Arti-Arte | A Life & Style Blog

DIY ROSE WATER MAKEUP SETTING SPRAY & TONER

2019-02-11T23:36:00.001+03:00

Roses have numerous benefits to our skin and I have a simple diy to show you how to make a makeup setting spray to set your makeup to last longer, and a toner to soothe & tone your skin. Don't throw your roses this Valentine's Day....

Benefits Of Rose Water;

Helps to hydrate & moisturize your skin.
It's perfect for sensitive cause it's natural.
It helps to tone the skin.
It has anti-aging properties.
It's a great cleanser as it helps to remove dirt from your skin
Helps to reduce redness caused by scars.

How To Make Rose Water;

You'll need .....

Water
Rose petals (you can fresh or dried roses)
Strainer
Spray bottle

In a pot, add water & a few rose petals and let the infusion boil until the colour of the water changes according to the roses you used. Let the infusion cool, strain then put it in a spray bottle. Please store this infusion in the fridge cause it's 100% water & we have not used a preservative. To avoid wastage make small batches of the infusion.

HOW I MAINTAIN MY FAUX LOCS

2019-02-03T22:48:00.000+03:00

I hope you are all doing great. This year I want to do a lot of protective styling, I have faux locs in this photo, but I still make sure I take care of my protected hair.

Here's a simple routine that I follow;
I wash my scalp after three weeks with a conditioning shampoo, I don't follow up with a conditioner/deep conditioner cause the shampoo is super moisturizing. I rinse the hair with warm water & then I do a fermented rice water rinse(I'm doing a 3 month challenge then I'll post my results). Rinse again with warm water & dry my hair with a t-shirt. Then I apply my oil mixture. If during the week I feel that my scalp is dry, I moisturize with a mix of warm water & oils and I always sleep with a satin bonnet.

Are you into protective styling? What is your favourite style? Wigs? Faux locs? Braids?

Outfit Details;
Off-the-shoulder ruffle top
Skinny jeans you can find similar here
Mules

HOW TO POST PHOTOS TO INSTAGRAM FROM YOUR COMPUTER

2019-01-21T22:37:00.000+03:00

Happy Tuesday, I hope you had a great start to the week. Today on the blog I want to share how I post photos to Instagram using Chrome from my computer withoout a mobile device. There 3 easy ways to do that. Go to Instagram and log in to your profile.

1.

Click on the 3 dots on the top right hand side > More tools > Developer tools. A dialogue box with code on the right hand side will appear, leave that alone. Refresh (CTRL+R) the page & you have the mobile view.

Click the add (+) sign to add your photo.

A dialogue box appears, click on the photo you want to add and then click open to upload the photo to Instagram.

Add your caption & hashtags and then click share.

2.

Go to your Instagram profile & right click on the page. A dialogue box appears choose inspect.

Click on the add(+) sign. A dialogue box appears like in the first (above) step to add your photo.

3.We are going to use a plug-in in this step.
A plug-in...A software component that adds a specific feature to an existing computer program. Go to Google Chrome webstore & search for desktop For Instagram. Add it, just like how you add apps to your phone.

It will add an Instagram icon at the top right hand side of your computer. If you want to upload a photo or add to your stories just click on it & it will bring the mobile version of your Instagram just like step 1 & 2.

Conclusion;
You cant use methods to upload multiple photos or videos and you can only upload stories with the plug-in method. If you try any of these tips to upload to your Instagram please share.

HELLO 2019

2019-01-05T11:00:00.000+03:00

Hello 2019. I hope you had a great start to the year. I have missed my little space on the webs so much & this year one of my resolutions is to create lots of content, yap it's that time of the year. I found out what works for me is writing down my goals & setting a timeline to just dictate the pace or urgency of the said goal. I found an app, goal tracker, that really helps with that. It has amazing features, my favourite being the reminder. It can remind you daily, weekly , monthly etc. So if you've set you want abs in 6 months that auto reminder will motivate you to go the gym & also clean that diet hehehe.

Do you have any resolutions for this new year? Do you have apps that help you with productivity? Please share.

Outfit

My outfit is perfect for this sunny weather. It's a sleeveless light trench with a cami, frayed hem denim, diy here, and cut-out ankle boots. Whole outfit is thrifted.

May you have a productive 2019.

DIY.... TASSEL EARINGS

2018-02-20T11:12:00.002+03:00

Happy New Year I hope it's not too late to say that lol. I made this tassel earrings last month but I wasn't able to post. My daughter was sick, I was sick aaargh this flu is something else. We are feeling better know.

Onto the tutorial... I love that tassel earrings are not a fad anymore. They keep coming back every time/season so I think they are must have for anyone you loves statement earrings. For this tutorial I used cotton (embroidery)
thread but for better results please use silk thread.

You'll need...
Thread
Earrings
Scissors
Fork
1. Wrap thread around your fork (5 times) & snip at the centre of the fork. Make sure one of the thread is long.
2. Transfer the threads from the fork to the hoop earrings & tie a knot with the long thread to secure the tassel.
3. Trim the ends & style them with your favourite outfit.

Happy Tuesday. I hope I post more this year & hopefully I'll share a fun project I'm working on soon.Happy 2018.

WHO IS TAKING CARE OF YOU.

2017-08-21T15:30:00.000+03:00

I didn't know self care was important till I got my daughter. Don't get me wrong I love my daughter but when you are with a toddler 24/7 you need to take care of yourself....cause happy mama, happy baby. I found ways of getting 'mommy me time' even if it's late at night when everyone is asleep. A few minutes to myself is all I need to recharge cause running after a toddler, all day, can be quite the workout.

Mama or not how do you take care of yourself?

On to the outfit, I wore a beaded blazer with denim & embellished grandma shoes. I can get with embellished shoes & blazer cause it's very subtle and they aren't competing.

Outfit
Denim - Thrifted
Jacket - Thrifted but you can find a similar one here

STRIPED DRESS & LEATHER JACKET

2017-07-24T13:51:00.001+03:00

It's so cold in Nairobi I have to take my leather jacket out,peep my daughter with a 'space suit hehehe. I styled my jacket with a striped dress & booties.What I like about this dress is the details. The wrap detail draw your eyes to the waist creating the illusion of a smaller waist & also the diagonal stripes help with that. I love dresses cause they are easy to style not like separates.

If you like dresses how to style them?

I hope you are keeping warm if you are in Nairobi & enjoying the weather wherever you are. Great week ahead.

HOW TO DECLUTTER YOUR CLOSET.

2017-07-03T15:19:00.000+03:00

I love clothes & at times I buy more than I need or get bored with what I have. I was watching the KonMari method of decluttering & I liked her techniques. Like you should keep items that spark joy, for example, this white crop top makes me so happy but I can't wear it at the moment cause I'm in a commited relationship with bread hehehe. Nway I'll be sharing my main tips of decluttering your closet.

1. Do You Feel Good Wearing It?
It can be an old sweater or a dress that you've styled a million times. No matter how old or out of style it is, you should always feel good in what you are wearing.

2. Keep The Basics.
I know at times you want to declutter when you are in an emotional space. During my postpartum period was super emo cause I had gained weight & didn't really know how to style my new body. When I decluttered my wardrobe I kept the basics cause I would restyle those items in so many ways.

3. Does It Fit?
At times we lose weight and still wear the same clothes or buy a dress that one size up & or down in hopes it will fit or it will be altered by your tailor. If doesn't fit you or you haven't altered it just give it away.

4.When Was The Last Time Your Wore It?
There are clothes I have had for years & I have not worn them. When I'm decluttering those are the first to go, cause there is a reason they are collecting dust in my closet. Maybe I don't like how it fits, or its over- sized, too tight etc.

5.Does It Fit With My Style At The Moment?
Mostly your are not wearing your once favourite top cause your style has evolved. Give it away & get something that suit your aesthetic.

What are the tips & tricks you use when you are decluttering?

HOW TO TAKE YOUR OWN OUTFIT PHOTOS.

2017-06-19T10:30:00.000+03:00

I hope you all had an amazing weekend.Today on the blog I'll be talking about photography. I'm not an expert but I will share how I take the photos you see on the blog & what I have learnt.

1.Equipment used ; Dslr Camera, Remote Conrol & Tripod.

2.Know your camera ; 'The best camera is the one you have with you'... (you can take photos with any camera) but if that camera is a digital camera please learn about Aperture, ISO & Shutter Speed.

Aperture ; Helps to control what you want to be in focus ,depth of field, especially when you are doing portraits or outfit photos. The lower the number ,measured in f stops, for example f 4.5 the more blurry the background.

Shutter Speed; How long your camera shutter stays open to expose the sensor to light.. For example a shutter of 100 means your shutter speed is open to 1/100 of a second. Sutter speed helps to capture motion. So if you use a high shutter speed motion will be frozen for example when someone is running. I usually use a slower shutter speed (1/100 -1/250) cause I'm usually standing or moving very slowly.
ISO; How sensitive your sensor is to light. If you use a higher ISO you might introduce noise to your image & will make your image grainy. I usually set it to 250 -320.

3. When you take your photos ; I usually take in the morning or evening, when sun is not out. At times the only time I get to shoot is at 1 or 2 pm so I try to find somewhere with a shade to take the photos.

4. Take the photos ; Now everything is set up is time to stand infront of your camera to take the photos. It can be awkward at the beginning but try different poses at differnt angles. I usually adjust my tripod to get different angles. For a detail shot like if I want to show my jewellery I move closer to the camera. I also love a blurry background so I don't lean on walls/ doors.

I'm also on the hunt to learn new photography techniques. My favourite youtube channels are Mango Street, Jessicca Kobeissi & COOPH.

TIPS & TRICKS OF THRIFTING IN NAIROBI

2017-06-12T10:30:00.000+03:00

All my life I had to thrift hehehe jk. I love love thrifting so much cause I get shop for unique pieces at an affordable time. I have learnt a few tips & tricks and today I want in going to shar

1. Have an open mind ; The ruffle detail is trending at the moment & you might see something online from maybe Zara. Please don't go expect that on a pile of clothes in Gikomba. I bought this ruffle cami for 10 kshs in Gikomba a few months ago. It doesn't look like anything I've seen online but it is still cute.

2.What to look for in the clothes you buy ; When you are buying clothes before paying go through each detail. Is it torn? Does it miss a button, zip or any embellishment? If you look closely my top is missing a button. I noticed when I was editing but found the button afterwwards. If it's something minor & fixable I usually buy it & do fix it myself.

3. When is the best time to shop ; When you are free or have time. There is a myth that if you go super early you get really nice stuff. At times you will but also you might be buying yesterday's stock. I have seen stock being opened at 3pm. Just develop your style first then you will have the best time thrifting.

4.Keep an eye on what the other shoppers are picking up ; These clothes are mostly in huge piles & at times you can't go through everything. If you see someone picking an item you like, first don't act interested,cause some people might think its cute & will not put it down hehehe, wait and see if they like it. If they put it down, meaning they don't like it, ask them to give you the item.

5. What to wear when thrifting ; I usually like to wear either a sleeveless dress or a cami & skirt. I'm going to try on clothes & most of the places I shop at are open air so no changing rooms. With a skirt its easier to try on denim & a sleeveless top or dress I try on tops.

6. Where do I shop ; Gikomba,Mtindwa, Toi (not so much cause it's a bit far), Think Twice (Its a new thrifing concepts not open air, I get my denim there especcially Levi's)

What I'm wearing... Ruffle top & Levi's both thrifted.

If you love thrifting, where are favourite place to thrift?

Photograpy - Self portrait.

MOMMIFROM: LOOSE PANTS

2017-06-05T16:18:00.000+03:00

Everytime I style an outfit I ask myself can I breastfeed my baby in it, even when I'm not with the baby lol. Short story....I few months ago a local radio presenter was surprised by her hubby in the studio & the hubs came with the baby. The baby started crying & mom had to excuse herself to feed the baby. As I was watching the video I was like I hope she has separates hehehe.

I came to learn there is nothing as frustating as trying to feed your baby but you can't because of what you are wearing. I try to put together my momiform (mommy uniform) to include separates that look cute but still will be perefcet for breastfeeding. Like a bodysuit & loose pants...separates but feeding the baby is next to impossible.

On to my outfit... I styled my tshirt (you can find the diy here) with loose pants & denim jacket. What I like about this oufit is I can play with my baby outside & oh still feed the baby cause its so comfortable, at times mommy jeans can be so uncomfortable though I love them.

If you are mommy do have a mommy uniform? If not how would you style loose pants?

Outfit - Thrifted.
Photography - Self portrait.

WORKWEAR INSPIRED : HOW TO A LAYER A JUMPSUIT

2017-05-29T17:50:00.000+03:00

The weather in Nairobi can be so unpredicatable. You can leave your house in the morning while its raining & by noon it's super sunny especially during the cold/ rainy season. During this time I like or I wear outfits that can be layered easily & still look like I put some effort to my outfit. This my favourite jumpsuit to layer cause of the neckline.

I styled my wide leg jumpsuit with a striped shirt & a blazer. I unbuttoned the shirt (halfway) to create a different dimmension/layer by exposing a bit of the jumpsuit. Then wore a skinny belt to emphasize the waist.

Outfit - Thrifted
Photography - Self Portrait

HOW MY STYLE CHANGED POST BABY.

2017-05-25T19:00:00.000+03:00

Long time no post. I shot a whole bunch of photos the other day but I didn't like how they turned out.

As I was editing these photos, I remembered how hard it was to style my post baby body just after giving birth. I had new set of boobs, hips & a muffin top. The first few months I was always in tights, tshirts & sweatpants. Then I gradually moved to jeggings & I'm now in love with mommy jeans, perfect for hiding my muffin top. I also learnt a plunging neckline / v neck will give the illusion of smaller boobs.

On to the outfit... I love how a simple detail can add a statement to your outfit & these bell sleeves did that. I paired my top with mommy jeans, they are high waisted just perfect to ~~snatch~~ hide my muffin top & give me extra length.

How has your style changed over the years?

Photography - Self Portrait
Outfit - Thrifted

RUFFLE HEM

2017-04-24T23:20:00.001+03:00

I love cropped pants but at times styling them can be a challenge. This pair was easy to style cause of the ruffle hem. It's a fun & feminine pair that you can style with almost any pair of shoes. I paired my pants with off-the-shoulder top (ruffles on the top & ruffles on the bottom lol) & block heels. I was going for a monochromatic look with different shades of the same colour.

I love ruffle details & I'm so happy they are everywhere right now...on blouses, denim,skirt, dresses etc & you can even make a statement with already what you have like this diy here. What is your favourite way to wear/ style ruffle pieces?

Lovely week ahead.

Outfit - Thrifted
Photography - Self Portrait

HOW TO MAKE BHAJIA

2017-04-10T10:30:00.000+03:00

Today on the blog I'll be sharing my favourite way of cooking my potatoes.

You'll need....

1 cup gram flour.
2 big potatoes or several small ones.
1 teaspoon of ginger powder/shredded
A handful of cilantro
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
Pinch of baking soda.
Oil to fry

Boil your potatoes & mash them.
In a bowl mix all the ingredients into a thick batter but not runny.

Put your pan on a medium heat stove & add your oil.

Check if oil is ready for frying by placing a small piece of batter & if it sizzles then it's ready.

Fry the remaining batter for 5-6 minutes or until brown.

Serve hot.

FLOWER POWER

2017-04-03T13:05:00.000+03:00

When in doubt style basics then punch it up with flowers, in this case a floral jacket. Do you at times look at the clothes you own & think how can I restyle these pieces? I think the best way to do that is style basics then add a statement piece. I did this by styling a wrap around blouse with denim(you can check how I frayed the hem here ) & a floral jacket. This is a bit casual but for a formal look you can sub the jeans with a wide leg pants, cullotes or just any pants you own.

Oh my daughter wanted to be on the blog so please enjoy the three photos of my little love trying take self portraits lol. Awesome week ahead.

Outfit- Thrifted.
Photography - Self portrait.

CULLOTES

2017-03-27T10:00:00.000+03:00

If you love cropped pants then you will love cullotes. They are fun & easy to style. When I bought this pair I wished it was black in colour, cause I think this colour is a bit limiting to what I have in my wardrobe. I styled my cullotes with a romper, though the cullotes came with a lining cause of the sheer fabric, and barely there block heels. Oh my daughter decided to photobomb.

Do you love cropped pants? How do you style them?

Have a lovely week ahead.

SHADES OF BLUE

2017-03-20T10:00:00.000+03:00

I love a denim on denim ensemble but I try as much as possible not to look like I have worn a onesie. The best way to do that is to pair different washes. I styled my outfit with different shades of blue, a light wash top with a medium wash. I accessorized with a multi-coloured bracelet for some colour & block heels.

What is your favourite way to style your denim?

Outfit - Thrifted
Photograhpy - Self Portrait

DIY.... FRAYED UNEVEN HEM

2017-03-13T10:02:00.000+03:00

I love tweaking pieces in my wardrobe just to upstlye what you already have. For this diy I made a frayed uneven hem with my favourite mommy jeans.

You'll need;
Scissors.
Seam ripper (optional).
Marker or chalk.

I unravelled the hem with a seam ripper or you can just cut above the hem with a pair of scissors. Your jeans will start to fray & once you wash your jeans the frayed hem will be noticeable.
Mark the side of the hem, front or back, you want to be uneven. Cut & let it fray lol.

Outfit - Thrifted.
Photography - Self portrait.

FAUX WRAP DRESS

2017-03-06T12:30:00.000+03:00

Happy new week......

I have had this dress for a couple of years but never wore it because of a wardrobe malfunction I had with a wrap dress, eventhough this is a faux dress. So when I wore it, I was pleasantly surprised how well it behaved lol. I styled the dress with black block heels cause of the abstract prints on the dress.

How would you style a wrap (faux) dress?

*Apologies for the over-exposed photos.

Outfit - Thrifted.
Photography - Self Portrait.

Lovely week ahead.

ATHLEISURE

2017-02-27T18:41:00.000+03:00

I hope you had an amazing weekend...

Today on the blog I'll showing you my take on the athleisure(styling sporty pieces with fancier clothing,yes kitten heels are fancy lol) trend. On to the outfit, I styled my joggers with a cami, leather jacket & kitten heels. A monochromatic look with a touch of pink.

You can also style with a baseball cap,sneakers or even a crop top. They are so many variations to this look. Is this a trend you love or you may/want to try?

Cami/Jacket - Thrifted.
Joggers - Borrowed from the hubs.
Photography - Self portrait.

Awesome week ahead.

STYLING AN OVERSIZED SHIRT

2017-02-20T16:08:00.000+03:00

Hi everyone, I hope you had an amazing weekend.

I styled a fitted men's shirt , you can find the outfit here , a while back & this time I decided to style an oversized one. This outfit is a combo of a few of my staple pieces. I'm loving the ovesized shirt at the moment cause the sleeves look like the statement/exagerrated sleeves that are on trend at the moment. I paired the shirt with denim & woven oxfords, a staple in my shoe collection.

How to do your style basics/staples?

Outfit - Thrifted
Photography - Self Portrait.

Lovely week ahead.

FLORAL

2017-01-30T09:52:00.000+03:00

'Fashion is the healthiest motivation for losing weight'.

I really wanted to wear this skirt post baby, so I everytime I worked out I could try it on. I can happily report that it fits...finally lol. I styled my skirt with a lace up floral top & my favourite mules.

Top - Thrifted
Skirt - DIY

SUNNY DAYS

2017-01-23T10:00:00.000+03:00

Oh sunny days how I love you. This is my favourite time of the year cause I get to wear all my off the shoulder tops, I'm so happy thay are on trend right now, or any summer tops. For this outfit I styled my off the shoulder top with high waisted pleated pants & animal print pumps.

How would you style off the shoulder tops? And is it a trend you love or hate?

Happy New week.

TUMERIC GOLDEN MILK

2017-01-16T11:30:00.000+03:00

Benefits of tumeric golden milk;

Helps with joint pain
Weight loss
Clears mucus
Helps with diabetes
Acne
Purifies blood
Helps with digestion
Helps with depression
Liver detox

You'll need;

1 cup milk (nut milk or cow's milk)
1 tsp tumeric
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon

Put your milk in a saucepan, add tumeric and boil for 5-7 minutes.
Strain the tumeric milk into a glass/cup.
Add honey & sprinkle cinnamon.