Curl Fest 2014

For the nearly 16 years of my time here on this planet, I've manged to tame my fro naturally.       
This means I have never used any chemicals or relaxers on my hair.  
Keeping your hair natural is a difficult and expensive thing to do for us black girls, but in the end it pays off.  
It caused my hair to grow long, strong, and healthy.  Often my hair is mistaken for a weave!

So far, my signature style for sophomore year has been a crimp,
 making it look like my hair has a natural wave pattern; courtesy of my amazing hairstylist Ms. Tory

Curl Fest is a celebration of natural hair and includes vendors and hair stylists from all over Orlando promoting the growth of  healthy, natural hair.  
One product I bought from Curl Fest is the Lush Hair Lotion from Cashmere Blush. The lotion contains essential oils, vitamins, and fatty acids to add sheen and hydration to hair without weighing it down, something I definitely needed!

It was nice to see the different natural hairstyles people had at the event and how they help maintain it.  I hope to attend many other natural hair events in the future

*I apologize for not having any pics of the event.  I literally took pictures and video for you guys, but somehow managed to delete them all from my phone : (

Ciao,

       Monique

Beauty Favs

Here are 5 of my current favorite beauty products:

1. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner:  

This eyeliner is super soft and easy to apply! I love it!

2. Clinique Different Lipstick (Sugared Grapefruit):

This lipstick color is subtle and gorgeous!

  

 3. Urban Decay Eyeshadow

I love Urban Decay's eyeshadow colors!  They are so pretty and rich in color.  I also got this lovely container at Ulta to put up to 4 colors in it.  Top Left: Half Baked, Top Right: A pretty white color from Sacha (not Urban Decay), Bottom Left: Naked, Bottom Right: Darkhorse

 4. La Roche- Posay: Anthelios Daily Moisturizer + Sunscreen

This moisturizer does a great job of rejuvenating your skin and protecting it from sun damage.

 5. Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Perfume

 

This scent is absolute perfection: soft, sweet, and mystical. It's hands down my favorite perfume!

Ciao,

       Monique

DIY Gel Nails

If you’re anything like me, you can’t go through one day without getting your nail polish chipped.  This is why I fell in love with gel nail polish, which typically stays on for 2 weeks, chip-free.  The problem with gel nail polish is that it eventually becomes expensive getting it done every 2 weeks.  This why my mother (also a gel nail fanatic) decided to invest in our own gel nails kit.

She bought the Nicole by OPI gel kit.  The process to applying the nail polish is quick and easy.  The nail kit cost about $30, which is how much it was for us to get it done at a salon per appointment. 

Supplies in Kit: LED light and plug, top coat, base coat, 2 Nicole by OPI colors (“Indelible Pink” and “Red Over Heels”), nail file, nail pick, alcohol wipes

1

      

  

     1. File your nails and make sure they are neat.

     2. Apply the base coat, and put under the LED light for 30 seconds (light should come off  after 30 seconds).

    

 

Hold LED light like this to do thumbs

  

     3. Apply one coat of your color, and put under LED light for 30 seconds. * I used a Sally Hansen gel color called “Pink Pong” instead of an OPI color

     4. Apply the second coat of your color and put under LED light

  

    5. Apply your Top Coat and put under LED light for 30 seconds

  

   6. Gently go over nails with alcohol wipe

     

     7. Viola! Beautiful, chip-free nails!

*Don’t worry if it comes out awful the first time!  I had to use it a couple of times before I got it right. 

Tip: Make Sure to take off side smudges before putting under light!

Ciao and Good Luck,

                             Monique