“Maybe it’s much too early in the game…but I thought I’d ask you just the same…what are you doing New Year’s, New Year’s Eve?”

I hope you’re getting glammed up for a fabulous soiree, or getting settled for a cozy night at home with your nearest and dearest. (I chose the latter!) Whatever the weather, I hope you’re celebrating in a way that truly brings you joy and bodes only positive vibrations for this bright new decade we’re about to enter.

Either way, you should probably expect a smooch or two at the stroke of midnight. And in the event that happens, you want to be ready. Few things are more unfortunate than a truly beautiful woman who’s dressed to the nines, but has awful smelling breath. I’ve tried out quite a few breath fresheners — allow me to share my tried and tested favorites!
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How cute is Mally Roncal? Seriously — she’s the living embodiment of adorable. Always impeccably turned out, always smiling, always encouraging regular women like you and me to believe in our own beauty. I think she’s the bees knees.

The celebrity makeup artist earned her stripes by beating the faces of Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Mariah, Mary J. Blige, and Iman. Now her Mally Beauty brand makes big bucks on QVC, because she brings her expert aesthetic and enthusiasm for everyday beauty to life with her products.

Recently she debuted her fragrance, Mally. If you’re looking for a unique, upbeat, fresh, youthful and sexy scent — you need to get a whiff of this. Citrusy, and scented with the Phillipines’ national flower the Sampaguita – Mally is delicious on your pulse points. I had a chance to review the scent and ask Mally some questions about it, via e mail.
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Every year we say the same thing, but seriously — does it not seem as though the holiday season just crept up on all of us? I am SO not ready for Christmas. But here it comes, with the lights and the festitivity and the expectation of presents. And so it’s time once again for the Afrobella gift guide!

This year I plan on featuring quality, not quantity — 12 gift posts, one for each day of Christmas. Expect to hear only about the products I truly think are unique, under the radar, and totally gift-worthy. Over the past twelve months I’ve been receiving and reviewing some amazing items, and I can truly recommend something fresh and fun for every kind of bella.

My first suggestions will combat your skin’s urgent needs as the weather grows colder. Because ashy isn’t a good look for the holiday season!

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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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Summer fragrances are such sweet respite from the realities of the season — when it’s hot, steamy, and sweaty out there, there’s something so refreshing about a light scent. While it’s still warm out you should check store shelves for these luscious perfumes — they’ll make you smell some kinda delicious regardless of what season we’re in.

Last week I was spritzing myself with Calvin Klein’s 2009 Eternity Summer and my mom in law literally stopped in her tracks as she was walking by. “Mmmmm! You smell gorgeous!”

Why thanks, Mom! Yes. Yes I do.

Eternity Summer will win you over if you’re a fan of Calvin Klein fragrances in general – it hews close to the formula of clean, fresh and floral. The initial spritz is sweet, but when it all dries down, it’s a mild, clean floral at heart. It’s a pleasant scent, but didn’t make my heart skip a beat.

I found Calvin Klein’s Euphoria Spring Temptation to be far more heady, delicious, and me. Now Smell This did a great rundown of the fragrance notes: ” lush pear blossom, guava leaf, fluid waterfall accord, pink lily, dewy violet, white sandalwood, pure frosted musk and untouched amber.”

Heavens to mergatroid.

All of that sounds fancy enough, but I am not so complicated when it comes to fragrance. Does Euphoria Spring Temptation smell good? YES. It’s fruity yet floral, feminine and refreshing. And the bottle looks gorgeous on my dresser. Spring, Summer – who cares! I’d gladly repurchase this when my bottle runs out. It’s perfumey without being overpowering.

Which is not what I can say about Queen Latifah’s debut fragrance, titled simply – Queen. Its a notable and regal blend, alright — incense, musk, sandalwood, cognac and golden tequila are among its notes.
This is a heavy, very womanly, very I AM WEARING PERFUME kind of fragrance — far more a Fall fragrance than a Summer scent. I found it to be reminiscent of Eighties era fragrances, but not in a bad way.

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Like practically every other bella, I like a deodorant that’s “strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.” Meaning it has to step up and keep me respectable through the most oppressive heat and my body’s funkiest hormonal swings. The ideal deodorant would glide effortlessly onto my armpits and leave absolutely no trace, all while still leaving me feeling and smelling as pretty and fresh as I wanna be.

I have yet to find the ideal deodorant. It’s always two out of three – most often they glide smoothly and smell great, but leave tell-tale signs of residue. That’s just how it is. And having read a few articles about deodorant being bad for me, I decided to give the alternative antiperspirant thing a try. Again. This time around I tried Lavilin, a “unique herbal deodorant free of aluminum and other harsh chemicals.” Lavilin promises that just one application can leave you odor free for up to seven days.

I decided to take the Lavilin challenge and chart my 7-day experience. All in the name of being a braver beauty blogger.

Before you begin using Lavilin, you’re supposed to refrain from using other deodorants for two days. So my advice to you if you plan to try it yourself — if you don’t want to wind up stinky and sweaty-pitted, try to start on a cool day when you don’t have to do any strenuous activities and be around lots of people.

Day 1 — I can’t lie. My first thought as I opened the package was, this is weird. And kinda old school. Lavilin comes in this little funky jar with three pointy little legs, like a spaceship in a 1950’s film. It’s a thick white cream that smells like… well, nothing really. Lavilin has a very mild scent that I can only compare to Pond’s cold cream or Nivea in the big blue jar. Very clean and cream-like, if that makes any sense. And did I mention it’s thick? You only need a fingertip-size dab to cover your whole armpit. Upon initial application it made my armpit looks really gray. Lavilin definitely took quite a while to fully absorb into my skin. But I’m skeptical. I apply this stuff on day 1 and it’s supposed to last a week? Through showering and sweating? Yeah, right.

Day 2 – Woke up smelling great! So I decided to challenge Lavilin with a workout. 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer got me sweaty, but not smelly. And after showering… still scentless. And my armpits felt particularly soft and touchable. That never happens with regular deodorant.

Day 3 - Experiencing some um… hormonal challenges? I don’t exactly smell… but I feel like I could at any time. Better compensate with extra perfume. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Perfecto!

Day 4 - OK I can definitely smell myself. This might be because I gave myself a brown sugar body scrub and exfoliated my armpits. Or it could be because I live in Miami, which is guaranteed to mean a case of swamp pits for anyone under any circumstance. Hmm. Tempted to reapply. I’ll try to stick it out to day 5. Maybe it’s in my head.

Day 5 - Yeah, it’s definitely not in my head. Now comes the big question — do I reapply more Lavilin, or go back to my regular favorites?

I went back to Dove on day 6.

Maybe you’ve got a reason to switch from the typical well known brands, maybe most deodorants give you a rash, maybe you’re looking for an alternative that feels healthier. If you’re looking for a aluminum-free deodorant replacement that really works, Lavilin is awesome. But if you’ve got no complaints with the popular brands, and prefer having the option to have armpits that smell like Vanilla Chai, then Lavilin may not be for you.

Click here to get Lavilin.

What’s your de-scenter of choice?