Candy Blossom: Lifestyle

In 2019, fresh start

2019 :- Fresh Start

, by Fatima

In 2017, Autumn

Halloween/Christmas Lush Launch | 2017

It's that time of the year again which many people seem to look forward to. First off, its Autumn which means we're back to the cold mornings and the early nights. The atmosphere around us changes and everyone loves the feeling of just jumping in to their comfy PJ's, cosying up in a blanket or next to the fire and enjoying a hot cuppa! One other thing I love most about Autumn is treating myself to a nice hot bath. It’s just so refreshing and relaxing, one of the best things ever!

This swiftly now leads up to my next point.

To sum it up in three words let’s just say Halloween, Christmas & LUSH!!

Looks like Christmas came slightly early at LUSH!
Lush had a Halloween/Christmas launch just over a week ago which I was kindly invited to. Every year LUSH launches a collection of amazing skincare products for the holiday season.

From afar I could see that the store was looking very festive and was bursting with lots of colours. As soon as I entered the store it was full of bliss, chatter and the scrumptious smell of fresh handmade goodness.

At the launch, they showcased and put out all the new products that they had for Halloween & Christmas. I was super excited to just dive in and smell the new range out. I couldn't resist especially with the sharp scents that were lingering within the air. I have to say, everything smelt pretty darn good but then again, it's no surprise as LUSH always pull it out of the bag with there ~~aromalicious~~ (is this even a word?) luscious magical scents!

I fell in love with so much of the collection.
My faves from the names I remember were definitely the Magic Wand, Snow Fairy, Christmas present bomb (that's not the actual name but it's in the picture above) , the Lime soap in Christmas Citrus & Christmas Cracker (Which by the way is a bubble bar. The middle is full of popping candy so whilst you sit back and listen to the sound of the SNAPS & POPS enjoy yourself being a kid once again in the midst of all the bubbles)

Upstairs they also had a mini photo booth area where you could have some fun, take some cool pictures & just enjoy yourself. Not only that, I also had the pleasure of meeting a couple of bloggers there which was so lovely as I don't know of many bloggers in my area. It was great chatting & getting to know them.

Now if you’re reading this and you're not really a bath person then not to worry. They also do other skincare products such as shower gels, Perfume, soaps, creams e.c.t

Overall, I had such a good time and all the staff in the store were so friendly, fun and bubbly. They took time out to explain, do a few mini demo's and also talk about the new products and what exactly they do for the skin. They were all so kind and helpful.

I’m so glad that I went along to the launch. I had a fantastic time and really did enjoy myself!

Just before I end it, I did want to mention that I had taken a ton loads of pictures of the Christmas & Halloween collection on my camera but when I put my memory card in the next day all the pictures had just somehow disappeared so I had to make do with whatever pictures were on my phone. Luckily, I had some sort of backup!

Have you checked or tried out the Halloween/Christmas range? If so, which one have been your faves? Or if not, what things do you have your eye on?!

Fatima
xxx

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, by Fatima

In Back to School, Bags

Back To College/Uni | Bags

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, by Fatima

In Black Jagua, Henna

Jagua Henna| My Experience

A while back, I uploaded a picture of my Jagua henna on Instagram. Many people both on social media and in real life wanted to know more about it and really liked it so I’ve finally got round to doing a post on it.

So my sister was looking for someone who does Jagua henna locally and since we discovered that there was actually a few people nearby we both got a bit carried away and have now had henna done 2/3 times (which by the way works out expensive if you keep doing it) but I absolutely love the finish tattooed look of it.

I am going to share with you 2 different henna artist that I went to and my thoughts on them both. Before I get in to it let me tell you a bit about Jagua Henna.

About Jagua Henna

Before I begin I just want to mention that Black henna and Jagua henna are NOT the same thing. They are both very different from each other and I will explain how.

Jagua is a gel which is a natural from of skin decoration. It is made from the extracts of the actual Jagua fruit which is found in Central and South America. It has also been known to be used for medicinal purposes as well. Jagua gel is 100% natural and does not contain any other ingredients that are harmful to the skin.

Black henna on the other hand contains many harmful chemicals which can cause irritation to the skin. I have read and seen pictures many times whereby someone has used black henna and have had severe reactions. This is why it is best to stay away from black henna as it can cause many problems to the skin.

Now the Jagua consistency itself is different from normal henna. It’s more like a gel which means it makes it harder to apply. You also have to be much more careful with jagua because if you make a mistake then it gets stained pretty much straight away and will ruin the whole design. So it’s one that you definitely need to be careful with.

Henna Artists
So the first time I ever got my Jagua done was by this lovely lady who goes by the name of 'Mehnainarts' on Instagram. I hadn’t heard of her before this but her work looked incredible! She mainly does bridal bookings but recently started doing Jagua too.

When I met her, she was super kind. She made me and my sister feel welcome and soon enough we were chatting away and time just flew by. She has pure talent and has been doing mehndi for many years now. Although she just started doing Jagua not too long ago she did hell of an amazing job!

Honestly I have nothing but good things to say about her and I can 100% say that my first Jagua experience was amazing and most importantly I loved the end results of the stain <3

Left side - Gel consistancy when applied.
Right side - Results less than 24 hours later

Here is the design I got done. I wanted something quite simple and I really liked this design that I came across. This was inspired from a very well known Jagua artist called fusionfashionista on Instagram! Mehnainarts did an amazing job at re creating the design and I absolutely loved the stain. I got so many compliments on it too<3

I kept the Jagua on for about 2 hours or so and then took it off. At first, when you remove it, it will look like there is nothing there and the stain is barely visible but just give it some time and within the next 24 hours the colour should change - Mines did!

The stain lasts anywhere from one week to three weeks. This just depends on which area of the body it has been applied on. Within 24 hours of applying the stain changed in to this greeny/blue kind of colour which was actually quite nice. I was so impressed at how dark it had come out! <3 It gets even darker over the next 48 hours and literally looks like a real tattoo once you get the full colour <3

The second Henna Artist goes by the name of Safina Adam. She is a beautiful, young lady who we once again came across on Instagram. She was so down to earth and It was lovely getting to know her and just chatting to her. Safina does do normal mehndi as well but as we wanted the Jagua henna the prices do vary. I was browsing around for the longest time ever to find a design I wanted and I found ton loads online.

I just couldn’t make my mind as to which one to pick! In the end, I eventually decided to go with this design. How pretty does it look?!

I loved how detailed and intricate it was! I also took some shots of the stain a few hours after I had taken the henna off. I don't know if you can tell very well but the Jagua is still fairly light and the colour was slowly turning in to to a greeny/blue shade.

Less then 24 hours later!

Colour slowly coming through

Just look at how dark it got<3

Below is another design that me and my sister got done by Safina. How stunning does it look <3

This legit looked like a real tattoo & was inspired from an actual tattoo design. I think she did a spectacular job with this one. I mean just look at the shading and everything. That is some serious talent right there!

Only thing I found with this being on my arm was that it didn't come out as dark as I would have liked it to be. I don't know if that was just the case for me but never the less the design was still beautiful <3

Longevity

I mentioned this earlier but I think this is different for a lot of people because it really just depends how much your hand or the area which you have Jagua on comes in contact with water. ( (I think)
If I’m completely honest mines didn’t last that long – about a week I would say. (If you’re one who doesn’t like having a mehndi stain for long this would be great for you)

Having said this, my sister that had the jagua stain done at the same time as me but her stain lasted so much longer than mines. I would say hers roughly lasted one and a half weeks maybe?

I don’t know why that is but I guess it’s different on everyone’s skin.

Overall Thoughts

Overall, I loved both my experiences. Both of these henna artist are super talented and such lovely ladies with great personalities. As you can see from the pictures the Jagua stains came out amazing!

If you want to try Jagua out or are thinking about it, I would definitely recommend both of these lovely ladies to you guys. I absolutely loved my stain and I got lots of compliments both times. A few people even thought it was an actual tattoo!

That concludes my review on the Jagua Henna. I do hope you enjoyed reading my experience and review on Jagua henna/tattoo. If you do get it done or have got it done before leave me a comment below and tell me about it or tweet me if you want. I would love to know about it <3

Lots of love

Fatima xx

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, by Fatima

In Fashion, Hijabfashion

2017| #Fashion Wishlist/Lookbook

Heyyyyy there! Oh my, can you believe that this is my first actual post for 2017! Say WHAAATTTTT??? Crazy right?! I can't believe it myself that I haven’t blogged in that long but since starting work full time things have been a bit hectic and a lot more harder and I seriously get so tired when I’m back home after a full day. (I will do an update post on life in general soon) So I finally got a chance to sit down and do a blog post and I’ve decided to kick my first post off with a fashion look book post. I miss taking outfit pictures and haven't taken any in ages just because my sister is kind of lazy to come out and take my pictures and also complains about the weather so I have no photographer #thestruggleisreal

Anyway let’s get right in to this look book. I have put together a mini look book of two outfits featuring items that I really like/want. I love both of these outfits as they are both very different to each other. My first outfit is more for an everyday casual look where as the second outfit is more classy evening wear.

Outfit One

As mentioned above this is my more go to casual everyday sorta’ outfit. It’s compiled of simple staples but with a bit of style to it. You’ll see what I mean.. Just look for yourself. I’m totally in love with this outfit <3

Jumper

This jumper made it to my wish list as I've wanted one of these Arabic printed ones for quite a while now after seeing them trending around on insta. I feel like the arabic really gives the jumper some personality as it is customisable & on top of that, who doesn’t love a good jumper that keeps you cosy and fashionable at the same time?! This one is from @zidouriclothing on instagram.

Skinny Trousers

With this outfit I would pair these slim fit stretch trousers. I find trousers much more comfortable than jeans. I picked out these trousers which I really like, there simple and can pretty much go with anything. If you wanted something more affordable Primark does some really nice stretchy slim fit trousers which retail for about £9.00? I own a couple of pairs of them for work and I love them <3 Or if you prefer jeans then I would totally recommend the Primark jeggings too :D

Trainers

Okay so I’ve wanted some white trainers for quite some time now so had to add these on to my look book/wish list when I saw them. I mean how stunning do these Adidas Superstars look. I'm sure many of you have seen these as they are very popular. I always see people wearing them or featuring these in their pictures and they look so good <3

Hijab

Last but not least, (& of course the most important) is this hijab from Love Hijab! This hijab is called ‘Plain Jane Gets Wavey’. It's a gorgeous shade and adds a bit of colour to the outfit.

I love this store because honestly the customer service is amazing and the women behind this company is an absolute sweetheart. Love Hijab is an online store which sells a variety of gorgeous hijabs and other accessories. There is a wide selection of hijabs to choose from ranging from different colours, textures and styles so there is definitely something in it for everyone. If you want some affordable good quality hijabs or if you’re a newbie that’s just starting out with hijabs, I would definitely tell you to stop and take a look at this website. It will be worth the while.

Oh & whilst were on the topic of Love Hijab, I just want to mention that she does the cutest style of packaging ever! Love it! <3

Outfit Two

For this second outfit, I have put together a much girlier look which would be great for evening wear.

I found this gorgeous burgundy maroon jumpsuit from ASOS. Jumpsuits are one of my all-time fave pieces of clothing to style. They are so fashionable yet so simple. I just love how it is such a versatile item to play around with.

Open Abaya

To compliment the jumpsuit I paired it with a long black open abaya from Inayah Collections. Inayah Collections is another place which have some amazing modest pieces. I always see such stunning outfits styled with an open abaya and I always fall in love with them. The designs on some of the ones I have seen over Instagram are absolutely beautiful. I love how this elegant modest abaya can transform your outfit within seconds!

This open abaya I have picked is just a simple plain black one to complete the look. It has so much versatility so it can be styled with lots of other outfits too.

Heels

For the shoes, I kept it simple with these tie up black sandal heels. I went for smaller block heels because I prefer them over high heels and as I’m already quiet tall. Also I find them much easier to walk in!

Hijab

The hijab I decided to pair this with is one from Love Hijab once again. I absolutely adore this page. She has some of the most amazing hijabs and the shades of the hijabs are great. I used the hijab in the shade Coconut (which is a mink/nude) as it compliments the maroon, but alternatively I could also opt for the black one in the shade Licorice to go with the abaya and heels. I would then spice up my whole outfit with a gold clutch and accessories to finish.

So those are my two outfits. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I loved putting it together. Leave me a comment and let me know what your fave outfit was from the two. Before I let you go, check out Love Hijab's page for a bunch of stunning hijabs and go show her some love by following her on her social media :D

Twitter :-@1LoveHijab

Instagram :- @Love_Hijab
Blog :- http://lovehijabgirl.blogspot.co.uk

Speak to you very soon

Lots of love

Fatima

xox

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, by Fatima

In Hot Drinks, Leicester

Review | Saints Of Mokha

So my bestie and I popped in to Saints of Mokha over a week ago now as I really wanted to try it out. I've seen so many people post pictures on insta especially of their coloured coffee so finally stopped by at this place! (I can now join the bandwagon and upload some insta worthy pictures haha)

The place itself is a quite small but I like it that way. It has a wooden rustic vibe to it with the colours and decor. I love how they have frames and cool quotes up around the shop as well. For me personally I love seeing quotes and stuff around - it just adds a little something to the shop.

I was sort of hungry so I decided to go all out and brought a chicken tikka panini with salad on the side. Alongside it I got a hot chocolate and a Terry's chocolate orange cheesecake. My friend brought a flat white with a slice of oreo cake.

When everything had arrived, I probably spent a good couple of minutes changing the setup of it and taking pictures. My bestie literally sat there waiting for me to take piks - I mean I wanted to take the best shots possible but had to be quick because I didn't want the drinks to get cold & on top of that she let me use her camera because her phone camera is way better than mines.
She always makes sure there's some battery left for me to take pictures because I love photography and of course who doesn't want a nice picture of hot drinks and desserts! (Shout out to yah Zainab ‘kuz I know you be reading this!)

Speaking of battery life, they also have sockets there so you can charge your phone. I love it when I see plug sockets in a shop because if you're like me and end up rinsing your battery life then any shop with plug sockets are a life saver! Also if you're there doing some work on your laptop then sockets will come in handy when it comes to charging your laptop.

Back to the food and hot drinks..

Starting off with the mains, The chicken tikka panini was yummy and with the salad on the side it tasted even better <3

The hot chocolate was deee-licious as was the cakes. I definitely had an overdose of chocolate but hey sometimes it’s okay and after all chocolate does help to boost your serotonin levels which means you will be happier :D so all in all there's some good that came out of it :P The hot chcolate was decorated with marshmallows and cream on top. Love a good cuppa' hot chocolate!

When it came to the cakes, we both shared them and had some of each others. (I say we had some of each others but my bestie isn’t a big fan of so much chocolate so she didn’t taste mine!)

I LOVED the Oreo cake <3 The cake was so soft and fluffy! It was actually pretty light as well and not so heavy which I liked. It tasted absolutely amazing <3 It was covered in a layer of Oreo icing with an Oreo at the end. I'm not good when it comes to describing so you can see how it looks in the pictures. if any of you go in to this place next time defo try out there Oreo cake if it is available - you will love it!

The Terry's chocolate orange cheesecake is obviously much heavier. I like the actual chocolate bar but haven't had it in ages! This tasted so damn good too and I could definitely taste that Terry’s chocolate orange- Yumm!

My friend didn't even eat any of this so basically I munched away on half of it and ended up taking the rest home - I wasn't going to leave something that tasted so good behind! :P

Overall, I would say this place is definitely worth the hype! I thoroughly enjoyed everything that I had and will be popping in to there sometime soon hopefully when I get the chance. The service was great and everything arrived very quickly. The owners there were also very friendly.

If you haven't already tried this place and you're around the area then pop in and go try something.. Maybe a hot drink or a coffee? Afterall, that’s what they are known for best!

Go follow and check out there Insta page whilst you're at it @saintsofmokha

All reviews are my own honest thoughts and opinions on this place.

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, by Fatima

In Collaboration, Fashion

Review | LYDC Bags**

What's up guys? I’m back finally with a long awaited post. It's been a while but I've just been relaxing and enjoying what's left of the summer.

Today post is one that links back to my latest outfit post. Many of you loved the outfit and gave me some lovely feedback which was really nice so Thank You!

As promised, I said I was going to be doing a separate post on the bag (for agessssss) and I have now finally come round to doing it. I was working on this for a while just because I wanted to make sure that I was happy with everything before uploading it.

So to begin with the bag is from LYDC London but is designed and made by ‘Anna Smith’. LYDC London are a company which designs beautiful handbags, purses and clutch bags for many occasions. They have a ton of beautiful quirky bags each unique and distinctively different.

According to the LYDC Website they claim that their designs are a "collection of classic shapes with a modern twist to provide the customer with a signature style"

I can confidently say that I agree with this because many of their bags are very unique but at the same time very fashionable and modern.

The specific one I have is the...

I Freekin’ LOVE it. Just look at how pretty it is <3 Every time I have worn this bag I have received so many compliments which obviously says something about the bag!

There are so many reasons I fell in love with this bag! Firstly, it’s BLACK and that means you can literally style it with anything you want to and you’re pretty much good to go. Another reason is the size - I'm one of them girls that is usually very organised when it comes to my handbag and I tend to 'carry my whole house' (as described by my friends) in there haha so for me the sizing was perrr-fect!

I think I was drawn to the simplicity of the bag but the thing that adds that extra special touch for me is the pastel coloured purse/bag at the front. It really does add that POP of colour you need and It's something different from the usual colours (black, white and grey) you would see in other high street stores .

This bag can easily be transitioned in to an evening bag by simply using the smaller bag that comes in the front pocket. It's the perfect size to carry for a night out and will fit all the essentials you need for the evening! It also looks amazing when worn with the handbag - which is how I always wear it <3

I love the summary vibes this little bag gives off especially with the tassel which is full of gorgeous bright colours.

I feel like LYDC bags definitely have something to suit every girl's style. Whether you’re looking for a daytime bag or something more for a party or a night out, LYDC have got you covered.

The manufacturing and quality of this bag exceptionally amazing! The bag is made out of patent black leather and finished with gold ring detailing on the handles.

It also came with this cute hot pink duster bag which you can store your bag in to prevent it from getting dusty and dirty.

The Inside of the Bag

The inside of the bag is very roomy and spacious. It is great for everyday wear and especially if you’re someone who has a lot of stuff to carry then this bag definitely caters for you. Also, If you’re a college or uni student I would recommend a bag like this one just because of how spacious it is. However, having said that the bag itself is made out of high quality fabrics and materials therefore it has some weight on it already so by adding loads more things inside will make it heavier. Other than that it is an awesome all rounder bag.

As you can see from the pictures the bag has regular side and back packets all of which are very useful to me (to keep my essentials - chewing gum, mirror and of course my lippies in).

The material which is used to line the bag with is designed all over with the brands name and logo which I think adds such a personal touch. (I'm loving the design of their logo)

I have used this bag throughout the summer and will most likely continue using it for a long time.

This bag is great just to style with your more basic and simple outfits as it will give your outfit a pop of colour and trust me the smallest amount of colour can make a HUGE difference to your whole outfit!

If you guys are interested in checking out LYDC bags then here is the direct link to their website.

They were also kind enough to give me a 10% code to share with my readers. So if you do want to purchase anything from there be sure to use my code at the checkout.
Discount Code = FATIMAP10.

** Working in collaboration with LYDC Bags to bring you this post. All reviews that are given are my personal and honest opinion on the item.

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, by Fatima

Pages

2019 :- Fresh Start

Halloween/Christmas Lush Launch | 2017

Back To College/Uni | Bags

Jagua Henna| My Experience

2017| #Fashion Wishlist/Lookbook

Outfit One

Jumper

Skinny Trousers

Trainers

Hijab

Outfit Two

Open Abaya

Heels

Hijab

Review | Saints Of Mokha

Review | LYDC Bags**

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