Far: A year of Hijab Styles 2011

Hello ladies! I have a few posts just waiting to rip for you lovely ladies, but thought is best to share with you this one first. I have had a lot of fun playing with my hijab and layering and would like to share with you some pics over the year! enjoy!

May you have a wonderful year ahead! xoxo

Lina: Colours on New Years Eve!

This is my New Years Eve look! Instead of common black and gold smokey, why not try something more fun and colourful! I will do a tutorial on this soon! :)

Lina: Everyday Easy Makeup Tutorial

Hello my darlings!

My internet has been acting up the past few days and I had a hard time trying to upload a video on Youtube. Finally, I managed to do it just now! YAY! So here's what I promised you, a makeup tutorial on my everyday look. I put this on almost everyday when I want to hang out with my friends at the mall, casual dinner or lunch,etc. It's very simple and basic. May be beneficial for those who are beginners in makeup. All of the products are still available in drugstores and the brand's stores. No discontinued products used. Bear in mind that this is my first tutorial video. I don't have a good camera, I have very little knowledge in video editing, but this is what I managed to do. Hope it's fine! Enjoy :)

Don't forget to follow my Youtube channel and to follow this blog! :)

Thank you!

XOXO,

Lina

Haneesa: The Michelle Phan Experience..

Hey guys J

So this is gonna be a really short post on a small, but sweet experience of mine. It's not going to be on something crafty or DIY - it's actually a beauty related post, which is actually Lina's specialty.. Check her out at this link ;)

Anyway, I’m actually a big Michelle Phan fan, and a few nights ago she had an impromptu live chat session with her fans for a whole hour.

Lucky for me, I had been leaving her website lingering on my browser so when I refreshed it again at about 1 am she had just posted this:

And it was only an hour away - No way was I gonna miss this!

So I stayed on, and when I finally got to the chat, it was mayhem! There was this non-stop clicking noise indicating a new message and I immediately started posting my question. I think I asked three times before, to my absolute surprise and delight….

she answered me.

My question...

...and her answer!

I’m happy beyond words, seriously! If I may never be able to see her in life, this opportunity was just awesome enough for me! >.< I think there were like 20 questions going at her at once, so she could only answer a one or two in one go..

And yes, I  know it's a pretty simple answer, but like I said before it's a small but special experience ;P

Imagine how crazy I would be if I actually met her o__o

So, besides that, I thought I should share some other tips that I found helpful too like

Nevertheless, there were all those doubters who were all like "Is this the real Michelle?" or "I think this is just her representative".. well to you guys I say: PFFFT! She sure sounded like Michelle! Plus there were many personal questions about her too like which games or food she liked. So there you go. Seriously, you guys should’ve gotten answered by her. You would’ve gone nuts. J

And that's it, my short and sweet experience. If you had the same conversation that night or have some other beauty tips you've learnt from her, just leave a comment below~ 

Take care guys!

xx

Haneesa

Lina: My Everyday Products

Hello my darlings! Finally, a proper blog post from me! Here I would like to share with you the products that I use everyday and which are also my favourites, of course! These products give me the natural look and flawless baby!

Prep + Foundation + Concealer

 *Top left to bottom*

1)This is definitely A MUST for me after I put on my moisturizer. I realise that moisturizer only helps me to soften and hydrates my skin, but does not help my makeup to stay on for long hours,especially since I have oily skin. So my makeup fades easily if I do not use a primer. My favourite primer is Sephora's Smoothing & Mattifying Primer. This primer prevents my face from becoming oily or greasy!! So my makeup stays on for a whole day! AWESOME!

2) I like to use liquid foundation mainly at night. But if I have really awful acne during the day (you know when), then I will dab on some liquid foundation to have full coverage. I've tried many types of liquid foundation throughout the years and most of them are too thick or heavy (my face would start to sweat) but oh my gosh, I feel like MaxFactor is a gift from up above! Max Factor introduced its awesome-est liquid foundation ever (I think about few months back), MaxFactor's Experience Weightless Foundation! It's TOTALLY weightless, and it feels as though Im not wearing any liquid foundation at all! I really don't feel it, but it's there, making my face looking flawless!! If Im not mistaken, we don't have MaxFactor stores in Malaysia, but we do have their counters in Metrojaya. If you're looking for a liquid foundation right now, just get this one. No questions asked! :)

-Im using Dark Gypsum 80.

3) I've been using this concealer for so many years. It's been my friend for a really long time: Maybelline's Angelfit Perfect Concealer. It covers up any of my blemishes, dark spots, and dark under-eye circles really well! I like to use a concealer brush instead of my fingers because I tend to be so harsh with my face if I use my fingers. I don't want any form of fine lines or wrinkles to appear due to my 'aggresiveness', so I need to use brushes.

-Im using Natural Beige 02.

4) I can't leave my house without wearing this: Bare Minerals Foundation. It is by far the best powder foundation to me. It gives me that smooth and flawless coverage, without any clumping or caking my face later on. I know some powder foundation cakes your face but this one doesn't, regardless of your skin type. It's weightless and feels like you're not wearing any makeup at all, yet giving you the best coverage! And the best thing is that you only need to use just a little bit to have that full coverage. Saves your money and time too! After that, sometimes I put on Bare Minerals Mineral Veil to set my make up, especially if I have any liquid foundation on, to have that matte look.

-Im using Medium Beige.

Blusher

1) My favourite blusher is Elianto Touch On Blusher. Some blushers that I used last time did not stay on after a few hours and I don't know why I tend to forget to bring my blusher in my makeup pouch. This one stays on a for long hours! hooray! Sadly I always have problems with the sponge, mine just won't come out properly so when I put it on my face, I cannot see the blusher! So what I have to do is to take off the sponge, and use a blush brush, VOILA! :)

-Im using Tea Rose 02.

Eye Makeup

*Top to bottom

1) I have super oily/greasy eyelids, so an eyeshadow primer is important to me! Before putting any sorts of eye makeup, I put on Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion so my eyeshadow and eyeliner don't crease at all! Really, this eyeshadow primer helps my eye makeup to stay for a really really really long time! REALLY!! :)

2) I have no idea why I can't use pencil eyeliner for my upper eyelids. I need to work on it! Hands tend to shake. :( Im a fan of pen eyeliners, it works great for me and I apply it better! My hands don't shake if I use pen eyeliner! Weird, I know. Oh well, whatever works well for you, just go for it! I love this Maybelline HyperSharp Liner. It's so 'thin' and sharp, 0.05mm baby! It gives you the precision you want! Perfect for those who love face art too!

3) As for lower eyelids, it's definitely best to use pencil eyeliner. I like to use MaxFactor Kohl Pencil in Black. It's good for those who have watery eyes, like me, it won't fade away eventhough your eyes get watery later!

4) Another MaxFactor superb invention: MaxFactor's False Lash Effect Mascara. Oh.My.Gosh. It gives you double the size of your lashes!! It voluminizes, thickens, everything! It's waterproof too! So if you feel like you're tired of putting on falsies, give yourself a break, and try this incredible mascara!! I've recommended this to many of my friends and family, and none of them are disappointed with it! :)

5) Before mascara, don't forget to curl your lashes. My favourite pick is Shu Uemura's Eye Lach Curler. It's one of the best lash curlers in the world. It curls just so perfectly, and you only need to curl one time!

Lips

1) Im a huge fan of pink tones when it comes to lip items! Most of my lipstick collection are of pink shades. My fav lipliner is from Stage in Pretty Peony 03. It is soft pink with a hint of peach. 

2) Next up is my number one pink lipstick: NYX Lip Smacking Fun Colours in PARIS. It is super pink, like Barbie pink!! The best pink shade I have in my collection is this! 

3) Lastly, to have that glossy look and sexier looking lips, I like to dab on a little bit of gloss. I use NYX Lip Gloss in PEACH. You can see that it's almost empty already, shows that I really LOVE IT! The colour is just perfect and goes so well with any of my pink lipsticks!

So there you go, my favourite products that I use everyday! Next post will be a makeup tutorial video, using all of the products mentioned above :)

XOXO,

Lina

Emma: Something's up my sleeves

Hello awesome chicas! guess what? Emma's back!
i'm terribly sorry for the long hiatus. i've been very much occupied with assignments, debate, and final exam. Now that i'm done with ALL that, i have so many to share with all of you!

first, i'm in the midst of trying this particular aerobics routine. it's quite intense but definitely do-able. if you're up for it, you can definitely perform it too! instead of posting a dance routine, i thought of posting an exercise routine that can be done in a large group. the more, the merrier. and you'll have lots and lots of fun too!

but here's the catch, i'm not gonna post this particular video yet :). give me some time to try it out before finally deciding to upload it. we, the writers, might wanna give it a shot first. woohooo!!

also, as part of my segment, i will also be sharing my knowledge and information on various topics like self-esteem, relationships, parenting (not that i have any experience in it), and the list goes on. these are just some of the info i've obtained through research. since i have them in my tiny brain, why not share it with all of you. that way we can all learn together right?

so, stay tuned to our blog for more info! and keep checking it out for the video that you might anticipate :)

yours truly,
emma.

Far: Four different ways to wear the jumpsuit with hijab

Salam girls!

I have been wanting to do this post, but haven't gotten round to take artsy awesome pictures of my outfits, and I still havent!! but Im hoping you girls wont mind seeing my plain old pics, hehe, at least you can get some tips and ideas for inspiration so as to not shy away from this trend.

All of the pics below sported this jumpsuit from Valley Girl.
I bought one in black and one neutral khaki color as shown below:

As you can see, its really form fitting on top, and really sexy. Our job is to unsexify it without cutting out on style!

First look:

Here I wore a black jumpsuit, and gave it some kind of definition with two thin belts. The pink belt is actually a long beaded necklace! if you have a short waist like me, opt for thing delicate belts, if you have a long torso go ahead and rock a thick belt!

Wearing a belt underneath your jacket or cardi adds dimension without showing off too much of your curves.

My pink lacey "jacket" is from old blossom box. Check her wonderful things here. http://oldblossombox.blogspot.com/

Second look:

You can even wear a jumpsuit for work! if you wear it as pants!Here I wore a vintage printed shirt with a loose vest for some shape.

Third look:

Please excuse the horrible self cam whore picture. But this is my favorite look with the jumpsuit. With a long printed cardi, it covers most of your curves and is a fun enough piece to wear as a statement. Im also wearing a long pendant chain to draw the eye downwards for a slimmer look. It also subtly adds a little something to the bare middle.

My hijab style was fashioned out of two hijabs and a belt that came with the cardi.

Last look!

This I must admit lends all of its style factor to the gorgeous matador style bolero. This one is also a vintage piece from melbourne and was a great steal! most of the ALL of my outer layers in this post were bought at vintage stores, markets and bazaars. So please scout around your area for great one of a kind pieces!

Breaking it down:

1) break a simple jumpsuit with belts (thin belts for curvy girls, thick for skinny) and long pendant necklaces. You can wear beaded necklaces if you have a slim upper body.

2) play around with lots of jackets, cardis. Both plain solids and prints are great to keep and go with jumpsuits, maxi dresses and lots of other things!

3) Don't look at the jumpsuit as something that is only reserved for special events! you can always dress it up or down for a casual day. Be Brave and play lots of dress up!

hope to see you girls soon!
xoxo

Pssst.. see what Haneesa is up to..

Check out the fabric glue, really handy!

Edges were cut really easily with pinking shears

Glue gun is a handy must for all crafters!

Et voila!

These pretty jars will soon be filled with yummy candy pillows! You can give them as door gifts or little Christmas presents!

Our girl Lina turns 22! in pink :)

Our dear beauty expert and friend of many many years turned 22 on November 17th in style! An intimate party for close family and friends but done up in a big and bold way, check out these pictures and be inspired!

And the Birthday Girl!

Look out for our writers!

This is the photo booth!

Hope you girls enjoyed these photos! we will be back soon for more awesome posts!

Haneesa: Blog Promo for 'Le Beau Monde'

Hi guys!

Today I won't be posting a tutorial or any DIY projects, but I will be introducing to you a friend of mine :) who runs an awesome blog shop called 

Le Beau Monde 
or as I like to call it
my accessories heaven *_* 

Rozana Razali (or more famously known as Zana) is a course mate of mine, and not only is she super nice and soft spoken, she is also the owner of this adorable shop which has tons of amazing accessories & beauty products. Honestly speaking, her blog shop is pretty unique.. and this is coming from a person who browses blog shops, like, 5 hours a day ok. (yes, I can get pretty carried away)

Screen prints of www.lebeaumonde.co.cc ♥

Her blog has so many different accessories to choose from which will make you go nuts, especially if you are into Korean fashion.
I'm going to let you in a small secret; I once found a picture of ring that I really wanted but was so hard to find so I requested it from Zana, and guess what? She got it for me! I really didn't mind paying for it more, but I was given the normal price which, let me tell you, is pretty cheap. This also brings me to another best selling point about her shop. 

All the accessories are super affordable.

I've seen some shops selling the same accessories for like, five times the price. Let me ask you: why should you pay more for the exact same item? All I know is I'm in for the best deals in town. Plus, I'm super satisfied with the stuff I've bought. So far I have three rings and a necklace, and I have this one ring that people always compliment me on :) Here's a photo of it:

My ring is the one on the far right. A white rose on a pink bow is just too adorable to resist >.<

Hold on. I just remembered, I got a pair of earrings and an owl ring from her too. LOL. I can't keep track anymore. All of our friends know about her shop and its about the only place we go for Korean accessories. 

So...if you are looking for an alternative website for accessories, beauty products and even some pretty clothes, you must visit www.lebeaumonde.co.cc. Like I mentioned, its got a super massive amount of stuff you can choose from with the best prices. Before I sign off, let me show you the stuff I'm eyeing for at the moment...

You can also visit her facebook page here ♥ 

Aren't the pink and light blue rings absolutely gorgeous? *_*
Have fun shopping guys! Don't forget to like her on Facebook too!

All images on this post are credited to the Zana'z website http://www.lebeaumonde.co.cc/

Far: Hijab tutorial! Neat Arab ghutra look! Great with glasses too!

         

Salam ladies! Here's another tutorial for you girls:)

Note: this look is short and it does not cover the chest. I'm wearing a top with with a sort of add on vest that already covers the chest. So keep in mind that this style has to be worn with a loose top or vest that covers the chest.

This is also good for girls who wear glasses and hate the fact that the sides of their hijab stick out. I am wearing big frame glasses and no worries here!

Ok, here we go!

 As usual one side long and one side short.

Take the two sides like so, don't forget to slightly fold it in.

Bring it to the side and pin!

The other side!

Take the long side...

Bring it under the shorter side...

and around to the other side and hide under the fold. Pin to secure!

Tada! Easy peasy! Hope you girls love it! If you have any request, please feel free to comment! And I will come up with something, if you have any questions or style tips let us know!

Haneesa: Fabric Book Cover

I’m going to let you in on a secret of mine.

I hated my school

and although I never understand why there are people who love going and afterwards want to go back to school,
I'm just going to say that that's OK too.

Image courtesy of ewhogan.edu.au

I don't mean to be all emotional but it really isn't my fault that I didn't like school so much :( Why did it have to be so systematic, rigid and most of all, biased? And it was so confusing because I liked my subjects and I liked learning new stuff but I couldn't stand the lessons! They were so.... controlled. Plus here in Malaysia everyone only looks at your grades, and never your skills. Back in school, I never felt like my thoughts and ideas (basically my own brain) were important- the only way to learn was through books.

Don't get me wrong though; I love books... and I still miss some of my teachers and friends. However school was still torturous, so I expressed my thoughts and feelings through stuff like arts & crafts, writing and music. Thankfully as I got older I also found that religion gave me a lot of room to expand and express my ideas.
So for this post, I'm going to show you a way you can make your school life a little more endurable enjoyable or if you already like school, something to get your creativity going J.

~

First things first; you will need several materials and tools for this fabric book cover. They are:

♥ Notebook
For this project, I am using a spiral bound notebook, but I think any kind of notebook works just as fine
♥ Fabric
I got mine at Daiso, which was precut to 70cm x 100 cm. They have two kinds of materials; polyester and cotton, which comes in many pretty patterns :)
♥ Scissors
♥ Fabric Ribbon
♥ Needle, thread, pins
♥ Long ruler and pencil

Step 1

⚝ Take your notebook and lay it out open. Measure the full length and width in inches. Also, measure the length of the front cover  - this should be about half the full length of the notebook.

          

Full Length

Width

⚝ Take these measurements, and follow this formula to start cutting out your fabric:

(a)   Full length + 1 ¼ inches

(b)   Front cover length-  ½ inch

(c)    Width + ½ inch

This is an example of the measurements from my notebook

(a) 12 inches + 1 ¼ inches =
13 ¼ inches

(b) 6 inches - ½ inch =
5 ½ inches

(c) 8 ½ inches + ½ inch =
9 inches

Step 2

Now, you will be cutting three pieces from your fabric.

First, take measurements (a) and (c) and draw them out on the wrong side of your fabric. This will be your outer piece.
Next, take measurements (b) and (c) and draw them out also. Remember to make two of these pieces. These two will be your inner pieces.
Cut them all out.

Top: Outer piece. Bottom: Inner pieces.

You can use a measuring tape for this step... though a ruler makes life much so easier!

                       

Step 3
Take the two inner pieces and turn them wrong side up. Fold in one side over ¼ inch and pin them down. Press/iron to keep in place. Do this on both pieces of fabric.

Fold one side inwards, then pin to secure...

...and for a closer look :)

Step 4

Take the outer piece and lay it right side up. Take the two previous pieces, lay them on each ends of the outer piece, pin to hold, then sew them on. Remember not to sew the side that you folded earlier!
In this step, I used a back stitch, instead of a regular running stitch, for extra strength.

Back stitching; at the front here the stitching looks like dashes. At the back, it looks like one single line.

Wrong sides to stitch!

Correcto mondo!

End product :)

Step 5

Turn your book cover right side out. Pin the top and bottom edges of the outer cover, then press to hold them down. Sew these edges to keep them in place.
For this step, I used a zigzag stitch to create nicer patterned look.

 

Pinning them together

More pins..

Zigzag stitching from behind

Zigzag stitching from the front

Looks like this after its all done

Step 6

At this point your fabric book cover is already finished J
However, you can also add a ribbon to secure your book. To do so, open up your book cover and measure the middle of the full length and the middle of the width. This will give you the centre point of your book cover.

To measure the length of the ribbon, take the measurement of the full length of your book and add another 16 inches. This will ensure that your ribbon can be tied. Cut the ribbon.
Now, measure the width of your ribbon. Mark this width on the centre point of your book cover.

Ribbon with a 1cm width

Stitch an ‘X’ about the size of your ribbon width.

         

Mark the 1cm width on this centre point

How it looks like on the front

Turn your book cover around and insert the ribbon.

And now your fabric book cover is finished! You can adjust the ribbon so that it sits either on the spine, opening or front of your book. If you guys face any problems, you can have a look at this tutorial . This book cover can even be used for personal stuff like diaries, journals and the like. It not only makes a good protection for your book, it looks absolutely gorgeous too! I hope it makes your school days more enjoyable J Take care everyone!