Maxxing Out and Pillow Talking | Zahra

Oops I did it again

I popped into town on Saturday or Sunday, bought nothing but this (I did get a lush face mask sample and a body 'conditioner' though).

I wanted to get a nude but ended up with this (once again my genius nude plan failed).

It's a pale pink which doesn't look very good fully applied on my skin tone (light-ish medium)..maybe in the winter but dabbed on and blended out looks pretty cool. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but I will leave a TS lipstick review HERE.

Bought from TK Maxx

Today my mum and I went shopping, I intended to buy a small money/card purse but I saw this. I have to say that my dad was right when he said that I was a (designer) handbag fanatic.

I fell in love with this £19 Fiorelli  bag (reduced from about £30). 

It's a decent size, so it can hold a lot of things (about twice as much as my current bag which I do still love- I bought it in Qatar in a half price sale!).

I think this bag will go with so many outfits as it's mostly brown and cream which, normally go with pretty much everything.

Lately I've wanted to start my own YouTube channel and talk a bit about everything so, that's what I've done. My first video is incredibly random (my brother made me watch David Attenborugh's  'Planet Earth' and the clip was at the beginning so he played the song and made me post it on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and YT)

I hope to do some proper videos and I'd love to hear some suggestions in the comments.

Links

Youtube

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Tumblr

Pinterest

:)

How I look after my skin ¦ Ayesha

I have invested a lot of time and effort to making sure my skin looks at its best. I don't like to wear foundation and I personally think if you have good skin, make-up should just enhance it rather than cover it up or change how you look completely. This is not to say that I am religious over taking care of my skin, but rather I do what I can whenever I can. Experts say you should cleanse, tone, moisturise, face mask once a week and exfoliate 3-4 times a week but honestly, I tried that and it dried out my skin like anything. You could argue that I wasn't using the right products, and maybe I wasn't, but that doesn't change the fact that I believe you can still have good skin without doing it. The French apparently wash their faces with cold water morning and evening and then put moisturiser on!

So, here's what I do.

Morning: Wash my face with cold water, moisturise.

Evening: Use a face wash, moisturise. 

Twice a week: Face mask and microdermabrasion scrub. I use this one:

Image from The Body Shop

That's it.

I have also made changes to my diet and lifestyle which have also contributed to better looking skin. 

Supplements. I take a multi-vitamin supplement which also has iron. This has worked wonders for my under-eye bags as they were quite dark before, no matter what I did. I highly recommend taking more vitamins! 

Using a less harsh makeup remover. I am now using almond/coconut oil to remove my eye makeup. I find that I am rubbing my eyes less as the oil just breaks down the makeup for me. It's so much more gentle and has resulted in less bruising of my eyes.

Drinking more water. Water is so important. It keeps you awake more than caffeine, makes your skin look more plump, and in general is very, very good for you.

Cutting out excess sugar. Now, I still eat cakes and chocolate. However, I've stopped putting sugar in my tea which has also made me drink less tea. I still have up to 2 cups a day - perhaps one coffee and one tea - but I opt for a sweetener or honey instead of sugar. It does the same job but sugar spikes up your blood sugar level almost immediately and can contribute to dull skin. Natural sugars, albeit are still sugars, release more slowly so you don't have a 'crash and burn' effect. Your diet shows in your skin.

Generally eating a lot more healthily. Since living with my husband, I have been eating a salad with dinner every single day. Vegetables are amazing for your skin (even more than fruit because fruit is very high in sugar), so definitely increase them. It helps you feel fuller too so you don't have a chance to over-indulge in bad things.

Exercise daily. Even if it is for a brisk half hour walk, it will do wonders to your skin. Exercise releases a chemical called serotonin which makes you feel happy and well, and when you are happy you have a natural glow to your skin anyway. I don't know the science behind this bit but if you exercise more and sweat more, you end up with more dead skin which you have to exfoliate away more regularly than twice a week. This means your skin has less build-up and clogging up of your pores so your skin is clearer. Also, because of the exercise, you are drinking more water to replace lost fluids from sweating. Exercise is amazing!

I know the lifestyle tips might be more difficult than the cosmetic tips; it did take me a a year to adjust to this new 'conscious' way of eating. You can still eat junk food but in moderation. Good skin and healthy living aren't just a temporary thing, you have to work at it and it can be achieved by making really small changes. If you look after your skin, your skin will look after you!

How do you take care of your skin?

The most amazing moisturiser I have ever tried ¦ Ayesha

I have been through a LOT of moisturisers. I have been reading a lot about whether you should pay more for a moisturiser, as some people (e.g. Caroline Hirons, check out her blog!) say you get what you pay for with a moisturiser. I'm not sure I believe this as yet, I am too afraid to fork out £300 for a moisturiser that claims it can make me stay looking youthful until well in my 60s. Hmm. 

So anyway, I was browsing in Boots the other day when I discovered a new range by Indeed Labs. One called 'Hydraluron' caught my eye, and in particular, the one called moisture jelly. I have read a lot of reviews about this brand so I was keen to try it out. Full price it is £24.99, but there was an offer for £16.66. This is still expensive in my eyes but I wanted to try it anyway. 

I am IMPRESSED. 

My skin is normal to dry, but my cheeks are driest in particular. I have been using a concentrated Vitamin C serum from the Body Shop to target the scaly dry patch on my right cheek in particular, which works well, but using this cream has meant I have not had to touch up at all. I applied it once yesterday and my skin felt hydrated and smooth ALL day up until I washed it in the evening. 

It's a bit new fangled, I didn't know how to apply it at first. I was shaking it upside down before I realised you have to push the white bit down to release the jelly. The amount you see here is enough for your whole face so a little goes a long way, which is good for longevity. 

Overall, I would definitely recommend this product if you have similar skin to mine. I am still yet to find an amazing moisturiser as this one in a cheaper price bracket, but at least I'm not paying an extortionate amount for this. 

Which moisturiser do you use?

Eid, a day of...indulgence... ¦ Ayesha

It was Eid on Monday 28th July, to mark the end of Ramadan. Hubby and I spent this year with my side of the family. You pray at the beginning of the day then families get together for some festivities, largely involving food.  My sister had chosen our outfits when she went to Qatar a couple of months ago, they were amazing! 

We ate a LOT of densely calorific food that day, but that's ok. It's a day of indulgence after fasting after all. Let me break what I ate down for you:

Breakfast: 1 parantha (like a pan-fried chappati) with halwa (a semolina dessert made with butter, sugar, and optional sultananas), mini mince pastries, suji sewaiya (a sweet non-creamy vermicelli dish, like noodles but it's delicious), and some coffee.

Lunch: Rice, meat, a samosa, yogurt, and some carrot halwa (as before but with carrots, yum) with ice cream. 

Dinner: Rice, more mince pastries, more meat,  my mum's home-made scotch eggs, and falooda for dessert (it's a drink made with the same vermicelli noodles as before, with milk and ice cream. You have to drink the milk with the straw then eat the rest with a spoon. A whole day's worth of sugar in one drink. Oh dear).

Needless to say I went for a run the next day.

Can I just talk about breakfast yesterday? It was so good. Toasted seseme seed bagel, topped with cream cheese, some smoked salmon and black pepper on top. YUM. I shouldn't really be eating bread as it makes me feel really bloated and with an upset tummy so I did suffer later.

 I enjoyed it while it lasted.

My Top 5 Lipsticks | Zahra

I know I've talked about most of these lipsticks before, but hey, why not talk about them in more depth?

- Borjouis Rouge Edition Velvets 'Peach Club'

This lipstick applies like a gloss, but dries opaque and matte, the colour selection isn't the best, as this was the nudist shade. They are ridiculously long lasting and I have had the experience of literally scrubbing my lips with eye makeup remover as it's so clingy. The colour, I would describe as a corally pink, sort of what reminds me of a peach and is a really nice everyday sort of colour.

- Rimmel Kate Moss '107' 

I think the only reason why I don't like these are the fact that they don't have proper names, they're just numbers (apart from 111 (I think)- 'Kiss of Life'). This is a matte lipstick which isn't the most moisturizing but doesn't give you dry, chapped lips. The colour is a dark, vampy red, which is everyday wearable, but I tend to blot it on my lips instead.

- (Here comes the Topshop)

The formula of Topshop mesmerizes me because they are so creamy and long lasting, and essentially, the white packaging tends to mean that it's matte, but it doesn't dry your lips.

'All About Me'

A bright pink with bluey undertones to make those teeth look amazing. I've worn this bright (full on) once but I am much more comfortable having it on as a stain.

'Infrared' 

I've spoken about this previously a couple of times and it never fails to amaze me. This I have worn fully and I love it. It's a bright orange, but doesn't drown you out or make you look somewhat ill.

MAC 'Shanghai Spice'

Lastly, my first and only (currently) Mac lipstick. This is a creemsheen finish so it's not super pigmented but it doesn't look like nothing. This particular coloour is like a corally/ orange nude and I wear it with nearly every slightly heavier eye look because it neutralises it down a bit. 

Hair Over Heels: The Ombre | Zahra

From Khloe Kardashian to Beyonce to Zoella, everyone seems to love the ombre look. 

The graduation of dark to light seems to...captivate people's eyes, well it definitely caught mine.

I chose the L'Oreal Wild Ombre in the darkest shade, which for me looked like a good shade but in actual fact went a bit more of a caramel/ toffee like colour. I left it on for around the 25 minute mark (boy, does this stuff work quickly) and washed it out with the 'conditioning' shampoo that came with it. 

Thumbs up for awkward selfie faces!

This is the result- my hair isn't as light as I wanted, but I blame that on my mum for not letting me go any lighter!

In future, if I do this again, either I buy the next shade up, OR I leave it on for a bit longer, OR I just buy a different kit and see whether that makes a different.

I could always get it professionally done, but I have done some research and found it to be pretty damn expensive.

I'm happy with my hair though (more the look than the fact that, if it was damaged before, well it's dead now) and I do hope to keep it like this for a while- now it's just the case of trying to keep the colour and the health. 

If you've ombred or dyed your hair, I'd love to know how you kept it and what products you used!

Beauty Hacks 101 | Zahra

Image from Google

We've all gone through those days where nothing we do looks right, right?

#1. When applying blusher, apply it on your cheekbone, and stop at the pupil of the eye.

#2. Winged liner (arghh)- draw a line as if it's continuing from your lower waterline, pointing towards the end of the eyebrow.

#3. Lipstick on your teeth? Stick your finger in your mouth and pull out- you know that stuff that's on your finger? Yeah that was going to be on your teeth soon.

#4. If you've run out of your favourite gel/ liquid liner, use that pencil liner that you never use- heat it up using anything remotely hot e.g hairdryers, curling wands, lighters... et VOILA.

#5. When using a setting powder with colour, use one that is 1 shade lighter than your skin because if you keep applying it through the day, by the end of it you may be lucky to not look like someone's spilled some sort of permanent tango on you.

#6. Have 2 blending brushes on hand for smokey eyes- dirty ones will just further increase the intensity and smudging of the colour rather than it being all soft and...'fluffy'

#7. Even if your eyes aren't oily, primer makes the colour more intense, so less product is used, therefore allowing you to have a longer life with your favourite eyeshadows (why does that sound like one of my many English essays for Shakespeare or something?)

#8. Eyebrow wise, less is definitely more- here me out, black eyeliner is just a no go.

#9. Forget using black eyeliner on your lower lashline, out your mascara wand as far in as you can and there: perfect defined eyes.

#10. Lastly, perfume goes- 

                                            behind the ears

                                            base of the throat

                                            inside wrist

                                            behind knees

                                            inside elbows

I hope this was helpful, whether you're starting out with makeup and you need a base or you knew all of these but you're just 'refreshing' your memory :)

Shopping List- my must (want) buys | Zahra

Hello everyone,
I know my sister has already done this, but I thought why not do mine too?

Makeup

-Mac Pigments in 'Vanilla' and 'White Gold'.
'Vanilla' is a white, iridescent colour with a hint of silver/ gold running through it and I think it would be nice for the inner corners of my eyes and also my brow-bone.

'White Gold' is pretty similar to 'Vanilla' but is slightly more gold-tinged which would be perfect for all over the lid or as a subtle highlighter.

Both Photos from MAC

-Nars Sheer Glow Foundation
I've heard so many people raving about this saying that it's amazing and well worth the money and quite frankly, I do want to try a high end foundation that actually matches my skin colour.

-Mac Lipsticks in 'Flamingo', 'Morange', 'Russian Red'
'Flamingo' is a corally, pink- super summery and, even though we're about half way through the summer... there's always next year.

Photo from Vaintyrouge

'Morange' is a bright orange with redder undertones. Even though I have 'Infrared' from Topshop, this one is much brighter and more daring to wear I reckon.

Photo from ViviannaDoesMakeup

Now 'Russian Red' is something I've had my eyes on for a while now- it's your classic red lippy that suits all skin tones and makes you look like you've actually spent time getting ready.

Photo from Zoella

Perfume

-Chanel Mademoiselle

I sort of have an addiction to perfumes, even though I can't actually afford them but even still...I'm waiting for the day I can legally get a job :)

This perfume smells quite similar to 'Chance' but a bit heavier, and ever so slightly more musky (if that even works)

-Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh

This perfume I've wanted for about half a year now- ever since I smelt in in Selfridges, I've been wanting to bathe in this stuff (that would probably hurt)

It reminds me of spring, glitter and flowers- although I'm not the biggest fan of floral scented things (especially rose), I really like this one because it's so light and fresh.

-Jo Malone Grapefruit Citrus Cologne

Oh joy! Something else that is way out of my budget!

I'm probably going to hate this in the winter because I'm all over the woody/spicey scents at that time of year, but right now, I'm in love with this airy but fruity smell (that doesn't even smell like grapefruit to me)

Skincare

-Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment With Avacado

I sometimes get puffiness and redness around my eyes and I'm not sure why that happens- I think it's an allergic reaction to something, but I don't know what
I've heard so many people talk about this and I'm dying to get my hands on this, even if it is a little tester.

-Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief
I had a mini sample of this for when I went to Qatar and it's honestly so amazing- it hydrates my skin and makes it feel super soft and it smells nice too.

So that's my list (that seems a lot bigger than my sister's) and I hope to try out a few things soon

Have you tried any of these, and if you have, what did/do you think of them?
                                                       

A speedy skin saviour for spots | Ayesha

Don't be fooled by this product's medicinal-looking exterior, or put off by the fact that it's traditionally used as a baby nappy rash cream. Sudocrem is probably my favourite skin cream as it has a multitude of multi-tasking properties. 

When I was about 10 I suffered from acne. It continued for about 2 years until my mum suggested I put Sudocrem on my face every night and every morning. Honestly, my face cleared up in about 3 days. To this day, if I get any spots or blemishes on my skin, I use Sudocrem and after 2-3 days they are gone!

*I'm not saying Sudocrem will work for everyone. Sometimes acne is caused by hormonal issues so you will need to speak to your GP. This works as a treatment for sporadic spots you may get or in my case, acne you may experience as a teenager - try it and see if it works for you!* 

As it says on the tin, it's also good for minor burns, sunburn, itchiness, small wounds, basically any kind of skin or medical need you may have, it's great. I don't own any other antiseptic cream at home so if I have a cut, I just apply this and it does a great job. You only need a touch - it explicitly states to apply a thin layer - and the job is done. You can keep reapplying throughout the day if necessary.

You can get this at almost all supermarkets and chemists, I actually bought mine from a cheap £2 type shop in Coventry (The Foleshill Warehouse - it's not a pound shop, but the prices don't stray too far from it) and its very cheap considering how long it'll last you, about £2.50. 

Enjoy!