Babies
Preserving My Sexy
I keep getting questions via email and in the streets about what sort of make-up products I use, type of lotion for my skin or what my beauty/weight secrets are in general. Sometimes, I get people rubbing my face because they don’t believe the answer I give them, so I decided to just throw it out there…blog about it.
As far as my skin goes, I never use lotion. Never. It doesn’t work for me, not only because I have dry skin, but I feel like it doesn’t give me the glow/shiny look I try to go for. For my skin, I use the good ol vaseline petroleum jelly. It works wonders and makes my skin smooth. I have used vaselin since I was a little kid, and that’s about the only product I use on my kids as well. I also tend to mix it with Johnson baby oil. I have even converted Greg to vaselin, so yes, caucasians can use it too. I especially love my skin over the summer as I get darker and shiny. The vaseline and sun combo is extraordinary.
For make-up, I don’t have any secrets and know nothing about make-up. I sometimes rely on my sister, Funmi (she was responsible for my beautiful make-up on my wedding day). So, my make-up consists of the medicated dusting powder from Nigeria (it’s in a white can). It is often used for heat rash or prickly heat. That’s my foundation and my powder. It is white, so it does not rub off on garments, etc. It also works to prevent any breakage on my face while serving as make-up, and that’s why I love it. I also use black eye pencil, and brown lip gloss to get a more natural look and prevent chapped lips. That’s it for my routine.
To those who asked where I get my eyebrows waxed, I have never waxed or shaped my eyebrows. Never touched them. I’m no help in that area, but look forward to posts from other beauty experts who will give us some tips.
Because I use limited make-up, I usually don’t have to worry about washing my face at night before I go to bed. I just clean my face with sea-breeze and it’s a wrap. I use sea-breeze twice a day. First in the morning right after I shower and wash my face, and as I mentioned, before I go to bed. I do not use lotion or cream on my face…it clogs up my pores. It is also essential to drink lots of water.
As far as maintaining my weight, I work-out. A lot. As a mom, it’s difficult to find time to go to they gym, so I created one at home. My gym consists of a treadmil, different size weights, yoga mat, and an iPod. I run 10 miles/day (at most); on bad days, I run 6 miles and lift weights. With Sidney, I didn’t exercise during - I did after. While I was pregnant with Zurhi, I ran until it started getting uncomfortable running with a belly. With this pregnancy, I ran only a little, and stopped early because I got sick. It’s is OK to run while you’re pregnant as long as you were exercising before conceiving. It is not a wise move to start working out after/during pregnancy because your body goes into shock mode. Always consult your Doctor or personal trainer. I don’t do stomach crunches because I don’t feel like it works for me. If you don’t have flat abs, it creates a bulge aka tummy pooch and you don’t want that, however, I do side crunches to help with love handles or muffin tops as we call it in Los Angeles. 20 on each side (5 sets).
For those with new babies at home, run or exercise while/when the baby naps. When Zurhi was a baby, the sound of the treadmill actually put her to sleep. The Doctor said the reason they respond to noices like that outside the womb is because it is similar to the sound they were used to in the womb. The sound of a vacum. If you choose to catch up with other chores around the house when the baby is napping, I suggest you work something out with Dad. Have him watch the kid(s) for a couple of hours while you exercise, shower and look fresh for him.
I eat healthy food, and try to stay away from man-made carbs, or any sort of white color food. There are times when I do eliminate carbs from my diet, but when I crave, I eat whole grain/wheat bread, rice n pasta. Seriously, try wheat spaghetti and I promise that you’ll never go back. I treat myself once a week to red velvet cake and chocolates (the amount I eat is another story).
So, maintaining this lifestyle and not seeing it as a chore or phase is what has helped me preserve my sexy. As mentioned in my holiday blog post, I’ll be featuring both women and men once a week, from all ethnic backgrounds (everyday people/parents, fashion, health & beauty experts, personal trainers, actors, models, etc.) on how they stay healthy and beautiful. We’ll have pictures and a mini bio up on each individual. They will share their tips with us.
PS - I am not Ethiopian or Somalian. I am 100% Nigerian from Ibadan, though, I have some Hausa blood 
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Tags: black eye pencil, black eyeliner, dusting powder, Exercise, exercise while pregnant, fashionista, Funmi Kuye, iPod, lip gloss, love handles, make-up foundation, make-up tips, muffin tops, preserving my sexy, running during pregnancy, sea breeze, stomach crunches, treadmil, vaseline, waxed eyebrows, whole grain foods 
folake i am so proud of you. living in nigeria some people will assume you are vain when you take good care of yourself after having babies. i have 4 children i work out and watch what i eat i take care of my skin i wear clothes that compliment me and i am an american size 6. it not easy but its a lifestyle and no i am not a stay at home mom i have a high profile corprate executive job. theres alot of benefits to working out and looking good. i look good, my husband is proud to show me off, i have enegy to take the kids swimming, play tennis and go to the park. i have confidence i’m happy and yes i am sexy. this goes out to all the yuummie mummies out there. and for my moms that are not working out after having the kids pls get up and hit that tread mill you will thank me for it. i am happy there is alot of sexy moms in lagos. will send you there names later. and folake you are beautifuul
this a list of some of the most stylish sexy moms around. this not the official list i am sure i forgot some but i am going to focus on the paparazzi favourites and the moms that alot of people know or the ones that have frequent the pages of naija fashion mags like thisday, genevieve, city people, econmium and truelove etc. and these women are under 35 with more than 2 kids but 3 of them have 1 and some even have more than 4 not in any paticular order omotola, linda edozien, tara durotoye,oluchi, lisa folawiyo, olouchi, ojy(model)sola akpataadesuwa dozie, genevieve nnaji, omoyemi akerele,nkiru adekoya, bola balogun, ifeoma williams, jennifer obayuwana, babi subhair,mrs okoye, stella damacus, uche balogun, kehinde benson ukeje, lanre da silva, wumi williamsfolake folarin coker, bisi shonekan, ayo amusan,dunni igebenidion, umola majukodumi, bola benson, kate henshaw. this is part one i will send part two later i have to get back to my “high profile job” see ya
Well u had me rolling, cause I remember asking u what u used for ur skin when we 1st met. I was surprised to find out it was good old vasiline.lol Well will continue later NEPA just took light lolll…
@ Kemi, I’m proud of you too. Kudos to you! 4 kids? Only if you could see me bow
I totally agree with your comments, and I’m here to help other moms and let them see that life is not over after kids. Thanks for support and the list? bravo! Appreciate it. Keep coming back!
@ Kemmy, you are officially a clown! NEPA took light? LMAO!
I am thankful for the type of genes I have because I don’t work out. However , I use vitamin oil on skin. It is amazing for my skin. It removes any marks I want to remove or minimize and it juts gives me this healthy, natural glow. It works wonders. For make-up, I prefer natural makeup preferably MAC Mineral makeup. I like to keep it very natural. I even use natural soaps and my favorite soaps comes from LUSH .
My face is a face that MAC built but when its not under construction… good old Palmers cocoa butter works wonders… Vaseline too is a skin saver, i remember once i went on a skiing holiday and forgot my moisturizer, my vaseline lip balm came in handy as a moisturizing substitute especailly in those weather conditions.
Like you, we GYM it and also drink loads of H2O which is great for the skin.
I GUESS we are generally all just lucky as rget say… BLACK DONT CRACK…. well if it aint cracked or bleached already!! hahaaa..x
Preserving sexy …cute Folake
I totally LOVE your blogs and how creative you are. Again KUDOS!!!!
Ok…as a proud mother of one. I KNOW that preserving sexy is a must. I work out…though not as religiously as I used to and I look at my pictures from the holidays and I realize there is a lot more junk than there used to be - LOL (but that’s another story entirely).
@Arieta LOL!! I have to say I totally agree with MAC construction. I love their pigments and would actually call myself a collector of sorts. I am very adventurous make-upwize and so I go from days with nothing on but chap stick and moisturizer…to full face, including lashes…its the versatile woman in me…what can I say?
Eyebrows get threaded…I stopped waxing awhile ago…I find the threading lasts longer.
Because I have zits so my dermatologist has me on lotions for that…I do recommend using a moisturizer that doubles as sunscreen (yes, even for our skin!!!!)
i love that everyone one has great skin, and all you guys need is a little moisturizer here and there. my genes neeed help help i need microdermabrasion, blue peel and all sorts of expensive creams so i am hating on everyone because i have to work hard for great skin workout like hell to be slim. i don’t have natural beautiful teeth so i have veneers i don’t have long hair so i have expensive weave. i know everyone is wondering do you not love yourself why try so hard to preserve your sexy. yhe truth is i was averege looking and i accepted it.after doing all this i am drop dead gorgeous so why not. i would never do plastic surgery i am into maintaing or preserving my sexy. folake do you have any extra presure on preserving your sexy living in beverly hills the home of the beautiful people
Well where was I b4 NEPA took light lol.. I personally Im constantly trying new products. I love Bobbi Brown foundation stick the hue is perfect with my skin , Im also a fan of MAC bronzer and lip gloss. I love the natural look less is better for me.
Im just starting to get back into working out, wish I did more cardio, but I do pilates and yoga. I believe we all have to find what works for us every skin is different. I agree with Areita drink lots of water!
Hi Kemi, to answer your questions, I feel no pressure whatsoever because I live in Beverly Hills. None! I’m not in that scene. I don’t hang out at parties, bars, or clubs. I don’t even see the image thing. If you read my previous blogs, I believe it’s “that’s not my sister. that’s my mom.” You’ll see that most people are regular size/mummy looking (for lack of a better term/word).
The truth is, I don’t have to work-out as much as I do. My friends that know me will tell you, and I don’t starve myself. I work-out because I just love to run, and I like having a toned body. Seriously, if I stop working-out, I will pack on 7-10lbs, but you can’t tell. So, working-out for me is not to loose weight, my dear. It’s just a lifestyle. I enjoy being active.
PS- There’s nothing wrong with all the extra things you do to make yourself look good. It’s your body, it’s your life, It makes you happy, and your husband is not complaining. Like you, I draw the line when it comes to plastic surgery! I don’t even want to go there. May be you should try some of these natural products that people have mentioned. No?
Right, lots of H20….does wonders for weight control& skin.
Preserving sexy! this is easier for some than others, I believe genes play a role in this preservation process, making it easier for some than others. I have two lovely kids, after i had my son, i lost all the weight and more without any effort (i did not exercise or diet one day, maybe it was the breastfeeding that helped), well with my daugher…, different story i have done everything from starvation diet (my own diet, i do not eat anything, i only had Starbucks green tea latte) to lipo injection shots.
My weight challenges have been real frustrating for me as i do not overindulge, i drink lots of water everyday, breakfast for me is usually a parfait and coffee, lunch is salad and dinner is grilled chicken or pepper soup.
I also have dry skin and have used everything from La Mer (which i think is overrated) to Eucerin. Currently using Lac-Hydrin prescribed by my dermatologist, and I eat dark chocolate
(70% cocoa) daily. I hear it is good for the skin.
Good luck ladies
@Kemi you are right for some people it is so much easier to have great skin, look slim etc than others. However you are doing the right thing by finding out what works for you and enjoying the end product of looking gorgeous. As for your skin have your tried Arbonne products. They are all natural and work wonders for the skin they have facial, aromatherapy, anti-aging, nutrition, weight loss etc. I just started using their products and have received noticed a difference. I have received numerous complimnts on my skin, earlier today I went to the MAC counter to get a few products and the MAC consultant asked me what I used on my skin. I know I had good skin before but I can definently feel a difference. Check them out online. I am not sure if you drink alot of water but don’t underestimate the power of H20. You might already have tried it but thought I should mention it.
Well said your Fierceness. Finegeh Thanks for sharing ….Its good to find another way to seek your consultation for free. How have you been ?
Preserving sexy is no easy task, although some do have it easier than others (they struck gold in the gene/high metabolism pool :)) For me I’ve started back in the gym 4 times a week doing cardio and weights for 30minutes. I think all has been said about eating healthy and in moderation as well as H20 and it’s benefits so I won’t add to it
But for those who are not lactose intolerant, 2% milk - a glass a day (or yogurt) is also good for weight control.
At the end of the day when striving to preserve sexy (love that term) or to be a “yummy mummy”, determine what is sexy for you, your goal and what it’ll take to reach it and don’t be swayed; after all sexy is a state of the mind/attitude and not the size of your clothes (or shoes)
Vaseline eh? That’s me covered in the most monstrous zits ever.
i wish i could see pics of the ‘yummie mommies’ commenting on this post! with all the different techniques, the common denominator is the care and pride in our appearance. i bet you are all so beautiful!!
i don’t workout per se, but i do lead a dance circle every week. being active feels amazing! and BFing definitely helped melt away the pounds after my son was born.
i’m pretty low-maintenance for my beauty routine (if i put on makeup it’s benetint and/or lip gloss, but i’m trying to learn to play more with color.) but my skin is pretty dry in the wintertime. i do alcohol-free witch hazel toner, and moisturize with combos of natural oils - right now i’m playing with a shea butter/virgin coconut oil/calendula oil/oilive squalene blend.
but the best skin care product in my arsenal is MSM supplements. i always forget my vitamins, but even if i only remember to take it once or twice a week, i can feel a difference in my skin INSTANTLY. smooth, dewy, supple. mm mm mm.
@ Kemi way to go girl…. Alot of us are average looking and all th@ pampering pays off.
You have really inspired me , i have just one child and i ahve been struggling to loose weight f or 4 years , i currently run 2 miles every morning …reading your blog has inspired me to do more and push myself!