Hi y’all,
I’m super excited to let you know that I’ve been featured on African Naturalistas!
This is a blog that I’ve been reading since… since!
So I feel ‘appy, I feel fulfilled because I never experredit.(Just kidding)
So yeah, go check it out here.
Don’t forget to show some love!
X
Hey guys,
You know how you spend some good money on buying braiding hair/attachment/extensions and on paying the hair stylist to make it for you? Then you spend a good amount of time sitting down to get the hair braided and by the time you’re done, you can barely feel your butt? Then 4 weeks down the line the hair starts looking old in your eyes and you’re tired of it?
Girrrrl, been there, done that!
I’m going to share with you 3 easy ways to revamp your braids/twists and give them a new look so you can enjoy every single kobo you spent!
Hey guys,
I decided to take a break from the Instapicks Of The Week post, seeing as the last one was on Wednesday, and instead do one of my long overdue product reviews.
I can’t even remember when I bought this product because I’ve had it for so long. As you can see, it is even dusty.
So let’s get into the nitty-gritty.
Bonjour,
I hope you had a good week? Yes? Whoop whoop!
This week, I had 68 Instagram posts shortlisted for my Instapicks Of The Week! 68!
There were just so many good posts and I really wish I could include all but I can’t. I managed to cut it down to 19 which is still a lot but that was the best I could do so…
Warning: Picture overload ahead! Enjoy!
Continue reading
My people, how far?
You know how I keep saying “oh my ends are shitty, I need a trim”? Guess who finally got one?
I’m not even joking when I say my ends were horrendous.
I had so many single strand knots and my ends looked so rough and frizzy. On one strand alone I could find as many as 3 knots and I was in the habit of pulling them off with my fingers.
Detangling had become a serious chore no matter the conditioner because of all the tangles. Even separating twists for a twist out became harder because all my ends wanted to do was stay together.
When people talk about split ends they seem like such a modern myth to me but I kid you not when I say I used my two eyes to see several split ends in my hair! At this point I knew something had to be done fast.
I knew I needed a trim for a long time, trust me. I mean, I haven’t had one since I went natural; that’s 2 years!
The thing is, I wanted to get it professionally done so I kept postponing and postponing till I could go to a salon that knew what they were doing.
One day, I thought to myself “wait oh, but people do this thing themselves e.g. Nafisat. How can I, self proclaimed cheapskate mama and DIY queen, not be able to do it myself”.
So I googled how to do it myself, bought 70 Naira scissors, sat in front of the mirror and trimmed.
Not a good picture but peep those ends!
I’d take a small section, twist up to where I wanted to trim and then cut
All done!
My twists were so blunt by the end
Ends look and feel waaaay better!
My “OMG, my hair is shorter” face 😦
All the hair I cut off
I know I could have gotten better results because some parts aren’t even and I think I might have taken too much hair off but I think I did okay for a first attempt.
My experience with trimming:
Pros:
Cons:
Lessons learnt:
I did a bantu knot out for NITC 12(post coming soon) after trimming and it was so easy to take down and separate the bantu knots afterwards! I was pleasantly surprised!
Have you ever trimmed your hair yourself? Would you ever DIY trim or would you rather get it professionally done? Share with me.
X
Hello guys,
I hope you’ve had a good week? I’ve been on leave for most of the week so I definitely have had some much needed rest and relaxation.
I even went to NITC yesterday and I met quite a few sweet souls; I was able to put faces to a couple of blogs I follow as well. Afterwards I went to Rele which is an art gallery in Onikan and saw some dope art. I will do a post(or two) about both outings so stay tuned.
You know our normal Sunday ritual on the blog na. Here are my picks for the week.
Source: @nigerianandnatural (Original source: http://www.stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com)
Source: @_tttos
Source: @ukcurlygirl
Source: @igobyfrankie
Source: @beyonce
Source: @adaa_ora
Source: @fisayolonge
Source: @4chairchicks
#RelationshipGoals
Source: @kwasi_darko
Source: @bretmanrock
When your makeup is on fleek and it starts to drizzle.
Throwing in a couple of shots from NITC
Source: @beeeyuteeful
Source: @namasteorganics
Source: @dee_mako
Have a great week.
Xoxo
Hey people,
Who else had a rough week? I know I did. Hopefully this new week will be better.
Lately, I’ve been struggling to get through some days. I’m usually tired, sometimes physically but most times mentally. Most days just seem so tiringly repetitive. I try to stay positive by encouraging myself that things will get better and this too shall pass. How do you overcome negativity?
I know I’ve been slacking in the blog post department and hopefully that changes soon. I always plan to post but life gets in the way.
I have a few long overdue product reviews that I will be doing pretty soon so watch this space.
Oh and NITC is this weekend (Saturday, 26th September), show of hands in the comment section if you’ll be there!
So, I bring you my Instagram roundup for the week; enjoy!
Source: @naturalnigerian
Source: @itsphemie
Source: @franciodu
Source: @defoestudio
Source: @bestsayingss
Source: @darkbeautymag
Source: @ronkeraji
Source: @klassykinks
Source: @curlytopgirl
Source: @saintrecords
Source: @_lalilly_
I saw this picture but didn’t plan to include it. Some minutes later I saw a very silly, chauvinistic comment on another picture and wanted to reply the fellow when this picture above came to my mind. I quickly backspaced, ignored and moved on with my life. Afterwards, I had to include this picture in this post.
Source: @nokultureng
Which picture is your favourite? Any Instagram pages you think I should check out?
Have a beautiful week guys!
X
Hi guys,
I had the opportunity of meeting fashion blogger extraordinaire Desola “Dee” Mako last week and I have to say that she is so fun and she is such a sweetheart! I was able to squeeze a question session with her. Enjoy! 
Please introduce yourself:
Hi Jennifer, my name is Desola Mako but everyone calls me Dee these days. I’m a very funny person; I find it really hard to describe myself because I’m a bit weird. I’m a fun loving person and I don’t like people
Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging because I was going to start an 8-5 job in another field and I was working in fashion at that point; I needed a way to stay connected to fashion so I found blogging. It wasn’t my first experience in blogging but that was what made me keep up with my blog. 
What do you love about fashion?
It helps me create. It’s like there are people that can draw and paint and I can do a bit of that but fashion helps me express myself. That’s the kind of artist I am. I’m a fashion artist.
What inspires you?
What inspires me is my love for what I do, my love for fashion, my love for art, my love for life and my goal to be happy. 
Why did you go natural?
I was following trends. And I’ve always liked a certain look and it just fits into it perfectly. I was actually natural till I was 11. After I started experimenting I realized that my hair grew longer than my relaxed hair ever grew. 
What’s your hair regimen like?
I’m a lazy naturalista. So I’m one of those people that believe that unkempt hair is the best hair. My regimen is basically wash when I can, condition when I can. The lazy way.
Any favourite products?
The bottle of Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner that I’ve used for over a year.
What do you love about your hair?
The volume. 
What do you not love/wish you could change about your hair?
I wish my hair would shrink less
Is having natural hair a plus or a minus when it comes to your fashion?
Since my style borders on Afrocentric I think it’s a plus but I don’t think it makes any great difference.
What fashion mistake do people make that you’d like the readers to avoid?
Wearing things that are not appropriate for your body. You always have to dress for your body.
You buy a lot of really cool stuff from local markets and indigenous stores; any tips for the fashionista on a budget?
Avoid impulse buys, if it’s above your budget and you bargain and they don’t agree then it’s not yours. Realize that buying new things is a luxury; it’s not compulsory.
Who are your style icons?
Lisa Folawiyo, it might be cliché but Solange and I like Rihanna sometimes.
Any favourite fashion brands/labels?
The Heartdictions HQ store, Eve and Tribe, Grey, Bibire.
If you had to travel abruptly and you could only take 6 items (2 fashion items, 1 hair product/tool/accessory and 3 other items) what would they be?
If you were stuck in an elevator for 12 hours with anybody in the world, who would you pick and why?
Chris Brown! You can tell he is extremely playful and he’d make the best elevator partner. We can gist, make out ,fight, dance, he can sing to me and I can just touch his body when I’m bored. There’s just so much you can do with him.
Anything else you’d like to say?
I’d like to say thank you to you Jen and I’m extremely jealous of your hair. We should do this again! And this is the most fun interview I’ve had.
These are actually 9 pictures! She has the coolest Instagram page
*All pictures are from The ‘Dee’ Mako blog and @dee_mako on Instagram*
Guys, I don’t know what’s happening to me these days! Sometimes I’m genuinely busy or tired and can’t post/read posts/go on social media. But many times, I’m not any busier than I normally am but I just can’t post. It’s so bad that I don’t go on Instagram or read blogs I follow for a long time. And when I do, I go on Instagram and scroll through but don’t like/comment or post or I read blogs I follow but don’t have the zeal to like/comment even if I genuinely liked the post. This also extends to other social platforms like BBM. Am I having an Internet withdrawal kinda situation? Well if you haven’t been seeing my comments/likes and I follow your blog and you’re wondering why you don’t see my comments lately/often and if you follow my blog and you’re wondering why I’ve been so inconsistent lately, this is my explanation. Forgive me pretty please, I’m working on it before it ruins my blogging.
Anyways, starting with this post, I’m introducing a new ‘series’ on the blog called Instapicks Of The Week. This will basically be a weekly roundup of Instagram pictures and videos I found interesting over each past week.
The post will go up every Sunday. I think it’s a good way for me to at least have one post up a week and hopefully I stick to it.
So here are my Instapicks for the week.
Source: @sheabuttercottage
Source: @dooneyskitchen
Source: @beginningkisses
Source: @tzarstudios
Source: @thekinkandi
Source: @coilyandcute
Her caption: “Big Black and beautiful” . Love it!
Source: @kinkyparadiseng
Source: @yagazieemezi
Source: Yours truly, @nigerianandnatural
Source: @squishysmommasita
Her daughters are too freaking cute!
That’s all for this week.
Which picture/video is your favourite? What do you think of the Instapicks Of The Week idea?
Is there anything you would like me to post about? Please let me know.
Bonjour mes amis,
Did anyone notice I didn’t post any June favourites? I was too lazy or maybe I forgot or maybe I didn’t have any favourites or maybe I had favourites but I couldn’t remember what they were. I really don’t know what happened but I’m sorry about not posting.
As a result, I’ve decided to merge both months and post a bit more favourites than I’d normally post so here we go!
1. Funny viral Instagram videos:
Instagram keeps me so so entertained (but doesn’t do the same for my data bundle). Below are a few videos that kept me laughing these last two months. (I hope they play since this is my first time uploading videos)
If you know any funny videos I should check out on Instagram, please tag @nigerianandnatural
2. Gidi Up +Titilope Sonuga:
I heard about Gidi Up sometime ago but only just got around to watching it. It’s a Nigerian TV show that revolves around the lives of four friends and trust me, their lives are interesting! To watch it, just search for “Ndani TV Gidi Up” on YouTube.
My absolute favourite character is Folarin even though he’s basically the bad guy. He just has this air of mischief and his facial expressions are gold!
Folarin is bae!!
One of the characters, Eki, recites this beautiful poem in one scene and I just had to google the lines of the poem so I could find the full thing for future reading. Turns out the character, Eki, is an award winning poet in real life and she wrote the poem. Her name is Titilope Sonuga. Read the poem I’m referring to below:
Becoming
“When the world unravels before you
and even your dreams are crumbling stones
when everything you dare to touch is set on fire
and all around you is ash and smoke
remember this
rock bottom is a perfect place for rebuilding
remember that you are your mother’s daughter
your grandmother’s answered prayers
a whole bloodline of women
who bend in response to raging winds
there is nothing broken here
nothing damaged or discarded
each scar is a badge of honor
your smile is an act of defiance against the sun
every misstep is a victory dance waiting to happen
You are a woman becoming
learning the complicated language of forgiveness
the intricate lessons of the universe
Your heart is just a muscle waiting for exercise
and you were born for this sort of heavy lifting
You were born one part saint
one part warrior woman
Loving yourself without shame
is the most important thing
you will ever have to fight for”
_______________________________________________
Check out more of her on her website.
3. Taking pictures of the sky:
Lately the sky has been giving me life! Some days it’s so pretty that pictures don’t do it justice. I think it’s trying to make up for all the time it couldn’t show off during the rainy season.
4. Coffee with cocoa:
If you’ve never had coffee mixed with cocoa (or tea as we call it in Nigeria), you are missing big time! Just a little bit of coffee added to your cup of cocoa escalates the flavour to a whole new level of yummy. Here’s how I make mine:
5. Savvy and Chic shea butter cup:
Remember this?
This is where it is now.
I like this stuff as you can see and I use it a lot! My dislikes would be:
-I wish it were more fragrant.
-I wish it came in a better container.
-It contains Mica and I wonder why. I would have preferred it all natural.
6. Flower crown:
If only this flower crown could cry or run or slap me! I’m sure it is tired of me!
If you know where I can get more at super affordable prices, please let me know in the comments.
7. Saving:
I have been struggling with saving for so long and I am so proud to say that I have now started saving. I started in May/June and I’m not doing too badly!
I think saving is super important because you never know when you will need that money. I have set a goal for how much I want to save this year and so far I’m not doing badly. Any saving tips? Please share in the comments.
8. TV in my room:
You guys know I moved recently. At my former house, I had a TV in my room but at my new house, I didn’t. I’d be watching TV in the living room and my mum would just come and change the channel. And let me tell you, sharing a TV with my mum is the worst experience for me because her idea of premium entertainment is Telemundo (her favourite), Afmag in all its varieties (including Hausa), and one Indian channel I had no idea existed on DSTV.
So imagine my joy when this last month, I got a TV in my room! Hallelujah somebody!
9. Blank Space by Taylor Swift:
This song has basically scratched and cracked on my phone because I listen to it every blessed day! I just love it!
That’s it for me guys!
P.s. If you got an email for this post twice, my apologies. I mistakenly posted it earlier when I wasn’t done writing so I took it down.
Do you share any of my faves? What are you currently loving? Share with me please!
Jennifer Abah 
