GLAMSQUAD MAGAZINE JULY 2017
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Glamsquad<br />
Magazine<br />
Is<br />
Olamide’s<br />
Career<br />
Dying Or<br />
Fading<br />
Away?<br />
4 Modes<br />
That Could<br />
Kill Any<br />
MARRIAGE<br />
Summer<br />
Chic’s<br />
Wardrobe<br />
Essentials<br />
The Charisma<br />
Twins:<br />
Rebranding The Face Of Beauty<br />
5 Ways To<br />
Hide Your<br />
TUMMY
<strong>JULY</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
CONTENTS<br />
www.glamsquadmagazine.com<br />
From The<br />
Editor’s Desk<br />
A wise a man once said, “Life<br />
is not about how you survive<br />
the storm; it’s about how you<br />
dance in the rain”. We all<br />
go through life so seriously,<br />
forgetting that there’s always<br />
a tomorrow to live for and but<br />
little time to enjoy, so live in the<br />
moment every day.<br />
We dedicate this month’s<br />
edition to fun, life, family and<br />
passion. Embodying these<br />
qualities are two outstanding<br />
personalities who have made<br />
their mark in the cosmetic and<br />
beauty industry. ; gracing our<br />
July edition cover are Muka<br />
Nwokedi and her twin sister,<br />
Princess Nina Agwuna- also<br />
known as The Charisma Twins.<br />
Pages 3-11. Our Glamstyle<br />
page debunks the “Black don’t<br />
crack” saying, in an analytical<br />
breakdown on pages 12-13. Our<br />
fashion pages pay homage to<br />
summer as we share the tricks<br />
to looking good for summer:<br />
Pages,14-15.<br />
This month, PerspectEVe<br />
divulges the innate issues in a<br />
relationship which most people<br />
neglect, which is the issue of<br />
abuse: Page 20. To see all this<br />
and more, keep on going. But<br />
ensure you remember to share<br />
Glamsquad with your family<br />
and friends.<br />
Happy reading!<br />
FASHION<br />
14<br />
15<br />
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
16<br />
RELATIONSHIP<br />
20<br />
23<br />
3<br />
5 Ways To Hide Your<br />
TUMMY<br />
The <strong>2017</strong> Summer<br />
Chic’s Wardrobe<br />
Essentials<br />
Couple Goals<br />
in Nigeria’s<br />
Entertainment<br />
Industry<br />
PerspectEVE<br />
4 Mode That Could<br />
Kill Any MARRIAGE<br />
Pamela Echemunor<br />
pamela.echemunor@gmail.com<br />
18<br />
Is Olamide’s Career<br />
Dying Or Fading<br />
Away?
INTERVIEW<br />
By Pamela Echemunor<br />
The Charisma<br />
Twins:<br />
Rebranding The Face Of Beauty<br />
Two of a kind and one<br />
of a mind, Princess<br />
Nina Agwuna and<br />
Muka Nwokedi are<br />
revolutionalizing the<br />
face of beauty and the<br />
business of beauty in<br />
Nigeria, thereby paving<br />
the way for aspiring<br />
women entrepreneurs<br />
everywhere. Nina and<br />
Muka, the Charisma<br />
twins as they are known<br />
took over their mother’s<br />
business after her passing<br />
and transformed it into<br />
an enviable beauty<br />
brand. Having won<br />
various awards locally<br />
and internationally, they<br />
are opening doors to<br />
young entrepreneurs with<br />
the aim of improving<br />
the standard of beauty<br />
home and abroad. In<br />
this interview, they talk<br />
about beauty, family<br />
and rebranding their<br />
business.<br />
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INTERVIEW<br />
Princess<br />
Nina Agwuna<br />
Princess Nina Agwuna is<br />
a wife, philanthropist,<br />
entrepreneur and proud<br />
mother of three; she also is a<br />
graduate of Strayer University,<br />
Richmond Virginia USA;<br />
with a degree in Business<br />
Administration and Marketing.<br />
This versatile mother is<br />
relentless in her pursuit<br />
of success and passion for<br />
family, and she manages to<br />
juggle both seamlessly. In this<br />
interview, she describes her<br />
journey through motherhood<br />
and what she hopes to<br />
accomplish next.<br />
What was growing up like for you<br />
as a twin?<br />
I had a wonderful childhood,<br />
loving parents who were supportive<br />
although very strict at the same<br />
time; we used to be scared of our<br />
father as a male figure and an<br />
ex-military man even though our<br />
mother did most of the whooping.<br />
As children who were you drawn<br />
to most between your parents and<br />
why?<br />
Hmm, that is deep, as a mum<br />
I know I’m not meant to have<br />
favourites because it’s unfair, but<br />
I think we were closer to our dad<br />
because he was more receptive, but<br />
we had a very good relationship<br />
with our mum who was quite a<br />
tigress positively. We could always<br />
tell our dad personal things we<br />
couldn’t tell her.<br />
Who would you say is the more<br />
outspoken one?<br />
People say I am tough but, my<br />
sister is a little more withdrawn<br />
until she gets used to the person<br />
I would be the one acting as I met<br />
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INTERVIEW<br />
you years ago.<br />
Did you play pranks on people<br />
especially in situations where one<br />
liked a guy but couldn’t approach<br />
him?<br />
Funny enough we never really<br />
played pranks, and people always<br />
wondered why we didn’t see how<br />
identical we are. The truth is that<br />
while growing up attraction to<br />
people (men especially) we differ,<br />
we sound alike on the phone and<br />
yes I have taking calls on her behalf<br />
Did you know you would<br />
eventually take over your<br />
mother’s business or did you<br />
always want to be in the skincare/<br />
beauty industry?<br />
We have always been beauty<br />
inclined even though initially<br />
I wanted to study industrial<br />
design which deals basically with<br />
prototypes, but my parents weren’t<br />
certain as to what it entailed at<br />
the time. The fact is I never really<br />
thought either of us was going to<br />
take over her business. We were<br />
allowed to soar in our areas and to<br />
be exposed to other things, but at<br />
the end of the day after her passing,<br />
everything fell back on us, and the<br />
demand for the products inspired<br />
us to continue.<br />
Tell us about the wwwwCharisma<br />
cosmetics is an indigenous skin<br />
care line specially formulated for<br />
women of colour; we offer a wide<br />
range of quality skin care solutions<br />
which includes spa, health and<br />
wellness. With 14 products in the<br />
market made for different skin<br />
types and tones. Our products are<br />
rich in vitamins, proteins minerals<br />
and natural oils However men<br />
commonly use products such as our<br />
Double Moisture Lotion and Shea<br />
butter body oil and cream.<br />
How do you manage running this<br />
big brand and with family life?<br />
Well, it has been quite a task<br />
I have three children happily<br />
married, my first daughter is 20<br />
years old she is in the University<br />
studying International Politics<br />
and Law in Beijing China, my first<br />
son is a freshman in Louisburg<br />
University in the US, and I have a<br />
nine-year-old as well. It hasn’t been<br />
easy balancing business especially<br />
with the new brand coming up.I<br />
had no choice but to be aggressive,<br />
multitasking and focused on my<br />
work while making sure quality<br />
time is spent with my children to<br />
ensure they grow up with right<br />
values, also squeezing time for<br />
my private moments to cool off,<br />
basically trying to find a balance in<br />
the best way possible.<br />
Are your products affordable?<br />
With my experience affordability<br />
is relative. It all depends on what<br />
works, and opportunity cost comes<br />
into play. I’ve seen young girls walk<br />
into our shop and buy everything<br />
on the shelf and I’ve seen some real<br />
mature women come in asking for<br />
discounts, so basically because we<br />
deliver what our product claims<br />
people have to cut their budget<br />
sometimes to be able to buy them<br />
just like other international brands<br />
in the market. I think they are pretty<br />
affordable<br />
What does it take to get into the<br />
Charisma Academy?<br />
The Charisma Beauty Academy<br />
is an all esthetics school which<br />
cuts across all types of programs<br />
from entrepreneur leadership<br />
programs, makeup artistry to facial,<br />
skincare therapy, cosmetics and<br />
soap making, etc. tagged ‘Be your<br />
boss’.The program starts in the<br />
classroom to practical and then field<br />
work which runs for 3 to 6 months<br />
depending on how the student want<br />
their program fast-tracked before<br />
graduation. Our students are mostly<br />
O level and graduates who have<br />
not been able to secure jobs. All it<br />
takes is to be able to read and write<br />
to enrol; the tuition is spread to<br />
make it more affordable. However<br />
we have a charity arm that assists<br />
a student who can’t afford the<br />
program, we work it out, put them<br />
through and equip them.We are also<br />
poaching banks and private sectors<br />
to partner with to us enable us to<br />
help people especially women who<br />
are interested in the business of<br />
beauty and industry.<br />
What would you say you have<br />
done to improve or add more<br />
value to business since you took<br />
over?<br />
I have been taking short courses,<br />
trade fairs and travelling has<br />
enabled us to improve the quality<br />
and value of our products, working<br />
with Biochemists in the US and still<br />
in touch with our mum’s chemist<br />
in Germany to find out what works.<br />
In formulation and delivery system<br />
ingredients are key, and they can<br />
be very expensive. Our mum will<br />
always say “improve the quality<br />
and tweak the price’. Charisma<br />
cosmetics is registered with the<br />
Food and Drugs Administration in<br />
the United States so our products<br />
can be sold anywhere in the world,<br />
we have four major shops in Ikeja,<br />
Lekki, Dolphin, Surulere and 18<br />
major distributors nationwide.<br />
So you cater to only the black<br />
skinned woman?<br />
No .Charisma has a full range<br />
of products that goes beyond dark<br />
skinned which includes, Hispanic,<br />
Asian Caucasians, etc. Biologically<br />
the skin is the same, but dark<br />
skins have higher melanin levels<br />
than fairer skin people, and that is<br />
the product of skin colour called<br />
pigmentation. In other words, both<br />
can benefit from our range of skin<br />
builders, moisturisers, lotions, body<br />
wash, vitamin E oil and Shea butter<br />
which have a natural sunscreen<br />
base and is what they shop for.<br />
As a beauty expert, what is your<br />
take on the new trend of bleaching<br />
among young women?<br />
Who do we blame? Our men<br />
for giving our women that raves of<br />
wanting to be fairer, or our women<br />
for wishing it. The impression is<br />
that men seem to be more attracted<br />
to lighter skinned women, so a lot<br />
of women are doing drastic things<br />
to make they look fairer. My take<br />
on it is that at Charisma we don’t<br />
believe in bleaching. Our belief is<br />
in enhancing and giving the skin a<br />
flawless glow, ridding the skin of<br />
acne, roughness, removing dead<br />
skin layers, conditioning and giving<br />
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INTERVIEW<br />
it brighter hue; this might include<br />
treatment at the spa for those who<br />
have already damaged their skin or<br />
products only<br />
What is the biggest risk women<br />
who bleach are bound to face<br />
There are many bleaching<br />
products in the market today with<br />
very harsh components and with<br />
the rave of getting whiter. In this<br />
process, a lot of women have lost<br />
their natural skin layers which<br />
have adverse effects such as skin<br />
thinning out, redness, blue veins,<br />
greenness around the necks, dark<br />
knuckles and feet. Then exposure to<br />
the sun which is a catalyst for burns<br />
which causes premature ageing<br />
and sometimes times this damages<br />
might be permanent.<br />
As a woman in business, how do<br />
you handle the pressure in this<br />
very tough economic climate?<br />
Just going with the flow, I<br />
won’t say it has been easy, with<br />
the epileptic nature of the foreign<br />
exchange and fact that 70% of<br />
our products manufactured in the<br />
U.S. But that hasn’t kept me from<br />
reinventing myself, looking for new<br />
projects and moving forward, etc. I<br />
wake up in the morning, and I’m at<br />
it, the best I can be.The economy is<br />
bad, but we won’t let it deter us.<br />
Asides from the products you<br />
produce, do you ever use products<br />
that aren’t made by your brand?<br />
Not at all, my brand cuts across<br />
everything I need.<br />
Is your beauty line into makeup<br />
production?<br />
Yes we have a makeup line on<br />
the way, but that will happen after<br />
the launch of the skin care line, they<br />
are exotic new fresh colours expect<br />
it after the Charisma Launch in<br />
August <strong>2017</strong><br />
Among your beauty products,<br />
what are your go-to items?<br />
I’m in love with the derma repair<br />
and the Vitamin E and mineral oil<br />
they are proactive skin builder, it<br />
nourishes rehydrates and helps<br />
reduce fine lines, the intense<br />
luminous glow plus range and the<br />
complex serum are the enhancers a<br />
night time cream that gives the skin<br />
a flawless skin tone<br />
What is your wake up beauty<br />
regimen?<br />
I drink 1 litre of water to<br />
start my day; I don’t think beauty<br />
when I wake I use Pore purifying<br />
moisturising face wash my face<br />
after taking a bath I moisturise<br />
with charisma double moisture a<br />
replenishing water based lotion<br />
then I look into home matters and<br />
head to the office.In the evenings<br />
when I get back from work I hit the<br />
bridge for a jog I do about 2 hours<br />
of different exercise regime which I<br />
do five times a week. At bedtime, I<br />
read a book, watch a movie to relax<br />
then use my Charisma night time<br />
beauty products and thank God for<br />
the day<br />
What would you say makes<br />
Charisma Cosmetics stand out<br />
Charisma skincare works, and it<br />
works, it stands out because people<br />
are getting their money’s worth,<br />
Charisma makes you go wow!<br />
People will always ask what you<br />
are using because you get results<br />
after a couple of days. The product<br />
works, and it delivers what it says<br />
and because we have a wide range,<br />
moisturisers and acne treatments<br />
men are tapping into the markets<br />
How would you describe your<br />
style?<br />
My style depends on my mood,<br />
but mostly I would describe it as<br />
elegant but comfortable, I’m not<br />
crazy on brands, presentation and<br />
how I step out in what I wear is key.<br />
Do you and your sister share the<br />
same ideology fashion wise?<br />
I won’t lie. My sister determines<br />
what we wear most of the time. I<br />
hate shopping; I hate trying clothes,<br />
etc. I take care of our hair, shoes and<br />
makeup it might be unbelievable<br />
I’m not intrigued am very simple at<br />
work even without makeup.<br />
Do you like dressing alike when<br />
attending events?<br />
Right from time dressing alike<br />
hasn’t been a thing that we liked,<br />
but our mother enjoyed doing that<br />
when we got older, we let her know<br />
she has to allow us to make our<br />
choices .we have the same taste<br />
but we do similar but different in<br />
colours and style.<br />
Would you say you are a trend<br />
follower and how has your style<br />
evolved over the years?<br />
As long as I can remember<br />
people have always followed<br />
what we do and that’s why<br />
society demands that one should<br />
be responsible and be a good<br />
influence on people looking up to<br />
you, especially in fashion and style<br />
overly exposure of body parts is<br />
not fashion. In essence, I would<br />
say when it comes to trends I<br />
don’t think my style has changed<br />
much, it has probably gotten more<br />
mature, but I’m still Nina, when you<br />
see a dress hanging in a store or<br />
wardrobe, you can say that’s Nina’s<br />
style.<br />
Do you intend to pass down the<br />
company to any of your kids<br />
someday and which of them?<br />
Well , I would say that when I<br />
started out college in the United<br />
States, nobody called me to say<br />
“Don’t forget you are coming to take<br />
over here”. The responsibility just<br />
fell into our laps when our mother<br />
passed on, we started to study the<br />
business, did extra courses and<br />
research to understand what the<br />
beauty industry was all about,<br />
and we have grown through the<br />
years. As for my children, I’m giving<br />
them the liberty to get their basic<br />
education even though they are all<br />
artistically inclined, my daughter<br />
and my youngest son showed some<br />
interest, my first son is more of a<br />
sports and businessman. I want to<br />
allow them to be who they want to<br />
be and see how it turns out when<br />
they graduate from university.<br />
What is the most insane skin<br />
regime some of your clients have<br />
told you about that they used<br />
during the consultation?<br />
I’ve heard people say they’ve<br />
used all kinds of mixtures, shampoo<br />
with bleach, salt with all sorts of<br />
things, etc. and some don’t have an<br />
idea of the contents of the products<br />
6<br />
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INTERVIEW<br />
they have used. Treatment will<br />
to put them off all products and<br />
then prescribe the use of vitamin<br />
E carrot and mineral oil for 7<br />
to 10 days, then come back for<br />
more treatments and then will<br />
recommend a proper skin care<br />
regimen that will help them achieve<br />
their beauty needs.<br />
What us the worse Skin problem<br />
you have come across?<br />
Running a Skincare clinic has<br />
been quite frustrating especially<br />
when faced with some irreversible<br />
conditions like I explained earlier,<br />
we have come across clients with<br />
deep spiral stretch marks and<br />
laceration of the dermal layer and<br />
some time scores. It’s shameful to<br />
see that some of these ladies who<br />
come to us with skin issues are<br />
single and you wonder how a man<br />
can appreciate them. My take on<br />
this is that using harsh chemicals to<br />
lighten or bleaching your skin can<br />
only give you a short-term result<br />
and a long term of regrets.Always<br />
make sure you have an idea of what<br />
you are using and who has used it<br />
before “If it hurts, stings or burns<br />
stop using it” when a product is<br />
giving you a burning sensation or<br />
stinging doesn’t mean it’s working<br />
it means it might be burning your<br />
skin.<br />
Do you have anyone you look up to<br />
style-wise?<br />
My mother Chief Mrs Patience<br />
Okpe, Jackie Onassis and Michelle<br />
Obama.<br />
What are your best selling<br />
products?<br />
That would be the skin<br />
enhances the luminous glow range,<br />
Derma repair, the pore purifying<br />
moisturising face wash perfect for<br />
greasy and humid temperature<br />
especially for those who use a lot of<br />
makeup, then the skin moisturiser<br />
and finally our shear butter.<br />
Among your products which<br />
would you prescribe mostly to<br />
older women?<br />
The Derma Repair, Double<br />
moisture and the mineral oil are<br />
recommended as a daily routine for<br />
mature women from the age of 35<br />
and up, among others.<br />
What plans do you have for the relaunch<br />
of the brand?<br />
The essence of the relaunch<br />
is to make Charisma Cosmetics a<br />
global brand; we intend to break a<br />
massive champagne and to achieve<br />
this we are going to use every media<br />
possible, i.e., print, electronic and<br />
social media and so on.<br />
What parts of the world are your<br />
target locations?<br />
Internationally United Kingdom/<br />
Europe, USA, and other high-end<br />
stores around the world, most parts<br />
of Africa including Nigeria, Ghana<br />
and South Africa.<br />
Princess Nina Agwuna & Muka Nwokedi<br />
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INTERVIEW<br />
Mukaosolu<br />
Nwokedi<br />
8<br />
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INTERVIEW<br />
M<br />
ukaosolu Nwokedi is a<br />
wife, proud mother of<br />
three, motivational speaker<br />
and entrepreneur. Like her<br />
sister, she attended the Strayer<br />
University, Richmond Virginia<br />
USA. She also holds a degree<br />
in Business Administration.<br />
With a keen eye for beauty<br />
and wellness, Muka strives<br />
alongside her sister to build<br />
their mother’s dream for the<br />
Charisma brand, above all to<br />
make it a noteworthy business<br />
on a global scale.<br />
What was growing up like for you<br />
as a twin?<br />
We had a very wonderful<br />
upbringing in the sense that we<br />
grew up in an environment where<br />
both parents were very loving to<br />
themselves and worked together.<br />
In Fact, if there was a marriage<br />
made in Heaven it was that of my<br />
dad and mum. Unfortunately, she<br />
didn’t leave very long she died at<br />
the age 44 at the time we were in<br />
college in the United States, we<br />
were opportune to travel all over<br />
the world because our father was<br />
the chief pilot Nigeria airways so as<br />
kids we had been to every route my<br />
dad flew.<br />
What would you say physically<br />
differentiates you from your<br />
sister?<br />
I think people typically decide<br />
what they feel is different. We<br />
both have the similarities, and<br />
differences like other siblings do<br />
have, I think her eyes a wider, she<br />
has a bigger upper body I mean<br />
her boobs and I are ampler shaped<br />
laughs, but all the same, I just<br />
feel we are built a bit structurally<br />
different.<br />
Did you know you would<br />
eventually take over your<br />
mother’s business or did<br />
you always want to be in the<br />
skincare/ beauty industry?<br />
I never really had a chance to<br />
explore my dreams I would say,<br />
I remember when I was growing<br />
up my mother was always cooking<br />
something up in the kitchen, or in<br />
her little factory, trying all sorts<br />
of creams and travelling a lot. I<br />
remember when we were in the<br />
University my mother wanted me<br />
to study pharmacy, and I didn’t<br />
understand it then but eventually,<br />
I studied Business Administration<br />
and after graduating, she was not<br />
there and unfortunately died very<br />
young, so there wasn’t a choice to<br />
make then. I initially wanted to go<br />
into clothing design which I am still<br />
part of my plan but this came first,<br />
and it’s on our plate right now.<br />
As children who were you drawn<br />
to most between your parents<br />
and why?<br />
Oh, my mother was very strict.<br />
At some point, I thought I hated her<br />
(Laughs) she was so strict so much<br />
so that I remember her cutting our<br />
hair once for going out without<br />
her permission as teenagers. We<br />
cried for weeks on end, and this<br />
was a contemporary woman who<br />
went to school in England and<br />
Switzerland, and my father was<br />
upset by it, but my mother coming<br />
from the old school background<br />
despite her intelligence felt that<br />
this was the way to raise children.<br />
She was showing us that she would<br />
go to any lengths to teach us not<br />
to be disobedient or to misbehave.<br />
So instead we were drawn more<br />
to our father having the fatherdaughter<br />
phenomenon, always<br />
crying on his shoulders and he<br />
would always fight for us.<br />
Tell us about your role as Co-CEO<br />
of Charisma Cosmetics.<br />
I work on overseeing all<br />
activities regarding management,<br />
one on one consultations with<br />
clients. Ensuring internal matters<br />
such as Customer services<br />
relations. Making sure that we<br />
are on target with delivery and<br />
sales in the four Charisma Spas<br />
in Ikeja, Surulere, Dolphin, and<br />
Lekki and outlets in Lagos and<br />
outside logos. Our business<br />
progress is dependent on customer<br />
interaction, so we are constantly on<br />
the phone communicating, talking<br />
answering Questions, sending<br />
messages with our team.<br />
How do you think you have<br />
impacted the company since you<br />
took over from your mother?<br />
The cosmetics industry<br />
is evolving, there is always<br />
something new in the works just<br />
like the fashion industry, from the<br />
ingredients to the cosmetology and<br />
aesthetics. We are more advanced<br />
now than in our mother’s time,<br />
we have been trained in a more<br />
modern sphere and have learnt<br />
more advanced techniques and<br />
technologies. There are so many<br />
new ingredients, formulation<br />
and techniques coming out every<br />
day that we have imbibed in our<br />
cosmetics. So we have been able<br />
to make differences and set new<br />
standards.<br />
What’s your take on the new<br />
trend of bleaching?<br />
I think it’s gone overboard<br />
and has become abused. It’s like<br />
abusing painkillers, sleeping aids<br />
or any pharmaceutical product.<br />
The meaning of toning or bleaching<br />
needs to be understood here; they<br />
need to understand that they are<br />
baring their skin and it is very<br />
damaging. It can age you, cause<br />
cancer, and there’s always a very<br />
harsh look that women who bleach<br />
tend to have, the process of taking<br />
away acne and skin pigmentation<br />
lightens one and could take you<br />
away from your natural skin hue.<br />
What is bound to happen to those<br />
who bleached in their youth when<br />
they get older?<br />
When you bleach, most times it<br />
burns the skin even to the second<br />
degree. The over exposure to UV<br />
Rays can cause cancer, and several<br />
kinds of skin decrease that are why<br />
you see people with patches and<br />
high pigmentation, sagging, etc.<br />
and worst is accelerated ageing.<br />
I highly recommend Charisma<br />
Dermal Repair high in vitamin and<br />
Antioxidants to rejuvenate and heal<br />
www.glamsquadmagazine.com 9
INTERVIEW<br />
the skin to its normal texture and<br />
balance.<br />
How are you managing the<br />
business with the current socioeconomic<br />
climate in Nigeria?<br />
As a manufacturer, the major<br />
issues we have is energy we are<br />
burning energy back to back.<br />
So going through the rigours<br />
and hardship of production<br />
and marketing hasn’t been so<br />
different especially trying to<br />
maintain a competitive price in<br />
the marketplace. Some of our<br />
ingredients are imported and<br />
now the dollar is so high it doesn’t<br />
help, all these factors affect our<br />
production and pricing as well.<br />
It’s affecting a lot of industries;<br />
banks aren’t willing to do so much<br />
either because they don’t believe in<br />
the system and economy. If there<br />
were more opportunities, then<br />
everybody is willing to pitch in to<br />
bring more industrialisation which<br />
is something of great importance if<br />
this economy will change.<br />
Among your beauty products,<br />
what are your go-to items?<br />
My go-to items include the<br />
Derma Repair, which we infuse<br />
with a high intensity of vitamin<br />
e, and Antioxidants called the<br />
tocopherol, it heals, rejuvenates<br />
and replenishes the skin. It soothes<br />
sunburns, takes away sunburns<br />
and stretch marks and gives skin<br />
clarity; I swear by it and use it<br />
every night before bed and also the<br />
Double Moisture a moisturising<br />
therapy that gives your skin so<br />
soothing and hydrated feeling<br />
that’s also my go-to Charisma<br />
beauty item.<br />
What kind of services do you offer<br />
at the Charisma beauty spa?<br />
Charisma cosmetics is a total<br />
head to toe well-being that offers<br />
a place of luxury, skincare, and<br />
Spa with the advantage of one one<br />
one consultation a place of total<br />
indulgence and serenity. Intensive<br />
and corrective facial treatments,<br />
skin polish, complexion treatment<br />
physiotherapy, different types<br />
of massage, waxing, make-up<br />
Artistry etc.services also include<br />
a steam room and more. We also<br />
run a school called Charisma<br />
Cosmetics Academy of Aesthetics<br />
and Cosmetology which offers<br />
certificate courses.<br />
How would you describe your<br />
style?<br />
Style for me is what makes me<br />
comfortable and suits me; I’m a<br />
Grace Kelly or Catherine Kullman<br />
kind of person. I like vintage<br />
clothing; I’m not a designer freak,<br />
but anything I touch abroad in<br />
the malls is always like expensive<br />
(laughs), I would describe my<br />
sense of style as basically diva<br />
calm, not too loud, subtle colours<br />
yet elegant at the same time and<br />
well put together.<br />
Would you say your mother had<br />
an influence on your taste style<br />
wise?<br />
My mother was one of the most<br />
stylish women that walked the face<br />
of the earth, in fact, most of our<br />
lifestyle patterns were emulated<br />
from her, she was always so put<br />
together; wearing things that<br />
accentuated her figure and she was<br />
far ahead of her time.<br />
Do you like dressing alike when<br />
attending events?<br />
When the demand calls for it,<br />
we do, for instance doing a shoot<br />
together or when our friends<br />
want us to dress the same to their<br />
parties, but typically we don’t dress<br />
alike on a normal day.<br />
How would you describe<br />
yourselves dramatic or romantic<br />
twin?<br />
(Laughs) To me what makes<br />
you dramatic is a circumstance,<br />
we have this dynamic and artist<br />
nature, we’re mavericks in the<br />
sense that we don’t look at style<br />
or trends, we own our craft. As<br />
a person I’m very emotional, my<br />
husband and children know that<br />
they know I pay great attention to<br />
people’s needs and feelings, I know<br />
I have to learn that you can’t die for<br />
a person or the world.<br />
Which of your children would<br />
you say takes after you or do you<br />
think is likely to take over your<br />
business?<br />
I have two girls and one boy,<br />
and I think I’m leaving it open<br />
because they’re still young and<br />
want to aspire to their interests.<br />
But by their character one can tell;<br />
my last born is nine years old, and<br />
she is very interested in what I’m<br />
doing, the other one is 19, and in<br />
the University in the United States,<br />
she has a lot of interest in makeup<br />
and working on the makeup brand.<br />
She tells me what is in and what I<br />
can do to improve it, the boy wants<br />
to be an engineer so anything<br />
can work. So while they and<br />
undergoing formal education, they<br />
keep on evolving. Heiresses and<br />
heirs were not created overnight,<br />
people have done the work for<br />
them and handed it over its just for<br />
them to follow it up.<br />
Would you say you are a trend<br />
follower and how has your style<br />
evolved over the years?<br />
This is <strong>2017</strong> so you have to<br />
move with the trend, the hip period<br />
where everybody is on Instagram,<br />
Facebook and all sorts of social<br />
media, this also applies to fashion<br />
and personal life, we change every<br />
day and follow the sounds of times.<br />
As a mother, what are the things<br />
you wouldn’t do in the name of<br />
fashion?<br />
I would NOT wear too short<br />
clothes, or compromise having an<br />
open cleavage, that is distasteful.<br />
What are the most endearing<br />
things you have done in the name<br />
of fashion and beauty?<br />
(Laughs) Going blonde on<br />
Vanguard Allure on your stylist’s<br />
demand is endearing laughs!!! I<br />
guess if it’s tastefully done one can<br />
pull it off (laughs). Wearing exotic<br />
10 www.glamsquadmagazine.com
INTERVIEW<br />
colours, makeup hair style is all<br />
about having the pizzazz to pull it<br />
off. My dress sense is elegant, and I<br />
haven’t broken bars in that one.<br />
What is the most insane beauty<br />
issue you have come across?<br />
I would say the bleaching<br />
thing; people need to learn about<br />
corrective techniques for skin<br />
issues and improvement. Detoxing<br />
and moisturising and staying away<br />
from skin damaging chemicals can<br />
have a good effect on your colour if<br />
you do a good detox.<br />
Aside from bleaching what is<br />
the most common skin issue you<br />
come across?<br />
Mostly major acne issues,<br />
skin diseases that require<br />
pharmaceutical techniques and we<br />
end up recommending treatment<br />
or referral. We also have issues<br />
with severe chemical damage and<br />
sunburns etc. some of which we<br />
have been able to treat.<br />
What plans do you have for the<br />
relaunch of the brand?<br />
Ok, you should expect an<br />
expansion and upscale in our<br />
new line coming from the United<br />
States.Our competitive strength<br />
is on the content and we have<br />
infused vitamins and minerals in<br />
our products which include A, C,<br />
D and E. Because of our unique<br />
ingredients and formulations our<br />
skin care products will provide a<br />
before and after satisfaction, skin<br />
clarity and radiance. People need<br />
to understand that the skin is an<br />
organ and it requires minerals<br />
and multivitamins for radiance.<br />
Our products have a blue chip<br />
ingredients that are fortified<br />
especially to improve the skin both<br />
the enhancers and the natural<br />
products, and we will be competing<br />
for the international brand as a<br />
product from Nigeria.<br />
www.glamsquadmagazine.com 11
BEAUTY & WELLNESS<br />
Maintaining the youthful essence of<br />
our looks is a subject that preoccupies<br />
most women and surprisingly these<br />
days men also. The beauty industry<br />
meanwhile pumps out expensive<br />
products supposedly designed and<br />
manufactured to delay the visible<br />
signs of ageing.<br />
With growing older, gravity takes its<br />
course and toll on our skin; the skin<br />
begins to lose its elasticity as a result<br />
of damage to the collagen and elastic<br />
fibres. Wrinkles will occur naturally<br />
during the process of ageing, and<br />
it is almost impossible to fight off<br />
wrinkles completely. However,<br />
lifestyle choices and way one cares for<br />
one’s skin can assist in delaying the<br />
signs of ageing.<br />
We mostly hear the slogan “black<br />
don’t crack”, a term used to refer<br />
to the belief that black skin ages<br />
finely and does not have to deal with<br />
showing signs of ageing early. Fact or<br />
fiction?<br />
This is the assertion that black<br />
people are less likely to get wrinkles<br />
as they age (because of their skin<br />
pigmentation providing protection<br />
from harmful radiation, amongst<br />
other factors)<br />
What are the visible signs of ageing?<br />
Can it be delayed? I intend to<br />
explore the facts behind this general<br />
assertion. It is a fact that all skin types<br />
will age prematurely if due care is not<br />
taken to nurture and restore natural<br />
skin balance. Lifestyle choices such<br />
GlamSTYLE<br />
with<br />
ADEBAYO JONES<br />
ANTI-AGEING & THE BROWN GIRL<br />
MYTH “BLACK DON’T CRACK.”<br />
HALLE BERRY<br />
STACEY DASH<br />
as smoking and excessive alcohol<br />
consumption etc. can also cause the<br />
skin to lose its elasticity faster.Loose<br />
skin is when many now begin to reach<br />
out to Botox or Restalyne to re-plump<br />
a sagging visage.<br />
Getting the desired results is however<br />
not mainly dependent on buying<br />
expensive products alone, but<br />
there are specialist clinics that are<br />
renowned for providing treatments<br />
that regress the visible signs of<br />
ageing.<br />
Harley Street in central London,<br />
for example, is filled with various<br />
professionals who offer beauty<br />
treatments to the aesthetics of<br />
surgical enhancements. This<br />
enhancement is done through<br />
different methods and advanced<br />
processes all in the bid to help the<br />
discerning client achieve what one<br />
could call youthful immortality.<br />
These days’ men also are becoming<br />
more aware of their looks and ageing<br />
concerns. Hundreds of products<br />
are launched into the market with<br />
the aim of capturing a huge chunk<br />
of the market. Men are becoming<br />
increasingly aware of preserving their<br />
looks or at best controlling the visible<br />
signs of ageing almost as much the<br />
women.<br />
Men’s grooming is now a multibillion<br />
dollar industry with the key<br />
players in the female beauty business<br />
cashing in with products designed for<br />
humanity male grooming. Companies<br />
like L’Oreal, Clarins, Clinic, Dove, all<br />
launch men’s grooming products<br />
regularly from shave creams,<br />
energising face wash, facial fuel,<br />
fatigue fighter, Vitalift to aid sagging<br />
skin, etc. encouraging people to care<br />
more about their skin and spend that<br />
extra minute in front of the mirror.<br />
Ideally, men’s skin should not be<br />
so different from the women’s as<br />
it’s still all skin, but I suppose the<br />
physiological makeup of people<br />
makes the demands and necessities<br />
of skin care to vary for each sex.<br />
Considering also that people will<br />
prefer their products packaged in<br />
a masculine way necessitates the<br />
visual packaging of men’s products<br />
12 www.glamsquadmagazine.com
BEAUTY & WELLNESS<br />
differently.<br />
In the past Botox injections used to<br />
be billed collectively as the no knife<br />
facelift. This procedure, however,<br />
was not without its concern. Most<br />
became concerned about what was<br />
later regularly called the frozen<br />
face syndrome. Celebrities and<br />
regular folks alike in some ways<br />
have used Botox treatments in the<br />
past to remove the appearance<br />
of wrinkles and dark lines in the<br />
forehead and around the eyes. The<br />
makers of Botox say that 11 million<br />
people have gone under the needle<br />
to experience wrinkle free skin.<br />
The process consists of injecting<br />
prescription medicine, made from a<br />
particular type of bacteria into the<br />
facial muscles to block the nerve<br />
impulses to those muscles. The<br />
results, however, are temporary but<br />
can take years off a face, and most<br />
of the people who use it do so as<br />
an alternative to having cosmetic<br />
intrusive plastic surgery.<br />
In place of needles now are lasers,<br />
skin peels, and radio frequency<br />
energy treatments. There are<br />
treatments now which stimulate<br />
the production collagen and elastin,<br />
the protein that makes the skin<br />
firm, plump and youthful. Do these<br />
alternative methods achieve the<br />
same results? Considering that the<br />
addictive use of Botox treatments is<br />
controversial with an array of high<br />
opinion to be found on the subject?<br />
If people are scared of ending with<br />
the frozen face syndrome, what are<br />
the alternative treatments available?<br />
I decided to investigate further and<br />
also even meditated and considered<br />
experiencing the Botox treatment<br />
myself to verify if the claims of<br />
smoothing out lines on the forehead<br />
as well as laughter lines on the cheeks<br />
are plausible. I also wanted to explore<br />
other alternative treatments available<br />
that can reduce the visible signs of<br />
ageing. My personal concern has not<br />
been with wrinkles and but with<br />
laughter lines, after all, one is not<br />
exempt from the quest of trying one’s<br />
best to look younger and radiant.<br />
BLAIR UNDERWOOD<br />
LENA HORNE<br />
A paper journal published in 2008<br />
European Academy of Dermatology<br />
reports that when wrinkles and<br />
lines were removed from an image,<br />
it is perceived as ten years younger.<br />
Remove pigmentation it is seen as<br />
16 years younger.<br />
People of all skin types I believe<br />
who are preoccupied mostly with<br />
containing visibility of ageing signs<br />
and are also after procedures that will<br />
offer ways of providing the process.<br />
How factual is the claim that black<br />
doesn’t crack? Is it a myth, fact or<br />
mixture of both? In the past, our<br />
grandparents when they were even as<br />
far as reaching the age of ninety were<br />
able to remain almost still wrinkle<br />
free without the aid of an armoury of<br />
all the beauty products that are now<br />
readily available now on the market.<br />
It is one of the oldest slogans in the<br />
books, and many sisters have in a way<br />
succumbed to the assertion that our<br />
skin is virtually age proof.<br />
Considering all the natural oils<br />
available to us and far greater levels<br />
of sun protective<br />
Melanin in our skin, our black skin<br />
may have the more significant edge of<br />
fighting off sun exposure.<br />
Brands which target women of colour<br />
with products which are supposed to<br />
offer multiple options for optimising<br />
skin and preserving its natural<br />
resilience are changing perceptions<br />
on how even as darker skinned<br />
people we ensure that the natural<br />
skin defence isn’t depleted.<br />
Whether black skin cracks or not,<br />
factual or myth, with technological<br />
advancement and innovation in<br />
the beauty industries, we are now<br />
forged with enough knowledge<br />
and products armoury, which were<br />
not available to our mothers and<br />
grandmothers. To begin the journey<br />
of total preservation so that healthy<br />
skin would not end up being a myth<br />
for one.<br />
Numerous black celebrities have aged<br />
gracefully over the years including<br />
singer-actress Lena Horne who died<br />
at the age of 92, 52 years of male<br />
actor Blair Underwood, 51-year-old<br />
actress Halle Berry and 50-year-old<br />
actress Stacy Dash still convincingly<br />
plays 20-30 something characters.<br />
Many black families have their<br />
personal stories of ageless beauty<br />
to tell, this leads one to ask the vital<br />
question, is this statement fact or<br />
fiction that black doesn’t crack?<br />
www.glamsquadmagazine.com 13
FASHION<br />
The <strong>2017</strong> Summer Chic’s<br />
Wardrobe Essentials<br />
By Pamela Echemunor<br />
The Mary-Jane<br />
The 1994 Mary-Jane shoes with<br />
the red sole is an all time favourite;<br />
nothing beats this comfy patent<br />
leather footwear, its easy to clean and<br />
can fit into any occasion, well almost<br />
any!<br />
The Tote bag<br />
The tote bag never disappoints,<br />
this big fashion piece is good for<br />
a sleepover, all you need are the<br />
essentials, and you’re good to go.<br />
A pair of white<br />
stilettos<br />
Set aside the nude pumps and<br />
go for a nice pair of leather red<br />
bottom stilettos.<br />
Tea Dress<br />
Sit pretty in the tea dress; it’s a<br />
fabulous look for the beach, a day on<br />
the golf course or a daytime soiree.<br />
The wide leg<br />
trouser<br />
The wide leg trouser is a seasonal<br />
favourite, this summer it’s trending<br />
in a more flowery and flowy look,<br />
using chiffon and satin.<br />
The Utility Skirt<br />
Sporty, free and very comfy, this<br />
1950’s inspired skirt works for all<br />
occasions, pair a khaki coloured utility<br />
skirt with white sneakers and a crop<br />
top for a day out in the sun.<br />
14 www.glamsquadmagazine.com
FASHION<br />
5<br />
WAY TO HIDE YOUR<br />
TUMMY<br />
By Pamela Echemunor<br />
T<br />
ummy bulge can<br />
always be an incredible<br />
inconvenience; it makes<br />
clothes look unflattering, makes<br />
one feel less attractive and not<br />
very confident. There are many<br />
ways to beat this physical flaw<br />
starting with a healthier lifestyle<br />
and good dieting, but while that is<br />
on your to-do list here are a few<br />
tricks on how to carry yourself<br />
fashionably and pridefully while<br />
sporting that extra bulge.<br />
Wear more vertical lines<br />
Opt for more vertical stripes, this<br />
pattern elongates the body shape<br />
and creates a taller midriff.<br />
Avoid clingy clothes (More<br />
drapes/ overlap)<br />
There’s nothing more annoying for<br />
someone who likes fitted clothing<br />
likes seeing an extra tire or bulge,<br />
the best thing to do is steer clear of<br />
these for a while and opt more for a<br />
slightly looser wardrobe collection<br />
of overlap and draped clothes,<br />
these do an excellent job of hiding<br />
the bulge and giving one a nice<br />
fitting.<br />
Opt for shape wear<br />
Most people don’t believe in the<br />
power of shapeware but its pure<br />
undiluted magic, not only does it<br />
tuck in the excess side sags, it also<br />
helps with the weight loss process,<br />
it’s time to invest in one.<br />
Go chic with skinnies and<br />
Classic big tops<br />
Skinny high waist tights or high<br />
waist denim pants hug all figures<br />
but when paired with a nice loose<br />
flowy classic big top voila! Instant<br />
magic!<br />
Wear dress accessories<br />
sparingly<br />
Belts and long necklaces sometimes<br />
accentuate a bulgy tummy, but if<br />
one must wear dress accessories<br />
ensure they do more accentuating<br />
than damaging.<br />
www.glamsquadmagazine.com 15
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
Couple Goals in<br />
Nigeria’s Entertainment<br />
Industry<br />
By Pamela Echemunor<br />
Finding love can be one of the most difficult things to do in a person’s life. And<br />
a ratio of 1:10 people find love and fall out of it more than a dozen times in<br />
their life time. Now finding love when one is in the spotlight is even trickier,<br />
because it’s difficult to decipher if it’s true love or infatuation. Many celebrities<br />
go through tremulous relationships and breakup eventually either because<br />
of their fame or other forms of pressure. Finding the right one is the first step,<br />
keeping the relationship going strong is the next and most important. The<br />
celebrities featured in this article have proven that no matter what turmoil<br />
you may encounter on your journey to finding true love, it all depends on<br />
what it is you are really looking for and willing to give to make it last. Here is<br />
to these phenomenal couples giving us serious couple goals.<br />
Damilola Adegbite<br />
& Chris Attoh<br />
Chris Attoh is a Ghanaian<br />
born actor, producer<br />
and OAP, he made his<br />
Nollywood debut in<br />
“Tinsel”, where he met his<br />
wife Damilola Adegbite<br />
who was his love interest<br />
in the movie. The two<br />
took it to another level<br />
and got married in a<br />
private ceremony in Accra<br />
Ghana and they have a son<br />
together Brian Adegbite.<br />
Damilola who is a Nigerian<br />
Actress and model, struck<br />
gold when she starred<br />
alongside her husband<br />
in “Tinsel” and has since<br />
feature in movies like<br />
“Flower Girl” and “Banana<br />
Island Ghost”. This sexy<br />
couple always leave a mark<br />
wherever they go together.<br />
16 www.glamsquadmagazine.com
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
Joke Silva &<br />
Olu Jacobs<br />
An iconic duo and the most<br />
seasoned actors ever to hit our<br />
TV screens, Olu Jacobs is a<br />
Nigerian born actor who took<br />
a chance on acting in the 70’s<br />
after seeing a theatre production<br />
by Hubert Ogunde, he also<br />
attended the Royal Academy<br />
of Dramatic Arts in London<br />
England and upon his return<br />
took it as a fulltime job. He<br />
has since made an indelible<br />
mark on the Nollywood film<br />
industry and is married to Joke<br />
Silva who is an actress and Co-<br />
Founder Lufodo Group, a film<br />
production company as well<br />
as a film academy. This couple<br />
has been married over three<br />
decades and is still standing<br />
strong despite their fame and<br />
success. This is one celebrity<br />
couple to look up to.<br />
Gbenro & Osas Ajibade<br />
Now these two came from completely different worlds, Gbenro<br />
started out as a struggling model and actor who got his big break<br />
on Mnet TV series “Tinsel”, while Osas is an American/Nigerian<br />
actress, humanitarian and TV host. They met and fell in love<br />
on the set of critically acclaimed “Tinsel ” and married shortly<br />
after, together they have a daughter Azariah Tiwatope Osarugue<br />
Ajibade. These two fabulous people made this list not just because<br />
of their achievements but because they make the red carpet bleed<br />
with envy. Glamsquad is watching…<br />
www.glamsquadmagazine.com 17
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
Banky Wellington &<br />
Adesua Etomi<br />
Banky W is a Nigerian / American Singer-songwriter<br />
and actor and also CEO of the Empire Mates<br />
Entertainment record label. He made his movie debut<br />
in the 2016 award winning movie “The Wedding<br />
Party”, where he is presumed to have fallen for<br />
Adesuwa Etomi who he is currently engaged to.<br />
Ironically the movie is about a couple who has to<br />
struggle with wedding day last minutes family issues<br />
and wedding planning, let’s hope they won’t have<br />
all that at their actual wedding. Adesuwa on the<br />
other hand is a Nigerian born actress of Igbo/Yoruba<br />
descent. She gained her way into the limelight after<br />
receiving the award for “Best actress in a Drama”<br />
at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.<br />
Banky finally shut the lips of people who had been<br />
tormenting him about following the footsteps of his<br />
friends in the industry who were married when he<br />
proposed to Adesuwa earlier this year. We wish this<br />
adorable couple the very best.<br />
Innocent & Annie<br />
Idibia<br />
Innocent Idibia aka Tu Face<br />
Idibia is no new name in the<br />
entertainment industry, and<br />
although this musical icon<br />
is popular for spreading his<br />
music as well as his seed, he<br />
remains loyal to his beloved<br />
Annie who has been with<br />
him since he first started his<br />
journey to fame. Annie who<br />
he featured on his “African<br />
Queen” music album, is an<br />
actress and mother to two of<br />
his children. Despite all the<br />
scandal and media banter,<br />
Annie stood and is still<br />
standing by her man.<br />
18 www.glamsquadmagazine.com
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
Is Olamide’s Career<br />
Dying Or Fading Away?<br />
Is the street king Baddosneh’s<br />
career coming to an end?!<br />
This is the question I have<br />
been asking myself lately following<br />
the recent drought that has hit<br />
Olamide’s career lately. I thought<br />
the day would never come when<br />
our dear Olamide BaddoSneh<br />
would be relegated from his<br />
position of revere in the industry<br />
to the lower ranks. But how he still<br />
manages to command that revere<br />
is what remains a-bewilder to<br />
some of us.<br />
I can beat my chest and make bold<br />
statements that if we were to draw<br />
up a list for top (hottest) male<br />
music sensations now, Olamide<br />
will fall short of even making<br />
the first-five count on that list.<br />
Although his formula for making,<br />
or delivering music now, hasn’t<br />
changed. The singles still come in<br />
like they were tidied up in a hushrush<br />
and he hasn’t missed out on<br />
any year since 2011, dropping<br />
albums.<br />
Could it be that we have finally<br />
woken up to the realization of the<br />
diminishing effect in his music<br />
since after Shakiti Bobo, which<br />
actually happened to be the last<br />
time he had a real hit on his<br />
hands? Do not get me wrong, Who<br />
You Epp, Owo Blow and Pepper<br />
Dem Gang all managed to cut<br />
across like music hits following<br />
certain strategic events that we<br />
experienced in the industry at<br />
their respective times. While<br />
Who You Epp rode on the wave of<br />
the competitive covers that later<br />
turned it into a viral sensation,<br />
Pepper Dem Gang thrived<br />
following the lack of good stuff to<br />
saturate the airwaves because of<br />
the dormant mood the beginning<br />
of the year took.<br />
Now that Runtown, Davido,<br />
P-Square, Tekno, Simi, 9ice<br />
and even Wizzy baby have<br />
returned back on the charts in<br />
their domination conquest, it<br />
has become quite apparent that<br />
Olamide is slacking. A statistical<br />
result from an online survey<br />
showed that much of the hits on<br />
his name, cannot even be tied to<br />
musical endeavors. Rather, they<br />
were mostly pulled from news<br />
stories.<br />
After The Glory album dropped,<br />
Olamide proceeded with the<br />
release of music video projects off<br />
the album. In his usual ‘done and<br />
dusted’ style, he moved on quickly<br />
after 3 videos to his first single of<br />
the <strong>2017</strong> year – Love No Go Die,<br />
which was received amidst plenty<br />
razzmatazz but soon died out with<br />
hardly any bang or buzz. The same<br />
eerie feel has crept into his life<br />
of features. Before now, Olamide<br />
would easily make the hottest<br />
contender for a category like the<br />
most featured artiste. But as it is<br />
almost mid-<strong>2017</strong>, Baddo can count<br />
the features he has done this year<br />
on all five fingers of one hand<br />
alone.<br />
With the latest wavy single out<br />
now, one must wonder if it is<br />
a song laden enough with the<br />
potential to tear up the charts. It<br />
also otherwise stems a pondering<br />
thought that further brews<br />
questions like…<br />
What exactly is happening – or<br />
has happened – with Olamide?<br />
Why isn’t he piping hot and<br />
popping like before?<br />
Could it be that his present ordeal<br />
is equally affecting the YBNL<br />
militia considering their music of<br />
late also suffers expressions from<br />
this dreary characteristic?<br />
Will Olamide ever make it back to<br />
his glory days of Bobo, Melo Melo,<br />
Awon Goons Mi, Durosoke, Voice<br />
of the Street, First of All and their<br />
unforgettable, widely celebrated<br />
likes?<br />
www.glamsquadmagazine.com 19
RELATIONSHIP<br />
NOT JUST THEIR PAIN,<br />
IT’S OUR PAIN<br />
Following the rise of reported domestic<br />
violence cases in Lagos, it is quite<br />
evident that this vice has found its<br />
way into the roots of the system and it is<br />
high time we took a firm and unchanging<br />
position about getting it out of our midst.<br />
Domestic violence usually occurs among<br />
people who have some sort of intimate<br />
relationships and most times, people<br />
who are the closest inflict the deepest<br />
kinds of pain. Beyond the physical pain<br />
inflicted by this evil is the fact that the<br />
victim cannot understand why people who<br />
are supposedly in the place of providing<br />
emotional and mental support are the ones<br />
who are actually predators.<br />
I would like to think domestic violence<br />
has been in existence for a very long time<br />
but it seems more prevalent now because<br />
of the pervasiveness of the new media and<br />
the viral nature of information on these<br />
media. Growing up, many years<br />
ago, our residence had five<br />
flats and my parents and<br />
other families in our<br />
compound at the time<br />
were probably the<br />
only families that did<br />
not raise any concern<br />
in this regard. Of the<br />
other three families in<br />
that compound, two of<br />
the men regularly beat<br />
their wives and the third<br />
family had a wife who often<br />
cursed her husband very loudly.<br />
These stories are probably not new<br />
to some of us, who have experienced these<br />
situations first hand. I walked into shop<br />
rite recently to get a few things and just as<br />
I was picking a basket to carry the things<br />
I would eventually buy, I saw a tall and<br />
handsome man who looked at the woman<br />
by his side and talked to her violently in<br />
hush tones. He said ‘’what you just did,<br />
do not ever try it here again else you<br />
know what I can do’’, the woman whom I<br />
assumed to be his girlfriend or wife looked<br />
on the ground in humiliation and fear, her<br />
expression helpless, the energy he exuded<br />
was pollute and insufferable. I gave him a<br />
cold hard stare and he understood that I<br />
saw what he meant to hide. Rounding off<br />
my shopping again, I saw the duo but this<br />
time, hand in hand. I passed by them he<br />
gave me that it –is- not- your- businessshe-is-mine-look,<br />
It was obvious. This was<br />
another case.<br />
The UN Women, an arm of the United<br />
20 www.glamsquadmagazine.com<br />
PerspectEVE<br />
Most<br />
times, abusers do<br />
not come as abusers else<br />
no one would be with them.<br />
But they project themselves<br />
to be very loving, caring,<br />
giving and nice.<br />
With Oludara Ogunbowale<br />
Nations Organisation from a research<br />
carried out recently have affirmed that<br />
there is truly a rise in domestic violence.<br />
I know that not only women are victims,<br />
even men are being abused and that is<br />
even harder to report because of the<br />
stereotypical positions of society that men<br />
have to be strong and indomitable so men<br />
that are being abused often do not have the<br />
courage or humility to own up and report<br />
such cases. When issues like these are<br />
being discussed, people laugh or treat it in<br />
such trivial manner that even the men who<br />
are victims would rather die than come<br />
out boldly to say they are being abused.<br />
Domestic violence is no respecter<br />
of persons, gender, class,<br />
nationality or religious<br />
affiliations. I listened<br />
to Leslie Morgan<br />
Steiner, an author<br />
and business woman<br />
who was invited to<br />
speak at TED, a nonprofit<br />
organisation<br />
that does a lot of<br />
knowledge sharing<br />
through powerful<br />
talks and she explained<br />
the tactics of predators<br />
or abusers in attracting or<br />
seducing their victims initially and the<br />
psychology behind why these victims later<br />
on find it hard to leave even in the face of<br />
death having being a victim herself.<br />
Most times, abusers do not come as<br />
abusers else no one would be with them.<br />
But they project themselves to be very<br />
loving, caring, giving and nice. Such that<br />
on the outside people are envious of the<br />
man or woman with whom they are in<br />
a relationship with not knowing that<br />
these people are going through mental<br />
and emotional stress and hell on earth.<br />
This goes to show that looks and acts of<br />
kindness could be deceptive. Knowing<br />
and studying people critically before<br />
committing to a relationship with them<br />
is very essential and could be lifesaving<br />
in the long run. Though women are more<br />
culpable when it comes to judging an<br />
‘ideal man’ by how they feel and how he<br />
treats them early on in the relationship,<br />
most abusers actually make their victims<br />
feel good in the beginning and that is<br />
why when they begin to show their true<br />
colours, the victim’s brain cannot put the<br />
two together. Abusers know they are<br />
abusers and they understand what they do.<br />
It is either they enjoy it or derive some sort<br />
of control from it while some of them use<br />
abuse as a means of revenge for long-held<br />
bitterness of some wrong done to them<br />
when they were young which must have<br />
left a hole in their own concept of self.<br />
Since this problem is no respecter of<br />
nationality, I assume that so many societies<br />
around the world are faced with this evil<br />
and I am very happy about the steps that<br />
the Lagos state government is taking to<br />
see to it that this evolving norm is stifled<br />
and not given any breathing space at all.<br />
But there is little that the government can<br />
do without the support of all citizens. The<br />
truth is that domestic violence affects all<br />
of us in one way or another and when we<br />
directly or indirectly keep quiet about<br />
it or act indifferently about it, we are<br />
inadvertently saying that it is okay and we<br />
all know that it is not okay. Your beloved<br />
daughter or son could be a potential<br />
domestic violence victim. Everyone is<br />
a dignified being irrespective of race or<br />
status and should be treated as such. We<br />
are our own brothers’ keepers so why then<br />
do we blame victims on social media when<br />
they come up to say their stories? These<br />
people are already down and there is no<br />
need hitting someone who is already down.<br />
The legal system in Nigeria is weak. This<br />
might be a statement that is audacious but<br />
true. Abusers who are released come out in<br />
the open without any remorse and go for<br />
the next victim with some show of victory<br />
and we believe that nature has to take its<br />
course.<br />
I stand with every victim of abuse<br />
reading this in one way or the other. You<br />
are valuable, you stand sure and what<br />
your partner or abuser does or does not<br />
do is separate from who you are. You do<br />
not deserve any of what you are going<br />
through and I am certain that you have<br />
it within you; the strength to say it is<br />
enough and also stand up for others going<br />
through same or similar situations. Report<br />
to relevant authorities and never allow<br />
your mind and your innermost core to be<br />
broken. Get help and know that whatever it<br />
is, this phase shall pass.<br />
Oludara<br />
Ogunbowale<br />
Oludara<br />
Ogunbowale is a<br />
young woman who<br />
is<br />
passionate about the<br />
the development of the society through<br />
bringing to the fore,issues that are of<br />
concern to the physical and mental<br />
well-being of every individual member<br />
of the society. She believes in having<br />
values that help drive the sanctity of<br />
life. She loves to read, write, talk and<br />
watch movies.....PerspectEve....the<br />
world as it should be...
RELATIONSHIP<br />
mimi adeyemi<br />
4<br />
I have always said that marriage is a<br />
team work. It can’t stand without the<br />
other pillar trust me. For any marriage<br />
to work or fail, it takes two people. We<br />
understand that these two people are<br />
completely from different backgrounds<br />
with different beliefs(not religion this<br />
time) so they must meet at a mid point<br />
to make the relationship work.<br />
Below are the 4 modes that could kill a<br />
marriage<br />
1. Flight Mode : This is when<br />
you flee the scene when you and your<br />
partner have a misunderstanding. Don’t<br />
ever avoid talking about issues in your<br />
marriage. Build the habit of talking about<br />
your relationship. Let out everything<br />
bothering you about the relationship.<br />
Don’t be afraid to discuss your issues.<br />
Don’t move away from your spouse. Don’t<br />
avoid the interaction between you and<br />
your spouse. If you do that, you are on a<br />
flight mode.<br />
YOU &I<br />
www.mimiadeyemi.com<br />
@mimiadeyemi<br />
Modes That Could<br />
Kill Any MARRIAGE<br />
2. Fight Mode: This is when you get<br />
into an argument when you are trying<br />
to talk about an issue. Talking about an<br />
issue shouldn’t lead to a fight. When you<br />
talk about your relationship, you want to<br />
make it better. This mode comes up in an<br />
arguement and in a discussion. Fright<br />
mode is a result of fight mode and flight<br />
mode. When fight regularly, you tend to<br />
run away from discussions that will lead<br />
to a fight, then you are already in a fright<br />
mode. These two modes (fright and fight)<br />
are about fear.<br />
3. Right Mode: This is the mode<br />
where each party in a relationship believes<br />
he/she is right. It’s a refusal to be wrong.<br />
So when you think you are always right,<br />
you can never change. Until you are open<br />
to learning and changing your views<br />
about being right all the time, you are<br />
never going to change your ways. This<br />
is very dangerous for your relationship.<br />
The danger with the right mode is that<br />
you are unwilling to listen to the opinion<br />
of others. It shows your stubbornness.<br />
Relaxing your right mode is helping your<br />
process of effective communication with<br />
your spouse.<br />
4. Spite Mode: This is when you<br />
decide to show how much you are angry<br />
by throwing tantrums. It’s a mode of<br />
getting back at the other party. It’s about<br />
proving a point that hurts the other<br />
person. This mode is dangerous. It can<br />
keep you spinning around and around on<br />
a spot and not yielding a positive result.<br />
Having talked about the 4 modes that<br />
could kill a marriage, here are 2 modes<br />
that could keep your marriage for good.<br />
1. Sight Mode: This is about keeping<br />
a vision of where the relationship is<br />
headed. It keeps you out of where you<br />
are now and makes you fight for where<br />
you are headed. It keeps you out of your<br />
fears and takes you to a higher place. This<br />
mode makes you believe that something<br />
can change. This is a positive mode which<br />
can help build your marriage.<br />
2. Unite Mode: This mode brings the<br />
two of you together. It makes you a team.<br />
Marriage is not about two people with so<br />
much ego. It’s about two strong people<br />
willing to make things work regardless<br />
of the obstacles they encounter along the<br />
way. It’s about having each other’s back. It’s<br />
about being a team. You can overcome the<br />
killing modes by lowering your reactivity<br />
when issues come up.<br />
I pray that God will give you wisdom to<br />
manage your marriage appropriately IJN.<br />
Credit: Lee H.Baucom, Ph.D<br />
Mimi Adeyemi is a Sales & Marketing<br />
professional with over 10 years experience.<br />
She has good insight of shopper and<br />
consumer behaviour. She has been privileged<br />
to build and nurture new brands to<br />
achieving a sustainable growth.<br />
She is the CEO of Studio612, a full fledge<br />
Photograhy and videography studio located<br />
in Lekki, Lagos. She is also a blogger, writer<br />
and publisher of Family3ree Magazine.<br />
She holds a degree in Mass Communications<br />
and a diploma in Theatre Arts from<br />
University of Jos. She is an affiliate member<br />
of National Institute of Marketing, Nigeria.<br />
She is the brain behind Mimi Adeyemi's<br />
Blog, a relationship and Marriage blog.<br />
www.glamsquadmagazine.com 21