Fabulous Friday- Katy Perry Color Pop Lashes

It's Friday! What up people, so today I am going to share with you my new favorite lashes. But, first, some back story. A couple months ago, as a gift, I went and had some semi-permanent lashes put in. It was cool, they weren't as full as I would have liked them but I knew if I kept getting them filled in that eventually they would get to where I needed them to be. Let me also add, for those of you who have never had them, it is a long process. It took 3 hours as each extension is put on lash by lash.

It was date night with my hubby.
Notice on pic to the right that lashes are on the thin side.

Long story short, as my natural lashes fell out, so did the fullness of the look. I was on a tight budget that would not allow me to spend $50 on the fill-in, so I eventually just snatched out the rest. That was in July and my lashes have yet to recover from the improper removal, so needless to say, I have been wearing falsies every since.

So fast forward to my birthday weekend (second weekend in October. I treated myself to a tiny haul at Ulta, which included a pair of Eylure Katy Perry Color Pop Eyelashes. They had my fav color, purple so I had to get them. I noticed they were a little thick and not as movable as the Ardell's but I was still able to work them to fit my lash line perfectly.

Info:

The regular price is $7, but I got mine on sale for $4. The purple layer is underneath the black, so the color is really subtle. I wore them for an entire month with no bending on the ends (which usually happens because of the way I sleep).

My routine:

I wear them for a week, take them off, clean off the old glue, wash my eyes really good and put them back on. I didn't use the glue that came with it, which was the clear adhesive, I used the dark Ardell adhesive I already had.

The Looks:

 

After years of Whispies, these are my new favorite strip lashes. Have you tried them? What do you think?

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty!

Fabulous Friday and Birthday Reflections

Today is a very special Fabulous Friday. One, we've returned after a small hiatus, two, my birthday passed a couple weeks ago (I know, I'm late) and lastly- I got a new job. Despite some small hiccups in my life, I'm still on party mode. After a couple weekends of good food, good friends and good fun, I'm just feeling so blessed to have all those things I've prayed for come to pass.

That being said, I want to start with a small list of things that I'm grateful for now that I've celebrated 32 years of life.

- I'm grateful for a husband, children, family and friends who accept me for being my silly, sarcastic, quirky, indecisive, and (sometimes) bossy self.

- Faith, mercy and salvation, and the ability to know the difference.

Things I learned:

- That joy and sorrow can't exist in the same place.

- To never take people, life or circumstances for granted.

Old (but still good) mantra:

"I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me."

New mantra:

"God says if you rest in Him, He will show you the rest of Him."
 

Preach!

Now, on a lighter note, I had a B-Day mini-photo shoot for myself and can't wait till the next one. It's something that I had been thinking about for a while, so when I had a sudden burst of energy, I decided to just do it. If you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen these, but here goes anyway.

This is my makeshift photo studio. I bought the lights and backdrop stand off of Amazon.
My point and shoot is a Kodak, and I've had the tripod for years.

                                                

My hurr:

This was a 3 day old twist out that fro'ed out after a weekend of doing the most.

I used- Shea Moisture Raw Organic Black Soap Shampoo

Giovanni Deep Treatment Conditioner

Knot Today Leave in

Coconut grease/pomade

Eco Styler gel. 

Every night I pineappled and refreshed with jojoba oil and aloe vera gel.

My make-up:

Maybelline Mineral Powder Liquid Foundation Cocoa 

Make-up Forever Concealer Pallet 5

Stilla Blush in Coral

Milani Bronzer in Golden

Sleek Makeup Contour Kit in Dark 

Katy Perry Color Pop Faux Lashes on top, Ardell Mini Individuals on bottom

Sephora Kohl Eyeliner

Brown shadow on brows

And my lips are a combination of two Lip Tars- Demure (hot pink) and (tbd-name rubbed off) lavender

What I'm wearing:

Earrings- Charming Charlies 

Hello Kitty glasses- bought off of Poshmark 

"Rock the Hair You Wear" T-Shirt- bought at African Festival -lost company info :(

Purple cardigan- Old Navy

Jeans- Old Navy

Yeah, yo girl put her model face on and thought she was doing something. I had a lot of fun, even though it was crazy having to set the timer and run back to get the right shot. But, this photo shoot was a part of a personal journey I had been on (that I hope to share soon) and it was about me accepting myself for who I am. I had put it off saying I would do it once I dropped a couple pounds or when I could get my perfect twist out. But, I reminded myself that it's not about being perfect, it's about being me. So go head, do you boo and love every moment of it.

Until next time,

Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty 

Fabulous Friday: On the Wild Side

It's Friday once again and I am sooo excited because tomorrow, my co-worker and I are going to Praise at the Park, at Chene Park. I haven't been to a concert in over a year because of my spending diet, but this was a treat to myself. Plus, I'm going to get me some more Jesus, so I ain't mad about it.

Anyway, this week's fab Friday outfit was worn this past Monday. It was nice and cool for this 90 degree we've been getting lately and I love the side braid I wore with my genie locs.

Dress: Parisians (Now known as Carsons)

Shirt: Old Navy
Shoes: DSW
Earrings: Charming Charlies
Bracelet: My fav gold bracelet gifted to me by my dad before he passed

My makeup is simple, but pretty
Foundation: Maybelline Mineral Power Liquid Foundation in Cocoa
Blush: Stilla in Self Adjusting Coral
Highlight: Milani Baked Bronzer in Soleil
Lips: EOS Balm in Cool Mint
Brows: Black Shadow

Until next time, stay fabulous.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty!

Me and My Hair: Genie Locs, AKA Yarn Braids

I have been one braiding sista the last couple of weeks. Between me, my daughter and my new clients (whoot, whoot), I'm surprised my fingers even work. I challenged myself by doing not only my hair, but also my daughters, which totaled to 20 plus hours of braiding, twisting and feeling like my arms were about to give out. But, never the less, both of us look good if I do say so myself. I've had genie locs before, so I knew what to expect and still love them.


So here are the stats: My hair.
Washed with Shea Moisture Raw Organic Moisture Retention Shampoo
ACV Rinse (Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse: 1 part ACV, 3 parts water)
Deep Conditioned with Giovanni Deep Treatment Conditioner (only left in 10 min)
Conditioned with Pantene Pro-V Frizz Control
Detangled with Knot Today and Morrocanoil Oil Treatment
Blow Dried Hair using the tension method
Hair- Red Heart 100% wool yarn in black, 1 and 1/2 packs
Time- 16 hours over 3 days (it took me 21 hours last time, so my speed is up.)

Follow me on IG @RhondaSoulDeep

And here's what I did with my daughter's hair.

Washed with Carol's Daughter Tui Shampoo
ACV Rinse
Deep Treatment with Shea Moisture Deep Conditioning Moisture Retention Tx (left in 30 minutes)
2 Minute Protein Treatment by Aphogee
Detangled with Kinky Curly Knot Today and Grapeseed Oil
Blow Dried hair using the tension method
Hair- 1 pack of Short Loc Hair (Kanakelon, I think)
Time-  About 4.5 hours

Follow me on IG @RhondaSoulDeep

I hope to keep these in for two months and keep my daughter's neat looking for a 4-6 weeks. I will of course wear a satin scarf or bonnet  at night, oil my scalp and do ACV/ baking soda rinses to keep them up. My daughter however, will play in her hair until twists start to fall off and refuse to keep her bonnet on at night, but we'll see what happens. Until next time, loves.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty

Fabulous Friday-Thrifty Finds

Yes, I know it's Monday, but for the sake of trying to recover from this past holiday weekend, lets pretend it's Friday. Plus, I know I have missed the last couple of Fab Fridays, because I have been super busy. So lets get down to business.

My hair is in a twist and curl, which basically is a twist out with rods on the end.

Shirt- Thrifted from Value World for $2.80! Love a good deal.
Leggings- Lane Bryant
Sandals- Dots
Earrings- Charming Charlies
Bracelet- Tiffany & Co.

And, because I was totally feeling myself last week, here's another one. This was what I wore on date night.

Dress- Dressbarn
Shoes- Shoe Dazzle
Necklace- Can't remember where I got it from, but it was two of them linked together
Earrings- Lane Bryant
Bracelet- Tiffany & Co.
Also, I had just had my semi-permanent lashes done at Spa-a-Peel (It was a $150 service I was lucky enough to have received a gift card for.)

Until next time.
Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty!

Fabulous Friday- Puff Love

Hi Loves,

Another Friday has arrived and it's time for the look of the week. It got humid real quick around here. My Bantu Knot-out got bigger and bigger, so by day 3 I decided to tame it and get it back under control. I puffed it out and put a little lean on it. And because I was feeling myself that day, I have an outfit for the week, too.

Shirt- Old Navy

Skirt- Convertible wrap dress from Avon

Shoes- Payless

Earrings- Charming Charlie's

Bracelet- Tiffany & Co.

Necklace- City Trends

We'll see what look of the week I have next time.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty!

My Summer Reads

I love to read . Fiction, non-fiction, suspense thriller, you name it. One of my favorite pastimes is to go to the local book store because I am still a big fan of "real" books. Yes, I have an eReader, but ask me when was the last time I used it. I like the smell of a book when you first open it and I like to write little notes and highlight stuff. (I told y'all I was a nerd.)

But, because of my busy schedule I have not had the opportunity to enjoy a good book lately. And every time I say I'm going to dig my heels into a good novel, I find myself in the non-fiction/ self-help aisle at the book store. So here are my two picks for the summer that I can't wait to curl up to as I take my kids to the park, Jungle Java or just choose to mentally check out and let them run free/destroy my house and furniture.

1. Every Day a Friday by Joel Osteen
I love Pastor Osteen. Whenever I can't make it to my church on Sundays, I get up to watch his service via TV or Internet. He's part pastor, part motivational speaker and part comedian. The premise of this book is how to be and remain happy in your life. I had bought the audio version of this book last year but due to some technical difficulties, it's in cyber heaven somewhere. So I bought it again determined to find the true joy inside of me. I'm about a quarter of the way into the book and so far I am learning how to recognize how I let things around me determine my happiness. Because I am a goal orientated person, I am always thinking about the next step and saying, "if I only had ____, I would be okay," when in actuality I should be okay anyway. I'm a work in progress people.

2. Better Than Good Hair by Nikki Walton
I have been stalking currlynikki.com since 2009, when I started wearing my naturally textured hair full time. I've talked about her blog before and was so excited that she wrote a book as well that featured some of my fav hair gurus and fellows natural hair enthusiasts. I have only flipped through the pages of this one, but it is so going to be an enjoyable, educational and entertaining journey about natural hair care. I love the lay out, too. I might do a video review on this one.

So those are my summer reads so far. What are yours? Comment below.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty!

Fabulous Friday!

Hi Loves,

So it's Friday, my favorite day of the week. And if you're lucky enough to have a job with no weekends or holidays, you have a 3-day weekend ahead of you. Even though Memorial Day is bitter sweet: (sweet for not having to work, bitter because it's a solemn day of remembrance for those who have passed on), my creative juices are flowing and I decided to start a Fabulous Friday segment that will take a look at either my favorite outfit of the week or best natural hair victory. If it was a good week, I might do both. If not, we'll pretend this conversation never happened.

So here's this weeks natural hair victory.

This is a 3 day old twist and curl and here's the details of my wash day and night time procedure.

Team "Be Shameless"

Hey y'all,

Watch this video.



Have you ever felt this way? What could you do today to start shamelessly promoting your strengths and talents?

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty!

10 Things Every Woman Should Have

I was flipping through an old Allure Magazine the other day during a spring cleaning fit, and I came across an article titled, "10 Things Every Woman Should Have" with fashion icon Oscar de la Renta. It was a cute list compiled with the fashion must haves: a small bag, black lace dress, etc. And not that I didn't agree, but  I immediately complied a list of my own. (Numbers 1 and 5 are from his list though- what can I say, they were good.)

10 Things Every Woman Should Have

#1. A Great Romance.
Every woman should experience being in love. We are so guarded sometimes and to allow yourself to love someone with no question or judgement is very freeing.

#2. A Bestie.
I don't believe in freinemies. Either you is or you ain't my friend. There is no gray area. So when you know that your girls (or guys) around you are ride or die, you are a force to be reckoned with.

#3. A Badd Pair of Shoes.
You must have a pair of shoes that not only make you walk with that supermodel swag, but it should make you feel like everything around you is in slow motion.

Calling all thrift shoppers!

I have been on a supper tight budget lately and because of that I have had to change the way I shop. Even after swearing I would never buy bootleg cereal again, Aldi is my new best friend. But, being the clothes and shoe fanatic that I am (as well as, mother of two children who outgrow their pants every six months), I have to be a diva on a dime and find other alternatives to my shopping habit.

I have found a few resale/ consignment stores that I like, so I want to shout them out in some upcoming business spotlight posts. But, here's where you guys come in. I need more to shout out, so if you are in Southeastern Michigan and you have a resale store that you frequent, or if you know of a thrifting website (other than just write in the comments the name of the store and any links (if applicable).

Also, let me know any tips or insider secrets I should know since I'm kind of new to the thrifting game.

Happy shopping!

Wishing you love, peace and Soul Deep Beauty!

Fear will not stop my destiny

Ok, so it's been a while- over 2 months to be exact, since my last post. Real talk, your girl been going through some thangs. Some life changing, decision making, what 's my destiny type of thangs. And although I have yet to make those things final or complete yet, I now have the emotional energy to put my thoughts to good use.

But, today I want to talk about fear. I hate fear. It is a crippling emotion that can either cause you to do stupid things or keep you from reaching your destiny. I've given too much power to fear and I have come to the point in my life where fear is no longer allowed. The funny thing about it is that I saw myself as fearless because I was able to accomplish just about everything I set my mind to. Not realizing that it was because I'm a smart girl and a lot of things come easy to me (not bragging, it just is what it is).

But, when it came to friendships/ relationships with those around me, I was a mess. I'm sure we all have been stabbed in the back and gotten our feelings hurt, but fear of being the fool twice stops us from our full loving/ giving/ nurturing potential and it keeps us guarded from the one thing we want most- love. Now, if this is too deep for you, feel free to move on, but I am a realist and I know that the only way to conquer something is to confront it. I've decided to fight my fears head on.

Don't get me wrong, it's not going to be easy, but anything worth having is worth fighting for. Because I'm a logical person I used to let my head talk my heart out of or into something that I knew was not the best option for me. Why? Because fear would tell me that I would be lonely, or I would miss out or people are fake and they'll just play me. The fear of failure has stopped so many people in their tracks that they are defeated before they even begin and next thing you know, years have passed and nothing has changed. If you not moving up, then what you doing? Waisting time.

The other (if not the most important) reason me and fear are not friends is because acting out of fear makes faith jealous. If I'm something like the Christian I claim to be, then my faith should overcome my fears. But, fear being the old trickster that she is comes in many forms. She can sneak into your mind at the most inappropriate times and come from the mouths of people you love and trust. The best way to deal with her is to recognize her and tell her to go have several seats cause you not dealing with her.

So here's my declaration for myself- fear is a lie and it will not prevent me from reaching my God given destiny. I'm telling fear to kick rocks. I suggest you do the same.

Wishing you love, peace and Soul Deep Beauty

Me and my hair: Puffy Twists

I had my hair in puffy twists for about 2 months and when I started to officially miss my fro, I took those bad boys out. But, I wanted to share my puffy twist experience with you. First, let me say that I absolutely friggin love those twists. They were easy to install (only took me 6 hours) and the styles that I could do were endless.

Here's the lowdown on installation:
Hair- 2 Packs of puffy naffy hair in 1b (I redid them in November and used a pack of 1b and a pack of 30). $10 per pack from local beauty supply store.

This pic is off the Internet. At time of post I had already thrown my package away.

 I washed and condition hair with Carol's Daughter Tui Healthy Hair Set.

I got this set off of HSN as a special kit.

Then I blow dried the hair using Hair Rules Blow Out Your Kinks

I bought mine from Ulta, but when I went to their site I couldn't find it.

I used Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie during the install and sprayed the scalp with jojoba oil afterwards.

Here are some of the styles I wore:





Puffy twists will definitely be in my life again because I be doing the most: "Boop boop" (in my NeNe voice).
Have you ever worn puffy twists? Did you love 'em like I did?

As always,
Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty.

New Year, New You!

I hope the new year has been good to you so far and brings you hope as you look forward to new beginnings. I am officially back to my daily grind and am excited about the things to come. I have so many ideas and things planned for this year and it's time to execute.

One of those things is a 30 Day Make-up Challenge. Let's keep it real, it's going to take me more than 30 days to complete this. It would probably be more accurate if I call it a 30 Week Make-up Challenge since I try to write a post at least every week. But, in any case, in addition to the other posts I write I want to challenge myself as an artist. I saw a great challenge on The Makeup Nerd's blog and I'm going to give it a try.

30 Day Make-up Challenge

Day 1: A total inventory of all the makeup and makeup tools you own

Day 2: A picture of your daily makeup

Day 3: Your weird makeup tips and secrets

Day 4: A picture of you with your favorite single eye shadow

Day 5: A picture with three different color eye shadows

Day 6: A picture of animal print eye shadow

Day 7: Your favorite nail polish

Day 8: Makeup that shows off your eye color

Day 9: The newest makeup/tool that you bought

Day 10: Makeup inspired by a celebrity

Day 11: Where do you buy your makeup?

Day 12: Glitter, lots of it!

Day 13: The most creative thing you can do with makeup

Day 14: Eyeliner, Eyeliner, and more EYELINER!

Day 15: Your most natural makeup

Day 16: A “Barbie” inspired makeup

Day 17: Your sexy smoky eyes

Day 18: Where do you keep your makeup?

Day 19: A picture of your favorite makeup style

Day 20: Do you wear makeup every day?

Day 21: Makeup for a night out at the club

Day 22: What’s your favorite makeup brand?

Day 23: Makeup inspired by a flower

Day 24: Your favorite perfume

Day 25: Where do you get makeup tips?

Day 26: Favorite makeup remover

Day 27: Makeup you want

Day 28: Edgy makeup look

Day 29: Your favorites of the makeup you own

Day 30: A picture of yourself without makeup on. NONE!

Please feel free to join the challenge with me and share your results. 

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty!