Top 10 Hair and Make-up tips

_______Create the Look
With Kanval of Impressions

Top 10 Hair and make-up tips

1.    Test your foundation on your jaw line.
“I would say look at what your neck and your body colour is and test it on your jaw line. Make sure it doesn’t go orange, too dark or too light. It has to be spot on – the perfect match.”

2.    Bring out the natural tones of your eyes.
“Brown eyes are quite versatile and tend to suit greens, browns and greys. Blue eyes should stick to greys and blues – those kind of shades – and if you’ve got green eyes you can go for browns, coppers and blacks.”

3.    Focus on eyes OR lips.
“If you’re wearing dark lipstick go for lighter eyes and if you’ve got darker eyes go for lighter lips. Otherwise it can make you look quite old. The trend just now is definitely more eye make-up than lips. Unless you have the perfect pout, I wouldn’t advise really dark red lips or shocking pink.”

4.    Pop on concealer at the very end for a flawless look.
“I put concealer on right at the end because it gives you a cleaner look. When you’re using so many eye shadows you tend to find that a lot of it falls and so what I do is clean up afterwards and put the concealer on right at the end. Set it and then the eye make-up is perfect.”

5.    Know your skin.
“If you’ve got oily skin you need to put on block powders and shine removing papers. If you’ve got very dry skin you need to make sure that you’ve moisturised enough beforehand. You can even buy little tubes of moisturiser that you can apply onto your foundation if you’ve got eczema or something and just blend it into your really dry patches. With a little powder setting it should be perfect for the rest of the day. If you’ve got very dry skin and you used an oil-free dry foundation it’s going to look very powdery on you and as if it’s flaking off.”

6.    Invest in a backcombing brush.
“The sixties beehive style is very fashionable at the moment.  To create the look you need a good backcombing brush and you need to have a mirror at the back and the front because it might look fine from the front but you need to make sure it’s just as neat at the back.”

7.    Go easy on the hairspray and pins.
“The look is not to have it over-pinned – just have enough there to hold up your style. When things get over-pinned it starts looking quite grannyish. Pick a hairspray with a slightly flexible hold and don’t freeze-dry your hair into that place where it looks a bit unnatural and starts looking greasy.  Apply the spray place the natural hair over the top. If you over-spray you’ll probably have to wash and start again.”

8.    Let someone else experiment with your look.
“I think the best looks are the ones where I’m allowed to take control. If you’re used to doing a look in a certain way then somebody who looks at you in a different light will make the best of your features. If you’re used to doing your eye liner a certain way then you’re not going to look any different on your wedding day if you make the make-up artist do the same look that you do.”

9.    Take a photo of your completed look before popping out.
“Taking a quick picture to see how your make-up comes out will give you a better idea of your look than using a mirror. Some brides ask for very little make-up thinking it seems a lot but when they see it on camera you can’t actually see it and so sometimes I advise them to go slightly heavier than normal. I will show them that the camera kind of absorbs make-up and so you really need to go slightly heavier.”

10.    Apply blusher to match your face shape.
“If you’ve got quite a slim face then put blusher on the apples of your cheeks and blend it out towards the ears. If you have quite high cheekbones then blend it more up towards your temples to slim your face down.”

_______Create the Look

Face: First the face was totally cleansed, toned, moisturised. A primer was applied before the foundation – I chose NW 25 because she has quite a lot of pink tone in her face – and set with studio fix powder. Add concealer to cover up freckles for a flawless complexion.

Products: Mac studio fix fluid foundation in NW25, Mac studio fix finishing powder.

Cheeks:  A tan tone blusher was applied to give her a bronze effect.

Products: Mac tantone blusher, golden bronzer.

Eyes: Her eyebrows were neatened with an eyebrow pencil and an eye shadow base was applied on which there was greys, blues, navys and blacks all blended together to bring out her greyish blue eyes. Start lighter and go darker and darker, from the inner corner. False eyelashes were applied to give her a cat-like look.”

Products: Mac eyeshadows in blue, navy, black and grey.

Lips: A very light pink lipstick was applied and topped with gloss.

Products: Mac creamcup lipstick, clear gloss, lipliner in subculture.

Hair: The hair was backcombed really high. Jewellery was set in it and it was twisted back to create a very graceful look.

The Art of Mehndi

Mehndi by Farah Khan

FOR any Asian bride the intricate application of mehndi is the most significant part of her pre-wedding rituals. For many it is while the beautiful pattern of henna seeps into their skin that all the stress of preparing for the big day fades away, and they truly begin to feel like a bride.

Whether your mehndi is applied during an intimate gathering of your closest girls or at a massive party where you fight the urge to get up and dance as the henna dries, the thing you’ll be most concerned about is quality. For this reason, the majority of Asian brides are desperately seeking the hand of a professional to apply their bridal mehndi, especially someone who is passionate, reputable, and ideally close at hand.

While mehndi icons like Ash Kumar and Joshiv have been able to carve out lucrative careers south of the border, only a select group of professional mehndi artists work in Scotland, mostly based in and around Glasgow. So for those of you who lack a mehndi maestro in the family and desire beautiful, high-quality henna without the excessive travelling fees, I met up with local mehndi artist Farah Khan to explore the options open to Scottish brides and gain some first-hand experience in the art of mehndi.

“For Asian brides their mehndi is something very special,” muses Farah as she applies the cool henna paste to my hand in an intricate, flowing design. “It’s a ritual of great importance with a lot of emotional ties, so it can often become a very therapeutic process for the bride.”

Sitting on the floor of Farah’s living room, I am instantly mesmerised as I watch her gently guide the henna from the cone to my hand with impressive speed and accuracy. I find the henna’s fragrant aroma strangely intoxicating and become so relaxed I’m surprised when, within a mere ten minutes, my mehndi has blossomed into a delicate floral pattern, shimmering with a touch of golden glitter, as it winds along the left side of my hand from my wrist to the tops of my fingers.

I can understand why many brides complement Farah on her soothing technique. Typical of the close-knit community of mehndi artists in Glasgow, Farah’s skilled hand has decorated countless brides, who, when they enlist the help of a local artist, receive not only a personal and intimate service but also a friendly ear.

“Sometimes brides have a lot to get off their chests,” says Farah. “When I touch their hands they start talking, and I find out a lot about people – they feel they can tell me things they normally wouldn’t tell anyone!”

When I ask about recent trends in bridal mehndi, Farah says the design she has given me reflects the particular look modern brides are after, “Nowadays, brides don’t want to be splattered in orange. For the modern British Asian bride less is definitely more. They want more spacious and elegant designs. This season’s hot trend is floral – flowers, leaves and paisley patterns mixed into intricate and flowing motifs. Henna trends come in and out of fashion but right now circles, swirls and curls are very in.”

While the application of henna is an ancient tradition dating back thousands of years, its transient nature has seen it cross generations and cultures. In the late 90s, mehndi turned cosmopolitan and became celebrated in western culture as a trendy form of body art. In a move that merges fashion with tradition, changes in bridal mehndi have mirrored this transition and offer brides a modern twist on conventional designs.

It is now becoming increasingly popular for brides to have their mehndi complement the sumptuous designs of their wedding outfits; with vibrant colours, glitter, pearls and Swarovski crystals incorporated into the bridal motifs to enhance the red hue of henna with an added touch of opulence and femininity.

Nousheen Younis, a Glasgow based mehndi artist, agrees that this can enrich bridal mehndi, “Glitter mehndi is incredibly popular,” she says. “When brides get it done they feel like they are literally shining. They can experiment with different colours to match their outfits; green, gold and silver are popular. They really love it!”

Whether done in a modern or traditional design, it is ultimately the colour of the mehndi that remains of utmost importance. As tradition has it, the deeper the colour, the stronger the marital love. But these days the average bride is more concerned with the quality and appearance of their mehndi, rather than the superstitions surrounding it.

“Colour is a big issue.”Farah observes, “The best way to achieve the darkest stain is to make up fresh paste, cone it immediately and use on the day. The best henna in the world is Jamila henna, finely sifted in its freshest, purest form – that’s how you get the darkest stain. But for the richer colour, it’s all about speed.”

Although professional mehndi artists based in Scotland do not, as yet, have the option to a make a career out of mehndi alone, this does nothing to compromise the quality of their work. Mehndi artists like Farah and Nousheen practice mehndi in their own time; doing it not for financial gain but rather the infinite passion they harbour for henna. This means they can offer brides quality work at a fraction of the prices charged by their English counterparts.

“When I’m doing someone’s henna I’ll make sure it’s absolutely perfect,” says Farah, “the main thing for me is that my client is happy. Its an experience I want them to enjoy and remember.”

For Farah, practicing mehndi is a labour of love. “Its basically art for arts sake,” she enthuses, “it’s not a lucrative career; we’re doing it for the wealth of happiness it brings us. I think I’ll still be doing mehndi when I’m 90!”

Nousheen, who is also a housewife practicing mehndi in her spare time, agrees, “Its not about the money. Its just great for me to do something artistic, which I enjoy and makes me feel popular!”

While henna may be temporary, the memories it creates can last a lifetime. For this reason alone, you want your bridal mehndi to be of the highest quality. And when it comes to art, it is often said that technique is nothing without passion; so when searching for your mehndi artist, make sure to find someone who is as passionate about their work, as you are about the man you’re marrying!

For an artist, I wonder how difficult it is to spend hours creating something beautiful with the knowledge that in a few weeks it will merely fade into nothing?

“It is a fleeting beauty,” admits Farah, “but that’s life; everything ends, everything has its season. In a way it stands as a good metaphor for humanity – for us the whole world is temporary and I think henna reflects that.”

With my lesson in the art of mehndi complete, I leave Farah’s home in a trance. Unable to stop gazing at the ornate pattern adorning the back of my hand, I’m mesmerised to the point where I happily risk wandering into oncoming traffic! The mehndi artists I’ve encountered in Glasgow approach bridal mehndi with the passion and dedication of an artist, and by going local, you are pretty much guaranteed a personal service from someone with precision, attention to detail and creative flair in abundance.

So go ahead – ask around, book a consultation and see for yourself. And some final words of advice: to ensure you actually make it to your wedding day, do watch yourself on the roads afterwards!

by Laura Smith

The Marriage of East & West

(Left to right) Traditional white wedding gown: Panache // Cultural fusion gown: Taniya Toor // Traditional Lengha: Taniya Toor. Jewellery: Singhaar // Photography: Afzal of Impressions // Hair and make-up: Kanval of Impressions // Venue: Malmaison Hotel Glasgow

WEDDINGS have long been a delicate balancing act between tradition and the fashionable, interspersed with a sprinkling of the couple’s personality – from critical decisions such as the style of bouquet, hair and make-up to the intricate details of your wedding stationary and choice of favours. The most prominent arena for combining these ideas to fit your own unique cultural mould is, of course: the wedding outfit.

As the balance sways from purely traditional towards an amalgamation of conventions, cultures and fashion trends, Britain’s fashion industry is singing to the demands of an increasingly hybrid culture with trends crossing traditional boundaries.

Leicester-based designer Arinder Bhullar, who specialises in the design and production of high-class couture including a full bridal collection, has observed a huge crossover in the bridal market with more non Asian brides ordering from their collection.

“These brides want something different than the usual white gown,” she says, “different in the terms of embroideries and cuts. Asian embellishments tend to have a little more shine – shiny thread work, diamante crystals and sequins are added to our outfits.” She has even, she declares, created red wedding outfits for non Asian brides – red being the traditional
Asian wedding colour.

Similarly, Asian brides are changing their perspective of the ‘traditional’ outfit, often seeking something in between that puffy white cupcake-style dress and a vividly coloured brocade. “This is where I try to fuse the two together – an Asian bridal outfit with all the trimmings but with a westernized cut,” Arinder explains. “This concept is very much in fashion now. The trend is big Asian outfits with lots of embellishments.”

Indeed, the challenge to produce an exciting fusion between East and West has become a rich and thriving area for designers to explore and offers an extensive choice for would-be brides. Mani Kohli, designer of the sought-after Khubsoorat Collection, is strongly aware of the demand of a generation that is seeking a contemporary alternative to the traditional ethnic look – a demand that has increased over the past couple of years. Mani says, “I have been designing since 1983 and never have I seen such a strong presence of the Western “white bride” influence as I have in the past two to three years.” This, she believes, is a reflection of “the Asian living in the UK.”

She clarifies, “It is the arrival of the British Asian, who wants to be recognised for their very formative stand in the British pattern of life and need the acceptance. Asians are now in the third generation and have a lifestyle to boast – hence, the birth of the fusion bridal attire in the Khubsoorat Collection.”

On the other hand, the rise of films such as ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ (which Mani designed for) and Bollywood successes have helped to develop a love for Bollywood fashion in the West. As hits such as “Slumdog Millionaire” and the much-hyped “My Name is Khan” are embraced by the UK Box Office, Bollywood fashion has been enthusiastically adopted by viewers. Mani states, “‘Bend It Like Beckham’ gave Asian fashion the approval and recognition that Asian clothes so deserve. The fact that the film was a tremendous hit only went to prove that the mainstream was always willing to embrace a new look.”

Bollywood fashion has indeed been adopted by the West – Asian styles are appearing in more designs by non Asian designers and this is gradually extending to the Glasgow area.

Glasgow-based Shirley Sampson, Creative Director at Velvet Tigers, will be exhibiting her alternative designs of exquisite corsetry and clothing at the Occasions Scottish Asian Wedding Show including some with an Asian influence. She says, “I shall certainly be showing a mixture of my ‘normal’ (i.e. ‘alternative’) Velvet Tigers designs, along with some which are definitely intended to be a fusion of eastern and western styles. I hope some of them will appeal to all those women who want to look beautiful and elegant – but differently!”

Shirley has noticed a trend towards Asian fashion generally such as “the wearing of jeans or trousers under a skirt or a dress” and the popularity of “baggy ‘peg’ pants, large shawl-type scarves, wraps and pashminas. Meanwhile, machines can now produce beautiful, detailed embroidery and beading in many styles – features which have long been popular in Asia.” 

She hopes that this growing trend is not just a superficial fad but indicates changes in culture. “Cross-cultural clothing is, I hope, becoming more popular because – despite the obvious difficulties – in practice, we are all becoming more familiar and relaxed with each other. This means we’re no longer as protective of our ‘traditional’ identities and are willing to try out each others’ styles.

“After all,” she adds, “when have women not loved dressing up in new things!”

Asha Ginda, an Asian Fashion Consultant based in Glasgow, agrees that the demand is there and that the western community is “eager to know” about Asian fashion as well as British Asians who want something “that matches their values. They want to bring the two cultures together through fabric and designs”.

However, she feels that there is still a partition: lack of knowledge. As founder of Lemonstyle, she is striving to overcome the stumbling block by educating a wider audience about Asian fashion. “I educate about what it is and what to ask for,” she says, “and offer support because people don’t have the knowledge. They need help purchasing such items.”

As well as offering her services as a wedding stylist, the educational aspect of the business sees Asha organizing workshops in Asian fashion at local secondary schools and hosting various classes such as “The Art of Sari Draping” which are proving popular.

The demand is evidently there and it seems that, while many wedding traditions have an imprint of personality and values upon them, the possibility of finding a wedding outfit to truly maximise a bride’s identity is now a strong reality. Rather than the bride being a victim to fashion, fashion is flowing to the desires, characteristics and values of the customer.

“I need to understand the customer and their wants and dreams to materialise in the ensembles,” Mani Kohli explains of the wedding outfit design process at Khubsoorat. “Eventually the colour, the fabric, the embellishment, the design and the fitting speaks volumes and the picture reflects the happy couple in their picture albums to boast to the next in line.”

Real Weddings: Amit & Sam

Date: 12th February, 2010
Place: Chandigarh, India

FOR Sam and Amit, Cupid came in the form of a mutual friend who introduced the couple five years ago while they were both studying at university in Glasgow. The pair soon became inseparable and it was two years later that Amit proposed over a romantic dinner, during a trip to India.
As well as being home to both their families, India holds strong emotional ties for the couple and became not only the setting for their engagement, but also their marriage when they returned to the country to tie the knot last month.

While organising a wedding can be a difficult task at the best of times, planning one in another country presented a much greater challenge for the couple, who returned to India so their entire families could witness the occasion. “We chose to get married in India so all our families could be there and we could make a grand occasion.” says Amit.

Fortunately, the families were on hand to make arrangements for the couple locally, leaving Sam and Amit more time to organise important details such as their outfits, menus and colour schemes. “There was an incredible amount of planning involved,” reflects Sam, “but it was all worth it!”

On the cusp of Valentines Day the couple were married in Chandigarh. So everybody could really enjoy the occasion, the couple kept things short and sweet in a traditional yet simple ceremony which took place in the local Gurudwar, attended by close family and friends.

“For me the most memorable part was the actual wedding ceremony itself in the Gurudwara,” says the bride. “Going around the holy book Guru Granth Sahib was a wonderful feeling. While I was a bit nervous before the ceremony I found listening to the verses from the Granth Sahib very soothing.”

The bride purchased her wedding outfits in Delhi and for the ceremony wore a traditional red and green suit decorated with gorgeous gold detailing. “As it was a day time ceremony and in the Gurudwara I opted for the salwaar kameez and went for a proper Sardarni look with the dupatta over my head and the Punjabi jutti.” enthuses Sam.

Her bridal look was completed with gorgeous hair and makeup done by Wavelength Hair Studio, based in Chandigarh and to complement her outfit Amit looked dashing in a cream and maroon sherwani.

For the reception Sam chose an Indo-western style outfit and looked beautiful in a turquoise sari-cum-lehnga dress with intricately embroidered blue peacock detailing and an off the shoulder blouse. Her tikka and jewellery added a traditional touch to the outfit. Again, the couple sought to complement each other’s outfits by wearing similar colours. “Amit looked really handsome at the reception in a traditional dark blue suit with bronze detailing down one side.” Sam reveals.

While their wedding ceremony may have been an intimate affair, the next day proved to be quite another story, with the Chandigarh Club as the setting for the couple’s roaring reception. Taking advantage of the warm climate, they celebrated in the grounds of the club beneath a canopy of silk, with elegant black and blue décor chosen by Sam.

“We wanted the reception outside so we had loads of space!” explains Amit, “Everyone was invited – it was a massive party with lots of drinking and dancing!”

Guests dined on an assortment of sumptuous dishes provided by Kirpal Caterers and after the exchange of rings and cutting the cake, the party really got going with live entertainment in the form of a professional dancer, who taught guests Bollywood dance steps and routines. Yet as the night wore on, no one needed much encouragement – least of all the bride and groom.

“It was so much fun with all the family together and dancing around,” says Sam, “the music was just fantastic!”

The couple and their guests spent the rest of the evening partying under the stars to an exhilarating mix of hip hop and Bhangra. Memories of the special occasion were captured by photographers from Gurudev Studios.

After the wedding the couple remained in India for a short while before the returning to the UK and are currently planning a trip to America for their honeymoon.

by Laura Smith

The Asian Marriage Epidemic

Why are so many British Asians still single in their 30s? Do we no longer believe in the constitution of marriage? Or are we simply too picky? Are all the Asian men opting to marry non-Asian girls, or heading back to their motherland for a bride?

Finding the right marriage partner seems to be an issue in most Asian households today. Let’s dissect the problem and discuss some of the issues surrounding this ‘Epidemic’ in the Asian community.

Why am I still single?

AS a British Asian female in my 30s, with many friends still single, I have to ask myself why is this happening? Are my friends and I not marriage material? Have we become too demanding or is it simply that we have decided not to settle for ‘just any guy’?

Hmm… we are all pretty, intelligent and well-educated professionals. All qualities I would have thought all would make for excellent marriage material. Or, is this in fact the problem? Do Asian guys just want someone who will cook and clean for them, making today’s modern women not fit the bill? Overqualified in the independence and education categories, and under-qualified in the handi roti (curry and chapatti). They don’t need a girl who comes with a degree and a private health package from her multinational when a rolling pin and some atta (flour) in the dowry will do. So are the men folk to blame?

Ladies, do you ever wonder where are all the eligible guys? Well, it sometimes seems that all of them are running back home (you know, the pind, our desh) to find a Barbie doll packaged nicely with a rolling pin and all the necessary skills to feed and mother her husband.

Is the British Asian man looking for a replacement for his mother? ‘Since mum was born and brought up in the pind then that’s where I should go for the replacement?’ Let me tell you a classic scenario which sums up this issue. A friend who has recently qualified as a solicitor was summoned by his dad for a chat… THE CHAT. ‘Beta (son) now that you are qualified I think it’s time you thought about settling down’. Beta, of course, agrees. Dad asks, ‘so Beta what sort of girl do you want to get married to?’ To which beta answers ‘Well dad, ideally I would like to get married to someone from the UK who is also a working professional’. So far so good, I know lots of suitable girls! However, dad shakes his head in disapproval. ‘Beta do you not know the girls in this country? They cannot look after their husband. They take the son away from the family and make the husband cook and clean. Do you want to cook and clean after you get married?’ At this beta gets worried and shakes his head. ‘Well then Beta, I suggest you come back to the desh with me and I will find you a nice wife’. Beta agrees, and dad of course is happy. Next, dad leans back and looks thoughtful. ‘I worry son, what to do with your sister, she is 32, has a good job, why can’t we find a rishta for her? Are there no eligible boys in the UK?’ …. Need I say more here?

Let’s not just attack the Asian men here. Let us ponder the other side of the equation. Are the ladies of today just too picky? Are they all going around with a checklist; house, car, professional career, caste, not living with parents etc etc? And inevitably when the boxes don’t get ticked the poor bloke doesn’t stand chance. Do we ladies think to ourselves: ‘Well, we have done well for ourselves, so why shouldn’t we marry someone with the full package (we are talking about salary here people – minds out of the gutter); someone who fits my criteria? Are we basically looking for the male equivalent of ourselves? Are we shooting ourselves in the well manicured foot with all our demands?

The Real Issue.

YES, there are issues with high demands, as well as confusion over what we are really looking for. And it probably doesn’t help with parents taking their children to their homeland to import partners. However, in my experience the constitution of marriage is still as strong as I remember it being when I was a little girl within the British Asian communities of today. We want to get married, we want to settle down. So, where is the problem? The issue seems to me to be a lack of scenarios where you can meet eligible bachelors or bachelorettes. What are the options for the British Asians of today? Go to single events which force upon you a situation where no one is comfortable? Log on to the internet where you have to sieve through the people who are there to just mess about? Hang out at a club even if it’s not your scene? Or hope that some auntiji recommends someone (which doesn’t happen very often these days) to your famil,y so you can sit with them in your front room with the rest of the khandan asking ‘ladkha pasand aya?’ after five minutes of chatting?

Most people I know just want to meet someone in a natural setting and spend some time to get to know them and then make a decision. So where can we find this natural setting? Where is the safe and respectful environment where you can just mingle? Where are the community events, mosque gurdwara and mandir socials which encourage the whole family to come along and mix with other Asians? Why are the opposite sexes not encouraged to socialise and meet one another in a safe family environment? Do such events not encourage union in the community? Why are people not recommending rishatas anymore? What has become of the community? Where are our religious institutions? Is marriage not a vital part of our religion? Should our religious institutions and the community not do more? I leave you with these questions, and many more. The epidemic of marriage, or the lack of it, is the real issue in our community. Let’s do something to help our brothers and sisters find the right partner in a safe and respectful way.

Love Marriages: the Good, the Bad and the Culture

Does a happy ever after exist? Will my parents ever let me marry him? Or should I just break up with him as we have no future?

We all deserve the right to decide who we want to marry and spend the rest of our lives with. In Asian families it’s known to be a bit tricky and most Asian parents have already got that someone special in mind who they think would be ideally suited to their son or daughter.

Whether it is a love marriage or an arranged marriage, the union will not flourish unless there is mutual understanding, mutual respect and love between husband and wife. So the importance is not the style of marriage, but style of attitude and thinking.

I am a young professional Asian woman. I have been with my partner for over a year now and looking to spend the rest of my life with him. But things weren’t always this simple. When I was younger my mum and dad wanted my sisters and I to all have arranged marriages. As we got older, the issue of marriage got more serious as my mum started the hunt for a life partner for all of us. My parents would never force us, instead always giving us the decision to choose if we liked him or not. I, on the other hand, was never really serious about getting an arranged marriage. After all, how can you marry someone you have only spoken to for five minutes? How can you be expected to live with him when you don’t know anything about him?

Many came and many went, and I refused them all. I always had an excuse to hand: ‘Mum I don’t like this about him, I don’t like that about him’ and so on, but my mother just kept lining them up.

Then one day as I was having dinner with my mum the same old subject of marriage came up. However, this time it was different. She asked, ‘Do you have anyone in mind?’ and knowing this was my only opportunity, I jumped at the chance to give her a truthful answer. Before I could stop myself ‘yes’ had slipped through my lips, and I found myself ranting on about my partner or should I say ‘friend’ (as Asian parents would never allow you to have a boyfriend). My mum was over the moon, professing the urge to meet him. I was surprised and shocked, having never thought my parents would agree to my choice in partner.

Now a year on I am happily engaged and due to be getting married later this year. I am glad I had the courage to tell my parents about him. If I hadn’t then my life wouldn’t be the way it is just now.

To this day when we walk down the street together Asian women walking by do frown at us; but what they don’t understand is that the love we have for each other isn’t just for the day, or the week, it’s forever.

So fight for your love and don’t be under the illusion your parents won’t agree. Don’t say to yourself ‘I might as well break up with him’. Instead sit down with your parents and speak to them, ask for a chance. Let them meet your partner before making any decision. After all, it is a decision you will have to live with for the rest of your life – you don’t want to have any regrets.

His view

For myself as a Muslim guy, I come from a family whose attitude is pretty laid back. All they want is for me to be happy. My mum and dad both said to me when I was a small boy that my future wife could be white, black, Chinese, from any background so long as she accepts Islam they would be 100% behind me. So for me, telling my parents was a happy moment. I felt amazing telling them and they appreciated my honesty, accepting the fact I had a girlfriend and asked to meet her. My parents ask about her on a daily basis, and my mum and her talk to each other regularly. Now looking back, neither of us would change a thing.