Homegirl Quel (kel) in Austin

Gorillapod! How cool is this thing?

I ran across it this in the latest LL Bean catalog I received in the mail. Instant lust. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities for taking awesome self portraits and for putting an end to group photos using the timer from that same boring front-on angle. Joby, the makers of Gorillapods, also designed some for holding iPhones and other mobile devices. I want this.  

Check them out online: http://joby.com/gorillapod.

Words I did not expect to hear at the gym today...

"You smell so good!"

We had just finished Body Jam (a choreographed fitness dance class) and as I was headed to the back of the class to grab my things, the woman who had been next to me tapped me on my shoulder. I turned around and she was all bleached teeth and blond hair and skinny and pretty (not because of all the aforementioned attributes, but she really was pretty) and sweaty and still high off those workout endorphins--we both were. Anyway, she was like, "Oh my goodness, you smell so good, what is that you're wearing?" Then she demonstrated just how good I smelled by sniffing me and pretending to faint in ecstasy. We laughed and I told her how glad I was that she said I smelled good, because halfway to the gym it occurred to me that I had forgotten to put on deodorant after my shower, so I was a little nervous about creating any potential odors during my workout. After revealing my secret, I told her it was my hair, "A natural hair product from Whole Foods."

That's what I told her. If she had had curly hair I would have told her that it was Kinky-Curly Curling Custard aka my new crack, which I will blab on about in a separate post sometime soon which will prob'ly be entitled, "Why I will pay $30 for 16oz of heaven in a jar" or "How the hell can Kinky-Curly charge $30 for hair styling jelly?! Oh! I get it. Because it really is THAT awesome!" Or something like that.

Out With The Toddler, In With The Handbags

My toddler will be starting preschool next month. More importantly, I will no longer have to lug around diapers and kid food, juice boxes and race cars all day in a (quite awesome, you may recall) HUGE tote bag. Finally, during the day at least, my bag will be all about me again! :)

I have always been a fan of huge bags. Pre-baby, I carried around lots of stuff. Back then, I needed a bag that was big enough to hold a bottle of water, 1 or 2 magazines, a makeup pouch a really big wallet, cell, lotion, gum,  yada yada yada you get the picture.  Now that toddler-freedom is upon me, and I have upped my gadget count, I will need an even bigger bag to accommodate all that stuff listed above, plus a netbook and a couple of cameras. But this one does not have to b water/baby-gunk proof. And on days that I am just making quick runs for lunch with friends or (yayee) to see a matinee, I can actually carry something that is small and pretty and has absolutely nothing to do with being a mom-person.

Here are just a few of the bags I'm coveting at the moment. I am seriously hoping to see one or two of these in my future:

Biguns

These bags by Joes Jeans (white) and Olivia Harris (black) are the stuff my dreams are made of. No, really, in my dreams, thanks to their hefty price tags. But, a girl's gotta dream. I found them on piperlime.com and fully intend to stalk them until the prices go down or until they are sold out.   

  Teeny Weenies

   

Behold the Fossil zip clutch and the fabulously long, fabric Aya Morrison clutch in all their ethnic, perfect-everyday-clutch glory. I read about Aya Morrison on Afrobella's spot recently and her bags have been on my must-have-one list ever since. I love both of these clutches not only because of their beautiful prints, but also because they are just large enough to carry my cell phone, money, Chapstick and lip gloss. And what stay at home mom wouldn't love to go out packed that light?

Makeup Monday: I love these so much, I'm throwing them away!

Sort of. I am amazed at how I (and many of you) justify purchasing yet another mascara or lip gloss or blush to add to the other mascaras and lip glosses and blushes I already own. This weekend, in order to prevent myself from buying unnecessary makeup I didn't really need, I looked through my collection to see how much of my stuff I actually use and how much I wanted to use more before I owned it. In the past, I told myself that I would use up all of the cosmetic and skincare products I owned before buying anything else. That was crazy. At the time, though, I really believed I could do it. Now, to make another attempt at controlling my makeup consumption, before I buy anything else, I will use up my core group of regulars (the things I actually trash empty containers of and buy again) and will not buy until the empty container is in the trash.

So here are the items in my makeup bag that are in regular rotation and (most) have been for years. Warning: It's so boring, but makes TOTAL since since these items have made up my everyday fresh-faced look for years!

Makeup Monday: Glam blue and everyday pink makeup on dark brown girls

Bump what you heard. Black girls can wear blue eyeshadow...the bluer, the better. Last week I got a Facebook friend request from Iman Cosmetics and discovered this video on their profile. Anytime I see a professional (or really good) makeup demo for dark brown girls, I'm all eyes and ears. I am always on the lookout for what other brown girls are using and this video is full of beautiful products and tips on makeup application. I got the Iman sable blush featured in the video from Target about 2 years ago and use it as contour eyeshadow ALL the time just as the artist does in the video. It's long, but every minute is worth watching. Check it. 

And while we're here, shout out to Erin, of ScandalousBeautyOnline.com, who reminds us in the following video to bump what you heard, black girls can wear pink! I LOVE LOVE LOVE her videos! She has over 20k subscribers to her Youtube page. Watch this video and you'll see why.

Makeup Monday: C.O. Bigelow My Favorite Lip Balm

And I'm not just saying that. This is my favorite lip balm and it's literally called My Favorite Lip Balm. Something about the name already had me convinced before I even put it on. I was in Bath and Body Works to replace my C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine and the store was having a sale on lip care so I poked around a bit. The first thing I saw was the product title, followed by the ingredients: shea butter and sweet almond oil. Then I convinced myself that I needed a better performing everyday balm than my usual cherry Chapstick. So I got it, put it on in the car on my way to visit a friend and pretty much decided I had bought my last tube of Chapstick. It's replacement not only protects my lips from the dry winter air, but leaves them soft and delicately scented like...shea butter and sweet almond oil. Soft, kissable lips even in winter. This lip balm is a winner! 

Fashion Friday: How cute are these boots?!

The girls in this commercial are just too cute. It's the one commercial I stop my DVR to watch. But this post isn't about this commercial, or those boots. It's about these boots...

Cognac, Steve Madden Fold Bootie. This is how I'd wear them if they weren't sold out of my size everywhere! You can try your luck HERE. 

Makeup Monday: How to find your favorite discontinued beauty item.

This weekend I went to put on my favorite everyday lip gloss, Benefit's The Gloss in Impromptu (peachy brown), and noticed that there is very little gloss left in the tube.I rarely reach the end of a tube of lipgloss, but either this particular one or a pinkish brown shade by Clinique go over my chapstick almost every day, so I imagine I'll be replacing them repeatedly. So I checked Sephora for a replacement for The Gloss and realized that it has been discontinued. A quick Google search confirmed it. I was able to find it for sale online from sites in the UK, but am on a mission to find it on the cheap and here in the U.S.  

In the meantime, here is some info you might find helpful on the search for your favorite discontinued makeup:

• Estée Lauder's Gone but Not Forgotten program allows customers can buy up to six in stock pieces of a discontinued item from any Estée Lauder brand including Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Prescriptives, Stila, Bobbi Brown, MAC, La Mer, Aveda, and Origins among others. Items are available up to two years after being taken off shelves. The drawback is that you'll pay full retail price plus $5 shipping, but it's worth it to stock up on some tried and true favorites. 
• Speaking of MAC, they (like many other brands like Nars) sell their discontinued goods right on their website in the Goodbyes Store. So right at the source is a good place to start.
• Cosmetics Company Store, usually found in outlet malls also carries discounted items, including fragrances, from tons of cosmetics brands. If there's  good outlet mall near you, you're likely to find one there.
• eBay! Yeah, eBay. 
• Outlet websites like Makeup.com, BeautyEncounter.com and CosmeticsAndMore.com specialize in discontinued cosmetics. Good luck finding your there. Their selections are slim.
• A good bet too, especially with lip glosses is to contact the company directly. Cosmetics companies rename and repackage otherwise unaltered products all the time. So there's a chance that your fave just got a makeover.

When all else fails, there's begging. Yes, begging sometimes works. More than 3,000 calls for Clinique to bring back Water-Resistant Eyeliner led to a glorious comeback. So if you can find enough people mourning the loss of the same goody, there's a glimmer of hope for a resurgence. If only it worked that way with TV! *sigh* R.I.P. Lipstick Jungle and Kevin Hill.  

Fashion Friday: Any Given Black Friday

No parking lots and shopping cart gridlock for me today. In between a breakfast and lunch of macaroni pie (my favorite Thanksgiving dinner leftover) and coffee, I spent my morning bundled up at the playground with my toddler and my afternoon napping while he did. Even though there was no Black Friday shopping for me, I did put together a list of black things that I'd be oh so happy to unwrap on any given Friday. 

1. Tiered Velvet Trim Dress, Forever21-$28
2. Converse by John Varvatos-$200
3. Kooba cross body bag-$469
4. BlackBerry Tour9630 
5. Idris Elba. He's not really on my list per se. This is just one for...um...you single ladies. Mhm.

Fashion Friday: Cropped Leather Jackets

Ok. So here's the short of it (pun intended): I'm into cropped leather jackets right now. And by "into", I mean admire them on people who have the body type to wear them and who do so well. As I've mentioned before, I'm very busty and since I have no desire to look like a lampshade, I'm steering clear of these for the moment. However, should I shed the remaining 30ish pounds that are currently still working with and achieve a little more proportion, I'm all over this style. So feminine and slightly bad-ass. If I where to ever literally get into cropped leather jackets, I would wear them with a plain tank, skinny jeans and heels like Ciara, Beyonce and Rihanna 'nem...sans the sunglasses, a few inches on the heels and the extra pointy shoulder pads.

These picks are pricey, but pretty. Fortunately, this style is very trendy,so your favorite shop is likely to have them at more reasonable prices.

Items in this set: Preen jacket, $749; DAY Birger et Mikkelsen jacket, $700; Rock & Republic jacket, $658;Arden B jacket, $58

Makeup Monday: Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara

When it comes to wearing makeup, I rarely emphasize my eyes and lips at the same time. Personally, I think one should always choose one or the other to play up. My lips are very full, and don't need much help in the emphasis department. So I almost always choose to play up my eyes. 

Enter Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara ($24). Y'all, this stuff has changed my mascara life. It was in a swag bag at the National Mocha Moms conference this year. I only recently started wearing it.

One layer=baby-doll lashes, you know, the ones that look like mini paint brushes? Two layers="are you wearing falsies?" I have it in waterproof and usually wear it with nothing else on my face but mineral powder, sheer, pink lip gloss and eyebrow gel.

It's the perfect measure of effortless eye pop.

Michelle Obama Covers Glamour's December Issue

I saw this at the neighborhood grocery store tonight. I was standing in line and the lights went out. I was terrified (Confession: I am afraid of the dark. Deathly. No exaggeration), but just before I belted out a scream, they came back on. While we where waiting for the cash register to reboot, I checked the magazine rack and saw her. She's the first Mrs. President to ever cover the magazine, but it's not just because she's pretty. She's being honored for devotion to mentoring young girls. Some people are saying that Michelle is getting too much exposure. I, however, could SO get use to seeing her on magazine covers. She's all long and brown and Mrs. Presidential. And those arms!

Makeup Monday: Make your black eyeliner jealous.

I have been trying to wear green eyeshadow for a couple of years now. I have tried green shadows by several drugstore brands, but either the color came out too loud and showgirly or didn't show up enough to matter. On a recent trip to Target (honestly, on any given day I have made a "recent" trip to Target), I discovered Loreal's Hip High Intensity Eye Pencil in Green ($8). It is a pencil, so it goes on with way less effort and with way more precision than a shadow with as much pigment.  

These pics are of my first time wearing it and I.Am.Hooked. In the pics, the green pencil shades my upper and lower lids, a black liner by Stila rims my entire eye and a bit of Lancome Hypnose mascara finishes the look. This eye like two minutes. The green is so subtle and complementary to brown skin that I feel as comfortable wearing this on a regular day of play dates and errands with my toddler as I would at a party or night out playing with grown-ups. It is SO my new everyday liner ( I will avoid saying something along the lines of my black eyeliner being "green with envy" because it is such as obvious play on words...even though I totally want to because it's just the perfect measure of wit and cheese for me, but I will spare you guys this time...OK...nope...I can't take it...I have to say it...). My black eyeliner is officially green with envy. 

There's also a deep purple pencil in this line that is just screaming my name. Purple is my favorite color, you know.

Homegirls, if you want a special eye, with a pop of on-trend color without all the fuss of dealing with an eyeshadow, definitely check out Loreal's Hip line. 

Fashion Friday: Butterfly Things!

Hi. My name is Raquel. I'm 31 (or 32? I honestly can't remember), and I still love butterflies. Can't help it. I have butterfly jewelry, hoodies, tops, hair clips...I'm even contemplating a new butterfly tattoo! I fell in love with them as a girl, like most girls do. Back then, I loved them just because they're pretty. Now, I think I'm drawn to them more because of what they represent: beauty, transformation, freedom. A few years ago, I blogged about listening to a song by Corinne Bailey Rae (note to self--find her album on iPod and hit play/repeat during my drive today) called "Butterfly" and simultaneously seeing and hearing "butterfly" and how I felt it was a sign of some kind. When I have moments like that, I feel like such a twelve year-old. In some ways I feel like that's a good thing. Twelve year-olds dream with a kind of hopeful naivety that I miss sometimes. Although I'm in my 30's now and have traded doodling butterflies on my notebooks in school for sketching potential butterflies tattoos, I still wear them  whenever I can. My favorite everyday butterfly thing is a gold pendant necklace like the one pictured below. My favorite special butterfly thing is a diamond and sapphire pendant necklace my husband gave me on  my 30th birthday (one or two years ago--seriously, I need to check the dates to figure out how old I am). Here are some sweet butterfly things for my fellow butterfly-loving homegirls.

Items in this set:

Wetseal.com blouse, $19; Pewter/Yellow Butterfly Print T-Shirt, 16 GBP; Cocoeve flats, $88; Tory Burch bag, $375;Alex Monroe necklace, $130;Enamel Butterfly Bangle, $42;Butterfly Brass & Topaz Hues Hair Clip $16; Butterfly Computer Sleeve, $45

Essence Magazine: The Root of the Issue

I am slowly making my way through the November 2009 issue of Essence Magazine. GREAT articles. I recommend The Root of the Issue starting on page 137. On their website, Essence describes this conversation between singer Solange Knowles; singer Ledisi; TV host Tanika Ray; celebrity hairstylist Ursula Stephen; and writer and producer Tonya Lewis Lee as provocative, hilarious and heartbreaking at moments, and I could not agree more. Essence Magazine, can we please have more of these conversation pieces? At one point when Ledisi was talking about how she reacted to seeing herself as beautiful for the first time, I was nodding and cosigning as if I where right there on the sofa next to her. A friend of mine reacted the same way as she read some of Nia Long's comments. And Solange is so smart and funny! I already knew that since she's one of the few celebrities that I follow on Twitter. Getting to "hear" her in a conversation like this was like confirmation. We could totally be friends in real life. I mean that. *hoping I don't sound like a crazy stalker or whatever because it's SO not like that.* Moving on. Readers get to be a fly on the wall as these smart, beautiful black women discuss their relationships with their hair with insights into the broader topic of our standards of beauty. There is laughter and there are tears--y'all know we can turn on the waterworks when we get into these types of discussions. I really enjoyed reading it and was disappointed when it was over. Have you read it? You should.

Fashion Friday: Let's talk about sequins.

While Beyoncé and Carrie from Sex and the City and maybe Cher circa 1982 would look right at home sequined from head to toe, it takes some careful thought for most of us regular girls (if I may speak for you) to pull it off. Not that we'd ever need to be sequined from head to toe, but we might be in the mood to sparkle a little bit along with the rest of the stars this fall.

This Fashion Friday post was a challenge, because I'm not one for shine unless it's on my lips or on my fro. But I wanted to give sequins a chance. Most of the time I dress for comfort. I wear jeans (structured ones) to church...sometimes even with my chucks. I don't dress to draw attention to myself, rather to look cute and decent should someone's eyes land on me. So choosing sequined pieces to potentially add to my fuss-free wardrobe took some work, but I found some that I would actually wear and still look like HomeGirl Quel.

Sequins make a statement, but are wearable everyday if the statement is small. Start with very simple pieces like the black t-shirt dress or black skinny-jeans and white tank I have chosen here:

Items in this set: Premium Sequin Blazer, $124, Betsey Johnson 'Law' Pump, $150, Monsoon Flutterby Butterfly Multi Sequin Clutch, $49, Juicy Couture | Sequined silk scarf | NET-A-PORTER.COM, $204, Black Sequin Ladder Beanie, $20

Then simply add one sequined accessories to finish the look. I chose the short, black t-shirt dress because of the red sequined heels I found. Shoes like those deserve to be showcased along with a good pair of legs...y'all know how I have a thing for my legs. The dress is plain enough to allow the shoe to shine, and simple enough for a plain dresser like me to wear flashy heels, yet not look like I'm playing dress up. Similarly, the sequined blazer or scarf can top a plain white tank and black skinny-jeans without making a fuss. I'd pair the blazer with a pair of black boots or pumps. With the scarf or the beanie, black and white high-top chucks will work every time.

See?! Sequins are doable. How would you do sequins? Or would you?

Makeup Monday: Go Natural!

Whew! As you may already know, I saw Good Hair this weekend. Y'all, when I saw what sodium hydroxide, the active ingredient in chemical hair relaxers, did to that poor innocent piece of chicken? It made me wonder how many of us actually question the ways in which we systematically poison our bodies and those of our children knowingly or unknowingly. I only used chemical relaxers for about 6 years, between age 13 and 18...and twice over the past 12 years during my natural hair journey. I'm glad to be off relaxers completely now, but can't help but wonder what, if any, long-term effects exposure to those chemicals may have caused me. Is that a major downer or what? Basically, I said all that to say, I'm inspired to go natural...for a minute.

Fashion Friday: It's A Wrap!

Wrap sweaters deliver instant style--a cool edge to your look with as little effort as just throwing them on. They take on a different shape every time you wrap them, so it's like many sweaters in one. More importantly for those of us with a little more up top, there is no sweater more flattering than wraps. My philosophy when it comes to sporting big boobs: either flaunt 'em or camouflage 'em, but don't just lug 'em around. Before I discovered wrap sweaters, I was a lugger--a standard cardigan girl, and those things are so unflattering on a girl like me with more up top and less everywhere else.

That's me in the picture...looking wrapalicious at Blogalicious 2009. I think I ended up wearing this Old Navy sweater to every daytime event while I was there, because it goes with EVERYTHING, even in green! I dressed it down here with dark-rinse skinny jeans, a white tank and black ankle boots,  and later dressed it up with tan wool crepe J. Crew slacks, a pomegranate top and heels. I even rocked it with boot-cuts and chucks on the plane ride home. I liked this look so much that I actually went back and got the same sweater in black! 

Above: Splendid Cape Wrap $87 - piperlime.com;Roll-Up Wrap Sweater $40 - Old Navy;Loose wrap blouse -$688- brownsfashion.com

Tip for my HomeGirls: When you find something you like, especially a high-style, reasonably priced classic like the one I'm wearing here, go ahead and get it in at least two colors. Definitely a DO with jeans. We all know that jeans that fit perfectly are a gem, so when you find the ones that hug you just right, buy two pair or even three of the same ones if they're on sale. That way, you won't have to wash and wear one pair to death. When they're beyond that chic, broken-in point, you can pull out a fresh pair and keep it moving.

Makeup Monday: Sam Fine, The Basics of Beauty DVD

Back in the day, y'all, I lived and breathed to do makeup...and eyebrows. If I had it to do over again, I probably would have gone straight to cosmetology school after high school. I was The Makeup Girl among my friends and fam. Proms, parties, weddings...I was it. Now, I'm not itching so much to do makeup for my girls...although I will without hesitation if asked...but I am LIVING to pull my natural look together like Sam Fine, celebrity makeup artist and guru for black women, does. I'm on a mission. Step 1: Buy Sam Fine's DVD. Step 2: Look fabulous. Step: 3: Y'all know there will be before, during and after photos.

I remember when his book came out in '97. The before and after photos of models and celebrities are incredible. I was surprised by how many products he used to achieve what is essentially a natural look. I couldn't quite pull off his techniques though. While I pride myself in my ability to wear a full face of makeup (foundation, powder, concealer, blush, lipstick and liner) while looking like I'm not wearing any, like I do here, I'm ready to look more fly after all that work. Now that the book has come to life and Sam Fine is actually SHOWING us how to apply the makeup AND talking us through it on his DVD, it-is-on. 

I couldn't afford his book back in the day, can't justify the cost to buy it now, but the DVD is less expensive and well worth the $25 price tag. It's available on Amazon.com. Stay tuned for my transformation--I'm gonna be SO ready for my closeup.

But enough about me. Here's a little something for you. Sam Fine works his magic with eyeshadow:

Makeup Monday: Conceal it!

When I wear makeup, my goal  is to look flawless...not made up. So I use light coverage products on my skin: tinted moisturizer or mineral powder, depending on how much time I have to get ready. After becoming a stay at home mom and getting a LOT less shut-eye, I developed some pretty good shadows around my eyes. Not awesome. I hadn't worn concealer for years, but when I needed to add them back to the mix, I tried something old, something new, and something borrowed, and loved every one. Here's the rundown:

Something Old: Black Opal Flawless Concealer (Bronze) $5
I started using this back in college. Back then, I was heavy into makeup and used concealer in every curve on my face (sides of nose, around mouth, eyes...) whether I needed it or not. Most of the time, I think I pulled off a flawless makeup application, but again, I looked made up. This time around I just used my finger to dab a bit all around my eyes (upper lids, corners, underneath) after eye cream for an instant fake-out.

Something New: Clinique Almost Powder SPF 15 (Deep Golden)$23
 I can't say enough awesome things about this product. I don't go one day without wearing it. Secret's out. I first used this product as part of my first ever review for Clinique as an Insider (click here to watch my video review) and fell head over heels for it. While it's NOT a concealer, this mineral powder it is a wonderful stand-in. I use the sponge for a heavier application around my eyes before using the foundation brush to finish my whole face. I use this product and technique most often since, as a mom of a toddler, I usually don't have much time to spend getting ready.

Something Borrowed: Olay Regenerist Eye Cream + Concealer,   $20
 A friend of mine left this at my house after visiting from out of town. In the tube, it looks totally too light for my skin tone. The only reason I gave it a try was because my friend is the same complexion as me and uses it religiously. I used it after applying my eye cream (although it is an eye cream--I use mine out of habit) and after patting it in with my fingers it blended right into a slightly lighter-than-me halo around my eyes. After applying my makeup, it actually gave me a really professional looking finish. I mean, you could tell I had applied something to brighten my eyes--like how sometimes you can see on celebs?--but it was pretty. It was for a special occasion, a wedding actually, so I felt perfectly fine looking done up. 

Quick Tip: Apply concealer all over lids before eyeshadow for all-day ceaseless coverage. Here's a short video of a professional application: