I found THE lipstick :D

Reserve Naturelle Mauritius has this lovely nude pink shade, which I suppose suits all skin types.I have, ever since the launching of the nude makeup trend, tried several shades of nude lipstick,  Do not expect rich luscious color herey. It is matte, and needs a lip balm especially if you have dry lips. Use a lipstick brush to fill in the wrinkles first, then glide on.
It makes a great natural day time look. If you want great party pink lips, you only need to add some gloss.
Very affordable, if you are looking for a good product, minus big investment. My shade's reference number is 3411.

Ideation Fashion!

The thought process for what-to-wear-at-home-for Eid starts well before Ramadaan for many women. Jilbaabs and Abayas, plus trendy scarves seem relatively easy to find (and yeah, a new online store Hijab Flair will be launched in July insha Allah in Mauritius! YAY!) But deciding what to wear at home is always fun. We Muslims do not celebrate festivals other than 2 Eid's and we  make sure both are equally special! :-)


Slim camel trousers may not last through seasons. It's a risky fashion item for the most, and tends to be paired with white, flowing, transparent tops. They can be taxing to wear if you have a few extra inches on the hips, especially if they are low-cut. My tip is to get velvety material that provides comfort and slim fit without being sooo tight fitting that a bulge might show.

So I bought my pair from the Bershka collection, available at Pridemark, Mauritius. It is a casual pair, which I want to dress up using, perhaps a lace dress... well I still have time to decide :-)

The ultimate fashion mistake? Confusing CAMEL and NUDE. Sandy colors are acceptable. Flesh-colored trousers giving the illusion of not wearing trousers at all is NOT the effect you should be looking for, mind you :-)

Pleated Front

Folded Hemline (Ankle Length)

Slim Brown Belt

Women first, then mothers.

I am,by Allah's bounty, a mother. It is widely understood that a woman, at some point of her life, SHOULD be a mother, even in the most expansive societies. Factors of age, partner and health are only secondary. The norm has it that a woman is bound to feel the need/desire to be a mother at some point. In relatively smaller communities, like here, in Mauritius, a married woman is asked whether she wants children soon. Whether she's on the pill. If she hasn't conceived after a while, she will be asked (by 'well-wishers') whether her husband does not want children. Or told about the endless side effects of the pill which could have supposedly caused infertility. In high class societies, the woman will be referred to doctors who have conducted successful IVFs.

My heart today reaches out to the woman for whom Allah decreed that she will not bear a child. Often, she will be unscrupulously blamed, it is amazing how people will wonder whether she is inferttile, whether her husband/partner is. Whether she has been on the pill for too long. Whether she is 'modern' and too career minded to have a child.

Often, people will forget that it is not in the hands of any doctor, any Man, to make a woman bear a child. Today, I choose hence to understand, be tolerant, be compassionate towards the woman who cannot bear a child. Indeed, the reason for infertility lies with Allah. Indeed, it can be a tremendous affliction and test upon a sister, a friend...


Let us reach out to the sister who
1. Due to stress of not being a mother, finds only a career/job to keep her going and prevent depression.
2. Due to a history of hidden abuse, whether physical, mental or sexual, finds it impossible for her to bear and take the responsibility of a child.
3. Due to acute forms of depression, or any physiological cause, knows that childbirth would be more of a burden.
4. Due to cancer, chronic asthma, Fallopian tube being damaged, ovarian cysts, and other medical causes, is forbidden by the doctor to have a child, lest she might endanger her own life.

Instead of rejecting the sister who finds herself in such a situation, let us all, insha Allah, find the courage to extend our love and support to her, and make this test less hard. Ameen.

Wedding Make up

My Wedding Make Up

My wedding was a low key affair, with only close friends and family. But like any girl, I did want to look my best, and classy. Neither shimmery, nor glittery, just enhancing my best features, with just a bit of highlighting and concealing the last minute pimple. Now I did not use the BB creme, I believe you could, if you are lucky enough not to have panda eyes. I used the Maybelline Wonder Finish in some cinnamon color, to suit my medium skin. The powder finish gave a lovely matte finish. I believe it's no longer available on their website.

As for my Bourjois make up, they resisted the (wear, and) tears. The blush gave a lovely blushing bride glow, but paler skins would need shades of pink, or cherry. You may want to wear a matte pink or coral shade under the lipgloss, because any gloss wears off easily anyway, and more so if you are a bride, with all the kissing, and probably eating :D I wore Estee Lauder in Coral, for its hydrating factor and creamy texture.
I used the minimal amount of products a bride could possibly use. I had planned smokey eyes, but found the Bourjois smokey in black too harsh for a bride with undereye bags (which came from too much stress, I presume!) I hence mixed a bit of white and gold eye shadow (both from an old Maybelline eye quartet) and brushed them in a light wash on my eyes, keeping the pale shimmer only to my eyelids. I completed the look with a thin flick of Reserve Naturelle Black eyeliner, and several coats of black L'Oreal Telescopic mascara.

I did have a small pinkish pimple on my cheek, but decided to ignore it. I rather enjoyed the feeling of being a bride, and the beaming glow hid any imperfection my skin may have.

Doing my make up myself, I absolutely wanted to escape the MASK. You know, when you don't usually wear a lot of make up, hire a make up artist for your wedding, who gives you very pale white greyish skin...shudder! Your wedding make up should be an extension of your usual look, just a lil more elaborated. Never ever try something new, or something you are not used to. You will feel uncomfortable, and it will be pretty obvious. You want your husband to find you beautiful, you want him to see the woman he fell for, not a completely different woman. (Unless he likes you to morph into someone else...) (Eeks, in which case you should be askin yourself a few questions may be..:D)

Crinkled scarf and Animal print.

I bought a nice crinkled grey hijaab with lovely pink cashmere pattern from A Touch of Beauty. Yes, a large one, which gives a nice puff, without a camel hump. A fold or two were enough to give good volume. It was available in a light cotton material, which is perfect for the summer. (I have of late seen same cashmere designs on pashminas).
However, the housekeeper decided to iron it out after washing, leaving me completely devastated! (well, I'm exaggerating) Yet it remained completely wearable, like any normal scarf would.

Grey Cotton Crinkled Scarf, ironed out.

Animal prints are in,as you may know, if you flip through designer abaya magazines. It is an equally big trend on catwalks, as you may spot in the Roberto Cavalli 2012-2013 Winter Collection. However, it is no excuse  to wear it top to toe. You can adapt the trend to look modest and wearable (being a hijaabi, you want to avoid flashy stuff at all cost). I chose this lovely Brown Crinkled scarf, which does not have the leopard print all over (or is that a tiger print?), which I got as a gift from UK. It gives you an amazingly trendy look, without being tacky. (Coz wearing a leopard print abaya, plus leopard stilettos, plus leopard clutch, plus leopard scarf makes you look like well...a leopard!)

Brown Animal Print Crinkled scarf.

Woman Work

I've got the children to tend
The clothes to mend
The floor to mop
The food to shop
Then the chicken to fry
The baby to dry
I got company to feed
The garden to weed
I've got shirts to press
The tots to dress
The can to be cut
I gotta clean up this hut
Then see about the sick
And the cotton to pick.

Shine on me, sunshine
Rain on me, rain
Fall softly, dewdrops
And cool my brow again.

Storm, blow me from here
With your fiercest wind
Let me float across the sky
'Til I can rest again.

Fall gently, snowflakes
Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and
Let me rest tonight.

Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow
You're all that I can call my own. 

Maya Angelou

That near-perfect complexion! YAY!

For my first post, I choose to speak of skin care/ coverage.
Like any busy mum who lives in a hot, humid country, I have been praying to find a product that provides coverage, moisturises my dry skin, yet is light and wearable during the day. What I have tried before has given me only partial satisfaction- Maybelline's Powder Finish in Cinnamon, which I used for my wedding, was long lasting and matte. Ideal for nightwear, but absolutely unwearable during the summer in Mauritius (unless you are sitting under an AC)
The media's been feeding us with this new trend of Blemish Balm creams. BB creme from Garnier has got to be your next buy if you want to skip heavy creamy sticky foundation, which cannot be worn in Mauritian tropical summer, (and if you want to avoid looking grey by the end of a party).

The BB creme I recommend!

So basically, you have an all in one product that nourishes the skin, hides little tidbits like blackheads, unwaxed moustaches (oh mums, don't you know the pain...). Though my complexion is medium fair, I bought the Light one. (Not available in Mauritius I believe, bought it from Boots, UK.) It is also easy to remove, has an SPF 15, is suitable for Asian complexions, as well as lighter ones, has a light texture.
If you wear a hijaab, you may not want to wear anything that will stain it. Believe me this cream won't. Instead of a mask type coverage, it simply is a tinted moisturiser that provides enough camouflage to hide little imperfections until your next facial! So do give it a try!