Style Basic: The White T.Shirt.

                             Photography by Tosin
Hey hey hey..
Miracles of all miracles, i found a blog photog! *cue hallelujah chorus*
After looking for someone who can take decent photos for my style posts without asking for my kidneys as cost for AGES, i met a very wonderful young lady, starting out in professional photography, great attitude, great talent, and so yay to more outfit posts!. (hey Tosin !)
Anyway, black and white are my top favorite colours and the white tee is a basic for me as it is minimalist, easy and very versatile. Love.
Here i styled it in two casual ways-
Look 1: I added a blue denim shirt, some metal bracelets, a print purse, a pop of color with the shoes and statement necklace (above).

The Small Chop: My Hair Cut Story.

 

So, I cut my hair.
Not the 'big chop' as most natural-hair converts do, but a chop all the same.
Like most other things in my life, i have been thinking about it for a while, i have read, meditated and researched everything from the cut style, products to use on short hair, what color options i had if i wished to change it, how the cut will affect my clothes and makeup, my emotions, what options i have in case i get bored of the look, will i keep it short for a while or grow it out immediately after, and a million other things.
I'm like that. I over-analyse everything.
But once i'm done analyzing, it takes me 2 seconds to go for it. Because i want to. No explanations to anyone. No announcements.

2015 Birthday/Holiday Wish List, If You Love Me...

I envy all of you who get gifts during your birthdays and holidays and just-because moments.

Like, how does it feel? 

Do y'all give happy cries and high squeals when you are presented with a nicely-wrapped perfume or shoe-boxes or bank credit alerts?

According to Instagram, some of you even get Louboutin shoes! and diamond jewelry! and all-expenses paid trips to Dubai, London, Paris, etc! and get engaged!? What?? 

I hate all of you, because.. 

I hardly ever get gifts for anything. OK, i remember one pair of slippers some 10 years ago, and oh, a close friend gave me a bottle of perfume after he came back from overs', out of the bunch he got for other people, so yeah.

But like every self-torturing? hopeful human, i wish i could get gifted with stuff every now and then. 

It has to be gifted, otherwise, it might not mean as much, at least that's what people who get gifts say, the rats, and i am known to be reluctant to purchase stuff generally (no, i am not laudably frugal, i'm just broke-with-high-anxiety-about-lack-of-money), so i might not go through with buying these things, even if i were given the chance.

Anyway, it's my birthday next week..*pauses, clashes cymbals repeatedly* and the holidays are coming, so here's me putting out my wishes to the universe, hoping that this time, a miracle happens.

Now the list, in no particular order of importance-

1) My family's health and happiness. I mean this. Half of my life's worries would be over if my family and friends are all healthy and happy.

2) Money. Truck-loads of it. Like, I'm so over not being rich. Ugh. There are things to do, places to travel to, and things to buy for goodness sake!!

Speaking of things to buy...

3) Nude/Gold minimal-ish high-heeled sandals. These perfect creation are Valentino.. I need.

4) White-ish/Metallic-ish minimal-ish sandals. If i had these Tom Ford Silver & Gold Padlock pair, i would carry it on my head everywhere, 'cos my feet ain't worthaayy.

5) The Nikkor 50mm 1.8 lenses. This would make my entire year! please God, please!

6) Flat simple sandals to please me.

7) White sneakers for those smart days. I'm aghast that i don't already own a pair.

Style: On The Fringes.

My memory is almost-permanently hazy and selective, but i clearly remember feeling very intrigued when fashion designer Ituen Basi released her 'break-out' collection that featured fringes in their Ankara glory some years ago and I've been hooked on the 70's trend ever since.
Now the fringes are on their way back (after a brief stint in the summer of 2014 and earlier this year) and since i am yet to get around to taking outfit photos (rolls eyes), i made a set on my Polyvore and also pulled some inspiration off the inter-mother-net on how to wear this fun, flirty-yet-edgy trend..
Shall we?

1- A black party dress like this is all you need, really. Add some minimal heels, some nice lipstick and voila!
2- A pair of drop-earrings with fringes will definitely turn heads, yours (as you wouldn't able to resist flipping your head from side to side. At least, i wouldn't) and every other person's, plus it's a subtle nod to the trend, if the dress idea is too much fringe for you.
3- A purse with fringes? Why not.

4- Aimee Song's Fringe + Lace ensemble? Heaven! Like, i'm most definitely copying this outfit. It's genius.

5- A fringed mini. Feminine, sexy, also provides some fun 'coverage', you know, to cover more of your legs if you want.

Beauty Loving: Edgy White & Purple.

Edgy Beauty by sky-chi featuring a purple lipstick

Hi guys! these are some of the beauty looks and things i've been loving and craving lately. 

I mean, i've always been for the edgy side with my beauty (as opposed to my decidedly-dreadfully-laid-back slightly-androgynous slash traditional style), and the currents beauty trends of white/grey hair, purple lipsticks and the not-so-new white nail polish are giving me all kinds of life.

As a matter of fact, i am putting in white and blonde braids this weekend, fingers crossed, i hope i love it, i hope it suits me, even though i most likely will not care anyway. Wish me luck!.

I'll be posting photos of the show-stopping spectacle that will be my hair this weekend on my Instagram , so follow me, ok? :).

Keep Walking, Frenchie.

Outfit Idea: Military Chic.

Hola there! So, since i haven't had the good luck of finding a blog photog, i have to continue posting about my style via Polyvore .
The military green look is one of my favorites because it can be very versatile and understated chic.
Here are three of my outfit ideas featuring military/army green pieces-
Look 1- perfect for a date or any daytime event, the lace top and bright-colored sandals & purse give the army-green pants a kick.
Look 2- This is an all classic with the camouflage loose-fitting pants paired with black & white sleeveless top plus accessories of same color.
Look 3- A casual easy take on the military green look for a day out shopping or visiting friends.

Keep Walking.

The Midi Skirt.

Ulyana Sergeenko, the Russian queen-goddess of fashion is the very epitome of bold and fearless femininity as far as fashion goes. I mean, who rocks full, balled-out midi-length skirts with fierce shoes and pursed lips like her? NO ONE.
We mere mortals can only try.
The midi skirt is one piece of clothing that is utterly feminine and flattering on most body types, as long as the choice of fabric and length is right.
It might not be the easiest thing for everyone to wear, but if Ulyana's way of rocking it is too bold for you, you can try toning down the look with the ideas below-

This is a good choice for an easy day that you also need to dress up. The light tee tones down the fullness of the skirt, while giving the torso a lean, slim fit, and the slinky ankle-strap sandals, gold link chain watch and necklace keep it modern and dressy.

These are two other great options for two different occasions, Formal/Work and Casual to run some errands, or meet-up with someone for food and drinks.
One thing to keep in mind when wearing this look is to keep your top fitted and simple, keep your shoes nice, and keep your confidence fierce. That's all!
Wait, there is a moral to this err story- Don't be afraid to try new things, in fashion and other areas of life.
Cheers.

Outfit: Sunday-Casual Jeans and Tee.

Sundays are usually bipolar for me, because after all the hassle of the work week, i either want to sleep and lazy about, or dress up and have fun. This past Sunday i was in the middle, and this is the no-brainer laid-back uniform- Jeans, tee, nice sandals and small purse.

Cheers!

New in: Color-Block Sandals.

Me and other shoe-lovers all over the world fell deeper in love with Solange Knowles when she rocked this delicious Fendi color-block sandals last year.

                    Fendi Grosgain Color Block sandals

Well, i couldn't find or afford these Fendi ones, so i got something close to it that i absolutely love.

This is my new favorite sandals, i got it from a local market here in Lagos.

Cheers!

Make-up: Colored Eyeliner.

The colored eyeliner is a very fast and effective way of spicing-up your make up and playing-up your eyes. Celebs like Kelly Rowland and Beyonce are fans of this trend, and there are different ways to wear it whether for your everyday face or for more glamorous occasions.

This is my everyday-face colored eyeliner look, using blue eyeliner in the inner corners, and a sassier green in the outer corners.  If i were going out to somewhere fancy, i'd amp it up with some eye shadow in same colors.

Love it.

This look is best worn with a subtle lip color, leaving the eyes to grab all the attention. 

Ermm, please pardon my eyebrows, they are going through a phase...

Cheers!

Hair: The New Pixie

Sooo, i am a very frustrating point with my hair right now, but i won't/can't get into that whole issue, anyway, i decided to TRY the much-raved-about pixie hairstyle, despite my dread and trepidation. I wasn't sure it'll suit my face, or that i won't end up looking masculine, etc *sigh.
Here it is *covers eyes*-

 

 I dislike black hair, and can't even remember ever wearing it, hence my choice of mixing in the red. 

*opens eyes*.

Whether i like it or not, i already made the hair, so i must wear it, for at least two weeks, and in that time i hope i come to like it because right now i feel so weird with the style as i'm used to long(ish) lengths.

BTW, about the crazy eyebrows, i'm growing them out back to their full state, i do this every other time, to shape them better afterwards...

MakeUp: Gel Eyeliner + The Classic Pin-Up

So i'm a typical eyeliner girl any day, anytime, like if i had to wear just one makeup item in my life, it would be the eyeliner, but there is no type/brand of eyeliner that I've not tried, just to be smudge-proof all day long. The pencil i love, but runs. The liquid eyeliner i like, but i find too stiff. 

Now let me tell you my fellow eyeliner-wearing debutantes and dowagers, i have found The One. The Gel eyeliner-

This thing here is truly great. It dries well, stays on all day, NO SMUDGING and looks nice. This particular kit comes with two colors and two application brushes- one for drawing, the other for blending and smudging if you want.

I have seen Maybelline and Nicka-K versions here in Naija, so you can look around for it. My own is a drug store variety (i have for sale at N1000, contact me if you want it).

 I used it for this classic pin-up/Chic Muse inspired makeup.(i love blogger Chic Muse spin on the cat eye, she doesn't flip the ends up, she just draws it at a straight line up. Mine is a toned-down version of course)

The eyes...

I love it!

Primer- Kuddy Cosmetics

Concealer- Mary Kay

Powder- Mary Kay

Lips- Cover Girl  

Caution: The gel liner takes more effort to clean off than the pencils or liquid liners, so... 

Holiday Style Inspiration: Wine.

               Wine Style Ideas by chiella2 featuring a burgundy skirt

The holiday season is upon us like tomorrow and we are all gearing up to do many fun things, go to places and events, stuffs like that, so having your style on-point is key.
I'll be posting some color/style inspirations to give you some ideas to dress for the coming season.
The first is this 'Wine' collection i did via Polyvore. Anything in the red family is usually great for the holidays, but instead of doing the good ol' red, go for a deeper hue- wine or burgundy. It is a rich, on-trend, and versatile shade that flatters everyone.
For accessories, gold or silver works perfectly.

Make-up: Green & Gold Smoke

Just a simple gold/lime green/dark green smokey(ish)-eye look.

Face- Kuddy Cosmetics primer//MaryKay concealer//Black Opal loose powder

Eyes- Black Opal eyeshadow// Nicka K liquid eyeliner//Revlon Custom Eyes mascara

Lips- CoverGirl nude lipstick