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?

Taking the Afrobella show on the road has been so much fun, but it’s been a challenge!

Between dealing with teeny tiny shower stalls, weird water pressure, learning the difference between hard and soft water, and packing light to bounce easily from apartment to apartment, it’s been a lesson in beauty essentials. So what products have been my must-haves along the way, from lip-blistering cold in New York City to balmy Mobile, Alabama? Here’s some brand new reviews, to fill you in on what I’ve road tested!

In NYC and Washington DC, I got a raw taste of what life in Chicago will do to my beauty regimen. Bellas, moisture is a must. My skin got dry, dry, dry. My hair was bigger and poofier than I was accustomed to it being. And my lips! Oh, my dry, aching lips. I am the kind of lady who carries around a big pouch o’ lip glosses for any beautifying occasion, but when it came to imparting any kind of lasting moisture, I’m sad to say some of the biggies fell short. When Blistex and Nivea couldn’t stand the pressure, I reached for a teeny silver bullet. Snog lip balm, straight outta England, is the business!

The Virgin Cherry flavor is sweet, and Snog is so moisturizing and feels so good, my husband started calling it “lip crack.” As in, “hey, I need some more of your lip crack!” Even though this is an imported product, it’s pretty cheap at $2.49 a tube. And as you probably already know, “snog” is slang for kiss. And I don’t tell but you have my word – this product keeps your lips kissably soft.

I already praised the customer service at the Carol’s Daughter flagship store in Harlem, but I didn’t yet get a chance to gush over my latest purchases. That Hair Balm is the bomb!

When my tresses were stressed with the cold and wind, I discovered that slicking on Hair Balm after doing a conditioner wash really helped to keep my hair touchable, less tangled, protected from the elements, and super shiny. Hair Balm is a blend of soy oil, sweet almond oil, and coconut oil. It’s thick and my hair absorbed it best when I kept it in the shower stall with me, then warmed the balm between my palms before slicking it on from root to tip. Will I love Hair Balm as much in warm weather, when my hair tends to respond best to lighter products? I’ll find out when I get back to Miami, and let you know.

Now about that conditioner wash… with all the wind and cold and rain (especially in DC, yeesh), the ends of my hair got really knotty and snarled. I needed a good, moisturizing condish to make my situation even a little comb-throughable. And wouldn’t you know it, the products I managed to not-remember-to-pack included perfume, mascara, and a good conditioner. So I had to run to a Duane Reade and lo and behold — the Organix Hair Care line was fully in stock!

In Miami I was unfortunately only able to find one or two of this company’s products, but NYC and DC had it goin’ on. The Smoothing Shea Butter was JUST what I needed. It smells great, and made combing through the tangles much, much easier. And SCORE, each bottle comes with a “try me free!” label attached, so you can mail your receipt back and be recompensated for trying something new that actually works well. I’m a fan of this brand and plan to repurchase for sure.

Normally I’m the kind of bella who spritzes herself all over with an eau de toilette, but alas, I forgot em all at home when I left. But I was smart enough to bring my favorite Kiehls essence oil, and it’s lasted through the trip and then some. Now anyone who is familiar with the Kiehls brand knows, it isn’t exactly cheap. What it is, though, is great quality. There’s a reason these products have been around since 1851.

The Kiehls essence oils represent that rich heritage, and each package displays the date of their first known introduction to the market — Mink in 1921, Coriander in 1946, Vanilla in 1968, and Grapefruit in 1976. If you’re a vanilla lover like me, know that this isn’t your plain jane vanilla. This scent will linger on your pulse points for hours on end. If you spring for the $42.50 1 oz bottle that comes packaged sans-rollerball applicator, you get the added bonus of mixing drops of your pure oil with other oils — just a drop combined with some organic coconut oil makes such a sweetly scented treat for your hair! Whenever I mix up that concoction, my husband loves the way my hair smells. But at $42.50, I wouldn’t advise mixing it up every day! Use sparingly and on special occasions.

My road trip ends tomorrow, bellas. If you sent me an Ask Afrobella question, or are just waiting for me to get back to regular beauty blog posts — fret not! I’ll be back in great shape by next week, and I’ve got a stack of questions to answer, products to review, and stuff to share with all of you!

This photo is one of my favorites. It was taken by a photographer for the Miami Herald, and featured on the cover of the paper shortly before Valentine’s Day this year, accompanying a story about frugal Valentine’s Day ideas. But the backstory behind the photo is kind of funny — my husband and I had to hold the pose and sit tight for about 20 minutes while the photographer fiddled with his camera settings to prevent the candle’s flames from reflecting all over our faces. Lucky for us, the candles in the photo smelled absolutely incredible, so crouching with our noses so close to them was kind of wonderful. Let me tell you about some of the candles you see flickering before you, and some home fragrance companies you absolutely should check out! Oh, and spoiler alert — there’s a giveaway at the end of this post!

Sacred Glo is a candle company I learned about via Twitter — the creator is a very friendly bella, and from the moment she approached me about her products I kind of knew I’d love them. What can I say; I’m a fool for romance, and massage candles can really ignite the mood!

Sacred Glo candles are all natural lotion candles that come in four divine scents — Sacred Clarity, Almond Glo, Nevis Island Breeze, and Sensual Groove. At $24.99, they’re totally worth it if you’re especially into natural goodness. Made with soy bean oil, shea butter, natural essential oils and eco-friendly fragrant scents, the temperature of the melted oil is just 2 degrees above body temperature, so it’s never hot enough to burn your skin. Light one up, let it melt, and enjoy your loved one rubbing warm massage oil all over you. It’s like heaven, trust! Visit Sacred Glo.com for yours.

If you love a highly scented, robust, room filling candle (and price isn’t an object), check out Candle Delirium — they’ve got quite a collection of high end home fragrance items. Tocca, Voluspa, Paddywax, and Archipelago Botanicals are all here, but the one my husband loved was Blue Absinthe by Delirium and Co..

It’s described in somewhat florid prose as “Dark, mysterious and regal…capturing the essence of royalty and sophistication, a time when men were brave, suave and chivalrous.” OK then! So how does it smell? The blend of absinthe, vetyver, blonde woods, basil and rosemary is very strong, and very, very manly. This candle smells kind of like I’d like my husband to smell. Does it come in a cologne, too? $38 for a heavy 7.9 oz candle in a translucent, reflective midnight blue glass.

And finally, finally I can shout to the world about MickeyMade! These candles are so sweetly scented, I just want to eat them! The creator (that’d be Mickey) took a hiatus from business but now is back and better than ever. Mickey Made candles are super afforable ($1.75 for a “mini,” 9 oz candles cost $6.50, and big 16 oz candles are just $10.50), and they come in so many fragrances, it’ll make your head spin. Apple Pie, Baby Powder, Brown Sugar, Carrot Cake, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Citrus Basil, Coconut, Cranberry, Dreamsicle, Eucalyptus, Fresh Cotton, Gardenia, Green Apple, Lilac, Mango, Nag Champa, Peppermint, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Rose, Sandalwood, Strawberry, Tangerine, Vanilla, and Watermelon — take your pick!

No, seriously — visit the website and pick your favorite fragrance, because it’s an Afrobella/Mickey Made giveaway! I meant to offer this around the time of my birthday at the beginning of the month, but my birthday present (this wonderful road trip I’m still on) took me far away from blogland. So mea culpa, and please enjoy this belated birthday giveaway!

Five lucky readers will win a 9 oz candle of their choice. All you gotta do is two little things.

First, click here to fill out a brief survey, which will help me know more about you, and will help me make Afrobella even better! And second, leave a comment below telling me what your scent of choice is, and why it’s your favorite.

I’ll leave these comments open till Friday at noon, and will choose and announce winners by next week. And I’ll be back from my road trip by then, and back to regular blogging. Yay!

Good luck, bellas!

If you’ve been clicking around beauty blogs of late — you may have noticed Valentine’s Day is in the air. And yours truly is proud to present a very special V-Day giveaway, courtesy of The Body Shop’s new Valentine’s collection, Moroccan Rose.

14 different beauty blogs are participating, so every day from now until February 14th, you can vie for a gift pack ($170 value) of the Body Shop’s new line in their online scavenger hunt. click here to try to figure out the answer!), then tell me the product’s name in the comments. A winner will then be randomly selected from readers that correctly post the name of the product. And FYI this is a one-day giveaway! So I’m closing the results on Monday February 9 by 11 a.m.

What’s in this $170 bonanza? So many things! Here’s the list of products you’re eligible to win:

Moroccan Rose Eau de Toilette
Moroccan Rose Shower Gel
Moroccan Rose Bath & Massage Oil
Moroccan Rose Body Butter
Moroccan Rose Body Milk
Roseflower Eyes Shade 01: Sunshine Gold
Roseflower Lips Shade 01: Soft Pink
Roseflower Blush Shade 02: Fuchsia
Radiance Stick Shade 01: Sheer Pink.

Wowza! Leave a comment below and get to guessing, bellas!

edited at 1 p.m. — and comments are officially closed. I’ll post a winner later today, bellas!