"Have you ever confused a dream with life? Have you ever been blue? Maybe I was crazy. Maybe it was the 60's. Maybe I was just a girl... interrupted"

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Does Society "Assassinate" Those That Step Outside the Box?

By now I am sure that you have all seen "Window Seat", the new video by Erykah Badu that's causing a stir around the web. I love the symbolism behind the video [or movement], sure it incites controversy [and in all realness she is pushing an album], but beyond that this really speaks to my soul.

As dramatic as it may sound, my character has been assassinated many times for deciding to do things my way, which often times goes against the grain of the role society laid out for me. I have experienced sour looks from my own sistas who scoff at my decision to embrace my natural hair, I have been called a dreamer because I choose to live my life doing things that make me happy instead of following social norms and mores. I, just like Erykah, am tired of the sanctions imposed on me from society, and often times I want to strip myself of social boundaries; and be who I am. Why can't I just be me?

There is  p o w e r in having complete control over who you are, that is why ideologies are created to keep us in check, and to make us fear anything other than what society deems appropriate. Ever wondered why ideologies are created by the dominant members of society? Their unwritten rules, and expectations serve one purpose; conformity. - To all of my brothas and sistas out there that fight to stay true to yourselves [because it is hard], inhale the fresh air, and exhale fear!

I am curious to know your thoughts on this video!

Dermalogica Microfoliant Review - The Key to Glowing, Healthy, Clear Skin?

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Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant - $50 2.6oz

After reading rave reviews [and having rave reviews myself on the Demalogica brand] I bit the bullet a few months ago and purchased Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant. Prior to using the microfoliant, I had clear skin [thanks to their skin care system] however I wasn't satisfied with the size of my pores, and the fact that my skin seemed dull. I knew at some point I was going to need an exfoliant, but I was concerned about the effects that some exfoliants have on your skin.

I used Dermalogica's Microfoliant twice a week for about 3 weeks before I really started to see satisfactory results. It gently sloughs off layers of dead skin revealing skin that is smoother, softer, and brighter. This also fades dark spots left behind from blemishes, not to mention those pesky pores around my t-zone were visibly smaller. Is it worth the hefty price tag? Most definitely. Would I purchase again. Absolutely.

I would recommend this to anyone that wants to brighten up their skin, and reduce pore size. This is also wonderful for people like myself who have dark spots, and pesky blemishes. - If you do try this product, I recommend using it sparingly until you figure out how many applications your skin will need, as this can easily dry out your skin if used too frequently. 

For all of my frugal sistas out there who just happen to be mixtresses, you could mimic some of the properties of this microfoliant by creating a mixture using the following ingredients:

- Dried Yogurt Powder [Moisturizer]
- Dried Honey Powder [Moisturizer]
- Rice Powder [Gentle Exfoliant]
- Neem Powder [Antimicrobal Properties]

Use rose water, to create a paste; and apply to skin - I do plan on testing out a few formulas using plant extracts and essential oils to see if I can create a cheaper, more natural alternative to the Daily Microfoliant. If it's a success, I will definitely share the formula with you!

New Braidout Video!

Oh boy. It took me about F I V E HOURS to wrap my brain around uploading HD videos to youtube. I have seriously been at this since 8:30AM this morning. However it's up now, and all is well! The video is still processing, so it may take it moment for it to be available in true HD.

Here lately I have been experimenting with different braidout techniques. Out of pure laziness one day, I did about 8 braids instead of my normal 15-20, and I liked the outcome. Using 8 braids as opposed to 20 makes for a bigger, wavier, less defined look [on my hair at least], and my braiding time is only 10 minutes to boot!

The only drawback for me is that this style only really lasts about 2-3 days before I need to re-braid it at night vs the style I can don for a week or more using 15-20 braids. 

It's been a minute since I did a YouTube video, so I have a few more coming your way in the near future [Henna Tut, & Wash & Go w/Eco Styler Tut]! I hope you enjoy!

To achieve this look, I used the following products:
Leave-In Conditioner - Sebastian Potion #9
Styler - Oyin's Shine & Define
Secondary Styler - Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream
Moisturizer - Oyin's Juices & Berries
Oil - Afroveda Citrus Sunsilk Hair Oil

Spring is Here | Carrot Pineapple Cuppies

To say that this is the best Carrot Cake I have tasted; would be an understatement. - I can take it or leave it when it comes to Carrot Cake, because it can easily be a dense, dry hockey puck depending on the recipe.

But Ina Garten can do no wrong in my eyes when it comes to recipe's, so she was the first resource I turned to when I decided to make cupcakes. Due to the high caloric content of these cupcakes, I used smaller cupcake liners [and will begrudgingly give some away to friends and fam]. -

Although I love Ina's recipes, I did tweak it a bit. The original recipe called for 1 1/3 cup of Vegetable Oil, and I used 1 cup of Applesauce, and 1/3 cup of oil. I did this because the addition of applesauce makes for an extremely moist cake, and it can also act as a fat replacement in most baking recipes. If you like your sweets on the sweeter side; use regular applesauce. If you like them on the milder side, use sugar-free applesauce.

I also added pineapple, because it gives it some nice texture if you are foregoing nuts and raisins [like I did].

This stuff literally just melts in your mouth. The prep time is about 10 minutes, and the bake-time is about 30 depending on your oven. - I got these cute little sugar "thingies" from my local bakery supply store, along with the yellow cupcake liners.

Carrot Pineapple Cupcakes {Adapted from Ina Garten}
Ingredients:
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Applesauce
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
3 Extra Large Eggs
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
3 Cups Grated Carrots
1/2 Cup Pineapple

Frosting:
1/2 lb Butter
8oz Cream Cheese
1lb Box Confectioners Sugar
1tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350

Beat oil, applesauce, vanilla, and sugar either with a mixer [paddle attachment], or by hand with a rubber spatula. Slowly add eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. With the mixer set to low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. If you are mixing by hand, use slow, steady strokes, as you don't want to over-mix the batter causing it to be dry, and tough.

Add the carrots, and pineapple to the remainder of the dry flour mixture, and mix well. Pour that mixture into the batter, and mix until just combined. Again, making sure not to over-work the batter.

Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners, and pour until just under full, they don't rise entirely too much, so don't be afraid to add a little more batter than you normally would.

Bake the cupcakes on 350 for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the frosting;  cream together sugar, butter, and vanilla, then slowly add confectioners sugar until mixed well.

You May Say That I'm a Dreamer; But I'm Not The Only One

It was amazing weather this past weekend. Almost picturesque. It's hard to believe that in just 3 days we will have "rain/thunder" headed our way.

Weekends are never long enough. I always feel like I need an extra day to actually rest. - I can't complain though, this weekend was actually better than the last few. My creative juices were flowing, and I decided to spend my weekend doing whatever came to mind.  I filmed some hair videos, watched shorts on Vimeo, cooked/baked, made lethal Margaritas, dabbled in stop motion photography, and short film concepts.

Wearing - Shirt: D&G - Skirt/Bracelets: Forever 21 - Belt: Thrifted - Boots/Bag: Downtown L.A Fashion District

Where Have All the Flowers Gone?...

Thinking of...

Hot mocaccinos. Frosty walks. Big vanilla tea cups. A piece of sweet apple pie. 

 Vintage long coats. Faux fur vests. Black tights. Comfy boots.

A warm bed. An alarm clock bleeding time. Sheets over my head.

It´s that time of the year with the cold mornings and the longer nights...

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