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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One of the most popular questions I get from my Trinidadian afrobellas is – where can I get these products you speak of? It’s true – in the USA we’ve got a wealth of natural hair goodness at ready disposal. When these products are imported and sold elsewhere, they’re often marked up to high heaven or imported in quantities that don’t meet demand.

Well Trini bellas, there’s a new store for you to check out. Body Beautiful, a brand new beauty supply store has just opened on Ariapita Avenue. I learned of this via my high school listserv — yes indeed, the owner is an alumni of my high school. Hilarians forever!

The store is offering natural bath, body, and hair care products. I’m not sure if Miss Jessie’s or Curls is available yet, but one of my favorite brands, Kinky Curly, is finally available for sale. Click here to read my review from 2006. Since then the brand has expanded to include some new products (the shampoo, the children’s line, and Midnight Miracle which I think I NEED in my LIFE). For now I’ll just say, start with the Knot Today. It remains one of my natural hair must-haves because it is THAT good.

Click here to check out Body Beautiful’s Facebook page, and if you’re in the neighborhood stop by and get what your hair needs!

My Caribbean people will recognize the above from Barbadian calypsonian Gabby’s hit song, but it’s taken on a whole new meaning for me as the weather gets colder.

For real, my cute little ballet flats aren’t gonna cut it anymore in this weather.

Currently I have two pairs of boots, and I’m definitely looking for more.

I’ve been stomping the streets of Chitown in my Knot-Tie Ankle Boots, courtesy of Silhouettes. They’re comfortable, stylish, flat (which is very important for me, with my flat-as-a-board feetsies) and be dressed up or down. I’ve worn these with a little black dress and tights, and I’ve worn em with jeans. They look chic with both! I’ve got my eye on those Double Buckle Sport Boots, too!

I was looking for a cold-weather knee high boot that could keep my feet dry and warm while still looking fly with jeans. Also, I have plus size calves (to support my fabulous plus size body, hello) and I need boots that fit comfortably. Most leather zip-up boots don’t do the job.

I found what I was looking for last week at Bloomingdales! But they’re not on their website for some reason… so here’s a link. My salesfriend at Bloomies (shout out to Danielle!) got a real vibe for what I needed, and clued me into Pajar. She says these boots are known for lasting a long time and withstanding the elements amazingly. They fit like a dream, are made of all man-made materials (no fur for me, thanks!) and cost less than $200! SOLD!

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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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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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Frugalista. Recessionista. Maxxinista. Whatever you call yourself, saving money isn’t a trend. It’s a necessary lifestyle these days.

Gone are the days when people shopped with whimsy. Now I go armed with a list, and double guess myself on every item I buy. Now instead of ooh that’s really cute I want it, it’s ooh that’s really cute but will I ever wear it? Probably not, get the sensible item instead you know you’ll wear that more than once.

I have a beer budget, but oh those champagne dreams won’t go away. So I’ve had to become an expert in my own right. I’ve had to learn how to get what I want, for cheap. And now I’m gonna pass along some of my best discoveries.
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