ARABIAN STYLE (PART 1)

 

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What do Muslim women wear underneath their scarves, loose-fitting robes, and face veils? Well outside the home and under the possible scrutiny of non-maharam males (unrelated men who could take sexual interest in a woman of maturity) they wear a form of hijab, whatever their personal beliefs and cultural setting dictate that is composed of: headscarf (hijab), modest clothing or overgamrent (abaya-jilbab), and or not a face veil (niqab).

At home or in a private setting, with family, or women-only friends a woman can be as comfortable or as dressed up as she wants. She can wear traditional arabic dresses such as caftan, takchita, and jalabiyia, or she can wear Western style designer clothing and fancy dresses, or regular street wear such as jeans. She is not supposed to expose her breasts or privates even in this setting, and showing off her cleavage and stomache are discouraged even among women but she can do so if she wishes (logic for my saying is her father and other women have NO desire to see her breasts bouncing really).
With her husband she is free to revel in her sexuality, and no parts of her body are off limts for her to expose in a loving relationship with her man. In Islam, sexuality is cherished between a husband and wife. Here is an article about how sexuality meshes with modesty:

Veiled Sexuality Meshes with Muslim Values

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008By NAOMI WOLF

NEW YORK — A woman swathed in black to her ankles, wearing a head scarf or a full chador, walks down a European or North American street, surrounded by other women in halter tops, miniskirts and short shorts. She passes under immense billboards on which other women swoon in sexual ecstasy, cavort in lingerie or simply stretch out languorously, almost fully naked. Could this image be any more iconic of the discomfort the West has with the social mores of Islam, and vice versa?

Ideological battles are often waged with women’s bodies as their emblems, and Western Islamophobia is no exception. When France banned head scarves in schools, it used the hijab as a proxy for Western values in general, including the appropriate status of women. When Americans were being prepared for the invasion of Afghanistan, the Taliban were demonized for denying cosmetics and hair color to women; when the Taliban were overthrown, Western writers often noted that women had taken off their scarves.But are we in the West radically misinterpreting Muslim sexual mores, particularly the meaning to many Muslim women of being veiled or wearing the chador? And are we blind to our own markers of the oppression and control of women?

The West interprets veiling as repression of women and suppression of their sexuality. But when I traveled in Muslim countries and was invited to join a discussion in women-only settings within Muslim homes, I learned that Muslim attitudes toward women’s appearance and sexuality are not rooted in repression, but in a strong sense of public versus private, of what is due to God and what is due to one’s husband. It is not that Islam suppresses sexuality, but that it embodies a strongly developed sense of its appropriate channeling — toward marriage, the bonds that sustain family life and the attachment that secures a home.

Outside the walls of the typical Muslim households that I visited in Morocco, Jordan and Egypt, all was demureness and propriety. But inside, women were as interested in allure, seduction and pleasure as women anywhere in the world.

At home, in the context of marital intimacy, Victoria’s Secret, elegant fashion, and skin care lotions abounded. The bridal videos that I was shown, with the sensuous dancing that the bride learns as part of what makes her a wonderful wife, and which she proudly displays for her bridegroom, suggested that sensuality was not alien to Muslim women. Rather, pleasure and sexuality, both male and female, should not be displayed promiscuously — and possibly destructively — for all to see.

Indeed, many Muslim women I spoke with did not feel at all subjugated by the chador or the head scarf. On the contrary, they felt liberated from what they experienced as the intrusive, commodifying, basely sexualizing Western gaze.

Many women said something like this: “When I wear Western clothes, men stare at me, objectify me, or I am always measuring myself against the standards of models in magazines, which are hard to live up to — and even harder as you get older, not to mention how tiring it can be to be on display all the time. When I wear my head scarf or chador, people relate to me as an individual, not an object; I feel respected.”

This may not be expressed in a traditional Western feminist set of images, but it is a recognizably Western feminist set of feelings. I experienced it myself. I put on a shalwar kameez and a head scarf in Morocco for a trip to the bazaar. Yes, some of the warmth I encountered was probably from the novelty of seeing a Westerner so clothed; but, as I moved about the market — the curve of my breasts covered, the shape of my legs obscured, my long hair not flying about me — I felt a novel sense of calm and serenity. I felt, yes, in certain ways, free.

Nor are Muslim women alone. The Western Christian tradition portrays all sexuality, even married sexuality, as sinful. Islam and Judaism never had that same kind of mind-body split. So, in both cultures, sexuality channeled into marriage and family life is seen as a source of great blessing, sanctioned by God.

This may explain why both Muslim and orthodox Jewish women not only describe a sense of being liberated by their modest clothing and covered hair, but also express much higher levels of sensual joy in their married lives than is common in the West. When sexuality is kept private and directed in ways seen as sacred — and when one’s husband isn’t seeing his wife (or other women) half-naked all day long — one can feel great power and intensity when the head scarf or the chador comes off in the sanctity of the home.

Among healthy young men in the West, who grow up on pornography and sexual imagery on every street corner, reduced libido is a growing epidemic, so it is easy to imagine the power that sexuality can still carry in a more modest culture. And it is worth understanding the positive experiences that women — and men — can have in cultures where sexuality is more conservatively directed.

I do not mean to dismiss the many women leaders in the Muslim world who regard veiling as a means of controlling women. Choice is everything. But Westerners should recognize that when a woman in France or Britain chooses a veil, it is not necessarily a sign of her repression. And, more importantly, when you choose your own miniskirt and halter top — in a Western culture in which women are not so free to age, to be respected as mothers, workers or spiritual beings, and to disregard Madison Avenue — it’s worth thinking in a more nuanced way about what female freedom really means.

Naomi Wolf, the author, most recently, of “The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot” and the forthcoming “Give me Liberty: How to Become an American Revolutionary,” is cofounder of the American Freedom Campaign, a U.S. democracy movement.

========================This is my look i did from BslapCosmetics. Hope you all like!




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mawadda nour from saudi arabia was crowned "miss arab world 2009" on november 11, 2009 in cairo

sixteen contestants (18-24 years) from all over the arab world were competing for the title

the girls walked in their national dresses in front of the jury who crowned mawadda nour from saudi arabia as miss arab world 2009-2010, and jessy zaher from lebanon as first runner up.. controversy occurred right after the event ended since some critics found that the winner does not meet the standards required for a beauty pageant contestant.. well, may be she's very charming in person...

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ARABIAN STYLE (PART 2)

After editing this tutorial and thinking of the name made me homesick. I love Egypt and miss so much about it. There are things I will always hate about that place but I have such a big place in my heart for it. Its a loving country and you always have somewhere to sleep and eat if not at home. I love the holidays there and the Mosques!!! I miss the cheap candy and food. I think the food is one of the most things I miss. I haven't eaten real food since Egypt. I also love the night and sky in 6th of October (which is a city). I miss living on the top floor and going on my balcony feeling the air. It's wonderful. If you know where to go :)

Products Used

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MAC Barestudy P/P
NYX Milk Jumbo Pencil

MAC Parfait Amour E/S
MAC Stars n Rockets E/S
MAC Black Tied E/S
NYX White Loose E/S
MAC Vanilla E/S

MAC Feline Kohl Pencil
Hard Candy Ginormous Mascara
Sephora Brow Kit

MAC Myth L/S
MAC Underage L/G

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I wish I could afford Arabesque but the choice is between a Chanel boucle suit, or an Arabesque abaya so.

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Please remember. These are models, not Muslims. Use your hijab to cover your hair.

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What if I told you I saw Pamela Anderson wearing an abaya? [Relief I am sure] Jennifer Lopez wore hijab, and Gillian Anderson (from the X-files) was spotted on the red carpet wearing a butterfly abaya, so what is to stop celebs, from Nicole Ritchie, Mary-Kate Olsen, Cate Blanchett, Debra Messing, Margarita Missoni, and Angelina Jolie, from modelling more modest wear? Yes, celebs, self-respect is always in style. See girls, there is nothing to stop you from sporting jilbab!

I think Jolie never looked lovlier. I love seeing non-muslim women in modest clothing, respecting themselves.

Look! Debra Messing is even covering her hair.

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I would just like to apologize here for the lack of personal posts. I have no news yet, as to where I am going to end up, so I am just saving shopping lists, and bits of a friend's blog in case she decides to delete it to focuss more on her Islamic education.

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Have you ever wondered how khaleeji girls are getting the perfectly sculpted tresses under that sheila to make it fall so glam and high fashion... It has nothing to do with tresses like these (at least not for day wear)---and everything to do with clips like these (though Gulf women like us are famous for our incredibly healthy and long hair):

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Today the world over was Pink Hijab day in support of finding a cure for breast cancer.

There was classic pink...

and hot pink...
and there was baby pink...
There were even pink abayas and caftans and talk of pink niqabs!!! All in all it was, I could suppose, a wild success.

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Jalibiyias/Gelabas (Arabic House dresses)

If you order from this company, let me know here how it works out for you.

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Letter to the editor of the Canadian National Post Newpaper, by Pixie:

I am often offended by people wanting to "liberate" me. I feel like the Spanish have just come to the new world, and have stripped me of all my rights on the basis that they have decided I have but a primitive soul and so, they call me a savage for my beliefs. At least, one blogger, Kashmiri nomad does on your website that moderates MY comments, who writes, and quote [If the west cannot cannot civilise these savage woman and make them realise that Christ is their Lord and he died for their sins what hope do they have of ever becoming a part of the human race ?] Have I not two eyes that see, two hands that feel, a tongue that speaks? The newspapers want to take away my right to go to school, to have a job, to be seen as a human being.

This is a letter I wrote in response to an article in the National Post and I addressed it to 

Dear Editor,I wish you would read this, even more that you would take the time to investigate the story I am going to give you, so that I could continue to tell women from other countries that Western-born Canadian women are indeed free. You would justify my faith in my citizenship.

I learned of Aqsa Parvez’s brutal, unjustified, and barbaric murder from the pages of the Post. No faith can justify murder without a trial (even if it is justified by the law---and even under Islamic Law only if Miss Parvez had been married and committed adultery could she and her lover have been punished at all---and that, in brief, not without a trial and three physical witnesses). Such law cannot exist in Canada, as Muslims are a minority, and Islamic law can only be applied to Muslims. Aqsa Parvez’s killers are murderers and should be condemned as such. They are monsters. Aqsa Parvez deserves to hear a public outcry against their actions (whether they are adhering to the tribal customs of another country or not!). She does not deserve to have her life’s ending and its tragedy overshadowed by the controversial issue represented by a piece of cloth called “hijab” if we are to affect true change. If the writer does not want a two-tier system between Western and immigrant women in Canada the writer cannot make an issue out of hijab in the same breath, giving her killers a motive. Their actions were wrong whatever motivated them. In fact, they had no motive. There is not a word in the Qu’ran or Canadian law that allows murder for not adhering to a dress code. The girl deserves more than that after a tragic struggle for freedom. She deserves her murderers to be brought to justice, and that people be educated about what freedom really is. It is not a piece of cloth, but the right to choose it or the right to disregard it. Bring her killers to justice, then come learn about hijab and Islam so you can educate others of it.

I would like to call out the writer of “How Canada Let Aqsa Down” when they wrote [“you’ll never hear a feminist murmur a word of complaint about these girls’ lack of autonomy.”] I was just peacefully walking down the street the other day and this woman figured she had the right to judge me and called out: “Live you life!” I said, “Excuse me?” She said, “I hoped you’d say that.” I wear hijab. I hope that doesn’t discredit everything I am going to say. Your writer said ["The hijab marks those wearing it as chattel, leashed to their men as surely as if they were wearing a dog collar"] so maybe my words don't count, maybe I am "a non-person" who owns nothing of herself and is fully absorbed by "her men". This is a stereo-type a Muslim woman will have to deal with every day if she decides to wear a head-scarf. Why do I do it? Sometimes I wonder. Well, Western men assume I am treated as a non-person by Arab/Muslim men all my life, and so, always go out of their way to hold doors open for me, and bus drivers always wait even if I have to run all the way down the street. That wouldn't be a good reason for a Muslim woman trying to be modest would it??? And women think that I am too timid to respond to their stereo-types and actually answer their questions (because, as a Western woman herself not born Muslim, I know there’s a lot Western women don’t know about Muslims) so maybe I like the shock value??? “Why are you bringing your backwardness to Canada?” Some women come up to me and my friends. “I’m from Canada,” I say and watch them draw a blank. “I’m more Canadian than you-” would quip my friend to these women with a sly smile from underneath the folds of her hijab (with dark eyes, colouring and exotic beauty she looks unequivocally Arab while my blue eyes and paleness always give me away for the Norman-Anglophile I am even under my own pink hijab- “I’m Metis.” She then giggles her ridiculous sweet laugh. “My ancestors were here long before yours. Your people stole my land. Go back to your countries. Cuz I'm not moving to Saudi.”

My best friend Amanda is often with me. She wears jean mini shorts and a white tank top, with her own blonde hair running free in a pony-tail. She adores the latest styles of me and Um Abdullah’s black abayas, even though she would never wear one herself. I ask her if she ever feels uncomfortable being with me, because people stare so much. She replies that she was afraid when I first started wearing hijab, that my new Muslim friends would think she was a slut for wearing tank tops. We smile, because we know women and men are the same everywhere. People are always afraid of what they don’t know. It is the job of the media to educate and relieve fear by information, not to spread the stereo-types that injure another citizen’s chances of employment, public safety, and education. I love my best friend Amanda. After 9/11 I decided to wear hijab. She supported me by walking down the streets of our small town of Sooke, B.C (where weeks before I had had my scarf torn off, been called a murderer, and Taliban by strangers that were once my neighbours) sporting a black Halloween robe that she deemed abaya-esque with pink rhinestones glue-gunned on the back to spell out “I AM NOT SUPPRESSED” in support of my decision. She said, “if it had been anybody else but my [name withheld], I would have been worried about your decision, thought someone had forced you to do it. But no one can force you to do anything, so I know this is right for you.” I would die for her right to wear a mini-skirt, because she would do the same for me to wear a head-scarf, just as I got beat up when I was little with my best friend Fallon Hagreen by a group of wannabe Neo-Nazi punks in the same town because I thought it wasn’t fair her to get beat up alone and to have someone hate her just because she was Jewish. Fallon taught me about the holocaust, how the Nazi’s slowly took away the freedom of the Jews in Germany, and the terrible things that were done to them, and I was proud that we were both Canadian, and believed in the freedom of all people’s to believe what they want as long as they don’t use that freedom to take away the rights of others’. In Iran, I would be forced to wear hijab. In Afghanistan, I would have been hidden behind a chador with a mesh screen common in that region and in Pakistan (burka is the wrong word for the dress-code enforced by the Taliban there-burqa is what the Bedouin women in Sohar in Oman wear). I would rebel against this. I don’t believe any human being can be forced to believe in something. Aqsa Parvez’s father was not adhering to the Qu’ran or any hadith in Islam when he murdered his own daughter. Compassion is one of the most compelled aspects of Islam, and the Qu’ran says that instead of saying “Listen to me!” like a whiny brat or control freak, a Muslim should say, “Look upon me,” and live their own life without judgement as that would be the best example to someone who is truly in error. There is a story in Islam that said there were two men. One prayed every day, gave charity, and did everything required of him as a Muslim. The other never prayed, drank, cursed, but still knew in his heart, that his actions were wrong, and that he loved God (Allah.) One day the good man came up to the one who was rarely good, and said, “You don’t believe in God. You will go to Hell.” The good man went to Hell despite all the good he had done, and the other, to paradise. At his judgement, the good man asked God why. “Because you stole something that belonged to me,” Allah responded. “Judgement is mine alone.”

I don’t believe hijab can ever be made a law, because you cannot force someone to believe in Judaism, or Christianity, Nazism, or Islam if they don’t. Wearing hijab is a confirmation of beliefs, like christening in Christianity. Your writer wrote [“Multiculturalists would have us believe that the hijab is merely a religious symbol, like the Sikh kirpan or the Christian cross, freely embraced by the girls wearing them. I have argued before in these pages that the hijab, however benign-seeming, is still one end of a female-submissive spectrum that ends in the burqa, a garment virtually all Canadians find antithetical to our values.”] If someone forced me to put on the chador of Afghanistan they would have to cut me up to fit me into it (because I have found nothing in the Qu’ran my faith is founded on, to justify the Taliban’s laws against art and laughing, and suppression of women.) But someone else would have to cut out my tongue to silence me speaking out for the women that DO want to keep their veils (there are a minority and I know two-who volunteer to pay for their own car being towed and to be fit in the back of a patrol car driven to the station where a female officer is present before presenting their driver’s licence). They know they are a minority, and volunteer to go out of the way and pay the costs of their beliefs themselves. My opinion: those that don’t want to pay for their own car being towed? Shut-up, move, or adapt. You are a minority. I understand your frustration, but you cannot force your beliefs on others. I don’t want someone to put a veil on my sister, or hijab on my friend, to whom it is just a piece of cloth, and thus, would be a meaningless abuse of power. But I don’t want to see someone take away my right to wear my hijab in school, at work, or on the street safely, the right of someone who has fought for human rights and freedom, in this country, and in others, her whole life. I don’t deserve my rights to leave the home, to work, and go to school to be taken away for a piece of cloth; Aqsa did not deserve to have the same rights and more to be taken away over a square of fabric. I face prejudice every day, but I am proud I live in a country where I have the freedom to walk down the street still dressed as I choose. By the way, I have no real family and I am not married yet. I was given an ultimatum by my own family, as many Muslim-convert girls are: take off that scarf of get out of the house. I was lucky. I was old enough, and educated enough to work. My friend, Um Abdullah, was not so fortunate. She could not afford life on her own, but was willing to live on the street and go hungry, all for the freedom of her right to wear hijab. You said: [“If public schools, which are supposedly secular, had banned hijabs as France did, along with all other religious paraphernalia, in order to create a level social Canadian playing field, Aqsa would have had Canada on her side”] Canada would have lost Aqsa as surely as she is lost now. Do you honestly think a father like her own would have let her go to a school where she could not wear hijab anymore than he would have let her go to school not wearing one at a school where hijab is allowed? Aqsa would have disappeared from public education just the same, and women like me could not pursue university in Canada. I am not hurting anyone by wearing my scarf. Protect my right to wear it. Protect the right of women who don’t want to wear it. It is the dream of Um Abdullah and myself, to set up a shelter for girls like ourselves, and Aqsa, who need a place to live in safety from their families while continuing their education and maintaining their beliefs. To hijab or not to hijab is not a question we should be asking at the time of Aqsa’s death. It should be focussed on giving girls in similar situations other options beyond the simple death of self, and death or dismissal of body. No one should be forced to make that decision in a country that is truly free.

Sincerely and respectfully yours, [name withheld]

P.S I expect a respectful reply.

(No reply was ever given)

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On the street Gulf women are clad in black abayas (because there are men present). As soon as the men are gone... so are the abayas. The khaleeji bride usually wears a modern white wedding dress of her own design (especially tailored for her---or from a brand name designer such a Eli Saab or Zuhair Murad, Givenchy, Dior, what have you.
Of course complete with fabulous Arabic make-up......and equally fabulous khaleeji hair.

These models at the Dubai brideshow are probably the closest any man will get to seeing a picture of an Khaleeji bride. Gulf weddings are completely segregated and the only male to see the bride is the groom and maybe the father and father in law. All this show...the lace, silk, make-up etc. is all done for other women who will be attending the female wedding party. It is also very important to look your best even if you are just a guest. Weddings are where the mothers, aunts are daughters are scouting for future brides for their sons, nephews and brothers. Most marriages are arranged (not that a girl can't say no and meet and talk to her fiance before the wedding Jane Austen-style with chaperones) and weddings seem to be a good place in the Gulf to seek connections (not that I of all people am soliciting this). I am very much an Elizabeth Bennet on the subject, not a Gamrah. Thus, due to the dressing up, cell phone are strictly prohibited, and often confiscated

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Simple sequin detail and metal beading---dramatic effect.

An art-deco Cleopatra for Muslimahs.

Cross between a Puritan-Victorian lady and a Spanish aristocrat. Masha'Allah!

Simple ribbon trimmings, and gorgeously feminine emerald arabic cut stones to set it off. Very Empress of Ozz.

Casual cutie with fabric twists hung from the fabric hems. Oo la la! Tres belle!~

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ARABIN STYLE (PART 3)

Wow! It's been so long since I have posted that I ALMOST forgot what color font I was using! hehe Soo, for quite some time now I have wanted to do a post on Henna, because it's absolutely beautiful and really awesome part of my Arab culture.

So, first, some history! Henna has been used by people to adorn the skin and dye the hair since the Bronze Age! Henna, also known as Lawsonia inermis, is a shrub that grows in Africa and Southern Asia. The leaves of the Henna shrub is where the burgundy dye comes from. The dye is used widely in the Middle-East and South-East Asia to decorate the hands and body as well as to color the hair and preserve leather and cloth material. Henna flowers have also been used to make perfume.

In order to make that lovely paste that is used as dye, the Henna plant must be made into a dry, ground powder. The powder is mixed with an acidic liquid, such as lemon juice and left to rest for up to 12 hours.

Henna as body adornment can be worn anytime, but is primarily seen during times of celebration such as Eid and weddings. As Arab tradition goes, a day before a wedding, the females of the family all get together for a Henna Night as the Henna is thought to have "Barakah," or blessing and good luck. If happiness is being celebrated, Henna is sure to be accompanying this happiness!

Now, Henna ONLY comes in ONE COLOR: BURGUNDY, so, if you see any BLACK HENNA, THIS IS NOT THE ORIGINAL! "Black Henna" does not exist and is most likely mixed with chemicals to get that color. Many of these products have caused allergic reactions among those who have used them, and most of these reactions don't occur until a few days after the dye has been placed on the skin, so please be careful; always leave it up to the professional!

Here are some amazing Henna pics I found online; enjoy everyone!!

Princess










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Fragrance is beauty, because seriously, smelling good is of the essence! In addition to personal hygiene, of course, perfumes and oils are the perfect accessories; your scent is the gateway to your soul! Currently, perfume trends are drifting towards more sophisticated and classic scents. Fashion and beauty powerhouse, Chanel, is a true example of elegance and has many different scents, it's also one of my favorite brands. Clive Christian is another brand that epitomizes class and luxury. Your choice of personal scent does not have to be the same on a daily basis and may change depending upon your mood. Your fragrance choice not only matches your mood, but can actually effect how you feel; it may lift your spirits or help to set a romantic environment.

There is a vast array of perfumes, colognes, oils, and body sprays, but remember because they are so very personal, a fragrance you may have liked on your best friend might actually smell different on you! This is due to the fact that we all have different skin types and each person's skin will react differently with the chemicals in the perfume depending on that person's skin components of fatty acids, proteins, salts and sugars.

Personally, I really like oils; they are heavier, non-alcoholic and last a lot longer than traditional eau de perfumes. In the Middle-East, oils made of natural products, are popularly used to scent the body. Most commonly used essential oils have been derived from flower petals, citrus fruits, and sandalwood.

I'm a really big fan of Oud wood, also known as agarwood, which is quite commonplace in the Middle-East, particularly the gulf countries, and is worn by both guys and girls. Agarwood, is derived from the sap of the Aquilaria trees in Southeast Asia. Quite often, these trees develop a mold and subsequently a dark resin is produced from this mold in the heartwood of the tree. This sap produces the heavy yet beloved fragrance known as Oud.

Here in the states, Tom Ford has made quite an exotic array of unisex scents, most of which are quite similar to many Arabian oils. His Private Blend collection includes oriental, floral, and musky scents. I really love the Oud Wood, Amber Absolute, Black Orchid and White Pachouli.

Whatever the scent, perfumes are enjoyable to experiment with and fun to choose from. However, if your going out in search for a fragrance, remember to take a whiff of coffee beans in between samples, most perfume shops have this readily available. Having an overload of many scent samples confuses your nose and it begins to interpret each fragrance as the same. The smell of the coffee beans counteracts and neutralizes the scents so that you are able to distinguish between the varieties.

Always remember to have fun and be romantic!


Princess

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So, I really like getting my nails painted but find myself only getting them done for special occasions. As a Muslimah, praying does not allow me to wear nail polish due to the rituals of wudu, which is the cleansing process done prior to prayer.

For wudu, your hands, including your nails, must be clean and free of any residue, such as nail polish. Of course, if you make wudu, you can then paint your nails, however when it comes time to renew your wudu, you must then remove the polish once again. I will do a post entirely on prayer and wudu, Insha'Allah.

However, if you still want something funky to wear in place of polish, I found a really beautiful and unique accessory: gold nail talons!


These talons are almost like rings for your nails! They are a bit dramatic, but I kind of like that :) AND the best part is, no smelly acetone to deal with and no messy polish! You can choose to wear one as an accessory or you can wear one on each nail for a nice dramatic effect! These talons are by Bijules NYC and I love them!!

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AR

CLICK NOW
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ARABIAN STYLE (PART 4)

Salam all! Alrighty, so I am very much obsessed with fashion. I love dressing up in beautiful clothes and I love brand names. I know, I know, it's definitely my guilty pleasure, we all have one! So that being said, it comes to no surprise that I love fashion powerhouse, Louis Vuitton. They make gorgeous clothes, bags and shoes. My favorites are the shoes; stunning and always super unique.

Anyhow, I was excited to find out that the Lebanese singer, Haifa Wehbe has been named the new face for Louis Vuitton's fall advertisements. It's really neat, because Wehbe will be the FIRST Arab face of Louis Vuitton!! And, the shoot was taken at the Louis Vuitton family home, so that must have been such an honor!

Although you may not agree with her lifestyle choices, or you may not like her music, you've got to appreciate Wehbe's sense of fashion. This chick always looks glamorous and fashionable, even though her fashion is more suitable for, say, an evening at home with the hubby perhaps? Look, her style is DEFINITELY NOT one to be replicated in public if you're a practicing Muslimah. However, like her or dislike her, as an Arabian Muslimah, it's pretty awesome to have a fellow Arabian Muslimah as the new face of one of my fave brands. Here are pix from the new shoot as well as the finished look. Enjoy!

-Princess

Behind the scenes at the photo shoot:




The final advertisements:

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Salam everyone! Insha'Allah kulkom bi khayr! :D That's Arabic for, "God willing, you are all doing well!" So, today I will start the first of a series of posts on Diet. Naturally, my premiere post today will focus on the diet of the Prophet Mohammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, because what worked for him must be good and should prove useful for all of us, Insha'Allah.

As with all aspects of life, Islam focuses on moderation as key. With regards to food, this is of the utmost importance. The Qur'an says, " O you who believe, do not forbid the good things which Allah has made lawful for you and do not exceed limits. Surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits." (5:90) So, eat in moderation of all things good!

With regards to the diet of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): He would eat whole foods because he liked to know what he was eating and he would eat what was good for him. Also, he would only eat enough to give him the energy he needed to keep going, never enough to the point that he felt fullness in his stomach.

Emphasized Foods & Their Importance:

*Honey: It was narrated by Aisha that "Allah's Apostle used to love sweet and edible things and honey." The Holy Qur’an (16:69) says, "From its [the bee’s] belly, comes forth a drink of varying colors wherein is a cure for people. Surely there is a sign for those who would give thought." Honey provides the body with carbohydrates which is a natural energy booster, far more satisfying and nutritious then ANY energy drink. It also boosts the immune system and has always been used as a home remedy for beautifying the skin, and healing a cut or a sore throat.


*Olive Oil: Olive oil was highly recommended by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Consume olive oil and anoint it upon your bodies since it is of the blessed tree." Olive oil is rich in Vitamins A and K which make it great to use for your hair, skin and nails. In addition to vitamins, olive oil is also packed with polyphenols, which are natural antioxidants.

*Dates: Dates and date palms are mentioned in the Qur'an TWENTY times! The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has said, "If anyone of you is fasting, let him break his fast with dates. In case he does not have them, then with water. Verily, water is a purifier." Dates are considered a complete food source containing sugar, fat and protein as well as vitamins and minerals.

*Vinegar: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has regarded vinegar to be a "blessed seasoning." Apple cider vinegar in particular is very beneficial for weight loss and helps regulate blood pressure. It is also high in potassium which helps eliminate toxins from the body.

*Figs: About figs, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has said, "If I had to mention a fruit that descended from paradise, I would say this is it because the paradisaical fruits don't have pits." Figs are full of vitamins including fiber. Fiber is great when dieting because it makes you feel full faster. Figs are also a great source of Potassium and Vitamin B6.


*Melons: According to Bukhari, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would eat melon quite often. Melons contain potassium, which helps lower blood pressure. Melons are also an excellent source of vitamin C. Melons are great to eat while on a diet because they are delicious and super low in calories!

With Regards to Food Etiquette: When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would have food in his hand to eat, he would say 'Bismillah,' meaning 'in the name of Allah,' and he advised everyone to do this. He never criticized any food which he did not like. If something was presented to him that he did not like, he would simply choose not to eat from it, never once criticizing. He would eat sitting upright using the first three fingers of his right hand to eat and he commanded everyone to eat with the right hand. He would never leave food on his plate, not even a crumb, for all food is a blessing from Allah, and you should never waste it. He believed in sharing meals with family, friends and the needy and emphasized eating together. It was reported by Ibn Abbas, " He is not a believer who eats to his fill but his neighbor goes without food."

I hope this post has been helpful in better understanding what our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) preferred to eat and gave you some suggestions for your daily diets. Insha'Allah, the next post in my diet series will be dedicated to the Mediterranean diet which utilizes many of the foods mentioned today and has shown to be the healthiest method of dieting with the best long-term results. Enjoy!

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Salam everyone! Hope you are all doing well, Insha'Allah!! So, has anyone been becoming an insomniac post-Ramadan?? Because I think I am!! :) When I'm fasting I tend to stay up and not go to sleep until AFTER I pray Fajr, and the habit hasn't exactly disappeared quite yet! I guess it's alright this month since I'm fasting the six days for Shawwal (see previous post for details), so Alhamdullilah.

Last night, however, I am pretty sure that due to my insomnia, I qualified for Shopaholics Anonymous! Staying up late + online shopping + really cute dresses= BAD IDEA! LOL Seriously though, I definitely discovered my new obsession: Maxi Dresses!! I used to only think they were a product of the Summer, but no! they're amazing all year round!! In the fall and winter, just pair them with tights and a turtleneck underneath and top it off with a great cardigan or sweater, and a matching hijab or shayla combo and you're all set! Plus, I think that look-wise, they're the closest thing to the Abaya. They are long, flowy, loose-fitting, modest and SUPER Elegant!! I absolutely LOVE the maxi dress. Here are some pictures of some really cute maxi dresses I found online, enjoy! Salam!!

-Princess

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Salam to all! Okay, so earlier on today I promised a hijab post. The inspiration for this post actually came to me yesterday when my bestie and I were out shopping at Henri Bendel's here in NYC when we happened upon a neck scarf trunk show that was set up by Ash and Dans. A trunk show, in case your wondering, is almost like a sampling of a designers upcoming products and designs before they hit store shelves and become available to the general public. These scarves were pretty unique because they had chains dangling from them and some of them were embellished with a crystal brooch.

So anyhow, I always love to think up of creative and unique hijab styles. I especially love designs that incorporate some metal, gold, crystals, sequins, you know, all that lovely, girlie stuff that accessories are made of :) So, I just wanted to share some pictures of gorgeous hijab styles I came across. Most of these looks should be reserved for special occasions as they do attract attention. Enjoy the pictures!

-Princess

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