The Best In Me!

I must say, I am very proud of the person that I have become. Many people cannot say that about themselves! I may not be proud of the person I was years ago, or of some of the things that I have done in the past, but it's called the past because I'm getting past it. Those things/people/thoughts/actions are no longer of importance in my life. I have a whole new outlook on life! Having respect for others means having respect for yourself. Karma is real, and she isn't a bad person! In fact, if you treat others the way you desire to be treated, Karma will be an absolute angel to you! We have all been 'young' once and chose to do things less than Holy, as long as who you WERE is not who you ARE and you are looking forward and not back, I applaud you!

I try to be as nice as I can be to people, no more bad attitudes (work in progress)

I like to see the good in people

I think/want the best for people in my life more than they will ever know

I am more in touch with who I am (work in progress)

I put my trust in HIM and I am more in touch & faithful with HIM

Below is a song that I believe EVERY person on this earth can relate to! It is called "The Best In Me" by gospel singer Marvin Sapp. He sings:

♫HE saw the best in me, when everyone else around could only see the worst in♫

♫HE's mine and I'm HIS, it doesn't matter what I did, HE only sees me for who I am♫

 At one point or another in our lives, we have been judged, by loved ones or total strangers. No matter what other people see in you HE can, and always will, see the best in you, even when you are at your absolute worst. Remember that! :)

I'm So Bad, Don't Tell!

For reasons I may never know, I ALWAYS get compliments on how great my skin is! (For the record, I get blemishes on both of my cheeks, my skin sometimes has no balance between dry and oily and I have little freckles everywhere!) Honestly, as much as I am trying, I don't take THAT GOOD of care with my skin. Here are some things that I can admit to doing that have a negative effect on your skin:

Falling asleep with my makeup on - BIG NO NO! Sometimes when I get off work I immediately crash thinking "I'm so tired I don't care if I get a pimple" and then when I get one I scream! LOL It only takes 2 minutes to wash your makeup off. Leaving it on over night clogs your pores and pimples can develop. 

(My kind of pantry!)

Eating all of the wrong food (i.e junk food, fast food) - Your diet plays an essential role in the appearance of your skin. I LOVE Cheetos, the Flamin' Hot kind! I've been addicted to them since I was a child, I don't ever see them not being in my life! I also love fast food, cookies, ice cream, and anything else that you can think of! I've tried eating right and it went well for a few months and then I got lazy with the routine. I need a health coach!

Exfoliating more than twice a week - Exfoliate more than twice a week can strip your skin of its natural oils. I exfoliate every other day if not everyday. If I don't my face develops a layer of dirt and small bumps that are not nice. Knowing that too much exfoliating is not good, I make sure I use one that is very light and gentle, such as the Soy Face Exfoliant by Fresh $42,

So the first step to any problem/addiction is admitting it right!? Well the next step is to improve on these things, which I for sure will! I have already gotten better at washing my makeup off every night! :)

Braided Up!

Summer, in my opinion, is NOT the time for bangs! They get sweaty and transfer all kinds of yucky oils to your forehead making it more prone to pimples. Pull your tresses back and add a bit of style with braids! One or two fun braids is one of my favorite summer hairstyles, it never gets old! Here are a few great looks!

Nicole Richie has mastered this look! Love it!

Lashing Out!

If I could only have one beauty product on a stranded island it would be mascara! If I don't have time to fully do my makeup, I AT LEAST put mascara on! I am a huge fan of colored mascaras, they spice up any look!

These are my favorites:

Urban Decay Big Fatty Color Mascara

 

 

Benefit BADgal Color Mascara

Max Factor Vivid Impact Highlighting Mascara

Product Spotlight: Atmosphere Luminous Foundation!

I have such a love/hate relationship with foundations! Either they dry my skin out or they leave my face looking like someone slapped me with a McDonald's hamburger patty! There are VERY FEW foundations that work hand in hand with my skin, so when I find one that does, I become obsessed with it!

I had the pleasure of meeting a guy named Eric Sakas a few months ago when I was still attending FIDM. He is the founder of Vapour Organic Beauty. Eric was one of the most down to earth and passionate people I've ever met! He allowed us to play around with some of the products and they are simply amazing! This is a very unique line of products, they are made with certified organic ingredients and pure mineral pigments, this creates an illusion of the products being lighter than air. The Atmosphere Luminous Foundation (my favorite product from the line) glides on with ease and stays put all day long! Vapour Organic Beauty also offers eye, cheek, and lip products of that same great quality!

The Atmosphere Luminous Foundation makes applying the rest of my makeup hassle free! It blends so well with my blush and eye shadows, I LOVE IT! Be sure to check out the website for all of their products and follow their twitter for all of the latest news on the brand!

Good Read: 10 Bad Choices That Ruin Black Women's Lives!

I love reading inspirational and self help books. When I came across a really good book that was published in 1998 by Dr. Grace Cornish-Livingstone called "10 Bad Choices That Ruin Black Women's Lives," I couldn't wait to dive right in! How many of these "bad choices" have I made?! How many have YOU made?!

Bad Choice #1: Sisters Dissin' Sisters

Don't try to get on top by putting your sisters on the bottom

 As a black woman, it is not very hard to see the hatred that black women show towards one another, the looks, the gossiping, and the overall act of putting each other down because of how you look, who you're with, how you dress, etc. We don't have to worry about anyone else hating us because we hate each other! Sad, but VERY true. In what other race of people do you see so much hate against one another? (Don't worry, I'll wait for your answer!) Instead of hating each other, let's embrace and empower one another!

Bad Choice #2: No Money, No Honey

If you want your slice of the American pie, then help bake it

Black women (and women in general) need to stop looking for someone to take care of them. Be a real woman and take care of your own, stop calling men cheap when you yourself can't afford the things you demand of.


 Bad Choice #3: Looking For Mr. Right In All The Wrong Places

The emptiness in your life cannot be filled by the empty promise of someone else's status

Stop looking for the material first, just because he has a degree, nice car, nice apt/condo/house doesn't mean that he is "the one" for you.

Bad Choice #4: Exchanging "Sexual Dealings" For Loving Feelings

Know the real fact before you act

A guy who is good in bed may not be good in a relationship. Dive deeper to find out who that person truly is.

Bad Choice #5: Using your Finance to Maintain His Romance

If he is being "kept," he will eventually leave you in debt

You want to take care of my bookkeeping? No thanks, I'm good! I am NOT taking care of any MAN! Enough said!

Bad Choice #6: Staying On, Although Respect Has Gone

Never leave your life in the hands of fate; take matters into your own hands and get the proper help

Dr. Grace says always choose respect over love. I completely agree! There is no excuse for abuse, and there is no love in a backhand to the face.

Bad Choice #7: Loving the "Married Bachelor"

If you're stealing love on the side, someday you may get left on the outside

I have my own EVERYTHING, why would I want to share a man? What goes around, comes around. The day he leaves his wife you be sure to mark your calendar for the day when he leaves you the very same way he left his wife. 

Bad Choice #8: Emotional Dependency Plus Unplanned Pregnancy

If your love has gone bad, just be true, and don't try to use a baby like crazy glue

This one gets me every time. Who came up with the concept of having a baby to mend a relationship or trapping a guy? This almost makes the situation worse, I would never sacrifice my child having a loving and involved father for a relationship that shouldn't be.

Bad Choice #9: Decent Proposal/Indecent Disposal

If you're looking for a man just to fire your torch, then don't complain if you end getting scorched

 Women say they want a man that will keep them guessing and on the edge...good luck with that. Play all the games you want!

Bad Choice #10: Getting to the Church Before Time

Marriage is like a besieged fortress: those who are the outside want to get in; those who are inside want to get out

Marriage is a life long commitment, take the time to get to know that person before you decide to jump the broom. Don't jump the broom before it's laid out of the before, you just might trip and fall!

So, how many of those bad choices have you made?? I have made none! I think all women should read this book, all the contents are very true. Dr. Grace is a great writer and psychologist and has written dozens of books, including a second part to this one called "10 Good Choices That Empower Black Women's Lives."

The Graduate!

I have officially graduated from college! What a big accomplishment! June 19th 2010 marked a new beginning for me and I even express how proud of myself I am and my fellow FIDM - Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Beauty Bunnies! We all worked so hard throughout our course at FIDM! Staying up until the wee hours of the night to do a project, waiting in the long lines to get a computer in the annex, gossiping about how we know more than the teacher does and everything else that falls into the lives of a college student! FIDM was such a great experience for me. I moved across the country all by myself to attend this school and my journey there has come to an end! I truly believe that FIDM has provided me with the skills that I need to succeed in the world, and believe me, after all that time there, I am SO READY to get out there! Go class of 2010!

Can you believe I graduated at the Staples Center just ((2)) days after my beloved Lakers won the championship? AWESOME!

Enjoy the pictures below!