MAKE A DIFFERENCE THIS SEASON!!!

The girlfriends team and a few of our friends visited the red cross orphanage on the 20th, to hang with the children. We decided to share our experiences with y'all!

  

                                                                  Liz's Experience

Being with the children at the red cross orphanage was a great experience. There were so many beautiful children, and what surprised me the most was how they called every single person (including me) "mummy". It was so sad to see that, despite their beauty, they were either abandoned or given away by their biological parents. Many of them are still looking for ways to feel the void their parents left. Some of them do so by clinging to the closest vistor and asking to be carried. One of the little girls that I really enjoyed spending time with, was a beautiful girl named Tawa, who was 4 years old. Tawa, just like most of us, is looking for love, warmth and acceptance, and so I was able to connect with her. She kept holding on to me and refused to let go even when I had to leave, I told her i'd come back to visit her (and i really hope i keep my word). I realised that these children don't just need the seasonal gifts we all give them, but they need love, attention and our time. Unfortunately, the number of children at orphanages increase everyday and with a few care-takers available, it's very difficult for the children to get all the attention they need. So it's important for us to give not just our money, but our time to these children; and not just at christmas but at anytime of the year. If you do so, you just might make them smile, even if it's only for a while. Remember, a child out there needs you, even when you don't think so!

                             A motherless baby’s mind

Where did I come from? why am  I here?

Where is my mother? Why doesn’t she want me near?

Did I ask to be born?

So why did she treat me with scorn?

Who are these others?

Where are their mothers?

Will anyone ever want me?

Is this where I will forever be?

Who are these women who care for me?

To God the glory be,

To think that I am not totally abandoned,

To think that my life could be pardoned,

I am grateful to those who clothe me,

Feed me, teach me, pray for me,

And come to show me love,

Their reward is definitely above.

Jacquie’s thoughts

There are so many things a girl wants for Christmas, shoes, bags, clothes and jewelry, but  I realized that  the clothes clothe an already clothed body, the shoes and bags just join a colourful collection and the jewelry adorn an already accessorized body!

There’s so much more to Christmas!. It is true that new things are bought during this period but that shouldn’t be the focus, our eyes should be set on the things that are free especially LOVE. This is a time to show love by works, words and action, to the poor, the sick, the prisoners, and the motherless.

I really thought the visit to the motherless babies home was a good Idea because it’s really hard to go through life without a mother; to never have heard your mothers lullaby, to look around and see no one you look like, to

share attention with so many other children, all these and more made the visit to the motherless babies very necessary, they need love, attention, food and clothes, they need people to show they care and that we want them and love them, just people to be like parents.

Sometimes just sending things is not enough they want that warm hug. I really loved the fact that we could give them that warm refreshing hug, we could sing songs to them and we could tell them stories. Even though it was short it was worth it to share love and also for us to be grateful for our  parents and appreciate them better.

- We hope that you can visit an orphanage near you, you'd be amazed by the world of difference you can make in people's lives. Happy holidays and God bless y'all!:-)

Makeup tips from Nonnie the Makeup @rtist!

Makeup is a powerful tool that has been used to empower individuals since its creation which  dates back to 500BC. It becomes a part of every woman’s life from the age of 18 with the use of colourless lip glosses to foundations/concealers. My job here is to assist you beautiful ladies with the application which is considered the most important bit and I would do so by giving weekly make up tips

#Eye make up

“The eye is the jewel of the body” and should be paid most attention to. Gone are the days beauty experts advised against colour. I for one believe that with the right colours to match your skin tone and outfit you’ll look fab trust me

#Lip makeup

For fuller looking lips use a lip liner to outline lips preferably light/dark brown or purple (NEVER BLACK!!!) and a shade of  lip gloss best fitting the lip liner. For people with full lips try not to put too much colour as this would attract more attention to your lips than anything else and may be rather distracting. Subtle glosses are recommended.

#Face makeup

If you don’t know what shade of foundation or powder  fits your complexion/skin type get some assistance from a beauty expert and always blend  into hair line and jaw line in a horizontal movement and not circular to avoid white lines in photos.

I Recently bought this sleek acid eye shadow palette  friends think I am weird for doing so but I think its  absolutely gorge. I recommend u try it! Till next week stay glam!

Have you heard...

‘Nkem can you imagine, Bukky is pregnant!’ ‘really’ I said, then next thing she begged me ‘please don’t tell anybody, please!’ those words went in through one ear and went out through the other, I thought ‘Funke knows me well, how can she possibly tell me such sweet gist and expect me not to share, and besides Bukky is annoying!’.The thing is it was always a pleasure for me to share gist, in the world of gist, I was the queen, the judge, the executive, I was the director all the actors came alive because of me, it was always an amazing thing, I always saw the faces of my listeners light up! I just said bad things about other people not them so they felt better about themselves as they judged others!.

 Today’s gist was sweet, I had to share, I just had to share, I told a few people, including; Gbenga, Edward, Simi, Toke ,Temi, Emeka... just to mention a few, if care was not taking I could have told Bukky! at least I told them not to tell anyone else, I tried!. Everything was good and I felt they were all happy with me until Funke came to me and said ‘I can’t believe it, you failed the test, I never believed Bukky when she used to say it was you who told everyone all they knew about me’ I felt so bad I tried to beg her but it was no use, I couldn’t believe I fell for that trick now no one will supply gist again, no one even trusts me anymore, in fact I really made a mistake, I did it mainly for the attention, I think the best thing is ‘if you have nothing good to say, then don’t say ANYTHING at all’

GIRLFRIEND OF THE MONTH!!!

Doyinsola Ogunye was born on November 26th, 1987 to the family of Dr Olu and Barr. Rhoda Ogunye in Lagos, Nigeria. She, however, hails from Ondo Town of Ondo State. Doyinsola is also an alumnus of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, Nigeria.   To most people Doyinsola Ogunye would most readily be associated with an NGO she established in 2009 to cater for the upbringing of future Nigerian leaders. Her NGO called Kids’ Clean Club, has been her life and source of livelihood since its inception for almost a year now. As an undergraduate at the period of Kids’ Clean Club’s creation, Doyinsola thrived on this solo crusade which she had always had in her old scrap book since November, 2007. And with the support from friends, family and well-wishers, and her goal setting skills and determination to cause a noteworthy change in the Nigerian status quo, she has no doubt broken pristine grounds in her generation.

The Kids’ Clean Club in its few months of existence delved into diverse projects which saw to the construction of Africa’s first ever Kids’ Garden, here in Lagos, Nigeria. The Kid’s Garden (TKG), an haven where children from any and every background within its vicinity and far away come after school hours and on weekends to experience and learn under well-structured tutorials on socio-cultural values, health issues and environmental concerns, while having fun. In addition, Kid’s Clean Club has also adopted a few public spaces and centres which it beautifies and maintains. Furthermore, she has also commemorated alongside other world organisations in observing Special Days like The Global Hand-washing Day, Global Warming Day, Tree Planting Day, Climate Change summits and conferences.

Doyinsola Ogunye would have in the last few months been permitted by anyone to give up on her passion for a better Nigeria and Nigerians, because of the financial, social, environmental and psychological challenges she was often than not exposed to. But her thriving and incomparable love for her motherland exceeds all other obsession she might have. She is someone who has turned a fallow and refuse-infested piece of land, into an admirable and graceful Kids’ Garden. She is a lover of children, an environmental and human rights activist, a respecter of her fellow man with the fear of God.

Doyinsola Ogunye has her future well stated for her NGO – she foresees the construction of 57 gardens in Lagos, from which an expansion would take place; meaning that even in one local government area, we might have over 20 kids’ gardens. After which Lagos will be left for other states in the country like Ondo, Port-Harcourt, Abuja, Kwara, and etc. Then in no time countries outside Nigeria like Ghana, Togo, South Africa, Canada would get involved.

When asked to describe herself, these are her own words, “Energetic, daring, fun-loving, emotional, passionate and Tenacious ”.
Delving into every nock and cranny of Doyinsola Ogunye would be like taking up a herculean task, but history will justify the fact that, she lives the life and fulfils the dreams of ‘our heroes past’.

Maju should be on your mind!!!

What on earth is Maju???.... Think fabulous, urban, wearable, and affordable, all at once! Yep! That's what you get from Maju female fashion!!! :)

So whether you wanna dress up....  

Or dress down...

Maju has got your back!!!

For more info, visit www.majufashion.blogspot.com or send them an email- majufashionlive@gmail.com 

SKIN CARE 101

They say the highpoint of beauty is at age 16. Well, I don't doubt that, it's absolutely true that the skin is most radiant in the youthful years of a woman's life. Not to say that middle aged women don't look radiant but in order to have fabulous skin even way above your teenage years, it's important to take care of your skin now. This is why we've decided to give you quick and useful tips for a great skin!

TIP #1 on our list is to drink lots of WATER... this is very important, as water rejuvenates and replenishes the body. It's important to have more than 8 glasses of water everyday. Occasional sodas won't harm you, everyone loves a lil' sugar, no doubt, but no drink can ever be substituted for water.

TIP #2 DO NOT sleep with make-up on your face...this can clog the pores of your skin. It is essential to take off your make-up before you sleep at night. Always use your make-up removing wipes first before washing your face.

TIP #3 EXFOLIATE!!!! In order for your skin to breathe and also to remove the excess oil in your skin, use a good exfoliating facial scrub! A good choice is the deep exfoliating scrub from the clean and clear range of products. Other good ones are dermalogica and queen helena facial scrubs.

A few people use more traditional methods like a mixture of sugar and milk (btw, sugar's a scrub!). However, I'd advice that you use products that have been made/tested to suit your skin type.

TIP #4 Use good soaps, body creams and oils that suit your skin type, whether it's oily, dry, sensitive or normal. Some people prefer to use more natural products like the Natural Saturdays body butter, which keeps the skin looking natural, healthy and flawless.

Always stick to a particular soap and body cream that works for you. Find out what works for you!

TIP #5 Visit your dermatologist! Some people have more complex skin problems such as acne that they can't deal with on their own. If that's your situation, don't panic! A good dermatologist can help you find your way to a better skin. With the right skin products and vitamins, it's possible to get rid of the acne or whatever it is and have a fresh and healthy skin, trust me; I've seen it happen before!

With these 5 quick tips it's also important that you REST, try not to stress yourself... We hope you've enjoyed our quick tips to a healthier and more radiant skin!

                                                 

From Temilola's Journal

It was the perfect weather outside, the sun shone brightly, but the wind refused to give way to the heat of July. Inside, the room got cooler by the minute and the music was nice too; he knew how to set the mood.
The lyrics of the song echoed through the speakers, not too loud but just right "...wanna put my fingers through your hair......". I smiled at the thought of him doing that to me, I wished!
He started talking and I was lost in thought as his cute lips moved up and down. He knew I was staring and I always had a way of embarrasing myself. Fortunately for me, he read my stares to mean boredom, or so I thought!
With the touch of his ipod I was completely away, this time the lyrics sank deeper "...cos I can't breathe when you talk to me, I can't breathe when you're touching me...."
Music always had a way of getting to me; I guess he knew, I was a helpless romantic. Another stare and he asked if I wanted ice cream, this time my stare meant hunger to him, or so I thought!
We sat up on his comfy bed eating Ben&Jerry's vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip cookie dough, my favourite. I can't remember what it was that excited me more, the ice cream or the fact that I was sitting so close to him. My excitement escalated by far when he dropped a spoonful of the cookie dough ice cream in my mouth. I giggled like a five year old would at the sight of a truck load of candy; and with uttermost pleasure, I fed him back. He Playfully licked my hand and some of the ice cream landed on his t-shirt; he immediately splashed some on my pink and navy flowery dress. I gasped and then decided to retaliate. Our play-fight lasted for about five minutes, by then our clothes were soiled with the rest of the ice cream.
He generously handed me a t-shirt from his closet so my dress could dry off close to the air condition. He left the room so i could change into his white t-shirt that seemed like a dress on my delicate silohuette. After a few minutes, he walked back in with a clean t-shirt and a huge smile on his face. I started to smile as well, he always had that effect on me.
The music kept playing with the lyrics of each song sinking deeper and setting the mood for relaxtion. We sat down on his bed once again and jokingly argued about who had started the ice cream fight. The argument ended when he complimented me on looking so hot in his white tee.
I don't remember ever smiling that much before; he knew how to make me smile. Before I could even say thank you, he kissed me so passionately. I literally could n't move, I was helpless! I was too happy but I could n't smile, he would n't let me; he was that good a kisser and I refused to pull back. We Continued and before I knew it his whole body landed on top of me. A sudden feeling of fear mixed with tremendous excitement overwhelmed me. I hestitated a bit but chose to ignore my fear. This was it, a chance to have fun and enjoy what everybody else had been talking about. I had never felt it before but "all my years of watching those music videos would finally pay off", I thought to myself. So I gave it my best shot. I worked with him to give me "the best time of my life".
A flash of my parent's reputation came to my mind, I brushed it aside. I thought about all I had to lose, again, I brushed it aside.
Besides, it was too late, we had taken off our clothes already. I looked at him, he was lost in our action; there was no point bringing him back to reality, "he would hate me for that", I thought to myself.
Soon enough, all my worries faded away, I was living for the moment and forgetting there would be a future. By the time it was all over, my face was drenched in tears. It was great, but for some reason the tears could not stop flowing.
"Temilola, it's time to face reality", I thought to myself.
I got up hurriedly and wrapped a blanket around my body, in no time I was back into my flowery dress. I looked at him and he appeared different, the cute smile was gone and what was left was a mean frown. His gaze made me know he wanted me out of his house; he couldn't stand my unending tears.
What happened to the guy that was enjoying every bit of my presence. I suddenly felt disgusted by him. I knew there would be consequences, but I was blinded by the warmth of his body and what seemed to be the expression of his love for me.
One more look at him and I was out the door, this was a burden I would have to bear alone. He wanted no part in it; I could see it in his eyes and that mean frown.

Young, Beautiful and Fabulous (YBF) ;-)

I tossed and turned from side to side on my small but warm bed till I heard a big bang, BOOM!! I opened my eyes, squinting from the early morning drowsiness and the light illuminating from the mustard coloured curtains in my dark room. I looked down on the ground to see what I had knocked down. I guessed right, it was my alarm clock by my bedside table. I picked it up and looked at the time still squinting, "What?!" I yelled. I must have been carried away by the cold weather, it had rained last night and the atmosphere had a calmness to it.
"9a.m, already?!" I thought " Oh no, I have very little time to get ready!"
Immediately, I rushed to the bathroom and sleepily brushed my teeth and splashed warm water on my face. Before I knew it I was fully awake. I jumped into the bath tub and in about 20 minutes I was done. I sliped on my underwear and then my bath robe.
"Now what is it going to be?" I said out loud, looking at my closet. My bestfriend's birthday lunch was in a few hours and I was unable to get a dress from any store because they were all out of my size. I remembered how I had been whining and yelling at all the store attendants about not having a size 6 dress in their store. "I wish I was n't so skinny!" I sighed. "Thanks to my skinny body i'd have to wear something I've worn before" I thought, shaking my head.
I pushed all the clothes one after the other looking at them in anger. After few minutes of deliberation, I picked up a bright red baby doll dress that I wore to my cousins wedding a few months ago. I was just about to try it on when I saw the label "size 4? Great!" "So I was yelling about them not having a size 6, when I'm actually a size 4?" I yelled. It's almost impossible to find a size 4 in a Nigerian store, most of the dresses were for the "big ladies". "Fullness is the symbol of an African woman", my grandma would always say. She always called me "oyibo"(white) when I repudiated her view of Africanness to be fullness or what I always called fatness!
My thoughts came back to the urgent need for a dress for vanessa's birthday lunch. I tried on the red dress and it fitted perfectly, clearly I had not put on any weight since my cousin's wedding, "shame!" I said to myself. I looked at myself on the full mirror infront of my closet; turning around repeatedly I observed all angles of my body, "hmmm!" I sighed.
I tried as much as possible to see the faults, I felt that if I stared at the mirror long enough it would tell me that I was n't the fairest of them all. So I waited patiently, but nothing changed. "This is me, this is how I've been, it may not be perfect, but it's my body, I have to love it!" I thought.
At that moment I felt free, I packed my hair into a cute bun, a little lip gloss, mascara, eye shadow and my signature black eye liner. I threw my four string pearlscent necklace around my neck, put on my heels and I was ready to go. "One more thing" I thought, I looked in the mirror once again, spun myself around and shouted "I'm young, beautiful and fab-u-lous!! YBF, baby!!!"