BEAUTY FOR A CAUSE: ALAFFIA

Now that the weather is getting colder and my skin is getting drier, I am having a major love affair with coconut. Coconut is very hydrating for the skin, so I use it externally and take it internally, as well. I have a coconut body butter, I use coconut oil on my body, as well as to cook with. I drink coconut milk and water, daily; and  most recently, I started using a coconut face toner from the brand EverDay Coconut, which is  a part of Alaffia Sustainable Skin Care and EveryDay Shea.

Founded by Togolese native,Olowo-n’djo Tchala, Alaffia is all about empowering West African communities by focusing on fair trade, alleviating poverty, and gender equality. 

COMEDY CORNER: TREANDICE

Isaak Adoyi and Tresor Vunda are the masterminds behind Tre and Ice Productions. This comedic duo are Africans living in America that want to share their "experience of their culture to entertain people." Let it be know, I am thoroughly entertained. Honestly, all of the memes and videos they post hit so close to home it's ridiculous.

GET FAMILIAR: SAM KODO

Growing up, I always had a fascination with robotics, maybe because I used to play Mega Man for hours as a kid. I never did anything with my interest, though; if I had, I might have ended up like Sam Kodo. Sam is a native of Togo and builds robots out of spare television parts. 

 What I find interesting is that he uses his old robots to make new ones; he's literally building upon what he has already done. Sam's ultimate goal is to, "make a completely independent robot, capable of interacting with his environment", and from what I've seen he is well on his way to making his dream a reality. 

Here is a video of Sam being interviewed for Reuters.

 

-DJ

FASHION FRIDAY: STEEVE AUKINGSO

After working as a model, Steeve Aukingso can now be found on the other side of the lens. He's taken his  love  of the fashion world,  and parlayed it into a career in fashion photography.

I love that his photography isn't just exclusive to just fashion. Yes, he does shoot beauty and lingerie campaigns, but he also explores with more artistic imagery, where the subjects are manipulated and distorted; the images are in vain of something you'd see in a graphic novel.

I think that Steeve has a very interesting point of view, and  I look forward to seeing more of his work in the future.

-DIVA