SUTRA
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CONTENT 006.
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Chis + Coco's love letters.
Sutra Fam Appreciation
CC Playlist
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Skin Tips
Makeup
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Peaches and Skin
Nicole Dei
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Helena Koudou
IG Posts we're loving
BUTORS
CONTRI
COCO + CHIS Cover Illustrator: Enrico Francis Makeup and Skin Contributors: Nakita Johnson + Rahama aka Peachesandskin + Annabel aka Lebanna beauty + Ijeoma aka Makeup By Ij Interviewees: Helena Koudou and Nicole Dei Models: Belinda Banda, Temitope Akintunde, Rebecca Nemerè Photographers: MCMLondon and TericsView Helena Koudou's Photographers: Wasiu Saba, Trav & Jeremy Rodney Hall Nicole Dei's Photographer: Tayo Jr + YOU, OUR FAM
Hey loves! I can't even begin to put into words how excited and thankful I am to be launching the first edition of Sutra magazine with Chis. This is a space for us and by us. From skincare tips by the lovely @peachesandskin, to our favourite beauty influencers dropping some of their spring gems and insightful interviews with 2 amazing queens - @alldei_nikki + @helena.koudou. I hope you find something that resonates with you and that it helps you grow further into yourself this new season.
co o C
Hey guys! Coco & I are so excited to present to you our first edition of the Sutra Magazine. This is something we've been thinking of starting for a while so we hope you appreciate it as much as we do. She has already highlighted what the magazine will consist of and I hope you guys are excited because we've collaborated with some great women to give you some great content and all round great vibes. We want to thank you guys for the continued support & hope you enjoy this first edition.
s i Ch
@mcmlondon
COCO'S SKIN ADVICE Mask every 2-3 days If it ain't broke, don't fix it Tone between each skincare step
CHIS' SKIN ADVICE Always wear sunscreen Regular facials will change your skin! The Body Shop Drops of Light & Drops of Youth will change your life.
EXFOLIATING w PeachesandSkin
What is exfoliation? Simply put, exfoliation is the process of removing
dead skin cells from the outermost layer of your skin.
How often should we exfoliate? 1-2 times a week. Once a week if you have sensitive
skin.
What are the benefits? It helps to unclog your pores, therefore reducing acne
It allows for better absorption of other skincare products
It breaks down dry, dead skin cells leading to a smoother skin texture and helps fade age spots
It increases cell turnover, leading to healthy, glowing skin
How do we know if we're over exfoliating? Over-exfoliation causes micro-tears in your skin and weakens your skin's barrier. Skin will become red, tight,
itchy or inflamed. Stop exfoliating and using harsh products until your skin recovers
What are the different types of exfoliation? Physical exfoliation involves using grains, scalpels, or generally hard substances to manually get rid of dead skin cells.
For example, scrubs, facial brushes and microdermabrasion.
Chemical exfoliation involves the use of enzymes and gentle acids to get rid of dead skin cells. There are two types;
AHAs and BHAs.
Helena Koudou
23 years old
Sagittarius
Works at @slayedinbraids
her free time.
Student at Brooklyn College.
Model, Actress + all round
creative.
Color that best describes your
personality: Pink.
Fave visited country: France
@a_kid_named_trav
A Resolution you've stuck to: Speaking things into existence and putting in the work to achieve them.
Hair Brand you're loving atm: RPG Hair - bomb ass lace wigs.
.citsimitpO yreV :htgnerts A
.noitanitsarcorP :ssenkaeW A
Biggest Fear: Wasting time and not fulfilling my purpose.
@was_i_u
Describe yourself in a hashtag: #blackgirlmagic.
Biggest Fear: Wasting time and not fulfilling my purpose.
Feels most at peace when listening to music, watching youtube + hanging out with friends and family.
How did you first get into hair?
I first got interested in hair when I first learned how to braid. I believe I
was 15 years old when I first started. I grew up in the salon that my family and I work
in, so it was easy for me to get a job there. Once I started making some serious cash at
a young age, it was over. Lol When I realized how good I was at braiding, I can make my
own schedule and I lived really close to the salon, I didn’t want to work anywhere else.
Who taught you how to braid and style hair? I learned everything from my mom. She is so professional and so good at what she
does, so I watch her closely and mentally take notes so that I can be as good as her.
What's the one thing you want to be known
for?
When I was younger, my dream was to become rich,
famous and live in a big mansion in L.A lol You never know,
that can still happen but as I got older my perspective on
life and purpose changed. I no longer wanted to leave my
family and become selfishly wealthy and enjoy life by
myself, I wanted everyone around me to win and eat with
me. I want to be known for the good work I do for my
Who would your dream collaboration be
with?
My dream collaboration is to style Trace
Ellis Ross hair for the TV series “Blackish”.
I’ve recently been obsessed with that show
and I love how she rocks different braid
hairstyles. So, someone needs to hit her up
and connect the both of us.
community and the people back in Abidjan. I also what to be
known for being successful without listening to anyone’s What inspired #counterparts? opinions about how I should live my life.
What inspired Counter Parts was the people
that I worked with in the project. I came
across the twin’s picture on Instagram and
Immediately I was so intrigued by how identical
they looked. I knew I wanted to work with them
in the future, but I had no idea how that would
happen. A few months later I met a wonderful
creative name Prince Aday and became his
hairstylist. We talked for days about
collaborating until we started putting ideas
together and eventually, we made it happened.
HAIR APPOINTMENT You co-produced the #HairAppointment which visually
celebrates Black hairstyles, why do you think this is important?
It is important because black voices matter, and I believe that if we don't share
our stories the appropriate way no one else will. Every time in film or TV, you
always see an African American playing a drug dealer, dead beat dad, or a slave.
I think it's time we take charge of the media and represent black culture in a
beautiful and positive light
We love how there were women of different ages included in this project. What
message about hair and beauty do you think this sends to women of colour?
The four little girls in the project are my cousins and every time i look at the
pictures, i get a little emotional because they are so precious. My goal when it
comes to producing art is to create something that little black girls can relate
to. I want them to know that they are just as beautiful as what they see in these
projects
What was the process like collaborating with other creatives and
bringing this vision to life?
First and foremost, I said a prayer and told God to take full control of this
entire project and he showed OUT. I had pretty much worked with everyone on
the team before except one of the models Yohana, and the videographer, Soof. I
met them the day of the shoot. But how it started was after I posted a video of
a braiding style I did on my personal page, Josef Adamu, the Creative Director
of Sunday School replied to the IG story "This is dope. We should collaborate
and do a series of you doing hair.". I was so shocked because this was going to
be my first time doing a hair project and I knew it was going to be a challenge
@jeremyrodneyhall
but I stepped out of my fears and gave it all I had. From then on, we exchanged
inspirational pictures and then we slowly formed a team of people we were
already familiar with. Working with the team felt like working with family. Aw
man, the atmosphere during the shoot was like no other. It was everything I
imagined and prayed for.
#SutraFamAppreciation
@tericsview
Fave makeup products
@kitagirl921
Hydrating Mists are an essential
@makeupby.ij
NYX Vivid Brights Liquid Liner is my fave
makeup product for the Spring. It makes my
for making my makeup look bomb eyes pop and adds flavor to my look. A tip to
all day long especially in Spring.
get the perfect winged liner is TAPE. Place the
tape underneath your bottom lashes at the
outer corner of your eye and angle it upwards.
It helps create the perfect winged liner!
@lebannabeauty
What we're not going to have in 2019 is
space between our lashes and falsies! Put
on some mascara, put your lashes on, let
the glue dry and use this eye lash curler
to press them together in small sections.
Thank me later.
NICOLE DEI
@tayojr
Being raised by two Ghanaian immigrants in Jersey, Nicole Dei was the first in her family to do the whole college thing. She as well as her younger sister were raised to work super hard, go hard for their family and stay prayed up. Now 25 years old, this has had a huge influence on how she operates. Having been called 'Black Beauty' by her mom from a young age, she understood the beauty and power in her rich dark skin, regardless of society deeming dark skin to be unattractive. Before the journey to loving her body began, just like most if not all of us, she struggled with insecurities. She was heavier than most of her friends and 9 out of 10 times, was always the darkest girl in the room. Being bullied through out middle school and getting sly comments here and there in high school, she was insecure about her thighs, skin colour and weight. The bullying continued into college. "It was hard to keep that positive voice replaying in my head when people around me worked hard to dim my light" she recalls. What changed that you may ask? Well, she started to focus more on what she wanted for herself. She set out a plan to change her lifestyle which included revamping her diet and regularly incorporating exercise into her schedule. As of December 2015, she lost 40 pounds. This routine made her feel better, gave her discipline which in return gave her more body confidence and made her realize her own personal strength. "I also began keeping up with curvy models and curvy influencers just to see those positive images of women who look like me in the media. Representation is super important!"
The Naked Truth w/ Nicole Dei is a biweekly podcast hosted by the queen herself and where she discusses everything body positive. We asked her what inspired the podcast and she candidly responded with:
"So I’m going to be very real lol. During my whole body confidence journey I started to take nudes of myself. Not for others, but for myself. Until I was like – “damn. I look good. Lemme share this with someone.” So I would send nudes to my best friends, and one of my friends mentioned I should have a platform or campaign promoting body positivity. The thought of a campaign is just entirely too much for me. I don’t even know how I would go about that haha. During this time I was going back and forth about another podcast idea about media professionals in New York – which is becoming dry and tired. So I was like hmmmmm this could be a new medium where we discuss body positivity. It was a pretty easy decision once the idea clicked in my head. It felt super organic." She opted for a podcast because she really does love talking a lot and wanted her audience to get her authentic voice which is ultimately the goal. It also made more sense because she learnt how to edit audio in school and learnt how to produce a podcast while working at Bravo. She firmly believes that every body shape and size goes through body insecurities. Her main goal is for listeners to know that they are not alone, they can connect with her different guests and that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
At peace when in bed watching Netflix + eating junk food Aquarius, rising Aries, Moon in Leo. Hashtag: #NicoleAlwaysOnBeat Personality Color: Orange. Account Coordinator @ HBO
@tayojr
What’s one piece of clothing you think every woman should own to feel sexy? A personal piece of lingerie! I say personal because I feel like a lot of people buy lingerie for a significant other. Why not buy a piece for yourself? I also believe you walk DIFFERENTLY when you have on a spicy piece of lingerie under your clothes. Like – the walk screams “I’m that b*tch and you can’t tell me anything.” What’s one important thing your 20’s has taught you so far? LOL. I laugh because I’m only 25 and I still don’t understand wtf I was supposed to learn the first half of my 20s. I would have to say that the first half of my 20’s taught me to just have fun because after a certain age some things aren’t acceptable anymore hahaha. I say this as I reflect on my own wild ass decisions. If you had to pick one food to eat for the rest of your life what would it be? This is so hard because I seriously love food so much. More than anything, I love Ghanaian food the most so it would have to be my mom’s waakye and chicken stew. UNDEFEATED! What advice would you like to share with the Sutra Fam? Remember that your journey is your journey. “Comparison is the thief of joy” is honestly one of the realest quotes ever. It’s hard to not compare yourself to others, especially in today’s society with the Forbes 30 under 30 and everyone launching their projects, etc. But I think it’s important to just focus on your own journey and things that are meant to happen for you will happen. I’m even still learning to do this right now in this moment, but it’s a work in progress!
IG POSTS WE LOVE
Chis's Top 6
Octavian - Bet (ft. Skepta & Michael Phantom)
Dave - Location (ft. Burna Boy)
Giggs - 187
JCole - Middle Child
6lack - East Atlanta Love Letter (whole album)
AKA - Fela in Versace (ft Kiddominant)
CC PLAYLIST
Coco's Top 6
Nao - Orbit
Ade - Something New (ft Lil Baby)
Lil Durk - Did for the Streets
Burna Boy - Dangote
Popcaan - Best / Blessed
Megan Thee Stallion - Sex Talk