Countdown to Eid Prep: Head to Toe!

Hey Beauties! How are you all? I hope Ramadan is going according to your plans. There're only a few days left of this blessed month. I can't believe it's almost over. But each passing day gets me even more excited because it means that we're getting closer and closer to EIDDD! Yippee!!!! I get so excited for Eid that sometimes it looks (errr, and feels) abnormal. It is one of the few days in the year that me and you look forward to and trust me, I'm literally counting days to Eid, this time as well.

Since Eid is right around the corner, I thought why not give you people a day to day skincare plan with which you can pamper yourself, relax and look your very best on the BIG DAY.

Day 1
Repair your skin
If you have acne-prone​ skin, apply eye drops to the area. It helps to constrict vessels around the region, which inturn reduces redness. You may also take an aspirin tablet and crush it in a bowl. Add water to make a paste and apply it to the affected area. Keep it for five minutes then rinse with water. Your skin will feel like butter.
Moisturize your hair.
Saturate your hair with coconut oil or any oil of your choice, make a tight braid and go to bed. Wash, the next morning.

Day 2
Brighten your skin
Cut a lemon into two halves. Dip the pulpy side into some sugar and rub that on your entire face. The lemon juice helps to lighten and perk up your face, while the sugar exfoliates removing all dead skin cells. Wash off with cold water.
Donot forget to moisturize your face and body before going to bed. It may be your regular facial cream or coconut oil. Slather a lotion over your entire body. It may even be again, coconut oil.
If you have oily skin, use a peel-off mask. Just egg whites work just as fine.
For normal to dry skin, use any clay mask of your choice.

Day 3
Cleanse, tone and moisturize.
Invest in a good cleanser for your face. Your face wash would work okay too. You just need to apply the foaming cleanser, cleansing milk or even coconut oil on your face, not forgetting the neck. Massage for two to three minutes. Then, take a mueslin cloth soaked in warm water and wipe the cleanser off, gently.
Spray toner on a cotton swab/round/ball. Run it over your entire face. It helps to freshen and disinfect your skin. If you don't have a toner, mist your face with rose water.
Next step is moisturizing. You may use a facial serum (bio oil is the best) or coconut (which is my Elixir). Massage over your entire face and relax your muscles. You may even choose to put it on your arms and legs for some extra TLC.
Don't forget the hair.
Prepare a special hair mayonnaise for your hair. It softens and smoothens your hair adding a spectacular shine. It is my holy-grail. I love to use it whenever my hair feels dry and dull.
So, to make this you'll need to break a large egg into a blender. Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and one cup of olive oil. Blend. Make sure you add the oil slowly to the blender while it's turned on so the mayonnaise is thicker and smoother in consistency. Saturate your hair with this stuff and leave it on for two to three hours then wash your hair, normally.
There are chances your hair will smell really bad and you're gonna hate me. But trust me, it's worth it. The smell is going to go away, the next time you take a shower.

Day 4
Clean and clear your skin.
The key to healthy looking skin is EXFOLIATION. This day, we'll be scrubbing our skin off of dead skin cells. You may use a body scrub that you already own or DIY it.
For making your own, you'll need a cup of brown sugar, two tablespoons of ground coffee and five tablespoons of coconut oil. Mix the contents in a bowl. You may have to put more oil as per your needs. Prior to taking a shower, rub this mixture over all of your body. Exfoliate thoroughly, but make sure you're gentle. You don't want to peel your actual skin off. Wash off with warm water.
Haircare.
Add in a leave in conditioner or, coconut oil to your hair and go to bed.

Day 5
The night before the big day.
Alright, so Chand Raat excites me hundred times more than the Eid day does. It HAS to be my favourite outta the lot.
Shower. Shampoo and condition your hair. Put some detangling spray or hair serum into the lengths of your towel-dried hair. Scrub your heels to get rid of calluses. Exfoliate your face with with a very very very gentle facial scrub. You don't want to irritate your face.
Paint your nails. Put on loads of lip-balm on your lips. Moisturize your feet, hands and face so they are nice and supple for the Eid day. Get your stuff ready for the morning. Press your clothes, take your jewellery out and place them on a reachable spot. Colour your hands (and your feet, probably) with henna. Relax, smile and have fun.
We all know we ain't sleeping on Chand Raat. I mean, who does?!
HAVE A VERY HAPPY EID YOU ALL!

I hope this was helpful to all my girls out there. This isn't too much. It's Eid, you guys. You all deserve to feel a little pampered and well-taken-care-of. I tried to incorporate as many things as you might already be having. Lemme know if this was helpful to you. This routine can even be used if there's a big event coming up like a wedding or a party etc. Atleast, this regimen will ensure that you look your very best on this day. Have a heavenly sweet Eid, y'all!

Go, Learn!

Yes, you guys. Go and learn something. Consider it to be an order, a suggestion a request, just anything. Go and get yourself a hobby. Borrow it, buy it or produce it. But just be sure that you have something in you, that you're capable of doing without getting things messed up. I know how most of us think that our hidden talent is so hidden that even we haven't found it ourselves. Phew, story of every life!
But I'll tell you in a second why getting a pastime is so important.
First off I'd like to ask you people some questions. How many times have you thought to yourself of how useless and incapable you are? How many times have you thought of acquiring a new skill? How many times have you thought of making use of a talent that you're naturally gifted with?
It isn't long ago that I was listening to a professor of a university in the States, who was talking about people, who never get to know what talent breeds in them. He flashed light over how people think talent is knowing how to play the guitar, doing ballet, singing and dancing. Which he said, were in reality, not talents at all. They are skills. Talent is something that you're born with. That you already have in you. That are God-given. On the contrary, a skill is something that you learn and perfect with time and practice. He extended by explaining how ballet-dancing is a skill but how graceful, seamless and flexible your bodily movement is, your talent. Ofcourse, practicing plays a big part too. But are you getting what I'm telling you here? Like, being born with a good voice is your talent. But singing melodiously is a skill because you acquire it either from learning or practicing.
So, what is a 'talent'? The answer is that anything that you can do that you don't see many people around you doing, is your talent! Being a good listener, a good observer, a fast learner, or even a good cleaner is your talent. Because not many have this in them. You didn't get it from anywhere, you just had it instilled in you.
Alright, so getting back to the point. I was claiming of how essential it is for you to develop a skill. Trust me, it is going to make you feel wanted, important and useful. You'll feel like you've been reborn. Not only will this widen your horizons but would keep you busy, as well. You'll feel less bored and can kill time being productive. Moreover, it's interesting of how renewing and rejuvenating the process of learning and creating can be. During this process of mastering the art of something, you never know, you might be able to find some more talents buried somewhere inside you. Fun fact, there are chances you may get into less trouble than usual because an activity will surely keep you employed and engaged and may save you from worldly skirmishes. How cool is that?
So, the meat and potato of this post is, to go to the piano class you always wanted to go to, learn the acrobatic ice-skating you always wanted to learn, take that painting class you forever wanted to take! Do what makes you feel like yourself. You are amazing and capable and beautiful and special. You're a unicorn, with your distinct powers and energies and skills and talents. You are sui generis!
Good Luck... This is me signing off..xoxo

Looks you can try this Eid

Hey my angels! Since eid is right around the corner, I thought why not give my girls some ideas of how you can look BANGINGGG and beat the heat, since eid is in the summertime again.
Girls, I know how eid is a busy day for most of us. Not only does it call for being on your toes than usual, getting dressed up and doing all of the work adds more to the hassle. But do not worry. I listed some looks that are easy to achieve, consume less time and assures you look your best. They're simple and are going to make sure you look selfie-ready and cute.

Look #1: Edgy, but Simple.

For the Face:
1. Start by moisturizing your face with a light moisturizer meant for your face. Wait for five to six minutes so it sinks into your skin well. Then take a blob of your sunscreen and smear it on your entire face, not forgetting your neck.
You guys, this step is crucial even if you have oily skin. It helps your foundation to glide on better and makes your makeup stay on for longer.
2. Put on your primer if you want to. Or you can just start with your foundation. Blend it all nicely either with a kabuki brush, a sponge or your fingers. Don't forget the neck. Then put on a concealer if you wish to and have imperfections to cover.
3. Finish off with a powder to soak up grease on your face. Remember, this also increases the longevity of your makeup. Concentrate this product on your T-zone (which is your forehead, down the bridge of your nose and the chin) because they tend to be the oiliest.
4. Prime your eyelids if you want to. This makes sure your eyeshadow lasts. Powder ontop of concealer works fine too.
5. Take a medium brown coloured shadow on a fluffy brush and start blending it into the crease. This defines the shape of your eyes.
6. Next, take a black eyeliner of your choice and start drawing a thin line on your lashline. Now flick the line out directing towards the tail of your eyebrow. But make sure it isn't touching it. Connect that flick with the line on the lashline. Fill into the triangle that you've made. You'll end up with a winged eyeliner-look.
7. Put loads of black mascara onto the top and bottom lashes. Two coats are enough.
8. Darken and define your eyebrows with the product of your choice. An eyebrow pencil, a dark brown eyeshadow or an eyebrow gel, anything works. But make sure you don't skip this step. Your eyebrows are the frames to your eyes. They have to be on fleek!
9. Put on a little bit of blush on the apples of your cheeks. A muted pink or a nice corally peach would be awesome for daytime. Just make sure it's not too overpowering.
9. Highlight. It ends up looking amazing in pictures, reflects light and looks like you're glowing. Put it onto the tops of your cheekbones, down the bridge of your nose, your cupid's bow and a tiny bit on the chin and the forehead.
10. Finish off by applying a lipcolour of your choice. I'd suggest you to go with a soft pink or peach colour so that the eyes are the focal point. And you are done.

For the hair:
Since this is an edgy look, we'd keep the hair looking a bit non-girly too. Sonam Kapoor and Kendall Jenner seem to be rocking this hairstyle on the red carpet. The good thing is that it's very simple and super achievable too.
1. Make sure your hair is dry. Take a pea-sized amount of hair serum and smear it down your hair strands. Put a heat protectant of your choice and brush your hair gently to detangle and smoothen it.
2. Straighten your hair in sections with your hair straightener. Make sure the heat setting isn't too high that your hair gets burnt.
3. Once you've done straightening, part your hair onto the middle. You may use a tailcomb or a pencil to be extra sure that your parting is straight.
4. Tuck the frontal section of your hair behind your ears and pin it into place near the nape of your neck so that it is concealed.
5. Brush the rest of your hair and finish with a glossing spray to add shine.

I'd suggest you could try this look if you're wearing a pastel coloured dress. This adds just the right amount of statement and swish to your otherwise subtle appearance.

Look #2: Fresh and Dewy

For the Face:
1. Start with a clean face. Dab on some sunscreen and wait for a few minutes.
2. Take a dime sized amount of your light moisturizer and a thick blob of your liquid foundation and mix them together at the back of your hand. Blend it all over your face and neck.
This sheers out your foundation and gives you a healthy, skin like finish.
3. Correct and conceal your problem areas. Make sure it's nicely blended.
4. Put a little bit of powder over your entire face to eliminate shine with a big, fluffy face brush.
5. Dab on a little bit of a shimmery champagne coloured eyeshadow onto the centre of your eyelid, into the inner corners of your eyes and onto the browbone. Then put a medium brown into the crease making sure it looks nice and blended.
6. Take a dark brown or black eyeliner pencil and draw a thin line onto your upper lashline. Then taking that same coloured eyeshadow, smudge that eyeliner for a softer eye look. With a white or flesh-toned pencil, colour into your waterline. This gives you an appearance of bigger and brighter eyes.
7. Put loads of volumising mascara onto the upper and lower lashes.
8. Darken and define your eyebrows.
9. Do a slightest bit of contouring with a natural, matte brown colour beneath your cheekbones, onto the temples and down to your jawline. Think of it this way; you're​ making an E on one side of your face and a 3 on the other side.
10. Put a light blush.
11. Go a tad bit overboard with the highlighter. Use a rose-gold or a super champagne coloured highlighter on the highest points of your face.
12. Dab on a soft, nude coloured lip stain/stick and blot on a tissue to remove any excess.
13. Finish off with a finishing spray. You can even use rose water if you don't have one. This adds to the glow and sheen.

For the hair:
1. Make sure your hair is completely dry. Spray on a thermal protectant.
2. Tie your hair into a very high ponytail at the top of your head. Brush the ponytail smooth.
3. Use your curling tongs/wand/iron to curl large sections of your hair.
4. Spray a good holding hairspray all over.
5. Take the elastic band off and you'll end up with really pretty, old Hollywood, loose waves. Brush them with a wide-toothed comb.
This is my favourite way of curling my hair if I'm running outta time. And the results are pretty dope.

I'd suggest you pair this look up with probably a plain, non-glitzy kind of a dress. The luminosity on the skin will surely compliment the simplicity of of your attire.

Look #3: Bold and Beautiful

1. Do step 1-5 of the Look #1.
2. Then swipe a gold eyeshadow all over your lid till the socket. Put a white eyeliner into the waterline.
3. Finish off the eyes with tonnes of mascara on the top and bottom lashes.
4. Shape and sculpt your eyebrows.
5. Dab a little bit of a neutral blush colour onto your cheeks.
6. Line your lips with a lipliner and also fill them in. Put on the bold coloured lipstick as per your liking. It can be a brick-red, fuschia, burgundy or wine colour. Anything that your heart desires. Blot your lips on a tissue paper and you're done.

For the hair:
1. Grab all your hair into a high ponytail making sure you have no bumps or fly aways.
2. Insert a hair donut or simply start twisting all your hair. The goal here is to make a sleek top-knot.
3. Wind the hair around itself and pin it into place. Pouf up the entire top-knot to make it bigger. Pin any hair popping out.
4. Spray hairspray all over your hair
5. Pull a few pieces out to frame your face and straighten them. Bold lips call for a sleek updo like this one.

I'd suggest you to pair this look up with a simple, one colour outfit so that the pop of colour on the lips is a showstopper.

Look #4: Fun and Peppy

1. Follow steps 1-4 of Look #2 tutorial.
2. Take a coloured liquid eyeliner of your choice. I'd suggest you to not go with any crazy colours since it's Eid. Greens, blues or purples are fine. Draw a winged eyeliner making sure the wing isn't too statement-y. It should be wearable.
3. Coat your lashes with black mascara. This makes sure that the colour pops even more.
4. Fill in your eyebrows.
5. Dab some blush and highlighter.
6. Finish off with a rosy or terracotta lipstick.
7. Spray some fixing spray or rosewater all over. And you're done.

For the hair:
1. Straighten or curl your hair as per your liking.
2. Since we'll be making a pouf, grab the front section of your hair and tease gently. It's a great way to add volume to your hair.
3. Smoothen your hair and pin it at the back of your head. Incorporate some braids if you wish to.
4. Finish off with a hairspray.

I'd suggest you to wear this look if you're wearing a lawn outfit. It's fresh and dynamic and would really go with the summery vibes in the air.

Look #5: Bronzed Goddess

For the face:
1. Start by prepping the skin with moisturizer, sunscreen and primer.
2. Squirt out your liquid foundation​ on the back of your hand and add two to three drops of a liquid or cream highlighter of your choice. Mix them both together. Put this mixture on your face for a subtle glow. Blend for a seamless finish.
3. Conceal and correct all your problematic areas.
4. Powder your entire face making sure the foundation still peeks through. You don't want to make your face look Cakey.
5. Put a mauvy blush on the apples of your cheek. Then brush on a champagne coloured highlighter onto the highest points of your face. Then bronze the perimeters of your face.
6. Dab on a bronzy eyeshadow onto the lid. Darken the outer corners of your eyes in a V-shape to add depth, with a darker brown. Blend to diffuse the colours together.
7. Line your upper lashline with a dark brown or black eyeliner. Make sure it's a thin line. Load your eyelashes with a black mascara.
8. Groom and fill in your eyebrows.
9. Put a muted pink or peach lipstick or lipgloss. Dab a gold eyeshadow onto the centre of your lip so that your lips gleam in the day light. Metallic lips are very much in vogue this season.
For the hair:
1. Straighten or curl your hair as you like making sure you put a thermal protectant prior to applying heat.
2. Section your hair from ear to ear. Leave the front section loose and tie the hair at the back to keep them away from the face.
3. With a middle part, make two french braids going towards your ears. Secure them into place. Don't care about them being too neat. The messier, the better.
4. Untie the back section and let it loose, finishing​ off with a hairspray to tame any frizz.

I'd suggest you wear this look if you're wearing something bling-bling and traditional. The golds and earthy tones will surely compliment your attire.

I hope these mini tutorials by me, were helpful. These are just ideas that you can adopt if you're in a rut and want to look presentable. They are easy and achievable. Obviously, you can mix and match however you like. If you don't wanna wear any of these looks, it's fine. It's Eid day. Just follow your heart and be happy. That's the idea behind makeup. If it makes you feel good, you'll automatically look good too. Happy Eid!
Also, lemme know in the comment's section down below which look you'd be trying out, out of the five. I'd love to know what you'll be wearing this Eid so drop that down below too.
Much love xoxo.

What Matters is your Present

A few weeks back, I was watching Kung Fu Panda with my little cousins. By the way, my cousins drag me to sit in front of the television screen with them and make me watch animated movies, forcefully. And since I unofficially run a babysitting agency with my brother in the family, usually there is no way out but to sit with these little "angels" and "enjoy" the movie. Most of the time, I am the one who gets duties during the film to provide them with drinks and popcorn but I guess that day was my lucky one. My brother was the one devotedly doing this task and I watched the movie.
In that movie there was a dialogue that almost won my heart. I quote, 'Yesterday was History, Tomorrow is a Mystery and Today is a Gift, that's why it is called the Present!'
You guys, isn't this beautiful? Isn't this the most awakening thing you have heard in a while? Isn't this so spot on accurate? Isn't this thought provoking? At least it made me think for a few seconds.
How many times have we wondered of what will happen to us tomorrow? How many times have we worried for our future? How many times we have regretted over the things we've said or did in the past? How many times have we lamented over all the things, materialistic or not, that we lost in our past? How many times have we planned something else for ourselves but ended up with the exact opposite of that, hinting how we have no control over the universe or our own destiny? It has happened to ALL of us. No?

If our fate is trying to trace how we have no bridle over what's going to happen next, then why even bother worrying? Over the years I've learnt how we have control over everything, except one. Fortune. We can restrain our the thoughts in our mind and the size and shape of our body but we can't control what happens to us next. We are puppets of whom the strings are held in God's hands. The things that we have today, might not even be with us tomorrow. He drops off hints of how unpredictable and way par our thoughts life can be.
All the times you've blamed yourself for not saying something that you should have, done something that you should have, eaten something that you should have, bought something that you should have, did you no good than have endless regrets. They say that regret, is like a hungry virus. It eats up a person little by little but it's so hungry that even then, it's hunger never terminates. Even though in the process, there is nothing left of the person. Not even reminisces.The past is done. The only things you're left with are lessons and memories. All the mistakes that you've made, are only mistakes if you don't learn from them.

But the one thing that we have absolute control over is...the present! We have authority over the life we want to live, the people we want to surround ourselves with, doing deeds that makes people remember us in good words and doing things that make us happy.What really matters is the present. We are gifted with Today, it's time we celebrate it! Glorify every Today you're presented with. Make every Today count. Enshrine every Today by spreading nothing but virtuousness and love. Embrace every Today with doing activities​ that ends you up with no regrets. And welcome every Today with open arms hoping that it brings joy and happiness.

May your every Today be brighter and bigger than yesterday's Today. And may your tomorrow's Today be brighter than today's Today! (Amen)
Have a good day, everyone! And don't forget to leave your virtues, love and acceptance for the world, back home.

REVIEW: Nabila No Makeup Palette

Hella fellas! Hope y'all are doing good.
So first off, I'd like to tell you a back story. People who know me in person know how OBSESSED I am with makeup and how big of a makeup junkie I am. I buy wayyyy lot of makeup than normal people do (maybe, wear a lot of makeup than normal people do, too. But that anecdote later) . I frequently am on a hunt for products that suit me. In this hunt, I've found tonnes of hits and misses, wasted a lot of money on things I never even needed, discovered some holy grails and some ride-or-die makeup products.
I've been using Nabila's No Makeup Palette for over a year now. To the extent that now I plan on getting my second Palette. I got to know about this Palette through a morning show where Nabila, a makeup genius and the creator of this Palette was endorsing this baby. I tried finding reviews on the internet before getting my hands on this palette, but sadly found one or two which were way too brief and unhelpful for my liking. I thought of taking the risk and finally bought the palette last year. I plan on writing a comprehensive review on this palette to let you all know if it is worthy of getting a spot in your makeup stash or not. Do I approve of this product? Read along to find out.

Packaging:
Alright, first things first. Let's talk about the packaging. This palette is a nice square shaped compact-looking-like palette. It is a warm, matte gray colour and feels sorta sturdy too. The material is kind of a hybrid between rubber and plastic, which feels more like a thick, compressed rubber. On it, there are Nabila's initials imprinted in white colour which looks simple. Nothing too overpowering in that respect. Once you open the lid you see a nice mirror stuck inside which comes in quite handy, especially when you're on the go. The four cream products in the palette are protected from drying out and bacteria by a plastic covering, when you get it. The plastic also is printed showing you what is what. You need to peel it off to reveal the actual product. But hang on. Wait for the actual surprise. When you lift the cream palette, there's a compact powder that awaits for you. Not a new concept at all. I already have a lot of makeup with this "technology" but I wonder why this fascinated me so much? But, I guess makeup in general, fascinates me so whatever. This comes with a powder pouf kinda thing which is crappy but I guess a lot of you would probably appreciate that.

Pigmentation and Texture:
FYI: I have a medium to dark complexion with golden/deep yellow undertones. I am NC-42 in MAC, for reference. A lot of you might call mine an Indian complexion. For ages I thought I had olive skin, but apparently it isn't. It was when I went to the counter to test this stuff that I got to know that I have a honey skin tone. Therefore, the palette tailor-made for me was N-GAGE.
This palette consists of a concealer, a base, a blusher, a lipstick and a powder, as mentioned at the back of the palette.
Concealer/Corrector:
You guys, this stuff is my absolute favourite from the palette. It is basically a concealer and a colour-corrector, all in one. Now because I have it in N-gage, the colour corrector tends to be more of a deeper orange than my mom's palette (she has it in N-LIGHT which is meant for creamy skin tones). This orange is the PERFECT orange for my panda eyes. Now because I lean more towards the darker side, the hyperpigmentation on my face (under my eyes, around my mouth and tan lines down my cheekbones) is dark too. So I always needed something that would hide those without being too heavy or too patchy or without the hassle of adding another something to my makeup routine- a colour-corrector. This gets the job done beautifully. But because this stuff is so highly pigmented and so high coverage, it only has to be used a little. A thin layer tends to do a good job. It is thick, but not too thick to look cakey or gunky on your face. After some blending, it looks natural. The texture is soft and creamy and is best applied with your fingers, as suggested by Nabila. But I like to live the fancy life so I tend to use the BeautyBlender. It blends super nice with that too. But I would definitely suggest you to warm it between your fingers and then dab on because then, it blends like a dream. This has to be my favourite from the entire palette.
Foundation/Blender:
An okay-ish foundation. Not something that makes me say WOWWW. The texture is creamy and emollient and applies nicely onto the skin. A little goes a long way, especially if you use it to school, work or college. But if you wanna rock it in a party or a wedding, as a guest, you can absolutely do it. It gives a semi-dewy finish and is pretty buildable. It is medium to super full coverage so I'd suggest you to use it sparingly. Also, I did observe that it does not give flash-back in pictures which makes it photography-friendly too. However, the thing that bugs me the most is the quantity. Foundation is my most used product. I run out of them a lot quicker than any other thing. I think everybody does. I have already hit pan in the foundation compartment which makes me sad. Now I would have to buy another palette, just for the foundation and that would mean the contents of my older palette get wasted.
Blusher
Hmmm. Something that I have a love-hate relationship with. It is a nice deep, mauvy pink with cool undertones. I think this compliments my golden skin beautifully. I have no issues with the colour of this stuff. Definitely, a good addition to my blush collection because I don't know if I had this kind of a shade before. The problem is with the formulation. It's supposed to be a cream blush but it lacks in the creaminess. It is stiff and weird and have to rub your finger many times to really warm up the product to melt it. It is not too pigmented but I like that about it because then it means we have more control over the intensity of the colour. Nobody wants to look like Aunt Sally, eh?
It is buildable and looks pretty on the skin, even without the base underneath.
Lip-stick/stain
See, I have no issues with the colours and shades of these things. The concept behind this palette is to provide you with complementary colours for your skin tone. I think they are spot on. And once you have this on, you just look fresh and have a I-wokeup-like-this kinda face. Which I appreciate with all my heart. The issue is with the formulation. The lipstick is a perfect shade for :'a my lips but better' kind of a day. It's a deep burgundy-ish mauvy brown. Love the shade. The problem is that it smells really bad. It almost has that typical smell lipsticks have when they lose their shelf life. The nail to the coffin is the that I started to experience this smell exactly a month after I started using it. I has a satin finish on the lips but leans more to the glossier side. I often tend to blot my lips with a tissue paper, and then all is well. There is also another issue for which turns me off completely. Read on to find out.
Compact Powder:
Hands down, one of the best powders I have ever used. A blot of this really ties the look of your face, together. It is one of the butteriest and the most finely milled powder I have ever used. It mattifies your face, gives you an ample amount of coverage and leaves your skin looking poreless and flawless. Love this stuff! However I am heartbroken cause I dropped the palette on the floor once and this powder being so soft, got smashed. I guess, I can fix it with the rubbing alcohol hack so no worries.

Longevity:
The concealer tends to crease under my eyes even though I set it with the powder after 3-4 hours. The rest of the face looks okay even after 5-6 hours. However your oil glands do show their activity and there are chances you may want to blot again during the day with the compact. The compact is not translucent, so remember that a lot of it may give you a cakey appearance. Touch ups can obviously be  done. The blush doesn't wear off completely so that's a plus. And the whole and sole reason, I hate the lipstick is that it doesn't stay on the lips for even one straight hour, without you even eating or drinking anything. It just DOESN'T stay!

Availability:
This palette retails for PKR 6999 at any outlet of Scentsation. I do think that it is a little bit on the pricier side but that should mean everything SHOULD be spot on, which it isn't. There is room for improvement. It is available in six shades.
N-VITE for fair skin
N-GELIC for ivory skin
N-LIGHT for creamy skin
N-GAGE for honey skin
N-CHANT for olive skin
N-TICE for almond skin
Good luck in getting your match. If you do, you're set for your life.
It is also available via a courier service called TCS. But I'll highly suggest you to go in store and get it tested on your skin. Colours may vary in images. However, if you're rebuying it, it isn't a bad option at all.
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely! I can't wait to get my hands on my second palette. If you're a deeper skin tone, you know the struggles of finding your perfect match. I literally endorse this product anywhere I go. I get asked by people of how flawless and poreless my skin looks. The answer is always this perfecting palette. I'd give it a 4.5/5 because getting my perfect base is everything for me.
Disclaimer: These thoughts are my own. This review is 100% honest and is not sponsored by any third-party.
(Tell me if you wanna see swatches and I will)

Confide in Someone

Hola Fam! I hope you guys are doing well.
I hope you people are not too annoyed with the hurly burly of the world and of course, the summers. You know there was a time when I used to say that summers are my favourite spell of the year. But I guess, I would have to take my words back. Summertime is a monster, especially if you're fasting too. Phew! Okay, enough of my diatribe. Now onto the point.
Do you ever want to breakdown but can't because you're too ashamed to be shedding tears in front of someone, so all you do is go to your bathroom, turn the tap on (well, for obvious reasons) and start crying as silently as you can because that's the best that you can do? Do you ever feel so out of place that you think you just don't belong to this world and nobody understands you and you're weird and a loser and just too tired to explain because nobody gets your state of mind , whatsoever? Have you ever experienced that feeling when nothing feels alright and you feel like a crumpled paper or a useless plastic bag drifting through the wind trying to find its destination? Do you want to be somebody else because you're sick of feeling left out or unheard and not given attention to and useless? Do you feel like you're anxious and depressed at the same time and there's something building up inside you which is choking you and suffocating you but you just can't do anything about it because even you can't seem to help yourself out because even you don't know what it is?
Well, if the things mentioned above seem and feel familiar to you then there's only one thing that I will highly, highly suggest you in doing. And, that is.....
TO CONFIDE IN SOMEONE OR SOMETHING!
You guys, trust me you'll feel so light and good about yourself that it will almost feel unreal. I just cannot stress on the vitality of unloading your problems and gunk on someone whom you trust and believe in. Find someone in your family or friends who has rightfully won your trust. It may be your Mom, your Dad, a sibling, another relative that you're close to or a friend whom you can repose your faith in. But make sure that that person is truly there to be your listening ear, is ready to lend you a shoulder that you can cry on and is ready to give you sincere suggestions. Someone who is ready to keep your secrets safe with them and don't just say what you would want to hear, but gives you suggestions and opinions that are faithful. But beware, not all people are worthy of listening to your problems. So choose wisely.
If you think there isn't anybody with whom you can talk to, do what Anne Frank did. Write a journal or a daily diary. That diary may not be able to give you suggestions like an actual person would but it'll surely lighten the build up inside you.
Also, try to be a listening ear to someone. You never know what the other person is going through. I confide in my Mummy. She has always been and forever be my best friend with whom I can talk about absolutely anything without the fear of being judged. She has seen me when I was at my best, at my good, at my bad and at my worst. She has seen all my faces, the faces that the rest of the world haven't seen. The faces you wouldn't even imagine I can have.
You also, find yourself an ear that listens and a heart that loves you. Find someone with whom you are a hundred percent comfortable showing the best and the worst you. One who is ready to see a vulnerable you. A broken you. An exhausted you. A heartbroken you. One who is ready to listen to you.
Good Luck!

Dark and Divine

She had always been told that she's not up to the mark,
Because she had skin that was dusky and dark,
But did this mean she failed to hit the mark?
For she always believed her personality to have that spark.

Is it her fault that gold eyeshadow perches better on her eyelid?
That her face doesn't need a nimbus to seem lit?
For the amount of melanin she has under her skin?
Or that she doesn't need fake tanners, like girls in Berlin?

She's brown in colour, but with golden undertones,
Which gives her a luminescence, a 'lit from within' glow,
Because beauty standards in the world come and go,
But this 'dark-skinned' stigma dwells, and nothing grows.

For a beauty pageant she went, but was kept away from the mains,
Little did they know, she was a beauty with brains,
So she struggled to keep her guard up with all the pains,
And longed for something to be a part of all domains.

In ten years time, she went on and explained,
How if you were dark, you had to extra extra try,
Because societal norms will push you and make you cry,
But one day, your fate will smile back in wry.

Being dark didn't mean she was any less than the others,
Her whole life she remained exceptional than her brothers,
She had wanted to soar, if she had the duthers,
After all, she was really the mother of all Godmothers.

Now she's at the top, against that remark,
That she was tall and thin, but oh! so dark!
For they were strangers to the truth that her aura wasn't stark,
It was only her shell that was infinitely divine, but dark!

(Inspired by my favourite model, Amna Ilyas. She truly is dark and divine)

Create Happiness

Hello my people! How are you all? I hope you guys are enjoying the holy month of Ramadan, if you're a Muslim. Not that you can't enjoy if you aren't a Muslim. Ramadan is all about spreading goodness and making God and people around you happy.
Happy. What is being happy towards you? What is happiness for you? Well, for me, happiness is satisfaction. It is gratification. It's accepting the fact that whatever you're blessed with is to be thanked for and whatever you do not have is to be patient and uncomplaining for. Happiness is like a drug. The more you have it, the more you would want to have it. This drug gives you pleasure and gives you feelings of Euphoria. Happiness is something that not all have, just like an addiction for drugs. Not all have it, but someday or the other, you covet to have a taste of it.
If you think money buys happiness, then I must say that it's pretty much delusional. And trust me on this one. Over the years I've learnt how money can buy comfort, peace of mind, status, anything but happiness. Some people spend their whole lives trying to be successful. Creating a world of their own because they think, the more productive they are, the more successful they'd become and hence the more happy they would be. In the process their inner child dies without them even realizing. They have to find themselves until they lose themselves completely. After some time, they realise how foolish they were. At the end of this path they had chosen to walk on, they realise how unhappy they are. The happiness that they were trying to find in the way, flew higher than they were flying. Happiness is like dry sand. The more tightly you clench your fist to hold it, the more you start losing it. The lighter your fist is, the more you'll be able to hold it in your hand.
Happiness doesn't come to you served in a plate. You have to work on and for it. You have to CREATE it. Around you, beside you. You need to let go of things, materialistic or not, people, habits, everything that you think is coming in your way of seeking happiness. You need to flush off all the negativities, all the toxins you behold, whether in your body or in your life. Surround yourself with people you make you feel like it's you. If there's someone in your life who makes you want to hate yourself, those are the kind of people you need to get rid of. Envelope yourself with people who not only you love but who make you fall in love with yourself. Only then, you would truly feel happy as warm fuzzies. Are you feelin' me here?!
I'll wind up by saying that you're only happy when you're truly contented. Find your way to contentment. It'll be worth it.
Good Luck!

YOU are your own Competitor

You, yes you, the one who's reading this. This is a reminder that you are not in competition with anyone. And by anyone, I MEAN ANYONE. Never have you ever been, never will you ever be. You were not born to compete with others in any way, shape or form. Nobody is like you in any way, physically, psychologically or emotionally.
We are all different. We shall forever be different. We were born to be different. Our own kind of different. We make different choices, choose different paths to walk on in life, think differently, act differently, have different personalities, different interests, different faces, different bodies, different souls and different smiles. If we can be this different from one another, why do we waste our time trying to compete with one another? We all have different strengths, different weaknesses, different talents, different mindsets, different abilities for a reason. If we weren't born the same, why do we keep on getting far ahead a person who isn't even this close to who we are?

Aren't we all in the same team? Aren't we supposed to play with each other instead of against? Aren't we supposed to pick the ones who have fallen down instead of winning our own races? If we aren't in competition with other humans, then why even bother winning.
Life is like a relay race. Each one of you have to play your part efficiently. Only then will your team win. Only then will OUR team win.
But oops. I lied. I lied when I said we aren't in competition with ANYONE. Actually, we are. We are in competition with our OWN SELVES!
YOU are your own competitor! Today, you should be a better version of yourself from yesterday. And tomorrow, you should be a better version of yourself from today. You are in constant competition with your own self, your own conscience, your own thoughts, your own weaknesses.
You shall rise today, tomorrow and always.
May you, me and everyone be successful in this competition with ourselves with flying colours!
Good luck.

Be Grateful and Patient

You are reminded how God, the universe or whichever higher powers you believe in, has three answers to your prayers. 'Yes', 'not yet' or ' I have something better'. But never 'no'.
It will happen. It is MEANT to happen. After all, you asked God for something. One of His attributes includes to never disappoint His people. He will never let you down.
Remember, that anybody can disappoint you but Him. Remember, what you prayed for, if it's taking time, will not be good but the best. Remember, even fruits take time to grow ripe, sweet and succulent. Imagine how 'fruitful' your prayers will become if they're getting delayed by the Authority! Remember, everything comes to you at the right time. You just need to be patient and trust the process.
Every prayer that you make, you learn two things; sometimes one at a time, sometimes both together. They are PATIENCE and GRATITUDE. Two really amazing qualities that not all have, including myself maybe.
So the next time if He makes you wait, feel yourself as the lucky one because it means He wants to instill these two special qualities in you.
On this very note, remember that it takes time for good things to come to you. You just need to believe in your very belief.
Good luck! There's an amazing day ahead of you. Enjoy!

YOU are Irreplaceable

What does being yourself mean to you? Do you ever feel insecure over how your nose looks? Or how you completely lack in the eyebrow department? Or how thin or strange your voice sounds? Or your visits to a weighing scale and back have been full of stress and anxiety? Does reading this makes your head nod in agreement? Yes? No? Yes? Well if it does, then don't worry. I've got your back because it's entirely normal. It's absolutely perfect being imperfect.

During giving me a pep talk one day, my Mom told me how your imperfections make you YOU! Imagine how plain and boring life could be if everybody was born with perfect hair, flawless skin and perfect body. There would be nothing special about anybody. Nobody would be different. We'd all look the same. There would have been no concept of individuality.

Trust me people, the best thing you can be is YOU. You are different. You are the best. You are awesome. And you are awesome only because you are yourself. There wasn't a person like you in history. There will never be a person like you in the future. There could be similar people but still not the same. Very similar meanings but still very different.

You radiate your own distinct kind of energies to the universe. All of you. The universe is in dire need of the energies that you radiate. Your energies, good or bad, are irreplaceable. You are irreplaceable. 

The choices that you make are like your fingerprints. They make you unique. The mistakes that you make, conscious or not, doesn't make you a bad human being. They just confirm that you ARE a human being. Nobody has the heart, mind, body and soul that you do. Remember that you are too valuable and rare to be replaced. You do not owe anything to anybody, except yourself. You are not anybody's privilege, except your own. You are YOU. You are needed. You are beautiful. You are AWESOME! You are capable of so much. You just need to try yourself out.

Good luck!

Create!

How much time do you spend working on yourself? How much time do you spend working on your dream? In the last last 90 days, how many good books you've read? And in the past few months, what new skill or knowledge have you acquired? What kind of investment have you made in you?
See, whatever you're doing, how you spend your time, that tells you who you are. You need to find yourself until you lose yourself completely.
This is a life class. That means that we have an oppurtunity to learn how to maximize our lives. Think of the things that you're doing that somebody else could be doing. And think of yourself as a precious commodity that you're going to reserve your energies for your highest and best use. Think of it in this way. Have you ever asked yourself, are you being effective? In a world like today's, are you really effective or is your life cluttered with all kinds of stuff that demands you and drains you and taxes you and stops you from being your highest and best self?
They say, "If you want to fly higher, you must leave everything that weighs you down". And you would want to soar, wouldn't you?
I think that the best way to find and be yourself is to be creative. And fellas trust me on this one, it takes time to be creative. You were created in the likeness and image of a Creator and in that likeness of that image, you have creativity! There's a part of you that wants to create. So let that part free. Let that part of you create a masterpiece on the canvas of LIFE.
So, what are you going to do today?
Good luck with whatever it is!
Remember that you're capable of so much, you may even surprise yourself someday.

Listen to Yourself

You guys, this is what I always say and believe in. Do stuff that makes YOU happy. If you're happy, only then you'd be able to radiate good and happy vibes to people around you. Take a little time out for yourself. Listen to yourself. Listen to what your heart, mind and body want to tell you. Meditate. Think. Go out for a jog. And i always stand by my way of meditation i.e. painting your nails! It's kinda foolproof. Just do something that fills you with contentment and peace. And this coming from a hyperactive soul like me is pretty weird. No? But folks, its important. It's important to know what your ownself wants to tell you. Sometimes the dead frequency of your soul doesn't necessarily reach your ears because the other frequencies are superior. Sometimes the frequency of your heart, mind and body are either lower than 20Hz or greater than 20kHz. But friends reach out and be your own Bestfriend. Take in positivity. Let your body breathe. And folks, breathing doesn't merely mean to take in oxygen and expel out carbon dioxide from your lungs. That may be the literal meaning of "breathing".
Towards me, breathing is taking in all the good things the world has to offer and releasing all the negativities you behold. Self-love is important. More than you think it is.
Because at the end of the day, it all begins with YOU.
Have a good night sleep, everyone!