Queen Headwrap Tutorial

Hi loves! It has been a while, how are you guys? I hope all is well and if not, I hope things will look up for you soon. With hopes to brighten your day, I have an easy and super cute headwrap tutorial to share with you.

Today was a terrible hair day for me and we all know that bad hair days mean a bad mood which therefore leads to an overall bad day.

I know most people think that short hair and bad hair days never go together but that's false. My hair was dry, frizzy and just simply not cooperating with me today. Usually I would just wash my hair on days like today but to be honest, I just didn't feel like it. So when all things fail, headwraps will always have my back. They are a tried and true "remedy" for bad hair.

This particular headwrap was inspired by one of my Instagram crushes, Priscilla Amado. Her style is so unique and authentic and her hair is just as amazing. Often times I see her rocking these super big headwraps and always thought that I couldn't accomplish the look because of my super short hair. Well I am happy to say that I thought wrong. I was able to accomplish the look and make it my own with my super short hair.

If you are like me and have shorter hair, you may often struggle with accomplishing cute headwrap and turban styles. I have found that this is because of the fact that the scarf does not have much to work with, therefore it is hard to shape. What made this look easy to accomplish was the use of 2 scarves instead of 1. I used 1 small size scarf and 1 large/extra large scarf-- one on top of the other. The small scarf was used as a foundation for the look which made it easy to wrap the larger scarf around my head with length and a little bulkiness.

To get more details on exactly how I accomplished this quick and easy look, click the link below!

https://youtu.be/Tp3W9KEkCTw

SKIN PT. 3- A Social Experiment

Lets talk shall we. Women are the most amazing beings on this planet. Created to carry life and to nourish life. But men don't fully embrace "womenism" and all that it comes with, which makes us feel unworthy and unloved. This morning I woke up feeling beautiful and whole. I decided to embrace my body fully and capture the moment. I am not a nudist, I am not an advocate for young women showing off their bodies for fame or popularity but I am an advocate for inspiration and motivation.

This social experiment is to see how many people will report, hate or unfollow me because of the simple fact that I chose to publicly embrace my body. This world has completely redefined the anatomy of a woman. They see our bodies as sex symbols. Made to please them and only made to please them. News flash idiots, we are not a sex symbol.

I will not apologize if my body brings you discomfort or pleasure. I will not apologize if my body brings you confusion. I will not apologize for any of it. I am a woman. I have stretch-marks and cellulite, and I bleed each month and my nipples point outward so that they can fit easily into my future child's mouth. I am a woman. I am not a painting, a piece of art or an advertisement. I am a woman. I have bags underneath my eyes and acne on my face, and hair underneath my arms, my legs and even on my knuckles. I am a woman. I have a brain. I am a woman. I am not perfect in your eyes but I was made perfectly by God.  I am a woman who hopes to motivate other women to embrace their bodies.

Love your self babygirl.

S K I N PT.2

Hey there, it's the vulnerable side of me again. I love you all so much because I feel so comfortable sharing my weakest moments with you. I know that you will respect my words and emotions when I share things like this with you so before jumping into this, I want to say thank you. 

Well, let's begin shall we. So for those who follow me on Instagram, you may have read my birthday post on 12/12. It was not a normal yippie do da birthday post for sure. It was me unraveling the truth about birthdays in my eyes. If you haven't read it, go read it right away-- My Instagram. 

I brought that up because I am completely annoyed by my skin. I had an extremely bad acne breakout a few days before my birthday and it freaked me out. I have been working on getting and maintaining clear skin for 5 years now and I felt like I had it down until this happened. Ugh! It makes me so upset. I don't understand why my skin doesn't love me the way I love it. I mean really. I eat my veggies (lies), I drink a ton of water (not really) and I use essential oils only on my skin (somewhat the truth). So why is it not beautiful and glowing at this point? It pisses me off. I know I am not treating my skin extremely well but I have been doing bomb.com for the past few months and still I get a huge breakout. Why me? 

Acne is one of the worst battles I have been fighting since middle school. I feel like the same 12 year old girl I was before, getting picked on in the cafeteria because "proactive is the only thing that can save that pimple face". Every time I look in the mirror now I see nothing but pimples and discolored spots all over my face. I hate it. How can I feel pretty when all I feel is people starting at the huge planet on my nose. They probably aren't really starting but you know the feeling. 

I guess this post is really just a rant. But for those suffering from acne prone skin just know that you are not alone with this battle. I know it can be so annoying and tedious. You find one thing that works and then eventually your skin just doesn't like it anymore so its back to the drawing board. I know my dermatologist hates me because I have them on speed dial now. I need answers and quick!

For now, I decided not to wear any make-up, besides mascara, and be sure to wipe down my phone with alcohol swaps, clean my pillow case once a week and sterilize my spin brush once a week. I am also eating more veggies and fruits and drinking nothing but water and organic teas. Gosh, I hope that helps some. Any-who, my rant is over. 

Thanks for listening.

YouTube Channel: brokecitygrl

Pre-Fall Lookbook

Getting To Know Me

Skin Care + Tips

Hi my loves! Happy Monday to all. Some may already know, but I wanted to inform everyone that I finally launched my YouTube channel. I am so excited to share this journey with you all. I have been wanting to do this for a very long time and with the help of friends, family and God, I was able to bring it all to life. It is not perfect, it is not where I want it to be but I figured as I continue to grow, so will my channel and everything else I set out to do. 

I have been a huge fan of many "YouTubers" for a while now. I enjoyed watching the make up videos and favorite product videos but I saw something lacking in many YouTube channels. There wasn't a lot of transparency and truth to them. Maybe it was just me, but I didn't feel connected with the people I watched daily. I felt that after gaining some popularity these YouTubers lost focus. That is one thing I do not want to lose during this journey. By no means am I looking to gain popularity or fame. I truly would be the happiest girl in the world if I am able to get 1 subscriber/follower. 

To inspire one person is my main goal.

Now, I am still learning the hows and whats for my videos. It is very hard for me to film at this time because I am working a full time and part time job while still maintaining school and a social life. Needless to say, I will always make it a priority to follow my dreams and to never give up. I plan to continue putting out videos every Sunday and possibly striving for Wednesdays as well. 

I will continue to keep you all updated regarding my channel and I look forward to sharing this journey with you. Please be sure to watch the videos above and subscribe to my channel if you would like. I appreciate the ongoing support and love. It truly keeps me positive and focused. My purpose in life has never been clearer and to know that I am inspiring people is enough reassurance for me to keep moving forward. In everything that I do-- all the videos I make, all the self notes and blog post, everything I do is for one reason and one reason only...

To Inspire.

My Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQ8PFGMkT1EWpkP1nTRt-Q/featured?view_as=public

A Simple and Refreshed You

 Hi beautiful people! Thank you for stopping by Broke City Grl today. I have a great announcement to share with you all. My YouTube Channel will begin in September 2015! Only a few weeks away so I am super excited to share that with you guys. You all have been so patient with me and I truly appreciate you! With all of that being said, I wanted to share an intimate post with you all for this beautiful Sunday. Over the past few weeks, I have been constantly battling with issues of self love. Our flaws can truly bring us down if we let them consume us. Today I am here to tell you all that your flaws--every stretch-mark, scar and pimple is beautiful. Know that and live by it.

Now some of you may know that I have battled with acne and stretch-marks since middle school and they still are apart of who I am today. I am learning different ways to control my acne breakouts and stretch-marks and I think I have found what I have been waiting for. Thanks to Vanity Planet, I found an excellent skincare tool that truly makes a difference in my skin care regimen. Their spin brush is absolutely amazing. I purchased my spin brush a few months ago and I use it everyday. The spin brush comes with 4 brushes (a body exfoliate brush, face exfoliate brush, daily cleanse brush and pumice stone brush) that you put onto the tool when ready to use. All of which are in rotation on a daily basis for me. My new morning and night time routine (which I will share in detail on YouTube) consist mainly of the daily cleanse brush, the Shea Moisture African Black Soap bar and my Vanity Planet spin brush. This regimen leaves my skin super smooth and full of life.

Another great product I have been using is the Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes. These wipes are very gentle on the skin. After a long work day or day of play I am ready to remove my makeup without much fuss and head to bed. These wipes remove my makeup with ease. It leaves my skin moisturized and clean which is great if I'm too lazy to follow up with my night time routine. We all know it happens! The Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes are affordable and easy to find. I purchased my wipes at my local Target and Walgreens.

I would suggest all these products for people battling with acne or any skin issues for that matter. The use of these products will make you feel refreshed and comfortable which is what we all want for our skin.

P.S. I am wearing no makeup in the photos above, only mascara.

Be you, the simple and refreshed you. 

S K I N

Hi loves. Today I am getting a bit intimate and personal with you all. I was inspired by the Love Your Lines campaign created by 2 lovely queens, Alex Elle and Erika Layne. If you are unfamiliar with this worldwide campaign I would suggest you follow them on Tumblr and Instagram. They have truly touched my heart and inspired me. They are embracing every part of the female body. All of the flaws and all of the imperfections. I decided to make this post to embrace my skin. In no way is this post to flaunt off my body. I am doing this to share what I try so hard to hide everyday.

Since the start of middle school my skin began to change. I first noticed my lines on my knees. I thought they were so ugly. I never wore shorts or skirts in the summer and spring. And when I did, I was constantly made fun of. People called me hurtful names like "pregnant knees" and "alligator legs". I would always stare in the mirror and pretend like they weren't there and wish that one day they would somehow just disappear. It wasn't until my senior year in high school when I finally began to embrace my lines. I remember going to church one day and the Pastor said something that really spoke to me. He said, "God makes us all different for a reason, if we were all the same there would be no fun in living." Since that day, I decided that my lines were not flaws, but a distinctive and unique part of me. I am still very mindful of them and I am not yet completely comfortable with my body but I am learning to love the skin I am in. 

To be clear, I have always been tall and lean. My doctors have told me that these lines formed due to a drastic growth spurt. Today I weigh 111lbs and I am 5'7.5. I hope this post touches someone out there who may be going through something with their body or having trouble with self love. Know that you are not alone.

Love yours! 

Makeup Collection: Starter Kit

Happy snow day! I woke up very excited today because I knew I wanted to do this post for you guys. I am not much of a makeup person as you all can probably tell in my photographs but I do have a pretty nice collection. I consider this a "starter kit" because everything in my collection is very simple and basic. Now, don't be deterred from all of the MAC Cosmetics items. Most of the items were purchased as gifts and a lot of these products you can find with other brands at Ulta or Sephora. I have an entire array of items in my collection. I have eyeshadows, primers, foundations, matte powders, bronzers, highlighters, mascara and a bit of other things. I feel that these are the basic items you need to start a makeup collection or makeup starter kit. The key is to find products that work well with your skin and that will achieve whatever it is you are trying to accomplish. For instance, my main task or goal when doing my makeup is to get flawless skin. I know that this can not only be achieved through makeup so I take very good care of my skin in general. But a little makeup doesn't hurt every now and again. I use very little makeup everyday but that might just be because I'm not that amazing at it (haha). Anyway, lets get into a bit more of the details.

Here are a few of my favorites out of my collection.

D E T A I L S:

Morphe Brushes: 35W-35 Color Warm Palette



D E T A I L S:

MAC Cosmetics: Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish (highlighter)

D E T A I L S: 

(unless stated otherwise these items are by MAC Cosmetics)

Photo 1- Red Enriched Cremestick liner, Lustre Ladybug lipstick, Matte So Chaud lipstick

Photo 2- Amplified Up The Amp lipstick, Plum lip pencil, Satin Rebel lipstick

Photo 3- Cremesheen Ravishing lipstick, NYX London Soft Matte lip cream, Whirl lip pencil

 

As stated before, please do not be deterred by all of the MAC Cosmetics items. I know they can be a bit expensive but there are a ton of dupes out there that will work just the same. I hope you all enjoyed this beauty post. Comment below with any product suggestions. I am always up to trying new things.

 

Stay cozy!

2014 Favorites!

 Hi guys! I know I am super late with this blog post but I have been wanting to rave about these products for quite some time. These products have been my holy grail for 2014. They consist of beauty, skin care and hair care. I love sharing my favorite products with you all because you guys constantly ask about my skin and hair. So lets get right to it!

SKIN CARE

I have finally found my saving grace! Thanks to some research and my VA Dermatologist I have finally found a skin care regimen that works for me. My skin is always giving me problems but since using these new products for the year of 2014  my skin has cleared up. My skin care regimen is very simple. I use the jojoba oil from Trader Joe's as a makeup remover. I know it may sound weird but it truly works! I use the Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser twice a day to cleanse my skin. The vitamin E oil is used as my moisturizer. This leaves my skin super soft and glowing. I included a photo of my skin freshly washed and moisturized this morning without makeup for you guys :)

BEAUTY PRODUCTS

Now for the fun. I have been loving these beauty products so much! I am not one to wear makeup everyday but when I do it is VERY minimal. These products include the NYX Shine Killer primer, Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade, Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow, Bare Minerals Well-Rested concealer powder, and Maybelline Fit Me foundation stick. All of these products have been used in the above photo. I also used my favorite foundation- Bare Minerals Pure Brightening Serum Foundation. These products give me a natural glow that I absolutely love. If you are looking to try out a natural make up look, I would definitely recommend all of these items. 

HAIR CARE

Lastly is my new hair care regimen. It really isn't a new regimen but I have added a few new products to my old regimen. The Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque has been a great product for my weekly deep conditions. I mix this masque with my African Royale Hot Six Oil and section my hair. I leave the deep condition in my hair for about an hour under a shower cap. The Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Leave-In-Conditioner is my favorite product to revive any old hair style. I literally just spray my hair with this and shake or scrunch my curls and go. It is super easy and it smells amazing! I also have been loving the Hairfinity hair vitamin pills. I have been using them for quite some time but I need to seriously rave about them! I am sure you all have noticed the tremendous growth of my hair the past few months. Most of my growth is due to the hair vitamins, consistency with my hair regimen and drinking lots of water. I encourage you all to try them out if you are looking for fast healthy hair growth. 

Well, that includes all of my 2014 favorites. I will be using all of these products in 2015 as well but if anything changes in my regimens I will be sure to share them with you! I have included links to all of the products mentioned if you all are interested. 

Talk to you soon!