Let me tell you, bellas!

Last night I attended a special event, courtesy of Dove Visibly Smooth deodorant. At a gorgeous place called Spa Soak in the trendy Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago, I recieved a “piticure.” On my way back home, I tweeted the following:

“Just had a Dove deodorant “PitiCure” – just so you know, I have baby smooth Beyonce armpits now.”

The response was overwhelming! Everyone wanted to know — what on earth is a piticure, and where can I get one?

It’s super easy and you can totally DIY.
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When I had the opportunity to talk with Doe Deere, also known as Xenia, the creator of controversial cosmetics brand Lime Crime, I was both excited and hesitant.

Excited because her makeup brand has a lot of buzz around it right now — Lime Crime is featured in the November issue of Nylon magazine, and I’ve heard many a beauty blogger rave over the range of crazy colors available in their Magic Dust eyeshadows and Candyfuture Lipsticks.

Hesitant because I’ve also noticed many a beauty blogger talking umbrage with Doe Deere herself, and disparaging Lime Crime as a brand.

You can read some of those posts:

here, at Gothique

here at Funny Face’s Place

here at the Examiner (those comments are off the chain)

here at Jessica Allison’s blog

here at Lipstick and Lightsabers (WHAT a great blog name!)

here at Sparkle is My Crack

here at Sparklecrack Central

and…you get the picture.

But for every hater, there’s a congratulator. There’s an army of Lime Crime and Doe Deere fans out there — say hello to Team Candyfuture! And besides the people who admire Doe’s appearance and personality, there are those who really are intrigued by the makeup itself, all chatter aside. I fall into the latter camp.

I heard of Lime Crime before all of the brou-ha-ha began, and the reason I heard about them was because people were raving over this hot new makeup brand, all packaged in pink with sparkly unicorns, dedicated to super intense pigments and bright colors. And I realize there’s a reason just about every post about Doe Deere online generates hundreds of bickering comments — she’s a fascinating figure. And the creator of a makeup brand that targets a very passionate audience.

When we started our interview, I offered Doe two options. We can start out fun and lighthearted and talk about the makeup itself…or we can wade immediately into the controversy and address it right off the bat. Doe chose the latter.

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When I saw the photos of Sammy Sosa that have been circulating online, one dancehall classic came immediately to mind.

There’s a few more photos on Huffington Post that show the sharp difference in his pigmentation.

The story Mr. Sosa is sticking to is that a skin rejuvenation procedure has made his skin appear lighter, and besides that the lighting made him appear significantly fairer skinned than normal.

If that’s true, then it’s a shame that Mr. Sosa had a facial treatment that resulted in such marked discoloration. Any technician worth their salt will tell you, laser treatments can be very problematic for black skin, and deep chemical peels can damage black skin. So I’m curious as to what kind of treatment Mr. Sosa may have had, so I can make sure not to ever get it myself.
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The Artist’s Summit Chicago was jampacked with all kinds of goodies from the world of makeup and beauty. Some brands I was already well familiar with. Others, I was happy to get to know better. And as luck would have it, I was introduced to a skincare brand I’d been wanting to check out for a while — Mario Badescu.

I got lucky — by visiting their booth at the Artist’s Summit, I was able to get a skincare analysis by the lovely lady representing the brand. She gave me specific products to deal with my skincare issues, and I’m gonna review them all for you!
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This Columbus Day Weekend, Chicago was the place to be. If you love makeup and beauty the way that I do, it was a weekend to treasure. The Powder Group rolled into town for the Artist Summit — a veritable who’s who of makeup artists, brands, and professionals in the field. And we kicked things off with a bang!

Together with the fabulous Lianne Farbes (AKA The Makeup Girl) and Erin Scandalous, I hosted the Drugstore Divas Blogger Mixer. We had a blast! So much so that we completely forgot to take photos, and I only have two. D’oh!

Here’s me with Lianne and our fabulous sign at the front of the J Bar at the James Hotel!

Like my outfit? Vintage long sleeved sweater dress by Silhouettes that I bought at the incredible Redress NYC, belt by Torrid, octopus necklace from Etsy, Payless boots, and tights by Stone Fox — available online at MyHosieryStore.com. (Review to come on this amazing hosiery company soon!)

And here I am with gorgeous ladies Rashida B (that’s right! Of BeautySchooled and The B Spot and of that eyebrow interview from a while back) and Contessa Gibson. Love her!

We had a great turnout, gave out some GREAT giftbags, and had a blast with Twitter friends, makeup artists, and fans of our blogs – twas AWESOME. Thank you so much to Suave, Sunsilk, Degree, Vaseline, and Carol’s Daughter for contributing to an amazing night!

The next day was the summit itself, and I got there later than I wanted to. (Blame that on the lychee martinis!)
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Sometimes I use them dry. Sometimes I use them wet. Depends on what look I’m going for. Doesn’t matter the method — either way Q-Tips are must-have beauty essentials.

I do have a battalion of makeup brushes, but still I reach for the familiar brand name cotton swab, when it’s time for a quick eye-makeup application (or clean-up, if I’ve managed to make a mess… which happens often).

And I’m not alone! The amazing Mally Roncal recommends using Q-tips to vamp up your office-appropriate look for an after-work cocktail party (she advises dipping a Q-tip into smimmer powder, then highlight cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, the center of your eyelids, and your brow bones. Blend, blow a kiss at your reflection and you’re out the door!) Makeup artist to the stars Troy Jensen (yeppers, Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist!) offers a helpful tip — roll with Q-Tips for those long days out when you’re just bound to wind up with raccoon eyes. Smart!

How does a brand as ubiquitous as Q-Tips update their image? By releasing the adorable and tres-chic Vanity Packs. Initially available in four trendy designs, the Vanity Packs are about to make a holidazzle debut with chic boxes to go with your Yuletide decor. AND to up the ante, the good peeps at Q-Tips are offering Afrobella readers a special giveaway!

One lucky Afrobella reader will win all four Q-tips® Vanity Packs and a chic jewelry box from West Elm (retailed at $100).

SO pretty, right??

All you have to do is tell me: how do you use Q-Tips in your beauty regimen?

I’m gonna close these comments by Thursday and choose a random winner on Friday, so let me know ASAP!

Good luck, bellas!!