AFRICANISM COSMOPOLITAN

WORDY MONDAYS

Posted on May 11, 2015 2 Comments

1. FASCISM: A way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government: very harsh control or authority.

2. DESULTORY: Lacking in consistency, in plan, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.

3. CAMARADERIE: A Feeling of good friendship among the people in a group.

4. PUSILLANIMOUS: Lacking courage and resolution : marked by contemptible timidity.

5. GUTSY: Marked by courage, pluck, or determination <a gutsy little fighter> <a gutsy decision> .

Hope your day was awesome? I just got in from church, we are having a three day faith conference, and today was the first! power packed sermon!

Which one of these words did you know? do let me know below…..

Have a great night rest!

Tosin

11 NEW PRODUCTS: ALL FROM NAIJANATURALS EVENT!

Posted on May 11, 2015 16 Comments

Hello!

Remember I said I had been busy all month but I mentioned that it would soon end……well, it has!

I’ve been working on my other baby @NaijaNaturals, A hair community for Nigerian naturalistas. I had to plan an event for it and that was taking most of my time, the event was a great success! thank God. I would do a post all about it subsequently (Sneak peak HERE).

Anyway, here are a few Items I got from the event. Most of which I was gifted by the vendors/sponsors that came to exhibit. The only Items I paid for were the lip balm and scrub from AJALI NATURALS. I really haven’t used any item enough to review them, but I will at a later time!

Hope you’re doing great?

1. AJALI NATURALS LIP SCRUB & BALM

2. DARK & LOVELY SCALP SOOTHER ( Courtesy TW magazine)

3. DARK & LOVELY ANTI BREAKAGE MOISTURISER

4. MIDAS NATURALS SOFTENING & STRENGTHENING ELIXIR

5. O’NATURALS COCONUT OIL (Courtesy Omozo of O’naturals)

6. O’NATURALS JOJOBA OIL (Courtesy Omozo of O’naturals)

7. O’NATURALS PEPPERMINT SHEA BUTTER (Courtesy Omozo of O’naturals)

8. MAYA JUDE’S HAIR HOPE OIL

9. SATIN/ANKARA CAP (Courtesy Funmi of Elizabeth Cress)

10. ANKARA BANDEAU (Courtesy Fashion strings)

11. BUTTERFLY CLAMPS (Courtesy Fashion strings)

And that’s all! The other items I got were souvernirs……

Have an awesome week ahead!

Let me know if you attended (Shout out to the lovely Yomi Awe, an avid blog reader I met on saturday, lots of love) OR you’ve used any of these products before.

All personal images/Pictorials and videos are owned by Africanismcosmopolitan.com (Water marked/not……Except otherwise stated) and they may NOT be used in any way without prior consent of author, Legal actions would be taken.

Got Questions, requests or suggestions? Kindly leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you…

xoxo

Tosin!

More posts coming up! I’ve missed you all ^.^

ACADEMICS WITH WUNMI: RESEARCH MYTHS

Posted on May 5, 2015 3 Comments

IMG_8941 copy Hello Fam!

A word of encouragement before I get to discuss today’s post. A unit is made of several small components that’s put together to achieve one goal. This is the illustration of all believers in the body of Christ. We are part of God’s unit with different functional areas. Let’s play out our functions as divinely given by God. More often we channel our energy towards envying (comparison) other people’s functions. Let’s stay content with our portion and run with it.

While we considered the common mistakes made in research in the last post, it is expedient we also consider those things are not mistakes but believed to be true which in the long run impair the quality and excellence of our work.

Different people have different meaning to ‘myth’ but for the purpose of this post, we hold that a myth is ‘ a widely held but false belief or idea’.

I have heard and believed some myths in the past but over time I have seen the light (truth). These truths are what I aim to share with you today. However, Research myths are not limited to these myths shared below.

MYTH 1: It’s easier to use questionnaire rather than secondary data, vice-versa.

TRUTH: the truth is, the easiest method of data gathering (analysis) is the most appropriate method that soothes your topic. ‘The grass is only green where you water it’. When you use a method because you think it’s easier, you get easily frustrated when it doesn’t go as easy as envisaged. On the other hand, using the appropriate method keeps you going when it seems rough because you’re convinced you’re doing it right.

MYTH 2: Nothing new can be done, thus one has to ‘stylishly’ repeat past research works.

TRUTH: Problems evolve on a daily basis thus makes room for new research ideas to be developed to provide solutions. This could further contradict findings of past researchers which in the long run opens path for new findings thus doing something NEW. All you need to be is be critically and analytically alert in your mind.

MYTH 3: Research is only for those who want to be lecturers

TRUTH: This is quite common but the truth is, research is a platform used to solve problems, answer questions, and identify unknown causative agents amongst others. You would agree with me that not only lecturers (academicians) need solutions. Quick illustration, a friend of mine is considering starting up a business but first wants to carry out a research on the finance avenues available to such business as well as the sustainability. A Successful entrepreneur must engage in research to develop a business proposal that’s irresistible and sustainable. Therefore, research isn’t limited to Academicians only.

MYTH 4: Research is difficult, hence you can’t write an excellent research work

TRUTH: Great writers can be born but great writing skills can also be developed. Anyone born with a talent without development loses the talent without knowing. In the same vein, anyone who consciously develops a skill becomes better over time. Development is what makes the difference. A major way for continuous development is continuous learning.

MYTH 5: It takes forever to complete a good research

TRUTH: This is not totally true. Sometimes ample time is required to complete a research work but that doesn’t imply the work would be excellent. A lot of articles contend to be published in a good journal however not all gets published, the best of the bests are selected, and this is to mean there’s more that makes an excellent research than just length of time. For instance, knowing the appropriate variables and data to use, save times and this directly enhance the quality of work.

MYTH 6: Result must favour your topic

TRUTH: This is one myth that misleads a lot of students today (been a victim before). The plain truth is, research is not research when your answer is predetermined. You research because you don’t know. Let your data be fairly represented without bias. It’s not out of place to have expectation on what the result could possibly be, however, where actual result differs from expectation does not imply poor work done. Though it could imply poor work done where data used is inappropriate but where data used is appropriate, then it is what it is! Having actual result differ from expectations could open avenue for further study using different set of variables- which is doing something ‘new’.

“then you shall know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH will set you free” John 8:32

Please share your myths about research with me in the comment box below.

Till I come your way again,

Stay Wining,

Wunmi

The Education segment of the blog is one where you can find resources as a student/prospective one to help you succeed academically. Periodic posts would be published ranging from advice to questions and resources, all of which readily available to help you. I wish you all the best in your academic endeavours- Tosin Alabi( editor)

DAY OUT: EKENG BASSEY UNPLUGGED

Posted on May 3, 2015 3 Comments

Hello!

Happy New month! This weekend was quite boring thanks to the fuel scarcity in Nigeria, infact I couldn’t go anywhere from Friday till Sunday afternoon, but I pray the Nation gets better with the incoming admnistration.

Before I go ahead with today’s post, I want to thank you for being patient with me during my two-week hiatus on the blog. Throughout last month I was so occupied with work, but that would change soon ^.^

This evening, I attended Ekeng Bassey’s album launch. Some of you may know Ekeng from EbonyLife TV where he presents on the show EL NOW. He is also an alumnus of my undergrad school. I met him last week at the NACK Store where he invited me for his event. (Oh yea! I posted a picture the day we met, see below)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tosin Ade-Aibinu (Alabi) (@lynnjaphet)

So today I went with my friend Dara. The event held at Liberty House in Lekki. I got to meet lots of people and it was a soul lifting worship session, with ministrations from Nikki Laoye, Wole Emmanuel, Peter Ita and Ekeng Himself. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I also purchased his CD afterwards.

I took my Camera along so I got to take some pictures.

Phone selfie during the event with my friend Dara

Ekeng Bassey

Wole emmanuel & Ekeng Bassey

Wole Emmanuel

Naturalista at the event, I liked her hair & glasses.

Nikki Laoye and Ekeng Bassey

My beautiful friend Dara

Liberty House

Cynthia Kamalu of Ebonylife TV

Peter Ita

Also Met an old friend Vincent at the event. I wore a Chiffon Iro & Buba.

My Copy! Such a nice Album Cover

Still rocking my hair with some extensions from RaeFran Hair in it.

And that’s all!

Have a fantastic week ahead! and be sure to leave comments! I’ve missed you all.

Xoxo

Tosin

Got Questions, requests or suggestions? Kindly leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you…

WORDY MONDAYS

Posted on April 27, 2015 Leave a Comment

Hello!

hope your day went well, it’s another monday and its time to learn new words.

you all are smarty pants as I can see from the last word post on Instagram. Most commenters claim they use/have heard of the words ^.^ good to know! unto today’s words…..

1. Shamus: A private detective

2. Grotesque: odd or unnatural in shape, appearance, or character; something ugly or absurd; bizarre.

3. Penitent : feeling or expressing sorrow for sin or wrongdoing and disposed to atonement and amendment; repentant.

4. Braggadocio : Empty boasting

5. Expunge: to strike or blot out; erase; wipe out or destroy.

Hope your weekend was great? Mine was busy! but all is well.

would let you know what I’ve been up to soon ^.^

Tosin

JAGA BEAUTY ‘BEYOTYFUL’ MAKEUP WORKSHOP

Posted on April 20, 2015 2 Comments

If you are a makeup lover like me then this workshop is for you!

Jaga Beauty has set up the highly requested 1 day HANDS-ON Makeup workshop titled: BE-You-Tyful. This workshop is specially put together for Professionals and Non-Professionals to learn Basic and Professional tips/tricks for that desired and flawless makeup look.

The workshop will focus on:

Perfect Brows
Blending your Foundation Right
Perfecting the art of eyeliners
Picking the right shadow Colours
Application of blush and bronzers
Perfecting your Lipstick and lipliner
and getting that perfect look for your event

Goody bags are available and a certificate at the end of the class.

However, there are Limited space available.15 Seats Only!

The best part is that you get a discount if you register via my blog! “Africanismcosmopolitan”

I’ll be there ^.^

REGISTER BELOW

So fill this form so you dont miss out!

Go back

Your message has been sent

See you there!

Tosin

NAIJA NATURALS EVENT 2015 “MY HAIR & I”

Posted on April 18, 2015 Leave a Comment

NaijaNaturals periodically powers meet and greets. The host is is
usually a known Hair enthusiast; ranging from bloggers, hair companies
or stylists. Our events aim to educate women on hair care, products and
how to improve their overall maintenance/regimen.

So It’s that time of the Year again! NAIJA NATURALS 2015 IN LAGOS!

DATE :SATURDAY MAY 9TH 10:30 am-4:30pm

This year promises to be fun, interactive and impactful. Registration is now open at naijanaturals.com

Bloggers & media personnels would be present and it would be a great opportunity to learn and network.
Freebies from sponsors would also be given to attendees, with refreshments provided by our supporters Fayrouz.

ALL ATTENDEES MUST REGISTER HERE.

GATE FEE: N500 Only, and a certificate of attendance would be issued.

Venue would be communicated right after registration.

opportunities for sponsorship and vendors available, contact thenaijanaturals@gmail.com

– See more at: FAAJI HUB

REVIEW: DEMI’s DESSERTS

Posted on April 14, 2015 10 Comments

Hello!

I received these lovely cakes from @Demi’s dessert, A company that specialises in gourmet desserts.

I was sent two cakes:

Two Cheese Cakes with Strawberry sauce
Lait white Chocolate gateau with Apple and Caramel filling.

Demi’s dessert have been in operation since 1988 making baked goods, celebration cakes and various pastries using the latest and modern method. The dessert line was later incorporated into the selection of goods they have. The company is run by a trained baker/patisserie chef.

The cakes were delivered to my office on Thursday morning and as soon as it was delivered I decided to take pictures, because they looked so yummy and I couldn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t finish them before the close of day.

I first had the cheese cakes because they were smaller. The cheese cakes came with a strawberry kind of sauce. The Texture is comparable to Jam or Honey.

TASTE: The cake was very moist and the cheese tasted fresh which I liked. The crumble beneath was also yum. The best part of the cheese cake was the strawberry sauce that came with it, Soooooooo sweet. I literally finger licked the cup above.

Just before the close of day I cut the main cake below i.e the white chocolate gateau, and I wasn’t disappointed. I had put it in the fridge all day and the consistency was just right when I was ready to have a slice.

The best part of this cake was that I could taste every flavour and filling. The caramel was not diluted with the cream, every ingredient complimented each other perfectly. The white chocolate and apple taste were very evident. Read More

WORDY MONDAYS!

Posted on April 13, 2015 1 Comment

Hello!

How did your day go, hope it went well……….

So if you know me personally, you’d know I love words and being verbally articulate is a strength of mine. Hence, I thought why not share with my lovely readers. Every monday I’d be sharing 5 new words that you could add to your vocabulary. So here we go!

1. PRUDISH /Proo-dish/: Someone who is proper and modest. Often used on someone who cannot stand hearing any sexual reference. e.g. “Sola could be quite prudish, conversations like that irks her”

2. LAUDABLE: Something worthy of praise and commendation e.g. “That was a laudable action”

3. TRUDGE: To walk slowly and with heavy steps, typically because of exhaustion or harsh conditions. e.g. I trudged along the stairs

4. BRUSQUE: To be blunt, abrupt or offhand in speech or manner. “I apologise for being brusque earlier”

5. EBULLIENT: overflowing with joy, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited e.g. “He has an ebullient personality”

Bonus Word: Balderdash: An Absolutely stupid or senseless action. ^.^

And that’s all! So tell me which words above you knew or had heard of before. Join the conversation on my instagram @lynnjaphet

I hope to bring this weekly henceforth.

Have a great night rest.

xoxo

Tosin

BRANDS & YOUR BLOG: PART 1 (APPROACH)

Posted on April 11, 2015 44 Comments

Hello,

So Cassie Daves and I have been discussing this topic in secret and I think it’s the appropriate time to share my thoughts.

Since I started blogging I’ve been privileged to work with a substantial amount of brands, see them HERE. Both in Nigeria and internationally. With that, I have noticed a lot of difference in the business of blogging in Nigeria and abroad. Many of which are not favorable to Nigerian bloggers.

I’d be doing a series on this topic, and this is the first of three. Today’s topic is “Approach”. I hope a fellow blogger or brand would read this and effect some changes in their PR & business activities.

Many Nigerian companies approach bloggers for brand exposure (meaning they acknowledge your value & influence). However, the remuneration and manner of approach they bring to us sometimes isn’t the most encouraging. Let me give you a vivid example of a UK company that mailed me for partnership, Versus a Nigerian company.

UK COMPANY

“Hello Tosin, Trust you’re doing well. I’m Mark from xxxx company, We got your mail from the contact section of your blog. My team was doing an online round-up of Nigerian bloggers and africanismcosmopolitan.com came up. Your content is fresh and original which resonates with what our brand stands for, we especially loved your post on xxxxxx. That being said, we’d be honoured if you’re interested in participating in our new campaign targeted at youths between ages 18-29. For now our company cannot afford to give cash compensations but is willing to offer you products worth £200, with an extra 10% coupon code for your readers. You’d be given the liberty to choose the products you want from our website embedded HERE.

Kindly let us know if this is something that would interest you. Our company & Campaign information can be found here & here, do not hesitate to reply this mail with any questions you may have.

Regards,

Mark Cumming( Marketing & PR)

NIGERIAN COMPANY,

Good day sir/ma,

Please find attached a press release for your blog, Our company xxxx is currently undergoing a new brand campaign, we have selected a number of bloggers in Nigeria, and you’ve been included. Kindly send your mailing address and contact number so we could send you a product from our new range. Otherwise you can pick up from our outlet at No. X, xxxx street, xxxx, Lagos.

You can reply this mailing address with any question you may have,

We anticipate your response,

Follow us on twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Kind Regards,

Toun Okoro ( xxxx company)

Notice the difference in the manner of approach. Both companies may/may not have a budget for this campaign, however if I were to do a free post/review/advert, the company I’d choose is clear. The first company did the following:

Addressed me with my name
Mentioned my blog and referred to a post (showed they went through/acknowledge my work)
Mentioned their target audience to show its in line with my readers.
Explained that they do not have a monetary form of remuneration currently.
Offered a substantial compensation, that could add value to me and my blog readers.
Left contact details and a website to learn more about them.
Asked/hoped if I’d be Interested, not assumptous.

WHEREAS THE NIGERIAN COMPANY

Referred to me as sir/ma.
Did not mention my blog or name (makes it seem impersonal or was a mass email request)
Did not tell me about their campaign or where I could learn more.
Said I was ‘included’ as though it was something I applied for.
Assumed I had an obligation to publish their attached press release.
Overall message seemed imposing, instead of coming off as a proposal for consideration.

To bloggers what I’m saying is this, These companies approached you for a reason, they felt you could add value to them some sort of way, hence you should be seen as an asset to their company. As a blogger you fall under advertising and media, which is included in their yearly budget.

What you spend your time, energy and money on you value. So when these companies approach you, see yourself as an asset as well.

Many big name firms would approach you, which truthfully is a great opportunity, but in business there is no charity. Partnerships favours BOTH parties either monetary or not.

So as a blogger do not say ‘ WOW Apple contacted me to review their new watch” Instead think like this “I’m glad Apple reached out to me, it shows my hard work, online platform and audience base is well valued”.

Point is this, don’t sell yourself short. Freebies won’t pay for your internet data, camera or domain name maintenance.

I hope this post communicates my thoughts well, I sincerely do not mean to sound abrupt, I just feel Nigerian businesses have a lot to improve on as regards their business modules and marketing efforts.

The next post on this topic would be on ‘Budgets and Fees”. The money aspect of blogging.

Please Feel free to share, drop a comment and ask questions below.

xoxo

Tosin.

This post is owned by Africanismcosmopolitan.com and parts or all of it must not be republished without prior consent of author, in cases where the post is being referred to, kindly link the blog name. Legal actions would be taken when otherwise.