MORNING PLUVIOPHILIA
Waking up to the sound of rain I turn on my playlist , my mind immediately getting spellbound with Peggy Lee’s soothing renditions. Alongside, I’m making my favourite Fauchon hibiscus fruits rouges green-tea in a dainty glass kettle, relishing the fragrance with divine earl grey and bleuets – the noir perfume, swaying my hair and losing myself to the mist of monsoon at the same time. I reach for my bowl of assorted dry nuts soaked overnight – I drop spoonful of those in my bowl of berries with a slice of grapefruit, basking in the aroma of these pure gifts of nature. Settling myself cosily on the lounge chair facing my bedroom window, my early morning tea table is all set with delicate pieces of the Royal Albert peony prints, adding as the perfect element to the flow of Peggy’s song playing in the background. Waking up like this to a drizzling, subtly silver morning, with trees prattling with the chirps of birds, like they’re syncing with the rhythm of Peggy Lee – all of these blissful elements bring my mood to an ecstatic high and give my lovelies the wings to fly into my very own fantasy land!
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Money down the drain, sometimes…
Reason to complain, sometimes…
That’s how it’ll be,
But there’ll be champagne sometimes…
Lobster flown from Maine, sometimes…
We’ll ride the gravy train, sometimes
Just you wait and see
For you and me
For you and me”
Taking me back to the priceless memories that I hold in my love-soaked heart for that very special one, it’s like heaven on earth for me when my mornings are greeted by monsoon falls, unfolding around me the symphony of that enchanting lady’s soft voice! Listening to Peggy’s voice is like becoming a woman all over again! Peggy Lee was impeccably stylish throughout her entire life – delicately cool and chic, keenly confident and powerful. However, the glamorously venereal image that Lee presented for herself was a triumph over the adversities she had to endure in life. The flirtatious sensuality of her voice, combined with her looks gave her more of an edge as compared to some of her contemporaries of that era. Strong women have so much more to offer, especially when they are personifying elegance by declaring to the new world, “You can’t beat the Beatles, you join ‘em.”
A woman in her truest sense is not only being born beautiful, but being beautifully put together – that’s what makes all the difference, from grunge to glamour. Whence, the same thought comes back to the monsoon weather today – I was revelling and lazing early in the morning. Somewhere I was getting absorbed into how I should look when I wake up. Growing up, opening my eyes in the morning next to my loved ones I remember pinching my cheeks hard, and pumping my lips with my fingers to get that natural morning rouge on my face, softly running my fingers through my soft wavy tresses as well. A neat hair style and well-kept nails are my absolute essentials in the way of looking and feeling splendid. But, let’s be honest, is there anything worse than commuting in the monsoon worrying about your hair? Looking outside at a rainy day can sometimes feel like a bane of our existence – nobody wants to fret about keeping their hair dry all the time, plus each time the storm clouds roll in, we have to adjust our beauty routines accordingly. This is particularly an issue for anyone who styles their hair often. A fresh curled mane or a straightened style doesn’t stand a chance against the monsoon washout, so we toss it up in a quick ponytail or bun, or stick them back with strong gels, wear fancy embroidered hair bands to Chanel the drab look up, or use small scarves with pretty prints and embellishments finishing with a hair tie or a clip or bandanas. Truth of the matter is anything fancy will always work, but why-oh-why must we have boring hair be synonymous with bad weather situations? Instead, we should rather make the most of the misty climate with a cute hairdo!
By now, my morning is looking up to the soft rays of the sun and its golden glow is seeping into my skin while Peggy Lee’s playlist has switched to next song to pep me and warm me up with the sunshine by listening to the song:
“I’m gonna wash that man right outa my hair,
And send him on his way.”
My ideas of monsoon hairstyles are getting clearer and this rainy hairess in me is kind of getting her oomph on…….!
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MONSOON HAIR MAKEOVER
Let’s twist and twirl, puff and purl, ply the pretty accessories and bring that whole 60s retro-scarf magic back again with dinky hair clips and pins, while we are still grooving to Peggy Lee this morning!
(1) TWISTED PONY
This triple-twisted pony is precisely just three sections of hair twisted down in to a low ponytail secured with handy bobby pins. Frizz actually helps this look!
If it’s windy out, cover it up on the hair and line with some cute scarf to pin it down at your neckpoint and voila! You’re good to go!
If you have naturally curly hair, pull them up in to a high puff. To smoothen out the back of your head, work a bit of climate control ‘Heat & Humidity gel’ through your strands, and if the length is longer u can use turn and plug-in tips techniques. When you’re playing through your hair, make sure you make a puffy, round bunch like a fully-bloomed peony – it gives height to your face.
Strap it around with a thin fabric belt, tie a tiny bow in the bottom centre or just plainly clip it.
(3) BUN BACKUP
Looks much more difficult than it is. A perfect spiral bun makes you appear scholarly, mature, firm, and yet elegant – perfect for work. The neater it is, the better. I’d strongly advise not using accessories to spoil the bun backup’s solidarity.
(4) KNOTTED LOVE
I’m only okay with my hair getting knotted if it’s like this! This style is chic, simple and totally rainproof. Check out this knotted pony tail tutorial on Instagram – you can DIY in just one minute! Soft and feminine back-combing on the crown centre, holding your sides together till the back, and pairing it with delicate string can work wonders.
Play a game of “he loves me-he loves me not” in your head, and just knot ‘em up with love tipping on your side at the end!
(5) HALFWAY BLUES
Whether long or short, pulling your hair into a half-bun is an easy way to cure the monsoon hair blues. Add a few spritzes of ‘Quai Texturising Spray’ for a little extra oomph, and if the gloomy weather proves to be too much to handle and you can’t muster up more with a pretty scarf, leave a knot on the top for some added flair.
To hold a natural bun knot you can use pin clips with different colors or keep it dark brown and subtly muted.
(6) TIE
Don’t hesitate to use your collection of scarves to embrace the messy tress! If you’re bored with hair ties or are expecting your hair to fall out of them, pulling your hair back with a small scarf can be great way to accentuate your outfit, especially this season. Tie hair tales with scarves is back in the fashion game and is trending fabulously.
Either long scarves or small straps – just use any with prints or monograms and tie that lively look with fun, all the while not damaging your hair.
(7) BRAIDS AND BOHO
Chunky braids are incredibly cute – it’s impossible for the rain to wreck a hairstyle that’s messy to begin with! Braids for me used to symbolise vintage Victorian fashion, until I attended music festivals in Europe. Tomorrowland gave an entirely new definition to my ideas of braids when I saw the free-spirited, neon-painted pretty female unicorns turning in to butterflies at the main stage by putting their hair in two loose Dutch braids for lazy funky look. That, or a tiny braid pinned to the side is one of the most fun and easy ways to change up your hair from a day-to-night look.
Everyone from Gucci to Versace or Dior has thrown their hats in the hair clip games and monogrammed scarves so to speak. These accessories are here to stay for the season and my top favourite is the bandana and modified styles with scarves. Everyone knows I am guilty as charged for being an Instagram addict. In the recent times, one blog that I have grown to admire the most is by Danielle Bernstein – ‘WeWoreWhat’ – apart from her business acumen and entrepreneurial skills, her techniques and fondness for scarfed fashion is something I enjoy the most watching.
‘I didn’t go out but my hair looked too good to stay in!’
I feel the weather wishes for me to create some good and pretty hairdo and step out and enjoy this god-gifted day and season. My love for Peggy Lee of her quirky, girlish, flirtatious music stays perennial, but to get this beautiful day to soar even higher, why not take up a comb and weave one of these hairstyles on our head! I say just get in the car, slide your sunroof open, and drive through the rapturous route of the sea-link with Peggy Lee dominating the stereo. I’m thinking of packing my lovely locks in a bandana, pickup some freshly-baked buttered croissants and a cup of caramel coffee and get lost in my own reverie of love and lovers! While the music keeps the love in my heart unblemished, and the sea-link gives me the hope of a better end on the other side, I would like to carry on my optimistic and buoyant state of mind on this note inspired by the honourable madame Lee:
