Random Rambling

What a whirlwind holiday weekend! It was filled with one family party after another. Imagine doing this scheduling math: mom's side party, dad's side party, in-laws party, and then somehow managing to host a Bulls season opener party with friends in between after-Christmas shopping. I'm tired just thinking about it, but we got through it and get to do it all over again for New Year's weekend. Woo-freaking-hoo.

Anyways after several days of makeup and styling, I rediscovered some very MAJ love for products I have in my beauty arsenal.

Urban Decay NAKED 1 & 2

Talk about instant classic, Urban Decay took the neutral eye look to another level when they debuted the NAKED palette. For years I have been stockpiling Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes (I have 8!), everything from Book of Shadows to the Deluxe Shadow to the Ammo Palette. In each one, the neutral shades are the only ones I hit pan. This is why the fact that all the subtle variations of the shimmery eyeshadows I <3 have been gathered together in the NAKED palette and the NAKED2 blew me away. The possibilities are endless of where your creativity will take you with these palettes. It's like a box of the world's finest chocolates for makeup junkies, you don't know which to try first. So two of the most perfect eyeshadow palettes ever and what am I doing? I am waiting for NAKED3 because let's face it when it comes to makeup...greed is good.

CHI Hair Straightener

The clouds parted and glorious birds began to sing, the first time I used a CHI hair straightener on my frizzy hair. My hair went from its usual poufy self to the glossy shampoo commercial hair I had always dreamt of. There are so many more affordable ceramic plated straighteners on the market now, but my loyalty is with my CHI. Let's keep it real, wearing hijab means that I get to be lazy when it comes to styling my hair more often than not. The husband is forced to look at the messy bun look (the messy is usually not on purpose) day in and day out. But every once in a while, when the planets align and all three of my babies (4 including the hubs) give me ten minutes to myself, I'll CHI myself and then bask in the compliments. "Oh God, is it our anniversary?" "How come you don't have that ball on your head anymore?" "Look I can run my fingers through your hair Momma" "ahhh-cooo" (the newborn). Hmmm, we may have to work on the fine art of complimenting in this household. ;)

All-American Muslim Girls

What does a home improvement store have to do with Muslims? Well unless you've been out occupying your local neighborhood Wall Street, the fact that Americans of all faiths are standing up to bigotry by corporate America namely Lowes has been everywhere in the news.

Lowes bowed to calls from a fringe radical group in Florida Family Association (FFA) to pull advertising from TLC's newest reality show All-American Muslim. The group sent letters to corporations pressuring them to pull their ads because, in fact, showing every day American Muslims doing normal mundane things like playing high school football, juggling their kids and work, worrying about being in your 30's and still single was not in their words, an accurate portrayal of how Muslims really are.

Now if TLC showed Muslim women being forced to veil or play a subservient role in their household, then I'm pretty sure the FL group would have no issue with the stereotyping of the "backward foreigners". Instead you have women like Nawal nervous about giving birth for the first time or Suehaila trailblazing her way across the Michigan political scene while wearing hijab.

In one of my favorite scenes, Fordson high school football coach Fouad Zaban accompanies his wife and daughters to a scarf store for some back-to-school shopping. He watches as his preteen daughter learns trendy ways to tie a hijab. His wife worries about watching her little girl grow up looking different than the other kids because she covers her hair. But as we watch the fabulously styled scarf-wearing women in the show, it's clear that looking different hasn't held them back.

Everyone from Russell Simmons to Jon Stewart has criticized Lowes for their very unAmerican act of discrimination and intolerance. Simmons actually backed his opinion with cold hard cash and bought out the ad space vacated by Lowes and Kayak(dot)com for his RUSH credit card. Stewart ridiculed the FFA group for their criticism of All-American Muslim in a hilarious tongue-in-cheek sketch demanding for a boycott of Lowes because they sell everything needed to make bombs. In this time when Islamophobia is so rampant, Simmons and Stewart are, without a doubt, heroes for standing up for Americans who happen to be Muslim.

All-American Muslim isn't controversial because it's a typical reality show where participants get drunk and sleep with each other. Just the opposite, it shows ordinary people living their normal boring lives in small town America. They have family dinners, they argue with each other, they go to their high school football games, and they try to balance kids, work, and life. Gee whiz would you look at that, Muslims are just like everyone else. Who knew?



Photo courtesy of: Adam Rose, TLC via GANNET

Got My Eye(liner) on You

I finally restocked my makeup brushes during one of Coastal Scents' recent sitewide sales. I got 3 of my absolute favorite brush "Destiny Precision Angled Liner" from them because of course it's the one brush I always manage to misplace. They call it the angled lip liner brush, but I love using the angled taklon fiber brush to apply my gel eyeliner.

With my notoriously shaky hands, applying eyeliner used to be the one part of my makeup routine the I would dread. But ever since I started using the angled brush to line my eyes with MAC's Blacktrack, I love wearing eyeliner all the time now.

The brush is so thin that I can get a subtle line that easily pushes the product between my eyelashes. Also because of the convenient bend in the brush right at the tip, it is easy to see what I'm doing. I can make perfectly even thick lines for a more dramatic evening look and wing out the edges on both my eyes. The bristles are so soft on this brush, that I can even use it to put the gel eyeliner on my waterline inside my eye when I want my entire eye rimmed.

I'm sure there are more expensive angled brushes out there, but the Coastal Scents brush is such a bargain and it makes applying gel eyeliner easy for a novice or an expert. You can use this brush to put on eyeliner on with confidence to complete your gorgeous eye look every time.

UPDATE: This brush is on clearance, buy one for your sisters, best friend, etc. I have two amazing sister-in-laws (or is it sisters-in-law? whatever, my brothers' wives) who will be getting one! 

Not so NAKED Shady Lady

My latest beauty find that I am so excited about actually happened at TJ Maxx. I popped in there with the hubs to check out some furniture, we are looking for that perfect cozy arm chair to snuggle with our kids and read. We have a bonus room at our place that I keep calling the library even though we have yet to assemble the bookcases.  (Ahem husband, this might be something you can do while watching collegiate football all day Saturday, during Sunday NFL games or Monday night football! Just sayin'...)

Ok where was I? Ah yes, TJ Maxx,  I went to check out their beauty aisle.  While the selection is really sporadic, ever since I stumbled on NARS lipglosses there at a whopping $10 only, I am always hoping to find something equally fab.  At the end of the display, mixed in with all their E.L.F. gift sets were three slim giraffe print cases that caught my eye. It was theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 eyeshadow palette.  Woohoo!

I love makeup palettes, I just find that it's the best way to get the biggest bang for your beauty buck. Also, because you get a whole range of colors, it forces you out of your comfort zone to try new colors that you probably wouldn't have bought separately.

I've tested out theBalm eyeshadows at Sephora before and I liked it but not enough to switch over from my beloved Urban Decay. But since TJ Maxx was selling this palette for only $12.99 for 9 shadows and liners, it was the perfect opportunity to try out the brand. (Sephora still has this on sale for $39.50!) These eyeshadows are very versatile, they can be worn dry over primer or applied wet as liner.

They have great color payoff and not a lot of fallout despite being so shimmery. My favorite color is the copper brown color "racy kacy", it actually made my eyes pop when I paired it with a matte brown color in the crease. At this price, it's a total win win win all the way around, so next time your are at one of the designer reseller stores, make sure you check out their beauty section. You never know what you might find there.

Speaking of eyeshadow palettes, has anyone got their hands on Urban Decay's NAKED 2 palette yet?  I have the original NAKED palette which has gone on to become a cult classic. While I probably will be picking up the new NAKED 2 palette as well whenever it comes back in stock at Urban Decay (sign up to stay updated), I really have to hand it to the marketing geniuses over there.  They are creating instant hype for their product by making it so exclusive and only releasing a few batches at a time. It's annoying for us as consumers but of course we all want what we can't have!

The Desi Chanel

Ever since the '90s when Gwen Stefani and Madonna rocked bindis and wore henna tattoos, it's been considered fashion forward to do the whole East meets West styles. There has always been waves of Indian influence on fashion collections from the 60's Nehru jackets to the embellished and embroidered sari fabrics incorporated into mainstream fashion for the past couple decades. Major fashion powerhouse Chanel's latest collection "Paris-Bombay Metiers d'Art Show" amps up the desi (all things related to South Asians) influence with a collaboration between two great cultural capitals of the world: Paris and Bombay.

Karl Lagerfield's interpretation of Indian women fashion through Paris Haute Couture, took familiar desi looks and dressed them in classic Chanel fabrics such as tweeds. With their heavily kohl-rimmed smokey eyes to the bejeweled teeka perched on their foreheads to the layering of ornate chokers and pendants, these women would have fit in at any Indian/Pakistani wedding.

But did Lagerfield push the envelope far enough in his homage to Indian fashion? I actually don't think so. I feel like he just slapped the Chanel label on to fashions and styles that desi women have been wearing for generations.  While I think his clothes are beautiful, it is isn't anything I haven't seen before. Still for certain label-loving desis, dressing up in an Indian outfit from the venerable house of Chanel is a treat in itself. But if you are looking for cutting edge desi fashion, then you will probable need to head to leading Indian fashion designers such as Ritu Kumar or Manish Malhotra.

Thanks Karl for affirming what we have known for centuries, Indian fashion is jaw-droppingly gorgeous and versatile enough to dress up or down depending on your fabric choice. Also, yes while it was the famous Coco Chanel who said before you leave the house take off the last accessory you put on, for desis, the opposite holds true. We love our bling.

But how clever is this white shalwar khameez with sari draping across the shoulder? It totally makes the whole dupatta (coordinating shawl) unecessary.

So beautiful readers, anyone on the market for a desi outfit courtesy of Chanel? I bet you have a $6000 Hermes sari sitting in your closet too. ;)







Photos courtesy of: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Black Friday & Baby

Well I am finally back from my "just-had-baby-number-3-and-now-don't-have-time-to-scratch-my-head" hiatus. The one thing I have learned now that the husband and I are outnumbered is that I have to multi-task in order to just get half the things on my daily to-do list done. This blog is being written with 2 out of the 3 kids snuggling up to me. How many years till I can send them off to college? Just kidding....sorta. ;)

Since I was homebound with the newborn (except for the occasional party), my Thanksgiving celebration included lots of online black Friday shopping. With all the free shipping offers that swirled around, I was able to indulge in a lot of guilt-free shopping. While most of my purchases were about the kids, (yep when you become a mom, your first impulse is to buy something for the kids), I treated myself to some great beauty finds.

Sephora's black Friday $10 door buster deals crashed their site, but once they went back up, I was able to get the limited edition Tarte for True Blood eyeshadow palette for a hugely discounted rate. There are 17 (!!!!) beautiful jewel tone colors in this palette and they are highly pigmented. I am totally a sucker for eyeshadow palettes, I just find that it is a great way to get the biggest makeup bang for the buck.

While the corset inspired packaging is a little tacky for my taste, the eyeshadows are set in a diamond angled pattern that gives it a good visual interest.  There is a bonus primer, mascara and a full size black eyeliner lurking under the eyeshadow tray.  Great thing about ordering online from Sephora is that I totally scored this cute Hello Kitty bag filled with samples. Of course my 2 year old pounced on the bag as soon as she saw it "My kitty cat purse!"

I am loving the shimmer eye shadows of this palette. Because let's face it there are going to be days when I will need all the help I can get to look semi-awake. The shadows are really silky and glide on very smoothly.  I was able to get great color payoff without using a primer, so this is definitely going to be my go-to palette for a special look on those rare nights I'll get to go out for some grown up time.

P.S. Stay tuned for my crazy beauty find at (of all the random places)... TJ Maxx

Fab 5ive: Fall Makeup Trends

Most people think that as the summer sun fades and the cooler fall weather arrives, you have to bust out the fall fashion staples of brown, grey, black with subdued makeup to match. If you have been following the beautiful looks of the New York, London and Milan fashion shows, you know that nothing can be further the truth.  As the leaves start turning breathtakingly red, gold, and orange; your makeup look should be equally as stunning.

Dewy Skin

Its time to shelve away your tinted moisturizer, the brisk autumn air is much drier than the hot humidity of summer. A more heavy duty moisturizing cream will help keep your skin supple and give you a more dewy finish. Use a luminizing moisturizer to brighten up your skin and keep you glowing.  A cream blush contouring your cheekbones can also give your dewy skin a soft finish.  

Bright Eyeshadow

One of the big trends at New York Fashion Week included vivid orange eyeshadow at the Narciso Rodriguez 2012 Spring/Summer Collection. While you might hesitate to wear such a loud color for your everyday look, a soft shimmery bronze or gold eyeshadow is a more wearable option. Contour your eyes with a dark matte brown eyeshadow to give it that extra pop. Add layers of black mascara and a thin line of black eyeliner to your upper lash line with a slight winged tip to make this into an evening look. Smudge your bottom lash line either with the golden eyeshadow for a fresh wide awake look or softly smudge the black eyeliner on the bottom of your eye for a subtle smokey look.

Full Eyebrows

Brooke Shields' eyebrows made a huge comeback this year.  Thick, almost unruly eyebrows have been a break from the over-plucked, barely there brows of past.  To help make the most of your natural brows, first take a small compact eyeshadow brush and dip into a brown shade a few shades lighter than your hair color. Then begin by stippling the eyeshadow on to your eyebrow. Be careful not to sweep the color on with the brush, by stippling the color on you will get a much more natural look.  Use an eyebrow gel or a clear mascara to shape your eyebrow after you are done filling it in with the color.

Strong Lips

A simple way to add a pop of fall color to your look is to apply a matte lipstick in either a burnt orange red, a berry fuschia, or a deep burgundy.  This will brighten your entire face and you will amp up your entire look to the max volume.  By giving your lips a matte finish, you keep your lips on trend for the autumn months. Still, a more easy-to-wear and refined version of this trend is to use a lip gloss tinted with the bright colors like the models at the Zac Posen and Naeem Khan S/S 2012 shows with their glistening orange glossy lips. Silvery grey eyeshadow or smudged charcoal eyeliner is the perfect pairing with this look.

Retro Glam

Old Hollywood glamour has been seen everywhere on the red carpet and the fashion runways.  The showstopping look not only has a strong eye but fire-engine red lips that can be seen for miles. This trend really combines all of the trends above for a fabulous look that will have jaws dropping everywhere you go. All you need for this Elizabeth Taylor-esque look, is the strong eyebrows, with a shimmering silver eyeshadow, a thick line of black winged eyeliner, and big dramatic lashes. A deep red or wine-colored lipstick with just a hint of gloss completes this look. 

With all the beautiful colors of fall around us, being boring is not an option. Incorporate color into your makeup and your wardrobe and you will feel like the sun is shining every day whether it is or not.

Picture courtesy of Flickr

"Arab Spring" Fashion Week

When revolution hit the streets of the Middle East earlier this year, news cameras captured courageous women (both young and old) fighting for freedom shoulder-to-shoulder with the men.  In fact, it was 26-year-old Asmaa Mahfouz's YouTube video and Facebook posts that have become the stuff of legends that will be retold for generations to come. She will go down in history known as the "Leader of the Revolution" for her role in sparking the the overthrow of the 30 year regime of the Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak.

Her fiery words, "Whoever says women shouldn't go to protests because they will get beaten, let him have some honor and manhood and come with me on January 25" inspired an entire nation to stand up for justice.

Probably not what most people think of when picturing an "oppressed Muslim woman" right? There is no such thing as a typical Muslim woman despite what FOX News might tell you. We don't all wear head-to-toe black burqa walking ten steps behind our husband.  Sidenote-I don't know why the walking behind the husband thing really bugs me but this is why I am constantly trying to get my husband to slow his roll and walk leisurely next to me.  Granted he's usually trying to corral our kids and keep them from running off, while I take my sweet time getting anywhere.

Muslim women have broken down cultural, social and religious barriers while facing down discrimination and prejudice in all walks of life. Newsweek recently did a profile about 2 successful high fashion models who not only happen to be Arab but also Muslim. Modeling may seem like it does not fit with the whole Islamic concept of hijab and emphasis on modesty for both men and women. Yep it's true, men are also encouraged just as much as women in Islam to dress modestly, something that *gasp* rarely gets mentioned in the media.

Still, as the Newsweek piece mentions, Middle Eastern women are the biggest consumers for haute couture fashion pieces.  But just where do these gorgeous French creations get worn? Usually under their black abayas, until the women are somewhere private either with their family or gal pals.  And despite what you may have seen in the disappointing Sex and the City 2 flick, there are not gaggles of Middle Eastern women waiting for Carrie Bradshaw and Samantha Jones to "liberate" them from fashion tyranny.

Muslim women make choices every day about how they follow their religion, while some choose to cover their hair or their entire body, many choose not to. The beauty of Islam is that we all have free will and we get to decide how we worship God. While my personal choices will not have me in a bikini anytime soon, you will see me splashing about the beach in a burqini.

My religious beliefs do not hold me back from anything I want to accomplish in this world. I love all things related to beauty and fashion. I may wear a scarf, but I love my MAC and Nars makeup and consider a trip to the mall a waste if I don't make a pilgrimage to Sephora. I watch all the award shows just for red carpet fashion and yes I am a beauty blog and fashion magazine junkie. I guess what this whole post was about is to figure out why I feel it is important that as a Muslim woman I add my voice to the world of fashion and beauty. People like the revolutionary Asmaa Mahfouz,  busy mom and fashion designer Gwen Stefani  inspire me to not be just any one thing or fit into a box that someone else created for me.

Yes I am Muslim and yes I am addicted to makeup. There should be self-help group just for me, but until there is I plan on using this blog to post about the things I love: the husband, our gorgeous babies (seriously they do not look like either me or the hubby, but at least they look like each other, I swear we didn't steal them), fashion, makeup, style, all while being a Glam Muslim Woman loving God for blessing me with all of the above.

Hope you enjoy my ramblings and leave me your two cents!