An Evening in Barcelona [OOTD]

I only managed to get one decent OOTD picture whilst on holiday! As it was pretty hot in Barcelona, I didn't want to layer up too much so I paired a maxi dress with a lightweight blazer and a thin hijab (wrapped around once and without an underscarf). I didn't take any jewellery with me (totally forgot) and only had my sunglasses as an accessory (which were in my bag).

This was taken at the top of the Arenas de Barcelona Shopping Centre =)

 

 Maxi Dress - New Look

Drop Pocket Blazer -  New Look

Bag (Nica) - TK Maxx

Hijab - Green Street

 

What do you think? Any tips/ideas for outfits in warmer climates (than the UK)? =)



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OOTD and EOTD: November Wedding

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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OOTD: Eid Gathering

Every year, I attend the annual Eid Gathering, which is organised by members of different families, and it is basically a way of us as a family (and a community) getting to know one another and to keep in touch as well as enjoy a meal. This basically means that I am in some way related to every single person that attends (which is pretty cool) even if I don't know who they are (I'm sure we have a mutual family acquaintance somewhere). The kids get given Eid gifts at the end and there is also a raffle for the adults, and it's a nice way to spend an afternoon as it might be the only time (other than at weddings) where I would meet these family members. And this year's Eid gathering was held yesterday and so I thought to show you what I wore to the lunch =)

The abaya is Bisht style (I think) and I love the brown border on the cuffs and neckline. It's made of a soft jersey fabric, but because of the cut and style, it doesn't stick to the body and therefore makes it extremely modest. I paired the abaya with a pair of lace ballet flats from New Look and wore the matching hijab in a simple wrap with a few folds. The only accessories were my side bag (again from New Look) and the F21 gold stackable rings. Simple yet stylish!


What do you think?





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OOTD: Eid

This is the outfit I wore for Eid! A gorgeous blue farasha with some (very heavy) diamante work on the neckline. I love the loose fit (it comes with ties on the inside to give the outfit some shape) and the flowiness of the material (it comes fully lined which is a major plus!). I wore minimal accessories, with only a few stackable rings and a silver clutch. Started off the day in nude heels, but for the evening I wore flat sandals as we were having a barbeque =)

[I also wore this outfit for my Graduation in July =) ]


How did you celebrate Eid, and what did you wear?




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Hijabi Threads + (semi) OOTD [review]

Last Saturday I popped down to the Hope for Syria fundraiser, which was held not to far from me. The first stall that I came across was Hijabi Threads. I had been meaning to purchase a few of their hijabs from their Facebook page as I love the prints and they have reasonable pricing (+free p&p), but unfortuantely never got around to it. The first one to catch my eye was the Miss Ethnic Mix hijab and I didn't hesistate to buy it. I am gutted that I didn't pick up the Black Paisley maxi hijab (or the taupe version) though and will definitely be purchasing this in the future.

The Miss Ethnic Mix hijab is a blend of different patterns, from polka dots to paisleys, and the main colours are neutral (beige and black) but with hints of blue and orange, making it a very versatile scarf as it can be worn with a number of outfit colour combinations. I wore this hijab paired with a simple black abaya to a blogger meetup (we had a lovely picnic!). The weather was pretty hot that day, and this hijab was a great choice as it is very lightweight and thin, making sure that I didn't get overheated throughout the day. It was also easy to style (I added folds into my hijab style for the first time, and they didn't slip/fall out) and the lightweight fabric made it easy to drape.

photo credit to MangoWhirl =)

The Miss Ethnic Mix hijab is a standard size hijab, and I found it to be large enough to provide enough coverage at the front and back. I think this will be my new 'go to' hijab (I've already worn it 3 times this week alone) =)

Check out the Hijabi Threads facebook page here =)



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HFW May 2012: Day 5 - Special Occasions

Theme for Day 5 is special occasions! Just because we wear hijab does not mean that we can't dress up for special occasions. Here's my special occasion outfit, which I wore to the Smiles Better dinner, hosted by Islamic Help and Pearl Daisy (more on the event in another post). I kept the accessories minimal and simple, as the abaya is pretty blinged out with the pink diamantes and ball chain detailing. I love this abaya as it's one of those really loose free size abaya's with a belt on the inside. It's made from satin and is loose and flowy, which just makes it even more suitable for the occasion =)

Abaya and matching scarf: Gift from a friend

Shoes: Satin Ballet Flats (Debenhams)

Bag: Accessorise (tucked away in the bottom left corner)

Rings: H&M

Check out the rest of the outfits from HFW participants here




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HFW May 2012: Day 2 - Favourite Hijab

So the theme for Hijabi Fashion Week Day 2 is to create an outfit inspired by your favourite hijab.

Now, my favourite hijab has to be this one. The Pearl Daisy Princess Rafi hijab. I love the colours and the paisley floral design, not to mention that pretty much goes with most (if not all) of my abaya's and outfits. It's the essential black hijab that's just a little different. This hijab can be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion/event. The size is perfect, not to wide or narrow, nor too long/short. And it's not too stiff or heavy, which makes it great for wearing during Spring time (and possibly during Summer, especially if it's a typically British one!). This hijab has been worn so many times that there are little holes where I have continuously pinned the hijab down in the same place (it's one of the signs of a favourite hijab!).


And here's a quick outfit that was put together this morning =)

[photo credit to my sister]

Princess Rafi Hijab: Pearl Daisy

Purple Stripe Abaya: Green Street

Rings: H&M

Lace Ballet Flats: Deichmann

Sunglasses: Primark

Check out the rest of the outfits from HFW participants here and check back tomorrow for Day 3 =)





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HFW May 2012: Day 1 - Leaders in Hijab

Hijabi Fashion Week May 2012 has officially started and the theme for today is Leaders in Hijab!
So, what leadership roles do I have, and how do I dress for them? Well, you may know that I'm planning on becoming a teacher i'A, and as a way of preparing myself I'm currently a volunteer at a local primary school. As a volunteer, I don't have the authority and power of the teacher (or the headteacher), but I still have a significant role in the classroom to be a good role model. Obviously, working with younger children, it's a lot more appropriate to incorporate colour and prints into an outfit as this makes you more approachable (and less official looking, I think).

And here's my outfit to represent the theme =)

[photo credit to my sister]

Hijab: H&M

Lace band: Green Street

Blazer: H&M

Abaya: Queen's Market, Green Street

Satin Ballet Flats: Debenhams

Spotty...Mini Brooch Pin (on right side lapel, but can't be seen): Dramafree

Sunglasses: Primark

You can check out outfits from more HFW participants here =)




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(semi) OOTD: Wedding Guest

I still didn't manage to get a full shot of my outfit from last Sunday's wedding, but here are a few pictures which I posted on Instagram, including the accessories, henna and eye makeup =)

Bangles and Clutch Bag

Henna and Clutch Bag

EOTD: A simple purple look

 

If anyone else is on instagram, my username is asmaa17 if you want to see the rest of my pictures =)



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Eid:OOTD and other stuff

My first ever OOTD (of yesterday) and random ramblings about Eid. 

(click image for bigger picture)

So, on Eid I wore a jilbab that I had previously worn to a neighbour's wedding at the beginning of July. The jilbab was made in India and is a turquoise/green colour with embroidery, beading and crystal embellishment. I wore bangles (from The Inayah Collection, with additional diamante bangles) and managed to do henna on one hand only (unfortunately). My hijab style was inspired by this tutorial from Amenakin, and I somehow achieved this look using plenty of stick pins, two mirrors and a bit of trial and error. I used the scarf that came with the jilbab and a teal lace scarf from Pearl Daisy.


Also, prior to Eid day, we had done some baking (it's kind of a tradition to do baking before Eid) and here is a picture to show you some of the goodies we made. These included Cake Pops, Lamingtons, Toffee Tarts, Aero biscuits and Hungarian Tarts among other tasty things =)

Yummy Treats!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Eid as much as I did! (Although the Eid celebrations are still continuing for another day or two) =)

and InshaAllah I'll be announcing the winner of the Ramadhan Giveaway tomorrow =)




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