Love List: Top 5 Beauty Must Haves For November

November for me has been all about creating a beauty routine that works for me. I have found myself super busy this month getting to know my way around my new city and adapting to the heat here in Houston so the things that worked well for me in South Carolina need a bit of updating. For me my biggest concern is making sure my skin looks great. So I have really sworn off makeup ( foundation) unless it is totally necessary. This means when I go out I need to look naturally awesome. Here are the things I have fell in love with this month that have kept me gorgeous....

Dickinsons Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner does a great job of keeping my face clean. I use it after I wash my face to remove any residue, after a workout to wipe away sweat or any time I want a quick cleanse. I brought my bottle from Walgreens for about $5 bucks.

Rose bud Salve, oh how I love thee. I never leave the house with out it. It is extremely moisturizing and gives the lips a nice rosy tint. Also great for layering under lip gloss or lipstick. I picked up this at Bath and Body Works for  about $5.00.





This cucumber and aloe mist is perfect for a pick me up after a long day, or hours of traveling. I like to spray it to give my skin a refresher if I am going from work to dinner or something special. I found this product at target for $1 buck.




NYX lipgloss in any shade is amazing. I have the Queen of Africa a really deep purple color and Natural Pink, which is exactly what the name claims it to be. These glosses are very moisturizing, they glide on the lips easily. The color is amazing. They are very pigmented. For those of you who love the true color of lipsticks and the softness of a gloss this gloss is for you. I found this product at my local beauty supply store for...wait for it....$1.99. Bam! I will be purchasing more colors and will definitely write about it.

Cetaphil Moisturizer is a life saver.  Although my skin is oily it is sensitive. I have to be careful that the products that I use on my skin do not irritate it or clog my pores which cause me to break out. Cetaphil moisturizes and protects without clogging or irritating my skin. I have been using this product for a while and do not see myself switching to anything else. If you are looking for something mild yet moisturizing this is it. I usually buy this product from target for $11.99.



I am finding that being naturally beautiful is far better than piling on tons of makeup. Now do not get me wrong I love make up. It allows me to switch up my look and enhance the beauty I already have, but when I wipe it all away I still want to be breathe taking....


What are your favorite beauty products for the month of November?

Shameka

Lessons Learned from RHOA

Taken from the Internet

I can't lie, nor am I ashamed at the fact that I have been a fan of the Real House Wives of Atlanta since the very first season. The show makes for some good t.v. ( in my Wendy Williams voice). As the show progresses, and cast members leave, and new cast members come their is one thing that I can say about those who remain, they really have used the opportunity to their advantage. Looking past the drama, the fights, and the attitudes I have learned some very valuable lessons from the ladies.

1. Just because you have money does not mean you have to make sure everyone knows...i.e. ball on a budget...lol. Thanks Kandi for the tip.

2. Take advantage of every opportunity. Use them the create something new. This is a very big theme on the show, many of the ladies have parlayed their success on the show to other ventures such as Pheadra's funeral home business...!? Need I say more.

3. It doesn't matter how good you look on the outside, if the inside is messed up it REALLY makes you an UGLY person ( Kenya is a prime example of that).

4. Friendships do fade and fall apart for various reasons. Sometimes you have to let people go to allow other things to come into your life. The ending of NeNe and Kims relationship brought great things into their lives.

5. Stay in your lane, be the best at what it is that you do. The ladies would not be half as successful if they were all trying to do the same things. Everybody can't be Beyonce, but you can be the best at what you do and who your are..


RHOA is some good T.V., but if you watch closely you can pick up some tips that could help you make some key changes in your life.

What do you think? Lets talk about it.


Shameka

Black Friday, Survival Kit

Black Friday  approaching fast. Department stores are working hard to get ready for the mass of people that will be hitting their doors in the next couple of days. Pushing, shoving, running. ducking, bobbing, weaving, waiting and hurrying are all apart of the Black Friday experience. If you are planning to fight the crowd for good deals than you need to be prepared.

5 Things to help you survive your black Friday adventure...

1. Charged tablet, or smart phone, so you can tweet about the madness, check with your friends about deals in other stores, and check out prices on line. You can also plan your shopping agenda based on what time deals take place at certain store and what you plan to get

2. Small/ medium over the shoulder bag. You want something light weight, that will fit all of your essentials plus will not weigh you down. Plus your hands will be free to grab your goods and go, you will not have to worry about where to put your purse. Check out this bag from ASOS.

 Asos.com

3.  If I have to tell you this than it is obvious this is your first time battling lines. Protect your feet from the cold and the concrete with a pair of cute kicks....loving these Dunks....

Nordstrom.com $85.00

4. Snack + Espresso + Water= Sanity...need I say more? Throw some almonds, an apple,  and a bottle of water in your bag... and if you must, make a Starbucks run before the madness begins, especially if you are going to be out for more than a couple of hours.

5. A very calm and patient friend. The one who is going to talk you out of pushing the old lady or arguing over the last sale item that you really don't need with some random person. Hey we want you to make it home in one piece.

What's in your Black Friday Survival Kit?

Shameka

Why Not Just Believe....

For truly I say to you, If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there; and it will move and nothing will be impossible to you

Matthew 17:20

While having dinner with one of my friends the topic of belief arose in a discussion about religion. My friend began to tell me about the works of Jesus and how he could not perform many miracles in his home town because the people did not believe. I have been thinking about how powerful believing is. Knowing something is true despite what you see or feel.

BELIEVE

 1. To accept something as true, genuine or real 

2. To have a firm conviction as the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something

Believing is an verb, not a noun. It is something that you do, and not just something you say. It takes work and here are a few ways to turn your doubt into belief:

1.     See it 

• Go to a quiet place and imagine how it would look, taste, and feel to have what ever it is that you believe. Remember with out a vision the people shall parish. 
• Make a vision board, post pictures or words that inspire you or represent what you want.
• Post positive quotes and affirmations to remind you of what you want to believe

I want to be stylish, fabulous and chic as you can see on my vision board. Now I just need to believe that I am, that's the only way I will be....

2. Write it down

• After you see it you should have a clear picture of what is that you want write an affirmation ( start your affirmation with I am)
• Write your business plan
• Write your goals

I am Stylish, Fabulous and Chic

I say this every morning as I am getting dress to remind me what I want to be.....

3. Do it!

• Now it's time to take action. Speak it, claim it, declare it, walk in it, be it....you do not truly believe unless you are taking action, no matter how bad it seems, how far away, how impossible. The more you believe the harder you work.

Now all that is left is for me to make an efforts when I am shopping to pick items that fit that category, and before I know it I'm stylish, fabulous, and chic.

Take this into consideration:

Your belief determines your action and your action determines your results, but first you have to believe

Mark Victor Hansen

Then he touched their eyes saying " it shall be done to you according to your faith."

Matthew 15:28

Spend the week thinking about what you believe and ask yourself does it line up with the life that you want.... if not you now have the tools to believe in something different.

Connect with me on twitter @shemogul and let me know how your beliefs changed this week, or leave a comment below.

Shameka

Love List...+ My Letter to Michelle

The weekend is just around the corner. Another week down. I'm so glad that I made it , its the perfect time to reflect on the things that made this week awesome. Check out my list and think about the big or small things that made this week unique for you...

MY LOVE LIST

1. Chunky Monkey Ice Cream, one spoonful after dinner made the night just right.

2. An extra hour of sleep...need I say more.

3. My family, they are so supportive. I would not have been able to do half of what I have done with them...love you guys <3

4. Hearing KING talk his baby talk...it made the 3,000 mile distance evaporate.

5. Texts from PH. D Tracey Gunter they keep me thinking, and checking myself.

6. Barack gets to serve us again.

7. I'm as open as ever to new experiences, opportunities, and relationships  ( *smile*)

MY LETTER TO MICHELLE

Dear Michelle,

I assume you have gotten a million letters from a million young women across the country, let me say that I do not mind being  one-million and one. I am writing to say thank-you, not only for me but for my daughters yet to come. For the generations of women who needed a viable role model depicting all the hats a women  can wear with grace, love, influence, and victory. You have given us permission to shine, and be great at all the things we love. Watching you love and support Barack, nurture your daughters and influence the world teaches me that nothing is to hard when you put your mind to it. You have inspired me to live in my own greatness and for that I say thank-you.


Sincerely,
Shameka

My Journey to Gabrielle Union's Skin

One of my goals for the next 90 days is to improve my texture tone and overall quality of my skin. I want my skin to pop, glow and be as smooth as Gabrielle Union's. So I have done my research ( on you-tube of course) and here is what I found out.

1. You have to get to know your skin. What works for me may not work for you.

2. Invest in some quality products. They do not have to be really expensive but they need to be able to do the work.

3. Clean. Exfoliate. Moisturize. And in that order. Don't skip either of these steps and also do the regime morning and night. This is not just for your face but for your body.

4. A monthly facial does wonders. It gets all the things that you missed

5. Stay hydrated. If your skin is dull and dry it may be because your dehydrated. Dink a cup of water before you go to bed and also when you wake up in the morning.

6. Exercise. It gets the blood flowing and helps release the toxins in your pores. If you don't believe me., look in the mirror after a good workout and see how you glow.

7. A good hair skin and nail vitamin will aid replenishing any key nutrients that you missed in your diet that contribute to healthy skin.

8. Eat for good skin. Check out this article on Self.com http://www.self.com/beauty/2008/10/clear-skin-diet, it tells you what you should add to your diet if your looking for certain results.

Here are a few of my picks of healthy skin:

1.) Sweet Almond Oil: Great light moisturizer, you can use on your face and body. Add a few drops to a hot bath and you won't have to worry about moisturizing after the bath.

2.) Nivea Soft Moisturizing Cream: Light moisturizing cream that softens the skin...love, love, love for winter months.

3.) Dove Shea Butter Soap/Body Wash: Very Moisturizing, great smell. It's a must have for me.

Doing the Work....

Saturday night I was glued to the T.V. watching Iyanla's Fix my Life as she worked with 300 women  on fixing there love lives. 300 women all trying to find love, keep love, and nurture love. 300 women who all had something holding them back from love, and what was holding them back you might ask...themselves.  It was the pain, the shame, the guilt, the fear of the past that had shaped their current circumstance. Now that they recognized what was stopping them they had to " do the work". As I thought about my own life I wondered what "Doing the Work" actually meant. How can I do the work....

THEN IT HIT ME....



I need to really face the thing that was holding me back, face what's standing in my way. Here are three ways I began to do the work....

 

1. Tell the open honest truth about what it is. Say the things I don't want to say. I have a bad habit of not expressing my true feelings about certain matters. Especially when I feel as if they are going to hurt someone's feelings. So usually I am burying my feelings, and they end up turning into living breathing pain. Some times you have to be an advocate for you and say what needs to be said.

 

2. Feel the pain. Often the root of the very thing that we are running away from is pain. Be willing to feel it, willing to shed a tear, willing to be vulnerable. Once you have felt the pain what's their to be scared of...now you are stronger and know you can survive.  I have learned that it's alright to cry. Some may see it as a sign of weakness. I see it as a sign of strength, that one is able to be transparent.

 

3. Finally, picking yourself up, dusting off and trying again. Nothing shows true growth more than putting yourself out their again, loving again, starting another business, building a new relationship, trusting yourself, or just living.

 

Doing the work is not easy. Often times once you release one thing, you find something buried deep beneath that's even harder to work through. So you can either stick with what isn't working for you or be willing to do the work.

 

 

Share. What are important steps to your for overcoming obstacles in love and life?

 

 

Shameka