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Makeup Trends we are loving in 2022

It’s Beauty Tuesday and we are all about makeup trends today. From minimalist winged liners to glossy lips, these are the trends we are loving in 2022.

Glitter: We are loving glitter in 2022, glitter on the eyes, cheeks, and even lips looks amazing.

2. Minimalist winged eyeliner: This is a simpler version of the cat-eye. Black, blue, gold, neon; the options are endless.

3.Bold eyebrows: Full and fluffy eyebrows are trending this year. For this trend, you need an eyebrow brush and brow gel. Comb your brows and then apply a small amount of brow gel and add more as you wish.

4. No make-up look: This is an easy-to-do look, one that does not require too much time to achieve. Apply your moisturizer and then foundation. A medium to full-coverage foundation will do.

5. Glossy lips: Lip gloss with a touch of colour or shimmer is trending this season. This gives your lips a soft glow.

Career Monday: Rest for Increased Productivity

Happy new week! Today we are all about rest and how it is important for improved productivity. It is important to rest and especially sleep well as this helps the body to restore and repair itself and helps the brain to function properly as well. Lack of sleep and overall rest affects the way we think, learn, get along with people and even handle our emotions. So how can we ensure we rest properly?

Change your environment: A change is as good as rest, right? You may not necessarily change your room completely, for instance, but you can get heavier curtains that allow less light to pass through, to enable you to sleep in easier.
Exercise: Exercise really helps you to rest especially after a long day. Taking a walk or running, going to the gym and even doing cardio exercises in the house, help circulation in the body as they help increase blood flow. Exercise also helps reduce stress.
Have a sleep schedule: Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day consistently reinforces your natural sleep-wake cycle.
Take naps: Afternoon naps can be rejuvenating. If you are in a position to do so, take naps as they help you recharge mentally. Napping also increases alertness and decreases fatigue.
Stop at the right time: It may be tempting to push yourself to work long hours to finish up a project or beat a deadline. Sometimes, you can’t avoid this but try as much as you can to deliberately stop working at the right time. Stopping when you have a little energy left makes it easier to get started the next day.

Self-care Saturday: How to practice self-love

Happy Saturday! We hope you are enjoying your weekend. Here are some tips on how to practice self-love.

You do not have to be perfect: Perfectionism does not exist. It is important to love yourself where you are as you continue to work on yourself. Don’t beat yourself up when you make mistakes and pat yourself on the back when you do something great.
Check in with yourself emotionally: It is important to pause and ask yourself why you are feeling the way you are feeling. Allow yourself to feel and don’t brush your feelings off.
Societies’ expectations are unrealistic: Many people may mean well when giving you suggestions on what to do with your life but at the end of the day, the ball is in your court. Don’t also compare yourself or your life to unrealistic standards and expectations of society.
Always keep learning: It is important to keep teaching yourself new things, experiment and find out what works for you.
Be around people who are supportive: It is important to surround yourself with people who love and encourage you; people who see the best in you.

Fashion Friday: Trendy bags

Happy Easter! We hope that you are enjoying this holiday that brings hope, love and joy. Today we are all about trendy bags. Enjoy!

1. Oversized clutches: These clutches are very trendy and you can keep a lot in them, accessories; phone, lipgloss, lipstick, wallet etc. Some have zippers, flaps and even top handles. There is a wide variety of oversized clutches to choose from.

2. Briefcase totes: These are stylish and perfect for work. These bags are spacious, with many pockets and as functional as they are fashionable.

3. Bucket bags: These are trending this season. There have been many beautiful adaptations over time. Bucket bags are now available in faux leather, with glossy finishes and in a wide variety of colours.

4. Oversized bags: We absolutely love these ones because you get to fit in so much. Available in leather, woven fabric and fabrics that are durable such as cotton, canvas, and linen.

5. Handcrafted bags: Crotchet bags and bags decorated with beads and even pearls are making a fashion statement this season.

Vanilla Custard

How is your Thursday going? Today we share an easy-to-make vanilla custard recipe. This yummy dessert is best served with a bowl of fruit salad, pour over it and enjoy! You can get custard powder in the supermarket, baking products section.

Vanilla custard (1 serving)

Ingredients

1 teaspoon custard powder

200 ml milk

2 teaspoons sugar

Vanilla essence

Fruit salad, fruits in season (mango, watermelon, bananas)

Method

1. Mix I teaspoon custard powder into a smooth paste.

2. Add 2 teaspoons milk taken from the 200 ml milk.

3. Stir in 2 teaspoons sugar into the remainder of the milk and bring it to a boil.

4. Pour the blended custard powder into the boiling milk.

5. Remove from heat, stirring the mixture well.

6. Let it cool for 10 minutes.

7. Add 2 drops of vanilla essence and stir.

8. Meanwhile make the fruit salad. Chop the mango, watermelon and bananas and mix together in a bowl.

9. Add custard to the fruit salad. Enjoy!

How to look luxurious on a budget

It’s Beauty Tuesday and today we are all about looking luxurious on a budget. Beauty can be expensive, from makeup to skincare products; however, you don’t need to break the bank to look great. Here are some tips.

Invest in the right makeup tools: Quality brushes will last you a long time, give you even coverage during makeup application and help hide blemishes. The important brushes you need: a brow brush, eyeshadow brush, foundation brush/beauty blender and powder brush. The brushes come in a set. The beauty blender is usually sold separately though. These will change the makeup game for you.

2. Do not overdo makeup: Lightweight formulas work best and don’t look cheap. If for instance, you have oily skin, look for a liquid foundation instead of a cream foundation. When applying makeup, start with a small amount and layer as need be; foundation and mascara look best when layered.

3. Moisturize: It is important to moisturize your face twice a day, morning and evening to keep your skin hydrated and give it that healthy glow. There are affordable moisturizers in the market, find one that suits your skin type and it will do wonders for your skin.

Photo by **Sora Shimazaki** from **Pexels**

4. Keep your makeup simple: Most often than not, simple makeup makes you more polished than when using many different products on your face. Less makeup is also good for your skin and saves you time as well.

5. Good grooming is key: Ensure that you shape your eyebrows. It is also important to drink lots of fluids, exercise and sleep well for great skin and overall well-being.

Career Monday: Doing what you love

Happy new week! Today we are all about doing what we love. Is there something you have been meaning to do that you absolutely love and want to go ahead and do it? Here are some tips for you!

Be courageous: There is a famous saying that goes, “Everything you want is on the other side of fear” Many times doing what you love will be scary but you’ve got to do it anyway. You only have one life and you have nothing to lose really. Go ahead full force for what you want.
Don’t settle: Keep going for what you love, whether it’s a career change or a new skill you want to learn. Don’t settle. Have those wild dreams that even defy logic and pursue them!
What are you spending your time on? What do you find yourself doing, researching on? What makes you come alive when you think of it? When you love something you tend to spend time thinking and researching more about it. What lights you up, deep within? That is a sign for you to actually pursue it.
Start: Take the bold step and actually start. Begin that online class. Start that business. Have an action plan and you will be amazed at the journey.
Time is limited: Life is too short to keep postponing your happiness and even living for others. Sometimes saying yes to yourself may make some people unhappy but such is life. What do you feel God has put in your heart to do. Do it and thrive in it because again, you live once!

Beauty Tuesday: Tips and Tricks

How is your Tuesday going? Here are some beauty tips and tricks that you’ll absolutely love. Enjoy!

Always layer skin care products: It is important to layer products properly. Begin with the thinner, more watery products and then finish off with the heavier creams and oils. Oils help seal in any products applied before. Also, when applying foundation, start with a thin layer and add until desired coverage is achieved. This enable you to apply the product evenly on your face.
Bold lipstick is it! Say you are leaving the house in a rush and don’t have time to apply makeup, a bold red lipstick will do. Red is a classic colour and will go with almost any outfit you have on. If red is not your go-to, then a neutral lipstick colour next to your lip colour will do the trick.
Sunscreen is your best friend: Sunscreen helps protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays. It is also one of the best anti-ageing tools you can own; protecting your skin from wrinkles and spots.
Blot oil with pocket tissue: This tried and tested trick works. Instead of adding more powder to your face, which even blocks pores further, use a pocket tissue and tap off excess oil on your face.
No makeup remover? Try Vaseline: Petroleum jelly is definitely our fave when it comes to moisturizing especially dry parts of our skin. It’s also an excellent makeup remover. Apply generous amounts on the lips, eyelids and brows and smear a small amount on the whole face and use a cotton pad or cloth to remove. Voila! Makeup comes off so easily!

Career Monday: Essential transferable skills

Happy new week! Today we are all about transferable skills; a set of skills and abilities, which are applicable to a wide range of different jobs and industries.

Communication: In almost every job, you will need to communicate. Communication is the ability to share information and ideas in a clear and precise way, effectively and efficiently so that whoever you are communicating with understands your message.
Paying attention to detail: This means that you notice everything. Pay attention to what a client needs or what is required in an assignment. It is also very important to notice errors and correct them as needed. Being intentional about the execution of work and strong reasoning behind decision-making is very important.
Building relationships: It is important to cultivate good relationships between you and your co-workers/ boss/ clients/ suppliers and everyone involved in making your work a success. In building great relationships, you are able to manage differing opinions and conflicts and are able to arrive at solutions.
Technical skills: In a world that is so computer-savvy, having knowledge of how to use different software in your field is very crucial. This is very important for growth in your career as well as job stability.
Creativity: Creative thinking is a very important skill. Thinking out of the box and finding fresh solutions is very essential to the success of any business/organization.

Scripture Sunday: Perseverance

Happy Sunday! What are you waiting on God for? Does it look like it is taking longer than expected? What are you trusting God to change in your life? Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” God is not in a hurry but He is always on time, right on time. His timing may not be our timing but He can be trusted.

Perseverance builds our character and even prepares us for what we are trusting God for. He is Faithful, He knows the desires of our hearts and He does not fail. It is also very important to always remember that God has great plans for our lives; Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Let us be still, this day and trust that He is Faithful and in the meantime be grateful and keep doing good.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for this day. I believe that you have great plans for my life and that you will give me the desires of my heart. Give me the grace to continue trusting you and persist in what you have called me to do. Thank you because I am more than a conqueror as your Word says. In Jesus name, Amen!