Blue Linen Abaya for Spring!

I have been trawling the streets of my home town looking for interesting hijabis to photograph, however I am very polite and always ask permission first - and it seems the sisters are understandably very shy! So while I am still searching here are a few pics of the blue linen abaya that I made the other weekend. The collar has a contrast zip and turn-down effect with turquoise ribbon and the sleeve has a cuff with organza trim. I hope you like it! I'm happy with my first attempt.

Loving the Skin I'm In

Hi Ladies, prepare yourselves for some shocking revelations below! As part of my development as a hijabi I feel led to embrace the natural me. Having spent several years of my life as a photographed, styled-up, hair dyed, fake-tanned, make-up shovelling fashionista this is going to be an interesting adjustment for me. For years I have wanted to look like an Arabian princess but I am coming to accept that this is not the way Allah created me! Which all sounds lovely: embracing the natural me, growing out my dyed tresses (fortunately under the protection of a headscarf in public!) and dealing with my ever irritable complexion.

Oh it really upsets me that my skin suffers the breakouts of a teenager! How can I not wear makeup? Well honestly I still am, but I am choosing carefully and rather than just covering the blemishes (which I have no problem with by the way, I am not saying we should all bare our blemishes to the world if we are uncomfortable doing that) I want to get to the root of the problem and not aggravate it by excessive makeup. This is going to be hard. Below you can see the awkward truth that my skin is not great. You cannot see the full glory in these pics! So I am trialing some products to see if they can help clear up the problem. These are the Day 1 pictures. For the regime I will be using:

Boots No7 Blemish Clear Beauty Serum
Boots No7 Balance Day Sorbet SPF15
Mineral Supplement
Vitamin C Supplemnt
2-3 times weekly facial scrub (Brand TBA)

Let's see what happens! Insha 'Allah great results will be achieved...

Love comes first

I received this embellished notebook from a friend for my birthday. It's gorgeous! I later wrote a poem on the subject of love and thought the two could enjoy the same post-space:

First comes love
and then the objects appear.
Perhaps you don't understand me.
The love is always present
and as they appear
we attach ourselves to objects
that seem receptive to it.
Some absorb, some repel
like the soft showers on yeilding earth
or the splash of rain
against the impenetrable pavement
running into the gutter
seemingly wasted.
Yet sometimes love falls on such a being
as will suck it up like an undertow
and send it roaring back to you like a geyser
and these my friend, are the times when songs are written!

All that glitters

I'm embarking on a photographic project which will combine styling with poetry and photography. Here are some raw materials!

Today's look - green leaves & paisley

As salaam aleikum sisters! I have found a solution to my newfound camera shyness. I have taken up the path of the professional stylist and used a mannequin to display this look. Fortunately I already had one lying around the appartment! To this I have added jeans on this occasion, and thrown a denim military jacket over the top for the walk to work through the crisp spring air.


The dress was a one-off peice from a market stall, the cardigan from Matalan, the larger scarf from h&m and the smaller one also from my local market pashmina trader.


As you can see I am somewhat obsessed with details! Hence all the close up pics. I wanted to show you the detail on the edge of the dress which while it remains unseen by anyone but me (my scarf covers it) is something in which I take a secret pleasure.


I am making a new firm friend at work who is also interested, like me in dress-making, fashion, design and herbal tea! She has expressed an interest in joining me in any all-female gatherings that I may choose to organise and therefore I had better get organising! Have a wonderful day sisters, fresh as a spring breeze.

This Moroccan Bride - Love your face!

I had to share with you this beautiful picture of a Moroccan Bride. This is all my wedding day look fantasies in one little picture! (well, almost ;)) The colours are gorgeous, I find myself tempted by that beautiful mango orange possibly more suited to an apricot complexion like this lady's however! but you never know. While we're on the subject of complexion, I found a professional photograph of myself taken when I was 16/17 years old and guess what - the fine lines that I sometimes pore over in the mirror now were already present then! (most of them) so older ladies, next time you are concerned just ignore them and smile because the likelihood is they were there already - you just never bothered about them!

Going behind the lense...

Let me first say that i am VERY sorry that I have been so neglectful of this blog since April. I am actually quite bored of seeing/taking pictures of myself. As you can see from this one, I really only wanted to show you the Tika from Pearl Daisy, and not my mug! (I am not a niqabi, I hope this does not offend anyone - no offense intended). I have decided instead to take to the streets and search out my stylish sisters in the UK! Please stay tuned to see what UK hijab style is all about these days.
xx