Clinque Foundations

Ok we have previously talked about Estee Lauder's foundation in an earlier blog, now I want to introduce you to Clinque's line.

Yesterday on my stroll through Greenbrier Mall (Chesapeake, VA) I bumped into a Clinque MUA. Her attitude was very pleasant and her enthusiasm for the products she represents was visibly genuine. I wanted to know why she was so happy about Clinque. The first thing that caught my eye was the fact that the have 30 shades to match any complexion! That was a huge plus for me because I love to recommend great products but before I do that I like to make sure that they have enough choices to please the masses.

Next, I asked her to shade me for my complexion and she asked the most important question that needs the correct response when shopping for foundation… "What type of skin do you have". (Dry, oily, or combination). This question is important because makeup is only as good as the skin underneath it. If you are wearing makeup be sure to purchase the right type for your skin type.

In my case I have oily skin, well--more like SUPER OILY!! I'm a walking disc ball! I can grease my scalp with the oil my face produces LOL! The kind she recommended for me was the Stay-Matte, Oil-Free option. When we selected my shade, what captured me next was how light it was. I could barely feel it on my skin and it still gave me the coverage I needed. The price was around $24.17 and for a premier foundation that's pretty good.

I do recommend Clinque's Foundations ladies…go try it out:) You will enjoy it too.

Coming Soon

I have some great things in the works Divaz!

One of my goals to build with a unified camaraderie of ladies with profitable businesses and growing empires. I'm planning a very small and intimate pow-wow in June at an undisclosed location where all my specially invited guests can all sit down to BUILD, and BLUEPRINT! It's going to be EPIC!

Thanks for all the FB inbox messages, emails, dm's, texts, voicemails and etc requesting a gathering as such and thanks to all my supporters that are requesting another one of my Beauty Seminars, I'm working on bringing you all a huge gala with 3events in 1 in early September which is my blog's 2yr anniversary!!

Also you can catch me hosting the 3rd Annual Men & Woman's Health Awareness Luncheon on June 30th, 11am-4p at the Sheration Norfolk Waterside. For more info contact Jada @ 757.217.7339. Proceeds are going to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Get Excited!! I am!!! These are going to be events to remember!

Summer Shoe Game

Goodbye winter/fall shoe collection, HELLOOOO Spring/Summer shoe game!

Today I boxed up all my last season shoes and put all my spring/summer shoes on display in my walk-in. Soon as I did that I noticed that I have an serious addiction to nudes and blacks. It's ok with me though because none of them are plain, they all have a uniqueness to them. I treat my shoes like my babies lol, I just LOVE them.

It's no way I can put all my shoes in 1,2 or even 3 pictures...I have more than I need actually. Every year I give most of them away and start fresh. I even sell the ones I never wear or the gently used ones on ebay and through my youtube auctions.

I'm happy spring is here because open toe shoes are so sexy to me and I love showing my french pedicure. I got some cute little toes lol.

Which do you Prefer…Straight or Curly?

I haven't had the urge to wear my hair straight in more than a year, probably longer.

Loose waves, deep waves, ripple deep, and brazilian curls have been my styles of choice for a while now. Straight hair can get boring really quick. Which do you prefer?

This is my current style, I went blonde with a dark brown undertone for my bday and less than 2weeks later, I'm over it LOL! I love the color but I need my waves back. Wavy/curly hair is just easier to maintain to me. I need hair that has little to no maintenance. I wanna throw my silk bonnet on at night, go to sleep and wake up with a beautiful style and that's the satisfaction that wavy hair gives me. With this straight look, I have to wrap it, watch how the wind blows it, constantly be conscience of strands being out of place and etc. Ugghhhh! Im over it!!! Not to mention that it sheds too much to.

I'm going to keep the summer highlighted colors but chile back to curly I go!

My Birthday Week

I had the most amazing birthday week ever!

I must say that this was the best birthdays of my life! My husband always finds a way to out-do himself every year. We are finally back in a comfortable financial space that allowed him to pretty much take the spending gloves off and spoil me rotten.
Now don't get me wrong great birthdays aren't about money money money…it was definitely the thought that he put into everything that he did that made my bday very memorable. I love my honey. Honey took me out all week, gave me surprise gifts all week and really showed how thoughtful he could be. (He's always thoughtful anyway:)

My friends also had their hands in making my special day epic!
My born day was 4/19 but I decided to celebrate it with a Pure white & Gold party on 4/20. I thought that was a fun day because of obvious reasons lol! The turn out was great!! Everyone looked so dazzling and regal in their fashions!
I would start calling names but I don't want to make a mistake and omit anyone so I'll play it safe and just thank EVERYONE collectively! I genuinely appreciate everyone who attended. You could have been anywhere in the world but you chose to celebrate with me and that means a lot.

In addition to having the pleasure of celebrating with my close friends and acquaintances, my bday cake was another one of the highlights of my night!! The cake (couturecakesbynika.com) was delivered to Purrsha (the venue), set up and it completely stole the show! Click on the pic to get a full view! It was a 5tier Stiletto cupcake tower and it was BEYOND DELICIOUS!! It wasn't too sweet, it was just right. I had two flavors, yellow cake and lemon! The decor on them was very elegant and fashionable. The detail on the top tier was MIND BLOWING!! I was in complete awe because the cake was a surprise to me from my hubby. I gave him a general idea and a sample picture and he hired a baker and together they completely out did themselves!!

Even my cards were special:)
I got 1 card from my bro Miles (my BFF's fiancé) who's unfortunately incarcerated and couldn't be here to celebrate with us but I'm hoping he will be home next year to. The card he sent me was very sentimental because it was skillfully crafted and handmade and I must admit it was the best card I received! Shoutout to all my fam and friends who know I LOVE cards and took their time out to pick up 1 that was perfect and "Vee":)

So I'm 29 years old now and I'm really not a person that like to go nuts every year when my day rolls around because I try to live everyday as if it's equally as special. This year I went all out because it's my last year in my 20's and that to me is a milestone. I'm not at all mentally ready to turn 30 next year but I'll make the best of it and embrace it. This year was everything I imagined and hoped for!! Thanks again to everyone who made me feel loved!

COLORBLOCKING!!! HOTT FASHION TREND!

What is color blocking?

In the world of Fashion Vocab Color blocking is defined as complimentary bold and bright colors that are paired together for a unique style.


To transition this trend from the runways into your wardrobe can be tricky HOWEVER if you just follow well respectable fashion leaders you will nail it every time!! Here are some fun combinations that you can use:

Color Blocking Combinations: ~Electric blue w/ a yellow or orange.
~chocolate brown w/ a fushia pink or peach.
~purple w/ a bright blue.
~bold blue with a bright pink.
~coral orange w/ a grey and paint your nails a neon yellow!
Try these combinations Divas and you will be a color blocking Runway SuperModel!

Foundation

I have never been a fan of liquid foundation but lo and behold, I have stumbled one that has captured my heart. Estee Lauder's Double Wear Light is my newest vise. Stay tuned into this review because I had no intention on trying it, liking it or even buying it.

About a week ago as I was leaving Macy's MAC counter with my purchases I passed through Dillard's in Greenbrier Mall, Chesapeake, VA. I needed to stop pass Estee Lauder to picked up some Extreme Violet Mascara and end up chatting with a very knowledgable beauty advisor by the name of Roza Nuttall. Her personally was very welcoming and she introduced me to Estee Lauder's Double Wear light Liquid foundation. Let me remind you, I went to E.L. for some mascara NOT foundation. In the first few minutes of the conversation I was blown away about how much she knew about what was good for different skin types and she educated me on makeup that focuses on skin care.

I end up leaving with what I came for and a few free samples of the items she recommended. It took me a while to try the 10-day complimentary sample that she gave me and when I finally did----HOOKED!! I had to have the bottle. Estee Lauder is such as respectable brand and some people have misconceptions about their prices. My theory is, "You get what you pay for." In this case the foundation is only $35.00 and that to me is a steal. I have been using MAC's studio tech foundation for years and up until recently I have been very pleased with it. The only thing that I don't like about it is it's wearability. If you touch your face a lot of if your man loves to kiss your face a lot then it will come off and that's a con for me. It's about the same price as Estee Lauder Double Wear Light but E.L gives you the benefit of a 15-hour wear. This particular foundation controls oil, it has a very natural finish and is very lightweight. The formula resists smudging and won't melt off through heat and humidity.

If you are looking for a great foundation that is non-acnegenic, won't clog pores, fragrance and oil free and dermatologist tested then I highly suggest this product. A good compliment to it is the Matte Perfecting Primer that aids in extended wearability.

NYX Cosmetics

I'm such a big fan of NYX Cosmetics!!!

To me and this is just myyyyyyy opinion….I like their shadows just as much as I like MAC!!! What?!!! <--- DID SHE JUST SAY THAT! Yup!

Their shadows and liners are so awesome. There are a lot of great brands out on the market but personally this is one of my favs. I have been using NYX for about 4 years now and the pigments are great. I prefer this brand over BH cosmetics. You have heard me recommend BH before but I've had some not so good palettes from them and personally (<--there's goes that word again:) I think their "neutral color" palette is a waste of money. Why?? I have about 3 different BH palettes and the neutral one is just awful. The colors are so hard and barely even show up on the brush or your skin.



When I step out and get dolled up I ALWAYS 100% of the time grab my NYX palette because I know without a doubt that I'm going to quickly and effortlessly get the results I want. The colors are so vibrant and truly unbelievable. I have had this one about 2years actually and when I say I'm in love with it, it's an understatement. I recommend any of their palettes, liners, jumbo liners and etc. Go on www.nyxcosmetics.com and shop shop shop! They have free shipping for orders over $50 and that is just fantastic!

CLEAN Makeup Brushes is a MUST!

If you're a dainty lady that loves to dabble in cosmetics then one of the most important things you should know is how critical it is to keep your brushes clean!!! Can you hear me screaming this……CLEAN YOUR BRUSHES!!!!

This is something that I really can't stress enough because through experience I've learned what being lazy and neglecting to clean your brushes can do to the skin. What difference does it make? Dirty, clean….its just a brush right? WRONG!!

When you are applying makeup not only are you adding color but you are also removing natural oils that are on your skins's surface and in turn microscopic pieces of dead skin cells also begin to collect on your brushes. Bacteria can and will build up on your brushes and cause nasty skin problems, acne, infection and etc because of dirt. Bacteria is a living organism that grows and spreads, it's totally disgusting so do yourself a huge favor and keep it out of your beauty kit!

If you are using these same brushes daily then you are applying oil, dirt and bacteria right back into your skin's open pores. This is fast recipe for disaster. You should be cleaning your brushes at least once a week and trust me, your face will thank you for it. To clean them you can use your regular hair shampoo or if you have very expensive brushes that are made of goat hair then use a mild baby shampoo, rinse with warm water and let them air dry.

If you want to be real fancy then go buy you some cleaning solution and have a ball but ladies the common goal is beautiful makeup on a clean and smooth face and this can only be done with CLEAN BRUSHES!!

Trayvon Martin VA Rally

Yesterday I had the humble pleasure in being a part of history. The Zulu Nation, The Nation of Islam, 'Taking back our Hoods' and countless other organizations and VA citizens decided to come together and take a bold stand for Justice.

The painful details surrounding the unfortunate demise of yet another young brother prompted a nationwide protest. People across the globe are grabbing their hoodies, skittles, and ice teas and demonstrating to the jackasses that think they can just murder innocent men and women that we are not a THREAT!!

A hoodie was exactly what 17 year Trayvon Martin had on when he was killed in cold blood and skittles and an ice tea were the only items in his pocket when he was accused of having a weapon. If that ain't a pretty picture of BULLSHIT then I don't know what is. This act of racial profiling directly hits home in our communities because we experience it all too often and it's time for a change!

"Too many Murders, Too Little Justice" was the theme for the flyers and rally posters and "No Justice, No Justice NO Peace" were the words roaring in unity among the protesters. Every race, religion and age group was represented as we stood tall for Trayvon out in the pouring rain. The VA Hoodie Rally made CNN news and the passion for the cause was well captured. There were so many emotional moments as mothers and fathers took to the makeshift platform that the organizers used as a stage. They stood on this platform and shared words of empowerment and inspiration. They sparked a fire in our hearts to unite as a young generation and take back our Hoods, to be PROUD of the color of our skin, and to educate our minds in the TRUE history of our people.

A young brother from the 'Zulu Nation' got up and profoundly read excerpts from "The Willie Lynch letter, The Making of a Slave", that cut us all so deep that some of the protestors began to shed tears and others will visibly angry. Angry at the truth in the words and how we as a race allowed it to become a reality. "The Making of a Slave" was a speech delivered by Willie Lynch in 1712 on the banks of the James River right here in VA and gave clear direction on how to physically and mentally control a slave. This "secret" that he shared with other slave owners was to simply "set them (Blacks) against one another". I have one word for this--"Wow"!

I'm going to leave that at THAT and hopefully others will begin to retrain their thinking and begin standing for worthy causes. If you don't stand for something then you will certainly fall for anything. We Stand in Solidarity with Trayvon Martin's family in their quest for Justice.

Organize your Fashion Chaos!

What's the point of buying a bunch of stuff just to have it tossed around, thrown all over your dresser or laying all over the place?

If you are going to invest your hard earned coins on awesome pieces at least show your appreciation to the brand by keeping it neat and organized. You'll thank yourself for it later.
A very effective and inexpensive way to "Organize Your Fashion Chaos" is purchasing a rotating shoe rack. Yep! Who would have ever thought!!! It's convenient because it can hold all of your hanging earrings, all your necklaces and bracelets. It's very heavy duty, after all it was designed to hold shoes and the best part to me is it rotates:)

Another great idea to help you organize your fashion chaos is purchasing a utility rack. This particular one is actually a 3tier rack and I love it because you are able to see all of your accessories and keep things separate and neat. It's sturdy enough for you to place all your clutches, more earrings and whatever other accessories you may have here. Both these items can be purchased at Target for $20 each and one thing is for certain, you will appreciate your things more if you treat them a little better:)

Those little earring holders from Claire's won't hold the large earrings I wear and it definitely won't house my entire collection. Some people like the jewelry towers or jewelry boxes....again, not for me because I need to be able to see my accessories. If it's out of sight for me then it's out of mind.

I hope these inexpensive tips are helpful to you!!! Have fun Organizing your Fashion Chaos!!

Take Care of Your Skin: Proactive

Proper Skin Treatment is a MUST!! You can hide everything else on your body but unless your religion requires you to cover your face then 9 times out of 10 your face is probably exposed. The best thing you can do for yourself is take care of your skin.

Laziness is not an option when it comes to skin care. Makeup wil only go so far because you can't hide bad skin under it. Nope! Sure can't, in fact...makeup looks worse on bad skin. The purpose of makeup is to enhance your beauty so it's important to have beautiful skin underneath it. That only makes sense right?!

I Love makeup so it's especially important for me to keep my pores clean. My skin just went through a nasty transformation and I was experiencing breakouts and acne. I was getting really frustrated and started backtracking on what I could have possibly been doing wrong.



The first thing I thought of was my makeup brushes. I hadn't been cleaning them enough and yes makeup does carry bacteria so you have to keep your brushes thoroughly cleaned. Also I was neglecting my skin toner. Since I was a teen i have been using Palmers Medical Coco butter to keep my complexion even and free of blemishes. It really works! It's about $7-$8 a bottle but you are paying for results so that's not bad at all.

I decided to take more drastic measures and purchase some ProActive. I'm currently doing the 3step Cleaning System and I began to see results immediately!! I'm only 5 treatments into the process and I'm really anxious to see the 30 day results. I recommend purchasing ProActive online because you get more for your money however if you're in need of a quick-fix just visit the ProActive vending machine in your local mall.

Just remember this....It's important and extremely beneficial to take care of your skin. Pretty skin IS IN!!

All Natural

You will never ever in your long legged life see me out in my natural fro lol!!!


Yep this is me right before my sew-in. I been a weave-ologist (weave wearer) for about 6 years now because it's less maintenance and easier for me especially since I'm on the go so much. When I was young up until about age 23 I had only worn my real hair because it was so long, full and healthy. A lot of overprocessing, dying, and lack of proper treatment all these years later left my hair dry, brittle and heavily damaged. At age 25 I did "The Big Chop". Chopped all the chemicals, relaxer and product out of my hair and begin to grow my natural texture back.

Almost 3 years ago I could barely even grip my hair lol, that's how short it was.....this picture shows the growth and my all natural results. Honestly I love it, I just have zero interest in maintaining it. Natural hair takes tons of care and more maintenance than I got time for. I'm the type of person that would rather get my hair done once a month and want my style to look good the entire time. I don't want to rod it, curl it, pin it---NOTHING! Lol when it's time for night night, that's what I want to do...put my bonnet on and go to bed!! Weave gives me that freedom because a good hair brand doesn't need your help looking good.

Under my sew-in this is my All-Natural hair:)

Where the hell have I been?

Mannnnnnnnnnn What's Up wit Vee?
I been working!!!! WTH right? LOL

Trust me I'm not used to it either but you got to do what you got to do. I haven't had a corporate job in about 3years. I've done my olds and end gigs here and there, my published novel has held me down and of course the proceeds from my speaking engagements and seminars add to my funds but I got to a point where I wanted to put my corporate skills to work and get a regular 9 to 5. To say the least it's taking some "getting used to" but its a great company so I can't complain.

The only thing about it is that I'm in front of a computer 8 hours a day straight so when I come home I dread getting on my Mac and typing ANYTHING!! I had to have a talk with myself and refocus my goals because that state of mind isn't healthy or beneficial to my life goals. Regardless of whatever, I need to keep my brand the #1 priority!

Shoutout to the folks that can hold down a job for 5,10, 20, 30 years....I take my hat off to you because it's takes a lot out of you to give 40hours of your time to someone else dream a week. Every time I think about it like that I cringe lol but the reality of it is the bills need to get paid and it takes money to make money.

Where the hell have I been? I been working lol!

Learn How to Check Yourself

Over the years I've have grown to really know how to check myself.

Sometimes I'm wrong as two left shoes but I'm also good at recognizing when I need to humble myself, correct the situation and say "Im Sorry".
It's something about saying "I'm Sorry" that's a little more personal than "I apologize". Chastisement doesn't ever feel good but it's so necessary. When you grow and mature you get to a point where you don't have to wait to be corrected, you correct yourself.

We are not perfect and perfection is something that we won't accomplish on earth, however everybody has a part of them that can be better. Learn how to check yourself.

Damn this Smells So Good!

I have had the sheer pleasure of inhaling one of the best fragrances of all time!
Eucalyptus Spearmint

That's a powerful statement isn't it?! Of all time??? What makes me say that?
Well for starters the initial whiff of the spearmint is Euphoric!! It captivates your senses and pulls your entire being into a calming state of mind. Its opens up every pore on your body and commands your attention. The eucalyptus tones in the scent was the best compliment that Bath and Body Works could have done. What a pair!

Trust me this is the perfect addition to your fragrance collection. I have the lotion, the body wash, the candle and the body mist. When I use anything out of this gift set I feel like I'm in a soothing spa, it's worth every dime spent! Right now, it is my absolute favorite! Go out and grab yours!

Fashion Sundays with Vee!! "ShoeGasm"

It's that time again!! Fashion Sundays with Royal Beauty Vee!
Today's focus for you beautiful fashionistas is SHOES!!

Shoes are the way to every woman's heart aren't they! Ok well maybe I'm speaking for myself lol. It's no secret how much I ADORE a mean shoe so today I wanna discuss what's HOTTTT in shoe fashion.

These shoes are from Nicholas Kirkwood. He is a young designer born in 1980 in Germany when his father who was in the US Army was stationed there. So born in Germany but I consider him American *shrugs*. Any who, his shoe creations are second to none. NOBODY is seeing this man in the shoe industry in my opinion and when I say that I mean...there is zero competition. That's a bold statement right! Welp, I just call it like I see it! The shoes above (worn by Sarah Jessica Parker) have a tasteful splash of neon peeking out of the design to give it that stand-alone appeal that puts Nicholas in a class all his own! Do yourself a favor and copy and paste the link below to see his entire Spring 2012 collection!

http://www.nicholaskirkwood.com/index.php?section=collection&season=ss12



Next up is the Neon Suede shoe craze!

First of all, I've ALWAYS been a devout fan of suede shoes! Add a LOUD color to a suede shoe and what you get is a masterpiece! Every shoe designer and every shoe store is catering to this craze!! All sorts of heels sizes, wedges and even flats are populating the shoe land in Neon colors. When wearing a shoe this colorful your outfit can not be the focal point. Busy prints or "too much" going on will destroy the attention of the shoe. With neon shoes....your shoe is your accessory so stay subtle with everything else. They say "history repeats itself", I can definitely cosign to that. Neons are so 70's but I'm not even mad because they are so FIERCE!!


Shoe designer Gabrielle Marina Gonzalez is unearthly with her shoes! Her wedges are made for a real fashion Goddess!

You can catch Lady GaGa often sporting these sky high wedges and LAWDDDDDDD let me tell you, you BETTA have talent to walk in these!! I am praying for your ankles as we speak!!! Oh and HELL YES I would wear these!! SICK ain't even the word to describe how awesome these shoes are!! Bow down to the Queen! This is one hell of a shoe statement, the kind that will have you gasping for air! Werkkk it!!!



Ok now it's time for the Grand Finale!
Does this image look familiar? These shoes are by shoe designer Gareth Pugh worn by Beyonce in her "Who Run the World" video! GOD AL MIGHTY is my reaction when looking at these killer shoes!!

I died, went to Heaven, died again and was resurrected by the shoe God herself when I first laid eyes on these!! My heart started pounding and I damn near blacked out! What in the world can really compare to these?!! What really floored me was how she rocked these bad babies with that sequined dress because it's just my style!! I would rock fire from this look!

These shoes are literally screaming...MOVE DA HELL OVA BECAUSE "MAWU" THEE AFRICAN SUPREME GODDESS AND CREATOR OF ALL THINGS is coming through!!!!!
Lawd have Mercy!! It's Fashion Sunday's with Vee!! Hope you had a Powerful ShoeGasm!! I know I did!