What Was Sista Thinking? Wednesday

Do You Know The Muffin Man?

"Yummy!" you say, but think again.

Many a fabulous female have gone far too long sporting a good old fashion muffin top. Ladies, ladies, ladies. Now listen, I understand that sometimes you want to show off your killer six-pack abs...

Let's not forget the back tat...

Or perhaps a little south-of-the-border cleavage...

Or maybe, just maybe, you were blissfully unaware...

Regardless of how/why your spare tire got a little face time is not the issue. The issue is why you have one in the first place. A muffin top is the easiest thing to fix-- no extra eating, exercise, or diet tips required. Just put your pride aside and swap those size 4 jeggings out for a 14, then, voila! No more Mr. Muffin Man. If you're still in shock and can't swallow the tag size, then go to Chicos, where they make all women feel skinny with their 1, 2, 3, 4 sizing. There ya go. Personally, it's not the size that matters, it's the fit. Just make your clothes fit. It's as simple as that.

Tuesday: Tip of the Day

Megawatt Lashes

Hallie Burton for Real Simple

No liner, no shadow, no false lashes, just mascara for this one. Here a few easy tips to get super-full lashes.

1. Blast your lash curler with your blow dryer for just a few seconds. It warms it up so your lashes bend easier and hold their curl longer. Make sure it's not too hot, especially if you have a metal curler.
2. Start at the base of your lashes and pump the curler up, from base to tip- about 5 times- instead of one long, hard squeeze, which makes your lashes look like a 90 degree angle instead of a full curl.
3. Hold an old credit card at the base of your lashes to make them fan out. Wiggle the mascara wand up your lashes instead of pulling it straight up. It gets more product on your lashes for a fuller, thicker look. Don't let it dry between coats to avoid clumping.
4. On your lower lashes, hold the wand with the tip facing up and gently feather it along lower lashes. It helps to get in those hard to reach places.

B-Rad Picks:

Eyelash Curler, $19; shuuemura-usa.com

You know it's good when there is a waiting lash for an eyelash curler.

Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara, $5; drugstores

 This is my favorite mascara-- put it against luxury mascara heavy-hitters and it still comes out on top.

Make It Work! Monday

Fuh-get you, frizz and fly-aways!

It's summer. In the south. With terrible humidity. Those three make one nasty combo when it comes to having a good hair day. I usually throw caution to the wind and let my hair do it's kinky curly thing come summertime. Here's a secret beauty weapon that I absolutely love: dryer sheets. Stash a few in your car or purse and when the flyaways are getting frisky, just wipe them down with a bounce sheet. Voila! Sleek mane.

FRIZZ

+

=

Yes, your hair is guaranteed to be this sleek and smooth with one swipe of Bounce. Fo sho.

Feast Your Eyes On This, Friday!

What do all of the iconic beauties of yesteryear have in common? Besides their unabashedly feminine sense of style, their unforced gracefulness, and subtle strength, these girlfriends knew how to work it. And the first beauty rule in working it is some heavy duty liquid liner. Nothing says, "come hither," as innocently as a cat eye.

Audrey Hepburn

Gold pixie glitter and liquid liner all at once? Worthy of an entire week of blog posts. Probably my favorite eye makeup look of all time.

Grace Kelly

 And with a scarlet lip? Perfection.

Marilyn Monroe for Life

 I love this understated Marilyn we have going on. The muted lip almost looks slept in. 

Audrey Hepburn

 No need for caption. You know why it's right.

Twiggy

 Fierce lower-lash drama. Wowza!

Brigitte Bardot

 The ultimate sex goddess. She reminds me of a vintage Beyoncé. There is no higher compliment.

Marilyn Monroe

Classic Marilyn. Total bombshell.

Judy Garland

 Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.

Brigitte Bardot

The queen of the cat eye. 

Bon weekend!

What Was Sista Thinking? Wednesday

Exterminate Extensions

For the longest time I have been dying, I mean dying, to get hair extensions. Until I realized they came with an $800 price tag. Holy moly! So I marched myself to Sally's and got a weave. That's right. A weave. I even did the black girl pat. You know, when your weave starts hurting and you have to pat on it. No bueno. This just simply goes to show that even the best of us have a few beauty blunders under our belt (in my defense, I only wore it in an up-do sort of fashion to give me extra volume-- never in the flowing mane type of manner).

Not to go on a roll here, but I have seen multiple purchases that I have made also in the homes of... guess... No, not Jennifer Anniston. Or Beyonce (I wish!)... You'll never guess. The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Yes, I've spotted a similar weave and some Jessica Simpson hooker heels that currently reside under my roof and theirs. Warning sign?

Cutting to the chase. Here are reasons why no one should be doing extensions. Granted, there are some cases where they work, but here's what you need to watch out for before you make that $800 investment:

Miley Cyrus

Girlfriend, we have long since left Rapunzel territory.

Lindsay Lohan

I have to remind myself that this is coming from her head and not her armpits.

Dancing With the Stars Hair Piece

You too can look like an over-tanned, over-processed, over-bedazzled wonder woman with the Salsaloosa: Dancing with the Stars new hair piece collection. 

Courtesy of DWTS Hair Collection

Here she is in all of her glory: Salsaloosa.

Woops! Unfortunately, that's real.

Tuesday: Tip of the Day

Bubble Bath for Your Brushes

Your brushes work hard, so you can play hard. The least you can do is show them a little TLC. I'm guessing most of you have never bathed your brushes. You're probably thinking: only makeup-obsessed people do things like that. Well, you may be right. But here some reasons you should lather up:

1. Brushes hold oils and bacteria. Each time you use them, you're spreading that bacteria on your face. And that 17-step skincare routine your derm has you on has just officially gone to waste. 
2. If you've invested in a nice pair, washing them significantly increases their life. It keeps them soft, fluffy, and the hairs from falling out over time.

Great! Now that you're convinced, all you need is some brush bath. If you're a discount kind of gal, baby shampoo will do the trick.

1. Wash brushes in lukewarm water with a pea-size amount of shampoo until the water that comes out when you squeeze them is clear. 
2. Pat out excess water with a towel. 
3. Re-shape. 
4. Let them sit on the edge of your counter overnight to dry. You won't believe the difference the next day.

Brush Bath, $20; trishmcevoy.com

Baby Shampoo, $5; drug stores

Make It Work! Monday

The 4-Step Smokey Eye for Dummies

Blake Lively

If you're 5-minute morning makeup routine kind of girl, the smokey eye seems like a daunting task that can quickly take a turn from "racy" to "raccoon". Not to worry. More than likely, you already have everything you'll need:  a basic sheer shadow, kohl eye pencil and triangle makeup sponge. You can use a black or colored liner. If you're opting for color, here's a short guide that works best for certain eye colors: Brown eyes=navy. Blue eyes=cobalt blue. Green eyes: amethyst or emerald.

Checklist:

1. Apply a sheer, illuminating shadow on lid. Can be a color or a neutral. Keep in mind, your liner will be heavy, so use a light hand.
2. Line inner rim of your upper lid and along lashline. Use short, dash-like strokes along lashline and feather slightly past outer corner of lashes. Line half of lower lashline, starting at the outside corner and tapering off toward the middle. For a more dramatic look, line the entire lid. (If your pencil is tugging and not drawing easily, roll the tip around on the top of your hand until it warms up.)
3. Wiggle a triangle sponge along your upper and lower lashline, smudging the the pencil mark until it blends with shadow and has your desired smokiness. The more blending you do, the softer the line. I leave an eye pencil and sponge in my car for a quick work-to-cocktails switcheroo.
4. Top with two coats of mascara and you're smokin'! 

Tools: 

Eye Kohl in Costa Riche, $14.50; maccosmetics.com

Sponge Wedges, $6 for 8; sephora.com