ADEOLUWA OKUSAGA
EDITOR’S
OKola Oshalusi @insignamedia Makeup: Zaron
kusaga “Saga” Adeoluwa is a multihyphenate. He is an artist, actor, fitness coach, engineer, and reality TV star. You might wonder how he balances all these roles without losing himself. He does so by focusing on one thing at a time instead of juggling all at once. He was first an engineer for a couple of years, balancing it with art. He worked as an engineer during the day and as an artist at night. He has a rather interesting story of how he became an artist, but I’ll let you read about it. Then there was COVID, and everyone was home, so he started his fitness training. After a while, the opportunity came for him to go into the Big Brother house; he auditioned and got in. At the time, he was still working as an engineer. Adeoluwa later quit his job and followed his creative side, which he has always had. Right now, his focus is on influencing, acting and painting.
Read Saga’s story on pages 8 to 10.
This week’s fashion pages focus on silk scarves. If you own one, you will know that it is one of the most fashionable and versatile accessories in your closet. Whether you are getting all dressed up or adding something extra to your outfit, a scarf is a great way to transform your outfit from regular to chic in seconds. Scroll to pages 4 and 5 to learn more.
Many people shampoo their hair without thinking about it. However, you can shampoo your hair in a way that will lead to hair breakage. We discuss this on page 12.
Scroll to page 16 to download our playlist; you’ll love it.
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 thewilldowntown thewilldowntown
K is for Kintsugi 07
Heavy Heart? Ways to Lighten Your Emotional Load
Taurus Season Is Here Time to Ground, Glow, and Grow
6 Ways to Style a Silk Scarf 12 04-05 FASHION
#UNSHAKABLE TRUTHS BEAUTY
The Many Layers of Okusaga Adeoluwa
4 Common Shampooing Mistakes to Avoid
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 more than 2 years prolific experience in writing articles ranging from food, entertainment, fashion and beauty. She has a National Diploma in Mass Communication from Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin. She loves writing, listening to music and playing scrabble. She is a highly-skilled, enthusiastic, selfmotivated professional writer.
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.
BUNMI
6 WAYS TO STYLE A SILK SCARF
BY DORCAS AKINTOYE
Silk scarves are one of the most classic and fashionable accessories anyone can own. They are soft and versatile, meaning you can wear them in various ways and still look effortlessly chic. Whether you’re dressing up or just adding a little something extra to your regular outfit, a silk scarf can transform your look from basic to gorgeous. We’ll show you six chic ways to wear a silk scarf that will add the ideal finishing touch to your ensemble.
AROUND YOUR NECK 1.
One of the easiest and most popular ways to wear a silk scarf is around your neck. To do this, fold the scarf into a triangle or roll it up like a band, then wrap it around your neck and tie a small knot in front. You can wear it loosely for a relaxed look or tighter for a more polished feel. This style gives off a classic French vibe and works well with a plain top or dress. It’s perfect for days you want to look put-together without doing too much.
AS A HEADBAND 2.
A silk scarf makes a perfect headband. Just fold it into a long strip and wrap it around your head, tying the ends at the top or back, depending on your style. Wearing this look might give off a bohemian or retro vibe, and it’s adorable and fun. Also, it’s ideal for hot days when you don’t want your hair in your face. Pair it with loose curls, a ponytail, or a bun to give your hair a stylish twist.
3.
ON
YOUR
HANDBAG HANDLE
This should be your go-to when you want to give your bag a quick upgrade. All you have to do is tie your silk scarf around the handle of your handbag. You can wrap it around the handle or tie it into a neat bow on one side. This simple touch will help add colour, class, and personality to your bag. It’s also a stylish trick for making an old handbag look new.
AS A BELT 5.
Using a silk scarf as a belt is an easy way to add colour and flair to your outfit. Fold or roll the scarf into a strip and thread it through your belt loops, or tie it around your waist over a dress. This style lets you break the usual belt routine and gives your outfit a fresh, stylish twist. This can be your go-to for days when you don’t want something too heavy or stiff around your waist.
4. 6.
AS A TOP
Your silk scarf can be worn as a top. This bold and trendy style requires a larger scarf. Fold it into a triangle, wrap it around your chest, and tie it at the back. It’s a great look for the dry season, beach days, or when you want something fun and different for a casual outing. Just make sure to wear the right bra or tape underneath for support and pair it with highwaist jeans or shorts to balance the look.
AS A HAIR TIE OR PONYTAIL WRAP
Add a silk scarf to the mix if you’re tying your hair into a ponytail or bun. Tie the scarf around your hair, letting the ends fall freely. This adds a cute, feminine touch to your hairstyle and can even make a simple look feel more styled.
The beauty of a silk scarf is that it never goes out of style, and you can always find new ways to wear it. Whether on your body, hair, or accessories, it adds elegance and flair to your outfit.
K IS FOR KINTSUGI
(Part three of the cat saga — and the golden thread of healing)
After the court ruling, things did not exactly return to normal.
Tinsel became a tabloid icon. My cousin stayed furious. The widow disappeared. The rest of us?
We tried to act like we had not just witnessed the most bizarre family fallout involving love, loss, and feline inheritance.
Something in me had shifted, though. Watching it all unfold — the fractured relationships, the viral absurdity, the way grief twisted into gossip — I felt something quietly break inside; not in a dramatic, table-flipping way, but I realised that judgment, pride, even legacy are all just porcelain. Beautiful. But brittle. I needed to make sense of it all – of the cracks it revealed — in my family, yes, but also in me.
And that’s when Kintsugi found me. The Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold; not to hide the damage, but to highlight it — to honour the break, and make something stronger and more beautiful in the repair.
It spoke to a truth I had yet to put into words: that healing isn’t neat. It’s messy. Slow. Sometimes public. Sometimes quietly viral - like a cat with a trust fund. But if you choose to heal with intention, with grace, with gold — you end up stronger. Wiser. Whole… but changed.
That’s when the idea for the #Unshakable Kintsugi Hoodie Dress was born. It came to me in sketches — seams
laced with gold, soft black fabric like a quiet hug. At first, I thought it was just about the saga. A wearable memory of one of the strangest chapters I had ever lived, but then I realised: this wasn’t about Tinsel. This was about me.
Because long before the cat saga, I had lived through my own heartbreaks. Quiet ones. Loud ones. Some funny in hindsight, some still raw; and when I looked at that hoodie dress, I saw my healing — not hidden but honoured. I thought: if I feel this way, surely someone else does too.
So I released it.
Not as a fashion statement, but as a mirror.
For anyone whose healing didn’t come with neat resolutions. For anyone who has patched themselves together with grace, and grit, and a little bit of magic. For anyone whose story — however bizarre or quiet or aching — deserved to be worn like art. I hoped that when people put it on, they’d feel comforted. Emboldened. Less alone. Maybe they would think about their own cracks — and how they have been mended. Hopefully, not all of them have a viral cat inheritance to recover from. But I know they have healed from something.
Because we all have.
And while some family drama — about and beyond Tinsel — is still simmering beneath the surface, I often catch myself imagining what that resolution might one day look like.
And more than that,
I fantasise about the Kintsugi design I would create to celebrate that specific healing — a new thread of gold, a different cut, another wearable metaphor of love restored. Maybe it will happen.
Maybe it won’t. But the fantasy itself is its own kind of hope.
Self-Reflection
What’s your healing story? Can you picture it — not as damage, but as design? If your scars were stitched with gold, how would they shimmer? Where would they run? What would they say about who you have become?
And if you could wear your healing, what would your Kintsugi hoodie dress look like?
Take a moment.
Close your eyes.
Paint a photo in your mind of your most powerful self — not in spite of your cracks, but because of them.
That’s what Kintsugi is.
That’s what this hoodie dress means.
That’s what being #Unshakable really looks like.
‘See’ you next week.
The Many Layers of OKUSAGA ADEOLUWA
It’s one thing to be known for your stint on reality TV. It’s another to transcend the screen and become a full-blown expression of creativity, vulnerability, and reinvention. For Okusaga “Saga” Adeoluwa—artist, engineer, fitness enthusiast, and former Big Brother Nigeria housemate—the world isn’t just a stage; it’s a canvas.
Since charming his way into the hearts of viewers with his humour, heart, and expressive nature on Big Brother Nigeria Season 6, Saga has proven he’s not your average reality star. He’s a man of many layers—an emotional being unafraid to show affection, a gifted visual artist whose works speak volumes, and a passionate dreamer who channels his energy into art.
In this interview with THEWILL DOWNTOWN’s Johnson Chukwueke, Saga opens up about life post-Big Brother Nigeria, the role creativity plays in his healing, how fame has shaped his journey, and what fuels the art behind the artist. We also dig into the things that keep him grounded—family, hobbies, love, and his never-ending pursuit of selfdiscovery.
You’ve been described as a multi-hyphenate—artist, fitness coach, engineer, and reality star. How do you balance all these roles without losing yourself?
I try to focus on one thing at a time instead of juggling at the same time. I was first an engineer, I did that for a couple of years, I balanced art with engineering. I did engineering in the morning, and then art in the evening. Then, during COVID, everyone was home, so I started fitness training; I had time for that during the day, as well as my engineering work and then art at night, as always. Then Big Brother happened. I quit my engineering job, and now I am an actor, so when I can, I still paint at night. I don’t really do fitness training anymore, so it’s acting, influencing, and painting when I have the time. So, usually, I just focus on what’s in front of me, and I don’t try to do it all at the same time.
“I was raised to be soft, to see life easily, to be open about how I feel, not bottle things down, and that has affected my career path. As an artist and an actor, it really helps if you are expressive because you can’t succeed in the theatres or in the movies if as an actor, you are blank. ”
Your hyper-realistic art has received considerable attention. What inspires your work, and how did your journey as an artist begin?
If you ask me what I am deep down, I will tell you that I am a creative; it just depends on the canvas or medium I choose to express that creativity. I was the kind of child who, when I was little and went to parties with my mum, would get lost, and my mum would tell people that she knew where I was. She wasn’t wrong because you would find me standing close to the drummer, just watching him as he played, that was like when I was 3-4 years old. I was in the music band and played drums in church, and I was even a drum major in school. I used to go for art competitions as a kid, but my parents didn’t see it as anything. I performed at some point in my childhood, although I didn’t start drawing until after university. I have always looked for a means to express myself, and drawing has always been in me somewhere because drawing or painting has been a straightforward means to express yourself as an artist.
You studied engineering at the University of Lagos. What made you pivot into creative arts and fitness full-time?
Even when I was in school as an engineer, I was still part of the choir in school; I just always looked for a means to express myself. I was in the music department, I was in the drama department, I used to act on stage at Unilag in the auditorium. I used to also act at the theatre, I did drama and singing while I was an engineer, and I always had the chance to draw, and to me, that was okay, I didn’t even know it as something serious, it’s just something I loved to do, fitness as well. Now when I finished university, I didn’t get a job, I was broke, and I needed to get my girlfriend at that time a gift, but of course, I didn’t have any money for a gift, so I thought I should draw her, and that’s how I started drawing. Because of that, I trained for six days and officially became an artist. After that, I needed to pay for the training, so I started taking commissions, and I started paying the guy half of everything I was earning till I could pay him off completely. Within six months of learning to draw, I was nominated Best Artist in Nigeria, so I was improving so fast. Shortly after that, I went to serve in Bayelsa, and then I got a job as an
engineer in an oil company, so I went back to engineering, which I didn’t think I could do. I started juggling art and engineering for a long time till COVID. The time I was an engineer, I was in the gym, still dancing and drawing, and many people felt I was out of place. So when COVID came, I had time on my hands, and I started training people via WhatsApp. It was a big WhatsApp group that I had people from the U.S., Canada, all around, and I was training them on fitness, and they were paying me till I eventually lost my job, and I focused on fitness fully. So, it was COVID that really gave me the chance to explore my creative side because I lost my job as an engineer. People told me, “Oh, you should go for Big Brother, you are creative,” and I had never heard of Big Brother, but I eventually attempted the first time, and I got in. The good thing is that my interviewers loved me more cause I was an artist and an engineer. So I got on the show and tried to show my talent as a fitness guy even though I had never trained anyone physically before Big Brother, it was all online. Most of the time, when I try any of these creative talents, I just get it immediately because it’s innate. So, after Big Brother, I got an opportunity to act, thanks to Uzee Usman. I have always wanted to act, but I never got the opportunity or knew anyone in the industry or how to go about it. So Uzee called me and gave me an opportunity to fly to Abuja to act, and I guess he loved my performance so much cause he recommended me to other producers, and that was 2023 ending, like two years since Big Brother, and the rest, like they say, is history.
How has life changed for you since Big Brother Nigeria? What opportunities surprised you the most after the show?
Okay, let me put it out there that I never even resigned from my job before I went for Big Brother because there was no guarantee you would even get in when you were just auditioning. So I just told them I had COVID-19, and then they saw me on television. So yeah, it was definitely a reckless move, to be honest, but I couldn’t quit my job just in case so that I would have something to come back to. Coming out of the house, I saw I had developed a following on Instagram and other social media platforms, so I decided to explore the creative side of me. I didn’t go back to engineering; I sent them a resignation letter, properly resigned, and dove into the deep waters of entertainment with no prior knowledge or godfathers,
just relying on my guts and my wit. It was tough because all I knew was the corporate life before Big Brother, but with grace and talent, I was able to pull through despite the mistakes initially. I was able to survive somehow, but it was really tough because there were a lot of people I didn’t know. I would walk into a room full of actors and industry people, and I would whisper to my friends to tell me whenever I needed to greet someone because I didn’t know anybody. I just focused on my talent, posted a lot of content, and showed people what I was capable of.
You’re very expressive and emotional—a contrast from many men in Nigeria’s public space. Has that vulnerability helped you connect more deeply with your audience?
I like the fact that you started by saying I am an expressive person, even in my art. I try to find every canvas to express myself; I don’t shy away from expressing my emotions in any way. The good thing as well is that in Big Brother’s house, I feel like our fan base resonates with who we are from the house, you know, so my people are very easy-going, and soft, just like myself. I feel like they already identify with me as an emotional kind of guy, so I just stuck to who I am, no need to change any narrative about myself, I am the kind of person who was raised by my mum, and I was raised to be soft, to see life easily, to be open about how I feel, not bottle things down, and that has affected my career path. As an artist and an actor, it really helps if you are expressive because you can’t succeed in the theatres or in the movies if as an actor, you are blank. That part of me has helped me be who I am today, and my supporters resonate with it. You’ve done some public speaking and mentorship—what’s your advice to young Nigerians struggling to follow non-traditional paths like yours?
“I believe a lot in myself, and many young people should develop that mentality. I believe I am the star of my own story, and I believe all things work together for my good; that’s just the faith I have in myself. When I have an idea, I pour myself into it as much as I can and hope for the best.”
I believe a lot in myself, and many young people should develop that mentality. I believe I am the star of my own story, and I believe all things work together for my good; that’s just the faith I have in myself. When I have an idea, I pour myself into it as much as I can and hope for the best. To the young Nigerian who has an ambition, don’t let anybody push you out of your dream, chase your dream, be your loudest cheerleader, and go for it. But if you go for it without having faith in yourself, that is bad; you must have faith in yourself and the drive as well, because they are two different things. Some people have that faith, and they will not execute it, while some people have the means to execute it, but they lack faith. You must have both of them and hope for the best because everything I have attempted has been me jumping into the unknown. Going from engineering to BBN(Big Brother Nigeria) without knowing what it was, and then from BBN to acting. I go head-on and also work on my talent, I am not going to dive into things without anything to show for it.
You often combine your passions in creative ways—any upcoming projects where fitness, art, or entertainment collide?
So, I am going to say this here first: I am working on producing my first film, in which I will combine a bit of my creative side and my acting side. I don’t want to give the whole scoop here, but I will combine both sides. I am working on that, and hopefully, before the end of the year, it should be on our screens.
Fitness is a big part of your brand. Can you walk us through your personal fitness philosophy and how you motivate others to stay consistent?
My personal fitness philosophy would be “Start today, stop the procrastination.” Go register at that gym, start today. If you think you are chubby and fat now, you could be chubbier and fatter tomorrow; there’s always worse; if you think you are unhealthy now, you could be worse tomorrow; that’s number one. Then number two would be, it’s actually 70% diet and lifestyle, and 30% gym. So you need to work on your diet depending on whatever goals you have in mind. If you want to lose weight, you need to lose weight in the kitchen first; if you want to gain weight, you have to gain weight first in the kitchen, and then you work in the gym. If you just focus on the gym, you won’t really achieve your results as much as you want. My third one would be a lifestyle, if you want to live healthily, it’s not just the gym, you need to sleep well, you need to have good hygiene, take your supplements, avoid some toxic things that can ruin your physical state, and just live healthily. What you put inside you and how much rest you have affects you.
in the next 30-40 years, I want to have another person out there inspired by me who’s fighting for his dream, showcasing himself as much as he can, that’s what I want. I want to inspire others.
What does a perfect, no-work, no-camera day look like for you?
I am going to sleep at least 8-9 hours. I am telling you that’s just a perfect no-work day for me, and I don’t care. Sometimes, I work late nights, and then the following day is my rest day. I could also get a good workout in, come home, listen to music, shower, I have a couple of friends come over, we play games, watch movies, and I go back to more sleep. That’s just a good rest day for me, just quality time with friends and family.
What role does your family play in keeping you grounded with all the fame and creativity swirling around you?
What do you want your legacy to be—when people mention Saga Deolu in 10 years, what should come to mind?
Honestly, I want to be able to inspire people, I want my work to be able to inspire others, that’s what I want to leave behind, I want to touch lives. I am still in the early stages, but
As you said, family keeps you grounded; that’s what it is. As a celebrity, you can have your head in the clouds, you can lose your sense of direction, it can get really confusing, and your inner compass could be messed up. But when you have quality friends and family around you, they will recenter you. I come home, we talk about random stuff, and they properly check on me; this isn’t the Instagram life and comments; they are people who actually care about me. We talk, I see how I can help them however I can, we talk about the old and recent times too, and they also watch my back. In this business, you can’t see it all, you need eyes at your back, front, and sideways, so I have friends and family doing that. I talk to them, and they tell me what I should do or should have done better when I create content, I send it to them first, and they look at it, when I want to sign a deal, I send it to them to know their thoughts, even if I am talking to some girl, I talk to them about it, and they advise me, so yeah, that sort of thing.
Are you a morning person or a night owl? What’s your daily routine like these days?
I am a night person, you don’t need to go too far. You know I said earlier, right from when I was an engineer, I painted in the evening or nighttime, so my body clock has been wired funny. I come alive in the nighttime, I might look exhausted, but I can work all night, anytime, any day, it might show on my face that I am tired, but I can go all night, and sleep all morning. You see when I wake up in the morning, I am usually slow, I just want to meditate, eat, do some skincare, and go to the gym. But at night, that’s when I can really plan, develop ideas, and paint. All these happen in the night.
1.
Hot showers feel amazing, but they’re not great for your hair. Hot water strips away the natural oils that protect your hair and keep it moisturised. This leads to dryness, brittleness, and breakage. Hot water also opens the hair cuticle too much, causing frizz and making coloured hair fade faster. Instead, wash your hair with lukewarm water and finish with a cool rinse. The lukewarm water will clean effectively without removing all natural oils, while the cool rinse helps close the cuticle for smoother, shinier hair.
SHAMPOOING MISTAKES TO AVOID 4 COMMON
BY DORCAS AKINTOYE
Many of us shampoo our hair without thinking much about it. We just apply some shampoo, rinse, and go about our day. But simple mistakes in this daily routine can leave your hair looking dull and damaged. The good news is that fixing these errors is easy once you know what they are. Today, we explore common shampooing mistakes and how to avoid them for healthier, better-looking hair.
3.
Rushing through rinsing can leave residue in your hair, making it look dull and feel heavy. Leftover shampoo builds up on your scalp and hair, causing irritation and weighing down your style. Rinsing should take longer than shampooing itself. Run water through your hair for at least 30 seconds or until the water runs clear with no bubbles. Pay special attention to your hairline, behind your ears, and the nape of your neck. Taking extra time to rinse completely makes a big difference in how clean your hair feels.
2.
4. USING WATER THAT’S TOO HOT NOT PROPERLY RINSING OUT YOUR SHAMPOO APPLYING SHAMPOO DIRECTLY TO YOUR HAIR SHAMPOOING TOO FREQUENTLY
When you put shampoo directly on your hair, it concentrates in one spot. This leads to over-cleaning some areas while missing others. Instead, pour a small amount of shampoo into your palm first and rub your hands together to create a lather. Then, work this lather evenly through your hair, focusing first on your scalp, where most oil and product build-up occurs. This ensures even distribution and lets you use less product while getting a better clean. Most people only need about a quartersized amount of shampoo.
CONCLUSION
Daily washing might seem like good hygiene, but it’s often too much. Overshampooing strips natural oils, leading to dryness, breakage, and an irritated scalp. Your scalp might even produce more oil to compensate, making your hair feel greasier faster. How often you should shampoo depends on your hair type. Oily hair might need washing every other day, while dry or curly hair might do best with just once or twice a week. On non-wash days, you can rinse with water, use dry shampoo, or tie your hair up.
By avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll see a noticeable improvement in your hair’s health and appearance. Minor changes to your shampooing routine can lead to better, more manageable hair.
Heavy Heart? Ways to Lighten
Your Emotional Load
BY JOHNSON CHUKWUEKE
We all carry invisible backpacks. Some are filled with work-related stress, unresolved conflict, heartbreak, or the exhausting pressure of trying to keep it all together. You smile through it, keep going, and tell yourself, “I’m fine,” but inside, your emotional load feels heavier by the day. If your heart feels cluttered, it’s not a sign of weakness; it’s a signal that something needs tending. It’s very much normal to have something eating at your heart or weighing you down emotionally, and emotional wellness isn’t about ignoring your feelings. It’s about honouring them, processing them, and finding healthy ways to release what no longer serves you.
Let us discuss a few powerful and practical ways to help lighten your emotional load.
It starts with honesty. Pretending you’re okay only delays healing. Sit with your feelings—cry, journal, talk it out. Naming your emotions gives them less power. You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to admit that something hurts. That in itself is healing.
Emotions live in the body. Sometimes, all you need is a long walk, a dance session in your room, or a good yoga stretch to feel lighter. Physical movement clears the mental clutter and helps release built-up tension. A 15-minute workout can do wonders for your emotional clarity.
It’s okay to say no to conversations, people, or environments that drain you. Protecting your peace is not selfish—it’s essential. Whether it’s muting certain chats, limiting exposure to triggering content, or stepping back from toxic dynamics, learn to draw the line and stick to it.
One thing that we all, as humans, need to understand is that we are social beings. No man is an island, you don’t have to carry it alone. Whether it’s a friend, therapist, or support group, talking through your feelings can be liberating. Connection is healing. You’ll often find that others are going through the same things, and that sense of shared experience is powerful.
Release the grip of what you can’t control. You don’t have to keep replaying that argument, missed opportunity, or betrayal. Letting go is not forgetting; it’s choosing not to carry the weight any longer. Write a letter you’ll never send, take a symbolic walk, or meditate on release.
You need to show yourself some grace, you’re human, and you’re allowed to pause. You’re allowed to rest. You’re allowed to feel deeply. The emotional weight didn’t build overnight, and it won’t vanish in a day. But with intention, you can start to unpack it—one feeling, one truth, one boundary at a time.
Emotional wellness isn’t about constant happiness. It’s about awareness, balance, and release. So, if your heart feels heavy today, take a breath, take a step, and remember: it’s okay to put the bags down. You deserve to feel light again.
TAURUS SEASON IS HERE
BY JOHNSON CHUKWUEKE
ELEMENT: EARTH RULING PLANET: VENUS
SYMBOL: THE BULL FLOWER: POPPY
BIRTHSTONES: EMERALD, DIAMOND, GARNET, SAPPHIRE, ROSE QUARTZ.
DATE: APRIL 20TH - MAY 20TH
Rema, May 1st
Bsurprises, and that’s exactly what makes them such dependable forces in both friendships and careers.
Lovers of Comfort And Beauty
Thanks to their Venus influence, Taurus-borns have a taste for the finer things in life—soft sheets, rich food, scented candles, and all things aesthetically pleasing. They know how to indulge without apology, and they remind the rest of us to slow down and actually enjoy life. If you’ve ever met someone who curates their living room like an art gallery? Chances are, they’re a Taurus.
Unshakeably Determined
Once a Taurus sets their mind on something, there’s no turning back. They’re not impulsive—but when they commit, they commit. Whether it’s building a career, a relationship, or a vision board, Taurus moves with quiet power and unbreakable resolve.
If you’ve got a Taurus in your circle, count yourself lucky. And if you are a Taurus? Own it—your steady spirit is your superpower.
orn between April 20 and May 20, Taurus is the zodiac’s earthy icon—the one who brings structure to the chaos, glam to the grind, and warmth to every room. Represented by the bull and ruled by Venus, Taurus individuals are known for three core traits: stability, sensuality, and stubborn determination—and they wear them like a badge of honour.
Grounded And Reliable Taurus is the friend who never flakes, the colleague who delivers results, and the partner who’s in it for the long haul. These earth signs are deeply rooted in routine, logic, and loyalty. They’re not big on
Terrence J, April 21st
Ireti Doyle, May 3rd
BEAUTIFUL STRANGER
BY DORCAS AKINTOYE
I had been restless all day. Nothing excited me anymore. Same old routine, same old people. I needed something different, something wild.
That night, I slipped into a short black dress that clung to my body like a second skin. I didn’t bother with much makeup, just a bold red lipstick and a spritz of perfume. I wanted to feel alive, not perfect. I wanted to be seen... and taken. The club was loud and buzzing with energy. Lights flashed, music thumped, and bodies moved like waves on the dance floor. I ordered a drink, leaning against the bar, pretending to look around casually, but inside, I was hungry, not for food, but for touch, for heat, for release. And then I saw him.
Tall, dark, and dripping with the kind of confidence you can’t fake. His eyes locked with mine across the room, and something clicked.
He made his way to me, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. No words, just that magnetic pull. His hand brushed my waist lightly, asking without asking. I nodded. That was all it took.
He pulled me close on the dance floor, our bodies pressed tight, moving to the beat. His hands were bold, tracing the curve of my back, brushing the edge of my thighs. Every touch set me on fire. I could feel his need, as raw and desperate as mine.
Minutes blurred—maybe hours. I didn’t know, didn’t care. I wanted him. Somehow, we stumbled into a dark corner of the club, hidden away from prying eyes. His mouth crashed into mine, fierce and hungry. I kissed him back just as hard, losing myself in the taste of him, the feel of him.
His hands roamed my body, fingers slipping under my dress, finding bare skin. My breath hitched. I arched into him, silently begging for more. He growled low in his throat, and it sent shivers down my spine.
I tugged at his shirt, needing to feel skin against skin. He pulled it off quickly, and my hands explored the hard planes of his chest, the muscles flexing under my touch.
He pressed me against the wall, his knee between my thighs, and I moaned into his mouth. The world around us disappeared. It was just him and me, a storm of heat and want. Then he brought out a condom and in seconds unwrapped and put it on.
When he finally slid inside me, it was like coming home to a place I never knew I was missing. We moved together, rough and desperate, lost in the madness we created. Every thrust, every gasp, every whispered curse fueled the fire burning
between us.
I clung to him, nails digging into his back, hips meeting his with equal hunger. He buried his face in my neck, his breath hot against my skin, his hands gripping my hips like he couldn’t get enough.
It wasn’t just sex. It was something raw, something that shook me to my core. My body sang under his touch, every nerve alive and screaming for more.
When the orgasm hit, it shattered me. I cried out. He followed right after, groaning low and deep, the sound vibrating through me.
We stayed tangled for a while, breathing hard, bodies slick with sweat, hearts racing. No words were needed. No promises. He kissed my forehead gently before pulling away, his eyes soft but burning. And just like that, he was gone.
I straightened my dress, wiped the smudged lipstick from my lips, and smiled. Tonight, I gave my body what it craved. And it gave me something back, something wild, something real. Something I would never forget. And I didn’t even know his name.
BY BOLUWATIFE ADESINA
MOVIE REVIEW:
The Accountant 2
Na decade
Ben
to
in 2016’s The Accountant, a sequel is born. Gavin O’Connor’s The Accountant 2 continues a trend of film studios (Amazon MGM in this case) picking at the carcasses of existing properties for any possible franchise potential.
Bill Dubuque’s screenplay is a troperegurgitating mess — unremarkable, jumparound nonsense — but somehow stumbles into an entertaining brand of B-grade action silliness. The tone evolves from deadly serious to deadly kinda-sorta serious, alleviating a few of the original’s pain points. Don’t expect anything groundbreaking, just an entertaining take on neurodivergent mercenaries and brotherly love.
Affleck reprises his role as autistic assassin Christian Wolff, aka “The Accountant,” whose books aren’t exactly clean. Treasury Agent Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) reluctantly contacts Christian after someone close to both takes a fatal bullet. They join forces with a shared taste for justice, but deciphering the tangled web of available clues requires help. Christian phones his hitman brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal) for a family reunion in Los Angeles, where the trio starts rattling underworld cages. Broken limbs, dead bodies, and whizzing bullets aren’t typical hazards of an accountant’s profession, but Christian’s no ordinary accountant.
The Accountant 2 can feel like 17 storylines are tangled into one. Christian’s called into action because of an untimely death, but his investigation is all over the place. American syndicates, Mexican affiliates, pimps, traffickers, launderers, and countless other baddie stereotypes fade in and out of relevance without much definition.
What saves The Accountant 2 is a prominent sense of humour. Christian’s not just dislocating Thug #5’s shoulder as an interrogation tactic. He’s trying his luck at dating seminars and line-dancing at Los Angeles honky-tonk bars. Braxton’s eating ice cream with his victim’s new widow or giving himself a cuss-filled pep talk in his undies before phoning his intimidating exlover. Bernthal and Affleck share beers, push buttons and liberate guarded encampments as brotherly mercenaries who are fine apart — although Bernthal does no wrong all film — but captivatingly hilarious together. There’s a buddy comedy vibe that sustains when no one’s dying, which is lucky because action
sequences are front and back-loaded.
Where The Accountant handled conversations around autism with less deftness, The Accountant 2 is about commonality. Including autistic actors helps, like Allison Robertson, who makes her accomplished feature debut as the “Girl in the Chair” Justine. There’s an entire subplot about “Acquired Savant Syndrome” that points at neurodivergence as a superpower, while Harbor’s forensic training program for autistic children lets these kids work as Christian’s sidekicks.
Even Braxton’s usage of the word “weird” about Christian is to teach a compassionate lesson, but Bernthal’s bruiser is hardly unsympathetic. O’Connor makes sure to include dicier dialogue between bros as Christian explains that his brain isn’t wired to think like Braxton’s, where the latter doesn’t shame, but fully supports.
I wish the same attention were paid to action set-pieces, which aren’t as consistent. It’s a shame because the explosive third act concludes with Christian and Braxton going all out against hopeless grunts. My praise of the film’s comedic elements doesn’t erase the dry stretches without gunfire or cracked skulls, which is frustrating because what does exist is quite exciting.
Christian and Braxton are stone-cold killers with ammo-swapping chemistry as battlefield partners, but there’s a strange lack of examples considering the film’s two-hour duration. It’s odd how situational punchlines reveal a pile of dead bodies without showing us, for example, the ways Braxton dispatched multiple penthouse guards. In a film begging for double the action sequences, why fast-forward past existing ones?
Nevertheless, The Accountant 2 surpasses its original by keying into a lenient and dangerously playful tone. Affleck is charming and vulnerable as Christian in moments where he’s just living everyday life, trying to navigate the anxious minefield of dating or friendships through his exceptional perspective. It’s not the sequel you’d expect, which is a compliment. Bernthal’s the unexpected MVP despite Affleck’s leading role, but the real treat is how The Accountant 2 becomes a wholesome and heartpumping family affair. O’Connor can make 10 more of these flicks as long as Christian and Braxton take on hordes of villains side-by-side.
If you’ve stuck with You, the series starring Penn Badgley thus far, you signed up for outrageous twists, cartoonish characters, and an exorbitant number of murders, all tied together by Badgley‘s bewitching performance. It’s not prestige TV, but it’s unapologetically entertaining, and Season 5 delivers on everything that got audiences obsessed with this series.
Set a few years after Joe rose from the dead in London, he’s now part of a prolific power couple with wife Kate (Charlotte Ritchie) and back in his old Manhattan stomping grounds. Kate and Joe are adored for their against-all-odds love story and fierce philanthropy — but when someone threatens their new status quo, Joe handles it the old-fashioned way and lights the fuse on blowing up his entire life.
There’s also a new liability in the form of Bronte (Madeline Brewer), a dreamgirl perfectly calibrated to unravel Joe with just a look. She’s written to highlight just how unimaginatively Joe perceives women and how little it takes to tempt him away from the life he allegedly holds so dear (Badgley and Brewer are close to the same age, but Bronte is clearly supposed to be in her early twenties — which reads less as Joe’s patronising impression of her than a classic Hollywood gaslight).
In fact, Joe and Bronte’s interactions lead to some of the season’s best comedy, all at the expense of our pseudo-feminist murderer (she loves books! she hates the
rich! Is she The One??). Badgley is legitimately laugh-out-loud funny as his character reacts to her smallest hints of flirtation, falling into his usual patterns with sitcomlevel predictability, all reinforcing his constant failure to change. Badgley is still magnificent in a dark, demanding, and disturbing role, turning Joe into a masterclass of internality that never softens his sinister nature. It’s been a killer performance from start to finish and undoubtedly the reason that the show found both popularity and endurance.
He’s not the only one having fun during the final hurrah; a cast
highlight has to be Anna Camp as Kate’s twin half-sisters, both equally exaggerated and delightful. The Pitch Perfect star is all but showing off in the scene-stealing dual roles, sinking her teeth into the series’ unhinged tone like she’s been there from the start. Griffin Matthews deftly balances this out as grounded brother Teddy, and more players pop in and out throughout the ten episodes.
Like its previous seasons, Season 5 starts slow before gaining momentum — but Netflix made the smart decision to release the whole thing at once, unlike Season 4’s misguided two-part drop. The midway twist paves the way for uncharted narrative territory, from Joe’s close relationships to his public persona and the unanswered questions from his past.
Surely, he can’t outrun his fate forever — but my goodness, it has been fun to watch him try.
berlioz - peace
Svm - gristle
Jessica Jolia; Yaahn Hunter Jr.; Kevin Ross - Mink Coat - Remix
early
after
Affleck introduced the world
Christian Wolff