Saturday 23 February 2013

7 Must Haves' in Every Naija's Chic Bag


Sunscreen Cream

This is something almost every girl I know skips from her daily regime. Not only is it important to apply sunscreen before you go out in the sun, it is also equally as important to re-apply it on every exposed part of your body when you have been out in the sun for a long time (this is also dependent on the strength of the sunscreen and your skin. To read more). Sun damage is responsible for up to 70 percent of the visible signs of ageing, skin cancer – caused by overexposure to the sun. A portable sunscreen in your handbag will do your skin justice. At your prime, you will look at your skin and know that you did the right thing when you were a chic.

Aubrey Organics Natural Sunscreen - Green Tea
Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid

Sunglasses

Hate the attention it attracts from people, Love the protection it provides. The sunlight here gets really bright and your delicate eyes need the cover. I have noticed (myself included) that many Nigerian women suffer from hyper-pigmentation and sun burns around the eye area. To reduce or hinder this from happening,  sunglasses will go a long way.

L - R: Roxy Raf 1 Sunglasses and Spy Clarice Sunglasses

Hand fans

According to my convenient buddy, Wiki, ‘it is a hand-held device used to induce airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself’. The very privileged chic have a fully functional air cooling system in her car, office and home but she cannot escape those times in the church, bank, some restaurants (and yes even posh ones sometimes get hot), shopping malls/market and the list could go on. What I am trying to highlight is that being in a country with a hot climate; one always requires this lightweight, easy and multipurpose device. I say multi-purpose because I use it sometimes to shade my face from the inevitable enduring sunshine.




Hand Sanitizer

Must I say why you need this? From the handling of dirty currencies to the general hygiene of our dusty environment, the hand sanitizer comes very handy in avoiding the spread of germs and bacteria.

Handkerchief / Mini Serviette Tissue / Wipes

For all the reasons above and so much more, any of these options you choose to have is a must for every chic’s handbag. Since Nigeria is also a very dusty environment, you will need to wipe loads of dirt off chairs, handle of doors/cars, your sleek shoes, etc.


Travel-size Perfumes or Body Mist/Spritz/Refresher

Oh my, oh my, who can actually miss this? They come in different sizes from 5ml to 50ml to fit perfectly into your bag. You need them because High sunshine = Very sweaty = Very Sticky = Very smelly (lol). No one likes the last stop on those very busy days.



Water

Hydration! Hydration!! Hydration!!! I don’t know how people survive without a bottle of water in their bags. This helps me keep hunger and over-snacking at bay. I also read somewhere that drinking water is also one of the cheapest beauty treatments around, it helps to promote a clearer, more radiant complexion. Whether true or not, one thing I am sure of is that water replenishes skin tissues, moisturizes the skin and increases its skin elasticity.


Monday 11 February 2013

Place of Serenity


Everyone has a place or more that gives them serenity. It might not necessarily be a place; it might just be a large working space or a tiny bedside table top. Until I can get a proper working space, I have found my bookshelf top to be my micro place of serenity.

My own place


I have my jewelery boxes, flower vase with faux flowers, some travel souvenirs, candles and a collectors box on it. I am not a strictly neatly/tidy person. I will rate myself an average (or a 5/10) on tidiness but when every part of my life and bedroom is in muddles, this bookshelf is always neat and in order. My family members know better than to mess my BS* top.

Also, my sister finds my Dad's room to be her place of serenity. My Dad is usually busy and hardly uses his room except at night to rest. Whenever she says ''I will be at Dad’s room if anyone is looking for me'' we all know better than going there to disturb her. I think she feels very safe and relaxed in his room. It initially started with her hiding there in order to avoid being sent on errands (as the youngest child) but gradually, she found it to be her place.

I believe everyone should have a place where they find calm or just feel relaxed. Some friends find their homes to be that place. When I was an intern and living with a family friend a few years ago in a different city, I found my office cubical to be a place I looked forward to being.

Where do you find to be your place of calm?


*Book shelf

Thursday 7 February 2013

HUGO BOSS Arrives the Shores of Nigeria

I have always looked forward to the day when leading fashion brands will see Nigeria as a place of business interest. I even look much further to the day when Nigeria will be one of the world's leading fashion capitals like Paris, London, Milan, New York etc. With Hugo Boss opening a flagship store in The Palm Mall at Lekki, Lagos, I know my dreams are no longer far-fetched. The front runner designer store opened its doors for business on the 1st February, 2013, with opening party packed with so many celebrities. Top models and top business executives in the country. Nigerian supermodel, Oluchi Onweagba, Fidelity Bank MD, Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi and Gideon Okeke, Star of Tinsel TV show, who hosted the event, are a few mentioned at the event.




L - R: 1st Customer (winner) to spend over N100,000 with the Store Manager; Mohammed Ayyoub






Another amazing brand coming soon to our shores, Lagos (Ikeja City Mall) to be precise is the leading cosmetics brand MAC.

For more images click here.

Image Source: hautefashionafrica
Photography by Cruise Events

UPDATE: MAC Cosmetics launched its first store prior to this post. it was launched on the 2nd February, 2013. Although, I am not a Mac fan, I cannot wait to explore the store.