Rantings of a Creole Princess

Damaged Hair Solution!

What's YOUR personal take on damaged hair?  Can you repair it or would you just cut it off?

Young Cellulite

I was people watching having lunch outside with a friend last week in a pretty popular area.

Young people were in and out walking and enjoying the sunshine wearing the shortest shorts fashion has deemed presentable to date in my lifetime.

They'd walk a bit and unconsciously tug the shorts at the crotch area to pull them down a bit because, I can only imagine, that thick, folded crease at the crotch could probably get uncomfy ya know?

Yeah...you know.

The most interesting thing, however, was that many of these young ladies had cellulite.  And I'm talking YOUNG.  Like...late teens and early 20s.  And most of them had back thigh cellulite.

Hmmmmm...

They weren't overweight.  They appeared to be fit.  But yeah...cellulite.

That was interesting to me because I'm of the thought that cellulite either appeared if you were overweight or older.  I guess that's not the case?

Did you think the same?  Have YOU noticed these young ladies with cellulite already?  Is it odd?  OR...is it simply a case of not seeing so many people in super short shorts so we never noticed it before?

Cellulite Alert!

 

Brow Kit for Sparse Eye Brows

Have YOU ever used a brow kit?  Which one?

SmartBrow

Go To Hair Blogs

What are your go-to hair blogs when you have a serious question about your hair?  

Mine?  Just Grow Already

On top of being extremely knowledgeable about relaxed hair...she just seems like she's such a nice person.  Me likey nice people!  GO JENNIFER!

Whatchu got?  Please remind us if you're relaxed or natural.

Weight Training for Women

When you hit 40, you're encouraged to make sure you are doing weight training with your work out schedule because the older we get, the more muscle strength we lose for one.

Do YOU do weight train as well?  In YOUR opinion...would you go as far as these ladies did?

At Home Hand Exfoliate

After staining the deck with a brush, my hands got pretty icky feeling.  The stain just made it all rough feeling and whatnot no matter how much lotion I put on.  I felt like a dramatic scrub was necessary. So I mixed some sugar, vitamin E oil and this stuff:  http://creoleindc.typepad.com/rantings_of_a_creole_prin/2013/04/like-mothernot-like-daughter.html

Then...I just rubbed it all over my hands and scrubbed them pretty well.  After...I slathered on some Aquaphor and the morning...my hands were back to normal!

GO ME!

Do YOU exfoliate your hands?  What do you use?

Zuzka Light Butt Workout

 

Zuzka is NOT playing.

Hair Questions

What did you do to your hair this morning?  

How are you wearing it today?  

Do you have any hair goals?  

What are they?

Them STANKIN' Plankings for Abs!

Last weekend I was showing a couple of girlfriends how to do a proper plank.  One of them scrunched her face up and was like..."That looks like it's hard to do.  What else ya got?"  

And I told her that this is why she is not allowed to workout with me because I'd spend too much time side eyeing her instead of my hit it quick strength training.

Yall know I'm 43 years old and I'm vain as hell.  I go out of my way to try and keep my stride as STANK as possible, MY WAY.

I LURVE planks.  I love how hard it makes my abs feel.  Like...I can seriously feel my personal strength in the direct center of me.  SO HOT!  Working out for me is my mediation.  You know...my quiet time.  I like to do it alone and get it out of the way quickly.

I have a friend that I made at the gym who has been trying to get me to "train" her for a minute now.  I constantly tell her that I don't have any initials behind my name so I can't train nobody for nothing and I'm not trying to get sued.  LOL!  She says she'd never sue me and I stick with it cuz the only body I'm confident I know well enough to keep in shape is MINE.  Oh...and once you leave the gym...you're on your own.  I can't control what you're eating so there is no telling how you're stacking up the odds AGAINST keeping your stride STANK with your diet.

Too many factors.  TOO.MANY.FACTORS.  I can't train nobody nuttin.  Hell...I can't even train Jaru and Lucy to sit.  

SIP:  Unruly azz dogs.

Do you do planks?  Do you understand that strength feeling I'm talking about?  Those of you who workout regularly...do you prefer working out with friends or solo? Would you be comfortable training someone?

What say YOU?

Should men wear tinted moisturizer?  Would you have a problem if your guy did?

Like mother...NOT like daughter...

I pride myself on doing a lot of things the way my mother used to do them.  She knew how to run a household right and did more with much less than I've ever had to.  SHE WAS AWESOME.SAUCE!

Whenever we were sick, she'd make us a hot bubble bath all fragrant and whatnot.  Bathe us up good, powder us up, put us in some fresh pajamas and tuck us into bed.  PERFECTION.  The bubble bath she always used came from this bottle:  

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps Pure-Castile Soap, 18-in-1 Hemp Lavender

The bottle lasted so long, the cap was PERPETUALLY dusty and needed wiping good before she opened it up.  (How does stuff get dusty inside a cabinet?  Hmmmmm...)

N.E.WAY...

On Sunday's, when The Robinator isn't golfing, we watch CBS Sunday Morning and then take a bubble bath.  My bubble bath game is strong.  I buy them from all over and try all different kinds. 

Well...I was at Trader Joe's and got nostalgic when I saw this and decided to buy it:

They only had this kind but heck...peppermint is good right?

The following Sunday morning I made our bubble bath and was grinned-t up at how good it made our room and bathroom smell.  I added a bit more because it didn't make bubbles but then I read on the label, amid all the other writing, that there is no foaming agent so...um...okay.

The Robinator commented on it.  "Wow...that smells so good!  New bubble bath?"

And I was grinning and told him about how my mommy used to bathe us in it when we were sick.

We were in the hot bubble bath talking when suddenly The Robinator got this weird look on his face.

The Robinator:  Um...Monnie...is this stuff supposed to...

And then I felt it too.  

SIP:  AW HELL NO!  HELL NO!  I DON'T LIKE THIS ISH AT ALL!

Chile...there is no weirder feeling than being cold in a hot bubble bath and having all your um...erra...normally hidden bits and pieces tingling weirdly.

 

We got up outta that tub so quick and then...we were FREEZING!  I'm taking teeth chattering cold.  MAD.ABOUT.IT we were I tell you!

Our day was all messed up after that cuz we didn't have our normal relaxing start and whew...we still mad.

This bottle has made it's way out of our bathroom and now I don't know what to do about it.  I'm reading up on all the different uses of it and try that.  http://www.drbronner.com/faqs_main.php

Have YOU ever used it?  

Question...

Are your toes polished?

Convo at 13700

Shelly:  What do you think?  Deva Gloves

Me:  You try it first.  :)

Shelly:  *sigh*

Would YOU try these?  Have you?

Tell the truth and shame the devil!

(That picture made me DIE laughing!  From:  September 26th Send In the Clown)

Avocado face mask sounds like a really good idea.  Seems pretty easy to do.  Prolly works too.

I've never done it at home.  I like to eat my avocados.

Hot oil treatments made from oils in your cabinets always sounds like a good idea.

I tried it once and I couldn't WRANCH (rinse) it all out of my hair.  I ended up having to leave the house and go buy a clarifying shampoo.  *sigh*

Sugar scrubs out of raw brown sugar and olive oil?  Prolly easy and effective for most.  

I ended up stepping on the sugar and hurting the bottom of my foot, jumped, and then slid across the tub and fell because of the oil.

And our bathroom is all tile all the time.

It was not an amusing moment nor did I have that fresh spa feel.

I tried waxing my bikini line with a home wax kit once and the applicator stick got stuck and I had to walk crooked to the store to buy a pack of razor blades so I could cut it off.  

NOT.FUN.

I'm in awe of people who can do the home beauty mixes and it actually works.  Yall soooooo ROCKSIE!  

What home beauty mixes/treatments are you really good at doing?  Any disasters?

SIP:  Or is it just her?  LOL!

Moisturizing Shampoo

Which moisturizing shampoo are you using these days?

Question...

Robby NEVER notices my hair.  Like...NEVER.  I will ask him if he likes something I've done to my hair and I watch him adjust his sight to my HAIR and then he's like...yeah...nice...cool.

And he keeps it moving.  Is this normal?

Does your S/O notice or comment on your hair?

 

SIP:  Pips SIP is oogly.

No.

This pic would stop anyone from getting a boob job.

Castor Oil for Thinning Hair

Someone I know had a patch of super thinning hair on top of her head.  It was a source of angst for her and she hit it with comb overs (SIP:  Yes...she said comb overs.), weaves and wigs.

Honestly though...it really messed her up big time in the confidence department.

I saw her a while back and she was sporting a super fresh natural head of hair that was thick and AWESOME!  Think G-Baby's hair now (Who should have gone back natural FOREVER ago cuz BAAAAAAAAAAAAABY!  SHE IS ROCKING THE HELL OUTTA NATURAL HAIR!  LOVE IT SOOOOOOOO MUCH ON HER!).

N E WAY...

I was like...girl!  You look like MONEY!

And we laughed our butts off.  She told me that she started oiling and massaging her entire scalp three times a week with Castor Oil .  Says it took about 3 months before she saw some hair filling in her thinning spot but that yeah...you can't even tell anymore.  Says the Castor Oil made her hair grow back thicker and stronger.

I thought about this and remembered that an Elder babysat a little cousin once for the summer.  The baby's mama used to put them old jacked up too tight plaits or braids all over that lil girl's head (WHY WOULD YOU PUT BRAIDS ON A TODDLER KNOWING THAT BEATS THE HELL UP OUTTA A HAIRLINE ON A GROWN WOMAN?????????) and the child's edges were straight JACKED.  The Elder put Castor Oil on the baby's edges all summer telling the mama to stop doing the child's hair in the morning and she'd do it when she got there and  yup...at summer's end...the baby's edges had started coming back in nicely.

SIP:  Elders can solve anything with berries and juices or some old school something we ain't heard of for a minute.  (Zinc/ZANK Soap Update)

Okay...so someone else was having some hair thinning issues and I shared this with her.  She said she's heard that if you go natural your hair would look thicker and you couldn't really tell.  I asked her if she thought about going natural and she said her hair is too nappy to go natural and she ain't walking around looking like that.

I kept it moving cuz really...it's her head and her perception of her head and I ain't gonna change that at all. 

But...it made me wonder...are there many people who think their hair is too nappy to go natural that they wouldn't even if they were having hair issues?  Is there really such a thing as TOO NAPPY?  I know there are people whose hair has major shrinkage but too nappy?  I mean...even the thickest is able to be loosened up with twists and length right?

School me if I'm wrong.

If you were having hair loss issues and had a relaxer...would you have to do too much thinking to go natural?

Also...have YOU ever heard of or used Castor Oil on your hair?

I asked Mr. Google about it...here's what he had to say in pictures:  Castor Oil Hair

Which are YOU?

My FAVORITE hair and makeup from the Oscars!

As we wake up this morning...

I am NOT going to laugh at this baby...

Question...

How are you wearing your hair today?  

Me?  N/A

Zinc (ZANK) Soap Update

I got an email from an old friend the other day thanking me for sharing my experience with Zinc soap:  
Beauty Tips from the Elders

She said that her skin has never been as clear as it is now.  She then asked me when she should stop using it.  I told her that I hadn't stopped using it yet and, as long as I didn't have any additional issues...I wasn't changing up.

But then I thunk on it and I called my Elder and asked her.

The conversation went like this:

Botox Face

Olivia Newton-John was on GMA this morning.

I would never do Botox.

That is all.

Weird Eyebrows

Do YOU know anyone with weird eyebrows?  I saw some today that startled me so bad I jumped and looked away nervously.

http://theberry.com/2010/07/30/youre-quite-the-artist-15-photos/

Hair-Braiding Face-lift?

Yall ever heard of this?  Would you try it?

"The hair-braiding face-lift has been done on aging drag queens and rock stars alike. A number of local African-American braiding salons perform it. Four tightly braided cornrows from the temple and brow temporarily lift the eye area, cheeks and forehead. Cinema Secrets in Burbank has the tools for this, and some claim Madonna has been doing it for years. Someone on the web posted, "It hurts like bejesus and makes your hair look like Coolio in Dangerous Minds." But hey -- he looks really young."

From:  Frankenbeauties! L.A.'s 10 New Extreme Treatments

 

HEY YOU!

Beauty Tips from the Elders

I was talking to an elder and sharing that I'm having some issues with my skin due to allergic reactions to something the doctors can't really figure out.  The elder asked what kinda issues and I shared that I was getting tiny bumps all over my face which were red and on fire.  I told her I was using three different medications from my dermatologist and that two of them were really expensive and I was frustrated as hell.

Elder:  Get you some zank soap and some apple cider vinegar.  Wash your face with the zank soap twice a day and mix 1 part of the vinegar and 1 part of the water and wipe your face down good with the vinegar mix after.  Then put your face cream on and nothing else for a few weeks.  You'll be aiight.

Me:  Zank soap?

Elder:  Yes.  Zank soap.

Me:  I'm writing it down so I don't forget.  How do you spell it?

Elder:  *DEEP.SIGH*  (Like she's speaking to a plum fool.)  Z-I-N-C.

Me:  Okay!  Zinc soap!  

Elder:  Mmmmhmmmmm...

Me:  Love you!

Elder:  Mmmmmhmmmm...don't use no stuff to wash anything that's going to be next to your face  with color in it either.  None of that Downey or nothing.  Specially on your sheets and pillowcases.  They put all kindsa stuff in there that can mess you up.  Love you too.  Bye.  *CLICK*

So...I went to Amazon and bought some ZANK soap:  Zinc Soap

Then I went to my basement storage and got a fresh bottle of apple cider vinegar and did me up a mix as I was instructed.  I've been using it for two weeks now and yup...it's working.  I had to reduce the amount of apple cider vinegar because it was way too strong and dried me out too much.

I also started washing my sheets with All Free Clear.

Have you ever heard of Zinc soap?  You got any old school remedies beauty tips to share?

 

PhytoSpecific and Aveda

PhytoSpecific changed up the formulas for the products I loved.

THEN...they stopped selling a lot of what I loved at Sephora.

After buying out all they had I finally threw up my hands and went back to Aveda.

Since I was having the sun damage issue, I kicked it strictly with the Damage Remedy Line.

Shampoo:  Aveda Damage Remedy, Restructuring Shampoo

Conditioner:  Aveda Damage Remedy Conditioner

Deep Conditioner Treatment:  Aveda Damage Remedy Intensive Restructuring Treatment

Leave In Conditioner:  Aveda Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair

I'm still using these two products to moisturize and seal in the moisture twice a day:

Moisturizer:  PhytoSpecific Moisturizing Styling Balm

Oil:  Moroccan Oil Hair Treatment

I was telling a friend I've had to go back to Aveda and she laughed and said...folks always go back to the old standby Aveda.  LOLOLOLOL!

What about you?  Do you use any Aveda products?  Have you ever gone BACK to Aveda?  

Fingers and Toes!

I'm rocking Buy Me A Cameo on my fingers and Good As Gold on my toes.

What about you?  Whatchu rocking?

Nail Polish Storage Case

I pretty much do my nails on the deck and my stuff is in two thingys that aren't nail thingys and it's kind of a pain to carry back and forth.

I'd been looking for a solution and had yet to find something.  There were some nice acrylic holders but they wouldn't be easy to carry.

I bought this case today from Target and my stuff fits in there pretty well but there isn't much room to grow so I'm wondering if I need to go ahead and get something bigger.  Canal Street Beauty Case

They didn't have bigger ones like this at Target but they had bigger Caboodle ones.  Only thing is...the Caboodle ones weren't as well made as this one is.  So yeah...now I'm back at square one and wondering if I'll ever get it right.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm...

I see they have a larger one available online.  SOHO Diamond Large Beauty Case

How are you storing YOUR nail polish currently?

Fingers and Toes!

My sister puts the same polish on fingers and toes.  Me?  I mix it up as long as they blend.

What about you?

Question...

Are YOU doing the different color nail polish on different nails yet?  Are you going to?

Sun Exposure

Do you worry about sun exposure?

What steps do you take to protect your skin?  

Do you just protect your face...or do you focus on your body too?

Essie Nail Corrector Pen

I love this one cuz it's refillable.  

Do YOU use a nail corrector pen?  

Essie Nail Corrector Pen

Toddler's Makeup

I know a 12 year old little girl who isn't allowed to wear nail polish because her father told her she can't until she turns 15.  she begs and pleads with her mother but her mommy is like...nope...buffing only.  

I remember a Facebook conversation recently initiated by a friend about her toddler daughter's nails.  She was asking how young was too young to get polish on her nails.  The responses ran the spectrum.

This morning I watched GMA and saw a woman do a full face of makeup on her 4 year old little girl.  

Four-Year Old in Make-Up: How Young Is Too Young?

So...what do YOU think?

Do/did you put polish on your toddler daughter's nails?

Do you allow your tween to?  If not...have you given her an age when she can?  Are some colors off limits?

What about makeup?  How young, in your opinion, is too young for makeup?  What about lipgloss?

How does her father feel about it?

Tell the truth and shame the devil!

Do you  use a base coat and a top coat when you polish your own nails?

Product Junkie

Seriously...I'm such a girl it's not even funny and I wouldn't have it any other way!  ROFL!  

Yall using any new products lately that we should know about?  C'mon!  Don't be stingy with the good stuff!  The Tribe shares cuz we care!  LOL!

 

Concealer

Laura Mercier Secret Concealer 6

A couple of weeks ago I was talking to a friend about makeup and shared with her that I never used concealer.  She was shocked and said that all women over 40 should always wear a concealer under their eyes for dark circles.

I explained to her that I don't have dark circles and my under eye bags aren't going anywhere cuz they are hereditary and are ALWAYS there.  In fact...I think concealer makes my bags look like serious LUGGAGE! LOL!  But I did walk away wondering what if...hmmmmm...

Then...the other day, Meagan Good's makeup in "Think Like A Man" made me feel good about my decision. GO.ME!

The concealer under her eyes just didn't seem right to me and she's seriously stunning to me.

What did YOU think?  Why did her concealer look like that?  Is that how it's SUPPOSED to look?

Eyebrow Kits

I'm thinking about ordering this:  Benefit Cosmetics Brow Zings

I wanna get me some fierce brows.

Has anyone tried this kit?  I've been wanting to try this one, Anastasia The Kit for Perfect Brows and Eyes Brunette, but hell...for $75 I want a genie to pop out the thingy, blink twice and do them for me.

I thought about just getting these, Anastasia Classic Stencils, but the shape of my brows are pretty good cuz Shaista over at Salon Diva  works it out big time for me and I guess I just want to learn how to accentuate them and still keep them looking natural.  I couldn't imagine my brows looking drawn on so I want to learn how to do it right.

Do YOU use a brow kit?  How long did it take you to learn to do brows properly?  Do you even worry about your brows other than getting them threaded or waxed regularly?  What's YOUR brow regimen?

 

Tangerine Tango Creme Lipstick

I tried this lipstick on the other day and decided I really liked it so I bought it.  

COLOR OF THE YEAR CREME LIPSTICK TANGERINE TANGO CREAM

Have YOU ever tried an orange lipstick?

Would you?

My Philosophy? Miracle Worker!

I've been trying out new moisturizers for a minute now looking for the perfect something for my 42 year old skin.

I'm no longer searching.  Miracle Worker

GO ME!

What moisturizer are YOU using these days?

Question...

What do you think about French manicure styled nails in non-traditional colors?  Like...purple polish with gold tips or something?  Would YOU rock that?

Crisp White Shirt and Red Lipstick

eMakeUp Me! - Demi V!

I decided to use the Chanel one. I don't like "luminous" stuff it seems. What about you? Do YOU like the luminous stuff?

eMakeup Me! - 2

This one is the Chanel Perfection Lumiere #94 Ambre.

What say you?

Connected by DROID on Verizon Wireless

 

eMakeUp Me!

 

 

The FABULOUS Demi V has me trying different liquid foundations. This one is the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation #9.

What say you?

Connected by DROID on Verizon Wireless

 

"White" Eyeliner

I bought this one:  L'Oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator #494 (Black Quartz)

I just tried it and yeah...I kinda like it.  I wish I could take a good pic to show yall.

NOTE FROM SIP!

Using a highlighting powder for the first time can seriously go way wrong.  SOMEBODY...I ain't saying no names was looking like her Halloween pic until she washed her face and started OVA!