Tuke's Quest: October 2014

Lime Stripes

Hey Guys!

I know I haven't put an outfit post up here in a while, one of my closest friends said she only checks my blog when she sees an outfit post on Instagram. As I was typing this up, another friend called to ask about restaurants in Lagos as he is helping a friend organise a party. It's funny how different people check my blog for different things. There's a poll on the side bar for you to choose what kind of posts you like.

I wore this dress to church on Sunday as my church celebrated it's 20th year anniversary and my dad said I should wear a touch of green. At the beginning of October I was trying to wear a little green everyday in the spirit of Patriotic citizen, Nigeria's Independent month,etc but I stopped at a point, oh well.

This dress is one of those pieces in my wardrobe that I bought solely because it bears the colours of the Nigerian flag. I got it from Forever 21 and I also have it in Peach (XS, same size as the lime one). I haven't worn that yet (Well, my sister bought it but it's too big for her so it's just sitting there in the cupboard gathering dust, if you want it, leave a comment saying so and where you would wear it to then I'll pick a winner, leave your email address too please)

Oh yeah, picture overload alert!!
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Savvy and chic floral themed party!

Hey Guys

This post is coming super late, 1 month and 1 day after to be exact, the Garden party was on September 28th and today is October 29th. I'm sure you've already read all the other blogger's recount of the event. If you haven't check out Naija Hair Can grow, Barbara 1923, Larger than Life, Chloe's Makeover, Sisi Yemmie, Berry Dakara, Fab Diva Writes, African Naturalistas, In Fashion Rehab, Those Natural African Curls, Naija Girl Next Door, Oluseyefunmi (My +1), Don't touch the hair, Zinna of Style Vitae, Leez Nijis and  Kl's Naturals. Some are Beauty bloggers, some are lifestyle bloggers, some are Natural Hair Bloggers while others are Fashion Bloggers.

That weekend was a very busy one for me, I hadn't gotten much sleep. One of my cousin's was recovering from Surgery so I was dashing in and out of the hospital.  Plus Daddy GO came to my church that Sunday so I didn't leave church till pretty late.

The venue which is called The Social Place was beautifully decorated, Shout out to Tolagbe, the owner (my cousin) for the amazing decor. When we got there, Emmanuel Oyeleke was taking pictures of bloggers in groups like the one below and then I found the seat with my name on it.


Very Pretty, right

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The Next Chapter

Hey Guys

So I take blogging pretty seriously, I enjoy doing it and I see the potential for growth in the long run. I like to have 3/4 posts a week and even numbers at the end of the month. Last week I tried something, posting every weekday but friday. I wanted to do the same this week but life has been real and I don't like the fact that I haven't posted all week, I apologise for slacking

Remember that interview I went for, I got the job and I Thank God for that. I started the day after I was done with NYSC so let's say I was immersed into the real world pretty quickly.
Coming from an 8 to 3 to an 8 to 6 might not seem like much but it is taking a little toll on me to be honest. Plus I really miss my CD day which was a day for re-energising.

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NYSC Series I: Gold

Hey Guys

Like I mentioned in my previous post, the NYSC Series begins today and I'm starting off with an article a friend of mine wrote on my pass out day. His name is Akinyemi and he wrote it for myself and my friend, T. Now, T had been saying NYSC is almost over, we are about to become gold. I really didn't get it, thought he just made it up but apparently it is a popular saying. You'll understand why Corpers are told they become gold after reading this article.

This is Akinyemi during his Man o'War Training


Enjoy and do leave a comment. It's slightly annoying/disappointing when effort goes into writing a post and no one comments, the views are there but comments make it interactive and are really encouraging. Some people call me and say Awww, Detuke, I like your blog, keep it up, etc. I appreciate the calls and messages but the impact is greater when you leave a comment beneath the post. You don't need to have a google profile to leave one by the way, there is an option to leave one anonymously so yeah, Leave a comment today.

This is specially dedicated to my Corper friends (I know of just 2) who turned to Gold today.
Now the year is over. At the beginning, It looked like the end of National service will never come.  But now, I am sure it feels like it started yesterday. No more “allawee”, No more day off each week in the name of Community Development Service (CDS) when you don’t get to leave your bed until 10 am (that is if you go for CDS at all), No more clearance, No more head count, No more Khaki, You are no more government Pikin (children). For some, it’s the beginning of a search for a good job, for the lucky few, they have Jobs waiting for them.
It’s a season of transformation, the beginning of exploration. It’s a fresh start, the change from Corper to Gold.
So I thought of highlighting these attributes of Gold to my Corper friends that just turned Gold and all those that have passed through the National Service system. I hope this will inspire you to greatness.

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Guest Post: Start by Niyi Onikute (Niyi Sax)

Hey Guys

Remember Niyi Sax from this post, well, he's back again with another one. It's pretty retrospective too, trust you will enjoy it as  his previous article made it to the top 10 post in terms of views.


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Nothing Better than Free Makeup

Hey Guys

Remember the Mak Nisy Bag from this post? They are stocked at a really cool store called Grey Velvet. I needed to get 2 of the mini sacs as a gift for some key staff at my NYSC ppa (place of primary assignment). I really wanted to order them online as grey velvet is currently offering free house of tara gifts with every online purchase. 

However, I couldn't find the design/size I wanted online and they didn't have them at their Lekki store either so I went to the Ikeja branch to get them. I left a comment on their Instagram page asking if I would still get my House of Tara goody and they replied saying they'll sort me out.

Look at what I got, not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 new Make up Products, Yayyy me!!
Shout out to Grey Velvet for their fantastic customer service :)

Check out their website and order something and let me know what you got.

They have the Mak Nisy Satchels in a larger size online so check that out too.

Toodles!!



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Restaurant Review: Orela

Hello People

As you should know, I completed the NYSC program last week Thursday, the 16th of October, Yayyy me. I've taken the corper and teacher tag off my bio, life is real now, tears. Haven't put up any pictures of me with my certificate yet because I looked like I struggled that day, choi, so sweaty looking, the sun was not even smiling.

On our way home, after getting our certificates, my family friend, Demi, suggested we go eat at Orela, one of her favourite restaurants on Awolowo Road. Now, I had never been there  before and you know how I love to try out new places. Plus, our allowee had just been paid so I was feeling slightly richer. The restaurant is located on the second floor of no. 114 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, it's between Mobil and TFC so it's like the middle of Awolowo road.

I had never really paid attention to this place before, there is a flower store on the 1st floor of the building and the sign isn't overly huge

Now, I have to say the ambience is lovely, if you want to go on a romantic date, this place hits the spot. It's pretty small and only one other table was occupied when we got there. They have a standing piano too and Demi said someone usually plays soft music in the evenings.
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Denim x Black

Hey Guys!

These pictures were taken the day after I used the ORS Strengthening and Straightening Treatment, so you can see what Day 2 hair looked like. This outfit was inspired by Nifemi of Skinny Hipster's Post. How do you think I did?
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Change: The Hair Experiment

Change, hmm, not really sure how I feel about the word. Sometimes I anticipate it, sometimes I dread it, sometimes I long for it but when it happens I wonder why I wanted it in the first place. Change is inevitable, it's necessary for growth and progress. Change is looming around me, especially since my corper tag expires in 24 hours, hmmm.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I wanted a new look, a change from the fro. I really wanted to do a curly weave that I got from my sister, we did a weave swap but I can't find my closure and I'm not about that straightening hair everyday life. I was considering a fringe as I had done one sometime last year and it turned out pretty nicely. I also considered buying a new wig but I have one Vivicia Fox one that I bought for about 12k and I rocked it for less than a week, it's just hanging on the edge of my bed.

I was looking at The Blowdry bar on Instagram and came across a picture of an ORS Strengthening and Straightening Treatment. The first time I heard about a Straightening treatment was at Naija Hair Can Grow's salon day out. The Beautiful textures brand was used on an attendee but her hair reverted back to normal by the next day so I wasn't really interested in trying that brand out. I called the blow dry bar and they said customers who used it said it lasted for about 2 weeks. The owner replied my comment on Instagram saying she had one to give away. I was sooo happy and excited when I read it, y'all should follow them on Instagram, @theblowdrybar.

I went on over to Kemi Lewis's Saloon as she specialises in Natural Hair. Both of us were really excited, I was probably more excited because
I)  I had been craving a change
II) I knew she would get it right

Oh, yeah, I went to the saloon after doing my final clerance, hence the corper uniform. I was very eager to get it done.

The chosen product, ghen ghen
My Nappy Hair
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A few of my Favourite Drinks

So, I was having a conversation with a friend over the weekend and we got talking about his 5 favourite drinks that are easily available in Lagos. This got me thinking about my 5 Favourite drinks in Lagos and I've compiled a list for you to see. In no particular order:

1) Hollandia Yoghurt: At first, the Strawberry and Blackcurrant flavours were available in the market then it was just the strawberry one. I discovered the apple flavoured one at the Murtala Muhammed Airport last Month. I Love it especially the sour tang it has, I haven't tried the orange one yet but I've seen it around town. Have you tried it?
N340 from Grand Square
N100 in most supermarkets and grocery stores

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Workflow: Pinstripes

Hey Guys!

As you all know, I am about to enter the work force, life is about to get real yo, Deadlines and Targets, the whole she bang. I wore this to an interview last week and a friend asked to see what I wore as he had never seen me in a suit. I haven't worn one in a while.

This is my favourite trouser suit and I got it from Zara in July 2013. My White Shirt is from H and M, Black Pumps are from Bershka, Neklace was a birthday present and my Wristwatch was a graduation present from my friend's mum, it's from DKNY and I Love it. I think the fact that I'm about to enter the corporate world gingered the new hairstyle (as seen on Instagram). I miss my curls already though and it's only been 3 days.

Oh yeah, Picture Overload Alert!
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Restaurant Review: The Blowfish Hotel


Hey Guys!

This time next week I'll be done with NYSC o!!! How Scary and Exciting is that!! Yesterday, we had some Job Fair thingy at Unilag for all Lagos Corpers. It was my 2nd time driving to Unilag and third time going there so yes, I made a few wrong turns, yes, we got stuck in some traffic but we got there in the end, Thank God! I went with my Secondary School Friends, the twins, one of them has a blog actually, y'all should check it out here. She's been blogging for less than a month and she already has 17 really interesting posts, Go Bunmi!

My legs were hurting and we were just weak after the whole shebang so we decided to treat ourselves, YOLO, and have late lunch/early dinner at La Veranda at Blowfish Hotel. We got there and were told they close from 4 to 6 so we settled for food at The Blowfish instead. Both restaurants are at the hotel, La Veranda serves Italian dishes and is round the back overlooking the pool. The twins have been there a couple of times and they love it so I'll definitely try it out soon. The Blowfish serves Thai, Indian and Continental Dishes so there are 3 cuisines to choose from. The decor at The Blowfish was nice, the air was fresh and the staff were very polite.

There were two men on a table next to us who kept on staring though. One of them came and saluted us at our table, this sort of behaviour is expected when you wear your NYSC uniform out and about. He started asking some questions and Bunmi, the twin who is a blogger answered most of them, I was just looking away and Buki had a funny expression on her face, which made me giggle.

So, the drinks came first, Buki and I got Chapman, Bunmi got something called Cinderella which was a mix of different juices. It had a very tropical feel to it. The Chapman was pretty sweet and very sparkly, I liked it, I really wish some Restaurants in Lagos offered Free refills, it would make the dining experience more enjoyable but I'm sure some people will milk it.
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Independence Day at Fun Factory

Happy Belated Independence Day!

It's better late than never right. I have a couple of green and white items in my closet which I bought specifically because they are my country's colours. The dress I'm wearing below is one of such items. I bought it at a really random shop in Nottingham for £5, yahhh, so cheap.

I spent my day at Fun Factory, big sister duty!
It was my first time there and I Loved it. My only problem was finding the entrance, at first I parked at The place which is right next to it  but I got bounced. The actual entrance is through a side street, so the parking is off Admiralty way.

I went there again during the Public Holiday because my brother loved it so much. Happy Belated Eid guys!!



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Hair Jamboree: Hair Gist, Features and Product Haul

Hey Guys

Happy New Month!

It's slightly bad that I'm saying this 7 days into the month but mehn, na so life be. A friend of mine helped me declutter my laptop so now I can blog more easily, Thank God. The thing was acting so slow, like a snail, even though it's only two years old. Plus, NYSC is over on the 16th of October so a lot of changes are being made in my life. I've started playing Lawn Tennis again, was on the court for over an hour on Thursday and I've joined my church choir so I have somewhere to play Sax on a weekly basis. No more NYSC Lagos Brigade Band :(

I've been wanting a new hairstyle for a while by the way, I don't want braids and I can't find my closure which is really annoying. I want to get a fringe done or try the ORS Strengthening and Straightening treatment so I can leave some of my hair out when I install my weave. If you've ever tried a straightening treatment please comment below and let me know how it went.

I've been featured on a couple of hair blogs in the past few weeks namely African Naturalistas, Beautifully Nappy and Zebelle curls so check them out and get to know me a bit better :)
If you enjoyed my Natural Hair Journey Post, you'll definitely enjoy the interviews.

Oh, yeah, you guys need to get involved in the kinky apothecary giveaway I'm hosting. Less than a week to go if you want to win one of 3 shea moisture goodies, who no like awoof?

My last hair haul was at the beginning of August. I spent about £20 pounds which is about 5 to 6k in Naira. I took loads of pictures of the products, that time my lens was new :)

I will start with the conditioners and shampoos. So, up until, Naturals in the City 8, I had no personal shampoo. I would just use whatever was at the Saloon. This was because when I moved back after uni, there was no space in my suitcase for liquids so I threw most of my hair goodies away.

I got the Giovanni Smooth as Silk Shampoo from the Product Swap at Naturals in the City 8 so essentially, it was free. I ordered the Giovanni Smooth as silk conditioner from NaijaHairCanGrow during their Blogversary sale for N2,000. I love the scent of these products.


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