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.
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!
It has come to my attention that a lot of models don’t understand that professionalism goes a long way in this business. Maybe its because, a lot don’t think of it as a business, but more so as something to do because they find it to be fun for them and love the attention and the way they look and feel in a photo-shoot. While all of that is fine, one must understand that it may be fun for you, but for others, its a business, lifestyle, and a way of supporting their families. You mess any of that up or you rub someone the wrong way, you can be sure that your fun career will not move and prevent you from moving forward.
Here’s a list of 3 things that models do that industry insiders say can prevent them from working with that model again:
Arriving Late to a Booking
Personally, I think we can all understand that time is money, in any industry. But what I seem to see quite often are models who think that things revolve around their schedule… Let me be the first to let those of you who think this is the case know: YOU CAN BE REPLACED!!! Sure there are circumstances that may have held you up and prevented you from getting you there on time, but when you decide not to call anyone and let them know that you are running late. You are holding up the production and wasting money and possibly light (daylight) to get the job done! What will usually happen if you don’t call AHEAD of time when you are running late (and by that I mean, call when you know you are running late not when you are running late and its 5 minutes before you are supposed to be there) is that there will be another model willing and waiting in the wings who is available and will take your job. Then because they were such a lifesaver and time saver, they will be called upon for more gigs. Lesson: BE ON TIME and if your not, let somebody know ASAP!
Having an attitude
TUDE TUDE TUDE!!!!!! ATTI-TUDE that is… It says a lot about your work ethic, your personality, and your state of mind. One thing people must begin to master is the ability to control their attitude in what is often known as checking your emotions at the door. This is very important when on set, or backstage because to be frank, NOBODY CARES about whatever is bothering you!!! There is a task at hand that needs to be taken care of and you need to execute. If you want your bad attitude get in the way of that, or if it rubs someone the wrong way or if you just can’t seem to contain it. Don’t bother coming in. Bad attitude can effect everyone and no one (especially me) wants to be hanging around a dark cloud or negativity. I’ve seen plenty of girls be replaced simply because they couldn’t suck up their feeling about what happened outside of a photo-shoot or outside of a show and get down to business. Attitude is an emotion, and emotions are personal, and Personal issues can inhibit proper business. When you get an attitude remember the saying, “Nothing personal, just business” and get the job done.
Talking bad about others
NOBODY ASKED YOU!!! Well maybe somebody did ask you… but that doesn’t mean you have to spill the beans about everything that you didn’t like about the way they did things. This industry is very small. Especially if you are working in a particular area, and begin to advance in the industry. you will start to see that you will see some of the same people over and over again. All of those people talk and you don’t need to fuel any fire talking about another one of the members of the already small industry circle. When in doubt about discussing another photographer, MUA or stylist, just smile or look shocked and act like they are the best thing since sliced bread. lol! You never know who is related to who, or could be friends with the person they are asking you about.
Stay tuned… next tip will about being professional in reaching out about modeling jobs!
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!
If you find out more about Canberra Business Valuations, you will know that business services are not uncommon. Any business can offer their services at the normal rate and give a portion of the proceeds to benefit Breast Cancer, but how many do you know of that offer their services for free in order to help those with cancer? Namaste Organic Spa does just that by offering alternative and complimentary services for people who have cancer.
Marisol Fitzgerald, a Reiki Master and Massage Therapist, made a promise when she began her schooling for massage therapy; her promise was to always leave room in her life to provide her Reiki and massage services to those affected by Cancer. Six years later, Marisol has kept her promise. Even with the pressure of being a mother of four, a business owner, and working seven days a week, Marisol continues to leave time for her favorite patients – those with Cancer and their families. Marisol’s unique ‘Oncology Massage’ at Namaste, combines Reiki, CranioSacral, Reflexology and Massage Therapy. The blend of these unique alternative therapies, create an extremely nurturing and relaxing environment that benefits the mind, body and soul.
Although most patients and their families prefer to receive their spa treatments at Namaste, Marisol understands that for many patients leaving their hospital room is not a luxury they have during their treatment. For this reason, all of the oncology based treatments can be brought directly to the patient, whether in a hospital or their home when necessary. The only requirement to receive a treatment is a note from a doctor stating you are allowed to receive a treatment. Even if the patient is not allowed to receive a treatment such as a massage or facial, Namaste can provide Reiki which can be performed without touching the body.
I am a full believer that your mindset can dictate the way your body reacts to being at dis-ease. If you are someone who is always negative and always stressed out, your body will react the same way and help the progression of whatever is making you sick continue to make you sick. The inverse goes for those who think positive, and if you are aren’t… try to learn how to be. If you change your thinking and relax yourself, and make an effort to be comfortable and positive, you enable your body to fight what is making you sick to reflect the way you feel (good) and make you whole again. If you are unsure of what you need to help you relax and take your mind away from the stress, consider treatments from Namaste. If you are diagnosed with Cancer (not just breast cancer) here are details about the complimentary treatments available to you:
ALL SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE OFF SITE UNLESS NOTED.
Marisol recommends patients receiving their treatments at Namaste Organic Spa for a more relaxing experience. For convenience of the therapists and estheticians, appointments for these treatments at the Namaste location are preferred. The spa is open seven days a week.
MASSAGE
Each treatment is performed by an expert massage therapist, uses the finest and safest natural creamsand oils.
Allow your mind and spirit to indulge in the best healing practices that will provide anewfound sense of clarity and positively balanced.
– Reiki
– Reflexology
– CranioSacral
SKIN & BEAUTY
Experience the benefits of combining nature’s oils with a facial experience from one of ourknowledgeable estheticians. All treatments will only use the safest ingredients customized foreach patient.
– European Facial (available at Namaste location only)
Yes it has been a while since I have written a post, but I assure you, Its not because I didn’t want to its because I’ve been too busy to sit down here and do it. But now I’m back and I’m ready to get back to bloggin!!! YAAAY!
And yes you are reading the post title correctly, I have not had a weave in my hair for slightly over a year. Let me tell you the story…
You see, a few years ago, back in 2003, I was in a car accident that injured my thumbs. (This guy ran a stop sign and crossed in front of me and I couldn’t stop in time, which totaled my first car 🙁 and turned me in to the “cautious” driver I am now…) I loved to do my own hair prior to that and being that my hands were injured and it hurt to do simple things like write and type, you can imagine how much pain I was in trying to do my hair. So my solution to that? I went to the african shop and got Kinky Twists in my hair, something simple and easy for me to maintain. I got them touched up every so many months until my hands got better to the point where I could handle things without pain, then I went back to doing my own hair. That’s when I believe that the laziness set in lol. I figured that I don’t really feel like doing my hair EVERYDAY but I want it to look good EVERYDAY, and I didn’t want braids or twists anymore so what can I get? I didn’t want to get a relaxer anymore because I was scared that my scalp would be too sensitive and it wouldn’t take being that I hadn’t had a perm in about 6 months at that time. Thus began the journey of the WEAVE QUEEN!
I had worn weaves before in the past, but this started an era with me where I REFUSED to be seen without one! My real hair was in that natural at the root and permed at the ends state and I didn’t feel like dealing with the jungle at the root on a regular lol and it seemed that the weaves had saved my life! All I had to do was wake up every morning and make sure the little section that showed to cover up my tracks was straight, who could ask for anything easier?! Not to mention, when I was in college, I didn’t really have a lot of time to dedicate to my hair with studying, internships, running a club on campus and working and I just wanted it to look good. PERIOD
It wasn’t until after I graduated from college that I realized the damage that was being done to my hair from the constant wearing of the weaves. Sure my hair was growing underneath, but that section that I kept out in the front to cover my weaves was breaking horribly! I don’t know if it was because it was permanately straight due to excessive heat straightening or what, but all I know is when I attempted to try wearing my hair different ways without weave, my hair felt like doing a hard core “break” dance and those permed ends quickly fell off. What ever was left of that, that continued to remain straight after I washed my hair and didn’t revert to a thick cotton ball state, I cut it off and thus began to wear MY hair.
I did it for the first time, like really out and about and proud back in 2009 and I did a photoshoot to commemorate it and to join Tyra Banks in her “Real Hair” Day and this is what it looked like in 2009:
After that photoshoot, from time to time, I would still wear my weaves but then something MAJOR happened…
Can you guess what it is?
BILLS!!! That trick Sallie Mae started beatin down my door for me to start paying back my student loans! I had to take a chill pill on my spending and cut back on a few things. Weaves were the first thing on the list!
I started recycling my weaves, washing and wearing again of course (good for the environment right?! lol), figuring out ways to stretch out my weaves and make them last longer, until I just couldn’t anymore and I stopped wearing them completely and challenged myself to wearing my hair for 3 months straight, in which case I would reward myself with a weave! Crazy, I know. But that was my thinking at the time. When it came time for me to reward myself, I didn’t really feel like wearing a weave, but, because I was going to visit my bestie in Cali, I thought I don’t wanna worry about my hair while im out there so I wore a nice, cool, bob weave, pictured here:
I still have this romper somewhere…the question is where…(raised eyebrow)
When I got back, from that trip, I kept the weave for a a few weeks and when I took it out, I haven’t put a weave back in my hair since.
I say all of this because recently I had to think back to the last time I had a weave, and May of 2010 was that time. Now its June of 2011 and I still love wearing my hair.
Now I’m not saying that I will never wear a weave again, or that wearing weaves is the wrong thing to do, in fact the next weave I intend on getting will be a big curly fro, or a long Naomi Campbell style weave with a center part. I love the versatility that my hair is able to give me in my look, I’ll even go as far to say, that because I’ve been wearing my hair it has been a sole reason of why I am booking more modeling jobs. But none the less, I love the fact that I have options with my hair, its deciding what to do with it next that’s driving me crazy! lol
I came across these today and I thought I would share. These are feather extensions that clip into your hair and you can style them with a flat iron and curl them with a curling iron and everything! Just as if it was your hair! I like the concept of these feathers, but being that I have natural afro-textured hair, I don’t see how I can wear this without having a straight sew in weave. Either way, I decided to share because I thought this was pretty cool, and with the right styling it can be really unique and cute. Check out the feathers in action in the video below.
If you have his product or you have tried it let me know what you think of it. Maybe I’ll get these for my next photo shoot???!?!?!?! (Any Photogs in jersey, philly, maybe nyc wanna try for it? Im thinking beach scene but rugged…)
ANTM Cycle 7 Models (no that is not me in the top of the picture, although I do get mistaken for her a lot)
I usually get a lot of questions about modeling and what it takes to get ahead in the industry. Every time I am asked I always make it a point that being a good model, means being a “model person.” What I mean by that is, be the model that you want to be. You have to model a model in order to be a good model! That means getting into the mindset of a model and executing those mannerisms in your daily life. For example, when you are starting out as a model, you might compare yourself to your favorite model. Not saying that you look like that person, but their successes and thier persona. Don’t mimic what they do, but research what it is about them that has gotten them to the point in their career that they have reached.
Aside from the physical things that one needs in order to be a good model there are a few things from within that a model must have if they want to get ahead. One of the main things is a personality.
Personality
As a model, you will meet a lot of people and the key to you getting more modeling work often lies within meeting these people. You will need to be able to talk to people and project to your potential client that you are a confident and capable person. How do you do that? You have to talk and let people have a feel for the way you are!
Strike up a conversation with someone you don’t really know at social functions. Doesn’t have to be anything deep, it could be about the weather or better yet, compliment them on something you like about their outfit. That is usually a small ice breaker that can usually get the conversation flowing, who knows where it may go.
Another thing that most models need to be a good model is a good head on their shoulders, you have to be SMART!
Be a smart model…
I can’t tell you how many models I have met that seem to be the stereotype of the “DUMB” model. Very pretty but can’t count to 10 worth a damn! lol. As a model you are in this business as a self-employed business, you are independent. Even if you get signed with an agency, you are on your own. The agency works for you, you don’t work for them, no matter what you may think. Whatever jobs they send you out for, it is your choice whether you go or not. You are on your own to take care of how you secure it, your transportation to get there, your hair, makeup, clothes, etc. you are responsible for it all. If you don’t know what you are doing, I strongly suggest that you do a lot of research about the business or start asking some questions. No client wants a model who doesn’t know what they are doing, and the ones that do, WILL exploit you for your ignorance. (MESSAGE!!! *in my spike lee voice*)
The last thing that I will mention for this article is:
You have to have “THICK SKIN”
What I mean by that is., you have to be able to take criticism, let downs, and whatever else this industry will throw your way. You can’t take everything personally and let it get you down in this business. Not everyone is going to book you, there will be times when people will tell you no and then IF they tell you why they said no and its a negative reason, you have to be able to take it as this is just the way the business is. If you cant handle someone telling you that you weren’t chosen because you have a look that they weren’t looking for, take it as you didn’t fit for this particular gig but there are plenty others where you would fit. When you find it, find out how you can exploit it and make your money to get in where you fit in! Don’t let one let down, let you down completely.
Part 2 will be up, pending the feed back from this post! 🙂
