Makeup: You Get What You Pay For

I always hear women complain about how expensive makeup is. I honestly believe there is no way around paying a hefty dime for products and you truly get what you pay for! Ladies read the shelf life of those brands you find expensive. Start reading reviews and see if the hype behind some of the brands you love are worth it. I think of cosmetics as follows you have your luxury brands and you have your generic ones. Call my face couture because only luxury brands hold up well on this face. Luxury brands to me would be Chanel, Tom Ford, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent and so forth. Think about these brands on the runway and how many complexions you see. It's fair to say they've done their research and keep up with the high-end needs of fashion. They have longer wear, fashionable packaging and they always keep one camera ready. The buck with cosmetics doesn't stop there. Always and I do mean always assure you invest in the proper skincare regimen. This doesn't mean you typical soap & water. A good skincare regimen starts by determining your skin type:
Are you oily/dry/combination or normal skin?
Are you sensitive or easily irritated to products?
Are your issues fine lines and wrinkles or discoloration or acne blemishes and scar?
Do you suffer from redness, etc?
Once you discover the issues with your skin you would like to address. You'll come to know and love your complexion. Remember Cleanse, Moisture and Protect are the most daily essential followed by exfoliating every two weeks. We will get a bit more in depth about this on a future blog.

Natural Hair Journey

Okay ladies,here's the naked truth behind natural hair care and growth. I use to get highly offended when people who didn't know me would ask to touch my hair. I would think subconsciously "do I look like a science project to you?" but now I can appreciate the question. I received so much of a riff about going natural when I started 2 yrs ago. One thing I can say is it is truly liberating and I will gladly let anyone who have a 10 second touch and feel of my hair. Here are a few things you will need to do. But before we go on I must ask, what are your reasons for RETURNING natural? For me, it was simple: my hair was over-processed from relaxers and coloring. I was a stress hair puller and I also had at one point been diagnosed with alopecia areata. What I realized was my hair was its healthiest when it was in its natural state!  So let me break it down for you:

1.  Your wave/curly/kinky hair pattern is not the same as mine. That's what makes going natural so amazing. So DON'T stress over the process and it will grow with ease. Also don't touch your hair when you are under a lot of stress or anger. You tend to pull and damage the hair follicle.
2. Invest in the following tools: Wide tooth comb, spray bottle that you can put water in and a wider bristle brush, bobby pins.AVOID rubber bands and things with metal. Let you hair be free and stop pulling it into a ponytail until its able to reach effortlessly. 
3. Shampoo, CO-Wash and Gel breakdown. Ok I am so beyond tired of people looking for products that contain NO ALCOHOL or attempting to wash their hair with shampoo daily. With natural hair it is important to keep MOISTURE. Your hair is stronger when kept moisturized. That spray bottle I mentioned needs to be filled with water. Spray your hair with water twice a day and then proceed to either apply the following: pure Shea butter or your preferred leave-in conditioner. There are GOOD alcohols and there are bad alcohol for the hair. CETYL-ALCOHOL is the good one! Lastly, when it comes to washing it is always better to wash your hair with conditioner than with shampoo or trail lightly if you don't feel comfortable with this step. Have you ever wondered why you have to follow your shampoo wash with a conditioner or a hair mask? Because shampoos truly strip the hair of natural oils and then you must replace them through moisture!
4. DIET and EXERCISE. Yes I know its a curse word! We need to all be better at eating properly and working out when necessary. The drink 8 ounces of water a day isn't enough. Go back to eating things full of vitamins and proteins. It's okay to eat a burger, just don't be greedy and eat a burger everyday! Yoga has been the best source of relaxation and exercise for my mind, body and my hair. I am challenging you to 30 minutes of a workout and thinking twice about what you take in. 
5. Massage that scalp! A 5 minute hair massage stimulates the scalp and allows the hair to grow. I usually find myself doing this while watching television. 
6. Wear protective styles. This prevents damage from our outdoor environment and allows the hair to grow and breath as necessary. This would be braided styles, wearing units or covering with a scarf.
7. Do you research! Learn your hair type by taking a hair quiz or visiting a natural stylist. This will save you a lot of money and prevent you from purchasing products that will leave you irritated.
8. DON'T GIVE UP! As much as I see women with bone straight hair and thing I want that creamy crack, I will NEVER GO BACK! Think about the overall outcome if you stick with it 7 inches of new grow in a full year if you do all the things I listed above And you'll have and wear the confidence to encourage others who may have thought about going natural but needed more insight. 

Below are a few links to some tips and products for natural hair.I DO NOT OWN any rights to any of these links they are just brands or links that have worked for myself and others.

Curls with Relaxed Hair using Mixed Chicks                  Finally no perm in hair  2011

                                                                         2013 protective style extensions

The DOUX

PROTECTIVE STYLING

LAS VEGA FASHION WEEK MAY 20 - MAY 26 2013

This year I didn't have the luxury of attending Fashion Week in any of my favorite cities. But what I did receive was one of the most amazing gifts ever! The ability to get a sneak peek in at how Las Vegas does it for Fashion Week and the chance to interview some amazing designers! All I can say is I WILL NOT BE MISSING OUT NEXT YEAR! I hope everyone enjoys the fashion I know I did!

Below you will find the link and gallery.

Smooches!

LVFW 2013

P.S. 

Special thank you to Deb of  Bel Esprit for the invite and the opportunity to interview the most talented designers ever!