Why I MEDITATE
Alliyah Dawud
October 13, 2017

Why I meditate

Say meditation to someone who has seen the portrayal of it in mainstream media and I bet most folk will ask you about your hippy life. They’ll expect you to be vegan animal right campaigner that sleep on rocks because you could never possibly sleep on a wooden frame because trees lost their lives to give humans creature comforts.

So stereotyping aside meditation is a highly powerful tool. I know for many Muslims the idea of meditating isn’t a concept they want to look at or consider as it feels more in line with the Hindu faith than Islam. However the concept of sitting down, clearing your mind and focusing is quite Islamic. The idea we need to sit down and fix our thoughts to get the maximum out of our lives shouldn’t really be alien to anyone. The fast pace of life today means we all look for a release and ways of maintaining our sanity and being able to focus on our goals and missions in life. Too much mental junk clutters up the thought process leaving us pushing walls that shouldn’t be our brains. We should be able to prioritise mentally what is important to us and focus on it. Pray about it. Meditate on it manifesting. Being clear is how we ideally would want things to happen/unfold. But if your brain is like a super highway with all the lanes rammed with traffic you won’t be manifesting much soon.

I got into meditating when my life took a few unplanned changes. I got back on the horse and needed quality guidance. I also wanted to be able to hear my mind. Process what was happening and make decisions based on the facts and with clarity.

Do you need any special equipment to meditate?

In my opinion NO. If you wish to use guided meditation on your phone I suggest you use headphones. Most phones come with a pair or you can pick up a cheap pair on certain websites these days. I use ‘tracks’ off YouTube for guided meditation or I’ll look up background tracks for meditating too. You can purchase these yes. But with YouTube around it’s not a requirement to be able to get into meditation.

I don’t dress a certain way to meditate. You may want to be comfortable though especially if you plan to meditate for longer than say 15 minutes.

Although this isn’t essential to meditate I have been known for cleansing the room, airing it out and burning incense (oudh). I like the idea of a clean space to concentrate. This isn’t essential like I side. I’ve just put it out there as I know some people pick up habits along the way and feel they need approval to do them. I never sought any approval from anyone on this issue.

And if I’m sitting on the floor I will sit on my yoga mat or on my meditating stool (which I only purchased after I started spending hours in meditative state).

So how do I meditate?

I meditate in several ways depending on my daily needs. I try to meditate at least 20 minutes a day. Why? I find clarity of my missions for the day soothing. I don’t feel panicked by my tasks. I can take them in my stride. It’s as simple as that. I also find gratitude easier to express when my mind is clear of all the noise.

Guided meditation tracks (YouTube)
The idea behind this is a voice will guide you through the session helping you breathe and ponder on the situation at hand. I love guided meditation tracks because there are lots on specific subject areas such as recovering from bad relationships, healing, health etc. So for a beginner these are fantastic.

Meditating in silence
I use my meditating stool if I feel I will be meditating for a long period of time. Otherwise I sit on my bed (legs crossed) eyes closed deep breaths contemplating/musing/reflecting over matters that concern me. I keep a notepad close by as sometimes I meditate on specific issues and when I finish meditating thoughts/answers come into my head so rather than lose that feeling I keep it by jotting it down.

Meditating with candles/incense/creating a mood
Now this will conjure up images of yoga studios and sandalwood burning for many. For me it’s more of a case of if I’m struggling with something (say a project) then I may need to get into the zone to meditate and fix the issue. So I will light candles to focus and drown out the outside world. I use incense to create ambiance (I use a lot of oudh/sandalwood/sage). I will then meditate in silence or play background tracks of birds/rivers/whatever I feel the desire too.

Meditating & Dhikr

*I do prepare for Dhikr by cleansing myself. For more information you can google Islam and cleanliness for praying*.

Dikr is the remembrance of Allah via short sentences/the names of Allah we recite using on occasion tasbih (like rosary beads). It’s a devotional act in Islam. Now I’m not here to debate if this is an act created by the Sufi sect or someone else. I sit there in silence reciting the names of Allah (one of the 99). I find the actual act of Dhikr is meditation for me. It’s focusing on what my problem is or if I’m doing it as gratitude I am taking part in the devotion to express that. So sitting there focusing on my goal whilst reciting short sentences that glorify the almighty help me not only focus but feel good and help me feel grounded.
I sometimes spend time in silence meditating before I start Dhikr to clear my mind and gain positive focus.

Meditating before praying
I’m a firm believer in the power of prayer. I’m also a believer that a prayer should be said with clear intentions and focus. So to me meditating before praying is a natural step. You clear the mind, and when you say your prayers and essentially talk to God it’s done in a clear, concise manner that is focused on the prayer. Outside noise is ‘blocked’ as you concentrate on the important subject at hand.

I’ve used meditation to control stress and even as pain relief (I had severe shoulder pain due to stress and my GP was unable to prescribe anything for it so I tried meditating which helped cure the pain and helped me gain control over the stress. The stress was relieved too). On a daily basis it’s more for clarity and focus and guidance on all aspects on life.

As I’ve mentioned before as life is fast paced with a lot going on it’s easier for thoughts to get lost and become unclear. Prayers are sometimes said with less focus. The mind to me in the processing centre of your body. Your spirit. Your being. Look at it like this. If your laptop slowed down wouldn’t you get it checked out for viruses and have it given a once over to check out what the issue is? Your mind needs the exact same level of care (if not more). You need to clear out negativity, the bad vibes. Leftover clutter from things that no longer matter. The feelings that are being harboured that are creating mental blocks that stop you moving forward.

So if your brain is slowing down and you having less clarity declutter. Take a brain dump. Write lists. Pray. Dhikr. Meditate. Give yourself the time you deserve for a healthier mind. Don’t let modern day processes slow down the most important piece of equipment you own; your mind.

OMG OREO BROWNIES
Alliyah Dawud
October 12, 2017

Easiest Oreo Brownies like ever

Hands up who likes a good brownie. I see some of you are in denial. Well I ain’t going to lie to any of you. I love brownies. Maybe because they are easier to put together than a cake that needs decorating. Or maybe because I can adjust the flavouring ingredients to reflect what I have in my leftover chocolate jar (yup there is such a thing).

I love one bowl recipes because of the lack of post clean up required. If you have baking these for a bake sale you can even use foil disposable trays/containers so you don’t need to worry about losing your favourite platter plate post event.

I’ve used the original flavour of oreos for this recipe. Let me know if you try other varieties and how they work out.

Ingredients:

9 whole oreos (to make the stuffed oreo brownies)
3 oreos chopped up (optional to decorate your brownies)
150 Grams butter/other solid fat suitable for baking (I personally use Stork or store brand) Softened/melted. You can use the microwave to blast it.
225 Grams Castor Sugar
65 Grams Cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla flavouring or extract
2 eggs (large)
60 Grams plain flour

1) Preheat your oven to 325 F (160C). Line a 19 by 19 cm square pan (the easiest way to line one I found was to basically take a roll of foil and place it in the pan and leave excess foil on both ends so there’s overhang. Then repeat the process to cover the other two ends. Again leave excess to create overhang. It will look a bit like a cross. Yes there won’t be foil lining right up in the corners however that’s fine. You won’t be removing the brownie until it’s cooled so it’s fine. Don’t worry!

2) In a large bowl beat together the margarine, sugar, pinch or salt and cocoa powder. As you beat it (anyone else hear MJJ song right now?!) you’ll notice it looks grainy and well not very brownie like. Don’t worry. It’s normal.

3) Add the eggs and beat further.

4) Now add the flour and vanilla. Beat to encorporate the ingredients in.

5) Now take half the mixture and pour it into the pre-prepared pan. Now add the oreos. Cover with the remaining brownie mixture and smooth over with a bread knife/palette knife or other suitable kitchen utensil.

OPTIONAL: You can scatter the crushed/chopped oreos on top if you are using them.

6) Place the brownie on the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 30 minutes (please note: I like my brownies sticky but not gooey. So 30 minutes does that. If you prefer gooey ones take the brownies out earlier around 25 minutes).

7) Once the brownie is baked take it out of the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.

If you’ve lined the pan as I do (using two pieces of foil) you’ll need to gently lift out the brownie using the handles.

8) Remove from the pan and slice into 9 pieces.

Voila. Job done.

If the calorie count isn’t enough for you you could warm the brownies and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Enjoy!

NOTES:

You can easily double this recipe.

These brownies freeze well for for 8 weeks. Wrap individually in greaseproof paper, and then wrap in foil and place in a zip lock style bag or airtight food box.

How to BRAIN DUMP
Alliyah Dawud
October 11, 2017

Decluttering your BRAIN aka having a Brain dump

Okay so vulgar name aside if you are anything like me and have hundreds of thoughts going on in your head this could be your knight in glamourous shining armour (if you need saving that is).

So the idea behind a brain dump is to get back to basics and translate everything buzzing around in your head onto paper. In a world run by technology we are pretty much getting back to basics.

So what you do is you take a piece of paper (I use A4) and set a stop clock to give me 15 minutes. I then ignore the world an and write down everything that pops into mind. The theory is that if it’s popping into your head it needs to come out.

So you write down everything. It would be names, feelings, things you need to do. Things you’ve been putting off. EVERYTHING.

Once the 15 minutes is up you have two options:

1) leave the brain dump and come back to it later (in the evening/next day/next week)

2) create FOUR lists:
Must prioritise (e.g. Doctors appointments, Gas heater servicing, updating contact details with Schools, insurance renewals etc)
Things that must be done within a set timeframe (I usually give myself 4-6 weeks for this depending on how many things are on the list). This could be things like getting quotes for a gardening job, having winter things dry cleaned for storage etc. Things that need doing but if they are delayed they won’t have huge consiquences.
Things that can go on your Master To Do List (see article here on this List).
EMOTIONAL/Personal: feelings/conversations that need to be had etc all go on this list.

3) Now go through these lists. Ask yourself the following questions:

Do you really need to do all these tasks yourself?
Can you delegate them?
Have you taken on more than you can cope with (note this down and don’t repeat this to just torture your soul).
Which tasks can you do the quickest to get your progress flowing.

Remove anything from the lists that you delegate out or shouldn’t really be on there. Be ruthless baby. Time is money.

3) Now you have to work through these lists. Be realistic with time frames. If you don’t give yourself time frames that are manageable you are setting yourself up for failure. Don’t torture yourself.

4) Come back to the lists when you are organising your week to see which tasks can be completed.

5) Repeat the brain dump as and when required. Treat this as a regular exercise that helps with your brain decluttering. Your lists may never be empty but this helps put things into perspective.

Have you tried Brain Dumping? How did you find it? Is it something you do on a regular basis to keep life organised? Share your pearls of wisdom below.

 

Love,

 

Alliyah

Indian Gooseberry & Coconut oil Hair Mask
Stylemesisteradmin
October 10, 2017

Amla (Indian gooseberry) and Coconut oil hair mask

Life throws us many curve balls and losing hair seems to be a major one. Stress, genes, life…whatever the reason hair loss (or thinning of hair) is no joke for anyone. My hair thinned out so much post Heart Attack. But at the time with all that was going on in my life fixing it wasn’t my to do list.

Fast forward and now I’m a happy vitamin popping hijabi with a healthier outlook on life. Recently I was on Pinterest and had a look at DIY hair masks that could potentially encourage hair growth. I found a new masks made with Amla (Indian gooseberry) and coconut oil. After a bit of research I mixed up the following hair pack.

I recommend you use this TWICE a week to see a visible difference.

For an extra boost do the following:

Take one tablespoon of Amla oil with 4 drops of rosemary essential oil and massage it into the scalp. Leave for 6/8 hours (overnight). Massage it well into the scalp to stimulate hair growth. Now if you’ve massaged the oil well into the scalp you shouldn’t really need to wrap your hair to prevent the oil transferring onto your pillow. However it’s always best to be safe than sorry so either place an old towel on your pillow or use a shower hat or twisty turban hair towel on your hair.
The following morning apply the hair pack to your hair. Leave for 2 hours and wash.

This pack is enough for shoulder length hair. Remember that we are concentrating on the scalp because that’s where the magic happens.

I adjusted the basic ingredients I saw listed online and have explained why:

Coconut oil (a fantastic natural hair conditioner)
2 TBSP

Amla (Indian gooseberry powder). This is used to stimulate hair growth and encourage stronger hair. You can purchase this at most Indian supermarkets or at a stretch you can purchase it online via eBay.
2 TBSP

Rosemary essential oil: this oil is great for stimulating the scalp to kick in hair growth. Don’t overdo it.
5 drops

Kapoor Kachli Powder (also known as spiked ginger lily) is a type of root; similar to ginger. It smells nice, and also stimulates hair growth. I added this to boost the Amla powders power. This is also available at Indian Supermarkets or again online.
1 TSBP

Preparation:
1) Melt the coconut oil to help combine the ingredients. I zapped it in the microwave to save time. Always use a suitable container and be careful handling hot fats.
2) Add the Amla and Kapoor Kachli powders to the coconut oils and stir well. Add the rosemary oil. Stir further.
3) Now apply to your scalp. It may get messy so protect your clothes. Ensure to cover al the scalp as much as you can. Apply left over pack to your hair. Now leave on your hair for 2 hours.
4) After 2 hours give your scalp a quick massage and wash your hair as usual with your chosen shampoo and conditioner.

NOTE: It took me three lots of shampoo to remove this pack from my hair. It’s worth noting this so you know to give yourself extra time in the shower.
EXTRA NOTE: This pack will make your shower slippery! Be cautious!

Why do you need to condition as normal?
Post hair pack my hair didn’t feel conditioned at all. This hair pack in my opinion is about stimulating hair growth, and grow healthy strong hair. It’s not about instant, visible results.

What results have I seen so hair?
I’ve only used this mask a few times. However this is about hair growth and stimulation. You won’t be able to see results in a few uses. This is more of a long term investment of time and effort.

Cost of hair pack:
Amla powder (100 grams) : £1.99
Kalchi powder (50 grams) : £1.99
Coconut oil (125ml): £2.49
Rosemary essential oil (10ml): £1.64

These ingredients are enough to make at least 10-12 packs.

So if you make 10 that’s £0.81 pence per treatment
And if you manage 12 that’s £0.68 pence per treatment

I’ll be applying this pack to my hair twice a week.

I’ll be updating this article around:
End of December 2017 (three months of applying the pack)
End of March 2018 (six months of applying the pack)

Can this pack be used on children?
I wouldn’t recommend this for any child under 4. I’d also recommend you start off children with scalp massages using hair oils.

Any other info:
If you think you maybe allergic to any of the ingredients always do a test patch first.

If you cannot find Kalchi powder just replace it with another spoon of Amla powder.

You may need to shampoo a few times to remove this concoction off your hair; you have been warned!

Have you tried this treatment? How did you find it? Or maybe you have your own recipe you want to share with below? We would love to hear from you.

 

Love,

 

Alliyah

Autumnal Lipsticks on a budget (PART 1)
Alliyah Dawud
October 9, 2017

Autumn Lipsticks

This is part ONE of FOUR.
Each review contains 5 swatches & reviews

I love the change of seasons; and one of my favourite seasons is Autumn (Fall to my international readers). The palette Mother nature provides is mesmerizing. Gold’s, rust, reds, oranges….deep colours for a season that transitions us from the buzz or the summer to the season of family and love (winter) and the potential of new starts (New Year). For us in the UK it also signifies the new academic year which is full of anticipation for a new start. As someone that works with the academic calendar the new season also means:

  • Darker mornings before work
  • Knee high boots (Yes!)
  • Layering
  • Wardrobe re-jig to accommodate the colder months
  • New lipstick season!

So as we know I love nothing more than red lipsticks. RED is the new black. RED. I cannot get enough of red and even in autumn I manage to sneak in cooler reds (usually matte in finish). But I do like berry, deeper shades. Vampy shades. Yes that’s right those gothic inspired shades. Lipsticks is my ‘thing’ when it comes to cosmetics. And deeper shades are the ultimate Autumn complimentary cosmetic. I also change my skin care and foundation during cooler months.

So I have chosen twenty Autumnal shades that I have swatched and reviewed too.

NOTE: for those that were asking about my skin shade I’m classed as ‘WHEAT’ on the Boots colour match charts.

Cost point of the lipsticks:

I decided to not swatch and review any lipstick above £9.99 price band. This was a decision I took to explore the ‘budget’ brands available easily to us in the UK.
NOTE: I apologise to my international readers that may struggle to find certain shades or brands. EBay is a great place to find independent sellers that offer a lot of the lipsticks I’ve reviewed for this article.

For the purpose of swatching I lined by lips with a clear lip liner to avoid staining. This was done for all the swatches.

PLEASE NOTE: all photos were taken in natural light. The shade of lipstick will vary on you depending on the colour of your natural lips. I used a clear lip liner which is why my lips don’t look like the colour of the lipstick in the actual casing.

You can use a concealer or foundation to line your lips instead of a lip liner. This works if you want to achieve a more ‘real’ like for like look compared to the tone of the lipstick.

How they were tested:
I ate, drank and went about my daily day whilst wearing these lipsticks.

So without further ado let’s start reviewing these dark jewel like gems.

Make Up Revolution Diamond Life.

1) Make up Revolution: one of the best brands in my opinion to have surfaced in recent years in the beauty industry. The quality of their range is superb. Superdrug is one of their stockists which makes their range easy to come by. Prices start as little as £1.00 for a lipstick. There’s plenty of dupes to be found. They have a great range of palettes (from eyeshadows to highlighters) there’s something for everyone.
So the lipstick I tried was from the Rose Gold collection (that’s the rose gold bullet packaged lipsticks) costing £3.00. Diamond life is a deep purple/berry colour that is excellent for building up. One layer would be great for a lunch and applying more layers would build up a dramatic night time look.
The lipstick is light and easy to apply. It went on easily and stayed put very well needing a bit of a touch up post lunch. It’s beautiful colour that in my opinion is versatile (for both day and night). The packaging is beautiful.
This stands to be one of my favourite shades for Autumn and beyond it gets a 5/5 for me.

W7 Viva La Berry in BLACKBERRY

 

2) W7 Berry shades Viva La Berry in shade BLACKBERRY 

The W7 is a budget brain where you can find many dupes for the high end rivals. Affordable and readily available in discount stores across the UK you can also find this brand on Amazon and on eBay. Prices will vary but you can pick up this shade for just under £3.00 on eBay.
The Berry range was introduced approximately 2 years ago and features a range of berrylicious shades to suit most if not all skin tones. The packaging is nice, and won’t make your dressing table ugly.
A creamy, deep gothic berry shade that doesn’t dry out the lips (very moisturising with the right amount of sheen). It was easy to apply and colour was easy to build up. However the lipstick didn’t stay on very well. By lunchtime I needed to apply another layer.
Overall feel for this lipstick is it’s a lush colour and affordable as an addition to your lipstick itinerary.
3/5

Wet n Wild in Cherry Bomb

3) Wet n Wild; one of the best budget brands from the US of A. Wet n Wild offer a huge range of affordable products and often release limited edition shades (as well as celebrity collaboration ranges which are sadly not readily available in the UK).
So like many companies there are lots of dupes to be found in the Wet n Wild range. And the Cherry Bomb lipstick is a dead ringer for Rebel by Mac.
Now the lipstick is a very dark vampy shade. There’s not much berry hues going on here. The lipstick texture is quite thick, so if you are a fan of thinner consistencies that you find easy to build up this isn’t for you. Even as a thicker lipstick it was easy to apply. Saying that I don’t think you need to build this one up…but that’s my own opinion.
Considering I paid less than £3.00 I was shocked that I didn’t need to retouch the lipstick until around 3:30 PM (so from 8 AM). It lasted that long.
The packaging is pretty basic, with a clear lid so you can see the lipstick colour easier in your make up bag.
Based on my own experiences with this lipstick I give this 5/5

 

Make Up Academy Lipstick in Mulberry

4) MUA Lipstick in Mulberry.

I love MUA as they are a budget friendly brand that can be found on the UK High Street (Superdrug). Prices like MUR start at a quid making this a great starter brand for girls working with pocket money budgets. I originally bought this lipstick to make by 4 year old happy (she loves anything purple) as it is a very pretty berry shade with the right amount of gloss.
This lipstick was easy to apply and with two layers it offered maximum colour which is great. The texture is light, yet offers superb coverage. There’s no stickiness or drying out of the lips. It’s a fun shade that can easily used during the day or night.
Price point it was a pound (£1.00). It’s a perfect berrylike bubblegum shade. 5/5 for this beauty.

5) Medora Matte lipstick in Violet (212).
Medora is a Pakistani cosmetic brand that have been around for a long time. Made in the beautiful Swat Valley these lipsticks retail at 120 Rupees in their native land (that’s less than a quid!). Available in a range of colours and finishes you can pick them up for less than £3.50 on eBay UK. Sadly the demand for Medora in Pakistan is decreasing with the increasing interest in International or foreign brands.

Medora Lipstick in Violet (212)

 

So I selected what I would describe as a maximum coverage Violet colour lipstick. It’s thick in consistency (which I’m noticing is the norm with matte lipsticks). This lipstick has a strong but pleasant fragrance however I find it off putting.
The lipstick goes on smoothly. It’s quite thick, and I don’t recommend you build up colour with lots of layers as I felt the lipstick was heavy and drying after a while.
The colour is beautiful. The packaging is very retro (grey and gold) which I like (it reminds me of my childhood when my Mother had a few of their lipsticks).
As for staying power this lipstick seriously didn’t budge. The thick formula ensures the lipstick lasts on the lips. Worth the price if you want a violet/purple lipstick that is pretty and can withstand a couple of coffees, doughnuts and more….however the fragrance isn’t appealing so they lose a mark on that so this one gets 3/5

So that’s the first part of my reviews done.

What’s your favourite Autumn shade? What do you think of budget brands available in the UK? Do you have a favourite? Give us your opinions below or come along and share your opinions on our various social media handles.

Alliyah