Product Review- Little Aila

Asalam Waliykum my beautiful readers, 

DIY: Henna your Hair at Home Lush, Lush!

Asalam Waliykum Sisters,

Firstly, I want to thank everyone for the lovely comments and support. I really appreciate it and glad to see my posts are beneficial to many of you. I do read every message and do my utmost best to reply when I can.

On with the post! I wanted to create a detailed guide and step by step of how to achieve Red hair at home using Henna. Which I had promised you oh so many months ago! Anyway...In particular Henna from Lush. So keep on reading for lots of tips and tricks...

Lush Haul- November Edition

Asalam Waliykum, 

Haven't raved about Lush in a while, and recently received a Large order of my favorite products. Thought I would share with you guys and also turn this into a recommendation type of post and another shout out to the company. They never cease to impress me. I have a few reviews up on the blog already so do check those out to, Here, Here and Here oh and one more Here! 

One reason why I love Lush, and I'm not sure if I made this clear from the start, but  they are ethical and not some blood sucking super power company such as the likes of Unilever, Sara lee, Nestle, Danone, Este Lauder, Disney, L'oreal, Starbucks, Intel, M&S, Johnson & Johnson, Mc'D  etc, etc that dominate the shelves in most shops. Why do I have a problem with these blood sucking giants, well most are proud supporters of Zionism and IsraHell and are supporting zionists causes and charities, this information is readily available online you only need to investigate and you will see for yourselves.  I believe that  boycotting is an effective way to get the message across especially as Muslimahs,  women are the main consumers of beauty products. We can make an impact if we stop being so lazy and start shopping ethically. Small changes in our shopping habits make a difference. Just look at the back of your products and you will see who the 'mother' company is, you will find if you search long enough you can trace all products back to 6 major companies some are listed above. 

Anyway, with that rant over and onto the Lush goodies I purchased this Month. 

Moroccan Haul- Moroccan goodies

Asalam waliykum 

I was not to sure what to call this post, it is not really a haul, more of recommendation of certain products I received, used and love. My intention for this post it not to boast what I have, or to show off. My intention is to reccomend products that may be of benefit to sisters that are also affordable (apart from the Argan oil) for anyone and most are 100% natural!

Argan Oil - Liquid Gold

Asalam waliykum, 

I really wanted to write about this, sort of related to my Moroccan Haul post that I will be up in the next couple of days. I love Argan Oil and hopefully after reading this you will see how amazing this stuff really is. For the last couple of years I have been on a quest to only use natural products, as much as possible anyway. And I remembered Morocco is full of natural cosmetic products, that are reasonably priced and 100% natural, no chemicals no harmful nasties, and no preservatives etc. I initially started to use Extra virgin olive oil for my hair and skin and you can buy the top quality stuff from the shops and use it only for cosmetic use. It is great for removing makeup, on sensitive skin, heals scarring, has anti bacterial properties. So if you are not able to get your hands on Argan Oil I highly reccomend using extra virgin olive oil instead. 

Lush Goodies- Lush review!

Asalam waliykum sisters, 

It has been a super long time! Really missed blogging, However, I am back with a fabulous Lush review to kick things off! 

My Lush collection has grown over the past year and a bit. I have now officially tried all the products, well all the products that best suit my skin type. 

I am loving Lush more and more, along with the on going campaign to stop animal testing. Lush have stepped things up and started a campaign against the use of drones. Their slogan used is "Welcome to the drone age". Please follow the link Here! to find out more.  

This review will be on 3 products that I have been using ongoing for the last few months and have become my firm favourites. 

The first product is the Honey Shampoo called "fair trade honey". A gentle moisturising Shampoo for all hair types. Basically this bottle is full of goodies for the hair and scalp. 

I LOVE LUSH- Review of products and service

Asalam waliykum,

We are in the last 10 nights of Ramadan, Subhanallah the month passed too quickly. 

I want to share with you yet more lush goodies from my last trip to Lush. 

Cute bags, Still going strong with the campaign against animal testing mashallah. 
I went to the Branch in Bristol, did not have a very good experience compared to the Branch in Portsmouth and Kingston upon Thames. I don't think I would go there again, if it had been my first experience at Lush I would most likely not return again. 

BBQ Weekend with an Arab family

Asalam waliykum, 

Had a wonderful BBQ the last weekend before Ramadan, with all the family. Alhamdulillah got to see most of my family, beautiful hot weather and lots and lots of jokes and laughter. Alhamdulillah, we had an opportunity to spend such an enjoyable day together and I thank Allah for those few days a year we can all get together, now we are all off married and living far away from our parents, these occasions are rare.
I just wanted to share with you guys the lovely day I had. I know many people are having BBQ for Iftar and I think that is such a good idea. 

***Warning lots of photos of food*** You have been warned. 

Siratt Product Review- Ramadan Edition!

Asalam waliykum, 

Firstly, Sorry I have been so behind on blog posts lately, been enjoying all this lovely weather we are having in the UK. 

On with the show, I will be reviewing a few products I purchased a month ago for Ramadan from the Muslim company Siratt. 

About Siratt: 

Assalaamu Alaykum,

Siratt's determined and dedicated team is driven by a desire to provide our customers with the very best InshaAllah!

We aim to cater for each and every individuals need to obtain high quality Islamic products, which are both exciting, educational and aesthetically pleasing.

Our select product range illustrates our ambition to specialise in the production of totally unique Islamic merchandise.

We have designed each product with a view to increasing and refreshing ones knowledge of Islam hence our slogan - designed to remind.

I will be reviewing 3 products, the Ramadan Booster (£7.95) the Productive Muslim Life Book (13.95) and the Wudu Water bottle (£3.95). 

FOOOOD! Amazing Cheese cake

Asalam Waliykum sisters,

A little post this afternoon, I just wanted to share some photos of a dessert my talented Khelty/Aunty made. Sorry this will not be a step by step as it is a secret family recipe as requested by my khelty, sorry.  

Cheese cake is by far, my favourite chilled dessert. This one is scrummy Oreo cookie base, with lemon filling covered in fresh blueberries and Raspberries  The flavours all compliment one another and because of the fresh fruit I felt a whole lot less guilty eating this. 

I just wanted to share this yummy dessert with you.... well just the photos. 

Now in for the Close up.... 

Homemade Washing Powder

Asalam Waliykum, 

Really wanted to share this with you guys. I just watched a programme called Superscrimpers on Channel 4. You can watch the show online on 4OD. Well the one thing that got me excited was being shown how to make an effective homemade laundry detergent. 

I have super sensitive skin, and a few years back my Mama decided to use Daz detergent and 24 hours later I turned into the Michelin Man, for those who do not know who he is, look it up on Google and have a good old laugh. Just shows us how dangerous and toxic washing detergent can be with all those chemicals. And in light of my recent change trying to be more natural and environment friendly with cleaning products, and beauty products this is something I will defiantly try and use from now on.  

What you need: 

- 1 100% vegetable oil unscented soap bar

- 250 mls worth Washing Soda Crystals

- Essential Oil of your choice

- A large pan

What to do:

Bring 1 pint of water to the boil in a large pan.

Whilst the water is being brought to the boil, completely grate the bar of soap add this to the boiled water.

You must make sure that all the soap has been completely dissolved before taking off the heat.

Then add 250 mls of the washing soda crystals, and around 20 drops of your chosen essential oil. Lavender oil is a good option, however, you could use lemon oil, tea tree oil etc. 

This will be more of a gloppy detergent. If you have an old detergent cap fill it with your handmade detergent mixture and place into the drum with your clothes. Store the detergent in an air tight container to prevent it from drying out. Be sure to shake the container before use. 

As far as I am aware you can get these products from many shops in the UK. I hope you guys try this, and do share with everyone and anyone! It is better for the environment, safer to use and also a lot cheaper then shop detergents. 

Jazakallah khier

Wasalam -x- 

No alcohol and No perfume!!

Asalam waliykum sisters,

As you are all aware of by now, I am off on Umrah. One thing we Muslims know is that while in the state of Ihram/purity that are many do's and Don'ts which I have addressed briefly in a previous post Here!!

One thing that is not permissible while in ihram is to wear perfume, that goes for both men and women. Some may think I only mean perfume that you spray on. Actually I mean any product that contains perfume and scents. Yes, you read correctly no perfume at all.

So from when I do the ritual bath/ghusul I should not use scented products, on my journey also I should not use scented products until I complete all the rights of Umrah. Even after this, women should not use perfume while going to the Masjid Harram the same as visiting any mosque or going outside. However, you can resume to use your normal products such as shampoo, hand wash, etc etc.

That is super tricky for me and for others too, because all the products I use have natural scents. In my old posts I talked about my love of Lush, Well all their products are full of natural scents and guess what I can not use them while in the state of Ihram. That includes my moisturisers, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, cleanser and even deodorant! Now, I am not saying that while in Ihram you have to be stinky and unclean, not at all! But you need to use products which are completely scent free, nada, no scents even artificial perfumes.

Perhaps 10-20 years ago this could of caused a lot of difficulties as brands did not cater to people who required products scent free. So I can imagine many people only able to wash with water. If you are lucky you may of had access to products from Arab countries that are scent free. However, if not that may of meant only washing with water and being unable to control body odour, with no fault of your own.

When I realised the restriction of scents, I to had a moment of horror thinking about not being able to moisturise, smell fresh and wash my hair etc. Alhamdulillah I came across, by total accident, a company that cater to Muslims going on Hajj/umrah. I also tried Google to find other products but usually only one or two items I could find.

El-hajj is the first of its kind, to cater to Muslims making this spiritual journey. You can check out their site Here. Alhamdulillah they have an online store to provide for Muslims all around the world. They are based in Malaysia, Mashallah they have everything there!

Inshallah I hope to do a full review once I have used all the products, so you should expect to see that start of September, Inshallah. They sell everything you need, for a man, I can assure you zawji would get by with shampoo and shower gel and be quiet happy. Me on the other hand is a different story, so Alhamdulillah El-Hajj provide lots of products.

Food I make and eat. Chicken & Mushroom pie

Asalam waliykum sisters :D

Inshallah you are all having a wonderful day, I am in a good mood Alhamdulillah have some very big news to announce to the world as of next week. But, you have to wait one more week.

In such a good mood, that yesterday I treated zawji to a new dish, my chicken and mushroom pie with rich creamy sauce. First time i made it for him. Mama used to make this for me lots when i was younger, this and steak and onion pie with a short crust pastry. :D

Inshallah going to share the recipe and lots and lots of photos too!

My cook book and my favourite oven glove :D

Lush, Lush, Lush and more Lush....

Asalam waliykum,

As promised before, this is a continuous post of lush products i have bought and used.
One thing i forgot to mention in my first post is about how lush do not test their products on animals and are against testing on animals. If you go in store on online, you can sign the ongoing petition to support their ban on animal testing for good! I feel very passionate about this, and as Muslims we should all feel that way too. Not only are we forbidden as Muslims to torture one another, it is not permissible to do that to an animal in any shape or form. 

Now onto 3 products i brought, tried and tested on moi! The first one is Angels on bare skin, after using herbalism i liked how gentle the cleanser was, but i needed something that was more clarifying and able to deal with my T-zone better! I opted for angels on bare skin, still gentle but with lavender which helps keep good moisture in the skin and prevents build up of natural oils. I have used this for 4 weeks now and have had no problems with it. Alhamdulillah since i have used these 3 products i have had so many compliments from people, who have mentioned my skin is glowing and looks clear and bright and in that time no blemishes, Mashallah.
This cleanser has NO synthetic ingredients and is 100% natural. It also contains lavender flower and this is really cute and keeps secreting oils into the cleanser infusing it with a lovely light lavender scent. This is good for those with combination and dry skin. I use this twice a day, morning and before bed. The texture once mixed with water is creamey and smooth, its easier to apply to the face and massage in, leaves your skin smelling of lavender flowers :)

Wonder cleanser in a pot!

Imperialis Moisturiser, The first moisturiser i have used from lush and has been a great hit with me! The scent is the first thing that attracted me to this product its light, feminine and natural. The texture is nice too, easy to apply and a little goes a long way, so a small tub of this should last a good month or just over that if you don't go over board and slap it on. One reason i adore this moisturiser is because it contains

My obsession with Lush!

Asalam waliykum sisters,

One thing i have been trying to do in the last 6 months, is to use more natural products. The reason being is i have so many allergies to everything, and one reason is that during pregnancy; my mother obviously went about her daily life cleaning and even painting. Dr's have told me that due to breathing in such harsh chemicals and fumes it can have an affect on a developing foetus and cause so many allergies and can be the cause of some illnesses such as asthma, hay fever etc. So since i got married, Allahu Allam when i have children, we are not planning any time soon. However, it has made me really conscious about the unseen effects of these products, and Allhamdulillah i have decided to try and use less chemicals as i possibly can.
I have already started to clean the house with more natural products, why stop there? i wanted to use natural body care products too. This is where lush comes in.
My Lush craze started in February and my collection has grown substantially since.
This is a mini review of a 3 products, Inshallah i will do some others later, don't want to overwhelm people with my millions of Lush products in one go.

The first Product i bought all those months back was the Solid Shampoo bar, I went for the Ultimate shine Shampoo bar as shown above.