The Original T-Payne

Ramblings of a Young Female Entrepreneur

Monday, December 31, 2007

holiday is coming, holiday is coming, no more teachers cain..lol.. Goodbye 2007- a recap

I really can't believe how fast 2007 went by. To think this is the 31st and in a few more hours we will be ringing the doors of 2008. I am very excited about 08 because 8 is one of my fav numbers and its an even year so many good things to come.

I decided it would be kinda cool to do a TP products recap, something like the best of the best in 2007 so here goes. I will be speaking from experience so even though I use most of the items, I will only judge the ones I used frequently

Best Face Product
This was a toss up between the Loose Powder Foundation and the Matte Finish Liquid Foundation. The reason the MFLF made the list was because of the finish, it gives this super flawless, I am not wearing makeup look after application. I sort of slept on it the beginning of the year but one day I had run out of my powder and decided to use it, lets just say it made my must have in my bag list. As for the LPF, I am a huge fan of mineral makeup because m color does tend to be seasonal so it allows me to mix shades to get what I want. The finish is excellent and I love the fact that it comes out great in pictures, looks like my skin is perfect (lord knows its not..lol)

Best Blush
Ok I has started the year using Vixxen, I swore by this blush and no one could part me from it till one day I decided my outfit needed a toned down color, so I went with Sassy and yeah although I still like Vixxen in my mind right now, Sassy just looks way hotter on my skin tone.


Best Lipgloss
Hands down has to be innocent, only because you can wear it alone or mix it with other colors. I usually mix it with seductive or nubian. Innocent is the most popular color we sell in Naija as well and I can totally understand why. Its a must have for me.

Eyeshadow
This is a tough one because I am queen of eyeshadow but somehow I find myself always using a mixture of radiant black and either rich gold or bombshell. My favorite blue color hands down is Caribbean, my fav green has to be chartreuse, my fav pink is sweet pink and my fav bronze/gold is Bombshell and my fav purple is deep plum.

Hide the blemish
The flawless cream concealer is one of the best I have used. I only advice people to purchase concealer if you know how to use it because it can be easily abused. Trust me I have seen women with 10 gallons of makeup concealer looking stuff on their face, and you can just tell they are using the wrong products. Some naija women especially are sooooo guilty of over pancaking, white face, tan neck.. eww..lol. Looking like little kim..lol.. I use it to hide under eye circles (yeah I am not perfect) and highlight and shadow parts of my face. This is once in a while though, not everyday because my loose powder foundation or my oil free powder does a good job on their own. I guess when i want to look like a barbie, I go the extra mile and I never overdo it.

I think so far those are the products I swore by in 2007 based on my needs and skin tone. I forgot to add the foundation stick, but actually I also use that on occasions even though it seems to be very popular as a stand alone.

Anyways enough about me, generally speaking, I think 2007 products for everyone else were some of the stuff I mentioned and more. I learned a lot this year and I hope to put what I have learned into effect next year. Out of all the products I named, if i were stuck on a deserted island and could only take three products with me, it would be my blush, loose powder, and lipgloss. 2008 I have made a promise to myself to hit naija by storm. I think I kinda slacked in that dept but I will fix it because MAC cant continue ripping ma folks off, 5k for powder.. kilode! with the price they pay for mac they could get two of my powders and enjoy it better...I personally don't think their powder is as hot as TP..lol.. and I am not being biased .. hehehe naa 4real..

Now on to the clothing..


In 2007 we saw the official clothing launch of TP Apparel and Akanke took them by storm. That girl right there was not taking any prisoners. I have to say Akanke was hands down the best seller....Im saying now, if you don't own a TP tee by now, haaa u r slacking big time as in in fact, we dont want u in the click... hehehe.. ok maybe if you beg us..lol. Next year is going to see more graphic designs but because of the popularity of this collection some style will also be retained next year and some will be special order only..

Now for the tees, I think Akanke, Sweetest Dreams, Taba Soko Soja, Music for ur soul and the Lifestyle tee killed it. Funny enough the signature tee which I only made available in certain places would have killed all. We have a few new signature tees coming out next year, yup! I said a few because for some reason people seem to like to wear the actual name. Still tryna figure that one out, ok well secretly, so do I, I attributed it to narcissism but maybe I am normal after all. hehe.. I keep getting the question of where to buy in Naija, I think I have mentioned it a few times on my blog. but if you missed it.. It can be found easily in Surulere, 1 Adelabu Street.. and anyone that is fronting that they cant (in british mixed with yankee accent) "go to the mainland" or better yet wanna ask me "where is surulere" cut the crap...lol.. if u live in lagos and dont know where surulere is by now errrr no comment..lol..

What to look out for in 2008
More Spots
More Bling (and custom bridal bling eg "naija bride" "Mrs O" "Maid of Honor" etc in bling
More Tees
More Shows
More TP
More Ideas
Easy accessibility
Taking over from MAC and MK in NIG.. (long over due)
and last but not least the wedding..lol..

Have a safe and blessed new year.. May all your wishes, dreams and aspirations for 2008 come through. Wishing you all what you wish for yourself.. see you in 2008. God Bless!


Wednesday, December 26, 2007

retailers + future ads + naija info

First of all.. I just wanted to put the word out there that I am looking for new retailers in Naija for the makeup and tshirt lines. I would prefer high end boutiques and beauty places with price points similar to mines. Like if you sell 200 naira lipstick, chances are it wont work out. If you know anyone that may be interested please let me know. Please I like to keep my business simple, my terms are pay upfront, sell, reorder just like I do with my retailers here, no exceptions, and I absolutely hate being posted, post me once and I will not take you seriously again, I love communication.. let me know where you stand and Ill keep the ball rolling from my end. Life is just much easier that way...lol...I have a new retailer in naija for the shirt...I have to get her official business contact info for yall. but as always we still stay selling at 1 Adelabu St.. in surulere.. Also, I am looking for one very unique chick that can help market the stuff in naija.. as in have leadership qualities and be very aggressive.. basically I need a right hand woman that lives in naija..someone I can trust o..lol for 2008 I really want to concentrate on the naija market so I plan on being very hands on.. anyhoo anyone interested can email me .. please you have to be fun and very down to earth.. I am not too keen on ridged people.. not my personality..

Ok so I heard through the grapevine aka facebook..lol.. that the Future awards will be taking ads for their booklet.. anyhoo I though this was a great idea ( not because yours truly was nominated for 2 categories) hehehe.. but because I kinda sat back and analyzed the situation, 1. the cream of the crop of our future generation will be there and more than likely these are the people you want knowing about you and what you are offering because they will more than likely be the current/future decision makers (I'm talking long term business relationships)..

Anyhoo I was thinking someone like me, I am like soooo clueless about loads of businesses that could be useful to me out there and I am kinda lazy so if I find you fine, but I really don't put in an effort into finding people so events like this helps.. anyhoo just got thinking that its not a bad idea. For me I think I would be looking for businesses that are easily accessible, maybe a website, and that can be useful to me either here or in naija.. anyhoo, with that said not sure how you can advertise but I do know that they have a facebook group here so I reckon you can contact them.. or yeah on their website too . Ill try and get a contact number to post on here later... Please if you offer event services advertize jor..Im having a heachache finding folks that do that in naija.. ie.. hall decorators etc..

hmmn bTW: 90% chance I will be at the event so if you see me holllaaa!.. supposedly, I tend to come across as a snob... but err its because I am very shy, not cos Im feeling ( I save that for rainy days..lol)

with that said.. I posted instructions for getting your custom bling in naija on facebook but Ill post it here too..I already mentioned it in a previous post but I don't think I posted details on how to get yours..

INSTRUCTIONS:
We are currently taking orders for Naija and to get your items by Jan 14th, your order has to be in and paid for by Jan 7th, no exceptions. Basically you get to pick your shirt ( long sleeve or short sleeve), Color ( make sure you choose an alternate color in case we do not have your color in stock, and design.

You can get your name, company logo, slogan, saying etc.. Below are instructions on how to get your customized bling. Prices start at $60 depending on design.. If you are just getting your name or other text expect to pay about that and convert to naira. All shirts come with a TP crest in bling on the back.

Decide what you would like on your bling

Contact us here or here subject BLING

In your email please state what design/text you would like and we will email you back with a quote and if you approve the quote let us know and we will send you payment instructions.

Once we confirm that your payment has been made, your shirt will be put in our production line.

Once your shirt is in production, you can no longer make changes so if you want something else, you should place another order.

Sit back and wait patiently for your one of a kind shirt

You can pick up your shirt at our lagos, Nigeria location anytime after the 14th of January.

PLEASE NOTE: This is on a first come first serve basis so anything not confirmed and paid for by the 7th cannot be guaranteed. If you have questions, please ask because possibilities are endless. You can even get your image in bling, but of course that would cost you much more

oh btw... I heard Soundcity Blast was a real blast ( no pun intended).. so I wanna know who went, please come and gist me.. also, I havent really heard anything about Rhythm unplugged, did it even take place? I want gist about that too if it did...

Sunday, December 23, 2007

aso ebi and other stuff

I went to a friends wedding yesterday. It was lovely, had my wedding radar on, picking points and taking notes. Their aso ebi ( blue and yellow) made me realize how bloody important it is to pick the right colors. When the girls came out in their colors, they looked stunning, as in out of all the aso ebis there, theirs looked the best

I couldn't help but wonder how much the wedding cost, what it took to plan it because I did notice a lot of fine details were put in place. Budgeting alone has been affecting my sleep..hehehe.. naa for real, yeah we have family bla bla bla.. but still I am just curious to know why people opt to spend soo much money on weddings, mine inclusive. As in if I flew to Vegas and eloped, would it make a difference? lol.. I keep threatening everyone with just that because the thought of planning such an event is kinda scary, all kinds of things go through your mind.

Like I know the type of person I am, Ill probably want our faces plastered on every darn thing...lol.. ok im joking but yeah, I told him yesterday I want all the silverware engraved, lol @ the very silent sigh that I happen to hear, had me rolling, but before he could land the sigh I salvaged it with "any excess or extravagance that I want can come from my pocket" I love when he disagrees, like oh no, we are in this together..hahahahahahaha suuuuuuuure!, wait till you see my complete list, you will change your mind quick. In fact Vegas will begin to look mighty good to him when Im done..lol.. and oh yeah, how many people is too many to have at a wedding, is 1500 too much? how do you do crowd control? how do you not offend people who cant get in without an invite. In fact too many flipping questions, hell my tummy is turning blogging about it. lol

See for me its like we do it all the way or we keep it small, no in the middle type of stuff.. and oh lord, ladies ladies, forget saying you know what your colors will be o, let the time come when you actually have to confront the colors issue, its much harder than that, in fact its a nightmare. I honestly think it could take up to 2 yrs to plan a proper wedding. I have always thought pink would be my color but would you believe pink is the third color on my mind.. sad huh..as in I'm thinking be practical, can guys wear a pink vest? probably not.

I have two friends getting married next summer and they are still in the beginning stages, as in, we we are on the same page talking halls, so im like hmmnn yall are about to run yourself ragged.. 6 months just seems too little. I used to say I could put a wedding together in 3 months, now Im like T you were sooooo naive. For those that have done it I commend you. ko easy.. I wish I could see peoples wedding checklists.. I have been lurking on that wedding blog by gbemi and molara and I am like learning new things everyday. I wonder if a wedding in naija poses more challenges especially if you do not live there.. hmmnn too many questions.. anyhoo merry xmas in advance.

Friday, December 21, 2007

lol..

This video is too cute. I was gonna embed it here but the thing just refused to work so Im posting the link... (here u go) Funny kats..When ol dude to the left busted out the over the head yahoozee dance, i started cracking up. anyhoo if u know these guys i beg tell them to youtube it so it can be embedded this jumpcut thing taya me..lol
Update: Youtube Version has been Added..

Thursday, December 20, 2007

OMG this is crazy...

Oh before I start ranting about my exciting news, did I tell you that Toni Payne now sells Lingerie? Yeah, the cute kind. I am a huge fan of lingerie, I think every woman should own at least 7 different kinds including 2 costumes.. Its just a total must, role playing is soo much fun and I think costumes help them seem a bit more realistic.. besides, Vals day is around the corner.

Ok soo I decided that the TP Ice was a great idea because I figured there were ladies like me out there who could not resist the effect of anything that blings. I dont know what it is but when I see something bling I am automatically drawn to it. I think maybe because my birthstone is diamond.. ok well cubic zirconia..lol.. anyhoo I dont think the TP ice has even been online for 3 days and JEEZZZZ.. you need to see the response, now the shirts are not mass produced so its killer trying to keep up with production. Im looking at massive overtime pay:(

So now we kept getting emails about custom names, I was going to introduce it next year but before someone sends me hate mail for not letting them get it by new years day..lol I figured why not.. So now we have the customized name option here. I really wish I could describe how Gaudy these shirts are, they are just too fab, as in you will get noticed no doubt about that so its totally worth every penny.. The cool thing we are using the stones with the most cuts so it blings even more, no cheap rhinestone here.. not for TP..lol.. Like I feel like having one of each, I think I have gone bling crazyyyy... anyhoo thats not the point of my gist now get this.. I thought the bling queen or addicted 2 bling would be the best seller so far but you know what the best seller is? "I NO FIT SHOUT" and nooo its not just naija people ordering it. As in I was doing like an analysis bla bla bla this morning and was shocked to see which one was sold the most... Anyhoo the certificate of authenticity that comes with it is soooooo cute, comes with a cute stone on the cert.. I should take a picture and post it..

Soooooo I already know I am going to get emails from people in naija saying how unfair I am and bla bla bla.. before una begin dey email me ( my pidgin sucks..lol) If you are interested in getting one, you can cos I will resume shipping to naija early Jan, but you will have to pay in advance obviously, you can email me personally to consult about style and design and Ill hook it up. Prices will be equivalent to what we sell it here, the TP ice items WILL NOT be sold in naira cos I am totally not gonna devalue my stuff with the fluctuating money.. heck naaw.. so look at the dollar value, call ur local dollar pound dude and ask him the current rate and do the math, put in your order, drop the money and wait patiently to look better than your friends at the next party ( that one is for sure, unless of course your friend gets one too)..lol..

oooooo BTW.. if anyone is going to the sound city blast event on the 23rd at oceanview.. Keep your eyes on the stage and dont let the bling blind you when it arrives..lol..

BTW: who are the best cake makers in naija? I am curious

Monday, December 17, 2007

Affordable Bling...

update: I just wanted to say check this out.. A quick analysis of TP branding efforts.. I like it, its always interesting to see other peoples perspective and fantastic to see that TP inspired an idea .. neat stuff
aren't they just too cute (look below).. some of the items from the TP ice line, the cross is my fav.. you need to see them at night, my goodnesss... blinding bling, just the way I like it... I have decided to make it very exclusive in naija, as in special order, limited quantities type deal, only downside will be the wait time to get your shirt because of shipping, and if you can afford it, I can fly down and hand deliver it to you..lol.. j/k, each shirt comes with the TP crest at the back and a certificate of authenticity.. Pretty cool stuff..





Anyhoo I am soo stressed right now plus I have a terrible cold so I really don't feel like blogging much but yeah, I know I should be strong and finish up my work for the day but I can't think straight. I plan on working like a mad woman soon as I get better, I got a nice pep talk aka motivational speech aka tongue smacking.lol, from my man yesterday, well because he thinks I work hard but lately I havent been working as efficiently, but complaining more. (like lol, , I already knew this ) anyhoo I saw the speech coming though because I would complain to him every time things did not go my way, instead of doing something to fix it. I think he managed to whip my slacking behind back into shape, For once I was very quite and just listened, no argument, just advice taking (doesnt happen often) needless to say I swear I have the best man on earth, no joke. ( well till he annoys me..lol) Anyhoo, I am working to curb my facebook addiction plus I may not blog as much (maybe), Mr facebook and Mr Blogger has made their money so I need to face mine.. boohoo..lol..

BTW: Has anyone ever booked Oceanview in VI? How much does it cost, that or federal palace hotel, like their waterfront area.? Its sooo annoying that these places do not have websites, like this is 2007. I think any business that doesnt have a simple website is just lame.. sighs!!!..Feel free to email me an answer.. gracias!

update: anyhoo msminx tagged me so here goes..

Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself3)
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs
Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog
7 Random Facts:
I prefer to eat my rice with okra
I cant stand soft plantain..
I have a mixture of OCD and ADD.. sue me.lol
I am the queen of stress, I can stress out over the smallest things
I am not spoilt contrary to popular belief.
I dance in front of the mirror when I am alone..:)
I am currently experiencing what its like to genuinely be in love.. I think.. hehehe,

I tag... hmm let me seeeeee.. everyone including linda , shola, ajide, mr fineboy, vera, jaded june

Friday, December 07, 2007

new video... enjoy

really nothing much to blog about but anyhoo enjoy this new video by Ruggedman. My show was moved to next thursday so I plan to have a very relaxing, work free weekend, watching superbad and the likes.. looking forward to that.. btw did I mention that I realized sometime last week that I am addicted to my Element5 Powdation.. Im starting to wonder if its possible to be addicted to a makeup product. hmmnn I need to google that... its a strange feeling I tell ya.. I was in Houston and was about to get dressed when I realized I was almost out of my powder, my reaction sorta scared me, only because the finishing of the powdation makes me look virtually makeup free, all natural.lol and its not like I have bad skin so there wasnt really anything to hide, so I kept wondering what the big deal was. I really need to check that. I know I used to be addicted to lip balm, but got over that. Then I sorta started getting addicted to the Vixxen Blush, but I curbed that too.. so maybe next time I have a little powder left, I wont freak out and make mental notes to myself never to let that happen again... just maybe..lol

Thursday, December 06, 2007

if there should be an award

for the naija artist with the best group of videos.. it goes hands down to FAZE.. I mean commmmon!..lol.. I did not even realize till today he had so many videos out, yeah yeah they all kinda have the same texture and yeah yeah he may not be as interesting to look at as 2face but I love his music and his new videos shows that he at least puts in effort imagewise.. anyhoo below is one of his new videos... I put this one up cos its one of my fav songs on his independent album, love the subtle reggae vibes.

speaking of artists.. so I have been banned from talking about that joke, ehhem I mean song called Ebutte Metta or whatever its called.. I promised someone I was going to hold my tongue but I did not promise to ask, if its a parody or someone is actually tryna use Rihannas song to get accolades? Ive head like 30.20 second of the song, ok maybe more and I did not go further but I was arguing with a friend yesterday and this friend had the nerve to say the dude wasn't copying Rihana.. and even had a bigger nerve to compare Sauce Kids Yebaribaba.. I'm like are you flipping kidding me.. yeah Sauce freestyled his own lyrics and style onto someone else's beat but the Eh Eh Eh part is a dead giveaway that all the dude changed was the lyrics... style o, na the same, beat o, gbosa!, feel o, no difference... ok well Rihanna did a better job sha.. To ba fe copy Rihana nko, e wan copy am die.....

Geeeeeeeze.. see this is why I stay looving my 2face's, Danfo driver's, Lord of Ajasa's (oooo Im soo in love with Ajasas music o, I need help), 9ices, W4's Ruggedman's (even when he sounds like he is fighting someone), Original Steroeman's of the world, heck, even danny young sef original pass am.. sighs!!! hell even psquare doesnt do it for me, even though I listen to their music,( well not all of it) I always get that I have heard it before feel anytime I listen to their songs.. well, ok I like that "Do me" song though.. it actually made it to my car, It think it was the part where one of em said " and you no no say wahala dey" the flow there that sold me..yup! Im weird, lol...anyhoo enjoy the video jare, from another "good naija artist" eh eh eh eh..lol..


and with that beautiful video I leave u with the first verse to my new song..
Ajegunle gunle gunle eh eh eh
Oshodi shodi shodi eh eh eh
Ikeja keja keja eh eh eh
Surulere lere lere lere eh eh eh
Ikoyi koyi koyi eh eh eh
VG city, city city eh eh eh
Ella ella eh eh eh eh eh eh
*takes a bow*

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

lol.... after a long day

chilling at the store in surulere, errm can you tell which one of us is the mischivious one.? lol..
and there goes two of my fav men in the world.. ignore the background, I was busy tryna pick dresses for them for the xmas ball..lol.. (joke o)

anyhoo, I have another shopping event this weekend for those that will be in the LA area.. Its called Haute LA and it will be going down in this Saturday at 180 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90034.. be there if you can, I will have a lot of stuff on xmas sale..including the getting infamous TP ice... which reminds me, those that have emailed me to see a full picture of the shirt I had on at the TC event.. sorry o, give me some time and Ill take a picture and post on my blog... keep in mind that shirt is not for sale to the general public, its custom order only.. Its sorta identical to the jacket I posted a while back, only this is the female version...
hmmnnn btw.. I keep hearing good things about myself outside, its kinda doing me like film trick but I wanna say thanks to everyone who has supported so far and those who plan to support and those who are still contemplating support.. I was chilling with a friend this past weekend and he said something to me that kinda threw me back and had me thinking at the same time.. Wish I could share... anyhoo I started my business as a way to make money doing what I love but it keeps dawning on me that its much more than that now.. The other day I got an email from some young lady who said how can she be like me, and do what I am doing.. at first I was like ehn? emi slacker, but it leaves you thinking, how can you afford to fail when you have such a sweet person looking up to you.. but yeah, its kinda scary tooo....anyhoo enuff of that mushy stufff.... thanks yall..

Monday, December 03, 2007

picture time... tc show

Just wrapped up the TC Collection Worlds Aids ay Fashion show and it was lovely.. Even though I could not stay for the after party because I was feeling under the weather, I had soo much fun. If you live in Houston and did not come, you missed a nice show... Im going back to Houston again next year for another show/concert so ill keep yall updated.. anyhoo, TC and Mike were awesome hosts and the models were super and I most def would work with them again.. anyhoo more pictures coming soon but I kinda thiefed these from Mr Tcs facebook... enjoy..