How’s the weather (a short story)

It was raining outside. Sally hated the rain. She couldn’t place why but she’s always hated it since she was a little girl. She was sitting right at the kitchen window of her home where she liked to have breakfast with Alex. That seat was now empty.

She suddenly remembered all the reasons why she hated the rain they came flooding back with such force that she forgot to breathe and found herself gasping for air.

It was three years ago when she was walking home from work because her car broke down. She thought she could make it home before the rain but of course the rain thought something else. When she was halfway through it came down with the vengeful force it only reserved for her and she immediately was soaked. She kept her head down and kept walking all the while cursing under her breath. Suddenly a car stopped and the driver came down with an umbrella in his hand.
“I don’t mean to startle you madam but it’s pouring rain and I just want to get you to your destination safely. I mean no harm”.
She knew he was talking but all she could see were the kindest  blue eyes staring right through to her soul.
True to his word he took her home and walked her to her front door, making sure she was in and safe. Throughout the ride home they never said a word to each other except when she told him her address.

Over the next week she kept receiving flowers from the same person with a beautiful note every time. It was always something kind, something uplifting. Then one day the mystery ‘flower-sender’ decided to leave his name this time and a number. She texted him. ‘You should take me out to dinner’.

At 8pm prompt the man with the kindest eyes was at her door again. She had forgotten just how stunning he was. It was an evening that shouldn’t have ended. Alex was the first man she ever really felt a connection with and she felt completely safe in his presence. This was a new feeling because she never knew her father and all three step-fathers’ she had, had all physically assaulted her to the point that she ran away from home when she was eighteen.

Alex was everything she never knew a man could be. He was kind, honest and utterly selfless that is why when he died she knew she was not destined to ever be happy.

It was of course a rainy day two years into their marriage she was home doing the dishes on a Monday morning because she took a sick leave. She was pregnant with their first child and it was proving to be a complicated pregnancy. The home phone rang. She cheerily went to pick it up whoever it was said she needed to get to Healing Hospital it was an emergency he/she said. In an utterly confused state she picked up her keys and drove down absentmindedly cursing the rain. She got in introduced herself and proceeded to wherever the nurse was taking her to. Before she got there the doctor intercepted her.
“Are you Mrs Blackmon”
“Yes”
“I’m Dr. Chike, I’m so sorry we tried everything we could your husband passed five minutes ago”
“What happened to him”
“He was hit by a drunk driver who is in police custody right now”
“I’m deeply sorry for your loss”
“What loss”
Then it began to dawn slowly on her; “Who the hell drives drunk on a Monday morning”, she thought “why is the room spinning so much, why can I feel my legs, wha…..”

She opened her eyes and the first person she saw was her mother. This had to be bad she only saw her mum when something terrible terrible had happened and then she remembered but she did not have enough spirit in her to cry. She wished herself to wherever Alex was but if only wishes were horses.

She later learned she lost her child the same day she heard the news. Everything became a blur to her, the funeral, the doctor visits, the therapy sessions, everything was just one big blur.

She stared down at the prescription pain medication in front of her at the kitchen table and she thought this time I will be with Alex and nothing will ever take me away from him again.

Why I will marry Bobrisky

 

Idris Olarenwaju, popularly known as Bobrisky was born in 1992 and was born and bred in Ebute- Metta, Lagos. This male Barbie doll has managed to capture the hearts of Nigerians despite his eccentric almost taboo lifestyle in a conservative, religious and hypocritical country. How he manages to stay alive beats me but then I remember….

Now back to my heading... I will marry Bobrisky because of these reasons;

 

 

• Staying Power When I first found out about him I thought he would just fizzle away you know moment of madness and all that but no he has remained in our faces and gotten bigger too (kinda like the Kardashians but lets not go there). He is one of the most popular celebs in Nigeria and people even pay to follow him on snapchat something some legit artistes won’t even dare to do.
   

 

 

·         Makeup Dude applies makeup flawlessly on top such rough masculine skin. To do a professional makeup takes about an hour or so on a woman with normal skin that’s double the time with a rough male so he has to sit through two hours of makeup every single day of his life to keep on fascinating his fans. For me who thinks makeup is a lot of work dude has a lot of patience. We give him credit for that. 

   

 

 

 

·         Captivation He is a major traffic generator for bloggers even big ones like Linda. Everybody just loves laughing, judging and being vaguely intrigued by him and who his ‘bae’ is. For someone with such humble background he sure knows how to keep the interest of a nation.     

 

 

 

 

·         Fearless Now being Bobrisky takes guts hence the ‘risky’. In such a country as ours that deeply frowns and even has a prison sentence for something that most of the world has come to tolerate and celebrate, he dangles on the fence so fearlessly leaving us guessing is he or isn’t he, I for one think he isn't but he keeps rubbishing this theory day by day and unapologetically so.  

·         Started from the bottom Really it isn’t easy making it from a humble background in such a country but he made it yo. He did it by doing what; selling bleaching cream, being wild and being highly different. Venturing into a woman’s market and ultimately dominating. This dude will probably succeed at whatever else he veers in to do. He is hardworking, determined and smart. 

 

 

·         Audacity He’s got it. He’s transformed into this thing and owns it. He owns this persona with such audacity that he has been named a Barbie Doll. Which Nigerian girl has been named a “Barbie Doll’ …..exactly. But a young man is here owning it. 

 

 

·         ClapBack The king  queen of clapback herself. He never backs down from a fight and he will rip you to shreds.   

·         Fame Dude is famous, duh, if not why the hell will I even consider marrying him.  

 

·         Rich Most of his lavish lifestyle is fake that’s a fact but he still has some money. This guy is definitely not broke, he sure can back it up. His cream sells for $400 (N146,000) now if just 20 girls which is the very least number buys it a month he gets N2,920,000 at the very least from the cream a month not counting his snapchat which you have to pay N10,000 to follow him and like another N10,000 to take a picture with him when he’s on tour (whatever that means) and yes people actually pay this money. He also has modelling gigs and endorsements deals so for a 25 year old he is doing pretty good.        

·         He has Sense You cannot be all these without having sense you just can't. He has just subjected a whole nation to be fascinated by what they claim to hate. So yeah, kudos to him! 

Pssst I'm not actually going to marry Bobrisky but you enjoyed the read right?

          Bye loves have a great week ;)

 

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

SKIN CARE TRAVEL HACKS

BEAUTY SCHOOL

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.

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THE PERFUMER’S DESTINY: WORDS WITH SOPHIE LABBÉ

MY LIFE, MY STYLE

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.

5 PRINCESSES AND THEIR SIGNATURE BEAUTY LOOKS

CELEBRITY

Nothing breathes elegance and grace quite like a princess; and so we’ve searched the world for the 5 royal women who always impress.

Princess Catherine of the United Kingdom
Princess Catherine (formerly Kate Middleton) married Prince William in 2011, in one of the most high-profile royal weddings to date. Since then she’s had two children, focused on charitable work, and was selected as one of the “100 most influential People in the World” by Time Magazine. Her signature look consists of soft-coverage foundation, brown eyeliner and flushed cheeks. To get Kate’s smoky, brown eye, try smudging your liner to soften it, wear your eyebrows groomed, and opt for a nude lip. We love her trademark, salon-blown hair.

Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand
Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, the daughter of the Crown Prince Maha Vajralongkorn, is a Paris Fashion Week regular. Her signature look is on-trend and colourful, but never short on sophistication. She’s not one to shy away from bright lipsticks, which she pairs with exaggerated lashes, high-coverage foundation and bronzed cheeks. Check out her thick, glossy mane for some real hair envy!

Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan
OK, so she’s not a Princess, but Queen Rania of Jordan is not only considered one of the most progressive women in her region, she’s also a beauty icon. Her signature look is comprised of dusty-rose lipstick and defined dramatic eyes, lending to a balanced elegance that’s fit for a queen. Her go-to beauty products include liquid eyeliner (which she only wears on her upper lash line), matte eye shadows (in neutral, brown tones) and thick mascara – smoky eye makeup perfection.

Princess Keisha Omilana of Nigeria
When Nigerian Prince Kunle Omilana saw Keisha for the first time, he greeted her with: "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my entire life.” He has a point! The model and philanthropist likes to keep her makeup simple – think dewy skin and perfectly defined brows. Skin is worn natural with a light-coverage foundation, shimmering, highlighted cheeks and tinted lip gloss - stunning!

Princess Madeleine of Sweden
In addition to her royal duties and charity work, Princess Madeleine of Sweden loves horse riding – perhaps that explains her rosy cheeks and glowing complexion? Her signature look is shiny hair and defined eyes; chic and occasion-appropriate. The princess tends to skip eye shadow and opt for soft, brown eye pencil, which she pairs with pink lip gloss or deeper red and mauve shades.

The Age Reversing Miracle

ASK THE EXPERT

Are you in the process of selecting a skin care brand or just want more information about NovAge? Then get your questions answered by our Senior Director of Science of Innovation, Dr Alain Mavon.

1. IS NOVAGE RELEVANT FOR ALL SKIN TYPES? 
Yes, NovAge is relevant for all skin types.

2. HOW DO I DETERMINE WHICH NOVAGE RANGE IS BEST FOR MY SKIN? 
Your age gives you an indication, but it is more important to identify your main skin concerns and choose a range that targets them.

3. WHICH SPECIFIC SIGNS OF SKIN AGEING DOES THE NOVAGE SKIN CARE SYSTEM TARGET? 
You can continue to use your existing products, but we recommend switching to NovAge as it is designed to be most effective when using the set of six products, following the Youth Enhancing Skin Care Routine.

4. CAN I CONTINUE TO USE MY OTHER ORIFLAME PRODUCTS TOGETHER WITH NOVAGE OR SHOULD I SWITCH COMPLETELY? 
The NovAge skin care system targets the 12 skin-ageing signs that matter most – that is the signs that directly correlate to a negative age perception.

5. WHAT IS A CLINICAL STUDY AND WHAT DOES CLINICALLY PROVEN MEAN? 
A clinical study involves volunteers testing a product for a given period of time. The benefits brought by the product are objectively measured using various technical methods.

Clinically proven means that the claims to substantiate the benefits of the product are coming from a clinical test with objective measurements. Such clinical proof is a guarantee for the consumer that the product is really efficient.

6. NOVAGE IS DESCRIBED AS BEING POWERED BY NATURAL INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN AND WHY IS IT INNOVATIVE? 
NovAge is powered either by natural plant technologies or nature-inspired technologies. Innovative means that these technologies are the result of ground-breaking research.

7. WHAT ARE PLAN STEM CELLS? 
Plant stem cells are bio-technology used to produce natural extracts in a very sustainable manner, in a highly concentrated form. Depending on the original plant, they can possess various anti-ageing activities.