Tuesday, 28 February 2012

Ibeji Figures, What Are They?

Ibeji figures are small commemorative wood carvings made by the Yoruba tribe of West Africa . Ibeji figures are made to contain the soul and spiritual essence of a dead twin. Called Ere Ibeji( sacred ibeji). The word ibeji literally means twins. Yoruba families believe that caring for the carving of the dead twin will help the surviving sibling to flourish.


Each area or Yoruba land has its own particular style of depicting the ibeji figures and many regional styles and sub styles can be recognised. These charming figures are an art form in themselves and the distinct personality of each figure has made them a staple favourite with collectors.


The Yoruba are one of the most populous tribes in Africa . They have a cultural and religious tradition going back millennia. For unknown reasons the Yoruba have a higher incidence of twin births (ibeji) than any peoples anywhere in the world. In many African cultures, twin births have been historically regarded as ignominious; a herald of certain misfortune. Only in the animal kingdom were multiple births considered acceptable or natural. Twins were often killed at birth or secretly separated and given away or banished. During the reign of a Yoruba king during the 18 th century and probably because of a multiple birth in royal circles, a dramatic reversal in the perception of twins began amongst the Yoruba. From this period, twins were proclaimed as a blessing and the harbingers of luck and good fortune.


If both Yoruba twins die in childhood, two Ibeji figures are commissioned from a skilled carver who specialises in Ibeji. The carver is chosen by the family who supply him with offerings of food and drink during the process of carving. Once the ibeji is completed, a ceremony follows after which the ibeji is kept by the mother or other family. The ibeji figure is ceremonially blessed, offered food, washed and cleaned with cam wood powers. It is treated as a living entity for many years, often beyond the lifespan of any living person. The faces and bodies of many ibeji figures can be seen to be worn down from decades of rubbing and cleaning.


Many Yoruba carvers are known by name. Whole families of carvers passed this skill down through the generations until the 20 th century. Some Ibeji figures can be attributed to specific families or even individual carvers:


There are many know Yoruba artists of carvers. Some notable carvers:


- Olowe of Ise


- Arowogun of Osi


- Eshubiyi and son Akinyode of Abeokuta


- Adugbologe of Abeokuta area whose work is marked with a small triangle or square on the base.

Hair Garlands Wholesale

Hair flowers and Hair garlands wholesale from KGM accessories.


Hair garlands or hair flowers have now become a fashion favourite for summer events, parties, festivals or just every day fun; when you wear a hair garland you will immediately feel an uplifting mood come over you, that's the power of flowers. It all started off at the festivals a few years back its was just the right time for this 1960 trend to take off again with a new twist for the present, simpler more refined models of hair garlands with a simple paper flower and bead design. We offer hair flowers, hair garlands wholesale and hair accessories wholesale and we ship worldwide. Coming soon a retail section on our website www.kgmhats.com will allow you to purchase some single items such as hair garlands animal hats and accessories.


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Hair garlands or hair flowers come in one size approx 59cm simply bend to fit a smaller size


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Sunday, 19 February 2012

Five Questions Answered about Permanent Makeup

Cleopatra used to use permanent makeup way back in the Egyptian times to create her wonderful looking and famous eyeliner so if it was good enough for her back in those times, then why not have it done on yourself in this day and age?


This is easy to say I suppose when you know about the whole procedure and the treatments that you can have now but if you are unsure of whether this could be for you then read on and this article should be able to help you out a little bit more with your choices.


I have put together five of the most common questions that get asked here regarding the semi permanent makeup procedure and hopefully this can be a start for you to look into it a bit more and decide if you would like to have some treatments for yourself.


What is the beauty procedure that is permanent makeup?

This is a procedure in the beauty industry that is sometimes also referred to as cosmetic tattooing. It is a little bit like having a tattoo because of the fact where pigmentation is applied to the dermal layer of the skin but is not so permanent as a tattoo is on your skin.


How long will the permanent makeup last?

This type of treatment can last anything up to five years depending on the lifestyle of each individual person and various other aspects that you will need to look into when you have your consultation with the specialist beautician who will be carrying out your permanent makeup. Swimming and regular saunas or steam room can affect the permanent makeup lasting so long.


Is it a painful procedure?

Clients that have had this procedure carried out say that it is not necessarily painful but just feels a little bit uncomfortable. Anaesthetic is applied at three different intervals during your treatment which are before, during and after the application of the permanent makeup procedure to ensure that you are at your most comfortable as much as possible.


How long does it take to apply?

It can take up to two hours to apply the permanent makeup professionally and correctly so that it is not rushed and looks it's best for you.


Is it safe?

It is a safe procedure to have but do discuss any worries that you may have with the beautician at the time of consultation and they will advise you of anything that you need to know regarding healing and any swelling that may occur immediately after your treatment.

Permanent MakeUp - UK Permanent Make Up Lists the UK's leading Permanent Makeup techncians in the whole of the UK... London... Kent... Surrey...


10 Little Facts about Semi Permanent Makeup

Semi permanent makeup has been around for many centuries now with Cleopatra being one of the first known celebrities for having it applied to herself for her very well known, famous, dramatic and very stunning eye make up that she used to wear on her face in the Egyptian times.


Sometimes these new beauty treatments do not ge the coverage that they deserve and this leaves people uneducated on the treatments that are readily available to them.


So if you have heard about it but are still unsure of some of the facts then this is where this article could help you and many other people out.


I have attached below ten of the main facts about semi permanent makeup so that it can give you a head start of your research and then maybe get you thinking about having some done for yourself as it is not just for the rich and famous out there.


Because it is now more readily available in high streets and salons around the country, it is becoming more affordable to every day people like you and me.


So let me get started on the ten little facts that i have gathered for you.


- Pigmentation is applied to the dermal layer of the skin to create natural skin tones by the use of a machine that is a lot like a tattoo machine.

- It can take up to two hours to complete the whole procedure so that it is not rushed.

- It can last anything up to five years on some people depending on lifestyle.

- Swelling and redness can appear straight after the treatment but this will go down and fade after a few days.

- It is not a painful procedure, most people say uncomfortable more than painful.

- Anaesthetic is used throughout to ensure comfort.

- You can have various parts of your body done.

- The most popular areas are lips and eyes with brows being the favourite.

- It can also be used for medical reasons such as loss of hair or nipple reconstruction.

- Many celebrities now use it regularly to keep their looks youthful and younger looking.


So you see just from those ten facts, it is quite a good type of beauty procedure and it is now becoming more readily available and affordable to the general public because of the fact that the celebrities love it so much too.


We all like a bit of glamour in our lives and this is one way of achieving it.



Semi Permanent MakeUp - UK Permanent Make Up Lists the UK's leading Permanent Makeup techncians in the whole of the UK... London... Kent... Surrey...

Introduction to Permanent Make Up

If you like to look good and are worried that you may be losing your youthful looks due to your age or maybe a medical condition that has caused loss of hair or scarring to your body then you may be interested in having a more permanent make up solution.


This type of beauty procedure is now becoming much more popular due to the fact that it can last anything up to five years on some people and has been known to give many people an instant boost in their confidence especially in the case of medical reasons where confidence can be lost due to hair loss or any type of scarring that may occur after an accident or an operation.


Permanent make up can also be used after having a baby when some people are left with stretch marks that they find unsightly.


Certain conditions can cause hair loss so being able to have permanent make up to disguise that issue is the perfect solution for anyone who would like it covered or disguised.


So what are the cosmetic procedures that are the most popular to have nowadays?


Well, there are three main areas of the body that get chosen for permanent make up and here is the list with a brief explanation afterwards as to how it permanent make up works in those areas.

- Eyebrows

- Lips

- Eye Liner


Eyebrows can be defined so that they frame the face properly and give the effect of a more youthful appearance.


Lips can be made to look plumper and fuller because as we age the lips do get thinner and can give away our age through them.


Eye liner is applied to create more wide awake looking eyes which also help with the younger looking appearance that we all like to have.


So what about the other medical reasons that permanent make up can be used for on people?

- Scars

- Alopecia

- Cleft lip

- Burns

- Nipple or areola reconstruction


All of the above medical problems can cause loss of confidence and can be easily treated with the use of permanent make up.


Scars can be camouflaged and softened with pigmentation being blended into the skin so that they are less recognisable.


If you have any of these medical issues or are just looking for some cosmetic treatments then have a look into permanent make up to see if it the way for you to go.



Permanent Make Up - UK Permanent Make Up Lists the UK's leading Permanent Makeup techncians in the whole of the UK... London... Kent... Surrey...

What is Semi Permanent Make Up?

Semi permanent make up is basically what it says.


It is a form of make up that is applied to areas on the body which will not be permanent but will last a very long time, sometimes up to five years on some people.


Areas that semi permanent make up is mostly used on are.


- Eyebrows - Eyebrow defined and shaped perfectly to fit your face shape.

- Eyeliner - Eyeliner can be tattooed on so that the eyes look more awake and you do not have to worry about applying eyeliner every day.

- Lips - Lip contouring to make the lips look fuller and more plump thus giving you a younger looking set of lips.


It can be used just for cosmetic reasons but has been used also for medical reasons.


- Scar camouflaging can hide any unsightly scars that you have which is especially useful if the scar is on an area where others can see it more such as your face or your hands.

- Nipple reconstruction can be done where surgery has had to be performed such as a mastectomy. This gives that person the confidence back that they may have lost.

- Stretch marks can be blended so that they are not so noticeable and again helps that person to gain more confidence in their bodies.


Some people suffer from hair loss or people who are having any sort of chemotherapy may lose their hair so they opt for semi-permanent make-up so that their confidence is not affected by not having any hair.


The make-up is applied by using a machine which is a lot like a tattoo gun and it is a pigmentation which is put into the dermal layer of the skin to create pigmentation that matches your skin tone and colours.


It can also give the effect of younger looking skin and this in itself is a confidence boost to whoever is having it done.


It is not a painful procedure but more like a tingling sensation as anaesthetic is used before, during and after the whole procedure just to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible.

It takes around two hours for the whole procedure to be carried out and once it has healed it can last up to five years.


You should have a full consultation with a professional make-up specialist who will advise you on the best type of semi-permanent make-up that will suit you and look the best for your skin tone so why not have a look and see if this would be something that you may like.

Semi Permanent Make Up - UK Permanent Make Up Lists the UK's leading Permanent Makeup techncians in the whole of the UK... London... Kent... Surrey...