Aug 10, 2012

Cheap Thrills, Big Deals: Sonia Kashuk brush




Makeup artists always say good tools and bad makeup outweigh bad tools and good makeup any day. Well, big price tags usually come with the good tools but this little Sophia Kashuk brush is an exception. Gel eyeliners are usually my go-to during the summer because pencil can usually get a little messy with all the heat. I needed a good brush to help make gel eyeliner easier and quicker for me!  I give this brush a 5 out of 5 because the angle lets me get close to my lashline without breaking my wrist to do it.

The point tip lets me apply gel liner without bending my wrist backwards. It also allows me to kind of draw along my lash line with a similar technique to a felt tip liquid liner. Let me know you favorite budget brush find!!

Jul 16, 2012

Updated WishList!!

This weekend I was able to cross some thing off my Wishlist!! With that being said I am revealing those products tomorrow and adding a few more to the list to replace them. The new items will be more fashion related, I actually got the idea from this Fashion Bomb Daily article. I love the website and I feel like all the items on the list are perfect for a college student transitioning into the "real world" especially since I'm a business major.
Stay tuned for the beauty items I purchased over the weekend and for my very adventurous fashion haul!

Jul 10, 2012

Your First MAC quad



When starting to branch out from drugstore brand makeup, the brand most people turn to is MAC Cosmetics. With a wide selection of color, formulas and the affordability of it all, it's easy to see why people chose MAC. MAC's eyeshadows are some of their most popular products. I remember when I finally decided that I wanted to try MAC products, what better way than with an eyeshadow quad.

Jul 8, 2012

FOTN: Date Night using Heavenly Creatures

So my boyfriend and I decided to go out to dinner on Saturday for date night. I thought it would be the perfect time to use my new products from the Heavenly Creatures collection. A light handed is highly suggested because both Center of the Universe and Stratus are very pigmented. A duo fiber or fan brush would be the best tools to distribute color without having chunks left on your face. The versatility of these products makes them worth their price tag! I will list all products used at the bottom.

Poll: MAC Heavenly Creatures


  • The whole collection, the mineralized collection is the best part of my summer!
  • They came out with a collection????
  • Mineralized Blushes, those blushes plus my cheek are a match made in Heaven
  • Mineralized eyeshadows, all the swirls make my eyes sparkle!
  • MSFs, the permamnent collection don't have enough!!

Jul 6, 2012

MAC Heavenly Creatures Haul!

So as many of you makeup lovers know MAC's new collection, Heavenly Creatures graced MAC and department stores yesterday. The collection actually came out a whole week and a half early online but I wanted to be able to actually swatch and hand pick my items. Unfortunately for me, I won't be able to haul all the items I want until next week; but my amazing and loving boyfriend let me pick out 2 items and put them on his card!

Jun 26, 2012

Tag: The Seven Deadly Sins of Beauty

I found this Tag all over blogs and YouTube so I decided to join in! It actually made me look at my makeup collection in a totally different light. SO let's get started shall we:


1. GREED: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?
  The most inexpensive beauty item I own would be my E.l.f. smudge brush that cost $!. My most expensive product would be my Guerlain Terracotta bronzer in shade #8 that cost $50, it took a long time for me to hand over my debt card to the cashier!




2. WRATH: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? 
The beauty products that I have a love/hate relationship with are bronzers. When I can find one it's heaven but it's the finding part that is truly difficult. Being that I am dark skinned most bronzers stop at shades way too light.


Jun 24, 2012

Buffalo Exchange in The District



Since I am currently in the process of moving into my new apartment, I decided to go through my closet and purge all the stuff I haven't touched in the past year. I created a donate and throw away pile but I just found out there is a Buffalo Exchange that opened last week in the district. In high school I actually worked in a teen resale store, so I am usually pretty good about picking things they would take.  I love resale stores because they are a great stop before going to the goodwill and a quick way to keep your closet under control and getting some cash in your pocket. For people who have the buy one, throw one out rule this is a great place to go.

Jun 22, 2012

Work FOTD (Face of the Day)

    


For my internship this summer, my company allows casual Fridays. So I decided that I would show you my usual work face since I would spend as much time this morning putting together a business casual outfit. I will provide a complete list of the products I used after the pictures.

Jun 18, 2012

Top 10 Beginner Must-Haves: Part II

Part II:

The Original Naked Palette

6. Urban Decay Naked palette: This is the one and only eyeshadow palette you will ever need. Whether a beginner or a makeup lover, this is one product that lives up to its hype. The palette has 12 full sized eyeshadows, an eyeshadow primer  and a brush so all you really need is mascara and an eyeliner and you're set. I searched high and low for this palette for 4 weeks straight because it has all the neutral colors you could ever need. I took this palette on vacation twice and use it for 2 weeks straight and came up with a ton of looks. Go on YouTube, google, temptalia, hell anywhere and you can find some girl using this palette. The price tag might sound expensive but considering each Urban Decay eyeshadow is $18 and you get 12 plus a brush and primer $48 is WAY better than the $250+ it's worth.
Price:$48
Available at: Sephora, Urbandecay.com and ulta

Jun 17, 2012

Cheap Thrills and Big Deals!

Cheap Thrills, Big Deals

I decided to create a series called Cheap Thrills and Big Deals! The series will go over products that have small price tags but score big beauty points with me. When you're in college you want to always look but best but you don't want to go broke doing it. So once a week I will introduce one of my cheap thrill, big deal items. I hope you enjoy and if you have any in your stash leave me a comment below!


I'm back!!!!!!



After a long vacation from blogging, I decided that I am coming back in full force! When I stopped blogging I kept looking for dark skinned college aged bloggers and I realized I was just being lazy! Instead of getting off my butt and taking pictures of the things I love I wanted another girl to do it. So I have decided that I will update and answer questions from everything to nude lipsticks to the best drugstore foundations. My natural thick hair and eclectic fashion sense will also be on display, including the hair and fashion of others. It's hard out there for a chocolate beauty in the fashion world and I want to join the other bloggers helping other girls out there!

Mar 26, 2012

Top 10 Beginner Must-Haves: Part I



As a dark skinned African American woman I found it hard to get advice on makeup when I wanted to start a collection. It was also hard finding a starting point or some holy grail products for my skin. I have put together 10 of my go to and must have beauty products. I decided to break up the lists into 2 parts so you would have time to check your make up stash or to start creating one.  If you think I missed some feel free to comment below. Now, let’s get pretty!!!

1. Taj mahal NARS blush: It might look crazy when you look at this blush but it is truly gorgeous on all brown-skinned beauties no matter what race. Orange helps make our skin look like it has a natural summer glow. Even though the cost is a little high ($27) it could very well be the only one you need.
Price:$27
Available at: Sephora, Bleu Mercury

2. Revlon liquid eyeliner: with so many different brands this is truly my most reached for liquid eyeliner and at $6 it is easy to keep buying more. The felt tip applicator never dries out and is easy to use even for beginners. If you still not sure how to use liquid eyeliner there are plenty of YouTube tutorials to help.
Price:$5.99
Available at: CVS, Target, Walmart, Rite Aid, etc…

Feb 23, 2012

Daily Deal: A Free Pair of Glasses

If you like me are in desperate need of a new pair of stylish glasses for a cute price then Coastal is the the website for you. Although initially skeptical I decided to take the plunge and I am in love with my 2 new pairs of glasses.


Jan 17, 2012

Restaurant Week

So on Saturday night I decided I wanted to participate in Restaurant Week so I tweeted about going and Kayla responded. After Kayla said yes so did my best friend Briana and it was a date. I picked Level One because I say it on Groupon the day before and it had great reviews. When we finally got there we found out they had stopped Restaurant Week but atmosphere and prices were nice so we stayed, so glad we stayed. Not only was the food amazing but so was the wait staff. Definitely a nice girls night out.

Jan 8, 2012

Jewel Mint Rings

I just got my JewelMint package and I was ridiculously excited. For some who might not be aware JewelMint is a website that has an exclusive jewelry collection created by Kate Bosworth and her stylist. After joining the site you take a quick quiz and are given your own "jewelry box" of suggestions. For 29.99 you get 1 credit for a piece of your choice and free shipping!! My first purchase from them was a Christmas gift for my sister. It came in this lovely box:

Jan 4, 2012

Fro Love: Tolula Adeyemi

I decided to start a series titled "Fro Love" to show off some of my favorite afros; celebrities, friends and strangers are all going to be featured on the page. As an African American woman with natural hair I sometimes struggle for inspirations and hair ideas. I did the big chop in June 2010 and I went through a few hairstyles myself. Here are a few styles I tried:

Jan 2, 2012

Clothing Swap Party in DC!


So I just discovered my old co-worker Susie is holding a swap party at her store Black-Eyed Susie. I am a huge fan of clothing swap parties with friends or strangers because its an easy and cheap to update your wardrobe. If your not familiar with a swap party, its basically where a group of people bring fashionable but unwanted clothes and exchange them. The party is Friday January 20th which is plenty of time to get that closet organized for your New Year's Resolution.  

Winter Break Makeup Favorites

This is definitely the longest I've been home since I originally left for school. I had a 31 day vacation from school and being that far from my full collection of makeup was a little sad. I brought WAY to much makeup for my trip but these were definitely my favorites during my warm vacation!
(From left to right: Tarte Amazonian blush, Blushing Bride; MAC Studio Moisture Tint SPF 15, Deep Dark; OPI, Big Apple Red; The Body Shop Body Butter, Satsuma; Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer, Chesnut; NARS Bronzing Powder, Casino; MAC Satin Lipstick, Verve.


Fashions fade, style is eternal.

Jan 1, 2012

First Post!!!

Hi!!!!
I have been wanting to start a beauty and fashion blog for a while now. My name is Sylvia, new to the blogging world but a die-hard lover of beauty and fashion.With the help of a special someone (my techy bf) and the NewYear I decided today was the day. I am a new beauty junkie and a long time shopaholic but I am open to trying and experiencing new things. I hope to bring you guys hauls, tutorials, reviews, tips, wish-lists to lust over and a little bit of myself of course. I just couldn't wait to break this baby in!!!!


One of my favorite pictures, my sister giving me some loving advice during an outing.