It's been a long time...we shouldn't have left you without a dope beat to step to!

Wow, everybody, it's been forever and six days since I've last posted! I've been so busy with school and whatnot that it's been really difficult for me to keep up with everything that's going on! But this post will be devoted to all of the things I have absolutely fallen in love with since my last post. These are some of my new favorite things!

• John Frieda Frizz Ease 100% Shine Glossing Mist. This stuff is amazing for adding life to dull, dry strands. I spray this on my 'do after I'm finished curling my hair, give it a fluff, and my hair is shiny and looks like I just got it done at the salon (by the way, I haven't been to the salon in months!). And, just like Mr. Frieda is famous for, it smoothes away flyaways and banishes frizzies.
• Good ole olive oil. And I don't mean the character from Popeye the Sailor Man. Really! You know how vinegar can be used for just about anything? I feel that way about olive oil. You can cook with it, put it on your skin (I actually didn't even know that people cook with olive oil until ninth grade. I thought it was skin oil because my grandma only used it for that!), and it even works for your hair. I just take my favorite conditioner (more on that later) and mix it with olive oil. It's like homemade hair mayonnaise. Then I slather the stuff on, slap on a shower cap and I'm cool for an hour. The only downside to using olive oil in your hair is that you have to rinse really well, or you'll look like a wet poodle for a few days. If your hair is already oily you might want to avoid this, but it works wonders for African-American hair, which has a tendency to be dry.
• Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps. You've all probably heard of Hard as Nails--you know, the stuff in the pink bottle. Well, Hard as Wraps has the same concept, except it's probably ten times better than it's predecessor. I am not a nail expert by any sense of the word, but if I recall correctly, a wrap is some kind of technique they do in the salon to make your nails superstrong. My nails are weak and brittle; so much so, you can see through them. They get long and break off in a matter of days. Applying Hard as Wraps once a week really helps with that for me. And, it's clear, so you can cover it with your favorite color nail polish (more on that later, too).
• Secret Peach Shimmer Body Spray. I absolutely love this! It smells so fruity and girly, plus it's less than five bucks! I have cleared Rite Aid out of their supply of Peach Shimmer twice, if that tells you anything. And I have a particular best friend hooked on the stuff, for obvious reasons. Spray it on after your shower for a scent to last you all day long!
• Burberry Brit eau de parfum. I don't just like this perfume because it's got my name in it. I'm into musky, strong, who's-that-hottie scents that last a long time. The great thing about BB is that, it being so strong, you don't need very much of it, and it lasts all day long. I spray it on my clothes and my skin.
• Physique Precision Wax. Since the last time I'd written on this post, I cut my hair. It's been growing back, but some pieces are too short to curl but too long to leave alone. Plant some of this wax on it and brush it down, and you've got a good deal. It's also great for people who want piecey or chunky hair. And for less than four bucks a pop, I definitely cleaned the drugstore out of their supply of it. (PS: I'm not sure if it's discontinued, but I'm sure if you search around you'll find it.)

I hope you like the things on the list, and welcome back to my blog! I promise I'll write a little more often, once I get back into the swing of things. Well, until then, ladies, ta-ta!

Kisses galore,

Brittney

I need a bad girl...get at me, bad girl!

What it do, lovelies? There are some good things to talk about, and some not-so-good things to talk about. Here's the good thing. My mom and two aunties came into town to take me out for my birfday at Red Lobster's. Then we went to the mall...and we went to Sephora. I was so happy I didn't know what to do with myself! I ended up buying Nars Blush in Orgasm to go with my Orgasm gloss, and, of course, I can't part that store without snagging a tin of Smith's Rosebud Salve. Okay, so the stuff is just chic Vaseline, but it does a little bit more for me than good old Petroleum jelly. I like to use it as a primer on my lips. You can use it from everything from diaper rash to detergent burns--whatever that might be. The stuff simply rocks, ladies.

But here's where Bad Brittney came in: I was angry last night about nobody really giving much of a hoot on my birfday, so I went online to sephora.com and ordered the Tarte Cheek Stain set for thirty bucks and charged it on my card...I am in big trouble now. Well, not really, but still. I have to stop buying stuff because I'm in a pissy mood. Well, I have to stop buying stuff, period. At least until I get a steady job.

Oh, and let me not forget to thank the three people who are reading my blog. "Anonymous", Happy Birfday! *does the birfday girl dance* Don't you just love being a sassy Scorpio? I looove Tia Williams, and you shall see me comment regularly. Isn't she just darling? She's my idol. Did I tell you I finally got to buy The Beauty of Color? That book is amazing. Not to mention my favorite model, Liya Kebede, was in it, so you could imagine my excitement. Rasha, I saw your blog and I'm definitely going to be a regular on that! We're like, totally on the same page here (no pun intended)! Let's make a deal: I read yours, you read mine? And you must tell me how to put pics up here; I'm having the hardest time! And my dear distar, you're effin' gorgeous! Hope you're still reading my blog! You're right, it is addicting. But it's great practice for the real world of being a beauty editor, in my opinion, being that my work is reaching a mass audience (well, not many people have read it, but you know what I mean). So thanks to my three blog buddies!

I promised that I'd talk about effortless style today, so that's what I'm gonna do, dammit! To me, I find it so unattractive to see a woman walk down the street looking like a backup dancer to a hip-hop video. I mean, in my opinion, some women try a little too hard to look good. I myself, am a fan of effortless style. And the one person who personifies effortless style the best is the one and only Joy Bryant. You may know her from Carmen: A Hip Hopera, Antoine Fisher, or Get Rich or Die Tryin'. But I know her for looking so effortlesslly beautiful any time she hits the red carpet. If you see any pictures of her, she's got clean makeup, slicked back hair, and an outfit that looks real. She doesn't look fussed over and sometimes I even question if the girl has a glam squad. That's a good thing, though. It just looks like she grabbed a pair of jeans, a cute top, a functional bag, and some easygoing shoes from her closet, threw her hair in a ponytail, slapped on some mascara and lipgloss, and left the house. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Okay, the effortless beauty look is definitely not as easy as it seems. It does take a little effort, but with a little help you're good to go. I shall show you how!

• Go for the "no makeup" makeup look. I posted a blog on that a few days ago. Refer to it. Concealer, mascara, blush, and gloss are the main staples that will get you looking naturally gorgeous.
• Smell "Happy". I recently got a sample of Clinique Happy and smelled it for the first time. Now I know why it's such a cult favorite! It has a clean, simple scent that doesn't say "maneater" as much as it says "girl next door".
• Know your neutrals. A lot of people think that black and denim are the only colors that go with everything. But they're forgetting about the other neutrals: grey, white, brown, and tan! These colors really do go with everything. Don't be afraid to wear them all together and finish the look off with a really standout bag that's a crazy color.
• Slick your hair back. Nothing says "effortless" better than a ponytail, but make sure you do put some effort into it. We want it to look chic, not like you just left cheerleading practice. Make it sleek with Marc Anthony Simply Straight Instant Straightening Cream. If you have short hair like mine, invest in some cute headbands and call it a day.
• I hereby give you permission to go all out on jewelry. Since the rest of your look is completely casual and cool, you can throw on all the earrings and necklaces your body can handle! It really makes an effortless look pop, and shows that your effortlessness really did come with some effort after all!

Okay, so now you know how to look effortlessly beautiful. It's not bumming it up, but it's not looking like you have Ken Paves, Rachel Zoe, and Mally Roncal up in your face every morning. Something about that just says "I tried so hard to look nice today--look at me, world!" Save that for your high school reunion.

Smooches!
Brittney

Hey, everybody! Okay, I know I posted earlier (wayyy earlier) this morning but I am compelled to do a little more writing. As you probably found out from the previous post--IT'S MY BIRFDAY! *tosses confetti around* And yep--after class I raced in the rain with no umbrella to the bookstore all the way on the other side of campus to grab a copy of Iman's The Beauty of Color! And I am loving it! I've read it cover to cover twice already, and I can't wait to put the advice to use. The book really shows that you should love yourself for who you are, and not try to be anybody else or conform to anything. I definitely can relate.

I have dark skin. Not as dark as Iman's, but a bit darker than, say, Tyra Banks' (who is also featured in the book). Most of my family has light to tan skin, so it was really hard to be so different. The light-skinned girls in my family had all the boyfriends and were constantly told how pretty they were. I...well, wasn't. I'm not going to bore you all with a sob story, but basically you have to love yourself before anybody can love you. And if you can do that with a little mascara and some lipstain, then so be it. That's why I'm so interested in being a beauty editor. Beauty makes people feel good. I wouldn't strut down the street in an old ratty t-shirt, a head wrap, and sweat pants.

Okay, before I get all preachy on you guys...I was supposed to go out tonight but a lot of people screwed me over so I spent the night watching game shows with my real friends and eating pizza. Some night, huh? Anyway, I'm a fan of girls' nights out, and nothing says "paint the town red" more than getting a bunch of your best pals and getting all dolled up. I love sexy makeup, but I save it for those special occasions, not just everyday wear. For me, it's all about the smoldering eyes. Here's how I would have pulled it off if I had more friends who could hang.

1. My brand new Clinique Line Smoothing Concealer. I'm telling you, I just can't seem to find that perfect concealer at the drug store. They're all too light on me and the color comes off ashy, which ain't cute, folks. (HELLO? Revlon? Black people wear concealer, too. Please supply some.) Sure, there are products like Black Radiance and whatnot out there, but those tend to go too dark for me. Plus, I have yellow undertones like nobody's business. Until yesterday, only my Cargo Concealer worked for me (and I don't have much access to it, so I was about to be in tears when I realized I'm running out!). I like a natural, sheer finish so concealer is perfect for that. Just dot it where ya need it, lovelies.

2. Revlon Skinlights Instant Skin Brightener in 03 Warm Light is perfect for instant glowiness. As you may know from now, I have this thing for glowy skin. It's like my life goal. I'm almost positive that when I find the perfect glowy skin look, I will also find the meaning of life. But this is good stuff, dolls! Yeah, it's like thirteen bucks, but you get a lot. I promise! I've been using mine for (don't tell!) about two years now. You just put it on the apples of your cheeks with your fingertips, or a sponge if you're acne prone. Where are the apples of your cheeks? It's the fleshy part that plumps up when you smile. It's also sheer enough to go on your forehead, chin, and pretty much everywhere the sun naturally hits your face.

3. I have my everyday mascaras, and then I have my 'going out tonight to grab a guy' mascaras. And nothing screams sex kitten more than L'Oreal Lash Out. This gives me the lashes I can only dream of. It's literally false lashes in a tube! I like to put this on first because it kind of gives you a prediction of how your eye makeup will look--whether you need just a little shadow to complement the look, or if you can go all out and wear something fierce. And don't forget those bottom lashes! Mine are sparse; I couldn't live without mascara for them.

4. If you read some of my earlier posts you'd know that I adore L'Oreal's new line of High Intensity Pigments, and they're not called HIP for nothing! Most of them I wouldn't really consider to be "everyday shades" becuase they're very highly concentrated, hence their name. But for going out with the gals I like their eyeshadow in the shade "Foxy", named appropriately for its I'm-not-trying-to-be-vampy shade. On one side there's this gorgeous minky pink color that I love. On the other side is a smoldering chocolate brown. I swear, I own like four different HIP eyeshadow shades, NOT including the shadow sticks. These things just rock, the end.

5. To finish off my sex kitten look I was going to wear Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipgloss in Pink Zinc. It's a pretty muted pink that I adore. Dark-skinned girls: Pink lipgloss is doable. It's all about the shade of pink. This one is great because it gives off that muted, sexy vibe without looking like a black Barbie from 1991. Or anybody from 1991.

Okay, well, it's like 3:30 in the morn and beauty sleep is in order! I'll see you lovelies tomorrow! Great things happen tomorrow (very excited) and I'll fill you in when the time's right, I promise! Oh, and my mother and aunt should be coming tomorrow and I can do more damage AKA shopping. I can tear a mall up, I swear! (I can talk about that for days; more on that later) Alright, remind me that my next blog is going to be about the greatness of places like TJ Maxx for makeup. Or maybe how to achieve effortless style. Don't let me forget!

Smooches from the Birfday Princess!
Brittney

Go, Shawty, It's Yo' Birfday...!

It's my birfday! I'm so excited! I'm 19 years old now. I can't believe that this time next year, I'll be TWENTY. TWENTY years old! I still feel like I'm sixteen or something!

So today, I went to the mall with some friends (because yours truly is never one to pass up an opportunity to go shopping!). We were looking for a gift for a certain someone (and I shall not mention too many details just in case she happens to be reading this!) and I picked up some great stuff (more about that later for the same reason). Then I went to the Gap and got my old flame, GapScent in Dream! I don't even think I got it because I love the smell, more because it reminds me of my senior year, when my pal Melissa introduced me to the scent. I mean, it smells great, but it's more the memories tied to it that compelled me to buy it. That, and some lipbalm that smells like Vanilla Butterscotch. I'm a lipbalm freak. I just love the stuff. Sue me. Then, we went to good Old Navy. Now, I have never been into an Old Navy before. Honest! No, really! That's simply because I scoffed at the name when I was younger. I thought it was like the Salvation Army. I mean, come on--Salvation Army--Old Navy? They both have branches of the armed forces in their names and they both sell clothes, so I put two and two together and--well, never mind. I didn't find much that I liked except for two darling purses that I instantly picked up. Joy Bryant would have been proud. And they're purple, which is a big deal for me. I don't do purple. But these bags were the perfect color purple. I had to pick them up. And together, they were less than twenty bucks!

Then, I stepped into the world of Clinique. I was in a huge rush so I already had everything I wanted in mind. The lady was really nice but had lipstick on her teeth. I asked her about concealer and she said, "Will you be using the concealer for your undereye circles?" HUGE LET DOWN. I wanted to say no, as a matter of fact, they're for my cheeks and my chin. But I said yes and she tried on a few things. I was in a big rush and felt bad about making her hurry. But in the end I got this great little mini kit that came with Take the Day Off Makeup Remover, the All About Eyes stuff she was insisting I buy, a mini version of Clinique High Impact Mascara, the cutest little lipstick in a shade called Pure Posh--and I don't wear lipstick, so that's saying a lot--and a darling little eyeshadow kit that contained shades like Rum Spice and Beach Plum. Oh, and I got my concealer--I ended up telling her what shade to give to me and it matched my beloved Cargo concealer perfectly--and she also threw in a few treats. Since it was Halloween, I got a bag full of candy with Clinique's clarifying lotion (the second part of the famous three-step system) a sample of Clinique Happy (which smells absolutely divine), and when she found out about my birfday she threw in another fab mascara, the new Clinique High Definition Lashes Mascara with the comb on one side and the brush on the other! I was so superexcited about my new beauty swag that I didn't even care about the concealer comment.

Okay, here's my thing about concealer and my undereye circles. I've had those puppies since I was a wee lass. I don't know why or how; they've just always been there. I used to hate them. I'd look in the mirror and just want to die. But now that I'm older I've come to realize that they're kind of part of who I am...and they're not that bad. I guess it's that one imperfection that shows that I'm human. When I cover the area with concealer, I really don't like the way it looks. Every time I go to a counter and get my makeup done, they insist on working on that area without even asking me if I'm okay with that. Truth is, I sorta like my circles. They're a part of who I am. I don't like covering them up because, in the words of my friend Ashley, it looks like "your husband beat you and you're trying to cover up your black eyes". She's right, though. I'd rather be honest and free than look insecure, and look like I'm trying to cover something, and doing a bad job of it. Now, once I find a method of getting rid of these bad boys, my philosophical moment goes out the window. But, until then, I ain't covering these babies with concealer. No, siree, Bob.

Plans for tomorrow: I probably will just casually go out to eat with some good friends. I also plan on treating myself to Iman's The Beauty of Color, edited by my favorite ex-beauty-editor-now-author, the Tia Williams. I've been holding off but I deserve it. Now, there's a book that shows you how to rock who you are. Be proud of your skin color, be proud of your freckles, that mole underneath your eye. But that doesn't mean I won't be trying the All About Eyes before beddy bye time, tonight! Light a candle of hope for me, ladies!

From the birfday girl herself,
Brittney

And It Goes a Little Sumthin' Like This...



Okay so I actually tuned into America's Next Top Model today and I was really disappointed. I mean, honestly, the girls aren't that great to me. None of them. Anchal's the prettiest one if you ask me, but then again, I do have a tendency to gravitate towards exotic-looking people. Eugena is a fugmonster, the end. Plus her attitude was really shiesty, but of course, all black people on ANTM have to be complete divas. Jaeda's okay, but babe. It's just hair. It grows back. And when it does you'll wish you had it in your shorter, less fussy style again. I promise. I've been there and done that. And those twins?! Don't even get me started on them. Honestly, I don't see how they last day in and day out on that show. They're just meh to me. They're not raving beauties. In fact, they look really sickly to me. Monique was one of the prettiest girls up there but of course she had to eff up and get kicked off. Melrose is gorgeous, but she only knows how to do one thing, and that's be sexy. Plus she's so mean to poor little Anchal, it ain't right, folks. But I do like CariDee. She's pretty and seems nice. I'll be rooting for her, I guess.

But honestly. This show has been running for how long? How many seasons? And girls still do not get it. When you go on ANTM, a number of things are going to happen. 1) They're going to cut and dye your hair; 2) You're going to pose naked; 3) You're going to pose under the harshest of conditions; and 4) You're going to pose with a creepy-looking animal. Why haven't these girls caught on yet? Year after year someone walks off or cries their doe eyes out because Tyra asked the stylists to lop off six inches and dye it platinum blonde, or because they had to pose in the buff in a frigid waterfall with an anaconda. Here's a little public service announcement for anybody who plans on auditioning for next season's ANTM. Don't go on the show if you don't plan on doing any of these four curricula. You'll just get kicked off.

Whew! Well, there is one great thing about models, and that's their fabulous skin that I just absolutely envy. So who better to ask for tips than the people who prettify these gorgeous gazelles at fashion shows? (Okay, so I really don't have access to these people, but you get my drift.) There's just something about models and the way they look off the runway. Their skin is damn near perfect. They just look fabulously flawless. But they still look natural, and I think everybody's trying to find a way to obtain that natural look that models go through so much work to achieve (coincidentally). So I went to sephora.com (because Sephora is, after all, my heaven) and found some ways of looking totally natural and pretty much like you didn't try. But I know you did!

Face:

Concealer used to be my arch enemy, and now I swear by it! It's more concentrated than foundation, of course, but that's because you only use it in those key areas (for me that's my chin and my cheeks, damn hard Richmond water!) and voila! Absolute perfection. The most talked about concealer in the beauty world would probably be Becca Compact Concealer, $35. That's because it comes in like, a million shades so there's no way you can't find your shade (a common problem among women with darker skintones). And you get two shades of creamy perfection-in-a-compact. On the left we have the sheerer concealer for those mild issues, and a more mattified concealer on the right for really noticeable blemishes. You'll be thanking me for this one!

Cheeks:

Glowiness is my life goal. I am on that neverending search for that perfect glow-factor, and that search may end with Tarte Cheek Stain, $28. Remember, "sheer" is the name of the game when you're trying to play it natural, and this stuff definitely is sheer. I was turned on to it by my golden goddesses at makeupalley and my idol, Tia Williams, and if these lassies say it's right, you cannot go wrong. I'm in love with the Bronze Goddess shade myself, for that extra "mwah" of color.

Eyes:

I think this is where many people completely eff up the natural look. A clean eye is key to looking like you have no makeup on. I say just stick to good old mascara (and I have another great trick for you in a sec!). That's where Benefit Bad Gal Lash, $19, comes in. This stuff gives you kickass lashes like you have never seen. I first experienced this orgasmic goodness at my first trip to Sephora last year. The Benefit lady put it on and I immediately felt like throwing out my inferior Maybelline Great Lash. This stuff practically gropes every lash you have and your eyes are instantly clean and perfect. (Oh, and don't forget to take care of those brows. It keeps a natural look, or any look for that matter, nice and clean. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and in my opinion, eyebrows are like the blinds. Make sure they're Egyptian cotton, people, not polyester.) And for a bit of extra wonderful-ness in the eye area, just take a bronzy lipgloss and schmear it over your lid. You can even use clear lipgloss (I did this today and wondered where it had been all my life!). Your eyes will thank you for it.

Lips:

Mmmm, mmmm, lips. Another area where gals tend to do a lousy job trying to be natural. The best thing to do to find the perfect shade for you is to simply find one that's similar to your natural lip color, just with a tad more depth and shimmer. Until that day, try Lorac Lip Polish in Beauty, $17.50. Besides the gimmicky nail polish look of the bottle, this stuff is amazingly gorgeous! Now, I know it looks light but in fact it goes on really shimmery and pretty! Trust me, pretties, and buy it!

Okay, I've typed so much today I can barely stand it! But I'm lovin' my blog, and hopefully, so are you! (Is anybody reading this?) Well, guess I burned the midnight oil again. It's probably the excitement of actually writing in my blog and my birfday coming up in less than TWO DAYS NOW! I'll definitely show you some pics on how to look hawt for the big one-nine! Well, dolls, I'm off to shower, pop a Tylenol PM and count some sheep! Or maybe some eye palettes or something.

Pageant wave to all of you!
Brittney

Okay, so I've decided to include a Face of the Day, inspired by my lovelies at makeupalley.com (another great site to visit for the latest in makeup and fashion news, and some good laughs, too!). I'll tell you what I have on my face (and provide a pic once I actually obtain a digital camera, which is in the works), and different techniques and tricks I have to get the look of the day. I'd love it if you guys could submit your Faces of the Day as well, along with a pic!

Today:
Cargo OneBase Concealer and Foundation in One--As I told you guys in my last blog, this stuff is nothin' but the truth! It's the only concealer I've ever had that actually blends into my skin AND covers my blemishes from a recent breakout (not pretty).

CG Smoothwear Liptints in Peachy Sheen--This stuff is universally flattering. It's a gorgeous color that translates from day to night. Plus, it's a drugstore item and you will soon discover that I am a drugstore makeup whore.

MAC Blush in Style--For black people who think that you can't wear blush, think again! This is such a sheer, pretty color. It takes bronze to another dimension, literally!

L'Oreal Lash Out Mascara--This is the be all to end all mascaras, darlin's! For dramatic, flirty, ultra-sexy "I just happen to wake up this glamorous" lashes, this is the perfect investment! Sure, it's a little costly, and most of you know that I'm not one to shell out ten bucks on a mascara that I'll be throwing out in a few weeks (like you're supposed to!), but this stuff is well worth it. I have sparse, thin bottom lashes, and these give me the thick, lush ones that before now I only dreamed of.

So, there you have it, ladies! Copy the look if you want, post pics, tell me what you think! It's a really natural, pretty but no-frills look that's just perfect for class (which was the only place I had to go today, but I felt like being prettified, ya know?). Well, speaking of class, I have to cram--I mean, er, study--for this one test, so I'll check you all later!

Mwa! Big kisses, lovelies!
Brittney

A few of my favorite things...

Hair:

Marc Anthony Simply Straight Instant Straightening Creme is perfect for my hair, which seems to have a problem behaving. Sure, I wear my hair curly most of the time, but this stuff makes it sleek and healthy-looking. I usually slather this on before bedtime and put my hair in a scarf, or I’ll put this on right before straightening my hair after a good wash. The big plus: It smells amazing! And it's only around $8, which is pretty darn good for such a big wig (no pun intended) hairdresser like Mr. Anthony himself (not to be confused with J. Lo's eighth hubby).

Any kind of oil sheen with olive oil or tea tree oil is simply amazing! Even though I’m black, my hair doesn’t tolerate most black hair products because they can make my hair feel really greasy, oily, and weighted down. However, sheen is perfect because it distributes the perfect amount of oil onto your hair. I like to use it, with my Marc Anthony products, right before beddy bye so that during the night my hair absorbs the product. Black hair is known for being dry, and I’m certainly no different. Oil sheen definitely alleviates this for me, but keeps my fine hair from looking like that of a wet puppy's.

Any super fine toothed comb. I hate wide teeth on combs! I feel like they're not really doing much for me. Fine-toothed combs make me feel like I'm really smoothing out my hair and making it sleek. That's one of my life goals: supersleek hair, so you will hear me talk about it a lot.

Vo5 Brush Out Holding Spray is divine! I admit--I am a hairspray addict, and I am contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer. But, be that as it may, I do not like a hairspray that leaves me with helmet hair. This stuff is liquid crack and you will go through it like nobody's business. You can brush it out (hence it's name) and restyle and still get sexy hold. Plus, it's only about three bucks, and you know how I feel about good deals like that!

Gold n Hot curling irons--these are the best curlers in the world! I am, along with being a hairspray addict, a curling addict. I mean, sometimes I literally curl my hair three times a day! (I know, I know--that's bad, whatever) These curlers get hot and stay hot. And they're only about twenty dollars so it's not going to hurt your pocket.

Skin:

Good old Neutrogena Acne Medicated Face Wash! It's a classic, and for a reason. It leaves my skin feeling clean, and I know that I'm not going to wake up in the morning with a zit!

Biore Self-Heating Mask is like a spa in a tube! All you have to do is splash your face with some water, apply the mask, feel the warmth, leave on until the mask turns blue, et viola! It leaves me feeling like my pores have been vaccuumed clean! It just goes to show that Biore really is the pore expert!

Most people would say that using St. Ives Apricot Scrub is equivalent to dragging your face in gravel. But they make one for sensitive skin that's a little less harsh. Still, you should use it maybe twice a week and try a gentler exfoliant for daily use. But at less than five bucks you just can't beat that!

Nails:

Okay, I'm not much of a nail person, but I need a top coat, especially when my nails start to get long. I love Milani's top coat (and pretty much all of their nail polishes) because they dry super duper fast! And they come in, like, a million colors so you're sure to find one that suits you. And at their prices, you can pick up bottles for days!

Makeup:

I am in love with L'Oreal's HIP line! Their eyeshadows are out of this world, and this is coming from a girl who doesn't do eyeshadow! The colors are well-coordinated so that you can wear them separatedly or together for a multi-dimensional look that's sure to have people staring. Being dark-skinned, it's hard to find eyeshadows that don't disappear on my skin, but these are pigmented enough that they go on and stay on. And they look good.

Okay, every beauty editor or person in the know will tell you this, but it's true: Nars Lipgloss in Orgasm is the perfect color, and that's exactly why it's Nars' best-selling and most sought-after lipgloss! It just gives your lips that instant "oomph", that instant sex appeal! If you just want a little hint of color, this is for you! Okay, so at around twenty dollars it's no Bonne Bell, but you won't regret it!

I'm a powder girl, but since my skin has gone to the dogs lately, I've started just putting on concealer where my trouble spots are. I love Cargo One Base Concealer and Foundation in One. Probably simply because it is the only concealer I have ever found to match my shade exactly. Plus I got it from Ebay at around five dollars (and it retails for much more). But it also blends in completely and looks natural. Recently I went to a football game with an old friend of mine and we took a picture (which is not something I do too often because I don't feel I'm photogenic). My skin was, in a word, perfect. It was so glowy and sexy, I couldn't stop raving about the picture. Plus it looked natural. I can't wait until she sends it to me!

Hello, all! I'm Brittney Clark, and I'm a brand new blogger. Welcome to Sephora is my Heaven! I guess I should tell you some stuff about me first and foremost. I'm 18 years old, about to be 19 in five days (woo-hoo!). I'm an aspiring beauty editor and I looooove makeup with a deep and burning passion in my heart. I thought that blogging would be great practice for me when I get into the beauty editing business. Hopefully I'll work for Allure, Elle, or Vogue, the holy trinity of fashion/beauty magazines as far as I'm concerned.

I'm supernice, but I'm also supersensitive, so please don't leave hateful, meanie comments! However, I'd love to hear what you think of my page and any ideas you think would be great. Thanks so much for reading and hopefully you'll be as hooked to my blog as I am hooked to makeup!

Kisses, Sweetie Cakes!
Brittney