Summer Colours

One thing I love about summer is the return of gorgeous fresh and light pastel colours.

Looking through my nail varnish collection this morning, I was drawn to the coral, pink and reds, which have long been hidden during the dull winter months.

What are your favourites?

River Island-Top Picks

These are our top picks from the New River Island collection

Leopard Lovin'

One of the perks of having a sister is that it allows you to borrow clothes of each other (sometimes without asking :p) and here Sam is wearing the leopard coat (as seen in the previous post). Her gorgeous outfit shows you can clash as many prints as you like and still look stylish.

Get the Look
Bag-Longchamp
Coat-Topshop
Scarf-Primark
Boots-H&M

Product Review- Aquaini Burkini

This review will be a little different from our normal features, since we have never done beach or swimwear before. To be honest, I was a little apprehensive before doing this review, as I had only heard of Burkinis, and never really tried one myself. However it is always good to be a bit adventurous, and like me, you may be pleasantly surprised!

Aquaini, is a UK based company which specialises in selling these covering swimsuits. They are designed to be worn at the beach, swimming pool or any other such place where you would prefer to be covered whilst enjoying yourself, like everyone else!!
The sister behind Aquaini, has worked hard to get this company up and running and to provide us all an alternative to simply sitting on the beach watching others have all the fun! She took her inspiration from a visit to Malaysia where she discovered covering swimwear, and upon finding that it was difficult to find them in the west, she decided to design her own range. Her trip to Malaysia was therefore a life changing experience.


Aquaini sent me a Pink/Black Burkini to review, in a size Small. When I first open the package, and felt the material, I was quite happy with its quality. It has a silky waterproof texture, which is found on normal swimming costumes, and again it seemed quite...normal! I was half expecting to find a funny looking crazy costume but actually it is well made, and clearly has the customer in mind.

This was the one sent to me, as seen above on the model from the Aquani website. The head covering or cap, is attached to the neck, so you never will be able to loose it! It is easy to slip on and once your hair is tucked in, the cap is quite snug and comfortable. After I wore it, for a second of too I felt a bit strange, and then I looked in the mirror and thought, actually, it doesn't look bad at all, and secondly, yes it may attract a bit of attention, but then again, women who wear headscarves are used to having a few stares here and there and to be honest if this allows you to enjoy yourself freely on the beach, who cares?

The trousers are also a snug nice fit and quite loose, whilst the dress is a nice length covering your behind not being too long to impair the ability to swim.







I had a size small, and this fit perfectly as I normally wear a 6-8 and I am quite petite. Therefore I would say if you are taller it may be best to go for one up to make sure the trousers and sleeves are long enough.


The Burkinis are available from the Aquaini site here  and come in various sizes, ranging from Small, Medium, Large and extra Large. They are priced from £40 which to be honest is really reasonable, and a well worth investment for the future.  The burkinis comes in a blue/black colour combination as well.

Further to being covering, these suits are also excellent for your skin. Sometimes those of us with olive or darker complexions, assume we dont need to apply sun protection when out on the beach or even on a sunny day, wrong!! It can be very harmful to your skin, and this suit makes sure none of those rays are absorbed into your skin. You would only need to apply lotion to your face regularly.

Still not not convinced? Well Nigella Lawson recently took to the beach in a burkini, and as she has pale skin she knows the harm that the sun can do her. Despite not being a Muslim, she rocked the Burkini, and showed that if you have confidence, you can pull of just about anything!!

So to summarise, here are the benefits of a Burkini from Aquaini:

-Protects your Skin from Harmful UV rays
-No wet horrible hair
-Quick drying and waterproof
-Modest
-Affordable

Detail
-£40
-Available in a range of Sizes
-UK Based
-Online store here 

Join the Aquani facebook fan page here to show your support and keep up to date on their latest products and range.

Next time I go to the beach, I want to see, Burkinis, everywhere!!! :D

Winter Inspiration

Get the look
Coat-Topshop
Scarf-Chic Hijabs
Boots -Zara

Oh So Chic!

We met the lovely ladies from Chic Hijabs and Accessories at the Ladies Night Party in early December.
Chic Hijabs is a newly launched online boutique, currently operating through its facebook page. They aim to provide their customers, with individual and unique hijabs in addition to snazzy accessories such as pins.

The Packaging 
 I think packaging says a lot about a company, and in this respect Chic Hijabs did not fail to impress. The items were wrapped individually in a ribbon and then in lovely tissue paper, filled with sparkly little love hearts which really made me smile. The pins were in small organza bags, and looked great.

 
Cupcake Hijab Cushion (£3.99) and Various Hijab Pins (Individually Priced)

This has to be my most favourite item of all the items I was sent. The scrummy looking cupcake is a pin cushion, and is now my prized possession on my dressing table :) It can fit a large number of pins and very eye catching.

The pins on the cushion are those that sent by the company and include an assortment of bow pins, a heart shaped one, and small gem stone ones. Some of these are featured in the pictures below. My favourite are the bow pins, which are available in 6 colours, and are so cute!


Oriental Gardens Scarf (£9.99)
This hijab is very light in texture and is an average sized length and width, and not overly big. It is however, wide enough however to cover the head, and boasts bright colours which will most certainly get you noticed. I would personally wear this as a neck scarf with a plain hijab as I just love the look with it around my neck, and perhaps with a blazer, suiting a vintage/trendy look.


Monopoly (£8.99)

When I first took this out of the packaging, it had the wow factor immediately. It is large over sized scarf, and has the most vibrant detail with colours similar to Oriental Gardens. I would wear this with a plain outfit and the scarf speaks for itself, and would definitely wear this as a headscarf. This is my favourite scarf!

Overall it is safe to say that Chic Hijabs, is a company to watch out for. They are bringing originality, and creativity to a very competitive market. It is their attention to detail that makes them stand out, and their careful packaging will be sure to bring back customers. Most of all, the items they sell are reasonably priced and wont blow your budget.

Like Chic Hijabs on Facebook to hear directly from them about their new stock, and how to order.

*Covered Style* Al-Hayah Review

We have been given a selection of two scarves to review from the new and upcoming Hijab brand 'Al-Hayah'. The scarves are called 'Floral Frenzy' and 'Purple Dust'.The items arrived well packaged attached with a Al-Hayah thank-you flyer which is always nice :) We are also proud to welcome Al-Hayah as one of our new advertising partners and you will see their banner on the right hand side of our homepage.

Hijab Review:

Floral Frenzy was the first one I tried on, I was immediately attracted to is rose pattern and colours which are deep and stunning. The scarf itself was good size, quite wide and long in length. The middle of the scarf has a red seam running through it, which adds to is uniqueness. I tried it on a few times, and came to the conclusion that it was more secure with a underscarf bonnet on, due to the silky material and needs securing with pins. I wore a black underscarf, and firstly wore it wrapped around my head in a basic style (above pic)

Secondly wore it a  different more casual way. I pulled the scarf back at the neck, and then brought the scarf round to the front, with gold hoop earrings for a more funky look (above). This is a style that you can adjust to make it looser/tighter around the neck, and wear a highneck top with if desired.

The Purple Dust scarf was a more evening/occasion one, although I am sure you could also wear it casually depending on how you accessorize it. I loved this colour, and also the border at the front of the scarf. I firstly wore this again, in a basic wrap style, with the black bandana, and gold hoop earrings. With a generous width and length, it allows for some layering at the top, and bottom so while you can see your earrings, the neck is covered.

I then wore it with a black rose detailed head band, to see how you could add other accessorises to it for an occasion. I literally pulled the headband over my head as you normally would, before wrapping the final layer of the scarf.

I Love both of the scarves, they are unique in their own way and also affordable. Floral Frenzy (£8) can be found on their facebook page here, whilst Purple Dust (£10) is also available in different colours here

At the moment they operate through their facebook page which you need to make sure you like to see all their updates, and their new stock.

We wish Al-Hayah all the best in their new business and inshallah lots of success :)

Vintage Inspiration-Blazers

We are going to do the next few outfit inspirations specifically featuring Vintage Blazers. If you know what we're like, you'll know that we absolutely <3 vintage shopping. The quality and detail of a pre-loved item makes it stand out from all the mass produced imitations on the high-street, and often at a snip of the price.

This outfit features a YSL vintage checked blazer, found at a thrift store in East London. A Jewel Indeed. I wore this at the Smoky Not Smudgy event, and have wore it a billion times since.

Get the Look

Blazer-Vintage YSL
Leather Satchel- Topshop
Chain Pattern Long-sleeved shirt-Asos
Compass Necklace- Topshop
Pink Jersey Long Scarf- Accessorize
UnderScarf- H&M

We will be having more photos coming soon about alternative ways to wear this blazer, and other vintage ones, so keep tuned Hijablicious ladies :)

'Chic Hijabs' Launch Party In London

Last week the newly arrived brand 'Chic Hijab' held a launch party, showcasing their scarf collection in addition to other products. For me personally it was the first time I had heard of such a launch and it was quite exciting for both the Chic Hijab team and for prospective customers. Although the Hijablicious team couldn't make it we have some exclusive pictures courtesy of Chic Hijab and exciting product reviews coming up soon! Watch this space!

The Chic Hijabs Launch Party was a place for girls to have an amazing time, meet new sisters from all over London and to snap up our gorgeous exclusive new stock! We had great new hijabs on offer, varying in size, pattern and colour and aimed to cater to all the needs and wants a girl could have. We also had plenty of delicious food for everyone to sit down and enjoy, which provided the perfect setting to mingle and get to know one another. We had one off pieces that sold out very quickly, however there was plenty of stock to go round. It was a great event, and we would personally like to thank all the sisters who came and supported us, including our facebook fans. Please spread the Chic Hijab word and we hope to see you all very soon for our future event insha'Allah.

(Samira and Bouchra from Chic Hijabs) 

*Glitz & Glamour Fashion Show and Dinner* featuring Hijablicious!!

Event of the year ladies, come and join us for a night of fashion, food and charity organised by Islamic Help.

The night will have a souk area, a 3 course meal, and a fashion show in which we will be featured. Our show will include a 'Day to Night' theme showcasing styles from casual to evening wear, and will be our first one so it is not to be missed!!

More importantly, the event will be raising money for charity and specifically for children with cleft lip & palate and also acid attack survivors. The Charity is well known, and has worked previously with acid survivor and ex-model Katie Piper, who is the ambassador for the cause.

Details on how to book are on the poster.  If you see us, be sure to come say hi! :)

RSVP on the facebook page here

November Giveaway

It is that time of the month again, where we offer one lucky reader a stunning product from one of our sponsors.

This month we have one lovely handmade signature pin from the Inayah Collection up for grabs. These pins are the perfect addition to a scarf, especially for an occasion and add that little bit of sparkle and glamour.  The winner gets to pick their favourite one from the picture below. 

How to enter 

1) 'Like' the Inayah Collection Facebook Fan Page 

2) Subscribe you AND one friend to Our Newsletter (top right hand side of this website)
     (If you are already subscribed, subscribe two friends)

3) Once you have done this let us know by commenting here, and you will be entered for a chance to      win a pin of your choice from the above range.

4) Giveaway closes at 12pm 4th December 2011. We will not accept any entries after that time. 

5) The Winner will be Announced soon After and chosen at Random.

Note: We will cross-check to ensure you have fulfilled the entry requirements.

So what are you waiting for ladies, get entering!!! :)

Top Picks-Primark

Okay so to make your shopping trips a bit more less stressful, we thought we would have a go at picking our top items from our favourite stores. Due to the cold wintery season, we are looking at the latest  Autumn/Winter 2011 Collections, and what other store better to start with then Primark!

Affordable, and most of the time, bang on trend, Primark gives you a high end look for less. Saying that however, we have noticed Primark's prices rising slowly over the years, but compared to most stores, it still can land the savvy shopper with a good bargin.

So without further ado here are our *Top Picks*

(This list is correct at this moment in time, prices could go down in sale and all stores may not stock all the items)

The Detail

Faux Fur Hat With Ears £5

Limited Edition 30’s Sleep Jacket £23

Turquoise Fur Collar Coat £35

Bow Tie Plazzo Pants £14

Mustard Trim Shirt £12

Lace Up Black Boots £25 (TBC)

Ladylike Top Handle Bag £10

Which Ones are your Favourite and Why?