Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Henna design

In my culture, henna is usually applied on special occasions. You really don't need a special occasion though, it can be applied any time.

I hardly apply henna cause I'm not that crazy bout it. I just like applying it when I feel like being creative & have a henna cone at home. Most henna cones in Canada suck big time & the good ones are usually only available during special occasions (& even those aren't that great at times either). I'll be posting up more designs that I've done. It's a learning process. Some I like, some I don't. & I'm slow at applying henna cause I don't practice enough.

Also, I do not use black henna. The henna that I apply is a red/brown colour. I usually take pictures of my henna right after I apply it, which is why it is dark in the pictures. I leave the henna on overnight & brush it off in the morning. This allows the colour to darken while you're sleeping. Some people also apply a lemon juice mixture (not quite sure what else is in it) on top on the henna right after they apply it, which also allows the colour to get darker, but I do not do that.

A blurry henna design that I did around 3 years ago.
I always end up applying henna on myself late at night & by the time I'm done, I'm so tired that I have no energy to take out my camera or hold my phone steady to take a clear pic with my phones cam. That's why the pic is crappy. Other pics that I'm gonna post are def going to be of a better quality. I wish I had taken a proper & clear pic of this design though cause I love it. This is the kind of design that I like - it goes up the arm (not just on the palm & wrist) & it is spread apart. Basically, what I like is the complete opposite of the typical henna design you would see on a South Asian bride.

Like I mentioned above, I will be posting more designs that I've done. I'll also be posting a few other designs that I've come across online & have saved in my henna folder, which I like & want to try at some point.
Read More »

Monday, April 27, 2009

Shopping for Kids

Right after my last exam on Wednesday I went shopping for 2 of my cousins. They're both girls: one is 9 years old (Aliya) & the other is around 3 (Aliza). They are in Dubai, U.A.E. right now so I'm sending the presents there through my uncle who is returning soon. The presents couldn't be heavy or anything, so here's what I ended up with.

To start off, a Hello Kitty hat for the 9 year old. I think I've been influenced by all the bloggers on here who love HK :)
Jewelry & hair clips for the 2 of them to share.
The younger one loves dogs, so I was specifically looking for dogs. I fell in love as soon as I saw this.
It wasn't a special occasion, just wanted to send all the kids there something. Since that day I've just been out, going to visit family friends, eating Afghani food (yum!), & dealing with other things. Now that I'm back I'll be catching up on blogs, leaving comments, & updating often (I hope).
Read More »

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Vote

Click here to vote for my doll look.
Leave a comment to pick your winner. Comment with your name because anonymous votes are not counted.

Click here to vote for my pin-up/biker babe look.
I'm contestant #3. The poll is on the right side.

Both polls close on April 30th, so...
VOTE VOTE VOTE!

& thanks to everyone who votes for me

♥ Saimese
Read More »

Monday, April 20, 2009

Saimese Kitty

Here's a contest entry for Miss Yaya's All Dolled Up contest. She plans on having contests every month, so keep a watch on her blog! Originally I was going to do a look inspired by matryoshka dolls (a.k.a nesting dolls), but I chose to try out the MAC Hello Kitty Wild look. The inspiration pic is added below.

[Click images to enlarge]




Inspiration: MAC Hello Kitty Wild


Products Used



Face:
1. Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Honey
2. NYX blush in Dusty Rose
3. MAC Powder Blush in Well Dressed
Eyes:
4. Prestige Eyeshadow in C-153 Angel
5. ULTA eye shadow in Mosaic
6. ULTA eye shadow in Turquoise
7. MAC eye shadow in Carbon
8. Maybelline Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Black
9. Annabelle Kohl Eyeliner in Black
10. MAC Plush Lash mascara in PlushBlack
Lips:
11. Softlips lip balm in Honeydew Melon
12. Rimmel Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner in 063 Eastend Snob
13. Sofina lipstick from Japan. Everything at the bottom is written in Japanese, but there are 2 numbers: 102 & 0727
14. L'Oreal Colour Riche lipgloss in 120 Rich Pink
Hope you liked the look.

Meow,
♥ Saimese Kitty
Read More »

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Tag, you're it

I've been tagged by Sarah, Rai, & Christel :) I've never done these on here before, so here goes...

What is your current obsession?
Entering contests on Blogger if you haven't noticed already. I love experimenting & trying new things & I really like some of the looks that I've come up with & the colours that I've used together. & of course the excitement of entering a contest itself :)
What is your weirdest obsession?
Currently it would be eating Hajmola. It's a tasty little digestive tablet known amongst Indians & even though I shouldn't be eating one of these everyday when I don't need to, I like the sour/spicy taste & I just can't help it.
What are you wearing today?
Sweatpants & a gray & black tee cause I'm stuck at home.. studying. Eh, boring.
What's your favorite comfort food?
The TOO TALL® Oranges & Cream Cake from M&M Meat Shops. I could probably eat half of that cake in 1 day... mmm yummy!
What would make today special?
If I could just write my last exam & then 2nd year of uni would finally be over
What would you like to learn to do?
Bake cakes from scratch & decorate them all fancy
What’s the last thing you bought?
Bounty chocolate bar
What are you listening to right now?
Knock You Down by Keri Hilson featuring. Kanye West & Ne-Yo
What is your favourite weather?
The end of spring & the beginning of summer
What is your most challenging goal right now?
Eating healthy. I love food, dammit!
What do you think about the person who tagged you?
Sarah - Love her makeup, especially some of her contest entries
Rai - Really nice & an NYX representative now too! So if you want some NYX, you know where to go
Christel - I recently came across a blog & from what I see, she seems like a sweet girl
If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
Dubai, U.A.E. Perhaps one of those overpriced houses on the Palm Island. Not sure how much I'd live there though, but it can be my vacation house & I'd let friends & fam stay there every now & then too since I know a lot of people there.
What would you like to have in your hands right now?
The Google G1 Android Phone. Be mine! :(
Which colour dominates your wardrobe?
Blue
If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
India for the street food & sweet shops. I've been craving those things for a week now!
Which language do you want to learn?
Quite a few
  1. Urdu - Even though I already speak Urdu, I wanna learn it in detail, not just the Urdu that I speak daily. It's such a polite language.
  2. Mandarin - Cause I can see it as one of the most powerful languages in the world in the future.
  3. Arabic
What do you look for in a friend?
Someone who is trustworthy
Who do you want to meet in person?
I wanna meet so many, but I'll say Saif Ali Khan so I can get a picture with him, blow it up, & frame it.
What’s your favourite type of music?
Anything I can dance to
What is your favourite piece of clothing you own?
A 3/4th sleeve, black jacket from Forever 21
What is your dream job?
It used to be interior designer, but not so much anymore. Something creative though.. maybe an MUA or a henna artist? Although, I'm too chicken to curl someone else's lashes or apply mascara on them cause I don't wanna poke them in the eye & I'm a bit slow at applying henna. Hmm, maybe something that involves wearing a lot of well-tailored suits.. a real estate agent. Or opening my own little Indian/Paki restaurant in the area where I live cause all the ones here are just blah! Yeah, no clue.. don't think I have a dream job at the moment.
Any favourite models?
Um no faves, but I love Deepika Padukone even though I found out bout her after she became an actress. Love her long arms & legs & I think she's currently one of the most prettiest women in Bollywood. Oh & she's talented as well unlike most newcomers in the industry.
If you had £100 now what would you spend it on?
Parasailing in Toronto. I don't even know how much it costs, but let's hope £100 covers it.
Favourite designer?
Manish Malhotra
Fashion pet peeve?
Crocs. Those things should be only be worn by kids under the age of 5 who are going to play in sand (i.e., on the beach or in the park).
Do you admire anyone’s style?
Malaika Arora Khan, Kim Kardashian, & Victoria Beckham


Describe your personal style.
I like things that are well tailored & fit right. I love bold colours & little detailing. I cannot get enough of coats, jackets, & blazers. I like things with high collars cause they add a lil edge & cause I hate my back.
What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
The best ice cream that I've ever had was at an ice cream shop & it was black cherry something. It was a long name & I haven't been there since last summer, so I can't remember. I'll probably make a post bout it this summer when I revisit that shop cause the ice cream is so good! Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream is always good too :)
What is your favourite makeup brand?
I'm not brand loyal & I recently started using a lot of makeup. But I do have to say that I like MAC's eyeshadows cause they're very easy to blend & have great staying power. Although, I don't use a primer & if I did, other eyeshadows would stay on longer as well.
What is your all time favourite perfume?
I absolutely love perfumes but my fave has to be Weekend Burberry.

Okay, so here are the rules:
  1. Respond: answer the questions on your blog.
  2. Replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.
  3. Tag eight other people.

8 people that I tag are:
  1. Tiff: BighairBiggerlashes
  2. Robyn: Fashionista 514
  3. Katrina: Katrina is a Princess
  4. Meya: RockMeBeautiful
  5. Jo: Me you and a dog names boo...
  6. Superficial Girls
  7. Beauty Scriblings of J
  8. Miss Yaya: I Will Be My Own Judge
Read More »

Over the Top, but I'm Still Haute


[Click images to enlarge]

I decided to extend the makeup on the inner corner of my eyes cause I loved it when I did it for my Arabian eyes look. It's a bit dramatic & not something I do everyday, so I thought I'd do that.


& then I realized that the tape shows through the green feathers, so I took them off...



Here's how it looks without the feathers. I was in love with the makeup & didn't wanna take it off (which is why there are tons of pics too, hehe). If only I had a party or something to go to cause I wanted to wear this look somewhere outside so bad. You know how some people sport fuchsia lips? I couldn't do a bold lip like that, but I def wanted to do this instead. Obviously I'd get a few too many looks, but damn it looked haute! ;)



Inspirations
L: Dior model
R: Model from Barbie's 50th anniversary show in NYC


I found the Dior model's picture first & knew I had to do that look right away cause not only do I love purple eye shadows, but I had a lot of pink & purple feathers. In case you're wondering why I have coloured feathers around my house, it's cause my mum used to be a kindergarten teacher in the U.A.E & they used it at school for crafts or something so I got some :)
Read More »

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Protect Your Skin

Spotted: Kim Kardashian asking for help through her blog yesterday after she fell asleep while sunbathing with her sunglasses on & got a sunburn. Looks pretty bad too.. ouch!

[Click the image to go to her blog entry & view images of her sunburn. The image is from Kim Kardashian's blog.]
I read a few comments online & people asked why she would do that. Seriously, how clueless can some people be? She didn't do it on purpose. It's easy to fall asleep when you're relaxing out in the sun cause it feels so good, especially here (in Canada) after the long winter months that we've had this time around. & I'm glad that I've never got a sunburn before, but my eczema around my eyes usually comes back around summer.. boo! :(

Anywho, this reminds me how important it is to wear sunscreen now that the weather is getting better & now that I'll be out more after I'm done my last exam this Wednesday, yaay! I was also reading an article online on the Women's Health magazine website on saving your skin from cancer & harmful UV rays. Here are a few points from the article.
  • "Scientists at Britain's Institute of Cancer Research have identified a gene that triggers cells to become cancerous after exposure to the sun."
  • "melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is the leading cause of cancer death among women ages 25 to 29."
  • "Make sure you protect your body by slathering on a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher. That way, you'll filter at least 92 percent of the sun's harmful rays. (The higher the SPF, the better your protection.)"
Read the Save your Skin article here.

I try to stay away from heavy makeup in the summer. I just put on moisturizer, tons of sunscreen, a thin line of liquid eyeliner, lip balm, & a huge pair of sunglasses. There are days (let's make that a lot of days) when I don't wanna keep my makeup that simple, but at least I try. Oh & all this talk about protecting your skin would leave this post incomplete if I didn't include a pic of the sunscreen that I used last year & will def continue using this time as well.

[Click image to enlarge]

It's L'Oreal's Ombrelle lotion in SPF 45. They have a regular line (which includes lotions, spray lotions, a lip balm, etc.) & other unscreen's especially for your face, for kids, & a sweat/waterproof sport line. They go up to SPF 60. I'd rather just have one sunscreen that I use on my body as well as on my face. This way I won't be carrying around 2 different sunscreens too, since I usually just throw it in my purse when I'm heading out.

Do you tend to wear less makeup in the summer as well? Remember, don't forget your sunscreen ladies & gentlemen.
Read More »

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Masquerade Party

Okay, so I didn't exactly go to a masquerade party, but the pics above are from an event held at my university. I love fancy masks, so I just had to take pics with the masks on. Each mask is so different & it's amazing to look at all the details. I was actually going to buy one around 2 years ago, but it was for around $50 & I decided I'd rather spend that money elsewhere instead of on a mask that I'll probably never wear.

In my previous post (a fresh take on a spring look) I mentioned that for the 2nd part of Janet's contest I did a masquerade themed look. I tried to keep the colours somewhat similar to the spring look, so I used lilac & pink. It turned out to be a major flop but it was my first try at this kinda look & I was on a study break so I didn't want to do something that would require too much blending, so here's what it ended up looking like.

I know, it doesn't do the masks shown in the first pic any justice. Nothing too fancy. Didn't go all out either. If I didn't have exams I def would've done something better. But oh well, at least I took something out of this look. Now I def know that if I ever do a masquerade look again , instead of having that pointy thing downward on my nose, it should be the other way around. I thought it would look too much like goggles if I did it that way, but what I have in the pic, makes my long nose look even longer, lol.

Did you have a good laugh? :P
Read More »

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

A Fresh Take on Spring

Here's my take on a spring look. I did this for Janet's contest. I did the masquerade look as well but that was a flop! I'll probably post it up tomorrow. Anywho.

I didn't want to do the usual looks (neutrals, yellows, greens) that you expect to see in spring. So after I seeing a few of the spring 2009 looks on the runway & some spring/summer 2009 makeup palettes (I'll share those inspirations with you below), here's the look that I came up with.

[Click images to enlarge]

I used 7 colours just to do my eyes... eek!




I should've gone with a darker pink or maybe a coral lip, but I wanted to keep it light so I applied this light pink gloss generously. Usually I just apply it once & it looks fine, but the way I applied it for this look makes me look like I'm sick.


Now for the inspirations. First, let's start off with the makeup palettes for spring/summer 2009.

Here's a poster for Shu Uemura. It's safe to say that this look inspired me the most. You can see the purple that looks a like a blue from some angles, then a darker shade on the corner, & a green as well. The lip colour is absolutely gorgeous too.

2nd is a YSL poster. You can see purple, pink, & green shades used on the model. & the palette on the left includes pink, purple, & blue.


Here's the John Galliano spring 2009 runway look. Purple on the eyes, pink on the cheeks, & dark red on the lips. The pic on the right is of a model getting her makeup done backstage. Click here to view her finished look.


Lastly, I'm loving how Gucci models rocked the blue & turquoise eyes. Definately something that I didn't expect to see in spring, but I love love love it! I think turquoise & blue eye shadows look amazing on people with darker skin tones.


Ok, so by now you probably forgot my look, haha! So here's a quick reminder.

& here's what I used from each of the inspirations:
- Pink on the inner corners & tear duct from: YSL's model & palette
- A light, shimmery green on the middle of the lid (that my cam doesn't pick up really well) from: Shu Uemura & YSL's model
- A deep plum on the outer V/corners from: Shu Uemura
- A lavender-ish sahdow on the crease from: bascially all the models except Gucci. What does that tell you? Purples are in of course! So rock those purple eye shadows!!
- A sky blue on the lower lashline from: Shu Uemura & Gucci (even though I didn't use a turquoise cause I wanted to keep it light & make the purples stand out, I was still thinking of that hot look!)
- A mixture of lilac & a shade of blue as a highlight from: all the inspirations :)
I forgot to take a pic of the products I used, so if you'd like a pic of the colours I used, let me know & I'll add those sometime soon. I really would've loved this look with a little darker lip.

Any feedbacks or comments? What's your favourite spring trend? Let me know.
Read More »

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Sinfully Bold

I went really bold with my lips today for Linea's Pin-up/Biker Babe contest. Well, bold enough for me at least. I curled the ends of my hair somewhat as well. There are a lot of pictures so let's get to it!

[Click images to enlarge]

Pin-up Girl

I was looking for a pie or cookies on a plate for one of the poses. Pin-up girls in the kitchen with their baked goods (usually burnt) always catch my eye, but I couldn't find anything, so I posed with my favourite kind of apple.. Granny Smith apples! The contrast of the red lips and the green apple remind me of Snow White. The only thing I need is an evil smirk & I'm set to give the innocent little girl the poisonous apple muahaha!


Products used for the Pin-up girl look


Eyes:
1. MAC Mylar eye shadow
2. MAC Saddle eye shadow
3. Dark brown eyeshadow from an old Lancome palette from the Middle East
4. Maybelline Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Black
5. Maybelline Lash Stiletto mascara
6. Bonnebell eye Definer in A17 Platinum (on the waterline)
Lips:
* I had my Softlips lip balm (not in the pic above) on before I applied the lipstick
7. A red jumbo lip pencil. It doesn't say what brand it is. I don't wear dark coloured lipsticks so I went through my mum's makeup drawer & found it hehe.
8. Caboodles Kiss & Tell lipgloss (This is a clear lipgloss that I never use so I just dabbed a little over the lipstick because it looked too matte & dry. Now it's all red & gross!)
Face:
9. Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Honey
10. NYX Blush in Dusty Rose
11. A beige shimmery blush that I got in a makeup kit that someone gave me. I can't remember which company it was.. I took the tag off

Now for the second look...

Biker Babe

I had a pic with a bandana, but didn't like it that much, so the alternative was a toothpick in my mouth. To get this look I added 5 things to the pin-up look: a cropped, black demin jacket; a toothpick; black eyeshadow on the corners for a smokey eye; black eyeliner on the waterline which didn't show up that well; and a darker lipstick over what I had on already from the pin-up look. You can see how adding/changing up a few things can change your entire look!


Products added for the biker babe look

Lips:
1. Maybelline Moisture Extreme lipstick in 360 Cherry Brown
Eyes:
2. MAC Carbon eye shadow
3. Annabelle Kohl Eyeliner in Black

Wow that took a while! I love how all these contests help me challenge myself & try things I wouldn't usually wear & I have to say I'm liking the darker lips I had on when I was the biker babe wannabe :)
Read More »

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Makeup in my mailbox

Some of you might know that I won a contest held by Fashionista 514 aka Robyn. I got the goodies from that contest (yaay!), so I thought I'd share a few pics with you.

[Click images to enlarge]

So many goodies :D

Swatches of everything except the mascara. I absolutely love the colour of the blush. I have one that's similar & it's getting over, so I wanted to find one like it.. now I don't have to!

Lipglass & Plush Lash

& here's the cute package that it all arrived in. Look at the cute drawing & pretty sticker! Mad love right back at cha :)

To win those amazing prizes I just had to write a bit about what makes me feel beautiful. It was that simple! Click here to read my entry for that contest. Make sure you visit Robyn's blog & browse around.. it's an interesting blog & she also has another giveaway.

That's it for now. I haven't used the products yet but I can't wait to try them out. & of course when I do, I'll have pics to share.
Read More »