Black is Beautiful: Haley

How old are you? 24 yrs old

What's your beauty philosophy? I think that anyone can be beautiful; it's all in how you present yourself. My beauty philosophy is to emphasis simplicity and natural qualities and add a splash of interesting. "Interesting" for me usually means a vintage flair, something sparkly, or a bright color.

Accessorizing is in our blood!

Who do you look to for beauty inspiration? I look for beauty inspiration in my cousin Candace (whose fashion choices are always flawless) and in my mother and grandmother (whose vintage jewelry and purses I've incorporated into my wardrobe). 

Wearing the same hairstyles since 2005!

Describe your skin care routine. My skin care routine changes with the season. Right now I use Neutrogena's Grapefruit Scrub with an electric facial brush both morning and night for exfoliation. Then I use Clean and Clear's Oil Free Dual Action Moisturizer in the morning. For breakouts I use Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick which is amazing and still surprises me with its effectiveness every time. 

What are some of the things in your make-up bag that are tried and true and you can't live without?

-Covergirl Mascara Exact Eyelights Black Pearl 700 for brown eyes. This mascara is made differently for every eye color, and it is designed to bring out your personal eye color. I like it because it's not very clumpy. It's also easy to take off and I feel like my lashes have been conditioned once I do.

-Red Lipstick. For me, any scarlet red lipstick will do. I pick it up at the drugstore and use it as my "going out" lipstick. I love the vintage look of it.

-Bite Beauty's Luminous Creme Lipstick from Sephora in Zin, I would describe this as a matte wine color. I wear this one almost daily. The color is perfect for everyday because it adds deep color without making me look like I'm going to the club. 

Photo: allure.com

-Neutrogena Deep Clean Long Last Shine Control Daily Scrub. I LOVE this scrub because it removes all the oil from my pores and controls shine for most of the day. I usually take this with me when I'm going to a humid climate because I know the humidity makes my skin skin even more oily. 

What are some of the new things you've picked up lately that you're obsessed with?
-Anything Burt's Bees! (I know I am very late to this trend)

-I love the Herbal Blemish Stick. It works surprisingly well, especially when I put it on overnight.

-Burt's Bees Honey and Grapeseed Hand Cream. The mother of one of my students brought this for her daughter whose hands were so dry they would crack and bleed. I noticed how well it worked for her so I bought some for myself. It feels a little sticky when I first put it on but after a couple seconds it seeps in and feels amazing.

There are never too many gold sparkles!

No Filter

When your manicurist tells you that you need to stop getting gel manicures and your hair stylist tells you that you need to go natural there's clearly a problem.  When beauty professionals start turning down money it is a sure sign that you are doing too much and need to stop! I was in need of a break from the blow-driers, flat-irons, and UV lights.  It was time for a MAKE-UNDER!

Made Under for the Summer!

My dresses, heels, jewels, and make-up were both armor and costume at The Storefront.  The past two years were particularly difficult: my classroom was taken away, and my position as Summer School Director was re-structured.   Meanwhile, I was given more classes to teach and less time to do it in.  On a good day I felt unappreciated, and on a bad day I felt as if people were trying to get me to quit a job that I loved (and was good at).   Nevertheless, my ego would not allow anyone to see me looking defeated.  I went by the mantra "you can feel bad, but you can't look bad."  So I purposely overdressed for work: animal print calf-hair pumps, wrap dresses, and statement necklaces were part of my wardrobe rotation.  A matte red lip and brightly colored nails completed the look.  Someone once told me that I looked like I was going to a ball, and I took that as a compliment!

I enjoyed dressing up and it definitely improved my mood, but part of it was tongue in cheek.  If students wanted to fail to do their homework, act a fool, and put on a show: I was dressed for it.  If an adult wanted to act as if my opinions and institutional memory didn't matter: I was going to be impossible to ignore.   I rolled my eyes at the idea of Dress Down Day and instituted Dress Up Day.  I was part literary scholar, part drag queen- and my students were in on the joke.  They happily joined in on photo-shoots, critiqued my hair color (they liked it "orange" the best), and began imitating my over the top gestures and expressions.  At one point I had a "Hot Mess Alert" (one of Chloe's baby toys) that I used in class.  When a student did something foolish the kids would yell out "Hot Mess Alert!!!!" and I would ring the bell like I was the host of The Gong Show!

We must not have been doing grammar that day!

We laughed and we cried, and I survived the school year.  Unfortunately, my hair was over processed and falling out and my nails were thin and breaking.  It seems as if the stress and the fabulosity I used to mask it had come at a price.  On a whim I decided to have a Americanah moment and get my hair braided like Chloe's.  I had worn braids for years as a child and young woman, and I loved the idea of not having to deal with my hair in the morning.

Returning from Ghana circa 1995

I suddenly had free time to go for walks and read in the sun so I ditched the red lipstick and highlighted my newly tanned skin with MAC Oh Baby Lipgloss and Nars Super Orgasm blush.  I switched to Clean and Clear Dual Action moisturizer- a lighter, acne fighting facial lotion and found that I didn't need much concealer.   I gave up getting my nails done, and indulged in more frequent pedicures  (if your toes aren't looking right, people in Harlem will let you know!) My new favorite polish is OPI's Tomorrow Never Dies.

My summer essentials

While I am enjoying my stripped down look, who knows what will happen in September.  Will I  give up my Jungle Red Lipstick in favor of a creamy neutral? Will I invest in a pair of pants and save my jewels for special occasions?  Probably not.  As William Shakespeare said "all the world's a stage . . ."

But you never know, this dreamy hair just might be in my future.

Black is Beautiful: Candace

How old are you? 38 and Fabulous!

What's your beauty philosophy? I don't believe that I am a great beauty, and my years as an ugly duckling allowed me to develop confidence that was not defined by my looks.  However, I do think that I am stylish and I put effort into looking good. My beauty philosophy can be summed up by three quotations:

"Look good; feel better."

"You are beautiful, but learn to work, for you cannot eat your beauty."

"One monkey don't stop no show."

Photo: Tumblr

Who do you look to for beauty inspiration? 

I find a wide range of people beautiful: My mother, Chantal Biya, Aunt Plum, Sade, Andre Leon Talley, Solange, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,  Sula Peace, Jadine Childs, and of course, all of my fabulous friends!  I am also inspired by my daughter's confidence and joyful approach to living.

Girl's Night at Buddakan!

Describe your skin care routine. 

In the morning I wash my face with Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub or St.Ives Apricot Scrub.  I use Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer or Body Shop Vitamin E Night Cream depending on how cold it is outside.  Mikita introduced me to  Vitabrid C+ powder;  I've been mixing it  in with the cream and using it  on my neck, which is starting to show signs of aging.  In the evening I use a make-up remover wipe.  Right now I like ones from Target's store brand Up and Up.

What are some of the things in your make-up bag that are tried and true and you can't live without? 

My make-up takes less than five minutes regardless of where I am going.  I'm all about skin and lips because I have small eyes and l and don't think that they look good with shadow, liner, or mascara.  Plus I usually wear a bold lip color, and I don't want to look like a VH-1 reality TV star.  Here is what I use:

MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer:  I mix a little bit of this in with my moisturizer and smooth it all over my face to even out my skin tone.

I wear NC 42

MAC Blot Powder: I tend to "glow" as the day progresses and I use this powder to turn down the shine.
Nars Blush in SuperOrgasm: I have used this pinky/peachy blush forever.  I love that it has a bit of gold shimmer in it.

Nars Vesuvio Pure Matte Lipstick: Nicole introduced me to this lipstick and it has become a staple.  It is a classic matte red.

Mac Oh Baby Lipgloss: I have used this gold gloss since college and I haven't found anything to top it.  It looks great when I have a tan.

With my signature red lip and statement necklace

What are some of the new things you've picked up lately that you're obsessed with? 

Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Skin Therapy Lotion: This ls the best moisturizer that I have ever used, especially for dry winter skin.  It's also the only thing that helps soothe the eczema on my hands.

Boscia Bright White Face Mask: This mask claims to brighten skin tone, prevent wrinkles, and reduce sagging, but I love that it is a peel-off mask like the ones I used in high-school.  I got it as a free sample from Sephora and I have re-purchased it twice!

Nars Semi-Matte Lipstick in Heatwave: This is a great orangey-red lipstick for when I want to wear something a little brighter than usual.

Nars Audacious Lipstick in Charlotte: I love a burgundy lipstick for Fall, and this one is the perfect texture: not too glossy or too matte.

Nars Lipsticks are addictive! Heatwave (l) and Charlotte (r)

Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Het Loo: I'm still looking for the perfect nude, but this comes close.

Photo: Nars

Manicures at Infinite Nail Salon in Harlem:
This is not the place that you go to if you want to be pampered, but they are clean and relatively cheap.  Plus they have an amazing selection of gel nail colors and are always willing to experiment.

Infinite Nail Spa is located at 353 Malcolm X Blvd.

Feeling Good!