I want everyone to experience the comfort of wearing Faiz Alvaro- Faisal Mohammed

Faisal Mohammed is the CEO of Faiz Alvaro which is a shoe making brand with locally sourced materials. His production is made 100 percent in Nigeria. He has employed labour and have aspiration of diversifying into bags and clothes. Find out more on the challenges, visions and more.

Hello Faiz!

• Hello Phatymah!

Brief family and educational background...

• Well, I come from a family of six and I am the second born. My dad is a civil servant and my mum is a house wife. I did my primary school at Al-Iman private school, Jos, then to Federal Government College, Kano, for my secondary education. I then went to the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to study Agricultural Engineering which I am now a graduate of.

How did the name Faiz Alvaro come about?

• Obviously, Alvaro is an Italian name  which means the guardian, so I chose Faiz Alvaro because I wanted the brand to have an Italian feel of which we all know is the birth place of modern fashion as far as shoes and slippers are concerned.

What inspired you into shoe making/cobbling?

• The desire to be self reliant and provide jobs for other people is just one or two of the reasons that inspired me to start up my shoe brand.

Was there mockery from friends/family with your choice of business line?

• Ofcourse not! I have some of the most amazing and supportive friends who bought some of my very first slippers even before I branded it and have supported me all the way especially Zallah Zamani who has been a very big part of this.

Parental reaction you got?

• My parents have been supportive all the way but my dad was always against me joining business and school.

Challenges of the business?

• Some of the challenges range from the inconsistency of materials in the market. Lack of funds to grow bigger. Lack of constant power to operate some of the machines are just a few among many.

Most epic moment for you since the inception of the business?

• Every day has always been an epic one right from the inception as our popularity among our target market keeps growing.

Who would you like to see walk in your shoes?

• I am a big dreamer so I wouldn't say I have a specific person in mind but I want everyone to experience the comfort that comes from wearing a faiz Alvaro slippers.

What's the vision of Faiz Alvaro shoes in the next years to come?

• My vision is to go beyond Nigeria and Africa. To make better shoes that will beat the likes of Gucci, LV, bertozzi among others.

Was there ever a day you felt like giving up? 

• It is normal for an entrepreneur to feel like he/she wants to give up and I am no exception but I would say I have received a lot of support and love from people I know and those I don't to a point that I believe the brand is bigger than me so quitting is not an option.

(👍👍👍, quitting should never be an option)

Any plan to diversify? Maybe try something else like bag making?

• Yes there's. We are planning to start making all sort of bags and also expand into the clothing line but that is after we are sure we have gotten the shoe making business right.

Who is the lucky lady?😍😍😍 love nwatintin😂.

• Sorry I will pass on that question if you don't mind 😊.

(Awwwn😊😊, he must be shy)

Words of advice to fellow youths...

• My words of advice to other youths like myself is to never stop believing in themselves and also they should know that the right time to start is now, not tomorrow.Everything is possible.

Thank you Faiz for your time and patience. I haven't forgotten about the giveaway though. Next time is tomorrow😁😁😁. Continue to keep the brand growing and never quit. 


You can check on Faiz Alvaro's business on:

Twitter:@faiz__alvaro IG:faiz__alvaro Email:faizalvaro669@gmail.com

Rising star💞- 100 Acrewoods

Acrewoods is a Rhythm and Blues(RnB) singer with an afro mix who was born in Minnesota USA. He spent most of his life in Nigeria. He is currently in Houston, Texas, studying Graphic Designing. He has a voice like the weeknd  who is actually someone he admires. In this interview, he talked about his musical career and little crunches. Enjoy.

Have you been told by anyone that you sounded like the weeknd  in your song titled "why her"? 

• Yes I have haha!!! The weeknd is one of my biggest inspirations.

How did this music thing come about?

• I have been singing since I was in pre-school on stage for different school events, so you can say I've been singing all my life.

How did you come up with the stage name " Acrewoods"?

• "Acre Woods" was part of stories I grew up reading. The 100 acre woods was a forest full of demons weird creatures. I was always scared of it growing up. My grandmother read them to me and so did my parents and whenever they reached the part talking about the 100 acre woods, I would either tell them to skip or I would hide. Growing up, one of the biggest lessons I've learned is facing your demons and conquering them, so when I was looking for a stage name I wanted something that would remind me of my grandmother, parents and my childhood and also remind me to face my demons and believe I can do anything. I remembered the 100 Acre Woods and was like, why not, so I went with "Acre Woods".

Parents reaction?

• My parents have always supported me. They believe if I have a gift, I should pursue it and cherish it.

You are schooling and doing music. How do you balance both?

• I am in school right now in Houston Texas studying graphic design so I try to balance music and school. Hopefully someday, I'll be able to focus on music only.

My most favourite track out of all is " for what crime", what/who inspired the song?

• "For What Crime". I have always been judged for the little decisions I've made in life, disliked for no reason and shown love by a few who I cherish till day. I've always questioned each person that displays this negativity towards me " For what crime did I commit?" The funny thing is most at times they can't answer the  question. So I consider it an unsolved mystery and try to answer it all the time. Because it's something that is constantly in my head. I said why not bring it out as a title.

Is there a particular song with soo much emotion to it or soo much to it?

• Yes, in fact all of them. To be honest, music is the only way I can express my emotions especially when I'm depressed, I convert any form of sadness or anger into lyrics and create a song. I don't feel better till I make an actual track. I prefer singing to expressing my emotions to someone through a conversation.

Do you write your songs or use song writers?

• I write all my songs

Who would you like to collaborate with home and abroad?

• If I were to collaborate with someone at home, most likely Maleek Berry.

Any collaboration/record label yet?

• Haha no, I have no record label, no collaborations yet.

Who do you look up to in the music industry both home and abroad?

• I look up to The Weeknd, Tory Lanez, Post Malone and Roy Wood.

Do you listen to the beat to decide the lyrics or write the lyrics and create the beat?

• I listen to an instrumental and then make a song on it.

Shouldn't there be a song titled Fatima😩? 

• You're right 😄, I should make a song titled "Fatima" for all the beautiful Fatimas out there.

Thank you 101 acrewoods. You can download his songs on soundcloud-https://m.soundcloud.com/101acrewoods. 

Follow him on Instagram 100.acrewoods_

I can't wait for a song with my name as title😉😊.

#Simple#Modest#Chic- Ameena Mukhtar

Larusha is a brand name created by Ameena Mukhtar. She is undoubtedly one stylish fashion blogger and fashion designer and make us drool with her lifestyle posts. She designs incredible abayas "levoile'. She also got to model for Habiba Da Silva of lifelongpercussion who just launched her SKIN collection. Read more...


Hello Larusha! Tell us a little about yourself.

• My name is Ameena Mukhtar. I'm 19 and I'm Studying at Coventry university.

How did the name Larushaa come about?

• The name Larusha was given to me by my sister. 

How did blogging start for you? Did anyone or anything inspire you?

• A friend of mine advised me to start blogging about a year ago which I thought was a good idea. I decided to create a fashion blog because fashion is something I'm very passionate about and to be successful, you have to do what you love. I was inspired by a lot of modest fashion bloggers who made me realize i also have style tips I would love to share. My biggest motivation at the moment is knowing that people have an interest in what I am doing which encourages me to do more.  

Your niche seems to be "luxurious muslimah" (if I am wrong, correct me), has blogging changed you?

• Yes it has, in a good way. Blogging has undoubtedly made me more creatively organized. Also as a 'modest' fashion blogger, I now focus on covering up rather than just looking good. 

Define your style in three words

• Simple, modest, chic 

If you could have/raid a celebrity's/blogger, who would that be?

• A Qatari blogger named koodiz. 

Favourite colour?

• Pink 

The fashion trend you can never be caught in?

• Off shoulder trend

What inspired you to start LE voile?

• Basically my obsession for Abayas. I've always loved wearing Abaya's and picturing  different designs in my head. So I decided to launch my brand to be able to turn my imaginations to reality. 

Are there designers who inspire you?

• Every Qatari fashion designer inspires me 

Is there any advise you would like to give to people who want to be bloggers. 

• The only advice is to make sure it's something you really want to do before starting it because blogging needs dedication and hard work. There will be times when you'll feel like quitting but once you get through that, you'll enjoy being a blogger. 

If you were to read only one blog, which would it be and why?

• Eatsleepbefancy because I feel we have a lot in common and I love her posts. 

List five must have items in your bag.

• My card holder, charger, My complimentary card, lip balm and earphones 

Your skin is oozing an African butter feel to it, what product do you swear by?

•  I can't say because I actually do not use any special product on my skin.

Any giveaway exclusive for my readers😉 maybe a veil🙆🙆🙆

• Oh yes I will be doing a giveaway very soon so keep an eye on Levoilebylarusha. 

Thank you Ameena for your time. She is an absolutely humble and amazing girl. You can check out her blog www.Larushaa.com or her Instagram handle @larushaa.

Technology and jinns...

I have this thought and I really can't hold it anymore to myself. So it goes like this...

I have been thinking lately how in the name of God the Bluetooth works. Who transfers the file. How can I be in my room and receive a file, a heavy one for that matter in some minutes or less?

Have you even tried questioning telephone calls. Aswear at a time I told myself to forget about it. I make a call to somewhere far and talk to someone. Am I sounding like a rural girl already?

Let's then skip to the part where since I was little I thought I could touch the people on the television screen. How do they appear?

How electricity came to be is also one of my thoughts. Where is the electricity coming from. I answered Kainji dam and the sun😂😂😂. Hope my school fees isn't a waste.

It got to a point that a friend told me that technology works with jinns. I tried goggling but instead I end up goggling some vloggers and watch them😀😀😀.

Shoot me🔫🔫🔫

To an extent, I believe technology works with jinns. Someone will start to talk about satellite, internet and all🙍🙍🙍.

Hold it.

Imagine this...I send a text message to you, you read it and you reply me immediately all in a flash. How did the message(s) get in. How in the name of God did all these geniuses work these things?

I need answers.

But should I really care? I think I'm going insane or getting smarter😎.

Have a fruitful day🍇🍓🍒🍉🍍🍓🍒🍍

🌷Tulip🌷 kinda🌷 day🌷?

I feel in love with Tulip bistro the instant I saw it on my instagram feed some years back. I have always wanted to spread the worthy place but…

This is what matters now… 
Tulip bistro is located at Wuse 2 and Gwarimpa with an idyllic ambience. It has a modern scent I can’t quite fix. It is warm and picturesque with the little background music which is noticeable when you notice it.

For the record, here are five dishes you should try at Tulip bistro before 2017.

Chicken Caesar salad: do you really need me to explain how this salad tastes?  You better go get yourself a plate and figure it out. 

Oriental rice with anadariya chicken: the portion of this dish is more than enough. It is a dish that when you eat, there is this reminder in your mouth that you visited Tulip. 

Blueberry Muffins: this was what Tulip started with. It is a classic and forever requested by customers. 

Pineapple and ginger drink: this drink is refreshing. May it please come in a serve yourself jug. Sign petition here… 

Creamy pasta: why not just visit Tulip for goodness sake…. Arghh
If you are looking for an alternative to the bistro, you can try its twin sister Madres located at Wuse 2, Bangui Street. 

So the question is…. 

Have you made your day a Tulip day? 

Photocredit:Tulip bistro instagram 

FEEL YOUR BOOBIES 💖💖💖

            Breast Self Examination (BSE)

October is breast cancer awareness month and greatly pink.You must have heard and/or read a lot of stories on cancer.Sad and touching! The struggles and pains. It is death in another package. Even though cancer affects the elderly (35-*) than the youths, it is never too late to learn how to go about BSE(Breast Self Examination) and never very late to help in creating awareness for a better tomorrow. 

Below are the guidelines and a do it yourself or rather Breast Self Examination guideline in a snap.

• Pain in your breast that isn’t related to your period?
• A new lump, bump, or other change in your breast?
• A red, hot, or swollen break fluid or bloody discharge from your nipple 
• A lump in your armpit or near your collarbone? 

            Breast Self Examination(BSE) 

• Arms Over Your Head

Still standing in front of the mirror, raise your arms over your head and see if your breasts move in the same way, and note any differences. Look at size, shape, and drape, checking for symmetry. Pay attention to your nipples and areolas, to see if you have any dimples, bumps, or retraction (indentation). Look up toward your armpits and note if there is any swelling where your lymph nodes are (lower armpit area).

• Stand and Stroke

Raise your left arm overhead, and use your right-hand fingers to apply gentle pressure to the left breast. Stroke from the top to the bottom of the breast, moving across from the inside of the breast all the way into your armpit area. You can also use a circular motion, being sure to cover the entire breast area. Take note of any changes in texture, color, or size. Switch sides and repeat. This is best done in the shower, as wet skin will have the least resistance to the friction of your fingers.

• Check Your Nipples

Still facing the mirror, lower both arms. With the index and middle fingers of your right hand, gently squeeze the left nipple and pull forward. Does the nipple spring back into place? Does it pull back into the breast? Note whether or not any fluid leaks out. Reverse your hands and check the right nipple in the same way.

• Recline and Stroke

This is best done in your bedroom, where you can lie down. Place a pillow on the bed so that you can lie with both your head and shoulders on the pillow. Lie down and put your left hand behind your head. Use your right hand to stroke the breast and underarm, as you did in step 4. Take note of any changes in texture, color, or size. Switch sides and repeat.
Mark your calendar to remind yourself to do your BSE regularly. Stay relaxed and breathe normally as you do your BSE. Becoming tense will produce some knots that you may mistake for something worrisome. Report any changes or unusual pain to your doctor or nurse.
Reference…www.breastcancer.about.com
Please make sure you examine yourself and pass around to your friends and families. 

Cupcakes and kisses