THE BEAUTY BLOG

You know how the saying goes...

"A decorated gorrilla is still a gorrilla" ?
That is to say, in lay mans terms; there is no amount of baffs that u can wear in the world that can take the attention away from your beauty, or lackthere of. Therefore, call me shallow but I think looks is one of the most important things in the world. Now im not just talkin a girl who was born with a pretty face or a flawless bone structure (we take heifers like that with a grain of salt and keep on truckin' lol) Im talking someone who takes the time and effort to TAKE CARE of themselves and groom their looks. Believe me, if you dont have to be naturally pretty to look good. If you take great care of your skin and hair, you will look way better than a naturally pretty girl who falls prey to "PGS".

PGS - Pretty Girl Syndrome; usually a girl who has been told one time too many how pretty she is, to the point where she believes her own hype and fails to maintain her beauty because she thinks she is just beautiful no matter what.

I have witnessed the downfall of many. ..When you start to hear "Oh wow...she USED TO BE so cute...etc.." PGS strikes again lol.

Anyways in my spare time aka all the time, i obsess over new products and skin care regimens and hair care regimens in order to er..'preserve my sexy' as diddy eloquently put it. Im a bit of a health and beauty junkie, although i dont always follow my own sound advice lol.

Skin care:

First and foremost the most important thing for your skin, which im sure uve heard a million times already is drinking as much water as u possibly can. Im not one of those people who was blessed with naturally great skin, so i have to work hard to keep it as clear as i can!!

Now when it comes to products its pretty much diff strokes for different folks, because people have varying skin types ranging from dry to oily, and people react to things differently. Its very important to have a facewash AND moisturizer, because if you dont moisturize your skin becomes more oily because it is forced to produce its own oil to battle the dryness of your skin. As tempting as it may be..NEVER SLEEP WITH YOUR MAKE UP ON!! seriously..talk about clogging your pores.

If ur looking to spend $ - $$
I pretty much swear by Neutrogena for my face wash and visibly even or their oil free moisture with spf. Please people spf is not only for white folks oh, everyone needs as much protection from the sun as they can get.

You should use a scrub at least once a week or every 2 weeks if you have sensitive skin. It is important to get rid of dead skin cells on the layer of your face, and it gives u a glow and a better complexion, AND ur skin feels baby soft. I think the unanimous best scub is St Ives apricot scrub, but I also tried a new neutrogena scrub pad over the break, that felt really great as well. However, do not overscrub!! there is nothing worse than aggravating your skin.

Another line of products i can vouch for through friends experiences and such is Aveeno and also the body shop's tea tree oil line. I personally didnt think it did much for me, but I like their blue corn facial mask.

I personally dont like dove for anything other than my deodorants. The moisturizer is too thick in my opinion and stays on the surface and doesnt really permeate into your skin, and i dont like the feeling of residue from the washes either.

For those willing to shell out the $$ - $$$
ELIZABETH ARDEN ALL THE WAY baby! LOL..no but seriously...Elizabeth Arden products leave u feeling all soft and gooey and womanly!! nuff said!

The most important thing is finding a regimen that works for YOU and playing around to see how ur skin reacts to certain products which is mostly by trial and error (which can either be a blessing or a real disaster!) It is kinder to your skin to stick to a line of products than mixing and matching, IMHO!

Oh and...SMOKIN...is TERRIBLE for your skin. I dont get what the fascination is with smoking, and why it seems that every time i see a nigerian girls picture (esp in london..yeah i said it!!!) there seems to be a ciggarette perched delicately between her fingers. I guess it must be one of the many 'in' things..or peer pressure..who knows. But i dont understand why anyone would want to smoke when it does absolutely NOTHING for you...it blackens your lips...gives u bad skin...BAD breath (i had a teacher who was a smoker...i had to hold my breath everytime she came near me)..and it doesnt even make you high!!! At least smoke weed or shisha if you really need the sensation of smoke filling your lungs...at least it comes with perks!!

Some ghetto skin tips (lol the kind u find out by mistake)
SHELLY - Im not goin to lie to you...shelly might remind u of your housegirl or those razz women that use it to bleach, but shelly really works wonders when u dab it overnight on a spot.

Neosporin - for those ladies who like to pick at their skin when they get an annoying pimple. Neosporin clears it up because when you pick at your skin, you can turn it into more like a wound than a pimple.

rubbing alchohol - LOL...okay...when i was in about ss3 or so...i got the WORST flare up of acne ever...out of nowheer..and i wanted to DIE! (Yes this is me - flaws and all!!) I went through just about anything that u can think of from pills to proactiv, to every benzoyl peroxide product there is on the market. And one day, i said u know what...f it....and i threw all those chemical things away that do little better than dry your skin till you look like prune. AND i met this dermatologist guy on a flight one...and we got talking, and he said you know what...im going to tell you something... he told me to get a little bottle. Fill it up halfway with rubbing alchohol, and dilute it to the brim with water...and dab it on my face like 5- 6 times a day or as often as i could... and i was like...ight...so i did it...and i keed you not...in like 2 weeks i had not a pimple on my face, and aside from the occasional period breakout that we women must suffer...i dont get random acne anymore can i say ALLELUUUUUUUUJAH!!!!! LOL...but please...combine this with a SERIOUS moisturizer.....can u say DRYING out ur skin sheesh?!

Ive heard about other myths like lemon juice on your lips to make them pinker, and those *blackened* knees and elbows that we blacks are known to suffer from, apparently it lightens them up. I havent tried it meself but its just part of my far and wide gathered knowlege...
AND i also heard that pure black soap (dudu osun, but PURE) is like a Godsend for ur skin, havent tried it but I might make a lab rat out of myself soon..all in the pursuit of beauty abi?

Glycerin & Rosewater - Makes ur skin baby soft when its used like a cleanser/toner (applied with a cotton pad) after you wash ur face. It really brings out a "glow" in your complexion lol, and makes ur skin feel sooooooo nice!

Phew!!! Okay im tired now, as im sure u are of reading this post so im going to take a breather and *maybe* get ready for school tomorrow...seriously who lives in NY...this weather is beyond RIDIC!! Im almost fainting from the thought of commuting at 9am tomorrow...all in favor of MLK week say aye....
AYE!