Celebrate in Color Review

This is a really, really, really overdue review. Celebrate In Color approached me about reviewing their products A YEAR AGO. During that time, one thing or another kept cropping up - everything from a blog hiatus to digital camera woes. But now that I've had a chance to thoroughly review these products I can say, "Boy, was it worth it!" No lie - these items are some of the most adorable party products and stationary I've ever seen for people of color, covering everything from engagement parties to wedding showers. If I weren't already be married, I'd be all over them. Take a look:
Napkins

Paper Cups

Paper Plates

Shower and Party Invitations

They all look great, right?! And I'm happy to report that the quality and thickness of all the materials are very good. I love quality invitations no matter what the occasion and I was impressed that these in particular were printed on a nice cardstock in unique designs. I highly recommend all of these. Now I have to find someone to throw a shower for! Celebrate in Color is located in Virginia but can be contacted worldwide through the website, CelebrateInColor.com, or on Facebook.

Not-So-Skinny Chick in Skinny Jeans

And, what? Who says non-skinny girls can't wear skinny jeans? I say anyone can wear them if you get a style that fits and flatters. In fact, I've been wearing all flavors of The Rockstar Jeans from Old Navy, which are described by O.N. as "super-skinny". Here are the royal blue ones I wore for casual Friday at work.

Jeans (Old Navy)
Top (Merona/Target)
Geometric graphic scarf (eBay)

Mixed Chicks: A Non-Mixed Chick's Review

It's rare for me to review three products at once, but even more rare for me to actually have a positive experience with all of them. However that's exactly what happened when I was given a chance to try some new products by Mixed Chicks this month. This is a great time for brides-to-be and everyone else to take extra special care of our hair.

For the record, you don't have to be a "mixed chick" to use any of these. My hair is everything between 3a to 4a, depending on what part of my head you're looking at. What I like to say is that some people have combination skin, but I have combination hair. I had noticed Mixed Chicks products in Target before, and as an African-American woman I'm always intrigued by new lines targeting women-of-color. But I had never stopped to take a closer look until now. So the three items I picked up were the sulfate-free shampoo, the deep conditioner and the leave-in conditioner. (Can you tell I'm really into conditioning?)

Normally, I'm really iffy about shampoos. In fact, I only use "real" shampoo about once a month. Outside of that I use the co-poo method, in which you use conditioner to wash your hair. But, knowing that sulfates are the major problem with most shampoos, I was drawn to the sulfate-free shampoo by Mixed Chicks. My experience was that this works pretty well! I stepped into the shower with the bottle and lathered up. Afterwards, my hair felt fine. Maybe even a leetle moisturized, with some slip. That's important to me because I don't want my hair to ever be a knotted, tangled mess. Ever.

Next up was the deep conditioner. You know that when you "deep condition", it's going to take a little longer than just throwing in a regular conditioner. But when I applied the Mixed Chicks deep conditioner, it almost immediately detangled and softened my hair. I don't know if it "penetrated and reconstructed damaged areas" but my hair liked it and that was good enough for me. By the time I jumped back into the shower to wash it out I could tell that my hair had been well-conditioned.

Once the conditioner was rinsed out, I followed up with the leave-in conditioner. The best part about this product is that it does a great job of preparing your wet hair to be combed and/or styled. This is primarily why I use leave-in conditioners in the first place, so it was fine. Lots of you will like this product more than I did, since I felt it could have been a tiny bit more moisturizing. That said, the level of moisturizing I like for my hair would probably be too heavy for a lot of Mixed Chicks' target audience.

All in all, I got lots of volume with a good bit of frizz control. I seldom curl my hair to go to work, but these products inspired me and I think my hair is looking shinier than usual.

Mad Men or Office Rockabilly?

You make the call. We had dress-up day yesterday at the job so I decided to wear one of the vintage dresses I've collected over the years. You know, trying to take a page from the Mad Men playbook. But with my rock-mama, punky accessories, my outfit ended up looking like some "office rockabilly"(if that's a thing?). All I needed was a silk flower in my hair and some horn-rimmed glasses on the bridge of my nose. But I didn't have either of those so here's what happened.

Dress (Vintage)
Blazer (Old Navy)
Shoes (Fluevog)
Jewelry (Etsy)
Handbag (LM Designs)

I'm always getting asked about this handbag. I bought it from someone on Livejournal who really needed the money to pay some medical bills, but the tag inside says it's made by LM Designs. I don't know if the company has gone out of business or is still around in some capacity. But I can't seem to find a stitch of information about it online. No pun intended.

Beauty and the Sunscreen

Since we're talking about getting outdoors this month, PLEASE don't forget the sunscreen. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article about sunscreen for a parenting blog because a lot of folks still aren't using sunscreen on their kids. But it turns out that a lot of adults are stepping into the sun's rays without adequate sun protection on themselves. That's where I come in, with some tips on preserving the health of your gorgeous skin. Sure, we hardly used any sunscreen at all back in the day (no, my darlings, cocoa butter doesn't count - I wish I did). But with global warming and the dwindling ozone layer the sun is a whole different thing right now. You can enjoy it, but you've got to play it safe.

So what should you look for when you're ready to buy a sunscreen? First of all, not all sunscreens are created equal. In fact, some barely live up to the name. But here's one thing all the experts agree on - an effective sunscreen must protect against both UVA and UVB rays. That's because while UVB rays get most of the blame for sunburn, both kinds of rays contribute to skin cancer.

I won't lie. As an African-American, I've had to go through a few tubes of sunscreen before I found ones that didn't mess with my sensitive skin or make me look like the white shadow. Much could be written about the challenge of finding an effective sunscreen for darker skin. But find one you must. Despite what you might have heard, people of all races can indeed develop skin cancer. VERY dark skin can have a natural SPF of about 13. (Don't be fooled, most of us do not have SPF 13 skin.) But dermatologists say you need an SPF of at least 15 to be protected. They recommend wearing sunscreen daily. But if you're going to spend any significant time outdoors, it's important to not only slather on sunscreen before you leave the house, but also to reapply it after a couple of hours.



My personal experience is that anyone with sensitive skin should avoid most sunscreens with the ingredients avobenzone or oxybenzone. I wore a sunscreen with these ingredients during a trip to the zoo on Father's Day and got an itch on my legs that is just now starting to fade. If you're a Sensitive Sally like me, don't do it. Unfortunately the chemicals avobenzone and oxybenzone are in most of the broad-spectrum sunscreens found in your neighborhood drugstores and grocery stores. If you're trying to avoid them, that leaves you with natural/mineral sunscreens. Natural suncreen contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (or both), which used to leave a slight white cast to the skin. But nowadays many companies have discovered ways to get those particles very small - not nano sized, but- small enough to wipe-out or dramatically cut down on the ghastly tinge. For now I like and use:

Jason Mineral Based Sun Block SPF 30+
COOLA Face SPF 30 Matte - Cucumber
BurnOut Eco-Sensitive Zinc Oxide Sunscreen SPF 32
Loving Naturals Clear Vegan SPF 30+ Sunscreen Non-Nano Zinc Oxide UVA/UVB 4.3 oz.
Aubrey Organics SPF 15 Saving Face

You can find more options on the EWG list and on similar sites on the internet.

But now it's your turn. Please sound off. Did I leave anything out? What is YOUR experience with sun exposure and sunscreen? Or lack of?? Do tell!

Blue Toes

To the reader who asked "What's your favorite pedicure color for spring and summer?" My answer: Turquoise! Oh, I'm always changing up and I'm sure it'll be something different down the road. But right now I'm loving my throwback "For Audrey" by China Glaze.

Review: Wedding Cake Vodka?

As most of my readers know, I'm a big fans of creating signature drinks for wedding receptions. If you are thinking about coming up with a cocktail for your own reception, I recently tried something that might be very appropriate ingredient. It's Pearl Vodka's new flavor "Wedding Cake".
When I sipped it, my first thought was, "Yes. No doubt about it. It definitely tastes like a wedding." It was sweet, light, and fluffy, with a hint of vanilla and buttercream. I recommend it. It would be great with any of the less-sweet fruit juices, or with ingredients like blue curacao or grenadine. Once you have this as your base, odds are you'll be able to create something really yummy for your guests. I know, because I had a great time testing it out for you.
I'm told Wedding Cake will also be available in wedding favor sizes in the near future.

(This image courtesy of BrideFinds)

If you're interested in more information, visit Pearl Wedding Cake.

The Bonus of Doing It Yourself

Has anyone noticed how many of us are making our own crafts and creating our own treasures from scratch? Has anyone noticed how many brides-to-be are creating their own accessories, centerpieces, bouquets, and even dresses? I think we're all onto something. Last week, I read about a study showing that 9 out of 10 engaged women "DIY" something for their weddings. I think it proves what a lot of us knew all along: DIY isn't just about the economy. It's also about the added benefit of personalizing your nuptials and feeling pride about being unique- even in some small way. I remember back when I was getting married, for example, making my own cardholder (that's it up there in the corner) and thinking that even if I messed it up it would still be a "one of a kind." So don't be afraid to grab your "do-it-yourself" supplies and get started with whatever projects you have in mind. If you're not sure about how much you want to do on your own, just start with small tasks and take if from there. Good luck, crafty girls!

Pinning and Pining

Yes, I've joined the rest of the world in pinning my favorite images on Pinterest. If you're over there, please stop by my little lemonade stand. I'm just getting started, but I'm planning on stirring up my own brand of visual ruckus alongside the mason jars and DIY goodness already found on that site. ;)

Adele on the Cover of Vogue

British singer Adele has always been known for her outspokeness and flawless style. Now, she is gracing the cover of the March 2012 edition of Vogue. I love what I've seen so far. What do you think?

Vintage Inspiration: Diahann Carroll

As the saying goes, trends may come and go but elegance never goes out of style. Take a look at these pictures of actress/singer Diahann Carroll in the fifties.

Birthday Tea Party, Anyone?

I love showing off creations by my talented readers. Take a look at the 100% edible (but-almost-too-pretty-to-eat!) pastries Utica Gray made for her daughter's 6th birthday tea party.




This takes talent, folks. Have something you want to show off? Let us know!

Father-Daughter Surprise Dance Medley

Here's a great example of what you can do when you put your mind to it. Today's Youtube find has apparently been making the rounds for almost two months (even though we just spotted it this week on Yahoo). It's a great father-daughter dance number - with a twist! Take a look:



Awww, sure do miss my dad.

Halloween: The Saga

The office costume party sort of sneaked up on me this year. But I'm not going to run out to the mall in a panic. Nope, that was the old me. I'm thinking that with my quirky background, surely I already own more Halloween-y things than the average chick. So I'm going to "shop my closet" for the perfect pirate get-up. And if I need anything else, I'll make it with my own widdle hands. I've spent the last couple of days doing research on (OK, googling) female pirates and the one with the best swag in my opinion is whatever character Penelope Cruz played in that movie.



I'd like my attire to be something like that, but a little more fancy. I've already started decorating a crushed velvet hat I bought a few years back and I've added a felt flower blossom to a plain eye-patch. I have a tiered lolita skirt, striped bloomers and some big lace-y shirts (one of them will surely work, right?). I think if I pile on enough seaworthy jewelry and accessories after that, I'll be all set.

Top left picture from Hostess with the Mostess