Name: Lape
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
Age: 32
Occupation: Writer
My alarm is set for: 5 a.m.
My Nigerian breakfast
On weekday mornings, I usually eat a sausage roll or chicken pie bought from a fast food restaurant. Sometimes, I eat crackers because they are filling and hassle-free. The main reason behind my breakfast choices is convenience to be honest. I wake up so early I can’t imagine eating anything at that time and anyway, I hate cooking.
People in Lagos, Nigeria where I work generally eat fast food too in the morning. At the weekend, people are more likely to eat cooked breakfasts. On Sunday mornings, boiled yam and fried eggs or a sauce made with corned beef are popular.
My Nigerian beauty routine
I’m really into makeup and beauty, particularly nail art. Most of the brands I use are non-Nigerian. I use Wright’s soap and Neutrogena face cleansers. For years, I used Revlon Natural Honey body lotion but I’ve started using Jergens now.
Over the last few years, no matter the lotion I use, I add olive oil to it and I think my skin is better for it. I’m also a fan of natural, pure shea butter for emergencies like bites or itchy patches of skin. It’s really good for things like that.
For make-up, I use Iman foundation and powder because they work so well on black skin and don’t slide off your face in our hot weather. My makeup staple is black eyeliner but I’m not brand-specific with that although I have a preference for Rimmel which is a brand popular in the UK.
I also really like Rimmel lipglosses and L’oreal lipsticks. A lipstick brand called Island Beauty was popular in Nigeria a few years ago. There are only a few Nigerian makeup brands, the most popular being Orekelewa and BM Pro.
Then, I head to work by car. I generally leave for work by 6.30 a.m. I drive to the office which is 30km from where I live. Because I leave home so early, my commute in the morning takes about 45 minutes but coming home can take anything between one and three hours thanks to the mad Lagos traffic!
Thanks so much for sharing, Lape! Are any of you guys currently reading this in Nigeria? What does your morning look like?
P.S. My 3 product makeup bag!
I love this series! We're all the same but totally different. Super interesting!! 🙂
I love it, too! (Is that inappropriate for me to say ;))
i love love this series and meeting all sorts of folks from around the world!
Love this series! Those chicken pies look scrumptious! I'm a fan of that olive oil trick too, though I typically use coconut or almond oil on my skin. It's a great moisturizer and obviously free of harmful chemicals!
I love using coconut oil – but my cat likes it too and he'll follow me around trying to lick me! 😀
I also live in Nigeria, but my mornings look a little different. I live on the campus of the international school I live in, so I get to sleep in until 6:30, grab some breakfast of either a scrambled egg or homemade granola, then walk my classroom.