Share the Pretty!

The other day i ran into an old co-worker of mine at a fancy make-up counter. We worked together at a make-up company (that is now completely dead) years ago. She is a make-up artist and i always loved her style overall. The other artists i worked with were very over the top. My friend could do over the top if that's what a client wanted but she was more realistic with her approach. That's why i always preferred her doing my daily face and got some awesome tips from her.

Anyways, she said i looked amazing and my application is wonderful! That made me feel so good! I have never taken a class but i love to experiment, especially with eye shadows. I'm an eye shadow junkie! If there is anything i hoard, its eye shadows and mascaras lol But yeah, it was good to see her and she actually asked me for some tips on how i got my eye lashes so "baby doll". She wanted to know what brand i used. I laughed and told her i love Rimmel Extra Super Lash which in the make-up world isn't the most high end brand but man it's awesome stuff! She said she use to be a fan of Rimmel but forgot about it because of where she works. I encouraged her to go try them out again, they are definitely reasonably priced and at least for me have done more than other brands in the same genre like Covergirl. We switched numbers and hopefully we will hangout soon.

This got me to thinking though. People ask me what brands i use all the time. I'm a bit of a snob in some cases when it comes to my brands but i know not everyone, especially women just getting into make-up can afford the ones i get. So i thought i'd share the ones i use and what i love about them:

NYX - they have cool glitter/shimmer eye liners and shadows for that POP many of us like to use on nights out.

Urban Decay - for just about anything. If you like big bold looks they are a good choice.

Rimmel - love their mascaras!!

Covergirl - nice foundations and powders. Mascaras are good for natural everyday looks too.

Smashbox - another good brand if you like bold looks. They do dark colors very well. And their "All
Nighter" spray primer does wonders for the wild/long nights out!

Fresh - just discovered at Sephora, has a great all over Primer lotion. So far it keeps my oils from building up so fast and great for powder application. Also cool mascara mini's, 2 for under $12!! Also love their under eye gel, very cooling and clears up the sleepy baggy eyes nicely.

Wet N' Wild - they get a bad rep for being on the super cheap end but their eye liner pencils are pretty awesome and at 99cents a pop you can't really lose!

Inglot - discovered them after watching one of my fave make-up artists on Youtube. Now, they are definitely on the high end of the industry but once you try them out, you understand why. They have a deal where you can build your own palettes (which can be hard to find companies that do this on a level Inglot does) and once i saw the colors i knew i had to do it! The colors are so freaking awesome! Their stores are very scarce...i went to the one in Vegas and spent almost $80 on 2 palettes but so worth it!! Go to their site http://www.inglotusa.com/ and look for Freedom System...you can build eye shadow, lipgloss, blush, foundation palettes exactly how you want them and order online. I'm gonna get another 2 palettes when i hit Vegas again and continue to build my collection lol They are the brand i would suggest hands down for the confident make-up wearer who doesn't mind spending money on great quality products.

Icings - they have their own make-up line that can be hit and miss but their small eye shadow palettes have been on the win side for me. They are great for playing with new colors and seeing what works for you overall. You don't break the bank at all and you can find some amazing colors that you can find in other palettes when you become more confident and want to move up.

NYC - another brand that gets a less than good rep for being cheap but again, great liners (pencil and liquid). Their lipglosses give some intense color like higher brands. Also a good brand to use when just starting out and finding what you like when it comes to colors.

Lancome - i only know about their lipglosses thanx to my bestie giving me a few as presents. They aren't sticky and go on really smooth. A lil pricey but i feel its worth it, as long as you don't burn through them fast.

Sephora - the Sephora brand itself is pretty awesome overall. They do compare nicely to Urban Decay, Smashbox, Stila etc. They don't cost much either. The quality is nice for their shadows and eye liners. I also enjoy their brushes. I recommend them when you are moving up to the next level of your make-up wearing. You could say they are that brand that is a level up from Target products and below department store products...a nice happy medium!

That's my list. I have used all the brands listed above. I haven't had any bad reactions like rashes or anything on that level with them and my skin is slightly sensitive. I think overall the thing you have to remember when it comes to make-up is don't be afraid to experiment and have fun! It's the only way you will learn what works for you.

BOOO SUMMER!!!!

I hate summer so much! I think it's the most annoying season ever! Especially after the age of 18. You don't get the luxury to have summer vacation and really enjoy it as much i think after high school. College yeah you do get time off but it's not the same i think. And it definitely changes once you start working and being an adult.

Kids our out of school terrorizing those of us who hate kids. Teenagers are out loitering everywhere and doing whatever latest "house hold product" that is the new drug of the week. Pregnant women are running us over with strollers and acting like they own the place, where ever they go.

The one thing i hate the most about summer though is...........

CROTCH SWEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's right! you read me right! CROTCH SWEAT!!!!! I HATE CROTCH SWEAT!!!

No one likes to talk about it but i have no shame, you guys know this, so yeah i'm gonna talk about it. Actually i'm gonna make points about it because i feel like using bullet points....woohoo for higher education!


- It happens to everyone, male and female! - If it's hot outside and you are a human being, you have crotch sweat. Doesn't matter how much you weigh, what you wear, none of that matters! That little ring of sweat you see in your undies is sweat and it happens, get over it and wipe yourself up!

- Wearing no undies doesn't help! - that just means the world will see your sweaty crotch through your pants! No one wants to see that! Those of you who wear khakis are the worse offenders with this too! STOP IT! Stop wearing light colored pants and no undies in the summer and not expecting your sweaty crotch to show through. Stop it now! Gross!

- Proper undies is key! - thongs and string bikinis don't hide crotch sweat. It also shows off ass crack sweat which is even more gross!! No one wants to see your thong anymore, stop that! But we really don't want to see your sweat drenched ass thong either! Wear undies that cover your ass and keep a decent barrier between you and your clothes so when sweaty crotch does happen only YOU know about it. Ladies, pantyliner are created for a reason. You should invest in some during the summer to help protect you and everyone else from sweaty crotch. Guys, i don't really want to know if you use pantyliners, but if you do to each his own. No judgement! I would probably suggest wear looser clothing. Let the boys breathe!!! Let air move through to cut down on the sweaty crotch.

- Check yourself! - If you are going on a date, or out with friends or just living your daily summer life and happen to meet someone or know you are gonna get some "action" on any kind of level, do yourself and the other person a favor and check yourself out when attending the bathroom. There is no shame in keeping your shit clean! Infact, next bullet point!

- Keep Clean!!!! - The best way to keep crotch sweat from becoming a bigger issue than it needs to be is to shower, shower, SHOWER! I don't care if you are showering 2 times a day. Your body needs to cool off, showers are there for a reason. Also, if you don't shower and let sweaty crotch run wild for more than a day, it stinks and others can smell you. No there isn't crotch deodorant but baby powder can keep the sweating down to a minimum. As well gives a nice scent. Men, there ain't no shame in smelling like baby powder. It shows you care about how you smell and women LOVE THAT! Please don't spray more than 2 pumps of cologne/perfume in your crotch. That won't cover the stinky sweaty crotch. Just shower dude, its really that simple.

That's it, hope it helps you fight the evil that is SWEATY CROTCH! There definitely will be more "i hate summer" banter coming soon!

*shame is for the weak!

Stop It!!

I'm sorry about how i am going to deliver this but i'm not sorry about the point.

Why the fuck do people keep cranking out these stupid ass shows about black people...wait no, about black women making us look MORE stupid than some people already think we are?! WHY? Single Ladies is a stupid show. Basketball Wives is a stupid show. The Game is HALFWAY decent but still stupid overall.

These shows are portraying black women in a light of, we like money, drinking, glitz and sleeping around. Seriously?? That we are all high drama, mouthy and uncouth. I'm really tired of these shows. I'm really tired of others looking at me like i "might be one of them". Or even asking me about it. I'm sorry to disappoint you but I am NOTHING like those women and don't plan on being like them.

Now look, if you wanna put yourself out there like that on a silly little reality show, by all means, do your thing. Please just know you aren't just showing the world YOU but you are also showing the world US. Unfortunately we live in a world were people are still stupid enough to think people on TV is a correct portrayal of people in real life. So do YOU honey, do YOU till you turn blue, but when you mouthing off, throwing bottles, trying to be "classy" and showing your ass, think about the example you are showing for all of us. We have too many young girls trying to grow up too damn fast and be like YOU on a show like THAT.
And if you are reading a script for a show that pretty much lives in stereotype land, maybe rethink it. Maybe show your intelligence and stand up for something. Selling your soul for a quick buck never lasts long.

I am just really tired of seeing this shit. I wish there was a smart, funny show about how most of us black women are and not what people THINK they want to see. It's like black movies! All black people do in the movies is eat, have family reunions, have weddings, have family drama, have funerals, become criminals or strippers and drink. Seriously? We can't think of nothing else but that? Come on people! And when something DECENT comes out as a black movie, people don't support it cause of stupid shit. Sure, i'm sick of Madea just like everyone else, but Tyler Perry makes other good movies and when they come out people all talk shit and don't support them! Hell Queen Latifah will do a movie and still nobody supports it. Sure it may be kind of lame but damn it, at least its not the usual crap we spew out.

I'm going to get off my soap box right now, but I'm not done with this topic, nope! And for the record YES i do watch The Game and Basketball Wives Reunion (only the reunions!) because damn it i get tired of seeing white people do crazy shit in the swamp and selling things! Yep, I'm an equal opportunity annoyed with all people on TV in general person so don't think i'm being evil or something like that. I don't like most of the shit on TV, no matter who is on it >=)

Maybe You Will...Maybe You Won't

A friend of mine is feeling the pangs of a relationship being over. Missing someone you were crazy for is never fun. So this is my advice...

You get over them in whatever time you need. Meaning no matter how long you were together, you can't calculate how long its going to take for you to get over them. It may take a month, it might take a year. Only YOU can determine how long it's truly going to take to move forward. YOU make the choices for the next steps to move forward. You can cry. We all do. You can hide. We all do. You can be angry, pissed off and even resentful. We all do. But once you have run the gambit of emotions, what will you do? Can you learn from the situation? Can you pull out the good things that happened and smile about them? Can you forgive the bad things and truly forgive the person for hurting you AND for you hurting them?

It's a process. I take breakups like death. Especially if it's someone you were madly in love with and genuinely apart of one another's lives in amazing ways. You are going to feel the loss like you would when someone close to you dies. In a way it is a death. It's the death of a relationship. It's a death of part of you. You feel something missing very strong. There is a hole. And with that can come darkness and immense sadness. Trust me i know.

Speaking from experience. I have loved deeply. I have loved only 2 people in my life (not related to me) so much that i have seriously said, i would give my life for them. I have lost both of them, relationship wise. The sadness if i sit and think about it, like i am now, is still intense. The pain is still there as if it happened yesterday. I mourned when we ended our relationship. I mourned long and hard. I went to a very dark place that i had never known existed in me. I was a woman on an island, in my world. No one could say anything to me to make me feel any better for the longest time. Sure i went about my days with school and work as though i was fine but there was always a dark cloud hovering over me. I literally felt like i was best friends with Death himself. Because i truly felt that a part of me died once those relationships were over and there was no light at the end of the tunnel what so ever. So yeah, i been in it. Even to this day, its been many, many, MANY years since we have broken up and it still gets me choked up when i talk about the break up. But i have moved forward in huge ways.

You might NEVER get over this person. People don't tell you this unless they are being deathly honest to you. Your friends will say "fuck him/her, you can do better" bla bla bla. They can tell you all the shit you want to hear just to make you feel better. But truth be told friends can lie to you. A real friend, person will tell you exactly what i am about to say...YOU MIGHT NEVER GET OVER THIS PERSON. You may move forward and move on. You will meet someone else who will make you just as happy, or even happier. You will love again. That said though, the love you felt for that person may never go away and the hurt you feel from the loss may never full heal. But if you have made the effort to move on with your life, you will put that person in a place in your heart and lock it up. Think of it as a Pandora's Box deal. You put stuff in there you need to push back in order to move forward and get all the things you deserve in this life. You lock it up and put it away for safe keeping. I won't say you can never open the box again because it's human nature to go there. It's natural to want to go back there at any time. So you will. You will go there and remember the good and bad things. You will wonder if you could have done anything different. You will  miss the person. You will wonder if you will ever be that happy or meet someone that awesome ever again. That's normal. If you truly loved this person, you will look back and you will have a moment of sadness. That's how we learn and move forward. The key is to not dwell there. Don't be in the box too long. As i said before, its been several years since my break ups and every now and then i will go and open the box to  remember the good things and still feel love for them. But i don't stay there too long, because i have a future someone out there who will love me just as much and i have to remember i will be happy once again. These 2 guys will ALWAYS have a place in my heart...ALWAYS. That will never change. I will love them in some way always and forever. I accept and understand that. Which is how i have been able to move forward.

You will be all right. That's it. You will be all right. You can survive the loss. You will love someone else again. You will be just as happy with someone else again. Sure it's going to be a bit of a journey but that's what life is about. You continue the journey, take the hits and still can come up on top. That person you broke up with, doesn't define your future, only you do. You can still love them but not be with them. However, if you are an eternal optimist like myself you can have hope that maybe...just maybe, you might be reunited with this person down the road. Both as better people and both ready to be together again and it will be done the way it should be. That old saying, if  it's mean't to be it shall be, is what i believe and it's what gets me through those rough days.

I hope this helps anyone who is in this space. You are not alone.

F*** the NBA

Yeah i said it. Why do i say it? Here are my reasons and i don't care if you agree or don't.

1. We don't even have a full season! We barely got a season so you would think they want to make sure they get all the money from fans as they possibly could. NOPE! They rather keep prices too fucking high for tickets (no where near the court). Then do trades like we have a full season still! Seriously?!

2. Trades in a shitty less than half a season is bullshit! Let the players fucking play with their team! If someone really wanted to be traded then do a trade per their request but don't sit up here and keep the same trade deadlines! And stop putting people on the trade table that don't need to be there! You can't fucking "rebuild" a team this season. Wait till its over, its going to be fucking over in 2 minutes anyways! These guys are playing long and hard and you want to start pushing them to a new team where they will barely know their teammates before the shit season is over?! Seriously?!

3. Fuck Mitch Kupcheck! Yeah i said it! He is playing fast and loose with his players trying to make a dollar anyway he can. Who is paying for this? Laker fans. First Odom, now Fisher. We got a whole fucking bench of players who aren't doing shit for us and you want to trade starters and vets? Seriously?! It doesn't matter that i'm Fisher's number one fan. The man was here 1) to get the best medical care for his daughter, and 2) so he could retire as a Laker because that's what he wanted to do and EVERYONE KNEW THIS!!! FUCK, he is the got damn President of the Player's Association! You couldn't give him the rest of this shitty season and probably of his career with the team he loves?! SERIOUSLY?! Waste of fucking time and money! The man has to fucking pick up his family and move to Houston and get ready to play with a team he doesn't even know, let alone who doesn't even DESERVE HIM! People are wondering what's wrong with Odom, why isn't he playing good? WTF DO YOU THINK IS WRONG WITH HIM?! He got put on the table and didn't even know he was an option...stabbed in the back. THEN you decide last minute to take him off the table because of the HUGE uproar over it and guess what...seconds later you fucking trade him to a team that doesn't deserve him! And you fucking wonder WHY he isn't playing very well? You wonder why his heart isn't in it? Hmmm i wonder?! No amount of money fixes being stabbed in the back by someone who you thought had your back. And don't even get me started on what they did to Brian Shaw!

4. Fuck David Stern! He has proven time and time again to be all about money at any cost. Maybe he owes some mafia people i don't know. Maybe he lost some bets in Vegas? Maybe he is just a douche? Him and some of the owners are definitely douches. It's all about the money to them and they will do whatever it takes and screw over whoever they want to get that dollar. I mean look at the Miami deal...case and point. I am tired of giving my hard earned money to the NBA. I am tired of supporting a system that keeps screwing it's fans over. I'm tired of supporting a system that doesn't give a fuck about it's players and treats them like pawns. Let the guys fucking play! Let the fans fucking cheer for their team without blowing a car payment! The madness this has become is just mind blowing!

Don't get it twisted, i'm still a Lakers fan...loosely at the moment...but i'm done watching them this season. I still love pro basketball but I'm done with it this season. They have done nothing to earn my money, viewership, nor respect.

Those of you who are like "well they have to rebuild" bla bla bla about the Fisher trade, think of it like this: Say Kobe or Jordan (back in his day) were like 20 games away from retiring at the end of the season and they traded them to a loser team so he didn't have a huge chance of retiring with the team he loved, with the fans he loved, with the city he loved and did so much for on that team. How would you feel then? Especially after all the lockout drama. Could you really be ok with it and not want to say "Fuck this!"??? That's how i feel and i'm sorry but no one can change my mind about it.

Dance!

I love Flo + the Machine! And it seems that especially around this time of year, we can get dragged down with worries and fears. We feel the weight of the world heavier for some reason. We feel all the negative.

This song stays with me all day long because it reminds me to not let ridiculous things mess up my wonderful day and view on life overall. It reminds me to not forget that yeah the devil or evil of the world is gonna try to get to me but i have the power and strength to shake it off.

No matter whats going on in your life, you should know it can be worse. Be thankful that it isn't. And tell the negativity to fuck off so you can dance and enjoy what this time of year is really about; family, friends and appreciation for the things you do have.

Besides, you can't dance with a frown on your face =)

Twi-ugh

So FX is showing Twilight 1 and i keep pausing on it to watch it. I want to know what all the hype is about. I still don't get it but here are my thoughts...

- Kristen Stewart has no emotion. She looks like she is constantly constipated, even when she tries to be happy. Her narration voice reminds me too much of Lindsay Lohan narrating in Mean Girls. Which is rather annoying because i whole heartedly believe Lindsay would have made a better and less annoying Bella. How can someone give Kristen's character the name Bella and she is anything but??

- Robert Patinson...i must say i can see his appeal. He is like the Jason Priestly of this time =) The hair, chilvary, devotion to the chick he loves...it's all there. I will admit, a very well written character who has fascinating and obsessive qualities most teen girls need to become fans of someone. I do however feel bad for thim....Edward is just a role and although it's a role that made his career, he will forever be seen as Edward until he builds up his credits as a legitamite actor. I'm sure he will be fine, just have to keep getting good roles that show his range. I'm pretty sure he can do more than we know. I don't like his high pitched voice in the movie though. It's not THAT high but it's not manly enough for me. I do however give him props for losing his accent completely.

- The part at the end where Bella wants to be "with him forever" at her prom is so fucking hilarious! It's so the typical "i don't want to be a virgin anymore, tonight is the night" prom cliche! And Kristen can't even show emotion when kissing. This chick is pathetic! I don't like the constant color to hazy blue-grey-black-white thing they did either, it was annoying, not cinema. And all the intense profile shops...wow, smh.

- Peter Facinelli was nice to see as the "father" of the pack. Cause you know, those wild teens needs direction and restraint!

- I do like that one vampire chick Alice, probably because she just looks cool.

In closing, i worked hard to not vomit while watching the little bit that i did (about the last 45mins of it). There is no part of me that could sit threw a whole series, let alone 2 hours of this anti-climatic movie(s). There was never a point where i wanted to be Bella, or wanted a guy like Edward. Sure in theory it would be cool to date a vampire but from where i come from, they suck blood and don't have the option to "control the urge". If you are gonna fall for a vampire, you better be ready to be one. Also, the angst that Bella puts herself threw makes me want to break her neck! I know, she is like 16 but come on!!!! She is super cliche too...doesn't socialize, lives in a small town, parents are apart, random dudes like her but her self esteem is so shot to hell she doesn't realize it till they chase her down or pop up in her room randomly and so on. It's classic geared for teens writing. I know some of you might think "if you were 16 now, you would probably be a fan of it"...let me tell you somethin, i would still scoff at it if i was 16...that's just me.

I don't think anything less of the Twihards or whatever they are called, i just know even after seeing a bit, i will never be into it.

ps...i just read on IMDB the whole story of the main characters all the way up to the end (last book) and yeah, anti-climatic just like i thought *snickering*