A Mini Sephora Haul

A few days ago I found myself slack-jawed as I was in  my car conducting my morning "just parked the car across the street from my job" ritual. Why the open mouth stare? My trial size version of Bare Minerals was officially DONE! No matter how many times I tapped, shook, and slapped the tiny jar nothing came out. I was forced to go to work with some concealer under my eyes and a bit of mascara. Not a happy camper. Now I must clarify this by stating that I am no make up maven. I started to wear Bare Minerals because it gave my otherwise exhausted morning face a glow. More importantly it was simple to apply and I could complete the task in less than two minutes without looking like I took less than two minutes. needless to say as soon as I left work I sought out my local Sephora to rectify this situation. With the help of Sade (one of the most patient make-up reps I have ever met)  I came away with some goodies and tips!


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Bare Minerals Matte in Warm Deep and Make Up Forever Face and Body

Sade not only helped me pick out my correct Bare Minerals shade ( I am officially  warm deep as opposed to golden deep girl) she also helped me find a new liquid foundation and try out a few primers. I  purchased Make Up Forever's Face and Body foundation because it was water proof and seemed to give me more of a glow than the HD foundation. Unfortunately I have tried it  twice since I purchased it and so far I think the sheer coverage is not my cup of tea. It feels as if you are not wearing any foundation, which is fine, however it doesn't look like I am wearing any either. Has anyone had any experience with this foundation? How does it compare with the HD foundation in your opinion?


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A few extra treats: Perfume and Make -Up Primer samples

All in all I had a great time at Sephora and left knowledgeable about my purchases. I think I am going to go there this weekend to try out a few lip colors. I'll let you all know if I get anything!


~ Nelly

New Kid On The Block: Beautiful Textures Hair Care Line

The holiday season is officially in full swing and we all know what that means; sales, sales, sales! Lately my inbox has been filled with discounts from companies that I love to shop from. However this year I have noticed an influx of discounts on products from natural hair care companies, including Jane Carter and Butters N' Bars. I personally think this is the perfect opportunity to give some products that you may not have used otherwise a test drive. If you are feeling particularly adventurous maybe you can consider the new product line Beautiful Textures. A few weeks ago I received this invite via email to attend the debut of their product line:

Although I was unable to attend this event YouTube Vlogger, Ms. Vaughn, attended the Chicago launch and reviewed the product line in the video below.

After watching her review I must say I am tempted to release my inner product junkie and give this hair care line a try simply because of Ms. Vaughns enthusiasm about the products. However there is a part of me that is disenchanted by the fact that yet another hair product is on the market promising to deliver curls to us natural ladies. Sometimes I wonder if we as naturals have simply switched from "glorifying" straight hair to "glorifying" defined curls. When do we begin to truly appreciate and more importantly love our hair the way that is grows out of our head? *steps of soapbox* 

Exploring that question is another post for another day. So, has anyone tried these products? If you have, I would love to know what you think about it. I'm always looking for products to assist me with retaining moisture and would love to know if this line does so.

 For more product details check out their website, www.beautifultextures.com.

~Nelly

Another Natural Beauty: Nikki's Big Chop!

A few months ago I introduced you all to one of my favorite people, Rockie as I  documented her  big chop at Khamit Kinks. Well, last week her cousin Nikki decided to take the big chop plunge and I must say she is a gorgeous natural. I admire anyone who is bold enough to cut off their relaxed ends and embrace their true hair texture. I opted to grow my relaxed  hair out while wearing extensions and weaves and although one day I decided to rock my natural tresses I missed out on truly watching it grow and develop. Nikki I admire your audaciousness, welcome to the natural hair fam! : D

FIERCE! Be on the look out for an interview with Nikki explaining why she decided to wear her hair natural and a post chop update!

Have you ever "big chopped"? What was that experience like for you?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you and your's a  Happy Thanksgiving!

My Current Lust: Sequins!

Are you seeing sequins every where? No need to rub your eyes because this isn't a dream. Sequins have in fact begun taking over every article of clothing (excuse the exaggeration I am a tad dramatic :D ). But seriously, walk into your local mall and you will see sequins all over tops, shorts, on dresses, and even on beanies. Don't get me wrong I have joined in on the trend myself and have purchased a gold and black sequined top the other day and here is a sequin top I wore recently:

I still would live to know what that symbol means -_-!

But what about pants with sequins? Ever since I saw Rihanna rocking a pair on the cover of Glamour magazine this past summer I was dying to own my own pair.

Yes, I am talking about Rihanna AGAIN! I can't help it! : )



Today as I was browising through forever21.com these sequin pants caught my eye:

$19.80 Forever21.com

Not bad for 19.80? I envision them paired  with a tank top and blazer. What do you all think?

These  two pairs of sequin shorts are currently in my shopping cart as well (in preparation for Trinidad Carnival):



$17.80 Forever21.com

$22.80 Forever21.com



Are sequins a part of your wardrobe?

Reflecting....

It has been an interesting weekend filled with a few great moments but also moments of disappointment, failure, and a pinch of sadness. What happened? I will spare you ALL of the details BUT to name a few: a large section of paint is missing from my cars bumper, an event I was planning for the past two weeks went anything BUT as planned, and I have awaken every morning feeling exhausted. I however am determined to not get caught up in negative feelings. A few moments ago I was shown this quote.

                                          "FAIL, REFLECT, LEARN, REPEAT..."

Words to live by! Here's to a better tomorrow.

~Nelly

Shecky's Girls Night Out

A few nights ago I had the pleasure of attending Shecky's Girls Night Out in Manhattan. What's a Shecky? : D Shecky.com is a great source for all things fashion, food, and beauty. Check it out for yourself here. Girls Night Out is one of Shecky's signature events that features a ton of beauty vendors, free cocktails, and opportunities to experience an array of beauty services (brow shaping, hair styling, mini facials, etc). All in all it was a great night!


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These products smell as good as they look.

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The gentleman of Australian Scent.Great Products! Great Concept! And he was super friendly!

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Adorn New York: Beautiful jewelery and a great designer. I told her about my aspirations in designing jewelry and she was so supportive!

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Miss Jessies...tons of goodies and hair demostrations!

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Adorn NY

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Mini Facials

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Beverages!

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The contents of the Miss Jessie's Goodie Bag

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australianscent.com

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The Scheckys Goodie Bag

I'll definetly be at the next one!

A Vitamin a Day Keeps The Doctor Away...

Hey Folks,


The last few months have been very tough for me. Work has grown more demanding than ever and most of my time and energy is spent there. This leaves me very little time for simple things like manicures, reality tv, and eating healthy. When I look in the mirror it is quite evident that life is taking its toll on me even with my hair. What is a girl to do? Now that I have taken the first steps to retaining healthy hair by getting my hair trimmed I decided that I needed to supplement my diet for optimal hair health as well. My hair dresser Janice suggests a daily does of Silica combined with Biotin to grow healthy hair strands. I couldn't find the Silica in my local Rite Aid so I picked up a package of GNC be-BEAUTIFUL Hair Skin and Nails vitamins and Cod Liver Oil Capsules.

Although there were several different types of hair, skin, and  nails vitamins at Rite Aid I opted for the GNC brand because of the amounts of Biotin and Silica in each individually wrapped chewable tab. At 19.99 for 60 vitamins this GNC brand was pricier than most of the others, hopefully this will  motivate me tro actually finish the package. Unfortunately these vitamins look a lot better than they taste. The texture is like that of a warm Laffy Taffy or Tootsie Roll, which wouldn't be terrible but they are extremely sweet. The ingredients are as follows:


Biotin
Is an essential B-vitamin important for the growth of healthy cells.* Just one daily dose of be-BEAUTIFUL™ will provide a whopping 6000 mcg of biotin to nourish healthy and strong hair, skin and nails.*
Collagen
Features collagen, a source of amino acids that are essential building blocks of protein. Amino acids are needed for the growth and repair of tissues such as skin, nails, and hair.*
Amino Acids
Be-BEAUTIFUL™ features premium amino acids naturally present in healthy hair, skin and nails.* With 100 mg of gelatin plus L-Cysteine and L-methionine, your hair will be lustrous, your skin will be vibrant and you'll have strong, healthy nails.*
Antioxidants
Lutein is an antioxidant known for supporting skin hydration.* Coupled with alpha-Lipoic acid and green tea, these antioxidants protect against damaging free radicals that can promote the cell-aging process.*
-BEAUTIFUL™, you can look and feel beautiful from the - inside out!
be-Healthy, be-Nourished, be-Vibrant... be-BEAUTIFUL™
No Sugar, No Starch, No Artificial Colors, No Artificial Flavors, No Preservatives, No Wheat, No Gluten, No Corn, No Soy No Dairy, Yeast Free.
                                                                            Source


So far I have taken one of these tabs everyday since I purchased them and I am not sure when I should expect to see results. Have you ever used hair vitamins? If so, have you noticed any results.

Trimming my natural hair--Results!

I finally did it! Despite my fears, reservations, concerns, and general negative attitude towards sitting in a hair salon I put on my big girl pants and had my hair trimmed by a professional last week. I shared with you all in this post the results of my hair consultation and my disappointment in learning despite all my healthy hair practices I still did not possess a head of healthy hair. Well here are the results from my follow up appointment:

I know it is hard to tell with the cornrows but what you are looking at is a fresh start. :)

My hair was detangled, washed, conditioned, and treated.

In order to accurately trim my ends Janice, my hair dresser, blow dried my hair.

I was amazed by the amount of  hair on my head. For the first time in a while I  felt as if I made progress.

Precision braiding...

This hair gel was recommended to not only smooth my edges but encourage hair growth.

The ingredients: sounds like a  Jamba Juice order



Close up pic...



I'm loving my new "done" look and have received many compliments over the last few days. Janice, my hair dresser, truly made this experience an easy one. She was attentive, she offered product suggestions, she heard my concerns regarding my hair, and she managed to give me and edgy yet protective Interested in Janice's servies? Feel free to email me for the details. ; )