Avon Campaign 14 Orders due tonight by Midnight!

So glad summer is officially here!
 
Here are my brochures for you to flip through:
http://shop.avon.com/shop/brochure.aspx?dept=brochure


Some new fashion:


Printed Maxi Dress 
Plunging V-neckline with halter straps that tie behind the neck. Banded empire waist. Polyester/spandex. Machine wash and dry. Imported.
S(6-8), M(10-12), L(14-16), XL(18)
Brochure: $29.99 

One-Shoulder Dress 
Asymmetrical neckline with ties at the shoulder. Polyester/spandex. Machine wash and dry. Imported.
S(6-8), M(10-12), L(14-16), XL(18)
Brochure: $24.99

Paisley Printed Top
Scoop neck with eyelet trim. 3/4 bell sleeves. Polyester/georgette. Machine wash and dry. Imported.
S(6-8), M(10-12), L(14-16), XL(18-20)
Brochure: $24.99

mark GRAPHIC PRINT DRESS
• Elastic bands at waist and across back
• Open V-shaped back
• Sleeves feature pleated detail
• Slit pockets on skirt
• 33" from center back to hem (measurement taken from size medium)
• 100% viscose. Imported.
small (sizes 3-5), medium (sizes 7-9), large (sizes 11-13), x-large (size 15), xx-large (size 17)
magalog: $32.00 

Embellished Micro Wedge Sandal
Metallic leatherlike double straps with faux braids and rhinestone embellishments. 3/4" micro wedge. Skid-resistant sole.
Whole sizes 6M-10M
Half sizes, order one size up.
Brochure: intro special $24.99 
Will be $29.99

Makeup


GLAZEWEAR Duo Reflect Lip Gloss 
Swirls of pearl reflect light for a two-tone effect. .15 oz. net wt.
Brochure: intro special $2.99 
Will be $6.00

in the shade Rose Hues

mark JUICE GEMS SQUEEZE ON LIP GLOSS (not new, but my fav everyday gloss in the shade FIG)
• A high-shine tinted gloss in 8 different fruity flavors
• Imparts sheer color
• Contains real fruit extract with moisturizing properties to soften lips
• Special formula evens out shine for a perfectly glazed "wet" look
• 0.5 fl. oz.
magalog: $6.50

mark GOT TO GLOW GRADUAL GLOW BODY MOISTURIZER LOTION SPF 15 
• Daily moisturizer enhances skin tone with gradual, buildable color
• Imparts a healthy, radiant glow
• Contains radiance-boosting skin conditioners and subtle shimmer
• Non-streaking, quick-drying formula
• Leaves skin soft and scented with hints of citrus and passion fruit
• 6.7 fl. oz.
light-medium, medium-dark
magalog: $14.00

Nail Buffer and Shaper 
Remove tough calluses and hardened skin to reveal summer-ready feet. High/low speed-setting options. Takes one 9-volt battery (not included). Plastic. 6 3/4" L.
Item#: 978-336
Brochure: intro special $9.99 
Will be $12.00

Accessories


White Braided Wrap Watch  (I love this watch, I'm wearing it now!)
Goldtone case, trendy large numbers. Double-wrap, braided leather-like strap. 15" L.
Item#: 969-589
Brochure: intro special $19.99 
Will be $29.99

mark OUT OF LINE EARRINGS 
• Burnished silvertone teardrop-shaped earrings with gray faux pearls
• Fish-hook posts
• 3" L.
Item#: 184-715
magalog: $16.00 

When you order from my website, it gets delivered anywhere in the US! http://www.youravon.com/khinkson
Use **free shipping code FS30REP** if your order is over $30 before taxes!


Email me if you have any questions or orders, kifana_fashion@yahoo.com.


Thank-you,
Kifana

My Thursday Shoes 06/30/11

Chinese Laundry peep-toe patent in yellow, navy and grey. Heel is navy.

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My hair today

Did a blow-out last night.

Washed with SheaMoisture's Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo
Conditioned with SheaMoisture's Yucca & Baobab Volumizing Conditioner (smells great!)
Deep Condish: Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle (has a 'cone)
Oil: Karen's Body Beautiful Heavenly Jojoba Oil
Leave-In: Oyin Hair Dew
Protectant: Avon's Advance Techniques Frizz Control Lotus Shield Anti-Frizz Treatment (has 'cones galore)

I don't normally load up the 'cones, but they do coat the hair shaft which is great for protecting when applying heat.

I used my Conair Ion Shine blowdryer, medium heat and power. The design of it, I can't use a comb attachment unless I tape it up, so I just used a regular wide tooth comb, then one with smaller teeth. I pinned aside my bangs and voila!


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My Wednesday Shoes

Mossimo red peep-toe flats from Target.

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I love these shoes!

My co-worker showed me these wedges online a couple weeks ago and I fell in love with the colors, she's wearing them today and they look even better in person!



Forwood shoes from Aldo, $90

Look how nice they look on her:

I picture these with a nice all-white outfit, pants and top and some nice bright eye makeup.

With such a statement shoe, there is no need for an outfit with busy prints or bright colors. The focal point should be the shoes.

If you don't want to pay the $90 or you want something slightly toned-down, try them in this other print for $59.98

Be fashion-forward in Forwood (I know, stale, but laugh anyway, lol!) Based on the reviews and my co-worker, they are comfortable!

Huetiful Pop-Up Store @ Karen's Body Beautiful in BK This Saturday!

This Saturday July 2nd, Karen's Body Beautiful will be hosting an event featuring the coveted Huetiful Steamer from 12-4pm at their Brooklyn location. For those of you who aren't too familiar, this steamer is a big deal in the natural hair world as it helps put moisture into curly or wavy hair, which tends to naturally lack moisture, contrary to popular believe. Think of how you use a plastic cap, deep treatment and a bonnet hair dryer. As per their website:

"Dry hair, breakage, split ends, or dandruff?  A Huetiful brand hair steamer can resolve all of these frustrations and allow you to stop buying multiple deep conditioners and hair treatments that never seem to completely restore enough moisture back to your dry hair."

It retails for $114.95 with free shipping, which if you really think about it, is worth it if you're going to stop buying various deep conditioners, which can get expensive.

If you go to the KBB event, you will get 15% off your purchase of the steamer and while you're at it, you can pick up some of her products (also 15% off that day, 12-4pm), which they custom-make right onsite with your preference from a list of fragrances. I use her Heavenly Jojoba Hair Oil in the Coco-Mango fragrance and I am in love, I also use it on my son.  I also use her hand lotion in pear, feels nice on the hands. I hope she decides to make a hand cream next for the cold winter months ;) Her Hair Nectar (leave-in for medium-thick hair), Sweet Ambrosia (leave-in for dry, thick hair) and Bodacious Beauty Bar ('poo bar) are also top sellers, not to mention her Luscious Locks Hair Mask...wait, I practically listed off her whole product list :/ As a matter of fact, they will be doing a demo of her mask and the steamer together. A great event to compliment your long weekend!

Karen's Body Beautiful is located at

436 Myrtle Ave (btwn Clinton & Waverly Aves)

Brooklyn, NY 11205

Phone:718.797.4808

Toll-Free:800.628.2210

Email: info@karensbodybeautiful.com

My Tuesday Shoes

Rampage peep-toe patent, cork-heeled pumps!

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Waterproof Eye Makeup Removers

Choosing the right eye makeup remover can be challenging if you wear waterproof makeup. For me, I wear contacts when I go out, so therefore waterproof makeup is a must.

My holy grail (HG) is Yves Rocher's Express Makeup Remover for Sensitive Eyes with Cornflower. It isn't oily, you don't have to over-rub your eyes and it's light.  Just a quick shake and dispense onto a cotton round and it removes the most stubborn of waterproof mascara. This stuff is amazing. The only prob is it's in Canada only and since I've moved here to NYC I have to rely on my mother or sister to bring some down when they are visiting or when I go to Montreal to stock up.  I literally stalked them to the point where I don't have to anymore, they just know, lol. On those rare occasions where I run out, like now (NOOOO!), I've had no choice but to try to find an alternative in the Big Apple. Trust me, I've even emailed them to find out why it isn't available here, lol.



Even though the bottle has recently changed, just seeing it makes me misty-eyed
The Plus:
- Its cornflower enriched formula with soothing properties.
- Presentated in the form of a two-phase lotion.
- Its rapid results.
4 fl oz $5.95 CAD

Sephora's Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover
Pretty good, very close to my HG, even in appearance, a good alternative. It even has cornflower extract in it. My only prob is the cost. $6 for the small bottle which is way smaller than the Yves Rocher. Plus, with Yves Rocher, since I'm a member, I get free gifts and the remover is often on sale.

-HydroSenn+: Moisturizes intensely. A polysaccharide derived from an Indian plant (cassia angustifolia), this ingredient forms a protective barrier on the skin's surface that is able to harness and retain water for optimal moisture that lasts all day long.
-Procapil®: Promotes lash growth.
-Cornflower Extract: Softens and soothes skin.
-Pro-vitamin B5: Stimulates cell renewal and has moisturizing properties.

I've tried Andrea EyeQ's Eye Make-Up Remover Pads, Ultra Quick ($4.59) and though they do remove the eye makeup, it's oil based so you get a lot of grease on your lids and in your eyes, which clouds your vision for a bit. I haven't used this in years and just checking the ingredients now, it contains mineral oil. If I no longer want to put that in my hair, why should I put it on my eyes, right?

Formulated with Aloe Vera and Botanical Extracts, these soothing pads are ideal for those who wear waterproof eye makeup or have sensitive eyes.
Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat Germ) Oil (Wheat), Soja (Soybean) Glycine Oil (Soybean)

I've tried Target's up & up Makeup Remover ($4.54) waterproof eye makeup remover, and despite the great cost and decent reviews, it didn't do much for me. Hey, I tried. I always give the store brand a shot in whatever I buy. This is claimed to be comparable to Neutrogena's Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover, which I guess now I won't be trying. It's oil-Free, contains aloe, and is petroleum-free though, which is good. Sorry, I can't seem to add an image. 

I recently decided to revisit Avon's Moisture Effective Eye Makeup Remover Lotion, I mean afterall, I sell the stuff and it was on sale, half price, for $1.99. I remember it not doing much for me in the past, but the rave reviews made me try again. I've been using it for the last 2 weeks or so and it still doesn't remove all of my waterproof mascara, or at least not as good as my HG. Plus, it's a cream, so either I put too little and it does nothing or I put too much and it gets messy and into my eyes and burns. I still have to go over it with my regular makeup wipes (we'll discuss that on a later date). Just realized it also has mineral oil.

WATER/EAU, MINERAL OIL/HUILE MINERALE , PETROLATUM, PEG-40 STEARATE, ISODECYL OLEATE, STEARETH-2, CETYL ALCOHOL, STEARIC ACID, TRIETHANOLAMINE, PEG-4, DMDM HYDANTOIN, CARBOMER, IODOPROPYNYL BUTYLCARBAMATE

At this point, I think I will just bite the bullet and go to Sephora and invest in the big bottle, at least I can justify spending $9.50 for the 4.2oz than $6 for the 1.69oz. Which, in retrospect was a silly move to begin with even if I just wanted to try it!

Afrobella's All of My Purple Life M.A.C Lipglass!

When I first heard that fellow curly girl and blogger Patrice Grell-Yursik, a.k.a Afrobella, created her own MAC lipglass shade, I was like "NICE!", then I found out it was purple, and I was like "WOW, NICE!", then I found out she was Trini...uhhh, I went nuts at that point. I first heard about this from a Facebook post by Trinidad's Metro Magazine, and I was so proud of her, being of Trinidadian descent myself. We're a small country, so we welcome any positive mainstream acknowledgement :) But this is not only a big deal for a woman, or a Trinidadian, this is a big deal period. I mean how many people can say they went to the MAC head office and lab and literally created their own lipglass? Like, "Hi, I'm a chemist, don't mind me making this lipglass for millions of people". Seriously?? I've been wearing MAC lipglasses since they came out. They have literally been a staple in my life all these years, especially the limited edition shades. But as far as I was concerned, the beautiful colors just showed up and we stalked them. No one actually thinks about who the brainchild is behind this masterpiece or that that person even exists when you're at the MAC counter. Thank-you MAC and Patrice for opening up my eyes on that. And power to the two female West-Indian chemists Patrice spoke about in her blog entry. Yay!


Anyway, onto business, MAC introduced the Bloggers' Obsessions line on Tuesday June 21st featuring some of today's top beauty bloggers' eyeshadows (4) and lipglasses (5).  The line will be available online only for the next 6 weeks (limited edition!) so you'd better get on it! I spent the better part of that day trying to purchase an All of My Purple Life lipglass, MAC was having major network issues giving a lot of people panic attacks. The bloggers shut it down! ;) When I finally bought it and saw my order confirmation, I exhaled. I received my package on Friday June 24th, MAC always has fast shipping. I couldn't wait to open it and when I did I was pleasantly surprised. What a nice color! Wow! I've owned lilac lip products, fuschia, mauve, pink, you name it, but I have never owned an actual purple lipgloss! The color is purple, there are no two ways about it, you won't have a hard time describing it at all.  There's also some fine glitter in it, nothing like those teeny bopper lipglosses you see out there, very subtle. I love it. I just did a makeup look incorporating it. I put a bit of NYX's purple jumbo eye shadow under it to make it pop a bit more, especially since I was going to photograph it. 

Earrings by AyeShanti Pieces, 2009 Collection
www.mangopaperscissors.blogspot.com

Next on my list from the Bloggers' Obsessions line? Evolution Revolution lipglass is looking NOICE! Oh no, Jealousy Wakes eye shadow is sold out already, wahhhh! 

** Enter the code BLOGS to get free shipping when ordering anything from the Bloggers' collection **

Congrats Afrobella!

Avon Sneak Peek: SuperShock Liquid Lip Shine w/SPF 15

If you have nice full lips (unlike me, wahhhh!) or just want fast coverage, I just discovered the perfect lip gloss for you. Avon will be coming out with:

SuperShock
Liquid Lip Shine SPF 15* 
.03 oz. net wt.
Brochure: intro special $4.99 each 
Will be $8.00

I have a demo and I have never owned or actually seen a lipgloss with an applicator this large. I mean it's the size of my whole bottom lip! (shhhh) 

As per my demo book:

• OVERSIZED APPLICATOR with well tip holds and delivers smooth, full-coverage color & shine 
• SHOCKINGLY SEXY LIPS IN ONE SUPER SWEEP!
• MEGA-BRUSH DELIVERS MORE COLOR 

Left: Avon superSHOCK Right: Avon Glazewear Duo Reflect

 

superSHOCK in shade Lilac Attack


It has great shine, which is something I look for in a gloss. It also has a nice smell, I can't define it, but it's fruity'ish ;) It isn't sticky or too sheer, it has great color coverage. It lasts long, but like any other gloss, if you eat or drink, you'll need to reapply.  If you want the color to pop more, wear a lipstick or stain underneath. It has SPF 15, so it's especially perfect for the summer months. 

SuperShock Lip Shine will be available in 8 super shades next campaign, 15. Starting June 30th. Contact me if you're interested. I will update this post when it is on my Avon/mark e-store. 

BCBG Sandals

What a coincidence, I was perusing the BCBG website Friday morning and saw these sandals,

MONTY HIGH-HEEL LACE-UP SANDAL

and liked them, then I was sort of wondering if it was maybe too high, or maybe my feet would be too narrow for them, the normal things I worry about.  Then I saw the white and said it looked good for a white sandal (I'm not a fan of white shoes).

Then I said for $195, I can pay some bills with that money. Maybe if they came down to $50 :P Then I just stepped out the office for a few minutes and I see a girl walking down the street:

So at the light I asked her if they were BCBG, turns out we work together in the same dept (ha!), she was like "How did you know??" and I told her I had literally seen them this morning on the website and boy did the white look fabulous in person. My question to you my dear friends is, is this a sign that I should get them? Errr, when they go on sale of course ;)

Let's talk mascara

If you don't have the time to put on makeup everyday, at least try to put on some mascara. It makes your eyes pop, even if it's a clear one. Finding the right one is definitely trial and error and you'll find out fast that a lot of them may not really do what they claim to do, for you.  Also, the commercials and magazine ads that we see, most of the time those models are wearing false lashes and we also know the wonders of Photoshop ;) So when a mascara you're interested in goes on sale, experiment. You are recommended to toss them out every 3-4 months, so try not to have too many going at once. 

My staples that I keep running to are L'Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara (Carbon Black) and Maybelline's Volum' Express The Colossal Waterproof Mascara (Glam Black). I absolutely love them! My lashes have some length, but based on those two mascara's, volume is what I want and both of these mascara's deliver. Every so often I would try something new, but always end up going back to my holy grails. I've recently tried Maybelline's Volum' Express The Falsies (Black Drama) and it really didn't make my lashes look "false", I always end up putting the Colossal on top.  I have also tried Maybelline's Lash Stiletto, doesn't do much for me either, though because of it's almost pointed brush, you can get those lashes at the inner and outer corners. I use brown/black colors for during the day at work (if I decide to even put makeup on), and the blackest black for night.  Another great mascara that always makes the beauty top lists every single year is Maybelline's Great Lash.

When I want some colored lashes, the two I love are Sephora Collection and mark. cosmetics. I don't put the color throughout, I apply my regular black mascara, then the color at the tips, it looks fab. That technique stands out if you have a dark eye going on, smokey for example. If you want to put the color throughout your whole lash, do a neutral color on your lids. Unless it's for a Carnival presentation or you just like color (like me) because in those cases, anything goes! I have a Sephora green color (which I don't see on their website) and mark. Scanda-Lash Hook-Up Mascara (in Indiglow and Winegloss).

Some mascara tips:

- Wiggle the wand while applying, it ensures all your lashes get coated.

- Put a q-tip across the upper lash line to prevent mascara from ending up on your eyelid and eye-shadow. It also helps if you want to curl your lashes a bit if with each swipe you press and curve your lashes against the q-tip.

- To get the outer corners, pull the outside of your eye delicately and hold the mascara wand straight up and swipe upwards.

- If you wear contacts or cry a lot (wedding!), wear waterproof.

- To remove waterproof mascara, look for a waterproof eye-makeup remover otherwise you will spend too much time trying to scrub the mascara off your delicate eyelids and lashes.

Forever 21 Mannequins with 'fro's

Love it!

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Kinky Curly Hair Products

So I revisited Kinky Curly over the weekend because I knew I was going out to a day party (outside) on Sunday and needed a hairstyle that wouldn't look like a mop with the humidity and whatnot. The first and last time I used KC Curling Custard (KCCC) was when I first cut off my locs. Loved it then, but never used it since I got my haircut because I was so busy experimenting with a bunch of other products. Man, this stuff is the best, my hair looked so nice. It really is the only product that gives such well defined curls and great shine. It also works on very coarse hair. And it's all natural. The only "prob" is it's not the cheapest at $17.99 a jar (small 8oz one). The good thing is it's available at Target, so it's easily accessible, and for a dollar cheaper.  The next time I'm probably going to invest in the big 16oz jar @ $30 (not at Target, but Ricky's NYC has it). I know, but it doesn't contain glycerin therefore it's great for the summer for wash-n-go's (wng's) when the dewpoint could get a bit nuts. All the other gels I own have glycerin pretty high up in the ingredients list. Another great glycerin-free gel apparently, I've never tried it, is Curl Junkie's Curl Queen.

My Weekend Hair Regimen:
KC Come Clean shampoo, really leaves hair feeling clean
Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle deep conditioner (has a 'cone, but I love it)
KC Knot Today detangler/leave-in, great detangler, I even use it on my son
KC Curling Custard (smells like marshmallows btw), it feels sticky when applying, but dries great if you don't overdo it.

Both the leave-in (LI) and Curling Custard were on Essence Mag's Beauty Best Sellers List for 2008.

It's been said that KC does not "play well" with other products, meaning it could leave the hair white, etc. So I just use the whole line together. You can also get a few days with this regimen without having to wash and re-do everyday. The first couple days I just fixed my hair with my fingers and I did it Saturday night. Yesterday and today were the only days I had to spray a bit of water and put in KC Spiral Spritz. It's pretty fuzzy now and I'll probably re-wash tonight. I notice their Gloss Pomade is apparently good for 2nd day hair, maybe I'll try it one day. **update, the custard works well with Oyin's Hair Dew under it**

Shop Kinky Curly

Here is my hair the next day at the party, sorry it's not a close-up (or cropped!), I have to start taking those to put on my blog :D

My Friday Night Outfit

Okay, so I normally go out Memorial Weekend with my girls, which is tons of fun, but the party was Friday and I still had nothing to wear that day. All I knew was that I wanted to wear my QuellyRue Designs hoop earrings that I raved about in my Curly Girl Collective post.  Which could get tricky since the colors are pretty specific, and the Kente print and material, you can't just wear anything with them. There's a bit of navy in them, so I was going to aim for a navy top and equally dark bottom to bring out the colors in the earrings. We got out of work early so I decided to try Nordstrom Rack. I found the cutest skirt almost right away, the hemline came up shorter to the front and I loved the print and colors. The only thing was the main color in the earrings is coral, and the skirt is fluorescent pink, and the green in the earrings weren't as bright as the lime green in the skirt.  Could I pull it off? I had the earrings with me and kept putting them up to my ears with the skirt at my waist. I always feel that if one item is all the way up near your head and the other you want to match it with is all the way to the bottom of your look, you can pull it off. So I just bought the skirt ($14.99!) and prayed for the best. Now I needed a top, yikes. Headed next door to Forever 21 (F21), I abolutely LOVE this store, I don't care. It's my first stop whenever I have to go out, especially for their cheap, disposable accessories :D So I spent time going through tops, I didn't want anything loose since the skirt was already loose and I didn't want to lose myself in the outfit. Found a great tank, the color didn't exactly match the green in the earrings either, but when I tried on the whole outfit, it worked. The tank was $3.50, didn't I say I loved that place? They really price their items at what they're worth.  So my outfit cost me $18.50 and it took me about an hour if so much to put it together. YES! I used accessories and shoes (Nine West) that I already had and a vintage genuine leather royal blue envelope clutch (it was my Mom's!) I also happened to find a bra that matched that you could see through the tank. The print on the skirt, bra and earrings were completely different, but because of their color similarities, they went well together. 

Rest of look:
- I painted my toenails in fluorescent pink (big toes) and fluorescent yellow/green (rest of toes) and decided to put teal on my finger nails to sort of throw off the "matchiness" of my look.
- My eye-makeup, I went with the same base colors and a little black at the corners to tame it down a bit. 
- My hair, I decided last minute to re-twist it to freshen up my twist-out from the weekend before.

What do you think?

Earrings are to the right

 

Notice how you can't tell the earrings and skirt don't exactly match?
Colors in this photo aren't exactly true
Clutch is to the back
(Photo Courtesy of NYCaribbeanVibes.com)

I even managed to find a nice tee for hubby on the way out, so everyone was happy. All in all, a successful shopping experience. LOL!