Lagos Bride Looks Great Without Make-up

Busola Umoren on her wedding day

Last week, the photo of a Lagos bride who appeared in her wedding dress and tied the knot with her hubby without a single make-up, went viral online with mixed reactions and wild criticisms trailing her choice on her happiest day.

The woman, Busola Umoren who is from Lagos, and a graduate of Lagos State University (LASU), has broken her silence to Vanguard Allure about her choice, saying that she loves her natural self and  that her husband fell in love with her when she hadn’t even taken her bath that day.

Below are some excerpts from the exclusive chat;

Was that the main reason you went for a natural look on your wedding day?

Just like I was convinced to wear make-up on my engagement day, I was also told to do same for my wedding. I also planned to go for nude make over. I contacted a make-up artiste and she was on standby. On that‎ fateful morning, I was in the car and I looked at the mirror and liked what I saw. Meanwhile, because I was already running late, I had begged the make-up artist to come over and do the makeup in the church (inside the car). After all, it wasn’t supposed to be a serious thing- just small touches here and there.

So, as I stared at myself in the mirror, I looked so natural and beautiful; I really liked what I saw. Some church members also came to me and liked my natural look and agreed with me not to make up.

Secondly, to be honest, when my husband first met me, I had not had my bath, but he saw and fell in love with my natural look. My hair was due, my face looked way older, I was even tying nylon on my hair when he came to me on that fateful morning, yet he loved what he saw. So, who am I supposed to be making all that up for on my wedding day?

So, that was it. I think God just decided to crown me with early morning beauty the day I wedded. Interestingly, the photographer and the makeup person, were insisting that I should touch up my face a little but I blatantly refused.

In the process, a marriage committee member overheard us and warned that make-up is not allowed inside the Church; Christ Apostolic Church, Surulere.

So, before then, you had no idea they don’t wear make-up to your church?

Yes! I had no idea. Some C.A.C parishes wear make-up to church, but some don’t. I only got to know that morning. We wedded in my parent’s parish, so we were not used to their rules and regulations.

Well, because of that we concluded that I would have some make-up on after the church; before the reception. But the picture that went viral, I had no makeup on, not even powder.

The couple on their wedding day

When you saw your pictures all over the internet what was your first reaction?

I’m a writer and a blogger with a Facebook fan page. So, I actually uploaded the pictures on my Facebook page, telling my fans and readers that I have gotten married.

As at Tuesday, it had over 1,500 shares on Facebook. The picture went viral with some people saying all kinds of things about me. I’m a very emotional person. I saw the pictures on different blogs and the comments were not pleasant at all. Someone even said that I wanted to be famous that was why I didn’t use makeup.

Some other persons said I was trying to condemn those wearing make-up on their wedding day that was why I went for natural look. The comments were too much and mostly insulting. I had to stop reading them because it was really getting at me.

Honestly, if I knew it would be like this, I wouldn’t have posted it.