Beauty products I'm loving!

Please excuse me but I'm slightly behind on my beauty product reviews so I've decided to share a few with you that I really, really heart:

-Revlon Pedi-Expert Kit: This kit is a dupe of the very popular Pedi Egg but Revlon's version kept my feet smooth this summer. I got it on clearance for about $5 at CVS. Good buy.

-PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics' lip balm and polish remover: I love this company, whose profits help support human rights issues. The $4 lip balm left my pout cotton soft and the $10 polish remover smelled slightly medicinal but worked like a charm.

-essie drying drops: This product is similar to Sephora's version but left my polish dry within minutes after application. I got this on clearance from Target for about $7.

-Sephora shadow shields: If you're like me, you're always dropping eyeshadow bits on your cheeks when applying it. These shields provide a guard for the shadow to fall on, leaving me with less of a mess to clean up.

-Priti soy nail polish remover: Hands down, this is my fave polish remover of all time. It doesn't take long to remove the lacquer and smells like fruit. It's 100 percent biodegradable and at $22 a bottle, it's worth the price tag.

-Physician's Formula mascara: I love this mascara for its lash lengthening properties. Plus, it's made without harsh chemicals, parabens and synthetic preservatives. Holla.

Nails, nails, nails!

Here are several looks I've recently rocked:


Maybelline's "Berry Fancy."

Confetetti's "Papa-Razzi."


"Maybelline's Gray-T-Glamour."


French manicure featuring kimmykat kolors' "Dream" and Maybelline's "Gray-T-Glamour."

Um, some things just leave you speechless...

I thought Antoine Dodson's 15 minutes were up already??
Seriously though, this is ignorant funny.

NOTD: "Dream" from kimmykat kolors

I've been looking for a cute purple polish and I think I found it.
New polish company kimmykat kolors has a gorgeous purple named "Dream."
It's shimmery and gemlike and sooooo purdy.
I got this color at Shecky's Girl's Night Out event in D.C. yesterday. (More on that in a later post.)
The only caveat with the polish is that it's formulated with formaldehyde, toluene and DBP:(
That' sucks and it broke my heart but I still shelled out $5 for the bottle.
I think the color is cute. What say you?

Weekend Beauty Haul and Nail Swatches

I paid a trip to Ulta and Target yesterday and here's what I bought:



-Almay lipcolor in sugarplum ($3 with coupon)
-C. Booth body wash and butter (these were BOG1 half off so total came to about $10)
-method soap ($4)
-Shea Moisture ($8)
Rimmel Extra Super Lash mascara (free with $3 off coupon)
-Goody hair barrettes ($2)

I used a $5 off a $10 purchase in Ulta and my goodies came to $12. I spent way more in Target because I had to get an air bed for upcoming company and a water filter but my beauty purchases came to about $10 there. Review and swatches coming soon.

And I have most of the Revlon polishes I bought last week on my left hand:


From pinky to thumb: Plum Seduction, Steel-her Heart, Plum Night, Vixen and Orange Pop.
My faves are the Plum Seduction, which are also on my toes, Steel-her Heart and Orange Pop. Orange Pop is pretty cool because it is a scented polish that smelled like fruit when dry.

And I had Cherries in the Snow on my hand last week:



For some reason, I don't care for dark pinks and this is one I'm not feeling.

And this gorgeous color from Covergirl's Queen collection called Rhythmic Blue is on my right hand:




I got it for free at my local K-mart by using three $1 off Covergirl coupons. Now this is a color that I can get down with. It's a bright and happy color. Me likey.

Book Review: "Nikki Giovanni's "Bicycles: Love Poems"

Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of seeing literary legends Nikki Giovanni and Sonia Sanchez at my Alma mater Norfolk State University with my big brother.
Both women were dynamite and came across as two cool, little 'ol grannies.
They spoke about politics, education, family, love and sex.
Trust me, no topic was off limits!
Afterward, I bought Nikki's latest book of poems, "Bicycles: Love Poems," for about $11.
Nikki said that the book title is a metaphor for love because it is similar to riding a bicycle, which takes patience, perseverance and trust.
The poems are written in both a traditional and non-traditional format.
Some rhyme. Some don't.
She writes about everything from love, living, history and pop culture.
There were lots of poems that I fell in love with in Nikki's New York Times Bestseller.
"For Huey" was written for Essence magazine and is a tribute to Huey Newton.
"Deal or No Deal" is a funny look at how she sees the popular game show.
"I Provide" reads like a woman wondering why she's not enough for her lover: "I am the wish/On the flame of your candles/When they sing/Happy Birthday/I am yours/Everything you need/I provide/Now tell me/Why/You're not happy."
Dam. I've been there before and it's not a good feeling.
One of my faves is "Shoe Jazz Blue Jazz," in which Nikki writes "...His shoes/Those shoes/Miles Davis/All Blues."
I also admire the power and strength in "We Are Virginia Tech," which was written in response to the 2007 campus shooting that killed 32 people.
Nikki is a professor there and wrote this poem to uplift the campus community after the senseless tragedy.
Poems like that are why lots of people have come to admire Nikki and her work.
And it's why a collection like "Bicycles" is a literary gem.

Photo from www.amazon.com.

Almay natural eye shadows from the dollar store!

I bought these babies from the dollar store. They are "Cinnamon," "Oatmeal," "Apricot" and "Cocoa."

It truly is a shame that my local dollar story has natural beauty products. It really is.
I recently scooped up these four Almay eye shadow singles and am happy with the purchase.
They last long and are made with 95 percent natural ingredients.


Here are swatches of them.

And here's my favorite, "Cinnamon," on my eyes.

I don't know what's up with me but I've been into shimmery products lately and this one has a subtle shimmery affect that I love.
Dam you Dollar Tree!

NOTD and Haul

I currently have Wet n wild's "Wild Card" on my tips.
Good thing purple is the it nail color of the season because this is a puuuuuurdy purple. So pretty that it should be renamed "Classy" because it's regal.
Me likey a lot.

And I cashed in my CVS Extra Bucks today and got a 50 cent voucher that went to what else but nail polish.
Revlon was on sale for $3.99 (but came to $1 with my $3 Extra Bucks rewards) so after using my voucher and two Revlon coupons, I ended up getting 6 Revlon polishes for $6.
Not a bad deal for a lacquer that normally runs you $5 a bottle.

From left to right: "Cherries in the Snow," "Plum Seduction," "Plum Night," "Vixen," "Orange Pop," and "Steel-her Heart."

Look for swatches and reviews soon!

Kayaking on the Atantic Ocean:)

Always trying to find something fun to do, I recently went kayaking on the Atlantic Ocean.
I'm not a swimmer and this was my first time kayaking but I still having fun.
My instructor Steve and I started out by the calm Rudee Inlet and made our way to the choppy Atlantic waters.
Although I didn't see any dolphins or whales [:(] I still had a fun experience.
Here are some pictures of my day: