High-end foundations: hits & misses

As my Instagram followers might have noticed by now, I am a massive base/foundation addict, I love my skin to look perfect at all times and believe that if my base looks good then my makeup is all good. It's also the most thing I enjoy when working on clients or myself, I find it amazing how I can sculpt a person's face using makeup, this also comes from my love for drawing faces. With simple tips and tricks you can easily make your face not only look flawless with all problematic areas covered, but you can also make it look so natural and almost-not-there which is a look I've been loving recently (comment below if you'd like me to do a foundation routine post!). 

In the past year I've also learnt that when it comes to foundation it's almost always best to splurge a few extra pounds for the quality of the product, rather than wasting money on a product that won't work. Now obviously everyone's skin is different and so we all look for different things in a foundation so the foundations that I might dislike, you might like and vice versa. My skin is conbination/dry and I like a semi matte finish, I used to love a completely full coverage foundation a few months ago because I had more problematic areas I wanted to cover and I broke out frequently, but alhamdulillah (praise be to God) since coming back from holiday my skin has improved a lot and I now much prefer a light/medium coverage foundation. I also like to make sure there's a perfect yellow-toned shade for me, I usually go for a foundation darker than my face because my hands are slightly darker and because I like to look a little more tanned. 

Foundations I LOVE *worth the money*:

Makeup Forever HD - This is by far my favourite foundation at the moment, it has all of the attributes that I'm currently loving - light/medium(buildable) coverage, non-cakey/very natural looking, yellow-toned and my perfect tan shade (153) and a lovely fast-setting semi-matte finish - not forgetting that it also looks GREAT on camera/flash photography. In my opinion this product is very much worth the price. (I think it costs around £35/£40 pounds - I bought it while in Dubai so I'm not completely sure.) I would recommend this foundation for people with normal/combination skin, after reading some reviews by other bloggers I've learnt that it can be a problem for oily skin-types as it doesn't hold in oil and it makes dry skin appear flakey *DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE PURCHASING ANY FOUNDATION* I'm not very oily nor am I very dry so I've not come across any problems. It also wears very well for me and doesn't end up 'separating' which can happen with some products. 

Urban Decay Naked Skin - This is another great medium coverage foundation, it's also semi-matte, natural looking and you don't need much product to cover up. I have the shade 4.0 which is a little too light for me at the moment, but the shade is a great yellow-undertone for us Simpsons. Lasts well and looks great! This retails for £27.

Illamasqua Rich Liquid: This is the perfect liquid extremely full coverage foundation I've yet to come across, it's SO pigmented and if applied correctly can look amazing on the skin. If you have a foundation which you'd like to give a little more coverage to simply mix in a drop of this and you have more coverage. It doesn't last amazingly so I would recommend it for occasions instead of a normal long work day, it sets semi-matte and I think it would suit all skin types. It also has no SPF which make it perfect for photoshoots. This retails for £22.50.

Illamasqua Skin Base - I've been raving about this foundation since the day I discovered it, I have about 6 bottles of this (that's how obsessed I am) in various shades. It's the perfect all-round foundation, great for all skin types, medium/full coverage and looks great in photos ~ I have a full detailed review here. 

Nars Sheer Glow - Another favourite, perfect medium/full(buildable) coverage, looks great and lasts great on skin, semi-matte finish and I would say perfect for all skin-types. The shade I have is Strombolli which is a perfect match and has very strong yellow undertones. Retails for £30.50.

Foundations that are OK:

Chanel Perfection Lumiere - This is a very decent product; looks natural, medium/light coverage, matte finish, sits well on skin and feels very light, shade 06 is a bit too dark for me as it oxidizes as soon as I apply it so I'm debating on whether to swap it for a lighter shade or not. One of the things that disappointed me is that it doesn't last very well so I wouldn't recommend it for very oily skin-types. And it is quite pricey at £36. 

YSL Touche Eclat - If you like very light coverage foundations you might really like this one, it smells amazing and feels and looks amazing on. I have a very light shade (BD40) which I only use on my cheeks (I like to use more than one foundation for different parts of my face for a 3D effect) because I don't need any coverage there and it really brightens my face. Retails for £29.

Mac Studio fix - A decent foundation, good coverage and nice semi-matte finish full review here.

Foundations that I DISLIKE *not worth the money*:

Estee Lauder Double Wear - I know a lot of people love this foundation but I have got to say this is the WORST I've tried in my entire life and I believe it's because of the change of formula recently. It's supposed to have full coverage but for me I would definitely say it is a medium/light, it look INSTANTLY cakey as soon as I apply it and I've tried every possible technique, I tried to like it but honestly it looks so hideous. It does not last on my skin at all, I couldn't find a perfect shade match, all colours ran disgustingly orange/pink, It separates on the skin and flakes around blemishes euughhh sorry but this is just a horrible re-run into my previous experience with Revlon Colorstay which I also cannot stand (I bought 4 bottles of that crap to try and like it but nothing changed). They smell exactly the same and they perform exactly the same. So if you like Colorstay you'll probably like this. Then again if you have oily/very oily skin you might like this too. I bought two bottles of this but had to return them because of the disappointment. Retails for £28.50.

Mac Studio Sculpt - This is another foundation I couldn't bring myself to love, looks way too obvious on the skin, separates, crap coverage and it just sits on the skin really weirdly and doesn't really set, not as bad as DW though. Costs £24.

Diorskin Nude - this foundation is pretty decent but I was disappointed by a couple of things it didn't do for me - although 031 is the darkest shade it is actually even lighter than my NC25 winter skin so I can't use it all over my face (I currently use it on my upper cheeks sometimes), the coverage is bad and it doesn't last very well. Retails for around £32.

Thanks for reading!

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.

Poem: A Taste Of Lebanon

The sun and the street cars speak the same language here,

Non-stop blaring throughout the day

Kids running around; on streets, on roads, exploding fireworks;

There is no difference

There are no limits in Lebanon,

The beauty of this country has no limits

The  purple and orange sky in fajr

And the moon at night looks more magnificent than I've ever seen,

The breathtaking mountains of 3asoon and Za7le,

The clear beach in Mina, znood essit,

The people

Who have been through so much for this country yet their forgiving smile crinkles with pride,

The smell of m3assal is perfection,

No other country knows how to make a perfect argilé like here;

The men sit on tables in cafes till dawn, 

Playing card games, drinking rustic arabic coffee in tiny cups and 

ring-smoking argilé,

Nostalgic smells and tastes fire at me,

I feel at home here yet 

My long absences make me a stranger,

My tongue doesn't move as fast and

My accent isn't as deep

But it's all heart-felt.

Lebanon is a big part of me.

OOTD: Blueberries, Cream and Caramel Sauce

I've been recently getting comments and emails from my followers who don't have instagram and therefore can't see me outfits so I've decided to do OOTD posts now and then. Here's my first! I hope you like it, let me know what you think!

I've gone back to doing the Turkish hijab style I used to do in the winter, it's perfect for this summer heat and so easy to do

Details;

Hijab: Turkish 'Bonjela' hijab from Amsons

Neck Scarf: Haya by Amal (Instagram: @hayabyamal Facebook: www.facebook.com/hayabyamal)

Blazer: Karen Millen

Plain Blue Top: Primark

Skirt: Next

Blue Wedges: www.everything5pounds.com

~

I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know if you would like more!

June Collective review

Hello readers! I know many of you are now beginning to get a little bored with my multiple reviews, inshallah from now on I am controlling what I get and whether I will review businesses on my blog or not as I have so many things I want to post about in terms of beauty and fashion, etc.

Nonetheless, today I will introduce you to many amazing businesses as always which I've taken the time to review and photograph. Enjoy my little review on each company :)

The Pinned Veil

Specializing in affordable quality hijabs and accessories and also a variety of higher-quality handmade hijabs and jewellery, The Pinned Veil are a lovely facebook/instagram shop made to feed your hijabi necessities. They sent me a couple of their lovely vibrant hijabs to try out, here is a photo. 

Two printed hijabs and two plain hijabs

All of the hijabs are maxi which is perfect for me, the colours are vibrant and the prints are quite unique. The quality of the hijabs is also perfect. (To see photos of me wearing some of these head over to instagram and follow me @lifelongpercussion). Also I've recently noticed that they've started selling jersey hijabs which is very rare in the UK, so make sure you check them out!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/The.Pinned.Veil

Instagram: thepinnedveil

Email: thepinnedveil@hotmail.co.uk

~

HK Scarves

HK Scarves are a small online company based in London that specialize in selling on-trend, affordable hijabs in every style you can imagine! I promise. The lovable Habibah sent me some of her designs which I'm sure you'll love as much as I do. I've had previous experience with HK Scarves so I know how good their quality and customer service is.

Five beautiful hijabs; Classic Blue Paisly (£5), Nude Sparkle (£4), Plain Maroon (£4), Leopard Pink (£5), Blue Bobble (£5)

Love the packaging!

I'm very fond of the quality of their items and the transaction has been lovely. The hijabs are so wearable and vibrant. My favourite out of them at the moment is the nude sparkle hijab which I actually mentioned in my May Favourites post which you can check out here. Make sure you hop onto their facebook page and Instagram!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HKScarves

Instagram: @hkscarves
Email: hkhijabs@hotmail.com

~

The Modest Collection 

The Modest Collection sell all the essentials for a hijabi; from hijab pins to hijabs to jewellery to your very own bespoke headpieces! They sent me some stunning hijabs, hijab pins and my very own bespoke Swarovski headpiece.

For more photos of the items please check out my Instagram @lifelongpercussion ; Twitter @lifelongpercuss and Facebook. 

I love the hijabs and hijab pins I recieved, especially the headpiece which I recently posted many photos with (instagram/facebook/twitter) and many people have loved the headpiece on! You can actually email The Modest Collection and request to design your very own headpiece, it will then be hand made and sent to you. I loved the personal touch in it and how professional the whole process was. 

Make sure you check out The Modest Collection for even more goodies;

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheModestCollection
Instagram: @themodestcollection



~

Aara's Accessories

Aara's Accessories sell hijabs, accessories and jewellery, they sent me some hijabs. Here they are;

If you follow me on Instagram you'll know just how much I love vibrant colours and prints! These hijabs tick all of the boxes for me! They're all maxi and very light viscose material which is perfect for all seasons. The hijabs are also very affordable and they came quite quickly!

Check out Aara's Accessories;

Website: www.aarasaccessories.bigcartel.com
Instagram: @aaras_acc
Twitter: @aaras_a

~

Blackdiiamonds

Blackdiiamonds are a hijab and modest clothing fashion webshop based in the Netherlands. I was very excited to be sent there items as they seem very fashionable and trendy, and I loved their chic website. I was sent a YSL T-shirt, two infinity rings, a ninja underscarf and lion necklace. I fell in love with all of them! I've worn them all and love the fit of the T-shirt, I LOVE the rose gold and silver infinity rings and the lion necklace!

They even have their own tags which I loved!

You must definitely check them out, they also sell dresses and skirts and also hijabs.

Here is a photo of an outfit I wore with the T-shirt; 

Blazer: Karen Millen, Hijab: Bismillah Accessories, Tshirt: Blackdiiamonds, Skirt: Next

Website: www.blackdiiamonds.com

Facebook: @blackdiiamonds.online

Instagram: @blackdiiamonds

Pinterest: @blackdiiamonds

~

The Beauty Box Boutique

The Beauty Box Boutique are an Instagram shop which specialise in selling jewellery, makeup and clothing. They sent me some cute jewellery, here they are;

I loved the rings and collar and the earrings are just so elegant and cute! the rings are great statement pieces and also lovely to stack and for all of you ring addicts!

Instagram: @thebeautybox_boutique
~

Bismillah Accessories

`'Every hijabi's one stop shop' is what they claim to be, Bismillah Accessories specialise solely on feeding your hijab addiction! Not only are they affordable but they provide the trendiest hijabs with the best quality! They sent me two stunning hijabs which I love;

I was sent the watermelon hijab and the grey vintage hijab by them, they are both maxi and made of a light viscose material. It was quite funny as when I was opening the package I was telling my sister how I wanted a neon pink hijab for the summer and that is exactly what the watermelon hijab is! The perfect neon pink.

Check them out and more at;

Instagram: @bismillahaccessories
Website: www.bismillahaccessories.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bismillahaxessoriez
Email: bismillahaccessories@yahoo.com

~

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I apologize for taking forever to post my collective review, and I promise that I will try my best to keep posting at least once per week inshallah.

For any questions or enquiries do not hesitate to email me at lifelongpercussion@gmail.com

DIY face mask collaboration with Bailey Blush

This is my first collaboration post (and inshallah I will have many more in the future) with my friend and fellow successful blogger Bailey Blush. We have been contemplating the idea of doing a collaboration for a couple of months before she came up with the ingenious idea of swapping DIY masks. This meant that I would give her the recipe for one of my favourite masks in which she will give feedback and I will in turn do the same. As you all know, DIY facial masks are very cost-effective and convenient as most ingredients will happen to already be in your kitchen! Not to mention these masks won't have all the nasty artificial ingredients some do from the highstreet which may damage your skin instead of healing. I previously did a post on an egg face mask which gained a lot of good feedback and many of you loved it so I hope you'll also benefit from this post too! 

I gave Bailey the oat, honey and yogurt mask, this mask is great for people with dry/normal/combination and even oily skin as it helps kill off bacteria on the surface of the skin as well as purifying, exfoliating and moisturising. Here are the benefits of each ingredient;

Oats 

•  heals dry itchy skin as well as eczema
•  soothes and reduces inflammation
•  naturally slightly rough in texture so is a perfect natural exfoliator, I usually use oats on its own as an exfoliator while in the shower (I dampen the oats slightly then rub it all over my already damp face or any areas in my body where I feel needs it) it moisturises instantly and my skin feels very smooth. 

Honey  

• also has moisturising benefits as well as antiseptic properties "Honey has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties which give it healing power. These properties help prevent the growth of certain bacteria by producing an enzyme -- hydrogen peroxide. Thus, honey can be utilised as a natural treatment for wounds, cuts and abrasions to promote healing." 
• perfect for battling acne/blemish-prone skin
• also helps in healing eczema
• anti-againg

Yogurt contains zinc, calcium, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, protein and yeast

• Zinc is said to have anti-inflammatory benefits which can help reduce acne. It is like a mild astringent
• Calcium has antioxidant properties, it helps in cell renewal. It can help make your skin ‘glow’. Whereas deficiency in calcium can lead to premature aging, dryness and even itching
• Vitamin B’s are capable of preventing acne and enhancing the blood circulation
• Protein is an important ingredient for our entire body .if your body is rich in proteins ,your skin will automatically look soft, supple and radiant

Recipe: 

• 2 TBSP of oats
• 1 TBSP of honey
• 1 TBSP of yogurt

(Use Organic ingredients for best results!)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together to form a paste, spread over skin and leave for 15 minutes. Before rinsing the mask, gently moisten skin and rub softly for a manual exfoliation with the oats! Rinse completely.

Bailey's thoughts: 

I really enjoyed this mask! Not only did it smell and taste (yes I tasted it) amazing, It left my skin really, really soft. The oats were so gentle on my skin and left me very smooth. The combination of the Yogurt and honey worked wonders to increase my hydration. I will for sure be re-doing this home made delicious concoction! Thank you Habiba, x

Bailey sent me off to try the milk, honey and rose face mask. This mask is designed for smoothing and soothing the complexion. Great for all skin types, but especially sensitive, dry, dehydrated and lack luster complexions.

Recipe:
1 TBSP of milk (Preferably whole milk)
2 TBSP of honey
1 TBSP Rosewater


(For the ingredients above, organic is the best!)


Milk- Contains Lactic acid which helps to exfoliate dead skin and reveal a smooth, radiant complexion. Also has incredible soothing qualities.


Honey- A natural humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. Honey has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and is wonderful for soothing and gently purifying the complexion.


Rose- Powerful anti-inflammatory benefits. Aids in redness reduction and helps to increase skin circulation leading to a more even toned complexion.


Directions:

Saturate a cotton round in the mask and rub liquid on the skin, wait 10-15 minutes, or until dry, rinse and reveal beautiful skin!

Habiba's Thoughts:

I really loved how cleansed, radiant and moisturised my skin looked and felt after this mask, the surface of my skin felt much more smoother. I loved it! I will definitely be using this again! I love the toning properties  and scent of rose water too :)

All in all I really enjoyed doing this collaboration, Bailey was a joy to work with (even though I wasn't - always postponing it!) and I loved trying out this new mask which I've slotted into my favourite DIY mask list :D

~

Have you tried DIY masks? If so, what do you think of them and which is your favourite?

Get to know me TAG

Since I'm in the midst of writing up a big collective review before I head off to Lebanon, I thought I'd keep you anticipating with this fun post and maybe you can learn a thing or two about me that you never knew? Enjoy! And if you have any other tags in mind that you'd like me to do then feel free to drop me a comment below or email me using the 'contact me' form on your right.

1. Are you named after anyone? Yes, my grandmother (from my mother's side) was called Habiba, she passed away in the midst of her youth and since then many of my aunts and uncles as well as my mother have named their daughters Habiba. I am one of 6 in my mother's family, they always call me by my surname in Leb. 

2. When was the last time you cried? erm... a month or two ago maybe? can't recall

3. Do you have kids? Nope

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself? Yes I suppose so ;)

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot? a lot lot

6. Will you ever bungee-jump?  no... I'm afraid of heights :(

7. What’s your favorite cereal? this is a hard one since all the way through my childhood I was a massive Cereal eater, I'd say frosties, Lion and branflakes maybe? it really depends on my mood.

8. What’s the first thing you notice about people? Facial features, hands and their smell.

9. What is your eye colour? dark brown

10. Scary movie or happy endings? Scary movie 

11. Favorite smells? roast chicken! musky/fruity perfumes, some Sudanese perfumes, bakhoor.

12. Summer or winter? summer, definitely. I cannot stand the cold :( (Brazilian blood)

13. Computer or television?  Computer, I barely have time to sit down and watch TV

14. What’s the furthest you’ve ever been from home? Brazil, even though that is somewhat home. 

15. Do you have any special talents?  erm... I'm an artist and poet.. is that special enough? 

16. Where were you born?  Good old Brumtown

17. What are your hobbies?  Pencil drawing faces and beauty, Makeup, trying new things, eating P:

18. Do you have any pets?  Five kitties <3

19. Favorite movie?  WHITE CHICKS .... 'making my way down town..' :'D

20. Do you have any siblings? Yup, one sister and three brothers

21. What do you want to be when you grow up? a mother, a well known author, maybe have my own makeup brand? ... who knows...

Thanks for reading!

My daily skincare routine (night)

Hey guys! I know this has been one of the most requested post, so I'm finally doing it! woo :D

Ok so the reason I've cut it up to daily night routine is because I think it's simpler to dissect it bit by bit as my routine changes depending on time of day but recently I haven't been taking my make-up off until before going to bed when I do my night skincare routine. Also my night routine is the most important and major routine throughout the day.

So here is a step by step of my routine, what method I use, what I do;

1. Remove eye makeup. For daily use I tend to go for the Olay cream eye makeup remover, simply because its one of the little eye makeup removers that actually does not irritate my eyes (my eyes are quite sensitive). I apply a tiny blob onto a cotton pad and rub it onto my closed eyes, applying pressure on my lashes to remove mascara. (If I had a lot of eye makeup I use the Clinique eye makeup remover).
2. First cleansing. I cleanse using the Sanctuary Spa fresh faced cleanser which is the best cleanser I've ever used that removes any kind of foundation. I dampen my face then apply a drop on my hand and rub it all over my face before washing it all off.
3. Second cleansing. To insure that all impurities are no longer on my face I use the Neutrogena Power Cleanser and go over my face to make sure every morsel of makeup is removed, I also love it because it makes my skin feel super soft afterwards.
4. Exfoliate. Exfoliation is very important for me and I feel that it makes a massive difference in my skin, I usually use one of the St. Ives scrubs which some might seem as harsh but reacts really well on mys skin.
5. Tone. My all-time favourite toner is the Boot's Glycerine and Rosewater cleanser which not only removes impurities left over and tones but also moisturises which I love.
6. Moisturise. I usually use a thick moisturiser at night such as either Steamcream, Elizabeth Arden Visable Difference moisturiser (Refining moisture cream complex) or Nivea Soft to insure my skin drinks up all the moisture it can get throughout the night.

I hope this post has helped you in any way or form and feel free to contact me via the contact form on your right if you have any questions you wish to ask :)

Habiba xxx

The Favourite Five - Habiba's May Favourites

Hey guys! I decided to start doing a different monthly post called 'The Favourite Five' where I will have to pick a monthly favourite in five different categories. I hope you enjoy these posts and they can turn to be somewhat insightful and interesting! The five categories are; beauty product, skincare product, item of clothing, accessory/fragrance and song/book/poem. These posts will be light and not a hassle to get through. So here is the preface of The Favourite Five and although it is now June I will be introducing my May favourites instead. Enjoy!

Makeup ~

This will have to be my hardest category as I have so many beauty must-haves this month! But I think I will have to go with a lipstick as I've been buying lipsticks this month like never before. As some of you may know, I am obsessed with Illamasqua and I can solely and honestly say with no hesitation that it is my favourite makeup brand. Even though it's causing a very apparent dent in my bank account I still will always bat for the Illamasqua team. Some of you will know that I've never chosen one brand above all and always said that no certain brand has the perfect foundations/eyeshadows/blushers etc, there are faults in every brand; for example if I was to buy a good drugstore lipstick I would often look to Revlon, but their foundations are not to my taste and neither are their eyeshadows. But Illamasqua, oh Illamasqua, everything is simply PERFECTION. From the foundations to the eyeshadows to the pigments to the blushers and concealers. Utter perfection I'm telling you. Half of my makeup collection is Illamasqua. So be warned, I will brag about their products a lot. (DISCLAIMER: I do not work for Illamasqua nor have I been paid to say this). *breathe* so this month's makeup favourite is the Illamasqua lipstick in 'over', it is the perfect neon coral/pink that instantly brightens the face, perfect spring/summer bright lip. The texture and formula of this lipstick is incredible; it's completely matte and lasts for ages so you don't need to reapply every now and then. It looks lovely with both a clean or smokey/defined eye. The only negative I can say about the formula is that after wearing it for a couple of hours the pigmentation tends to gather around the inside of your lip but with all honesty that occurs with many other (if not all) lipsticks so it is not a big issue. The price of this lipstick is £16.50 which is an average price for high end lippies.

Photo taken from www.thesundaygirl.com

Skincare ~

My skin is bipolar and currently it's deciding to be more dry than oily so I've been insuring that it gets all the moisture it can get. The look of flaky skin accentuated by foundation is not pretty. Oilatum is one of the best moisturizers I've found that fixes any dry and inflamed skin without the irritation you get from mainstream branded moisturizers (*cough* L'Oreal *cough* full of perfume *cough*) and without the greasy residue. I've been completely loving this and it's definitely a staple in my skin care routine (will be doing a post on my routine very soon!) to read a review I did on Oilatum click here. I've been using it right before I apply my primer as well so that the moisture is locked into my skin even when I have foundation on. 

Clothing ~

One clothing item I have been wearing time and time again is the stunning speckled/gem/sequin nude hijab from HK Scarves, it is the PERFECT shade of nude that matches my skintone and I just love how the little specks reflect light and just create a luminosity to the face. Check out HK Scarves on facebook. (I will be reviewing them soon too!)

Accessory/Fragrance ~

Ok, hands down, this is a no-brainer. My D&G L'imperatrice perfume is my SIGNATURE/PERFECT summer scent, it's so light and fruity and just makes me visualize the sun and happiness and a glowing tan. I'm completely in love. Previously I was really into the Lancome La Vie Est Belle and I was in love with the heavy fruity/muskiness of it, but smelling it now it just smells too heavy and slightly overbearing for the summer heat, whereas L'imperatrice has the perfectly light amount of fruit and musky undertone. RRP is £39 for 100ml which is pretty decent for the size.

Song/Book/Poem ~

Ok, call me mainstream but I've been listening to Justin Timberlake's 'Mirrors' all day/err'day. The entire 8 minutes of it is simply perfection; the lyrics, the beat, the mood, everything. Love it. 

Thank you for reading!

Follow me on instagram @lifelongpercussion for more photos and daily updates! Email me at lifelongpercussion@gmail.com for inquiries. 

Habiba xxx