MAHOGANY GLAM

Iman Cosmetics Duo Eyeshadows Really Pop

Hot Chocolate

If you love vibrant colors on your peepers as much as I do, then try Iman Cosmetics luxury duo eye shadows. I totally forgot about Iman's fabulous beauty collection until I came across it again, while strolling the aisles of Walgreens. I bought Hot Chocolate and Bejeweled cause those two caught my eye. Hot Chocolate is the absolute best "I'm not really trying" eye shadow that compliments all skin tones. I wear this when I'm zipping around town and I wanna look casually cute.

Bejeweled

The purple and gold hue called Bejeweled is glamorous and bold. I wear it all the time cause I like daring colors against my mocha skin. Plus, it makes me look like Iman, I mean we're practically twins! If you're slightly timid to risk eye popping color during the daytime, then you must wear it at night. It's definitely an attention getter! I really appreciate that the luxury duo eye shadows are crease resistant and long lasting. Nothing worse than looking a hot mess with creasing eye shadow out in public. The shadows range in price from $6.99 to $8 bucks depending on where you get it. Also, you can't go wrong with any of Iman Cosmetics from foundation to lipsticks, it's an exceptional product line for women of color. Check out Sears, drugstore.com, or Walgreens.

photos courtesy: sears.com

Glove Me Tender Restorative Hand Cream

I hate having desert dry hands, so I've fallen in love with Glove Me Tender restorative hand lotion by Bath & Body Works. Their True Blue Spa line of products is frakin' awesome, but I've always stuck to their wonderful hand creams. This one is my favorite because it fights visible signs of aging with shea butter and SPF 15. We all know our hands will tell our age before we can lie about it. I'd give up shopping for a year (never happen), not to have crept keeper hands and Glove Me Tender keeps them soft and beautiful. I love that it''s uber thick so you only need a dab to instantly moisturize your hands. The citrusey scent is sweet to smell and a bit of a pick me up as well. Glove Me Tender is usually $12, but I wait for Bath and Body Works annual sale where they're practically giving it away for $6. It's a small price to pay for beautiful hand model hands.

photos courtesy: bathandbodyworks.com

SIGERSON MORRISON STUDDED FLATS AT TARGET

I completely fell head over heels in love with these cute flats by Sigerson Morrison for Target. I saw them in Lucky Magazine November issue and dashed over to my neighborhood Target to get up close and personal. The uber stylish female duo behind Sigerson Morrison have bequeath their fashionosity to Target for a limited time, and I wanted to own a piece. First off, they're super comfy. I thought they'd feel like I had rocks tied to my feet, due to the cheap chic factor, but they're awesome! The sparkly studs are totally real and didn't seem to be super glued on and the actual "velvet" was like butta! And they're only $29.99, sweet! Sadly, I left the store without them in my arms. Why!! Why!!!! Cause now they're sold out at Target.com and I can't find my size at the store. Darn it! Okay, here's why I choked. The Sigerson Morrison flats are a tad pointy at the front, and there's nothing wrong with that, except I have extremely large feet (8 1/2) for my size. I know I know, I should have come to terms with this issue by now. I can admit that I'm not perfect. Now I'll have to canvas all the Los Angeles Target's hiked up on Venti caramel macchiato's to correct my moment of insecurity.

TOO CUTE BALLET FLATS AT TARGET

                             

OMG! have you guys seen these too adorable ballet flats? I scored them the other day at Target. Mossimo Desta Madras ballet flats are a must for casually cute days. The multicolor fabric goes with just about everything in my closet. They're kinda preppy in style, and makes them the perfect pair of flats to spice up a leisurely ensemble. They're soo comfy too, which I wasn't expecting cause well, it's Target. It's not like I was purchasing Calvin Klein, so my expectations were a tad low. I was pleasantly pleased with my $19.99 purchase. They make me really happy. There's something about finding the cutest shoes while shopping for laundry detergent and a Swifter Wet Jet. It just makes me smile. Not to mention, I've gotten rave reviews for coordinating them with my shift dress, skinny jeans, and cargo pants (not all at the same time). They're just fun. I live for color, so these ballet flats are my new summer faves. Love Love Love It!

photo courtesy: Target.com

CARLOS SANTANA KNOWS SHOES

 

Who knew Grammy winner Carlos Santana could design gorgeous shoes too...Everytime I'm strolling through my favorite Macy's in Sherman Oaks, I'm curiously drooling over his sexy shoes for women. Seeing a pair of Carlos by Carlos Santana shoes is like crossing paths with a seriously delish guy. You get a little nervous flutter then you think, where has he been all this time. Carlos is instant chemistry for your feet. I own a pair of marigold Carlos wedges from last summer and everytime I wear them, I feel like "Samantha" from "Sex and the City." Scorchingly hot and ready for anything! I don't even like my feet because they remind me of flippers. I'm a size 8 and I'm five two, so you do the math. But when I put on a pair of funky shoes by Carlos Santana it's on! I wonder if Santana's music inspired his stylish shoe fetish. I don't even care... I so want the red pair above, I have a thing for red shoes. I love the color red. I'll have to tell myself I don't need a third pair of saucy red pumps. I'll say it fifty times and see if that stops my urge to love them and hold them and call them George. Carlos by Carlos Santana is moderately priced and sold at Macy's and online at carlosshoes.com, and various online stores. Every woman should own a pair. Please shop at your own risk though, cause Carlos Santana shoes are quite addictive. Love, Love, Love it!

photos courtesy: Macys.com

SMASHBOX O GLOSS OBSESSION

photo courtesy: sephora.com

My fellow fashionistas you know my obsession for lip gloss hasn't waned. Now, the saga continues with Smashbox O-Gloss. I saw an ad for it in the April issue of Lucky magazine. It said "O-Gloss" reacts to your body chemistry to transform clear gloss into your own custom shade of pink. Freakin' genius I thought, but such clever ideas rarely ever applies to women of color. As long as it didn't turn my lips hot pink and make me look like homey the clown, I was willing to give it a try. I ran to Sephora and was the first one in the store this morning. I slicked on the clear lip gloss and waited for the transformation to begin. Smashbox O-Gloss Intuitive Lip gloss is seriously silky and felt like cashmere on my pout. Within five minutes, I noticed my lips were a light plum color which was absolutely perfect for my cocoa complexion! I'm in love. I giggled like a five-year old girl! In fact, in a hour the color became a beautiful sheer burgundy hue. Most excellent! The O-Gloss is packed with Goji Berry C-Complex, ginkgo biloba, pomegranate seed antioxidants, and avocado oil for lustrous shine. I agree. It's super shiny and made my full lips feel moisturized and supple. It's my new fave. You can find it at Sephora for $22, it's so worth it. I think they could have made the tube a bit bigger for the price, but they know we'll end up using it everyday, therefore buying more and more. It's such a racket! But they got me. Since we come in varying hues, my fellow fashionistas you have to try Smashbox O-Gloss for yourselves and let me know which shade of pink your pouts become. Love Love Love it!

PHAEDRA: A NEW LOOK AT BEAUTY

 

                                          

There's nothing worst than wearing the wrong foundation and wearing it out in public! An then everyone is like pointing and snickering behind your back, and then there's gut wrenching laughter when you walk away...okay maybe that's just me, but it was a longtime ago and I've fully recovered! Let's move on then. It sucks that women of color have a hard time finding the perfect shade to match our endless hues. My fellow fashionistas I've discovered Phaedra Beauty a make-up line that is custom designed for every woman of color. Beauty guru Phaedra L. Williams designed foundations, concealers, and press powders to match your complexion, but more importantly your undertone as well. Freakin' genius, cause when I've tried other products I just look like I'm auditioning for clown school. Phaedra's custom blend make up line is super natural looking. When I wear it, I don't feel made up or overdone, it looks like me just prettier. At first it's a bit jarring, because you're not used to matching your undertone, but then it warms up on your skin and then aaahhhhh (opera voice) it looks like I've had a professional makeup artist swing by the Malibu mansion to make me beautiful for the day! Phaedra Beauty is a 21st century approach to cosmetics for women of color. There's twelve shades to complement any complexion. It's oil free, lightweight, and it has SPF 18. The prices are completely on par with other high end cosmetics; pressed powders are $39, foundation/concealer stick is $25, and the loose powder is $30. My fellow fashionistas this is a must have if you've been frustrated with your make up or just ready to try something new for once. I love, love, love Phaedra Beauty because it's the best way to be glam without looking like you're trying too hard. Check out phaedrabeauty to experience her revolutionary cosmetics for yourself!

                         

Photos courtesy: phaedrabeauty

OOH LA LA CHANEL

 

My fellow fashionistas you know I loooovvvvee lip gloss. I own several brands in my quest to find the quintessential ultra glossy gloss. Well, Chanel Levres Scintillantes Glossimer is the ultimate in lip gloss technology. It's super rich with just the right amount of shimmer to get your pout noticed. I've been wearing Satinette for a few months, which is a silky sheer girly pink that goes with just about any color palette. I love it! Some of their other colors such as Sunset Gold, Brilliance, and Glaze are also among my faves. Chanel Levres Scintillantes Glossimer ain't cheap though, it'll set you back $25 bucks. Hey, no one said being a girl was easy. Plus, the tube is to die-for, the gold band at the top makes me giggle like a 10-year old. If all else fails, just remember it's the most cost effective Chanel product on the market:-)

Photo courtesy: macys.com

KIEHL'S IS ALL YOU NEED

 

So I've been using Kiehl's Abyssine Cream for a couple of months now, and let me tell ya this stuff is like a face lift in a jar. This face cream is chocked full of molecules and soy proteins to fight the effects of aging. I mean it's not gonna make you look twenty-one, but it'll keep your stunning face from looking like a worn out leather sofa. I use it twice a day and I've noticed my skin is super soft and fine lines have diminished. I'm not saying I had a lot of fine lines, I just don't noticed any right now. Kiehl's has some of the best products on the market to help us all look younger. My friend swears by their avocado eye cream. Of course the fountain of youth in a jar ain't cheap, the 1.7 ounce will set you back $40. Seriously! Hey, you can't put a price on looking younger than your Mom. The great thing about Kiehl's is their cute little samples. The ladies in the pristine lab coats are always quick to offer them up when you're at the counter. I usually ask for about two packets. You only need to use a smidge at a time, so it really lasts. Beauty knows no pain. We all must do our part to keep the world a beautiful place, so just try it--and you'll love it as much as I do.

Photo courtesy: Bloomingdales

SKY HIGH LASHES

Many of you know that I have a long lingering obsession with mascara. I've been using Volume Couture by Max Factor, but since it's almost finished I decided to try something new. Low and behold, while strolling through CVS a light shined on Sky High Curves by Maybelline. Of course it was the sun peering through the skylight, but whatever a sign is a sign. I thought this is it. I saw an ad in one of my million and one fashion mags and figured I'd go ahead and believe the lies. Extreme length and curl mascara, you won't believe the results. You know how those ads are. I wanted to feel liberated and daring, so I sacrificed my $6.97 plus tax for the opportunity to be transformed. I skipped home and struggled to open the child proof package--success finally. I slowly began to apply Sky High Curves and I'll be darned. It actually does what it says it's gonna do. My lashes were long and luxurious. I felt like I was going to an award show, and Sam Fine himself applied individual lashes on my almond shaped peepers. I was seriously impressed. My lashes were at least 30 percent longer, which speaks volumes when you have itty bitty lashes like mine. There was minimal clumping, but I guess you can't expect miracles. I'm sure I'll get bored with it soon, and then move on to something else. For now, I hope people will think I'm born with gorgeous lashes, instead of thinking, oh it's probably Maybelline:-) Sky High Curves gets my vote. Love, love, love it!

Photo courtesy: maybelline.com