My First Exhibition | Zafira
‘LOST IN TRADITON.’
Hey!
So a few days ago, I had my work exhibited for the very first time! As part of a group exhibition by me and my MA group, we showed off some work we did as part of an assignment last term under the theme ‘Collisions’.
I wasn’t planning on doing a blog post on this hence the non-blogger-last-minute-pictures but I thought it would be fun to explain more about the meaning and context behind my work and even a little bit about my working progress.
RESEARCH
A lot of research went into this. It’s the first time I’ve completely finished a photography project, well when I say finished I mean have at least 90% satisfaction with the final product.
It all started off with family pictures from the 70-90s. I spend so much time flicking through family albums, I knew I had to use them in my project in someway or other.
The photographs that stood out most were definitely the portraits, especially the ones taken in studios. It’s crazy how my family used to go to a studio and get these regal, professional shots taken of them against the most extravagant backgrounds. My favourite had to be this one of my dad’s aunt and uncle which you’ll see eventually inspired the entire colour scheme of my project.
I also found myself delving quite deeply into theoretical concepts in photography, it might have been because I was taking a critical studies class at the time but I have always loved reading about anthropological concepts.
The main concept I focused on was Edward Soja’s theory of photographic space and its relation to this idea of the ‘other’. I was looking at the impact of the colonial gaze as well as Edward Said’s take on orientalism. I recommend looking into all these concepts because they give you such an clear understanding on how the West impacted colonised people, their countries and even their way of life post-colonisation.
(the faces are blurred out for privacy reasons and it’s watermarked because it’s from my dad’s very extensive family archive)
TEST SHOOTS
So I did quite a few test shoots for this, you might have seen a few of this pictures over on my Instagram but it was so much fun dressing up and shooting myself in different styles.
Ultimately, I knew I wanted to portray a balance between my two cultures; my Western life here in the UK but then also my roots back in Bangladesh and then also tie back in orientalism and it’s impact on my generation of Bangladeshis.
In these photographs you can see one very ‘modern’ style of South Asian style but then the other is a very traditional look. I knew after shooting these 2 different sets, that for my final, I’d want to represent both somehow.
My set up started off with my mum’s old sarees, I love a good classic katan saree. They’ve always felt so decadent to me. I loved the creases and the folds and the way that mirrored the folds in the clothing I was wearing. I liked how these turned out but it didn’t feel exciting enough to me.
pre-final-set
These are my pre-final-set of images I guess you’d call them? Well those personally, gave me the ick towards myself as a photographer because of how hazy and foggy and messy they look but they were so pivotal in the creation of my final set so I had to include these in here. I was playing around with lens filters and different editing styles and it did not work out how I wanted to but at least now I had a clear image of what I wanted for my final set.
I wanted to go back to that family portrait and figure out how I could recreate the colours because that’s one thing that made me fall in love with it and the backdrop too. However. getting a backdrop anywhere close to the one in the original picture would have broke my bank account. I looked at other options too like printing a photograph of Bangladesh onto material and then using that but that too was just way out of my budget.
I was like okay, where can I get a large amount of fabric for cheap? And then it came to me, a bedsheet. I got this during the boxing day sales on Amazon for £7 and it’s amazing. It’s quite a matte material which was a gem not only photographing but even when it came to printing later on.
final project.
I ended refining my pre-final-set and made the quality much more clean and refined. I decided to focus on paan and the whole paan eating process as in a few of the pictures, you’ll see my skirt is actually printed in gold paan leaves. (my skirt is handmade!!!)
It fit into the whole “Lost in Tradition’ title because paan is something I eat a little too regularly after I’ve finished a meal. It’s a tradition I’ve carried on even though I’ve grown up around such a Western environment. I was playing around with the nut cracker in the pre-final set and it was pretty interesting having that contrast between the metal and the bright colours.
I shot this in my kitchen for optimal natural lighting in the 1 hour of bright light we get during the winter in the UK and it worked out so well. I found shooting slightly underexposed but with a medium or large raw file really malleable in my editing process. Yes, there was a some of noise because of this but it added some amazing texture and film like feel to the pictures.
If you press the ‘click here’ button on the image above, you can see all the photographs :)
Overall, I think I’m happy with how they turned out. The printing process was so cool too, I got my prints done at Come Through Lab in Ancoats and they did such a great job.
A big big thank you to everyone who came and saw my work whilst it was being exhibited. I don’t think I’ve ever truly felt like a real photographer until I saw other people looking at my work up on the walls.
Here’s me looking like a baby in front of my work.
I’ll be releasing some prints within the next week so keep an eye out over on Instagram if you want to get your hands on some!
Thanks for reading,
The Coat Edit | Zafira
I’m back baby!
So, it’s been a while since my last post and I feel like I’ve started a lot of posts like that but life just gets in the way.
Anyway I’m back for good this time and for this post, I’ve compiled some of my favourite coats to wear since the temperature has dropped all of a sudden. As I’m writing this actually, it’s been snowing for the last couple of hours so I know this post is very apt for right now.
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll have seen a few of these before but here are a few of my favourite coats to wear at the minute.
THE BIG FAT COSY ONE
It feels fitting to put this first because 1.it’s my most recent coat and purchase in general and 2. it’s probably the biggest coat I’ve ever owned.
I desperately needed something oversized and warm because the rest of my coats (as you’ll see) are lovely but in terms of practicality, they’re not the best for this time of year where we’re hit with wind storms and snow.
This is from M&S which I feel like in my head I’ve somehow classed as a middle aged lady store and the place I’d once go to buy my school uniform but recently, some stuff at M&S has topped things I’ve seen at places like Zara and H&M. The quality is amazing and the pricing too which shocked me a little because this coat was priced a lot cheaper than the Zara version of this that everyone seems to own.
This coat style is perfect because it’s in trend every year. I’ve been trying to buy things that I know I’ll wear for a long time and that I know will last and this coat definitely will.
You can buy this here.
THE LONG LEATHER TRENCH
This might just be my favourite coat ever … And I bought it for £9.99 at TK Maxx.
It’s from the brand JCL which I’ve never heard from but the RRP was around £80 so with it obviously being the deal of a lifetime, I picked up and I think it was my best purchase of 2020 or maybe of all time.
I get so many compliments wearing this and I just feel so amazing wearing it. It feels modestly sultry? And the way it blows in the wind when I’m walking is the ego boost I need everyday.
I love styling this with really feminine outfits such as a dress like the pictures above or doing an all black outfit also feels super cool.
It’s the best coat to add a little something to your outfits. I could just be wearing a pair of jeans and a plan white shirt and this coat would top the outfit off like a cherry on top of a sundae.
Also, this coat plus my Vagabond Edwina boots are a combination one could only dream about.
This coat isn’t available anymore but here are some extra cute alternatives:
PLT Oversized Faux Leather Trench
Misspap Missé Leather Look Longline Trench Coat
THE BASIC TRENCH
I don’t think you can say you have a decent coat collection without having at least one camel brown trench coat in it.
This is actually a very very old trench from Mango that I bought during my first year of uni and I love how slouchy and big it is. I’d like to say I dress quite modestly so when it comes to coats, I do like something that covers me up pretty well and this definitely does that.
If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ll know I just started painting a ridiculous amount of flowers all of this. My goal was to have it done by November but uni life got in the way (as always) and I’ve put it on the back burner for a bit. Hopefully, it’ll be done by spring if we’re lucky to get one in the UK and it will be the perfect spring trench.
Make sure you follow my Instagram to see the behind scenes of this coat and other projects.
This isn’t available anymore, but here are some very similar alternatives:
ASOS Noisy May Drop Shoulder Trench Coat
Stradivarius Long Flowing Trench Coat
Monki Hilde Trench Coat
THE smart ONE
I’m going to be honest, I forget this coat exists sometimes and I beat myself up anytime I rediscover it in my coat wardrobe again because it’s such a good coat.
This is a vintage Ralph Lauren Checkered wool-blend blazer coat that I picked up many years ago at the Thrift Shop near Piccadilly Gardens. I think it only cost around £12 which is so amazing for this style and quality of coat.
I remember it originally had shoulder pads so I knew this was old. I had to take those out though being a broad shoulder gal and then had it dry cleaned and then she was ready for the streets.
It’s a such a great formal coat, like for interviews and events. Sometimes it even makes me feel like a mom or a Julia Roberts character from the 80s or 90s and there’s something so uplifting about that.
Here are some great replicas/alternatives for this lovely coat:
ZARA Quilted Checkered Overshirt
Abercrombie & Fitch Wool Blend Blazer
ZARA Wool Blend Blazer with Elbow Patches
THE TWEED ONE
This might just be my most worn coat ever. It’s been through so much, it’s been washed a good 30 times in it’s short time with me but I love it so much. It’s become a sort of comfort blanket at this point and I adore it.
My mum however, hates this coat lol. It has so many pockets so whenever I’m running errands, those pockets are filled to the brim and she says I look so boxy and chubby but for me it’s so incredibly convenient to have that many pockets.
I love the colours, it has a bit of brown so it’s super ideal for this time of year and goes very well with these brown trousers I’ve been living in recently.
This was one of many lockdown purchases so it isn’t available anymore, but here’s some very similar coats:
Mango Tweed Jacket
Sister Jane Tweed Jacket
That’s all the coats I have for you today but if you want to see anymore clothing edits please let me know.
Thanks for reading!
June & July on Film | Zafira
Hey everyone!
I’m back with one of my favourite types of posts to do one here … A monthly film dump!
It’s summer, and I couldn’t be happier. The sun’s out, I’m finally turning a nice golden shade of brown and most of all, I’ve reunited with my friends and family again for a summer of fun after nearly 2 years apart.
There was a lot going on these past 2 months but it’s been a joy getting back to some sort of normality.
Here’s my June & July on film!
REDOING MY BEDROOM
I graduated and turned 21 in June and July and my room needed a well overdue makeover. The last time it had been painted was when I was around 13 and being the avid clothes collector/hoarder I am, I just needed more practical clothing storage solutions.
As you can see, I decided to paint my room white. I’ll try and post a room tour or some pictures of my new room soon if that’s something you’d like to see?
I turned 21 in June which was more of a shock than excitement. I feel like I’m still 13 sometimes, I can’t believe how old I’m getting. Thank you to my favourite cousin Zahrah for my lovely birthday balloon! It’s surprisingly still floating a little over a month later.
Also how cute is my new rug from Wayfair?! I will definitely be taking more shoe pics on it very soon.
I posted a blue eyeshadow look over on my IG a few weeks ago because it’s been my go to look recently. Blue eyeshadow and brown eyes are the perfect combo and I feel so 60s anytime I put it on.
In the middle is a very blurry picture of a polaroid of me and my cousins when I saw them for the first time since the lockdown in March 2020 which was so crazy, I’ve missed my family so much and it’s the biggest blessing to be seeing everyone again.
A SHOOT WITH MARIA
I’ve started shooting again!
I did a shoot with my friend Maria in June with the cutest baby blue backdrop. I’m not as comfortable using backdrops as I used to be so it was more of a little experimental, play around kind of shoot which are my favourite kinds. Look how amazing she looks!
You can check out all the pictures from the shoot here:
Alpaca Farm
On the hottest day of the summer, me and my cousins ended up at Adventurous Alpacas in Rossendale Valley. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done even though I’m not the biggest animal fan and I was quite scared but these alpacas were adorable and not scary at all.
You get these little bags of food and you get to feed and stroke them (if they let you lol) and take some cute pics.
This is Alfonzo with the pretty blue eyes.
NJ looking like she belongs in the countryside.
It’s such a lovely family activity to do during the summer! We all had so much fun hanging out the alpacas.
That’s my film dump over! Let me know what your favourite pictures were and follow my socials for updates for some very very cool things happening in the next 2 weeks.
Thanks for reading,
The Everyday Jewellery Edit | Zafira
Hey!
Before we get into today’s post, it would be very ignorant of me to ignore what’s going on so any ad revenue I make from this post alongside an additional £50 will be donated to MAP’s work to help aid those in Palestine. If you want to donate, you can do so here.
Back in today’s post, ever since I started posting more pictures of myself on Instagram, I get an abundance of DMs asking about my jewellery! So I’ve compiled a small list of my everyday pieces to help inspire you on building your everyday collection.
the general collection
So I’m very much a gold person. I used to love wearing silver as a young teen but I feel like gold compliments my skin tone so well and brings a sense of warmth to my sadly untanned grey-brown body. I’d say these are all quite reasonably priced pieces, so you definitely don’t have to splurge when it comes to pieces you wear on the daily. I feel like Instagram esque jewellery also has a the fattest price tags on them, especially the ones endorsed by influencers but the reality is that there are so many small businesses and high street pieces that are long-lasting, flattering, and not at a bank-breaking price.
the basic gold hoops
I think these just might be my most worn earrings of all time. Even my mum loves them, that’s how I know they’re an amazing pair of earrings. I picked these up at & Other Stories which just might be my favourite place to get simple yet pretty pieces, and at such a good price.
I got these quite a while ago so I’m not entirely sure about the price but a lot of their hoops and other pieces of jewellery range from the £10 - £30 mark which for gold plated jewellery is so good.
I like these because they’re a lot thicker than your regular hoop and having long black hair, I find it hard sometimes to find earrings that don’t get lost in my hair. But these are noticeable and I can’t picture an outfit that these don’t go with.
I think if you’re lucky you might be able to find these in store but they’re no longer available online. Here’s a pair that are quite similar but if you’re ever near an & Other Stories, you should definitely check out their jewellery collection in store because it’s always so much better than online.
the heart set
I’ve watched Ashley on YouTube since I was 15/16 and when she announced she was coming out with a collection with En Route, I knew I had to get at least one piece from it.
One of my friends actually very kindly got me this set which was super cute of them but this is the most perfect, elegant everyday set. I usually love pairing this set when I’m wearing more ‘feminine’ outfits, like floaty dresses, the cottage core sort of stuff because this set really adds to that sort of look.
I adore the earrings so much, I love this style of earring where it’s like a pin with a charm at the bottom because they feel so so so light on the ear. And don’t even get me started on the detail on the heart, the gold frame around it with the pearlescent center is such an amazing classy combo.
I haven’t ever bought from En Route before I would love to get a few more pieces from them very soon!
the dangly pearl hoops
I’m aware this post is hoop heavy (there’s another pair coming hehe) but they’re just my perfect style of earring. The perfect “I’m wearing earrings” earrings you know? Again on the whole long black hair thing, I find it hard to find earrings that don’t hide under my blanket of hair but hoops don’t do that to me at all.
Anyway, I feel like Primark has really stepped up its jewellery game, I don’t shop there that often because I am trying to be a bit more conscious about where and how often I shop for clothes but I can’t help but wander around their jewellery section.
They’re at such wonderful prices too, the pack that contained these 2 pairs was actually a pack of 6 and they were only £2.
These are a lot smaller of a hoop than I like but ponytail Zafira might come out of hiding this summer and I think these will look very pretty with my hair tied up.
the zafira necklace
Nothing would break my heart more as a kid than going into a shop and seeing things personalised with names like bookmarks or pencil cases and never finding anything with my name on it.
But what’s so lovely about smaller businesses is that they can basically put your name on anything and I love that.
I can officially not ever leave my house with this on, I pretty much never take this off because it feels so good to have a necklace on with my name on it. It’s so lightweight too, I can never feel it on which I cannot be more thankful for because sometimes I hate the feeling of things on my neck.
This is from Lucky Eleven and they do all sorts of personalised necklaces in so many different styles. This is also one of the best presents you could get someone, I think I gifted at least 3 of these last year.
You can get your own personalised necklace here.
the one from the kid’s section
I feel like the last place people tend to look for jewellery is the children’s section but that is often where I find so many cute pieces!
Kitchy jewellery has become so popular on Instagram and Tik Tok but the pieces often shown on my feeds would frankly, break my bank account.
I was actually shopping around Lovisa when I saw this DIY name necklace in their little children’s section and I was like wow, that’s so so so adorable. Lovisa is amazing for well-crafted jewellery but at a decent price, it’s very similar to Accessorize but personally, I think Lovisa’s range is huge and they tend to have more ‘trendy’ pieces.
You can buy this necklace here.
I don’t what to call these but they’re so pretty
I only bought these a few weeks ago, again from Lovisa, and I can’t stop wearing them.
I love the ceramic bead with dainty paintings on them, I think they look almost vintage and the little pearl beads compliment the entire hoop so well. These have to be my favourite earrings at the moment, I wear them every single day.
These aren’t available anymore, but here’s an alternative pair that might interest you.
the gold chain
If you’re into layering your necklaces, you need a gold chain. Nothing too blingy or thick, just something to add a little depth to contrast the rest of your necklaces.
I love pairing this with my Lucky Eleven name necklace because the gold tones are the same and they always sit so well together and don’t get tangled.
This is also from Lovisa and they have such a wide collection of chains in different lengths and styles.
You can buy this necklace here.
If you have any other small jewellery businesses I should know about please let me know, I’m always looking to expand my collection.
Thanks for reading!
Music of the Month: February
Hey everyone!
I’m back with one of my favourite posts to write! I haven’t done of these since August which is pretty shocking. I know a lot of you like this series too because they are the most popular kind of posts on my blog.
So it’s March. Again. A month I’ll forever associate with pain and essentially, an apocalypse. February felt like it had dragged and lasted 6 months and I’m so glad it’s over and we’re making progress to what potentially could be a very lovely spring.
Music-wise, I’ve been listening to a lot of older music, whether that’s from a year ago or 30, which means my February playlist is a mixture of a little bit of everything.
As always, you can check out my entire playlist here.
tyron - slowthai
What kind of music fanatic would I be if I didn’t mention everyone’s favourite album of the month?
I’ve been in love with this. I’m a big Slowthai fan which is strange for me because I’m not entirely into rap music. Slowthai is considered a rapper but I like that he’s different, he has an edge to his music, an almost punk-ness to him.
I think my favourite song on Tryon has to be Feel Away featuring the very beautiful James Blake and Mount Kimbie. This song has such an amazing balance of voices. You have James Blake who is soothing and peaceful and his voice serenades you. On the other hand, you have Slowthai, who sounds almost angry.
I also really love Terms featuring my all-time fave Dominic Fike. I think Slowthai and Dominic Fike sound perfect together and this album has some of the best collabs I’ve heard this year.
Lyrically, this album is incredibly passionate. Slowthai is one of the biggest weirdos around and so goofy, but I like the way this album balances this with serious and deep issues.
serpetwithfeet
I think Serpentwithfeet has one of the most beautiful voices of all time. He sounds serene and trance-like sometimes. I could easily listen to him all day.
Over the past few weeks, he’s released two new singles. The first being Fellowship which is officially now the song of my spring and summer. It’s such a happy and loving song which is a vast contrast to his usual eerily sad songs like Mourning Song and Four Ethers. It truly makes me feel like I’m falling in love.
His second single Same Size Shoe is similar to Fellowship in the sense that they’re both really joyful songs. But Same Size Shoe is more about Serpentwithfeet finding a partner that fits him. I cannot wait for the release of the entire album. I think Serpentwithfeet is one of the most unique and interesting artists around.
mercy mercy me - marvin gaye
Like a lot of people (I hope), I grew up listening to Marvin Gaye.
But what a lot of people don’t know is how amazing the rest of Marvin Gaye’s work is. A friend introduced me to Mercy Mercy Me and I listen to it at least 3 times a day, if not more.
This song is actually about the environment which I didn’t realise until I sat down and listened to it properly. It was written and produced nearly 50 years ago and remains to be so relevant in today’s society.
And it’s a pretty catchy song too.
home - caribou
For the longest time, I thought Caribou maybe an early 20s, indie kinda man but it turns out that he’s a 40-year-old musician who’s worked in the industry for a while now.
Caribou makes some of the most chill and relaxing music. I love listening to him whenever I’m studying or working because it’s the perfect ‘quiet’ music.
I’ve been obsessed with Home. It’s groovy, it’s upbeat but still such a calm song. Home is warming, it puts you at ease, just like wherever you consider your home to do.
stickwithu - the pussycat dolls
Currently whilst I’m writing this, I can’t believe I’m really throwing this in here but this is after all a compilation of all my favourite songs of the month.
Re-discovering this a few weeks ago was one of the most enlightening moments of my life. It was like that scene in Ratatouille where the critic takes his first bite of Ratatouille and his memories come flooding back. That’s what this song did to me.
ep2! - jpegmafia
I think JPEGMAFIA is one of the coolest artists around. He’s experimental with his music, his songs are a blend of so many different elements and I’m in love with his latest album EP2.
Fix Urself is such a pretty song but the lyrics are quite dark. I also like Panic Room because it has so many different sounds in it. Listening to it was truly an amazing experience. It’s confusing but somehow it all the variations of sounds make sense and weave together so well.
Here’s a few other songs I’m also loving:
I hope you enjoyed this post.
Thanks for reading!
What I Wore This Week | Zafira
Hey!
So it’s been a while, like a real while. I think my last blog post was in November which is shocking because I’m usually semi-consistent with posting on here.
But sometimes, life gets a little too much, I’m in my final year of uni plus just the general effects of living through a p-word in your early 20s when you’re supposed to be out living your best life kinda hits you sometimes.
However, I’ve finally found my motivation and a good balance between everything going on in my life and I’m back with some exciting stuff.
Today I want to start off a new series called ‘What I Wore This Week’. Over on my Instagram, a lot of you were into my OOTD posts on my stories so I thought I’d make it into an official thing by compiling them on here into a blog post with some better quality pictures.
There’s nothing I love more than getting overdressed for a day of doing nothing but wearing my mask, washing my hands, and staying inside.
Here are 5 of my outfits from last week!
(also i’ve edited these like i’m in a catalog from the 90s/00s, enjoy)
MONDAY
I’m the biggest advocate of wearing skirts at home purely because of how flowy and freeing they feel. It’s way too cold to be wearing skirts out in this weather for me so wearing them around the house makes me feel like I’m putting them to use.
This shockingly is actually a midi skirt, but on my 5ft 2 (maybe 3) body, it’s become a full-length skirt. I’ve paired it with a simple black velvet top and my favourite cardigan from Zara. It’s very Chanel-esque which is probably why I adore it so much.
If I were to be leaving the house, I’d most certainly be wearing these heeled boots from ASOS that I would normally be wearing on the daily. They’re extremely comfy for heeled boots, I feel like I could walk miles in these.
TUESDAY
I feel like Tuesdays are always such a meh day. I can’t remember the last time I had a fun Tuesday. Because of this, I kept my outfit pretty casual and cosy since it's either raining, windy or snowing outside pretty much every day recently.
Zara has completely wowed me in the cardigan and jumper region as of lately. They have such an incredible range featuring so many House of Sunny inspired pieces.
This cropped blue fluffy cardigan is worn at least once a week. Considering it’s cropped, it’s super warm. The fur is detachable which I love and it’s just so pretty. It’s a complete embodiment of early 00s fashion.
I’ve paired this with a simple black turtleneck and to further achieve that early 00s look, my Juicy Couture velour bottoms. These bottoms are one of the best investments I made in 2020. They’re so warm, I can’t seem to leave my house without them on. And the best part is that the pockets have zippers. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so much security and practicality in a pair of women’s trousers before.
WEDNESDAY
Something about Wednesday’s just absolutely drains the life out of me. It’s hump day, I feel extra lazy so I usually gravitate to a simpler outfit like this.
These are all my time favourite corduroy trousers I picked up at Monki a while ago and they’re one of the best pair of pants I think I’ve ever bought due to how soft they are and how well they’ve worn over time.
I love this shade of red too, I don’t wear a lot of red often because I feel too bold but this is definitely more of a burgundy and with a black turtleneck, I feel like the Parisian Instagram influencer we’re all secretly dying to be.
THURSDAY
To pick myself up after Wednesday’s slump of a day, on Thursday I wore a dress I had made a few months ago.
There’s something so incredibly pretty about this vintage toile de jouy material. I want everything in my house upholstered in this material and I think eventually, I would love to make some more pieces with this material.
I love a puffy sleeve on a simple dress, it’s so easy to style and always looks effortlessly put together.
I’ve paired this with some jeans from the Gap because I’m on a mission to bring back jeans with dresses like it’s 2006 again.
(P.S I’ve made an Instagram for stuff I’ve made and will maybe sell soon! You can follow me here.)
FRIDAY
Yay it’s Friday! (the days are meaningless this means nothing) Obviously, I have to be a little extra and funky to prepare for the oh so very wild weekend ahead.
This jacket from Sava London is so stunning. It’s beautifully crafted and I adore wearing it. It’s part of their Kantha collection where the pieces have this traditional stitching all over them.
I love this method because my grandma would stitch blankets with so many different designs with the Kantha stitch so wearing this jacket feels so special and nostalgic.
I’ve paired it with my favourtie favourite brown leather trousers from Zara. They are admittedly a little too big for me but I love them nonetheless.
That’s all I have for this week! Thanks for reading and if you like these kinds of posts them let me know.
October & November on Film | Zafira
Hi!
It’s been quite a while since I’ve done one of these monthly film posts but I haven’t been shooting as much film as I would like to. With lockdown it’s been difficult to get my film developed at my regular spots and also, I don’t have anything exciting to shoot anymore. My life is officially boring.
However these photographs were shot in the little period of time during the beginning of October. When things were slowly on the path to feeling normal again and we were reuniting with friends and family. Little did we know we’d be in yet another lockdown just a few weeks after.
Anyway, enough with the doom and gloom. I hope you’re all taking care of yourselves and staying safe. Here’s a few photographs that will hopefully brighten your day.
I think growing up I never realised how exceptionally lucky I was to grow up around so many people who used to sew. I used to watch my grandma sew, my aunts and of course, my Amma. Now that I’m older I’ve found a little soft spot for sewing. Everyone knows I love clothes but the effort and time that goes into making them is an art in itself that many people don’t appreciate.
This past year I’ve made the time to teach myself how to sew, mainly from random Youtubers and just doing whatever feels right and what I’ve seen my Amma do. I’m not exactly what you’d call an organised sewer lol but there’s nothing more satisfying than wearing something you’ve made with your own two hands.
I’ve made a few things this year but recently I worked on this green dress. It’s not completely finished yet but I adore it so much. These past few months I keep seeing pictures of Gwyneth Paltrow in various shades of green and all it’s done is make me fall in love with the colour. I’ll try and make a post about this dress when I finish it completely over on my Instagram.
And just like that, eating out is once again a myth. A distant memory of something we once did so freely.
Earlier this October, I did manage to eat out once with my favourite cousin (sorry 2 the rest of my cousins) who I hadn’t seen since before the first lockdown earlier this March. It was so nice catching up with her.
We grabbed some lunch at one of our favourite places to eat, Comptoir Libanis. This is the one in Spinningfields and it’s so pretty inside as you can see from my poorly shot blurry photograph of the place. It’s literally one of the most stunning places to lunch. The food is amazing too.
What would these monthly film posts be without some shots of the city?
Here’s my friend Matt and his sleeping puppy Bear.
This is my favourite autumn outfit at the minute. The skirt is from Cow and my cardigan with the little birdies is from Zara! I don’t think it’s available anymore sadly but Zara has such a cute collection of cardigans this season.
And of course, uni was in full swing in October so I loved being reunited with my uni pals again!
And lastly, here’s some more pictures of Manchester looking gloomy and unusually quiet on a cold and breezy Monday afternoon.
I hope you enjoyed these pictures. Thanks for reading!
Music of the Month: September | Zafira
Hi!
September lasted a total of 5 minutes and just like that, we’re 3 months away until the end of the year (thank god). It’s been quite the hectic month. I started uni again which has been a whole disaster in it’s own. In Manchester, it feels like it’s already winter. There is a very distinct chill in the air. The coats and boots are out, it’s all so exciting. I think this is my favourite time of year.
Anyway, here’s a bunch of my favourite songs and albums that I’ve been listening to this September:
nectar
-
joji
It’s crazy because this was only released a week ago and it’s become the most listened to album in my library this month.
I love anything Joji releases, but Nectar definitely feels a lot softer and love-ier than anything he’s done before. His songs have this upbeat-moodiness about them. Something that can’t really be put into words but when you listen to one of his songs you can hear it straight away. They’re almost in this monotone manner but still the most catchiest songs.
There’s so many amazing collaborations on this album too which caught my eye straight away. It features Diplo, Lil Yachty, Omar Apollo & Yves Tumor (i’m a massive fan of these two), BENEE and lastly, Rei Brown.
My favourites are Ew, Tick Tock and Pretty Boy (feat Lil Yachty). But I could easily sit and listen to the entire album on repeat for days on days.
borderline - blood orange remix
Blood Orange is someone who peacefully lives in my mind rent free. Dev Hynes ,in my opinion, is a musical genius. Every song he makes and album he releases is masterpiece. So when I saw he released this Borderline remix, I knew straight away that this would be love at first sight.
It vastly contrasts the original which I adore. Tame Impala is classed by some as a modern type of psychedelic rock and this version by Blood Orange has this psychedelic feel but in a completely different way. It’s dreamier and so much softer.
run away with me - sufjan stevens
On the topic of dreaminess, Sufjan Stevens’ song Run Away With Me from his latest album is now my favourite song to sit and daydream to.
I haven’t listened to the entire of the Ascension but after hearing this one song from it, I think I should probably get around to it.
It’s incredibly synth-y which has recently become something I quite like in songs these days and has some powerful lyrics.
It will make you fall in love instantly. In fact, if Sufjan Stevens ever sang this to me or just anyone I would 1000% run away with them without thinking twice about it.
chip chrome & the mono-tones - the neighbourhood
I don’t think I’ve been this fond of a Neighbourhood album since they released I Love You in 2013. I love all the aesthetics they’ve done for this album too with Jesse Rutherford completely painted silver from head to toe. I’m here for it, it’s all very Ziggy Stardust.
Although this album is a little all over the place, I like that the songs all have different vibes. Whether they’re more electronic pop to hip hop, they’re all so great.
Some of my favourites have to be Cherry Flavoured, Lost in Translation and Devil’s Advocate.
whole new mess - angel olsen
Angel Olsen is someone who I’ve very recently become incredibly infatuated with. I think I’ve seen every single live session she’s done because there’s something just so mesmerising about her voice and presence.
Her voice is very old school and retro and so full. I haven’t heard the entire album yet because I’ve been so stuck on Whole New Mess for days now.
You can really hear the tenderness and vulnerability in her voice in this song. It’s amazing.
feel away - slowthai (featuring james blake & mount kimbie)
I love this song.
The way these three artists combine their skills so perfectly in this song is so beautiful.
I haven’t listened to a lot of Slowthai’s songs but I think I might have to after this. This was a pretty personal song dedicated to the memory of Slowthai’s younger brother which is so touching and sweet. You can hear the sadness in his lyrics and the addition of James Blake really adds to the melancholic tone of the song.
call me (freestyle) - blood orange & park hye jin
Whoops is this another Blood Orange song?
Dev Hynes vocals in this are truly the most stunning thing ever and with the piano in the background, it’s almost like he’s trying to serenade us.
I’m not too sure who Park Hye Jin is but I thoroughly enjoyed her addition to this.
It’s just so great.
HIT DIFFERENT - SZA, TY DOLLA
$
IGN, THE NEPTUNES & PHARREL WILLIAMS
The return of SZA is something not only I needed this year, but the rest of the world needed it too.
I’ve really missed her voice and hearing it on this slow ballad R&B type song has made my dreams come true.
Here are a few other songs I’m also loving at the minute:
As always, you can check out my entire September playlist here.
Thanks for reading!
The Last of Summer on Film | Zafira
Hey guys!
And just like that it’s autumn. I haven’t done one of these ‘On Film’ posts in forever because my life midst this whole Corona business has just not been worth shooting on film so I took a little bit of a break. But I’m back at uni, back to doing things that require leaving my house so I’ve started shooting again.
Here are a few shots from the end of summer and this September that I hope you’ll like. This roll had a light leak so a few of my shots look a bit glitchy but I kind of love how that looks.
This is my very beautiful friend Britt who I used to shoot on film all the time when we were at college together. But we barely have time to see each other these days because we’re so busy. We had a very cute day out to Heaton Park towards of the end of summer and hung out and it was just like old times.
Some more shots at Heaton Park. I hadn’t been there for years I forgot how lovely it is to walk around.
I can’t entirely remember when I took this but the sunset was something else this day. I love the way the sunlight reflects on the white walls in my parents room in the prettiest shade of orange.
These bags were incredibly popular this year and it’s so wild to me because as kid, I used to get one of these bags every time someone in our family would go to Bangladesh. So when I see brands like Shrimps selling these for hundreds of pounds, it kind of makes me feel a bit weird because it feels almost extortionate.
As much as I love Shrimps, I do have a few issues with someone of the things they sell but that’s a story for another day.
This bag along with a few others like it were kindly made for me in Bangladesh and I think they’re so pretty.
As you can tell, here is the point in my roll where a light leak formed. I actually really love when this happens and you get the orange/red colours at the top of your photographs. I wear this outfit pretty much every summer and I adore it.
A few shots from the city.
I think this was my first day properly back in the city since March so I really enjoyed just walking around and taking a few snaps of places I walk by everyday.
This canal shot is my favourite shot on this entire roll because usually, this little nook hiding the canal on Oxford Road looks quite grimy and gross but on this particular day, the sunlight was hitting the water so perfectly. It was so serene.
What would a roll be without a shot of this cat that isn’t ours? We’re no longer friends because I was quite viciously scratched a few weeks ago whilst trying to stroke it.
This is my friend Tarek looking the coolest in Piccadilly Gardens. (sorry for being half an hour late, i hope this makes up for it)
I took these when I was shooting my uni lookbook which you can check out here if you haven’t already. Some very cute fits.
I’m starting to get back into the swing of shooting often again so there’ll be more of these soon.
Thanks for reading!
Back to Uni Lookbook | Zafira
Hi!
It’s sadly that time of year again where we all go back to school or college or university after a beautiful summer off (in this case, a corona infected, socially distanced, stay inside all day kinda summer off). For me, this will be last time I’ll have a summer off like this because I graduate next summer which is quite terrifying knowing I’ll be joining the real world very soon.
I thought I’d share some fun outfits I’ll be wearing either in my webinars or in my four hours of actual seminars that I have in a week! I hope that these looks help inspire you try some looks for this new academic year or for work or just in general.
the boiler suit that will change your life
If you’ve either been friends with me or followed me for some time now you will know that this masterpiece of a boiler suit is the most worn and adored thing in my entire wardrobe. Like, actually. I know I say I love this or adore this when it comes to clothes in general, but this boiler suit has been worn so much and was the best £35 I think I’ll ever spend.
This is a Levi’s boiler suit that I was beyond lucky to find in TK Maxx for less than a third of its original price. I wear it when I run errands, when I go out for brunch, when I’m doing a DIY job around the house (for the aesthetics), to my university lectures, just everywhere and anywhere I go. It’s the easiest thing to wear and style. It’s a whole outfit that takes less than 5 seconds to put on.
Imagine this, you’ve got a 9am lecture, you’re running late because you spent all night binge watching New Girl on Netflix so you’ve ended up waking up late and the last thing you want to waste your very limited time on is what you should wear. So what do you do? You throw on a boiler suit and run out the door. All your what to wear problems are solved in a matter of seconds and you look cute for the day.
Have I sold you on buying a boiler suit yet?
This sadly isn’t available anymore but here are a few similar alternatives:
the v neck jumper & comfy printed trousers & funky boots
If you’re a big jumper fan like myself, you definitely need to get your hands on a v neck jumper because they are one of the easiest ways to smarten up your look for the day. I think they also really help take your outfit from looking slouchy and casual like a regular round necked jumper would do and make it look that little bit more formal.
This lovely pastel blue one is from Mango and it is the softest thing I think I’ve ever felt. I’ve paired this with these super cute floral printed trousers I got from the Zara summer sale. Printed trousers are your new best friend because you can style them easily with any kind of plain top or jumper and you’re ready to go. I’m also wearing what looks like those Zara pearl boots that everyone and their mum was buying last year, however, these are just the Primark ones because I didn’t manage to grab a pair of the Zara ones in time. I know, it’s the saddest story you’ve ever heard.
This outfit feels very spring/summer-y but because you’re wearing a jumper and boots, I think you’ll be able to get away with it during these early days of autumn.
BUY THE LOOK
You can buy the jumper here.
These trousers aren’t available anymore sadly but get your hands on any printed trousers you like and find comfy.
The pearl boots are also not available but here are some very cute alternatives:
another jumpsuit?
Any one piece outfit is great for uni which is why I threw in another jumpsuit in here.
This is a Bershka pinafore style jumpsuit with this really nice retro style checkered print which are in such autumnal colours. This is a lot more formal and work-chic than the rest of the outfits in this lookbook but I think this looks super flattering on. I’m wearing a plain black, frilly sleeved jumper from Ralph Lauren underneath since the days are getting a bit chillier here in Manchester but you could away with so many things underneath this. A crop top, t-shirts, anything you want.
I’m also wearing these beautiful black heeled boots I got a few weeks ago from Asos that you’ll see in nearly all of these looks.
BUY THE LOOK
brown skirts are life changing
The star of this extremely autumnal look is obviously this amazing brown corduroy vintage skirt. I found this baby at Cow a few weeks ago and it’s technically not vintage, it’s just old Brandy Melville but I think this has major vintage vibes. I love how well this shade of brown compliments not only my skin tone but my green leather jacket (old River Island).
Something about this look screams “I’m a uni student” to me and I’m obsessed with it. It’s such a simple look that can pulled off by anyone and everyone.
BUY THE LOOK
This jacket is from a few summers ago but here’s a similar one.
coloniser-esque white collared shirts and slip dresses are an excellent combo
I love that these collars have come back into fashion because I think they’re absolutely stunning. Collars like this give me very Christopher Columbus/white man colonising countries that don’t belong to him vibes but I think they’re so pretty. It makes me feel powerful almost as a brown woman throwing this shirt on as a part of my outfit.
This shirt paired with your slip dresses from the summer? An iconic and unbeatable combination of pure greatness. I love how this looks paired with my green gingham slip dress from Cow.
BUY THE LOOK
Cow has so many styles of these Ralph Lauren re-work slip dresses, you can check them out here and find one that you like.
I hope you liked this lookbook! If you want to see more uni/everyday outfits I usually do an outfit of the day over on my Instagram stories a couple of times a week so make sure you follow me to keep updates with those. There’s a link to all my socials at the end of this post.
Thanks for reading,
Music of the Month: August | Zafira
Hello!
I’m not even going to address my absence from here because it’s becoming a little bit of pattern recently but all you need to know is that I’m back with some cool blog post ideas that I hope you’ll enjoy reading as much as I’ll enjoy creating them.
But first I thought we should start with what seems to be everybody’s favourite post to read, an August edition of the much beloved Music of the Month.
It’s been a beautiful month in the music world, for me anyway. I feel like everything I have been listening to these past few months was very ‘listen a few times and then never again’ kind of music but this month, I’ve found a few songs and artists that I know will forever be in my head and my life.
As always, you can check out my entire August playlist here.
euphoria original score - labrinth
I feel like everyone who watched Euphoria is completely infatuated and entangled with the show. Whether that’s the with the oh so very cool editorial-esque makeup or the funky too hot for their own good outfits or in my case, this album.
I only got around to listening to the entire score this August, I had no idea it was even out and available on Spotify. I remember when the show first aired and the one thing (alongside the dreamy cinematography) that really stood out to me was the music and way it seamlessly blended into every scene of the show.
I have a lot of favourites but one I try to very badly sing or I guess hum since it doesn’t really have any proper words is Forever. It’s crazy how good Labrinth is on this album because the only memories I have of his music are from his Earthquake days and that is an entirely different world from this album. I adore We All Knew and WTF Are We Talking For too but this is one score worth listening to the entire way through.
Perdus -
AngÈle
Angèle’s voice is the dreamiest thing I think I’ve heard in a while. It’s so soft and gentle and comforting.
I think French pop music is so underrated in the world of mainly western pop because it’s so unique and not cheesy and every artist always has some sort of unique factor about them rather than all sounding exactly the same.
I guess you could say Angèle’s unique factor is not only the soft tones of her voice but the grace in the way she sings. She sounds so eloquent but still carries a certain coolness.
I heard Perdus on one of her COLORS sessions and I’m in love with it. Alongside her hauntingly beautiful voice, Perdus is still a very modern song with a catchy beat that makes this song so irresistible.
falling for you - jaden smith & justin bieber
Growing up I was never a Justin Bieber fan, I was more of a JLS gal, but there was one song by Justin Bieber that I loved and that was Never Say Never with Jaden Smith.
So you can only imagine how happy the resurface of this very cute duo in Jaden’s new album made me.
This song is the epitome of love, it’s cheesy, upbeat and so very sweet. I think this is probably the best song on CTV 3.
Listen here.
1999 - rich brian
I don’t know why but Rich Brian’s songs always remind of summer.
I’ll have to admit, I don’t think 1999 has anything on Amen and The Sailor but this in my eyes, is a pretty different album to them both.
1999 is what I’d consider more of a pop style album which isn’t what I’d expect from Rich Brian but I think it was interesting to listen to him play with a different genre of music and listen to something so personal.
Obviously Love in My Pocket is my absolute favourite. This song plays in my head 24/7. I love DOA and Sins too. It’s weirdly cool hearing him actually singing too, I don’t think he has the greatest vocals but I quite like his voice anyway.
dreamland -glass animals
I’ve loved Glass Animals since my early teens and I think they’ll forever be one of my all time favourite bands. They have this certain quirkiness about them that I just cannot get enough of.
Dreamland might just top How to Be a Human Being in my list of favourite Glass Animals albums. They took everything they did well in HTBAHB like the beats and the occasional rap verses and really threw it all into Dreamland, thus birthing probably one of my favourite albums to be released this year.
Also I’m the biggest fan of the whole Windows 98/glitch-y vibes on this album.
You have to listen to the album from start to finish to really enjoy it but a few of my favourites are of course Dreamland, Hot Sugar and Tangerine.
Burden - aminé
Other than REEL IT IN, I had never really listened to anything else by Aminé but listening to Limbo has me questioning why I took this long divulging into his music.
This is yet another album I can happily listen to all the way through but I of course have a few favourites that I have on repeat all the time.
Pressure in My Palms (featuring slowthai and Vince Staples), Easy (featuring Summer Walker) and Becky are my faves at the minute but the more I listen the more my favourites change.
Here’s a few other songs I’m also loving and that you should definitely check out:
If you ever want to send me some stuff you’re listening to at the minute then please go ahead, I love listening to new things.
Thanks for reading!
Music of the Month: June | Zafira
Hey!
I always start off these posts with how fast the months have flown by but I don’t think I’ve even had a chance to process June yet. It’s July, it’s well and truly summer, lock down is easing up which is a little bit daunting but we’re slowly getting back to somewhat of a normality.
I think music wise, it’s been a pretty slow month. I haven’t heard an awful lot of new music but there are few gems I couldn’t help but share with you.
You can check out my entire June playlist here.
andy - raleigh ritchie
I don’t think I’ll get over how Grey Worm from Game of Thrones, who says 5 words all 8 seasons, is this amazing alternative R&B artist in the real world.
Andy is like a glass of lemonade on a summer’s day during this weird period of time we’re all in. It feels refreshing and is a mix of what everyone’s feeling right now.
I love Time in Tree. This was actually released two years ago as a single but I think it fits in perfectly with the rest of the songs on this album. I like the retro vibes it carries through the song and how the overall melancholic tone of the song is a familiar factor in most of the songs in the album.
Party Fear is another favourite of mine. I think it represents social anxiety perfectly. It is the party anthem for all introverts out there.
tkn - rosalia (feat travis scott)
If I could switch bodies with any woman in this entire world one of them would be Rosalia. Imagine being beautiful and singing like an angel? That’s talent I can’t even begin to comprehend.
Have you ever wondered what Travis Scott would sound like if he spoke Spanish? Well TKN is exactly what you’re looking for.
But in all seriousness, TKN is a little different to Rosalia’s usual flamenco style songs. This has a really strong and captivating beat and I have to listen to it at least 5 times in a row anytime it comes up on my playlist.
uk2uk - babyfather
I don’t think I really listen to one set genre of music, it’s usually quite varied and mixed but this Babyfather’s album is definitely a lot more different than anything I’m used to listening to.
It’s hard to describe something that doesn’t really fit into one category or ‘style’ of music.
Some of my favourites from the album are Pagans (featuring Arca), Bright and Cookies. Arca has this almost eerieness to her music whereas Babyfathers are more urban and hip-hop esque so I was a little surprised to hear that Pagans featured Arca because I would never think the two go together but surprisingly, they’re a perfect match.
I think I loved Bright so much because I liked listening to the dialogue in the song and Cookies just has one of those beats that will forever stay in your head.
Scoo Scoo - Abo el anwar
I finally got around to watching the second season of Ramy earlier this June and was a massive fan of so many of the songs featured in the show.
I have no idea what this song is about but it has such a catchy beat and I listen to it on a repeat nearly everyday.
kick i - arca
Arca is weird. There’s no other way to put it but she’s that good weird, the weird that makes you want to listen to this album on repeat 24 hours a day.
KiCk i is technically a pop album but to me it’s so much more than that. The whole thing feels like a glitch, like one of those out of nowhere migraines almost.
The only song I had really heard by Arca before this was Piel which was what I can only describe as the creepiest yet most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard so my expectations for this album were really open.
The album features my personal favourite Rosalia but also Björk and Sophie which is such a strange yet very much iconic mix of people to have on an album.
I love KLK. It puts me in the most amazing of moods, it’s upbeat, it has Rosalia being Rosalia and Arca providing all the glitchiness I could ever want.
Calor is the love song I didn’t know I needed. It’s soft and gentle with a hint of that glitchiness portrayed throughout and most importantly, the lyrics translate into some of the most beautiful things I think I’ll ever hear.
I’m sorry this was shorter than usual I’m sure July will have a lot more to offer. I’ve also had a few people share their monthly playlist with me over on Instagram which has been very cute so please keep sharing them with me!
Thanks for reading,
Summer Makeup & Skincare | Zafira
Hi!
I had a lot of aspirations of glowing up this quarantine in preparation for summer, however it just wasn’t in the books for me this year. My skin and I have gone through a roller coaster of events. From breakouts every week or so to scaring like no other, it’s made me simplify my skincare and change a few things in my makeup routine which has led me to find some amazing products I want to share with you this week.
I’ve also filmed a little get ready with me because I haven’t done one in forever and I know a lot of you like when I film videos.
Here’s the products I used in this video as well as some other skincare and beauty bits I’ve been in love with recently:
Hyaluronic Acid
If you aren’t already on this Hyaluronic Acid kick then you are well and truly missing out on your skin absorbing all the moisture it needs.
I actually stopped using this for a bit because I was using a different serum that already had the hyaluronic acid within it but I’ve stopped using that and simplified the entirety of my skincare routine.
I had a really bad breakout on both cheeks over the past few weeks ago and with acne medication that dries your skin out like no other, moisture and hydration was something my skin definitely needed. I go in with a facial mist after cleansing and then I’ll apply this just before my moisturiser. It has brought back so much life into my skin.
You can buy this here.
GLOSSIER - INVISIBLE SHEILD
This was the only reason I was excited to go start going outside a lot more now that restrictions have eased up is this.
This might be the best thing I’ve ever put on my skin.
Since I do have a lot of acne scarring, one thing step in my daily routine that I’ve learnt is vital, is sunscreen. Exposure to your skin without suncreen can actually cause your scars to darken so it is incredibly important to add this into your routine.
I love this one from Glossier because not only does it smell amazing but it has more a gel texture and no white cast like your generic sunsreens. As a darker skinned girl, putting on sunscreen has always been a nightmare but this blends into your skin like a regular moisturiser or serum and leaves no residue whatsoever.
I was a little shocked by how small this was at first but you’d surprised how far one pump of this can go.
You can buy this here.
kiehls - ultra facial cream
As I said earlier, my skin has been suffering so simplicity in my routine has just been incredibly vital. This cream is the best because it just does what you want a moisturiser to do which is moisturise.
This is ideal if you have oily/combination skin because it isn’t greasy or really thick but still hydrates you skin.
I will never put another moisturiser on my skin ever again because this is perfect.
You can buy this here.
clinique - even better glow foundation in cream caramel
I’ve never been a full coverage foundation girl so when I tried this and realised it was basically a tinted moisturiser, obviously I fell in love.
It applies so smoothly and is pretty light so it doesn’t feel like you’re actually wearing anything but the glow and dewiness this foundation has is beautiful and has pretty decent coverage for a foundation that is so light.
Even after powdering, my skin has this subtle dew to it that makes it look healthy and makes me look awake and fresh.
You can buy this here.
estee lauder - double wear concealer in
6N Extra Deep
This is supposed to be an excellent concealer however, this shade is too dark for me to use as a concealer. So I’ve been using it to cream contour instead.
I know for contour, you’re supposed to use a very cool toned brown but I personally prefer something that is a little on the warmer side and this shade is spot on.
I apply this under my cheekbones, my nose, sides of my forehead and a tiniest bit on my jaw and blend it in with a beauty blender.
I also adore using this as a base before my everyday eye shadow. It’s a great primer and base and intensifies whatever shade of brown I decide to put on my eyelids that day.
You can buy this here.
mac - studio finish concealer in NW40
On the topic of concealer, this Mac Studio Finish concealer has been my best friend when it comes to covering scars and blemishes as well as my under eyes.
It’s a little more heavy duty than any concealer I’ve used before but I think that’s what makes it so good.
You can buy this here.
nip + fab - contour palette in dark
I was contemplating whether even photographing this was a good idea because it’s the most beat up thing in my collection.
I use this for everything.
I’ve hit pan on pretty much every shade because I use them all. I’ll use the two middle brown shades for contour/bronzer as well as eye shadow. The darker brown on the right for a more intense contour or in the crease for my eye shadow. I’ll use the pink shade as a blush but also will blend a little into whatever lipstick I’m wearing that day.
This is literally the most efficient and useful palette I’ve ever bought.
You can buy this here.
Nyx - ultimate shadow palette
I’ve slowly started incorporating more and more colour into my routine these past few months and the easiest ways to do that is by getting an eye shadow palette like this.
It has so many colours but my favourite at this moment is the lilac. I did a little look with this a few weeks ago. You can check that out here.
You can be subtle and use these are liners for a tiny pop of colour or you can be bold and use these all over your eye lids. The options and colour combos are endless.
You can buy this here.
smashbox + vlada - petal metal shimmer drops
This is amazing for any of you who love glitter but want something a little more subtle and easy to wear everyday.
I use this as a highlight sometimes, on top of eye shadow and even on top of my lipsticks.
It’s basically a glitter top coat but for your face. It’s truly great because it doesn’t mess up your makeup when you apply it, it dries so fast and has the prettiest sparkle.
I like to squeeze a few drops onto my finger and pat wherever I want to put it.
You can buy this here.
barry m - lip liner in chocolate
I will never in my life buy another brown liner that isn’t this.
I think I first bought this when I was around 15/16 and nearly five years on, it’s become a staple in my everyday routine.
I usually love using this as just a lip liner to fill and line my lips but recently I’ve loved using this as an eyeliner too. I do a little flick on the outer corner of my eyes with this to elongate my eyes.
You can buy this here.
Nyx - Matte Lip Liner in Alabama
At some during the beginning of this year, I decided I needed to change my everyday lip colour and went out and bought this liner.
On the rare days I do decide to switch things up a little, I’m a big fan of using this lip liner with either a nude/mauve lipstick blended in.
It looks like a red lip liner but it’s got this orange-y brown tone to it which I love.
You can buy this here.
If you’re curious about the products I used in the video that I haven’t listed in my current favourites then here’s a list of everything I used!
everything I used in the video:
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
Clinique Even Better Glow Foundation in Cream Caramel
Mac Studio Finish Concealer in NW40
Revolution Conceal and Define Concealer in C10
Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer in 6N Extra Deep
Laura Mercier Translucent Powder
Nip + Fab Contour Palette in Dark
Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette
Barry M Lip Liner in Chocolate
Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Rome
Thanks for reading!
A Socially Distanced Summer Lookbook | Zafira
Hey!
Before I get into today’s post, I wanted to share a list of links of petitions and charities you can sign and donate to. It feels very selfish of me to write and post normally without addressing what’s going on in the world so at the end of this post you’ll find some links and ways to help what’s currently going on :)
And just like that, it’s summer once again. I had no idea it was even June until we were like a whole week in that’s how out of sorts I am. One thing I completely adore not only about everyday but especially summer is getting dressed. I love being able to wear dresses without having to layer seven different things to keep warm, I love being able to wear my Mary Janes without socks and I also love but will probably eventually start to miss not having to wear a coat on top on every single outfit. It’s the prettiest time of year.
So, I love doing lookbooks and my friends and family are amazing at helping me get the pictures I need but with social distancing and the whole '“we’re in the middle of mass pandemic and you can’t go near anyone” thing going on, doing this lookbook tested all levels of patience and creativity. I decided the only reasonable and exciting way I could do this lookbook and make it somewhat cool was by photoshopping myself into everywhere I would want to be this summer and that’s exactly what I did.
I’ve been working on this for a few weeks now and I hope you enjoy it because it was actually a lot of fun to do.
Here’s a few summer looks I will most likely be wearing around the house I don’t have a social life anymore:
a cute co-ord
I think co-ords have taken over this summer and I will gladly let them.
There is no easier outfit to put together than a co-ord. They’re so easy to style and come in such an arraignment of patterns, materials and prints. I’ve been seeing so many floating around on Instagram and the high street but this particular set from Zara caught my eye and of course, my debit card’s.
It honestly looked a little too pyjama-esque on the model but the Zara sale hit the internet and I gave in and bought the shirt and trousers and hoped for the best and I’m so glad I did because I love how this looks. It feels very classy almost, very chic and looks like something you’d wear to a picnic in the middle of the countryside in France which is certainly the vibes I’m going for this summer.
The set has this almost quilted feel to it and I think it’s probably one of the most well made things I’ve ever bought from Zara. The trousers especially, I love the tab detail on the back. I think these pieces will also look great on their own too, I can imagine wearing the shirt with plain blue jeans and the trousers with a white shirt.
In this look I’ve styled the set with my favourite Mary Janes from Asos.
Buy the shirt.
Buy the trousers.
Buy the shoes.
something causal to make it seem like i can dress casual
I think by now, everyone around me thinks I’m incapable of dressing casual. You will never see me in sweats, I never do a pair of jeans and t-shirt but this look has been a staple in my wardrobe since I was probably around 15/16 and will always be an exception.
I have so many of these short sleeved sweater/knitted tops. I think they’re perfect for summer days where it’s a bit chillier because they’ll still keep you warm but not too warm. This retro looking one is from Pop Boutique and I think I probably own every short sleeved sweater top they sell now because they’re so good and versatile. I wear them with jeans, with cullotes and I love using them for layering when it gets colder with sleeveless dresses and pinafores.
I’ve styled this top with my lovely jeans from the Gap which I am aware isn’t called the Gap but I’ve become too comfortable calling it the Gap. These are my perfect summer jeans. I hate skinny jeans now with a passion, they look good but the effort and stress of putting them on is not an enjoyable experience, especially in summer. These slightly cropped flared jeans however are the comfiest pair of jeans I’ve ever owned. I had no idea jeans from the Gap were so pricey either but I got these for 70% off from a Gap store that was closing down so I’m quite happy with them.
I’m also wearing my classic black Converse that I wear all year round.
The top sadly isn’t available, but here’s a cute alternative.
Buy the jeans.
the black dress
So I know a black dress isn’t very summer appropriate but I think this is such a pretty summer evening/date dress.
I think originally something that threw me off this dress was the material because it looked like it would crease a lot and very easily which it does but because the overall style of the dress consists of pleats and creases such as in the sleeves and in the top and mid area it isn’t as big of an issue as I thought it would be. I think this sort of material is so ideal for the summer because it’s so thin and lightweight and overall a very cooling material.
This dress originally had a very high rounded neck but I decided to do a little DIY job and change it to a square one since I think it looks a lot more flattering on me and it gives me a chance to wear some cute necklaces like the pearl one I’m wearing in the photographs.
I’ve styled this look with a beaded bag that are very trendy these days, this one is actually handmade from Bangladesh.
Here’s a similar alternative to the dress.
the ‘i wish i was florence welch’ look?
I feel maxi skirts aren’t as cool as they used to be when I was like 12 but I’m still a big fan of them.
This skirt is from Zara but I got it at brand new at Oxfam for £4.99 and it’s probably the best £4.99 I’ve ever spent. It’s made from such a light weight material and is extra flowy when you get hit with a gust of wind which is what I personally look for when buying long skirts.
I’ve paired this skirt with a simple black top and a cropped cardigan from Urban Outfitters. I love cropped cardigans. I think that if I didn’t have any self restraint I would buy them in every colour possible.
I’m also wearing my pink Mary Jane style shoes which I adore wearing all the time.
Buy the cardigan.
the red jumpsuit i dream about every night
I’m a massive jumpsuit/boilersuit girl. I think they’re easily one of the best inventions of all time and I would wear one everyday for the rest of life if I didn’t have a vast wardrobe of other clothes.
Every time I would go onto Instagram these past three months, I would see an ad for this jumpsuit and obviously, I fell in love with it straight away. It’s such a beautiful piece of clothing which is why for my birthday present to myself this year, I decided I would splurge and treat myself.
When I say I’m in love with this jumpsuit, I genuinely mean I’m in love.
I think it’s such an incredibly flattering item. Boilersuit/jumpsuits tend to stereotypically have quite a loose and masculine fit to them but this is definitely a more body hugging piece that hugs you in all the right places. The bottoms are flared too which is so great and this colour is so different than anything I’d usually wear and super bold. I love love love it.
Buy the jumpsuit.
the checkered dress from my childhood
This dress is what inspired me to do this lookbook because I’ve been spending my days at home in this thing. It’s the most idyllic summer dress to me.
It reminds me a lot of so many tops and dresses I used to wear growing up in a similar print and colour scheme to this. It always felt very classic and retro and most importantly, very country chic which till this day is what I aspire to exude.
I’m always looking for pieces that I can wear all year round and surprisingly, this is one of them. I bought this from an Oliver Bonas sale at the end of last summer and honestly wore this dress through the autumn and winter and even on Christmas day. Sleeveless dress are a gem when it comes to layering because you can layer anything under them. A shirt, a jumper, a turtleneck, your options are endless. I would love wearing this with a white jumper or turtleneck underneath in the winter but now that it’s warmer, I can just throw on a cardigan and run out the door in this.
Even though I wore this dress during the colder months, I definitely think it’s made for the summer. Just look how perfect it fits into my fake picnic. Once again, I’ve paired this look with my cropped cardigan from Urban Outfitters and my pink Mary Janes as well as another beaded bag handmade from Bangladesh.
Buy the cardigan.
Please try to donate to some of these charities or sign the links on my Linktree!: https://linktr.ee/zafiraahmed
Thanks for reading!
Music of the Month: May | Zafira
Hi!
So I admit, it’s been a while. I took some time off to just get my university life in order and my general life too but I was also feeling a little lost on what to do on here. I’ve become feeling a little refreshed and have a few ideas under my belt that I’m beyond excited to start writing about and sharing on here!
And just like that, it’s June. My favourite month of the year. It’s summer, my birthday is this month and hopefully, we’ll be taking some slow steps into transitioning into some sort of normality. May was honestly a massive blur.
Due to popular demand (like 3 requests), I’ve decided to bring back Music of the Month and because it’s been a while since I last shared one of these, I have so much new music I’m excited to share with you.
You can listen to my entire May playlist here.
Here are a few of my favourite songs, artists and albums:
machinegum - conduit
Love is not a strong enough adjective to describe my affection for this entire album. It’s rare for me to be able to sit through an entire album without honestly getting a little bored but each song on Conduit feels like a hug or a slow dance in the rain and I’m completely smitten with the entire thing.
machinegum is actually formed by Fabrizio Moretti, drummer for the Strokes which I find a little surprising because this entire album is nothing like anything I’ve heard from the Strokes. It’s so calm.
One of my absolute favourites from the album is definitely Walking Habits. It’s so vibraphone-y. The entire album is but this one especially. I feel like I could listen to this every day at sunset. I love O Please too because it feels so retro and groovy and puts me in such a good mood but the one song that really stood out for me on Conduit was Sugar and Vice. Again it’s retro and groovy but at the same time, husky and accompanied by vocals you can barely make out.
I found the cutest music video some guys had made for Sugar and Vice and it feels like the epitome of summer. You can check it out here.
Gus Dapperton - First Aid
I just want to preface this by saying, in my personal opinion Gus Dapperton’s work is more than that popular song on Tik Tok that I kind of hate. His other songs are pretty and deserve attention too.
First Aid is quite the emotional song. It’s still pretty upbeat and definitely one of those songs you could sing a little too loudly in the shower but the overall tone is very melancholic. You can hear that this has a sense of loneliness. I read that this song was about his sister, Amadelle, who is also featured in the song and how much they’ve helped him and you can really hear how thankful he is in the lyrics.
I cannot wait to hear the rest of the stuff he’s been working on later this year.
Air - The Virgin Suicides Soundtrack
Every time the sun comes out one of the first films that come into mind is the Virgin Suicides. I think it’s because, throughout the entire film, you can almost feel the heat. It’s hard to describe if you’ve not seen the film but everything from the tones to the outfits to the green green grass and sprinklers spraying on the fake gardens of homes that aren’t really homes just scream summer to me.
I’ve always had a bit of fascination with the film but when I listened to Fashion Grunge’s podcast a few weeks ago I felt this urge to listen to the soundtrack properly and since then I just love having it on in the background when I’m going about my day. I also love listening to it whilst I’m reading the book because I think it fits in with the book version just as much as the film.
One of my all-time favourite songs from films, in general, has to be Playground Love. It’s used repeatedly throughout the entire film and is so perfect for it. The film is very much about youth and ideas of love but has this dark undertone to it since the film revolves a lot around death and this is exactly what this song is all about.
I also love The Word Hurricane, well more specifically the beginning of it. It starts off by putting you in an almost trance-like state and then you have a little dialogue period followed by absolute chaos. It’s amazing.
Parcels - Parcels
Parcels have recently come into my life and have transported me into a very late 70’s disco funk era and I’m not mad about it. This band is so chill and is exactly the sort of stuff I’ve been into at the moment.
A few of my favourite hits from the album are Lightenup, Exotica and Withorwithout. Lightenup is the first ever song I heard by Parcels. It’s very Bee Gee’s esque and I love love that. A lot like something they’d play in some sort of retro disco whereas Exotica and Withorwithout feel like falling in love on summer’s day.
In my opinion, this album is something I can see myself listening to for the rest of my life. It’s weird how they can sound so out of place within our current generation but somehow fit in a way that’s different and still appeals to so so so many people.
The Black Keys - Weight of Love
I don’t know whether it’s because I’ve been listening to a lot of Air but the beginning of this song starts off with extreme Air/Vibraphone-y/Soft Psychedelic vibes which I can’t seem to get enough of at the minute.
I’m a big big fan of this. I play it so many times a day and you should too. I will definitely have to listen to the entire of the Turn Blue album after hearing this gem. I also get extreme Pink Floyd vibes from this song which is magical.
Yung Lean - Starz
Yung Lean released a new album this May and it’s been exactly what I’ve needed this quarantine period.
I think ever since Stranger, Yung Lean has been one of favourite sad boy musicians. His music is so mellow and melancholic but is yet so modern and cool.
Starz carries on that sadness yet coolness but in such an experimental way. One of my favourite songs on the album is Starz which features another one of my favourite artists, Ariel Pink. I would never in think that they fit together as well as they do on this song.
I also love Yayo which is about his rise in the industry, Violence and Boylife in EU which he released as a single a few months back. It’s the ultimate “I’m feeling lonely and sad" song.
Duffy - Warwick Avenue
I wasn't going to include this because it’s the most random song I could possibly put in here but I cannot get enough of it recently.
I was 12 when this came out which makes me feel a tiny bit nauseous because that was almost an entire decade ago. I have the most vivid memories of watching the music video of this where Duffy is sat crying in the back of taxi on the music channels. 12 year old me was so moved by this and honestly so is current me.
She kind of disappeared after this and came back a few months ago. It’s heartbreaking to hear what happened to her but I’m glad she’s okay now.
Hare Squead - Minor Gangsters (gully)
Like a lot of what I listen to these days, I found this through COLORS which is a YouTube channel where a bunch of different artists perform against various coloured backgrounds. It’s amazing and visually the most aesthetic thing ever.
I’ve heard a few songs by Hare Squead, my favourite being Herside Story with Goldlink but Minor Gangsters is very different to that. What drew me to it mostly was how animated they were performing for COLORS. I loved watching them perform and loved how much they enjoyed it. What’s so great about COLORS is that they post all their studio versions on Spotify which makes my life that little bit more enjoyable and easier.
I personally prefer the COLORS Studio version over the original because it sounds a lot more raw and gritty which are two aspects I quite like in a song.
I could sit and watch COLORS Shows all day.
