{friends and FNO Seattle}

In 4 days I will be in Seattle with my 2 beautiful line sisters!! 

When I tell you this is much needed...this is much needed. We tried to make it happen in early August but weather was against us. I am determined to get out there this time. On top of cuddle time, fantastic dinners, yummy brunches, girl talk and beauty time I look forward to spending an evening with them at Seattle Bellevue's Fashion Night Out. 

How are you celebrating FNO, Sept 6th?

xoxo,

Ronita

{My Fall Fashion Favs 2012}

2012 Fall Favorites by mrsrjdean 

Within the next couple of months, I am so looking forward to cooler weather, the new school year,  Tre' playing football, and some very memorable trips. I love the fall for so many reasons but of course it's my birthday season (and my DH's 30th!!!).

Here are my fall fashion picks for the upcoming season. 

Leather and gold, animal prints, dark lips, vampy tips  and scarves scarves scarves to wrap up in on those cool brisk mornings and nights.

What are you looking forward to sporting this fall?

xoxo,

Ronita

{LUSH Cosmetics' Emotional Brilliance Color Line}

Yesterday, on my lunch break I took a fun trip to my local LUSH. I have been hearing a ton about the new Emotional Brilliance Color line and being a LUSH-lover I had to check it out!

***

When I arrived I was greeted by a lovely associate who began to tell me about the line and how it's based off emotions.

The first step to choosing your color  is to do a guided color reading...

You relax, close your eyes, clear your mind, and when you open, select 3 colors that you are drawn to...

The colors you choose and the order you choose them have significance.

Here is my experience.

I selected ...

1. Fantasy (gold eyeliner)

2. Feeling Secure  (bluish eyeliner)

3. Ambition (reddish orange lipstick)

According to LUSH co-founder and inventor of Emotional Brilliance Rowena Bird, the order in which you choose the colours reveals your current state of mind.

1. Your first colour choice symbolises your strength or weakness (Fantasy)

2. Your second resonates with your primary subconscious need (Feeling Secure)

3. Your third choice represents your talent, the thing that will help you to achieve that subconscious need (Ambition)

After the reading I played around with all the colors and was very impressed with how pigmented and smooth they were. LUSH has done a great job with these not to mention all the great ingredients they contain. I'm not sold on the color reading part but it's great marketing and adds a little allure to the product.

The only draw back which is a big one in my book is the PRICE...at $22.95 a bottle they are very expensive BUT would be a treat to own.

Also included in the line is a translucent powder, brightening cream and bronzing cream.

***

Here are some campaign photos I found via OliveCoCo Online Magazine....

Great job LUSH!!!

xoxo,

Ronita

{July Sample Boxes}

I love getting mail every month. I love trying new beauty products. 

What better way to do both than receiving monthly subscription sample boxes. 

Here is this month's lineup.

My Shade of Brown 

Beauty and cosmetic geared towards women of color.

Nail polish pen, Pooka Pure and Simple body scrub, Butterfly Beauty body creme, Juicy Mist refresher

curlBox

Haircare products geared towards natural beauties.

2 full size Motions Natural you! shampoo and conditioner, Jane Carter Solutions condition and sculpt, shearadiance nourishing hair cream

BirchBox

The first sample box program.

Stila lipgloss, Über snackbar, Coco de Soleil hair gloss, Ada Cosmetics bronzer, Harvey Prince perfume sample, and BirchBox earbuds

Julep Maven

Nail polish and nail product box.

I received these beauties over a few shipments but my July box included the two glitters, a white pearl and lipgloss

GlossyBox USA

Beauty products sourced from all over the world.

AHAVA velvet cream body wash, FirstAid Beauty Smooth Shave Cream, Wella Moisturizing Treatment, Ofra cream eyeshadow, vbeaute eye treatments, Perfume Organics perfume sample

Some of them I LOVE and some of them I can go without. I guess that's the point...sample before you commit. 

Do you try sample boxes?

xoxo,

Ronita

{Cincy Chic's 2012 Red, Pink and Blue Fashion Show }

 Saturday, Cincy Chic put on their annual Red, Pink and Blue Fashion Show benefiting 3 amazing organizations, the American Heart Association, Pink Ribbon Girls and the Diabetes Association. The show began with a welcome from Amy Scalia and a great ceremony honoring 3 local survivors.

We supported the BLUE because it hits so close to home.

The weather was warm and breezy and the music was just right.

Fashion by Amy Kirchen Boutique and Makeup by Mitchell's Salon and Day Spa

Fashion at it's finest...

Me and the hubby at the show!

What a fun show.

If you are in the Cincy area check out Cincy Chic for more events around town.

xoxo,

Ronita

May Sample Boxes

My Shade of Brown

curlBox

BirchBox

May sample boxes have been something like spectacular!

My Shade of  Brown sent some yummy samples for body and hair. The mango body wash smells so delightful and the body oil is so rich. I can't wait to try the highly pigmented eye shadow on my next night out. 

curlBox, curlBox, curlBox. It was the founder's birthday month and not did she outdo herself! 3 full size products that so far have been amazing on my hair.

This was my first Birchbox and I have to say I wasn't that impressed. The only thing I like was the Ojon hair repair. 'm thinking if they looked at my account they would have known that I don't need anti-aging cream. I will stay a member for a few more months to see if I like it but if not I will be canceling my subscription.

Do any of you get sample boxes? 

What has been your experience?

xoxo,

Ronita

My Shade of Brown Sample Box

Heard of Birchbox? GoGoGirlfriend?

If you are a product junkie/makeup-beauty product enthusiasts like me, I’m sure you have.

It's all rage in fashion and beauty industry right now. They are beautifully packaged “customized” curated sample boxes chocked full of makeup and beauty samples. I looked into most of the companies and with great hesitation decided against them. I was worried that they wouldn’t get my skin tone right or pick the right colors that would compliment my hue. I remember saying to myself one day, it would be nice if they catered one more towards us brown sistahs.

Ask and ye shall receive, My Shade of Brown!

I received my (and their) first pillow box and I am in LOVE

Here is the mission statement from their website:

My Shade of Brown delivers premium sized beauty samples tailored to women of color. Every month our signature Pillow Box full of goodies will be delivered to your door. By partnering with companies that are sensitive to the beauty needs of women of color, you will often receive products from established brands, stellar up and comers and newly discovered gems! We created My Shade of Brown because, like you, we love beauty and we wanted something dedicated to women of color. Period.

The unveiling of my first box.



It was packaged with a nice note and directions on how to purchase full products if I enjoyed the samples.

Beautifully packaged in brown and pink.

I received four premium sized samples and one full sized product.

Georgia by G & Company skin wash.

Pooka's Pure & Simple Body Butter. I have tried this already and I LOVE it!!!

Lamik's Mineral Face Powder

FULL SIZE of Big Girl Cosmetics Lip shine

 *not pictured individually Yana foundation sample*

Here is a demo video taken from their website

If you want to learn more click here!!

Enjoy

xoxo,

Ronita

Josephine Josephine...

 

 

(photos via)

 

Last weekend I came across The Josephine Baker Story movie on TVOne starring Lynn Whitfield. Boy was I intrigued and moved to do a little research.

I admired her persistence courage and strong will to integrate where ever she was, on stage, restaurants, the military...

 

***

 

Josephine Baker (June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975) was a dancer, singer, and actress who found fame in her adopted homeland of France. Born in St Louis, Missouri, she renounced her American citizenship in 1937 to become French. She was given such nicknames as the "Bronze Venus", the "Black Pearl", and the "Créole Goddess"

Baker was the first African American female to star in a major motion picture, to integrate an American concert hall, and to become a world-famous entertainer. She is also noted for her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States (she was offered the unofficial leadership of the movement by Coretta Scott King in 1968 following Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, but turned it down),[3] for assisting the French Resistance during World War II,[4] and for being the first American-born woman to receive the French military honor, the Croix de guerre. (excerpt taken via)

Read her entire life story, here.

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To Josephine...

 

xoxo,

Ronita

My Desk Makes Me HAPPY!!!

My desk is making me very HAPPY right now. I am surrounded by all the things I love! Pictures of my family, flowers and bright color!!! I make sure to have ample supply of stationary, sharpies, fun post and my blinged out stapler and tape dispenser!!!

What are some of the things you like to have at your desk?

HAPPY THURSDAY!!

xoxo,

Ronita