December Favourites 2014

Hello everyone, I hope you’re well! Can you believe today is the last day of 2014? Where on earth did this year go? I did a little review/look back on this years goals which you can read here and I’ve just sat and thought about some of my goals for 2015, which will of course be up tomorrow. But this post is about all the products I’ve been loving throughout this month...leggo!

For my base I have really had the chance to try out NARS Sheer Glow (Stromboli) and although it’s not really glowy, I love it! Long-lasting, medium to full coverage and photographs beautifully. I did the lack of glow from seeing so many people rave about it, so I wasn’t too disappointed! The shade match it amazing for my skintone, it’s one of the only ones that match me EXACTLY. 

I’ve only applied this with the Beauty Blender which I got free from the awesome birchbox. Let me just say, the hype is R E A L. I own the RT sponge and the difference in texture between the two is pretty large. But more on that in another post - basically the Beauty Blender is a must if you want a non-cakey, natural-as-possible finish with your base. I wouldn’t recommend using it for a particularly sheer base like the bareMinerals serum foundation, but for a liquid that is thicker in consistency like the Sheer Glow, it works like a dream!

For brows I have really been enjoying the much loved Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Brunette. I purchased this at the same time that I bought the dip brow and from the first use I understood why it’s got so much appreciation - it’s a pencil that mimics hairs, when applied lightly you can literally fill in any gaps and patchiness. It’s also brilliant for adding shape and definition to the brow, oh and the little spoolie on the end? Perfection. I love this product for a quick fill in and shape of my patchy brows and it takes a lot less time than using powder or pomade for me as it’s a two in one, and in a few strokes I’m pretty much done. If I want those perfect looking brows for a special occasion I use this with the pomade and of course they’re a match made in heaven!

The final thing I’ve been loving this month is the Essence stay all day concealer in 10. This to me is a fantastic concealer for highlighting. It’s not too light for my warm skintone, yet it’s also light enough to make a difference. I bought it with the purpose of highlighting as I would never use such a light shade for under my eyes, and although it does seem to go a little darker, its a quick and easy natural highlight and blends seamlessly with a damp sponge. Definitely worth checking out if you’re of olive skintone (around NC30/35) for adding a brighter dimension to the face!

That is about it for my December faves! For a lot of the month I’ve been thinking about what products will make it to my 2014 favourites, so look out for that in two days. I hope you all enjoy New Years!

2014 you have been an awesome year for the most part.

And as this is the last post of 2014, I just want to say thankyou SO much to each and everyone of you who read my posts, comment, e-mail, like and share them - you’re all brilliant and I appreciate you to the fullest!

Thank-you for reading ♥

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December Favourites 2014

Hello everyone, I hope you’re well! Can you believe today is the last day of 2014? Where on earth did this year go? I did a little review/look back on this years goals which you can read here and I’ve just sat and thought about some of my goals for 2015, which will of course be up tomorrow. But this post is about all the products I’ve been loving throughout this month...leggo!

Part 2 - Smoky Not Smudgy - KDivision, Natura, Jawhara Jewellery and more ^_^

Part two and the final post on Smoky not Smudgy 2014! Read part 1 here

K Devision | Website

This was without a doubt the most creative and interesting stall my sister and I came across! It is run by the sweetest girl ever, she was so friendly and answered all our queries with patience. I was SO intrigued by how everything was made! It is essentially a laser cut company which produces personalised items such as chopping boards, wooden spoons, weddings invites (such a cool idea!) and the most unique and clever notebooks I have ever seen! I couldn’t decide if I loved the notebooks or the OOTD hangers more - which is something all you #fbloggers NEED because who doesn’t want a personalised OOTD hanger?? What I especially love is that the prices are so reasonable, I’m used to seeing personalised items come at high costs but not at K Devision!

Nelly and Khadz | Website

This quirky little stall caught our attention first because of how beautiful the pins glistened and the because it was filled with all sorts of quirky nick-nacks. We got chatting to the two owners - Nelly and Khadz and we found out that their business was actually very new. They sell beautiful pins, organic skincare and makeup, gift sets, leather purses, mirrors and clothing. Of course after spotting the ‘lets make up’ mirrors I had to purchase one! I’m really impressed without their website, it’s clear professional and best of all there is an offer on at the moment where you can get £10 off when you spend £20! Bargain ^_^

Jawhara Jewellery | Instagram

Another stunning jewellery store, just look at the detail! I really thought these pieces were breath-taking, especially the necklace in the above photo! It was a pleasure meeting the lovely owner, and we stood admiring the stunning pieces for a long time. If you check out the IG page you can see how pretty they look on people and I also loved the display here. All the pieces would make such beautiful unique gifts as they’re hand made - loved them!

 

Vintage Hijab Collection | Website

By far the COOLEST display of hijabs in the whole building! Couldn’t stop marvelling at the creativity of the display and the quality of the hijabs are wonderful too.

The Natural Stuff | Facebook

I really like the name of this brand, its pretty neat. In fact if I was to start a company selling soaps, body butters and gift sets it would be something along these lines! And how pretty is the soap? All hand made and all natural. Seeing the number of women who have set about making their own range of skincare and body-care is really inspiring, and from ‘The Natural Stuff’ I loved their gift set range the most. They have put together great sets, displayed beautifully and again priced well.

Shasmin Accessories | Facebook

One of the most sparkly and glamorous stalls there - how beautiful is this head piece? Shasmin has accessories nailed, didn’t get much time to speak to them as it was always busy around that stall but they have some great quality pieces. If you’re got an asian wedding approaching and are stuck, I point you here!

Natura Cosmetics | Facebook

And finally we have the awesome brand that is Natura Cosmetics! Another natural kinda brand run by a student! which is pretty amazing. I mean I find it tricky running a little blog along side doing a degree too haha. I adored this stand, LOOK AT THAT MOSTACHE SIGN! It’s really nice to see natural brands catering for their male customers too and as 2014 has certainly been the year of the beard - I imagine this is quite popular ^_^ The packaging and range looks professional and I’ve seen lots of excellent reviews of this brand! I purchased the lip scrub and I’m really enjoying it.

And finally since this is a beauty blog I thought I’d show you a few snaps of the makeup room they had there! This is from the beautiful Annam’s collection as she was the makeup artist there and it was such a HUGE pleasure to finally meet her!! Check out her youtube channel here she’s well worth subbing too ^_^

Another highlight for sure was the scrummy chocolate foundation, the lady running the whole thing was so lovely and eating warm waffles drizzled in chocolate and topped with cream GAH too good!! The lovely lady was also selling this beautiful little rings and I picked up two, as they were only £2 each. I wasn’t expecting much, knowing that cheap jewellery tends to go green after a while but amazingly this ring has changed colour at all and it looks ever so pretty on my less than feminine fingers!

Overall it was a fantastic event. The organisers did a great job and there was plenty to see and lots of lovely bloggers and vloggers to meet! If I could change one thing about it, I would request that the fashion shows be later in the day rather than one hour into the event. Sadly we missed both because of a train delay in the morning and the last one was a little late for us as we were traveling for over an hour after the event and didn’t want to hang around too long. Aside from that the day was a success and they amazingly raised a total of £12,860.49! Amaaaazing ^_^

I hope you enjoyed reading these posts! I’m not used to event blogging, and probably put too many photos in but I had to give credit where it’s due! I think all these businesses are amazing, seeing all the lovely ladies was so inspiring and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Part 2 - Smoky Not Smudgy - KDivision, Natura, Jawhara Jewellery and more ^_^

Part two and the final post on Smoky not Smudgy 2014! Read part 1 here

Smoky Not Smudgy part 1 - Hijab Bowtique, Samia’s Treasures, Hijab Candy and more!

First things first I am SO sorry this post is weeks late! I blame that on taking over 300 photos and not having the time nor head space to sort through them until the holidays. So a word of warning - this post is extremely picture heavy! So picture heavy infact that I’ve split it into two. Enjoy!

Smoky not Smudgy is an annual charity event hosted by the ISOC at Imperial College London. This was their 7th year running and it was truly wonderful. It’s a female only event, for women to come together, have a shop and browse at the bazaar and attend workshops about makeup and skincare and there is a fashion show too! Very exciting!

I’ll go through a stall at a time with as much info as I can find. They I’ll finish with a little conclusion of the event ^_^ I hope you enjoy discovering some wonderful companies! And by the way, after a year of using Instagram as a blogger, going to this event was literally like hoping into Instagram and walking around the accounts, buying things and gazing at beautiful things! Also meeting some truly fantastic people, super talented, kind and finally putting the people to their accounts. It was very bizarre in some ways, but such a great experience too.

Hijab Bowtique | Website

This was the first stall my sister and I visited and it really started the day off to a great start. Hijab Bowtique is run by three sisters, and they had a brilliant offer on which actually still extends to their website! 4 plain scarves for £10. And plain include the lace styles and the bobbles. Fellow scarf lovers let me tell you there isn’t a colour you wanted that isn’t in their selection! They also offer free delivery in the UK for orders over £35. Basically your one stop shop for hijabs, the quality of the scarves are great and apart from one printed scarf in my collection right now, I’m pretty obsessed with plain ones, including the ones picked up here.

 

Crown Therapy | Instagram

This stand was laid out fantastically. The set out, the ‘samples’ and ‘try me’ pots were displayed so well it almost looked like a shop display and the professionalism yet friendly faces were really wonderful! Crown therapy provide hair and body products for both genders - made from entirely natural ingredients. So it’s definitely a brand for you natural skincare lovers to check out! There are products for hair growth, toners, face scrubs, face masks and even serums! I believe you can order through their Instagram page which is @crowntherapy (linked above) and also check out some of their customers opinions and experiences with the products too.

 

Romeesa London | Instagram

Aren’t these some of the most stunning jewellery pieces you have seen in your life?? Romeesa London provide bespoke and handcrafted jewellery pieces, and also bridal bouquets too. They use pearls, Swarovski and some other semi precious stones. Seeing the stand covered in the stunning pieces and bouquets was such a stunning sight. Definitely a company to like on facebook for the future because each piece is made with the most breath taking care and elegance ^_^

 

Samia’s Treasures | Website

Next up is one of my favourite hijab stores ever! I have ordered from this company twice before SNS so it was so lovely meeting the owner and her daughter - they actually knew who I was! Which was so surprising and heart warming at the same time. When I first discovered their site I was thrilled because they have good quality hijabs for decent prices and offers on too. What I also love about this company is how affordable their pins and bonnets are - you can stock up on all essentials and some new things (like those voluminsing scrunchies) for so much cheaper than other stores. Especially their HEART pins!! Love em’ -I will always turn to this site when I need to restock. Oh and they also stock the Dina Torkia collection which is super luxurious!

 

Hijab Candy | Website

Hijab candy is a company I’ve been aware of for years thanks to the video Dina did reviewing them! Its run by two lovely sisters and they’re doing an incredible job, on their site you can buy scarves - with their own collection too, clothing - scarves, maxi dresses, kimonos and more for really reasonable prices and I’m not just saying that you know how much I love a bargain, pins, storage and so much more. The quirky and unique prints really stood out to me and last year I had the pleasure of seeing the stall in person. This year after chatting to the sisters via IG, it was SO nice meeting them in person and I can honestly say I felt so at home by their stall. They’re literally the nicest, most down to earth sweet people and it was such a pleasure meeting them! And look at how gorgeous their pieces are ^_^ check out their site and social media!

 

Pretty Little Bakes | Facebook Page

LET THERE BE CAKEEEE! Sorry if your stomach is rumbling right now, but I just couldn’t resist sharing these beautiful photos! Check out their facebook page if you’re based in London because the detail is amazing and they’re perfect for giving someone an extra special yummy treat.

And that is the end of part 1! I will publish part 2 in the morning ^_^ I hope you enjoyed having a flick through some of the awesome companies that were at this years S’N’S event.

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Smoky Not Smudgy part 1 - Hijab Bowtique, Samia’s Treasures, Hijab Candy and more!

First things first I am SO sorry this post is weeks late! I blame that on taking over 300 photos and not having the time nor head space to sort through them until the holidays. So a word of warning - this post is extremely picture heavy! So picture heavy infact that I’ve split it into two. Enjoy!

Smoky not Smudgy is an annual charity event hosted by the ISOC at Imperial College London. This was their 7th year running and it was truly wonderful. It’s a female only event, for women to come together, have a shop and browse at the bazaar and attend workshops about makeup and skincare and there is a fashion show too! Very exciting!

My Favourite Blog Discoveries of 2014

Illustration displayed at GFW2014 - NOT MINE! (I WISH)  Photo taken by me, how could I resist?

Bloglovin is one of the best thing’s that has happened to the blogging world in my option and through it I have found so many great blogs. If you read this post you would have seen some of my absolute favourite blogs of all time. Today I thought it would be nice to share 5 of my FAVOURITE blog discoveries of 2014. Each of these are wonderful additions to anyone’s bloglovin feed and I highly suggest checking each of them out!

1. From Roses - A mainly beauty blog written by Rebecca who is a super talented photographer and editor of  an online magazine too! I had to include from roses in this list because each time I’m on bloglovin I make sure I catch on her gorgeous site, and that’s when you know a blog is a favourite. The photography is of course outstanding (I’ve always adored beautiful photos - thanks Tumblr), but I also really appreciate the other types of posts she writes. One that particularly sticks out to me is ‘passed down beauty tips and tricks’, which got me thinking about some of the things my own grandma does and did.  She is also so creative and has given her readers some fabulous tips on everything from beauty to making a budget stretch further; for example the post on using contact paper to spruce up a desk without going all out and purchasing a new one - so clever and something I will be doing in the new year hopefully.

 

2. Beauteabible - This is a blog written by two incredibly beautiful ladies - Maryam and Tanjia - who are super talented with makeup and also give out great advice! As their blog is hosted on tumblr, people are able to ask questions and the amount they answer daily astounds me! They also post inspired looks and it’s so awesome seeing them recreate celeb makeup looks, as well as really motivating for me as a reader to try something different with makeup too. The amount of girls they have helped and help daily is wonderful. That is one of the true beauties of being a beauty blogger, you’re sometimes able to help people find confidence and happiness and Tanjia and Maryam do that weekly and with such grace (and patience hehe).  Glamorous, confident, stylish and intelligent - what is not to love?? They are very much Dior girls at heart, and I have so many things on my wishlist now because of reading their beautiful blog! Just click on it and get lost for a while, you’ll learn so much!

 

3. Berrixbeauty - Sheri is an Australian beauty blogger who’s style of writing I just adore! Every post is so well written and you can really see her personality shine through the words. Some bloggers (with no offence intended) write the facts and leave it at that. But with Sheri I thoroughly enjoy reading the facts which are presented in such a lovely way, each post is interesting and I know I could happily spend a whole afternoon going from post to post, with a list of recommendations in one hand and nodding in agreement throughout (orange chocolate should be banned!).  I love how the posts aren’t just to do with beauty, you get a healthy dose of advice, facts about the lovely Sheri herself. I also LOVE her ‘favourite posts of *insert month* because I always find new blogs and get a selection of awesome posts from a different perspective. Plus sharing the blogger love is just wonderful!

 

4. Shiwashiful - Another Australian beauty blogger (you girls are brilliant!) - Tasha has fast become one of my favourite bloggers. Her photography is seriously beautiful. One of my favourite things about reading blogs are ogling at gorgeous photos and it’s as good as it gets on Tasha’s blog! The creativity of each post inspires me to make a lot more effort with mine ^_^ I also love her sheer honesty, whilst Tasha will precisely list out all the positive points of a product she is also not afraid to say what doesn’t work so well and I really do appreciate that in a blogger. Each time I see her age in the side bar I think w-o-w, I mean I know age is but a number in most cases, but credit for where it is due because Tasha has achieved so much more than I could have dreamed about two years ago! The post titles are quirky and you have a great selection of popular posts to pick from on the side (I always admire that when on her blog!).

 

5. Fashion Mumblr - Last but certainly not least we have the lovely Josie’s blog! Stunning photography? Check. A variety of posts? Check. An interesting read EVERY SINGLE TIME? Check! What I love most about Josie’s blog aside from the above three is that it is a real mishmash of beauty and lifestyle. It is without a doubt my favourite ‘mix’ blog because regardless of the content I find myself drawn into reading her posts when they appear on my bloglovin feed. My favourite types of blogs if you can’t already tell are those with substance, and those written with a little bit of thought and effort. Each post doesn’t go straight into the review, rather it starts with setting the background really well and makes for such an enjoyable read!

 

Those were my five favourite blog discoveries of 2014! I adore each and every one of these and always make sure I catch up with them if I’ve not been able to blog for a while. Beautiful photography, interesting, useful and thoughtful content and best of all they’re all written by super talented kind-hearted ladies whom I’ve very grateful to have stumbled across.

Have you discovered any favourite blogs this year? Feel free to share below!

Thank-you for reading ♥

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My Favourite Blog Discoveries of 2014

Illustration displayed at GFW2014 - NOT MINE! (I WISH)  Photo taken by me, how could I resist?

Bloglovin is one of the best thing’s that has happened to the blogging world in my option and through it I have found so many great blogs. If you read this post you would have seen some of my absolute favourite blogs of all time. Today I thought it would be nice to share 5 of my FAVOURITE blog discoveries of 2014. Each of these are wonderful additions to anyone’s bloglovin feed and I highly suggest checking each of them out!

Reviewing 2014’s Goals

Right at the start of this year I set myself 10 goals. Not resolutions, but clear focused goals. And today I want to review them on the blog, and hopefully share the new goals for the new year sometime next week. You can read the full list and reason for 2014’s goals here.

Goals MET

1. Pass my driving test and commute with confidence.

This was a huge thing on my plate, I started learning to drive in October 2013 and more or less a year later I passed my test first time! I think that has got to be my biggest achievement of 2014, and I can honestly accredit passing to this video - please watch it if you have plans to take your test anytime soon. (and some words of advise from my grandfather - don’t think of the invigilator as anyone important. He’s just a passenger wanting to get from A-B safely.) Commuting with confidence won’t be able to happen till I get insurance - which is in less than 3 week yaaay!

 

2. Stick to to-do lists

Granted I made less of them this year, but I have been more successful in sticking to them! Time management has always been a bit of an uphill struggle, but I’m pleased to have managed to get this done. Onwards and upwards - oh and a good excuse to buy more pretty stationary right?

 

3. Stick to a skincare routine

I’m so glad I finally achieved this! It has made a drastic change to my skin, so much so that I am loving no makeup days as much as I enjoy putting makeup on, which is something I didn’t believe possible this time last year. At the start of the year my skin was normal-dry and now after months of removing makeup properly, cleansing wonderfully well and applying oils almost daily, my skin is as ‘normal’ as it will ever be. Makeup application is smoother, I need to use less and less base products and I’m even starting to see a little reduction in the under-eye circles. Basically if you believe spending 15 minutes a night on your skin is a waste of time - push yourself, stick at it and see results.

 

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Half-Way There

1. Take more photos of day to day life

This was a huge one for me in this increasingly digital age, where photos are rarely printed at all. I think on the whole I’ve been pretty good with my beautiful DSLR. This year I purchased the Canon 50mm lens and I 100% recommend it to anyone who is on the fence. The quality difference between this and the standard canon lens is amazing, and although you have to pretty much move yourself to get closer to the subject or object it is wonderful to have in my possession. Being introduced to huggle up (post here) this year has helped me to make the most of my digital prints from instagram AND from day-to-day life. A goal I’ll be keeping up with for 2015 for sure.

 

2. Monthly Update Posts AND 3. Post 3X A Week

A personal set of posts for me, with the intention of helping me reflect on the year, month by month. I started off strong and as the year went on they became less and less. The last few have been pretty general. I will be keeping it up in 2015, but it links in with the point above, without a few pretty photos I feel like I can’t write a post worthy enough. Which sounds a little odd, but perhaps I need to get over it and remember why I started those posts in the first place! Writing has always been therapeutic for me, so here is to more update posts in 2015. The 3X routine has been fairly consistent so I’ll stick to it as much as I can.

 

4. Donate to a different charity every month

Again another very personal one. I have sort of done this, but come summer of 2014 when over 2000 people were killed in Palestine for existing all my charity excess money went to Palestine for the next few months. I then took it a step further and became an ethical beauty buyer and hopefully encourage some of you to do the same. More of that can be found on the right hand side. Also much more information on why, how and who will be posted in the next year regarding ethical blogging. It’s something that is very close to my heart.

 

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Goals NOT met

1. Plan all assignments the same week they’re set

The only uni goal and I set and I seriously struggled with this. In hindsight I have found that making a revision timetable online and moving my deadlines a week up on the calendar are much more helpful ways of managing my time. I am continuously reading posts with Uni tips and trying to implement them into a busy schedule.

 

2. Save money

*sigh* Well I’m not going to pretend that I haven’t treated myself this year. I’ve invested in some beautiful makeup, really getting to know some wonderful highend brands. And on a much larger scale I have spent a lot of money learning to drive, partly buying a car, roadtax, provisional insurance etc; But and this is a big BUT - I have promised myself that spending is going to stop now. As you may have read in this post, I’m not calling it a spending ban because that sounds restrictive. Nope. It’s 100% about appreciating what my money has already earned and recognising that I have more than enough makeup for the time being. Plus as I keep saying, the next year will be pretty expensive, as running a car is not cheap. However I couldn’t be more exciting to start using my car which has been sitting in my driveway since October!

 

3. Develop A Healthy Routine

*double sigh* I tried, I gave up. I forgot about it for a couple of busy months. Then Ramadan came around - so a no no there (I really applaud athletes who continue training during this month). Then I tried again at the start of Uni. But commuting time wise and energy wise really got to me! So I’m hoping I can figure something out, a more realistic way of including exercise into my routine. Cannot give up with this one, stress = junk food = double chins. I’m getting a little tired of that now haha!

 

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Reviewing 2014’s Goals

Right at the start of this year I set myself 10 goals. Not resolutions, but clear focused goals. And today I want to review them on the blog, and hopefully share the new goals for the new year sometime next week. You can read the full list and reason for 2014’s goals here.

Central Heating Repellent!

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all well and enjoying the holiday period. Today I wanted to share two products that have really helped me to repel the effects of central heating on my skin. Now don’t get me wrong, having radiators is a huge blessing, and I always think about the poor souls who have nothing but a thin blanket to keep themselves warm in the harsh winters. Something we probably take for granted most days.

However heating can be pretty damaging to the skin, especially if your skin type is normal/dry. Personally I have found itchiness, irrtated skin and general discomfort of my face and hands. My feet actually seem ok because they’re normally wrapped up in my favourite slipper socks, but you can’t really wrap up your delicate face and hands so it’s important that we take the steps to give our skin a helping hand, and here are two of my absolute favourites.

1. Superdrug Vitamin E - Moisture Mask  | 75ml | £2.59 | Link

This is a super budget friendly mask, but don’t judge skincare by it’s price-tag. This mask provides instant relief to my skin when it feels really tight and needs a lot of quenching. Vitamin E is the key element here, combined with grapeseed oil and at least once a week in this season, I have been massaging this into my skin and leaving it on for around 15-20 minutes. I know some people actually leave this overnight and I have no doubt that it works really well. Personally I see the amazing impacts it has after a relaxing 20 minutes, my skin feels plump, hydrated and happy! I really couldn’t ask for more from a facemask when my skin is in need of some TLC, it’s worth twice it’s price and more to me!

2. Soap and Glory Hand Food | 250ml | £7  | Link

I picked this up last winter and it has not moved from my desk since then! This hand cream smells delightful, is rich and creamy, yet sinks into the skin effortlessly and pretty much non-greasy. It’s packed full of shea butter which is very well known for its moisturising properties and helps the cream to melt into the skin. It also contains sweet almond oil which is probably my ‘oil’ of the year, since I discovered it through HudaBeauty! I adore this hand cream, sure it’s scent isn’t the most mature or sophisticated but I’m not one for those anyway. It keeps the hands soft for ages - again what more could  ask for?  It’s there for me throughout long sleepless nights of essay writing, straight out of the shower and as soon as I get home from a cold blustery day and my hands need some TLC. But most of all, it really does remove the tight feeling of exposure to central heating, yes I’ll repurchase this over and over ^_^

Although as you can see a little goes a long way! I bet I’ll have this bottle till expiration, such good value for money.

What are your winter skincare staples?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Central Heating Repellent!

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all well and enjoying the holiday period. Today I wanted to share two products that have really helped me to repel the effects of central heating on my skin. Now don’t get me wrong, having radiators is a huge blessing, and I always think about the poor souls who have nothing but a thin blanket to keep themselves warm in the harsh winters. Something we probably take for granted most days.

However heating can be pretty damaging to the skin, especially if your skin type is normal/dry. Personally I have found itchiness, irrtated skin and general discomfort of my face and hands. My feet actually seem ok because they’re normally wrapped up in my favourite slipper socks, but you can’t really wrap up your delicate face and hands so it’s important that we take the steps to give our skin a helping hand, and here are two of my absolute favourites.

Hijab | Lulu Bag Review!

Hello everyone! I want to introduce a new section into my blog titled ‘hijabs and jewels’. It’ll probably only be once a month at the most, but as you probably know I wear a hijab and there are so many companies out there offering lots of hijabs (and jewels) that I thought it would be beneficial to review some of them here on my blog! The first review is on an awesome concept and very similar to beauty boxes but with hijabs instead! It’s called a ‘Lulu bag.’

What is Lulu Bag?

Lulu bag is a subscription where you can get a scarf with lovely accessories that compliment it. (Jewellery, hijab pins, hijab cap are all some examples although it varies from customer to customer) and its all wrapped neatly in purple paper and slotted into a lulu bag!  Now I apologise for the state of the purple crepe paper, it was NOT like that when I opened it, but as you can probably tell I can’t wrap things well at all ._. ANYWAYS back to the review. So the best element of the lulu bag in my opinion is that everything in the bag is a surprise, and it’s a wonderful way of adding to your hijab and accessories collection without going for the same old that you normally pick!  There is also a brand new option called the ‘Scarf Bag’ which has TWO scarves rather than one and an accessory. This is probably more suited to a hijab wearer, however the first option is brilliant for those who wear the hijab and for those who like to accessorise outfits with scarves!

One of my favourite things about this subscription bag is you do have some level of control for what kind of bag you’ll get, without ruining that element of surprise. There are three categories to choose from are Classy - which are more plain and ‘elegant’ scarves, with classic jewellery pieces. Funky has more printed scarves and is a little more ‘fun’ and the third is a blend of the two. You can also leave the lovely people of Lulu bag a message stating anything you don’t want (e.g necklaces if you know you wouldn’t wear them) and also what you might like to receive.

My First Lu’ Lu’ bag

So unfortunately I didn’t take a photo of each bag because as you can tell by my lack of birchbox posts, subscriptions clearly make me a little bit too excited and one moment they’re all beautifully wrapped up and the next I’ve used everything, separated it and probably missed me chance, tsk! Anyways my first lulu bag included this lovely welcoming note, which introduced me to the concept and I think it’s such a lovely touch - indeed surprises are fun!

n my first bag I received this lovely blue, green and white stripped scarf which is the perfect for the summer time in my opinion. It came with a lovely matching underscarf piece, the blue colour matches perfectly and is also so useful for many of my other hijabs!

My jewellery pieces from this bag were this silver and white necklace. I love how the length of the necklace is long enough to wear with a hijab, and it even has a matching fancy hijab pin! For someone who doesn’t always make a huge effort with my hijab (I normally leave it to last) these accessories have prompted me to make more of an effort and I really appreciated all these things put together for me.

And finally my favourite part of my first Lu’ Lu’ bag was without a doubt this beautiful pin cushion! Most hijab wearers tend to use pins to secure their scarves, and I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am ALWAYS losing mine! Or sometimes I’ll dash out of the house and need to secure my scarf in the car on the way to work, so having a little pin cushion for my handbag is perfect. I have one for home, and through my three month subscription I will now have one just for my car ^_^

Options When Purchasing

You can purchase one bag alone for £17, a three month subscription for £15 each or a 12 month subscription for £15 each, receiving the final bag for free! International delivery is also available and all details can be found here. 

My final Lu Lu Bag (for now)

I’d just like to share my last lulu bag to give you another flavour for what you could get, and my final thoughts ^_^

This is by far one of the most beautiful hijabs I have ever seen in my life and honestly these photos just do not do it justice! It is a dark blue and emerald green ombre scarf which is super soft. This is such a versatile scarf in my opinion, it can be the centrepiece of the outfit, by wearing plain prints and colours, or it can match a skirt/jacket etc; I am in love!

And these are my beautiful accessories from the bag! I have my first ever pin book, which is so space efficient and can literally be slipped into the pocket of any handbag or even pocket! This green bonnet hijab cap which again is lovely as I have so many neutral colours, it’s great to add some coloured ones to my collection. The bangles are amazing! Two are metal and two are cloth like. Personally I love having jewellery in my collection that ISN’T from the high street and has more of a uniqueness about it ^_^

Overall...

I think Lu’Lu’ bag is such a wonderful concept! The people I believe will benefit most from the subscriptions are ladies new to the hijab who would really appreciate getting a beautiful bundle of essentials AND treats! Also ladies who aren’t able to purchase a variety of hijab related items as well as those who aren’t sure how to match things up (like me!). It is such a special monthly treat and two of my favourite hijabs as of late have been from this (one being a black to grey ombre scarf with paisley pattern) which is super soft and made of viscose. GAH Until you hold a viscose scarf in your hands you won’t understand just HOW wonderful they are! Although it could seem a little pricy for a student budget, the amount of things you get, as well as the high quality mean its actually such great value for money. They also make WONDERFUL gifts for any sister, mother or friend too. I would recommend every hijab wearer and also every woman who enjoys accessorising with scarves to give this service a go - if I didn't have over 25 hijabs in my collection already I would be signed up still ^_^

Thank-you for reading ♥

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