This entry is specially for acne sufferer like me

I'm not really one of those girls who always have a perfect looking, flawless skin. I do have my good skin days and bad skin days. However, my skin has never really been at its worst, until recently...thanks to my imbalance hormones! >_<

Just after I told you guys that I had almost 100% score for the skin test that I did with SK II last time, I developed kinda severe acne on my face! I don't know what happened. Maybe I was just really, really stressed out for the wedding.. (yes, say hello to this Bridezilla! :p) or maybe they've been there, underneath the skin actually, and something triggered them to come out, all at the same time! - I don't know whether it was the Clarisonic brush that I used like I told you guys last time...or what! But the acne just came out all of a sudden! Sekali keluar banyak-banyak pulak tu! My worst case everrrrrrrr! I never had this kind of pimple before! It's just SO weird...and ugly...and sad. However I do think that this is more like a "disease" or hormonal acne or something. Cuz it's not like my usual once-a-month-PMS case...Sigh. Hormonal acne is a whole new beast, I tell you! :(

My pimples were so bad and my period was irregular too. My hormones were unstable I suppose. In just one month time, my face become from that clear, acne-free skin...to really bad severe acne on my face! :( It was SO bad that I always locked myself up in the room, not wanting to go out and face people! I had to cancel events, cancel going here and there, cancel appointments, cancel doing what I'm supposed to do, etc. Just because I just want to avoid seeing people. I even tried to avoid seeing my own family! Always locked myself up in my room! Yes...it was thaaaaat bad! I was always moody and sad. To be honest, I was so depressed.

Seriously, I had a reaallllly hard time dealing with it. What's more when no one is giving you hope, and all you hear is negative words from them. Thank God my darling didn't mind with it.. But still, can you imagine, coming down to eat your dinner or sahur, and hearing your family talk about your acne, look at them and made you feel bad about yourself for having acne? Every time you sit in front of them with a bare face, just makes it even harder when their eyes can't stop looking at your acne when they're talking to you... And then the stress of going out to meet your friends or even strangers pulak, and they came up to you and said, "what happened/is wrong with your face?" Sighhh... 

Ok, I know those people who asked meant well, and worried about me. But imagine the stress I had to handle and to deal with! - The pain from having the acne is one story, the pain of looking at yourself in the mirror with that ugly bumps and redness is another story... And the pain of hearing people talk about it as if YOU DON'T KNOW IT ALREADY...is yet another story!!! T__T

I now understand the feelings of those acne sufferers. I'm with you darlings.. :(

God...I hate pimples. I feel so insecure. I understand deeply for whoever has had pimple problems..and really hate those people who thinks that making fun of it is funny. Because it's not. It really is not! Hmm..I guess, this is a test that God gave me..to remind me to always be thankful and take a good care of His creations and to not always be proud of what I have or anything like it...because actually everything you own in this world belongs to Him, not you. He only lends you his wealth or beauty or health or whatever. And He can take it back anytime He wants. So I guess this test was more like a reminder for me, I think? Although I don't think I was proud last time. I was more like.........happy, I think? But oh well.. whatever. Things has happened now. But after two months, I'm quite surprised that I wasn't as depressed as I used to be. Probably cuz I kinda get used to my face being inflamed already. Heck, it has been 2 months that I live like this! Or probably because I have accepted this test that God gave me with an open heart, and have accepted my flaws...and have agreed that God can take anything within a few seconds. Saya terima. Saya redha dengan ujian ini.  =/ (So okayyy God....I have understand it and learnt my lesson...errr...so can you heal me up already? heheh :p)

I have gone to the clinic by the way...to get help. It has been about two months that I'm on medication. As of now, my skin hasn't really recovered fully. But it's getting there, inshaallah. It's better than 2 weeks ago. I don't have that many bumps like I did, a month ago. Just maybe 2 or 3 more bumps to cure. But....I do have acne marks on the skin which is yet to heal in time. The doctor said, my acne is the kind that's quite hard to cure compare to the other types of acne. - By saying hard, she meant it'll take longer time to heal. Sigh... Because my acne is inside the skin. It doesn't wanna come out, and it doesn't wanna go and disappear either. It just stays there. So the doctor gave me some medicines for the acne to come out. As of now I'm at the stage where I need to heal my acne marks that I have on my skin.. I have quite some red marks on my cheeks... (Sorry, I won't show my naked face, before and after picture. Because like I said, it hasn't cleared yet. Maybe when I get back my normal skin again (inshaallah), I'll do the post in detail! So if you wanna know exactly how I treat my acne problem, please pray for a fast recovery for me! hehe)

My pimples were kind of like this one! Scary, no? :(

[image: googled]

...and now it's sort of like this picture. The healing stage..where there's some red marks on the skin

So anyways, like all the dermatologists/skin doctors in the world, I was forbidden from wearing any make up while I'm on the treatment. Except for mineral make up, as I was told by my very own skin specialist. Of course I knew that. I knew make up is not really good for the skin. I don't even like depending on make up too, actually. But since we're living in the world where some people would judge you based on how you look, sometimes you need those extra help to cover your imperfections! Not because you wanna be fake or be/look like someone else or anything like that. But because you just wanna look and feel good about yourself, so you can have a little confidence and be happy with life. Especially for people that is not perfect like me..

So with this Raya festive, you'll meet a lot of people during open house events - friends, family, relatives, etc, and I'm sure many of us imperfect ladies, wanna look perfect or almost perfect if we can, in front of those people, right? - Cuz like it or not, people tend to judge based on your look. They would look at you and sneer if you don't look like they do or if you have something that is not quite right according to their eyes. So how else can you hide your imperfect face, other than wearing make up..right? (Plastic surgery is another story la, ok? hehe)

Anyway, the picture below is my recent Raya picture. You see those red spots on my cheeks? This is after 2 months of treatment from my doctor...the acne bumps isn't really showing up here, thanks to the antibiotics and steroids pills I took. But I do still have some red marks/acne marks that is quite hard to cover even with my make up! - Will share my meds and topical products for my acne in another post.

Look, it is still visible even after I have covered them with my full coverage foundation + powder! Some of you might say that it doesn't look that bad like how I explained/told you earlier in this post. But bear in mind, I wore thick powder in here...and this is after 2 months of treatment, and my cheeks are actually burning red without the make up on! :(

And I gotta say, I put quite a lot of powder there to cover them...but they still show up! So imagine if I don't have any make up on to cover them?! Imagine how red my face actually is! 

T____T

(Whoever invented make up is a genius! God bless you. hehehehe)

For some, wearing make up might mean that you're being fake as you're not exposing the real you...or worse, some narrow minded people would think that wearing make up means you're an attention seeker and calling them vain and give them names or whatsoever it is that they try to put you down, when really..it's just a resentful cover for their own ineptitude and lack of action to make themselves look better. Pffft - Maybe yes, if it's too much. And yes I have to agree, that there are some women who wear makeup which also happen to be vain and attention-seeking, but that's a really different story altogether.  I'm talking about those women who complain about how they look, but yet do nothing about it! And worse, trying to put others down who look good, just to make themselves feel better. Sigh.... What is wrong with the world laa.. huhu. Anyhow, I just don't see anything wrong with wearing make up, if you just wanna have a little confidence by enhancing the way you look!

Like for me, in this case...wearing make up is like my shield, my savior and my protector.. from those cruel people who judged me based on my flaws.. I never really appreciate make up until I got this test from God. I know it's bad for the skin but...I really can't help it. I need to hide them whenever I meet anyone. Yesss...anyone! Even mom, or dad..or even Mr. Fiance - although they already seen the real bumps and redness.. haha. And although my fiance actually didn't mind at all and always say that he loves me for who I am, not because of my look or anything - But I still didn't believe him as I think he just wanna make me feel good about myself (cuz he's a darling like that), and I'm a worrier who worries about anything and everything. haha. - So I just didn't feel comfortable to let myself out there...to anyyyy one especially to the ones I love/who knows me. The feelings of looking into your beloved eyes, and knowing that they say things like "..your face has changed a lot. Poor you" in their thoughts and in their mind, is a bit melancholy and depressing for me. So yes, wearing make up is the answer for me when I'm going out to meet people! Otherwise, just stay at home/your room and slap on some colored acne cream that would stay on the skin (I don't like the absorbed kind!), so the mom won't be so worried and nag at me when looking at my horrible inflamed skin! 

Oh gosh..I have typed quite long already regarding my acne story. Hee..I just realized this! ;p Now I want to share with you; the acne sufferers, who want to look good and gain back your confidence..even if it's just temporary! Yes, there is still hope..although it's not a permanent solution, but this is how I do to hide my imperfections! - Hey...at least there's a way to minimize our misery, right?! hehe. I know as we're in the midst of healing our skin, we're not supposed to do this often. So what I'm about to share with you now is for you to do it on emergency days. OK? But for those who is not really an acne sufferer/undergoing treatment like me, but has some little imperfections that you wanna correct, this trick would do just fine for you! Be it freckles, redness, moles, dark circles, etc!

Remember those days when we were in art class in school, our teacher used to teach us what are the primary colors and which color to mix with what color to get a certain color? Remember those days? Now...try to apply that on your red face! - Green is made up of two primary colors; blue and yellow. While red and blue mixed together gives you purple. Yellow added to purple gives you BROWN - or light brown/beige in this case when you mix a green concealer with a beige/yellow concealer, which is the kind of tone you're looking for when you're concealing your redness on your skin!

Corrective color palette basically follow the simple rule of ‘neutralizing’ an opposite color on the skin and then hiding it to match the respective skin tone just as in a Color Wheel where we learn last time in school...to get to where the color opposite to a particular shade that neutralizes it! These concealers usually come in various colors ranging from the natural skin tone color to colors like green and purple.

A color like yellow/beige helps to tone down and even out the skin tone. However, it does not ‘hide’ anything specifically which is why we need other colors to do the hiding work! Like purple or green for example!

So apart from the natural skin tone color concealers, the colors available in the cosmetics market are: White, Beige, Yellow, Orange, Mint Green, Light Green, Lavender Purple, Mauve, Light Blue, Pink and Light Peach. My personal favourite to do the hiding work would be the green and the purple one!

Just for your info:

• White: Used with Beige to cover up heavy under eye dark circles. 
• Beige: Used to conceal slight shadows and brighten up the complexion and under eye area. Used with White to conceal heavy under eye dark circles and around the nose area to conceal slight shadows. 
• Yellow and Orange: Neutralizes redness and brown discoloration. Used to conceal red blemishes, bruises and tone down any redness on the face near the nose, lip area, cheeks etc and on brown spots. Orange helps to neutralize the blue toned under eye dark circles and purple bruises. 
• Mint/Light Green: Neutralizes redness as well. If the redness is too dark, mint/light green is used with/without yellow to neutralize it. Works the same as the Yellow concealer except only on darker red spots and scars. 
• Lavender Purple: Used to neutralize yellow-colored bruises or imperfections, yellow under eye or cheek area due to an illness/flu etc on bronze-olive skin tones. 
• Mauve: Used to cover up dark/black spots and visible veins on the face. 
• Light Blue: Used to neutralize orange spots, tan lines/spots, age spots and freckles. 
• Pink: Used to conceal dark gray shadows just below puffy under eye dark circle area and and shadows around the nose. 
• Light Peach: Used to brighten up olive skin tones and balance out slight color discolorations. Can be used for slight coverage of blue veins.

So for this Raya...I hide my redness and inflamed skin with some mineral make up. My doctor said, if I really have to wear make up while under her treatment, she suggested me to wear a mineral make up at least. And so I did!

So this is what I used. All mineral-base make up..
I didn't have the colored concealer palette like I showed you above though. But I do have a green colored make up base from Vacci, a Korean brand make up. The best part of this green colored liquid is that it's easy to blend with the skin. It's not really a "concealer" actually, but rather a make up base! So the texture is really nice and dewy, unlike the normal concealer palette where it is quite dry. And oh, Vacci is a mineral make up brand too! I bet my doctor would approve this brand as well! hehehe
(I didn't use their foundation because their foundation that I have with me is a little too fair for my skin..that I can only apply a bit on my face, otherwise I'll look like a ghost! - I need to apply a thick amount of liquid to hide my imperfections, remember? hehe. Plus, I needed a beige/yellowy tone to cover the redness too)

So anyways..just letting you know that mineral make up generally contains less chemical-based ingredients such as parabens, binders, artificial oils, talc, preservatives, synthetic dyes and fragrances, which can help eliminate some of the skin problems. That was why my doctor said it's okay to wear mineral make up if I really need to wear one. Another major benefit of wearing a mineral make up is that it generally does not clog the pores, allowing the skin to "breathe" naturally. As such, it is less likely to aggravate an acne condition or cause flare-ups! - Which is great for people like me who is undergoing a treatment, no? hehee

So how do I wear it?

I pumped my beige foundation and my green liquid make up base side by side onto my hand...and I mix them up!

I like to put my concealer on my hand first rather than applying it straight to my face...so I can figure out how much liquid I actually need on my face, so I won't overdo it.

Mix until you get your perfect color that can hide your redness!

Just like working with a normal concealer, after applying the corrective concealer on the spots, set it with powder..

Check whether you have blend the color well or if you need to add more..

Here's a before and after I used the normal beige concealer (left) 

And after I have mixed the beige color with green liquid (right)

The redness appearance is reduced a bit! ;)

Awesome product!!

Now..get yourself the three major colors you need to have on your make up table. You never know when you might need it! You can purchase it here!

NOTE: Under eye dark circles come under blue, purple and brownish tones.. therefore they are neutralized by yellow or beige.


Hope this helps you ladies out there who are struggling with concealing those tough under eye dark circles and red blemish/scar marks.

Happy concealing girls! And happy visiting to your relatives house this weekend! Selamat Hari Raya! ;)



XOXO,
Shazzy.

What's in My Bag!

Ok, I got a request from my readers to do a What's in My Bag post! They're wondering how do I change my handbags every day and decide what color to wear each morning.. So today I will explain a bit what's in my bag and how I choose my bag-of-the-day! ^__^

Before I reveal what are the things in my handbag that I bring every day, let me explain a bit how I change my handbag every day without forgetting some of my essential items. (I get a lot of questions regarding this!)

Ok. After I have chosen my outfit-of-the-day, I would choose what bag I want to wear that would match my outfit...and then transfer all the things inside the current bag to the chosen bag of the day! The key is to have a Bag Organizer! You know...the one Vivy sells on Fashion Valet website! This thing really does help you to organize your things....and can do a big favor for you when you decided to change your handbag in the morning! So for you ladies who tend to forget some important things when you change your handbag, you should definitely own one of these Bag Organizers!

So anyway, I keep all my important things in here. You know like those essential things that MUST PRESENT in my handbag...like my wallet, my keys, my SmarTag, my handphones, my camera, and my iPhone charger. These are my necessities. 

So every time when I want to change my handbag, I would just grab this little green bag and stuff it inside my Bag-of-The-Day that I choose! It's that simple! hehe

Okay...now let's see what other things inside my handbag that I bring besides that green bag, and break them down into details!

I have 11 items inside my bag! So basically, these are my everyday things. 

Yes, I bring a lot of stuff in my handbag. And as a result, my bag always weighs like 2 kg...which I hate so much....But can't help it not to bring 'em, as I need my things! LOL ;p

Ok so here goes:

1. I call this as...my Hygiene Bag where I put all my tissue, pads, etc.. (but there are still non related to hygiene things in here! hehe)
2. My Make-Up Bag (Reason why I bring a bit of my make up when I'm out is because I would need to reapply/touch up my make up a bit after solat)
3. My sunglasses
4. My office tag
5. A little notebook (I like to write ideas and things to do inside that book)
6. My phones
7. My camera
8. My iPhone car charger (I always change the car that I'm driving these days. That's why I don't keep it inside the car)
9. My house keys and car keys
10. A little purse which I store cards and coins
11. My wallet, of course! 

Now let's see what are the things inside those little small bags that I bring!

The Hygiene Bag!

1. A miniature perfume 
2. A pen to write in my notebook! (sometimes I didn't put the pen inside this bag.. but instead, I slide it in the little compartment in that green bag organizer)
3. My Lush tablet toothpaste
4. A travel size toothbrush
5. Fresh Breath spray
6. Some mints or chewing gums
7. Eye drop
8. Extra contact lens case
9. Sanitary Pad for those emergency days! haha
10. Pantiliners
11. A digital tasbih (I'll use it whenever I'm bored, waiting for something..or whatever)
12. Some tissues
13. Wet wipes
14. Plasters and some panadols (not in the picture)
15. Hand Sanitizer
16. Hand Cream 

Ok..moving on to my little Make-Up case!

1. Lip Gloss
2. Lipstick of the day
3. Lip Balm
4. Cream Foundation
5. Mini moisturizer pot
6. A little Eye Shadow palette
7. Travel size make up remover
8. Some mascaras (yes I bring at least two mascaras with me every day! haha ;p)
9. Compact Powder
10. Eyeliners (Gel, Pencil and Liquid)

So....That's all the things in my handbag! The key is to get organized, ladies! Put your items in those little small cases, so it'll be easier for you to look for what's inside your bag! ;)

Hope you like this post! Take care and have a great day ahead darlings!

XOXO,

Shazzy.

Style and Color

Hello girls!

Here's my Second Part of the fashion tips that I blabbered a few weeks ago.. ;p

So in this post, I'll explain to you girls on how I normally choose my clothes. I know it may sound ridiculous or silly to some of you, like...why on earth do I want to explain to people on howww to choose their clothes, right? I'm not their mother, I know! haha. But since I always get questions/emails like how do I normally choose my attire for the day...and how to look prim and proper everyday..or even asked me to teach them how to decide what to wear, or.. how to mix & match the colors... And also the step by step guide on things I do when I get dressed in the morning..yadda yadda yaddaaa...and the questions go on and on.  hehe.. - I get really weird questions sometimes; tapi tak jawab rasa kesian pulak, cuz I really wanna help them, since diorang tanya kan, so mesti la sebab tak tahu kann.... 

(Nasib baik tak ada yang tanya macam mana nak pakai baju, ey? hehe. Kidding ;p )

Anyway, sorry if I couldn't reply to some of you who have asked me before.. But at least I'm replying to y'all in this entry, ok? hehe.. I figured, since I always get these questions related to fashion, why not just make a post about it and share my thoughts, right?

So.....for those who are interested in my sense of style and my choice of fashion, today I'm here to share some tips that I myself would do every time I stand in front of my closet to choose my attire for the day. 

And again, like I said before, I'm no expert in fashion...and this entry is not a Perasan Entry, but it's just for me to share to those who are interested with what I wear, and how I choose my items.

But one thing for sure though..... I do know what looks good or bad with what. And what color matches, and looks great when combined! heheheh ;p

So here's how I'd choose my outfit every day..

Okay...first off, when I wake up in the morning, the first thing that would pop into my head is "What do I wear today?" or "What color do I feel like wearing?".  Sometimes I would do this (questioning myself) once I get up from my bed, and while walking to the bathroom...or sometimes even when I am taking my shower! haha. - well most of the time I'd choose the color that would reflect my mood on that day!

The color blue for example, is for "I've no idea laaa.." or "I've no mood to wear other colors" or "I think I only have blue colored tops in my closet??", or "I'm feeling blue/sad/moody today" or "I just can't think" or... whatever reasons that I feel on that day, lahh! haha. -- For some weird reasons, I always wear blue whenever I think I don't have anything to wear! Pffft..)

And the color red, orange and yellow, when I feel so cheery, lively and happy. Or pink/pastel colors when I feel like being sweet.. And the list goes on! hehe.. - I really feel that the color of my outfit that I choose for the day can really affect my mood either positively or negatively --- depends on my hormone level for that week as well! hahaa.

(I like the minty color by the way. That color really makes me happy somehow! ^__^ )

So anyways...after I've done with my shower, I would dive into my closet and decide the main item, which is the top that I'll be wearing. I don't know why, but I always feel like your top is your main item/base/foundation when it comes to fashion. The rest would just act like "supporting documents" - which will make it look perfect when combined! haha. (I can't think of a better way to describe it! LOL  ;p But you get what I mean right? ) Well this may not be true, I knowww! But this is just how I feel about it, hence, the reason why I have SO MANY tops alreadyyy, but not bottoms! Or shoes...or bags too! I have overflowing tops in my closet that my mom and dad has started to nag about it! heeee... (Okay mom, I will donate some! ;p )

So with that being said... Of course, first things first, I would choose what color of the top that I want to wear, and then I'd think of the style, and then only I would think about the other items to complement with the look that I want to achieve, - like.. the color combination that would go with the top that I just picked; either black or white or creme or whatever lahh, and then...the make up look, the bag, the scarf, the accessories, etc that would go with it as well......which then, would help make the whole outfit looks Chic or Casual or Elegant or Edgy or Grunge-y or whatever it is that I'm aiming to look like for the day! ;)

Okayyy... So here are the simplified steps for you: (HAHA ;p)

1. Pick a color that you want for the day
2. Think of the style that you want to achieve (Sweet/Feminine, Edgy, Casual, Elegant, Glamourous, Chic, Sophisticated, Simple, etc etc!) 
3. Dive inside your closet, and choose your top.
4. Then, play with the other colors for the rest of the items that you'll be wearing to match and complement the whole outfit and style that you want to achieve! - Here it means, your pants, your bag, your accessories, your hair/scarf, your make up, your shoes, etc! 
5. Wear them.
6. Stand in front of the mirror and check everything!
7. Be confident.
8. Be happy.
9. Be awesome.
10. And lastly, take a picture of yourself and upload on Instagram before going out! hahahaha ;p

Ok sorry, I'm being silly here. ;p But really, being "fashionable" it's not just about knowing your style, but also about being a good color coordinator! You should know what color looks good with what! The key thing to remember here is to have a good color coordination/complementary colors in your outfit. If you are not sure what color looks great with what, always refer back to the Color Wheel that we learned in school!  Color combinations can be built by using the Color Wheel to build a particular color relationship and color schemes! So this makes it more simple to know what color combo that you should pick if you really don't know how to match colors! - In case you forget, from the Color Wheel, there are five types of color group; Primary Colors, Secondary Colors, Tertiary Colors, Complementary Colors and Analogous Colors! So pick those colors that would work together, based on these category!

Choosing colors for fashion is just like painting your drawings in the art class we took in the primary school! So..unless you're a color blind, you should know what color matches with what! ;)
And fyi, the color black or white goes with anything! So if you're not sure, always pick these two guys and you'll be safe!

Outfits on a color wheel!

To be honest, it can be quite difficult to wear a Complimentary Color together if you don't really know how and what to pick. But if you know how to color-block your outfit with the right hue, then you can turn out to be terrific, smokin' hot eye-catching girl ever on earth, even if you just wear simple outfit! hehee. - But please know that too much color (more than four colors, that is) on you, would make you look like a page out of a coloring book though! ;p So pick wisely!!

For example, the color deep red and dark green. They are complete opposites, which makes them a Complementary Color, thus.. they make each other seem more intense when combined! And some colors have a strong contrast, which may have a dramatic effect on you as well! - It all depends on how you mix your color palette to get what you're aiming to look like! (Wow...I'm in an art class now, huh?! hahah ;p)

Okayyy...I think I'm done lecturing on the color scheme for this class. I shall dismiss the class already! haha ;p


Alright...enough on colors. I hope you get my point here!

*class dismiss* 

;p

XOXO,
Shazzy.

Creative Blogger? hehe

The Lisa magazine team just informed me that they featured my blog in their latest Nov/Dec 2012 issue! Yeayyy... It was  for the article D.I.Y Lip Gloss that I made last time! ^___^

Oh, I love DIYs! Gotta share more of my DIYs in here! hehe.. Thanks for featuring my blog, Lisa! You've made my day! ;)

XOXO,

Shazzy.

Cheap or Chic?

Since I got myself the full body mirror for myself a couple of months ago, I never fail to update the "What I Wear Today" for my Instagram followers every morning, before going to work.. - It's good to know that people appreciate your choice of fashion and attire.. So it's nice to share it with those who are interested to see or know what I wear on that day! ^__^ 

So anyway.. today, I'm gonna let you know a bit about choosing attires for your everyday look! I get a request on this - like how do I decide what to wear every morning, and how do I choose my attires and made them look decent when combined, like you said so (thank you very much!) ;)

(click to enlarge picture)

Well, I am not a style expert nor do I have a qualification to write this fashion tips post. But I find it exciting, knowing that people like and appreciate what I wear and my choice of clothing/style, even though I don't wear couture! hehe (Which made me think, that mayyyyyyyybe, I have a sensible choice of outfits and got a good taste in fashion for a hijabi, no?? Oh, maybe! hahah. - Plus, there have been a few cases at the mall where people whom I don’t know of,  whether locals or even foreigners, stopped me to ask where I got my clothes, my belt, my bag, my scarves, etc! (Whether in my own city or even in the cities/countries I visited! How awesome is that! hehee ;p ) Haaaaa.. so that must have meant something, right... Rightttt??!! Yup, rrrrrrightt Wani. hahahah ;p Okayyyy I'm being so perasan and so poyo. You can slap me noww. hahah ;p ) - Well okay.. Before anyone puke on their laptops/monitors, let me just clearly let you know that I am not usually thissss perasan! haha.. - That's just me joking laaa, k? heh ;p 

Well I'm just here to share my insights with you girls on some fashion or styling tips through my eyes actually, like some of you have requested! I know that making the very best of yourself is something any woman can do! So today, I'm here to share with you what I know about fashion and styling, for everyday wear, that is! And again, I repeat, this is from my own perspective! Not yours, kay?! hehee ;P

(NOTE: This is my very own opinion on fashion and style. I am aware that fashion is subjective, but I am still allowed to give my opinions on it, no? So if we are not in the same high heels, then it's fine, darling! You don't have to follow or believe it. This is just my own perspective and opinion on fashion & style for a hijabi like me, since some of you have asked! ^__^)

For me, fashion is how we express our personalities, and a way to identify ourself, and telling the world that "this is who I am" - A girl who likes all things simple and pretty that is! So if you haven't notice it already, my personal style is rather.....simple and chic, I would say. I honestly don't like the extravagant look for an everyday wear. I repeat, everyday wear, ok? I mean, 'extravagant' as in those layers and layers and layersss of scarves,  heavy excess-sories all over you (statement necklaces, rings, bangles, earrings, hair accessories, brooches, and what not - all wearing at the same time! ), fancy fashionable top and bottom, both wearing at the same time as well...and so on, making you look like a walking Topshop! - Like literally their shop! hehe  - Just to make sure whoever sees you, understand or rather know that you ARE a "fashionista". =____=' 

Okay I get it, you just love fashion. And you want everything that is SO in right now, to be on you so people would say that you're very up to date and so cool. But honey, not everything always has to be "extravagant" when it comes to styling. The key here is to keep it simple, practical and sophisticated. And most importantly, don't make yourself looking "too loud" at the office or even at school! You're not on the runway for God's sake... or the RCFA or BFA or even MIFA or whateverrr! You're just a normal human being with schedules to get to and errands to do. So keep it nice and chic! The key here is to look stylish..but simple and practical. - Being simple/plain, is much safer than being overdressed! So if you're not sure with your look, always go back to wearing the basics. - It's okay to be overdressed or dress excessively (in a nice way, of course), if you have a function/event or something you know, that needs you to look extra extra something.. 

But for an everyday look? Umm....naaahh. That just won't do, honey! At least, I think so! ;p

For me, less is more. Being a "fashionista" or someone who likes fashion and style, doesn't mean you have to wear everyyyy thing extravagant from top to toe! Meaning, if you're gonna wear something that is going to stand out in your outfit, say for example a really nice big brooch or a statement necklace or something like that, then keep everything else simple! Let's just make your accessories do the talking, and the rest should just keep it low! Or if you wanna make a statement hijab or headgear/head-wear, by wearing layers and layers of it, then keep everything else relaxed. - Not by wearing another layers and layers of clothes too, or stacks of jewelries, etc apart from your colourful layered hijab! You'll end up looking like the layered cake! tskk T__T 

And also, another tip that I would like to highlight is that, don't just buy or wear whatever that is on fashion right now just because everybody else is wearing them. You don't have to follow whatever is on trend even if you know you won't look great in them! 

I gotta admit, that wearing a hijab could be challenging and a bit tricky when it comes to fashion and styling, especially if you wanna look modish and up-to-date! If one or two step is wrong, you could end up looking like a fashion disaster! Which I'm sure you don't want that to happen! So...my advice is, when you look at yourself in the mirror, you should try as many and different styles as you could....that you think would suit you best! - In terms of your personality, your body type and shape, the place you're going to and also how the outfit would look on you at different angles! haha. Yesss it's that detail! heee. And don't be afraid to try something new and to try a different style! Trying it yourself in front of the mirror, alone in your room with a stash of clothes all over your bed or room, is the best part! hihi ;p

And also...remember to always ask your closest sister or friend whether the outfit would look good on you if you're not sure. A true friend would never lie to you! 

Anyway, I've never worn that orange scarf and bag at all! It has been 3 years, I think..they're in my closet.  I thought the color is toooooo orange! And I was afraid to wear it...until the day I piled up most of my clothes on my bed for me to try, the other day... And I tried one by one, that would suit the look! And I found that orange color to be the most perfect one among the other 4 colors I chose that night! - I never knew I would be wearing that scarf, cuz I was almost thissssssss close to sell it off! hehe.. 

So you see....you never know what you'll discover in your closet. You just have to keep on trying and know how to mix and match! - It's like trial and error! Oh, I loveee playing dress up in the room!! It's so fun! hihi..

Anyways, the way I look at styling an outfit, is like baking a cake. I categorized it into two parts. Where the cake itself is the main part. - Here, it means your attires. And the icing on the cake is your accessories.. which means; your scarf/hijab or hair accessories, your shoes, your handbag, your jewelries,  your sunglasses  your watch, and even your make up! Everything else that is not a top or a bottom, would be called as ACCESSORIES, which in other words, it is something that would complement your outfit, making it more attractive! They are the ones that you should pick up wisely in the morning before putting them on because they are the ones that is going to make your whole look of the day, complete! And sometimes even, they are the ones that is going to shape how you would look like! hehe. So everything must be "inter-connected" and correlated somehow, whether in terms of color, or type, or even material! (You don't wear a fancy chiffon top with a cheap cotton scarf! It's just won't do any justice to that top! Or wearing a sophisticated full suit with a canvas bag! Erkk. =/ )

So anyway... another point I would reaaaaalllly like to highlight is that, you don't necessarily have to pay for an overpriced top, just to make yourself believed that you would look good in that outfit no matter what! Trust me, I know what I'm talking about! I've experienced a few times before..haha ;p

For me, looking good is not about money at all. It is about style! And how you pull off a certain outfit! You can pay 10k for a dress, but if you can't pull it off, it will never look nice on you, still! Just like YSL said, "Fashion fades...but style is eternal!" - Yes it is so true! Style never goes out of fashion! So whether you have RM 100 to spend at Padini Store, or RM 10,000 to spend at a Chanel boutique, always remember this...that looking good is NOT about the amount of money you've spent, it is about the style that you carry! No matter how much you've spent from top to toe, but if you don't have the style and persona...you're just wasting your money for trying so hard to look one! hihi ;p (at least...that's what one of my designer friend told me!)

So anyways... this was what I wore a couple of days ago. Yes, the style is rather too simple or "normal" I would say. (I was just going to work! hehe). But even my sister was surprised when I told her that they're from AEON! She never thought I'd wear Jusco's brand, I guess! hihi. Both pants and that orange polka-dot shirt are from one of Jusco's brand! They're sooo cheap! Around 40-50 bucks each! hihi. But they're quite nice, don't you think..for that kind of price tag?! ;)

Wearing an orange polka-dot top and cobalt blue pants from Jusco, an orange MNG belt, a pasar malam scarf, a blue ring from TSL, and a matching cobalt blue designer bag to complement my pants! ;)

Oh, I have a lot to share some more...but I think I already talked too much now. And it's getting late..and I'm quite tired! tsk... So I won't bore you with my crap opinions anymore! haha..  So these are the things that I have learned and picked up along the way! I have a lot more to talk about, but let's just continue in another post ok? I hope I make sense to you whatever that I just blabbered today! hahah. 

Ok, talk soon!  See ya! ;)

XOXO,

Shazzy.

DIY : Homemade Lip Gloss! (or Lip Balm)

I couldn't remember how I was like when I was little.. but recently, mom told me that I started showing interest at all things pretty and girly at such a young age...and no one even taught me that! She said, as a kid, I always had a fascination with all things girly.. and that includes makeup!  - At 3 years old, mom said I would stare closely at my aunt (my mom's closest sister), every time she applies her lipstick. And she told me that I would peek through her little makeup bag and play around with the pretty things I would find in there, whenever we visited her house! (Last time, my mom would visit her sister every week..and bring us there to meet our cousins.) One thing that I remember is that, back then, I was always looking forward to the weekend, to come over to my aunt's house because I really wanted to see her make up stuff on her dressing table and play with it if I got the chance to do so. hehe (My mom never wear make up throughout her life, except on the day she got married. So, having a mom who doesn't like make up.. or even had any make up at all in her room, was making that girly 3-year-old kid so eager and excited to see her aunt's make up collection! haha) 

My favourite item back then was her lipstick and blusher.  Even though I was a little too young to be wearing makeup, but I was always wanted to try and experiment, and play with them in her bedroom mirror every time I visited her house - Oh, and I remember.. I even got caught red-handed, stealing her mini lipsticks! I took more than 10 lipsticks that time!!! hahaa. Evil me. ;p
They were too cute, I swear..and that 4 year old kid just couldn't help, not to take them! LOL. (I realllllly wanted to wear one and have my own lipstick rather than having to wait for the weekend to come and visit my aunt's and play with hers, since my mom didn't have any make up at all for me to play with! haha. Poor girl ;p) 

Anyways, I'm all grown up now...and I still like make up very much! Make up is fun for me.. I really love trying out new products that makes me looking good! hehe. However, I gotta admit that it is not so fun for the wallet though. tskk.

So I thought a good way for me to save some money but still enjoy splurging on makeup, was to start making my own beauty products! hehe. And today, I thought I'd try the DIY lip gloss! It's super easy, and fun! You should give it a try!

So girls.... what would you do with your empty eyeshadow pots or blusher jars? 

I suggest....you make a homemade lip gloss! (or lip balm if you wanna call it). 

Let's see, what would you need for this little project?

  What You'll Need :  

1. Petroleum Jelly (mine was from Boots. The kind I got has Vitamin E, so it helps condition your lips and make them super soft)

2. An empty jar (for mixing your lip gloss mixtures)

3. A spatula (or spoon)

4. A knife/cutter 

5. Honey or Maple Syrup or Vanilla Essence or Olive Oil (for making your mixture even more sweeter!)

6. Lip Balm / Shea Butter (for that extra softness!)

7. Powder Blusher (for a pop of color!)

8. Little containers (to fill your lippies when you're done mixing them!)

   Steps/Instructions : -  

Scoop some generous amount of your petroleum jelly with your spatula...

...and fill your container with it

Next, pour some honey or maple syrup or vanilla essence into it

...and some Shea Butter if you like, to make your lip gloss has that added benefit to your lips, making it super duper soft! hehe

Next, take your powder blusher.. Sprinkle it on top. I used a ball type powder blusher from Paul & Joe, (which my blog reader, Ayna, gave to me as my birthday gift. Thank you, sweetie!), which I have to smash it up until it becomes like in a powdery form - If you have any shadows or blushers that have broken, they would be perfect for this! Just grind them up until they're a fine powder...and you're good to go!

Next I cut a bit of my Lip Ice Sheer Color lip balm, to make my lip gloss color appear more natural pink, just like this lip balm did to my lips! ;) 

Mix everything up! 

This is where you can get creative! You can mix the colors with different shades, and you can add a little shimmer, or add extra powder to deepen the color! - Just like I did! I added one more pink balls inside my mixture..and I add a bit of my MAC pigment to make it more shimmery! ^___^

Mix it all together well

Oh...so pink!! And sooo shiny!!

Transfer it to your lip gloss containers.  You can reuse old containers that have been cleaned out, just like I did. Or you can buy some from Watson's or Guardians, etc..  

Then, clean up the edges and mess (if needed)

And you can now enjoy your new Lip Gloss!!

Oh, I just made my own makeup! How exciting! hihihi ^__^

After I did this post, I found this trinkets box my sister's friend gave me. Hmm...maybe I should put my Lip Gloss in there making it appear so much cooler and fun!!

I really had fun making this DIY homemade lip gloss, and look forward to sharing more beauty-related DIYs in the future with you girls! A soap maybe? Or some hair products? Mmm...that'd be so exciting! ;)

Talk soon! Take care girls.. Don't forget to wear your lip gloss and be pretty! xx



XOXO,
Shazzy.

How I Store My Bubble Bars and Bath Bombs!

This weekend I've been spending my time in my room, unpacking my stuff and cleaning up my make-up area.. Y'all know that I went to Singapore twice this month right? And I purchased quite a lot of Lush products while I was there. haha.. (Just can't help it!) So...when I get back home, I had to think how do I store these lushies that I purchased! I know I accidentally bought a lot the other day...and now I have a bit of a problem to store them in here, knowing that my stuff are all overflowing in this room! haha. ;p 

It's just that..it's so overwhelming you know, when you're in the store, not knowing what NOT to get! Cuz everrry thing looks and sounds amazing! hahaha.. - I'm the kind of a girl who loves all things pretty and girly..and I don't just love make up and fashion.. I love body and bath products too! So of course this girly girl just couldn't resist not buying Lush products and had a really hard time deciding what to buy! (I spent more than 2 hours in there! haha. Thanks Michelle, for assisting me..and for making my wallet hurt a bit. haha ;p) 

Anyways, so when I got home the other day, I checked every item I got for myself..and I couldn't stop smiling! Heee.. I know they're not Chanel bag or whatever. They're just.....soaps? But oh well, like I said, I loveee all things girly and pretty! Even if it's just soap! haha. So I'm very sorry if I sound so lame in here. But I'm just so excited! - If only you get to see my face when I first got into the Lush store, you'll know what I mean! haha ;p

Anywaysss.....I love their bath bombs, bath melts and bubble bars especially. They are like their famous items. I took quite a number of these darlings the other day. I can't wait to use them in the bath tub! They smell so yummy! But the slight problem is.. they're quite big and chunky..and very fragile! So I gotta take extra care of them, before I get to use them. 

I don't really take my bath in the tub that often. Normally I just shower. Bath tub is for days that are special..hehe. - Which happens like...once or twice a month only..so it's gotta be a loooong way for my bath bombs, bath melts and bubble bars to be used and finished! So I gotta find a way to store them properly but still look nice and presentable.. while they wait for their turns to be used each month! hehe

...and I got an idea! 

Using a clear bowl, and a plastic food wrap!

I wrapped each and every bath bomb I have with this plastic wrap, instead of the yellow Lush bag they gave me! So it's easier to choose and know which is which... Rather than having to open each bag, to find out what I'm looking for!

Tada! All wrapped up! Ready to be displayed in my bathroom...waiting for their turns to take a bath with me! hehe

They looked like some kinda candies or should I say...kuih? hehe

Ok, I gotta continue cleaning my room! Blog soon! Have a great week ahead! Take care girls! ;)




XOXO,
Shazzy.