THEWILL DOWNTOWN OCTOBER 26, 2025

EDITOR’S NOTE

CPhoto: Kola Oshalusi @insignamedia Makeup: Zaron

laudia Kwarteng-Lumor started her career in corporate banking before transitioning into media and publishing. Her biggest misconception about the media and publishing industry was that it operated on the same level of discipline as the banking sector. Kwarteng-Lumor thought that there was a predictable revenue. She believed that if the content were great, the advertising would follow a predictable quarterly pattern, but she soon came to realise it wasn’t the case. She learned that in the Ghanaian and African media space, the industry was far less formalised and much more susceptible to economic volatility— you have to be an entrepreneur every single day to secure partnerships, not just a publisher.

Apart from being a publisher, Kwarteng-Lumor was recently appointed United Nations Global Ambassador for the Waterlight Save Initiative (WSI), championing access to clean water, healthcare, and education across underserved communities, and she has great plans for this appointment.

Read Claudia Kwarteng-Lumor’s story on pages 8 to 10—she tells all in this interview.

Sometimes we are mentally and physically drained, feeling like doing nothing. But did you know that specific colours can help you snap out of it? These colours can instantly lift your mood when you’re tired. We discuss them in our fashion pages. You have to read this article; scroll to pages 4 and 5.

This week, Downtown Confidential tells the tale of meeting an ex in the most unlikely place. Memories come flooding into her mind, and let’s just say she left pounds lighter. Scroll to page 15.

Don’t miss our movie review on page 16; we have another great playlist selection just for you.

Until next week, enjoy your read.

@onahluciaa + 2348033239132

AUSTYN OGANNAH

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Executive Editor: Onah Nwachukwu @onahluciaa

Writer: Johnson Chukwueke

Design & Layout: Olaniyan John ‘Blake’

Digital Media: Oladimeji Balogun

Consulting Art Director: Sunny Hughes ‘SunZA’

www.thewilldowntown.com

5 Colours to Wear When You’re Tired

Untold Truths The Friendship Reckoning

The Art of Not Explaining

Boluwatife Adesina @bolugramm

- Contributing Writer

Boluwatife Adesina is a media writer and the helmer of the Downtown Review page. He’s probably in a cinema near you.

Dorcas Akintoye @mila_dfa_ - Contributing Writer

Dorcas Akintoye is a dedicated writer with 5 years prolific experience in writing articles ranging from food, entertainment, fashion and beauty.  She loves writing, listening to music and playing scrabble. She is a highly-skilled, enthusiastic, selfmotivated professional writer. The Black Phone 2 8-10 15 16 REVIEW DOWNTOWN CONFIDENTIAL COVER Claudia KwartengLumor From Glitz to Global Impact Eden Bliss A Taste of

Sally Chiwuzie @unshakable.is.a.state.of.mind

- Contributing Writer

Sally Chiwuzie is a non-practising barrister who owns the brand #Unshakable. She is the author of Silent Symphonies, a fictional love story, and the creator of the podcast Chronicles of #Unshakable Truths.

Ada Obiajunwa @aaddaahh

- Contributing Writer

Ada Obiajunwa writes from Lagos about the big truths tucked inside ordinary moments — friendship, self-discovery, and the quiet revolutions of everyday life. She believes in the power of presence, good banter, and decoding the unsaid. Through her fragrance studio, WhiffWonders, she also crafts scents that weave memory and emotion into experiences that feel like home.

@nancyaragbaye @mikaelakindele 12 Everything You Need to Know About Hypoallergenic Skincare

@simi_williams

5 COLOURS TO WEAR WHEN YOU’RE TIRED

BY DORCAS AKINTOYE

Some mornings, you wake up feeling like your body stayed in bed even though you got up. You’re dragging your feet, your face looks dull, and you just don’t have the energy to “look good.” But here’s a little secret: what you wear can help lift your mood. This is what people call dopamine dressing, using colours and clothes to boost your mood and make you feel better. It’s like giving yourself a little colour therapy through fashion. When you’re tired, the right colours can make you look fresher, more awake, and even happier. In this article, we will show you five colours to wear when you’re tired.

WHITE

White is that one colour that always makes you look clean, calm, and fresh. When you’re tired, your skin might look dull, but wearing white helps reflect light on your face and gives you a brighter look. A white shirt, blouse, or dress makes you look like you’ve got everything under control, even when you don’t. Think of white as your “reset” colour.

YELLOW

Yellow is pure happiness. It’s bright, warm, and instantly lifts your mood. When you wear yellow, it’s like carrying a little bit of sunshine with you. On days you feel drained, yellow helps you look more cheerful and energetic. It wakes up your face and makes you feel lighter. You don’t have to go for loud, bright yellow; a soft lemon shade, mustard top, or yellow accessories will still do the job.

BLUE

Blue is one of those colours that balances everything. When you’re stressed or tired, blue has a way of calming your mind while making you look composed and confident. Blue doesn’t scream for attention, but it gives you that “I’m okay” energy, and sometimes, that’s all you need to keep going.

FASHION

PINK

Pink gives your face life. When you’re tired and your skin looks pale or dull, pink brings warmth and colour back to your look. It’s that gentle, sweet colour that brightens both your outfit and your mood. From baby pink to coral, it creates a natural glow that makes you look fresh and friendly.

RED

Red is powerful. It’s the colour of strength, energy, and confidence. When you’re running on low energy but still need to show up strong, wear red. It’s a bold colour that makes you feel alive and gets attention in the best way. Whether it’s a red dress, shirt, or lipstick, it instantly lifts your spirit and gives off “I’ve got this” energy.

When you’re tired, your body may slow down, but your outfit doesn’t have to show it. Choosing bright, happy colours is a simple form of dopamine dressing, a way to boost your mood with what you wear.

SALLY CHIWUZIE @unshakable.is.a.state.of.mind

UNTOLD TRUTHS

THE FRIENDSHIP RECKONING

No one really talks about friendship breakups. Not the quiet kind — the ones that fade, unravel, and leave you wondering what went wrong. There are no ceremonies for closure, no sympathetic “how are you holding up” messages, no clean labels for grief. You just stop being each other’s person.

They had been friends for more than half their lives. The kind of friends who finished each other’s sentences, laughed until their stomachs hurt, cried into wine glasses, shared inside jokes that made no sense to anyone else. Their bond had once been a fortress — #unshakable, necessary, sacred. But like many things that begin as safety, it gradually became something else. Their friendship had turned into codependency — at first disguised as loyalty. They spoke every day, shared every update, every small victory and disappointment. But somewhere along the way, support had morphed into expectation. One felt left behind, the other suffocated by the weight of being leaned on.

It wasn’t always this way.

They had both started out in similar worlds — ambitious, bright, driven women navigating the chaos of early adulthood together. They’d cheered each other through heartbreaks, job interviews, relocations, and reinventions. But time, as it does, began to shape their paths differently.

One got married. Then came the baby — a son who became her sun. Her life shifted to a domestic rhythm, her heart full but her days structured around another’s needs. The other friend stayed single — free, glamorous, magnetic, immersed in her corporate life, living the kind of razzle-dazzle existence that her friend could only observe from the sidelines. Neither envied the other exactly — but they compared. Quietly, unconsciously, relentlessly. The married one sometimes longed for the spontaneity she’d lost, the laughter over cocktails, the impulsive weekends. The single one resented the sudden distance, the prioritisation of “family time,” the messages left unanswered. Both were right, and both were wrong. Their friendship became a dance of overcompensation — a string of forced brunches, performative enthusiasm, and unspoken tension. One chased after relevance; the other chased after space. Each tried, in their own way, to keep the friendship alive, but the truth was already written in the silence between them. They had outgrown the version of each other that had once fit so perfectly. When they finally called time on their friendship, it was almost polite. No shouting, no betrayal, just a slow, mutual letting go. One day, a message went unanswered. The next, neither reached out. There was no big fallout — only the quiet understanding that love, even platonic love, does not always last forever. And perhaps that was the hardest

part — realising that even when two people share a cot, there is no guarantee that the love will be lifelong.

They both grieved differently. The single one threw herself into her work and new friendships that didn’t require as much emotional translation. The married one told herself that life was too busy for constant communication. But sometimes, late at night, she caught herself scrolling through old messages and photos — two smiling faces frozen in a time when they thought nothing could come between them.

It’s strange how much we minimise friendship grief. Society has scripts for romantic heartbreak — sad songs, tears, chocolate, therapy. But when a friendship ends, there’s no script. No permission to mourn. Yet the ache can feel the same. The loss of your chosen witness — the person who knew the unfiltered version of you — can feel like a kind of death.

Still, perhaps the breakup was an act of grace, not failure. Sometimes, life moves us in different directions — culture, careers, families, values, even hobbies, pulling us apart. And that’s okay. Because what once saved you can also, eventually, stifle you. The love doesn’t vanish; it simply changes shape. The untold truth is that not all endings are betrayals. Some are natural conclusions. Some are necessary for growth. And some — though silent and uncelebrated — are as sacred as beginnings.

And perhaps this is the #Unshakable truth: friendship, like love, has seasons. Some last a lifetime, others only a chapter. But each one leaves an imprint — a reminder that connection, no matter how fleeting, was once real and enough.

‘See’ you next week.

CLAUDIA KWARTENG-LUMOR FROM GLITZ TO GLOBAL IMPACT

Over the years, Africa’s media and creative industry has continued to evolve, shaping how the world sees the continent. From fashion to film, journalism to digital storytelling, we’ve witnessed a new generation of visionaries who are boldly rewriting narratives once told from a limited lens. Across Africa, these changemakers have built platforms that celebrate African excellence, creativity, and innovation.

One of such visionaries is Claudia KwartengLumor, founder of Glitz Africa magazine and CEO of Kollage Media, whose passion for changing the African narrative led her to create a platform that celebrates the continent with class and purpose. Through Glitz Africa, she has built a Pan-African lifestyle brand that extends beyond print with initiatives like She Boss Global, Ghana Women of the Year Honours, Glitz Style Awards, Glitz Africa Fashion Week, SheAfrica Dialogue, and the Glitz Africa Care Foundation, all aimed at empowering women and inspiring the next generation. Recently, Kwarteng-Lumor was appointed United Nations Global Ambassador for the Waterlight Save Initiative (WSI), championing access to clean water, healthcare, and education across underserved communities.

In this interview with THEWILL DOWNTOWN’s Executive Editor, Onah Nwachukwu, Claudia Kwarteng-Lumor discusses her journey as a publisher and entrepreneur, the story behind Glitz Africa, her vision for She Boss Global, her appointment as a UN Global Ambassador, and how she continues to change the game across media, fashion, and women’s empowerment in Africa.

COVER IMAGE LONG COAT : CHRISTIE BROWN @CHRISTIEBROWNGH PHOTOGRAPHER: IMAGESTUDIOS @IMAGESTUDIOS

COVER STORY IMAGES

DRESS: CHRISTIE BROWN @CHRISTIEBROWNGH

PHOTOGRAPHER: AIMS FOTOGRAPHY @AIMS.FOTOGRAPHY

Looking back to your transition from banking to publishing, what were the misconceptions you had about the publishing and media industry that reality later corrected?

My journey began in corporate banking, starting at Santander Bank in the UK and later transitioning to Stanbic Bank in Ghana. That world is defined by rigid structures, clear metrics, and predictable cash flows. My biggest misconception about the media and publishing industry was that it operated with the same level of discipline. For me, I thought there was a predictable revenue. I believed if the content was excellent, the advertising revenue would follow a predictable, quarterly pattern. I learned that in the nascent Ghanaian and African media space, the industry was far less formalised and much more susceptible to economic volatility. You have to be an entrepreneur every single day to secure partnerships, not just a publisher. I also thought, content alone is King. In banking, a great product almost sells itself. In media, a great magazine is only the beginning. The biggest truth I learned is that publishing is just the foundation for building an ecosystem. The content has to jump off the page and into real life through events, forums, and experiences, which is how Glitz Africa Fashion Week and She Boss were born.

importantly, Africans themselves, that we are capable of creating and demanding global standards, be it in media, fashion, or business. The Glitz identity is about polish, purpose, and pioneering a better narrative for the continent.

Starting in 2011, you practically pioneered Ghana’s fashion media landscape. What was the hardest resistance you faced in convincing people that fashion could be an industry, not just an art form? The hardest resistance came from the mindset that fashion was a hobby or merely a social event, not an economic engine. It was a struggle to convince two main groups: The Corporate Sector: Getting large corporate entities, who are used to financing established industries, to see fashion as a viable, bankable sector worthy of major sponsorships. We had to consistently present data on the value chain: manufacturing, logistics, media, and retail, demonstrating the potential for job creation and export revenue.

“Nigeria is not just a hub; it’s a powerhouse of female entrepreneurship and creativity, and a key market for our long-term vision. We already have a strong connection with Nigeria, as many of our Glitz features and event attendees are Nigerian trailblazers. We are actively laying the groundwork for a major She Boss Global event in Nigeria.”

The Creatives Themselves: Convincing designers and artists to shift from an ‘art-for-art’ssake’ mentality to understanding things like intellectual property, production scalability, and distribution. We had to teach them that professionalism and business rigour do not stifle creativity, but rather unlock its true commercial value.

a strategic asset, a sign of humanity and strength, not a weakness, enabling women to seek mentorship and collaboration without judgment.

Do you think women in leadership sometimes unconsciously mirror the same rigid structures they’re trying to change? If so, how do you encourage authenticity in women’s leadership circles?

Yes, I believe that is a very real pitfall. It’s a survival mechanism. Many women have only seen one model of leadership, a hierarchical, rigid, top-down structure, and unconsciously adopt it because they associate it with being taken seriously or being powerful. To encourage authenticity, we focus on two things:

• Redefining Power: We encourage leaders to see power not as dominance, but as the ability to empower others. Authentic leadership centres on empathy and emotional intelligence, qualities women naturally possess.

• Visible Mentorship: We actively showcase diverse, authentic female leadership styles at platforms like She Boss, including those who lead with softness, collaboration, and work-life integration. Seeing these different models succeed gives emerging leaders the permission they need to abandon the ‘rigid male mirror’ and lead as their true selves.

How do you measure the success of She Boss Global beyond the numbers, in terms of real impact on women’s lives?

Many publishers chase trends, but Glitz Africa has consistently projected timeless, aspirational African stories. How do you balance “what sells” with “what matters”?

This balance is the single most important decision in publishing. At Glitz Africa, the core mission is to promote a tasteful depiction of Ghana and Africa, showcase our icons, and inspire others. We have achieved the balance through two key strategies: Redefining ‘What Sells’: For us, ‘what sells’ is no longer just fleeting trends or celebrity gossip. We position aspiration as the selling point. We feature successful, inspirational personalities who are making a real impact, whether in business, philanthropy, or the arts. This approach ensures that our audience buys the magazine not for a quick fix, but for lasting inspiration.

Integrating ‘What Matters’: We use our commercial content fashion, beauty, and luxury lifestyle to subsidise and drive attention to ‘what matters’ social issues, entrepreneurship, and empowerment. Our extensions, like the Ghana Women of the Year Honours or the Glitz Africa Care Foundation focused on maternal health and women’s advocacy, are the direct vehicle for ‘what matters’. The magazine provides the aspirational platform; the initiatives provide the tangible impact.

Glitz Africa is not just a magazine but a whole ecosystem of events, forums, and initiatives. What’s the one thing you believe unites all these extensions under the “Glitz” identity?

The one unifying element across the entire Glitz ecosystem is the commitment to Excellence in African Aspiration. The magazine, the fashion week, the awards, and the forums, all of them serve as platforms to move the conversation about Africa from merely surviving to absolutely thriving. We aim to show the world, and more

Our work through Glitz Africa Fashion Week was pivotal in providing a highquality, organised, and global-standard showcase, which literally demonstrated the industry’s potential to the world.

With She Boss Global, you’ve built a network for women to collaborate and grow. In your experience, what’s the biggest unspoken challenge women entrepreneurs face, beyond access to funding?

Beyond the critical issue of funding, the biggest unspoken challenge is ‘The Pressure of the Perception of Perfection’.

While the numbers (attendees, members, funds raised) are important, the real measure of success for She Boss Global is in what I call The Unlocked Narrative. Beyond numbers: We track the qualitative impact of a woman moving from a place of isolation and self-doubt to one of confidence and action. This includes stories of: A woman who gained the courage to ask for a specific investment: An entrepreneur who stopped feeling guilty about taking time off: A creative who transitioned from a side hustle to a fulltime, registered business.

The most profound success is seeing the change in a woman’s self-perception, when she stops seeing herself as ‘just a mother with a business’ and starts seeing herself as ’a visionary CEO who happens to be a mother.’ That shift in personal narrative unlocks everything else.

“For Glitz Africa, I hope it is remembered as the media house that rewrote the African aspirational standard. That it became an established institution that made it impossible for the world to think of African fashion, lifestyle, and business without a sense of global-standard excellence and dignity. ”

Women entrepreneurs, especially those juggling family, are constantly under pressure to appear flawless: a perfect mother, a perfect wife, and a perfect CEO. This forces many to internalise their struggles. They won’t admit when they are overwhelmed, burned out, or simply need help because they fear it will be interpreted as a lack of capacity to lead, which in turn could jeopardise future opportunities or funding. She Boss Global and the She Summit aim to create a space where vulnerability is seen as

She Boss Global has already created a strong community in Ghana, inspiring and empowering women across industries. With Nigeria being such a hub for women entrepreneurs and creatives, are there plans to host She Boss in Nigeria soon?

Nigeria is not just a hub; it’s a powerhouse of female entrepreneurship and creativity, and a key market for our long-term vision.

We already have a strong connection with Nigeria, as many of our Glitz features and event attendees are Nigerian trailblazers. We are actively laying the groundwork for a major She Boss Global event in Nigeria. The goal is not just to host a conference, but to create a high-impact, authentic collaboration that respects the unique dynamism of the Nigerian businesswoman. We would focus on strategic networking and workshops tailored to Nigerian market dynamics, such as scaling

digital businesses, attracting international capital, and building resilient creative enterprises. We believe bridging the powerhouse communities in Ghana and Nigeria can only strengthen the collective growth of women across the continent.

If you could rewrite the narrative of African media globally, what’s the one stereotype you would completely erase, and what would you replace it with?

I would completely erase the stereotype of The Singular African Struggle. This is the monolithic, often one-dimensional portrayal of the continent defined only by conflict, crisis, or poverty. It negates the complexity of our reality. I would replace it with the narrative of African ingenuity and abundance. This is the story of a continent rich not only in resources but in human capital, creativity, and boundless innovation, the stories that Glitz Africa strives to tell every day. It’s about showcasing our successes in technology, our vibrant fashion, our global music impact, such as Afrobeats, and the entrepreneurial resilience of our people.

You’ve worn many hats; banker, publisher, ambassador, advocate, wife, mother. Which of these roles has most shaped how you lead today, and which role do you think people underestimate the most?

The role that has most profoundly shaped my leadership is surprisingly motherhood. Being a mother of three taught me the ultimate lessons in patience, emotional intelligence, resource allocation under pressure, and leading with unconditional conviction. It teaches you to prioritise and to pivot constantly, which is vital for any entrepreneur. The role people underestimate the most is the role of Advocate/ Humanitarian.

My past experience as the UNFPA Ambassador for Ghana and my work with Glitz Africa Care Foundation have given me diplomatic skills and a fierce moral compass that translate directly to business leadership. Being an advocate is not just about charity; it’s about seeing

fundamental human needs, forging alliances, often with foreign ambassadors and dignitaries, and mobilising resources for systemic change. This experience in high-stakes diplomacy is what truly informs my current global appointments.

Congratulations on your appointment as the United Nations Global Ambassador for the Waterlight Save Initiative. This role is clearly more than just a title for you; it’s a call to serve humanity. How do you plan to translate this vision into tangible impact, especially in communities where access to water, education, and healthcare is still a daily struggle?

Thank you. This appointment is a tremendous honour and a direct extension of my decades of advocacy work for women and youth. The Waterlight Save Initiative (WSI) is dedicated to providing clean water, healthcare, education, and empowerment to underserved communities, and it operates under the strategic iHEAL Framework.

My plan to translate this vision into tangible impact focuses on three key areas:

1. Resource Mobilisation and Partnerships: My primary focus will be on resource mobilisation. Access to water, education, and healthcare is a basic human right, not a privilege, and I will amplify this message on international platforms. I will use my network in business and diplomatic circles to solidify and forge new strategic partnerships to secure the necessary funding and technology for WSI’s grassroots projects in water, solar power, and health.

2. Championing the iHEAL Framework (Healthcare, Education, and Empowerment): The iHEAL framework covers: Innovation, Healthcare, Education, Agriculture/Access to Clean Water, and Livelihood Opportunities. I will specifically champion the pillars related to healthcare and education. Drawing on my experience as a former UNFPA Ambassador, I will advocate for improved maternal health, child welfare, and access to medical care and education for vulnerable communities globally.

3. Amplifying Diplomacy for Women and Youth: My role involves bringing a voice to the voiceless on the global stage. I will be instrumental in amplifying the WSI’s mission on international platforms, ensuring that the needs of women and youth are at the forefront of policy discussions related to sustainability and poverty. We aim to build pathways of hope, dignity, and opportunity for communities often left behind.

What legacy do you hope Glitz Africa and She Boss Global will leave behind 20 years from now that would make you feel your mission was truly accomplished?

The legacy I hope for is not just one of quantity, but of cultural permanence. For Glitz Africa, I hope it is remembered as the media house that rewrote the African aspirational standard. That it became an established institution that made it impossible for the world to think of African fashion, lifestyle, and business without a sense of global-standard excellence and dignity. I want it to be the constant, beautiful lens through which the continent is viewed.

For She Boss Global, I hope it is the network that made the journey of the African woman leader significantly less lonely and more equitable. That 20 years from now, the next generation of women entrepreneurs will simply expect access to funding, mentorship, and a global network, because She Boss Global made it the baseline standard, fostering a new era of collaborative female leadership.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HYPOALLERGENIC SKINCARE

BY DORCAS AKINTOYE

If you’ve ever dealt with breakouts after trying a new cream, redness after using a cleanser, or itching from a lotion, then you already know how frustrating skincare reactions can be. Hypoallergenic products can help prevent these issues. Hypoallergenic products are specially designed to reduce the chances of allergic reactions and skin irritation. They’re created with mild ingredients that are safe for sensitive skin types, but regardless, anyone can benefit from using them. In this article, we will show five reasons why you should consider using hypoallergenic skincare products.

If you have sensitive skin, you know how difficult it can be to find products that don’t cause irritation. Regular skincare often contains fragrances, alcohol, or strong preservatives that can trigger redness, itching, or dryness. Hypoallergenic skincare is made with fewer irritants and focuses on soothing ingredients, which means your skin gets the care it needs without unnecessary reactions. This makes it a safer choice, especially if your skin easily reacts to products.

REDUCES THE RISK OF ALLERGIC REACTION

Allergic reactions can manifest in various ways, including rashes, swelling, burning, or even breakouts. The last thing you want is for a moisturiser or cleanser to make your skin worse instead of better. Hypoallergenic products are formulated to minimise these risks. While no product can promise to be 100% allergy-proof, they are designed to lower the chances of negative reactions, making them a smarter option for people who want peace of mind in their skincare routine.

GENTLE ON SENSITIVE SKIN SAFE FOR EVERYDAY USE

Because hypoallergenic products are made with gentle and mild ingredients, they are safe to use daily. You don’t have to worry about your skin “getting tired” of them or building up irritation over time. Whether it’s a cleanser, sunscreen, or moisturiser, you can confidently make them part of your everyday skincare routine. This is especially helpful for people who prefer a simple, consistent routine without the stress of switching products constantly.

BETTER FOR SENSITIVE AREAS OF THE SKIN

Some areas of our skin, like around the eyes, lips, or neck, are more delicate than others. These spots are usually the first to react to harsh ingredients. Hypoallergenic skincare is designed to be mild enough for these sensitive areas, so you don’t have to worry about discomfort or damage. For example, hypoallergenic eye creams are less likely to sting or cause redness compared to regular ones, making them perfect for delicate skin care.

SUITABLE FOR ALL SKIN TYPES

Even if you don’t have sensitive skin, hypoallergenic skincare can still be beneficial. The mild formulas are often packed with nourishing and calming ingredients that promote healthy, balanced skin. For people with normal, oily, or combination skin, these products still provide hydration, protection, and comfort, without the extra risk of irritation. In short, they’re a safe and versatile option for anyone who wants to take good care of their skin.

Hypoallergenic skincare isn’t just for people with sensitive skin; it’s for anyone who wants a gentler, safer, and more reliable approach to skincare. If you’ve ever struggled with reactions to regular skincare products, making the switch to hypoallergenic skincare might be the solution your skin has been waiting for.

@aaddaahh

THE ART OF NOT EXPLAINING

“Peace doesn’t need a press release.”

There was a time it always had to be my way.

If you misunderstood me, I would make sure you saw my point line by line, argument by argument.

It wasn’t pride. I just wanted to be understood.

But that need came at a cost.

It meant friction. With people, with peace, even with myself.

Because I didn’t yet realise something simple but powerful: we all see life through our own lens, and what we see isn’t always the truth. It’s just our version of it.

Two people can watch the same moment and walk away with completely different stories.

One sees insult; the other sees honesty.

One sees rejection; the other sees redirection. The other day I was watching a movie with a friend who couldn’t stop admiring the view.

Meanwhile, I was too engrossed in the dialogue to notice the scenery at all. Same scene, different worlds.

That’s how life is. We think we’re arguing about truth, but most times we’re just defending perspective.

Before I understood that, I spent years trying to explain myself, trying to make people “get it.”

I would go over the same point in ten different ways, hoping something would finally click.

If you didn’t understand me, I took it personally.

I thought peace came from being understood.

Now I know peace comes from understanding myself.

There was a time I could write a whole thesis

Not everything needs clarification. Some things just need calm. ADA OBIAJUNWA

just to prove a point: screenshots, evidence, timelines, references. It wasn’t communication. It was performance.

I wanted clarity so badly that I forgot not everyone listens to understand.

It’s not arrogance. It’s peace management.

Every time I over-explained, I was borrowing against my peace, and the interest rate was anxiety.

Now, if I don’t show up, it’s not shade. It’s rest.

If I don’t reply instantly, it’s not pride. It’s presence.

If I walk away quietly, it’s not anger. It’s alignment.

Not everyone deserves access to your reasoning.

Sometimes, knowing you meant well is enough.

Life, I’ve realised, is a bit like design. You remove friction to find flow. And sometimes the biggest friction is the need to explain.

So these days, I declutter my responses the same way I declutter my space: less defending, more breathing. Less proving, more being.

Now, my conversations have more air. My boundaries have fewer bullet points. And my peace no longer needs a PowerPoint presentation—or Canva, as they use these days.

Some people only listen to reply.

These days, I’ve officially resigned from the Ministry of Over-Explaining. No handover notes, no replacement. The office is permanently closed.

I used to think explaining myself was a form of clarity.

Now I see it was often a form of fear—fear of being misunderstood, fear of being seen the wrong way, fear of not being liked.

But here’s what I’ve learned. Peace doesn’t need a press release.

You don’t have to footnote your feelings for people who are committed to misunderstanding you.

I still care, but differently now.

I explain where it matters—where love lives, where curiosity exists—and I let silence handle the rest.

By the end of the day, when my mind starts replaying old conversations— what I said, how I said it—I just walk into my room and let the air talk back.

But not just any air. The WhiffWonders air.

The soft calm of the Tinuke Luxury Reed Diffuser filling the room before I even exhale.

That’s how I quiet the noise now: not by explaining, but by breathing.

Because some peace doesn’t have to be spoken. It just has to be scented.

And in my world, that’s Tinuke.

You don’t have to explain what peace looks like to people who still find chaos exciting.

You don’t have to translate calm for ears that only understand drama.

And you definitely don’t have to make stillness look busy to make it valid.

Some days, the most radical thing you can do is say nothing and mean it.

Because this right here is the real luxury. Not validation. Not attention.

Just quiet. Fragrant. Earned. And free.

A TASTE OF TOKYO EXPLORING

BY JOHNSON CHUKWUEKE

JAPAN'S FOOD CULTURE

Sushi – Japan’s Elegant Global Ambassador Tempura – Light, Crisp, And Irresistible

It’s hard to talk about Japanese food without mentioning sushi, the artful marriage of vinegared rice, fresh fish, and minimalist presentation. Beyond its beauty, sushi embodies Japan’s culinary philosophy: purity, balance, and respect for nature’s bounty. From nigiri to maki rolls, it’s a timeless favourite that’s both refined and comforting.

A bento box is more than lunch; it’s an edible masterpiece. Each compartment balances taste, colour, and nutrition, rice, protein, pickles, and vegetables, all thoughtfully arranged. In many ways, the bento captures Japan’s love for harmony, nourishment for both body and spirit.

Introduced in the 16th century, tempura has remained a symbol of Japanese delicacy. Vegetables, seafood, or even mushrooms are coated in a whisper-thin batter and fried to golden perfection. The result? A dish that’s airy, satisfying, and utterly addictive.

More than just tea, matcha represents mindfulness in motion. Its earthy flavour and vibrant colour have inspired everything from lattes to desserts across the world. But at its core, matcha remains a ritual, a reminder to pause, breathe, and savour life’s quiet moments.

Japanese cuisine has long transcended its borders, earning a permanent place on global menus and dinner tables. From sushi bars in London to ramen shops in Lagos, Japan’s culinary magic lies in its precision, beauty, and deep respect for ingredients. Every dish is a story, a harmonious blend of simplicity, balance, and tradition. Let’s take a delicious dive into some of Japan’s most beloved meals that continue to captivate food lovers around the world.

Once a humble street meal, ramen has become an international obsession. Each bowl tells a regional story, miso ramen from Hokkaido, tonkotsu from Fukuoka, or shoyu from Tokyo. Whether it’s the rich broth, springy noodles, or perfectly runny egg, ramen has mastered the art of cosy indulgence.

From sushi’s elegance to ramen’s comfort, Japan’s culinary exports continue to inspire, adapt, and delight across continents. Behind each dish lies a story of artistry, mindfulness, and a timeless love for good food, proving that in Japan, cooking isn’t just sustenance; it’s poetry on a plate.

cassy’s chronicles

EDEN BLISS

I wasn’t supposed to be at the spa that evening.

He smiled softly. “Cassy, come on. You need to relax. Let me help.”

sometimes gives you what you didn’t even know you still wanted.

BY BOLUWATIFE

ADESINA

MOVIE REVIEW:

The Black Phone 2

Atone point in Black Phone 2, the Grabber, the villain played so memorably by Ethan Hawke, reunites with his potential victim from the first film. “Did you think our story was over, Finny?” the demonic masked figure asks tauntingly.

It seems a reasonable question, since the Grabber died at the end of the previous film, dispatched by Finn (Mason Thames). But we’re talking about the movie business, after all, and the death of the principal villain proves no impediment to making a sequel if the original film was profitable enough — which, with a worldwide gross of $160 million, it certainly was. Fortunately, this follow-up, arriving four years later, is no mere cash grab, but rather an even more stylistically and thematically ambitious effort that mostly succeeds in its aspirations.

When we’re reintroduced to Finn, it’s clear that he’s still suffering from trauma over his past ordeal. He violently lashes out at a fellow student and spends many of his waking hours in a marijuana-induced haze. It’s no wonder, considering what he went through, and it seems perfectly understandable that he answers randomly ringing payphones by telling the callers, “Sorry, but I can’t help you.” (If you don’t get the reference, you obviously haven’t seen the first film.)

Of course, escaping from the past isn’t so easy when his younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), begins suffering from horrible dreams in which she channels not only their late mother (Anna Lore), who died by suicide, but also three young boys who we eventually learn were murdered by the Grabber in his early killing days and whose bodies have gone undiscovered. The visions ultimately lead her and Finn to Alpine Lake, a Christian camp located in the mountains, where they naturally get stranded during a fierce blizzard.

It turns out that death hasn’t really slowed down the Grabber, who seems intent on getting revenge against Finn even from the depths of Hell. Much like Freddy Krueger, he’s able to wreak psychic and physical violence on people from within their dreams, making Gwen particularly vulnerable to him.

Director Scott Derrickson and his coscreenwriter Robert Cargill seem to know that their convoluted storyline is a lot, but they lean into it so emphatically that we just go with it. They do manage to invest the horrific proceedings with genuine emotion in their depiction of the tortured family dynamics between the two siblings and their father (Jeremy Davies, repeating his role).

Every horror film needs a great villain, and this burgeoning franchise definitely has one with the Grabber. Largely hidden behind a series of genuinely scary, demonic-looking masks, Hawke delivers a performance for the ages, using a cigarette-ravaged, raspy voice to chilling effect in a virtuosic, mostly voice portrayal that seems destined for future instalments.

Thames and McGraw, repeating their roles, are absolutely terrific as the traumatised teens willing to do battle with evil, and there are sterling supporting turns from Demián Bichir as the camp’s sympathetic owner and Arianna Rivas (A Working Man) as his niece. In an example of stunt casting that actually works, Miguel Mora, who played one of the Grabber’s victims in the first film, now plays the victim’s brother, who forms a romantic connection with Gwen.

Derrickson is no stranger to the horror genre, having helmed not only the first Black Phone but also such films as Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. He exerts stylistic mastery over the material, using very grainy Super 8 and Super 16 film for the nightmarish sequences to truly eerie effect, not to mention the unsettling score by Atticus Derrickson, the director’s son, that will do nothing to lower your blood pressure.

There are times when Black Phone 2 wears its stylistic influences, including not only the Nightmare on Elm Street films but many other 80s horror movies, too heavily on its sleeve. But the extensive borrowings are easily forgiven when the set pieces are delivered with the sort of panache that they are here.

Rating: 7.5/10

it’s nice when a cash grab sequel is actually good

Scan this with your camera or click to access the playlist (Youtube Music)

Scan this with your camera or click to access the playlist (Spotify)

MONSTER:

After finding success with a new formula in its lurid Jeffrey Dahmer biopic, Ryan Murphy’s Monster returns for a third instalment of its twink-ified serial killer universe. Here, Charlie Hunnam steps into the shoes of the Butcher of Plainfield, Ed Gein, donning a Winnie-the-Pooh voice and lazy eye to deliver the performance of his career.

If Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story took some controversial liberties with the truth, then The Ed Gein Story is altogether off the chain(saw). Examining the killer’s life and legacy through the scope of those he inspired, it blends truth with speculation, fantasy, and straightup BS. What we do know: Ed Gein was a troubled man with serious mommy issues and a thing for digging up corpses and making furniture (among other things) from their bodies. What no one knows for certain is unfathomably more than that, so Monster is forced to fudge the rest. It helps that Hunnam’s Gein is the ultimate unreliable narrator, being so incapable of separating fantasy from reality that Monster can brush its falsehoods away in the name of artistic license.

babysitter, played by Addison Raye) and flights of pure fantasy.

This includes the works of fiction which Gein himself inspired –notably Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs. Re-staging scenes from each is fun, if only for the show’s dedication to making each filmwithin-a-film look like something purchased from Temu. Still, that’s

What The Ed Gein Story does do is explore his relationships with the women in his life — mother Augusta (Laurie Metcalf) and local girl Adeline Watkins (Suzanna Son). When his infirm mum dies, disturbed Ed is suddenly left with a void in his life, and one which can only be filled with delusions from a sick mind. The show builds around the two murders Gein definitely confessed to (distastefully making up a whole romantic relationship with one of them), while beefing its body count with those he was rumoured to have killed (including a

nothing to the indignities suffered by Anthony Perkins (Joey Pollari), whose life and story are desecrated in the name of drawing a throughline between Ed Gein (a murderer) and a closeted gay man. Still, not even Temu Leatherface is quite so nightmarish as Alfred Hitchcock (a fat-suited Tom Hollander), depicted here as a leering weirdo who inadvertently torpedoed his own career with Psycho

One person who does emerge from all of this with a pinch of sympathy is, um, Ed Gein. When it’s not blaming the women in his life for his actions, Monster depicts Gein as basically clueless; an innocent victim of his own upbringing and sick mind. Adding to this is Hunnam’s admittedly accomplished performance, playing the man as a cross between Forrest Gump and Tropic Thunder’s Simple Jack.

It’s an alarming take on the true crime biopic, and one which throws everyone under the bus, from Gein’s victims to the filmmakers he allegedly inspired. In the end, Monster: The Ed Gein Story is insulting to just about everybody except Ed Gein himself.