Queens I'll follow to the end of the Rainbow

Hello my lovelies! I haven't forgotten about you, I promise! The truth is I've been gone far too long and the longer I'm away from my beautiful little blog the harder it is to bear the thought of looking at my sad little outdated page. Knowing how neglected it has become has been breaking my heart and so I decided that for my first post of 2018 I wasn't going to make it about myself but about you, all of you. The beautiful Queens and maybe even some kings who have followed and supported me back when blogging wasn't yet a thing (at least not my side of the world) and who still do today.

The opportunities and friendships this little blog has brought me are invaluable and I have only you to thank for being there when no one else was and encouraging me before I even knew what Youtube was or what good lighting looked like. To think when this blog started I didn't even wear make-up and yet my loyal friends and followers you stayed with me and continue to do so as we grow up and glow up together.

This month is Women's month (also my birthday month) and to celebrate I've decided to share with you some of my favourite bloggers, personalities and friends. Women I find particularly inspiring and down to earth and whom I admire very much. Please note that I am not listing them in order nor does the number of followers each may have matter to me. What matters to me is the growth I have seen, the messages that they share, the support they have offered me and the respect that I have for them. These are women I have gotten to know either through circumstance, work, family and some I have never met but that I feel any follower of mine would want to follow and if you take a look, you'll see why.

Teni Oluwo

I met Teni on my first visit to Nigeria for my first ever job requiring a stylist other than myself and within the first hour of stylist had already turned my nose up at many of the outfits she had me try on. Of course this didn't lend itself to us becoming fast friends but over the week that we worked together and the trials and tribulations on set we got to know each other and began to understand one another's style. Gorgeous and edgy as she is I think the one aspect of Teni's aesthetic that really blew my mind was the fact that she doesn't wear heels. In the fashion industry it's a well-known fact that a pair of heels can often make and many a time, 'fix' a look and yet Teni sees no challenge in styling herself to look absolutely stunning, edgy, elegant, confident, (you name it!) and all in flats! A celebrity stylist, master of mixing prints and always in trend, from a fashion point of view there's nothing she can't pull off.

Follow Teni on Instagram; @style_territory

Laila Johnson-Salami

 TV presenter, model, radio host, blogger, vlogger and founding activist for the We Rise Initiative Laila is an inspiring goddess and also just one of my favourite people. I'm not just saying this for brownie points (because she's basically my sister in-law). Laila brings positivity to every aspect of her life and after literally one conversation with her you'll feel like you can take on the world. Of course this feeling is fleeting for some of us and that's why it's good to keep her around, because she definitely can! I could list off the usual talents, well spoken, gorgeous, educated, passionate but really what Laila brings to my life is an incredible energy. An energy that through everything she does, whether it's her NGO or her radio show, inspires you and all women to go after what we want and actually, who doesn't need someone like that in their life?

Follow Laila on Instagram; @ljsonline or click here to follow her blog Laila JS

Ashley Okoli 

I met Ashley whilst on set for Spice Tv Africa and she was the assistant stylist. Truth be told the stylist on set didn't need no assistant and Ashley herself is no assistant. Stylist, fashion designer, model and social media influencer Ashley is probably the coolest person I know. She takes risks with her fashion and always looks fab in every photo. It's like she has no bad angles. She emanates pure confidence and is extremely real and down to earth on all her platforms. A hot mama with a flame attitude she also has a Youtube Channel where she vlogs her daily experiences and shows us how she customises her clothes.

Follow Ashley on Instagram; @ashh.ok

Patience Bwanya 

Photographer and creator of Love thy Form, a platform and blog that appreciates self-love and self-motivation in those that follow their dreams. Patience and I met during my fourth and final year at Rhodes and I wish we had met sooner because she is a ray of sunshine in my life. Always working on new and creative ways to enjoy life and to document it Patience is so motivating and as beautiful in the inside as she is on the outside. She is the embodiment of the message behind Love they Form and though she may get over-enthusastic about pretty meh nachos sometimes she always encourages me to try new things and to open my mind. Not to mention we all need that friend with some hella photography skills right?!

Follow Patience on Instagram; @pashieb or check out her photography acc.; @pashieb_photography 

Nelliane Makondi

Malawi is such a small place and the truth is that pretty much everyone knows everyone. And if you went to a select number of schools this rings even more true. Even so, over the years we all lose touch and make our own lives for ourselves and the beautiful Nelliane has definitely made the best of life. She's a fashion and beauty model, high-end brand ambassador and self-portrait connoisseur. Her social media is popping and there's really no need for an explanation as to why I follow her. As well as being gorgeous she is a devout christian and often posts inspiring verses on her snapchat feed and Instastories.

Follow Nelliane on Instagram; @missnelliane

Aziza Francis 

I came across Aziza (what a beautiful name right?) through Instagram and this was because I follow Nakita Johnson, a life-style blogger whom Aziza manages. From Nakita's vlogs and posts it seemed like Aziza was the friend I wish I had and when I checked out her profile and what she preaches I saw this to be true. One of Azizas Instagram live sessions literally changed my life! She's like the friend who speaks love into your heart even though you don't even know her. I did some stalking and found out she used to host female empowerment talks/events and moodboard workshops and I just had to follow. Her positivity is such a real mood you won't want anyone to burst your bubble!

Follow Aziza on Instagram; @azizawho

Afika Jadezweni

Afika and I met in my first year of journalism at Rhodes and we were probably the only two who answered "Giuliana Rancic!" to the question 'who's your favourite journalist?' We both had blogs and I was an avid reader of her first blog. She is an amazing writer and I followed her on every platform because she is every bit as funny and fashion-forward as her blog. Now a content creator for Marie-Claire she literally has the dream job and the confidence that goes with it. Her Instagram feed is a magical mood board and her twitter the funniest most down to earth account I follow.

Follow Afika on Instagram; @lulo_acups

Alétha Renée 

Artist and make-up maven, her art is as beautiful as she is. I love how she incorporates African print into her art and how down to earth her captions are. Not to mention I have a soft spot for mixed-race Malawian curly heads and she's absolutely stunning. She's no stranger to pushing herself and her craft and her artistic style is ever evolving, something I personally believe is a trait of a true artist. I'm in love with the hand painted jacket she made for Tay Grin and seriously want one of her paintings on a handbag or a piece of clothing!

Follow Aletha on Instagram; @alethaa

So there you have it my loves! Some of my Favourite peoples, Instagram accounts, Bloggers, Vloggers, Professionals.... Each of whom is beautiful and inspiring and talented in their own ways. If you're a follower of The Coconut Lists I can assure you you'll want to follow these lovely ladies and I hope that in doing so you find some inspiration of your own.

And to all the wonderful women out there that are a friend to The Coconut Lists and even those who aren't just remember that you are amazing and you can have anything you want. It's 2018 and being a women will not hold any of us back any longer. You got this!

Beijos! xx

- J

P.S. I'm thinking of making a whole thread of posts like this about, powerful, inspiring women and labelling it 'My Monthly Muses' or something else that's probably just about as corny. What do you think?