As a professional makeup artist and tutor, a lot of my clients and students have asked me questions like what do I use this for or do I need this?  I will be sharing some key products that are quite essential to have in your makeup bag. If you don't have these products then get them immediately and if you already do, you are on track. Before I get down to business, note that these products are not only meant for makeup artists but every individual that uses makeup at all. 1. Every makeup lover/user/guru need a face primer. A face primer not only prolongs your makeup but also keeps your foundation intact and helps it not smear. A face primer is a base that serves as a canvas to hold onto whatever makeup product you apply to your skin. Have you seen a makeup that the skin work looks streaked and smudged, that's because a primer wasn't applied or a good primer wasn't applied. It's one thing to buy a primer and it's another to buy a reputable one. I would recommend ...

Okro or okra is known in many English- speaking countries as ladies' fingers because the pods are long and shaped like a lady's finger. Its scientific name is Abelmoschus esculentus. It is a good source of vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants. As a vegetable, okra may be prepared like asparagus, sauteed or pickled. A large amount of mucilage it contains makes it useful as a thickener for soups. Okra flowers usually bloom for less than a day before it drops off the plant. As much as there are benefits to eating this crop, too much isn't so good because there are side effects. Let's start with the side effects; Okra contains fructans, a type of carbohydrate. This can cause diarrhoea, gas, cramping and bloating especially to those with bowel problems. It can also cause gout and kidney stones because okra is high in oxalates which prevent your body from absorbing beneficial nutrients in your digestive tract. Benefits of Okra Okra helps control obesity or fat. Eating ...

If you are not African, you might not know ogbono soup. Permit me to explain this to my non-African readers what ogbono is then we can proceed to the essence of this article. Ogbono soup is a Nigerian dish made with dry ground ogbono seeds.  It originated from the eastern part of Nigeria where the Igbos come from. The seed is sometimes known as wild mango, African mango or bush mango. Ogbono soup is easy to prepare and it is slimy in texture, similar to a soup called okra. The soup is called draw soup in English.  How to remove lumps in Ogbono soup; This soup is easy to make but if you don't start right, you will end up getting it wrong. If you ever find lumps while making this soup then something went wrong. I experienced this recently for the very first time and decided to share how I was able to get rid of the lumps. Usually, there are two methods in making this soup, you can either fry or boil the ground seeds. Well, the frying method is my style. When frying, you put the ...

Communication is speaking, listening, understanding and responding. It means exchanging information by speaking, writing or using other methods. It includes a sender, a message and a recipient. When you communicate properly, you express love, you build others up, you will grow and be better. Good communication helps to remove burden, anger and misunderstanding. If you are communicating and it promotes anger, then you are not communicating properly. Like I mentioned earlier, when one is communicating, there should be a speaker, a message and a receiver. When the recipient is not listening, responding or understanding your message, then you are not saying anything reasonable at all. If you're not communicating in a healthy way, disaster will arise. When there is no open communication, the simple talks will become arguments then it becomes aggressive communication and later, it becomes toxic. No one can have a relationship when there's no communication. There are a number of reaso...

AFFORDABLE MAKEUP PRODUCTS TO SHOP DURING BLACK FRIDAY It's that time of the year! BLACK FRIDAY!!! Excited much? I call it the shopping holiday, so get ready because it's on Friday, 27 November 2020. Listed below are 10 products to shop during this time. They are all affordable and definitely a must-have. All were selected by me because I can't do without them. Oh, and mind you - the products are in stock as of the time of publication. 1. TARA PRO CONCEALER - For highlighting your face which comes in 7 shades and 1 orange corrector. There are shades for all skin tone - dark, medium and light skin tone.  It is water-based, easy to apply with a brush-like tip and blends effortlessly. It does not crease and it hides dark circles or dark spots. Since I have been using this product, I've had no regrets whatsoever compared to other brands. It works perfectly and definitely one to look out for on Black Friday if you are looking for the best pro concealer ever. 2. TARA QUAD BRO...

OVULATION Ovulation is when a mature egg is released from the ovary. After the egg is released, it then moves down to the fallopian tube where fertilization by sperm can take place.   A woman is most fertile during  ovulation and this occurs 12 to 14 days before your next period. Ovulation is part of your menstrual cycle, meaning it happens every month. Signs of Ovulation Discharge Lower Abdominal pain Breast pain Cervix changes - The Cervix acts as the door to the uterus which sperm can travel through to fertilize eggs. Increased sexual desire Ovulation spotting MENOPAUSE Menopause simply means the end of your menstrual cycle. It is a natural biological process and can happen between the age of 40 or 50. It doesn't occur overnight but a gradual process. It is a time when the function of the ovaries ceases.  Signs of Menopause Irregular menstruation Insomnia (A sleep disorder) Hair dryness and loss Low libido and vaginal dryness Fatigue, moodiness, dry skin and sweating H...

What is odour? It is a particularly unpleasant smell. Bad breath is also called halitosis and can be really embarrassing. There are several reasons why people have bad mouth odour and below are tips on how to eliminate it. If you fall under this category, then read carefully because the truth is, no one likes to be around bad mouth odour. First of all, let's highlight the possible causes. Causes of bad mouth odour There are certain foods, habits and health conditions that cause mouth odour. 1. Smoking and Alcohol - Smokers and those who take alcohol frequently are more likely to have gum disease which is also called periodontitis ,  a bad breath trigger. Gum disease damages the soft tissue and the bone that supports your teeth. According to research, alcohol can trigger acid reflux, a digestive disease, in which the stomach acid irritates the throat, and this acid has an odour. Smoking damages the gum tissue leading to gum disease. 2. Food - Eating certain foods like onions, spic...

  This is the biggest yam for the New Yam Festival happening in Nanka, a small town before Ekwulobia, in Anambra state. My cousin sent this image and I decided to share it. She attended the festival which happened yesterday, August 15th 2020. Usually, the town celebrates the festival after Igwe Godwin Ogochukwu Ezekunie Obu Nanka but because of COVID 19, there won't be any big ceremony.  What is the New Yam Festival? The New Yam Festival is a Nigerian annual cultural festival by the Igbo people held in August. The New Yam Festival is a celebration representing the prominence of yam in the life of Igbo people. The evening before the day of the festival, all old yams are disposed of or consumed. Only dishes of yam are served during the festival. The celebration lasts a whole day and some other places, it may last a week or more. New Yam festival is also celebrated in Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Delta and Imo state. The festival is an important way of marking the beginning and end of t...

 We all love good food, right? Who doesn't? I mean, who wouldn't desire a bright, healthy skin. Sometimes, it's difficult for the skin to remain flawless, especially when you have acne-prone skin. Nonetheless, we move. There are certain foods that help our metabolism and body in general function appropriately. Foods rich in Vitamins and Minerals are what you should consume daily to achieve the skin you desire and I would be sharing my top 6.  1. GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES - How I love my veggies. I used to hate green veggies growing up but now I make sure to add vegetables to almost every meal I prepare. Few varieties of green vegetables to include in your meal are spinach, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, etc. Green leafy vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre. Eating this daily can reduce high blood pressure, heart disease, eye problems, increases our skin natural protection from sun damage and lastly, helps with skin hydration. 2. SWEET POTATOES - Are my faves ...

We all make blunders. I certainly did and still do. In my six years of experience in the makeup industry, I have noticed that we never stop learning new tips and tricks when it comes to makeup. In makeup artistry, we learn, unlearn, relearn for the need to constantly improve our skills. If you aren't growing or improving as an artist then you are doing something wrong. But don't fret, that's why I am here. To tell you the mistakes you are making that is perhaps keeping you in a loop.  I am certain everyone wants to expand at some point in their lives or career. If you are that person, then keep reading. I started my career as a makeup artist in 2014. Before then, I was already into makeup as self-taught. My friends would tell me to always make them up because they saw my passion and creativity was second to none. I didn’t learn makeup from anyone or anywhere, it was just innate. A few years later, I decided to take it up as a professional career. I paid a prominent makeup a...

Hello, YouTubers, or aspiring YouTubers, if you are reading this, then you are at the right place.  I started my channel a year ago and wasn't consistent until the global pandemic. It gave me the chance I needed to get on with my channel and believe me when I say the lockdown wasn't a bad idea because it paved the way for my consistency so far on YouTube. Having a Youtube channel and growing is a process that cannot be overlooked, that's if you want to partake in the process.  Here is a video I filmed concerning this topic on Youtube. You can watch it to get the visual aspect of the stated points further down. When I started my channel, I didn't have a clear picture as to what to film or concerning what my channel should be about. I just wanted to start a channel and when I say something, I do it. One important thing you need to take from here is to START! Starting something is paramount for growth and success in general. That first step is gravely important when it com...

Clear and radiant skin isn't gotten overnight. You have to deliberately do what's required with of course patience. You have to wait for at least 4-6  weeks to notice a difference. There are steps to achieving clear skin and to get results, you have to orderly follow them.   Before I itemise the steps, do you know your skin type? It's paramount in achieving your desired skin goal.  We have dry skin, oily skin, normal skin, sensitive skin and combination skin.  Which one is yours? If you have no idea, here's a tip for you to know which skin type you have. Dry skin gets itchy and scaly. Your skin dries up easily. Oily skin is greasy especially on your t-zone which is the forehead, nose and chin area. Normal skin is neither greasy nor dry. Sensitive skin reacts to things easily. Use hypoallergenic products if you have allergies. Combination skin has a little bit of oily skin and a little dry skin. Sometimes your skin is dry and sometimes it's oily. When getting ski...

As a professional makeup artist, trying out different products is definitely a must for me. I have been in the makeup industry for about seven years now and I have come across hundreds of makeup brands. Today, I will name seven brands I know that are really inexpensive and also of good quality.  Personally, I have tried these brands so it's not a guess list.  These makeup products will not clog your pores, neither would it cause any skin infection whatsoever. If you breakout using these products, then perhaps your skin lacks the appropriate care it needs. Quite a lot of women tend to blame their skin problems on makeup products. Well, you shouldn't. Before condemning the brand or product, try a skincare routine and see what happens. A skincare routine entails drinking lots of water, sleeping on a clean pillow sheet, cleansing the face twice a day, exfoliating three times a week, using a face toner and lastly a moisturizer suitable for your skin type.  I will share my skin...

First off, an offence is taken not given. We can decide today to not be hurt. We can ignore the urge to feel offended if we decide to react to things differently. An offence is when you're upset or hurt because someone has been rude or disrespectful. I know sometimes people can be unbearable but if you react negatively to situations all the time, you're only stealing your peace of mind. People get offended because they feel attacked but do you know you can resist this urge and become a better version of yourself? Keep reading. Taking offence means you are pissed at something. Pride also plays a huge role when it comes to taking offence. One thing is sure, you would get wrinkled easily if all you do is take offence at the slightest things. This image shows the lady is offended. What would she gain by being stuck up? Personalize that question and what's your answer? Absolutely nothing! How to not be so easily offended: If you lack humility and selflessness, then you are likel...