Smashbox-Softbox Eyeshadow

A dear friend sent me this smashbox palette from California to try.  The first time I used it I was in awe of the product because of how effortless it is to apply.  The colors blend very well and there is a tutorial adhesive attached to the back of the compact.  So if you are a beginner and you are not sure how to apply this makeup, you have step by step instructions  included with your purchase.  Even though I have been applying makeup forever, there are different ways to achieve other looks and smashbox gives you options.  I have to say that this product works wells anywhere and anytime.  I don't think I have used a eye-shadow that goes on so smooth.  Not even MAC.  Smashbox stays on all day and it does not smudge.  

My goal at this point is to get more colors and try some of their lip gloss.  In the near future, I plan to do a video on how I apply the smashbox makeup.  STAY TUNED!

Who is St. Valentine?

Valentine's Day has to be one of the most special days of the year.  Many couples are getting engaged and some are even getting married!  Advertisers are selling more ads to boost their sales revenue and hearts are in expectation of what their significant other will get for them as a gift.

This year I decided to do my research on Valentine's Day because I have celebrated this day for as long as I can remember, without understanding its origin. Who is St. Valentine?  Why do we celebrate this day?

Valentine was a holy Roman priest who was martyred for his Christian faith on February 14, 269.  King Claudius II was so impressed with Valentine that he visited him personally in prison before his death to try and convert him to Roman paganism.  St. Valentine would not renounce his faith and Claudius II ordered him to be beheaded.  Before his death, it is said that Valentine performed a miracle for a jailer's daughter by healing her of blindness. Many of the early martyred Christians were also named Valentine.  However, there are no romantic elements present in the early biographies.

Valentine's Day became a day that honored courtly love in the High Middle Ages and was later established by  Pope Gelasius in 496 AD. Later it was deleted from the General Roman Calendar. In 1969 American Greetings added The Golden Legend to history.com that St. Valentine wrote a letter to the young lady who was healed of blindness and signed it St. Valentine, but it has no historical basis what so ever.

So why are we celebrating this day?  We celebrate because we love the idea of being in love and merchants love making money off of the consumer.  I would much rather have another day set aside to celebrate love and use this day to remember those who gave their lives for the sake of Jesus Christ.

Dry Patches & Grease

About a month ago, my scalp was extremely dry.  I had dry patches throughout my scalp. It was itchy and flaky. I could not wear black clothes because my shoulders would be covered with snow! I did not know what happened to my hair.  Was I stressed, dehydrated or did I have an allergic reaction to something?  

I live in Atlanta.  We have full on seasons here and now that it is Winter time the dryness of the air along with the cold requires me to add extra moisture and keep my hair and scalp protected.  I have been protecting my ends by wearing up hair styles, head wraps and crochet caps.  I notice that my hair is moisturized and my scalp is so much better.

The first thing I did to restore the health to my scalp was cleansed it with apple cider vinegar.  I used 1 part apple cider vinegar and 3 parts water. I parted my hair in 6 plats and poured the mixture onto my scalp and massaged it generously.  

I actually let the ACV stay on over night in a plastic cap and then I covered the cap with a scarf.  The smell is strong, so beware!  The next day I washed it and put in a leave in conditioner.   I twisted my hair and greased my scalp with Blue Magic Organics.

I was raised using grease on my hair.  The moment I decided not to use it, my scalp suffered and changed. My plan now is to do research on products that will work with my hair type, as I want to use a product  line instead of mix match products.  I am no product junkie, so I will finish what I have purchased before buying more!