The fall/winter is here and this may surprise some but this is actually my favorite time of the year. I absolutely LOVE the clothes and shoes around this time.... nothing beats a pair of edgy boots or a nice classic or trendy coat. Here are a few of my picks that I absolutely love...
I purchased these boots at Forever21 for $32.80 Ladies you can pair these with some skinny rocker jeans and ROCK OUT!!
ADROGYNY in Fall/Winter 2011 fashion from shoes to hats and dress shirts.
Long grey HAREMS. I purchased these in NYC at one of those carts in the middle of Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream,NY $20.00 PinkCandy colored faux suede shoes from CHARLOTTE RUSSE $24 http://www.charlotterusse.com Cropped striped shirt at a local boutique.
the suede boot NEVER goes out of style. http://www.charlotterusse.com
The cold weather is here and that means it is time to take extra care of our hair. Just as the leave on the trees dry out and fall to the ground so can our hair if we do not take the extra precaution to preserve our strands. Meaning our hair requires more replenishing during this time of the year and the right products are needed to ensure that. HERE ARE A COUPLE OF MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAINTAING HEALTHY HAIR DURING THE FALL/WINTER MONTHS! (curly/coarse, straight/fine, medium textured/wavy hair, etc)* Winter Hair Care Tips 1)Wear a scarf, hat or cap to protect your hair from the cold and wind. Make sure that it's not so tight where it will restrict circulation in your scalp. 2)Use a conditioner daily. (especially on curly/coarse hair)*
3)Once you have your hair moist, lock in the moisture by running your hair through cold water; this will also give your hair an extra shine. (ALWAYS RINSE YOUR CONDITIONER WITH COOL WATER EVEN DURING THE OTHER SEASONS)*
4)Don't go outside with your hair wet, you risk breakage. Your hair will freeze if it's cold enough outside and may break.
5)Limit your use of "hot" items on your hair such as a blow dryers and curling irons. (use protective serums such as CHI Iron Guard which can be purchased at JCPenny Hair salons/ BioSilk)* 6)If you need to use a "hot" item use a leave in conditioner before using the item on your hair. 7)Avoid taking hot showers or washing your hair in hot water. Use warm or cool water instead, the heat can dry out and/or damage your hair and skin.
DO NOT BUY CHEAP PRODUCTS & EXPECT SALON RESULTS!!***
HERE IS A NATURAL FALL/WINTER HAIRCARE TIP THAT CAN ALSO BE USED ON THE SKIN
AVOCADO is often called the "ultimate beauty fruit." It delivers nourishing natural oils and adds other benefits. The vitamin A in avocado adds sheen to hair,vitamin B balances oil production, whether your skin and hair are too oil or dry, and vitamin E protects and repairs sun and pollution damage. You can simply mash up one or two avocados into a mud and apply to hair or skin. AVOCADO CAN BE USED AS A DEEP CONDITIONER. EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR OUR SKIN/HAIR/BODIES CAN ABUNDANTLY BE FOUND IN NATURE!
Fall, my favorite season is rapidly approaching. And along with it brings beautiful colors of nature. This season the nail color trends are not your average fall colors. Some of the colors revamped spring/summer shades with a twist of metallic in it, and is simply captivating. From NARS to OPI and cheaper drug store brands such as Sinful Colors, have an array of greens to grays to choose from.
Trends come and trends go. Some you love and some you can't wait till they leave. For me HAREMS should be an essential part of any FaShioNiStas wardrobe. They really make a statement and shows that you're not afraid to DARE 2 BE DIFFERENT. Harem pants originated in India, and are a cross between a skirt and a pair of skinny jeans. Some people refer to harems as "MC HAMMER" pants because with his help they reemerged on the scene in a modernized version. The traditional harem is actually cut from more material and is accompanied by a little skirt at the top. It is traditionally used by belly dancers. They go by other names such as PANTALOONS AND ALADDIN PANTS. CHECK THEM OUT....
DRESS DOWNED HAREMS:
I purchased my Harems from STRAWBERRY'S in Valley Stream, New York they were $14.99 & the NYC shirt was $10 Pair it with some wedges, platform stilettos or grecian flats & you are good to go.
DRESSED UP HAREMS:
Same HAREMS w/a dressier look top: Strawberry's $15.99
There are a variety of harems, from long to short. Choose which ones best suit YOU. Check your local mall to purchase HAREMS
Darker skin tones, especially those of African descent are considered to be more oily and prone to scarring and hyper-pigmentation from blemishes. There are so many products to choose from but to know what's best for darker skin is key. I'll give you a few basic products that you can purchase at drug stores and at high end stores like Sephora. The key to our skin's health as with anything else is diet. A variety of fruits and vegetables are abundant in nature for the purpose of maintaining healthy internal organs as well as the largest organ of them all, OUR SKIN. So, let's start with diet first.
Remember with all skincare products it may take 2 or more weeks to show full results, after all it did not take 1 day for a skin problem to arise. Do not pick at your acne you will push the bacteria further into your skin and make it worst. Scarring will also occur. Here is a video by "Rx for Brown skin" which will explain what you need to know about brown skin and who is considered to be brown-skinned.
You ever wonder how to get that salon look AWAY from the salon and in between visits with your hairstylist? Well let me let you in on a few tricks....I mean a few TRADE SECRETS. It's all in the products and using professional tools. Some of my favorite tools are the Chi iron and Chi blow dryer and my favorite smoothing products are also created by Chi and Biosilk which are both Farouk products. Here are a few videos to show you how to properly use some of my favorite SECRETS OF THETRADE. Learn how to properly use a flatiron to straighten and even curl your hair.
Introducing the Chi iron accompanied by CHI iron guard thermal spray. Use as directed.
A GUIDE ON HOW TO PROPERLY USE A FLATIRON. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION.
I use this technique in the salon. YES YOU CAN CURL YOUR HAIR WITH A FLATIRON.
YES!!!!!! My 3 favorite products & tools 4 straightening the hair. CHI blowdryer, CHI Silk Infusion (used on wet n dry hair to protect
your tresses during the flatiron process and to keep fly aways tamed) and the CHI flatiron which in my opinion is in a class all by itself. www.chishairstraightener.com www.farouk.com
and all JC Penny hair salons
CHI Ironguard can be used on each section of hair before you
flatiron. www.farouk.com and sold at JC Penny salons
CHI has a wide range of products which I fully endorse, from the shampoos to the color products and beyond. Don't forget to visit the sites and start taking advantage of all CHI has to offer.
When you think of the afro you think about the emergence of black pride in the 1960's & 1970's, with it's roots in the Civil rights movement with such figures as Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael and Angela Davis. The AFRO is a symbol of being aware of black racial identity.... ("SAY IT LOUD, I'M BLACK & I'M PROUD")* yesterday and even today with it being seen now as a BOLD FASHION STATEMENT. The 'fro of today is "IMPERFECTLY PERFECT." It's not combed out into a perfect round silhouette. It's textured, asymmetrical, free & UNTAMED!
You've got to LOVE Solange Knowles....
in fact she's my favorite Knowles sistah! (shhh don't tell Bey)*
she wears this Imperfectly Perfect Fro well.
Here is a collage of beautifulUNTAMED fros worn
by Foxy Brown herself, PAM GRIER. Do you see how the Afro has emerged into being carefree and even more fearless?
Here are some videos that I absolutely adore on the fro and different ways to wear it. Enjoy....
The 80's style afro side ponytail
Here is another way to achieve this style:
Tty a two strand twist out look...
This is me with my hair shorter. I used Jamaican Lime extra hold (my hair is curly/straight textured so it's resistant to some styles)and twisted my hair while it was wet. Then, I left it in for a couple of days and took the twist down. The older this style gets the better & BIGGER the fro gets which I absolutely adore. The messier the better. There is a preview of products that I use on natural hair in the June section of this blog.
Me again with my fro partially highlighted.
Remember to never color your hair yourself unless you are a professional licensed cosmetologist like myself. If you don't have curls like this and do not want to experiment with color on your natural locks you can always opt for extensions.....try a twist set on rods using your favorite product. Remember
to keep your ends trimmed so you can have a healthy looking head of hair.
What I use to keep my fro moisturized....
and ......
I use this every other day to keep my curls defined and most importantly MOISTURIZED.
This and all SHEA MOISTURE products are sold exclusively at TARGET . It is light weigh and I love it.
me with my hair pushed away from my face using SCUNCCI hair bands.....I have to use 3. You can purchase them at CVS or any local drug store and beauty supply store.
