Tips for a flawless face on your wedding day

An old friend former Nkem Okolotu now Mrs Etokhana

Every bride wants to look her best on her wedding day. While makeup may do a few tricks, there is nothing better than having a beautiful canvas (your face) for a make up artist to work with. If you have beautiful skin, you only need a few strokes of make up to have you looking perfect. Follow these tips for a flawless look for your wedding

Cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise
I call them the three most important tips. Never go to bed without washing your face. Exfoliating and moisturising will make your skin soft and supple so begin this process months before your wedding. Flawless skin takes some time to achieve.

Eat right, take vitamins and supplements
It has been proven severally that fruits and vegetables are good for your skin. Drink lots of water. Take vitamins and supplements. I personally recommend Seven seas Cod liver oil, it works wonders on the skin. Eat lots of fish. Fish is high in Omega 3 which is good for the skin

Visit a Spa
It is advisable to start doing any procedure 4 - 6 months to your wedding. Procedures like glycolic peel or microdermabrasion takes a few days to heal. If you haven't been doing facials it is better to start early enough in case any form of irritation arises. No procedure should be done two weeks to the wedding.

Exercise and Sleep
Exercise and sleep keeps you looking refreshed and rejuvenated. You don't need to conceal dark circles under your eyes at your wedding. Exercise removes toxins from the body which  in turn makes for beautiful radiant skin

Choose the right foundation
Use a foundation that works well for your face. Depending on the amount of imperfections on your face you can choose sheer, medium or heavy coverage foundation. Make sure the foundation matches your skin tone else it will reflect on your wedding photography.

Have a trial session with your make up artist  
If you are using a pro makeup artist book a trial session with him or her. At this session you should try out different make up looks and choose the best look for your wedding. You can also try out foundation and concealers to know the shade to use at your wedding. Many makeup artists like to guess the shade of powder or foundation of a bride and they are not always right.

At Cakes By Mizvuitton we don't want our brides looking like Marilyn Mason or Bubu the clown on their wedding day. Follow this simple tips for a beautiful, radiant and flawless wedding look.

Photo Credit: www.ogheneworoakara.com

Makeup: Tare Fela Durotoye of House of Tara

Photo-op: Man marries 4 women in one ceremony

Just stumbled on this hilarious piece of information. The wedding was a two day event that happened sometime in 09

The traditional Zulu ceremony

Hear the groom "There are seven days in a week and I have four wives. I will take turns visiting them and use the remaining three days to rest" lol

Mr. Mbele owns 100 cows and 250 goats and has a good job, so he is relatively wealthy, at least by traditional standards.

#lobatan

I'll like to add.. Birthday greetings

Today is my sister and best friend's birthday. Tosin has been a friend for more than 10 years and is the most beautifulest girl I know. She's been steadfast and unwavering in love and support for me. The kind of friend that is tried and true, tested and trusted... Love you muchos darling and may all your dreams/wishes come true.

My dearest Tosin Akinsuyi

Also I'll like to give a shout to my dearest AdeOla Fadumiye, Owner and Freelance writer at Jostwrite. Her birthday was yesterday. Happy birthday gurl. Expecting more mails in my inbox *wink* See some of her stuff @ www.jostwrite.blogspot.com

Don't you just love her hair

Here is what we missed..!

I'm sorry for being away so long. I was actually just taking a break.. okay that's not true.. I need to get myself a new laptop. This past few days was one of those times when it seems all the forces are working against you putting up any single blog post. I'm sorry guys. Well here is what we missed-

Uche Jombo Rodriguez official wedding pictures are finally out. It's all in the new issue of Wow Magazine. I'm awfully late on this but it has to be on my blog

Ace comedian and talk show host, Teju babyface is about to jump the broom with pretty model Tobi Banjoko. She was a contestant at the last Miss Nigeria Pageant representing Ondo State where she won Miss Photogenic. He proposed on February 14th and the two will wed on September 1, 2012

Life in the Single Lane: And Stephanie was indeed, Steve

Rebecca Romijn plays transsexual character Alex Meade in Ugly Betty

Hooonnnkkkkk!

The blare of horns tore through the busy Lagos traffic. It was almost 10pm and I wondered where this horde of cars were headed, there was a serious traffic jam. Well it was Friday night after all and like me everyone wanted a break from a boisterous week.

I hit a stop at the Ozumba Mbadiwe- Adeyemo Alakija axis. I couldn't wait to unwind after a busy week. My boys were already at Slicks Bar waiting.. see I am the Life of the Party. I had received about a dozen calls asking where I was. My phone rang again. It was Mayowa "Fake G, where you dey na?" 

"Mayor I dey come,  I go soon show. I de inside traffic for that Ozumba side".

The traffic light flashed green  "Guy, I go see you soon" I said and ended the call.

I arrived at Slicks Bar amid cheers from my boys. Lanre, Boogie, Mayor and JJ were all there, my home boys from way back. It had become some sort of tradition for us to hang out every Friday night and since we were all still single and unmarried we looked forward to catching up with each other. Friday nights were extremely special.

The boys were already on their third bottle of Ciroc. I joined them, grabbed a glass and poured myself a drink.

"Omo BJ there is one babe here that I want you to see, very padded with full options mehn! Your exact speck". 

Bachelorette Party or Bridal Shower Party

A scene from a Bachelorette Party

Personally I dread bridal showers. Who has time for all those dumb games?- making a wedding dress and veil from tissue paper, asking personal questions about the bride and groom, when you could be out on the town partying, downing glass after glass of champagne and screaming your lungs out. Yes! that is what girls time out is made of and that's what goes down  at a Bachelorette party. I'm not a girly girl

But truth is not everyone is wild like that. Some people are more of home bodies than night crawlers and while you may enjoy wild nights you can't take away from the fact that bridal showers are more intimate affairs and can make you feel really special. Bridal showers usually involve family and friends and can be hosted by an aunt, a mother, or a family friend. There are lots of treats- sweets, drinks, chocolate and cake. It is a time where innocent games are played, memories are relived and the bride is showered with plenty of practical gifts with which she can start a home (don't know about Nigeria though.. people just come to eat your food, lol)

Rapper The Game cancels wedding

Gist reaching me is that the Game has cancelled his wedding which is supposed to hold 10 days from now.

The Game and former fiance/baby mama Tiffany Cambridge

We earlier reported that he had bagged a reality show which will chronicle his decision to get married, planning the wedding up till the wedding itself. See it http://cakesbymizvuitton.blogspot.com/2012/07/quote-of-day-rapper-game-proposes-to.html

Just days after announcing that he and Tiffany were going to be on the show he announced that he has called off the engagement.

Their wedding save-the-date website was updated yesterday "We regret to inform you that the wedding of Tiffney Cambridge and Jayceon Taylor has been cancelled"

The Game already reportedly dropped half a million dollars on the wedding and the decision to call off the wedding was because they "just didn't get along"

After the news broke out The Game tweeted

When LIFE throws you lemons.... Squeeze em' and mix em with Patron".
 Smh

 Time is the only thing you can't get back. Use it wisely & understand that once a decision is made there is NO reversing that moment.

Really wonder what the hell went wrong. Well better to forgo half a million dollars than being married for 72 days lol.

I respect his decision to walk away and not string her along. Nothing is worse than marrying out of pity.

Photo-op: Nas and Kelis wedding pic

Nas and Kelis at their wedding in 2005 

 Nas looks all pimped up in a three piece suit and a pimp hat while Kelis opts to wear a green wedding dress.

The two got married in January 2005 and by April 2007 Kelis filed for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences". Kelis at the time was 7 months pregnant with his child. On July 22 2009 Kelis gave birth to a baby boy named Knight, the very next day a New York City Judge ordered Nas to pay Kelis a whooping $55,000 dollars every month in child and spousal support. Their divorce was final on May 29, 2010.

Nas was said to have cheated. Well with that kinda check coming to Kelis every month...

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned

Wedding Trend Alert: The Boutonniere

According to the Oxford dictionary a boutonniere is a floral decoration worn by men, typically a single flower or bud.

The boutonniere is used for formal occasions such as weddings and formal dinners. It is worn on the lapel of a jacket and is somewhat similar to lapel pins.

This year the boutonniere has become a trend to watch as grooms are no more to be out done by the brides. The boutonniere adds class and beauty to a groom's overall wedding look. It is usually worn in the wedding colours and matches the bride's bouquet and the entire floral arrangement. It is advisable that the boutonniere take at least one of the colours on the bride's bouquet so as to complement her look without being too matchy matchy.

Tom Ford wearing the boutonniere the traditional way
Photo Source: Wikipedia

The most popular flower used for a boutonniere is the carnation, though care must be taken that it does not wither. Ask your florist to make an extra one in case sweat, hugs and shoves (remember we are talking about a man here) cause it to wither. The carnation is simple, affordable and easy to find. It is also very popular because it is versatile and easy to pull off. Different flowers signify different things e.g Green carnation is sometimes associated with homosexuality. Roses are formal and are associated with love

The original boutonniere is  looped through the button hole located at the lapel. Many people are using pin up flowers but it is not a very good look. Using Pin up flowers in place of boutonnieres go against every rule in the style book. The button hole at the lapel is there for a reason.


Some tips for wearing the boutonniere at your wedding

Complement- Groom can wear a colour in the same family as the boutonniere worn by the groomsmen. This is so because the groom has to stand out. The groom and the groomsmen should wear boutonnieres that will complement both the brides bouquet and the bridesmaids corsages, brooches or bouquet. Take care that it doesn't come out too matchy. Boutonneires should also match the tie.

Wear it with confidence - there's nothing great about seeing a sloppy groom wearing a boutonniere. Wear a sharp suit, be smart, dapper and confident. Wear it as an accessory and don't let the boutonniere wear you.

Don't outdo the ladies - keep it simple. Nothing as beautiful as a single petal or a small flower. You don't want to look too feminine. Draw the line between being feminine and keeping it understated and classy.


Pay attention to proportions-  if you are small, don't wear a larger than life looking boutonniere that will dwarf you


Contrast is key - Always wear a boutonniere with a dark suit. Boutonnieres are usually colourful so make sure to wear a dark hued suit for a perfect contrast. Don't wear a pink jacket with a yellow carnation boutonniere else you could be mistaken for the wedding party clown.

Life in the single lane: The Brazilian Weave v. The Blackberry

Studio 53 host Eku Edewor rocks the Brazilian weave
as she concentrates on her blackberry phone

Ping!

The sound of his blackberry went off. We haven’t been able to hold a conversation for 30 minutes.

‘Please excuse me a min’, he said. "No problem", I replied.

He continued pinging, my patience was thinning out. His fingers looked like crows feet as he tapped the keys of the blasted berry. I stared at him as he was making faces and smiling into his phone.

This was a business meeting for chrissakes. This guy was wasting my time.

Impatient, I get up, he hardly notices. As I started out he looked up.

‘Madam we haven’t even started our meeting’. I cringe at the word ‘madam’ but still stay calm.

 I gave him a warm smile and said

‘Can we reschedule please?’

‘Okay’ he said, without as much as a glance at me.

‘Will give you a call ok?’ He said without looking up.

Quote of the day: Rapper 'The Game" proposes to his girlfriend

 "As a man, this is that day where you throw your player card away and you kinda gotta step up and be a family man, and she deserves it. It’s been a long run, and we’ve been together at least seven years. We’ve been off, we’ve been on, we’ve been arguing, we fought. We had good times and bad times, and I think that at the end of the day, as a man, this is something that I owed to her and I owed to  my family, so it was time".

Rapper The Game after proposing to his girlfriend Tiffany Cambridge in October 2011 

MTV filmed the proposal live. In case you missed it watch the video below

The Game is more famous for his twitter rants, for beating up a rapper and spitting on a female fan. Ugh! but he is also about to become a reality TV star. He recently teamed up with 51 Minds Entertainment (who have been involved with shows like TI and Tiny, Lala's Full Court Life and Flavor Flav's Flavor of love) to produce a reality show which will show his softer side- a loving man and doting father. 

 The reality show will detail his decision to get married and all the drama surrounding the planning of the wedding.

Well, from the above quote does it seem like he is marrying her just because he feels obligated? (she has two kids for him and they've been together on and off for more than 7 years) especially with the "this is something that I owed to her" and "we've been together at least seven years" or does he really really love her with the "can't wait to spend my life with you" kinda love.

Do share your thoughts.

Photo-op: Strong feminine spirit or Mere Desperation

lol... love her spirit. but where do we draw the line between riding hard for a man and being desperate?

Your thoughts?

Do share

Why do couples exchange wedding rings?

Beyonce rocks her 18 carat flawless diamond wedding ring from
Lorraine Schwartz valued at more than $5million

Can Beyonce and JayZ please adopt me, lol

Okay I've heard so many funny stories about the origin of wedding rings. I did a bit of research to know just why. In the course of this I discovered that there are churches that feel that the ring is immoral and instead of exchanging the immoral ring they would exchange a bottle of Coke and Fanta (this is no joke). Some other churches require that the couple exchange bibles instead of the rings.

Well back to the matter of rings- why do we exchange rings? and how did rings become a symbol of love, commitment and marriage? I might need to delve into a bit of history here

The wedding ring originated from ancient Egypt- rushes and reeds along River Nile were twisted and braided into rings. It was a symbol of eternal and immortal love. The ring is a circle that symbolised eternity, the ring has no beginning nor end like time. The Egyptians of that time will place the ring on the third finger of the left hand to symbolise immortal & eternal love. The vein on the 3rd finger is believed to be directly connected to the heart. This vein in Latin is "vena amoris" meaning the "vein of love".

But unlike the Egyptians, Roman men gave rings not as a symbol of love but as a symbol of ownership. The Roman man would claim a woman as his possession by giving her a ring.

Also men didn't wear wedding rings until much recently. Wedding rings for men became more popular during World War II when they faced lengthy seperations from their wives. Men then wore wedding rings to show that they were married and as a reminder about their wives.

Today wedding rings have evolved from braided leaves to steel, silver, gold, precious gem stones etc. Encrusted stones have come to adorn rings from diamond, to amethyst, ruby and emerald. The higher the price tag the better.


S/N

Meanwhile that's me and my boo the day he proposed
that's my engagement ring right there- yellow gold with a diamond stone

Happy birthday King of my heart

Rapper Lil Wayne walks his mum down the aisle

The Cash Money rapper cut a cute picture as he walked his mum down the aisle some months ago. Photos of the wedding was recently leaked by the official photog of the wedding.

Lil Wayne looks too cute as he walks his mum down the aisle

          

                          

                                                 Cash Money's Birdman aka Baby escorts Jacida, Lil wayne's mum 

Classic father-daughter dance song of all time

There are so many father-daughter dance songs of all time but my pick for today is I loved her first by Heartland...

Simple meaning, great lyrics, deep emotions in this song. It will have you appreciating your first love (dad) like you've never done before. Your second love (husband) will probably go green with envy but it is what it is #kanye shrug

Do listen (melody + lyrics)... Enjoy

July 2012 wedding dresses

Ballerina ball gown by Monique Lhuillier

Ballerina pink bridal gown from Monique Lhuillier

Ball gown wedding dress from Vera Wang

Wedding dress from Kenneth Pool's 2012 collection

Wedding dress from Kenneth Pool's 2012 collection

Open back wedding dress by Rosa Clara
btw that coif is everything

Wedding dresses by Rosa Clara from her Spring 2013 collection 

Vintage inspired wedding dress by Stephanie Allin

Romantic pink ball gown from Monique Lhullier

Rosa Clara

Photos courtesy: onewed.com

Bridesmaids style

I've seen many weddings where the bride is looking her best and her bridesmaids are looking tacky. Brides spend so much time planning what to wear and how to put it all together that they forget that if the bridesmaids look tacky the overall wedding look especially the photography will be an epic fail. Badly dressed bridesmaids usually take away from the bride's style thereby affecting the overall outlook of the wedding. I've heard that the more dressed down the bridesmaids are the more the bride can shine at her wedding.. I certainly do not agree.

Dressing up your bridesmaids need not cost a fortune. The most important aspect is to pay attention to the details and make sure each detail complement everything else- from the dress to bridesmaids accessories to the centerpieces everything must be in sync
Below is a list of bridesmaids pieces that will give your wedding the wow effect


Bridesmaids dress 

The most popular dress worn by bridesmaids is usually of tea party length. More brides are choosing dresses of longer length dresses.

Unless you are part of the Kardashian clan,
Don't expect your bridesmaids to splurge on  a flowing white dress 
that looks just like a wedding gown
It is not practical

Whatever your choice is you must have this in mind, if the bridesmaids are paying- is it so expensive? is it practical? can it be worn after your wedding? Your friends will be more willing to pay if the dress is practical enough to be worn after the wedding




Hair pieces



There is a variety of hair pieces to choose from depending on the look you want to achieve with your wedding. Because of the popularity of church weddings a lot of brides usually choose to deck their  bridesmaids in a fascinator or a bird cage veil. This is usually beautiful for more formal and traditional wedding ceremonies. For a more trendy look, bridesmaids can be decked in beautiful sparkly hair bands or hair pins.

Life in the single lane: KARMA is the baddest bitch!

I'm the baddest bitch... Yours truly, Karma

I looked around my plush office and realized how far I’ve come from my days of living from hand to mouth. Life has been good. I was now the CEO of Ace Energy, a foremost Oil and Gas firm at just 28 years old. Fortune had indeed smiled on me.

I flunked on my seat… it was Parisian, custom made to my taste. I had it ordered just last week.. Life was good. It had been a long day. I had been overseeing an interview for a new Manager for Operations since the demise of hardworking Mr. Thomas. The company had suffered some irreparable loss due to his death. Most of the applicants did not suit the bill. Most of them had me question if they really went through school.

The process had been so stressful.

 I had wrapped for the day.

Buzz! My intercom went off

An applicant is here ma. The receptionist said into the phone.

Why did you let him in,  I told you I'm done interviewing anyone today.

He insisted ma.  He is being very persistent and will not leave.

I thought for a minute, it wouldn’t hurt to try this one out; all of the applicants that came hadn’t come close to my expectations. Maybe this was the person I was looking for

Ok let him wait in the conference room, Call the HR Manager I will join them shortly.

I picked up my notepad and headed for the conference room. I could not believe the sight that greeted me as I walked in.

 Imade.. the same imade that had kicked me in the shins, treated me like trash. That same imade was here seeking a job at a company I owned. I let out a low chuckle.

Karma is a bad bitch

Uche Jombo Rodriguez: Are long distance marriages in?

Top Nollywood actress Uche Jombo just recently got married to her American lover Kenny Rodriguez at a secret ceremony in Puerto Rico.

Mr and Mrs Rodriguez

According to her she wanted a hush hush ceremony. The only Nollywood actor present at her wedding was her best friend Desmond Elliot. She had decided to keep this particular relationship a secret because she had previously been involved with a popular footballer, Ikechukwu Uche and her business was just out there.

Not too long after her wedding she was spotted out and about in Nigeria working. This left people asking if the marriage really took place.

Her husband Kenny Rodriguez is an American that lives and works in New York while Uche is based in Nigeria.

Distance really does make the heart fonder... or does it?

Which brings me to the crux of this write up

I've observed that many women particularly celebs or high profile women usually opt for long distance relationships. I recently asked an aunt whose husband has been living in US for 15 years while she is based here. She says its the best and that its the easiest way it can work because living with a man consistently could cause friction.

I'm almost tempted to believe her but is that really God's concept of marriage? It is not good for man to be alone was the sole reason for the institution of marriage in the first place.. especially with this very cold nights we have these days *wink * you need to see how tightly I hug my pillow every night then i'll now allow my husband to be far from me... hell-to-da- no! lol

What's your take on long distance marriages? Does it help or destroy a home? Is it good for the kids? Is it good for the society? or does it make one lonely, looking in the mirror and crooning Brandy's 'This long distance is killing me..

Please share your thots.. I look forward to hearing from you

Hello July... Thanks for the lessons June

July is finally here...

While I have nothing spectacular to celebrate about June. I'm glad its finally come and gone. I'm thankful for lives of my family, friends and loved ones.

 It was a rude shock the afternoon of June 3rd.There had been a plane crash. The plane was suspected to be carrying my uncle and his family who had come back from America to attend a wedding. He had decided to go to church with his family that morning and left the church in Abuja straight to the airport and was expected to arrive in Lagos by 4pm. Little did I know that as I analysed the plane crash I had lost 6 of my loved ones.
that was what June greeted me with.

This of course affected the remaining part of June, I cried, I almost drove myself crazy with all the 'what ifs?' I had asked God for answers Why Lord?

The simple answer I received is that God gives and takes away

In the midst of my tears I learnt some valuable lessons
1. Life is indeed vanity

2. Life is short. No one's promised you tomorrow, today.    Do all you can while you still can.

3. That no matter what God loves us, learn to trust him

4.We should never lose hope, if all else fails hope against hope

While I believe Onyeka and his family are in a better place away from life's pains and struggles, we that are left have a duty to live the best life we can. He was very successful but not one person testified about the money in his bank account but about the different ways he had touched them, put a smile on their faces, the way he met a need, or how he wiped another's tears.

Onyeka Anyene, Maimuna and your four lil angels, Kamsiyonna, Kainetochi, Kaimarachi and Kobichime you are forever in our hearts.

So here comes July, I am filled with hope and still look forward to the future.

And to y'all.. Love while you can, let go of grudges and offence (it does no good), show an act of kindness, say a prayer for someone, meet a need, touch that life.. we really don't have that much time.


Happy new month.


This post is dedicated to all those who lost their lives in the ill fated Dana plane crash of June 3, 2012