Queendom Building!

This year I have been engulfing myself in building my eternally Queendom! Being my own cheerleader, kind of like building a conceded state of mind on the inside of myself, that will reflect on the outside, allowing others to see and understand my confidence in being comfortable in my own skin.

It’s so important that as women we understand who we are, and what we want out of our own individual lives, grind hard, make it happen one day at a time. Build your Queendom! Reign on your own throne!

As always,

Queen Karen

Tackle the Darkness: Under Eye Circles

Who hates that under eye shadow that makes you look sleepy even if you had 8 hours of sleep the night before? I DO, let me raise my hand up high and give a bit of a wave! As of lately I have been hating my dark circles under my eyes.

And I wake up this morning and I see bags and the dark circles…annoying. Is this the sign of ageing, tiredness, stress, what the heck!

Well since I don’t have access to whatever celebrities do to rid dark circles permately, I am going to battle it with eye cream and concealer!

First up, I need an eye cream, that wont break the budget but will get the job done! So since this problem is a work in progress, when I find the product that works for me, I will share it with you. Until then here is my solution to masking my problem!

CONCEAL! CONCEAL! CONCEAL!

It’s simple, you need a good concealer, mascara and you MUST have your eyebrows in good shape, because the brows frame the face. Concealer is a temporary fixer for dark circles and it’s a simple remedy.

I of course  always wear bronzer and I added some purple shadow to my lower lash line as eyeliner. This brightens the eye area a little bit more.

My favorite concealer to date is MAC’s Studio Finish SPF 35 in NW40! It’s a miracle worker!

Love,

Ms. Karen Minor

Heathly Radiant Skin

Did you know that your skin is the last organ to get the water you drink? And if you don’t drink enough water to begin with, your skin will become dry, tight and flaky. The less moisture your skin has the more it is prone to wrinkles.  Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day will give your skin a nice radiant glow and if you have acne prone skin, water will rid your body of toxins that cause the skin to break out.

Aside from water, you need to make sure that your cleansing your skin daily with a cleaner, toner and moisturizer with SPF.  If you use foundation with an SPF, then your moisturizer doesn’t need to have any in it. SPF is super important, and some of us don’t think we need it but WE ALL NEED IT TO PROTECT OUR SKIN FROM THE SUN. Now that Iam in my 30′s I have a few sunspots and I know it’s because I thought I didn’t need any SPF.

Last year I was using Neutrogena Natural Skin Care line. I absolutely loved it. I cleansed daily with the Purifying Cleanser and 2 days a week I used the Purifying Pore Scrub.  As for moisturizer, I as usual continued to use pure shea butter, always have and I always will. As for SPF, my foundation has plenty of it!

After using this last year I decided it was time to change my routine up a bit, your skin often times forces you to change your products up because it will get used to  the same old same old. And since I work around skin care professionals all day, I cant help but to want the top of the line products (at a discount of course).

I am now using Floriani products, it’s a spa line but the benefits so far have been phenomenal! I use a Cucumber cleanser and an Chamomile toner and 2 days a week I use a Skin polish for exfoliating.

Regardless of the price line of skin care products, it is important to cleanse the skin daily and exfoliate 2 days a week and DRINK PLENTY of water.  It’s never to late to start using a skin care regimen and hydrating your skin, but to not take a step towards healthy skin care will cause you to age a little bit faster than you want too.

To make recommendations, I can only speak on a few skin care lines that I have used and loved over the years.

Newtrogena’s Naturals Costs: Around $20.oo

Clinique’s 3 Step Cleansing System: Cleansing soap, toner and moisturizer. Cost: Around $45.oo

Villa Floriani Skin Care: Costs Around $150+

These are 3 different price lines, so there is no excuse, so choose one of them or stick to what you have been using. And if your unclear on what to use, I would suggest seeing a dermatologist or getting a facial with an Esthetician. If you need recommendations, please inbox me and I will give you a referral.

I want to have radiant skin at every age, don’t you?

Fabulously Yours,

Ms. Karen Minor

BB Cream Reviews

Of course I am sure you have heard all about BB Cream by now but honestly I haven’t paid much attention to it.  So of course after shopping for foundation recently I decided to finally take a look into what all the talk was about.

So what exactly is BB Cream: BB Cream is short for Beauty Balm

BB Cream is a moisturizer, primer, foundation, setting powder, and SPF sunscreen all wrapped up in one package.

 A one-step product that can protect, conceal, and correct skin texture and tone.

What are the benefits of BB Cream for women of color:

“Depending on the ingredients, they provide high levels of sun protection, moisturizer, can be used as a foundation and primer and may contain anti-aging properties such as antioxidants. Women of color frequently complain about dark spots left on their skin after a pimple goes away and uneven skin tone. The sunscreens in BB creams can prevent dark spots from getting darker and contribute to a more even skin tone.” – Dr. Towers

What Beauty Bloggers Have to Say

And since I always turn to bloggers for advice on beauty products,  here are my favorite reviews with the most information.

The Best BB Creams For Your Skin by Daily Makeover

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream Review by CLumps of Mascara

Since doing a bit of research on BB Creams, I think I am going to try it out. I am reviewing a few foundations next week and I think I will be throwing some BB Cream in there as well.

 Have you tried BB Cream yet?

Fabulously Yours,

Ms. Karen Minor

First Lady Michelle Obama

Happy Inauguration Day! I am so pressed to see what our First Lady is wearing today! So far she has graced us in this lovely textured coat by American designer Thom Browne, J Crew accessories and heels, and a Cathy Waterman necklace.

I am loving her glossy lips, her makeup is perfection, not too much but just the right touch of glam!

And not to mention her bangs, it was just the right bit of change that her hair needed!

We shall be in touch! I am reporting live from my living room this morning!

Fabulously Yours,

Ms. Karen Minor

 

 

Fabulous Fitness Friday: I am ENGAGED!

Yes! It’s true..I am getting married this September! And with that, you know Fabulous Fitness Fridays is totally about to be AMPED up! I have fat arms and a fat belly (no baby inside) and that has to shrink before my big day. I am realistic so of course I am not expecting a miracle but I need something close to it!

Now before the holidays, I could see a difference in my body but now I just feel like I undid all my hard work by eating numerous slices of sweet potato pie…it was good but totally not worth it!

I haven’t been to the gym in a few weeks but I have been working out at home. I clipped a few magazine routines and have been doing those.  I generally do a 20 minute walk to the park and ride every morning so that is a great cardio. I mean there is no excuse to not doing something.

At least start with the end in mind, whichever that might be!

I believe in keeping things simple and basic in the beginning and once you master that move on to a more complex workout.  Start at the 30 minute mark and increase 10-15 minutes after 1-2 weeks. This concept is working for me, it just makes more sense instead of trying to jump out there all hard-core with a 1 hour workout!

Like I said Simplicity is key to Fabulous Fitness Fridays! Walking for 20 minutes in the morning and my Real Simple Triceps routine, is simple enough for me. I am working out and losing weight at my own pace and as long as I am consistent I will see the results I want.

What are you doing to stay Fabulous and Fit for a lifetime?

Next week let’s talk about healthy snacks!

Fabulously Engaged,

Ms. Karen Minor

Into The Blue Photo Shoot

Hey! As you all know, I am building a new portfolio and a website! Here are a few pictures that will be up on the site!

This blue lipstick is the TRUTH! It’s just so beautiful.

I used Lime Crime’s Carousel Gloss.  Lime Crime glosses are heavy and have a lot of pigment, the colors have high-definition!

As for the eyes I used Kat Von D True Romance Palette, only the blue and silver shades.

This was by far the funniest shoot ever. Trying to figure out how to work my fireplace was hilarious. I thought the fire shoot was open but it wasn’t, my entire apartment was full of smoke! Luckily we opened the door and was able to get some air circulating! Too funny!

Next week I will share a few other photo’s that are going up on my website, until then here is a bit of  encouragement to creating your GOLDEN 2013!

Building the life you want, takes time and effort! So whatever it is you want from this life, put the time into it and make it happen! Only thing stopping you, is YOU! And trust, in the beginning it isn’t always what you expect it to be, keeping pushing and believing in yourself

Fabulously Yours,

Ms. Karen Minor

Put it in Rotation

If your a makeup junkie like me, or you buy makeup and then forget about it and never use it, I have an easy way to make use of your “goodie” bag items! You have to put it in rotation!

After starting my new gig last week, I found myself wearing the same makeup look all week! Which was a complete bummer! I mean I am working in the beauty industry, this is my thing…I can’t just be one sided! Even you, you might not have started a new job but I am sure you have makeup or just new looks that you want to try!

So this past weekend, I decided to create a little area on my vanity for my weekly makeup looks. I put together 3 looks to try this week, aside from my basic, red lips and nude eyes.

Making little changes to your life, always requires planning, so the best way to utilize all your makeup is to lay it out in advance.

If your challenge is finding new looks, make Pinterest your new bestfriend! You can create a “New Make-up Looks To Try Board”, print it out, hang it near your vanity and use it during your makeup rotation! I have a few boards that I use for inspiration on Pinterest, follow me there if you like.

Oh and of course I added a new mascara and bronzer to my look!
This MAC mascara is AH-MAZING! It pumps my lashes beyond what any mascara has ever done before!

And my new Wet&Wild Fergie Bronzer was a gift from my homegirl! And it’s an automatic game changer (a little extreme but true).

And if your looking for more tips on upgrading your makeup bag, check out my post over at Dewdropdc.com, A Simple Upgrade!

Fabulously Yours,

Ms. Karen Minor

2013 A GOLDEN YEAR!

If you have followed my blog, you have heard me say time and time again how important it is to follow your dreams and do what you love everyday! Although, I wasn’t doing what I loved everyday, I was in pursuit of it…trying to figure out which route to take and how to position myself for it.

Well people I can finally say, everyday when I wake up and venture out to work, I go to a place that is 100% in the industry that I love! I no longer work for a non-profit but I am officially staffed over at Red Door Spa!

Now the journey from where I was to where I am now, took time and courage and trust me I have a long ways to go…the finish line is no where in sight! There are so many changes going on in my life and with those changes of course I started to think about my career path and how I was tired of doing what I loved some of the time and doing what I was starting to hate the majority of the time.

So  I started talking to God about it EVERYDAY! I would walk from the metro to work and I would say things like ” I wont be taking this walk for much longer” and when I sat down at my desk I would say “Soon I wont be sitting here”. I started to pump myself up for change.

And one day God gave me the answer, and it was so simple, ”Sometimes you have to take a step back in order to move forward” That one line set me on a course! I new that it was okay to take a temporary pay cut for what I ultimately wanted because it would only be temporary…because ultimately God supplies my needs and He would open up doors and put me in the right position.

After searching online for months I found a position I was interested in! And I applied immediately  I sent a cover letter that was straight from my heart. I left out the generic cookie cutter cover letter and spoke freely and truthfully! I told her ” The older you get the more you want to do what you love.” How truthful is this. Some of us ignore this urge and stay complacent and we never take a chance at something that is outside of our comfort zone.

I never want to live in the “I wish I would have” world. And you shouldn’t either. The steps I took to finding a new position in 2013 was very easy. I asked God for help and I followed what I was passionate about. I didn’t allow money to be my focus, now don’t get me wrong, wisdom played a role in this as well, I didn’t step all the way back down the street in order to move forward, I took a small step back…the right distance for me personally!

2013 is all about finding your passion and acting on it. It takes time and effort and of course consistency. I know this is a long post but I just want to encourage you to make this year, your best year ever! Change starts with just one simple step, don’t be afraid to go after whatever it is you desire.

As I journey into a career path that has always been a BIG passion of mine, I welcome you to make your dreams count! God didn’t give them to you for nothing, there is purpose behind them!

Welcome back to our daily read!

Fabulously Yours,

Ms. Karen Minor

Happy New Year…Happy Birthday to Me!

As you all know, my blogging become very scarce towards the end of last year. I was just tired of reporting the same thing, I mean I was growing and changing and really trying to figure things out. I had to take a step back and regroup my thoughts, my life, just everything. I wasn’t  satisfied anymore with just encouraging and sharing my hopes and dreams. I was constantly digging for a story to share or some new hot makeup item or trend. When you thrive off of real, you can’t but for so long keep at something that isn’t authentic anymore.

The biggest part about me and blogging is my passion for it, and once I lost that, then my words are fake and not from my heart! So I stopped and gave myself my moment to regroup, reflect, and work on me, so that I could represent Ms. Karen Minor, the way I wanted too! And yes stopping and starting again, means rebuilding all over again and you know what I am cool with that! So right now, this letter is to you, written truly from my heart! A lot of things have changed for me and I am looking forward to sharing it all with you! So welcome to 2013! My blog posts will be as they used to be Monday-Friday!

So Happy Birthday to me and a big welcome back to the now Ms. Karen Minor’s Beauty Bar!

Still Living the Fabulous Life,

Ms. Karen Minor

P.S. Monday will be my official full week back at it…hope you continue to check in with me this year. I have major things to share! And of course my upcoming website is still in the works…a lot of work is going into it! Can’t wait to share!