Aside from being a barrier-breaking hijabi model and activist, Halima Aden also has a BOMB makeup and skincare routine.
For Vogue's latest "Beauty Secrets" video, the young runway star showed us her skincare routine paired with a go-to party look — and honestly, her creativity knows no bounds. Here are a few things we learned from watching this video that we've now got to try ourselves:
Get Creative:
Vogue Beauty Secrets/YouTube
How many of us have used sheet masks? Now, how many of us use the mask to wipe product directly on their face? Exactly! In the video, Halima folds up her brightening sheet mask and glides it onto her skin for added product. If you're on the quest for glowing skin, hydration will be key and utilizing a face mask before going in with products will ensure that your skin is moisturized, despite the frigid weather.
Vogue Beauty Secrets/YouTube
Halima used the Kat Von D Liquid Lipstick in a deep wine shade for not just her lips, but also on her eyes and her cheeks. She swept the product on her lids as a primer before going in with the Huda Beauty Rose Gold Remastered Eyeshadow Palette, and also dabbed it on her cheeks to bring a bit of color back to her face after foundation. I have to say, I've never thought about using lipstick for ALL three, but now I'm curious.
Give Your Skin A Great Base:
Vogue Beauty Secrets/YouTube
Before moving into makeup, lock in your pores by splashing cold water on your face like Halima, and then go in with a deep cleanser to really get in there. Add a thicker cream and a nourishing face oil to keep your face super hydrated and to help "make the foundation glide," according to Halima. Next, you must prime! Priming is always a step in makeup that people question whether it's necessary or not, but priming is so important for giving your skin a smooth base before going in with makeup.
Start with a buildable foundation that has a bit of glowiness — the NARS Sheer Glow foundation is perfect for coverage AND for brown girls. To make sure it's super blended, go in with a beauty blender so you can get into every nook and cranny.
Add In Layers:
Vogue Beauty Secrets/YouTube
Throughout the video, Halima goes back and forth between her brows, her cheeks, her contour, and adding lipstick everywhere. When in doubt, add more product to create a pretty, buildable effect. Stick with some colors that are close to your skin tone, but then go in with a blinding highlight and touch the places where the sun hits — brow bone, cupid's bow, top of cheeks, and even the inner corner of your eyes.
And when in doubt, keep your brows done! "You know how they say eyebrows should be like sisters, not twins? Well, mine aren't even talking. It's a family feud," said Halima while filling in her arches with a brow pencil and gel.
Even if you haven't gotten to your threading lady in a while, clean up under the brow with a pencil or shadow that's a few shades lighter than your skin tone. Bam, you're ready for a night out.
Vogue Beauty Secrets/YouTube
Watch the full video below.
Halima Aden's Epic Guide to Glowing Skin & Golden Eyes | Beauty Secrets | Voguewww.youtube.com
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Sounds like something out of a novel, right? xoNecole had the opportunity to chat with the lovely couple about their wedding, reconnecting, and having a second chance at love.
Photo courtesy of Kai and Hicham Bouhmad
Kai and Hicham on Meeting for the First Time
Kai and Hicham got married on February 14, 2023, in Honolulu, Hawaii in an intimate ceremony, and plan on having a reception in Morocco, Hicham’s home country, later on. One of their wedding guests was the person responsible for their union, Hicham’s friend Karim. Kai reflected on that day when they met.
“I was at a party, and a guy walked in and was like, what’s going on in here? And I was like, well, this is a salon party for the salon that just opened, and they had free food and stuff, and I was like do you want some food?” Kai shares.
When they began talking, Karim brought up Hicham. “He was like, 'I have a friend that I want to introduce you to if you’re single,' and I said, ‘Yeah, that sounds cool.’ So, he was like, 'Well, I’m gonna send you his Facebook information. If you guys can talk on Facebook and see how you guys like each other.' So, that was six years ago, and we talked, and we got along pretty well, and then we started dating.”
Kai and Hicham Describe Their First Date
Because both of them are into the arts, they decided to go to the movies on their first date. At that time, Loving was in theaters, and according to Kai, she knew when she saw him that she wanted to marry him. “I just had that feeling,” she reveals.
Hicham also recalls their “wonderful” date that extended after the movies at a nearby restaurant. “It was a wonderful moment when we made eye contact,” he says.
Photo courtesy of Kai and Hicham Bouhmad
Their Breakup and Reconnection
While Kai saw Hicham as her husband, she wasn’t ready to settle down, but Hicham was. So, they decided to go their separate ways, and Kai began traveling the world. But little did she know that six years later, she would see him again. This time, Kai was visiting an art gallery that had just opened up and began talking to the art gallery owner.
“She [art gallery owner] said, ‘I’m having an art opening, the studio just opened, and we’re having a party next week, and you should come, and my boyfriend has a lot of friends, maybe I’ll introduce you to some of his friends,’ and I was like ‘Oh, okay,’ Kai recalls.
“And at this time, I had already booked my ticket to go to Morocco to explore by myself, solo travel. So I said, 'Oh yeah, this will be fun.' This was in April, and my trip to Morocco was just in August. So, I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll come to your little party, I’m there.’ I’m talking, and then she said 'Oh, my boyfriend is here, and here’s one of his friends.' One of his friends was Hicham.”
This happened on April 23, 2022, and they have been together ever since.
The Engagement
When Hicham reappeared in her life, Kai knew she was now ready to settle down. “I honestly got tired of doing stuff by myself. I was tired, everything I have to do by myself, and I just got tired of that,” Kai explains. “I just felt like I really wanted a partner who’s really supportive and generous and kind, and I really wanted a partner that was by my side.
One of the ways that Hicham convinced Kai to give him another shot was when he wore a cactus shirt to her house, which showed the journalist how much he paid attention to her. “I love cactuses ‘cause it reminds me of the desert. It’s bohemian, I love desert cactuses. When he showed up with a cactus shirt on, I just could not resist,” she says. “That sounds cheesy and cliche and might sound silly, but it just symbolized that he knows me deeply and what I love and paid attention to stuff I care about even though it was silly. That meant a lot.”
Not long after, Hicham knew it was time to pop the question. “Kai gave me [an] indication that she was ready, and so that’s how that all happened.” He continues, “dropping hints, and she was pretty much ready, and I proposed to her.”
Kai admits that they planned their engagement together, including ring shopping, engagement photos, etc.
Photo courtesy of Kai and Hicham Bouhmad
Advice on Finding Love Again
This is both Kai’s and Hicham’s second marriages, and they gave advice on finding love the second time around. They both share the same sentiment about being open and optimistic. Both come from different cultural backgrounds and while that alone could have held them back from pursuing one another, they were open to love.
“Get out of your comfort zone and don’t limit yourself and don’t fear to fail because from failure you learn to build yourself up,” Hicham says.
And at the end of the day, it’s important to establish a friendship first. “Another [piece of] advice, just make sure you like the person,” Kai says, “and that’s really important because you have to make sure even if you have a disagreement or arguments, at the end of the day, you have to ask yourself, do I like this person? And just make sure you really like them.”
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Feature image courtesy of Kai and Hicham Bouhmad
