Prescribed Dermalogica Skincare Routine [review]

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In September, I had a face mapping skin analysis carried out at the Dermalogica stand at Westfield Stratford. The assistant told me that my skin was dehydrated, and that only my t-zone (mostly my nose) was oily. She recommended a few products for me to use, however I didn't want to purchase full size items and then realise that they either did not get on with my skin, or that I hated using them (for whatever reason). I decided to go for the LE Top Performer collection which contained 4 miniature/travel sized products, 3 of which were recommended to me (these were the cleansing gel, daily microfoliant and skin smoothing cream). The fourth product was an eye cream (MultiVitamin Power Firm) which I haven't actually used. The assistant also recommended the mattifying moisturiser, which I didn't purchase, but she did give me a few sample sachets so I could try the product out (this was specifically for applying on my oily nose).




So far, I have actually been pretty good with cleansing and micro-foliating (if that's a word) most mornings (I'm not perfect, otherwise it would be every morning) and also cleansing most evenings too. I used the skin smoothing cream as a daily moisturiser in place of my usual Olay one and have been sticking to the routine for the most part (apart from on Eid and the mendhi/wedding days, where I had to replace the Dermalogica cleanser for the Liz Earle C&P to remove all my makeup effectively). I haven't used the mattifying moisturiser at all as my nose has become less oily (probably because it is colder now), and I don't like the hassle of having to use a separate moisturiser for my nose.

At the beginning I didn't really see any changes. In fact I gained a few spots (although that might be due to the weather change and the fact that I have not been drinking enough water). After using this routine for a good few weeks here are my thoughts. I have mixed result as I'm not a big fan of foaming cleansers and personally I think cream/balm cleansers work a lot better for me. The moisturiser was great as it was a lot thicker than my usual Olay one (which I will stop using) but I won't be purchasing the Dermalogica skin smoothing moisturiser as it doesn't contain SPF. I've never actually looked at SPF in my skincare and cosmetics before, however I am becoming more conscious of this and have been looking into purchasing a moisturiser with a decent amount of SPF for the winter (and obviously one with a higher SPF factor for the summer). I will be purchasing the daily microfoliant, once mine has finished, as it's gentle enough for everyday use (as suggested in the name) and quite fun to use. It's just working out how much you actually need to use that is the tricky part at the beginning!


I would definitely recommend going for a face mapping analysis and finding out if you should be changing anything in your skincare routine (and it's free). You aren't obliged to purchase any products after the analysis, but any purchases do usually include a fair few sample sachets of products to try.

Has anyone else tried Dermalogica products? What did you think of them?



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Chocoholic Hijabi Turns Two! [CLOSED]

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(not me personally, but the blog!)

I'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone who reads my blog, and follows me via GFC/Bloglovin/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram etc. Another year (and more) of blogging awaits!
Apart from sending some virtual birthday cake your way, here's a little blog-versary giveaway to say thank you! All you have to do is comment below with what you would like to see more of on Chocoholic Hijabi. And any particular products you'd like to see in the giveaway prize! This giveaway is for UK readers only unfortunately, but international readers please do comment with what you would like to see more of on the blog! =) 
 
The giveaway prize is still a bit of a mystery, as I'll be putting together my very own personalised Cybercandy Mystery parcel (filled with lots of edible goodies) as well as a few other treats that I've been saving for this giveaway =)
 
The usual rules apply:
- Follow the blog via GFC.
- Answer the question in the comments box below.
- Please leave your email address in the comment so that I can contact you!
- Giveaway is open to UK only.
- Giveaway ends on Tuesday 25th December 2012 at 10pm GMT
 
 
Note: All products in the prize will be purchased by myself. This giveaway is not sponsored by any brands/companies/stores. etc.
 


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Smoky Not Smudgy [haul]

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Seems like November is my hauling month, considering that this is my third! I attended Smoky Not Smudgy on Saturday 17th November and volunteered to do henna at the event. Unfortunately this meant that I couldn't wonder around the stalls or attend any of the workshops (they had a cupcake decorating one, which I would have loved to have gone to!), however I did get some time towards the end of the event to have a look around and pick up a few bits and pieces.

And here's what I got!


Halal and Organic is a company that specialises in organic handmade skincare products that are free from alcohol and animal fat. They have a number of different products which are designed for specific skin types. I purchased the Yellow Mango Butter Balm and the Sweet Lemon, Ginger and Manuka Honey Skin Scrub. I'm planning on using the butter balm for my eczema (this was the one specifically recommeded for it) in place of my usual Lush Ultrabalm. I seem to be getting more interested in skin scrubs, and so decided to purchase this one. The ginger makes the scrub smell lovely and I think this scrub will be perfect for winter as it also contains Argan oil and Vitamin E.



From Yana Kiss I purchased a bottle of Cosmetic Argan Oil. I've never tried Argan oil (or products containing argan oil) before, so this is a bit of experimenting for me. I don't know exactly how I'll be using the argan oil, but if you have any idea's or tips, please let me know (comment, email or tweet me) =)



In terms of hijabs and hijab accessories, I didn't buy much (mostly because I need to de-clutter what I already own!). I purchased this pretty grey and black hijab from Hijab Candy. The pattern on the border reminds me of lace which is the main reason I picked it up (also because I didn't have a grey hijab, so this is the first!).


 

Finally, I bought a few pins from Dramafree. The Sweetheart Rose pin is one that I've had my eye on for quite some time, yet never actually got around to buying it. I also got two different sets of diamante pins (which I can't find on the website) but these will be perfect for that extra little sparkle on my hijab =)


Did anyone else attend Smoky not Smudgy? How was your day at the event?





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OOTD and EOTD: November Wedding

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I attended a wedding a few weeks ago (Saturday November 3rd to be exact) and have only just managed to edit the pictures and do a blog post. I decided to wear the royal blue farasha (which I wore for Eid ul Fitr in August). The loose fit of the dress meant that I could layer up with a long sleeve top worn underneath to keep warm.


OOTD (at the end of the day)

Henna and Accessories =)
 
Paired with the same nude heels and the same silver clutch, I decided to go a bit brighter with my eye makeup. Seeing as I've forgotten to re-order my contact lenses, I was stuck wearing my glasses for the wedding (not exactly the best look, seeing as they have a brown frame). I used the True Colour eyeshadow quad* which comes from Avon's Arctic Goddess collection, appropriately named for it's release this month. There are four decently pigmented eyeshadows and although the colours are not usually ones that are associated with Winter months (I usually go for more warmer and deeper colours). I decided to make use of the quad and paired the darkest shade with Toasted (from UD Naked palette) over the eyelid and used a mixture of the lightest colour in the quad and Sin (also from UD Naked palette) as a highlight on the inner corner.



EOTD (photo credit to my sister) =)

Bear in mind these pictures were taken at the end of the day (around 7pm) after having applied my makeup at 11am so you can see how well it lasted over the day. I used the ELF studio eye primer as my eyeshadow base which works well for me, although after it's finished, I'd probably invest in UDPP to see if there's a difference =)

*pr sample

What do you think?




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Cybercandy - Saving the World from Dull Candy [haul]

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Whenever I'm out and about in Central London, I always try and stop by at one of the Cybercandy stores that are dotted across the city. I'm not sure when exactly I came across Cybercandy, but I can't seem to stop taking a detour whilst on my way to uni/lunch/shop etc. Cybercandy is the UK's largest retailer of American sweets, drinks and more, as well as stocking favourites from Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan (and a few other countries too).

My most recent purchase comes from the Cybercandy store in Covent Garden, conveniently located near the London Graphics Centre (where I get my art supplies) and the Beadworks London shop (where I go for jewellery making supplies). A rather small purchase but it was enough to satisfy my craving for Wonka Nerds and I got to try out the Hershey's Pumpkin Spice Kisses (two of them got eaten before I had even made it to Leicester Square Underground Station).

Giant Gumball dispenser in the middle of the shop floor
 
Mini Cybercandy Haul

I also had a 20% voucher to use on the Cybercandy website. Having never ordered online from them, I thought this would be a great opportunity to save the travel fare (and spend it on more goodies of course). And here is what I bought (although this should probably be classed as a haul!). If you follow me on Instagram (username: asmaa17) then you'll have already seen my box of goodies =)

 

 
Goodies!
 
What I ordered: Flipz (large and small packets), 2 x turtles, Wonka Nerds and a Mystery Parcel

What's inside the mystery parcel?

All of this!

Personal favourites: Reeses cups, Jelly Belly Jelly Beans and Wonka Nerds.
Looking forward to trying: Milka with Oreo and the Hello Panda
 
 
The great thing about the mystery box is that you don't actually know what you'll recieve! This is great for me because I never know what new treats I should try out, and always end up buying only my favourites. This mystery box was great because I've actually tried a few of these products before and I'm looking forward to trying the one's that I haven't. Unfortunately, the Pop Tarts contain gelatin, so these will be going to someone who can eat them. The small packet of Flipz and the Reeses cups have already disappeared (as well as one of the Turtles packets).

Cybercandy also have 3 other stores in London (located in Islington, Camden and Shoreditch) as well as stores in Brighton and Birmingham. Of course, if you can't get to any of the stores, then there is always the option of ordering online and having your goodies delivered to your door =)


Also, I'll be doing a giveaway for my 2nd blog-versary soon, so check back near the end of the month to see what's being given away =)




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Smoky not Smudgy 2012 - who's going?

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I am! InshaAllah I'll be doing henna at Smoky not Smudgy this year!

Smoky not Smudgy 2012


The fifth annual Smoky not Smudgy event is taking place this Saturday (17th November), from 12pm - 5pm. It is a ladies only pampering day, organised by the Islamic Society at Imperial College in order to raise money for charity. I've been to a few of the past SnS events, and let me tell you that they get bigger and better each year. There's a whole range of things to do, including attending the fashion show, having all the beauty treatments you could possibly want done (hair/makeup/nails/henna/facials/waxing etc.) as well as taking part in workshops, masterclasses and having a professional photoshoot at the end of it! There's also the souk area, where you'll be able to purchase goodies from a selection of companies and brands.


For more information, check out the facebook event page (here) and the website (here).

Also watch the trailer for SnS 2012 below =)





So. Who's going to join me (and everyone else at SnS) and get even more beautiful for charity?



 
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Lush's Christmas products (mini haul)

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I love shopping at Lush. Not only do the stores smell wonderful and sweet (although not everybody is a fan), but they always have something different for each of their seasonal releases. From their Christmas range this year, I've managed to pick up the Candy Mountain bubble bar and the Popcorn lip scrub (so far).




The Candy Mountain bubble bar is simply the Creamy Candy bubble bar that's had a bit of a makeover. When I purchased Candy Mountain, I didn't actually know this, but I could tell that it smelt exactly like Creamy Candy (I just thought that it was because they were placed near each other, so my nose couldn't tell the difference). Creamy Candy is actually one of my favourite bubble bars to use (as seen in this blog post), and I always cut it up, so that I get more uses from the one bar. I'm not too sure how well Candy Mountain will fare if I cut it up with scissors or a knife. It might just end up as a crumbled up mountain =S

The Popcorn lip scrub actually smells like butter popcorn! That alone pretty much made my mind up while I was in the store, and decided to purchase it on my next visit to Lush. As with all of Lush's lip scrubs, you only need the smallest amount to exfoliate your lips, so this tub will last quite a long time (not to mention that I've also got the Bubblegum lip scrub somewhere). Popcorn lip scrub actually tastes like a mixture of sweet and salty popcorn (probably because it contains caster sugar and sea salt) but it smells like butter popcorn. Weird right? All I know is that this lip scrub will definitely be a product I'll be using often, as my lips tend to get dry and flaky during winter, so this will help to overcome that problem.


Have you bought anything from Lush recently?



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