Careers- Interview with the CEO of Francoise Make-overs

     1)   Tell us a bit about your background?

My name is Oyindamola Jaiyesimi. I am a middle child. I am a lawyer, member of the Nigerian Bar Association. I also hold an MSc in Human Resource Management and Business and I am a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), UK.  I believe education is key!

I am a professional Makeup Artist with a diploma in Make-up. I am also a professional beauty therapist having obtained a diploma in Beauty Therapy too.

   2)   Tell us a bit about Françoise Makeovers?

Françoise Makeovers is a total beauty and make-up outfit. We at Françoise Makeovers believe that makeup is meant to be beautiful, and beautiful makeup is all about the colours you use and where you place them. Makeup should always be used to enhance your best features and NEVER to disguise you. Every face has its unique features and the sooner you discover and celebrate yours, the happier and more confident you will be! We love to have fun with what we do, so we like keep our service packages fun!

Our packages include Bridal Beauty, Lights. Camera. Pout (photo-shoots), Red carpet ready (special events), One-on-One Makeup Lesson... with Love from Françoise, How to Make up like a pro… with Love from Françoise, Colour Me Beautiful…with Love from Françoise (makeup parties, bridal showers and every other reason to get glammed up!)

3)   When did you decide to create Françoise Makeovers?

I started Françoise Makeovers in 2008 after I obtained my diploma in Makeup from the Beauty Academy, UK.

4)   Why should women get their makeovers done by Françoise Makeovers?

At Françoise makeovers, we truly believe in every woman’s unique beauty and we always work to enhance her best features. We provide a 100% quality service assurance as we are totally dedicated to meeting the varied needs of every individual/client. Also, at Françoise Makeovers, we get down to knowing the individual, their personality, likes and dislikes; so our clients get a truly personalised service.

5)   Are you involved in any other business?

Yes. I am a Management Consultant with one of the “Big Four” accounting firms in Nigeria. I also sit on the Board of Trustees of two non-government organisations in Nigeria.

6)   What challenges do you face as a young female entrepreneur?

My biggest challenge is time. Most times I am juggling a lot of different areas of my life and don’t get to put as much time into my business as I would love to.

7)   What inspires you?

All my inspiration comes from God. He is the sole source of my strength. In him I live, move and have my being.

8)   Entrepreneurs that are your role models...

Iman. She has created one of the most amazing skin care and cosmetics line for women of colour which I aspire to achieve.

9)   Your Philosophy…….

”In all things give thanks to God…”

10)   Where do you see your business & yourself in the next few years?

 I see a well recognised beauty and makeup brand. I pray to someday own my own spa, wellness and beauty centre. I am working very hard at making my dream come true! 

11)   Your advice to girls who are aspiring entrepreneurs….

I always say whatever you do, do it with all your heart!  Just keep going for it, remember Rome wasn’t built in a day!

Summer '12 Must Haves

2012 is buzzing with lots of exciting trends and it seems like everyone is becoming more style savvy. We decided to show you what’s on our list of must haves for summer ’12, and what should be on yours! :)

PRINTS

Summer ’12 is all about prints, loads and loads of prints and we absolutely love it! Here are some of our top picks: (All from Topshop)

  

PEPLUM

The Peplum trend is back! We love it because it adds some form of structure and gives an elegant and grown look to anyone that wears it. 

POINTED COURT SHOES

Platforms have had their own share of ‘trend fame’, and it’s time to give them a rest. Pointed Court Shoes are most definitely one of the must haves of summer ’12. They elongate the legs and they are great in bright colours and prints too; loving them already! Check out these ones from ASOS

NEON

Neon can be blinding bright but it’s such an exciting trend.  We love the neon yellows and greens- it screams fun! Skirt from Topshop

SATCHEL

We love satchels! They work well with almost any outfit. Satchels were a must have last year and they remain a must have this year….aren’t we glad! :)

Cambridge Satchel Company

Paul’s Boutique Sasha Satchel

SUNGLASSES

Cool sunnies are DEFINITELY a must have all year round (especially if you live in Nigeria like we do) :) We love this over sized retro sunnies and round keyhole sunnies from ASOS

SLIPPER SHOES

Slipper shoes rocked last year and they would continue to rock this year! We absolutely LOVE them! Check out these gorge finds:

ALDO Buschur Leopard Pony Slipper Shoes & Sam Edelman Adena Stud Detail Satin Slippers

 

WEDGES

Wedges are amazing and they look great on everyone! 

River Island Stripe Platform Wedge

SOLE CREEPERS

Sole creepers are a summer '12 must have! They're for the fashion forward girls- so rock 'em if you're one of 'em! ;) Our pick:

Underground Wulfrun Contrast Sole Creepers: 

                            

Stay fab always! xxxx

GIRLFRIEND OF THE MONTH

Tolulope Sangosanya is the founder of LOTS Charity Foundation. LOTS (Love on the Streets) Charity Foundation is an NGO that focuses on feeding, educating, and clothing street children amongst other things.

Prior to their operation in Dustbin Estate of Ajegunle, Lagos, they were already working in other environments- feeding street kids and clothing them under the name ‘Project Lots’- “During that period we fed over 5,000 street children and other vulnerable children; we gave educational support to over a hundred kids, relocated a family from the refuse dump site, had three health outreaches that reached over 200 kids, and conducted several clothing drive exercises. LOTS (Love on the Streets) Charity Foundation is now registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (2009). After winning the category for the ‘Best use of Advocacy’ at the 2010 future awards Nigeria, we got lots of media attention and now we are getting known for our work at Dustbin Estate nationally. We were selected as one of the ten credible NGOS that UNICEF will be training and working with in Lagos State.” 

Some of their projects include a health outreach, organized 3 times a year. The main aim of the outreach is to administer and give the kids as well as their parents, drugs that will reduce cases of malaria attacks, intestinal worm attacks and also treatment for general body illnesses. In association with the health outreach is the Hygiene Pack Program which is a means through which these kids can have anti toxic drugs, vitamin supplements, and general body cleaning materials- like bathing soap, deodorant and tooth brush, paste and other essentials.

For many kids registered in LOTS Charity Foundation, “home sweet, home” is nothing more than living on a dumpsite”. LOTS have relocated one family and expect to do more as funding is available. The main reason for this is the Proposed Housing Project Plan in February 2012. LOTS also provide basic clothing as donated by various individuals and organizations to children and adults living on the dump sites.

LOTS has assisted several families in paying the school fees of their children in the form of scholarships, by involving supporters and kind hearted Nigerians in Nigeria and the Diaspora. The school fees are usually paid by the sponsor who may take up sponsorship of a child all through Primary or secondary school. They have also created a resource centre which has a functional library and currently provides literacy classes, supplementary classes and skills in subjects such as Mathematics, English, Financial literacy, arts, cooking, photography, tailoring, etiquette, among others.

On the 18^th of December every year, the children are taken out to entertainment centres as part of the socialization education program tagged ‘Project Lots’.  The Project aims at showing love and care during a season like the Christmas season, when there is so much sharing and giving.

“The hope and plan we have is that one day soon, majority of DUSTBIN ESTATE will be converted to TREASURE ESTATE which would be suitable for human beings to live in. Thus, our focus for the next five years (2012-2016) will mostly be providing infrastructure most especially suitable accommodation for families currently living on the dump site. In five years, we hope to have built a world class resource  center which will help reduce crime rate as we will gainful employ the attention of children and youths in the environment by providing ‘education’ in a fun way; both formally and informally. Hopefully, we will own a free school one day on what used to be called DUSTBIN ESTATE.” 

For Tolulope, the definition of success is not the amount of money possessed in her bank account. Instead, it’s the amount of lives she influences positively. What makes her successful aren’t the tangible things, but the intangible like love, care, giving, attention to others, positive change and more- “It is our dream and hope that one day LOTS Charity Foundation can complete what we set out to achieve and by that we mean- no more hunger, no more naked people, proper medical care, and quality education; but until then, there is so much work to be done”.

For more info on Tolulope Sangosanya and LOTS Charity Foundation, go to http://www.lotscharityfoundation.org

MUSIC AND LYRICS FOR THE SOUL

Hi girls! My name is Ose and I just want to say a few things about a song that has inspired me lately: IN YOUR ARMS by MEREDITH ANDREWS. Well it’s inspiring to say the least and it all boils down to the lyrics, ‘When I’m in your arms, where I belong….’ We belong in the arms of God and getting caught up in activity will not give us the ultimate satisfaction our soul needs. Our soul craves God and sometimes we forget that. And this song has such a beautiful melody that will remind anyone who listens of the beauty of being in the arms of God. If you are a soft rock fan, this song is for you. Just listen and let the piano and the violins take you away. I’m gonna give this song five stars just because the melody captured me even before I could decipher the lyrics. So listen and be inspired!

GIRLFRIENDS OF THE MONTH

Our Girlfriends of the Month are Jean Menchata Foretia (President) and Ijeoma Arize (Vice President) - the brains behind IJE (Walk) Africa, Inc. Formed in 2011, IJE Africa was spearheaded by a vision these two Trinity University graduates had to reach out to African youths and young adults of this generation in order to strengthen and empower them.

IJE Africa’s target population is economically disadvantaged youth (ages 10 - 18) and young adults (ages 19 – 30) in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Africa (Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo) who are culturally diverse- “We are dedicated to assisting the needs of this group to improve their quality of life and the community at large. We aim to provide culturally sensitive and age-appropriate programming to each demographic”.

Their organization is strategically positioned to combat the predominant problems young people all over Africa encounter such as STDS and HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, single parenthood, poverty, malnutrition, sickness/disease, and illiteracy, which have increased drastically in the past few years. IJE Africa’s projects include:

·        Health and wellness workshops (Youth ages 10 – 18) and (Young adults ages 19 – 30)

·        Entrepreneurship training (Young adults ages 19 – 30)

·        Vocational training (Young adults ages 19 – 30)

·        Abstinence plus workshops (Youth ages 10 - 18 and (Young adults ages 19 – 30)

·        Raising awareness for child trafficking and rape (Youth ages 10 – 18)

One of their recently held events was the fashion show/party at Slaviya lounge in Washington D.C, which took place in August 2011.

My Experience at Vigilant Heart...

                                             

This Christmas the Girlfriends Team decided to do something special for orphans at Vigilant Heart Charitable Society and I was so excited about it, even if I knew it would be very hectic for us.

We chose the Vigilant heart because it comprises of orphans from ages 0-21 and we decided giving out old clothes would be more attainable because as ladies we change clothes so often, giving our unused or old clothes was a good idea even though other donations were also accepted.

Preparing and gathering clothes was a bit hectic and not so many people brought clothes forward, most people had prior engagements or were out of town. I would like such people to know that even if they could not be with us on that day they, can find time this period to touch a life and make someone out there feel the Christmas spirit, you can still feed someone, visit the sick, visit prisoners, the old people’s homes and do anything that can touch lives this season.

I met with the owner of Vigilant Heart and hearing her speak about how she sees the children as her own children, how she pays their school fees and buys them clothes, almost made me cry.

She spoke about how they organise workshops and seminars for mothers; advising them to take care of their children, and how they invite other less privileged children the around the area for classes to learn to read and write. She also spoke about the project being her calling and she said she wants to do what people like Mother Theresa did. She has a family of her own and it is so amazing how she has adopted so many other people. Her belief is that God will not give her a mission He cannot support her through; she explained that sometimes she has idea where the food will come from, but still she always finds a way to properly feed and clothe the children.

The mission of Vigilant Heart is ‘’to create a safe and caring environment for the comprehensive development of orphans, abandoned and needy children, as well as work on projects that will protect children against numerous vicissitudes in the society’’. 

Many of the children I saw were quite young. I realized the smaller children, teenagers, and adults were not all in the same location. Although, a few of the adults that Vigilant Heart had supported in their younger years were on location to assist the children.

I spoke with the children for a while and I can remember one of the boys telling me that his favourite subject was maths and how he would like to be a lawyer in the future. I felt so touched, it made me realize that some people would be unable to achieve their dreams if they are not supported.

We sang some Christmas carols with the children and then we left. It was really a touching experience.

Many people believe that because Vigilant Heart is located at Lekki they have lots of donations. However, they still need a lot of support because people don’t visit often and most of the donations are seasonal. We have to realize that the books, old clothes and excess food that we throw away mean a lot to people out there. Anytime is a good time to help someone!

We should develop a mind-set that always has the other person in mind especially in this period that is all about spreading the love of Christ.

Wearing the same thing in different ways

Hey! Do you know you can wear the same thing in different ways? A dress as a skirt, a skirt as a top! It’s fun!!!

I saw an article on it and I just had to try it.

 On a day when you have no idea what to wear and you want a new look try this

First of all you get a knee length baby doll skirt and some safety pins and a ribbons

                                           The first look is what I will like to call ‘the doll’

Here you just wear the baby doll skirt as a normal skirt with a top

   
                                                           The next look is the ‘rock doll’

Here you wear a jacket over a top, some ‘rockstar’ jewellery and fedora

The next look is the tricky one here you wear the skirt as a top with butterfly hands, a one-arm top and just have fun with it!(this is where the pins will be needed)

  Here we have a baby doll skirt as a top with a ribbon in a stylish way

You should try this sometime if you want to dare to look different in the same way!!!