Island Remede: Coconut Oil

Some kids can be so mean for no reason. I know, because I was one of them.

Back in primary school, there was a sweet, shy Indian boy in my class whose mother slicked back his hair with coconut oil every day. For some reason, kids found that to be hilarious and a neverending source for mockery. I’m not even sure who started it, or where we learned that outlook but now I know — unfortunately and sadly — so much of that mockery was borne from racial difference and already at age six, seven, and eight, tiny seeds of prejudice ]were already taking root in our minds. Now that I’m all grown up, I realize how embarrassingly ignorant we all were. That boy’s mother knew what I have only now come to realize — coconut oil is amazing stuff. It’s considered a weight loss aiding superfood to those who ingest it, and a multi-use moisturizer for those who use it externally. If you haven’t added it to your beauty arsenal, I recommend you swing by your neighborhood fancy organic grocery store, stat.

For those of you interested in cooking with coconut oil, click here — the coconut smoothie sounds good. This post is all about coconut oil’s external uses.

I have been the kind of bella who always wanted to make my own hair recipes in the past, but in actuality, I’d almost always would reach for the pre-mixed product at the beauty supply store. The process of looking up and purchasing ingredients myself and actually getting down to do it-to it in my kitchen seemed daunting. But especially of late, I’ve felt empowered and creative. I have to give a hat tip to Motown Girl, The Beauty Brains (which recommends the use of coconut oil for anyone who’s balked at Ojon’s $55 price tag), and Product Junkie Diva. It was her ode to coconut oil that sent me out to the natural foods store.

Relaxed, natural, or transitioning — unrefined coconut oil can be tremendously beneficial to your hair. And using it is oh so easy.

My first foray into the amazing world of unrefined coconut oil was Product Junkie Diva’s perfect pre poo, a blend of coconut oil, avocado oil, and rosemary oil. It’s wonderful, especially with my steam cap.

Some bellas can just saturate their hair and scalp with a blend of oils and let it sit for an hour to get bangin’ results. For me, a pre poo needs heat and time to be optimally effective. Hair steam cap FTW, and I’ve seriously been considering also investing in a hard bonnet dryer for such occasions. As versus a soft bonnet dryer which made me giggle on first sight.

Reviews on this item are positive — but I think the model is ready for a sci fi convention with that thing. I might just have to try it for the LOLs. If any of you have tried a soft bonnet dryer, please let me know your thoughts.

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Ask Afrobella — Acne Scars Begone

This Ask Afrobella question touched my heart in a special place. Girl, I know exactly how you feel.

Dear Bella,

Olivia.

Hey Olivia, thank you so much for your kind words. I am sure more than a few readers out there are nodding in agreement while reading your message. Black skin has a tendency towards hyperpigmentation, and that condition isn’t necessarily limited to your face. Backne and its inevitable scars have been the bane of my existence, and it prevents me from freely sporting halter and backless tops. But I want you to know that skin care issues don’t have to keep you down and destroy your self esteem forever. Your skin can be a flawless canvas. Really, Olivia — this is possible.

Like anything else you really really want in life: physical fitness, healthy natural hair, finding that dream job, saving money, writing that damn book already — it takes dedication and daily effort. Your skin will not transform overnight, although you can disguise your most troubling flaws quickly and easily with makeup. Look at Snoop Dogg’s wife, Shante Broadus, for example.

When she got arrested for DUI recently, the blogosphere lit up with comments about her acne scarred skin as revealed in her mugshot. Honestly, I never would have guessed the “Boss Lady” had skin issues at all — she’s obviously mastered the secret to covering up her flaws for the most part. I mean, she generally looks good on the red carpet, and well put together on Father Hood — so you know she must have HATED that mug shot. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The point is, people who you don’t think have skin issues, have skin issues. You’re not alone in your predicament by any means.

I haven’t done a hyperpigmentation post in forever, so lemme get down to that to begin with, secondly I’ll address some covering-up solutions to get you through the meantime, and thirdly we’ll talk a little bit about self-esteem.

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Is It Worth It? — Carol’s Daughter

Most of you who’ve been reading Afrobella for a while now know — I love me some Carol’s Daughter. I love what the product line stands for, and I’ve openly admired the efforts of brand creator Lisa Price even in my earliest days of Afrobella, in fact, Lisa and I met almost two years ago when Afrobella had just, just begun. I was SO excited. Her story — from stove top stirring to the shelves of Sephora — inspired me to dream that someday my little new blog could be bigger than I ever thought it could be.

I fell head over heels for most CD’s hair and body products as soon as I tried them (with the notable exception of Khoret Amen anything. That smell is not my fave, to say the least). But the Black Vanilla Leave In conditioner was an instant fave, and the Hair Milk remains one of my go-to styling products. Since then I’ve tried and loved many more CD products — I use the Gelee de Soleil browning oil every time I go to the beach — it’s the sexiest sunscreen out there, IMO. Keeps the legs shiny shiny and protected, too.

The latest object of my Carol’s Daughter affection is the Tui Hair Smoothie, it left my hopelessly tangled coils smooth, soft, and smelling like a tropic dream. My husband didn’t want to get his nose out of my hair, I swear! An 8 oz tub is $19. And these things are flying off the shelves like hot cakes. A recent trip to my neighborhood Sephora revealed a CD section mostly depleted of their hottest products. Carol’s Daughter is doing big biz these days. So when I read a review titled Not Anymore on one of my new fave beauty blogs, Product Junkie Diva, it got me wondering — do I see this brand through rose colored lenses because I love what CD stands for, or do I stan for these products because I genuinely adore them?

Product Junkie Diva’s post begins by saying, “I am sure you have been there before, the point where you realize you no longer like a product that you once enjoyed. My latest “I don’t like you anymore” product is Carol’s Daughter Black vanilla Leave-In Conditioner for Dry Hair,” and the comments revealed a range of products that had fallen out of favor with the beauty loving crowd — some of whom admitted that they were never fans of CD to begin with. After reading all of them, I had to question — is Carol’s Daughter really worth it?

Well, it ain’t cheap — but you don’t walk into Sephora expecting to find cheap cosmetics to begin with. I was skeptical when I first bought a bottle of Hair Milk (which I believe was $16 for 8 oz a few years back). But my curls loved it like no other product, back in those early days of my transition. As a bella who indiscriminately switched between drugstore-quality petrolatum and mineral oil-laden products and all-natural, often pricey, sometimes unrefined hair treatments, I was thrilled to find a high quality, mid-priced, beautifully scented hairdress laden with the oils I knew I should be using on my natural tresses. It remains a keeper.

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Curl Cut, Motions, Moroccan Oil, and More

Being Afrobella means being on a constant mission to find the new, next, best hair products on the market so I can tell all of my bellas near and far what works and what doesn’t. I’ve tried some exciting stuff lately, so let me tell you alllll about what you should buy and what you should leave on the shelf — because if you’re like me, you’re always on the hunt for the new, next, and best.

First stop, GBS in Fort Lauderdale. Yup, I got Larramy to help me answer that Ask Afrobella question, but I also got a curl cut! This little, very shaky video clip is of Larramy styling the hell out of my hair — apologies for the video quality. Notes on this video before you watch:

1. That isn’t a booger, it’s hair product on the mirror. But you can’t tell, because the video is blurry. That worked out in my favor.

2. GBS is a store at the front and salon in back — there are SO many great products in that store. It’s like Sally’s and Sephora had a baby.

3. Like I said in the video, I didn’t know what I was going to do with it because the quality is not the best… still trying to figure out this filming myself business. But more YouTube fun is in store for sure!

4. It ends with a shaky shot of my shoes, because when Larramy cuts and styles hair, it involves bending over, flipping to the side, and all sorts of mayhem and foolishness for him to get the look he envisions.

5. Larramy loves Madonna. Every time I’ve seen him, he’s got her on.

Without further ado, here’s 51 blurry seconds of me getting my hair did.

Even though the clip is super pixelated, you can still see that my hair has waaay more movement and joie de vivre than it typically does. Why is that? I’ll tell you — Larramy did an absolutely incredible deep conditioning pre-shampoo treatment on me, then stuck me under the dryer for a while to let it truly penetrate.

He used two products I hadn’t tried before — DevaCurl’s new deep conditioner, Heaven In Hair — smells so delicious, and is super hydrating. And he combined that with Phytonectar Ultra Nourishing Pre-Shampoo Oil treatment. I had heard about this stuff over at 55 Secret Street, and Nichelle wasn’t lying — it is AMAZING. Big, big Phyto review coming soon — this bella is very impressed, but there’s more to break down than I have time for at the moment. Brief summary, Phyto rules.

After the pre-shampoo deep conditioner, he washed it and used the following styling products — Set It Free moisture lock frizz spray, Set Me Up pomade, and he finished with a dab of Moroccan Oil, which I spotted on the shelf and absolutely insisted on. I had heard that Jill Scott uses it for moisture, so you know I had to try it, and then I had to buy it! It smells like an incense-lovers dream — subtle but warm and smoky and sultry. And although it kind of feels like IC or any other silicone-laced hair shine product, it didn’t leave my hair greasy.

I left Larramy’s chair with the happiest of curls, and the style and softness lasted for a week, I swear. Here’s the fresh curl cut in my good ol’ backyard (the before photo is terrible, trust me). Oh! And I am rocking an oil black Star 50 Alaskan Trapper purse and proudly wearing a Madame CJ Walker teeshirt by Kindred Gear, purveyor of Afrocentric garb.

Click here to peep his Black History women’s shirts, which include wearable homages to Queen Nanny, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Shirley Chisholm (but the Madame CJ Walker one is my favorite)!

During my session with Larramy, he explained that the truly excellent hair care products simply aren’t in the drugstore. “Honey, you might as well wash your hair with Dawn,” he said about some of the products I admitted to using. Love ya, Larramy — but you’re Mr. DevaCurl. I gotta throw in my two cents here. Yes there are SO many great natural hair products on the market now — more and more by the day, and so many are sold online… but there are so many bellas who can’t afford a $30 bottle of hair serum, and don’t shop online. There are so many beautiful women who do their hair and makeup on a daily basis with products found at the drugstore on the corner. And more and more, big mainstream brands are recognizing that by producing stuff that gasp — actually works on a range of hair textures. So let me end this product review by telling you about Motions’ new line of products. Yup, Motions in the classic gold and purple container. You know you’ve used this stuff before!

I used to adore Motions leave in conditioner, but when I transitioned from relaxed to natural, I left that product behind. Now Motions is back with Marula Natural Therapy, three products made to moisturize and condition relaxed and natural-textured hair. Relaxed bellas might adore the Hair Strengthening Moisturizer, but to this afrobella, twern’t nothing but some Pink Oil in a different bottle (minus the pink coloring). It just sat on my hair and left me with whitish streaks, didn’t truly penetrate and nourish my curls at all. The Hair and Scalp oil spray was a’ight dog, as Randy Jackson would say. I like the scent, but the product didn’t really bowl me over like the Natural Therapy Hair Treatment Balm did. This balm is the bomb! I seriously didn’t expect to like this as much as I did.

The product is a clear, yellow-tinged jelly… somewhat reminiscent of Kinky Curly Curling Custard, or aloe gel. After slicking it on apres-shower, I noticed how sproingy my curls became. Most importantly, my hair not only FELT moist, it LOOKED moist. Not in a Soul Glo way, mind you. The hair treatment balm managed to give my hair internal moisture, and yes — it did leave my hair a bit greasy to the touch. But that’s a small price to pay for a drugstore product that made my hair look and feel as great as it did. Shiny, coily, pretty hair, and it costs less than $10? Get outta here! If you’ve got perpetually thirsty, thick naturally curly hair, and shallow pockets — I definitely think this is worth a try.

I’ve gotten overwhelmed with products to review and stuff to write, bellas. I’ll be back with a special Throwback Thursday this evening, and there’s more in store next week — for now I’m just super psyched to sleep in tomorrow!

Shave Em Down, Make Em Smooth

Every day I come home from work to an inbox overflowing with e mails, most of which are comments about the most recent post. But sprinkled in between, I get comments from classic posts — stuff I’ve written a while ago and totally forgotten about. Just last week I got a comment about Excuse Me Mo, an irreverent open letter to Monique that I wrote in 2006. I figure my post ranks high up in a Google search for Monique or hairy legs or something — either way, wow did that prove to be a divisive topic! What a difference two years has made. Now I completely see where it’s apparently hypocritical of me to be so pro-natural hair growing out of my head, and so anti-hair growing out of the rest of my body.

We’ve become an overplucked society, obsessed with manscaping and accepting of hair removal on children who are too young to even grow pubes. I don’t mean to add to the insistent hair removal drumbeats that grow louder every summer. Apologies to those of you I may have offended, that certainly wasn’t my intent. I’ve always loved the look of endlessly smooth, sexy legs a la Tina Turner, but I respect your right to remain hirsute.

I’ve been mulling over my reasons for being a proud afrobella and simultaneously an avowed body hair remover — both things definitely go back to my childhood. I remember a family friend who unabashedly sported a wild tangle of armpit hair. She was definitely an object of ridicule, and that negative connotation lingered with me. It was reinforced tenfold in high school. Back in the day I had a teacher who had extremely hairy legs and a penchant for knee-length skirts. Add to the fact that her last name contained the word “ram” — it didn’t take long for high school comediennes to dub her “ram goat,” “goat legs,” and assorted nicknames to that effect.

We wore knee-length skirts as part of our school uniform, so I got into shaving my legs from back then. I came to realize that waxing was preferable to bleaching when it came to dealing with facial hair. That came after a classmate was informed bluntly that her growing-out bleached mustache made her “look like a bumblebee.” Ouch! We had some sharp tongues back then!

It was from that point that I started paying closer attention to my own body hair situation, and I’ve never looked back. It’s a beauty regimen I don’t particularly relish — I don’t know any woman who actually is like, “yay, shaving!” I do sometimes get lazy and let things lapse for a week or sometimes more. The upkeep can be a PITA. But IMO, it’s worth it. Here’s why. Keeping my eyebrows neat and upper lip waxed definitely makes my face look cleaner and brighter, and my features more defined. It really does make a notable difference to my overall look. Waxing my armpits helps to keep my skin uni-toned — years of shaving left my armpits discolored, and waxing helps to alleviate that. And I choose to shave my legs for three simple reasons.

1. Personal preference — I think a smooth, stubble-free leg is beautiful. Give me a gam-revealing skirt, a pair of kitten heels, and freshly shaven legs, and I feel oh-so-ladylike. And sexy.

2. Shaving makes my legs feel touchable and smooth. I absolutely adore how soft my legs feel post-shave.

Which brings me to 3 — So does my husband. Bonus.

If you’re not down with shaving, waxing, or other forms of hair removal, that’s cool. You do you, I’ma do me. For me, that means stepping out into summertime with a big, crazy fro on the top of my head, paired with smooth, hairless legs. Call me crazy. Either way, there are some newish products on the market that are helping me keep my situation as smooth as possible.

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How To Support Charity (And Still Buy The Stuff You Want)

I always like to tell myself, if I were rich, I would live in a relatively modern and plush home, but instead of cars and Hummercopters, I’d spend my money on traveling and donating to charity. As it is right now in my check-to-check state of this-ain’t-livin’, I wish I could donate to charities more. But I can’t afford to give a lot, or to promise a regular donation to any organization right now. So I try my best to do what I can when I can by donating small amounts (hello, Barack Obama car magnet!), and by buying products that I yearn for that also support organizations I can get behind. Here’s a few I’ve been checking out.

For product junkie bellas like myself who are always looking for the most amazing hair stuff on the market, but also want that feeling of self-satisfaction that comes from making a donation, I definitely recommend investing in some Ojon. I’m a new believer, bellas. If you’ve been on a hunt for THE product that will nourish and strengthen your thirsty curls, and you’ve been wondering, is this stuff worth shelling out $55 for a tub of Restorative Hair Treatment? I’d say yes, it’s worth it. Especially when you consider that the purchase of items from this incredible hair product line directly supports the Tawira tribe in Honduras.

Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment absorbed easily and made my hair super strong — this may have been the toughest comb-through hair conditioning product I’ve tried yet. But by the end of the Ojon ritual — restorative treatment, ultra moisturizing shampoo, and ultra hydrating conditioner — I was ready to preach the gospel. Ojon left my hair shiny, defined, and strong. If your hair is breaking or damaged, I think this could definitely make a difference — but click here to read The Beauty Brains breakdown first, if you don’t have deep pockets. Ojon rocks, but it ain’t cheap. If you want to wade into the brand without shelling out $100 for a full size range of products, I recommend the Try Me Kit. It comes with everything you need to figure out whether or not the line is for you or not, and knowing that you’re simultaneously donating to the scholarship fund of underprivileged youths is definitely a reassuring incentive.

After you’ve pampered and nourished your tresses, you can continue the charity supporting trend when you style your hair. Bellas, allow me to introduce you to Kudu Klips, a collection of gorgeous, beaded hair clips that are produced in South Africa, mostly by single mothers.

I was lucky enough to meet the owner of the company last week at the super fun Shop Miami event, and I was very impressed by the quality and beauty of these clips. I was pretty damn skeptical about them though — the sweetheart of a lady at the booth was white with long, straight hair, like the women used in the online demos. The clip looked gorgeous on her, but I instantly assumed the Kudu Klip wouldn’t work as neatly or easily in my thick, short mop of kinks and coils that only touches the top of the back of my neck. “Of course it will!” she assured me, before slipping the long metal spikes through my hair, close to the scalp. “Because of the way it clips in, it’ll actually make your hair look longer,” she said. And lo and behold, she was right. I wish I had a photo — I was already sipping cocktails at this crowded social event at this point, so that didn’t occur to me. But the illusion of an updo with a few escaping tendrils around the clip at the back, did indeed make it appear as though my hair was longer than it actually is. This will work even better for you bellas with hair that touches the middle of your neck, or longer. Kudu Klips retail for $35, and these are some of the poor and physically disabled folks who proudly make them.

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Is Your Towel a Curl’s Best Friend?

This is a little product review follow-up to yesterday’s post… so many of you had such great suggestions for young C. One thing that kept coming up is towel use on curly natural hair…. and I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned this product before. I use it on the daily!

My curls absolutely despise heavy terry towels — I inevitably wind up with more shedding than I want. Which led me on a wild goose chase for the perfect hair towel. Currently I’m using CurlEase, a super thin, super absorbent “towel” that soaks up the water from my thirsty hair in no time at all. If I knew exactly what kind of cloth this was, I’d tell ya to go to Joann’s and by yourself some… but I honestly have not a clue. It’s as thin and light as linen or cheesecloth, but definitely way more absorbent.

I got my Curlease towel at Bed, Bath, and Beyond — gotta love those 20% off discount coupons you get in the mail! But you can also get yours from the sistas at Sistas Place, or Canadian bellas can try Honey Fig.

Some bellas find that Curlease isn’t quite absorbent enough, and a microfiber towel is also a great investment — get one here on Amazon — some bellas love them, others say that they feel like velcro on their hair and actually create more frizz. I don’t know, because I’ve never tried one. Have you?

What kind of towel do you dry your natural tresses with?

Makeup Inspiration — Missy Does Her Best Best

It’s no secret around here — Missy Elliott has been one of my beauty inspirations for a while now. The magic of Billy B made her features come alive in the earliest videos from Supa Dupa Fly. I loved Missy then — as a full figured girl looking for media affirmation that she too could be considered beautiful and desirable, Missy was a breath of fresh, much needed air. She came out swingin’, clad in an inflated garbage bag, rocking finger waves and fierce makeup. I’ve been an unabashed stan ever since.

Having said that, I’m a little sad to admit that I’m with Soulbounce on this one — Best Best isn’t going to stand among my favorite Missy tracks, not by a long shot. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll bump this in my car on the way home from work, but it doesn’t have that replay factor. But her makeup on the cover of the new single is gorgeous. Like I did with the Chrisette Michele makeup inspiration post, I’m going to try to guess what she used to get the look, and also suggest ways you can get the look for less. Will Missy stop by the blog to set me straight on what she did or didn’t use, like Chrisette did? That would be awesome. Only time will tell, bellas…

Missy’s a MAC kinda gal with a Viva Glam ad under her belt — so I’m going to assume quite a bit of her look can be attributed to MAC. Let’s start with those eyes. She’s got bold kohl liner around her eyes, and that shadow is all kinds of blended gorgeousness. Looks almost like either Goldmine — one of my favorite shades of shadow — or maybe it could be Old Gold pigment on the lid itself. The touch of deep purple in the crease could be Graphology — a black/grey that’s got a slight hint of purple, making for a gorgeous smokey eye. The upper lid has a whisper of almost-fuschia, blended into a champagne colored highlight at the brow bone. But who’s noticing all those tints and tones? Those stunning lashes stand out more than anything.

MAC makes lashes, of course. But on a recent trip to Sephora, I was blown away by the insane selection of classical and extravagant lashes by Make Up For Ever. Shu Uemura is also known for making fabulous lashes, and a layer of their False Eyelashes 600 would give that thick, dark, eyelash drama. But of course, if Billy B did indeed do this makeup, the lashes could well be purchased at a party or costume store, and cost like $2.50 instead of $20.

There’s a lovely, shimmery effect on Missy’s skin around her nose and under her eyes, that almost calls to mind that MAC Fafi shimmer (which has completely disappeared from their website). Another product that could create a similarly stunning, glowing effect is Saude Pele Radiance Booster by Christopher Drummond Beauty. It’s a truly unique and amazing product — I use it on my cheeks as a highlighter, and it truly does make me glow like nobody’s business. Look out for a bigger review of this stuff to come.

Let’s talk lips — Missy’s lips are clearly outlined, but not with a darker lip liner on the bottom lip. It’s possible that her makeup artist has gotten wise to my latest beauty find — BeneFit’s D’Finer D’Liner invisible lip liner, which really keeps lipstick from feathering. I can’t figure out which lippie she’s sporting there — it’s a deep fuschia that could be venetian lusterglass, but it might also be one of those hot slimshine lipsticks. To recreate a similar look on myself, I’d just reach for my beloved Vincent Longo lip stain in Baby Boo, and layer with super cheap Milani glossy tubes — I have a hot pink shade that isn’t on their website, but you can find it at your neighborhood drugstore.

I’d love to interview Missy’s makeup people and find out exactly what she’s using, but it’s fun to try figuring it out on my own for starters. For a fitting Throwback Thursday, here’s one of my fave Missy joints of all time — Take Away, an ode for the late, great Aaliyah. Oh, how I love this song.

What did you bellas think of Best Best? Do you have a favorite Missy video?

Wild, Wacky Body Washes

Sometimes, being a beauty blogger is about trying the hottest new beautifying thing on the market. Other times, it involves feeling like a guinea pig and trying some truly um… unique products. Let me tell you about some of the most interesting body washes I’ve had the opportunity to try.

Big Bad Mama Biker Bath products come in a variety of scents that most people might not want to smell like… in public, anyway. Jailbait? Herb? Beer? Weed? These body washes and bath fizzes might make perfect gag gifts for those crazy college friends you had back in the day. But other than that… who wants to smell like booze and reefer?

The good news is, these body washes don’t literally smell like you’d expect. I had the chance to try the beer body wash and there is that underlying smell, but it’s sweeter and more feminine than say, Heineken. I guess it I had to choose an actual beer this stuff smelled like, it’d be one of those fruity, or rose-infused beers they sell at Whole Foods. Not exactly what a Bad Biker Mama might order at a bar, but hey — it’s not the worst body wash I’ve ever tried. For $12.99, this stuff comes in a real brown beer bottle, so be careful with it in your shower stall. Bad Biker mama also makes edible massage oil, Mojo Mist, bath fizz, and biker groove lube lotion, which promises to be “the most delicious lotion you ever poured out of a beer bottle.” I certainly hope so.

Everyone who knows me by now, knows that I am always looking out for small businesses owned by bellas on the come up. So when I was contacted by Patrice, creator of The Soap Seduction, I was immediately psyched — not only do we share a name, but we share a love for unusual soaps! The Soap Seduction is your one-stop shop for soaps shaped like cupcakes or sheep or kitty cats. Soap Seduction soaps are excellent quality — most of them are made with a moisturizing cocoa butter base, and she also makes goat’s milk soaps for those of you who are into that. And I’m happy to report that these soaps are divinely scented. The lemon meringue soap is TO DIE FOR, and the cupcake soaps look and smell almost like the real thing. I was very impressed, and at like, $6 a pop, these would make an adorable gift for your girlfriend who’s on a die-with-a-t and moaning about all the goodies she can’t enjoy.

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Finally - My Latest Beauty Secrets

I get tagged quite often, and I am a turrible knucklehead about responding in kind. I don’t mean to be a jerk, I just get super busy and overwhelmed and before I know it, a month has gone by, then two, then three… and then ah forget it. But not this time! My friend in cocktails, Christina of E Beauty Daily, tagged me about a month ago in the perfect kind of meme for a product addicted bella like yours truly. Without further ado, here are my freshest beauty faves — quite a few of which are products I haven’t had a chance to review yet!

My Beauty Secrets:

My Foundation: I was stuck on Cover Girl’s Queen Collection powder foundation for a while there.. then I wandered into Sephora with Mama Bella. A very friendly saleslady made us out for the ripe targets we were, and proceeded to give me an unrequested makeover using Benefit’s Play Sticks (my shade? Teeter Totter). I had to buy it. And Mama Bella bought TWO! The reviews over at Makeup Alley are mixed, but this cream stick foundation works great for me as a spot concealer. I blend with my fingers (or a wedge sponge), dust with the aforementioned Cover Girl’s Queen Collection powder foundation and I’m GTG.

My Mascara: Oh boy. Or as my mom sometimes says, boysie kapoizie. I have an array of mascaras to choose from, and I switch it up on the regular… but my current favorite for day is Lash Blast, but for evening drama… I’m really digging Prescriptives Plush False Eyelashes mascara of late. It gives you that bold, thick, lash drama without any mess.

My Blush: I am currently obsessed with NARS Orgasm, and like Chrisette Michele, I prefer to use two shades — so Orgasm and b.l.a.c minerals’ toasty. Just a teeny bit really gives my cheeks a delicious glow.

My Eye Shadow: No pigment stands out better on my skin than MAC. I can’t deny it. When I use shadow, I invariably return to MAC. But I do love Urban Decay’s range of colors, and you know what — Make Up For Ever makes a fine Star Powder that I adore as well.

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