Merry Christmas!

Loads of photos up ahead  =)

HAUL | Clothing + Accessories

God knows how long it's been since I went shopping for clothes!

I've been sticking to household items and interior decorating lately but I decided to splurge a little when I was visiting my friends.

$5 silky chain dress!

REVIEW | Mini Makeup + Polish

Hair. Makeup. Nails. 

Ornaments!

I love ornaments. They're so pretty!! I didn't even want any dark colors on my tree but once I bought those teal flowers I had to add a lil color. I didn't buy any normal ornaments yet haha, just tiny lil round ones and  various random ones. My tree has little birds all over it too which I find sooo cute!! And apparently so does Guiness because when I came home from work I found my tree on the FLOOR! -_- He broke a couple of ornaments, chewed a glittery pine cone to death, and chewed off the tail of one of my birdies lol. I had to redo the whole tree for these pics and I'm not done decorating but this is it so far!

Our 1st Thanksgiving

Our 1st Thanksgiving!

...ALONE =( 

We were going to go up to Maryland again but then we realized it was just too much driving for the moment. We were up there only a week ago anyway and that 12 hour drive is not a joke! Alone, yes but we had fun cooking and bickering all day. I also was able to dye my hair in the meantime haha.

Breakfast

Apple Strudel Pancakes *deliiiiicious!*

I thought I'd be romantic for myself. That heart shaped pancake was made by me FOR me. O yeah. 

Mr. & Mrs. Clunie

Hi everyone! I've been out of state catching up with old friends, going to a wedding, saying hello to my new baby niece, then showing my city to a friend after I got back! I've been running all over place preparing for thanksgiving and planning for black friday too while working. I'm actually super excited about that, I just hope I actually DO get up at 5 and run out the door. Speaking of out the door, that's exactly where my diet and workout plan went once I hit NC. My friends took me to Red Robin, Cheesecake Factory, Red Bowl, etc. I didn't care I just wanted to have fun haha! Here are some pics from my pumpkin's best friend's fall inspired wedding :) ! His family is from Jamaica and my goodness can his momma cook!! The house was full of people and I stayed with them. It reminded me of Bengali weddings and I loooved it and felt so welcomed and close to home. They are the sweetest!! 

Pumpkin Head October

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I love Eggs

FOOD | Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin season! After we carved our pumpkin into a spooky guy (which is now a shriveled up angry gran pa) I made use of all the left over pumpkin bits. I've never made roasted pumpkin seeds let alone ate them before! It was fun to do and super easy. I love spicy food and this is a great healthy snack to munch on. I was told you only crack it open and eat the seed that's inside but I end up chewing up the whole thing haha. There are many variations and every way is tasty even if roasted with just salt and pepper. You can roast them on high for a shorter period of time like mine or roast them for a 45 mins to an hour at 350 degrees. Just don't let them burn so check on them from time to time. Here's my recipe below! 

 

My Jelly Belly - Week 2

I didn't do all 5 days with 1 hr of cardio out of pure laziness...hehe. I did do my normal upper body and lower body days though. The thought of doing 1 hr is just exhausting sometimes after all that strength training. Nah, I'm just being lazy.

My Jelly Belly - Week 1

I am attending a wedding in 20 days. It's not just any wedding, it's my love's best friend's wedding. A lot of people from his childhood will be there. His entire family is attending the wedding as well. I've been so stressed the last couple months I sort of dropped all my healthy habits. I used to be a workout fiend hittn' the gym everyday for 2.5 hours non-stop. Reppin it out sweatin it out. I ate as much as I wanted whenever I wanted and not a calorie would show. When I was away from home I did Insanity everyday and loved it. The thought of doing Insanity is...insane in my condition now. I'm too weak. My heart would explode. Now I eat more and workout very little so you can only imagine the outcome. I have 20 days. That means I have to do LOTS of cardio to see results fast. Common sense is eat less calories and do more cardio and the fat will melt off but it's much easier said than done. I absolutely abhor cardio!! I am not a runner for the life of me. I hate cardio so much I think I'd rather DIE. If I didn't do cardio what the heck did I do in the gym for 2.5 hours you ask? I would do 8 mins of cardio maybe 3 times between sets of lots of strength training exercises. That's it and it was still very hard for me! I'm all about toning up and using weights but gosh now there's a happy layer of cupcakes and ice cream sitting above my goods. I'm so ashamed. I used to work in a gym in the past for 2 years and even helped train. If they saw me now...they better not see me now! Imma duck behind cars. 

Fall Fashion | 2012 Trends LOVE & HATE

Fall is my favorite season and this fall 2012 is FILLED with things I love and some I don't. Thankfully, I have collected pieces throughout the years that will work with seasons on. I just have to learn to shop in my own closet, mix and match,  maybe buy an accessory or two and taadaa the recessionista in me has been dragged out! It works. No one I know buys a new wardrobe every single season and no one should feel pressured to just to be "cool". Don't go crazy now there's no reason to follow EVERY single trend. Just know what's in style at the moment and incorporate your own style and piece the the old with the new.  

Can't spend a dime...but I still have eyes! 

GOLD 

I used to hate it when I was younger.

I thought it made me look fobby so I stayed away from it haha. 

CURRENT FAVORITES | September

Hello! I'm on a roll with these videos *finally* These are some Items that got some goood lovin last month.

♥ Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox

-what kind of name is that =S ?

MAKEUP TUTORIAL | Foundation Routine for Tutorials

no flash

My first foundation routine! This is what I use for makeup tutorials in my videos. 

This is what the foundation really looks like so don't worry I didn't blur or smooth out my skin to make it look nicer or something so if you zoom in you can probably see my mustache. 

(please don't!!) 

MAKEUP TUTORIAL | Fresh Fall Eyes

Fall is here! Well, not quite. No leaves have turned, still in shorts, o and it's over 70 degrees. I'm in no rush I love this weather we're having for September. I did a look inspired by what I see. It's not as bright and fun as summer but it's lovely none the less. 

Here's a fresh daytime fall look for you :)

PREVIEW

Before I start editing anything. Preview of tutorial that I'll have up next week :) 

Neutrogena foundation with spf = not good for photos

xoxo

B

REVIEW | L'Oreal Youth Code BB Cream Illuminator

L'Oreal BB Cream Illuminator Youth Code

in Medium

What is it?

It's a BB Cream by L'Oreal Paris. It's an Asian inspired "beauty balm" that is supposed to provide multiple benefits for the skin. I love L'oreal's Youth Code line so when I saw this  I was intrigued and had to buy it. This BB cream claims that it will even, illuminate, perfect, moisturize, and correct. Since it's from the Youth Code line it will naturally be a little more expensive because it has more ingredients to fight signs of aging. L'oreal has another cheaper BB Cream already out in the market and you can view my review of it HERE. 

Savannah's Sweet Water Taffy

 

I went to Savannah for the first time and my gosh it is *soooo* beautiful! The live oaks are creepy yet romantic when the sunlight peaks through. The shops by the riverfront are adorable and paved in cobblestone. We went to a lil pub and got fresh gelato and candies!

REVIEW | L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream

L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream 

in 

Medium

What is it?

BB cream is a "beauty balm" or "blemish balm" that provides multiple benefits to protect and perfect the skin. It was originally made to wear after laser procedures and surgeries. They've been popping up all over the US market within the last year but I've tested out a few a couple years back from Korea. Apparently they've been around since the 80's. L'Oreal claims that this BB cream will prime, perfect, hydrate, and correct for a flawless bare skin finish.

Cost: $7.96 (WalMart)


Coverage: Light

BEFORE



Flash

First Meet + Greet Desi Version

When our families met, my mom made us wear ethnic clothes right after.

He looked pretty cute in them actually :)

I've Been

Happily torturing him ;)

Life is great. 

xoxo

B

FAVORITES | May + 1st Video

Gotta start somewhere! Here's my first video in my new channel on YouTube!! It's 

TheGreenSatchelTV

Clark Hill Park + A Hello!

A little update:

I'm home!!! As I sit here unpacking my what feels like hundreds of boxes of clothing and house ware items I wanted to take a break and share with you what's goin on. I've been home for about a week just relaxing and taking a little break from working. I visited my mom and the husband was introduced in person for the first time ever. See, me being desi and him being NOT it was a little complicated at first. We've been recording little tidbits of our marriage adventures. I don't know if I would want to share them to the public but would any of you be interested in watching? I know a lot of desis have actually asked to share our experience and how we broke it down to the parents. I'll just tell you this for now, it wasn't pretty.

Here are some pictures I took at Clark Hill Park in SC. If you have a chance to go, GO! It's absolutely beautiful and I wish I had known about it earlier. Every spot seems to have a different view. It's huge and perfect for picnics, family time, jogs, or romantic strolls. They have trails and cabins and horseback riding and everything! It's seriously one of the prettiest parks I've been to. Too bad I didn't have enough time to explore more of it.

I was greeted by vultures (?) ...creepy!

TASTY TRAVELS | Rhinehart's Oyster Bar

Rhinehart's Oyster Bar

B. 305 North Bel Air Rd.
Evans, Ga. 30809
706-868-6850
Sunday - Thursday 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Friday and Saturday - 11 a.m. - Midnight 

Anthony and I were staying at a hotel nearby and saw a menu for Rhinehart's Oyster Bar. They had a special on fried shrimp and we both love shrimp so thought, why not? He's from Maryland so he knows crab and great seafood. I'm from North Carolina, have been to the outer banks, and I'm Bengali so I know my fish lol. Upon arrival their gravel lot was completely full (good sign of good dining!) and there were no seats to occupy outside. It looks like a broken down shack you'd see by the beach from the outside and a very run down inside with scribbles covering every inch of the wall. It's a dive bar. It looks like crap. Rhinehart's has a loud fun atmosphere and their seafood is just amazing! I haven't had such delicious seafood in quite some time. Sushi doesn't count. It was clean too, just not fancy. That's all that matters to me!

MAKEUP TUTORIAL | 80's Makeup feat. NYX

Hello!
I'm excited to be able to post another tutorial up! The first challenge for NYX's Face Awards is an 80's Look. My inspirations were from Boy George, Grace Jones, and Michael Jackson. Can you tell? Please vote for me if you like it! You can vote 3 times a day from April 19-23. Please help share and spread the word! I have been mia for quite some time and could really use the help from all of you to make it to the next round.

REVIEW | L'Oreal EverCreme Cleansing Conditioner

What is it?

A one step sulfate-free shampoo/conditioner blend

Price

$6.99 (walgreens)

Claims

It’s made for all dry hair types and provides triple action hydration with Omega 3 & 6. The benefit of being a cleansing conditioner is that it is a one step process therefore cutting time from your routine that involves shampoo and conditioner while leaving hair clean and soft.

MAKEUP TUTORIAL | Glitterati

Glitterati.

FASHION FORWARD

I've been lusting these for spring this year! Trust that I will get a version of them in due time. I've never made a layout before and I never realized how long it took to create one. It looks easy but I was browsing for hours and hours looking for just what I wanted. Then I got lost because I started liking too many items. I kept the theme fresh and light. Enjoy!

SPRING 2012 INSPIRATION

What do you think?

 What are your Top 10 Must Haves right now?  

TASTY TRAVELS | Pho Bac

Pho Bac

Evans, GA 

I'm in Augusta, GA right now. I've been here for a few months. Very close to getting this job done and going home! I don't get to go out frolicking on my own very often. Once in a while when I don't have duty I'll go out to the Augusta Mall or eat out. Eat eat all I can! Eat eat for Uncle Sam! I love Vietnamese food. This place is small and a hidden gem!

Order:

Papaya Salad

Shrimp Pho

Beef Pho (the kind with brisket? forget) 

Fried Rice

Thai Tea

Started off with Papaya Salad. It was so fresh and delish! Just spicy enough. I loved it. It wasn't as spicy and made my nose run like how people from Laos make it. I do love me some spicy food though. 

Let me introduce you

Hello my lovely ladies and gents!

My name is Bushra. Once upon a time (about 2010) I used to blog as "Le Midge" and created videos on YouTube as "MidgetMakeup". I began making YouTube videos around 2006 when only a handful of people shared their love for beauty on that site. Back in the day it used to be as a slideshow with music playing in the background. Ah..the days when it was so easy to add music to your videos! I didn't make videos often because it was very time consuming, I was about to start college, and because of my lovely desi-bengali parents. I'd record in my room when they were busy watching Hindi soap operas downstairs so they couldn't hear me talking to myself, haha.

Once I finished college I took a bit of time off for myself. I moved out on my own and enjoyed working and just living life. I loved it. I took time to find myself, everyone should! I didn't answer to anyone, I read books by the pool, I cherished time with my friends. I didn't even watch tv or have internet for a few months. Crazy huh?! But it can be done! It was like a detox for living life! I was alone and I was doing me and I enjoyed every minute of it. I am very happy for that time between me, myself, and I.

During the last few months (2011-12) due to my job I was not able to have my life on blast. Everything had to be on the down low. I didn't get to wear makeup and heels or cute little outfits. Not even ugly ones. I just had to wear my uniform, the end. The first thing I bought when I regained my freedom of style was a purse. A green satchel. It made me so happy! It reminded me of the days I used to blog and make YouTube videos. I missed it so much. I missed it even more when I received messages now and then about how someone missed my videos or why I don't make videos and if I'm coming back. I kept saying I was coming back. Well, I'm back! And better than ever :) I missed all of you so much! By the way, I live close to Atlanta now. So exciting! I haven't had time to go around the city yet though so I look forward to sharing my new city with you all.

Before I go I want to mention that this blog is a subject of my attraction. At times some topics may not be for the weak of heart or the young soul. Don't say I didn't warn you! It's not strictly a beauty or fashion or food or fitness blog. It's everything all rolled into one. Just like me :)

XOXO,

B