Hijab Obsessions-Kaftan/Abaya Review

Today I will be reviewing a  a Simplicity Kaftan abaya sent to me by Hijab Obsessions. This is the first abaya that I have in my collection at the moment so I was very excited to try.  I was kindly sent one in a striking electric blue. It is plain so can be worn like so or dressed up with accessories.

On first impressions I was wondering if they had sent me the wrong size as it was HUGE! However once worn with a belt it was perfect! I was sent a size 52 which I believe was based on my height (I am 5ft2 inches). Other sizes available are 54, 56, 58 and 60.

Without belt                  worn with belt

Ignore the colour of the kaftan on the left, it was taken in the dark. The true colour is on the right and is stunning!

The kaftan is made from jersey material but isn't tight at all. The sleeves are batwing style and flattering without looking large. An added feature is strings inside, which allow you to tie and adjust to your size.

I have dressed mine up with a black belt from Primark; wedges from Forever 21 and a cobra hijab from Princess Rockz

With the heels and belt the kaftan is just about the right length. If you're petite like me it won't be possible to wear flats with this length kaftan.

As the colour is so striking I would probably save this for an evening event and choose their black kaftan to wear during the day.

Conclusion

I like that the kaftan is plain which gives you the freedom to dress up however you like. It can be worn for a majority of functions and and give you a different look each time.

You can purchase from Hijab Obsessions for £42.99. Check out their website for more photos :)

What do you think of the kaftan? Do you have something similar in your wardrobe?

Aquaini-Modest Swimsuit for Muslim Women

I've been looking for modest swimwear for a long time now, but could never find one that ticks all the boxes. (Most I have seen come with leggings and a short top) So when I came across this I was eager to try! I was given the blue suit in a size small to review.

So let me tell you a little about the company behind this design. Aquaini are a UK based company that specialise in modest swimsuits which provide full coverage, ideal for Muslim women. Their website lists the benefits as:

- Protects you from harmful UV rays
- No hassle of applying sun cream
- Waterproof hood
- Helps keep hair healthy
- Keeps your modesty intact while in water
- Made from water-protected polyester

Close up of the design

It is made from a mixture of nylon and spandex with the lining made from 100% polyester. The swimsuit has full sleeves with a hood attached. I am a UK size 8-10 and find it to be an excellent fit. It isn't clingy but also does not fit like a sack. The top comes to just above my knee (I'm 5ft 2). The trousers are also full length and can be attached to the top to prevent it from riding up while swimming. This I believe is one of the key features of the product design. Once in the water I found it to be comfortable and easy to swim around in. Another benefit is that it's easy to remove as the material is stretchy.

As the hood is attached it is great to wear without a hijab as it covers your head as well as the neck. If you prefer you can also wear with a hijab on top.

The swimsuit is of course ideal for all women- Muslims and non-Muslims, who wish to participate in water based activities whilst dressing modestly.

They are available in different colours for £40. You can find Aquaini on their facebook page or by visiting their website.

Please leave a comment down below and let me know your thoughts :)

Kitsch + Co Jewellery Review

Today I will be reviewing jewellery that was sent to me by Kitsch and Co which is an online jewellery company.

Front and back of the card :)

Packaging the jewellery came in

I was sent three rings and a collar necklace to review. I'm a huge fan of quirky rings and the doughnut is definitely my favourite. It's small and can be adjusted at the back. Moustaches accessories are a huge hit at the moment so this ring is bang on trend! I would probably wear the 2 finger ring for an evening out, but it can also be worn casually during the day.

The length of the necklace can be adjusted and would be great if worn with a turtle neck and a side draped hijab style, to show off the necklace. Dress down during the day with a pair of jeans or for the evening with a maxi dress.

You can find Kitsch and Co on Facebook or on Twitter

What do you think of Kitsch jewellery, are you a fan?

How to style a maxi skirt (Casual Look) OOTD

Salaam my luvs! 

So today's outfit is another maxi skirt! (Don't you just heart them?!) They are so easy to style and give a modest look. Another fav of mine is slogan t-shirts and this one I bought a while back from TK Maxx. On top I'm wearing a denim wash jacket from Zara.

 

 

Skirt is from Ebay and hijab from Princess Rockz. 

Finally my studded shoes are from Primark!

For the hijab style watch the video below:

For the OOTD video watch below:

How do you style maxi skirts??

Side Twist Hijab Tutorial- SIMPLE STYLE!

This is the look which I have created in my latest hijab tutorial. It was a requested look from my followers on Instagram and facebook :) It is so simple to achieve but gives an added twist to the overall look.

Here's another photo of the same style but with a headband added:

To try this look watch the video below:

Outfit of the Day + Mini Hijab Tutorial

 

Click on the video below to watch :)

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Hijab Head Candy-Evening or Bridal Look

Adorn your hijab with the stunning Head Candy from Princess Rockz. All you have to do is clip on and you're ready to go! If you're looking for bridal hijab ideas, why not style your bridal hijab with this intricate piece. You can view a bridal tutorial I have made on my YouTube channel to help you.

Of course you don't have to be a Hijabi to wear the Head Candy! It can also be worn in your hair,  which makes it the perfect accessory for any girl ;)

Get yours now from www.princessrockz.co.uk

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The Body Shop Oil-Free Balancing Foundation

This was a total impulse buy. Waiting at the airport in duty free I decided to pass time and test out the oil free foundation from The Body Shop. I have been on the look out for a decent foundation that provides coverage and is ideal for my combination skin. Swatching this on my face in store I was kinda surprised that it covered well; so on a whim I decided to purchase this (shade 04) along with the blending sponge.

Yup that's dried up foundation right there...

I used this during my holiday abroad and it worked well in the cold weather of Istanbul and the heat of Dubai (around 28 degree Celsius).

The trick is all in the application. For a flawless streak-free finish apply with a damp blending sponge. The disadvantage of this is that you waste some of the product through the sponge. The foundation dries very quickly so you have to work fast with it! Only pump a small amount onto your hand at a time to work with, otherwise it'll dry before you apply to your face. If your skin is dry or flaky the foundation will only highlight this so moisturise well before use!

It provides light-medium coverage and the finish is matte but still glowing. The biggest plus is I don't need to powder as much, which if you have a shiny t-zone like moi will understand! It hasn't broke me out yet which is a MAJOR plus for me *Yayyyyyy!!* Oh and it has SPF15-not bad :)

Overall I am happy with this foundation, and will continue to use. My search for the perfect (is there such a thing?) concealer is still continuing...

The foundation is currently on sale on the Body Shop website for £8! (RRP £13)

Please leave a comment and let me know what your favourite everyday foundation/concealer is :)

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Weekend Blogger Lunch

Over the weekend I attended a blogger lunch hosted by Muslimah Beauty and Zinah. The lunch was held in a resturant called Chillies in Whitleys shopping centre. In attendance were other bloggers including Ayaan from beauty Wednesday and Mango Whirl.

Photo by Mango Whirl

I wore an animal print dress from Spitalfields teamed with a black bolero and a black maxi skirt from H&M. The hijab is from Princess Rockz, shoes from Forever 21.

Mango Whirl, Me, Beauty Wednesday (Photo by Pyari Beauty)

The gang!

The goodie bag

We received a cute Zinah bag filled with beauty products. I think they read my mind as I've been meaning to buy some Pearl Drops! Not tried this particular one yet so looking forward to testing it out! I'm an avid tea addict (English and herbal teas please :) ) so no doubt it'll come in handy.  The lipstick and nail polish are more beauty products to add to my ever growing collection ;)

It was great to meet some new face and discover their blogs. Here are a few of the bloggers I met on the day.

Aaliyah from Pyari Beauty
Zinah- Zinahns
Mez- All Made Up
Atviyah- Hijablicious
Safiyah

Apologies if your name isn't listed here! Please leave a comment in the box below if I've forgotten you ;)

Update and Holiday OOTD #1

Hey guys!! Long time no see hey....I've been rubbish at blogging recently and my schedule has been bussyy but I'm going to let you know what I've been up to.

I was recently on holiday in Istanbul and Dubai, which was amazing and didn't want to come back :(

I'll be sharing some holiday snaps as well as outfit of the days in my blog posts-starting with this post :)

For my past post on 'A guide to Istanbul' click here

Topkapi Palace

This is an outfit I wore in Istanbul. The weather was similar to the UK-cold and woolly jumper season. I purchased the green jumper recently from HandM at half price for a bargain £7! The plain teal hijab is from Princess Rockz and is a maxi, which means it's extra wide for plenty of coverage at the front and back.

The uber cool necklace is from Camden Market. My favourite buy is the faux leather jacket from Oasis.I've been wearing this with practically all my outfits. Shoes are Forever 21 and maxi skirt from HandM.

 

The beautiful Bosporus! Photo taken from the Topkapi Palace

 

Keep a look out on the next OOTD post. If you're on Instagram follow me for daily OOTD and other shizz- aalia_princessrockz

Stunning Head Candy!

Princess Rockz head candy coming soon!

OOTD-Black with a Splash of Faux Fur!

Faux fur- H&M

Biker Jacket- Oasis

Black Wonderland Hijab- Princess Rockz

Dress- Market

Bag-Primark

I shall be at the Smoky not Smudgy event in London on Saturday 17th November. There will be lots of exciting things happening, including a fashion show showcasing all the latest Muslim fashion and workshops. I will be helping out at the Princess Rockz stall where you will be able to purchase hijabs and accessories.  I'll also be holding a hijab styling class at 3:30pm. If you would like to attend, please reserve a place by emailing the organisers: smokynotsmudgy2012@hotmail.com There will be a small charge of £2 which will go to charity.

For more info see the event website by clicking here

Hope to see you there :)

Eid Al-Adha Outfit- Princess Style

Hope you all had a FAB-ulous Eid :) I certainly did, although for some reason it always goes by so quickly!

I wanted to purchase an Indian outfit especially for Eid, which is something I haven't done in years. So I popped to Green Street with my sister....never again! Lol, well it wasn't too bad, but certainly chaotic. I tried on a few outfits but couldn't find one i was 100% happy with. The OMG moment was trying on an outfit at the back of a shop, amongst a pile of rubbish!!

Anyway, in the end I left empty handed and instead wore one given to me a few years ago that I adore! The shape of the lengha (skirt) is similar to what I had designed for my wedding- the victorian style skirt with plenty of structure. Elegant shape with a little detail on the top and lengha.

As the top is short sleeves I've worn a matching bolero on top. The dress is actually a greenish colour but shows up blue on pictures.

For the hijab style I wore a plain teal maxi hijab from Princess Rockz with a silver headband and draped with the dupatta on top. The hijab style is similar to a tutorial ive made on my Youtube channel

Hope you all had an enjoyable Eid :)

Food Glorious Food!

Seafood Ramen is my ultimate favourite dish from Wagamamas! If you're not familiar with ramen it's like a soup with noodles and mine also contained seafood-fish cake, squid and prawns.

The spoon is so cute-I want one!

 

The husband had a rice dish with misso soup and some pickle thingies, which I don't think looks appealing lol.

Have you been Wagamamas? If so what's your favourite dish? x
 

Afternoon Tea at the Hilton

Last week I went for afternoon tea at the Hilton hotel in Park Lane, London with a few friends. We went for the chocoholic tea menu which consisted of yummy cakes and scones with clotted cream and jam (my favourite!!) We were also treated to delicious sandwiches...although they were tiny and I wanted more :(

tasty and left me wanting more!

All of this was washed down with English Tea. There was a HUGE selection of tea from mint, Jasmine to Earl Grey, but I stuck to what I like best. The table was presented well with cutlery for the scones and sandwiches.

Good ol' English tea :)

scones and cakes galore!

Photo courtesy of Mango Whirl

Me acting all shy (Photo by Mango Whirl)

And finally a group pic!

Photo by the waiter. lol

The food was great but I wouldn't go back, as I would want to try somewhere different. I'm into cute little tea places so if you know anywhere like that in London please let me know :)

Just a note that I was hungry as soon as I got home and made myself some chicken noodles....so the food wasn't entirely filling. However I guess you pay for the experience (it cost around £29 per person) Also there was a service charge of £22 added to our total bill, which is kind of expensive considering there wasn't much service. So I had them take off the charge, which you are perfectly entitled too by the way. I believe you should only pay what you think the service is worth not the other way around.

The hijab that I'm wearing is a plain maroon maxi from Princess Rockz and I think the headband is from Accessorize, although I bought it time ago so can't remember!

If you like the look of the others (and frankly why wouldn't you!) make sure you follow their blogs which I have linked down below :)

Mango Whirl

makeupatoz

frootibeauty 

chocoholic-hijabi
hommesdefemmes

Instagram: aalia_princessrockz

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Cinema Outfit of the Day-Casual with Smart Look

Yesterday I went to the cinemas to watch some Brad Pitt film which was a majoorrrrrr waste of time!!!!!! God only know what that film was about! I was yawning throughout and I could tell others in the screen were doing the same!

Anyway this is what I wore to the cinemas.

Blazer- New Look (sale section)

Maroon maxi hijab- Princess Rockz

Headband- Claire's

Shoes- Dorothy Perkins

Jeans- H&M

It's started to get cold so I'm incorporating jumpers into my outfits. The yellow and cream jumper is a buy from Primark last year. The smart blazer adds a little sophistication to an otherwise casual look.

Thanks for reading. If you have a blog please leave your link/comment down below and I'll be sure to follow :)

Instagram: aalia_princessrockz

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Blue Hearts Outfit of the Day

An outfit from a few weeks ago. I must say I'm liking Primark's long-sleeved tops at the moment, I've bought them in every single colour!

Aqua long-sleeved top- Primark

Black maxi hijab- Princess Rockz

Blue hearts top- Next

Jeans- H&M

Bracelet- Forever 21

Instagram: aalia_princessrockz

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Review: Bespoke Henna Canvas by Farrah

Hi guys hope you're all well :)

I was sent this amazing henna canvas by Farrah from Bespoke Henna for review and was sooo excited to receive!

Before my review let me give you the low down on Farrah. I met her last year at an Eid souk in London and was blown away by the beautiful designs she made onto canvases, candles and also vases! (You can read that blog post here) Her paintings are all made with 100% natural henna and filled with colourful acrylic paints. They are then sealed with non toxic and non flammable sealents to preserve.

The story behind the painting is just as beautiful as the canvas itself. Farrah was inspired by her travels to Istanbul and the Iznik art around the city in mosques and the bazaar. Iznik art is both a combination of ottoman as well as chinese art which gives it an unique and wonderful look.



I was excited to open the package especially as it came in pink paper (a plus already). The canvas itself was double wrapped in bubble wrap for security. Alhamdhuillah this kept the canvas intact without damage.

 

After removing the bubble wrap I was amazed by the colourful design! Mashallah it's so beautiful  and reminds me of my holidays to Turkey. This would make an ideal gift, especially as Eid is coming up in a few weeks time! 

That's a thumbs up from the husband!
 

You can find more designs on bespoke henna website or on their facebook page (links below)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bespokehenna
website: www.bespokehenna.com


*The canvas was sent to me for review purposes, but I give honest opinions on all reviews