Product Spotlight: Atmosphere Luminous Foundation!

I have such a love/hate relationship with foundations! Either they dry my skin out or they leave my face looking like someone slapped me with a McDonald's hamburger patty! There are VERY FEW foundations that work hand in hand with my skin, so when I find one that does, I become obsessed with it!

I had the pleasure of meeting a guy named Eric Sakas a few months ago when I was still attending FIDM. He is the founder of Vapour Organic Beauty. Eric was one of the most down to earth and passionate people I've ever met! He allowed us to play around with some of the products and they are simply amazing! This is a very unique line of products, they are made with certified organic ingredients and pure mineral pigments, this creates an illusion of the products being lighter than air. The Atmosphere Luminous Foundation (my favorite product from the line) glides on with ease and stays put all day long! Vapour Organic Beauty also offers eye, cheek, and lip products of that same great quality!

The Atmosphere Luminous Foundation makes applying the rest of my makeup hassle free! It blends so well with my blush and eye shadows, I LOVE IT! Be sure to check out the website for all of their products and follow their twitter for all of the latest news on the brand!

Good Read: 10 Bad Choices That Ruin Black Women's Lives!

I love reading inspirational and self help books. When I came across a really good book that was published in 1998 by Dr. Grace Cornish-Livingstone called "10 Bad Choices That Ruin Black Women's Lives," I couldn't wait to dive right in! How many of these "bad choices" have I made?! How many have YOU made?!

Bad Choice #1: Sisters Dissin' Sisters

Don't try to get on top by putting your sisters on the bottom

 As a black woman, it is not very hard to see the hatred that black women show towards one another, the looks, the gossiping, and the overall act of putting each other down because of how you look, who you're with, how you dress, etc. We don't have to worry about anyone else hating us because we hate each other! Sad, but VERY true. In what other race of people do you see so much hate against one another? (Don't worry, I'll wait for your answer!) Instead of hating each other, let's embrace and empower one another!

Bad Choice #2: No Money, No Honey

If you want your slice of the American pie, then help bake it

Black women (and women in general) need to stop looking for someone to take care of them. Be a real woman and take care of your own, stop calling men cheap when you yourself can't afford the things you demand of.


 Bad Choice #3: Looking For Mr. Right In All The Wrong Places

The emptiness in your life cannot be filled by the empty promise of someone else's status

Stop looking for the material first, just because he has a degree, nice car, nice apt/condo/house doesn't mean that he is "the one" for you.

Bad Choice #4: Exchanging "Sexual Dealings" For Loving Feelings

Know the real fact before you act

A guy who is good in bed may not be good in a relationship. Dive deeper to find out who that person truly is.

Bad Choice #5: Using your Finance to Maintain His Romance

If he is being "kept," he will eventually leave you in debt

You want to take care of my bookkeeping? No thanks, I'm good! I am NOT taking care of any MAN! Enough said!

Bad Choice #6: Staying On, Although Respect Has Gone

Never leave your life in the hands of fate; take matters into your own hands and get the proper help

Dr. Grace says always choose respect over love. I completely agree! There is no excuse for abuse, and there is no love in a backhand to the face.

Bad Choice #7: Loving the "Married Bachelor"

If you're stealing love on the side, someday you may get left on the outside

I have my own EVERYTHING, why would I want to share a man? What goes around, comes around. The day he leaves his wife you be sure to mark your calendar for the day when he leaves you the very same way he left his wife. 

Bad Choice #8: Emotional Dependency Plus Unplanned Pregnancy

If your love has gone bad, just be true, and don't try to use a baby like crazy glue

This one gets me every time. Who came up with the concept of having a baby to mend a relationship or trapping a guy? This almost makes the situation worse, I would never sacrifice my child having a loving and involved father for a relationship that shouldn't be.

Bad Choice #9: Decent Proposal/Indecent Disposal

If you're looking for a man just to fire your torch, then don't complain if you end getting scorched

 Women say they want a man that will keep them guessing and on the edge...good luck with that. Play all the games you want!

Bad Choice #10: Getting to the Church Before Time

Marriage is like a besieged fortress: those who are the outside want to get in; those who are inside want to get out

Marriage is a life long commitment, take the time to get to know that person before you decide to jump the broom. Don't jump the broom before it's laid out of the before, you just might trip and fall!

So, how many of those bad choices have you made?? I have made none! I think all women should read this book, all the contents are very true. Dr. Grace is a great writer and psychologist and has written dozens of books, including a second part to this one called "10 Good Choices That Empower Black Women's Lives."

The Graduate!

I have officially graduated from college! What a big accomplishment! June 19th 2010 marked a new beginning for me and I even express how proud of myself I am and my fellow FIDM - Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Beauty Bunnies! We all worked so hard throughout our course at FIDM! Staying up until the wee hours of the night to do a project, waiting in the long lines to get a computer in the annex, gossiping about how we know more than the teacher does and everything else that falls into the lives of a college student! FIDM was such a great experience for me. I moved across the country all by myself to attend this school and my journey there has come to an end! I truly believe that FIDM has provided me with the skills that I need to succeed in the world, and believe me, after all that time there, I am SO READY to get out there! Go class of 2010!

Can you believe I graduated at the Staples Center just ((2)) days after my beloved Lakers won the championship? AWESOME!

Enjoy the pictures below!

Is He "The One?"

The answer to this question is priceless! Everyone has some kind of idea of what type of person that they desire to be with, whether they be tall, dark and handsome, super rich and loaded, someone from a different country, etc. So what happens when a guy (or girl) who isn't any of the things that you want in a significant other comes along and grabs your attention? Do you brush them off because you know EXACTLY what you want or do you set your list of wants aside to see what may become of it?

Most people will brush them off with the thought of "I will not settle," but is altering your list of wants more important than what may be a need? What you want may not always be what's best for you in the long run. I too have qualities that I would prefer to have in a significant other but I often wonder, when a guy who I may not immediately be attracted to "Hmmm what if he's the one?" The guy who constantly chases you and you seem to never have time for him because there is just 'something' about him that you don't 'want', what if you turning away your soul mate?

More than half of the qualities that men and women say they want in a mate are unrealistic and they themselves cannot offer what it is that they demand. Every once in a while when a guy tries to talk to me and I'm not interested I walk away thinking "Oops, was that my husband?" With that being said, I think that people should be more open when it comes to dating. Now I'm not saying to lower your standards but make sure that the qualities that you look for in a mate are relevant and not materialistic and shallow.

My Summer Must Haves Pt 2: Beach Accessories!

For most trips to the beach, all jewelry is left at home. As someone who loves to accessorize, I don't follow the "no jewelry at the beach" rule! Knowing what types of jewelry are safe for the beach is key. Lucite, resin, acrylic, and beads are all ideal for the beach. Here are a few different styles that would look great in the summer sun!

Portia Jewelry Natural Stone & Wood Beads

Henri Bendel 712 5th Resin Link Bracelet

Portia Jewelry Tortoise Acrylic Necklace

My Summer Must Haves Pt 1: Wedges!

One of my favorite styles of shoes has to be wedges! They are so comfortable and very chic! They are a perfect shoe for all of your summer festivities. Whether your are wearing a sundress, high-waisted slacks, mini shorts or skinny jeans, there is a wedge for every occasion! Here are a few of my faves!

The Gibson from Shiekh Shoes

The Hen from Shiekh Shoes

Opal from Diane Von Furstenburg

Tsumori Chisato from Opening Ceremony

 I have the first two pairs and I love them! Super comfy!

Beautifully Skinny!

Now that I am an adult, it is somewhat easier dealing with my insecurities. As with any teenage girl going through puberty, I was VERY insecure about myself. I was depressed to the point where I would cry myself to sleep every night because I did not like who I saw when I looked into the mirror. I weighed 80lbs (+/-) in high school, and I weigh 85lbs (+/-) as a 21 year old adult. I was always skinny, my whole life, but for whatever reason (which I will reveal later) I could not accept it. How fun is it to roam through your best friends' or your older cousins' closet looking for cool things that you don't have? Well, I was never able to do that because all of my friends were what I considered to be 'normal' sized. Maybe it would have been easier for me to accept me for who I was if people wouldn't constantly state the obvious about me. "OMG you are so skinny," "Oh baby you need to eat," "I wonder what she's doing to stay so skinny." Really??

How would it make you feel to always having people pointing out what you considered to be your biggest flaw? In the media, the size 00 models are highly criticized for their unNATURAL appearances and the thick, J.Lo-esque type of figures are praised for having the courage to feel comfortable in their own skin. Now don't get me wrong, the size models who do 'things' to maintain their size and contracts is not okay by any means; And Jennifer Lopez is very beautiful, she is someone that I truly admire, she has a great body and she's not afraid to show it off. But even still, there are some gray areas. Where do the NATURALLY slim women come into play (especially in the African American community)? If you're skinny you're anorexic or bulimic and if you're a size 6 or more you are considered to be a real woman? This furthermore prevented me from accepting my NATURAL body shape.

Where was I supposed to fit in? I was made this way! I wanted so badly to have what people thought to be a nice body, I became obsessed with it. I would force myself to eat even if I wasn't hungry, I would eat late at night in bed (you know the old saying "don't eat before bed or else you'll get fat'), I drank weight gain protein shakes, weight gain pills, ate foods that I didn't even like because 'someone' said it would add a few pounds to my frame. I loved myself, I thought I was a smart girl, very driven with a good head on my shoulders, but even with all of those qualities I still felt that I was almost not good enough.

Then comes the guys, you won't believe how many times I have heard "She's skinny but she's fine," Why can't I just be "fine" or "beautiful?" My 'flaw' always has to be pointed out before a compliment is handed over. I would constantly feel like when I found a great guy that he would end up leaving me for someone who was thick and had more 'to hold on to.' I know that there is someone for everyone but I pray that I'm not left with scraping the bottom of the barrel for whatever guys are left just because I'm little! I want a hot sexy guy too! (This male blogger has a good head on his shoulders when it comes to this topic!)

What men, women, and the entire world needs to understand is that people come in all shapes and sizes. Just because someone is a size 00 does not mean that she has an eating disorder, and just because someone is a size 10 does not define them as a 'real woman,' weighing in at 85lbs I will straight up tell you that I AM a real woman and I dare you tell me different! All women should be praised with their size not being a factor. Being naturally skinny is okay (guess how many times I had/have to tell myself that?!), and there are celebrities who are thin framed and proud of it who I admired more than words!

Zoe Saldana (I LOVE HER!!)

Miss Thandie Newton

And I am a perfect fit!

Long Lasting Curls!

My hair is notorious for not being able to hold curls for more than 2.5 seconds, and this sucks because I LOVE curly hair! I recently graduated from FIDM - Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, and I wanted to have some kind of soft curls in my hair since it is always straight. During the winter I interned for a professional haircare company called Alterna, and let me tell you, they have the most amazing and effective products that I have ever tried on my hair! I decided to go with soft curls just on the ends of my hair and use the Caviar Anti-Aging (my favorite line from Alterna!) Extra Hold Hairspray. My curls held in place ALL DAY long...

...through the strong winds...


...that hideous cap...

....and even dinner!

Before, I wouldn't even bother putting curls in my hair because it would be a total waste of time! Not any more! Alterna's Extra Hold Hairspray has solved all of my curly problems! Solve your curly problems here!

Eyebrow Threading at Vinita's!

Eyebrows are a very sensitive subject for me. Why? Because mine are HORRIBLE!! I have been tweezing my brows since I was about 13 years old, so certain areas on my brow just will not grow at all! They are thin and...*sigh* not pretty! Eyebrows are the first thing that I notice on a persons face, whether its male or female. I revealed my eyebrow frustrations to a coworker of mine and she told me that I should consider getting them threaded and stop waxing and tweezing. I've heard of threading but I never inquired because I thought it looked painful using a piece of thread to pull the hairs and also time consuming. She informed me that its not that bad so I decided to look up good places in Los Angeles that threaded. I came across a place that claimed to be "The Best Threading Salon in Los Angeles" called Vinita's Beauty & Threading Studio. I went as a walk in and the ladies were very nice and pleasant. I asked if there was any hope for my poor brows and she said "of course"! The studio was clean and nicely furnished with Indian decor. The young lady got started and took no more than 5 minutes to transform my brows!! I LOVE my finished look! They have seven locations throughout Los Angeles and surrounding cities, find the location nearest you here.

Inside the studio

Fun At Joico!

Today my class had the pleasure of taking a trip to Joico Hair Care. They are one of the leading professional hair care lines in the world. While there, we were given the opportunity to explore their offices and a wonderful presentation about the brand. Before this trip, I had very little knowledge of the brand. I learned a lot about them and gained respect for them. They also gifted us with cute little bags of products, product information pamphlets, a dvd and booklets of amazing hairstyles! I cant wait to try out the products!

Here are a few pictures I took while there!

Inside the gift bag we received!

How fun looking is this bag?!

Joico Hi-Def color productsJoico poster (how intense is her color?!)

I LOVE their the way they shoot their campaigns!

Needless to say, I had a great time at Joico! Thanks guys!