MY {RELAXED} HAIR JOURNEY: Thus Far....

Hey Lovies!! Ok, I'm here to tell you a little more about me (well my hair).  I am on a hair journey and am hoping to get to bra strap length (BSL) by my birthday (Sept 12).

Well maybe I should start from the beginning.  I was natural up until middle school.  It took me a while to get my hair to completely take the relaxer, but when it finally did, I took really good care of it.  Then I was introduced to weaves, wigs and drawstring ponytails and it was downhill from there.  I never wanted to wear my real hair (even though I always had a good grade of hair).  It just got really boring for me.  I enjoyed the versatility of weaves and I was IN LOVE!!   In 8th grade, I had to get a haircut because there was a patch in the back of my head due to hair breakage.  I liked the chic little bob cut but I wanted my length back.  Soon I started self-relaxing but I didn't know too much about hair.  I just used some hair products that my sister had (because at the time she had long hair).  Eventually my hair started growing again.

Now I'm  sophomore in college and a good friend of mine introduced me to the concept of the "hair journey."  It definitely piqued my interest after I saw all of the lovely ladies on hairlista.com that were on this journey and had healthy long relaxed hair!  I felt if they could do it, then I could as well.  When I first began my hair journey, my hair looked like this:

(As you can see, my hair was severely damaged! Embarassing!!)

Eventually, I got my friend to trim up my hair so I can begin my hair journey with freshly trimmed ends.  Here's where I began:

(My hair was a little past shoulder length but not quite armpit length. Me and my sis coined it "sharmpit length" lol)

But this was all back in September 2010.  Presently, my hair is getting closer and closer to my goal of bra-strap length.  I flat-ironed my hair a couple days ago and this was the result:

(Yes, im still working on those thin areas at the tips but i dusted my ends and I'll probably do a little trim with my next relaxer)

Well, that's pretty much my hair journey at this present moment.  I'm pretty satisfied with my results.  If you have more questions, feel free to hit me up.  For more pics, list of my products and to keep track of my progress, check out my profile on http://www.hairlista.com/profile/ToyaNixon

Raving Review: OPI Shatter Nail Polish

There have been many reviews and tutorials on YouTube concerning the OPI Shatter nail polish.  I thought it looked pretty cool so I most definitely had to try it!!! And I must say, I LOVED IT!!!  In case you don't know what the bottle looks like here's an image:

(image courtesy of Google Images)

This nail polish has been seen on celebrities, from Katy Perry to Fergie.  It goes on regular but as it dries, it begins to crackle.  It leaves a cute little pattern on your fingernails and is really simple to do (especially if your not really artsy and can't do designs).  Here's how my nails turned out:

I got my nails done at a nail shop (the are acrylics with tips).  They painted my nails pink and added a glitter polish on top and then proceeded to apply the Shatter polish.  The Shatter polish was provided by them but the pink underneath was purchased by me from my local Walgreens.  It's by Sinful Colors and it's called "Pink Forever".  It only cost me $1.99 (excluding tax), which is very cheap compared to Essie, Sally Hansen, and China Glaze. And because I'm a college student, I don't have the extra cash to splurge on the more pricey items so this def did the trick.  I do find that it's very comparable to China Glaze and lasted me a good 3 weeks (with NO topcoat).  Sinful Colors also has other pretty colors that I'm gonna go back and purchase, so i do recommend this brand.

Overall, I liked the look!!! It was very bold and because I'm trying new things for 2011, it made a HUGE statement (I mean, people ADORED my nails and who doesn't like compliments? lol)!!  If you're looking to have a more edgier look, OPI Shatter polish is recommended as an addition to your polish collection.

LOOK BOOK: Smoky Brown Eye

So this past weekend, I went out with dear friend of mine.  Earlier that day, I was browsing Youtube (which has become a daily ritual for me) and  came across a brown smoky eye that I was dying to try.  Here's what I came up with...

This look was quite simple.  All you need is a brown eyeshadow base (I used Jordana Eyeliner Pencil in dark brown), a dark brown eyeshadow (I used CoverGirl Eye Enhancers in Swiss Chocolate and a shimmery brown in my Profusion 36 Glamour Eye Palette), a white eyeliner...mascara and eyeliner are strongly encouraged.

1. Using a dark brown eyeshadow base, apply all over the lid and a little above the crease.
2. Using a light shimmery brown shadow, apply all over the lid (using preferably a shader brush).
3. Using a darker brown eyeshadow, apply to the crease (using a fluffy crease brush).
4. BE SURE TO BLEND THE SHADOWS SO THERE ARE NO HARSH LINES!
5. Apply a brow highlight.  Be sure to blend down into the crease
6. Take your white eyeliner (I'm using Wet N Wild Color icon pencil in White) and apply to your water-line.
7. Optional: Apply the brown shadow underneath the water-line for an added dramatic/smoky effect.
8. Apply liner, mascara and/or falsies, maybe blush, and a fabulous pink lip!

Now, you're ready for a night on the town!! Knock 'em dead Lovies!!