Everyone's path is so different and you don't have to follow a specific formula....

Everybody's path is indeed so different and you don't have to follow a specific formula to get where you desire to be however you should certainly find out what is unique about you- Errol Barnett. 

Firstly, I'd like to ask if you guys have heard of the amazing new app called Periscope?

If you haven't heard of periscope this is what it is: Periscope is an app that enables anyone to capture or watch live video broadcasts, which was acquired by Twitter in 2015. The app was founded by Kayvon Beykpour See more here. I would instinctively say that this app is my number one favourite app of all time. I only recently discovered periscope about 5 weeks ago through word of mouth and people talking about it over my Twitter timeline. I decided to take the chance and download it to see what the fuss was all about and I can tell you I have never regretted downloading it. For Iphone users it has been available via the app store for about 2 months and for android users the app has now became available to download since yesterday.

People may be thinking to themselves what's the big deal, it is just another boring app to distract you from getting on with your day. Truth is within the past 3 weeks I have learnt a lot more than I could ever imagine I would do as a result of being able to connect with people in the Journalism industry every morning in the comfort of my own bed before getting on with my daily tasks. 

If you have read my previous blog posts or my introduction on my blog you would see that I have indicated my desire to get into the Journalism industry and I'm currently taking active steps in pursuit of this dream. 

I wake up every morning to the sweet notification which sounds like a birds chirp, notifying me that my favorite anchors are online and are about to broadcast :)

I hurriedly drop everything I may be doing and quickly get connected and then start interacting.  

I now even get shoutouts and recognitions from my favorite CNN anchors Rosemary Church and Errol Barnett. 

This I tell you always brings a smile to my face!  

As an aspiring Journalist wanting to break into the industry, I am quite keen to get as much knowledge as possible about the industry and what it takes to make it.

Maybe you're like me and you're at University plowing your way through the academic year hoping and praying for the semesters to come and go so you can get into the real world and start making money. Or maybe you belong to the category of the opposite and feel very comfortable at Uni enjoying the party life and making numerous friends, trying to blank out the fact that at some point you will be thrown into the deep end and will have to swim. Meaning at some point you and I will be faced with the stage in our lives where we will have to put all that we have learnt over these years being institutionalised to test and try and make it within our chosen career paths. 

Yesterday's periscope session involved another one of my favorite anchors Zain Asher who took it upon herself to stay an extra 15 mins. After throwing hints by typing "please do a career advice session this will be useful" This was adhered to and an hour later a notification popped up on my phone ''Live on #periscope: Before she heads home @ZainAsher wants to offer some career advice. Any Qs? I was so happy, very expectant about what will be revealed.

I would also like to share these tips with you. Even though it seems specific to this particular industry I'm sure you will be able to find at least 3 that could be applied in your life :) 

Here are some of the key tips from Zain and Errol Barnett which I would like to share with you.

1. The TV industry is a very competitive industry.
2. It is imperative that you have something advantageous that puts you ahead of everyone else to offer .
3. Develop your skills. Do you see yourself as a sports reporter, Business reporter or a political reporter? e.t.c.
4. What is your competitive advantage
5. Everyone wants to break into the reputable news stations BBC, ITV, Sky one news, CNN UK.  In the case of America CNN, ABC, CBS. BUT very few people have a skill. 
6. Find your passion and get developed in that 
7. Have you considered grad school? - Grad school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees (i.e. master's and doctoral degrees) with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate (bachelor's) degree.
Grad school can open numerous doors as it did for Zain Asher. It provided her with useful contacts as she was able to network with a lot of people. Many of the teachers she had back then at Grad school worked at various TV stations.
Graduating and having an instant network of people is great. GET CONTACTS! MAKE CONTACTS!! You have to develop relationships with people within the industry you want to break into. 
8. It is not as competitive when you have a skill to offer
9. Go for something that very few people can do.
10. Find your niche- Internships are a great way to break into a niche. It will speed up your career a great deal.
11. Don't be afraid to take risks and show versatility
12. It is also useful to prove that you can write news articles. 

Zain told us over periscope that when she applied for her current job at CNN as an anchor CNN could see that she could write articles and so that demonstrated to them her versatility.It therefore gave her an edge over other applicants. 

13. Make sure you develop, develop and develop your skills! Can't emphasise this enough!

Errol Barnett who is also an anchor kindly gave his own advice and recommended that knowing how to code is important. He strongly recommended knowing how to put a website together and being creative technically as technology and the world of social media is continuously expanding. 
Once 'coding’ was only done by software programmers. But as most parts of the world have become integrated with digital technology, the opportunity to exploit the power of code is available to people in almost any career.

From football and engineering to fashion and art, most industries now have a strong digital component. It is expedient that you learn how to code in order for you to get noticed in your chosen industry.

You don't necessarily have to major in Journalism or go to Journalism grad school to be successful but it is helpful and helps to give you a deeper knowledge and understanding. 

I found it very useful and I am really grateful to Zain for doing this career advice session.  

I would like to share with you also some pictures from the periscope sessions that have taken place over the past few days:

Lastly here are some of the news anchors I look up to:

Errol Barnett- Anchor for CNN International based in Atlanta. He anchors during the overnight simulcasts and famous for his news reporting with the award winning 'Inside Africa' cultural affairs programme on CNN. 
Mon-Th 11p-1a in LA | 2-4a NYC | 6-8a GMT | 2-4p in HK | Trekked 22 African nations in 2yrs 

Zain Asher- British news anchor at CNN International based in Atlanta. She currently co-anchors CNN Newsroom, weekdays from 12-2am on CNN International, and at 1am ET on CNN America

Rosemary Church-  is a CNN International news anchor. Based at the network's world headquarters in Atlanta, she anchors the 2-4 a.m. ET edition of CNN Newsroom along with John Vause.

Max Foster-  is an Anchor and London Correspondent for CNN International, based in London

Hope you guys were inspired by this post and are now eager to join periscope :) It's fun and worth it! 

Speak to you guys soon 

xoxoxo

Zoe 

OOTD Catch up!

Hello everyone :)

It's been about two weeks since we last caught up. Not much has been happening except exam season and study study study! How are you all? And what have you all been up to?

My Uni is different in the sense that we don't get a long vacation like the rest of you will be getting who are currently at Uni. For those wondering which University I'm at its called The University of Buckingham and it's a 2 year degree (accelerated). I'm studying Media with Communications and Journalism.

I haven't shown you my outfits for the past two weeks so I'd like to share it with you all now...

Last week sunday this was what I wore :

Purchased from Asos A little secret :) This outfit has been worn a couple of times. However what I do is I make sure I don't wear it frequently and give gaps so then it will look like a new outfit! Ha I probably won't be able to do that now :( I purchased it last year so can't remember how much and whereabouts it can be found on the Asos website, I'm also unsure as to whether if this outfit can still be found. Shoes- Black heels from Italy (Napoli)

                                                                                             

Outfit Worn on Sunday to church. I have been eyeing this dress for a long while now and I have really wanted it for a while. This dress is from missguided However they only have the Navy colour left =[ Check it out! I randomly decided to tweet this outfit choice to Rocsi Diaz who used to present 106&Park on BET and she replied and said Yaaay to my outfit. I was really happy!

YayyyyyRT @xxZoebillionxx: @rocsidiaz yay or nay rocsi?? pic.twitter.com/Q9jStek7Z1

— ⓇⓄⒸⓈⒾ (@rocsidiaz) May 25, 2015

I've recently really been in love with these kind of outfits too. They are comfortable, easy to wear and they really bring out your figure. I purchased two from Boohoo.com 2 weeks ago! They were doing a deal which I think has stopped. I got two of these for £10! Bargain or what? :) 

The love to the right signifies the love I have for all of you reading this post...

My next post is on its way to you sooner than you think.

Stay tuned :) x x x 

OOTD OR OOTM? (outfit of the day or outfits of the month?) Let me know which was your fav!

Hello loves,

Who knew 2 months could fly by just like that? It's been almost two whole months since I wrote my last blog post. I should smack myself on the hand right??????

I honestly want to and should be writing a new blog post every day however sometimes I get so caught up with Uni life that the days and hours fly by so quickly I don't even get a chance to do all that I have set out to do.

To make up for it I will be doing a summary of things that have happened in the past weeks!

Hope you enjoy  :)

I had the privilege of hosting a TED talk that was held here in Buckingham. It was an amazing experience being able to host as well as hearing all the inspirational talks.

Black Jacket- Zara

Dress- Asos

Shoes- Miss selfridge

I co-hosted a fashion event we held here at the Univeristy. (I'm the one in blue)
Dress from BooHoo.com Boutique Clare Lace High Neck Bodycon Midi Dress £25 size 8
Shoes - Kurt Geiger £80.00

                             

Lace top from selfridges.

Skirt was customised and made by a designer called 'Soclear designs'. Follow her instagram page @socleardesigns.This is a closer view of the Skirt I wore on the night of the fashion show.

A few weeks ago I attended my friends premiere here in the UK at the lighthouse centre in Camberwell. The name of the movie is titled Champagne. My friend Alexx Ekubo features in the movie with Majid Michel and some other actors too. Was a really fun night despite waiting forever for the stars to arrive!

The dress is from Virgos Lounge (Ivana dress Neon pink) £150.00 reduced to £75

shoes- Kurt geiger (Gold Miss KG) It was around £80.00.

Myself and my friend Alexx Ekubo. Also the main star of the movie 

The make up for that night was done by myself! Hope I did a good job

Outfit of the day:) - Today's church outfit 

Shoes- Miss Selfridge £39.00 was on sale got it last year

Outfit- Handmade by tailor :)

Makeup- Natural look :)

That's a little summary of the few weeks that have flown by. Let me know by commenting which look was your favorite. 

See you soon 

x x x x 

Zoe

ConfessionTime.....

"You always seem so happy"- It's almost become a resounding bell in your ear right?

In your head you are thinking: "If only you knew those silent battles".......

I get that statement sometimes too! 

The undeniable truth is that we all cry. Lol some more than others. 

There are quite a number of things that could easily set my emotions off... 

Seeing little kids suffering

My Mum being unhappy

Insecurities

Being anxious or worrying about a particular thing

I watch a film or movie and imagine myself in the perilous situation and start crying... My brother usually looks at me and shakes his head thinking "Why are you crying at this?"

I think to myself how are you so strong not to shed a tear?

BUT! - Different things set people off... I am very easily pushed to cry! High voltage of emotions I would classify myself as. 

Confession- I cry a substantial amount .... A bit more than you think or would imagine. 

Some of us are so used to it that its almost become like a pain alleviation method or some sort of pain remedy. "I might aswell shed a few tears to get it all out and sleep it off. Hopefully by the time I wake up the next morning I will feel better". 

Sometimes you wake up feeling better, other times you feel heavy and the whole memory continues on into your day! 

Our pillows don't know what will hit them tonight.... Loud wails for an hour or a quick droplet of a tear. Who knows? 

"It all depends on my neighbour if they are in I'll sob into my pillow so no-one hears". Or if I'm lucky and no-one is in only God knows when I will stop crying..... 

"All I know is that my pillow is gonna get it"! 

It's almost as though your pillow has become your confidante in the midnight hour, the only one who won't judge us as our lips fold all the way down almost hitting our chin. 

If you are unlucky and you are wearing mascara.... Oh no God help the burning sensation you get around your eyes. It is  almost as if it's a punishment or a warning telling you to stop crying. 

The mascara you are wearing will definitely get washed off as bucket loads trickle down from your eyes onto your cheeks.... 

There's no perfect way to cry and you can't practice being "A good crier". I've heard some people say amongst themselves "I look so ugly when I cry" 

Well obviously.... There is no way you can look attractive when you are in that state... 

Personally I can't even bare to look in the mirror afterwards because I don't recognise the image staring right back at me. My pupils have turned red and my eyes have gone smaller, I struggle to get a word out as my throat feels sore and my voice has been exhausted by the continuous sobs. 

The strongest ones physically are the weakest at heart #FACT

Just because a smile is on a person's face doesn't mean their life is perfect. We have this perception that if a person always looks happy and appears confident it means all is well in their lives and they have it easy.

Don't ever feel like crying means you are weak... Whatever the emotion is whether sad or Joyous our bodies cannot contain it and so it incites a flow of tears...

Truth is we are all human and we all cry... You may not have cried recently or don't even like crying... 

Truth is I cried like two days ago! 

P.S If you don't know me or haven't met me before at least this is something that we can both relate to. 

P.s I'm only human and very soft at heart xxx 

<3 

And all these little things.....

Welcome to the month of March everybody. It sounds cliche but time is really flying, it is the 3rd month in the year 2015 already. Before we all know it we will be well over half way through. 

Today's blog will be quite picturesque! I'm going to post some of the things I like, some of my beauty tips, picture of my first Jollof rice attempt LOL!

I'm Nigerian and have never attempted to make Jollof until a few days ago. Now to us in Nigerians Jollof is a big deal. We even argue with Ghanians over who can make the best Jollof rice.

*Cough* *Cough* we can ;)

For those wondering what Jollof rice actually is, it's rice that is prepared with, tomatoes and tomato paste, onions, salt, and hot red pepper. any kind of meat, vegetable or spice can be added.

I decided to make mixed vegetable jollof rice by adding some vegetables into it. Some may think it is weird as usually you don't really add vegetables. However I'm crazy on veg and wanted to add some into it. For you experts that may be reading this please don't judge the appearance of the picture I've posted below lol.... 

I'm not going to lie I did taste a bit too much of  the tomato. Maybe I used the wrong brand? If you guys have any suggestions I'd gladly take it to bear in mind for next time :) 

Now every girl likes make up don't they? I only wear it once a week and this is usually on Sundays for church as I like to look a little bit dolled up :)

Usually when I get back I can't wait to remove all the makeup off of my face and my makeup removal routine usually just involves washing my face with my Aveda face wash. I then usually then steam my skin with my home face spa which I purchased from Argos for £10. 

Today I decided to wipe my face first with some simple wipes then I got into the shower and squeezed some lemon in my hands in conjunction with my face wash and then gave my skin a good thorough cleanse. After this I steamed for 30 minutes.

I then normally like to put on a nice green mask. The green mask that I use believe it or not is wheatgrass powder. Yep it's the wheatgrass that you can actually drink. Its amazing that it can also be used for the face too! 

 I found out quite a while back through experimentation that if you add liquid to the wheatgrass powder it forms a paste and it makes it easy to apply it topically to your skin. 

I found that each time I did this my skin looked glowy and it reduced any spots I had. Now I have started to add some ginger which I juice first so I can get some liquid and I also add some lemon juice. I mix these all together and then apply it straight to my skin. Not going to lie though, it stings for a good 10 minutes. This is because it is killing the bacteria on your skin, If you have some good hours to spare or like me you are doing it on a Sunday afternoon leave it on for as long as possible. After that wash it off with water and then apply your moisturiser. 

I use Aloe vera gel or some organic snail gel by dr.organic which can be purchased via Holland and Barret or even bought in store. Those two are what I use for my skin and It seems to be working for me :)

Hope you enjoy some of my favourite things below :)

My face without Makeup! (Now which one is better? With or without makeup?)

My face with Makeup. I'm no makeup expert but I try my best with what I know how to do LOL

Jollof rice attempt- I was so happy I wanted to snap chat it but ended up saving the picture instead lol! 

Wheatgrass powder and Lemon and Garlic all mixed to make a paste

Aloe vera Gel and cosmetic pads. I usually squeeze out some Aloe on to the pad and then rub it on my face

This is about how much wheatgrass powder I need to cover my face

Pour the wheatgrass into a container

Squeeze some lemon into the Ginger juice

Mix the wheatgrass powder with the Ginger and the squeezed lemon and then mix

Once you have mixed all 3 ingredients together you can apply it to your skin. Remember it stings. If it becomes too unbearable wash it off immediately as this may mean your skin is too sensitive


This is about how much I scoop on my finger to apply on my skin




I thought this was quite a good deal in Waitrose. I bought 3 Alpro Soya's for £3. This is my favorite Milk as I don't drink Cow's Milk. I normally love eating this with Lizzie's granola as my bedtime snack.



My absolute fav cereal of all time. Its £3.88 and can be purchased in Waitrose, and sainsburys and even online. There are many more flavours but I can't seem to get enough, check it out here


I recently started squeezing some lemon into my drinking water. Now I usually carry a 2lr bottle wherever I go. People have taken note of this and usually aren't very surprised when they see a water bottle inside of my bag LOL! I'm so used to it that even when I go to an event where I know there will be food and drinks I still carry my water bottle. I now add juiced cucumber liquid + Lemon into my water making it taste so yummy as sometimes drinking plain water can be so bland. For those who loved flavoured drinks I think you should give it a go. Its very handy to have a juicer as I can make quick juices and add it to my water. 


A cucumber can be purchased from any supermarket it doesn't matter as long as it says cucumber.



This is about how much I cut with my Kitchen knife. I then add it to my Braun Juicer which I purchased from Argos for about £80. This produces some liquid that can be added directly into my water bottle. To purchase the juicer click the link 


The Juiced cucumber in combination with the squeezed lemon is then carefully poured into my water bottle.



This is what it looks like when everything has been poured in. Give it a good shake and then it is ready to drink. I really love drinking it as it is refreshing and very healthy. Cucumber has many health benefits such as helping to maintain good skin and flushing toxins out of your body. Lemon also has a large amount of vitamin C which is needed to protect the body against immunity deficiencies whilst maintaining healthy looking skin.



I recently purchased this product from  Holland and Barret for £19.99. My brother has been using this for a while and recommended it to me as it has all the necessary nutrients contained and its super super beneficial to the body. I have been using this for about two weeks and I must say I feel very energised and my skin looks and feels quite good. Although when I first started using it really made me go to the toilet quite a lot as It was trying to adjust to my system. It is so worth it! You only need about half a spoon and you can mix it in water or like me mix it with your carrot juice. It can be purchased in store or online. Click for more details




Only 60p in Waitrose. I buy about 10 bags to last me for the week as I Juice 2 bags a day as part of my breakfast. Carrot Juice is so yummy! 



This is what the colour looks like when you have added the green blend into the carrot juice. It was so yummy that I almost forgot to take a picture, hence the half glass LOL!




It sounds revolting to put snail Gel on your face but trust me there are benefits. I have used this for some weeks now and it leaves your skin really glowy. After looking at it in store and reading the information provided at the back I decided to give it a go and have been using it. It's doing more good than harm I would say. It costs £19.99 from Holland and Barrett and can be purchased online and in store. The key ingredients are Glycolic Acid, Collagen, Elastin, Allantoin, Vitamins and minerals. It soothes your skin and also has anti aging properties helping to rejuvenate and revive dead skin cells. Try it :)
For more information on how to purchase it online click the link

I'm such a sea food girl... I really love prawns and I plan to add these into my Jollof rice tonight just to spice it up a bit :) I love shopping at Waitrose.. I know its crazy as a student to be shopping in Waitrose but once you have experienced quality and satisfaction you can't really go back can you?

I apologize I can't remember how much I purchased these two packets for but they were about in the region of £2.00 each!

I recently discovered Depop. It is the new and fun app that is available to buy and sell with your friends. You can download it via the app store and then sell some of your fav items through the comfort of your phone. I think this is better than Ebay actually as you list the items for free! Check it out :)

Hope you enjoyed gaining some insight into some of the things I love to do and do on a daily basis!

Speak to you sooner than you think x x x x x 

Insecurity will never be a thing of the past. Confession#89 I'm constantly afraid I'm not good enough

I'm going to continue like I never left.... 

It's been a while but I've been doing a lot of thinking and I thought I will let you in a bit. 

Insecurity is something very close to my heart I'm sure its close to yours too even as you continue reading you'll find out why your heart resonates with what I'm saying. 

I speak on behalf of my ladies out there.... 

You look in the mirror daily and you don't like what you see this time. Is it because your hair isn't in the perfect order?

Is it because your skin looks greasier than usual and you can see some spots about to break through your skin making you feel more self conscious than usual?

Is it just me or is that different mirrors give you different messages about the way you look on a particular day. "Today I'm going to avoid that mirror in the hallway because it makes me look too dark and the lighting is so wrong" 

"Tomorrow I'm going to make sure I only look in the mirror that is upstairs in my bathroom because it tells me what my head wants to hear" 

You repeat to yourself that you won't maintain eye contact for more than 5 seconds just incase they start analysing all the imperfections on our cheeks. "I'd rather speak fast to avoid any sort of chance for them to notice the bags under my eyes you say"

The next day you look in the mirror you see a particular blemish or outbreak that wasn't there the previous day and you wonder how will face the crowd and be able to look at anyone in the eye. 

You forget to eat the amount of vegetables you said you'd be eating everyday in order to maintain your fresh looking skin therefore because you forgot you feel that any moment from now a spot will come out and you won't look as good as you think you should be looking. Therefore to compensate you will eat double the amount to make yourself feel better. 

You wonder why every other girl is getting attention and you are left alone in the corner not being looked at. "Is it because I'm ugly or I've added a bit of weight"? 

 "I'll skip a meal today and then take laxatives so I can shed a few quick pounds just to look more attractive for my cheekbones to stand out because that is what is "attractive" according to society. 

"Why is she getting more attention than me?" you shout this to yourself mentally as it's the safest escape where no-one can judge you. 

"He smiled at me yesterday, but today he just glanced and quickly took his face away". 
"This must mean I'm looking unatractive today, my skin feels greasier than usual and my clothes don't fit that well" 


You are constantly being bombarded with the idea of that perfect look. You see all these "perfect" celebrities in magazines, newspapers, snapchat, instagram. You think to yourself having a big bum is the new thing now and a thigh gap means I will be much more attractive and thinner. Once only models cared about the fact that their legs must not touch each other as this will signify that they are putting on weight. Now it is the "in thing" and more and more of us are wanting to make sure we have a thigh gap so we are deemed more attractive and look better in our bikinis. Therefore the answer to that is "Let me skip breakfast and dinner" "I'll just eat crackers" "Let me put my hands down my throat" "I can't leave those four slices of pizza inside of me" "When I wake up tomorrow morning my belly will be fat if I don't do something about it". 

You say to yourself -
"Thank God for instagram filters and snapchat filters, at least I can feel gorgeous or more attractive for the 24 hours that my picture is uploaded to my story on snapchat or I can get some validation from my followers on instagram based on the number of likes I get on Instagram. As you post the picture you ask yourself "Why hasn't the picture I just posted on instagram got as many likes as my friend?" "Naaaa, let me quickly take it down, I probably didn't get the angle right on the picture or practice my pouting a bit better"

BUT Why do we have to use social media to validate ourselves? This is the question... 

If we don't get enough likes or a special snap chat inbox message saying "Gurl you like fine" It means I have failed. It means I'm not beautiful. 

"What are these celebrities doing better than I am doing"? You constantly compare yourself to these celebrities and feel inadequate if you don't look half as good. 

You don't have enough in the bank account yet you say "I have to get a new outfit and some new shoes" "I can't be caught wearing these old flats, they are so yesterday" 

"Wait I don't even have a Michael Kors handbag" Immediately you feel like crap! 

"My cheap £30 Bag won't cut it" 

"I'm going to have to not go out as I don't think I will look as good carrying a non designer bag"

WHY Ladies? WHY are we continuously feeling like this? This is my question!

No matter how beautiful we are or no matter how many compliments we get on a daily basis we still feel like we are not good enough.

I am a number one victim to this and not afraid to admit it. 

Truth is you are not alone we all go through it. What I've mentioned above is a fraction of insecurities that take place on a daily basis, Ive probably scratched the surface.

I really hope one day Insecurity will be a thing of the past and we will look at ourselves in the mirror and love what we see foreal!

x x x x x x x

It's so real that I had a moment on Twitter just last night

I'll shoot you just because you cheated on me.....

It's honestly alarming to think that in America guns are used so casually. I am so happy they can't be used as easily here in the UK.

 I have just finished reading an article about a lady named Stephanie Moseley who Is a dancer and actress and also appeared in the latest twilight saga. Before writing this blog post I actually hadn't heard of her and it's sad to know its through her death I'm getting to find out who she is.

Well the circumstances which led to her death is a cheating scandal involving RnB singer Trey Songz whom her husband rapper Earl Hayes accused her of cheating on him with. This same allegation led to their separation 2 years ago but they eventually got back together. However it seems like he has never gotten over it and breaking news tells us that he killed her and then killed himself. Over 10 gun shots were heard and his close friend Floyd Mayweather was on Facetime and witnessed the whole thing OMG!!!!!!!!!

This is actually the most traumatising thing I have ever read. It's sad to think that his first point of call was to reach out for a gun and kill her then kill himself. What a selfish thing to do?

Love is a scary thing and it seems so possessive and overwhelming. Would you really shoot your spouse and then shoot yourself if you ever found out they cheated on you?

The world gets scarier and scarier each day...

R.I.P to both of them xxxx