NOTW

Hello



This week I am wearing Zoya's award winning purple named Charisma. I am wearing two coats of this polish. If you don't add a top clear coat the finish will almost look like a matte polish.

I've Been Tagged

Hello Everyone

I have been tagged by Just Me of YepAnotherone.com

11 Ramdom facts:

1)I can not touch someone else's crumbs unless I actually saw where the crumbs came from. Ex. I can't walk into a restaurant and randomly brush off crumbs that the cleaner left behind...WILL NOT HAPPEN #NewTablePlease :-) It literally makes me sick - ok enough of that.

2)The majority of my childhood professional fantasies have come true..#TrueStory

3) I seriously want to be under the tents at fashion week one year!

4)Sometimes I censor myself too much.

5)I rarely speak on the phone...I don't like it, but I used to be a phoneaholic in JHS, but now the phone doesn't interest me one bit. However- I enjoy texting.

6)I prefer sincere words in a letter or a card instead of flowers or gift. Gifts are great too..lol

7)I once heard Whitney Houston sing live and I was in awe of her voice #powerHouse

8)I adore dimples and as a kid I tried pressing buttons into my cheeks to achieve the look...ok I was young- don't judge me..lol

9)I never like going to work when it rains. I hate feeling soggy and wet.

10)I can be super fickle sometimes.

11)I have 3 books that I started reading but have yet to complete. 1- The Serena Williams autobiography, 2) The Black Girl Next Door (good book but I got busy and distracted) 3) Mercy by Toni Morrison. Actually I think there was a 4th book but I can't ever remember the title now. Oh and I started reading the Bluest Eye (I've been meaning to read that for years). I hope to finish all of them by March...lol let's see.

Here are my answers to Just me's questions:

1. Favorite beauty product of all time? OK in general mascara or lip gloss. If I have to be specific my favorite mascara has yet to be discovered, but if I had to pick one now, it would probably be the vibrating mascara from Black Up Cosmetics. I have to review that one :-).

Lip gloss - I have tons, but I'm not sure that I have a specific gloss that is my absolute favorite. I want to develop a lip gloss that has an irresistible scent and is also non sticky, but I digress.

2. Favorite book of all time? The Bible

3. Married or single? Loving it or hating it? Single and loving it. Life is good, I can't lie.

4. Link your no fail recipe you don't mind sharing I will give a short recipe and it's one that I developed in the kitchen one day. I don't measure things so I have no measurements to offer. As a base you can use Ketchup, blended tomatoes or pasta sauce. Then add in brown sugar, minced garlic, onions, pepper and a touch of honey. I mix this up until is it sweet and sticky then I use it to coat basked chicken or bbq chicken. Delicious.

5. Copying Marie so I can get some good hints, Fav YouTube Channel? I watch so many channels but here are a few Thesocialitelife (Sandy can haul yall), Britpopprincess, Splinta24, Splintabulouslife (both channels belong to Splinta), I also watch Andreaschoice.... my list can go on and on....

6. Biggest Fear? Not staying connected to my vision for myself.

7. Have you ever been in a physical fight? Care to explain?Nope, there was tussle between myself and a friend but it wasn't a fight. We were just both pulling on a bag that I didn't want to let got of (I was a kid).

8. Worst Habit? Offering to help too many people because I don't like watching people struggle. What ends up happening is that I end up carrying more than I should and I suffer..lol. I'm getting better though.

9. Trait you most admire in others and why? Loyalty because I am loyal and there is no better feeling than truly knowing that someone really has your back.

10. Should weed be legal?Nope

11. Best anti aging secret? A good conscience, laughter, plenty of rest ( I don't get enough of this), exercise (Don't get enough of this either) and water. If you're looking for a product, I am actually falling in love with night creams. I am using the ClickR night time lotion. Jurlique has a good night cream too (reviews coming soon).

My questions for bloggers Maven, TamStyles and anyone else who reads this blog who would like to participate.

1)Guilty pleasure?

2)Favorite movie?

3)What is a hard truth about yourself that you have come to accept or at least acknowledge?

4)Favorite shampoo and conditioner?

5)What's your most grand professional goal?

6)What is your biggest beauty product regret?

7)What is your most embarrassing fashion moment?

8)Have you ever had a frenemy? (a person who is your friend but they act like your enemy)

9)Which beauty product can you Not live without?

10)Favorite actor /actress?

11)What is your best physical feature?

Look At those Lips

Hello Ladies

As many of you know, I had gone the majority of my life appreciating makeup without ever wearing it. Now that I am dipping my toes deeper into the makeup pond I am really enjoying myself. In recent weeks I have been wearing deep lip colors outside of the house (don't ask..lol) My favorite bright lip of the moment actually comes from Maybelline. The new Super Stay 10 hour stain gloss in the color "Berry Heavenly" has me itching to get my hands on more colors from this collection.

Let's get down to business-

What's so unique about this product? Many of us have used lip stains, some are good others stink but in general even the most beautifully colored stains leave your lips with a matte finish.

Claim #1

This product has revolutionized the way we think of stains because it actually claims that it will give you the stain while leaving a glossy finish.

This claim is 100% true, with just one swipe of this flattened lip wand your lips will have a rich color and a glossy finish.

Notice that the wand looks like a flattened rice grain rather than the usual Qtip like wand that we normally receive.

Claim #2

This product lasts on your lips for 10 hours.

From my experience, whether or not this product lasts for 10 hours (or at least for a reasonably long time) depends on what you are doing. I had a warm slice of pizza and that stain pulled a disappearing act by the time I took my last bite. Also while drinking juice or any beverage, this lip stain went running for the hills. I had to reapply. However, if you are just sitting around doing nothing, or drinking through a straw you will be just fine and your lip stain will last for a good long time (several hours at least). If you are eating and you want your stain to last, you better use a fork and pretend that you are playing the old school game operation ensuring that nothing touches your lips.

Personally, this deliciously berry scented lip gloss/stain is a pleasure to reapply. The fact that it doesn't last 10 hours is not a reason for me to refuse to purchase this product again- I'm smitten.

I don't know if all of the glosses from this line are scented but Berry Heavenly smells good enough to eat, even though the product is tasteless.

I love that this product doesn't dry out my lips at all, it is creamy and not sticky at all.- I love that!!!!

.

Here is the lip stain/gloss with just a light application


Here is that same color with a heavier coating.
Even with more product on my lips, this gloss does not get heavy.

Price- it varies. You may want to shop around because I have seen this product priced anywhere from $10.95 down to $ 7:50.

Bottom line- Would I repurchase this product? YES!

If you're tried this lip stain what are your thoughts? Which lip stain is your all time favorite?

Thanks for reading.

NOTW

Hello

I hope you're all doing well.

This week I feel like having shiny nails so I am wearing "The Full Monty" by Butter London. This gold polish gives me all the shine I need sans the glitter so removal is effortless!

(click on the pic for a better view)

**Edited to include the following information- You can certainly get by with one coat, but I decided to use two for good measure. :-)

What's your favorite non glitter shiny polish???

Hold me down- hair edition

Hello Ladies

I am about 6 months post relaxer and I am thinking that I won't relax again, but that's another story. I was able to put my hair in a ponytail only because I blow dried and flat ironed it last week. However, throughout the week water has caused my edges to swing back into curly formation. I decided to pull out a "holding" product to lay down my edges for what I wanted to be a sleek pulled back ponytail.

I decided to use the Organic Root Stimulator Smooth and Hold Pudding. I didn't remember to check the ingredients before applying it, but the first ingredient is water. So this aided in making the curls even curlier. If you have straight hair naturally or a relaxer, this product may work but as shown in the picture below, my hair line was completely raised. From afar it may have looked like a smooth ponytail but upon closer inspection, it was clear that this product isn't the one that will hold down my coils.

(click on the picture for a better view)

HOWEVER, as you can see on the tub of pudding, hold is actually the last thing mentioned on the label underneath the name of the product. In order it states that this product, moisturizes, shines AND Holds. So I feel it is necessary to address the other two claims.

Shine-

This was a no go in the shine area. The product added no noticeable shine to my tresses. It didn't make it look dull, but it just didn't add any shiny brilliance to my hair. I would turn to other products to add shine. On a shine scale of 1-10 (10 being the greatest shine payoff) this product gets a 4 at best.

Moisturize

Surprisingly, I think we may have a winner.... kind of. What I noticed most of all from this $4.99 product is that my hair didn't feel too dry or brittle. It actually felt, dare I say moisturized initially. My hair is usually dry but this product did give me a moisturized feeling. After the product was fully absorbed in my hair and it dried, it did loose some of the moisture but it wasn't completely dry. As a result, of the three claims, the moisture was the most that I got out of this pudding. It was not good enough to replace any of my go to moisturizers.

Consistency

The product really does have the consistency of pudding that you would eat. It isn't sticky and after touching it, I don't feel like my hands are tacky.

Would I buy this again?

I would not buy this product again for two reasons, one my intention was to hold down my hair and it failed in that regard.

Ingredients

The picture below was the best that I could do to show you the ingredients on the label. This paraben free product includes glycerin, sweet almond oil, coconut oil and avocado oil. It does include cones, mineral oil and two dyes. I picked this one up because it is free of parabens unlike the "edge control" by Organic Root Stimulator. I did hear that the edge control is great but I'd rather stay away from parabens.

So I ask, what do you use to keep all of your strands in place?

Operation Relaxation- Part 1, NOTW & More

After a long week at work what does a gal need more than a little down time? I decided to pick up a few items that would assist me in my journey towards relaxation and rejuvenation.

In this post I will focus on the Mint n Rose Spa Soak by Pooka Pure and Simple. As soon as you open the jar you are greeting by the scent of peppermint and roses. I have said many times on this blog that I do not like the scent of flowers and peppermint doesn't necessarily hit the spot either, but a combination of the two make this product a delight to inhale. I felt as if my nasal passages were wide open yet the scent wasn't overwhelming.

I used this product in my foot bath and on other occasions I dumped some of the contents of this 12 oz jar into my bath tub. Each time, both my feet and body felt soft and smooth. I didn't have any sore joints so I can't tell you if it helps in that area.

The ingredients include epsom and sea salts, rose petals, peppermint oil, as well as other natural oils. For only $12 this product was worth the money. Can you make this product at home? Of course you can, but I know I won't be drying rose petals any time soon so I can just pick up my bath soak from Pooka. I should also note that you obviously will be picking up rose petals from your bathtub after the water drains.

Happy Soaking!!!!

How do you unwind after a hard week?

Nail of the Week

This week I am wearing Charla by Zoya, this $8 polish is a close match for Watermelon Rind by China Glaze.

One coat looks pretty weak as shown in the picture below.


But after a second coat, this sparkling metalic polish is perfect. This is a glitter free product!

On the Big Screen

Oh Happy Day- Red Tails opens in theaters today. Please support this film which highlights the trails and accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen !!!! Did I mention that this film features some top notch actors including Mr. Terrence Howard...heeyy

Double NOTW

Hello

Here is my NOTW from last week- I was wearing Thames by Butter London. This metalic green definitely required two coats, but once it was on, that shiny coat was rocking!

Currently I'm wearing Minka, a creamy light tan colored polish by Zoya. Sometimes, I just don't know how I feel about Minka..lol but since I haven't worn it in a while I decided to dust the old girls off and wear her!




What's your favorite nude colored polish?