Beauty – The Coffey Break

What To Wear: How to Layer Looks for Fall & Winter

Hey guys!

So this week I wanted to take the time to dive into a few fun ways to layer fall and winter looks. The outfits I chose were also the outfits I wore during Fashion Houston this year. *Well, at least for the most part 😉

We all know what it’s like to feel out of place at times, and for me personally, I have to admit that the way I feel I look directly correlates with how I carry myself, so I’m thoughtful about the pieces I pull whether I’m all the way dressed down or glitz and glam. Join me for a tip or two on how I’ve managed to manage this and rise to the occasion feeling fab!

As always, please don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments section if there is a specific What To Wear Coffey Break Chat you’d like to see. I’m thinking along the lines of classic wardrobe staples, date night looks, outfits for the office and so on… Thanks again for watching! Enjoy!

Peace, Love & Sunshine ~Chelsea

Let’s connect:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chelsea_alexa
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LOOK OF THE DAY 10.2.2013

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Like Water for Chocolate

With the exception of a quick run to tutor one of my favorite fourth graders and stop by the grocery store to get flour for my oatmeal raisin cookies, was a working from home on my laptop kinda day. This look had just enough going on to send me out the door with a little pep in my step. I’m a big believer in dressing beyond your mood, so whether you’re feeling on top of the world or down in the dumps, I always remind myself that a little bit goes a long way.

Actually, In all honesty, it wasn’t so much the outfit that did it for me (obviously haha) So, Lauren London is now a character on BET’s hit show The Game, and from the moment she entered the scene in a recent episode, I knew that the lipstick she was wearing had to have been Ruby Woo! Kudos to Mac for doing such a fantastic job designing that stunning shade of red with a hint of blue. The only downside for me is the fact that that bad boy is nearly impossible to get on without a slick aide. Fortunately, I have the perfect solution! This may come as a surprise, but Wet N’ Wild has the most perfect assortment of matte colors, and their Stoplight Red is the ideal compliment. To create the lip color above, I apply a thin layer of Stoplight Red to both my top and bottom lips, followed up by lining my lips with Ruby Woo and then filling in my bottom lip a slight bit with more of the Ruby Woo. The result is the bold color shown above. Hope this is useful for you guys! Although I don’t wear much makeup, I consider myself a master mixer when it comes to blending lip colors. It’s taken me quite sometime to figure the science behind getting right, but it got it! haha Have a great day!

Peace, Love & Sunshine -Chelsea

Song of the Day: The Light- Common

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_-qRcHAhzk

Look of the Day 9.17.2013

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Heirlooms

I’m not ashamed to say this, sentimental is pretty much an understatement to describe me. This look holds a special place in my heart because it is a compilation of pieces from my mom’s side of the family. I snatched the necklace from her in maybe 8th grade (over 10 years ago?!), and she’s let me hang onto it all this time. The skirt and chain link bracelet are both pieces that I discovered from my granny’s wardrobe. She passed a few years ago, and once things settled down after the funeral, I took a trip tip Victoria, Texas with my mom and aunt to help pack up her house. I could not believe how AMAZING her pieces were!! Short of it being one of the most difficult times for our family, it was like this beautiful glimpse into the life of this woman I now felt I knew little about. She had hats, amazing full skirts, jewelry for days, hanging bag after hanging bag of pieces with tags still on them, the list goes on… All neatly packed away in armoires I never would have thought to open. The irony in all of this is that in the last few years we had with her I remember seeing her in 1 of maybe 4 or 5 outfits. I love that my lasting memory of her is a faithful woman with impeccable style and taste. Hopefully I’ll be able to leave the same lasting impression for my family one day.

Peace, Love & Sunshine -Chelsea

Natural Hair: Product Review

Hey Guys!

It’s downright shameful that it has taken me this long to get to another natural hair post, but I have come across an amazing product and I want to share it with our readers! The product is called the Dark & Lovely 6 Week Anti-Reversion Cream Serum. Check out the description from their site:

Our first styling product developed specifically for relaxed hair, allowing you to preserve your straight, smooth hair up to six weeks in-between relaxing. It is designed to help control frizz, lock in shine while keeping hair soft, full of body and manageable from one shampoo to the next. Also suitable for use on color treated hair.

…I know, I know. We’re natural. Why would we need an anti-reversion product for relaxed hair? I’ll tell you why. I recently went to New York for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Spring 2013, and we had the pleasure of attending the Harlem’s Fashion Row show. Harlem’s Fashion Row was held at Jazz at Lincoln Center on September 7, 2012. The show featured four incredibly talented emerging designers as well as HFR’s designer of the year: Latisha Daring. It turns out that Dark and Lovely was a sponsor, and the Anti-Reversion Serum was in the gift bag. After weeks of sitting in a gift bag in the corner of my room I thought to myself what the heck I’m just going to try it… OH. MY. GOSH!!!

I don’t know what the secret is, but whatever they put in that product makes my hair so unbelievably soft. It’s incredible. The product worked so well on my hair that two days later when I went to the salon my hairdresser asked me what I was using on my hair because she was blown away by how how it felt and the way it moved.

Here’s the catch. My advice is to only use it if you are wearing your hair in its natural state -the serum will revert your hair because it is meant to be used on wet hair and then blow dried. If I am wearing my hair flat-ironed, I’ll use it maybe once a week, if that, and then section my hair, individually brush out each section with a wig brush and roll parted hair with flexible hair rods, leaving them in overnight (photo in album). This is the best alternative to putting heat on my hair btw.

Check it out . It’s just a suggestion lol, but I loooooove it! It’s been wonderful for me, and I’ll def be recommending it to all my natural girlfriends 😉

God is love,

Chelsea

[slideshow]

THE BEAUTY REVIEW WITH MEAGAN BALL-JORDAN

Ruby-Woo MAC lipstick (Matte)

Red is one of my favorite colors. Red is the color of love, fire, heat, and passion. I used to love watching my Aunt paint her nails fire-engine red with flaming red lips to match. Growing up, my sisters and I were never allowed to wear red anything because my dad thought that color was too grown for us. They say, if you want a man’s attention, then wear red! My dad may have been on to something by not letting us wear much red but as soon as I was grown and on my own, I bought my first tube of red lipstick and I have been in love ever since!

Most people are afraid of red lipstick because of its vibrancy, the attention it draws to the mouth, and the fact they think it just doesn’t look good. Red lipstick actually makes the teeth look whiter and can instantly add a pop of color to any makeup palette or outfit. One of the red lipsticks that I adore and drives the men insane is Ruby-Woo by MAC. It is a matte red lipstick which I prefer because it doesn’t have that extra shine or sheen to it and it is only $14. Ruby-Woo has blue undertones and compliments my dark-brown skin (I am African-American). Not all reds are created equal. There are true reds, red with blue undertones, and red with orange and pink undertones. Most people are wearing the wrong hue for their skin tone and finding the right hue is essential to pulling off the red lip. Life is about taking risks; Take a risk, put on that new lipstick and paint the town red!

Purchase at MAC stores or online at www.maccosmetics.com

Meagan Ball-Jordan is a beauty connoisseur and grad student currently residng in Dallas, Texas. Keep up with her on Twitter @MeaganElyce!