Win some, Lose some.*Sigh* Still feels lame...

This always happens. You wash your car, it rains. You finish doing your nails and you have to scratch your head. You leave the country and people start asking you to do photoshoots.

Grr.

So anyway... Here's a picture of the cake my sister made me on my birthday the night after I landed in Texas. It's lovely pink. :D
That's all folks.
Love,
Nicki.

International Day of the Midwife...and Happy(??) Cinco de Mayo.

So today is the International Day of the Midwife.

I think midwives are now a rare but very important part of human culture.So many of the things we do today as "girls only" activities were once centered mainly around the event of birth and midwives have been would be there as a part of it ...because they were probably a close relative or family friend.
Midwives not only help to birth babies, they also help to birth new women. The process of childbirth is a natural, difficult and empowering start to a new chapter in a woman's (and her family's) life no matter what the outcome.


Midwives are the ushers standing at the gates of life. So let's honour them today. You can find out more about midwives and midwifery at the links below:

Citizens for Midwifery

World renowned midwife and author Ina May Gaskin on Midwifery

World Health Organization definition of midwifery.

Ancient Art Midwifery Institute

Have a good one. :)
love, Nicki.

Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor: February 27,1932 - March 23, 2011.


Elizabeth Taylor was my first experience with a beautiful film icon. She was the first person I ever looked at and thought about how I could use makeup like she does.


Seeing her for the first time was what introduced me to the concept of "the most beautiful woman in the world".

She was a gracious philanthropist, a blessing and an inspirational figure to many, many people around the world.Here's a YouTube video of Elizabeth Taylor on "What's my line?". I found it pretty cool to see her like this:



Needless to say she will be missed greatly by millions. The world has lost yet another treasure in the ever-flowing cycle of Life.
I'm thankful that I was exposed to this woman, even from afar. She was and still is an inspiration to me and heaps of people like me.

love,
Nicki.

Some of My Favorite YouTubers!

In no particular order...

Kandee Johnson has over 10 years of experience as a professional celebrity makeup artist. She is now known to a whole lot more people than just celebrities as a YouTube Makeup guru and a really sweet, open person with only encouraging things to say to anyone at any given time. She is so positive that even when she is not doing makeup tutorials she is just a joy to watch. Her blog is also a great source of real life inspiration. It takes great courage to share your life with strangers and she does so generously with the intention of helping others get through their own lives with joy. Check out her blog too at kandeej.com.


Tiffany Myers is as inspirational as they come. I really appreciate her very down to earth, faith based approach to encouraging those of us who need to be reminded that, that's just life. It's hard for everybody and God is there to get us through it and that there is always something to be learned from things that can be seen as unfortunate. Her blog is called Huge Love and it does indeed add sparkly diamonds to my day. :) Thank you, Tiffany!

Btw, Tiffany and Kandee are sisters!

So Karen Alloy (or spricket24) is an Emmy Award winning YouTuber. She is hilarious and and extremely candid in her vlogging style. Very entertaining ...and REEEEALLY pretty.(lol) She's been described in articles as something to the effect of a modern day pin-up, but not sleazy.

Then there's Meekakitty. Her videos are well edited and very entertaining. She reminds me of a lot of people that I like and really enjoy being around. She's fun. :D

Another YouTube makeup guru I love is Michelle Phan. We've seen her journey from student, to Lancome YouTube spokesperson, to successful working freelance makeup artist. She is so gracious and appreciative of creativity and she is willing to help others get where they want to go in life with encouragement and advice. She always has good quality, well edited videos of her interesting makeup looks.

That's it for now. Check out these ladies' channels and enjoy!

Love,
Nicki.

Love yourself with YOGURT

I AM PRO PROBIOTICS !!!! ;)
Yogurt has sooooo many benefits for our health--- and it's yummy (DUH).

Some of these benefits are:

• The good bacteria (aka probiotics) added to milk to make it into yogurt promote growth of healthy bacteria in our bodies, and actually prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.(Like the kind that cause yeast infections and UTI's).
• It's a really good source of protein and calcium(more calcium than a glass of milk and easier to digest). The protein helps with muscle building and keeps you feeling full longer so you don't over eat.
• It strengthens your immune system.
• Yogurt enhances the function of the digestive tract.

• It also helps to relieve ulcers.

Yogurt (or Yoghurt) is very soothing and nourishing for your skin, whether eaten or applied topically. My preferred method is a combo of both of those...very heavy leaning towards the eating it side. I have meant to do a yogurt mask and set up to do it many many times but just ended up eating it. :)
When I do end up not eating it the result is soft, cool, supple skin that looks like I just woke up from magical power nap. It is so hydrating!
So here's my Yogurt mask:
*N.B.-You must use plain yogurt. Some bacteria feed on sugar so for you to get the full benefit of this mask you'll need not to add anything that might worsen any inflammation that might be going on. I also find that the best results happen when I use full fat yogurt.
Just take 1 or 2 tablespoons of yogurt and spread it evenly over your face and/or neck. Leave it on for 15 minutes to a half an hour then rinse your face with lukewarm water.
Optional:
-If you'd like to make this into a gentle scrub you can add a 1 teaspoon of oats or cornmeal. -To add a little pick me up and a splash of vitamin C for detoxification add the juice of half to a whole lime to the mix.
-It's not a bad idea to pair this with some scented candles and relaxation. :D


With yogurt, the fresher the better, so here is the recipe I use to make yogurt. :)

Yogurt
2 1/2 cups Whole Milk(you can use skim or 1% if you like. Whole milk gives a less tangy, milder, creamier yogurt.)
1/4 cup of full cream milk powder
2 tablespoons of plain yogurt (I prefer the plain yogurt from Stonyfield Farms or Anchor brands.)
-1. Combine milk and powdered milk and whisk until smooth.
-2. Pour the mixture into a deep enough pot at medium heat and bring it just to a boil, stirring very frequently. Remove from heat and cool it to just about lukewarm.
-3. Place the 2 tablespoons of yogurt in a medium ceramic or glass container and gradually whisk in the warm milk.
-4. Cover the container and put it in a warm place (I use the oven with only a lit pilot light or on top of the stove in the summer) for 8 to10 hours.
-5. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Fun fact about yogurt: The process of making yogurt makes the milk sugar called lactose easier to digest because the healthy bacteria in yogurt digests it for you. So if you're lactose intolerant you can be a little less cautious around yogurt than around other dairy products.

Enjoy your yogurt!! Let me know how you feel after trying the mask!
love,
Nicki.

P.S.- If you have any questions about this post or anything else you can leave a comment below or email me. Feel free!! ...and please take the poll at the top of the page so I can get an idea of what kinds of things you'd like to see more of on this little bloggy.

Please - - Love your Self!

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!"
Audrey Hepburn said those words. Gotta love her...

This is something straight out of my journal. It's something that I wrote a month ago and I've known that I was supposed to post it this whole time. So now I'll slap fear of judgment in the face and just do the thing.

I'm a firm believer that everything, including the things we perceive as bad- pain, fear, disappointment---EVERYTHING is a catalyst for learning and growth. You can grow in a positive or negative way, and if you stagnate you are growing old before your time. This is just what I've figured out in my life so far...

-A season of lack is a good and natural thing. Lack can stem from loss. This time of lack can last for varying amounts of time (sometimes the length of time is not even noticeable and sometimes it lasts so long you get used to it). It ultimately creates space for something else. Something new can grow there or something old can find the space and grow to take over more space in your life. If you are not aware that this process exists and you are unaware of the steps that take place in it it's really a free for all. You need to be mindful of this process and what what you let fill the space created in the potentially cleansing period of lack.
Everything, no matter how heart wrenching, is an opportunity for learning and growth of your self, as well as, your experiences and perceptions.
Lack is also a time to attract great wealth. (Wealth of creativity, love, etc.)

...yeah even money if that's what you like.

(Maybe I'll do some self care tips since Valentine's Day is coming up. You can't love others if you can't love you. Who better to remind of your love than yourself anyway? You're awesome, you breathe and everything!)

When was the last time you confessed your undying love for yourself?

Love,
Nicki.

6 Mascaras I love.

I didn't realize until I put this all together but this is a very Maybelline heavy mascara list.

So these are the mascaras I've used up til now and had the best results with.

Maybelline Falsies Mascara
This is the mascara I'm using right now and I LOVE IT. It doesn't flake unless you fall asleep in it and sleep for 12 hours (like I do sometimes). The waterproof formula is very waterproof. I went from a shoot to an awesome pool day with my friends and the only things that ran were my Maybelline waterproof eyeliner and a very enthusiastic little boy around the pool. The only kink I've had to work out with this mascara is that it was very thin at first and it would barely coat my lashes at first. A friend of mine also had the same problem with it and we figured out that it just takes time for the formula to thicken a little with use and your desired "falsies" effect takes less time to achieve.

Maybelline Lash Stiletto

I was introduced to this one on the job with my homie Krystle of Krystle Karee Design Studio. I really am very impressed with this one. It actually gives your lashes a naturally long, separated look. This is a lengthening formula and that is exactly what it does. I did find that, as with the majority of long wearing formulas it did dry out my lashes quite a bit, but not as badly as some.

L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes

I LOVE THIS ONE. This is a two step formula. The white end goes on first (like white mascara) and the black/ brown,etc. mascara side goes on over it. The white end is the magic part. This is where the "extend" part comes in. If this was a guy I'm not gunna lie ...I'd be a little obsessed. Why? Because not only do you get the full, long look of lash extensions for waaaayyy less money,the not flaking into your eyes after 4 hours, but you also get protection from the drying effects of the long wearing mascara part, because the white part is what it bonds to instead of your eyelashes! then when you're done, you just wash the suckers off or hold a damp rag to your eyes for a little while ...and they just slide right off your eyelashes!!! If nothing else this mascara is fun as hell!!



Covergirl Lashblast

This is nice and simple. You want thick, fat lashes then get this mascara. In this case I only tried the non waterproof or original formula. I kept thinking tho that I wouldn't want to be stuck in the waterproof version because then I wouldn't be able to urgently wash it the hell off when it started flaking and making me look like I just got poked in the eye a few times. It did last a good few hours before it started to dry out though.

Maybelline The COLOSSAL Volum' Express

I was so excited when companies started coming out with these express set formulas. This is the awesome sophisticated "older sister" to the Lashblast. It's flaky after about a whole day of wear in the non waterproof version, the lash pay off is beautiful, thick, full, sexy, and it's one of the less drying, easier to remove formulas (waterproof and non water proof). It did get better with age though, like the Falsies.
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

I recommend this for teens or anyone who would like to just define their eyes a little. I gave this to my younger sister in a dark brown and the difference is very subtle, but you still find yourself unable to pinpoint what looks brighter about her face when she wears it. This is a good one for natural looks, or days when you don't want to wear a lot of makeup. I love it and it is a permanent part of my kit.

Plus the bottle itself looks like watermelon candy. ^_^
You can get these in JA at many, many pharmacies for $600-$1000. Try them out. These are good mascaras to try.

Just be careful not to use your mascaras for longer than 3 months, and do your best not to share the same tube with someone else. That is just straight up unsanitary and you can develop a host of infections from it. So until there is a mascara condom on the market please politely decline offers to borrow or lend mascara. No matter how well you think you know a person, you don't know whether they are cooking up some pink eye. -_-''

Live Up!!
Love,
Nicki.