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The rains have been relentless and the floods unkind, but the season still holds its small comforts. This July’s edit gathers the products and pieces offering warmth, joy, and reprieve.
The year has turned its corner. July arrives, and with it the reckoning that half of the year is already spent. What began in January as intention — the plans, the resolutions, the futures we sketched for ourselves — has either taken root or quietly slipped away, and there is a strange honesty to this midpoint. It asks us to look at what remains.
The rains came in earnest this season, and they have been unforgiving. The floods, more so. Streets I have walked all my life have become rivers; mornings begin with the calculus of which roads are passable and which have surrendered to the water. There is a resilience the wet season demands of us, an insistence on moving forward even as the skies hold their grey and the ground refuses to stay dry. We adapt, as we always do. We carry umbrellas we know may fail us. We arrive damp and carry on regardless.
Perhaps that is what colours this stretch of the calendar. Not a beginning. Not quite an ending. A threshold, and a sodden one. Yet there is something steadying in crossing it anyway, in deciding to seek reprieve rather than wait for the weather to offer it. Lately I have been thinking about comfort — not as escape, not as denial of the difficulty, but as the small, deliberate choices that carry us through it. To find warmth where we can. To stay soft when everything outside is hard and wet and grey. To trust that the sun returns, as it always does, even when the clouds give no indication of it.
That spirit shapes this month’s edition of Elevate & Illuminate. These are the products, pieces, and discoveries moving me through the season with grace, comfort, and a generous measure of joy.
Fashion
The Drape Dress
₦790,000
Mugo Mugo
Fluid, draped, and breathable, this elevated piece is made for a July that swings between sticky afternoons and rain-cooled evenings. Whether you’re dressing it up for a romantic dinner or down for an easy brunch, it moves with impeccable elegance.
The Bahari neck cuff
₦38,000
Unrefyned
I love a good statement piece, and while I usually gravitate toward statement rings, this neck cuff is the bomb. When the weather keeps outfits simple and pared-back, a sculptural piece like this does the heavy lifting. Get it on!
The Anike Sandal – Aso Oke in “Pink”
₦35,000
Maple Street
Pink shoes? Count me in. These open sandals are perfect for the sunny days of reprieve between light showers — easy to wear, quick to dry off, and the aso oke keeps them distinctly Nigerian. A welcome pop of colour against grey-sky days.
Heatwave Mini in “Bronze”
₦344,500
Zashadu
This bag is my ray of sunshine for cloudy days. Crafted in vegetable-tanned local leather with a nomadic, architectural feel, the bronze goes with everything July throws at me. This is a proper investment piece, and a beautiful one too.
Skincare
Cream Skin Cerapeptide Toner & Moisturizer
₦44,818
Laneige
Two steps in one bottle? Yes, please! The hydration sits and absorbs rather than sweating off, which is exactly what my skin needs when the July damp leaves it dehydrated but not dry. Additionally, it’s lightweight, which is always a plus when it’s both rainy and humid at the same time.
Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50+
₦31,500
La Roche-Posay
July’s rainy weather often fools people into skipping sunscreen altogether, but UV rays can slip right through cloud cover. This is even more important in countries like Nigeria, which have moderate-to-extreme UV index all year round. Do not skip the sunscreen!
Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream
₦65,000
RoC
The overcast rainy season is a forgiving time to keep a retinol habit going. I particularly like this eye cream because it smooths and firms the under-eye rather gently. Never use retinol in the daytime, though. Even on overcast days!
Green Tea Blemish Control Serum
₦16,500
Uncover
Humidity means more sweat, more congestion, and more breakouts. Thankfully, this serum exists. The active ingredient, green tea, keeps blemishes and post-spot marks in check, without stripping the skin of its much-needed moisture.
Fragrance
The Nuptial Bouquet
£148
Atkinsons 1799
I fell in love with Atkinsons 1799 after I discovered Posh on the Green a few months ago. The Nuptial Bouquet is equally polished and effervescent, with enough structure to survive the humidity without vanishing. With notes of violet, myrtle, and musk, this is a refined daytime scent for warm, damp July afternoons.
Un Jardin sur le Toit
$170
Hermès
Petrichor, the pleasant, sweet smell that fills the air after it rains, is one of my favourite smells. With its refreshing notes of the elusive pear, magnolia, and grass, amongst others, this fragrance reminds me of petrichor. It is green, fresh, and weightless — the perfect companion for humid, rainy days.
Hibiscus Mahajád
€350
Maison Crivelli
Sensual and exotic, this niche extrait leans into the season’s rich humidity, making it the perfect nighttime scent. A flamboyant duo of hibiscus and rose melts into vanilla, leather, and musk — tropical and opulent, without being cloying.
Eau De Grey Vetiver
$200
Tom Ford
Vertiver is one of my favourite scent notes. Deeply complex, it is earthy, green, and woody, often with hints of smokiness, making it absolutely flattering in the season’s humidity. If you love Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver, you will enjoy this fragrance, as it is a relaxed version of the latter.
Makeup
Photo Finish Smooth & Blur Primer
₦74,800
Smashbox
A few years ago, I stopped using primers altogether, as I deemed them unnecessary in my makeup routine. I have since reverted to using primers, primarily because of primers like these. This blurs pores perfectly and gives your makeup something to hold on to in the season’s humidity.
Yummy Skin Liquid Blurring Balm Setting Spray
₦55,800
Danessa Myricks
Danessa Myricks can do no wrong in my eyes… and this setting spray is one of the many reasons why. Where most formulas leave the skin feeling taut and tight, or worse, cakey. This one simply blurs the pores for a smooth, truly editorial finish that holds up through the humidity.
Ultralip in “Ember”
₦48,125
Glossier
This shade of plum is an absolute showstopper. I think it’s dark and brooding in a way that feels almost romantic. The high-shine slip catches the light beautifully, and it’s easy to swipe back on when the rain sends you ducking indoors.
Pulp Fantasy Eyeshadow Palette
₦19,800
Morphe
I absolutely love a playful, pigmented palette. Thankfully, this delivers on both counts. The shades are cool and versatile — whether you want a soft pastel to complement the light showers, or a darker, smokey look to match the thunderous clouds.
Wellness
Safety Rain Boot with Steel Toe
₦13,800
Generic
Keeping my feet dry as I navigate flooded and waterlogged streets is non-negotiable. Rain boots are practical, a tad unglamorous, but completely necessary. Grab a pair as soon as you can.
Butterfly Pea Flower
₦14,000
Bigelow Tea
I’m generally low-caffeine — coffee’s never been my thing — and this brew is one of my favourites. The deep blue pour is calming and antioxidant-rich, and it turns purple with a squeeze of citrus: a small bit of fun for the grey, rainy days that keep me indoors.
The Season’s Affirmations
1.
I am grounded and steady, even when the skies are grey..
2.
I am allowed to rest and slow down when the rain asks me to.
3.
I am nourished by quiet days spent indoors.
4.
I am growing, just as the earth drinks deep and blooms after the rain.
5.
I am calm in the storm, trusting it will always pass.
6.
I am open to the renewal each downpour brings.
7.
I am finding beauty in the soft, cloud-covered light.
8.
I am patient, knowing the sun returns in its own time.
9.
I am at peace with stillness, and I let it restore me.
10.
I am gentle with myself on the days that feel heavy and dim.
Let the people you love fill your rooms
A final thought, offered gently. The grey days have a way of pulling us inward, and for those of us prone to melancholy, the rainy season can deepen a quiet that begins to feel like isolation. So this is your reminder to reach outward.
Call the friend you have been meaning to call. Say yes to the dinner, even when the rain makes staying in the house an easier choice. Let the people who love you fill the rooms that the weather tries to empty.
Reprieve is not only found in beautiful things, though I hope the ones gathered here bring you some. It is found, most of all, in each other. The sun will return, as it always does. Until then, may you stay warm, stay soft, and stay close to the ones who feel like home.
All my love,
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