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!

Black is Beautiful: Aídah

Ready for Selma!

How old are you? I'm 29 years old.

What's your beauty philosophy? I don't really allow myself to succumb to the idea of beauty because I think the idea is enmeshed in whether people measure up to standards that were and continue to be created from their exclusion. So you often end having to be dangerously conformist or submissive in order to be beautiful.  Alternately, I'm a huge proponent of vanity, which I define as an intentional and impassioned uplifting of one's physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual integrity. For me, it's a concerted effort to edify myself on my own terms. So my "beauty philosophy" is to be vain, very vain.

Who do you look to for beauty inspiration? I look to anyone that possesses some quality or trait that I immediately see in myself or aspire to see. Lately my inspirations have ranged from Chelo Alonso, C. L. R. James (What a beautiful mind!), and Whitley Gilbert from "A Different World" to Spanish Matadors (The suits they wear are so stunning!), Yvonne Nelson (Because I think we favor each other)  and Stella Jean (I find the designer's take on Ankara fabric refreshing). Recently, the 1940s have also been a very strong influence on my imagination because the silhouettes tend to work with my figure and I love how the makeup is present but minimalistic.

Haitian Designer Stella Jean

Describe your skin care routine. I've learned that for me, great skin starts from the inside out, so I focus on eating well-balanced, nutritious meals, taking appropriate supplements and drinking water. When I stray from this, my skin will look dull and I might get acne as well. And inversely, once I start to eat well and drink water, my skin will go right back to its best condition. Other than that I don't do much: I wash my face and body with a sulphur-based soap, moisturize with whatever lotion I have (I always mix my lotions with olive oil), and I exfoliate at least three times per week.

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

1. Ole Henriksen's Sheer Transformation Brightening Moisturizer - I've been using this for about 5 years and it really does keep your skin supple.

2. Lush Cosmetics' Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub - this product has done nothing but wonders for my skin since I started using it about 6 months ago and the results were immediate.

3. Tinted Moisturizer from Giella Custom Blend Cosmetics- because this was custom made for my skin it's perfection when I wear it. I also have some amazing custom lipsticks, powders and blushes from this line.

4. "A-Piers to Be Tan" Nail Polish by OPI - this is a great brown color in general, and a beautiful "nude" for medium and darker brown complexions.

Available at amazon.com

5. "Ginger Snap" Butter Gloss by NYX - I generally don't like lip-gloss but this one feels more like a crème lips. It's moisturizing and has none of the stickiness and tacky shininess that I hate about gloss.

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

1. 3/4 length gloves, also known as opera gloves: So far I have three leather pairs in cream, black and red. I've recently come to appreciate what I like to call the ceremony of self-immersion, and these gloves really speak to that because there is a ritual to putting them on and taking them off. I find the experience really deliberate and gratifying.

2. Wolford Individual 10 Tights: These are actually sheer panty hose and I love them for the same reason I love my gloves - sheer panty hose are the epitome of ceremonious self-immersion! You really have to take your time with them. I also think sheer black hose are very flirty and suggestive, so I get to be a bit of a vedette when I wear them.

3. Lime green pumps from Topshop. During summer 2014 someone suggested lime green as a color I might wear, and I was so averse to it. But then I actually tried it and it is such a fun color! I'm actually shocked at the large amount of clothing I own that can be paired with the color, so these shoes were a must. I also have a lime green purse that I love.

4. Tea! I really like the Traditional Medicinals' Healthy Cycle Tea and find that it's helping me to have less discomfort during menstruation. I actually wish I would have discovered this much sooner.

5. Manicures! It's a treat I've been doing more and more often for the past year and a half. I mostly go for hand massages and polish changes but as someone who was teased for having very long and skinny fingers, even those simple services put joy and appreciation into a body part that I have often tried to hide.

The Fabulous Five: A Short List of Things That Currently Make Me Happy

1. Solange's Wedding Photos:
As Nikki Giovanni says, "Black Love is Black Wealth," and I can't get enough of the pictures from Solange's New Orleans Wedding to director Alan Ferguson.  The afro, the white dress, and the pantsuit with the red lip are all so stylish, relaxed, and fabulous!  And I want to be Tina Knowles when I grow up . . .

Life Aspirations!

2.  Graze:
Now that I don't work steps away from a gas station and three corner stores, I haven't had easy access to snacks like I used to (this is probably a good thing).  Jackie introduced me to Graze and I am obsessed with their healthy, low calorie snacks.  I love the Summer Berry Flapjacks and the Triple Berry Smoothie; Chloe loves the popcorn.  Once you go onto the website and make your selection you can have your snacks sent to your home or office for less than seven dollars a box.  Graze reminds me of how much I love getting mail!

www.graze.com

3. Victoria's Secret PINK Leggings:
A good pair of leggings is hard to find.  Either they are too sheer, too baggy, or too low-cut.  Recently, I found a new favorite pair at Victoria's Secret PINK.  These leggings are high waisted and thick enough to wear with long tops.  I love the animal print ones for hanging around the house on weekends.

www.victoriassecret.com

4.  An Untamed State by Roxanne Gay:
This novel is about a Haitian American woman who is kidnapped and held for random.  It is fast paced and told from multiple perspectives.  I like that when I pick it up I can slip into another world that does not require much thought.  I'm still intellectually exhausted from A Brief History of Seven Killings.

Available at amazon.com

 5. Lush Bubble Bar:  For my 38th birthday Misa gave me a wonderful basket of Lush goodies, and I was reminded of how much I love their products.  I have never worked harder in my life, and when I come home from my job I often take a hot bath to relax before lesson planning, writing, or kissing on Chloe. I  am currently enjoying The Bubble Bar in "The Comforter."  Just a small piece creates piles of fluffy, blackcurrent scented bubbles.

www.lushusa.com