'90s-era styles are making a comeback.

Google searches have shown that '90s-era styles are making a comeback.

According to Google's shopping blog, crop tops, high waist jeans and acid wash shorts all saw significant increases in searches in July 2013 compared to July 2012, the New York Daily News reported.

There were 120 percent more searches for "high waisted jeans" in July 2013 than in July 2012, while Inquiries for "crop tops" were up by 110 percent, and searches for "acid wash shorts" jumped by 50 percent.

It was found that queries for 'jelly sandals,' 'Zubaz pants' and 'overalls' all increased by more than 150percent from July 2012 to July 2013.

Google said that marketers are taking advantage of this dope opportunity to adjust their ad campaigns to reach customers who are experiencing these trends for the first time.

Why you should go for palazzo pants

Termed as one of the biggest fashion runway trends, palazzo pants have become popular off-stage too. Keeping this in mind, Indian designer Anuradha Ramam has come up with a collection entirely dedicated to such versatile garments that can be worn anytime.

Inspired by the 1970s, palazzo pants are super-wide leg trousers with a high waist which gives the illusion of longer legs thus, making one look taller.

Ramam, who has been working extensively with old forgotten weaving techniques since last ten years, has now unveiled a collection that captures "a bohemian essence" and comes in bright shades.

"These pants can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. Keeping in mind the playful side of the modern Indian woman, the palazzo pants capture a bohemian essence. A fun element like this makes these retro inspired pants truly popular amongst today's fashionable crowd," Ramam said in a statement.

Available in soft fabrics like georgette, chiffon and cotton, the designer has used bright colours like lemon, lime green, hot pink and copper sulphate blue.

One can team up such pants with a print top, coloured t-shirts, short shirts and noodle strap tops for that perfect look.

How to choose your lipstick shade

Neha Khanna, celebrity makeup artist, says that it's time for Indian women to leave behind brown shade lipsticks and experiment with colours like red, orange, plum and more during different seasons and occasions.

Khanna of Avon India says that most Indian women have warm skin tone, but they prefer dark lip shades.

"Indian women prefer a lot of brown shades that are really dark like cappuccino that makes skin look dull. However, soft browns look nice when paired with heavy eye makeup," said Khanna.

She suggests women should change shades on the basis of day and night.

"Light shade lipsticks like neutral, beige, pinks and peach look great in daytime whereas darker shades like red and burgundy look good at night," she said.

Winter is one season when women should try bright colours.

"Lipstick shades in deep purple, plum, cinnamon or wine are winter shades and preferred by women all across. Whereas women with cool or light skin tone can carry deep pink very well," she said.

"Caramel colour lipsticks also look great on fair skin or light skin women," she added.

Khanna says that red, said to be mostly worn by confident and powerful women, is one colour that has always been in trend and is a classic one.

"Red shades are mostly preferred for formal events. A muted red shade suits Indian skin very well; a bright red doesn't compliment warm skin tones," she said.

Those who love experimenting can flaunt orange too.

"Orange is a very chic and trendy colour. It mostly symbolises a sexy and experimental personality. Burnt orange shade in lipsticks is preferred by Indian women and suits the skin tone well," she said.

Awesome Combo Workouts to Bust the Fat

Fusion workouts help you lose weight and stay fit

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Has your fitness routine become a drudgery? The next time you’re bored of just going to the gym or jogging in the park, try something exciting like a fusion workout. This is a workout hybrid that combines the best of two or more effective exercises to benefit you.

Piloxing
Bringing together the elements of boxing and pilates, Piloxing, is a high-energy regimen that merges punching moves like throwing jabs, uppercuts, hooks and nifty footwork as well as slow pilates.
Benefits: While the pilates helps to condition the muscles, the cardio-based boxing steps burn the calories to help you shed flab. Says fitness trainer Jivesh Shetty, “On one hand, you have speed with positive contractions and on the other, lengthened negative contractions, so it balances out. Piloxing is a controlled movement. As you jab
to the right with your left arm, twisting the hip, it tones out the arms, strengthens the hip and shoulder joint, triceps and hamstrings and the core.”
Can burn: 500-800 calories an hour.

Bokwa
This is a dance-inspired fitness craze that’s fast catching up as a trend around the globe. Bokwa comes from Bo (boxing) and Kwa (the South African war dance, Kwaito). You do cardio moves to a high energy dance. Participants draw letters and numbers with the feet while dancing. What’s unique is that it’s the only workout in the world
taught with a sign language. And you need not know dancing to try it.
Benefits: Says Mumbai-based dance expert Aanchal Gupta, “It’s very intense, even more so than zumba. Bokwa helps motor training, and children can do this too. You have fun, so it’s a stress buster and makes for a great weekend workout too.”
Can burn: 1,000 calories an hour

Koga
Koga incorporates cardiovascular kickboxing and yoga into a single workout. As it offers flexibility and cardio strength, it’s being hailed as the perfect hybrid workout.
Benefits: “It’s an all-round workout,” says fitness expert and hypnotherapist Vishwajit Matkar. “It strengthens the core while stabilising the spine and improves flexibility. Koga brings together plyometric, strength balance as well as breathing training.” In a typical class, after a warm-up, there is an intense, twenty-minute kickboxing session. Post this, yoga moves focused on a particular body part are carried out.
Can burn: 800-1,000 calories an hour

Yolett
Want that sleek ballet dancer’s frame? Go for Yolett, that combines ballet dancing and and yoga in one! Folks are raving about this fitness trend. In this fusion workout, you first do ballet movesfor greater balance and flexibility. Post that, you grab a floor mat and do half an hour of yoga poses and asanas. The resulting stretch is supposed to correct body alignment.
Benefits: This is superb body sculptor, which improves posture and blood circulation too. You hold each pose for 10 seconds or more, so the muscles are challenged. It also leaves you feeling mentally refreshed,” says yoga instructor Yogesh Chavan.
Can burn: 500 calories an hour.

Why you should try these
A fusion exercise regimen works on a variety of areas in the body. This kind of workout wakes up different muscles and tones them up. It cuts down workout fatigue or boredom as you are introduced to a new activity. Can be done as a stand-alone regimen, even in the confines of your cubicle. 

How to Build a Home Gym

Image courtesy: Thinkstock

If you’re tired of paying for an expensive gym membership and would like to work out from the comforts of your own home, make use of your home space, and build your very own gym. All you need to do is invest in some gym equipment that will suit your workout needs.

Hand weights
You can perform an array of exercises if you invest in hand weights and dumbbells. They also help make your regular workouts intensive. For example, exercises like squats and lunges get more advanced if done along with weights. Since they are available in different ranges, they are beneficial to everyone whether you’re a beginner or a pro. Tip: You can start off with lighter weights and keep buying heavier ones, as you progress.

Medicine ball
Medicine balls come in all shapes, sizes, weights, and colours. Be sure that the ball you pick suits your needs. They are a great substitute for hand weights, because they are about the same weight as them. However, you only have to hold onto one object instead of two, so you get more of an even toning.

Treadmill
If you use the treadmill in the gym daily for cardio exercises, investing in one for your home gym is wise, though it is an expensive piece of equipment. Training on the treadmill can become your main source of exercise, if you’re used to running outside but your schedule is not allowing you to. You can consider buying a second-hand machine from someone who isn’t a regular user.

Stability ball
If you’re pressed for space and don’t want to spend on an exercise bench, a stability ball is a great choice. They are good for abdominal exercises, because they support the spine and isolate the stomach muscles. You can perform inclined, seated, prone, supine, floor, and a number of lower body exercises. Warning: Since it is difficult to exercise with, it isn’t suitable for beginners.

Yoga mat
Invest in a yoga mat to practise yoga along with their regular gym routine. In fact, this mat can be a good addition to your gym, especially if you are looking for a place to do pilates and other exercises on a soft surface (to prevent slipping). A mat can relieve you of strain often accompanied by exercising on hard floors.

Skipping rope
You may laugh it off and dismiss it as a child’s toy, but jump ropes are cheap and highly effective during workouts. They are affordable alternatives to the treadmill. If you don’t want to run, a skipping rope can improve cardiovascular fitness, balance and agility, increase muscular strength and endurance, and burn calories when done properly.

3 Simple Ways to Relate Lovingly Everyday

Each partner has to give 100 per cent in order for a relationship to work.

Look at your relationship as a verb not a noun. It is something that you are doing everyday rather than a ship you are sailing on. You are in a relationship for as long as you are relating with this person. And if you are doing so lovingly then you are in a good relationship! Whose responsibility is a relationship? Is it 50-50? 80-20? In my opinion, each partner has to give 100 per cent in order for a relationship to work. Partnership requires a 100 per cent commitment from each person.

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1. "Want to" Vs "Have to"
Relationships are "created" and do not exist until two people unite in a common purpose. The only purpose that can work is "to commit to relating with each other in a loving and positive way." You make a choice to continue to relate with another person so that each of you can meet your life goals and attain personal growth. If you have children, then creating a loving environment would be one of the common purposes.

When you know that you want to be with this person more than you want anything else in the world, then everything you do for each other and to keep your life together harmonious will come from desire and a true "want" instead of a compulsion or a "have-to". You will not have anything to complain about.

2. Respond Vs React
Learning to respond with your "goal" in mind rather than reacting angrily or defensively to each other is essential. The said "goal" is "to relate with this person lovingly everyday". So the next time your partner pushes your buttons or says something that almost invokes an impulsive reaction, wait and think about that goal.

"A reaction is automatic, not thought through consequentially, whereas a response is chosen. Between an action and its reaction there is a space, and in that space is the opportunity to choose. Responding is using that space to make that choice and to do or say what will get you closer to your goal"

Choosing to respond in a sensitive manner to the feelings of your partner is a priceless habit to form in order to have a loving relationship.

3. Selfish Vs Selfless
All this is different from letting your partner walk all over you. No one wants to be a doormat, or be involved in a relationship with a pushover. So it is your responsibility to take care of "Number 1" – you. Remember the analogy of placing the oxygen mask on yourself first when travelling with kids? You cannot be there for anyone unless you look after yourself first.


Being selfish simply means taking responsibility for yourself, which is far more commendable than being a victim and blaming others and your circumstances for your situation. When you are selfish in this way, only then can the people around you be happy too. Sometimes, you may realise that in fact, "giving" your partner what they want instead of being stubborn about what you want, will often in fact make YOU happy.

There is a delicate balance between giving freely and thinking of our own needs. This is the trickiest relationship skill to master, but perhaps the most rewarding. 

Carrots and Dates Relish

A sweet and sour recipe, carrot and dates relish (Kachumber) is healthy, delicious and nutritious. It is also easy to prepare.

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Ingredients:

• 1 big carrot
• 8 dates
• 15 raisins
• 8 almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon lemon juice (to taste)
• Sugar to taste
• Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and peel the carrot. Then grate it.

Chop the dates finely into small pieces.

Soak the almonds in water for about half an hour. And peel and slice them.
Add the chopped dates, sliced almonds, raisins, salt, sugar, black pepper powder to the grated carrots and mix well.

You can serve it as it is or chilled.

Variation:

You can add soaked and boiled peanuts too.
You can also use fresh grapes, finely chopped instead of raisins.
You can also use freshly squeezed sweet oranges to marinate it, instead of lemon juice.