One of the great things about blogging is getting the chance to meet new people. I always try to make sure that the people I interact with represent a diverse cross-section of society, that's what makes it fascinating for me: I don't really want to hear the same stories or opinions from the same types of people hundreds of times over - I want to hear about different things from different angles, otherwise I become stuck in my own ideas.

Anyways, Boohoo asked me to do a festive-themed look with a friend, and I had a bit of a lightbulb moment -why not ask Fran? I met her via Twitter, naturally, and she's passionate about social media and blogging, as in she actually likes it, which is refreshing for a blogger - and guess what? She actually gave a talk on it - like, wrote it herself and wasn't even trying to sell something. Oh, and she loves cats, almost as much as I do! Last time we met, she'd mentioned that she wanted to introduce outfit photos to her blog, what better opportunity?

Turns out, it was an inspired choice on my part to invite her - we picked out our festive party outfits, Fran going for a beautiful embroidered maxi, and me being the magpie that I am, going for a sparkly, glittery dress which can be found HERE. Then we headed Home. No, seriously now, on a first date?! Give us some credit. We went to Home, in Manchester, which is kind of like a theatre-y, cinema-y, cafe, bar, restaurant, art gallery and events space type thing rolled in to one.

Unfortunately, it seemed we'd picked the only bloody night of the week where a school was having a field trip there, so it was rammed with kids. Two questions: out on a school night? And: Why didn't my school ever take me on a field trip to a theatre-y, cinema-y, cafe, bar, restaurant, art gallery and events space type thing?

But enough of that, we kind of had to rule out all of the edgy looking places to have photos, such as the quirky Scandinavian-style wooden staircase and the solid concrete walls, before the kids started thinking we were some kind of live exhibit - in retrospect, that sounds like it might have been fun. But no, instead we managed to convince the barmaid/barista (she was serving coffee and wine) that it'd be a great idea to let us use their events space, for free, and here are the results:

 

  

 Don't mind us, just hangin' around

  

 Let's be honest, the pink bag makes this shot

  

  

More tea, vicar? 

As you can tell, we had a lot of fun in our private event space, and so did the people on the balcony in the background, I think! The outfits themselves are definitely fit for a festive party - just the right amount of sparkle, ready to brighten up even the darkest, coldest of December evenings.

 If I'm being honest, I'm not a fan of false lashes. I think there's a number of factors behind this really - first, the ones I've tried in the past have always been so fiddly to apply. Second, the look of sheer panic as the glue holding them in gives up on you and leaves them hanging off in mid air. I've just never really got to grips with them, it seems something always used to go wrong or look not quite right - maybe all I needed was practice? There's a thought.

So when I was asked by FalseEyelashes.co.uk to pick out a set to try, I thought I'd go with the brand that everyone keeps raving about, and picked House of Lashes. Instead of going with the most popular lashes, Iconic, I thought I'd go for something a bit less dense, and chose *Siren. They really caught my eye as it's not quite wall-to-wall lashes, I'm not after anything that looks a little too unreal, just something that will enhance my already bountiful lashes. (Can I get a masha'allah here?!)

Since they arrived earlier in the week, I've been applying them every single day - getting in that practice I never set aside time for in the past. One tip I learned, from Nikkie Tutorials, is to cut the lashes in half and apply them bit by bit. Usually when trying to apply the full strip in one go, there's a bit of pressure to get it perfect, but cutting it in half removes that and somehow makes you feel less worried about something going wrong!

Anyway, the practice I've been getting has certainly shown me that applying false lashes needn't be a nightmare after all, and if done right, they can seriously enhance your makeup looks! Would I repurchase Siren? Possibly, but maybe I'll take a look around to see what other styles I can try out first, now that I've been bitten by the falsies bug!

Also, FalseEyelashes.co.uk seem like a decent place to start looking if you're thinking of purchasing some Falsies - there's plenty of different brands stocked, all with a huge range of their own and it's free 1st class delivery with your order. If Siren has tickled your fancy, one pair will cost £12 from FalseEyelashes!

*PR Sample

Beauty Boxes. Honestly, I've never understood the hype. I've seen plenty around though, I've read and watched plenty of reviews, and no matter how excited people seem to get about them, they've never really done it for me. There have always been too many drawbacks or catches to put me off, so I've just avoided them altogether. And then this big unexpected package arrived a couple of Saturdays ago, and I couldn't quite believe my eyes.

Yes, Asiana have created their own Beauty Box, and yes, it's actually rather good. The first thing to note is that it has been created by South Asians, for Souths Asians - so it hasn't been assembled by that white girl from the MAC counter who matched you two shades too light or too dark or both at the same time. (That actually happened) No, this has been put together with South Asian skin tones at the centre of it all.

The second thing to note is that this isn't a Beauty Box in the sense that you or I may be familiar with. This is not a monthly subscription thing, and you won't be getting a box with seemingly random products from brands you may or may not have heard of before, so it's not quite right to compare this with the likes of Glossybox, where you sign up and receive a box of mystery stuff each month. With this Beauty Box, it's a one off and you know exactly what's inside.

 

Now this product takes me back. It was the first gel liner I ever purchased and taught me everything I know about gel liner. It's creamy and applies like a breeze, so smooth with zero drag and it stays put. From what I recall, this is one of those rare gel liners that doesn't dry out so easily in the pot and retains the creaminess that sets is apart. The fact that Asiana have included this, and made sure they picked Black, is a stroke of genius. Us Desis love our black liner, so this product could well go on to be a staple in your makeup box.

Oh, and it's FULL SIZE. No sample, so this baby is worth £19 all by itself, and that's before I even mention the brush that's been supplied for you to apply it with. A word on that though, the brush is good, but my preference is for something a little finer, so make sure to experiment and find a brush that works for you.

Another full size product from another household name, this Clinique All About Shadow Duo presents an interesting shade combination - the shimmery taupe contrasts really well against the darker charcoal shade with a tiny hint of green about it.

The texture is smooth and buttery, just what you need from a shadow, none of that chalky business. And it's also quite a versatile colour choice - for a daytime look you can pair the taupe shadow on your lids with liner, and to upgrade to something more suited to the night, you can apply the charcoal shade to the crease and outer V and blend it out.

Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Triple Action Cleanser - Sample - 1.5fl OZ/45ml

Hello!

After bleaching my hair down to a platinum blonde this summer, I've had to keep my beloved straighteners locked away under the bed. No more straightening, and no more curling, which is a big deal for me. My hair is naturally curly, and I've always craved straight hair so I've abused my hair over years with heated appliances. Even if I wasn't go for a straightened look, and was trying something a little different, I'd head straight to the straighteners to add in some curls. Oh the human mind, how it tortures itself, craving everything it doesn't possess.

In my mid twenties I started weaning myself off these devices of doom because my style changed a little and moved more towards a 'y'know, like, whatever' kinda hair - I'm thinking easy going, wanting that undone, DGAF hair. I'd add in some Fudge Salt Spray, leave it to dry naturally, but still I'd bring out those straighteners and make waves at the front.

Then I slipped right back in to the straightening phase again, which was an act of self harm to the hair really. I'd started dabbling (a lot) with bleach and dyes and my hair got to the point where it had just had enough. That all changed in Japan though. I was only there for 2 weeks, and wanted to cram in as much of the place as I could, which left me with very little time to play with in the mornings getting ready. In fact, on quite a few of the days, I actually left my hair to dry naturally and I started to fall back in love with my curls!

Fast forward to the summer then, and after bleaching (again), I'd fully embraced those curls! Of course they don't look as perfectly structured as they would had I used a heating tool, but I've really embraced that ever-so-slightly flawed look to the point I couldn't imagine going back to the dark days of daily straightening.

So where on earth does the Aquis Hair Towel fit in to this hairy tale, you ask? Well, they sent me the Hair *Liss Luxe Chevron towel a couple of months back, and I was instantly curious. On their site they give some nice marketing-slash-sciencey spiel about how the product works and it's actually fascinating - this small company are trying to reinvent they way we dry our hair, and to do that they have to convince us we have a problem.

The problem we have is that we dry our hair all wrong, either using an actual towel the ultra-absorbent fabric will soak up the moisture quickly. And speed is the key really, according to Aquis, as the keratin in your hair is thirsty, takes in too much water and gets bloated, making your hair lose it's natural elasticity.

This all sounds pretty horrifying for me, because my hair has seen so much trauma over the past few years, thanks to all of the various bleaching and colouring I've put it through, my hair is now incredibly porous. This means keratin is the hair equivalent of an alcoholic that doesn't know when to quit. Here's what Britta, the founder, has to say about her product though: 

"The special towel will not only reduce frizz, but it takes water out quickly and will literally cut your drying time in half!"

So now Aquis had successfully convinced me I had a problem, they now had to convince me that they could fix that problem. When I actually received the towel, and opened it up, I was incredibly skeptical. It is so thin. Really, really thin. How on earth could this little thing dry my hair better than a towel? I tried it straight after a shower and was surprised to see it suck out the excess moisture a lot quicker than my regular towel. A great test of it's absorption is use this on your wet skin and just watch that water disappear!

What surprised me even more is that the towel only feels slightly damp after using it. Usually, your towel is soaked right through and weighs double what it did before your shower, but this towel had my brain screaming "WITCH CRAFT!" - I genuinely had no idea where all this water could have gotten to! After drying off the excess, I then wrapped my hair in the Aquis and left it to dry. Currently I'm in the process of growing out my fringe, so when my hair feels about 80% dry, I blow dry it and leave it out. I found that using the Aquis Hair towel definitely made my hair dry quicker.

As for getting rid of the frizz, I didn't really notice any difference on that front at all, and I was a little disappointed. So I stopped using the towel for a few day and BANG. That frizz hit me hard during the day. Obviously the towel had made a difference, but I just hadn't noticed it! Next time I used the towel, I noticed that I did get some frizz, but nowhere near on the scale that I got when I didn't use it.

So in summary, it does take water out quickly, it does reduce frizz and it does cut your drying time in half. 

The Aquis Hair Lisse Luxe is priced at £30. I have to confess that the price tag might be enough to put a lot of people off, it probably would have put me off, partly because I don't think the website is convincing enough to make me part with £30 of my own money for what is essentially a towel. BUT, having used this towel for a good few months now, I'd definitely recommend it, particularly if your hair is frizzy or damaged in any way. I don't think it's a miracle cure for your hair, but I do think it will prevent further damage and keep it in better condition.

*PR Sample

As part of a minority group in this country, it's very easy to find yourself getting bogged down and really negative about life. And I must confess, I myself have been guilty of this at times, because in reality, there are a lot of negative things we have to deal with as South Asians, whether that's from within our own communities or from external forces.

I think it's really important to try not to lose sight of all of the great things about being Asian though, this has always been my approach in life - make the most of what you have. For every negative part of our culture, or negative external force, there are hundreds of equal and opposing great things about our culture and positive external forces.

The outside world tend to view South Asians through a bit of a weird lens - we all love curry, we have nice clothes, our weddings are huge and we're subdivided into 'good' or 'bad' based on some unwritten metrics and logic that nobody really seems to understand. But as South Asians, we're a heck of a lot more than just cuisine, fabric and extravagant nuptials. We're people. And in reality, we're not actually all that different from the mainstream at all. Sure, we rarely have blonde hair or blue eyes and more often than not, we're darker in skin tone, but other than that, we have pretty similar hopes, dreams, styles and tastes.

It would be nice if South Asians could be recognised for things that are not stereotypically associated with being a South Asian thing - for example, I'm pretty certain there's a South Asian chef out there who can rustle up something other than a stonking good Tikka Masala. I'm certain there are South Asian designers who are coming up with super rad clothes that aren't Saris and I'm certain there are South Asian actors out there who can play, y'know, normal people, not just terrorists.

Something I've noticed recently is the online South Asian community has had an increase in a certain type of person who is all too quick to highlight the negatives (granted, there are many) yet don't seem to recognise any of the positives at all. And these people are starting to make a name for themselves, because it appeals to the majority - "Look, here's someone willing to speak out about the ills of their communities, aren't they brave?"

Well actually, I'm not so sure about that. For the most part, it feels to me as if they're looking for a bit of fame, notoriety and to become an unofficial spokesperson for South Asians, yet they don't really add anything to the conversation, simply overstating facts we're already aware of. This new breed are more interested in themselves than their fellow South Asians, everything they talk about or write about relates solely to their own experiences, and dismisses or ignores everyone else's. 

I see bravery as taking on the negative aspects of your community, and showing them that things don't have to be the way they've always been. Bravery is doing your own thing regardless of what your community thinks about you. It's standing up on your own two feet and taking responsibility for your actions and still making something of yourself, whilst making a positive difference to your community. These are the people I have most respect for.

I'm talking about people like Momtaz who has an incredible sense of style and self expression that seems to pay no heed to cultural norms, or Maryam Sofia who is an incredibly talented makeup artist creating kickass Avant Garde looks, and the terrible twosome Areeba and Noor, very talented artistes with a big social media presence - and a blossoming career advertising coffee. ;)

These are just a few examples of women who don't conform to the typical stereotypes of South Asians, they don't restrict or constrain themselves by what their communities see as acceptable, they are each very different and unique, challenging perceptions of what it really means to be South Asian.

Also noteworthy is Burnt Roti magazine from Sharan Dhaliwal - a space bringing together South Asians with a vast array of talents that the outsider may not necessarily associate with us. Why not? Because we are mis-represented in the media as it is, and the serial complainers only really add to that misrepresentation. It's statements like: "Oh girls aren't allowed to do that in your culture are they?" that really start to piss me off:

And these are the sorts of negative and ignorant attitudes towards our culture that are now being exacerbated and perpetuated by those complainers. Seriously, it's more a case of 'Woe is me' than 'Help me change my culture and educate my community', and frankly, it's boring.

That being said, I certainly don't think people on the receiving end of any of the negative aspects ought to suffer in silence, far from it, it just means if you want to move forward in life, balance out the good and the bad of your community, step up and challenge it through actions, not just through words. Words will only ever appeal to those with little to no understanding of our culture, and will paint us all with that negative brush.

I guess all of this inspired me to create today's makeup look, something that shows off a little bit of South Asian culture, but then takes it a little outside of the norm too. I used some of my favourite bright purples and pinks for the eye shadow, before adding in some henna detailing to the tip of the winged eyeliner. Henna is one of the many great things about our culture, so I'll take any excuse to build it into a look! The only downside is that I can't apply it freehand, so I use stencils instead. #DesiHack

// FACE //

Illamasqua Skin Base - 12
LA GIRL Pro Conceal - Creamy Beige (under eye highlight)
BEN NYE Banana Luxury Powder - (under eye highlight)
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - Dark (concealing scars)

// BROWS //

Soap & Glory Brow Archery Brow Pencil - Hot Chocolate
Illamasqua Brow Cake - Thunder

// CHEEKS //

Milani Baked Blush - 01 Dolce Pink
Freedom Pro Contour Kit - Medium 02
Makeup Geek Duo Chrome Eyeshadow - Phantom (highlighter)

// EYES //

Makeup Academy Pro-Base Eye Primer - Nude
NYX Cosmetics Jumbo Pencil - Milk (brow bone)
Sugarpill Pressed Eyeshadow - Poison Plum (eye lids and lower lash line)
Lime Crime D'Antoinette Palette - Ribbonesque (eye lids and lower lash line)
Sugarpill Pressed Eyeshadow - Dollipop (crease and lower lash line)
Lime Crime D'Antoinette Palette - Royal Flush (centre eyelid)
Lime Crime Superfoils - Convertible (inner corner)
Kiko Milano Smart Eye Pencil - 805 Bright Lilac (waterline)
Illamasqua Precision Gel Liner - Infinity
Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel - 76 (henna detailing)
L'Oreal Mega Volume Miss Hippie Mascara - Black

// LIPS //

Kiko Milano Smart Lip Pencil - 714 Pink Iguana
Milani Amore Metallics Lip Creme - Dramatic Diva