Linda Gatere

The Victoria’s Secret 2018 Show

Another year, another Victoria’s Secret fashion show, and I am here for it!! I cannot remember a time when I was not so obsessed with this show. For most models across the globe, being a Victoria’s Secret Angel is the ultimate goal; a dream. A few weeks back, I wrote Callbacks and Confirmations , happy…

Georgian Delight

Georgia is a country in the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It lies bordered by the Black Sea on the left, Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. Georgia is predominantly Christian, and it’s history dates back to as far as the fourth century. I was travelling with a friend of mine called Karen for…

A Trip To Bali

Towards the end of last month, I knew I had leave coming up in October, but I was not quite sure where I wanted to go. Nairobi was not quite an option seeing as I had already gone home three times since moving to Doha. I wanted something different. I thought of Bali, Indonesia. It…

The Power Of The Mind.

“Whatever the mind can conceive, it can achieve” I recently started reading a really great book, The Magic Of Thinking Big. Over the past couple of months, I have found myself reading more books than I have in the past five years. Perhaps because, as the days go by, I realise more each day that…

Callbacks And Confirmations.

For most models, the ultimate goal is to walk the Victoria’s Secret runway. With the results of castings trickling in, we are so proud to see the number of women of colour set to walk the runway later in the year. As a black woman and activist, such gestures and wins for fellow women of…

The Value Of Friendship

One of the best kept secrets in life, is the value of friendship. We’ve heard about this, but, do we really understand it? On many occasions, we’ve been told that, “You are the average sum of the five people closest to you”. I came to realise, a while back, that the people you have in…

It’s Pageant Season!

If anyone was to ask me now what i think about pageants, in one sentence I would say, “Pageants build character“. Most people would most likely beg to differ, but i have my reasons and insights. Having actively participated in pageants for the past five years, I could say a lot about it. I’ve had…

Beyond The Horizon.

You’ve been there before. You’ve thought about it countless times. You’ve done your research. You weighed in on the pros and cons. But you’re still here; undecided. Its human nature. You know how life has a way of unleashing surprises on you? Just when you think you have seen it all, something new comes along….

The School Of Life.

They really do not prepare you for these things. You grow up under the illusion that your greatest decision in life will be whether or not you make it to university based on your grades. You somehow imagine that from then on, everything else will somewhat work itself out. Your job. Your career. Your life….

Florals And Stripes!

Well, in case you may not have noticed yet, florals and prints are the fashion trends taking over 2018. Halfway into the year, and we can confidently conclude that florals and prints are the signature looks this year. It could be a dress, it could be palazzo pants, or shorts, or a jumpsuit. Whatever…

Growing Modest.

They say, “When you go to Rome, do as the Romans do”. Six months ago, I made the decision to move to the Middle East; to the State of Qatar. Which also explains my long hiatus from writing here. It has taken a lot of adjusting. Now, Qatar, as you may already know, is a…

Living In Purpose

A lot of times, we speak about ambition and purpose. For some of us, we believe that we are born for a reason. That there is a divine purpose for which we were placed on earth, and that we must find it, and fulfil it. For some, maybe not. My friend and i were having…

Step Into Your Own Persona

Now, I spent a lot of time toying around with this topic. I have also written numerous posts in the past about self comparison, feeling inadequate, knowing who you are and being true to yourself. In my observations, I’ve come to realise that most of us, at some point or another, have done things with…

The Quarter Life Crisis Pt II

Being a teenager is quite a confusing period. You’re somewhere in between childhood and adulthood, and you can’t wait to finally be eighteen years old and have the freedom to do everything you cannot do because then you’ll be a “grown up”. Or so you think. You turn eighteen and get into university or college…

Twelve Days Of Christmas.

Christmas time is one of the holidays that we mostly look forward to every year. And Christmas in 2017 has come quite sooner than expected, at least for me. It is a time to celebrate, to spend time with family, to meditate on the year that’s passed, and make resolutions for a better year ahead….

Go For It!

For various reasons, at one point or another, we’ve let great opportunities pass us by. Not because we couldn’t deliver, but because we fail to believe in ourselves. We are too afraid to take any risks for fear of unknown outcomes. Most of these times, quitting is always the easier option. No repercussions. No consequences….

The Victoria's Secret 2017 Fashion Show

The 2017 version of one of the most popular fashion shows globally has just been concluded in Shanghai, China, and I am loving all the photos! From Alessandra Ambrosio, to Adriana Lima, to Taylor Hill, to Jasmine Tookes, to Cindy Bruna, to Bella Hadid, to Jourdana Elizabeth, to Ming Xi, to Josephine Skriver, the list…

By Faith, Not By Sight

It’s very easy to feel lost, alone, confused and out of focus. It happens to the best of us. Life is a journey, not a straight road, and more often than not we experience phases or days when things are rough. We go through periods of time when we lose hope, we feel devastated and…

Choose Your Battles Wisely.

One of the things that scare me the most is a lack of control; being in a position where I lack control. And that’s pretty much why I refuse to take alcohol, among other reasons. But today I want to talk about situations in life where we cannot control nor change the circumstances. Have you…

Ankara Goodness!

There are so many reasons to be proud for being African. But let’s focus on our signature look: Ankara. When we were younger, they would call it kitenge, and for some reason most of us found them unappealing. Luckily, life has a way of turning things around. With a little bit of creativity and style,…

The Unspoken Truth: Mental Health

Mental health. Ever said it out loud? What is it? By definition, mental health is “a level of psychological well-being, or an absence of mental illness. It is the “psychological state of someone who is functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and behavioral adjustment”.” I bet you already know this. One of the most unspoken truths has to…

The Zig Zag Principle

We may be different people, given that no human being is like the other; but we all share a common goal: success. Success means different things to different people; some feel that having lots of wealth is being successful, some that having peace of mind is success, some that small but meaningful steps in the…

The Right Path.

How often do you regret past decisions? Or, do you ever sit down and wish that your life took a different path? The thing about life is that we often look at what happens in other people’s lives and somehow wish that ours were just like that. We imagine what things would be like if…

Understanding Makeup!

Choosing the right kind of makeup is always an issue subject to debate. Over time, I have had many people ask me what I use on my face, and where they can get the same. Before I settled on Black Opal, I had my fair share of confusion and dissatisfaction from many other brands. At…

Rocking The Cold Season!

The cold season is here, and there is nothing as frustrating as indecisive weather. How many times did you peep out the window, estimated how the weather will be, picked an outfit, and ended up suffering the whole day? Several, right? Me too. The thing about cold weather is that you just never know! What…