Well Looky Here..."Skirting the Issue"

It's creeping into summer...with the season only a few days away and with the surge of heat rising...so are our outfits. Skirts and dresses are where it's at in the summertime. It's a way to keep cool and look great at the same time. The outfits on LookBook are showing that the ladies are ready for the weather...showing just enough leg to keep up with the temperature. Here are some of my favorite skirt styles on LookBook this week:

               Love, love, love the ethnic pattern of this long skirt. The addition of a plain white button
                               down, tied in the front, leaves all eyes to focus solely on the skirt.
                 The yellow printed headband and red lip pie adds to the beautiful retro feel of the outfit.

                        Denim skirts are baaack! And apparently here to stay. Fringed and looking
                         as if it was cut and sewn from an actual pair of jeans and jelly sandals, this
                     look is a throwback to the 90's with a modern twist thanks to the nave linen shirt.

                  Embroidered patterns and sweet spring/summer colors are complimented with
                                            a brown shoulder bag and brown rimmed hat.

                           Baby doll dresses were a beloved staple of the 90's. Again another
                      resurgence of the trend is here, modernized in a blush tone perfect for spring,
                                            strapped heels tied at the ankle and a cute bag.

                                 Sleek and simple. Black and white goes on all year round

                               Summer days are all about loose crop tops and mid calf floral skirts.

                The green striped shirt and everyday green espadrilles relax the intense sexiness
                                                          of the black leather slit skirt.

                      A sleek white box shaped top works well in proportion to the flouncy full look
                                            of the ice blue skirt. The heels add the finishing touch

                                          A mix and match of color that just screams summer nights!

How are you pairing your skirts for the summer?

My Hair Stories..."Curly Sue"

I tend to prefer to keep my hair nice and safe during the summer. The heat can be a bit much and hiding my hair in one of my protective styles for part of the warm weather season was definitely the way to go. Now I know weaves are always the safe route, but a straight weave was not on my mind...I have always been more partial to the curly pieces, lol. I went to Nellie's with the hope that she would help me figure out what kind of curly I wanted to be..long and wavy, short and kinky, or somewhere in between.
After quite the search at the hair store...I found my answer....shoulder length and wavy/curly (A good in-between decision). A few hours in the chair and a little bit of a cut to form the overall shape for my newly sewn in hair from Nellie and I was good to go. I loved the results!

I hope to have this hairstyle for most of the summer. I think this look just epitomizes some of the freeness that is associated with the beauty of summer, lol. What do you think of this hairstyle...summer worthy?!

P.S. Happy Father's Day to all the amazing dads, grandfather's, mom's who play dual roles and all the father figures out there!!

Just A Little Something..."Love is Power"

Art via: hi-imcurrentlyobsessed.com

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last few months. Life has been a bit busy...so busy that I couldn't keep up with doing something that I love: Writing on my blog! Here's a little something to tie you over until the next post! I fell in love with this drawing the minute I laid on eyes on it. A heart full of love and a head full of hair....'nuff said! If you know the name of the artist...let me know, would love to give credit!

Something New..."White on White"

There is absolutely something beautiful about wearing white in the wintertime. I looked for white in particular when I was craving something a little casual to add to my closet, which is soon to be cleansed (It's almost time for Spring shopping, although we are only in mid-winter...I need to make room!) I saw a couple cute finds at Zara that fit just what I was looking for and had to get them! Besides...they were on sale...which completely justifies anything, right?!...well, at least for me :)

A pair of sneakers in white, gold and black are versatile in my book and something that I can get a lot of use out of. I also couldn't resist the heel in the sole. I love wedge sneakers! However, I am still a little on the fence about this purchase.

Love the color combo! Shine on!

What do you all think? Keeper?!

I also wanted a nice white jacket. Not quite leather, but faux, I thought this would satisfy . The quilted pattern and gold zips just scream luxe for me and at $79.99, it was a not to be given up!

Perfect for a year round look, White quilted jacket hits the mark in my book!

 Cannot wait to wear this jacket! It's just so cute :)

My Hair Stories..."Kinky Twists and Curls"

After pressing my hair back in November...I needed to give my hair a much deserved break. I wanted to place my hair in a protective style to give it some shelter from the ridiculous cold weather that has been attacking the Northeast as of late (Thank you Polar Vortex!). I opted after washing and deep conditioning my hair...(Yay to no heat damage by the way!!) to place my hair in my beloved kinky twists. I didn't want them to long as I prefer that waist length style for summer, so I was thinking of going more of mid back length. I of course looked through sites and on Instagram to find a style that I could wear all the way through to my birthday and beyond, or at least until sometime in March, lol! I found this hairstyle courstesy of Natural Belle on Instagram:

I just loved the way her curls fall in this photo and was completely inspired to try something similar. I made my way to my hairdresser Nellie in BK, to have one of her girls work their magic:

After 5 hours sitting in a chair...I was pleased with the results! Not as long as the original pic from Natural Belle, but close enough for my liking :) I enjoyed the curls even more about a week later as they dropped a little more and became fuller and longer

Love this look! I will see if this can last as long as I predicted...I have no idea what I will wear for my bday next month otherwise, lol!

Beauty Profile..."New MAC Lipstick and Becca Cosmetics"

I love picking up new makeup for my every growing makeup bag. Sephora might as well be my middle name at this point, lol. I picked up two new products, one to replenish what was already used and a brand new one that I have been dying to try!

I have been on a lipstick craze as of late and finally have been able to become more and more comfortable with wearing colors that I normally would shy away from. I was always nervous about having my lips stand out more than they already do naturally, but the older I get, the confidence in what I have been given grows and so does the chance to try something new.

MAC lipstick in Heroine

Here enters the new lipstick Heroine, a M.A.C favorite, this bright, vivid purple/fuchsia color is just what I was looking for. The in your face bold color takes center stage on my full lips against my brown skin and lights up my face. The matte finish is just perfect where it lets the color come through without being too overpowering. Little to no makeup is needed besides a dab of concealer and eyes lined with mascara and black eyeliner. The perfect color for a bright and blessed 2014!

Becca Cosmetics Dual Coverage Compact Concealer 

My second makeup choice was an oldie but a goodie. I'm always on the lookout for the perfect concealer and powder to help enhance my skin tone without looking caked on and super made up. That search alone can be exhausting and stressful. The more makeup brands I try and the more makeup counters I go to cause disappointment and fear (down with the clown makeup!).

Some time late 2012, I was having a terrible time with my skin and breakouts were the norm. Because my use of makeup is minimal for the everyday routine, I needed something to help hide the marks that were taking forever to fade away. I made my way into my favorite makeup chain store Sephora and went on a search for the best concealer for my brown skin. I had a Sephora makeup expert help and after trying on concealer after concealer...I found it! Becca Cosmetics, an Australian brand founded by Rebecca Morrice Williams, has a wide variety of concealers, powders, foundations, blushes and lip colors for every complexion. There is literally a color for every woman! My favorite find in the line is the Dual Coverage Compact Concealer in Almond.  

The color blends perfectly with my skin to a point wear it is almost undetectable. Perfect for my everyday life. Depending on how I want to wear my makeup on a particular day, I can go from Extra to Medium coverage. The choice makes me feel as though I own two different concealers, which I love!
To add to the look, I put on Becca Cosmetics Perfect Skin Mineral Powder Foundation in Mink.

Becca Cosmetics Skin Mineral Powder Foundation in Mink

Love the color! Also comes in a cute carrying pouch!

It blends in with my concealer and complexion so well, it gives me that no makeup look I crave. Extra perfection for my somewhat oil prone skin and the final touch to my everyday face :)

Have you tried Becca Cosmetics and/or M.A.C. lipstick in Heroine? How do you like them?

Baked Goods..."Red Velvet and Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies"

Over the Holiday Season I scored an amazing magazine filled with different kinds of treats that I couldn't wait to try out for myself. I love to bake and when I saw a recipe for Red Velvet and Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies...I just HAD to make it. Nothing screams delicious to me more than red velvet anything! The recipe was easy to follow and quick to bake so it was a great little dessert to give out as gifts and as an end to a terrific holiday meal. Here is the recipe below with a link to the magazine from Hoffman Media, that has even more scrumptious desserts to try!

Recipe: via Holiday Entertaining Magazine 2013

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups sugar, divided
5 large eggs, divided
1 (1-ounce) bottle red food coloring
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (8-ounce)package cream cheese, softened

Steps:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray with flour
-In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter and cocoa until mixture is smooth.
-In a large bowl, beat 1 and 3/4 cups sugar  and 4 eggs at medium-high speed with an electric mixture until fluffy.
-Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in food coloring, vinegar, vanilla and butter mixture, beating until combined.
-Gradually beat in flour.

-Spoon batter into prepared pan.

-In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and remaining egg at medium speed with a mixture until smooth.

-Drop cream cheese mixture by heaping Tbsps on top of the batter in pan.

-Gently swirl the mixture with a knife.

-Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean.

-Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
Enjoy!