J.Lo Realizes A Big Dream

J.Lo has announced that something new is on the way for her. In 2021, she will officially realize a long-time dream.

It was announced several months ago that she was coming out with, you guessed, a skincare line. This is a no-brainer. She’s long been known for having beautiful, glowing skin along with a serious skincare regimen. J.Lo definitely realizes the importance of taking care of her skin. It has served her well.

Her brand, dubbed JLo Beauty (of course!), will launch on January, 1, 2021 on its respective website. The brand will launch with eight skincare products including eye cream, a dietary supplement, and sunscreen.

J.Lo is pretty amazing and I expect that this product will be no less. One product she mentions that is used in her brand is olive oil. She says that the oil is part of her mother and aunt’s beauty secret. To be honest, it has been one of my long-time favorites to because it’s really an oil made for the skin. The prices vary for each of the launch items. So far, there have been rave reviews from those who were fortunate enough to test the products before they are released to the public.

Save ya coins so you can be part of this brand’s historic launch in a few weeks!

Keys Soulcare

Skincare is king!

This year, many of us have had time to really sit still, be quiet, and ponder our next steps. For some people, it’s led to new jobs, rekindled relationships, and thinking about the future. For others, it’s been very creative. Alicia Keys is definitely one how has benefitted from this time in quarantine.

She recently announced her brand new skincare line, Keys Soulcare, and it’s on sale now. The brand currently boasts a skin transformation cream, a candle, and facial roller.

From what I recall, Keys stated that she wanted to have a brand with the aforementioned items specificially. She wasn’t looking for much to expand to an entire brand. Rather, she wanted to provide people with something that could give self-care in small, attainable doses.

It’s not too hard to light a candle, wash your face, pat it dry, and apply some skin cream, and then use a facial roller to help the product really go into the skin. We can do that, right?

Currently, Keys Soulcare is available at Ulta.com with product prices ranging from $25 to $38.

Russell and Ciara Wilson Announce R&C Fragrance

There’s a new fragrance in town.

Ciara, along with her husband, Russell Wilson, recently announced a brand new fragrance that resulted from a quarantine date night. The fragrance, R&C, reflects their loving union and features two scents. One scent is masculine, the other feminine. They can be worn separately but also work powerfully well together.

The prominent “together” theme is even reflected in the bottle design! The two scents are intertwined in such a way that the bottles almost appear to be kissing. Isn’t this indicative of their love story? The Wilsons are both powerful individuals but together, they are an unstoppable brand and complement each other so well.

The price point for this paired fragrance is $90 (which would be $45 per bottle, for the math heads out there) and that’s a great price point for fragrances.

If you need holiday gift ideas, this would be a great one. The fragrance goes on sale starting today and can be purchased here.

KVD comes to Ulta!

We are finally going to see KVD Vegan Beauty (formally Kat Von D) at Ulta!

This has been a long awaited collaboration and it’s a pretty big deal. Up until this announcement, the brand could only be purchased in-store through Sephora. (There is always the option to purchase through the KVD website or Sephora’s website) It looks like the long-standing beauty brand will no longer be exclusive to the brick and mortar stores of Sephora.

KVD will be available starting Sunday, August 23rd. That’s only in a few days. This is a great move for the brand as it will provide longtimers convenience while also exposing newbies to brand.

I have found it to be one of my personal favorites. As a matter or fact, I just purchased two lip colors for the upcoming fall season from KVD. It’s long wearing and the color payoff is excellent. What I like most about this brand is that it not only has quality products but it also provides fun, funky, bold colors that allow for full- on creative and artistic expression.

Pat McGrath to Debut New Concealer Line- 02.21.20

Pat McGrath released her highly coveted foundation to ravashing reviews and success. Now, Pat McGrath Labs will be releasing its new and highly-anticipated Sublime Perfection Concealer line on Friday, February 21, 2020. The line boasts 36 shades and has a price point of $32. In line with making her brand inclusive and easy-to-use, consumers can also purchase a concealer brush (also priced at $32), designed by McGrath to mimic the finger, or use the doe-foot applicator provided. She is known for using her fingers and hands to apply makeup the brush design falls right in line with approach to beauty.

Known for versatility and thinking outside the box, McGrath says that you can use the concealer in lieu of foundation, for example, making this perfect for summer.

Pat McGrath Labs will also be releasing other products on Friday, so be sure to check out her website for more goodies. The products will also be available at Sephora and at select Sephora locations.

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez

Today, Selena Gomez announced her new makeup line that will be coming out in the US this summer. Gomez, 27, made her announcement by way of social media (including Instagram and Twitter), that she is teaming up with Sephora for distribution.

The products will be available exclusively through Sephora and Sephora J.C. Penney. As Gomez joins the growing list of celebs coming out with beauty lines, I am looking forward to seeing what the brand has to offer when it officially launches this summer.

For more information, you can follow the brand using the IG handle @rarebeauty.

Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty 2019

Okay, ladies- it’s here!

Starting Sunday, March 17, 2019, Ulta will bring back its highly antipated, highly coveted sale. I have been waiting for this!

If you are new to this or need a refresher here are some details:

The sale at Ulta begins on Sunday, March 17, 2019 and ends on Saturday, April 6, 2019. Each day, new products will be featured for sale. They are 50% off! That’s HUGE!

What this means for you is it’s time to SHOP! Ulta is known for providing high quality beauty brands to its customers. What I love about their business model (among other things) is that the products run the gamut of drugstore brands, such as Covergirl and Maybelline as well as high-end brands such as Chanel and Saint Laurent. There’s something for everyone there. Pair these offerings with a wonderful earnings system that can be turned into cash for future purchases and you definitely have a win!

Here are some takeaways (especially if this is your first event):

• Do a little homework. The brands on sale change daily, so putting in a little work beforehand will be extremely helpful. This sale is extremely popular. Don’t make the mistake of waiting. I did that one year and let’s just say that was the last year for that. I haven’t seen the item I wanted on sale since then (at least not at 50% off). So, when you see something you want move fast.

• Opt for shipping if you aren’t able to get to the store. In the past, Ulta offered free shipping at certain times during this sale. I don’t know if it will be that way this year but I do know that a sale like this doesn’t come around every day.

• Try out new products. Now is the time to test out new products. There are a few palettes going on sale and now would be a great time to test out new brands. This sale isn’t just about makeup. There are makeup brushes, bath products and skin care products on sale. Beauty isn’t just about makeup.

Hopefully you will be able to take advantage of the this wonderful sale. Thanks Ulta for being so awesome!

Happy 2019!

It’s been a while and it’s time for some new posts.

It’s a new year with many wonderful things sure to come our way in the world of makeup and beauty. 2018 brought is a lot of new products and innovation. I expect 2019 will be more of the same in that vein.

One of the best product improvements was the vast amount of attention brands are bringing to complexion for women of color. This has been a long time coming. Those voices have been heard!

We all want to be included. We all want products that serve us well and that allow us to full engage ourselves in our unique and wonder self-expression.

Here’s to a wonderful 2019!

The Royal Wedding 2018

Wow! The day is here and the ceremony is now over. It went by so fast! It really does seems like only a month or so ago that we heard about the upcoming nuptials and May 19, 2018 seemed so far away. Now, it's a beautiful memory. 

There were so many takeaways from this day and it would take me forever to get through all of my personal ones, so I'll make this short, or as short as I can. 

First of all, let's talk about how amazing this couple looks! The bride is absolutely breaktaking in this timeless, stunning Givenchy gown. It was truly made for her and fit her like a glove. Prince Harry was quite dapper. I love to see a groom with style. It was nothing short of befitting to wear his military uniform. Check out his medals. 

Secondly, let's talk about her headpiece. That tiara was so beautiful! The train was befitting. An already stellar gown was made that much more stunning by this wonderful touch. It was yet another piece of her ensemble that looked like it was made just for her. It fit her style.

One takeaway  for brides is to be yourself. I had heard one British commentator state that this was the "best" he'd ever seen Meghan Markle look. She always looks great to me but I know exactly what he meant. When bridal is done right, the bride is shown in ALL her glory! The guests and the world see the bride in a new light. There are many moving parts to bridal beauty. This brings me to my last point. 

My third and final point is her makeup. All I can say is "WOW!" This is really makeup done right. There was an initial rumor that her friends were going to do her makeup. She was not going to hire an artist. I have to be honest-that didn't sit well with me, at all. I would definitely respect her choices, it's her wedding after all. Let me explain my reasoning behind this statement.

Whenever one puts ALL of the energy into planning a day as big and monumental as a wedding, you want ALL professional hands on deck. Why have a designer gown, professional photographer, beautiful venue and wonderful food (for starters) and leave your face out of that? It just seems a little bit, well, wrong. Professional work should be included in every aspect of your wedding.  

Her makeup was so 'wowing' with its beautiful, understated simplicity. It's the kind of makeup that I stare at for hours. It was skin that looked like skin. Her smokey eyes, lashes and glossed lips were the perfect look for her. Her artist has had plenty of experience with celebrities and it shows. 

It was said that she really likes and embraces her freckles. Her artist heard her and we could see some of them. Thank you for showing us!

 I have had brides with freckles  who wanted to show them off and I really enjoy working with them! Women who embrace their unique qualities are very comfortable in their skin. By wanting to show off their uniqueness, they are saying to the world "this is me and here I am." 

The smokey eye is a wonderful look. It was simple and understated yet went perfectly with the personality of the bride and her gown. It was regal. It was royal. It fit. This was a day that will be remembered for a long time to come.

I am wishing this happy and wonderful couple ALL of the best!