Feeling fiery this holiday season? Choose a bold, fierce red that compliments pigmented complexions.
I’ve recently experimented with Illamasqua’s Box, which is really is nice for the daytime, or even a swipe of Shiseido Perfect Rouge in Dragon.
Maybeline Color Sensational Lipcolor, too as a runner up. It’s great that this brand is accommodating to all budgets.
Illamasqua Lipstick in Box, available at sephora.com, $22; Shiseido Perfect Rouge in Dragon, available at shiseido.com, $25; Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in Are You Red-dy, available at ulta.com, $7.
For the ladies with deeper skin tones, get red-dy with a wine- and brown-based reds. Case in point: Shiseido Perfect Rouge in Mystery on Everywhere editor Tiffany Davis.
Use a bright color to make your lips pop; experiment with Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense in 44 and Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine in Universal Red. For a more subtle look, apply a burgundy, such as MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Good to be Bad or Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Stick in Barcelona.
Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense in 44, available at sephora.com, $19; Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine in Universal Red, available at shuuemura-usa.com, $30; MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Good to Be Bad, available at maccosmetics.com, $14.50; Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Stick in Barcelona, available at sephora.com, $18.
Pucker up and paint the town red. Happy holidays! 🙂
No wonder it’s a winner. It’s a gift in every “present”
“the present” invisible make-up, attributes to why it’s awarded prestigious beauty honors.
“philosophy, a brand that approaches personal care from a skin care point of view, made headlines in 2011 when they received nine beauty awards in top national women’s publications. beauty editors, consumers and industry experts alike honored philosophy for exemplary product formulations and cutting-edge innovations… continue
“To conquer a fear feels so good, but to conquer it beyond expectation feels even greater” -Me.
This past weekend I conquered a fear; I contoured my own eyebrows.
I’ve been waxing every other body-part on myself and others since 2008, but refused to groom anyone’s brows, including my own. I don’t know where I got this vigorous surge of confidence from, but this past Saturday, I woke up and decided to wax, trim and contour my brows. Good thing I did, now I’ll be saving an additional $12 a month on brow maintenance; a whole $144 a year. #winning
When I would get asked “Do you do eyebrows?” I would shamefully shy away from answering the question. I’d timidly say “No” and when asked why, I could never give a straight answer. Truth is, I know how meticulous women can be about the shape of their eyebrows. As I am a very fussy woman and anal about everything, I only assumed everyone else was as fussy a woman as myself and if I made one wrong pluck, I would quit, never to think of doing it again. I’ve chewed other estheticians out for not “doing as I requested” and I didn’t want to be the recipient of anyone else’s “chew out”.
But then I thought, “What real esthetician doesnt wax eyebrows?” That’s incomplete, it doesn’t make any sense.
So while holding wax in one hand and a brow brush in the other, I went for it, vowing to create a compliment, not a catastrophe. And I did it. Voila… here’s the end result.
All of these words define the eyebrows. Perfectly groomed brows are attributes of an aesthetically pleasing woman. The eyebrow is a crucial component of having the “it stuff” or the “wow factor”. It’s simple to undersatnd how one follicle too many, could be a facial monstrosity, but on the contrary, the right hairs removed in the right place, can easily enhance your look.
The shape of your eyebrows should shape your face and be nothing less than flattering. However, plenty of women abuse their eyebrows because they can’t help but be habitual “pluckers”. ::Shame on you::
One important piece of advice: If you’re going to pluck ’em, DON’T over do it.
If you must, tweeze carefully and sparingly, because the hairs you pluck will take several weeks to come back.
It’s important not to overpluck your eyebrows, because they grow back slower than hairs in other parts of the body.
I get why some prefer tweezing over waxing; my guess is that it’s less painful? More economical? Well when you’ve been doing it so long, waxing is no longer painful. It simply turns from a pain to a pinch. Plucking is the least expensive method for shaping eyebrows, but not everyone can do it themselves. #butcheredbrows. Aside from all of that, plucking just hurts. It’s kind of an annoying pain from pulling off a band-aid slowly, instead of all at once.
Keep in mind that eyebrows that are too thick, will give you a harsh look.
Too thin brows will make you look old.
Unnatural looking penciled in or drawn on brows, just look damn ridiculous.
And lastly, unibrows are not flattering; you’ll look like you belong on the set of Bert and Ernie, as Bert’s kid sister.
Over time, frequent tweezing can cause the hair follicle to become damaged, stunted and/or retard future hair growth. To me, tweezing just seems so tedious and tiresome, especially if you’re overly meticulous.
The quality of tweezers also contributes to a tweezing’s pass or fail. Good tweezers can be pretty pricey. I bought a pair of beauty industry leader, Damon Roberts’ (@DamoneRoberts) tweezers for $28 on his website at http://www.damoneroberts.com and they still work perfectly. I rarely use them, but when I do, they’re always precise and on point. FYI; the average cost of quality tweezers is between $20 and $40, depending on your budget.
Last bit of advice.
If you’re going to do your own eyebrows, (which I don’t recommend) try and follow this guide.
#1. Hold a pencil vertically against the side of your nose and where it meets the brow is where your brow should start.
#2. While still holding the pencil against the side of your nose, turn it diagonally, pointing towards the outer corner of your eye until the pencil meets the iris of your eye. Where the pencil meets the brow (somewhere along your brow bone) is where the peak of your arch should start.
#3. From this position and while still holding the pencil against the side of your nose, turn it some more at a wider angle until the pencil meets the outer corner of your eye. Where the end of the pencil now meets the eyebrow is your eyebrow’s ending point.
Ladies, ladies, ladies. How many of us are guilty of shaving? If I could organize a “Shavers Anonymous Meeting”, I swear I would. I understand the whole purpose of shaving but let me remind you, there are far better hair removal options available to you.
If you knew better, you’d do better. (Hell, some of you do and still don’t)
Everything has pros and cons, however when it comes to shaving, there are far more cons than there are pros.
Pros:
Shaving is simple, quick and easy. If in a rush and need to go bare instantly, you can easily do so.
Compared to waxing, it is painless epilation. Some women cannot tolerate the pain when the hair is eradicated by waxing.
Shaving is inexpensive. You don’t need anything else apart from a razor, shaving foam or body wash.
It’s a great timesaver; no appointment required.
Cons
Lasts almost 3 days (if that).
Hairs are chopped at the surface, leaving behind the root, where the hair will continue to grow. The result of the epilation doesn’t last long and you will need to shave again after a couple of days. (Which may lead to dry skin).
Nicks, cuts and scarring.
Frequent shaving can leave irritations on the skin. Of course you want to get rid of the hair in order to achieve a smooth, even look. However, the skin may appear worse over time and can end up with nasty skin irritations and dark marks.
2 words: ingrown hairs. Ingrowns appear when the hair curls back or grows inwards. It is a common problem among those who shave. As a result of ingrowns, they can be very visible, itchy and scratchy as hell. Often they lead to pimples, bumps or inflammation, so it’s advisable to avoid shaving too close to the skin. If this becomes a constant problem, ask a dermatologist or esthetician for advice and/or treatment.
So yes, shaving is the easiest and most common hair removal method, which is why it’s highly favored and the method of choice among so many women; it’s a quick, affordable, painless option for going hairless. Who doesn’t want smooth, soft, flawlessly fab skin, especially “down there“?
Well, unfortunately, shaving isn’t the answer to hairy prayers. Reason #1, shaving only removes the hair from the skin’s surface, leaving behind the root. Alternatively, waxing (a much better choice) removes the entire follicle from the pore.
If you must, I would only recommend shaving your legs and arms…that’s it! No other parts.
Let Me De-Mystify…”Shaving makes the hair grow back thicker and faster” FALSE. So False.
Let me clear this up right away because I can’t stand to hear people agree with this statement.
Shaving means that you simply cut off the hair at the surface of the skin. The hair will obviously regrow, this time, with a blunt tip, rather than having a natural, tapered end. This way, the darker, flat and stubbly ends will be more noticeable and unpleasant to the touch, which may appear thicker. So if it’s not removed from the root, but only at the surface, of course it will seem as if it grows back faster; it doesn’t have to start back at one.
BEWARE: Shaving is comparable to lawn mowing. Once it grows back, you get WEEDS. Think of wax as the WEED WACKER!!!
Once you wax, you never go back. #truth
With that said, leave the razors for the boys, please. Five o’clock shadows on the body have never been in style or sexy!
In the event you consider waxing, go to a local spa and inquire about their services and costs. Or you could just text, call, tweet, e-mail, FB me 🙂
Some days, this is exactly how I feel when I’m faced with a dermal dilemma. As if to say, “Please, nobody look at me. I’m hosting a huge pimple party on my face and these are the uninvited guests.” #irked
Acne; nobody’s friend, everybody’s enemy. A very common problem every ethnicity is faced with. This subject takes precedence but if uneducated about it, one might be guilty of reckless endangerment to the face. #nevergood
One thing that makes ethnic acne different from all the others is pretty obvious; first off, its culturally specific. Secondly, darker complexions tend to suffer from inflammatory acne, which is the most common type. Surprisingly, there is an up-side to having inflammatory acne; it’s the easiest to treat as opposed to non-inflammatory types. Luckily, we don’t suffer from nodular and cystic acne too much (these are seriously severe forms) , which will leave behind hyperpigmentation, ugly scarring and nasty little lesions.
Getting a bad case, even a minor case of bumpy breakouts is never fun. Especially when there’s a chance of minor irritations developing into bigger ones such as a keloid. #stoppickingyourface Areas prone to keloid scars are the chest and back. For these locations, effective acne prevention is paramount!
Ever notice pesky dark marks left after the acne has gone away? It was kind enough to leave you a going away present: a blemish. How un-thoughtful, ugh.
Why are you getting acne? Well there’s plenty many factors to consider. Some of them are: genetics, diet, product usage, your environment, Rx drugs, exercise, seasonal, cycle, hormonal, dermal and epidermal variations, etc (it can get pretty intricate). One would have to carefully analyze and think about there reasons they’re having breakouts.
How well do you know your skin? If you don’t know it too well, you oughtta pay somebody to keep you updated about your skin if you cant do it yourself.
When trying to remedy a case of acne, be sure to NOT pick at it and use a gentle method.
1. Think ahead = outline a highly effective topical regimen with products that work well for your skin type and keeping in mind that your skin is sensitive. Aggressive products will only worsen, making the acne more problematic.
2. DON’T take minocyvline; it causes hypersensitivity in African Americans for some reason.
3. Find a solution (product) containing salicylic acid (Aloe Vera plant is a pure form and is gentler and most cost effective then clinical or cosmetic products.) This is a form of exfoliation.
4. Look for a product that boasts “benzoyl peroxide” as an ingredient. Benzoyl Peroxide will aid in the inflammation, helping to reduce the size.
5. Monitor your skin regularly and start to learn it.
6. Drinking a sufficient amount of water a day really goes a long way.
7. Avoid oil based products. Look for “non-comedogenic” (this means it wont cause breakouts)
8. Apply Cortisone cream as a spot treatment to the affected areas.
In case you don’t have a mask at home for your skin care regimen, it’s really simple to make your own.
Prepare a natural mask by adding 2 tablespoons of honey, lemon pulp and water to 4 tablespoons of clay (green clay—> acneic skin; white clay—>dry skin rough ; red clay—> dry, sensitive; pink clay—> lifeless, lackluster; benonite clay—> oily, acne prone skin).
After mixing all ingredients together, apply to face for 15 minutes. Use warm water when rinsing.
As kids, we were always good for telling adults what we wanted to be when we grow up. Typical responses included a lawyer, doctor, astronaut, teacher, some type of high-paid over glorified athlete, ballerina, police officer and then there’s the social deviants who had no moral grounding. I recall a classmate who told a parent he wanted to grow up to be pimp, just like his daddy. #noshame #smh
I wouldn’t know how to respond to that statement if I was the parent that little boy was talking to. #badparenting
Funny for me, I was never really able to answer that question until I was 23. With lessons learned through life, failings, successes and growing pains, I’m now able to identify my strengths and weaknesses, like and dislikes, preferences, wants and needs. These factors play major roles in shaping who we are individually and our careers.
I’m more than an esthetician and way more than PR Account Executive. I do love the both of them. But, I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, (x100) LOVE FOOD (and nutrition and wellness).
I had temporary thoughts and short-lived dreams of becoming an African American dermatologist but the cost of undergrad, med school and residency was a deterrent in itself. In addition to the monetary investment and the time management required for that type of commitment, there’s no way I was able to do it; I have the attention span of a goldfish and the memory span of a tadpole. #gofigure. However, I will say that I’m really disappointed in the doctors and facilities available to us who specialize in pigmented skin.
There’s only one doctor (super doctor, actually) that I know of and actually recommend. I look up to alot. Her name is Dr. Susan Taylor of Society Hill Dermatology. A prestigious woman, indeed. Her practice is located in the Society Hill section of Philadelphia. I think she’s a great role model for pigmented girls who are in need of clinical/medical skin care or who are even interested in skin care. She’s an African American doctor specializing in patients of color. I had the pleasure of interviewing her about esthetics, skin care and being African American. Many non-African American doctors don’t understand the intricacies and sensitivities of our skin.
There’s a scarcity of African American derms in Philadelphia which really sucks because some are forced to go to a doctors unaware of the complexity of ethnically diverse skin. #nowyouknow
Why she’s awesome:
Her website details her as “a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Dermatology. She is a leading dermatologist with extensive experience as a clinician, clinical researcher, pharmaceutical industry consultant and CEO of a small, privately held cosmetic company. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Medical School, Taylor completed residencies in Internal Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital and dermatology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.
She has co-authored two major dermatology textbooks, Dermatology for Skin of Color (McGraw Hill) (which was awarded the coveted PROSE Award for Clinical Medicine and for Excellence in Biology & Life Sciences) and Treatment for Skin of Color (Elsevier, in press); two books for the lay-public, Brown Skin: Dr. Susan Taylor’s Prescription for Flawless Skin, Hair and Nails and Reader’s Digest Complete Skin Care; number textbook chapters, journal articles and the website, http://www.brownskin.net.
Dr. Taylor is the creator of and former CEO of T2 Skincare’s Dr. Susan Taylor’s Rx for Brown Skin. As CEO, she directed branding, sales, and marketing strategies. The line was sold nationally in Sephora, Macys, Dillards, JC Penneys; internationally in the Middle East; as well as on Home Shopping Network (HSN) and numerous ecommerce sites. Under Taylor’s leadership, the brand strategy has evolved to direct-to-consumer web based and television sales through a merger with the Syndero Company. Additionally, Taylor was Founder and the first President of the Skin of Color Society, which promotes awareness of and excellence within the area of special interest of dermatology – skin of color.” #success
Here’s a few clips
These are three of her authored books
This is her
If ever you find yourself in need of a dermatologist who specializes in culturally diverse skin, I would suggest this one.
Some days, this is exactly how I feel when I’m faced with a dermal dilemma. As if to say, “Please, nobody look at me. I’m hosting a huge pimple party on my face and these are the uninvited guests.” #irked
1. Cortizone 10 Plus Hydrocortisone $10
2. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion $18
colourgirls 