Regina King at the 2019 Golden Globes. Image courtesy of People.com
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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!
Serena Williams is married!
We all got a lesson in what "classy" weddings are made of and how they are done. It was a classy, classic, yet relevant and current event full of A-listers and powerhouses. Serena Williams and her now husband, Alexis Ohanian, put on a full-fledge wedding production. The photos speak for themselves.
I wanted to briefly discuss her makeup and hair choices. They were perfect for her personality and wedding. The hairstyle is a classic look for women with longer hair. It's easy to wear and makes for an effortless wedding. Updos are very easy to wear and allow the bride to really focus on enjoying her day. When it comes to your wedding day, you are not going to want to be fussing with your hair every 5 minutes.
In that same vein, her makeup choices were excellent as well. Her look was beautiful and elegant without being overly fussy. This allowed for her to look wonderful without having to think about her look. In fact, if her lipstick wore off or faded through eating, champagne toasts and greeting guests, she will still look very much the same. Her choices were spot-on. Taking into account what your day will be like is a major key to enjoying your day.
Evening weddings can also have bolder eyes and lips. These looks are great and would require more attention throughout the evening. While we tend to see evening weddings have the 'after 6' approach to attire and makeup, Serena went with her own idea and made her wedding her own. It paid off well for her.
Congrats to Serena and Alexis!
L'oreal and Balmain
Collaborations are always exciting. They tend to bring out unique, often once-in-a-lifetime products that later become collector's items.
I am excited to say that I been able to try the new collection that is coming out from L'oreal and Fashion powerhouse Balmain. It only seems fitting that two French powerhouses would come together in this way.
I was able to test out three lip colors and it's hard to say which one is my favorite. The packaging in this collection really has a sophisticated, elegant, retro feel. That alone made me want to learn more about this collection. Each color tube has several colors, so this collection seems pretty much endless. There's a color for everyone! I chose a color from each tube collection. There are 12 colors right now.
It is important to note that the red color (in the black tube) is called Domination. Of the three in the photo here, it has the strongest payoff. Next to that is the green is named Balmain Instinct. The blue-tubed lipstick, appropriately named Freedom, is a bold purple color. For some reason, purple is one of my favorite lipcolors. While I like the color, I do find that I need to spend a little more time making sure this color is bold enough for my liking. A light hand with the purple can cause it to fade. It's still a great color and for the price point, it definitely works.
Overall, I would suggest that you check these out if you are lipstick lover. The collection is well put together and provides a great amount of color options for nude lips and bold colors for a more daring lip.
The price point at Ulta is about $14 per tube. The collection will first debut at online at www.ulta.com on Saturday, November 11, 2017 and then in stores on Saturday, January 27, 2018.
Aaliyah and MAC
The official word is out: MAC is releasing the Aaliyah collection next summer! I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what they create. I'm wondering why it took this long, but hey, it's coming next summer and that's all that matters.
Aaliyah was such a creative genius and as my sister said, "she was before her time." I think her last project was the best one and there was so much more to come from her. With each project (whether it was music or acting), she became better and better. How is that possible?
It was a sad day when she passed away. She was someone with so much beauty, promise and was very well accomplished. She was just getting started, really. I'll stop here because the memories are still very much alive. She is still with us in heart and video and song, so if you don't know much about her, check her out on youtube. Watch some of her music videos and see the genius that is Aaliyah.
Being that MAC annouced this so early, it my thought that they definitely anticipate this being BIG and selling out quickly.
Thank you MAC for keeping this amazing person alive in our hearts and minds!
IT Cosmetics Now At Sephora!
It Cosmetics continues to make its rounds in the makeup world. It's a pretty amazing that it is now made its way into Sephora.
Sephora is a store that is picky about what it carries. So, in other words, basic makeup doesn't make it in here! Your brand has to be special. It has to have something unique about it.
It's a good move for the It brand to be here along with the ranks of other high-enders.
The blush pictured here is nice and the brush is too. It's great to know that I have another place to shop this brand.
UD Smoky Palette Set To Discontinue
Urban Decay is set to discountinue its very popular Smoky palette. This is happening NOW!
I am unsure of why this is happening but it's happening. So, if you really like this palette, you will want to go out and get it now before it sells out.
The palettes are currently $27 (which is 50% off) and they are found quite a few places right now. So, you can hit up Ulta, Macy's and Urban Decay's website to get your fix before these sell out. They're 50% off, so you can beat it.
Threading
In this post, I am going to talk about threading. I'm pretty sure you guessed that by the title but anyway, I digress.
So, what is threading?
Threading is the removal of unwanted hair using, you guessed it, thread. Threading has been around for centuries. It started growing in popularity in the United States within the last 15 years or so.
The thread is the same thread that can be found in craft and fabric stores around the country. The hair removal specialist 'shapes' the thread in her hand and between her fingers in a unique way that creates a 'catch' for the hair. The hairs are removed one by one, row by row until the desired shape is achieved.
In doing so, the hair is removed without removing any skin. I have found this method to be pretty amazing! The shape is different from waxing. It's fuller (in my experience) and it lasts about 3 weeks.
In this post, as with the last one, I'm speaking more of the brow vs. other areas of the body.
So, I'm sure one wants to know if this hurts. Um, yes! So, here's the deal, the first time was the most painful. It also depends on how skilled your technician is because the more she is comfortable with this method, the better your experience will be. I have been going to the same awesome person for years. She is amazing!
The pain is definitely something that you get used to and it doesn't hurt every time. You do want to be consistent with your appointments because going without for a length of time will cause more pain. The longer the hair (or more hair), the greater potential for pain. So, keep your appointments consistent.
Another tip is to use ice on the brow before going. This can help to numb the pain. In order for this method to be effective, however you have to use the ice to numb as close to your appointment as possible. So, like 5-10 minutes before your appointment, ice would be great. You would place it on the brow and let it numb the area. Beware of the 'frostbite effect' because too much ice for too long is not good for the skin either.
Anyway, this method is effective for me and I have found it to be the best for long-term use in brow hair removal.
Waxing
This week, I will be providing a brief overview of waxing and threading and some differences between the two.
While this is in no way meant to be an end-all, it is meant to provide some background and arm you with the necessary information to make informed decisions.
OK-so let's get to it! Waxing is a hair-removal method. In short, waxing in a salon using warm (or very warm) wax for human use. This is usually beeswax (though some people may also use soy). The wax is heated in a warmer and then applied to the skin using a spatula and removed with muslin strips. Muslin is a type of material that is also worn on the body.
Once the wax is applied, the strip is applied and then quickly removed producing a finished product. Cream is then applied to protect the skin against irriation. This sounds quick enough, right? Well, it is. It's a method that has been around for a long time.
There is another another type of waxing which is 'cold.' This pretty much means that instead of the wax being warmed, the wax is on strips that don't require heat to use. These aren't typical in salons (in my experience) but they are used at home very often. It reminds me of Nad's hair removal strips that were very popular several years ago. This method of cold waxing hasn't been very effective for me. I like the warmer.
Warm waxing isn't something I suggest for trying at home because it's harder to control. It's easy to make mistakes (if you're not seasoned with hair removal) and it could be disastrous for you if you somehow drop a hot ball of wax on your brow. You could end up bald in that area. Sometimes hair can take a long time to grow back. For some people, it never grows back. That's a REALLY good look. *sarcasm*
One drawback that I've found with the waxing method is the layer of skin that is removed along with the unwanted hair. Over time, this can cause the skin to crinkle. It's not the best look but it typically wouldn't be noticeable to anyone but you. I personally didn't like this becuase I thought to myself that is if looks like this now, what would this look like 10 years from now? And, I didn't like that over time, it started to thin my brows out. It was my body's way of saying that I needed to change up my method. As mentioned here, I'm speaking of waxing the brow. I have found that for other areas of the body, this method has worked fine for me. Brow skin needs some protection and care, so I went on a search for another method that would preserve this space on my face.
Waxing is not a bad method. It's just good to know other alternatives. In my next post, I'll talk about threading.
The New Face of Modern Muse
Misty Copeland. What words can be used to describe her? Well, for starters, amazing, beautiful, sculpted, graceful and ground-breaking.
For all these reasons and more, she has been branded as the new face of Estee Lauder's Modern Muse fragrance. Misty Copeland is continually proving that she is someone to watch. I love that she has a solid list of endorsements that continues to grow. She has shattered glass ceilings in the world of dance by keeping her dreams in front of her face, never losing sight of it. As she has done this, we have reaped the benefit of seeing her continue to manifest her dreams and goals giving us all a good, strong dose of inspiration.
I, personally, couldn't be happier for this amazing young beauty. She continues to set standards, break molds and inspire young girls, especially those who look like her.
Estee Lauder, in line with its brand, has gotten this right again. Her grace and style fit right in with this prestigious and long-standing beauty brand. Congrats, Misty Copeland! Continue to inspire us all.