Summer Lovin’, Myself

I’ve always been pretty preachy about self-love. And it’s because I think it’s genuinely the most important factor in growth as people. Having a strong sense of self-love has kept me from toxic relationships, kept me authentic in my journey, and optimistic about my future. I do this thing, where I fuss at my friends and family if they speak down on themselves. And I would like to believe, my gruff encouragement has helped them. But it has come the time that I take some of the advice I have been forcing on the world.

I am a confident gal. I can wear green lipstick without shying away. Because I love color. I can wear short shorts and be completely comfortable. Because thickness is the wave and my juicy thighs are life. I can smile a flirty smile at whoever I want. Simply, because I am fly and I am the only one who needs to believe that. But there is one thing that I have had an exceptionally hard time with….my cute lil tum tum. See…if I speak positively about it, it can only help me get to a good place.

It is time for me to practice all that I preach. I understand that we all have our insecurities, but what I won’t accept is my fear holding me back from what I want. And what I want is to look like a stylish angel. ESSENTIALLY, I want to wear a crop top. They fit so well into my personal style (lookbook coming soon), that I don’t want to miss out on slaying because of an ounce of self-doubt. I have bought two, and only had the courage to wear one. Step in the right direction, and I have only kind of worn it. I wore it to take photos and shamelessly share with the world wide web. I do have plans to wear it out, but it’s kind of a going out look…and I rarely go anywhere. So once I find somewhere to go, I am going to pull that crop top on and prance about proudly.

I, of course, took some eye-catching photos courtesy of my BFF, Alexis Schwallier.

Thank you all for reading, I really feel encouraged to love myself boldly because of this blog. Until next time!

Faced with Loyalty

Loyalty, Loyalty, Loyalty…in my Rihanna voice. I am a loyal person. I am not bragging on myself, I only made that statement to say my loyalty has driven me to complete lunacy. It is super easy to be loyal to friends, family, Tom Ford’s Black Orchid. Because they are a staple. They have me and I have them. Somewhere along the way, I developed a complex about being loyal to my face products. And have only managed to stay loyal to one…Bobbi Brown’s Bronzing Powder in Deep 4. I have sworn a sacred oath to that bronzer and if I ever betray it may I knock my limited edition Labronze highlight to the floor. If you know me or read the post on the highlighter you will know how serious this is to me.

But back to my ridiculous mindset when it comes to face products. In my mind eyeshadow palettes, lippies, highlighters are interchangeable because they affect the look you are going for in that moment. But for my face products, I worked so damn hard to find things that worked for me. It was a hard fought battle. With the shade range foolery, this oily skin I am working with, and the many primers I played the face lottery with. I was so determined to find one product for every part of the base, so being faced with several that just fell into my lap feels…wrong. Simply, wrong. And now I have managed to come up with several base products for every occasion.

Now that I have spent a mini fortune and sampled a myriad of products, I want to share my favorites.

 

Primers.

Hourglass Mineral Veil: $54.00 for 1oz, $19.00 for travel size, I bought this because of my beauty inspiration, Jackie Aina, reviewed it. I only got the travel size because 54 is a bit much for a primer but I love it so much, that once it’s time to rebuy I may go for the 1 oz bottle. Pro Tip, the primer creates a purple hue on your face so make sure you don’t slather too much on because the hue will end up coming through your foundation.

Becca EverMatte Poreless Primer: $36.00, This primer has changed the whole game for me. I put this primer in my tzone, whenever I am going for that full coverage matte look. It dries down quickly, so don’t put it on your face until you are ready to blend it out. Pro Tip, do not rub it in your skin PAT it in. This will make it the evermatte, everlasting primer it claims to be.

Smashbox Iconic Photo Finish Primer: $36.00, The name says it all. ICONIC. I don’t have anything more pore filling and smoothing in my collection. It was the first primer I bought, and I have purchased it again and again. If you are someone that is concerned about texture, this is the primer for you.

 

Foundation.

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Long Wear Foundation: $47.00, I have bought this three times over. Lancome does an excellent job with their shade range, one of the many reasons I will forever purchase their products. And on top of that, the foundation is full coverage, provides a semi-matte finish, and is exceptionally long lasting. This is the foundation I wear if I am going for a day long wear. Pro Tip, this foundation is thick and I advise blending it out with a sponge.

Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick: $46.00, Every damn skin type and anyone that loves makeup needs to buy this foundation. It is so beautifully full coverage and smoothing on the skin. It has a satin finish, which is something I would usually run away from. But this foundation has the ability to be full coverage and still mimic skin. It is expensive for the amount you get, not the standard 1 oz that comes in the majority of foundations, but it is so worth it. I have had such difficulty finding a natural full coverage foundation that I want to hype this one up until my fingers cramp. I am gonna get additional shades to contour and highlight with. Go buy it and let me know what you think! And their shade range is dope too! Pro Tip, blend this with a flat top kabuki brush for ultimate coverage pay off.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Makeup: $39.50, So……this foundation smells like wet paint. Which is definitely not my favorite part of the foundation. But the coverage of this foundation is sickening. Matte. Like this foundation is shellac. This is for a long night out, where you plan to dance, sweat, and sing karaoke. Pro Tip, do not add too much powder or you will end up looking cakey.

Concealer

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer: $30, NARS can have every little bit of my coin. I bought this when I didn’t know anything about makeup. I loved it then and now that my knowledge has expanded my love for it has as well. Nothing is more satisfying then highlighting with this concealer. It blends seamlessly and doesn’t crease on me. NARS has a shade range that rivals some of my other favorite brands. I find that brands that are established and have been sitting in their greatness for awhile tend to be less racist and more inclusive. Brands that aren’t marketed towards the world’s Taylor Swift’s and Katy Perry’s. But that is a whole other post, and I have written about it here…exactly a year ago. Pro Tip, let this concealer sit for a good 30 seconds to a minute before you blend it. Adds to the full coverage nature of the product.

Kat Von D Lock It Concealer Creme: $26.00, This is full coverage AF, I pair this with the Estee Lauder, it performs exactly like the Double Wear in concealer form. It blends great AND doesn’t crease. The doe foot applicator has an angle so it fits into all the corners and crevices of the face.  And again she kills it with the shade range!

Thanks so much for reading, I was gonna post some honorable mentions and drugstore but the post got a little long. I may do a separate post for that. Until next time!

I need it…for my Collection!

Just because I haven’t been posting, does not mean I haven’t been buying. I’ve never had self-control, in practically any aspect of my life. I am not bragging about the characteristic, I just choose to call it “living in the moment”. So I lived in the moment all over Beautylish, Sephora, and countless brands’ sites. I don’t really browse. Honestly, what usually happens is I will be on Instagram or Youtube, follow a link, add to cart, and wait for the shipment to arrive. I have no control over the clicking, no other thoughts enter my mind besides “PRETTY…I WANT. It truly resembles a blackout moment. And when I have it in my hands, I swatch it, rub it on my face, snap a picture for the ‘gram, and repeat the cycle.

I am quite happy with the majority of my purchases. I bought a number of items. Quite a few, never too much. I am only gonna hash out a few of them in this post. Nothing like a deep review, I just want to share a few thoughts of my purchases with other makeup lovers and collectors.

I like, every brown girl beauty blogger had an obligation to try the Laura Mercier Medium Deep Translucent Powder. My thought on it ….yayayayayayayay! It just melts so beautifully and perfectly into the skin. I purchased the CoverFX Matte Setting Powder in Deep at the same time. And it has just been sitting in the corner chilling. I cannot even bear to try it because I do not believe anything will ever be comparable to Laura. I have a collection of setting powders, new and old, and I am planning to do a post on all of them. One post to review them all! But for now, for a more concise review on the Laura Mercier, watch Jackie Aina’s video on it.

 

Laura on the left. Cover Fx on the right. See how much cooler toned the Cover Fx is. Now looking at them side by side, I may try and mix the two. Hmmm…

More high praise goes to Jouer. Their Long Wear Lip Creme Liquid Lipsticks are comfortable but not the most long wearing. They do happen to wear away beautifully. For the spring, they introduced two new colors. A lip topper and a matte lip creme, both of whom are named Rose Gold. And both of whom are stunningly beautiful. The eyeshadow palette that was launched for the spring boasts some incredible colors. The Springtime in Paris palette has bold, bright colors but also enough flexibility to make everyday looks. My one major critique of the palette is there is not a deep enough crease color for everyone. That is honestly my biggest gripe with most eyeshadow palettes, I end up having to make my own Z Palettes to get a cohesive palette that works for me. I am not sure if I have ever mentioned it here but Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Modern Renaissance palette is truly the most versatile palette in my whole collection. I find the formula and the color story simply breathtaking…and that is not hyperbole.

 

 

Rose Gold Lip Creme, Rose Gold Lip Topper, Stila Rose Gold Retro

 

 

Jouer Palette, the colors read a bit deeper in this picture. 

 

This look was courtesy of the Jouer palette. Nothing too extra but a splash of dazzle!

 

 

I just want to quickly make note of two more products that had fairly recent launches. Stila Magnificent Metals Liquid Shadows.…CHILE! I got the color Rose Gold Retro. I only bought one to start, tried it, went to add more to my cart, and it was sold out. Stila. Like I just want to take this moment to personally thank you for making it so easy to slay. It forreal looks like, there was so much effort put into any look where this product is used. I’m…I’m…lost for words at the pigment and beautiful simplicity of the product. Just go buy it…please, and tell me how it worked for you.

Lastly, Makeup Geek launched some lip products a few months back. I hadn’t gotten my hands on any of them, so I finally committed and went for the Showstopper Creme Stains because I read that they were limited edition. BUT it’s not really seeming that way. I feel like some brands say limited edition and the product is around for a whole year. But whatever…I got my hands on three shades. I knew the opacity wasn’t supposed to be crazy because they are a “stain”. The lasting power is great and they are comfortable. And my favorite part of the formula is that it’s a creme, so it doesn’t emphasize or settle into the lines into my lips. In order to get the best payoff from the pigment, I put foundation and powder on my lips. The lipsticks are definitely buildable, I would suggest letting the coats dry in between layers. Jackie Aina and Ckey did some good swatch videos!

 

MUG Creme Stains. Grapevine, Twerk, Salsa. Twerk definitely needs more building up than the other shades.

I’m a collector. So, like, I need all of these products. Like…duh. It’s funny because as I am writing this post, the Sephora VIB Rouge sale is going on. And I was like, “Tori, you don’t need anything, please STOP”. But I, of course, didn’t. And bought three new face products and then went right over to Morphe…ended up with a new foundation brush that will act as surplus. But again, I am a collector…and that will always be my stance.

 

Thanks for reading! Until next time!

 

 

 

The topic of ME.

Time for the final post of this anniversary month. And the one I have been most excited to share. In this past year, I have become more and more of the woman I want to be. I know myself, love myself, and most importantly I have become more patient with myself. I owe most of, that discovery to this blog. This blog. InconspicuousGlamour is mine. Completely mine. Watching my words and skill unfold and grow has been wonderful. And to celebrate this year of complete self-love I did a photo shoot with my special angel, Alexis. I will share those photos at the end of the post, but first I want to talk a little bit more about myself. *Insert sly face emoji*

I am not a shy person. Sometimes awkward, yes. But not shy. Shy isn’t for me. I would find it completely difficult to hide. For one, my laugh is the most conspicuous thing about me. I laugh (cackle) like there will never ever be anything funny in this world again. My laugh comes from deep in my soul like my body has something to free. I come from a family of laughers, so when I laugh it’s nostalgic. I can picture my mom, grabbing hold of her stomach because the laugh hurts so good and wiping a tear from under her eye. I love my laugh. I love to laugh.

I believe most people that really know me, would say that I know myself well. The way that I learned to know myself was to spend time with alone. Time reflecting. Time crying. Time singing. Time alone. I had to learn to enjoy being with me. And that’s not to say I don’t enjoy company, but I can have a grand ole time drinking a Shiner Bock and watching the Golden Girls by my lonesome. I have also had to accept the not so good about myself. I am impatient, stubborn, and I have a quick mouth. I acknowledge those traits because I know I need to work on them. But I don’t let that alone weigh me down. Because there is so much of myself I enjoy. I find myself hilarious, generous, and goofy. I can be serious when the time comes because…adulting. I find taking life too seriously or being negative about things that haven’t happened yet to be pointless. I am already anxious about if my contour is blended out well, I don’t need to additionally fixate on something out of my control.

Lastly. My most favorite and least favorite trait of myself is my ego. I think I am a Bad Bitch. Nothing wrong with that. But my ego can get in the way. I am not talking about the time-consuming selfies. I mean more on the lines of not texting a boy first or not apologizing right away when it was probably due. I am prideful. And I know I need to work on it. My ego has also brought wonderful things into my life. I have a sense of self-worth and I know what I need to be happy. I want everyone to have a well-balanced ego. It is because of my ego that I concocted the theme of this shoot with Alexis. Y’all. I did a boudoir shoot. YES.

Y’all. I did a boudoir shoot. YES. YES, I DID. Because I wanted to feel sickening. AND that goal was achieved. I felt sexy and silly. Which is definitely my aesthetic. All in all the photos turned out great. I am excited to share the PG ones here and admire the more R-rated myself. We did two different looks and both of them were completely me and fun and I am rambling on because I am so so so so excited.

These are the sexier, sassier ones. The bodysuit was sexy but goonish…again my aesthetic.

This is essentially what Alexis and I  would have been doing this weekend anyway, just a tad more slayful. I love these photos because they are so many little things that are me. I am always cold hence the blanket. Napping and feminism are life. Also not pictured earrings that say “EWW”.

AND for the last surprise. If you have lasted this far and got past me gushing about myself and the many pictures, it is time for me to tell you that I am hosting an Anniversary Giveaway! Rules for entry…follow my Instagram, InconspicuousGlamour. Comment on the giveaway photo with what you most love about yourself. OH and like the photo too. The last day to enter will be March 12th. The winner will be chosen randomly the following day. This giveaway is open internationally!

The giveaway includes some of my favorite things, and a couple of other little knick knacks.

• Too Faced, Better than Sex Mascara.
• Heroin Matte Lipstick by Mac
• Three Morphe Eyeshadow Brushes. M508, M534, M210.
• A Crown Highlighting Brush
• Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Age Defying Exfoliator
• Purminerals flat shadow brush & Au Natural eye shadow palette
• Oscar Bland Dry Shampoo Spray
• Adesse New York Nail Treatment Essentials
• Two Royal and Langnickel brushes
• Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Fig
• Pur Minerals Eye Pencil in Peridot
• AND A 50 DOLLAR SEPHORA GIFT CARD

Please enter. Share with your friends. Thanks so much for reading. Until next time!!

Steps to a Speedy Slay

We have all heard it. I seem to be constantly dragged by my friends and family for how my makeup application delays their lives. But would they want me to follow behind them looking like a barely attempted to slay…absolutely not. They don’t want me to look like a bumpkin. And I definitely don’t want that for myself. I also do not believe in barely there makeup. If I am not gonna pound on the cake, I am going to go barefaced. So, y’all will never get a tutorial or post from me about “No makeup, makeup”. Not that there is anything wrong with a simple slay, just not for me. So in this post, I am going to come at you with some tricks for a complete slay that can be achieved quickly.

My normal makeup application takes upwards of an hour and if glitter is involved or my brows aren’t cooperating it can take longer. I do not want to half ass my makeup look, so I have come up with a few steps to guarantee a slay and not compromise the look.

1. Do not try new things. At all. New techniques. New products. New brushes. None of it. Go with what you know. There is nothing worse then trying a new foundation and thinking it is gonna be wonderful and match you perfectly but you end up looking like a floating head on a body.
2. For your eyes, make it simple. Three colors max. The way to ensure that is, to take a statement shadow. I usually end up using a Colourpop shadow and applying with my finger on my lid to simplify application. The other two shadows are for your crease and outer v. Get a nice transition color and blend everything out and place a darker shade in your outer v for definition and it will look like you spent tons of time getting that makeup look together.

   

   Three of my favorite Colourpop shadows. Boy Band, Weenie, Sunset Blvd. They can all stand alone.

3. Wear a nude. I of all people know bold lips can be fun. But a statement color can get messy and run out of your lip line. Usually, I would say “oh, fine…fix it with concealer” BUT there is no time for that.
4. Contour and bronze at the same time. Generally, I go in with my contour first and then soften up harsh lines with the bronzer. But to make it quick and easy I dip a fluffy brush in whatever contour and bronzer I am using that day.  Usually my Morphe M180 and I fluff it all about my contour/bronze places.
5. If you are like me and color correcting is a must, do it after you apply your foundation. The blend is seamless and preps your under eye beautifully. You won’t have to worry about moving around the product and having uneven application.

I followed all the steps I listed above for this look. Took me about 35 minutes, not bad for a full on beat. And I was super psyched because my brows never twin that well! AYYY-OOO! Thanks for reading, until next time.

Growing into the Slay

Before last year, the only month I cared about was April. I like the spring and more importantly its my birth month. April 28th more precisely if anyone wanted to send me an egift card…but now I love February. February was the month I decided to make the leap and write this blog. I didn’t know if I would be received or if my tone and voice would come across. At this point in my journey, I have realized a few things. Mainly, I love this blog and myself and am writing it for me but I welcome all who want to read. Secondly, my tastes and makeup style have changed and a good pair of lashes can upgrade a look and my spirits. Lastly, I will not force inspiration. I will let it come to me. I believe that is how my good auntie, Viola Davis, does things and I trust her implicitly.

This month is going to be so so much fun, y’all. I am going to post quite regularly. And I my wit and beauty is incomparable so that’s gonna be a blast for all of us. This is known. Watch out for the last post of the month, it is going to come with a bomb ass photo shoot. AND a cute lil giveaway.

SO after that lengthy but beautifully phrased intro, lets get into the meat of the post. I want to chat about my change stylistically in my makeup choices. At first I was like, “Tori, you cannot change your style…your started this blog to be a voice for those that wanted to slay on a lesser scale”. But then I discovered lashes and stopped being so shy with my highlighter and could not turn back. There was no fighting it once my own selfies were shaking me to my very core. But growth requires change and development. And that is exactly what I am doing and loving every moment of it.

Here is a lovely example of my slay development. Lashes. Matte full coverage foundation. Vampy lip. And an cute nose highlight.

With all that being said, my “mission statement” has changed a tad. I want to create an environment for any and everyone that loves makeup to come and join in on a productive discussion. I am not going to just talk about makeup, and never have… I have a lot to say about quite a bit. I am super proud and happy to be the owner of InconspicuousGlamour! Thanks for reading, until next time!

Anastasia…a Friend to Us All

LIPSTICKKKKKK. I am sure that I get repetitive in saying this, but I love lipstick like Kel loves orange soda. I do. I do. I dooooooooo. So earlier this month when Anastasia, I speak as if I know her personally, launched her lip palette I was all over it. I watched swatched videos, drooled over beauty influencers snapchats, and stalked her website. I knew that the pigmentation was gonna be everythinggggggg because Anastasia does not do anything half steppin’. I did what any addict would do, I convinced myself I needed it for my “clients” and not just myself. It was a business decision…

I placed the order on her website as soon as it was available. Tracked the package like a hound on a fox. And when I got it, I opened it and slathered my lips with the first color my eye was drawn to. Pigmentation. CHECK. Opacity. CHECK. Comfortability. CHECK.

The palette is called Vol. 1, so I imagine that there is going to be more to come. And I can’t wait. It includes an array of comfortable matte colors. 18 to be exact. 5 of them are primary colors for mixing. The others are purple, pink, and a nude for every skin color. The palette comes with a mixing palette and a brush with a spatula on the other end. It retails for 48 dollars.

I did a wear test of the red at work. I ate, drank, and talked too much.

The first two are just as I applied it once I got ready for work. The third is even after I ate lunch. Still comfortable and still pigmented. The last one is the last hour of work. About 9 hours after I put it on. AND I didn’t reapply because I was not about to carry that palette with me all day. Overall, I was impressed by the lipstick and I cannot wait to mix colors in the palette. In Alissa Ashley’s video she made a grey green and I wan’t to replicate that. I just have to find the perfect eye look to match that slay with.

Thanks for reading! Comment down below if you know of any other lip palettes that I should try. Until next time!

LaBronze, Four Time MVP

Hey, all!

I am not gonna even bore you guys with that whole thing where I apologize for my absence and try to explain it. I am just slack and busy. But I was not too busy to get my hands on that Jackie Aina x Artist Cotoure collab. Meaning, I made an elaborate plan to purchase it. I had two eyes watching it, and we got it done! Amen.

Jackie is incredible. Her Snapchat’s are like a feature film with the baddest, wittiest woman alive. She is basically the beauty world’s Rihanna. No fucks to give but slaying us one selfie at a time. OH, aaaannnnddddd she just hit one million subscribers on youtube. I am proud to be among that number. Congratulations Jackie!!!!

For the collaboration, Jackie created a true rose gold highlighter and named it Labronze. Witty name for a witty woman. Labronze is also her twitter and snap name if anyone wants to follow. Jackie stated in her video that she made Labronze bc she was missing a true rose gold highlight. There are far too many “rose gold” highlights that are more on the cool/ silver tone. This shade will work on ANYONE. The only requirement is to not be afraid of a glow because the highlight is a loose pigment and packs a wallop of shine. I choose to use a Morphe m510 when I am not playing any games and a fan brush when I want a more subtle beam. Extra tip! Spray a setting spray on top of the highlighter after you initially apply it, wait until its almost dry and then add some more. If you do that, you will need sunglasses for your own selfies.

I documented my order and obsession on Snapchat.

The people were not ready for this sheen!

 

 

 

She was too happy!

 

The collaboration is limited edition and sold out within the hour. They did bring it back, but that sold out too… Maybe, fingers crossed…they will bring it back one more time. The collaboration also includes Jackie’s four favorite Diamond Glow Powders in a cute mini form. Those are Illuminati, Conceited, Sugar Daddy, Double Take. And they are all incredibly beautiful. The collaboration is 49.99. I am sold on Artist Couture and even more in love with their CEO, Angel Merino.

If this collab launches again, those that don’t have it should definitely try and get their hands on it. Again, I want to congratulate Jackie on her one million, LaBronze, and honestly her life. Stay tuned for the next post…hopefully, it won’t take me two months. Until next time!

 

UPDATE! The last time to get it is tomorrow at 10 am PST!

Dreadlocks aren’t for you, Sally.

Wayment (Wait a minute). Yall. We still doing that thing where Non-Black people try to rock Black hairstyles? I am really ready for this trend to die out. Sadly, that trend is racism….sooooooo we are kinda at an impasse. Unless there is some simultaneous switch where everyone suddenly acknowledges their privilege and the events of the past five centuries. But since that is super unlikely to happen in my lifetime, I’m just gonna go ahead an address on my blog.

It should be simple.  Sample conversation with a Non-Black person: “Hey Tori, I really like your dreadlocks. I am thinking of getting some, what do you think?” To which I would respond, “Thank you, don’t do that. Cultural Appropriation.” At this point, the conversation ends with the other person graciously thanking me for saving them from an outward expression of racism AND endless roasting by me and other members of the Black community. Alas, it’s never that simple. Sally Anne Margaret usually claims reverse racism (it doesn’t exist), does a whole bunch of whining, and goes and gets her hair locked-resulting in her looking like a sad fool. Now, before we get any further. I want to make sure the term “cultural appropriation” is understood. The Oxford Dictionary defines cultural appropriation as “the adoption of elements of one culture by members of a different cultural group, especially if the adoption is of an oppressed people’s cultural elements by members of the dominant culture”. There are some key words here I want us to pull out…OPPRESSED and DOMINANT. So in my world, the White culture is the dominant one and Black people are those being oppressed due to the hundreds and hundreds of years of systematic and institutionalized racism.

Alright. Moving on. To break it down further. If that explanation isn’t thorough enough for you, check this out. Black people are constantly crucified, judged, and called derogatory names for the same styles you are wearing and being praised for. And simply put. That’s not fair. Next. We aren’t getting any recognition for our ingenuity and creativity. Rihanna wore Bantu Knots and no one uttered a peep. Some white chick in a fashion magazine TRIES to do Bantu Knots and the whole world stops breathing because it’s the coolest thing they have ever seen. Like, what?! And the last thing I have to say about it is, Black people wearing straight hair or wigs or weaves is not the same thing. Eurocentric beauty ideals have been shoved down our throats since the day we opened our eyes. AND Furthermore, the dominant culture cannot be oppressed.

I am blessed to be Black and find so much beauty in it. So I can understand the desire to want to be able to experience it just a bit. Just experience it without exploiting it. Have open conversations with the Black people in your life about it. Recognize our struggles and praise our successes. And who knows, you may get invited to a Sunday dinner at a Black friend’s house…that’s pretty much a like a golden ticket to the Chocolate Factory.

Two of my favorite black women! My sister and mom. Their crowns are beautiful. 

 

Thanks for reading, until next time!!!

She’s back!

Y’all. I have been so incredibly slack with posting. And I miss it but I am obnoxiously busy. And I have been struggling to find some inspiration. And I wasn’t about to serve y’all with some half-baked posts. But now I am back and ready to be in this again!

This post is gonna serve as a life update and an update on the products I have gotten my hands on in this last month.

First. Great excitement. I was featured in an online publication. Beingbonded. It was founded by an amazing pair of women, Brittany and Sam, that wanted to explore the dynamic of the female friendship and just empower women as a whole. You can find the article here…Tori Evans: Flawless Face and Friendship That Sparkles. And while you are there check out the entire website, its worth the time. Promise.

Next. I got a new job. The only crucial thing about that is the amount of expendable income I will have for makeup, food, and beer.  OH, and I dyed my hair purple, so that’s fun!

Lastly. I got to do something super duper awesome. I got to work with a local non-profit, Peek a Boo Pretty Girl. They hosted a Girl’s Day and  had about 20 high school girls there for a day of self-love and self-care. I got to participate in the makeup workshop portion. I had a blast and would love to do it again. It felt wonderful to align my passions with some volunteer work within the community.

On to the fun part, and the beauty part. Purchases made!

Let’s talk about the not so great purchases.

1. RCMA Makeup VK Palette. I got both palettes ,10 and 11, for client makeup. I had a client recently and I used it on her. It was hella chalky and didn’t warm up at all to blend. I added moisturizer to it in hopes that the consistency got better…but it didn’t. That’s gonna be a return.
2. I have never ordered from Lime Crime before and didn’t have a problem with my order. But the product I received did not work for me. I have been on the market for a good burnt orange lipstick for awhile. And after I saw Iris Beilin wearing Pumpkin in a look, I fell in love. When I got the color it was a bit patchy and I ended up passing it on to a friend.

THE GOOD STUFF

1. I ordered a couple of limited edition palettes from Morphe. Coffee Toffee and Awesome Blossom. I always expect the best from Morphe and they definitely delivered!
2. I have never ever been more pleased with the coverage of a foundation than with the Marc Jacobs Beauty, Re(marc)able Full Coverage Foundation Concentrate. They were not playing around! My face is beattttttttttt! And the match is perfect. My only critique would be to expand the line into deeper shades.

Here are some pictures from Girl’s Day! As always the photographer is, Alexis Schwallier.

 

Oh and the Purple HAIR! HEYYYY!

Feels good to be back! I got the juice again! Until, next time!