Daytime Partywear

    

    

    

    

     

     

Today I was beyond ecstatic to attend a waleema in the daytime!! Call me old, but I love daytime parties. I enjoy seeing everyone that I need to, and then having extra time afterwards the event so we can do what we want later. I regret not having a daytime event during my marriage ceremony!  Frankly, the earlier the better for me. My husbands friend had his waleema at a venue we frequent, hence I was familiar with the perfect place to capture the beautiful salwar Kameez I wore. If you squint your eyes and zone out the traffic passing by you can almost imagine yourself in a fairy tale land, almost. Okay New Jersey is a far call from any fairytale backdrop, I've encountered, but this location was a close second. 

I had on a long anarkali frock designed by Humayun Saeed collection from way back (2010). I pulled it out of my wardrobe because it's been a while since I wore this and the color looks great in the daytime.  This dress is perfect for barrat and waleema  purposes. The elegant flair of the gold beadwork and pearls along the jamawar portion of the dress in so beautiful. The heavy adorn neckline works great with the lighter chiffon bottom portion of the Kameez. This gracefully matches with the dupatta. Hints of pink along the border tie the piece together. I really don't think he is focusing on his female clothing line anymore because I haven't seen anything besides his movie and production company, but if you do see more from his collection I recommend you buy a piece. 

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Cropped Pants in the Summer

   

    

    

With temperatures hovering around 100 degrees on the daily now, the struggle for finding cute outfits that are also lightweight is VERY real. When I found this gorgeous criss cross tank from naked zebra I was so excited about my bargain find, and crossed my fingers that it would be light and breezy. I did not try it on in store because every minute counts while shopping with my son, so if I can avoid him getting antsy I most definitely will try everything in my power to. You can imagine my delight when I threw it on and I found them to be not only lightweight, but also an exceptional fit!

I knew I had to pair them with my super comfy crop pant from Zara. This is the perfect summer look. My gladiator beige/tan sandals are from express and bracelets I picked up from forever 21 on a whim. This look is definitely a bit daring for some, but this weather calls for something that gives you some breathing room. If you’ve got a daytime date or an outdoor party coming up on your calendar, this would be a great option.

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'Spotlight Sunday' - HOXNYC

What I have for you is a real treat! This weekend I got to wear a beautiful piece by HOXNYC called the Marigold Gown to my close friend Mehwish's wedding. It's a 4 piece suit in an alluring gold and beige color.

 

 

 

The trousers are raw silk and the gown and dupatta is pure chiffon. The undershirt is jamawar that lines perfectly with the intricate work of the embellished chiffon gown. I received so many compliments on this dress and thought the timing was right to do a talk to the girl behind the brand herself!

I went to sit down with the founder of HOXNYC to find out a little about the woman behind the her debut brand, Zaineb. Also, if you want more blog posts such as this just comment on the post with your questions. Let's get started!

Zaineb Bajwa, a fast rising star in the highly competitive South Asian fashion industry. She's immensely talented in everything she does. Her first line speaks for itself. I am in love with the very pretty, sophisticated, elegant clothes she has created. The fabric, cuts, material, hand beadwork is exceptional. It is obvious that she took her time making sure when you wear her clothes you feel beautiful and feminine. I have gotten to know Zaineb throughout the past couple years, her latest venture in HOXNYC makes me extremely proud of recognizing such a strong young woman such as her accomplish so much. The greatest part of her line is the vision behind it. The goal at HOX is to bring quality looks with great customer service and transparent pricing. Let's face it, how many times have you looked at a beautiful desi dress online and ask the price and the seller goes oh message me in my inbox, knowing practically well that she's going to charge you more or less depending on who you are and where you live. Or what's even worse is that if you're interested in a dress and messege the designer themselves they don't even bother and respond. You can avoid that completely with HOX. Another plus is fast and convenient shipping to your door. I love that she is bringing technology and convenience to the south asian market. 

Zaineb - HOXNYC

Phone - NA

info@hoxnyc.com

www.hoxnyc.com

@hoxnyc @zeexbee

twitter hoxnyc

Facebook Facebook.com/hoxnyc

Tell us a bit about yourself..

Sure! My name is Zaineb, a Virginia native, currently living in New York with my little family, that includes my husband and our cat, Mercy! I am a financial analyst by profession, but have taken a slight detour to focus solely on my new project HOXNYC.

                                                                                                 What motivated you to start this brand?

I have always been utterly obsessed with Pakistani clothes, since I was very young. Living abroad was a blessing to me and my siblings as we are the first generation here. With the good, came the bad, and growing up my biggest challenge was being able to find quality pakistani garments abroad. Sadly, I would have to compromise on quality, bad stitching and outdated designs. I respect everyones aesthetic, but couldn’t help but feel taken advantage of when paying exorbitant amounts of money for something that did not reflect superior craftsmanship. Aside from compromising on looks, I soon realized there was no concept of customer service in this field, which really took away from the dress buying experience. As my frustrations grew, one thought led to the other and I knew I had to do something to bridge this fashion gap, thus HOXNYC was born. 

What is your favorite piece from the latest collection?

Seriously, I know this sounds cliche, but I love them all. Our looks are limited  to 4-5 designs each season so we can truly focus on quality over quantity. My mother always had a small yet refined wardrobe, and that was something I brought over with me to HOX.

Where do you draw your style inspiration from?

I am inspired by anything that is timeless. Colors that are timeless, fabrics that are timeless. When I curate looks for my collections, trends take a backseat for me, and some might think I’m crazy but trends are not my priority. Making looks that are of the moment, but remain timeless is my biggest challenge. I have a great admiration towards Elie Saab, his work is consistently proven to withstand the test of time! Along with Elie Saab I am also greatly inspired by pakistani bridal designer Bunto Kazmi for her ode to the Mughal era throughout all her collections! Khadijah Shah, the creative force behind Elan has also been a huge inspiration, as I had the pleasure of working with her when creating my own bridals. 

Which celebrities wardrobe would you love to raid?

Sarah Jessica Parker! I hope she keeps her shoes in her closet, those blue Manolo Blaniks have had me lusting! Love her unique, loud yet feminine style, who else can pull off wearing a bird as a hat.. haha! 

If we took a peak inside your closet, what would we see? What is your can’t live without item?

If you asked me this last year, I would say “all things black!” but as I am getting older, I am also getting more and more comfortable in my body. I am starting to experiment with colors and cuts I would never envision myself in before. Aside from pencil skirts and work attire, I’ve revamped my closet with some true New York street style! Skinny jeans and white tees! So out of my comfort zone but I'm embracing it! My "can’t live without piece" currently has to be my Kooples leather jacket which my husband gifted me for Valentines day. It makes me feel like a rockstar, I can wear it with dresses or with jeans!

Which staple item or accessory should every HOXNYC girl own?

I can’t possibly select just one! Most importantly, a refined collection of pakistani costume jewelry! I also double as the stylist for HOX, and I can not emphasize enough how important accessories are when completing your formal looks. You don’t have to own an exorbitant amount of pieces, again think of quality over quantity. The right necklace and earrings can instantly give you a polished look!

What's your number one thing you want to accomplish with HOX?

I want to change the preconceived hardships associated with purchasing Pakistani formal wear abroad. HOXNYC is a brand that raises the bar not only on quality, but also on customer service and client satisfaction. We are so confident in our craft that we guarantee 100% customer satisfaction on all of our pieces. HOXNYC is the first interactive brand in the market; we survey our clients and curate our looks to match the demand, and the budgets. No one can imagine the amount of dedication and commitment that has gone into getting this project on the road. I am planning on shooting a short fashion film dedicated to this journey very soon! 

Above all I am greatly humbled by the amount of love and support, in the form of emails and messages I've gotten through this small but momentous few months. People I have never met have taken the time to send me emails, to support this vision, you don't know how amazing that feels. It's young people like us that can make great things happen, and it's time for a change!

It was so much fun getting to do this with such an amazing girl! Hope you enjoyed the feature, many more to come. Remember to shine your brightest!! XOXO

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How to Wear a Statement Necklace

Hello everyone!

Today's OOTD is inspired by this awesome gold and blue stoned statement necklace! A necklace is a great way to add some excitement to any outfit. I picked this necklace up from Laila Rowe. Just remember, it is a statement necklace, so keep the rest of the outfit simple! For this look, I decided to keep to the basics and pair it with a classic black T shirt from Zara & denim from Forever 21. I then decided to pair it with the statement necklace for some edge. Statement necklaces can be worn in so many different ways, stay tuned for future outfit posts! Shine your brightest!!! XOXO

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Back to School

I don't know about you but I know that whenever school was about to start I'd get so excited! I love the process of prepping and I needed any excuse to buy a new outfit. What is key about what you should to wear to school is comfort. No one wants to worry about your skirt riding up or your jeans being too tight to sit down. Wear clothes that you can stand being in for a long period of time. The catch 22 here is that like most students have a social life that picks up between classes or in the evening. For that reason alone it's important to still look cute and put together. If all this seems like too much to handle don't fret! I'm here!! Here are two simple looks I put together for easy looks to wear to school. They are easy and versatile and I tried to find basic pieces that's you can substitute no matter the brand or store. Enjoy !!! And shoutout to Aliya89 for this awesome idea 😘

Wearing: Graphic Tee from Forever 21  / Forever 21 Denim  / Boots from Laila Rowe  / Handbag from Dolce and Gabanna  / Sunglasses from Tory Burch / Sunglasses from Tory Burch

Second outfit: Ribbed Tank from The Gap  / Forever 21 Denim  / Flats from Aldo  / Jean Jacket from Express  / Sunglasses from Tory Burch / Necklace Aldo

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Q & A with me Heera Diaries

Hello!!!

A few people asked me if I could do a question and answer session and I thought why not? I love sharing my crazy opinions and ideas with others. A few of my followers (and friends) have asked about style/beauty/fashion related questions that I'm going to answer below:

Thank you Nitasha for your thoughtful question! My biggest fashion influence changes so often because fashion changes so often. I used to fawn over Oliva Palermo and her decadent and classic style but recently I've been feeling someone who has a more youthful style. 

Currently I'm obsessing over Zendaya. Although she's younger than me, I learn a lot from her. I think she embodies what girls today are wearing and she has the style that I could easily see myself wearing. 

Hello, beautiful!!! I like a more natural skin look and want for my face to be enhanced with foundation not covered up. For that reason I usually apply it with clean fingers. When I want a more of a polished look, I use the MAC duo fiber brush 187 because it is easy to use to stipple and blend. 

The foundation I use depends on the season. In the summer I use Makeup Forever HD foundation and in the winter I use Chanel Perfection Lumiere. I equally love both but the Chanel is a little heavier so it's not comfortable in the hot weather, the HD Makeup Forever doesn't go anywhere even in summer weather though. 

Hello Aliya!!! Thank you for such a good question!! Let's see, I think right now I'm thinking about the fall season and picking up stuff that's good to wear for that season. I was obsessing over the quilted leather moto jacket and sent my sister on a tailspin trying to help me find one while I was in Maryland. We found one finally at H&M. 

I also am obsessing over "hunter green" as aunties like to call it, I think that this is one color that looks good on every skin tone. 

As far as my makeup obsession I'm kinda feeling the whole strobing trend. At first I was put off because of the whole desi mentality of wanting lighter skin but after seeing people like J Lo and Kylie embracing it I grew to like it too.

Hi Rani!!! This question is perfect because of my background knowledge of the industry. I used to work for a t shirt design manufacture that distributed the same clothing to stores like Forever 21 all the way to the other spectrum Versace. Working there I found out the quality and material don't matter because the same two companies sell the same shirts just at different mark ups. So my answer to your question is I'd rather save my money on my clothes and purchase high end accessories instead because a lot of times those handbags and shoes aren't mass produced on the scale that clothing is. 

Hi Anam!!!! Hope your doing well!! My skincare is very simple. It's become even more basic since I started breastfeeding. I'm more cautious of what input into my body because I know it may effect my son. I wash my face with Aveeno foam face wash, apply Aveeno moisturizer with SPF,  and finish off my applying an eye cream such as Keihl's eye cream. At night I use Aveeno again to wash off my makeup and then again with my Clairsonic. Lastly I'll apply Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair. 

Hi Farah!!! What initially inspired me to get started to blog was my husband. He has accomplished so much on his own at such a young age MashaAllah. His ambitious nature is very infectious and he pushed me to pursue blogging. For that I am grateful. He taught me to utilize my talents and interests in a way that produced greater results than what I was doing before. He is my biggest supporter and I keep on swimming for him. I want for him to be as proud of me as I am of him iA. As far as my blogger influences, I completely love WendysLookBook and am heavily influenced and infatuated by Sazan Barzani. 

I really enjoyed the questions you guys had for me. I feel like with every question I was pulling out parts of me that I didn't know existed and I never really thought about it until I started typing this post. Moreover, it felt so nice to get questions from girls that I am actually friends with and know. I love each and everyone of you and am so blessed to have such amazing friends and followers. Remember to shine your brightest.XoXo

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What in my Bag? Collaboration with 'Sprinkle of Surprise'

I recently got to collaborate with a girl with a blog called 'Sprinkle of Surprise' from the same state as my husband, Jersey. We wanted to share a little bit ourselves so thought of doing something a little more personal than just presenting you our latest bag purchase, we decided to show you what we actually carry in our bags. Let me preface by saying I am an organizational freak, so everything I have is broken into compartments. My bag itself was a splurge because I wanted to treat myself to something nice later on giving birth. I choose the Saint Laurent YSL "Cassandre" shopper tote bag Royal Blue. This bag is neat because I can throw anything into the two compartments and have even more extra space in the zipped up divider in the center. The color I felt was an ode to my son being a boy and if need be I could double it as a diaper bag (which I can't seem to let myself do). I love the quilted leather and gold hardware.

I'm going to break things down from the top left to right. The Paris wristlet is from Victoria Secret and I store all my groceries/store cards and my prescription lens Rx, basically anything I don't want floating around my bag. Next is my Ray Ban case to hold my sunglasses and right next to it is a coordinating Kate Spade wallet. The Tiffany's case is there to carry my regular glasses and the hot pink item is a Ted Baker mirror/card holder. The card holder is my favorite thing in my bag because it's easy to throw into any clutch or pull out for a night out. The pink and white bag is from the subscription box service called IPSY where I hold my cell phone charger and adapters.

The red cloth Cartier case I use to put my rings or any jewelry at the remainder of the day so I don't misplace any of it. My car keys and house keys attach to a Disney embellished keychain, some gum is a must and a some of Jimmy Choo perfume just in case. The big black case is the bulkiest item in my purse and a pain to carry but it carries my makeup essentials. Lastly, I have some bobby pins, a blue pen and my cell phone. I genuinely didn't think I carried a lot until I pulled everything out an took account of it. I'm slightly embarrassed, but a little proud of the fact that I'm so prepared, I'm actually thinking about adding a first aid kit. If you guys know of anything compact that you think I should carry please comment below. I had a lot of fun with this post. Hope you learned something new about me or Sprinkles of Surprises and remember shine your brightest. XOXO

Let's take a look at what my friend Sprinkle of Surprise has to share with what is in her bag...

This is my everyday use bag. I recently started using it, after making the change from my previous gray tote/shoulder bag, because this one was bigger and able to fit more things. Plus it was a time for a nice change since the color of this is neutral with pink details, perfect for summer!

I received this bag as a gift actually for my 21st birthday from my closest friend. Such a great gift! I love the subtlety in it and the pink details. 

So i use this bag on an everyday basis, and as you all know i work full time. Because of that, my laptop stays in this bag as well. I decided to carry this along with my usual things, because carrying around 2 bags everyday would just be a pain. Plus the size of this bag helps so much in me being able to hold everything i want.

Items:

Laptop: For work only, i use my own personal laptop otherwise

IPhone charger: I carry this around in my bag because my phone could die at any time. It comes in SO handy!

Wallet: This was also a gift from one of my sisters, its a basic wallet, I use everyday because I don't want to carry a designer one around since this is used so often in my day. 

Sunglasses: These were also a gift from my same friend who gave me this bag, and i love them! I keep these in my bag year round, because they always come in handy. 

Vera Bradley wristlet: This was part of a gift from my sisters, and i use this to carry my phone in! I have the iPhone 5, and it fits perfectly in there. I don't like throwing my phone in my bag because i'm afraid of the damage it can cause, so i love using this to protect it.

Tissues: Stay in my bag year round, in case of a cold or allergies

My badge: This stays in this bag as i use this for work, i have my work ID & Lunch fast past go card in there as well

Lotion: Travel size Aveeno lotion, i use the big bottle at home, and carry this around in need of moisturizing my dry skin!

Hand Sanitizer: from Bath & Body Works, simple and small to carry to quickly use in between meals or whenever needed

So that's all folks! I hope you enjoyed seeing what all i carry around on a daily basis, I like keeping it light and simple because everything else i use before i leave home or when i get back. These are just the simple necessities i need!


Be sure to follow her here:

Blog: https://sprinkleofsurprise.wordpress.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sprinkleofsurprise

Email: sprinkleofsurprise@gmail.com

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