What Look Am I Rockin'?....Halloween Black Cat..Meow!

This blog is a 'Halloween Special' showcasing my simple black cat look for 'Dress Up' day at school.

From teaching in the Kuwait where Halloween was not really mentioned or celebrated due to it being associated with Paganism, I was surprised that Oman is tolerant to acknowledge it. Also in comparison to the UK where I don't recall celebrating it the schools I have worked at either it is a change! As a school we focussed on the fun and games and dressing up as ghouls and familiar characters. Each year group also designed a game for the 'Halloween Carnival' which the kids loved! I came up with the 'Pumpkin Toss' for Year 2 and it was a hit! The kids really enjoyed bobbing for apples too! All in all it was a lovely day for the kids :)

So, usually I would opt for the easiest option of being a witch but this year I felt that I wanted to experiment with using make up to create a look. I decided on the black cat (without the tail!) Haha! I did just want to focus on my face as I knew I would be outside for a large portion of the day and did not want to wear anything uncomfortable or something I would sweat profusely in. The weather in Oman is sunny and hot which is fine but when the humidity is high, it is not so nice.

Anyways, so I scoured Google and Youtube for a few cat looks and I guess I merged a few into one. First off I bought a cat ear hairband from Claire's which was super cute. The rest of the look was creating using a few bits of make up as noted below.

Close up of my Black Cat Look :)

Make up used:

Face: LM Tinted Moisturiser, MAC Prep and Prime in Peach Lustre and Bright Forecast, Giorgio Armani Maestro Concealer, ABH Dipbrow Pomade in Chocolate, LM Baked Highlighter.

Cheeks: NARS Blush in Madly, LM Baked Highlighter.

Eyes: Collection Liquid Eyeliner, Sephora Eyeliner, Huda Beauty Mink Lashes in Bridget.

Lips: Collection Liquid Eyeliner on upper lip, Rimmel Nude Delight on bottom lip.

How I created the look:

1. First I applied my base and then on my upper lash I painted on my eyeliner in the form of a 'Cat eye flick'.

2. On my lower lash line I used the a black Sephora pencil eyeliner.

3. After I applied Huda Beauty Mink Lashes in Bridget using Huda Beauty Lash Glue in Black with my tweezers. I must be getting good as I applied in one go and they were purrfect :P

4. Then using the liquid liner I painted on the nose and drew a line connecting it to my upper lip. I then painted them both in using the liner (amazing staying power in this heat and humidity too!). I extended the corners of my mouth to a little flick to accentuate the mouth better.

5. As I finished that, I drew 3 whiskers and 3 dots on each side of my face, going up towards my cheeks.

5. Using Rimmel lipstick in Nude Delight, I filled in my bottom lip.

6. I finished off with a spritz of MAC's Fix+ et voila my look was complete.

I hope you enjoyed my 'Halloween Cat Look'.

Love & Blessings,

Sara xx

Teacher Talk: What's it like to teach in the Middle East?

'Teacher Talk' is my new feature where I will blog about all things education related. I hope you find this interesting :)

Teaching in the Middle East - Oman

*1 month update*

Over the past few days, as a teacher I have been involved in teaching my children, planning with colleagues and preparing resources for my lessons. I have also been thinking a lot about the role of teachers here in Oman but across the Middle East.

A year ago, after teaching in London for two years I was yearning for a new challenge but also for the chance to teach and travel abroad. The Middle East stuck out immediately as I had visited a few countries as a tourist and also as a volunteer. I also favoured it because the culture is similar to mine not mention the halal food!

For those of you who read my blog I definitely had an experience in Kuwait. It wasn't so much with the children. They made my stay thoroughly enjoyable. It was members of management, a few teachers and HR. So after an interesting and at times shocking experience in Kuwait I decided to move to Oman.

I had visited Oman on vacation and fell in love with the people and the country. They had a real humbleness about them and were so friendly too. The country of Oman is just spectacular with their range of mountains and natural springs. It really is amazing.

Now back to the focus of this blogpost, teaching. So the negative attitudes of teachers and their shockingly low expectations of the kids really made me question what the role of teaching includes.

As a teacher my personal opinion is that we are there to teach every single child the curriculum we follow whether it is British, American or IB. This also means to differentiate, scaffold and ensure that every child can access the learning. I rarely saw this in Kuwait and teachers were astounded by having to differentiate in their class. They just didn't want to do it and consistently complained it was too much work! Curiously, it made me wonder how they taught back in their home countries and if all their children progressed well.

Having only been in Oman for almost 3 weeks now I have also noticed that these low expectations of the children are evident and this saddens me as a teacher. A few weeks ago I had a conversation regarding Literacy (now this is Y2 we are teaching), and was basically informed that independent story writing is taught towards the end of year. That in itself shocked me because as a teacher you have to teach them the skills and give them opportunities to develop their writing.

Yes we have to ensure that the children understand the fundamentals to learning but also if we don't give them these crucial opportunities like writing stories, practically constructing inventions or even allowing them to make mistakes and reassure them, they will never reach their potential but instead will just be coasting for the rest of their primary education.

I came to the Middle East with the mindset that I will not treat these children any different to how I treated the children back in the UK. I also said to myself that my expectations would remain high to ensure they make the required and if not more progress by the end of the year.

So have I stood by these promises or pledges since I started teaching here?

I am proud to say yes I have and I will continue to do so. Parents are investing their money knowing that us teachers will help provide an enriching education to their children. It is unfortunate that a lot of schools in the Middle East deliver a very poor to basic education to their children without the parents knowing. Sometimes I wish that parents knew exactly what happens inside the school but it is because they put their trust in the schools that they will never find out.

At times, yes I may be seen as a rebel  when I change some of the plans for the week but it is because I am ensuring that my children are learning the skills expected in Y2, being challenged and also working to high expectations and do they come out with the results. YES! This is because of the high expectations and positive attitude of the teacher. I am in now way berating myself. I am merely doing my job which I feel should be given 100% wherever you are in the world. I really wish I came across more teachers like myself who feel passionately about delivering an excellent education to children.

I will continue to update you all on my experience here in Oman. I can say that so far it is much better than Kuwait in terms of organisation, how we assess and the procedure of assessments. The days flows nicely and nothing is sprung upon you like in Kuwait and there is half the paperwork!

*2 month update *
I am enjoying having 20 children in my class and it honestly makes a difference than having 30. I can work with groups and set them off whilst extending others. I've become more creative with my teaching and I have a lovely rapport with the children, parents a d my colleagues. It's like we're a big family :)

I hope you enjoyed reading now off to enjoy my weekend in Doha!

Love & Blessings,
Sara xx

What look am I rockin'?...Super Sleek Smokey look

So this week I ventured out to City Center to pick up a few bits and bobs and have a mooch around the shops.  I decided to have a go at my dark brown smokey eye look and loved the results. However I was obviously more interested in documenting my hair as I haven't straightened in a very long time!

I have listed the products used below:

Face: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser, MAC Prep and Prime Illuminator in Peach Lustre and Bright Forecast, Gorgie Armani Maestro Concealer in 2.5.

Cheeks: Laura Mercier Baked Highlight in 01, MAC Peaches Blush,  Sleek Blush in Suede, Laura Mercier Indiscretion Highlighter

Eyes: MAC Paint in Bare Canvas to prime lids, L'Oréal Palette (I need to check the name!), Collection 2000 liquid eyeliner in black, NARS Mekong eyeshadow ( LOVE!), Benefit Rollerlash, Urban Decay Cannonball, washi tape to achieve a sleek finish.

Lips: NYX Lip Plumper, Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo in 01, Natural Collection Lipstick in Rose Petal, Loreal Lip Gloss ( I can't remember the name..again will check!)

Whilst writing this post I thought I would mention that you don't necessarily have to be labelled as 'official ' make up artist or blogger to experiment with or create looks. I've learnt my makeup application mainly through my own experimentation and YouTube videos from other bloggers. Also, it is completely fine to mix shades together. No look is created from just one single colour. I always mix lip colours together to make my desired shade. That's the art of makeup :)

I hope you enjoyed reading. I am now off to Qatar for the weekend. I hope to blog on my experience of teaching Oman when I am back.

Love & Blessings,
Sara xx

I'm haulin' Lipsticks!

So as promised in my last blogpost I am going to share with you my latest lippie purchases that I made over the summer in The States and also in the UAE. I particularly like the fact how Rimmel have totally different shades than in the UK and I feel they are of a much better quality too.

I absolutely LOVE nudes whether they are pink nudes, brownish nudes, peach nudes or pinky - brown nudes! I LOVE nudes primarily for the fact that they go with any makeup look.

I adore Rose Petal from The Natural Collection (Boots) but the last two lipsticks I have bought have broke so I thought of trying to match it up with a high end lippie and I've been SO close but never an exact dupe.  I ended up getting Hourglass  Femme Nude Lip Stylo in 1, Kat Von D ( Agatha),  and also MAC Hue which similar in shade but each either a tad lighter or darker. 

Hue is my latest purchase which I haven't worn much but have experiment with layering over a lip liner as it is quite sheer being a glaze finish.

I am actually also liking MAC 's Kinda Sexy which is a pinky but more brown tones nude that is of a matte finish. Glaze and Matte finishes from MAC are new to my collection. I do like the matte finish but i do have to make sure I have prepped my lips well beforehand. I tend to go for Cremesheen or Lustre. I love how moisturising and pigmented they are on my lips and also giving off a glossy finish.

So below are 2 images of my lippies. The first is a picture of them in their containers and the second as swatches on my hand. I will be sure to make more use of my newer purchases :)

Love & Blessings,
Sara xx

L -R: HG Femme Nude Stylo in 01, KVD Agatha, MAC Pure Zen, MAC Hue, MAC Kinda Sexy, Rimmel Blushing Beige, Rimmel Coral Blast, Rimmel Shocking Coral.

Lipstick swatches

What Look Am I Rockin'...? Cat-eye, contour and highlight!

Hey all,

I can't believe it has been a month since I last posted on here. I have been crazily busy settling down in Oman and finally feel 'settled' after a whirlwind of a month! My apartment is feeling more homely and I am finding my way around now before it was the norm to get lost on the way to or from the mall..lol! School is going well and it is AMAZING having just 20 kids in my class, I can actually give each one my time which is great. The staff are lovely and my TA is brilliant too.

So let's crack on. Last night I really wanted to watch a movie but my internet was playing up which was not cool. Anyways I decided to watch some make up videos primarily on 'cat eye' and 'contour' tutorials. I really enjoyed watching 'NikkiesTutorials' which made me laugh but were really clear and her makeup is so beautiful! On my recent trip to Dubai, I bought a cream contour stick from MAC, it is actually called the 'Master Concealer' in 8.5 but the MUA sold it to me. She was actually a pretty good MAC Makeup Artist at the MAC Concession in the Mall of Emirates . I find the majority of MAC makeup artists rude and useless and they always match me up wrong( seriously I look like I have been tangoed and this was just concealer!). This is the second best experience ( my first was at a MAC store in Chicago). Anyways, I bought that along with a repurchase of 'Bright Forecast' for my highlighter and a new lippie 'Kinda Sexy' which I am LOVE with!

Let's get back to the blogpost lol! So I have recently changed up how I apply my eyeliner to more of straight flick than a curve and a flick. But then I saw the cat eye and fell in love so I have been practising and practising and I finally think I have nailed it. I love how it changes how my eyes look and my whole makeup look. I stand by my best liquid eyeliner of them all, 'Collection 2000' in black.

For my contour, I do own the raved about 'Anastasia Beverley Hills' Contour Kit but at times I don't like the way powder in general is on my skin so that's why I purchased the cream contour stick. I did apply a matte bronzer on top which I think worked well. I actually look contoured and not a muddy mess for once! I went through a contour phase for a while whilst I lived in Kuwait but then getting ready for school in a jiffy was my priority! Now I am back in the phase but I only contour when I am going out, never for school. It is not worth all the hassle especially in this hot, sticky and humid weather!

So as always here is a list of the products used below. Oh and apologies for my hair - I wanted to let it au naturale for the weekend as I wash it pretty much all week because of the weather. So yesterday and today it was a scooped up messy bun!

Contour and Highlight

Base products: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser in Sand, Giorgio Armani Maestro Concealer in 2.5, MAC Prep & Prime in Peach Lustre.

Products used to contour: MAC Master Concealer Stick in 8.5, Laura Mercier Radiant Matte Baked Bronzer in 03

Products used to highlight: MAC Prep & Prime Highlighter in Bright Forecast and Laura Mercier Baked Highlighter in 01 (LOVE THIS!) For Blush I used: Milani Luminoso (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!)

Contour, highlight and cat-eye on FLEEK!

Cat-eye liner products: Collection 2000 Liquid liner in black, Laura Mercier Eyelash Curler, Benefit Rollerlash mascara, Maybelline Collosal Waterproof Mascara (new purchase and liking it so far!)

                                       

 An uber close close-up - sorry!

Lip products: NYX Lip plumper, No7 Natural Lip Liner, Mac Hue lipstick, Buxom Lipgloss in Samantha

Hope you enjoyed - I am feeling a lippie post coming up. I might post about some new lip purchases from the USA and Dubai.

Love & Blessings,

Sara xx

What Look Am I Rockin'...Pakistani Wedding Makeup!

This Summer, my family and I ventured over to the States as my cousin was getting married. It was a big occasion as he is the first out of all of us cousins to get hitched. It was a really fun event and was nice spending time with my family over there. I spent most of my time in Ohio and then roadtripped to Philly and New Jersey for the wedding which took place over 2 days.

The couple decided on 2 days out of the traditional 3. The groom actually wanted a small and quiet affair but because the bride was the only girl on her side, it had to be lavish!

So, the first evening was the Henna night and it was lovely and colourful. I actually wore a suit I have worn before but I wasn't bothered. I am not so into new suits and designers but into dressing it up with accessories and make up. I chose a mustard and bronze suit and teamed it with bronzy smoky eyes with a glowing base. I wore a 'tikka' for the first time and absolutely loved it! It was so pretty but had to keep making sure it was straight for photos! I have included a few pics so you can see in different lighting. I also wore my HudaBeauty Giselle lashes which really gave my eyes a dramatic look. I love how easy it is to apply these lashes too. I am so going to have to stock up on them being in Oman, I'll have to pop over to Dubai soon!

Me :)

One of my cousins and I

My sister, me and family friends.

 The next day was the Barat which is where the Nikah ( Islamic marriage ) takes places. It confirms the marriage through a few passages of the Quran and consent from both families. They had a lovely Imam who explained it all in English and made it humorous too. The bride and groom looked stunning together and it was really sweet seeing them married :)

For this day I bought I suit from the UK, I remember going out for the day and not finding anything I liked until we came to the last shop and I saw a few suits but this one stood out. I wasn't sure if it was too bright to wear to the wedding but ah that is what Pakistani weddings are all about! I tried it on and fell in love! It was SO heavy to wear and sadly on the day because my scarf was so long the baubles on the ends broke as I kept standing on them lol. Anyhow the dress was lovely and I was glad I ended up buying it. I will definitely be wearing it to another wedding for sure!

In terms of the makeup, I opted for a more glowing based  and used some of my new USA makeup purchases and also had smoky eyes again with my Huda Beauty lashes to give my eyes the 'wow' effect. I was really impressed with how my makeup and hair turned out considering I did it all myself. There was a makeup artist and hair stylist on the day for our family but I didn't think she was all that great without being rude. I have to say I was so pleased for those 2 days my makeup stayed on flawless for the whole evening and I did not even go to the bathroom to retouch!

My sister and I :)

The groom's mother, my cousin - the groom, my sister and I

Photo bombing the entrance to the Nikah ceremony

I hope you enjoyed reading - more blogs to come soon :)

Love & blessings,
Sara

Update: My Summer vacation & moving to Oman

Aah! It has been TOO long since I last blogged. Honestly it was a crazy summer. I arrived back in the UK in June and then had a break for a week or so and then I ended up working at my mum's school doing all the planning for Art and also for Design & Technology for the whole year for all of the year groups! That was a mission but actually developed my planning more which was great.

After that it was crazy getting together my outfits for my cousin's wedding and sorting things for my move to Oman. I am not sure if I mentioned in any of my last posts but I decided to leave Kuwait after working in a terrible school with some terrible teachers. I found a lovely school in Muscat, Oman and accepted a job offer there. I still felt I hadn't fulfilled my travelling itinerary and wanted one more year of a work/life balance so that's why I decided to stay out here in the Middle East.

After all the madness was over my family and I were in the States for about 2 weeks spending time as a whole family. We also threw in a spontaneous trip to Canada which I am in love with! I love Toronto! Anyways back to the wedding so Asian families are huuuuge not to mention we had lots of family friends over too! It was a lovely time and seeing my cousin get married was really nice. He is actually the first out of all us cousins. Whilst we stayed in Toledo, Ohio it took place in Philly and was very beautiful.

 I miss being in the States! I literally flew back to the UK the day after and then repacked my stuff for Oman and flew out to Oman the day after! I was SO jet lagged and I went into work that morning! Anyways 2 weeks have passed and I feel more settled. Honestly, when I arrived to the apartment ( which I took over from a previous teacher) it was in a terrible state and infested with cockroaches. It was definetly not what I wanted when I arrived from my flight. Anyways it's all been deep cleaned by me and I think I have got rid of the little creepies. I still have a whole bunch of things to sort but it will get there in time.

So that's my update for now - I will be posting blogs on my makeup haulage from the USA, my makeup looks from the wedding and how I prepared my new classroom :)

Keep reading and I will be back very soon - now off to make presentation to welcome my parents/children to Year 2 :)

Love & Blessings,

Sara xx