Hijab & Makeup Pics of Yours Truly

Here are some of my latest pics from my Makeup & Egyptian Style Hijab Video

What I Bought Today

Ok, so I am on a budget, but I am still trying to build my ultra cool, feminine, yet modern, modest wardrobe. I had been totally lusting after these two pant suits on New Port News's website, and finally they got marked down 70%!!!! Cause you know your girl was NOT about to send $75 on one item, I got both for only $45 including the shipping. I am one happy camper! Check out their warehouse sale, they also have a nice selection of plus sizes available. Let me know what you all think!

SHOES! SHOES! & MORE SHOES

Ok I don't know a woman alive that doesn't love shoes. Women and shoes just go together like, milk and cookies, sugar and cream. Well I have found a website that is sure to  tickle every ones foot fancy. The site is HEELS.COM. They even have cute heels that are 2 inches high, which for a girl like me who is already tall and doesn't want to look any taller, this was a total god send.  They have so many name brands to choose from, brands like Jessica Simpson, Baby Phat, BCBG, Betsey Johnson, and so much more.Click Here to go to the site http://www.heels.com/ or look on the right for the link to the website under Great Shopping Sites. Here are a few pics from there website.

New Year New You

I just love the feelings I get at the onset of a new year. An entire twelve months of possibilities, opportunities, and new beginnings. I plan (with the help of God Almighty), to live in divine health (I'm so sick of saying lose weight), get to a healthy weight, create an atmospher of positivity and love within my family, discover a brand new layer and level of love and passion with my husband, work hard on my lipgloss line, continue to build myself as a professional esthetician, and go full force with the message of modesty.

I hope that this new year of 2010 brings all of you joy and dreams finally fufilled. Remeber that with God, all things are possible. All you need to do is eliminate the negativity from your mind and spirit, and set forth on the wonderful course that he has set for you.

I hope all of you will help me this year bring the message of modesty to women of all ages. Be that becon of light and an exapmle of true femininity and beauty with me. I will leave you all on this positive note. You have the power (with God) to have the type of life you always dreamed of. Be blessed and be modest both in dress and in spirit!!

Happy 2010,
Raveena

Sometimes It gets hard

I seriously thought the "Hoochie" in me was dead and gone, but there have been a few times this week, where I felt as though her spirit was lingering around. I sometimes look at women dressed more like "Fake Pearls" than "Diamond Girls", and I actually find myself feeling envious, if that's even the appropriate word.I mean I look was looking at a woman that came into the salon where I work, and she had a really cute shape, a tube top on, bangin high heel shoes, and some stretch jeans, and a beautiful necklace, and I actually found myself saying well that outfit is kind of cute, and having nostalgic memories of my former days when I used to go out of the way to show off my curves. Sometimes I feel that I am in the struggle to be a Modest Fashionista all by myself. Do you all ever feel like that? Am I in this alone, or is there anyone out there that feels me. I am realizing, in more areas than one, in my life, that taking the high road is difficult and lonely at times. It is not easy having, and maintianing standards.

Fresh for Summer

Houston is currently in the midst of a sweltering heat wave and drought. Either event taken on its own is painful enough, but together these two meteorological events have combined to make a typically milder summer month downright miserable. As temperatures soar to nearly 100 degrees during the heat of the afternoon, I've started to notice that my signature fragrance is starting to come off as oppressive and heavy -- which is precisely what you don't want in high summer. In search of a new perfume for summer, I hit up Sephora (my one-stop shop for all things beauty-related -- see HERE for a list of my favorite Sephora picks) and sampled literally dozens of scents. The verdict? If you want to keep things light and fresh for summer, then your best bet is a fragrance by Fresh.

Of the fragrances currently on offer, I particularly loved the Pomegranate Anise, Redcurrent Basil and Fig Apricot. All three are wonderfully light and summery without leaving you smelling like sunscreen or a fruit basket (the two most common "summer scents"). Best of all, they each smell unique and exotic, without coming off too strongly. To top it all off, their packaging is spot on. It's feminine and pretty without being overly sweet or young.

I ended up selecting the Fresh Strawberry Flowers, which is available exclusively at Sephora. With hints of mandarin, peach, orange blossom, it's more fruity than floral, but undertones of wood and musk keep it sophisticated. For the commitment-phobic and/or budget-conscious, it comes in a travel-friendly 1 oz. size for just $24.50. You can bet I'll be packing this with me on my vacation in two weeks. When I get back, however, I may have to snag the Fig Apricot -- I can't get the scent out of my head!

What are your favorite scents for summer?

Beauty Round-Up: Best of Sephora Make-Up

The quality and value of make-up available on the market today is as wide-ranging as the selection. The claims that some of these products make can border on outlandish: non-clumping mascara that makes your eyelashes look like you had to glue them on, foundation that makes your pores virtually disappear, and lip gloss that promises to give you lips like Angelina Jolie's. But what products actually work? Which are worth the hefty price tag and which aren't? Since returning partially used products can be difficult, it's important to know what you're getting before you buy.

In an effort to help separate the wheat from the chaff, I've pulled together this round-up of my all-time favorites. Despite my penchant for trying the latest and greatest when it comes to beauty products (I'll try just about anything once), I always find myself coming back to just a handful of products. The products featured above not only work like they should, but they're easy to work with. Most importantly for me (as someone with extremely sensitive skin), these products are non-irritating and rely heavily on "all natural" ingredients. While there are a number of great products out there not available at Sephora (M.A.C. and Sonia Kashuk for Target both jump immediately to mind), I've only featured items available for purchase through Sephora for the simple reason that I vastly prefer one-stop shopping.

Clockwise from top left:

1. Bare Escentuals bareMINERALS foundation ($25): Don't be fooled by imitations, I think the original mineral foundation make-up from Bare Escentuals is still the best of its kind on the market. Their "fairly light" is one of the few shades on the market that works for my skin tone and I love the one-step process of foundation and powder. Saves me so much time in the morning. Even better, this product contains SPF 15, so even if I forget to put on my sunscreen, my face is still covered.

2. Benefit Eye Bright ($20): This fat little crayon really delivers. Dab it on the inside and outside corners of your eyes for an instant "awake" look. On weekends I'll often forgo eyeshadow altogether and just line my eyes with this (blending thoroughly, of course).

3. Dior 5-colour Eyeshadow - Incognito ($56): If you only have one eyeshadow palette, make it this one. The colors are beautiful but neutral and blend together beautifully. Even better, the color lasts.

4. Smashbox Blush Rush ($24): For me at least, blush is tricky. When you're pale, it's so easy to go from perfectly flushed to full-on clown face. Smashbox's powder blush, however, makes it harder for me to screw up as the color goes on wonderfully sheer, allowing you to layer color on slowly. My favorite color is "Flush", a lovely petal pink that looks a bit neon in the box but looks completely natural once applied.

5. Dior Miss Dior Cherie Eau de Parfume ($72/1.7 oz): My all-time favorite perfume. This is a classic that doesn't smell like your grandmother -- or your teenage niece. Perfect.

6. Korres Deep Colour Mascara ($18): As someone who wears contacts, it is nearly impossible for me to find mascara that doesn't irritate my eyes or end up giving me raccoon-face. That was the case anyway until the Greek brand Korres hit the American scene. Finally I get to wear mascara that stays put all day and doesn't make me want to scratch my eyes out. Bonus: it's all-natural ingredients mean that you don't have to worry about putting anything scary near your precious peepers.

7. Valentino Rock 'n Rose Eau de Parfume ($44/1 oz.): This scent is great for winter, when the weather calls for warmer, cozier scents that will stick with you. It's also incredibly sexy.

8. Smashbox Single Eyeshadow ($16): Smashbox sells some of the best eyeshadows available on the market (M.A.C. being a close second in my book). Try their "champagne" eyeshadow. I wear it almost every day (sometimes alone and sometimes layered under other colors). It's the perfect "base" eyeshadow that provides just a hint of glimmer and enough color that you just look like a prettier, perkier you.

9. Korres Cherry Full Lip Gloss ($16): Korres' lip gloss tastes like actual cherries (because it's made with actual cherries); not the fake cherry flavor of your pre-teen years. It also avoids the sticky feeling so many lip glosses leave you with. I'm a huge fan of their "Nude 33" and "Plum 27" shades.

10. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment ($22.50): Okay, so $22.50 is a lot of money to pay for a lip balm, but this is the big daddy of all lip palms, the ultimate in lip treatments. It smells (and tastes) divine, the packaging is gorgeous, and after 30 minutes my lips still feel just as soft as they did when I first applied it. I've gone through too many of these to count, and at the end of each tube I always find myself using toothpicks and fingernails to dig just that last little bit out. I'm a junky.

11. Benefit Silky Finish Lip Stick ($18): This lip stick goes so smoothly that it feels more like a gloss, but the coverage is matte like a lip stick. It's the perfect hybrid. My favorite shade? Try Skinny Dipping. Gotta love Benefit's cheeky names and fun packaging.

12. Benefit "Dallas" ($28): I generally don't wear bronzer, but when I want to look like I've got a bit more color than God or nature gave me, I dust on some of this stuff. The rosy undertones ensure I eschew that dreaded orange tone that is the hallmark of fake tanners. The giant pot will last you ages, too.

13. Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey ($14): This is the only make-up that I wore in high school that I'm still buying and wearing today. It truly is universally flattering and just about the only way you'll get me to wear a deeper shade of lip color.

14. Dior Liquid Eyeliner ($31): Eyeliner is so tricky, but I generally prefer liquid to pencil because the pencils always seem to pull along my eyelid, making it difficult to get a straight line. Dior's eyeliner is particularly lovely because the point is as fine as a pencil's, but the liquid goes on as inky and straight as possible. Just right for achieving a dramatic evening look.

That just about rounds out my make-up favorites. What are some of yours? I'm always on the look out for new items to throw into the rotation so be sure to leave me a comment and share!