People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing you are the beholder.
Maria Mitchell
There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness.
Marianne Williamson
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Tyra Banks
Girls of all kinds can be beautiful – from the thin, plus-sized, short, very tall, ebony to porcelain-skinned; the quirky, clumsy, shy, outgoing and all in between. It’s not easy though because many people still put beauty into a confining, narrow box…Think outside of the box…Pledge that you will look in the mirror and find the unique beauty in you.
Eckhart Tolle
You are here to enable the divine purpose of the universe to unfold. That is how important you are!
George Bernard Shaw
The only person who acts sensibly is my tailor. He takes my measure anew every time he sees me. Everyone else goes by their old measurements.
Geneen Roth
You are not a mistake. You are not a problem to be solved. But you won’t discover this until you are willing to stop banging your head against the wall of shaming and caging and fearing yourself.
Francis Bacon
The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express.
Scott Westerfeld
Nature didn’t need an operation to be beautiful. It just was.
Unknown
I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.
Beyonce
I wrote “Bootylicious” because, at the time, I’d gained some weight and the pressure that people put you under, the pressure to be thin, is unbelievable. I was just 18 and you shouldn’t be thinking about that.You should be thinking about building up your character and having fun, and the song was just telling everyone to forget what people are saying, you’re bootylicious. That’s all. It’s a celebration of curves and a celebration of women’s bodies.
Cheri K. Erdman
Healthy emotions come in all sizes. Healthy minds come in all sizes. And healthy bodies come in all sizes.
Drew Barrymore
God made a very obvious choice when he made me voluptuous; why would I go against what he decided for me? My limbs work, so I’m not going to complain about the way my body is shaped.
Garrison Keillor
Beauty isn’t worth thinking about; what’s important is your mind. You don’t want a fifty-dollar haircut on a fifty-cent head.
Steve Maraboli
It’s true, the scale can only give you a numerical reflection of your relationship with gravity. That’s it. It cannot measure beauty, talent, purpose, life force, possibility, strength, or love. Don’t give the scale more power than it has earned. Take note of the number, then get off the scale and live your life. You are beautiful!
Rosalind Russell
Taking joy in living is a woman’s best cosmetic.
Aimee Mullins
Confidence is the sexiest thing a woman can have. It’s much sexier than any body part.
Alan Cohen
To love yourself right now, just as you are, is to give yourself heaven. Don’t wait until you die. If you wait, you die now. If you love, you live now.
Gabourey Sidibe
One day I had to sit down with myself and decide that I loved myself no matter what my body looked like and what other people thought about my body. I got tired of hating myself.
Steve Maraboli
There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty.
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.
Henri Matisse
There are flowers everywhere, for those who bother to look.
Queen Latifah
I had to grow to love my body. I did not have a good self-image at first. Finally it occurred to me, I’m either going to love me or hate me. And I chose to love myself. Then everything kind of sprung from there. Things that I thought weren’t attractive became sexy. Confidence makes you sexy.
Golda Poretsky
Body acceptance means, as much as possible, approving of and loving your body, despite its “imperfections”, real or perceived. That means accepting that your body is fatter than some others, or thinner than some others, that your eyes are a little crooked, that you have a disability that makes walking difficult, that you have health concerns that you have to deal with — but that all of that doesn’t mean that you need to be ashamed of your body or try to change it. Body acceptance allows for the fact that there is a diversity of bodies in the world, and that there’s no wrong way to have one.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
Generally, time spent at the beauty salon is considered as ladies time somehow. If you often visit the beauty salon either to do your hair, makeup, manicure, pedicure, facials etc you would know that every discussion mostly revolves around beauty, men, money and fashion.
Recently, I visited a salon to do my hair and one of the hairdressers (a beautiful dark lady) there looked at me and said, “chai, black is fine.” “I want na dis kind fineee black” This prompted the lady whose hair she was doing to narrate a story of a guy who was so dark that some people thought he was wearing black socks. So, one of them decided to touch his leg, to confirm whether their thoughts were right or wrong. Of course, they were wrong. You can imagine how the dark guy must have felt.
Well I’ve been in his shoes. So many times people have touched my hands or face to see if my dark complexion will fade away. Like seriously, what nerve!!!! I was really impressed with the hairdresser, even after hearing the story, she still went on to say how much she loved that kind of black. Then she said, “ natural fair skin too is nice because we all are Africans. The only problem is when you see a light skinned girl, you would never know if it’s actually natural or bleached. But when you see a dark girl from afar, you’re hundred percent sure that it’s natural.
I really feel encouraged seeing other dark girls love their skin as much as I do
Then there’s this thing about colors. What color will fit a dark girl? Some say bright colors, what do you think ?
…
Speaking of beauty salons, what are your plans for your hair this festive season? If like me, you want something natural or braids, be sure to check out my post on braiding styles
All sorts of information are now on the internet and to be honest, I was really skeptical about posting this article. When it comes to skin care, one has to be very careful because In our world of today technology is much advanced and what works for A might not necessarily work for B. There’s also a lot of confusion since different people are saying different things about it.
Before, I didn’t know anything like skin care routine existed until i had a break out. It was a very challenging moment for me. Luckily, I met this amazing lady, Massi Martha and she opened my eyes to see the realities of skin challenges and how they can be treated. She actually made me to understand that a girl can glow naturally without having to wear make up all the times. So I used the tips from her Youtube channel at Massi beauty pageant coupled with others and after a hard struggle, I came up with a routine that works for me.
I’ve noticed so many people, both male and female with skin challenges and in search of solutions but though there are so many controversies concerning this topic, nonetheless, I wish to share on how I had my breakthrough from my breakout because if it worked for me, it might as well work for someone else. I pray that this hopefully will work for you too.
1) jojoba oil
While I was looking for a very simple skin care
routine, I watched a video on Youtube in which a 60 year old Japanese woman
looked as young as her 40-year old daughter. Her routine was as basic as this;
At night,
Wash face with lukewarm water
Rub with soap (any soap will do)
Rinse with lukewarm water and then fresh water
Apply jojoba oil on face in a gentle circular motion from inside to outside
In the morning,
Wash and rinse face with lukewarm water and then fresh water without applying soap.
Apply jojoba oil.
Jojoba oil is anti-ageing natural oil. It helps in the synthesis of collagen (collagen levels decrease as age increases). Recently, I learnt that this oil is similar to the oil produced naturally by the body and so when applied on the skin prevents the body from producing more oils. This keeps the skin from looking oily and helps prevent acne caused by clogged pores.
My mum used it and after 2 days, the results were so evident. You don’t
have to use your body lotion on your face.
My only problem with jojoba oil is the fact that it’s scarce and found mostly in America. Nevertheless, it is sometimes imported and you can get a bottle for about 10 000 FCFA. It has a lot of benefits aside from skin benefits and in case you come in contact with it, I encourage you to get one for yourself and you won’t regret it.
2) lemon
After cleansing, sometimes instead of using jojoba oil, I used lemon. All I did was cut out a small piece of lemon, squeezed out the juice on my face and rubbed it in a gentle circular motion before sleeping and washed it off when I woke up in the morning. I did that at least 3 times a week.
Lemon has antibacterial and antifungal properties and so it helps treat acne and clear dark spots but keep in mind that it is acidic and so might irritate your face.
3) honey
Honey has good moisturizing effects and that I can testify. When I noticed my face was getting too dry (especially as the pimples was drying off), I would rub one teaspoon of honey in same gentle circular motion and allow for an hour then wash it off. The feeling I got afterwards was always so rewarding and my face always felt smooth immediately. I did that twice a week.
Honey hydrates the skin, leaving it smooth, soft and glowing. It also has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. You should try it! At least I’ve never heard of its side effects that’s if at all it has.
4) apple cider vinegar (ACV)
Apple cider is a good toner and protects the skin from bacteria and other impurities. Care should be taken when using it especially for very sensitive skin.
Usually I put a little quantity on a
cotton pad and apply to my face and allow for 30 minutes before washing it off
but if you have very sensitive skin, then you can dilute in water first before
applying to your face.
ACV is a wonder and it can turn your ‘skin care routine life’ around. The glow is undeniable. It makes your face to be as smooth as that of a baby and it makes your skin color shine brighter altering it, if you understand what I mean. ACV is sold in most supermarkets. You can get a bottle for at least 3000 FCFA.
5) honey, bicarbonate and apple cider vinegar
This
is kind of a whole package and a very effective one. To me, it’s like
moisturizing, exfoliating, and toning at same time instead of doing it one
after the other.
In a small bowl, add a teaspoon of each
Mix till it becomes homogenous
Rub the mixture on your face then wash it off after an
hour
Bicarbonate is a good exfoliator but despite its well-known advantages like removing dead skin cells, its alkaline nature tampers with the skin’s pH. Naturally the skin is acidic so that it can destroy harmful bacteria. Just a small quantity (not more than a teaspoon) should be used and it shouldn’t be allowed on the face for too long. Your face might feel dry after washing off and so, you might want to moisturize afterwards.
Like I said in a previous article, the key to consistency in a skin care routine is simplicity and determination. I wanted it simple so I went for natural products and I got amazing results. I’ve been slag on my routine for a few months for reasons beyond my control but with this harsh dry weather conditions, I’ve decided to be more serious about it and so I’m very open to suggestions. To all those who have ever complimented my skin color, now you know my secret (laughs) and i hope this helps.
I remember I used to hate makeup while in secondary school. The best I could do was put lip balm and it always made my face to shine so much so that people will ask if I oiled my face with groundnut oil. Well I’m sure I didn’t do makeup because it wasn’t allowed and I was a good student (as they called me). But when I got to university, things became much different and I got to love it more and more. One thing I realized is once you get so used to it, it becomes difficult to go out a day without wearing it and when you do, you feel less beautiful or unattractive. Having in mind that inner beauty is much more important than outer beauty, your outer appearance still matters a lot. Now you won’t always have the time to wear makeup especially when you’re running late for a class, appointment, interview or even to church. You wouldn’t want to appear shabby or people identifying you as beautiful because of makeup. First and foremost, it’s very important for you to know that you’re beautiful, it’s a fact and you don’t have to prove it to anyone not even yourself. Let it sink right deep into your heart and not your head (LOL) else pride might take over you. Seriously girl, though that long fitting gown looks fabulous on you and those ‘pokello’ shoes that match the dressing not forgetting the long human hair you just got, don’t let these define your beauty because we both know they’re just temporal. Among us girls we know though we fancy them now sooner or later they’ll get old and we won’t be able to wear them. Peter puts it this way, ‘your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewellery or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a quiet and gentle spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight (1 Peter 3:3-4). One question I always ask myself is, do I feel as beautiful with makeup as without? If the answer is no, then I know something is wrong somewhere, maybe I’m no longer taking care of my skin and I’m hiding under the umbrella of makeup. If I were married, I’ll try to find out if my husband finds me attractive whether or not I wear makeup. If not I’ll know that I’m neglecting my skin in certain ways. It’s true makeup is so magical and its effects cannot be over emphasized. If you’re on Instagram you’ll understand what I mean. Makeup enhances your beauty, so should you wear it if you don’t believe you’re beautiful? The thing is, most people use makeup to hide their blemishes and imperfections which doesn’t change the fact that they are there. Rather than trying to hide that acne or rash or pimple, why not try treating it instead. Your skin doesn’t glow? Have you tried a skin care routine or perhaps it’s your body lotion you need to change or even your diet. You can try to hide it but you can’t run away from it. The best thing to do is to fix it. I had my first breakout few months ago and it was so devastating. I literally saw my self-esteem drop to zero level. It was more traumatizing because everyone knew me as the smooth face type so they kept asking questions like, ’what happened?’ which only made me hurt the more. Whenever I got a compliment, I doubted it. Yea, I started doubting my beauty. Seriously the person I saw in the mirror with pimples all over her face wasn’t beautiful. But through prayer and reading the Word, I got my confidence back. It’s then that I learnt about skin care routine, which I had no idea of before. To me, skin care was all about using the right body lotion (the one that won’t change my skin color). Since then, I haven’t had any breakouts because skin care isn’t just a solution to your skin problems but it also helps to prevent them. By skin care I’m talking about cleansing, moisturizing, toning, exfoliating etc. Some of you might be familiar with these already which is great and I just wish to encourage you to keep being consistent and save yourself from future skin issues. If you are serious and have been doing it for a while, the results should be evident already. The key to being consistent is to make it simple and flexible
All the same I still love makeup and wear it occasionally but I always try to keep it simple, don’t get me wrong!
If there’s one thing you should remember after reading this long writing is
You are beautiful and you don’t have to prove that to anyone not even yourself.
Your beauty is irrespective of whether you wear makeup or not.
Do not let your beauty be defined by clothes, makeup, or jewellery, true beauty is within.
You don’t need to look shabby just because you aren’t wearing makeup.
You can look flawless and attractive without makeup too.
Your outer appearance matters too and your natural beauty needs to be maintained.
To do that you need to start a daily skin care routine.
This involves cleansing, moisturizing, toning and exfoliating.
To have results you need to be consistent.
The key to consistency is to make your routine simple and flexible.
To conclude, taking care of your body is a way of honoring and glorifying God because you are His temple. So when next you want to leave your house remember that the king of Glory lives in you.
Thanks for reading through and I hope you found worth in it.
Recent Comments