Happy Friday luvs!
Super late post tonight but it’s been a busy week. I’ve had my 5 year old Zavien home with me all week and we’ve been doing different things and getting him ready to start kindergarten next week 😝😝
Anywho! I finally got an opportunity to film tonight and wanted show you all my July favorites.
Want the deets? Just click here
XOXO
~TJ
Good morning beauties!
Typically when it comes to lip wear I opt for a matte finish but, when I saw the new Oh My Gloss lip colors by Rimmel I decided to try one out. I picked up the color Pin Up at Walgreens where all of the colors are currently on sale (but 1 get 1 1/2 off).
This color is a really pretty pink that gives a nice juicy finish. It goes on really soft and is NOT sticky, which was my biggest concern. This color is super vibrant and screams summertime!
So, for those days or nights I want to go a bit luscious I’ll definitely go for this product. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll go pick up a few more before the sale ends!
That’s it for now!
XOXO,
~TJ
Hi Luvs,
Where do I begin! This past weekend hubby and I attended the 2016 Essence Festival in New Orleans. I’ve been looking forward to this getaway with him since the beginning of the year. Our last time at the Essence Fest was back in 2009. We had an AMAZING time then and an even better time this year! Let me recap everything for you all.
We left mid morning on Thursday. It’s been years since hubby and I did a road trip together but we had a lot of fun being silly and listening to old school hip hop as we made our way to Louisiana.
We road into Nola after about a 7 hour drive.
The first event of the weekend was a soirée by Dark and Lovely at a cozy lounge called Apres. When we arrived we were greeted by the Dark and Lovely team. I was reacquainted with and also met for the first time some amazing natural hair v/bloggers like @askproy @heycyrlie @naturallyshesdope and @itsdaynadane. I follow these women every day on instagram and so seeing them in person and getting to chat with them was awesome. They’re all so beautiful and down to earth.
I also got a chance to meet Curly Nikki and get a signed copy of her new book When Good Hair Goes Bad. Can’t wait to get in to it!
The next day, Friday we decided to get our first fill of the Expo! Tons of a amazing vendors, celebrity guest speakers, performances authentic Louisiana food and so much more.
Before we knew it, it was time to head back and get ready for the first night of concerts. After getting a little slayful we were ready to head out.
The lineup on Friday consisted of Babyface, New Edition and Maxwell. Tyrese was suppose to be there but he unfortunately got caught up filming. Can’t be too mad. The man does have two movies coming out next summer!
Babyface and New Edition killed it though! So many old hits were sung. Hubby and I jammed out the entire time. We stayed for most of Maxwell’s performance but he was putting hubby to sleep so we did sneak out a little early. Our floor seats were great and really added to the experience.
Saturday after breakfast we went back to the Expo for more celebrity appearances which was great because Tyrese showed up for a surprise performance! We also got to see Andra Day. She has such raw talent.
We also saw a quick but bomb fashion show by Mushiya from the show Cutting it in the ATL. She did a great job. Lots of fros and beautiful black women.
Next we decided to hit up Bourbon Street. We found a few bars with some nice live bands and danced it up a bit.
After that we decided to head back to get ready for Saturday nights concerts. The lineup consisted of Common, Jeremih, Charlie Wilson and Mariah Carey. We were running a little late but were ok as long as we made it to see Uncle Charlie, which we did!
Charlie’s performance was everything! Mariah did pretty good. She showed everyone that she does still have her voice. However, she’s definitely not a performer.
Sunday we hit up the Expo again and saw a great tribute to The Clark Sisters. We also got to see the infamous @AnthonyCuts in action.
On to the last night of concerts! The lineup consisted of Andra Day, Ciara, Kendrick Lamar and Puff Daddy and The Family.
They all killed it! Puff Daddy brought Mase, 112, French Montana, Fabolous and Faith. I was jamming so hard I forgot to take pictures!
Ya’ll this Essence Fest weekend was lit! Hubby and I had such a great time. If you’ve never experienced this event I highly recommend it.
Hey beauties,
A while back I shared a new foundation I tried with you all. It was the Maybelline FitMe Matte Pourless foundation. I’d done a demo and review video that you can see here if you missed it.
Originally I bought two different colors, Coconut and Classic Tan Bronze
I combined the colors and the result was very nice. I adored how truly matte the foundations were.
Well, last week I re-uped on the foundation in a new color, Spicy Brown.
The results, AMAZING! This color gives me a deeper even more bronzed look. Either way this FitMe Foundation is life! If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it. You can find it at Walgreens for around $8. Well, that’s it for now, but first some pics with this beautiful Spicy Brown color.
XOXO
~TJ
Good morning luvs!
Wash days that are filled with other to-dos can be a struggle. But, today I want to show you how a standard scarf can make it all better. Over the past few weeks I’ve adorned my tresses with three different scarves while I deep conditioned/moisturized my hair. Here’s a look at those looks.
In each of these looks the scarves are tied exactly the same. I got so much love and requests for details on how I tied the scarves that I decided it could definitely be beneficial to a lot of you. Sooo, I filmed a detailed tutorial in hopes of showing you all how to get a dose of headwrap heaven with scarves you currently own. In addition, I also filmed this beautiful purple and gold makeup look.
To check it out, click here. Enjoy!
XOXO,
~TJ
Hey beauties!
Last weekend Hubby and I took a trip to Vegas. Part quality time kinda vacation for us, part celebration for hubby and his business partner for killing it last year. I was so excited to get away with hubby since we haven’t been on a real vacation just the two of us since before my 5 year old was born!
Our trip was full of relaxation and good food. We honeymooned in Vegas so with this being our second trip there we decided to forgo the shows and walking the strip since we had done that before. Nope, this time we just want to relax and enjoy each other. And man, it was great. I wanted to share some outfits I wore a lot of which I showed in my birthday haul video. So…here we go
Friday evening we decided on dinner and dancing. For that I wore my simple black one piece bathing suite as a body suite and paired it with some super comfy black pants all complimented with some extra long statement earrings
Saturday day we chill axed in the pool at Luxor. Even though it was over 100 degrees outside it was still really nice. At the pool I wore an older one piece I’ve had for a while and paired it with a long black sheer cover up with slits on both sides from RoseGal.
Friday night we decided to have dinner and then just hang out in the casino so I kept it pretty casual.
Sunday was the first day of hubby’s company event. They started it off by moving us from the Luxor to the Palazzo. Upgrade! We spent the day doing a little shopping so I went with this white pencil skirt with a gold belt embellishment a teal mesh fringe shirt and some statement sunglasses.
Then it was off to the pool party with bottomless food and drinks. So, I decided to take it up a notch and wore my black one piece bathing suite a pair of mesh pants with attached shorts underneath my black Michael Kors sandles and a gorgeous piece of body jewelry I got from RoseGal. I also pulled out my white rimmed circular mirror shades I got from the World Natural Hair show this year again. LOVED this look!
On to Saturday night the company hosted a cocktail party followed by VIP night club service. I knew I’d be doing a lot of walking that night so I wanted to keep it comfy but chic at the the same time. I decided on this super cute black and yellow bodycon dress I got from RoseGal and my black Michael Kors Sandles.
Monday hubby and his business partner attended a luncheon while I relaxed in our gorgeous room. Later it was back to the pool. This time I brought out this sexy white suite I got from RoseGal.
Since it is a bit more risqué than Im used to, I paired it with a black mesh top.
And for our last night in Vegas the company hosted an amazing dinner for everyone. For this occasion I decided on a dress I got from a vendor at the Atlanta World Natural Hair Show and paired it with a pair of blue Steve Madden heals.
Dinner was amazing! They seated over 100 of us at this incredibly long table and served us some of the best food I’ve ever tasted.
All in all, we had a fabulous time! Well, that’s it for now.
XOXO
~TJ
Good morning luvs!
My family and I spent the long Memorial Day Weekend in Tampa Florida with family and friends. We had a great time! Hubby and I enjoyed some alone time since the Grandmas and Aunts wanted to spend time with our little guys. Two back to back date nights celebrating my birthday a little early (My birthday is May 31) was a total win! I love when I get to spend quality time with this guy.
After a great long weekend we drive back to Atlanta on my Birthday. We left early in the morning and arrived in the early afternoon. Although I was super tired a tried to put myself together a little since it was my birthday! I didn’t do too bad. I decided to wear a new cute dress I got for my birthday, paired with my Michael Kors sandals and adorable Betsey Johnson purse all from Marshall’s.
I spent the rest of the day with Hubby and my 5 year old Zavien❤️.
I ended up getting a lot of great things for my birthday. If you want the deets check out my birthday haul here.
XOXO
~TJ
Good morning Beauties,
Today I wanted to share a beauty product that I’ve recently tried and am loving! If you’re anything like me and do not clean your makeup brushes every day (I clean mine weekly) finding a brush to apply your foundation daily without a ton of product buildup can be tough. I know all about this struggle! From the standard flat foundation brushes to the round flat foundation brushes, the product buildup in the brushes just makes the application process thick and not at all smoothe. That’s what lead me to Walgreens in search of something else.
And because Walgreens never disappoints me, that’s where I came across the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. The #1 branded makeup sponge!
I hadn’t previously tried a product like this so I was anxious to see if I experienced the same thing. I am so excited to say that despite applying my foundation every day for a week without cleaning the sponge, my application process does not at all feel thick or cakey with this product. It’s also super easy to clean. I just use soap and warm water.
Although I primarily use this product to apply/blend my foundation, you can also use it to highlight & contour.
The flat edge side also works really well for perfecting.
I am seriously loving this product! Of course I have a demo for you. If you’re interested in seeing how I use the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge click here.
XOXO
~TJ
Good morning beauties!
Nothing puts a face on point like great brows and a bold lippie. I love trying out new brow products and lippies. Lately I’ve tried out a few new brow products and have settled on the two I’m going to talk about today as my favorites.
Here they are! Brow This Way Gel by Rimmel London and Milani Stay Put Brow Color. Both of these products are inexpensive but amazing and you can find them both at my favorite drug store, Walgreens.
I adore using these products together. Here’s my usual step by step
1. Line my brows with a brown pencil by Jordana Cosmetics
2. Fill in my brows with the Milani Stay Put Brow Color. It’s really thick in consistency and the brush it comes with is nice and sturdy
3. Lastly I go over my brows with the Rimmel Brow This Way Product. This product goes on wet which was a bit odd for me initially but when it drys it provides such a nice finish.
Together these two products help my brows stay on point. Today’s makeup look is staring these great brow products and this bold Milani Cosmetics lippie in the color Matte Iconic
Well, that’s it for now!
XOXO,
TJ
Hey luvs!
Today I wanted to talk a little about the event tour I’ll be having this year. One of my biggest goals regarding my brand this year is to meet some of my followers/supporters. I engage with so many of you on such a regular basis that I really want to see you! So what I decided to do was set up some opportunities to make that happen.
Rather than just having a typical meetup I decided to put more purpose behind these events. You all know that I am all about fearlessness and inspiring you all to be fearless, hence the name “Fearless Textures”
With these events you’ll have the opportunity to ask me questions, get inspired in a more intimate setting and win lots of prizes! Plus I’ll be making a big announcement at my first event for the tour which brings me to the schedule. Here is where I will be and when
Tampa – May 28th
Atlanta – August 6th
New York – September 3rd
Tickets for my Tampa event are available here.
I am soooo excited about the opportunity to spend time with you all. If you are in or around any of these cities please come out!
Stay tuned for more info on my Atlanta & NY events
XOXO
~TJ
TJ Luvs Being Natural 
