new article on Zalora

Last month, my editor sent me an email.

“Dear Zatil, bla bla bla.. I hope to receive a new article from you soon!”

Like a smack in the face.



Because it’s been like, half a year since I last submitted one T.T

Guilty as charged, and obviously I underestimated the workload when I agreed to take up the job last year – been busy ever since then professionally and also family-wise haha. But not one to admit defeat, I tried to catch up as fast as I can – getting article ideas while browsing motherhood articles, writing the articles during lunchtime break, etc.

And I get so many questions like, “You do so many things on top of having kids, how??”

Yeah. I do and I really don’t know how – but the why would be because as a person, I realize I need an outlet to express myself as I am; not as a mother, as a wife, a daughter or a sister. Especially now that I have 2 kids who are very much dependent on me, it’s so easy to feel empty once the day is over because you’d be thinking,

“Is that all? What am I doing for my own happiness? Who am I, apart from being Rayyan and Rafiy’s mother and a wife to my husband?”

So when these times hit, all I know is I’d turn to this blog and writing so that I can stay sane.

So have a read below, if you’re leading a jet setting life and about to go travel pfftt.

(Or head on to ZALORA Zcoop website to read the article)


How to Look Good While Travelling



The existence of social media (or passionately referred to as socmed) largely influences our choices in life – what could have been a simple-but-sweet getaway to the beach is now a major headache to most of us. The very simple question, what should I wear – now has been reconstructed with ‘what should I wear that would look good not just on me, but also in pictures I’m going to upload to Instagram?’ and let’s face it, being girls, we need the solution to this.


How to look good while travelling?

(Because if you’re going to invest in a getaway trip, might as well take tons of pictures that will make your Instagram page look like a photographer portfolio. An amateur one, at least.

1. Carry a bold lipstick with you, everywhere


You could spend hours on makeup prior to onboarding the plane, but after a few hours into the trip it’d show on your face – not so camera-friendly when you have blotchy skin and smudges running down your cheeks. So opt for simple skin prep (moisturizer is a must, your skin would need hydration the most during this period) and apply bold color lipsticks – they’re the ultimate secret to a fab portrait of you looking fresh!

2. Invest in a good sunglasses which compliments your face shape


People always assume that all sunglasses would fit their face shape – this is not true. Prior to the trip, look around the stores for one that you like and try it on first – scrutinize every angle and ask the salesperson “does this sunglasses look good on me?” because they’re likely to know whether the sunnies are for you or not.

Once you settled on one, bring it everywhere – it adds an instant glamour to even the dullest outfit you have. Can’t go wrong with it!

3. Bring your own skincare, shampoo and conditioner


Most people assume the hotel would provide the amenities – yes, but it’s likely that the shampoo would do more harm than good (happens to me once) especially if you’re staying at budget hotels. Worse case, they won’t even provide any! When that happens, you’d end up with frizzy hair the whole trip – not so OOTD-friendly. Same goes to your skincare routine, nothing spoils a trip more than a sudden breakouts happening on your face. (Taking good pictures to post on Instagram would depress you further, too.)

4. Bring a trendy scarf


A scarf could save your outfits if you’re feeling meh and runs out of ideas on dressing up – plus points, they’re mighty comfortable too! And could be a lifesaver when number 3 happens – avoid people from staring at your frizzy hair by wrapping them up in the scarf, the stylish way!

5. Download user-friendly photography apps on your phone


When all else fails, you’d have no choice but to really master the art of iPhoneography. Do some research on which photo-editing apps that could help you transform your pictures 180 degrees – over-editing is no good either, so be moderate in your Photoshop skills. There are plenty free editing apps available now, namely Snapseed, VSCO, and more – they’re widely used by users of Instagram too.

So now that your trip plans and outfits sorted, have fun documenting your journey on social media! 


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