Category: beauty&fashion

summer blues.

Ramadan gives me NO energy. It is a horrible excuse, I know. And to be quite honest, with all the atrocities happening in the world, my heart is just extremely sad, but that is the thing about life, it must go on. I would make my fashion post serious… so here is my first OOTD!

Maxi dresses are my favorite! They’re so chic and simple, yet you can totally dress them up. Long sleeve maxi dresses are such an obsession for me. I am always on the hunt for one! When I style my outfits in general, I honestly don’t put too much thought into it. Over the years, I have gotten more and more simple in that aspect. I styled this maxi dress with a statement necklace, a clutch, and some simple black sandals. I added the scarf for a more fun factor, but let me tell you, this North Carolina heat and humidity is real. The scarf came off and my hair went up in a pony tail! LOL Hope you guys enjoy!  And thank you to my cute photographer, my brother.

maxi: limelush.com | scarf: f21| shoes: Naughty Monkey, purchased from Buckle | clutch: a boutique in Atlanta| necklace: f21

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heads up!

It’s not a surprise how much I LOVE headpieces. Just take a look at my Instagram, with my eastern wear I am usually always rocking a “maatha paati” or “teeka”- which are just more specific names for headpieces in Urdu. Even with American clothes, I like to incorporate headpieces and headbands. I know statement necklaces have been HUGE this year and I really like how they jazz up an outfit but I’ll always have a soft spot for headpieces. Being that they’ve always been so common in my culture, and the new craze fits right into my insane obsession for them. 

My rules for wearing headpieces are simple. Less is more folks. When I want to wear a head piece I keep the rest of my jewelry to a minimum. Simple studs usually suffice for my earrings. I don’t even bother with a necklace, and if you must, keep it as effortless as possible. With Pakistani clothes, I tend to dress it up more, but that’s a given.

So I get a lot of questions on where I buy my headpieces. I am fortunate my mother goes to Pakistan every year and shops for me. I have picked up some great pieces at Urban Outfitters and that was two years ago, now they are much more common and can be found anywhere. I have also purchased some of my favorite pieces from my lovely friend, Ruma. Ruma owns her own business and you can follow her on her Facebook page and Instagram by the name A la Couture! She carries beautiful Pakistani and Indian clothes and the jewelry is definitely drool worthy! I am hooked, any time I need matching earrings for an outfit, or in my case a teeka or headpiece, I instantly think of Ruma. Not only is she exceptionally friendly and sweet, her service is extremely efficient! We have a special giveaway coming up so stay tuned, I’m giving you a heads up! 🙂

 

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This headpiece was purchased from A La Couture.

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This headpiece was purchased from Urban Outfitters. Earrings and outfit courtesy: A La Couture. 

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This maatha paati was purchased in Lahore, Pakistan.

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j’adore.

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Since I get a lot of questions about some of the products I use and love, I decided this could be my first beauty post. They’re all random but definitely my essentials.

I always rave about the Clarisonic –  and for my male followers, you can totally invest in this too! The Clairsonic was a complete game changer for my skin! I was 23 and I was still breaking out. It did not matter what face wash I used or what lotion, acne was inevitable. For someone who was breaking out since they were 14, I WAS DONE! I needed something different. I’ve read some reviews that initially, it can purge your pores and cause break outs, but that never happened to me. I use the sensitive brush head and it works perfectly with my skin. I tried the acne brush head once or twice, and the way my skin is now, I find it abrasive. Almost three loyal years later, who would have thought my skin would be one of my favorite things about me!

Every now and then I do break out, it’s totally normal, but you just have to learn to combat it, the proper way. A change in diet usually effects my skin, and all those lazy nights of when washing my face becomes a huge task. The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion has been extremely beneficial. Anything with tea tree extracts or oils, is supposed to help acne prone skin. This lotion does wonders! You can get it at Ulta or of course The Body Shop. Their whole tea tree line is absolutely wonderful. I love the way it smells, its a strong smell, but a clean scent and the face wash wakes me up in the morning – it’s definitely a winner for me!

Okay so my obsession with chap sticks are probably unhealthy, ask anyone. For the most part my lips aren’t too dry but since I love matte lipsticks, dry lips are an absolute no no! Vaseline lip therapy- rosy lips, is easily my new favorite! I’m kind of a snob when it comes to chap sticks because it has to be the perfect consistency, not an over bearing smell, AND actually stay on my lips for longer than a minute. This cute little product by far is one of the greatest I’ve tried in awhile!

I love blush. I feel as if I can never have enough! I know it sounds crazy, but my face eats blush so I initially apply excessive amounts. Nars Amour is my signature, I always come back to this blush color. For my skin tone, it is the perfect pink. It’s natural but bright and totally build able, and it stays on!

Another one of my staples! MAC’s Please Me is my signature pink lip. I have tried SO many lipsticks and this one is just the perfect shade for me! And look- its ALMOST finished, my mother would be so proud.

I’ve recently just gotten into make-up brushes. I’ve always used Bamboo and loved it because of the natural bristles. I recently just purchased e.l.f’s studio brush line. For someone who is relatively new to applying makeup with brushes and doesn’t want to spend a lot of money – BUY THIS! It was THREE dollars. You can’t beat that. It’s supposed to be a dupe for MAC brushes. I use this small stipple brush for everything! BB cream, liquid blush, even blending my concealer. It’s amazing.

I love all Benefit products. The Erase Paste is undeniably one of my favorites and it actually does what it claims! I don’t know about you, but it does not matter how much sleep I get the night before, my dark circles are always prominent. Dark circles are also prone to darker skinned people. Apply this before your concealer, and voila, it tones down the purple. It also helps with using less concealer, which is a huge plus.

Hydrating your skin is vital. This is my secret weapon. Sephora’s flawless moisturizing lotion is incredible. It has SPF 15 which might not be ideal but it is a start if you don’t apply sunscreen at all. My skin is very normal, not oily and not too dry. This lotion is hydrating, doesn’t feel heavy and it doesn’t have a smell. I swear by it.

Lastly, Ben Nye Banana powder. I love setting powders but why are they always white? I am FAR from white and most setting powders always leave a white caste over my skin and I absolutely hate that. This translucent mattifying powder is silky fine and I love how it blends into my natural undertones. These powders are specially formulated to absorb excess oil and soften the appearance of pores. Oh, and the Kardashians use them, and let’s not deny how fab their make- up is. Okay, now go bananas!

If you would like to see how I apply any of these products, leave a comment below and let me know!

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