How to Look Flawless and Chic this Heat Period

Someone jokingly remarked on social media that it seems like the last person
to enter hell fire forgot to shut the gate hence the increasing rise in temperature.
Am starting to believe he/she is right in making that statement, if not what could
be the reason for the scorching sun roasting ones skin like it wants to bake it,
the sweats pouring out of ones skin like the rain heralding the start of seed sowing,
hot flushes, shiny oily face, itching scalp from sweats and hair sealed up by weavons,
darkening skin tone and seriously recently its hard to keep a flawless make-up because
the heat will not only melt out all the make-up but also give you a reason to wipe sweat
off your face at every few minutes interval and in a short while you are left wondering
about the where about of your once perfectly applied make-up.
Does this sound familiar to you?

" mmmhhhhh.....yeah I know it does describe a teeny-weeny bit of what

            you are going through right now".

Chill out and see how you can manage to still look chic and picture perfect
at every minutes of the day irrespective of the so called global warming.

Skip Oil-Based Moisturizers
You must have seen and heard enough reasons of why your skin needs moisturizer
and why you shouldn't skip its use.....ok thats righ!!! but if you are presently in
Nigeria and you have dry skin, my friend you don't need to apply moisturizer, the
sun and heat will automatically bless you with oily shiny skin free of charge and if
you have oily skin already like me, your guess is as good as mine~~~moisturizer and
oil-based products becomes your worst enemy while you silently pray for the next
harmatan season to come sooner than expected.
Applying oil-based moisturizers this heat period will cause your skin to sweat more
than usual, make your face too oily for make-up to hold on for long without fading
away.
But if you are brave enough and think your skin can take more moisture by all means
use non oil moisturizer, I would suggest water based  (mostly in gel form) because it
would keep your skin hydrated without looking too shiny and best of all water based
moisturizer can double as a foundation and base for your make-up application.

Heat Proof Make-up tips 
Make-up melts away easily in humid and high temperature, and if you are still using
fake foundations and concealers this period because you want to save some change,
you won't like your look after sun and sweat finish seperating the Mary from Kay
on your face.
~Your top most priority when applying make-up should be~~~to apply make-up
that will not melt out easily and can last all through the day- for this reason you would
need to stock up on not only quality but sweat-resistant foundation that can defy the
humidity and sweatiness that comes with the day's weather.
I was able to find out two best heat-proof foundations in the market and will put
up the brands name here just for you: Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation and  Mac 
Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation.

~Avoid heavy make-up and foundations layering this heat period as this can make you
sweat easily and melt away as it would require you to wipe your face more often leaving
you with a messy face. Apply foundations and concealer thinly and make sure to blend 
blend and blend it out perfectly with your brush.

"Don't forget Lessssss make-up is Bessssst this heat period"

~Use primer on your face before foundation and on the eyes before applying eye
shadow, primer helps the skin hold make-up for long and it also prevents make up
from fading out due to humidity, sweat, and excess oil.

 ~If you are not a fan of blotting papers, Well now is the perfect time to make it your
bestiee~~~  get a pack of blotting paper, once you start perspiring or notice excess
shine on your face, resist the temptation to apply powder on your sweaty face, do this
instead~~~gently pat (don't wipe) a piece of blotting paper over your face to soak up
the sweat and oil . Applying additional powder on a sweaty made-up face will give a
caked and tired look at the same time emphasizing all the lines, acne blemishes and
wrinkles you want to keep private.

~Water resistant mascara like Maybelline collosal volume is a good choice this heat
period, it can hold for as long as you want it to, its water-proof and won't slip out no
matter how much you sweat in fact you would need to soften it with oil before removal
at night. Liquid eye liner last longer than the usual pencil liner, pencil liner is moisture
affected and can smear into your face during all the sweating and heat waves.

Clothing Choice
Wear light clothes fabrics that absorb moistures and keep you comfy all through the day
cotton clothes are light and absorbent. For the duration of this heat period (Who knows
when its going to end?) keep away from black colored clothes, dark colored clothing
have a sort of cupid love and attraction to the sun fueling more heat into your body.
The weather is already too hot for comfort and whenever I make the mistake of putting
on a black top or dress, the heat I experience operates on a higher level. For now my
black wears are relegated to night wears. Sleeveless clothes are a life saver this heat
period~~~allows your body to trap the little available fresh air still in existence

Hair Style Choice
Going the ole natural way with convenient styles like wearing your natural hair out, braids,
weavings that allows your scalp to breathe and allows regular washing is the "koko"
if you don't want to experience the itchings and scratching that follows after a hot
sweaty day with weavon on and God help you! if you have dandruff~~~ small 
madness is the only term to describe the experience that comes with it.

Sun screen
Protect you skin from the sun, get a sun screen of up to 70 spf and your skin will thank
you now and in future years to come.

Water
 Don't wait until you are thirsty before drinking water, profuse sweating that comes with
this heat period cause dehydration which in turn results to dry and scaly looking skin.
Drink loads and loads of water. Start your day with water first thing in the morning and
all through the day.

Tips to Looking Young in Your 30s

It is said that a woman no longer feel uncomfortable
in her skin once she is 30, at this age she accepts herself
for who she is and becomes confidence in her flaws knowing
that there is no perfect being.To keep that new found
confidence soaring-high through the next decades of your
life you need to keep that youthful look. HOW?


Invest in good age-defying products in your 30s and you
would be glad you did in your 40s.Good sunscreen of up to
50spf is a necessity for this scorching naija sun:constant skin
exposure to the sun makes the skin look old and wrinkle
before time. Now moisturizer is a must-have item,
once you are 30 your estrogen responsible for sebum(oil)
production enters the first phase of a gradual reduction.
this means your skin will have lesser supply of natural body
oil making your skin drier than when you were in your 20s.
And drier skin equals dull and wrinkled skin.A good moisturizer
mustn't be expensive, olive oil-a very affordable oil is great
as a moisturizer and wrinkle-prevention remedy.

Cultivating healthy life -styles is not just for the skin but
also for your health and entire well being.
Smoking and alcoholism are habits that overtime result into
health issues,and causes prematured skin aging.

Exercise:be more proactive about your weight when you
hit 30s and work towards consistently maintaining a healthy
BMI. Research experts proved that people who have a
regular exercise regimen and live active life are more liable
to live longer healthy lives. Ever wonder how its possible for
our energetic and active forefathers live longer than our
sedentary-style present generation.Exercise also helps the
body to eliminate oxidants and waste through sweating giving
you a naturally glowing skin.

Eat healthy:Its a pity that folks wait until they are diagnosed with
health issues before they stay-off unhealthy food. If your wish is to
carry your youthful look into your 40s, 50s and 60s.
At 30 its time to dump the junk foods and start feeding on veggies,
fruits, proteins, fibres, and good fats.
Like a good buddy of mine would say "Eat good food and live
long, enjoy your money while you are young".

Hydrate:When you are 30 there is no excuse good enough to skip
your water intake, because "water no get enemy" and at this age your
body needs water more than ever:it helps plump up your skin, prevent
sagging skin and premature wrinkling cause by dehydraton.

Minimize the use of make-up:the cosmetics industry supports
the idea that the older you gets the more make-up you need
to apply to hide the tell-tale signs of aging.But the real fact
is that the more make-up you use the more reliant and
dependent you become to make-up.The ingredient used in
the making of most make-up brands in the market are harsh
and end up damaging the skin making the skin look horrible
when bare.Make-up should be used in moderation and every
once in a while go make-up free to allow the skin breathe
even our celebrities have their break from make-up.
Make-up with minerals are skin friendly and mild on the
skin, is a good bet when you are wearing make-up for long.
example is bare minerals.

Tips to Looking Young in your 40s

With an accumulated wealth of life's experience and knowledge, life really
begins at 40 but we can't say that for the skin, the skin is the first 
organ of the body that reveals the first sign of aging at 40 due to 
a decrease and breakdown of hormones and enzymes responsible 
for maintaining younger looking skin, with four decades of existence 
to boast of the skin has probably gone through damages from 
external factors like exposure to sun UV rays, use of harsh skin 
products and unhealthy life-styles.

Its not too late to remedy the situation,by embracing the wrinkles, greying hair
and the tell-tale bits and piece that comes with growing old and also incorporating
anti-ageing regimen into skin-care, diet, life-style will serve you a good looking
skin all through your 40s.

Invest in anti-ageing skin care products like Retinoid, retinoid is a 
vitamin-A derivative in cream and gel form. Its a medication usually recommended
by dermatologist for acne treatment but its especially effective for wrinkle control,
hyperpigmented and sun-damaged skin through activation of rapid skin cell
turnover giving your face lesser wrinkle and fine lines appearance, clear,spotless
and fresher looking skin in just 2 weeks of use. Retinoid comes in brand names
as Retin-A, Tretinion. its a prescription drugs but can be bought from pharmacy
while strictly following the instruction leaflet inside.
i.Foetus are affected by vitamin A so a pregnant or lactating mother
is advised not to use.
ii.The use of retinoid also increases the skin sensitivity to the sun so a good
sunscreen is required to use alongside with it.
iii.You would experience flaking and peeling of the skin in the first
few weeks of usage, if it becomes too unpleasant to deal with reduce
application to 3 times a week until skin adjust to it you can now resume to
nightly application (apply only at night time because of sun during the day),
iv.use a moisturizer to combat dryness and flaking skin while using Retinoid.
Your skin will experience an amazing result in few weeks of use.

Moisturizer should be a woman's BFF and especially indispensable
in your 40s because at this age, there is less natural oil production
from the body due to the reduction of the estrogen hormone, making
the skin look dry and dehydrated which in turn promote the formation of
early wrinkles.
Moisturizers serve as a make-up and replacement for the lack of
natural body oil. You mustn't spend a fortune on a good moisturizers,
natural and affordable oil like extra virgin olive oil is an effective
skin moisturizer, anti-oxidant rich in omega 3, vitamin A and E perfect for
youthful skin.
Apply on skin while its still wet for easy absorption or mix it with
lotion/cream.

Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid that promotes and maintain youthful
skin.Omega 3 are good fats required by the body and can be obtained
from dietary sources like Salmon, sardines, extra virgin olive oil, avocado,
walnut, pumpkin seeds and in the absence of omega 3 diet you get it from
supplement in capsule form like cod-liver oil etc.
Omega 3 helps to combat dryness by keeping the skin hydrated and moisturized
in turn preventing wrinkles and fine lines formation.

After cheating on sun-screen these past years, its time to face the
reality of the importance of sun-screen and invest on a good sun-screen.
Aside hyperpimentation,sun burn,dark knuckles, red eyes,broken blood
vessels, exposing the skin to the harsh sun in this region can wreck a lot of
damage on the skin. Skin exposed to sun tends to develop wrinkles,fine lines
and age spots earlier than a sun protected skin as the sun breaks down
collagen and elastin-(these are enzymes that takes care of skin firming,
maintains skin elasticity, and keeps the skin plump.)
The good news is that its not to late, you can avoid further damage,
buy a good sun screen of up too  SPF 50 because of our hot naija sun.
Wear protective outfit if you will be staying long in the sun like
wide-brimmed hat, wear long sleeved and don't feel shy to carry
an umbrella after all your skin is more important than people's curious
stare.(In naija if you're not carrying a baby, people don't see the reason
why you should use an umbrella except its raining)

The key word for youthful skin at 40 is hydration and moisture, if
you don't want early wrinkles then you should by all means fight against
dehydration and moisture loss by getting enough good liquid from water,
smoothies,fresh fruit juice, green tea and other healthy liquid.
A good dose of water early in the morning before breakfast cleanses
the body system of radicals and oxidants giving you a clear skin and
healthy body.

When you are 40, your diet should be healthy because not only
your skin, your health is equally important, junk food, saturated fat
found in margarine, vegetable oils, heavy cream salad dressing,
high GI(glycemic index) carbs like white rice, pasta, white flour,
increase blood glucose level triggering insulin to action that result
into skin inflammation. Complex carbs like brown rice, acha, plantain
flour, wheat bread, honey, unsaturated fat contain in food rich in
omega 3 and 6 like nuts, avocadoes, pumpkin seed are great in
preventing wrinkles..

Take supplements that boost estrogen production e.g estroCare-25
The presence of estrogen in the body increases the production of natural
body oil, collagen and elastin enzymes this keeps the skin looking young as
a Sweet Sixteen even in your 40s.



Exercise and an active life-style are important principles to looking
youthful in at any age bracket. Exercise burns out the excess calories, helps
you maintain a healthy weight, cleanses your skin of toxins and waste through
sweating and elevates your mood which means a healthy body, beautiful
skin and a happy disposition in your 40s.

Get enough of your beauty sleep, minimum of 7 hours is recommended every
night. The skin cells are rejuvenated and renewed during sleep, dark circles
and eye bags will become an old story when you get enough rest.
Manage stress and if possible avoid stressful situations, stress has been link
to trigger acne.

Goat milk contains lactic acid an alpha hydroxy acid(AHA) and other
essential vitamins like A, E and C. Alpha hydroxy acid removes dead skin
cells on the skin giving your skin a fresher, smoother, younger look and an easily
absorbable skin surface for other skin care products to penetrate. Goat milk
also rejuvenate the skin and increases new cell growth which is exactly what
your skin needs at Forty.
Using goat milk on the face can also diminish the appearance of fine lines,
wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and spots on the skin because its rich in vitamin
A, it also repairs damaged skin tissue. Fresh goat milk is unrefined
and works faster but in the absence of fresh goat milk, you might want to
try out skin care products made with goat milk like soap  or bath wash

Why Your Cream Stop Working And What To Do .

It is every woman's dream to have a skin that receives wow!!! and compliment,
soft, glowy, smooth, radiant, fair, lovely, spotless skin - name it - but finding a
cream that would give that dream skin  you've always desired can be not so easy,
after spending loads of cash on products with below expectation results, you
resign to fate that your were probably not destined to have gorgeous looking .
Finally based on a friend's or a helpful cosmetic store assistant's recommendation,
you hit gold-mine with a skin care product which worked for your skin even
beyond your expectation with a sigh of relief that the search for a lovely skin is
over, and then suddenly few years down the line your once perfect skin products
without apology stopped working  leaving you with unanswered questions of
"What went wrong"? "Was the quality of the product compromised by the
producer"? "Why is it no longer effective as before"?
Various factors could be responsible for why your once effective cream, lotion,
acne treatment product, soap, body wash, moisturizer, gel, serum, toner etc are
no longer effective as expected.

Unhealthy life-style: Aside your skin-care products and routine, your skin
outlook is also affected by life-style and daily habits like smoking, alcoholism,
unhealthy diets, stress, dehydration and exposing skin to UV rays without a
good sunscreen protection these will give you a very bad skin no matter how
expensive your skin-care products could be. It is also very necessary to shield
skin from sun and moreso when using skin toning and whitening products with
sun-sensitivity content like Retinoid, Clobetasol propionate etc

Climatic and seasonal change:Climatic change as result of relocation and
seasonal changes can change your skin type for instance a humid temperature
tends to retain more oil and moisture on the skin and is likely to make oily skin
excessively greasy leading to acne breakouts and too much oil to handle, hence
a need to change skin care products to light weight absorbable non-oil lotion or
oil-control skin care approach should be used at this particular time.

For instance my skin responds and relate better with the northern dry climate
than the southern humid climate, this is because I have very oily skin, the dry
atmosphere helps to control my acne even without my using any acne product by
drying out excess oil and acne on my face. A dry skin will become excessively
dry in the harsh drying harmattan season requiring more of moisturizer what to do?
Don't discard the lotion just yet, instead add natural oil like coconut oil or olive
oil this way the oil will keep your dry skin soft and protected in the harmattan
season while your skin enjoy the  benefits your favourite lotion has to offer.


Fake and expired products: If all of a sudden your once effective lotion
experience power-failure, check the expiry date, it must have passed its
shelf life or its probably made-in-Aba (not original). When next you are
buying check the expiry date and make sure to buy from a trusted supplier.
Fake and expired products causes more harm than good to your skin.

Aging:As one gets older especially after crossing over to the late 30s
your skin type changes at this stage, this is because there is a gradual
decrease of the estrogen hormone that is responsible for the production
of collagen and sebum (oil) two key ingredients necessary to maintain a
youthful skin.
 As from 30 years upward your skin will not respond to your usual beauty
routine because your skin tends to dry needing more of moisture restoration
cell-renewal, collagen replacement, wrinkle-control, and age-defying
products. You would benefit more from your usual skin-care by investing in
 more than one age-defying products like Tretinion, Glycolic acid chemical
peel, moisturizers and adding them to your beauty routine -this is necessary
if your product is not given you the desired result due to age factor. 

Dead skin cell: Your skin-care products will not work if it is not
penetrating deeply into the skin, dry dead skin cells can create a sort
of barrier between your skin and product, except this barrier is removed
through exfoliation which is a removal of the dead skin cells off the skin,
your cream can not find a way to get through and work on your skin.
It is recommended you have a weekly complete body and facial scrub.

Prolong use: Even our skin gets bored with monotonous using of one
brand of product for long and need you to liven up or upgrade your products
just like your anti-biotic stop working after taking for some time requiring
a higher dosage.When this happens you can go on a short-product break by
switching to a higher brand of product or to make things more simpler
enhance the efficacy of your old product with a serum, gel, natural oil,
 pure honey, Vitamin E. For instance you could try adding pure honey,
serum, vitamin E oil to activate your once plain lotion.

15 Reasons You Should Use Coconut Oil

Aside cooking healthy meals, coconut oil has proven to mean a lot more in the
life of women all over the world with numerous beauty uses at less cost and also
effective as home remedies in providing solutions to domestic challenges like
skin diseases, lice, mouth odor etc. Coconut oil is a life saver for this purposes:

Teeth whitener:baking soda is used as a home remedy to whiten the teeth but do
you know that baking soda is abrasive? and with time thins out the teeth cavity,
it also bruises the teeth enamel.
Want to whiten your teeth the safer way, soak cotton wool in coconut oil, and
brush it all over teeth,

Fight against mouth odor: by gargling two teaspoon of coconut oil
for 15 mins,coconut oil contains anti-bacterial and anti-fungi properties to kill
those pesky germs in the mouth that produces mouth odor.

Eye lash lengthener:Your eye-lash can be so long that you won't have need for
eye-extension, pour a little amount of coconut oil into a cleaned old mascara tube,
insert the mascara brush into the coconut oil  make sure to get excess oil out so
it doesn't get into your eyes now sweep it over eyelashes every night before
bedtime.

Eye-cream:Coconut oil can be used as an eye-cream to reduce wrinkles and
fine lines that comes along with age. Before retiring for the night dip a finger into
oil and massage your under eye areas to keep them moisturised, this under eye
areas are prone to excessive dryness hence wrinkling.

A MAGIC NATURAL OIL

Make-up removal:Instead of an acohol based face cleansers you can wipe
out your make-up completely with coconut oil. Apply coconut oil all over
face with a cotton pad allow for few minutes to soften make up, wipe make up
out with cotton pad.

Palm softener:Coconut oil helps to soften skin by helping skin to retain
moisture for a long time.Its a good remedy to soften hard calluse palms.
Apply it as a hand lotion every two hours intervals.You would be amazed
how soft your palm will feel in a short while.

Body lotion:Do you want soft moisturized toned skin? pour some coconut oil
into your daily body lotion and shake up together. Not just a soft baby looking
skin your skin will receive a bit of natural sun protection.

Body scrub:make a home made body scrub from a mixture sugar coconut oil
or alternatively pour few drops of coconut oil to your favorite body scrub,
your skin will retain the oil after exfoliating dead skin cells.

Massage oil: coconut oil makes a good massage oil, you can perfume
it with vanilla scent, your favorite scent or use it as plain coconut oil after
all it smells heavenly too.

Cuticle and nail oil: coconut oil can replace your cuticle cream during
a manicure and pedicure.
Coconut oil nourishes the cuticle and strengthens the nail from breaking easily.
coconut oil can also be use as nail cleaner to wipe out stains around nails
massage nails and cuticle with coconut oil for beautiful looking nails.

Dandruff treatment: After trying out virtually every dandruff remedies
available with no relief, only coconut oil could give me the needed cure
for my dry flaky scalp. Severe dry itchy flaky scalp do not just go away
simply by moisturizing scalp with any type of oil
I can't tell how but coconut oil performed the magic for me probably
because of its anti-fungi properties and its noted to be good scalp
conditioner.


Deep hair conditioning treatment: what better oil to add into your
prepared hair conditioning treatment than coconut oil. you can likewise
use as hot oil treatment for the hair by warming in the microwave and then
apply to hair cover up hair for a while to allow deep penetration into the
hair folicles. Coconut oil is rich in Vitamin E, Lauric acid and good fats
which helps to strengthen your hair from breakage, it also gives your hair
full body and shine.You won't have to worry about the cost of hair products
because coconut oil will give you all the lovely hair benefits of any hair
products in the market.

Pink pouty lips: want to have smooth, soft naturally pink pouty lips,
gently scrub lips with a combo of sugar and coconut oil daily, and use
coconut oil to combat  flaky dry lips all through the day.

Hair shine: restore shine and silky glow to your hair with a little amount
of coconut oil. Coconut oil can mask and hide the fact that you skip your
weekly shampoo that no one can tell because your hair still looks shiny.

Glowing skin: aside weight loss and other health benefit, taking 2-3
tablespoonful of virgin coconut oil as a dietary supplement gives added
advantage to your skin, hair and nails.
Your skin will glow naturally from the inside out, with healthy stronger
hair, with beautiful and longer nails.                                                                                              
  

See What Sugar Does To Your Skin

It would be sweet to consume SUGAR without consequence, from an early age
we have acquired sweet tooth which we can get away with at infancy but when the
years starts tickling the cost of eating sugar can be more than what you bargained for.

Based on a recent study by Tufts University it has been proven that sugary drinks kills
over 184,000 people yearly. The complications and health risk link  to consumption of
sugar, sugary drinks(carbonated drinks, soda) are among others cancer, cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, obesity the direct cause of a number of death annually.
Dermatological research findings has also proven that sugar offers no significant benefit
to the skin as well rather it's responsible for a lot of skin disorder.

Worsen Acne Condition:Sugar on its own will not give you acne but can worsen
already not-so-bright situation for acne-prone skin by fortifying  the conditions that
cause  acne.  How?
Hormones is one factor known to cause acne, food high in sugar increases the
insulin level which in turn spikes up the hormones (androgens) stimulating it to
produces excess sebum and skin cells normally shed by the skin becomes sticky
as a result of excess sebum on the skin this clog the pores of the skin giving P.acne
bacteria a suitable environment to inflame the pores of the skin, this is what come
out of your skin as acne, pimples, whitehead, blackheads.

Makes you look older than your age:Collagen and elastin are essential skin protein
enzymes responsible for firm, supple, elastic (ability to stretch and return back to its
normal position) and youthful looking skin which can be destroyed by a high content of
sugar in the body.
Its known as Glycation a process whereby excess sugar in the blood  weakens the
performance of these wonderful enzymes resulting in dry wrinkled, sagging and loss
ofskin elasticity.
Although its normal for the skin to age as one advance into the big 40s  because at this
stage, hormones that helps in producing natural oil which keeps the skin moisturised
begins to detoriate causing the skin to become dry and wrinkling. But when the skin of
a 30 year old begins to show signs of aging there is a problem, your diet might just be
too high on sugar after isolating other external factors like exposure to sunlight, smoking,
use of harsh skin products. The idea is not to completely eliminate sugar from your diet
but to consume it in moderation because to say the fact 80% of local Nigeria diet
contains sugar, talk about a  mound of pounded yam with delicious egusi soup to go
with it, how about hot amala with ewedu stew, semolina, fufu, eba, the good old tasty
 rice and stew, too irresistible you would say!!! well the key is eating food with high
sugar content in moderation follow-up with a healthy lifestyles and
good skin-care regime you will be closer to earning youthful looking skin for a long time

Hyperpigmentation: is a condition whereby the skin color becomes darkened and
discolored while in some random cases it appears as dark spots and patches on the
skin.
This can create a dent on a lady's self esteem particularly when the dark spots is very
visible on the legs and arms, she becomes very self conscious on mini skirt, armless
outfit or skin barring clothes.
After a sumptious meal of white rice and stew, your blood sugar level is elevated causing
your body organs including the skin - (Skin inflammation manifest with  swelling, 
I observed my double chin becomes more visible add it up with a puffy face in 
the morning after a previous supper of white rice, this reaction to rice has also 
been experience by other people) - to become inflamed triggering the immune system
to response mode of a call to action.The immune system while responding to fight the
inflammation affects the skin badly resulting in hyperpigimentation.
The idea here is to avoid elevated blood sugar level that would triggered this chain
reaction by consuming less of food with high glycemic sugar or simple sugar.

Is it possible to cosume less Sugar? 
Yes

How?
Its not going to an easy ride to limit or cut out sugar entirely, but you have to train
your mind to adapt to the new change of diet at first and with time you are going to lose
that sweet tooth faster than you think.
It was a serious battle for me to do away with sugar, coke, ice-cream, my sweet tooth
was beyond rivalry, no amount of sugar was ever enough for my pap and tea and I had
this mindset of "sugar must be the one best thing to have happened to this 
world before toasted bread". 
 My next step after knowing the part sugar was playing in making my acne worse by the
day, was to train my mindset to see any food with sugar content as a poison that would
never allow me have a smooth face like every other girl, I lived at that time with sweet
teeth family members who still think the world of sugar and never ceases to stock up on
every brand of carbonated drinks, ice-creams, pastries, sweets and chocolates are
never in short supply around the house, a changed mindset was a big leap for me in
overcoming my sugar addiction, and did my acne heal? yes it sure did!!!

The Beauty Magic Of Black Soap

  Do you wonder how our great grand mothers and grand mothers
get smooth and glowing ebony looking skin long before industrial
cosmetics came into the scene and how do they manage to keep skin
diseases such as pimples under control?
Local remedies like black soap was the solution for them at that time.
Black soap is an age long soap spanning centuries with origin from
the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria where it is locally called Ose Dudu before
regional trade and marketing brought it to Ghana and from there black soap
recieve recognition in other West Africa countries and became popular in the
world of skin care.

  Black soap is an organic soap 100% natural, made in the traditional way from the
ash of dried plantain bark,cocoa pod ash, palm kernel oil, camwood (osun),
lemon, honey and shea butter.
Each ingredient used in making black soap plays individual and important roles
for the benefit of the skin and combined together they help to achieve a whole lot
in skin care. Black soap contains plantain which is rich in iron, vitamin A and E,
lemon is rich in vitamin C . Honey has antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties,
shea butter is a natural sun UV protector and palm kernel oil is a natural skin
moisturizer, camwood is a skin brightener.

Benefits of using black soap
1.Black soap deep cleanse the skin of make-up, dirt, impurities and unclog pores.
The skin feels fresh and clean after wash,and the good thing about is that it doesn't
leave the skin tight and dry, its also suitable for oily, dry, normal and any other skin
type even the most sensitive skin can used it under observation.

2.A well mixed black soap is rough in texture with particles which exfoliate dead skin cell
 off your skin revealing smooth, soft and fresh skin at every wash.

3.With regular use black soap helps to lighten and  fade out dark spot, blemishes,
reduces the appearance of wrinkles and is effective in treating acne,eczema, and skin rash.
For acne and other skin issues you would rub soap on affected areas then leave it for
how long your skin can bear the stinging feeling, massage skin gently with the foamy
lather and rinse off. 

4.Black soap contains lime known for its natural skin bleaching, it lightens the skin
complexion and combined with camwood which is sourced from sandalwood plant
another amazing natural lightening agent they clear out uneven tone,
hyperpigmentation and skin discolouration giving you a uniform and glowing skin tone.

5. It is even said that shea butter in black soap can protect the skin from
the Ultra Violet rays of the sun but this alone should not be your only means of
sun protection.

6.For natural, dreadlock and texturized hair, black soap is not just good for
your skin, its good for your hair as a shampoo because its organic and
contain no hair damaging chemical in the off-the-counter shampoo.
It washes the hair squeaky clean leaving no residue on the scalp and do you
know that honey and shea butter used in making black soap are natural hair
conditioning ingredient that moisturize the hair....so black soap doesn't dry out
the hair. Black soap contains lime commonly used as a local remedy for dandruff
and flaky scalp treatment.
Don't forget that black soap is very cheap and lathers very well...a little goes a
long way. After trying out black soap on my hair there was no going back, now
I have replace my shampoo with black soap....my hair love it, skin love it and I love it too.

Note
To get the best from Black soap its important you buy from a good
black soap mixer and if possible get an experienced local black soap maker
who can mixed the ingredient well. The effectiveness of black soap is determined
by the mixing and combination of ingredients.

Easy Home Manicure

Weekly home manicure shouldn't be a boring daunting task like doing dishes,

cleaning and cooking , spice things up and make it" fun and interesante"

I always look forward to my next manicure session as another opportunity
 
to relax and to release accumulated stress from my tensed fingers

after all the week"s wahala (naija wahalla can drive someone crazy a times).

This is what i do:
-I do my manicure and pedicure on sunday evenings this is the time am most
likely free from the hustle and bustle of unendless activities.

-I  use a  quiet and secluded spot which is usually my bedroom

-I control and condition my mind to a relaxation mood and try to cut out
anxious and worrisome thought (that can wait till when am done with manicure).

-I create a relaxing mood with a good comedy movie or a relaxing music
depending on what my mood crave for at that particular time.

-I keep a bottle of massage oil by my side to give my hands and feet
a dose of tender loving care(TLC) massage(they do deserve it)
Now am set for a good manicure time.

Basic essential need for manicure session:
Cotton wool
Nail polish removal
Warm water
Bowl
Body scrub/sugar scrub
Pumice stone/hand brush(solely meant for for the palm only)
Shea butter
Castor oil
Nail file
Nail buffer
Nail cutter
Base coat
Nail polish
Black soap/body wash
Cuticle stick/pusher

Procedure:
-Wipe out old nail polish coat with a nail polish removal, avoid using blade to scrape
out nail polish this does more harm than good, it thins out the nail overtime causing
nail breakage.

-Soak hands in a bowl of warm soapy water to soften cuticles, palms and dry dead skin cells

-Exfoliate dead skin cell off the skin by gently scrubbing the skin with a scrub or
home made sugar scrub, rinse off afterward .


-Scrub pumice stone/hand brush firmly but gently over palms to soften, this step is necessary if palm feels
dry and hard to the touch. you can
skip if you have soft palms already

-apply  shea butter on palm and rub both palms together applying friction until shea butter is
completely absorbed, shea butter
helps to soften the palms.

-Massage hands tenderly with massage oil (in the absence of one make a
massage oil from equal ratio of shea butter and castor oil)
a good hand massage is neccessary to reduce swellings from water retention, it relieves stress, tension and arthritic pain from the hand (fingers).
It also helps to promote blood circulation.

-Trim nails with a nail cutter, file to desired shape,smoothen nail surface with a
nail buffer, push in cuticle with a cuticle stick and massage nails and cuticle with
castor oil/shea butter. For every manicure session I love massaging my cuticles and
nails with castor oil. It helps to strengthen nail from breaking and speeds up nail growth.

-Now nails are ready for nail polishing and don't forget to start off with a base coat,
 it keeps nails from polish stain and prolongs nail polish.Apply nail polish on two
coatings drying at intervals. get a perfect glossy manicure finish with a transparent
nail polish.Voila  manicure se fini....Pretty easy.

20 New Year Resolutions Every Girl Need For 2016

 We are about wishing farewell to 2015 and eagerly waiting in anticipation to

welcome the New year.

It's a tradition to welcome the new year with  resolutions to do away with old

unwholesome habit and incorporating good lifestyles all in a bid to improve on

our person to become better version of who we were in the previous year.

As 2016 begins, you would do well to incorporate this 20 beauty resolutions

 into your beauty regime this coming year as effort towards improving on your

 look and becoming more beautiful and attractive in 2016.

1. Never go to bed at

night without washing

and cleansing the face of

make-up, to avoid

 clogged pores that will result in

acne and other unwanted skin conditions.You don't want to wake up in the

morning to a concealer and foundation stained pillow cover. It's every

woman's dream to look young and youthful for as long as they live,

sleeping with make-up overnight speeds up the skin aging process

resulting into premature wrinkling.

2.Never shave off the eye brow completely only to make-up for

 the lack of eyebrow by drawing eye pencil,this create a sharp look and

 not so natural eyebrow effect. Spot a natural looking eyebrow by getting

your eyebrow shapen by a pro to suit the shape of your face and if hair

on eye brow is sparse fill up with eye-brow filler or eye pencil.

3.Don't catch yourself stylishly tapping your head to stop the embarrasing

itchy scalp or wait till hair begin to generate that offensive sweaty smell.

Change your hair style regularly and if money is an issue go for wash

and wear (hair styles that allows you to wash while wearing extensions).

Alternatively go for less expensive weave-on so you are not tempted to

leave it on for too long in an attempt to get the complete value of money

spent in purchasing expensive brazillian and human hair.

4.Avoid multi-color bleaching, use cream and products that will give you a

uniform skin tone, your skin has no duplicate so invest on good and skin

friendly cosmetic product. "whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well".

The dark patches on elbow, knuckles, and knee can be lighten naturally see

here get out that embarrassing dark knuckles using this amazing trick

5.Use concealer, foundation and powder that matches your skin tone.

Try out make-up on bare face or wrist to see what matches your skin

tone before buying. Most brand make-up shop allow skin-compatibility

testing like Zaron, Vivo and Tara .

6.Never under-estimate the power of a well shapen eyebrow, it can

tranform your face at a finger snap giving you a boost instantly. Bushy

overgrown eyebrow give a  not so feminine look. So make sure to 

wax it, tweeze it, shave it, whatever rocks your boat. Just be sure

 it is well contoured and beautifully shaped to go with your facial structure.

7.Don't cheat on weekly manicure and pedicure, you don't have to visit

the salon to get soft, smooth hands and feet. Indulge and pamper your

feet weekly with easy home pedicure. your hands and feet says a lot

about your level of attention to body grooming.

8.Embrace your flaws there is no Perfect woman on planet Earth.

Even our darling Miss World has her own share of imperfection.

Flaws makes everyone of us unique and distinct in our different ways.

Wear clothes that accentuates those wonderful parts of you and feel

confident in your skin. You are you, stop trying to be a photocopy of

someone.

9.Use sunscreen protection, protect your skin from the harsh weather of the sun.

 In fact am making this my No 1 New year resolution in 2016, because it seems

 like the gate of hell has been open. use sunscreen of up to spf50...(Think this is

too much? Not at all) sun exposure damages the skin,it results to premature aging,

sun burn, skin melanon( a condition that wrinkles the skin) and skin

discoloration with dark patches on fingers and toes.


10.Lip liner should make your lipstick last longer not to form a ring around

your lip when lipstick wear off.To get a pout that will last all day long- fill up the

entire lip accentuating the cupid bow on the upper lip with a lip liner before

applying lip stick otherwise avoid using lip liner.

11.Clean up and organize make-up bag, take out the old and expired

make-up. Some make-up don't bear expiry date but after one year,

you should discard them and stock up on new make-up. Particularly

eye-shadow and mascara that tend to last for long.

12.Clean and disinfect  make-up brushes regularly and allow to dry,

germs thrives on dirty and wet make-up brushes which could be

transfered to your face and you know the rest of the story.......acne breakout.

13.Stand out in the crowd, don't be an FFF(fashion fad follower), be

innovative and creative with styles, make your personal fashion

statement with your hair, make-up, clothes but don't over do it.

14.Natural and Dreadlock hair:thou shall not go to bed without covering hair

with a silk or satin scarf This will do your hair a whole world of good-meaning

your hair will not tangle, less combing and detangling, improved hair growth,

it also helps to prevent moisture loss to the pillow case while tossing in faraway

dreamland keeping your hair sleek and shiny.

15.Use base coat on nail before applying  polish to make nail polish chip-free

and long lasting.

16.Feel free to experiment and play with colors on hair, make-up and

clothing and discover colors that compliments your skin tone.

17.Don't be penny wise, pound foolish when buying make-up, cosmetics

and beauty product.Make sure to window-shop, research and get info so

as to get good quality products that will deliver the best value to you.

you don't want a cabinet  filled with  half-used beauty product that have

been abandoned due to inefficiency.Get value for your money and don't

be fooled by greedy sales attendant into buying the wrong products,

their interest is making money off you.

18.Be physically fit, cut down on calories if you are overweight and

incorporate simple on-the-go exercise routine if your work is sedentary.

Walk home from bus-stop instead of taking a bike, burn out some calories

using the stair-case instead of lift and find excuse to take trips to water

dispenser to stretch your joint and keep your body system hydrated

at the same time

19.Drink water, drink water and drink water again, get at least 9

glasses of water every day. It's highly recommended  for good health

and skin stays hydrated making it look firm and supple. Endeavor to

always have a bottle refill of water in your handbag when on the go

and by your desk at work.Your skin will always reward you with a glow.

20.Cultivate the right hair care regime for your hair texture natural(coily),

relaxed or dreadlock.Hair is a very important physical feature of a woman

and considered as the beauty of a woman. Sometimes we tend to pay more

attention to weaves and brazillian hair to the neglect and care of our natural hair.

In 2016 make ample effort to go beyond the routine washing and setting in the

salon.

Conditioning, oil treatment, protein treatment, steaming are all important hair

regime required by your hair and can be done at home.

Finally on a last note, don't go overboard, great beauty lies in simplicity and decency.

Have a beautiful and fashionable 2016

5 Secrets To A Beautiful Skin

 With minimal or no effort at all some people are naturally endowed with flawlessly

clear and soft skin while some folks need the right beauty products and knowledge

to achieve a glowing skin.

Its easy as A B C to achieve a beautiful skin just by incorporating these simple habits

to your lifestyle.

GOOD SKIN CARE REGIME:
 The first step to getting gorgeous skin is having the right and quality products to work

with.Cosmetic experience has taught me a lesson about using the right products best

suited for your skin type which your skin can relate to. A product specifically meant for

dry skin will not get a desirable effect on an oily skin and vice versa.

As a woman crosses over from  the youthful age of 20s into to the Big 30s the needs

of the skin changes as well, the skin tends to get drier because at this stage the feminine

body system has reached the peak of maturity and produces less collagen and hormones

that helps to firm up and keep the skin supple.Products that once worked for you in

your 20s might not achieve the same result in your 30s and you begin to wonder if the

manufacturing quality of the product has been compromised.

A complete skin care requires cleanser,toner,moisturizer,exfoliation and sunscreen

protection.

Cleansing: cleansing the skin thoroughly from impurities, accumulated dirt and makeup

 involving bathing and facial cleansing is a starting point to getting beautiful skin.

#Fact1-Achoholic and astringents cleansers and facial wipes that tends to dry up the

skin's natural oil should not be used.

#Fact2- Avoid bathing with very hot water it drains off the oil on the skin giving it a

wrinkled appearance.

#Fact3-Your skin loves cool water(not cold) it seals up moistures into the skin and

close up pores.

#Fact4-Pour drops of virgin olive oil or coconut oil to foaming sponge while

bathing this is an attempt at restoring moisture loss.

#Fact5-Use soaps and bath wash with more of natural ingredients(local black soap

or moisturizing body wash like Aveeno active naturals)cleanses the skin leaving it

soft and smooth.

Local Black soap

Body Wash

Toner:natural  toners containing  rose water, apple cider vinegar,  glycerine are great

for the skin and should be used immediately after the cleansing step. It helps in

balancing the pH level of the skin, building the right foundation for other facial

products application. Make your home made toner with 1/3 part apple cider vinegar,

1/2 part water and 1/3 rose water.Apply toner to cotton wool and dab all over face,

don't scrub.

Moisturizer: Moisturizer is best absorbed when the skin is wet and moist. Oil-based

moisturizer is good for the face to combat dryness and keep face looking young and

healthy like Johnson tissue moisturizing oil makes the skin soft and supple also contain

sunscreen of spf15, gently massage into skin until oil is absorbed.

You can also add a bit of this amazing oil into body lotion it act as a moisturizer, skin

toner and sun UVA and UVB protection.

Moisturizing body lotion

Exfoliation: A weekly facial

Facial and Body Scrub

and complete body scrub

is essential to exfoliate dry dead

skin cells that dulls the skin,

unclog pores, removes

blackheads and impurities

giving the skin a brighter

complexion.Eden range

of body scrubs is great for

exfoliation and if you would

 love to brighten complexion a

shade or two lighter then Eden

Extra Whitening Apricot Face

and Body Scrub is for you.

Sunscreen Protection: Ever wonder why after using the

right products and following up on good skin care regime,

you are still left with a skin below expectation, the culprit

here is skin exposure to harsh UV rays.

Exposing skin to sunlight could warrant a number of

undesirable condition of the skin from sunburn, skin
cancer, skin melanoma ,

dryness,wrinkling and premature skin aging among others.

My recent favorite is Johnson tissue oil-its triple-purpose

serves as a moisturizer, sunscreen protection of up to spf15

and massage oil.


GOOD FOOD:Your diet reflects on your skin outlook,

Junk and fast food like pastries, indomie,carbonated drinks and saturated fatty diets

are a no-no to having beautiful skin.

What your skin need are foods rich in protein, veggies, fruits, fiber, less of refined

carbs(white rice,pasta,sugar,refined flour used in baking white bread) and good fat

contained in walnut,avocado,and mackerel fish are very wealthy when it comes to

omega 3 and 6 this gives a natural shiny look to the skin

HYDRATE: its medically proven that the body system  needs at least 9 drinking

 glasses of water to function effectively, the skin also needs water to look beautiful,

 inadequate water intake can create a number of conditions that would reflect on

your skin causing dry skin, and wrinkling of the skin,eye bags, skin losing its

luminosity and firmness. Carbonated drinks e.g coca cola,pepsi etc contains loads

of sugar artificial additives and should not replace water. Don't wait until you are

thirsty to drink water, your  body is already experiencing dehydration before it

send thirsty signal to your brain.

Have a bottle of water in your bag when on the go and beside you on your

desk at work.To spice it up add some squeeze of lemon and drops of honey,

this would indulge your taste bud and cleanse your internal system as well.

Your SKIN will thank you for it.

SWEAT OUT THE GLOW:the good old exercise goes beyond burning

calories building muscle and shaping the body. it helps to cleanses the pores

of the skin ridding it from radicals through sweating, it also fuels the blood with

enough oxygen to distribute around the body giving the skin a glow.

During exercise, the brain releases  feel good chemical this is why after

an exercise session, the muscle feel sore and exhausted while the mind feel

relaxed and your mood is elevated. Exercise is a stress-buster, stress can make

you less inclined to follow-up on good skin care regime. Research has shown

that stress is a  major acne-triggers. Simple fun exercise like skipping ropes,

dancing, jogging with a partner will do the trick.

ADEQUATE SLEEP: Getting a good night sleep of up to 8 hours is one key

to looking beautiful. Lack of sleep causes puffy under eye bag, dark circles and

tired worn out skin. Youthful looking skin occurs as a result of skin cell

regeneration and cell turnover and this happens when you get enough sleep.

Easy Home Pedicure

 We ladies absolutely love indulging and giving our feet a treat with a
professionally done pedicure in a spa or beauty parlor and tell me don't your feet (tootsie) just
crave all those attention, soak and therapeutic massage showered on them? and after all your 
feet comes out looking prim, kissable, soft and oooohhhhh......la...la...cious!!!.

Wouldn't it be fun to have regular professional spa tended pedicure probably weekly or
bi-monthly?  But every once in a while a chic could be short on finance but still want to flaunt
 a gorgeous feet in that open toes sandal, and trust me when I say though your feet may seem
unassuming, it's a very visible part of your body that people get to notice. You don't want to
leave a wrong impression with a dry chapped, tough, calluse ridden feet or a chipped nail polish.
And what's more you should show some love to your feet for being so down-to-earth picking up all the dust
and dirt after you while carrying your whole body network/frame.

For this process we'll be improvising with the items needed so you don't spend too much but
still get an amazing result similar to when you visit a spa.

Items required for our home-spa pedicure:

uncoated aspirin tablet/baking soda
mint green tea bag
home foot scrub/industrial body scrub
vinegar/disinfectant
pumice stone/foot brush
lemon
nail file
nail cutter
nail buffer
olive oil/almond oil
shea butter/castor oil as nail cream
cuticle pushing stick
towel
basin
nail polish
foot cream/baby lotion.
a pair of stocking
original black soap/foot shampoo

home foot scrub:
In the absence of an industrial foot scrub, make a foot scrub at home, mix 1/2 cup of brown sugar with 1/2 cup of coconut oil,1/2 a lemon  to a body scrub consistency, now you have ready a foot scrub. Mix fresh batch for every use.

steps to getting a great pedicure:
Using cotton soaked with nail polish remover wipe off old nail coat
get a basin of warm water enough to submerge the feet in, add vinegar/disinfectant, drop 2 bags of mint green tea for a soothing effect. Throw in some uncoated aspirin tablets/baking soda
this helps in softening and exfoliating dead skin cells, add a bar of black soap/foot shampoo,
remove black soap once water becomes foamy, now soak feet in the warm water, sit back relax and have fun with a good novel/movie for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove foot using the pumice stone/foot brush firmly scrub the calluses and
toughened skin on the heels and underneath the feet. Scrub until the heels and balls of the
feet are smooth to the touch, do same for other foot.

Now slather on some foot scrub mixed with lemon juice on the feet, massage gently the skin on the feet, underneath the feet and corners around the toes. Rinse with cool water and dry with a clean
towel, your entire feet should feel soft and smooth at this point.

Take a part of  olive oil/almond oil mix with some foot lotion/baby lotion, gently and tenderly massage
 the moist feet, toes, heels and underneath the feet, until absorbed by the skin.

Trim toenails with a nail cutter avoid cutting the corners of the nails to avoid ingrown nail
springing out from the sides. Using a nail file, file each nail from left side to middle and right side to
 middle direction to get a shapely nail.
Smoothen the rough edges on the nail surface with a nail buffer, push in the cuticle with a cuticle stick, now gently massage cuticle and nails with shea butter/castor oil, this helps to strengthens the nail from breakage and it also enhances nail growth.

Apply base coat on the nail before nail polish, this prevents nail polish stain, apply first coat of nail polish, leave for few minutes follow with a second coat to prevent untimely nail polish chipping and finally touch up with a transparent gloss coat for a perfect finish.

Sit back one more time and relax for 30 minutes to allow nail polish to dry up before putting on a pair of thick woolen stockings to allow feet soak in the oil and moisture.

Note
This ought to be a leisurely routine so it is more convenient to do this on weekend or your relaxation
period to maximize time.

Pedicure is inevitably necessary particularly during the harsh, cold and dry harmatan or winter season to
protect and keep those feet (tootsie) in tip-top shape. you can observe this weekly and in no time at all you will have a feet (tootsie) to die for.
Your comments, questions and suggestions is highly welcome

10 Cool Ways to Wear RED this Yuletide Season

 Christmas trees and decorations displayed all around, jingling bells and christmas carols booming
 from sound systems everywhere is a reminder to everyone that the festive season is around the corner
with the attendant parties and jollification that comes with it. Once again the festive official color is
 scarlet.

See  10 cool ways to vamp up your look with those red pieces and accessories stock in your closet this xmas season.

Show your girly side with a sleeveless casual red blouse/tank top tucked in a sassy creamy skirt or fly top on a pant. This is especially appropriate for a date night, get together with friends, and for work throw on a complementing colour blazer/jacket and you are just set to go.

Wondering what to wear for your office end of the year party?
Wear a nude and neutral colored dress,
complete the look with a red belt cinched at the waist,
a matching high heel red pump/sandal and a purse/bag.
You will find it easy picking out a dress because red
blend pretty and nicely with nude and neutral colors.









Make an excuse to drape a red shawl around
your neck or make a necktie with a red scarf
 this cold harmattan season.













Wear christmas on your hat this yuletide season and dish out on the conventional santa claus cap, get a red feminine hat with the right fit
this can be worn as a fashion statement,
 sun protection when out on a walk,
casual time out with friends, church,
 and it just give you that sultry look effortlessly.

Reflect your black heritage this yuletide with  touch of red ankara maxi skirt, perfect the look with a white or black blouse/tank top follow-up with a strappy flat sandal











Make a bold statement this season with a glossy pouty red lip









Blazer and jacket instantly gives a whole new look to your
outfit. Blazer and jacket act as layering that switches style from casual to formal. Rock a red blazer or jacket over a dress/blouse/tank top/jumper this season















A lady in red means business, so you can never go wrong on a red dress, pair up with your choice color of high heel pump/stileto and a matching clasp purse (my prefered color is black). This is especially recommended for a formal party/ red carpet.










A  teeny weeny bit of red statement goes a long way
wear a red ear and neck accessories to
complement your non-red outfit this christmas.

And when you don't feel up to doing the complete red outfit stuff
accessorize with a red clasp purse/handbag and a red high heel/flat
shoe.

















Make your Xmas bold with shades of RED.  Ladies share your red outfit combo.

Amazing Make-Up Brand To Try Out in 2016

Can you guess the brand of make-up use to achieve this smooth, sleek and flawless look on this models?
If your answer is Tara or probably Zaron  "sorry but you got it wrong"....it's none other than VIVO.
Ebonytalknaija unveils VIVO a new make-up brand already rubbing shoulders with the like of Zaron and
making waves in the world of make-up, owned by a beautiful enterpreneur and make-up guru Nkem Ubah.

The near-perfect and flawless look on the faces of these models gives a clear picture of the smooth and
perfect coverage and if you've ever used Maybelline mascara then you have an idea of the effect VIVO
brand of mascara creates.

I'm an incurable Maybelline mascara  addict, even on my no-make-up day, I can't seem to do without brushing up one or two coats before dashing out (imao mascara is a compulsory beauty staple every lady shouldn't do without, it brings life and glow to the eyes), using any other brand of mascara was a no-no for me until that wonderful day I discovered VIVO brand. I tried on the mascara, the effect was just mind-blowing and lasted all through the day,  its also water resistant.


 Don't eat, drink or kiss while wearing should have been written on some brands of lip gloss because if you ever try any of this you will be left with a bare lip.VIVO lip gloss gives a pouty finish to your lip make-up and can withstand all the mouthing task your lip could be engage in thru the day.

Get Out That Embarrasing Dark Knuckles- Using This Amazing Tricks

Dark knuckles is perceived as one of the evidence of bleaching,
It can be really embarrassing for a lady, imagine visiting an expensive spa to get a new manicures and pedicures done and decided to share a picture of it on social media expecting likes and compliment, but all your social media friends care to notice and comment on is how dark your knuckles look with annoying questions like "are you bleaching?"
I feel for celebrities sha..... like one that flaunted her well manicured hands recently on social media but all she got from her fans was bashing from left and right about how disgusting and bleached out her fingers looked, all because of dark knuckles.
The fingers and feet may seem so unassuming  but it can create a dent in a lady'
over-all physical appearance when not cared for. It could also trigger a feeling of self-consciousness
and diminish one's self-confidence.

Factors responsible for dark knuckles
Genetics: dark knuckle can be hereditarily passed from parents to offspring, this account
for a dark person who is not into skin toning having pigmentations on the knuckles.

Exposure to sun rays: the danger of exposing the skin to the harsh rays of the sun begins with
facial sun-burn, wrinkling, darkening  of the knuckles before showing on other parts of the skin.

Excessive use of cosmetics: continous and extreme use of lightening/ toning creams and lotions
may successfully enhance and brighten your complexion leaving out the knuckles
This is because the skin on this area are tough and hard thereby requiring exclusive tender loving
care to actually lighten them.

Dryness: leaving your fingers dry especially after every hand wash and during the dry harmattan
season can cause dry,toughen skin which overtime darkens the knuckles.

Lack of exfoliation: exfoliation helps to rid the skin of dead skin cells that may create a resistive
barrier on the skin surface preventing skin care products from being absorbed by the skin layers.

Friction; daily routine activities like washing with harsh chemical detergent, submerging hands in hot
water and other rigorous physical activities that induces friction on the finger joint could also darken the
knuckles.


Steps to treating dark knuckles

 Exfoliate: the role and importance of exfoliation in the treatment of dark knuckles can not be
down-played at all. To remove the dead skin cells, you would need a body scrub ( I love Eden body

scrub) or alternatively you could use sugar (white or brown). Add tablespoons of fresh lemon juice in the sugar or body scrub,wash the skin, use this to gently scrub the fingers, feet, elbow, and knee paying particular attention to the troubled dark spot then wash off after scrubbing. you would feel smoothness
and soften skin afterward.

Lighten dark knuckle: the next procedure is to lighten those dark patches naturally using  "the good
 old" lemon and honey as a toner. Cut a lemon into two halves, pour honey on the surface of each half,
use this to vigorously scrub the knuckles of the finger and toes, elbow joint and knee cap,leave for 10 minutes and wash off. Don't leave on for too long lemon can be drying.

Moisturize:  make your own  home-made moisturizer/ hand and feet cream by blending a mould of sheabutter,10 tablespoonful almond oil, 6 tablespoon  vitamin E, 2 teaspoonful of honey and  5 tablespoonful johnson baby lotion /pears baby lotion., store in a fancy jar, use this to replace hand cream and use often. keep the hands, feet and and those joints that tends to darken moisturize regularly.

Pamper your hands and feet: Give your hands and feet weekly soak and massage if you can't afford salon
or spa pedicure and manicure. make your own soak by adding sea salt, olive oil and baking soda in a basin of warm water. use your home made hand and feet moisturizer to massage afterward.this helps in softening.

Sunscreen: use sunscreen protection on your skin before going out under the sun.

Patience:  finally be patient, it wont go away overnight but with constant and consistent care you are
sure of achieving that flawless and kissable hands and feet you've always wante