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.
The Up-Cycle Project: The Perfect Errand Bag, the V Neck Dress of My Dreams and a Furry Surprise | Zafira
Hey!
So, it’s been a while. It’s so been so long in fact that we’ve rejoiced a new year and are already somehow halfway through January. I hope you all had the loveliest start to your new year and are slowly but surely getting out of that post-holiday slump.
Anyway, I made a few New Years resolutions and shared them on a post over on Instagram and one of them was to stop shopping and make more of my own clothes.
This is definitely one of those things that are easier said than done because making your own clothes requires many skills and a whole lot of practice. However, much like photography, I can 10000% say that clothes are a passion of mine and in order to understand the process a bit more, I have to start right from the very beginning.
My mum is the most talented tailor to have ever graced this Earth. She’s made me the curtains in my room, quilts and a bunch of clothes so I’m taking a few tips and tricks from her and obviously, some handy dandy YouTube tutorials to educate myself on my new found hobby.
What is up-cycling you may ask? Up-cycling is where you take products and turn them into something else. I know that a lot of vintage/thrift stores do this such as Cow and Blue Rinse so I wanted to see for myself what sorts of things I could make out of neglected clothes.
V Neck Black Dress
I think we should probably start with my absolute favourite thing in my wardrobe right now which is this black v neck dress.
You’re either 1, too focused on my amazing top underneath to care or 2, asking why this boring old thing is my favourite out of all the contents of my wardrobe. This is top stunning, I dream about it every night and I will be wearing this every day for the rest of my life but I’m planning to do a whole other post about this top and some more stuff very soon!
So back to the dress, I think something like this is fundamental in a person’s wardrobe. Especially if you’re trying to be a bit more conscious about stopping shopping. A dress like this can be worn and styled in so many different ways. I get incredibly excited thinking about the endless possibilities.
I thought this would be a lot more difficult to make but it really wasn’t. I began by sketching out my V neck on the front and back. I did make the V a lot deeper in the back so measuring all of that and making sure it was somewhat even was a little bit of a challenge since numbers and I do not get along. I made the dress slightly shorter by decreasing material from what is now the straps of the dress and then finally hemmed all the raw edges.
You can see here that I’ve styled it with this top with big sleeves which is basically a piece of art (again, I’ll get into everything about this beauty in another post) but I would wear this with pretty much anything you can put on the top half of your body. A plain white tee, a turtleneck, a blouse, a white shirt, like I said, endless possibilities.
The perfect ‘i’m just heading out to run some errands’ bag.
Honestly, I’m not much of a bag person. I either carry my tote bag with my favourite painting of all time on which is ‘Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose’ by John Singer Sargent or my basic but ever so handy Kanken black backpack.
When it comes to bags, I’m more on the practical side versus it looking pretty on my shoulder. Two things I always carry around with me are my camera and a water bottle so I knew when making this bag, it would have to be a decent size and not miniature like a Jacquemus Le Chiquito Mini Bag.
This bag is definitely a little on the smaller side than what I’m used to but I can still fit all my essentials in here and I love coordinating this bag with my ever so famous and my all time favourite pink shoes.
I think you’ll be surprised to know that this bag was once a woven mini skirt. I picked up the skirt a while ago in TK Maxx for a solid £4.99. My goodness do I love TK Maxx.
the original skirt
I really do wish I took better before shots of the skirt but here’s a little shot from my story archives.
As you can see, it’s a fitted, woven mini skirt with fringe detailing at the bottom. I can’t really say I’m much of a mini skirt wearer but this was most definitely a very cute skirt.
I have a rule where I will get rid of anything I haven’t worn in over two months. Whether that’s donating it or selling it over on my Depop. However, I did not want to part ways with this gem and I am glad I kept it and made it into something I use all the time.
The making process was fairly simple. I didn’t have to sew as much since it was a skirt but I sewed the bottom where the fringe is, cut about an inch or so off the top to keep for the straps and added a zip.
A little something extra…
I wasn’t sure I wanted to put this in with this post since it isn’t an up cycle item but it’s just too cute to leave out.
the ‘i only made this so i would have something to nap on when i go out’ bag
I never thought true love was real until I made this.
I love anything soft, most people do but this, this is like next level soft. Imagine carrying around a chinchilla with you, this bag is exactly like that.
I got the material for this bag at my new favourite shop, Abakhan, and I knew after one slight stroke that this was the material I needed. It’s so so so nice.
I think the making process of this was great, I had a lot of fun making this one.
I used one of my totes as a guideline when cutting the material. I did decrease around half an inch to an inch because I didn’t want it the same size as tote but something a bit smaller. I also made it wider horizontally which is something I prefer in bags.
I wish I lived in a less wet city or else this would be my go to accessory every single day.
I’m so excited to be starting a new series and project, thanks for reading as always!
Lots of love,
We have a new home! (and a new name) | Zafira
Hey!
I’m happy to say after a months off, I’m back and better than ever.
a new space for us
I started my blog over on Blogger around 2014/15 and for the longest time, it felt like the perfect place to host my site. It was what all the bloggers where using back in the blogger days so I didn’t question or fault it. However, in the past year or so, it felt like a really outdated platform to be hosting my blog. I tried lots of different templates but they never looked like anything I wanted my little space on the internet to look like.
I tried a few other sites too such as Wix, Wordpress and so many more but Squarespace was the only site I felt like was a flexible and easy to manage platform for someone who has no idea how computers or anything within that topic works.
So this is where you’ll find me and all my stuff!
A new name (well not really but you get the point)
I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve changed my blog name at this point. I thought I’d keep The Zafira Edit for a while but after a few months it felt too ‘bloggery’. It felt like I had to sit and write about what makeup I was loving that month when I’ve literally been using the same stuff for about 2 years now.
What I’m trying to say is, I was looking for a name that suited me and who I am at this moment in time and what better name than my own? Something simple and something that will always be constant no matter how much me and content changes.
My content will change a bit too over the next couple of months. I don’t want to only write about what clothes I’m wearing or what products I’m using but about current topics, more cultural and opinionated pieces too.
Thanks for being patient and I hope you enjoy all the new content I’ll be posting!
Lots of love,
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Changes | Zafira
Hi!
It feels like forever since the last time I blogged but I'm back and better than ever!
A couple of days ago, I finished college. It's crazy that these past two years have flown past. I can't even fathom how quickly time has gone by. There were times where days felt like years, especially over the past couple of months with exams but to think I start Uni in September is insane.
I have to say in all my years in education, college has most definitely been the best and worst two years of life. I had never been under so much pressure or stress to complete deadlines and work but alongside all of this, I developed as a person and found myself coming more and more out of my shell.
And that's all down to everyone I've met or became friends with at college. When starting, you don't realise how many new people you will meet. I think I got put into so many classes where people didn't come from my high school so I had no choice but to make new friends and I'm so glad that I did. I love that I had this opportunity to meet so many different people with so many different personalities and characteristics which has not only helped me embrace who I am but helped me make friends that I know I'll be friends with for many years to come.
I'd love to say I loved every moment of college but I didn't. There were so many moments where I felt as if it all got too much and I just didn't want to be there anymore and I think this is something that everyone at college can relate with. Sometimes the amount of pressure put on you is unmanageable but I'm glad that I stayed throughout the course of two years. I found that this helped so much with building my tolerance for stress and most importantly, patience with myself.
And now it's all over. Two years of memories and chaos all built up to two weeks straight of exams and now I'm done and I've become a free woman. I'm more than ready to see what the future holds. I think change has always been perceived as something uncomfortable and scary and yes it is those things. But I think change is mostly good, without it everyone would be so bored of their lives. I know I definitely would be. I can't wait to see what Uni has to offer and what sort of person I grow in to.
To anyone who is reading this from college, thank you for making the last two years very very very liveable, exciting and just overall amazing.
Lots of love,
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February on Film | Zafira
This month, my eldest cousin Tahmina got engaged. In the Bengali culture, we have this thing called a 'Cinifan' which is basically an engagement party. It was so much fun and I'm still bewildered as to how old me and my cousins have gotten. It seems like only yesterday that I was like 8 and Tahmina was 13 and I was dying to borrow her Jacqueline Wilson books (still am).
I'd like to give a very big thanks to Jarred and Rachael for absolutely wrecking and making my Valentines day a very funny and eventful one, I appreciate it lots ❤
We went to the Jungle Jazz Cafe in Manchester during our very short one week holiday for breakfast and discovered such a beautiful place to just chill and hang out. It's so pretty inside and is definitely one of the most photogenic cafes you will find here in Manchester.
For my last ever photography project at my last ever year at college, I chose to explore composition. I'm looking at photographers such as William Eggleston who use composition in such a unique and eye catchy way. Me and a few friends ended up in the Manchester Art Gallery and spent some time walking around, admiring art and as shown in these pictures, watching people admire art.
I'll be posting these plus a lot more over on my Instagram!
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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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Summer on Film | Zafira
Hi!
So I've decided to start a new series on here. I'm going to start doing a blog post about whatever month it is but shot in film. I hope it gets me experimenting with film a lot more and also one thing I really love doing is talking about my photographs and why I took them which is why this series is pretty much perfect. I love love film. I can't even get over how much I adore shooting on it. I'm always trying to find new and fun ways to document my life and so far, using film has been my absolute fave. I just love how it looks and shooting on it is so so so much more fun that digital. It's exiciting, you don't know what the outcome is going to be.
The first post in this series are some shots I took over summer, I honestly didn't get out much. I spent a lot of time travelling to see family but I was either indoors or in a car most of the time or just at home lazing around.
Here are some of my favourites from over this summer!
Like I mentioned earlier, I want to document my life and I feel like I've currently hit my peak teen years, next year I'm going to be an adult which I don't even wanna talk about. But here's the door to my room which makes me feel so young and childish and I love it.
I own a troll that looks like a roadman. I don't really know why I bought this but it's sat on a shelf in my room looking quite cute.
I remember I took this when the weather because extremely bipolar and it was raining cats and dogs once minute and the next it was so sunny. You can see the grey clouds clearing in the top of the picture. I love taking pictures of the sky.
Just the view outside my bedroom window.
I wanted to take a picture of the moon but obviously considering it was the middle of the night and it was pitch black, the picture didn't come out as great as I had visioned it too but it still looks semi cool.
Here's my cat that isn't actually my cat. I think it belongs to our neighbour but it seems to love me a lot.
Here's my cousin looking pretty cute, I spent a lot of time with family this summer and it was really nice.
A cute tiny little vase thing with flowers in with pink water because my obsession with pink has honestly hit a new level of extreme where I'm basically killing all my plants with this pink water that consists of paint.
I also bought a hat (from New Look) and this shirt (from Zara, also in my prev blog post) which I wore like everyday. It's a cute combo.
I also took this on digital which you can see over on my Instagram, links to everything will be at the end of this post.
Of course there was some pictures of the lovely Hannah on my camera as always. She's my go to model and I had to take some images for my photography project for college. These film ones are quite blurry because I didn't use lighting and I didn't really want that artificial look to them. But, I really like the different tones and hues in these and I don't mind the blurryness at all. These were all inspired by the photographer
.
Here's a behind the scenes of the star face shot, this is my fave image I've ever taken.
Also for my college photography project, I had to choose another phtotographer and create images inspired by them. So I chose
and here's a behind the scenes. If you check out my Instagram, you can see one of the final versions from this set! Links to all my social media will be at the end of this post.
It was Eid on September 1st and here's me looking overly happy in my Eid outift.
I took this the day before college started, pretty sure I was procrastinating and avoiding all the work I had to do.
Make sure to follow me on Instagram and my other social media to find out when I post the next post in this series and when I just post in general!
Back to School/College Outfit Ideas | Zafira
Hello!
Welcome to or welcome back to my blog! It's unfortunately September and me and other students are finding ourselves back in a familiar ditch in the ground called school, college or maybe even university. It's honestly a very sad time of year for me anyway. I remember that this time last year I was starting my first year at college which is crazy since this is my last year and this time next year, I'll be at Uni trying to find my way in life (hopefully). One thing I struggled with a lot with starting college was what to wear. In the UK, most schools have uniform so I never really had the chance to explore my own style or even get to wear my own clothes as often as I wanted. But then college started and I found myself struggling for what to wear. I didn't know whether my outfit choices were too extravagant or too lazy for college but a few months in, I finally found my own style and found some college appropriate outfits that I was comfortable.
This blog post is for those of you who are stuck in a bit of rut and aren't really sure what to wear. I hope it helps!
It's hard to find a place to start in your college wardrobe but the best place to start was with plain/printed t shirts and polo necks. These polo necks have been a life saver especially as this September, it's definitely a lot chillier here in the UK. They're a really easy outfit choice as all you would need to do is throw them on with a pair of jeans and you're good to go. These two polo necks are from Pop Boutique.
These particular two aren't available at the minute but there is one available in black and green:
https://www.pop-boutique.com/jersey-polo-neck-black-and-green.html
Shirts like this are also a good way to go as they help make you look put together if you aren't which is why I love them. You look a bit more sophisticated and ready to work and this floral printed one from Zara is so comfy and is super pretty. I would usually wear this with some high waisted jeans and a nice thick belt.
This also is not available in store but here are some that are very similar:
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/tops/blouses/printed-pyjama-blouse-c763513p5087041.html
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/tops/blouses/floral-print-blouse-c763513p4853137.html
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/tops/blouses/floral-print-blouse-c763513p4850035.html
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/trending-now/floral-print-crepe-blouse-c773004p5076564.html
Shirt dresses like this are a life saver. They're so effortless and look really good all year round. I got this one form Zara in a size bigger than usual so it was a bit more slouchy. I love this since it has pockets too and honestly feels like I'm in the most comfortable cute looking potato sack. I'd usually pair this with a pair of leggings.
This is only available in red at the minute:
As it gets a bit chillier, I like to start incorporating a couple of knitted or thicker pieces into my college wardrobe. This plain black knit dress from Zara is like wearing a blanket. It's one of my most favourite pieces in my wardrobe at the minute.
Seems like everything on here isn't available lol but here's some pretty similar dupes:
http://www.asos.com/warehouse/warehouse-knitted-t-shirt-dress
If you like dressing up which I do like to do occasionally, then dresses (this is actually a playsuit but is pretty much like a dress) are such an amazing investment. It helps you feel a lot more free and comfy throughout the long college days.
Similar stuff to this:
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/dresses/view-all/embroidered-dress-c733885p4891004.html
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/trf/dresses/mini/embroidered-dotted-mesh-dress-c965504p5083529.html
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/trending-now/embroidered-dotted-mesh-dress-c773004p4807524.html
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/trending-now/embroidered-dotted-mesh-dress-c773004p4838046.html
Culottes are really in right now and so much more comfy than wearing jeans. I find them a lot more loose fitting and breathable in a way. You can find them in a variation of designs and styles it's basically endless. I love wearing culottes so much. They're also really easy to wear, I usually wear mine with plain white t shirts most of the time. This striped pair are from Zara much like 99% of my wardrobe.
These are available! :
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/trousers/view-all/trousers-with-belt-c733898p4908569.html
A jacket is a necessity, even though it's not freezing right now, it's definitely a lot colder and especially at college you'll find yourself moving between buildings for different lessons. This is my much loved pink jacket that I'm wearing 24/7. I've had it for almost a year now and I bought it from Miss Selfridge and it's the best purchase I've ever made. It's perfect for this transition time of year where it's still a bit warm but also can get a bit chilly.
I bought this too long ago for it to be still available but some similar ones are available:
https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/en-gb/shop/bdg-pink-oversized-denim-jacket
When I started college, I had no idea that I would be walking so much on a day to day basis. You want a pair of shoes or boots that are sturdy and comfortable and also really cute. These are my Dr Marten Flora boots which are basically like Chelsea boots but a bit more chunkier. I love them. I wear them all the time and are the best investment I've ever made. I bought these almost a year ago and I can definitely see myself wearing these for at least a couple more years.
You can buy these here:
I also really like my Vans. Not to sound like a complete cliché but I actually bought these before the entire college started wearing them and I love them. They feel so so so good on my feet and match all my outfits which is always something I'm looking out for when I'm buying any footwear.
You can buy these babies here:
https://www.vans.co.uk/shop/en-gb/vans-gb/old-skool-shoes-d3hy28#
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Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette Review, Swatches + Looks! | Zafira
Hi!
For my birthday, I was kindly gifted the Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette from my cousin and since then, I've pretty much been using it everyday which is why I thought I that I would share it on here! I've never been an eyeshadow kind of girl, I usually just put a bit of bronzer or my contour shade on my eyelid and blend it out but once I started playing around with this palette, I fell in love instantly.
From what I've learnt in the makeup world (which honestly is not a lot) is that Zoeva is mostly really popular due to their brushes which I haven't tried but from the using this palette and seeing how good quality it is, maybe I will have to give them a go.
The packaging is super cute, but the one thing that stood out the most was how thin and lightweight it was. It's not bulky whatsoever which makes it perfect for travelling and on the go. There's no mirror which is kind of annoying but the eyeshadows definitely make up for that.
The product contains 10 shades which are:
Bitter Start - Palest matte nude.
Sweeter End - Shimmering duo chrome nougat.
Warm Notes - Glittering cranberry purple.
Subtle Blend - Metallic deep bronze.
Beans Are White - Deep cocoa brown matte.
Pure Ganache - Pure and luxurious metallic gold.
Substitute For Love - Toffee brown with subtle shimmer.
Freshly Toasted - Rich mahogany brown.
Infusion - Matte dark brown infused with golden glitter.
Delicate Acidity - Berry toned brown shimmer.
I think these are all quite versatile colours and can be used either day or night and for any occasion. My personal faves are Freshly Toasted and Infusion. All these colours are pretty warm toned and would look amazing on any skin colour. On the website the palette is described to be inspired by '
warm truffle colours, delicate nougat shades and shimmery marizinpan tones for a seductive glamour look
' which is very evident in the range of shades,
The colours are pretty pigmented especially for the price but nothing crazy which makes them really effortless to blend. They aren't chalky at all and swatch and apply very very very smoothly. They have no fall out whatsoever which is amazing and is the perfect affordable high quality palette!
Just look at how beautiful that pink looks! As you can tell, I've been trying out this palette and I'm pretty much in love with it.
'Pure Ganache' is another one of my favourite colours, it's such a pigmented and lovely gold shade.
The two shades I use the most are definitely 'Subsitute for Love' and 'Freshly toasted with the tiniest bit of 'Pure Ganache' in the inner corners but most of the time I usually use a bit of my Mary Lou Manizer in the inner corners also for a less intense look. A warm orangey/brown eye has been in since Autumn and I still see so many people with this look and the Zoeva Cocoa Blend palette is a great way to achieve it! I've pretty much been wearing this look everyday since my birthday. It's the perfect everyday eye.
Another look I've been adoring and wearing especially when there's a special occasion or event is using 'Freshly Toasted' in the crease and 'Pure Ganache' all over the lid as well as the tiniest bit of 'Subtle Blend' on the outer corner of the eye just to darken the gold shade. Throw on a bit of eyeliner and some mascara, maybe even some falsies if you're in the mood and it's the easiest look for any special occasion.
This is a look that I've been dying to wear but I've just not had the occasion or the chance to but it's so so so pretty, look at that pink! The shades I used for this look were a mixture of 'Substitute for Love' and 'Freshly Toasted' in the crease and then I packed 'Warm Notes' all over lid. It looks really cute and fun and girly and the pigmentation is amazing.
Overall, I'm blown away my this palette and I can't wait to start trying out a lot more Zoeva prodcuts, I'm thoroughly impressed!
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Exploring Manchester: Cat Cafe | Zafira
Helloo and welcome to today's post!
I've lived in Manchester my entire life but I've never really had the chance to explore it so I thought, as I explore more of Manchester, I'll document it and write about it on here!
Today, me and friend Britt finally decided to go to the Cat Cafe. Since she loves cat and I have no idea how I feel about them we thought it would be the perfect place to visit. First thing I noticed was how friendly the staff are. I've never felt so at home and welcomed before in my entire life. We only stayed there for about half an hour which came up to the grand total of £6 which is not bad at all considering all drinks are unlimited. It's such a chill and relaxing environment, there's soft music playing in the background and the room is filled with homely furniture that adds to that overall comforting feel.
The cats are basically everywhere doing just about anything but mostly chillin'. It's so lovely to see all these cats with so many different personalities. I think one of the things I was pretty scared about was like a cat jumping onto me or attacking me or something like that just because I've not really had a lot of experience with cats. But I can assure you that nothing like that happened lol, the cats are pretty friendly and won't jump onto you but will come and walk around and near you which is pretty cute.
There's just something in the air whilst you're in there that makes you feel so happy. Me and Britt were almost in tears from happiness whilst we were in there and even after we left. It was such a pleasant experience and will most likely become sort of tradition for us. I think it's perfect for a little get together with friends, dates or just as a stress reliever. I can imagine myself sat in here a lot when exams are going on. It's such a wonderful place and I can't wait to go again!
Here's a few pictures I took today!
I should become a cat photographer.
Not a cat but she might as well be.
Heaven.
Just look how chilled out this angel is, what more could you want in life?
This is Bert, you can follow this qt on Instagram by clicking on the following link:
As you can tell from this, Britt was pretty much crying once we left the place.
Make sure you check out my Instagram for more snaps! 💮
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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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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