Living the Lie - Eyebrows

If you took a look at my previous blog post you are aware that I draw on/ fill in my eyebrows. Now this goes without saying that I am aware of the fact that people are not seeing how I truly look at all times ( as I am sure all women who do this are aware of ). And I am OK with that.

I have had the conversation with my fiancee a few times as he has expressed his concern with my drawing my brows. Especially considering the fact that when we began talking (over 8 years ago) I did not wear makeup...Let alone draw on my eyebrows. He is still not a fan of "the brows" but is getting a bit more comfortable with it since I do it on regular now. He states that he does not like it simply because "it's fake".
I feel that as long as they look realistic/natural it is OK... Just like makeup: you can wear makeup and still have a natural look. I do draw my brows on however I try to avoid making them look too dramatic.

There is a YouTube video entitled RNP #1: YOUR EYEBROWS which is the a spoken word video where a guy is expressing his concern with the fact that a female woke up next to him the following morning with her face [makeup...including eyebrows] left on the pillow. I found this video to HILARIOUS because it is so true. On the few nights that I was to too lazy/tired to clean my face, I find that I've rubbed [my] eyebrows off.

What are your views on filling in eyebrows?
Do you draw or fill yours in?
How what are you spouses views on this?


-CreativelyCoiled

[My] Eyebrows

I am always surprised at the compliments that people give me on my eyebrows... Honestly, because I FILL THEM IN . My eyebrows are very sparse: the hairs are thin, and are very spaced out so it is as if I do not have any. Over the past 2 or 3 years I have started filling them in and giving them shape. [In my personal opinion] I have perfected the process. Since I have received so many compliments, why not show how I achieve my "Just shaped" looked:


What you will need:

• Spooly brush (Beauty Supply Brush)
• Eyebrow pencil (NYX in Black)
• Brow brush (Beauty Supply Brush)
• Concealer (L.A. Girl Pro.Conceal)
• Small angled makeup brush (e.l.f.)
• Setting powder (e.l.f.)

I- I make sure my face is clean (of course) and I gently brush my brows with the spooly to ensure the hairs are laying in the same direction.

II - Some people stray from using a black pencil because it is so prominent but it works just fine for me (maybe because of my complexion). I make sure my eyebrow pencil is as sharp as possible to outline my brow. at the most narrow part of the outline I color it in just a bit but leave the rest open.

Taken with flash to show my actual brow and the traced brow

 III  - With my brow brush, I brush from the most outer corner (where I colored it in) inward towards the center of my face. Brushing in this direction helps to fade out the pencil and give the brow a more natural look. 

IV-At this point I have eyebrows (yay!) BUT, I need to give them a clean shape. This is where the concealer and angle brush come in to play. With the concealer on the brush, I play clean up: concealing any unwanted pencil and hairs that are not in line with what I have drawn. 

Last step is taking setting powder and applying to the brows (so I forget they are fake and wipe them off). 

BAM! There you have it. I feel like I look very different (in a good way) with eyebrows however, the biggest thing now is committing to them because if they aren't drawn on...People notice (lol), but I'm OK with that. 

Do you draw on or fill in your brows? If so, what technique do you use?

-CreativelyCoiled

Pick 6 - Winter 2014

Winter is almost over and if you have not, I sure have had my fill of cold weather and I am looking forward to warmer weather. With that being said, it is time for my Winter #Pick6:

Random - NC weather is out of control at times: One day it is in the 70's then the very next day you are dealing with temperatures in the 30's. I'm not one for getting sick (as I am sure none of us are) so, when the temperature drops I'm prepared. I purchased this Timberland scarf and hat this Summer while at the Carolina Premium Outlets in Smithfield, NC. These are certainly being put to good use. 

Skin - I am sure you have seen these egg-shaped beauties everywhere. I must admit that I am obsessed with them. eos lip balms are always somewhere close by: in my drawer at work, my bag, and a container of them at home (yeah, it is that serious). They are made with shea butter and go on so smooth. I'm loving the pomegranate lip balm right now. 

Hair - Such a simple thing that I take for granted...Bobby Pins. In the cold weather I try to avoid wearing my hair loose but, at times I'm just not in the mood to really style it (ie: flat twist/braided up-dos). Now that my hair is getting longer I am able to rock chunky twist on the weekends and just pin them out of the way. Bobby pins also work great with keeping my Winter hats on.

Beauty - I am slowly building my makeup arsenal and decided to pick this up a while back. e.l.f. Studio Mineral Infused Primer. I'm must say...Thumbs up e.l.f.! A little goes a long way and when applied to my face my skin feels smooth like satin. I can definitely tell the difference when applying my makeup as it goes on smoother and my face does not look excessively oily (as it tends to no matter the season when I apply makeup). I am excited about seeing how this will work in the warmer months.

Fashion - Combat Boots are back! These Khalea Combat Boots in cognac from Target are lovely. I was a bit skeptical at first when I saw them because facing inward is a zipper on each boot but...I am so thankful for that zipper. Do you remember to hassle of lacing your boots up in the 90's?! 

Accessory - Another Target item I refused to pass on was this Limited Edition handbag backpack. O-My-G!!!! Is this not fly?! It functions as a back pack BUT there is this strap across the top and allows it to function as a regular handbag. It is the perfect size for everything that I take with me to work. At times a feel like the bag lady because I will have my bag, lunchbox (yes I have a lunchbox) and my thermos....Everything fits in this bag! An extra bonus that I purchased it for only $10.00. 

What were your favorites Items for Winter?

Shea Moisture Makeup Line?!

Going through my nightly ritual of checking all social media sites before going to bed, I ran across the following picture on instagram:

Photo snagged from @returnofthecurls

Yes this is makeup and YES, if you look closely that is Shea Moisture.
I'm already a fan of their hair products and use some as staples in my routine BUT, when I saw this photo I immediately reposted and began digging for information.
Shea Moisture announced that their cosmetic line "A Better Way to Beautiful" will launch this Spring exclusively in Target stores (information sourced from PR Newswire) *does happy dance* I'm not a makeup artist nor a makeup enthusiast but I am excited and can't wait to try it out. Are you a fan of Shea Moisture products? Do you plan on trying out their new cosmetic line?

Looking back...

I'm participating in Return Of The Curls Photo A Day challenge on Instagram and day 5 we're to post a pic from our relaxer/relaxed days. I found 3 cute pictures of myself and it got me thinking:

1. Do I missed my relaxer/relaxed days?
Sometimes yes. To me my hair was a little more manageable at times. Close to the time I officially transtioned I wore a lot of half wigs that were of a looser textures than my natural hair so if I was having a bad hair day I could turn to one as an alternative. I can't find that now that I'm fully natural. I also miss easily curling my hair. I'm now stylist but I could work wonders with a flat iron and some oil sheen (lol).

2. Would I consider relaxing my hair again?
I'll never say never HOWEVER, I don't plan on doing so. I've said before that of I ever decided to relaxy hair again....I'm going to cut or short (like Missy Elliott Supa Dupa Fly short).

I must say, that overall I enjoyed my relaxed years up until things went sour. I always wanted to revert back to my natural state but after a few months I'd punk out. Still glad I made this choice and I'm loving it.

What are your views on relaxed hair? If natural, have you considered relaxing it (again)?

-CreativelyCoiled

My Work - REPOST (Painting)

So, while working on another blog post I mistakenly DELETED a old piece that I was uber proud of. At 1st I though "just let it go..." but no, I'm very proud of this painting as its the 1st one I've created for someone else:

"Buds"
18x24"
Acrylic on Canvas
NSH 2013



... That is all :)

-CreativelyCoiled

GLAMTOUR of Raleigh Finds

What is in this bag????

Well, on Saturday I attended an event in Raleigh hosted by Tenisha Jon'ece of Gilmore Glitz and Glam Boutique. While there I couldn't pass up making a purchase:

faux tortoiseshell frames

Large animal print scarf

Excited to pair my finds with some cute outfits. 

Visit www.tenishajonecegilmore.wix.com for more merchandise.