Here we are once again with the world wide celebrated special day of romance; Valentine's Day, right around the corner. The day celebrated on the 14th of February is a day of joy for people of all ages as they make the evening special for their loved ones. Gifts are exchanged, feelings are expressed and sometimes real promises of commitment for the rest of the life are made.

Every mall of Karachi, Lahore and many other cities of Pakistan are decorated keeping the theme of 'love' in mind; red being the colour of the day. Gift items made especially for the occasion are sold, restaurants start off with dinner deals for couples and hotels have their ballrooms ready for a party dedicated to the love of many couples. Men around the world gather their resources in advance and prepare for a night of dining and sweet romancing. With greeting cards flooding the mail and gourmet chocolate purchases taking place in abundance (not to mention jewellery, flower, gift basket and plush animal sales), together we all bow down to love and pay homage to Valentine's Day.

Well, let's move away from the bright side of this day for a bit. Here's the darker side where the grass isn't green anymore; on this day you will also see the guy you saw last year sitting with some new girl, while many of the last year committed guys and gals will also be spotted with friends rather than their once assumed soul mates. Yes, Valentine's Day is also the day where old memories are aroused and of course when you see your friends searching for gifts for their boyfriends or fiances an ounce of envy and loneliness is sure to strike. Ladies and gentlemen, this is what Valentine's Day is; a day for lovers and a day considered as a charade for the heartbroken and the love-haters. The fact is that no matter how many bad experiences we all have had, love really does exist. You may need to kiss many frogs to find your prince charming, but I suggest we stop with the kissing and start with the waiting for 'the one'. Of course some relationships that aren't meant to be are bound to break, but hey we gave it our best shot didn't we? Instead of crying over spilt milk we all need to learn from out mistakes rather than adding further negativity to our hearts, minds and souls. After all it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. All you need to do now is accept the concept of love as you can ignore it but its impossible to avoid it. This is a day for celebration so be happy for the ones who have somebody to love and pray that one day you will also be in a similar situation.

For the couples:

All you couples out there, congratulations for being committed and in love! It's true that love lasts all year long but this day is dedicated especially to its existence so all you guys out there stop laughing at girls for acting cheesy and expecting you to do something special and intimate in their honour. For this day a planned dinner and a romantic gift accompanied with a bouquet of red roses is a must. If you have recently met the girl or guy of your dreams then just stick to chocolates and stuffed toys but for those who have been in love for more than a year have to come up with extraordinary ideas indeed. There are several ideas you can keep in mind while trying to make your sweetheart happy. So, get ready to have your socks and wallets knocked off. Yes, money is essential here so leave your stingy attitude at home for now. The best gifts for both the sexes are perfumes. You not only get to make your partner happy but you also make them smell delicious. The suggested brands to be opted for are Escada, Gucci, Bvlgari, Victoria's Secret and Hugo Boss. Shoes, clothes, handbags and wallets are also an option, but go for branded stuff. You can also gift a mobile phone or a laptop or something falling in this category. Of course the best gift of all would be rings with engraved initials and you can throw in a 'You belong to me' if you want.

The most special date would be to reserve a boat that is used for crabbing or one of those boats at Marina club. Make sure it's just you and your sweetie and of course the boat crew. Decorate the boat a bit and make your evening the most romantic of all. Booking a beach hut will be cheaper but what the heck can't you even do that much for the person you utter those three magical words to everyday!

For the single people out there:

No need to be sad just because you don't have that special someone as you can still go out and celebrate Valentine's Day. Buy gifts like stuffed toys and chocolates for your best friends who are there to always support you and care for you. Go out with them for dinner and celebrate your friendly love for each other. If that's not an option then you always do have your family there to stand by your side.

Valentine's Day is one of the most romantic days of the year; it's a day of finding love, being in love, and wishing to be in love. It's imperative on the most romantic day of the year to keep lashes in place, lips perfectly rouged and flaws cleverly obscured. Valentine's make up is all about soft pinks, plums, and cherry reds. The softness created by this type of make up helps bring a touch of innocence and sensuality to a woman's appearance. Pink is a classic colour for Valentine's Day and there is a shade to suit everyone. Sheer hues look fabulous on pale girls, while darker girls can get away with richer pinks like fuchsia. To truly look your best with Valentine's make up choose make up that complements you. Follow these fool-proof make up tips and application techniques; embrace the sentiment of Valentine's Day and opt for a pretty, romantic look:

The natural glow:

Apply foundation that matches your skin type as well as your skin tone to make sure you look as natural and flawless as possible. Set the make up using a translucent powder. This will also ensure your skin a matte finish and a shine free complexion. For your face, a muted wash of mid-pink blusher will flatter all skin tones, while a pearlescent highlighter will add an irresistible glow.

Eyes say it all:

Draw attention to your eyes with a subtle sweep of light pink eye shadow. If your skin is particularly dark, avoid this look as it will appear chalky. Instead, try a shade with either red or gold undertones. Use a liquid eye shadow and your fingertip to apply the eye shadow to your entire eyelid.

Everyone can benefit from a bit of black mascara and a touch of black eye liner, both of which will add a bit of edge to the innocence. Curl your eyelashes using a lash curler and apply two coats of mascara. You can create a more glamourous look if you wish by applying false eyelashes.

The red effect:

Luscious red lips are a trademark for sexy Valentine make up look. Use your lip liner on top of the lipstick. This helps to avoid the oblivious line around the lips when your gloss comes off. Lining after your lip colour also allows for easier application and blendability. Use a lip scrub on lips to remove dead skin cells. Then apply a gentle lip balm. Define your lips with a red lip liner. Start on the top line drawing from left to the middle, then from the right to the middle. Do the same for the bottom lip. Draw in a sexy pout by using your lip liner in the center of the lower lip. Apply lipstick to your lips with a lip brush. Finish lipstick with a clear lip-gloss with a touch of gold. If you are hesitant to wear bright red lipstick, wear a soft red gloss instead. To feel more romantic, use naturally scented lip products.

Hair affair:

For a free-flowing, natural style, curl your hair with rollers and run your fingers through afterwards for a voluminous yet relaxed, tousled finish. If you want to go a bit more glam, tie your hair into a loose bun and accessorise with a bejewelled clip or headband - something heart-themed would look particularly cute.

Nail express:

Valentine's Day is a time to make a major nail statement. Instead veer towards a soft neutral hue, or lighten up your favourite dark shade by adding French white polish.

Sweet surrender:

An intense perfume such as Opium by Yves Saint Laurent will counteract the subtlety of your hair and make up. Its seductive ingredients, jasmine, myrrh and vanilla go a long way in explaining why it is renowned as a 'bedtime scent'. Alternatively, add further girlishness with Ralph Lauren's Romance (how apt!), a predominantly floral fragrance underpinned by velvety woods and musk, making it ideal for Valentine's Day.

Credits:

Compilation: S. K

Photography: Kashif Ali

Hair and make up: Beenish Pervaiz

Model: Humaima

Coordination: Thomas Fernandes

0300-2206791

500 Days Of Summer

The movie begins with Tom Hansen a physically average looking guy, reflecting back on the one year relationship he had with the love of his life. The day Summer came to work at his office, it was love at first sight for him and he just knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. The problem now was that Tom was a believer of love while Summer was against relationships since childhood. Time passed and somehow Tom and Summer ended up having a sweet and romantic relationship where they both seemed to connect and had the perfect understanding required by every couple. However, with time things went bad and a breakup was inevitable. Tom's life came crashing down and he moped over his loss for more than a hundred days, hoping and planning all along on how he could win Summer back. Soon he finds out that Summer is married and is in love with someone else.

This movie should be seen by all those who lost someone they love as it's going to make them realise that everything happens for the best. You might assume that a particular person is 'the one' but usually fate has something better in store for you.

The Time Traveler's Wife

Henry played by Eric Bana is a Chicago librarian, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder which enables him to travel through time. Time travelling here is not a super-power as he cannot control when he goes, when he comes back and where he goes. He can vanish at any point in time and end up in totally unexpected situations. The only person who knows about his secret is Claire played by Rachel McAdams. Claire met Henry when she was a child and has been in love with him since then. Somewhere in her 20's Henry appears in her life again and they get married and start their life together. However, Henry keeps disappearing in the middle and this leads to the occurrence of many fights and misunderstandings between the romantic couple. Soon Claire gets pregnant and they have a baby girl. The baby makes them forget their fights and the family lives together happily. This movie shows how love can stand even the hardest test of times and how people completely opposite from each other remain in love throughout their lives.

Definitely, May Be

This movie is by far the most romantic comedy out of all the recent flicks. Its storyline is based on how destiny and fate unites two lovers who are just meant to be with each other. The movie begins with Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds), a 38-year-old divorced father interacting with his 10-year-old daughter Maya. On one of the custodial visits Maya questions her father about love and marriage and he in return begins to tell her the story of his past and how exactly he ended up with her mother. The catch here was that he tells the story to Maya using fake names and she is supposed to guess who her mother is from amongst the three most important girls from his past. The girls are Emily, April and Summer. This is when the flashback part comes in and the audience is taken down Will's memory lane.

The flashback begins with college sweethearts Emily and Will as a couple totally in love. Will moves to New York to fulfil his dream job leaving Emily to wait for him. In his new office he becomes close friends with a sweet girl named April and tells her everything about Emily. Unfortunately luck wasn't on his side and Emily cheated on him and dumped him. April who apparently had feelings for him was on his side all along and never for a moment let him mourn over his loss. However, Will soon began to date a girl named Summer and April is heartbroken. April left town and the flash back is taken ahead to life after a few years where Summer and Will are still happy and in love. April drops in his life through the passage of time but nothing romantic really sparks between them. Soon Summer and Will break up and somehow Emily enters his life again and it then becomes obvious that Maya's mom is indeed Emily.

However, after listening to the story Maya realises that April is the one her dad loves and the two love birds are united in the most heart-touching way possible. The moral of the movie was that no matter what happens, something which is meant to be will happen eventually and nothing can stop it.

The Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past

This movie is based on the life of a renowned playboy and a successful fashion photographer Connor Mead played by Matthew McConaughey and how he falls for a simple girl next door Jenny Perotti played by Jennifer Garner. Connor goes to his younger brother's wedding to convince him not to get married and to continue the family's so called legacy of being players who have nothing to do with love. Connors favourite motto taught to him by his late dead uncle was, "The power of a relationship lies in the hands of the person who cares less." This had taught him not to love and to just play around with the hearts of women.

The story begins as he arrives at his dead uncle's estate during the rehearsal the night before the wedding and encounters his former sweetheart Jenny. At night he is visited by three ghosts who take him to his past, present, and future. The motive of this was to make Connor learn from his life so he could fix what he had broken and learn what lies deep inside his heart.

Technology wise

Ingredients:

- Plain cake mix 1 box

- Red Jelly powder

(Strawberry or Raspberry flavour) 1 packet

- Milk 1 cup

- Butter (melted) 1/2 cup

- Eggs 3

- Vanilla extract 2 teaspoons

- Assorted candies for decorating (optional)

- Butter cream frosting (recipe below)

METHOD:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease one round 9-inch cake pan and one square 9-inch cake pan and dust lightly with flour; set aside.

- In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, Jelly powder, milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for a minute. Increase mixer speed to medium and continue beating for another two minutes, until batter is smooth and well blended.

- Divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until very lightly browned. Insert a toothpick into the centre of the cake and if it comes out clean this means your cake is ready.

- Cool both the cakes on wire racks for about 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.

- When cakes have cooled, create a heart-shaped cake by turning the square cake so that it looks like a diamond. Cut the circle cake in half to make two semi-circles; place one half on each of the top two sides of the "diamond" to make a heart.

- Frost and decorate the cake as desired.

Butter cream frosting:

- Butter (softened) 1/2 cup

- Icing sugar (sifted) 3 3/4 cup

- Milk 4 tablespoons

- Vanilla extract 2 teaspoons

- Red liquid food coloring (optional)

- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until light and airy.

- Add the sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for one minute; turn the mixer to medium speed and continue beating until frosting is fluffy, about another minute.

- Add food colouring, a couple of drops at a time, and continue beating until desired shade is reached.

Well it is that time of the year again when love is in the air... everywhere. Each year we try to bring you something different and something interesting to tickle your fancy and keep you entertained come Valentine's Day. But this year around we got tired of the cliched pieces on 'how to woo your woman' and the 'perfect gifts for your beloved' so we though we'd bring you something different; something a little more fun.

When you really look at it ultimately this day has become another day for women, why? Because men end up doing all the work and women end up reaping all the benefits. The dogma attached with all things lovey-dovey on this day dictates that you must please your beloved i.e. your woman. This is not to say that women make zero effort but mostly it is the gentlemen that have to roll up their sleeves and get down and dirty with presents and plans for their ladies.

There are always a few though that find ways out of all love related problems. So let's take a look at the top five reasons men refuse to celebrate Valentine's Day.

But she's my wife now

Many men do not understand the concept of celebrating Valentine's Day with their wives. So she was your girlfriend and then you two got married. Happy ending? No dears this was just the beginning. You made your girl an important part of your life and she won't be going away anywhere anytime soon. Just because she cooks and cleans for you does not make her your maid (or your mother). This is the same woman you once wrote sappy poetry for and drummed out tunes on your broken guitar. What's different now? Please gentlemen have a heart, and realise that your wife may be sick and tired of taking care of the baby that was once the man they married? It's just one day, stop being lazy and run out to buy her the balloons and the heart shaped cake she so rightly deserves.

I believe in a year long celebration

Sure you do, but how many times a year do you try to bring a bunch of flowers for your sweetie? We're guessing not a lot. Men who sit around and claim that fixating on a single day dedicated for love is for idiots are in fact the ones that won't be caught dead looking at a greeting card which says 'I love you' or 'I miss you' on a regular day. And those who claim that they do in fact celebrate their 'love' everyday need to get real. In this day and age we have things like no electricity, no gas and a brilliant recession to deal with. Who are you kidding and what love do you feel for anyone in such wonderful times? Please stop being pathetic and stop the sap overload. Instead of alienating your girl (who may as well end up being the only person who didn't get anything on V-Day). Go the distance for just one day, instead of acting like a chimp on heat the whole year.

But the roses didn't cost that much yesterday

So this guy actually believes in the effort... in theory. Practical implementation becomes too big a burden on his pocket! We've all seen this guy (and he may have a point). The same roses you can buy for a hundred rupees on any other day will cost you around eight times more on the 14th of February. Like most other celebratory days, this one has also been commercialised a tab bit. When you walk around the market and pick up pretty much anything that resembles a gift for your significant other you're sure to encounter a big bargaining battle with the shopkeeper. For once he won't let you down because he knows if you don't buy the perfume, teddy, chocolates, flowers or whatever he's offering, someone else most definitely will. And we get the point guys we really do, but what exactly does this admonition say about you? It's just one day out of the whole year... is your scrimping and saving more important than the smile of your beloved?

The lame excuses

"Why should I get you flowers? You get me flowers!"

The Saroo can be somewhat linked to the miser that was previously mentioned. Only his problem is not the fact that he has to do something on Valentine's Day... it's the fact that he's the only one doing ANYTHING on Valentine's Day. So he ends up boycotting it completely. The problem seems to be that he wishes he was the girl in the relationship instead. Okay we admit, sometimes women can be too high maintenance and let's face it guys can get sick of doing all the pleasing and the gifting and what not. But don't blame the women; blame society for setting your roles for you. And trust me, the only person appreciating your girl making a gigantic effort for a guy on V-Day will be you, yourself, and then you again. So savour it for the 15 minutes you will be given... before everyone around you starts poking fun of you for carrying a bouquet around.

Papa don't preach

Every year Valentine's Day doesn't just bring around the heart shaped balloons and the romance overload it also brings along with it a hint of controversy. You will find one of these gentlemen almost everywhere you go either handing out pamphlets or free lectures on the infidelity that the west has unleashed upon us through its obscene rituals. I've encountered a few such people in the past who changed their stance on the ungodliness of Valentine's Day as soon as they found a girlfriend (who, to say the least, annoyed the life out of their guy till he bought a rose). So please people, don't use religion as an excuse for everything you can't have or don't want someone else to have. You think it's not a great idea to celebrate then go ahead and don't do it, don't declare war on the entire universe.

"Wow! It looks as if you have reduced a lot. You are looking really smart. How you have done this?"

"Aha! Long time no see! You are looking quite younger than before. What's the secret?"

"I can't believe that you are a mother of two! You seem to be in your early twenties!"

How would you feel if one fine morning you come across these kinds of remarks? You definitely feel like you're on cloud nine. But the million dollar question is what one should do in order to get these smart comments? And the cheapest answer to this question is "reduce weight." But a second million dollar question is, "how?" And to this expensive question, I have got some really inexpensive answers. However, before telling you the answers, I must clarify one thing that I don't believe in tough exercises or starving diet plans. That's the reason why I call my weight reduction strategy as 'Diet Management Plan'. This may sound a bit bureaucratic but unlike bureaucrats, it works.

First of all, buy a digital weighing machine. Some of you may have that weighing scale in their bathrooms but I would still advise you to replace it by a digital machine. There is a reason behind it; whenever you try to weigh yourself, most of the time the scale seems to be unmoved and resultantly you become frustrated. On the other hand, digital machine can record even a slight reduction in weight which you can see on its screen loud and clear. So get a digital machine, weigh yourself, note it down with date and save it in your mobile phone.

Second thing to do is to set a target date by which you want to reduce X kilograms of weight. Don't be over ambitious because a target like "reducing 6 kilograms a month" will again frustrate you and on the contrary you will end up in gaining 6 kilos. Set a goal of something like "reducing 1 kg a month" and then "weight" and see. Slow and steady will definitely win the race.

Now comes the real 'Diet Management Plan'. This plan has two basic themes, one, eat six times a day, two, make a 'pyramid' of your meals. Taking six meals a day would increase your metabolism which in turn would reduce weight; and by making 'pyramid' of meals mean to start with a healthy breakfast and then as the day progress reduce the size of the meal and end up ideally with no dinner or a very light dinner, taken at least two hours before going to bed. A very important question is what to eat and my answer is whatever you like but please don't make a pyramid of every meal rather you can plan your six meals in a pyramid way which may include paratha, omelette egg, roti, a plate of rice with gravy of your choice, shami kabab or chicken piece (preferably without oil), digestive biscuits and a bowl of fruit with thin layers of chicken and yogurt toping can be taken anytime when you feel hungry.

Ok, so far so good! But again a very important question needs to be answered here and that is how to avoid craving? My answer is don't avoid it. Eat what you are dying to eat but keep three things in mind, one, don't get carried away which means eat only to satisfy your craving and not to fill your stomach; two, compensate the excessive intake by skipping dinner; three, keep the compliments in mind which people will give you when you will weigh 6 Kgs less than what you are today. Imagining Katrina Kaif's figure while eating will also help!

There are also some minor tips in my 'Diet Management Plan' which can go side by side. Drink plenty of water, take green tea instead of coffee or black tea, replace regular soft drinks with diet ones, avoid bakery items (keep in mind that there are 200 calories in a biscuit so it is better to have a full fledge meal instead of having biscuits in lunch) and if possible. The most interesting and valuable tip in this regard is "don't raid the fridge at night!"

You must have noticed by now that neither I have recommended any exercise nor walk in this plan. I have not even proposed such meals which contain brown bread, tea without sugar, boiled vegetables or gravy without oil. This is the most practical diet plan of the world and if you just stick to it for only two weeks, you will get your money's worth which you spent on buying that digital weight machine.

Having said all this, there are also some exceptions to this plan. First, it doesn't work for dishonest people and let me explain this. Most of us who follow a diet plan often lie to themselves by saying that they haven't eaten anything since morning whereas in reality they have had taken around 5000 calories. So no diet plan can work for such people, as simple as that. Second, it would not work for people weighing over 200 kgs either; because if you make an elephant run 10 miles a day and give him brown bread to eat, even then, he/she would not be able to get a zero size! Rest assured!