...of the month

trying to get back on the features i started a while back. the "...of the month" spot for october is a beauty product: MAC's pigments. specifically, i'm featuring MAC pigment in "cocomotion". i love the name. i used "cocomotion" in the "as luck would have it" tutorial, last week. i've been a pretty loyal MAC fan for over a year now and cocomotion was my first pigment. WTF was i waiting on? here are the reasons i love pigments now:

*they cost a little more than eye shadow but they should because they're much bigger

*they last FOREVER. i mean it when i say a little goes a long way as far a color payoff (also makes me feel better about them being $20)

*they're not just for eyes- mix some in with your lotion for and it's a bronzer. you can also mix it in with your favorite lip gloss. there are more uses; you can do a google search for it.

* needless to say, they are SOOOOOOO pretty

do you use pigments? what do you like about them? if you haven't tried them yet, would you?

for kids and kids @ heart

who does halloween? i didn't used to but the past 2 years, ive gotten into it. this year, i'm attending a party as "workout barbie". my original idea was "80's workout video instructor" but that name was too long. then i didnt wanna be just 80's b/c i'd just look like i came out of an american apparel ad. so then i was like "what's more 80's (for me, at least) than barbie?" i figured then, i could wear pounds of makeup and it would be socially acceptable. i love the irony of this since im not skinny (or in shape for that matter), im not tall, and im not white and blonde. im so excited to wear "spandex, ALL spandex". are you dressing up this year?

faces on the milk carton

the following people havent even been featured on the mailings that be like "have you seen me?". where are they?

• rah digga- formerly of flipmode squad; rolled with busta rhymes
• mia x- was w/ mystikal and master p and them "make em say ugghhhhh"
• master p- lil romeo's daddy
• kel- i seent, yes seent, kenan unfunny ass on SNL but where kel?
• the little boy from nickelodeon's "my brother and me"-i last heard him sitting behind me at the brother/sister exhange at morehouse freshman year and never saw him again
• charmaine from "a different world"

do you know these people's whereabouts? who am i still forgetting?

as luck would have it: video tutorial

another installment of Tutorial Tuesdays :)

guest feature!!!!!

this video isn't me. it's my friend (a person i actually know in real life, wow!) doing her first youtube makeup video. it's not really a tutorial. she's looking for suggestions on her eye makeup for halloween. i left a comment. so comment her up, please!

new series

i think im going to start yet another series here on my blog. i know i havent been consistent with any new series ive developed. i cant promise i'll get back to the "of the month" posts and such but i want to know your thoughts on this new idea of mine. this one is "peek in my closet". i'll show you some of my favorite clothes, shoes, and accessories and i might throw together some full outfits. what do ya think?

i gotta say this

pjd asked me to do a relationship video but this can't wait. plus i have no relationships to speak of so...yea. here's my rant/vent list for the week:

1. if you start off with "can i ask you a question?" the answer is: "no thank you"
2. if you proceed with "can you do me a favor?" the answer is "absolutely not"
3. then you say "can you put this number in your phone?" uh: "motherfucker, for what?!" (readers should know by now that i dont initiate telephone communication with males)
4. you need to properly introduce yourself to me like a respectable adult or i will not respect you
5. if i dont respect you, there is nothing more to discuss *kanye shrug*
6. do you watch 30 rock? well if you approach me with shades on and do not remove them to start talking, "that's a deal-breaker!"
7. if i'm standing at the bus stop, dont offer me a ride. i have a car. if it was economically and logistically feasible, i'd drive where im going. i dont need a ride from you so i can be cut up in some filthy basement and never heard from again.
8. your line is "you're too pretty to be on public transportation"? really? only ugly people should take the bus? that is mostly true but unless you're providing transportation for the rest of my life, that line is bullshit. and if you're able to do that, what the fuck do you do all day? good day, sir.
9. i pose this question to the world still: what the hell is the honking of the horn for? AND you almost ran into the back of that car ahead of you so..."pay attention puhlease"
10. a date is not sitting in your dirty apartment...and don't ask me where i want to go for the first date. you asked for my time. further, the movies is not a date. i know as much about you in those 2 hours as i know about the fat, bald guy in the back row. thanks for the flick and the icee, though!

*bonus* on a first date, don't rattle off all the qualities you want in a woman and the reasons your last few attempts at a relationship failed. i'm bored and i hate your life. not a good way to kick things off.

requests

leave comments or email me the video tutorials you'd like to request. don't forget. naw, you're not gonna forget.

royaltease: purple and gold video tutorial

this was requested by T. it's a look i did in this post.

i had to break this up into two video's b/c youtube won't allow vids over 10 mins. i apologize if the transition isn't smooth; i got frustrated and quit and just chopped it. anyway, ENJOY and your questions/requests are always welcome!

oh, and yes you may go IN on how my hair looks. like, what gives me the right...? lol!

product review

this review is actually on an appliance. i bought a soft bonnet dryer b/c i think im really going to commit to doing my own hair with the exception of my relaxer. i cant and i wont w/ that. i got the REVLON amber waves ionic dryer from walgreens for $40. i picked this one b/c after 5 stores, this was the only one that had what i was looking for and this was the only kind they had. i decided to purchase simply b/c there was a black model on the box (i'm that easy). my mom was like, "they still make the soft ones?" she has this big blue hard one that she had at least before i was born and it still works. i miss when things lasted forever like that air conditioner we had...

anyway, i expected this thing to be a punk but nope, not really. gets about as hot as the ones in the salon. well, not quite as hot, which is fine with me b/c i die under there getting rollersets from the hair cuttery. i should have known b/c i have a revlon hand held dryer i picked up when i was in undergrad that would be absolutely perfect if it had a comb attachment but im not too pressed b/c those attachments always break anyway. my issue is, the heat is all concentrated in the rear so after being under there since easters (an hour) the top of my head was still damp. so, if you are in the market for a sit-under dryer and dont really want one of the hard ones where your movement is much more restricted, i'm not sure i'd recommend this one.

real quick: picky nails!

my nails only grow when polished. i dont have to shape them and they tend to grow super fast. the problem is they only keep certain polishes on them. said polishes are usually bright or pale in color. black other dark shades of blue, green, etc. chip and peel off. base coat, top coat, watever. they dont care. i dont wanna wear this pale, white-ish cotton candy pink in these fall/winter months. any suggestions?

in all my years of school...

i never really learned how to study. in cognitive psychology i learned about stuff like "state-dependent learning". the principle behind that is, you are more likely to recall information in the same way you learned it so if you study after a night a drinking, your best case scenario is to go out drinking the night before your test as well. also, you should study material in random order since it's likely to not appear in the order it was taught on the test. example: the test is over chapters 1, 2, 3, and 7 and it was probably presented in class in that order but it might not necessarily appear on the test in that order. so, study the chapters in random order.

i tested that one out in undergrad. friday, i did it in the order it was taught. saturday, chapters 7, 2, 1, 3. sunday, reverse order. i got an A and studied that way for the rest of my undergrad career. too bad i didn't know about that until Junior year and didnt have many tests left.

and those are my only study tips. do you have any?

how many showers do you get a day?

there are people who say "drinking water is like giving your insides a shower". we spend a lot of time on the cleanliness and beauty of our exterior but some of us fall short of keeping our insides healthy. let me describe my insides to you: if drinking water is like giving my insides a shower, my insides are like those little kids who run the water for a little while and hop in just long enough to get wet and hop out!

i can fill up on juice (both 100% juice and all high fructose corn syrup versions) all day long. some days i recognize this and think "that's why i can't lose weight". i consume far less juice now and usually it's 100% juice but still i've been doing p90x for 6 weeks and only lost 10 lbs. that's the ten i lost last time and gained back b/c i started working out and just eating whatever. i want to do better with my water and most days i mean well. i'll throw a bottle in my bag before leaving the house. i may get 3/4 of the way through a 16 oz. bottle which is just shameful. i usually don't let myself drink anything else and still i don't finish.

how many showers do you get in a day? meaning, what do you do to make sure you get your proper intake of h2o? you can also tell me how often you bathe if you want; soap or body wash? what kind?

...in a past life

people say often stuff like "oh that little girl has been here before" or "you must have been such-and-such in a past life" but to what extent do you believe that? i know there are those who believe in reincarnation but for some reason i was under the impression that you come back as something else every time like a butterfly. could you come back as human each time?

i'm pretty sure my client is having delusions, a symptom of his diagnosed illness, when he refers to events of a past life. but then how can i really know when people say stuff like that all the time? is it normal as long as you dont get too elaborate with it? are people just saying it in jest and it's only when you deeply and truly believe that certain things happened to you that you are "crazy"? plus for those who believe in reincarnation, do you actually know what you were when you were "here before"?

i really wanted to ask my client how he died each time (he'd been several different people) but i don't think we're supposed to go along with the delusions.

in class today

my professor talked about the different types of married couples. for the sake of this post, the other types arent important. when she finished she got to what i am: the isolate. her words were "this person cannot live with another human being". that is what i always say! i think i've said it here. she went on to say that this person will not marry and even has trouble forming lasting relationships. ME. and then she took it further and said that the isolate even has trouble with meaningful friendships. ABSOLUTELY ME. i thought i was the only one in the world but they put together a category for the me's of the world. i dont know if im glad im not alone in this or sad that im not as unique as i once thought.

counseling is hard

there are some people who think mental health is a bunch of bull. "it's not an exact science" they say. "it's guess work" they might believe. they're like "i dont wanna be on medication" but if the doctor told them they needed to take a pill for high blood pressure, they'd fill that prescription. for real, i'm not big on medication b/c of psychometric history but i understand the case for psychiatric meds (don't tell my professors i said that).

counseling is hard and i really dont care what anyone has to say. it's a legitimate profession like any other. it's not just sitting around talking. it's not whatever preconcieved notion people have without delving deeper into the actual practices and such.

i cant stand when people marginalize what they dont understand. it irritates me not just with this but with anything. anytime someone has a differing opinion from the masses, there is something wrong with that person? i dont like that logic. maybe it's something wrong with the masses for being mindless drones and followers. i just needed to vent. thanks.

simply smokey: video tutorial

i dont have all of forever to perfect a smokey eye so i do mine super simple and super quick.

lessons in psychotherapy

ok, boys and girls. let me share a little lesson with you in therapy. who here has heard of the term "transference"? basically, it's when a client 'transfers' attributes to the counselor that were seen in some other significant figure in their life. for instance, a client may react to me in our counseling relationship as he does with his significant other b/c something i say or do reminds him of that interaction.

i'm so glad that i only have one more session with a client who is clearly exhibiting some transference. that's really the clinical, professional way of saying "i can't wait 'til this n-word is done so he can stop flirting w/ me". i'm not taking this personally because 1. he's a male, 2. he's an aquarius (a charming, flirtatious sign which happens to supposedly be compatible with my sign, libra), 3. he's criminal-minded. and you know criminals will try to get over on whomever and it's a plus if the person is of the opposite sex 'cause they can simply use sex/attraction as a weapon.

halloween preview

i made myself into a barbie. what do you think? (i erased my eyebrows and drew new ones if you're wondering why they look crazy. gotta work on that part.)

soon

i have a big "to do" list but, as promised, i will get a real video tutorial out next week. i really wish i had columbus day off so i could work on it but higher education is phasing out the observance of that non-holiday. i never got the day off at spelman while my friends at majority schools did. now, it looks like GW will completely ignore it. to make matters worse, i have a mid-term exam on monday. so between studying, scheduled maintenance, laundry, and football, i will get out to you the video i suspect will take the longest. stay tuned for the purple and gold "laker" look i did back in a june post. i'll do the complete look since i did my foundation differently and had on blush and all that. see ya soon.

my first video

*warning*: this video SUCKS but i needed to get this foundation video out of the way so my tutorials can be quick and simple and just focus on the eyes.

so...please excuse:

• my hair being wrapped-just worked out and i have no idea what woodland creatures are hiding under there
• my blah attitude- when i have to do boring things (like just foundation) the boredom shows. can't help it. one of the things i need to work on
• there being no music- in future vids, i'll probably give you a musical intro at least

oh, and i will show you all how i really do my brows in another video. ok, try to ENJOY!

i decided

ANNOUNCEMENT: video tutorials coming soon!

Frequency will depend on how into it everyone is.

I'll start with basics and tools I typically use.

I'll accept requests; just send me an email or leave a comment. You might say "do something inspired by a peacock feather" or you might have a look you want me to recreate you saw on a celeb. I'll try my best w/ what I have. Just remember, I'm no pro so it won't be exact.

Tell me what you think about this new feature in the comments.

i need to get out more

this saturday while everyone was participating in aids walk and other productive activity, i went to my sister's house. my sister, brother-in-law, and two nieces rarely get out of the house unless my older niece has a track meet or something and my sister and i agree that that should change. we went to play putt-putt golf and they had batting cages so we participated in that, too. (my hand STILL hurts, #fail).

a week or so ago, my friend was in town for work and he took me bowling. it was an expensive two games of bowling, pizza and drinks but fun none-the-less and he paid so i cant complain.

i had two very enjoyable outings that didn't involve me sweating my hair out from just standing still, having partial drinks spilled on me, rude b*tches stepping on my toes, etc. that comes with the club (which ya'll know i don't really ever enjoy). i say all that to say, i need to go out and do more ACTIVITIES. i want to significantly cut back on the binges of empty calories going out to eat and drinking at the club.

what else can i do on the weekends? i'm interested in things to do during the daylight hours and evenings/late night.

real quick: fotd

using barbie loves stila all doll'd up palette

didnt feel like wearing foundation. just through on one of the sephora bday lip glosses. got a long day ahead of me. going to the post office to drop T's prize in the mail and then to school until 9pm. oh yea, i can feel your excitement for me through the interwebs. ttyl.

im 2 for 2

watergate hotel, washington dc

i'm gonna be a bridesmaid in another sibling's wedding. my brother's fiancee called and asked me to be in the wedding. i was a bridesmaid for my sister in '05 so after this i'm DONE. unless, of course they approve gay marriage and my other brother for whatever reason decides to get married. he's probably not interested in marriage so i think we're in the clear. so...this is the last time *crosses fingers* i will don some prom-looking dress that i'll never wear again. the dress my sister picked out was really cute but when i posted the pic of me on facebook this one jerk was like "prom was over a year ago..."not that i cared but the dresses are generally prom-y and can be used interchangeably for either occasion. lucky for me, my future sister-in-law has picked a similar color scheme as my sister and i already know lilac looks lovely on me! (idk y it looks silver in that pic)

show me what you got

here's what i got for my bday:

• maxwell ticket (of, course)
• OPI nail polish in 'russian navy'

• barbie loves stila 'all doll'd up' palette

• personalized pen
• banana pudding : D
• check for $100
• compact mirror

and yes, i recommend both the palette and the polish

drum roll...

the winner of the "help me blow out the candles" giveaway is T! congrats, hun! email me your mailing address so i can ship your prize.

THANK YOU to those who entered and wished me a happy birthday. i thoroughly enjoyed maxwell, common and chrisette michelle; my mom's banana pudding, sequoia on the georgetown waterfront, and thoughtful gifts.