SMOKYNOTSMUDGY

Some of you may have heard of Smoky Not Smudgy, especially because it's been running for 7 years now and every year it gets bigger and better! This was my second year of attendance and it definitely was a memorable one especially due to the people I met.

So what exactly is Smoky Not Smudgy?
For those of you who don't know, Smoky Not Smudgy is an event held in aid of charity week. It is a ladies only papering event where women from all over the globe attend. It consists of

" LUXURY SERVICES, BEAUTY TREATMENTS, FASHION BOUTIQUES, PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIOS, A SOUK BAZAAR, MASTER CLASSES, TUTORIALS BY INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND EVEN A SHOW STOPPING CATWALK."

The money raised during charity week goes towards aiding orphans and needy children.

Here are some of the companies and their stalls that attended on the day.

www.hijaberry.com

www.facebook.com/kulturalkreations

http://zansoccasions.co.uk/
The owner of Zans Creations, MashaAllah is such a nice person. I met her whilst looking lost and trying to find the venue. I  follow her on instagram and completely love all her bouquets, they really are amazing! Her bouquets are something that can be kept forever as a beautiful memory. If you've never checked out her stuff you really should!

http://zansoccasions.co.uk/

http://zansoccasions.co.uk/

http://www.cherryblossomsboutique.net/

https://www.facebook.com/RomeesaLondon

http://ibraheemtoyhouse.com/

http://instagram.com/shasminaccessoriez

http://instagram.com/shasminaccessoriez

http://instagram.com/shasminaccessoriez

https://www.facebook.com/cafejulia
This lady's mother in law makes the most amazing jams ever. They all tasted so good it probably took me half an hour to decide which 6 I wanted. The Blueberry and Honey is just too good, unfortunately, she didn't have that in a larger jar :(. 

https://www.facebook.com/S.Accessoriez

https://www.facebook.com/S.Accessoriez

http://miragebynumra.co.uk/collections/scarves

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayahmeen-London/
These ladies hand-make beautiful headpieces (at a very reasonable price) one of which I just could not keep away from!  I'll try and post a picture of it sometime. The sisters themselves are so genuine and nice, makes me love their products even more! 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayahmeen-London/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayahmeen-London/

https://www.facebook.com/S.Accessoriez

Look at this purple calligraphy kaftan...so stunning.

                                       

www.nellyandkhadz.com

     

 

Lipstick in the eyes of the pouter

Ok so lately I've been obsessed with makeup so much so that it’s making my purse hollow! What I thought I’d do to make my obsession go one step further is to write a review on some of my fave products of this month.

In first place - I’m completely in love with Rimmel Kate lipsticks. These can be found in Superdrugs or Boots stores and cost around £3.99 to £5.49 depending on which type you get. In the last two weeks I've probably bought around 5 different colours and I've actually seen a new shade that I HAVE to have (Shade 31). But of the ones I currently have, I’m actually on my second case (with third on standby) of shade 19.

I’m now going to attempt to describe the colour- it’s a slight pink with some nude undertones..slightly rosy-berry but more towards the berry side. Now you see why I said attempt :P. It’s very creamy and thick with amazing pigmentation. I used to hate nude colours but this lipstick has become my every day wear.

Moving on to the second product: my very first gel eyeliner. I was told these were hard to apply and I’d get bored of using them after a while but not found either of these statements to be true! I can see myself stocking up on these too. The one I have is the Maybelline eyestudio lasting drama gel eyeliner. It’s so thick and creamy and works wonders in just one application. It glides on very smoothly and sets immediately. I've found it to last until I take it off which is perfect as don’t need to carry it round with me. The applicator brush it comes with is the perfect length for application. The bristles are not too soft to flop and not to stiff either. It’s perfect from creating thin as well as thick lines.

I'm obsessed with both these products and without them my makeup just doesn't feel right. 

On a final note, if you’re a keen reviewer why not try going over to dooyoo.com and earn some extra cash? You can earn points that can be redeemed as cash, vouchers or given to charity for every review over 250 words. Come on..250 words..that’s nothing, unless you’re a student writing an essay then I’d say 10 words is hard enough never mind 250!

Trifle Tastic!

If you're looking for an easy but delicious dessert try these homemade individiual trifle treats. Easy to make and approximately 12 of these glasses can be made for less than £4.50!

Ingredients:

Strawberry jelly crystals 85g (For halal jelly try Ahmed Jelly Crystals 85g/2.99oz)

All butter Madeira Cake (1 packet)

Custard (400g)

Squirty Cream

Crystal sprinkles (optional) 

NB: The quantity of the ingredients is more based on preference rather than an exact amount.

Method:

1. Follow the instructions on creating the jelly mixture 

2. Divide the liquid jelly mixture equally among each glass/bowl

3. Leave in fridge to set

4. Gently crumble the Madeira cake 

5. After the jelly has set, take out of the fridge and layer the crumbled cake on top of the jelly. Once the preferred amount of cake is placed inside the glasses, slightly press down to create a flat cake surface. 

6. Pour the preferred amount of custard on top of the cake layer.

7. Leave in fridge until ready to serve.

8. When ready to serve, squirt the cream on top of the custard layer and sprinkle the crystals. 

Reads with UT continued...

 

The next three books will the remaining two from the princess trilogy and 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho'. Reviews will be up after reading all three. 

Review: Daughters of Arabia by Jean Sasson

Ahh finally a book that grabbed my attention within the first page! From then on I knew that I wouldn't be let down and I was kind of right in some ways. I mostly read the book because I wanted to know how certain events unfolded and it was mostly curiosity regarding life amongst the royals in Saudi Arabia. I had prior knowledge concerning the inequality of genders within an Arab society but to read it from a royals point of view was interesting.  As it was a true account I don't think it would be fair to criticise the fact that it did not have a plot line, nor a climax and the ending was sudden. However, having read numerous other true stories before, I'd say the style of writing wasn't really what engaged me as a reader but more the content. Additionally, I didn't find myself feeling upset, angry, shocked or any other emotions that other readers have felt. It's most likely due to the fact that I'm already aware of how in certain countries men interpret women's status in Islam differently to what is actually correct. Perhaps readers that have only a slight knowledge of Islam and the Arab culture might experience these emotions and find the book more gripping. Nevertheless, it was a good read which I'd recommend to only selected people as oppose to The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul' which I would not recommend at all.

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Next on the Reading List!

The next book to be read and reviewed is Daughters of Arabia by Jean Sasson. It's actually the sequel to Princess which I've not received yet and the book looks too good to wait for the first one. I know it's silly...read the first book first, but I have to read something! Read the first chapter so far and looks promising. Review should be up soon!

Xx

The overrated coffee shop of Kabul

Wow, it's been so long since I've blogged! Hope everyone had an amazing Eid In Sha Allah. 

So recently I finished reading a book and just wanted to share some quick thoughts. But firstly why I read the book in the first place. 

After hearing so many good reviews about The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez, I really could not wait to read it for myself. What really encouraged me to read this book was the numerous times it was being campared to A Thousabd Splendid Suns and The kite Runner! Both those books I could not put down even for a second and to hear that this book was the exact page turner as Khaled Hosseini's, it further increased the suspense.

Firstly, I usually finish a 'good' book within a few hours. However, I believe it took me over a week to read The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul. The story seemed slow and some characters rather pointless. Nothing really happened until after reading two thirds of the book and even then it wasn't really enticing at all. The characters such as Candace and Isabel I felt had no purpose and their storylines extremely underdeveloped, so much so that when a drastic event takes place I felt no empathy at all. I only felt like I cared bout one out of five main characters. I'm really disappointed in the storyline and the authors writing style. To me it definitely can not be compared to Hosseini's page turners. 

Sorry it's a very short review but I feel like it's not even worth writing a long negative review. Let's hope the next book's a lot better! 

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