HAIR we go again…

So I didn’t get a chance to watch the Oscars this past Sunday but I have been hearing a lot of buzz about a certain talk show hostess making negative comments about Viola Davis’ hair.  What is the problem?  Why are we still here?  Why is it that in this day and time people keep running their mouths about black women and how they choose to wear their hair?  What is it?  Confusion?  Fear?  Jealousy?  Hate?  Ignorance?  Whatever the case, I say there is nothing more beautiful than a woman, regardless of her background, fully embracing what God has given her.  In this case it is Viola’s beautiful kinky hair.  You see, hair (as well as skin color) has been (and in many cases still is) used to validate and divide.  Maybe even conquer.  If one had longer, straighter hair, they were considered more beautiful/acceptable.  If your hair was shorter and especially of a kinkier texture- you can just forget about it.  No love or respect for you.  Maybe not even a job.   Now I do understand and respect that people are entitled to feel how they want to feel about this topic but I think we should also respect the fact that people can choose to express themselves however they choose to.  My hair has been natural for 14 years and I wear it that way because

1. I want to.
2.  I refuse to fight with my hair.
3. I will NEVER allow myself to be bound by what society thinks my beautiful should be.  I rock my own beauty on my own terms.

I am not trying to make any kind of political or pro black statement with my hair but it does warm my heart immensely to see and come in contact with scores of black women who are embracing their hair texture sans the weaves, wigs and creamy crack.  Having said all that, I am not on team natural, team perm, team weave, or team locks.  I am on team self expression and that is all.  Perhaps if we spent more time loving ourselves and minding our own business, we would all be better off.  Whatevs…Viola…do your thing.

Get Over It. Try Something New.

It’s late and I need to go to bed but I have a bit of a rant. It may come off as a bit insensitive but just walk down the road with me…
My day was filled with clients who I had to talk of the ledge because their favorite lipstick or blush has been discontinued. Now, my favorite cleanser has been discontinued and I am very, very, very disappointed but you know what, I have had to get over it and find something new. You should do the same. There are thousands of amazing products that can replace your now extinct product so use this as an opportunity to try something new.

That is all.

Bare Escentuals 2.0 and 4.0

Hold The Phone

I am so excited about what is going on in the world of Bare Escentuals. Typically this is a brand that I completely ignore because of the messy foundations and eye shadows.  Then I began to pay the eye shadows some attention because of the amazing pigment.  Then they release their Pretty Amazing Lip Color which is just that – pretty amazing.  The shades, pigment, and coverage is beyond words. Well things just got even better in the land of Bare Escentuals with the release of their bareMinerals ready PRESSED eyeshadow duos and quads (2.0 or 4.0).  Yes you read that correctly – PRESSED.  Staying true to who BE is, they have formulated these shadows without parabens etc.  That’s cool if you care about that kind of thing but again – the pigment, coverage and blendability is superb.  In addition, these eye shadows provide anti-oxidant benefits and depuffs as well.  Not available individually, these shadows come in either a duo (2.0) or a quad (4.0) in a multitude of colors.  $20 and $30 respectively.  Available at sephora.com, bareescentuals.com, ulta.com

bb cream

In the world of beauty, new products are anticipated, coveted, and generate lots of buzz with promises of revolutionizing our skincare and beauty routines, perfecting our look or correcting some type of misfortune on our faces.  Well, I must say, with the introduction of BB cream to the market, I was less than excited.  Why you may ask?  Well because I didnt understand it’s purpose.  To me it was nothing more than another primer.  So what now?  After doing minimal research (remember I wasnt that interested) I found out that this BB cream, which stands for beauty balm, is all the rage in Asia and was initially used to treat post procedural skin (skin laser surgery) with its skin regenerating benefits.  Ok that’s great but for those of us that arent having any type of surgery in the near future, I was still wondering why I should care about this product.  Then I found out why bb creams are such an amazing product.  BB creams can be used to prime the skin, provide sun protection, control oil and hydrate the skin.  And if someone needs minimal coverage, some of these bb creams such as Dr Jart’s can provide that benefit.

Awesome.  Now another issue arised, well at least for me anyway.  The bb creams that I experimented with initially were for people with fair skin.  What are people with darker skin supposed to use if they want some of this illustrious bb cream?  Problem solved.  There are several brands out there that have shade range and I going to shout out Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream with SPF 35.  Prime. Protect. Perfect.  Hydrate.  Control Shine.  Four shades from fair to dark.  Thanks Smashbox for actually thinking that various skintones could benefit from such a product.  Thank You.   (and the dark is actually kind of dark.  I am dark skinned and this pretty much blended into my skin without looking chalky).  Put a pea sized amount on your fingertips.  Press into the skin.  Foundation is optional if you want more coverage.  Even better is the fact that this particular bb cream has anti aging peptides that will improve skin over time.   Awesome.  Now how’s that for revolutionary beauty!?

Primer Trouble Shooting

Ever put on your foundation primer, particularly the type with dimethicone (a form of silicone which creates slippery-like texture – think Smashbox Photo Finish Primer), and it starts pilling or rolling?  Some reasons why this may be happening include…

• Dry/dehydrated skin.  Sometimes when skin is dry and flaky, the primer mixes with the dry skin and begins to roll around on the skin instead of adhere or absorb into the skin.  Try using a gentle exfoliant to slough off dead skin followed by a moisturizer.  Allow the moisturizer to absorb into the skin then apply a small amount of primer to the skin.
• Using too much primer.  Listen – a small amount goes a long way.  Try applying some of the primer to your fingertips and then apply to your face with a pressing motion.
• Silicone on top of silicone.  Sometimes when you are using a moisturizer with silicone in it and then put a silicone primer on top, it can roll.  Try using a moisturizer without silicone and then use a primer or just use the moisturizer with the silicone as that should not only hydrate the skin but also perfect and prepare the skin for foundation application.

Hope that helps.

Toodles :0)