Being a black woman in this world isn’t the easiest. Beauty is something that matters to me as it energizes and is a gift. Over the past decade, the status of luxe beauty was always modeled by brands that don’t look like me. In the last few months, I stumbled upon 2 luxe black woman-owned skincare brands, Epi Logic and Klur that are divine.
Since I moved to Minneapolis, I decided it was a great time to make my skincare match that flow. When I use a product I want to be taken away from the gruff reality and be enchanted in my self-care.
As I found these black women-owned skincare brands I immediately added them to my wishlist for my birthday back in November. Once I got each item I just was overcome with so much pride and relished in the beauty of each item. Growing up beauty was something for others but not me and it never sat well.
2 Luxe Black Woman-Owned Skincare: Epi Logic and Klur
Epi Logic
Epi Logic was developed by a board-certified oculofacial plastic surgeon dedicated to holistic facial refinement. They are focused on the data to produce impactful results.
They are definitely in the luxe category prize wise but well worth it. I picked up their True Calm Rosehip Gel Cleanser and their cult fav Even Balance CoQ10 Toner. From opening the package I loved the attention to detail and the bottle. They are nice heavyweight bottles and feel amazing to apply to the skin.
The True Calm cleanser feels so nourishing on the skin. A little goes a long way and it leaves my skin clean and supple. This cleanser was very intentional with key ingredients of rosehip seed oil, Vitamin A, C, and E, and fatty acids that together leave your skin clean but delicious. I have used many cleansers in my day and nothing has made my skin feel this lush. It like using this both morning and night especially if I’m feeling like my skin is a bit dry due to being indoors and the disrespectful cold here in Minnesota.
The Even Balance toner does it for me. I feel my skin nicely prepped for all serums I use and doesn’t strip my skin. This toner does what a toner should do purify, soothe, and calms the skin so it’s ready to receive all the nutrients from your serums and treatments. Even Balance key ingredients of CoQ10, Aloe Vera, and Hylauronic Acid make this a need in everyone’s skincare arsenal!
I have since ordered the Clean Reveal cleanser which is a 10% glycolic acid which will help with exfoliation which is vital to your skin’s ability to absorb nutrients and stay supple. This cleanser is gentle yet is hyper-effective at ensuring the skin is exfoliated. When I feel my skin is a bit dull or it’s time for some exfoliation I have been picking this up. It also is nourishing as it has rosehip seed oil as well to soothe and calm the skin. You can’t ask for me in an exfoliating cleanser.
Klur
There is something about this line that I can’t shake. Their creator a miracle worker esthitican, really put thought and intention while crafting each item. I love that they don’t have 50-11 products making the consumer play mad scientist with their face.
My 1st order I accidentally picked the wrong item which was the Symmetry Fluid which is a skin nutrient. It helps to free the skin of pollutants. The key ingredients are Vitamin C and E, Astaxanthin, and Squaline all combined to help to keep the skin stress-free and hydrated. I didn’t think I would love it as the smell is a bit herbal but the benefits are wonderful.
After using it and loving it I went ahead and picked up their cult fav Immersion and Gentle Matter, which together provide me a level of deep penetrating hydration.
The star for me is Klur’s Immersion serum as it’s a delightful hydrating concentrate. This baby rocks my world as the texture is divine and the hydration does something to my soul. My skin has the tendency to get dry and when I use this in the morning or night my skin stays plump and supple. One of the key ingredients beta-glucan helps to soothe and calm irritated skin and plumps. If you get nothing else get this!
Gentle Matter is a dream of a cleanser. I love this as my morning cleanser as it’s super gentle yet makes all my other products work harder. Powered by a variety of antioxidants and botanicals, Dandelion and Olive help soothe and boost even the most sensitive of skin types. I will be buying this again in the bigger bottle as this will be a staple. No scent just perfection.
After continued use I can say I will be phasing other brands out of my skincare mix for good as I prefer not to confuse my skin with too much change. Each brand has a different vibe yet both bring a level of excellence that is deeply profound. I love seeing black women owned beauty take their rightful spot in the limlight.
Have you tried either of the brands mentioned? Le me know in the comments!
2020 was a wild year to say the very least. My fitness goals at the top of the year we’re looking promising as I had built up the ability to walk 5 miles 3-4 times a week and was hitting all my workouts at the end of 2019. I just knew 2020 was going to be the year that I was going to hit my goal and start wearing less and going out more. With this in mind, I want to do a fitness check-up and give 3 ways to prepare for 2021.
Fast-forward to December 2020, I have made some progress. I have dropped a few dress sizes and have been able to push myself into being more consistent with my workouts and eating habits. Food and I have always had a strange relationship. Growing up it was the only consistent thing in my life that brought some sense of joy. Granted I didn’t always have food to eat but when I did I knew it was pleasurable.
Stress eating and drinking for many has been a way to get through the rollercoaster ride we have had. As one who doesn’t give up easily on her goals, I wanted to share some ideas that I have already started implementing in order to have measurable success in the new year. So here’s how to give yourself a fitness check-up 3 ways to prepare for 2021!
Fitness Check-up: 3 ways to prepare for 2021
1.Assess your current status
Until you call a thing a thing you can’t address it properly. This is one time when I advocate hitting the scale or tape measure to find out where you are currently. Having a honest moment with yourself may be sobering but it will help you know where you are.
Now if you are someone who has had issues in the past with constantly weighing yourself or any food/diet pain points it’s ok to skip this as we don’t need to trigger any emotional responses. The purpose of this step is to know what potential damage has been done.
2. Reflect on your vices
Now that you know where you are on the scale or measurements it’s time to reflect on what things we don’t have a lot of willpower or self-discipline to not over indulge. I don’t believe any food is inheriently evil, I do believe some food items have no nutrirtional value and due to our unique digestive tracts may not be in the best interest to consume often or at all.
For me my vice is sweets. Sweets for me always makes me happy when I’m sad or just feel good. This may be deep but I have really reflected that when you are restricted in ways of pleasure and safety you will find other means. For example if you grew up not feeling secure or not having someone to comfort you, you may find other means be it food, drinking or other behavior.
Knowing your vices will allow you to be vigilant and not buy those items. If the item is not easily accessible it can be a deterrent. When I don’t buy baked goods that temptation to snack while scrolling on IG at night goes away. Another way to keep a watchful eye on your diet is to meal prep and plan out your meals using MyFitnesspal.com. I have used this site for years to plan out my meals so I can get a general understanding of my calories, carbs,proteins and fats. It’s free and will give you a good benchmark of your intake.
It may feel extreme at first, but I can vouch when you are intentional about your goals and setting yourself up for success it will benefit you long term.
3. Create SMART goals for 2021
The final step in doing a fitness check-up 3 ways to prepare for 2021 is to create SMART goals. Now it would be amazing if you could workout once and drop 20-50 pounds instantly. Since that isn’t the case we have to work smart. SMART means specific, measurable, attainable/achievable, realistic and time bound.
Often times new year resolutions fail because they are just wishes. Oh I would like to drop some weight, find a man and be successful. None of that means anything unless it’s specific such as I want to drop 10lbs over the next 3 months by working out 3 times a week. This hits all the SMART goal factors. We have an exact desired outcome and the method of how it will be obtained.
At times we don’t hit goals because we make them too lofty or too unattainable as a way to stay in our current lot. By making things realistic and focused you have created the plan and you then can work the plan to achieve.
Another thing with making SMART goals it provides you a pulse check on yourself. Why is this a goal for me? Is it because I want to be more visible, to satisfy insecurity or this will allow me to be at my best. Knowing your why or the intention as I have mentioned in this post, will always help you clear any emotional or mental roadblocks. When your path is clear you can take off!
I know 2020 didn’t bring all I desired but it brought me so many great gems that will help me evolve into the woman I need to be. As a last thought, sometimes the dreams we have today will not come forth tomorrow but they occurred as the path we go down to pursue has all the gems we need. It does a great disservice to you and the world to not all dead things to fall away and allow the greater purpose to shine.
I would love to chat with you about your goals. Drop some comments!
November was my bday month as I was turning the big 35. I allowed myself to enjoy whatever I wanted as I deserve that level of energy. One item I stumbled upon was the Pat McGrath Celestrial Divinity Palette which if you know anything about the Pat McGrath line their palettes are out of this world great. I have wanted to take a plunge on their shadows as I’m totally devoted to their concealers.
Pat McGrath Celestial Divinity Palette
I will say out of the gate, one of my major pain points is their shipping. I have ordered direct twice as they often have great sales but with that, you will wait for a bit to get your item. If you’re in a rush you will probably have to go through Sephora and get 2-day shipping. If your good with waiting then go forth babe.
The Celestial Divinity palette is a mixture of shimmer, glitter, and matte textures with some warm browns and golds and some gorgeous duo-chrome purples, pinks, and green.
For a limited edition palette, palette material was a bit of a let down as it’s a paper palette versus their normal hard cases. However, I think this allowed for the price to be considerably lower than their norm which is what has kept me from trying coming in at 78.00 on both Sephora and Pat McGrath.com.
The eyeshadows are buttery soft and pigmented. This made me very happy as a newbie to their eyeshadows. With other palettes I have tried sometimes colors can look great in the pan but don’t translate on the skin, especially darker skin tones. I love that you don’t need a lot on your brush and there was very minimal fall out as the worst thing is to have your foundation and concealer on perfectly and eyeshadow falls down.
A festive look I created using the palette
I found myself needing to include my other palettes especially my core MAC palette to get a full look as I’m not one to use all shimmer on my eye looks as it looks a mess. This only works if I am going for an extra shimmer look but I know that doesn’t translate well on me. I prefer how mattes look on me and really anyone as it looks cleaner on the eye especially for everyday use.
I’m the queen of a warm transition shade for my eye looks and this didn’t allow me to be one palette and done. I felt that the 2 matte shades which were brown and pink didn’t provide me what I needed for the pop I was looking for. But both matte shades worked well so that is a plus if I was wanting to use them.
Overall do I feel this is a must-try, no. If you are in the market for a luxurious splurge yes this palette can be that but if your someone who doesn’t wear shimmer, glitter, or color this will become a pretty paperweight or will be in the back of your makeup collection. If you are a dire heart matte neutral girl this isn’t going to make you spring into color unless you’re looking to update your beauty game then this might help you get your feet wet.
I hope this review on the Pat McGrath Celestial Divinity Palette was helpful. Have you tried anything from the Pat McGrath line yet? If so what are your fav items? If not, do you have a wish list of items? Let’s get chatty in the comments!
I want to confess something since we have been in lockdown my motivation to do a fashion post has disappeared. My style is very much feminine formal and I can’t even tell you the last time I wore heels, well maybe back in July for a date lol. But my beauty game has evolved and is still something I still rock. In this post, I’m sharing how you can upgrade your beauty 4 ways to develop your beauty style!
Your beauty style like your fashion should speak to your vibe and voice. Over the years my makeup looks have evolved from being the cake face look to a more natural light bending flow. For many years, I felt kinda trapped in having to wear a full face as I didn’t want any questions as to why.
Now that I’m turning 35, I am wanting to make sure that I max out my beauty time by doing what makes me the happiest. Also taking into consideration I don’t wear a full face of makeup anymore unless I’m filming. With the current state of the world, mask and makeup really don’t go together which means I may wear brows and lashes if I feel like it.
Wearing makeup makes me happy, in a past post, I shared how whatever you do can be meditation as long as there is intention. When I do my skincare or makeup the intent is that I will enhance my looks. It does something to my soul. I now will wear makeup even if I’m just at home because it makes me feel great. And when you feel great, great things can come!
Upgrade your Beauty: 4 ways to develop your beauty style
1.Review beauty and fashion magazines
If your new to developing your own style you may need some help with visuals. Find some magazines, I prefer physical ones or you can do a quick search on Pintrest, and collect 4-5 looks makeup looks that really make you happy.
Now compare them and see what do they have in common. It could be that they are all hyper chiseled or maybe they have that no makeup makeup look. Really hone on what about each draws you to them. This will help you understand qualities you are aiming for.
2. Take a scroll in your pictures
Now that you have been inspired by different looks, it’s time to look at your own looks. Go through your selfies and heart your fav 5-7 looks. Do you notice any trends? For me, I tend to like my looks that either very chiseled out or when I do a very smokey look.
I always like when I do transformations to pull your current state in the mix as you may not need a total makeover but more a subtle tweak. Knowing what you currently love about yourself and your look helps you to emphasize those qualities while making some changes.
3. Review your current beauty stash
Now I love getting new beauty products, however, I will always advocate for checking your current stash before you run out to the stores or order a bunch of stuff. I hate having duplicates of things because that’s money I could have used on something new.
Thinking of the looks you are wanting to create do you have items that will allow you to achieve it already? In a past post, I always advocate for having a neutral palette that suits your skin tone, a foundation and concealer that provides you great coverage, and a solid lip color collection that comprises red, pink, and a bomb nude for your skin tone. This may sound boring but there are so many looks that can be achieved.
If your collection is a bit lacking or you don’t have a collection then this is a great time to create a list of items that will create the look. If you need help, I’m happy tohelp. Ulta and Sephora will be great this holiday season as many brands will create sets that will allow you to make out your beauty dollars!
4. Enjoy your new look
This should be common sense, but now that you have developed your beauty look actually start wearing it. Have a Zoom call or your heading out for errands wear your look. This helps you to get comfortable with executing your vision.
My makeup looks have changed rocking a mask as now I really focus my attention on my eyes. I kinda like it as it gives this very sultry focus. I do miss the days of rocking a nice red lip and winged liner and looking like a pin-up but with life, you must pivot.
Still, need some look inspo? I have these looks that will help you craft a look for summer and also one for the holidays!
I hope these 4 ways to develop your beauty style were helpful. As we begin to move into the new year I think it’s a perfect time to update your look. Now at the young age of 35, I really believe as a woman one of our superpowers is transformation. We hold the power of imagination and then creation. I would love to see the new looks you create. Tag me in your pics on Instagram!
The holiday season this year will be a bit different. As someone wants to make the best of the moments, I wanted to share a festive holiday makeup look for brown girls! Now you may be driving to see family or maybe you are able to safely getaway, make the best of the moment and I’m going to show you looks that can be a hit be it on a Zoom Holiday Happy Hour or with your family.
When I was younger, I use to marvel at one of my cousin’s mother who would no matter who was coming over always fixed up and looked well put together. This always made me want to look amazing as any day that I’m alive is a special occasion. She gave that opulent Diahann Carroll energy no matter how late she may have stayed up the night before to ensure the meal for the day was impeccable.
I created this look that I would personally wear if I was going out to visit. When I think holiday I think festive with shimmer and can be made a bit moody with a dark lip or can be toned down with a nude or pink lip.
Festive Holiday Makeup Look for Brown Girls
So for bday month this year, I really was out there ordering like the world was coming to an end. I saw this Pat McGrath palette was on sale and I had to go ahead and make that happen. For the holidays I’m all for the festive extra look yet make it look flawless. The worst thing to me is to do a bunch of stuff and it clashes unless that was your desire.
Festive Holiday Makeup Look for Brown Girls
This look was very much a freestyle using 3 palettes as I sadly must say the Pat McGrath palette doesn’t have enough matte shades to my liking. I had fun creating this look as it truly was a creative expression. I am true to my matte nude eye looks but we all need a bit of sparkle in our lives! If you are really digging this look let me know in the comments!
Essence x Ulta Beauty Girls Unite in Power Nude- Sadly this has been discountined
I opted for a nude lip as it makes things so much easier especially if your enjoying your meal. No one wants that dreaded half eaten off lip look lol.
Now you can’t complete your look by having a festive mani! I’m colors from the Olive and June Winter Box which makes me happy. Their boxes are the perfect gift for your mani-loving friends or yourself! It provides all the things to create a salon-like mani at home. I love rocking an accent nail and a nice color which just gives a little razzle-dazzle.
Rocking Olive and June Obsessed and Obvi
I hope these holiday beauty looks inspired you to dress up and make this year a great moment. What are your holiday plans? Are you staying at home or you going to see family? I truly believe whatever you do make the most of the moment as you never know what’s coming on the horizion.
