Reviews and Updates

Hello Everyone! Sorry for all the delays. I've been working, had a car accident, and a super busy holiday. The good, the bad, and the ugly... It's been crazy. But now I'm back to so quick reviews and show some of the new stuff I've got. Let's do old business first.

I want to start with my reviews for the products I got for my birthday. I start with the Philosophy all in one wash. I was not impressed with it as a boy cleanser. It got me clean, but the scent faded quickly, and my skin wasn't as soft after use. However, it is a fabulous shampoo. It got my scalp super clean.

The Sephora facial moisturizer is great. It smells nice, it moisturizes without making the skin oily, and a little goes a long way. Twenty dollars may seem like a lot, but so little is need that it will last for quite awhile.

I still haven't tried the Make Up Forever makeup fixer. I think it's because I've taken a small hiatus from makeup. It's probably because it's not needed for my job. It's probably preferred I don't wear any for my safety....Long story that I can't discuss for legal reasons. :)

NOW...New Business

I picked up a new deep conditioner that I've been dying to try. It's Silk Elements MegaSilk Moisturizing Treatment. I haven't had used it yet for whatever reason. Still stocked up on products from the year before. But I'm really liking the smell and creamy texture. There will definitely be a review for this one, and I hope it's a good one. I have faith in this stuff. :)I got the Aquolina Pink Sugar Sensual for Christmas! It's just as good, if not better, than the regular Pink Sugar. I can't get enough of it. Shout out to my mother for being so generous and having paying attention to all the little details. She's awesome! :)

The Car Accident

I was in a car accident recently that was quite terrifying. The car is totaled, and I was hurt pretty bad, but I'm loads better now. I am following all my doctor's orders and trying to keep my stress levels down. It could be a lot worse, so I won't complain. Just thought I share that.

Any who... I will be trying that conditioner soon

I've Got the Blues

I love painting my nails. However, my busy schedule has prevented me from keeping them in my usual manner. And by usual manner, I mean rhinestones, glitter, and all things blingy. :) But I finally got my chance last week and snapped a quick pick.

I was inspired by a color I saw at Sephora that was only a shade lighter than the color used here. Same brand that I had at home actually. LOL. It put me in the mood for a sophisticated blue. And I must say that I'm delighted with results.

Birthday Goodies

One of my birthday gifts this year as it pertains to the pursuit of beauty was a small shopping spree to Sephora-courtesy of my mother totaling about 50 dollars USD. If you are a smart shopper, that can go quite far in a store like this. And being a master of bargains, I set my sights on a few key products that would benefit me this winter.The first item I got was this wonderful, creamy facial moisturizer made by Sephora. This product was 20 dollars USD which is a bargain for the amount that I got. It is oil ,paraben, and sulfate free. It supposedly contains a special moisturizing complex that rivals hyaluronic acid. In addition, it is supposed fight signs of aging. It looks promising. :) This will be perfect in fighting off the dry skin and damaging effects winter has on my skin.
Next on the list is this wonderful lip gloss set from Lorac. The bargain on this was outrageous. If I were to buy each color in the set individually, it would have set me back 132 dollars USD. This lovely gift set was just 25 dollars USD. The quality is fantastic. I had to try it as soon as I got in the car. LOL. It felt so smooth and moisturizing. It also has shine and shimmer that makes my lips look kissable and soft. I will not have any issues combating dry lips this winter with this.The last purchased item was this on-the-go version of Make Up Forever's Mist and Fix. I don't know much about this product. That's why I got the sample size. :) It was only 8 dollars USD. From what I understand, it's supposed to be sprayed on the face after makeup application. This will help the foundation and everything set. I have heard nothing but positive feedback on Make Up Forever products, so I have high hopes for this. I'm excited to try it.

Free Products

Because I am a member of Sephora's Beauty Club, I received a birthday gift at the counter absolutely free. It was a combination shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath by Philosophy. Let me clarify that it is one product that does all these things. Befitting of the occasion, the scent is vanilla birthday cake. It smells delicious. I would like to include that the bottle for the birthday celebrators is different from the one sold in the store. However, the product is the same.

I also got free samples of Aquolina's Pink Sugar Sensual toilette spray. It's a more grown up version of the original Pink Sugar that I love sooooo much. The difference is that Sensual version is a bit more robust and more on the musk side. It's something that any woman could wear. It's one I would definitely recommend for a special night or first date. It will get you loads of compliments. I would also like to add that even though it is a toilette rather than a parfum, the scent lasts for 6-8 hours easily.

That completes my entry for today. I'll be back on a review for the moisturizer, mist and fix, and the shower gel. Have a fabulous remainder of the weekend. :)

Little Obsessions

So. I'm a huge Mariah Carey fan. Have been since I was an itty bitty. At any right, before somebody made off with my precious MC CDs my first year of college, I listened Charmbracelet everyday. Oh Boy (I Need You) was my favorite. A few years before of course, Mimi had a video she did with Cam'ron. It was all Japanese themed and adorable.

Now let me get to the obsession part. There is one scene where she is wearing a particular shade of hot pink nail polish. And 8 years later, I finally found the shade that is a close match or the actual color. Not sure, but I'm so happy. It's gorgeous. I know, just another color and an excuse to hoard more colors, but this one I have been aching to own for years. And after countless, fruitless trips to every nail color vendor in my city and online, I found it at Sephora.

I love this color! Much prettier on the nails. :)

Surprisingly enough, the color is called "It's All About Me". LOL. Well it was all about my nails this evening as I got back into the trend of one-color-is-enough. :) But I'm so happy over this that I may go back and buy a few bottles so that I don't run out.

Hello Kitty and Murad :)

Yesterday, I had a blast inside Sephora. I was intending to only do back to school shopping for my daughter at JC Penney. I just couldn't resist passing by that little store. My little girl pointed it out and then proceeded to drag me to the little Hello Kitty Graffiti table. I about passed out.

Grandma (best shopping partner, EVER because she likes being broke as much as I do) fell in love with the Hello Kitty perfume. Before I knew it, she purchased two of the roller girl roll ons in the original packaging because Graffiti had all run out. One of them was for me as an early birthday present. Jump for joy!

I want to encourage all of you that shop at Sephora or plan to shop there to become a Beauty Insider. You will get so much neat stuff. For instance, I got a free deluxe size sample of Murad Clarifying Mask. There are at least 5-10 applications. Every month just about, I get a card telling me about new products and inviting me to pick up a free sample. I love it.

Speaking of the Murad Clarifying Mask, I loved it. I thought it was going to strip my face of all its moisture. Not the case at all. My skin was so soft, and smooth. It wasn't dry at all. The smell is reminiscent of a medicated cream, but it wasn't that bad. I just could 't believe how nice it made my skin feel. I will likely buy this in the future.

Updates

My posting has been so delayed. I am homeschooling my daughter for her first year of school. I never imagined I would be this buys. First, I get myself out of school, and then I become a teacher for her. Out of the frying pan and into the skillet.

One thing I did want to talk about was a recent visit to the Dollar Tree. I love that place. At any rate, I picked up some cheap oil moisturizer for my hair. I don't know why I did it, but I did. The pleasant surprise was that it performed like the more expensive brands I've tried over the years. I couldn't believe it. LOL. I will have to go and buy more to stock up.

Another thing that I wanted to touch on was my recent trim. I know, trimming while not being relaxed is not the smartest idea. But I just couldn't wait. I wanted my ends neater. The relaxer may be the real tell tale though. Then I can see if I need to take off more.

That's about it for me for today. I'm going to go through my stuff and see if there are any recent purchases that I didn't review. HHG and have a safe and happy weekend :)

Baby Texlax...Kinda

Though I am not one for processing the hair of children in any way, I recently came to a difficult decision. I used a texture softener on my daughter's hair. It was something I had thought about for a long time. I didn't want to do it at all. I felt like her natural hair was beautiful and perfect just the way it was. I spent so much time and effort trying to convince her of that. And my baby was happy. However, as her hair grew thicker and her crying and refusal to have her hair done became a daily fight, I made the decision.

The texture softener is not meant to straighten the hair. It is simply a process intended to make the hair more manageable. It loosens tight coils and makes the hair...well...softer. Tangles end. Breakage ends. Crying and spending up to 30 minutes for one daily do, done.

I had my doubts in the beginning, but after having a few weeks to style and moisturize her hair, I couldn't be happier with the results. It takes a fraction of the time to do it, and she likes it. There hasn't been any breakage at all (like we experienced when the texture was much tighter). The jury is still out at this point, but right now I feel like I made the right decision.

New Favorite

I like to switch up moisturizers ever once in awhile. This way I fulfill two things at one time. I can manage to be a product junkie and...I can prevent my hair from becoming resistant to certain products.

In this case, I decided to try Elasta QP Recovery Moisturizing Creme Hairdress. At only about 3 bucks, it was a sweet deal. It was the best 3 bucks I've spent on a hair product in a long time. The texture is smooth and creamy, it has a very light scent, and it moisturizes the hair well. This product doesn't weigh the hair down at all. And being that it's summer, I prefer something light. It's just perfect. It smooths the hair like butter and adds a great sheen.

Mind you, I've only been using it for about a week, but I'm in love with it. Also, I would like to add that Sally's has a deal for Beauty Club members. Get a free Finger Paints nail color with any purchase with a coupon. Tons of lovely colors, and no cost to you. :)

HHG! :)

Smooth it Out

Keeping the hair moisturized is essential to maintaining healthy hair. Moisturizing can help prevent breakage and other damage while helping to retain length and shine. For courser hair textures, the struggle to retain that moisture is difficult. The shaft of the hair is thicker and more resilient. For this reason, I choose moisturizers that work for curly textures and natural hair even though I am relaxed.

Relaxed hair, because of the chemical processing, has a tendency to become weak if over processed or moisturizing is abandoned. In short, it can be a pain to take care of. It is not impossible, just a bit of a pain.

Let me get to the review now. I'm rambling. I picked up this moisturizer at Walgreens. It's an organic product which I love. It has some super oils in it like hibiscus and coconut and shea butter as well. I love the way it smells. I love the light but moist texture. I love how well it works for my relaxed hair and my daughter's naturally curly hair.

As wonderful as all this sounds, there is one disappointment. This stuff is ten dollars a bottle. I know that the products are of better quality and such, but I can't see myself buying this every few weeks on a continuous basis. It's different when it is a product that you can use a small amount of and be about your merry way, but this lotion is thinner and soaks in easily. That means using more of the product.

If my finances miraculously grow, this is something that I would love to keep in my routine. Until then, it was nice trying it. I will have to just stick with my Hawaiian Silky. Oh well.

Some Like it Wild!!!

As I've said before, I'm obsessed with my nails. I love trying new designs and being inspired. Well back in February, I was on YouTube watching a video from the user LOVE4NAILS. Her name is Raquel (hope I spelled that right), and she is a spectacular nail artist! Her videos never cease to amaze me.

One day I decided to do something I never do with my nail designs: copy. This design was stunning. And when I finished, I got sooooo many compliments. And I must give credit where credit is due. So this is a thank you post to her for being such a wonderful nail artist and an inspiration. So here is a picture of my finished product and the video that gave me step by step instructions on creating this beautiful nail look. Enjoy! :)

Stronger Nails :)

I am obsessed with my nails. I paint them every week (sometimes more than once), I treat them delicately, and I love to show them off. Unfortunately, all that changing things up had started taking a toll on my nails. I started noticing peeling, chipping, and breaks. It made me want to scream. But rather than be defeated, I decided to do something about it.

I walked into Walgreens and saw a coupon book. It just so happens they had a $2.oo off coupon for the Sally Hansen VitaSurge Strength Gel. Figuring I had nothing to lose and hating to miss out on a good deal, I decided to try it. Sally Hansen has some awesome products, and this was no exception.

The way the gel works, you just apply it to the nail and massage it in. I put mine on when after I cleaned the nail completely of debris and polish. Then I followed with my base coat, color, and top coat. And this is one of those products that can even be applied over dry color. When applying, I was sure to cover the entire nail including the free edge.

In a span of just a few days, I noticed that the peeling was clearing up.I couldn't believe it. It was like magic. I haven't had any chipping or breaking of nails in that span as well. My nails feel thicker and stronger. Bending them is really hard to do. That's a good sign. For this reason, it is my new favorite nail product. I recommend this to people with weak, peeling nails. Just try it. It's working for me. :)

I'm Back!

I know it's been awhile everybody, but I'm finally back to blogging. I was busy with my schoolwork. And I would like to tell you all that this weekend, I graduated from Park University. That chapter of my life is closed now, and I feel relief. LOL

I have a ton of products that I want to review and have been wanting to review for months. There are hair products, nail strengtheners, and a whole bunch of other wonderful beauty products. I also relaxed again. I haven't done that since February. Great results too. So stay tuned because there are tons of goodies. :)

New Additions are Great

I had a good time this evening. I was hanging out with my mother and we always have a good time. Today I took her to Sephora for the first time. It's not her bag, but she really dug the perfume section. We picked up the perfect gift for my grandmother, and I grabbed two items for myself as well. I won't put up a pick of my grandma's gift just in case there is a leak, but here's what I got.
This is Philosophy's Hope in a Tinted Moisturizer. I tried it out about a week ago and fell in love with it. This retails for $38 USD, but it's well worth it. No foundation needed when you use this stuff. It's amazing.I also picked up the Stila seasonal blush "Make Me Blush". It was so sweet that I just couldn't resist. I'm not too much into the Valentine's Day hype, but I love hearts, gold, and Stila cosmetics. This retails for $14 USD.
Our last stop was Wal-Mart. I couldn't resist the last purchase. It's the "Honey" perfume from Mariah Carey's Lollipop Bling Collection. It smells amazing. It's bright and lovely like a spring day. I will get the others in the next few weeks, but this one was the closest to my personal taste. It retails for $19 USD.

Rainbow Dazzling :)

I haven't had a lot of time to post lately. I'm so sorry all. This is my final semester of college, so I'm pushing things into overdrive.

One thing I have been maintaining fairly well, and occasionally are my nails. This is my design from last week. I couldn't figure out which color to use, so I just used them all. They were bright, fun, and I got lots of compliments. Perhaps, when I finally do get time, I will do a video tutorial on how to replicate some of my designs.

I Can Feel My Scalp

After approximately three months, I'm relaxed. I always say that I will not stretch again and then...Well, I do it again. LOL. It's been good for my hair though. It's so thick and strong. Length is increasing, but the thickness is my goal right now. And I'm definitely achieving that with no issues.

I will be posting pics tomorrow most likely, but I'm just glad to have gotten it done. I refuse to wear my hair down in this weather (brrrr!), so I just keep rockin my buns. Maybe I'll flat iron it because I need to trim and check length. HHG everybody! :)

Tumeric :)

The other I was talking with a friend of mine about natural remedies for the skin. For the record my friend is Indian and Bangladeshi. At any rate, I raise questions about spices and so on. Eventually we got on the subject of turmeric which is a base spice in many dishes from India and Bangladesh. Apparently it has quite a few benefits for the skin. However, it's a messy affair dealing with turmeric because it can stain, permanently. Not the skin of course, but clothes, counter tops, and any other surface that may be porous.

So you all know me. I had to get in the kitchen and try out a homemade turmeric mask. My goal was to brighten my skin up a little. The winter makes me dull and a little patchy because of the shorter days and less sunlight. I also have reddish undertones in my skin that don't go well with my winter makeup.

Here's what I used:

1/4 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tbsp Plain yogurt
1/2 tbsp Honey
1 tsp Lemon juice
1/4-1/2 tsp Pearl powder
1 tsp Mashed papaya

You'll also need:

small bowl
spoon
plastic gloves
facial exfoliating sponge
face wash

NOTE: Do not wear any clothes, shoes, socks or use any towels that you would wear outside the home. You will stain them in this process because it is inevitable. Also, wear plastic gloves to prevent staining of the fingers and protect any fabric around you that would accidentally be stained.

Mix the items together and apply over the face with the plastic spoon. Unused portions can be stored in the fridge for two days max, but try to use it all if you can. Let the mixture sit on the skin for approximately 15 minutes. Rinse completely with warm water. Moisten the exfoliating sponge and add your face wash. Gently wash the face at least twice to remove any leftover residue from the mask. Rinse again thoroughly, pat the face dry and tone use toner. Moisturize, and you're done.

The turmeric will give the skin a slight tint, but most of that will be washed away. Your skin should feel very smooth and glow as if you have been kissed by the sun. :)

Let me tell you. It's a messy affair but well worth it.