I Have Something up my sleeve !!

Hello Loves! I know it's been a minute since I last posted but y'all know me... I needed a bit of time to reflect and get some things ready for the new year.

First thing's first. Updates. Mommy hood is going well. The boys are growing and learning right before my eyes and it's so amazing to watch. Business is going good as well. I have decided to give the studio another go round. Stay tuned. It's going to be beautiful.

I finally have a schedule set for everything. It will go as follows: 

Blog: a post will be created every Thursday and Sunday! Please turn the notifications in so that you don't miss anything !!

Youtube: Videos will be uploaded to my channel every Wednesday and Saturday! (Right now Vlocember and Vloguary videos are being recorded so uploads are happening randomly twice a week). Get ready I'm bringing blogs, tutorials, mukbangs and MORE!!

-subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIjrmu9NhufrkiyBONjmXeQ?view_as=subscriber 

Lash Courses: Lash courses are happening once a month. Group courses will be held again starting March 2019 due to the fact that Jan and Feb classes will take place in Virginia! One on one courses are available always and now offer payment plans (2 or 4 installments). 

-book an appointment or class: https://squareup.com/appointments/book/83C9WMEK7ENMR/lvshgod-lashes-philadelphia-pa

Hair extensions: HAIR IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PICKUP AND DELIVERY IF YOU ARE IN THE TRI STATE AREA. Foreign Exchange Extensions site will be launched on New Years Day!!! Stay tuned. 

Organic Romance: The Effect Social Media Has On Our Love Lives & How We Meet People

I usually get in my feelings about topics like this because 

A. it doesn't get far when I try talking to someone about it 

B. The world we live in today think the topics is corny and they laugh and just shut down

But, my friends (the few I have and actually find this topic quite interesting), actually had a lot to say about it...

So I ask "Does real love exist anymore?" Better yet... "does organic romance exist anymore?"

Some of my friends laughed hysterically before actually answering the question simply because the guys in our generation don't take that kind of thing seriously. One of my friends simply said "no". A family remember told me she "still has hope for things like that", but no one, not one female I asked, said "yes" or "of course" or even "duh" 

So now I'm all like "shit.. I gotta ask a guy"

I asked a very good friend of mine and although his view on things isn't like most the guys I know, I felt the need to ask him about this topic and in all, this was his statement: "We live in a time where everything is controlled by the way you look on social media. In order for girls to be in love now, it's like it all depends on how much money the guy has so that it looks good for social media or it looks good for the outsiders looking in. Nothing is really organic anymore. The way you meet people, conversations, it's all coming from the internet now. I would like to think that the rawness that used to come with meeting and connecting with people still exists, but it's very rare. There are probably a few girls out here who will still go for the guy who isn't well-known, the guy who is willing to spend $24.50 instead of $2450.00, or the guy who just wants to connect on a level that has nothing to do with anything materialistic, social media included. But this is just where we are I guess."

He went on to say other things which won't be discussed, but all in all (don't kill me), I 100% agree with him. I feel like there's something about being organic that scares people. I have about 3 cousins who have had boyfriends for 1-4 years now and when asking how they each met their significant other, they all answered "Instagram". Has it really gotten to this? we don't meet guys in the grocery anymore? The gym? A night out with the girls?

As I'm sitting here typing this, I'm actually thinking of a theory: we scroll through Instagram most of our day (I only keep using IG as a reference because it's the go-to app). What If, a girls see  guys, goes to their page, sees all the materialistic things, the people the guys hang around, the amount of likes and comments these guys have, and decides she wants to deal with him based off of those factors alone? My god. You know, as i read that back out loud, it didn't sound totally unbelievable.

So, I know y'all are just waiting to hear MY stand on all this. As I mentioned before, I do agree with my friend to an extent. When it comes to romance an the organic that is supposed to come with it, social media has completely washed it away. I myself am not one of the girls who looks at a guy for what he has or what he can do for me. I strongly believe that comes from me being comfortable within myself. If offered, sometimes, I won't accept anything from a guy (money, gifts, etc). The gesture is nice, but in all honesty, it's just not me. Me personally, guys who are extremely flashy, guys who feel the need to photograph EVERYTHING they spend money on, or guys who can't hold a conversation, are MAJOR turn offs for me... personally.

I feel like when you meet or know someone on social media, it makes it harder to converse about these topics, because of the circumstances in which you met them. If you meet someone in the real world, naturally it's easier to talk about the real world. If you meet someone at a networking event, you're more than likely to talk about business and stuff mostly. "That's just the world we live in".

Please feel free to leave comments and insights below.

xoxo

Tali Michelle

Hey everyone! I've been gone so long, I know. I had to do some evolving, some growing, some soul cleaning and things that nature. This post will be a life update, but first, let me just take the time to say thank you for all the support from when I was really active here on the site. I took some time this morning to look over my analytics and y'all were really coming through for the kid! Yeeeeesss. Ok, so here's how life has been:

Work. Okay so my work life been amazing. I didn't get to announce it to you all because I was sooo busy, but I now i have my own studio! Yes, a studio. Full out esthetics. The name is Glitz Beauty Lounge and it's the best thing I've brought to life (besides the boys). We are located in Philly and offer everything from lash extension, to makeup, to nails...all things beauty except hair. I am so blessed to be working for myself and doing what I love. BUT I recently found a part time job because business can be slow some weeks and I get bored. So basically, three times a week I will be working for Brand Connections (a marketing firm) as a beauty concierge  for Target. I DO NOT WORK FOR TARGET. I am hired by a contractor to work through their company through target. awesome right? I will be blogging my first day of my work so that you can see what it is ill be doing.

Momming. The most challenging thing I believe I've ever been faced with is raising Nur and Nova. I love my boys to death, but being a mother is NO JOKE. Nur is now a year old and Nova is 8 months old. I think because they're both under two, it makes things like 10 times more complicated. Yeah lol but I'm blessed to have them both.

Living. Now when I say this, I don't mean my physical house. I mean, in general, just... living. I haven't been the happiest I've ever been lately. I won't get into details, but I have been exposing myself to the world more: trying new foods, removing bad energy from my life, focusing more on enjoying instead of fighting the universe when things don't go as planned. I plan to travel soon. I feel like it will ease me a bit more if I'm outside of my norm.

Just Being Me. Other than all those things mentioned, I've basically just been watching Netflix shows, waiting for Insecure, A-typical, and Orange is the New Black to air new seasons, Listening to Lip Service, The Read, The Friend Zone, and living my days like they're my last.

Fenty Beauty Is Here !

I know!! I always say "don't kill me" but y'all can this time. I've been SUPER busy with preparing for EJ's arrival that I totally neglected the blog! Oops! 

But I promise to make it up to you all with this post right here. 

So a few weeks ago, Bad Gal RiRi took the beauty world by storm when she debuted her makeup line Fenty Beauty by Rihanna. We all went bananas for it was being carried by Sephora, reasonable in price AND included 40 Fu*king Shades of Foundation!! 40! 

Of course I had to grab something. I mean, after all, I am a huge fan and a makeup lover so t was only right I spent my life savings on the collection. Right? Wrong. I went on Sephora's site, grabbed what I could because almost everything was completely sold out (my shade of foundation still is). 

It has been recently reported by Forbes that Rihanna's beauty line is set to make more than KKW Beauty and Kylie Cosmetics. WOW! Go Robin! 

A lot of things excited me about the line but I think where Rihanna became an innovator is when she blessed us with forty shades of foundation ranging from porcelain to the deepest of melanin... on her first try! Most times, makeup companies tend to have a wide range of shades but they fail to cater to brown girls who are the deepest of ebonies. But Rihanna and her team did a great job of targeting shade range and also multiple undertones (which is SUPER important).

So let's get into all the products... 

Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation $34.00

Ok so this foundation is meant to feel like skin. It is very light weight and thin. It was inspired by Rihanna's makeup go to look which is soft and natural. It's supposed to give you a "nothing there" sort of feel. So if you're looking for cake, this isn't it. I will say that is foundation dries very quickly so you must work fast when using it. Nonetheless, it is a must have! 

Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter $34.00

BITCH! 6 ones to choose from! 4 which are duos! 2 which are singles! 1 which will change your life!! 

Ok so if you know me you know I love a good glow!! I attended the launch party at sephora and when I say I fell in love with all six of these!!! Each and everyone one has its own umph to it and if you're a MUA, I highly suggest having all of the duos in your kit. TROPHY WIFE. Trophy wife is like putting 24k melted gold on your face!! It's life changing and if you want a versatile highlighter, these are for you! You can use them as an eyeshadow, cheek highlight, on your collarbone, where ever! 

Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer $18.00

This is where I got a bit disappointed. Because like.. there's only 1?? But I had to remember what was the inspiration and goal behind putting this line together... a no makeup makeup look. So when I purchased and received my gloss bomb and put it on, I felt exactly where RiRi was coming from. This shade of gloss literally looks good on anyone. It's perfect as a topper for a pinky nude lipstick such as velvet teddy by MAC. It's just a s beautiful on its own though too. I feel like you can't just buy one of these... you need at least one in your purse at all times and a back up to keep at home... and it smells Soooooo goooood and sweet OMG! I love the gloss because it's really smooth and not sticky like other glosses and has a really settle shimmer to it. Perf. 

Match Stix Trio $54.00

I have it and I love it!! Ok so this is basically an essential I'm the collection. 3 sticks: conceal, contour, highlight. Genius! I love the creamy feel of all of them although a few bloggers have complained about how it feels against the foundation. You just have to know how to work with it. The trios come in different sets: lights, mediums, darks. The combo I purchased was the deep set: suede (concealer), expresso (contour), and sinamon (highlight). It's a must buy, but if you don't want to purchase all three, or one of the stix doesn't quite match you too well, you might want to invest in the...

Match Stix Shimmer Skinstick $25.00

This product is a fighter which comes in ten colors (golds, rose golds, orange, purple, red orange). I kind of want them all. 

Match Stix Matte Skinstick $25.00

This product is a concealer. It comes in 20 shades. I want them all for my kit. 

Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Primer $32.00

I didn't really see the point in purchasing this item because I have my go to primer that I swear by. But for the hell of it, I tested it at the launch party and it feels really nice actually. It's very moisturizing so I wouldn't suggest using a moisturizer before applying this... it moisturizes and primes. It is in fact not a silicone primer and had a pinkish color to it. 

Invisimatte Blotting Powder $32.00

I haven't heard too much about this powder. Again I have a powder that is my holy grail so I wasn't too pressed to try this. What I will say is that it's very soft and velvety and I will accept it as a gift but as far as purchasing it myself, I'm in no rush. 

Full Bodies Foundation Brush 110 $34.00

This is probably the only brush I want to purchase out of the collection. It is amazing from what I got to test at the party. It is very soft and rounded and sort of dense which is good for buffing. Every review that I've watched says that this is the only brush they would use with the foundation. But a duo fiber brush would also work good with the foundation in my opinion. 

Cheek Hugging Highlight Brush 120 $32.00

Also known as the "shark tooth brush", this brush is used for the highlighters in the collection. It's shape is literally meant to hug your cheek and get that product blended into your skin. 

Portable Contour and Concelar Brush 150

Portable Highlighter Brush 140

Portable Touch Up Brush 130

All portable brushes are $24.00

I wouldn't suggest really buying these unless you're always on the go. The Contour and concealer brush is the only one I would aim for because it's rounded shape allows for use of multiple products especially touch up powder. 

Precision Makeup Sponge 100 $16.00

Ladies and gentlemen.. we have a beauty blender! Playing around with this, I need it and here's why: the flat part. 

Although I blend my concealer out with a flat tapered foundation brush. I wouldn't mind using this sponge to blend. Word on the street is that the flat part blends like a dream and the rounded part can be used for foundation application. You could also use the flat part to bake. 

Invisimatte Blotting papers $16.00

I'm not going to lie. I want to try these. For some reason I prefer sheets over powder because it's less product being packed on my face. I love the color of the case too which is a plus. One thing that doesn't benefit me (but to each its own) is that there's a rumor that these are meant to double as rolling papers for marijuana. We all know Riri blows it down, so it wouldn't be too hard to believe. Lol 

If you have any questions or comments about this post or any of the products, please feel free to comment below 

Xoxo 

UPDATE

...Le me just start by saying it feels sooo good to be back. I have so much content for the site it's insane!! I promise you all that my absence was for a good cause. Let's get into it:

Okay so first of all, if you know me, you know that I'm never not working on biggering and bettering my brand. With that being said, I'm working a bunch of business things needed to open up the salon. I will be making not one, but TWO very big announcements on May 28th and June 10th here on the site so stay tuned.

Secondly, I am a mother. So while I love blogging and making videos, please be mindful that I am a parent first. Being a mom in something that I put 200k percent into so if my schedule isn't always consistent, keep that in mind. By the way, Nur is now 8 months and crawling, clapping, saying small words, and just the happiest little chicken nugget I've ever met!

Next, my youtube schedule...oh dear. I have finally come up with a schedule and a system that will allow me to record, edit and bring you all content at least twice a week. With that being mentioned, I'm editing a vlog as I type this.

Speaking of schedules and content, now that I'm finally back in blogging mode, I will be bringing you posts on the days that I don't post to youtube, which is about three times a week.

I hope you all didn't think that I've forgotten about the site and abandoned it, but we are back like we never left...

xoxo

Btw: I'm partnering with two really dope aspiring entertainment moguls to bring you all something really amazing... stay tuned!!

Aaliyah Jay Exposed??

 

So, you guys and girls know that this is in no way, shape or form a gossip blog. BUT, however, drama does occur in the beauty world. Friendships are broken, people get exposed, and reputations are at stake. So for those of you who aren't in the loop, this is for you not to be lost in the drama sauce.

If you know me, you know that Ms. Aaliyah Jay is my all time favorite youtuber. So, I went onto youtube, typed in her name to check for new videos (because my notifications aren't working for some reason) and I see something that caught my eye... "AALIYAH JAY EXPOSED".

I'm thinking to myself like "Pleaaaaase don't tell me she isn't who she really says she is". But then I calmed down and clicked on the thumbnail because I just had to see what this was about. Apparently, someone by the name of Sky Santana had ALOT to say in an HOUR long video, not only about Aaliyah, but about her BFF Justin as well.

IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE VIDEO, WATCH HERE

Crazy Right? But I have some things to say about this video so let's get into it:

1. Aaliyah was never your actual friend- Yes, she was absolutely nice to you on account of you came to her to do business. Yes, she was a fan of your videos. Yes, she exchanged messages with you BUT she never came out and said you two were friends.

2. You were pressedddddd- When he first e-mailed her and she mentioned that she wasn't doing any collabs, he should've left it there. The fact that you kept messaging  her about a video that she already mentioned she wasn't ready for, was a little annoying. Keep in touch with her for the purpose of your future collab, yes, but don't actually keep asking if she's ready to do it.

3. Justin should haven't been mentioned- In the messages to Aaliyah, Sky mentions that he "respects what Justin and Aaliyah have and he's not trying to come between that"... like what???? Why would that even need to be said? You have no choice but to respect it because you're a stranger and that's her friend. So whats really good? (I honestly think that's where Aaliyah started to back off)

4. Aaliyah, Baby, why you invite him to that damn party??- I know she was trying to be her nice, sweet self but you don't know this man from a bag of chips. Don't do that again. He took that and ran right into your life with it LOL.

5. She never sent you the info to the party- Because you were never really actually coming... you do understand that, right?

6. The Twitter Fight- yeah I didn't really pay attention to that part but I know some people are upset because Justin was nowhere to be found and it was his fight. But Justin wasn't bothered AND he didn't have Twitter at the time.

 7. Out of all the people to get advice from- Why Aaliyah? See, this is what I mean by him being pressed. Now earlier in the video, Sky mentioned that he went to Aaliyah for some sort of advice but she never responded. SHES BUSY. Plus, this was right after what was mentioned about you respecting her friendship with Justin. Like, bruh, you getting too clingy and too comfortable.

8. Where was the part when you exposed her??- because he really never exposed her. He just told us how he as pressed and got played because AJ doesn't like people who are pressed and clingy. But when you are exposing someone, you are revealing something about that person that know one else knows that can potentially tarnish or ruin them or their brand...but you didn't do that. So now I'm confused.

9. You still got your collabs- Soooo I'm not understanding what your issue was. It seems as though you sent an e-mail out to all your faves ( which was very poorly written), heard back from a few, was able to actually collab with Kenneth (He Flawless) and Keesha Anderson, and was being greedy and threw a bitch fit when one person, didn't say no, but told you maybe in the near future. You then created a false friendship with someone you never physically met and got mad when you came on too strong and they backed off.... ok perfect.

10. We love you Aaliyah.

Please leave all of your comments and questions about this feud below in the comment section. Thank you.

Contact: tali.michelle1@gmail.com