I will be my own judge!

Spring Nails Bloom

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:18:00 +0000

I remember when having a different color on each nail was a funky mani revolution of a trend not a year or so ago. I never got on the wagon because I could never get the right colors together, and doing a gradation took too much effort on my part (raise your hand if you're lazy lol). That all changed as soon as I went on my drugstore escapades and found the new spring collections available for mass purchase. I picked up some of the limited edition pastel Maybelline polishes and had a bright idea to use them all at once last night. I will be getting a Calgel makeover within hours, but who cares, right? I have so much polish, I should be wearing different colors every several hours!

I will be swatching these again to show you how they look alone soon. These are the only four colors I got from the collection, there are some variations of pink and an orange that I didn't get, because... well... I wanted something new, ya know?

As I was taking photos, I realized the perfect background would be my fuzzy pastel-ish bathrobe. This is the garment that keeps me warm and makes a Sunday morning so awesome.

without flash

with flash

I'm totally digging it. How about you? Have you tried something funky with your nails? Liking the Maybelline spring pastels?
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March Madness

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:06:00 +0000

March started off with a bang for beauty lovers folks. Today I walked my footsies up and down the aisles of the International Beauty Show. Spring is in the air, and it smells a lot like lotions, polishes, lip glosses, and more!

The Beauty Show is located at the Jacob Javits Center (today, tomorrow, and Tuesday) and if you have ever been to a trade show there, you will know the area is no walking joke. I have to admit I am pretty pooped for a post and so I'm sharing some photos from the tradeshow floor. The show is only open to the trade, but I know a lot of y'all do hair, makeup, and/or nails - check it out if you can! I found some new brands (and spent an equal amount of coins) and will be reporting about it soon. I also got up close and personal with Minx and Calgel for nails. Some new nail colors from Dashing Diva, OPI, Essie, and more (can't share all my secrets!).

A new nail polish brand? It is to me! Stay tuned for more info.

NYX galore! Lordy lordy I wanted to get one of each!

Ahh! Even more NYX!

Body "shaping" machines that looked like they were from back in the day... Verdict is still out for this baby.

Celebrity stylist Nick Arrojo styling hair on the fly.

This March also brings Shecky's Girl's Night Out (in two days!) and gets the ball rolling for plenty of beauty shows (some of the hair shows already passed from the sunnier states, and the Makeup Show LA already passed as well!).

Any events catch your eye?

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Alice in Etsy-land

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:45:00 +0000

As many of you may have heard, Tim Burton's latest masterpiece, Alice in Wonderland is out in theaters. Though many movies come and go, there are few that are as inspiring as a story tale and even fewer as awesome as Alice. While I am too sickly at the moment to be galavanting amongst movie goers (hello sinus pressure and sniffles), I am always at optimal health to run wild with the web. You may have heard of Urban Decay, OPI, Disney Couture (naturally... and have you seen the necklaces?!?!?!) and others jumping on the Alice in Wonderland wagon (with very creative and must have limited edition items I might add), but the choices may leave you wanting for something original. Something that you can only find down the rabbit hole.

Image credit: Disney

Enter into the courtroom the real wonderland - Etsy. My favorite haven for finding out what creative handmade shenanigans people have been up to in this world. Sure, I may not be the biggest cardstock and stamping genius, but someone out there sure is. And I can ~~bribe~~ pay them for their gifts!

Check out my picks for all things originally Alice:

Want fancy stationary for your tea party? This set comes with different colored image stamped onto cards and envelopes. Lest you wanted to keep a memento for yourself, there is a teapot necklace thrown in with the set. Check out all purchasing details here from seller VivalaViolette.

Wait. Are you having a tea party? Send out your invites for an Alice themed anything (look - nobody will judge if you have a Happy Friday party... especially if you invite moi!). Seller VivalaViolette to the rescue. I'm sure you can probably negotiate eat me and drink me tags in the process.

Party out of the question? Have a solo party on your ears. That way each time you pick up the phone to chat, it'll be like clinking glasses to toast your fabulous self. Courtesy of seller ghostlovejewelry.

Quit neckin' with the promo posters and get yourself a unique token of love. This pendant is a vintage domino with some wonderland on the other side. Talk about the flipside, right? Thank seller wickedmama for the creativity.

Tea biscuits and muffins more your taste? Wear this cocktail... or rather, a tea time ring to show people what your style is with the help of DIVINEsweetness.

Happy Birthday time? Get well time? Nothing better than Alice specific greetings from inBlackandBright.

I'm sorry y'all. This mirror is looking crazy awesome. Check out all the intricate details on it - ya know all thanks to MarilyndaGallery.

Ever want to separate your makeup or goodies in your purse? This is perfect. Click over to check out the details that bern4me concocted.

Remember the talking flowers? Check out the poster at the top of the post and you'll see them in the promo image. This brooch from kathelonious is channeling the queen of hearts.

JezebelCharms make some awesome charm bracelets. That is the beginning and end of the statement.

If you didn't see the lampshade from pokybrush at the top of the picture, would you be able to tell that this is a lamp? I wouldn't. But how caaaaa-uuuute!

A tea party is what I'm fantasizing about you guys. This wonder from AnniesStudio can be a vase or a candle holder. It can also handle lip glosses and necklaces, but that's just my mind talking.

What did you find it Etsyland lately?
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Guess What I Got?

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 03:34:00 +0000

It has been a pretty heated Twitter discussion about where to get the holographic polishes from Milani. To clear things up, only CVS drugstores carry these babies. This is a tried and tested fact courtesy of 40+ drugstore checks by yours truly. If you are outside of NY, you might find these in other drugstores... and if you do, let us know! I am not sure if they are limited edition or not, but something tells me they are. There are only six colors, and if you are having trouble getting to a CVS, or have no such drugstore nearby, they have the polishes available for purchase on their website.

I finally got my hands on all colors, and while I wait for my nails to grow back to decent swatching shapes, here are what the colors look like:

Any favorites?

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Review: Yes to Carrots Hair and Scalp Mask

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:05:00 +0000

Sometimes when I lean my head back to relax and close my eyes for a bit on the subway, when I lean forward again, sometimes the metal edges of the walls of the subway car steal a hair or two. The violation of my hair follicle always makes me grasp my head, and the area that was leaning against the wall always feels a little flatter. I know that this happens from the two objects leaning against each other, and pressure, bla bla bla. All I could really hear in my head though were my mother's warnings to take care of my hair or risk losing it all with age.

A lot of my personality is encased in my hair. Is that weird to say? Anytime someone asks me to describe myself or how I would like to be described, 'curly' inches it's way into the picture - and by all means I am not one to object. So at times when I feel like I have been neglected the curls - well it kind of makes me feel sick to my stomach. Melodramatic, maybe - but absolutely true.

My mission has become to be the ultimate caretaker of my scalp and hair. As I pay closer attention to freshness and youth retention in my skin (moisturizing, SPF, and limit sun exposure), body (exercise and eating right - though I haven't done much of either well in a while - and you didn't hear that from me - but I did improve on regular vitamin consumption!), and most importantly my hair and scalp, I find that there are certain measures that need to be taken to continue maintenance. You know - so that if you could compare my body to a vehicle without regular checks under the hood and maintenance, it would just sputter and give up in the middle of the road. Yaya is not giving up in the middle of the road.

Before I took to the army of products itching to be deployed to battle on the shelves of drugstores, department stores, and salons, I sought to declutter my own stash. I found my pot of Yes to Carrots hair mask from the StyleFixx Girl's Night Out goodie bag (see what was in it here) and brought it with me to the shower.

From the site:
"C is for Hair Care - Hair and Scalp Moisturizing Mud Mask 250ml - 8.45 fl.oz

Experience gorgeous hair like never before with C is for Hair Care.
Moisturizing, softening, detangling, shining, volumizing… need we go on??

C is for Hair Care contains extracts of organic carrot, organic pumpkin & organic orange, rich with Beta-Carotene, Alpha-Carotene, Vitamin E and other enzymes that keep your locks in tip-top condition.

Key Ingredients: Extracts of organic carrot, pumpkin, orange & honey contain Beta-Carotene and Vitamin E to keep your hair moisturized and full of shine.

Instructions: Apply to towel-dried hair and massage thoroughly. Leave on for 12-15 minutes (no cheating!) and rinse with lukewarm water. Use 1-2 times per week.

Tips: For maximum nourishment use twice a week, concentrating on roots and scalp."

First may I point out to the court (that's you!) that I love things that include carrots and all sorts of other natural ingredients. I like stuff that I have heard was good for you since I was able to understand. I remember when my grandma used to lovingly force-feed me (I was a stubborn child) baby carrots and slices of apples. She would say this one is for mommy, etc. Then she would tell me there were a thousand vitamins in the fruits. Yep. Grandma Yaya made a good sell.

Let me also bring attention to the fact that after I shower I don't like to walk around with a mask full of product only to go back in to wash it out. So I cheat just a bit. I wash my hair with shampoo and conditioner, brush it out, rinse, and then turn off the shower. Then I put on the Yes to Carrots mask in my hair, cover my hair with a shower cap (it's more for making sure that my hair won't sneak into my eyes or stick to my back like a wet sock) and continue with other duties like scrubbing my legs, shaving, doing a facial scrub, sometimes even dancing (but careful - the floor is wet). Then I turn the shower back on, wash away my face scrub, soap up, and once all that is done, I remove the shower cap and wash away the mask.

This might have affected my results with the product, but I can tell ya it still does a good job. I don't know if I would call it a mask, because it feels like a short spout of deep conditioning. The mask smells awfully good (I wouldn't mind a lotion with that smell) and is creamy - so don't expect it to come out in glops or to dry up your head like dried mud. It definitely makes my hair feel softer and my scalp more moisturized after use, but to be perfectly honest, I also don't see it making any miracles happen.

Something else to consider? After several uses of the mask (twice a week as prescribed - I follow directions sometimes!) and using my Hydroveil scalp oil before I leave, my scalp may not be in need of a miracle. For everyone who has hair that requires higher than average maintenance like mine, it is understood that you don't leave your hair to fend for itself. You tend to it on a regular basis or pay the consequences.

I really like this hair treatment and recommend it for people who would like to continue to maintain conditioning their hair with a treatment once or twice a week. Have a super dry scalp and super dry hair? You might need to invest in a scalp oil for every day application at first, but this would be a great buy too. I guess for cases that require more attention and more of a miracle, this would be step two as opposed to step one. Make no doubt about it though - this baby is no slouch.

The Yes to Carrots line of products is sold in drugstores and online for $12.99 (for a full list of locations, click here).

Have you ever tried a hair mask?

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Minty NOTD from Sally

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:12:00 +0000

I've been walking around drugstores like a ferret for the past couple of weeks. It's starting to drive me wild too you know. I like to have brands put something good out at a gradual pace. That or an obnoxious price with no sale in sight works well too. This has not been the case. There have been holos, new bottles, new colors. Not just great brands, but brands that haven't done so well and are seeking redemption. Then the drugstores come around for my money and start offering sales left and right. It's getting stressful over on this side of the screen y'all.

So check out one of my new faves from my gal Sally Hansen. It is a new color... right? Mint Sprint is perfect with one coat but looks massively smoooooooth (with exactly that many os) with two coats. I am still a die-hard fan of the weird flat brush, it covers my nail in almost one swipe. The color is what turquoise would look like if it had a steamy affair with gray.

I used to be a fan of the shape of this triangular bottle, but when I started storing them, it started to drive me wild. Have you tried to stack them together? It's a bit annoying. The new colors out though? Redemption granted.

Any colors making you run to the store?

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Blazing into and through Spring

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:46:00 +0000

Yesterday, right before I had to go to class, I made sure to give myself the right amount of time to head into Macy's to check out the new MAC collections so that I could purchases some new products with my gift card with minimal guilt. What a great student, right?

Image Credit: DeviantArt artist picturelock

As a prelude, let me tell you that my new favorite pastime is checking out the selection that Macy's has in the INC International Concepts collection. They've got some stunners y'all! My current list of wants includes a yellow top with a black contrast zipper and ruffle center and a cropped light gray blazer. But that's if I were to limit myself. If I were to indulge myself, I'd go nuts.

The point of my story though, is that the blazer has evolved from being a corporate wardrobe must have and sometimes jacket, to a staple in many a gal's closet. What once was trendy in the 'boyfriend' variety (think tunic length with a dash of masculine) is now current in all shapes and sizes, from tunic length to cropped, and from long sleeves to wherever you want to roll it up. During Fashion Week, my black cotton three quarter sleeve blazer from Uniqlo was a godsend because not only did the fabric move with me freely, but the pockets were spacious enough to accommodate some business cards, a phone, a gloss, a pen, and sometimes even a camera. As I wore it then and again through the week I thought to myself, this baby is going to put in some serious work until bathing suit season.

That got me thinking. How does one gal stand out from another as spring arrives. Spring, notorious for the resurgence of bright, if not a pastel version, of colors, is still chilly enough for us to use our layering genius to partner a variety of tops under a blazer or two. No one wants to buy a different blazer for each top, and no one wants to look like they're wearing the same thing everyday. What to do?

Perfect the Feel and Fit
If you don't already have the perfect blazer, make sure your blazer hugs you just the way you want it to. Does it hug your biceps too tight when you raise your arms? Does it look good buttoned and unbuttoned? The bevy of cotton blazers on the market make it easy for the blazer to sit better than a conventional suit jacket you may see on businessmen and women. These tend to hug your curves like a tee or a soft sweater, giving the illusion that you paid big bucks for your garment. Also - the fabric allows for breath-ability - pretty important when the weather starts getting warmer. You should consider this when trying out fleece options that may seem cute but will bite you in the butt the day you start sweating as if under interrogation. Also to consider? Possible uses of the garment. If you want to roll up your sleeves, etc. make sure that the fabric is going to allow you that leeway.

Getting a big blazer? A boxy blazer makes a big statement, but you don't want it to say that you're the one that's big. Make sure to keep your waist defined with a belt if you have loose pants, or slip on some skinny jeans!

Go for the Details
When looking for a blazer to stand out, a black one may seem practical for its multipurpose nature, but why not gray? Varying levels of gray are on racks in stores everywhere vying for your attention. If you really don't want to budge from the black, check the lining for a fun pattern. This will show in the event that you roll up your sleeves (and you should!). Ruffles and sequins are also great details on the sleeves, collars, buttons, waists, pockets, where have you.

You're so Bright
Choosing a color that compliments a lot of others in your closet is key in making an item worth its cost. I like to stay away from white blazers because I am guaranteed to fudge it up within minutes. I stick to gray and black. Their friendliness with all the other colors in my closet gives me the push to break out the brights. Wear yellow, pink, purple, etc. under your blazer. Try ruffle tops and let the ruffle come out over the center of your blazer (think of a lion's chest). Take a tip from our nation's first lady and invest in a bunch of pins. Use one or several to dress up your blazer. Patches work just as well (but make sure to pin them and not iron them on if you want to change them up!). My favorite tip (don't ever say I don't share my secrets!)? I like to use to pins to connect a necklace across the collar. Not your cup of tea? Go to the fabric store and get yourself some unique buttons, and change the buttons out on your blazer. You can even roll up your sleeves and add a new button on each side to keep them from rolling down.

If all else fails, rock a bib necklace to accent the life out of that sucker.

If you're a party princess, you can party up in your blazer too. Wear it over a dress, a lace top, a bustier, or even a bra. Confidence is key. Wear what makes you feel good.

Here are some great blazers at Macy's under $100. Which one is your taste?

Do you have any blazers for spring? How do you dress them up?

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Shecky's Girl's Night Out Goodies

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:13:00 +0000

The Shecky's Girl's Night Out event is coming up (March 9-12) and I wanted to rave about one of the products I came across the last time I was at this event. Bath by Riley is the cutest company I have ever seen. You know the niche market of ladies having all the products they need in a much more ladylike and cutesy way? Think Juicy Couture, Miss Dior, etc.

When I was at the Girl's Night Out, I came across Hand Candies and fell in love at first sight. Not enough words can describe how cute.

What is it? You probably want to choke me for the build up, but look. Y'all would be short for words too.

Hand Candies are basically little squares of body scrub wrapped as a candy. Take heed in the warning on the website! These look yummy and smell equally so, but they are not for consumption!! They are perfect for trying different flavors without committing to a big bottle of body scrub at a time - and how great is it that there are 40 different flavors of these? Also - these work best with traveling and if you are a stickler for not wanting to dilute your scrub like me. I really hate when my bottles get soaked with running water from the shower as I decide how much scrub I want to use, leave it open etc. The other great side? They are dry little squares, so you really don't get stuck losing a dollop and staring at the floor of your tub wistfully with sadness deep in your heart.

At the event, all the lucky guys and gals passing the table saw Hand Candies in bowls separated by flavor. At the end of the table there was a big sink where you can sample a hand candy. The sampling was the reason why I bought ten hand candies right away you guys. This scrub is not only a highly effective scrub, but it also contains lotion. My hands were so soft after using the scrub that I kept telling my friend to touch them. She wanted to clobber me, but I wanted more Bath by Riley!

If you make it to Shecky's Girl's Night Out (and I would so love to meet you if you do), you won't be seeing Bath by Riley until later in the year. You can check which events they will be gracing here. I can't wait to see what brands and products will rock my world in less than a week from now!

Have you tried Bath by Riley? Are you going to Girl's Night Out?

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Drugstore PSA

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:39:00 +0000

I would be a terrible friend if I didn't disclose what I found to be a fact yesterday. I was drugstore perusing and found that Rite Aid lost their mind (in the best way possible). I previously mentioned on Twitter that they had a special on mascaras, but this time around? This week all nail polishes and artificial nails are BuyOneGetOne half off. Yes. ALL. This is great for all those polish companies that never have stinkin' sales unless they are being discontinued are on sale!

But it doesn't end there! Check out the rest of the beauty and skin care sales they got pumpin':

Revlon: BOGO Free
Almay: BOGO 50% off (also offering $5.00 single check rebate on any two Almay products)
Prestige: (in store brand) BOGO 50% off
CoverGirl: BOGO 50% off
Neutrogena: BOGO 50% off(including the wave)
Physician's Formula: BOGO 50% off
L'Oreal: BOGO 50% off
Aveeno: BOGO 50% off body, face, bath products
Scunci: BOGO 50% off hair accessories

They also have a BOGO free/50% off nearly all their store brand items.

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Who else is following the trend? CVS
CVS has BOGO 50% off all fragrances.
They also have the BOGO free sale on Revlon, and have BOGO 50% on Maybelline and Physician's Formula.

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Walgreen's is trying to be different with:
40% off Maybelline products
Pond's: BOGO Free skin care
Olay Total Effects Skin Care/Body Wash: BOGO 50% off
Neutrogena: BOGO 50% off
Revlon: $3 off

Until Saturday, I will be checking out all the Rite Aids in the area (and knowing me, those far away as well) because their sales for the week are making me one happy gal. I was trying to curb my nail polish additions (as you can see the stash is ever growing), but I might have to make a big exception for all purchases incurred during these sales.

Plan on getting anything? Tell me what you find and what you get!

p.s. Don't blame dear lil' Yaya if your nearest drugstore have different sales. Consult your weekly ad to make sure they are honoring the same deals before you bring your purchase to the counter. I will not and am in no way financially stable to support everyone who will have a different drugstore sale (or else I wouldn't be looking out for sales!).

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Traveling with an e.l.f.

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:15:00 +0000

It's hard enough for people visiting New York to pack enough. Scratch that. Anyone traveling has a case of the Iforgots. I have it each and every single time I travel. When I went to Barbados? I had a checklist of all the things to bring and still missed some pretty important things. How could I have missed bringing shorts when I was venturing to the Caribbean? Similarly, when I flew to Florida, how could I really arrive without shampoo, lotion, or hairspray? Was I traveling to somewhere prehistoric? Was Jetblue chartering time machines!? The hardest thing is looking at yourself in the mirror and admitting that you indeed forgot an essential. It's all your fault. Unless you have a butler. Most of us don't. If only someone counted on us to be harebrained and forgetful.

As of March 1st (mmmhmmmm today), all travelers heading to NYC staying at an Affinia location are privy to a complimentary e.l.f. emergency beauty kit.

The e.l.f. emergency beauty kit includes:

-Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF 15 in Pink Kiss, contrary to popular belief, New Yorkers aren't rude (okay, not all of us), so you'd be a smart petunia to have gloss to decorate that smile of yours - and SPF? Way ahead of the pack!
-Slanted Tweezers, because there is an obsessive compulsive plucker in all of us that escapes when traveling and without a tweezer. I can safely admit that I have tried to remove hairs with the strength of my nails in such situations. Don't judge.
-Regular and Waterproof Mascara Duo, a swipe or two of mascara makes a gal look awake. As you know, the Big Apple doesn't sleep - so go on and fool everyone!
-Nail Polish Remover Pads, when the beauty supply stores are creeping up on you and the Sephora stores are as plentiful as Starbucks you may feel the urge to change up your polish, or go bare from the variety.
-Eye Makeup Remover Pads, because what goes on must come off. Also because when you are not at home, you can't reach for olive oil as a miracle cure.
-Clear Nail Polish, stops stockings from ripping. Makes bare nails look uber chic and taken care of. Keeps nails from cracking or breaking (don't believe me? Compare wearing clear polish to no polish for a week!).
-Travel Hand Sanitizer, because a lot of sleepless New Yorkers make for a lot of grime and dirt. Oh, and the possibilities to grab a bite to eat on the corner of A and B are endless!

The super plus for me is that no one claims these babies back from you. You're safe to tote this kit around as your save me super team until everything runs out. Then you might just have to return to New York. :)

All Affinia-stayers have to do is simply call or visit the front desk for a kit, no questions asked.

Having a beauty kit available for you at Affinia courtesy of e.l.f.? Super awesome.
Being able to land in NYC and ask the front desk "you got the goods?" Priceless!!!

Participating Affinia locations include: Affinia Manhattan, Affinia Dumont Hotel, Affinia 50 Hotel, Affinia Gardens Hotel and Affinia Shelburne.

Do you travel with e.l.f.?

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Tart Kisses

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:29:00 +0000

Upon my last visit to Sephora, I saw what I was looking for plenty of visits prior. The Tarte Natural Lip Stains have arrived. After I saw these babies in People Style Watch, I was so excited I could have ran up and down the street and told everyone about it a la The British are coming!

Are you guys familiar with Tarte Cosmetics? The ecofriendly cosmetics line rocks my socks with the quality of products they continue to put out. There is not a single stinkin' season that they spare me and my wallet of any wants or needs (and there are plenty of both). Truthfully? The guys and gals behind Tarte can sell me a lemon of a car (that'd be a very poorly working car) and I'd buy it in a jiffy. The honest truth? They'd never do such a thing! They stand behind their products and I'm happy to as well.

The colors look like this:

Some tech talk from the site:

"What it is:

A natural lip stain that is clinically proven to increase lips' moisture content by 6000%.

What it does:

After 10 years the wait is finally over. These much-anticipated natural lip stains are an extension to the best-selling and award-winning cheek stains. Just like the iconic cheek stains, each emotive, peppermint-infused shade smoothly glides on lips for a natural flush that will stay all day. So say goodbye to reapplying your lip color throughout the day and say hello to a gorgeous pop of color and hydration that lasts.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:

- Parabens - Sulfates

- Synthetic Fragrances - Synthetic Dyes

- Petro-Chemicals - Phthalates

- GMOs - Triclosan

What else you need to know:

The old meets the new with the infusion of our high-performance natural LipSurgence™ technology which is clinically proven to increase moisture content by an astonishing 6000%. This proprietary blend effectively increases skin's water content for a 'plumped up' appearance leaving lips defined, smoothed, and hydrated. The result is naturally fuller, healthier lips without any irritation or stinging. Like the cheek stains, each shade of these natural lip stains will leave a natural hint of tint that will last throughout the day. These shades are great to wear alone or pair with your favorite tarte lipgloss. This product is free from gluten, animal testing, formaldehyde donors, oil, talc, MEA/ DEA/ TEA."

Now... the only problem is that I cannot find any store that is fully stocked with these babies. I swear I will be turning into a Tarte junkie, sleeping outside of a Sephora waiting for a new shipment to arrive.

From the reviews I read on the wide web, a lot of people are fond of the product (did I mention they smell great?), but take up with the title of 'lip stain.' After coming in contact with these, I have to say they are not strictly a lip stain. The fact that they moisturize, and by doing that, add a bit of gloss makes me want to call this a hybrid of a tinted lip balm and a stain.

My swatches come courtesy of the testers on the counters of Sephora, and I will be reporting back as soon as I have a few of these babies in my lip product family.

Anything from Tarte getting you excited?

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Curls are so IN

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:50:00 +0000

Look y'all. I would be hard pressed to ever tell you that curly is not the way to go. Curly is Yaya all the way. When I was little, I used to cry because my hair was such a problem. I wasn't savvy yet to the benefits of hair oil and sprays and such. I went completely natural with my hair and the frizz was tease factor number one. It was cute until the end of kindergarten and then it was back to reality. My grandfather (yes you read right) was the genius behind giving me pigtail braids that would last through any of my toss and turning dreams and still look neat for school. Whenever my mom or grandma offered to make my braids I would refuse. They were too soft with their hand and my braids would fall apart. How I longed to have sleek straight hair and maybe even bangs (another toddler horror story for another day). But my mom didn't let up. She said if I didn't like my hair the way it was, that she could easily shave it all off. Now look. No one could strike fear in my heart like my mama. She knew just the words. Soon as I transitioned into high school, my knowledge bank began to expand with hairsprays and leave in conditioners. Though I can't say I haven't suffered any epic hair fails after my learning sprees, I can say that I couldn't love my curls any more than I have since those learning days.

Image Credit: Style.com

That's the story of my hair. The story of fashion week? Let's start with the invites. Once the season starts, to get an invite in the mail is of the highest level of excitement. It's like Secret Santa at Christmas mixed with a surprise birthday party. You want it to happen. You want someone to think you're special, but you just sit and wait. Then it comes. You ooh and ahh even if it's terrible, because the experience can never be terrible. Right? Imagine my surprise party when I opened my invite for the Ports 1961 show. A small calendar just for fashion week, with a packet of seeds was in the mail. The date of the show was written in on the specified day in the calendar. As famous as they are for fancy invites, they didn't fail this season.

You wouldn't be surprised then, that no hail, sleet, or snow could stop me from attending the show. I was late, yes. I wrongly thought that I would be able to get from point A to point B and wherever else I wanted on the alphabet path during the first days of fashion week, to find that my little legs and public transportation didn't agree. So I got to stand on my tippy toes to watch the show, with nary a backstage detail on the beauty or hair. The silver lining on my depressing cloud? Not a single thing could dampen my day once I saw the models. The models were rocking big CURLY hair. I took pictures and phoned home that the show's hairstyle was what Yaya looks like in the mornings. Hello 80s? How nice of you to bring the hair back.

I met with the head stylist for hair for the show later on in my fashion week adventures (oh wait, did you doubt me?), and he said the Ports 1961 was a fun recreation of a big 70's perm. He said 70's but I couldn't get the 80's out of my mind. Any 70's hair experts out there? I'll research this and get back to ya.

The music at the show was a definite plus to me. Sometimes the runways turn into an excuse to run similar sounding techno back to back and ruins the experience. The collection had a vibe of Amelia Earhart going through the desert during the day and attending an Arabian Nights party. The makeup was soft, the hair was big, and the colors of the garments were in tune with all things fall and winter, with sultry sapphire and gold tones amongst others. According to the designer, the theme was the nature vs. technology, and you can definitely see it reflect in the fit and drape of the clothes. Check out all the looks from the show at my go to site for fashion week (outside of MyOwnJudge.net!) at Style.com.

Line up of models for the show

Do you feel big hair is back in? Reawaken the curl fiend in you!

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Milf in a Rampage

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:05:00 +0000

While most of you read the title and expected a hack (god forbid) or some drama where Yaya surely lost her head, I am only using two of the names of polishes in the line of Illamasqua polishes I got from Sephora not too long ago.

I even almost forgot to post it for you guys until I was watching the NAACP Image Awards tonight and read about MissMerli's woes over Keri Hilson's choice of accessories. (p.s. check YouTube for Monique & Tyler Perry's speeches. They were inspirational to me) Check the image here. The problem was mostly in the details. The fact that there was one single glove. Not a la Michael Jackson. A la 'I am a socialite returning from a ball and had too many glasses of wine and now I have no idea where my second glove is.' I even suggested she sported the single glove to mask the fact that her manicure was not completed on the other hand. Shoot, I've done similar things!

As I carefully zoomed in on Miss Keri Baby's nails though, I spotted a very familiar minty green. Is hers Illamasqua? If it's not, it sure should've been. Here's how the polish looked on me:

As you can probably tell, the left is with flash and the right is without flash. The color looks a bit like both pictures depending on what light you're looking at it under. Check out the pic below for what the color looks like with average indoor lighting.

This color is Milf. I tried to see if I could do a stripe NOTD with Rampage but took the tape off my nails too early. I am still learning this process of doing diagonal stripes. Previously, I used to do it free hand, but as soon as I get my timing and pressure down right with this tape nonsense, I will be amazing. The day will come!

See the uneasy wiggles around the diagonal? Work in progress.

Has a celebrity rocked your favorite mani?

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Crazy Sale on Lorac!

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:14:00 +0000

There are many brands that Sephora introduces me to and then sometimes takes them away. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Lorac is one of those brands.

But that's okay for the next day or so because it is on sale at Hautelook with prices starting at $4 and not going past $10. Yes you heard me right.

Come join HauteLook for your sample sales and cheap designer duds.

Click here for your special invite!

Don't forget that when you when you sign up through this link, you get a $10 credit to spend on whatever you please!

If the link is not working, copy and paste the following link in your browser: http://www.hautelook.com/invite/missyaya

Tardy to the Party

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:25:00 +0000

Tardy is the kindest word that I can attach to my timing in regards to Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week. Here's the catch up (and if the following schedule of posts is too many too often for y'all, let me know!).

I got the ball rolling during the actual Fashion Week by doing a guest post for Miss Brittany over at Clumps of Mascara about the Vessel by Lois runway presentation, and trust me when I say that I could've went to just that first show and would have heard all the buzzwords and trends right away.

Image Credit: Style.com

With scheduling and location conflicts for many shows, you try to make one person act like as many clones at one time as possible. Want to know a true story? There were two shows going on within an hour of each other and next door to each other. I went to the first show to cover the backstage prepwork, snuck out through the side staircase (no one could leave because they were doing a test run of the show), ran around the block (with a camera, notepad, and no jacket), only to go into another show, cover the backstage prepwork there, only to return to the first show to catch the runway, and then back to the second. I probably would've attempted a lot more fashion herculean tasks similar to this if they were closer together, but that was not the case.

So of course, it is with great sadness that I admit to you that I only got to see Toni's backstage prepwork and not the runway show. Too bad too, because the dresses were phenomenal. The collection was a bit broken in half with soft, sheer fabric in shades of gray, and some dark pieces, with black and gold. Check out all the runway photos from the show here.

For this show, MAC provided the cosmetic creations, Zoya for nails, and hair was styled by the peeps from Cutler Hair Salons.

The look? A feminine, ethereal, "all about gold" theme. Once you look at the line, you'll notice that the makeup matches the collection well.

Head makeup artist for the show, Dhai Naidu (pictured above) was swearing up and down the prep area that the item to buy from the fall brand collection is called 'Hang Loose.' The artists used Studio Moisture Tint foundation to cover up blemishes, but still keep the girls looking real; showing their real skin, freckles and all.

The polish colors were berry much in tune with autumnal shades, breaking out the berries (did ya catch the berry before?), and of course some glitterin' gold. The colors used were Sloane, Nova, Casey, and Richelle. Sunshine, the head nail artist for the team had some test swatches with various combinations of colors ready before each girl got set up with her color. Some gals rocked a single blinged out finger with berry on the rest. Nothing new for us beauty junkies, no? But I did love the pink glitter and the creamy gold. Such a switch for the colors, right?!

The hair was sleek and neat, usually arranged in buns with gold threads, sequins, and applique dipping in and out of strands. The hair team used Cutler Volumizer Spray, along with Redken Workforce '09. I was most impressed with the closeups of the hair (tell me you're not!).

My favorite images captured on my camera for the day were the box of hair sequins above, and this one here:

I'm sure anyone who had one person handling hair, nails, and makeup each, could get ready just as quickly as these gals! (And don't we all wish for a round the clock entourage that would help?)

How did this show strike you? Any favorite pieces yet?

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EOS - Evolution of Smooth

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:20:00 +0000

I have been hearing about EOS lip balm for a while now. The cute packaging, the roundness. Everyone had something to say about it, but I felt a little left out. Not anymore!

After a quick trip to Walgreens, I found a holiday three pack of the buggers still on sale by the counter. The three pack was meant for the winter holidays, but worked for February just fine.

The pack that I purchased had two mint flavors (peppermint and sweetmint - a lot like the Orbit gum!) and a sweet flavor (honeysuckle honeydew - which my mom stole from me). I think the trio I purchased may have had an error as it said that I'd get a summer fruit flavor, but oh well!

back packaging

There are so many things that I liked about these even before use.

First - the rubberized packaging. Think of a rubber grip cover for your phone. It feels like that but is in a cute round shape.

Second, I already mentioned it - how cute is this miniature roundbottom? If you are a sucker for cute packaging, you won't get far saying no to this.

Also, I am very much a fan of packaging that screws in instead of just popping off. After numerous a handbag accident where a cosmetic item has decapped itself and then proceeded to soil the contents of my bag, I can really appreciate packaging that requires opposable thumbs to open it.

But then of course, we had to open the product for the real review to begin.

All cuteness aside, I was looking for some soft results.

I really liked that the lip balms weren't pots. That's the most important part! I remember when I would purchase pots of lip balm and use them much like I use my EOS lip balm now, except after a while, there would be a dip inside, and my pots were retired to only in home use. Having to use your fingers to dip in transfers all kinds of germs and bacteria to your lips (and oftentimes into your mouth as a result), and it also keeps the bacteria in the pot. The aforementioned fact of the balms screwing open helped them stay covered as well.

The one negative that I have with this lip balm is that when your lips are really dry, you cannot just drag the little ball over your lip. It pulls the skin and leads it to crack. When you have dry lips and are using an EOS lip balm, just tap it over your lips till they are hydrated and then drag it all around.

The lip balms sell in drugstores for around $3.29 each. Not bad right?

I was most excited to have a miniature clear cosmetics case from this three pack as well.

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Let's Catch Up

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:33:00 +0000

I took a whole week off y'all. I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm really not. I haven't reached this level of exhaustion since I had three jobs and went to school full time. Fashion Week really kicked my butt. More so because it hit right in between starting a new (temporary) job, registering (and attending) for school, and plenty of dates (birthdays, Valentine's Day, the blizzard!). I felt like not only was I running across the whole tri-state area but I was constantly fighting a cold. Germs? Not I. But it took a toll.

Did I just sit on my butt though? Y'all should know better. Though my nails have been sacrificed in the name of fashion (crazy weeks tend to crack and break nails for some annoying reason), I have a stash of images and reviews for y'all to just go crazy with. I haven't had a single chance to post them prior to today because as some of you may know through my Twitter rants, I have been under a cloud of poor internet connection (have you ever waited 2 hours to upload 4 photos?). My fashion week coverage? Let's look at it this way. The shows are for fall and winter, whereas the spring and summer are what we currently care about. So my fashion week posts will come in gradually. The immediate photos and videos brought to you from design houses and news cannot be matched, so I ask (what I like to think) unique questions backstage, and I take my own photos. And soon enough, you'll see 'em all!

As you may have heard eons ago, Maybelline is the new sponsor of New York Fashion Week. So it's only fitting for me to tell you that on one of my numerous days of entering discount stores, I found one that was selling out old polish shades. Even eBay got nothing on this! I found the old school mattes and ran home giddy. I wanted to purchase more for giveaways, but there were no doubles!

First installment in my vintage Maybelline NOTD? Matte Stone.

left image with flash, right image without flash

with top coat - left image with flash, right image without flash

I really like this color. The way it looks without a topcoat is satin-y, and a bit like a faux leather fabric stretch over your nails. I liked it better with a topcoat because it was a perfect creamy balance between gray and brown. The most amazing thing about this NOTD is that the age of this polish did not affect the color or quality at all. The consistency is great - two coats gave me no trouble with this baby.

Do you have any vintage nail confessions?

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What's that on your face?

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:03:00 +0000

Fashion Week Smashion Week, right? I know some of y'all may be sour because you're not in the middle of all the action. But trust and believe me when I say the foot, neck, back, and head pain that comes with it - ya don't want it. Wait till you hit it big and get all the personal drivers and expense accounts to take a taxi-cab everywhere. Then it'll be uberfun (and you can take me!).

So then what's a little me going to do when there is so much beauty and innovation floating around? Come in sweat pants and makeup free? Nawwww. Fashion Week is usually the only time in the year where you will catch me sporting makeup every day for up to ten days. Can't let these stinkin' models show us up!

Enter into the courtroom the NY Fashion Week Makeup Challenge. Inspired by Twitterista @HeatherPark, I am joining the challenge. I am dutifully posting them on my Twitter with the hashtag NYFWMUC (#NYFWMUC). Click on the link to check out all the participants and their looks. There is so much creativity and inspiration around us, why not make the best of it?

Using YABY and Stila Cosmetics on the eyes, Smashbox for the face/bronzer, Chanel for brows, and MAC blush and mascara

Using Inglot and Medusa's Makeup shadow and Pencil Me In Cosmetics liner on the eyes, Prescriptives gloss on lips, MakeupForever for face, Smashbox for bronzer, Chanel for brows, and Lancome mascara

Using Inglot and Makeup Forever on the eyes, Styli-Style nude lipstick on lips (although it mostly wore off by picture time due to my snacking habits), MakeupForever for face, Smashbox for bronzer, Chanel for brows, and MAC blush and mascara

I also see now that I tend to do the same poses. Will be sure to mix it up for the rest of the days!

The rules:

New day, new makeup look.
You can repeat products, as long as they’re used in a different way.
You can’t repeat looks!
If you tweet it, please use the #NYFWMUC hash! (with pics, naturally)

As I am writing this, I am wondering what my Day 4 will be. Any suggestions?

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A China Glazed V-Day Mani & More

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 07:47:00 +0000

Hey there stranger. Oh wait. Me? Oh right! I've been gone from the blogosphere for three days. Please direct all comments and complaints to whoever creates viruses, Verizon and Best Buy. My home PC caught a mega virus that wiped basically the whole computer out. Thankfully I have a laptop though, right? Wrong. My DSL service refuses to connect to my laptop. What about Wifi? Hmm. Well the new laptop came with a new wireless router... so you'd think if the laptop came with Windows 7, the router would be able to work with that system? Nope. Not so. What is it that happens then? I have to travel around the city in between fashion shows to catch a signal and try to blog and tweet in those intervals. (p.s. toting around a laptop when you're already lugging paperwork and cameras and chargers is not. cute. Not at all.) I have been tempted to travel to a 24 hours McDonald's or Starbucks at 3am just to get some work done, but decided to get sleep instead. But enough about me. As you ponder about how you will forgive me, check out my faboo (even if I say so myself) NOTD for Valentine's Day out of two China Glaze colors.

left no flash, right with flash

I tried to do a variety of polka dots. On my thumb is free hand with the brush. On my middle finger, I used a medium-large dotting tool and on my pinky a smaller one. I did some funky design on the index finger and added some silver as a tip on the ring finger (just 'cause I don't have the ring yet, doesn't mean I'm exempt from the bling!), and as an accent on the rest. I got the silver polish amongst the nail art polishes at my local beauty supply store.

What's on your nails today?

Disclaimer: This product(s)was sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on MOJ remain unbiased and unpaid. For more info, feel free to contact the author.

I Always Said Cupcakes Make You Look Good!

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:37:00 +0000

While many may curse a cupcake for going straight to their hips, others may argue otherwise. Personally, once you get a good cupcake and devour it, you can't say a single bad word. Well... a couple in regards to why you ate it so fast and what you would do for just another bite... but nothing bad about the cupcake.

So get yourself a good cupcake (a special Valentine's Day edition of the Benefit Sugarbomb face powder. The Sugarbomb cupcake will be sold exclusively at the CupcakeStop truck in NYC on Friday, February 12, 2010 at 9am. The first 300 lucky ladies to sweeten their Friday and V-Day will get the face powder free with cupcake!

Plan on satisfying your sweet tooth? Tell me (and share a bite)!

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Oh Yes I Did!

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:13:00 +0000

This was the scene this morning:

The snow was going berserkers. Yes there is occasional snow here and there in New York, and yes this is not the worst I have seen, but by golly this is the first time I had to be out in it instead of drinking hot chocolate in front of the television.

Pants on the ground? How about taking ten steps and snow in my pants?

What is it? Mercedes Benz Fashion Week!! This is the second season I am covering the shows and I couldn't be more excited.

Which is exactly why I didn't so much mind the numbing of the toes or the snow falling into my hoodie and resting on my neck. Click over here to check out the schedule and let me know what you'd like to see on MOJ! Given the hectic schedule and improbabilities of my Wifi troubles, refer to my Twitter account for on the go commentary, and the posts will be sure to follow!

Until then...

Remember to wear boots that are waterproof:

and more than one pair of socks, so as not to soak your only pair and go on through the day a bit unhappy.

Too many details? I felt like everyone should know my sufferings! :)

Fess up! What do you want to see/find out at the upcoming shows?

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From Valentine Brain Fart to Genius in .2 seconds

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:05:00 +0000

So you decided you wanted to celebrate Valentine’s Day but you want it to be special. Not just pretty flowers and yummy chocolate special (although no one ever got hurt with pretty flowers and yummy chocolate), but "ohmygosh how did you think of that and have time to do that?!” special.

Image Credit: DeviantArt user luscious-cookie

These are some of my ingenious (even if I say so myself) ideas for you to hit the mega brownie point jackpot. Remember to accidentally leave this page on the computer for your significant other to find, and to make sure y’all don’t do the same things, remember to personalize each effort with what is closest to you and yours.

Take a trip
I know money is tight for a lot of people. So don’t take this as my attempt to go extravagant. Yaya thinks we can all just up and travel for Valentine’s Day. Wrong. But sometimes travel is cheaper than going out somewhere. Buckle down and commit to doing research on a bed and breakfast. Know a friend close by? Ask to house swap (you kind of need to live alone for that to work out right lol). Find free areas of interest around like a Botanical Garden, a zoo, museum exhibit, performance, etc. You can ever ask a friend to be a "chauffeur" and promise to clean their house/shovel their yard in return.

Even if money is tight and you have to ruin the surprise by going Dutch with your mate (each person paying for themselves), buy little trinkets and items to make the day memorable. In the past, I have invited my honey to a bed and breakfast and told him that all he needed to bring was himself. That the place was so posh that all amenities and clothing would be provided for. Little did he know, I had already shipped some new tees and jeans to the area and asked them to put the clothing in the closets and drawers so that it’d be ready for him. When we got in he was surprised, but shortly figured out that it was me.

Surprise trip? Tell them you are going for the day (just be sure they don’t have prior engagements for the following day) and pack their stuff/buy new stuff for them to find in the area (similar to the previous suggestion).

Image Credit: DeviantArt user daidaiiro-kun

I have a gift... and a box
Some of you are ready with a ring, necklace, earrings… what have you. Skip the box presentation and be more original. Hiding it in food and drinks may be cute on tv but is pretty messy, and to be honest, it would be a bit repulsive for me to drag a ring out of my mouth in the midst of chewing on a cake. Worse yet, to swallow it in a gulp and then hope for it to come out safely (not that it ever happened to me before...).

Incorporate your gift into a presentation. Wrap a ring around the base of a flower if you are giving flowers. Pose a ring in a chocolate, or instead of a chocolate inside the box (this way it’s visible and risks less chances of being consumed). Hang it on a string in front of a door with a note (this is great for bedroom and bathroom doors). Have a pet or child/neighbor’s kid deliver it (it’s always cuter when a kid or pet does it).

Feeling adventurous? See if you know a police officer or a fireman, or befriend one, and see if they can try to make your mate travel to a precinct or court to find their gift. This is very adventurous, or maybe even dangerous so don’t try this unless you know the person well. No one needs to spend Valentine’s Day in jail. Lovin’ a driver? Hide the gift inside their engine and ask them for assistance (please don’t turn on your car just yet - fake that it won’t start!). Going to act like the day is a run of the mill day? Ask someone at your favorite fast food joint to put your gift in as a “happy meal” gift surprise. I can go on all day, but then you would know my secrets. These suggestions should get your juices going.

Drugstore Love?
A lot of us are product junkies. But who would get a lipstick or a nail polish offered for a BOGO half off to their loved one?

For fears of being cheesy or being called cheap, we shy away from what we would actually really like. It’s all in the packaging.

Don’t leave it to Russell Stover to put the hearts and bows on your love. Make a bouquet out of nail polish (or whatever tickles your mate’s fancy) like Getcha Nails Did made here (hers is for a giveaway but is still a great idea!). Purchase a cosmetics case and fill it to the brim with their favorite products (can be applicable to men and women).

Plus side? You can even sneak in a pricey gem into these (see my interpretation below).

Give What You Can’t Do
The fast solution? All services ranging for luxury haircuts (and by luxury I mean famous places like Bumble and Bumble, or hairstylists like Sally Hershberger), to facials, massages, manicures, and pedicures. This would be a good time to throw in a product they can take home as a gift as well, but you control the cards.

Do What You Can’t Give
Massage and mani sounds splendid to everyone but your wallet? I hear ya. Most importantly my VISA hears ya. Or rather, not trying to hear it. Brush up your YouTube skills and bake a cake, do their mani, make their lotion, create a necklace. You are only limited to the limitations you set for yourself. I believe you can do it!

Procrastination Nation
Okay so it’s the last day and you got to this post late. You are about to rip your hair out and just want to buy a multi pack of Hershey kisses and promise a million for each one they eat (also a good idea hehe). All that’s left in the stores are gift cards and thousand dollar items. You don’t want to buy the gift cards because you don’t want your procrastination sins unearthed, but you can’t afford the big ticket items. The secret? If your mate needs a wallet, get a new one and fill each slot with a gift card to a place they’d like. Put your picture in the photo slot and wrap it up. Already have a wallet? Snatch it and do the same. This way, they will panic about losing their wallet. Look at you funny for gifting them the same said wallet, and then be pleasantly surprised at the gifts inside. In love with a product junkie? Forever 21, Bloomingdale’s, Sally Beauty Supply, Sephora, etc. are great gift card ideas.

Most importantly, remember you are not limited to February 14. Make your __/__/2010 more meaningful with a surprise. Remember that love isn’t defined by neither a holiday nor a store. Remind all your loved ones (friends, family, and mates) just how much your love for them costs (priceless), and what they mean to you (everything) every day.

Inspired yet?

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My Valentine Smells Like...

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:07:00 +0000

Welcome to the Valentine's Day Gift Guide (interactive links coming soon) on My Own Judge! In the coming days you will see multiple posts including product reviews, product recommendations, and advice on making your Valentine's Day in 2010 just what cupid ordered.

Feeling a bit like a grinch? Remember that Valentine's Day, similar to every other holiday is what you make of it. Just because flower shops revel in their payday one out of several (Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, etc.) days a year doesn't mean you can't make your day not just memorable, but unforgettable. Feeling really bold? Celebrate Valentine's Day on a day other than February 14! I will be going out on the 13th with my honey.

Don't have a Valentine? You must kid. When I was little, I was the mastermind of Valentines. My mom. My aunt. My grandpa. Shoot even the four legged animals weren't immune from being my Valentine. The best part about it for me? There are amazing sales on candy after the day, and amazing sales on products in the time leading up to the event. So really - don't hate on a holiday that makes people money, if it saves you some!

Speaking of saving money... Have y'all heard of Fragrance.Net? It's a site that gives you the most wanted perfumes and colognes at discount prices. Think of it as the moment you finally get a coupon to a department store that for once doesn't exclude perfumes, but every day, and online.

Just so you guys know what to look for, I have a perfume review for you. Now this is somewhat difficult to convey to you, because well... scent is a bit harder to describe than texture, and even harder to photograph.

Enter into the courtroom: Exceptional perfume. I love flattering titles as much as I love a visually stimulating product. So something that's called Exceptional (because you are)? Better smell good. At first spritz I was a bit put off. I thought the scent was a bit too strong for me and consulted with Mama Yaya. She loved it at first spritz. I looked at her funny and said, "Will retry tomorrow."

By the way, if you are buying a fragrance for the first time, remember the following tips:

don't try more than three at once. Look for a jar of coffee beans (most locations selling perfumes and colognes will have a nasal neutralizer like coffee beans available... it's not just for decoration!), sniff some and then proceed. Your optimal choice would be to go home after three.

if you can, spray one on and see how you like it at the end of the day. The wear test will also let you know how long it lasts and how it mixes with your body oils and skin. I like to do this several times to make sure that I am not wasting my money. But of course I learned this after wasting plenty of money first.

don't rub the scent into yourself. When you rub your wrists, behind the ears, or wherever else, you break up the molecules, and of course the scent and experience.

once you spray the perfume, don't trust the immediate scent. The strong spritz at first includes all the alcohol and other chemical mixes that go into creating perfume. Let it settle before you nosedive in for judgment.

get familiarized with what it says on the bottle. EDT, EDP, Parfum. You think those are all the same? Wrong! Each title describes the concentration. Eau du Toilette is similar to a body spray and generally is light and airy, and dissipates just as quickly. Eau du Parfum is of a heavier concentration, and thus of a higher price range. These are the ones that I tend to be the biggest fan of, as they last nearly all day for me. Parfum? This baby is expensive!

have any allergies? Ask the salesperson, or check the net for what notes are contained in the perfume. I am not well versed in the science of this, so I can't tell you if the note of an apple will make an apple allergic person break out in hives, but I sure as heck wouldn't recommend the risk.

Now that we are equipped with information, let's continue with being Exceptional. I sprayed the perfume on the next day. All over myself.

I like to spray perfume on my body (after knowing that my skin won't spazz out) after applying lotion. For me, this keeps the scent the longest. I like to spray in my hair (my hair is dry and frizzy and picks up scents easily - want to hear my stories of coming home smelling like Subway's, or street vendors? It kind of sucks...), and then when I get dressed I spray once inside my shirt in the front and then once in the back. Does that make sense? Imagine pulling your shirt bottom forward and spraying up to your neck, and then pulling your shirt bottom out from the back and spraying up to your neck again... this time on your back. Now you know my secret!

Well the verdict? This time around, I let enough time pass so that the full scent of the perfume settled on me. It was a bit reminiscent of one of my faves from Chanel - Allure, but a little bit softer, and day friendly. Exceptional is listed as a casual perfume and is said to contain a "spiced floral heart." This is what a sweet girly perfume would smell like if it grew up with a little bit of attitude.

Planning on buying perfume this Valentine's Day? Here are some of my suggestions.

Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker
A very light scent that is the perfect dose of perfume for the shy gal, or the gal that doesn't like her entrance to be a grand smell. Gentle and airy, but long lasting.
Lolita Lempicka by Lolita Lempicka
My favorite perfume of all time. This is a scent unlike any other. It has vanilla, licorice, musk, and all sorts of other good stuff but the scent makes me think of sensuality, playfulness and story-tale forests. If you get a chance to sample this bugger, do so immediately!
Euphoria by Calvin Klein
This is a Mama Yaya favorite. A bit more 'mature' scent, and by that I mean it doesn't have too much playful flowery scents. This is a bit more woodsy, and is no surprise of course that it contains notes of mahogany wood, pomegranate, and black orchid, amongst other notes.

Cool Water by Davidoff
If any of y'all have smelled this back in the day, you probably have memories of the corny guys wearing this, or the cool kids wearing this, or just the corny kids who thought they were cool wearing this. Sure they ruined the experience, but this is such a classy (to me), yet soft manly smell to me. That may make me sound a bit crazy... but you gotta smell it to believe it.
L'Homme Yves Saint Laurent by Yves Saint Laurent
Two years ago when I was looking for a perfect scent to gift to a male, I was torturing my nose with every scent aimed at men possible. I begged the salesperson to help me find a subtle, sexy, and please oh please not obnoxious scent for a man. This. is. it. I loved the scent so much I spent the next 30 minutes writing a letter to the manager of the store about how great the salesperson was. I'm serious.
Allure Sport by Chanel
This is completely different from the women's (and not sport) version. This is less musky, and much more light and playful. As far as women wearing cologne, this is a scent that you can get away with, without smelling like a dude.

What are your favorite scents?

Disclaimer: This product(s)was sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on MOJ remain unbiased and unpaid. For more info, feel free to contact the author.

A Lotion a Day Keeps the MD Away

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:53:00 +0000

This winter is kicking my epidermis. Remember when we were all little and some smarty pants would tell us our epidermis was showing? We'd all initially get a bit shy and then research the terminology. Epidermis was our skin? Right!

Well this winter, everywhere my epidermis shows, and especially where it doesn't, dryness has a field day. When that happens, I feel like I have super skin sensitivity. I can feel the skin tighten, itch, and yell at the highest pitch that skin can possibly yell at. A request to review lotion during these times? I thought it was a godsend.

From the site:

"A shielding lotion does much more than just treat dry skin – it’s a new kind of skin care product that makes a real difference to all skin types.

Skin MD Natural™ utilizes the finest effective natural ingredients for dry skin treatment along with the latest advances in technology to hydrate and protect the skin.

This is an entirely new concept in skin care requiring a new classification: "Shielding Lotion". A shielding lotion keeps moisture-robbing irritants away from the skin while the proprietary "super" humectants hydrate the skin throughout the day.

Skin MD Natural™ is promptly absorbed, without the slightest hint of any greasy or oily feeling or residue, transforming the outer layer of skin into a hydrating invisible shield.

Glycerin has been the standard against which all humectants are measured. Until now no other humectant drew in as much moisture from the air as glycerin. But the proprietary formulation in Skin MD Natural has a moisturizing factor of at least 6 times greater than glycerin. Combined with its protective properties and natural ingredients, this makes Skin MD Natural a truly unique product.

An accumulated effect of Skin MD Natural is fully realized after only a few days of daily use. Depending on how dry your skin is the first few days may require reapplications after only a few hours. Usually, after a few days of continuous use, only one or two daily applications are necessary to see the improvement."

When I think of a winter lotion, a successful winter lotion, I look for something that's as thick as honey and peanut butter. I want to lather it on and feel my skin just let go sighs of relief. Skeptical was just the beginning when I was told that this lotion was thin but effective. What the heck could I do with thin?

Click on the images to see larger photos.

The directions already warn you about magical outcomes. You will not have healed and moisturized skin forever and always after one application. That in part made me feel good, because I like a company to tell it like it is. Outlandish claims only make me judge the brand faster than I can try it.

I was patient and I gave the Skin MDs inside my bottle time to work their magic. I reserved the use of this lotion on my face until I was positive my skin wouldn't have a nervous breakdown (something you all should do - I sampled a product that shall remain unnamed and felt my skin burn almost immediately and for hours after even post wash). I used Skin MD Natural as an all over body lotion (but not my face the first time) after each shower for a week. I almost quit because I would have to use it a bit more often on my hands than my old lotion. With that fact withstanding, the thin layer of lotion I was so skeptical about was keeping my body shielded and moisturized. My hands?

My hands have been going through grunt work. They have gone through a million washes, gift wrapping, the carrying of uncomfortable shopping bags, and now with school and a temporary job? They're suffering through piles of paperwork. So let's not blame the lotion. After more frequent application, the hands came around. So did I.

The bottle is petite and fits right into my handbag, even though it's a bit bigger than all the mini "purse size" lotions marketed for on the go. The lotion is super soft and super thin. You question what you can do with it the first few applications, but it silently and humbly gets the job done. It's also completely scent free in case you were wondering. I'm not against a scented lotion, but I know a lot of people are bothered by scents.

Wear perfume? Lay this baby down and it is a great base foundation for when you spray perfume on your skin.

The final verdict? This is a definite buy. It's a subtle lotion that packs an effective punch. Click here to purchase online ($18) or to check out which store near you carries it.

How is your lotion treating you?

Disclaimer: This product(s)was sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on MOJ remain unbiased and unpaid. For more info, feel free to contact the author.

Denim x Denim

myownjudge@gmail.com (Miss Yaya) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:34:00 +0000

One of the new trends coming out for the still questionable spring (questionable by the snow flurries outside my window...) is denim squared. The pairing of denim as a bottom with a denim for the top.

Continuously recycled, the trend fades in and out of the spotlight with plenty of ease, especially with the continued popularity of denim overall. Did you go through a period of a denim jacket with perfectly color matched denim jeans when you were a wee lad in school? I remember my denim jacket lasting from elementary school (third grade) all the way through to high school. I might even still have it in my closet. Honestly though, this is a trend I've always had difficulty with.

Ever since I was a big girl enough to buy clothes with my hard earned money (as of age 14 thankyouverymuch) I have yet to pull off a denim top and a denim bottom. It feels like either too much or too off for me.

Care to experiment? I like MyTrueFit's post about double denim and the images and tips for pulling it off.

How do you rock your double denim? Are you accepting of this as a spring trend?

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