Keep your head to the sky

It was 11:58 pm, December 31, 2009 and I had my glass of wine in my hand, my family by my side and a wishful prayer in my heart: 2010 will be better than 2009. And you know what, it was. Maybe it was just luck. Maybe it was the rule of positive affirmation (what you send out to the universe comes back to you). Or maybe it was just God's grace. Whatever it was, this past year brought me so many good things.

I'm not really into making general New Year's resolutions like, eat healthier or lose 15 pounds by March (even though it's something I need to consider.)
Even though those things are good, I personally prefer to look back and make life resolutions that will help me to grow into the woman/wife/mother/daughter/friend/entrepreneur that I'm destined to be. Here are a couple of lessons I have learned along the way.

-Learn from your mistakes. You are human, you are not perfect, and you will make mistakes. The best thing you can do for yourself after you have messed up is think about what you could have done to make it better and do that instead, if the situation comes up again. If you keep on making the same mistakes, do yourself a favor and take yourself out of that situation cause it just ain't working for you.

- You are never to old. Now, I still stand by my belief that if you are beyond college age, the words "juicy" or "hot mama", should not be printed on your behind. There is an age appropriate rule for certain fashions and social scenes, no doubt. But, there is no age limit to fulfilling your dreams. You're never too old to go back to school, start a business, write a book, get married. Whatever you want to do, don't let your age stop you. Like the late Aaliyah sang, "age ain't nothing but a number."

- Take care of yourself. We usually can tell when something's wrong with us by the way we feel. Our body's whisper to us thru aches and pains and our skin gives us alerts with blemishes, rashes and hives. Don't let small whispers turn into a man on a bullhorn. Take care of your body so that it will take you further in life.

- Pray, then laugh. I'm not saying that right after you say "amen", you bust out in a hysterical laugh. (That might look a little bit crazy.) I believe that prayer strengthens your soul, while laughing despite your situation, confirms your faith in what you just prayed. Believe me, I know that every situation you go thru isn't funny, but when the sad feelings start to subside, laughter truly is the best medicine. Nine times out of ten, when we watch a movie at home, I vote for the comedy because it just makes me feel better. I tell my husband, "I'll watch a drama when I'm not going thru my own."

- Change is good. The only thing constant in the world is change. And I believe that God works thru change. Stop being so stuck on you and your routine that you miss out on the opportunities of life. As you are transforming to become the better you, learn how to go with the flow.

In this upcoming year, and the ones to follow, I'm going to continue to use these life lessons (and add some more as I go). I'm going to continue to keep my head to the sky and be ready for the blessings 2011 has to offer. 3...2...1....

Glam it up!

It's that time of the year again! Just like clockwork, along with shopping and preparing for holiday dinners is the swarm of holiday parties that go along with them. But, don't be overwhelmed, with a few simple make-up tips I can help you glam it up for your next holiday soiree.

Face- Whenever I'm going out and I'm trying to step up my game, I use a facial primer to help the appearance of my foundation look and feel smoother. My favorite primer is Sephora. I also use Dermalogica's Barrier Repair, because it is a non-water, non-oil gel that melts into the skin and leaves it velvety soft.

                                                   
   

Cheeks- I use bronzer everyday because I love the extra boost that it gives my cheeks. My bronzer, by Black Radiance has shimmer to it and it looks great in the sun and in photos. And if I do a natural eye, I step it up by adding a little bit of M.A.C. blush in Desert Rose.

                        

           

Lips- I'm normally a natural girl when it comes to lip color, but if there is ever a time to add a little red on your lips, it's the holiday season. Of course, every red is not for everybody. You may have to experiment to find the right color for your tone. For me, I combine a couple of colors and a gloss to get the right Diva Red and I only do that if I don't put any color on my eyes.

No, that's not me, but this color would look good on my skin, too.

                                            

Eyes- My eyes are my best feature (so I've been told), and I love doing fun things to make them stand out more. My skin complexion can take a lot of colors, so I do metallic and real shimmery eye shadows when I'm stepping out. A smokey eye with a little added shimmer is great, too. This is also the time where you can experiment with different shades of eyeliner. A deep forest green would be appropriate at this time. And, the showstopper to glammed up eyes is, and forever will be, big, bold lashes. If your a simple girl, Maybelene's Falsies Mascara is the must have product to amplify those lashes. But, if you're a diva like me, false lashes are the way to go. You can get them in all types of styles and the ones with rhinestones and feathers are so fun to accessorize with. My favorite is the half eye that gives me just the right amount of flair I need towards the ends.

I love bold colors.

                                                        



Half eye are 2nd row on the top.



Fun lashes.



                       

Baby, it's cold outside.

It sure is, but the sad thing is that the worst is yet to come. So by now, I'm sure that you have (or at least plan to in the near future) winterized your car, and prepared your home for the cold winter nights ahead. But, what have you done to protect your skin from the elements?

 I don't know about you, but my whole skin care regimen changes in the winter time. I go from using lotions and creams to using rich body butters and from using only concealer in my trouble spots to putting on a full face of foundation for better protection.

I also kick up my body exfoliation process to once a week instead of the every other week that I would do during the summer months. So since I go thru my fave body scrubs so quickly, here's a recipe I use for my emergency body scrub. It's super simple and something that most people have in their cupboards anyway.

Brown Sugar Body Scrub

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup oil (almond, grapeseed or even olive oil will work)                         

3-4 drops fragrance oil or body spray of your choice

1. Place salt in a wide mouthed jar and add in oil. Scent with oil and stir well.

2. To use, dampen body and gently massage the scrub mixture into the skin. Be careful to avoid any scratches or wounded areas.

3. Rinse well with warm water, pat dry with a towel and moisturize skin with favorite lotion or cream.

What do you do to winterize?

Me and my hair: My hair story

One thing that people are always complimenting me on is my hair. I like to change my hairstyle up, alot. And my friends always commend me on not being afraid to try new things. When I told everybody I was going to beauty school, they just knew it was to become a hairdresser. Although playing in my hair is one of my loves, I wouldn't dare take the same risks that I do with my hair in someone elses. I instead went into skin care for now, but there may be a future in natural hair care for me. So, I thought it would be fun to tell my hair story through some cute and hilarious pics.

I was pretty much bald headed as a child. My mama always jokes that she doesn't know how she got a bow to stay in my head. She said it must have been some Velcro or something. But, eventually, it grew.



Me and my Daddy. I'm about 2. 80's baby all day.



Me and my brother. I'm about 6 or 7.



ROFL. 6th grade.

Fast forward to high school and I was always in some form of braids. From casamas to latch hook, I had it down pack. It would take me about a day to wash and braid my hair, but I enjoyed the finished look. I was getting a relaxer at this time from my aunt who did my hair when I wasn't wearing braids. Even back then, I was trying different things. My mama wouldn't let me color or cut my hair until I turned 16, so I had to be creative.

Latch hook braids, 11th grade- '98.





My very first weave. Homecoming 11th grade.
Hubby is going to kill me :)



Don't hate on the 3 french rolls, side swept bangs and hair down in the back. You know you love it.
Homecoming 12th grade.

My second year of college brought about a change in me. I had always seen myself as somewhat of a tomboy, but that year I got rid of the latchhook braids, the huge men sweaters and I started carrying a purse (gasp) and decided that it was time to get in touch with my feminine side but at the same time, still be myself. My first straw set was so on point. I remember the reaction from everybody the first time they saw it. I did some flat twists in the front and the back was the cutest curls I ever seen. This was in 2001 and I had seen it in a hair magazine and just tried it on a whim. At this time I was doing my hair full time because of my work, school and choir schedule I couldn't make it to see my aunt and couldn't afford any other hairdresser. The straw set became my signature style for a minute and I rocked it to the fullest.

I was doing my own relaxers and color and the results were just what I wanted for a while. Then, low and behold I got the "crunch". The chemical burn crunch that made my hair feel, look and smell like a burnt piece of leather. It was awful. My hair would not hold a curl and literally just laid their. I was pretty much color treating and relaxing my hair too close together and I was covering the whole head with color instead of doing touch ups. Big whoops! But, you live and you learn.

Straw set. 2004. Can't tell but I have highlights.

Probably a couple weeks after above pic. You can see the highlights better.
The "crunch" came soon after.

Two years after graduation college, I found myself married and with a newborn. I had stopped coloring and up until my pregnancy had only gotten relaxers twice a year. I went natural pretty much on accident. I didn't have time to get my hair done and I just didn't want to relax my hair. Plus, I had found a hairdresser who could press my hair so straight everybody thought it was a relaxer (thanks Crystal). And I had found a new love: half wigs. When I didn't feel like getting my hair done, I would flat iron the front and put a wig on it. And eventually, I taught myself, how to make wigs out of stocking caps. I learned how to do a closure via YouTube.

Ponytail with some flat twists/rolls in the front.
Summer on 2004, I was prego.

At the baby shower of course. I did a flexi rod set.



After having my son in 2005, I kept my hair chin length for awhile.
I loved my bob with wings.



This was Sept. 2009. This was the longest I let it grow.

But, little did I know that I was still causing a lot of heat damage by flat ironing almost everyday. It wasn't until I was in the esthetician program that I started leaving the flat irons alone too. I did a lot of protective styles like two strand twists and a whole lot of wigs and sew-in's.


Wanted some color, so I did a full weave.

Valentines Day 2010. 

This is one of my half wigs. This was summer 2009.





From October 2009 until October 2010, I went without putting any direct heat to my head. No blow drying and no flat irons. It wasn't until that October that I tried out the InStyler flat irons. But, slick ends and thick roots is not a good look so I put it away real quick.

So my family was used to me wearing natural hairstyles, but when I basically rebuked any type of heat source, I think they got a little nervous. I remember rocking my curly fro one time and my grandma said, "Ohh, the way you had your hair last time was so pretty." Last time. What she mean "last time?" Mind you, the style she was referring to was a wig, but I didn't trip.



Twist Out. April 2010. Original pic on my business cards.



Twist Out. Mothers Day 2011

Flexi Rod Set. Our 5th Anniversary, 2010



Twist and curl. Summer of 2011.





But, in April of this year my husband said he wanted to see my real hair worn straight, so I blow dried it and flat ironed it, and it looked cute, but by the next day, it was all puff. So, I asked my Avon rep, Angela to flat iron it for me and let me tell you, she is real business with her tools. Even though she said I had the thickest head of hair she had seen and my hair was very resistant, it was sooo cute. It had bounce and laid just right. I hate that I didn't get a picture of it, but it probably would have had hubby's hand in it somewhere.

After flat iron.



During flat iron

And that brings me to today. Currently, I'm rocking a straw set, but since the cold weather is a'coming, I will be doing more protective styles. My friend bought this really cute short wig and I'm thinking about jocking. I've always wanted one, but never found one that didn't make me either look like somebody grandma or like Salt-N-Peppa. But, the choices are endless so I'm just gonna have fun with it.

So, let me tell you about my current regimen. I wash and deep condition every 7-10 days. I have 4ish hair. I only say that because I used to be a 4b/c, but after my first (and possible my last) henna experience, my curl has definitely changed. The jury is still out on whether I want to continue with it or not. And I do everything from twist outs, straw sets, puffs, rod sets, flat twists, mini twists, and Senegalese twists. Styles that I hope to conquer are wash and go's (only had one successful one), three strand twists and a Curlformers set that lasts more than a day.




My one day wash-n-go. Week end before last.

 


The infamous straw set. Day 1 on last Monday.
This style can last over a week. Love when it gets all big.

 



Senegalese twists. August 2011.


 

And here are the products that I keep in heavy rotation. Please believe that there are more, I am a product junkie, but these are the ones I reach for most often.

Shampoos:
Pantene Pro-V Relaxed & Natural- Dry to Moisturized

Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention
Miss Jessie's Creme de la Curl Cleansing Cream

Conditioners:

Pantene Pro-V Relaxed & Natural- Dry to Moisturized
Miss Jessie's Creme de la Creme Conditioner
Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask (use this as my deep conditioning at every wash)

Styling products:
Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding and Curly Butter Creme
The Original Moroccanoil Oil Treatment
Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter and Tui Moisturizing Hair Oil
Organic Coconut Oil
Raw Shea Butter mixed with Jojoba and Grapeseed Oil

Styling tools:
Hair Pins are a must
I use old stockings to form my puffs
Curlformers (I love the curls I get, but I'm still only getting results that last a day or two)

Hair inspirations:

Web sites like naturallycurly.com, curlynikki.com, youtube videos,
Books, Thank God I'm Natural
Magazines, Hype Hair, Sophisticates Black Hairstyles and Essence.
Women and groups around me- Naturally Flyy Detroit









Dare to be . . . a go getter.

My husband often tells me that I don't know how to to relax. I am constantly moving, if not physically, than mentally. I'm constantly thinking of the next step. But, sometimes because I can tend to over think some things, I go back and forth and sometimes I never make a final decision. It just ends.

But, the last couple of years have been some trying times for me and I decided that life was too short. If I wanted to experience things that I never have I had to start doing things that I've never done. I'm still not one for snap decisions, but I have set a couple of rules for myself when it comes to making up my mind regarding things like big purchases, business ventures and education opportunities. Of course, these rules may not apply to every situation and I don't recommend using them for something that you already know is immoral, illegal or dishonest. (I'm just saying.)

-Weigh the options. I am a list person. I make lists for everything: grocery list, to-do list, wish list. I have so many sticky notes in my planners and calendars I can't see the dates. But, one thing I often do is make a pros and cons list. If the cons list is longer than the pros list, than I scrap it. But, if it's not, I move on to the next step.
- Confirm with a higher power. I believe that prayer works. I may not get down on my knees and bow my head every time I'm faced with a tough decision, but I do pray silently to myself. When I was sitting at the car dealership and they asked me if I was interested in the car, I silently prayed and told myself that I'm going to just open my mouth and whatever came out, that was it. Needless to say, I love my new car.
- Don't let other's opinions influence your decision. When I opened my business this month, it was a surprise to a lot of people. I told everybody that I was thinking about it, but never told them when the decision was finally made. Not because I didn't want to share the moment with them or didn't want to hear their opinion, but I already felt that my mind was made up.
- Give yourself a time limit. My husband is an impulse buyer and I often tell him, "next time, sleep on it." And that's something I do for myself as well. It used to take me forever to make up my mind on something, but now I sleep on it and if I still fell the same way about it the next day, I go for it.
-Once you make the decision, stick with it. Even if it doesn't go exactly as you planned, see it through. There are always bumps in the road, but it's how you recover from those bumps that determines your true strength. Living your life not having to wonder "what if" is so much more satisfying.

What have you done in your life to be a go getter?

Dare to be . . . fabulous

The dictionary defines fabulous as being "almost impossible to believe, incredible; told about in fables." Basically, "fabulous" is something that people can't stop talking about. To me being fabulous is not just about fashion icons or rocking the best styles, it is a state of mind. It's about attitude. Not the stuck up kind, but the kind that makes you get up every morning with a smile on your face, do your job well, love hard, play hard and know at the end of the day that you did your best.

I'm fabulous because despite my hardships, I keep pressing on. There are moments when I take life one day at a time, one moment at a time, one breath at a time. But, the important thing is to keep moving forward. Letting life pass you by not only is not fabulous, it ain't cute. Letting other people's opinion of you stop you from fulfilling your dream- also not fabulous. But, being yourself and moving towards your destiny despite the obstacles around you is one of the most fabulous things you can do.

So don't let your fabulous stop at your knee high boots or your hobo bag. Carry your fabulous with you every where you go. Be impossible to believe. Be incredible and most of all be that person who people talk about for years to come. Go out and show the world what it really means to be fabulous.

Free Skin Care Analysis

Do you know your skin type? Do you know the best skin care products to use for your type? Do you have a skin care specialist that you trust to advise you towards healthy skin? If your answer to any of these is "no", then you need to take advantage of this special oppurtunity:

On Saturday, November 6th, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., I am offering free skin care analysis. It will be a 15-20 minute skin consultation to discover skin type and skin conditions and also help you to come up with a healthy skin care regimen.

You don't want to pass up this oppurtunity. Make the first step towards healthy, radiant skin. Space is limited, so contact me today. For more information about me or my business, go to Soul Deep Beauty Skin Therapy on the web.

Soul Deep Beauty Skin Therapy now open for business

For those of you who know me, I have been excited, anxious, and sometimes nauseous thinking about the opening of my skin care clinic. Well, it has finally arrived and I am now open for business. I have a few pamper parties already lined up, but I am eagerly awaiting for more clientele. Here are the stats.

Who: Soul Deep Beauty Skin Therapy
What: Now open for business

Where: Located in Royal Oak, Michigan. 1112 Catalpa Drive

Hours: Varies (I do have a day job, so mostly nights and week-ends), by appointment only

Contact info: www.souldeepbeautytherapy.com

Services provided: Facials, waxing, body wraps, make-up and lashes and pamper parties.



The Wellness Clinic



Facial room





My company motto is, "We cater to the skin and the beauty within" because I believe that everyone has their own sense of beauty, and how you look on the outside reflects how you feel on the inside. Having a skin care professional and a skin regimen that you feel confident about not only helps you achieve good skin health, but also a healthy self image. Make the decision to take care of  yourself. Make smarter skin care choices. Make lasting first impressions. Contact me today and make the first step to a healthier looking you.

Simple Smoky Eye

I love to rock smoky eyes. They are my "go to" look when I'm going out because there are so many variations to wear them: soft, dramatic, with color, highlighter, the list can go on. But, I discovered a super simple way to do a sexy smoky eye using only gel eyeliner, highlighter and mascara. And if you want to jazz up the color a little pit, an eyeshadow in your favorite color can make it just right.

So here's what you have to do.
1. First, after cleansing and moisturizing your face, you need to put foundation and concealer on. There is nothing worse than the raccoon eye. Funny story: I remember when I worked the make-up counter in college and I did a smoky eye on a lady who had come in. I didn't know much about foundation or concealer and she had dark under eye circles, so when she left from the store she looked like she had two black eyes. It was horrible.
2. Next, take the gel eyeliner and brush it on your eyelid up to the crease and line the bottom just at the lash if you like. The gel eyeliner is very smooth and will smudge during application so be careful when lining the bottom lash.
3. A little highlighter just under the brow and in the inner corners of the eye will brighten and make the eyes pop and mascara will widen and add a little glam.
4. Gel eyeliners do come in a variety of colors, but I chose black because it's more versatile for me. But what I did for the look below was add a little purple pigment eyeshadow on top of the gel eyeliner to match my purple top. The look was soft and simple, yet still sexy.

What's your favorite smokie eye look?

In Response to Leopard Print Lips

I came across a blog entry that had a tutorial on leopard print lips on the Makeup for Black Women blog and Sista said she thought the look on a dark skinned girl with gold and brown tones would look fantastic. So you know me, but of course I had to go a step further. I not only did leopard on my lips and nails, but I also did my eyes. I also used a black gel eyeliner instead of brown to make leopard marks. Take a look and let me know what you think.

 

Of course this look is mostly fashion, not function, but it was still fun!

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstain Review

I am a true, bonified lip gloss wearer. I love the way it feels, looks and tastes (flavored of course) on my lips. I never leave home without one and if I do, please believe I have backups. I have two in my purse, at least four in my make-up drawer at home, one in my desk, one in my gym bag and I used to keep one in my car for emergencies (until I had one explode in my interior). Before I really knew about make-up, lip gloss and eyeliner was all that I wore.

But, after a funny conversation with a lady who said she had accidentally mixed up her lip stain with her son's Magic Marker, I decided to give this lipstain thing a chance. She said she loves it (the lipstain, not the marker), and won't ever go back to lipstick again.

I usually wear a clear or nude lipgloss color, so I tried to find the lipstain color that was the closest match to my skin tone. I found Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstain in Bit of Brown. It was darker than I was used to, but I liked it. At first look, I understood how it could get confused with a marker, but I drew it on (smile)and tested it out for a day.



I have to admit, it was very hard for me to resist putting on some lip gloss. With the lipstain, my lips just felt naked. The color was nice, but I felt dried out. It was too matte for me. The color lasted somewhat, but it just bothered me that it felt so dry. So I wound up reapplying about 5 times throughout the work day. So, for me at first, I was not impressed.

But, because I didn't want to give up on this product totally and my husband loved my Bit of Brown lip color, I decided to try it again, but this time with a little gloss. Day 2 was sooo much better. So what I did first was I gave myself a mini lip treatment by brushing my lips with a damp toothbrush, I applied the lip stain, and once it dried I put on a slightly tinted lipgloss. I had my long lasting color and my smooth shine all in one. I only reapplied once through the day after lunch (more out of habit than necessity).

So I give I give Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstain 3 out of 4 Smooches.

 

  

Five reasons you should have a skin care therapist

I know that times are tough. Jobs are hard to come by and the economy is on a slow crawl up (especially here in Michigan). But, that doesn't mean that your health, wellness and quality of life have to suffer. For a lot of divas I know, it doesn't. They are still getting their hair and nails done on the regular and keep their look fierce with false lashes. But, they tend to forget about the biggest and one of the most important multifunctional organs on their body...their skin.    

So here's my top five reasons of why my job is so important for skin care health. 

                 

1. Natural Aging process. It's inevitable that we will age. Some more gracefully than others. But, the natural aging process causes our skin to loose it's elasticity, it becomes more dull and sallow and our skin cell turnover decreases. Having an esthetician provide you with the correct treatments can help you treat fine lines and wrinkles and help brighten skin.

2. No sunscreen protection and the use of medications. Did you know that only 10%- 20% of the wrinkles, fine lines and sallow skin mentioned above is due to the natural aging process? The rest is what we do to ourselves. Years of smoking or not wearing sunscreen can cause your skin to rush into premature aging.

3. We don't wash our face enough. After a long day is done, I can barely muster up the energy to stand in the shower, let alone wash my face properly with cleanser. But, it's important to wash away not only make-up, but all the debris and natural oils that have gathered throughout the day. So what happens as a result of not cleansing the skin at night is clogged pores. The double cleanse process, as well as, other techniques used during my facials can help unclog unsightly buildup.

4. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate. Speaking of clogged pores. When is the last time you exfoliated? It's important to use body and facial scrubs to get off layers of dead skin that just "stick on" because they can cause breakouts and leave your skin rough and unhealthy looking if not treated. And if you suffer from pigmentation or have acne scars, a professional exfoliation will help you get that fresh, youthful glow.

5. You know that saying, "you are what you eat?" Well, the same is true about your skin because your face will tell what you put on it (or what you don't put on it for that matter). Not all skin cleansers, scrubs, moisturizers, etc are created equal and they may contain ingredients that do more harm than help. And if you don't give your skin the care the protection it needs, it will show. Did you know that a product only has to have the majority of it's ingredients be organic in order to use "organic" on the label? So don't be fooled. A licensed skin therapist can help you find the right products that are right for your specific skin care needs.

Even I didn't realize the damage that years of neglect could do on the skin. People want to rush and get quick fixes to damage that took years to create, when preventative care is not only simple, but less expensive and more relaxing. For more information about me and my skin care business, Soul Deep Beauty Skin Therapy, click here.