Hey there Bellastylistas! As part of our Escape Issue we are covering travel tips and tricks including getting all the secrets from our fave Bellastylistas on how they stay healthy and keep up that #GlowLife on the go! Check out our first in the series with boss babes Nicole Chikwe and Afua Osei.
Afua Osei
Name: Afua Osei
Age: 32
City of residence and how long you’ve lived there: Lagos, Nigeria for 6 years (Wawuuuuuu)
The skincare products you are obsessed with: Me and Dermalogica go together so I just use their entire line but my favorites are the Active Cleansing – Overnight Clearing Gel, Daily Microfoliant and Charcoal Rescue Masque.
The hair products you are obsessed with: Spray bottle with olive oil and water and then my Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Leave-In Conditioner.
The makeup products you would never live without: Urban Decay De-Slick Complexion Primer, Fenty Beauty Pro-Filtr Foundation, SwiitchBeauty SLAYs For Days eye palette, Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Angel Mascara and a good nude lip gloss from The Lip Bar which just happens to be called First Lady.
What are the most popular beauty products or brands in your opinion: I’ve seen a lot of people excited about Huda Beauty since they have fresh new products and ship to Nigeria but I haven’t tried it yet so I don’t know if it’s hype or real.
Popular beauty trends in Nigeria right now: Blinding them with your shine…also known as a strong highlight.
Beauty shopping go-to: I always save up and plan my purchases so that when I travel, I can head straight to a Sephora and stock up.
What does “healthy living” mean to you?: To me healthy living is about being intentional about how you want to live your life and then doing the work to put it into practice. Being healthy can mean spending quality time with your family or learning a new skill, but whatever you say you want to do, you have to back it up with action.
How do you practice “self-care”?: I practice self care by sleeping with the AC on extra high and covering my self in two blankets. I love sleep and being able to just have that quiet time to rest and recharge is so important to me.
What do you do to stay active ? I actually like to lift weights. People are surprised to hear it but I hate running so lifting weights is good exercise and makes me feel like a G.
Go-to healthy meal?I love a salad that just has everything nutritious in it so I can eat one meal and act like I actually did something. I love to add chicken, boiled egg, carrots, green peppers, corn, avocado, cucumbers and anything else I can scrounge up into one big bowl. Morning smoothies with mango and avocado also help me get started with my day. Or at least give me something to sip on so I can have something in my mouth when I’m trying to avoid shouting at people before 11am.
Nicole Chikwe
Name: Nicole Chikwe
Age: 22 but my Government Age is 31(haters)
City of residence and how long you’ve lived there: Lagos, 11 Years.
The skincare products you are obsessed with: :
Micellar Water, Coconut Oil, Fig Brightening Black Soap with Turmeric, Differin Gel
The hair products you are obsessed with: :
Castor oil for these edges. Eco Styler for these edges, a satin scarf for these edges.
The makeup products you would never travel without:
Beauty Blender, Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation, Yanga Beauty Browvolution, Sleek Highlight and Contour Palette
What are the most popular beauty products or brands in your opinion:
Black Soap, Shea based Body Souffles/Butters, Got2Be styling gel
Popular beauty trends in Nigeria right now:
Microblading, Skin Lightening
Beauty shopping go-to:
Stores
What does “healthy living” mean to you?
Trying to eat clean at least 80% of the time, working out consistently
How do you practice “self-care”?
Eating clean, working out, my skincare routine
What do you do to stay active ?
HIIT because it is short (ish) and sweet, and I can only focus on not dying for about 40 minutes.
Go-to healthy meal?
Chicken Cabbage Wraps