Psst... Don't Tell Anyone. 6 Beauty Secrets for that Megawatt Smile This Harmattan

Harmattan. The weather most folks dread. What if I told you I like that time of year? Don't believe me 'patapata'; believe me small. I like it when harmattan comes around because:

1. For an oily-skin person as myself, harmattan is bliss. We don't get cracked skin like every other person. With the right amount of petroleum jelly, we're good to go! It's a welcome break from the norm of having to wipe excess oil off our faces every now and then.

2. Super-fast 'Clothes-drying' time! Why? Because I have a syndrome. Dunno what to name it but suffice it to say that the longer my clothes take to dry, the higher the chances of me forgetting it on the clothes-line. With harmattan, those chances are highly reduced.

3. I don't have to worry about sweltering heat... just the dryness

Emotionally, Living Together Offers Equal Benefits as Being Married?

Okay, so this study carried out by some fellows at the Ohio State University in the US, found that moving in together offers the same emotional benefits as being married. 

The study does record some variations resulting from gender differences, but basically, it posits that marriage is not much different from co-habitation when it comes to emotional wellbeing.

Sara Mernitz, one of the Study co-authors, said 

"Now it appears that young people, especially women, get the same emotional boost from moving in together as they do from going directly into marriage."

Still on the Nigerian Senate and this #Socialmediabill Palaver

Source: Google

I know I have a leaning towards storytelling, but this I'm about to recount, is no story.

So my colleague comes into the office and the first thing I notice is his hair. He had cut it.
I go all "Aww... You cut your hair? Why did you cut it?" he just smiled, kinda shyly sef, and said "Na long story o". Something about the way he said it, the look on his face; something about it gave him away. It clicked:
"Oh! Your girlfriend asked you to cut it abi?" 

If I had any doubts about my conclusion before, his expression drove them away. He was all blushy smiley smiley. It was his next comments that got me cracking though... 

Things to Consider When Planning Your Pre-wedding Shoot

“Titi, our friend is getting married in 2 months’ time o!”

Titi looked lost as her office colleague and bestie of 10 years gleefully updated her with the news.

“Which friend?”

It was Lara’s turn to look lost as she seemed to be wondering ‘Really, how can you not know?’

“Titi! Are you in this office at all?”

“No vex”, Titi shrugged, “Just tell me who it is”

Eyeing her friend playfully, Lara responded “You should be ashamed of yourself. Vivian is getting married joor”

“You lie!” Titi retorted

“Mtchew”, her friend hissed. “Because I lied about something like that yesterday, abi?” she questioned sarcastically.

“Are you for real?” Titi asked incredulously, eyes widening “And you’re saying it’s in two months’ time?”

#PrayforParis: 3 Sad Human Facts surrounding the November 13 Paris Attacks

First I heard of it was on Saturday morning. ‘Twas the first piece of news I saw everywhere; officially, #PrayforParis was trending. As I found out more about what we were supposed to be praying about, I couldn’t help the initial feeling of despair. I live in a country where Boko Haram terrorist bombings are reported virtually every day, but I still feel that overwhelming sadness every time I hear such reports. Events following newsbreak of the multiple Paris attacks however drove me to make certain observations, and they were downright depressing…

The Many Shades of Sex: What really is Sexual Purity?

He walked towards her slowly; slowly as though in a trance. Everyone else around her faded, and as she got lost in his seductive eyes, every object around faded into oblivion as well. The Chocolate god stepped forward, his deliciously brown skin stretched firmly across his muscles. She ran the full length of his body with her eyes; worshipping the existence of him, this fine specimen of a man! 

He was all glisten and sparkle, and as he sauntered towards her, he did to her insides very dangerous things. It felt like she was about to explode. She licked her lips as she took it all in- His taut muscles, the inviting rock-hard nipples, the belly that looked like it belonged on a super-human creature, firm & sweet to the eye! All the way below, down, down, down to that…..

Lagos Traffic, Hustle, etc; Some of You May want to Chew me Up for This.

Some words you hear and they just slip out of your recollection. Others you hear and they become a ‘jam’ stuck on replay. I’ve had quite a few jams so far, but one which has been most resounding for about 2 weeks now is the statement made by a bus conductor. 

As talkatively annoying as the man was, I couldn’t help but mull over those few words. On that day, we had been stuck in traffic for over an hour on the Island. All the while, this conductor kept throwing in one joke after another. Most of the time, us passengers just hissed; the combination of hot weather and crazy traffic was not conducive for mirth or humor at all. 

So when he said “All of you for inside this Lagos, make una no born pikin o!”, there were a few more hisses. He still continued: 

Who knew I would one day be called Cougar! *wink*

When Korede Bello first hooked us (it's not just me, yea?) with his irresistible voice and wink, I knew him only as the new kid on the block. By far, I ain't no fanatic of music or any art generally, but Korede got me. I av a LOT of fleeting crushes! Virtually every new kid on the block who gets me with his song becomes my newest crush, until they prove to be only a one-hit wonder. That's it. I move on to the next crush who can manage to impress me with good music.

The Abnormal Normality; A Case for Unity in Diversity

I saw something again.

Walking from Anthony bus stop to work has become- to some extent- routine. So when I see something or someone who spices it up, I classify that as news (you don’t have to agree). Walking towards the pedestrian bridge, I saw this dude on the bridge, biking. It was the first time I’d come across such a sight (I can just hear some of you going “Seriously! Are you a JJC in Lagos?” I agree, I’m not the most exposed person you’ve ever met) so I couldn’t help looking. A few people on the bridge stopped to glance. Me? I looked o! Well, not in an obvious “oh-my-gosh” way; I took in all the details in that ingenious manner us ladies check out a fine ‘bobo’ for the first time.

The Little Drops: Tips on Battling Low-Self Esteem

It’s funny, no, amazing how little drops of water make a mighty ocean. When experts make a lot of noise about low self-esteem; when people assess the enormous damage that low self-esteem has been responsible for, I can’t help but think “How far along has that been?”

You see, self-esteem is actually never part of a person’s makeup at birth (at least that’s what I think). We pick it up along the way, most times unconsciously though. “Little” words, actions, experiences could send the signal “you’re not enough” to a person’s mind.

I’ll like to share something I came across here. It mirrored my situation and helped me put things in better perspective:

A lil Something Straight From My Heart

Source: samuelojo.com

The man who said “Change is the only constant thing in life , couldn’t have captured the truth more aptly!

I look back at the little-more-than two decades I’ve spent on earth and I think to myself “change is indeed constant”. I think of all the phases I’ve been through- the first 9 years of childhood innocence and bliss, before that life was tainted by ugliness in the home; the violence, the fear…

Is Fear To Be Feared?

This is basically an account of something I witnessed on my way home. Initially I was pissed off at the seat I was able to secure on the bus. It was one of those 18-seater buses where everyone is squeezed together like bread and akara, and God help you if, of all the four passengers on your seat, you’re the only slim-fitted person. Fortunately, this was not my case, but I wasn’t totally comfortable all the same. 

I had to sit on the last row (a major disadvantage when the time came to alight at my stop) and the vehicle was missing one window. So my seat was quite exposed. That meant I was quite exposed! When you’re in traffic at Mile 12, you want to use your phone and you have your bag with you, that situation is NOT cool! It wouldn’t take the dumbest thief anything to snatch my bag.

How Far, Nigeria; Issues in the Nigerian Society

I saw something again today. I’m beginning to think I deserve a tag- Legend of the Seer, maybe? Or what do y’all think? We’ll leave that for now. Let’s get back to what I saw today. A little background info first: I serve my nation at a TV station in town and I wouldn’t say NYSC has been boring for me. I work as a reporter so I get to go places and see faces.

Back to the main thing: I was just returning from another day out in the city of Ibadan, looking for news to report; little did I know that I would find news right at the entrance gate to our office.