A big bow for your door

Handpicked by our editors, The Nod List is a fortnightly roundup of fashion, beauty, design, art and travel, covering the newest drops, the hottest spots and everything you need to live that best life.

The Christmas upgrade you didn’t know you needed

If you’ve ever wondered what peak festive energy looks like, Purkal Stree Shakti has answered with giant handmade bows. They’re available in reds, checks, and candy-cane stripes, and each one feels like it swallowed an entire Christmas playlist. Put them on your door, mantel or anywhere that needs a shot of joy. We can’t stop looking at them. —Sheya Kurian

DM @purkalstreeshakti to purchase

Checks and polka dots enter the baraat

Just when you thought wedding wardrobes had settled into sameness, Nicobar re-enters the fray. NicoBaraat, the brand’s first wedding collection—honestly feels designed for baraatis like me: everywhere at once, one hand in the air, the other trying to hold on to a heavy lehenga. It carries Nicobar’s familiar ease; the brand’s India-modern dresses and separates are already crowd favourites, but they’re now dialled up with wedding energy. There are whimsical polka dots, checks, floral motifs, light embroidery, and bright colour pairings. The lime-and-purple Noor set, in particular, looks like the perfect outfit for your haldi. If your boyfriend needs a gentle push into his ceremonial debut at your sister’s sangeet, the men’s pieces make coordinating effortless. —Aarya Khutade

The NicoBaraat collection is now live on nicobar.com

A diamond for every hour

What do you gift the person who has it all? They’ve got a diamond engagement ring, a pair of solitaire earrings, a tennis bracelet… so what’s left? Enter the Tiffany Eternity watch, which is now finally available in India. The delicate timepiece is both a piece of jewellery and a timepiece with a different diamond cut at every hour marker: baguette, cushion, marquise, Asscher, heart and more, all the way around the robin’s-egg-blue dial. Plus, its crown is inspired by the six-prong setting of a classic Tiffany engagement ring should you want to make it a bonus gift for your partner. —Butool Jamal

Available at Tiffany stores in New Delhi and Mumbai

A very woolly workshop

The ‘Desi Oon Festival’ in Delhi is going full woolly wonderland this year with needle-felting workshops, a legit activity that can seriously bring down your per day screen time. Over three days, you can learn to stab fluffy desi oon, or wool, into shape (therapeutic!). There’s a workshop for Christmas decor if you want to make your own tiny trees, stockings or ornaments, and another set for crafting ridiculously cute felted animals. Pick your adventure: festive sparkle or fuzzy creature chaos. Either way, you walk out with something handmade, adorable and proudly desi.—Sheya Kurian

Desi Oon Festival will take place at the Triveni Kala Sangam in New Delhi from December 11 to December 15

These rimless glasses are Badshah-approved

Once considered the symbol of ‘nerdy’ guys, skinny, rimless glasses have made a comeback after being championed by the likes of Adam Sandler and Billie Eilish. Now, to prove that the eyewear style is cool enough for all of us, the ultimate bad-boy rapper, Badshah, has teamed up with Maybach, the German luxury car maker, on his own line of eight limited-edition glasses and, you guessed right, there’s a couple of lightweight, rectangular rimless styles on the lineup. The singer is also a fan of his bling, so naturally there are four aviator styles that come iced out with diamonds. —Aarya Khutade

Available exclusively at Eternity Lifestyles in India

A very Hermès-style paint & sip

The story goes that Robert Dumas, a fourth-generation member of the Hermès family, was strolling by the water when the idea for the brand’s ‘Chaîne d’ancre’ bracelet struck him. The first thing he did? Sketch it in his notebook. The French luxury maison has dedicated this entire year to that first step in the process of creation—the drawing—and their latest tribute is landing in Mumbai. The brand has transformed the plaza at the NCPA into a playful carnival of creativity for the weekend. There are workshops on everything from still-life drawing to collage and paper marbling. The best part? It’s open to all. So, bring your child (both inner and actual), leave your phone in your (Kelly) bag and spend a day unwinding with paint and crayons. —Butool Jamal

‘Hermès, Drawn to Craft: Putting Pencils to Paper’ is on December 6 and 7 at Open Air Plaza, NCPA, Mumbai, from 11 am to 8 pm

A weekend of Bandra-hopping

It’s the start of the month and what better way to celebrate a fresh salary drop than by spending it on some beautiful clothes. Two brands are popping up in Mumbai. The first is The Flame Store, the iconic Goa-based label by creative couple Jagvir Matharoo and Martino Caramia, which is bringing a taste of their signature Goa style to the big city. This edition is with a festive twist, so think shift dresses, kimono-style layers and all in their iconic, kaleidoscopic prints and colours. The second is Delhi-based design studio péro, which is having its highly anticipated annual sale. It’s the chance to score some of their whimsically embroidered, breezy handloom kurtas, saris, scarves, dresses and more at (slightly) reduced prices. Happy shopping. —Aarya Khutade

Anaita Shroff Adajania x The Living Room Story x The Flame Store is at Peace Haven Bungalow, Bandra West, Mumbai, from December 5 to 7

péro is at The Vintage Garden, Patkar Bungalow, Turner Road, Mumbai, from December 5 to 7

A starter retinol serum that won’t freak out your face

If retinol still gives you flashbacks to that one time you tried it and peeled like a croissant, Novology is extending an olive branch. Its new Pro-Life Cellular Restoration serum has been co-created with dermatologists and built around the brand’s Elastinol ANP4 tech—a trio of pro-retinol, ATP, and peptides—and it targets cell turnover, fine lines, and loss of elasticity with a far gentler hand than traditional retinoids. Its biggest flex? It’s beginner-friendly and can be used twice a day (yes, even in the morning—just don’t forget to slap on some sunscreen).

The brand launched it with an event in Mumbai last week with derms, beauty editors, influencers, and a menu that doubled as a moodboard: raspberry collagen shots, glossy red desserts, and the serum’s signature red everywhere you looked. 

TL;DR, a gentle, science-backed, sociable retinol serum perfect for anyone who’s looking to add the ingredient to their routine, minus the fear factor. —Chloe Chou

Shop on novology.com