Review: Soap & Glory 'For Daily Youth'

Although I have never talked about about beauty products on this blog I recently bought the Soap & Glory For Daily Youth moisturising lotion and just had to tell you about it. I don't usually use moisturisers/facial products because I find that most products either breakout or dry out my skin, but I had heard good things about this so I thought I would give it a go.

I got it from Boots for £12 for a 50 mL bottle - I have been using it everyday for about 2 months and I still have a third left so I think it is pretty good value for money. The first thing that I noticed was that it was very light and easy to apply and doesn't leave a horrible greasy feeling afterwards. It leaves the face feeling soft with a nice 'glow' (but I'm pretty sure that this is equally due to the massaging as it it to the actual lotion). So far so good.

What I really like about this product is that it didn't break me out, in fact, it has done the total opposite. Since starting it I have noticed a considerable decrease in the number of spots I get, my skin is a lot clearer now and I can only put it down to this moisturiser. I must admit I used to be sceptical when people told me that moisturising helps to reduce spots but it actually does! I would recommend this if you have sensitive skin and want to try something to help with spots.  

It claims to have a '6-in-1' action to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles too. I'm 22 so I didn't get it specifically for wrinkles but I did notice that the fine lines on my forehead (those ones you get when you raise your eyebrows) have pretty much disappeared after two months.

Although not an expert in beauty products, I really do like this moisturiser and will definitely be repurchasing it. I has gotten rid of dry areas of my skin, which feels a lot softer, reduced the number of spots I get and got rid of the fine lines.  All that and it's pink. I have nothing bad to say about this product. If you're looking to try something new, I really recommend this :)

True friendship

 

I've always ardently believed and said this but I never knew it was an actual quote! It is definitely true; I hate the pressure of feeling the need to say anything to keeping a conversation (however uninteresting it may be) going  just to avoid the dreaded awkward silence. I really think that one of life's little gems is finding someone whose silence you are comfortable in. Nice to see others feel the same :)

Arranged Marriage

Ahh, what a guy, so romantic.. xD

It's funny because it's pretty much every arranged marriage summed up in two minutes.

Anywaay, Eid Mubarak guys! Hope you had a good one. I went shopping today and then stuffed my face with chicken and cake - the only way to celebrate in my opinion.

Advice for Hijabi beginners (non-sugar-coated)

Source

After the African millionaires desperately throwing their life savings at me, the most common emails I get are from girls thinking about wearing hijab and wanting some advice. I'm not going to beat about the bush, I am the worst person to ask for advice when it comes to anything, let alone a religious subject. My opinions regarding hijab have definitely changed over the past few years and of course, I am not a scholar so my views are often riddled with bias and influenced by my state of mind at any given time. Having said that, as so many people have asked, I decided I should make a post giving anyone thinking of wearing hijab a few pieces of advice, things I kind of wish someone had told me.

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1. Wouldn't advise you to overhaul your wardrobe the minute you start covering your hair. I did that and it didn't go well - take your clothing transition slowly.

2. It is a piece of cloth, not magic: don't expect to suddenly become divinely religious. Please don't act it either, it's so off-putting.

3. One of the biggest shocks I got when I began to mix with Muslims was realising just how bitchy a lot of hijabis can be. Some are nice, but don't expect to suddenly discover a "sisterhood" that you weren't part of before you wore hijab. You weren't part of it because nobody is. It doesn't exist.

4. Keep reminding yourself that you are wearing it for the pleasure of Allah (SWT) and not for people.

5. Hijab is not about 'modesty', it's about doing what Allah (SWT) commands you to do. You can be modest without covering your hair and you can be immodest in a niqaab.

6. Be prepared for some interesting questions/comments. Some recent ones I've had (from non-Muslim men) include 'are you wearing a wig under that?', 'I bet you don't wear that to the beach.. you don't do you?', 'how long is your hair and have you dyed it?' and 'what would happen if I pulled the end of your.. headpiece?' HEADPIECE.

7. Be confident! It doesn't matter how you dress as long as you are confident and nice, people will like and respect you. And if they don't, it's not your problem.

8. Be cautious of judging the way other Muslim girls dress and act. It has nothing to do with you. Anyway, they might actually be much better than you.

9. Once it's on  you become a walking representation of Islam (like it or not), which is a huge responsibility, especially if you turn into one of those hijabis that find it impossible to smile.

10. I beg you don't start dissing advising hijabis on the Internet about how 'haram' they are and telling them how they should and should not be dressing. People did this with me a lot at the start of my blog when I did not wear the hijab and it almost put me off the idea altogether.

11. Allah (SWT) judges our scales of good deeds in relation to our bad deeds. Hijab will increase your good deeds but it is not the be all and end all of your deen. Just another good thing to do.

12. You will probably, at some point after wearing the hijab, want to take it off. I would strongly advise you to stick with it simply because if you do there will come a moment when you think 'I'm really glad I didn't take it off'. 'Jihad al nafs' was never supposed to be easy, so don't instantly succumb to your inner desires - they are almost always fleeting.

13. I wouldn't even think about hijab if I didn't pray and fast.

The tips are just my opinions and based on my experiences so they may not apply to you but I hope at least some of them helped :)

Current trends I dislike

I have recently been asking myself why I continue to habitually waste my money on the likes of Grazia and LOOK magazines when 90% of them are taken up by either adverts or clothing trends I wouldn't be seen dead in.

Here are a few trends that have cropped up recently that I detest.

1. US army style military camouflage jackets are suddenly all the rage. What's next, orange jumpsuits..?

2. Heel-less wedges. WHY?! Someone please explain this fugly trend to me. Is it some sort of cost-saving plan to cut back on materials?

3. Wellington boots as.. boots. Call me old fashioned the but last time I checked, wellies exclusively belonged on the farm and in the rain. Now, all of a sudden Hunters have become a fashion statement and people wear them as a "fashionable" alternative to normal boots.

 4. Men jumping on the fashion bandwagon. I know that it is really double standards of me to hold this opinion but I hate when men follow fashion and wear next level man-bags and LV belts. Ew. 

No.

Yuck.

What the flip is he wearing..?

 

Bingo! The shoes are naff but this is a nice outfit all round.

   

5. Panelled trousers. Those trousers with stripes down the sides that are supposed to make you look less fat. No offence or anything but an optical illusion is one thing and delusion is something.. a lot closer to reality.

6. Fully grown women wearing frilly girls socks thinking it's cute.  

Excuse me while I go and vomit.

How to be alone

I came across this video on someone elses blog (can't remember whose) quite a while ago and I really liked it. Stumbled across it again today and thought I'd share. The woman has written a poem about being alone and I think it's awesome. To be honest, I sometimes find that the more time I spend with other people the more I want to just be on my own. I find spending a long time with other people who aren't my family can be really tiring. Does anyone else get this or am I just abnormal..?

Anyway, here's the video:

Wish I could always remember this