SLIDER

Modest Fashion On A Budget - Part 1

4.29.2017


Hey guys! I'm always on the hunt for modest dresses and outfits now that I'm in the US so I thought I'd start a series and compile my finds and share them with you guys. Personally I don't wear sleeveless stuff (cold shoulders are an exceptions and my skirts, dresses etc are never shorter than midi length. If that is your dressing style, I'm sure you'll find this series helpful! As always, I try to look out for bargains so it should help you're on a budget as well!

Everything mentioned here is under $30 except for one piece! There's free shipping no matter how large or small your order is so that's always a plus point.



So for today's post - I decided to focus on dresses - either long maxi dresses that can be worn alone, or short dresses that would work well with capris, midi skirts or good old jeans!

Navy And White Striped Self Belt Roll Cuff Maxi Dress - price HERE!


I love this one! The vertical stripes are super flattering and the classic black and white design means that even if you're someone who wears a hijab, you can add a pop of color using that! The loose sleeves and the waist cinching belt makes it perfect for photographs as well!



I am in LOVE with this print! I know some of you won't like it - but it screams summer to me! I love the length of this - just pair with your favorite sandals and you are good to go!



Now if the first green print dress wasn't your cup of tea, then this one will definitely be! Where that was more brighter, this is a lot more darker! I love the sleeve detailing. While this is a midi dress, you can easily cover up the legs with some tights! 



Doesn't this look like one of the traditional pathani/Afghani dresses - I love the embroidered sleeves! The red and white combination is perfect for those who don't like wearing completely white outfits, like me! 




While this ins't technically a dress, I think it's perfect for those hot summer days when you want something loose, flowy and comfy! The stripe-y print is so in these days and I'm it's biggest fan!


Blue Striped Button Front Lantern Sleeve Embroidered Dress - price HERE!

While this is super short as a dress, it's ideal to be paired with some capris or jeans! Once again, I love the desi touch you get via the embroidery!



Blue Striped Ruffle Trim Tie Sleeve Embroidered Shirt Dress - price HERE!

I don't know how flattering the neck line would be for me, but there's no way I'm not purchasing this! It's so good! I'll be pairing this with white jeggings for sure. 


Blue Striped Tie Back Shift Shirt Dress - price HERE!

Once again, this is perfect for days when you're all about wearing lose flowy tops because you just can't deal with the heat and humidity. Originally a short dress, this will work perfectly with some cropped and distressed with capris! 


Dry Skin? This Clinique Moisturizer Is The One For You!

4.27.2017


I've never had dry skin in my life, but moving to the US has changed a lot for me personally and it has changed a lot for my skin as well! The girl that once powdered her face any chance she got was now suffering from dry skin? Boy, oh, boy - was I confused for quite a while until I decided to try a cult classic that many have praised since years but I never got around to trying it because it was never meant for my oily skin type.



Time for the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion to step in and save the day (er, my skin!) At first, I wasn't sure if this would work for me so I bought a $10 deluxe sample to try before I bought the full size. Two days of using the deluxe sized sample and boy was I ready to get my hands on the full-sized version. A normal person would've waited for the deluxe sized version to finish (which has quite a lot of product in it) but I decided to order RIGHT away! No way was I taking the risk of having my skin go a day without it. Talk about product dependency right of the bat! 

The Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion also comes in a gel variant, for those who have moderately dry skin. The lotion version that I have is wonderfully thin - I don't know how they made such a light weight formula that packs a punch when it comes to moisturizing but kudos to Clinique for getting it just right. Within a minute of application my skin feels plump with no dry patches in sight - as a girl who's still coming to grips of suddenly having dry skin at the age of 24, nothing sounds better! 

According to Clinique, this moisturizer is a dermatologist developed formula that combines all-day hydration with skin-strengthening ingredients to help skin look younger for longer and and help the skin's own moisture barrier by 54% so more moisture stays in. Do I agree with their claims? Hell yeah! 



Would I recommend it? YES! Get the full size version, even if you're on a budget - it will last you for a long, long time and it's worth every penny. I know influencers tend to hype up everything these days but there's some truth to the hype surrounding products that have been there long before Instagram 'influencers' - I tend to stay away from things that are praised by everyone under the sun, but this is a wonderful exception. 

Price - $26 

Order - HERE!


OOTD - My Favorite Spring 2017 Outfit

4.20.2017

Hey hey guys! In today's post I'll be featuring my favorite spring/summer 2017 outfit! I love the top soo much that I've ordered it in three more colors haha! If the remaining two prints were in stock, I would order those too! The top is from Whoa, Wait. Walmart - a budget friendly clothing line made by two bloggers especially for Walmart! Fashion on a budget - I'm all in!

So the other day I went to a Bengali Celebration festival and had a blast! There was so much desi food there, I was going crazy! Anytime I get to have spicy desi food that I haven't spent hours making, I'm ALL for it haha! Check out some of the outfit pictures from the day below!


While the day itself was wonderfully warm, the wind was crazy! The top itself by Whoa, Wait. Walmart is a cold-shoulder top with metal detailing on the neck and sleeves and it's super flowy and lovely!


I'm in LOVE with this bag that I got! The brand is Miztique and while at the beginning I bought this bag as a rough wear bag so I don't ruin my nicer ones, but I've fallen in LOVE with it and am being super careful with it now! The pale-mauve color is perfect for a plethora of spring outfits!


My tasseled shoes are from Sam Edelman - I'm not the biggest fan of the tassel trend, but LOVED these ones! These would go well with a lot of outfits in my closet!


Outfit Details

Top - click HERE!
Tights - Walmart 
Shoes - click HERE!
Bag - click HERE!

Budget Buy - Tassel Earrings For Summer 2017

4.14.2017


I'm not one for accessories, I really had to practice to keep my wedding ring on haha - but I'm always a buyer lol - especially when they're on sale at such a price! Tassels are big for Spring / Summer 2017 and while I'm not intrigued by the idea of wearing tassels on my outfits, I'm really liking these as accessories! If there were more colors, I decently would've picked those up too! Do you guys like these? Let me know in the comments below :) Unfortunately these aren't available online but available now at stores.


The BEST $5 Liquid Lipsticks For Those On A Budget

4.13.2017

Actually, let me retract from the title a bit, not only are the Wet n Wild MegaLast Liquid Cat Suits the best liquid lipsticks under $5 for those on a budget, these are just generally some pretty darn great liquid lipsticks! They're wonderful and comfortably matte, the pigmentation is on another level, the color range goes from nudes to mauves and brown to bright colors, they stay on for ages (unless you eat something oily) and they're easily available at all drugstores and the Wet n Wild website HERE! 

Check out some of the shades I've picked up, all of them are beyond beautiful! I've never had lesser trouble applying matte liquid lipsticks, the formula is super light weight and as long as you apply a thin layer or Vaseline or any lip balm underneath. These are super comfortable to wear as well - just make sure not to layer since these really don't need it at all - wait a couple of minutes for them to matte down and voila, perfection!

Scroll down to see swatches! I can't wait for Wet N Wild to release new shades of their MegaLast Liquid CatSuit range because I'll be picking them ALL UP!

Price - $4.99


In the image below, I'm wearing the shade Give Me Mocha - my favorite out of the bunch! It's the perfect brown-nude-something perfection! I've almost run out of it, I've worn it soo much! Haha!

Incase you're interested in how I did this look, simple click HERE!



Puebla Modern - Restaurant Review

4.12.2017

How apt is it that I'm reviewing a taco place on #tacotuesday! A couple of days back, me and Imad were on our way to Elgin when we decided to stop at St Charles for a bit to enjoy the uncharacteristically glorious spring day and have some tacos. Without any recommendations or leads, we decided to head to Puebla - a modern Mexican restaurant.


For first impressions, Puebla definitely left a good one, I love the decor, the ambiance, the super high ceilings and windows - everything was perfect. Surprisingly, it's also a reasonably priced place - when I first entered the place, I definitely thought the bill would be a $100+ but ours came to about $60ish with drinks.



Now a little bit about the restaurant itself - Puebla, in its own words, specializes in recreating traditional Mexican cuisine with a modern twist!

Coming to a Mexican place, we both decided to stick with tacos and try out a few! Here's what we tried -


PESCADA - fresh fish/ cilantro lime aioli lettuce/ pico de gallo 

This was my least favorite  but Imad liked it the best! He loved the burst of flavors - me, not so much. I thought the kick wasn't the best and couldn't really taste any flavors on the fish itself. 


ESTILO BAJA - crispy beer battered fish/ red cabbage slaw avocado/ chills garlic aioli/ cilantro 

This was absolute perfection! Me and Imad kept on wondering throughout how something that's been deep fried could be this light and airy - seriously! Loved the texture, how it tasted, and how it looked!


EL JEFE - grilled shrimp/ sautéed onion chihuahua cheese/ chile de arbor salsa

My favorite of the bunch, and for Imad it was his least favorite. I'm a big shrimp fan - just keep some shrimp in front of me and I'm a fan. The shrimp here were juicy, not dry at all and full of flavors! The caramelized onions, which I loved, is what out Imad off since he felt it was too store bought BBQ tasting (go figure!)


All in all, out of the three that we ordered, there was atleast one kind that we LOVED and would come back for, the others were great, but nothing to keep raving about. The ambiance of the place, detail to attention, super friendly attendants were all great and all together made the visit a lovely dining experience!

Are these the best tacos I've had? Nope! Having said that, they're good but not great, especially when compared to Bein Trucha and El Molcajete in Geneva!

I've been to these two soo many times and every time I'm blown away by how fantastic everything served here it! I will get to eventually reviewing them once I've gotten some self control and actually take pictures of my food before gulping it down!

Rating - 7/10

Downtown St Charles
51 S. First Street St. Charles, IL 60174
Tel: (630) 945-3408


5 Reasons To Buy The Kylie Lip Kit In Ginger

4.11.2017


1. It seems to be the perfect, almost nude but not quite shade that works wonderfully on my desi skin tone! It's a beautiful warm-toned almost terra-cotta brown shade. If you're looking for something that would go well with an everyday natural makeup look, a super intense smokey eye and everything in between - then this is your shade! The Kylie Lip Kit in Ginger is so versatile, I've work it with tons of different looks and there hasn't been a single time where I think, 'oh this doesn't look good' - that gets double thumbs up from my side!



2. The lip liner is pretty bomb! Not only is it the perfect lip  liner to use with the lip kit itself, it's such a natural shade, you can use it with almost any nude lipstick you have. Or if you have a darker lip color that you want to tone down, the Ginger lip liner will work for that too! Also, if you're into over lining your lips just a bit, this will almost let you get away with it!



3. The formula is pretty great! And no, it is not the same as the Colourpop liquid lipsticks. I know in the start when these came out there was a huge controversy regarding whether the Kylie Lip Kits were just branded Colourpop liquid lipsticks, but seriously guys, the formula isn't the same at all. It's a lot thinner than the Colourpop ones but a lot less drying. This doesn't mean they're not drying at all, they are, but it's nothing extreme. Just apply vaseline liberally before application and you should be good to go!




4. This stuff lasts! And I mean lasts, through a lot of eating and drinking - which is always a good thing in my books! I'm not saying that this won't come off, but if you eat carefully you won't have to worry about looking all kinds of funny with half of your lipstick on your lips and half of it, God knows where haha!



5. If you manage to snap these up during a sale, it's actually a pretty good deal. I'm a blogger who has rarely fallen for hyped up products, a budgeter at heart, I'm always looking for deals/sales etc and I managed to get this lip kit for less than $20 and without shipping during the Cyber Monday sale which is actually a great bargain if you think about it. A hyped up celebrity liquid lipstick and lip liner that is actually good for under $20? Yes, please!

Price - $29

Availability - click HERE!



Other posts you will LOVE! 

If you're someone who is on a budget, then check out some the Colourpop liquid lipsticks I've swatched by clicking HERE!

I did a series on my blog a while back, where I wore a different Colourpop liquid lipstick for 5 days straight, you can check it out HERE!

Incase you've tried the Colourpop ones and didn't like them, I've also reviewed a wonderful liquid lipstick brand that is available in Pakistan! Check it out by clicking HERE!


This Hourglass Primer Is The Most Luxurious Face Primer Ever

4.05.2017

First off, for the sake of proper disclosure, I was very lucky to be sent the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer via Influenster for reviewing purposes. I'm not one to usually splurge on high-end makeup, I just love budget-finds, but this one is pretty darn amazing! Influenster introduced me to the brand and now I'm constantly eyeing the new Hourglass foundation stick every time I'm at Sephora! More on that later though haha.



Packaging - 

The packaging for the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer* is super luxe. The frosty glass feels weight-y in your hand but it's not big at all, so if you're traveling, chucking this in your makeup bag will not be an issue. The Mineral Veil Primer bottle comes with a pump which is always handy, and the best part is that on the back sticker of the bottle, you have the expiry date clearly visible! This is very handy for makeup enthusiasts like me who tend to hoard stuff and forget about what product is near its expiry date lol. I don't know if other makeup brands are doing this now, but kudos to Hourglass Cosmetics for placing it in such a permanent place.



The Product - 

Now the product it self if luxury - I mean, if you're paying $54 for a primer, you expect a lot from it and the Mineral Veil Primer goes above and beyond my expectations! All you need to cover your face with the most silky feeling concoction is a pump - that's it! Even 3/4th of pump will do! There are days where I don't wear foundation, actually a lot of days, and just wearing this feel like something is being patched together. My skin feels plump, when touched instead it feels hydrated and just looks a bit fresher. I love putting this on, given it has SPF15 and then following up with just concealer for an everyday look. Whether you use foundation, or just concealer, the Mineral Veil primer will help your foundation (or any makeup that you've applied) stay on all day! No oiliness will start to come after a couple of hours thanks to the oil-free formula and no cracks will start to emphasize near laugh lines! This product is almost perfection!



Final Thoughts - 

If you want something that will make your skin feel velvety soft when touched, will keep your makeup in place all day, keep your face matte yet glowy at the right places then this is the product for you! I can't recommend it enough!

Or if you think I haven't summed it well, the founder of Hourglass Cosmetics is a lot more eloquent than me! Lol.

“Before I developed Veil Mineral Primer, I wasn’t a big fan of using makeup primers. They always felt like an extra and unnecessary step in your makeup regimen. But then I started working with a chemist on the idea of a next generation primer, and, after numerous incarnations, we came up with Veil. It was unlike any other primer I had seen—it was silky in texture, it concealed redness, it repelled water so your foundation lasts longer and it had an SPF. I felt like it delivered in so many ways that I knew it had earned a place in my daily routine.” —Carisa Janes, HOURGLASS founder




Price - 

A little steep, but definitely worth it, the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer costs $54.

Availability - 

Sephora - click HERE!
Hourglass Cosmetics - click HERE!
Nordstrom - click HERE!

*sent via Infleunster for testing purposes. 

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