Kiffe Coco

Artfully Wednesday: Samuel Fosso

2012-02-08T10:22:00.001-05:00

Since I am enthralled by the Malian photographer Malick Sidibé, when I came across these images, I thought they could be no other than Sidibé's artistry. Oh, how wrong I was! The man behind these images goes by the name of Samuel Fosso.

Fosso was born in Cameroon in 1962. When we think about the age of self-photography through narcissism (the many "Photos of Me" or "Just Me" Facebook albums) of today's generation, I guess you could say Fosso would fit right in to that. In the late 1970s, at the age of 13, a local photographer gave him the gift of a camera -- and so it began. Fosso began to photograph himself, and there is something so utterly cool about his art. His disposition all became part of a story that alludes to a sense of an absorbed self-awareness that comes across in complete confidence. He plays with the idea of reality and identity -- a reminder to everyone that the person as well as the photograph is fluid and malleable.

Tuesday's [Skin] Talk!

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Recently, I've been getting a lot of comments asking what my skin care routine is -- the thing is though, honestly, every time I'm asked or complimented on my skin, I am always utterly shocked because I am a survivor of problematic skin.

My Skin Story:

As far as I can remember from my teen years, my skin was angry. Granted, I've never dealt with the emotional pain of chronic cystic acne or other severe skin conditions, but I've dealt with the pain of not having clear skin for many years, and for those of you who know, it is something that can be really emotionally scarring, especially to your self-esteem. My skin, especially on my cheeks and forehead, was speckled with little bumps and red, inflamed papules that would appear on my cheeks and temples. My skin's texture was like a rocky, bumpy road. On top of that, my skin was greasy-y, which ever so beautifully accentuated my problematic skin. I felt horrible, ugly, to the point where I just avoided mirrors.

So many times I cried, sobbed even. My mother and sister had beautiful, flawless skin. My mom would try to comfort me by saying that I would grow out of it. That it was just hormones. But to me, it was my life. It was my face! I had to look at this skin day in and day out. I begged my mom to take me to her dermatologist, and she finally took me, despite the out-of-pocket cost. I felt I needed something strong, INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH, to keep my breakouts at bay.

The dermatologist said that I had mild to moderate acne that was probably induced by my angry teenage hormones. To me, nothing about my skin seemed mild or moderate. Instead, it felt severely devastating. He prescribed me with specially formulated creams and face washes, and not to mention the more evasive cortisone "injections" that I could get for the really painful bumps. At that point, I didn't flinch at the thought. And the cleansers and cream did help improve my skin by calming the inflammation and redness, and improving the texture.

But I knew I couldn't be on these products forever. For one, they were expensive. So I tried to find other products that could act as alternatives. Proactive being one...and it failed with flying colors! I've tried homeopathic and natural remedies. Countless over-the-counter products, vitamins, etc... All of which fairly kept my skin under control, but it was still unpredictable.

Time did heal wounds, in a sense. I felt that as I got older my skin improved bit by bit. Then when I was 18 years old, I went on "the pill" for the very first time. I was happy to know that it would help manage those hopelessly painful times of the month and ELATED at the notion that it could help my skin by regulating my hormones. And after two months of feeling sick to my stomach, I started to see improvement. My skin started to clear little by little. And of course, no more painful cramps!

My Skin Story Now:

Up until 2010, my skin would have minor breakouts, which were nowhere near as bad as when I was a teenager, but still downright annoying. In 2010, I discovered Acne.org and learned about the simple three-step skin regimen that would help my acne-prone skin get clear. Honestly, at first, I was not buying it. I thought it was just another "Proactive" type gimmick, but I went ahead and tried it out anyway. Of course, the site encourages you to buy their entire acne ystem, but I just bought the acne treatment, which is basically a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide gel.

To make an already long story short, the addition of this acne treatment to my regimen has helped improve my skin dramatically (sorry to make this sound like yet another infomercial, but this has been literally the only thing that has worked for me)! It is my secret weapon that I have had for the past year and a half.

And now, without further ado, the daily skin regimen breakdown:

1) Cleanse morning and evening with Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash.
2) Apply morning and evening 1 pump of Acne.org treatment (BP gel).
3) Apply morning and evening Derma E Vitamin E Cream 12,000 I.U..

That's it! I followed Acne.org's regimen to the letter for the first several months, and then adjusted it to my skin's needs. And it has been working fabulously! [announcer voice] So now it's your turn to make that change. Just pick up your phone and call now!

Other things I've discovered to help optimize skin health:

We've all heard that eating a well-balanced diet and living a healthy lifestyle can improve your skin. It certainly is true. I know sometimes it's hard to pass up the grease, sugar and fat for...green, but what you eat, I believe, is truly reflected by your skin. I'm not talking a strict diet of deprivation, but "goodies" (only in moderation) with the implementation of healthy lifestyle changes. And also, tons of water!

[The below photo was taken in 2009 and was during one of my monthly breakouts. Ugh, so annoying!]

[This photo was taken last weekend--a year and a half into my routine! Another important note that has worked for me is to remain consistent with skin products. It's funny how hair and skin can behave so similarly ;-) ] To find out more information about the Acne.org regimen and products, please click here.

What are some of your tips, tricks and products that have worked for your skin issues??? -Sophia

Monday Music Mix: Bad Girls

2012-02-06T09:26:00.001-05:00

After a pretty quiet year, M.I.A. returns with an impeccably catchy single, or as I would like to label it --a fem power single--entitled "Bad Girls." I was really happy to see her make an appearance at Madonna's Super Bowl half-time performance, along with Nicki Minaj. M.I.A. has always been an artist that I respected for her boldly eccentric visual concepts dressed in political awareness, especially seen in her music videos. She, in many ways, is a visual artist and I always love to see what concept she comes up with next. And her new video is no exception. One word (letter): "G".

Check out "Bad Girls" below:

February Nails!

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

For this month (My bday month!!! I'll only be turning 19, hehe...), I chose a lovely warm nude color to go with this winter's surprisingly warm weather. Who doesn't love near 60 degree weather in February? (Though it is a little concerning). The little vase I'm holding is a gift my boyfriend got from Bangladesh-it currently holds my now dried wedding bouquet from my sister's wedding.

Nails courtesy of Marie Nails NYC!!

-Sophia

Artfully Wednesday: Red Concept

2012-02-01T10:58:00.000-05:00

Tuesday's Tress Look + Talk

2012-01-31T10:19:00.000-05:00

Soo, my hair has NOT been on my good list lately. And, it's totally on me. I've been going through one of those crazy periods in life where you just become so enveloped with life that the time and energy put into taking care of your hair (among other things) just goes out the window.

"Forgetting", or just being plain too tired to oil daily (check)
Sleeping on a cotton pillow case "unprotected" (double check)

Those two things right there are my major faux pas, and not doing the above religiously leads to the hair above.

When they say this "loving your hair thing" is a learning process, it truly is. After almost 4 years of trying to maintain happy, healthy hair, there have been many uncountable days in between where this loving thing became too much work, and I just didn't feel like it.

But what can you do but get up and try again.

-Sophia

Friday's Philosophy: Infinite Possibilities

2012-01-27T08:01:00.000-05:00

Shop: New Items!

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, beautiful people! After a wee break to renew our thoughts for some new pieces, Ruby Aujol is back with some exciting new pieces just in time for Valentine's Day! My sister and I wanted to take some time to create new looks and to add on to our already existing collections. We are introducing three new collections: Rebel, Rosé and Glamorous. Lots of new textures and styles to fit everyone from the Rebel to the Glamour puss. As always, everything is handmade with tons of love! Hope you all like it! Enjoy.

Check out the new collections here!

Happy Friday!

♥♥♥

See: Misfits

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

So, this show is my other obsession, along with Awkward Black Girl. I mentioned in Monday's Music Mix that along with music, the UK seriously has some good viewing entertainment that I've been playing very close attention to-so much so that I really wish I could relocate just so I can get first insider information on what's next for the TV series, Misfits. This TV show apparently can do that to me.

When my boyfriend first told me about the show, I was not convinced. The show is centered around five twenty-somethings in south London...with super powers.. hmm, not exactly blowing my whistle (the super powers part that is). Let's be real, I barely watch TV, not to mention dramadies. (Well, except if I can catch a glimpse of Dr. Oz, in which case I'm a happy camper...) In any case, this show completely surpassed and surmounted my expectations. Literally when the intro credits rolled, I was hooked. It's that serious. What I really love about the show is how diverse it is. I love how it's in London, and the characters all bring something unique and something so far away from your typical American TV show (i.e. Secret Circle -not saying I watch that or anything to know that it's typical, hehe). All in all, the bestest, most incredible, juiciest show ever! Trust me, it's not all about super powers!

You can view the first three seasons on Hulu. Click here to watch the first episode! You won't be disappointed.

...You're welcome ;-)

Artfully Wednesday: Golden Concept

2012-01-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

Tuesday's Tress Talk: I broke...

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ok. So I have a confession to make. Yesterday, I did the unimaginable. I couldn't believe it. Everything I had worked so hard for came down to one moment. Me and the shampoo bottle.

Ok, for real guys, I couldn't take it! For some reason, round two of this non-shampoo experiment was killing me! My head was itching sooooooooo bad. I just had to. Just the thought of feeling that beautiful, luxurious, invigorating lather caressing my scalp soothed my hair's soul. But to my credit, I used a sulphate-free shampoo (of course). I don't know if this is a little bump in the road, or a bigger sign...a bigger sign that maybe what I thought was working just isn't anymore.

WHY IS CURLY HAIR SO COMPLICATED, GODDDD? I'm not sure where this leaves me in terms of what I thought was a golden routine, but I guess I just have to listen to what my hair wants. And let me tell you, my hair was calling out for some shampoo.

Ah, dang!

Kiffe Coco's New Look!

2012-01-23T08:01:00.000-05:00

After over a month of redesigning behind the scenes, Kiffe Coco's new look is now officially out of the bag! I wanted to create a space and experience that was more organized and user-friendly, and I hope that translates well for you all. It gives me great pleasure to share this new look with you, and I have to send out a HUGE THANK YOU to my amazing brother-in-law, who coded it all, and who dealt with my obsessive compulsive perfectionism! I could not have done it without his help and knowledge! Got to love family :-)

I hope you guys like it! And please let me know if you guys have any questions, comments or feedback!

Enjoy!!!!

Love,
Sophia

Monday Music Mix: No Room For Doubt

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

My BFF (click here to visit her blog!) has an amazing ear for music. Every time she recommends a new artist to me, I am hooked. Anywho, last week she introduced my ears to a new artist, hailing from London (of course), called Lianne La Havas. One word: LOVE! Her voice is so soothing -- like....like a sip of chamomile tea! Since we always have to look for comparisons, I would say her sound is similar to Corinne Bailey Rae -- "folksy soul" in that way.

Anyway, I was joking around with my friend saying that we should seriously consider moving to London. Why does the U.K. always have to come out with some of the most interesting people, music and T.V. shows (e.g. I'm obsessed with this TV series called Misfits. Omg, we'll get to that later...). It's not fair!

Preview Lianne La Havas' No Room For Doubt below:

Of course, it's no surprise that I had to post the video that was filmed in Paris! What can I say? I'm biased.

Thank You

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hey guys,I just wanted to write an official post thanking each and every one of you for your supportive words, amazing feedback, and most importantly the sharing of your stories. It took a lot to jump off of that limb, but you all made me realize it was the best decision I could make in terms of making this blog a space where we can share and inspire one another with our experiences. I am inspired by each and every one of your stories, and it is solid proof to how amazing you all are as individuals. Thank you.

Side health note: Thank you so much for all of your well wishes and prayers for my "thyroid situation." And with that, I have a bit of good news: My levels seem to be recovering and I am feeling a lot better, however, things are still up in the air in terms of my scan results. So that means another trip to the Doc next month for yet another ultrasound. Great. But still, I'm happy that my body seems to be self-regulating itself right now. Go body!

Thanks for all of your support, guys!

Love,
Sophia

France = Black?

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

When I was 14 years old, my parents took me to see the film above. 14. My own ideas of politics, race, identity and country were still deep in the murky waters of youthful ignorance.

I was a 14 year Black French girl whose last name was French, but I was not Haitian. I was not Louisianan Creole. My family did not come from the Caribbean or Africa. So how is it possible that I could be French? Identity crisis 'r us? The idea of Black people in Europe, particularly France, seemed like an impossibility to most of my classmates. The French images that many of us high schoolers were introduced to were the stereotypical (of course): Berets, baguettes, accordions, accents like Pepé Le Pew, and lastly, white... These images totally contrasted with the brown and black faces I saw in the streets of Paris. Europe was synonymous with white, and therefore, if you were Black, you had to be from some place else. It was so frustrating.

I have a French passport. Majority of my family is in France. But here's the gotcha -- they are not black, they are white.

The film Lumumba came into my life during a time of personal frustration. The frustration of explaining to people. Lumumba validated the many complexities of my identity, even though the film took place in Africa. It was the first time I visibly and consciously saw black people speaking French, not only through my own eyes, in my own life, but on a huge theater screen.

His name was Patrice Lumumba. He fought for Congo's independence from Belgium, and was elected the first prime minister of the Republic of Congo in 1960. He stood for pan-Africanism and anti-imperialism. And this was all articulated in the language of my father, my language too. Though ironically enough, my relationship with Europe was not through the story of colonization, but from the other side of the coin -- my relatives, my family, were from the "imperialist" nation.

Lumumba sparked a flame within me that made me search for myself within the larger image of Africa, Europe and America. He helped me cross my first bridge.

I always say when a film makes you look deep beneath the surface, that's a good film.

Stop SOPA/PIPA!

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

http://www.sopa.com/

Le Weekend's (Tuesday's) Tress Look

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! Hope you all enjoyed the long holiday weekend! And now, here's an image from Le Weekend, wearing one of my staple styles -- a low bun (with a very strong Margarita in hand and a random ladder in the background).

xoxo

Thursday's Thought: The Ultimate Hustler

2012-01-12T11:15:00.000-05:00

I wrote this post over a month ago, but never posted it. Until now that is.

To preface:

Usually when I see things about the economy in the news, I see numbers, arrows pointing up or down, percentages. It somehow removes the humaness from it all. Things could always be worse, I guess. But to be frank, this has been one big 'ol sh*tty battle that I, and many of my friends, struggle with on the daily:

How are we going to make that bread and butter when few are hiring and the jobs that we do apply to, a zillion other (just as qualified) individuals apply to right along with us. The other big question -- how to earn a living while still doing the things we love.

Well. We gotta do what we gotta do to make that happen, no matter how many detours and setbacks we have, I figure. All while not getting involved in any illegal business, of course. Trust me on that one. Oh and no stripping.

Now that that's out of the way:

Yes, that's right ladies and gentlemen, we are the ultimate hustlers. Who is we, you may ask? We is... us.

I'm talking about we, my generation (and not), college grad (or not). We are the amazing individuals struggling to survive in this economy in shall I say very creative ways.

I wanted to share my place in this economic crisis:

I graduated from college in 2008. You can say the year 2008 was the beginning of the end for a lot of people. I was lucky enough to find employment for two years at an administrative position, but then things changed drastically for me in 2010. I was laid-off and found myself back on those dreadful job boards, sending out dozens and dozens of resumes and applications a week to no avail. I want to jump out of the closet, so to speak, and share a piece of my story.

But let's back up a bit. I was feeling really bad about the whole thing. I thought I had done everything I was supposed to do while I was in college. With prestigious internships every summer both here and abroad, I thought I was really racking up invaluable experience that would be sure to land me my "dream job", whatever that was, upon graduation. But as the climate worsened, the little self-loathing pessimistic Debbie Downer voice inside of me got louder. Everything sucks and nobody cares, plus you don't know what you want to do and you're broke and no one wants to hire you because your black AND a woman and you don't have enough experience minus why would you ever think of a career change to museums/ graphic design, really, I mean, really. Don't worry I squared away all these issues with my therapist.

So here I am on the road unknown, still trying to find my way. I don't even know what's going to happen next week, next month, or next year. I'm as perplexed as the next kid. But you know what? That's okay. I never thought I'd be in this position at 25 because, you know in my 10 year old mind set, I'm supposed to have it all by now: living between my two apartments in Paris and New York, vacationing with the kids and husband at our vacation villa in Morocco, being at the top of my game, oh and a Grammy award winning singer. It's funny how 25 seemed so old back then.

But the take away message, boys and girl, is the message of perseverance. The fact that we are persevering to kiss our dream through the worst of times is pretty amazing. It may be by the skin of our teeth, but we're surviving. Between then and now, I've held down what seems like a dozen random jobs and internships as gallery assistant, museum educator, volunteer, PR Assistant/messenger, editorial intern, clerical worker, sales assistant, administrative assistant, translator, tour guide... yep, that's it for now. And what did I study? Oh yeah, Journalism and Political Science.

In short, we are creative jacks and jills of all trades because we had to be. We are well-rounded, team players; we are self-starters who take action. And most importantly, we know how to find quick solutions to some very difficult problems.

And, we know how to make a dollar out of 15 cents. Take that!

Even though there are no cookie cutter answers in life, we find our wisdom by living and experiencing. The trick to everything is to keep breathing.

In other words, we are here, and we are amazing! And the day will come when we will have our full out make out session with our dream.

Stay positive and heads up guys + me.

With love,

Wednesday Wardrobe: The Anti-Hipster?

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

The skirt and belt are both from Beacon's Closet, a popular thrift store in Brooklyn and a current hipster cesspool. I remember when thrifting was an alternative to the stores you really wanted to go to but your little 14 or 15 year old money couldn't take you. But on the bright side, you always found way cooler pieces than in the mainstream stores. Now all these trust fund babies just think it's cool... rebelling against corporations in their recycled clothes and organic food. I'm over-generalizing, I know and no lie, I would probably be categorized as....one...too (everything except the trust fund baby). Trust me someone needs to fund these pockets, baby. But sometimes I wonder:

Why does everything have to be a statement?

And plus -- a total non-sequitur -- but you're not even from Brooklyn!! Get outta here!

Rantings of a true Brooklyn knight who knows how Brooklyn used to be before it became cool living among non-New Yorkers in Williamsburg, hipster capital.

What does have to do with wardrobe, fashion, or Wednesday?

Nothing.

Ciao for now!

Tuesday's Tress Talk: My First ACV Rinse!

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

So this past weekend was the big one: After 7 weeks of co-washing only, I used Apple Cider Vinegar in the place of shampoo to cleanse my hair.

Apple Cider Vinegar is supposed to be gentler than a shampoo and since my stylist suggested that I try it, I did. It was pretty easy to do, but of course as expected, it was smeeellllyyyyyyyy. But luckily my hair did not retain the smell whatsoever, and the smell in my shower quickly dissipated.

So here's what I did below:

I combined 1 cup ACV with 3 cups water. I wasn't initially going to look up a specific recipe, but at the last minute I decided to. I followed CurlyChronicles' suggestion since it was clean and simple. Here go the technicalities:

I dipped my head over my tub (since my sink is small and my head is big) and saturated my hair with water until it was dripping wet. I didn't want to do this while taking a shower because I didn't want to get vinegar all over myself (ACV smelling body, not cool).
Once my hair was saturated with water, I poured the AVC rinse over it. I then started to massage my scalp with the rinse. Since I didn't want to sit on my knees the whole time while the vinegar mix dripped down into the tub, I decided to put a plastic cap on.
I let the rinse sit on my hair for 4 minutes (suggested by my stylist).
I rinsed out with lukewarm water for 2 minutes (again suggested by my stylist lol).
Conditioned as normal.
Lastly, I deep conditioned for 30 minutes with one of the conditioners I had on hand (which happened to be Blended Beauty's Herbal Reconditioner).

The results were impressive and most of all my hair feels nice and clean! Some others who have used ACV noticed a glossy shine afterwards... no doubt about it. As usual, I moisturized and styled with Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Butter. No surprises there
:-)

Here's to round 2! So... March???

Ciao for now!

Monday Music Mix: Balancê

2012-01-09T17:03:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday everyone and welcome back from the weekend! This week's music mix correlates directly with my love affair with the Portuguese language. I took Portuguese for a year in college, and all my memory managed to retain is how to say, "My name is..." It's a start.

Sara Tavares grew up in Portugal and is of Cape Verdean descent. Her music is a beautiful infusion of her Cape Verdean heritage. Need I just say her voice is like butta and will melt your ears! And what's so enticing about this song is its name: Balancê reminds me to keep searching for that balance in life, no matter how much it wants to rock you back and forth.

Preview Balancê below:

Free Write Friday: Entrée to honesty

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Since it is the new year, I thought I’d make another [blog] resolution:

To be more open.

Honestly, when starting this blog, I wanted to somehow reveal who I was while not entirely exposing too much. I thought my blog life should remain separate from real life, or just be selected abstractions from my real life. I’d speak about hair, art, film, culture, etc...the things that I found inspiring. Pieces of me and my personality. These things, I thought, could somehow convey who I am without really revealing who I am at the same time.

At first, I did not want to reveal my real name. But when people started calling me Kiffe, it just didn’t feel right. And more recently, I’ve felt an urge to share some situations that I’ve been dealing with, but felt too ashamed or too scared even to expose them.

It’s like sitting in front of a camera and looking directly into the lens, which I still have a hard time doing. Who is the person beyond this figure? It’s a choice. A choice I made consciously: To be real or go home. My mode of deliverance: writing.

I hate sitting in front of a camera because I hate my voice. I was never good at public speaking. I fear stumbling over my words or sounding stupid. I write then I speak. I am rarely pleased at what I see. I do dozens of takes because I don’t like the way I look or my self-convinced phobia of one eye surely looking bigger than the other. I am self-conscious, surely.

I never really thought I was beautiful, nor did I think I was ugly. I was ok. Just ok. I had troubled skin, troubled eyes and troubled teeth. I was a “tubby” child with big thighs. My theme song at family parties used to be “Brick House.” Dancing, clapping and cheering. High five for the big-boned-ed girls. I never was embarrassed.

Sometimes I feel tired and down, even though I consider myself to be an active person. Recently, it was brought to my attention (by my doctor) that I may have thyroid issues (an overactive thyroid to be specific). I have more testing to do this week and I’m sooooo not looking forward to it. It scares the crap out of me. (Damn me for trying to be proactive with my health, and getting a physical in the first place!).

So all of that aside: Hi, my name is Sophia and I am 25 soon to be 26 years old and I’m just trying to do what I’ve been doing since I was 14 years old. A promise I made to myself after 9/11: To record my life just in case the world ends. So when and if an archaeologist finds my journal he (she or ze) will know who I am.

And there it is...

For now.

January Nails!

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

This month's nail color is yellow. Yellow is for optimism. As always, courtesy of Marie Nails NYC!

Wednesday Wardrobe: Rocking the Xmas Gifts

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Here I am rocking a few of the wonderful (and fashionable) gifts I was extremely psyched to receive for Christmas:

Lovely mustard colored lace top from my Mom.
Glittery bracelets from my auntie.
And leopard printed boots from me ♥.

Now I have a new pop of color in my closet. So happy with it all!

Ciao for now!

Tuesday's Tress Talk

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

7 weeks post-shampoo! This will be the week when I finally do the do -- a shampoo cleanse with Apple Cider Vinegar. I started this experiment of eliminating shampoo from my wash routine almost two months ago, and I've been co-washing weekly with a silicone-free conditioner ever since. The other product I added to the routine is a moisturizing cream (instead of a leave-in conditioner).

After getting my hair cut a few months ago, my stylist convinced me to take on this new method and told me that I would "see the difference." So here's what I've noticed in these 7 weeks:

Improved moisture retention
Hair drying time cut in half
Increased natural shine
Noticeable growth
Longer lasting styles

All in all, this routine has been working really well for me. The true test will be to see how my hair responds to the ACV rinse and round two of this routine, but I learned one thing for sure that works for me: low-manipulation leads to stronger, healthier hair.

I'l be doing the rinse this weekend. I'll keep you all posted!

Ciao for now!

Monday Music Mix: Headlines

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

I had to. I just had to. Jimmy Brooks, aka Aubrey Graham, is the rap superstar who we have all grown to call Drake. Drake, who I frequently refer to as "Jimmy from the hit Canadian teen tv series Degrassi", was someone I haven't really cared for musically -- BUT his character on Degrassi was nonetheless phenomenal (hey, Jimmy lived an inspiring life: becoming permanently paralyzed after a school shooting, but still pursuing his musical dreams. Wow.). As you can see I was deeply involved with this show even though it was totally geared towards 13 year olds. But in all seriousness, I must say Drake has impressed me with his most recent album Take Care. I'm not sure if it's the production or his overconfident flow, but I'm feeling it. What can say? It's a guilty pleasure. Plus, I have to blow up his spot.

I am currently obsessed with "Headlines." "I guess it just really is me, myself and all my millions." Okay Jimmy! Go on with your bad self. They know, Drake, they know.

Preview Headlines below:

Drake ~ Headlines (Official Video) from OctobersVeryOwn on Vimeo.

Mmm Mmm Good: New Year's Eve Food & Drink

2012-01-01T20:00:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We made it, and no the world did not end. Let's start this year off marvelously, shall we?!

Here's what I cooked up for New Years Eve Dinner: Linguine Alle Vongole or pasta with clams in white wine. I'm so proud of myself :-)

Totally bought this wine because the label said "chic." Clearly, I don't go by year or variety, I go by cool looking labels.

After the damage was done:

Happy New Year everyone! May 2012 be filled with positivity, success and all around greatness.

To good health and good living :-)

*Check out the delicious recipe here!

What's my New Year's looking like?

2011-12-30T09:41:00.000-05:00

My feet up in my reflexology socks, watching the Twilight Zone marathon with a glass of champagne... that's the way I'll be ringing in 2012! Since last New Year's was a bit more hectic traveling to Europe and all, this year I'll be staying cozy. And besides, I'm tired of these NYC bars and lounges jacking up their prices and tricking you into thinking a $100 admission fee is a good deal -- just because you might get a free glass of champagne. And oh, we know how that's going to work: The bartender sets up 50 or so free glasses on the bar while the 150+ people admitted claw over it. And there you are at the back of all this mess, left dry as a desert. Well, there goes my free glass.

A wise woman once said: "Don't need no hateration, holleration in this dancery..." Not this year.

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

See you in the 012.

xoxo

P.S. NEW BLOG LOOK COMING SOON!

2WRVRYASTKEW

Resolutions

2011-12-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

connect: live:
mind dream
body present

write health fearless spiritual open push
finish knowledge hear create grow expand

Various images of Christmas and an interlude to resolutions:

2011-12-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

It's amazing how quickly the holidays come and go. And it is during this time that our appreciation for family, friends, and the smaller things become accentuated in the glow of warmth.

As the New Year approaches us, this warmth is what I would like to keep for 2012 and beyond.

Monday Music Mix: French Cancan

2011-12-26T15:00:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend! Ready for New Years? I fell upon the Malian chanteuse Inna Modja, a few days ago, and fell in love with her song called French Cancan (Monsieur Sainte Nitouche). It's sounds like a Spring day in Paris -- flirty and carefree. Even though we are nowhere near Spring (especially here in New York), we can imagine ourselves on a sunny day in Paris, sipping our café in a lazy street cafe.

Preview French Cancan (Mosieur Sainte Nitouche) here.

Plus, check out the awesome video below:

Holiday greetings from yours truly

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Back home for the holidays (!) and wishing you all a wonderful, joyous and bountiful holiday weekend with your family and loved ones! Have a hap, hap, happy (and safe) holiday!

Snapped a few photos of my parents' Christmas tree -- the wattage is like woah! My mom definitely wasn't messing around with the lights. She must have about 10 boxes of lights on there, and trust me she would've bought more if we hadn't intervened. What can I say, our Christmas trees have always been what I like to describe as "Las Vegas," but we love it!

Happy holidays!

xoxo

So Christmas is almost here...

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

[source]

I finally finished all of my Christmas shopping. Yes, since I'm a last minute shopper, I kind of missed the boat with online shopping. And I'm still beating myself over the head for starting so late. So, I was left to endure this:

The War Zone

I guess it's my fault, granted, but Christmas shopping is overrated. What ever happened to the good 'ol days where cards, made from oak tag and diligently illustrated with Crayola's best, were suitable offerings. That stuff came from the heart and took blood, sweat and tears to create a visual concept. Stores are busting out at the seams with people and I found myself shopping in the two worst areas in New York City (even on good days they're bad): SoHo and Midtown (34th Street). And THEN loading myself and gift luggage onto a crowded subway, getting beat down by my very own bags, possibly knocking over a small child... things of this nature.

I'm so over it. Next, year everyone's getting hugs and a card saying what I would have bought them.

Okay, I'm done with my bah humbug banter.

The most rewarding moment will be seeing the sparkle of joy on my loved ones' faces as they tear open my gifts of honor. Sorry small child whom I possibly knocked over -- you'll see it was all for the best.

Merry Christmahanakwanza!!!

Artfully Wednesday: Green concept

2011-12-21T08:27:00.001-05:00

Sources:

Alexa Meade: http://www.slate.com/slideshows/arts/turning-humans-to-canvas.html#slide_7

Favim: http://favim.com/image/34910/
http://favim.com/image/10143/
http://favim.com/image/25592/

Tuesday's Tress Talk: New Lengths :-)

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Five weeks post-shampoo!

This is freshly co-washed hair with SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie applied as a moisturizer. I have to admit I'm really liking this new routine. I've noticed my hair is retaining moisture a lot easier since I've weened it off the shampoo, and my styles (i.e. braid outs/bun outs) are lasting a lot longer. I've been able to get away with co-washing only once a week as opposed to twice. Now it's time to put this bad boy in my weekly two braids.

And is it just my imagination, or do I feel like I may be noticing a bit of growth too? :-) My hair definitely feels happy.

Ciao for now!

Monday Music Mix: Five Pound Box of Money

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's finally Christmas week, and nothing can get you in the holiday spirit like Pearl Bailey's "Five Pound Box of Money." This lady certainly knows what she wants for Christmas, and it certainly going to cost Santa a pretty penny, well lots of pretty pennies. Nothing like a sassy holiday tune to bring on that Christmas cheer.

Preview Five Pound Box of Money here.

Ciao for now!

I wish I were 6 years old again just for this...

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

[source]

The members of an African-American natural hair group in Columbus, GA have decided to give Barbie a natural hair makeover for the holiday season. They've turned 40 or so black barbie dolls into natural beauties, with the plan of donating the dolls as gifts for girls living in the Booker T. Washington public housing complex in Columbus.

Though I wish Barbie had more meat/more clothing on her bones, I think this is a gorgeous idea. This will make some little girl very happy this Christmas.

To read the full article, click here.

Have a lovely weekend, guys!

The search is over...

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

After last Thursday's post, the quest of finding my mom's WWD front page photo (photographed by Bill Cunningham!) began. So this past (very chilly) Saturday, my boyfriend and I set out to the New York Public Library to spend what we thought would be hours and hours looking through rolls and rolls of microfilm. Side note: I've never handled microfilm before in my life, so the process itself was quite the learning experience. But after a while, you got the hang of it. I definitely had a moment where I felt quite cool and detective-like [insert inspector gadget music here].

My mom couldn't quite recall the year or month, but only that it was the summertime, and that she was wearing a white skirt, black top, black sling back pumps, with her hair pulled back (one always remembers attire no matter how long ago it was!). We picked up 12 rolls of microfilm in total: archives from WWD's 1975 and 1976 papers. We started with the summer issues from 1976 (by the way, it was a daily paper and that fact definitely made me believe we would be there for awhile!). We inserted the first roll spanning from May to June, with no luck. I felt it in my bones though - the second roll would be the golden roll. And to my excitement, just a few slides into our second roll of film, there it was! August 25, 1976, my mom, exactly in what she said she was wearing!

The article read, "New York girls are keeping their fashion well-polished... Less is the best from baring tube tops to minimal accessorizing." Hmm, maybe this is where I get my less is best mentality... Anyway, kudos to my mom for always being ahead of the game :-)

Mission complete.

P.S. Libraries are amazing.

Ciao for now!

Wardrobe Wednesday: Winterization

2011-12-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

I wrote a post a few months ago about the above (seemingly summer) skirt I got on sale from Anthropologie. I pulled the skirt out of "le closet" once again to show you how I "winterized" it. I paired it with a black turtle neck from H&M, black stockings, and my pair of Steve Madden lace-up boots, for a touch of seventies flair. Save yourself some moolah and winterize your non-winter clothing ;-)

Ciao for now!

Tuesday's Tress Look

2011-12-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Four weeks post-shampoo and only three more weeks to go until I finally shampoo cleanse my hair (using apple cider vinegar)! I have been co-washing 1-2x per week with a silicone-free conditioner (Shikai Everyday Conditioner), styling with SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, and oiling daily with Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Butter. Today I decided to go for a side braid instead of my usual bun or two braids (which I've been sporting frequently these past couple of weeks).

Ciao for now!

Monday Music Mix: Timbuktu

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

If there was one place that I was fascinated with when I was younger it was Mali, in western Africa. I'm not sure why... My uncle once brought me back a medicine pouch and wooden box from this butterfly shaped country. Those two objects connected me to a place that I craved (and crave) to go. The history, the culture, the people, and the music were astonishing to me. I was introduced to Issa Bagayogo's music during one of my random music searches, oh let's say several years ago. His music combines electronic influences with the plucks and riffs of the ngoni, a three-stringed lute popular in western Africa and usually reserved for sacred contexts.

Bagayogo's musical success did not come easy -- he suffered the loss of his wife and unemployment, and succumbed to drug addiction for several years. However, Bagayogo would eventually be called to music, leading to international success and stardom on the continent and elsewhere. Bagayogo constructs a rich texture of opposing sounds with the ngoni and dance beats in his 2001 album Timbuktu to give us listeners something sacred for our ears.

Preview Timbuktu here.

Friday's Philosophy: Here and Now

2011-12-09T08:00:00.003-05:00

At any given moment, I open my eyes and exist. And before that, during all eternity, what was there? Nothing. - Ugo Betti

See: Bill Cunningham New York

2011-12-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

I recently saw a movie (on Netflix!) that I absolutely loved. It was a beautiful portrait about New York Times street photographer, Bill Cunningham. I've listened to the audio selections of his fashion reports before on the New York Times website, but never really knew too much about the man behind the mild voice. This documentary takes you in depth into Bill Cunningham's life. When you see him on the streets of New York, you only see an old man on a bike weaving in an out of traffic asking to get run over, but covers do fool. He's one of the hottest, sought after street photographers in the game. And he's been in the game a long time, and has photographed everyone from the crème de la crème of society, to the average joe sporting some baggy pants and a baseball cap. His life is dedicated to the thrill of finding the newest and most interesting fashion -- not on the runway, but in the street, worn by everyday people.

Definitely a must see!

Oh yeah, and after viewing this film the other day, my mom just happened to casually mention, "Oh yeah back in 1975/6, I was photographed by Bill Cunningham, and made it on the front page of WWD (Women's Wear Daily)."

Um, ok thanks mom for the heads-up. Of course, the front page is not in our possession.

Do you know what I smell? A trip to the library!

December Nails!

2011-12-07T08:00:00.003-05:00

This month I tried out a new slightly pointier shape that is just round enough that I won't poke out my eyeball. As for the design, I had a single centered racing stripe in mind, but the nail technician spiced it up and off-centered the line (I know it's a small detail, but it did change up the look a lot!). The colors I choose were a muted navy blue and lime green glitter for the stripe; I thought it would be an interesting color combo.

There's my touch of sparkle for the holiday!

Ciao for now!

Tuesday's Tress Look

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Three weeks post-shampoo and going strong! This is a braid out done from four braids I made the evening before. I just spritzed a bit of water and applied a hefty amount of Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Butter to my hair. I can't say enough how great this butter is for the colder months. Wow! It leaves my hair shiny and soft. Definitely a must for the winter!

Now that I am on this strict less is more/non-shampoo regimen, I'm noticing my hair retains moisture for longer periods of time. Could be the left over oil, but it feels a lot less dry and surprisingly not stringy.

Ciao for now!

Monday Music Mix: Our Day Will Come

2011-12-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

It's funny because I was just recently having a conversation about Amy Winehouse vs. Adele... Who touches your soul? Both in my opinion are AMAZING vocalists and both encompass that old school 60s soul flavor. But when it comes down to it, Amy Winehouse will forever win over my ears. She has that grit, that "been through some ish" crackle in her voice that goes down with a smooth burn like brown liquor. She was and is genius. There will never be another one like Amy. Her latest single entitled "Our Day Will Come" from her tribute album is a rendition of the original 1963 classic from Ruby and the Romantics. We will always ponder what could have been for Amy if she were still alive. How would her music evolve? We will never know. But what is for sure is that her music and energy will always remain in the present when we listen.

Preview Our Day Will Come here.

Ciao for now!

Santa Baby and The List

2011-12-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

The holidays are approaching at a lightning speed, and I have yet to even think about Christmas shopping. Hmm, now that I think about it, I think I might just do everything online. My pressure can't take these crowded stores looking like war zones, people getting into their predator instinct, clawing at random goods. It's dangerous out there when desperation hits those last minute shoppers... like me. No, I want to avoid it if I can.

Now, as for my little Christmas list? I'm not too sure what to add to it, believe it, or not. I remember when I was younger my list usually extended into a trilogy series, usually stocked with items such as Barbies and board games. I'm at a loss, well, I mean, there are a few things I had my little eye on:

You know, these are just some ideas...

Have a great weekend, guys!

Yellow is the color of a little Thursday thought

2011-12-01T13:32:00.018-05:00

Beauford Delaney, Portrait of a Young Musician, n.d.

Firstly, hey guys! Secondly, I just have to say as soon as I laid eyes on this painting by Beauford Delaney, I was deeply intrigued.

I was introduced to this piece on Tuesday at the Studio Museum of Harlem while working a workshop, and just looking at it, I thought of Paris and then somehow, James Baldwin's image popped into my head. His scarf, his crossed legs, his expression all led me to believe that this guy had been spending some time in the City of Light! You little rascal, you! I was never familiar with Delaney's work before, but it turns out that the artist was indeed tight with James Baldwin, and did in fact spend some time in Paris. Go figure! I guess you can say the Paris effect runs deep. Once bitten, you'll start wearing scarfs as accent pieces (among other Parisian behaviors).

Some days I really miss Paris...

I, too, once sat like this, Paris 2008

P.S. Happy December!!!

Wardrobe Wednesday: Out of Africa

2011-11-30T08:00:00.005-05:00

This is yet another old finding from "le closet." I bought this Cameroonian beaded apron about nine or ten years ago. These glass beaded aprons, originally from Northern Cameroon, come in many different patterns and colors, often signifying social status and age. The dangling shells at the bottom once represented currency. These aprons were formerly worn by pre-pubescent girls to attract attention and to ward off evil spirits. Being a somewhat ignorant, hyper afro-centric 15 year-old teen at the time of purchase, I was solely fascinated by the "look" and that it was from the motherland. But after researching a bit about the history and cultural significance of these aprons, it has held greater meaning for me.

Tuesday's Tress Look... and Talk

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

*2 weeks post-shampoo. Styled with Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Butter.

Random Mini Hair Routine Update:

I am currently testing out a new hair routine that was recommended to me by Jeff, the awesome stylist who cut my hair a few weeks ago. It basically consists of mainly co-washing with a non-silicone conditioner weekly and "cleansing" with Apple Cider Vinegar in place of shampoo once every month or so. By basically avoiding "anything that lathers," I was told that I'll be aiding in the health and growth of my hair.

In this routine, I will also be nixing the use of regular conditioner as a leave-in and instead using a moisturizing cream. And for the record, I feel that my hair drying time has been cut in half since using a cream moisturizer (like half a day as opposed to a day and a half)!

In terms of oiling, for me, this is essential. I don't care what anyone says! I have to oil my hair daily or else my hair will feel like brillo pad central. I was told to opt for oils like Jojoba or Hempseed. For now, I will be using Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Butter (which is packed with a lovely array of oils and butters). This keeps my hair super moisturized especially during the winter months.

Anyway guys, I'll give you a more in depth look into this routine soon! Should be washing my hair in the New Year! Let's see if I can hold out. For now, so far so good.

Ciao for now!

New Fabulous Holiday Items, More Awesome Sales!

2011-11-28T17:45:00.006-05:00

Monday Music Mix: Kaleidoscope

2011-11-28T08:00:00.002-05:00

Along with Scary Spice of the Spice Girls, Kelis was another one of my pre-teen idols. Kelis hit the scene in 1999. I remember seeing her first video "Caught Out There" from her debut album, Kaleidoscope, and I thought (and still think) she was the coolest thing with her neon pink hair! She embodied fun, edginess and confidence in her style.

I still think this was one of Kelis' best. The Neptunes (a.k.a. Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams) incorporated their signature synthesized style on the production to offer a sound that was different from "mainstream" R&B at the time. Kelis will always remain someone who beats to the sound of their own drum.

Preview Kaleidoscope here.

Ciao for now!

Thanksgiving Look: Back to the basics...

2011-11-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

A minimalist look to kick off the holiday season. I found this super cute lace cape top from Forever 21. That store really has some brilliant things on their good days. Love it!

And as for my hair... Let's just say the satin bonnet may have slipped off the night before (What can I say? I'm a wild sleeper.). But nevertheless, I was feeling the frizz :-) .

Have a great rest of the weekend, guys!

Orange & Gold

2011-11-25T08:00:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Still sleeping off this food coma... Nothing like a lovely day of family, food, good wine and music. There's so much to be thankful for.

That being said, I love the holidays!

Have a great weekend everyone, and enjoy those leftovers!

P.S. Was anyone brave enough to take a head start on Black Friday shopping this morning? If so, hope you found some good treasures ;-)

Ciao for now!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

Black Friday Starts Today!

2011-11-21T18:43:00.006-05:00

Monday Music Mix: Hands Clean

2011-11-21T08:30:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I've heard from Rhian Benson (since 2003 to be specific, when her debut album Gold Coast was released.). My lasting impression of Benson's sound was that of your typical Neo soul artist: interesting profile (being born in Accra, Ghana and raised in Wales and India), thoughtful lyrics, acoustic sounds, but still sort of safe and neatly tucked away within the Neo soul genre. However, after over 7 years of a musical hiatus, Benson has seemed to depart from the safe sounds of her previous work to the more electronic, bold, and at times, moody range, by teaming up with Danish production duo Daniel Fridell and Jonas Rendbo. Maybe getting with the times, or finally finding her own sound, regardless, I've had her entire album on repeat for practically the entire weekend.

Preview Hands Clean here. Enjoy!

Ciao for now!

Surprise, surprise! I got a hair cut.

2011-11-17T08:00:00.003-05:00

Last week, I was feeling a bit frustrated with my hair. Two weeks prior I had done a self-trim on my already purposely blunt cut, and felt that afterwards I had just accentuated its pyramid shape even more. In addition to my not so great self-trim, my hair was growing out funny. The front started to grow over the back pieces, if that makes sense. Anyway, my hair lost a lot of volume and became sort of flat and shapeless. Not my cup of tea.

I researched a few neighborhood salons (I know... risky.), but actually came across one I felt comfortable enough to make an appointment with. Self Salon is a trendy, Williamsburg (BK!) joint and their "Curly Specialist," Jeff, is Deva-trained and from the reviews seemed to have a lot of experience with, shall I say, different curl types, which definitely made me feel a lot more confident in my decision.

You may ask, why didn't I go back to Devachan? The main factor keeping me away is the cost. Granted, while it was worth the experience and I did love my cut, I was looking for something a tad more reasonable.

Anyway, long story short, I wanted some volume back. I still have the main bulk of my hair as one length, but I spiced it up with a little bit of layers, mainly at the crown. Jeff, my hairstylist, was amazing! Super laid-back and far from a product pusher. I learned so much from him and he gave me great insider tips on the products I'm using, as well as some fun natural remedies. But most importantly, he didn't weigh my hair down with tons of product. I left the salon with BIG and voluminous hair like I wanted. He was even nice enough to e-mail me an after-care guideline of some of the tips he shared with me.

I'm also glad to know that he believes in super low-maintence care (I think I found my hair stylist match from heaven!). While Devachan said I should come back for "maintenance" in 4-5 weeks (and we all know that also means wallet maintenance), Jeff told me that I could possibly hold out to maybe a year or close to it. This was music to my ears! All in all, wonderful experience and I was glad I could find a stylist that I could connect with on the real.

Hair cut cost: $86

Ciao for now!

Artfully Wednesday: William H. Johnson (1901-1970)

2011-11-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

William Johnson, Cafe, c. 1939-40

William Johnson, Nude, c.1939

William Johnson, Baptize Thee, c. 1940

William Johnson, Self-Portrait with Pipe, c. 1937

William Johnson, Girl in a Green Dress, 1930

Born in 1901 in Florence, South Carolina, William Henry Johnson was an African-American artist widely known as one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century. Johnson is know for his folk art depicting the African-American experience in a style blossoming into it's own from the Expressionist movement. He learned to draw from comic strips at an early age, and the rest of his early adult life was spent traveling through Europe, mainly Paris and Denmark (where he would meet his wife), as a painter. He would reside in Denmark for a good portion of his life.

Several years after the death of his beloved wife from cancer in 1943, he became a victim of mental illness. Traveling to Norway for an exhibit he became confused, and was found lost in the streets. He was sent back to New York, put into an institution (where he would remain for the last 23 years of his life), and never painted again. After he fell ill, his work was stored in a warehouse for several years, only to be excavated in the 1950s by the Harmon Foundation, an organization which supported and promoted the work of black artists.

Many of his works circulate the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

There were a few of his prints in my household. I specifically remember "Cafe" (first image). Something about it always spoke comfort and familiarity. Reminds me of home :-)

Tuesday's Tress to Impress

2011-11-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

[source]

Rwandan-Ugandan-American singer, Somi and her gorgeous locks.

Monday Music Mix: Every Boy

2011-11-14T08:00:00.002-05:00

Hey Guys, I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

So here's my first "Monday Music Mix" post (!), which is a sort of a rebirth of the "Song of the Day" posts I had previously on the blog, highlighting old, new, mainstream, underground, and everything in between.

I thought I'd kick it off on the personal with a tune from my best friend's cousin, the lovely and super talented actress/ singer Ashley Jeffrey, who just last week released her first single ever on iTunes entitled "Every Boy." We are all so proud of her as she is making moves! Go girl!

Please feel free to take a little listen here with your morning cup of joe.

Thanks for supporting, guys :-)

Ciao for now!

Do you believe in seven years bad luck?

2011-11-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

The idea of broken mirrors and bad luck is an interesting one. Many cultures believe that mirrors reflect the soul when a person's image is reflected. Therefore, breaking a mirror is the equivalent to breaking a part of the soul. And that's where the bad luck comes in... seven years worth of it.

Why seven years, you may ask? It all stemmed from the Romans who believed that life renews itself every seven years.

Aside from broken glass, I was once told that mirrors can be used to ward off bad spirits, go figure. Well, I guess I am kind of superstitious type because as I photographed this image, I thought that I just might catch the bad luck. But I was reassured that I was safe because I didn't break it. Clearly, duh. ***frantically throws fistfuls of salt over shoulder****

Have an awesome and soul safe weekend!

Ciao for now!

Posing

2011-11-10T08:00:00.006-05:00

Everyone has that friend with the "All About Me" photo album on Facebook.

Technology (i.e. social media) making us too self-involved?

YeahhNahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Nothing wrong with being happy in your own skin! But I have just one request: Please leave those poom poom shorts for private occasions :-)

Ode to the Pomegranate

2011-11-09T08:00:00.010-05:00

Totally random, I know and yes, I have an ode to pomegranates.

If there is one thing that forces me to appreciate the little pleasures in life, it is the pomegranate. It is one fruit that requires so much attention, so much focus, so much of you. I am "involved" each time I cut one open. And in the end, I am left but with the stain of crimson and a remarkable high that can only be attributed to the lovely and delicious pomegranate!

Ciao for now!

Fall Readin'

2011-11-08T08:00:00.003-05:00

November Nails!

2011-11-07T08:00:00.003-05:00

I realized that I totally skipped last month's nail look from my sister's wedding. My bad! Just to recap -- I just went with a simple bordeaux color to go with my dress. But this month, I'm went the complete opposite of bordeaux with a bright aqua color! I notice as the weather gets colder, the more I crave bright colors. As always, courtesy of Marie Nails of NYC!

A Touch of Spark for your Holiday Wardrobe!

2011-11-05T11:00:00.001-04:00

Findings from my closet

2011-11-03T15:19:00.007-04:00

Vintage kaftan dress I bought when I was in high school. Found some similar styles here.

Plus: I'm starting on a new pair, yay!

Ciao for now!

My current "awkward" obsession ...

2011-11-02T15:58:00.013-04:00

I'm not sure if you guys are all familiar with the hilarious web series, Awkward Black Girl, but it is literally one of the funniest/wittiest shows EVER! Yep, there it is. I can't help myself from gushing. I might be... obsessed.

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl follows the title character and friends as she navigates through life, love and awkward situations. We all have our awkward moments (and Lord knows I am the queen of awkwardness). Finally, I feel like there is a show that speaks to us... awkward people. This is some knee slapping, tear jerking, side hurtin' good stuff. So, watch every single episode tonight (so we can recap) and hop on the Awkward Black Girl wagon!

Let the obsession begin and check out the latest episode below (the Halloween edition)!

P.S. Can we talk about how I did absolutely zip. zero. nada. nilch for Halloween? Aside from the fact that I ate a good portion of the bowl of Halloween candy, which was supposed to be for the kids, and watched horror movies. A job well done I might add.

Cheers to developing cavities and good times!

Ciao for now!

Natural love à la française !

2011-10-28T11:30:00.002-04:00

Pour toutes mes soeurs naturelles !

Je vais faire ce poste entre les deux langues, parce qu'en fait ça c'est mon premier poste ce que je fasse en français. Mais je voudrais bien parler à mes lectrices françaises pour une fois :-) (et je voudrais bien pratiquer aussi !).

Je vous présente un nouveau site formidable qui s'appelle Afro Puff. Le site a une boutique qui vend des produits et accessoires pour les cheveux naturels et un blog personnel (avec des revues produits !). L'auteur du blog est GÉNIAL (elle s'appelle Maeva), et elle a des cheveux incroyables ! Je suis trop contente qu'on a finalement une ressource en français pour les cheveux naturels. Je me rappelle bien quand j'étudiais en France, j'avais du mal à trouver des produits, ou bien, des images positives qui ont célébré les cheveux naturels. Je suis très fière d'avoir finalement un site comme Afro Puff.

C'est «un blog complètement bouclé» ! Et maintenant c'est l'heure de fêter les cheveux naturels à la française !

Si vous voulez voir un peu sur mon histoire (avec mon français rouillé), voyez ci-dessous !

Hi ladies, I just want to introduce to you all a new French site on natural hair called Afro Puff, created by one naturally gorgeous sista, Maeva. You'll find products, accessories and all things curly! I am so happy (and proud) for there to finally be a site in French for natural women. Regardless of what language you speak, I encourage you all to check out the site because this is a global celebration. Help spread the word and the love !

Oh, and if you guys want to hear me speak about my hair story (in my very rusty French), check out the short video posted below for Afro Puff.

http://www.afropuff.fr/

Ciao for now!

Started off with good intentions...

2011-10-27T10:50:00.000-04:00

So I guess taking a vacation also kind of meant I could take a vacation from my hair. I traveled prepared: I brought my butters, oils, conditioners... Promised I would protect my hair the whole time, fully enjoying salt water and chlorine sparingly, the rest of time keeping my head above water.

But no. I went buck wild crazy! Visiting probably a dozen beaches, I swam at every single one, and recapped back at the hotel by swimming in the pool. I used the hotel shampoo *gasp*, washing my hair twice and co-washing the rest of the week. The above photo was my good day, at only my second night. I co-washed, oiled and diligently buttered up the ends. *Sigh* those were the good times...

Okay the vacay is over! Now it's time to step it back up...with two boxes of Henna that I just purchased??? I know, I know.... I don't know what's wrong with me LOL. I thought it was over for sure, but I guess the red color wasn't that bad. Basically, I just need some major conditioning and thickening up for realsies. Ok, if I complain afterwards then I give you the official permission to slap me.

For those just joining in, read about my Henna saga here.

Arghh, to be continued...

Ciao for now!

2011-10-25T11:18:00.007-04:00

We're all about the Bold & the Beautiful this season! Check out our new handmade additions!

Ciao for now!

Missing the island sun. Facing the New York clouds.

2011-10-24T11:00:00.005-04:00

I am back from a WON-DER-FUL vacation on La Isla Nena (a.k.a. Vieques, Puerto Rico. I already miss it: Waking to a brilliant sun, azure skies, the crowing of roosters, the smell of earth from early morning rain showers, and of course, being surrounded by natural beauty that is out of this world.

Vieques is a small island off of mainland Puerto Rico. This small island, in its former years, also acted as a test bombing site for the U.S. Navy for many years. The Navy officially pulled out of Vieques in 2003, and left the "cleanup" to many of the citizens on the island. In fact, this "cleanup" employs a large percentage of the community. A large portion of the eastern half of the island is still zoned off to unofficial folk. Let's just say you wouldn't want to bump into an undetonated bomb, which there are still said to be a few just chilling out in the open.

So this throws this destination a bit off the beaten path.

When first arriving to Vieques with my boyfriend (on a very tiny plane), I was struck (not by a bomb), but by its remarkably untouched beauty. From a bird's eye view, I didn't see the coast line splattered with resorts and people. I saw nothing but mountains, sea and sky.

On land it was quite similar: not too many tourists, in fact, not too much of, well, anything. This was great, but also not so great at times. The beautiful: to walk on miles of beach without encountering one soul, except maybe some wild horses. Completely uninhabited. Completely alone. Completely left with your thoughts and the horizon. I've literally never felt so awestruck in my life, so many times. Because many of the beaches are quite hard to get to, you have to travel down stretches of unpaved dirt roads, umbrellaed under huge shrubs and trees. You basically had to work. But you knew when you were close when you saw the speckles of aqua behind the shrubbery. When you finally emerged from the "tropical forest" your breath was literally taken away.

The not so good? The "desertedness" began to give way to inconvenience and a kind of loneliness at times. Being that we traveled to Vieques during off-peak season - granted- many of the restaurants and shops were SHUT DOWN, and I mean, shut down. We literally had a choice of two restaurants and one food truck on the entire island! And finding local food was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. When we first arrived (Monday), it felt like the island was asleep: no music, no people, no activity. I was having a sort of tourist existential crisis/meltdown, and I felt conflicted. I knew I was being arrogant/an asshole for feeling like just because we're here, things should be poppin' off. And as a tourist, things should be lain at my feet. I shouldn't have to work to find food, etc... This was not my experience on other islands... This is supposed to be a vacation. I WANT MY FRESH COCONUT WATER AND I WANT IT NOW! My snooty New York girl butt was quickly whipped into shape, though honestly, it was hard to get over. This place existed before I came, and it is not my personal 24-hour playground.

I've learned to really enjoy my surroundings, even if it was on an empty stomach. Hell, I even kayaked, which I never thought I would do in a million years. I'm active, but that stuff is just on a whole other level. That is why Vieques kept me awestruck so many times. I wish my feelings could be wrapped up in a neat package, but they're not. I enjoyed the natural beauty, while still searching hard for my fresh coconut water.

By Thursday, things seemed to have livened up a bit. I could hear music. There were a few more tourists, and one more food option! Even after all of that self-reflection, this reality made me feel better.

Vieques is beautiful and I am still full of contradictions as I face the New York clouds. The experience has already been glazed with sugar the more removed I am from it. All I can think about is the water, the sky, the mountains, the good food we did find, the people. All are amazing, and the frustrations become so obscure. This time we chose not to stay at the typical resort. We had no desire to and I am so glad we didn't. But who knows what we may chose next time. This thought may lead to a whole bunch of clichés, life is a box of chocolates sort of thing... So I'll stop myself now because that's not the point.

Traveling: You should feel conflicted, or not. It's all up to you. But one thing should remain constant: respect.

In the end, I'll always be missing the island sun.

P.S. Totally went wayyyyyyyyyy off course with my hair... Started off with good intentions LOL. Will write about that later.

Ciao for now!

RELOADED: Ruby Aujol Jewelry

2011-10-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

http://www.rubyaujol.com/

Get Chic Now!
New gorgeous handmade styles! Keeping it fresh with one-of-a-kind pieces! Are your accessories Fall ready?

The "Faux Bob-ish" Style

2011-10-14T09:17:00.008-04:00

Hola Chicas,

Just wanted to share another great protective style inspired by the faux bob. There is a bit of delineation from my original "Faux Bob... My Way" style that I posted up a few months ago. In short, this version works easily for hair that doesn't have layers, which is my current state. But nonetheless, this style is very classic and takes a few quick minutes to do. Hope you enjoy it!

P.S. In real life, it's so hard to get creative with my hair. I tend to stick to the same old hairstyles (buns, braids, or twists). This is a good reminder to switch it up every once in awhile!

As always, thanks for tuning in. Have a fantabulous weekend!

I ♥ TribalChic!

2011-10-12T11:13:00.005-04:00

Equip your Fall wardrobe with some of the hottest accessory trends this Fall! Sneak peek of our new addition! En vogue with tribal inspiration! http://www.rubyaujol.com/

Fitz & The Tantrums

2011-10-12T09:57:00.007-04:00

[source]

I really have a soft spot for cool white guys who know what time it is... You would think Fitz & The Tantrums walked right out of the 60s. Their sound is a mix of soul with a touch of 60s rock. In all, Fitz & The Tantrums comprise of six musicians, including two powerful main vocalists (above) and of course, the addition of one slamming vintage organ, a real 60s musical component -- all creating a sound that is irresistible. In short, I just had to share their awesomeness (thanks to my BFF for introducing me!) :-)

Life is Beautiful (Especially Weddings!)

2011-10-08T10:03:00.008-04:00

Hey Guys,

So I'm back from the post-wedding barracks. I apologize for being MIA this week. I didn't realize that the after effects of my sister's wedding would be just as busy as the preparation, even more so (i.e. I had the pleasure of playing the tour guide this week for my family visiting from France). It was definitely a job, but it was great to spend some quality time with the family.

I still haven't completely digested the fact that my sister is now a Mrs. Totally crazy! The wedding was absolutely BEAU-TI-FUL! And I am so proud to have celebrated this huge moment in the warmth of family and friends. Most importantly, I am so glad that my sister has found true happiness with such an amazing person (whom I am so proud to call my brother).

Ok, now moving onto a less sentimental topic. Let's just dive right into it!

Hair:

I AM SO GLAD I WORE MY HAIR CURLY AND NOT STRAIGHTENED! There's strong emotion behind those caps because I felt unimaginably proud. As I sat down and thought about how to wear my hair for this very special occasion, I caught myself going into auto-pilot mode and thought, "Maybe I'll just get it straightened..." Because that's what you do for special occasions, right? But when I really thought about the idea of having my hair straightened, I realized it made absolutely no sense for me. Why? When I work so hard at keeping it happy, healthy and CURLY. There was no way I would wear it any other way! And in the end, I am so glad I wore my "lion head" proudly.

As for the makeup, I went for simple. I ended up nixing the berry lip because I thought it would look a little too harsh for a 10AM wedding. Instead I put a light plum eyeshadow and lined my upper lid with black liquid liner to form a subtle winged look (lined my bottom lid with brown pencil liner). I then loaded up with mascara. For my cheeks, I used a matte blush in berry from Physicans Formula, and for my lips, I wore a lovely medium brown (reddish) color called "Chelsea" by MAC. All in all, it worked out pretty well. The lipstick, unfortunately, didn't have a lot of staying power and was a bit drying, but the color worked well with the look. Thanks for all the makeup tips, guys! It definitely helped.

Now, I can finally sit back and get back to normal? Then again, life is never a straight line, especially for this girl.

But, as in the words of my beloved grandmother: "Chaque jour est formidable." (Each day is wonderful).

Kisha and Rouel, October 1, 2011

Playing in Makeup, Dressing up, Wedding Rehearsals and Rain...

2011-09-29T17:17:00.006-04:00

Preparing myself for a crazy couple of days, starting today. My sister's wedding is exactly 1.5 days away (OMG, freakin' out!), and things are starting to ramp up. Family flying in from all over, rehearsals, dinners (and some more dinners), and then finally the Big Day.

I tested out a makeup look today... since it's a morning wedding I don't want to look too harsh, but I thought the berry lip was cute indeed. Might play around with some more variations.

Oh, and the wedding color scheme is cream and dark red? But my dress is plum. Well, as you can see, the whole color theme spiel is pretty much up to one's own discretion.

And now I'm off to see the wizard, folks!

Laterz!

One of the more successful "banding" attempts...

2011-09-27T08:54:00.006-04:00

Hey Guys,

A few weeks ago, I posted a picture of my hair after I had first tried the "banding" technique. I had made a video to those results which were definitely part of a series of more successful attempts. After a few more recent tries, my hair just stopped complying to this method. I guess I got too excited...

Anyway, I found that this setting style does make for a cute protective hairstyle (very Sade "esque")! If you guys are interested, check out the video below! Hopefully, this method can work better for some of you :)

Thanks for watching!'

Give Me Some Face: The Search for the "Perfect" Wedding Makeup (Part 1)

2011-09-21T11:00:00.002-04:00

So... My sister's wedding is next weekend! Time really does fly by. It seemed like it was miles away just yesterday. I never really realized how much work weddings are...wooh! I'm definitely going to have to reevaluate for myself. Eloping never sounded better.

Anyway, I've decided to do my own makeup for the event, to mainly save me some money. Even though I am far from a makeup artist, watching loads of YouTube makeup tutorials has made me convince myself that I am. So that means I'm going to be test driving a lot of different products between now and the Big Day.

First on the makeup to-do list is getting my "face base" in order. I'm not a foundation wearer and I usually wear close to null on my face, coverage wise, except for Mac Mineralize SkinFinish Natural, which I reserve for social occasions. I just don't like the feeling of makeup on my skin, so that's why I usually go light. But since it's my sister's wedding and all, I guess I should make some kind concerted makeup effort, but I still want to stay on the natural "ish" side. You know how I do.

So off to Sephora I went. As I entered Makeup Galore Heaven, I proceeded to enter the maze of makeup, circulated by sprinkles of Sephora sales people (dressed in their matrix-like garb with their overly done up faces). Note to self: This is what I don't want to look like.

I already had a sense of what I was going for. I had a goal. No pancake makeup here! I was going for something lighter, something more along the lines of a tinted moisturizer. (Hey, this is a step up for me)! Finally, I fell upon the shelves of Laura Mercier. I heard through the grapevine that her products were pretty good, so I decided to give it a try. I put a swatch of Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer in Sand along my jawline, and voilà, perfect match. It felt great on my skin and blended beautifully. It also provided sheer coverage, which is what I'm looking for. I want my skin to look real after all.

The second product on the list: concealer. This was a definite must for combating any dark circles, shadows and redness on my face that may creep up in photos (i.e. around my nose and under my eye area). I decided to get Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Concealer in Dark Beige. This concealer is really light, blendable and provides impeccable coverage. It literally evened out my face! Hmm, maybe there is a reason behind makeup after all...

Last, but certainly not least, I need to set all of these face enhancements in place and more importantly, to keep some of the shine at bay. I know I will always be a little shiny in life. There's really no product that keeps me 100% shine free. My face is just too darn oily. I usually end up blotting a few times out of the day anyway. Anywho, that's where Mac Mineralize SkinFinish Natural comes in! It's an ultra light and silky powder that does the job pretty well. I use this alone as a normal face powder too.

That's it for now in terms of my "face base." Oh woops, I forgot to add face primer, but I'll be "borrowing" some from my mom in due time. The above photos are in natural lighting/ direct sunlight. I feel like if it looks good in broad daylight, we have a winner!

So what do you guys think?!! If you have other makeup tips/advice I am all ears. Please share!

Next up: Cheeks, eyes and lips! I'm thinking a winged eye and a berry lip???

P.S. The other big question besides makeup. Hair? Ughhh, kill me LOL.

Also, the hoops I'm wearing are handmade by Yours Truly! Check them out here!

Sneak Peek: Getting Chic for Under $50!

2011-09-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RubyAujol

New styles! Gorgeous, unique handmade items for under $50 in Ruby Aujol's Luxe Boutique. Keeping it fresh with looks that are one-of-a-kind!

Put Some New Shoes On...

2011-09-20T10:10:00.007-04:00

Photo by my baybay :)

...and start fresh. Reminded me of this song:

Paolo Nutini - New Shoes by Warner-Music

Luxe for Less: Ruby Aujol Chic New Styles in the Luxe Boutique!

2011-09-19T08:00:00.003-04:00

New styles galore! Check out our new styles in the Ruby Aujol Luxe Boutique, where you can get our handmade looks for under $50. Keeping the glitz glitzing! http://www.etsy.com/shop/rubyaujol

Remix: Vacations, Life and Greece?

2011-09-16T08:51:00.008-04:00

The time has finally come to solidify the vacation plans!

I wrote a post last year about how important it is for me to save up each year for a vacation, how important it is to "refresh" your minds and bodies at least once a year (But, quite honestly, if I had money like that, I would refresh every season!), and most importantly, how important it is to enjoy la joie de vivre.

Last year (June 2010) was the time I introduced the idea of saving up for Greece. I planned to be committed to the idea of saving so I could take my Grecian trip this Fall. Well, Fall 2011 (though not officially) is here. So how did we do?

Well, I saved up, but I only started saving up for real this past Spring. The truth is, ish got real this year --being in and between jobs and internships, volunteering-- you could say I wasn't exactly rolling in the dough. This economy sucks big time, can I get an Amen? But, at the same time, I couldn't let something that is so important to me fall by the wayside. So, I managed to save up a little something.

So, where will I be going next month?!

18°07'N 65°25'W

(Hint: It's not Greece LOL, but somewhere a little closer and just as beautiful to me (and A LOT cheaper)... And it's off the coast of this: 18°15 'N, 66°30'W )

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Asa

2011-09-15T12:21:00.006-04:00

[source]

I remember seeing this singer's posters plastered on the metro walls in Paris earlier this year, and I just sat down yesterday to listen to her most recent CD, Beautiful Imperfection. In short, it was phenomenal from beginning to end!

Asa (pronounced Asha) is a Nigerian - French artist inspired by artists such as Marvin Gaye, Fela Kuti, Bob Marley and Sunny Ade. Singing in both English and Yoruba, her melodies are lighthearted but her lyrics are earthy and complex. She is definitely an artist to keep an eye on and is a nice change of pace for when you're tired of listening to the Rihannas and Beyoncés.

Coo Coo for Bold Printed Skirts!

2011-09-12T10:15:00.007-04:00

Just because summer's come to a close, it does not mean you have to put away your bold prints. This skirt was one of my favorite summer finds from, you guessed it, Anthropologie. A few months ago, I saw this beautifully printed skirt at Anthropologie for over $120, and I knew it would eventually go on sale, so I waited on purchasing. Come July, while toiling through Anthropologie's sale section on their website, I found the skirt that I fell in love with for more than half off! It was a great purchase!

The print is super bold and colorful, which I love, and though this looks like a summer skirt, I will definitely be carrying it over into the Fall. Just think some black tights, a sweater, and some boots. There might be some summer pieces in your closet that you might be able to rock during the cooler months too... Layer a sleeveless tunic or tank over a sleek long sleeve shirt, or sport dark color opaques with that bold printed dress or skirt (Tip: dresses or skirts to the knee and shorter will be easier to translate into Fall looks, since you can easily rock them with booties or knee high boots. Maxi dresses and long skirts might be trickier, but not impossible ;-))

What summer pieces will you be sporting this Fall?

My First Tweet EVER! By Sophia B.

2011-09-09T17:22:00.012-04:00

I am ultra late on jumping on the twitter bandwagon. I had my old woman suspicions and questions like: What the hell is twitter? It's like posting Facebook status changes all the time? Why would anyone do that? Twittering, tweeting, whatever! Well, I have succumbed to the larger twittering pressure of the world, mainly out of curiosity. But I am here to officially say:

KIFFE COCO IS ON TWITTER! I have a whopping total of 1 follower and 1 tweet! Woohooh, I am on a roll!! Look out everybody!

Yay! Join me, friend me, follow me, tweet me, whatever...

Now, I just have to figure out how to link up all these varying social networks together.... I already need a break from all this technology :-/

Red, Hot Deal! "Like" and Get 30!

2011-09-09T11:36:00.006-04:00

Stay tuned for more styles coming soon!

Ruby Aujol Jewelry Facebook Fan Page

Ruby Aujol ETSY Store

A Closer Look: Ruby Aujol Jewelry

2011-09-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

Each piece is handmade with love by my sister and I. AVAILABLE NOW ON ETSY!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/rubyaujol

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ruby-Aujol-Jewelry/218054294914462?ref=ts

As Requested: How I fill in my eyebrows!

2011-09-09T07:55:00.008-04:00

Hi Guys,

I've been getting a few requests on how I fill in the brows! It's really simple and literally just three steps: brush, fill, brush. Ya'll know I really don't like to overcomplicate things. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!! Thanks for watching :-)

Here it is!

What I used:
Wet n' Wild Eyebrow kit in Dark Ash Brown
Sonia Kashuk Eyebrow spoolie brush
Sephora Angled brush

Presenting... Ruby Aujol

2011-09-08T08:00:00.004-04:00

Ruby Aujol is a union of our French and African-American heritage. Our jewelry is a unique blend of haute couture, swag, and spice. All pieces are made from quality materials to create a look that is chic and timeless.

*Receive 25% off your Ruby Aujol purchase by using the code RUBY25 at checkout. Offer ends Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 11:59 PM.

My Hair Today!

2011-09-08T08:00:00.002-04:00

Tried the banding method... yielded pretty stretched out hair with mild curl definition. It came out to more of a wave. Not too bad. If you guys are curious about how I do the banding method, give me a shout, and I'll be happy to do a tutorial/pictorial! And if you guys have any tips on how you achieve your "band outs", share away!

Ruby Aujol Jewelry Featured on "Beautiful Brown Girls"!

2011-09-07T10:30:00.002-04:00

Bare with me while I'm on this jewelry spiel:-) But we just got featured! Big thanks to Michelle for posting this! *Click here to read more.

RUBY AUJOL SALE ENDS TODAY!

2011-09-04T16:59:00.007-04:00

SALE ENDS TODAY! Get 25% off your Ruby Aujol order! Just type in RUBY25 at the checkout!! Happy Shopping! http://www.etsy.com/shop/rubyaujol

September Nails!

2011-09-02T09:24:00.010-04:00

Don't mind my psycho face! September nails in navy blue with a white half moon design. Marie Nails does it again!

Review: Lush Henna Bar in Caca Noir

2011-08-31T08:00:00.010-04:00

I just couldn't stay off the henna bandwagon long enough before I found myself hennaing again. For those of you that don't know about my on again off again relationship with henna, in short, I love the conditioning effects but not so much the color. I've tried indigo and henna to lessen the red, but that experiment left my hair as dry as a desert; and Cassia, unfortunately, didn't prove to be groundbreaking. I've heard good things about the Lush Henna Bar, and thought it might be worth a try (just this once). The great thing is that it comes in four different colors: Caca Rouge, Caca Marron, Caca Brun and Caca Noir. So you can essentially choose how red, how brown, or how black you'd like your hair. And your hair won't look like caca afterwards, I promise.

I opted for the Caca Noir because I don't want to go down the red path again, and my usual dark brown strands could use some umph, some richness. I find my ash dark brown hair tends to look dull very easily. The great thing about these bars (specifically the brown and black bars) are that the main ratios of Henna to Indigo are already determined to help you achieve that brown, dark brown or black hair you want. This aspect is nice because it saves you time in measuring out those ratios, waiting for the henna's dye to release, then mixing in the indigo at the last minute (since your not supposed to let that one sit for too long). The bar also contains several other ingredients such as Cocoa butter for extra conditioning.

So last week, I went in for the kill. I read Lush's directions and watched their how-to video, which ultimately leaves it up to you to master making your henna bar.

STEP 1: CHOP

You can grate or chop up the block. I chose to chop the block in squares because I did not feel like grating the henna block like a wad of cheese. The directions don't give you measurements, so you'll have to eyeball everything. (**I ended up using the entire bar, which was a MISTAKE. I had so much left over! I would say use half, it will be more than enough.)

STEP 2: POUR

The next step after chopping/grating the block is to add hot water. I basically added enough so the pieces were covered in water, but you don't want to fill it up to the top because you risk the paste being too watery. The key is to eventually get it to a yogurt consistency, so I just added a little bit of water at a time, and let it steep for about 10 minutes. Letting the squares steep will help soften the pieces making for easier stirring. You can also add more water if you find your paste is too thick.

STEP 3: STEEP STEP 4: MIX

STEP 5: APPLY

Once you have everything incorporated, it's time to apply. This part, as with any henna treatment, is extremely MESSY! Be sure to line your bathroom with newspaper. If some does end up getting onto things, which it might, cleaning spray (windex, fantastik, or whatever you use) should get it off easily. I used about half of the mixture in my hair, so approximately half of the bar.

STEP 6: WRAP

Next, I wrap my hair in cling wrap and put a plastic shower cap on top. At this point you can leave the mixture on from one to six hours depending on how dark you want your hair. (In my case, I only left mine in for 1.5 hours for a natural black). After rinsing for what seemed like 20 times, I still didn't manage to get all of the gunk completely out. Henna users know of those annoying little particles and debris that are a pain to wash out. So annoying! After rinsing, my hair felt strangely stiff. But not a dry stiff, more like a stiffness as if I put gel in my hair. My curls were super defined though, and the color was a beautiful natural black, not harsh at all. To retaliate against the weird stiffness, I deep conditioned I used Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque and I left it in for about 30 mins. Afterwards, my hair felt great and the shine was definitely noticeable.

Bottom line: CONS, Lush Henna Bar may seem to be a time saver, but it's not! It, like all henna treatments, will take up your whole day. It is extremely messy and somewhat hard to wash out, compared to previous non-bar henna treatments I've done. PROS, However, the results were just what I was looking for in terms of color and shine. I was left with shiny, beautiful natural black hair. Even though the process was annoying and time consuming, the results came out great. If you can get past that stuff, then I highly recommend Lush Henna Bar!

World Premiere: Ruby Aujol Jewelry in Real Time!

2011-08-30T08:00:00.004-04:00

Check out our commercial for Ruby Aujol Jewelry, now available on Etsy! Hope you like it :-)

*Receive 25% off your Ruby Aujol purchase by using the code RUBY25 at checkout. Offer ends Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 11:59PM.

...The Big Announcement!

2011-08-26T08:00:00.003-04:00

Hey Guys,

I am proud to introduce me and my sister's new jewelry line, Ruby Aujol! We have been working nonstop designing, creating, doing impromptu photo shoots in the park, and getting the line ready for launch, and we are stoked to hear what you guys think! The idea of using quality materials is very important to us because we want to create pieces that are special and have real longevity. We literally scoured dozens of stores for weeks before we fell upon the "chosen" materials...destined to become part of our first collection. We are starting small, with only a couple of pieces just to see how it flies (though we are hard at work, designing new concepts to add to the collection).

It started when my sister and I sat down to think seriously about ways to put our creative energy to physical use, and luckily, we found the perfect fit: making jewelry! It was a perfect way to express and present what we would like to see adorned on people's ears, wrists and necks, and seeing how we both can't live without our jewels (it's hereditary, I swear), we thought, why not create something that's our own? Something unique.

Over the years, I've noticed something funny - that as a natural girl, it's like there's almost a specific type of jewelry that is geared towards you. You know, like those huge plate-sized earrings. And even though we love the big wooden shaped colorful earrings (lol I own a few pairs myself), we wanted to create against the grain and go for something that is bold yet delicate (like our hair!). Elegant, and of course, shimmery!

We decided to name the line Ruby Aujol after each of our grandmothers, representing both of our sides, both of our heritages. We are influenced by what we saw growing up. Our mom with her always elegant and bold style, fingers and wrists never without a bracelet or ring. An elegance that was self-taught yet never overpowering her roots and memories of 1960s Harlem, roots that stemmed all the way back to a sharecropping field of North Carolina. Harlem intersected with Paris when my mother moved there in the late 1970s. My sister and I were raised outside of Paris as small children, and our grandmother (whose maiden name is Aujol meaning "Ancestor" in Catalán) was our keeper. We remember her rose pink boudoir scented with the light fragance of Chanel N°5 perfume, the dangling pearl necklaces off her vanity, the furs, the pumps, and of course tubes and tubes of pink lipstick and blue eyeshadow (her favorite). We never saw our grandmother in pants, and she, as well as my grandfather, were always dressed to perfection.

In short, Ruby Aujol is a union of our French and African-American heritage. We seek to translate our unique blend of haute couture, swag, and spice through jeweled expression ;-)

We hope you love it!!!!!!

ALL PIECES ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ON ETSY. Also, I want to offer you all a special coupon code for 25% off your next order in celebration of our opening weekend (COUPON HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH ENDING AT 11:59PM). Just type in the code RUBY25 at the checkout. The materials we're using are high quality, and so the jewelry isn't your usual table price lol, but it's worth it...these pieces are unique, and will last you a lifetime! http://www.etsy.com/shop/rubyaujol

and let me know what you think...

*Thank you to my beautiful BFF for being such an awesome model!

The Elegance of Natural Beauty

2011-08-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

Check out T Magazine's gorgeous spread on romantic evening gowns' best accessory... natural hair! Featuring Solange Knowles, Juno Tempo, Corrine Bailey Rae, and Hélène and Célia Faussart of Les Nubians.