Hello 2014!

So as the first day of 2014 comes to an end, I just wanted to say Happy New Year to everyone! I've been looking back over the past year and even though I didn't set myself any goals last year, I think I accomplished quite a bit! 2013 was an important year as I started full-time work at the end of January 2013 (nearly been there a whole year) and as a result have had less time to focus on my blog and my business. I managed to go to quite a few blogger meet-ups (even went down to Brighton for a day), weddings and holidays during the year which I enjoyed! And I pretty much Instagrammed my way through the year again with plenty of henna and food photo's!

This year I want to blog more regularly, even if it is just twice a week. I'll be carrying on with my paintings and canvases as a micro-business. Also, I'll be applying (3rd time lucky) for my PGCE, which I hope to start in September. I think the experience from my current job will definitely support my application.

Other than that, I don't really have any New Years Resolutions.
I just want to be happy and healthy and enjoy life!




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Beauty Favourites 2013

I could do many, many blog posts on my favourites from 2013, but I decided to be really selective and choose only products and items that I really have been using the most (and liking!) throughout the year.

In no particular order, they are:

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. Whenever I apply liquid foundation, I always reach for this brush. It's small but allows me to buff the foundation in to create a smooth and flawless finish. I recently got the core collection and will be trying out the RT Buffing Brush to see if it gives similar results.

Illamsqua Eyebrow Cake in Gaze. This is part of my everyday makeup routine and I use it to fill in my eyebrows. I use the angled brush from Crown brushes (which I bought two of at IMATS). It's a great match for my natural hair colour, it's not black but not quite brown either (sort of in the middle).

EOS Lip Spheres and Lanolips. This year, I've been cutting down on buying lip balms and have stuck firm to these two favourites. I actually got rid of most of my novelty lip balms because they really weren't doing much to moisturise my lips and were taking up space (I had quite the collection!).

Bioderma has really been my skin saviour this year. Ever since I discovered the Atoderm range, I've been using it to treat and soothe any eczema that has come up. The Atoderm PO Zinc Creme keeps the skin moisturised and doesn't irritate it any further. The texture isn't heavy, which means the product is absorbed easily and I can apply my makeup over the top.

Lush Fresh Face Masks. I don't yet have a particular favourite as I want to try them all, but they are definitely worth the price. I only buy them every few months as they last up to 7 weeks and I can get approximately 9-10 masks from one tub. That's just over 50p per use!

Bath & Body Works PocketBac Hand Sanitisers. I have one in most of my bags, two at work and another on my desk at home. These miniature bottles of hand sanitiser are easy to carry around and perfect to use on the go. They come in a variety of scents, and I've got quite a few as backups.

Other products that I think come quite close to being favourites (and if I had done more than one post, they would have been on it) are the L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Creams, Bare Minerals Original foundation, Trilogy Rosehip Oil, Illamasqua Skin Base foundation, Sleek Contour Kit, RMK Cleansing Balm and Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stains.


What have been your beauty favourites this year?



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3rd Blog-versary Giveaway Winner!

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who did enter! A virtual chocolate bar for everyone (and some birthday cake of course!).

And a big congratulations to ....

ThisGirlBlogs!

You have won my 3rd blog-versary giveaway!
Please leave a comment with your email so that I can contact you =D


Thank you to everyone for reading my blog and here's to many more years of blogging =)





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Boxing Day Sales [haul]

As I do every year, I went to the boxing day sales on Thursday at Westfield Stratford. As we got there quite early, we had finished shopping by 11am and left before the mad crowds and general craziness!

Here's what I managed to pick up on the day:

Lush Goodies! All the items were half price. The Christmas Kisses set includes the Bubblegum Lip Scrub, Chou Chou I Love You Toothy Tabs, Honey Trap and Santa Baby Lip Balms =)

 

 

Jewellery from Accessorize! Again, they were all half price in store =)

 

I also got the Guerlain La Petite Robe Noir 30ml Gift set for only £17.50 (unfortunately didn't manage to get a photo). I did quite a bit of sale shopping online on Christmas Eve as some of the ales had started early online. I ordered another Guerlain perfume gift set from Boots (the same one that I later bought in store...ooops!). It's a fragrance that I had my eye on in the summer when I was in Duty Free but I didn't get the chance to pick it up. As they say, good things come to those who wait! And seeing as the 30ml bottle retails at £35 alone, I couldn't resist! I ordered a dress from Dorothy Perkins and some Lily Flame candles which should also be arriving soon.

Aaliyah from Pyari Beauty tweeted about the Real Techniques brushes being on sale at Asda Direct, so of course I had to add the Core Collection to my basket. At less than £9, I couldn't say no!

Did you manage to pick up any bargains from the sales this year?





p.s. I'll be announcing my giveaway winner in a blog post tomorrow so do check back =)

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Review: Hijab Obsessions Jersey Hijabs

A couple of months ago, I ordered a few jersey hijabs from Hijab Obsessions. Hijab Obsessions make each of their hijabs by hand and have such a wide variety of colours and styles available. I ordered the Burgundy Shimmer hijab, Teal Shimmer hijab and the Maxi Black hijab. I've never actually worn jersey hijabs before so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to try them out as well as purchase some new hijabs (and clear out some of my more worn out ones).

The maxi hijab is huge! (obviously it's in the name). Everyone needs a plain black hijab in their collection and I think this is my staple. It's large enough to wrap around twice and create as many folds and drapes as you like. The jersey is super soft and stretchy, and it's not slippery, so it can be worn without an underscarf. This is a great hijab for winter as the material isn't thin and will keep your head and neck warm. I liked this hijab so much that I ended up purchasing the Lavender Pot Pourri printed maxi hijab at Smoky not Smudgy this year!

The shimmer hijabs are so pretty! Perfect for special occasions as well as for everyday wear, they aren't too shiny and provide just that something extra to what would otherwise be a simple outfit. The shimmer is subtle and is throughout the hijab so there is always a little sparkle as you move. An underscarf is a must with the shimmer hijabs as they are quite slippery and need the underscarf to keep it from moving out of place. The jersey material is also soft and smooth and great for creating drapes and folds. As the shimmer is in the actual material, it doesn't feel rough or itchy which is definitely what you don't want from your hijab!

I'm still experimenting with ways to wear jersey hijabs. I like that jersey hijabs don't need a lot of effort to style as they can simply be wrapped around and pinned with minimal fuss. Perfect for work (and those lazy days!). I'm looking forward to ordering a few more once I've cleared some space on my hijab hanger =)



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You Beauty Discovery Box: December

My YBD December box got delivered over the weekend, and I was pretty excited as this one was going to be based around Party Prep (especially with it being the festive/holiday season!). As always, it's great value at £6.95 including delivery, and you get to choose 2 products to go inside =)

 

 

This time around, I chose the Lanolips 101 Ointment (9g) which at full size (14g) retails for £10.99. I love the Lanolips that I received in the first BBB beauty box and it's definitely a must have product in my bag during the winter. I know that this one will be going into another one of my bags, so that I'm never without Lanolips. I chose the Elegant Touch UV Gel Polished Nails in Red (approx. £6) as the second product. I'm not one to wear false nails on a regular basis, but as a nail biter (trying to get out of the habit), these will come in handy for any parties/events coming up soon. Also included in the box was a Flash by Jimmy Choo perfume sample and a miniature Green & Blacks Raisin and Hazelnut chocolate bar. 

 

What do you think of this month's YBD box? Have I tempted you to subscribe yet?

 

 

 

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RMK Cleansing Balm [review]

Now here's something that I don't often do (and is probably the biggest BBlogger no-no!) and that is do a review after I've finished using the product and realise that I haven't actually got any photo's of it. Anyway, I got the RMK Cleansing Balm in the March Birchbox and it sat around for months, untouched and just left to gather dust. A few weeks ago, I found it and decided to give it a try instead of my usual Cleanse and Polish.

In short, this is a pretty awesome cleanser. You only need a small amount and simply massage over the face and it removes everything from stubborn eyeliner to waterproof mascara. It's ideal to use with a muslin cloth, but if I couldn't be bothered, it's just as quick to remove with water. Because it's a balm, it doesn't dry out your skin and just feels a lot more luxurious than a cleanser that foams and lathers up. The solid balm melts into a creamy liquid when it's applied so it doesn't take any effort to apply and remove. The rose scent might not appeal to some but it didn't bother me. I used this almost every evening after work to remove my makeup and I'm just sad to see it finish. It doesn't irritate sensitive skin and is safe to use around the eye area (which I was a little apprehensive of when I was first removing my eyeliner). I would definitely repurchase this, even though it is a little pricey (£29 for 100g).

Have you tried this cleansing balm? Or any cleansing balms? Let me know what you think of them in the comments =)

And don't forget to enter my giveaway over here =)





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Lush Fresh Face Mask Cosmetic Warrior [review]

I got this face mask as a freebie for returning 5 clean and empty pots back to Lush. Cosmetic Warrior is a face mask which helps to combat spots and soothe the skin. It contains garlic, tea tree oil, honey as well as free range eggs (vitamin A). There are no exfoliating beads in the mask but it does have bits of green grapes which does feel slightly odd once the mask is applied. As with all Lush Fresh Face Masks, this should be kept in the fridge and it should be used with 4-6 weeks.

 

This mask is not one of my favourites from Lush as I'm not particularly fond of the bits of grape in the mask as they feel a bit weird on my face. I removed the face mask using a muslin cloth and it did leave my face feeling refreshed (not dry or tight). I also expected it to smell quite strongly of either garlic or tea tree, but surprisingly it's got a very mild smell. As I prefer face masks that also exfoliate, I don't think I'll be repurchasing this particular one.



Have you tried this face mask before? What are your thoughts?

 

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Chocoholic Hijabi Turns Three [Giveaway] CLOSED

I can't believe I've been blogging for three years now (it still feels like just yesterday I was typing up a little intro to the blog and first few posts!). So much has happened this past year, which meant that blogging has taken a bit of a back seat as work seems to be the priority. Nevertheless, I'm definitely not going to be giving up blogging any time soon!

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As a little thank you to everyone who follows my blog via GFC/Bloglovin/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram etc. I'm going to have little giveaway. The prize is still a mystery, but it's a collection of some of my favourite things, including some handmade goodies (by me) and a gorgeous candle from Bespoke Henna (I originally had a set of decorated tea lights, but kept them for myself...ooops!).


All you have to do is answer this question: Describe your perfect chocolate.

Mine would have to be a cookies and cream truffle covered in coconut and dusted with cocoa powder =)


The usual rules apply:
- Follow the blog via GFC.
- If you like my facebook page, please leave a comment under the Giveaway Post for an additional entry.
- 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 residents only.
- Giveaway ends on Wednesday 25th December at 10pm GMT.

Don't forget to have some cake (or chocolate!) =D

 

 

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#frootimasterclass

Last Saturday I attended a masterclass held by MUA and Blogger Safiyah (Frootibeauty). Even though I don't wear full makeup everyday, it was a great to be able to pick up tips and to actually see how makeup would be applied by a professional MUA. The main theme of the class was to able to create a party makeup look, similar to the one in this blog post. 

And this is the finished look!

I obviously didn't use green eyeshadow as I was wearing purple on the day, so instead opted for a more neutral but still a little dramatic look (for me anyway!). I didn't manage to put lashes on, and I think they would have completed the look and brought it all together. Bearing in mind that these pictures were taken at around 10pm, the makeup has stayed pretty much in place =)

Products that I used were:
Eyes:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer
Urban Decay Naked Palette - Sin (Highlight), Toasted (Middle), Darkhorse and Hustle (Outer corner and crease)
Sleek Au Natural Palette - Toast (Skin tone shade), Noir (Outer corner)
Illamasqua Brow Cake (Gaze)
Laura Gellar Inkpot Gel Liner (Black)
Avon Supershock Gel Liner Pencil (Black)
No7 Extreme Length Mascara

And here's what I used on the rest of my face:
Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation (SB12)
Sleek Contour Kit (Medium)
NYX Powder Blusher (Desert Rose)
NYX Lip Liner (Coffee)
MAC Lipstick (Twig)

Myself and Naheeda (StreetPrincess) at the end of the masterclass =)

Some of the key tips that I picked up:
- Apply eyeshadow first so that any fall out can be wiped away (and not ruin your base makeup)
- Apply lighter coloured ones first and then darker colours.
- Use a light hand when applying darker shades, as it's easier to build the colour up, but not so easy to take it away.
- Blend, blend, blend! Use an eyeshadow that is the same shade as your skin to blend the edges of the eyeshadow between the brows and the eyelid. This creates a seamless finish with no harsh edges.
- Use a makeup wipe/cotton bud to clean up the edges of the eye makeup. No fiddling about with tape =)
- When contouring, use a darker shade to contour, a middle shade to blend upwards and then apply highlight. This gives a more natural finish and just looks a lot nicer =)

There were so many hints and tips given during the day, but I didn't manage to write them all down. I'm definitely looking forward to the next masterclass =)



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(this is way more pictures of me on the blog than I thought I would ever have but oh well!) =D

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