The GlaMuslim World

To BB or Not To BB

2012-04-18T12:32:00.000-05:00

What if I told you there was a beauty product that combined a tinted moisturizer, sunblock, anti-aging cream, skin prime, and foundation and in addition would give you gorgeous skin? Start looking for your car keys ladies, because you're going to want to run out and get yourself some bb cream aka beauty balm or blemish balm, as soon as you finish reading this post. It is no exaggeration when I say bb cream is a game changer in the world of cosmetics and to put it mildly has revolutionized the way women put their makeup on.

After Korean soap opera stars (they're huge all over Asia, think Justin Bieber-like popularity) started crediting their porcelain skin to bb creams, there was such an insane demand for bb cream that Asian cosmetic companies could not make them fast enough before selling out. It has now become such a world phenomenon that everyone from makeup artists to beauty bloggers and beauty insiders are buzzing about the amazing results.

According to the New York Times, German dermatologist Dr. Christine Schrammek first designed the bb cream to help with the healing process of post-op surgical patients after laser surgery treatments. The bb cream was used to treat the common redness and inflammation that occurred in post-peel patients.

It is easy to explain the multi-tasking bb cream's meteoric rise to fame. Not only is it saving women precious time by taking away numerous steps in their daily beauty routine, but also saving them money by eliminating the need to buy several different skin care and makeup products. Save time and dollar dollar bills? Sign me up yo!

All the hype and excitement around Asia's best kept beauty secret now have a few of the major American and European cosmetic brands releasing their own version of the highly sought-after bb cream. My favorite, Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream, has SPF 35 making it the perfect sunblock for year-round protection from uv rays. It comes in five different shades that will give you up to eight hours of coverage. Definitely stick with the American version because unfortunately the Asian bb cream cousins often have skin lighteners because of the Asian fascination with "fair=lovely" skin.

Bb cream is destined to become a staple in every makeup bag and women everywhere will be wondering what they ever did before. By the end of this year, I am pretty sure every single makeup brand will have their own version of bb cream available. Just see what fits your skin needs best and climb aboard the wagon, there are plenty of seats and I hear there will even be a band playing. ;)

Sephora by Marc Jacobs

2012-04-09T12:12:00.000-05:00

Fashionistas everywhere will rejoice at the news that designer Marc Jacobs is looking to create an entire line of makeup under his label. Jacobs is collaborating with Sephora for an exclusive cosmetics collection.

In partnership with Sephora, Jacobs has begun the process of creating several beauty products. In WWD, Jacobs stated, "I see makeup, fragrance — everything, really — as an opportunity. The idea of choosing a color for your lip, or an eyeliner — it's just such a delight. The ritual of waking up and making those choices is something people really enjoy."

He is absolutely correct; for me, the process of deciding what shade of eyeshadow to pair with my lips and cheek color is my favorite part of putting on makeup. I love deciding whether I should go with my everyday look of neutral eyeshadow with heavy winged eyeliner (looks fab even when I am too lazy to put my contacts in and am rocking my glasses) or bold red lips for those days when I am ~~really exhausted from pulling an all-nighter with the baby and just want people to stop asking me if I am tired~~ ready to take on the whole world.

No stranger to the world of beauty, Jacobs has long been known for his fragrances both for men and women. Judging by his wild makeup looks on the runway, any makeup that has the Marc Jacobs stamp is sure to be bold and noteworthy.

Jacobs is without a doubt one of the most successful high fashion and commercial fashion designers around. While his haute couture designs might be out of reach for most of us, his more affordable Marc by Marc Jacobs line has handbags, shoes, clothing and accessories that have helped make him a household name across the globe. Makeup will be just one more way for fashion lovers to get a bit of the Marc Jacobs sparkle for ourselves.

Speaking of collaborations, I had a great time working with the lovely team over at Hijab-ista, Inc. Be sure to check out my guest blog "Maxi-ing Out" over at www.Hijab-ista.com/blog

Why So Syria-us?

2012-03-24T03:38:00.000-05:00

With everything that has been going down in Syria, it has been hard to turn my attention to writing. The grim news coming out of Assad's deadly crackdown on the freedom fighters there has been heartbreaking. The Free Syria movement has resulted in cold blooded brutality against the Syrian citizens by their own government. A chilling estimate of 8,000 deaths in just the past year; these are crimes against humanity the likes of which have not been seen since the genocide during the Bosnian War. Still hope is alive and the courage of the Syrian people who are fighting their oppressors is awe-inspiring.

I heard a pediatrician speak a couple weeks ago about her harrowing experiences when she travelled with a group of doctors from Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) to provide urgent medical care and relief for some of the 8 thousand displaced Syrians at several refugee camps situated in Turkey along the volatile Syrian border. I could barely hold back my tears as haunting images of the poor conditions of the camps and the refugee children screened during her heartfelt recounting of the humanitarian mission. The best part of her speech was giving all of us concrete ways we can help.

Here is what you can do to help:

-Pray for the courageous people of Syria.

-Donate to SAMS Midwest Foundation via www.sams-usa.net

This group's main mission is to help fundraise and raise awareness about worthy causes in Syria and here in the United States. It solicits public support and contributions, sponsors fundraisers, and channels humanitarian aid in the form of financial assistance to help local NGOs in Syria.

-Contact your local congressman about supporting sustained and aggressive political & economic sanctions against the Syrian government and all other nations or people that are supporting the Assad regime.

-Publicize the systematic rape occurring in Syria to other people in your social networks; follow and RT #rapeinsyria

It was only when the devastating UN reports of over 60,000 rapes in Bosnia were publicized in the media that the world governments finally intervened there.

#rapeinsyria
•Supported by Women Under Seige
•Crowdmapping: https://rapeinsyria.crowdmap.com

May God have mercy on the women, men and children of Syria, Ameen.

All that Glitters...

2012-01-04T07:22:00.001-06:00

So four days into the New Year, I've decided it's time to make some resolutions. I have a couple personal goals involving temper and patience...too much of one and too little of the other is not a good mix, sigh. Lots of love to the husband who has the exact opposite temperament (good for me, not so much for him).

As far as my New Year's resolutions, first is simple enough: I solemnly vow to remove all my makeup before I go to sleep. I know, it's the #1 no-brainer beauty rule but of course being genetically blessed with fab skin as a teenager spoils you. I think I had less than 20 pimples total as a teenager. Wait!! Don't hate me just yet, I paid for all that clear skin. When I was preggo with my first son, little did I know instead of fab glowy pregnancy skin, I would get rocked with adult onset acne because of all the hormones. Ever notice no matter what symptom you have when you're expecting, the doctor tells you it's due to pregnancy?

After my pregnancies, my skin takes a while to calm back down. I used to just crash with my makeup on and wash my face in the morning. Now if I do that my T-zone will be covered in pimples (and bits of shimmer, you know I do love my glittery makeup). To make myself more proactive about removing my makeup, I treated myself to some Ultra Bland from LUSH Cosmetics. That stuff is greasy but the almond oil based cleanser really wipes off every trace of makeup on my skin from the layers of Zoom lash mascara to the MAC Black track gel eyeliner that really doesn't budge otherwise. It leaves my combination dry-oily skin feeling soft and clean.

--Quick tip, for those of you who live near an actual Lush store, always shop in person, the sales people are the friendliest and trip over themselves to give you free samples and advice.

My big resolution is to kick the post-pregnancy workouts in to high gear. I'm thinking of having one of my bff's be my workout buddy. She just had her fourth kid but she is one of those freaky celebrity type moms that can walk the red carpet two weeks after giving birth and everyone's like "what baby??" I'm soooo not one of those moms, as my two-year-old daughter kindly reminded me the other day. She asked me if she was getting another baby brother. I'll keep posting about my progress, hopefully writing about it will keep my motivation up to get fit.

Wishing everyone a Glam New Year filled with Love & Beauty!

Random Rambling

2011-12-27T08:01:00.006-06:00

What a whirlwind holiday weekend! It was filled with one family party after another. Imagine doing this scheduling math: mom's side party, dad's side party, in-laws party, and then somehow managing to host a Bulls season opener party with friends in between after-Christmas shopping. I'm tired just thinking about it, but we got through it and get to do it all over again for New Year's weekend. Woo-freaking-hoo.

Anyways after several days of makeup and styling, I rediscovered some very MAJ love for products I have in my beauty arsenal.

Urban Decay NAKED 1 & 2

Talk about instant classic, Urban Decay took the neutral eye look to another level when they debuted the NAKED palette. For years I have been stockpiling Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes (I have 8!), everything from Book of Shadows to the Deluxe Shadow to the Ammo Palette. In each one, the neutral shades are the only ones I hit pan. This is why the fact that all the subtle variations of the shimmery eyeshadows I <3 have been gathered together in the NAKED palette and the NAKED2 blew me away. The possibilities are endless of where your creativity will take you with these palettes. It's like a box of the world's finest chocolates for makeup junkies, you don't know which to try first. So two of the most perfect eyeshadow palettes ever and what am I doing? I am waiting for NAKED3 because let's face it when it comes to makeup...greed is good.

CHI Hair Straightener

The clouds parted and glorious birds began to sing, the first time I used a CHI hair straightener on my frizzy hair. My hair went from its usual poufy self to the glossy shampoo commercial hair I had always dreamt of. There are so many more affordable ceramic plated straighteners on the market now, but my loyalty is with my CHI. Let's keep it real, wearing hijab means that I get to be lazy when it comes to styling my hair more often than not. The husband is forced to look at the messy bun look (the messy is usually not on purpose) day in and day out. But every once in a while, when the planets align and all three of my babies (4 including the hubs) give me ten minutes to myself, I'll CHI myself and then bask in the compliments. "Oh God, is it our anniversary?" "How come you don't have that ball on your head anymore?" "Look I can run my fingers through your hair Momma" "ahhh-cooo" (the newborn). Hmmm, we may have to work on the fine art of complimenting in this household. ;)

All-American Muslim Girls

2011-12-19T20:15:00.011-06:00

What does a home improvement store have to do with Muslims? Well unless you've been out occupying your local neighborhood Wall Street, the fact that Americans of all faiths are standing up to bigotry by corporate America namely Lowes has been everywhere in the news.

Lowes bowed to calls from a fringe radical group in Florida Family Association (FFA) to pull advertising from TLC's newest reality show All-American Muslim. The group sent letters to corporations pressuring them to pull their ads because, in fact, showing every day American Muslims doing normal mundane things like playing high school football, juggling their kids and work, worrying about being in your 30's and still single was not in their words, an accurate portrayal of how Muslims really are.

Now if TLC showed Muslim women being forced to veil or play a subservient role in their household, then I'm pretty sure the FL group would have no issue with the stereotyping of the "backward foreigners". Instead you have women like Nawal nervous about giving birth for the first time or Suehaila trailblazing her way across the Michigan political scene while wearing hijab.

In one of my favorite scenes, Fordson high school football coach Fouad Zaban accompanies his wife and daughters to a scarf store for some back-to-school shopping. He watches as his preteen daughter learns trendy ways to tie a hijab. His wife worries about watching her little girl grow up looking different than the other kids because she covers her hair. But as we watch the fabulously styled scarf-wearing women in the show, it's clear that looking different hasn't held them back.

Everyone from Russell Simmons to Jon Stewart has criticized Lowes for their very unAmerican act of discrimination and intolerance. Simmons actually backed his opinion with cold hard cash and bought out the ad space vacated by Lowes and Kayak(dot)com for his RUSH credit card. Stewart ridiculed the FFA group for their criticism of All-American Muslim in a hilarious tongue-in-cheek sketch demanding for a boycott of Lowes because they sell everything needed to make bombs. In this time when Islamophobia is so rampant, Simmons and Stewart are, without a doubt, heroes for standing up for Americans who happen to be Muslim.

All-American Muslim isn't controversial because it's a typical reality show where participants get drunk and sleep with each other. Just the opposite, it shows ordinary people living their normal boring lives in small town America. They have family dinners, they argue with each other, they go to their high school football games, and they try to balance kids, work, and life. Gee whiz would you look at that, Muslims are just like everyone else. Who knew?

Photo courtesy of: Adam Rose, TLC via GANNET

Got My Eye(liner) on You

2011-12-15T07:23:00.006-06:00

I finally restocked my makeup brushes during one of Coastal Scents' recent sitewide sales. I got 3 of my absolute favorite brush "Destiny Precision Angled Liner" from them because of course it's the one brush I always manage to misplace. They call it the angled lip liner brush, but I love using the angled taklon fiber brush to apply my gel eyeliner.

With my notoriously shaky hands, applying eyeliner used to be the one part of my makeup routine the I would dread. But ever since I started using the angled brush to line my eyes with MAC's Blacktrack, I love wearing eyeliner all the time now.

The brush is so thin that I can get a subtle line that easily pushes the product between my eyelashes. Also because of the convenient bend in the brush right at the tip, it is easy to see what I'm doing. I can make perfectly even thick lines for a more dramatic evening look and wing out the edges on both my eyes. The bristles are so soft on this brush, that I can even use it to put the gel eyeliner on my waterline inside my eye when I want my entire eye rimmed.

I'm sure there are more expensive angled brushes out there, but the Coastal Scents brush is such a bargain and it makes applying gel eyeliner easy for a novice or an expert. You can use this brush to put on eyeliner on with confidence to complete your gorgeous eye look every time.

UPDATE: This brush is on clearance, buy one for your sisters, best friend, etc. I have two amazing sister-in-laws (or is it sisters-in-law? whatever, my brothers' wives) who will be getting one!

Not so NAKED Shady Lady

2011-12-10T02:27:00.001-06:00

My latest beauty find that I am so excited about actually happened at TJ Maxx. I popped in there with the hubs to check out some furniture, we are looking for that perfect cozy arm chair to snuggle with our kids and read. We have a bonus room at our place that I keep calling the library even though we have yet to assemble the bookcases. (Ahem husband, this might be something you can do while watching collegiate football all day Saturday, during Sunday NFL games or Monday night football! Just sayin'...)

Ok where was I? Ah yes, TJ Maxx, I went to check out their beauty aisle. While the selection is really sporadic, ever since I stumbled on NARS lipglosses there at a whopping $10 only, I am always hoping to find something equally fab. At the end of the display, mixed in with all their E.L.F. gift sets were three slim giraffe print cases that caught my eye. It was theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 eyeshadow palette. Woohoo!

I love makeup palettes, I just find that it's the best way to get the biggest bang for your beauty buck. Also, because you get a whole range of colors, it forces you out of your comfort zone to try new colors that you probably wouldn't have bought separately.

I've tested out theBalm eyeshadows at Sephora before and I liked it but not enough to switch over from my beloved Urban Decay. But since TJ Maxx was selling this palette for only $12.99 for 9 shadows and liners, it was the perfect opportunity to try out the brand. (Sephora still has this on sale for $39.50!) These eyeshadows are very versatile, they can be worn dry over primer or applied wet as liner.

They have great color payoff and not a lot of fallout despite being so shimmery. My favorite color is the copper brown color "racy kacy", it actually made my eyes pop when I paired it with a matte brown color in the crease. At this price, it's a total win win win all the way around, so next time your are at one of the designer reseller stores, make sure you check out their beauty section. You never know what you might find there.

Speaking of eyeshadow palettes, has anyone got their hands on Urban Decay's NAKED 2 palette yet? I have the original NAKED palette which has gone on to become a cult classic. While I probably will be picking up the new NAKED 2 palette as well whenever it comes back in stock at Urban Decay (sign up to stay updated), I really have to hand it to the marketing geniuses over there. They are creating instant hype for their product by making it so exclusive and only releasing a few batches at a time. It's annoying for us as consumers but of course we all want what we can't have!

The Desi Chanel

2011-12-08T00:09:00.031-06:00

Ever since the '90s when Gwen Stefani and Madonna rocked bindis and wore henna tattoos, it's been considered fashion forward to do the whole East meets West styles. There has always been waves of Indian influence on fashion collections from the 60's Nehru jackets to the embellished and embroidered sari fabrics incorporated into mainstream fashion for the past couple decades. Major fashion powerhouse Chanel's latest collection "Paris-Bombay Metiers d'Art Show" amps up the desi (all things related to South Asians) influence with a collaboration between two great cultural capitals of the world: Paris and Bombay.

Karl Lagerfield's interpretation of Indian women fashion through Paris Haute Couture, took familiar desi looks and dressed them in classic Chanel fabrics such as tweeds. With their heavily kohl-rimmed smokey eyes to the bejeweled teeka perched on their foreheads to the layering of ornate chokers and pendants, these women would have fit in at any Indian/Pakistani wedding.

But did Lagerfield push the envelope far enough in his homage to Indian fashion? I actually don't think so. I feel like he just slapped the Chanel label on to fashions and styles that desi women have been wearing for generations. While I think his clothes are beautiful, it is isn't anything I haven't seen before. Still for certain label-loving desis, dressing up in an Indian outfit from the venerable house of Chanel is a treat in itself. But if you are looking for cutting edge desi fashion, then you will probable need to head to leading Indian fashion designers such as Ritu Kumar or Manish Malhotra.

Thanks Karl for affirming what we have known for centuries, Indian fashion is jaw-droppingly gorgeous and versatile enough to dress up or down depending on your fabric choice. Also, yes while it was the famous Coco Chanel who said before you leave the house take off the last accessory you put on, for desis, the opposite holds true. We love our bling.

But how clever is this white shalwar khameez with sari draping across the shoulder? It totally makes the whole dupatta (coordinating shawl) unecessary.

So beautiful readers, anyone on the market for a desi outfit courtesy of Chanel? I bet you have a $6000 Hermes sari sitting in your closet too. ;)

Photos courtesy of: Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

Black Friday & Baby

2011-12-07T01:01:00.002-06:00

Well I am finally back from my "just-had-baby-number-3-and-now-don't-have-time-to-scratch-my-head" hiatus. The one thing I have learned now that the husband and I are outnumbered is that I have to multi-task in order to just get half the things on my daily to-do list done. This blog is being written with 2 out of the 3 kids snuggling up to me. How many years till I can send them off to college? Just kidding....sorta. ;)

Since I was homebound with the newborn (except for the occasional party), my Thanksgiving celebration included lots of online black Friday shopping. With all the free shipping offers that swirled around, I was able to indulge in a lot of guilt-free shopping. While most of my purchases were about the kids, (yep when you become a mom, your first impulse is to buy something for the kids), I treated myself to some great beauty finds.

Sephora's black Friday $10 door buster deals crashed their site, but once they went back up, I was able to get the limited edition Tarte for True Blood eyeshadow palette for a hugely discounted rate. There are 17 (!!!!) beautiful jewel tone colors in this palette and they are highly pigmented. I am totally a sucker for eyeshadow palettes, I just find that it is a great way to get the biggest makeup bang for the buck.

While the corset inspired packaging is a little tacky for my taste, the eyeshadows are set in a diamond angled pattern that gives it a good visual interest. There is a bonus primer, mascara and a full size black eyeliner lurking under the eyeshadow tray. Great thing about ordering online from Sephora is that I totally scored this cute Hello Kitty bag filled with samples. Of course my 2 year old pounced on the bag as soon as she saw it "My kitty cat purse!"

I am loving the shimmer eye shadows of this palette. Because let's face it there are going to be days when I will need all the help I can get to look semi-awake. The shadows are really silky and glide on very smoothly. I was able to get great color payoff without using a primer, so this is definitely going to be my go-to palette for a special look on those rare nights I'll get to go out for some grown up time.

P.S. Stay tuned for my crazy beauty find at (of all the random places)... TJ Maxx

Fab 5ive: Fall Makeup Trends

2011-09-25T21:28:00.003-05:00

Most people think that as the summer sun fades and the cooler fall weather arrives, you have to bust out the fall fashion staples of brown, grey, black with subdued makeup to match. If you have been following the beautiful looks of the New York, London and Milan fashion shows, you know that nothing can be further the truth. As the leaves start turning breathtakingly red, gold, and orange; your makeup look should be equally as stunning.

Dewy Skin

Its time to shelve away your tinted moisturizer, the brisk autumn air is much drier than the hot humidity of summer. A more heavy duty moisturizing cream will help keep your skin supple and give you a more dewy finish. Use a luminizing moisturizer to brighten up your skin and keep you glowing. A cream blush contouring your cheekbones can also give your dewy skin a soft finish.

Bright Eyeshadow

One of the big trends at New York Fashion Week included vivid orange eyeshadow at the Narciso Rodriguez 2012 Spring/Summer Collection. While you might hesitate to wear such a loud color for your everyday look, a soft shimmery bronze or gold eyeshadow is a more wearable option. Contour your eyes with a dark matte brown eyeshadow to give it that extra pop. Add layers of black mascara and a thin line of black eyeliner to your upper lash line with a slight winged tip to make this into an evening look. Smudge your bottom lash line either with the golden eyeshadow for a fresh wide awake look or softly smudge the black eyeliner on the bottom of your eye for a subtle smokey look.

Full Eyebrows

Brooke Shields' eyebrows made a huge comeback this year. Thick, almost unruly eyebrows have been a break from the over-plucked, barely there brows of past. To help make the most of your natural brows, first take a small compact eyeshadow brush and dip into a brown shade a few shades lighter than your hair color. Then begin by stippling the eyeshadow on to your eyebrow. Be careful not to sweep the color on with the brush, by stippling the color on you will get a much more natural look. Use an eyebrow gel or a clear mascara to shape your eyebrow after you are done filling it in with the color.

Strong Lips

A simple way to add a pop of fall color to your look is to apply a matte lipstick in either a burnt orange red, a berry fuschia, or a deep burgundy. This will brighten your entire face and you will amp up your entire look to the max volume. By giving your lips a matte finish, you keep your lips on trend for the autumn months. Still, a more easy-to-wear and refined version of this trend is to use a lip gloss tinted with the bright colors like the models at the Zac Posen and Naeem Khan S/S 2012 shows with their glistening orange glossy lips. Silvery grey eyeshadow or smudged charcoal eyeliner is the perfect pairing with this look.

Retro Glam

Old Hollywood glamour has been seen everywhere on the red carpet and the fashion runways. The showstopping look not only has a strong eye but fire-engine red lips that can be seen for miles. This trend really combines all of the trends above for a fabulous look that will have jaws dropping everywhere you go. All you need for this Elizabeth Taylor-esque look, is the strong eyebrows, with a shimmering silver eyeshadow, a thick line of black winged eyeliner, and big dramatic lashes. A deep red or wine-colored lipstick with just a hint of gloss completes this look.

With all the beautiful colors of fall around us, being boring is not an option. Incorporate color into your makeup and your wardrobe and you will feel like the sun is shining every day whether it is or not.

Picture courtesy of Flickr

"Arab Spring" Fashion Week

2011-09-22T00:56:00.000-05:00

When revolution hit the streets of the Middle East earlier this year, news cameras captured courageous women (both young and old) fighting for freedom shoulder-to-shoulder with the men. In fact, it was 26-year-old Asmaa Mahfouz's YouTube video and Facebook posts that have become the stuff of legends that will be retold for generations to come. She will go down in history known as the "Leader of the Revolution" for her role in sparking the the overthrow of the 30 year regime of the Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak.

Her fiery words, "Whoever says women shouldn't go to protests because they will get beaten, let him have some honor and manhood and come with me on January 25" inspired an entire nation to stand up for justice.

Probably not what most people think of when picturing an "oppressed Muslim woman" right? There is no such thing as a typical Muslim woman despite what FOX News might tell you. We don't all wear head-to-toe black burqa walking ten steps behind our husband. Sidenote-I don't know why the walking behind the husband thing really bugs me but this is why I am constantly trying to get my husband to slow his roll and walk leisurely next to me. Granted he's usually trying to corral our kids and keep them from running off, while I take my sweet time getting anywhere.

Muslim women have broken down cultural, social and religious barriers while facing down discrimination and prejudice in all walks of life. Newsweek recently did a profile about 2 successful high fashion models who not only happen to be Arab but also Muslim. Modeling may seem like it does not fit with the whole Islamic concept of hijab and emphasis on modesty for both men and women. Yep it's true, men are also encouraged just as much as women in Islam to dress modestly, something that *gasp* rarely gets mentioned in the media.

Still, as the Newsweek piece mentions, Middle Eastern women are the biggest consumers for haute couture fashion pieces. But just where do these gorgeous French creations get worn? Usually under their black abayas, until the women are somewhere private either with their family or gal pals. And despite what you may have seen in the disappointing Sex and the City 2 flick, there are not gaggles of Middle Eastern women waiting for Carrie Bradshaw and Samantha Jones to "liberate" them from fashion tyranny.

Muslim women make choices every day about how they follow their religion, while some choose to cover their hair or their entire body, many choose not to. The beauty of Islam is that we all have free will and we get to decide how we worship God. While my personal choices will not have me in a bikini anytime soon, you will see me splashing about the beach in a burqini.

My religious beliefs do not hold me back from anything I want to accomplish in this world. I love all things related to beauty and fashion. I may wear a scarf, but I love my MAC and Nars makeup and consider a trip to the mall a waste if I don't make a pilgrimage to Sephora. I watch all the award shows just for red carpet fashion and yes I am a beauty blog and fashion magazine junkie. I guess what this whole post was about is to figure out why I feel it is important that as a Muslim woman I add my voice to the world of fashion and beauty. People like the revolutionary Asmaa Mahfouz, busy mom and fashion designer Gwen Stefani inspire me to not be just any one thing or fit into a box that someone else created for me.

Yes I am Muslim and yes I am addicted to makeup. There should be self-help group just for me, but until there is I plan on using this blog to post about the things I love: the husband, our gorgeous babies (seriously they do not look like either me or the hubby, but at least they look like each other, I swear we didn't steal them), fashion, makeup, style, all while being a Glam Muslim Woman loving God for blessing me with all of the above.

Hope you enjoy my ramblings and leave me your two cents!