Pastel Blues

Photo Credit: The Pin

Vest: asos/ Skirt: DGL/ Scarf: H&M/ Sandals: HouseOfDebola/ Ring: Topshop/ Earrings: Claires/ Neckpiece: WonuOhio/ Bracelet:

Hello Gorgeous people,

It’s December, yay!!! my best month of the year for some reason I am yet to know. It probably has something to do with sales, Christmas, sales, the build up to the new year, sales. Oh did I mention sales multiple times?

I was going to travel to Ghana this month but so much stuff came up and is coming up so that plan is on the back burner for now. Ghana is literally next door but somehow, I have never been there. If you know of great places to visit or stay at in Ghana, please let me know.

My resolution for 2014 was to blog more and travel to a new country. I think I have somewhat improved in my blogging. Travelling to a new country this year has been challenging so I’ll keep it as my 2015 resolution and work harder at it.

There are a couple of amazing events lined up for December ,my next post will be on these events. If you are reading this and know of fun, upcoming events this month, kindly comment above (the tiny comment thing close to the title of this post).

I do not want to jinx it but I feel like December 2014 is going to be awesome. I just have that feeling in the pit of my tummy, let’s call it merriness.

My look:
Clothes-
I wore this to attend an education exhibition on a Saturday. I wanted a look that was fun and flirty.
I got my skirt from Debras Grace (DGL), a store on Herbert Macauley Street Yaba, it came as a set- cropped top+skirt for about NGN5,500
The vest, I got from asos a couple of weeks ago for 5 pounds, click here and here for similar options as the exact shade I have is sold out. The sandals I got from HouseOfDebola on sale for NGN2500, aren’t they just the cutest?
#ThePinBargain

Lipstick-
This is my favourite shade of lipstick for now, Bobbi Brown ‘Soft Rose’.

Hair-
a number of people asked about my hair. I did a wash and set at the salon, that is shampoo+conditioner+hair moisturiser+ setting lotion+ rollers. I did not use heat. I took the rollers home, kept them on overnight and took them off in the morning. Perfect curls,Voila! I should probably buy a set of rollers to avoid annoying my hairdresser.
I honestly look forward to hearing from my readers.

Thanks for stopping by and have a Merry December.

Naturals in the city 9

Photo Credit: The PIN

Hello gorgeous people,

Last saturday, I was at The Social Place on Sinari Daranijo attending my first ever natural hair event/ the 9th edition of ‘Naturals in the City’ ( I read about it on The Kink and I). It ended up being a lot of fun. Thoughts of ‘the relaxer’ had been crossing my mind…shhh, don’t tell anyone…but this event totally cured me. My natural hair enthusiasm has been renewed.
I ran into friends, familiar faces, inspirational people and a couple of bloggers such as Tuke Morgan of Tuke’s Quest , Sisi Yemmie, Natural Nigerian,  Sandra of Naija Girl Next Door, Deola Adebiyi of Omoge MuRa, Barbara of Barbara & 1923, , Simi of Those Natural African Curls, Gbemi of Buzzed by Beauty, Dabs of Naija Hair Can Grow, Sandra of Life and its Chances , Lolade Cameron-Cole of Namaste Organics and Josephine Odion of It’s me Didi. I arrived pretty late so I did not sit in on the lectures, I hear they were pretty good and about length retention. There were a lot of Natural Hair products for sale form brands like Olori, African Naturalistas, Beautifully Nappy, Aweni Organics, Locitude, Tunmise Naturals, Natural Nigerians. Overall, this event was pretty good- I got to network. Will I be attending the next Naturals in the City event- Yes!

 

Laid-back Retro & Vintage

Photo Credit: Halima Abubakar (www.lenigma.com, @itsleniga)

SHIRT & BAG: passed down from my mom/ LEGGINS: Stradivarius/ SANDALS: Zara/ SHADES: H&M/ WATCH: Folli Follie/ EARRINGS: Forever21/ Ring: Topshop  from Nigerian Retailer (Ifie)

Hello,

A few weeks ago, I took part in a photography course/ summer school and it turned out to be pretty awesome- great environment, awesome company, value for money, finger food and lecturers from the Neue Schule für Fotografie, Berlin, what more could a girl ask for ? I learnt a lot of stuff and met great people with similar interests.

I titled this post ‘Retro and Vintage’ because I am fusing my Retro top and Vintage bag with my new pieces, the sandals are new while the shirt and bag were hijacked from my moms wardrobe. That bag is about 20 years old. If this shirt saw me in another life it would probably sprint away from me, I wear it everywhere, I dress it up, down and sideways. It’s one of my favorite pieces.

Comfort dressing was my goal seeing as classes started at 10:00 am and ended at 4:00 pm. Sadly, I was only able to do one mini shoot. I was juggling this course and Fashion Week so there was no time to tap into my pool of gifted photographers.

Halima (@itslenigma) is the Photographer behind this shoot. I have observed that Halima’s pictures are usually very subject oriented, you can literally feel a relationship between her and her subject. I was so glad she agreed to photograph me.

I hope you like my laid back look.
For those of you that asked about my hair: I did tiny twists and left a section in the front to change up my style daily.

Thank you to all the people that breeze through my blog, all my blog followers and all my ‘comment-ers’. You all put a smile on my face.

Good Hair Day- Coconut Oil

Hello gorgeous people,

I know it’s been eons since my last post. So much has been going on in my life- juggling too many things at the same time. The juggling ends when November begins *fingers crossed*. I’ll get to the point already;

I am a natural hair carrier/ enthusiast and I decided to do a series of posts on what works for my hair since I get asked a lot about what I do to/for my hair. Click here to view my previous post. I have met some natural ‘sistas’ that have agreed to also give you their tips as well.  I will state that I am not a Biochemist/ Chemist/Pharmacist or Microbiologist, I simply try products on my formerly ‘Tough Nigerian hair’ and see how/if they work for me.

I have been using coconut oil for years; I could not find pure coconut oil in Nigeria until recently.  I usually buy/bought the coconut hair oil by Indian hair brand ‘PARACHUTE’…this is mostly due to the fact that I couldn’t find pure coconut oil anywhere, parachute oil also tends to have other amazing ingredients such as almond oil and hibiscus. Dabur Vatika also has coconut oil that has added ingredients such as Henna, Lemon and  Amla (amazing oil, for another day) PARACHUTE Coconut oil, Dabur Vatika Coconut oil and Pure Coconut oil are all available at REENE MALL on Cameron Road, Ikoyi. Grand Square, opposite 1004 Estate, Victoria Island should have a couple.

The Price Range:

NGN 500 – NGN900

PURE COCONUT OIL (bottle; PRIDE brand ) 250ML  for NGN500

VATIKA COCONUT OIL- SMALL-150ml for NGN500

PARACHUTE OIL- SMALL –NG 400 (about 150ml), MEDIUM 450NGN, BIG 900NGN (about 300ml)

Facts about Coconut oil:

-Coconut oil penetrates up to 3 times more than most other oils

-Coconut oil helps to repair damaged hair; it contains Lauric acid that improves hair health and fatty acids that bind to the protein in hair and prevents both root and strand from breakage

-Coconut oil has a strong/potent smell

-Coconut oil makes hair thick, strong and healthy. ‘Thick’ and ‘strong’ are not to be confused with ‘Tough’, it just means the hair strands are not brittle/weak

-Coconut oil tends to solidify at room temperature; it can be dissolved by heating the oil up in a microwave or placing the bottle of oil in a bowl of hot water. Alternatively, you can melt the coconut oil with your hands by rubbing it between your palms.

-It is best to apply the coconut oil while it is still warm as it penetrates the hair shaft deeper and faster.

– The amount of coconut oil you use depends on the length and thickness of your hair, the longer and thicker your hair, the more oil you should use. If you end up using more than required, don’t worry, it will all be washed out at the end of the day.

MODE OF APPLICATION:

Coconut oil tends to get a little drippy when applied, so it is best to have old clothes on, do the conditioning treatment in the bathroom and have a hair covering that will stay in place all through the night, if you are planning to do an overnight treatment. Plastic shower cap, food wraps and so on can be used to keep the hair and oil in place- A roll of plastic food wraps is available for NGN250- NGN350 at malls such as REENE, Park ‘n’ Shop, Ebeano, SHOPRITE).

Massage warm oil into hair making sure to coat the hair tips. Some prefer to apply oil to damp hair. Comb through hair with a wide tooth comb to ensure even distribution of oil. Cover hair overnight or for 2-3hours. The longer you keep the oil in your hair, the more conditioned it will be.

Shampoo/wash hair till it no longer has an oily feel then apply conditioner to hair as usual. It is vital to always condition your hair after washing/shampooing.

OTHER USES OF COCONUT OIL:

• Cuticle oil
• Eye cream
• Body moisturizer (if you like the smell)

Hair Tutorial- Simple Natural hairstyles

Hello Darlings,

So…I found this look online and it’s super easy to do if you have medium to long kinky hair. I did a similar style for valentines day…check out my look here.

My recommendations for this style (being a self-proclaimed natural hair ambassador):

– Do it on damp hair.

-Use a moisturizing hair lotion and oil to add and lock in moisture.

-If it is difficult to get a neat back wrap, use bobby pins to secure your back wrap as you go.

-For those that have ‘tough Nigerian hair’, like me, you could do this hair right after you loosen braids, it gives your hair that naturally curly look.

 

SNOW WHITE

Hello Beautiful People,

So, this is the first look of the birthday marathon, the second look  ‘SEEING RED’ was published earlier. This look was done right before I did my weave.

For my hair, I did a blow out  and packed it into a pony tail/ afrotail. It was a slow day at the office and I realized I had brought my camera, so I put on the smile and took a few photos. The lighting was pretty poor but hopefully you guys can see my face. I love my Bobbi Brown ‘soft rose’ lipstick, It’s just right…not quite nude and not quite pink.

White dresses are refreshing, elegant and summery but there are a few things to keep in mind when wearing white:

– Choose a shade of white that suits your skin tone. Nigerians are really lucky seeing as Ebony skin tones are more versatile and work with most white shades and go with both silver and gold accessories.

-Thicker white fabrics tend to look more expensive and professional. Thicker/opaque  fabrics reduce the ‘see-through curse‘. Before buying a white dress, place your hand under the fabric and hold it against light. If you can see your hand clearly, the dress will show EVERYTHING.

-Never wear white underwear under white. Wear black or a nude that’s really close to your skin tone. Avoid lace and printed underwear too.

-Apply makeup AFTER   and perfume BEFORE putting on white to avoid staining.

– When wearing white, stick to pieces that have a cinched in waist or pieces that are paneled, as white reflects light and tends to make people/things appear bigger.

– Accessories should be kept simple as white is elegant, do not overwhelm the white canvas. Choose wooden, straw, beaded or feminine accessories. Click here to see the beaded clutch in my previous post.

Remember that a white dress is always in style. You will need to replace white seasonally as it tends to yellow.

Neckpiece and earrings: Sybils Jewelry House (SJH)/ Shoes: L.K. Bennet/ Watch: Folli Follie/ Ring: Max store at The Palms Mall,Lekki.

I would love to hear from you. What are your tips for wearing white ?

Click below for a few white accessories that can be delivered to Nigeria.

Asos/NewLook Mollie Box Clutch

Asos Boxy Lock bag

NewLook paper bag clutch

Asos Scallop edge envelope clutch

Newlook Mama Mia clutch

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Hello Beautiful People,

This week, ‘Loosing you‘ by Solange has been playing in my ears, it’s not a new video but I came across it early in the year on DSTV Soundcheck. I absolutely love the video – she’s so fun, fresh, colorful and vibrant. I also love the concept. I’m guessing  natural hair lovers will love this too. This video makes me want to get Ankara trouser suits and get down on the streets of gidi.Who knows where I can get ankara pant suits?

Feed your eyes and have a great week ahead.
Affirmation for the week: Great and positive things come easy to me.

 

My fav. hair products

Hello Beautiful People,

I have been getting a lot of questions about my natural, unrelaxed hair- Products I use, how I get the ‘tough Nigerian hair’ soft, how I retain my curls etc.

I don’t do as much as I would want with/to my hair. I would like to do a hot oil treatment once a week or twice a month, but I never get around to doing that. I would love to use purely natural products to wash my hair- like apple cider vinegar or baking soda but I find the task daunting, besides living in Lagos makes your ‘ gotta hustle, no time to wait/waste ‘ button turn ON.

Somehow, what I do works for my hair. I’ve decided to do a series on hair products I use and possibly the styles I achieve with the products. I would love it if all the hair lovers around, male & female, Relaxed & Unrelaxed tell me about their tried, tested and loved products.

Today, I am focusing on Organics TEXTURE MY WAY curl keeper moisturizing hair lotion. I stumbled upon this product by accident, and I have loved it ever since. This product adds moisture to my hair and leaves it easy to comb/manageable. It  retains my curls when I do a lock and twist (I also use mousse for that, that’s for another day) and when I loosen my braids, twists, knots, locks, it gives my curls a bit of definition.

I use it after I shampoo, condition, lightly towel-blot and comb my hair with a wide tooth comb. Sometimes I lock it in/seal it with olive oil. Click here to see a look I achived wih this product. I  shampooed+conditioned my hair, patted  with a towel, combed through with a wide-tooth comb and then applied a little of this product.

 

 

It’s affordable, NGN850-NGN950 depending on the store. I’ve spotted it at Prince Ebeano Supermarket for N850.

What are your tried, tested and loved hair products?

Have an amazing evening.

YELLOW FEVER

Shades, Top, Shorts,Bag: River Island, Shoes: Bershka, Rings: Accessorise, Watch: Cartier, Earrings: H&M

Hello Beautiful People,

I am playing serious ‘catch up’ with my new years resolution to post more.

Last weekend, I decided to wear a bunch of stuff from my very frustrating River Island online purchase experience. I picked out the cutest yellow shorts ever – right length, right shade and did I mention breathable material?…..seeing as this Lagos heat is constantly on the rise. I paired it with my old-ish purple Bershka babies. I didn’t want to spend a lot of time on my hair so I did a ‘wash and go’ style. It’s amazing how much afro/kinky hair shrinks when it touches water. Please keep the comments coming. Have an amazing weekend.

….is Pharrell’s HAPPY playing on repeat in anyone’s ears or am I the only person addicted to that song ?

The P.I.N

RED AND BLACK

Photographed by Lotanna E

Top: Vintage, Necklace: gotten at a market stall, Watch: Cartier, Ring: Accessorize, Earrings: Vintage, Skirt: Lantin form +Jumia Nigeria , Shoes: Vince Camuto, Bag: Centrepoint from +centrepoint 

Hello gorgeous people, I know it’s been a while since I posted. Been crazy busy with no time to shoot, had to do this shoot with a tripod stand after work. I did a lot of lock twists on my hair and packed it up for work. I hope everyone has an amazing week.

The P.I.N

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