Author: Bonita Valli

Bonita Valli is my diary. It was initially an outlet for my hair journey and my personal style, but in the same way those things are evolving, so am I. So while I figure it out, I've decided to make BV a journal of my thoughts and experiences. Feel free to like, comment or share any of my posts. If you don't that's fine too. But if you DO share, please reference this source and if you DO comment, remember that kind words build up. Feel free to subscribe via email and contact me via Twitter: @Kehndae xXx

Cartier La Panthère

It’s been a while since I did a perfume review. It’s crazy, I wear perfume every, single, day but somehow, for whatever reason, I’d never say I was/am big on it. I do love the idea of having a scent… that smell that rewinds people deep in nostalgia. A flashback, a memory, a unique moment, one person! Yeah, I love that. It’s that kind of reminiscent feeling that I want to leave people with when they catch my scent. But let’s be real, there are far too many options out there for me to tie myself to that one singular smell, right?

Taiwo pretty much swears by the Cartier La Panthère so I thought it would be good to pick up on my perfume blogging here. She’s been wearing it for about 3 – 4 weeks now and can’t seem to put it aside, so she recommended I wear it. After all, the scent is not just a smell, “It’s an experience”. So, I put down my current favourite, Dior’s Joy (Leah, you did this to me) and went with one spritz of La Panthère. Because from the first whiff I could tell that anything more would probably have been overpowering.

I’m going to skip the packaging because there’s nothing particularly beguiling about it. A bit of a letdown really as the bottle, although very boxy and quite masculine in appearance, harbours the mask of a well chiseled Panther. It’s like a buried secret only exposed in temperate lighting, at an undefined angle.

The scent is mature, musky, with a wood-like undertone…. It can’t be bullied…. It’s powerful! It smells like a CEO, DOMINANT. Dissecting the smell now, I can see why Taiwo likes it. It reveals everything about her argumentative side – the side I debated with at about 12:20am on White Supremacy but let’s not get into that – It’s definitely not my scent but like I said, I see why she likes it. It smells expensive… Like a lifestyle!

YouTube has been intermittently schooling me on photography over the past couple of weeks or thereabout. So, at about 1:00am, I pulled out my DSLR and thought it would be a great time to put my skills (and new-found knowledge) to the test. How did I do?

Have you tried Cartier’s La Panthère? Any thoughts?

xXx

Ps: I need to learn about photo editing next. This is really looking like a new hobby

Pps: I’m off on a trip tomorrow which I’m really excited about. Can’t wait to blog about it next week

Ladies…Frrrrost Yourselves!

I think I’m a little late to the party.

I missed the Oscars. Not intentionally….. not unintentionally either. My interests snoozed comfortably round the spectrum of indifference. I’m not bummed about missing it, like I said, I’m just “a little late to the party”. And not late in the cool, “fashionably late” kinda way…. the Nigerian kinda late when you miss the whole damn thing… and then some!

At some point over the past week, Sky News showed their typical 30 second or so entertainment news highlight/s and I came across Lady GaGa’s Oscars outfit. I haven’t had an “OH MY GOD!” moment in a long time, particularly concerning the red carpet, but this…..! This was definitely one!

The Dress

Image result for lady gaga necklace 2019 oscars — Source: eonline.com

Black dresses are always a classic but the contrast against The GaGa’s [monotone] pale skin and bleached blonde hair was ordained by the fashion gods. The exaggerated hips were an instant reflection of McQueen’s quirkiness and the pleated skirt that expanded to floor length was breath taking, but the opera gloves and Tiffany’s necklace screamed classic Hepburn from about a mile and a half off. We all know nothing screams classy like Audrey.

Now that we’ve got that dress out of the way, let’s take a minute to appreciate that necklace shall we?

The Necklace

Taiwo and I (and secretly Wura) are forever fans of How to Lose a Guy in 10days. It’s like… our go to movie. We’ve reached the point at which we recite the lines! So as much as I did/do appreciate the Alexander McQ dress, the real game changer was in fact that US$30mn Tiffany’s gem that had Wura pretty much scream (via whatsapp of course) “She’s wearing the Isadora!” LOL! That’s right, the Tiffany’s necklace had me 99.99% convinced GaGa was wearing the Harry Winston Isadora! (You can’t say/write that name without the exclamation mark. It would be criminal.)

The rock sized canary yellow gem, supported by “miniature” white gems delicately laid between both of Lady GaGa’s collar bones and had my jaw on the floor for the best part of the next 5 mins. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rock that big, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rock that worthy! It was breathtaking, spectacular, literally jaw dropping. It just dazzles!

Hair & Makeup

You don’t wear a necklace like that then decide to show off beach waves or silky straight hair do you? It’s got to be an up do… you know… to show off the master piece. Oh and as for the make up, gotta keep it natural looking and simple. The Oscars is no carnival!

Since I saw the Gaga’s outfit, I haven’t bothered googling any other star’s outfit. It would be unjust!

Source: GetYarn.io

This is the part where I usually ask who/what was your favourite look of the night, but today, I won’t even lie, I’m not interested. LOL

xXx

Ps: I’ve been lusting over a yellow dress very much like Andie Anderson’s on How to Lose a guy. But the price… my goodness the price!

PPs: Why was Andie carrying that horrible bag?

PPPs: I’ve always been a fan of Harry Winston. When I lived in a bubble I often fantasized that bae would propose with a Harry Winston… *sigh*

Jacquemus

[Un]Popular Opinion: cliché as it may sound, I think Pablo Picasso is a friggn LEGEND! And while we’re at it…. Cubism is in fact my favourite Art Movement.

———

Jacquemus is a young, talented, French, modern designer. His take on fashion is almost architectural in execution. He deconstructs objects, rebuilding sculpted masterpieces.

Jacquemus footwear was launched two years ago. His creative ingenuity in my opinion, borders on modern day Cubism. He leverages basic shapes and cleverly balances them to curate whimsical shoe perfection.

You see, the thing I love about Cubism is its ability to produce a conceptual image as opposed to the perceptual form. After all, I consider vision to be reassembled shapes built up to create depth and manipulated in form.

Jacquemus is only 29 and already pushing fashion boundaries. It’s a shame he’s put a stop to his quirky shoes. Regardless, I’m curious as to what he will unfold as he continues to rebuild, reinvent and rediscover.

Image result for jacquemus shoes — Les Mules Sao Mule
Source: Net-a-Porter

Pisa Mismatched Heels (my current favourites)
Source: Matches Fashion

Image result for cubism picasso — Picasso’s Weeping Woman
Source: The Tate

Who’s your designer of the moment?

What’s your favorite Art Movement?

xXx

Ps: Take my posts as they come and don’t question the [ir]regularity. After all, I’d like to think of myself as a creative 🙃

PPs: I’ve had my Nikon D3100 for 8years and only just decided to properly learn photography. So far, so fun!

PPPs: I made dumplings from SCRATCH yesterday. The result…? Meat pies! LOL

Plastic

Since the start of the year, I’ve put zero effort into my physical appearance. Make-Up routines have become a distant memory, my heels have accumulated dust of varying degrees and my hair has been somewhat neglected, neatly hidden between braids or Senegalese twists.

Between my Mum, Wura and Gbonju, I experienced an unsequenced, well articulated ‘intervention’. I didn’t make any promises, but I did resolve to ‘do better’ more consistently.

Heels would ordinarily have been my first step towards my ‘come back’ but given that I walk up four flights of stairs every morning, I passed on that struggle (thank you very much)! The other option was Make-Up.

My Make-Up is pretty basic, so this shouldn’t be much of a problem, right? Wrong! My biggest issue has been an oil defying, sweat resistant (I’m actually not kidding) PRIMER. At the end of every day, I find that a considerable amount of my oily skin disintegrates my LA Girl HD, boils through my MAC NW45 and my Make-Up in general starts to slip right off my face. Once or twice, I’ve tried to psyche myself into thinking it’s a ‘dewy look’ but it’s not. Ladies, I need your help!

I’ve read bareMinerals is pretty decent (it’s made with natural ingredients)…

Image result for bareminerals prime time primer — Source: bareMinerals.co.uk

But I had a conversation with Wura last night and she pretty much swore by Becca Ever-Matte Primer…

Image result for becca ever matte primer — Source: Sephora Australia

Any suggestions? Maybe I should take this to the Insta-polls…?

Meanwhile, I think this has been one of my best Make-Up looks all YEAR…. AND it’s a picture of myself that I actually like, so I’m just going to drop. this. right. here.

cropped-kf123-e1528444372531

xXx

Ps: Can I be Victoria Beckham for a day? LOVE that lady! Need to get my hands on a copy of October’s Vogue (my birthday month, whoop!)

Pps: A holiday is much needed. I’m still keen on seeing the world

Pps: What do you think of the heading ‘Plastic’? I kinda like it.

The Classics

My Mother thinks I have a problem. She’s yet to put it that candidly, but it was delicately laced in her tone earlier this month when I asked her driver to pick up my Zashadu Alpha…. “Another one?” was followed by a soft, but disconcerting smile. I’ve managed to convince myself that one of my bags will one day become an investment piece but the truth of the matter is that only selected, age old brands have been fortunate enough to make the increasingly exclusive list.

On Sunday evening, I sat in a friend’s living room getting increasingly comfortable as we argued over what to order and what Netflix movie was best suited for a Sunday night. As we lingered in and out of various conversation topics, we stumbled on investment bags. As much as I may be an advocate for the #BuyNigerian movement, I can’t deny it, I still lust over the Classics. Below are my top picks…

The Hermès Birkin or Hermès Kelly: From a very young age, my Dad hammered the concept of “Demand vs Supply” in my head. He went on and on about how this was “Basic Economics… the Foundation” and couldn’t understand why I struggled with the subject. Perhaps if he had explained this concept in Hermes lingo, maybe (just maybe) I’d have ended up with an ‘A’ instead of the dreaded ‘D’ at my IGCSEs… I digress… The economics behind the Hermès Birkin and Kelly is rooted in their limited quantities. This creates exclusivity; scarcity (in Economics lingo) and drives the prices up! A worthy number 1 in my opinion, the Hermès duo (the Kelly – inspired by Grace Kelly of course and the Birkin– inspired by Jane Birkin) will forever hold the top spot

Related image — Hermès Kelly Source: LuxuryExchange.com

Image result for hermes birkin — Hermès Birkin Source: LuxuryExchange.com

Chanel Classic Flap Bag: Somewhere between Coco and Karl, rumour has it that the Chanel Classic flap bag has (sometime in the recent past) outperformed the S&P. How’s that for a worthy investment? Any of the Chanel flap bags would do for me really. The 2.55 Reissue (named after the date it was introduced- February 1955), the Boy bag or the Classic flap, I really couldn’t care less. Somewhere between the burgundy contrast and the quilted lambskin, I’m sold!

Louis Vuitton Neverfull Bag: I know, I know… every Tom, Dick and Harry has one. But that doesn’t make the Neverfull any less of an investment. If you really want to stand out with this one, the Limited Edition pieces are (in my opinion) less generic/common and I find that the Noir/Indigo are waaaay nicer. I’ve read that these bags can get you 80-85% of their retail value.

View 1 - Neverfull MM Epi Leather in Women's Handbags Shoulder Bags & Totes collections by Louis Vuitton — **Source: LouisVuitton.com**

Loewe Puzzle Bag: This unassuming bag is made of 41 different leather pieces, nine textile pieces and 45 pieces of cloth. Take that for a mind-boggling Puzzle! Worth every penny I’d say.

LOEWE Puzzle Bag Anthracite all — **Source: Loewe.com**

Lady Dior Bag: Dior describes this bag as “Dior’s iconic bag, the Lady Dior, features all the hallmarks of Dior leather goods: soft lambskin topstitched with the iconic Cannage motif, rounded handles and D.i.o.r charms. An architectural piece, it is the symbol of Couture elegance and refinement“. I’m not sure I’m capable of better articulating this masterpiece.

LADY DIOR BAG IN CHERRY RED PATENT CANNAGE CALFSKIN - Lady Dior Dior — Source: Dior.com

What makes the cut for your top investment bags? Let me know…

xXx

Ps: I’m on to another Tory Lanez song… “Miss You” Love this guy!

PPs: Still dreaming of a helix piercing. Can’t wait to try it out again.

White Shirts & Whatnots

Growing up, a white shirt was a status symbol. It spoke at length in knowledge, uncovered depths of wisdom and expressed silent authority. Growing up, my Dad was not just the epitome of a white shirt, he was the very essence of it. It was the singular most dominant feature of his wardrobe and it could only ever be crisp… pristine… starched… SHARP! It earned him the nickname ‘GQ’ and in my book, anything short of this, just didn’t make the cut!

Naturally, as I progressed into the realm of employment, I too found the white shirt to be not just a staple, but supposedly critical for unattained heights of success. Accessorized with a Hermès 90×90 (*insert smug smile*), my white shirt wasn’t just my authority, it transformed to my cape! But I’ve since learned not to take life too seriously. SHARP! is nice, but as a lady, I much prefer my shirt (blouse?) to glide gracefully along my fashion scale, sliding from understated chic to refined grace.

Ever-adaptable, I often find that my white shirt is my blank canvas, capable of self-expression and open to my style interpretations. Somewhere between the flirty off shoulders, the hand stitched silks and the creaseless oxford cloth classics (Taiwo does this like a PRO!), I’ve found myself “at home” with this undeniable essential.

Below are my much desired white shirt chic goals

Tome | Open Back Shirt | My Chameleon — Source: The Chic Department

Cotton shirts are enjoying a new lease of life via architectural shapes. This neat bow detailing will nip in your waist too — Source: The Telegraph

I’ve learnt that maintenance is the greatest feat in owning a white shirt, but here’s a tip you (probably) didn’t know… they (Brooks Brothers, according to the WSJ) say your blend ratio shouldn’t exceed 60/40 Polyester/Cotton…. you can thank me later!

Ladies, have you invested in a white shirt? How does it work for you?

xXx

Ps: For those of you that don’t already know, I have Tory Lanez ‘Hypnotized’ on REPEAT!!!!

PPs: I can’t seem to decide if I want my hair in Senegalese twists or if I want to keep queening in my nappy ‘fro… thoughts?

Thirty Something

Last year was my Champagne 30^th (that was coined given Taiwo & I’s love for champagne) and in all honesty, I had mixed feelings. There are SO many misconceptions about the third decade of one’s existence, but when you fall short of your own standard as you turn that third corner, the pressure floods in and then THEN you have a real problem. Before we go on, let’s quickly examine that list of what (I thought) I ought to have done by last October:

Established a career in Investment Banking- I was certainly on the right path… Ag. Head of Project Finance at the age of 29, caaman! I was doing okay and I had the right support. This was the ONLY thing I had on lock down though… keep reading…
Bought a house- 7 months on and this remains on the to-do list
Married a steady boyfriend whom I’d have dated for c.3 years- Update: It’s official, I’m single!
Popped 2 babies at the minimum- After all, it’s harder to make babies with “fried eggs”. Besides, Then, I wanted 3! Today, I’d be content with 1!
Visited at least 30 cities- I’ve lost count to be honest. I’ve probably done about 25, not quite 30 but I’m no longer counting.
Bought an Investment bag- The Chanel 2.55 remains on my wish list. I’m open to donations… nothing is too small
Learnt French- Travil en cours- yes, I googled that. Sue me!

What I quickly realized is that there’s nothing wrong with making plans. In fact, I encourage everyone to do it. Falling short of your own expectations happens. What’s then important is to take stock of where you are and work to move forward. Self-pity, insecurity that’s just pathetic. When you focus too much on what wasn’t, you’ll lose sight of your achievements.

To cut a long story (somewhat) short, I ended up having the time of my life celebrating my Champagne 30th. I spent the actual birthday on the plane from Paris back to Lagos. My flight got delayed so I didn’t actually arrive until 9pm.

C30

But I’d never felt so loved when I got home. There were about 30 people waiting to celebrate with me that Thursday evening. Amazing individuals…. Every single one of them! The following night, I went out clubbing and my awesome friends totally covered EVERYTHING! We got a table and partied till the am.

Sip Champagne 30

The icing on the cake was a trip to Malta with Taiwo (of course) and Wura. What a beautiful, island!

Malta 30 A Malta 30 B

Today, I drew up a “Kehinde Four Point Zero” Bucket list. I’m not sharing that with you yet, but just know it’s a lot more fun and a lot less serious.

Before I leave you pondering on what made the Bucket list, I’ll drop some hints below in my update on what I’ve “achieved” on turning 30…

Changed jobs- I’ve decided I want to be an O&G guru in the medium term. PE is still the ultimate GOAL along with (maybe) being an Editor-at-Large (I find that so fascinating)
Started Yoga- My first class was last Saturday and it was AMAZING! Going back this weekend
Started eating healthier- I’m not quite vegetarian YET, but I’m mindful of what goes in
Got braces- The plan isN’T to totally close the gap, but I think my dentist has another agenda…. I’ll keep you updated
Got a helix piercing. Then ditched the helix piercing. I got a keloid so had to take it out… the keloid is gone now so I’ll try again later this year and see how that pans out
Got contacts- because I had to “babe up” even if it was only a nano notch
Invested in the Stella McCartney Falabella- YAAASSSS loved this bag FOREVER and she will do until my 2.55 arrives
I read a book! And now I’m reading ANOTHER book (Children of Blood & Bone)

Dare I say it, but 30 is looking pretty darn good on me despite my (self-) perceived short comings. The other day, a gentleman at Ikoyi club even thought I was 19!!! *blush* Could 30 be the new 20?

xXx

Ps: I won’t jinx things by saying “I’m Back!” but I’ll just leave that right here….

Pps: Super excited about the Lancome Teint Idole launch in Nigeria. Can’t wait t find my shade

PPPs: Kehinde Three Point Zero…. Kehinde FOUR Point Zero, that makes me giggle, I don’t know why