Aromatherapy better known as flower therapy or Pushpa Ayerveda, is gaining momentum especially among health conscious people. Flowers, very delicate and rich in fragrance,have huge potential and immense importance on account of their aroma.The aromatherapy gives relief in stress, headaches, migraines, allergies, neck pains, shoulder pains, menstrual problems, anxiety, nausea, isomeric, chromic conditions, back strains, menopausal imbalance, gastro intestinal problems, fatigue/ tiredness etc.

Aromatherapy is an art and science of using essential oils from flowers and plant parts for health and well bieng. Essential oils have been used in healing since ancient times. They are obtained from various plant parts like- petal(rose), leaves(eucalyptus), roots of grasses(vetiver), heartwood (sandal wood) and resin(frankincense).

Through aromatherpy we can improve our emotional and physical health. The essential oils if applied on our skin act as an anti- bacterial, anti- viral and anti-fungal.The aroma affects our emotional senses because the olfactory nerves pass directly from our nose to the limbic system, the emotional center of the brain. To enjoy the smell of essential oils it is very essential since this gives us emotional balance.

The practice of true aromatherapy consists of inhalation and application of essential oils, volatile essences of plants, obtained through steam distillation, from various parts of certain plants. The tools of holistic aromatherapists are both essential oils and hydrosols. The aromatherapists also use carrier oil- fixed oils freshly cold- pressed from fruits, nuts or seeds- in which essential oils are diluted before applying to the skin.

Flower waters, also known as hydrosols, hydroflorates or distillates are products from direct steam distillation of whole plants. Unlike their “essential oil added to water” counterparts, true steam distilled hydrosols contain all the beneficial components that whole plant matreials have to offer, and are more true to their scent. They are wonderful and inexpensive as a facial splash, as a deodorant, and freshner for skin application, during massage, as in your body care recipes, and most may be used in culinary creations. They are moisturizing, fragrant, cooling and contain poroperties as essential oils in much less concentration, which makes them lovely alternative to those with sensitiveness.

A no. of hydrosols are used and marked for their beneficial effects. They are basil hydrosols ( for spraying halls, kitchens, refrigerators etc) ; calendulla hydrsol (refreshing , soothing, sweet with mild floral activity) is a perfect facial toner, may be used to bathwater; chamomile hydrosol (known for its ability to calm and ease the anxiousness et); celery sage hydrosol (cosmetics and body care formulations) ; cucumber hydrosol (refreshing cooling, crisp aroma) ; lavender hydrosol(relaxing and balancing) ; lemon balm hydrosol(calming effects on mental stress and fatigue) ; rose geranium hydrosol (cosmetic uses); orange flower hydrosols( various uses); sandalwood hydrosol (body perfume and aphordisiac); yarrow hyrdosol(beneficial in menestrual cycle) etc.

In massage, aromatherapy helps relax our muscles and encourage our mind to take a break from its usual frenetic activity. The massage oil extends massage into a therapy which gives profound effect on mind affecting emotional and physical behavioral of the people having learning difficulties. The massage with essential oils reduces stress level in certain type of patients.

A lady with pregnancy induced hypertension gets relief with lower blood pressure if she is asked to a massage her feet with a cream added with three drops each of Canarage odorate and Lavenderanqustifolis.

Aromatherpy also helps in postnal scars relieving problems like caesarean section wounds, emotional imbalance, fatigue and hemorrhage. A large number of essential oils are stress reducing and they can be used on a paper tissue, in the bath and in a vaporizer.

Kashmiri Shawls have been renowed since centuries and were the pride of French Queen, MariePashmina Scarves shawls Antoinette. With a long tradition of artistic excellence, the shawl is one of the most admired handmade fabric of Kashmir. Superb in workmanship, the unmatched magnificence is brought out by hand embroidery.

It is a work of delicacy, tremendous concentration and too much of patience. The decoration is formed by weft threads interlocked where the colors change, the weavers passing them between the warps using bobbins around, which the variously colored threads are wound. The raw material for pashmina is brought from and taken to for hand-weaving followed by embroidery and finishing.

There are three fibres from which Kashmiri shawls are made - wool, pashmina and shahtoosh. The prices of the three cannot be compared - woollen shawls being within reach of the most modest budget, and shahtoosh being a one-in-a-lifetime purchase.

Cashmere shawls and PashminaShawls have a delicate, silky softness that sets them apart from ordinary woolen shawls. Obtained from the fleecy undergrowth of the rare Kashmiri goat through traditional combing techniques, their delicate silky softness carries an aura of luxury & class that made it the choice of kings and nobility in a bygone era. We design, fabricate and export an exquisite range of Cashmere Shawls embellished with ethnic Kashmiri work and other elegant designs.

It is on pashmina shawls that Kashmir’s most exquisite embroidery is executed, sometimes covering the entire surface, earning it the name of ‘jamawar’. A Jamawar shawl can, by virtue of the embroidery, increase the value of a shawl threefold.

Fashion - Versace Spring 2007

Diamond anniversary rings and diamond eternity rings are set with gems that encircle all or a large chunk of their circumference to symbolize eternal love. Both types of diamond rings are perfect gifts for an anniversary, at Christmas or for any other special holiday. The good news is that diamond anniversary rings are available in many price ranges.1) 18K White Gold Five-Stone Diamond Band
Here’s a lovely diamond anniversary ring set with five round diamonds that are each secured by four 18k white gold prongs on an 18k white gold band. Total diamond weight is 1/2-carat.

2) 18k White Gold Diamond Eternity Ring Priced Under $500
Fifteen round diamonds completely encircle this eternity ring. The diamonds are channel set in polished 18k white gold, with a total weight of 1/4 carat. The ring is also available in 18k yellow gold and in a slightly more expensive version that features larger diamonds.

3) 10k Anniversary Ring with Diamond Accents
10k gold and diamond accents make this anniversary ring a more affordable choice. It’s priced under $125.

4) Platinum Eternity Band with Princess Cut & Pave Set Diamonds
Pretty, pretty — with diamonds on the top and sides of the band. Twenty-eight pave-set round diamonds and thirteen channel set, princess cut diamonds adorn a platinum band with a milgrain design.

5) Diamond Studded Platinum Band
Twelve round diamonds are studded all the way around this polished platinum ring. The total diamond carat weight is 0.75 carat.

6) 18k White Gold Ruby and Diamond Band
Rubies and diamonds alternate along a portion of this 18k white gold band, sharing common prongs. There four medium red, heat enhanced rubies and the total diamond weight is 0.30 carat.

7) Hidalgo Diamond Band
An 18K white gold band by Hidalgo is bezel-set with round diamonds. 1/4 carat total weight diamonds. This ring is lovely alone and it’s a perfect ring to stack with other styles.

18k White Gold Diamond and Sapphire Band
Is blue her favorite color? This platinum anniversary band features brilliant diamonds that alternate with deep blue sapphires. One-third carat total diamond weight.

9) 14K Yellow Gold Diamond Anniversary Band
Here’s a diamond anniversary band with eleven round diamonds that are channel set in 14k yellow gold. Diamonds are I color, I1 clarity and have a total carat weight of .50 carat. Priced under $400.

10) 14K White Gold Band with Two Rows of Diamonds
Twenty-one diamonds create two rows of sparkle in this slightly wider gold band with milgrain edges. Very pretty with a 0.50 carat total diamond weight. Priced under $400.

I feel as though some people need to be properly educated on Fashion Terminology.

Fashion: A fashion consists of a current (constantly changing) trend, favoured for frivolous rather than practical, logical, or intellectual reasons.

Fashion Designer: couturier: someone who designs clothing

Fashion Merchandiser: Fashion merchandisers track and analyze market trends, production costs, and previous sales numbers to determine the product direction that the manufacturer will take each season. Merchandisers are some of the most powerful employees within an apparel company with large bottom-line and personnel management responsibilities.

Couture: Fashion; the term for the clothing that designers create for an exclusive market of individual customers and exclusive boutiques that will be made to each customer’s measurements. // High fashion. The highest levels of fashion design, usually features designs that are only affordable to the very wealthy. Example: Chanel, Christian Dior, Valentino, Lanvin.

HAUTE Couture: very expensive handmade individual fashion garments, referred to as ‘high fashion’. // High fashion; the most exclusive designs, often unique pieces created for individual customers.

Trendsetter: someone who popularizes a new fashion.

Glamour: alluring beauty or charm (often with sex-appeal.)

Glamorous: having an air of allure, romance and excitement; “glamorous movie stars.”

Fashionista: A fashionista is a complimentary term used to describe an avid follower of fashion, one working in or deeply involved with the high-fashion industry, such as a fashion designer, fashion model, photographer, buyer, fashion writer, or wearer; a devotee to clothing trends and fashion.

Ready-To-Wear: ready-made clothing; “she couldn’t find anything in ready-to-wear that she liked” // off-the-rack: (especially of clothing) made in standard sizes and available from merchandise in stock; “a ready-made jacket”; “ready-to-wear clothes”

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. (Euronext: MC) : usually shortened to LVMH, is a French holding company and the world’s largest luxury goods conglomerate. It is the parent of around 50 sub-companies that each manage a small number of prestigious brands. The child companies are run, to a large extent, autonomously. The group was formed after mergers brought together champagne producer Moët et Chandon and Hennessy, a leading manufacturer of brandy. In 1987, they merged with fashion house Louis Vuitton to form the current group. The group is partly owned by the Christian Dior group, and Bernard Arnault is Chairman and CEO of both companies. His successful integration of various famous aspirational brands into the group has inspired other luxury companies into doing the same. Thus Gucci (now part of the French conglomerate PPR) and Richemont have also created extended portfolios of luxury brands. The oldest of the LVMH brands is wine producer Château d’Yquem, which dates its origins back to 1593.

I also thought I’d inform those of you who are uninformed entirely about fashion, the head designers and other facts about some of the major design houses which are popular in todays times.

DIOR: The current head designer is John Galliano. who was working for Givenchy until October 14, 1996, when LVMH moved him to Dior. Christian Dior, himself, however, had established his main fashion house in 1949; Christian Dior New York, Inc. He died in 1957.

The House of Chanel, more commonly known as Chanel, is a Parisian fashion house in France founded by Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel (b.1883 - d.1971). According to Forbes, the privately held House of Chanel is jointly owned by Alain Wertheimer and Gerard Wertheimer who are the grandsons of the early (1924) Chanel partner Pierre Wertheimer. See? COCO was not her real name, only a nickname. Currently, Chanel is under the command of Karl Lagerfeld, who has defined the style and fashion of Chanel as being the five essentials: audacious, perfectionist, unique, passionate, and visionary.

Louis Vuitton: Let me start out by saying that the current stat’s show, that 90% of the LV merchandise being bought up by people is counterfeit! Louis Vuitton Malletier à Paris, more commonly known simply as Louis Vuitton, is a luxury French fashion and leather goods brand and company headquartered in Paris, France. In February 2007, they bought majority stake in British luxury car Aston Martin from Ford. The company is named after its founder Louis Vuitton (August 4, 1821-February 27, 1892), who designed and manufactured luggage during the second half of the nineteenth century. Vuitton was born in Jura, France (now part of the commune of Lavans-sur-Valouse), but moved to Paris in 1835 and two years later, at the age of 16, he apprenticed for the luggage manufacturer Monsieur Marechal. In 1854, he founded the company, which is now owned by LVMH, a French-based holding company helmed by Bernard Arnault. Marc Jacobs is their head designer.

Gucci, or the House of Gucci, is an Italian fashion and leather goods label. It was founded by Guccio Gucci (1881-1953) in Florence in 1921. Gucci is one of the most famous, prestigious and easily recognizable fashion labels in the world. John Ray is their Head designer.

Prada, S.p.A. is an Italian fashion company (also known as a “label” or “house”) with retail outlets worldwide. The company, originally known in Italy as (”Prada Brothers”), was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada in Milan. In 1978, Mario’s granddaughter Miuccia Prada inherited what was still a leather goods business from her mother, and led the company’s expansion into couture.

Fendi is an Italian fashion designer brand founded in 1918, most famous for its selection of shoes and furs. Fendi boutiques can be found all over the world. In recent years, Fendi entered the American market with stores in New York, Bal Harbour, and the Galleria in Houston. Today, as part of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. group, its creative director is Karl Lagerfeld.

Gianni Versace S.p.A. is an Italian clothier founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. After Gianni Versace was killed by Andrew Cunanan on July 15, 1997, his sister Donatella Versace, formerly vice-president, stepped in as creative director of the designing House and his older brother Santo Versace became CEO. Currently, Donatella Versace controls the majority of the company’s assets until her daughter, Allegra, the sole-heiress of the Versace fortune, is prepared to take an active role. The first Versace boutique was opened in Milan’s Via della Spiga in 1978, and its popularity was immediate. Today, Versace is one of the world’s leading international fashion houses. Versace designs, markets and distributes luxury clothing, accessories, fragrances, makeup and home furnishings under the various brands of the Versace Group. Versace’s Style Department employs a group of designers and stylists who work in teams. Each team is specifically dedicated to each fashion line or label. These teams operate under the close supervision and guidance of Creative Director, Donatella Versace.

Manolo Blahnik (born November 27, 1942) is a Spanish fashion designer and an eponymous fashion label, one of the world’s most prominent in women’s shoes. Born in Santa Cruz de La Palma in the Canary Islands to a Czech father and a Spanish mother and raised on a banana plantation, Blahnik graduated from the University of Geneva with a degree in literature in 1965 and went on to study art in Paris. He moved to London in 1970 and opened his first shop in 1973 by buying out an existing shop called Zapata in Chelsea. His shoes, now sold in stores bearing his name around the world, range in price from about $500 to $2500. They often come with stiletto heels, which can reach as high as five and a half inches, and embellishments like beads or ribbons. The television show Sex and the City mentioned his shoes so often that it helped cement his place in pop culture, and he was said to be the “fifth star” of the show after the show’s four lead actresses.

Jimmy Choo: A Hakka Chinese shoe designer based in London and is best known for his exquisitely hand-made, incredibly expensive shoes and handbags. Choo was born in Penang, Malaysia, and studied at Cordwainers’ Technical College. Born into a family of shoemakers, it comes as no surprise that he created his first shoe at the tender age of 11. A piece of trivia that most people are unaware of is that Jimmy Choo’s name is actually Jimmy Chow. When he was born the registrar spelled his name incorrectly on his birth certificate, resulting in the now well-known name of Jimmy Choo - a name that makes shoe- savvy women swoon. In May of 1996 Tamara Mellon, former UK Vogue accessories editor, bought 50% of Choo’s company and she along with Choo’s niece, Sandra Choi, then launched the ready-to-wear line. Since then the company has expanded across the globe and garnered a slew of celebrity clientele. The late Diana, Princess of Wales, was a huge fan of Choo’s designs. He is said to have lost count of the number of shoes he made for Princess Diana. After she separated from Prince Charles she was frequently seen out and about in his delicate high-heeled shoes, a style that she could not wear when she was still with her shorter husband. In June 2003, Jimmy Choo was awarded an OBE by the Queen of England, for his services in making London the design center of the world for the fashion industry.

Just to name a few…