Smoky Not Smudgy [haul]

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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Mini Blog Sale: Hijab Pins

I found a whole bunch of hijab pins that I had made but never actually used (and I'm running out of space to store them), so I'm putting them on here if anyone would like them. They are individually priced (as listed below) but open to offers =). Most pins have been made using Swarovski bicone beads, with silver plated pins and chain. Payment via Paypal. Shipping within the UK is £1 (2nd class), and International is £2 (standard airmail). If you'd like recorded/signed for delivery instead, do specify when ordering and I'll update the price accordingly.


Comment or email me if you'd like any (chocoholic-hijabi@hotmail.co.uk).

(click the image to make it bigger)

Note: Colours may vary slightly, but this is the closest representation to the colours that I could photograph (with my little digital camera). Comment if you have any questions =)

 

 1. £1      2. £1      3. £2      4. £1      5. £2      6. £4

 7. £3      8. £3      9. £1      10. £3      11. £3       

 

 



If you see anything you like, let me know in the comments or by email =)





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Stackable Rings Storage

Remember my accessories haul from July? I picked up some stackable rings from Forever21 and I was storing them on a long pin on the cupcake pin cushion (that I also use for storing hijab pins). However, this was constantly being knocked down and the rings were ending up everywhere. In fact, I'm pretty sure that a few of them have gone missing and are highly unlikely to be found anytime soon =( .

I picked up this super cute storage box from Tiger Stores for £1, and decided to use it to store my stackable rings. Because I wear these rings on a daily basis, this box allows me to easily access them, without the risk of losing any of them (thanks to my clumsiness).

This box would also be appropriate for storing hijab pins (if I didn't have enough places to store them already) =)


Where do you store your everyday jewellery?





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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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Hijabi Tip: Earrings

As a hijabi, it's pretty difficult to wear earrings when your scarf has to cover your ears. Luckily, there are some great hijab tutorials where you can wear earrings and keep your ears covered. I love these styles for special occasions, such as weddings and for Eid. Check them out below =)

Alz786uk - Hijab Tutorial/Style with Earrings

Marafy- Back to School Hijab Tutorial


Sabrina from Slice of Lemon




Amenakin's Hoojab tutorial for earrings, glasses and stethoscope (can also be adapted to a regular hijab)


Or, if you don't really like wearing earrings, turn them into hijab pins by attaching them onto a stick pin with a jumpring =)


If anyone else has links to tutorials for hijab styles with earrings, then link them in the comments below and I'll update this post regularly inshaAllah =)




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Dramafree Hijab Pins and Accessories

Dramafree is a company which specialises in hijab accessories, mainly hijab pins and brooches. They keep their designs simple and elegant, as well as making sure that they are practical to wear. Dramafree also have a facebook page, on which they share details of new products and other important information.

As they currently have a sale going on (which ends this weekend), I took advantage of the prices and ordered a few different items. I am amazed at how quickly they arrived, as I ordered last Wednesday, and they were delivered in the post on Friday. The packaging of the pins is unique as they come attached to folded cards, which have the Dramafree logo on the front and a Dua on the back. I ordered the Skyla and Zuri pins, and the Spotty...Mini brooch.

Zuri and Skyla pins

size comparison

The pins are sturdy and easy to use (basically they are fancy stick pins!). I wore a combination of the Skyla and Zuri pins on my hijab to the wedding in Manchester. I love that they add that 'bling' factor without being shiny or glittery. They add a touch of sparkle to glam up your hijab style and can be worn on an everyday basis as well as for special occasions. The Skyla pins are longer in length than the Zuri pins, although this doesn't bother me as I use the pins for decoration, after securing my hijab with plain stick pins. As the pins are of good quality, they are unlikely to bend out of shape, but this also means that the pins are slightly thicker than standard stick pins. This would be something to take into account when wearing delicate/fancy scarves that you don't want to ruin, as the thicker pin may leave a small hole where you have pushed it through the scarf.

I haven't worn the Spotty...Mini brooch yet, but my first impression is that it's so cute! It's a tiny brooch but the perfect way to add some colour/pattern when wearing a plain hijab. Or I may just pin it to my coat collar, seeing I'm wearing it a lot during this crazy weather!

All in all, I'm really happy with the pins and know that I'll definitely be getting a lot of use out of them. I think that they are reasonably priced and I'm likely to place another order (this time for pins in different colours!).



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Hijabi Tip: Hijab Pin Storage

As a Hijabi, I am forever losing pins and buying new ones. Especially those small straight pins that never seem to stay in one place. Here's a few idea's on how to store your hijab pins so that they're easily accessible and easy to find.

#1 - Pin Cushion. I have this cute cupcake pin cushion which was purchased at the Smoky not Smudgy event back in November from Chic Hijabs and Accessories. I love the combination of deep purple velvet and the bold pink silicon case, along with the flower embellishment. This pin cushion sits on my desk and holds the pins that I use everyday as well as a few fancy stick pins. I also store my no-snag hijab pins on here, simply leave them open and poke the pin in the cushion. Before I had this, I used to stick my pins in a small cork round, but the pin cushion holds way more pins and looks a lot nicer on my desk =)

#2 - Pin Wheels. I purchased my stick pins from one of the pound shops along the High Street. I got 8 pin wheels for just £1. You might call me obsessive, but I colour co-ordinated my pin wheels so that they each hold a different colour group. This way, when I want to co-ordinate the colour of my hijab pins to an outfit, all I have to do is pull out one pin wheel! These pinwheels are stacked in a drawer in my desk so that they're out of the way, but still within reach when I'm putting on my hijab. This is also a great way to transport your hijab pins =)

#3 Mini Jars. These miniature jars used to hold seed beads, and I got them as part of a jewellery making kit from the 99p store (a few years ago). You can find similar jars at a hobby and craft supply store, apothecary supply store or on Amazon (like these). I use these to store my chain hijab pins.

#4 Votive Candle Holder. These are the perfect height for hijab pins that are really long. I simply hang the hijab pin pendant over the edge. In the middle of the candle holder, I have a mini ziploc bag which holds hair grips/bobby pins. This also helps stop the pins from falling out. The candle holder sits on my shelf and the pins with super long pendants can hang over the edge =)

#5 Trinket/Jewellery Box. I store my hair slides in a small trinket box. I don't have a huge collection of these so they fit nicely into the box. Although it is a bit of a pain when the one you want to wear is lurking at the bottom, and the box has to be emptied out. At least these pins don't have a sharp point, so there's no risk of hurting yourself =)

I hope you've found these storage ideas useful. Let me know in the comments, how do you store your hijab pins?

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The Pin Box

Check out the tab above which says The Pin Box. Unique handmade hijab pins by me using silver plated jewellery findings and Swarovski Elements Bicones. If you see something you like, don't hesistate to contact me, because it might not be there long =)

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Hijabi Tip: Hijab Pins (and possible business idea)

Hijab pins are a nice way to add an accessory to your hijab without being too much. Hijab pins can range from simple stick pins, to fancy earrings that have been attached to a long pin. Here are a few pins in my collection. The gold one was an earring that I attached to an eyepin, after removing the earring post.

If you want to make your own hijab pins (or attach earrings to them), then you'll need eyepins. These pins have a loop on one side, (which is why they're called eye pins). The one's which are suitable for hijab pins have a sharp point, whereas eyepins that are used in jewellery making are not sharp. These pins may come with a pin cap, which covers the sharp point of the pin.

I'm considering selling a few handmade hijab pins, which are made using 4mm Swarovski Bicone beads and are similar in style to the hijab pins at the bottom of the image. The beads are attached to the chain, which can be worn dangling from the pin, or draped from the other side of the pin.

Would you be interested in seeing these hijab pins? Let me know in the comments below =)




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