Ethnicity Tag

I was looking around for some tags to do, and this one caught my eye! It's six questions about your ethnicity, and when I read the questions, a couple of times I had to look up the origins of stuff - didn't realise I was so rusty on my culture :O 
Anyhoo, lets get started shall we? :D

1. What is your ethnicity?

I am a British born Pakistani :o) I tend to get mistaken for other ethnicities a lot though, which is always funny because it's usually foreign students who come upto me and speak to me in their own language and I never know what to say! O.o poor kids, I feel bad that I can't help you! lol

[source]

2. When was the last time you visited your country?

Oof. Seven, eight years ago? It was for one of my aunty's wedding. Haven't been since. I think I've been about five or six times in my whole life haha. I'd show you a picture of me at the wedding but I hadn't donned my hijaab yet so.. :P

3. Name one ethnic food you enjoy the most?

Samosa chaat! A meat (and/or veggie) filled pastry, that is fried till golden brown, with chick peas in a spicy mix of yoghurt, onions, chillis, and boiled potatoes various other ingredients. NOM!

[source]

Wait.. I just realised that that dish originated in India.. Hmm. Okay well how about this: Pakistani style chickpea pilau. *tries not to drool* I very rarely have this because in my house, everyone favours having chicken or meat in the pilau rather than chickpeas. Hmph. (And yes.. I'm sure you've realised by now.. I love my chick peas! :D)

(Side note: ...why can I never find food pics that look appetising enough? Sigh. Just trust me, they look good when my mum makes them lol)

4. Name one household item that best represents your culture.

Just one? That's kind of hard. Can I have a collective one? If so it'd probably be our ground spices drawer. It's all about the spices bby~
If not, then I'd say a thawa! I have no idea what it's called in English, but we make chapattis on it. :D

[source]

5. What part of your country are you from?

I'd rather not answer this.. tis a bit too private for my liking!

6. Can you speak the language of your ethnicity?
Jee haan! Bilkul bhol sakti hoon. Lekin Pakistan ki bas aik hi zubaan - Urdu - nahi hai, meray pyaaray readers;  humaaray deis main khoob zubaanai hai! Urdu aur English Pakistan ki official zubaanai hain, lekin Punjabi, Potwari, Pushto, Balochi aur Sindhi bhi hamaarai behn bhaiyyo bolte hain! Aur bhi hongi, lekin mukhe maloom nahi hai.. heh.

[translation]

Yes! Ofcourse, I can definitely speak it. But Pakistan does not have just one language - Urdu - my lovely readers; our country has many languages! Urdu and English are Pakistans official languages, but Punjabi, Potwari, Pushto, Balochi, and Sindhi is also spoken by our fellow brothers and sisters! I'm pretty sure there are more, but I don't know them.. heh.

Well there you go my dears! Hope you enjoyed todays post (^__^) I tag everyone who reads this to do it, it's always fun learning about your background and culture, and it's always fun learning about others' too!

Easy 3 Ingredient Nutella Brownies Recipe ♥

Ahh Nutella. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. I love it so much that I can eat it by the spoon.. bad, I know. And now I'm going to pass on my nutella addiction onto you, dear reader, in the form of these easy peasy Nutella brownies. I know. I'm sorry in advance. :P

Ingredients:

♦ 1 egg 

♦ 5 tbsp plain flour

♦ ½ cup Nutella (approx 140g/5oz)

♦ ¼ cup chocolate chips (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a 6 hole muffin pan with cupcake liners

2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the Nutella, flour and egg until thoroughly mixed.

3. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin holes, and sprinkle some chocolate chips on each.

4. Bake in the oven for approx 12 minutes. 

5. Take out and leave on rack to cool for a few minutes, before stuffing your face with their deliciousness with a nice hot cuppa ♥

You're quite welcome. :P

P.S. I would have taken pics of the brownies.. but they're always gone before I get a chance to get my camera out. LOL!

Updated Skincare Routine for A/W 2012

Aloha my lovely followers (^__^) Today I thought I'd post my updated skincare routine, as it has changed a bit since I last posted my first one.. so come on then, let's get cracking! ;D

Cleansers & Exfoliators:

 Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2-in-1 Face Wash and Mask (£3.99)

These past few months my T- zone has gotten oilier than usual, so I busted out the old Neutrogena cleanser. I used to use this when I was younger - my skin was soooooo much more oilier back then than it is now, but still oily enough to have to use a clay based cleanser such as this. I recommend it wholeheartedly; even my sister who has sensitive skin uses this and her skin has never been irritated by it. It's great as a mask too!

St Ives Timeless Skin Apricot Scrub (Renew & Firm) (£4.29)

I'm currently using this exfoliator, but I won't lie it's nothing special. I prefer the old formula; it was gritter (which I prefer when it comes to exfoliators),whereas this one is not as much, but still enough to do the job. I suppose this is good for everyday because it's not as harsh. It smells lovely though, I love the smell of apricots!

Homemade All Purpose Sugar Scrub (not pictured - click here for the recipe)

For days when I feel like I really need to exfoliate my skin, when it's feeling dull and my moisturiser isn't sinking in as fast as it normally does, I reach for this. Simple, cheap and easy to make, it's gritty enough for me and really sloughs off the dead skin cells, and leaves my skin feeling as soft as a babys bum! I tend to use this on the weekends when I have more time in the mornings to really exfoliate properly (as it can get a bit messy, depending on how much oily I've decided to put in!), otherwise I use the St Ives one in the weekdays just because it's easier and faster.

Soap & Glory Mini Mitt (£4)

For when I really don't have enough time to exfoliate, I put some cleanser onto this little beauty and massage it onto my wet face - gentle exfoliation and cleansing all at the same time, which means more time for me to eat more in the morning :P

Moisturisers, lip balms, & spot treatments:

Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser (£3.79)

I use this in the morning before I put my makeup on. Sinks in fast, keeps my skin moisturised all day, very rarely do I need to apply two layers - only when my cheeks are feeling overly dry. I stock up on this when it's on offer hehe :oD

Garnier Dark Spot Corrector (£7.49)

I'm not going to lie to you, this hasn't really helped with my dark marks. But what it is good at is moisturising - you only need a tiny amount aswell, which is always a bonus haha. I use this at night when I give my skin a break from using Benzoyl Peroxide.

EOS Lipbalm in Summer Fruit

It does the job,  and smells asdfghjkl;', if you know what I mean. And tastes amazing too. Is it any wonder it's in my November favourites? Sometimes I just put it on for the sake of it, just to smell it or to lick my lips LOL. I really should stop doing that.. kind of defeats the purpose of a lipbalm haha xD

Witch Stick (£2.89)

Come on, do I really need to tell you how amazing this stuff is? If you want to read the full review, just clickety clack over here instead - this post is getting long enough already without me raving about this haha.

Makeup Removers:

The Body Shop Camomile Gentle Eye Make-up Remover (£8)

I use this for when I have more eye makeup on than usual, and for touch ups. I think this was my first ever makeup remover. Glad I picked it up, it's well worth the money. It's really good for correcting eye liner mistakes with a q tip too (^__^)

Garnier Skin Naturals Simply Essentials Soothing 2 in 1 Make-up Remover 

(not shown, because I ran out of it and haven't had a chance to repurchase it *sad face*) (£2.99)

My HG makeup remover. I can use this to take off a full face of makeup and not feel the need to cleanse my face, because it takes off all traces of makeup. Really need to buy some more of this but I've decided I'm going to try and finish a couple of others I have already first before I do. If you haven't tried this, you are missing out! Haha. 

Purity Conditioning Cleansing Lotion Make-up Remover* (£5.29)

This rivals my Garnier makeup remover, I swear lol. Just like with the Garnier one, I don't ever feel the need to cleanse my face after using this. Nor do I feel guilty either, which I usually do if I take my makeup off and not wash my face haha! This is running low now, will definitely have to pop in to Holland & Barretts soon to replenish this (>.<)

Makeup wipes:

Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes (£3.25)

When I can't be bothered using a cotton pad to remove my makeup (or when I've run out of them) I reach for makeup wipes. Who doesn't? When I have a full face on and I've had a long, long day, I choose the Simple ones. I like these because they're thick and wet, and never irritate my skin or eyes. They've made them softer now, which is awesome because nwo that I think about it, if I tugged a bit too hard it would sting a bit (although I try not to tug anyway - wrinkles anyone? :P lol jk, I just don't want my eyes to sting before I go to bed lol).

Witch Cleansing & Toning Wipes (£1.99)

I love the smell of these! I expected them to smell like the witch stick, but they don't smell anything like that at all. I don't know what it smells like, but it is refreshing. I remember when I first opened it I was like whaaat? *breathes it in* I am going to like using you! Haha. They're thinner than the Simple wipes, and not as moist, so I use this when I've just got concealer and some powder on. :o)

Woo! Hadn't realised I used so much stuff to maintain my face haha. Nor how much it had changed since I was younger! Has your skin and skincare routine changed? ☺

*PR Sample. All views are my own, I promise! The rest was bought by my own money (^__^)

My December 2012 Wishlist ♥

December 2012 Wishlist by themaryfairy 

Now I don't normally post wishlists.. but because a) I'm trying to mix it up with my blogposts, and b) some of my friends are stuck for ideas for a belated birthday gift, I thought I'd make up a little wishlist and kill two birds with one stone and put up what I've been wanting to get these past few months (^__^)

Plus I thought because Christmas is on the way, stuff will be on offer, and Boots are doing those points events thing aren't they? See, I'm so considerate *tweaks halo* hahaha ;D

[clockwise from left]

1. Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel

I've read quite a few rave reviews about this, and have been meaning to pick it up but I don't have an Origins counter near me; and when I do go where there is one, I always seem to forget! I'm a goldfish, I know.

2. Lancome La Vie Est Belle Perfume

As mentioned in my monthly favourites post, I received a sample of this in the post and fell in love with it. I'm going to be really sad when I run out of the sample.. :[ It smells absolutely gorgeous! The one I've linked is the gift set with the EDP (30ml), body lotion (50ml), shower gel (50ml), a mini Hyponse Mascara in black, and a mini Juicy Tube lipgloss! BARGAIN.

3. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Natural

I've been wanting this for a while now, but I haven't bought it because I had so many powders to get through! I kind of went a bit powder mad once I realised I had found something to banish my shiny nose and bought about four and have been working through them ever since LOL. Luckily I only have two left now and I've hit pan on one already! :oD

4. New Look Wide Fit Tan Cuffed Wedge Boots
I think I've tried these boots on ten times now, like every single time I've been into New Look I've tried them on and left them. I don't know why I keep leaving them, but I just do. No wait I think I know why.. it's because it's something I want and not need rofl. I do that a lot.. I satisfy my cravings for something by just looking at it from afar lmao. (hash tag life of a broke uni student -__- hahaha!)

(Also side note - I'm usually a) a size four but in this I'm a size five, and b) I never fit New Look's wide fit shoes, so how on earth do I fit these?! Dya know what I don't even care.. these beauties are just toooooooo comfy! xD)

5. Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer

Eeeeeee I love this stuff! I've never found a primer that works so well for my dry cheeks/oily t zone skin type! The mini version I got in the Benefit Besties set is used when I know my dry/oily areas are more extreme than usual (which has been a lot lately :/ I think it's the weather..) and I get the feeling I'm going to need to replenish it soon.. *hint hint*

6. Benefit Hervana Blush
This has been on my wishlist ever since a Benefit makeup artist put it on my cheeks once day when I went to Trafford Centre, many moons ago. I'm not one to wear blush but OHMYGOSHTHISSOPRETTY (;____;) If I didn't need to buy more important things I would have gotten it there and then - I got quite a few compliments after wearing it that day, it really made me smile :oD hehe

So ladies (and gents if there are any reading this!) have you tried any of these? What's on your wishlist for this month? ☺