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.