How to create the perfect Smokey Eye

So one of my best evening looks when it comes to makeup is wearing a smokey eye, it is definitely one the best features to emphasize especially when wearing hijab because I believe if everything is covered around the face, your eyes as well as everything else on your face stands out more which is even more beautiful.

Personally unlike when it comes to my clothing, make- up I believe less is more, if my lips are dramatic then my eyes will be played down and vise visa. So what are some of the rules when it comes to a smokey eye? Because wearing a smokey eye is so dramatic, all the other makeup on your face should be subtle. Wearing red lips with this look, a definite no no, it will just be way too much and people wouldn’t no where to put their focus on, so smokey eye means subtle blush and a nude lip.

So here is a step by step guide on how to apply it, hope this helps all my girlfriends who do ask about my eye make-up enjoy. The key to the perfect smokey eye is proper blending. You want to make sure colors are blended together flawlessly.

Step 1: Prep the Lid
Smooth concealer over the entire lid, creating a base for the shadow to stick and stay put for hours. This look requires a heavy amount of makeup and it's essential the eye is prepared correctly so the makeup doesn't crease or wear off in a few hours.

Step 2: Apply eyeliner
Begin by carefully lining the top and bottom of the eyes with a dark brown or black liner. I usually use Woolworths black pencil eyeliner and Rimmel London liquid eyeliner for the top of my eyes.

Step 3: Apply a light base colour
Apply the entire eyelid with a lighter color using a makeup brush; well I normally use my fingers lol but because I am tan or “olive” in complexion I normally use a bronze or gold tint which looks best.

Step 4: Blend in darker color, but keep dark color below the crease of the eye
You need a darker eye shadow shade. Using an eye shadow brush blend in the colour starting at your lash line, blending up. Make sure to blend colour into the lash line so the eye liner disappears. Stop the deep colour at crease, the key here is to blend, blend, blend. The eye shadows I use are ordinary cheap ones and replace it all the time so there is no specific brand I use.

And now for the final Step 5: Finish with several coats of mascara
Finish with volumising waterproof mascara on the eyelashes. It should be either black brown or black, depending on which colour eye liner was used. Once the first coat of mascara has dried, apply a second coat to the top lashes. My favorite brand currently is from Revlon called Grow Luscious and makes it thick and long so it looks kind of fake that’s how dramatic it makes your lashes which I LOVE.

Below is a step by step picture to show you the different stages when applying this gorgeous look.

I have also attached a video from youtube which I used before in order to get this look.
The products are just my personal preference of which I had success with but you can use whatever you are comfortable with. Hope these tips help, enjoy.

Outfit of the Day

Okay, so many of my girlfriends asked me a similar question and it’s usually about how does one wear a scarf and cover up while being on trend. Well its easy ladies, I never changed my wardrobe in the least, maybe I got rid of a short dresses lol but that about it, even my tight tops and short sweaters I still have to keep warm in the heart of winter and to wear under cardi’s so there isn’t really anything to get rid of, all one needs to do is buy a few keys items and a couple of trendy accessories and you good to go.

So what am I wearing today?

Well let’s start with my boyfriend jeans; it’s the perfect staple for anyone who doesn’t like tight fitting jeans (even though I still have skinnies and Jeggings lol). Why is this trend so versatile? Because you are able to wear tops that aren’t that long without really showing shape because the jeans are baggy.
Where can one find boyfriend jeans? Well almost anywhere, the ones I have on are from Woolworths, its not the cheapest “no name brand” but it’s the most comfortable jeans EVER! The price if you may ask? R325.00 not to bad hey if you want quality.
What does this look like? Please see picture below

So my next item I am wearing is a double breasted black blazer, this is an item you can definitely splurge on because it will never go out, it comes and goes and for years I had a couple of good blazers which I still wear, the one I am wearing I must admit is an extremely cheap buy but looks so gooooood. I got it at Choice Clothing, a factory shop many of my girlfriends no about and you will never guess the price, R60.00!!!!! The problem with factory shops is you need to dig and look but luckily I am good at that.
So what does this blazer look like? Please see the picture below.

Next on my list is my longer length red silk shirt, I wouldn’t say this is a key trend to have but I had this shirt for like 3 years and thought it will look good under the blazer, I find that my longer length shirts are quite versatile in the sense that I can wear it out over jeans/pants or tucked in wide legged pants or skirts so getting rid of that is a big no no. So where did I get my shirt from? At Edgars for about R199.00 haven’t since these shirts again there but I’m sure you can find it anywhere else.
Please see picture below to get an idea of mine looks like.

Now we come to my favourite part of my look, my shoes. I’m wearing brown flat ankle boots with laces, I wanted to wear something comfortable because of the amount of running around I do and I thought it will look quite cool with the bagginess of my jeans. The boots I have on is an old style, but still very comfortable. Where did I get it from? HQ, was about R160.00 very cheap, I wasn’t going to spend a lot on these because it is a trend that I knew wasn’t going to last, oh this boot is bought last year so I don’t think you will find it there again.
Please see picture below, its almost identical to the ones I have on.

And now to complete the outfit, my scarf and accessories, I’m wearing huge gold chucky bangles and one hug ring on my right hand and a brown printed leopard skin scarf. I must admit I feel naked without jewellery, without it my clothes feel incomplete. I’m wearing my scarf the “Arab style” it kind of makes the outfit a bit more sophisticated also it keeping me very warm on this chily day.
Here’s a picture on the type of accessories I am wearing today, oh yes and the ring you see is the exact one I have......hehe

Hope this little rant about my outfit I am wearing today help inspires those who are trying to cover up while wearing there hijab and for those who is just looking for a little motivation on how to put things together.

Enjoy

How to wear a Hijab/Scarf the Stylish way?

Ever since I started wearing Hijab lots of my friends and family and even people off the street wanted to know how I pin it to make it in a specific style. Well there are basically two ways I do wear my scarf and it also depends on what I wear which will determine how I wear my scarf.

The first style is the “BUN” where I wear my scarf tied to the back as shown in the picture below.

Instructions:

Pick a colorful headscarf. They come in all colors and patterns, allowing for you to coordinate your hijab with your outfit. Also consider your face's shape and color to choose a scarf that best compliments you.
The first thing you need to do is tie your hair in a high bun and secure it with pins so your hair is in place then fold the scarf into a triangle, place the scarf onto your head, put the sides at the rear of your head, make a loose bun, and then place the left and right corner all around the bun, this style can be done with a square or long rectangular scarf depending on how big you want the actual bun.

The second style I wear it a bit more covered and volumised and many capetonians know this as an “Arab Style” or “Egyptian Style” of wearing a scarf/Hijab as shown in the picture below.

Instructions:

Like in the previous instructions make a huge bun with your hair to create volume underneath your scarf, if you don’t have much hair like I do, I wear and under scarf and make a bun with that before putting on my main scarf.
The next step with be using a single long, rectangular scarf then cover the entire head and pull the scarf so that the left end is shorter and your right hand holds the longer side. Bring the longer side to the front, over your right shoulder. Open it up so that the full width is visible. Pull the edge of the scarf under your chin, toward the left side of your face. With your right hand, lift the edge of the scarf over the top of your head. The open scarf should cover both the initial knot and your left shoulder. The right side should be covering your right shoulder and be should hang down to cover half your arm. Pin the scarf on the right side of your head using a clip or scarf pin.
Well the way I have explained sounded extremely complicated even to me so I decided to post links to the YouTube channels I use to help me with my hijab dilemmas. It shows both styles and a bit more.





Hope you enjoy it.

So tell me, what Inspires you?

Okay so the question or the topic I proposed today has a little less to do with fashion and style even though this is a fashion blog and a little more about inspiration and what drives us to be who we are and want to become?

I thought it would be interesting to post this question on facebook and see what the responses would be. I have always been interested in knowing what inspires people to become better people, what motivates them to become the best or the greatest at what they do, but I guess my question wasn’t as popular as I thought because of the lack of response but that’s ok I am writing about it anyway lol

So what inspires me? Everything, just not one thing. It could be something someone said or something I have seen. You wouldn’t believe the simple things you’ll notice about people. A wonderful older person who can barely walk but still wants to do their own shopping and not give up that independence just yet. I’ve also seen wonderful acts of kindness. It’s amazing what you can see if you truly open your eyes every day of your life and once your heart is truly open to forgiveness how wonderful life really is. What inspires me is people who is passionate about our faith and can speak for hours on end about it like my parents. My husband who’s ideas, positivity, creativity and opinion about certain issues inspires me. I love my Deen, fashion (as most of you know), reading, learning history and what we can derive from it, different cultures and how to appreciate it for its authenticity, there are so many things I can go on for days…. I think it’s more about how the person sees things in general.

So what was some of the responses I got on facebook? Their moms, dads, wives… What it all comes down to people are inspired by the people in their lives, their loved ones who push them further to greatness, wanting them to aspire to be better people, the type of people who are willing to make a difference in this world because no small act of kindness goes unnoticed. So having those people in your lives with your faith I believe is the key to true success.

Pleated Skirts for the masses

Love the softness of this skirt

How to make it Rocker Sheek

One word: Classy

And for all you Funky Trendsetters

Pleated Skirts: My current obsession

It is amazing how fashion repeats over and over again, my current obsession you may ask? Like my title states the Pleated Skirt…. I remember telling my mom when I was younger how I would never wear pleats or skinnies or bellbottoms or high wasted anything and yet I find myself wearing every single kind of fashion that was out there and I can probably guarantee that my children will say the same thing. But where was this skirt derived from, where did it all start? Well it all started more than 80 years ago, where the trend took off, don’t get me wrong for decades women could only wear skirts but it is only in the early 1900’s were fashion came into play, where people started playing around with fabric where the volume of the dresses and skirts became narrower and women beginning to take charge of what they wanted to wear. The trend was a hit in the 1920’s where women wore this trend just below the bust and as time went on it become lower to the waist. It then came back in the 1970’s and is now surprisingly back in 2012/2013!!!!! So why do I love this trend so much because of its modesty and how well you can cover up while looking stunning, it gives you the illusion that you have super long legs if worn with the proper heels and can make you look elegant without even trying to hard. For the girls who have an edgier funkier side to themselves don’t worry you can pull off this look no problem, pair it will Chuck Taylors or any pair funky sneakers and a oversized cardi and you are ready to go, looking on trend without even trying, how simple is that? I will be posting pics of this trend to give you an idea of how faboo!! This trend could be

Traveling with Style

One of my greatest desires besides working in the world of fashion is to travel. Unfortunately I did not have the opportunity to go abroad yet but was fortunate enough to travel within South Africa. One of my recent travels was on my honeymoon to Knysna and in June will be re-visiting soon with my husband. The most exciting part of traveling for me must be the packing in and what my warobe will consistant of and every girl knows you need to pack for all types of weather. Here are a few items to give you an idea:

Just because one is traveling and not really in your comfort zone does not mean we shouldn't look fabulous while doing it and remember pack in flats, in this case heels aren't really an option unless you are planning to go somewhere really fancy while traveling.

I love how people in the olden days use to travel, they did it with such class, style and sophistication which meant boarding a plane was an event on its own. It meant dressing your best and pack in your best because now you are a jetsetter and that time only the rich or famous could travel so I suppose that is why they did dress up, just incase they run into cameras. These days are so different people travel so often, quicker, better and faster that the world become such a small place that our generation don't have the time to look fabulous while rushing in and out of airports. Maybe if you we just stop, breath and live in the now we to can make that extra effort.

I think I am talking way to much about my dreams about traveling and how I would one day. The greatest travel I would love to experience is Umrah and Hajj, going on a holy journey for your creater, what bigger achievement could one possibly have? Then after that travel the globe in reach of knowledge, culture, art, history and not forgetting my love for fashion ;)

And remember “Be content with what Allah has given you, and you will be among the richest of people.”

Styles to get you going

Inspiration

This might come as a shock to a few people but I have recently decided to wear a Hijab permanently. Well it started last year around Ramadaan time where I usually make a conscious effort to wear one but when the Ramadaan ended I wanted to continue wearing it. It was worn every now and again and not always constant and usually to the back tied in a bun, the usual way some of my friends would wear it but a couple of weeks ago something happend and for some reason I was inspired to wear it everyday in the proper manner, which is probably very strange for most of my friends considering I am the one who is the most into fashion amoungst them all. What actually inspired me alot to get to this conclusion was another blogger who I came across on facebook, her name Dina Toki-o. Her sense of style, creativity, passion for the deen and how she wore her Hijab without compromising her style is what drew me closer in wanting to be that way. Dressing appropriately, modestly and suitable for every occasion while still looking fabulous at the same time. Many of my friends find this hard to do, because you need to cover your head which means no more tight clothes or short tops but I find it liberating and finally getting that sense of respect from people that I rightly deserve as a muslim women. Well the point I have been trying to make is that its not hard to be fashionable and fabulous while being modest and wearing your hijab. I will be posting a couple of pictures soon to show you exactly what I mean....xoxo