P.S – Smokey eyes does not mean a black eye. Thank you.
Now let’s begin creating the smokey eyes
Step 1: Apply a light shade of concealer to the under eye area, and all over the top lid. Your mineral makeup foundation is a great concealer for this step and prepares your eyes for the eye shadow that you are going to apply.
Step 2: Line your eye lids, just on top of your lashes and underneath your eyes.
Step 3: Apply a matte shadow that is similar to your eye color. Use a relatively large brush to cover your entire eye and blend it into the creases before moving onto the next step.
Step 4: Brush a dark gray eye shadow along the tape above your eyelid. You can make it dark, but not too dark—you still have a lot more shadow to go and don’t want to cake on too much makeup.
Step 5: Blend away the dark gray eye shadow with a much lighter shade, even lighter than your skin color. This will brighten up your eyes and make the dark color less intense and more natural.
Step 6: Go darker if you want a more night-time smokey eyes. You can apply a black eye shadow over the gray shadow you already have on since there is a gray shadow already, the look is more gradual but still striking.
Step 7: Use a Mascara
Step 8: Brush away any shadow that has fallen below the eye with a fluffy brush and clean up any areas that have smeared with a q-tip.
Step 9: If you are going to make your eyes look flawless, you might as well go for the eyebrows, too. A bold brow looks great with a smokey eyes because you’ll draw even more attention to your gorgeous eyes.
Step 10: If you want to go for a classic smokey eyes look, lightly line lips with a natural color and add some sheer color in nude, peach, caramel, or barely there pink. If you want to add more drama to your look, line your lips with a darker lip liner and fill it in with a deep color.
How to keep MakeUp Brushes Clean
After a few weeks of using your makeup brushes, your face’s natural oils, makeup, and bacteria will start to build up. Cleaning your makeup brushes regularly will not only get rid of the bacteria, but it will also prevent your makeup colors from getting mixed.
Keep your makeup brushes in tip-top shape and ensure the bristles stay soft and bacteria-free longer. Try washing brushes at least once a week. Okay every two weeks.
Here’s how to clean your makeup brushes:
• Pour a mild household liquid soap or baby shampoo into the palm of your hand and mix with water
• Use your hand as a cup for the warm, soapy water and swirl brushes in your palm until they are clean. This works if you used the brush for powder based make up. If the brushes have been used for cream-based makeup, they will need a deeper cleaning than the ones used for powder-based makeup
• Avoid getting water underneath the metal clasp of the handle as this will ruin the glue that holds the bristles together. Keep running the water through the brushes until you’ve rinsed away most of the old makeup. Make sure the brushes are angled downward into the stream of water. If water gets under the metal clasp of the handle, it may damage the brushes. Don’t use hot water, as the heat may damage the bristles
• Once the water runs clear, take the brush out from under the water and gently fold a towel around the bristles
• Squeeze the excess water out using your fingers. Remove the brush from the towel and reshape the bristles if necessary. You can do this by gently pressing on them, fanning them out, or pulling them together into a point. Try to recreate the original shape as much as possible.
Clean brushes help you get the application right for flawless results. Don’t get lazy about cleaning those brushes. Thank me later.
What Hairstyles Say About You
You can tell what generation a picture was taken just from the hairstyles and of course the eyebrows.
I have had a love-hate relationship with my hair for as long as possible. I mean it started with being able to do shuku and front and put plenty beads. I can remember tossing my hair from side to side just to hear the beads clank. It graduated from there to doing long brush during high school days. Then the real journey with my hair started after that.
As anyone who’s gotten a really good — or bad — weave knows, hair is so much more than just a look: It can be a reflection and reinforcement of who you are.
And sometimes your hair speaks for you, even when you don’t say a thing. I am not even exaggerating. If you have braids on for instance the world’s going to see you differently than someone with a short pink low cut.
We can change it so easily in ways that we can’t change any other part of our body. So what message are you sending with your hairstyle?
Straight hair can mean business
Speaking in a very general way, straight hair is often thought of as more conservative, and curly hair as more casual. By straight hair, I mean your natural or treated hair, and even a conservative weave. By curly hair imagine bohemian curls. You may not be able to work in some settings with that style.
Short Hairstyles
I remember when this was the trend. When I say short hair picture all the Rihanna short hairstyles from then. Also low cuts are in this category: it suits some people and then it’s a BIG NO for others. I imagine people with short hair are bold, fearless and no nonsense. Halle Berry is my favorite short haired girl. Yes, I also know Nigerians don’t naturally have that kind of hair. A cropped cut can be a way to show the world how strong you are. A woman with short hair is perceived as confident — not having to hide anything.
Long hair can look less professional
While short hairstyles can come across as powerful, sporting long hair in a workplace environment may have subconscious consequences.
Long hair, especially if it is a hair weave, can be perceived as more youthful and sexy to some people.
The tone of your hair can color perceptions
Those who have non-traditional hair colors can come across as rebellious. Women with purple or green or blue hair are considered as those wanting to call attention to themselves, such as artists, actresses, celebrities generally.
Purple and green hair are creative and youthful, but won’t go over well in a corporate environment.
The Best Way Ever to Wear Foundation
If someone compliments you on your foundation, you’re doing something wrong. Well, what I mean is that it should look completely natural. Although I do get complimented when I use my “special going out foundation”.
First things first.
Choose the right colour
As the name implies, your foundation is the basis for the rest of your makeup. To make sure that it acts as a blank canvas, choose a colour that identically matches your skin tone. Try multiple shades on your face (rather than your hand or your neck), and stick with the color that matches your skin tone without blending.
Get the right tools
There are three primary means of applying foundation: with your fingers, with a sponge, or with a brush. Although there is debate between which is the best means of application, there are benefits to each. Putting on your makeup with your fingers allows for better blending, while applying it with a brush helps keep the spread of bacteria (and therefore acne) to a minimum.
Prepare your skin
You should start applying make up to a fresh face. Remove makeup and cleanse. Treat the skin with a cotton pad and a makeup remover. If this is unavailable, wash your face.
Moisturize to Prime the Skin
It’s best to warm up the cream in between your hands then press it into the skin. If you’re more on the oily side, use a gel-based moisturizer that is matte and apply with just your fingertips or a foundation brush.
Apply foundation
If you’re using a foundation brush, apply it by starting in the center of the face and blend out.
Blend
Start with a damp beauty blender because it softens the sponge and won’t absorb any of the product you just applied to your face. Blend the foundation with a rolling motion and press it into the skin.
Conceal blemishes
Tap on concealer (meaning use lightly) to hide any blemishes or acne scars that’s coming through.
Set
You should set with a translucent powder. Using a soft, small, and natural hair brush, gently tap any excess product off then sweep the setting powder only over areas that tend to be shiny: in between the eyebrows, down and around the nose, under the eye, and on the chin.
Voilà
Congratulations—you’ve officially got glowing, celebrity skin—own it.
Natural Hairstyles
I have never really considered going natural till now. I have always flirted with the idea of natural hairstyles but I’ve been scared about how I would look. I didn’t want to suddenly switch from having that good hair laid to looking unkempt or like I had joined a particular religious sect. The story is totally different now; just look at all the hotties on Instagram with natural hair!
African women are born artists. The most prominent and common evidence to their creative instincts is natural hairstyles. If you are not convinced, you only need to visit Kemi Lewis’ page. I don’t currently have natural hair so this is not an ad. There’s more options now with what you can do to your hair.
Afro-style hairstyles feature amazing and innovative braids, Faux-hawk or Mohawk updos and striking extreme short hairstyles.
Our typical natural curls, thick texture and dreadlocks allow us to create distinguished hairstyles that will make us stand out among the crowd and get the attention that women and girls absolutely love to get. Naturalist a blaas sport flashy volume in their hair and that gives them plenty of design options and they can style their hair in a ton of different ways. Creative braided hairdos are the most attractive type of natural hairstyles for black women. A modern day black woman still loves to wear classic Afro-hairstyle with a bit added modifications that truly make them stand out. That way, they don’t look typical when they walk down the street. Instead they stand out and everyone notices them.
There’s never been a better time to rock your natural coils, kinks and curls. Keep up to date with the latest trends in black natural hairstyles and check out these awesome looks below for your next hairdo. Even natural hair styles for nuptials these days. Check them out.
Breakfast Recipe: Spicy Bean Pudding (Moimoi Alata)
Naija styled bean pudding popularly called moimoi is an authentic delectable way to enjoy nutritious protein-packed beans. Loved by all, moimoi is simply irresistible if cooked right. I remember how much I disliked cooked beans as child. But with moimoi overflowing with lots of goodies (orishirishi) in it, my plate gets all cleared.
Usually cooked with varied combination of fillings – fish, shredded meat/chicken, crayfish, corned beef, liver etc (the choice is simply up to you), moimoi is a regular accompaniment to rice at Naija parties. Moimoi is also very much consumed as breakfast served with oats, pap, tapioca or custard – with a topping of nutritious Three Crowns milk. That sure gives it a healthful balance, agree?
In this recipe, the addition of chilli pepper and ginger gives your moimoi some extra zing. Hot is the actual word – just the way I love mine. Now let’s make some spicy moimoi (bean pudding):
Moimoi Ingredients:
• 4 cups beans or 500g Beans flour
• 2 large sized red bell peppers (Tatashe)
• 6 – 8 Scotch Bonnet (Ata rodo)
• 5 pieces red chilli pepper (Shombo) – for extra spice
• 2 fingers fresh ginger, peeled and cubed
• 2 medium-sized onions, peeled and diced
• Eggs in desired quantity – hardboiled and sliced
• 1 cup fresh or dried Shrimps
• 1 kg Gizzard or Liver, diced
• 2 table spoon Grounded Crayfish
• 2 cooking spoons, any healthy cooking oil of choice
• Chicken bouillon cubes and salt for seasoning
Directions:
Step One:
Peel the beans. You can peel your beans manually by soaking for a while and then rub with your hands to remove skin. Or use a blender. Here’s how – Divide your beans into batches. Pour first batch into your blender, add a bit of water and blend using the Pulse button on your blender (if blender doesn’t have Pulse function, use low speed button for about 5 seconds pause then repeat 7-8 times). When beans are well peeled, pour into a bowl, set aside and repeat process with the remaining batches of beans. If using a blender, don’t leave beans to soak. That makes them too soft and the blender may break them up. Pour peeled beans in bowl and wash thoroughly using a colander to further remove skin residue. That sorted, pour beans back into blender, and add your washed fresh peppers, onions, ginger and some water (be careful with the water so you don’t end up with runny paste). Blend till you have a very smooth thick paste.
Step Two:
Pour bean paste into a bowl, add cooking oil, ground crayfish, chicken bouillon, some warm water (if too thick) and stir gently in one direction. Taste for salt and then mix-in other ingredients – shrimps, diced gizzard/liver and boiled eggs. Stir again for about 5 more minutes till very creamy (the creamier your paste, the fluffier your pudding turns out when cooked). You can now wrap-up your bean paste in local banana leaves (ewe) or pour into tins/plastics/foil packs. Place them in a deep pot with water (be sure not to cover up the wrapped leaves/tins with water) and steam for about 30-40 minutes. If needed, water can be added at intervals into the cooking pot. Check if cooked by dipping a tooth pick into one of the packs, if it comes out dry then your pudding is ready. Leave to cool for some minutes and serve warm. Thinking of more ways to enjoy your bean pudding? Why not try it out as a standalone meal with stir-fried veggies or efo riro as sauce.
Low Cholesterol Alternatives To Common Delicacies
Sticking to a low fat / low cholesterol diet is a sure track to healthy living. But making healthy food choices can sometimes look very boring and deterring. However, if you must lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, cutting back on calories and your cholesterol intake is of utmost importance.
There’re lots of healthy alternatives to high-carbs you can include in your diet so it doesn’t become too restricted and boring. A good start to making healthy choices is to read nutritional information on products when grocery shopping. Always check for fat, sugar, sodium, calorie content etc.
Most of the easily available staple food items in Nigeria are high in carbohydrates and calories but you can make healthy switches to still enjoy the best of Naija cuisines.
Here are some common low cholesterol swaps you can make:
Let’s start with the most universal Naija staple – rice. Rice is so widely accepted and loved by all. So much so that it’s almost difficult to imagine life without rice. However, white rice is highly laden with unhealthy carbs and makes top place on the list of foods to be eaten in moderation. If you must eat rice, leafy greens or salads with fat-free dressings should make up most part of your rice meals. You may however opt for tasty nutrient-rich substitutes like brown rice, ofada rice, bulgur wheat, couscous and quinoa.
Nigeria has several scrumptious soups that attest to the numerous tribes and unique culture she’s blessed with. How best to enjoy these dishes if not accompanied with solids? Also called swallows, eba/fufu/pounded yam/starch are solids made from flour-based starchy carb-rich staples. If you’re on a low-cholesterol diet, these foods should be eaten moderately or totally avoided where possible. There’re other ways to enjoy your rich soup delicacies without loading up on calories and unnecessary carbs. Plantain amala, oat fufu, soya meal and even millet are healthier flour-based options for swallows. You can make flour out of these food items yourself rather than buying them off the shelf.
To make the most of the available healthy options to swallow foods, you should use palmoil sparingly when preparing your soups. And for stews and general cooking, instead of cholesterol-rich vegetable and groundnut oils preferably use cholesterol-free varieties. Extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil and soya oil are healthy choices of cooking oil you can try.
For animal proteins, fish, chicken breasts, turkey are better options to beef. In cooking your meals, choose boiling/grilling or roasting to frying. Avoid fried foods as much as possible.
And veggies? You should also consider stocking up on lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Most vegetables are fibre-rich, low in calories and great sources of antioxidants and various nutrients. They can be included into your dishes in several ways. They make healthy snacks too, so have them in your kitchen in varieties. Fruits and veggie infused water also make healthier alternatives to carbonated and sugary drinks and juices.
And lastly, don’t miss out on breakfast.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Significantly, breakfast is what sets your metabolism into drive all day-long. Fibre-rich cereals like oatmeal, bran flakes amongst many other whole-grain products are low- sugar / sodium and healthy breakfast choices. They will keep you full for longer (because they digest slower) while also lowering your body’s cholesterol levels. When buying milk for your cereals and tea, opt for low-fat/skimmed milk options like Three Crowns Milk.
Who says low-cholesterol diets have to be tasteless? Definitely not with these delectable alternatives. Make them your choices today and totally enjoy your healthy life!
Try out these exercises and in no time you’ll have heads turning as you rock your bikini
bum shorts or pair of jeans! It’s time to dazzle girl.
”
Slimming Pills and their effects
Popularly referred to as diet pills/ diet supplements/ anti-obesity pills, slimming pills are often promoted as a fast approach to weight loss. And in a bid to significantly drop some dress sizes rapidly, many turn to these seemingly miracle weight-loss drugs. Some work, some don’t but the question is – how safe are these wonder pills?
Tagged as “metabolism boosters” or “fat burners”, most of these diet drugs which often come in powder, capsules or pills are lethal due to the large amounts of herbal stimulants and appetite suppressants they carry. Oblivious to many consumers, these ingredients are highly detrimental to human health and in most cases, trigger severe side-effects. The user is prone to several diseases ranging from bladder ailments to heart problems.
Functions of Slimming pills
Slimming pills usually differ in functionality depending on the ingredients contained in them. Below are some of the varied functions:
A slow down of the production of fat in the body
Appetite suppressant /control – Curb cravings for food
Satiety – User feels full by eating just a little
Fat blocker – prevent body from absorbing the fat in foods
Metabolism booster – Speed up metabolism
Effects of Slimming pills
With the above roles in effect, weight loss certainly occurs but the dangers of these overwhelming achievements definitely outweigh the benefits. Let’s see how.
A popular example of a weight loss supplement is Ephedra, a powerful Chinese herbal stimulant known to radically suppress appetite and boost energy. This ingredient was quite effective for weight loss. It worked by increasing heart rates and putting unnecessary pressure on the circulatory system of the consumer. This led to several cases of heart attacks and strokes. Ephedra was legally banned in 2004 by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in the United States.
Slimming drugs that offer consumers fat blocking benefits are usually laden with lipase inhibitors like Orlistat and Alli. These components have been linked with liver damages and symptoms of liver diseases like yellow skin or eyes, stomach pain, excessive gas, loss of appetite, pale coloured poop, and brownish urine (due to surplus bilirubin in the urine).
Furthermore, not only do lipase inhibitors prevent the body from absorbing large amounts of fats, it also stops the body from digesting certain vitamins. In addition, consumers who use slimming drugs that contain lipase inhibitors are prone to regaining weight as rapidly as they lost it the moment they stop the medications. Highly detrimental, right? More like an effort in futility, if you ask me.
Some slimming pills containing anti-depressants and amphetamines have also proved to become very addictive sometimes. Amphetamines are strong stimulants that speed up the heart and increases blood pressure. They are usually included in weight-loss drugs as appetite suppressants. Working on the central nervous system, the user feels energized and alert without eating and in little or no time drops notable weight, becomes emaciated and if too drastic, malnourished. Other side effects include: mood swings, convulsion, chest pain and possibly, heart failure.
Ideally, there is no shortcut to weight loss. The use of diet pills is a quick-fix weight loss practice which is extremely harmful and may lead to death. Incorporating the right kinds of food, regular workouts and healthy habits into your everyday life are the safest ways to a wholesome long-term weight-loss journey.
Increase Your Stamina With These Tips
Who doesn’t need as much endurance as possible in a fast-paced society like our Naija? I bet you do! Often referred to as stamina, endurance is certainly a crucial element if you must be happy and productive.
Regardless of your age, weight, level of daily physical activities and love for sports, the relevance of staying-power can’t be overlooked. Whether planning to take part in the next cross-country marathon or trying to battle through your daily busy schedule, improving your energy and strength to remain sustained should be a priority if you’re determined to succeed.
To be in full control of your game/tasks while also remaining mentally focused till the end without being overly stressed, your body must be in good shape. Being in good shape means good stamina.
Frequent bouts of fatigue, hormonal imbalance and lack of motivation are some of the signs of low stamina. Do you know there’s a connection between your mental and physical stamina (endurance)? To carry out your daily activities, you must be physically fit and absolutely thinking straight. Your mental stamina is what gives you the ability to focus and also combat illnesses. Good physical and mental health is definitely fundamental for a good life.
Now you see the need for a stamina boost? It’ll certainly increase your performance.
Here’s how to increase your stamina:
A healthy diet: Can there ever be too much emphasis on the importance of food in your everyday life? Healthy eating will add some boost to your mental and physical endurance while also keeping your body generally fit. Low fat products, proteins, lots of fruits and vegetables, and healthy carbs should be key constituents of your diet. These foods will infuse your body with the healthy kind of energy it requires to boost your stamina and keep you going each day.
Another vital stamina booster is exercise. Engaging in regular physical exercises overtime will increase your energy level and stamina. Cardiovascular exercises like aerobics, swimming, treadmill running, cycling, jogging and even dancing are good heart strengtheners that’ll ensure good oxygen flow to all parts of your body. At least 150 -180 minutes per week of these exercises will keep your heart and lungs happy and gradually increase your stamina. Sit-ups, weightlifting and several other strength training exercises will not just tone and build your muscles, but will help you maintain a healthy weight and without doubt give more endurance.
Still on exercises, doing routines you enjoy makes it a lot easier to push yourself into shape. And in the main, try as much as possible not to be sedentary. Motion is the word if you want to improve your stamina!
How much water do you drink daily? Do you often wait till you’re thirsty and dehydrated before taking a drink of water? Do you know that when you’re dehydrated your body has less fluid? This makes your blood curdle and subsequently reduces your blood flow and of course a cut down in oxygen supply. Water is also vital in fighting muscle fatigue. Bearing this in mind, wouldn’t you rather drink at least 8 cups of water? You certainly will!
Not sleeping enough? Lack of sleep and adequate rest are key causes of low stamina. Enjoy at least 8 hours of sleep daily if you want to bubble with vigour and be productive the next day.
And on a last note, kick out unhealthy habits. Excessive alcohol consumption and smoking are stamina killers. Engaging in them will only thwart your stamina boosting efforts.
Ready to get started? Remember not to push your body to the point of breakdown. Be frequent but don’t overdo it. Healthy stamina increase can only be achieved over time. Moderately but progressively put all given tips into practice and you’ll sure see yourself in top form for longer periods.
