LWD (Little White Dress)

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I wore this number to a family gathering we had over the weekend. It’s funny because these days, whenever I want to feel all dressed up, I tend to reach for dresses and skirts and outfits that generally make me feel like such a girly girl. Maybe it’s because I tend to wear jeans/pants most weekdays as I want to feel comfortable at work. Or maybe it’s because dresses are simply cuter. Not sure but either way, I’m happy to be exploring my feminine side! 

Marks & Spencer Blazer - Ngara Market; Dress - Mr. Price; Heels - Ngara Market; Earrings - Mother's; Lipstick - MAC Girl About Town

How was your weekend? I missed you guys. We have internet issues at home (read: we haven’t yet paid so it’s been disconnected) so blogging gets a little difficult. I strive to put up at least 5 posts per week which has been a little difficult lately. Please bear with me!

I hope you have thee most amazing week! As Ellen DeGeneres would say it, be kind to one another.

How To: Magnetic Nail Polish

If you've been reading my blog for a while then you must know that I am a lover of all things nail polish. I really do have a soft spot for this stuff and can't help myself whenever I'm in a beauty shop so I'll always leave with a couple. 

About a month ago I went into Super Cosmetics intending to get some face scrub and surprise, surprise, ended up grabbing a few nail polishes while I was there. What I didn't realise was that one of the ones I picked up was magnetic nail polish - an unexpected but much welcomed purchase. 

Immediately I got home I took off my nail polish, painted on this pretty blue hue, held the magnet over it and, wait for it, Nothing. Nada. Not a thing happened. I was beyond disappointed until I realised that I was doing it all wrong. Anywaaaay, without further ramblings, here's a post for you eager beavers willing to try out magnetic nail polish. Enjoy!!

What you'll need: 

The Magnetic Nailpolish - mine was Cairuo and it only cost Shs225 (about $3). 

The Magnet - usually comes with the nail polish at no extra charge

Base coat and Top coat - if you will

Nail polish remover and some cotton wool - assuming you need to take off your nail polish

A nail file

 Step 1: After removing your nail polish and making sure that your nails are as product free as possible, slap on a base coat. 

Step 2: Apply a thin coat of the nail polish and wait for it to dry a few seconds. About 20-30 seconds is enough. 

Step 3: Apply a second coat of the magnetic nail polish but this time, make sure it's a little thicker. 

Step 4: Immediately after this second coat, hold the magnet as close as possible to your nail but without actually touching it. Leave it hovering above for about 10 seconds.

Step 5: Voila! You're done. Now repeat steps 2-4 on all nails and apply top coat.

 I realised that depending on the direction you hold the magnet, the lines on your nails can either be vertical, diagonal or horizontal. Pretty cool.  

Final product!

I'm looking forward to buying this nail polish again but in different shades! It's a fun and different look and isn't much of a hassle to put together.

Hope this post helped :)

Wow. It's Thursday already. This week just flew right past.

New in: Summer Hype

Shoulder Bags – Kariorkor Market – Shs 140 each (approx. $2)

My love for Kariorkor Market is growing by the day. I mean, the number of little treasures hidden in there is just beyond me. Like these cute Kiondo shoulder bags that came in the most ridiculously cute colours for the grand total of Shs140 each! Boom Pow.

Hot pink skirt – Kidosho – Shs 1,300 (approx. $16)

If you’re in Nairobi then you’re no stranger to the drab, dull weather that we’ve had for the past few months. I’m not a big fan of summer per se but even I have started longing for the hot days that we know Nairobi can deliver oh so well. On my wish-list for summer outfits were cute little skirts which I hadn’t had any luck finding until the Arts and Beer Fest. *Haaalelujah* Thank you Liz of Kidosho Apparel for being generally awesome at designing and then proceeding to put together a hot pink skirt. Your skirt had me at hello.

Grey Tank – American Dream – Shs1,000 (approx. $12)

And on that summer note, here’s a plain, yet not so plain, tank by American Dream. More please! 

Ruby Woo

Girl About Town

MAC Ruby Woo & Girl About Town – Shs1,300 each (approx. $16)

A few months ago I resolved to embrace lipsticks and started trolling the internet for some nice lippies. Thank God for beauty bloggers because they made my life easier with all their reviews. I resolved to get MAC Ruby Woo and Girl About Town! Love them both but I should also invest in some lip liners. Ruby Woo is the shiznit by the way. Get it already. 

Hope you're having a swell week :)

New In: Shoes

 Shoes - Ngara; Jeans - Toi Market; Blouse - Thrift store in Melbourne; Necklace & Cuff Bracelet - Maasai Market; Earrings - Mother's; Clutch - Toi Market; Blazer - Meltz; Scarf - Cotton On. 

It’s always so exciting stepping out in a new item, wouldn’t you agree? I always walk with an extra bounce to my step. Like if ever I was to compete in Olympics Long Jump, then would be the time. Just throw some new jeans/shoes on me and I’m good to go. Kenya for gold, baby.

These shoes were my ‘new item’ which I wore to go watch Dark Night Rises with my cousins. Have you watched it? Pretty good movie, huh?

Have a productive week friends and thanks for stopping by!

That Moment.

Top – Toi Market; Vest – shop in SA (can’t remember which one); Jeans – Toi Market; Sunglasses – street vendor in Cape Town; Wool Beanie – Forever 21

You know that moment when you’re standing there all ready to have your picture taken by your little sister only to have her shout “Sharon your camera is saying ‘change your battery pack’” and your left with only one picture in which your facial expression can’t, for the life of me, be explained?

Well, this is it.

I MADE IT TO THE PAPERS!!!

I have to start by saying that the title of this post is rather misleading. When I say “made it to the papers” I don’t mean there’s a feature story on me in there. To be honest, it really is just a picture of me from the Art and Beer Festival that appeared in yesterday’s copy of The Star. It wasn’t an interview and there are no intelligent-sounding quotes from me or anything. Just my picture really.

But you can bet your ass on it that I’m about to make the biggest deal about it.

Now my younger brother, who’s still in uni by the way, is a pretty good writer and has even had three articles published in BD Life section of The Business Daily. I’m talking a two-page spread with his photographs also being used in the article. Big deal, right? Well you’d think so but the bugger likes to take the oh-so-humble route and doesn’t even really bring it up. Me? That humble stuff just doesn’t cut it. I jump up and down, shout it off roof tops and ask for a public holiday to be declared in honour of my picture appearing in The Star. There’s no room for that coy, humble stuff on my mantelpiece what with my framed picture from The Star taking up all the space.

I made it to the papers and for that, dear reader, you can take the day off.

How’s tomorrow for you?

Happy Friday beautiful people :)

Art & Beer Fest: Style Crush

Did you know that Kenyans were once accused of being the worst dressed people in East Africa? I kid you not, in 2009 the BBC published an article basically saying that Kenyan designers were trying to restore the Kenyan people’s name seeing as.. well.. we just couldn’t dress ourselves. And let me tell you something, the guy who wrote this article didn’t take it easy on us. His article talked of our clothes being “predictable” and “one size too big.” 

Oh the nerve.

Fact is, there are some truths to this. We Kenyans can be rather dull when it comes to our outfits. But there’s an awakening. These truths have started being changed by a growing number of Kenyans who are becoming more expressive with their attire. Kenyans who have embraced a more daring sense of style or have begun to appreciate local designs - sourcing inspirations from our ethnic roots.

This was particularly evident for me at the Art and Beer Fest. There were so many well dressed ladies and gents who showed up! 

Meet Vundi, Helen and Firyal. They were a few of my favourites :)

Name: Vundi 

Age: 25

Name: Helen 

Age: 17

Name: Firyal

Age: 23

Ladies, you looked amazing!

Take that you BBC writer.

I think I'll keep at this Style Crush series.