteKutirContest on Instagram- Link

Want to meet hottie @bipashabasu and win two amazing beauty products from @innisfreeindia worth Rs 2000plus ? It's a #giveaway time folks. Announcing a brand new, super quick #instagramcontest for all you lovely people. Just follow three simple rules to win- 1) follow @innisfreeindia and @ektakhetan on Instagram 2) Tag 5 of your friends to participate, using hashtag #InnisfreeHauteKutirContest 3) Repost this image tagging both the accounts The winner gets to- 1) Meet Bollywood star @bipashabasu * 2) Innisfree Beauty Products 3) Atttend Innisfree India store launch in Mumbai* Other Rules- 1) The contest starts today and ends on Friday 1st July 2016. 2) Participants must be from Mumbai or in Mumbai on the aforementioned date. 3) Winner can collect his/her prize from Mumbai Innisfree store on launch date 2nd July or till next 2 weeks of winners announcenent. Bipasha will be present at the launch, no separate meet n greet. So hurry, what are you waiting for? Start playing now. And grab a chance to meet #bipashabasu and get Innisfree products above Rs 2000. PS you will love the products, they are amazing. #mumbai #instagood #instacontest #photooftheday #giveaways #style #instalike #instalove #bestoftheday #love #like4like #fslc #instagiveaway #likeforlike #giveawayalert
A photo posted by Ekta Khetan (@ektakhetan) on

Jun 28, 2016

Fratelli Wine Evening with MS Range at Pali Village Cafe, Mumbai

Mumbai Monsoon
Mumbai opened doors and clouds to monsoon last week. After the scorching summer, the first pour of the season was such a great relief and privilege that we wanted to welcome the monsoon with aplomb.

[Follow me on #Snapchat @ektakhetan for Live updates and more]

Jun 23, 2016

My Latest Summer Fashion Shopping Haul from H&M

Women and Shopping!
Holla! Girls love to shop. In shopping, clothes and makeup top the chart. All the recent surveys will shout out loud how girls love shopping for clothes. 

I am no exception. No, My lord, no freaking exception. I love buying new clothes but I hate going from shop to shop and spend hours in selecting designs. I am an impulsive buyer. If I like it on the window, I will buy. If I like the brand, I will buy. If you have sale, I will end up buying fresh stock. If I have seen it on someone else, wait, hold your horses, I would not buy as I do not like to wear designs that everyone dons.

There are designs that you shop for and there are labels that you shop from
I prefer shopping for designs and I am label agnostic. However, there are few brands that I like.

One of my favorite brands is- H&M. I have mostly shopped from H&M Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and so much wished that they have something in India. When the Delhi store was opened, I was thrilled and waited with baited breath to have one opened in Mumbai. A year passed, and after the Balmain collection came and was sold out, I was sitting here and biting my heart.

I have been pestering my husband to visit the Delhi H&M store for me and get me stuff since the inauguration. Ah! his schedules, even though he visits Delhi Twice a week, does not permit him to have his meals, leave alone shopping, and that too for such a choosy wife. #MissionImpossible

Last month, a miracle happened as husband's meeting in Delhi got postponed and H&M happened. 



My H&M Shopping Haul
It's Summers and time for minimal. Barring 15 minutes break time, here's what hubby quickly picked for my #MustHave summer wardrobe-

Monochrome Mania
Coincidentally, every cloth that I pick is either white, black or blue. Not my corporate genes but these colors are somehow embedded in my wardrobe and dressing architecture, making them my capsule colors. These 2 numbers absolutely echo that sentiment

Stripes and Prints
They both are slender Viscose blouses, both in black and white and the both has the same material. What set them apart is- the first one has this quintessential stripes and the second one has these interesting autumn leaves for print

Bare Minimum Tank Tops
I also got this three solid hue and misty toned Tank tops in Compulsory Black, Stonewash Grey and Pastel Beige. 

The clothes are extremely comfortable, soothing, light and easy to maintain. I am just loving them.

Check out my Video on YouTube for complete details including the price and more.


I hope you like my video. Do give it thumbs up and SUBSCRIBE to my channel!


So, how did you like my shopping haul from H&M? Do let me know. 

In the meantime, check out my social media networks and #Followme :)
Twitter Facebook Instagram [I am starting a giveaway soon]

Stay Haute, Stay Fashionable
Haute Kutir blog




Jun 21, 2016

Beauty, Yoga and Five Yoga Tips on International #YogaDay


Yoga for Inner and Outer Beauty

Beauty is not skin skin deep but it is soul wide too. A true beauty is what comes from within and radiates outside. Makeup and cosmetics are just a feel good quick fixes and products that could enhance the way you look temporarily.
If you want to look good, you need to focus on your internal body as well exterior body. The idea is to cleanse the body from within and purify your skin with right breathing Technics. Now a lot of things that helps you cleanse your body like eating right, practising discipline, balancing work-life and numerous exercise. One such practice is- Yoga


How Yoga Helps in enhancing the Inner and the Outer Beauty
Two things are very important for a better body and well-being. They are breathing right and proper digestion. Yoga aims at making you stretch your body into Asanas and postures that helps in losing weight, curbing flatulence and improving your overall flexibility. It helps in regularizing your breathing, improving blood circulation and aide to overall detoxification. Unlike other exercises that focuses mostly on losing calories, Yoga has a roundabout approach that aims to heal, rejuvenate and thrush life into whole body, mind and soul. 

Yoga helps you curb your stress and co-create inner peace. After all, you know about that stress and how it leads to your pimple outbreak.

Five Simple Yoga for your Beauty and Glowing Skin

Want to look beautiful the natural way? Here are five #MustDo simple Yoga for everyday practice. 

1) Padmasan
This top the charts. Padma means Lotus and Asana mean Posture. Together it means "blossom like a lotus". This is the basic of all Yoga, a cross-legged posture that helps in meditation, breathing right and calming your mind. Regular practice helps in reducing muscular stress, breathing regularisation [hence preventing asthma and other breath related disease] and relaxation of body and mind.

How to do: Sit straight with legs folded inside. Keep your head, back and chin straight. Your hands should be straight, stretched, folded in a mudra and resting on your knees. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath inhale and exhale. Do it for minimum 15 minutes and release slowly.



2) Viparita Karini

This means "doing the upside down". This is one of the simplest Asana. It has different forms but the simplest one is "leg up on the wall". 

How to do: Lie down with your hips touching the wall, bend your legs and sweep them up on the walls, keeping your lower back elevated. Let your hands rest on your side with your palms open and facing the ceiling. contradict and release your thigh bones for 3-5 times, close your eyes, concentrate on your breathing, hold for 5-10 minutes.

 This helps in relaxing your legs, spine and nervous system, Also, helps you dealing with insomnia. 
Women with glaucoma and serious spine injury should not practice it without expert consultation.

3) Dhanurasana: 
It means "Posing as a bow". 

How to do: Lie flat on your stomach. Spread your legs apart and keep hands close to the body. fold your knees inward and bring them up, and try to hold them. Inhale, lift your chest from the ground, pull your legs up by your ankles, placing all the body weight on abdome the . Stretch your neck and look straight [very important]. Hold this position for 10-20 seconds and then release it while exhaling. 

It is like a multi-Vitamin yoga Asana for your body. It helps in detoxification as the pressure comes on abdomen, improve tensile strength and enhance your complexion. I find it as a great stress buster.

This is not good for people with low and high blood pressure. 


4) Matsyaasana
Matsya means fish. This is a simple pose where you arch your neck and spine back, allowing blood circulation through the neck to your face. 

How to do it: lie flat on your back with your arms close to your body [sides], PALM DOWN. Keep your butts on the floor and Lift your torso up pressing your hands and forearms. Arch your back and tilt your neck towards the floor. Take deep breaths, 5-6 times, hold this position for 60 seconds before releasing it.


This pose really flux your blood and boosts your glow and complexion. 

5) Savasana 
We started with warming up doing- Padmasana. So before you end your Yoga session, end it with a simple Savasana. As the name suggests, this position is akin to a "dead body" position. This position inculcates rest and relaxation towards the end of your Yoga or exercise session. 

How to do: Lie flat down on your back, keeping your eyes closed and your body relaxed. Keep your legs apart and open your palms, facing up. Breathe slowly and deeply, focusing on your entire body. Inhale and exhale for about 10-15 minutes and when you feel you are done, do not get up or open your eyes. roll over to your side . Using your right hand as support, get up and sit in the Padmasana position. gently open your eyes.



This Asana leaves you looking relaxed and feeling rejuvenated. However, you need to do it with utmost sincerity and focus. I generally avoid sleeping post Savasana.


So these were the five simple and basic Yoga poses that helps you detoxify your body and enhance your skin beauty. It is important to practice them with disciple and right posture. However, if you are pregnant or in post natal phase or have any kind of spine injury, blood pressure or any other medical condition, you need to consult with a Yoga expert before trying any of them.

If you do these 5 Yoga pose daily, your skin will improve drastically, adding to your facial glow and beauty.

Yoga is a perfect way to enhance your beauty as it aims to keep your physical, mental and spiritual condition in optimal state. 

So #KeepCalm and Do #Yoga

Happy #Yogaday!

Ekta Khetan

Jun 17, 2016

Makeup Review of Oriflame Giordani Bronzing Pearls

I love sun-kissed/ flushed looks for my cheeks as much as I love smokey looks for my eyes. I love my makeup palette from Victoria Secrets and am little skeptical about using varied brands. however, being a beauty blogger, I need to try different products and highlight them to my readers, time and again. 

I have been planning to try this beautiful looking product from Oriflame from quite some time. And when I did, I liked it so much that I wanted to tell all my readers about it. 




What : Giordani Bronzing Pearls from Oriflame
Price: MRP Rs 1299 [you can avail it even for Rs 890] [check offers on e-com websites for more]
Quantity: 25 Gms
Packaging: Round plastic box with mirror and sponge applicator.
Shades Available and Reviewed: Natural Radiance & Natural Peach

How to use: With the help of complimentary sponge applicator or any makeup blusher brush, roll over and dab it on your cheekbones. Reapply if you need to or if wearing for an evening party


Review of Giordani Bronzing Pearls by Oriflame
Oriflame never fails to surprise me with its range of products. One such is the bronzing pearls from Giordani. Here's how the product looks like-






What I liked
1) Sheer and flawless blend
2) Stays for 3 hours
3) Easy to use and easy to remove
4) Sheer color, sunkissed effect
5) Natural Glow and pigmentation
6) Comes with inbuilt mirror and sponge applicator. The latter helps to keep the pearls in place.
7) Can used as an eyeshadow too


What I did not like-
1) Damaged Packaging leading to pearl discolouration
2) Contains Paraben: It has Methyl and Propyl Paraben
3) Could have some brownish- bronzing shade to it [suggestion]


Haute Kutir Verdict: It is a great product. Ideal for the natural look and day wear too.The product may vary from how it looks in brochure pictures. Nonetheless, it worth its place in your makeup stash. GO for it!!

Will I be using it beyond the review too? Yes. I am, as I liked this product

Haute Kutir Rating: 4/5 [I took that 1 star only cause for presence of Paraben in it]

Jun 10, 2016

Lookbook: Summer Riverside Soiree Outfit & Styling

Fashion and Summer has a thing to do with Haute Kutir Blog. Remember we created a hi-street style look that went kaboom and found a place at Lakme Fashion Week Street Style Show. Yeah, yeah it was among top 3 designs across India to walk the ramp.

Bonita Blue was the another look that we created for a mid-summer Bonhomie dream. It was another most loved look that fetched us an interesting small budget movie styling assignment. Yippeee...

Style runs in our summers and hence, we are back with another look that you may like to don for your summer riverside soiree. So here we go-



Summer Riverside Soiree Look
I have created a Bohemian style chic look for your riverside/ lakeside or any natural water body soiree/ picnic/ Fruit & wine sojourn. The look comprises of an outfit, accessories, makeup, gears sans shoes. Oh! you can use this look for your evening beach shack parties too. 

What Went Behind This Look: It is summer, so it is hot, humid and full of sweats. So I chose a style that has-

1) Nude/ Neutral/ Soothing colors
2) Must Have Accessories
3) Minimal yet sufficing Makeup


1) Thread Knit See through Cream Top: We loved the knit, the color and the feminine touch. Besides, it is super airy, allows you to breathe. I picked it up during one of my trips abroad and loved it totally. While, stencil and lace are not seeing enough summer light, knit will sail you through. Pair it with your sports bra or a caged bralette.

2) Cream and Black Fedora Hat: Riverside or waterside is definitely going to be breezy and hot. This lightweight Fedora hat will not just protect your hair from sun, salt and breeze but will add oomph to your petite pretty dress.


3) Tribal Print Knickers: My dad picked them up from Nepal long back and they are one of my favorite "chill in" pants till date. The fabric is light weight, totally feather touch and feel. The black and white boho print goes well with different tops. It is so chic that wish I had the same in full-length pants



4) L'Oreal Maroon Lipstick: Do not bother yourself in the rigmarole of makeup and much. Glint this pastel outfit with a maroon-brown shade lip color, and you will be sorted. We have selected Arabian Nights from L'Oreal Cannes Collection. It is L'oreal [one of our fav] it is matte and it lasts long.

5) Ponds BB Cream: "If you have Ponds BB cream, you are sorted. You need no makeup". Mekhla from my team vouches for Ponds BB cream. It is not BB it is BB+ with SPF 30PA++ that will help you bear the sun on your face while making your complexion clear. It retails at Rs 140 for 18G and is travel-friendly too. 

6) Zenphone: We recently reviewed Asus Zenphone Mega in black and could not help placing this stain free, sturdy phone here.The black geek has a wide screen for capturing the picturesque brilliance and shooting if you require. Plus you would need a phone with a strong battery for all your Snapchat and social media needs. This phone comes equipped with 5000MaH Battery that promises to last long, several Snapchats long.

What? Are you not there on the snapchat? Well, download today and follow us @ektakhetan now :)

7) Boho Glasses: We picked this Brown Orange Ombre number. They are large, round and cover your eyes' under eyes while making you look chic, smart and Pret Ready.


8) Levis Palm Purse: This brown leather purse from Levis will perfectly accentuate your outfit and will be handy enough. I could fit them in the pocket of my shorts. They look neat and uber cool

Additionally, you can pair your off white knitted top with this lovely blue padded number from Triumph. This is from my recent Triumph Lingerie haul and I absolutely loved the seamless design and soft fabric here.



I hope you liked this riverside style. So what are you waiting for? Pick up your fishing tools and go fishing.....

Aye Caramba!

Haute Kutir
Ekta

Jun 9, 2016

What Makes New Asus ZenPhone 'Max'imum Style with 'Max'imum Convenience?

We gave you an exclusive peek-a-boo of a new smartphone that was in Embargo [Snapchat followers]. On 23rd May, the phone was officially launched and we did an exclusive unboxing on our snapchat too [@ektakhetan]. If you missed that or have not yet subscribed yet, do that today :)



The enthusiasm did not end there. A lot of you asked us "why we think that Asus Zenphone is a cool phone?" Well, we took your query one at a time and here we go, tell you why-

Features that Makes New Asus Zenphone Max 'Maxi'mum style with Max'imum convenience



1) Loaded with Features: First Things first. The New ASUS Zenphone has Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 Octa-core processor, 2GB/3GB RAM variations. 32GB internal storage expanding up to 64GB.  You may say too many technical specs but what it has for me? So we would say that it gives you all latest benefits including 4G readiness. In short, it has a power packed performance, enabling you to utilize high mobile data speeds.

2) A Battery that Doubles your Zenphone into a Power Bank
The phone comes with 5000 MaH battery that lasts up to two days. Well, that is one part of it. The more interesting part is that the battery is very much shareable without needed to be taken out. How? Well, the phone comes with a connecting USB. So if someone who is running short of their smartphone charge, can connect one phone with yours [provided you have sufficient battery to lend] and get their phone charged on the go.

Seems the battery indeed believe in "Sharing is Caring".



3) Strong and sturdy
I know how your heart breaks every time you drop your phone or end up scratching your phone screen with a mild tribulation. No matter how soft or delicate we humans are, we prefer our phone sto be strong and sturdy. Imagine you have spent almost half a lakh on a tiny phone and it bends mercilessly at a small stroke? Naah! I would rather buy a phone that is not sissy but offers durability with an equally attractive design. A trait that Zenphone Max completely boasts of having. It has a fine form factor, a little heavy so you remember where you have kept it


4) Pocket-Friendly
Yeah! talking about the cost, the Zenphone Max at Rs 10,000 MRP, it is a steal! You may happily use it for a year and replacement should not be an issue as your investment was well within your budget. However, Zenphone do not have great resale value so you better use it to your heart content before you go for another Asus phone :)





5) A Fashion Statment worth Making
We talked about the attractive and strong form factor of the phone. Also, how light is it on your pocket. You can also style it with your different outfits including one of my recently styled The Summer River Side Outfit [Post coming up soon]. The phones pairs well with my different outfits especially the new Monochrome numbers that I bought from H&M recently [blog coming soon]. Here's giving you an exclusive glimpse.

Not just that, if you do not like black, you can opt for colors like Orange and blue too. Yes, the phone comes in three attractive colors.



6) Helps Creating Great Memories
The new Max has a wonderful camera with some attractive photo capturing features that will help you to make most of every moment that you have clicked. For records, it has 13M rear camera and 5M front camera.


Here' the list of different features including modes, effects, Selfie beautification and more. My favorite is "Depth of Field". I loved it totally! You may like to try GIF too..they are fun :)



Another thing that I loved most is the "screenshot access" on the phone. Knwoing the growing demand of this feature, Asus has kept this very handy at the "recent apps" icon on phone.


Folks, that all about the things that make the New Asus Zenphone "Max'imum style with 'Max'ium Convenience.

I am liking the screen size, resolution and camera quality. The improved battery is a good comforting factor.


Jun 3, 2016

Three Features that drives Fun, Freedom & Confidence with Datsun redi-GO


The generation today has become overly demanding and adventurous. They are shifting from placing safe bets and traveling the most traveled road to the path less traveled. The generation is not just raring to go but is ready to go. India's childhood merit a machine that fortifies their feeling of opportunity, a machine that gives them the certainty to go further. One that is brimming with fun and life, much the same as them.  A phenomenon that has enticed the youth and marketers alike. Probably the reason why, Datsun has come up with redi-GO, a unique combination of style and comfort, with the best of Japanese technology.

So get prepared, the Datsun redi-GO is here, to drive you to your destination. 



Fun. Freedom. Confidence. The ultimate Urban Cross - Datsun redi-GO - the capability of a crossover with the convenience of a hatchback.

As India prepares to go vroom-vroom with the all-new Datsun redi-GO, the curious we, could not help but check out the features of this new mean, ready to go machine in town. Like all cars, we have listed the different features in top 3 broader aspects that we look at first. They are-

1. Yukan Design
By design, we mean both- exterior as well interiors. Yes, being a blogger writing on decor does that to you. However, you cannot ignore engineering and ergonomics while buying a car.

Talking about redi-GO, it has a Yukan design which is anything but conventional. It is compact and sleek, yet created b the agile dynamic cabin and robust body under construction. Here’s a snapshot-



Not just that, it has a chrome bezel and high stance that gives you a wider view of the road and the surroundings

2.  Comfort
The car offers seating for 5, with space for luggage. The 5-speed manual transmission gives you smooth, precision control for a seamless driving, adding to your comfort. We all know how traffic these days had become. We spend more time travelling than the destination. Hence it has become imperative to make the trip comfortable and spacious.

Not just that, it has high-strength body shell to absorb impact for customer safety and better frontal offset crash performance.

3. Performance

Now this is something we cannot miss or skip. Given the scarcity of fuel and rise in prices, a car’s fuel efficiency is of prime importance. We heard the redi-GO has a 799cc engine that provides an impressive fuel economy of 25.17km/Litre. So now you can stay on that road a little longer while enjoying your trip.

Small Turning Radius- talking about the cluttered spaces in Indian cities or let’s say- lack of spaces, this an interesting feature. The compact design of the Datsun redi-GO facilitates manoeuvrability that makes a full turn around with just a 4.7 metre turning radius. Yes, it is quite a handy feature that sails you through tight spots.



Oh! Now all this and more makes this a “piece de resistance”. The bookings on Snapdeal has already begged and we would so much love to test drive this green “redi-GO” sometime. Wanna join us in this ride of Fun, Freedom, and confidence? Let’s go vroom-vroom!

Fun. Freedom. Confidence. The ultimate Urban Cross - Datsun redi-GO - the capability of a crossover with the convenience of a hatchback.

Picture source