Tadera

Michael Kors “Miranda”

If ever there was one thing I disliked about the Michael Kors brand, it would have to be the bags! I could never relate to how bland and (in my humble opinion,) tacky his designs were. The “MK” embossed/printed on the mediocre shaped bags did not (by a long shot) tickle my fancy and like the Louis’ and Gucci’s of this world, I swore I’d never own a Michael Kors bag. All of this of course, was well before the conception of Miranda.

Now Miranda is quite the sight for sore eyes. Her poise, her elegance, her structure….. wonderfully stunning. She’s brings a clean, refreshing sense of class to the MK bag collection without rubbing it right in your face. Perhaps she could even be mistaken for a Celine but who cares? You could be robed in rags from head to toe but with the clutch of the Miranda, all will be forgiven in the judgmental world of Fashion!

xXx

Ps. Happy Easter Bonitas!!!!!

The Spider King’s Daughter

Perhaps my chosen title is a tad misleading, who knows? Nevertheless, permit me to make as vague an interpretation as I can, linking the Number one object of my desire, the Pandora and the title which I have stolen from my friend, Chibundu’s book: The Spider King’s Daughter.

If you know anything at all about The Spider King’s Daughter, you will understand as I explain that just like Abike, the Pandora is a precious possession confined by lonely high walls. Her delicate being is entrapped in safety of a protective fortress, however with secrets untold and a life yet to be uncovered, the Pandora bears all the hints of the sinister traits that accompany every hidden treasure.

Hope you love Charlotte Olympia’s Pandora almost as much as I have fallen for it…..

Photo Credit: The-Coveted.com

I hear there’s a Zara version that is almost as fancy. I better grab myself one.

xXx

Ps: I got a little carried away with my description, I guess that just goes to show the depth of my love for this one

Pps: Abike means ‘Born to be Treasured’ befitting, no?

Passion for Posen

It’s Valentine’s day and I haven’t even wished my readers a Happy New Year. It wasn’t until the day before yesterday when Taiwo whatsapped me saying (and I quote) “You haven’t blogged since xmas day. Shame on you!” that it dawned on me…. Not only have I begun my 2013 right in the heart of indolence, but I have also dived right into the pit of underperformance. On that note, Happy New Year ever-faithful readers!!!! And a Happy Valentine’s day too! May this year eradicate sloth and banish underperformance. On the contrary, may it be filled with rainbows, butterflies and the optimism they pose.

Now kick-starting 2013…..

It’s Valentine’s day and for the first time in about 3/4years I am single. That’s okay though because this year, I’m lusting over something magical; right out of this world (in my humble opinion anyway). It’s Zac Posen’s pre-fall 2013 collection. I discovered an item from the collection on instagram (you can follow me/Taiwo if you want @Tadera) and I have fallen head over heels; heart over head (I just made that up! lol). Consequently, I have decided to share my love of the moment with you. Hope you appreciate the structured art and dramatic elegance accompanied in each piece….

Photo credit: various google sources

xXx

Ps: There have been Fashion Nights Out for so many weeks now! My weekends are officially dedicated to Whitespace. Hope to see you there every weekend till it’s over!

Lip Exfoliation

You may remember about 2 blogs or so ago that I mentioned having started a routine of lip exfoliation. Well as promised, here is how I came about it, what I do and how I do it!

Ever so often, when my outfit/mood needs a bit of a(n) edge/boost, I smack on some daring red lipstick (Mac’s Ruby Woo or MUA lipstick shade 1; the irony lies in the pricing) which instantly serves as a fixer. However I have come to realise that chapped/dry lips underneath this alarmingly loud hue, results in a counter act, thereby deminishing the value of my outcome.

Well, every problem has a solution and below is a treatment my sister Wura once talked me through:

Step 1: Crush a couple of cubes of sugar in a bowl, the bigger the granules the better;

Step 2: Mix in some honey until you’re left with a gritty paste. I don’t use any particular proportions, I judge based on what looks equivalent to the sugar;

Step 3: Apply to the entire lip area in a circular motion until dead skin peels off;

Step 4: Rinse off with warm water (alternatively, just lick it off) and apply some Vaseline lip therapy (my latest obsession is the Pink Bubbly, thanks Gbonju).

Voila! DIY Lip Exfoliation in 4 easy steps! I guess I can brave the red lippie once again.

If you fancy going wild, apply food colouring to the mixture and dance around as you exfoliate. I also read that you can apply oil to the mixture for moisturising as you exfoliate, but I’m yet to try that out. In case you were wondering what oil to use, I suggest coconut oil!

Merry Christmas everyone *kisses*
xXx

Ps: Did you notice the Christmassy background? Thanks Taiwo, my trusty techie!

Meena Sale

There’s nothing quite like shopping a Christmas sale. Especially when it comes BEFORE the D-Day! Meena is a clean, unique and modern designer I came across at Lagos Fashion and Design Week; and this Christmas, it will be hosting between 50-70% off in its first ever sale! Amongst these sale items will be the A/W collection showcased at Arise Magazine Fashion Week earlier on this year and if that collection is anything to go by, my bank account will be in the red by the end of the night.

Time: 12noon-6pm

Date: Sunday 23rd December 2012

Venue: Beehive, 31 Victoria Arobieke, Lekki Phase 1

Contact: buymeena@gmail.com; 08055593643

Twitter: @BuyMeena

See you there!

xXx

Ps: I want to go away this Christmas, unfortunately, I don’t get leave for the next 365days *wails*

8 Simple Rules

Every morning I’m doomed with the same fate. I can never assemble an outfit that will make my heart smile. I have a certain standard which I uphold for my own egotistic reasons and every time I fall below par it aggravates me. For this reason, I have put together ‘8 Simple Rules’ governing my wardrobe in the event of every morning’s disaster, who knows they might come in handy for the Christmas season:

Biggie Smalls (LOL, I didn’t know what else to call it): Proportion perfection is easy as long as you know it. And it really is just this, if your top is baggy, your bottoms should be fitted, or vice versa. That way you establish some kind of outfit equilibrium.
The One Show: Only one part of the body should be on show at any given time. I’m talking about the legs, the boobs and the midriff! After all a micro mini with a strapless top screams floozy!
The reinvention: A dress hasn’t always got to be a dress. It can be a skirt or a blouse; it depends on what you put over it really.
Take Care: You should always take care of your clothes. If the directions read dry clean, do just that. If it reads hand wash, take the time out to hand wash. That way, they last. As Taiwo rightly advised, the one rule of jeans is to wash them when they smell! Washing them too often will ruin them.
Play with your clothes: I’ve constantly got my sleeves folded or ruched up. Same with my trousers and leggings. Sometimes I even cut buttons off and attach my own, or I tie my shirt up a little. Do whatever suits you, have fun!
If all else fails, ACCESSORISE: This especially works for the office. Luckily my mum makes jewellery so I have more than enough necklaces to wear. But you could also pair killer heels with a bland dress, or even accessorise with your hair styles and red lipstick.
Simplicity is the ultimate elegance: When in doubt, keep it simple! Otherwise, it becomes too much and you go from understated chic to wardrobe malfunction in the blink of an eye.
Always wear a smile: As cliché as this sounds it’s true a smile is the perfect accessory.

Having said all of this, it still takes forever to get ready in the morning. Maybe I consider too much, maybe I’ve got it all wrong! I’m sure there are people out there that have their own guiding principles, feel free to share. I’m very interested.

xXx

Ps: These guiding principles are subject to alteration at my discretion 😛

PPs: Who knows maybe one day I’ll write a book on one of these topics. LOL

Toshade Christmas…

Christmas is my favourite time of the year. Personally, it beats Easter, the Summer and yes, it even beats Birthdays! Unfortunately, this Christmas will differ from the norm as my family won’t be together (*wails*) nevertheless, we’ll celebrate Jesus and the joy of Christmas shan’t be lost.

As Christmas shopping should be in full swing, it dawned on me that there couldn’t be a better time to market TOSHADE jewellery. Therefore, as you can see below, I have uploaded pictures of some of my favourite pieces from TOSHADE…. Beaded creativity for the simple yet stylish!