In 2009 I moved to Chicago from Miami. Ever since, the number one question most people ask me is “what were you thinking??” The question can come from anyone at any time of year, but it really picks up in the winter. It’s “what were you thinking” coupled with “what are you doing here?” and…
Beauty
Indie Beauty Brand Love — 2019 Holiday Beauty and Hair Gift Guide
I can’t believe it’s almost here! Are you ready for Christmas yet? It’s ALMOST but not quite too late to get that last minute shopping in. Without further ado, here’s my list of independent, mostly Black owned, mostly woman owned brands who are making skincare, body care, beauty and hair care products you will love! Adwoa…
My Pumpkin Skincare Beauty Favorites
Apparently National Pumpkin Day was on October 26th and I totally missed that. I personally celebrate my love of all things pumpkin much closer to Thanksgiving. I love the pumpkin pies, cakes, cookies and muffins – I also love a savory pumpkin stew or other dish. And I take my love of pumpkin to another…
Mented Helped Me Find My Nude Makeup Groove
For years, my lipstick loving life was all about color. The bolder and brighter, the better. Hello, when given the opportunity to come up with my own color I devised All Of My Purple Life. I LOVE a vibrant lip color. But I also realized that I leaned heavily on color to give me courage….
What’s A Hydrafacial? Inside My Exfoliating, Moisturizing Skin Improving Experience
My experience with facials goes back a long way. Back in high school when my teenage hormones caused my skin to wild out, my mom started sending me for regular facials at a popular chain of Caribbean aestheticians. Back in my Miami days, I wrote a popular spa review column and got facials all the…
You Deserve – Here’s How My Weighted Blanket Changed My Life
I knew I had an unusual sleep pattern, and it was becoming a problem that affected my days. I knew I had a propensity to stay up later than normal. I knew my cats were easily able to rouse me at 3 am when my husband seemed able to sleep through anything. I didn’t realize…
New Orleans Gets the Spotlight For Professional Black Girl Season Two
Dr. Yaba Blay is a woman I admire on several levels. You know the kind of woman who achieves all the things, inspires others, somehow keeps multiple plates spinning and looks gorgeous and undeniably cool while doing it all? She’s THAT kind of Professional Black Girl. Just by way of introduction, Dr. Yaba Blay is…
Vegas For Grown Folks – My Recommendations for Hotels, Spas, Restaurants and Gambling-Free Fun
Vegas has had many variations of the same reputation – a place for debauchery and decadence, gambling and drinking and secrets best laughed about later. The ultimate bachelorette/bridal shower/baby shower/girls’ weekend/getaway to remember or forget destination. It can be all that and more, and it’s usually all of that in just one weekend. For many,…
Black Girl Sunscreen – Discover My New Favorite SPF and Interview with Founder Shontay Lundy
I’ll admit that I wasn’t a daily sunscreen user until my mid twenties. I grew up in Trinidad and Tobago and then went to college in Miami so trust me, I got plenty of regular sun exposure. But like many of us people of the sun, I thought of sunscreen as a heavy paste that…
MAC x Aaliyah – All The Details Behind the Collection
I still remember exactly where I was when I heard the news, that awful day that the world lost Aaliyah. I was in college in Miami. Aaliyah was born in 1979, like I was. Her music was undeniably part of the soundtrack of my upbringing. Seeing the dates of her life flash across the news…