Hola! So (as you guys saw in my Graduation post) I changed my mind on what hairstyle to rock on graduation day....and now, I guess. Changing my mind from the original plan to don the Kelis Do, I strayed away from exposing the shaved sides and back of my hair, and opted for what I'm naming 'The Mushroom Cut'.
Its all well & good flashing the shaved sides now...but I was thinking about my professional future and how it'd look having my pic sitting on my desk 25 years from now, and the impression my mane would have on others. I just don't wanna look irresponsible. Especially as 3/4 pictures end up in some home or the other in Nigeria (I have quite a huge extended family & my grandma is building quite the collection lol).
It was initially inspired by the Queen of the short mane, Rihanna. I abruptly awoke from slumber one evening, with the image of her in her pre-pubescent style rocker dress in 'Shut Up & Drive', but upon google'ing it, I discovered that bob was actually jaw-length. I kept scrolling down, however, and discovered her rocking a style more similar to the one I had in mind. I wasn't so keen on these images 'cos I thought the mushroom atop her shaved sides were too cropped, so I kept searching.
Dawn Richards' was the money maker! I spotted Mary J Blige, Fantasia, Keri Hilson & more....but apart from Ri-Ri, she's the only one that rocked it to my taste. I actually love how clean and demure it looks on her, except it DOES look a bit wiggish in the centre image. Its a style that suits the shaved bits of my hair quite well, and masks the bits that are now growing out quite 'fro-like.
I initally intended to go to the salon to get it done...as per usual. But after taking my hair out at like, MIDNIGHT, I pondered on the prospect of squandering £35 for my hairdresser to braid in about 4 tracks of hair on the top of my head. Does that really make sense? NO! But silly me...I can't braid to save my life! But thank God for my Aunty Youtube...I learn everything from there (and my other Aunty Google ofcourse....wisest family members I know). I braided a circular pattern and then wove in 14" body wave (all i had left in the house), before straightening, snipping ans styling. I love the final look....what do you guys think?
Onyxsta says...BLEURGH!! Cropped mushroom atop my head, enroute the professional future doth my mind stay geared. Xisses
Found these dresses in my loft/ attic (click here for vleurgh of other finds), and remembered getting them last summer in a random store in Croydon. They were £5 each and it was an impulse purchase. I was meant to attend my **Wammie **Crys' 21st birthday and had not gone shopping yet, so this was the result of a rushed shopping expedition in my breaktime from work. I fell in love with the blue, but bought the red as well as I am a shoppaholic....SUE ME!
Initially intended to sell it, but in my clear-out this morning, I offered it to my **Hobo **Toy & she willingly accepted it. I do have a bunch of other gems I'm racking up for a sale really soon so keep an eye out...
BLEURGH Tale: Had an early night, prepared a scrumptious breakfast & even woke up with enough time to prepare the beginnings of a big lunch (of which we invited some friends....ask us why we are still in Manchester? PLEASE!! LOL)...then we set off for church (after MUCH Devilish hesitation). Only to get there and it was shut. SHUT! Only me...seriously? *sigh*
Dress : Random Croydon store | Court Heels : MK One | Arm Candy : (necklace wound up)
I love how differently we styled the dress. My look is a bit more formal and demure...
Dress : Random Croydon store | Heels : Dorothy Perkins
...and **Toy's is fun-loving, carefree and summery. Love it!
We decided not to let the shut-door thingy put a damper on our day, so we hit town for a spot of retail and all-round indulgence. LOVE girly-time! Its such a contrast to how we spent the afternoon; in laddish company. Growing up with 2 brothers, I always wanted to be 'one of the guys' and would do more laddish things like playing basketball outside, than staying in with my sister sewing or whatnot. To think, I always loathed chics cos I thought they were bitches (which girls naturally are), and now I have SO many gal-pals. Its refreshing. It all boils down to the company you keep...there's a difference between bitches & bitchy-backstabbers, and I'm happy to have found the right mix with my friends. I know my girls will tell me the truth to my face, and thats all I care about. HONESTY. Girls are innately built to bitch, but what matters is where your loyalty lies, and how honest you are WITH the bitching.
Onyxsta says...BLEURGH!! In a group of fakery, its nothing but a squad of shallow hals & no real gals. Xisses
Searching for the perfect grad dress and hair to match was quite the task so decided to take you guys along with me...enjoy the vleurgh!
I decided to go for the mushroom cut (BLEURGHair Coming Soon) and the white ZARA dress in the end. I actually purchased the yellow, chiffon shift ZARA dress but returned it as the graduation sash was purple and yellow & I didn't wanna look too coordinated. I accessorised the look with a gold belt I found in Primark (switched with the one I initially purchased at the Bloggers Meet)...Do you guys like the final look? I did! :)
Dress : ZARA (£20) | Belt : Primark (£1) | Clutch : TKMaxx (already owned) | Heels : ZARA (£20)
I was going for an elegant look. I can look fancy and dolled up to any party....grad day? I wanted it to be simple yet special. As my flatmate said...this is pretty much the only rite of passage left before my big wedding day, so why the hell not? Also, as I was donning white on the day, it seemed only fitting *blush* My makeup wasn't overdone as the dress was too classy to be trying to pull off a smokey eye or anything like that....but I added my BLEURGH flair with the shocking fuschia pink lip.
The ceremony was the same as others I'd been to but was SO surreal! I can't believe I made it guys...I'm still in shock! I'm like....an adult now! WOW! I was surrounded with loving friends and proud family (pun unintended....seriously!) and i loved every minute of it. I'm not one to bask in the limelight but I was grinning so bloody much in the spotlight, my cheekbones ached at the end of the day.
Went out to dinner in Red Hot with La Familia afterwards (this new restaurant in Manchester that just opened in April). It is just one branch in the chain of Europe's biggest buffet apparently and BOY was it AMAZE!?! There's SO much choice there its a bit intense....but I liked!
I was SO full afterwards I had to unhook that belt one-time! SHEEEESH! THE memories....the dessert buffet was unheard of! DEF recommend this spot x Seems like only yesterday I was fretting about how to properly knot a tie on my 1st day to high school...or even further memories back to when I'd clasp the ankle of my daddy cos I didn't wanna go to Primary School in Naij. Now look at me...a graduate? BLEURGH!
Onyxsta says...BLEURGH!! Cheers to Class of 2011 *clank* Xisses
Hola Bleurgher Boos! Fresh from a fun-filled weekend! My stint in London is over....for now. Back in Manchester to round up final graduation plans in time for Thursday....EEEK! So excited you wont even believe it!
On Friday, I met up with some lovely bloggers for a day-out in London! I was hella excited to meet them & initially, I thought it'd be a tad weird seeing people in 3-D that I'd blog-stalked and probably could recite each item in their wardrobe (ok I'll stop, this is starting to sound a tad stalkerish *quiver*)...but it was actually SO cool! At the end, we were all joking and cracking up with eachother like we'd grown up in the same surburban neighbourhood since our terrible-two's.
It was SO funny sharing blogger tales and teasing each other's signature blogger poses. These girls are so cute and cool....I had a lot of fun x
After a spot of retail indulgence here and there on the highstreet (thank GOD they visited the vintage stores before I got there *hurl*), we went to Vapiano for some much needed grubs on Italian delights.
Bottom Right : Tomi from www.stepford-wife.com
Made a video of our time together so be sure to check it out & like on youtube! X
Can't wait for the next meetup & hopefully, I'll get to meet more lovely bloggers. Be sure to check out their blogs and their posts and accounts of the meet.....gotta show my girls some love xisses
I LOVED what they were all wearing! Unfortunately, I didn't envisage staying in London that long so did not pack anything remotely fashionable with me *sigh*...so bear with my attire. PLEASE! LOL
Onyxsta says...BLEURGH!! Lovely meeting girls from the Blogworld in the real world...Xisses
Hola Bleurgher Boos...I've been putting off this post until I'd published the album to friends and family on my personal facebook account. Now everything is out there and pictures have been confirmed by all parties as appropriate enough to be leaked online (LOL leaked makes us sound like celebrities....we wish!), I can go ahead and break down the holiday for you guys pictorially.
After a rather uncomfortable flight (but thankfully filled with banter and jokes with my girlies), we safely landed in GC's main airport in the evening...met the most gorgeous eyed airport clerk there who showed us the way to get to our hotel/ villa. He was GORGE! (trust me *swoon*)
After randomly dumping our bags, we soon realised that none of us packed any food to prepare while at the villa, so we resolved to going to the local chinese for the first night to dine. Turned up at midnight, asked if we could be served, to which the waitress politely nodded and showed us our seats. We thought it was all cool....little did we know we were enslaving chefs and kitchen staff who were packing up home and closing down *sigh* They were NOT happy bunnies and we were hungry as hell...
The Sunday was spent lounging by the pool and catching up on some much needed rest after the stress of exams and the long, uncomfortable flight. We chatted with some other villa neighbours and found out some hotspots that we could see that night. So when it came evening, we dressed up and hit the 'Lighthouse'...little did we know that was shut and thankfully, our taxi drivers directed us to the BEST food I've EVER had at this restaurant named Samsara! *yummy*
Having eaten to our heart's content, we got a bit friendly with the waiters and asked what there was to do in the nightime...to which they directed us to Kasbah...where ALL the nightlife in town took place. Got there in no time (and with the help of a few guzzles of liquor), we were soon being charmed and wooed by the PR busker-like people outside the clubs who saw English girls as fantastic bait. Free champagne here, 3 free pitchers there....it was all quite overwhelming and scary tbh. In one night I'd lied that I was from Russia, yugoslavia and Australia....all so I could escape from the wills of sleazy men.
The next day we decided to take a break from that kind of scene and just have a lazy day in town. We were all pretty beat/ hung over so by midday, when we were all up, we set off for the beach - Playa. As soon as we stepped out of the taxi, I dunno whether we had an 'English lass' halo above our heads but we were swarmed by daytime PR freaks too! Bidding us to come on a cruise to here or be on MTV's party boat with a free banana boat ride thrown in. After bashing, beating and charming our way out of the hoard of PR dudes, we set off for lunch at the local seafood restaurant and indulged in some homemade icecream (Caio Caio....YUMMY STUFF) afterwards! Then we jetted off to a shopping complex - Valedero - where we took in a few treats (almost bought my 1st pair of RayBans) and got an idea of what kind of gifts we'd get for our friends and family back home.
The next day we set off for the waterpark called 'Aqualand' and all those pictures are of us in a bikini and I'm not quite ready for that to circulate the web quite yet...but it was SO fun! Only took pics out to play in the kiddie pool and their waterslides. But BOY! The big guns were IMMENSE! I chickened out of going on 'Boomerang' which was our first and probably the most scary...but i went on all the others which was SO much fun! Then myself and **JB got henna tattoos (which they informed would last a minimum of 15days but didn't even last up to a week! LOL).
In the evening, we decided to hit Playa again for some dinner and perhaps town for a night out....but we were pretty dead after the meal and caught some early itis and called it a day.
The next day, we set off for the main shopping centre called 'Atlantico' which was filled with our favourite stores like Bershka and ZARA, but also had some hidden Spanish gems which we went a tad crazy for! It was SO much fun foreign shopping and I'm SO thankful to be at a point where i've honed my style and know exactly what items to go for etc...can't believe i found the leopard print loafers I've been dying for! And they were only 9€!! Went out for dinner at the spot next to 'On The Sea' (this fabulous shisha place overlooking the sea....beaut of a gem!) at this beautifully decorated chinese restaurant. It was SO beautiful and the food tasted even better....YUMMY in my tummy! After which we went over to the shisha joint and blazed the night away....not in a 'wastemanic' sense....just quite literally. LOL
This was our last night there and we termed this 'Bambino's Birthday' and took to town for a real girls' night out treat for her. We went out for Italian....oh we almost bombed those turds after their rude service! Grrrrrr! And then set off for a final night out at Kasbah! This time we went to Chinawhite (playboy night) and ended up bagging Bambino a lapdance from a topless waiter...well, kind of LOL. And there was this one cutey.....oh....I forgot, a lady never tells *winks*
Onyxsta says...BLEURGH!! Saying farewell tonothing but fun memories of GC's sun, sea and sad...*sigh* Xisses
P.S.
Off to the Bloggers' meet in london tomorrow. I'm so excited to meet some of my fave bloggers like Nicole from BlazerWhore, Kike from LoveKiksy, Tomi from TomiDFTV, Lolade from Lollihearts, Promise from Follow Me in 5 Inch Heels & one half (Lola) of Pastime Bliss! Sadly, my camera battery is dead so all the images will either be stolen from their blogs or will be of relatively low quality as I'll be taking pics from my iphone4....
As I already shared with my Twitter followers....I am gonna be graduating with a 2.1 LLB degree come mid-July! I'm so excited considering the anxiety-ridden journey I endured to get here. I'm not here to brag cos quite frankly, I believe this was NOT my doing but the result of a higher power at work. You guys need to understand something....I'm putting this out there as a testimony of what can be done with perseverance and determination. At the end of 2nd year, my average was a 3rd class...yes, you heard me right...THIRD CLASS! And I pulled myself up from that to not a 2:2, but a 2:1 Honours Degree...come on now, if that isn't a reason to celebrate, I dunno what is?
I attended my cousin's Master's Graduation dinner at Watermargin in o2 on Friday and it was a fun-filled dinner full of laughs and family banter. Its occasions like that which make me so thankful for the supportive unit I'm surrounded with, and the love I was blessed with through my family.
As graduation is looming, plans need to be made. I have to think of what to do to my hair, what dress to buy and what shoes will be most compatible and practical. Didn't think it'd be that hard, but trust me, its a HELL of a chore! Coming from a self-professed shoppaholic...even I was tired after one day of full-on retail *sigh*
I really want my hair to look classy, regardless of the mini 'fro-like sides from where the shaved bits are growing out. My main muse for the Grad BLEURGHair is Kelis (centre) as her sides are actually shaved, but her carefully coifed mane so delicately tousles towards her face that it provides a welcome distraction from her usually retro look.
I do NOT want to be a candidate on 'Who Wore It Better : Grad Edition' so I'm looking for a unique piece from a boutique or one of my many online havens atm. To match the BLEURGHair I will be donning on the day (I'm also looking forward to adding some light brown highlights to brighten up my GC tan - pics coming soon, not to worry, I haven't forgotten you), I want a simple shift/ skater dress. I LOVE the red 3/4 length sleeved version Frankie (The Saturdays) is rocking (bottom right), but I also love the intricate brocade detailing on Michelle Williams' (3rd full image; far right). I'm thinking a lace number in that style?
(Disclaimer : Copy me and die!)
Onyxsta says...BLEURGH!! "There's no such thing as IMPOSSIBLE. The word itself says "I'M POSSIBLE" Xisses
