[Beauty]: Ayesha Ziya's Oud Fragrances

 Growing up in a distinctly Arab family, the smell of Oud was lingered in the air. Whether it was actual Oud wood burning in the prayer room or  the perfume on my mother's clothes. The bottle of Oud oil perfume was always in my mother's purse encased in a green velvet pouch. She would let me wear some when we were going to a special event like a wedding or my own birthday. It still is one of her most prized possessions. All I knew about it was that it was really expensive and difficult to get.

When I got an invite to attend the launch of Ayesha Ziya's Oud fragrance range, I was rather excited. Finally, I would get my hands on my own bottle of this divine fragrance. 

That's the complete range of Ayesha Ziya's fragrances. At the launch, I assumed that all these perfumes are Oud based. However, according to the descriptions on the website, only Oud and Oud Signature are made of Oud wood. Their best seller is 'Irum'. I loved it's soft feminine tones and I would definitely consider gifting it. But for myself, I would invest in Royal Mirage - it's rich, strong and opulent. Just like I like my men.

The perfumes will soon be available to purchase at selected outlets. While I loved the perfumes, the event/information session itself was not fitting for a luxury perfume launch. A dreary room with white table cloth and samosas just didn't cut it.

Would I buy the perfume? Possibly. Depends on the pricing. However, the starter kit at GBP 14 is great value for both personal use and gifting.

For more information on the perfume: www.ayeshaziya.com

[Event]: YSL and Lancome come to Karachi!

There's nothing like make up to cheer up a girl with a sprained foot. Yes, that would be me at the Scentsation launch of YSL and Lancome beauty lines in Karachi. But there's something about a make up store that makes it all okay - the sweet scents, the colors, the smiling ladies.... I love browsing through make up! Luckily, for my sprained foot the latest goodies were right at the front of the store AND I was lucky enough to be selected for a quick make over with the Lancome range.

Looking and feeling better

So now that we have established that I look good in Lancome make up (and more importantly, feel good), let's go back a little bit. Multitech are the good guys bringing all these colorful goodies to Pakistan and they will be stocked at Scentsation. In my interaction with the brand team of Multitech and Scentsation, I made one important discovery - they invest in and believe in staff training. So, when you step into their store, you can be assured that the girls know what they are talking about - in fact, all of them fantastic make up artists too! There is something to be said about companies that take training and development seriously. As much as I love getting made up, the fact of the matter is that I know very little about make up. The girls were very knowledgeable about the range of products offered by YSL and Lancome and were happy to recommend shades based on my skin tone. Frankly, if you are going to parting with your hard earned cash, it better be the right shade!

The beauty range is to die for!

How much for the whole display?

The Masters Rabiyah Tungekar and Nida Moughal at work.

So, here's my recommendation. If you (like me) prefer a clean, natural yet colorful face then go with Lancome. They have a lot of shade and color choices that are understated and perfect for daily wear. If you are more skilled with make up application and adventurous than try the rich, vibrant colors of YSL. BUT, please talk to the consultants before you make a purchase. They are skilled and polite

Can't wait to go spend another afternoon trying the goodies at Scentsation!