Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts

Launching a Youtube Channel




Currently, I've been occupied with a couple of projects. The first and most important is something my best friend (@unservile_fashionist)  and I have been working on for a year.  We're launching a Youtube channel. Exciting, right? I told you you were going to be happy when you found out why I was away. 

This channel has been a year long  dream that has finally come to reality. The channel is more or less an extension of our blogs. Check her blog out: Miralabelle. Our content for the channel is going to range from fashion, to lifestyle, events, Do It Yourself posts and beauty hacks. 

The journey to achieving this first post was a gruelling experience. Almost everything went wrong at some point and it began to look like the channel wouldn't be a reality.

At this point, I was getting upset so easily and a lot of things and people were irritating me. There were times when I just wanted to slap the hell out of someone because of frustration. lol. Thank God that didn't happen. Then it looked like the storm had passed when we started shooting only for 80% footage of a complete look book to disappear. This made us reshoot and a part of me was thankful because I think the results were better. The channel is a success and I'm thankful. I'm still really nervous about the whole thing but worrying wouldn't solve anything. Now would it? So my advise to you is:

1. Take up that thing youvevalways wanted to do.

2. Refuse to recognize limitations. They only exist to serve as a spring board for your promotion.

3. Try as much as possible not to compare yourself with anyone. 

4. Work with a budget and learn to do things by yourself. We had a dudget of 5000 naira and spent slightly lesser than that. I made the lights.Although they weren't used in this video.

5. Finally, strive to improve on yourself. The goal is to be better with each passing day. 

You can check the channel out here. We have a 100 subscribes as our target. So please watch, like, subscribe and share. 

Why I've Been Away

Just so you don't get bored.

Hi loves, before I begin, I'd like to apologize for being away for so long. I have been overwhelmed with so much but I think it's getting better or rather it's getting easier to deal with the stress.  I'll let you know why I've been away later in my next post. I'm sure you'll be happy for me when I let you in on the secret.


For me, the month of January has been a "Big Bang" kind of month. Let me explain, you know how scientist explain the creation of the universe? You probably do but ill explain still. The hypothesis states that there was an over heating ( this was before the year began and I i had my had a massive influx of ideas for my blog. This heating lead to an explosion causing bits and pieces of subatomic particles spewing millions of miles apart forming the universe we know now.  The explosion phase for e was at the beginning of the year when I got super consistent with posting on the blog and my Instagram account.    After the explosion, a cooling occurred. Things got silent. Indeed things were quiet but not dormant: Planets, stars and galaxies were in the making.  The cooling phase is where I've been for the past two weeks. Cooking up stuff for 2017.
Like I said before, I'll let you in on it later in my post that would be up this evening.

Forgive me for leaving without absence. You'll love me when you discover why I've been away.






2016 in Retrospect

Happy New Year!!

Wow! It's finally over. 365 days gone! Just like that. It's really amazing how time has been doing fast and furious these past years. Each year just seems shorter than the last. 
This is a recap of everything (not really; ) ) that happened in 2016. I don't know where to start from. Now I'm regretting doing this recap but I'll do it anyways. I've already started. No turning back now. 

In the beginning: My 2016 started with me relocating temporarily to Kebbi state for my National Youth Service Corps. I think my feeling towards that was a bitter-sweet one because although I wanted to explore and the Dora in me just kept pushing me, I was sad that I was going to miss my family, friends and all the fashion events I planned to attend in 2016. I didn't let all that make me change my mind though. I braced up decided to take the year by its horns. 

Settling In: So living on my own was slightly frightening. I didn't know what to expect. The only thing I knew was that I have always wanted to be independent. Now that I've had a little, I'm sort of addicted to the idea of managing my own space and time. I can't wait to finally be on my own. 

Making Friends: I made so many friends this year. I'm good at meeting people but the worst at following up or keeping in touch. Like, I literally never try. It has cost me some- scratch that, A LOT of friends. I feel the ones that were able to look past my bad behaviour were only able to do that by the Grace of God. Recently, I've met people worse than me and I think God  made me meet them so I can appreciate the people that actually take out time to check up. 
I made friendships on Instagram that I'm sure would last a lifetime. I met so many others physically and it was love at first sight I tell you. I met some others and discovered they were all fluff. I kept the olds strong ones and reinforced them. I really want to mention names but I'm not going to. You know yourselves. You know you've been amazing. 


Emotionally: I hurt; I got hurt; I loved; I was loved; I hated; I forgave. I learnt the most painful thing about human love- It's blind, passionate, intense, unending (if you're lucky) but it doesn't forgive. The beginning of the year for me was an emotional roller coaster caused by my own hands. One I thought I would still be in. One I got out of earlier than I thought. It was a nice ride drama but better luck next time. *slams door and catwalks away* 


Adventures: Oh this year was definitely my year of adventures. I'll just list a few. 
• Living in Kebbi itself was an adventure. 
• Travled round the state. Bunza, Arugungu, Jega, Zagga, Bagudo, Kamba, Zuru, Dankingari, Koko, Besse, Sokoto and Zamfara. I know you don't know these places but listing them makes me feel badass. Like ajala travels or Dora the explora in 5D. 
Note: These places are extremely remote places with no electricity or running water  and are far apart from each other  some as far as 5 hours but in the same state. Don't ask me what carried me there. 
• Had a lot of friends sleep over at my house and crashed at so many peoples places. Now, this is an adventure for me because it's so not me. I hate sleepovers and I also don't like leaving my bed because I never sleep well on my first few nights on any new bed. To my surprise, I loved all the sleep overs I had in 2016 and I'm looking forward to more. It also made me realise that in the ultimate host. Well, that's until you start eyeing my clothes. The hostship ends there. 
• Went to a cattle and camel market. Would you believe we had those in Nigeria? 
• Took 2 boat rides. My love for boat rides started when I first sailed the Indian Ocean. It was amazing. All you have around you is wind and water and the sound is sheer serenity. Beautiful, I tell you. This made me want more. So every chance I had to ride across water, I took without thinking too much. 
• Climbed a hill/rock thingie. I also discovered I had a weird thing for climbing when I climbed Mount Longonout (Kenya). As for this hill/rock thingie, Seun made me do it. 
• Attended the Kano Dabur Festival. I wrote about that. As much as I love horses, seeing over a hundred of them one place is no joke- it's frightening as hell. Also got to see a little bit of the beautiful city of Kano but mostly at night. I'll have to go back this year to experience it better. 
• Witnessed Shallah first had. I didn't just stay in Kebbi to look at camels. I also stayed so I could really eat meat during the Shallah festival.  And I didn't dull. My diet for two days was strictly Shallah meat. I know what your thinking- "This one likes food!". Yes. Yes I do and a  lot. 
• Oh! Before I forget, I got caught outside in a sandstorm. I'm not sure if that's an adventure but I'm never going to forget about it.  Nah mehn, never. 



NYSC: My experience was surreal. It's was amazing sometimes and I hated it some other times. There were times when I fell into depression from loneliness and times when I just felt like settling in the North, marrying an Aboki and having plenty cute Fulani babies...Not really. I met so many awesome people both on camp and during my service year. I finally had girlfriends. More like sisterfriends. *sigh of satisfaction* You don't know how  I've longed to have this. I also learnt how to have fun all by myself. I like to see the experience as a prep for what's about to come when it comes to independence and all I can say is: Throw me your best shot!


My Sisters Wedding: Another epic event in 2016. The first of the Adenowo girls to get married. As much as I loved the wedding, I hated the aftermath. Now everyone is asking when I'm going to get married. If you're in this category of people, my answer is: Biko leave me alone! I'm too young! : p


Events: Because I was in the north, I didn't get a chance to attend all the events I wanted to but I was lucky enought to meet up with some in between and at the end. Actually, just three: The Blogger Point Brunch, The GTB Fashion Weekend and The Nigerian  Students Fashion and Design Week. All of which were amazing not because the events added any value to my life but that I got to meet a lot of cool people and hang out with my best friend. 


Selfies: This was definitely my year of taking peng selfies. 


Regrets: Not going to Niger Republic. Not buying a straw hat ( you'd think because you were in the north these things would be easy to find). They're so hard to find. 


Grateful: I'm immensely thankful for 2016. For completing my NYSC hitch free. For the progress of my blog. For the support. For everything!

Your Views Matter
So what was 2016 like for you? What would you want 2017 to look like? I know I'm going to flourish. What about you? 

 
 

My 2016 Skin Care Routine



I can't stress how important showing your skin some love is. It's the most exposed part of the body. Constantly coming in contact with dust, smoke, dirt etc. This makes your face prone to infections like acne, black heads, rashes and what not. 

Generally, I have good (facial) skin so I don't  pay enough attention to my face. We're all different with different skin types and I can't even advise anyone to be like me when it comes to facial skin care. It used to be a once in a while thing. I only get serious for about a week and for the next month or two I wouldn't even remember to use a cleansing lotion. I'm trying to change. Especially with my inconsistency. I have a process. Since I know what to do, I'm just going to stick to it. I've been on this routine for two weeks now and I doubt if I'm stopping anytime soon *fingers crossed* 




The first thing I do is to exfoliate and I do that with Xtreme Collection Gold Mud. This scrub literally makes my skin glow. I got a lot of people asking where I got it from when I posted it on Instagram. Well, my mum got it from a random beauty store in Dubai so I'm finding it a little hard to break  their hearts. Honestly, any good body/facial scrub would do. 



I also use Forever R3 Factor SkinSmoothening Creme what this does is to address the major Rs of skin care: It helps RETAIN the skin's natural moisture, RESTORE resilience and RENEW the appearance of the skin. 

My third Go-to product, is the Forever Alpha-E Factor Serum. This basically locks-in moisture. It's more effective when you use it with the Forever R3 Factor Creme. 


 I have mega eye bags. I got them after sleepless nights from reading for WAEC in 2011 and they've stayed with me ever since. These things are so stubborn. I know normal people only have eye bags when they have fitful nights or are stressed out but no ooo, my own is different. I bet if I just got out of a spa they would still be there. I tried so many products to get rid of them. From scrubs, to potatoes, to cucumbers nothing worked. Then came The Blogger Point Brunch. As part of my goodie bag, I got a Crystal Collagen Eyemask. I didn't use it because I was saving them for a "special occasion". The "special occasion" came and I was too busy to even remember them. I actually planned to wait for another "special occasion" then one beautiful Sunday afternoon I decided to look at a mirror and discovered I had eye bags the size of tea bags. I had no other choice but to use these eye masks and they worked like magic. All you have to do is to take them out of the pack and place them under each eye then leave for 15-30 minutes and vuala! Eye bags free face. 



My Process
• Wash your face. 
• Massage the Xtreme Collection Gold Mud Scrub or any facial scrub into your skin. Leave that on for about 5 minutes and rinse. 
• Dry face with a clean towel. 
•  Mix the Forever R3 Factor with the Alpha-E Factor serum and apply where needed. I've been using this as a body cream and it's been working wonders. 
• Using the eye mask is optional. 

Too much?
I know how busy everyone is with school or work or life. So the best time to follow this skin care routine would be during the weekend when you have time on your side.

If you're interested in getting these products, I'll tag them on Instagram so watch my Instagram page. Muahh! 

My Christmas Wishlist


I've read and read loads of wishlists from birthday wishlists to Christmas wishlists. Heck, I've even heard of Easter wishlists but I've never made one. It's not that I didn't want things, It just never happened. So this year, I'm going to dish out my wishlist with hopes that some kind heart out there would make my dreams come true. 




A Camera
I've been using a Sony camcorder to take my blog pictures for a very long time now and it's about time I up my photography game. So I'm in desperate need of one.   Amazon has some pretty affordable cameras. In case you're wondering, it's a Canon camera I want.




Shoes/glasses 
These babies have been tormenting me on instagram through out 2016 but I made up my mind to close my eyes to them. I'm not closing again. I want them. I'm not quiet sure where to get the shoes. You can give me the money to buy them. As for the glasses, you can find them on @haute.signatures on Instagram and they're quiet affordable. Biko make me smile this December if you can.


A spa session 
After a long stressful year, I think I deserve a day to be pampered. Deal day had really good offeres if you're wondering where to book me a spa session. 

 
Money 
Everyone needs money but I need it more. 


A new phone/laptop
I'm not choosy. I don't mind having either of them. If your pocket permits you, both is fine. Although, I need the laptop more. I don't exactly love my Chromebook and I'm tired of using my  phone to blog. 

Guys, I know it sounds like a lot but it's not much. In fact, I'm a really good person. I'm reducing the workload by telling you where to get the stuff. This is the most turnt time of the year, I know but try to turn up with wisdom and be careful. I don't want to hear any stories that touch. Got it?

What's in your Christmas wishlist?? Who knows, someone out here might just want to make you happy. 

Getting Comfortable In My Skin


I can remember saying countless times that my personal style is dynamic. It never subscribes to staying put. Like really, everytime I see something new, I want to try it. To be honest, it's incredibly hard to look away from clothes.
This explains why I've taken a liking to "not so conservative clothing". 

Did anyone notice I've been showing a lot more skin of late? I'm sure you did. I started this not because I have prefect skin. In fact, my skin is very far from that but I've come to except my spots as mine. I accepted that I'm in Nigeria and it's almost impossible not to get those spots. I honestly don't know how people that don't have any do it. Thank God for pictures. They hardly show in them. 






I've always wanted to flash skin and I'm not talking about my legs. I've always been comfortable with them. I'm talking about my hands and back. I've been too shy or worried that my skin isn't like icecream as one of my former roommates would describe good skin. I also want to project boldness, fierceness, and confidence. I'm working towards it by  firstly showing some skin in the areas outside my comfort zone. 

You might be wondering, is she trying to be sexy? The answer is Yes. Yes, this is an attempt to be sexy. I know I look silly but it's worth trying.

It's not going to be easy but nothing good ever comes easy. Isn't that the saying?

Your Views Matter
I know I'm not the only one uncomfortable about some flaws here and there? I'm learning to accept mine by trying daring  things. What are your flaws and how are you learning to accept yours?

Life in August


Happy New Month! Welcome to September fashion lovers: the January for Fashion. We're officially rounding off on 2016. Who feels like it was just last week we did the count down into 2016?

This was originally meant to be a style post. An overdue one at that. (My SD card has been spoilt and that's why I haven't posted in a while) I decided against doing a style post and thought it would be much better to tell you about my August because I loved it. 

Let's get down to business shall we...

My August started with me running away from NYSC reason being that I missed home and there were some events I couldn't afford to miss. My initial Home Run plan was to go out as much as possible and discover new places. This happened but not as I wanted it to. 

My home run waka started with unilag. A collaboration photo shoot that fail because of the weather. The upside was that I got to rediscover UNILAG and take pictures. Please who agrees with me that UNILAG guys with cars can be very annoying? 


Then there was the Nigerian Students Fashion and Design Week. I'm not going to lie, I was a little disappointed. I went for the first day alone but I got word that the day 2 was lit. I was able to tuck in a collaboration with my bestfreind. The weekend was packed. The next day was my Nuli Juice and Nike Art Gallery experience. I would like to tag this outing Cheap Thrills  because of how inexpensive it was. Read all about it Here. 






After this weekend, everything was much of a blur. I don't know how it all passed. I think I spent it visiting friends. The next Highlight of August was The Blogger Point  brunch Lagos. It was all so pretty and floral. I met so many people I've been dying to meet finally(Desola Mako, Ilamosi, Iyesoggie and the list goes on). I didn't do a post on it because a lot of bloggers already did that so I'll just drop a link so you can check it out on The Diva Diaries blog and @thetonyeigbani  on Instagram. 

I also discovered a new way to wear Gafa Sandals. You like?


Started aerobics which I lowkey wasn't consistent with because of laziness *sigh*. Why can't losing weight be as effortless as adding it? 

The last few days in August, I used to prepare for my return and know Lagos better. Did a little road trip with my long time friend.





A letter to September

Hi September, 
I'm more than sure you saw how August was good. Let that be your role model but don't stop yourself from being better. 

Your Views Matter 
How did your August go?


Have you considered subscribing? Just drop your email below. 


FOREVER

Review: Nuli Juice and Nike Art Gallery


Hey you, yeah I'm talking to you. Lol!
ignore that but really, hello. Long time no post right? I'm not going to give any excuse because I don't have any good enough one. So let's just assume you love me so much, have forgiven me already and jump right to the post. 

First off, I'm back in Lagos...Yay to that! I'm really happy to be back home and back to Lagos traffic and stress. Who would ever imagine anyone would miss that. I did anyways. And I've been taking Lagos by storm. No time to chill fam. I've been all about events, outings, collaborations, okay just one for now but a lot has been going on. 

Enough rambling, I'm here to give a review of the last to places I hung out this past weekend- Nuli Juice and The Nike Art Gallery. 

Nuli Juice 
The first impression I got from here was really cool. The space had this homely feel unlike most restaurants. It actually looked like a place I could escape to to avoid drama. The choice of interior decor, I thought, was really cool. Amazing for taking photos which I did a lot. I bet the people there must have concluded that my friend and I were crazy. The food was amazballz (you'll think they sell Only juice from the name). I had a fiesty chicken panini, sweet potatoe fries,  jus de bissap (fancy name for zobo) and berrilicious smoothie. All of which I liked. The experience was really cool. Good clean inexpensive food. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that there were no waiters. You do everything yourself but then again the whole point of the restaurant is to encourage healthy living so a little excercise would do no harm. 










The Nike Art Gallery 
My next stop was The Nike Art Gallery. This was my first time here and I'm a little sad I didn't get to carry my camera along. I heard they didn't allow pictures but I saw a lot of people with cameras. There was also the 'No Photos' sign but no one seemed to pay attention to that. If you've been there before, and you know about their pictures policy, let us know in the comments. Thank you!
My thought about the gallery was Art Everywhere like literally. There were paintings and sculptures all the way up to the ceiling, all the walls, staircases, even the windows. It was all so beautiful seeing all that creativity properly preserved and showcased. I've always known Africa was the heart and soul of creativity and art but I've never seen it like this before. It was really breathtaking. There were endless oohh's and aahh's. I was lucky enough to meet a photography exhibition. I also got to talk to the photographer Oritse MXVO (check out his IG) and his numerous cousins, lol. The  best thing about this gallery is that it's totally free. Now who doesn't like free things? 

















I'm just going to conclude by saying in the words of my friend and outing buddy Tilewa, "This outing was fullingly inexpensive" and that's the truth. 


Your Views Matter 
I hoped you like the reviews? If your in Lagos, are you going to try these places out? If you've been to any of these places and you had a different experience do tell. I'd love to know your story

If you're interested in reading a little more about my adventures, check HERE
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