Beauty inside and out

My Blow Out Hair Faves

November 4, 2019

It’s beginning to cool down, which means these curls will be blown out a lot more often. I’ll be going from Cree Summer curls (if you know, you know), to Naomi Campbell sleek and chic and without the heat damage. Not too long ago I shared my go-to products for maintaining healthy curls that have worked for me long-term. I don’t like sharing products unless they’ve been tried and tested. Though what works for me may not work for you, at least you have some inspiration if you want to try some new products. Now, I don’t believe in wasting money trying a ton of products when 50-75% of those products may not work for me. Once I find something that works, I stick with it. Usually, when I branch out and want to try something new, it fails, especially with leave-ins. Le sigh. 

However, when it comes to straightening curly/natural hair, these products will typically work for the general population. I’ve been using the products listed below for the last four years. So if you find your current products or technique used to straighten your hair isn’t working too well, try these!  read more

Fashion

Autumn/Winter 2019 Wardrobe Update

October 4, 2019

Fall fashion is finally here, folks. It is my favorite time of year! But, you already know that, and no I don’t mind sounding like a broken record. I already have a lot of pieces I am excited to wear again from last autumn/winter like my white ankle boots and teddy coat. I do not plan to buy a whole lot this season because I simply don’t need it. I have some great pieces in my current wardrobe, patiently awaiting my return. I want to focus my monies on saving, travel and decorating our new place. So, here is a list of items I’ll be re-wearing, and what is on my wishlist. I plan to buy gently used or resale when possible.  read more

Life shit

Money Mindset: Knowing Your Value and Worth

September 16, 2019

Hello by @helloimnik

I recently had an hour and a half long phone call with my mom about money, career, and the notion of self-worth.  And for a few moments, I went on a rant that seemed to literally pour out of me as if it wasn’t me talking, but God.  I remember feeling at that moment, like “Whoa, who is this woman?!” My mom was like, “Girl, you are preaching!” I felt every word that I said. And even though I’m not there, there yet, I am pretty darn close.  And I know in my bones, those words to be true.

It is this:  Your self-worth, value, and purpose are not linked to the value given to you from your employer, career or clients. read more

Living

Money Habits To Get You Everything You Want

August 8, 2019

Photo by Content Pixie

The title hooked you, didn’t it?  Take note that I did not say, “and have it all at the same time.”  So, just simply remove that notion from your mind, effective immediately, LOL.  All jokes aside, I wanted to write a blog post about how using certain habits and having a specific mindset have helped me to take full control over money, allowing me to enjoy the things in life I have always wanted.  The gist is that you can have everything you want, but there are no shortcuts or quick fixes. And to be honest, 90% of it is really changing your perspective on the way you spend and save money (I will delve more into that in a separate blog post).  Cue the song, Money Good by Megan Thee Stallion. read more

Beauty inside and out - Travel

Best Beauty Products That Travel Well

July 19, 2019

https://www.hairbro.com/media-center/

Photo: RMS Beauty

Between my hair products, skincare and makeup, It appears that half of my suitcase is filled with beauty products. Trust me, I try to bring as little as possible, but sometimes it is nearly impossible.

Lately, I’ve been selective with the types of cosmetics I bring, especially when it comes to makeup. There are two prerequisites for makeup making it into my bag:

  1. Is it multi-purpose?
  2. Is it a solid or cream formula?

Asking these two questions saves me space and time from cleaning up spills/leaks from products that have spread throughout my cute toiletry bag. Plus, I don’t have to pull it out for TSA, allowing me to bring more important beauty items I wouldn’t otherwise get out of the airport with (this is especially true when traveling in other countries). read more

Beauty inside and out

My Skin Story + Minimalist Summer Skincare Routine

July 1, 2019

Here’s a little story of how I went from an expensive routine with unnecessary steps to a #skipcare routine that has left me with the best skin of my life.

I know skincare is having a huge moment but personally, as a lover of beauty, I got serious about my skincare right after college.

Becoming a skincare enthusiast 

At this time, my skin suffered so much from hormonal stuff that I had going on and I really didn’t know what to do. This was 2009 and natural products were on the rise. The clean beauty craze really kicked off around 2008/2009. So, I decided to try Kiss My Face products from Whole Foods and they actually helped A LOT but then my skin started to become dull. It was time to go back to science. Enter professional skincare brand here. For me, this was a very trusted brand because my aunt swore by this stuff as an aesthetician herself. And my skin got a lot better with consistent use. I almost exclusively used this brand until seven months ago. I almost never tried anything else because I was scared my skin would react badly.  read more