Secret to a flawless, luminous base: Habiba's tips

One of the most frequent questions I get is how I get a luminous and flawless base. Here are a few tips and tricks at how I go about to get perfectly luminous, natural looking skin. Enjoy!

• Primer: I sometimes use Illamasqua's satin primer on the top of my cheekbones, bridge of my nose and cupids bow (before applying foundation). This primer gives a gorgeous natural luminous finish even after powdering the skin and makes foundations that often get cakey look beautifully smoothed and airbrushed.
• Powder: I've recently stopped powdering my face all together, I only powder areas that will eventually crease throughout the day such as my under eyes, around my mouth and around my nose. I use the Lancome translucent powder which is extremely light and provides moisture to the skin (perfect for winter).
• Foundation: It's very important not to use a heavy foundation that will end up caking throughout the day. I've recently fallen in love with the Estee Lauder double wear light which is a perfect natural looking yet long-wearing foundation (which is very hard to find). It sets to a satin/natural finish (not completely matte or completely shiny which is perfect for combination skin). Its lasting power will never cease to amaze me. I apply it using the beauty blender (the only thing I use for applying foundation. Ever.) which gives a perfect smooth finish.
• Highlighting: One of my favourite things to do in the winter! I've tried all kinds of highlighters, from cream to liquid to powder. My favourite highlighting routine at the moment is to use the Nourish Golden Glow Illuminating Face Shimmer (cream) as a base (after foundation) and then dusting it off with my all-time favourite shimmer powder - Stila eyeshadow in 'kitten' - this is one of my absolute FAVOURITE eyeshadows; for eyes and face. I dust this on the tops of my cheeks, cupids bow, tip and bridge of my nose. Just be careful no to overdo it... you don't wanna look like a ball of shimmer, now, do you? :S

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Love always,

Habiba xxx

Tuesday In Love new cosmetic line review & discount code

Some of you may know Tuesday In Love for their popular 'halal' (water permeable and peel-able) nail polishes. Tuesday In Love are an online brand based in Canada that specialise in their nailpolishes, their products contain no harsh chemicals and are not tested on animals. They have recently sent me a few of their new cosmetic and nail polish range which is now live on their website! Here is my 100% honest review w/ photos, links and of course a cheeky discount code. 

 I was sent two nail polishes; a top coat and 'Vampire kiss' a gorgeous dark raspberry shade. The application was great and I was very impressed with how long it stayed on before chipping (a few days) even though it is peel-able. How it is described on the website: a revolutionary polymer that allows water molecules to penetrate through micro pores. Easy to peel and remove without the use of harsh chemicals or nail polish remover. Does not contain any formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), or camphor.

Next was the cute eyeshadow trio - I received 'party girl' which had three shimmer colours: light pink, deep warm purple and blue toned dark purple. The pigment and creaminess of these eyeshadows truly astounded me. They're extremely easy to blend, I loved blending the middle shade in my crease paired with a neutral base and crease shade. Although unnecessarily large, the box is very cute & I just love the shimmer! The three colours are also great to create an easy smoky eye, great to experiment with. There are two other sets available (different shade ranges).

Crazy pigment with one swipe!

The liquid liner is very easy to apply and is very black. 

Most of you that follow me on Instagram will know that I'm a nude lip addict and steer quite clear from bold colours especially dark colours! But I'm so in love with the colour of this and the formula. It's slightly dry so I suggest using a lip moisturiser beforehand, the pigment is amazing, the colour is beautiful, what else do you want in a lipstick? Not only that, but the rich cranberry colour lasts amazingly well. How it is described on the website: Our exciting new lipsticks provide beautiful coverage and easy application for sustained color durability. These luxury lipsticks do not contain any animal fat or byproduct and are hypoallergenic. Our paraben free formula is enriched with Vitamin E and Vanillin extract for healthier, beautiful lips.

Wearing liquid liner and lipstick.

To get a 10% discount on Tuesday In Love products simply enter the coupon code lifelongpercussion (no capital letters or spaces).

Website: www.tuesdayinlove.com

Instagram: @tuesdayinlove

Habiba Da Silva xxx

Poem: Disappointment

You clasp your hands and wish so hard and pray

Five times a day

That I’ll be a carbon copy

Identical

With no identity

To the selfless girl with the white face,

The obedient wife, the obedient daughter, the obedient slave of God

A ‘white heart’ you said, you’d wished I’d have

But my foot went left, and you chew

Chew,chew, chew at my mind

My big, big muscle, churning in your words and fumes

A carbon copy you wished. But my hopes and dreams stepped to the left.

 Every single time. 

~

Hope you enjoyed my poem,

Habiba x

Poem: Autumn, Winter

A poem I wrote a while ago about the transition from Autumn to winter. I'm hoping to post more poetry so watch this space ;)

Enjoy!
~

Autumn has become translucent.

Winter presses its fingers onto the remaining fragments,

Condensing onto the clouds like her wet nose does on my glass.

Auburn leaves turn brown,

Their golden edges melt into the mud and their stems freeze,

My breath dances towards the clouds

Joining their mighty surround, dispersing at the sun’s command,

The trees are scraped bare by the sharp wind

Like a razor, the leaves cascade as blood.

~

Habiba x

Answering your Instagram Questions

Salaaaaaaaaaaaam guys, so I recently told my followers on Instagram to ask me random questions since I've never done a post in which I answer your personal questions so here they are - enjoy!

- When did you start wearing hijab?
 I started wearing hijab at 9/10 years old by choice, I thought it was so beautiful and always told my mother I wanted to wear it. I found it fascinating how I had to cover up in front of non-mahrams. Alhamdulillah I haven't taken it off since.

- What type of clothes would you wear in the summer? 
I tend to wear flowy skirts and loose tops in summer which keeps me looking modest yet stops me from getting too hot too :)

- How tall are you? and how would you describe yourself in 5 words?
I am around 5'4/5'5, ermm creative, thoughtful, humorous, attentive, easygoing 

- Favourite mascara?
My makeup favourites usually alter from time to time, but my current favourite mascara is L'Oreal's Volume Million Excess, it's best used after it dries a little. 

- Where do you live now?
I live in Birmingham

- Where were you born?
I was born in Birmingham

- Is there any blush that doesn't contain shimmer?
Yes! theres loads, the cheapest being MUA blushes priced at £1 (they are really good quality) and then there are the Sleek blushes which are AMAZING, some are matte and some shimmey.

- What's your favourite drugstore foundation?
L'Oreal True Match, I'm in the shade w4 (I have a review on here)

- What is your favourite make-up? And who inspires you fashion-wise?
If you mean favourite foundation, at the moment I'm really loving MUFE HD, it is pretty pricey but I always believe that high end foundations are better quality then drugstore. The foundation is truly amazing and very natural looking. No-one really inspires me fashion-wise, I just pick and choose things from what I see, there's not a certain person.

- How old were you when you started blogging?
18, I only started blogging January 2013 :)

- Do you speak Portuguese?
Basic

- How do you tie your scarf?
I can't really answer that here :/

- I would like to see how you do your makeup so please make a video on it
Inshallah I plan to soon :)

- Can you show us your skincare routine?
I first use a good cleanser - The Sanctuary Spa fresh faced cleanser is my favourite, it really gets rid of all the makeup and impurities on the skin without drying me out. I then use the Clarins Cleansing Milk for Combo/Oily skin to further cleanse and also soften my skin a little bit, I then dry my face and use the Clarins Toning Lotion for Oily/Combo skin which is an AMAZING product and smells like heaven. I then moisturize using either steamcream or my Elizabeth Arden cream :)

- What bronzer/blush do you use?
To contour my face I use the Sephora matte bronzer in deep (amazing product), my favourite bronzer is the one in the sleek face form kit in 'Medium' or the Mac 'Refined Golden' bronzer. My current favourite blush is the MUA blush in the shade 'cupcake' a beautiful warm pink perfect for warmer skintones. 

- What are your hopes for the future? Both personally and professionally?
Personally, I would love to keep inspiring young women positively, I would love to have a loving and supportive husband who can somehow handle me and I wish to be a mother. Professionally I'm not completely sure at this moment in time, but I would love to open my own makeup Salon, maybe make my own makeup brand, keep freelancing? I also aspire to publish my written work.

- Where did you learn to do makeup? What primer do you use? What do you use to make your makeup look flawless? Are you going to start doing tutorials?
I'm self taught, mainly by research, watching videos and loads of practice. I currently do not use a primer, I just use Mac fix plus as a base and after applying makeup which makes my foundation look much less cakey and more natural-looking. Not sure yet.

- Would you ever do YouTube? 
I think I get asked this question ten times per day, lol, erm I'm not completely sure yet. But I might do :)

- What was the first makeup item you bought?
Black eyeliner

- How old were you when you started wearing makeup?
I started just wearing eyeliner at 16 then I started wearing foundation etc at 17 - so two years ago

- Do you usually reply to emails even if they're sent a month ago?
I sometimes get really busy and don't answer emails on time, if you feel like your email still has not been answered please email me again. I get a lot of emails so sometimes some emails get lost.

- What is your favourite YouTube channel?
My favourite YouTube channel has got to be Wayne Goss', he is such a down-to-earth person and I love his tips and tricks.

- Do you know any products to get rid of acne?
I've never really had bad acne so I'm not so sure, but I advise you to try tea tree oil it's really good for spots and try to steam your face regularly.

- Are you studying? Are you married?
Yup I'm studying, no I'm not married.

- Looking for a very good and pigmented eyeshadow palette, any advice?
Try Coastal Scents, they are amazing!

- Would you get married to a non-Arab guy?
Yes, definitely 

- What inspired you to study Creative Writing? Who's your favourite writer?
I was inspired by poetry and by reading stories, I've been writing stories since I learnt how to use a pencil. I started writing poetry when I was 14 and it became a passion at 16. Once we were supposed to write a creative piece for English at college, I wrote a poem and my teacher was struck by disbelief that I wrote it and accused me of copying, she then made me sit after class and write a poem on the spot to prove that it was my work. lol, good old days. My favourite author/poet is Sylvia Plath, she's been my biggest inspiration from the beginning, I'm really inspired by her imagery and her word use.

- What skincare/makeup brand would you recommend?
That's really a difficult question, all makeup/skincare brands have their flaws and their good products. It's just a matter of finding what you feel works for you. I would recommend Illamasqua, Mac, MUFE, Nars, Revlon, Krylon, Sleek for makeup and for skincare I would recommend Sactuary Spa, Clarins, Elizabeth Arden.

- Are you a student? What are you studying?
Yup, I'm studying English & Creative Writing.

- Do you ever feel like you're wearing too much makeup? Do you feel insecure about how you look with it on?
Sometimes I do when I put on eyeliner or really bold lips which I try not to do all the time, no I don't feel insecure.

First post: Gossiping with N

This is a poem I wrote a year ago when I was in college, me and my friend who is also a poet decided to sit on a computer and write a poem about one another on the spot, I wrote mine in like 5 minutes, and had to wait until the next day for her to 'perfect' hers. This is not a proper, structured poem, it's humorous banter. The reason I chose to use this poem in my first post is because it signifies some beginnings in my life. Hope you enjoy :)

She sits in front of me, eyes wide and wondering

Fingers clenching. Unclenching.

A soulful smile, twitching nose,

Cheeks full of colour.

She echoes beauty as she

Reminisces love,

Reminisces loss,

While I speak of devils,

She closes my words,

Envelopes them with a disappointed smile;

Eyebrows rising.

She laughs heartily.

I tell her of my thoughtless poetry,

She tells me of her failure to plan life ahead.

We discuss Indie;

Scorn Lana’s lips which we thought too artificial,

We imitate her affecting voice,

Adding higher notes, more words

Like my bedroom wall.