THE FASHION TALK

MEET FASHION ENTHUSIAST OLIVIA SONG 

WHO'S OLIVIA SONG?

Hello Everyone so today I am going to do a little interview with mrs Olivia Song, she’s definitely a Fashionista and has been involved into the fashion business and industry, and according to my research owns a fashion store In Cameroon Yaounde. She’s also the wife of a Cameroonian football sensation Alexandre Song. We will be conducting a short interview about Olivia’s interests and involvement with Fashion here from the W hotel in South Beach Miami Florida.

my dress=Ivanka Trump; Olivia's dress=Dolce&Gabbana

Good evening Olivia, 

"Good evening"

My audience and I would like to know how you manage to be such an influencer, a Fashionista, a business woman, a wife, and a mother. So first, How would you describe your style? 

"I don't see myself as being influential at all, I just love fashion, I've been into fashion for a while now, and fashion has become second nature.  I can only be glad that some people may be interested in my style."

I love your style, so how would you describe your style? 

"I don't have a style. I usually dress according to the way that I am feeling, and depending on the occasion. Sometimes I like to be classic and other times I like to be more casual, rocking the "destroy" look at its best. It's fun to have a different Olivia all the time."

  

Do you happen to follow fashion trends or do you stick to your style?

 "I have my own style but I'm following the trends a certain way ...you can't actually have your own style because of the ever-changing fashion trends. For example, this summer, you may notice that everyone is wearing flowery patterns, or brighter colors. I would then follow patterns and trends but I would always put my own twist to them."

What Item or Items make you feel fabulous and confident in your wardrobe? 

"Heels, I can wear anything, I can be dressed the most casual way but as soon as heels are in the picture, it's just Woow...I could casually wear my flats with a pair of jeans, but as soon as I switch the flats to my heels, I am ready for a restaurant date, or any festivity really. I need heels in my wardrobe, it's a must." 

when it comes to fashion designer would you prefer Chanel or Hermes? and why?

 "Hermes. Purchasing a hermes Birkin is an investment that I could pass on to my offspring if I happen to have a daughter. I could wear my Birkin forever, and still have my daughter wear it for life. Hermes is INTEMPOREL. I would even compare purchasing a hermes Birkin to buying a land, as the value of such a bag is always increasing on the market. "

-I had told Olivia about purchasing a Jumbo Chanel classic bag at a very much more expensive price than it's original price back when my mother purchased hers in the 20's, and this is what Olivia answered: 

"Chanel, you go in a shop and you can have any Chanel you want right? if it's still in the shop...Hermes you go in the shop: 'can I have a Birkin?'...no...

Women always seek for something unattainable, and precious. The more exclusive, the better, the more an item is rare, the more women want it even more. 

Hermes is hermes, I am sorry we can talk about this forever.

Because a Hermes bag is more expensive than a Chanel bag, reselling a Hermes bag provides a higher return on Investment; so you earn much more money than  if you sold a classic Chanel, THAT'S FOR SURE..."

what would you describe as the perfect outfit? 

There is no perfect outfit because honestly it depends on where you are going...let's put it this way: there's a perfect outfit for every occasion. The perfect outfit for a school run is not the perfect outfit for going to the restaurant, you know, so it really depends on where you're going. For going out, rocking an LBD with some high heels is the easiest way to go. For clubbing, I  feel that avoiding wearing anything super short, and super tight is also crucial. "

What do you think about Miami? the people?  and how they dress? 

I'm sorry, because they don't dress, It seems that everyone in Miami is wearing the same uniform, as in shorts with flat shoes. I feel that people here could put a little more effort into the way they dress. Once in a while, I may wear a lovely floaty maxi dress, instead of some shorts and a T-shirt."

-I had told Olivia about my experience with getting dressed at the university and always feeling overdressed among my classmates who where always wearing sweat pants, shorts and flip fops. And this is what she answered:

"just be you; I feel the same sometimes in London,when I go pick up my Kids from school, some parents ask me :'are you going somewhere nice?' I believe it's important to dress the way you would express yourself. and If I feel happier when I'm nicely dressed, I'd gladly use my kids school as my runway."

When you dress up, do you care for hair and makeup at all? 

" I like seeing girls with makeup, I see it as Art, you know,  because you can totally change your appearance...it's pretty, but I just don't have time for applying makeup... I would care more about my hair because I have Afro hair,  and I usually have to take care of it, in order for it to look presentable."

- I had shared my experience with Olivia about having natural hair in the past, and having such a hard time taking care of my hair, That I had to relax my hair again. I then asked her how she takes care of her hair, and she answered: 

"It's hard, because you need to make time for it, so what I do now is I Just use natural products, like 'beurre de Karite', or Olive oil ...I go to youtube channels... Although I've maintained my natural hair for 2 years now, I am not sure I will keep my natural hair; but at the same time, I am not willing to go back to unhealthy  thin relaxed hair yet. I'm still thinking about it... "

What is your holly grail beauty or makeup product? 

any beauty secret?

Because I don't really do makeup, I try to take good care of my skin, you know, so I've been using Dermalogica for years now and I use a whole set of Dermalogica skincare...Except from a daily skincare, sometimes I also like having facials at  Dermalogica beauty stands.The reason being, they use exclusive products for facials that you may not be able to purchase at their counter, or anywhere really.

I can't live without facials, yeah that's my thing, I don't do makeup but I do facials, I love it. I don't feel like I need makeup because I do facials, and Dermalogica is really good for dark skin.

What is “SYSTEM TCHAKAP”? what does it mean  and what’s  the idea behind the brand?

"My Husband Alex came up with "systeme Tchakap"; it really started like a joke; for him systeme tchakap is similar to Drake slogan 'yolo',it's his Cameroonian yolo. It's all about making the best of life, and having fun, because we're not here forever... he went from saying to his friends:' Tchakap les gars, systeme tchakap' to 'I'll put it on my shirt'...and the rest is history."

How did you determine your interest for fashion?

"I've always been into fashion because of my parents, as a little girl, I remember seeing them as like 'Wow'... they really did inspire me with their fashion and style, and even my friends were very well impressed with the way my mother would put her outfits together.   I've always been into fashion from a young age, and as I grew up my love for fashion also grew. My parents did not necessarily agree with the idea of me working in the fashion industry. They wish I could exercise more of a serious traditional profession such as being a lawyer,or working with the government. Fortunately, as soon as I got married, I could then make my own decisions for my career choices. I decided of course to pursue my passion for fashion, and I told myself:' if it's working, it's working, if it's not, at least I've tried', and for now...you know...touch wood, fingers crossed, it's working'. " 

Any advice on how to run or start a business such as your clothing store? 

" I am Lucky to have my parents. I wish I was able to open a business  where I live but as you may know it's not possible because my family is moving a lot. I couldn't do it in Europe because it was better to have it back home where my extended family resides, and can help me with my business."

How would you describe your current store to the audience? 

"It's a mix of everything: I do women's fashion from casual, to smart, or festive... I sell accessories, Kids fashion, and I also sell men's fashion. It's a mix,and what I sell is really reflective of my ecclectic style." 

How do you manage to be a wife, a mother of 2 beautiful boys and the store? 

"Women can do a lot of things at the same time...

of course obviously my family, my kids and my husband come first, so I always organize my time...when I need to buy things for my shop, I always organize my time considering the school run, picking them up, you know...you just have to be organized."

We are going to touch on the media aspect of your life

Do you manage to obtain privacy with being associated with such a big sport influencer in your nation? 

Yes it's very easy. I feel that I have my privacy because I am not looking for any attention. I really just want to be able to peacefully  buy bread  in tracksuits with my kids on a sunday morning. I  do cherish my privacy a lot. Obviously when we are with Alex, it's different, but I like to be able to do whatever I want with my kids, or by myself without drawing attention."

How do you manage the pressure and the so called “haters” from social medias and tabloids? 

" You get used to it, you know...At the beginning it's very hard because you take everything personally, but you get used to it, and you just live your life...people will always hate, always...so you just keep living your life as long as you put a wall between you and these kind of people, nothing can personally affect you. I had to learn that because many times I was feeling pressured, but now it's whatever."

Any advice to any young african girl that may look up to you? 

"For a woman, alway, always try to do something for yourself. Because you need that...I mean I'm a mum, I'm married, but before having my own business, I felt like something was missing, you know...so, we women, we have to...no matter what your husband does, we need to do something for ourselves. It's fulfilling; I'm proud that at school, when the teacher is asking my kids: 'what does your mum do', they have something to say. It's very important, it's making the woman a Woman. Always do something for yourself because you never know in life."

What are you wearing by the way? 

"Dolce Gabbana"

WHAT'S IN MY NEW CHANEL BAG?

MY BDAY GIFT TO MYSELF

I no longer receive birthday gifts. Well, I do miss the attention my folks used to give to the celebration of my birthday, but oh well, now that I can find the way to compensate myself for all the hard work I have done throughout these years of struggle, hustle, sweat, and success, I am just fine. 

I must say that I have what they call "bad luck" Birthday. My birthdays are not the happiest days of my life, trust me. From friends disappointments, to family arguments on my birthday, and so on, I must say that I almost wish not to do anything on my birthday. This year I have spend my birthday arguing and crying as I had a devastating news: My little brother was very sick. Yup...that is why I had already planned to shop for my birthday before my birthday. 

Either way, I hope you all enjoy this little clip of what usually keep in my summer bag which is a chanel medium boy bag in lambskin. CHEERS!

THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL MAKEUP APPLICATION

THE SECRETS TO A PERFECT MAKEUP

Here I am wearing The NARS all day Luminous weightless foundation; the NARS radiant creamy concealer; The Soleil Tan de CHANEL bronzer; the TOM FORD eye defining pen; the TOM FORD eyeshadow from the Nude Dip palette on my eyelid; a brown eyeshadow on my crease from the TOOFACED chocolate bonbon palette.

I firmly believe that After about 5 years of wearing makeup and trying different makeup brands, I have finally understood the key to a successful makeup application. There are several important steps a woman must follow to feel and look beautiful after she does her own makeup: 

1. BE PATIENT: this is a very important step not only with learning how to apply makeup but also, if you really want to look glam'd up, make sure to take your time for each and every step of your makeup. Everyone knows how a rushed makeup application may look like, and if you are not sure, watch 3minutes and 5 minutes makeup challenges videos on youtube ;)

2. BE CLEAN: The best ever makeup looks i have ever done to my face were achieved out of very clean brushes, and clean makeup. Yes I said "clean makeup" and that is because when your makeup is exposed to bacteria or contaminated with germs, the result is often not so good. For avoiding any contamination, make sure to keep your makeup on top of your vanity and not into hidden drawers (dark areas attract bacteria!). Make sure to close up your makeup containers thoroughly after use, thoroughly wash false lashes you wish to reuse ( this may also avoid you the pain of dealing with horrid eye infections as well); and of course make sure to wash and exfoliate your face before applying any makeup. A simple efficient skincare is always recommended to keep your skin away from dead skin cells, lips peel offs, or clogged pores. 

3. WISELY CHOOSE: Ladies and gents, please choose your makeup appropriately because of course we all have different skin tones, different skin undertones, different skin types (normal, dry, oily,combination to oily), and we can't all wear the same makeup brands. The easiest way to wisely choose your makeup products is to go in professional makeup stores such as MAC and SEPHORA, and seek the help of a professional makeup artist that can help you decide on the makeup that is good for you. These professional may often match you with the right foundation in stores, and suggest that you try the latest most efficient products on the market. 

4. STAY INFORMED: Because professional makeup artists may not always available for guiding you in stores, it is important to stay informed and do your own research by reading makeup magazines, blogs, and watch youtube videos. You may also quickly learn about efficient makeup techniques through makeup tutorials. 

MY ULTIMATE FAVES

The NARS radiant creamy concealer is one of the best concealers I have used along some of the ones from MAC such as the studio finish concealer or the pro long wear concealer. The NARS radiant creamy concealer is easy to use as it comes with a doefoot applicator which you can use directly on your skin. I usually use it for highlighting and the shade I use is in "Caramel"; this is the second tube I purchase, and yes it is that good. 

The NARS all day luminous weightless foundation is also one foundation i may never be able to live without. I use the shade "Macao". This foundation is dewy with a full coverage, it really does give you a fantastic subtle glow to your skin and helps covering all imperfections, which of course makes you skip the concealing steps of your makeup. If you have a combination to oily skin, this foundation may look a bit oily after about 3 hours of wear, meaning blotting is necessary. I would not necessarily recommend this foundation to oily skins; but it may just be the perfect foundation for dry skins. 

I have come to find out that the easiest way for me to do a cat eye is to use the TOM FORD eye defining pen. I honestly did not believe the hype about this product until I had purchased it. It is a really stunning eyeliner, the pigmentation is amazing, and the tip is very sharp and clean. 

I also now use my CHANEL soleil Tan de soleil (63 terre ambre) bronzer as a finishing powder. Because  this bronzing powder has an illuminating function, it works just as well as the MAC mineralized skin finish and gives a subtle, and nice glow to your makeup. I would recommend to use a bronzer of your skin color as a finishing powder. I know that other high end brands such as TOM FORD or even DIOR does magnificent bronzers you could use as such. 

FINAL LOOK & PRODUCTS

Overall I have found out that the best makeup looks for everyone are the nude looks. They appear to be more natural and flattering. for darker skin tones, light shimmery pastel pinks and purples for eyeshadows are the best for neutral looks. I may sometimes wear different lip colors with nude eyeshadows, such as reds ("Russian red" by MAC I am holding in the picture), or darker lip colors ("DIVA" by MAC I am holding in the picture). A light pink flush on the cheeks as well is very flattering and the most famous powder blush for this kind of looks is "peaches" by MAC cosmetics. 

My final look consists of the lipstick "velvet teddy" from MAC which I had use with a brown lipliner (cork from MAC) and some lipgloss; I did my brows with my brown dip down gel from MAC, I am wearing a pink blush (Flush 03 from TOMFORD);my cover girl queen collection ebony bronzer as a contour, and some natural cherry lashes. 

REFLECTION OF MANY YEARS AGO

There is this recurrent question people ask me whenever I decide to male Questions and answers sessions on my google hangout via my youtube channel. The question is :"what is your goal with your youtube channel? "...That is a question that I honestly do not seem to understand as I do and try a billion things in my existence. I have the tendency to taste the waters with anything and everything and goes with the flow with the hope of being successful in whatever I spend my time and energy in. Just like I wanted to do a professional photoshoot years ago as I was in college which have come handy while years later I used those professional pictures to establish a blog and a banner for my youtube channel. At the time I took these pictures, I was looking to have fun and experience something different. My point is people need to let go of the constant control they want to attach to their actions and experiences. In other words we certainly do not need to have goals glued out on our enterprises, as everything seem to make sense at the end. Yet I do not consider myself a successful blogger nor a successful vlogger on my youtube channel. I feel sometimes that my work is pointless but it still means something to me. The action of creating something myself means everything to me, and I believe that this is enough of a reason for me to still find time to share my life on social medias platforms.

OUR NYE OUTFITS

CHIC AND FASHIONABLE HAS NEVER BEEN THIS EASIER

blazer=Asos; Dress=Asos;sunglass=Dior So real;handbag=patent leather Chanel medium flaps; shoes=fendi

dress=bcbg;handbag=steve madden;

My NYE was a great experience with this lady called Estefania, it's always amazing to meet people that you may automatically click with and care for, 2015 has been a year full of hard work, tears and joy. Although full of ups and downs, the ups have outweigh the downs and I am very thankful to God and my family for such a positive year. I have grown so much, I have acquired so much confidence and understood so much about life. I can only hope to "Slay" 2016, yes I said it "Slay", one of those words that some of us would have liked to die in 2015 lol. But in all honesty, I would like to stay on such a good academic and professional track, being more organized in order to balance work with hobbies and passions, and more importantly being a free spirit and explore life way more. In other words my resolutions are, going out more, trying the craziest things, enjoy the miami sun and water, skydive, and travel. This world is a playground and I have understood that living in fear is not living. Don't let anyone dictate your life, this is YOUR WORLD.

SUMMER BLOG SALE Starting now (email me at gayella23@yahoo.fr)

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN LOAFERS (for sale)

These beautiful patent leather loafers are still in very good conditions, only because I wore them only 3 times since I got them last year. They retail for $600 US dollars and I am now selling them for $500 or best offer. These are a size 40, if you are a 39 like me , they should fit as well... I am almost sad I have to let them go because I actually do love them to bits, but I have way too many shoes in my closet and I feel someone else would wear these way more often than I do.

 SAINT LAURENT BRACELET (for sale)
this authentic Saint Laurent bracelet has been purchased about a year ago at the Saint Laurent at $395 US dollars. 
It shows some wear (couple scratches and imperfections that can be cleaned out at your local jewelry store) and is essentially a gold band attached to a stripy leather band. It is really the perfect minimal accessory to any outfit, and may make you look instantly chic.I am currently selling it for $150 US dollars or best offer. 

BLACK OR WHITE? Feat ASOS,TAHARI,CHANEL

LOOKING FOR THE EASIEST WAY TO DRESS YOUR CHANEL JUMBO BAG? 

Handbag=classic double flap jumbo chanel bag;blazer=taharitop=asos;pants=Asos;shoes=Chanel Loafers(summer 2014 collection)

Although the weather was not agreeing with me and with my hair during my blog shoot, I managed to feel way better about my outfit ;) I have been really wearing the same black on black outfits for the past few months, and changing outfits comes down to a different blazer or Jacket to turn up or turn down my look (yea I said it)..."Turn it up" with your very formal blazer from Macy's by the Designer Tahari who designs some amazing formal pieces if you are looking to get that very smart and elegant look.

This White Blazer is something that you have seen me wear on my previous post with my camel jumpsuit, but I found out it looks even more amazing against a black outfit. It seems to be a little more casual than the black one,but still you get that chic, simple look that never fails!

One of my Subscribers/Follower made me fall in Love with these Chanel Loafers which I thought were just "too much" at first sight. But indeed like she (my subby) said, they definitely "brightens my day"; it is so much more unconventional and definitely turns heads and starts conversations. These shoes may not be found in actual Chanel stores anymore because they belong to the past summer 2014 collection, but they may still be available at Sacks 5th avenue (where I purchased them), Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and more of these designers retail stores. Don't hesitate a to bring a little touch of fun to your outfit with these!