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i don’t think i have mentioned it but i dance for VCU’s Gold Rush dancers. we’re kind of like the Laker girls or the Miami Heat girls but a college version. i am honored to be selected as one of the six Gold Rush dancers to represent the team in the big dance! now that it is March Madness, things get real cray cray. we are patiently awaiting our cue to hop on the plane and dash off to Portland, Oregon. we could be there for two days, maybe three, who knows, maybe five. it all depends on how well our Rams play. if we win both games there, we dash off to ATL next week. yeesh! in the meantime i’m researching places to visit and sights to see while in Portland. i’ve wanted to visit Portland for awhile so i’m very stoked and any restaurant/shopping suggestions are welcome! expect some cool blog posts all about Portland in the future.

a puppy is to belly rubs as i am to beauty products. it is my weakness and i can’t get enough of them. it actually might be a serious problem. if i ever get married, my husband will probably lay the smack down on my product budget then i’ll have to sneak off to sephora like a crack addict to the local corner. it’s that bad. so i thought i’d put my obsession to good use and at least share with others what i’ve found to be awesome through all of my “research”. 1. sonia kashuk luxury lipstick/somehow they’ve managed the perfect blend of punchy color and moisture. it’s magic. 2. smashbox camera ready bb cream/i read about bb creams a few months ago and have kept my eyes open for one. some claim bb cream is a miracle worker and i’d have to agree. if you love lightweight foundations or tinted moisturizers get your hands on this! it is a primer, moisturizer, spf, wrinkle corrector, oil inhibitor, & foundation all in one. heck, it might even wash your dishes for you, it is that good. 3. lush beauty solid shampoo in seanik/solid shampoo confused me at first but now i am a huge fan. lush beauty products are all natural and environmentally friendly. this little bar has seaweed for moisture and sea salt for texture. i get the best volume with this little bar, the kind you can only get from swimming in the ocean. total sexy beach hair. 4. laura mercier eye basics in peach/so i was not blessed with pretty skin. i have that thin skin that you can see every vein through and it is especially gross on my eyelids. this lil baby solves those woes. wear it alone for an everyday look or as a base under eye shadow to make it last throughout the night. 5. l’oreal hip cream eyeliner/i’ve tried quite a few cream and gel eyeliners, even the glorified smashbox one. this works just as well and so far hasn’t dried out like the others did. i’m sold and i love that i can pick it up at any drugstore. 6. dior addict lipstick/buy it in “tulle” and you’ll never search for another neutral lipstick, plus the moisture it packs is insane. this ain’t your grandma’s lipstick. 7. clarisonic mia/it takes just a minute to exfoliate and cleanse your face and it even has its own timer so you don’t have to do the counting. it fights and prevents blemishes, as well as other imperfections & your face will feel like butter. look for it in a gift set at sephora with a bunch of other products because they usually include full size bottles, that’s how i found this next gem… 8. bosica purifying cleansing gel/i feel like i’ve tried every face wash under the sun and this one takes the cake. if you have normal skin that is prone to acne and dryness, here’s the answer to your riddle. 9. mario badescu drying lotion/it is a genie in a bottle  if your wish is for that blemish to disappear. bingo bango, gone!

 here are the products i haven’t had the privilege to try yet but once i get a few more bucks in my wallet, you best bet they’re coming home with me. then i will let you know how they work out, of course.

 1. lush beauty big blue bath bomb/lush is probably first known for their bath bombs. i am not a big bath taker but i will soak just to try one of their bath bombs. big blue is the bath bomb version of my favorite solid shampoo i mentioned up above. seaweed and salt, just a day at the beach. 2. paperself false eyelashes/falsies made out of paper. yes, you heard right. i love false eyelashes and would wear them everyday, but these would be my “going out” falsies. this one is the peacock version but they have other scenes like under the sea and deer with butterfly. 3. perricone, m.d. intensive pore minimizer/i’m always searching for the best pore minimizer, hence the clarisonic mia, i hear this toner is the best of the best though. 4. ojon damage reverse instant restorative hair serum/”fried, died, and laid to the side” is an old term from back home that we use to refer to over processed hair. i hate to admit, my hair is at that point and needs some tlc. i’m trying the shampoo & conditioner of this product and love it thus far but some days my hair needs more love than others. 5. benefit badgal lash plum mascara/this is one of my favorite mascaras because it has the biggest fluffy brush. i’ve tried it in black a dozen times but the plum version will make the eyes pop. definitely adding this to my makeup bag to give my eyes a lil sumpin’ sumpin’. 6. lavanila vanilla grapefruit eau de parfum/i have my go-to scent right now which is Chloe but i like to collect others for days that i want to switch it up. i’ve always loved the smell of vanilla and lately have had an obsession with grapefruit anything. this might be my summer scent. 7. urban decay naked 2 eyeshadow palette/i’ve heard so many raves about the first version “naked” that i can’t miss out on this boat. apparently, these are the perfect neutrals for your eyes all in one palette. can we all say a big THANK YOU to urban decay for helpin’ a sista out. 8. bliss fat girl soap/catching a glimpse of your cellulite will ruin your day. for real. this bar exfoliates and is infused with caffeine to help contour which is all supposed to minimize the appearance of cottage cheese thighs. sign me up!

do you have any products that you love or lust? please, share!

i have been loving the trend of colorful pants these past two seasons and i can’t wait to see it evolve. for so long we wore denim in different washes, black, gray, white, khaki pants…BORING. it is all about color, color, color and i am stoked. i have my eye on a few other colorful pair of pants. i definitely want some coral skinnies, as well as, mint green. i got my j. crew and madewell catalogs (same thing different name) and i wanted everything. so many great, lightweight, colorful pants, skirts, and shorts. ahh! give me summer!

 this outfit is much heavier than what i plan to be wearing but these pants are a cross-season item. so lightweight and flowy, i feel amazing in the them.

 haven’t said much about this clutch and i know it is has shown up a few times. found it at a goodwill in kentucky for like $3. it is roomy, simple, a great eggshell color, and my favorite part is the gold lion head on the front flap. i am a Leo, after all, we love our cats.

 {pants: lux from lulu’s, sweater: ann taylor, thrifted, chambray shirt: target, shoes: forever 21, clutch: thrifted,

finally, a favorite forever 21 find…the shoes. usually i find floral prints so tacky but i am much more forgiving when it comes to prints and shoes. it added a lil pizzazz to the boring-ness of the camel sweater and chambray shirt and a lil reminder that spring will be here soon.

well not THE DVF but two of her key men did. i attended and wrote an article for From the Runway to RVA. 

Check it out here.

 i received my first fur pieces some years back, i believe i was in high school. they were my great aunt’s stoles. at the time i only cherished them because they were hers and had a story behind them but i could never see myself wearing them. a couple years passed and i was invited to the presidential inauguration and one of the balls by a dear friend. we got gussied up, him in a tux, me in a ball gown and were about to head out into snowy D.C. when his aunt suggested I wear her floor length mink coat. i was 18 and somewhat puzzled as to how i felt about it. sure enough, it was the best idea. there were so many people in fur coats and not only was it the warmest option but it was much more elegant than my department store wool/acrylic blend black coat. from that point on, i was sold on fur.

fur proved itself once more when i traveled to London and Paris. it was so cold in both cities but even snowed in Paris. who came to the rescue? my trusty fur coat that i refused to not travel with despite the baggage weight/cost while flying. no wonder Parisian women wear fur. it is too damn cold to think about the implications.

since that snowy inauguration, i have come to inherit many furs (most from my best friend Lo Lo‘s lovely mother-in-laws’ closets, thanks ladies!), faux and real. i wear them proudly, though i know i am disgusting many people around me. but hey, i didn’t have these furs made for me, they were just going to sit in someone’s closet. what do you do with a beautiful, warm fur? bury it? i think not.

fortunately, there are many faux options these days and i have racked up a few for my collection (great for the wallet and even better when people are almost ready to toss red paint on you, “it’s faux, i swear!”). when my mother was in town this past weekend she was kind enough to take my sisters and i shopping. i found this dramatic gem at Forever 21 for $15. yeehaw! what is even better about this fur? removable for easy care.

photo cred: Colby Flinchum, my helpful roommate.