Hello 2014!!!!!!

Happy 2014 guys!!!!! We made it! We sure are grateful tk God for this brand new year. We also pray for mercy, protection, guidance and grace.....
Have a wonderful new year....

Xx Yol

A wonderful 2013...a beautiful 2014 to come

Hello guys,
I know I have been pretty inconsistent with my updates and all, but we'll get over that ish. Seeing as the year is coming to an end, all should be forgiven, right??

So the year is almost over. I'm really grateful to God for every single thing He has done in my life. I dont say that often, and sometimes, my life looks bleak and pointless, and I'm often clueless about the direction my life is going. But I have no fears because 'His eye is on the sparrow...' 2013 was generally a wonderful year, at least I have all my family still alive and my aged, energetic grandma still kickin' it at 90-something years...

This post is really about gratitude. Most times when I get overwhelmed with gratitude, I don't really have much to say. I've spent almost the whole Christmas season in Lagos so I can't wait to go back to my very humble village, my true roots, to sit down and chill with my extended family and my grandparents' graves. I'm weird like that. In my mind, grandpa Sylvester is very much alive, soaking in the fresh air that always comes with the numerous fruit trees in the compound, taking in whiffs of his tobacco pipe and looking at all the children. I don't really remember grandma Veronica that much, so I don't think about her that often. I swear, village brings out a completely different side to me. I always go back to being a child, running around barefoot, licking sycamore all the time with its juice dripping down my fingers. It just reminds me of how simple and basic it all really is....

Anyway, here's wishing everyone a wonderful 2014. May the new year bring forth goodness, God's mercy, blessings, and so much joy, and may all we ever do be prosperous and new...

Have a wonderful 2013....and a beautiful 2014 to come

Xx, Yol

Hymnal...

Don't you just love hymns?? One of the benefits of attending a traditional church is the ancient hymns that are guranteed to put you in a great spirit. On Sundays after church, my dad would always whistle a great hymn he could never get out of his mind from his secondary school days. Very beautiful tune I was sure I had heard somewhere but couldn't remember the name. Two weeks ago after Mass in my church here in Lagos, the choir sang thesame hymn. Like they knew I was missing my dad. Being the extremely emotional person I am (its so hard being me *le sigh*) I broke down in tears. Its soo not easy living away from my family and everybody I hold so dear. :(

Anyway, the name of the hymn is 'O God our help in ages past' Very beautiful melody.

Lyrics:

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

Thy Word commands our flesh to dust,
“Return, ye sons of men:”
All nations rose from earth at first,
And turn to earth again.

A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following years.

Time, like an ever rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.

Like flowery fields the nations stand
Pleased with the morning light;
The flowers beneath the mower’s hand
Lie withering ere ‘tis night.

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Xx Yol

Beauty talk

First of all, I'm very sorry for abandoning this blog *dodges slap* no wait! *dodges shoes* really I am sorry *dodges guns* Abeg na!!!

Anyways, I am really sorry. Work has really been a female dog this period, with the yule season almost here and all. I quickly want to post what I've been loving recently.

I know I'm not the only one who dreads getting a new foundation just because of the hassles involved. I've gotten so many wrong shades so many times, just because I was wrongly matched at a store or those days when I newly started wearing foundation in Uni. I seriously detest it, coupled with the fact that getting a wrong shade is always a huge loss, as its always difficult trying to sell it off.. I've pretty much stuck to MAC studio fix fluid because I can never go wrong with it. Aint gonna fix what's not broken. But recently I've been itching for a change because MAC SFF isnt as longwear as I would love, and my skin is so darn oily. So I've been doing extensive online research (hey google!) looking for a replacement that is as good. I came across this awesome shade finder site and I decided to share!
findation.com is a site that helps you find your exact shade of foundation using an already known shade. For example, if you already know that your foundation shade is Mary Kay bronze 507, you enter it into the finder and it brings out numerous brands of foundation with shades that match the bronze 507 foundation. I think this is very helpful. Especially in Nigeria where retail stores will NEVER give you samples. Since I have been looking for foundations that are great for oily skin in my MAC NC 50 shade. this site overwhelmed me with options. But I'm going to get Revlon colourstay foundation in Caramel and Capuccino as Ive heard nothing but positive reviews about this foundation. I'm mainly getting it because its supposed to be great for oily skin.

So I finally gave in and purchased a bottle of magnesium trisilicate (mixed mag). Youtube beauty gurus always rave about this stuff as a powerful mattifying primer. Since my face produces so much oil which can be used to cook soup, I decided to give it a try. I'm still testing it to see if it helps. I think its holding up quite well.

In other non- beauty related news, please continue to pray for Nigeria. The recent Boko Haram attck in Bornu State is nothing short of sad. Everyday I live in fear because of what this country is turning into. May God Almighty protect, guard and guide all the innocent people who are placed in the cross-hairs of these evil people.

Have an awesome day,
Xx, Yol

New beauty loves..

Hello beautiful people,

 Happy new week! This morning kinda sucked because it was rainy and everywhere was messed up. Good thing the sun is out now. Yaaay for sunny monday mornings!