Dead Skin Off! New Skin In!

TAKE A QUICK GLIMPSE OF YOUR SKIN... Now take your thumb and press it in the center of your forehead for 5 seconds. If your thumb mark is still in your forehead, 9 times outta 10 you are DEHYDRATED!!!!!! I know what you are about to say. "I am oily so how can I be dehydrated?" I get this question all the time so let me ask you this. Have you ever had an issue with break outs or acne and your skin was flakey, kinda ashy and very grey and sallow in areas of your face? Well, the reason why you have issues with the breakouts is because you #1 Stripped
away a lot of the natural oils your skin needs to maintain a healthy balance. And #2 You don't exfoliate to remove the dead skin and debris that is on your face, which causes clogged pores and break outs. When we strip our skin with harsh medicated soaps and foaming cleansers, our skin reacts to this treatment by over producing oil. This is way we call ourselves "Oily". It's kinda the same way when we diet and don't eat properly. Our body knows how to protect itself. So when you starve your body, it holds on to the food we put into our system because it doesn't know when you are going to feed it again. It's the same way with your skin! If you strip away majority of the natural oils the body makes to protect your skin, it will over compensate and make an over abundance of oil. Now, there are some skin types that are just oily and people who suffer from seborreah which is a skin condition. For those who genetically have oily skin, there are products out there to help treat your skin type.

There are a few things that I want you to try out before you freak out. I know, your face is the first thing that people see and you want to have a good representation for people to view. I have teamed up with a great holistic skin care line named Murasaki Wholistic Therapies (www.murasakistudio.com) to

show you how to treat your skin and make it look and feel better than before.

1.) You want to find a great cleanser for your skin type. There are 3 major skin types. Oily, Dry and Combination of oily and dryness (oily being directed to the t-zone area). Murasaki has a great facial cleanser that is as good as it sounds! Botanical Facial Cleanser w/ Acai Berry, Sweet Orange & Sweet Almond. A mild foaming botanical cleanser highly rich in Vitamin C and anti-oxidants with great emolient and conditioning properties. Also contains Chamomile, Japanese Green Tea extracts, Aloe and Cucumber that will soothe and tighten.

2.) You must EXFOLIATE! I have very dry skin. I never had an acne problem and my skin never breakouts. But I do have dry flakey skin. I know that if I don't exfoliate my skin at least once a week, it will look dull and even drier. The same thing with oiler skin types. You must exfoliate so that your pores can release the debris and refine the texture if you have acne or breakouts. LISTEN CAREFULLY!!!!! IF YOU BREAK OUT AFTER EXFOLIATION, THAT IS A GREAT THING! YOUR SKIN IS PURGING AND RELEASING THE NASTY YUCKY STUFF THAT WAS TRAPPED IN YOUR SKIN. Give your skin at least 1-2 weeks for it to clear up. Murasaki has a good facial polish that wont damage the skin. It gently loosens up the dead skin and debris to help the skin glow and look more healthy. Botanical Facial Scrub w/Apricot & Walnut. Natural Apricot dissolves flaky, dead cells. Exfoliating Walnut granules whisk them away.

Finish with a hydrating or rebalancing toner and a moisturizer that is good with your skin type. You must restore moisture back into your skin. If you are a more oily skin type, look for moisturizers that water bases and contain dry oils. A great oil to use is Argon Oil. There is so much to know about your skin. The more you know, the better equip you are to tell your doctor what is going on with your skin. Contact a dermatologist or Esthetician for advice on skin care products that would best fit your skin type. Until then, SMOOOOOCHES!

xoxoxoxoxox,

Yolanda P.

Don't forget to e-mail me any questions or concerns you may have to hermosamakeup@gmail.com

Lata Babies!

Did I Just Sweat Out My Fresh Press... Oh No Ma'am!

So I have been natural now for about a year and a half. All this time while I was transitioning from relaxed to natural, I was either wearing a wig or a weave. I didn't want to look crazy with half a fro and half straight permed hair. So you know me! I was straight 18 inching my weaves looking like a million bucks if you ask me! I had Curly, Straight, Loosely Curled Waves! If the chop shop sold it, I wore it! Well the summer hit... Atlanta was every bit of 97 degrees with a heat index of about 110 degrees. Every time I would go outside with a wig or weave I would want to pass the hell out! OMG! I couldn't do it anymore. So I looked at my hair... It was pretty much grown out. I mean I was all the way natural... (To the point that I kinda looked like Kizzy Kente'...) I tried all kinds of products to straighten my hair and make it manageable. 1.) NO ONE PERSON HAS THE SAME HAIR TEXTURE AS YOU. GOD MADE US ALL UNIQUELY DIFFERENT. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID YOU HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. So I finally found a style that was pretty. I got a lot of compliments and I was pleased that I could wear and go. The style I chose to wear was a rod set. My hair is more wavy than curly. So the rods helped create a curly look that I wanted and it last about 2 weeks. Only one thing, Rods take at least 1.5 hours to do if someone else is doing it. It takes me about 2.5 hours to rod my hair and another 2.5 hours to dry!!!!!! What!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not today!!! I have a hot date this afternoon and there is no time to rod set my hair.

Fast Forward to a couple days ago. Which now brings up the question.... How do you keep your natural hair together when you are either working out, in the club or having great steamy sex.... LOL! I had an incident the other night that had my hair stuck to my pillow and I was not cute afterwards! My hair was bouncy, light and fluffy in the beginning! Huge #FAIL after a few hours of "working out." So listen up! This is going to help my natural sisters!!! I had to trial and error on all 3! I got the answers though. These activities will get you in a quick SNATCH PATCH HAIR STYLE if you are not careful! These are some of the tips that I have for you to keep your hair regulated.

1. Wash your hair at least once a week. When you work out, or sweat in your scalp this causes a salty residue that dries out your hair and makes it hard and for some hair types even brittle. I use a mild conditioning shampoo. Sometimes I wash my hair with just conditioner. It doesn't strip your hair so much if you have a dry more coarse hair type.

2. If you sweat a lot, tie your hair up in sections. Now for me, I do 4 sections especially if I am going to the gym. It keeps my roots taunt and tight so that my hair wont wave up. I also use a silk scarf and tie it tight around the front of my hair so my edges stay smooth. Make sure you pin the ends of your hair away from your scalp. I usually do loose knots.

BUT IF YOU ARE GETTING BUSY THAT NIGHT, PLEASE DON'T GO TO BED LOOKING LIKE A SLAVE! MEN ARE VISUAL! Which leads me to #...

3. If you have a McHottie coming over, pull your natural hair into a taunt pony tail. Use some edge control and tie a cute bandana or nice head ban around your head to secure your edges. BUT if you want to look extra cute and sexi. Put in a Long drawstring Phony Pony! AND WHIP YOUR HAIR BACK AND FORTH! (Make sure it's secure... You know how wild you can get. And no man wants to be freaked out about your phony pony) This style also works if you plan to go to the club where you might be dancing, drinking and perspiring.

4. Don't do anything to your hair until you know its completely dry. Your hair will swell if you take it down while your hair is still wet or damp. It all depends on how thick your hair is. I usually work out at night because I know I can wear my hair like this to bed.

Some of the products I use to keep the puff away is Aveda's Anti-Humectant Pomade, along with Jojoba oil and Taliah Waajid's Healing Oyl. I noticed that when my hair has some oil to it, I don't puff up as easily. But when I blow it dry and don't put any heavy oils in it, my hair is so pretty, light and fluffy! It only last a day though because I sweat in my scalp badly. My natural friend also hipped me to the dry shampoo! This helps my natural look last longer and it keeps your hair fresh and clean. I use Bumble and Bumble Black Hair Powder. It works! Especially in this HOTLANTA HUMID HEAT! It's like hell here!

I hope that this blog helps some of my natural sista's! Keep in touch! Please share my blog and let me know what you think!!!! I like questions and suggestions for my blog. You can e-mail me at hermosamakeup@gmail.com

Smooches XOXOXOX,

Yolanda

P.S. WHIP YOUR HAIR BACK AND FORTH!!!!!!

Calm Down and Just Chill...

Today was the most exhausting day! I recently put up on facebook that stress can ultimately reck the health and the look of your skin. Let's face it! Everyday wont be peaches and cream. We will have those days that make us cry, piss us off and make us want to run over cars in mid-day traffic! (Only in Atlanta can you find mid-day traffic... ugh) But, why stress so much to the point where it gives you gray hair and internally messes with your health. We all know that the heart helps pump blood through out your body. We also know that the skin is fed by blood and lymph. So if you are stressing, not exercising and not getting enough sleep. Eventually you will get frown lines, blemishes, blotchiness and and host of other things that really make you look... How can I say this without being offensive... Ugly! LOL! So with all of that being said, we must take better care of our health and protect or skin which is our first line of defense against bacteria and disease. Here are a few things that I want you to do while you are in your stress mode.
1.) Girl! TAKE A CHILL PILL! IT AINT THAT SERIOUS! LOL But if you see that the chill pill isn't working...
2.) Take a walk. Walking is not only a form of exercise, but also meditation. Clear you mind and think things through. Walking also helps to release endorphins which gives your skin a nice healthy glow.
3.) A nice bath with green tea and lavender helps to calm your nerves. Green tea is an anti-oxidant and the lavender has a wonderful aroma that will soothe your soul. Oh and don't forget the Sade or Kem... Nice music puts you in another mind set as well.
4.) Pour a glass of wine! Okay wait... Let's not get carried away! Please don't drink the whole bottle of wine, then go into the tub and fall asleep!! #ohlord... Pour yourself a glass of red wine. It is wonderful for your heart and skin! Another great antioxidant that works!
6.) If by any chance you were crying. Take those same green tea bags, put them in the freezer for about 5-10 mins and rest them upon your eyes. It reduces the puffiness.
5.) But when all else fails, call your best friend and VENT CHILE! What are best friends for?? (Tonya, Sherese and Mekia) ^__^

My main reason for writing this blog was because I realized that stress was making me look ugly. I wasn't smiling as much, my face started to develop a little wrinkle in between my forehead and most of all, the people that were stressing me were looking good! WHAT!!!!!!! I need to calm down and chill for a minute. Evaluate what is causing me this stress and ELIMINATE it! Nothing in life is that serious to die early from and look ugly in your casket! I hope that tomorrow brings a better day to you if yesterday wasn't the best.
xoxoxoxo,
Yolanda

It's Been A MINUTE!

WOOOOW! My last blog post was in September of 2010!?!?!? I find that so hard to believe! I mean, has it been that long? Well I am soooo sorry if it was. Things seem to be going by so fast! Since my last blog I moved into the city, got my very own cute 1 bedroom apartment, partied waaaay too much and drank waaay too much! LOL! I enrolled back into school to get my aesthetics license. To be honest, I was offered a job at CNN a while ago to be a makeup artist on staff. I did this lady's makeup at the counter one day and she was so impressed, she ended up coming to me at least once or twice a week. For some reason she had issues with pulling out her lashes and brows... I think it's a condition that she has. (I heard of people doing that but never saw it until then) But anyway, I had no idea that she was a newscaster for CNN. She loved the way I painted on her brows and placed her lashes, so she wanted me there! She gave me the number for the person who is over the makeup and hair for CNN. I was super duper excited! I called the next day and the woman was waiting for my call. The newscaster told her about me already! In my head I am thinking, "Wow... I am getting this job!" Hahaha! Think again. The head of the makeup and hair dept. at CNN asked if I had an Aesthetics license or Cosmetology license... I had to tell her no. No, I don't have any credentials for makeup artistry because my momma just spent 25K to put me through school for MEDIA PRODUCTION!!!!! I have been on this long journey to get back into school. It's been at least 4 years that I have been told no, no, no! My job wouldn't allow me to go to school due to scheduling. My bills wouldn't allow me to get back to school because of my life style. And on top of that, I had an outstanding loan that was preventing me from enrolling back into school. One day my full time job FIRED ME! Gave me the boot chile! YESSSSSSSSSS! The best day of my life! I walked into AIA and went to the Financial Aid office to see how I could get back into school. The lady in the Financial Aid office looked at my folder and said , " You're Edythe Parrish?!? Finally I get to meet you! I have been looking at your file now for 2 years! I am going to get you into school today." I am so grateful to her. I went into her office that Tuesday and in the same week I was attending orientation. I know this is kind of a long drawn out story but I am so happy! This is what I have been called to do since the beginning. Me being young and not knowing really where I was going, made my journey a little bit longer that I expected. I am telling this story just to prove that PERSISTENCE CAN TAKE YOU THE EXTRA MILE. Who knew that it would take me so long to fulfill my dream of being a licensed, qualified makeup artist/esthetician. I am finally studying what I love. I love knowing more about the skin and face and makeup! I am in love with the girls that I go to school with! I adore my instructors because they care. I am happy now! I can't wait to see what's next in my future. We may have a time line for our lives, but our creator has the ultimate say so =) I PROMISE to do better with the blog! More events, tips and stories of what's going on in my world and the world of makeup, hair, nails and a little bit of fashion! I can't wait! Tootles!!!!!!