When I was younger, I would also try to prove to my mother how great the evolution of fashion made the youth, and how much more knowledge we possessed. As I grew up, I realized that the situation was out of my reach. I was talking foolishness to the Original Gangsters (fashionwise at least) and trying to claim the youth played a part in reinventing the wheel. Now I know that everything I get excited about has already come full circle in the cycle that is trending, and even all the new concepts pay homage to predecessors.
So it was to no surprise of mine when I spotted pictures of Diane Keaton walking the streets of New York reprising her Annie Hall wardrobe, high waist wide leg pants and turtle neck belted just right. But what was this? Do I spy no one (not two), but three leopard print bangles? (looks a lot like Dannijo) And is that a contrasting red clutch with an uber cute (and super popular Kate Spade Large Dots iPhone case?). Yes, indeed I did. And it just reminded me - she's an OG and we're the students. Let's all tip a hat to Annie err... Diane!
p.s. Her walk and shots came out as though intended for a personal style blog!
The magazines and websites are ablaze with lip colors that are trending this season. The truth of the matter is that anything bright is on par with the trends. The standout colors shouldn't be too surprising, as they always peek their heads out as soon as the sun comes out to play for real. Case in point: orange and pink. A newcomer to the popular table is the lilac and purple lipstick. Let's blame it on the gals who take the stage in costumes your mother would never advise you wear. As far as the red - well that one never goes out of style. A bright red lip is a bad-mamajama all year, come rain sleet or snow (and unlike the postal service, it doesn't take days off).
I love the orange trend the most because a lot of the times it comes off as a red depending on what shade you get it in, and how you wear it, and it makes your teeth look brighter than your toothpaste ever could. Though I have favorite lipsticks for all of the shades, the hands down winner is the selection of colors by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics with their Lip Tars. The best thing with them is that you can even mix them to customize your own color.
p.s. I had to add a celebrity example in a variety of skin tones because I don't want to hear anyone say the color doesn't look good on their skin. Retire that mindset!
Being that I just wrapped up my final exams, you could rightfully expect my nails to be on the.. well... mend. It seems that though my nail biting habit went out the door, the presence of exams and wanting to do well and just be over with the madness - well that brought the chompers and the nails together again.
Thankfully, I had a product to review that would save me from the mess. As a side note, let me just say it's not that I dislike the look of short nails (okay maybe I kind of do), but it's the feeling! It feels so awkward to have a newly short nail when I touch things, it's almost like it was never meant to feel like that (does that make sense or is that just me?).
Kiss Everlasting Nails were patiently waiting for me to have an aha moment and break them out. Now, I'm pretty familiar with how the faux nails work by now, are you? It's a simple pick the nail, use the glue, and voila process. I'm sure if the package had a voice it'd be just waiting to say "I told you so" after everything was over.
The changes? Let's call them updates. The nails come with application tabs, and though that may seem like nothing special, consider the fact that the other nails that have numbers on the back of each nail are tiny, and usually blend in with the nail, and then deciphering if it's a 6 or a 9 is a pain (and you always end up needing those two sizes!!). It's also just easier overall because it's right there before your eyes. Simple and efficient. I was also digging the short size, because my nail beds aren't as long as I would've like them to be and most nails are a little too long for comfort (especially when logging time behind a computer screen or using a touch screen phone - both a constant in my life!).
The other thing that I noticed with these is that I had almost no - I'm talking 1 out of 10, nails with glue related bubbles under the nails. I had a problem with making it look spiffy on my thumb but my other nails came out darn near flawless (even if I say so myself). That's not an easy feat for nails that have a clear or almost clear majority.
The cork trend has been weaving in and out of spring arrivals (and has been sticking around for summer) for several years now. Every single year there is another brand jumping on the wagon and allowing for more choices.
Sure the cork trend is cute, but you can't just glue your wine bottle corks together and walk on 'em right? This year has embraced the cork and it has come in various shapes and sizes. It even got the red sole treatment (in different variations too)!
Cork shoes and accessories are perfect for warmer weather due to their light weight and casual feel. Depending on what material and color is used along with the product, you can wear it into the night. The neutral coloring of the cork blends well with all skin tones and all outfits. Dress it up with bright color accessories, clothing, or makeup. It really serves as a blank canvas for you to work your creative side. I'd love to see y'all display some royal blue toesies peeping out of a cork sandal, or a neon green tank with a cork clutch. You can even match up the accessories in shoes, handbags, and jewelry without it going too overboard. When the trend is over and you stop feeling the style, remember you can just use pushpins in 'em and have stylish paperweights. :)
Spring showers and May flowers also bring with them the warm comfort of leaving your house more frequently than you did the last couple of months. So it's no surprise that events are starting to pop up everywhere. Today and tomorrow, StyleFixx will be hosting an event in Manhattan where attendees can shop, drink, and be merry. I'm using the event as a way to meet up with a college friend I haven't seen in years (though we live in the same city!), and wanted to give everyone a heads up so that maybe we can meet there too.
To check out a list of the vendors present or past shows click here. Not in NY? They have shows touring the states in locations like Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Will I see you there?
Barr + Barr handbags are embarking on their second decade of producing quality handbags with handwoven details among many other standout features. Helen Barr, brand designer and owner uses her fine arts degrees to create memorable designs in both construction and aesthetics. The brand's success and popularity earned them a spot on the Home Shopping Network's (HSN) roster.
The brand has been kind enough to provide fans of MyOwnJudge a luxury handbag (retails for $279). Excited?!
Once you 'Like' both, leave a comment on the Barr + Barr page (in 20 words or less) saying why you should win. Anything from needing a new bag to match your makeover to being the perfect foray into luxury handbags!
EDIT: Because of Blogger's refusal to post my giveaway on 3pm 5/20 as expected, the giveaway will end 5/28 - a day later. The winner will be announced after the weekend by Barr + Barr.
I have been a bit remiss in actively posting updates about my whereabouts. Why? I've been trying to build up the MOJ channels across the social network world. The YouTubechannel had a significant boost in the last week (I double the amount of videos!), I'm on Twitterfor darn near all day with y'all, and I'm working to improve Facebook.
This past weekend I got the chance to go to The Makeup Show NYC. This year it was the most amped up and interactive show I have been to, to date. The educational seminars and workshops were stepped up, the brand presence and communication was upgraded, and the show had a kickoff party the night before to raise morale and really get everyone excited and amped to spend money. (The above image is Makeup Forever artists working their magic).
I spent a hefty chunk of money and am looking forward to reviewing the products I got. I also feel like I got inspiration and motivation to push my career out of the plateau I have unwittingly placed it into. Check out the Facebook album for photos from the show, and the YouTube playlist below and let me know what you think and if you want any different coverage from these kinds of shows. Do you want more products? Interviews? More footage? More chat? Let me know!
P.s. If you're in the Chicago area, the Makeup Show is headed your way in less than a month (and Europe in three). Click here to get the details.
There may be some sort of bias going on because I'm such a fan of the brand, but it's not without merit. The brand is always spot on with their pigmentation and efficiency in their products. The moisturizer is no different. It follows the same coloring skin as the OCC airbrush system and can be apply by brush, hand, or sponge (not with airbrush).
My shade is Y2. A pea sized amount is enough for practically full face coverage.
It blends right into the skin and provides gentle coverage. It is no miracle shellac for your problem areas, but then again, would the name make you think it was?
The biggest plus about this is that unlike many "tinted moisturizers" I've tried in the past, this one actually delivers on both ends. It moisturizes and it contains a real tint. The coloring gives your skin a sort of a light wash and does the equivalent of some light photography retouching. The moisturizing half of it leaves your skin even and made mine feel sort of like soft suede (if that makes sense).
It is unclear what makes one month that much more special than others, but May by far has taken the cake. It brought some long lasting warm weather, flowers, get togethers, sales, the end of school (for me), and many more. The credit can't go all to May, but I feel like it deserves some credit.
The Makeup Show is one of the great events coming up (this Sunday and Monday! you coming?), and I'm giddy. It comes once a year to New York, and beyond the shopping and close proximity to the beauty industry extravaganza, it's also a great time to meet ladies from all over the east coast (and even internationally) that fashionably arrive for the event. I've had my share of being stood up with style choices (I often aim for comfort because I'm familiar with my shopping habits and knack for carrying far too much on these here shoulders), so I made a quick visit to Macy's to get a leg up. The accessories counters are fantastico. Maybe it's my shopping diet, maybe it's my recent need to clean out my unnecessary belongings, but everything looked so darn cute. The start player? Rachel Roy! I still tried to remain faithful to some sort of budget, so I kept the trip short and stuck to earrings. Let me know which catch your eye.
This year has been a transitional one for me, where I have been more assertive with the things I'd like to see done. Fitness/health and education were the first to be checked off the list. Yours truly started to walk like it was going out of style and finally buckled down with completing my degree. It's amazing what you can do when you get mad at yourself for wasting time! Then came work. Though I am always looking, I was fortunate enough to expand doing makeup beyond just events and dabble in photo shoots. This is my year for getting comfortable with making makeup translate beyond real life - and through the lens.
A lot of photo shoots involve plenty of preparation and nearly only half as much time is spent doing the shoot. Time flies in between meeting models, translating ideas into reality, and cleaning up. Here is the second part of the prepwork. The first half of the process involves making sure you have everything to create a look and then a little bit more just in case you get creative freedom.
The second part is all about cleaning and setting everything up to be used again next shoot. Brushes need special attention, because sometimes a hectic shoot and a tired Yaya equal a disorganized kit heading home. My process is usually standing at the sink squeezing some Blendercleanser onto my brushes and then making sure my brushes are clean. Once done, I usually have a small towel ready to be the drying area for my brushes. They stick around overnight (and sometimes longer) and we're good to again. This practice isn't so bad when used in between shoots, but it's really time consuming when cleaning brushes for personal use.
I was super excited to hear about Sigma Beauty's Dry'n Shape system, where you can set your brushes to dry and reshape in four to six hours. The material holding the brushes helps reshape and evaporate the moisture out of the brush, and makes your life just a bit easier. And if you're anything like me, it's a money saver as well, because now you don't need two sets of brushes for when the other is preoccupied. The system holds twelve brushes at a time and has variety in sizing to accommodate all shapes and brands, and retails for $29.00. Consider it preventative maintenance and an insurance policy on your brushes.
(p.s. If I need to clean a brush on set, my favorite is Clinique Makeup Brush Cleanser, you spray it on the brush and then wipe the excess onto a paper towel or small towel, the brush will be clean and dry within minutes).
wardrobe, high waist wide leg pants and turtle neck belted just right. But what was this? Do I spy no one (not two), but three leopard print bangles? (looks a lot like Dannijo) And is that a contrasting red clutch with an uber cute (and super popular Kate Spade Large Dots iPhone case
?). Yes, indeed I did. And it just reminded me - she's an OG and we're the students. Let's all tip a hat to 
onto my brushes and then making sure my brushes are clean. Once done, I usually have a small towel ready to be the drying area for my brushes. They stick around overnight (and sometimes longer) and we're good to again. This practice isn't so bad when used in between shoots, but it's really time consuming when cleaning brushes for personal use.
, you spray it on the brush and then wipe the excess onto a paper towel or small towel, the brush will be clean and dry within minutes).
