Concealing your dark under eye circles?? Make sure you're doing it right!

Here's for all the ladies like myself who try so hard to cover up those shameful blemishes, dark under eye circles and other  uneven spots on your face. 

    Just when we thought there was a miracle for our situation i.e the almighty 'Concealer'. Make up seems to be the go to remedy for temporarily getting that flawless look you've always wanted. But here's the problem with concealing your insecurities. Concealer has a tendency to get stuck in little creases and fine lines which highlights these spots rather than neutralising them.

    Well, Ladies there's yet another remedy for this problem and I'm here to give you tips and tricks on how to stop your under eye concealer from creasing. 

1. Apply face oil underneath your eyes. This plumps up the creases below your eyes and therefore allows the concealer to sit better on your skin rather than sinking into the lines. 

2. Apply your concealer to the under part of your eyes, coming downwards in a triangular form and then blend. 

After you have blended in your concealer properly under your eyes, continue with your normal make up routine. 

 The oil under the concealer does the trick and trust me, your eyes would stay popping all day. 

You're welcome my beautiful Ladies 😘

Things you need to know to get flawless Eyebrows

1. To get your eyebrows to look nice and full, lightly shade the hairs above and below your brows to create a shadow. Make sure you use a low-oil pencil that's soft, to Shade and then brush your brows upward to give them a natural look.  

2. Keep any brow pencil away from your skin where there is no hair. It is a tell tale sign that you've coloured your arches in. Remember that you want to enhave what you have, not draw on what's not there. 

3. Brush your brow hairs upward and outward. Your arches will look more natural and fuller when you groom them this way.

4. If you are using a brow gel, make sure you go for a colour that's the same shade as your brows or one shade darker and with pencils, go for one shade lighter because you want a softer look. When you are drawing the illusion of hair, it looks unnatural if the pencil is darker or as dark as your hair. The lighter colour gives it dimension.

5. Do not use hair dye to colour your brows. If you must colour them, use vegetable dye. This contains far less peroxide than regular hair dye, therefore making it safer for the eye area. It also lasts longer. 

6. Remember that brows serve a purpose to protect your eyes and frame your face, so it is important not to over tweeze them or shave them all off. 

7. A brow mascara with fibres in it gives the appearance of fuller brows instantly.

I'm sure we all want our eyebrows "on fleek" at all times, so do it the right way. Please don't over do them by painting or drawing them on. Your face is not a drawing board. Lol! And without eyebrows, we'll look sick and unhealthy. So learn these simple tips on how to get the perfect look for your eyebrows and transform your entire face. 

Dressing right for the occasion

 This is Lagos and believe it or not there are weddings every single Saturday of the year. Sometimes you might even have two or more weddings to attend on the same day. Well, since it's almost the wedding season (December season) I thought it is only right for me to write some things about dressing for someone else's big occasion. 

Apparently, some people think it's ok to just look pretty and get going and sometimes some people just get so distracted and caught up in the excitement of going to flaunt their sexy selves to the available eligible bachelors at Lagos weddings. Thereby forgetting that there are several unwritten rules for wedding guests. Apart from the basic character and etiquette expected of you at a public function e.g arriving on time, making sure you bring your invitation, eating appropriately, not looking for take away food or drinks e.t.c guests are also expected to dress a certain way. Here are some tips I'd really like you ladies to hold on dearly to when going for a wedding 

1. Don't wear anything that's too revealing. Remember that it's not a club party and although the couple and their friends are young happening people, their parents, aunties, uncles, bosses and older relatives would be present. Anything too tight would look trashy. You can wear a nice strapless dress but make sure the length is appropriate. When showing legs remember to cover up your chest and if you feel like a little cleavage wouldn't hurt then make sure your dress sits comfortably on your knees or just a little above. Always remember to do things in moderation. Nobody likes the uncomfortable stares of judging eyes. 

2. Never wear white. You don't want to compete with the bride on the happiest day of her life. It's not a "who wore it better" competition, it's her special day so let all the attention be on her. 

3. I wouldn't wear black to a wedding either, this is because black is a gloomy sad colour and a wedding is a happy occasion. If you absolutely must wear a black dress, make sure you brighten it up with a little colour in your accessories and shoes. All black from head to toe is a big no-no for such a joyful occasion. 

4. Some of you ladies plan to dance the day away, especially when the couple is a relative or a very close friend and so you make up your mind to wear flat sandals or flat plain pumps which are not formal enough for weddings. Add class to your dressing by wearing heels and if you are not a high heel wearing person then try wearing sparkly embellished flat pumps or sandals instead of bland plain ones. 

Statement Nails!

Stop being boring with your nail polishes and try something different today.

You might be sassy, sexy and adventurous in other things but believe it or not, your nails say a lot about who you are.

Do you know that one of the first things men notice about a woman are her nails?  I know that most of us would rather stick to our traditional red or pink nail colour or sometimes when we want to go a little outside our comfort zone we might try the usual French manicure. Well, it is time to ditch the usual cool time nail polishes and try completely new stuff and get in touch with the diva in you. 

Dare to be different by;

. Mixing different colours of nail polishes together to make your own unique nail colour 

. Adding some sparkle to your nails by using glittery nail polish. 

. Using metallic nail polish, to stand out from the crowd 

. Making polka dot designs on your nails with different colours of nail polish. There are nail polishes already designed for polka for effects like the Maybeline polka dot colour show nail paint.

. Using the crack effect nail polish for a different look.

. Matting your nail polish with a matte effect topcoat OPI and Models own nail polishes have matte topcoats. Some other nail polishes do coloured matte effect polishes.

. The new 3D effect nail polishes are fantastic. I bought some really nice and cheap ones from Primark and they came out looking gorgeous. I fell in love immediately. 

. Don't be afraid to go all artistic and dramatic on your nails. Get creative and draw different strokes and designs on your nails. 

Watch YouTube videos to find out how to do different things with your nails. 

Ps. Some of the photos are from google but most of them are my nails :) 

African Prints

Gone are the days when wearing indigenous clothes were tagged as being razz (local). Nowadays, the in thing with fashionistas and fashion designers is the incorporation of African print fabrics in their outfits and designs. 

These prints are eluding major high street stores, runways and fashion magazines both home and abroad. It seems they are here to stay. 

The colourful, tribal patterned fabrics, produced in Africa is commonly called 'Ankara' in Nigeria, 'Dutch Wax' in Ghana, 'Kanga prints' in Tanzania and in other East African countries it is called 'Ikat', 'Batik', 'Mud cloth' and so on.

I instantly fell in love with the Ghanian national team jersey for the FIFA 2014 World Cup yesterday when they played their first match of the tournament. For those who didn't see it, the white jersey had 'Kente' Ankara fabric round the neck on on the arm band. It looked so beautiful and unique. I applaud the designer of the team's jersey for imbibing the African culture into the outfit. It is the first of it's kind and it is obvious that a lot of thought and planning went into the design. 

The most interesting thing is, or should I say the most fascinating thing is that the use of Ankara is not limited to clothing as it was in past times. Designers have started using the rich African fabric for other fashion and household items, including purses, slippers, jewelry, shoes, pillow cases, curtains and different fashion accesories. So go ahead and rock your Ankara. Proudly African! 

Natural Remedies for Beautiful Skin.

We have to realise that just because one big cosmetic company brought out a new moisturiser, face wash, face scrub etc does not make it the best for your skin or the solution for your skin problems.

There is power in the natural products that we take for granted. As a matter of facet, dermatologists have said that most of these off the counter products are manufactured with harsh chemicals such as Hydroquinone, which can cause damage to the skin over a period of time.

The face is the most delicate area of our body. It is also the first thing people see when they look at you. This is the reason why it is more than necessary to give extra care and attention to your face.

Here are some tips on how to use natural products to beautify your skin and keep it looking fresh and radiant.

1.   Shea butter: The local African Shea butter is an all-natural organic product which helps to fade scars, wrinkles, stretch marks, dark spots, blemishes, skin discoloration and improves skin texture.

To make your own natural face scrub, just add some corn flour, brown sugar and essential oils to shea butter. The coarse brown sugar helps to exfoliate your skin and remove bacteria and dead skin cells. Use this once or twice a week to keep your skin clear and avoid over drying your skin.
 

2.   Goat milk: has a myriad of benefits for the skin. In fact, goat milk is now found as an essential ingredient in new skin care products. It conditions and moisturizes the skin. It serves as a great beauty treatment in the bath. Goat’s milk has smaller proteins, making it easily and quickly absorbed in the skin. It is a well known beauty aid in fighting and treating serious skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

To make your own facemask, add some honey to goat milk and rub on your face. Leave on for a few minutes and wash off before.

 

3.   Coconut Oil: Studies have shown that intake of coconut oil can help our bodies mount resistance to both viruses and bacteria that causes illness. More so, it helps fight off, yeast, fungus and Candida. It keeps the skin well moisturised and soft.

  
4. Olive oil: Olive oil is a great skin moisturiser. It contains linoleic acid, which prevents water from evaporating. You can also add a few drops of extra virgin olive oil to warm bath water for a good, healthy soak.

 

       5.  Lemons: Lemon Juice citric acid gradually fades spots and evens out your skin tone. Lemons are a great source of calcium, vitamin C, magnesium and potassium. These minerals and antioxidants improve the appearance and condition of our hair, nails and skin. The antibacterial and antifungal properties make them a natural alternative to treat acne and remove blackheads. You can add a few drops of natural honey to a half lemon and rub on affected area and leave on for 10 minutes before with cold water. They also help to get rid of oily skin.

 
  

Tips on how to handle Fashion Troubles

Having oops! Moments when you are out partying and having fun can be very disappointing and embarrassing. I know this because I have had one too many heart trenching and soul depressing moments like that.

Hence, I have taken the time out to give you guys’ ideas, or should I say advice on how to handle such situations when then occur.  Believe it or not, every woman must surely have those disgraceful moments at least once in your lifetime.

1.   I will advice every lady to carry a safety pin or brooch in her purse. These come in handy, as we cannot trust zips and buttons that pop open without fore hand notice. Especially when you have eaten more than the free room your dress allows.

2.   Keep a pair of slippers/sandals in your car. Oh no! I think I should have made this number 1 on the list, because, trust me, nothing can be more embarrassing than for the heels on your shoes to snap or your shoe straps ripping.

 

3.   Ladies, what do you put in your hand bag, if you do not have pocket tissues in it? Every lady should have tissue in her bag. We do not want to be asking for toilet roll or table napkins to wipe spills, stains, sweat etc. pocket tissue is an essential commodity in every hand bag.

 

4.   I know a lot of us carry really tiny clutch bags for parties. I am not saying you have to take out your whole make up bag, but surely we should be able to fit in a compact powder and lipstick to touch up your make up. A lady should be ready to take snap shots at any time during the party, and not just at your arrival.

5. Perfume, perfume, perfume. Make it a habit to keep the little sample bottles and testers you are given at perfume shops and on the road. You need them in your bag or in your makeup bag. So you do not have to carry a big bottle of perfume, every time you are going out. 

6. Mints/chewing gum so you do not have to shy away from taking to people and making new friends. Keep your breath fresh always.