Monday, February 27, 2012

Speed Up Your Morning Routine: Face


In the world of never-ending to-do lists, high-speed everything, and the feeling that you have to be Super Woman to juggle all of your responsibilities (work, school, family, and looking good), it seems like there just aren't enough hours in the day. I realize this the most as I lie down after a long day, and after what feels like only a brief nap (that was actually 7hrs) I'm up, scrambling to get myself together before rushing into work--hopefully on time.

While the amount of time we have each day is fixed, we can make little adjustments to our daily activities to make better use of our time.  Think about your morning routine; how long does it take you to make it from your bed to your commute? Do you find yourself sacrificing your looks or your health just because you feel you don't have enough time to put forth the effort?  Let's change that way of thinking ladies.  Here are some tips to help you speed up that morning routine while preserving your sexy (does anyone else remember that P. Diddy Proactiv commercial? lol)


Speed Up Your Morning Routine: Face

  • Develop a beauty regimen.  A regimen is a set of steps that you do everyday. For example, you may start by brushing teeth, then washing your face, applying toner, then moisturizing. Once you have this routine set you can begin going through the motions on auto-pilot even if you’re still half asleep. To speed up the routine, line your products up in the order that you use them so you can just go down the line without having to stop and think about it.
  • Use multifunction products.  Think you don't have enough time to apply makeup?  Well switching to a tinted moisturizer allows you to combine the moisturizing and foundation step in one.  Products like the Stila Prime Color Set (shown in this post) can be used to provide color on your cheeks, eyelids, and lips, saving you from having to fumble around for that lipstick at the bottom of your makeup bag!
  • Keep it simple. Take care of the bare necessities, then focus on activities that provide the biggest payoff for you.  If just a little eyeliner and a swipe of mascara is all that it takes to make your eyes pop, then skip the eyeshadow. Also, if you get your eyebrows professionally shaped and just do a little clean-up on your own every week or so, you probably can get away with just brushing your eyebrows into place with a clear brow gel  instead of having to fill them in each morning. 

Want more tips? Check back next week where I'll cover your morning hair routine.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

A Ladi's Tresses: Best Braid Out Ever





I LOVED my hair this day! I achieved this style by placing my hair in 10 braids, gently taking them apart, and then fluffing and separating hair to hide were my parts were. I braided my hair while it was wet and let it dry over night while in a satin bonnet.  On wash day, I've been braiding my hair to stretch it as it dries and reduce tangling and single strand knots. In the morning, I will usually wear the braids under a hat/tam or  loosen the braids to either rock a braid out or  pull my stretched hair into a protective style.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Inspired: Meagan Good


For this post, I took a little inspiration from celebrity Meagan Good. When I saw this pic of her a few weeks ago, I instantly remembered a similar sweater that I had in my closet. Here's my take on the look:


Monday, February 20, 2012

Act Like A Ladi...Dress Like A Diva: Military Remix



Remember that jacket from my "Military Inspired" look? Well it is back with a twist! I mentioned that the jacket can be worn many ways, and this time I decided to convert it into a double-breast jacket. I paired it with black jeans and some plain flat boots because it was a rainy day.








Jacket: JC Penney/ Shirt: Target/ Jeans: Old Navy / Boots: Sears / Bag: Nine West  / Earrings: Kohl's


Thursday, February 16, 2012

A Ladi's Tresses: Loose Wave Twist-Out












I took a little break from protective styling and went back to my go-to style: the twist-out. My hair was pretty straight from a light blow out I did to stretch my hair for my protective style (and reduce single strand knots). I knew my blown out hair would create a more wavy look instead of tighter curls, but I also chose to make fewer flat twists to make even bigger/looser waves. Here are some pics of my twists at bedtime, and some shots of the results!












Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day!


Happy Valentine's Day! Hope your day is full of love and all the things that bring you happiness. Indulge!



Dress : Belks / Belt: NY & Company / Pumps: BCBGeneration (purchased from Belks) / Bag: Nine West / Earrings: Avon / Necklace: Torrid

Monday, February 13, 2012

2012 Grammy Awards: Best Looks

There were definitely some fashion hits & some misses at the Grammys last night.  Here are some of my favorites:

Adele

 Carrie Underwood

 Kate Beckinsale

Kelly Rowland

Melanie Fiona

 Paris Hilton

Rihanna

Katy Perry (minus the hair)


Taylor Swift

Alicia Keys & Swizz Beats

Kings of Leon

Adam Levine

Victor Cruz & Mario Manningham

J. Cole

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Shopping Haul: $5 Tops

After blogging about the new changes to JC Penney, I had to go check them out firsthand! When I stepped into the store, I could instantly tell a difference. The layout appeared much cleaner, brighter, and more open. I noticed several signs advertising Best Priced items with many boasting prices of $5 or $8 and up, so I quickly made a beeline for those racks.  I was able to find 4 tops that I loved and fit me perfectly. The best part is that they were only 5 bucks a pop! Here's what I got:

Monday, February 6, 2012

The Blueprint: Solange Knowles


The Blueprint is a series highlighting celebrities who epitomize the word style.  Each look is a lesson in fabulous...watch and learn! 

Solange Knowles...singer turned actress, deejay, and spokesperson has recently added model to her resume. She has been known for her eclectic style, fashion risk-taking, and fab natural hair.  Here are some of my favorite looks:


Glam




Colors & Prints





Thursday, February 2, 2012

Act Like A Ladi...Dress Like A Diva: Workin' Girl



Today's outfit is a look I put together for work.  My office is pretty casual, I can wear jeans everyday but sometimes I want to jazz it up a little bit.  With my hair pulled back this week, I felt like being a little sophisticated so I pulled out the blazer and some trouser style jeans.