Saimese

Cake Pops Disaster Turned Good

2012-01-25T20:30:00.000-05:00

In a previous post on my rushed & simple New Year's eve eye makeup look, I mentioned that I decided to try making cake pops for the first time.

Well, as you can tell from the title, the cake pops were a disaster! Most of the cake pops recipes that I read online listed frosting as one of the ingredients but I refused to buy frosting because a) I strongly dislike it, & b) I thought the cake pop would be way too sweet if I mixed frosting & chocolate cake & then dipped that in milk chocolate & topped it off with some more sweet decorations.

So leaving out the frosting, I decided to crumble some cake mix & make balls out of that. The balls weren't binding as well as I wanted them to & when I placed them on a lollipop stick & tried dipping them in melted milk chocolate, they started falling apart. The process was so time consuming & messy that I was frustrated & was ready to throw away the cake mix, the balls, & the broken balls. My mum, dad, & uncle kept me going though & I decided I'd make cake balls instead of cake pops.

I used Betty Crocker's Super Moist Devil's Food cake mix & baked the whole cake, but ended up using only about half of the cake for these chocolate balls. While making the chocolate balls I mixed in some of the melted milk chocolate, which helped bind the balls. After I was done making all the balls, I dipped a few of them in chocolate all the way around & I dipped the rest only halfway. I put them in the fridge for the melted chocolate to set a bit so that the decorations/toppings wouldn't sink in to the chocolate. I took the balls out of the fridge after 15 minutes or so, decorated them with coloured round sprinkles & stars & put them back in the fridge till about half an hour before it was time to serve them.

I just thought I'd share my experience since I've been seeing pictures of cake pops pop up everywhere, but my first time trying them out wasn't good. I'm glad I was able to make it work though & if someone out there ends up having problems with cake pops, I hope you don't give up & make some cake balls instead because they're delicious!

Have you tried making cake pops? How was your experience?

Review: OPI DS (Designer Series) Exclusive

2012-01-22T21:00:00.000-05:00

If I review a nailpolish you should know that I really like it because I don't review nailpolishes since I don't wear them enough. So let's get right to it...

Colour:
The OPI DS (Designer Series) Exclusive nailpolish is a berry/fuchsia/plum tone with rainbow holographic particles. The colour depends on which light you see it under, but the berry/fuchsia/plum tone isn't too dark or too light so I'd feel comfortable wearing it in any season. I usually don't like wearing nailpolish that has shimmer or glitter particles on all my nails but the rainbow coloured particles are so fine & look so beautiful under the sun that I would gladly wear this on my nails any day. Any other nailpolish that has rainbow coloured particles would look a bit childish or like something that would be suitable for someone in their early teens, but this nailpolish is a beauty!
My camera along with the lighting didn't capture the rainbow particles as nicely on my nails, but you can see them in the picture of the nailpolish bottle itself.

Wear:
In this picture I've only applied one thick coat since the nailpolish is opaque. The brush is great and it goes on smoothly, which I love because I hardly wear nailpolish & tend to get rather impatient while applying it. The only downside to this nailpolish is that it chips easily & it started chipping by the end of the 2nd day for me.

Aftermath:
The micro glitter particles come off easily unlike other glitter nailpolishes & it doesn't stain the nails even though it's a fairly deep shade & I didn't have a base coat on. To add to all that, this might hurt your pocket a little since OPI nailpolishes are a bit expensive, but if you wear nailpolishes a lot, then this is definitely one that you'll love!
P.S. I won this in a giveaway, so I don't know the exact price.

What's your favourite nailpolish?

Rushed & Simple New Years Eve Eye Makeup

2012-01-13T01:00:00.000-05:00

I got requested to post my New Years eve look, so I thought I would recreate it since it's very easy to do. I chose to do a simple look because I spent New Years eve with my family at home. I also did a very simple look since I was rushing & got out of the shower 3-5 minutes before my extended family arrived because I decided I would try making cake pops for New Years eve (for the first time) & didn't realize how time consuming the process was. More on the failed attempt at making cake pops in an upcoming post. Anyway, so I had to do something that wouldn't take me long & here's what I came up with.

Told you it was simple!

Products Used:
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Original [all over my lid & crease]
MAC eyeshadow in Saddle [concentrated in the crease & blended upward toward the browbone]
MAC eyeshadow in Mylar [light placement in the tear duct area & on the lower lashline]
NYX Candy Glitter Liner in Lavender [upper lashline & winged]
L'Oreal Voluminous Original mascara in Black [upper & lower lashes]

Hope you had a good New Year celebration whether it was low-key or you went all out.

Giveaway: Win Too Faced Cosmetics worth $137

2012-01-03T04:00:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, beautiful!

To start off the new year I decided to host a giveaway. One lucky winner will receive all the items in the picture below.

Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow Collection

Smokey Eye Shadow Collection

Teddy Bear Hair Brush Set

The 2 palettes pictured above are my own & I have been reaching for the Natural Eye palette a lot recently. Both palettes come with a sample of the Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer. I got the brush set for my mum & these brushes are not only 100% cruelty free, but the bristles are SO soft that I'm tempted to get this brush set for myself as well. The brush set also comes with a spacious case in which you can store the brushes & additional makeup (I tried putting in one of the palettes above & there was room to fit in more makeup quite easily).

Even though the items pictured above are mine & my mums, don't worry.. you will be receiving brand new products. These products are great to have & they total up to $137 (without taxes)! YOU have the chance to win it all for FREE!

I've kept this post simple to reduce confusion. Follow the link below to go to the entry form & read the rules & info on mandatory entries & additional entries.

For more information on the giveaway & TO ENTER, CLICK HERE.

Deadline: 11:59 pm EST on February 07, 2012

If you have any questions, leave a comment or get in touch via Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail. Good luck!

Yellow, Pink, & Purple Eyeliner

2011-12-30T23:30:00.000-05:00

Today I knew what I wanted to wear, but it took me a little longer to decide on my eye makeup. I knew I didn't want something dark or something with neutral colours either & I wanted to use a new eyeshadow palette that had a few pink & purple eyeshadows. Soon I remembered a rainbow eyeliner picture by Ronnie from Bows & Curtseys that I saw on Pinterest & thought I'd do an inspired look using the colours of my outfit instead.

I wish I saw her video or went back & looked at the picture before doing my makeup though because I would have done these things differently:

Applied my eyeliner in a thin line after applying the eyeshadows. I usually tend to apply my eyeliner thick because it suits me better so I applied my eyeliner like I usually do & then did the coloured eyeshadow liner after that.
Used the eyeshadows wet because using a white base was not enough to make the colours pop the way I wanted them to.
Made sure that the eyeshadow line was sharp on top since my eyeshadow liner looks like it's blended a bit with the lid colour.

No big deal though... this just means that I'll have to try this method again!

Rhinestone Nail Art

2011-12-23T18:00:00.000-05:00

I rarely do my nails, but I was excited to try out these nail art rhinestones. I didn't know what designs to try, so here's what I came up with.

My favourite design is the mint green nail polish with 2 strips of the purple rhinestones down the center. I chose to do this on my ring finger & I love how the purple stood out on the mint.

The red rhinestones all over one of my nails is an idea that I pictured would look better just on one an accent nail with the rest of my nails painted red, but I definitely didn't like it.

The other design that I wasn't a big fan of was the huge snowflake that I jazzed up with rhinestones.

The last design I tried was inspired by a string of colourful holiday lights.

I was given the opportunity to try these 12 colours 2mm rhinestones ($3.88) out from BornPrettyStore.com. I've used them for makeup looks before as well. The one makeup look that I've posted on this blog is the Spunky Bright Magenta Look & I used the hot pink rhinestone in the inner corner for it. I really like the size of these rhinestones because they are great if you have short nails & for the inner corner/tear duct area of the eye as well. The colours are great too, but I wish they had dark green rhinestones instead of the pale green ones (besides the dark blue).

I'm most likely going to use these for makeup more than I will for nails. You could also use them to decorate all sorts of things or for scrapbooking. I think I'm going to try that soon. For now I'm loving using these rhinestones.

Mums Anniversary Makeup

2011-12-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

I did mums makeup for my parents' 24th anniversary & I thought I'd add a pic of her eye makeup. She tends to like more neutral looks, but I thought the blue suited her really well.

The shimmery blue eyeshadow is by BH Cosmetics.

The 3 other eyeshadows that I used are from the Urban Decay Naked palette: Sin, on the inner two-thirds of the lid; Buck, on the browbone; and Virgin, as a highlight under the brow & in the inner corner/tear duct area. Buck & Virgin showed up better in the smaller pic.

The lashes are e.l.f's dramatic lashes.

I can't wait to use that blue myself. It is such a gorgeous colour!

Spunky Bright Magenta Look

2011-12-09T21:25:00.000-05:00

Recently I got 2 brushes & an eyeshadow from Furless, which is an Australian cosmetics company that carries 100% vegan & Halal friendly products. I think this is the first time I've heard a non Middle Eastern cosmetics company use the word Halal, so bravo, Furless!

The 2 brushes that I tried are the Pencil/Crease brush & the Precision Bent Eyeliner brush from their Bamboo Eco makeup brushes line.

Pencil/Crease brush

10.95 AUD

Pros:

Very dense & tapered.
Picks up a lot of product so it's good if you're trying to pack on the colour.
Doesn't shed.

Cons:

A little big to use on your lower lash line (I've included a comparison picture of it besides a MAC 219 pencil brush for those who are familiar with the MAC brush).
Might be a little big for your crease depending on the look you're going for. I like to use it a little above the crease.
The brush handle doesn't have the company's name or what kind of brush it is written on it. A few months or a few years down the road if a person wants to repurchase the brush, they might not remember the company or line (Bamboo Eco) & they might not even remember what the brush is called, which can be frustrating.

Precision Bent Eyeliner
7.95 AUD

Pros:

Bent eyeliner brushes make it very easy to apply & wing your eyeliner.
Doesn't shed.
The bristles are a little flexible, but not too flexible, so you still have good control.

Cons:

I end up picking up a lot more product with this brush than I do with an angled eyeliner brush.
The bristles are all different lengths & they don't taper into a nice tip.
Like the other brush, the handle doesn't have the company's name or what kind of brush it is written on it.

Matte Mineral Eyeshadow in Spunky - Bright Magenta
12.95 AUD

Pros:

The sifter top controls the amount of eyeshadow that comes out. This is good because I know that the eyeshadow won't spill all over when I try opening it.
Blends well.

Cons:

The site uses the words 'Bright Magenta' to describe the eyeshadow, which I think is a far better description of the colour than the picture shown. The colour shown on the site is completely different than the actual product, which is a hassle when ordering things online.

Here I've swatched Spunky a few times. Roll your mouse over the picture for more details.

Lastly, the fun stuff: Putting the products to use!

I used Spunky on the lid & on the brow bone to help blend out the black (MAC eyeshadow in Carbon). I used the pencil/crease brush to apply a random shimmery off-white colour under my brow & in the inner corner as a highlight. On my lower lashline, I used the pencil/crease brush to pick up & apply the 2 darkest purples from the 120 eyeshadow palette (1st edition). For the eyeliner, I wanted a thin line just to cover up the band of the lashes since the look already had a lot going on, so I used the precision bent eyeliner brush for that.

& to finish the look off I added the pink rhinestone, which makes the look a bit more glam! I love how the look turned out with this addition. It's all about the details!

If you want to more information on Furless & its products, visit:

Website

Facebook Page

Twitter

My 10 Favourite Beauty Products

2011-11-29T15:30:00.000-05:00

I was nominated for the Top 10 Award by LaaLaa Monroe from DolceVanity.com a while ago. I don't usually like to have the awards that I was nominated for displayed on my blog, but I thought this tag is a nice idea for a blog post, so here it is!

This is a post on my 10 favourite beauty products so far & these are products that I happen to reach for all the time. Please note that these do not include beauty tools. It doesn't even include eyeshadows because I don't wear eyeshadows on a regular basis. These are just some basic beauty products.

For the lips...

C.O. Bigelow's Rose Salve:
This is what I use as my everyday lip balm. I have an older one of this salve, which I used to apply with my fingers & since that got a bit old, I have saved that just to use on dry skin or on my cuticles once in a while. I also used to get dry patches around my eye that came back every few months, but ever since I used rose salve on the dry spots, they haven't returned.
Revlon's Matte Lipstick in 009 Fabulous Fig:
My fav shade of red. Although I don't use it in the summer because it's a brown-ish red & tends to show up a bit dark on me in the summer, I love how this looks on me in Fall, Winter, & most of Spring.

For the eyes...

Urban Decay's Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion:
Over the past few years my eyelids have started to get oily, especially when I'm tired. This primer stops my eyeshadow from creasing. At times I apply a bit of this primer on my eyelids even when I'm not using any eyeshadow because it helps prevent my eyelids from getting oily.
Annabelle's Smudgeliner in Electric Sapphire:
This is one of the very few blue eyeliners that show up well on my medium skin tone & I love using it when I'm sick of wearing the usual black eyeliner.
Lancome's Hypnose mascara:
I usually don't splurge on mascara since you should be replacing your mascaras every 3 months & there are some drugstore mascaras that are amazing, but this mascara is definitely worth the hype. It's really black & it gives my lashes length & volume without clumping or flaking.
Annabelle's Liquid Eyeliner in Black Out:
I've never come across a liquid eyeliner that's so matte. The pen brush tip allows easy application & is helpful when you're trying to wing your eyeliner as well.

For the body & hair...

True Blue Spa's Refreshing Citrus Body Scrub - Need a Margarita:
I've used this myself & I like it so much that I've given it as a present too. It leaves my skin so soft & I don't feel the need to apply lotion after I use this scrub since it's so moisturizing. My scrub has turned yellow for some reason (maybe because I've had it for a while?), but it hasn't gone bad.
True Blue Spa's Shea Cashmere & Silk Body Cream:
This cream has a light butterscotch & vanilla kind of scent. It's not as light as a lotion but not as heavy as a cream either, so it applies smoothly. It leaves a light scent on my skin, which I love. Whenever I've taken out this cream to reapply it & my male friends were around, they complimented me on the scent & a few of them accepted my offer to try it out too!
Bath & Body Works Signature Collection's Eau de Toilette in Blushing Cherry Blossom:
This scent is good all year around. It isn't too heavy for the summer or too light for winter. It's priced well as compared to other perfumes that size. I like carrying this in my purse for the times when I'm in a rush & forget to apply perfume before stepping out. This particular fragrance might be discontinued though because I don't see it on the Bath & Body Works' website, but no worries.. they have tons of other fragrances that you can choose from.
Hana Shine Shield Thermal Protectant:
Ever since I stopped following up my blow drying routine with my flat iron I've noticed that my hair is fine the day I style it, but at times the next day it doesn't want to cooperate. When I use this protectant though, my hair holds up even the next day & it gives my hair a nice shine.

I love these 10 products! I have linked the products to their respective sites. The packaging for 2 of the products has changed, but it's the same product.

What are your favourite beauty products? Have you tried anything that's on my 10 fav beauty products list?

10 Must-See Beauty Related YouTube Channels

2011-11-22T03:30:00.000-05:00

These are 10 beauty related channels on YouTube that I love to watch & that you must check out if you haven't already. I have posted videos that I really like from each channel. I'm not into special effects but I love creative makeup & new colour combinations & these channels are definitely worthwhile.

gossmakeupartist

love.love.love. I've learned SO many tips from Wayne Goss!

iwanted2c1video

LuxyHair

not makeup related, but these twins make me want to try so many hairstyles & if you know me, you will know that I don't do much with my hair... at all.

Check out the channels that I posted to see more videos by these amazing artists.

Do you have any favourite beauty related YouTube channels?

UD Naked Palette from TheShoppingChannel.com (Canada)

2011-11-18T21:25:00.000-05:00

There are plenty of reviews & swatches available online for the oh-so-popular Naked palette by Urban Decay, so I'm not going to be doing a review/swatch for this palette. Instead I will be posting about where I got this palette from in Canada.

I wanted to purchase this palette as a present, but all the Sephora's I called &/or visited were sold out. I'm not really an online shopper so I avoided looking online, but (since the closest Sephora is approximately a 45 minute drive away from me) I finally gave in & decided to look it up online.

The website that I found had the best deal is TheShoppingChannel.com. The palette was listed as $58 and it qualified for free standard shipping & handling, however, with taxes the total came up to $65.54 CAD.

I placed my order on Saturday, November 12th & received my parcel on Tuesday, November15th. The palette was not wrapped in bubble wrap, which concerned me a little but when I reached for the palette I realized that the minimal packaging was sufficient to hold the palette in place. Other things included with the palette were: a brochure on Himalayan Gems sold on the website, a brochure on the site's return policy, & my order summary along with postage stickers that I can place on the package in case I want to send the palette back for an exchange or return. I have to say that I'm quite impressed with the site and the service.

I could have also bought this palette through Sephora's website, which sells the palette for $58 as well, but the standard shipping costs $9.95, which would bring my total to $67.95 CAD. Also, Sephora lists their processing time as 1-2 business days & their delivery time as 6-12 business days. In other words, TheShoppingChannel.com was a better deal for me.

Although, it still annoys me that the palette costs $48 USD in the U.S., especially since I live 30 minutes away from the border. The CAD is stronger yet Canadians have to pay more for the UD Naked palette & our taxes are higher as well!

Have you been able to purchase the Naked palette by Urban Decay yet?

If so, where did you get yours from?

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with TheShoppingChannel.com

Cold Weather, Warm Look

2011-11-10T23:50:00.001-05:00

Whenever I'm getting ready to go out I'm usually in a rush so I hardly take the time to do my makeup well. & then there are those days when I'm staying in & decide to test out some of my makeup & end up with something I love. Yesterday was one of those days.

Skipping eyeliner & opting for an orange/coral shade on the eyes, along with highlighted cheekbones & bronzer makes this look like it would've been perfect for the summer. I quite enjoyed the warmth of this look in the chilly weather too though!

Products Used:
Coastal Scents 88 Metal Eyeshadow Palette - orange & brown
i.d. bareMinerals foundation in Medium Tan
Senna Cosmetics' Liquid Ice - Illuminating Drops [under brow, on cheekbone, & on the bridge of the nose]
Annabelle Mineral Powder Bronzer in Terra
Annabelle Mineral Powder Blush in Hush
MAC Plush Lash mascara in PlushBlack
MAC lipliner in Chicory
Senna Cosmetics Cream Lipstick in Plush
Revlon Matte Lipstick in 009 Fabulous Fig
MAC Chromeglass in Pastel Polish [just a light dab on the center of the lips]

I think the yellow undertones in my skin make me look too pale in winter, which is why I love using bronzer during the cold months.

Earrings haul from the 2011 Eid-ul-Fitr Festival in Mississauga

2011-11-03T17:00:00.001-04:00

Those who are familiar with the 2 Eids will probably wonder why I'm doing an Eid-ul-Fitr haul post when Eid-al-Adha is in 3 days. There's a reason to this madness, I promise.

I wanted to post about this earrings haul earlier, but I thought I'd save this post for now because I wanted to share my experience at the first Eid festival (or what many desi's call the chaand raat mela) I visited in Canada.

Yeah... I've lived in Canada for 10 years & finally decided to visit one of these festivals/mela's. I didn't have many expectations going in because desi (South Asian) clothes & accessories are overpriced in North America.

I was in a horrible mood on the drive there (the whole 1 & a half hours), but I was all smiles within 10 minutes of browsing around in the festival/mela. Not only did the stalls have an amazing collection of big earrings & jhumkas, but they were SO reasonable (as compared to regular store prices in Canada anyway).

By the way, examples of jhumka's are the pink & blue earrings in this post.

When I say reasonable, I mean I got all 3 earrings in this post for under $40. That's a bargain considering that the gorgeous blue jhumka's in the pic below alone would easily cost $50+ in a store in Canada. That seems pricey but the blue jhumka's are huge (compare them to the size of my finger).

It's true that these are much cheaper in certain areas of Pakistan &/or India, but you need to know those areas. I went to Dubai, U.A.E & a few other cities in India in the summer of 2010, but I didn't find earrings like these.

The people who set up stalls at the Eid festivals here own small businesses and get beautiful earrings from all over & they have so much variety!

Besides jewelry there were desi outfits (a lot of variety in the latest Pakistani styles), clutches, shoes, & an area where you could get henna applied. I was so mesmerized by the huge earrings that I didn't really pay much attention to the clothes & clutches.

I definitely enjoyed the Eid festival & it was worth visiting it. If you want to check out the upcoming 2011 Eid-al-Adha festival/chaand raat mela in Mississauga on November 4th, 5th, & 6th, check out their flyer above.

I had gone to the 2011 Eid-ul-Fitr festival/chaand raat mela at Maple Banquet Hall early in the evening. I highly suggest that you go earlier on in the day once the festival/mela starts. That way you will avoid the night rush since the banquet hall (after the stalls are set up) isn't that big & I've heard it gets extremely crowded at night.

Let me know if you've visited any of these Eid festivals/melas in your area & whether you think it's worth visiting them.

Review: BornPrettyStore.com false eyelashes 40

2011-10-09T05:00:00.002-04:00

I was sent a box of 10 pairs of eyelashes (same style) by BornPrettyStore.com to review. Having used different styles of eyelashes in the past, I knew I would love these eyelashes as soon as I opened the box. Did I love them as much as I thought I would? Keep on reading to find out!

Since all 10 pairs come in one box, the band of the falsies is extended (as shown up close in the picture below) on both sides & inserted into holes. Before applying the falsies you will have to cut off the extended band, which means that you wont be able to insert the band back in the holes & store the falsies that way if you want to reuse them.

Item ID: 40

Price: $4.23 for a box of 10

Buy it here

Pros:
The box comes with a "window" so you can easily see what style of lashes they are.
Easy to apply even for beginners.
Give you a nice amount of volume & length without looking over-the-top even though the lashes are thick.
Blend in well with your natural lashes.

Cons:
The corner was cut off of 1 of the lashes (see the picture on the right above). You could always cut the pair of lashes & use them as outer half lashes I guess, but if you're purchasing 10 pairs of lashes, you expect 10 full pairs of lashes.
The website lists the falsies by item #, but the falsies style # on the box does not match the item #. This can be a problem if you bought a box of eyelashes previously & want to buy the same style again but don't remember the item #.
This style of falsies did not match the picture provided on the website! I liked the falsies better in person than the picture that is advertised on their website, but obviously this is a huge disadvantage when you're ordering things online because what you see is NOT what you'll get!
Their pricing chart can be a bit confusing for some people. What it says is that if you buy 1 or 2 boxes, you will be paying $4.23 per box; however, if you buy 3 or 4 boxes, you will be paying $3.97 per box, & so on.
Not suitable for everyday wear.

Bare in mind that my opinion of these falsies is based on how I felt after wearing these falsies in terms of comfort & the way the falsies looked on me based on my eye & face shape.

Check out BornPrettyStore.com for more eyelashes, nail art, & Hello Kitty items. The coupon code "SAIMESEK31" will give you 10% off your purchase till December 31, 2011.

For more pictures & information on this makeup look check out my Sun & Storm post (http://saimese.blogspot.com/2011/08/sun-storm.html).

Anushka Sharma's 26 Desi Outfits in Band Baaja Baaraat (Bollywood Movie)

2011-09-11T17:50:00.001-04:00

When I saw the Bollywood movie Band Baaja Baaraat, I completely fell in love with the outfits that the actress, Anushka Sharma, was wearing. Everything that she wore in the movie was bold & colourful just like the movie itself. What caught my eye the most was the contrasting colours in the South Asian outfits that she wore: churidaar, shalwar kameez, a saree, & a lehenga. While watching the movie, I knew I wanted to do a post just on the outfits (besides the Western outfits & short kurtis/shirts with jeans) that she wore in the movie.

I would wear every single one of these outfits because even the simple ones are pretty & I have always loved outfits with bold & contrasting colours!

Before I get to the main bulk of the post, which is of course the pictures, I have included a short description for those who are not familiar with South Asian outfits.
Here's how you can differentiate between the different types of outfits:

Churidaar: churidaar pyjama (tight pants - these are longer than your legs, so when you put them on, they are supposed to pleat at the end around the ankle area), kurta (long shirt), dupatta (long scarf)
- Example: Outfit 1
Shalwar kameez: shalwar (loose pants), kameez (long shirt - different word for a 'kurta'), dupatta (long scarf)
Note: Since the actress is shown as Punjabi, she is mostly wearing semi-patiala or patiala shalwars, which just means that there is a lot more material & pleating involved as compared to a regular shalwar.
- Example: Outfit 2
Saree: blouse, petticoat (this is the skirt that the saree material is wrapped around - you're not supposed to see this part of the outfit), saree material
- Example: Outfit 25
Lehenga: blouse/shirt, skirt, dupatta (long scarf)
- Example: Outfit 26

Now that all that is out of the way, I won't keep you waiting any longer. I've created a slideshow of the images, so just hit play & sit back & enjoy looking at the 26 outfits!

Some of the pictures taken from the movie's website (these have the Band Baaja Baaraat logo on them), some were found online, & others are all screenshots from the movie. Some of the screenshots are really blurry because she was moving so fast & it was hard to capture the outfit at a time when the details of the outfit were showing properly.

Click the image below to visit the official Band Baaja Baaraat website.

Hope you guys enjoyed looking at all the outfits. Would you wear something with such bold, contrasting colours?
I definitely have in the past & will continue to do so! ;)

A Foot Henna Design... On My Hand?

2011-09-09T01:00:00.001-04:00

My parents always tell me I should apply henna on Eid, but I'm moody so I usually don't. A few days ago (after Eid) I was in the mood so I decided to finally apply henna on the back of one hand.

I usually prefer having a henna design that I like in front of me so I don't mess up my hands experimenting with designs. This time I chose a foot henna design that I had been wanting to try on my hands for a while.

The original design (pictured below) is by Nadra from NJ's Unique Henna Art.

I came across NJ's Unique Henna Art when my best friend asked me to find her a henna artist for her summer (2010) wedding. I researched & found quite a few henna artists but I was impressed with Nadra's online portfolio as soon as I saw it. Her designs are super neat, intricate, & just completely amazing!
& I do realize that it sounds like I'm being compensated for this post by Nadra, but I'm not. Her work is actually that awesome.

To see more of NJ's Unique Henna Art, check out the links below.
Website: www.nj-uniquehenna.com
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/NJsUniqueHennaArt

Sun & Storm

2011-08-22T00:00:00.006-04:00

I've probably used coloured eyeshadows while doing my makeup less than 20 times since my January 2011 series. I usually grab the browns & a matte white just to open up my eyes a bit & to define my crease. The other day, however, I felt like playing around with colours, so here's what I came up with. It's very similar to a look that I've done before on Jan 14th as part of my January 2011 series.

Products Used:
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk [eyeshadow base]
Pure Luxe Cosmetics mineral eyeshadow in Sunny Side Up [lid + between upper & lower wing]]
MAC eyeshadow in Stormwatch [crease & blended upward till highlight + smudged on the outer half under the black eyeliner on the lower lashline]
Prestige Cosmetics eyeshadow in C-153 Angel [highlight]
e.l.f. studio cream eyeliner in Black
Almay blendable eye pencil in Black [waterline]
False eyelashes
MAC Plush Lash mascara in PlushBlack [upper & lower lashes]

Ramadan Mubarak!

2011-08-01T23:30:00.000-04:00

Ramadan Mubarak to all the Muslims.

I decided to play around with my camera & this is the end result. I just cropped the pic & added the text. It would have been much better if the lily was fresh, but I still love how the picture turned out.

Appreciating the little things in life,
♥ Saimese

Shattered

2011-07-23T02:00:00.005-04:00

Left to Right: Forever21 Love & Beauty - Purple; OPI - Silver Shatter.

I never really liked the shattered/crackled nails trend but I thought I'd give it a try. I found that OPI's Silver Shatter shatters/crackles the most when you apply a thin layer of it.

My mum said my nails remind her of Halloween, haha! How do you like the shattered/crackled nails trend?

Bangle & Bracelet Storage

2011-07-07T14:00:00.002-04:00

My aunt got me a bangle stand from India & I've been using it to hang both bangles & bracelets. I don't really get the chance to wear bangles as much since I usually wear them with South Asian/desi outfits, so I don't see the point of having all bangle sets on display in my room collecting dust. The hot pink bangle set has 48 bangles itself so what I like to do instead of having just bangle sets on display is have a few bangles from each set out on display, so I have a quick visual of all the bangles that I own & I hang up my bracelets on the stand as well. That way I have an easy access to all my bracelets & bangles.

I love storing my bracelets this way. I actually get to see all of them more, which means that I wear them a lot more too as compared to when they were stored in my drawer. Plus, they are all organized in one place too & all the colours add a nice touch to my room.

Review: Crystal Bowknot Shape Diamond 3D Nail Art

2011-06-24T14:15:00.001-04:00

I had the opportunity to try some nail art from BornPrettyStore.com so here's my review. I had never tried 3D nail art before so I thought I'd give it a try & chose the Crystal Bowknot Shape Diamond 3D Nail Art DIY Decoration.

On their website, the price for 10 pieces is listed as $4.95, however, since I'm a reviewer I was sent 5 pieces but I didn't end up using those either. I'd usually make a pros & cons list, but the only pro that I have is that the bows are sparkly.

One of my biggest concerns was that the site did not have a size specified for the bows, so I was hoping that the bows were small so I could use them on one of my nails since putting bows on all my nails just isn't my thing. Sadly, when I received the bows I realized that they were a bit too big. Having that big of a bow on just one nail is a bit too much for me.
Then when I flipped them over, I was more disappointed when I looked at their back. The picture on the site shows the back of the bows, but I didn't think it would be that bad. I'm sure someone who is in to nail art could figure out a way on how to get the bows stuck to their nails without damaging their nails, but for the average person I think it's going to be a bit hard to do so with such a protruding back.

These 3D bows would be great for scrapbooking or other DIY decor projects, but using them for nail art doesn't seem practical to me. BornPrettyStore.com has a lot of nail art products such as rhinestones & nail dangles/charms & other things including false eyelashes.

I will be reviewing their falsies soon . Till then, check out BornPrettyStore.com & if you'd like to purchase something, you can use the coupon code SAIMESEK31 for 10% off your purchase before October 31st, 2011.

Review: ES false eyelashes [style A101, A013, A134]

2011-06-21T04:12:00.004-04:00

I was sent 3 styles of ES brand false eyelashes by KKCenterHK.com to review. At the time I was going through the site, I was a little disappointed. The prices were great but the site looked unprofessional & unpleasant. However, improvements have been made to the site & it looks a lot better than it used to.

Each style of ES falsies that I chose came in a box of 10 pairs.

Since all 10 pairs come in one box, the band of the falsies is extended (as shown up close in the picture below) on both sides & inserted into holes. Before applying the falsies you will have to cut off the extended band, which means that you wont be able to insert the band back in the holes & store the falsies that way if you want to reuse them.

Now I'm going to give my opinion on each style of falsies. I'm no expert on falsies since I hardly wear them but I think that every woman must know how to apply falsies since it adds that extra bit of glamour to any look based on the style of falsies. Also, bare in mind that my opinion of these falsies is based on how I felt after wearing these falsies in terms of comfort & the way the falsies looked on me based on my eye & face shape.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

ES A101
Price: $4.89 for a box of 10
Buy it here

Pros:
Thick band so it's easier to apply for beginners.
Makes your lashes look full & adds instant drama.
Even though this style is full & dramatic, it doesn't look too over-the-top if you pair it with dramatic makeup.
Cons:
Slightly stiff.
These would have been my favourite falsies out of all 3 styles, but I hate how the falsies look super unnatural when you look down & people can see the top part of your lashes (for reference see the middle picture in the last picture collage). Since it's not human hair, from that angle it looks so stiff & so wrong. I think it would look bad if someone was wearing these falsies & looking down in a picture, or if the picture was taken from a birds-eye view.
Some of the lashes were not shaped in a nice curve (for reference see the 2nd picture). Maybe I'm being picky because you could take the falsies & wrap it around your finger for a few seconds to reshape it, but I think that's a bit of a hassle especially when you're in a rush.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

ES A013
Price: $4.89 for a box of 10
Buy it here

I wore these falsies in my Back in to Makeup Mode? post.

Pros:
Thick band so it's easy to apply for beginners.
The criss-cross pattern makes the lashes look full, yet in a natural way.
Opens up your eye since the falsies go from short in the inner corner to long in the outer corner.
Medium curl.
Cons:
Slightly stiff.
This isn't really a negative point if I had applied the falsies properly, but the first time I applied these falsies, I applied it too much toward the outer corner on one eye. Since the lashes are long at the outer corner & have a medium curl, it made one eye look a bit droopy as compared to the other. You couldn't tell unless you were staring at me right in the eyes for 10 seconds or longer, but I knew about it so it annoyed me a bit.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

ES A134
Currently not available on the site

Pros:
Thin band makes it easier to apply the falsies really close to the upper lashes & cover up the band & glue with a thin line of eyeliner.
Natural looking.
Blends in very easily with your own lashes.
Amazing curl.
Out of the 3 styles, these falsies are the closest to feeling like human hair.
Cons:
Thin band makes it a bit harder to apply the falsies.
While taking the glue off the band, you have to be gentle. I was in a rush while taking the glue off on one of the falsies so I can reuse the lashes, but ended up ruining the falsies instead since the band wasn't strong enough for me tugging on that glue.
Really long. These eyelashes are deceiving when they're in the box & look shorter because they are so curled.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

To demonstrate the last 'con' for the A134 style & to compare all 3 styles of the ES brand falsies side-by-side, here are 2 pictures:

See how different all the styles are?

Now look at the curl on the A134! Notice how the A101 is the heaviest pair of lashes & has the least amount of curl.

Overall, these ES falsies from KKCenterHK are an amazing deal especially since they can be reused depending on how you take care of them.

Which one of the 3 styles did you like best?

Platform Heels (advice from Tyra Banks on Fa-Fa-Fa Fashion)

2011-05-30T13:00:00.008-04:00

South Asian brides are usually weighed down with heavily embroidered outfits (which weight a ton - no lie) & lots of jewelry. That's why selecting the right heels is so important for the big day & is usually one thing that I've heard South Asian brides stress over, especially if they are short. During these conversations, I'm surprised at how many women don't know about the advantage of platform heels. Some women are too scared to try them because the heel on those is usually too high. But platform heels are actually très comfortable for your big day or on any day of the week!

Mehak (my best friend ♥) is too weighed down by her outfit so she's getting help with putting her platform heels on. I went shoe shopping with her & made sure she got platform heels!

Instead of explaining the advantages of platform heels, I'll share a video with you in which the (retired) supermodel Tyra Banks talks about them.

Yeah, Tyra did her math wrong while explaining platform heels, but you're smart enough to figure out what she's getting at.

The Fa-Fa-Fa Fashion series is a part of Tyra's new project/website called Type F. Click the image below to check out the Fa-Fa-Fa Fashion series in which Tyra & Andre collaborate to give awesome fashion tips & a short history lesson on the topic of the day. I'm loving the series so far.

Screenshot image via the Fa-Fa-Fa Fashion page on Type F

Ladies, if you haven't tried out platform heels, please do. Your feet will thank you for minimizing the torture... to an extent ;)

Pink, White, & Blue Eyes

2011-05-21T13:00:00.000-04:00

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion [eyeshadow base]
MAC eyeshadow in Mylar [inner three-fourth of lid + tearduct + inner corner of lower lashline + browbone]
Annabelle Studio Pigment in Magentini [outer one-third of lid + crease + above crease + lower lashline]
Revlon Colorstay 12 Hour Eyeshadow in 11 Sultry Smoke - I used the blue [outer one-fourth of lid + crease + lower lashline]
Prestige Cosmetics eyeshadow in C-153 Angel [applied lightly on browbone]
Rimmel Get in Line liquid eyeliner in 400 Blue Sapphire [upper lashline]
Annabelle Cosmetics Smudgeliner in Electric Sapphire [waterline]
Lancome Hypnose (waterproof) mascara in Black [upper lashes]
MAC Plush Lash mascara in PlushBlack [lower lashes]

Perizaad Zorabian in Vikram Phadnis

2011-05-15T15:40:00.001-04:00

I came across pictures of Perizaad Zorabian at the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2010 wearing a Vikram Phadnis creation. I love contrasting colours, so I fell in love with her outfit right away & had to share. The embroidery on the borders of the dupatta looks amazing as well!

Vikram Phadnis & Perizaad Zorabian

Back in to Makeup Mode?

2011-05-05T10:00:00.001-04:00

It feels like it's been way too long since I've used eyeshadow that wasn't either neutral or purple. Yesterday, I decided to play with eyeshadows before heading out. The look isn't bright by any means but it's definitely a nice change to wear eyeshadow again.

I'm wearing lip liner & lipstick as well, which is quite rare for me. The last time that I wore lipstick outside the house was probably at the end of February? Yeah, it's been a while! So you can already tell I put a bit more effort in to doing my makeup than I usually do.

I also added false eyelashes to this look. It was the first day that I've actually stepped outside the house with falsies on. I was a bit taken aback by the length of the lashes. You can't really tell in the pictures, but in person the difference was huge! They grew on me though.

I feel like I'm slowly getting back in to makeup mode again. Only time will tell.

DiorShow mascara, Beauty Blender, & MAC on Apothica.com?

2011-04-25T10:00:00.001-04:00

I ended up browsing through the makeup on Apothica.com on one of my study breaks & I found out that they have a lot more products for sale besides the brands that are listed on their makeup brands page. I found so many goodies including the popular DiorShow mascara, the Beauty Blender, & MAC lipglosses. But if you click Christian Dior Makeup on the makeup brands page, it will take you to a page that says error. If you search Beauty Blender or MAC, the search shows no results. Then how did I find these products??

Since I have the link to Apothica in my sidebar, I thought I'd do this post on how to navigate the site to achieve the best results & find tons of awesome products. Keep reading to find out how you can navigate the site in a better way in order to find these products yourself!

Christian Dior Makeup DiorShow Mascara Waterproof #090 Black

Givenchy Lip Lip Lip! Lipstick #313 Blushing Red (Extreme)

Beauty Blender

MAC Lip Glass Lip Gloss Magnetique

Benefit Moon Beam Iridescent Complexion Enhancer

OPI Nail Lacquer #A20 La Paz-Itively Hot - Matte Nail Polish

CHANEL Quatuor Boutons De Chanel Les Folies Noires

After looking at some of these products you might be wondering why you didn't find them while you were browsing the site. Well, I'm here to share how.
Instead of searching for makeup by trying to look up the brand name, I suggest you click Makeup (on the horizontal menu). Then when the makeup page shows up, select See All Links under PRODUCT TYPE (in the vertical menu on the left). You will be overwhelmed by the amount of products & popular brands in each sub-category under PRODUCT TYPE. Select a sub-category (for example, bronzers, lip gloss, mascara, primer, etc.). That's exactly how I found these goodies!

By the way, all the products above have been linked to their respective page so you don't have to browse through tons of pages. Just click the image & it will take you to the products' page directly & you can add it to your cart.

Happy Shopping ;)

Xenab's Atelier: Spring 2011 Formal Collection

2011-04-13T04:08:00.003-04:00

It's very rare that I like almost all the pieces from a designers collection, so when I came across the Xenab's Atelier Spring 2011 collection of formal wear, I HAD to share! Here are some of my absolute favourites from the collection for you to enjoy.

Images are from the Xenab's Atelier page on Facebook

Aren't these just so FAB? Check out the complete Spring 2011 collection on the Xenab's Atelier page on Facebook. You'll fall in love too! I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on this designer.

Links:
Xenab's Atelier page on Facebook
Xenab's Atelier: Spring 2011 Formal Collection [album with the complete collection]

P.S. A fraud by Xenab's Atelier has been brought to my attention. I am a neutral 3rd party - I do not know the designer or the person who pointed out this fraud. I posted about this collection because I thought it was breathtaking, however, I thought it's important to let people know & make their own decision on whether they want to purchase from this designer or not. There are comments on the Xenab's Atelier page on Facebook from satisfied customers as well.
Be careful with all your online purchases & do your research about the company before making a purchase!

Electric Sapphire

2011-03-31T10:00:00.001-04:00

I hardly experiment with makeup during university & tend to stick to my usual routine, which can be quite boring. Even if I want to change things up, I just don't want to spend time doing that especially at this time of the year when all the deadlines are close & exams are coming up. Yesterday I switched 1 product that I use in my daily makeup routine & even though it wasn't a makeover kind of change, it still changed things up a bit.

Sometimes all it takes to get out of a makeup rut is using coloured eyeliner instead of my usual black liquid eyeliner.

Products Used:
Annabelle Cosmetics' Smudgeliner in Electric Sapphire [upper lashline + winged]
MAC eyeshadow in Mylar [applied heavily in the tear duct area + swept lightly on the lower lashline]
Lancome Hypnose (waterproof) mascara in Black [upper lashes]
MAC Plush Lash mascara in PlushBlack [lower lashes]

How simple is that?

Poser in Purple

2011-03-20T10:00:00.001-04:00

A look that I did for a birthday dinner that I went to last night. I played up the eyes & used a blush to add some colour to my cheeks. The blush wore out by the time I got in the mood to take pics - hours after I got back home from the dinner. I only wore lipbalm since I was going to be eating anyway so I couldn't be bothered to make an effort with that - didn't apply anything on my lips before taking pictures either.

Was in no mood to touch-up my makeup, just felt like being a poser.

P.S. only the face pics (1st & last) are edited via Picnik

Huge Teeka from Gerrard Street (Toronto)

2011-03-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

I absolutely love huge teeka's and for my best friends wedding, I knew I had to wear one. Wanting to wear a huge teeka was one thing, but finding one that matched my bridesmaid outfit was another. I was on a very short time limit & had a few hours at the most to find this teeka, so I headed down to the Indian & Pakistani area of Gerrard Street. If you don't know what area I'm talking about, it's pretty much a section of a street that has all Indian & Pakistani stores with clothing, jewelry, home decors, grocery, restaurants, etc.

I went from one store to the other & was disappointed with what I saw. The closest thing to what I wanted was overpriced & I wasn't willing to spend so much on something that I wasn't loving completely. I was almost out of time since I had to head back to the consulate, wasn't in a good mood (had gotten into a small accident while driving to downtown Toronto & was not happy that I couldn't find something I liked after visiting so many stores), & was just sick of the lack of good customer service, but I decided to try out one last store.

Business card of Sajawat - the store where I picked up the teeka from

Sajawat
1475 Gerrard Street East,
Toronto, Ontario, M4L 2A1
(416) 519-6408

When I walked in the store, I didn't have any expectations & didn't expect to like a teeka here either. I was proven wrong quickly, when I started going through the teeka's and found something that I fell in love with. My mum was so relieved considering how picky I am, haha! The teeka came in 3 or 4 different sizes (I want to say 4 but I'm not 100% sure). I was completely sold on it & the hardest part for me was deciding between the 2 biggest sizes. I ended up choosing the 2nd biggest one because the beading on it was absolutely perfect! There wasn't that much of a difference between the sizes, but depending on your facial structure & size, it would definitely make a difference. I have a big face as compared to others, so this huge teeka suited me.

Taken with flash so that you can see what the red beads in the teeka would look like under sunlight, with light hair, or against fair skin.

I'm pretty sure the teeka was part of a bridal set because they had hand jewelry that matched & probably had everything else too - at this point I was overjoyed about the teeka & could care less about anything else. I was so happy that I was willing to pay the ridiculous price ($30-40) that most of the smaller teekas at the other stores cost. This teeka, however, only cost me $15! I was SO surprised that I considered contacting the other bridesmaids since we had all decided to wear teeka's at the wedding. I was already running late & didn't have a way to show them what the teeka looked like, so I didn't end up contacting them.

Look at how flexible that teeka is!

Besides all that, I loved that the teeka was flexible, so it wouldn't sit flat against your forehead.
Another thing (not teeka related) that I was happy with was the customer service I received at the store. Most of the time when I'm in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) & visit a desi store, I always have problems with their customer service. The people working at the stores act like they have too much pride to be working there, they don't seem like they want to help you, or they only want to help you to force the sale of a product on you & not because they care. This can also be because I'm accustomed to the customer service in the Niagara region, but most of the time the lack of customer service from desi people in the GTA annoys me way too much. At Sajawat, however, the customer service was great, which was a bonus for me.

Left - shown completely so it looks like a bridal teeka; Right - hidden to tone it down

The picture above shows 2 ways that you can wear the teeka. On the left, the teeka looks like something that would be fit for a bride. I didn't actually wear it to the wedding this way - the picture was just taken for the purpose of this post. The picture on the right is an actual picture of me wearing the teeka at the wedding. Even though the teeka is huge, I wore it so that my hair was covering most of it, which really toned it down & made it more appropriate for a bridesmaid.

So at the end of it all I learned that you can get good customer service from desi people even in Toronto & you can find an awesome, reasonable, huge teeka, but you just have to be patient & look a little.

Disclosure: This teeka was not given to me by the store to review or I was not paid in any way to write this post. I found a great teeka at a store that had good customer service, so I wanted to share it, especially since I have received questions from people on where I got this teeka from.

Boycotting My Flat Iron

2011-03-03T01:25:00.001-05:00

I wanted to buy a large, round, vented hair brush for a while & recently I purchased it. In order to see if I really liked it, I decided to put it to the test by using the brush to blow dry my hair straight without following up the process with a flat iron. It took time to blow dry, but I loved that my hair was straight, had a lot of volume & wasn't pin straight. Since then I decided that if I can get better results by blow drying my hair, then I'll stick to that instead of applying direct heat through a flat iron. I have washed my hair 6 times since then (for reference, I wash my hair every 3-4 days) & I have not used my flat iron since! Oh, & have I mentioned that my hair is naturally curly? Yup, curly not wavy.

My weapon of choice while blow drying my hair is a brush called Beautique Large Metal Thermal Round Brush that I got at Sally Beauty. In case you are interested, I got the large one & the model number for the large brush is 738628.

Sally Beauty's website states that "Beautique Metal Thermal Round Brushes contain a thermal core that holds heat from a hair dryer longer reducing drying time." The brush is curved, so it fits the shape of your head; the handle has a good, comfortable grip; & as it states on the brush, it is very light, which makes the brush easy to work with. This brush has definitely played a big role in giving my hair volume.

Besides the volume, another thing that I like is that blow drying makes my hair look a lot thicker as compared to what it looked like after I flat iron my hair. One thing that I don't like about blow drying is that I get a lot more flyaways after I'm done as compared to when I'm done flat ironing. This can easily be fixed using some sort of mousse, hairspray, etc. but I prefer using less products on my hair, so I don't do that. I also have stubborn hair on the sides, which take a lot longer to tame using a blow dryer. It's also a pain trying to blow dry long hair, not only because it takes longer, but also because my hands just start hurting after a while.

I absolutely love how I can create curls at the end that look so natural, volumized, & effortless. I have created more defined curls than what you will see in the pics below, but this time I didn't want that look. If you want defined curls, you can do that with a round brush & then use hair spray to hold the curls. I just like how the ends are not completely straight, but have a bit of texture & my hair overall has a lot of texture & volume when I blow dry.

I'm loving that I don't have to use a flat iron to get my hair as straight as I want it. It's a step toward starting to take better care of my hair along with using hot coconut oil & some homemade treatments more often. I think the next step for me should be finally getting a haircut so I can get rid of the split ends of my split ends! Eek, I know.. I'm bad.

My Deepak Perwani Handbag

2011-02-26T16:00:00.001-05:00

I had posted about the handbags from Deepak Perwani's S/S 2010 collection almost a year ago (click here to see that post) & everyone loved the handbags!

I loved the handbags so much that when I heard that my aunt from Pakistan was going to be in Dubai at the same time as me last summer, I thought I'd ask her to inquire about Deepak Perwani's handbags. My aunt got one of the bags from the collection & my uncle & aunt ended up giving me this handbag as a present.

I'll be honest, when I saw it in person I wasn't as thrilled because the handbags looked AMAZING in the pictures that I had seen online but in person it didn't look as good. It just looked like this fabric that I think (not completely sure) is pretty common in Pakistan with yellow, green, red, & black colours & patterns. Only difference was that the fabric was blinged out with sequins & inexpensive looking gems & stitched as a handbag.

The more I saw the bag though, the more it grew on me. I loved the shape & the way the coloured sequins & gems looked when the light hit them at different angles. It was also a unique handbag & I knew that I wouldn't find anything like it in Canada. It soon became a winner since I love things that are different, with a pop of colour (or colours in this case), & something that you wouldn't see people around you carry.

I've only taken this bag out twice in Dubai but with spring & sunshine around the corner, I'm hoping I'll get to add a little bit of colour to the scenery in Canada when I sport this colourful bag outside.

"MOOZ-lum" The Movie: Toronto Theatrical Release

2011-02-21T20:25:00.003-05:00

"Do not let a few people shape your view on an entire faith" -Taqua in MOOZ-lum

I have never written about a movie on this blog because no movie has truly intrigued me as much as the trailer for MOOZ-lum has. This independent film (written & directed by Qasim Basir aka Q) has relied on the internet, especially social networking for marketing, & since I have been waiting for this movie to release in Canada it only made sense for me to help get the word out through my blog that MOOZ-lum is coming to Toronto!

MOOZ-lum Theatrical Trailer from Qasim Basir on Vimeo.

Even though this movie has already been playing in some AMC Independent theatres in the U.S., it has been a harder struggle to get it to play in Canada. I was SO excited when I saw that the movie is going to be released in Toronto on the February 25-27, 2011 weekend! Visit the link to the Toronto Theatrical Release event page on Facebook below for more details. The event page on Facebook now says that it will be playing from February 25th to March 6th, however, showtimes & tickets are still not available.

I'm hoping I can go see this movie & maybe even have a short review up on here, but for now I'll leave you with a plot synopsis & links to various places where you can find MOOZ-lum online.

"Amid a strict Muslim rearing and a social life he's never had, Tariq (Evan Ross) enters college confused. New peers, family and mentors help him find his place, but the 9-11 attacks force him to face his past and make the biggest decisions of his life."
-via IMDb

Find MOOZ-lum the movie online here:
Official Website: http://moozlumthemovie.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/moozlumthemovie
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/Moozlumthemovie
Toronto Theatrical Release event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=110696415674094

Achievements so far

Has anyone watched MOOZ-lum yet or is waiting to see it?
Or is crazy enough like me to invite all the people on my Facebook who live in Toronto or somewhat close to the MOOZ-lum: Toronto Theatrical Release event page and then blog about the movie too?

Either way, spread the word because social media & word of mouth is all that the movie has relied on so far since it is an independent film.

Clothing haul

2011-02-19T20:18:00.002-05:00

Someone had asked me to do a haul post, but I hardly go shopping. I went shopping recently, so I thought I'd do a haul post. Prices are listed without taxes. If the items were on sale when I bought them, that's mentioned as well.

URBAN BEHAVIOR
Original Price - $17.80

GARAGE
Original Price - $29.90
Sale Price - $10

URBAN PLANET
Original Price - $19.95
Sale Price - $9.97

Original Price - $12.99

H&M
Original Price - $19.95

RW&CO.
Original Price - $58
Sale Price - $19.95

Positive Thinking is Key

2011-02-01T23:30:00.004-05:00

The year started on a bad note & since then I've been hearing about so many problems that some of my close friends are facing. It would be different if it was 1, or 2, or even just 3 of my close friends who have been going through some major changes - but it's more than 3! These changes involve their families as well, which makes things much more complicated.

The past month has been an emotional drain from listening to everyone; having long conversations about uncertainties, the present, & the future; discussions on obligations & responsibilities; sitting across the table & holding back tears because we are in public; a mix of feelings, etc. Some of these friends seem closer to approaching the light at the end of the tunnel now though, so things are starting to look better for the most part.

My thoughts on all these problems is that I guess we're all starting a get a taste of the real world as graduates & soon-to-be-grads!

Even though 2011 hasn't been as bright so far, February is a whole new month. Positive thinking is key!

February is a month of celebrations:

This month starts off with a birthday. The birthday of a person who taught me a lot, but the lesson that I probably value the most is on living in the present instead of thinking & re-thinking about the future like I used to. I can't say I don't think about the future, but I just don't mentally exhaust myself from thinking about it so much either.
So if you ever read this, Happy Birthday! & as I always tell you this time of the year: Go easy on your liver, please.
Mid-February brings around the birthday of another close friend, who has been with me through one of the hardest times of my life & was always there for advice & support. When the time comes, I will wish you as well, of course.
& then at the end of February, it's my 22nd birthday!

I'm hoping that the month of love will bring more cheer & bonding in all our lives.
That's all for now. Don't forget that positive attitude!

Images from Elie Saab's Spring 2011 Couture Collection (via Style.com) as eye candy to spread some cheer via fabulous fashion!

January 2011 Series: 31st

2011-01-31T23:59:00.003-05:00

I really wanted to sport a bold lip after a month of wow eyes & light lips. I had a feeling I wouldn't be touching eyeshadows for a while because I'd be too busy catching up on lost sleep from waking up early just to do my makeup & taking a break from spending so much time in front of the mirror! Hah, kidding - well, not really.

Anyway, since I've been playing with eyeshadows all month, I knew I'd be going easy on my eyes for at least a few days. Before doing that, I thought for my last look I'd do a neutral eye to go perfectly with bold red lips.

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion [base]
120 palette (1st edition): shimmery light brown [lid] - O6
MAC eyeshadow in Saddle [outer half of crease]
MAC eyeshadow in Mylar [highlight + browbone + applied lightly on lower lashline + tearduct (wore off by the time I took pics after a long day)]
L'Oreal Lineur Intense felt tip liquid eyeliner in 690 Carbon Black [applied in a thick line on the upper lashline & winged]
MAC Plush Lash mascara in PlushBlack [upper & lower lashes]
Elizabeth Arden Cheekcolour in TeaRose
Revlon Matte lipstick in 007 In the Red

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

& this concludes the January 2011 Series! :)

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 30th

2011-01-30T23:33:00.002-05:00

Products Used:
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Purple [base on lid only]
Prestige Cosmetics eyeshadow in C-153 Angel [highlight + tearduct]
Annabelle Cosmetics Mineral Pigment Dust in Violet Vibe [browbone]
120 palette (1st edition): shimmery dark purple [lid + crease + lower lashline] - T3 (see reference charts below)
L'Oreal Lineur Intense felt tip liquid eyeliner in 690 Carbon Black [upper lashline]
Almay blendable eye pencil in Black [tightline + waterline]
Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara in 003 Extreme Black [upper & lower lashes]

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 29th

2011-01-29T23:00:00.001-05:00

I really liked how the purple & green look on January 15th turned out, so I thought I'd try something similar using gold & blue.

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion [base]
Prestige Cosmetics eyeshadow in C-179 Golden Retriever [middle of lid]
Ulta eyeshadow in Turquoise [inner & outer parts of the lid + crease + lower lashline + tearduct]
120 palette (1st edition): light gold [highlight + browbone] - L6
L'Oreal Lineur Intense felt tip liquid eyeliner in 690 Carbon Black [upper & lower lashline - both met in a tip on the inner corner & winged on the outer corner]
Almay Blendable eye pencil in Black [tightline + waterline]
Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara in 003 Extreme Black [upper & lower lashes]

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 28th

2011-01-28T23:00:00.003-05:00

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion [base]
Annabelle Cosmetics Studio Pigment in Greed [lid + crease]
MAC eyeshadow in Saddle [browbone]
Prestige Cosmetics eyeshadow in C-153 Angel [highlight + tearduct + middle of both wings (over Milk)]
120 palette (1st edition): shimmery dark green [lower lashline & winged] - O2 (see reference charts below)
Avon Glimmersticks eye liner in Emerald [waterline]
L'Oreal Lineur Intense felt tip liquid eyeliner in 690 Carbon Black [upper lashline & winged]
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk [between both upper & lower wings]
Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara in 003 Extreme Black [upper & lower lases]

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 27th

2011-01-27T23:00:00.000-05:00

Blues.

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion [base]
Ulta eyeshadow in Mosaic [lid + lower lashline]
MAC eyeshadow in Stormwatch [outer fourth of lid + outer V + crease & blended upward + outer third of lower lashline]
Prestige Cosmetics eyeshadow in C-153 Angel [highlight & blended downward with Stormwatch + tearduct]
Annabelle Cosmetics liquid eyeliner in Black Out [upper lashline & winged slightly]
NYX Candy Glitter Liner in 05 Lavender [applied over the black liquid eyeliner on the upper lashline]
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk [waterline]
Annabelle Cosmetics Smudgeliner in Electric Sapphire [waterline - over Milk eye pencil because I didn't want a really dark blue eyeliner on my waterline, so applying the blue eye pencil over the white eye pencil turned the colour into a lighter blue]
Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara in 003 Extreme Black [upper & lower lashes]

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 26th

2011-01-26T23:00:00.000-05:00

A requested gold & green look.

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion [base]
120 palette (1st edition): gold [lid + tearduct + inner half of lower lashline] - M6, shimmery dark green [above crease & blended up toward the browbone] - N2
Prestige Cosmetics eyeshadow in C-153 Angel [highlight]
Senna Cosmetics CreamLine in Jet [upper lashline + outer half of lower lashline & winged]
Almay Blendable eye pencil in Black [tightline + waterline]
Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara in 003 Extreme Black [upper & lower lashes]

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 25th

2011-01-25T23:00:00.002-05:00

Someone told me they were watching a movie & spotted my look-a-like: America Olivo. I had never heard of her before, so I decided to quick search & found a makeup look done on her that I liked & saved it in my makeup inspirations folder. In this look she has yellow, orange, & purple on her lids, a dark purple on her lower lashlines, & a very shimmery shade used as the highlight.

America Olivo

My inspired look is a bit different - I used a dark blue & purple on the lower lashline & my highlight wasn't as shimmery. I would've probably stuck to a dark purple on the lower lashline like America had in her look but I didn't have the inspiration picture in front of me when I was doing my makeup (silly of me, I know). I like how it turned out with the blue though.

Products Used:
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk
120 palette (1st edition): shimmery yellow [inner third of lid + tearduct] - F5, shimmery orange [middle third of lid] - E6, shimmery dark blue [lower lashline] - T2, light gold [highlight + tearduct (over the yellow)] - K6
Annabelle Cosmetics Mineral Pigment Dust in Violet Vibe [outer third of lid + outer V + crease + browbone + lower lashline (under the shimmery dark blue)]
L'Oreal Lineur Intense felt tip liquid eyeliner in 690 Carbon Black [upper lashline & winged]
Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara in 003 Extreme Black [upper & lower lashes]
Note: I didn't apply anything on my waterline. The shimmery dark blue made its way there since I had applied it so close to the base of my lower lashes.

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 24th

2011-01-24T23:00:00.000-05:00

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion [base]
120 palette (1st edition): light gold [inner third of lid & blended a bit above the crease + tearduct + applied very lightly as highlight] - L6, shimmery light purple [outer two-thirds of lid & blended a bit above the crease] - L3, shimmery dark blue [outer one-fourth of lid] - H2
MAC eyeshadow in Girlie [browbone & lower lashline]
Rimmel Get in Line liquid eyeliner in 400 Blue Sapphire [upper lashline]
Almay One Coat Triple Effect mascara in Black

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 23rd

2011-01-23T23:00:00.000-05:00

A red & brown combination that I unexpectedly fell in love with & can see myself wearing often. A must try!

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion [base]
120 palette (1st edition): red [lid] - Q5, matte dark brown [crease, browbone, outer two-thirds of lower lashline] - P6, shimmery dark brown [over matte dark brown to deepen & darken the colour] - T6, shimmery light brown [highlight, tearduct, inner-third of lower lashline] - O6
Annabelle Cosmetics liquid eyeliner in Black Out [upper lashline]
a gold eye pencil eyeliner [waterline]
Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara in 003 Extreme Black [upper & lower lashes]

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 22nd

2011-01-22T23:55:00.000-05:00

A requested look using black as the main focus.

Products Used:
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Black Bean [base for black eyeshadow only]
120 palette (1st edition): black [lid, crease, lower lashline, tearduct] - S1, dark brown [browbone] - T6, light gold [highlight] - M1
Annabelle Cosmetics liquid eyeliner in Black Out [upper lashline]
Annabelle Cosmetics Smudgeliner in OhMyGoth! [tightline + waterline]
Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara in 003 Extreme Black [upper & lower lashes]

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

Delayed January 2011 Series Posts

2011-01-22T23:50:00.000-05:00

Hello readers,

Looks from today (Saturday the 22nd) to Wednesday (26th) will be delayed & should be posted by Thursday (27th). I will still be doing looks everyday & taking pictures, but I'm a bit too busy to select the best pictures of the lot, edit pictures, & post everyday. They'll be posted for sure by later on next week though, so make sure to check back around then!

I still have to try out some requested colour combinations, but if you have any more requests for colour combinations, keep them coming & I'll see if I can squeeze them in.

Hope you're having a great weekend & still keeping up with your resolutions/goals for 2011.

January 2011 Series: 21st

2011-01-21T21:23:00.003-05:00

Shimmery lavender with blue.

The shimmery lavender showed up best in the first 2 pictures & the blue eyeliner showed up best in the last picture.

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion [base]
120 palette (1st edition): shimmery lavender [all over lid & blended a little above the crease + tearduct + lower lashline] - L3
MAC eyeshadow in Bamboo [browbone]
MAC eyeshadow in Mylar [highlight]
Rimmel Get in Line liquid eyeliner in 400 Sapphire Blue [upper lashline]
MAC PlushLash mascara in Plush Black [upper & lower lashes]

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 20th

2011-01-20T23:51:00.002-05:00

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion [base]
120 palette (1st edition): shimmery light brown [entire lid]-O6
MAC eyeshadow in Saddle [outer V + crease (blended all the way till the inner-fifth + browbone]
MAC eyeshadow in Carbon [outer V+ crease (blended in the outer half)]
MAC eyeshadow in Mylar [highlight + tearduct + lower lashline]
MAC Penultimate eyeliner in RapidBlack [upper lashline]
MAC Plush Lash mascara in Plush Black [upper & lower lashes]

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 19th

2011-01-19T11:59:00.001-05:00

Orange & purple look.

Orange is a colour that I was too afraid to try before, but I was surprised to learn that orange actually suits my skin tone & I can wear it by toning it down. I recently paired orange with a brown for a fairly neutral look & in that look, I had applied the orange lightly (view that look here). This time, I chose to experiment with orange again, but in a brighter look so I ended up using purple with it. This time I didn't apply the orange lightly either.

Today I thought I'd just edit pictures (crop, watermark, etc. - not colour adjustments) instead of spending time narrowing my selection, so that you can see how lighting & the use of flash can make a huge difference.

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion [base]
120 palette (1st edition): orange [entire lid + inner half of lower lashline]-H6, purple [outer V + crease + outer half of lower lashline]-S3
MAC eyeshadow in Mylar [applied very lightly as the highlight + in the tearduct area]
Annabelle Smudgeliner in Purple Storm [upper lashline + waterline (wore off the waterline by the time I came home & took pictures at night)]
MAC PlushLash mascara in Plush Black

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 18th

2011-01-18T23:21:00.004-05:00

Neutrals with a pop of blue.

This look is so easy, but it definitely stands out. I usually do it with matte browns & this blue for a pop of colour. I've done 3 variations of this look before - matte browns on the lid, gold & dark brown on the lid one time, & a light pink & dark brown on the lid another time - all using this blue on the lower lashline. Today, I chose to use shimmery browns to mix it up a bit.

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion [base]
MAC eyeshadow in Mylar [highlight]
120 palette (1st edition): shimmery light brown [entire lid + tearduct]-O6, shimmery dark brown [outer V + crease]-T6
Ulta eyeshadow in Turquoise [lower lashline]
Almay Blendable Eye Pencil in Black [tightline + waterline]
Senna Cosmetics CreamLine in Jet [upper lashline & winged slightly]
MAC Plush Lash mascara in PlushBlack [upper & lower lashes]

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 17th

2011-01-17T22:30:00.002-05:00

Pink & dark gray.

Pictures from 8:30am. Thought I'd come home & take better pictures but it's been a long day & I'm way too tired!

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion [base]
NYX eyeshadow in ES38 Cotton Candy [from crease till brow + tearduct + lower lashline]
MAC eyeshadow in Girlie [all over the lid]
MAC eyeshadow in Carbon [outer V & blended into the outer two-thirds of the crease]
MAC Penultimate eyeliner in Rapidblack [upper lashline]
Almay One Coat Triple Effect mascara in Black [upper & lower lashes]

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 16th

2011-01-16T23:50:00.003-05:00

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion (base)
Prestige Cosmetics eyeshadow in C-179 Golden Retriever [inner two-thirds of the lid & inner half of the lower lashline]
MAC eyeshadow in Carbon [outer V & a bit in the outer crease]
120 palette (1st edition): light gold [highlight & tearduct]-L6, dark brown [browbone]-P6, shimmery dark green [outer half of lower lashline]-O2 (see reference charts below)
MAC Penultimate eyeliner in Rapidblack [upper lashline]
Almay Blendable Eye Pencil in Black [tightline & waterline]
Almay One Coat Triple Effect mascara in Black [upper & lower lashes]

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 15th

2011-01-15T23:57:00.003-05:00

Purple & green look.

This look was started off by applying a light purple on the browbone. A shade that appears like a shimmery light gold on my skin tone was then applied as the highlight & blended in with the light purple. A shimmery dark purple was used in the crease & blended upward till the highlight.
On the lid, the light purple was applied on the inner & outer thirds. A shimmery dark green was then applied to the middle third of the lid. I went back & applied the shimmery dark purple over the light purple shade on the inner & outer thirds of the lid. The colours on the lid were blended well. The crease was deepened more by applying some more of the shimmery dark purple & blending it upward.
On the lower lashline, the shimmery dark purple was applied on the outer third, the shimmery dark green on the middle third, & the light purple on the inner third. A shimmery white shade was applied in the tearduct area & blended.
The upper lashline was lined with black liquid eyeliner & winged at the end. Black mascara was also applied to the upper & lower lashes. Lastly, a purple pencil eyeliner was applied on the waterline.

Products Used:
120 palette (1st edition): light purple [inner & outer third on lid + inner third of lower lashline]-K3, shimmery dark purple [inner & outer third on lid + crease + outer third of lower lashline]-T3, shimmery dark green [middle third of lid & lower lashline]-O2, shimmery white [tearduct]-L1 (see reference charts below)
Marcelle Minerals eyeshadow in Opal [highlight]
Lakme Insta-Liner - Black
Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara in 003 Extreme Black
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Purple [waterline]

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 14th

2011-01-14T22:19:00.006-05:00

A gold, rust, & silver look with heavy eyeliner.

I started off this look by applying a neutral base, followed by a white base for extra hold. Next, I applied a gold shade on the lid & blended it a bit above the crease. A dark rust shade was applied on the outer third of the lid & a bit in the crease & blended. A silver eyeshadow was then applied as the highlight & brought down to meet the dark rust & gold & blended in well with these colours. Next, a black cream eyeliner was used to apply a fairly thick line on the lower lashline & winged at the end. The cream eyeliner was then applied in a thick line on the upper lashline & winged as well, but this wing was not joined with the bottom wing. Instead, the top wing ran parallel to the bottom wing & the top wing was purposely kept a little shorter than the bottom wing. On the inner corner of the eye, the eyeliner from the upper & lower lashline were brought together in a triangle sort of point (I'm not sure how to put this in words - see pictures below). The gold eyeshadow that was used first was then placed in between the top & bottom wings. Black pencil eyeliner was then used to tightline & applied on the waterline. The look was finished off by applying black mascara to the upper & lower lashes.

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
NYX jumbo eye pencil Milk
Prestige Cosmetics eyeshadow in C-179 Golden Retriever
The Body Shop eyeshadow in Brick (this is OLD - my mum bought this more than 10 years ago)
Rimmel Colour Rush Quad Eye Shadow in 001 Smokey Noir (silver used as the highlight)
Senna Cosmetics CreamLine in Jet
Almay Blendable Eye Pencil in Black
Almay One Coat Triple Effect mascara in Black

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 13th

2011-01-13T23:10:00.004-05:00

Browns, white, & purple.

A neutral base was used on the lid till the brow, in the tearduct area, & on the lower lashline. A matte light brown eyeshadow was used on the lid. Next, a matte white shade was used as the highlight & in the tearduct area. A darker matte brown was then used on the browbone & blended upward with the matte white highlight & downward as well. A shimmery dark purple was then used on the outer V & crease & blended with the darker brown on the browbone & the light brown on the eyelid. The fluffy brush that I used has gotten a bit too fluffy & the bristles have spread, which is why the purple went all over on the outer third of the lid, instead of being controlled mainly in the crease area as I had originally planned. The shimmery dark purple was also applied on the lower lashline till the point where my inner lashes start & then carefully blended inward to meet the matte white in the tearduct area. The last eyeshadow that was used was a shimmery white shade on top of the previously applied white highlight. The look was finished off by applying black liquid eyeliner on the upper lashline & black mascara on the upper & lower lashes.

I'm faced with indecisiveness today & can't just pick 2 or 3 pictures.

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion (base)
MAC eyeshadow in Bamboo (lid)
MAC eyeshadow in Mylar (highlight + tearduct)
MAC eyeshadow in Saddle (browbone)
120 palette (1st edition): shimmery dark purple-T3 (outer V & crease)
Prestige Cosmetics eyeshadow in C-153 Angel (highlight over matte white/Mylar)
MAC Penulitmate eyeliner in Rapidblack
Almay One Coat Triple Effect mascara in Black

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 12th

2011-01-12T22:43:00.004-05:00

Since it snowed a lot & was all white outside today, I felt like applying white eyeshadow & keeping the use of black & dark colours to a minimum. I came up with a white, pink, & purple look.

This look was started off by applying a neutral base. A matte white eyeshadow was then applied all over the lid till the brow & in the tearduct area. A pink shade was applied in the crease & blended out with the white. The pink was also applied on the inner third of the lower lashline. A purple eyeshadow was then applied on the outer two-thirds of the lower lashline & blended with the pink. This purple was also applied in the outer V & above the crease till the browbone. This purple was blended well with the previously applied pink & white. Black eyeliner was used to apply a thin line on the upper lashline. Black mascara was used on the upper & lower lashes as well.

I debated applying a white or silver eyeliner on the waterline, but I thought it would look better without it since I kept the black eyeliner to a minimum. If I had applied my eyeliner thicker, like I usually do, then I would have applied silver eyeliner on my waterline. This look, however, looked fine with my skin tone. A little more white or even silver might have looked a bit odd on me, so I skipped it.

Pictures were taken when I got back home at night, so I touched up on the tearduct area & lower lashline. Wish I had noticed that crooked eyeliner too. Oh well.

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC eyeshadow in Mylar
MAC eyeshadow in Girlie
120 palette (1st edition): purple-N3
MAC Penultimate eyeliner in Rapidblack
Almay One Coat Triple Effect mascara in Black

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 11th

2011-01-11T22:15:00.004-05:00

Here's my I-can't-believe-I-gotta-be-in-front-of-the-mirror-for-so-long-at-9:30am-look. I would like to remember what in the world I was thinking when I thought of this January 2011 series self-challenge. I am not a morning person & I will admit that I would much rather sleep in than stare at myself in the mirror for those extra minutes spent applying eyeshadow. Doing this will be so much fun on Monday (17th) since I have a 9am seminar to attend, ugh!

For this look, I started off by applying a white base on the lid up to the brow, in the tearduct area, & on the lower lashline. A matte white eyeshadow was used as the highlight. A light green that is a bit shimmery was then applied on the browbone & blended in with the highlight. This light green was applied till the crease. A darker shade of light green was applied over the entire lid, on the lower lashline, & in the tearduct area. Next, a cranberry shade was lightly applied above the crease & was used to blend both greens. A shimmery white was then used over the matte white that was applied as the highlight & in the tearduct area. A black eye pencil was used to tightline, applied on the waterline, & line the upper lashline. Black mascara was then used on the upper & lower lashes.

Products Used:
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk (base)
120 palette (1st edition): matte white-K1, light green-A3, darker light green-B3, shimmery white-L1 (see reference charts below)
MAC eyeshadow in Cranberry
Revlon eye pencil - Black
Almay One Coat Triple Effect Mascara in Black

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 10th

2011-01-10T21:20:00.005-05:00

In this pink & brown look, the pink hardly shows up on me like most pinks unless it's a hot pink. Maybe I need to start applying pinks over a white base? Moving on to the look...

I started off with a neutral base and then applied a light pink shade all over the lid. Then I applied a cranberry shade on the outer third of the lid & lightly in the outer V & blended it in the crease. Next, a matte brown was used to deepen the crease & blend out the pink & cranberry, bringing the brown colour upward till the browbone. The brown was blended in with a shimmery white highlight. The shimmery white was used in the tearduct as well. I went back & lightly applied the cranberry shade over the brown & blended it in with the brown. This toned down the brown & brought out more of the cranberry shade. The cranberry shade was applied to the lower lashline as well & blended in with the tearduct colour. Black eyeliner was used to tightline, line the waterline, & line the upper lashline. The look was completed by applying black mascara.

I really need to start taking pics in the morning so that the true colour shows up!

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
120 palette (1st edition): light pink-M4, shimmery white-L1 (see reference charts below)
MAC eyeshadow in Cranberry
MAC eyeshadow in Saddle
Almay Blendable Eye Pencil in Black
MAC Penultimate eyeliner in Rapidblack
Lancome Hypnose mascara in Black

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 9th

2011-01-10T01:33:00.006-05:00

An easy & fairly neutral look. I had no idea what colour combination to use, so I started off by picking what I wanted to wear - a burgundy top. I didn't want to match my clothes too much, so I decided to do an orange & brown look. Even though I used orange in this look, the way I applied the orange didn't make it look too bright & the shades blended together gave me a fairly neutral look on my skin tone.

I started off by using a neutral base. Next I patted an orange eyeshadow to the lid, but since the colour was a bit bright, I decided to spread it out a bit to achieve a lighter shade of orange instead of patting the eyeshadow all over the lid, which intensifies the colour. After I built it up to the shade of orange that I wanted, I used a matte dark brown in the crease to blend out the orange & blended the brown upward till the browbone. I also applied this shade to the lower lashline, even though it looks like I applied the orange eyeshadow. It appears this way because I didn't pat on the brown colour, but lightly brushed it across the lower lashline. A shimmery gold was applied as the highlight (my camera doesn't seem to pick up my highlight colours properly, so it appears as if I only applied the highlight halfway!) & this shimmery gold was applied in the tearduct area as well. Black eyeliner was used to tightline, applied on the waterline, & line the upper lashline. Black mascara was used too.

Note: This post was posted late because I got back home a few minutes after midnight, but I haven't gone to sleep yet, so my 9th night hasn't ended yet!

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion (base)
120 palette (1st edition): orange-H6, shimmery gold-K6 (see reference charts below)
MAC eyeshadow in Saddle
Almay Blendable eye pencil in Black
MAC Penultimate eyeliner in Rapidblack
Maybelline Volume Express Turbo Boost mascara in Very Black

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 8th

2011-01-08T21:40:00.003-05:00

The easiest smokey eye ever using only 2 eyeshadows.

First, a white base was applied all over from the lid up to the brow & on the lower lashline. Second, a shimmery white was applied as the highlight, in the tearduct area, & on the inner third of the lower lashline. Third, a navy blue shade (which appears as a dark gray in the pics) was applied to the entire lid and crease. This was blended in well using a fluffy blending blush & small, circular motions. The navy blue was brought from the crease, till the highlight by blending it upward. The navy blue was applied to the outer two-thirds of the lower lashline & blended in with the shimmery white. Then, a black eye pencil was applied to the waterline & used to tightline. A matte black liquid eyeliner was applied on the upper lashline & winged slightly. Lastly, a black mascara was applied on the upper & lower lashes.

This simple smokey eye look can be achieved with any colour, for example, by using a black, plum, navy blue, dark gray, forest green, and so on on the lid & crease area. The possibilities are endless. Just make sure you blend well.

Products Used:
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk
120 palette (1st edition): shimmery white-L1 (see reference picture below)
Revlon 12 Hour Eye Shadow in 11 Sultry Smoke: Navy blue-2 (see reference picture below)
Annabelle Cosmetics Smudgeliner in OhMyGoth!
Annabelle Cosmetics liquid eyeliner in Black Out
Maybelline Volume Express Turbo Boost mascara in Very Black

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

Revlon 12 Hour Eye Shadow in 11 Sultry Smoke reference picture

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 7th

2011-01-07T23:52:00.004-05:00

A quick look using a pink all over the lid till the highlight colour. The pink was applied on the inner third of the lower lashline too. A shimmery dark blue was applied on the outer V & crease & blended. The shimmery dark blue was applied on the outer third of the lower lashline as well. A shimmery sea green was applied on the middle third of the lower lashline & blended with the other 2 colours. A shimmery highlight was used & applied on the tearduct as well. A blue eyeliner was applied on the upper lashline. The look was finished up with black mascara on the upper & lower lashes.

My apologies for the crappy pictures. I was in a rush when I did this look (hence the messy eyeliner on one eye). I took these while I was waiting in the car for 5 minutes.

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion (base)
MAC eyeshadow in Girlie
120 palette (1st edition): shimmery dark blue-S2, sea green-P2, highlight & tearduct-L6
Annabelle Cosmetics Smudgeliner in Electric Sapphire
Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara in 003 Extreme Black

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 6th

2011-01-06T21:00:00.003-05:00

A requested smokey eye look.

I wasn't feeling well today, so I stayed in & didn't get around to actually doing today's look till nighttime. I got a few requests for smokey eyes in this series & since I probably wont be doing such dramatic smokey eyes this month, I thought today would be a good time to try out this look since I'm home.

To achieve this silver, gray, & black smokey eye, I started off by using a white base all over the lid till under the brow & on the lower lashline. A black base was then applied on the outer half of the lid. A silver shade was applied to the inner third of the lid & blended a bit above the crease. The silver was also applied in the tearduct area & a little bit in the inner lashline. A shimmery dark gray was applied to the rest of the lid & blended a bit above the crease as well. The shimmery dark gray was also applied on the middle of the lower lashline, blending it in with the silver. A shimmery black was applied over the shimmery dark gray on the outer third of the eye & on the outer brow bone. The black was blended well with the shimmery dark gray, especially on the brow bone, blending it up & inward to the inner brow bone area. The same black was used on the outer third of the lower lashline & blended in with the dark gray. A light shimmery white was used as the highlight & it was used to blend out the black on the brow bone as well. The eye was tightlined & a black eye pencil was applied on the waterline. A black eyeliner was applied on the upper lashline & winged slightly. Dark black mascara, one of the most important products when doing a smokey eye, was applied to complete this look.

Products Used:
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk (base - all over)
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Black Bean (base - only on the outer half of lid)
120 palette (1st edition): silver-O1, shimmery dark gray-Q1, shimmery black-S1, light shimmery white-L1
Revlon eye pencil (not sure which one)
Senna Cosmetics CreamLine in Jet
Maybelline Volume Express Turbo Boost mascara in Very Black

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

Vote & win?

2011-01-06T10:00:00.001-05:00

Remember this look that many of you loved? You now have the chance to vote for it & get entered to win your choice of a MAC lipstick, lipglass, or eyeshadow.

For more information on the giveaway & to vote, click here!

January 2011 Series: 5th

2011-01-05T17:00:00.001-05:00

A requested yellow and green colour combination look.

This look was started off by applying a white base so that the pigments would stick & the yellow would pop. A yellow pigment was applied to the inner one-third of the lid & inner one-third of the lower lashline & in the tearduct area. The yellow was blended a bit over the crease. Next, a parrot green sort of pigment was applied to the middle of the lid & middle of the lower lashline & was blended in with the yellow. This green was blended in a bit over the crease as well. A shimmery dark green was then applied to the outer third of the lid & outer third of the lower lashline & blended in with the other green. This dark green was blended a little above the crease too.
On the browbone, a shimmery dark brown was used on the outer half & a lighter shimmery brown was used on the inner half. This was done to blend out the colours that were applied on the lid & brought in above the crease. A shimmery champagne shade was applied as the highlight & over the yellow in the tearduct area.
Black eyeliner was used to tightline, on the waterline, & on the upper lashline. The eyeliner was winged as well. The look was finished off with black mascara.

Products Used:
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk (base)
Pure Luxe pigment in Sunny Side Up (inner third + tearduct)
Annabelle Cosmetics Studio Pigment in Greed (middle third)
120 palette (1st edition): shimmery dark green-O2 (outer third), shimmery dark brown-T6 (outer half on browbone), shimmery light brown-O6 (inner half on browbone), highlight & tearduct (over the yellow)-L6
Annabelle Cosmetics Smudgeliner in OhMyGoth!
Senna Cosmetics CreamLine in Jet
Lancome Hypnose mascara (upper lashline)
MAC PlushLash mascara (lower lashline)

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 4th

2011-01-04T19:59:00.003-05:00

Not your everyday look using a white base & a shimmery white on the entire lid, as the highlight, & lightly in the tearduct area. A shimmery blue shade was used above the crease & blended above till the highlight. The highlight & the blue were blended together as well. A darker shimmery blue was applied & blended on the outer corner over the blue that was already applied in order to intensify the colour on the outer edge. A shimmery light green was applied to the lower lashline. White eyeliner was applied on the waterline. The look was finished off with a slightly winged black eyeliner & dark mascara.

Products Used:
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk (all over from the lid to under the brow & on the lower lashline + waterline)
120 palette (1st edition): shimmery white-L1, shimmery blue-S2, darker shimmery blue-T2, shimmery light green-A4
Senna Cosmetics CreamLine in Jet
L'Oreal Telescopic mascara in Blackest Black

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 3rd

2011-01-03T23:30:00.002-05:00

A rushed look using drugstore brands. A white base was applied to the lid & crease area. A silvery eyeshadow with blueish-purple undertones was applied to the entire lid. A dark gray eyeshadow was applied to the outer V & a bit on the outer crease. Both shades were blended well a little above the crease. A white base was also applied on the lower lashline and a navy blue shade was applied over that starting at the outer corner till the spot where the inner lower lashes start. The silver shade was also applied to the inner lower lashline & blended with the navy blue. The look was finished off by applying black liquid eyeliner & mascara.

Products Used:
NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk (base)
Revlon 12 Hour Eye Shadow in 11 Sultry Smoke: silvery with blueish-purple undertones (entire lid-1), dark gray (outer V-3), navy blue (lower lashline-2) - see below for reference
Annabelle liquid eyeliner in Black Out
Almay One Coat Triple Effect mascara in Black

Revlon 12 Hour Eye Shadow in 11 Sultry Smoke reference picture

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 2nd

2011-01-02T22:00:00.007-05:00

A look using a gold-ish yellow all over the lid, a cranberry shade above the crease, & a reddish brown on the outer half portion above the crease. The reddish brown is blended onto the outer corner of the lid as well. A shimmery light brown was used to blend the cranberry & reddish brown shades upward. A highlight was applied right under the brow & blended downward into the shimmery light brown.
The eyeliner was made bold and dark by applying black eyeliner on the waterline, lining the lid with a thick line, & lining the lower lashline. The eyeliner was winged as well. The cranberry shade was applied and smudged under the black eyeliner on the lower lashline as well. The look was finished off with 2 coats of a dark black mascara.

Products Used:
120 palette (1st edition): yellow-F5 (applied very lightly), reddish brown-R6+S6 (mixed), shimmery light brown-O6, highlight-K6
MAC eyeshadow in Cranberry (if you're using the 120 palette, S6 can be used as a substitute)
Almay Blendable Eye Pencil in Black
Senna Cosmetics' CreamLine in Jet
Rimmel Glam Eyes Mascara in 003 Extreme Black (2 coats on upper lashes)

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: 1st

2011-01-01T23:48:00.005-05:00

A neutral look using a shade of brown eyeshadow that is a bit darker than my skin colour all over the lid and applying a darker brown on the outer V, a bit in the crease, and on the outer corner of the lower lashline. Finishing off with purple eyeliner and a light coat of black mascara.

Products Used:
120 palette (1st edition): P6 and darker brown-Q6
Annabelle Cosmetics Smudgeliner in Purple Storm
MAC Plush Lash mascara

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

For more information on the January 2011 Series, click here.

January 2011 Series: Explained

2011-01-01T23:29:00.005-05:00

I've recently realized that if I decide to wear eyeshadow, I usually grab the same shades of eyeshadows over and over again. I have decided that this January (2011), I will put a stop to that... or attempt to at least. It should not be too hard considering that January is a comparatively slow month in university. I'm attempting a different look for each day, which means that there should not be any repeats in the 31 looks that I hope to post. This will allow me to use makeup that has been sitting in my drawers and is usually untouched. It also means that I will be posting more wearable looks (since I will be wearing these throughout the day), unlike the over the top and bright looks that I mostly like to experiment with and have posted on this blog. I'll also be trying out various colour combinations, so if there's a colour combination that you would like to see incorporated in a look, leave a comment below and let me know.

I'll be posting the smaller thumbnails of the looks on the Makeup Looks page as well.

Can I really play around with different makeup and blog every single day? It will definitely be a challenge for me. Stay tuned to find out how this challenge works out.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

I only like to apply henna on special occasions: the 2 Eids and weddings. Since henna is mostly applied during some sort of celebration, I thought I'd bring in the new year with the latest henna design I attempted.

Happy New Year!

Best wishes to all my readers for 2011 ♥

Christmas Lighting Inspired Bright Look

2010-12-21T01:23:00.016-05:00

I did a look using Christmas lights as an inspiration. It's a very bright look & nothing about it is Christmas-like.

Here's the inspiration picture that I used. I took the picture without flash at night & didn't stay still so excuse the blurry picture. It was snowing as well!

The colours that I used for inspiration in this look were from the lights put up on the trees (yellow, orange, red, green, & blue), the candy light fixtures (red & green), & the snow (white).

Since the eyes were so colourful, I didn't want to add too much colour to my cheeks or lips.
I just contoured my cheeks using a bronzer & swept the brush on the apples of my cheeks with whatever product was left over on the brush. I applied a nude gloss on my lips.

Products Used:
Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse in Pure Beige (Medium 2)
Urban Decay Primer Potion [base for eyeshadows]
120 palette (1st edition): white-L1, yellow-F5, orange-E6, red-S5 and Q5, green-E4, blue-H2 [look below for reference charts]
MAC Penultimate Eye Liner in Rapidblack
Almay Blendable Eye Pencil in Black
Rimmel Glam Eyes Mascara in 003 Extreme Black
Annabelle Cosmetics Zebra Bronzing Powder - Haute Gold
Bonnebell lipLITES in Cappuccino

120 palette (1st edition) reference charts

Quite unexpected & different from the usual Christmas party looks that beauty bloggers & vloggers usually focus on this time of the year, isn't it? ;)

I Need Your Help

2010-12-15T10:00:00.001-05:00

Hey readers,

I entered a contest and I need a little bit of help from you. It'll take less than 5 minutes, so I'd really appreciate it if you take the time to help me out! This is all you'll have to do:

1) "Like" the Vasanti Cosmetics page on Facebook
2) Click on this link (http://tinyurl.com/24753v7)
3) Comment on that picture of me AND like it

For more info on the look posted below, visit: http://saimese.blogspot.com/2009/04/sinfully-bold.html

Thanks in advance to all of those who help me out

Let me know if you enter as well.

Makeup Looks

2010-12-08T17:02:00.038-05:00

These are all the makeup looks that I have done so far.

Each image is linked to its corresponding blog post.
When you click an image, the blog post will open in a new window/tab.

*This page will be updated whenever a I do a new makeup look*

__________________________________________________________________

January 2011 Series
Click here for more information on this series

__________________________________________________________________

Thank you for looking. Once again, this page will be updated whenever a new makeup look is posted, so keep checking!

Nose Piercings (2003 & 2010)

2010-12-02T17:06:00.014-05:00

The first time that I got my nose pierced was in 2003. I got it done in a jewelry store in Brampton (Ontario, Canada) with a gun. I was surprised that it did not hurt at all - only my left eye (the side that I got my nose pierced on) watered a bit. I loved the way it looked, but I wanted to change it & was too impatient to wait & let it heal, so I changed my stud once. That went well & in a week or 2 I got bored again, so I decided it was time for another change. This time my nose was in the process of healing & as soon as I took my stud out, it closed up. I kept trying to put the other one in for an hour (perhaps, even more) & I actually cried when it wouldn't go in. Ever since then I knew I was going to get it done again, but I just didn't know when.

Webcam picture from 2003. You can't really see the stud but it's a silver flower with a pink stone in the center.

Fast forward to the summer of 2010. I was on vacation in India & was looking forward to finally getting my nose pierced again. This time, however, we were planning on traveling in India so I was advised against getting it pierced before & after that I was sick, so my chances seemed pretty slim.
One day while mum & I were in the market, we decided it was time. We ended up asking the people at a jewelry store, but they would have to call the guy who does the piercing to the store. Instead of waiting, we asked them to take us to the guy who does it on the street.

When we got to the location, I was more worried about the lack of hygiene and sanitation than how painful it would be. I wish I could have taken a picture of this guy's booth. His booth was a table with his tools laid out in the open. I was too busy staring at all of that & didn't pay much attention to my aunt standing by who came to see me get my nose pierced or to the guy & my mum speaking about & marking the spot on my nose before he pierces it. He didn't put on any gloves either!

2010 - a few months after getting my nose pierced & I still love the way the nose ring looks on me, so I'm not ready to take it out just yet.
The guy pierced my nose with the wire that I currently have in my nose. Yup, he just took the wire and pierced my nose with it directly - without sharpening it or warming the tip much. & let me tell you, it HURT! I wasn't expecting that much pain because when I got my nose pierced with the gun, it did not hurt at all. Boy, was I wrong. It's not exactly a fast process as compared to getting it done by the gun either. It takes a good 1-2 minutes because the guy first has to pierce your nose, then trim & turn the wire to knot/close it & make it a complete circle. & then he turns the whole ring around so that the ends of the wire which are in a knot are hidden. It pretty much hurt to smile after that. I was also told to apply warm coconut oil 2 or 3 times a day on it for a few days & turn it when I do this, so that it heals properly. For the first few days it hurt when I turned it but then it didn't hurt at all.

2010 - This part of my nose ring is hidden on the inside. This is the "knot" that I was speaking about above. I haven't found another thin nose ring that I can put on again when I feel like it (I'm picky), so I'm wearing this one for as long as I can because once I cut this off, I can't put it back in.

Since I was sick, I hadn't carried my purse or camera with me so there aren't any pictures or videos from that day itself, but I found an unclear video on YouTube that I thought I'd share with you. In all the other videos, the girls got nose studs, but this is the only video in which the girl got a nose ring. Also, this girl sanitized her nose ring & got it done inside a jewelry store, but I got mine done on the street, which was WAY scarier!

One thing that you might notice is that I like a nose ring/stud that shows. In the picture from 2003, I'm wearing something that's quite big & obviously, the nose ring stands out as well. I'm not a big fan of tiny little studs that hardly show, but that's just me.
I thought I'd blog about this because when I tell people that I got my nose pierced with the wire that's currently in my nose, I get weird looks & I don't feel like turning it & showing them the "knot" because that's just weird & others walking by would think I'm picking my nose or something... yeah, no thanks.

Thank you to anyone who has ever mentioned that the nose ring suits me.

Eid al-Adha 2010: smokey eyes makeup & desi outfit

2010-11-19T21:05:00.005-05:00

Last Tuesday my family & I celebrated Eid al-Adha (also known as the Festival of Sacrifice), which marks the end of Hajj (1 of the 5 pillars of Islam: a pilgrimage to Makkah).

Eid just isn't the same in Canada as it is in Muslim countries where you get tons of days off to celebrate!

I was at university in the day & when I got back home, I only had enough time to change & rush off to an Eid party. So yes, I did sport this smokey eye makeup at university.. eek, people probably thought I was a freak! The following pictures are taken after I got back home since I was rushing too much before to take pictures.. booo.

Outfit: shalwar kameez (material bought in Dubai & stitched in India)

The sequins show up better in the pic below

Excuse the blurry outfit pics, but the lace & sequins showed up better without flash, however, by that point I couldn't stand still - had an assignment to do that was due by midnight , so all I wanted to do was change & get to work.

A belated Eid Mubarak to all the Muslims! Hope everyone who celebrated Eid had fun.

SkinCareRx.com 25% off (friends & family coupon code)

2010-11-19T19:42:00.004-05:00

SkinCareRx.com is having a 25% off friends and family sale (excluding some brands).

Coupon Code: FF25
Expires: December 01, 2010

SkinCareRx.com carries brands such as Korres, La Roche-Posay, and Sun Laboratories. Check out the site for Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals as well.

Pink Leopard Print Nail

2010-11-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

Last week's nails.

These pictures were taken after I had sported these nails for 5 days, so excuse the chipped nail paint, but you get the idea.

I got asked why I chose to do the design on just one finger. My answer was that I feel like leopard prints with a hot pink background on all my nails would look overpowering.

I also got asked why I had the design on my ring finger. Well, if I chose to do it on my thumb, index finger, or little finger, I thought it would look weird & a design on just my middle finger would look a bit vulgar in my opinion.

I used a base coat, 2 coats of pink nail paint (it was actually a hot pink, but the colour is so off in the pics!), silver nail paint, black liquid eyeliner, & finished it off with a top coat.

Opening their hearts, opening their jewelry boxes

2010-11-12T18:52:00.002-05:00

Ever since I can remember I've noticed that when women (who are relatively close family members or family friends) get together, they show each other their jewelery collection and new clothes. When I was younger, I thought this was just a brown thing.

I remember going to people's house and the girls would show me their jewelry, especially their big earrings, which most brown girls like. I have quite the collection of big earrings, so I used to do the same. Those were moments filled with oohhh's and aahhh's.

I've worn this the most so far

Then I started browsing through beauty blogs and noticed various bloggers sharing their jewelry collection. Not many bloggers shared their collection of big earrings in particular, but the posts were filled with some beautiful pieces, some of which were focused toward a particular fad at the time, such as statement necklaces, big rings, etc.

This shows that women all over the world like sharing pieces that they have collected over the years, however, I haven't seen anyone open their jewelry boxes the way the women did when I was on vacation this summer (2010). These women are my aunts.

I spent time with these women even before I was a teen - that's how long I was seeing them after (except for 2 of my aunts who came to visit my family in Canada for a month each). I was nervous before going because I didn't know what kind of expectations people would have from me or if I'd "fit in." Living in Canada, I haven't had the chance to experience close family relationships because of the lack of close family and family friends we have here. The close relatives and family friends that we do have don't live very close, so we don't see them as much as we would like to.

Even though I was seeing these women after years, when they opened their jewelry boxes in front of me, each one made it a point to tell me that I can take anything I want. In no way were they obligated to do so, but they did it out of love. I was very hesitant at accepting gifts this way because I'm not used to it.

Imagine someone liking a piece of jewelry that you own while you are showing them your collection and you notice this so you offer it to them. Would you be able to part with it? Would you think twice before offering it to them, especially if it's something that you've worn and it matches an outfit of yours? I don't mean to put anyone on the spot when asking those questions, but I'm just trying to make the point that for most women, parting with something that they own, especially their jewelry isn't an easy thought. These women did it without any hesitation though.

Receiving jewelry from these women meant so much because they didn't just open their jewelry boxes, but they opened their hearts to me. It was a way for them to express their love and acceptance of me by offering me something of theirs, as if they had not done enough for me already while I was there.

Knowing that these pieces were something that these women probably wore before made it even better. It's like I have a piece of them with me. Every time I look at or wear one of these pieces shown in this post, I am reminded of their kind hearts and that sense of a strong support network of family and friends. Never thought I'd find so much love in cities that I left almost 9 years ago from people who I felt like I hardly knew before I left.

And just like that, with a small act of kindness, they have touched my heart.. forever.

Black, Gold, & Green with a Bold Wing

2010-11-06T00:00:00.001-04:00

Here's a look that I rushed through. I wasn't neat at it, it's not blended well, & the wing is extended too much, but I liked the colours together.

Without flash
With flash

Products Used:
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (aka UDPP)
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean (this doesn't suit me or I just don't know how to use it properly yet)
120 palette - black, gold, & green eyeshadow
Senna Cosmetics CreamLine in Jet
Annabelle Cosmetics Smudgeliner in Ohmygoth!
Rimmel Glam Eyes mascara in Extreme Black

Winner of the $25 Apothica.com Gift Card Giveaway

2010-11-05T21:00:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone who entered my $25 Apothica.com Gift Card Giveaway & thank you to Apothica.com for sponsoring this giveaway for my lovely readers! I have gone through & sorted out the entries, making sure that everyone followed the rules. I also picked a winner using random.org.

& the winner is... JEAN! Congrats hun!! I have sent out an e-mail to you so please reply within 48 hours or I will have to choose another winner.

Fringe Benefits

2010-11-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

5 reasons why I loved having a fringe/blunt bangs & went back to it twice:

I had been wanting a fringe for years, but would get talked out of it each time by the lady I used to go to for my haircuts. Finally, I got so annoyed that I decided to go to a different hairdresser to get it done. I'm so glad I did because the result was superb! I've never felt so good after a haircut. I loved it so much that it gave me a confidence boost like nothing had ever before.
Since the fringe covered my eyebrows, I didn't have to worry about doing my eyebrows too much, especially since my eyebrows grow out fast.. haha, sneaky! Hidden messy eyebrows is always a plus when you don't want people to notice that you're growing out your eyebrows to get them reshaped.
I felt like I could sport bright or coloured eyeshadows on a daily basis without looking like I went overboard since the fringe tones it down a bit.
I've never really liked side-swept bangs on me, especially when I have my hair up. I feel like a fringe allows you to play around with updo's, while looking cute & flirty at the same time.
Most people know that I haven't coloured my hair, instead I experiment with hair lengths when I want a different look. A fringe changes your whole look without you having to do much.