Welcoming 2016 =)

Yes, I know I'm three days late, but Happy New Year to all my readers! I should really be doing some lesson planning in preparation for work tomorrow, but thought a quick blog post shouldn't hurt =)

I don't really have any new year's resolutions for this year, apart from passing my NQT year. Other than that, I'm just looking forward to seeing how the year progresses (and also attending a few friend's weddings which are also coming up in the year!). This year will definitely be more career focused as I am responsible for my own class. Even though I don't spend all my time at school, I do spend a lot of time thinking about (and preparing for) work. I'm also trying to find a work-life balance (which sounds impossible) and will be getting back to swimming on a regular basis as well as other things.

In other non-work related news, I also changed the colour of my dip dye today. Previously, it has been pink and then blue, but I thought I would start the new year with the end of my hair dyed purple. The bottom of my hair has been bleached until almost white and then I applied the colour over the top. For anyone who wants to know, I use the Colour Freedom dyes, as they are semi-permanent so I can either top-up the colour, or change it (depending on my mood) as it starts to fade.

Hopefully, I'll be blogging a bit more than last year as I don't have any more assignments (student life has finally come to an end!), but I'm also hoping to be scrapbooking and crafting a lot more this year too.

What are your plans/goals for this year?



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You Beauty Discovery - May (CEW Awards)

This month's YBD box is centred around the winners of the 2015 CEW beauty awards. From the award winning product selection, I chose the Angel Face Cloth by The Konjac Sponge Company and The Body Shop Miracle Solid Wild Argan Oil.

The Angel Face Cloth claims to be kinder than a muslin cloth on your skin, and I'll be testing it out with my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish to see if it's true. The Wild Argan Oil is a solid oil for use on the body and hair. To be honest, because the Argan Oil is not very high on the ingredients list, I'm not sure how it would compare to a pure (or more concentrated version) of Argan Oil. Nevertheless, I'll be using it as a hair oil on the ends as I recently dip dyed my hair and the bleach hasn't left my hair in great condition.

Both products in the box are full size and have a combined retail value of £19.99, which is amazing considering the YBD box is only £6.95. I honestly cannot fault YBD for their value for money, which is not always the case with some of the other beauty subscription boxes available. The extra's included in this months box are a sample vial of Jimmy Choo Man EDT and a sachet of Dr Organic's Organic Snail Gel. Also included in the box is a 20% off selected beauty and fragrance at M&S, which I'll definitely be making use of.

Have you subscribed to any beauty boxes?



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HER 300 Trecento Revitalising Hair Treatment [review]

My first hair care product review on the blog! Seeing as my hair spends most of its time under my hijab, I don't really use any particular products to keep it looking good. In the June YBD Box (see post here), I chose the HER 300 Trecento Revitalising Hair Treatment, and decided to use it during the school holidays (as I had a bit more time for myself!).The HER hair treatment is a pre-shampoo treatment and is quite a thick cream inside the tub. It's easy to scoop out (although not so much when you're holding the tub with wet hands) and you simply apply the treatment to damp hair, leave on for 5 minutes and then rinse off before you shampoo and condition as normal.

So far I've used this hair treatment 3 times since the beginning of August. I felt like it was too much to be using once a week, so decided to space out the uses a bit more. As I use a medicated shampoo (Capasal), I sometimes feel that the shampoo strips my hair of all the natural oils and can leave it dry and brittle. Even though I apply the mask before I shampoo, my hair definitely looks and feels much healthier and smoother. When I do use the hair treatment I don't use conditioner simply because my hair would end up feeling heavy and greasy (which is not ideal under hijab!).

Overall I'm really glad that I chose this product in my June YBD and look forward to using it as a regular hair treat. Not sure if I'll repurchase this particular one again, but I know that I will be looking into hair masks and treatments a bit more (I already have my eye on the Lush one) =)

If you're interested in trying the HER 300 Hair Treatment, you can purchase it from Her Haircare Rituals, £14 (75ml) or £30 (200ml).



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Latest in Beauty Stocking Filler Box

You know that when it comes to Christmas, there's going to be plenty of beauty products and gifts around to buy. I was actually really tempted to purchase an advent calender this year, because even though I don't celebrate Christmas, I can still treat myself to what is essentially a set of sample/mini luxury products. The main one that I had my eye on was the Selfridge's Beauty Advent Calender, but couldn't justify spending that much money (plus it's sold out, so I don't a have a chance of getting it now). Luckily, Latest in Beauty have come up with a collection of Stocking Filler boxes, each one filled with a different selection of goodies. I chose to get the Editor's Faves Stocking Filler Box, as I knew that I would use most (if not all) of the products that came inside. The box cost £19.95 and I was lucky enough to order last weekend when they had free shipping (which would have cost £2.95).

And it arrived yesterday!

It contains:
BioEffect EGF Serum (3ml)
Steamcream Nourishing Moisturiser (75g)
ESPA Lift & Firm Intensive Eye Serum (3ml) & Moisturiser (7ml) (inside the purple box)
Aromatherapy Associated Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil (3ml)
Trilogy Rosehip Oil Anitoxidant + (2.5ml)
Jo Hansford Intensive Masque (40ml)
Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation (7.5ml)
Richard Ward Volumiser Root Booster (50ml)
L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream (10ml)
Mont Bleu Crystal Nail File (90mm)

There's a few products that I'm really keen to try (and are the reason as to why I chose this box over the other two options). I'm loving the full-size Steam Cream tin, as this is a product that I've always wanted to try and the packaging is so pretty! The BioEffect EGF Serum sample is also another product that I'm looking forward to using as the full size product is pretty pricey! The Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation will also be interesting to try (and it contains spf 30 sunscreen, which is an added bonus). The mini Mont Bleu glass nail file will be handy to keep in my bag when I'm out and about.

Has anyone else picked up a beauty advent calender or something similar? What do you think of this stocking filler box?





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September Empties

I've finally finished Project 10 Pan:Take II, and will now (hopefully) be posting monthly (or bi-monthly) empties blog posts. So far, I seem to be using up more products, although I'm struggling to find a place to store the empty bottles/sachets/tubes etc. without them being thrown away! Anyway, here's all the stuff that has been used up throughout September =)

 

 

 

Garnier Olia Permanent Hair Colour (5.3 Golden Brown) - I got my sister to put this in my hair on Thursday, and I love that it's tinted my really dark brown hair, so that it looks a lot lighter in the light (if that makes sense). Also, as it doesn't contain ammonia, there is no horrible chemical smell. It's supposed to smell floral, but I didn't notice it that much (which is a lot better than the really strong standard hair dye smell). Will definitely be buying this when I dye my hair again, possibly going for a mahogany or red colour instead.

Celia Birtwell Lip Balm - A cherry scented lipbalm which I have finally finished. I kept this one in my pencil case during uni alongside a tube of carmex, for days when I wanted to moisturise my lips, but not too much. I am trying to use up more of my lipbalms at the moment, as I have such a large collection.

Bare Minerals Foundation sample (Medium Tan) - This little sample pot has lasted ages and I'm considering buying the fullsize product. I love using mineral foudation, especially because I have sensitive and combination skin, so it won't cause any bad reactions and will also help to keep my t-zone oil free. I was matched to this shade a few months ago, although my recent trip to Selfridges ended up with me being matched to a foundation that was 1-2 shades darker. Will probably have to do a bit more research before I buy anything.

Sarah Jessica Parker Covet Pure Bloom (30ml) - I bought this ages ago from Boots Clearance for around £6. It's a nice Spring/Summer fragrance with a mixture of floral and fruity notes (according to Google) and has a refreshing scent. Also love the little bottle and the purple flower lid.

Lush Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly - Lush products smell amazing and this is no different. The Sweet Pie shower jelly reminds me of Bassett's soft and chewy vitamins, which I used to have when I was younger. I broke this up into small chunks and then lathered up in my hands before using, in order to avoid creating a mess which would then end up with most of the jelly down the drain. Also love that it's a purple colour and contains a little glitter (which doesn't actually end up on the body).

FCUK Polished Body Spray - Another body spray, this time from Boot's Clearance. I think these usually come out in the FCUK Christmas gift sets. Not too sure about the smell of this either, as there's just something about it that I don't like. I've got another bottle somewhere which I need to use up before buying anymore body sprays.

The Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom Shower Gel - Loved the smell of this! And the floral scent definitely lingered for a while (instead of disappearing completely). I recieved this as a gift and would repurchase (once I've finished using up my supply of shower products).

Cherry Blossom Invigorating Body Spray - Bought this from Poundland a while back. A really big bottle, that I ended up using as a room spray as the scent was pretty weak and didn't last for very long (well what can I say, it's from Poundland).

Boots Therapy Sweet Nourishment Smooth Me and Boots Therapy Fruit Revitaliser Smooth Me - I bought both of these from Boots clearance (not too sure if they stock them in Boots stores). They are both shower smoothies with cupuacu peel as the exfoliators (or skin polishers). I didn't find these to be particularly exfoliating, and definitely preferred the Sweet Nourishment scent over the Fruit Revitaliser (maybe because it smelt like vanilla and chocolate).

Japanese sheet mask - Sam (Sam's Beauty Blog) kindly gave me a few face and eye masks to try out from her huge Sasa.com haul in May. This is the first one that I've tried and it's a sheet mask which is supposed to nourish and brighten the skin. The hardest thing was keeping a straight face after I'd put the mask on (I scared/shocked a few family members that morning!). My skin definitely appeared brighter, and I think if you use these on a regular basis then the effects would be more noticeable (now to try and hunt some down on ebay).

Superdrug Sugar and Spice Self Heating Face Mask - This face mask was a bit hit and miss with me. I didn't like the smell as I found it way too synthetic/chemical like. The face mask warms as soon as you apply it to the face, and then cools slightly (but is still pleasantly warm). It doesn't actually dry, so I left mine on for a bit too long, but it did leave me with skin that felt smooth and more clearer. It also has moisturisng properties (my skin didn't feel tight after using the mask). Not sure if I'd repurchase, simply because of the smell.


Pretty good for an empties post! I've managed to use up 12 products in September =)

What do you think of empties posts? Yay or nay?





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September Beauty Haul

As P10P:TakeII finished a few weeks ago, I have been buying quite a bit more in terms of makeup and skincare (and just general bits and bobs). Although, in my defense, I have used up more products (which will be revealed in the September Empties post at the end of the month) and therefore needed to restock as well as try a few new things. And here's what I bought!

 

Soap & Glory Flake Away travel size (Boots - £2.50). I bought the travel size tub to test out the Flake Away scrub after reading Aalia's review on her blog Hijabi With Style (check out the review here). I seem to be getting more dry and flaky skin as well as ingrown hairs, so hopefully this scrub will help with reducing the ingrown hairs and removing dead skin.

Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Peel Off Face Mask 10ml (Boots - 99p). I had a Boots Advantage Card voucher which gave me 150 points when I bought any product from the Boot's Tea Tree & Witch Hazel range, so naturally I picked up the cheapest one there. And one can never have too many face masks!

Dove Deodrant Beauty Finish (Boots - £2.45). Standard deodrant. No explanation necessary =)

 

Dermalogica Top Performer Collection (Dermalogica - £20). I had a face mapping skin analysis at the Dermalogica in Westfield Stratford to see if I should be making any changes to my skincare routine. My skin is dehydrated, I have an oily T-Zone (mostly on the nose) and I have hypo-pigmentation on my cheeks.The sales assistant recommended a few products, however I have had bad expereinces when changing my skincare routine in the past (thanks to eczema and sensitive skin) so instead of buying the full size products I bought the Top Performer collection. This is a set of travel sized products and she also kindly gave me a few samples to take away as well. I'll be trying this new routine out over the next few weeks and will blog any findings =)

Garnier Olia Hair Colour in Golden Brown (Superdrug - £6.99). A new product in stores, which is a permanent hair colour that doesn't contain ammonia. From what I've read, the formula is oil based, rather than water based which means the dye works a lot better (in simple terms) and is less damaging to the hair. Picked up the golden brown shade, but I have no idea if it will show up on my dark hair.

MAC Satin Finish Lipstick in Twig (MAC - £14) [rubbish lighting=no picture]. I went along to the Glamour Beauty Power List Live event at Selfridges in London earlier this month, mostly because I have't been to Selfridges in ages. Tickets were £10 and redeemable on any beauty purchases made on the night. I only picked up a lipstick from MAC, and I'd describe Twig as a 'my lips but better (and more pinkier)' shade. I would have also picked up the new limited edition Vaseline in Pink Bubbly, but unfortunately the ingredients list states wine extract, so I put it back.


I also purchased a few non-beauty items this month, including an abaya and flat lace shoes (as seen in this OOTD post). A few other items include a sweatshirt from David & Goliath (perfect for the autumn weather) and a blazer from New Look (it was on sale) =)






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Weekend Plans

So a couple of times a year, one of the women from my mum's side of the family will have a dinner party style gathering at their house. This is where all the women and girls (grandmother's, aunties and cousins) have an excuse to get dressed up, bring a dish or two and basically have a huge dinner and enjoy the night. It also gives us (the younger generation) a chance to meet up with cousins that we rarely get to see, relax and have fun (because all the older women do the cooking and stuff!).

So tomorrow (Saturday) is going to be the first dinner party of 2011 and it's being held at my aunt's house (my mum's sister), so we (my mum, sister and I) are going a bit earlier to help sort out everything before everyone else arrives. Because everyone is female, I won't be wearing an abaya and hijab in the house, and you can see what I'll be wearing in the Polyvore set below =)

Weekend Style by .x.asmaa.17.x.


It's basically a knee length tunic dress (the same one above) worn with black jeggings (which I prefer over skinny jeans) and a cute pair of ballet flats. I know it's quite a simple outfit, but I'll be accessorising with an armful of bangles/bracelets, rings and earrings! I'll also be styling my hair (no idea how though), which I have recently dyed reddish brown using L’Oréal Féria by Préférence in Red Flash Brown. My hair has turned out darker than the actual colour shown on the box (that's because my hair is naturally a very dark brown) but it looks pretty fabulous!.

Hope you all enjoy your weekend! I know I will =D




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Haircut =)

Just because I wear a scarf on my head, does not mean that I don't/can't cut my hair. Personally, I prefer short(er) hair, simply because it's easier to maintain and puts less weight on my head. This is important because my hair falls out quite a bit, so less weight = less hair falling out. Currently my hair length is about 2-3 inches above my elbow. I'm thinking of getting it cut so it is a bit longer than shoulder length and probably with layers. That means I can still tie it up =) . Also, I kinda have a baldish patch along my hairline, where there really isn't a lot of hair so I'd like to have a side parting to cover that up (not that anyone will see it anyway!). Hopefully aiming for a haircut that looks something like this hairstyle on Emma Watson (however I only wish my hair was straight!)


What do you think?




=)
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