FlauntFingers: Ombre/Gradient Nail Design

Recently I painted my nails by using an ombre/gradient technique. Although it took some time I love it! It's not perfect but it turned out pretty well, don't you think!?

Ombre/Gradient Nails

Polishes used to accomplish this look: Light Green by Love&Beauty, Turquoise & Caicos by Essie, Pool Party by Milani, Disco Ball by Love&Beauty, and Dry Fast Top Coat by Seche Vite 

Flaunt Face: My Everyday Makeup Regimen

Here's a video tutorial I did months ago on my everyday makeup regimen! I totally forgot to finish editing...so sorry! Although this was taped months ago the makeup process is pretty much the same but I do switch back and forth with liquid and pencil eyeliners. I usually stick to liquid and my fav is Loreal's Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner in carbon black.

before after

Click here for the other products that were also mentioned in a previous post. Sorry for the bad lighting and the gross white head on my face that eventually got removed apon applying makeup lol. Sidebar, picking pimples is one of my pet-peeves by the way. Not only does it cause damage and scares, for some reason I refuse to pick them (unless they're absolutely revolting!) Anyway enjoy the video Flaunt Followers!

Flaunt Fingers: American Apparel Nail Lacquer

photos: american apparel
OMG! How cute! Now you can match your nail color with you fav American Apparel outfit. American Apparel is now offering 18 different shades to resemble their classic colors from the line. At $6 each it may be worth getting to pair the perfect shade with your classic AA piece!

Flaunt Feature: My Sister on T.E.E.N Diaries Online

Check out my sister Laura and her recent blog post for T.E.E.N Diaries. My sister is studying Journalism at the University of Missouri so I encouraged her to be a TEEN Reporter. After many submissions from applicants, only 8 were chosen and she got the position! T.E.E.N Diaries is an urban-based online source that keeps high school to college girls up-to-date on current events, political issues, pop culture, fashion, beauty and more. You can also follow them on twitter at twitter.com/TEENDiaries Any-whoo make sure to check out my little sis's "Hair Diaries" post! I'm so proud of her and absolutely LOVED her post so I had to flaunt it! It's nice to see that she listens to me and is following my footsteps in the blog world! Love you Laura...muah!

Flaunt Beauty: BeFine (Food for your Face)

urgh! running out of product this is all I have left, need more cleanser!

Have you heard or seen this product BeFine! If not let me be the first to introduce you. It's such an amazing beauty line with face cleansers, moisturizers, facial mask, lip care and more. My favorites from this line are the Warming Clay Mask with gardamom, arnica, & pomegranate, which actually gets warmer once applied. Along with the Gentle Cleanser with sugar, mint, oats & rice that has done wonders for me and removes makeup so well, plus the Lip Exfoliator with oat protein, sesame oil & pineapple which smoothes and gets rid of dead skin especially now in this weather!

What's also really great about BeFine is that each product is of natural ingredients that we find in healthy foods we eat plus it's paraben free, allergen free, and fragrance free. Some may argue that's it's a little pricey but it's so worth it and you can difinatly feel the difference! I've also used the Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15, rosemary, pomegranate & rice, the Pore Refining Scrub with coconut jojoba & citrus, the Lip Serum with chamomile and beets, and the Neck Cream with mushroom, iris flower & caffeine. Honestly if I could use this entire line forever I would... it's that good!

Stop by the site which is also really cool to browse and offers more detail on each product that you can order. Seriously try Befine for yourselves I know you Flaunt Followers will fall in love!

Flaunt Event Review: Miss Jessie's in LA at Wilshire Beauty

Yesterday I attended the Miss Jessies's event in Los Angeles. My friend Shawanna of Wilshire Beauty did an amazing job coordinating the event and I helped managed check-in. Soooo many beautiful natural curly-heads showed up while being introduced to 10 products of Miss Jessie's by the creators Titi and Miko Branch themselves! Make sure to check out the current issue of Essence for the Miss Jessie's product features as well.

There were product and styling demonstrations, individual consultations, product give-aways every hour, yummy goodies, and a Miss Jessie's gift bag which included a sample product not yet in stores! I had a great time and meet many beautiful naturals from young to old. For you True Blood fans, Rutina Wesley stopped by and even complimented on my hair! I also got recognized by the cutest Flaunt Fashionista Follower Monique who has recently started her own blog.

It was a full house of curly-head ladies!

Flaunt Files Follower: Monique

Visit www.MissJessies.com for product info.

If you missed out don't worry... you too can win*

Miss Jessie's Product

sponsored by The Flaunt Files!!

*In order to qualify to win the Miss Jessie's Product give-away you must be a subscriber to The Flaunt Files blog. To become a subscriber simply enter your email address in the subscriber box located on the upper left hand side. Email submissions for this contest ends November 3rd, 2009 at 11:59pm EST time. The winner will be chosen at random and will be announced the following day. All emails will be kept confidential and will not be shared with any 3rd parties. This contest is for US residents only.

Flaunt Fingers: Leopard Print in WHITE! Inspired my Jimmy Choo for H&M

I'm sure most of you have seen the latest ads in your current fashion mags of Jimmy Choo by H&M which are absolutely amazing! If you look closely the models nails are painted in sexy fall colors some with print designs. There's one specific model who's nails I noticed right away. At first glance they looked like white with silver glitter but if you look closely it's white leopard print! Now you know I had to do a D.I.Y on my nails so of course I did! I was so excited because I've done this design a while back and posted a tutorial using standard leopard colors. I've been flaunting it for the past few days now and have gotten tons of complements. People always mistake it for Minx too! Check it out and let me know what you Flaunt Fashionistas think!

Flaunt Face: My 5min "Everyday" Makeup Look

Without Blush With Blush

Without Liner With Liner

Not only do I love clothes and fashion I love makeup and beauty! There are times where flaunting too much makeup isn’t required so sticking to an “everyday” look is essential. Here is my everyday makeup look which is light and natural looking. Below are the products I typically use to accomplish this look.

Concealer: Mac Select Cover-Up in "NW40"

I use this stuff religiously!!! It’s like the underwear for my face lol. I apply a thin layer underneath my eyelids with my ring finger making sure to pat gently to cover entire under eye area. This color is also a shade lighter than my skin complexion but that's key in creating a bright-eyed look!

Powder: Mac Select Sheer/Loose in "NW45"

Next I apply my loose powder over my entire face in a light circular motion. I’ve also used the Bare Essentials kit in DEEP but I recently ran out so I’m using my MAC for now. This also has a great sheer coverage that's not too heavy feeling or looking.

Eye Shadow: Bed Head in "Sunset"

I have this two color combo my sister gave me from some gift bag. The colors are a copper-ish and champagne hue. I apply the copper on my lids and apply the champagne directly under my eye brows as a highlight again with my ring finger. I make sure to blend both colors and the shadow in general evenly, to make it as natural as possible.

Eye Liner: Mac Eye Koul in "Smolder"

After I apply my eye shadow I apply a thin line of liner. I don't like to do it too thick only because I don't think it looks that great on me. I love this liner because it goes on smooth and it doesn't run. My eyes get oily towards the end of the day so this works great for that.

Mascara: Clinique High Impact in "Black"

After lining my eyes I apply a few coats of my favorite mascara!! This has truly been one of the only mascaras that I've used by far that that has really given me great added length! I love this stuff so much I've already mentioned it in a previous post. It's so good that if I ever end up not wearing much makeup at all this is the exception to that rule!

Blush: Black Radiance in "Ruby Treasure"

Next sometimes I apply a very light application of blush on the apples of my cheeks. I usually smile to hit the right spots of my cheeks. To be honest I really don't like to use blush all the time however it does finish my everyday look w/ some slight color for a fresh looking face!

Lip Gloss: Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush in "A Slice of Heaven"

Last but not least I finish my look with a light sparkling lip gloss. I love this one because it goes on smooth and the sparkles give your lips a nice glow. Not to mention it smells delicious! The color has an iridescent pink and gold undertone so it looks devine in the sun!

Flaunt Favorites: Must Have Staple Scents

These are my ultimate favorite fragrances that I LOVE and seem to always need!! I run out of them so quickly because I literally spray 10 times per use. I know that's really bad but I'm serious when I say these are my staple scents! What are your favs Flaunt Followers?!

Flaunt Beauty Event: Miss Jessie's in LA at Wilshire Beauty

click invite to enlarge

For all the natural curly flaunt fashionistas, come to Wilshire Beauty as the owners of Miss Jessie's present their hair care line! This event is coming soon on October 25th, so make sure to RSVP HERE on Facebook!

I can't wait to go and try their amazing products for my two stand twist, and twist outs. For those of you who may not know, my hair is 100% natural meaning I don't have any type of processing done to my follicles. I've been natural for over 3 years now after transitioning from relaxers since I was about 12. I love being natural because not only do I have options to wear my hair curly or straight (and sometimes with clip-ons), it's the healthiest for my hair and I really have gotten to know and appreciate my own hair.

Flaunting my two-stand twist and twist out. Didn't use Miss Jessie's so it didn't turn out how I wanted!

Like I mentioned before I'll be documenting my hair care journey to maximize my full hair potential by practicing healthy hair routines. The biggest mistake that woman of color have failed to relize is truly knowing their own hair and how to take care of it. For the past 4 months I've researched and read what that means for my type of hair. Now I'm taking action to do what's best for it, and although it's somewhat of a major investment mentally and financially, I've never felt better!

Flaunt Fingers: Silver & Black Stripes

My latest nail design inspired by Minx of course. Here's a pic of Rihanna flaunting a similar design. To accomplish this look it's actually quite simple:

1. I used a silver polish as my base color and I used a black nail art polish for the stripes.

2. After the silver coat completely dried, I carefully painted 4 black lines vertical.

3. After those lines completely dried I then carefully painted horizontal lies and the number of lines depends on the length of your nail.

4. I must say it was difficult doing my right hand as I am right handed, but it turned out fine. Make sure you go slowly or you'll have to start over!

Try it for yourself and email pics or twitpic them!

*fyi: my nail design is about a week old so excuse the chipping

Flaunt Face: Serena Williams

I couldn't help but notice how flawless Serena William's makeup looked last week when she attended Mary J. Blige’s FFAWN charity benefit at the Gucci Store in New York. This was such a suprize only because it's rare to see her shine like this! Don't get me wrong, I think she's beautiful and definitely owns her strong features, however she really looks amazing here. It instantly reminded me of Sam Fine's beautiful work who has done Serena's makeup in the past amongst many other celebs!

stay Fierce, be Fearless, & Flaunt it...you got it!

Flaunt Tattoo: Should I get this?!

I drew this sample tat with a Sharpie...not a good idea for everyday use fyi

Hey you guys so the last few years I've been thinking of getting more tattoos, 3 to be exact, and I currently have 1. They would all be very small and discreet but meaningful of course.

So the other day I thought to myself, "why not add another to the list"! So let me know your thoughts; should I get this "flaunt" tattoo or not? Keep in mind I'd like for the tattoo to be small enough so that if I'm wearing pumps (in a professional setting) it's hidden.

Although TheFlauntFiles is fairly new my dream is for it to bloom and grow in the fashion world. This blog represents for the most part so again, why not!? Let me know your thoughts Flaunt Followers!!

stay Fierce, be Fearless, & Flaunt it...you got it!

Flaunt Face: Clinique High Impact Mascara

Left eye: No Mascara, Right eye: Clinique High Impact Mascara (click to enlarge)

I get a lot of compliments on my lashes and there are even times when people ask if they're fake. To be quite honest my lashes aren't super long nor are they short however, they do appear longer with one of my favorite beauty products ever....Clinique's High Impact Mascara. Thanks to my sis Laura, I've been wearing it ever since and can't leave the house without it! I've used mulitple brands from high to low-end and although this tube of tar is $14 it's sooooo worth it. I highly recommend this product so make sure to buy it & try it for yourself to achieve those fantasy lashes!! View the pics and see for yourself :)

stay Fierce, be Fearless, & Flaunt it...you got it!

Flaunt Fashion: i-D Magazine Pretty Young Things

How fierce, how stunning, how f'ing AMAZING right!!! For now I'm posting the cover and video but I am sooooo inspired and loving that there's 4 beautiful woman of Color; Chanel Iman, Sessilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn & Arlenis Sosa that are gracing i-D mag's Pre-Fall issue. I'm loving it so much I decided to have some fun and create the look they're flaunting as well! What do you think Flaunt Followers?!

AHHHHHHHHHH flaunt that thang ladies!!!

stay Fierce, be Fearless, & Flaunt it...you got it!

Flaunt Follicles: "Good Hair"

Part#1 The reason I decided to make this post was because I have been lacking on the maintenance of my own hair and need to get it back to health. I have natural hair meaning there is no chemical processing whatsoever. I will write more posts regarding my hair which will be a continuation of my "Healthly Hair Journey" to restore, encourage & dedicate full energy to get the healthy hair I already had. I encourage those who aren't natural to go natural because nothing's better than knowing your own crown & glory by embracing each strain. Below are pics of my hair after growing out the relaxer (full & healthy), and how it currently looks (slightly damaged). As I share this journey, I will include my hair regimens, styling techniques, products & more!

This was my hair at it's healthiest about 1 yr ago w/ no relaxer or weave just flat ironed & 100% mine.

About 9 months ago still full & healthy. It's current state NOW, slightly damaged.

Part#2 There has also been years and years of talk on what it means to have "good hair" amongst the black community. The only thing I can do is relate this issue to my own experiences. In my opinion "good hair"=healthy hair. So with that said it really doesn't matter what your hair looks like or the texture of your hair. I believe any & everyone has "good hair" as long as it exist & it's healthy. This clip is from Chris Rock's movie "Good Hair". It highlights the misconceptions of what it means to have "good hair" from several black women, the hair industry, and others opinions on the issue. He addresses these topics in a comical yet truthful way so I'm curious as to how it will turn out. I can only hope woman of Color can realize the depth of our hair issues, overcome them, embrace our own hair, learn how to properly care for it, and make this issue less of an issue. Now with all this hair talk I wonder how I'll wear my hair to the movie! lol.

stay Fierce, be Fearless, & Flaunt it...you got it!