How to Live Stress Free!

Picture Credit: healthnews.ediets.com

1. Laugh a lot. If there's nothing to laugh at, laugh at your reflection.
2. Look at a picture of a baby at the first sign of stress. How can you stay stressed looking at a cute baby?
3. Pretend your a reality star and that your problems will make great ratings and give you big pay checks.
4. Treat negative comments like you do a fart or any other noise that comes out of an @$$h0le
5. Watch Yoga DVDs but if you're old and inflexible like me, don't actually do them. Just watching those Zen people will make you zen.
6. Let your gut hang loose, stop sucking it in.
7. When people try to bring you down with drama, tell them that they look really silly in that polka dot bikini, especially if they're not wearing one.
8. Drink chocolate milk, unless you're lactose intolerant then just dump the chocolate syrup over your mouth and squeeze away.
9. Watch shows like "Bad Girls Club", "Jersey Shore" and "Bridezillas" Two mins of those shows and you'll realize your problems aren't that bad.
10. Make a mud pie in your backyard. Don't have one? Find somebody else's and make them one as a thank you for using their backyard.
11. Sing. Loudly and off key is especially important
12. Get a free hug from strangers on 14th Street (S/O to @Rawmultimedia for the inspiration for that one lol)
13. Get yourself a bouncy house and go crazy for like 12 hours straight.
14. Make up your own language and pretend its all you can speak for a day
15. And finally, create stupid lists like this one and share them with the world! :-)

Thanks for Reading!

Black is BEAUTIFUL! Now Let's See Some More of it!

Picture Credit: Wikipedia.org

This is an issue that is very much talked about amongst the black community; the lack of "black" faces in mainstream media. I'm just going to shed my feelings on the subject with this post:

Now, I read a lot of magazines and watch a lot of entertainment media and being a person who is interested in fashion and beauty, I like to see what these media outlets have to say on the subjects. But the problem is that there isn't much representation from the darker skinned population. It has always bothered me to some degree that in mainstream media, the only black females you see are lighter skinned or mixed raced like Beyonce and Halle Berry. Being a slightly darker skinned woman, its frustrating not to have that image to look to and aspire to.

I mean, there are a few places that try...like for example, right now on my bed is the July issue of People Style Watch magazine with Gabrielle Union on the cover. Seeing her, a fellow darker skinned and very beautiful woman, on the cover of a (dare I say) predominately Anglo based magazine makes me happy. But why can't we have MORE of that? Do we have to always go to the same few magazines that celebrate and showcase black faces? (i.e. Ebony, Essense...) I don't think we should have to. I think there should be a little representation of EVERYBODY in mainstream media. And don't even get me started on television! Thinking of all the television shows that I like (I won't name them right now....), there is very little diversity in the casts. I'm not racist and I don't watch television counting the black people but its just something I noticed and feel should be changed a bit.

Like I said, there really have been legitimate attempts and I'm not trying to harshly criticize any one institution or whatever. This is my feelings and my opinions that I felt should be shared. If you agree or disagree, let me know! Speak your mind in the comments below!

And as always, Thanks for Reading!

My Favorite Things: Makeup Edition

I'm about to get real girly on ya'll right now!

1. Eye Shadow Palettes

I love eyeshadow palettes period but my favorite one has to be the 88 Neutral Eyeshadow palette from Coastal Scents (or BH Cosmetics, they're pretty much the same thing.) When I put on make up in the mornings, I pick this up, pretty much every day. It never fails, the colors are pigmented and the price is cheap too! Between $20-$25 (Its cheaper at BH Cosmetics btw!)


2. Sugar Lip Polish from Fresh

This has saved my life! Ok, I tend to be a little exaggerated lol. But not only does this stuff work wonders for my always peely lips but it tastes good too! Not that you should eat it though but if it just happens to meet with your tongue, its not the worst thing in the world to be tasting. Price: $22.50 from Sephora


3. Translucent Touch-Up Powder (from Sephora)

My face, especially in the t-zone area gets so oily throughout the day all year around so when that happens, I take this jammy out with my trusty little Kabuki brush and get rid of all that unflattering shine. And contrary to popular belief, it doesn't make you look ashy if you're darker skinned like me. The one I use is from Sephora for 18 bucks but any translucent powder should do the trick but beware of the ones that actually make you ashy (like the N.Y.C. brand sold in drugstores...NEVER AGAIN)


4. Cargo Lipstick in "Eve Pinky"

This was a Christmas gift from my bestie and the boldest lipstick I own which is why I love it so. All my other lip colors are pretty neutral but this one pops. When I put it on, I definitely feel a bit "Nicki Minaj-ish" and then I break out in my own rendition of "Super Bass"...ok not really but yea the lipstick is cool. Now, I bought it from Sephora but I think the color has been discontinued....sorry! But here are some other selections at Cargo's website. And also a picture of me wearing the lipstick on my Tumblr!


5. Caramex

Ok so this one isn't as glamorous as the others but definitely necessary! Caramex is, in my opinion, better than Blistex and chapstick and just about any other lip balm out there! I think I like it so much but it leaves your lips tingling so you know for sure its working. I use it to prime my lips before lipstick application which is especially important for matte lipsticks. I have two in my purse and one spare one at home...yes that's how obsessed I am! Caramex is sold in drugstores in tubes, pots and as a twist up chapstick. There's also cherry flavor!

Thanks for reading! If there's any favorite products you like and think I should try, leave your suggestions in the comments below!

Been away for a while...This is why!

Picture credit: Spong.com

Apart of me feels badly that I haven't blogged on a while bit the other part of me that doesn't feel so bad is just excited about my new expansion pack for The Sims. I'm obessed! First of all, I've been a Sims fan since it came out when I was like, in middle school or something. This newest expansion pack, Generations is bringing even more real life elements into the game like never before. Teenagers can throw parties while their folks are away, there's prom and graduations. Last night, my Sim had a bachelor party! Kid sims can play pretend and have imaginary friends...ISN'T THIS ALL SO EXCITING!!!!

So, in a nut shell this is why I haven't been blogging so much. This past week I've spent the majority of my free time playing God on the computer. (No disrespect to the REAL God of course!)

Thanks for reading!

Teenage Pregnancy is Cool! Thanks MTV!

The other day I was watching 16 and Pregnant with my bestie and we had a discussion about this fascination and glorification of teen pregnancy. Thanks to MTV, Bristol Palin and Jamie Lynn Spears and countless other factors, teenage pregnancy has kind of become acceptable and for some foolish teenagers, a cool thing.

For anyone that's watched the show, you know its not all fun and games. The producers make sure you see the teenage girls and boy struggling with their pregnancies, labor and bundles of joy. There's yelling, fighting, breaking up, and even some violence (as we've seen in recent weeks, outside of the show). MTV even puts up a disclaimer about how teenage pregnancy is 100% preventable. But the underlying thing; the thing about it that still makes it "cool" is the fact that its on television. It's on MTV! No matter what happens with these girls, they're still getting their time to shine, their names in magazines, they're faces in the news and their names out of the mouths of household names. And call me crazy but I think that the "fame" that comes after being on this show will be motivation enough for young impressionable girls to go out get pregnant in hopes that they'll become the next 16 and Pregnant star.

I get it though; its kind of a double edged sword. Awareness of teenage pregnancy should be raised to help prevent it but after that happens, I think its the media's responsibility to stop rewarding these girls with any further attention. These girls should NOT be on the cover of magazines and in entertainment news shows. End of story!

Thanks for reading!

What's a quarter-life-crisis anyway????

Picture credit: Backseatcuddler.com

Maybe some people will stumble across my blog and wonder why I chose this title.  Others could really care less but I'm gonna explain anyway! 
For anybody that's a John Mayer fan, you first heard this phrase in his song "Why Georgia" on his Room for Squares album and that is where I got it from.  Just so there's no copyright infringement or any mumbo jumbo like that. (Did I just say mumbo jumbo? My nerd is showing...)
For anyone that still doesn't quite get what it means; to pit it simply, it's basically a mid-life crisis but in half the time!

Thanks for reading!!!!