One of my absolutely favorite beauty bloggers, Shang J of The Feminine Crusade, did this tag and I thought why not. Although I don't consider myself as strictly a beauty blogger, I did this tag because the questions were so much fun to answer. I hope you enjoy!
What is your natural hair colour? Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?
As much as I would love to lie that I am a natural ginger(which would look horrible with my skintone), I have VERY dark brown hair but not as dark as some South-Asians do have.
Fun Fact: My sister was born a blondie(I have no idea why!). As she grew up her hair became darker and darker and now its almost like a chocolate brown and a few lighter brown streaks that have not been exposed to the sun are still hanging in there.
I forced my mom to pick this mascara up in June or July, when we were shopping for travel essentials and were in a hurry. The guy behind the counter showed us a huge amount of mascaras that were either too cheap or too expensive. I knew that the essence one I had was a gem but my mom was not in for dramatic lashes. I saw this mascara and I went all mushy inside.
Long, long time people. I am SO busy these days and you don't want to push my rant button on because I sleep five hours a day, every single day. I will not lie, I look horrible these days. I don't even bother looking in the mirror and I am not even kidding.
Sometimes ditching Nutella or peanut butter is highly necessary. Although I am under-weight but my appetite is that of a monster and I have a horribly unhealthy diet. I love everything sweet, I just can't deny that! I don't eat fruits at all but when I tried blueberries, I just couldn't resist the urge to make a super easy, 3-ingredient blueberry jam.
All these photos are self-explanatory and since I am at a serious loss of time, let me just put this into a few to-the-point sentences. The accessories above are my July jewellery favorites. I had a huge debate in my head regarding the spellings of a word i.e. "jewellery/jewelry/etc" and I just ended up writing "jewellery".
These necklaces are from Haroon's. YOU HAVE TO GO TO HAROON'S. You have to! I paid my first ever visit to Haroon's in June and I wish that my I hadn't procrastinated it. Haroon's is the heaven of cheap jewellery, literally. The quality is excellent! And they are gorgeous.
These necklaces are from Haroon's. YOU HAVE TO GO TO HAROON'S. You have to! I paid my first ever visit to Haroon's in June and I wish that my I hadn't procrastinated it. Haroon's is the heaven of cheap jewellery, literally. The quality is excellent! And they are gorgeous.
Ah! Long time people, long time. I have been so busy lately plus I didn't have access to a PC. Apologies for abandoning this space for such a long time. The previous month was a month to be marked in history (LOL?). I spent a ton of money! Okay, I know the amount of money I spent might be a pinch for some people but for a person like me it was huge. And, some of it was spent on beauty products. I was running out of mascara and since I was giving everything a fresh start, I had to buy a fresh mascara. Lame I know, bear with me.
First of all, Ramadan Mubarak to all Muslims. May it bring blessing, peace and happiness to all of us. I am kind of excited to do this post. I will be travelling in a few days and I prepared my make-up during the last week of May I think. Everything is super basic, just the things I deemed mandatory. Let's dig in.
Pardon me for not posting since, I don't know when. I was busy and had a lot of reasons to neglect this blog(I thought of slowly abandoning my blog actually) but I am finally making a comeback. It's surprising how the camera is the least used app in my phone and I have no idea why. Maybe I am too caught up in other apps.
In this post I will be bringing you all the first ever lipstick review on my blog. You heard it right, I am reviewing a lipstick.
As I am/we are running out of it, I fall head over heels for it with every spritz. As strong as it smells for a teenager like me, I absolutely love to wear it on weddings because the smell doesn't go away even after wearing the clothes a good few times or after being in the closet for ages. I have discussed this fragrance on my blog before, so I'll be keeping it brief.
Here's the list of things I bought:
Last Sunday was Mother's Day and me and my sisters had been fretting about it all week. We put forward all the possible options and ended up deciding that we would by her Pond's Age Miracle Treatment. However, as you can see things took a turn at the last minute.
Hi everyone! Guess what? I finally put an end to the endless hours of lounging. I finally went outside in the scorching sun to take photos and they are so much more gorgeous than my previous post, yay!
So lo and behold, below is a list of some rotating favorite lipsticks of mine this summer.
So lo and behold, below is a list of some rotating favorite lipsticks of mine this summer.
It's never too late. Especially when you are a procrastinator like me. I had been tagged by the very lovely Saman Shafiq quite a few days ago. I opened my mails and wanted to bang my head against a wall for my very (un)extraordinary memory. Let's get into it!
Hi everyone! Hope you all are doing great. Today I tried to mimic the pretty outfit pictures all the tumblr girls out there take by spreading out their branded clothing on bare floor and...
Today I am going to be talking about something that is nowhere near beauty. I actually wanted to make a clarification that I want to cover all aspects of my life/your life on this blog. I don't want to confine myself to a certain niche.
It's obviously no secret that One Direction has become a world-wide sensation within the last few years. When I was first introduced to One Direction, there was a very scarce amount of people who knew the band in my country and the amount of Directioners was even more scarcer. I became a fan right after I was introduced to them. I loved the fresh voices, their songs seemed new and different but then...
Hi everybody, today I am going to do the overdone, the "Whats in my bag?" post. I have seen a ton of these on YouTube and other blogs that I religiously follow and I really wanted to do a version of my own. Honestly, I think this post is a great start for this month. Ok! Just so that you all know, the picture showed above is not my bag and it does not contain anything of my own use. However the real deal is after the jump!
Before diving into any details I would like to notify you all that I am talking about 'beauty' essentials (things that you might need in case of a meltdown) before you start showering me with comments like "Oh how can you forget safety pins, hand sanitizer, mints...." and all. Let's just stick to the meltdown part for now, we'll look at clothing malfunction in some other post please.
Let's get #fangirling! So I took an interview last year and although my questions were terribly boring and over-done(Thanks to the gorgeous Marib for taking it to a whole new level), I was really looking up to taking another one. This time I'm interviewing the stunning Ayesha. A talented beauty blogger and jewellery designer residing in the busy city of Lahore.
Over the year I have learned a lot about photography and getting comfortable with a camera in my hands. I hear people praising my photography skills and asking which camera I use. Actually it's kind of surprising when they ask that. Why, you might ask? Well I have never owned a proper camera, not a point & shoot neither a fancy DSLR. I used to take pictures with a somewhat ancient phone until I got a chance to try out Nokia Lumia 520(my mother's, I will be getting one in May, yippie!). That's all what you can possibly call my photography gear, consists of. But due to extensive use of an ordinary cell phone camera, I polished my skills. Although I am FAR from being a pro, here are a few of my very BASIC tips for better photos.
(Taken in natural light) |
(Taken in ordinary room lighting) |
1. DAYLIGHT VS. ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING
Simple yet a very important tip for better photographs especially for us beauty bloggers who want to capture all the detail they can. For us the text on the packaging, the colors and all those intricate details matter big time. To capture it all you can't do justice to the product unless you photograph in natural light(unless you've got a very hi-tech lighting gear). From the pictures above you can definitely tell how vivid the colors look in the photo taken in daylight and the other photo taken(using exactly the same camera settings but with the curtains drawn and a tube-light switched on) looks washed out and there is a noticeable amount of noise in it as well.
(Leather stool use as a backdrop) |
(Fabrics make good backdrops) |
I say this to everyone. Figure out what works best for you. Experiment what looks better and what compliments the colors of your product. Fabrics make great backdrops but a good view of your garden or your carefully organized dresser won't look bad either.
(White Balance: Auto) |
(White Balance: Daylight) |
3. EXPLORE YOUR CAMERA SETTINGS
WHITE BALANCE: Something I consider extremely important when it comes to beauty photography or any kind of photography for that matter. You really need to show the true picture of a thing in particular lighting. This is especially crucial when it comes to swatches. White balance can help you set things right. Instead of sticking to the auto mode use other modes according to the lighting to get a better photo. The above example shows two pictures taken in daylight. The above using Auto setting and the other use Daylight setting.
GRIDS: I absolutely hate it when I see photos on someone else's blog awkwardly tilted(I've been there too). I feel it just triggers my OCD-self. Using grids make it a lot easier to take straight photos with your object in the center. I personally prefer the 'Golden Ratio' grid setting and it really helps, you know because it is the "golden" ratio.
(Plain old front view) |
(Explore new angles) |
4. ANGLES
If you want to do something new and want to add some interest, trying out new angles might be a good option for you. Instead of going with the plain old photos taken with your product facing directly your camera, why not take a shot or few from the side?
(Original) |
(Edited) |
5. PHOTOSHOP IS YOUR WEAPON
When I say Photoshop, I don't specify Photoshop. GIMP or easy-to-use PicMonkey are splendid options too. If you can't afford to buy Photoshop, GIMP might be your cup of tea. Use an editing software to enhance your photos and make them appear more vibrant. A lot of times photos are taken in unfavorable conditions and editing is your key for a quick fix. See the difference above?
I hope you liked the post and learned something new. Hopefully there will be a lot coming up this month. I just hope that I don't slack of because I know I will be MIA from May or June.
Lots and lots of love, Seemal.
Hi! It's Seemal again! So I'm late, like very very late. Terribly late. But yet it's never too late right? YOLT(you only live twice)! So today I'll be reviewing Garnier BB Cream. Can you believe it? It launched in Summer 2013 and I'm reviewing it now. Yeah we had a long trek to undertake to come to the point where I am ready to review this piece of crap! Outrageous, are we? Get ready for some serious aggressive review-ing.
To start with I'll just give you a preview of what my skin is like. My skin is dry. You know when I say it, I mean it! It's coming from the very depths of my heart that my skin is truly utterly completely dry like the skin of a chameleon living in the Sahara desert. My skin is dry all year round and it is very rare that my skin doesn't soak a product up in seconds. It's always thirsty. ALWAYS. But aha! This thing was given the entrance denied warning and just didn't have the abilities to soak in there. It felt like I was wearing a film of grease on my poor dry skin. I was shining like a diamond in a very bad way. If you want it to look nice and blended, you have to take a very small amount and that means no coverage. It's not incredibly pigmented either. I picked up the shade 'light', which I think is the only shade and guess what that shade which is apparently light is actually dark for my fair to wheatish complexion. The other thing that bugged me was the pink undertones it has which obviously isn't the best friend of us Asians a.k.a yellow/brown people. It makes me look not only ashy but on top of that I look like I have a mud mask on. But I am stubborn beyond thinking. I didn't give up my efforts to make it work out for me. Although the high points of my face were so shiny that they were reflecting light I painstakingly applied my CoverGirl Translucent Power in a highly substantial amount to make my skin look matte. Oiliest BB cream + tons of powder = Imperfections highlighted to a whole new level. Cherry on top; it irritates my skin when applied individually!
BUT!
There's a bright side of every picture. I use this thing almost DAILY. Yep, you heard that and I know are very surprised to read that after you just witnessed the most outrageous review written in the history of beauty blogging. Introducing the super-hero of every subcontinental house hold, Fair & Lovely! A pea sized amount of this and a tiny little drop of the BB cream mix it, forming the shade that matches your skin and viola! This BB cream in not going to the garbage truck. I don't use either the BB Cream or Fair & Lovely individually because one is too oily and the other is too dry. Together they leave my skin looking perfectly matte and smooth. They are now a beauty staple of mine and I wouldn't mind buying this BB cream again because it worked out in a flabbergastingly amazing way at the end. This BB Cream just made me believe that happy endings to terrible stories are possible when there's someone to hold your back. It's so amazing how something absolutely horrible made my day because it gave me such a nice lesson.P.S. Never stop making an effort, things do work out eventually!
I hope you enjoyed this post. Please comment down below if you liked the post and don't forget to share it. Love you all!
XO, the one and only. Kidding!
Over the course of my life, I have hardly ever adhered to one shampoo. So obviously my mane experience has been a long hard one. Very hard. It can take an entire day for me to type out the brands that I've tried and I'll probably be missing lots so I better skip to the shampoo we'll be talking about today. It's the Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair Shampoo with Liquid Nutri-Silk and Liquid Keratin For Dull and Brittle Hair. It will be a long long, very thoroughly written review. So buckle up ladies!
NOTE: I was writing this post at 3:37 AM to be exact and I honestly can't remember what the product claims.
It probably says that it will make my hair shinier and feel nice and soft because of the keratin and liquid silk which I OBVIOUSLY didn't believe(duh!) but was definitely expecting. First wash! Moment Of Truth. I poured maybe an over-filled tablespoon(just so that you get the idea of the amount I use) of beautifully shimmery pink gooey goodness in my palm for my medium length hair which are just of average thickness and have a normal-dry texture. I lathered it up and I was disappointed. It did not lather up to my liking. I had to use double than usual because I like to have my head looking like a giant scoop of whipped cream. I LIKE THAT MUCH LATHER! Anyway, I followed with my usual hair routine which I will tell you in a separate post and towel dried my hair as usual but I was not expecting that. My hair is straight from the roots to mid-length and then turns wavy along the length so usually the ends feel a little dry or brittle may be due to my waves or the texture. But this time the hair along the roots felt incredibly silky and my ends were so soft and bouncy. I was so happy to see the results that I decided I will buy the whole treatment(if available) next month so be ready for a review!
\ I hope that you all enjoyed the review as much as I did! If you liked the review please comment down below because your comments really make my day. I check my e-mail a gazillion times in a day hoping that someone might have commented on this lonely(LOL) blog. Oh and if you like this blog please don't forget to follow. XO, Seemal.
P.S, if you want me to post my hair routine do tell me, even if you don't I will post that eventually, haha!
Ever wonder how your favourite beauty gurus rock absolutely VUH-LUMINOUS lashes which they claim to be their own and not fake? Now who doesn't love long, thick, luscious lashes? Not all of us can afford Yves Saint Lauren, M.A.C. and Nars right. A little bit of human effort can work wonders. Follow these tips and you'll definitely be good to go!
1. Keep you magic wands clean ladies!
Do you ever dwell searching for the truth, wonder why the mascara that used to be so close to your heart giving you a clumpy mess? I know many of you are frantically nodding in agreement! Here's the error. You buy a mascara, fall in love with it apply it every other hour and after a period of continuous usage it starts growing over your nerves. You miss the PERFECT lashes it used to give you. The thing is when your coating your lashes with tons of mascara, a lot of it is drying on the wand, those dried up blobs of mascara are left on your lashes. Wipe your wand clean once in a while or every time you apply mascara to get rid of huge blobs of dried mascara. IT DOES MAKE A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE!
2. Curl those lashes!
I wouldn't say it's a tip or trick, no obviously you all know about curling lashes and all, I included in this guide in order to
3. Wiggling at the base.
4. Blink and comb.
Want every individual lash to be coated with gooey black stuff? Here's what I do. I don't move the wand(except for the wiggling part) when I apply mascara, I move my lid. Don't understand what I mean? Here the thing; I place the wand very close to my lashes and close my eyes very slowly, I think it make such a great difference! It combs out the lashes and divides them and even the clumps are combed out! The I close my eyes, put the wand on top of the lashes and slowly open the eyes. Applying mascara on top of your lashes can make the curl last longer! I also use a clean spooly to comb out the clumps when I really want to make an effort.
5. Coat before it dries.
Applying three coats mean applying them all before the previous one dries, if you make an attempt to apply the second coat after the first one dries, you end up with a clumpy nightmare.
Hope you found the tips helpful! If you found any of the tips helpful, do comment down below. No kidding, they actually do make any blogger's day.