Music of the Month: November | Zafira
Hey!
How is there only a month left of this year? I can’t even remember feeling like it ever began.
So, it’s December. It’s freezing, it’s pitch black when I wake up at awful times to go to uni and it’s also…deadline season. I’ve been a little preoccupied with my assignments for the past month or so which explains the lack of content over on here which is incredibly unfortunate because I was feeling like I was on a roll with these posts a few months ago. Anyway, I have to prioritise what’s important to me right now and that is uni sadly. But I have a few weeks off for Christmas to rejuvenate and get my life into order so expect some very cute things next year.
For now, let’s roll on with my favourite songs this November!
In the midst of political nightmare, numerous breakdowns, a bad haircut (might as well call me Noel Fielding at this point) and nothing but stress pilling on top of me as the days pass, this month has definitely been a highlight in terms of music.
You can check out my entire playlist for November here.
FKA TWIGS
FKA Twigs’ new album was the most beautiful thing to have ever happen to me this entire year. I remember hearing Cellophane for the first time a few months ago and knowing that whatever she had prepared after that would be insane. And it was. Magdalene has been angelic. Like you know when you see those ads of like honey or golden syrup being drizzled in slow motion? That’s Magdalene felt like.
In NME I read that Mirrored Heart ”vibrates with Twin Peaks-style synths” and as a Twin Peaks fan from the age of 12, it resonated with me so much. I love Twin Peaks and FKA Twigs so this was the best of both worlds. Mirrored Heart sounds like a deeper version of Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks theme song it’s so weird. I love the lyrics in this too.
I love all the songs on this album equally but Thousand Eyes definitely stood out the most and has probably been my most listened to song in November. It’s so sad. I think it’s about Robert Pattinson which is strange considering nearly a decade ago this boy, sorry this man, was a nation’s heart throb for sparkling in the sunlight. It’s so haunting but I could totally sit staring into space and listen to this song for hours upon hours on repeat.
2. HELENA DELAND
If you’ve read some of my other Music of the Months, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of this music based YouTube channel called La Blogotheque. I watched the most stunning performance by Helena Deland and have now officially become her no.1 fan. You can watch her La Blogotheque performance here.
My favourite two songs by her are Two Queries and There Are a Thousand. They are the dreamiest songs ever. Even in her live perfomance, I had never felt so zen. I love listening to these at night or even if I’ve had a little bit of stressful day (everyday).
3. SLO BIRD WHISTLE - APHEX TWIN (PEEL SESSION)
This song emanates chaotic energy and I love it. I have nothing else to say about this other than it’s so so so great.
4. JOY CROOKES
I’m ashamed and embarrassed to even admit that it took me this long to find Joy Crookes.
I’ve struggled finding artists that I like that having a similar background or ethnicity to me so for me to find Joy (like literal joy), who’s Bengali (and half irish) and who sings like a literal angel was truly like hitting the jackpot. Her voice reminds me a lot of Amy Winehouse which I honestly never expected.
Since I Left You has been on my mind ever since I listened to it a few weeks ago. It feels so raw and melancholic and she sings it so effortlessly. The music video is filmed beautifully too. Early, which is another fave of mine, has a totally different vibe. It’s so upbeat and catchy and I love Jafaris in this. I’ve recently started following her on Instagram too and her outfits and makeup looks are so cool.
5. SO HEAVY I FELL THROUGH THE EARTH - GRIMES
As weird as Grimes is, I completely adore her music.
So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth feels and sounds very futuristic. There two different versions of this, so there’s the algorithm mix which is the version I personally have been listening to and there’s also the art mix. They’re both pretty similar and both amazing and I can’t wait for her to release her new album next year.
6. JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ
I’ve been listening to José González for years now but there’s just something about this time of year that makes me go back to listening to him on repeat for weeks on end.
Heartbeats is in my opinion, is the perfect song for a winter’s morning. I don’t know whether it’s because the guitar strums in the beginning sound like the soundtrack to a snowy day or because I found this song during the winter a few years ago. I also really love Crosses. I think these are both very love-y songs and I love love love them.
HERE’S A FEW MORE SONGS I’M LOVING…
Thanks for reading! I can’t believe this will be my last Music of the Month this year, it’s flown by so fast.
Lots of love,
November & October on Film | Zafira
I'm back with another one of these film blog posts!
In my September post I said I'd combine the film shots from October and November because I knew it'd be a hectic couple of months. But, it's December and I'm finally on a fresh roll of film and I've finally gotten round to getting my previous roll developed and scanned in!
October was pretty uneventful, I was feeling quite uninspired but a day out with my cousins shopping in Manchester slowly changed that. It was nice to be out and about. I think I'd like to do some sort of film series based in Manchester, I have lived here my entire life and I've only just started to explore it.
This bin was looking particularly photogenic I couldn't help but take a picture.
At the beginning of November, I spent a weekend in Birmingham with family to mainly look at BCU as I'm applying there, but it was also really nice to just explore Birmingham a little bit since it could possibly be my home for the next 3 years. This is the Bullring and I love how it looks.
Whilst in Birmingham, I spent some quality time with these two cuties.
Since when did My Little Ponies look like this?
It was Bonfire night when I was still in Birmingham and these shots are pretty decent considering I had no tripod.
This bathroom was really nice but you can't see.
These are pretty underexposed but they have a bit of gloomy vibe and I appreciate some good old Mughal era paintings. This was when me and my family went out to eat in Birmingham.
We went out to local park and took a nice stroll and my little cousin Liyana helped me take some pretty shots.
I've spent the last two months in these amazingly comfy pants from Zara and making this glum face too.
I quite like this even though it's heavily under exposed.
I'm usually never home until after the sun sets except from on the weekends but I spent most of the weekends in my soft office. I luckily caught this shot and the these lovely warm tones it. It makes me feel really nostalgic.
Towards the end of November, it really felt like Winter.
We had a little baby shower for my Auntie at the end of November and there were a bunch of leftover desserts so I bought some in for my friends Sanjida and Cherie. They loved them.
One of my favourite portrait shots I've ever taken on film.
This is the best purchase of the year I think. I bought it from the little boys section in H&M for the bargain price of £14 and even though it's for 14 yrs +, it's quite big and over sized and has kept me warm over the past couple of weeks.
I was kindly gifted this
and it's the perfect bag for me. It matches everything I wear and has tons of space in which is perfect for me because I now use it for college. It's handiest, prettiest satchel I've ever set my eyes on. Expect a 'What's in My Bag' coming very very soon!
My walls are slowly starting to get completely covered in my film shots.
Kitty is the real star of the show in these film blog posts. I might have bribed her with some string but she's just so photogenic. A film roll isn't complete without her pretty face on it.
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September on Film | Zafira
Hi!
I'm back with another post in my film series! I'm quite aware it's mid October, well pretty much past mid at this point but I've been insanely busy at college but I've finally found a little bit of time to show you a couple of snaps I took during the month of September!
All I can remember from September was the stress of being back at college, writing my personal statement and catching up with all my amazing friends. It's weird how fast college has gone, this is my last year and I want to treasure every moment possible.
This is Britt, she smells nice.
I'm currently trying to jazz my room up a bit. It looks quite plain so I stuck pretty much all my film shots up on my walls and it looked quite cute. I think I'll probably end up getting some fairy lights too just to complete that ever so 'Tumblr' look.
This is Cherie and Sanjida. They make college that little bit more bearable.
Here's a snap of Cherie looking cute as per usual.
Lydia and Jazmine having waay too much fun in the art department.
Another cat one. We've become particularly close over the past few days. I often find that when I come home, he/she is waiting for me outside my window.
My mum likes buying fresh flowers every week.
I'm Asian of course my house contains at least one chili plant.
We have a little bit of a jungle theme going on in our living room, it's very nice and relaxing.
Sparkly macaroons are apparently a thing?
Me in the only shirt I seem to own. I don't even look like myself in this it's strange.
I took this on the way home from college. I spend too much of my life sat on a bus.
Since I had experimented a lot this month, a lot of my shots were pretty much under exposed but it's all good, I've got a fresh roll and I'm excited to shoot again. I think I'm going to merge October and November together so get ready for a nice chunky post!
Remember to follow me on all my social media to stay updated and to see some cool behind the scenes and extra shots!
How to Stay Organised | Zafira
Hello!
The most difficult thing I find about being at college is definitely trying to stay organised. It can get pretty messy with the work load and trying to manage some sort of system that helps you get everything done. But I'm in my second year of college and I've finally found a few tips that have really helped me stay on track!
1. Move out of your soft office.
We all love our beds. I love mine dearly and I think I spend the majority of my life in my bed. However, when you're working, the last thing you want to be is chill and sleepy. Separate your bed from your work life, it'll make your bed more of the sanctuary and place of rest that it's supposed to be rather than a place of work. It's a really hard move to make but it will definitely help you stay focused whilst working.
2. Make sure your work place is clean, minimal and tidy.
I have only just started to use my desk properly this year and I wish I would have used it sooner. I used to use it as a place to dump all my crap such as books but this year I though I'd tidy it up and make it a decent place to work. Wherever you're working should be clean and tidy, try and move things that are distracting away from your work area and keep it as minimal as possible. As they say 'tidy desk, tidy mind' and it's 100% true.
3. Pack your bag the night before.
I used to pack my bag the morning of school but ever since I've started college, I've been doing it the night before and it's saved me so so so much time in the morning. Give yourself about 15 minutes the night before school, college or uni to pack all your essentials just so you're completely ready for the day. This bag is from River Island btw and I think I've been using it for like 4 years now. I'm very surprised it's even lasted this long.
5. Plan your outfits the night before.
This is sort of on the same lines as packing your bag the night before. It will save you so much more time in the morning to fully prepare yourself for a day in hell but at least this way you'll be looking extra cute even though you're in pain. This jumper is from Bershka and is the comfiest thing I own. It isn't available anymore but you can buy a very very similar one here:
https://www.zaful.com/lantern-sleeve-mock-neck-sweater-p_379337.html
6. Keep a copy of your timetable at home & a calendar to fill in for the month.
Keeping a copy of your timetable at home is pretty useful especially when it comes to knowing what lessons you have, when work is due and what to pack for the day. On my timetable, I've colour coordinated my lessons so when I fill in my diary/planner or my to do list, I use that certain colour so I know it's associated with that certain subject. Usually I'd just make my own on Word but this time I just printed a couple off Google Images, there's a lot of different cute ones. Calendar wise, print one that has boxes for everyday of the month so you can fill in what work is due and important dates. The most satisfying thing to do at the end of the day is to put a nice big red 'x' through that day's box.
7. Get a diary/planner.
A planner or diary for the year is a necessity. Not only do they help keep you organised but they're so much fun to shop for since they come in so many different styles, designs and structures. I got mine from TK Maxx and it's A6 sized so it's so easy to take with me everyday. I fill in everything in here, whether it's homework, university associated stuff or even appointments. I love cats.
8. Make lists of everything you need to do.
My friend Cherie bought me a couple of these cute notebooks whilst she was on holiday and they've been amazingly handy. I like making lists. Whatever the situation is, I'll most likely make a list whether it's a pro or cons or a list of stuff to take on holiday or in this case, a list of work I need to do. Usually I'll make one for the week and one for the weekend. This notebook is quite handy since at the top it has little section to fill in the date so you know what you're on but just any notebook will do or you can even get yourself a to do list pad.
9. Post stick notes are your best friends.
I don't think I would have even survived my first year without these. I stick these e v e r y w h e r e. I am an organised person because of these. I use them to write down important work that's due, to highlight sections I need to revise in books, important areas in books, the list is honestly endless. They will be your saviour for the rest of your life in education.
I hope this gave you a few ideas on how to get your life somehow together, don't worry if it isn't perfectly organised, mine isn't and I can assure you that no one else's is 100% organised either 😏
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Shooting on Film | Zafira
Heelllllllllllllooooooooooooo!
When I was younger, I was so fascinated by film strips. I remember how my dad would have them laid out when he was sorting out all of his photographs and I would just love to look at them. These brown strips with these tiny pictures in them were the coolest things I had ever seen. I'm pretty sure my dad shot on film for quite a while, even in the 00s when digital was a lot more popular, I still remember him shooting pictures of me and family on film. Now it's just so fascinating and utterly amazing looking back at the pictures because I can literally see the whole of my life and my family's life in images. I love how my family always document everything, it's one of the reasons I started getting more into photography and taking it more seriously. There's nothing I love more on the weekends then looking through the endless photo albums. It's a joy. Film shots look so good, I love the different hues and tones the images have. They just feel a lot more raw and gritty than digital. I asked my dad if I could borrow one of his film cameras recently and it's what I've been playing around on for the past few months. It's been amazing. I love film now.
Basically during my first set of film photos I was really dumb and when I told people I was shooting on film, they were like huh wut so I opened the back of the camera to show the film itself which is a big no no unless you want something like this. I still think these look so cool which is why I've kept them. I love the sunset-y colours, reminds me of the Instagram logo.
And then some of the pictures from my first set were two images merged together which had some quite strange outcomes but this is one of my friend Britt that I took at college. It's actually two separate images. The right side is of an image I took inside where she was leaning against the wall but you can only see her knees and the second image is one where she was sat on a bench outside but these two images have merged together and they kind of fit as one in a strange way lol?
The cutest candid of my friend Sunny.
The final one from my first set is when it snowed really heavily back in Jan/Feb time for about 20 mins and then it rained and all washed away.
My second set came out so well and it is truly when I realised film was the love of my life. Here's another snap of Britt with a swanky fringe this time.
This is probably the best picture I've taken in my entire life.
Here's me with the brightest thing in my wardrobe.
The famous pink jacket I wear pretty much everyday.
This was the day one of my favourite people in this entire world died.
My lovely boots when they were shiny and new.
I took this when I was on a shoot with two of my hilarious friends from high school.
When I started getting more into photography a few years back I would always take pictures out of my bedroom window. I don't what but there's something about it that looks so calm and peaceful. It was also really fun seeing how everything would change throughout the seasons as well which is something I might try with my film camera and document all the flowers growing and sky being blue and stuff.
Somewhere in London.
Columbia Road Flower Market which was amazing btw.
Me looking extra cute in my pink jumper from Bershka at the lovely Flower Markets.
That's all I have for now, make sure to follow me on Instagram for updates and just some really cool pictures!
Some Cute Pants That I've Been Loving | Zafira
Hello!
This is kind of weird but recently, I've just been loving pants. I'm usually the sort of person that wears black jeans and whenever I wore blue ones I felt like I was taking the biggest step out of comfort zone. But I feel like over the past few months, all these funky pants have become a sudden interest to me and I've been trying to switch it up from the usual plain black jeans.
Monochrome Elephant Pants:
These are actually pants that I got made in Bangladesh about 2 years ago in the style of these pants that I had bought but didn't quite fancy the print of. These pants are so comfy and perfect for summer coming up. I usually lounge around the house in these but looking at this picture is making me want to wear them out because they look really good with my Docs. I remember these elephant pants being a thing about 2 years ago but I still think they're really nice and good for hot days.
Pink Pants:
These pretty pink pants are actually jeggings which I didn't own at all but when I tried these on in
, they just fit extremely well. I have such an issue with pants not fitting perfectly but these just look so good and the ankle area fit really well today. I pretty much only bought these to match my infamous pink jacket that the entire world always sees me in but I feel like these pants are so good for Spring/Summer because of the colour. I'm in love with this sort of blush/peachy pink shade, I feel like it suits me really well.
Jazzy Pans:
These were in my last haul but my oh my are they a beauty. I feel like these are the perfect way to look dressy but not like overly dressy. I usually wear them with my docs and a nice velvet tee for some extra umf but these are such a good item of clothing to have. I got these Miss Selfridge but they aren't for sale anymore.
Greyish Culottes:
Culottes are very trendy and popular right now in the world of fashion and they're just lovely to wear. I got these bad bois from
and they feel like I'm wearing PJ pants all day. I feel like when you wear them, you look effortlessly put together and it looks you've tried really hard even though you haven't. I also think these are lovely for the Spring/Summer time because of how flowy they are. Very very very cute.
Kinda Pink/Brown Pants:
These were actually my aunties but she kindly gave them to me cos she's lovely. These are from New Look but they're so old that they still have the old New Look label on them. I think these look really cute and kind of formal. I usually wear them with a black turtle neck and my Docs and I'll have this cute photographer aesthetic going on but I wore them with vans the other day and it was such a chilled, casual outfit.
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Collective Haul! | Zafira Ahmed
So I shop, more often that I should so I decided to make some use out of it. Hi, hey, hello 😃 This post is going to be haul of things I've bought quite recently. I'm quite a content shopper, I kind of need to chill for a bit and stop buying so much but I can't help myself at all. I think my personal style is developing quite rapidly at the moment and I just seem to be loving clothes a lot more than usual. It might be this whole 'new year, new me' feeling going on but I love styling and putting pieces together. It's always a joy. ALSO just wanted to let you know that I've got a second Instagram account now that's devoted to fashion, it's not going to be as structured as my original Instagram, it's going to be a lot more relaxed and if you like clothes and fashion you should definitely go and follow it! I'll leave a link at the end of this post. I hope you enjoy this haul 😊
This lovely dress is from Zara! All those frills and flowers make me feel ever so girly and it's just super lovely. It's fits me so well and it looks pretty cute with my new docs. This isn't available anymore sadly but there's so much more floral stuff available now since the Spring collection is out!
This is also from Zara, I practically live there now. The thing that really drew me in to buying this was the high neck, I love a good high neck. I think they look super flattering and it makes this t-shirt look a little more formal even though it's over-sized and baggy. I don't think this is available in Zara either unfortunately.
I've been very into dresses recently and I have no idea why. I think they look super flattering and they just look really nice with my new boots. This is one of the Cow re-work dresses that I always love. It looks very 60s and has shirt-like sleeves and is quite a nice length. They have so many pretty re-worked dresses, I have a Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren one and they just look so good. Have a browse urself:
This bby is from H&M where I don't really shop as often anymore. It makes me look like I'm dressed for a funeral and I haven't been brave enough to wear it yet but you might see it appear of my second IG acc in the next few days...
This was a total impulse buy from Cow. I literally have no idea how I'm going to style or wear this but it was so pretty I couldn't not buy it. It has the prettiest sleeves and it's this lovely creamy colour. I could totally dress this up somehow and it might good as a jacket-like thing. It's always fun to experiment with new pieces of clothes!
These lovely pair of pants which does not feel right to say at all anymore because basically, this week all I've been thinking about is why people say 'a pair of pants' when pants are a singular item. So, I finally googled it and the phrase is only used because in the 16th century, pants were two pieces not one but it's really going to bother me that we still say this even though it doesn't apply. Anyway 😂, these gorgeous pants are from Miss Selfridge! They're not like full length, they reach a few inches above the ankle so they make your legs look long-ish and look cute with boots. These aren't available anymore I don't think because I can't seem to find them online, but I've found a pair that are just as cute
These amazing pair of culottes are form Zara. I am in l o v e. I love these so much. On my second IG account, I posted an outift pic where I was wearing these, a black velvet crop top and my docs and it's now my fave outfit ever. The pants are pretty high waisted, on me anyway so you can't see your belly anymore. I think it's such a lovely switch up from your average,formal work pants. It says that they're cropped pants but they are pretty much culottes.
http://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/trousers/cropped-trousers-with-belt-c358005p4264507.html
Lastly, my fave purchase ever, my Dr Marten Floraa boots. These are so lovely, unlike the other Dr Marten Chelsea type boots, these have more of pointed tip so I think they make my tiny feet a bit bigger and make my outfit look a bit more feminine and dressy in someways. They go with everything and anything, they're super comfortable and are so practical.
Thanks for reading!
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The Wedding Series: Part 2/2 - The Mehndi, Wedding and Home Shenanigans | Zafira
Hello!
Sometime in July, I did the first part of this series and here I present to you the last. I spoke a little more about traditional Bengali weddings and how the whole process works so I won't go into too much detail here. To conclude what I said in the last post, a typical Bengali wedding has the Cinifan (engagement), the Mehndi (wedding pre-party), the actual wedding and sometimes people like to take it that one step extra and throw a Walima (an after party). It's chaotic and crazy but I love weddings. In this post, I'll show you some of the pictures of the Mehndi, the wedding and a few little bits we did with the new bride after she was welcomed into her new home. I'll explain what is going on for every picture so don't worry if you don't understand. Enjoy!
T H E M E H N D I
At a Mehndi, everyone basically takes pictures with friends, family and the groom or bride.
We boogie.
Get our henna done.
And everyone joins in, including the little ones.
We wear traditional clothing and get dressed up, not overly dressed though, we like to save that for the wedding.
There's always something yummy to eat too like these fruit thaals and those amazing desserts.
Everything is always made to look super duper pretty.
Here's a fun fact. all the little flowers that you see hanging and the ones on the wall are ALL handmade and we hung the curtain bits all by ourselves too. We're pretty handy when it comes to this sort of thing.
Here's one of my uncle dressed in traditional clothing infront of all the food that's been made for him. At the Mehndi, everyone comes and takes a seat next to him, takes a couple of pics and feeds him something.
T H E W E D D I N G
For the wedding we changed the setup a little bit and added some gold chiffon. The bride comes home with the groom at the end of the wedding and they sit here and drink milk and do some other traditional stuff.
We all get very dressed up including the groom.
All the neighbours were out watching us leave the house to the wedding venue and it was just too adorable not to capture this moment.
This is such a good idea for a guestbook! You write your little message to newly weds on the heart and slot it into the frame.
Snap snap.
This is when the bride walked onto the stage to her husband.
Both the groom side and bride side make a necklace of flowers for the couple and these are exchanged on the wedding day.
This is the best bit. There was so much cake leftover.
Aaand this is the bedroom that we decorated for them.
H O M E S H E N A N I G A N S
The next morning or what usually turns out to be afternoon, the new bride will make breakfast for everyone in the house. The breakfast food is given by the bride's family.
The bride then has to cut a fish to cook into a curry.
She grinds all the spices.
After all that she gives everyone a snack and this includes a banana and popcorn most of the time. We also played a few games with her but I can't show you those pictures since all of them have my family in them and I respect their privacy.
I'd like to say a huge congratulations to the newly weds and I wish you the best in life. I can't wait to see the whole family together again for something just as special as this ;)
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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!
The Wedding Series: Part 1/2 - The Engagement | Zafira
Hi guys and welcome to my blog!
Wedding season has officially arrived in my family which means I'll spending most of this summer holiday going to and from weddings. If you didn't know, I am Bengali. Bengali/Asian ish weddings are absolutely crazy and consist usually of 2 or 3 parts. The first part of the whole wedding shindig is the Cinifan. More commonly known as the engagement party which is what I went to on Sunday. The second part is either the actual wedding ceremony or the wedding and the after party which is called a Walima mixed together. Then the last part of the whole procedure is usually the Walima but some families throw the wedding and Walima together.
If you even understood that then you deserve a gold star.
This weekend it was my uncle's Cinifan (engagement) and I took a couple of pictures of my family making things for it and of the event its self. At Bengali weddings, people usually take these things called Thaals. The only way I can describe it as is a decorative platter but you'll understand it better when you see the pictures. Anyway, it was a hectic weekend of madness and I had so much fun. Congratulations to my uncle on his engagement and I can't wait till the wedding!
Here's a couple of pics!
Make sure to follow me on Instagram as I'll be posting more pictures from the Cinifan on there. Links to everything is at the end of this blog post!
The End As We Know It & Update | Zafira
GUESS WHO'S BACK?
Me!
Hi, it's been a while since I've done a blog post but if you've read my previous post that I did in February, you'll know that I've been preparing and doing my GCSE exams. But, they finally finished on Friday which means it's time to chill and start working on this blog as well as producing some really cool photographs! Before I get into the real purpose of this post, I just wanted to update you on a few cool things that are happening and some changes too! As you can see, my layout has changed and I'm not sure whether the layout at the moment will be permanent so a couple of changes will happen throughout the next couple of weeks. I have also decided to sell a couple of my prints this summer so keep a look out in the next few weeks as they should be available soon! I'm not 100% sure what my uploading schedule will be like this summer but I want to post as frequently as I can. If you have any suggestions for any blog posts that you would like see then comment them below or my Instagram. That's about it so enjoy today's blog post!
I wanted to do today's post on something life changing that happened to me a couple of days ago. After 5 seemingly short years of high school, I finally finished. It's very strange as to how the past 5 years have gone so fast. Each year felt like it had dragged but by the time I had reached Year 11, my final year, time flew past within a blink of an eye. The teachers had all said that this year would go fast but I didn't believe them because I thought it would have been like every other year but it wasn't. It was weird how quickly it became exam season and even weirder how fast it went. It felt like my exams had lasted no longer than a couple of days but in reality they were two very stressful months. High school is always something I'll remember, from the students to the teachers and to the building itself. I experienced so much within 5 years. I just want to say the biggest thank you to my friends, teachers and classmates for making the past 5 years great and good luck in the future. I'll see most of you at prom! Here's a couple of pictures of me and my friends, they're a strange bunch of kiddiwinks. There's a bunch more over on my Instagram! The link is at the end of this post or you can click the tab at the top of this blog.
the famous HSM pose
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Exploring London: Portobello Market | Zafira
Hi guys and welcome to my blog!
SO we've finally come to the end of the London series. It only took me like 4 months. But anyway, we've reached my final and fave part which is Portobello Market! I'm a huge fan of anything vintage and antique and Portorbello was filled to the brim. I found so many amazing things and everything I saw was just beautiful.
Since we've come to the end of the London series I'd just like to thank my wonderful Auntie Mahmuda for being the best tour guide ever. I can't wait to come back to London and explore more exciting places!
Enjoy and remember to see all the pictures I took at Portobello Market, go visit my Flickr!
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Exploring London: Victoria and Albert Museum | Zafira
Hello and welcome to my blog!
Victoria and Albert Museum is the third part of my London series! It is such a pretty place with a range of different arts and designs. I was very intrigued by everything I saw and it is now one of my favourtie places in London. I highly recommend you to visit whenever you are in London.
To see all my pictures of the V&A Museum, head to my Flickr. The link will be at the end of this post :)
Sneaky song 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjPyvoLXPs4
Sneaky song 2 :
Sneaky song 3 :
Sneaky song 4 :
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