Inside the Ayesha Accessories Store at Quest Mall, Kolkata

Ayesha Accessories store, Quest Mall, Kolkata

With the opening of Kolkata's newest Quest Mall, we now have access to a lot of brands that were only available in cities like Delhi and Mumbai till date. Kiehl's, Crabtree & Evelyn, Parcos, Lifestyle, Gucci, Burberry, Michael Kors etc have all set up shop here and looks like the shopping scenario in Kol is all set for a major brand boost. Among the latest entrants is an accessories brand founded by an erstwhile child movie star, Ayesha Kapur. Yup, she was the talented little girl in the film Black and she also happens to be the daughter of Dilip Kapur, Hidesign's owner.

Ayesha is of course no longer a child and has grown up to be a beautiful and trendy teenager and her brand, Ayesha Accessories reflects her style. If you are fashionable, experimental and constantly evolving then you are definitely an Ayesha girl. The store opened up at Quest about a month ago and in this post, I'll give you a glimpse of what you can expect when you walk inside. 

Hosting an Afternoon with Kiehl's

A few days back I read somewhere that out of all the months, February is always the happiest and I can definitely vouch for that in 2014! Feb was a month of many firsts for me. It was the first time I hosted an event in collaboration with a brand, visited a vineyard and also got invited to a fashion week. Want to know how the hosting an event part transpired? Then read on J

Leading international skincare brand Kiehl’s opened their first store at Kolkata’s Quest Mall a couple of months back and I was contacted by them to host ‘An Afternoon with Kiehl’s', a two hour long event which would give people an opportunity to know more about the brand and their various products. They did not want the event to only target bloggers so I had to make sure that I invited people from all backgrounds and age groups. I had never done something like this before so along with a lot of excitement, there was also quite a bit of nervousness and apprehension. Planning involved deciding on the guest list, creating a formal invite, talking to the Kiehl’s brand manager on the activities for the day, contents of the goody bag, food etc etc. And I must say that Kiehl’s was an excellent partner. The people I spoke to were so friendly, helpful and professional and they took care of everything. For me, deciding on the guest list was the tough part. I wanted it to be a mixed crowd of bloggers and beauty enthusiasts so I invited my friends, fellow bloggers and also my mum and aunt. Basically 14 people who I knew would be interested in skincare and knowing about Kiehl's

The event was held on 15^th February and those two hours were so much fun. The Kiehl’s staff at the store took excellent care of everyone. They listened to all queries, gave skincare consultations, recommended products based on skin type, made sure we were all well fed with snacks and cupcakes and patiently handled a group of beauty bloggers who were crazily clicking away. Every guest was handed a goody bag which contained a 75 ml Kiehl’s Ultra Facial cleanser and generous samples of other products.

Introducing Kiehl's

Shirin, the store manager taking charge

My aunt to the left and mum to the right

Shikha, me with the 'Dhai Kilo Ka Haath' and Pranaadhika

So that’s the story of my ‘Afternoon with Kiehl’s and I hope I’ll get to host many more such afternoons in future. A big thanks to Sowmya, Zoya and Shirin from Kiehl’s and to all my friends and well-wishers who turned up on the 15^th to support me. Honestly can’t thank you guys enough <3

Here are some more pics of the event…

Tamia in the background. Nivedita and Poorna giving their best smile for the cam

Wonder what caught Nivedita's attention. That's Shikha next to her

Poorna is clearly very happy. Sharmishta posing like a model. Bidisha is just happy.

A girl's gotta have her lipstick intact always!

Ooops you just caught me eating my 6th cupcake! :D

Shikha giving her 'Can we get over with the posing now' look. Poorna and Pranaadhika are much more co-operative

Shayoni is clearly not happy about something. 

The Good Girl Look 

The very popular Mr Bones

Happy Bunch. Sreenanda added to the frame

A visit to the new Crabtree & Evelyn store at Quest Mall, Kolkata

I first got to know about Crabtree & Evelyn products around 5-6 yrs back when I went to Singapore. I was roaming around a mall and came across this beautifully decorated store with body and bath products inside it. The store looked so pretty that I had to go inside and take a look at what they had to offer. I tried out the hand creams and lotions and I was hooked! Everytime I went back, I made it a point to visit a Crabtree & Evelyn store and I must say, very few brands can make their products look as pretty as they can. 

Crabtree & Evelyn store, Quest Mall, Kolkata

Crabtree & Evelyn launched their first store in Delhi in 2012 and it has taken them two years to come to my city. The Kolkata store opened its doors on 3rd Feb and I paid a visit this week to see what's on offer. The store at Quest Mall is located on the 2nd floor and the decor will surely draw you in. Like all stores, this one also has a very pleasant and luxe environment. 

I was met by the lovely SA Maria who gave me a background of the brand and their range of products. The label founded in 1972 by Cyrus Harvey is famous for its natural range of soaps, lotions, shower gels, perfumes, foot care products etc. But what it is most famous for is definitely their hand care range with floral and fruit-based products. All Crabtree & Evelyn stores provide customers complimentary hand therapy and manicure sessions. On Mondays, you can make an appointment for a manicure and on any other day, all walk-ins get to experience a hand wash, scrub and massage. Even though, I did not go on a Monday, Maria very kindly gave me a manicure using the signature Gardener's range of products. She started off by cutting, shaping and filing my nails and then she used a hand wash, a scrub and massaged my hands with the Gardener's hand cream. I could see an instant improvement in the texture of my hands. They looked brighter and felt so soft. Also, can you believe that the smell lasted till the next day?? 

Other products I loved were from the Pomegranate and Rosewater range. They smell absolutely divine! Crabtree & Evelyn is a luxury brand so prices are definitely on the higher side but the quality of the products is beyond amazing. Just go to a store to experience them and I'm sure you will fall in love. There are a number of gifting options available in the store and right now, if you spend over Rs 4500, you get a free Satya Paul scarf or a pocket square. 

I'm so glad that brands like Crabtree & Evelyn are finally making an appearance in Kolkata and I definitely see myself stocking up on quite a few of the C & E products. Do visit the Quest mall store to experience the luxurious Crabtree & Evelyn products. You won't be disappointed!

Here are some more pics of the store.