7 Tips on Travelling Light & Looking Good - For Muslim Women (Muslimah)

A Guide to travelling light & looking good on a vacation – For Muslim Women (Muslimahs)

The heat is soaring high and summer’s already around the corner. It’s that time of the year where the buzz and fuzz just bubbles up. It’s the holiday and vacation season. So wherever you are travelling this guide is all about looking great in your trip in photos and travelling light.

1. What dresses to pack: Generally many people shop before they travel and take new clothes that they have never worn with them. Nothing wrong with that, but most of the time you realize in your new destination that the clothes don’t fit well, don’t flatter you, and feel uncomfortable. So it’s better to pack clothes which you have worn quite a few times already and feel comfortable in. The Mantra is “ Comfort & Nice”. Also, check out the temperature of your destination and pack accordingly.

2. Cuts & Shades: On a long vacation, it is nice to have some standing out and blingy outfits, but make sure the rest of your clothes come in subtle shades. (You don't want to be remembered as the person with the peacock green dress!!) This way, you can wear accessories with different scarves and it would give a new look every time. It would also save some luggage space.

3. Some good scarfs: Some good scarfs are what all women need to have. The right colors really make you look fresh and give you a different makeover with each shade you choose. Better yet, you can pair them and use "the mix and match" option. The fashion for the season is fresh and bright colors, patterns, and motifs. Generally when traveling to winter destinations stock on dark shades of scarves and for summer destinations light shades of the scarf. ( For the reason that heat is absorbed more in dark shades)

4. Accessories: Have some accessories to pair with your outfit and always have a classic bag - the bigger the better (women and their travel knick knacks list are generally long), and the most important of all; comfortable footwear. It may look nice to tower around in high heels (and if you are used to that - continue) but on a traveling expedition, you’d want to cover as many miles as you can. My mantra would be “ flats which are comfortable yet beautiful” for the ultimate comfort and beautiful look. Also, get yourself a great pair of shades that compliment your face.

5. Shop in your destination: If you are heading to like "the shopping destination" country and plan to buy a lot of things from there, my advice would be to schedule your shopping earlier at the destination and wear those dresses on your vacation itself. This way you just have to take the basic needs and shop for the rest of your vacation in your new destination. Light and easy travel.

6. Avoiding the faux pas: So now that you have packed yourself with the needs and wants of a vacation and traveling light, let's go to the photo part. Before that I would want to point out some conventional picture faux pas situations. Many times when I look back at photos of vacations of myself, friends, and family I have noticed a pattern of:

• Shiny dewy sweaty face: Reason – Foundation running down
• Dark shadows under the eye: Mascara’s and eyeliner running down
• Too dark cheeks: By not following the blush rule of thumb” the lesser the more”
• Over Accessories: Too much of accessories can be lethal.
• Frizzed out by the sun: It’s like you have been sunburnt - tired & wrecked.

Winter destinations are easy as these problems above are not that common in winter places. The only thing you need to take care in winter destinations is cover yourself well, and moisturize a lot, so as to not make yourself parched and dried. While the summer destination is what makes all the cosmetic faux pas come alive.

7. The photos

• Always Always Always, use sunscreen. It’s like the first thing and the last thing I’d advise on.
• Don’t go heavy on make-up. As much as possible keep it light and fresh during the day and avoid overuse of colors and if you must, make sure that they are waterproof, especially in the eye area. You can use some colors during the evening time when the sun is down.
• Accessorise a few standing out jewelry at a time.
• Always have a great pair of shades.
• Splash your face with water as many times as you can. Makes you look fresh.
• While taking photographs, stand 2/3 rd turned sideways with one shoulder tilting towards the photographer. Makes you less wide.
• A colorful scarf can come a long way in turning a boring outfit into something splendid and unique.

  Let us know about your recommendation, suggestions, tips, and tricks for traveling light and still staying comfortable.