Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth this Eid!

Ramzan is almost at an end and we now into the final week and looking forward to celebrate Eid! And you know the best part of Ramzan has to be the fun at the end: preparing all kinds of sweet delicacies for Eid ul Fitr and enjoying them with our loved ones!

New deserts come and go, but some traditional ones remain top favorites indeed, just like sheer khurma with us. We’ve rounded up some of the best treats from around the world… and they already have our mouth watering!

Baklava: In the Middle East one of the most popular sweets is 'baklava', a crispy dessert made with layers of phyllo pastry, nuts and a sweet sugary syrup. In Turkey, this dessert is almost as popular as the country's famous Turkish delights.

Cakes and Pancakes: Delicacies like 'basbousa', a sweet semolina cake, or 'kunafa', a specialty of Nablus reign supreme in Palestine, which is a pastry filled with cream and garnished with crushed pistachio nuts and sugar syrup. 'Qatayef’, a special dessert that is a mini pancake filled with sweet cheese or nuts with cinnamon and sugar, fried or baked and then soaked in sugar syrup is really famous in Arab countries.

Cookies: In Egypt, cookies remain a top favorite. NoEid is complete without 'kahka', cookies filled with nuts and covered with powdered sugar. In Palestine, ‘hab el hal’ (cardamon) cookies are popular during Eid celebrations. Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei favor a common pineapple-filled variety that melts in the mouth.

But besides the sweets that will come our way and the eidi that we will receive, the other best part about Eid is getting to dress up in new clothes – a very important tradition too! And if you’re still on the lookout for that special dress that makes all the difference in the world, do make sure to check out our formals range and place your order. So little time left till the celebrations start and we are so looking forward to it!

Fun, Flirty Summer Hair Dos!

Summer is in full swing and we have just the way to help you work your way around – or shall we say work 'with' the humidity! Ladies you are in luck! Runways all over the world are celebrating curly hair – learn to work with your natural hair texture and let the fun times begin now!

We’ve chosen a couple of styles for you to play around with that just absolutely took our breath away.

Braided Up

Braids are still huge this summer and the weather is just perfect to get the texturized look! Here's how to make a fishtail version similar to Jennifer Morrison's: Divide your hair in half and hold the left side in your left hand and the right side in your right hand. Pull a half-inch section of hair from outside the right side and add it to the inside of the left side. Repeat with a piece from the outside of the left side, adding it to the inside of the right side. Continue down to your ends, and secure with an elastic. Position the braid over your shoulder and tug out a few pieces for a breezy effect.

Beachy Waves

Kate Hudson's tousled style is sexy year-round, and now you have the warm, humid air to help enhance your natural texture. To get the look, divide damp hair into three sections and loosely braid each. Unravel your locks when they're dry, then set your waves with a texturizing spray.

Top Knot

On those days that it's SO hot you have to get your hair off your neck, copy Krysten Ritter's messy-but-cute topknot. Flip your head over and use your fingers to rake your hair into the highest ponytail possible. The trick is not to make the top of your hair smooth — the more texture, the better. Wrap your hair around the base of the pony and pin so your ends stick out.

Play around with your hair and try some of these fun looks for a whole different you - and ladies, about time you love your curls!!

Our Favorite Grammy Looks!

This year, even if the Grammys sent out a memo for “appropriate attire”, most of the glamorous stars ignored this memo... but who are we to complain about that! We rounded up three of the hottest looks off the red carpet for your viewing pleasure!

There was Kelly Rowland in a beautiful black Georges Chakra mermaid gown with shear cut outs that  were clearly not a part of the new Grammys “Dress Code”. Regardless, the dress was absolutely breath taking, and showed off just enough to keep us guessing and that halter neckline shows off her sculpted arms. Simple hair and makeup and gorgeous earrings top off a stunning look.

Rihanna surprised us by wearing something so romantic (no comment, however, on her romantic choices). Her crimson Azzedine Alaia gown showed off her toned upper body and complemented her ombré hair while the dreamy train was pure glamour.

We totally loved Taylor Swift looking ethereal and goddess-like in her white J. Mendel gown accented with silver cutouts… and it was a total win with her braided up-do.   

These are the top three that we chose after much debate at work and boy, we sure wanted to add a lot of other names to the list. As an honorary mention, we did love the clash witchy Florence Welch's red hair had with her green sequined Givenchy number, though we would personally have liked it a little more elegant.... 

And, as a special mention, did anyone see Justin Timberlake in the Tom Ford suit and bow-tie? The man really can do no wrong! 

Bling, Our New Obsession

Be it day or night, sequins can be luxe, as they shimmer on cocktail dresses and gowns or make for a bold style statement when worn as embellishments for tops, skirts or blazers. Ladies, sequins are one sartorial trend that is here to stay this season!

Styling can be a little but tricky, but we are sure that it is no trouble for a style savvy fashionista like you. Just err on the side of caution to avoid overkill…. sequins on an outfit or accessory is the ultimate bling so remember to wear just one sequined item at a time with minimal jewelry, maybe just studs in your ears and a statement ring.

Little sequins work over giant sequins as they look a lot classier. You can wear matte champagne or gold colored sequins instead of glossy ones for a day time brunch and work it with nude colors to keep the look classy and well balanced.

Another way to work sequins into your wardrobe is to go for the minimalistic look with skinny jeans and tee and pair it with a sequined blazer. The look is hip and young and will have you feeling like a super star!

Oh and ladies, an insider tip:  be sure to keep an eye out for these fun pieces at a Daaman store near you! In the meantime…. here’s a little preview for you: glitzy, muted gold capri pants!! ;) 

Looks From the Fall Runway 2012

The fall runways are awash with different make up looks and we here at Daaman absolutely love this season’s gothic romance look! It is all about shades of maroon and burgundy or a bold splash of red. And even though these can be a bit hard to carry off, we know there is a look here that you will find is perfect for you!

Goth Chic

The first look that we absolutely love is a soft gray smoky eye paired with a glossy burgundy lip. Choose a deep burgundy color of your choice, go for a swipe the first time and blot it off with tissue. Rich colors bleed a lot - and we really don’t want a messy pout! So take a lip liner and correct the outline and then fill it up with the lip color again. Using a brush is the best way to go as it fills in the color pretty well.

We want to keep the complexion smooth as deep colors tend to make the skin look very drained. Make sure you use a concealer to cover blemishes for breathtaking, flawless skin.

Blush

At Michael Kors and Dior runways, a soft pink flush bloomed both on the runway and off. It’s the look after a morning of skiing in the cold, cold weather, absolutely blushing!  Smudge red lipstick on cheeks, blending with a damp foundation sponge to get the same color as the lips. Concentrate the pink shade on just the apples for a youthful glow.

Crimson Red

Crimson lips add an overall brightness, again red also makes the skin look very pale so good foundation is essential and also some color to balance out the bold hue. Dab liquid foundation over bare lips to help set the lip color, then fill in the lips with red and blot with a tissue. Apply once more, and you’re all set!

The picture shows bare eyelids, but if you are not used to that you could even go for a hint of silver to play up your eyes or just use a liquid liner to enhance them along with some mascara.

With these looks try too keep the clothes understated, yet chic! And just remember: doing your make up should not be something you stress over, so don't over think it too much and try to have fun experimenting with your style! 

Summer Hair Makeover

Summer’s in full swing and if your long locks are bothering too much (or you are just simply craving a change!) we’ve got come choice picks for you to consider.

Ever wonder why the bob has been the go to hair cut all these years? There's a reason that every starlet worth her salt has sported a bob at one time or another — it's just so flattering! It can be chic, cute, and sexy. 

In addition to looking fab, a bob is also quite the functional hairstyle as well.  Its versatility helps to flatter most faces. We’ve got three fabulous versions of the chin grazing bob that you can try out, while keeping cool!

The Sleek Bob

Super angular bobs that are shorter in back and longer in front makes for a youthful, edgy and confident bob these days is the bob cut in the A-line style, as Keira's is cut here.

A-line means the back is slightly shorter than the front, with an angle that can be seen from the side. The A-line is also called "graduated bobs" or "inverted bob hairstyles".

The Mussy Bob

Mussy bobs are super trendy in 2012. To get this look, let hair air dry and then scrunch the hair in the palm of your hand as it dries.

It’s equal parts beachy wave and cutesy cut with teased edginess into an otherwise prim look. Strong jaws and some square face shapes might want to avoid the bob, but rounder faces should consider it.

The Funky Bob

Wispy ends such as these make a boring bob modern. Blow-drying with a round-brush or using a flat iron will leave hair smooth and shiny. 

Minimal styling products are needed in order to keep hair ends from looking too defined.

Now we know it’s scary to try out a different hair style – but ladies, that’s really the only way to figure out what really works well for you! So go ahead, take the plunge… and experiment!  

Fun With Block Printing

Block printing is one of the most ancient fiber arts in existence. Did you know that its origins actually lie in the Indus Valley… some four and a half thousand years ago! The local craftsmen used teakwood blocks and carved some astonishing patterns.

And it may be a dying art right now, but here and there we see some fabulous block print work: like in traditional sarees.

But guess what? Options really start to open up for you when you apply this method to fabric and mix it with interior decoration.  Consider a table runner, cloth napkins, or some tea towels in fall colors! And the pattern on a large throw pillow would add a great pop of color to a neutral chair or couch: what we love most about this are the endless possibilities that you can work with to decorate your place.

Here we share a very simple way to produce a type of modern print you might find in contemporary settings. When done on paper and mounted in a frame, these prints make fabulous wall art for a variety of room styles.

What you need: some yarn, paint and brushes, and a few blocks.

Begin by wrapping a small wooden block with yarn. Then knot the end and use some tape to secure it in place. If you don’t have a block, not to worry, all you really need is anything “wrappable” in a shape of your choice.  

Once your printing block is ready, take a brush and apply your paint. The yarn can be pretty absorbent at first so you’ll need to experiment with how much paint to apply on a practice sheet of paper. It’s also a good idea to brush on the paint in only one direction so the yarn fibers lay flat.

And once you have your technique perfected, start stamping. To add interest, layer on some orange paint for a few of the squares as it gives the print some nice depth in real life.

So if you’ve got a little time this weekend, spend some time working on a little project such as this and create some art! Not only will you have a good time relaxing, but it’ll be something that you can use to accentuate your room with.

And remember: have fun with it!!