UPDATE: Everyday Work Look!

Happy New Year my Luvs! Today I will share my everyday makeup routine with you. It's simple! Every morning I wash my face with Ancient Cosmetics Authentic African Black Soap in the bar form. I then follow up with the Dickinson's Enhanced Witch Hazel Hydrating Toner with Rosewater and then Proactiv+ Complexion Hydrator as my daily moisturizer or the Proactiv+ Advanced Daily Oil Control if I'm wearing my makeup for more than 6 hours. When washing my face with the African black soap I use a facial exfoliate scrub to scrub away all the dead skin and bacteria on my skin. It makes my skin feel soft and more clean afterwards. I do this daily because I have combination skin and my pores get clog very quick. After wards I let my moisturizer set in before I start my makeup. To have that long lasting flawless makeup is all up to how you treat the canvas. A great daily facial routine helps tremendously.

 

So after I finish with prepping my face I begin with priming my entire face with MAC Pep & Prime Skin Base Visage Primer. I also add the NYX Shine Killer to my T-Zones area to help with my oily areas while wearing makeup for long hours. My choice of grooming brush for my eyebrows is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brush #14 followed by MAC Spiked eyebrow pencil to outline my brows and Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow in Smoke to fill in my brows. I then shape and clean my brow lines with my BH Cosmetics Studio Pro Contour Palette. I use the L.A. Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer in Toast to conceal the dark spots in my face before applying my foundation. After applying my concealer & corrector I use the mini Khabuki brush from BH Cosmetics to blend the corrector in for a natural look. Next I apply MAC Studio Fix Fluid NW 44 with my BH Cosmetic Flat Blending brush. I apply this all over besides my eye area I use the powder form for it. I then slightly press and set the foundation in with my The Original Beauty Blender. After applying my foundation I then start my contouring phase, which is applying the Anastasia Beverly Hills Foundation Stick in Honey to my upper cheek area and forehead, then apply the MAC Blush in Sketch to the outer edge of my face line and lower cheek area. I blend and set with the NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray  with the The Original Beauty Blender.  I then apply Cover Girl Bronzer in 104 Golden Tan in my T-zone areas. For my blush I use the MAC Sweet As Cocoa which gives a soft and natural look. It's not too bold and it's also doesn't blend in like you have none on. Finally my eyes, I keep it plain by only using my foundation as my eye shadow, a natural brown from the BH Cosmetic Neutral Palette, and a light bronze shadow for my upper eye. Last but not least when it comes to my eyes I  apply the Maybelline NY Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel in Black to lash line and Makeup Forever Smoky mascara to my lashes. For my lips I use a MAC or NYX Lip Liner to line my lips and then Tarte Birthday Suit to the inner parts of my lips and blend for a perfect nude. The look I go for is a natural soft glam when I am at work. Like minimum as possible. 

A lot of my makeup I purchased at Ulta, Sephora, MAC, Marshall's & CVS. I try to blend as much high end and low end products to create my looks. 

PCOS Update

So, it's been year since my PCOS update. A lot hasn't change due to me being laid off a year ago, which caused me to lose my insurance coverage and led to me taking a huge hit when it came to medicine and treatment. I was able to managed because I was able to still afford the Metformin and pre-natal that was prescribed to me. I wasn't able to get the cyst removed which would have helped tremendously with the weight loss and facial hair growth. Still no complaints here because I’m keeping a positive attitude throughout this whole process. 

If you wondering what is PCOS, let me explain. PCOS is Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome is a problem in which a woman's   hormones are out of balance. It can cause problems with your periods and make it difficult to get pregnant. PCOS also may cause unwanted changes in the way you look. If it isn't treated, over time it can lead to serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. Most women with PCOS grow many small cysts  on their ovaries. 
                                               That is why it is called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. The cysts are not harmful but lead to hormone imbalances.  

Now that you know what PCOS is, you can understand why it’s been pretty hard to balance. Last year I was on a plan with exercise, nutrition, & treatment that will help me get back to my previous self before I lost my medical coverage. Turning 33 this year, I'm realizing that my dream of having a child(ren) is becoming slim due to my age and biological clock. So in the beginning of next year I'm making a commitment to my health. Since I now have great medical coverage and a job that promotes healthy living.  

May 2017

Early this year in January I visited my Fertility Specialist Dr. Allon at the Advance Fertility of Texas in Katy, TX. Let me say this first Dr. Allon is the best there is. He really gets invested into your health, especially with the patients who are striving to be mothers. He puts all the options on the table and creates a plan for each one. We revisited the option to have the cyst removed, after scanning the ultrasound taken he concluded there was no need for the procedure. My three cyst were gone and the tiny one that shown is not an issue. So I had a moment of slight relief after that news. Now the part that caught me by surprised was when he suggested that I take Enskyce which is a birth control for my hormone imbalance. So here is the thing, my body makes more testosterone than estrogen which causes me to grow hair in my facial, chest, and stomach areas at an uncontrollable speed. Also producing too much of this hormone causes weight gain, in my case a lot of weight like a 136 pounds of excessive weight. Then he prescribed Spironolactone 100 mg to take once a day to help with the hair growth. This will stop the new hair growth follicles and slow down the existing ones. So making monthly appointments with my Electrolysis actually helped with the results I was looking for. 

October 2017

September 2016

Also, my diet changed tremendously. Let me not say "diet" cause it’s a lifestyle change. I eliminated soda completely. I drink tons of more water than ever before. I also dialed back on fast food and portioning my food a lot more. This all has helped me achieve a portion of my goal. I  took the initiative to enroll myself into activities besides just the gym. So the activities I engaged myself in is kickboxing, Zumba, volleyball, tennis, and circuit training. That's enough activities right?! I allowed myself the grieving period to mourn my divorce, so its now time to get back to me. 

November 2018

As of today, I am 37 lbs down from my beginning weight of 273. In three months I was able to loose a significant amount of weight to help jump start my weight loss. So I gone from a size 18 to a size 14 and some 16 's I fit just perfectly now. Going into the new year I will continue my journey in becoming a better healthy me. In 2019, I will be starting the year off on a diet called Keto and will keep everyone updated on my progress. 

September 2018

August 2018

August 2018

August 2018

August 2018

October 2018

Beauty???! How Do You Define It?

The topic of "Beauty" has been discussed over and over in society. "Beauty" in the African American culture is a very sensitive subject because it can range from skin color, grade of hair, eye color, height, and build. Basically, how society wants to view the African American woman superficially.   

Chantelle Brown-Young also known as Winnie Harlow

 First let's be technical about the word "beauty", beauty is defined as the quality of being physically attractive, the qualities in a person or a thing that give pleasure to the senses or the mind, and a beautiful woman. Seems clear cut to me. So why does society seem to down play beauty especially in the Black community?  Look at the model Winnie Harlow, she is so beautiful. I do not see any flaws, I just see plain beauty.  It's amazing how this young woman came into the model industry and literally broke barriers. Notice when describing this young woman not once did I mention she has Vitiligo, because it doesn't matter when describing absolute beauty. Some will not see her as a work of art or the face that changed many minds. Some will challenge her beauty and question what makes her beautiful. Some will look at her flaws and call her ugly just cause they have no ideal what true beauty is.  

  

Beauty has its own versions to the eye. Not every person will agree that beauty is just simple and not so complex. Some individuals believe beauty is having a face full of makeup, a small waist, big derriere, and expensive clothes. Leaving one to believe the shallowness of some individuals. Then again society has placed this facade as though the video vixen, stripper, and Instagram model is the exact definition of beauty after being lifted, beat, sucked & tucked in, and enhanced to all measures. When did the taste for classic, regal beauty fade?  

 When watching an episode of Being Mary Jane in season 2 the question was ask but in a different way. "Are Black women ugly?". When did the notation that Black women are ugly began? Did the African American community embracement of the European culture standards of how beauty is defined dismissed our ancestors teachings? I personally think the notation came from how the Black woman is viewed as strong, independent, self-sufficient, and why some may constitute or viewed as intimidating. Also, I think its viewed that way because the cast majority of Caucasian people believe the Black woman walks around with a "chip" on her shoulder.

 Let's be clear, I for one is not for the antics and shenanigans that society throws upon African Americans Women and Women of Color. By portraying African-American women as self-defined, self-reliant individuals confronting race, gender, and class oppression. African American women factual appear to be dominate in every category; education, finance, physique, class, race, and culture. Yes, the younger generation morals and ethics are questionable, but as a whole the African American woman has defined and conquered all odds. So what makes African American women so ugly? Some may say the attitude of a Black woman, but does that constitute as ugly or just personality. Why the constant negative stigma? Basically, why do everything have to be negative when referring to the African American race? These questions are not to be dismissed as though there is no proof of this being displayed in society or just another Black person complaining for no apparent reason. 

Former First Lady Michelle Obama

 So let's view it from another angle shall we. The most educated First Lady of the United States to ever grace the halls of the White House and steal the hearts of many Americans, Michelle Obama was scrutinized from the moment her husband Barack Obama announce his nomination for the Presidency position. Michelle Obama was educated at the most prestigious Ivy League institutions in the world and then earn several degrees from those same Ivy League institutions. She was still scolded based on appearance. Was this African American woman from the Southside of Chicago intimidating to the majority race because she was able to maintain her success prior to becoming the First Lady off of hard work and dedication? Or was it because she was Black? Or was the African American community not seeing this correctly cause there is no evidence proving the fact she wasn't a victim of American prejudice? Remember when the Caucasian woman Pamela Ramsey Taylor, director of the Clay County Development Corp decided to refer to the First Lady as an "Ape in Heels"? Many argued freedom of speech. True, she the right to speak her mind but it was at the expense of degrading another individual though. History has showed regardless if the African American woman has an education, conduct herself in a professional manner, the best mother, the best wife, Christian, wears the best/expensive brands, and outstanding citizen to society none of that matters because of the color of her skin. That's one of the main reason why the younger generations is focused so much on appearance and acceptance through social media because society has shown to not care about the important factors that makes the African American woman so beautiful.  

 My view of beauty comes from the African American woman perspective and the more I embrace what makes me beautiful, the more I can see why "Black is Beautiful".  I dislike the phrase "Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder" because a fool can use the phrase as justification to be ignorant and degrade an individual. Unconventional beauty is something that you can't fully understand and just know when it's presented to you in a form that is more than superficial beauty can be simply amazingly beautiful. Self-love is taught and acquired by one who has fully understood that "Beauty is Only Skin Deep". One of favorite authors/poet wrote, "I learned a long time ago the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side, be an advocate for myself and others like me."- Maya Angelou.