Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Hi Dolls!  Happy New Year!!!

I  just had to post a quick note on this....  If you've read my previous post on Eyelashes- Ready to Wear Lashes, you will know that I am a huge fan of Eyelashes!  I love GLAM... such a girly girl, I know.  Well anyway, one of the best eyelash curlers, hands down is made by Shu Uemura.  Shu Uemura eyelash curler is no longer sold in US stores. I was able to find an AUTHENTIC one on eBay and just recieved it in the mail.  I am super excited.. Curls to perfection and just in time for New Years Eve!  I will be at church giving thanks and ushering in the New Year with praises, but you still need to be fly at church right?  :)

tata...

Health, Happiness and Prosperity New Year's Dinner!

Hi all!

Its that time of year again... 2010 is coming to an end.  What can you reflect on from this year?  What did you attract to your life in 2010?  What are you affirming for 2011?  On or about New Years Eve, I like to take the time to reflect on what I accomplished the past year and think about all that I want to accomplish in the coming year as well as give thanks for the blessings I've received and the blessings I'm going to receive in the years to come!  We all have something to be thankful for!  If you are reading this blog, you have at least 2 things to be thankful for!  1.  You can read and   2. You have Internet access!

As a child, each year, my grandmother would prepare black-eyed peas to eat on New Year's Day.  Black-eyed peas are a symbol of prosperity and good luck when eaten on New Years Day. This year, since I will not be home for dinner on New Year's Eve, I am planning dinner for New Year's Day! I am going to prepare a

Feast of Health, Happiness and Prosperity for New Year's Day 

to usher in the New Year!

My Feast will be a calibration of dishes from many cultures that I have gathered over the years. Each dish represents either wishes for good health, wealth, prosperity, happiness on a spiritual, mental, physical or emotional level for the new year!  I am really excited!

Check out my menu:

Sharron's New Year's Day Feast
for Health, Happiness & Prosperity

(...and the meaning of each dish)

1.  Black Eye Peas:  They are small, look like coins and expand when they are cooked so they symbolize wealth and prosperity!  These are commonly eaten in the US on New Year's day, originating in the southern states.

2.  Fish:  Whole fish with silver scales symbolize wealth and good luck as well as surplus and abundance! Not to mention that fish are packed with many nutrients that are good for us! 
  

3.  Greens:  Greens represent good family ties, spiritual growth as well as wealth because of their color.  Greens such as Kale, Collard Greens, Spinach, Cabbage and Swiss Chard are very rich in nutrients and a key to eating for good health.   I plan to prepare some Kale and Swiss Chard. 
TIP:  Don't cook down your greens!  Cook them just long enough to maintain the bright green color to ensure that you retain all of the nutrients.   Cook them about 10 minutes max. Also, the greener the greens, the more wealth ;)

4.  Grapes:  In Spain, Portugal and parts of Latin America, many people eat 12 sweet grapes, symbolizing the 12 months of the year, at midnight on December 31st.    1 grape equals good luck for each month in the coming year. I am going to have some sweet black grapes as an appetizer with my feasts!

5.  Steamed Shrimp:  In Japan, shrimp are specifically eaten for longevity.  

6. Pomegranates:   This super fruit, a native from Iran to northern India, which has been cultivated and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region since ancient times, is gaining increasing popularity.  Pomegranates are considered the "New Fruit" and symbolize new beginnings, good luck and fertility!

Well, based on my menu, it sounds like I have a great recipe for a successful year!  Of course, in all things, put God first and give thanks to God for all of His blessings!

Hope you enjoy this and perhaps decide to try some of these dishes as well!  Do you have any plans, traditional meals for New Year's Day?

NOTE:  I will also be starting the Daniel Fast beginning on January 5, 2011.  The Daniel Fast, in a nut shell, a spiritual, mental and physical commitment to only eat certain foods and focus your spiritual thoughts in prayer and meditation.  My goal is to stay on board for 21 days, but I may extend beyond and do 40 days with a few friends and family!  If you are interested in joining me, please let me know.   I will be posting on this soon!!!

tata... and HAPPY NEW YEARS!

Scripture on Health of our Bodies

This is one of my favorite Scriptures as I relate it to the overall health of our physical body.  It touches on the necessity to be guided by our Spirit and not our body.  As we are 3 dimensional beings, Mind, Body and Spirit, the Spirit is far greater and more powerful than the desires of the flesh in all things.  Our physical desires to eat certain foods in excess that are not beneficial to the health of our bodies can result in destruction of our physical self.  Let the Spirit led you, even when it comes to matters of health and you will not be subject to every desire, which includes overindulging, excess and foods that lack nutritional value.

Galatians 5:16-17

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Nameste...

Curly Nikki Fierce Friday Feature!

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to post a quick note regarding my recent feature on CurlyNikki's blog this past Friday (Christmas Eve) for her weekly "Fierce Friday" feature! Each week the fab CurlyNikki features several ladies who rock their Natural hair-- meaning chemical free hair!  Some ladies rock naturally curly styles, braids, twist-outs, straight styles and curled styles etc..whatever their fancy.  Check it out here when you get a chance.  This is once of my favorite styles right now and I achieved this with my Curlformers.

Here is a re-post of my feature on CurlyNikki.com:

Hola chicas!


It's that time again! The images below are of CN readers at their flyyest...at work, on the town, and with the fam. Showing us all that natural hair is not a fad, it's a way of life...an extension of our beauty! Click on the images to enlarge them:

Sharron

My hair was styled using extra wide and long curlformers, and is about 3 days old in this pic. I slept in the curlformers the first night to dry (no heat) and pincurled each additional night to retain the style. I was not headed anywhere, just in the house from running errands all day!

Quick-- I need a Holiday Game!

Hi my lovelies!

So, I hope you all are having an amazing holiday!  Every year, my family plays the White Elephant gift exchange game on Christmas Eve and I thought I would share how it went this year!  If you are not familiar with the game, we each bring a gift to the family Christmas party, not to exceed a set amount.  Then, we draw numbers and the person with the lowest number picks a gift from the gift pile.  The next person can either pick a new gift from the unopened gifts, or snag a gift that previously open.  No gift can change hands more than 2 times.  If someone takes your gift, you can pick from the unopened gifts...

Well.....This was the very FIRST year that NO gifts exchanged hands!!!  What's up with that? Good gift karma or perhaps everyone was just happy with what they picked from the pile!  hummmm or maybe it could be that everyone was taken back by how cute my little nephew was when he handed out gifts to everyone, that they lost interest in the game this year!... lol

What's your favorite holiday game?

Happy Holidays!!!

By now, I'm sure that your holiday festivities are underway... but... I just wanted to wish all of my amazing, lovely viewers and followers a warm...

Happy Holidays!!!!!

Enjoy your festivities...

I am having some family over for Christmas Day dinner and I will be preparing a meal!  Exciting right?  :)  I purchased a vegan cake on yesterday from one of my favorite Vegan bakers in my area.  I wanted the carrot cake, but they were sold out so I purchased a Blueberry Lemon Cake instead.  its sooooo yummie -- to die for!  (I had a sample at the bakery).  I can't wait for my family and friends to try it and taste the foods love.  :)

Post-Christmas Giveaway!

Hello Everyone!

FYI-- 

Please be on the look out for a

POST CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY

on my blog www.sharronsguide.blogspot.com!

--and no, I won't be re-gifting anything that I recieve! lol

later muffins...

Homemade Guilt-Free IceCream Sandwich Anyone?

Hi Lovelies!

So I recently purchased some amazing cookies from my local health food store! They are Gluten-free, Wheat-free and Dairy-free, amazingly delicious, Ginger Cookies with Sliced Almond by Pamela's Products.  If you've read my previous post on Purely Decadent, Coconut Milk Icecream, you will know I'm a huge fan  of it :).  Well, I came up with a great, guilt free icecream sandwich on Sunday and I thought I would share!.. here is what I did:

Ingredients:

Ginger Cookies with Sliced Almond by Pamela's Products
Purely Decadent, Coconut Milk Icecream, Vanilla Bean
Sunspire Vegan Carbo Chips or Sunspire White Chocolate Chips

Take two cookies, face-up so the bottom of the cookie is open.  These cookies are super soft and are surprising the PERFECT consistency for an icecream sandwich!

Next, on a cold stone, marble slab or anything that will keep your icecream cold, use 2 spoons and fold a small amount of the Vegan Chips or the White Chocolate Chips (which ever your fancy) into the icecream until it is nice and blended.

Spoon the coconut milk icecream mixture onto one cookie.

Top with the other cookie, and.. VIOLA! ..the perfect petite treat!

Also checkout my post on How to make a Lactose Free Milkshake with Coconut Milk.

Any special holiday Guilt-free treats planned?

How to Use Lemons to Remove Age Spots

Lemons are one of nature's powerhouses!  Ever notice that most cleaning products contain "The Power of Lemons"?  Well, its not an advertiser gimmick.... Lemons actually are an excellent agent to break-up and remove dirt.  They can also be used on your skin to reduce age spots and dark spots left over from acne scarring.

What to do to remove dark/age spots:
Take a lemon and squeeze the juice from it using a juicer or your hands if you don't have a juicer.  (You can store the lemon juice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.)  Take a cotton ball and saturate it with the fresh squeeze lemon juice.  Focusing on the dark spot(s), pat the saturated cotton ball on the hyperpigmentation spot(s).  Repeat for several days or until the spots are gone or you receive the desired results.   When I do this, I noticed a different within 5-7 days.

Please check out my previous post on Night Time Facial Treatment which explores a three step process using Amla, Lemons and Cucumbers!

BONUS:  In addition, lemon juice can be used to whiten nails as well!  For your at home mani, simple soak your clean finger nails in a small bowl of fresh squeezed lemon juice for about 10 minutes.  You will notice instant whiter nails!  This is especially good if you wear a lot of dark fingernail polish.


NOTE:  Lemon juice can increase sensitivity to sunlight so be sure to wear sunscreen.  I would suggest doing the treatment at night before bedtime.  Please also check with your physician before use to ensure that hyperpigmentation is not related to another problem such as skin cancer.  In addition, I am not a physician, so please check with your doctor before proceeding.

Hippocrates Quotes on Health and Modern Medicine



Hippocrates, the father of western medicine (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC)

It is said that Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, once said:

"Let your food be your medicine, and

let your medicine be your food."

Such wisdom in a small quote!  (Quick History) Although, there have been claims that Imhotep of ancient Egypt was the first physician, Hippocrates is credited nonetheless.  He was a wise soul, before his time during his era where many questioned his practices.  He believed that the body had the ability to heal itself abut when the body was off balance, the physician should intervene by making a correction to bring balance back to the body.  Here are some additional quotes from Hippocrates, who is considered the father of Western medicine. It seems to me that Western medicine and many western lifestyles have strayed a bit from what the father of western Medicine's core belief's were.  Here are some more amazing quotes by Hippocrates:

"Everything in excess is opposed to nature."

"If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health."

"Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease."

"Walking is man's best medicine."

"It's far more important to know what person the disease has than what disease the person has."

To me, living a balanced lifestyle and understanding the healing power of nature is more reflective of what Hippocrates beliefs signified and is far removed from what western medicine has become today with the many pills and chemical solutions based on the demands of changing lifestyles and the dependence on care from physicians as opposed to the necessity for them to intervene. Often times, once disease inflicts our bodies we then pray for our healing, as oppose to being proactive and practicing preventive measures to care for the bodies that God has blessed us with.  Of course there are certain inevitable situations in life, because of fallen man.  But for the things that are in our control, it is our duty to keep balance in our bodies! 

Many schools of holistic thought believe in the same intrinsic philosophy of Hippocrates.  Everything in life calls for balance.  I believe in balance Spiritually, Mentally as well as Physically-- Spirit, Mind and Body.  Now, don't get me wrong, I am in no way discounting the years of knowledge and discoveries of our great medical practitioners as we are blessed to live in a time where surgeons and advancements in technology are available to us.  However, at the same time, we should not rely on such knowledge to cure us as a result of abuse or overindulgence and neglect to seek balance in our own person and assist others in their balance as well. 

Thoughts?

tata...

Top Five (5) Christmas Gifts for Men

It's no secret, men love getting gifts too!  BUT---What to get for the man or men in your life? Every year, same question! Right? This year, I took my topic to the streets, picked the brains of a few good men (muito divertito!) on the gifts they would LOVE for Christmas to come up with my top 5!.... Why not get him what he really wants! Here are the top 5 gifts men seem to want for the holidays:

For the Fashionable Male:

1. Cashmere Sweater: Men love to receive these, based on my survey.  The price point for a good cashmere sweater is really good around the holidays.  Cashmere is very versatile and can we worn with jeans, slacks or with a shirt and tie underneath. Know your man's skin undertones, and come up with the perfect color and style sweater for him! Styles range from crew neck to turtleneck.

2. Good Facial Skin Care System:  Lots of men won't go out and buy this on their own, so why not get it for him?  Women spend billions of dollars on anti-aging and skin care products... so why not spend some of that $$$ on the man in your life?  Check out:

(a) Kiehl's Men's Skincare - Facial Fuel ( Energizing Moisture Treatment For Men ) 75ml/2.5oz  Kiehl's has an excellent facial care system designed especially for men,  Nordstroms has a good gift set!

(b) Lab Series has an excellent daily facial cleansing set as well.

3. Personal Trainer Sessions: Ironically the men in my poll said they wouldn't take offense to this gift! So what better way to look out for the health and wellness of you guy then to treat him to a personal trainer! He'll be beach ready in no time!




For the Creative Genius:

4. iPad:  self explanatory right?  :)

5. High-end Camera:  If your fella is the creative type and does not have a hobby, trying helping him find one---- Lead him to photography!  It's a very soothing and rewarding hobby.  This is a great instant gratification gadget gift for a creative genius! POINT, SHOOT, RESULTS! and YOU of course can be his first subject. :)  Get a pretty sturdy camera that can stand the test of time with lots of zoom and focus features.  I like the Canon EOS series.  Then next year, you can add on a lense....

and just for kicks...

For the Rich and Famous:

2010 Bugatti Veyron: ... Unless you are rolling in the dough, B&J style, this may be far fetched... 
you can always opt for the Model Car sold at Neiman Marcus for his model car collection.  I'm sure you can find these on eBay... :)

Happy shopping......

Any other gift ideas?

How to Wash Hair With Shikakai Powder?

Hola lovelies! 

Mud to CLEANSE your hair? Seriously? No, I'm not losing it and yep, its true! It sounds unpleasant, but I've been washing my hair with Shikakai Paste (powder and water) for the past couple of months and I have only great and wonderful things to say about it.  I wanted to share my process with you all.

Unlike henna powder and amla powder, shikakai powder does not require a lengthy preparation time. The mix can be prepared in a matter of seconds to create a thicker or thinner paste.  The thicker mixer can be spread over the hair in sections and the thinner “tea” mixture can be poured over the hair.  Either method, the mixture should be fairly thin so it does not dry out as it will become difficult to rinse out of your hair.

How To Mix Shikakai Paste:
Stir a few tablespoons of shikakai into enough cold or hot water, just enough to form a paste. (Keep mixture fairly thin so that it rinses out hair easily.) Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes before applying. Use your fingers, a spoon or a squeeze bottle to coat the hair with the mixture, paying particular attention to the scalp and roots. Shikakai is mild enough to use on the length of the hair as well.

How to Mix Shikakai "Tea":
Stir in a few tablespoons of shikakai powder to enough cold water to create a paste and slowly stir in about a cupful of water to create a thin tea like muddy mixture :) .  After 10-15 minutes pour this mixture into a squeeze bottle, shake to increase the lather and apply by squirting over the hair, concentrating on the scalp and roots.

RINSE hair after a few minutes with warm or cool water massaging your scalp in the process, finishing with a cold rinse to seal your ends.  I also do 1 co-wash or 1 shampoo wash along with this. If you oiled your hair the night before, and the purpose of your Shakakai cleanse is to remove the excess oil, you can let the mixture sit in your hair for 30 minutes.  Also, I would recommend using the Paste instead of the Tea if you plan to let the mixture sit in your hair the longer period of time as the Tea will just run through and will drip.  You will need to cover your hair with a plastic cap to prevent your hair and the mixture from drying out.

The shikakai should be gone when the hair feels smooth, not gritty, and the water runs clear. Most people report their hair feels shinier and softer after a shikakai wash.

I follow-up with a deep conditioner.  OPTIONAL: Mix 1-2 teaspoons of amla powder with deep conditioner.  I do this mix about once a month.

What's your hair cleansing method?  Have you tried Shikakai Powder?

Success Quote

Sometimes the simplest collaboration of words formed into sentences can get to the deepest depth of our souls, getting us back on track with our purpose and life mission.  Sometimes, we can lose our focus and the smallest thing can bring us back...

Learn from failure and then courageously start again. This will lead you to success.

What keeps you centered?  Do you have a go to quote, scripture or inspirational piece that helps to center you that will lead you on your path to success? 



Feather Hair Extensions by Fine Featherheads

For those of you who like to stay on top of fashion and hair trends, you should consider Feather hair extensions by FineFeatherHeads.com! I know this sounds a little far fetched, feathers in your hair?  Who knew?  But when done in moderation, its extremely cute, fun and flirty!  Don't take life so seriously :) 

You can get these done at by your participating stylist at your local salon that provides the service or find them at finefeatherheads.com and do them yourself. My friend had these done in her hair over the weekend and they look fab! It's very subtle and you can do as little or as many as you like!!!!! I'm thinking "less is more" so I'm planning to have a few thin strains added to my "do". The great thing about this < "hair art" you can manipulate the feathers to fit straight or curly styles! These look great with loose or sleek ponytails, chignons, in bangs, straight, wavy or naturally curly hair. These add an extra level of fun to plain ol' boring hair! Here are some pics I found online with the featherheads in the hair:

My friend's stylist added only a few thin strains to her hair, why I like a bit better then the ones in the pics above, at least for me.

This style definitely speaks to the stylist, chic, Bohemian princess in you!  Would you try these? I'm excited to try these! What do you think?

Clarisonic Pro Skin Cleansing System Review

Today I received my Clairsonic Pro Skin Cleansing System in the mail! Yeahyah... I am super excited and can't wait to use it. Clarisonic is revolutionary in the skin care world and is said to clean and remove up to 6x the amount of dirt and grim and clean deep into the pores. The battery has to charge for 24 hours, so it should be ready for my first use pretty soon. Please check back soon for updates and my personal review on this! A friend of mine dies for this and said its made a dramatic and noticeable change in his daily facial routine.  He said he couldn't imagine life without it!

Have you used this or do you own it? What is your take on it?

Amla Powder to Cleanse Face

Hi dolls!

In addition to using amla powder as a face mask another way to use Amla Powder is as a deep cleansing scrub. Instead of letting the amla sit on your face to penetrate pores, you can use it to scrub out all that extra grim off your face, and as a bonus, it brightens your skin in the process.

Here is what you need to do:
1. Thoroughly wash face to remove surface make-up.
2. In a small bowl, mix amla powder and hot water to create a paste, then gently scrub your face in a circular upward and slightly outward motion using your finger tips. Dance across your jaw line cheeks, forehead and bridge of your nose to get blood circulating, decrease puffiness and disperse energy evenly on face. Sometimes a hard day can result in a droppy face, so this process of "face dancing with your fingertips" will help to lift and bring life back to your face.
3. Rinse face with lukewarm warm and finish with a cold water splash to seal pores.

I suggest using a high quality amla powder or a certified organic one. I will be selling organic amla soon, so check back soon!

Coconut Milk (Yogurt) by So Delicious

If you've read any of my previous post on Coconut (anything), you will know that I'm a huge fan of all things coconut! I use coconut in my hair, on my skin, for cooking, baking.... etc. so I of course had to try this! It contains 6 active and live cultures.  These healthy bacteria aid in digestion and keep our intestinal flora in tack! It is dairy free as well as soy free and gets 2 thumbs up in my book. (If you suffer from candida, you may want to consult your holistic doctor before eating.)  The taste is also amazing.

Interesting Tidbit: I went into my basic grocery store and although they sold So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk the one they carried was sweetened with Agave! Oh no... I'm NOT a fan of Agave as it is highly processed and has a very high percentage of fructose. You are better off with sweeteners that come from unprocessed fruits, organic or soaked fruits! (Try coconut sweeteners as well, which is sold is liquid and crystal form!)  I did however, find the cultured coconut milk (yogurt) at Whole Foods and it is sweetened with pure cane sugar. Be sure to read the labels!  I truly suggest that you try this! 

Top 3 Items on Wish List... UPDATED

Hiya Dolls and Kens!

I just wanted to share an update with you all from my wish list post! On that post I talked about the gift of giving and how good it makes me feel! In addition, I wrote the top 3 items on my wish list. Well.. great news! I got my White Sony Vaio, which was #1 on my list! I'm tickled pink! I'm telling you, I truly love God and love giving thanks for my blessings and blessing for others. So, now that I was blessed with my new laptop, I'm going to pay-it-forward on my blog! Check back soon for up-coming contest during the holiday season! check out my wish list post here!

Wolford Tights in Leo!

It's seems all the craze this season is animal print, which I love! The revival of the timeless patterns of leopard, cheetah and snakeskin to Lion colored neutrals make a full all out appearance every couple of years. This year, every store and designer has done it again, reinventing the timeless patterns... some uber fabulous and some, not so fab :)

One uber fab piece are these stay-up tights by Wolford in Leo!

Here's an interesting example of the Law of Attraction and thinking something into your own existence....

I came across these tights awhile ago on Wolford's website and it was love at first growl (in my best Ertha Kitt voice). This past Saturday, I searched the net to see where they were sold local to me and came up with Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth and Neiman Marcus. No luck, with finding them on sale though! I really wanted the tights and spoke out loud that I wanted them today.... dropped the thought and moved on with my day. Later that day, my boyfriend and I went to Nordstroms with other intentions and I decided to make my way to the Hosiery Department...... guess what was there in the sales bin?..... yep! My tights, in Leo! Lovely.... the power of the mind when you are in tune with the Universe and when you have strong faith in God, ANYTHING is possible... even something as simple as my tights! They were on sale for $44.00US from $68.00. A bit pricey I know, but for GOOD leg art, its not so bad ;)

Fashionista, Kourtney Kardashian wore these Wolford Leo tights recently at an appearance on the "Today Show".... I'm not a fan of her shoe pairing.... a bit much for me, but both pieces are nice...SEPARATELY!

I can't wait to wear my tights! I have the perfect, simple Blessing (my word for black dress pairing.. all words combined) to wear it with. Do you like!?

Self-Esteem Quote of the Day

Having a low opinion of yourself is not "modesty". It's self-destruction. Holding your uniqueness in high regard is not "egotism". It's a necessary precondition to happiness and success. -Bobbe Sommer

I love this quote as it speaks to our innermost self and how we feel about ourselves. Its necessary to truly love and respect yourself first. Don't confuse self love with being self-centered and self-seeking it acts to gain recognition. Love does not boast but rather it protects, trust, hopes and preserves. Make a habit of showing yourself true love, accepting your uniqueness as your blueprint to your happiness and success. Once you do this, everyone and everything around you will take notice of your light!

Namaste.... xoxo

A Little Bit of Happiness

Which paths we take, what we look back on, and what we look forward to is up to us. We determine our destination, what kind of road we will take to get there, and how happy we are when we get there.

-From A Little Book of Happiness

Another Great Reason To Love Curlformers!

So, if you have been following any of my Curlformers post, some of you may be interested in this, espeically if you are a naturally lady transitioning from a Relaxer. 

This past holiday, I decided to style my hair with my Curlformers and sit under the dryer.  I did my normal process and used my normal products.  To my dismay, my hair was not completely dry when I took out my curlformers!  I didn't sit under the dryer long enough. What's a girl to do??? I had to be at Thanksgiving dinner in 40 minutes!  So, I did what any rational, reasonable, lady would do.. and came up with plan B!  I had no idea how this was going to come up but I went for it!  The Natural Oasis Setting lotion that I used to set my curls, makes my hair super soft.  I took all of the curlformers out of my hair and:

1.  Applied some amla oil to my scalp
2. Took my paddle brush and began to brush out my curls and wrap my hair around my head.
3.  Took some saran wrap and wrapped it around my hair.
4.  Set under the dryer for 5 minutes
5.  Viola!  WOW... my hair looked like I just had a Dominican blowout! 

My hair was super straight-- but with wavy body!  I didn't even have to "hit up" the edges and roots with a flat iron to tame my hair....   :)

Another great reason to love Curlformers!  The style actually came out just as good as my old faithful roller set on my natural hair!  Although my end style was not what I planned, I was truly pleased with my Accidental Straight Hair!!!!

Valentino for Gap, Available in the US?

For all of my "Hybrid Fashion" fans... we have H&M x Jimmy Choo, Target x Alexander McQueen, H&M x Lanvin and now, the newest kid on the block is Gap x Valentino, which debuted in stores on Black Friday!

Did any of my fellow trend setters hear of Gap's announcement of its collab with Valentino? Well if you did, I'm sure you were equally disappointed that the announcement was coupled with news (to the dismay of many American fashionistas) that the clothes would not be available in US stores. The 7 piece collection is available only in select European stores. It features three parkas, a tiered skirt, cargo pants, a grey t-shirt and a hoodie in shades of army green, cream and black. Prices are between $100 and $240.

Well, GOOD NEWS....The French boutique Colette is selling the 7 pieces collection and they ship to the US.

I must say, I am a lover of many things Valentino! One of my favorite pieces from a couple seasons ago was this Rose Petale Dome bag by Valentino that I purchased... I retired it temporarily, but I'll be sure to pull it out of hibernation soon!

Here are some pieces from the Gap x Valentino Collection: