Life update | I started workingout at home

I'm tired of waiting for the opportunity to jog outside so I started working out at home.

Life update | I started workingout at home - ngumabi

It's not easy to find the time to go out for a run as I have to stay with my kids most of the time.

I realized I had to work with what is possible. So I got this outfit which I wore with my old trainers and jogged in my empty living room. A few other exercises here and there and I was worn out. 😅

Hopefully, I'm consistent and my postpartum belly will disappear in the process.

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Gentle Treatment Hair Relaxer Review | Ngumabi

Gentle treatment no-lye conditioning cream is a hair relaxer that I used for the first time.

I got the twin pack because I had a lot of newly grown hair but I ended up using just one container of the relaxer.

Gentle Treatment Hair Relaxer Review

The product

The twin pack contained two relaxer creams, two activators, a pair of gloves and a mixing spatula.

I was disappointed because I didn't find any shampoo or conditioner in the package.

My question when I discovered this was:

How do you sell relaxers in a carton without shampoo, oil or conditioner?

The results and my thoughts after relaxing

This relaxer was a regular relaxer and it relaxed my hair well. It also works or relaxes hair fast so when using it make sure everything is set before you start applying the product.

All relaxers reduce hair thickness because the hair is straightened and thus it becomes thinner. But some relaxers do thin hair more than others. This relaxer is one of those that thins your hair and makes your hair thickness reduce considerably after relaxing. So it's great for people with thicker hair.

Here is my hair a few days after relaxing.

Hope you found this review useful. Thanks for reading.

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Throwback to my experience with skin bleaching

Hi and welcome to the throwback series.

This is the last throwback for this season and I hope you love it.

The throwback picture for today is this photo of me in my typical way of dressing at the time. I loved this dress because it was simple and sexy. I was also a lover of blond hair so this two-coloured human hair was one of my favourites especially for this occasion I was attending which was a military decoration ceremony commonly called "gallon" in Cameroon.

Throwback to my experience with skin bleaching

The shoes I bought from "Okirika" were comfortable and blended with the colour of my skin at the time. At the time I bleached my skin. I'm not proud of anything, but I was happy with what I was doing. I found a product that did the job well and also at an affordable price, a combination that was rare to see so I was happy.

Thinking about it now makes me realize that we may have different perceptions of beauty at varying stages of our lives. These perceptions are mostly influenced by what society appreciates the most consciously or unconsciously. I was so determined to have lighter skin as I felt that was what I needed to feel and be beautiful. Growing up and seeing the attention that light-skinned girls always received contributed to setting that standard in my mind that the lighter you are the classier you are, the more beautiful you are, the more favoured you are, etc. So it felt normal for me to buy and use skin-lightening products at the time so that I could give society what they want to see and then benefit from the privileges that come with being light-skinned - which included having "better men" ask you out, being invited to VIP events and just making it through life easily because of the colour of my skin.

But what I was ignorant about was the fact that everyone has got a preference when it comes to who they want to date. Some prefer dark skin and others light skin so you can be dark-skinned and still meet a good person to be with. Another thing is those beauty standards are like trends that fade away after a while. At a certain time, dark-skinned girls were owning up to their skin tone and they were appreciated more and more. But that was not what determined the turning point for me. I started having serious skin problems that wouldn't go away caused by the skin-lightening product I was using. The product that once did a perfect job did more harm than good to my skin and I had to stop it and give time to my skin to heal. The healing took a while. This experience made me realize that skin bleaching is not worth the stress. So I decided to stop bleaching my skin completely.

I know as black women we feel unnoticed with our dark skin. But bleaching is not necessary and should be really discouraged.

That's it for this post. I hope you loved it. If you did please share.

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Week update | Intense brainstorming & Relaxing my hair at home

Hi guys,

How are you doing? Hope well.

Though I've tried to be consistent with blogging, I feel that brainstorming the relaunch of the Ngumabi Collection has taken some of my attention from the blog and even social media. I started getting consistent with making content and going live on Facebook and Instagram but it's not been possible to maintain the same energy these past few days because building a brand is not easy no matter how small.

It's been a stressful few days and to relieve my stress hot showers and sleep have been the remedies I have used so far.

And to feel better I relaxed my hair last week to free myself from the painful hair combing I've been going through. I relaxed my hair myself at home and I did a good job.

Week update | Intense brainstorming & Relaxing my hair at home

I haven't made any new products for Ngumabi Collection yet. I'm still working on ideas for the type of jewellery I will make for the relaunch. There are still outfits and bags from previous collections still available for purchase. Contact 696229223 by WhatsApp take a look and order.

How is your week going?

Wishing you all the best.

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Why I am passionate about African women empowerment

Everyone needs support - both male and female. But considering what women have been through in the past and are still going through, I feel they deserve a little more support. Yes, we deserve a little more support.

And as an African woman living in an African country, I feel African women deserve even more support because we need to learn, unlearn and relearn a lot of things that will make us better women and help our communities to progress. That's why I am passionate about African women's empowerment.

Why I am passionate about African women empowerment

Here are a few examples that need empowerment

- There are still African communities where girls are still denied access to school and are sent into early marriages.

- There are still African women who still think marriage is an achievement and that their happiness relies on being married.

- There are African women who see marriage as means to get out of poverty and are passing down this limiting mentality to other young girls which makes them ambitious career-wise.

- There are African women who want more from their lives but are afraid to go against beliefs and what people will say about their ambition because they are afraid of people's opinions.

- Others are afraid that being ambitious and fulfilling their dreams will scare away or intimidate potential husbands or partners.

All these and more are enough reasons to be passionate about empowering African women and encouraging them to follow their dreams for a better and fulfilled life.

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My current playlist | Ngumabi

I have many songs on my playlist but these are currently my most played songs:

Entre nous - FUL ft LOKO

Cherie coco - JACKY KINGUE

Poser - DANIELA AHANDA

Charlene - CYSOUL

Cash app - ZLATAN ft LINCOLN

Maladie d'amour - SANTRINOS RAPHA

Overdose - KABISHOPRAD ft MAVINS

44 - NISKA

Which songs are you currently listening to?

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Throwback to a difficult time in my life | Ngumabi

Hi and welcome to the Throwback series.

Hope you are loving it so far.

Today's picture was taken on Christmas day in the year 2011. I remember I took this picture on my way to church.

Throwback to a difficult time in my life, Ngumabi

There was a photo studio a few meters from the church and I went in to take a photo before the service started to have a memory of the day. I also wanted to immortalise how beautiful I looked. This dress I wore was given to me by my mum and it used to be a short sleeve dress that I modified to what you see in the photograph. The flower at the side was a hair accessory I thought will look good on this outfit. I had a jacket But I took it off for the picture.

This was in Yaounde and I was not very happy. My eyes even look sad in this photo. It was a difficult period in my life and I was only beginning to feel like I was recovering. As I mentioned in the previous throwback post, I had issues with my final year results and I went through a difficult breakup. The effects of these incidents were still lingering and I was depressed for a while. I was hard on myself and others as I tried to get out of the situation. I stepped back and away from my family and friends and I let time help me heal.

I later had to resit the courses because my complaints were not yielding any fruit and little by little I got over my breakup.

That's the story behind this photo.

Thanks for reading.

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Happy new week

Have a fruitful and beautiful week.

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My first creation when I started Ngumabi Collection

I started making clothes in 2014. It was an exciting experience to see my imagination come to life after I designed the clothes.

Looking back at my very first outfit I designed makes me happy. It reminds me of how I took the risk to find good tailors. How I went to the market to sort out material.

Relaunching my brand makes me look forward to putting together all this effort and come out with products that are better than my imagination.

#relaunchingngumabicollection

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Life Update | It's been house chores & working on my brand Ngumabi Collection

The past three days have been filled with brainstorming on how to build Ngumabi Collection. It has been exciting.

Yesterday I finished the 'About us page' which I wrote in English and translated into French.

I feel ready. Ready to be creative again and fill the worth with my art.

Now the pressure of setting up the blog/site of my brand is off my shoulder, and I feel more relaxed to do more house chores I have been postponing. Surprisingly I find it fulfilling. It should be because my ideas are more organized and it's easy for me to measure my progress in terms of productivity.

This weekend I'm making products for Ngumabi Collection. I'm making earrings for the relaunch. I'm looking forward to the designs. Hope you are too.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Wishing you a relaxed weekend.

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Throwback to when my fashion sense became mature

Hi and welcome to another post on the throwback series.

This picture was taken in December 2010 when I was in level three at the university of yaounde I.

Almost finishing my degree made me feel more mature and it affected my way of dressing. I became more of a shirt and jeans, t-shirt and jeans girl with jackets like this one in the picture which I loved so much. Before I used to wear more trendy blouses with ropes and open backs that we used to call "spaghetti blouses". Lol. Then suddenly I felt more comfortable in shirts and cute t-shirts and other simple but sexy tops like the one I wore in this picture. The top is a transparent top and I had a number of them at the time.

I loved blue jeans (and still do) and it was hard to get jeans my size - in terms of length. I had to cut and hem the trousers to fit just like I did with these blue jeans in the picture.

As I mentioned this was level three and it reminds me of the problem I faced with my results which I got tired of following up and decided to repeat some courses. It wasn't a good time in my life because while I struggled with my results I also had a major breakup. I was in a dark place for a while but I managed to get out by resitting some courses and stayed strong until I got over there hurt from the breakup. Going through all that made me strong.

That's the story behind this picture. Hope you enjoyed this post.

Do you remember how you dressed during your university days?

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Happy new week| Relaunching Ngumabi Collection

It's always been my dream to have people wear my name like they do brands like Louis Vuitton and Chanel. I've had this idea of creating a fashion brand with my name for such a long time. I have made many pieces so far and enjoyed seeing people appreciate my work.

Motherhood made me slow down but as I regain my inspiration and time I am relaunching @ngumabicollection . I modified the name though I loved the previous one too. And I must say it feels really good to get back on this journey of making unique handmade fashion pièces from wax and other materials.

I've been working and brainstorming on this today and I feel as excited as I used to feel years ago when I started making fashion.

Happy new week| Relaunching Ngumabi Collection , Ngumabi

Hope this week started well and exciting for you too.

Wishing you a fruitful week 💕

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What's in my Ankara tote bag | Daily Essentials I Carry

When going out it is important that I make sure I have all the essentials for the outing. The items I have in my bag may change depending on where I am going to and what activities I have to carryout.

What's in my Ankara tote bag, Ngumabi, essentials

Here are the essentials I carry in my handbag

My purse

A pen

Disposable tissue / Hanklechief

Lip balm

My phone

Keys

A scarf

An elastic hair band

A notebook or paper

Daipers and wipes (when I go out with the kids)

Tampons/pads

Documents

Charger/power bank

These are my basic needs when I go out so here are the things you'll find in my bag.

My Ankara tote bag in the picture is handmade and it's from my brand Ngumis. Send me a message on Whatsapp using 237 696229223 to order yours if you like Ankara bags. The quality is top.

What do you carry in your bag?

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Random Facts | Piercings & tattoos, Winning the lottery & favourite quotes

This might be a series where I share my opinion about anything I find interesting. Hope you guys enjoy it.

Random Facts | Piercings & tattoos, Winning the lottery & favourite quotes

Piercings and tattoos

I don't fancy tattoos but I like (some) piercings.

If you win the lottery?

If I win the lottery, I secure a better life for my loved ones first, invest in something that can make more money every day then spend the rest on my passions.

Favourite quotes?

My favourite quotes are :

"By doing what you love, you inspire the hearts of others."

"Make your life a dream and a dream a reality."

These quotes describe my vision and mission as an ambitious person.

Hope you enjoyed this post.

Are you a fan of tattoos or piercings, what will you do if you win the lottery and what is (are) your favourite quote(s)?

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My most proud moments as a Cameroonian Lifestyle Blogger

I find this post a little difficult to write because I'm not used to celebrating my wins. But I am learning to do so and I'm going to blow a trumpet for the moments that make me proud.

Here are my most proud moments

My first brand collaboration

It was with the beauty brand Green Life Bate (GLB) who sent me hair products to review on my blog.

You can read the post here (click)

I was so happy when I was contacted and I felt so proud of myself.

Making it to the list of Cameroonian bloggers to follow in 2022

Lifestyle blogging in Cameroon has little or no attention so being recognised as one of the blogs in this category makes me so proud.

You can find the list of blogs here (click).

It has given me new energy and determination to push my blog even more for more success. Hopefully, my blog becomes one of the most solicited and talked about lifestyle blogs in Cameroon and Africa.

Being interviewed on Channel Africa radio

So far I have done two interviews with Channel Africa radio this year on two shows hosted by Palesa Tau. The first one was about childbirth and the second was making it to the list of Cameroonian bloggers to follow in 2022.

Here is the link to the interview on childbirth

I feel so proud that I have come this far with my blog and I pray for more proud moments in Jesus' name!

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Throwback to my Family Tradition and Lifestyle

In the next few weeks, I will do a series of throwbacks where I share a photo and tell the story/stories linked to it.

I hope you enjoy this series.

Here is the first photo of this series:

Throwback to my Family Tradition and Lifestyle, Ngumabi

This is a picture of me on a Saturday in December 2006. I was pounding Achu. Achu is a meal from my village (Bafut - in the North West Region of Cameroon). We cooked this meal every Saturday.

This is my grandmother's kitchen. It looks like a typical African firewood kitchen. The furniture and walls are black because of the smoke produced by the fire. We have a foreign kitchen in the main house but this one helped us with food that took a long time to cook. That way our cooking gas lasted longer.

The leaves behind me are banana leaves which my grandmother harvested from behind the kitchen. We used it to wrap the meal. Achu is a meal made of pounded cocoyams and some unripe bananas. The soup is yellow and is made from palm oil and limestone with some sweet-smelling local spices added to it. This yummy dish is highly respected and eaten with a lot of pride and delight by those who eat it.

Pounding the cocoyams and bananas to a smooth paste isn't easy. The smoother the paste the more you enjoy the meal. I remember that at about five years old I had a little mortar where I pounded. I couldn't make the paste smooth so my grandmother or aunt will pound it again in the mortar you see in the picture.

This picture was taken during the Christmas holiday. I was in Upper Sixth - about to obtain my GCE Advanced Level Certificate. My school didn't allow braids so it was only during breaks like this that I could plait my hair.

A lot of memories.

I hope you enjoyed this post.

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Three personality traits I am proud of and why

Hey guys,

Hope you are doing well.

Are you shy, funny, down-to-earth, or kind?

What are the traits that you love in your personality?

Today, I'm sharing with you three personality traits that I am proud of.

Adventurous

I have a personality that loves to try things. I am adventurous and I am proud of this trait because it makes me learn and develop myself. It opens my mind to new things and ideas.

Creative

I write and make things like fashion accessories. I also create content on my blogs and social media like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. I'm proud of this trait because I make money from my creativity.

Humble

A trait I won a prize for in primary school. I'm proud of this personality trait because it helps me relate better with people.

Those are the top three personality traits I am proud of.

Bonus trait: I am authentic. I love being myself and showing up authentically. I worry less about putting up an image which doesn't represent me.

Three personality traits I am proud of | NGUMABI

What personality traits are proud of?

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My top ten favourite Cameroonian meals

Here are my ten favourites when it comes to food.

These are Cameroonian meals because I haven't really experienced food from other countries. Hopefully, I will in the coming weeks and share my experience with you.