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Leaving Korea: My Week in Review

30 August 2013
At the moment I am sitting in Incheon Airport waiting for my flight to Hong Kong and ultimately India to depart. I am excited about moving on to my next adventure but departing from Korea is a bit bittersweet.

I will definitely miss my students, co-workers and the friends I've made. Although a extremely stressful year-- I started losing clumps of hair and have suffered from insomnia for the past six months--I have learned a lot about myself, what I am willing to take and not, and most importantly I have grown in ways I would never have if I had not embarked on this journey.

So here is my week in review. Enjoy..






























Later in the week I will be doing another giveaway from yet another artist from Texas living in South Korea, here is a preview of two of her pieces that she is doing in conjunction with my Fall 2013 Collection Femme Fatale. Stay tuned for the giveaway and pictures of my getaway to India.


Beauty of the Week: M.I.A.

27 August 2013


As I am packing up and getting ready to leave South Korea for good and embarking on my trips to India and N. Ireland, in three days, I have decided to create a playlist for my separate trips.



This led me to look through my playlists of S.E. Asian artists and I was reunited with M.I.A. I will never forget her 9 months pregnant performance at the VMA's 4 years ago, when I thought, now THAT is a real artist. She was so passionate and she hopped around the stage as if she didn't have a 50 lbs belly hanging on to her.


I have always thought M.I.A. was talented and beautiful and at 38 she just keep getting better. Her style is kick ass and quirky and her stances are very much about empowering people. 


In fact, she refused to be put on People's Top 50 Beautiful People, stating, "Mother Teresa was never placed on the list."



M.I.A. was born Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam in Hounslow, London, U.K.  on July 18, 1975. Her family moved to Jaffna, Sri Lanka right before the civil war broke out between the Tamils and Sinhalese. Her father became an activist plunging her and her family into a life of hiding, until at the age of 10, her mother moved her and her brother back to London.


M.I.A. has defied convention, releasing her first album at the tender age of 30, which was named after her father, Arular. Her second album, Kala, was named after her mother, Kala.


Her 4th album originally had a release date for 2012 and will be called Mathangi, which would be named after her, but due to a heated custody battle over her son with Billionaire and environmentalist, Ben Bronfman, the album was postponed until November 2013.

This album includes my shiz, "Bad Girlz" for which she did a video about car drifting which has become popular in Saudi Arabia. There was speculation that the video was bringing to the forefront the law that disallows women to drive. The video actually is a celebration of cultures, of men AND women. Above all, the video is awesome and so is she. 

So without much ado, here is a peek into my India Playlist.










Product Review: Savvy Sleepers by Dale Janee

22 August 2013



I finally received my Savvy Sleeper in the mail a few weeks ago and I have been in girlie heaven. I sooo have a new crush. Being in Korea takes its toll on black women's hair due to a few hazards. 1) There is no one available to do your hair. 2) There are no products readily available for your hair and 3) The water SUCKS all of the LIFE out of your hair. Needless to say I got tired of seeing clumps of my hair in the drain and constantly having to oil it because it was so dry and brittle when I woke up the next morning.

Then, the hair goddesses shone down on me and in walks my little crush, Savvy Sleepers. Sigh, I could wax poetic about this wonderful product. Write sonnets describing my love of it, but I will spare you. SS founder, Dale Janee, of Savvy Spice,  had a great idea. This soft silky satin pillow case is invitingly luxurious to touch for all of you tactile people. I love laying my head on it at night. It is sleek. It helps hold in the oils in my hair without having them build up on my pillowcase and infecting my skin. In fact, my skin has improved 100% since I receive my black satin Saavy Sleeper. It is a great, affordable product and if you are tired of having to wrap your hair at night, use countless products, and seeing clumps of your hair in the drain, then I would suggest you invest, $36, in one of the three colors, Nappuccino, Night Knight, and Divinity. They are unisex and work for everyone.

For more information on this little hair and skin miracle, visit Savvy Sleepers here.

Now for the big reveal. The winner of the  Frida's Little Soap contest is entry #64, Stephanie G. Stephanie I will be sending you an email for your address and shipping your items tomorrow.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Stay tuned for another giveaway at the beginning of the week. As I prepare to embark on my newest journey, I will be writing many many posts. Toodles!

Frida's Little Soap Shop and Giveaway

11 August 2013
For the past few years I have begun to increasingly become more aware of the products that I put in my hair and on my skin. I opt for buying more natural and organic products despite the price tag. Since I have been in Korea, there are a slew of natural and organic products but many of them didn't work for my skin.



In walks Frida. I met Frida, a native of Indonesia, and owner of Frida's Little Soap, while I was doing an artist show in Daejeon, South Korea. She was selling her homemade, organic skincare products and I was selling my jewelry. I instantly fell in love with the concept of her products and her infectious smile. That day I took my earnings and a bought a few products to try them out. One was her chocolate glycerin bar which left my skin feeling like butter. I even washed my face with it, it was so refreshing.


I loved the organic feel of her products, the mix of essential oils and shea butter, jojoba, coconut and Vitamin E oils. Not to mention, I am a big, nay, huge fan of supporting small businesses.

So Frida invited my friend Carla and I over to try out more of her things and get some pics of her sweet little home and workspace. And the buffoonery ensued.




I was amazed to find out that she uses all natural, organic products down to her chemical free containers. The only chemical she uses is lye in her soap which she says is essential to making it. AND she prints her own labels using recycled paper. Each product is definitely made with love of beauty and making women and men feel amazing.


The Goat's milk soap are amazingly moisturizing...




she also has vegan friendly options as well.



The sugar scrub both the Sumatra coffee (made from Sumatra coffee) and Cinnamon and Vanilla were to die for and I snagged the Cinnamon and Vanilla up as well as her Gold Pearl Shea butter made from pearl and gold powders. It was smooth, the right amount of thickness and consistency without leaving a sticky feel to the skin. It just melted like butter into my pores.





Below is our interview on why she started her shop and what is in store in the future. *Hint, oils for natural hair and blushes. Did I mention that she ships internationally? You can check out her online wares here.






For my amazing followers, Frida is giving away a massage oil candle (so that you can get a little foxy with your love) and Honey Oatmeal soap bar and I will be giving away a Tour Eiffel bracelet from my upcoming Fall, Femme Fatale collection. Enter to win below, it does not matter the country, I will be shipping the products to the winner for free, gratis, etc.







Nail Color of the Week: Oxblood, #Trending Fall 2013

09 August 2013
As I am preparing to leave S. Korea at the end of this month for good and venture out to India and N. Ireland, I have been rummaging through websites delving into fall trends for you, ladies. Like I said before, this will be a series that include colors, styles, beauty and nail trends for the Fall.

First things first; one of this upcoming season's biggest nail trends is Oxblood. Oxblood made its debut on the runways last fall season to much accolades and applause. We love this moody rich, yet vibrant cousin of burgundy and I have a feeling that it is here to stay. Here are a few nail polishes that you should try to introduce yourself to your dark gothic side.


  Pretty-Nails  



Nail Trends 2013 Oxblood



1. Vesper Bond Girl Nail Varnish, OPI, $8

2.Dark Side of the Moon, Deborah Lippmann, $18

3. Color Hit Nail Polish, Sephora Collection, $5

4. Dark Red Nail Varnish, Barry M, $5

5.  Luxedo Nail Polish, Essie, $8