Nicka K. Cosmetics, I found these on display in a Cosmos beauty supply store not far from where I live. I've seen them before, but wasn't quite sure whether to buy one or not. Well, one day I just said "to hell with it all" and purchased these two colors. One's a shimmery sandy color and the other is kind of a dark shimmery burgundy that looks more purple when applied. They don't have a color name, but an 'item' number. The two pictured here, lightest to dark,  are item #'s 3308 and 3305. They were both only $1.49.

Here's a look that I created with these shadows, using the lightest as a highlight and the darkest on my lids

Other products that I used:

Revlon Colorstay foundation in Caramel - normal/dry skin

My concealer palette

Mac's Prep + Prime Eye

Too Faced; "Magenta Moon"(crease)

Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow; "Honey"(inner corners/lower lash line)

Mac's eye khol in black(upper/lower lash line, water line)

Maybelline Colossal Volum Express; "Glam Black"

Urban Decay Lipstick; Midnight Cowboy

and Moisture Supergloss in Natural(also from the BS)

My two favorite looks paired together, leopard print and military. This look, courtesy http://stylepantry.com, gives me inspiration for a new fall look for 2010.

(http://stylepantry.com/2010/09/30/leopard-tube-dress-military-jacket/)

I've already gotten started with these combat army boots that I got a few days ago from BareFeetShoes.com

I got these just for casual wear, like out to the store, etc, nothing fancy. They're actually pretty cute.

ACV or Apple Cider Vinegar, is a great product for natural hair. As a rinse,  it restores the pH balance of  my hair. Its acidity is close to that of natural hair and smooths/tightens up the hair cuticle making my hair feel soft and silky. It also removes  the  buildup that other products leave on my hair.  I've also read that it can be used as a clarifier, but I never tried it, still I think that it'll be a great alternative to Baking Soda if you hate that 'dried out feel' that BS leaves after use..  I use it, as a final rinse, after I condition my hair. A 50/50 mixture of ACV and water, 1cup of each liquid. Then I pour the concoction in an empty bottle. After I rinse the conditioner from my hair, I saturate my hair with the mixture.  Now, I'm not sure about others, but I rinsed the ACV partial outafterwards.

The ACV/Water Mixture

Looks like pee.. eww!

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The Results?

"Hair's still air drying"

As I'm rubbing my hands through my hair, it feels "light"(as it always do after I co-wash), bouncy and soft. The curls seem pretty defined as well. And it's always a plus to have well defined curls!

Pros and Cons of using Apple Cider Vinegar;

Pros:

• Helps defined curls
• Leaves hair soft, manageable
• Relieves itchy scalp
• Eliminate dandruff
• Seals in hair color
• Natural Hair Loss Treatment
• Helps balance the pH levels in the the hair cuticles
• Not just for hair, but all around good health

Cons:

• That god-awful smell!
• Supposedly, it can dry out your hair. But I myself have yet to have that problem

Recently, HauteLooks.com had a Body Shop sale. I purchase their $50 for $29 gift certificate thinking that it'll be a nice present for my Mom. Unfortunely,  my Mom wasn't able to use it because everything(shipping, billing) was in my name. I didn't know, I'm use to gift-cards not certificates. Thought that I'd buy it, but anyone could use it. Anyway, to make a long story short, I made the purchase for her. She wanted the 'Japanese Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette' priced at $25.00. But then that left $25 left over. I talked her into picking  two more,  'Cocoa Butter Hand & Body Lotion' and 'Shea Whip Body Lotion'. All are pictured below;

"Eau de Toilette"

"Cocoa Butter Lotion & Shea Wipped Butter"The site had a buy 2 for the price of $5 each($10). Both lotions were $10, so I took advantage of what was left over.

Here's what I choose for myself; "Carrot Moisture Cream & Cucumber Freshening Water"

The Carrot Moisture Cream: Hydrate and protect your skin with a rich, moisturizing, non-greasy daily moisture cream that leaves the skin feeling beautifully soft and supple...

I thought that this'll be a good moisturizer to use daily under foundation.

Cucumber Freshing Water: Remove excess traces of oil, dirt and makeup with a mild toner that will refresh and soothe your skin without over drying it.

It's a toner, btw. I used these 2 earlier today when I woke up. At first I thought that the moisture cream would be too heavy, it's pretty thick, but when applied it was actually really light, left my face feeling smooth to the touch. I was afraid that after application, it'd feel heavy and leave a sticky feel to my skin. Even after a long day, my skin still feels smooth. The toner went on smooth as well. It left a cool, clam feeling to my skin as well.

Oh, And they sent free samples!

What is Co-washing? Term mostly used when  concerning  Black Hair. Natural or relaxed, don't matter.  But I found that many women, of all shades, with curly hair Co-wash to help keep their curls easy to work with. Co-washing is  short for "Conditioner Washing".  It's a gentle way to cleansed the hair without using shampoo.  In place, you'll use the conditioner of your choice.

The Benefits of Co-washing? To put moisture back into your hair that frequent shampooing will normally take away. It helps keep Natural Black hair manageable and soft.

So what's Wrong with Shampoos? Shampoo has chemical ingredients, like sulfate(which is also used in detergent), that strips the hair of it's natural oils which can leave hair feeling dry and brittle

What is the Downside to Co-washing? With moisturizing conditioners, over moisturizing can happen. Hair can start to feel "gummy",  sticky and heavy.  It's always best to use some type of clarifying shampoo, of your choice,  to cleanse the hair of product build up... A good balance of moisture and protein is also ideal for hair.  Switching to a protein conditioner would help combat an overload of moisture.

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And Myself?

I try to Co-wash at least 2-3 times out of the week. I just love the feeling of the "clean" that it gives me throughout the week..  I normally use two different conditioners for the job. V05 Moisture Milks and Herbal Essence Hello Hydration. I also like Cream of Nature. I use to use the Cream of Nature when I did my last co-wash of the week, but I recently switched to the Herbal Essence for that.  I'll  add about 2-3 tea spoons of baking soda to the conditioner for the 1st wash as a clarifier. Then I'll wash again(with the conditioner, then I follwer up with a nice deep conditioner under the dryer for about 10-15mins.. When time is up, I rinse throughly. I also use a mix of Apple Cider Vinerger and water as  a rinse. After that, I add a moisturizer(one that I made myself ^_^), then I'll seal it with either EVOO or Coconut oil(two of my faves). Then I let it air dry. Before it fully dries, I'll probably do a two stran twist or braids, if I feel like. Then I put on my silk bonnet and go to bed.

By bedtime I'm so exhausted from that whole ordeal that I'll fall right to sleep.