The Life and Times..."Angie's Backyard BBQ"

After the game, I travelled to Long Island City, Queens to attend a Hot97 party hosted by Angie Martinez, courtesy of my girl MunaMoon, once again :). It was such a treat...I had a blast!! DJ Khaled also helped host the event and with musical guests that included Miguel, Fabolous, Busta Rhymes and Movado, I was in heaven!! Here are a few snaps from the night (sorry in advance for the blurriness):

Miguel!!

Hey Miguel...

Angie Martinez!

Angie and DJ Khaled..

The Life and Times..."Take Me Out to The Ballgame"

Last weekend was a pretty good one. With summer slowly winding down, it was time to try and pack in as much fun as I could. For me, the best way to do so, is to hang out with some chill, amazing people. A group of my friends from Boston came to New York for a fun little rivalry of watching a Yankees/Red Sox game. Before we found our way to Yankee Stadium, we decided to go for food and drinks at The Stumble Inn, located at 76th Street and 2nd Ave. The joint is famous for their stuffed burgers and rightfully so because those burgers were everything!!! And to top it all off, for the kid in me...they serve  tater tots as a side! We drank some beer, ate some food, laughed and joked and caught up with what was going on lately:

Stuffed Chedder and Jalepeno Burger with a side of tater tots

I am surprised that my arteries didn't clog and fail on me as I ate into this delicious over-the-top burger...MMMM!!

We all felt the need to make fun of our friend Nicole for taking the healthy approach and munching on a salad...sans dressing...in a burger joint (if only to help justify our own gluttony, lol! :/ )

Afterwards we found our way to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium to watch the game and joke a just a little bit more:

photo: tfadebophotography

Well Looky Here..."Summertime Cool"

Some of my fave looks on LookBook this week:

Black and Gold with a touch of peplum...simple and elegant

Shorts/Blazer combos are a fun, stylish way to show a little skin without showing too much

Love the boyfriend shorts and military vest with the heels

Tye-Dye Pants and heels work perfectly to add color with a white blouse.

This convertible Tribal print top is amazing. And paired with the red skirt and her flawless makeup it is fabulous!

Some Hairspiration..."Here We 'Fro Again"

Gorgeous!
photo: via hi-imcurrentlyobsessed.tumblr.com

I always loved the freedom associated with wearing one's natural curly, coily, kinky hair out and about for the world to see. Whether is a picked out 'fro, a twist out, a braid out or a wash 'n go...there is sooo much beauty to behold in it. When I first went natural, twist outs were my favorite go to hair style. I wore it day in and day out, carefully re-twisting my hair every night in anticipation to un-twist in the morning.  As my hair grew and I started working at my current job, I found solace in protective styling and the creations that my hairdresser, Nellie, came up with. The last time I wore my hair out in a twist out was last year on a group trip to Miami. I had forgotten how much I loved it!!

MunaMoon, Franny and myself: Miami, May 2011
(we were on our way to an all-white party)

However, the humidity engulfing Miami, didn't help me escape my number one enemy...shrinkage :/...and I eventually had to go to my number one savior of hairstyles: the ponytail, sigh.

My drink and my ponytail :)
Photo courtesy of my friend Jason of Afrosoul Photography

I haven't ventured back to a twist out since. And while I may not be rocking a 'fro now...I am remembering and contemplating more and more about how much I love and miss wearing my hair out. My friend Franny is always telling me that I need to wear my hair out, but I always tell her, maybe later or some other excuse. All I need is a little push and calmer weather to get me there (go away humidity!!). I perused my fav tumblr site, hi-imcurrentlyobsessed.tumblr.com, for some hairspiration from other naturalista's to pump me up:

photo: via hi-imcurrentlyobsessed.com

Her hair and makeup are on point!!
photo: via hi-imcurrentlyobsessed.tumblr.com

Style Profile..."Velvet Crush"

When I think of nail polish...I think of a shine or matte finish. Never in a million years would I think of velvet!! The Velvet Manicure kit by Ciate is quite the fashion fix for your nails and something that has me quite intrigued. Now...when they say velvet...it's not that the polish gives off a velvet finish..but that velvet is literally added to your nails and voila!...Velvet manicure!!
Textured nails have been around for a while and seen on the runways as well in everyday life, but its a treat to have the velvet trend all boxed up and ready to go! It's as if Ciate decided what better way to get into next season than to take one of Fall's favorite fabrics and take it in an entirely different direction. It's a must to try for Fall 2012!!

The collection comes in three colors:

Chic Is The New Fall...

Chic Is The New Fall... by kinkycurlynyc featuring neon jewelry

Is it bad that my mind is already fast forwarding to Fall...lol!

Caring For Oily Skin In The Summer...

photo: various sources 

Like a huge majority of people I always look forward to the days of summer. What I never look forward to...the havoc that the summer brings onto my skin. My skin is very oily and while in the winter it helps prevent my skin from drying out...in the summer I look like I washed my face with Crisco or Pam :/.
This summer has been particularly brutal and I have noticed that my skin has been breaking out more and has become shinier than usual. The heat makes the sebaceous glands work in overdrive causing the skin to produce more oil. Because of this, the fear of summer and my skin has been realized. In order to combat the season of sweat...I have a few products to help keep my oily skin under control and some notes to keep in mind to last me until the Dog Days of Summer are through, lol!:

• Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash: The 2 percent salicylic acid help fight/ prevent breakouts without over drying oily skin types. It's so great that it works well on all skin types to help keep  breakouts at bay. 

The Life and Times..."Hot97 Summer Splash Party"

Last night, my girl MunaMoon invited me to a Hot97 Summer Splash Party at Beekman Beer Garden, located at the South Street Seaport. Of course I said yes and found my way there to take part in the festivities. The venue was amazing, with white couches placed on an area of sand, it was as if we were placed in a cabana overlooking the East River. Music being played by some of Hot97's DJ's, food and bottles of Ciroc in the VIP area, added to the laid back beach party feel. A dance area was also available for anyone that wanted to get loose...and trust me, for a Tuesday night, there were a good amount of people getting loose, lol! We stayed and enjoyed the event and took pictures by the amazing East River view, which were taken by Taiwo Adebo of TF Adebo Photography. After the party we found our way to the after party...which made the night even more unbelievable and a work hard, play harder vibe to another level. Here are a few pics we snapped and were taken in general, of our night:

Ciroc is in the building!!

View of the pier

Posing for the Hot97 cameras
Dress: Forever21, Watch: Michael Kors, Bracelets: H&M, Shoes: Steve Madden

My girls, Latifa and Nicole