See you next year!

It's the holidays folks, and I am taking a planned and needed hiatus from my blog and probably all social media as a whole for the next 2 weeks. I have some special things planned for the next coming year so I'm taking some time to get my mind right- relax, relate and release.

In the meantime, I will be spending time with my family, eating more than I need to and praising God for the many blessings he has given me this past year. I'm not gonna lie, it has been tough. With the loss of my grandmother, financial burdens and the stress that comes with marriage and children, I have wondered what exactly does it take to get hospitalized for exhaustion, cause I think I'm there. But, with all the ups and downs, there has been the same constants in my life and they have been my family and friends who love me and the God who has never left me.

So while I know that the politically correct thing to say would be "Happy Holidays", I'm going to say with a full fledged heart, Merry Christmas because Jesus is my all and he is definitely the "reason for the season."

I want to leave you with my new favorite Christmas song by CeeLo Green and it's called "Mary Did You Know". I didn't find out until I was researching the lyrics that it is a remake (several times over), but because his version is the first I heard, it is my favorite. And it is the truth.

 The lyrics to this song are so powerful.

"Mary Did You Know"

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

Mary did you know.. Ooo Ooo Ooo

The blind will see.
The deaf will hear.
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap.
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.

With that said, I wish you many blessings, a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and as always,

Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty,
                                    Rhonda

A Curly Girl Christmas

Now, you know I couldn't forget about my curly girls. It's crunch time and the perfect gift is out there somewhere. So, if you are looking for a gift for that natural girl on your list (yourself included), here are a few ideas to get you started. I had to limit each category to three because I could literally go on forever.

Hair Care:
Ouidad Expert Curl Kit
Sephora- $34



Carol's Daughter Olive Oil Infusion At Home Treatment
carolsdaughter.com- $25
I absolutely love this treatment. I have never been the type to "pre poo", but when I got this (as a gift by the way), I totally became a convert. My hair feels so good and less frizzy after using this.


Deva Curl Trial and Travel Kit
Ulta- $29.95
I haven't tried this yet, but it's definitely on my list. I've heard some good things about Deva Curl.


Hair Tools:
Tangle Teezer
Sally's- $12.99
This is my favorite detangling brush.

Curlformers Styling Kit
Sally's- $69.99
Curlformers are the perfect solution for those who want spiral curls without the heat damage. Learning the hook takes a little work, but once you get the hang of it, you'll have your hair set in no time.

Huetiful Hair Steamer
huetiful.myshopify.com- $109.95
I don't have this yet, but it is a facial steamer and facial steamer in one.


Hair Books:
Thank God I'm Natural by Chris-Tia Donaldson
B&N- $9.99 (ebook)
After reading this book I went from already being natural to wearing my naturally textured hair. It gave me that motivation I needed to accept my hair for what it was.



Better Than Good Hair by Nikki Walton
B&N- $10.98 (pre-order)



Good Hair by Lonnice Bonner
B&N- $9.95


Hair Accessories:
afriquelachic.com

I want these earrings, like yesterday.
There are so many cute finds on this site.

vcreations.biz

Her head wraps are on point. 

ettaflyy.com/shop.html

I have that Lil' Miss Sunkissed shirt for my daughter
and two of the Naturally Flyy shirts for myself.

Natural Hair Subscriptions:
Curlbox- sold out right now, but can be put on waiting list. $20/ Month

Curlkit- $20/ month


Sexy Locks Hair Box from Naturalicious.net
- 30 day natural hair care system $39.99/ a month
Can choose kinky/coily Edition or curly/ wavy edition

Short, sweet and to the point cause it's crunch time now. Holla!

Wishing you Love, peace and Soul Deep Beauty!

All I want for Christmas is...yep, still make-up- Part 3

So I gave you some great make-up gift ideas for the natural beauty and the party girl. Here's a list that any make-up lover will swoon for. This is literally short and sweet (maybe not so simple) list that you can't go wrong with.

Beauty Blender Duo Set- $39.95

Love the beauty blender for my foundation application.

Tarte Picture Perfect Duo- $16

Comes with deluxe sample of Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara 

Anastasia Beverly Hills ULTAmate Brows- $29

Comes with retractable eyebrow pencil in either medium ash or ash blonde,
mascara, tweezers and the Brow Duality highlighting pencil. My favorite brow pencil.
Ulta exclusive product.

Zuca Pro Artist Bag- $350+

Now I know the price tag on this bag is high, but the durability and organization
factor alone is priceless when you are a makeup lover on the go.
This one is definately on my wish list.

This next product is for the true make-up enthusiest:

Make-up Forever Be Your Own Make-up Artist- $950

This product unfourtunately is not in stock at time of post, but you can  get your name on the
notification when it is. Decked out with lighted mirror, detachable legs and
38 MAKE UP FOREVER products.

If you can't find a gift for that make-up lover of of the three lists I gave you, I don't know what to tell you other than "good luck." That's all for now.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty

Foundation in a can?

Yes, there is and it's actually a great find. I have been using this for a while on and off and have finally decided whether I like it or not. It is Maybelline Dream Nude Air Foam Foundation. Here are the stats:



16 Colors (Mine is Cocoa)
SPF 16
$8.44
Lightweight and comparable to air brush foundation

Pros:
- Who doesn't love lightweight foundation, plus the coverage was just enough to cover some pigmentation.
- Easy to use for those of us who don't mind using our hands. I can put on foundation either way. But, I will admit it got a little messy because my faucet knob was brown from turning it on with the hand with foundation all over it.
- The price is phenomenal. A good foundation under $10. You can't beat that.

Cons:
- I would only recommend this product if you have normal skin. It is just like airbrush in the case that if you have dry spots, acne, hair or any texture on your skin, it will show and it will not look good.
- It dries quickly so you have to move fast when applying.

Overall I would say that if you have normal or combination skin that is not too dry, that this would be a good foundation to try.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty

All I want for Christmas is...still make-up- Part 2

If you missed the first list for natural/classic make-up girls, make sure you go peep that out. This next gift list is for the party girls. They are trend setters and don't mind making a make-up statement.

Ka'oir Gift Set- $62.99

Includes lipstick, nail lacquer, glitz, glitz applicator, eyeshadow and lip pop

MAC Pro Lip Palette/ 6 Preferred Pinks and Editorial Orange- $40 each




Magnolia Makeup Blush Kaleidoscope- $50

You get 9 great pigmented blushes in this kit. I love them.

Clinique Whole Lotta Color Set- $34.50


Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Pro's Picks Lip Tar Set- $49


Kat Von D Triple Threat Tattoo Liners- $39

These are my absolute favorite liners. They are  perfect for my signature winged eyeliner.

Sephora Collection Color Daze Blockbuster- $49.50



The Lip Bar Fall Collection- $130

What I love about this site is that you get to "try out" the
fabulous colors using their Lip Shots Link. 

So there you have it- my party girl makeup picks. Up next is a list of makeup and beauty products that can't fail. Until next time.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty

All I want for Christmas is...make-up

It's the first week of December and in a perfect world, all the gifts I need to get are not only purchased, but wrapped beautifully and sitting under my Christmas Tree. Unfortunately for me I do not have a single solitary gift in my possession (unless you count the layaway) and I already know that due to some unforeseen costs with my car, I will be in the mad rush at the mall the weekend before Christmas trying to check everybody off my list.

So if you are anything like me and you still have some gifts to get, let me help you out a little bit. I'm going to give you a few ideas to get the make-up lover, or even the make-up virgin for Christmas. (Most of these items are on my wish list too, so for those who know and love me enough to buy me a gift...hint, hint.)

The following gifts are great for the make-up lover who believes in natural beauty. She is all about healthy skin and classic looks that will never go out of style.

Bobbi Brown Rich Caviar Eye Palette- $47.50



Bobbi Brown Bellini Lip and Eye Palette- $75



Urban Decay Naked Palette and Naked 2 Palette- $50 each

This set includes a travel size Primer Potion 

This set includes a Lip Junkie lip gloss

Sephora Collection Gloss Lab- $25

NYX Nude on Nude Cosmetic Palette- $24.99

This is an Online Only product.

Josie Maran Get Glowing- Argon Beautiful Skin- $64

This is an online exclusive product.

Clarisonic Mia Skin Cleansing System- $119

The only product on the list that I actually own and it was a great  investment.

So there you have it. Check back next time for my make-up picks for the party girls in your life.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty.

The Fashion Files- Dazzling Bustier

So it's a week later and I am still feeling the creative high from the Styles in the City Fashion Show. I absolutely love what I do. I was asked by Eboni Rollins, the CEO of the ERollins Group to be a part of it and I was more than happy to. The first fashion showcase I did with her company was a wonderful experience as well. So I came, I saw, I beat them faces. Then as soon as the show wrapped, I had to hightail my behind home cause mother rises as 5:30 am Monday thru Friday. Unfortunately I didn't snap a single solitary picture (I need to work on that). I did get some video on my phone, but the quality is not the best. I may wind up on FB or a blog somewhere. But, in any case I had fun and enjoyed meeting and getting reacquainted with people in the business. Plus, I have another opportunity this week as I will be doing make-up for Walk Runway Fashion Show next week-end. I'm super excited.

That being said, even though I am a make-up artist, I have a little bit of designer and stylist in me too. I've always had a small interest in it (my cousin and I created my prom dress), but the latest urge in fashion I blame on Project Runway. After the first season I took sewing classes, got a sewing machine and have been secretly making items here and there for a while. But for some reason I wanted to make something and I couldn't figure out what, until I remembered something I saw on Pinterest. (Sorry, I didn't pin it yet, but I will.) It was a bedazzled bra and I thought it was sooo cute. I have a couple of Holiday parties to go to and being a Diva on a Budget I have refrained from making clothing purchases (except that one time), so why not create my own blinged out bustier that I can style with a blazer or sweater for a creative, festive and sexy holiday look. So here's what I did.

The tools:
Longline bra
Black tread
Needle
Seed beads
White marking pencil
Measuring tape

The work:
First, I had to decide how I wanted the design to look. I knew I didn't want to cover the entire bra cup unless I had huge stones and gems to use, but since I had tiny seed beads, a design would be more practical.
Plus, all the beads had to be sewn on by hand. I started the first row doing them one at a time, then realized that I can sew two at a time and still have it look neat like I wanted.

So this is my progress so far. I'll post the end result and how I styled it in a couple weeks, after the holiday party.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty

Shout out to Curly Nikki!

So, for anyone who has ever talked natural hair with me, they know my go-to site has been curlynikki.com. Ever since I've been wearing my natural texture I have checked in with the curlynikki community at least twice a week. (It used to be everyday, but I had to learn that moderation is key.) Her site is filled with info on styles, products and not only loving your hair from root to tip, but loving yourself as well. I was so happy to find out that she has a book coming out next year and because I am a firm believer in women lifting each other up, I'm gonna shout her book out because you can pre-order now.

Congratulations to my hair guru and friend (in my head), Nikki Walton.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty

ps. here's the convo between me and my good friend :)

The 6 Steps to Success: Step 3- Affirm

In my last entry, I talked about the It's Not Enough to Dream Women's Circle and how I felt inspired by meeting other women of faith who own their own businesses. It's funny how the keys to success that were mentioned were things that I had already talked about before. But, I decided to revisit them because sometimes I don't truly "get it" until the second time around. It's affirmation time.

I've talked about affirmations before. I believe they work hand in hand with visualization. An affirmation is basically a statement about yourself that you start with "I am" or "I have". It's a way of having positive reinforcement. Here are the ones I wrote from my previous post.

- I am confident.
- I am smart.
- I am beautiful.
- I am determined.
- I have healthy skin and hair.
- I have big beautiful eyes.
- I have a good sense of humor.
- I am giving.
- I am fun.
- I have joy in my heart.

Those were easy because when it comes to myself, I exude confidence. My business sometimes, not so much. Ever since I had to close my Royal Oak location I have been walking a thin line between "I'm going to be alright" and "I'm a failure." I guess I was secretly waiting on validation from people to tell me I was great at what I do. I felt like because I'm not name dropping that I was somehow lacking. What I had to realize is that what I may lack in the want to name drop, I make up for in talent and determination. Plus, I understand the importance of paying my dues. Like they say, slow and steady wins the race.

It gets frustrating sometimes, but it all has to start with me. So we were encouraged to write some affirmations about our business at the It's Not Enough to Dream seminar. And although it took me a couple of days to come up with some really good ones that I truly stand behind, I am proud of them and will always keep them in mind when the road to success gets tough.

- I am mastering my craft.
- I am breaking though my own self-imposed limits to build a profitable business.
- My clients get tremendous value from doing business with me and appreciate my spirit.
- My vision for my business is minuscule in comparison to what God has planned.
- The more I trust my skill, the better my business becomes.
- I am not afraid to ask for help.
- I am not afraid that I will regret saying "no" to a project. What's for me is for me.
- I am a woman of power, purpose and praise.
- I am blessed, talented and committed to my craft.
- I am divinely protected and only great things happen to me.

I don't know about you, but just reading those affirmations makes me feel good. What affirmations have you made lately?

Wishing you love, peace and Soul Deep Beauty,
                  Rhonda

The 6 steps to success: Step 2- Visualize

In one of  my last entries, I talked about the It's Not Enough to Dream Women's Circle and how I felt inspired by meeting other women of faith who own their own businesses. It's funny how the keys to success that were mentioned were things that I had already talked about before. But, I decided to revisit them because sometimes I don't truly "get it" until the second time around. Let's focus on how to visualize.

This has to be one of my favorite steps because I 'm a visual person anyway. I have visualized so many things in my head that have come to pass that I am a firm believer that what you put out into the universe comes back to you. I visualized graduating from college and that happened in a blink of an eye. I visualized a smooth delivery for the birth of my second child and after 5 hours of labor I was done (the first one was a little traumatic). And the thing that I put on my vision board that I thought was 5 years down the line happened in just a few months- I am a published make-up artist and writer for a local magazine and it was nothing but the grace of God that got me there. When it comes to the purpose of vision boards, motivational speaker Christine Kane said it best, "Vision boards add clarity to your desires and feelings to your visions."

About a week before going to the It's Not Enough to Dream Women's Circle launch, I was working on updating my vision board. There were few things I wanted to take off and a few I wanted to add. But, the women there had given me a few other ideas that I may be trying. Instead of a vision board, one of the ladies recommended a vision letter. You write a letter to yourself dated a year from now and you read it every week or so. You put in it things that you want to achieve but in present tense as if it has already been done. It not only holds you accountable, but reading it so often helps you to keep your eyes and ears open to that goal.

Other ideas that were mentioned were a dream box and a God box. The dream box is just like a vision board, just in a box. You take images and quotes or whatever inspires you or is representative of your goal and you put it in a box. The only thing about that is that you have to make time to sit down and look through it so that those goals are kept in the forefront of your mind. The God box is a little different because you put things that are representative of your problems or issues and it's a physical representation of "giving it to God in prayer." I really like that one and am currently creating my box.

Whether you decide to do a board, box or letter, being visual is a good idea and an important step in achieving success. Go out and be the visionary that God made you to be.

Wishing you love, peace and Soul Deep Beauty,
                                 Rhonda

The 6 steps to success: Step 1- Commit

In my last entry, I talked about the It's Not Enough to Dream Women's Circle and how I felt inspired by meeting other women of faith who own their own businesses. It's funny how the keys to success that were mentioned were things that I had already talked about before. But, I decided to revisit them because sometimes I don't truly "get it" until the second time around. Today we talk about how to commit.

Over the course of my 31 years of life I have dabbled in a few things. When I was in high school and during my first year in college I wanted to act, dance and a sing. "Nothing but death could keep me from it." Or so I thought- I kept my voice to the choir, sat my flat footed and knobby kneed behind down somewhere and decided I didn't want to be a starving artist. Me plus broke equals no fun. Then, I changed my major to journalism so that I could write, do a radio show and possibly be a producer at the news station. I learned that that ladder was harder to climb than I had expected. I was reaching out to a mentor who didn't want to have a mentee. And after graduating I learned how to sew, started writing a novel, made jewelry, started another novel, along with a few songs and some poetry, did skin care, makeup and hair and am currently back to writing for a magazine and currently learning photography. And lets not forget me and my best friends attempt at wedding planning (that was short lived). I thought all that was just pure talent. I mean, I'm an artist at heart. But, what it truly was, was the inability to commit.

Not to sound over confident, but I've always been smart. I have always had the ability to catch on quick with little effort, so I have never really had to work hard or as consistently at something as I have this business. (Except my marriage, but you have to wait for a girls night out to get those juicy details.) So how do you commit? It so simple, but yet so hard for some to do. Just pick something and put your all into it.

The only thing that I can warn you about, because I have done it so many times is that because I am committed to my business and I want it to succeed, I will say yes to everything. During my first year, every product, vendor show or event that I felt I could possibly meet someone to network with I was there. I paid for advertising for several magazines and bought more beauty products than I knew what to do with. Out of all the marketing and promotional things that I did, only 20% of them panned out like I had hoped. Something that the ladies said at the Detroit launch was, "Not every good idea is a God idea." Instead of being so quick to say yes, I ask myself two questions. One, can I afford this and two, will it benefit my business in a way that has never been done before.

For two years I have put my money, time and sanity on the line to see this dream come true. I finally know what it feels like to pick a profession and not only start it, but see it through to the end. Soul Deep Beauty is more than just skin and makeup, it's a beauty business and anything that falls under beauty can be involved. That, my friends is the real beauty in committing yourself to your business- you can make and change the rules as you see fit.

What new business venture will you commit to? Share your story with me here or on my Facebook page @Soul Deep Beauty.

Wishing you love, peace and Soul Deep Beauty,
                                  Rhonda

Business Spotlight: It's Not Enough to Dream Women's Circle

I am in transition. My business (and personal life) is going through some things that will in the end help me to become a better woman and business owner. During this time I have found it hard to put pen to paper, or in this case, fingers to keyboard. That is, until today.

This month marks the 2 year anniversary of Soul Deep Beauty, and while I couldn't be happier, this shift in my marketing, website, business goals, etc, are kicking my butt. Then, I was invited to attend the Detroit Chapter Launch of a wonderful group, the It's Not Enough to Dream Women's Circle. They are a women's support group and magazine for women of faith who have or are just thinking about starting their own business. Started in 2010 by sisters Adrienne Adams and Bridgette Outten in Chicago, the Detroit chapter presentation was titled "I Came to Win" and will be the fourth city in their ever growing corporation, where they join Chicago, Indianapolis and Milwaukee.

It was a great experience, filled with an overwhelming sense of sisterhood that I walked away from feeling uplifted and inspired. As the women introduced themselves I was comforted in knowing that I wasn't alone and that we all face some sort of struggle when running a business. It felt good to be in a room of like minded women who believe in purpose, power and praise.

Although I have financial obligations that won't allow me to officially join the circle at this time, they definitely have not seen the last of me. They offer business boot camps and other offerings that I want to be a part of and am looking forward to the road ahead. I now know that what I'm lacking in myself right now is confidence and I'm not one who takes or accepts failure easily.

I encourage any woman reading this who has ever had that business or book idea or job opportunity that you wanted to try, to not only consider the possibility but set yourself up to win. I'm getting myself back on track and to prove it, over the next several weeks, I'm going to talk about the six steps to success that Adrienne covered and reflect on how I can improve on each one.

Like I always say, the best is yet to come.

Wishing you love, peace and Soul Deep Beauty,
                                                Rhonda

Me and my hair: Curlformers

For those of you who don't know, I am a natural hair enthusiast. I can, and have talked hair with just about anybody: the lady at the grocery store, patient at the hospital, anybody who even says "Oh, I like your hair. How did you get it like that?" They just don't know what they got themselves into. I love my friggin' hair and I am not ashamed to say it. With natural hair I have never had a bad hair day (not one that I'll admit to anyway.) Natural hair is supposed to be free and unconstrained- a little like me. It's healthy and versatile and I am constantly trying new ways to twist out, twist up, Bantu or updo my hair.

That being said, I decided to give my Curlformers another go and see how many days I could stretch the style.

So this is what I did.
I washed and conditioned with Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo and Organic African Black Soap Balancing Conditioner.
          


Deep Conditioned with Moroccanoil Deep Conditioning mask.


Used Hair Rules Nourishing Leave in.



I set Curlfomers using LottaBody and Aphogee Wrap Lotion.
   


And here are my results:

Day 1

Day 2

Days 3 & 4

Then, I decided to do something I only do a couple times a year- wear it straight.

Blow out baby!

You couldn't tell me nothing....

By the way I used grapeseed oil to blow dry and flat iron.

Until it rained four days later and my volume and curls left the building.

Days 10-12 I wore some variation of this:

So, through a lot of manipulation, I was able to "stretch" my Curlformers set to 12 days. I have decided that I will use Curlformers to dry my hair when I'm going to either braid it up or straighten it out so I can avoid additional heat. I will try them prior to a twist out one day, but I like my current regimen now and if it ain't broke I'm not trying to fix it.

That's all for now.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty.