Victoria's Secret New Make-up Line!!!

Yo, my fellow product junkie and I went to Victorias Secret the other day to scope out the new and improved make-up line that they launched, and it was beyond excellent!  They have enough of everything so that the person who is new to make-up and the good ole professional have something to enjoy.  Out of all of the products, two were my favorites.  The first product was a color corrector pallete similar to one that Make Up Forever makes, but half the price!  Besides the price factor, the texture of each of the correctors was nice and creamy, and easy to blend.

  Another product that had me weak in the knees were the eyeshadows!  They were super pigmented, and very similar to Shu Uemura in texture.  For those of you who don't know, not too many brands are messing with Shu Uemura when it comes to pigment and texture!  While the shadows are powder, they still have a very creamy texture, making them easy to blend.

Other products in the line included lip glosses similar to MAC lipglass, really nice lipsticks, makeup removers, foundations, concealer, and some bronzers.  Overall, the line is a must see, and I'm sure that if you check it out, you will leave with something.

Holla!

Beverly Johnson Hair Weave

So the other day, I dug in my trunk of talents, and sewed in a few tracks for a friend that is going out of town, and discovered that Beverly Johnson, one of the first black super models, has some bomb hair!!  We used wet and wavy, and when we wet that hair, it was gorgeous!  The wave pattern was really natural looking, and we were going for a soft "Diana" look.  As we scrunched it, it got more and more bushy and wavy, which is what we were going for.  For all of you lovely ladies, that like good weaves, Beverly Johnson's product is nice!!

Janelle Monae

Save as Draft


So, if I had to pick one person that is in their mid twenties, and who I truly admire, it would be Janelle Monae.  A couple of years ago, I had the wonderful experience of doing make-up for Howard University's Homecoming fashion show, and while the actual experience of doing make-up was not so great, having the opportunity to see Janelle perform live was awesome, and life changing.

  

I was tired, and pissed off after dealing with a bunch of ungrateful models, and was ready to go home when my friend suggested we go out and see the show.  We did, and Janelle's show was otherworldly.  This teeny person, in this cool uniform with one guitar player that looked like Ike Turner, with the bob wig and all, got on stage and started doing their thing. 

 Monae's voice was a raspy powerhouse that belted out songs with freedom and control all at the same time.  The energy that she exuded in her dancing and connection with the audience was also crazy.  The guitar player was so laid back in his demeanor, his picture should have been posted in the dictionary next to "black coolness".  Of course the young Howard crowd booed them, but they were so good, and so professional, Janelle and her guitar player rocked even harder!  From that moment on, I was a fan!

 I went home and googled everything I could about this "new girl that got booed at Howard's Homecoming fashion show".  I learned that I had already heard a few songs by her that I really liked including "Letting Go" which was on Big Boi's Purple Ribbon compilation CD.  She also sang the hook for an Outkast single from their movie "Idlewild".  Fast foward a few years, and she still, in my opinion, has not received the fame and notoriety that she deserves.  She was in this summer's issue of Paper Magazine, and her interview still sold me on why I love her as an artist.  

She is an out of the box thinker who understands that to be great as a  female entertainer you do not have to compromise one bit of who you are. She believes in wearing a uniform(which I think is the dopest thing ever) because it "represents her rejection of chaos".  Her make-up is flawless and fresh faced, and her music while other worldly, literally, is relevant to what is happening in society today.  One of my favorite songs, "Sincerly Jane", speaks to black people who are "caught up" in the everyday struggle of living in their not so great environments.  It talks about her relatives and folks in general who are caught up in the drug game, women who allow themselves to be taken advantage of, and all other people who seem to be just existing or in her terms, "walking dead".

All in all, from her image, to her music, I love this girl, I think that many female artists who want to be seen and heard for who they are, and for what they have to offer the world musically, she sets an excellent example.  She is truly a super hero after my own heart.  

To the moon Miss Cindy Mayweather!!!!!!!!

Imitation is the Best Form of Flattery? Really?

I cannot hold this anymore, and I don't think that I should. There is a certain ex-stripper turned celebrity girlfriend that has gotten a ton of attention because of her "unique" look.  In a recent interview outside of a Guess store in NY, she mentioned that she styled herself, and that what the public has always seen, are pictures of clothes that she has picked out for herself.  Now let me break down this gorgeous girl that we all know and love, Amber Rose.

I was inspired to do my blog page, in part because of Kanye West and Amber Rose.  Initially, I read an article in Complex magazine where I gained a ton of inspiration.  What I also gained was a refreshing take on who Kanye thought his ideal mate could be.  In the interview done in Complex mag, when asked who his ideal mate could be, his answer was a "super hero".  I imeadiatly started to try and define and visualize who and how a super hero for Kanye would look.  I imagined her to be a smart, intelligent, gorgeous women, who was well versed in everything!  I imagined her to be a women of integrity, a role model, a fierce fashionista, extremely creative, and someone who had all of that to offer the world to make some sort of positive change.  Then I started to think about women that I know personally that fit that description in some way shape or form.  After that...I learned about, and saw Amber Rose.  

I wasn't surprised, but majorly dissappointed.  I was dissappointed because she was not in anyway shape or form what I invisioned.  Don't get me wrong, the pieces that have been put together to create who we know as Amber Rose are good, but they certainly did not live up to the "super hero" woman that I created in my head.

The master mind behind her "look" deserves kudo's.  Amber is one of America's answers to the question of what "American Beauty" is. We should all know that the answer is an "exotic" ambiguous woman.  Amber fits that discription because while she is a white woman from Philly, her hair has been shaved and bleached so that the natural texture and color is not revealed, her skin has been darkened so that it is difficult to determine her race, and breast and butt enhancements have been added to make her look more "ethnic", "black", "full figured", "curvaceous". 

 Once she was introduced to the media, and especially as Kanye's girl, many black women embraced her.  I know that many of my friends personally took a look at her pictures, shrugged their shoulders, and said "cute black girl".  My mother even asked "Baby, who is the new black girl that Kanye is dating?"  I realized that what the master mind behind Amber Rose had done was make her into a black woman, and that maybe it was done on purpose to have her accepted by the black community.    If many black women think this, then they tend to not have a problem with her dating Kanye, also with the added curves, it makes her more appealing to black men.  I certainly don't think that black women should lash out on the idea of interracial dating, but I don't think it is okay to pass someone on as something that they are not either.  Besides that, I have some questions, that have come up in my mind while all of this "Amber Rose Mania" continues.

Questions

What kind of affect does her "look" have on black women? Black Men? Young black girls?

How does it make black women who have worn their hair bald for longer than Amber Rose has been famous feel now?

Is it fair for black women who have worn their hair short to be criticized for duplicating a look that has been worn by black women for centuries?(note many African hairstyles/cultures)

Who really is the person behind Amber Rose's style?  Were they thinking any of these things when her "look" was created?

Has Kanye thought about any of these questions?  Should he?

Does her look, and who she is dating perpetuate any negative stereotypes that exist about interracial dating?

Would other black/white/latino/asian women have a better chance of dating an entertainer if they looked less like what they were and more ambiguous?

In conclusion, when the people/culture that is constantly imitated is not acknowleged or celebrated in a positive way, but always duplicated and commodified, it is not flattery.  For those of us who rocked a short hairstyle before this storm, we just have to sit back and ride it out, because for us it is a part of who we are, and not a current trend.

Oh no!! We have the same dress on!!

I went to an event last Saturday, and the attire requirements were sneakers, and anything that looks good with them.  Because I consider myself a pretty stylish person, I decided to wear an HnM dress with my sneakers for the occasion.  I knew that because I bought the dress from HnM, the likelyhood of me running into someone with the same dress was high, I added a tank top underneath my dress, and wore a belt around the waist.  Not to my surprise, about halfway through attending the event, I saw another girl with the same dress! 

 I quickly took my tank top that I was wearing under my dress, and put it over my dress, and then I put my belt back on around my waist.  The main reason for me doing this "costume change" right on the spot, was the girl who had on the same dress, and her friends were starting to make an issue of the mishap.  Instead of feeding them with a visual, I decided to switch it up, forcing them to make something else the focus of their attention.  The thing that saddens me about the whole ordeal is that it is something so trivial.  

As black women we allow our insecurities to get the best of us all the time, and especially when we are in a group out in public.  Our first inclination is to always "talk about" the other women that are around us.  Often it is always in a negative manner.  With the dress incident, I think that the other girl, "my twin", should have considered the fact that she purchased her dress from a mass retailer, which means that "her" dress was mass produced, which means that the likelyhood of her seeing someone else with the dress on is always going to be high. 

 Further more, instead of us doing what we always do, which is to be catty and negative, we should just let things that are not important go.  Besides checking myself, and making sure that I don't do the catty negative thing when I am out in public, I am also going to learn how to sew this summer! One of a kind dresses=no drama!lol

Dashiki's, Kufi's, and Nike Boots?

Sooooooooo, I have been noticing a resurgence of a trend that hasn't popped up  since the 1960's and 70's during the Black Power Movement.  What is so shocking is that the trend has been picked up by young black men in the DC area, not the "consciencous" ones, but the nike boot, skinny jeans, "new born baby" cap wearing ones.  The current article of clothing that has resurfaced in that crowd is, THE DASHIKI!!!  What is crazy and sad, is that the guys that are rocking the dashiki's probably have no clue about where the tops come from, and the significance that they have had on black culture.  I'm gonna provide a little bit of info, and for those of us who can educate guys on the streets wearing the dashiki, lets do it!  If we know better, we have to do better.  In this case it might be talkin to a "young" about what his shirt stands for.

Michael Jackson @Fashion Week this fall?

So, if you are a music lover, you are probably still mourning Michael Jackson's death.  That aside, we have to know that he will always be here in spirit and in fashion.  Since his death, the resurgence of his music has been unbelievable!  I think that there already has been and will be fashion that is inspired by him as well.  In the August volume of InStyle magazine, there were military jackets featured in DKNY and Versace ads, as well as a red, black, and white color palette.  There are also sequins everywhere for fall from sequined tanks to dresses to, of course, gloves!  The huge aviator sunglasses that Michael used to always wear have been, and still are all the rage for this season and many more to come. Vogue magazine did an excellent write up on Jackson's style and reported that many designers were already collaborating with him for his upcoming return to the music scene. It was rumored that he would be outfitted in thousands of Swarovski crystals for his London tour, and had been photographed in decked out band-leader inspired jackets for Balmain.   Lets make Michael proud and dig up our red leather motorcycle jackets, roll up our "boyfriend" jeans, get us some loafers, aviator sunglasses, and beat it!  

Nail Polish!

So, I am a product junkie, and I love nail polish!  The best nail polish that I have come across hands down is.......L.A. Girl Flare.  They sell it at Forever21 and Urban Outfitters, you can also get it from www.cherryculture.com for three bucks!  It's cheap, and you really only need two coats!!! It is better than OPI and Essie, I would assume that it's also better than China Glaze.  There are not many colors to choose from, maybe about twelve, but they are worth getting!  I do use OPI chip skip first then a sally hansen top coat, and then a quick dri spray by OPI after applying the polish, but then the toes are done for two weeks!

Shoes and Leggings

To wear leggings or not to wear leggings?

Leggings come in all sizes, patterns, colors, and fabrics, and because of that, some leggings are not to be worn as pants.  Before we go to our closet and decide to put on leggings, lets evaluate how we should wear them/how they should be worn before exiting our places of residence.  If the fabric is sheer/transparent, the pants should not be worn as pants.  Sometimes it is neccessary to put the leggings on and look at them in a well lit room, because that way you can see whether they are really sheer or not in regular light.  If the leggings are nice and opaque, good.  Another test that you may want to put your leggings through is the cellulite/jello test.  Some of us have cellulite, and are legs are not as firm as we would like them to be (please reference some of my other posts to remedy this problem).  When we are trying on our leggings lets also look to see how visible the cellulite/jellos factor is.  If it is visible at all, we may want to wear spanx, or want to make sure we wear a top that comes down long enough to hide our "problem" areas.  One more aspect that is very important in determining how to wear leggings that are flattering is to choose the right length.  For folks with short legs, full length is ideal because the leggings will not cut off the length of your legs and make them appear shorter than they are.  For people with longer legs, any length is exceptable, make sure you try on different tops with your leggings so you have the best possible options.  Enjoy wearing your leggings this summer!!

Judy outti 5000!

Can a Sista Get a Fitted Cap and Some Air Yeezys?!!

I am a chick that loves gymshoes(yes gymshoes cuz I'm from the Chi!) and fitted caps.  I happen to have a low hair cut with waves better known as the 360 haircut, and sometimes I like rockin fitteds.  The problem is that I can never find them to fit my small head.  I know that women are a small market to cater to when it comes to gymshoes and fitteds but we are out here!  I spend countless hours trying to find my sizes on the internet, but I still have to order hats that are slightly too big!  I can just forget about gymshoes!  Almost all the gymshoes that I like, that I find super 'fly' are only sold in mens sizes, which brings me to the Air Yeezys!  Now, I love Kanye West and his ego, and I would love a pair of Air Yeezys, but when I first heard about them I had to curb my enthusiasm cuz I knew that he did not make them for women.  Its so sad cuz they would be so fly with some type of "Leaders" fitted to match!Oh well, I guess I just have to keep searchin hopin that one day I will have my way with fitted caps and gymshoes!

Judy!

Dewwwyyyyyy Skin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Warm weather prompts pretty, dewy, natural looking make-up.  There are so many brands to choose from, its hard to decide which foundation formulas to pick.  I like to collect foundations because I am a product junkie so I will talk about a few.lol  If you want a nice water based foundation that feels light on the skin but gives you decent coverage, try Queen Collections liquid formulas.  They glide on, and you can apply them with your fingers to give you a nice and natural finish.  They come in darker shades designed for women of color, and while they have a decent selection, you have to visit drugstores that are in black neighborhoods to find the best selection that they offer.  Another really good formula is La Mer's liquid foundation.  It is heavenly, it can be applied the same way (with the fingers), or with a foundation brush or sponge of your choice. This product also comes in a variety of colors, but they recently discontinued the darker shades.  The good news is that they still sell them at the "Gone but not forgotton" line at 646-602-7800. It is worth the call.  The last foundation that I recently tried and was really pleased with is the Bobbi Brown whipped formula.  I don't think they market it as such, but that is what it is.  It comes in a jar, and it comes in all shades. It blends well with fingers or a sponge, and gives you excellent coverage.  Good luck on getting your dew on!

Judy5000

Stocks, Bonds, and Black Kids

Yo, its time for us broke grown folks to wake up and smell the money! I was watchin TV on my lunch break today, and the only channel that I could get on the TV at work was PBS. I decided that to escape from the stress of my job, that I would watch whatever I could. I ended up watchin this show called "BizKids". It blew my hair back (the little that I have). The segment that I caught was about young kids who had major experience purchasing stocks and investing!The cool thing was that the kids were all kids of color!! They were talking about the differences between purchasing online vs working with a broker, they were talking about different companies and investment banks. They were giving advice about what stocks to purchase, how to raise capitol to purchase stock, etc... The investment group was called Ujamaa Junior, and the founder appeared to be an African American woman who was a parent to one of the kids in the group. They would have meetings in a backyard, and she quizzed the kids on all sorts of things related to the market. It was awesome. People are always talking about how our children are lost, uneducated, and have no hope, but this group provided some much needed proof that all is not lost!To all of the parents that have groups like this going keep doing what you do, and for all of us grown folks who are broke and clueless, we need to step our game up!lolI think I'm gonna dust off my copy of "Young, Fabulous, and Broke" and get started. Who is with me?lol

Get Money!

Summer Clothes and Winter Bodies

Alright, so now it is spring and it is time to put the winter coats away. The only problem is that many of our bodies are not ready to be revealed in the spring and summer. Its easy to eat heavy, creamy, fattening foods in the winter, but its hard to be motivated to work it off. Because of that, and because we like to wear what we want, when we want, and how we want, we need to know tricks that will help us look good while we work off extra pounds. Spanx are a girls best friend. They come in all shapes and sizes, and look great under clothes. Now if you can't afford the spanx, you can always pop in a Marshalls or TJMaxx to find body shapers that will still hold you in the places that you need to be held. Now that we have that in order, if you are going for more "revealing" ensembles, we need self tanner and preparation h cream. The self tanner gives you that nice even bronze goddess glow, think Mary J, Tyra Banks, Beyonce, and JLo. MAC cosmetics normally comes out with a nice spray body bronzer, NARS has a nice body gloss that smells super good, and The Bodyshop has these deodorant like leg shines that come in two shades that make your legs look good. Preparation H is great for CELLULITE!!!!!!!!!!!It temporarily swells the area and gets rid of the dimples. It also makes the area look smooth and even in texture. To sum this all up, ladies get a good body shaper, some body gloss/bronzer, and some Preparation H, and you are good to go!

Holla, and good luck!

Hammer Pants!

In the world of fashion, things are recycled.  When you are old enough to see something come back in style, news flash, you/we are old!lol  That dosen't matter, MC Hammer pants are back in style, and I'm gonna get a pair.  They are everywhere, forever twenty one, BCBG, all over the runways for the spring 09 collections.  I saw these bright pink ones from BCBG on sale for like $150 and I am contemplating getting them like everyday.  I am pretty gutsy when it comes to my attire, but I just keep thinking that I'm gonna feel like breaking into the "typewriter" or the "runnin man" when I wear them.  Until I decide, I'ma just keep rockin bright pink lipstick!lol  I know I should just man up and buy them!lol

Stay up!

Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, and other good stuff for the skin!

So anyone who knows me knows that I am a product junkie!Right now my focus is on skincare.  A couple of months ago I experienced a break out for the first time in like four years so I was trippin big time!  Instead of taking it like a punk, I came out guns ablazin!  Because I used to work at this plastic surgery office, I learned that glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and certain antioxidants help to get rid of breakouts and the scars i.e hyperpigmentations that they leave behind.  The first place that I went was Sephora, now they had some stuff, but I just was not trying to spend the money to get it.  I called a few friends that are also junkies, and one suggested that since I know what ingredients I'm lookin for, that I should go to a drugstore to get what I needed, so to RiteAid I went!  I found this awesome product line called c.booth with all kinds of stuff!  The line had a glycolic acid "skin resurfacing solution", that you use like a toner with 10% glycolic acid, it had a "salicylic acid" spot treatment, and a bunch of other stuff that I eventually ended up buying within a month!lol The stuff is all between $15-$20, and it works great!  Anytime I am on the comeup for some good inexpensive skincare stuff that works, I will let the world know!  Oh yeah I guess for those wondering what this stuff does, I should explain, glycolic acid derived from suger cane is an alpha hydroxy acid that helps to breakdown dead skincells on the surface of the skin and dessolve them.  This is neccessary because dead skin cells hangin out on your skin make it appear dull and lifeless, they also block important stuff from reaching the "good skin".  It can also diminish fine lines and wrinkles.  Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid good for helping to control oil production by absorbing oil that gets deep into pores making them less clogged and thus having a smaller appearance, dissolve/exfoliate dead  skin, and help with dark marks left from former breakouts.  So the bottom line is get some its great!

Holla!

Belly, Steve Harvey's Book, and Africa

You know, everything truly happens for a reason, it is important for us to recognize that always.  Today which happens to be Easter Sunday, I decided to watch Belly for the second time in my life.  Now, I have been trying to watch this movie for a month now, but my roommate just found it in his room, and I snuck it out to watch it this morning.  The crazy thing is that I also just finished reading Steve Harvey's new book too.  I know that you may be thinking what the hell do Belly, Steve Harvey's new book, and Africa have to do with one another, and it can be summed up in two words, our people.  Belly is a movie that will always be relevant to us in an unfortunate way.  The subject matter that the film deals with is prevelant in our communities just as much today as they were when that film was originally aired.  The end of the film made a connection for me, especially as a woman.  Harvey's book dealt with giving women advice on how to treat themselves, so that they could attract what they wanted from the opposite sex.  He put it in a candid way so that we could all follow what he was trying to say.  It is simply this, treat yourself how you deserve to be treated, and demand that you be treated that way by others. Period! The movie said the same thing, and gave examples of how and where we go wrong throughout.  The character "Sincere" was like Steve, and was the conscience, the one reminding us of what we all seem to know but often times ignore to satisfy needs of the flesh.  All of this has a relationship to the continent of Africa, because we are people from African descent, and with the way that the world is going, it might not be a bad idea for us to really work on strenghthening our relationship with that part of who we are.  We need it, and so do the people on the continent.  We are all not built to do what Sincere and his family did, but we can all make that pilgrimage in some shape or form. I certainly was not trying to get that "deep", but after all this is Easter Sunday, and if we don't get "deep" we will continue to be lost.

Peace and a bottle of hair grease!lol

Monique

I was watchin this show on TVOne earlier today while tryin be beat this cold that I'm getting, and it was an interview with Kathy Hughes and Monique. At first I wasn't going to watch it, but I could not change the channel! Monique has always struck me as a very strong individual that is super confident about her abilities. The interview was inspirational because she talked about the challenges that she faces in the industry because she does not and will not sacrifice her beliefs about herself or others. What I really loved is that she adressed the issue of being fat in a very real way. She mentioned that society treats people who are overweight like they have commited a crime, and like they should be able to do something about their weight. While she stated that she does not condone being unhealthy or obese, she does think that is neccessary for people to accept themselves for who they are and what they look like. After all if you can't accept yourself being fat, you will not be able to accept yourself skinny. I think that this can be said for all other aspects of self. Women in general have so many hangups when it comes to our outer appearance, and we always seem to want what we don't have. When we finally get to a place where we can accept ourselves for who we are, fat, skinny, light, brown, chocolate, short hair, long hair, no hair, short, tall, full lips, small lips, big teeth, crooked teeth, poor, rich, suburban, urban, educated, noneducated, ...etc we will be able to take over the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!lol

Your Regular Superhero

I'm an educated young black woman with a lot on her mind. I love fashion, make-up, world affairs, the arts, and most of all, getting on my soapbox and talkin smack! I embrace many lifestyles especially the ones that people are quick to pass judgement on. I have an opinion about everything. I am definetly a know-it-all, but I don' t tend to get on people's nerves. I have created this blog to create a platform for myself and some other superhero's to discuss whatever is on our minds. Enjoy!

Judy Surefire