FashionStyle

Monday, October 15, 2012

Advice for Hijabi beginners (non-sugar-coated)

After the African millionaires desperately throwing their life savings at me, the most common emails I get are from girls thinking about wearing hijab and wanting some advice. I'm not going to beat about the bush, I am the worst person to ask for advice when it comes to anything, let alone a religious subject. My opinions regarding hijab have definitely changed over the past few years and of course, I am not a scholar so my views are often riddled with bias and influenced by my state of mind at any given time. Having said that, as so many people have asked, I decided I should make a post giving anyone thinking of wearing hijab a few pieces of advice, things I kind of wish someone had told me.

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1. Wouldn't advise you to overhaul your wardrobe the minute you start covering your hair. I did that and it didn't go well - take your clothing transition slowly.

2. It is a piece of cloth, not magic: don't expect to suddenly become divinely religious. Please don't act it either, it's so off-putting.

3. One of the biggest shocks I got when I began to mix with Muslims was realising just how bitchy a lot of hijabis can be. Some are nice, but don't expect to suddenly discover a "sisterhood" that you weren't part of before you wore hijab. You weren't part of it because nobody is. It doesn't exist.

4. Keep reminding yourself that you are wearing it for the pleasure of Allah (SWT) and not for people.

5. Hijab is not about 'modesty', it's about doing what Allah (SWT) commands you to do. You can be modest without covering your hair and you can be immodest in a niqaab.

6. Be prepared for some interesting questions/comments. Some recent ones I've had (from non-Muslim men) include 'are you wearing a wig under that?', 'I bet you don't wear that to the beach.. you don't do you?', 'how long is your hair and have you dyed it?' and 'what would happen if I pulled the end of your.. headpiece?' HEADPIECE.

7. Be confident! It doesn't matter how you dress as long as you are confident and nice, people will like and respect you. And if they don't, it's not your problem.

8. Be cautious of judging the way other Muslim girls dress and act. It has nothing to do with you. Anyway, they might actually be much better than you.

9. Once it's on you become a walking representation of Islam (like it or not), which is a huge responsibility, especially if you turn into one of those hijabis that find it impossible to smile.

10. I beg you don't start ~~dissing~~ advising hijabis on the Internet about how 'haram' they are and telling them how they should and should not be dressing. People did this with me a lot at the start of my blog when I did not wear the hijab and it almost put me off the idea altogether.

11. Allah (SWT) judges our scales of good deeds in relation to our bad deeds. Hijab will increase your good deeds but it is not the be all and end all of your deen. Just another good thing to do.

12. You will probably, at some point after wearing the hijab, want to take it off. I would strongly advise you to stick with it simply because if you do there will come a moment when you think 'I'm really glad I didn't take it off'. 'Jihad al nafs' was never supposed to be easy, so don't instantly succumb to your inner desires - they are almost always fleeting.

13. I wouldn't even think about hijab if I didn't pray and fast.

The tips are just my opinions and based on my experiences so they may not apply to you but I hope at least some of them helped :)

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

HAUL: August- October

This is my first haul, exciting I know. These are some of the things I’ve bought in the last couple of months which I have really loved and want to share with you.

Firstly, beauty products can't get enough of them. I love trying out new products and recommending them to all my friends if they are good. A couple of months ago I was looking for some new skincare, I used to use Dr Nick Lowes Oil control range, and I loved the foam wash so I repurchased that but I found the moisturiser to heavy. I had a search online and came across Vichy Laboratories products, a French skincare brand, reading reviews everyone seemed to love the products. I decided to purchase the Vichy Normaderm Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care and the Vichy Normaderm Anti-Imperfection Concentrate from www.escentual.com. After about a month of using both products I’m in love, will defiantly being repurchasing this. The moisturiser is super light but still really hydrating and the Concentrate has really fast results.

The next two products may be my favourite hair products ever. I first purchased the Label.m Thickening Cream at the end of 2010, I used it loads and I mean loads and it only ran out 2 weeks ago so it’s incredible value. Its gives you the volume and texture a hair mousse would without the stickiness you sometimes get. A must have hair product.

The second product is L’Oreal Studio Matt & Messy Salt Spray. I've tried a lot of different salt sprays in the past and this is defiantly my favourite. It works really well in conjunction with the Label.m Thickening Cream.

Now for books, bit of a U-turn from beauty but I have a bit of an obsession with coffee table books. I recently got Scott Schuman’s aka The Sartorialist new book. It is a collection of beautiful street style photos he has taken all over the world. Check out his blog www.thesartorialist.com its great if you need some inspiration for a new outfit.

Also I got the Rookie Yearbook One, I would say it’s less of a book more of a giant magazine which I love (I’m a magazine addict). It’s full of fashion editorials, stories, interviews and advice for the average teenage girl. Tavi Gevinson edited this book; she is a 16 year old American blogger who I would say is a genius. There is so much in this book I found I could relate too and it is so funny.

Now for some fashion. I was really excited to find out Anna Dello Russo was doing collaboration with H&M, she created an amazing accessory line. I could have happily purchased every single piece. I decided on this necklace, I love gold and anything shiny and I can get away with wearing it with pretty much anything.

I also got these coin clip on earrings when I went to Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair in Edinburgh the other week. They are so cute and were a bargain for £3.

What do you think? Have you used any of the products?

Wendy x

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Current trends I dislike

I have recently been asking myself why I continue to habitually waste my money on the likes of Grazia and LOOK magazines when 90% of them are taken up by either adverts or clothing trends I wouldn't be seen dead in.

Here are a few trends that have cropped up recently that I detest.

1. US army style military camouflage jackets are suddenly all the rage. What's next, orange jumpsuits..?

2. Heel-less wedges. WHY?! Someone please explain this fugly trend to me. Is it some sort of cost-saving plan to cut back on materials?

3. Wellington boots as.. boots. Call me old fashioned the but last time I checked, wellies exclusively belonged on the farm and in the rain. Now, all of a sudden Hunters have become a fashion statement and people wear them as a "fashionable" alternative to normal boots.

4. Men jumping on the fashion bandwagon. I know that it is really double standards of me to hold this opinion but I hate when men follow fashion and wear next level man-bags and LV belts. Ew.

No.

Yuck.

What the flip is he wearing..?

Bingo! The shoes are naff but this is a nice outfit all round.

5. Panelled trousers. Those trousers with stripes down the sides that are supposed to make you look less fat. No offence or anything but an optical illusion is one thing and delusion is something.. a lot closer to reality.

6. Fully grown women wearing frilly girls socks thinking it's cute.

Excuse me while I go and vomit.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

How to be alone

I came across this video on someone elses blog (can't remember whose) quite a while ago and I really liked it. Stumbled across it again today and thought I'd share. The woman has written a poem about being alone and I think it's awesome. To be honest, I sometimes find that the more time I spend with other people the more I want to just be on my own. I find spending a long time with other people who aren't my family can be really tiring. Does anyone else get this or am I just abnormal..?

Anyway, here's the video:

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

E.L.F Cosmetics Haul

Recently I purchased even more products from E.L.F and wanted to share my opinions about them with everyone. I do already have three other posts about products I purchased from E.L.F in the past, I took all the products I owned and reviews them by category so check them out. To find reviews on E.L.F brushes and eye products go here, for reviews on E.L.F sets and palettes go here, for reviews on E.L.F's zit zapper, lip products and nail products go here. I also have created a tutorial for a fall inspired makeup look using just cosmetics from E.L.F, to find that go here.

E.L.F Flawless Finish Foundation $6

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/face/foundation/flawless_finish_foundation

I purchased this in porcelain because I do have pale skin, but it was too dark for my skin tone and made me appear kind of orange. It also was a little too heavy for my liking, I like to have full coverage but I like not to feel it all day long. Also, as you can see on the package it reads oil free, but it made my skin super shiny and on the two days that I wore it I had mini breakouts.

E.L.F Maximum Coverage Concealer $3

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/face/concealer/maximum_coverage_concealer_oil_free

Once again I wasn't overall pleased with this product, just like the foundation the color was too dark for my skin tone. The concealer itself blended out well though, and did seem to be light and oil free.

E.L.F Blush $3

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/face/blush/studio_blush

I actually for some reason own very little blush, but I felt like I really needed to add some to my collection so I purchased this in Tickled Pink. I love the color, it's just enough pink to give me a rosy glow, but not go overboard.

E.L.F Makeup Mist & Set $3

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/face/tools/makeup_mist_and_set

I have never purchased a product like this before so I do not have much to compare this to quality wise, I do know it seemed to make the makeup last longer and kept it feeling fresher.

E.L.F Eyelashes Kit $2.50

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/eyes/false_lashes/holiday_eyelash_kit

I always am looking to expand my collection of fake lashes, I bought this kit mainly for the lashes, but the little extras are nice. The lash curler is all plastic and feels cheap, but it's the perfect size for a makeup bag, and the tweezers are also a smaller size. The glue itself I will not be using, it isn't sticky enough to really hold the lashes for long, but it does bond to my eyeliner and stick into my lashes.

E.L.F Face Line Filler $5

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/minerals/face/primer/face_line_filler

I picked this out of curiosity, and because I had some items I could receive for free, I wasn't sure if I would ever really use it. I tried this a couple days ago before work and it didn't seem to do a thing, the liquid that came out the tip felt slightly sticky and I could feel it where I put it, but it didn't make the line disappear or fade like I thought it would. The reviews on the website are kind of all over the place, some love it, and others hate it. The one thing I did notice is how much of a hassle the application is, to get the product to come out the top you turn the bottom until it starts to come out, it's suppose to come out the very top of the applicator but doesn't always, and you can never guess how much will come out it's either too much or too little.

E.L.F Mineral Eye Liner $3

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/minerals/eyes/eyeliner/eye_liner

I love this! I wear black eyeliner almost every single day so I like to have a huge collection of different eyeliners to try. The last eyeliner from E.L.F that I tried was the liquid liner and I was not impressed at all, so I wasn't sure what to expect out of this kind, but it works wonderfully.

E.L.F Mineral Lipstick in Cool Coral $5

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/minerals/lips/lip_stick/mineral_lipstick

In the past couple of months my lipstick collection has vastly expanded thanks to E.L.F Cosmetics, they have such a great selection of lip products. This mineral lipstick comes in 18 different shades, unfortunately for me they do not have any shades of red, but I do love the color of coral. This color is perfect to make the lips pop just a bit, and it makes me feel kind of extra girly.

E.L.F Matte Lip Color $3

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/lips/lip_stick/matte_lip_color

I absolutely love the matte lip colors, the shade pictured above is Natural, and I already own the Rich Red. The matte colors are long lasting and they come in six wonderful shades. The natural matte lip color is the perfect shade for a nude lip.

E.L.F Mineral Lip Tint $3

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/minerals/lips/lip_balm/moisturizing_lip_tint_spf_8

I chose the mineral lip tint in the shade of rose, and so far I am loving it,it has an enjoyable flavor, it's moisturizing and long lasting, and it also provides protection from the sun. I like to put this on on top of the Natural Matte Lip Color, which makes it last even longer. They offer this in 8 different shades, unfortunately not in any brighter shades or shades of red.

Wish I could always remember this

Monday, October 1, 2012

Fall Inspired Tutorial Using E.L.F Cosmetics

This is my very first video tutorial :) I was asked my opinion on E.L.F Cosmetics more than once so I decided that doing a look using just their products would be a great idea. This look can easily be created with other brands of makeup, but the plus side of E.L.F is that it is very cheap and they have wonderful deals and sales on their website. If you have any comments or suggestions feel free to leave them in either the comment section for my blog, or for the video. Thank you!