10 perfumes your young self will want

1. Alien by Thierry Mugler, just like its name the scent is very unusual but in a good way, alot of people compliment me when I use it and its strong and long lasting.

2. This whole line has the most heaven like scent of all, once you smell it you just keep on wanting more of it and its less expensive as its VS.

3. Whoever knows chanel. knows we aren't talking cheap here. There perfumes will remain on your coats for years after a spray probably why they are so expensive but you can't go wrong here. I prefer mademoiselle over no,5 chanel, 

4, Burberry weekend. Ahhhhhh, If you want to make a girl smile just get her one of these. I love this perfume so much that I currently have emptied 3 bottles of this since I came across it.

5.Roberto Cavalli paradiso. This perfume is insane, I sniffed it once at a mall and I became obsessed. I got it as a gift later and the smell is so strong that one spray is enough so its a good save. And the bottle is beautiful!

6. Yet again VS's line very sexy is a keeper. The scent is a mix of sweet and musky.

7, VIVA LA JUICYYYYYYY. Every teenage girl's obsession at some point. It is the bomb and works for every ocassion.

8, Daisy by marc jacobs is whats hot this season. It isn't much of a splurge either. 

9. Tory Burch. BEST. PERFUME. EVER. If you smell it you will know what I mean.

10. My beloved Chloe. A blend of sweet and calm for the lady like you in a bottle.

Perfumes make great gifts and some of us love to collect them too so before you blindly spend your money here are some I recommend!

xoxo, Mariam <3

All about hair! :D

Hello everyone!! Now I have been receiving loads of messages on facebook recently about hair growth, hair fall, hair coloring etc. I got tired of answering everyone induvidually so I decided to post about it.
Before we get started here is a brief history about my hair. I have naturally staright hair, my hair are not thick but they are dense which means they are more in number so they look thicker, the natural color of my hair is chestnut brown, and they get lighter in the summer due to sun bleaching and darker in winters. Now I had short hair through out my childhood, the first time I grew my hair out was in grade four but sadly I had to get a boy cut again in class 5. Then I actually focused on growing my hair again in class 8. And boy did they grow. I did cut them every 4-5 months but not drastically.

The longest my hair has ever been:
                               
                                     

This was about a year ago. I then got crazy last winters and decided to get all of my hair chopped off..

May 2015: It grew about 3-4 inches

July 2015: It grew 2 inches more.

* I did get a trim in July so my hair is a bit shorter than this ATM.

Moving on..

Stages of hair growth: 

There are basically three stages of hair and your entire life your hair repeat this cycle. This first stage is the anagen stage, your hair is typically in this stage for 6-7 years and this is the growing stage 90% of your scalp is always in this stage. Then there is the catgen stage this is when the follicle stops growing and forms hard root, it lasts 2-3weeks. Then there is the telegen phase in that phase the hard root falls out and your follicle prepares for new hair, this lasts for 6-8 weeks. Now a few hair falling out everyday (as much as 100) is alright but if you have extreme hair fall or your hair wont grow you are doing something wrong.

Causes of hair fall:

• Showering too frequently
• Dying your hair or using chemicals
• Poor diet
• Rough brushing
• Tight hairstyles
• Not using conditioner 
• Not enough intake of water

Tips and tricks:

• If you want to dye your hair then make sure the hairdresser does not use bleach because that makes hair brittle and more likely to break, invest in a good brand of hair colour with promising results and use color care shampoo and conditioners. 
• Don't brush your hair when it is wet, use a wide toothed comb to de-tangle it.
• Minimize heat, use heat protectant.
• Oil your hair at least once a week.
• Find your hair type and buy the shampoo and conditioner accordingly.
• Eat fresh healthy food option and incorporate a lot of protein in your diet.

Products:

The loreal density advance helps with falling hair but does not make hair oily.

The loreal mythic oil is a great product to use on wet or dry hair, it prevents split ends and makes hair shiny and smooth.

The pillus hair fall spray helps prevent hair-fall,

Some vitamins I have tried that boost hair growth.

One last thing! If you want your hair to grow just stop cutting them! 

xoxo, mariam <3

Foundations and BB cream review!

Foundations and BB creams

Hello everyone!  Before I start, I just want to give a heads up to everyone out there who might not like the long gaps between my posts, this blog is something I do out of passion and for fun. It is not my source of income nor a duty. I write when I feel like it and have the free time for it as most people know its hard to find free time in a'levels. I don't want to make this blog an obligation with a time table and all because I feel like I would lose interest in it then and not give my 100% to it.


Having a good foundation that works for your skin is the first basic step towards flawless makeup. I have defined my skin type elaborately in many previous posts but once again to sum it up I have combination skin. But every time I have been out foundation hunting I end up buying a different foundation according to how my skin is behaving during that time of the year so I pretty much know what works for different needs.

*Before putting on a foundation I suggest using a face primer (this post isnt about primers or I would've discussed it in more depth). A primer basically conceals your pores and rough patches to make your skin even out for a neat application of foundation. Many different types of primers are available, mattifying, illuminating, color correcting etc . The primer I use is a mattifying one since I tend to produce a lot of oil especially with a caked face. This one is a drugstore product cheap and easily available. Rimmel lasting finish primer, increases foundation wear upto 8 hours.

Foundations:

The rimmel match perfection is a really trust worthy foundation but not to be used in the summers if you have oily skin or need to attend an event with lots of flashy lighting and humidity. This foundation is super moisturizing and gives you a decent coverage so I prefer using it in the colder months when my skin is dry.

The Kryolan TV paint stick works just as the name suggests. Amazing coverage and good for desi skin and its denser formula wise and can cover up lots of imperfections it also doubles up as a concealer, I do not use this all over my face I use it to highlight and cover my dark circles and marks as the coverage is amazing but its a heavy formula so I end up looking like a cake if I use it all over my face. It is great for the wedding season but not for everyday use.

Last but not least, my favorite foundation out of all, the Revlon Colorstay 24 hour foundation. The perfect matt foundation for oily/combination skin. It gives flawless coverage but does not look cakey at all and so it works wonders! 

BB/CC creams:

Starting with the best one, Body Shop Tea tree BB cream. I am in love with this stuff. I wear it on days when I feel like looking nicer than usual without any reason like school or to the mall and stuff. Its doubles as a treatment for pimples while giving you sheer coverage. Perfect for acne prone skin or any skin to just keep it in good shape.

Essence natural coverage moisturizer also works keeping your skin healthy. It given a very light coverage kindof like a primer your skin looks smooth and clean but you can't tell if you are hiding anything or not. It claims to fight black heads and spots and given a matt complexion. Suggested for acne prone skin or summer time.

The eveline cosmetics magical  CC cream colour correction. This is a moisturizing and illuminating cream. It gives light coverage but makes your complexion look glowing and radiant. It is good for elder people as it fights against signs of aging while helping you look more radiant. Good for winter months when you want a dewy skin.

The T-zone anti-blemish BB cream is a very watery formula and dries instantly I use it directly on my pimples and they go away quicker that way. It contains witch hazel and tea tree both which are good for oily and acne prone skin. This product is quite drying though so people with dry skin should stay away from this.

Ethically beYOUtiful! 💕

Hello everyone! I am sorry for not posting for so long, I was very busy with a family wedding and so rarely had time to think of my blog at all! (I will be sharing some of the pictures in another blog post hopefully :D). I have decided that I will do atleast 2 blog posts every week from now on since I've had people complaining about the wait so keep inboxing me about things you want to know about or learn so I can do a blog post for it! :) 

It's been a week now since school has officially started for most schools I guess. I have changed many schools in my life BMI, Bahria, LGS, US schools etc and there is one thing similar in all schools that is the minorities that are suppressed by the popular groups also known as bullying in some ways. 

Bullying is an issue isn't taken seriously in many places and so most kids going through it just hide it and push it to the back of their mind afraid that if they speak out people will call them a chicken or laugh at them. 

I wanted to write this post as a tribute and support to all the victims of bullying anywhere in this world with any form of bullying be it cyber bullying such as hate groups or fake accounts or even threats and rude comments to physical abuse or hurls in person. It's okay to be a victim of bullying I myself have been targeted many times but what isn't okay is to hide it away, be depressed, not speak up for yourself because it their shame if anyone finds out not yours! 

You either have something they don't have and they want to drag you down, they envy you or they are just messed up and treat you the way they think humans are to be treated there is nothing wrong with you! 

If you are being bullied try to tell that person off but not in a aggressive way, report the incidents to your teachers of parents and get support from your friends. There is no reason to be treated like this and they have no right to either. 

You can rub all kinds of creams, masks and paint your face with makeup but if you aren't beautiful from the inside then there is no point because you will always have that dull gloomy look on your face if you're a bad person to others no one will find you pretty even if you were because that's what society does it just looks at the negative in you so if you do bully people stop for your own sake and if you are a victim then speak up for your own sake! This life is yours don't let stupid people take control of it! You are a wonderful creation of God, prove it! When you feel good you automatically look good! 💕

Xoxo, mariam! 

Night and morning skincare routine! :D

Skin care routine

Hello everyone! I am so sorry for posting this so late! My school has started so I have been caught up in a few things.

Before I get started I'll tell you about my skin and the problems I have for which I use this routine. This is something I use and it may not affect or work for everyone. I have a combination skin which means it is dry overall but my t-zone tends to get oily. I also have sensitive skin so I use milder products and formulas. I don't get acne (Allahumdulilah) just 1-2 pimples in a month rarely and they disappear quickly too.

This is quite a simple routine yet its time consuming and consistency is key!

Night time routine:

I start off with a makeup free face. The first thing I do is a Korean double cleansing method. Koreans have amazing skin and this is their secret. In double cleansing you are supposed to first use an oil to massage your face and neck then use a warm washcloth to wipe it off followed by any cream cleanser.

I use coconut oil and massage it for 2-3 minutes, then wet the washcloth in warm water and spread it over your face for a minute the gently rub it off.

For the second part I use the ponds flawless white naturals foaming cleanser. Ponds is a great line specially for desi skin. The ponds naturals is not harsh at all and removes all traces of oil and impurities. You can  use any cleanser you like.

After cleansing I moisturize my face which is really important as the skin is in its repairing mode during the night time and so you need to prep it well for that. I use a mixture of conaturals advanced super revitalize night cream and the Palmers skin therapy oil (you can also use bio oil). 

The skin therapy oil fights wrinkles, pigmentation, scars, dark spots etc.

People in Pakistan barely pay attention to their under eye area which is why the under eye creams are never in sight in departmental stores and when you ask for them they don't even know what youre talking about. I have dark circles and really dry under eyes so I use olive oil around my eyes at night it lightens the skin and is the best moisturizer.

Day time routine:

 

Obviously when I wake up I wash my face and I use the same ponds flawless white foaming face wash and I instantly jump to my sunblock. A lot of you messaged me complaining about skin discoloration, dark spots, never fading tan. All of them have one answer which is a sunblock. Even if your skin is perfect you still need to apply sunblock religiously because the UV rays are the most dangerous radiation for skin, they cause early aging, pre mature scarring like if you have a cut which couldve healed well the UV rays will make a permanent scar and can lead to skin cancer (melanoma). Scary right?! 

 The sunblock I use depends on the activity I am doing like if I am going swimming ill use the waterproof one. If the day is really humid or if I am in a place like Karachi I would use the medicated one but for everyday use its the neutrogena ultra sheer spf 50. While choosing your sunblock look at the spf number and make sure its a spf 25 and above because we like in a country where the sun is closer to us and mostly hot.

I then use a BB or CC cream for light coverage it hides the redness and pores if you want a heavier coverage you can use your foundation instead.

 The CC cream I am currently using is the eveline magical CC cream.

Last but not least I use the body shop vitamin E eye cubes under my eyes, it fights dark circles and puffiness and is easy to use just one swipe.

I hope this helped you guys! If you have any questions inbox me! <3

xoxo, mariam!

Coachella themed party look 💕

I'm I'm Hello everyone! I recently attended a day time event where the theam was coachella! For those of you who don't know about it it's a music festival held in the summer. Hope you like my outfit details! ☺️

Maxi dress: Inc

Shoes and ring: outfitters 

Bracelet: forever 21

Flower head band: Nishat

I kept the makeup to a bare minimum, used the body shop tea tree BB cream with Mac Pro concealer. For my eyes I used the balm nudes pallet and the maybeline gel liner and rocket lash. I used bobbie brown baked highlighter and benetint by benefit on my cheeks and lips with a layer of lip balm. 😁💕

The color burst balm era!

So I recently came across this product called colour burst balm. I was hesitant to buy it but when I did I fell in love with them! They are super moisturising with the perfect amount of pigmentation that you can build by applying layers on your lips or keep it as natural as you like. The best part is that they contain lip therapy oils which gets rid of dark lips and chapped lips. 

Swatches: 

Natural lip color:

Bourjois color boost in 01 red sunrise:

Bourjois color boost in 07 proudly naked:

Revelon color bust in 030 smitten eprise: 

Hope you try them! 

Xoxo, Mariam 💕