It's been real hectic lately, yet very productive. Apology for not writing sooner. First of all 'Congratulations!' to a very dear friend, Hafitah Baharuddin.
Hafitah's 'hantaran' or wedding gifts to the groom as in Malay wedding culture
where bride & groom exchange wedding gifts.
She got married the day before my seminar in UITM Melaka at her parents' house in Seremban which is also my home town. Her parents' house is actually very near to one of my previous schools, SMKA Sheikh Haji Mohd Said (I went to a total of 6 schools from Kindergarten to Secondary). The students and the teachers fondly call it 'SHAMS' now. It's an Islamic religious school.
I learned quite a lot in this school especially in reading and reciting the Quran. I suppose, my late dad had this worry that his daughter might turn out 'wild', (hahahhaha!!) since we just came back from States at that time. I guess, if I were him, I would too. I am the eldest daughter, and I remember at the age of 10 years plus, I already asked him if it's okay to have a boyfriend. That must have really scared the hell out of him.
Anyway, back to my friend's wedding. I wasn't able to attend the reception which was held the next day due to my seminar. So, I ended up coming to her 'nikah' session instead. For Christians, it's like the session when the bride and groom exchanging their wedding oath.
I arrived at her parents' house around 1pm plus, that Friday the 11th and this Hafitah was still eating her lunch! She looked so.......cool for a bride to be, (hahahahha)! I said,
'You better be quick cause I have to rush back home, complete my powerpoint presentation for my Melaka seminar, then go to Melaka'.
You know what she said,
'Can I finish 2 more 'suap'? '.
'Suap' is like the equivalent of 'spoonful'. We Malays eat with our bare hands when we eat rice, so when we say 'suap', it's like saying another spoonful but actually it's the act of putting the food into our mouth with our bare hands. That means instead of spoonful, it would be like handful? Oh, well, I think you do get the picture. So, I suppose, we better let the bride eat her food cause it was going to be a long day and a long weekend.
It was a very rushed and tiring day for me too as I didn't sleep the whole night trying to complete my powerpoint presentation. I only went to bed at 6:30am after the Subuh prayer that morning but I could never miss Hafitah's wedding. Not in my life, ever. She's one of my good friends and a home girl. To miss her wedding is like a BIG SIN, plus, I'm her make-up artist for that day. How can she be a bride if her make-up artist isn't there? That was also a chance for me to sharpen my make-up skills. Thanks for that opportunity and trust, Fitah!
So, like they always said, the bride should have something old, something new and something borrowed. Well, since I wasn't able to attend her reception, my wedding gift to her was 'the make-up', the 'hijab inner' and the 'outer hijab' itself, but not the veil though. So there you go, everything was NEW, but our friendship, that's VERY OLD...
Fitah without Make-Up
I finished doing her make-up, putting on the hijab and the veil on her at around 3pm or so. You can still be beautiful and remain true to the Muslim identity on your wedding day without taking off the hijab. By right, as Muslimahs we're not suppose to pluck our eyebrows too. So, in order for me to shape her eyebrows, I used a thicker type of foundation to conceal some of the eyebrows' hair before applying the eyebrow liner.
I used two 3 types of foundation; one for the base colour, a lighter one for the forehead, chin, nose, the brow bones and under the eyes and the darker one for shading. Same goes to the powder. Instead of loose powder, I used 2 Way Foundation for a more flawless effect. Three different colours as well. The final touch was a very light brush of glittered loose powder on the cheek bones, the chin and a hint on the bridge of her nose.
For her eyelashes, I think I applied like 5 to 6 coats of mascara to give volume and length. I wanted to use the fake eyelashes but I couldn't locate them at that time. I think the mascara was better too since Hafitah's eyes are quite sensitive. She might be allergic to the glue if I applied the fake lashes. Even then we had to rest the eyes a few times because they got watery a lot.
Fitah during the 'Akad' Ceremony
The handsome groom arrived at about 3:30pm or was it 4pm, wasn't really sure, cause I was so hungry. When he arrived, I was busy eating with my mom who accompanied me that whole time. I didn't stay for the whole ceremony. I had to go back sooner and prepare for my Melaka trip.
Before I left, I said to Hafitah,
'Fitah, don't cry, cause I won't be here to do touch up, I'm leaving now..'
Actually, I was the one feeling emotional. If I didn't leave soon, I'll be the one crying. There's something about the 'akad nikah' ceremony that makes me feel touched, happy, yet sad at the same time. The sight of her with her dad was also touching. It reminded me of my late dad. I'm glad my dad was there to witness my wedding and only passed away two years later. Had I married later, he won't be around anymore. I think as a father, her dad must have felt very sad to let his eldest daughter go. I wonder what my dad felt on my wedding?
Fitah with Dad
I left Hafitah that day feeling satisfied that I had done my best and gave everything from the heart. But my day was not over yet. I rushed home and started packing for my Melaka trip. I had to go back to the centre in Bandar Seri Putra because there were some stuff I forgot to pack a long like the most important tools for the 'Image Rebranding' workshop - the Colour Wheels (for the Colour Analysis and Consultation session). Of all the things to forget.....Anyway it was an easier pick up point for my partner too. So, instead of waiting in Seremban at my mom's house, my husband and I drove back to Seri Putra, and I continued my work on the lap top while waiting for Aida (my partner) to arrive.
Fitah & Parents
However, the highlight of the day came that night at around 8 or 9pm. I received an sms from Hafitah that read:
'Thanks for everything. U made me look like a million bucks!'
Fitah & Me
Fitah & colleagues
Don't thank me, THANK YOU Hafitah, for your trust in me..and for those years of friendship. Alhamdulillah! I was so..relieved that she loved her look! To be able to make someone feel and look like a million bucks, was PRICELESS...
Then again, we always forget that each and everyone of us does worth that much and more. Each and everyone of us is beautiful and perfect because we are Allah's creation and there is no flaw in His creation. Our task is to take care of the gifts he gave us. The gift of life, our body, our sight and everything else..Our task is to live this life true to our purpose as Khalifah on this earth.
Well, signing off for this part one, and stay tune for part two. As always, stay true to ourselves, and stay true to the Muslim Style and Brand.
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