DYNASTY ELECTRIC!!!
DYNASTY ELECTRIC video directed by Kareem Black KAREEMBLACK.COM , styled by Valissa Yoe VALISSAYOE.COM , Make up by Jillian Villafane JILLIANVILAFANE.COM , Audio Sweetening by Kat Diehl for Meowmix Productions MEOWMIXPRODUCTIONS.COM
Stila Loves the LA Lakers…Seriously?
Hmmm…
I can’t sleep, so I’m perusing the web and visiting all my favorite sites…
I go to the Stila website, and this GIANT image pops up:
I immediately think this is weird (Although I suppose it’s a great marketing idea, even if it seems like a rather strange collaboration), and I am dying to know if they actually wear this set.
Since I still can’t sleep, I did a little google search and came across this next picture:
OK…I will resist the urge to comment on their outfits, even though the outfits are even more of a quandary to me than the fact that Stila gave them their own cosmetic set.
Now about that make-up…
I am completely positive that they are not all wearing the ‘Stila Loves the Lakers‘ set. This just isn’t possible. However, what is possible is that they are in fact all wearing Stila cosmetics since it seems that Stila is the official 2009 make-up sponsor.
In any case, even though they might not all be wearing the colors and products featured in the set - It retails for only $36.00 and does have some great items (I love Stila smudge pots and convertible color) - So, maybe you should try it out anyway.
Slutty Spam: STOP
When I made the decision to update this blog regularly with content that might not always be about beauty, I have to admit I was a little nervous. Sure my life is interesting, and I have a lot to say about a lot of random things…But, in the back of my mind I couldn’t help but wonder if I might run out of things to write about at some point.
40 thousand unique visitors come to this site every month (Not too shabby considering I maintain this site by myself) – Hundreds of you visit every single day – So, there is definitely a lot of pressure to be interesting and witty and, basically keep you coming back for more.
Blogging is a little bit like dating: You want to be yourself, and as open and honest as possible…But you also want to make sure you’re appealing to the person that you’re communicating with. And since 40 thousand of you are having a love affair with my blog, the pressure to keep it real and still be endearing is HIGH.
The only negative about maintaining a popular blog, is that the amount of spam in the comment section also increases…And in this particular case I think it’s gotten out of hand.
When I first started getting comment spam of the Viagra variety, I shrugged it off. Shit happens, and someone in Mexico or Canada with way too much time is trying to make a buck and let the world know that they’ve got some low price, street market Viagra for sale. I get it. These are hard times - No pun intended.
But lately, the spam situation is out of control. Not only are people leaving full on Romance Novel style entries in the comment section - But, they’re leaving them in OTHER LANGUAGES.
As someone who has always wanted to go international, this is not exactly what I had in mind. It’s also thoroughly annoying.
I thought I had a spam filter on the site, but apparently it’s not really doing anything and I’m not sure what else I can do to stop it.
With so many visitors I am getting tired of moderating each and every comment that comes through because it becomes hard to differentiate between the real comments and the spam when I’ve been clicking for 20 minutes on comments and marking 75% as spam. After a while it becomes inevitable that I end up deleting a legitimate comment. This is bad, because I really want my readers to be involved and feel like they’re part of the conversation.
If any of you have any ideas on how I can combat this, please leave your suggestions in the comment section…
Thanks!
CHA-CHA-CHA-CHANGESSS!
So this blog is about a year old. The new site isn’t quite at the year mark yet (Not until October), but the blog is (I migrated it over from blogspot).
I’ve decided going forward that I’m going to be blogging about anything and everything that I want. As much as beauty is my passion, I’m also equally passionate abut my own life. And if I’m going to be able to continue to update this blog regularly, I’m going to have to start including other content that isn’t always related to beauty.
And seriously, with every girl out there being a product whore, beauty blogs are a dime a dozen. Sure my advice is ACES - I mean, I am a legit professional - But, why would you come here to read about the same products you could read about somewhere else. Sure, I am way more interesting and entertaining than they are - But, I don’t like being like EVERYONE ELSE.
There will still be blogs about beauty. It’s my job, it’s my passion, it’s the thing that pays my bills. But, my love of beauty has been influenced by so much more than standard product reviews. My life IS my work, and it’s in every single face that I create. So why not write about the life experiences that have shaped the artist I’ve become?
I hope you’re not mad.
If you’re apprehensive about the switch, let me give you a few reasons why this change is going to be a GOOD thing:
NEW HAIR!
I cut my hair last week.
This is huge as I haven’t had a proper cut in MONTHS.
4 years ago I started Japanese straightening my hair. HUGE MISTAKE. I suppose it suited me at the time. I was working some stupid hours: Waking up crazy early to do makeup at a morning news show, and then working the 9-5 grind in advertising. At that point in my life I barely had energy - And taking time to do my hair was the last thing I wanted to do when I would wake up at 4 am.
At the time I started thermol reconditioning, I also had a boyfriend who preferred my hair straight…And back then I was all into my relationship and acting silly and really not myself (I know, it makes me want to vomit too). My friends had even started calling me ‘Stepford Jillian.’
Thankfully I’ve come to my senses, and I’m 100% me. I’ll never let go of my identity again. EVER. Now that I work for myself (It’s been 2 years since I started freelancing, can you believe that!?), and I’ve rediscovered who I am and what I feel passionately about, I decided that fake straight business no longer suites me.
While it’s been great and empowering to finally be able to say I know who I am, getting back to my roots (literally), has been no easy task. The ‘growing out’ process has been a real bitch, and at the present time two thirds of my hair is curly and the ends are still straight.
This was becoming a major problem on days that I didn’t feel like blow drying my hair. I started wearing lots of hats to cover up the mess, and the other day I decided I really needed to take action and do something to make my hair more presentable. So what’s a girl to do when she doesn’t want to cut her hair short, but she needs to cut off as much hair as possible to speed up the ‘growing out’ process?
This!
It’s a little Cyndi Lauper, don’t you think?
Not having hair on the right side is definitely weird - And, also kind of liberating. It’s also got me seriously considering chopping all my hair off for the first time in my life. But, baby steps. I’ll keep this for a bit, and revisit my short hair thought later this summer.
I know I always tell you what make-up I’m wearing when I post a photo of myself. In this case, I would if I could…But, I’m not wearing any. In fact that’s me in my pink polka dot sleep shirt - Just moments after waking up.
I’m usually not into taking pictures sans make-up (makes me feel naked), but everyone around me was DYING to see my hair cut, so I put my best natural face forward and snapped a pic!
Am I the only one who doesn’t like being bare faced in pictures? Or do you ladies feel the same way?
Blog Talk Radio - 5/1/09!
Earlier this month, Erika Lehmann of Chic Shopper Chick (she’s also one of the Walmart Elevenmoms) invited me to be a guest host on Blog Talk Radio!
It was a great experience, and I got to spend a half hour answering beauty questions from listeners all over the country. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to get to all of the questions - But, hopefully I’ll get to return to the show later this year to answer more questions and share more of my tips and tricks!
You can listen to an archive of the show, by clicking the banner below.
Zara @ Q
These were shot back in February. Photos: Geordy Pearson. Hair: Billy Keith
Zara’s skin is airbrushed using temptu S/B formula, and contoured with S/B airbrush blush. Airbrush blush is set with Blushbaby powder blush from MAC.
Trish McEvoy shadow in Cream was dusted lightly across the lid. Stila kajal eyeliner in Onyx was applied lightly around the eye, with false lashes from Ardell (#18) and tons of Benefit Badgal mascara to blend her lashes into the falsies.
Posie Tint was applied to her lips as a stain, and Benefit Silky finish lipstick in skinny dip was used on top.
Brows were groomed using Lift and Set Mascara in Black/Brown from Sally Hansen Natural Beauty.
My Make-up: Public School. Jersey City, NJ.
I’ve been learning how to skateboard.
So far so good, although I must admit it’s definitely a slow process. I’m getting more comfortable with it every day, but I can’t go THAT fast yet and I can only turn to the left - And even my left turns are still a bit wonky. Don’t even get me started on my right side turns. That’s a disaster and I usually just jump off and kick the deck to the right and jump back on. Eh…Baby steps.
So anyway, I’m out skating around the other day and my roommate and I go right pass this super cute store called Public School. It’s full of crazy kicks and really dope t-shirts - Definitely my kind of store 
Last night (sans skateboard) we stepped out for a little JC jumpie at the store and I copped the cutest pair of sneakers from Greedy Genius! I love them so much that after I put them on for this photo, I wore them out of the store.
Now, as You may know - We’ve been having a really random heat wave around here. 90 degrees in April is really weird and not even close to normal, and it was hot last night. Normally when it’s super hot I don’t like to wear too much makeup, but my skin is really angry at the heat that came on all fast and furious - And I have some weirdo prickly heat rash all over my face. I love the heat, and usually I’m very pro inferno…But, I was feeling a little awkies stepping out with that kind of a face sitch last night - Especially since I knew Mel would be there taking photos (He took the one featured on the left).
Thank the make-up Gods for Bare Minerals…I did a heavy coating of that stuff all over my face (F the swirl, tap and buff instructions - I popped the top off of this baby and dunked my brush in until I covered it with product), and in pictures you cant even tell my face was a red bumpy mess. The great thing about BE is that it’s an amazing product for sensitive skin and didn’t further irritate my skin even when it was in a state of crisis.
I’m also wearing Benetint, with a bit of apricot blush from Rimmel on my cheeks; Posie Tint on my lips with a Bonnie Bell Lip Smacker over it; BadGal Eyeliner applied with a really heavy hand and then smushed around to give a smudgy/smokey look on my eyes; Plus 3 or 4 coats of Avon Supershock Mascara (This stuff is good).
Recent Posts
- Sophy @ Trump
- DYNASTY ELECTRIC!!!
- Stila Loves the LA Lakers…Seriously?
- Slutty Spam: STOP
- CHA-CHA-CHA-CHANGESSS!
- NEW HAIR!
- Blog Talk Radio - 5/1/09!
- Zara @ Q
- My Make-up: Public School. Jersey City, NJ.
- Behind the Scenes: Princess of the Posse
- Become A Fan!
- Bye Bye Binders
- The New KareemBlack.com!
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