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OOTD: SUNDAY

Posted on May 24, 2015 20 Comments

Happy Sunday! Hope you are well?Today I attended my friend Yejide’s church. It was her parent’s wedding anniversary and I decided to join in the celebration. I wore a sequin top and a highwaist front slit skirt from Asos. Yesterday I went for the Africa Fashion show and took lots of pictures from the runway. […]

BRANDS & YOUR BLOG: PART TWO (REWARD)

Posted on May 21, 2015 5 Comments

Hello!

So this post ought to have been published a while ago, but for some odd reason, it wasn’t. Apologies…

First, let me say thank you to all the amazing new subscribers I have, you all are awesome. The last post on this topic brought awesome exposure and I’m grateful for this. In fact the kind of mails I’ve been receiving from brands ever since then has been bringing smiles to my face. Very detailed, polite and ‘rewarding’ if you know what I mean…..

Incase you missed that post, ensure you read HERE! it’s a good one.

Speaking of rewards, I’m going to be discussing that today, basically talking on remuneration. (A.K.A Payment or compensation either in cash or kind) but before I go to the heart of the matter i.e what you should charge or accept I’d like to clarify a few things with you as a blogger. I’d discuss them in bullet points to foster ease of read.

KNOW YOUR BLOG: Now, I say this because many bloggers are starry-eyed and want to get paid substantially. The truth is only a novice company will dole out great compensation to a blog with little/no audience for their target market. Before we begin to call figures and charge brands ask yourself this “how great, effective or compelling is my blog”. e.g in my case, Will someone read Tosin’s blog and purchase that bag embedded in that link. Or is the quality of my blog great enough for a brand of that repute? These are honest questions you should ask yourself. It’s important we know the actual influence we have. Not just by the number of comments or Instagram followers, but how you can successfully direct traffic or create awareness to an approaching brand.
BE REASONABLE: This is just a continuation of the above but its country specific. No matter how truly awesome your blog is, remember we are in Nigeria. Regardless of what statistics says about internet penetration or the impact of social media, understand that ‘bloggers, brands & remuneration” is still a growing tool. Majority of Nigerians are TV watchers or newspaper readers, hence a Large organisation’s first form or advert is via those means. Implying that smaller organisations (SME’s) are your major clientele and in most cases meaning smaller marketing budget. So in your compensation evaluation, acknowledge that these organisations would really want the value for every Kobo spent. Hence, heavier weight bloggers like Linda Ikeji may be considered prior to you.
PUT IN THE WORK: Any brand coming to you with the intention of working with you on any form expects utmost quality. For example, I own a beauty brand (@ekomakeup) and if I send you a product for review, I don’t want shabby pictures taken with a cell phone or a post filled with typos. I’d require the blogger to represent my brand well. So also with these other companies either great or small. As a blogger, try to ensure your work is relatable and of good quality. Doing company A well would attract company B, it’s a cycle. Furthermore, by the time you have 10-20 companies in which you’ve worked with on your blog/website/social media you can call this a ‘portfolio’ where you can use as a yardstick for attracting more brands.

Now that I’ve discussed these three I’d like to answer the almighty question of “how much should I charge for posts/reviews/ads”.

The answer is hidden in the above points. meaning it’s totally up to you and your work. There is no fixed fee or stencil rate in which all fashion or food bloggers should adopt. The proof is in the pudding.

Personally, I don’t always seek cash compensations. I’m pro partnerships and lasting offers. Money will finish except when extremely substantial and even as at that…….

Some company prefer to send products worth a specific amount while some rather just pay you cash. For instance when it comes to product reviews you ‘may” decide to do it for free if the product is worth a lot. e.g Gadgets/Luxurious Hair/or shopping vouchers, still the choice depends on you.

However, this doesn’t mean I do not accept or have not received cash compensation. In fact most of my sponsored posts/reviews were paid for.

These are a few clauses I consider when considering ‘compensation’ :

Is this company selling a product/service? How can I benefit, how can my readers benefit?
Am I simply creating awareness for an event or is it for a charitable cause?
Is it a one-off/long-term collaboration? e.g Product reviews Versus affiliate programmes.
What is the size of this brand? e.g Are they a known gadget manufacturing company or Becky who makes beads. This would certainly influence pricing or compensation agreements.
How will my blog add value to their brand. i.e. do I represent the face of a product, am I only creating more awareness, is my integrity or reputation needed in this collaboration? or am I a product of a generic search of Nigerian bloggers?…….
How much work am I actually doing? is it a long/short write-up? a tweet? an Instagram post? or a video as they case may be with youtubers.

The above points are what I consider before accepting or making an offer, but then again this is what works for me, another might prefer something different. The truth is we all blog for different reasons some for fun, some from passion, some for solely business and this would certainly affect how we work/blog. ( I discussed more on this in a previous post, read HERE) .

So! that’s all for the part 2 of brands and your blog. I hope I was able to provide some pointers for consideration when next you’re taking on a new collaboration. My aim is not to provide stern guidelines, but to simply share what I feel and I practice.

Do Feel free to 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.

OOTD + BRAID LIFE!

Posted on May 14, 2015 16 Comments

Hello!

How has your week been? Mine has been great, Thank God!

With the fuel scarcity still ongoing I’ve still managed to fill my tank and go about my daily business.

This week, I knew I’d be quite occupied so brushing my hair daily won’t really work. I decided to braid my hair instead. I used the regular ‘expression’ extensions. I wanted the braids scanty and long, the stylist got it just right.

This is also the first time I’m braiding my year in over 3 years. It didn’t hurt and I’ve just been loving the ease and versatility.

My outfit today is casual…. I have on a T-shirt from Jeffery Coen which I would be reviewing in the next post. This is one of two!

Hope you’re doing well…..

I wish you an awesome weekend ahead. Thank you for all the kind comments in my previous posts, You all are awesome!

T-Shirt: Jeffery Coen || Bag: JustFab || Mules: Firetrap Got Questions, requests or suggestions? Kindly leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you…

Xoxo

Tosin

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.

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: […]

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 […]

WHEN “YOU” ISN’T GREAT.

Posted on April 10, 2015 4 Comments

Funny how lately I’ve been on about people who are comfortable in their excesses. In the sense that some are aware of their bad personalities but are absolutely comfortable in saying “This is me, love me or hate me”…… Well, when that could be applicable and justified in some cases, it’s often said by those with questionable attitudes.

This morning I saw this image below on Instagram and when this could also be the plain truth , I felt it would give individuals with unpleasant characters e.g (prideful, Overbearing, abruptly rude a.k.a Blunt) the justification to bask in their folly.

With the above image, what happens when ‘YOU’ is just not nice.

I feel it’s not just OK to only acknowledge our areas of growth, it’s necessary to identify, evaluate and make corrections. It’s like repentance. You don’t only confess your sins to God, you need to turn away from them to be truly repentant.

I shared this scripture with a friend this morning, “Do not give your pearls to pigs…” Matthew 7:6

However, the hard reality is that sometimes you are the pig that no one should give their pearls to. We all need growth but some virtues are foundational. e.g integrity, humility, selflessness and walking in love.

No body can fix you except yourself and Jesus, And the moment we acknowledge our dirt and filth, the faster we get washing.
Give yourself time to find your self and know where you need help. Don’t Exhaust people with your emotions or excesses. Learn to be whole, happy and content alone before expecting a commitment from another.

People can’t always accommodate that which you struggle with. Don’t expect everyone to always understand that you need to grow.

Instead, Make a conscious effort to Grow ……..

God help us all.

xoxo

Tosin

9TH APRIL

Posted on April 9, 2015 15 Comments

Hello,

How’s your day going….. Here’s an outfit post from today. My friend Henry came over to see me during lunch break and we took these photos. I’m getting used to people staring while I shoot blog pictures on the road……I love Nigerians LOL. Henry is super cool, He blogs at Thefashdiaries . Do check him out…

Today is my brother Jide’s birthday, and coincidentally I received some lovely cakes from Demi’s desserts, soo yummy! I would review them later so be on the look out…..

My outfit today was impromptu, I rushed out to the office this morning, but I guess it turned out good. I’m back to my hair.

Hope you’re doing awesome! and Excited about the coming weekend?

Stay Happy

xoxo

Tosin

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

EASTER WEEKEND!

Posted on April 7, 2015 5 Comments

Hello,

So as promised here’s a post on this long Easter weekend! It was quite an eventfuLL one. On Easter friday I was home all through, but then I received a delivery from Twelve 03 meals. A huge tray of small chops. The customer service was absolutely efficient. They called me every step of the way and delivered to my mum. It was so much I’m still eating it till today. Worth every Kobo.

Let me wet your appetites ^.^ sorry!

Fast forward to saturday, I had a wedding to attend and also my friend Obum’s birthday party. I attended the wedding with my family friend Esther, It was a very intimate yet fun wedding. I got teary eyed at the father-daughter dance :(…..

Remember the Yellow Daviva Ankara I bought a while ago? that’s what I sewed my dress with. I made a simple off shoulder dress with the fabric. From there I went to Lekki for Obum’s birthday. I had a quick outfit change then went to the venue. Her birthday was at Lamba’s seaside bar. It was a nice party with barbecue to munch and drinks to gulp. Obum’s party was fun and I got to meet new people!

On sunday I went to church, after which I wanted to go for SARO the musical, but something came up so I couldn’t attend. Instead I went for the Lagos grill and barbecue festival. I won a ticket from Chef fregz. It held at Muri Okunola park. Many people attended I saw a few known faces, such as Falz the badguy, BMpro, Toju Foyeh e.t.c. There were also lots of food vendors and I had some Mongolian rice and a smoothie. It got dark and started raining so I left around 6pm.

As I was leaving I saw the awesome SisiYemmie! it was so nice to see her, we would have to sit down properly to have lunch soon, we’d also remember to take pictures to prove or dispel our resemblance tales lol.

https://instagram.com/p/1GcU0_JhTg/?taken-by=lynnjaphet

Yesterday was Easter monday, and I planned to go for a Pedicure but I caught a flu, been sneezing and all since yesterday, But hopefully nothing to worry about.

That’s how I spent my weekend! I had fun, lots to eat and met lots of people…….hope yours was as eventful too.

It’s Tuesday and we are back to work. Do have a fantastic week ahead.

xoxo

Tosin

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

Missed my last post? READ HERE

SIX BEAUTY FAVORITES FROM MARCH!

Posted on April 6, 2015 8 Comments

Hello,

Happy Easter! Hope you’re having fun and enjoying the long weekend. Today I’d be sharing six beauty products I enjoyed throughout last month! Most of which are new additions.

1. E.L.F MAKEUP MIST AND SET SPRAY :

I bought this spray from my beauty joint haul last year, but I hardly ever use it as you see from the image below….. It’s a product I love but for some reason I abandoned it these past months, until recently. It acts as a setting spray after makeup application. I spray it at arm’s length, it first appears wet then dries up in about 30seconds. It keeps your makeup longer and leaves your skin dewy. I absolutely love it! Gets a 10/10 from me.

2. L.A. GIRL PRO CONCEALERS: makeup lovers know this so no need to over explain. I bought three shades; Fawn, warm honey and toast. I use this for my brows every time I fill them and it keeps them neat and defined. I hardly contour or highlight so these small concealers tubes would last me a long time. For those in Nigeria you can purchase on Yanga beauty or accessoriesng.com

3. V05 TEXTURISING GUM: I posted this on my Instagram some weeks back. I bought it from Sainsburys in January. Used it once and hated it at first. Apparently I didn’t know how to apply it. It’s one of those things you buy, throwaway and go back to. I revisited it 3weeks back and it had my hair on check. It makes my curls pop, and is best applied with your finger tips then you brush with a soft boar bristled brush. Naturalistas should try this. It costs about £6. Absolutely worth every pence.

4. RIMMEL MASCARA: I love eye lashes, just something them. This mascara Not as superb as my Lancôme but they are lovely for everyday wear. The formula elongates your lashes and the brush shape & size allows you to reach your lower lashes aswell. No hair is left uncoated.

5. GLAM’S NAIL LACQUER: I went to my aunt’s studio to get my nails done a while back and she suggested I tried this. constant fixing of acrylics make your nails weak. I bought this hardener for N1,200 I.e £5. It’s meant to be applied thrice a week. It strengthens your nail beds and prepares it for the nail fixing process. Works very well!

6. PONDS OIL CONTROL TALC POWDER: This product is straight to the point, and it’s been around for a while. I have some parts of my face that likes to produce oil more than others. E.g my cheeks and above my brows. I really don’t know why…… I’m yet to buy a primer, so on days when I feel a bit oily and I don’t want to touch up with a Brown powder, I apply this lightly with my powder brush. It makes me look fresh and I don’t look white. I also like the smell, very nice.

These are all my favourite beauty products from March. Are there any you’ve used amongst them? If yes, share your experiences below and if not tell me which product/s you’ve used, loved and you recommend!

Hope you’re Easter is going swell? I’m coming with another post this evening on how I spent this mini break.

Have an awesome day ahead.

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

P.s. My wall paint is from DuluxNigeria in the colour Raspberry Bellini, it’s very bright and is a cross between orange and pink. The texture is Silk/Satin finish.

Xoxo

Tosin

GREETINGS + VIDEO ON EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Posted on April 3, 2015 Leave a Comment

Hello! How you doing? hope all is well and you’re getting geared for the easter celebration? I’m so excited! as I’ve ordered small chops for the weekend and it’s being delivered today. I love small chops! puff puff, spring rolls all those mede mede…..amazing! Also I have like three events this weekend, and If I […]