I am working with Al-Mujalbaba, a Texas-based hijab and niqab store! Their products are extremely affordable, which is why I am so excited to be working with them!
I have never used half-niqabs before. As shown in my review of Sadika Fashions' niqabs, both of the niqabs I own are full, one-piece niqabs. I received two half-niqabs from Al-Mujalbaba, one in black georgette and one in burgundy pebble georgette.
The one major qualm I have with these niqabs is just how large the elastic is. While I'm a very small person, my Husband has a HUGE head (true story...) and the niqab was big on him!
Picture for reference so you can see how huge my Viking Hubby's head is.
To combat this, I pinned the elastic where it was comfortable on my face. I've found that if you have the niqab too tight, it hurts my nose and ears (both stick out a bit), so I recommend using pins to find the perfect fit before sewing the elastic. Once you find that perfect fit, take a needle and thread and sew it up! I recommend keeping it folded instead of cutting and then resewing, so that the stitching can be removed and redone if need be, such as if you gift the niqabs to new niqabi sisters after you no longer wear them, etc.
This is pretty dark, sorry, edits wouldn't show up...
The pebble georgette niqab is thicker and a bit warmer than the regular georgette. Both are incredibly light and you can hardly feel them on your face once they are sized correctly. I also really like that you can change which way you wear them as one "flap" is slightly longer than the other so you can create a layered look that I love! However, in the winter, these are easily blown by wind and the fabric does not help keep you warm at all (though that could be a benefit if you wear glasses, as it may help keep them from fogging up).
Overall, I am REALLY a fan of these niqabs, and while I may prefer full niqabs, these are really nice to mix things up! They are perfect for sisters who want to try wearing niqab, because they only cost $4 each! Since they are a United States company, that makes it even cheaper for sisters, both Muslim and non, who want to try out wearing niqab without investing in a $30 niqab. Al-Mujalbaba also makes full-niqabs which cost about $12. Both full and half-niqabs come in georgette and pebble georgette and in a wide range of fun colors, such as hot pinks, purples, teals, and more! You can get them here, and many are able to be gotten in sets with matching khimar!
As many know, I am sure, there are Muslim sisters, and even sisters who are non-Muslim, who wear niqab Some also wear gloves with their niqab, either for extra modesty, ascetics, or mental health issues (I plan to expound upon hijab, niqab, gloves, and mental health in a post all it's own soon, insha'Allah! Some information on the Sunnah of wearing niqab and gloves can be found here). When I started to wear niqab, I did so for modesty but also due to some mental health issues/anxiety, as I had heard others say that it helped them. A month or so after wearing niqab I decided I also wanted to wear gloves to help me develop healthy behavior patterns and avoid picking at the skin on my hands. That was about a month ago, and I started to research the gloves on the market that would fit my various needs - make it difficult to pick at my skin/hurt myself in other ways, look appropriate for work and school, and be easy to use with touch screen devices.
Unfortunately, most gloves on the market do NOT fit these categories! If they are touch screen capable, they are usually winter gloves and thus too thick or warm to be used every day. If they are sold by Islamic clothing stores, they are thin and come in various colors, but they aren't touch screen capable, OR, as in the case of the "Esteem" gloves by Sunnah Style (product here; YouTube review from Sister Jeanie here), they are touch screen capable BUT they currently only come in one size, which is medium.
From my searches, I found that Kohl's was selling some gloves by Isotoner:
Two different Isotoner performance gloves.
So, we went to Kohls. The Isotoner performance gloves are thinner, more light weight winter gloves which are meant to be worn while running or doing other work-out activities during colder months. The black ones on the left are the ones I purchased, solely due to the fact that they are matt-black, but the version on the right, with the grey striped design, were actually slightly thinner and cooler. Both came in color variants, with the ones I purchased having full-color variants and the grey ones coming with different colored piping, like the purple piping shown in the photo. (The kind I bought here and the grey ones here.)
These work really well for outside and running errands! They are comfortable; keep your hands moderately warm, which I liked as my fingers and joints hurt during the winter so warmth helps keep them from stiffening up; and they work well on touch screens. However, when it came to typing, things got difficult since they are relatively thick.
Due to this, I went back to looking at the gloves from Sunnah Style. While I can't order from them since they don't yet come in smalls, I noticed that they were copper compression gloves. So I researched those! There are three brands on Amazon, but the most trustworthy of the three is Tommie Copper, which I was looking at off-Amazon. I went to Amazon to see if they were sold there, since we have Amazon Prime which means free shipping! You can get free two-day shipping, which is what I thought I requested... Apparently I never clicked that button, so I received mine in four days. Alhamdulillah, still much quicker than it could have been!
The price of the Tommie Copper gloves is comparable to the prices of the "Esteem" gloves from Sunnah Style. The Isotoner gloves were actually $5-$10 more than both the Tommie Copper gloves and the gloves from Sunnah Style. They are really thin, which is perfect for everyday wear and wearing them in the summer. They also boast 50 SPF. They work very well for touch screen and the smalls I order fit me perfectly! They are thin enough you can wear other gloves over them for being outside. Tommie Copper also makes half-finger gloves, fingerless gloves, sleeves, and all manner of other clothing that are made to be worn in all climates while helping people heal injuries or deal with various pain and joint issues such as arthritis. You can also order these particular gloves in nude and some of their products come in fun colors as well. You can get the gloves pictured below here, and you can also order them on Amazon by searching Tommie Copper, which allows for free shipping with Amazon Prime! The only downside was very minor, which is that on the pointer finger there is some silver threading on the finger nail area, not just on the pad.
What I really enjoy with thinner gloves is that I can layer on fun arm warmers, fingerless gloves, and even rings to change things up!
So this is all that I've found! Please let me know what you think and I hope this was helpful!
Today I'm reviewing the above item from Al-Moultazimoun. I've included the photo from their website for reference since my video a) can't show the entire outfit because I'm so short and b) to show what I perceived myself to be ordering, which was an abaya. This listing is in the women's abayat section. The above picture, and others on the website, give no indication that the product is actually "pantajupe" or palazzo-type pants. However, the item is named "Jumpsuit Softness." I assumed this was a translation mistake either by the company or Google and that it was describing an abaya made of sweatshirt/sweatpants-like soft, comfortable material which is very warm and fall/winter appropriate as well. Unfortunately, this was actually a jumpsuit, which I find extremely impractical, but I will elaborate more after the video.
So, I want to apologize about the poor quality of the video, but daylight savings took away an hour of daylight after work for me, and I already held off about a week on this review because I wanted to wear it in cooler weather as I thought it would be warm, so if I didn't do it today, it likely would get pushed off for a very long time. So, then, onto the review...
As I said above, this was actually a jumpsuit, which was very disappointing to me. It is very inconvenient to have to unzip and pretty much take off your entire outfit in order to use the restroom. It also makes the aadaab of how to use the restroom a bit more difficult. The second most disappointing thing was that it wasn't made of sweatshirt/sweatpants material and wasn't extremely warm. The material is more of a thin-ish, spring/autumn fabric. That being said, the fabric is VERY soft and comfortable. If it were an abaya instead of a jumpsuit, I wouldn't really have much to say in the way of negatives.
Also disappointing was that the excellent stitching I saw on my jilbab and that other blogs have said you can expect from Al-Moultazimoun was a bit lacking. I found two very long strings of stitching thread coming out of the waist area, one on the outside and a longer one on the inside.
Other than that, it's basically just my usual qualms of things being very large on me due to my being the size of a child... Jumpsuits also tend to look awkward unless you are tall and thin, at least from what I have seen, so It just doesn't look fantastic on me, in my opinion.
So, before, I was thinking of turning it into an abaya, but that would mean awkward center seams, so now I'm thinking of altering it into a pair of wide-leg slacks and a bolero. If I don't end up doing that, I might donate it, but I'm hesitant to donate a jumpsuit to anyone given just how impractical they are.
Feel free to weigh in if you have an idea on what I should do!
So, reading that title, I'm sure you are a bit confused. "How is God like a cup of tea? Aren't we supposed to avoid comparing God to earthly things?"
Well, ya got me there. What I meant isn't really that God is like a cup of tea. Rather, God is holding the cup of tea. And the cup of tea? That's you.
Think about carrying a cup of tea (or coffee, or hot chocolate...). If it isn't filled up all of the way and your walk is stable, you can quickly move forward without having to worry about your grip on the handle of the cup. You are sure of yourself and know you won't spill it. You don't worry you'll burn yourself.
Now think about carrying a cup of tea (or whatever hot liquid as above) that is filled to the brim. Perhaps it's even not filled that high. But imagine having to walk slowly in order to watch the cup and prevent spilling the liquid or splashing yourself. You have to hold on tighter to the cup.
Imagine that you are the cup of tea, and God is the hand holding the cup of tea. God is still there for those who are sure in their Imaan, He is still present. But maybe their Imaan is lower even though they are so sure of themselves. Maybe it isn't, but they still don't rely as much on God for stability. However, for those who struggle and stumble with their Imaan, even if it is low or high, God holds a tighter grip on you; your Jihad is all the more beautiful to Him and will be rewarded.
We can see this in the following Hadith:
"Verily the one who recites the Quran beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, he will be in the company of noble and obedient angels. As for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its Verses, then he will have TWICE that reward." Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Just a little thought. I haven't gotten to post some reviews I wanted to in the past couple of weeks due to... obvious reasons if you know what its going on in America.
Insha'Allah, I will be posting more reviews and also some more theological writings. I just thought of this one today and wanted to share, as many are struggling right now.
Assalaamu alaikum everyone! Hope this day is treating you well!
Yesterday alhamdullilah I received my packages from Al-Moultazimoun in France and Gerard Cosmetics! It was a happy thing since I was stuck in class on Halloween. :(
So first I'll review the Jilbab Makkah II. The version I ordered was with nidha fabric (which I absolutely love! Insha'Allah I will do a product review of my very first nidha abaya soon) in the color "burgundy-fig." Here's the review video:
So, downsides:
This jilbab is not meant for tiny girls. Al-Moultazimoun's website lists the size range from 1m60 to 1m73, which equates to 5'3" to 5'7". As such, the skirt was much too long for me. Additionally, the elastic waistband itself was too loose. I have to roll the waistband of the skirt 3-4 times to make the skirt short enough that I don't trip on it. Luckily my best friend and several other people in my life are handy with sewing machines (which I am decidedly NOT), so insha'Allah someone will be able to take it in and hem it for me. Also, the headband means that if you have a small head you either need to deal with the jilbab slipping back throughout the day or you will need to alter the headband, since Al-Moultazimoun does not utilize tie-back headbands. The thumbholes in the sleeves are also a little stiff, but they get more comfortable as you wear them, I think.
Al-Moultazimoun utilizes Colissimo for mail both within and outside of France. The website, while you can translate your shipping info into English, German, and a couple other languages, is completely in French. This makes things difficult if you are trying to request a status update. The FAQ state that international mail should expect 3-8 day delivery (luckily I can read SOME French!). However, it took me about 14 days to receive it, with a significant gap (about a week) between when the shipping info listed it as leaving France and when it was received in customs. However, I received it very quickly once it had been logged in customs (2-3 days).
I also don't remember what shipping was for me, but a sister in Canada said she couldn't order as shipping to Canada was $50 Canadian Dollars.
You can see how big the gap is in this.
The upsides:
As said in the video, I chose this jilbab due to its unique shape. The khimar is cut in such a way that the front and back actually come to a kind of scoop or point instead of going straight across like many jilabib appear to do. This means it drapes very beautifully! In fact, this is probably my favorite jilbab when it comes to draping, the second one being the jilbab Jiza II from Nabira. The cut combined with the nidha fabric made it seem like the skirt and the top were one piece, it was so fluid and pretty!
Nidha fabric itself is very light weight and a favorite for places like KSA and UAE. I wore a nidha abaya pretty much all summer once I got it because it kept me cooler than wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt. While microfiber is nice and comfortable, I don't think anything can really compare to the luxurious feel of nidha and the coolness you get from wearing it in the heat.
You can purchase the Jilbab Makkah II nida (and other wonderful products, including men's clothes, children's clothes, and Arabic education items) here: https://www.almoultazimoun.com/en/two-piece-jilbab/2574-jilbab-makkah-2-nida.html
Here is the video for Gerard Cosmetics HYDRA-MATTE liquid lipstick in Knight Rider:
I received this lipstick very quickly, less than a week. It was on sale 20% off and free shipping when I purchased it. Wallahi I only have good things to say about this lipstick! I will say I encourage you to use a lip primer prior to applying the lipstick, as it may not apply evenly otherwise, but once it is dried, it stays on FOR GOOD. I wore effectively ONE application of this ALL day. I ate a giant freaking cupcake, and no lipstick got on it. Barely any got on my coffee cup. I dabbed my lips after eating lunch, barely anything came off. This video is after 9.5 hours of wear!
Gerard Cosmetics offers this lipstick in 26 shades, of which Knight Rider is the darkest. It's a very very dark purple. You can buy it (and their other products!) here: https://www.gerardcosmetics.com/hydra-matte-liquid-lipstick.html
Thank you for watching and I hope you enjoyed!! Please let me know if there is anything you would like me to review!
Jazak'Allah khairan (yes I'm trying to spell that more correctly. ;) )
To combat this, I pinned the elastic where it was comfortable on my face. I've found that if you have the niqab too tight, it hurts my nose and ears (both stick out a bit), so I recommend using pins to find the perfect fit before sewing the elastic. Once you find that perfect fit, take a needle and thread and sew it up! I recommend keeping it folded instead of cutting and then resewing, so that the stitching can be removed and redone if need be, such as if you gift the niqabs to new niqabi sisters after you no longer wear them, etc. 
