NEW WEBSITE!

Some exciting things are happening. We have now moved to our very own website which will start off as a continuation of this blog, with a shop to follow. That is the intention, but will still take some time before it actually takes off. In the mean time, please follow us on our new site to keep up to date with all our posts. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and soon we will make videos for the website on Youtube too. 

www.lebeautyhaul.co.uk

Hope to see you all there!

xo

Boots series #2 No7 skincare - my picks | Ayesha

You know sometimes Boots do an offer where you can get £5 off No7 skincare and £3 off their makeup? Sometimes I wish they did this voucher for other brands too - but hey ho. I enjoy £5 off their skincare, because I think their skincare is very good. 

My skin is combination: dry cheeks and an oily T-zone. My skin is also a little bit dehydrated but I am trialling a product by Kiehls (blog post coming soon!) to target that dehydration. On my right cheek, I used to suffer from something that I am unsure what it was but it resembled scales (as in a dragon or a fish or something) and no matter how much cream I applied, the scales wouldn't go away! I am slightly digressing so I will do another blog post on how I de-scaled myself.

Here is my current line-up of No7 skincare products.

Now, my most favourite No7 product is the radiance exfoliator (on the right). It actually does what it says on the tin. After using this, my skin looked so much brighter! It literally transformed. It doesn't have too many beads in it, so it is less harsh than some other scrubs out there, but nevertheless does a good job. I tend to use this every 3 days or so. 

The cleansing lotion (middle) is great at removing all traces of face makeup, but I haven't used it on eye makeup. I'm a bit unsure about whether or not to so I decided against the risk. It leaves me skin feeling clean and soft, without a hint of tightness. Some cleansers are very harsh and strip your skin of its natural oils, hence the tight feeling, so this one is a lovely choice to go for. 

Finally the toner (left). I do like this toner to make sure every last trace of makeup has gone from my face. Despite liking it, I don't see the point of toners in general. I have heard lots about them and how they get your skin "ready" for moisturisation but I've not noticed any difference! Oh well. 

Here's a cuteness break as this is a bit of a wordy post! I love owls, and baby ones in particular. In fact, babies and mini things in general.

image from pinterest

In the past I have tried their eye make-up remover which is a good dupe for Lancome's Bi-Facil remover. It felt very gentle and removed all traces of makeup. It is also oil-based and does leave an oily residue, but I quite like this feeling of extra moisturisation!

I have also used the essential moisture moisturiser which melted into my skin and lasted a long time. It is quite a rich cream so it would definitely suit drier skin times, without making your skin look shiny.

Lastly, and I almost forgot about this, I have also used their hot cloth cleanser. Now, I've not tried the Liz Earle version to compare, but this one is lovely and even comes with its own muslin cloth. The most noticeable thing, like the cleansing lotion mentioned above, is that it doesn't leave my skin feeling tight as some cleansers usually have in the past. 



Hope you found this useful! Let me know in the comments what you use your No7 vouchers for!

Boots series #1 New things by Collection | Ayesha

Hi all! 

School's out for summer! It's actually been 2 and a half weeks, but again I find myself being too busy to post.

Anyway, after perusing the shelves at Boots many times these past weeks, today I found myself drawn to the Collection section. The only thing I buy from them is a clear mascara which I use as a brow setting gel, and tend to walk away thinking the other things wouldn't have staying power or be pigmented enough. However, just look at these:

I don't know why, but I have never seen these before! I was SO impressed by the swatches. They felt very soft and were highly pigmented, so much so that they would give the Naked palette by Urban Decay a run for their money. There were three palettes in total. One was called Nude which had lighter pinks and browns; Nude Bronze which is the one I bought; and Nude Grey which had cooler toned neutrals like greys, taupes and cooler shades of brown. 

The shadow sticks in particular made me literally say "wow" as I applied them; they are way more intense than they look in the pictures. The one labelled VB is called 'Vintage Blush' and is a pink shade with gold undertones. V is called 'Vanilla Sky' and is a very light shade of gold; almost like platinum. This looks like liquid gold.

Another thing to note is that when I wanted to clean the shadow sticks off my hand, a baby wipe just didn't work. They claim to be waterproof and long lasting which I now believe! However, I have very oily eyelids so I will test them out to see their true longevity.

If you are into shimmery shades then these will be for you. The Nude Bronze palette is definitely all shimmer, however I am unsure about whether the other ones contain some matte shades!

There are some other new things by Collection here.

All in all, on first impression, I am super impressed and as everything is less than £5 each, it is definitely worth it!

Which palette or shadow sticks would you go for?

The post-work Bond Street experience | Ayesha

I've been commuting from SE London to Hertfordshire for about 6 months now, and every single day I pass Bond Street on the Jubilee line to and from my journey. Never before had it occurred to me that I could actually hop off and be in Selfridges 5 minutes later...until last Friday.

Now, this is not a means for me to go there every Friday after work. A teacher's salary is not enough anyway and I have too much housework to catch up on. #wouldn'tmakeagoodhousewife

On this occasion, however, I intended to leave work at 4pm with a slightly untidy desk to pick up a free Origins Drink-Up overnight mask from John Lewis, an offer that was floating around on Facebook. I went straight there, then to Boots to pick up something boring that I had run out of... until I saw that Make Up For Ever had arrived in Debenhams. My pace quickened... then I went to Selfridges... and here is the damage. (Not including the boring thing from Boots!)

I'll go through each product in turn with a little mini review on some of the ones I have tried out.

Starting at the bottom, in the bottom picture:

1. Origins Drink-Up Intensive Overnight mask. 

This was the freebie from John Lewis. I have heard many amazing reviews on it and have thought about purchasing it on a number of occasions but refraining because I make my homemade chickpea flour mask anyway. I have to say I'm slightly disappointed with this one. It did make my skin feel a bit softer but nothing amazingly different to the overall look and complexion of it. Maybe it is only meant to be for hydration? I'm not sure, and perhaps I have to use it regularly twice a week to see an improvement over time.

2. Make Up For Ever Mist and Fix spray 

I got a mini version of this to try. It is meant to be a make-up setter spray to help everything stay in place. I will test this out and let you know what I think when I do!

3. Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in 15.

This is a lovely taupe-brown shimmery (but not overly so) cream-based eyeshadow that claims to be waterproof and long-lasting. I put it on around 12pm today and by 7.30pm there was only a very slight crease that you could only see if you looked really closely. This 7.5 hours also included an hour's worth of sweaty exercise outdoors, and my eyelids are also naturally quite oily, so I can definitely attest to its longevity. I am looking forward to creating easy, not too overpowering smoky eyes with this! 

4. Max Factor Creme Blush in Soft Candy

I love this. It looks really scary and bright in the pot but when you apply it to skin, it makes it look really naturally flushed. You can apply as little or as much as you like because it's quite buildable. 

5. Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat pencil in Pillow Talk

Ok so now we get to the more exciting stuff. This is a lip liner but is apparently very long lasting. You should see Charlotte Tilbury's makeup videos on Youtube where she shows you how to apply all of her products. Amazing! I have yet to try this on, but I will let you know my thoughts later.

6. Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow

Ok... this is the most exciting thing and yet also the most damaging to my bank account. Someone from the counter tried this on me and I was sold. The packaging is also so lovely - it seems to just glow. There are 2 compartments - the 'sculpt' side is a bronzer and then the 'highlight' side is self-explanatory. I have never been into bronzer but this product just did something to my face, and the highlighter claims to have a 'candlelit glow'. I was a bit afraid she may have applied too much so I might have looked like an actual candle on my way home, but once I had arrived and checked the mirror in natural light it was very soft. I'm sold! I will have to use this for years before buying any other bronzer or highlighter though...

Despite all of this, I saw a palette by Dior on this website. The Selfridges picture does not do it any justice, look at the second site instead. There is a certain quality about it that I can't quite describe. Somebody has to stop me!

The Wishlist - Spring 2015 | Zahra

I do love this series...

So what DO I want to buy?....

MAC

Eyeshadow

Mythology

Amber Lights

Honey Lust

Photo from Pinterest - 'Mythology'

Paint Pots

Groundwork

Lipstick

Brave 

Mehr

Creme in your Coffee

Fresh Moroccan

Dark Side

Diva

Kinda Sexy

Morange 

Photo - Temptalia - Mehr

Face

Studio Sculpt Foundation

Pro Longwear Concealer

'Gingerly' Blush

Cream Colour Base - 'Hush'

Gingerly

NARS

Eyeshadow

'Silk Road' Duo Eyeshadow

Face

All Day Luminous Foundation

'Gina' Blush

'Copacabana' Illuminator

'Gina' Blush

BOBBI BROWN

Eyes

Sparkle Eyeshadow in 'Cement'

There you have it

As you can see this is a very Nars - Mac heavy wishlist so um...oops

What's on your spring makeup wishlist?

Happy 1st Birthday Zariel!

It's kind of crazy how fast a year has gone and how we've both managed to still get the motivation to blog.

Just going to say thank you to everyone that reads the blog and lets hope year 2 is even better!

Happy Birthday 'Zariel' :) 

Spring chickens | Ayesha

This post has absolutely nothing to do with chickens, FYI. 

As Spring is in the air and the daffodils have grown (which makes me think, are daffodils a type of weed? It seems like they just spring out of nowhere!), the beauty world is also adjusting itself out of the warm, deeper winter colours to paler, pastel, and more fun and vibrant shades.

I dug out 10 of my favourite nail colours to wear during the spring.

They are all pointing to the middle shade - Chanel Rose Insolent - my favourite colour of the bunch!

As you can see, there are a mixture of colours including pink, coral, a pale blue, and even a mustard yellow thrown in there.

Essie polishes L-R: Chubby Cheeks (pale terracotta), Lovie Dovie (pure Barbie pink)

As I was applying them to my nails today, polish went everywhere. Look at Lovie Dovie's handle - that was all today! The rest went onto my clothes! There is a reason I am not a manicurist or a surgeon.

L-R: Chanel 489 Rose Insolent (it's not bright pink like it looks - it's a very wearable bubblegum pink) and No7 Gel-Look shine in Orange Spice (coral).

I'm actually really impressed by this particular range of No7 polishes. The formula is great AND they have a wide brush! 

Topshop L-R: Peaches and Cream (pale peach), Obey (shimmery pale pink)

I didn't realise that Obey was a shimmery colour; I prefer the matte or gel-effect nails. However, it is still a pretty colour and really nice to layer over a pale colour.

Barry M polishes. L-R: Huckleberry (pale blue), Coconut (off-white), Lychee (beige/brown), Mustard (self explanatory!)

My favourite of the Barry M's here is most probably Huckleberry. I even wore it throughout the winter too. Mustard is one of those shades where you look at it and think, "how garish, that would suit nobody!" Maybe that's why I like it - it's so satisfying and surprisingly wearable, even for someone like me who prefers classic shades and looks.

So there you have it! Barry M are your best bet for really affordable nail polishes. The range of colours they have are amazing, the formulation is great and they last a good 4 days without chipping. However, Essie are my favourite brand overall because the formulation is just that much better than Barry M, but I also enjoy the wide brush that comes with it. It makes application seriously easy, especially if you are as clumsy as I am. Things just fall out of my hands.

What are your favourite colours for Spring? 

Bake a cake in less than 2 MINUTES! | Ayesha

Hello again! This is the beauty of being on holiday for 2 weeks - I actually have time to do pleasurable things like blogging!

A few weekends ago, my friend Katie came over. She is a fellow food fan like myself, and we decided to give a microwaveable cake a whirl. This is just a cake that you would normally bake in the oven, but instead, you bake it in the microwave.

We decided on a chocolate and peanut butter cake from Yammies Noshery. See it for yourself to believe it. Saliva ensues.

Left bowl - beaten eggs. Right bowl - butter and peanut butter combined.

Cocoa powder, flour and sugar combined with the peanut butter and butter mixture.

Microwave - breath was held for fear of explosion...

The finished deliciousness.

I am aware that I used a bowl and not a mug to bake this; the mugs I have are just too small. 

Another thing to add is the recipe states to bake for up to 2 minutes. I did it for 2 minutes and the cake was slightly on the dry side. I would definitely only bake it for 1.5 minutes max as the cake will continue cooking while it's still hot, even when you have taken it out of the microwave. Despite being slightly dry, it was still moist and absolutely delicious! It fills a hole and it takes less than 10 minutes from prep time to baking to cooling. This yielded 3 generous slices, too. The best part is that all the ingredients are measured in SPOONS! I have yet to acquire some proper baking equipment so this was perfect for me, as I have spoons...

Have you baked anything in a microwave? 

The 10 minute morning | Ayesha

Let's be real - sometimes you don't have the best night's sleep in the world, and maybe you have an interview or something else where you need to look fresh-faced and presentable (I turned up to my wedding with only 3 hours of sleep the night before - a complete no-no!).

If you are somebody who:

A) Snoozes their alarm until they have practically no time left to get ready;
B) Commutes far away and has a limited time in the morning to spend getting ready;
C) Has small children;
D) Doesn't want to spend a lot of time doing their face;
(this list is not exhaustive)

Then this might be the thing for you!

First things first, try and do as much as you can the night before. This includes preparing something for breakfast e.g. porridge or even pouring cereal into a bowl with the spoon inside, so you can throw in some milk and wolf it down. I believe breakfast is a really important meal of the day; it controls your blood sugar level so that by mid morning you're not scrabbling for chocolate (although I appreciate this can still happen *ahem*).

Next, lay out the clothes you are going to wear so you don't need to think about them. I used to spend ages umming and ahhing over what to wear but if you do all of that umming and ahhing the night before, you've saved yourself a heap of time. 

Finally, lay out all your makeup products. This is my favourite part of getting ready!

I use Bourjois Happy Light primer as a base first. It is super light and contains reflective particles to achieve a glowy look which also makes you look more awake. It also helps to keep your makeup on for longer.

I then reach for my foundation (sometimes I skip this if I reallllyyy don't have time and just use concealer). I use Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua because it's also very light, has sheer-medium coverage and spread it on areas I need it most with my fingers. 

I use Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer under my eyes and around the nose. This particular concealer is my favourite as it also contains those reflective particles, is really liquidy so it blends very easily and does a great job at covering dark circles.

I blend this all together with a dusting of Bourjois Java Powder, which, you guess it, also contains these light reflecting particles! You're probably imagining that you may look like a Christmas tree complete with flashing lights after putting all this on, but trust me, you don't.

The remaining two products are totally optional, and can add them if you do have a bit more time. Topshop Glow Pot in Polished is a lovely luminous highlighter that looks really natural when you apply it.

The eyeshadow palette is by Stila called In the Light, and the shade which will enhance the overall glowiness of your face is the shade Kitten (top row, second shade from the left - the pale pink/champagne shade).

I only ever use fingers to apply my makeup unless I am applying blusher, powder or eyeshadow. I find that it blends into my skin more and takes up less of my time. This is just a personal preference though!

So set the timer on your phone for 5 minutes, throw it all on and let the products do the work for you!

Do you have any tips or product recommendations that save time and/or make you look super awake?

The Simpson effect - a DIY recipe for dry skin | Ayesha

If the title hasn't intrigued you enough, take a look at this rather unflattering photo: 

Yep, I've turned into a Simpson!

In all seriousness, this is a face mask that I experimented with recently. It is not a new idea or one that I have cooked up myself; it is a recipe that I found a number of years ago, then tried it with my cousin last year, and now I'm finally doing a blog post on it!

I had found that this face mask not only gave my skin the hydration boost it needed, but that it had completely softened it and my skin looked so bright and clear the following morning. This is what you need to make it:

2 tbsp chickpea flour (basin/gram flour)
1 tsp honey
Splash of milk
1 tsp turmeric powder

Combine all ingredients until it forms a paste, then spread over your entire face. Leave it on for 10-30 minutes then wash off with warm water. Before trying this out, I was worried that the turmeric would leave a yellow residue, but both times I have tried it, it hasn't left any colouring whatsoever. I have read that for some people it has, but nothing that a bit of makeup remover or toner can't get rid of! 

The benefits

Turmeric is an age-old ingredient used in cooking and also for herbal medicinal use - did you know it can cure 99 diseases? It contains antiseptic properties, and I am not sure of the science behind it but it is very good for helping to control acne too. Another interesting thing is that I had a friend once whose baby came down with a cold; she spread turmeric over her baby's face and within 3 days the cold completely disappeared! 

The chickpea flour is used as a gentle exfoliator. Flour in general is very good for buffing the skin which also adds to the glowiness afterwards.

Honey is also a natural antiseptic but I used it as the 'glue' to combine all the ingredients together. It is also super moisturising!

Milk is also a great moisturiser and I used it purely just to loosen up the mixture so it wasn't as thick. You could use water, but I wanted extra hydration.

I really enjoy these 'natural' things; did you know that I've started to add bicarbonate of soda to my toothpaste to whiten my teeth? It's a slow process, but it is working!

Have you tried any DIY beauty treatments? Let me know in the comments below!

The one with the metal recycling business - Episode 4 | Ayesha

Welcome to Episode 4! I do have other blog post ideas which are more beauty related, and I will be typing those up too, but I have a lot of pent-up feelings which I need to get across. Hope you enjoy and/or learn something!

When I heard about this one, I wasn't immediately sold. In fact, let's just say I wasn't happy to meet anybody; I wanted to get married yet I wasn't prepared to go through the meetings. It felt like such a chore to dress up in Asian clothes, which make me feel uncomfortable and not myself anyway, to have to get to know complete strangers. I am generally a friendly and sociable person but it's a very different scenario when you're meeting people for the purpose of MARRIAGE! It felt so odd and unnatural.

I was a bit late coming downstairs to meet this family and they were already in the hallway greeting everybody. Awkwardness #1. Then, we all traipsed into the main living room and had a 'get to know you' conversation. I didn't like the look of the guy, but then I knew to get to know somebody before rejecting them; I had plenty of experience of people rejecting me before even getting to know me so I knew how hurtful it felt. After 10 minutes I went to the kitchen to get the juice, and yes I did walk around the room with a tray and serve it to them. Awkwardness #2. Nothing else comes to mind about this part of the meeting, so I'll just skip to when the man in question and myself had a chance to chat.

Now, we didn't really talk about a whole lot, to be honest. He learned that I graduated from my masters not too long ago and was working for the NHS. I learned he had set up his own metal recycling business. He then asked the following question:

Do you want to have children?

Me: (Thinking that this question is a bit premature...or was it? I have no idea). In the future, yes. What about you?

Him: Oh yeah, no less than a football team.

Me: How many children is that?

Him: 11. 
Awkwardness #3.

Me: Seriously? Does your metal recycling business earn enough money to provide the kids with a good education, a big house with a bedroom for each of them, and with all the work you'll have to do while I'm raising them will you even be around to have a hand in actually being a good father to them?!

No, I did not actually say those words out loud. I wish I did. What I actually said was:

Me: That's a lot of children (nervously laughing).

Him: How many do you want?

Me: Umm... maybe just start off with 1 and see how that goes?

Lol

I seem to remember another snippet from this conversation, which put me off him even further. We were talking about work, and at the time I had a big ambition to get a doctorate in clinical psychology which meant 5 more committed years of university. He seemed to be put off by this and said he would want his wife to work 'part time'. Does he get to choose that? Really? He is not the first man I had met who thought that their wives should be part-timers. I found it so off-putting because to me, it felt like he was calling all the shots and being an ambitious person, I wasn't about to give up my ideas about my future to be a stranger's 'wife' and take care of 11 children. If life circumstantially became that way, I can understand that, but to be told first hand this is what he wants our life to be like, I didn't want any part of it.

I don't remember anything else about that day, and I don't even know why I was so incensed he would want 11 children. Everyone is entitled to those dreams but I guess I was so paranoid about maybe having to give up my life for my future husband that my thoughts just went crazy. I feel that he thought we weren't compatible either, because they didn't want to meet again. I was happily relieved but mentally exhausted as I knew I would have to go through it all again next weekend with the next person/weirdo.

More soon!

The one with the Mohawk - Episode 3 | Ayesha

Now, this is an interesting one. I was already doubting our compatibility because I was told that they all dressed in "Islamic" gear bar the man in question. Now, the reason was not solely because of the dress; at the end of the day nobody can judge anyone based on what they wear or don't wear; but I've been brought up to believe that being spiritually muslim, praying, fasting and charity are of the utmost importance and modesty was for all sorts of things including wealth, not just dress. The reason I was put off was because I felt he may just be rebelling against his family and after his rebellion was over, may start dressing like that and expect that of me too. I am not one for that as I believe in choices and people treat things like that differently.

So the weekend came, and what a surprise he was! He looked so odd. Mohawk, biker jacket, so different from the rest of his family. His mum thought I was a younger sister and the girl they had come to see hadn't come downstairs yet, i.e she thought I looked young, not complaining about that! So the meeting went ok, we ate food then we had the opportunity to talk in the other room. 

The conversation went something like this. 

Me: where are you from?

Him: I'm from Bristol. 

Me: Ah, ok. 

Him: ... Do you know where Bristol is? 

Me: yes (I drew a map in the air to demonstrate) 

Him: good, because the last girl I met didn't know where it was, and I thought we wouldn't fit together because of that. 

O...k? 

Him: do you know how to drive? 

Me: yes, I have to drive to get to work. What about you?

Him: yes but I don't really like to, I prefer motorcycles. So if we went on long journeys I would rather my wife drove. 

Me: that's interesting. What else are you looking for?

Him: I would like someone who would, when shopping, look for the best price of something. So someone who... (He struggled to explain)

Me: like a bargain hunter? 

Him: yes, bargain hunting! Are you a bargain hunter?

Me: (...) Well, it would depend on the item but I wouldn't pay silly money for something that wasn't worth it. My mums got a good eye though, maybe ill learn more from her. 

So the conversation continued for a little while longer. It was ok, I thought he was a little weird though with the direct questions/statements but I suppose it's better that way. Actually, it wasn't the directness that was the problem, it was more the 'I like bargain hunters and drivers and for them to be able to know geographical locations in England.' It's making me laugh now actually just thinking about it. 

I wasn't really interested in meeting again, because I just felt that on the whole, the family were just too different from mine. When they phoned, they actually wanted to meet again and the guy didnt want someone who covered her head. However, his mum said she would like me to. (As if they get to pick and choose what a woman wears and not? That's not how I've been brought up). My mum said I wouldn't feel comfortable in their family and his mum said 'ok she can just wear it when they come over to see family then.' I'm so glad my mum told her off and said its not about show, and that I really would not be comfortable at all there. They didn't seem to place as much importance on how many prayers I read. So, it ended.

More soon! 

The one with the awkward name - Episode 2 | Ayesha

Hi all!

Apologies for the delayed post, it has been a whirlwind of observations and other busy things going on! I am back for episode 2.

When we got the ominous phone call from a new rishta, the first thing that struck me was his name. It was the same as my dad's. Can you imagine the weirdness that would ensue if we got married? Some might think it silly but I was already put off. However, I still met him on the off chance I might like him, so they arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed on the following Saturday. Me, not so much.

My dad began his usual Uncle Phil style grilling, but he held up well. 1 point for that. However, his mum put me off slightly. She had a look about her where I knew I should steer clear. There is a word in my language called 'chalaak' - it means cunning and usually not in a good way. I've never been wrong about my gut feelings about people before, even if I sometimes don't listen to my gut, but I took a chance as I knew you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Still, I couldn't shake it off the way she kept appraising me with those eyes. * shudders*. I became more put off with her when I asked him what he did, and insted of him answering himself, she jumped in for him. Hello, he has a voice! Let him speak! But nope, she answered and he kept schtum. That discouraged me from asking further because she just kept looking at me, it was SO unnerving.

After a few minutes, I had served them a drink and then we served some snacks. I was still being very quiet because what on earth do I say? They didn't seem to be my kind of people. After we had eaten my dad suggested "potential" and I go in the other room to get to know each other. Mrs chalaak said, "oh, whatever they want to talk about they can say in front of us." Then motioned with her hands for the 2 of us to speak in a patronising way. I was instantly mortified because what the hell? I saw my mums face all surprised but trying not to laugh. When neither of us said anything, (30 seconds seemed to last forever) she then said, "or you can go in the other room, whatever you're comfortable with!" Damn right I should be comfortable, as its my home!

Anyway, as we didn't move, my parents tactfully (contrary to her) suggested we sat at the table while everybody else sat on the sofas (still in the same room), so that we could talk. Sigh, what a short conversation it was. We exchanged 'how are you's' and 'what do you do's', then somehow very quickly we were talking about where we went to school and how I didn't enjoy being in a girls school because some people weren't that nice to me.

Needless to say they went home and we never saw them again. Was I saying too much about my school experience?! Anyway, I was glad. Number 2 down, whoever next. I was not looking forward to it, the way they seemed to be going. 

The wedding series, Episode 1 | Ayesha

Hi all!

I thought it might interest some of you on the story of my marriage. I am thinking of doing a series of posts on people I have met before meeting the person I am married to now. Some of the people I met, at the time, really hurt my feelings and made me feel quite bitter about the thought of marriage. I would have quite happily lived my entire life as a spinster had I not met Mr K. When I look back on them now I can see the funny side, though, and I wanted to share them with you. All of these people are friends or contacts of people we know well, and we met like suitors. I was so against meeting people this way, but when I think about it, it doesn't really matter how you meet a person because however you meet the person you click with, everything just falls into place. 

I hope you find them entertaining to read. Everything is as it happened, and for anonymity reasons I will give them nicknames. I hope they read this and learn from their mistakes. Especially their mothers. :0 

So, I will start off episode 1 right here.

The one who was an Athletic Doctor (AD)

AD was, and still probably is, a doctor of Cambridge graduation. He made it very clear that he was from Cambridge, and that all his patients loved him. Did I mention he studied from Cambridge and his patients loved him? No, I don't think I did, so I will repeat it for you many times in the 2 hours that we are together.

What are his interests? Well he loves to work out, and play sports. His wife should be equally as active and fit. Fair enough. I didn't make the cut, obviously. His mother said I wasn't athletic enough for him. He also bakes his own bread and doesn't drink tea and coffee as the chemicals in all those 3 things are detrimental to the body and boy did he make it clear when I said I loved to drink tea. 

Fast forward a few months and we receive a phone call from AD's mother saying she had heard about me and would like to meet me. My mother recognised her voice and carried on talking, but AD's mum was completely oblivious. Her requirements for her son? Or rather, her son's requirements: the girl should be athletic. When she recognised my mother's voice, she promptly said her goodbyes and hung up the phone.

Stay tuned for the next episode!

Beauty Blogger Tag | Zahra

We are on a ROLL

We were tagged by the ever so wonderful Beauty with Hajrah to do the beauty blogger tag
Sooo... instead of both of us, I'll just do it then :)

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

Curly

2.What is your natural hair colour?

Black/very dark brown, although I do get medium brown streaky things in the summer

3. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

I dye it myself

4. How often do you wash your hair?

About twice a week; dry shampoo is my saviour

5. Do you wear the same style every day or change it?

Change it

6. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

It's a DIY from me

7. How often to you change your nail polish?

Not very often considering I don't wear it a lot

8. Do you polish your toes in the winter, too or just in the summer?

Never done my toes- doesn't look right

9. How long does it take to put on your makeup?

10-15 minutes

10. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

Face

11. Do you "collect" makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

I'm a collector

12. How often do you wear false eyelashes?
Never worn them but I'd like to wear them to the many weddings I'm going to this year

13. Do you do a full face of makeup every day?

Pretty much

14. Do you wear makeup when you are home alone (or with family)?

No

15. Will you leave the house without makeup?

Not really

16. How many high end products do you have?

35....

17. How often do you wash your makeup brushes?
Umm.....Well...I don't think this is REALLY important for me to answer..

18. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed?

Decide when I'm getting dressed

19. How often do you change your handbag?

I've been using the same bag for like 7 months so...

20. What time do you get up & go to sleep?

School: 12am
           7am
Weekend/holiday: 2am
                               11am

21. How often & when do you workout?

Every night pretty much (apart from weekends), at about 8/8:30

22. Left-handed or Right-handed?

Righty

23. How tall are you?

5ft5 (I think)

24. Do you speak a foreign language?
French, German, Spanish, Urdu (I'm not actually fluent in any of them though)

25. How many pets do you have?

Zero, wish I ad a cat though :'(

26. How often are you on Blogger?

Fairly often

27. Do you read the comments posted on blogs?

Yes, yes I do

28. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

I try to, then I fail miserably and buy something completely different

29. How did you come up with your blog name?

My name begins with a 'Z' and my sister's nickname used to be 'Ariel' so 'Zariel' was formed

30. What kind of camera do you use for photographs?

An iPhone 5s (previously used a 4s)

31. How often do you clean your house? (Daily, weekly, other)

I kind of help my mum out on the few occasions  I guess

32. What is your favourite colour?

Black, orange and gold

33. What is your favorite beauty/fashion magazine?

Any really- especially Vogue+Instyle

34. Do you swear?

Sometimes

35. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

Probably watching YouTube videos

There's a lot of people that I'd like to tag, so instead I'm going to be lazy and say that if you're reading this and you want to do it, feel free

Farewell people