Get the look: Bringing black back

Nida Alvi didn’t quite go for the au naturale look but she still kept things light.

The person under our spotlight today is Nida Alvi — a school teacher by day and an effortless fashionista by night.

The teacher-cum-fashion pro was spotted at the launch of Misha Lakhani’s maiden collection on August 30.

Make-up

Nida didn’t quite go for the au naturale look but she still kept things light. She opted for a light mauve blush and completed her look with a light plum lip gloss. We can’t vouch for those little pots of blush you find at The Body Shop enough. For a light mauve tinge on your pout, go for Covergirl’s Natureluxe lipbalm in Hibiscus.

Outfit

The fashion lover paired these oh-so-hot-this-season harem pants with a black top. We can’t thank her enough for wearing the same shade of black and steering away from a big fashion disaster. Ladies please remember if you’re going for a monotone look, pick up the same shade of that one colour you wish to focus on. A shade lighter and a shade darker just gives a very old shirt paired with new pants look. Her puffy black top reminds us of Shakespeare’s blouses and yes that’s a good thing because we love vintage clothing more than anything else.

Shoes

Nida’s gold buckle pumps are so cute we want to adopt them and raise them as our own. A lot of shoe shops on Zamzama have started stocking shoes coming in from Malaysia, Thailand and China and they are actually cheap. Rummage through the racks of Step One and Shoe Zone and find yourself some cute eye treats at cheaper rates. Do yourself a favour and get your hands on the jewellery by Forever 21 but if you don’t have a trip to Dubai coming up anytime soon check out gold bangles at Maria B, Mantra and Accessorize.

Hair

These days a lot of models and celebrities are seen sporting two extreme styles on the hairstyle spectrum. It’s either fun, frizzy curls or a straight, no flyaways and professional look. Nida has smartly combined the two, and made them work just as well. Where she kept her crown area neat by making a tight half pony she let rest of her hair down. The hairdo is the perfect mix of professional crispness and girly nonchalance.

Accessories

The fashion enthusiast paired black with gold which is possibly the shortest route to understated glamour. The mix of black and gold brings in the right amount of oomph and that is exactly why Nida is in the spotlight today. The gold bangles and the gold snake textured belt works well with the black ensemble and provides fancy pop to her otherwise dull attire. You’d find some pretty fancy belts at Accessorize and Mantra. But if you are looking for a cheaper deal we all know Sunday Bazaar is the ‘it’ place for some guilt-free retail therapy.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2012.