Rihanna changed her hair about 52 times this year, Beyonce is now rocking the poetic justice braids, so who is next in the hair chronicles saga? None other than Alicia Keys. She debuted her look via Instagram. Alicia Keys has always had long luxurious hair that many women envied. I love this look on her! It is refreshing. It’s a little sassy, yet funky at the same time.
Last week’s heat wave was just crazy. I love the summer just not at 98 degrees plus humidity. I prefer the temperature to be between 85 and 90 with low humidity. I know that is wishful thinking, but hey I have a right to dream. Right before the summer hits I make sure I have my arsenal of must have items. I am a pretty simple girl and low maintenance during the summer. I want to do as little work as possible when it comes to getting dressed, staying cool, and even applying makeup. So here are my must have items for the summer
Beauty
1. Tinted Moisturizer- I rarely wear foundation in the summer. When it is really hot and I am doing a lot of walking it just melts off. Tinted moisturizer is light and gives you and even complexion with minimal coverage. I am using OCC’s tinted moisturizer and I love it.
2. Bronzer- We all want that Beyonce glow so I use bronzer to get just that. I have like 4 or 5 bronzers but my favorites would have to be Milani Baked Bronzer and Young Blood Lunar Dust
3. Sunscreen- I just raved about the Hawaiian Tropic silk hydration sunscreen. It moisturizes and protects. You can’t get any better than that
4. Oil Absorbing Sheets- I use e.l.f.’s absorbing sheets (you can’t beat $1) and they are great. I mainly get oily in my t-zone so I always have them on hand to erase the shine
5. Perfume/Body Splash- I love The Body Shops Love Etc…- I get tons of compliments whenever I wear it and it is so inexpensive. When I tell people what it is they are shocked. I also love Marc Jacob’s Daisy Eau So Fresh.
6. Wen Deep Cleansing Conditioner- My hair never lasts in the summer. I’m always sweating it out and it sucks. I usually do low maintenance hair styles like buns, bantu knot-outs, twist outs, etc. I wash my hair using Wen Deep Cleansing Conditioner and either let it air dry and do one of the styles listed above.
7. Lip Gloss with spf- Last week I raved about Hawaiian Tropic aloha kiss. It gives great shine and it also has spf. I pair the gloss with any lipstick and I am ready to go.
8. Misting spray- Avene Thermal Spring Water provides the perfect relief from those hot summer days. It also moisturizes your skin.
9. Bold and bright nail polish- Summer time is the perfect time to pull out all of the stops with your nails. So I go for neon pinks, oranges, yellows, greens, turquoise and more!
Fashion
1. Sun glasses! I have tons of sun glasses in all shapes and colors. I love large glasses. I feel like Nicole Richie lol. Sun glasses are the perfect summer accessory- the protect you from the sun and the weirdos on the train trying to make eye contact
2. Tote bag/cross body bag- The tote bag is a necessity because I always carry my life around. It is large enough for some flat sandals, my makeup bag, wallet, water bottle, and just about everything else. The cross body bag is perfect for those spontaneous adventures where a large shoulder bag or tote isn’t necessary. It also forces you to pack light.
3. Maxi dress/skirt- These are the easiest things to throw on and they are so chic. I have dresses and skirts in a variety of colors and prints. This is always my go to outfit choice.
4. Denim shorts- when I don’t feel like wearing a dress I throw on some shorts a t-shirt or tank and depending on the occasion flat sandals or a wedge. You can never go wrong with a pair of denim shorts. Dress them up or down- it really doesn’t matter because they are classic.
5. Cute sandals and wedges- I do a lot of walking in the summer so high heels are out of the question in NYC, unless I’m going from car to chair lol. So I need my sandals to by fashionable and functional. I can strut around the city in a wedge because I get the height of a heel and the comfort of a flat so those are necessary as well.
6. Basics- t-shirts and tanks in all colors and prints. You can never have too many t-shirts or tank tops. If I find a style that fits me well I buy at least 3-4 in various colors. T-shirts and tanks are comfortable and can be paired with almost anything- denim shorts, boyfriend jeans, Bermuda shorts, maxi skirts, body con skirts, a-line skirts, harem pants, cropped pants- you get my drift? They can be dressed up with statement jewelry or worn with a simple necklace and earrings. I couldn’t get through the summer without these.
7. Casual sneakers/flats- I like to be adventurous and go to the park a lot during the summer. I may need to climb a few rocks, you never know so I always have a pair of casual sneakers, like converses or Tom’s handy.
This is my list. What are some of your summer must haves?
*Sigh* They say you get what you pay for and that is exactly what happened at Danselly Beauty Center on Flatlands Ave between 104th and 105th streets in Brooklyn, New York. This had to be the worst experience that I have ever had at a beauty salon. I was forgotten about, mocked, pre-judged, and just basically insulted by a group of Dominican stylists who have no regard for their customers.
I needed a quick wash-n-set, so I did not feel like driving all the way to Queens to my normal salon. I should have just sucked it up and drove because what I experienced was not worth the sacrifice.
Here’s my review on Yelp. I am reporting them to Consumer Affairs also. No one should have to go through what I experienced.
“I visited Danselly Beauty Center 2 times prior to my most recent visit. Both times I was satisfied enough to return a 3rd time. What made this experience so terrible was the way they treated me. I was forgotten about under the dryer for about 10-15 minutes. The “owner” said “Well why didn’t you say something?” I feel that was disrespectful. Also my conditioner was not washed out properly and I was left waiting 20-25 minutes to have my hair roller set after my initial wash. My hair began air drying and I became frustrated when the “stylists” were talking and taking customers who were done after me. They spent time blow drying and styling other customers hair while I was waiting with wet hair in an air conditioned room. When I expressed my concern I was told “she was almost done” I had no idea who “she” was because the salon was filled with women. I was mistreated and harassed by the stylists, the owner and a patron who was supposedly a family member.
After I was under the dryer for 25 minutes the stylist said I can come from under the dryer. My hair wasn’t anywhere near dry and I told her. After my hair finally dried and she asked what I wanted done I said to blow dry the roots. After she was done she gave me a receipt and the price was too high. I asked why it was so high, and she said because I had my roots blown. Nowhere in the salon did it state that it is extra to have your hair blown. I asked the “owner” about this and she proceeded to get nasty because of our earlier interaction. She said I should ask about services if I want to know something because she is not putting up flyers with all of the services all over her salon. She continued to blame me for not asking and then other stylists and workers all surrounded in what seemed like they were going to attack me. I wanted to walk out and not pay but I did pay. They said I always come in complaining and I replied if I always complain about something I don’t return or spend my money there. This other woman who claimed to be an owner as well proceeded to tell me I had an attitude based on my body language. Ummmm maybe I had a rough day at work? Did you ever think about that. I had a sore scalp from a previous hairstyle and I just wanted to be in and out. The salon wasn’t even crowded and it took forever for them to provide their services.
Then a random woman, who was a family member of the owner who to precedence over the customers to get her hair done, started yelling at me. That’s when I left. They are not about making customers happy. They are only concerned with providing mediocre service and getting money. I would not recommend this salon, especially if you have been to other salons with better services, products, and management. They made it seem like it was about money, which it wasn’t, but it was about the principle of treating customers poorly. They may be used to a clientele without standards and accepts anything but I don’t operate that way. All of the prices of all services should be posted and the customer should never be blamed.
I told the owner as a business owner myself you need to let your clients know what they are paying for ahead of time. You can’t just have random prices whenever you feel like it. I also told her I wantedto support businesses in the community which is why I returned but she proceeded to get nasty. I was trying to give advice as a business owner as well as a young woman of color but they fulfilled the stereotype of being rude and nasty.”
This is the abridged version of the story. There was more dialogue, but this is the gist of it all. So please never go to this salon.
Another day, another trend.
Summer style is in full effect and one trend I am seeing daily both on celebrities and people on the street in NYC is the head chain/chain headband.
This Egyptian inspired look adds something special to your hair when you don’t feel like doing much with it and almost anyone can pull this look off.
The chain looks best when your hair is either in a high bun, ponytail or when your hair is down and parted in the middle.
Personally, I love the trend and have already bought 2 chains from ASOS (my fave!!).
Check out some of the celebrities who’ve been spotted sporting this look:
What do you guys think — Rock it or Drop it??!
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend the QVC Beauty Event which was held at Cedar Lake Studios. This was my first time at a QVC Beauty event and it was simply amazing. I remember bloggers last year tweeting about an event similar to this so when I saw this opportunity I just knew I couldn’t miss it. Very rarely do you have brands like Bliss, Makeup Forever, Tarte, Wen, Philosophy, Algenist, and more all in the same room talking about their best selling products and what will be new to QVC. It was also great to have the owners and creators of the company there to give you first hand information about the products as well.
We’ll first start off with Sephora
Sephora will be launching quite a few new products with QVC. One of my favorites would have to be the Sephora by OPI 15-piece nail colour collection which will retail for approximately $44. The signature color for this collection would have to be “QVC What I Mean,” which is a rich mauve tone.
Next I headed over to Bliss and was introduced to an interesting product called Incredi-‘peel.’ These are convenient, no-rinse peel pads that create an overnight facial effect in a single step which will retail for approximately $74. They also have these no heat waxing strips as well.
One of my favorite stations had to be Wen Hair and Body Care by Chaz Dean. Chaz really changed my life that day and I am not exaggerating. I have been so indecisive about what I wanted to do with my hair for the past few months now. When I attended the event my hair was combed back and I rocked a head band. Well when I left the Wen station, I felt like a new woman. I’ve heard great reviews about the products, but never purchased any. Chaz introduced the ne Six Thirteen Replenishing Treatment Mist. He sprayed the mist on one side of my hair so I can see the difference. On the side that he sprayed my hair was softer, had more shine, and it had body. The Six Thirteen Replenishing Treatment Mist has a unique blend of amino acids, restorative extracts, and botanicals to give instant rejuvenation to the hair, face, and body. It will retail for approximately $26 and I highly recommend this product along with the Summer Mango Coconut Cleansing Conditioner.
Lipstick Queen by Poppy King is a very innovative brand. Her newest creation is called “Liptropolis” which is a lipstick collection based off of the Metropolis New York City. I have to say I was in love with the packaging. There are three lipsticks that come in a little book with information about each lipstick. For this collection she chose to focus on three New York City neighborhoods. Soho is a fashionable red hue, Central Park is a refined peach hue, and last but not least Upper East is an elegant nude hue.
I was also in love with Laura Geller’s Dream Creams Concealer and Highlighter. It includes four customizable pigments. The highlighter enhances your skin tone and creates a luminous look. It is available in two shades porcelain/fair and regular/tan and retails for $30
There were also companies there like Go Smile, Perricone MD, Fresh and Algenist that focused on achieving a bright smile and healthy skin.
With the summer right around the corner tarte cosmetics has introduced the Rainforest Glow Full Coverage Liquid Body Bronzer. It is not a self-tanning lotion so you do not have to worry about turning orange. The nourishing body bronzer gives a healthy looking faux glow and it moisturizes the skin at the same time. The Rainforest glow uses pure maracuja oil which is a staple in many of tarte’s products. It is used to help nourish and hydrate the skin.
Philosophy was there with fragrances that were to die for. My favorites would have to be all of them. One fragrance that is exclusively for QVC is amazing grace.
Other brands in attendance included Make Up For Ever, Sarah Potempa, Josie Maran, Mally, Nuface, Alterna, Clarisonic, Hairdo by Ken Paves, Hairmax, PaloVia, Space NK, IT Cosmetics, LightStim and Tria Beauty.
Make sure you visit QVC Beauty for all of these great products and more.
