Subtle Smokey Eyes

If you have almond shaped eyes, here’s a way to make them pop for a wedding with a trendy, modern chic smoky make up. (And no, modern smoky is not about smearing black eye shadow/kohl all over your lids.)

• First, wear primer. I at times use Sudocrem as a primer, in very little touches. My skin is very dry and my make up needs something to cling on. So I dab drops of the product on the apple of my cheeks, my forehead, nose and chin. I also apply a generous coat of Labello lip balm and wait for 20 minutes for the products to sink in.
• Apply concealer. I use the Yves Rocher Concealer  in Medium. I apply it with a thin brush on fine lines and spots and redness. Never apply the product generously. Always layer the product if you need more coverage. 
• Apply BB cream; I recommend the Garnier BB Creme a lighter formula than usual foundations, they give a fair coverage (if you don’t need much, that is.) It will keep your skin fresh and hydrated, for that youthful, plump look. Work it into your skin with your fingers, it blends wonderfully.
• Apply a beige eye shadow all over your eyelid in a very thin layer. Using Bourjois Smoky Eyes in Gris Dandy, use the charcoal colour and apply sparsely on the outer ¾ of your eyes. Blend, without bleeding to the crease line (gives a much more modern effect). Enhance the outer corner by creating a V shape with the black eye shadow. The outer V helps enhance your eye shape. You can even add some kohl to really accentuate the elongated shape. Remember to use little product. You can always build up later. Wear very black eyeliner with a winged shape that won’t overpower your eye shadow blend. Add a coat of mascara on your upper and lower lashes, separate your lashes with a lash brush. Correct any mistakes with the brush with which you applied your BB cream or concealer.
• Apply a light shower of peach toned or pink toned blush on the apple of your cheeks. I use Bourjois Blush in Brun Cuivre .The eyes are dolled up enough and your cheeks only need subtle sculpting. Smile and dab a very light touch of gold shadow on the apple of your cheeks for a day event. Blend with your powder blush for a sun kissed effect. For a night event, a silvery cream shimmer will give a dewy effect. Remember to blend with a cream blush.
• Now that your balm has sunk in, apply a very light coral toned lipstick like . (Not orange. You will always find the coral shade that suits you.) Mine is a coral from Estee Lauder, but I doubt it is still available.  Dab a very light touch of clear gloss at the centre of your lips. If you need a lip pencil, use a flesh toned one. The lips have to be natural.

My focus is on the intensity of the black colour that fades subtly to emphasise your eye shape and give an overall sultry effect. The halo will not be overbearing. Try browns from Bourjois if blacks are too harsh on you. My products are for a fairly average budget but provide a great, lasting finish. My aim is this look I found gorgeous on Marion Cotillard:

Marion Cotillard

Voila! You are done!

Umrah!

Asalaamu'alaikum!

In April, I spent three weeks in Saudi Arabia for Umrah with my family. As a mum of a 20 months old baby boy, I was concerned with the must haves during the trip and browsed the net. Sadly, except for help from BabyCentre sisters, I could hardly find a complete list of essentials. I hope my post is helpful to all those planning the trip with a child (or 2) in sha Allah.

Yes, you are going there for ibaadah. But unless baby is used to long hours of travelling, it may be hard for him to adapt to a new climate/ environment/ sleep pattern. As a mother, you have to brace yourself. Umrah with baby means not as much ibaadah as everybody else. But effective planning helps. (I.E leaving baby with your husband/ family while you spend some time in the mosque in between prayer times, taking baby to the mosque so he gets used to the environment outside nap time.)

The flight.
If you are breastfeeding baby on the plane, remember to carry a shawl or book a window seat if possible. It can get  cold on the plane so make sure baby is properly equipped. You can carry his favourite toy so he does not get too bored (mine was a 6 hour flight to Dubai, 20 hours there plus another 3 hour flight.) My handbag on the flight was just baby bag, filled with nappies, wipes, powder formula, a few clothes) My husband carried formula and the feeding bottle to the flight attendants who kindly helped him prepare the milk.
So you're there!

If you are landing in Jeddah, you will have to be patient, for there could be many people queue up, and keeping baby busy in his stroller is the way to ease your long wait.

If you are lucky enough to stay in hotels which are inside/near the Haram, you can at times pray inside the prayer rooms if more convenient as you reach Makkah/ Madinah.

Madinah is a calm, peaceful place. You will surely enjoy the safety and comfort with which you can shop around with a stroller.

Makkah, as I left it one week ago, was dusty and crowded (owing to the construction phases.) You can buy medicines from pharmacies there, but it would be better to carry medication you usually use for baby; antibiotics if any, painkillers, cough syrup etc. Stay inside the hotel or mosque or shopping centres- avoid crowds and dusty areas. Cover your mouth and your baby's with masks in Makkah. Yes, I speak straight away of medication because ear infections and flus are common there, both for adults and babies. If possible, vaccination against flu before you leave is a necessary precaution. (Ask your doctor for further advice.)

Now about the list of essentials:

My list of must haves starts with a Mothercare harness/ baby rein depending on the age of your toddler. I bought mine from Dubai. This is something you'll probably use during strolls, or in the masjid. I used to tie it to my son's wrist and wrap the other end around my foot while I prayed so he could roam around, but not stray away.

An umbrella stroller is a must have, complete with the sun protection gear: a large hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. however, note that strollers are not allowed inside the masjid. I used to pray outside the masjid with the stroller by my side in case my baby was sleeping. My husband at times left the stroller outside the masjid and went in to pray with our child.

(In case you forget your stroller, Mothercare stores are found both in Madinah and Makkah. Bought mine from the Madinah store.)

what you carry in your baby bag to the masjid will much depend on whether the hotel is near (so you don't have too much stuff on hand) nappies, changing mat (you may not deem appropriate to change baby inside the masjid, but you may do so outside) baby wipes, drinks,water containers, fruit juice, milk to keep baby hydrated biscuits, a small toy to keep him busy

 a shawl in Madinah, can get cold.

when you go to the mosque, you'll meet absolutely generous people who will offer sweets and snacks to your child. While the people are doing it out of generosity, always be careful whether your child can actually eat that stuff. (My son was given jellies, chocolates, crisps and at times pistachios If not, just wrap it in a tissue and keep it for yourself.

choose the section for women with children. This is important because you can allow your child to play safely, feed him freely and why not speak to other mums!

If you are going back to the hotel after the compulsory prayers, avoid the rush to the doors by waiting some 5 minutes for people to leave.

Note the door number when entering the masjid and leave by the same door. If your child is too old for a harness or stroller, ask him to wait near that door in case he wanders away while playing. You may want to make him carry a card which contains your name, hotel, phone number etc.

I would advise you to be accompanied when going for tawaaf. While after esha there is not so much of a rush, crowds can quickly gather when not expected. So for your ssafety and your child's you may want to be accompanied. If your child/ children are old enough, you can opt to push them in wheel chairs so they don't feel the discomfort of the crowds.

Shaving your child's head can be done in the hotel by your husband.

Do not carry too much clothing for yourself if you intend to shop a lot. abaya prices in Madinah are incredibly affordable, ranging from SR 70 upto SR 150 for more dressy ones.

P.S You may carry your baby to all prayers if you deem convenient, even when he sleeps. (I did not always carry mine, A lot of women do that. You will always find a place to keep him secure as you pray. Make sure to carry a prayer mat for yourself in case you have to pray outside the mosque, or in case you have put baby to sleep.

I hope in sha Allah that you make the most of this trip for which Allah has invited you. Feel no frustration, what matters is the quality of your prayer, not the quantity! May Allah accept your prayers.

The Beauty No-No's of the Muslimette

Asalaamu'alaikum!
The Muslimette is not a hermit :-) She is aware of trends in beauty, but knows that Allah, her Lord, has set for her limits, and she respects those to the best of her abilities. 
Well now, every woman has her beauty rituals, depending on her likes, culture etc. But down here you'll pick some general guidelines which Muslim women (generally) need to follow :-)

• Fake lashes may seem like the way to make your eyes pop. Hair extensions or lash extensions are the way Victoria Beckham adds a few inches to her hair. HOWEVER, Bukhaari and Muslim (2122) narrated that Asma’ bint Abi Bakr said: "A woman came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, I have a daughter who is newly married, and she had the measles and her hair fell out. Can I give her hair extensions?” He said: “Allaah has cursed the one who fixes hair extensions and the one who has that done.” According to scholars, adding fake lashes fall into the same category. 
• Cosmetic ingredients like pork fat are prohibited. I have heard of the impermissibility of dead sea derivatives too from a local Sheikh (scholar).
• Eyebrows thinning out/ shaping/ plucking/ threading/waxing is not allowed in Islam. According to an authentic hadeeth, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The woman who plucks facial hair and the woman who has this done are cursed.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim). (Facial hair is here understood as eyebrows, not upper lip hair.) And yeah, in a case where your lashes are so bushy you can't see properly, you MAY trim them.
•  Permanent make up and tattoo: It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah said: “Allaah has cursed the women who do tattoos and those who ask for tattoos to be done, those who ask for their eyebrows to be plucked, and the women ask for their teeth to be filed for the purpose of beautification, changing the creation of Allaah.” 
• Camel hump  Hijaab!( Ok,you'll tell me, how's that relevant? Bad for your hair, bad for your Imaan). Narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not yet seen: people with whips like the tails of cattle with which they strike the people, and women who are clothed yet naked, astray and leading others astray, with their heads like the humps of camels, leaning to one side. They will not enter Paradise nor even smell its fragrance, although it fragrance may be detected from such and such a distance.”  Narrated by Muslim, 2128. Scary, no? According to scholars, putting flower bobbles which make your head (under your hijaab, and outside it) look like a camel hump is prohibited. (And adding extra weight to your hair by those huge clips leads to hair fall anyway!)
• Fake nails/extensions are prohibited too.(Unhygienic too if you ask me.) Nails should be trimmed (at most) every 40 days. 

Verily, I will mislead them, and surely, I will arouse in them false desires; and certainly, I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allaah.’ And whoever takes Shaytaan (Satan) as a Wali (protector or helper) instead of Allaah, has surely, suffered a manifest loss”

[al-Nisa’ 4:117-119] 

I personally feel okay with heavy make up around my mahrams (men I'm never allowed to marry, in simpler terms). But the moment I'm out of the house, even if I wear make up, I feel more comfortable with natural looking or lesser make up which wouldn't draw attention on me. I do not wear make up in a way "to change the nature created by Allaah" to the best of my abilities, Alhamdulilah.
Of course, the above information is part of my convictions, backed by scholars' analysis and proof from reputed books. Allah knows best!
Source: http://islamqa.info/en/
What are your beauty faves and no-no's?

My Makeup Essentials Reviewed

Asalaamualaikum everyone!
Does the claw brush tell you something about the way it delicately grabs your lashes to give you the feline look with adequate amount of product? Coating the smaller lashes towards the outer and inner corner of your eyes suddenly becomes easy.

Colossal Volume Express, Maybelline.

Claw Brush for that feline look!

The downside? Not much suitable if you want a subtle look. And yeah, it is impossible to make ablutions with the product on! Panda eyes, anyone?
This product is pretty thick and makes your lases full. I've bought it like two months ago and I'm completely satisfied.
And by the way, do check for the washable or  waterproof versions. Remember, waterproof make up won't allow water to reach your lashes :-)
What you want next for a perfect cat eye is this Yves Rocher Eyeliner in black. A slim and short brush allows drawing steadily your cat eye shape, or simple line to make your eyes stand out. It is not a very intense black liner. You may want to double the coat. But very affordable! Let me know what you think of it!
:-)

Natural ingredients, light formula!

Thin brush, perfect to draw your favourite shape!

P.S Oopsie1 Did I forget to say the eyeliner is formulated for sensitive eyes and contact lenses wearers!

What's your beauty routine?

Asalaamu'alaikum!

 I wake up every morning, grab a glass of lukewarm water, to which I add a tablespoon of pure honey (prophetic medicine, yeah!) I put on a face pack made of chick pea flour (recipe coming up soon) to cleanse my skin thoroughly...Oh wait, that was me when I had time. In a not so distant past, before I became a wife!

Now I believe every wife should have a beauty routine; even if she picks ingredients from her kitchen shelf. All the better, olive oil is a great moisturizer and honey is a good antiseptic, minus the ingredients which you can find in ready made beauty products which may not be permissible for Muslims.) 

Every woman owes herself some care. Especially if you are a wife. There is no harm in getting on with your housework while being properly decked up. It gives me confidence and makes me feel good about myself if I use a wee bit of make up in the morning, before I start a busy day.

As I only got busier over the last few years, I now find it more convenient to use a Freeman Pear Refining Cleanser  every morning (great to get rid of excess shine and grime), and the Freeman Apricot Creamy Facial Scrub (3 to 4 times a week if I'm out a lot.) Other than that, I do use make up at home (but that's for another post, hehe!)

Verily, Allah is beautiful, and He loves beauty.

Indeed, Allah "created man of the best stature (mould)" [ The Holy Qur'aan, Chapter At Tin, Verse 4]

He created you beautiful, so grab on means He provided you with to make yourself pleasing to you and to your loved ones to whom your beauty can be unveiled! It is a way of thanking Allah too!:) 

But hey, what's your beauty routine?

Are you happy?

I hate such philosophical questions. I hate existential and abstract questions. But are you literally happy?
Some time back, while generously coating my  lashes with mascara, a question popped in my mind: am I too vain? Yeah, I've done things worthwhile, I do pray (removing my waterproof make up before ablutions, de mise!), read the Qur'aan, wear the headscarf. But is my love for a lil' bit of pampering, make up and carefully assorting a posh abaya with a pop scarf making me all style  and no substance? Above all, is this going to benefit me in the next life?
A very happy reality of my life: my faith! I believe in Allah as One, and feel happy to be part of an undeniable Truth. And I have to admit that other than acts of prayer and submission to Allah, I am very happy when a sister praises my style and feel relaxed about slathering on my fave moisturiser at night after a hard day's work!
From then on, I decided that my happiness had to be from inside out. I dug on about women,beautification within the parameters of Islam. And still digging!
And from there began my quest to exist as the swanky muslimette I truly am, within the limits of my faith.
Not compatible, ye say? Follow my story, if you will :-)