MAKEUP 101 – Making the best of your looks (Part 1)

Facial Makeup

Everyday I go out, to work, church, socials, I see women wearing the wrong makeup,slapping it on like cement, too little or too much, too dark or too light. Frankly i am tired of seeing women with two eyebrows over one eye, the natural and the drawn or black haired women with red eyebrows(red, WTF!) and today my fashionista /makeup artist side has had enough.

I am giving the sistas a quick one in capitalising on their looks. (Yes I moonlight as a makeup artist, so just in case you are getting married and need the services of a good one, now you know)

P.S forget that old wife’s tale that you look better without it… you sure look great without makeup but you can enhance your best features with makeup… else you can as well say you look better without your bra or maybe your jewellery…lol… natural eh?

I’ll start with the basics and I have written it in the order I personally think makeup should be applied.
Make up is a wide topic so this topic will be coming in three parts…
• Facial makeup
• Eye makeup
• Lip makeup & Blush

Facial makeup (concealer, foundation, and powder) was invented to make your skin look flawless. Nobody has flawless skin all the time and if you do just go ahead to the part 2 of this topic. As for the rest of us (and we at 99.99% are the majority) the list below details what facial makeup is most suitable for each skin type (now I’m assuming we all know our skin types!)
• Dry skin: Liquid or Cream
• Dry skin to normal : Liquid or Cream
• Normal to Oily: Oil-free liquid or Powder
• Oily skin: Oil-free liquid with a matte finish
• Combination skin: Liquid, Cream, or Powder (whatever balances your face)

Concealer (optional): also called cover stick is the first thing you apply to your face. I said optional because it’s for spot/blemish treatment. You can skip this and go on straight to the foundation, however, it’s a great one for hiding baggy or sunken eyes, eye circles, most blemishes (I have said most cos you shouldn’t use this to forcefully hide an angry pimple… you have to do something to pacifier an angry pimple, say the night before (a little red toothpaste, a drop of lime or something), for the concealer to hide it well).
The concealer comes in liquid bottles and tubes (which are thinner and good for drier skin), and sticks and compacts (which are thicker and good for oilier skin). Choose a concealer that is slightly lighter than your regular skin colour - the foundation that you apply over it will even it out.

Foundation: You need to invest in a good foundation. Don’t go for something you would find in a drugstore, you need to keep in mind that it is going to be covering your entire face and affect everything else you put on.
Find one that won't clog your pores and will lay evenly – the whole purpose of this endeavor is to even out your skin's tone and texture. With this kind of product, you generally get what you pay for, so it's worth it to shell out extra – foundations by Clinique, IMAN and Mary Kay, the MAC foundation, studio fix and liquid powder are tested and proven. Black Opal foundation is an affordable and dependable one too.
When picking out a foundation, please, please get the color that's closest to your own skin colour. Now if you ignore this advice, you are going to look funny and annoying! Like a female Michael Jackson or something. Test the foundation on your neck or face for a more accurate match, forget testing on your arm it won’t work.
Foundation comes in three types: liquid, cream, and powder. Make sure that your foundation is oil-based for dry skin, oil-free for oily skin, and water-based for combination skin.
When you apply foundation, cover your entire face, and don't leave mask lines - if you stop at your jawline, you'll have an obvious line between the makeup and your skin. So darlings blend, blend and blend!

Note: It is not mortar; don’t slap it on like you are plastering your wall.

Powder: Powder can be applied over foundation to help "set" it, but its main purpose is to help keep your face looking fresh as the day wears on.
Powder comes in the loose/pressed variant and you don’t have to get anything particularly expensive either (however not the dirt cheap clumpy types either)

That’s it for now, have fun and watch out for part 2!
And do get back to me on how you fare on your practice with Makeup 101 (part 1)…. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

14 things you’ve been waiting for – YOU HAVE TO STOP NOW

1. His first move.
2. The ginger martini and chocolate chip cookie diet—ain’t gonna happen.
3. A decent raise. Earn it, ask for it, get it.
4. That gorgeous shy guy to make up his mind… he has it aint you
5. A sign to tell you what to do next.
6. A cellulite cure. Let's worry about AIDS and cancer first.
7. Your ex to say he’s really sorry. Don’t worry— karma will get him in the end.
8. The bathroom to clean itself.
9. Monogamy to be easy (same goes for dieting).
10. New Year's day. Make the resolution today.
11. Your mother's approval. If you're happy, she will be too (eventually).
12. A man to change everything in your life. Change it yourself now—he’ll catch up with you later.
13. A job that will take all your problems away.
14. A perfect life … go ahead, see it as perfect already and live it like that

How to feel and look like a Prince

There is a thin barely visible line in the matter of a man’s clothes which somehow determines who is attractive, separating those worth taking a good look at and those who are not.
The moment a man sits on the side of the line downwards; the attention a woman gives him is minimal and will soon be lost unless he is by some means able to convince the particular female of the need for another chance.
The men who have the understanding of this; dress accordingly and seem innately successful with women; some even go further and dress such that they give a woman cause to study her own dressing and be gratified at her efforts, wish that she had paid more attention that morning or had more at her disposal to look better.
Bottom line - it doesn’t matter where you are or what do you, being well dressed and looking good can never be something that’s too much to ask!

So this one is especially for the guys – I’m pitching in to help my peeps get that look we die for!

• Look and smell clean - Go for a shave, wear deodorant / body spray/aftershave sparingly and check under your finger nails for dirt in the morning.
• Use the pressing iron – well ironed shirts and trousers always gives you a sharp look
• Your work wear should be elegant and formal; a couple of black, grey, khaki, and brown chinos would work fine when mixed and matched with a number of formal shirts. If you prefer formality and propriety over comfort and ease then go for the traditional pleated straight cut pants. In these cuts colours like navy blue, military green look flattering.
• Avoid shirts that have prominent patterns.
• And what ever you do, don’t repeat your shirts without a wash, we will notice that dirty collar.
• Pin-stripped shirts never go out of style.
• A plain crisp well-fitted shirt worn with pants that are tailor made and customized to your body forms an uncanny combo that can counter criticism from the Vogue magazine editor.
• Both your shirt and your tie cannot be busy at once. If your shirt is busy, keep the tie plain and vice versa
• TIES can be extremely hot if you wear them right; practice your knot till it’s perfect you should untie your tie regularly to iron out the wrinkles.
• For more important meetings make use of power dressing. Wearing a full suit for a meeting can make the right first impression. Keep the time of day and season in mind before picking out one.
• Make sure that your trousers are long enough to drape comfortably over the tops of your shoes without scraping the ground.
• As a rule of thumb, pinstriped dark coloured pants will make you look taller and thinner. To flaunt a broader upper body team them with a light coloured shirt.
• A belt is one accessory that can make or break the entire ensemble. Go with the basics for work wear; let your belt and shoes match.
• However, when you're partying there are no rules. Whatever your inner devil wants is fine. Do not hold back. Retro, contemporary or vintage all look perfect if you have the queer eye for picking up stuff.
• Choose your socks carefully, white/light socks with dark pants are unforgivable
• If you anticipate taking your shoes off at any point, make sure your socks are hole-free.
• Never wear sneakers to work! If your work place allows and you are thinking of comfort, wear smart Italian loafers in a dark colour, they are just as comfy as any other pair of sneakers but stylish as hell. Walk around as much as you want.
• Do not hesitate to wear shoes with heels if you are, well vertically challenged. Well-heeled shoes will make your pants seem more well cut.
• Linen, jeans, jerseys, polo tops, hooded tops and khakis all make good casual wear
• Please, please your boxers are underwear; they should never show at your waist.
• If you are not a rock star or any such thing avoid heavy gold chains or tufts of chest hair peeking out from beneath an opened shirt.
• While still on the casual lane, I say never wear your sunglasses when the sun is not out… and never in a night club…it is after all ‘night’!
• Always dress according to the event you are attending.
• And finally, if you try something on and you have to convince yourself that you like it, just put it back. It is not meant to be.

Chinese dishes to Savor

Okay guys, I’m still on the food lane…. And this time around I’m giving you a list of trusty Chinese dishes.
A lot of times when you go to a Chinese restaurant, you want to try smething new yet you are wary of a bad experience…. You don’t want to end up with something terrible or unswallowable.
A few weeks in Ghana on a project, solved this dilemma, I got to try so many dishes (I think I ate Chinese about 25 times in 3 weeks!) and have made a list of dishes you can’t go wrong with…. Much!
So if there is anything you have never eaten in the list below… dust your wallet and find a nice Chinese restaurant where you can try them…
P.S – The squid tastes much better than it sounds!

Rice Dishes
• Fried Rice and Egg (this can be found on the menu of most Chinese restaurants)
• Fried Rice with shredded beef
• Fried rice with sea food (shrimps and fish mostly)

Noodles
• Singapore noodles with sea food (soft)
• Singapore noodles with pork
• Szechuan noodles
• Stir fried noodles with Pork
• Shanghai Stir-fried Noodles With Chicken

Sauces
• Squid in Taipan sauce
• Lamb /beef in taipan sauce
• Shredded beef in green pepper and onion
• Chicken in taipan sauce
• Squid in Szechuan sauce
• Chicken in chilli pepper sauce
• Sweet and sour chicken sauce
• Mixed sea food in black bean sauce
• Octopus in black bean sauce

Dim Sum

P.S:
I have put in nothing on appetizers cos all the appetizers I tried tasted great! So go to town with the appetizers

The Chinese tea is good for clearing your palate after a tasty meal.

Bon appetit!

Rice Recipes

Does everybody else eat as much rice as I do?... probably not but I’m sure a large percentage of us do especially in Nigeria.
So many ways to cook your rice, you can boil it, fry it, sauté it, steam it, bake it, colour it, spice it, barbecue it… okay I’m going too far now…lol…
So I have am doing the homework for all rice lovers like me... I’ll get rice recipes and try them and post the ones that I think taste fine here.
Ready, pots on the cooker… get cooking!

African Vegetable Rice
This particular one is pretty easy to do. I cooked mine without the celery stalks or rather replaced them with spring onions (somewhere in my brain I figured I could) and it still turned out quite fine. You can also replace the butter with vegetable oil.

Ingredients:
Serves 2-3
2 cups (milk cups) rice, washed and drained
1 1/4 pints [3 1/8 cups] water
2 teaspoons salt
2 oz. (1/4 cup) butter
1 Medium-sized onion, finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped
1 large red pepper, white pith removed, seeded and finely chopped
2 celery stalks, trimmed and finely chopped
4 oz. broccoli, trimmed and chopped
4 oz. mushrooms, wiped clean and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preparation:
1 Put the rice in a large saucepan. Pour over the water and add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt.
2 Place the pan over moderately high heat and bring the water to the boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer the rice for 15 to 20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
3 In a large frying-pan, melt the butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until it is soft and translucent but not brown. Add the tomatoes, red pepper, celery and broccoli. Fry, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the mushrooms to the pan and fry, stirring frequently, for a further 3 minutes. Season with the remaining salt and the cayenne.
4 Add the rice to the pan and stir the mixture until it is combined. Cook, stirring frequently, for a further 10 minutes or until the mixture is thoroughly heated through.
5 Remove the pan from the heat and serve at once.



MEXICAN RICE - by Ruth Lashbrook
2 cups of rice
3 cups water
1 medium sized onion, cut into bite sized chunks
garlic, coarsely chopped (about 2 cloves)
one medium sized tomato diced
Chili powder to taste (2 teaspoons)
Vegetable oil (do not use olive oil as it will burn the rice)
Chicken broth
Preparation:
1 Add some oil to a heavy skillet over med-hi heat. The oil must be enough to coat the rice. Stir the rice evenly as it cooks in the oil. The rice will turn from clear to white to golden brown as it soaks up the oil. More oil may be needed until the right amount for your taste and method is found. It should take about 15 minutes or so. Stir gently until the rice browns. This is the most important step.
2 When the rice is nearly browned, add the onion and continue cooking. when it is done browning, add the garlic and cook it quickly, then add the water, tomato, chicken broth and the spices. When it comes to a boil lower the heat to med-low, cover, and let simmer till water is absorbed (20-40 minutes).
3 Stir to redistribute the onion and tomato, and serve warm with frijoles al la chara (pinto beans cooked with the same spices and bacon, southwestern style).
4 Garnish meal with lime juice.

Source: http://www.ricegourmet.com/Recipes.htm

Books worth reading

I have compiled a list of books (novels & non-fiction) I believe are worth reading... books that make you wish you could continue after they have ended. Some of the books on this list are in agreement with the BBC Top books list, Amazon Bestsellers list and all that, while some havent made it into any of those lists- all however are worth picking up.
So get ready, don’t cringe in those shoes! And do get out your library card

1. The Bible (really if you have never read this, never taken a peek at this, get moving now!)
2. To kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. Things fall apart – Chinue Achebe
4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzegerald
5. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
6. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonngut
7. The Railway Children
8. Animal Farm by George Orwell
9. 1984 by George Orwell
10. Catch – 22 by Joseph Heller
11. The Ulysses by James Joyce
12. Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry
13. Come Home Baby Girl – Fannie Flagg
14. Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss
15. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
16. The Heart is a lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
17. A portrait of the Artist as a young man – James Joyce
18. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Sahnger
19. A farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
20. Lolita by Vladimir Nobokov
21. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
22. Alice in Wonderland
23. The Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
24. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
25. The Curious Incidence of the Dog in the Night time by Mark Haddon
26. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
27. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
28. A town like Alice by Nevil Shute
29. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
30. In His Steps: "What Would Jesus Do?" by Rev. Charles Monroe Sheldon
31. The Love Machine
32. The Concubine by Elechi Amadi
33. The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
34. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
35. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
36. The Lion, The witch and The wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
37. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
38. Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence
39. Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
40. On The Road by Jack Kerouac
41. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
42. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
43. The Faraway Tree Collection by Enid Blyton
44. Beloved by Toni Morrison
45. Native Son by Richard Wright

I'll add to this list as I read more books... let me know the books you think are worth reading.... so i can read them and maybe add them to my list

New Money

I've been away for a bit...yours truely has to work for pay and some crazy hectic work came up... in Ghana... so sorry for the silence... i'm back now... with the most publicized story in Ghana right now....

If you have ever been to Ghana, you will be aware that carrying a huge amount of Ghanaian currency is normal. The Ghanaian currency is denominated in large numbers, with the smallest note being a one thousand cedi note; in Ghana you are easily a millionaire… in Cedi mind you.

In Ghana, a bottle of coca cola goes for 8000 cedis, and a plate of chicken and chips goes for 40,000 cedis in Papaye (a popular fast food joint in Accra), one American dollar ($1) exchanges for 9300 Cedis as at today.

The size of the currency makes business transactions somewhat difficult in Ghana, with automated currency machines having to dispense more currency notes; and high volume business executed with large amounts of cash which are cumbersome to carry.
When you are coming from an economy where ‘ten thousand’ is not something you would buy a drink with; transacting business is particularly difficult.

So in a bid to simplify business transactions in the country, make things easier for those of us who just can’t count :-), The Bank of Ghana has decided to redenominate the currency.

Now what is that?
Simply that the Bank is bringing out a new set of currencies called the ’Ghana Cedi’, which will give the same value as the present currency but be in less quantity. The 10,000 Cedi (C10,000) will be replaced by one Ghana Cedi (1GhC) which is also equal to a hundred Ghana pesewa (Ghp); the 20,000 Cedi (C20,000) will be replaced by two Ghana Cedi (2GhC) and so on.
If you are extremely fast with figures, then you will have noticed that the bank is simply taking away 4 zeros from the old Cedi to make the new Ghana Cedi!

The highest note currently in use in Ghana is the 20,000 Cedi which exchanges for a little over 2 dollars. The bank is introducing the new currency 1 July, 2007 which will be spent concurrently with the old currency for 6 months before that is phased out. In the true Ghana style there will be a public holiday to celebrate this notable event (Ghanaians are still the most nationalistic I have ever met… it’s the country where wearing the national flag is a normal thing!... now that’s a story for another day).

So after the 1st of July, a bottle of coke in Ghana will go for 0.8GhC or 80Ghp under the new currency (now that’s more like it). Also after the redenomination, the highest currency will not be an equivalent of the highest note now – the 20,000 Cedi but will be 50Ghana Cedi the equivalent of 500,000Cedis today!, the government is not only changing the currency, they are introducing a currency note that will exchange for 55 dollars if the exchange rate remains the same! This means people can carry more money; say 20pieces of a 50Ghana Cedi in a flat wallet which is equivalent to $1100, 10million Cedis today!... now I’m not sure that is a good idea…

Wont that affect the economy adversely?.... wont all of ‘these’ mess the economy up? lead to inflation?, little money in circulation at first and then an explosion of it, wont the new currency lose value?... and so on and so forth… the questions in mind are endless.

The Ghanaian government is assuring us all that the value remains the same; we will only be carrying less cash for the same transactions, you will still be able to make the same obtain the same purchases, products and services under the new currency as you could under the old and the Ghanaian Government is doing it’s very best to educate the people on the redenomination exercise.

I think its succeeding pretty much; the slogan you hear everywhere: the media, newspapers and the public is ‘the value remains the same’; and the Ghanaian people in true nationalism appear to have taken the government at its word.

Sometimes I wonder if the people are chanting the mantra ‘the value remains th same’ to better reassure themselves that the value had better remain the same… somewhere in my mind, if i lived in Ghana, i would probably have converted all my meager funds to dollars or pounds now... just in case... you never know...now don’t mind me… I’m just thinking aloud.

Anyway, in 38 days, Ghana will be spending a new currency, and if you are regular visitor to Ghana returning after July 2007, do take note, and check the currency you hand over when transacting your business… what ever that is!
So guys the count down is on….and remember… “the value remains the same”
Or so I hope!