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Lounge Loves New Color Studio Professional Nail Polish Color Studio Professional is keeping up with summer trend of pastels by introducing four brand new shades to their nail polish range. The new shades include Mint, Romance, Velvet Rose and Mocha. For a pastel green, go for Mint. For a deeper plum hue with a touch of sparkle, Romance is what you are looking for. Velvet Rose is perfect for a summer day with this lilac color. Nude matte beige on your tips will utter elegance, try out Mocha. Finish off your manicure with Color Studio Professional Base Coat to protect and nourish your nails and top if off with Super Top Coat to protect your nail color with a gorgeous shine. The New Color Studio Professional Nail Polishes are available at all leading stores. Cotton and Cotton Look your best with the Cotton and Cotton formal shirts that include smart work-wear styles, as well as shirts which are ideal for special occasions and are very reasonably priced. Lounge loves their Egyptian cotton collection. You can buy off the rack or have your shirts made to order, choosing from a large assortment of colors, prints and patterns. If you have shopped at any outlet all across Pakistan., Cotton and Cotton is offering 100% cash back deal to its buyers.
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Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation We are always looking for the perfect foundation for a clean and flawless look. Rimmel London’s Match Perfection Foundation is the product of the summer! With coverage that is easily blend able and includes SPF 15, beat the heat this summer with this long-wearing foundation. Keep your skin hydrated with the moisturizing effect, leaving you with a supple dewy finish. The SmartTone Technology mimic’s your true skin tone and texture with the Blue Sapphire complex pigments that offer radiance for a fresh and true color! Match Perfection Foundation by Rimmel London is available at all leading stores.
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Interview
Mausummery-
Aggressively taking the reigns of lawn market
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By Ayesha Nasir ausummery Lawn’s CEO Ayesha Mansoor talks to Lounge magazine about celebrating 15 years with Mausummery Lawn.
Mausummery is very quickly transforming itself into an agile organization with far greater touch points in response to servicing our consumers! Our facebook and website have been operational and servicing online orders locally and globally Q. Tell us about the flagship store you launched at Dolmen Clifton Mall in Karachi. What inspired you to open up a store in Karachi? A. As part of our 15th anniversary celebrations in 2012, we were committed to creating a direct presence in Karachi for our wonderful fans in Karachi who had been enthusiastically demanding for a flagship store in their city.
A. All we can say is that the middle of the year will see a lot of surprises. Q. Tell us about the stunning Mausummery flagship store located at Dolmen Clifton which is based on modern and minimal design. A. Our fans have been telling us how it simply stands out amongst all of the other offerings at the Mall! The highlight
Q. Lawn is considered to be a seasonal product but retail stores are expected to remain busy the year round: How will you work through this predicament? A. We won’t have an issue as we’ve already launched pure embroidered linen for the fall/ winter season. Our first collection came out last year making us now a 12 month operator! Q. Is winter fabric going to be a regular feature of your offerings from now on? A. Very much so! We are completely sold out and are already enthusiastic about the advanced orders being placed! Q. This year Mausummery Lawn celebrated its 15th year anniversary: what initiatives did Mausummery Lawn did to mark this momentous occasion? A. Mausummery is very quickly transforming itself into an agile organization with far greater touch points in response to servicing our consumers! Our facebook and website have been operational and servicing online orders locally and globally! We are rapidly increasing our outlets as well as exclusive retail agents across the top 10 cities of Pakistan. Q. Tell us about the exhibition in India that Mausummery participated in. A. As you know, neighbourly relations are thawing and our participation in the government led ‘Pakistan Lifestyle Exhibition’ was a part of the confidence building measures that both countries want to demonstrate. We were honestly swept off our feet by the response received. Q. Does Mausummery Lawn have plans of opening up more retail stores in Lahore and Karachi?
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Frankly for the last 15 years, Mausummery has simply stood on its own two feet. We’ve never felt the need to attach a designer name or even a super-model brand ambassador celebrity to add credibility to our brand of the store is how the product adds dynamic colour to the muted undertones of the store! Q. Do you plan to take Mausummery Lawn international? A. We are already present in the region through preferred partners. Creating a sustainable footprint in the greater region will start to happen hopefully next year! Keeping our fingers crossed! Q. Where do you see Mausummery Lawn in the next five years? A. Across multiple product categories and cities of Pakistan in dedicated flagship stores! Q. Are you planning to develop Mausummery Lawn into a lifestyle brand? I think it already is as so many of our wonderful fans demand us to be in handbags, clutches, stoles, shoes! Q. If lawn is a woman’s staple, what should the men of Pakistan be depending on: ever thought of doing lawn for men? A. Not lawn for men but perhaps casual shirts! Q. With stitched outfits cropping up all over, have you ever thought of developing a stitched line for Mausummery Lawn? A. No! We already have a very successful ready to wear brand by the name of ‘Origins’ that in less than two years has done tremendously well! Q. Howcome Mausummery Lawn has never planned to sign on big designer names? Frankly for the last 15 years, Mausummery has simply stood on its own two feet. We’ve never felt the need to attach a designer name or even a supermodel brand ambassador celebrity to add credibility to our brand. Mausummery is simply Mausummery and doesn’t need any name attached to it. Q. What do you think makes Mausummery Lawn one of the biggest lawn brands in the country? A. Our unique design sensibility! Our fans can spot a Mausummery anywhere in the world and nine times out of 10 they are right! Our fabric care and excellent value for money is the key to our success! Q. Mausummery Lawn has launched a fantastic website: do you think e-commerce
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will soon become popular for lawn brands? A. Yes, indeed! With an increase in quantities and players, logistic costs will continue to decrease! We’re Masha’ Allah receiving orders from 25 countries across the globe! We still haven’t understood how a fan in Botswana is excited enough to order Mausummery!
Hifsa’s Glo
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hether I am bogged down after a nasty argument with my husband or I have had a very long and tiring day at work or even if preparation for exams for my ten year old is driving me up the wall, at the back of my mind I always know that I have Hifsa. When my bones creak and my joints scream in pain and I feel a heavy weight tugging at the back of my neck, I pay a visit to Glo and in a couple of hours emerge shiny as a new penny. It has to be because of the superbly maintained hygiene standards of the salon, combined with the high quality products Hifsa always offers her clients. And the massages will have you addicted and allure you into coming back for more whenever you are exhausted. A serene atmosphere is maintained to provide the client a feel of being wrapped away in comfort away from the hustle bustle of the noisy world. Hifsa Khan is not only a very talented makeup artist with a booming bridal makeup business, but she makes an effort to know each of her clients personally and always has the time for a friendly chit chat as she offers a relaxing cup of tea to her loyal customers. This week, Lounge brings you more interesting things about Hifsa and her work. Q. When did you begin the salon? Was it on a small scale first and you
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expanded or did you invest big from the beginning? A. Glo started out at a very small scale but due to the overwhelming response from friends, family and clients we had to expand fast and there has been no looking back since. Q. Tell us about your personal life and background? A. I have a Masters degree in Economics from Government College. I started my career in the banking sector. After many years I realized my true calling in life and said good bye to the illustrious corporate world, starting out on my own. I began training professionally for classes and ended up opening my own studio salon. Q. What kind of services does Glo offer? A. Glo is a full service bridal salon and studio. We offer a comprehensive range of makeup, skin and hair solutions along with personal grooming classes and consultancy. We have relaxing facials and massages, organic hair dyes, herbal hair treatments, bridal and party makeup and of course all other basic salon services. Q. What is Glo’s niche/ what is the most sought after service in Glo? A. Our Ayurvedic hair treatments and super relaxing
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massages really keep the clients coming back for more. Q. What makes you better than your competitors? A. We just try to provide that extra bit of service, truthful suggestions (as opposed to purely commercial advice) and that personal touch which helps build long term relationships. Q. What is topmost on your priority when it comes to running Glo? A. Our utmost efforts are put into ensuring that the salon maintains super hygiene standards. The level of service being provided to our esteemed clients is also an area of focus. Q. What type of colours and makeup trends will be seen in the coming bridal season? A. This year the bridal colours will be a mix of pastels and rich tones of bold colours. Q. Which are your personal favourite makeup brands? A. Christian Dior, Armani, MAC and Bobby Brown are my all time favourites. If one can afford it, one must always invest
in good quality products because it’s own skin that is at stake and for maintaining its health, one must never compromise because of price. Q. Which brand’s products do you use for the clients? A. We generally use the best brands for clients. Currently we use Dermalogica and Isabelle Lancray for skin, Schwarzkopf, Igora, Essensity and L’Oreal for hair and MAC and Armani for makeup. Q. How do you divide time between home and work? A. This is clearly the most challenging task for me these days as business continues to expand. I try to spend quality time with my husband and kids and make the best of whatever little time we are together. Q. What hindrances did you face while entering this business? A. The beauty industry in Pakistan is very inward looking and closed. Besides not having professional learning institutes, there is also a sheer lack of guidance and support for new comers. Q. In a single liner what is the recipe of a successful salon? A. Consistent hard work, professionalism and solid relationship building – there are no short-cuts! Q. Tell us about your future plans? A. Currently we are looking to expand capacity with perhaps another branch in Lahore. Plans are underway to start the studio shortly as well. Q. What suggestion would you like to give your clients: A. I usually go against popular notion and provide straight forward advice. The most important thing clients need to know is that bleaching is murderous for your skin and hair. The concept of skin bleach is old and harmful and streaking is not the most prescribed way for your hair to look nice. Always opt for bleach free facials and use organic ways of dying your hair. Here’s where you can find out more about Glo: https://www. facebook.com/Glo.bridal.salon
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GulzebA rising star!
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designer with creativity and a passion to create something unique who also understands the mindsets of the target market, she is not only innovative in her designing but also a great entrepreneur who has made a mark. Gulzeb is a young Pakistani couturier with her work based in both Dubai as well as Karachi. Her ability to translate marvelous ideas into fabulous outfits which cater to a wide Pakistani audience makes her brand desirable. Gulzeb has achieved quite a name in a span of one year, launching herself in Dubai fashion week 2011. The event was incredibly successful proven by the appreciation she received. Her patterns were well thought with finesse in her cuts and designs. Her collection was trendy and traditional while some pieces were chic and classic. Needless to say, this fashion week acted as an ideal platform that helped her to introduce her label to the fashion world. Followed by Dubai fashion week, she also participated in Manchester Fashion Show which was again a success where she displayed a number of outfits including formal and semi formals. She works intensely with silk, chiffon, shamooz and Jamawar. She has participated in Pantene Bridal Couture, which again was another success, bringing her into limelight and giving her the attention she deserved. Gulzeb’s designs are more suited to empower women giving them confidence in their appearance for various occasions. Her outlet on Bukhari commercial Karachi, has a huge collection of summer prêt line offering a wide variety, where she also take orders and make customized outfits according to the clients requirement. Gulzeb is an ambitious lady, who is currently involved in starting a multi- brand store in Dubai. Her enthusiasm and hard work cannot be ignored, as she progresses everyday with
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Gulzeb has achieved quite a name in a span of one year, launching herself in Dubai fashion week 2011. The event was incredibly successful proven by the appreciation she received. Her patterns were well thought with finesse in her cuts and designs
her ideas and creativity. On the other hand her love for Pakistan is certainly undeniable as her work includes rich Pakistani traditional and bridal pieces. She has already been a part of bridal couture and plans to be a part of next Pakistan fashion week. She has been able to maintain a traditional look whilst catering to popular modern taste, involving a spectrum of colours. She is certainly an upcoming star in the field of fashion. Gulzeb is a brand worth noticing!
The new faces of the fashion industry Najia Anis takes ‘Naaj’ uphill Naaj woman is the woman of today - bold, dynamic, confident, trendy yet elegant and sophisticated Q. When did you start designing jewellery? A. I started in 2008 with imported jewellery and within a few months I was designing my own jewellery pieces. Due to family commitment, I took off a year and a half and restarted in late 2011. Q. What kind of stones and other precious metals do you enjoy working with? A. Mostly I like to work with precious stones such as rubies, emeralds and sapphires but enjoy using semiprecious stones like Aqua marine as well. Q. What inspires your design philosophy? A. Nature is my inspiration. A lot of floral designs can be seen in my jewellery. Q. Do you believe in designing separate pieces or complete sets? A. Both are equally important. Throughout the year I usually have clients coming in for individual pieces. However during wedding season there is higher demand for jewellery sets. Q. Who is the Naaj woman? A. Naaj woman is the woman of today - bold, dynamic, confident, trendy yet elegant and sophisticated. It’s the woman who knows how to carry herself the right way on every occasion. Q. Do you think Naaj pieces are only suitable for evening wear or also as regular daily wear? A. I do all kind of jewellery from light day wear to formal wear. Q. Why did you name your brand Naaj? A. My close friends call me Naaj. When I was launching
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Naaj in 2008, I deliberated whether I should use my maiden name for launching my brand or not. I thought Naaj was more catchy and different and that’s how the name took its origin. Q. Why did you choose to pursue your business from home, instead of opening up you own store? A. Due to family commitments as my kids are young I, for the time being, would continue to work from home. Q. As a working mother, do you find it hard to juggle family life and work? A. I believe that one has to set and manage his/her priorities. I am blessed that I have a very supporting husband and inlaws who help me manage everything. Q. With the price of gold touching the skies, have you ever thought of working in artificial jewellery? A. I deal in diamond jewellery so usually gold cost is not the highest cost component in my product. However, I believe that gold is a good saving instrument also.
Books
Reminiscences and Fiction By Syed Afsar Sajid
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unazza Salim, a noted educationist and writer from Faisalabad, has lately published the second part of her late brother Dr. Maqbool Akhtar’s (1938-2010) biography comprising a selection of his writings in Urdu, Punjabi and English. Ahmad Shahbaz Khawar, another bilingual writer of literary repute from the same town, has brought out his second fictional anthology in Punjabi with the symbolic title of Kach da Sach. Both these publications form the subject of this review.
Mera Qibla tay Ka’aba (Bhai ki Yad May) - Part II Compiled by: Munazza Salim Published by: Misal Publishers, Rahim Centre, Faisalabad Pages: Punjabi 224, English 95; Price: Not mentioned
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Mera Qibla tay Ka’aba This is the second part of the biographical publication under the above title. Dr. Maqbool Akhtar was a popular but competent professional psychiatrist, with a conspicuous predisposition to literature, culture and politics of the left. The present book is a collection of his miscellaneous writings in Urdu, Punjabi and English. As an egalitarian, Dr. Maqbool Akhtar’s speeches and writings reflect his innate yearning for a change in the status quo making way for the long-cherished ascendancy of the down-trodden, deprived and depressed masses, living in the so-called third world in utterly sub-human conditions. He virtually inherited the tendency from his maternal uncle and mentor Comrade (ex-Major) Ishaq Muhammad, a contemporary of Faiz and a staunch revolutionary. Dr. Maqbool’s accent therefore carries an ironical undertone directed to circumvent the prevailing social, political, economic and moral malaise endangering the very identity and existence of our nation and country. This is the rationale of his idealizing Faiz, Comrade Ishaq Muhammad, Bhagat Singh, Hassan Nasir and Khalid Hassan. Dr. Maqbool’s English writings included in the book are mostly his letters addressed to the media on some vital contemporary social,
political and moral issues. His weekly columns appearing on wichaar.com fill up the Punjabi section of this book. Likewise his Urdu writings too bear a journalistic stance meant to highlight the incongruities inherent in the system that we are accredited to as a people living in this part of the world. To say the least, his command of the idiom of the three languages is enviable. Kach da Sach It is a collection of Punjabi short stories by Ahmad Shahbaz Khawar, his second after Chup di Cheek. Khawar is a veteran bilingual writer with five publications (including this one) to his credit. As a commoner, he has seen the rough and tumble of life. His short stories seem to derive force from his personal observations, experiences, and grasp of life in its expansive diversity. Hanif Bawa, himself a noted fiction writer of Urdu and Punjabi, has written the foreword to the book. He thinks that Khawar’s stories faithfully portray a variety of socio-cultural themes characterizing the Punjabi way of life and its intrinsic weal and woe. The short stories pivot on subjects and situations peculiar to the modes of living in the rural and urban areas of Punjab. Afzal Ahsan Randhawa, an eminent Punjabi poet and fiction writer, commending the substance and form of Khawar’s stories in his flap appended to the book, views them as a mirror of truth vis-à-vis their sociological connotation and impact. All literary genres aspire to the condition of ‘truth and beauty’. Fiction in particular would appear to emerge as a vanguard in this quest. The truth of fiction is reversibly the truth of life also. Khawar’s stories reveal the stress and strife (hope, despair, love, hate, social discordance, economic pressure, moral depravity and all that) of the common life in our towns and villages within the artistic framework of his calling as a fiction writer. With its austere getup but rich content, the book is likely to interest and please both the literary connoisseur and the common reader of Punjabi fiction.
Kach da Sach Author: Ahmad Shahbaz Khawar Published by: Jamal Publications, Faisalabad Pages: 128; Price: Rs.150/-
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Practical intuition By Mariam Aftab
Your intuition can tell you about things that have yet to happen, things you’ve never seen, in places you’ve never been. In that sense, intuition is an “idiot’s art” it can be applied to anything
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ntuition does not need data, based on experience or experiment, if you asked me that would I be going to college or not. The empirical explanation would be to know that it’s going to be a weekday and barring a sudden illness or personal emergency, assume you’ll be in college. With intuition, you can even answer question about topics you “know nothing about”. Intuition responds to questions even the ones we haven’t consciously thought. In normal functioning logic filters our feelings, emotions and even intuitions. In the intuitive state, intuition becomes the preserver to all the other senses. Take a moment to notice how you feel when you are in an intuitive state. Do you sense any changes in your perception of your physical body? Do you feel Lighter? Heavier?… Warmer?…Cooler? Intuition is detached from its perceptions. Intuition perceives the world in whole rather than parts to be analyzed. In other words you notice what you do and don’t notice everything else. Intuition knows without knowing why you know what we talk about. Intuition is your 6th sense: You use your five primary physical senses – touch, sight, smell, hearing and taste – to gather information about the world around you. As you read this article, you’re gathering information through your senses. Intuition is perceived or felt in terms of vibrations within the body or in form of light being transferred within your body. It is different for different people as God created every human being different form the other. The key difference is
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that intuition perceives things without reliance on senses. Intuition knows no limits: Unlike our physical senses or our reasoning abilities, intuition is limited by neither space nor time. Your intuition can tell you about things that have yet to happen, things you’ve never seen, in places you’ve never been. In that sense, intuition is an “idiot’s art” it can be applied to anything, without you having any prior knowledge of the subject. Intuition neither requires that you “know” anything about the subject that you are reading nor that you understand the impressions you’re receiving! Intuition should add to good judgment, not replace it: Never forget, however, that you shouldn’t use intuition as the sole guide in your life, any more than you should allow logic to be the sole guide. A dangerous misconception about intuition is that it should be used to make decisions. The best use of intuition is not to decide whether you should do something but simply to add information to what you already know and feel. Intuitive information should not be considered in isolation, but then neither should emotional or sensory or logical data. Intuition plays a part in all your decision marking: Even though you may be unaware of the process, every decision you make to some degree uses your intuition, as well your knowledge, your judgment, and your feelings. At the risk of oversimplifying complex psychological processes, you evaluate situations based on four sources of information: ¨ What you know about them (your knowledge and memories) ¨ What you think of them (your judgments and interpretations) ¨ How you feel about them (you feelings and emotions) ¨ What you intuit about them (your intuition). Is any type of data more valid than any other? No, but emotional data is the least valid. I believe in feelings rather than emotions, though in our society we pay a lot of attention to emotions. Feelings are emotional sense without explanation. We tend to dismiss feelings as subjective, but in their realm, feelings are facts. If you feel angry, it’s an objective fact that you are feeling angry.
Intuition in the cards: The Eastern Tarot is the simplest method of developing your third eye or intuition. Even if you do not understand the meaning of each card completely it will still trigger your intuition. The cards will guide and develop you as you continue to use them. Designed on centuries of wisdom, each card holds the power to stir your spirit. Each symbol on the card will spark a part of your intuition and together they will help you to see the complete picture. Each card has different meanings for different people but together they will provide the complete picture, which will be correct in every instance and reading. These symbols will allow you to see and recognize that which was already there and that which holds a deeper meaning for each of us. It will guide you and transform you, the more you experience the Eastern Tarot the more open and receptive you will be to intuitive insights, helping you discover and appreciate the harmony of mind, body and spirit. The eastern Tarot will make your intuition so easy that you can experience it anywhere any anytime. There are no limits to the use and extent of prediction and understanding with these cards. There are three possibilities for you when you begin, one that you teach your intuition to work for yourself. The second that you train your intuition for other people, and the third that you keep a balance and let your intuitions work for both yourself and other people. This will help you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and your surroundings. Career intuition: Review your answers to the preceding questions. I would now like you to reflect on each question before responding. Here goes: ¨ Upon reflection, what do you want? ¨ Upon reflection, what do you need? ¨ Upon reflection, what is your greatest fear? ¨ Upon reflection, what is your dearest wish? ¨ Upon reflection, what do you need to be happy? ¨ Upon reflection, what is your ambition? ¨ Upon reflection, what is your greatest talent? ¨ Upon reflection, what is your most formidable obstacle? Record your responses in your intuition notebook. If you used a tape recorder, transcribe your precise words. Healing tip: Hold Amethyst in your left hand it will enhance your meditating ability.
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