Music Monday #6

"Let your man know... Mr. Steal Your Girl is back!"

Yes! That's right ladies, Trey Songz is back and I'm loving him all over again. 

I say "all over again" because I used to be such a hardcore fan of Trey Songz from his very first album 'I Gotta Make It' up until his last album 'Chapter V' which I wasn't feeling too much, well, with the exceptions of 'Dive In', 'Fumble', and of course 'Heart Attack'. I don't know, I wasn't feeling all the rapping he was delving into, jumping on the bandwagon of singing about shit that didn't even matter, if you know what I mean... 

However, after hearing a few of the singles he's been putting out in the build-up of his upcoming sixth studio album, Trigga, such as 'Na Na', 'Smartphones', 'Foreign', and 'What's Best For You', my love for Trey was rekindled. The album is scheduled to be released tomorrow, July 1st. 

In a May 2014, interview with Yahoo!, he spoke about the album, saying: "Trigga is you know, my sixth studio album. It's my every emotion at this point in my life, it's the good, the bad, the ugly, it's the beautiful, it's last night, It's love, it's hard-hitting beats, but beautiful keys. It's beautiful melodies, it's so personal to me as well, of course I have songs that are impersonal, that are fun records, that just want to get people to move and dance, but as you get to the depths and the layers of the album, it gives you an insight to my life at the person that I am - and what's going on in my life as I try to figure out growing into manhood, and taking on the responsibility that I do and trying to find love…"

I wasn't about to wait for that, especially when I can download it for free (can I say stuff like that on here lol? oh well, too late) so for the past week I've been listening to the album and so far so good. It's obviously not one of his best albums, but it's an improvement from the last one. I can't get enough of 'Mr. Steal Your Girl', it has this Keith Sweat "Nobody" feel to it. I just love the beat, his falsetto's and the smooth tone of his voice on this track. Definitely one the better songs of the album along with 'Smartphones' being another favourite of mine. 

Check out the latest single from 'Trigga' below:

What do you think of the album? What's your favourite track? 

Comment below & Follow the blog :) 

Mpho x 

Life Lessons | Flaws And All

"Your 20's are your selfish years. Old enough to make the right decisions and young enough to make the wrong ones. Be selfish with your time - travel, explore, fall in and out of love, be ridiculous and silly, stupid and wild. Be 20 something". 

I've been going back and fourth for the past few days about whether to write up this post or not, reason being that it's not fashion related in anyway and it's a bit different from my previous posts. However, I've always told myself that I would use this blog as a platform to express myself fully, and that includes my feelings, good or bad. And in that process hopefully, help and uplift someone else out there. We all need words of encouragement once in a while right? and besides, my blog name is "diary" of an extrovert after all.

Social media has us all wrapped up in this mythical bubble of perfection. Where everyone's lives are sparkly and glittery, when in fact it's the opposite. Everything you see on social media is what others want you to see; don't be fooled by what you read or see. 

One thing most people definitely don't know about me is that I'm sensitive. I take things to heart. An over-thinker. It can literally take me watching or listening to something to feel some type of way and that's exactly what happened when I watched the BBC Three drama 'Murdered By My Boyfriend' (which aired on Monday, 23rd June). It was about domestic abuse and tells the true story of a teenage girl who fell in love with a man she thought was the man of her dreams, who started abusing her not just physically but emotionally too. And despite all her friends and families efforts to help her, she was ultimately brutally murdered by her boyfriend and father of her child. This story was so heartbreaking and emotional and one of the things I took from it was how someone can start to take control of your life, little by little. It really struck a nerve. This is exactly how I've been feeling lately. Like my happiness is controlled by other people. I had "check" myself and ask why I was letting others have so much power... 

For those of you that missed it, click the link below to watch:
Murdered by My Boyfriend

Change is all part of growing up. Different situations with different people force us to change. Change can be good. However, change can be bad. I think when change doesn't feel good, it's time to step outside of yourself, take a look in the mirror and check yourself. Ask yourself whether you're happy with yourself and the person you've chosen to be; not the person you feel like you have to be to appease those around you. Being a "people pleaser" makes you vulnerable of being taken advantage of.

We are all in a daily battle to stay true to ourselves in a world where our smallest actions are judged. And it's so easy to lose yourself sometimes, whether it's in a relationship, friendships or around family. Sometimes to the point of feeling like you don't even know who are anymore. What i've been living by these past few months is eliminating anything in my life, and anyone I deem to threaten my joy. Literally. We're all insecure about something, but that one thing should never be YOU, yourself. You know yourself better than anyone ever will.

Having this much time off Uni, has really forced me to think about all aspects of life such as the past, relationships, work and my career, and what it is I want to get out of life. I've decided to take control of my happiness and not let anyone's opinion of me doubt myself in anyway. Ever.

I came across this photo on Instagram the other day too, and it gave me life. I love quotes and their ability to just change your perspective on things in a positive way.

Mpho x

New In | Shoes

So for the past week I've been redecorating my room, and sorting out my wardrobe. Out with the old in with the new type thing. And amidst all that I came to the conclusion that I have no shoes whatsoever. Okay, maybe that was a slight exaggeration... But I don't have any shoes that I'm crazy about right now. I'm always wearing the same old shoes.

The black "summer sliders" or "Birkenstocks"(obviously they're not the real mccoys) whatever you want to call them are a massive trend right now. They are not everyones cup of tea, and I must admit they did remind me of my grandma a 'lil bit (she used to live in these) but after seeing them at work for only £12.99 and trying them on I was in love. They are sooooooo comfortable! And literally go with everything. I'm talking jeans, skirts, dresses etc they are just great, I can't wait to get my hands on the real things.

The Croc effect "Skaters" as Topshop refers to them are another popular pair of shoes. I've seen these on just about everyone, and I can't say I blame them because for only £20 (that's good for Topshop too) they are a bargain, and once again so damn comfortable. I really wanted them in black too but unfortunately had no size, but I will be keeping my eyes peeled. They also had these in a soft pink colour and black with a suede effect so definitely check them out at your nearest store.

A good way to really see what's in your wardrobe, what you need or don't need for that matter is to sort your wardrobe out. Give your drawers a quick fold and you might be pleasantly surprised with what you come across. Some long lost hidden gems perhaps...

Mpho x

Black Hair Care | Thinning Edges

Get The Basics... 

If a supermodel like Naomi Campbell can have a hairline like this, just imagine what lurks underneath the average girls weave\wig! This is no laughing matter. The truth of the matter is that thinning edges are a recurring issue for black women, young and old, and it's hard to pinpoint the cause.

Not all black women have problems with their edges (lucky you), but for some of us that do, I hope by sharing some of the products I use and have worked for me, that you too can finally get your hair looking healthy and back on track again. Like I said before, there are various reasons why your edges could be thinning and things will only get worse if you don't do something about it now. Many people are in denial, and think by hiding their hair under a wig or fringe\side-sweep hairstyle and only applying hair food to the affected areas at night time the hair will miraculously grow back. It won't. (Trust me I know)

I was one of those people in denial until it was too late and the end result was for me to do the 'Big Chop' (BC). The only way to grow my hair back was to shave it all off, and embark on a natural hair journey. My hair was growing at a decent rate and I was loving my 'TWA' (Teeny Weeny Afro) but after a few months I got bored of the short, blonde look everyone seemed to be rocking and I got a wig made. What I should have known by then is that I have sensitive edges. I loved the wig, however the tension from the tight elastic (holding the wig in place) was damaging my edges. I opted for braids, a form of protractive styling I thought. Wrong. They only made things worse. Or should I say I made things worse because they were too tight to begin with, extra long which meant they were heavy and pulling on my hair and to top it all off the constant 'sleeking' of the edges (with the toothbrush and edge control haha) set me back 10 steps.

For the past few weeks now I've been using these 4 products and I haven't looked back since. My hair is looking healthier than ever and most importantly my edges are back like they never left haha. I will be posting a picture soon.

1.) Dr. Miracle's Hot Gro Hair and Scalp Treatment: Blended with Aloe, Shea Butter and Jojoba Oil. Conditions and promotes healthy hair growth. This hair food comes in different strengths, I got mine in super so I could feel that tingly and airy feeling Dr.Miracle products give your scalp. I must add, this hair food does have a strong smell so I tend to apply it in the evenings.

2.) Protectiv Mega Growth Anti-Thinning Temple Recovery: Blended with Olive, Shea and Avocado to reduce temple breakage, thickening the hairline and crown. As you can see from the pictures, this product is nearly finished, i've been applying small amounts of it daily.

3.) Jamaican Mango & Lime Original Jamaican Black Castor Oil: Treatment for dry damaged hair. There are different types of castor oils that you can use, however I opted for this one after reading and watching a lot of reviews on youtube. Not only can you use this for your hair but it's great for the skin too. I sometimes apply a tiny bit to my face when it feels dry. The consistency is quite thick, so you only need to apply a small amount each time. The amazing thing about using pure oils, is how nourished they make your hair feel, especially if you have dry, brittle hair.

4.) T444Z: For massive hair growth, volume and thickness. Repairs hair line. Stops balding, dandruff, scalp dryness, itchiness and hair loss. This tiny pot cost a whopping £15! That's a lot for us when hair food is usually as little as £3. But for it to cost this much it must work right? Right! After watching numerous reviews and hearing a few of my friends talking about this product I decided to try it out myself. And I can honestly that after two weeks I have seen some change, so I can't wait to see how my hair will look like in about a months time. I've been massaging small amounts to my scalp every day, and you honestly don't need to apply a lot as it is very oily and having a shiny forehead aint cute.

Anyway, I hope this will help someone out there. I am not an expert on hair care, I'm just simply sharing what works for me. Comment below if you have any products you think I would benefit from.

Finally, know your hair and what works for you. Be cautious with cornrows, braids, weaves and other styles that are potentially damaging your hair. If you're suffering from bad edges, try putting your hair in a protective style for a few weeks, and take care of those edges daily with the essential oils. Or you'll end up like Miss Campbell...

Mpho x

When In Doubt, Jumpsuit It!

Printed Jumpsuit - New Look 

Tan Wedges - Primark 

My hair has changed since the last post. I have this lovely curly hair-do now. I'm in one of those phases where you're bored with your look but have no idea what it is you want to do. I swear sometimes I just want to shave my hair all off again, and live an easy life.

 Anyway, this past weekend I went to a friends event in Kennington Park Cafe. The God's answered everyones prayers because the weather was amazing compared to the previous day. I kept it fairly simple with my outfit. You can never go wrong with a jumpsuit in my eyes. You look great without trying too hard, it does the job for you. New Look has quite a few of these in with all types of different prints and at only £24, so whenever i'm in doubt I know exactly what i'll be wearing. 

Mpho x 

Meet Jamie

Printed Shirt - Wallis (Thrifted) 

Ripped Jeans  - Topshop 

Leather Flatforms - Primark 

Just a quick post on yesterday's outfit to my friends BBQ. I am absolutely loving the ripped jeans trend at the moment, so much so that I have got a bit scissor happy and transformed all my old jeans. Gone are the days when one struggles to find a pair of jeans without that dreaded gaping at the back. I know all you curvy ladies out there know exactly what i'm talking about. I was never really a 'jeans' person before due to the mere fact of never finding the perfect fitting jeans for my shape. However, Topshop has restored my love for jeans, especially their 'Jamie' jeans. Not only are they super-stretchy but they are super high-waisted which I feel accentuates my figure even more. If any of you ladies out there have the same problem I had, I recommend a trip into Topshop to try the different types of jeans they have in store, you can thank me later. :)

Mpho x