The Review: Eden Salon & Spa, Sharq

Another review of a nail salon because I just love to pamper myself at the weekend :)

The background:A week ago, because I had heard a lot of raving reviews about Eden Salon & Spa I thought I would visit them to see what the hype was really all about!

Amazing range of nail polishes!

The Review: So after my uninviting and not so warm or friendly welcome to the salon I sat down and a lovely girl prepped my Gelish removal. I was then told to choose my colour which I spent absolutely ages on :S They have SO many colours it is pretty cool and I will give them credit for that but then I ended up opting for a French Manicure as it is classy, chic and goes with everything. I had only one person working on my feet and then my hands and as lovely as she was, I did not find the mani and pedi to be thorough enough. I was there for 2 hours which was fine but the seats were not so comfy and I think it has to be a must if you are going to be relaxing for a long time. Anyways, when I was there it was quite busy and noisy but the last half hour was so nice and quiet as there was hardly anyone there! The Gelish looked good when she was doing it but when it was finished, I notice detail well and the white line was smudged/blurred on a few nails which hasn't happened in previous salons. Also when I got home, I had a nap (hehe) and when I woke up my big toe nails were smudged too.  To be honest I think the salon is best for haircuts and hairstyles which I may try out one day. 

Gelish French Manicure

The Verdict: I would give them 6/10 and this is due to how I was welcomed when I entered the salon. I found the receptionist to be quite arrogant and stuck up which turned me off the whole experience there straight away. I think Eden Salon and Spa is overrated and there are much nicer spas like Nail It and Me Time and I am sure there are others too.  Also they were not as thorough as Nail It in Hawally and Me Time Spa in Al-Rai so I would not revisit for a manicure or pedicure - maybe for my hair but we will see!

That's all for now - will blog soon :)

Love & Blessings,

Sara

The Review: Me Time Spa, The Avenues Mall, Al-Rai

So this is a long time coming as I wanted to post this review about 3 weeks ago but I have been quite busy with school - report writing is no fun!

Anyways since I am here in Kuwait for a year I thought why not try a range of salons to pamper myself. This is the third salon which I have tried out a Gelish Manicure and normal pedicure. the second salon which is located in my apartment block sadly does not deserve a review as I thought the service was quite poor :(

The Background:
I found out about this salon/spa originally whilst surfing the net and also by a friend. So I thought why not?!

The vast array of nail polishes!

Me Time Nail Spa

The  Review:
It was easy to book an appointment and their availability was pretty good. I arrived about 20 minutes early but they were more than happy to start my mani and pedi. I spent about 10 minutes deciding on a colour as I had wanted to match the Gelish colour to my pedi. I eventually chose a mint turquoise ( 'Kiss me I'm a Prince' for my hands and Essie's 'Turquoise and Caicos' for my feet. I cannot remember the name of the girls ( sorry!) but they were lovely and offered me a drink and then put on the massage chair which was amazing. They got to work and did a great job - I felt very relaxed as the place was calm, quiet and tranquil. The layout was nice and minimal with a splash of colour. It made me feel as if I was somewhere else in Kuwait.

So I had two girls, one working on my hands and the other on my feet and they worked well. My feet were bathed in water for a while and then wrapped in cling film to make them extra soft and then the pedicure was started. For my hands, she tidied them up, cut and filed and then prepped for Gelish. I would say the woman doing my manicure was more thorough than the woman doing my feet but the end results were fantastic so I was pleased.

Gelish Manicure and Regular Pedicure 

My Gorgeous Gelish Nails :)

The Verdict: The staff were lovely and friendly and very accommodating so I would give Me Time Spa 9/10. If they were more thorough I would have given them 10/10.

I hope you enjoyed my post and if you are in Kuwait and looking for a nail salon, I would definitely recommend Me Time Spa.

Love & Blessings,
Sara xx

My Makeup in Kuwait

Since I have been in Kuwait, my skin has had to get used to air conditioning and the heat. From going to one extreme into another was crazy as my skin would get quite dry but finally my skin has adjusted. I thought I would do a post on my makeup routine at the moment. I've realised that now I am older, I don't tend to try out different products as much as I have found makeup that suits my skin - so why go on the hunt for something that is not needed? Of course there are some exceptions with being abroad as there aren't the same brands as the UK. Below is a breakdown of the products used for the look.

Face: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser in Sand, MAC Moisture cover Concealer in NW20, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer Palette in No 4, Sleek Contour Kit in Medium.

Cheeks: Sleek Blush in Suede, Sue Moxley Highlighter in Miami ( discontinued) or I use these for my blush NARS Madly Blush and The Body Shop  Baked Bronzer in 02.

Eyes: Collection Liquid Eyeliner in Black, Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Perversion, Models Own Eyelash Curlers ( now replaced with Sephora's Eyelash Curlers), Revlon Photoready Mascara, Urban Decay Cannonball Mascara, NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk (used to highlight under eyebrows).

Lips: OCC Lip Tar in Hush, Natural Collection Lipstick in Rose Petal (lightly dabbed on lips) Inglot Sleeks Lipgloss in 32 or I usually use MAC Jazzed/Everhip with Inglot Sleeks Lipgloss in 32.

Brushes used: Real Techniques Contour Brush, GOSH Blush Brush, OCC Lip Brush.

I really like this look as it's natural looking and not over the top. It allows me to build up both the blush or lip colour and it can change the final look. For those who may be wondering, I recently dyed my hair too using Wella - I can't remember the shade but it was a bright red, maybe it was called Ruby Red? I hope you all enjoyed this post. If you have any questions please feel free to leave me a comment or email me.

That's all for now...until next time :)

Love & Blessings,

Sara

Eid Treats for moi :)

So yesterday I ventured to The Avenues Mall to pick up a few essentials but to also 'treat' myself for Eid and the work I have put into my job so far. I didn't think it would be SO busy but it was! I entered via The Grand Avenues entrance and went straight to Harvery Nicholls to pick up a lipstick I had seen on an makeup artist's instagram I follow. Her makeup is absolutely flawless and amazing. I love it! Sadly, Illamasqua were out of stock of 'Over'  (matte bright peach coral) so I went on to find the Eden Spa I had been reading about but I was informed it had closed down a long time ago - gutted as the reviews were amazing!

So I did a spot of essentials shopping at H&M and picked up a top and few trousers for work and leggings for the gym. Then I headed to Sephora ( my favourite makeup shop although in Q8 it is quite small!) Anyways, I needed to replace my eyelash curlers so I picked up a pair of Sephora's own brand which I will review once I have tried and tested them. I also restocked my mascara. I have found my 'Holy Grail' mascara which actually consists of working with two together. First I apply Revlon Photoready which defines and separates each lash and then I apply using a slight zig zag movement, Urban Decay Cannonball. I love how this combination lifts my lashes and they look as if I am wearing falsies :P Whilst I was in Sephora, I want to treat myself to a perfume but I was unsure as to which one. I must have had about 10 samples and lost count as to which perfumes they were but I eventually narrowed them down to 3 and then chose a new scent. I chose the classic Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel which is a lovely, light but gorgeous scent. Then I went on the hunt for a black liquid liner - honestly I must have swatched a few from Makeup Forever, Sephora and Boots and then I went back to Makeup Forever. I bought the new Matter Eyeliner in Black which I am yet to try. I wish I had stocked up on a few cheap makeup essentials from the UK as you can't find the same here. E.g. Sleek and Collection.

Eid Treats L - R: Coco Mademoiselle EDP, MUFE Matte Eyeliner & Rouge Intense Lipstick,
Sephora Eyelash Curlers, UD Cannonball Mascara, Revlon PhotoReady Mascara, Bvlgari Sunglasses 

My last big purchase was a pair of sunglasses. Unfortunately I had scratched my pair of Ray Bans by not taking care of them :( I have had them since I was 18 and Ray Ban don't do replacement lenses anymore. On the positive side, I got to look for a brand new pair. This time I had my eye on Bvlgari - they are just so elegant and chic even with the diamantes! Again I tried on about 10 before I narrowed them down to 2 and then I finally chose a brown pair with a simple diamante design on both sides of the lenses. I was very happy with the purchase and cannot wait to wear them!

I will take photos of my new stash from my haul and update the post ASAP!

Love & Blessings,

Sara

The Review: Nail It Spa, Hawally

So I thought since I have been to get my nails done twice at this salon I should probably do a review!

The background: I had wanted to get a manicure and pedicure as the my current nail polish was dated! I had a gorgeous peachy pink with diamantes on my hands and feet for my cousins's wedding prior to moving to Kuwait. They were beautiful..If I can find a photo I will include it below :) Anyways I needed to refresh my nails so I googled nail salons near where I live and I came across Nail It. It seemed quite reasonable and it was near so my friend and I popped along about 3 weeks ago now for our first visit.

LED Gel Manicure at Nazila Love Glamour, London

The review: On the morning they called me to remind me that I still had an appointment which was nice and the receptionist was very polite and friendly. When we got there, we were greeted and asked which scrub for the manicure we wished to go for. They were lovely but I felt a little pressurised in opting for the 'Soothing It' scrub so we went for that only to find out properly about the others which we then changed to the regular Nail It scrub. We were asked to choose our colours - I opted for a french manicure as it's chic and it goes with everything. We were led to sit down in our chairs and our manicurist came. I had Carol and Nori and they were both so lovely and friendly. It definitely felt like a pamper session with my hands and feet being done. They took their time and asked what shape name I would like and if I wanted any other treatments. I really enjoyed it. The whole manicure and pedicure took about 2 hours. This was because I had to have my previous Gelish nails removed and then reapplied. I just had a regular french pedicure as nail polish on my toes tends to last longer.

My first visit to Nail It - French Gelish Manicure

My second visit to Nail It - Regular Manicure using Orly Mayhem Mentality (LOVE IT!)

The verdict: So overall I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and I ended up bringing another friend on my second visit. The staff were very attentive and friendly which is a must. Also, there is a tv with my favourite E! News which made me feel very at home and relaxed. The pricing is reasonable as I ended up paying 21KD for a Gelish manicure, regular pedicure, callus removal and Gelish removal so I would definitely go again. I would give this salon 9/10!

As I had a regular manicure and pedicure on my second visit, I found that with my day to day activities it did not last as long as the Gelish. So next time I visit I will be returning to Gelish manicures. I would definitely recommend visiting this salon. They also have another branch in Arraya which offers massages and other treatments.

That's all for now,

Love & Blessings,
Sara xx

Ahlan w Sahlan from Kuwait :)

Ahlan w Sahlan all my lovelies :) I have finally moved to and settled in Kuwait!

I have been in Kuwait for a month now and I am getting used to a more relaxed way of life.  For the first 2 weeks, I had an school induction which was quite dull to be honest. There was a lot of talking and sitting and listening...and not much information being taken in! The fun part came when we were allowed to decorate out classrooms. I really enjoyed decorating mine. I love to make sure that each and every child will enjoy learning in my classroom and so far it's so good. My class are lovely, chatty too but so very lovely. I am glad I do not have a class like last year who were just out of this world!

So far I have been to two beach clubs that were lovely but I will not join as there are mixed facilities. I am hoping to join gym nearby and I am looking forward at getting into more of a routine. Next week I start Arabic which I am excited about! I have also looked into horse riding...I want to make the most of my time whilst I am out here.

In terms of teaching, it is different from the UK. The majority of the staff are unfamiliar with the British curriculum which was a bit odd at first considering the school prides itself on teaching from the British curriculum. Other than that, the staff are nice and my team and I get along well. The children are lovely and they are thriving to learn which is so nice to see.

Out of school, I have been to a few malls and eaten out. Kuwait is beautiful and relaxing but there is not a lot to do compared to London. Obviously they are two different places on two different scales! But I am trying to find things to get involved in so I am busy and making use of my time.

Tomorrow is Saturday so like a Sunday in the UK...and I will be popping into school to do a few jobs. That way on Sunday aka Monday morning everything will have been prepped :)

Well I am going to sleep now, as I intend on waking up early to do a few jobs!

Love & Blessings,
Sara

A long time coming post...

Ah...I cannot believe I have not posted since April. It has been crazy! I have been very busy with school( I will do a separate post about what's been happening). Also it is now Ramadhan which ia going well. Ramadhan Kareem to all those who are fasting!

So what's been happening...?!

Oh yeah in the May half term my friend Tam and I vacationed in Tunisia. The time has gone so quickly since we visited there but it was an amazing holiday. We really relaxes and enjoyed ourselves. Photos to follow.

Apart from that I visited my sister in Geneva which was so beautiful. It is a really relaxing city and I would definitely visit again. I will post pics at the the end of this blogpost.

Aside from my mini trips...I have been counting down the days until I leave which I am excited and also nervous about. I have started packing some things for Kuwait and bringing home  from school my resources. I actually cannot wait to leave. The start of the next chapter is awaiting and I can't wait to see what's in store!

I did.remember I was going to type up a post on My Jar of Smiles which are events and things that have happened  or I have achieved throughout the year which have put a.smile on my face. I will do a post on that soon..

Love & blessings for now,
Sara xx