One Thing to do with Those Pretty Lips
I spend about 8 minutes applying my lipstick. To make my lip color pop, I color both lips with a lipliner pencil similar in color to my lipstick. At this stage, it already looks like I'm wearing lipstick...and sometimes, I get distracted, I start doing something else, forget to wear my lipstick and go out with penciled-in lips(lol)! Only the make-up savvy girls who see me know my blunder- but who isn't make-up savvy these days?
After filling in with lip-liner, I plump it up with my lipstick, which instantly pops the color. The underlying liner helps prevent your lip lines/cracks from showing through the lipstick. It also helps your lipstick stay on longer.
Right after this, I blend and get rid of the color bleeds.
Some people use a concealer and concealer brush to line their lips to make sure it's well sculpted.
Either way, you end up with great looking lips!
Imagine that after all of this, my lips looking as magnificent as heaven's pearls, I part those marvelous lips- and less pearly, less magnificent, less heavenly things begin to come out of them- lies, derisive words, gossip.
I know gossip, especially, is yum. It's like a platter of grilled, peppered croaker fish with a side of fried plantain and crushed peppered sauce. It's beyond me why it tastes so good and apparently, the worse the situation is for the person we are talking about, the spicier the croaker and the softer the plantain.
Spicy, soft or not, gossip is unpleasant and no longer fashionable. There I said it, it's not trending anymore.
The next time you get an opportunity to gossip, shut it down, blend those pretty lips and talk about something else.
What do you think sparks up gossip? I'd love to know your thoughts!
7 Quirky Phobias and the People who benefit from them.
I'm on a magnified feel-good-optimistic streak this month; so much that in this post we are going to talk about the benefits of phobias! Well, we are going to talk about phobias - and the people that would benefit when other people have those phobias. One man's 'bo!' is another man's boo.
One thing is certain, having a phobia doesn't benefit the person who has it, in any way, (well except phobia #1).
Below are 7 whimsically interesting phobias, which of them would you benefit from?
1. Mageirocophobia
The fear of cooking.
Who this benefits: Me.
"Babe, I have Mageirocophobia. *innocent stare* Lets eat out, forever!" That's what I'd say. However, we all know that's not the best idea. Cooking your own meals helps you monitor the quality and quantity of ingredients used!
2. Pogonophobia
The fear of Beards.
Who this benefits: My mum.
She doesn't get the beard-gang trend at all! I keep telling her, "Mum, Jesus had a beard!" Lol!
3. Chaetophobia
The fear of loose or detached hair (or bundles of Brazilian hair).
Who this benefits: Boo.
Having chaetophobia means no extra expense on over-priced extensions. I think I've had a mild case of Chaetiphobia before. I bought this Grade A Peruvian bundle once and honestly, it felt like it was alive! It was that authentic.
4. Ablutophobia
The fear of bathing
Who benefits: No one. No one at all.
No comment. Actually, comment: There's no substitute for a bath. I just checked, not even air baths.
5. Eurotophobia
The fear of female genitalia
Who benefits: Your parents (if you are a guy)
They'd love for you to be europhobic until you are like 27 and you have a job and can actually afford to have a baby.
6. Anuptaphobia
The fear of being single
Who benefits: The Yoruba demons and Arch-demons.
Being frightened of living for months unhitched only causes you to run into the arms of the bad boys and if you are a guy, into the arms of a girl-demon. Choose not to live in fear. Nothing inspired by fear can end well.
7. Chronophobia
The fear of time passing
Who this benefits: Your doctor's mortgage payments.
Whenever I have a badly planned day, I admit I end up with a mild case of chronophobia. Actually, if you ever say "24 hours is not enough!" You might be well on your way to this phobia. Try planning your day the night before and tick off your to-do items as you go! That way, you don't have panic attacks and sporadic palpations that require you to see you Doctor often.
Do you have Pentheraphobia (fear of your mother in law)? Read here to figure out how to deal!
Do you have any phobias? Who would they benefit?
11 Spoilers for my 15 year-old Self
If I could meet my 15 year-old self, she would be in for a world of surprises, if only she knew. Of course, the ideal thing would be to give her good advise and have her make good decisions early on- and what better way to nudge her straight, than by feeding her life-spoilers, even though they would probably reduce the fun of her experiences by over 200%, hehe). Here are 11 spoilers I'd tell her:
On her identity crisis:
No, you will not be wed to Curtis Jackson also known as 50 cent (rme)
On her love interest at the time:
*Clears throat*, I don't see this guy in our future, not even remotely; like I don't even think you are friends with him on Facebook!
On her future ambitions:
What's a Facebook, you ask? Well....this is going to be good. Grab a pen. We are about to be very....very rich. While the world is still recovering from the "Y2K" supposed- apocalypse, buy a one-way ticket to California, there's this place called Silicon Valley............
On her opinion about mum not understanding her:
Summary: You and mum become best friends and then you literally start acting like her.
On her blind dedication to Arsenal FC:
*Static* Sigh. I would say give up but don't.
On her love for mono-sleeve blouses:
You didn't really think tops with just one full sleeve would stay, did you?
On her relationship with God:
You guys are like best buds and you begin to discover how much you both have in common
The Spoiler about the One:
His name starts with a consonant and a vowel! *insert everlasting mischievous laugh*
On sex:
Everything they say about it is true. It's thoroughly primordial and not cute, don't get hung up on trying to have it till you really should, with the right person.
On writing as a hobby:
Please don't shred and burn our diaries. Please....but I know you will, anyway. I know you don't want anyone knowing what goes on in your head but we write a blog, so there. Get over yourself.
On Self-respect and respect from others:
Respect from others is over-rated. The only respect you need is from us, me and you. Make decisions that make your future self (yours truly) proud of you and I'll ensure I make you proud too ♥️
What spoilers would you tell your 15 year-old self?
Letters to my Greatgrand-Daughter: The Rolex Effect
“Direction is so much more important than speed. Many are going nowhere, fast”
Dear Charly,
Instant coffee. Fast food. Attention spans of eight seconds. ATMs. Quickies. These are features of the world I currently live in.
Nevertheless, amidst this deep-seated dependency on speed and the power of 'instancy', Rolex Société Anonyme takes out one year to make one Rolex watch.
One watch. Twelve months. Two hundred and fifty working days of piecing together each element, to make a time piece so perfect and flawless.
A baby born at the same time the first piece of a Rolex is assembled, could very well be weaned and walking by the time the Rolex is to be on the market. It's not a mass production effort and it goes without saying that you’d value a Rolex over a Casio (no offense, Casio). Rolex watches have a reputation for excellence, finesse, precision; qualities which you can see wasn't devised based on this urgency factor.
Take a cue from Rolex and resist the instancy factor, Charly. Soak yourself in self-improvement exercises and don't jump on the market until you are 'fit for all weather'. Get off the haste wagon and breathe. Take your time (but not forever) with everything; decisions, relationships, marriage, even chewing!
With relationships, there's no rush there, I must tell you. With your occupation, remember to take care of yourself first. With people, be patient and listen to what they are really saying.
In this fast world I live in, I have learnt to take my sweet time. I stop and breathe while others are moving. I brew my tea (sometimes). I chew like a snail, i make well-thought-out decisions (most times). I listen a little longer, my gaze lingers by a second.
Don't let the crowd drag you along in its frazzled haste. Rest. Watch. Laugh. Listen. Most importantly, work on your character. Become the best version of yourself. It might not take a year like a Rolex or it might. Either way, it makes you a better person and from that emanates the Rolex-effect; the natural aura of luxury and perfection.
Love,
Greatgran x
Previously published on old space.
Note to Self: Breathe
The Mystery Guy in Proverbs 31
No one knows how to lay the pressure thick like the girl in Proverbs 31. Marriage counsellors love her, men want wives like her, parents want girls like her for their sons, girls break their backs and minds to figure out how to be like her. She truly, is phenomenal.
Men, there is a way to get a woman like her, by the way, but that's another post. Before I write a post on getting her, I'd like to point out a prerequisite. Is it just me or has any one read the first 9 verses of Proverbs 31 and discovered the existence of the Proverbs 31 guy? There actually IS a proverbs 31 guy! Why does everyone talk about the proverbs 31 girl and never the proverbs 31 guy?
Double standards alert * straight face*
They say to us, the Proverbs 31-girl wanna-be's:
"You have to wake up before dark and feed your family!"
"You have to be hardworking!"
"Be diligent!"
"Bring your goods from afar like the merchant ships!"
"Buy land with your savings!"
'ol up, people. There is a proverbs 31 guy! Let's talk about him. No more skipping over and acting like he doesn't exist. (That girl is pretty awesome though. Super-powers, mind-bending abilities and standards etc. I can't get over her)
Well, thanks to Lemuel's mum who wrote the first verses of Pro. 31, we have some achievable standards for the men too .
No more double standards.
First things first, as a man, you should know who you are and what you are worth. Regardless of pedigree, understand that you are royalty and created in the likeness of God, the one, the only. You deserve respect, first from yourself, and from that comes the respect from others. Self-respect and honor are all the swag you'll ever need.
According to the fabulous mother of Lemuel; Men (Kings) are strong, honorable, principled.
Being principled also involves not exerting yourself by sexing some random girl (they ruin kings). Kings have Queens, fact. Otherwise, card decks would be dominated by two guys who don't have a clue. O wait, plus a joker. Three clueless guys. Also, there are no random girls in a deck of cards. Bottom line, you need a Queen, not 9 randoms a week.
Don't be addicted to drinking or need it to accomplish tasks. Drinking heavily as a habit is great....... if you are dying. Any habits that impede cognizance and decision-making are not found in the characters of strong leaders.
People depend on you, people watch you and aspire to be you. Speak up for people who have no voice, no rep, no respect from society.
Be compassionate and strong for the weak. Defend the poor, the oppressed, the stranger, the women!
And THEN you can think about getting a proverbs 31 girl.
Much Love to Mama Lemuel, much love! ❤️
What are your thoughts?
Surprise for My Silent Readers!
What's a blog without it's silent readers? Our Silentós! In the last 2 weeks, a few of our silent readers have reached out to me to say hi or to comment discreetly. I'd like to say 'Thank you' for those messages and reading PGI, even if you don't comment. It means a lot. 😘
I have 3 surprises for you and other readers as well, to make sure your experience on the blog is synonymous to the expression 'walk in the park'. Here goes!
Breezy comments! [Surprise#1]
I have been speaking with a few of the readers and some have mentioned that they have experienced some difficulty commenting on the blog. So...surprise! Commenting just became a breeze. We are trying a new system that makes commenting much easier. You can now comment anonymously even, finally! Lay out that dirty laundry and whoosa! Try it out and see. Previous comments on the blog had to be removed to try out this new system, that was a difficult sacrifice. So please make our comment-loss worth it by commenting! We are trying out this new comment system to make sure commenting is as easily as licking an ice-cream cone....on a breezy day!
To my regular commenters 😍, without you this blog would just the sound of clicking keyboard keys followed by crickets and silence. Thank you for the comments!!! I definitely appreciate you. Your comments aren't deleted, they are stored in the Disqus account to which you signed up. We are trying out this new commenting system to see if it works for us. Don't stop commenting! You make this blogger giddy😘
[David Bragdon, Kikelomo Omotalade, Ife.O, Otelemuye, Kacheetee! Thanks!]
The Subscription button! [Surprise #2]
Why play catch up when you can subscribe now by hitting the pretty blue button?! Posts come straight into your mail box, casually, no big deal. Gives us a chance to slide into your DM too. Wink.
The 2 posts a-day challenge! [Surprise #3]
I’m on a 2-posts a day challenge, until the month of April! I'm pushing myself just a little bit more. It is, after all, our implicit mantra on PGI, "Encourage. Push. Extra mile. Better you." The challenge is challenging, I have to tell you, living up to its name. It's a pleasure though, writing it and seeing you respond. Thank you for all the feedback and encouragement! Please remember to share posts and to use the new features!
xx
If you have other suggestions on how to make your experience better, please let us know below! I'm so going to try this anonymous thing.
When your Husband tries to Escape with Penelope
Seated five shelves up, in my dark brown kitchen cabinet, is a large orange bowl. It's a pretty 6.5 litre salad bowl by the Italian brand Omada Designs, and I love it, a little bit too much.
For this post, let's call it Penelope. The day I bought Penelope, I snatched it off the shelf and wouldn't let go, it was the last piece at the store and I couldn't quite explain why I was drawn to it.
I usually reserve Penelope for days that I need to mix dough or days that I'm really in my culinary-beast Martha Stewart zone! In summary, this is my favorite kitchen bowl, so you could imagine my astonishment one day, when I saw Ed suspiciously holding my precious orange Penelope! First, he doesn't bake. Second, he was at least 10 feet out of the kitchen with my bowl in hand with a very determined look on his face! Third, he had mentioned an hour before, that he had some "home-improvement" activities he needed to get to! So like someone negotiating with a hostage-taker, i asked him carefully, 'What are you doing, babe?', I took a slow step towards him.
'I need a bowl', he responds and explains his project, which was to occur completely outdoors and involved every type of ingredient possible but kitchen ingredients.
Only heaven could sufficiently describe my distress to you. Lol. Penelope balanced precariously in the crook of his left arm, pleading with me to rescue it.
He had to be kidding! Anyway, we negotiated and he eventually picked out another bowl, which was previously a pedicure bowl and then we both went out to his home improvement project thing, to which i made zero contributions. Hehe.
You know, I never fully understood what happened that day until recently- whatever inherent value you develop in yourself is exactly commensurate with the situations you will find yourself in. I would never in a million years have let him take my bowl out to do anything other than kitchen-related activities. I was determined to wrestle it out of his hands, even. Lol. The inherent value i saw in Penelope made me insist that she remained indoors for "clean" use and not dirt.
Imagine we were all bowls? What type of bowl would you be? I'd like to be a gold dish.......wait, NO...... a ROSE gold dish with strong but delicate handles and intricate designs on my base, and I'd like to get polished every night!
“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
”
Every time I see the orange bowl, I remind myself that I have to rid myself of all those things stated in 2 Timothy, chapter 2, that are tagged as dishonorable, so I can be used by God for honorable things and so I don't end up being used for common tasks like feeding the dog or cleaning the toilet bowl or be that bathroom bucket with the white soap marks!
I'd rather be a fancy bowl that sits pretty high up the household duties but I have to constantly and consciously keep me clean; my thoughts, my heart, my motives. Clean. Always.
Might I mention that Ed has attempted to escape with Penelope twice. Lol.
What type of vessel would you like to be? You know God fights for you all the time, like I fought for Penelope, right?
6 Hacks to Improve your Workspace
My desk sometimes looks like i share it with the 7 dwarfs but it really is just me, and on occasion, Ed. My former excuse used to be entropy, you know how they say we live in a world that is in a constant state of inclination to disorder and all, well, i like the 7 dwarfs explanation better. Anyway, it turns out our productivity is tied to the condition of our work spaces and two decades later, I now understand why we had table lockers in primary school; it was to train me for my life now. Well, I'm proud to say I didn't get trained then and i'm still trying to figure it all out. Lol. Here are 5 ways to improve your work space and subsequently enhance productivity:
Stare
Step back from your work station, fold your arms and stare at it. If it's not a mess, well, skip this post and read our second post of the day; if it is a mess, keep staring until you come to a state of complete discontentment, take a deep breath and shake things up a bit.
Reduce clutter
The more items you have visible, the more distracted you'd be, the less productive you'll become. Keep your work space to the barest minimum, leaving only your primary equipment and a pen visible at all times. Other items can be brought out as needed and of course, immediately put away after use. Discard trash promptly.
Subdue the 7 dwarfs in you
Ensure your space is always clean. If you will be having a meal within this space, remember to air it out and clean off any food residue or particles and to use a coaster beneath your cups all the time.
Use Good Lighting
Ensure that you have enough light for your tasks, invest in a good desk or standing lamp. Get in as much natural light as you can. Natural light is a great way to stimulate your brain and promote alertness.
Play with Colour
Use the right colours to enhance your productivity and creativity.
To stimulate your mind; blue is recommended, for a creative buzz, try yellow or purple; for motivation for physical tasks, red works; for a calm and serene work environment, green soothes. Also note that the combination of these colors have a combined effect of their stimulating properties.
Indoor plants
I don't know what it is but when i look at Judah (my plant), i get a little calmer and maybe happier. It might be because green soothes or because i'm easily amused. However, table plants and indoor plants are known to improve concentration, productivity and well-being. I guess that's why i get giggly- that and the presence of the dwarfs.