The Ethnicity TAG

Hello my lovelies,

I wish this darn weather would make up its mind, don't you? Anyway, I have been coming across many TAG type blog posts and Youtube videos so I decided to do the Ethnicity Tag! Its pretty short but I thought it would be interesting so here goes:

What is your ethnicity?

I am Indian. If I have got this correct, my parents were born in Kenya and grandparents were born in India.

When was the last time you visited your country?

It was back in 2010. (Yes I need a holiday!) It was my first time going with my husband to visit my in laws.

Name one ethnic food you enjoy the most?

I love all types of foods, I am not particularly fussy when it comes to food. If I had to narrow it down, then it would be bhel, dhokla, pau bhaji and good old kichri, kadhi, and spicy potatoes with a tomatoes and chilli chutney.

Name one household item that best represents your culture?

Erm, this was hard. I really cannot think of anything. Does our spice box with all the little pots of our Indian spices count? the pestle and mortar also springs to mind, its the best to make your chutney with!

What part of your country are you from?

India- Gadat, Gujrat

Kenya- Nairobi.

What song reminds you of your country?

Oh gosh, in terms of Indian, I really cannot pick one, there are far too many!

For Kenya, there's the 'Jambo, Jambo Bana' song which I know all the words to!

Can you speak the languages of your ethnicity?

Of course I can! How else do I speak to the grandmas and inlaws? hahatick




Love and Lipstick

xxx






 

My top 10 : How to be a Savvy Shopper.

 

It is no secret that we are still in recession and for the many of us, that means having to constantly watch the pennies and tighten our purse strings. Believe me when I say, I am far from a money saving expert, in fact quite the opposite. Over the years, I have constantly battled with the whole spend less/save more mantra. Hand me £3000 cash and I will spend it all in less than 30 minutes- guaranteed. It wasn't after leaving my job to raise my two children and be a SAHM that I understood the value of money better. Do you find yourself constantly looking at the gorgeous pair of shoes on ASOS and hesitate? Read on below for my tried and tested tips  on smarter shopping and you may just be able to throw in the shoes too!

 

1) I honestly cannot go past a Starbucks before stepping in having already decided what I want to drink. Register for the My Starbucks Rewards Card/App and use it to purchase your drink. As well as a free drink after 15 visits, make use of benefits such as free whipped cream, free extra shots and free select syrups. Why pay more when you can get it free.

 

 2) Even better, make your own tea/coffee in a small flask for when you're out and about. Chances are, you wont even be thinking about the Starbucks one.

 

3) Take your own carrier bags! Yep you've read that right and no no one will think you are an old skinflint. Most places like M&S and Superdrug charge atleast 5p a bag in a bid to save the environment. Now, do you really want to be paying an extra 5p for bags each time you shop? No, didn't think so.

 

4) A very useful tip I picked up from a friend of mine whilst we were at Uni was to withdraw £30 cash at the start of the week and if you're feeling really brave, leave all your cards at home. Keep a separate pouch for all the loose change you may accumulate, after all, pennies turn into pounds!

 

5) Really make good use of points on cards that allow you to accumulate points and use it as monetary value off your shopping. My personal favourites are the Superdrug Beauty Card, good old Boots card, Costa card and Debenhams Beauty Club Card. The more you collect, the more you get off! Coupons are another favourite of mine.

 

6) Browse around- which I think many of us do anyway. Can you get it cheaper elsewhere? Most miss a trick when it comes to fashion bargains, the internet will always have discounted beauty and fashion. Nobody wants to pay for something only to find it way cheaper elsewhere. Its a slap in the face.

 

7) "If in doubt, leave it out"- as the saying goes, have a real good think about what's in your basket before checking out, online or in the shops, ask yourself, do you really need another hand cream when you already have three at home? No one will judge you for putting things back. Do not be afraid to walk away and say 'I need a few minutes to think about this'

 

8) Make a shopping list of what you need to get and where from- you are more likely to stick to it and stay focused and be less distracted, always works for me!

 

9) Your mobile phone- Keep a close eye on the minutes/texts/data usage you have agreed on with your provider. Its so easy to get carried away talking to a loved ones and then get a hefty 'out of allowance' charge at the end of the month. Ouch!

 

10) And finally if you have the gift of the gab, do not be afraid to use it. You'd be surprised at the freebies that get thrown in sometimes, upgrade an air fare, at a restaurant, bring down your bill, car insurance, practically anywhere you like!. My mum certainly has it and her motto is 'Don't ask, don't get' Quite right there Mother!

 

So there you have it guys, my top ten tips on how to be a savvy shopper, as above, I am no money saving expert, just someone that likes to have my cake and eat it! haha!

 

Do you have any smart shopping tips? Do share them below! Until next time.

 

Love & Lipstick

 

xxx

 

 

 

 

A Look into Lady Veil: Hijabs and Maxi Dresses.

Hi ladies, hope you are all well. I am still debating whether it will snow or not in Leicester so thick layers of clothes it is for me for the time being. Apologies for being MIA lately, I have been meaning to knuckle down and get this review posted, but as always, things get in the way! So anyway, here I am today reviewing these three fantastic items  from Lady Veil.

Wearing a headscarf no longer means being restricted to a boring black one, just ask the lovely Lady Veil. Hijabs as they are more widely known as, come in a variety of materials, colours and prints today thankfully allowing Hijabis (girls that wear Hijabs) to have more of a choice when it comes to selecting their hijabs for the day.

Whilst I am no hijabi myself, (Inshallah -God willing- soon), what I do know is that many sisters favour to have a variety of colours and designs to allow to them to dress modesty as well as fashionably if they desire. Some may choose to colour coordinate their hijab with their clothing, others may choose to dress it up with accessories and head pieces, whatever the choice, Lady Veil has it all.

I received two scarves and an equally gorgeous ruffled collar maxi dress to try and I am in love!

Before I begin, just incase you are wondering, postage and packaging costs are at a very reasonable £2.50 (Out of UK fees will vary), so you can shop to your hearts content and only pay the one off shipping cost, how amazing is that?!

Now lets begin with the dress. This is a stunning ruffled chiffon like material khaki coloured maxi dress and the first thing that attracted me to it is that it is very lightweight and comfortable to wear. The neutral khaki colour means it is wearable for almost any occasion and can be worn alone loose or tightened with the stash provided. Personally, I prefer to have the stash slanted and have the dress tightened a little as it adds a s lovely elegant touch to it. The dress is sleeveless however, if like myself you do not do the whole sleeveless thing, there are options to wear a Waterfall cardigan that can be brought from Lady  Veil, your own cardi, or simply a blazer, the choice is yours. Personally, I quite prefer to complete the look with my Krisp blazer in black.

The dress does have lining inside too which is always  a bonus, albeit being a little shorter than the dress, yet I still prefer to wear black leggings underneath.  


 

If you are short in height like myself, the dress may prove to be too long in which case it can be easily altered. Also, special care needs to be taken when ironing due to the crinkle delicate material.

I absolutely love this dress, I will definitely be wearing mine to a special occasion be it a party, wedding, barbeque, you name it. The colour and design is absolutely stunning to wear and I feel like a bit of a princess in it, If I am honest! This is available to buy for *£20 and measures at 113cm bust and 152cm in length.

 


Now moving onto the gorgeous scarves. I also received a Versaceque maxi scarf with minor leopard print design and tassels in red. It is a generous sized scarf perfect for adding layers if you wish as there is sufficient material to cover well. It is surprisingly quite lightweight too so you do not feel all hot and bothered after wearing it for a few hours!


 


The design pretty much compliments most dark colours of clothing particularly blacks, greys and browns. Hijabis will love the fact that it is comfortable, lightweight, maxi and coordinates well with most outfits. Not a hijabi? Not to worry, the scarf is still perfect for draping around your neck. This gorgeous scarf is available to buy for an amazing *£4.50.

 

 

The second equally gorgeous scarf I received was the full leopard print maxi snood (tubular neck scarf)  that also doubles up as a scarf. For those that know me well would know that I am a huge lover of leopard prints, the style never gets old be it a scarf, item of clothing or accessory. The very first thing I noticed  was just how lightweight the material was despite having an under layer. What is even better is that you could if you wanted to wear it reversed since it is a lovely nude colour that would most definitely coordinate well with the khaki maxi dress. Now it cannot get any better than that can it? Again as it is a maxi, it means that there is enough material to create layers, volume and it covers well. Some hijabis may argue that although many other designs and materials are great, what they have a concern with is the lack of material hence having to constantly pull down the scarf to cover their necks etc. And again, it can also be used to drape around the neck to add extra coverage and goes with pretty much any colour. The primary colours are brown and beige and the scarf retails at *£6.50.

Overall, the quality of all three items are fantastic and came beautifully and carefully packaged. The customer service at Lady Veil is excellent and cannot be faulted. The product range is fantastic and I will definitely be buying some items for myself and as gifts in the near future. In the meantime, be sure to check out their Instagram page at Lady_Veil and also email lady.veil@outlook.com for any enquiries you have.

 

Oh and did I mention that there is currently a SALE on all scarves for £2.50! What are you waiting for?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beauty: My Monthly favourites.

 

Hi lovlies, so I thought I would try something new today and do a round up of my monthly favourites for pretty much the whole of January and Feb. Makes a nice change from all those product reviews I do doesn't it? Haha. Below are a list of all the makeup, skincare and hair I have been loving this month. Do be sure to share any of your favourite products too and comment down below I would love to take a read.
So, lets get right into it. These are in no particular order. Enjoy!

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8


1- This 8 hour skin protectant is an old time favourite and an absolute classic. I have a travel sized one in my handbag for on the go and one on my bedtime table. I love multi use products and this is a definite hit. I use it to treat dry sore lips I often get in the colder weather, groom baby hairs, onto my elbows, rub onto my cuticles and use a tiny dab to keep eyebrows groomed. It is a godsend and smells lovely too.

2- This fab mask from Lush was a bit of an impulse buy after reading reviews from other bloggers and I can see why it is a must have. This is now my second pot of this and has quickly become a favourite of mine. I have an in-depth review of it *here* so do check out if you want to know more. The downside? As it is all natural and needs to be kept in the fridge, it does have a short shelf date so you need to use it up within threeish weeks, I sometimes forget mine is sitting in my fridge!

3- This was sent to me by W7 Cosmetics , review *here* and it was love at first sight. It is a close dupe to Benefits Hoola bronzing powder. The shade is just right for my skintone and works great for contouring.

4- This again was another impulse buy after seeing there was a massive hype over this, check out my NYX haul post *here*. I was actually quite dubious at first as the shade was a bright orange colour, however once applied, its this gorgeous natural corally colour that looks perfect on Asian and darker skintones. I love  the cute little packaging and the fact that it doesn't cost the Earth!

5- I purchased this restoring leave it conditioner from Tressemme early last yearish when it was on offer at Superdrug as you do. I religiously use their range of shampoos and conditioners and thought it would work well alongside it. This absolutely exceeded my expectations! I only need a drop to smooth out my hair, I use it on both wet and styled hair and it works amazingly at keeping hair cuticles in place, smoothening out my hair and adding a slight sleek and shine for straightening, with it being argan oil infused, it smells absolutely amazing too.

6-  If you have read my blog post on this, you will know exactly why I love it so much!! Say no more, head over *here*.

7- Every beauty addict should own one of these, it is definitely an investment and you will not regret it. I have started to reach out more for this for creating subtle day looks to the more smoky heavier looks for nights out. I love the sturdy packaging, the fact that the colours are insanely pigmented and buttery and the fact that it has a huge mirror inside and comes with a brush. Need I say more?

8- And finally, last but not least, this fab product from the MUA cosmetics range. I wouldn't say it is an exact dupe for Mac Soft and Gentle but it comes close to it and for £3 you really cannot go wrong. I like to reach out for this if I fancy a dewy look, or for use after contouring, oh and a little goes a long way. Best £3 I have spent.

 

 

 

What are your monthly favourites?

REN Clarimatte Skincare range: Review

 
Hi Dolls,

Hope you are all wrapped up at home in your cosies. Looking at the current weather here in the UK, all it makes me want to do is hibernate at home in front of the TV!

Its no secret that as you are getting older, your skin needs more looking after. Its the first place to show signs of neglect and ageing and vice versa, especially in the colder winter months. I think I can safely speak for the rest of us when I say it is primarily during the winter months that our skin tends to play up the most.

I am always on the lookout for new skincare products, I love my regular products but felt like trying something new particularly as I do not really have a solid regime when it comes to skincare (terrible I know!)

REN Skincare is one that I happen to come across all the time and is often hyped about in the Blogging world, that too with nothing but positive reviews of their products.

One of my many new years resolutions in terms of beauty was to really start paying more attention to my skin care regimen this year and with that, I was very excited to try out my two samples of their T Zone Balancing Fluid* and their Invisible Pores Detox Mask* from the lovely people at REN skincare. After informing them that I had combination skin, I was happy to have received these samples from their Clarimatte range especially designed for combination skin.

On their site, they describe their Clarimatte range as "Includes cleanser, moisturiser and a treatment mask to leave your skin looking beautifully balanced, mattefied,clear and radiant"

 

Seeing as I received 5ml sample sizes of both products, I only managed to get a weeks use of them so it wouldn't be fair and accurate to give a detailed thorough review. However, lets talk about first impressions atleast.

 

The very first thing I loved about their T -Zone Balancing Fluid was that it had a lovely lightweight texture that seemed to absorb fairly quickly onto my skin. Due to the small quantity of the product, I used a small squirt just around my T- zone area and it did instantly feel matte although I have to say, I am not a sufferer of excessive oily/combination skin. My skin also did feel nice and soft straight away upon first use.
 
 

 

This is generally great for combination/oily skin for its mattifying and balancing properties and perhaps those with Normal skin can get away with using this too if you like that 'quickly absorbed' feeling, yet I am not so sure it will work equally well for those with excessive oily skin simply because I do not think it is balancing/ mattifying enough.

I quite liked the fact that this didn't have that overpowering strong scent as most products do, it smelt quite botanical and spa like, very similar to Elemis products.  A full sized 50ml bottle of the fluid retails at £21.00 on their site.

 

I was very excited to try their Invisible Pores Detox Mask as it has been a while since I have tried anything for my pores in terms of a mask. REN describe this product as " A detoxifying clay mask designed to reduce the appearance of pore size and leave the skin purified, smooth and toned." and it sounded like exactly what I needed!
 
 

 

I only managed to get one use out of this. I was particularly wanting to focus on the T-Zone areas such as my nose and chin area . REN suggest using this at least three times a week if desired. I applied a generous amount of the mask on the areas I felt needed it most

and let it soak in for 25 minutes as recommended before washing off in a rubbing motion with warm water.

 

The mask application was like a thick white cream that didn't irritate my skin at all thankfully and hardened like clay after a few minutes then became creamy again when washing it off. Again, no off putting strong scent although there was a faint lavender scent if I remember correctly. 

I am not sure if the one time was enough in drawing out impurities and reducing the size of pores and blackheads sadly, however my skin did feel very smooth after. A full sized 50ml pump bottle of this retails at £18.00.

If you are new to the brand or simply want to try some of the products before buying full size, REN offer the Clarimatte travel size range for an affordable £12.00.

Truth be told, initially, I was put off their prices for most of their products, however REN products are no doubt full of natural extracts, high quality ingredients with no nasties whatsoever so you can be assured you are not putting any rubbish into your skin. What's more, they are all free from parabens, sulfates, mineral oils, synthetic fragrance and colours and so on. (Basically all the bad stuff) so surely the products are worth their price? After all, it is your skin that will thank you for it.

Have you tried any REN skincare?

 

Billion Dollar Brows : Review

Hello lovelies, happy new year and I hope you are having a good year so far. :-)
 
I have always been a big fan of eyebrow products, its the one routine in my makeup application I never leave the house without. In fact, come to think of it, more and more girls have become obsessed with achieving perfectly groomed brows, we all agree, a nice set of brows make such a difference to your face from framing the eyes to defining facial features and so on. And the true beautyholic that I am, I am always on the lookout for new products to help me get the 'look'.
As you can imagine, years of experimenting as a teen with tweezers in one hand, and curiosity in the other, the sparse scary looking brows I have today need all the help they can get.
 
A few weeks ago, I came across Billion Dollar Brows (BDB) on Twitter and it was great to hear about another brand in the market. More and more brands have now started to introduce an eyebrow range in their line. but with so many to choose from, it can be quite overwhelming finding a product that suits you.
 
Although, I hadn't come across them before, a little digging later, I found that they have become quite big in the US in the past few years. Initially, their product line consisted of just their Brow Boost -an enhancing serum which quickly became so popular, they later followed it with brow pencils, gels and powders.
 
Having quite sparse brows, one thing I have always struggled with is getting the shape right to suit my face and creating a natural look. Truth be told, I have never favoured eyebrow pencils much purely because I found that powder especially those with a waxy formula gave more of a soft, natural defined look so I was actually quite looking forward to trying their Universal Brow Pencil £17.00* It is a dual ended pencil that comes with the product on one end and a spoolie (and a sturdy one at that) on the other for grooming your brows.

 "No More Guessing Games! Formulated to work with all skin tones & hair colors this amazing pencil goes on smooth and natural. Perfect for creating beautiful, natural brows for when you’re on-the-go. The pencil’s versatile color works with almost all hair colors and skin tones."

The Universal Brow Pencil has a really lovely formula and comes in a nice taupe brown that would compliment most skin tones as they say, it certainly flattered my skintone. Even when pressing on hard, it is still manageable to create soft feathery strokes that do not give a harsh effect.
Because I have gotten so used to filling my brows with shorter in length flat angled brushes in powder kits, the size of the pencil was a slight issue for me. I tried to create a defined arched brow yet I found with the larger width of the pencil tip, I couldn't quite manage to create a subtle effect. Otherwise, it is a lovely little pencil and really travel friendly as it wont crack up on you like a powder kit may if damaged.

The lovely people at BDB also sent me their Brow Gel £17.00* to try out.

"Our Brow Gel will lock in your look, giving your eyebrows a long-lasting, radiant glow while keeping them perfectly in place all day. It’s the perfect finishing touch for giving your brows a polished, perfectly manicured look."

Believe it or not, I have never actually owned  a brow gel (tut tut)! so I was very excited to try this one. This little baby is great for taming your brows without looking like you have 'gelled' them down. I actually used this just to neaten up my brows before using both The Universal Brow Pencil and my usual eyebrow powder kit and it works wonders, it helps the product go on well, didn't seem to crust or flake and was great if I wanted to retouch during the day. You actually only need to use a little as it goes a long way and is great for taming and keeping stray hairs in place. Thankfully, the gel didn't seem to have an off putting scent either. The packaging gets a big thumbs up from me, I love the clear tube so you can actually see how much product you have used/have left but most of all, I love the fact that the BDB Brow Gel is designed so that when you insert the wand back and forth into the tube, you do not end up with a nasty goop of gel!

BD Brows can now be found at most salons where they use their Brow Buddy tool (which shows you where to start, arch and end your brows with precision and ease) and products for recreating the perfect brows for salon goers. Whether you are a makeup artist, eyebrow fanatic or just someone that takes pride in their brows, either way Billion Dollar Brows (BDB) are definitely without a doubt worth checking out.

Have you tried any BDB products yet?

 

Freshskin by Elemis Here We Glow Collection- #Xmas gift idea.

 
If there is one aspect I would have to choose in beauty that I love most, it would be skincare over and over. I just love how you can really give your skin a bit of a treat and pamper with a wide range of skincare products, and what better than the fab products at Elemis.
 
If like me, you have left your Christmas gift shopping to the last minute this year, (or just a little treat for yourself) do not despair! This amazing little Freshskin starter kit is affordable and a perfect little stocking filler for teens and 20's that may use the Freskhin range already, for anyone who want to sample it before buying the full sized products, take it to the gym or simply as a travel set to take on holiday with.
 

 
The Freshskin by Elemis Here We Glow Collection costs £15* and comes in a lovely pink patent zip case and includes:

 

 

 

Skin Clear Purifying Face Wash 30ml

 

Skin Glow Exfoliating Face Wash 30ml

 

Softly Softly Daily Moisturiser 15ml

 

Magical Moisture Quenching Mask 3ml.

 

 

I am a HUGE fan of their products, check out my first review *here* for a more in depth insight on their Freshskin range, I couldn't recommend this set enough, it is great value for money and an excellent way of introducing someone new to the brand.

 

I always enjoy using my Elemis products, I really genuinely feel that I can relax, pamper my skin and get the at home spa feeling and don't we all just need that now and again!

 

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

xxx