Passion For Fashion

So as much as I love all things makeup, hair, & beauty I also have a deep and often camouflaged relationship with fashion. From a young age I have always had a passion to style and dress others, I always think of it as a form of fine art and self expression, some choose their natural beauty, whilst others  seek to use the face and body as a canvas to explore their personal artistic muse.

I love everything about the fashion world has to offer, from Dior to the high street stores to market stalls of leather lane, as long as I love it I will go out and buy it. For those of you have been following me for some time now have seen this follow through on my instagram feed. I truly have got a platform now to unleash the little fashion diva inside me which has sat inside me for so long reach to blossom and I think instagram has truly given me that chance to show the world this undying passion of mine.

Here are few of my favorite recent outfits, and something I always set as my reminder is that I never go with what’s on trend, rather what is going to make look and feel good.

Let me know what you think and the best places you like purchase  your clothes rail from? What are your top styling tips let su know we would love to hear from you dolls

With Love Always

'Tis The Season

 

Soooo with Christmas just round the corner I thought this would be a great little post to get back to the swimming of things after my maternity absence.
Now although I don't celebrate Christmas I still love this time of year from all the lights & festive decorations to the Costa Mint & Black Forest hot chocolate, also everyone is just a lot more merry & good willed. It is also the best time of year to grab your self some festive bargains............. here are my 2016 top 10 Beauty gifts this season


♥ Nars Sarah Moon Glass Metropolis Audacious Lipstick Coffret.


Eight unstoppable mini Audacious shades. From show stopping neutrals to brazen reds & bolds, each high-pigment tone is sure to stand out in any seasonal office party or girly catch up. Featured in a sculptural keep sake case. Mini Audacious Lipsticks Include the following shades Sarah, Anita, Marlene, Rita, Olivia, Sandra, Charlotte & Bette.
The best thing about this ultimate lip collection is that they are all wearable shades there's & the pigmentation has not been compromised, most of the time when cosmetic companies bring out the seasonal gift sets the quality of the product is not there or there are 2 amazing shades and the others look like something you would wear on Halloween. The only down side is at GBP79.00 a little on the steep side

♥ Master Palette by Mario & Anastasia Beverly Hills, Although this is not a Seasonal palette it is still limited edition and I now believe it's sold out world wide, you might be lucky if you find 1 or 2 in a Sephora here & there. Now when Mario announced he was realising a palette with Anastasia Beverly Hills I was sold at that point, I knew at that point I wanted it and I would do everything to get it. Now I'm not going to go into too much details as I review this palette later.


Now Anastasia Beverly Hills eye shadows in my eyes are unbeatable. They are one of the best there are in the game! Buttery, creamy, pigmented and really bendable. Everything you would want and need in an eyeshadows. I have previously purchased there Tamanna Palette a collaboration with Dress Your Face & Modern Renaissance Palette which Anastasia Beverly Hills and Norvina created earlier this year. Hand on heart I can say literally cannot go wrong with there products because of the incredible quality and will make any Christmas stocking complete.

♥ Hermès Eau Des Merveilles

This Is such an enchanting seasonal sent. The smell is divine with hint of warm amber wood it just makes you feel so enchanted & magical inside, I have previously reviewed Hermès Eau Des Merveilles which I do equally love but this just really gets you in the festive mood. Although this is a permanent fragrance on the Hermes fragrance line the best thing around holiday season is that it comes in a gift set - Now I let you in on a little secret a regular 50ml bottle costs GBP83.00, now the gift set contains 50ml of fragrance plus a smaller 15ml hand bag size bottle at the price of GBP75.00 so great value for money for getting the gift set.

♥ Benefit Blushin Babe

Trust me when I say that this limited edition palette is enough to make any girl blush! Containing 5 of Benefit’s most iconic cheek and face powders - Hoola, Dandelion, Rockateur, Sugerbomb & Coralista. It has everything you could need to add a flush of colour to your complexion. What makes it even better than it's previous releases which I purchased - cheeky sweet shop is that it also contains Watt’s Up highlighter to add a little luminosity to your skin and They’re Real! mascara and eyeliner to complete the look, leaving you to look the belle of any ball this Christmas

♥ Real-techniques Mega Set (Boots)
♥ Real-techniques Artistry Set (Superdrug)

Now I'm really stuck between these 2 sets as to which one is better. Now when it comes I love real techniques there a really good quality brand and I use them daily in my kit. So I have reviewed both sets so you can make the decision for yourself, both sets are amazing. These brushes are high quality, really soft and multi-purpose brushes. They are comparable to high-end branded brushes but the price is even better. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, these brushes are easy to use and apply make up with they are also really easy to clean. The only thing that separates both sets to me is the price this Black weekend Boots are selling this mega set for GBP40.00 RRP100.00 and Superdrug's GBP34.99 RRP79.00 so for 5.99 extra I'm getting 5 extra brushes!! Bargain!! Lastly these are great value for money for the quality you are getting they are fantastic. Definitely a must-have in your Christmas collection!

The mega set contains 10 Brushes & 2 complexion sponges


Miracle Complexion Sponge.
Duo-fiber Face Brush.
Base Shadow Brush.
Season Exclusive Angled Shadow Brush.
Deluxe Crease Brush.
Season Exclusive Eyeliner Brush
Stippling Brush
Season Exclusive Cheek Brush.
Setting Brush
Miracle Sculpting Sponge

The Artistry set contains 5 brushes & 2 of the same complexion sponges.


Face brush
Angled Sculpting brush
Shadow base Brush
Seasonal Exclusive Angled shading brush.
Shading brush

♥ Kat Von D Metals Palette.

This fully loaded palette comes with 22!! Yes 22 to die for shades. Kat Von D is another brand that create high quality products which are just incredible. Now I first saw this palette on Dina Tokio & Sarah Artistry SnapChat at here exclusive Tea Party for her London launch of her brand, as soon as they snapped videos of swatches I knew this palette would be everything. This limited edition palette 13 matte shades and 9 metal (metallic) shades

LINEN (matte white)
JET (matte black)
VELOUR (matte royal blue)
STONE (matte cement gray)
MOSS (matte forest green)
RIBBON (matte deep purple)
SILK (matte terra cotta)
FRINGE (matte peach)
FEATHER (matte dandelion)
OAK (matte chocolate brown)
SUEDE (matte fawn)
BONE (matte cream)
VELVET (matte deep plum)
NEBULA (metallic navy)
WATT (metallic teal)
IGNITE (metallic sea foam)
TINSEL (metallic pewter)
GLITZ (metallic rose gold)
TWINKLE (metallic lilac)
VOLT (metallic violet)
SYNERGY (metallic bronze)
FLASH (metallic gold)


Everything you need this party Season all under 1 roof so to speak. This palette is amazingly versatile helping you create romantic smokey eye or an all out rock chick look any look is possible with the rainbow of shades offered by Metals palette. Currently priced at GBP45.00 as Debenhams have 10% off all beauty brands. You will defiantly be rockin' around the Christmas tree with this little gem.

♥ Nars Sarah Moon Mind Game Mini Velvet Lip Glide Coffret


Yes another steal by Nars & the Sarah Moon gifting range, I am actually totally obsessed with the collection, this time it's the velvet lip range - 6 super sexy covetable shades of Velvet Lip that glide on like a dream, an innovative liquid lipstick that fully coat lips with smooth, saturated, semi-matte style without the dry out. It Stays on plush and supple with all day coverage & comfortable color. In six shades, featuring cult-classic Bound, Unspeakable, and Toy, and three new, seasonal limited-edition tones: No. 675, Chez Claude, Plato’s. Limited-edition glass coffret. Rock any ball this Christmas in these super sassy liquid lip range.

♥ Sarah Artistry Ultimate Brush Gold Collection.


The Ultimate Brush Collection includes 10 luxurious brushes made with high-quality naturals and synthetic hairs that are super soft on the skin and super smooth in application leaving you with a flawless look. The Brush Collection gives you the ability to create flawless effects at any level of expertise. Each brush has premium fibers that are compressed into a beautiful gold ferrule, enhancing the look, feel and touch of every brush, with a very professional finish. RRP200.00 but snap it up for GBP120.00 as they are currently on sale. The Collection comes with it’s very own brush belt or presentation box giving you he choice of which one leaves it an extra special gift idea for any Beauty addict.

♥ Boots No.7 Winter Nudes Nail Collection.


I absolutely love No.7 nail polishes I can honestly say they as good as some of the premium brands out there. At GBP12.00 it makes it a perfect stocking filler or secret Santa present. I especially love his collection as the colours are amazing there not randomly picked colours that are thrown together, they have in my eyes been perfectly picked and put together. This gift set includes glossy Nude, barely-there beige through to a berry Red and pink and completed with a shimmering burnished gold top coat, ready to transform your nails from daytime to playtime this Christmas.

There you have it my Christmas collection 2016! I hope you enjoyed the read as much as I enjoyed writing this post up.

Wishing you all a wonderful festive season more than lipstick and eyes shadow, hope you all enjoy time together with your families and loved ones. Be good, as well as good to each other remember 'Tis the season

With Love & Lots of Sparkle

Asma

Where Have You Been..........

Hey Guys

So this is a quick chatty catch up, so as many of you noticed I have been absent since early 2015 and this is because I became pregnant and what a experience that I was I tell you!

I read so many books and none of them tell you about what you really go through without being covered with a million roses.
What I can tell you is be ready for it because it really hits you for 6, your body goes through hell and back but would I change it for the world, no! At the end of it god blessed me with a beautiful baby girl - Hannah and I couldn't imagine life without her.♥
She has taught me the true meaning of life, so much more to what life can offer & the little joys like her smile can bring. Everyday is never the same & being over in porridge & snot is not great but watching your baby learn new things everyday is a blessing, the true satisfaction an achievement you feel words an never describe

What pregnancy and having a child has taught me is the real value of love, relationships and being close to your creator. It has also taught me a lot on the value of money, I never really had to worry about money problems as I have worked since I was 16 but not working and being on statutory maternity pay really taught me how lucky I was working and having a blessed salary.

Soooo what does this mean for DifferentStrokes and where does it all go from here, well I don't actually know I will carry on blogging most of you would have seen I am still a little active on Instagram.

Let's hold out Lipstick, Contour & Glitter up in the air and hold a toast to look forward to 2017 and all the good things I hope it holds for you all & Inshallah (god willing) it is a good year for you & your loved ones

Stay Blessed



Asma ♥

Those lashes thou!

So everyone & anyone is going on about Huda Beauty lashes by Huda Kattan annnnnnd I finally gave and got me some........

I have been following Huda Beauty for as long as I can remember and if there's one thing I know is how much of a perfection queen she is, so creating these lashes that would be nothing but amazing.

Now there there 7 sets in her line, 

Some lash sets can have more than 1 styles making them very versatile, whilst the others are are designed to have natural/daytime look or more glamorous look. Here are the list of lashes for each lash style which will help you decide which pair is for you 

♥ Natural: #1 Giselle, #4 Coco Jo & #2 Alyssa 

♥ Glamorous: #1 Giselle, #3 Monique, #5 Candy, #7 Samantha & #2 Alyssa 

The verdict is: Ouut of thhhis WORLLLLLLD - they are ahmaaaaaazing I can't even begin to tell you! Now as an artist I find it so annoying when you just can't find lashes long enough bold enough tough enough. It's so hard to come by I can't even begin to tell you the struggle its unreal- especially people like me with long eye, most lashes are too small for my eyes - usually use Ardell & Eyelure who's lashes are also really awesome but Huda Beauty lashes are like the Chanel of lash world - I kid you not, I love how creative and well designed they have been made. 

Here's a little bit more about them - (I put them in order of my preference)

(Disclaimer all images of the lashes an boxes below belong to Hudabeauty and are not if my own)

#7 Samantha – These are my FAVOURITE! They are pre stacked thick beautiful 3D lashes! Super wispy and really make your eyes stand out - I like to pair these a gorgeous sultry smoky eye or even just a super thick cat liner would  look pretty awesome. I adore how super thick and full lashes these are they just make any eye stand out.(USD20.00)

#1 Giselle – These are my second favourite! They are named after her daughter Nour-Giselle, these are a more natural version mini version of Samantha.I think most of you who are not use to wearing falsies but still want a full on length and fuller lashes would prefer these. They are a really graceful wispy full lash and help create that soft and romantic look (USD16.00)

#6 Claudia – The Claudia lashes are criss-cross detailed spiky full length lashes. They are really natural looking on but defiantly gives you fuller longer natural lashes like the girls you see in the trains gracefully sitting there while you wish you had her lashes! but they also give you an amazing defined lash line like never before - You can totally rock these with just liner for a more natural look or an all out rocked out look cut crease or smoky eye. They very complementary to the eye so will suit all eye shapes with a knock out with every flutter.(USD18.00)

 

 

#3 Monique – Now these lashes are separated, they very light weight lashes, the hairs come in different sized lengths winging out towards the end. she has named this set after her sister Mona as she has very doll eyes lashes.The band is a clear & thin and really easy to apply, you can't really feel them and they best thing is that they ingrates your own natural lashes giving you that perfect doll eyed full lash look, you can also stack these with any of the other lashes and they give you a gorgeous defined lash line 

#4 Coco Jo - Huda named this pair after one of best friend Jenan Jojo Saab.These are semi full length long lashes really make the eyes look larger and more defined, this is because the different lengths of hair winging out toward the end, because of the Zig-Zag alignment of hairs they very complementary to the eyes giving a very natural looking lash line, they are very natural looking and Huda most recommends these for those who have never worn falsies as if applied correctly you can not tell that you wearing false lashes. 

#7 Candy - The Candy lashes are blown out version of the Coco Jo lashes but they are much more super glamorous all out lashes, they really give you a fuller lash and doll-eyed look. Now these lashes where named after another best friend of Huda - Candice, they are rumoured to be know as the Kim K lashes because of the beautiful setting and full length they give to the eyes and giving an all out glamorous look. They shape and definition it gives is sooooo amazing

#2 Alyssa - These individual lashes that comes in different sizes for you to be able to build your own intensity and shape and that's the best thing about although application will take much longer, its still ideal as you can totally build to you shape and size and length so they are bespoke to you. Huda named these lashes after her older sister Alya and include 3 different sized lashes and also a set of super thin lash for the bottom lash line (USD18.00)

I think Huda has got these lashes completely on point here and I seriously can not say enough about them! So to some it up here's a few points why I love them so much and some top tips for you all - she also has a brand new cruelty free Mink Lashes coming out soon and I can not wait until they do! :)

♥ Ultra soft, most lashes come with a really thick or hard band making it really hard to apply lashes - these have a super soft almost feather like band which is really flexible make super easy to apply

♥ True full lashes - the lashes themselves full thick lashes, they also come full length which means you make them bespoke to yourself, so if you're like me adore the drama on the eyes then you wont be able to resist  

♥ If you take good care of them you can get around 10-15 uses out of them! and you are certainly getting value for money with the re-use - I know with my Ardell and Eyelure I only get 5-6 uses max, but just like everything else in life you must take care of them, remove the glue once you have removed them from your eyes, make sure you do not apply mascara to them and mostly curl them after use so they keep there shape. 

♥  If you are buying the Huda beauty lashes its best to buy from her own website online, she always has special offers on postage and free lashes when you spend over a certain amount. I know there a few fakes around on eBay etc so be extra careful.

♥ Make sure you buy the Huda beauty lash glue with them - its super quick in drying,really strong help keeping those lashes on all day and its black so its excellent in camouflaging into the lash line .(USD18.00)

♥ Never put mascara on false, always curl, set and mascara your own lashes first and then apply your false lash, this helps to keep them longer lasting and to have as many uses from them as possible.

I don't have a bad thing to say about them and this comes truly from within. I am super happy with my purchases - the only thing I would fault was the boxes arrived damaged :( but that wasn't at fault of Huda Beauty and more fedex - which I did totally kick there but for :)

With Love and Lashes



Asma

To Erase Or Not To Erase That Is The Question?

I was very sceptical about the product at first, several women I know started selling The Make-up Eraser at women’s coffee and networking groups and it started selling like hot cakes. I knew there had to be something there if they are selling so good and they have been sooo many good reviews from blogger’s & Youtuber’s, however my most trusted source Sarah @Sarahartistry first mentioned it to me when she visited Doll-House Dubai and fell in love with it and I had to admit I was getting very tempted by this product after Sarah advised how could it was and she is always very honest with her opinions with her products so I knew it was a genuine review.

Now I suffer from very sensitive skin and sometimes break out in eczema on my face and eye area if apply too many products. As someone with sensitive skin I have to be very careful what kind of products I use. Make-up tends to irritate my eyes & skin quiet often and even if I find a great makeup brand that doesn’t irritate me, removing it has always been such a nightmare for me, from watery eyes and dry damaged skin after.

I have been using rose water to remove my make-up but it not strong enough to remove it all. Then I saw a post from Mumillion and decided to give it a go, she’s always really honest with her reviews so I thought it was a product I could trust.

Soooo I decided to give it a try and take a leap of faith anddddddd viola it really worked! I can now just remove make-up using just water. The Make-up Eraser its really that simple, no more complaining about make-up remover getting my eyes and burning them and sensitive patches! No more excuses going to bed with make up on! Because it is really that quick & simple. Even my Dior Black out Mascara came off with The Make-up Eraser!

So Is The Make-Up eraser for you, find out more about the product below

♥ What is The Make-Up Eraser

The Make-Up Eraser is a specially produced cloth that removes 100% of make-up from the face using just warm water and no extra make-up removers or wipes. It is sold through various different distributors, small retail stores such as salons and spas, however I purchased mine through here - Online the Makeup Eraser costs GBP16.99 (plus shipping) Now I would only purchase this from their website as there are quite a few fake ones floating around the market especially on ebay! So please beware

It is a pink cloth that is very soft, The Eraser has 2 sides, the first side has slightly longer threads, for gentle ex-foliation, whilst the other has shorter threads for the 100% removal of all make-up after. The Make Eraser boasts that it lasts 1000's of washes. I haven’t had this product for that long so I can’t actually confirm this!

♥ So How Does it Work & How to use The Make-Up Eraser

The MakeUp Eraser is a cloth which removes make up completely and quickly using no chemical or cleanser, saving the user money and time each and every day. This gentle cleansing process promotes healthy facial skin because it does not affect the skin's natural ph balance & the gentle ex-foliation also helps keep skin clean and healthy.

The Make Up Eraser is specially knitted polyester & silk fibres which according to them is many times finer than human hair, when made wet the eraser creates a hydro-mechanical process that breaks down the surface tension of the oils that bond make up to your skin. The Make-Up Eraser even removes waterproof mascara, HD pro lines and lipsticks – without the mess of conventional removals.

Here’s a quick step by step on how to use created by The Make-Up Eraser people! – it was too fabulous for me not to use!

♥ Is it really washable?

The polyester hand-crafted fine cloth of The Make-up Eraser doesn't have loops that trap make-up, so very little staining happens. Although I do take extra care of mine and rinse the cloth after using it daily. Also I pre-treat my cloth before washing it weekly and just to be extra sure not to have any stains or build up do not place on an overstuffed wash.

I haven’t been using The Make-up Eraser long enough to wash it the 1000 times that the company claims that you can, however I have seen lots of demo’s from QVC to youtube that have been washed a few 100 times and still work wonderfully well, so maybe, just maybe it is a possibility!

So over all I am really pleased with my purchase this is defo one of those products once you buy that you get totally hooked on! this product does exactly what is says on the box! Which now days is hard to find – Well Done The Make-Up Eraser you have made a fantastic product

Lots of Love & A a clean face 

Asma

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow

Biggest bain in my life and I suffer quiet bad hairy girl problems - unwanted hair and I mean on my face! Maybe I inherited this from my father as mother certainly doesn’t have these issues!!! But I can’t tell enough how much it annoys the hell out of me!  

I remember I was bullied quiet a lot about it in school and just hated myself for a long time because of it, if I knew then what I know now then maybe I would tell myself not to do half the stupid things I did that have made my hair growth just as bad as what it was then!

Firstly never shave facial hair – this is a complete no no – no matter what anyone tells you!!!! which is one of the main reasons I won’t have laser hair removal done because they make you shave the hair – now my sister number 5 did go for IPL laser hair removal and she always tells me it was the biggest mistake she has ever made! Her facial was minimal compared to mine and now hers is just as bad as mine

It really makes it grow back much faster, thicker and longer, so I would never recommend you to shave! I then listen to my silly friend and had threaded my face which was the biggest mistake ever!!!! Apart from being really painful thread just cut most of the hairs and it made the hair growth again a lot thicker which was awful! At this point I just wanted to gone and gone forever

I then found Jolyn, which is a mild hair dye which dyed the hairs blonde and appear less, now I used this for years and although the hair wasn’t gone you could no longer notice it as much – unless you standing in the sun! Which then you would just look like a glowing barball from a Christmas Tree – but I was happy with it like that! However I noticed this over time also had the same effects of make hair grow thicker and longer and I mean a lot longer. It also is high amount of toxic chemicals and started leaving discoloration patches on my face – I knew I would have to find an alternative soon!

So about 2 years ago the lady that did my waxing (arms and legs) advised me to start waxing my face to reduce the hair growth – I was quiet adamant at the time not too but with my wedding drawing close I thought I would give it a try. She did tell me that I would get quite a lot of spots from it but to just keep my face thoroughly clean and pores closed – she also gave me a secret weapon – Sudocrem yes that’s right nappy cream! – That’s a whole another blog so I’m not going to go into it now! Also Anti-bacterial gel really helped keeping those blemishes away but it really dried out my skin – however the Sudocrem counter acted that so I didn’t feel so much of an impact on that front.

Hairy girl problem was under control other than having to always tackle these dam blemishes but I was happy for now, until my sister number 1 introduced me to the Philips Lumea IPL!!!! I was quiet dubious at the time that it’s another fad and it wouldn’t work but it seemed to be working for my sister hair growing back visible less and thinner, I thought why not give it a try.

The Lumea apparently has had 10 years of research carried out with expert dermatologists and has been tested on over 2,000 users during its trial period in several different countries. Given this I thought I would give it a go & with a GBP300.00 price tag on a hair removal device must be worth investing into!

Using Lumea is pretty simple, straightforward and not as uncomfortable as other hair removal treatments especially waxing!!!  There are no replacement lamps or messy gels or stripes to buy.  I have been using the cordless model for convenience. You just need to check that IPL is suitable for your hair and skin type, and then follow a few simple steps.

Make sure the area of skin is clean and hair is at a minimal length or none at all - the only thing I don’t do is shave the hair I usually do this 2-3 weeks after waxing once the hair starts to grow back and works all over the body, The hairs must be quiet short for the laser gun to zap them out – from experience do not try on long hair it’s not pleasant but also it won’t work and ends up looking like stubble

Adjust the IPL level of your choice – because my hair is quiet thick I usually set between level 4-5, at the beginning i was using level 5 all the time but now it tends to differ 4 more than 5.

Point the laser at a 90 degree angle onto the skin and wait for the redy to use light and then ZAP!!! – There is a flash and slight tingle but nothing that’s too extreme. Once the area has been treated you can then move onto the next patch. Here’s a before and after use

You most likely won’t see effects right away it is kind of like waxing and reduction would be at a gradual pace. http://www.philips.co.uk/e/hair-removal/

I was really lucky because I used my sisters one first before I invested in my own one as a trail – as I always say and probs sound like a broken record always try something before buying something its always best & works for you.

Chao for now

Asma