February Ipsy Bag and Beauty Army Box

Hello Lovelies!

Ipsy Bag

 February's theme is "Red Carpet Ready"

I really hope that next month Ipsy decides to go with a printed bag, because I am very bored with these plain bags, especially this month's cheap vinyl black bag.

During my last little trip to Ulta I spied this mascara from Pop Beauty  and considered purchasing and I am glad I didn't because this is a nice size sample of it. This mascara does provide volume for the lashes, but I have noticed a bit of clumping, but if you pair it with the Lash Card that was also a sample this month it works wonderfully.

This Pixi Beauty Primer has become my current favorite, it leaves my skin looking smooth and bright. Lately I have been skipping my foundation routine and just wearing this instead. I was a little concerned at first glance because this primer is not a clear one, but it easily blended into my skin tone and was unnoticeable.

I LOVE Coastal Scents Shadows and have received many samples from them in the past. This month's sample set was called "Glitz & Glamour" and had my favorite shimmery white eye shadow called Candlelight included. These shadows are highly pigmented, easy to blend, and beautiful.

Once again it is the Lash Card, it seems this has become a favorite for subscriptions to provide as samples, although Ipsy's sample is the largest pack I have received yet.

Out of all the samples this month I was most excited to test the MICA Beauty Gel Eyeliner. Eyeliner is an essential to my everyday look and I am always on the search for something better. I do not typically use gel liners as much, but they do work wonders. This liner glides on smoothly and is easy to use if you have a proper brush, but I did notice that it is not pigmented enough for my liking.

Beauty Army Box

 Yay! for more Yes To products. I absolutely adore EVERYTHING from this company, and am always excited to get something else to try from them. This body butter is nourishing, non-greasy, moisturizing, long-lasting, and best of all it is 99% natural and paraben free. This company offers something for everyone of all ages, all ethnicities, all skin and hair types, and both men and women.

This happens to be the second Twin Set I have received from Skinn Cosmetics , the first set was the shade of Coral Poppy, and this one is called Pink Tulip. I believe that these shades may be ones specifically offered through Beauty Army because they are not on Skinn's website. Honestly, I think the wet lip gloss end is a waste because it is near impossible to get a decent amount of gloss out of the tube, and it is one of those glosses that leaves your lips feeling quite sticky. At first glance I thought I would never wear the Pink Tulip because it is a bright shade of fuchsia, but I actually like it. I always pair the lipstick with my Too Faced Lip Insurance Lip Primer to make it last a bit longer.

 I don't typically choose products like this Olive Natural Beauty Bar because I do not use bar soap, but I didn't have many new options this month so I decided I would give it a chance. When I first pulled this product out of the box I was pleasantly surprised with the adorable little green package it came in, and also surprised that there is no brand markers what so ever on the soap or the package. This soap is suppose to have a lemon and lavender scent, but I do not smell even a hint of lemon in there and it kind of makes me think of my grandma. The bar itself feels quite slippery and oily and I was very hesitant to use it, but it is definitely moisturizing. If you are a person who likes organic products this is definitely something you want to try.

 I chose these Boo-Boo Covers because they are something completely different from anything else I have ever tried. They are basically little tattoos to cover your flaws, and I actually attempted to use them to cover my small, yet hated, tattoo. The first thing I noticed about this product is that they only make them in light skin colors, there is barely a variety, and they come on sheets like fake tattoos. All of the shades I received looked overly pink and unnatural, but it says to blend with makeup after application. I applied the lightest portion over my small tattoo and once it was on I noticed that you could still fully see my tattoo through it, and even though I am pale the coloring was terrible. I could possibly blend it in with A LOT of makeup and work, but there are so many better products than this to use, such as Kat Von D's Lock-It Tattoo Concealer.

This S.M.A.R.T Skin Perfecting Mask from Grand Central Beauty was another product I was quite excited to receive. This mask is suppose to smooth, moisturize, detoxify skin, reduce redness, and tone your facial skin. After you go through the process of mixing everything together you apply the mixture to the skin and wait 15 minutes for it to dry, then all you do is gently peel it off. I read many wonderful reviews on this product before testing it, but I am not sure what the hype is about. When I first mixed up this pink concoction I noticed that it doesn't smell that pleasant and once I put it on my face I could barely stand it, to me it had a slight scent of fish. During the whole fifteen minutes I had an itchy sensation on my forehead, underneath my eyes, and all over my cheeks, and I was so exited when it was time to take it off, until I realized how difficult it was to take off. While peeling off the mask it only came off in decent sized chunks around my cheeks and forehead, everywhere else I had to pick at it for what felt like forever, and when I was finally finished my face was red and itchy. I did notice that my skin was much softer and moisturized though. The night I tested this I went to bed not long after getting the mask all washed off and when I woke up in the morning my skin was terrible, it appeared oily, and I had mini breakouts all over. I know everyone is different, but after my little trial with this product I couldn't recommend it to anyone.

 Yes, it is yet another eye shadow from Whip Hand Cosmetics. This eye shadow is called Medal of Honor and it is a shimmery gold shade. Like I have said in the past I still absolutely hate these little containers because it makes a mess and I end up unintentionally wasting it. The shadow itself is highly pigmented and easily blendable, but the container makes me reach for it less often.

SS13 BEAUTY TRENDS #1 60's with a Feminine Twist

I’m going to do a series of posts on SS13 Beauty Trends, with me showing you guys the trends I really love with me trying the trend out with my own personal twist and also giving tips on how to recreate the trend so you can try it out for yourself.

Clockwise (Jean Paul Gaultier, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton)

During the Spring Summer 13 shows we saw so much inspiration taken from the 60’s not only in the clothes but the make-up and hair. Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs went all out 60’s, with all the focus on the eyes creating graphic effect with eyeliner and eyeshadow with the rest of the face being very muted, with the Marc Jacob show going for a super pale matte lip. However at the Jean Paul Gaultier show we saw a very feminine approach taken to the 60’s trend, still with a graphic eye but created mostly with black eyeshadow to create a softer look. A natural highlighted glow was created with peach blush and highlighter in the centre of the cheeks and the lips with a natural pink. This trend is really fun to experiment with as you can go as 60’s as you like with it, following the trend to the letter or taking inspiration from it to create a more wearable.

I wanted to take the sixties trend and create a super wearable look which will pretty much suit everyone as its really easy to alter to individual taste.

The main focus of the look is all on the eyes, with black gel eyeliner I started on the top lash line right from the inner corner then finished at the end creating a small flick.  To create the flick on the lower lash line I started at the outer corner of the eye, while using the top lash line flick as your guide draw yourself a faint line to map out where you plan to put the eyeliner. Drawing at a slight slope or being as dramatic as you like.

TIP:  Use a small amount of eyeliner on the brush, it’s easy to add more product but it’s much harder to take it away, also it means you don’t waste any of your products. This applies to all your beauty products, everything from foundation to eyeshadow.

After making yourself a guide on the bottom lash line you can now fill in where you want to put the eyeliner, I've only taken the eyeliner into the centre to keep the look feminine by giving the eyes a feline shape . To give the eye definition I've covered the lid in a soft shimmery cream shade then added a matte brown to the socket line to give the eye some depth, then I've added white eyeliner to the waterline and a flick between the top and bottom black eyeliner flicks with both of these things similar to that seen on lots of 60’s makeup.

To continue to keep the look feminine I’ve highlighted the centre of the face and contoured the cheekbones with a natural pink flushed blush then I've added lipstick in a similar shade to my own lip colour to add volume and definition.

What do you think? Will you being trying out the 60's trend?

Give me a comment 

Wendy x

My 60's Soundtrack

Love

A man came to the Prophet (S) and said "O Messenger of Allah, direct me to an act which, if I do it, Allah (SWT) will love me, and the people will love me too." The Prophet (S) said: "Renounce the world and Allah will love you; show disinterest in what people possess and the people will love you too"

February Julep Maven Box + A Nail Creation

 February is all about the "A-List" and this has to be the best Julep Maven Box I have ever received. I actually typically skip every month because I have a decently large nail polish collection that I am not really looking to expand at the moment, but this month I didn't even get an option to skip and I am kind of glad I didn't.

I believe a top coat is key to completing a nail creation and this polymer top coat called Freedom is spectacular. This top coat gives the appearance of gel-like shine without the hassle and health issues. (Used in the nail creation at the bottom of this post) 

 This nail treatment works to make nails stronger, smoother, and thicker . The directions say to use on clean nails once or twice a week to promote healthy nail growth. I had this on my nails for about three days, it has a subtle pink glow to it and made my nails look healthier.

 Just a simple and cheap eyelash curler.... I have a couple of these in my makeup storage that I rarely use because they just don't work as well, but they are great for travel.

 

 This AMAZING shade of olive green is called "Laura" and is perfect for any bombshell.

This shimmery holographic shade is called "Ginger" and I absolutely LOVE it. I like to pair it with shades of red and pink, but it also looks wonderful on it's own. (Used in nail creation at the bottom of this post)

Julep polishes almost always only require one coat and they dry quickly. Top these polishes with the Freedom Top Coat and you have yourself a simple and beautiful nail creation. Another positive aspect of Julep polishes is they do not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP. 

And now for a little nail creation of my own...

What I Used for This Look

Julep's Freedom Top Coat

Julep's Nail Polish in Ginger and Rose

Kiss Nail Dress in Bustier

Scissors 

 First I applied one coat of Rose, which is a bright shade of pink.

 Second I created this design on my nails using one coat of Ginger.

 Then I applied a thin coat of the Freedom Top Coat and let it fully dry for five minutes.

 I cut the Kiss Nail Dress into these strips and applied right between the two shades of polish and applied another coat of the Freedom Top Coat, once again drying it for five minutes.

 And this is the finished look.....

Casual outfit idea

Casual by stylishmuslimah

Simple Victory Roll Tutorial

Hello Lovelies!

 

I know I promised a victory roll tutorial and I finally finished it and posted it today! I am so happy to finally be done with this tutorial, I had issues while filming (my camera kept shutting off randomly), and since I filmed it my children pretty much have been sick so I had to keep putting off editing, but now here it is for you to view. Feel free to leave comments or suggestions!

 

Book review: Girls of Riyadh

Now that my mid-year exams are over (alhaaaaaaaamduli'Allah) I have had a few days off before I start my next semester. I have spent my time being as lazy as I jolly well want to be :) I have also been engrossed in the book 'Girls of Riyadh' by Rajaa Alsanea which I just finished and decided to review considering someone on the blog actually recommended it to me a few days ago.

The book itself is a true story originally in Arabic and written in the form of emails recounting the personal lives of four of the author's close friends living in Riyadh (capital of Saudi Arabia). The emails were complied into a book in 2005 and (of course) instantly banned in the country, although that has since been lifted.

The book starts off with the first email describing the wedding of the author's friend Gamrah and introduces the other girls. Each new chapter is a new email and each email is about a different friend (Lamees, Michelle, Gamrah and Sadeem). She mostly talks about the love lives of the girls and their various heartbreaks throughout.

I have to admit, I found the first half of the book un-put-downable and was particularly touched by the tragic story of Gamrah, who marries a man who not only despises her very presence in his life but has been in love with a Chinese woman for 7 years (before being made to marry a Saudi girl to keep up appearances). As the book progressed, however, I found the continual stories of love and heartbreak of the girls with different men to be off-putting. I got bored of their lives that seemed to centre only around the pursuit of  'love' of a man, I felt sorry for them that their happiness - or lack of - revolved heavily around having a relationship.

When the book comes to an end, the author writes the final chapter regarding the reactions of her four friends to the emails she wrote exposing intimate parts of their lives. Three of them are surprisingly  fine with it, except one who realises that she was the character 'Gamrah' and demands that her friend stop writing about her. It sort of sickened me that despite 'Gamrah's' pleas Rajaa Alsanea continues to write about her friend's life and goes on to publish the book, all the while refusing to write about her own personal life.

I enjoyed the book but reading the final chapter left a bitter taste in my mouth. I deem it extremely disrespectful to her friends that she revealed their personal lives without consenting them first, while maintaining that her own life remains unexposed to the world.

I give the story itself 3 stars out of 5. For her deception, I give the author zero and regret that she makes money out of this book.