Sunday, February 27, 2011

Sunday Snapshots 08.


one. The picture is from last night, I attended my cousin's fiancee's dirty thirty birthday party :) It was amazing, family, food & good music.

two. I've re-kindled a new love for Deep truth (blue shadow I'm wearing) because of my blogger friend vivalamakeuptv. Its such a sultry shadow!

three. Last few weeks of school are here & reading week is done :(

four. The iphone has been tempting me these days, I'm really interested in the sleep apps. I've been a blackberry girl & a full fledged bbm addict but I'm considering it now.  Are you guys team iphone or team blackberry?

five. Hello to the new followers! I'd love for some input on what you like or what you'd like to see more of on the blog. Write away in the comments.

xo.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Stealing Other People's Toys on the Playground Won't Make You Many Friends


Headed downtown today for triple S (Sushi/Starbucks/Shopping) with one of the besties. The sun came out even though it was chilly, overall a lovely day to frolic downtown. I came back to my area and spent some time with my Godson. Overall a good day, but obviously got no coursework done. Again, I love mixing feminine with masculine. Wearing lace with boots to toughen the look up. Not everyone's cup of tea but such is life. Hope your week is chugging along well :)

My sunnies make me look like I have a unibrow haha.

Scarf: Urban Outfitters
Bag: Roots Canada
Jacket: Community


 Lace Body: American Apparel
Pants: Wilfred
Socks: Roots Canada

Wedges: Aldo 

 These came in the mail today, so I'm strapping them on for the rest of the night. They remind me of Clarks but feminine.

xo.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

My Top Five Blushes

After the last post I'm now back to regular scheduled programming. 
When it comes to blushes I have a few that I use constantly & in rotation, so I don't own too many. I actually only own two from MAC's permanent line & a few from LE collections. NARS as a whole wins in the Blush department IMO, way more pigmented and smoother application. 
Below are my top picks from my collection:

Clockwise starting from Taj Mahal (Orange Blush)

TOP 5

one. NARS: Taj Mahal

 Yes, this beautiful blush broke when I dropped it but I put it back together because I love it. Its a vibrant orange/tangerine color with gold sheen running through. Its a color that looks drop dead gorgeous on dark skin but I've seen it add warmth and glow to even the lightest of skin tones. Its extremely pigmented so a little bit goes a long way. A great spring/summer color since orange/coral have been on runways lately.

two. NARS: Albatross

 This blush looks so lack luster in the pan. It looks like it would make my skin an ashy-mess. But the white powder transforms into a golden sheen on the skin. If you get a chance go swatch it in a store. It works great as a cheek highlighter or layered over another blush all over the cheek for a glow. Again this is another color that works for all skin tones.

three. MAC: Fleur Power

Fleur Power is a matte pink/coral blush. I pull this out when the mood strikes. This is another pigmented blush which makes it work for light to dark skin tones depending on the way you apply.


four. MAC: Raizin 

If you are a WOC & you don't own this blush, go and ask for forgiveness now. This is a staple. I think every time a black woman goes into MAC this blush is recommended. Its stunning. Its natural, but adds definition. Its a matte reddish-brown that can be used everyday.

five: NARS: Gina

Another matte blush is Gina, its a peachy/tangerine color that requires a bit more effort to show up on dark skin. But if your lighter than me & on the hunt for a peach blush, this is the one to get. I would say a must-have for medium skin tones. It adds warmth without being overpowering and looks great layered with Taj Mahal.

Raizin, Fleur Power, Taj Mahal, Gina, Albatross
The swatches are skewing the coloring off a bit, the colors look most accurate in the first picture. 
 Anyone have good recommendations for blushes from other brands? Would love to expand my collection.

xo.

Dorcas' Diary : Power of Positivty

I'm currently dreaming of Paris - Source: Holly Go Lightly

As I sit here listening to Bach, I felt rather inspired to write. Or maybe its just the fact that I'm avoiding my social psychology textbook in front of me. But for whatever reason I've decided to write a post that is non fashion related nor beauty.

About a two years ago I made a conscious choice to change the manner in which I think. I found myself like many people, surround by negative people, drowning in negative thoughts, and with an overall negative outlook on all situations. Basically I was bitter, ALL the time.  Negative Nancy, Bitter Betty, Debbie Downer & whatever quirky name you could think of, that was me.
I slowly realized that I had to cut ties with the way I was leading my life. And so began my path on positivity.

Just by changing the way you approach situations with a positive mindset, makes a huge difference. I have a quote on my blackberry background that sums up the way I want to live life.

"Surround yourself with positive thinking, positive energy, positive people & the Love of God & all shall be well"

Pay it forward, we're all incredibly blessed. Take a second to actually think about how lucky you are to live the life you do. By no means can you be happy always, in fact sadness in moderation is quite healthy.

"Do not ever doubt the power of a positive affirmation"

Trying not to sound too preachy, I'll now be off to tackle some course work.
Enjoy your week!

xo

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Sunday Snapshots 07.


one. Not much to say this week, some exciting news... I've added belieber to my blackberry dictionary. nuff said.

two. The weather has been playing with my emotions. It was 'warm' for my city. Which is about 5 degrees C but then it dropped back down and it snowed again. WOMP WOMP. I talk about the weather so much because it basically controls if I will attempt to leave my house for the day. The weather rules all! So forget C.R.E.A.M because its all about W.R.E.A.M

three. I've been listening to this & watching this all the time these days. Complete opposites, but then when am I ever thinking in a linear fashion?

four. The Grammys still have left a sour taste in my mouth. How did both of Canada's biggest artists not win?!

five. I have the week off from Uni, but have boat loads of work to do. Hopefully I'll be able to post a few times this week. The break is nice + when I get back I have 5 weeks left until I graduate :) Cheers to that!

six. Taking a moment to give a big CONGRATS to a good friend for getting her nursing license! I'm beyond proud.


xo.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

My Top 10 MAC Eyeshadows

I told a bit of a fib in the title. 9 are MAC the other one is NARS but it can easily be duplicated with a MAC eyeshadow. I'm a neutral shadow lover, but will wear color every now and then to liven things up. Below are the chosen ones :)

Shadows are swatched in same order as list below.

Nars: FEZ (Similar to MAC Bronze)
>Fez, like most NARS shadows is beyond amazing for pigmentation, smooth, soft and blendable. This color is a brown-bronze that looks great as a lid color paired with carbon in the crease for a bronze smokey eye.

Saddle - Matte
 >Golden tan color, great for all over the lid in a neutral everyday look. But works best as a transition color (between the crease color and highlight color) for my skin tone .

Glamour Check! (LE) - Starflash (Similar to MAC Antiqued)
 > Reddish/Ash brown shadow with pearl. Works well with most neutral shadows.

Folie - Satin
> Reddish brown but much lighter than Embark and much more red. Great for adding warm tones to the crease for any eye look.

Smut - Velvet
>Black/Grey with red/purple undertones. Looks great all over the lid for instant smokey/sultry eyes. Or in the crease to darken up another shadow

Woodwinked - Veluxe Pearl
> Warm gold color, a go-to shadow for WOC. Looks great paired with Embark.

Club - Satin
>Possibly MAC's most unique shadow. It appears a reddish brown but gives of a green sheen. When placed on a black base gives of a green/brown pearl finish. A MUST-HAVE in my opinion.

Embark - Matte
> Reddish brown shadow, I use this to fill in my brows & contour. Its very versatile & great to darken up the crease for a daytime smokey eye.

Deep Truth - Frost
>Dark blue, that really works to it's full potential with a black or navy eyeshadow base.

Carbon - Matte
>Black shadow, perfect for smokey eyes, or as liner. I use this ALOT, as you can see from the picture.


Top Row: Glamour Check!, Woodwinked, Saddle, Carbon 2nd Row: Folie, Smut, Club, Embark End: Deep Truth Top: Fez



xo.


Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Beauty Basics: MAC Eyeshadow Finishes

Starting with the basics, MAC shadows come in 7 finishes. Eyeshadow finishes effect the way the pigment applies onto the lid. Some colors may look pretty to the eye but the finish can completely change the color pay-off.
    In the past MAC has come out with the Starflash finish as well as the Mega Metal finish, which are limited edition.

    My Everyday MAC palette

    Frost: 
    This shadow finish works best when layered for ultimate pigmentation. The shadows contain flecks that reflect light and give a frost finish.

    Veluxe & Veluxe Pearl: 
    Butter soft shadows! A dream to work with and blend easily. Full pigmentation. This finish is my favorite of the bunch from MAC. Veluxe Pearl shadows have more of a metallic sheen which is the main difference from veluxe finishes.

    Matte: 
    These shadows have no shine, shimmer, or reflects to them. They can be a bit trickier to blend when using in a look.

    Lustre: 
    Have definite shimmer particles within the shadow that reflect light, which make them so pretty to wear. But they usually take a few layers to apply to full pigmentation and are prone to fall-out.

    Satin: 
    Satin finish doesn't contain glitter but isn't fully matte either. It just satin-y in texture, similar to the finish of silk, but doesn't give of wet look (does that make sense?)

    Velvet:
    Soft finish and apply well with pigmentation. Not too sparkly. This is another one of my favorite finishes.

    Starflash: 
    Starflash shadows are similar to veluxe pearl shadows but softer & more pigmented. So when these come out in limited edition collections, grab them up!

    Mega Metal:
    Smooth, creamy,  and blendable shadows that give off a metallic sheen when applied to the lid. According to MAC they're crease resistant. Not sure how true this is, I would still apply all shadows with a base/primer.

    The great thing about MAC is the great selection & the price. Yes, they are pricier than drug store shadows but for higher end makeup they are at the more affordable end of the spectrum.


    Hope this helped! I have a post on top ten shadows coming soon :)
    xo.

    Tuesday, February 15, 2011

    When it Rains, it Pours!

    Another university outfit of the day. 
    I went with neutral colors and decided to accessorize with a scarf that had a pop of color. Yesterday was a bit warmer where I live, so a bit of the snow on the ground had melted.  I decided to break out my moccasins in celebration. They're the hi-top ones because I didn't want to get ahead of myself and pull out my low tops (secret: I own about 5 pairs of various moccasins, can you say addict!). 
    I know they may not be every one's cup o' tea but I lurve 'em.


    The Jacket is one of those timeless pieces I  will have forever. I bought it about 5 years ago while taking a trip to Montreal, I paid a pretty penny for it, but well worth it to me. It has emphasized shoulders, that I wasn't so fond before but now I wouldn't change them for the world.


     Scarf: Vintage
    Moccasins: Minnetonka
    Belt: H&M
    Black Denim: unsure, sorry!
    Watch: Fossil
    Jacket: French Connection


    Hope you ladies are doing well, & to all the new followers welcome :)
    xo.



    Sunday, February 13, 2011

    Sunday Snapshots 06.

    Hair Curled with a Le Angelique Curling Wand.



    one. Its a BIRD, Its a PLANE, NO! Its MAC WONDER WOMAN packaging. I personally love it. I've heard most people describe it as 'Toys R Us' makeup. I wasn't expecting anything too classy a la Chanel, so I like the fact that it is something different and not so 'normal'. I mean its based on a super hero, how classy/fancy will it get?! The lipstick I got was Russian Red curtosy of a surprise from my lovely brother.

    two. On my nails is OPI San Tan-Tonio, its a nude-caramel color that I love at the moment. I may put black shatter over it, but I'm scared it won't look too pretty. Maybe after wearing the manicure for a few days. Or maybe just put the shatter over my ring fingernail...? watcha think?

    three. I booked my flights to EUROPE! WOOT WOOT! CHYEAAA! You get the point, I'm excited. I'm going to be in Lisbon, Madrid, and Paris for 3 weeks in the month of May. I can't wait, I'm practically bubbling over as I type this.

    four. umm, so don't judge me. But I am a Belieber. Justin Bieber is just the cutest little thing ever. So its only natural that tomorrow I'm going to go see 'Never say Never' with a few girlfriends. I know its Valentine's day & all, but seeing as I'm not celebrating it I may as well have a great day with a few ladies I love. 
    Anyone else as old as me love JB?

    Adios Amigos
    xo.

    Thursday, February 10, 2011

    NOTD: OPI & Katy Perry Black Shatter

    Excuse the edges, I do the shower after method. This was pre-shower.

    Love. Pure Unfiltered Love.
    That sums up how I feel about this polish.
    Let's be serious if we all 'loved' the way I loved this polish the world would be a peaceful place.
    But onto the details:
    Underneath the black I'm wearing Coconut Ice by China Glaze. The Black Shatter polish is another item from the Katy Perry/OPI collection. Its a basic top coat that 'shatters' to reveal whatever polish you apply underneath. The thicker the application of the top coat the 'chunkier' the shattered pieces will be. 
    Note: I also used a clear topcoat on top.

    xo.

    Wednesday, February 9, 2011

    Hair Care: Relaxed Hair

    After debating back and forth if I wanted to write this post, I decided to jump right in. There are many bloggers/vloggers out there who run amazing hair blogs for relaxed and natural hair, here, here, & here so I wasn't sure if I would do the field justice.
    Overall my blog is a beauty blog, so it seems fit that I post about haircare as well as hair products. This is more of an intro post, I will post more as time goes by depending on what you guys think.
    Jan 2011 - After Haircut

    Starting off with my hair...
    I have 4b relaxed hair
    I've been relaxed for about 9 years.
    My hair hit about bra strap length, but I cut a few inches off my last trip to the hair dresser just because my ends were looking a bit harsh.
    I have no desire of going natural any time soon, but admire those who rock the look. It is a possibility for the future.
     I'm currently trying to grow out my hair to about mid back length, so forget the rumors you've heard about black girls not being able to have long healthy hair.
    Jan 2011

    My Regimen
    • I relax about every 10 weeks, give or take a week or so.
    • I do a hot oil treatment with virgin coconut oil weekly.
    • Wash weekly with a moisturizing Shampoo and deep condition under a hooded dryer.
    • I moisturize and seal every 2nd day.
    • I do not practice protective styling & use direct heat sparingly.
    • NOTE: Winter has been pretty harsh to my ends, so I may use protective styling these next few months.
    November 2010

    Products:
    These are products I use now, things change quite often. When I go to the stylist she uses mostly Mizani products/conditioners.

    Shampoo:
    - Herbel Essence Hydralicious or Seriously Straight Shampoo
    -One n Only Moisture Repair Shampoo

    Clarifying Shampoo:
    - Ion Clarifying Shampoo

    Protein Treatment/Conditioner:
    - CPR Treatment Conditioner

    Moisturizing Conditioners:
    - Aussie Moist
    - Creme of Nature Nourishing and Strengthening Treatment

    Leave-In Conditioner/Moisturizers:
    - Kimmaytube Leave In
    -Herbal Essence Long term Relationship Leave In

    Sealants:
    -Virgin Coconut Oil
    -EVOO

    Pre-Shampoo:
    -Virgin Coconut Oil

    Scalp Oil:
    - Virgin Coconut Oil

    Heat Protectant/Serum:
    - One n Only Argan oil
    -Chi Silk Infusion


    Co-wash Moisturizing Conditioner:
    - Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Conditioner

    Relaxer Prep:
    - Base my scalp with Extra Virgin Coconut Oil or JBCO as well as my hair & ends.

    Relaxer:
    -Mizani
    Mid Dec 2010- Braidout

    If you have any questions about why I use certain products, or if you'd like a specific post on something, leave me a comment below. With specific questions, I can answer in detail. Remember this is what works for my hair. No ones hair is the same or reacts the same to products, learning comes with trial and error.

    xo.

    Sunday, February 6, 2011

    Sunday Snapshots 05.

     
    one. green&yellow green&yellow. SUPERBOWL SUNDAY! I'm not a football fan at all. But any excuse to hang out and eat junk food is pretty legit. I can only imagine the amount of calories I'm about to eat/drink. I'm rooting for the Packers because of association. I really have no loyalty at all.
    two. Been reading a few magazines and seeing that BRIGHTS are a big trend this new season. I'm not sure how I feel about it just yet. But I'm looking forward to watching the trends translate from runway to stores.
    three. I'm slowly putting my itinerary together for my Eurotrip. Any suggestions as to how to inexpensively travel between European cities? I'm planning on Madrid, Lisbon & Paris.
    four. short post, off to get ready for the game.

    xo.

    Saturday, February 5, 2011

    Style Spotlight 001 : Wedges

    Aldo Wedges
    Starting a little blog series called style spotlight. Basically anything I'm interested in style/fashion wise.
    I love wedges, these are my favorite pair. If clogs & Wedges were to have babies, these shoes would be their glory child. Kar over at She Tokes She Speaks put together  a sweet little picture post on some beautiful wedges. 
    Since I live in a freezer I'm unable to wear these at the moment. I'm thinking of pairing them with some knee high socks, come early spring. Any suggestion to wear these in colder weather? I'm also on the hunt for some cute wedge booties, suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)

    xo.

    Friday, February 4, 2011

    In/Out/Loving/Getting Into/Photo

    Got this idea from Em's blog and tweeked it a bit to my liking. Was going to to do an in/out post. But I like this one better :)

     In
    • Uggs - No matter how 'ugly' they are where I live they are basically essential for warm toes. On my 'bum' days they are a staple
    • Vera Wang Rock Princess - Girly/Edgy. Enough said. 
    • High Wasted jeans- I love the brand Cheap Monday.
    Out
    • Cold weather
    • Being busy with school
    Loving
    • My brows- I have a horrible habit of pulling out my lashes/brows when doing school readings. I finally got a beautician to fix them up and make them match as much as possible. Before that they were terrible.
    • My hair- playing with new styles, healthy hair in general.
    • Progress in Relationships- Its always nice to see new relationships heading into productive and positive ones.
    • The new hobby of blogging + the blogging community.

    Getting Into
    • Bold Lips- The brighter the better!
    • False lashes- starting to finally get the hang of putting them on myself & others. I have the curliest lashes known to man, They curl over back onto themselves which makes lash glue an issue. Finally figured a way to avoid the mess.
    • Food- I've been making reservations with friends to try new restaurants/dining experiences. Next up: Dining in the dark! Your whole dinner is served to you in darkness, under the assumption that when you loose one sense the other senses are heightened to experience food in a new way.
    • Highlighters- inner corner eye highlights and cheek bone highlights. Products like MAC cream color base in 'Improper Copper' & Nars Albatross & MAC Naked Deep Dark Pigment.

    Photo
     
    Vest from Zara Sale. This is a pic from a failed OOTD post. Its a great piece but doesn't photograph well. Its going to look great over light color dresses/skirts in the summer.

    What are you loving/getting into these days?! Let me know I'd love to get some inspiration.

    xo.

    Tuesday, February 1, 2011

    The affairs of the heart are so far from rational.

    Cue crazy week! Managed to get an outfit post in. I have more beauty posts sitting in my drafts so keep a look out for them. I scored this sweater in the Roots sale with an extra 20% off & I'm loving it. Its one of those things people will either LOVE or HATE.
    I got my hair cut last week & took about 2 inches off. Not a huge difference but very necessary. If you want to hear me ramble about hair care let me know & I'll write a post.
    MAC Club eyeshadow on eyes.

    Why do I look like a lost child? haha


    Sweater- Roots
    Jacket- Talula (purchased at Aritzia)
    Headband - ASOS
    Boots - Roots
    Bracelets - JxJ

    xo.