If you have a huge afro…wear it (as long as its out of your face) If you have a lace front…wear it (As long as its out of your face AND looks natural) If you have a weave…wear it (As long as its out of your face) If you have a relaxer…wear it (as long as its out of your face)
You can wear your hair out, up, down, and swirled around town. Just make sure it is out of your face.
BUT
Be prepared to possibly be told that they will want to style your hair differently to fit the look for the booking. If its something your aren’t comfortable with, be professional and say “thank you for your time” and politely decline.
In my never ending search for a good red lipstick, I decided to pick up a “cheap-y” brand. And my #1 go to for a quick cheap-y is Wet N Wild. It never fails me lol. I decided to try one of their liquid lipsticks and I picked up a red and a pink, Cherry on Top and Rose to the Occasion. Both of which I looooove!
I’ve searched for other reviews online and the common complaint was that it was sticky. Well, most stains are sticky until it’s completely dry, and if you press your lips together while it’s still wet you’ll mess up the finished look. So for those reviews, I basically wrote those people off as not knowing what the hell they were talking about lol.
I also did a hair show earlier this month and my hair was very broken and damaged to the point where the stylist suggested that I cut it, so I did and thus my new short do’! (The styles pictured are not of the original style that they stylist created. If you want to see that, click here.)
I love that these colors are so pigmented! If you are like me and have 2 different colors of lips (my top lip is brown and my bottom lip is light pink) you see how you can’t tell that I have different skin colors for my lips. Most liquid lip colors don’t really work that well for women of color like me but with the amount of pigmentation in these $3 lippies has me sold.
Just so you know, I only did one coat for each of these colors, no primer, and no lip liner. ANNND The color doesn’t BUDGE! Check out my kiss test below:
There is a down side to these though. I wore each of these through an entire day and they lasted without fading or peeling etc… UNTIL I ate something that contained oil. For me it was buffalo wings on one day and a salad with italian dressing on another day. Everything else I ate, the colors lasted and I had no issue with them.
So my final verdict on these lip colors is that it is a STRONG contender for the Stila lipstains and the Sephora lipstains, its VERY budget friendly especially if you dont want to spend between $12 -$25 on a lipstain
The products mentioned in my post were purchased by me and I am not being offered any compensation for my thoughts/views on this product.
Recently on my Instagram, I posted a picture of me with only mascara and lipgloss. Since, I have gotten a few people asking me about my skincare routine, welp here it is! Its pretty simple and easy to follow.
One of my most essential tips, based on this site link, for great skin is drinking lots of water. Water is the main basis for the condition of my skin, I drink water all day and when I’m not drinking water, I follow-up with coffee or other drinks by drinking more water!
As for the products that I use on my skin, I use the following steps:
Step 1: Cleanse
Ambi Even & Clear Foaming Cleanser
I’ve been a fan of Ambi’s facial cleanser as long as I can remember, I use it because its very gentle and lifts a great amount of dirt and oil from my face after a long day of wearing makeup. I also have a few scars from pimples that have faded greatly since using Ambi. The scars are so light that you can’t even see it in the picture!
To start, I moisten my face by splashing warm water on my face and then 2 pumps of product and massage it into my skin to break up the dirt, oil, and makeup on my face, then I rinse my face with more warm water until all traces of the cleanser is removed.
Step 2: Scrub or Mask (Weekly)
For this second step I usually use this step once a week and then I alternate between using a scrub or a mask.
When I use the scrub, its generally because Ive been wearing makeup a lot throughout the week and my face feels a bit more “dirty” than usual. So to get my skin feeling extra clean, I use the scrub pictured above.
Freeman Facial Masks
When I don’t use the facial scrub, I use one of these facial masks to either tighten my pores or to add extra nutrients to my face that general stresses of day to day can strip away.
Step 3: Tone
Burts Bees Rosewater Toner
After cleansing and using a scrub or mask, I pat my face dry with a terry cloth towel (way better than a regular towel because it soaks up the water faster and isn’t as abrasive) then apply rosewater toner to my face using a cotton ball/pad. Doing this helps to refresh my face and dissolve any dirt that the cleanser or mask may have missed in my pores and prepare the skin to receive the moisturiser. I like rosewater toners because they smell very nice and arent harsh on the skin. I used to make my own (I’m sure you can find recipes on Pinterest) but when I don’t have the time I usually pick up a bottle of Burt’s Bees.
Final Step: Moisturise
Palmers Daily Facial Lotion
Once my face has air dried a bit, I apply moisturiser to my face and neck. This helps to keep my skin smooth and I like that this particular moisturiser isn’t heavy, so it allows my skin to breathe. I use this particular brand because cocoa butter naturally has tons of Vitamin E and when we eat it or use it in skin care, it helps to give a great glow and keep skin plump and flexible.
I’ve shared my skin care routine, what products do you use? Tweet me or Instagram me. I’d love to hear what other great products I may be missing out on!
This post is going to be very short and sweet! I just did my nails for the holidays and I want to show them off!
See!
I used Essie nail polish in “too too hot” and I used loose gold make-up pigment glitter with a few layers of clear polish to do my nails this way, let me know if you try it!
My makeup bag is in desperate need of a restocking on my favorite makeup makeup products. I ventured to a few of my favorite makeup stores to get the best deal on the items that I needed and out of EVERYTHING that I purchased I decided to step away from the norm for a few staple items and try something new. My reasoning for trying something newer was mainly based on curiosity or the item was on sale. (I’m frugal when I need to be!) I should have stuck to my normal products and kept it moving.
Eye Shadow Primer
Sephora Brand VS Too Faced Shadow Insurance
I usually purchase Too Faced Shadow Insurance but this time, the price went up! So I asked the associate for other brands that would be worth it to try, and she suggested Kat Von D’s Primer and Urban Decay’s Primer. Kat’s primer didn’t come in any transparent or Women of color friendly shades so that was out for me, and Urban Decay I had used for the longest until they changed their packaging and their product just didn’t seem to work the same once they did. The associate’s final suggestion was the Sephora brand, which was cheaper and it was transparent. It was exactly what I was looking for so I purchased it, and went home to try the next morning.
Why it was not worth buying:
When I applied it I noticed that the product was white and it was the consistency of lotion. I thought that was different and that it might melt into my skin faster than my normal primer. Then I applied it to my eye and waited about a minute or so and applied my eye makeup. About 4 hours into wearing my makeup my eyes started to burn. The only time that happens is when my eye makeup is starting to ‘melt’ or my oily lids began to make the makeup on my lids slide around my face! So I went to a mirror and I noticed the my lids were creasing like I never applied any primer! I was so mad! lol I expected that the primer would have been equivalent to what I’m used to because it was the store’s brand but sadly it was not. I decided to give the primer another go just to see if it was some type of glitch with the product, and sadly it failed me and creased horribly again. My verdict on Sephora’s Eye shadow primer, not worth it. Stick with one of the name brands, for me I’ll be sticking with my Too Faced Shadow Insurance.
Eyelash Glue
NYX Stuck On You Lash Adhesive in Black VS DUO Lash Adhesive in Black
For the eye lash glue, ok. Imagine this… you are out of town and you love wearing lashes but the store only has NYX eyelash glue in stock and its a reasonable price, $6 I think, and you really need your glue fix. What do you do?!!!!?!!!
Welp, you buy it like I did and pray that it works just as good as your DUO glue.
I opened the tube, the product ran out like water and I was caught off guard from that. I put the cap back on the tube and shook it up, it turned into a runny thickness, something I was able to work with enough to apply to the band, so I applied it to my strip lashes applied them to my lash line and went on about my merry little way!
While I was looking on my phone a few hours later, I kept noticing this strange shadow whenever I looked to my left. I couldn’t figure out what it was until I touched my eye and realized that it was my lash and it was beginning to lift. I thought I would have at least been able to make it through the day with they glue. When I wear the DUO I can wear my lashes for 24 hours if I sleep face up! lol I expected the same, if not better from NYX, simply because it was NYX! My verdict on NYX’s eyelash adhesive… leave it alone and try to find another brand of glue, DUO if you can. Otherwise, you might me looking at your lashes on the table instead of on your eye! lol
What products have you spent money on that hasn’t been worth the money?
I’ve said it before in my previous blog posts. Simple and Plain, Plain and Simple. Thats how you want to look when you go for a casting. Check out my video with a bit more detail.
I was at the dollar store today (my kryptonite when it comes to wasting time) and I was in the glassware isle and I saw a short glass vase and then I looked over and saw some accent beads…
A light bulb went off in my head and thats when I thought, “This would make a great holder for my makeup brushes!” and thus I bought these items for $3 total and headed home to put my idea together and this is how it turned out!
by Alean Elston
What do ya think?! Would you give this a try?
This only cost me $3 I figure if you wanted to, you could get a different shaped glass vase and spend the rest on the accent beads and still be under or at $5.
In my quest for looking for some really cute DIY nail designs, I came across these. and they look super easy and you don’t have to buy a bunch of nail stencils to achieve some great designs. Check them out and if you happen do do any of them, please tweet me @CompleteBeauty and let me see how you did!
These are the new stick on nail strips available at Sephora in “SNAKE SKIN.” I tried these this weekend on a night out with the girls and they started chipping that same day! I put them on according to the directions and they looked good, but not worth the $12. I paid $5 for mine and thank goodness I caught these on sale, cause if I would have paid more for these, I’d be back at the store looking for a refund! Granted these look way nicer that Sally Hansen products but at least hers stay for a few days! Smh
Have you tried these? Did you have the same experience or a better one? Share!
Ok, Ok, Ok, I know it has been over a month since I blogged but it has been for good reason. I have been EXTREMELY busy with life, business, and the pursuit of happiness lol. There are so many things that I have wanted to buy for myself lately, but this is the season of giving and if you happen to be in the giving mood, here is my Christmas list…which I may update up until 12/25/11!
Full Cuticle Mongolian Kinky Curl Machine Weft from ONYC Hair
I know this hair is expensive, but I WANT THIS HAIR!!! Its the only weave that I have found so far, that matches my texture and it is human hair so that I can straighten it and wear it natural to make my natural hair appear longer and to keep it protected in the winter months. I would like to get 2 packs of the 18in 3C-4A curl which according to the website will cost $379.98
One of my friends has this and when I used it to deep condition my hair….MAAAAAAAN it was like my conditioner worked a million times better. My hair was so full of moisture, it was just so hydrated and shiny and my hair felt and looked so healthy. Bottom line, priced at $114 I want this!
This polish, this color in particular is one of my all time favorites and I happen to be running low on this and I need a repleishment. lol This color makes the perfect base for american and french manicures and it also looks great alone. At $8 a bottle, its okay if you want to buy me more than one! 😀
Paris Amour from Bath and Body Works
This particular scent for Bath and body works smells soooo pretty. I only have the shower gel pictured here but I would like the whole set, puhweeze!
For those of you that know me, know that one of my signatures is a flower in my ‘fro. I’ve been searching for some really unique flowers and I have found a lot of good ones online, especially on Etsy. there are some really creative people on there! I’d prefer the flowers not be from the hair store as I have already raided their supply lol but if you have something truly unique let me know. I’d love to have it in my collection!
I’ve wanted to try this out for the longest but for some reason, I haven’t gone through with it… I think its because I know I couldn’t get away with wearing it on an everyday basis or even a special occasion, unless it was for a photoshoot or an event where I knew I would have to show up and show out! If there are any photographers who would be interested in doing a beauty shoot with me wearing the any pattern from the Violent Lips, let me know, I know of a great MUA who can bring together a gorgeous extreme look to work with this. Just comment this post or shoot me an email and lets get to work!
Thats about all I can think of. The fashion wish list should be up next. What beauty items would you like to get for Christmas, I might add them to my next list, let me know!
