The Little Things

Happiness comes in all sorts of packages . . .

1. Sephora + Pantone Universe Matte Lip Creme in Masala: The search for the perfect nude lipstick led me to Sephora this week.  My intention was to exchange a Nars lipstick that was too light for a deeper shade from the same company.  When I complimented the beauty consultant on her lip color she led me to this Sephora brand lipstick.  Masala is an intense rose colored brown, which is considerably lighter than the colors that I usually wear.  Because Masala is the Pantone Color of the Year, many of the beauty consultants were wearing it, and I was able to see how flattering it is on women of all skin tones.

The texture of the lipstick is creamy without being shiny, and the packaging is fabulous! Plus, the Sephora brand lipstick is almost half the cost of the Nars.   The only downside is that it has the smell and taste of drugstore lipstick.  My New Years Resolution is to stop being such a lipstick snob :)

Available at sephora.com

2. The Affair: The Affair comes on Showtime after Homeland, which is one of the shows that I watch religiously.  However, after looking at part of the first episode I realized that the amount of sex on the show precluded me from even thinking about turning it on until way after Chloe went to sleep.  Once I finally had a chance to watch it, I was immediately drawn in by the dual-narrative format of the show.  This is the story of an affair (and a murder) told from the differing perspectives of the two people involved in it.  The Affair makes you question the nature of the truth and the stories we tell about ourselves.  As Toni Morrison says in The Bluest Eye, "to find out the truth of how dreams die, one should never take the word of the dreamer."

 Oh, and Dominc West is fine! If you liked him in The Wire, he's basically playing a more education version of McNulty on this show.

Photo: Baltimore Sun

3. The Men We Reaped: Last year, I read and enjoyed Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones. Her use of metaphor reminded me of Toni Morrison, and even though I wasn't interested in the plot of the story her language and characters kept me engaged.  The Men We Reaped is a memoir which describes her experiences growing up in Mississippi and the deaths of several of the male members of her family.  The subject matter is depressing, but Ward's interpretation of it is frequently insightful.

Photo: mobilebaymag.com

4. Perfect365: I'm probably the oldest person on Instagram, but I could care less!  I follow celebrity stylist June Ambrose, and after looking at her pictures I began to suspect that she was using some kind of app to give her skin a glowy, even tone.  After some research I found the FREE app called Perfect365.  The picture on the left is an unretouched selfie.  In the picture on the right I evened my skin-tone, softened the bags under my eyes, slimmed my face a bit, and added more blush.  The result is subtle, but noticeable.  If this is what I can do in a few minutes for free, imagine what celebrities do.  Everything is indeed an illusion.

(Be careful with mixing the retouched picture with Instagram filters.  The result can be waxy-fake looking skin.)

Wearing my new lipstick from Sephora!

5. Grilled Skuna Bay Salmon @ Minton's.  Charli, Chloe, and I headed to Minton's this Sunday for a reunion dinner. With the exception of having to watch a  European woman with an iPad dancing around in what looked like her pajamas, we had a great time.  The standouts of the meal were the Arugula Salad with poached pears, boiled peanuts, and black eyed peas, and the Grilled Salmon served with with Fried Dirty Rice, Peanut Butter Collards, and Mustard BBQ  Sauce.  So yummy!

6.  Lush Tender is the Night Massage Bar: I have always been into Lush bath bombs, and their Karma perfume is my signature scent (although it has been impossible to find recently).  I like that their products are natural, but don't smell like vanilla or musk.  The Massage Bar is part of the gift basket that I received from Misa (that child has good taste!) As you rub the bar on your body the cocoa-butter melts into your skin like a lotion.  I've even been using it on my scalp in the paths between my cornrows.  Chloe uses it too and she says "I like this because it's soft and it makes your skin shiny."

www.lush.com

7. Brunch @ Lido: Lido is definitely my favorite restaurant, and you can't go wrong with good friends and bottomless mimosas! Happy New Year!

The Lipstick Index

Preach!

Every woman should have a signature style. Growing up in the 80's and 90's mine was unconsciously influenced by Sade.  The glowing skin, red lips, and simple hair were as mesmerizing and timeless as her music.

I dabble in shocking pink, taupe, aubergine, and tangerine, but my signature lip color is now red.  Red Lipstick is affordable glamour and armor against foolishness. Most men that I've dated prefer a more natural look (one grey bearded gentleman went as far as declaring my make-up "awful"). Frankly, I could care less. I get dressed for myself and my lipstick makes me happy! Furthermore, if a man wants to see me without lipstick there are ways of getting it off (ie. taking me to Buddakan and feeding me so many General Tso's dumplings that it gets smudged and I'm forced to take it off).

1996 & 2014: My style has been pretty consistent since college

My students are so used to seeing me wear red that one day when I wore a gold-flecked gloss a 5th grader said "what's the matter Ms. Cardwell, are you sick?"

Nicole introduced me to Nars Vesuvio, my new favorite lipstick.

The texture is matte but not drying, and the color is a perfect red: not too blue and not to yellow. I could wear it every day with every outfit, but this lipstick is so good that I save it for when I need an extra dose of cuteness and confidence. Other Nars colors I like are Fire Down Below (a deeper brick red), Mascate  (a more burgundy red) and Jungle Red (a brighter blue based red). 

Carol favors cult favorite Cruella. If you like your red lipstick really matte this is the red for you.  Carol loves that it's appropriate for work and drinks after. It's incredibly long-wearing yet it conditions the lips, and it doesn't make her look like the joker (her words not mine). 

For more images of beautiful black women wearing red lipstick visit The Dark Skin Red Lip Project. This project was founded by blogger Karyn Washington who recently succumbed to depression.  

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!