The Life of A Ladybug

Toya's Tip: Go easy on the brows!

Over the years that I've been a beauty lover (and that's quite a few years, y'all), some of the worst beauty crimes I've seen are those committed against eyebrows.  I ask myself, "Why do we hate our eyebrows?"  'Cause seriously, ladies, some of us out there commit assault against our God-given eyebrows on an almost daily basis.  We tweeze them too thin.  We walk around with unibrows (which are never cute, under any circumstance).  We cut designs into them (thankfully, this trend has faded - please God it never comes back).  And the worst crime of all - we shave them off entirely and then draw them back on.  For the love of God, WHY???

Almost as bad are those of us who are in such pursuit of perfect brows that we tweeze, shape, wax, fill them into this plastic-looking, overly perfect duo that bear almost no resemblance whatsoever to a natural eyebrow.

My tip is: Go easy on your brows, sweetie.  Yes, you want them to look pretty, but only minor tweezing and shaping, you can achieve a lovely, and more importantly, natural-looking arch.  You don't want to look like an android about the brows.  Trust me, it isn't cute.

Toya's Tip: Put lipstick on your cheeks!

This is an old school tip: If you're pressed for time (or if you just want to be sure of a perfect match), dab a little of the lipstick you're wearing on your cheeks.  Use it exactly as you would a cream blush - a dab or three on your cheekbones and blend with your fingers.  I remember that my mom used to do this all the time.  I used to think it was ridiculously old-fashioned, but then I realized - just because it's old school doesn't mean it's antiquated.  This trick is a great idea, if you want a fresh-faced look in minutes.

Toya's Tip: Use a mineral shadow brush!

  Are you looking to get really saturated, deep color on your lids, but haven't been able to achieve the depth of color that you desire?  Here's a tip: Use a brush designed for mineral shadow!  Because these brushes are made for loose powder application, they often have shorter, denser bristles.  When used with pressed powder formulas, the brushes pick up more powder, and, when patted onto your lids, the powder will achieve a brighter color saturation.  Trust me, you'll see!  Give it a try and let me know how it works out for you.

Toya's Tips: A new image of American beauty

This is our new first family, America.  Just let that sink in ...

I am so proud of you, do you know that?  I am so proud of all of you who stood in long lines and made the effort to do your civic duty.  Was it good for you?  Because it was fabulous for me.

It was an historic moment for America, one for the ages.  But, I'm not really going to delve too much into my personal feelings about the nature of this win ... at least, not on this blog.  If you want to read that, feel free to skip over to Makeda.  Instead, I want to talk about our new image of American beauty ... Michelle Obama.

Take a look at this chick.  She is all kinds of awesome, no?  I am so flabbergasted and grateful and awed that the new female face of America is this flawless Black woman.  Not since Jackie Kennedy has this country had a First Lady with such taste and style.  I'm wondering if as many people will want to rock her style as wanted to rock Jackie's.  They better recognize!

If you're one of the smart women out there who want to emulate Mrs. Obama's style, just slightly, here are my tips.

• Pick clothing with clean, simple lines.  Michelle Obama isn't known for the frou-frou.  She has impeccable taste and poise, but her outfits look very streamlined, playing up her long, lean figure.  But you don't have to be either long or lean to find simple pieces that flatter your figure, so make sure you're doing what looks best on you!
• Jewel tones.  Mrs. Obama picks robust jewel tones, which look wonderful against her brown skin.  But women of all shades can find a sparkling shade that make them look their radiant best.  Try yummy shades of red, purple, green, and blue.
• Sleek hair.  Instead of going for big hair, try to tame it down, just a bit.  That's easy for me to say, of course, as my hair is hella big - LOL!  But, even I can put my mane into a lovely pinned up style and so can you.  If you have shorter hair, try a slicked down look.  Longer haired ladies, pull it back into a sleek ponytail, an elegant chignon or just wear it down, but polished.
• Neutral makeup.  Michelle wears the sort of makeup that looks good with every outfit.  She always looks fresh-faced, but uber professional.  Neutral eye makeup - try Bobbi Brown's Shimmering Nudes Palette or Stila's Day to Night Palette.  Plum blush - try MAC's Beauty Powder Blush in Secret Blush or MAC's Blush in Plum Foolery.  Neutral brown lipstick with a bit of shine - any of MAC's Lustre lipsticks in a neutral shade will work.

This is a new time in American beauty.  I am so happy to see it and I can't wait to see how y'all rock it!

Toya's Tip: Line underneath!

If you want to try a new eye look, but you're not one who's into going wild and crazy with color, here's a tip: Use a colored eyeliner to line your bottom lashline.  That's right: line underneath your eye with color.

It might be hard to see in the picture, but Kimora's eyes have a thin line of black on the top, paired with a thick line of a sultry green on the bottom.  It is fierce!!!!  So, do a thin layer of a neutral shade of brown or taupe on the lid - avoid an eye color with too much sparkle, as it'll take away from the fabness of your colored liner.  Then, using a liquid or pencil liner, do a thin line of black on your top lashline.  Using a thicker pencil on the bottom, line your lower lashline in a fabulous color - green is awesome, but any shade of blue or purple would look great, too!  Coat those lashes in mascara and go!  Fierceness accomplished ... and it didn't even take long!

Rock it this weekend and tell me what you think!

Toya's Tip: Popsicle lips!

A great look for the spring and summer is "popsicle lips."  Having popsicle lips means that your lips look juicy and moist and as if you've just been enjoying the best fruit-flavored popsicle.  Achieving the look is quite easy - try a gloss in a wonderfully saturated, juicy color (right now, I'm particularly loving Hourglass Extreme Sheen Gloss in Nectar and Laura Mercier Lip Glacé in Bonbon) or you can pick a lipstick in a fruity shade (coral is "in" right now) and then add a slick of gloss on top.

How to wear foundation if you have dry skin (for Koz)

My friend Koz asked me how she should deal with foundation when she has dry skin.  The answer is pretty simple, so here we go - for her and for any of you who also have dry skin and have been asking yourself this question.

#1: Exfoliate.  Make sure that you're exfoliating regularly.  That will remove all the dry, dead skin that adds to the look of flakiness.  You can use either a chemical or mechanical exfoliator.  A chemical exfoliator is alpha hydroxy acid.  Mechanical is any kind of gentle scrub - you can be as basic as baking soda and water, or even sugar and water.

#2: Moisturize.  Use a thick, creamy moisturizer if your skin is very dry.  You don't have to go expensive on this - there are good options at the drugstore.  I have oily skin, but dry patches around my nose and, let me tell you, Aquaphor works wonders.

#3: Use a moisturizing foundation.  If you're not looking for that "made up" look or if you have pretty good skin, a tinted moisturizer is probably your best bet.  It will add another layer of moisture to your face while helping your skin to look even and smooth.  If you need a bit of heavier coverage, try a creamy foundation - powders will exacerbate dryness and liquid may not be thick enough (although there are some moisturizing liquid foundations).

Let me know if you have any particular beauty issues that you'd love to discuss and I'll post all about it!

Use more than one foundation (BHM Beauty)

Many Black women and other women of color have more than one shade of skin on their faces.  In order to achieve the look you're going for, it may be necessary to use more than one shade of foundation.  Also, keep in mind that your skin changes throughout the year - the shade that works in January will not work in August.  I always have foundation in three different shades - one for my fall/winter tone, one for my spring/summer tone and one that is light enough to be used to cover any dark circles or any dark marks left by blemishes.

Also, be very careful when picking powder foundations - some shades will be too gray, which will leave your skin looking ashen.  Others will be too red.  For instance, I have been drifting away from MAC's Studio Fix.  I love the product, but have found that, after it oxidizes on my skin, it becomes a bit too red.  When you choose your foundation, wear it a bit before you buy it - look at it under natural light, right after you've applied it and then again a while later.  If it still matches - then purchase.

Happy Black History Month, you beautiful thing, you!

For Koz: How to Look Like You've Had More Than Six Hours of Sleep in the Last Two Days Because Your Infant Has an Ear Infection"

Poor little Miss Eva!  Give her a kiss and hug from me.

Okay, so here's how to make yourself look more awake when you're having an ultra sleepy day.

1. When you're tired, your skin looks really dry and sallow, so focus on combating that.  Make sure to moisturize adequately - if you don't normally use an ultra-moisturizing eye cream, now is the time to do so.  Dot under your eyes and pat in with your ring finger.  Also add a creamy moisturizer to your face.
2. Dot concealer under your eyes and pat with fingertip to blend.  If you're trying to eliminate dark circles, make the concealer a shade lighter than your skin.
3. Add a tinted moisturizer or any foundation that does not dry out your skin.  If you normally use powder, unless you're really oily-skinned, skip it.  Allow the skin's natural oils to give your face a bit of a boost.
4. Using a highlighter shade (anything light and glowy - creams, eyeshadows, and liquid highlighters all work well - let me know if you need suggestions!), apply under your brows and on your tear ducts and blend.  Add the same highlighting shade to your cheekbones.  This really will add some brightness to your face and make you look more awake, instantly.
5. One coat of mascara on top lashes, to visually "open" your eyes.  Don't put any on the bottom lashes - if it smears, it'll completely defeat the purpose of covering up the dark circles.
6. A pop of healthy color on your cheeks.  Whichever blush form you prefer (powder, cream, liquid, gel) is fine.  Just make sure it isn't overly bright, but is bright enough that it makes you look healthy and radiant.  A soft peachy-pink works well on most skintones.
7. Use lipgloss instead of lipstick.  You want to add shine and radiance, not matte things down at all.

Oh!  And Visine - it gets the red out of sleepy eyes!

Toya's Tip: Develop your signature!

My tip today is Develop your signature!  One of the things that makes me feel more stylish is to know that I am "known" for certain things.  I've been working on developing my own personal style for years and it is starting to pay off.  I know what I love and what looks good on me.  I've weeded out shapes and colors that aren't flattering and stick to what works.

My signatures are:

Pink.  Pink is my favorite color and I do not go a day without wearing something pink.  My engagement ring stone is pink, if nothing else.  But, on most days, you will find me wearing pink somewhere on my body: carrying a pink purse, sporting pink shoes, dangly pink earrings, pink top, etc.  It's my thing.

Animal prints, especially leopard.  I don't know what it is about animal prints that appeal to me, but they do.  The're like me, I guess - a bit loud, a bit over the top, always noticeable.

What are your signatures?  Think about the things that look the best on you, the colors to which you're always drawn, those styles that make you feel the most "you."  And ask your friends what they notice about your wardrobe - do you invariably wear the same color combinations or patterns, etc.?   You might already have a signature and not even know it!