WELCOME....................................

Im so glad that you decided to join me today. As stated in the description, this blog is geared towards women of the darker skin tone. Feel free to ask questions and make suggestions. I'm still learning my way around this thing so it might be a little weak at first but I will do my best to do continual improvements. Enjoy.....

Friday, May 20, 2011

L'OREAL Intensity Moisturizing Lipcolor... HIP Collection

This review is for a lipstick that is apart of L'oreal's HIP collection. Its in the shade Courageous. I love this lip color. Now I don't know about it being high intensity because to me it is a very sheer color. Pretty but sheer. It is a neutral lipstick with gold undertones. One thing that I love about this lipstick is you do not have to add a chapstick or balm in order for it to go on smoothly. It also doesn't have that "dry" look that most lipsticks have. So you can add a gloss for that "wet" look or it can stand alone. I usually wear this lipstick with my gold or bronzy eyeshadow looks. Its good for spring and fall and is beautiful on darker skin complexions. I purchased this lipstick at the Dollar Tree over a month ago but I'm sure it can be found in Walmart or any of the normal drugstores. I'm not sure about price because I only paid a dollar for it. But I'm pretty sure its not that pricey. So all and all, I give this lipstick two thumbs up. So go ahead and add it to your collection. Enjoy....................

Homemade Tinted Moisturizer..... CHECK THIS OUT!

I was trying to think of a way to get the best use out of the last little bit of my TrueMatch compact. I came up with making a tinted moisturizer. The point of a tinted moisturizer is to add moisture and a hint of color to your face. It is a very light coverage and I love using this on those days where I really don't want to wear makeup but I want a really smooth finish. It also works well when it is hot outside. MAC among other brands offer this same product for about forty dollars depending on the brand but I would rather make my own for a few reasons. Its cheaper, I can get a more accurate match to my actual skin complexion if I do it myself and I control the amount of coverage. Ive found that some tinted moisturizers look like actual foundation instead of moisturizer. So what I did was I took the remaining makeup out of my compact and crushed it in a bowl. Then I added a little of my Victoria Secret Soft Focus foundation. Next, I added a little distilled water and non scented lotion. The last thing was I added a spoon of pure glycerin and milk of magnesia. I mixed it all and let it sit for about an hour for thickness then I added to a bottle. Just that simple. I also think that you could use this very same process to make a liquid bronzer but instead of foundation replace it with the bronzer of your choice. For visual instructions on making this product please visit my YouTube channel, Kingdom Beauty(simply put) and the tutorial is Homemade Tinted Moisturizer. Alright ladies enjoy..............

Dramatic Makeup Look of the Week..... Leopard Print Eyes

Today's  dramatic makeup look of the week is a video response to a tutorial done by iCraiz on youtube. I would put the link for the tutorial but I haven't figured out how to do all that yet. Anyway, this look was a little complicated and was a little too long to do a tutorial on so there is no tutorial for this. Just pictures. So anyway I used L.A Colors six color palettes. Cafe Au Lait and Precious. I based my eyes with Groundwork by MAC and the white side of my L.A Colors pencil. I lined my eyes with NYC liquid liner. Afterwards I applied some cheap brand strip lashes lol. I did the leopard spots with the NYC liner. Its just something different that I thought would be cute to add to the collection. Enjoy......................









Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Homemade MAC Studio Fix Plus.... LADIES PLEASE CHECK THIS OUT!



I know we live in a generation where everybody wants to "make it rain" and "ball til they fall" but that's not my testimony. I honestly want to save whenever I can. Especially if its for an item that is I feel isn't worth the price in the first place. I don't feel like that's the case with MAC's Studio Fix Plus but because of the price it definitely wasn't on my lists of must-haves. Now in case you are not familiar with this spray let me explain how it works. You can use it to apply to your makeup or once its finished to hold it into place. You can also apply it in the middle of the day as a way to freshen up without reapplying any makeup. You can mix it with your foundations to create that dewy summer finish. Also mix it with eyeshadow pigments to create cream liners. The last thing and the main reason I wanted it is, when mixed with eyeshadows and or pigments it instantly brightens your colors. What use to be a dull color now has flare. So its a lovely product with multiple uses. Well I recently found out how to make it at home and it works. What you will need is distilled water,  rubbing alcohol and pure glycerin. You will also need some type of small spray bottle. Take the rubbing alcohol and put it in the bottle shake it up and spray it a few times to disinfect the nozzle. Pour all of the alcohol out and rinse the bottle with a little water. Now its time to make the mix. You will need one part of glycerin to every three parts water. I did mine with a tablespoon so that means for every one spoon of glycerin that I put in the bottle I had to add three spoons of distilled water. I did this twice. Then I mixed it up and it was ready to use. Make sure to shake it up well or it will not work. Also make sure you put some kind of label on the bottle with the date because you cant keep the same mixture for more than a month. Im so excited because what would have cost me twenty six dollars a bottle at MAC only costs me seven dollars for at least twenty bottles.For visual instructions on how to do this check out my Youtube channel, Kingdom Beauty(simply put), in a few hours and there will be a tutorial up titled Homemade Mac Studio Fix Plus or something like that. Also it took me forever to find the pure glycerin. If you are wondering, you can find it at CVS on the skin care and moisture aisle for five dollars. Alright ladies enjoy..............

 before the fix plus

  after the fix plus
 before fix plus
 after fix plus

fix plus swatch on the left side, regular on the right

Mint Julep Masque Gives Spa Results..... CHECK THIS OUT!


I have been using this mask for about five years now. I took a break for a little while but I definitely need to do it now lol. The Mint Julep Masque is designed to dry up acne pimples, rinse away black heads and shrink enlarged pores. The way I usually use this is I thoroughly wash my face with a transparent soap. I use a exfoliant of some kind whether it be homemade or my St Ives scrub. Then I leave my face a little wet and I apply the Mint Julep Masque. I leave it on for about fifteen to twenty minutes, then I rinse it off with warm water. Afterwards I take a really warm cloth and cover my face for about a minute. The last step is I apply toner all over and I moisturize. Yes, a mini spa treatment. Even if you dont have skin problems this is good to do after a long day of work. It relaxes muscles and eases tension lines in your face. You can purchase this at any Walmart or Dollar Tree and I believe its about three dollars a bottle. If you only do it once a week the bottle will last for quite sometime. Its time to pamper yourselves ladies. Enjoy...................

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Scent Of the Month.... Midnight Pomegranate. Bath & Body Works

My scent of the month is something that I did not buy, it was a gift to me. I love it. Its from the Signature Collection from Bath and Body Works in the scent Midnight Pomegranate. I have the spray and the lotion. Both are long lasting when it comes to the scent. I love fruity smells and anything floral. This one is a fiery fruit and spice blend. Excellent combination. This is also another item that made my Fave 5 list for the month of May. If you are interested in purchasing this set it is twelve dollars an item but we all know that Bath and Body works is always having some type of sell. So if you get the chance check it out. Also if you have any Scent of the Month suggestions for next month just let me know. Well ladies once again, enjoy.....................

My Lip Gloss Is Popping lol......NYC Liquid Lipshine

So here I am again for yet another lip gloss recommendation/review. This week's featured lip gloss is the NYC Liquid Lipshine collection. Now I will say if you are just getting into makeup, that NYC is the perfect brand to begin with. From their eyeshadows, to there eyeliners and rich lip sticks. But Ill cover that in more detail in another review. I have been using NYC lip glosses for so long. I can honestly say for about six or seven years. Now when I was using it before I think they had a different formula and they definitely had different packaging. The old formula was good but I will admit it was a little thin. The lip gloss tubes were good because they were slender which left room in your makeup bag for more than one. So now lets fast forward to the new formula and packaging. The new formula is perfect! Its not too thin and not too thick. They leave your lips feeling so soft and the gloss last about four to six hours. Also their new line of colors are amazing(not that the old line wasnt). They have also done something with the smell of the lip gloss that I absolutely love. The last thing is the packaging. I love it now. The tubes are bigger so you get more for your money but also they are so pretty. They look like they would be some kinda high end lip gloss. Very cute. You can purchase these liquid lipshines anywhere from Walmart to the Dollar Tree and the prices are anywhere from a dollar to three dollars. It depends on where you buy them. Either way they are worth it. They are so good that they made my Fave 5 list for the month of May. So check them out. Alright ladies enjoy......


these are the new ones....


these are the old.......big difference



Monday, May 16, 2011

Makeup Look of the Day....... Blue, Purple and Black. BH Cosmetics

Today's makeup look was way too complicated to explain. Its also hard to remember the process so for step by step instructions on this look visit my Youtube channel in a few hours. Channel is Kingdom Beauty(simply put) and the tutorial is Blue, Purple and Black BH Cosmetics. Good night ladies. Enjoy...................





Custom Made Handbags..... ~Bags by Trese~ CHECK THIS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



So let me start off by saying I am not a hand bag person. I dont know why but Im not. If I carry one, I definitely dont want to run the risk of seeing ten other people in the mall with it. So when a friend started designing and making handbags I jumped all over the idea. I love it. My first handbag I purchased was the one below. The great thing about it is this, every bag is custom made out of a shirt. Yes, a shirt. I provided a shirt she turned it into a handbag. The bags are durable and I love the fact that no two bags are the same. I will begin to feature these bags biweekly and in the future I will provide before and after pictures. This particular bag was ten dollars but prices may vary. If you are interested please inbox her on facebook for more info. Her name is Trese Brunson. Be sure to tell her I sent you. Ladies enjoy.....................



Foundation Review of the Week, MAC Cosmetics..... CHECK THIS OUT.

So I know Im late everyone but this week's foundation review is on MAC's Studio Fix powder. Now I will admit that before I started using Revlon, MAC was my favorite foundation. I have sensitive skin so it is one of few foundations that I will actually use. This is a very rich foundation that will give you a smooth application and full coverage. Although I love this foundation I can say honestly I have a few complaints. The first thing is, this foundation leaves my skin extremely oily. It happens within a few hours so to get that smooth finish look all day you have to apply it more than once a day. The second thing is it bleeds everywhere! If you cry, if you sweat, and if you touch your face then touch something else. It is also all over my clothes. The last thing is unless you do a very light application it will leave you looking too "made up". The positive side is the compacts last a long time. Another is, no matter what your skin complexion is you can almost always find the perfect match for you. Just in case anyone is my complexion or you were wondering, my shade is NW50. The last is, it is good on your skin and for me, it hasn't triggered very many breakouts.You can order MAC online or you can find a MAC stand at almost any Dillards in the mall. The compacts are about $26 a piece and they come with a sponge applicator but I almost always use a foundation brush instead. Well ladies that is my foundation review for the week. Enjoy......