July 2014 Favorites

July and Ramadan are OVER!! Honestly, July / Ramadan felt like the longest month in 2014 yet. I didn't get to experience with a lot of products, but these are the stuff I loved.

Victoria's Secret Mini Set

I have been on the go this month, to the point of having 2 Iftar outings in one day ... several times! I spent a lot of time outside the house and this mini set was my secret weapon. I always smelled great and it's very travel friendly.

Essence silky smooth blush 

In Ramadan, I wanted to rock a natural look and this blush was my secret weapon. The shade "Natural Beauty" is a plush tone with coral undertones, it gives that "I woke up like this look". It's very pigmented and lasts for a long time on the face.

Eve rose water

Rose Water is the best toner anyone can ever use, and when it comes in a packaged form it's simply heaven. I don't find myself dealing with the shenanigans of regular rose water with this one, no weird smells or anything.

Gliss Conditioner 

This conditioner smells some where between Kresitas hair mask and peanut butter. With no sulfate, this conditioner has giving my hair the softness that it needs.  

Pasta Zara

Ramadan = Food ... right? this month I have been eating this brown pasta zara like there is no tomorrow.  It is lighter than white pasta and I think I like how tastes more. 

Twinings Green Tea

I have always drank it in cafes, but this month I brought my own pack home. It helped me a lot during my time of the month and It was amazing with eid kahk.

How was your July? did you love anything that helped you through it?

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A new beginning

17 months ago I took the decision to finally come out of blogger closet and start my own blog . When I started I had no idea where this blog will lead me, I didn't start it with an aim or even a unique concept. I just wanted to get my ideas about fashion and beauty out there. Little did I know, being a blogger added to me on so many levels. My research for fashion and beauty blogs, following new trends, reading about bogging techniques and concepts; all helped in me growing into fashion. Now, I feel like I have developed a unique vision for my blog and what I want my readers to follow. As you have guessed from the new name, welcome to "Babe on Budget". The fashion scene in Egypt is filled with luxurious outfits and designer wearing bloggers, which is amazing; however I want to get the high street wearing girls out there. The concept is basically the story of my life, leading a stylish life depending on my salary ... looking good without going broke. I hope you enjoy it, and I really hope this creates a difference -even if it's small-  in the fashion blogging scene .

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90's trends coming back

I was born in 1991 and that officially makes me a 90's kid. It was one of my favorite decades, not just because I grew up in it, but it was just awesome. These are the trends returning from the 90's and I am thanking god I can finally wear them again.

Denim Overalls

Remember wearing these with a big bow on your head, now you get to look trendy while being extra comfy. 

Slip Dresses

You know the ones that are technically night gowns, it's time to pump up the sexyness and go out like this.

Jelly Sandals

I owned one of these, it was clear and practically covered in glitter. It's so exciting to wear something you used to wear as kid and still be stylish. 

Chockers

We all wore the tattoo chocker and couldn't wait to grow up and get the gold and silver ones. What do you know? It's actually our generation chance to accessorize like our childhood idols.

Crop Tops

Britney and Christina are going to be so proud, they started the crop top trend back the 90's. I say start hitting the gym cause your abs are going public this season. 

Distoryed Mom Jeans

Jeans never looked as good and comfy, get back to the 90's and steal your mom's style with some destroyed Mom jeans. 

Round Glasses

The tiny Harry Potter frams are back in business, this time they come in all colors and style. 

Birken Stocks

I can't believe these are back, I guess comfort comes first this season. 

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Hai Removal 101

Hair Removal! In the Brazilian Beauty post I mentioned Brazilian wax, and I was inspired to talk all about dem hairs.

Permanent

You have  two options when it comes to permanent hair removal, Laser and Electrolysis. It's no secret that Laser and Electrolysis are painful, but it does eliminate the pain you have over time with options like waxing. Laser is pretty popular right now, both in clinic option and at home option. Make sure you go to a trusted laser center and don't go for cheaper options.

Not Permanent

 There are a lot of options in this area, shaving, sugaring, waxing, threading and creams. Sugaring is really popular in the middle east, because we are more hairy obviously. Shaving is more of the western thing. I can say proudly I have tried everything and here is the juice. Sugaring is painful but gets the job done for a long time, waxing is sugaring older less messy sister, shaving and cream only happens when I am in hurry cause BAM 1 day later hair is back and finally threading is for small areas like face and knuckles.

Timing

All I know is you don't remove your hair when you're on your period or like 2-3 days before it. I am not sure what exactly happens, but I know that it grows back very fast and it results in ingrown hair. 
If you used any kind of harsh chemicals on your skin like body hair bleach or hair removing cream, it's best to wait at least 24 hours before waxing or shaving. Your skin might be a little bit inflamed and by removing hair you are making the damage bigger.

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Staying fit in Ramadan

Ramadan Kareem! it's the 5th of Ramadan already, obviously this one is going to fly by fast. One of the biggest challenges when it comes to Ramadan is staying fit, I have some tips and tricks that I personally use and going to share with you. The reason why this post is a little bit late, is that I wanted to put these tips to the test first.

Water

The 2 or 3 liters your body needs in regular days doesn't decrease in Ramadan. The different in Ramadan is that you have less time to consume them. I personally would drink at least 2 glasses on Iftar and like 3 to 4 glasses on Sohor, then the rest of the day I make sure I have my bottle with me. 

  

Meal Planning

The 5 to 6 meals plan isn't practical in Ramadan . If you are following a calorie based diet, then you have to consume these calories in order to maintain your fitness goals. What I do is I would mix calories from meals in one keeping in consideration the amounts of carbs, protein and fats I am consuming. That doesn't mean I am going to eat rice and bread with eggs and chicken in the same meal, what I do is I kick my brown rice up a notch from 50 grams to 70 grams. I also eat Iftar and Sohor, but I make sure to have a snack in the middle. 

Food Order

As soon as it's time to break your fast you think you eat everything on the table, we have all been there. This always leads to eating too much and feeling heavy after your Iftar meal. I use something that I like to call the "Etiquette trick", I start with some kind of fruit juice, then soup, then salad then my veggies and protein, finally I have my carbs. Same goes to Sohor, I have fruits and veggies before I have my cottage cheese, yogurt and brown bread. 

Treats

To be realistic, no Ramadan will pass without a little of heavenly indulges. It's not a crime to have one piece of Konafa or Attayef, the crime is eating the whole tray. For me, I would have one cheat day with the same system as my regular days. I would have my cheat Iftar with the same order, the same thing with Sohor and my snack gets a little bit sweeter. 

 Exercise

 Unlike the word on the street, working out when you are fasting is very bad for you. The body needs energy and your workout will strip more energy from it, therefore your body won't have any energy to burn fat. Wait 2 hours after your lovely Iftar, then go to gym and do your regular exercise.

 Finally

We all have weak moments where we have multiple cheat days or when we are just too lazy to workout for a week. Make sure to keep calm and remember that it's Ramadan and you are fasting for long hours. Get yourself back on track even if you are only days away from the end of Ramadan and never think that it's too late.

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