Dresses

INAYAH 

Collection 

a love affair with 

Dresses

Cover Story 

Contents 

Issue 22 • September 2015 

For the love of dresses 

Inspire 

Be Contagiously 

Peaceful 

Music 

Carly Rae Jepsen 

click 

here 

click 

here 

click 

here 

Juliana Iskandar 

CEO & Co-founder 

gaya.majalah@gmail.com 

Advertising Sales 

juliana.gayamag@gmail.com 

Contributors 

Adeela Qureshi 

Atikah Amalina 

Aydha Mehnaz 

Bushra Abuzeid 

Fatima Nasim 

Hira Ali 

Idil Mohamed Ali 

Imrah Hariby 

Jinan Deena 

Madiha Ahmed 

Malikah Ebrahim 

Nadia Ali 

Naira Ghanem 

Rahat Malik 

Rym Shamas 

Sanae Chakrouni 

Sana Mahmood 

Shazia Javed Hassam 

Sumaia Salah 

Sheema Sherry 

Zakiyya Bham 

Clarence Anthony 

Group CEO 

This Issue... 

Fashion 

For the love of dresses 

INAYAH Collection 

Fashion Spread 

Beauty 

Oily no more 

Inspire 

Be contagiously peaceful 

Food 

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake 

Health 

Yoga made me a better Muslim 

Home 

Words of Wisdom - 

Quote Lovin 

Music 

Carly Rae Jepsen 

Business 

Separating your brand from 

your product 

Gadgets 

Watches that do it all 

Disclaimer: All rights reserved. No part of this magazine or content may be reproduced or used without the written permission 

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are aware, correct at the time of going to press. The views, ideas, comments, and opinions expressed in this publication are solely of 

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GET YOUR COPY OF GAYA AT WWW.GAYAMAGAZINE.COM

3 

From the 

Editor’s Desk 

With social media dominang our daily lives, it feels like we have to be camera‐ready each 

me we step out of the house. Personally, I hate taking photos, that’s why you don’t see 

much photos of myself on my Instagram. But I have some paparazzi‐like family members 

(I’m sure every family has that one family member just like that) who snap every chance 

they get, at every family gathering. The mobile phone is perpetually stuck in their hands 

and the camera is constantly on alert. Sadly I end up finding unglamorous candid shots of 

myself shared on either social media or the family WhatsApp chatroom. Fantasc. 

Which leads me to wonder, how do you guys do it? Each me we scour Instagram or visit 

your feeds (which is my favourite me of the day, by the way), you seem to post flawless 

photos of yourselves. From makeup to your #ootd. Actually that’s how we find many of our 

writers. I’m envious. I can’t get a flawless photo even if tried. 

Perhaps that’s why I am behind the magazine and not on it. *chuckle* It’s best that I leave 

it to you beauful experts out there. 

So the next me you’re about to do an #ootd shot for Instagram, remember we are always 

on the lookout for writers. So if you’re interested in joining our Gaya family of writers and 

get those amazing flawless shots in the magazine, email us! We want to hear from you. 

Stay beauful, fashionistas! 

Juliana Iskandar 

CEO & Co‐founder, Gaya Magazine 

instagram.com/dayinthelifeof_jules 


Fashion 

for the 

4 

Love of 

Dresses 

By Sana Mahmood 


5 

“ 

...I want the youth to 

be confident in 

believing they don’t 

need to sacrifice their 

religious or cultural 

beliefs to look and feel 

great... 

” 

“What do you want to be when 

you grow up?” 

This is probably the most asked 

question any person who hasn’t 

finished university yet receives. My 

answer is always the same, I want to 

make a difference. 

Growing up in a Western society has 

its perks, but unfortunately the 

existence of modest inspiration was 

completely absent when I was younger. 

I want to change that. 

I want the youth to be confident in 

believing they don’t need to sacrifice 

their religious or cultural beliefs to look 

and feel great, which is of course the 

main reason I started blogging. I 

began to notice a huge demand for 

modest fashion when I first got into 

blogging, larger than I had ever 

expected. The major department stores 

such as Forever 21, H&M, and Zara do 

carry modest wear, but of course the 

prices for a long maxi skirt is almost 

double or even triple the cost of a 

regular skirt. 

Due to the loving support of my 

friends, family, and amazing followers, 

my hunt for affordable, modest, yet 

still chic apparel began. 

In this article I will provide the lovely 

readers of Gaya Magazine with tips on 

how to dress modestly, remain under 

your budget, and recommend a couple 

companies I prefer myself. 

Let’s get started! 


6 

In this first outfit I am wearing 

the Floral Printed Maxi from 

inspireme-chic.com. One of my 

favorite companies I came across 

while first beginning to blog. 

There isn’t a thing I don’t love 

about this dress. It’s fully lined, 

floral, and flowy! 

Perfect for the warmer seasons! 

I know it gets particularly tough 

to find modest wear for the 

spring and summer, but I 

promise you this company will 

not disappoint you. 

There’s absolutely no need for 

layering and the material will 

keep you cool and comfortable 

all day! 


7 

In this second outfit I am wearing the 

Olive Utility Maxi from dirfashion.com. 

This is one of those dresses that can be 

worn all year round due to its rich color 

and material. 

The color is perfect for fall and winter, 

but the material is so breathable and 

comfortable it’s perfect for the warmer 

seasons as well. 

One thing I love about this particular 

style of dress is that you can wear it 

so many different ways! 

It’s great for a casual day out, you can 

dress it up, wear it as a maxi cardigan, 

or even pair your favorite pants or skirt 

with it underneath. 

You can see how I personally chose to 

style this dress two different ways. This 

is the perfect dress for self-expression! 


8 

Finding modest formal wear 

is probably the most 

difficult of all occasions. 

I came across Inayah 

Collection when I was on 

the hunt for an Eid dress. 

I’m so glad I came across 

this website, because now I 

can share it with you all! 

They have everything from 

formal wear to daily wear. 

Their selection is vast and 

of high quality. Now, for my 

ultimate recommendation, 

lace gowns. 

These types of gowns don’t 

need much accessorizing 

due to the elegant nature of 

these gowns. It’s formal 

enough for a special 

occasion, but isn’t too 

flashy at the same time. 

Lace gowns scream class 

and elegance, perfect for 

making a statement without 

being ostentatious. 


9 

Wearing modest clothing 

doesn’t mean you have to 

sacrifice your desire to 

stay up to date with the 

latest trends. In fact, I 

believe dressing more 

modestly leaves more 

room for expression due 

to layering. 

My love for high slit maxi 

dresses still remains 

present in my heart, but I 

don’t want to sacrifice 

my religious beliefs just for 

a fashion trend. 

So, instead I thought of 

different ways to once 

again bring these high 

slit maxis back into my 

life. I began pairing these 

high slits with loose 

printed pants or skirts. 

I like this style even more 

than before, because I am 

able to add a little more 

creativity in my outfit. 


10 

So girls, remember you 

never need to sacrifice your 

core values in order to look 

great. Dressing modestly is 

about how you choose to 

express yourself without 

feeling the need to overly 

expose yourself. 

Fashion Contributor Profile: Sana Mahmood 

I am a Pakistani American currently double majoring in Marketing and Information Systems and 

Operations Management. My love for fashion and passion for change are my biggest motivators 

for blogging about modest fashion. My goal is to empower women to believe that they don't need 

to sacrifice their religious or cultural beliefs in order to look and feel great. 

veiledbeaut.com 

instagram.com/veiled.beaut 


Fashion 

11 

Delicate 

& 

Elegant 

inayahcollection.com 

Photography by: INAYAH Collection 


12 

Hijab • White Georgette Hijab 

Top • White Crepe Top 

Cardigan • Dusty Rose Maxi 

Oversized Kimono 

Trousers • Grey Crossover Trousers 


13 



Cardigan • Floral Print Straight 

Cut Kimono 

Trousers • White Trousers 


14 

Hijab • Light Feather Grey 

Georgette Hijab 

Top • White Crepe Midi Dress 

Cardigan • White Georgette Kimono 

Trousers • White Tapered Trousers 


15 

Hijab • Feather Grey Maxi 

Georgette Hijab 

Top • Pale Blue Long Shirt 

Trousers • Ash Grey Straight 

Cut Trousers 


16 

Hijab • Charcoal Georgette Hijab 

Top • Cream Maxi Shirt Abaya 



17 

Hijab • Black Georgette Hijab 

Cardigan • White Scattered 

Pearl Kimono 

Dress • Black Crepe 

Midi Dress 


18 


Cardigan • Limited Edition 

Grey Golden Leaf Kimono 




19 

Hijab • Black Georgette Hijab 

Dress • Arya Evening Gown 


Beauty 

20 

Oily 

no more... 

By Naira Ghanem 

I’m not going to go into the 

biological importance of the 

skin, because that’s not 

really why we want to have 

amazing skin. 

Whether it’s to perfect your 

facial skin and get that radiant 

glow, or whether it’s keeping 

your hands moisturized 

regardless of how many dishes 

you wash. In this issue, I will 

cover the main elements of 

skin care and how to perfect 

your routine. 


21 

I never realized how important facial 

care was before. I never knew how 

much it impacted the way make up 

looks on you. And since I’ve improved 

my skin care routine, my makeup has 

started looking flawless, less cakey 

and radiant. 

I’ve always suffered from oily skin in 

the T-zone area and a combination/oily 

in the rest of the areas. When I was 

younger I would just buy any facial 

scrub from the drug store that said for 

oily skin on it. Soon I discovered how 

scrubs actually worsen the oil 

production in the skin. So if you have 

oily skin and are using a scrub daily, 

STOP NOW! And here is why - 

unfortunately it’s a bit of science. 

Your skin operates in a negative 

feedback system. So if you take 

something away from it, it will produce 

more. So if you use a scrub every day, 

you are stripping your skin from the 

oil it produces, therefore it produces 

more to combat your action. However 

if you trick your skin into giving it 

enough oil, it will be satisfied, and 

cells will be programmed to produce 

less of it. 

And this was a lesson I had to learn 

the hard way. But thank god for 

CLARINS! They recommended an oil 

based serum that would give the effect 

of satisfying the skin to trick it into 

producing less oil. 


22 

Clarins Huile Lotus 

face treatment 

Recommended for oily to 

combinaon skin 

So this product is amazing, I just dab 

a few drops on the T-zone area every 

night. It is essential that you apply it 

at night as that’s when your skin 

produces more oil. When the serum is 

on your skin, it will sense that there is 

already enough oil, so the cells are 

programed to produce less. It was 

about 4 weeks in until it was 

visible that my skin wasn’t as 

oily as before and I honestly 

can’t believe how well it worked. 

I’ve been using this for nearly 

a year now and I only recently 

purchased my new bottle. 


23 

Caudalíe instant 

detox mask 

Recommended for all skin types 

Another problem with oily skin is that 

with the excess oil production, your 

pores become blocked up and your 

face almost doesn’t look ‘clean’ 

because of particles and dirt 

accumulating. And I have just the 

perfect product for you - Caudalíe 

Instant detox mask. 

The secret is in the name ‘detox’. 

It cleanses out your pores, cleans the 

face, leaving it smooth and radiant. 

It is a mask so you apply and leave 

on for 5-10 minutes, and you will 

automatically feel the difference when 

you’re washing it off with water. Your 

skin just feels so smooth and supple 

from the first time you use it. 

I originally got this product as a tester 

from Space NK when I purchased 

other products. As soon as I tried it, 

I knew I had to get the full bottle! 


24 

Elemental herbology oil 

control moisture milk 

Recommended for oily to 

combinaon skin 

Moisturizing is probably the most common 

type of skin care routine. We all do it, but it’s 

getting that perfect fit that makes a 

difference. I have tried so many types and so 

many have just been thrown at the bottom of 

the cupboard. But after my long quest, I 

found the perfect one. 

The elemental herbology oil control moisture 

milk contains tea tree oil which cleanses the 

skin and prevents breakouts, and I’m telling 

you since I’ve been using it, I have not had 

a single breakout, even when it was that time 

of the month, and this is probably why I love 

it so much. 

Again it is great for oil control. My skin has 

been at that perfect combination stage since 

using it every morning and before I go to 

bed, and I have slowly began coming off the 

Clarins lotus serum. Not only that, it also 

suggests that its very efficient in humid 

climates, which will be perfect for anyone 

travelling this summer, so this is definitely 

coming to Egypt with me! 

This is the first ever moisturizer that I have 

loved since day one and its results have been 

fast. I would recommend it to anyone, 

although it’s a little pricey, it’s definitely 

worth it. You get 50ml and you only need 1 

or 2 drops for the entire face! 


25 

Boots oil 

absorbing sheets 

Now for when you’re 

on the go and it’s 

a hot day and 

your forehead 

is starting to 

get oily, which 

is something I 

suffered from a lot 

a few months back. 

I always carried Boots 

oil absorbing sheets, 

which are basically like 

grease proof paper, which 

absorb oil on the skin to give a 

natural matte look. They’re a 

small packet so it’s easy to carry 

and very easy to use around the 

nose and chin area as well. 

I can happily say now my face is no longer 

oily! My skin feels plump and healthy, almost 

glowing even with no makeup on. And I no 

longer have to worry about a greasy forehead 

or chin when I’m going out. 

Beauty Contributor Profile: Naira Ghanem 

Hey I’m Naira, just an ordinary student with big dream! Whether its fashion, make up or 

daily life, join me on my journey. Whether big or small, we can take on the world, with a 

pretty face and a pretty heart. 

touchofsparkle15.wordpress.com 

instagram.com/naira_gh 


Inspire 

26 

Be Contagiously 

Peaceful 

By Nadia Ali 

If they seek peace, then seek you peace. 

And trust in Allah for He is the One 

that heareth and knoweth all things. 

‐ Qur’an 8:61 

With Ramadan now complete, it’s a good idea to 

keep that spiritual growth going. As we all know, 

Islam promotes peace – inner spiritual growth 

through harmony and balance, and through 

submission to Allah (SWT). So, you are encouraged 

to take a few simple steps to be contagiously 

peaceful to family, friends and even strangers. 


27 

Give Salaam 

Just say Assalaamu ‘Alaikum (Peace Be 

Upon You). It’s amazing that just a 

simple gesture like giving salaam or 

saying hello can bring about a smile. 

Better yet, it can get the response 

hoped for and that is someone 

responding by giving salaam or 

saying hello in return. 

Teach kids around you 

The kids that are around you are great 

for instilling the message of peace, 

especially at an early age as it helps 

prepare them for life. You can read to 

them or give them colorful, children’s 

Islamic books which relate stories from 

the Qur’an in simple language and cover 

a vast area of topics. If you have kids 

around in your day-to-day living, you 

can have even more of an effect on 

them by being a mentor in the way you 

handle situations so that they can see 

everyday actions and reactions to life. 


28 

Encourage family gatherings 

There’s nothing like a family get-together with 

a big pot of food to enhance the occasion. 

Talking, eating and socializing with family 

members helps to develop a better 

understanding of each other. Make time to have 

the family over – even if it’s just to hang out 

with your cousins. It will bring about a sense of 

belonging, security, stability and peace. 

Be kind 

A sense of peace comes from an act of 

kindness, by doing something nice for 

someone without being asked. It will benefit 

that person and improve how they feel. 

It can be spontaneous or planned. Either 

way the outcome is bound to bring about 

a smile. Simple kindness can 

cultivate a compassion for others. 


29 

Be a good neighbor 

Needless to say, your neighbors are the 

closest people to you in terms of distance 

and it is in your best interest to maintain 

peace with them so they do not become 

a daily source of frustration. If you are 

peaceful it may just catch on and they 

will be contagiously peaceful too! 

“Truly, in remembering God 

do hearts find rest.” 

‐ Qur’an 13:28 


Recipe 

30 

The 

Cleansing 

Ritual 

By Shazia Hassam 

Hello my lovelies! I hope you are 

all well and had a spiritually 

uplifting Ramadan and a truly 

celebratory Eid! 

Ramadan for me is always like a new 

beginning – I feel as though we starve 

our bodies as well as our desires during 

the blessed month and this provides us 

with the best opportunity to take stock 

of ourselves as Ramadan in itself 

exposes the best of ourselves. It acts 

as a polisher and shows us exactly 

what we can do if we are able to 

control our whims and fancies and 

derive benefit from our sacrifice. 

I love to end my Ramadan with hope 

and an eagerness to change and this 

year was no different. I left Ramadan 

with a firm conviction to better myself 

by refraining from passing judgment – 

to be more tolerant to the people and 

the world around me and always give 

others the benefit of the doubt. 

So whilst my soul was being cleansed 

of its vices my body underwent a detox 

as well. 

Lemons, probiotics and kale flooded 

my kitchen as I tried to prolong the 

dietary benefits of Ramadan (I always 

eat healthier in Ramadan than the rest 

of the year). 

And so I asked myself what homemade 

treats I could make which would act as 

both a reward for my taste buds and 

have some detoxifying effects. The 

answer was simple – Lemon and Poppy 

Seed Cake! 

Now, I know I always stamp my 

recipes with my own personal seal of 

approval but this one has the biggest 

approval rating ever. It seriously is a 

beautiful cake which is so easy and 

simple but yet tastes as though it has 

been made professionally. Make it in a 

loaf, naked and bare for a modest tea 

time treat or make it into muffins and 

drizzle with a sticky lemon icing for the 

perfect accompaniment to a party table 

or brunch platter. 

And on that note I shall leave you to 

experiment once again. Toodles! 


31 

The Best 

Lemon Cake...EVER 

(modest much!) 

Ingredients 

175g margarine 

175g caster sugar 

175g self-raising flour (I use 

McDougall’s supreme sponge flour) 

1 tsp baking powder 

2 large eggs 

Rind of 1 lemon 

65ml milk 

Icing 

½ cup icing sugar 

Juice of one lemon 

To make the icing, mix the ingredients 

together until a pasty consistency. If 

consistency is too thick add a drop of 

water. If too runny add a teaspoon of 

icing sugar. 

Method 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put the butter, sugar, flour, eggs 

and baking powder in an electric 

mixer and mix until velvety smooth 

Add the lemon rind and mix again 

Finally add the milk and mix until 

well combined 

Pour batter into a loaf tin or muffin 

cases (makes 12) and sprinkle 

poppy seeds over (I used white 

ones) 

Bake in a preheated 180 degree 

oven for about 35 minutes or until 

cooked through and springy to 

touch 

Drizzle icing when cool 

Food Contributor Profile: Shazia Javed Hassam 

I’m a British working single Muslim Mum (that’s a mouthful!) trying my best to bring my children up in 

the most nurturing environment with the best of Islamic etiquette. My passion is either with a wooden 

spoon or a pen. Despite having the best intentions I am nearly always the epitome of peculiarity. 

twitter.com/shazia1981 

instagram.com/shazhassam 


Health 

32 

Yoga 

made me a better 

Muslim 

By Imrah Hariby 

I have long hesitated to submit 

this article. 

First of all because yoga and Islam put 

together is a controversial topic (I don’t 

think it should be) but also because I 

am a new revert and I am still learning 

about Islam everyday. 

I researched what has been said on 

the topic and all I could find were 

people debating as if we were talking 

about politics. 

As with everything in life, people are 

quick to judge and criticize but never 

want to listen to the other party with 

an open mind. So I’ve decided to 

remain true to myself and write from 

my heart. I hope that I will be able to 

touch and inspire other Muslim women 

but also that I will be able to change 

peoples’ point of view. 

The truth is, practicing yoga helped me 

to take the plunge and to become a 

Muslim. During my training to become 


33 

a yoga teacher, I learned about the 

philosophy and principles of yoga and 

it fascinated me to see that Islam and 

the teachings of yoga were going in the 

same direction. For instance, there are 

“8 limbs of yoga” that act as guidelines 

on how to live a meaningful and 

purposeful life, the first 2 are: 

Yama, which deals with one’s ethical 

standards and sense of integrity, 

focusing on our behavior and how we 

conduct ourselves in life. The five 

yamas are: nonviolence, truthfulness, 

non-stealing, continence, 

non-covetousness. 

Niyama, has to do with self-discipline 

and spiritual observances. The five 

niyamas are: cleanliness, contentment, 

spiritual austerities, study of the 

sacred scriptures and of one’s self, 

surrender to God. 

There are many ways to interpret and 

apply these principles to your life, for 

instance, non-violence is not only 

about not hurting others, but also 

yourself, most of the time we are very 

negative towards ourselves and very 

judgemental. Non-violence starts in 

our head by controlling our thoughts 

and making sure that whatever we 

think remains positive. 

The study of the sacred scripture would 

be for us as Muslims to study the 

Quran. My yoga philosophy teacher 

taught me that as long as the 

scriptures elevate me, it doesn’t matter 

if you study the bible or the Quran, as 

long as it lifts your soul. 

Do the above-mentioned go against 

the teaching of Islam? I don’t think so. 

Some argue that yoga came from the 

Hindus in India and therefore Muslims 


34 

“ 

...The beauty of yoga is that it’s 

not only exercise for your body 

but also for your mind... 

” 

can’t practice yoga. Well it’s true that 

yoga originates from India but I won’t 

go in detail because we all have our 

personal opinions on the matter. As 

with all religions there are different 

schools of Islam and the same applies 

to yoga. 

Some yoga studios take it very 

seriously and you will find pictures of 

Hindu deities in their studios whereas 

other studios will remain neutral in 

their beliefs. I’m lucky to have started 

practicing yoga in an amazing yoga 

studio, which respects my beliefs. 

When I started my training to be a 

yoga teacher, I reverted shortly after 

and to my surprise the “yogis” were all 

very supportive of my decision and 

respected my choice. 

In my circle, my friends no longer 

speak to me because I am now a 

Muslim but the yogis welcomed me 

with an open heart and mind. 

If you’re going to practice yoga, my 

advice would be to find a yoga studio 

where you will feel comfortable to 

practice your religion. 


35 

“ 

...If you’re going to practice yoga, my 

advice would be to find a yoga studio 

where you will feel comfortable to 

practice your religion... 

” 

That’s why I am now teaching yoga to 

women only, so that Muslim women 

can exercise in an environment where 

they feel comfortable in. However, 

what matters the most to me, when I 

make salaah or when I practice yoga 

is the intention I hold in my heart. 

The Prophet (SAW) said: “Actions are 

judged according to their intentions 

and every person will be dealt with 

(in the Hereafter) according to what 

he intends.” 

Before I begin my practice, I would sit 

on my mat, close my eyes and set my 

intention. My intention for the day may 

be to dedicate my practice to someone 

in need or to myself. 

Then I recite 3 times “Allahu Akbar”, 

“Alhamdulillah” and “Subhanallah”. I 

am an advanced practitioner of yoga 

so during the hour long session, my 

mind is calm and I do not think of 

anything else but what I am doing. 

Yoga has taught me to be present in 

the moment. I empty my mind 

completely. With practice, yoga 

becomes a moving meditation. At the 

end of the class, I seal my practice by 

placing my forehead on my yoga mat 

and surrender. 

I then recite again “Allahu Akbar”, 

“Alhamdulillah” and “Subhanallah”. 

When I leave the room, my heart is 

much lighter. 


36 

I love to salaah right after as my mind 

is empty and I feel much more focused. 

I feel like my salaah is more powerful 

because my mind is free of distractions. 

After spending the last hour letting go 

of any tension my body and mind 

have experienced, I am now ready 

to surrender. 

The beauty of yoga is that it’s not only 

exercise for your body but also for your 

mind. Every time I step on my yoga 

mat I learn something new. 

Whatever that I learn on my mat, I 

take it outside the room and apply it 

in my life. 

Similarly, every time I step on my 

salaah mat and open my Quran, I 

learn something new. And what I learn, 

I take it outside as well and apply it in 

my life. Yoga makes me a better 

Muslim and Islam makes me a better 

yogi. Let’s spread love instead of hate. 

Salaam...and Namasté. 

Health Contributor Profile: Imrah Hariby 

I would be lying if I say that I’ve always knew what I wanted to do, that I never failed and that life was easy. 

I was depressed since I was a child and obstacles were coming my way one after the other. I felt like pain 

would never stop but somehow deep inside my heart; a voice was telling me to never give up. I started 

practicing Bikram yoga, I felt better mentally and physically after every class. I decided to enrol in a yoga 

teacher training when my life fell apart and it has been life changing. My goals have changed from wanting 

to be a successful businesswoman to wanting to do what fulfills my heart. I am now studying holistic healing 

and a full time yoga teacher for women. 

imrahhariby.com 

instagram.com/yogawithimrah 


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Home 

38 

Words of 

Wisdom 

By Rufena 

Who doesn’t love 

inspirational quotes? 

They uplift your spirits and keep you 

motivated. And what would be better 

than to have these inspiration quotes 

beautify the places you spend most of 

your time – your home and office. 

These beautiful inspirational, Islamic 

quotes are brought to you by Rufena 

from Quote Lovin. 

Who is Quote Lovin: 

The concept of Quote Lovin was created 

in the hopes to inspire Muslims to think 

and reflect on our religion Islam. 

Usually when people refer to things that 

would remind them of Islam, the Quran, 

tasbih or d’ua books are mentioned. 

However, I wanted to create something 

which could be placed anywhere and 

is not restricted - so for example you 

could have a print on your desk at 

work or home. Or you could have a 

print on the wall, or for your children. 


GET YOUR COPY OF GAYA AT WWW.GAYAMAGAZINE.COM 

39

40 

The idea is that Islam is a complete 

way of life and sometimes, in modern 

times, we get suck into the life of this 

dunya and it’s always beneficial to 

have something you can look at and 

think “oh I really like that Quote from 

the Quran” and remind us of our lord. 

So, in essence, Quote Lovin is here 

to help remind and touch the hearts 

of people all over the world using the 

glorious verses from the Quran 

and Hadiths. 

www.quotelovin.com 


Music 

41 


42 

“ ...The best artists 

distill their 

attitudes and 

emotions into 

their music... 

” 

Little Carly Rae Jepsen is all 

grown up. 

Her latest album E•MO•TION is a far 

cry from her teeny-bopper hit “Call me 

maybe” back in 2011. 

When we first heard “I Really Like You”, 

the first single off the album, truth be 

told, we didn’t realise it was Carly Rae. 

But as the chorus kicked in, it did have 

a hint of “Call me maybe” – the smash 

hit that shot her to the stardom. The 

music was different but it did have the 

Jepsen-vibe. 

We dug deeper into the album and, 

lo and behold, the album portrays a 

more mature and sexier sound. Just 

as Jepsen has grown in age, so has 

her music. 

As we listened from track one to the 

end of the album, it was clear to see 

how the music matured more and 

more as we got deeper into the album. 

It seems clear that Jepsen’s goal for 

this album was to shed her sickly 

sweet-teen appeal. 


43 

“ ...It’s a palette of '80s 

synth sounds and Madonna 

hat‐tips to make you want 

to groove to the beat... 

” 

The one thing she doesn’t seem to 

shake off though (and this has 

apparently been a constant comment 

by other music reviewers) is her shy, 

boy-crazy persona. 

The best artists distill their attitudes 

and emotions into their music. For 

example, Rihanna with her “middlefinger 

to the world” attitude, Beyonce 

with her regal “I am better than thou” 

attitude, Taylor Swift with her “it’s all 

about me” attitude. 

Unfortunately from “Call me maybe” in 

2011 to “I really really really really 

really (too many really’s) like you” 

in 2015, it sounds like Carly Rae just 

needs to find herself a boyfriend. Then 

again, this could be the persona she is 

trying to put out. Who knows? 

Overall, the album is a good listen. It’s 

a palette of '80s synth sounds and 

Madonna hat-tips to make you want to 

groove to the beat. 

And our favourite is “Run Away With 

Me”, the first track off the album, and 

we’ve happily shared the video here. 

Click the video link to play and watch. 

Enjoy! 


44 

Tracks: 

1. Run Away with Me 

2. E•MO•TION 

3. I Really Like You 

4. Gimmie Love 

5. All That 

6. Boy Problems 

7. Making the Most of the Night 

8. Your Type 

9. Let’s Get Lost 

10. LA Hallucinations 

11. Warm Blood 

12. When I Needed You 

13. Black Heart 

14. I Didn’t Just Come Here to Dance 

15. Favorite Colour 

Available for download on iTunes. 

Click here to view. 


Business 

45 

Separating your 

Brand from 

your Product 

By Juliana Iskandar 

Phew! I just got back from a long 

meeting with a potential new 

client and boy am I exhausted. 

Not physically exhausted but mentally. 

It took me three full hours to explain 

to them that the brand and the product 

are not necessarily the same thing. You 

guys reading this must be thinking I’m 

mad by saying that but it’s the truth. 

In my professional opinion, people who 

say “our brand is our product” or 

“product is king”, are delusional. 

When consumers choose brands, they 

are projecting an extension of 

themselves onto the brand. The brand 

transforms their identity, similar to 

their choice of music and fashion. 

Ok, that’s a little deep but let’s pause 

and think about it. What does a brand 

do to consumers? 

A brand is a promise of quality, values 

or virtues. A brand has a voice, style, 

persona, character. A brand ultimately 

tells you to pay more or less. A brand 

can be fashionable one day and can 

fall out of fashion another day. 

In contrast, products are physical 

goods – a pair of shoes, a dress, a car. 

More often than not, a product is 

manufactured by a company that is 

different from the brand. 

The Ford Fusion is really a Mazda 6. 

The Lexus RX is really a luxury division 

of Toyota. 


46 

“ 

...To develop a brand that is 

meaningful to your customers, 

you need to first and foremost 

know who they are, what they 

want and why they want it... 

” 

As you may be driving down the road 

in your luxury Ford or Lexus RX, you’re 

actually driving the make of a Mazda 

or a Toyota. 

Before you question my knowledge on 

cars, I’ll go on the record saying that I 

once was driving the Lexus RX300, not 

realizing that it’s the same as the next 

Toyota on the street. 

Yes, it sounds all too pretentious but 

that’s what a brand makes you to 

become. You buy into the brand name 

as an extension of who you are. 

Let’s bring it back to Fashion, shall we? 

A topic we all know too well. You’re 

out shopping and you grab that LV bag 

over a seemingly unknown bag. 

Why? Because of the brand and the 

identity it gives you. “Buying” a brand 

is personal; it’s emotional. Buying a 

product is a need. 

So to successfully build your brand, 

you need to separate it from your 

product. Let me go back to the 

example of the client I spoke about 

when I started this article. 

They started out serving only snacks 

and light food but now, six months 

after opening, they have established 

a full-fletch dinner menu. 

When asked about their goals, they 

quickly stated that they are looking to 

‘rebrand’ themselves to be an actual 

restaurant serving good food. 


47 

Going back to the difference between 

brand and product, it is clear to see 

that this is not ‘rebranding’, it’s purely 

a product promotion. 

The brand has already been established 

– they have a constant stream of 

regulars who think of them as a 

throwback, friendly establishment to 

kickback with friends. 

If you’re familiar with the television 

show ‘Cheers’, it’s pretty much like that 

and its famous theme song “Where 

everybody knows your name”. 

The challenge here now is to promote 

their dinner menu. That’s it. That’s the 

product. Not the brand. 

However, the product also needs to 

have some element of the brand’s 

attributes. In this case, the brand is 

homely, friendly, old-school, familiar. 

So the food has got to embody the 

brand attributes as well. The food in this 

case cannot be uppity, high-class, and 

fine-dining. It’s got to be soul food from 

mom’s kitchen sort of thing. 

So to build a successful brand here are 

some pointers: 

Develop your customers’ persona 

To develop a brand that is meaningful 

to your customers, you need to first 

and foremost know who they are, what 

they want and why they want it. 


48 

Develop your brands’ persona 

Think of your brand as a person. Who 

does it represent and why. What are 

the values and attributes or better yet, 

what is its character? For example: Is 

it male or female? Age? Conservative 

or funky? Does it have a sense of 

humour or is it serious? All these 

attributes set the tone to your brand 

and allows the customer to identify it. 

Find the ultimate customer benefit 

Now that you’ve set the above, connect 

the brand’s attributes and the product’s 

deliverables and the point where it 

connects defines the benefits it gives 

to the customers. Ok that’s very deep 

so let me give you some examples: 

Coca-cola makes people happy/smile. 

Volvo makes you feel safe and secure 

behind the wheel. Hugo Boss makes 

you feel successful, strong and like you 

can own the world. 

So there you go, a brand can sit 

separately from your product. It’s not 

a crazy thought. Go forth and succeed, 

fellow entrepreneurs! 

saharagold.wordpress.com 


Gadgets 

49 

Watches 

that do 

it all 

Ok people, we’ve reached the age 

of technology where innovation 

has turned seemingly ridiculous. 

When the new age of mobile phone 

was invented (and we don’t mean the 

thick brick one. We’re talking the tiny 

Nokias), we rejoiced! What a better 

way of communication-on-the-go to 

replace those darn beepers. Some of 

you reading may be too young to even 

have experienced the beeper-age. 

Anyways, the mobile phone provided 

us ease and convenience. It even had 

games to keep us entertained when we 

were bored. 

And we’re not talking about the cool 

games we have now. We’re referring 

to the greyscale, Java games. Ahh… 

those were simpler times. 

Despite the lack of dimension and 

colour, compared to the cool mobile 

apps of today, we were contented. So 

when the mobile phone and its content 

evolved over time, we rejoiced. 

Each new innovation was something to 

make things easier and more 

convenient. Even social media! 

Although we at the tech team have a 

love-hate relationship with social 

media, we do agree it has made life 


50 

“ 

...the smart watch is meant to 

push notifications from your 

phone to your wrist... 

” 

slightly easier despite its dark side. 

But that’s another discussion for 

another time. Ok back to the topic. 

After all the change, evolution and 

innovation, and essentially creating a 

small device i.e. the mobile phone, 

that holds almost everything and every 

single detail about us, the tech-gods of 

today have now decided to “bless” us 

with the smaller equivalent of that – 

the smart watch. 

We’re not going into the different smart 

watches in the market and their 

features and do a full review on each 

of them because personally, we think 

they are all the same at the end of day. 

What we ARE going to talk about is 

whether these new gadgets are worth 

the money (and attention). 

So whether it’s the Apple Watch or 

something else, the smart watch is 

meant to push notifications from your 

phone to your wrist. 

So whilst the phone may be in your 

back pocket or sitting in your purse, 

you are able to see and read messages 

and notifications without even lifting 

your phone. Is this a good thing? 

Some say it is. 


51 

“ 

...you are able to see 

and read messages 

and notifications 

without even lifting 

your phone... 

” 

“OMG! So convenient. Now I see 

everything even without picking up my 

phone. I won’t miss a thing”. 

This, sadly, is exactly what someone 

said to us when they got their smart 

watch. The ironic thing is that this 

person is notorious for not replying any 

text or call or email! So how is it 

convenient again? 

This got us thinking. (yes, we may be 

the tech geeks in the team but we do 

think logically) Why would a person 

NOT reply when you’re notified all 

the time? 

With a smart watch that tells you that 

an email has come through, wouldn’t 

you be on your game at all times? 

Let’s think about the human psyche – 

when a person gets inundated with 

information, what tends to happen? 

The brain shuts down. 

Why? Because too much information is 

being bombarded at you at once and 

at the end, your brain just can’t 

process everything. Then you tell 

yourself you’ll get to it later and 

eventually don’t. So again we ask… 

how is this making life easier and 

more convenient? 


52 

“ 

...In the ad we see people 

receiving reminders on their 

watch and then rushing out 

for an appointment... 

” 

We can’t peacefully watch a TV show 

without the ad for the Apple Watch 

coming on. And every time we watch it, 

we ask ourselves – How? Why? 

In the ad we see people receiving 

reminders on their watch and then 

rushing out for an appointment, there’s 

an app to check the heartbeat of a 

person who has gone for a run, and all 

sorts of stuff – making life seem so 

much more organized with the smart 

watch on your wrist. But does it really? 

watch aren’t using it right or are just 

the wrong people to be using it. That’s 

why we sound biased. 

But let us leave you with one thought 

– would you want to be notified every 

single second? It’s bad enough that we 

have notifications on our phones that 

we shut off, now you have the vibration 

on your wrist to deal with. 

Smart watches – good or bad? 

You decide. 

Perhaps everyone we know and 

researched, who have used the smart 


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