NARS Masterclass

I went to a NARS Masterclass at Selfridges in London today, held by the NARS' Global Lead Stylist Jane Richardson. She was an absolute delight to learn from with plenty of tips and advice throughout the class. She had a model in the front that she was going to put makeup on step by step, while we tried to imitate what she was doing on ourselves.

We were seated in tables of four, surrounded by fellow beauty junkies that were gasping at the beautiful table of make up that we could play with. The table had the new Summer '12 collection that was absolutely gorgeous, plus an AMAZING makeup laptop that made me hyperventilate. It had a generous selection of eye-shadows, blushes and bronzers.
 Jane really stressed the importance of good skincare. Less is more when it comes to makeup, and good skincare really reduces the need for heavy makeup. After learning that NARS skincare uses SHISEIDO technology, I was very impressed. I always look at Shiseido as the epitome of skincare, and NARS definitely gained some brownie points from me after I found out that little fact!


The first step was moisturizing and priming to prep the skin. We started by cleaning our faces with the Nars Cleansing Water. We then applied the Nars Hydrating Freshening Lotion which I really liked, followed by the hydrating moisture cream and the nourishing eye cream. I then applied the SPF primer before using the sheer matte foundation in Syracuse with our fingers. We then used concealer (mine was a shade called Biscuit) which we applied with brush #7 over dark circles and any blemishes. We patted down the foundation base with some powder (a technique Jane calls Rock and Rolling), and applied some bronzer before starting on the eyes.

We used a smudge-proof eyeshadow primer (something I'd recommend purchasing from them- it's lovely and really holds in the eye shadow perfectly) before applying a light shimmery eye shadow. She taught us how to apply eyeshadow around the eye to shape it in a way to flatter our unique eye shapes and bone structure. We then used a darker eyeshadow with an eyeliner brush to draw a very subtle line on our lash line, before applying the mascara.

We then put blush on, and I was a bit adventurous and tried a shade called Exhibit A. It's a bright red that you can see below in all the pictures. I really REALLY loved how that looked. It's really not as intense as it looks. If you ask the lovely artists at the counter to show you how to apply it, I'm sure you'd be hooked just the way I was!

Finally, we put on some lipstick. I played around and tried on a bunch of different colours. Dragon Girl was a lovely red that is actually one of their best sellers. I also really liked the Never Say Never that's part of their new Summer Collection. 

Here are some pictures!

Once again, I apologize for the terrible quality (all the pictures are from my phone because I forgot my camera in Dubai!)

 The secret hallway on the 3rd floor that leads to BLISS.

 *drools*

 *still drooling*


(the blush Exhibit A is the bright red one on the bottom right corner just above the bronzer)

Our goodie bag!

 We got cupcakes from Cake Boy- the bakery that designed Madonna's wedding cake! They had really funky cupcakes in different shades of the best selling NARS products

There was also a tiny bag of miniature samples of some of NARS' new or bestselling products. There was a small bottle of makeup removing water, tinted moisturizer in Alaska shade (way too light for me- does anyone want it?), a tiny sample of their bestselling blush, Orgasm (I know! I always giggle when I ask for it at the counter, but I've been a die-hard fan of it for years!). Finally, there was a lovely gold nailpolish called Senryou.




Overall, I had a lovely time at the class! I really do recommend a similar class if anyone gets the chance. It was basically free- the fee paid for the class is redeemable against any NARS purchase.

I ended up buying the SPF Primer, Sheer Matte foundation, concealer, brush #7, and the blush Exhibit A. I really had to try to contain myself and not buy everything I used! But there are definitely some other things on the list.

And that's about it! Hope you enjoyed this post and I hope it wasn't too long to read.
I'd love it if you drop a comment or an email with any questions, requests or comments. Please do follow my blog, I've got lots of great posts in mind for the future. It's super-easy. Just type in your email on the column on the right.

Have a good night!

X
Feryal

What's That Crap On Your Face?

I recently found an old brush of mine that I thought I had lost on the floor under my dressing table. It was covered in dust and old make up. And that's when it occurred to me.

I haven't cleaned my brushes in months. 

I scrunched up my face in disgust, grabbed up my brushes, and gave them a long over-due washing! 

So here's a lecture for all the lazy girls.
 

Would you clean your face with a dirty towel? Re-used tissues? No! 

Did you know that your face sheds millions of dead skin cells everyday, and that every time you put foundation or blusher on, it's getting caught on your brush? Gross, yes?

Here's just a glimpse at what your makeup brushes can carry: 

Old makeup, dirt and dust, bacteria, oils, dead skin cells.

So what's my point?

 

CLEAN YOUR BRUSHES. 

They're an investment. You want a positive return on your investment- not a loss. Clean, clean, clean. Don't exfoliate during the day and then use a dirty brush on fresh skin!

I can not stress how important it is to wash your make up brushes. If you don't, it could be the reason you're breaking out! And wouldn't it be ridiculously counter-productive to cover up our blemishes with brushes that could be making it worse?

And it's SO easy. 

All you need is a sink with warm water flowing, and a make up brush cleanser or baby shampoo. I've been using M.A.C's brush cleanser for years. 

This is how dirty my brushes were before.

What you want to do is hold each brush facing downwards under warm water.

Next, pour just a little bit of the brush cleanser in the palm of your hand, and rub the brush around on your hand. You should see colour coming out on the palm of your hand. Enjoy it, that's the crap that you were just about to ignorantly put on your skin.

Wash it under the water again, squeezing out the water from the roots to the tips.

Pour a drop of the brush in the palm of your hand again, and rub in your brush carefully (like paintbrush strokes -back and forth,- don't drive your brush roughly) until you get a white lather. That's when you know the brush is clean and there's no more old dirty makeup or dirt in there. 

Wash it under lukewarm water again. 

Squeeze out the excess water -always pointing downwards (you don't want to wash the dirt back into the brush)- and make sure the water droplets come out clear.

Shape your brush to the way it's supposed to look, and set on a clean towel to dry.

This is how clean my brushes were afterwards! You wouldn't even have guessed that some of those brushes were originally white!

And that's it! 
I recommend doing this at least once a month if you regularly put make up on. And maybe even once a week (or more if you're not too lazy) with your foundation brush.  


Hope you found this helpful. If you have any questions, do drop me a comment or an email- I would love to hear from you! Also, if there is anything you would want to read a post on, I'd be glad to do what I can although I'm no expert. 
And please follow the blog to keep up to date with more posts coming up. It's easy-peasy. Just drop your email on the right corner of the blog, and I promise I won't flood your email with too many updates.

Have a lovely evening!

Feryal

Afternoon Tea at Pennyhill Park Hotel

With the beautiful sunny weather around UK at the moment, we decided that it was the perfect day to go outside London for afternoon tea. We found a GORGEOUS boutique hotel in Surrey that I'm now completely in love with, the Pennyhill Park Hotel.

Unfortunately I attacked the food as soon as it came and forgot to take pictures of it. But to sum it up, the scones were absolutely delicious. The latte and tea was pretty amazing as well. The latte was HOT, everywhere else I find in London serves me my lattes lukewarm and no matter how many times I say "extra" before hot, it never does the trick. Also, the tea was very strong. I ordered the Assam tea because that's typically the strongest tasting- just the way I like it).

The rest was okay. Sandwiches were pretty average, and the rest of the pastries were way too sweet.

Overall, what's really worth going all the way there for was just to look at the beautiful hotel.

Here are some pathetic phone pictures that really do not do the place justice.

















We sat outside, surrounded by these views.

The staff were incredibly friendly, and gave us a bumpy scary ride on the club car all along the golf course to show us around.

And because of the hot summer weather,

Shirt: Oversized shirt from Tommy Hilfiger
Pants: Leigh jeans from TopShop
Shoes: Prada loafers
Bag: Vintage-inspired from Urban Outfitters

Headpiece: Chiffon brown scarf from My Fair Lady (Dubai)
Necklace: Bought from a store in Spitalfields Market


*I buy a huge collection of these scarfs from My Fair Lady, they're very light and the fall is very pretty. They're not too expensive and last forever, and you can custom order them in the colours you want.










I'm off to the Claridge's Hotel in Mayfair to try out their Afternoon Tea today, and hopefully will have better pictures with an actual camera!

x
Feryal

Sketching

I've been meaning to go to the art store since summer vacation started, but I just got the chance. I've tried different ways of colouring in designs, and found that I preferred using watercolour pencils. Me being the genius that I am, I went all the way to the store and bought everything I need EXCEPT a paintbrush, to wet the watercolours. But anyway. Here's a photo of a couple of my sketches, really rough and probably looking horrible on paper, but it usually translates well when it comes to life, or at least if I had a paintbrush on hand!




#nowplaying: I Need- Maverick Sabre
Have a lovely sunny weekend everybody!
X
Feryal

My Own

Summer 2010, I got my driver's license. I felt liberated. I could finally go and do all of the things I wanted to, without needing someone to drive me around. And what was the first thing I did? Drove to Satwa (one of Dubai's oldest markets), bought lovely cotton jersey fabric, drove to my trusty tailor, and designed a few tops that were light and breezy enough to make the heat tolerable, while still modestly covering myself to be compatible with a hijab on. I had initially only made it for myself to use when we travel, but after I showed my cousin, she made me realise it was a great business venture.

And that's when it started.

 Here are a few pictures of my first few pieces I designed.

 This one's a very loose cut in cotton jersey. I used a beige bow belt (from TopShop) here, but the tops actually come with matching ropes that are braided, with holes on the front sides of the shirt to loop through, and make it a bit more feminine. This was my first design and are still the most popular because of how airy and cool they are, and because there's no need to layer!

This is a shirt of pure silk, with vintage gold buttons and similar ropes on the side just to catch the front of the top.

 This, personally, is a favourite of mine. It's just too comfortable. Wearing it gives me the same feeling as getting out of skinny jeans and into pyjamas. Super breezy, cotton maxi dresses. Perfect for relaxing in the summer by the beach or for long sunny days!















Everything comes in a range of colours, and are by order (so if there are specific requests like making something shorter or longer, it is possible). They're usually ready within a few days.

I usually can only design a few months of the year when I'm back in Dubai, which is why I only have a chance to come up with a few good cuts. Last year, I was in such a rush, I couldn't even take proper pictures of my newer designs- these are only pictures of a few of my initial designs. My more recent designs were of dresses that were catered for evening wear, and not necessarily for the hijab. I also designed leopard print silk harem pants and a maxi skirt, which I made in block colours and with different patterns.

 It's always so much fun designing and planning a photoshoot. Thankfully, I have friends who are great models and are always willing to help me out! Hopefully, this summer I'm going to be in Dubai all summer and I'm planning on just focusing on designing! I'm REALLY excited about it. I'm going to branch out and work with all sorts of fabrics and cuts. I'm already planning my next photoshoot, and a sketchbook full of new designs. I hope I don't disappoint!

Please do contact me if anyone's interested in ordering anything, or if you have any questions.

e-mail: f.eshaq@gmail.com

Enjoy. :)

X
Feryal

Make Up Junkie

Confession #1

I obsessively watch makeup tutorials on YouTube.

You can also frequently find me copying looks I find to practice makeup techniques when I'm bored or preparing for a wedding or party that's coming up. I'm always looking for good Marilyn Monroe tutorials, and if you've been struggling as I have or just fancy a look, here is a lovely video by my favourite make up artist, Lisa Eldridge.

 I must admit though, I'm not a big fan of the lips in this video- but that's Marilyn's look, I suppose. Her eye make up however, j'adore.

http://www.lisaeldridge.com/video/21757/marilyn-monroe-iconic-make-up-look/

Hope you enjoy this. I'd love it if you tell me what you think!

X

Mess

Shoes excite me. Economics captivates me. Fitness and nutrition intrigue me… and cookies make me happy. Add in a few photos of my Outfits of The Day of an Arab adapting to the London lifestyle, and my dabbling in fashion design catering to girls that are looking for hijab-friendly outfits, and hopefully you get a fun, quirky blog that you can relate to, or at least enjoy.

X
Feryal