Hair Files

Last night I decided that my hair needed to be trimmed. I'm trying to hold off getting a "real" cut until about July because I tend to get my hair cut a lot and I am trying to grow it out as much as I can.

So I figured, it can't be that hard to trim my own hair! I brushed it out, clipped the top half out of the way (I really only wanted the bottom layers trimmed since they are the ones with the most damage right now) and got out the scissors.

Suprisingly, it's a lot harder to trim the back of your own hair than I thought it would be. So I ended up cutting off about an inch as opposed to the quarter of an inch I was originally aiming for. It kinda works out OK, though, because I was in a bit of denial and probably needed a little more than an inch cut off. It does actually make a big difference because my ends feel much thicker and not as frazzled. So yay!

I'm not that worried though. The weather is warming up now and my hair tends to grow like a weed in warm weather. I'm just a little bit past armpit length (APL) now and my goal is to hit brastrap length (BSL) by August. I suppose I'd better start taking my vitamins.

Lisa Hannigan

So apparently I have been living under some sort of rock lately. Lisa Hannigan was on the Colbert Report the other day and I was mighty impressed, though slighly shocked because I didn't know that she had gone solo. My friend told me that apparently Damien Rice fired her!

Anyway, she has an album out called Sea Sew. Very cute. And her songs are very sweet, pretty and a bit feminine. I like them a lot.

Here's a very pretty ditty called I Don't Know. I think it might just be the perfect song for the rainy weather we are having. Cue the hot cocoa and colorful socks.

The Charlatans in May

So apparently Mark and whoever that other guy is from Step On are bringing out the Charlatans to play on May 1st. Should be lots of fun! I will keep my fingers crossed that this actually happens because as we all know, promoters here tend to jump the gun a little bit sometimes.

I just hope it isn't at Chi. I'm pretty sure it will be, but a girl can always dream about seeing a great band in a great venue without being thrown up on by some drunken 16 year old chick, right?

Also, I remember the SeeYouNextFriday boys mentioning something about the Subways. I'm still waiting on that one cuz I'm very excited about seeing them.

Frickity Frick Frack

So today my dad asked me to check and see how many speeding fines I have so we can get them paid. I'm thinking 'well the last time I checked it was like 700dhs so probably not more than that'.

Fucking 1350 dirhams!!! Apparently I was speeding at 21-30kms higher than the speed limit on Al Khail road and was fined 600 freaking dirhams. What the hell. I'm sooo pissed.

Obviously I shouldn't have been going (apparently) 121kms/h. But 600 dirhams? That's like a trip to Sephora! *sniff*

Playsuits

I can't wait to try out the playsuit trend. I'm not sure why I'm so excited. It could be that it's one of those trends that seem just a sexier version of the ones I wore as a kid. Much like my love for frilly party dresses.

Here are some of my favorites that I found online.

From the top left: Topshop,. Forever21, Forever 21, Black Halo @ shopbop.com, Miss Sixty,Topshop, Bardot Fashion Australia, Topshop, Topshop, Topshop

I love the 70s feel that these have. And the great thing about playsuits is that you can wear them with pretty wedges, which makes dancing all night a little less painful.

Recessionista tip 5

St. Ives Whipped Silk Advanced Body Moisturizer

Cost: 20.75 Dhs (for 18oz or 532ML) at Spinneys

This is probably one of my favorite body lotions ever. It's perfect for when the weather warms up. You know how hot and sticky it gets and using a heavy lotion just isn't a good idea.

This one surprised me the first time I used it. I read a few reviews online that really recommended it, but the texture was so light that I didn't really think it was going to do anything. Then I checked a few hours later and my skin was still really soft and moisturised!(always a good thing!)

It's been a few years since then, and while I do like to try different products, I tend to come back to this one as my staple.

It has a really refreshing scent, too - but not over powering at all so it doesn't compete with your perfume. And because the texture is so light you don't have to stand around and wait for the lotion to soak in before you get dressed.

I also mix it with some shimmer powder and apply it to my legs, chest and arms when I think my Nars Body Glow will be too heavy.

Who Took the Bomp From the Bompalompalomp??

One of my favorite songs in the world everrr. I have no idea if this is the real video though because there are so many versions running around youtube!

Bags of Wisdom

I love herbal tea. Herbal tea with a teaspoon of honey has the ability to completely calm me down and make the world seem all lovely and sparkly again.

Anyway, I buy a lot of my herbal tea from the Organic Foods & Cafe near Diyafah street. That place is great, although it doesn't have everything...(um, a little pure shea butter please!)

They have a huge selection. But the one I get always has little pearls of wisdom/advice on the tag thingies. So I thought I would start sharing them with you guys since they always seem to brighten up my day/make me think 'hmmm'. And yes, I do realise that you are probably not as easily amused as I am but I am still going to post them.

Today's label read: "Share your strengths, not weaknesses".

It makes sense. I have a horrible habit of being my own worst critic. And even when people pay me a compliment I play it down by responding with an insult about myself. But thank you teabag, I am now aware of my self destructive behaviour. Ok, so it's more like me being a tad more aware of my self destructive behaviour..

Hair Files

I have reaaally been loving this hair accessories trend, lately.

Hair accessories are a great way to dress up an outfit and make you feel very feminine, almost like a princess!

And since racing season is almost amongst us, I thought I would make a post about some of my favorite ones out there at the moment. I know it's tradition to wear a hat, but I would love to see flowers or big feathers instead.

Forever 21 Rhinestone Feather Headband. I love the feather and tiny bit of sparkle.

Accessorize Large Flower Red Bando. I love this. I would wear it across my forehead with the flower over my ear. I would definitely rock something like this to the races.

Accessorize Bridal Pearl and Crystal Comb. This is soooo gorgeous! It's so simple and has a very vintage feel to it. So pretty to wear to a nice dinner or black tie event. You can even wear it at the top of a french knot or chingon.

Accessorize Shelly Embelished Bando. Gorgeous!! I love the metallic colors because even though it is very floral, it still has a very modern look. Reminds me of something Whitney or Erin would wear on the City.


Accessorize Origami Flower Clip. I actually have this one, and it's great because it has a hair clip and a pin on the back. So you can wear it so many different ways. I wore it pinned onto my dress for my birthday. But it would look great above the ear. I really want to pin it onto a thick ribbon and wear it on my wrist, kinda like a corsage. I think that would be so pretty, especially with a simple dress.

Forever 21 Versatile Rose and Feather Hairclip. This is so pretty and again, the gray makes it really modern. It's on a clip, too so again you can wear it a thousand different ways.

Super Cool Updo

I completely fell in love with the casual updo that Mila Jovovich wore recently in Paris.


It's soo simple but can go so many ways. It's the perfect casual updo that can work during the day or even at night, depending on the headband you use. Mila must really love that headband cuz she has been spotted wearing it a few times.

Anyway, I decided to recreate the look for myself. I tried it with two different headbands, a plain silver one for a more casual look and a pretty beaded one to wear out at night.




(Please excuse my invisble eyebrows and lack of makeup!)

All I did was put the headband around the crown of my head and use bobby pins to anchor it down. Then I rolled the ends of my hair upwards and pinned it with bobby pins to make it stay.

You can make it as messy as you want, just leave a few tendrils out and curl with a curling iron. And if you're hair tends to slide out easily, just apply a bit of mousse before you put it up to dry hair to give it more hold.

Recessionista tip 4

Making the Most of Lipstick Samples

I love samples. Love them. Samples are a great way of trying out a new shade or product without the hassle of crappy store lighting and the pressure of crappy store assistants telling you that you look great when you really look like a crack whore and they just want to make a sale.

But sometimes you just want to get a tiny bit more out of your samples before you splurge on a product. (I'm reminded of that scene in Friends with Money where Jen Aniston lines up like 10 jars of Lancome cream and Chanel lotion!)

Here is an easy way to prolong your lipstick samples:

What you need:

your samples

an empty container (I got this one at Daiso, but you can also find some at Sephora)
Vaseline. I'm sure you can also use any of your fav lipbalm
a lighter
a metal spoon
a spatula. I used a wooden tongue depressor that I cut into half

Use the spatula to scrape out all of the lipstick and put it on the spoon. (I mixed the two middle pinks)
Scrape out a little bit of vaseline and add it on to the spoon. Use less or more depending on how glossy you want the lipstick to be.
Hold the lighter under the spoon and hold it until the flame heats the spoon and the lipstick melts completely.
Pour the liquid lipstick into the container (warning: it's REALLY hot) and stir it with the spatula so that the color mixes evenly.
Let it cool completely. Might take a few minutes.

(tada!)

I think this is the perfect pink to ease myself into the whole 'bright lipstick' trend.

Recessionista tip 3

Daiso False Eyelashes.

(my, what big eye(lashes) you have! Little known fact: False lashes also double as fans when the weather warms up!)

Where: Lamcy, new mall out by Mirdif (I keep forgetting the name!), Ajman outlet mall.

Cost: 5 dirhams!!

I have been wanting to try false lashes for a long time now. And since I'm far from a pro right now, I figured I'd be better off getting some cheaper ones so I won't be mad if I ruin them! (so no Madonna-esque mink and diamond lashes for me right now!)

I bought mine at the Lamcy branch, and they have loads of different styles. I love #13, the half lashes because they are easy to use if you're a first timer and and they give my eyes that sweet, but-not-so-innocent Marilyn Monroe type look.

I also got the individual lashes that I thought would be fun to try for a more casual look. And I bought the shorter ones because I figured they'd look most realistic on my short little Japanese eyelashes. (thanks, mom)

I also stocked up on lash glue. They had the clear kind and also the black one. The black one is great because it practically disappears if you are going to line your eyes afterwards.

Happy Birthday Bowie!

My pretty kitty turns one today.

I've had Bowie since November of last year. My friend Z actually found him, and he was being abandoned on a road behind Nad al Sheba!

That's right. She found him as his previous "owner" was setting him down in a basket on the side of the road and driving off. She said that the poor thing was all confused and trying to run to get back into the car :( Bowie came complete with his tags, vaccination records and microchip documents.

I met Bowie when he was having a check up done and we were all so confused as to why someone would want to abandon such a sweet, well behaved cat. I'm not a very big cat person, but luckily Bowie seems to think he is a dog anyway so it works out great! Plus, this cat is (nearly) as emotionally needy as I am so it really is a match made in heaven!

Time On Me Is Wasted Time

Watkins - Black AM


Kings of Leon - Wasted Time


Cage the Elephant - Back Against the Wall

Get Out The Granny Panties, It's Laundry Day!!

(my babies..I keep all of my brushes in these cute little glasses that I got from Ikea)

Washing my makeup brushes is one of my favorite things to do. I love it so much that I have been known to ask my friends if they need their brushes washed so I have more to do! (Yeah, I know I have issues)

I try to clean my brushes like once a week or so, but I also try to deep clean them every few weeks.

Here's how I do it:

First I run my brushes over a MAC Wipes to get off any excess makeup. With my liner brushes, I like to swirl them in a few drops of oil to completely dissolve the gel/liquid liner residue.

Then I mix a few squirts of shampoo in a cup filled halfway with warm water. I swirl each brush in the cup and then rinse gently to get rid of any suds and until all the makeup runs off.
I try and make sure that I hold the brushes upside down because if water gets into the barrel it can cause it to rust or loosen and come apart from the handle. And I try and wash my big brushes, like my Kabuki brushes and blush brushes, last because these tend to soak up the mix and take a bit longer to rinse clean.

Then I squeeze out the excess water and spritz each brush with surgical spirit to disinfect it.

And finally, I lay them down flat on a towel and make sure to shape the bristles so that they don't dry at a weird angle. They usually dry in a couple hours and then I have clean, soft fluffy brushes!

(A small collection, but it's getting bigger!)

Recessionista tip 2

Goody Pillow Soft Rollers

Where you can find them: I bought mine at Life Pharmacy, so I'm pretty sure you can find it at any pharmacy.

Cost: 28 Dirhams for a pack of 20.

I saw these while I was waiting at the pharmacy and thought they looked interesting. Especially since I am trying to find ways to avoid heat-styling my hair. The instructions said that they can be used on dry hair, but I used them on freshly shampooed, slightly damp hair (after I applied my leave-in conditioner and serum) and left them in over night.

They were pretty comfortable to sleep in. I didn't sleep like I normally do but I think it's because I was just aware that they were in my hair. And I'm sure that after a few times I will barely notice them at all.

I took them down in the morning and they were completely dry. I ran my fingers through the curls to break them up a bit, but it was still a little too curly for my taste. It could have been that I used all 20 rollers. I think next time I will use less rollers and bigger sections.


The end results. Don't mind my ends, they've gotten pretty dry. I think it's due to the coconut oil I've been using, but that's a whole nother post ;)

Recessionista tip 1

I'm going to start posting some tips for the recessionistas amongst us. Basically letting you know about cheap products or deals that I've found throughout the city. Here's my first one!


1. Baking Soda

Where you can find it: any supermarket.

Cost: I buy mine for less than ten dirhams.

Uses: What don't I use baking soda for?? I mix it with my liquid body wash and use it as a gentle daily exfoliator. You can even mix it with your face wash and use it a few times a week as an exfoliator for your face.
I also use it with toothpaste to help keep my teeth white.
And I mix it with hydrogen peroxide and apply the paste to bare nails (especially toes) to help lighten them if they've become a bit stained from all the dark polish I use.
And I use it to polish some of my jewelry when it tarnishes. You can mix it with water (I use toothpaste sometimes if the jewelry is really tarnished) until it becomes a thick paste and use it with an old toothbrush. Then rinse the jewelry and let it air dry.

Here's a link to other cool ways to use baking soda!

75 Extraordinary Uses For Baking Soda

Happy Birthday Z!

Last night was my best friend's birthday.

We went out for drinks and food at Left Bank, Souq al Bahar. I tried the Roast Pumpkin and Goat's Cheese salad and it was amazing! Then we headed down to Alpha to see the Loose Cannons.

I'd never actually heard any of their stuff before, but I can now call myself a fan. The performance had a lot of energy and they are just a really fun band. Lot's of fun to jump around to. And they wore these crazy top hats (which, unfortunately I did not manage to steal before I left...well, there's always next time)

You can check out their myspace here:

The Loose Cannons

Alpha wasn't as busy as I thought it would be. It was actually pretty quiet compared to how it usually was. And Left Bank was nearly dead, I've never seen it so quiet. It could have been that everyone was at the Rugby tournament, but I'm going to go ahead and be the pessimist and say it was due to the economic crisis.

Happy March!!

I just wanted to wish everyone a very merry March.

March is probably one of my favorite months. Not only is it my birthday! (and best friend's and my mom's too yay!) but I love it because the weather starts to warm up just a little bit and the sun comes out a little more.

But mainly because it's my birthday month.

So happy March everyone!