It’s been quite a while since I’ve put up a post, “my bad.”  What with work and the trials of life, blog life has been hindered.  But now it’s back to business and I have tons of products and reviews to dish to you!  So stay tuned!!

Heres a little tip to get things rolling ;):  To keep your lips looking healthy and youthful, about once a week brush them with a soft bristle tooth brush.  This removes the dead skin that builds up on our lips and keeps from lines forming.  Plus it makes them super soft and gives your lips a pinkish glow which is always good :).  Luscious and inviting lips is what’s up!

As promised, Stroke Of The Week has officially started…

Nars carries a smudge brush that is worthy of every makeup lover’s collection.  The Nars #15 Smudge Brush is the ultimate brush for achieving that perfect smokey-eye effect.  Although this brush does its job flawlessly for smudging, I love using it as an eye liner brush.  Any product where you can get more than one use from it is ok in my book!  This brush works perfectly with MAC’s Fluidline for eye liner or any other cream based makeup.  

The 100% pony hairs are packed very well together and short enough to where you are able to control the thickness of the line you desire.  So whether you are a skinny lined gal or thick lined diva, this brush can create that look effortlessly.  For just 24 bucks this brush is well worth it.  The cat eyed look alone this brush can deliver is to die for (will do a video for you soon folks)!

Enjoy that stroke

…brush strokes that is.

“Stroke Of The Week” will be weekly reviews on different makeup brushes I have in my kit that I use on myself or my clients.  Ill recommend various brushes that I think every gal should invest in by explaining what each brush is used for and what techniques and looks it works best for. 

so…happy stroking

Okay glamour dolls…

I’ve been wanting to do a review on this product for a minute but always got sidetracked by something else (sigh…so much to cover and so little time :-P).  If you guys ever followed me on spa-view with my fellow diva Syl, you would know what a fanatic I am about Frederic Fekkai products.

The one I’m going to rave about today is the Frederic Fekkai Full Volume Mousse.  I am in LOVE with this stuff.  I’ve tried millions of voluming products out there but this one takes the cake!  For just under 20 bucks, its well worth every penny.  I naturally have thick hair but this stuff steps my game waaaayy up, haha, and I love the look of volumed hair from the roots.  This product effortlessly does that for me.

My routine is as follows:  wash my hair, towel dry, work voluming mousse to my roots only, blow dry my hair upside down while brushing, and voila…sexy big hair!!  So simple and quick with a look of a salon blow out without salon prices.

If I have extra time on my hands or want to look extra special I’ll roll my hair after blow drying in big Velcro rollers and leave it while I do my makeup, then for the unveiling…its model hair city!!

This is what the stuff does without the rollers… and that’s what’s up!

This stuff is just great.  It doesn’t weigh your hair down and doesn’t make your hair feel like you have a ton of product in it.  Plus, it makes your hair totally manageable to style as you please.

Just go get the stuff and try it already homies!!

Happy voluming

Alright…this one is for all the fellas out there!

Nothing is more sexy than your dude having dope skin and has enough sense than just thinking soap and water will do the trick.  That’s all fine and dandy when you’re young but just like us gals, age will eventually catch up and if you didn’t take the proper precautions in the beginning, the bar soap will no longer cut it and then it’ll be too late.  You wouldn’t want your women to age prematurely would you?  And no, I’m not saying I want my dude in front of the mirror longer than I, ugh…that is another topic we will discuss in the near future because that is not the biz!  I’m just saying that it’s cool if they’re confident and want to look good.

 A guy that takes care of himself and gives a damn about what he looks like is super dope sexy!  Don’t you agree ladies?  Us ladies take the time to keep ourselves up and look good, so our dudes should do the same.  There’s nothing more gratifying than walking around side by side thinking you look good and also knowing that your dude looks just as good or even better! That’s what’s up :)!

 Soooo….with that said, fortunately there are a lot of products out there geared for men only without all the fussy packaging.  These products pack the same punch as all the millions of women products out there, but are specifically for men and their needs.  The basic men skin care line includes a cleanser, exfoliant, a shave prep, shaving cream, and a moisturizer.  Of course different lines carry different items but that is the gist of what a guy should use daily.  

Here is a list of the top 5 men’s product lines from all different price ranges that I love and recommend you guys give a try.  Ladies, if your guys need a little nudge in this department I suggest you treat your dude to any of these products and I guarantee they’ll use it if its within their reach!

Anthony Logistics for Men - A Clean Start Kit (also available at Nordstroms)

Lab Series For Men (also available at Nordstroms)

Dermalogica - Skin Kit For Men

Zirh Mens Skincare

Neutrogena Men

Come on guys…try any of these.  You can hold me accountable if you don’t love it. Holla!

So in honor of the summer season I wanted to give you guys the 411 on salt scrubs vs. sugar scrubs.  Scrubs are the perfect way to kick off the warm weather by shedding all that winter slough we accumulate and reveal new glowing skin.  Both sugar and salt scrubs offer the same results.  Sugar scrubs tend to be much gentler than salt scrubs and are ideal for first time scrub users or those with sensitive skin.  Sea salt scrubs are usually larger in size and purifying, making them good for cleansing.  The sugar scrubs eventually dissolve when worked into the skin whereas the salt stays in tact.

 I personally like the sugar scrubs, especially for the more softer areas because after the sugar melts it becomes like a lubricant that adds extra softness to that area.  I like using the salt scrubs on the more rougher areas like the elbows and knees because the salt stays intact and keeps the friction you need to smooth over those areas.  So it works great on the bottoms of your feet.  I recommend you exfoliate with either scub at least once a week, especially if you are waxing.

 Exfoliating prevents bumps and ingrown hairs from forming from waxing.  Just remember not to use a scrub after shaving, do it before.

A few scrubs that I recommend you try are the following:

SALT SCRUBS:

L’Occitane Verbena Body Salt Scrub

Bliss Hot Salt Scrub

SUGAR SCRUBS:

Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish

Juice Beauty Green Apple Body Peel

Get out there and start scrubbing…happy glowing!!!  Summertime legs?!?! Watch out now!

For years I have been battling with finding the right skin care line where I can use all the products from the same line.  I have classic oily skin with occasional breakouts here and there. Nothing ever catastrophic, but any one blemish can break a girl’s spirit.  After much research I found a skin care line that made all my wishes come true.

 PCA Skincare is a gentle but effective line that aggressively treats major skin problems but also is suitable for everyday normal use.  Since starting this line my skin has gotten a lot smoother and has less breakouts.  I only see a few pimples here ad there (usually only during aunt Flo’s visit) and its very minimal.  

Before using PCA I would look for products that contained Benzoyl Peroxide or Salicylic Acid, which would treat the acne but was too strong for my skin.  PCA has drastically improved my skin so that now my skin type is no longer oily/problem its just oily.  Yay!  They categorize their products into systems by skin type so it makes it much easier for the consumer.

 The common ones they have is the Normal/Dry Skin System, Oily/Problem Skin System, and Acne system.  I also highly recommend trying their trial systems which will last you about a month so that you can get an idea of how the products work for you.  They also have other systems that address certain skin concerns such as an Anti-Aging Skin System (awesome, by the way), Rosacea Skin System, Pigment Control Skin System, and even a  PCA Men system. PCA also carries a lot of more aggressive products that are great.  Their peels in particular are amazing (notify me if you are interested in these peels and live in the LA area).

Unfortunately, you cannot buy PCA skincare through their website, but here are some online places you can purchase from: http://www.dermstore.com/ or http://skincarerx.com/index.html. Their Soothing Toner alone is to die for…sigh, love this line! Try it and let me know what you think!  Dope skin is in suckas!

For those of you that just do the whole soap and water routine as face care, this one is for you.

I know for some this is gonna seem like a bit much.  But, let me point out that our faces are much more delicate than the rest of our bodies and its the first thing people see when we meet them.  So why wouldn’t we have special products specifically for this special area.  Here, I have composed the very basic must haves and the order in which it should be applied:                                                                                                    

1.  MAKEUP REMOVER -  for women only-be gentle around your eye area!                                                      

2.  FACIAL CLEANSER - your face is your greeter, spend a few extra bucks to upgrade from bar soap jeez!

3.  EXFOLIANT/SCRUB - use once a week to remove dead cells and watch your skin glow!

4.  TONER - important in keeping your face freshly nice and toned

5.  EYE CREAM - if you start early enough in the game with eye cream it will only benefit you in the future

 6.  MOISTURIZER - try finding one with proper antioxidants and geared for your skin types

 7.  SUNSCREEN - DO NOT skip this step! premature lines and wrinkles due to the sun is not the biz!

8.  PRIMER - optional…not only a prepping step for makeup, but helps seal in all the products you just applied to your face

For Daytime Routine do steps 2-8: you should be skipping 1 because you removed and washed your makeup off the night before, riiiiight? right.  Or…you’re a dude, lol

For Nighttime Routine do steps 1-6

Follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way to beautiful, glowing skin and that’s what’s up!

Here I discuss my 5 favorite things in my makeup bag!  Cop one, cop all!!

• Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets
• MAC Powder Select Sheer/Pressed
• MAC lip pencil (in subculture)
• MAC Tinted Lip Glass (in lychee luxe or C-thru)
• Lip Smackers/Rosebud Salve

Enjoy!

 

 Episode 1 [6:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Morning All…

Its another “quickie but goodie” time!

Forget diamonds, mascara is a girl’s best friend!  Go find your local Sephora or any dept. store that carries Christian Dior makeup and get yourself the Diorshow Mascara.  This favorite lengthens, volumizes, and curls even the most scarce of eyelashes.  Its a definite must-have for makeup artists and makeup lovers alike.  It comes in three different colors but the Black is my absolute fave, I can’t live without it!  Check it out and let me know if you agree, I promise you wont be disappointed!

Happy Lashing!