Dress: Nabila

In traditional South Asian clothing, the use of sequins, crystals, beading and metallic threads is extremely popular, especially in the case of evening wear. Although I generally love such detailing, sometimes, I feel like dressing up without the use of any garment or jewellery that’s flashy. This black and white anarkali is perfect for such times.

The georgette body of the dress allows it to drape and fall beautifully and its rich black colour is flattering on all body types. Traditional motifs have been embroidered all around the bottom of the dress, the chest and the ends of the sleeves with contrasting white threads.

The dress also comes with a long dupatta/ orna (scarf) that you can style in a variety of ways, so you wear the same dress on different occasions in different styles.

It’s also an extremely comfortable attire! It’s perfect for the times when you’ve had a busy day and have to dress up for an occasion but want a dress that keeps you comfortable.

Dress: Nabila

I decided to wear minimal jewellery and chose to pair the dress with black patent leather loafers. I know loafers and anarkalis are not a traditional pairing, but to me, the uniqueness of the pairing just makes it more appealing.

I’ve lately been receiving quite a few questions about the make-up that I use so I decided do a post about the products I use to achieve different looks. I’ve put the products in order of use and I’ve also added a little description for how I use them and their pros/cons.

This look is a little something I did for a spring time event (it’s just getting warmer here in Australia). I find this particular look to be great for the daytime as you look done up, but not overdone.

FACE (in order)

Primer: Laura Mercier – Radiance

I have dry skin so this product is great for me anyway, but for a ‘luminous’ look I could not imagine starting off my make-up without it. May not be the best for oilier skin types in the heat though

Corrector: Bobbi Brown – Dark Bisque

Essential for anyone with my skin tone that wants to cover dark circles. Pink/red tones cover blue so although it might look too ‘peachy’ in colour, if you apply foundation or concealer (of your skin tone) over it, it blends perfectly and covers the dark circles.

Foundation: Laura Mercier Silk Crème – Bamboo Beige

Light coverage and definitely not cakey, but it may not be the best for you if you’re trying to cover blemishes. I apply extra around the eyes to help blend the corrector and skip the concealer by doing so.

Translucent Setting powder: Laura Mercier

Yes, I’m a Laura Mercier fan. I love the fact that many of their products give light coverage. If you’re going for the dewy skin look, avoid excessive setting powder as it can give a matt finish. Another tip, wait a little after applying your foundation+corrector/concealer (so that it’s almost dry to the touch), otherwise more setting powder will stick to the wet areas and give you an even finish.

Contour Kit: Australis ­­– Light

This contour kit was such a bargain! It is almost exactly the as the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour kit and comes in at less than ¼ of the price. Word of warning though, the powders are quite dark and pigmented. I had to go for the ‘light’ shade and I pretty much never do that in Australia. If you have very pale or fair skin, this may be too much for you.

Highlighter: Mac Minerlise Skin Finish – Soft Glow

I LOVE this product

I apply it under my eyebrows, bridge of my nose, cupid’s bow, on the cheekbones and in a reverse ‘C’ shape (from under the eyebrows to the top of the cheekbones). It’s super easy to apply!

Blush: Mac – Dollymix Sheertone Shimmer Blush

Only on the apples of the cheek but I blend upwards towards the cheekbones

EYES (in order)

 Eye-shadow: Maybelline – Expert Wear Natural Smokes and Mac Minerlise Skin Finish – Soft Glow

I use a small amount of the dark brown eye-shadow shadow from the Maybelline palette across the crease, and blend it very well with the shimmery Mac product, which I apply on the tops of my eye-lids. I use more of the shimmery shadow in the inner corners of my eyes for added shine in that area.

Eye-liner: Make-Up Store

The company is actually called Make-up Store and in my experience, they produce the most pigmented (black-est) eye-liner. Application is also very easy – feels like controlling a felt tip pen.

Mascara: Maybelline – Volum’ Express ‘The Falsies’

I have a range of mascaras that I often pick from and this is great for when I’m in a rush. This is because one coat is sufficient for a daytime look and it’s also easy to apply. I have, however, sometimes found little flecks of mascara on my face if I have this on for the whole day.

I also don’t apply false lashes on a regular basis. Yes, they look great but the thought of applying glue and fake hair on my eyes for a simple daytime event puts me off. I’m lazy.

Eyebrows: Maybelline – Expert Wear Natural Smokes

I usually just fill in my eyebrows with a little bit of dark brown eyeshadow with a flat brush (for the daytime look). Although bold brows look great in photos, no matter what time of day, I feel like if I go overboard, under direct sunlight they can look like they’ve just been drawn on.

LIPS

 Lip Liner: Bobbi Brown – Rose

I apply this on my lips under a variety of light coloured lipsticks. Gives my lips a nice pink undertone.

Lipstick: NARS Satin Lipstick – Niagara

Very smooth and I love the colour but it’s not the most long lasting lipstick out there.

Us Bangladeshis love to celebrate, and we tend to embrace and participate in all cultural festivities regardless of our personal religious backgrounds.

Saree: Nabila

Durga Puja is one of the most important and auspicious occasions for the Hindu population of Bangladesh. It is commemorated with the worshipping of the Goddess Durga and celebrates Goddess Durga’s victory over the evil demon Mahishasura. Durga Puja is marked as a national holiday in Bangladesh and the celebrations for this occasion are grandiose. Although I don’t adhere to the religion, I love it whenever I get an invite to a friend’s house for the puja celebrations

People of all walks of life and of all religions are found visiting the Puja Mondops, the sites at which the large festivities are held, in order to witness colourful and vibrant celebrations. Women dress in sarees, and the men in panjabis/kurtas, sometimes paired with a dhuti.

Saree: Nabila

Red is an extremely popular choice of colour for this event, and many women choose to wear a traditional saree, such as the one I am wearing now.

The saree I am wearing is called a pure kachipuram and it is so called, because expert weavers of the Kanchipuram region of India meticulously craft these sarees. They are constructed of pure mulberry silk and are decorated with gold plated threds known as zari.

I liked this saree because of it’s bold colour and it’s simple yet prominent, thick rose-gold par border and achol/ pallu (the end of the saree). It’s a design that can be worn by girls and women of all ages and on a variety of occasions.

Of course I had to add my own personal touch to the saree, so I choose a dark green blouse with three quarter length sleeves in a contrasting deep red colour. The detailing on the sleeves of the blouse reflects the colours of saree, whilst the green provides a nice break in the colour.

Many women also choose to wear a teep, commonly known as a bindi on this occasion, however, I’ve always felt like I don’t pull them off very well. I did, however, add the red lips, which is also a popular choice for make-up for this occasion.

Saree: Nabila

In my search for comfortable sarees, I often come across ones made of pure silk. The softness of the material, the ease with which you can drape the material, and the lightness of the fabric are all factors that appeal to me. Of course, traditional kachipuram sarees, such as the one I previously posted about (click here to see the post) are also made of silk and are generally fit for any occasion that warrants a saree, but sometimes to change up my look I stay away from the traditional motifs and and entirely and opt for a saree such as this one.

It can however, sometimes be difficult to find a non-traditional silk saree that you can dress up for an event or occasion, as often the dressier sarees are crafted with golden/ silver threads or have embellishments/ embroidery. However, in my opinion, a saree made of high-quality material that uses bold colours and/ or has a unique and artistic print is perfect for looking glamorous (sans bling) for a bigger occasion. To me, they represent understated elegance, and the are kind of attire that draw peoples eyes without crying for attention.

I found this saree to be exactly that. The print is one which is not often found on sarees and the contrasting, bright colours against the white body really make the peacock feather inspired design stand out. I paired the saree the with a dark royal blue velvet blouse in order to bring out the blue in the achol/pallu (the end of the saree). Although the saree comes with a silk blouse, I added my own little touch by playing with the materials and using velvet with gold pipin.

Saree: Nabila

In order to bring out the warmer tones in the saree, I accessorised with gold, including golden shoes.

Wardrobe : Nabila

This year I celebrated Eid Al-Adha, the second religious holiday celebrated by Muslims across the globe in Melbourne. Unfortunately, being in Melbourne meant I was away from my family and friends in Bangladesh and I missed them sorely, however, I was also lucky to have been able to enjoy the festivities with Naveed’s family and my cousins in Melbourne.

With Eid, I had the perfect opportunity to yet again dress up in my traditional attires. On this occasion I chose to wear a gold and magenta ensemble. It’s a long, floor-length kameez (also known as suit), however unlike the usual full length kameezes/anarkalis/suits which often have A-line type silhouettes, this dress had more of a sheath silhouette.

Dress: Nabila

There’s a play of textures, materials, colours and embellishments on this dress which is highlighted around the waist and also at the bottom of the dress. The embellishments, comprising of crystals and golden thread embroidery is known as zardozi work (a type of embroidery) and follows traditional motifs and patterns.

My favourite part of the dress, however, is probably the end of the dress as the alternating fabrics, patterns and laces, is not a very common feature on traditional attires such as this one.

I would have loved to have put my hair up in a loose updo but sadly I did not have the time, as Eid took place on a Thursday this year and I was busy with my research during the day and was running late for Eid dinner. As I was driving, (and also because I rushing), I couldn’t pair the dress with my magenta strappy heels, however, the gold shoes are I am wearing are a staple of mine (so comfortable!) and they complement a whole variety of attires.

Naveed decided to wear a short kurta this Eid. He is definitely not a big fan of embellishments on his attires, and so he picked a kurta that only has hand embroidery, that too in threads that are the same colour as the material of the kurta. As he had a long day at work, opting for something that was comfortable yet appropriate for the occasion ensured that he was able to truly enjoy the evening.

Kurta: Nabila