Jacqui Emmanuel

Last week I attended the Jacqui Emmanuel show. Launching her new Sports Luxe collection, this showcase oozed luxury and sexiness. The collection featured both men's and women's wear with fabrics such as velour, cotton knit and laser cut pleather to mention a few. The collection featured many monochrome pieces with an underlying butterfly theme. I think the butterflies worked well to tie the collection together. A few of my favourites were the men's bottle green velour tracksuit and the women's wrap skirts. The items are so versatile so you're definitely going to get a good few looks out of each item. I didn't get too much info on the collection but do pop into her store at 8 on Morrison to have a look.

What I wore:

My look for the show was sourced by Neil. It's different to my style as I hardly wear dresses, however I do like to change things up now and then so we decided to go with his look. My awesome ponytail was done by none other than my bestie Sawleha Hansa of GlamHairDon'tCare. Makeup was done by myself. I prefer subtle makeup, especially eyes so I used neutral colours to give a softness to the overall look. 

Here are a few pictures of the collection...

How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Cleaning makeup brushes is a real schlep and most of the time the stains don't come off. I've read numerous blog posts and watched tons of videos on how to clean makeup brushes however, I could never get my brushes to look brand new. 

I tried something we all have in our homes, Handy Andy, and this worked like a charm. It removes all stains and kills bacteria. I don't know what this product does to the bristles of the brush but if you're like me, not planning to keep your brushes forever, it works just fine. I've cleaned my brushes with Handy Andy for a year now and so far I have not seen any damage. The product doesn't have the best scent so I suggest mixing a shampoo or scented soap to the detergent.

 Step One: Wet brushes with warm water

Step Two: Apply some detergent to a Brush Egg and gently run the brush over in a back and forth motion until the brush is clean. 

Step Three: Rinse the brush until clean and run your brush over a black towel (so there are no stains) to absorb the excess water.

Step Five: Place brushes on the towel and leave to air dry.

Onyx by Aneesa Solomon Winter Collection Preview

Hello lovely readers...

I trust you all are well. This week I had the opportunity to work with Aneesa Solomon for her label's winter collection. I'm no model, I'm actually really camera shy, however, working with Aneesa and the incredibly talented Sally Blackman ignites a spark from within, and my inner Sasha Fierce (Beyonce's alter ego) radiates. It is so important to have good rapport with colleagues in order produce sterling results. All in all, I think we pulled off the photoshoot quite successfully. Me being the eager beaver that I am, I arrived at the studio forty five minutes earlier than expected. Not that I minded though - Sally's studio is based in Shongweni - with view of the hilly terrain in the horizon, I don't know who would!

I got to meet the lovely Lindsay Nixon of Nixon Makeup, who worked her magic on my hair and makeup.We settled on an intense, sultry look which Lindsay brilliantly translated into a smokey eye for my makeup and voluptuous waves for my hair. By the time she was done with me I felt a little less girly and a lot more sensuous.

Think signature cuts with a cosier touch. This season, Onyx drew inspiration from every day essentials. The colours are muted and add a luxurious feel with the soft knit accents. In this season's collection we see a lot more of Aneesa's personality shining through, which is important as a designer. Personally, I like to connect with the person behind the label and get a feel for their personality - I feel this range communicates exactly that!

The hero piece of the collection is the belted-knit abaya which is a cloak with a knitted jersey, and a waist belt to complete the look. How often do you see abayas and knit wear paired together? I remember thinking "wow, I've never seen an abaya and a jersey look so good" at first glance of the range. However, the more classic side of me loved the simple turtle neck abaya, which was styled with various belts. My most favourable pairing was the classic black and white duo,  or the Chanel - inspired combination, which was the turtle neck abaya and a pearl belt. Simple. Classic. Elegant.

I haven't received any of the official images yet, but here's a few behind-the-scenes pictures and a couple selfies I took as the day progressed. I will post more pictures as soon as I receive them.

Sally Blackman Photography: 031 765 7362

Lindsay Nixon: 082 554 3006

Aneesa Solomon: www.aneesasolomon.com / Facebook: Onyx

The Week That Was...

Hello Lovely Readers

I've been busy - my usual excuse for not posting as often as I'd like. I hope your week has been great, as mine has been work, work, and more work (if you've had a look at my Instagram you would already know this). Instead of writing about something in particular, I'm just going to tell you about what I've been doing these past two weeks. People often ask me what it is that I do. They see my snap stories and think my life is so fun and fabulous lol! Not that it isn't, but there's a lot of work involved too.

I mentioned that I've been learning the skill of makeup art with Neil Ramautar of Drama Queen, which keeps me occupied on weekends. Last week I had the pleasure of styling the beautiful model and presenter Neetasha Singh for her tv show, East n Style on ANN7 (channel 405 on DSTV). Her show focuses on lifestyle and fashion infused with an indian flavour. I styled her for an interview which she conducted with myself and Neil about fashion and makeup. The episode will air soon (I'll keep you posted) so be sure not to miss it! 

Somewhere between styling and makeup I took a few hours off to treat myself to my monthly facial at Skinsation, this time Lutfiya did a brightening facial which involved a deep exfoliation and some other ingredients that smelled really fresh. She used a little mechanism called the Bt Micro on my face which aids in plumper, firmer skin and a brighter complexion. The Bt Micro uses ultra sound to create temporary pathways which encourages the penetration of the product deep into the skin to maximise the effects of it. Be sure to try it out, I've seen results already - my skin looks brighter and feels more supple and moisturised - which is a great help, with the dryness that has accompanied the change of season.

Work aside, I attended the Tasha's book launch. I love the whole vibe of the chain. It's so relaxed and chilled - I enjoy sitting on their wall-lined couches,watching the patrons come and go. Also, I am good friends with the head chef, Mateus Coelho who's been my close friend since our chef school days, so I went to support him and meet the famous Natasha! The recipe book is awesome as it has all my favourites from their menu as well as a few extra recipes. I love it because the food is easy to prepare and healthy! Mostly, I' so chuffed because I can finally try out all the meat dishes since they're not halal certified.

That's pretty much it for me for this past week. I didn't get any proper snaps of my looks for the week but here's a few selfies I look along the way.

 Selfies en route clients. Wearing both tops from Cotton On. Lips are Russian Red from Mac

Selfies with the team. Wearing Black leather-look tights from Mango and  boots from Bershka

Neetasha Singh styled by me, bra used as a top - Cotton On. Skirt - Jo Borkett. Heels - River island. Bag - Zara.  Palm bangle - Ziba Styles. Neckpiece and earrings - Sass Diva

At the Tasha's book signing. Jacket - Zara

Onyx by Aneesa Solomon Summer '15 - Behind the Scenes

I was approached by Aneesa Solomon to represent her abaya collection, Onyx by Aneesa Solomon. The photoshoot was for her new summer range which will be available from January 2015 on her website or Facebook page.

 I was excited and nervous at the same time as I didn't have any prior modeling experience but agreed anyway. Upon arrival, I was greeted with mimosas and sumptuous snacks before myself and fellow blogger Shaheeda Mahomed of 'StylebyShaheeda' were briefed on the day's programme. The day commenced with hair and makeup which was done by the wonderful Trisha of 'How Do I Look Imageology'.

When we began shooting I was nervous and uncomfortable but as the day progressed, I was so relaxed and all my inhibitions melted away, owing to the fact that Aneesa along with Sally Blackman (the photographer) were such a pleasure to work with.

The garments are beautiful and elegant. Each item in the collection is perfectly executed from design to tailoring therefore, I struggled to choose a favourite because I fell in love with them all!

I can't wait to share the images of the shoot with you but for now, here's a few 'behind-the-scenes' pictures...

Delectable, far-from-healthy treats

The lovely Trisha doing my makeup

Mandatory selfies with Shaheeda

Contact Details:

Trisha of 'How Do I Look Imageology' - 072 444 0376

Sally Blackman - www.sallyblackman.co.za ( 031 765 7362)

Girls Night Out

Hello ;)

It's been a while since I did a look post, mainly because I haven't been out or gotten dressed up in a while. This past weekend my girlfriends and I met for a late coffee to catch up on the week's events. With the end of year nearing and everyone rushing to complete all that they had set out to, it sometimes becomes difficult to keep track of what's going on in each others' lives. I sometimes get so consumed with work, I forget to come up for air. Our weekly coffee dates are perfect for catching up on the latest in each others' lives and just letting our hair down! 

For my look, I just threw on a bunch of clothes and left the house. I find it easier to put an outfit together when I'm in a hurry as I don't have time to over think things however I have been told my clothes don't match a couple times. But that's life hey, you win some, you lose some!

What do you think of my look? Did I win or lose this time?

Top: Zara

Jeans: Forever 21

Shoes: Zara

Bag: Zara

Necklace: Mr Price

Bracelet: Available from me 

Make Up Brush Set Giveaway

My dear friend, Neil Ramautar of Drama Queen Studios recently gifted me with a contour brush set. I've started taking a keen interest in makeup so I was quite chuffed when I received the brush set. Apart from skill, your tools are of greatest importance when applying makeup, from the makeup itself to the brushes. I do have a few big brand makeup brushes but I was slightly less than impressed when the bristles fell off, I thought I grew a pair of whiskers!

I was excited to try out this new set of brushes (partly because it was clean, I am so lazy to clean my brushes) and am happy to report that it is amazing! It makes application so easy and gives a flawless finish. Because I love these brushes so much I've asked Neil to give me three more sets so you too can feel as pretty as I do when I use em.  

The set includes a Foundation Brush, a Stippling Blending Brush, a Powder Brush, Contour Brush and a Concealer Brush and a swanky leather pouch for safekeeping.

All you have to do to win a se of these babies is follow me on Instagram @zaida _omar 

Facebook - Fashioned by me

Twitter @zaida_omar and follow the instructions.

Keep reposting, sharing, retweeting and you could be one of the winners!!

Winners will be announced on Saturday 25th October

Beauty Secrets: Primer

How many of you use a primer when applying your make-up? I started about two months ago. I haven't tried many other brands so I can't really compare this product to others but I'm so happy with this one! Once I started using the primer I can really see the difference it has made to my skin. My skin now looks flawless in pictures and no visible pores or lines. The silky, invisible primer smoothes over fine lines and literally fills them in so they are undetectable. It looks entirely natural and can be used under and over foundation or on its own. My make up even looks good after a long day, no need for touch ups. I can't live without this product. Definitely worth trying if you don't use a primer. 

What's primer do you use and do you feel it's effective?

Don't Hate

T-Shirt: Forever 21

Jeans: Forever 21

Shoes: Topshop

Chain: Mira Mew

Lipstick: MAC Russian Red

Golden Globes 2014 Red Carpet Looks

Awards season is here! Starting with The Golden Globes where tv and movie stars come together to celebrate all the best in tv and film. The host duo Amy Poehler and Tina Fey once again graced the audience with their presence and just as expected, the two brought laughs and entertainment throughout the night. 

On to the most important part of the event, the gorgeous gowns that graced the red carpet. The trends this year were just to die for with Colour Blocking making a strong appearance as well as Berry Tones and Monochrome but the biggest trend this year was Crimson. Everyone seemed to be rocking a red dress or red lip, Lupita Nyong'o stole the show in a simple but stunning Ralph Lauren cape dress. Another noted trend was the short bob, from Taylor Swift's pinned up faux bob to Jeniffer Lawrence's pixie cut, almost everyone seemed to be rocking a slighty shorter 'do for the 2014 Golden Globes.

Here are my picks for the night.

Sofia Vergara in Zac Posen and Lorraine Schwartz jewellery. She nailed it once again. I'm glad she took a risk and went with this dress instead of her usual a-line, plunging neckline dresses. This is definitely my favourite of the night. 

Taylor Swift in Carolina Herrera. Stunning as usual in this chic, beautifully detailed frock.

Mila Kunis shimmered in a platinum Gucci gown with an art deco inspired sequin detail and flower neckline. beautiful!

Kate Beckinsale in Zuhair Murad. Does this beauty ever get it wrong? swoon.

Kaley Cuoco in Lebanese designer Rani Zakhem. I like the dress, I just don't like it on her. The styling is all wrong and the colour is just too close to her skin tone. Not a favourite of mine.

Michelle Dockery in Oscar de la Renta. The only problem with this dress is it's the same tone as her skin, otherwise beautiful.

Olivia Wilde in Gucci. She looked absolutely radiant but this reminds me too much of Angelina Jolie.

Lupita Nyong'o in Ralph Lauren. Simple, elegant, breathtaking.

                                     

Sarah Hyland in a salmon pink Georges Hobeika gown. This gown looks lovely against her skin but seriously underwhelming. Maybe a statement neckpiece would add to it. 

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior. She looks cute with the short hairdo but the dress missed the spot.  

Julie Bowen in Carolina Herrera. Beautiful and elegant. A bigger earring would have added another dimension to the dress however.

Kelly Osbourne in Escada. I do like this dress but the styling is all wrong. She looks a bit manly and that hair style does nothing for her. Also, I'm so over the purple hair!

Julia Roberts looking like a secretary in this Dolce and Gabbana ensemble. It looks like she had a lightbulb moment and decided to wear the shirt. The dress minus the shirt would have looked stunning on her.

Paula Patton in Stephane Rolland Couture. She definitely missed the mark with this dress and I would have preferred a sandal maybe.

Sandra Bullock in Prabal Gurung. Not too sure how I feel about this one, at first glance I hated it but as I kept looking it it, it grew on me. She looks absolutely amazing for a 49 year old woman.