Saverah Women Expo '17

I recently attended the Saverah Women Expo 2017 at the O2 Arena, which was a weekend featuring a collaboration of vendors selling scarves, modest and Asian outfits, jewellery, halal food, skin care products and makeup, and Islamic art and stationary. There was also a series of seminars and workshops, fashion shows to see the latest collections by different brands, and even a nasheed concert to enjoy.

I only managed to attend one day of the event, but I had a good browse at the shopping hall, caught a catwalk show and managed to speak to lots of other bloggers and vendors, which was a really fun-filed day!

I  managed to get a good look at the vendors who had outfits and scarves available - I often see a lot of outfits and modesty-wear from online websites or Facebook/Instagram groups, and it's nice to see some of these brands up close and see whether they are as nice as they look!

I managed to find a few vendors which I wanted to list, as I get asked a lot by readers about UK-based brands which are reliable, and I thought some of these had some really nice outfits!

First are Traditional Images London, who carry a lot of Pakistani designer pret wear, such as Khaadi, Maria B, Agha Noor, Sapphire, Gul Ahmed and Threads and Motifs (all brands that I LOVE!), which I was really pleased to find!

I also really liked the dresses by Amore Mio, a brand which sells dresses and modesty-wear which I thought were really pretty.

I also liked the abayas by Avyaana Abayah, which had some really chic pieces that caught my eye - I really like that these incorporate current trends like frills, bell sleeves and rich materials.

There were also pretty scarves available by Aidijuma, a Malaysian brand which had scarves for a very reasonable price (from £5.99 upwards), and beautiful dresses and abayahs from designer Jenny Tyayawati who also had her pieces on the catwalk as well.

Lastly were pieces by Haiqah UK, which was a range of dresses, abayahs and scarves, as well as some more luxurious pieces by Sana Zinga, whose pieces I thought were beautiful, with lovely fabrics uses and interesting cuts.

I'm a big fan of jewellery from Pakistan and India, but it has to be decent quality pieces, as there is also a lot of junk out there too! I also came across jewellery vendor Artisan Jewels, whose pieces were beautiful, and who I bought a few things from (post coming soon on that!).

We also came across a halal makeup brand FX Cosmetics, which was developed by two scientists to be properly wudu-friendly, which I thought was really interesting. I liked that there was a huge range of products available, and there were some seriously pigmented eyeshadows and highlighters which I loved!

Halal skin-care company Tamese & Jackson were also at the exhibition - have a read of my post to find out more about them!

I also found a really cute stationary and card company Islamic Moments, which had a range of products that caught my eye (and naturally I bought some cards and notebooks from them!)

I also managed to catch a fashion show with a few brands showcasing their collections, with a range of modesty brands and Asian fashion-wear. I loved the colours and styles of these pieces, although I would have liked to have seen some more dramatic pieces as well.

And of course here's what I wore, a kimono with off white separates (which were the comfiest pieces ever!), and accessorised with a colourful yellow bag!

It was also nice to catch up with the other fashion bloggers while I was at the exhibition - here I am with Modest Seamstress (here and here) and also Be.Hijabi, both of whose blogs and social media accounts I love!

The Saverah Women Expo was a pretty fun event, although I do feel that more could have been done to interact with customers and people who attended, as a it took a while to get busy (although this is also down to the bad weather that weekend as well!). I was really glad to find a lot of new designers, vendors and sellers, and managed to make my purse a bit emptier by spending on a few things too!

Tamese & Jackson: A Halal Skincare Company

I was recently invited by halal skincare and hair product brand Tamese & Jackson to come and try their new products, at the launch of the Ramadan and Eid Gift sets a few weeks ago. I was able to see the products as well as try them out, which I was delighted to do so. Halal skin care (and even vegetarian and vegan) skin care is still a growing market, and it's great to see things which are aimed at people like me. I have heard of this brand before, and know they used to sell in Tesco and Asda so they are already fairly popular, which is a good sign.

These are the products below that I was give to try - a handwash and hand-lotion set (which is part of the gift set range) and the shampoo and conditioner set. I absolutely loved the Islamic-tile inspired packaging of the products, and can imagine these looking great in the bathroom.

The company's aim is to produce and make available halal skin products for everyday use, and as great alternatives for those looking for ethically product products:

"Tamese & Jackson, a new brand of halal-certified, wholesome (tayyib) personal care products ethically produced in the United Kingdom.
We are dedicated to supply high quality, wholesome personal care products which are halal certified, suitable for vegetarians and at prices that are affordable to all."

The company also had a launch event a few weeks ago, and I was invited with a group of fellow modest-fashion bloggers to see their products and also see what the company was about.

We started off with a drinks reception at a lovely venue called HS&Co, which provided some colourful mocktails to start with, and some yummy nachos.

We were then introduced to the company's new products, where we had a change to look at the company's adverts and products on display so we had an idea of what the new Ramadan and Eid gift sets would look like. I like that the products seem very natural-ingredients based, and fairly gentle in smell so that it feels wearable without being overpowering.

There was a really fun dress code for the event - dressing up in the company's colours of white, gold, black or blue! This is what I wore below, a black dress with gold pleated pants, slightly MC Hammer-style but I liked it! I also loved what everyone else went for - lots of white and black, blues and combinations of gold which looked amazing - you can see some of the outfits here.
We all were given a pretty rose each, and also had a chance to take pictures with a beautiful white flower wall which was made especially for the event by a flower company called Al Rouge Flowers.

Next came the food - which was an amazing three course meal of meat platters, steaks and sides to finish - I think I wasn't the only one who was stuffed by the end of the evening!

To finish off, we had cupcakes with the company's logo on them - don't they look lovely?

I really loved the floral theme which was present through the event. There were beautiful centrepieces, single roses for each guest and a couple of huge floral bouquets for scattered around.

Products: Tamese & Jackson
PR company/Event organiser: Generation M
Flowers and Flower Wall: AlRouge Flowers
Venue: HS & Co

I wanted to post a quick review of the products I got to try, as I can see that a lot of thought was put into the products, and I really like the idea of a halal skincare and shampoo brand.

This is the shampoo and conditioner I got, which had a lovely fragrance of lime, reyhan plant and ginger extract. I normally don't vary my hair treatments too much as my hair is pretty long and I need something gentle for it - this set was quite good because it cleans my hair nicely without making it feel dry, just what I need!

I also really liked the hand wash and hand lotion set I was given, which look great in my bathroom. Again, these have the same lime, reyhan and ginger extract smell to them, which feel lovely on my hand and don't feel drying.

I am really liking the fact that companies are starting to recognise that there is a demand for halal skincare, as well as ethically-produced products. I can certainly see that this is something which has potential to become bigger, and I really like the fact that this has come about because of the influence of ordinary Muslims like myself and the people I know.

Tamese & Jackson are available to buy from their website, at Modestrove and Amazon. Have you tried this brand? What do you think of their products?

PRODUCT REVIEW: Halal & Vegetarian Sweets by The Sweet Path

I was recently sent a beautiful sweet hamper by halal sweets company The Sweet Path, who are a UK-based sweet company, who specialise in retro, halal sweets which are also vegetarian. The sweets were sent to me in a beautiful box (which I am keeping for my pretty things) and were beautifully packaged. Naturally I couldn't resist laying all of them out for a pretty photo, so please appreciate the time and arranging-fiddly-things which went into the below picture!

These are the sweets - and yes, they tasted as good as they look!

This is the box the sweets came in - it's a surprisingly sturdy, very well made box which was lined with tissue and had a pretty ribbon and bow on it. The sweets came in wrapped packets were well protected - and can I just say, there was a lots of sweets in each packet!

My sisters and I love our halal sweets and always stop to buy some whenever we find a shop that sells them - so this is pretty perfect. These are the sweets that were sent to me (everyone in my family are obssessed with marshmallows so that one was perfect for them!) My favourite was the tangy cola bottles, and my husband ate all the jelly meerkats which he said were amazing (he only let me have a few but they were nice!)

I'm really impressed with how this hamper was put together and arranged - it would make a really lovely present and the size is pretty good. I also love the fact that the company also does wedding favours, sweet jars, sweet cones and even sweet lanterns - there's lot of different sizes and they're handy for anyone looking for a mix of sweets for various occasions.

I really liked this sweet hamper, and the fact that it also comes in different sizes - they really are a nice idea for a gift for someone who has a sweet tooth, and it's lovely to see the effort which is put into these products. I'm pretty sure that the next time I have a tea party or event, this will be a great option for favours too!

You can buy the halal and vegetarian sweets at The Sweet Path's onlinze shop here
Facebook group here
Instagram account here

The company will also be at the Muslim Lifestyle Show this Bank Holiday weekend so check them out if you're attending!

PRODUCT REVIEW: Al Din Halal Skincare

I was recently sent some beautiful skin care products from a new brand - Al Din - which is has a line of skincare aimed at those looking for halal, vegan and vegetarian products, with the company itself being created by Muslim entrepreneur Suraiya Uddin, who has stated she was looking for this type of skincare but noticed the gap in the market.

These are the products I was sent, don't they look lovely? The strapline for this brand is also 'A Touch of Faith' - which I thought was a great way of harnessing the idea that the brand was going for - following personal ideals combined with good quality products.

I also liked the rich purple and gold packing of this - my first impression of this was similar to a lot of the ouds and perfumes you may see in the shopping malls (or in Dubai!), which gives a luxurious, solid look.

I had a quick look at the mission statement (you can see the rest here) of the brand - it definitely goes with a lot of things I'm interested in when looking for skincare:
"Al Din Skin Care is a luxury British skincare collection made with rich, plant ingredients to give softer looking, beautiful skin, naturally. Our high quality and effective range is Halal, Vegan and Vegetarian approved and we are against all testing on animals. We are passionate about beauty and feel that you shouldn’t need to compromise on quality and luxury when choosing products containing kinder, more natural ingredients."

What does it mean for a skin care brand to be halal? In my opinion, it is when there are only 'halal' ingredients used (that is, does not use non-permissible ingredients like pork-based gelatine or alcohol), and is also made in a way which aligns with halal methods. I do like that Al Din takes the time to explain what halal beauty and skin is here, which basically explains what ingredients are used and why - which is great for those who want to know more about what they're buying.

In all honesty, a lot of the women I know don't necessarily focus on looking for halal skin care - I have seen a lot of beauty brands (such as Kat von D and Jeffreestar) emphasise their vegan products, but I haven't seen much out there in terms of halal products. I think partly this is because a lot of consumers don't prioritise this, and also because some of them don't know this is an option either. Personally, as I am in my late twenties (and nearly thirties!) I have began to focus more on natural skin care and gentle products which are good for my skin, and I love the idea of the products not only benefiting my skin but also being halal, which makes me see them as more ethical as well.

These are the products sent to me - Sumptuous Touch Daily Moisturiser for Women (50ml), Men's Finest Touch Daily Moisturiser (50ml) and Pure Luxury Body Lotion (250ml). I thought it was a really good idea to have a men's product as well, as this is definitely a market which is often neglected, and it's great that there are halal options out there for men as well as women. I have often encouraged my husband to use creams to look after his skin, so it's good to know that this is something which skincare brands care about too.

Packaging
All three products were in black, purple and gold bottles which looked very luxurious, and which were pretty easy to hold. Both the men's and the women's facial creams were quite lightweight and easy to grip, which is great for quick applications, and the body lotion was a solid bottle which would sit well on any dresser. I thought it was pretty interesting that all the bottles had a pump to dispense the creams, which I know a lot of people like because it helps to control how much product comes out.

So that's my initial impressions of the Al Din skin care brand, let's get on with the actual product reviews itself:

Sumptuous Touch Daily Moisturiser for Women 50ml
I really liked the bottle for this, which had a hidden pump in the lid which you twisted to make it appear, which I thought was very unique and great for avoiding contamination. The product is dispensed pretty cleanly through this slim bottle and then can be put away again pretty easily.

This is the cream in my hand, which was white (all of the creams in this range are white!) and the first thing I thought about this was how wonderful it smelled. There is a mix of jojoba sunflower and coconut in this which gives a really pleasant, non-overpowering smell that lasts for a while.

I applied this on my face and loved how absorbent this is - non-greasy, light yet felt quite moisturising. I have slightly oily-to-combo skin so avoid heavy creams which just sit on my face, so I loved that this felt really pleasant on my face. I can genuinely imagine using this as a daily moisturiser to apply before going to work, especially as my skin felt pretty soft for a few hours and well-moisturised.

Key Ingredients:

• Hyaluronic acid – naturally found in the body, helps to keep skin, plump and hydrated for a smooth, youthful appearance.
• Sunflower oil - an emollient with incredibly hydrating properties, helps to keep the skin nourished.
• Coconut Oil - hailed as a superfood, the ultra-nourishing & hydrating ingredient has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-bacterial and hydrating properties that make it truly unique. Not only will it hydrate beautifully but it can also help to repair and regenerate the skin.
• Sweet Almond Oil – rich in Vitamin E monounsaturated fatty acids, proteins, potassium and zinc, plus a number of other minerals and vitamins, it is nourishing and super nutritious for the skin.
• Glycerin Oat Protein - oats are known for their humectant and emollient properties, which are key for keeping skin moisturised all year round.

Men's Finest Touch Daily Moisturiser 50ml
This was a short bottle which also had a pump, fairly easy to dispense the cream and came with a cap to avoid germs. I like that this doesn't take up too much space on the shelf either, and is a decent size for a men's daily cream.

I did try this on my hand (and was about to try on my face) when I thought I'd try it on the target audience instead, and got my husband to wear this on his face. The smell of this one was also pretty yummy, although noticeably more masculine, but again without being too strong or overpowering. This product has aloe vera, argan oil and olive, all of which are great products for the skin.

My husband applied this all over his face and said he liked the smell, and found it moisturising but found it slightly greasy for his face. Personally I found it pretty absorbent on my hand and didn't find it greasy myself, but husband noted that while it's not heavy at all, and smelled great, he prefers lighter, thinner creams for his face.

Key Ingredients:

• Vitamin E – one of the most well-known and researched antioxidants, vitamin E occurs natu-rally in human skin and can help to prevent signs of premature ageing. It works to block free radicals from the body, which play a large part in the ageing process. It is a fabulous moistur-ising agent to keep skin smooth and supple and also has anti-inflammatory properties.
• Argan Oil - for generations, natives of the Argan Forest in Morocco have collected and pressed the nut to extract this precious oil. It absorbs easily and is non-greasy and non-irritating, which makes it a great natural moisturiser. With its high Vitamin E and fatty acid content, it helps to give skin a natural glow.
• Wheat Protein - recognised for its great hydrating properties, it is also shown to be one of the most effective pore minimisers and will help to smooth fine lines.
• Aloe Vera – used since ancient times it is a well-known soothing ingredient. This rich hydra-tor helps to moisturise without leaving a greasy feel and has great healing properties, perfect for post-shaving.

Pure Luxury Body Lotion 250ml
This was the biggest bottle of the three, and came with a pump that locks and opens when you twist it, which I liked. Again, this is a fairly luxurious looking bottle for a body lotion, which I can imagine looking good on my dresser.

This cream was a tiny bit thicker than the face cream which is ideal for the body, especially as I have drier skin on my body than face, and prefer something heavier for my body. This also smelled great, and had a mix of Vitamin E, rice protein, olive, argan and jojoba oils, all of which are a good mix of moisturising ingredients. I used this mainly on my arms and legs and found it pretty absorbent, and again thought it moisturised my skin well, I usually use body butters which last me the whole day so was pleased to see that this works the same way - moisturising my skin the whole day.

Key ingredients:

• Jojoba Oil - moisturising and nourishing, it closely resembles the sebum in our own skin meaning it is very easily absorbed.
• Hyaluronic Acid - naturally found in the body, this helps to keep skin, plump and hydrated for a smooth, youthful appearance.
• Olive Oil Extract - naturally packed with anti-ageing antioxidants and hydrating squalene, it is a superb moisturising ingredient for skin.
• Rice Protein - helps to improve the skin's moisture barrier for true hydration and dry skin relief and protection from environmental aggressors.

Overall, I think this is an excellent range which has been well thought out and takes more into consideration than just being a halal skincare brand - it actually tries to address good skincare issues by looking at good ingredients and the fact that the creams do what they're supposed to do.
I'm not an expert when it comes to skincare (and usually have to look online for reviews or ask a few friends of mine for more information) but I did also like that this is not just targeted for Muslims - it is for anyone looking for a decent skincare brand and also for those looking for cruelty-free and vegan or vegetarian products, who expect a good quality brand.

I also think this is very reasonably priced for what it costs - one of my biggest problems when looking for suitable skincare has always been value for money (we can't all afford Creme de la Mer creams!) and I think that while some of the better skincare products are expensive for a reason, they don't always have to be - and this is certainly a reflection of that.

You can find out more about Al Din in these links below - let me know what you think!
Website
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YouTube commercial