30 Day Make-up Challenge: Days 1-2

Do you remember a long time ago when I said I was going to do a make-up challenge and I never did it? Well, me neither but it happened and there is proof. So in light of me being inspired and not wanting to go back on my word, I'm going to fulfill my challenge (I hope). So here goes.

 

Day 1 and 2: When did you start putting on make-up? How did you learn to put on make-up?

Up until college, the only makeup I wore was eyeliner and lip gloss. The first time I bought foundation I went to the make-up counter at Sears and had the girl help me with my color because my forehead was 2 different shades than the rest of my face. But, I started wearing make-up for real when I got a job at Victoria's Secret Beauty Store. The manager hired me to be the "color specialist" because she said she liked my make-up, so my lip gloss and eyeliner must have been really working for me that day.

My job as the color specialist was to basically do lip and eye make overs for our customers and try to get them to purchase the products I used. My practice and love for make-up started right there, and if you think about it, I've been getting paid to do make-up for a long time ;)

What little money I was making was going towards all the eye kits and lipsticks, not to mention all the smell good lotions and creams (shout out to all my Love Spell enthusiasts). 

But, it wasn't until nearly 8 years later that I realized that I was good and could potentially make a career of this make-up thang. I went to school for esthetics at Michigan College of Beauty, thinking that I could learn about both skin care and make-up, but still yearned for more make-up training after I got my license. I then went to Astute Artistry to get another make-up certificate and went to many other classes including The Industry Source, MAC and other seminars. I still take classes when I can and playing in make-up is one of my favorite things to do.

When did you start to wear make-up? Share your story.

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Depp Beauty,
Rhonda

Get It Together

One of the most important keys to success is to be consistent, to end as strong as you started. That is so not one of my strong points. I will start a project hard, 110% and then slowly the energy I had at the beginning starts to fade until it is practically non-existent. It happened with my business, started to happen with my marriage, hell- it happened with this blog.

I'm not going to sit here and give the "I'm back" speech again and how I'm going to do better, blah, blah, blah. But, what I will do is take time for myself to do those thing that make me happy, and this blog is one of them. I have made it my goal that in addition to being so and so's wife and so and so's mother, that I will make a name for myself as well.

So, I've decided to nix my other blog and combine the two on Soul Deep Beauty. I can't separate my beauty biz and my family life because they both are a part of my life. And although my make-up gigs are few and far between, I still can beat a face down. #dontgetittwisted

As I transition two blogs into one, I'm going to bring over some of my favorite posts from I Heart My B.A.D.D. Kids. Enjoy!

Wishing you Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty,
Rhonda

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.