Loc Maintenance: Summer Edition!

Every summer I ask any hair stylist my most popular two questions of the summer:
How do I keep locs smelling fresh in the summer heat between appointments and how do I protect my locs during swimming??

This time I posed my questions to master locticians and natural hair stylists at Loc Lov Styles of  Loclov.com on Instagram during their weekly "Ask the Stylist" feature to get their advice.  I'm so excited about their responses (because they are great at natural hair with a holistic approach) that I had to share it with you guys.

Read below!

Will this help you this Summer?  Do you have any advice to add?? Please chime in!
Also, stay tuned for a review on Re'Fresh N which has been called the Febreeze for locs. So glad I got my hands on this stuff!

Mother's Day Pop Up Shop in the DMV

Mother's Day is around the corner. What do you have planned? Stop by the Mother's Day Pop Up Shop by Key2Impressions at the Hilton Garden Inn. Celebrate Mother's Day shopping your heart out at this fun shopping event.

Work Out Essentials with Adidas for Women Body Spray

Work Out Essentials by yummy411 featuring Adidas Women's Body Spray

Are  you getting in those workouts, getting Summer ready? I have a lot more to accomplish that will take much longer than the arrival of Summer.  I'm making more efforts to get moving and get more active. In my quest, I've come up with a few things that are must haves for me : good sneakers, great sports bra, water bottle, comfy pants and an activity monitor.  

There was one other worry I had. Strange smells...ODOR. Jumping into a workout right after a long day of work, I was worried about smelling like a gym sock! Once I tried perfume...much too fragrant and the warmth from my body intensified the smell.  That was terrible!  Adidas Women's Body Spray is great and fits the bill.  It's a mist spray that smells light and refreshing.  A squirt or two under my shirt and I felt refreshed and confident about getting worked up with sweat.  The Adidas Body Spray has been added to my must have list!  I like to keep this handy for gym workouts, but it can be worn anytime for a light fragrance.

Click the image to find more information on the products including the Adidas Woman's Body Spray. There are two additional fragrances offered.   The sprays retail for less than $5 at mass retailer near you.

*PR sample provided

Beyonce Rise Fragrance Review

It's been said that Beyonce' named her new fragrance Rise because she was inspired by her favorite Maya Angelou poem, Still I Rise.

I wonder if Beyonce' watched Moesha with the rest of us and saw Maya Angelou preaching to the young homie, Moesha? (Forward to the 9:48 mark)

 

International BusinessTimes reports that Marsha Brooks, vice president of global marketing for Cody, described the scent to WWD as having "a strong sense of 'overcoming adversity and rising above it all." She adds that,"The fragrance concept is about female empowerment and finding the inner strength that makes women so beautiful."

It was cool to read that, but I wasn't sure if I was convinced.  Her fragrance is debuting on the heels of her new album release that promotes sexual freedom. When I saw Rise, my mind thought maybe this is Bey's idea of a scent that will get a rise out of a man! Ha!  I bought this on mere speculation.  There wasn't  even a tester yet and I don't own any of her other fragrances.

Rise has notes of apricot, Italian bergamot and iced basil sorbet. The main note of the perfume is  "Golden Symphony" orchid mixed with freesia and Sambac jasmine flowers.  Base notes are autumn woods, cashmere, musk and vetiver. 

The packaging is low key regal with a golden structured top to encase the light golden liquid.

Overall, the scent isn't bad, but it's character is not unique. I bought this 15ml bottle at Walgreens for $20.

Have you seen or smelled Rise?  Do you like it?  What have you heard about it?

My La Femme Blush Palette Swatches

 Swatches on NC45 skin (no flash), NC55 skin (flash), NC45 skin (flash)

After rereading my last post as a blog reader, I thought 'what good is waxing poetic about the product if you can't see swatches for yourself?

Here are swatches in the same order as shown in the palette in my previous post:  (Click here to see the post and read a mini review on the blushes.)

Left Row-
Soft Beige- matte, warm brown-- on my skin tone it's a decent contour color
Flamingo Pink- matte, barbie pink-- bright, clean pink-- as you can see it's not great with flash on darker skin tones!

Mulberry-pink fuchsia
Purple Passion- matte, magenta love!
Grape- matte, reddened purple- definitely not what I expected from grape. I was thinking a pure bluer based purple

Right Row-
Naturelle-matte,  light tan. orangey shade, not for everyone
Golden Rose- shimmer, hot pink shade laced with gold shimmers
Terracotta- shimmer, terra cotta,orange and less red than sunkissed dawn, laced with gold shimmers
Sunkissed Dawn-reddish orange laced with gold shimmer
Golden Sunset- shimmer, deep orangey red laced with gold shimmer

These colors are so pigmented, they aren't  quite fool proof.  Be careful to blend!

Moment of Pride: La Femme Blushes in the Z Palette

Read below why I'm so proud of this palette and mini reviews of La Femme blushes and the Z Palette!

I've been a fan of the Z Palette system for a while--  sturdy casing with a magnetized, open space system for different sized makeup pans.   A definite must have when going to the trade shows! So perfect for your kit or personal makeup collection. I had one that I hadn't put to use, until I was going thru my stash, condensing it and trying to use up what I have. What better way to put my large, black Z Palette to use than to house my lovely collection of La Femme blushes in it!  This palette fit all 10 blushes!  The palette also came with thin, self adhesive, round magnets if you have cosmetics that aren't in a metal pan.  I didn't need them, but great to have!

I finally ordered my La Femme blushes from MakeupMania over the Spring of 2013 after stalking Devin's blog and Helena's blog aaannddd watching Tia work  her magic....using their purchases as guides.  At $3 per pan, what was taking me so long? I think I was apprehensive as I am with most online retailers when making my first purchase.  Once I received the blushes I wasn't disappointed.  These inexpensive, pigmented blushes pack a punch! MakeupMania shipped them in a decent amount of time.  I would definitely order from them again.  I didn't buy the 12 well palette that is designed for the blushes. so they sat in their shipping box for protection (they came as individual pans in little baggies in mini envelopes). The Z Palette was perfect for them!

I feel so proud of this palette. I wish I had done this before investing in my custom MAC blush palette.

I look at the colors and get excited for the possibilities!

Since Blogger refused to rotate my picture, I'll list the colors top to bottom, left row and right row:
Left Row-
Soft Beige
Flamingo Pink
Mulberry
Purple Passion
Grape

Right Row-
Naturelle
Golden Rose
Terracotta
Sunkissed Dawn
Golden Sunset
Check out my swatches here.   I hope to use the blushes soon in FOTD's!Do you have La Femme blushes?  What are your favorite blushes?

Shop for Shoes at Night? Swapping Used Makeup?

Why You Should Never Shop for Shoes at Night

And other crazy facts that will help you get the most out of your health and beauty routines

This is a TotalBeauty.com Skin Care article When it comes to our health and beauty routines, timing really is everything. You may be picking the right products and making healthy choices, but did you know that when you do these things can make or break the results? We break down the timing of a proper beauty routine. See tips

Would You Buy or Swap Used Makeup Online?

The underground world of online makeup swapping -- completely legit or totally gross?

This is a TotalBeauty.com Makeup article Sharing some powder or lipstick with your friends may not seem like such a bad thing, but what about a complete stranger? As it turns out, there are tons of people flocking to online sites to swap or buy somebody else's makeup -- and they don't seem to care that it's been used. We talked with health experts and cosmetic chemists to see which products are safest to swap ... and which you should steer clear from. See what we found

New Fragrance: Roses de Chloe

Chloe's new fragrance Roses de Chloe  was created by master perfumer Michel Almairac in collaboration with Mylène Alran.  Roses de Chloé was developed with bergamot notes in the top, joined by a heart of damascena rose essence and magnolia, and a trail of white musk and amber.

For the launch of Roses de Chloé, the Chloé house has developed a hypnotic film celebrating the rose, at the heart of its new scent. The artistic piece, directed by the French choreographers I Could Never Be a Dancer, reveals Chloé’s unique interpretation of the rose. French electro artist Jackson and His Computer Band signs the soundtrack.

 
The Blowing Roses film expresses the delicate and feminine side of the Chloé woman
through the blooming roses metaphor. Each woman represents a petal, dancing gracefully
with the wind’s breeze. As the flowers bloom, the petals multiply and spread to create a
kaleidoscope of roses.

Never Forget Why You Started with Erin Scandalous Beauty

Erin of Scandalous Beauty recently did a video answering questions for the YouTuber interview tag and gives us the deets on how she she got started and why she quit, gives us the low on jealousy and tips on how to keep going when your thirst (motivation) has dried up!

I love that she has been around since 2005, a staple in the blogosphere as the brown girls guru to makeup, and has remained on the scene still giving us fresh and interesting content. 

This interview tag video from Erin left me with words to keep on my heart... "never forget why you started." This resonates more with me now more than ever!

RETROspective for Dimension Mag

This weekend, I did makeup for a maternity shoot that Leomard Poteat, my fave photographer, was shooting. I thought back to the last time we worked together. It was a mag spread that you may have seen behind the scene photos for on my IG or FB, but I wanted to share here. We did this pretty cool shoot for Dimension Magazine and the team was amazing to boot!  Can't beat that!

Check out more photos and credits on The Close-Up Blog.

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara Review

 

Hey lovelies! I was raving to Kia about the Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara, so she asked that I share my thoughts with all of you on the blog. Well, it’s been a few weeks and I’ve had time to really form an opinion about this product.

First, let me tell you that this mascara was brought to my attention by watching others’ reviews and hearing how much they loved it. Secondly, before I decided to search for this mascara, I visited the Five Below in my area for something totally different, and happened upon it for three bucks. Done deal in my book! So, if you decide to give this mascara a try, check your area Five Below first :o)

The first few times I used the mascara, I was doing make up on the go. I had to do five-minute looks in the car. I loved it! It made my lashes nice and bold, black and gave the volume I was looking for. Winning, right?

Well, when I finally took my time with the mascara, as I created a more intricate look, I found a couple of things that leave more to be desired from this product. Here’s a list of the pros and cons.

PROS

Volumizing

Lengthening

Darkens lashes well

Defines lashes well

CONS

Causes spider lashes when building

Defines lashes, but some become stuck together

Dries really fast

Here’s how I overcame the issues I had with the mascara:

I monitored how much mascara was on the wand when I took it out of the well and adjusted it as necessary. I know this is a step that we all take, but I had to do this more than usual with this particular mascara.

Secondly, I used a disposable mascara wand to separate my lashes and take away any excess mascara, while they were still wet. I did this to ensure that my lashes didn’t look like spiders.

In my opinion, this is not mascara that you can really build on and separate lashes without having a clumpy look. However, because it dries pretty quickly, if you’re a one and done type of girl that doesn’t obsess over every lash being in a specific place, this will work just fine for you. For three bucks, it’s definitely doable. However, I won’t be using it in lieu of my L’Oreal Voluminous anytime soon. So far, I have been using it along with other mascaras, since I do appreciate the volumizing effect of the Rimmel Lash Accelerator. If you currently use this mascara, be sure to tell us what you think. Also, let us know what your fave mascara is. Until next time… Make up, not war.

Twinkling Skies FOTD

I wanted to use some color instead of my regular neutrals. I was inspired by items in my stash as I was doing a bit of reorganizing.  Blues, purples and sparkles were ingredients for this recipe.   This felt more dramatic in person.

The major players were (clockwise from top left):

• Magnolia pigment in Twinkle
• MAC glitter liner in Aqualine 
• Magnolia highlighter (it gives a pink, opalesque finish) 
• Betrayal shadow from the UD Vice 2 palette
• Revlon Diamond Lust shadow in Night Skies
• NYX jumbo shadow pencil in Purple 
• Revlon Gumdrop lip butter

My Top 3 Moments of 2013

For me, 2013 wrapped up and became an interesting year. I started out on a high note, attending a Magnolia Makeup Meet-Up to a very low note of losing my grandfather right after Christmas.

Through the ups and downs, highs and lows, I came up with my top 3 moments of the year.   Now, I didn't do a thorough review of the year, but I came up with moments that stand out to  me when I think back on the year.  They just so happen to be highlights!

Here are my 'Top 3 Moments of 2013':

1. I went to support my friend, GreenTeaSoul at one of her community outreach events and she showed me so much love when I arrived, I was overcome with excitement. I didn't realize going would mean so much to her.  That expression of love meant a lot to me too. I could go into a sugary sweet prose about what that meant to me and what our friendship means to me, but I'll stop here. Just know that it was special and I can only expect that from someone who has a halo that glows!

2. I was stopped in Target by a lady who recognized me.  She said she had put together a Loc Inspiration book for herself from the internet and I was in it.   Shout out to my sister who maintains my locs :)  Just wow! I remember when locking my hair was a new year resolution for me.  This is probably the only resolution I've followed through with and stuck to all of these years, lol.  Now, I'm someone else's inspiration.  A full circle ... and most flattering...moment.

3. This year, I  celebrated my birthday on my terms, ALL month long (Thanks to family members that held me down on the sitter front!)  I've never done the sweet 16, 21 or big 30 bday bashes. For some reason this year, I decided to have fun all for the sake of my bday.  I had a great time, topped with a trip to Miami.  I didn't think I could top my undergrad Spring Break Miami experience, but I might have.   The late nights and early mornings were all worth it!

What were your top 3 moments of 2013?

MAC Masterclass Brushes

MAC released some new makeup brushes, Masterclass brushes, in 2013 that resembled toothbrushes.   I didn't really pay them any attention as all  the brushes I have I love and use with purpose... Nothing's broke, there's nothing to fix.  Plus, I've been working on keeping money in my pocket and utilizing what I have.   *shrugs*

But then I watched this video by Nix92585 (YouTube)/Recycled Stardust...

Then, I saw Alsenio's video with a bit more information:

I'm torn, but definitely still curious.  Have you tried these?  Would you recommend them?

MAC x Proenza Schouler Spring 2014

Beauties rocking MAC's Exclusive Event lipstick

Hey dolls! I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas. The kid got a few things from his wishlist and we spent the day with family.  A good time! I didn't wear any special makeup.  I wanted to earlier that morning, but I guess it was a fleeting feeling. 

MAC's Exclusive Event (Divine Night Holiday Collection 2013) soft, brown- taupe lipstick really caught me by surprise. I didn't plan to get anything from the collection.  I had only checked the collection for the MSFs.  I walked in the store, saw it, thought it looked different and just bought it... in early December when the collection launched in October no less!   I was pleasantly surprised.

I wanted to feature some other beauties and how they rocked their Exclusive Event lipstick. Some of you may notice them because they are Specktrites too ;)  Check them out on Instagram!   The lipstick seems to be sold out every where, but if you know how to hunt, you may be able to still find it.

@AMORMIOXO

@SMILEYT06

@FADETOBLACKKK

The Cosmetics Company Outlet at Tanger Outlets at National Harbor

This past weekend I visited the CCO at the new  Tanger Outlets in the DMV (DC, Maryland  and VA) area.  Honestly, the CCO was the only reason I wanted to go to the outlets. No more planning trips to Arundel or Leesburg to get to a CCO! I now have one in my back yard!

Lights, makeup, cosmetics, liners, lipsticks, testers, discounts, assortment, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Estee Lauder, Cliniquie, perfumes, DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger......

Ummmm, it was there, but very little of it, like almost NOTHING. I was told they get shipments once a month... blink, blink, stare...

SIGH. I guess after a year or so the inventory will pick up and it will be a store we can enjoy. I'm hopeful.

Fast Friends with NYX Butter Glosses Merengue and Creme Brulee

NYX says: "Buttery soft and silky smooth, our scrumptious new Butter Lip Gloss tastes as sweet as a sugar cookie—and makes your lips look downright luscious. Swipe it on alone or over your favorite lipstick for creamy sheer to medium coverage that melts onto your lips and is never sticky."

Yup, that's about right! I purchased the NYX Butter Glosses in Merengue which is a pink lilac, and  Creme Brulee which is described as natural or I would call it a tan/pinky nude.  These are nice creme glosses that are sheer to medium in opaqueness.  They aren't a jelly gloss, nor are they full on creme lipstick, but these glosses do have color.  The colors aren't shy, but aren't too bold to make you feel overdone.  We've become fast friends and I may purchase more as there are 12 shades in total to choose from. These retail at about $5.99.  I purchased mine at a neighborhood drugstore, but NYX is showing up every where...even in Target! 

Have you tried these?  What do you think?

Teen Yummy411 MAC Cyber Lipstick

 CYBER!

I've seen Cyber, I swatched it and was ready to experience it. My expectations were for it to be a dry, matte lipstick and that it lay beautifully on my lips. Cyber super missed me with all that, lol.

Using a liner to fully cover the lips before applying Cyber is highly recommended because it is blotchy and also glossy, even though it is a Satin lipstick. I love deep lipstick colors, especially purples, but Cyber doesn't appear purple to the naked eye to me, its almost black which isn't what I wanted.

Hopefully the Punk Couture collection coming out December 26 will please me with the matte, dark purple! Can't wait!

Instagram Update December 2013

 

It's December! Wow time flies.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, now on to the holiday parties and Christmas!  If you follow me on IG, you probably have a decent update of what I've been up to, but for those that don't, here's a collage!

1.

I was on a makeup pause, classes/shop my stash only deal until I went into a store and decided a lipstick was all I needed. I'm late to the MAC Retro Matte formula greatness, but this Relentlessly Red has me all giddy inside. Bad pic of me wearing it and the pic doesn't do it justice, but believe me, the formula is greatness and impacts the color in a fab way. The formula is matte and comfortable. Win!

2.

 It's been all about lipsticks for me lately. My only purchase from the MAC holiday collection, Divine Nights is this Exclusive Event lipstick.  It's a satin, grey, odd color and is probably the lipstick baby of Stone and Cork lip liners.

3.

  OPI The Living Daylights polish from The Skyfall collection has me in a holiday party mood. It reminds me of the night lights of a party.  I've been getting designs and jewels on my nails and have neglected my love for glitter. 

4.

 What's the point of pics if they don't capture the beauty of the subject? SIGH. This is my Christmas tree. It doesn't look special, but I love it when I walk through the door. It has a silver and light turquoise color scheme. 

5.

 An oldy, but goody and new to me. Since I've been a MAC fan, the limited edition items keep you wrapped in a frenzy and I haven't had the opportunity to experience everyone's favorite permanent lipstick next to Ruby Woo...DIVA! I paired it with Currant lip liner and I'm loving it! Thanks to my girl Ro for putting me on.

6.

 Hey! The Corporate Beauty is in my town now and not just in the blogosphere! A new beauty buddy!  Good times!

7.

 For Thanksgiving, I wasn't responsible for an entire dinner, but I did try my hand at a new dish (for me) Shrimp and Grits Dressing. Turned out pretty tasty! A nice twist on two of my favorite dishes.

8.

I've been into designs lately since polishes haven't tickled my fancy in a long while, but I looked around in the drugstore and saw some new glitters and textures that caught my attention! Two of these are Essie polishes from the Encrusted Treasures collection and the other two are from L'Oreal's Textured polish collection.

9.

In November, I went to NY to see one of my favorite makeup artists, AJ Crimson.  This NY stop on his beauty tour focused on clean, beauty makeup during a live photoshoot with model @rayuanaaleyce and photographer @harryfellows.  Seeing the pros in action was sweet!

How have you guys been?  Life has seemed a little different without Google Reader. I've tried keeping up on Bloglovin', but I never got my feed to transfer over.