Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation is amazing, in so many ways.  Let's start with the positives first ok.... 

First I have never been a make up girl, especially liquid foundation.  I always thought It made me look dead, shiny but dead.  Wet but dead.  Plan and simple, I was never about that life!!  For the past ten plus years I have been wearing the same MAC pressed powder, same shade and all.  For years MAC was good to me, consistent every time no matter what concealer I used my MAC never failed me.  The only downfall was that my skin is so sensitive that if I wore anything for more than a couple hours, my face would start to itch and I would immediately break out.  One day I came across this review on the new Urban decay foundation and the girl raved about the product.  She talked about how nice and light it was and how perfect it was for her sensitive skin so of course I couldn't wait to try it.   She also raved about the brush that is meant to be use with the new foundation, giving you flawless coverage, natural coverage.   I was a little hesitant at first because of the way I felt about liquid foundations but the product junkie in me could not wait to try it.  So one day after work I rushed to my nearest Sephora.  Did I mention I love Sephora, you can buy and sample anything there and if it doesn't work for you you can return it no questions asked!  Ok back to it, so the young lady at Sephora didn't waste any time matching me.  My shade is 11.0.  I was more happy to find out that the price was cheaper then I thought it was, but a little disappointed they did not have the brush.  Lucky for me Sephora has their own brand of just about every name brand product that they sale.  The brush they suggested was the same as the Urban Decay brush and it cost about the same. SAVE!! HAPPY AGAIN!!  I paid $38 for the foundation and $26 for the brush.

The foundation felt amazing going on, the brush was soft.  It was simple.  The shade was just right and the coverage was flawless, not cakey.  I didn't look dead or shiny.  It was light, like I was wearing nothing at all.  I didn't have to use concealer.  No irritation, no itching.  Perfect right!!  So of course ladies, when we think we cute we go to snapping pictures.  Please do not adjust your screen, what you are about to see is real!!

Without the camera flash...

With the camera flash....

Ladies I could not believe my eyes, I'm thinking LAWD!! WHY!!  It was so perfect NOT!!!  Crazy because I wanted to love it so much but what if someone caught me with a flash.  If you know me then you know I run from the cameras already.  So needless to say I will be returning Urban Decay, I am not about that LIFE!!  I will keep the brush, that is all....

If you've ever experienced this, please let me know is there any way around it?  A finisher of some kind, something?  Until next time....



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Henna

For those of you who aren't familiar with Henna, I know you are probably thinking what in the world is this green mess!!!  Yes it is a mess and it smells a mess as well.  Henna is a flowering plant used to naturally dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather and wool.  The name Henna is also used for dye preparations derived from the plant, and for the art of temporary tattooing based on those dyes.  Sometimes the name is misused for other skin and hair dyes, such as black henna or neutral henna, which are not derived from the plant.  These dyes contain other chemicals and are not completely natural.  Henna has been used as a cosmetic hair dye for over 6,000 years.  The dye inside this plant produces a red/brown stain on skin and various hues of red on hair. Henna will not lighten your hair; in fact your hair will appear darker with the exception of some red.  Henna is not only good for dying the hair, it can also be used as a conditioner or a treatment similar to a protein treatment.  Henna dye penetrates the hair shaft, binding with the keratin in the hair.  This makes the hair stronger and it also makes it really hard to rinse out.  I had to wash my hair 3 times with a clarifying shampoo.  Henna coats the hair and fills in rough spots of frayed cuticles.  This adds a second layer of strength, but it does not lock out moisture.  It makes the hair appear smoother and shinier.  Over time henna will begin to loosen your curl pattern, giving you stretched out hair.  At least that’s what I’m hoping.  

Henna is very easy to mix, just add water and oil (optional).  Some people add conditioner, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), or honey.  None of these will make the mixture smell or look any better.  Henna smells absolutely horrible!! If you know what greens smell like before adding the seasoning, that’s what henna smells like to the third power.  It is green in color and thick like paste.  My mixture includes EVOO, honey and some hair tea that I purchased from Chagrin Valley.  To help application, I use more liquid and oil to loosen it up.  I added the honey because I like the way honey and oil feels in my hair.  Honey is also known as a humectant, which draws moisture in.  I try not to use honey in the winter time because there is no moisture in the air and this can dry your hair out, I will get into humectants some other time.   Henna is very very very very (ok I think you get the point) messy!  You want to cover your floors, sink, vanity, what ever....Use things that you can throw away, or if you want to have a designated shirt to use only when you Henna that's fine to.  It also helps if you section your hair in fours and use large clips to hold the hair up off of your shoulders.

After washing my hair, I could feel the strength and smoothness from the treatment.  My hair was very shiny and soft after conditioning.  Before the Henna I planned on trimming my ends because they felt rough but after the treatment I decided to hold off for a couple more weeks.  I was able to run my fingers through my hair with ease and did I mention the shine!?!?  Days later I was still playing and twirling my hair, I love when my hair is manageable and soft.  Would I recommend Henna?  Yes I would, if you have the time and you want to give your hair a little extra attention and Love.  It will be worth the mess, smell and time.  Even if you are NOT NATURAL and you are having problems with breakage and shine, this just may be the answer for you.  Instead of wearing the Indian hair, you can have Indian hair.  All in all I think everyone who wants smooth, shiny, and strong hair can and will benefit from Henna.

I received my Henna in my October’s curlBox.  You can purchase Henna at various natural health food stores or Indian grocery stores.  The last Henna treatment I did was Rainbow Henna in Persian black which I purchased from Soaps and Scents at Mayfair Mall, Milwaukee for less than $7. 

I love Soaps and Scents; they have a variety of natural products from essential oils to soaps and body lotions.  Check them out!!  Let me know if you ever purchased anything from there and how did you like it?  Also let me know if you ever tried Henna and what was your recipe?  Hope this review was helpful, until next time….



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My Regimen

I know you guys are wondering when am I going to finally get to the reviews right???  Trust me I'm getting there, I just want to set the stage.  I want to give you an idea of what my hair is like before I start cranking out all these reviews because like I said before, some things that may work for me may not work for you.

So washing and conditioning should be easy right?  Wrong!!  Not for a person with natural hair. 
Although I like to use different products, like conditioners, leave-in and other stylers, the regimen is always about the same. Wash day is usually once a week, I try to do it every Saturday or Sunday and if I'm really in a good mood Wednesday to.  It usually goes something like this...

• Shampoo (except for winter time)
• Condition (to detangle)
• Deep condition
• Leave in
• Styler  (gels, butters, pomades, etc)

And in that order...(in my Mama Dee voice)

I say shampooing except for winter time because you want to keep as much moisture in your hair as possible during the cold winter months.  Shampoo, even if sulfate free can strip your hair.  So instead I will wash or as they say in the natural community co-wash, with a conditioner of my choice.  Sometimes it may be necessary to shampoo depending on what type of products you use during the week and the type of build up you may have.  Which leads me to the next thing about shampooing, in the winter time I try to use products that don't have silicone.  Silicone's can build up on your hair, forming a barrier which makes it hard for your products to penetrate your hair shaft.  Some silicone's are water soluble so no shampoo is needed.  Hope this helps! 



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My Journey

When I began this journey, I started out researching how to begin dread locs.  I had been interested in locs since high school but never had the courage to start them.  I was to worried what everybody would say.  I started my research on YouTube of course and I begin to see so many women with all this beautiful natural hair.  They were wearing their hair natural and proud, and might I add enjoying it.  The more videos I watched the more I realized that not only were these women schooling me on becoming natural but they were also showing me how to be natural, beautiful and unique in my own way and who cares what anyone thinks.  My options were endless.  I just had to be apart of this natural hair community, I belonged....I began to think back on how my hair was as a child and I knew my hair would be just as beautiful natural as it was relaxed.  If not, then hey, I would just loc it up!!  I start to let my hair grow out.  The new growth would have felt nappy and tangled through relaxed eyes but through my new natural eyes it felt full and curly, soft even.  The more the new growth grew the more I grew eager to cut all the relaxed ends.  Lucky for me I was already rocking a short hair cut.

   
My Big Chop (BC) would be a piece of cake, so I thought.  I BC in June 2010.  My family thought I was crazy, going through a mid-mid life crisis or something.

I forgot just how fine my hair was.  It didn't matter though because my new natural eyes had courage, I was brave.  I didn't care what anyone thought, I rocked it anyway!!  The more I excepted my natural hair the more I excepted me...

Over the past two years my hair has grown a great deal but not without difficulty.  

There was a time I had to go over my grandmother's house every weekend to wash my hair because the place I stayed had hard water.  I did this for about one year, such an inconvenience but at least I got to spend time with my grandmother ( I love her, shouts out to grandma Glo...lol).  I don't know if you've ever experienced the affect of hard water but let me tell you, on this head, it was not pretty.  I have low porosity hair, which means it takes a long time for my hair to soak up water or anything else.  The hard water along with the mineral deposits left on my hair meant that my hair would not even absorb the leave in conditioner.  The mineral deposits created a barrier, a wall of destruction on my already low porosity hair.  This meant NO moisture what so ever.  As a natural we have to try extra hard to keep our locs moisturized, this is important if you want to retain length without breakage. 

Over the years I have tried tons of different products, some would call me a product junkie.  I don't know if that's true or if I'm still on the search for that perfect product, that one product that will tame this mane.  Or maybe I enjoy trying different products because I like the way some of them feel in my hair.  One thing for sure I have learned a lot about natural hair, especially my own. On this journey I will continue to educate myself and grow in hopes that maybe I will have the knowledge to teach or inspire someone else. So my journey continues...



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Introduction...

Welcome to my world as a product junkie....

So I've always wanted to blog, except I had no idea what to blog about.  No I'm not an author nor am I a writer so excuse me if some of my grammar or punctuation is off.  Just a little about myself, I have worked in the Dental field for 14 years starting as a dental assistant.  Today I work as a customer service representative in the dental department of a community clinic (always happy to serve the community :).  So I consider myself as a Dental professional, but enough of that.  I'm here to have fun no work allowed!!!  In my spare time I enjoy interior decorating, natural hair and shopping, I mean what woman doesn't.  Sometimes I find myself purchasing things just because the packaging is pretty, or it smells pretty.  Which brings me to the reason for starting this blog, FINALLY I have something to blog about.  In this blog I will reviewing different products that I buy (with my own money) and use.  Different products from hair care products to house ware, so stay tuned and I hope you enjoy my blog....

Live for Love...