Summer Beauty Favourites | Zaf & Friends
To say it’s been a while would probably be the biggest understatement of the year, but saying that, I am back and pushing myself into a regular posting schedule! Expect some new changes on here, including a new shop section, maybe a few newsletters and updates on current sewing projects. I’m excited to really develop this website into my own little corner of the internet and share some fun things that I’m working on or loving.
Today I’m kicking off with some of my summer beauty faves! I’ve been trying out a few new products lately - especially with the UK’s weird mini-heatwaves that seem to pop up every few weeks. I’ve definitely had to switch things up and adapt my makeup routine to get that lovely summer glow (or at least make myself look dewy rather than sweaty).
I’ve posted a quick summer makeup get ready with me over on reels too, if you want to see some of these products in action!
My Summer Beauty Faves
L’Oreal True Match Plumping Tinted Serum in Shade Tan-Deep
This has been my go-to skin tint for the past few months, and I keep coming back to it for a few solid reasons. First, it’s super hydrating, my skin absolutely loved it during the winter when it was drier, and even now, it still feels great without being heavy. It’s also incredibly lightweight and breathable, which makes it perfect for warmer weather. And for something marketed as a skin tint, the coverage is actually kind of insane, I would compare it a medium coverage foundation.
The only downside is the shade range.Now that I’ve tanned, the shade I’ve been using feels too light, but the next one up is way too dark, so I’m stuck in that annoying in-between but it’s nothing a big brush and bronzer can’t solve.
NYX Buttermelt Bronzer in Butta Dayz
I think this might be my best summer find. I’ve been obsessed with using this bronzer as a blusher - or as the TikTok girlies call it, a blonzer. The deep red tone is absolutely stunning on darker skin tones, and those little flecks of gold shimmer catch the light just enough without being too much. I usually swirl it on with a fluffy brush across my cheeks and up towards my temples, and it gives the most beautiful sun-kissed glow.
The formula is so smooth, it glides on like butter and blends out effortlessly. It also wears really well throughout the day, even in the heat, which is a big win for me. And lastly (not that it really matters, but still), it smells divine.
Glossier Cloud Paint in Storm
I have to admit, I’m very, very late to the Glossier trend. I’ve had a few of their lip balms, which I adore, but everything else always felt like that no-makeup kind of makeup - and definitely not something I’d spend over £15 on.
That said, I saw this blush on deeper skin tones and it looked stunning. It has that sun-kissed, almost sun-burnt vibe that’s so perfect for summer. It’s a similar shade to the NYX bronzer I love, but this one has a slight orange hue that gives it a warmer, more summery feel. It’s also very pigmented, so a little really does go a long way.
Sometimes I even dab it on my lips for a quick, natural flush of colour when I’m in a rush.
Primark Juicy Gloss in Cherry
I’ve unfortunately fallen victim to picking up any cute-looking lip product in Primark every time I go in. It's a very bad (but kind of fun) habit. Most of the time, it’s a hit or miss, but the Juicy Gloss range has to be my favourite so far.
It ticks all the boxes for a good Y2K-style gloss; the perfect sized tube, an insanely good smell, sparkles, and a super glossy finish. But what sets it apart is that it’s not sticky at all, which I love. It feels light on the lips, actually hydrating, and just really comfortable to wear.
I’m obsessed with the shade I picked up, it’s a soft red-pink tint that looks so good with a brown lip liner. I also have the peach one from the same range, and it’s the prettiest peachy-toned gloss with glitter.
The best part about this is that it is only £1.50!
Barry M Lip Liner in Chocolate
This lip liner is something that could never be replaced from my makeup routine - no matter the season. I don’t use this just as a lipliner, but I use it as an eyeliner, I love doing my inner eye point with this too and even for contour if I’m really in a pinch.
It is the most complimentary brown shade for those with similar skin tones to mine. It isn’t too harsh and looks incredible with pretty much all lip products.
I love using it alongside the Primark Juicy Gloss for the perfect lip combo, but also love using it my Glossier lip balms in both Fig and Black Cherry this summer.
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Prom! | Zafira
Hello!
So I decided to this weeks blog post on prom. I had my prom on Friday 15th July and it was probably one of the best days in my life! I had so much fun with all my friends dancing the night away and just enjoying myself. I thought it would be quite cool to try out a lookbook sorta thing with this post and show you what I wore, how I did my makeup and jewelry!
M A K E U P :
For the base I used:
L'Oréal Paris Infallible Priming Base - I don't wear primer because I usually don't wear enough makeup to need a primer but this is decently priced and does the job. I applied it around my nose and on my forehead where I get shiny the most.
Bare Minerals Pure Brightening Serum Foundation in the shade Bare Espresso - I'm not much of a foundation person, on a daily basis I'll usually just use concealer and a pressed powder with a little colour or just the powder on its own but when I found this foundation I was so happy. It's very very very light, I felt like I had nothing on all day. It's very liquidy so you can tell it's going to light. The coverage is amazing too, it's very buildable but I'm not a huge fan of full coverage so I usually only stick to one thin layer. The only issue I had with this is that it's not a long wearing foundation. When I came home after prom, I saw that areas like my chin and parts of cheeks had little or no foundation on them.
Freedom Pro Conceal Palette in the shade Medium/Dark - This is the second palette I've owned of this concealer and I love it! Again, I'm not a huge fan of full coverage but this covers enough and Freedom do a huge range of colours that suit many different skin tones which is amazing.
Collection Pressed Powder in Misty Beige - This is a pretty good, cheap drugstore powder as it only costs around £2. It doesn't have a very orangey undertone which is great and keeps your makeup in place. I just wish that I used it all over my face at prom rather than in certain areas.
Sleek Cream Contour Kit in Medium - This is a really good drugstore cream contour, I love the variation of shades and how you get a range of highlights and contour colours.
Sleek Face Form Contour Kit in Medium- This is my all time fave contour and highlight. More contour as you can see from the first picture as I've used nearly all of it up. I love this so much!
For brushes I used:
Real Techniques Core Collection - I love this collection. It has every brush I would need to do my base makeup and it comes with a case and I think it's very handy to have this.
Sleek 7 Piece Brush Set - As you can tell, I don't have all the brushes from the set in the pictures as I only use the eye ones and the blush brush which is use for putting powder on or highlight. They also fit pretty snug into the Real Techniques case so I have all the brushes that I need in one place.
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge - I think this is a great alternative to the actual Beautyblenders, they're so much more cheaper and affordable. Even though I haven't used the Beautyblenders, I think the Real Technique sponges do an amazing job at blending everything together and creating a more natural and smooth appearance.
For lips I used:
Barry M Lipliner in No.6 - I love this lipliner so much. I think it's probably my fave. It's a pretty chocolate brown that you can wear on it's own and it stays on all day long or you can pair it with other lipsticks like I had done for prom to achive a nice browny nude.
Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss in shade 08 - When I first bought and tried it on, I really didn't like it. The colour looked too light on my lips but when I paired it with the Barry M lipliner it created the most beautiful nude.
For eyes I used:
Makeup Revolution Palette in Redemption Iconic 1 - This works excellent seeing as it only costs £4. What I did for prom was wet the my brush a little and then picked up some eyeshadow in order to make it really pigmented and stand out but the colours are pretty pigmented on their own.
Collection Brow Kit in Brunette - I don't have brunette hair obviously but I feel like the three shades that come in this particular kit are less harsh and look very natural. I usually use the brown shade in the middle and then a little black right the end of my eyebrow just to make them a bit more fleeky. I also used the lightest brown shade in the crease as well as the darker brown in the outer edge and then put the gold eyeshadow from the Revolution palette more towards the center and inner part of my eye.
Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara in Black - I love this mascara. It's what I use on a more daily basis but for prom this was a necessity as I didn't want mascara all down my face as I was sweating away at prom. You can definitley build up the layers and it doesn't become clumpy at all. I was planning on wearing lashes at first but that was too much hassle and I can barely put them on.
Miss Sporty Studio Lash Liner in Black - This is so good seeing as it's drugstore and so cheap! It's probably one of the best eyeliners I've ever used. The brush is really thin so if you have small eyes like me and only want a thin line, it's really easy to do.
Here's the finished look!
O U T F I T :
I got my dress from a nearby Asian clothing store called Resham. They have amazing quality clothes and I love my dress so much. It's probably one of my fave Asian pieces.
I got my shoes from New Look. You can buy them here:
They're really comfortable and matched my dress really well. They were great to dance in too!
J E W E L R Y :
My earrings are from Dorothy Perkins. I tried looking online for them but I can't find them unfortunately but they're supper pretty and matched my necklace well.
I'm not actually sure where my necklace is from but I'm sure many places sell ones similar to it.
P H O T O G R A P H S :
I didn't take my big Canon EOS 60D because it would have just got in the way. However my dad let me borrow his Canon Powershot G10 and did the job perfectly. Follow me on Instagram as I'll be uploading some pictures from prom on there soon!