Thursday 6 July 2017

Take Me (Fiction)



TAKE ME
Arms spread. I lay on my matrimonial bed. I looked around me, sheer luxury. The bed I lay on with its orthopedic mattress was imported from the U.K made with the finest wood with gold finishing by Nella Ventrina Italy. I had an Armenian carpet that felt like stepping on clouds and my vanity mirror was state of the art imported from Dubai.  I had the latest curved Samsung HD Television that I argued with Yinusa not to have in the bedroom, I didn’t see a reason why I would have a t.v in the bedroom when I had one in the den, living room and every other room for that matter. Yinusa my husband however hated quiet places he hated to stay still, like has was always running from himself, so yes, we had to get the t.v. for the bedroom because my husband always won and my husband was afraid to hear his own thoughts.

The reason he always won was not because I came from a poor background; my father was one of the tailors that worked in the design company where his family made their clothes. He heard me singing one day in the warehouse where my father worked amidst other tailors and the rest they say is history. There was no history for me however, because his mother never failed to remind me that I was in fact a lesser human being than every other member of the family including her rapist brother. I was poor and that was never my history it was my present and future.
The reason he always won, was because I am a very placid person, I don’t fight for anything and I hate confrontations. That is why even when his mother told me one day “So you allow only the maids clean my son’s house eh you are too big to do it abi, if not that we rescued you from the hands of that your father that sews rags for a wretched living where will you have seen juice to be drinking while people work for you” I couldn’t reply her. Not out of respect because the words that fought to come out said “If anybody should be ashamed its you, you that had an affair with your boss because of money and when you got pregnant you latched on to the fact that his wife couldn’t have children and frustrated her out of her home. That is how you came into money unlike my father that etches out an honest living making beautiful clothes which one of them is in fact what you are wearing” but because I didn’t have it me I just cried out of her presence.

Looking at the time it was 5pm and I was bored as hell. In between the fancy parties, vacations, soirees with top government officials and one celebration or the other honoring me to get money from me, my marriage was as lifeless as the limpness of a eunuch. I felt nothing for my husband. I married him because he was persistent and because he was rich, it seemed the sensible thing to do.
I stood up from the bed, put on my sky blue swimsuit, draped on a towel and proceeded downstairs to take a swim. When I arrived the pool area I had to catch my breath. The creature in front of me had ivory skin with buttocks the shape of perfectly pumped footballs and legs that would make any model green with envy. The creature turned and I could see breasts that filled out perfectly and a tummy that had the markings of an athlete. She wore a bright pink bikini and had just gotten out of the water. Kakushia looked up at me and smiled; her perfect white teeth framed on a heart shaped face and upturned eyes twinkled at me.
“Hello Toyeke”, she said with a voice like silk
“Hi” I whispered, barely trusting my voice
“The water is lovely”
I just looked down at the pool sheepishly in reply.
 I had always admired Kakushia; she was outspoken, confident and lived on her own rules. She was the opposite of me.
“Okay knock yourself out” she smiled while running her eyes over me slowly, oh ever so slowly before sauntering past me swaying her hips exaggeratedly like she always did. For the first time in three years, all the years of my marriage I felt conscious of my body and strangely, I felt a wetness between my thighs.

I was already seated at the dinner table when my husband came in. A tall dark god of a man. He had everything in the right proportion and knew it, that was why he always got his way with the ladies even as a married man. He put down his leather briefcase; it was Bottega Veneta’s Intreccio Imperatore Briefcase that cost him three thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. It was navy blue so you couldn’t miss it. He kissed me and sat down next to me. I had been waiting for him with his food set as that had been our ritual; he would come home 7pm and we would eat at the table with any other family member present at the time. In this case, it was his rapist uncle that joined us. I had put on a bright red low cut blouse showing off my ample bosom and a deep blue jean bum short showing off my straight legs thinking Kakushia would join us.
“You look ravishing sweetheart” Yinusa said, eyeing me hungrily, not that I appreciated it, our lovemaking lasted only ten minutes on average.
“Thank you love” I replied, feigning a blush. His rapist uncle ogled me wolfishly and for the first time I didn’t care, I was waiting for Kushia.
“Where is Kay”, my husband asked noticing his sister’s absence
“She said she has a birthday party to attend, she won’t be joining us”
“That’s too bad” I said wondering whether I showed too much disappointment, I wanted to go upstairs and drape on a wrapper.

July first was Yinusa’s birthday. We spent two weeks preparing for it. A chef had to be flown in from Thailand and we went to Paris to shop for our attires. I had a fitting done by Nina Ricci. The event coordinator was an overpriced young lady but I understood why Yinusa hired her, not because of her experience because judging from her age you could tell she didn’t have much but because she was a governor’s daughter and Yinusa didn’t play with making and keeping connections in high places.
The birthday party itself was a nauseating display of wealth both from our end and from the guests which comprised of former Heads of States, ministers, governors and internationally renowned business men. You would also find the highest bidding working girls with their magically transformed skin and weaves that made you wonder how they manage to lift their heads. Our expansive living room was decorated with purple, cream and dark red colors, in the center was a tall champagne fountain and at the far end of the hall facing the door was the two-million-naira cake flanked by a wall of white peonies, roses and gardenias that had to be flown in fresh that day. Five Nigerian A list artistes were billed to perform and I recognized one of them as she was sleeping with my husband last year. The buffet had food ranging from truffle macacini, clementine and vodka-baked salmon with beetroot crème fraiche sauce, sautéed chorizo with red wine, smoked fish and potato latkes sharing platter cheese and pesto whirls sole goujons with mango and lime dip to our very own rice dishes and swallow. After playing the role of grand hostess to a T, and the hall began to thin, I and Kay sank down on a plush sofa and bad mouthed all the guests while drinking punch.
“Hey babe I will be rounding up with the guys elsewhere” Yinusa whispered in my ears
“Have fun love” I kissed in reply
Within minutes the hall was completely empty save for the cleaners beginning their job.
“The emptiness of this room is getting to me, let’s go upstairs” I whispered to Kushia


I led her to my room and turned on the T.V. while we sat on the bed drinking and laughing at everything we saw on t.v. I laughed too close to her face and talked directly into her ears. I was saying something I can’t remember now into her ears when turned and kissed me. I felt my body awaken and I kissed back. She slid her hands down below and parted my flimsy Victoria’s secret while taking every bit of me in with her mouth. I wanted to scream. I felt an electric charge gaining up in me. I went wild. I felt feral as I let myself go and let myself free till there were colors, brightness and explosions.     

Sent in by
Cheri Coco

Saturday 1 July 2017

SKIN CARE TRAVEL HACKS


Few things are as fun as travelling, but being on the go can make it hard to stick to your skin care routine. So here are a few hacks for great vacation skin.
1. STICK TO GOOD ROUTINES 
Just because you’re going away, it doesn’t mean that you have to break good habits. Yes, packing bulky products can be tricky, particularly if you’ve only got hand luggage, but there’s a simple solution: samples. These small sachets, normally containing 10 ml of day or night cream can be bought online – perfect for mini-breaks. And, when it comes to your cleansing regime, simply decant your cleanser and toner into several 100 ml reusable bottles.
2. FAVOUR A MULTI-USE BALM 
Dry lips, hands, nails – you name it, a multi-use balm has you covered. Oriflame’s iconic Tender Care is a miniature pot of intensely nourishing balm that’s small enough to take away on your travels.
3. TREAT YOURSELF 
Post-plane skin is likely to be dull and dry – not pretty. So, we recommend a brightening face mask on arrival. Try a sheet mask – they’re designed to intensely hydrate your skin and add radiance, or look to a gel-based mask that will revitalise tired-looking skin in just over 10 minutes.
4. REDUCE PUFFY EYES 
Overnight travel is rarely restful, often leaving you with under-eye puffiness and dark circles. For an instant pick-me-up, leave your favourite eye cream in the fridge the night before travelling, and apply on-the-go. The coolness of the product will refresh and sooth tired-looking eyes.

THE PERFUMER’S DESTINY: WORDS WITH SOPHIE LABBÉ


Known by her peers as the lacemaker of flowers, Sophie Labbé is the award-winning perfumer behind My Destiny. Radiating positivity, Sophie gives us a glimpse into how she crafted the scent, and explains why being a perfumer was always her destiny.
You do not come from a family of perfumers, how did you find yourself working with fragrance?
I have always been interested in smell, but I never knew that it could be a career!
It was only when I was studying chemistry at university, that I read an article about the school of fragrance ISIPCA, and I knew that was where I wanted to be. But before applying I needed to meet a perfumer – I wanted to understand what it meant to create perfume for a living, and so I reached out to master perfumer Jean Kerlo. By coincidence he was the president of admittance at ISPICA and recognised me when I applied to the school; in many ways, this was destiny at work!
So you believe that perfumery was your destiny then?
Yes! I didn’t know it at the time, but the stars aligned for me and now I definitely believe that this was my destiny; I think that we all have a unique path in life and a goal that we have to achieve.
As someone that initially studied chemistry, do you treat scent-making as science, or are you more romantic than that?
I am definitely both. You see, a perfumer needs to be extremely curious and has to enjoy new experiences, because this feeds innovation and imagination. But, as well as a sensitive spirit, you also need to have the rationality of a scientist – you have to have both sides.
Do you think you smell the world differently from most people? 
I don’t think I smell the world differently, because we all smell in our own way; our perceptions are enhanced by emotions and experiences. But I probably perceive more scents – it’s a bit like a game: I pass someone on the street and try to guess their perfume – like investigating. Or, when I travel, I find it super interesting to arrive at an airport and think, “how would I define my first contact with this country.”
The semiprecious stone, tourmaline has been used to enhance My Destiny – what is the significance of the gem?
This stone is really special because of its positive energy and ability to boost confidence. To me, wearing a precious stone is like wearing a perfume – it empowers you. Tourmaline is associated with the expression of creativity, which I believe makes this fragrance even more special; you have the power of the fragrance, plus the energy of the tourmaline stone.
What gives you confidence and positive energy?
Love! It gives me strength and makes me moves mountains. I am able to exceed my own limits when I feel loved. And passion. I also need to be passionate in what I do, because this makes me happy, strong and determined.
Can you tell us a bit about the other notes found in My Destiny? How and why did you select them?
We wanted to create scent that resonates positive energy, so the fragrance starts with sparkles of grapefruit and blueberries. At the heart, the peony was an important addition, as it adds elegance. Then orange blossom gives the fragrance power. And finally patchouli.
To me, patchouli has a lot of depth and mystery, an aura that is important for My Destiny – there’s something special about it, it’s very addictive.
How did it feel to complete My Destiny?
I was super proud and happy with My Destiny, especially as it was the first time that I had collaborated with Oriflame.