FREE TICKETS TO ASIANA BRIDAL SHOW BIRMINGHAM!!

Good Evening Dolls!

I hope everyone has had a nice relaxed weekend and I am now going to give you some information which may just make your day!

Are you getting married soon? Or like myself, do you just love anything to do with weddings and bridal wear? 

Well..The UK's No 1 Asian Bridal magazine (and my all time favourite) is holding its very own BRIDAL SHOW on the 30TH NOVEMBER @ EDGBASTON, BIRMINGHAM. On the day, there will be exhibitions from 100 of Britain's top wedding companies including caterers, cakes, mandaps and make up artists, and the highlight of the day will be, of course, the Bridal Catwalk which you DO NOT want to miss. This will include twelve of UK's top couture designers unveiling their Bridal wear Collections for next season. 

Now, the even better news....As part of a promotion, I have FREE TICKETS to give away. Yes, you read that right...FREE TICKETS. I have leaflets about the event with FOUR FREE EXHIBITION TICKETS inside. These tickets are actually worth £10 each and we are giving away £40 worth in each leaflet. You're wondering what's the catch? Well...that's the best bit..There is none! If you also wish to view the bridal catwalk then it will be £10 to upgrade using the free ticket (normal cost is £20).

So if you wish to get your hands on these FREE TICKETS then please email me at: anastasiaglamxo@gmail.com. If you are from Birmingham then I can meet you in the city and hand you the tickets, however if you aren't from Birmingham, don't panic! I can have them posted to you, all you need to do is email me your postal address and how many leaflets you require. 

Brides to be who cannot make it, check out the latest issue of Asiana, isn't the cover just so beautiful! Available to purchase in most newsagents, WH Smith and most asian stores too. 

Last but not least, I will be doing a post after the 30th November about my Asiana experience so watch out for that.

Until next time,

Anastasia xo

Gothic Inspired Winter Look

Hello Dolls!

How is everyone doing? Everyone in the UK adjusted okay to the clock change? Well today's blog post is about my current favourite look which is inspired by the gothic make up looks. 

This A/W I am absolutely obsessed with dark plum lipstick. There is just something about that colour that makes it seem so suited to the dark winter nights. I often just wear it with a coat of mascara on my lashes as my everyday look. However, with halloween on its way I thought why not create a gothic inspired look which you can recreate easily. I actually did go into uni today with the make up on teamed up with a black dress and purple cardigan. Those two colours are really appealing to me recently!

So I have made a few collages of the make-up... (Apologies if the photos aren't of great quality)

As you are aware I do not wear foundation therefore I prepped my skin using Nip and Fab Glycolic Fix Cleanser and La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+. I then applied my standard Nivea Tinted Moisturiser and just added some Body Shop Concealer to my cheeks. I also filled in my eyebrows using Seventeen's Sculpting Brow Pencil and highlighted my brow bone with Technics Highlights.

 I then applied Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion to my eyelids and used a mixture of dark matte purple eyeshadow and a sparkly purple along my crease and up to mid eyelid. I also applied some to my lower lashline. Next I applied a matte black eyeshadow mixed in with a dark grey along my lash line and up to mid eyelid. Be sure to blend the colours in where the purple and black meet just to make it appear smoother if you get what I mean. I then applied my L'oreal Super Liner in black lacquer on my upper lid and Maybelline Master Smokey Pencil Liner on my lower lashline. As I don't like wearing false eyelashes I just applied a few coats of my Rimmel London Scandaleyes Rockin Curves Mascara.

Now the lipstick which has become my favourite so far is by Collection 2000 Gothic Glam range in colour 3 - Revenge, I bought this last year so if it is unavailable now then I suggest MAC Russian Red. 

I know it is a scary look and you may be a bit worried in trying it however I absolutely love it. I love being different and doing my own thing therefore love this gothic inspired look. You'll never know if you like it or not if you don't try and there is no harm in trying...after all you can just take it off afterwards. 

Have a great Halloween,

Until next time

Anastasia xo

Eid Meal Outfit

Hello my lovelies!

Firstly I would like to apologise for not posting in a while, I have jut started third year and settling in (with a big workload already!) But thats a post for another time.

Yesterday evening, I attended the Aston Paksoc Eid Meal at EastZEast Birmingham. As it was a dress up occasion I did what I am known for...dressing up. I was actually quite excited as I had ordered this burgundy dress in the summer but never had a chance to wear it. The dress is available in a number of colours and styles and can be bought from www.bahiraboutique.com (I have bought like 4!)

Dress: Bahira Boutique, £38

Matha Patti: Ebay, £12

I teamed up my dress with the matha patti from previous posts and big gold square studs which I borrowed from a friend. I kept my make up as simple as possible with light brown/gold eyeshadow, my signature eyeliner style with the flick and no false eyelashes.

Eyeshadow: Light brown/gold (can't remember where palette is from)

Eyeliner: Loreal Paris, Super liner black lacquer, £6.99 and Rimmel London Exaggerate , £3.99

Mascara: Rimmel London Scandaleyes Rockin Curves

Lipstick: Rimmel London Kate, Shade 111, £5.49

Highlighting/Contouring: Blank Canvas Cosmetics Highlight and Contour Palette

 and Technic highlights

For this look, my hair was done randomly. I was aiming for a faux gatsby inspired bob and somehow I ended up with this which still worked...

I have written this in a rush therefore I do apologise that I haven't written as much as I could have. I just knew that if I didn't do it now then I would never get it done. This dress has become my favourite style for asian functions and I really hope more styles are introduced as I love fusion!

Until next time

Anastasia xo

Uni Survival Tips

Hello Dolls!

Some of you will be starting university soon and are probably worrying about moving away or not moving away, making friends and starting the term. I am now starting my third year and thought I would write a post aimed at students with tips for the new student life at university.

1) If you are moving away then familiarise yourself with the area you will be living in. If you're university organises trips to the city centre or around the area then sign up for them! This is the best way to get to know your new home. Find out where bus stops are, where the train stations are etc. Make sure you have google maps or something similar on your phone for anytime you get lost. Trust me you'll need them!

2) Find out if there is a taxi service linked with your uni as some of these will offer discounted taxi fares (especially groups).

3) You might be worried about making friends and the best way to make friends is be yourself and just chat to people.A simple smile and hello can go a long way. Sign up to clubs and societies as another way to make new friends.The clubs and societies also look really good on your CV.

4) If you're living at home and think that you won't make as many friends as those living on campus you're wrong! You can make just about the same amount of friends and even more by the methods mentioned in 3. Also look into transport passes for discounted travel to uni.

5) Do not pack an iron,toaster, kettle, microwave, cooker...basically don't take your whole kitchen with you. Contact your residence officer to find out what they have and what you will need to take.

6) If you are going to miss your mother's cooking then it is possible to take some cooked food with you and freeze it. In my first year my mum supplied me frozen curries ha!

7) Locate the nearest food stores to your accommodation where you can shop. Places best to shop at on a student budget include Aldi and Lidl. Trust me, their products are the same and sometimes even better...AND CHEAPER! If you wish to have groceries delivered then order together as a flat and split the delivery cost between you.

8) Get the 16-25 railcard and a national express coach card for journeys back and forth from home to uni. 

9) Learn to budget. Money runs out fast when you are a student as you are pretty much limited. Keep receipts and think before you buy. Search for a part time job to help finances. Your student union may have a special careers section where they may help with jobs.

10) Attend all lectures.Trust me on this one.When you don't attend lectures, you have to spend more time catching up and when it comes to exams instead of revising..you'll end up learning material for the first time.

11) Familiarise yourself with the library and Student Union. If you need to buy textbooks, first check them out in the library. If they have enough,you may not need to buy one. Also do not waste money on a textbook if you won't touch it. If you decide to buy any, check out the union bookshops, amazon, ebay and even see if students in the year above are selling any. The student union may have many services you may require or just use it as a place to chill.

12) Apply for NUS card!!! If your uni, like Aston, doesn't support NUS card then you can still get discount in most places just by showing your uni card.

13) Take ID and necessary documents for enrolment. If there are students waiting with you, chat to them and make friends.

14) If you are out at night, stay in a group or with at least one other friend. Also make sure someone is aware that you are going somewhere. Learn emergency numbers for around the city and also campus security. 

Finally, enjoy this new chapter in your life and at the same time learn and become an adult! Uni time is the best time, trust me! If you wish to ask me any questions regarding university in general or if you go to Aston Uni (where I attend) then feel free to comment any questions and I will reply ASAP. 

Until next time,

Anastasia xo

Eid Inspiration: Women

Hello Dolls!

Today's post is some inspiration for Eid-ul-Adha, it literally feels like just yesterday it was the end of Ramadan and we were celebrating Eid (and the fact we could eat whenever we wanted). This post is focused around females. I will do one for males soon.

"Blue Beauty"

This first ensemble I absolutely adore. Fusion dresses are my absolute favourite as personally I feel like they are "so me" (British Asian, a mixture of two cultures). The dress is flowy and reminds me of western style prom/bridesmaid dresses. It has embroidery at the chest which brings in the indian element. For this I have put together gold shoes and clutch to match the work as well as matching blue and gold jewellery.

Anarkali: Bahira Boutique, AA-3301, £65 Unstitched

Shoes: Dorothy Perkins, Head Over Heels By Dune Boden Pointed Toe Court Shoe, £39

Clutch: Amazon, Satin Diamante Clutch Bag, £6.98

Jewellery: Diya Online, LD 117, £8.50

"Mughal Rani"

I love, love, love this! A mughal inspired anarkali which has heavy embroidery at the bottom and top of the dress. This is something I would wear not just on Eid but to weddings as well. I also like how the anarkali has an A line effect. I have matched it with gold and maroon earrings and a gold clutch. However, to add a bit of contrast, I would wear black heels. You can wear red matching heels like in the ensemble below this.

Anarkali: Bahira Boutique, MA-3210, £65 Unstitched

Shoes: Unze, Jewelled Cage Upper Mae Sandal, £19.99

Clutch: Rupali Online, 92775, £19.50

Earrings: India Trend, Maroon Gold Jhumki EBC6591, $23.99

"Monochrome"

My favourite colour combination is black and white which is why this particular saree caught my eye. For me, Monochrome oozes sophistication and class. My favourite part of this saree is the heavy work on the neck of the blouse, no need for a necklace! Wear with matching white clucth and gold/black earrings. Once again, for contrast I have added red/gold heels, although there is red on the saree. 

Saree: Jhilmilaa, £70

Shoes: Unze, Fabulous Party Heels, £25

Clutch: Rupali Online, 92777, £8.50

Earrings: Rupali Online, 92258, £5.25

So dolls, I hope you have enjoyed this post. I actually have so many outfit ideas but if I was to post them all then I would never get off my laptop! Remember, these are just my personal choices/ideas, you can mix and match and choose your own accessories/colours. If you wish to have any assistance on your outfit choices or accessorising then you are more than welcome to comment below and I will do my best. Don't forget, Eid inspiration for men out soon this week!

Until next time,

Anastasia xo

Weekly Update: Weddings and Designing

Hello Dolls!

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the last few days of the summer holidays. I thought I would dedicate this post to my week and a few thoughts that have occurred to me.

So, this week was my nephew's first birthday party and to this day I still find it surreal how my cousin is married and I have a one year old nephew! It seems like just yesterday when we were talking about our futures and how it would be. He is my first nephew and I love him dearly. And, oh was he spoilt on his big day! I also attended a wedding on Sunday where two friends from my high school got married. Awh, childhood sweethearts. The bride looked so beautiful but I was unable to get any photos of her. For both these events, I wore similar indian outfits (as family events), both cream/beige in colour but styled my hair and makeup differently and accessorised it differently. 

Hair: Attempted a fishtail braid

Makeup: Kept it simple with pink lipstick and no eyeshadow

Hair: Curled and accessorised with Matha Patti

Makeup: Gold, turquoise and dark blue eyeshadow with red lipstick

What I would like to discuss next it a newly discovered old passion of mine. As a young child I had a big interest in fashion and wanted to draw my own designs. However, I was never any good at drawing and was better at picking up a book and spending time in the library. However, since starting blogging I have decided to improve my art skills. Not only that, but to rediscover my ability to sew and stitch so I can make my own clothes to wear from my designs. This is something I want to and have to do for the little girl inside me, whether it takes a month, a year or more. So stay tuned and follow me on my journey.

Last but not least I would like to thank everyone who reads my blog and follows me on social networking sites, I am new to this and with time I will get better at it, I promise! So once again, thank you and please follow my blog on bloglovin and on here with google+.

Until next time,

Anastasia xo

Bringing Boot-cut Jeans Back!

In need of a little white dress, liking this one!

Am liking this Classic White Dress @WearEponymous via @Saleservant: Embrace elegance with this timeless wardrobe classic. Appropriate and versatile to suit any event, team your white dress with a fitted black jacket to channel a monochrome vibe or lead the trend this season by teaming with a pastel blazer. CompositionCare InstructionsDelivery & Returns- 60% Polyester- 35% Viscose- 5% Elastane- 95cm length (based on a size 10)- Machine Washable- Wash at 30 degrees- Always read the Care Label- Delivery & Returns

Classic White Dress
£40, Wear Eponymous

Wedding Lookbook..No not my wedding (Inspired by Irene Mahmud)

Hello everyone!

Hope you are all well. Wedding season is upon us and I have decided to do a lookbook on what I have worn to a wedding I attended. It was an asian wedding so I wore asian attire. 

For the Mehndi (ceremony before the wedding where mehndi/henna is applied to the hands) I was a bridesmaid and due to this we all had to wear the same saree. The bride chose a pink and purple theme. I decided to have my hair down for this event. As I am a broke student, I am very limited to what makeup I have and cannot afford the big brands at the moment therefore I have to make do with what I own. The make up items used in this look were: Maybelline colour tattoo 24hour eyeshadow in Pink gold, Liquid black eyeliner by Barry M on the top lid and Collection 2000 pencil liner on the bottom lid. For my eyelashes I used a mix of Rimmel london scanadleyes rockin' curves and lycra flex. I do not wear foundation, instead I used Nivea daily essentials tinted moisturiser and Bodyshop concealer. This is because foundation and my skin do not get along very well. For the contouring and highlighting, I used the blank canvas contour and highlight kit. I then used the Natural Collection's bronzing pearls in sahara sun on my cheeks. To finish off the look I applied Maybelline coloursensational lipstick in Pink punch and a pink bindi on my forehead. I kept this look a bit more simple and wore only silver earrings and necklace. 

For the wedding, I wore an orange and black lehenga. I matched my eye make up with my lehenga colours opting for an orange and black smokey eye using inspiration from Irene's eye makeup looks. I used the same products mentioned above except this time I mixed the natural collection bronzing pearls with Avon bronzing pearls and used Rimmel london lipstick in vintage pink. As it was a wedding I wore a full set of indian jewellery and styled my hair in my own take of Irene Mahmud's princess jasmine hairstyle. I had to alter the way to do it as my hair is layered and I have a side fringe. 

The reason I decided to take inspiration from Irene Mahmud's makeup and hair is because I love the looks she does. I watched her youtube videos over and over again for inspiration as like her I am bengali with coarse hair and find it very difficult to style my hair. I hope you all enjoyed the looks. 

Until next time

Anastasia xo

Eid Lookbook! (Post Ramadan Update)

Hello beautiful people, 

Eid Mubarak!

I sincerely hope everybody enjoyed their Eid (despite what is going on around the world in Gaza and Syria, etc, I hope they had a good day for once too).

I would like to update you all post Ramadan. My diet hasn't been as good as before, I mean let's face it, Ramadan brings so much oily food. However, lucky for me the only bad foods in my diet were samosas/pakoras and desserts. I tried not to indulge too much in them and made sure I kept my protein intake high through chickpeas and chicken. I didn't gym for the whole four weeks but from today I am officially back on it. So if you did have a bad Ramadan , do not fear just start again training and diet wise. 

Now moving swiftly on! To my Eid lookbook. I thought I would share with you all, my outfit and makeup from the day. I was supposed to wear a different outfit but it did not arrive in time (had ordered it from India so I wore a back up dress. Somehow, one way or another I always end up wearing purple and blue for Eid! With my Churidar (tight trousers) dress, I wore silver and blue jewellery and a blue smokey eye. 

So here are the images that I would like to share with you.

Watch out for a wedding lookbook next week where you can see the outfit I was originally meant to wear for Eid. 

Until next time

Anastasia xo

Movie Review: Hasee Toh Phasee

Hello Dolls 

Today, I will be reviewing the movie Hasee Toh Phasee starring Parineeti Chopra and Sidharth Malhotra in the lead roles.

Personally, for me, I loved this film so much that I can watch it over and over again. 

Hats off to Parineeti! Her acting in this film is by far the best I have seen from her and probably the best I have seen from the new female actresses in bollywood. Now Sidharth (How gorgeous is he?!) plays a sweet boy character who has the females hearts melting. 

Some parts of the plot have been written so well by Harshavardhan. The story grips you and you are left with a lot of questions about Parineeti's character during the film which are answered in a fantastic way as the movie progresses.I also liked how the depicted the growing love between Parineeti and Sidharth. However, some parts of the plot I did not like, I felt like the way the family behaved over Parineeti was over exaggerated. 

The music composed by Vishal-Shekhar are fun and exciting. I cannot stop listening to Shake it like Shammi and Punjabi Wedding Song. They are so fun and just make you want to get up and move! One thing, both me and my friend loved about this movie is that the romantic songs were played as a back drop to the build up of the relationship rather than a song and dance. It really helps the audience to feel the emotions of the story.

My overall opinion: A movie all youngsters must watch! It is full of comedy, romance and I would love to see another movie with Parineeti and Sidharth! My favourite pair so far :)

Until next time

Anastasia xo

Ramadan Nutrition

Food, Food, Food...Got your attention now??

Hello everyone :)

Today I will be discussing the best way to keep your diet on the right tracks during Ramadan (Especially those who are strength training).

Now, I know it won't be easy so I will discuss little cheats every day. I will do my best to keep this blog updated with a post every day (if not then each week) during Ramadan about what I ate and how it went. 

The plan is to make sure we don't over indulge in carbohydrates and oily food. This is my plan:

Sehri/Suhoor: 

Porridge/Weetabix

Two scoop protein shake

Two table spoons of peanut butter (Yes I mean lick the spoons) 

Plenty of fruit

LOTS and LOTS of water

Iftaar:

Chicken and Veg

 One handful of brown rice
Eggs

Fruit

Water/Juice

Slow releasing energy foods: Oats; bananas, dates, poultry, fish, spinach, kale, broccoli, cucumber, asparagus, berries, melons, cherries, apples, sweet potatoes, raw nuts and many more!

When choosing starches (rice, pasta, bread) choose the wholemeal option.

But what about when Mummy makes lots of snacks and yummy Ramadan food?

This is the difficult part. Try to limit yourself. For example, only allow yourself a maximum of two samosas/pakoras..Not the whole plate. 

Deep fried foods like this, foods high in fat and sugar can make digestion more difficult and leave you feeling bloated/sluggish.

Because it is Ramadan I know it will be hard, trust me, I'll be finding it difficult to. Some days I may eat the rice and curries my mother will cook (I haven't been home for months because of uni so all I want to do is eat my mothers cooking!).

However, all of this nutrition advice is what we should stick to in a good healthy lifestyle anyway!

Training during the day is not a good idea. Unfortunately, I do not have a 24/7 gym near me but if you do then after Taraweeh do some training then. However, if like me you can't then do what you can at home. I will keep you updated with this too.

Until next time,

Good luck!

Anastasia xo

Weekend Away Summer LookBook

Hello Beautiful People!

Hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather we are experiencing. 

This weekend I went away to London and I have decided to dedicate this blog post to my outfits that I had worn. 

The first look is my favourite look for summer and I recommend that every girl invests in a nice black jumpsuit. The reason I love jumpsuits in particular is because you can get more than one look out of it, You can dress it down for a casual look or dress it up for a night out. Here I have included two looks, a smart look and a going out look.

For both these looks I wore a gold and black belt around the waist and black heels (At night I would have worn navy peep toe heels but I didn't have them with me..oops)

The next look I call MONOCHROME CHIC

Maxi dresses are an essential for summer. They are easy to wear and can be worn during the day and also night events. This dress I teamed up with a cream shrug and black and white neck scarf.

The last looks I would like to include are my casual summer outfits.

Until next time,

Anastasia xo

Sore Today, Strong Tomorrow...

This blog post is dedicated to my passion for fitness. 

I have always attended the gym but three weeks ago I decided to hire a personal trainer and do it properly. Ever since I have done this, I have been more active, alert and generally feel better. It is important to keep fit and do activities which have your heart racing as it is good for your body AND mind. I suggest having your own PT as it helps a lot, they guide you in what's best for you and how to achieve the results you desire in the safest way. Since taking this up, in just three weeks my friends have noticed the difference its made to my body as well as how I am generally.

Personally, I attend gym 4-6days a week, taking part in HIIT (High intensity interval training) and weight training, all tailored to me. Females, do not worry, weight training won't turn you into the hulk. It helps burn away fat and replace it with muscle but TONES your body.  Along with gym, I also go swimming every other day. I now understand the meaning to the saying, NO PAIN NO GAIN and it really is true. Just like everything in life, if you don't work hard and commit to it, you won't see results. 

BUT....

It's not JUST about exercise. You have to change your lifestyle/diet too. I am on a high protein, low carb, no sugar diet and honestly it has helped a lot. I no longer feel bloated or hungry all the time. It keeps you full longer and more energetic. Eating a lot of carbs can make you feel bloated, sluggish and not satisfied which then leads your brain to crave more carbs. I no longer crave junk food such as burgers, sweets or sugary drinks. If I feel the need to snack, I grab a handful of raw nuts. For you chocolate lovers, like myself, if you crave chocolate then dark chocolate is best for you :)  If like me you decide to take up weight training then make sure you drink a protein shake after each workout for your body to recover.

In future, I will post more updates about my progress and some before and after photos. 

Keep watching this space for tips on training and food too.

Until next time,

Keep Fit!

Anastasia xo