Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Costumes of Halloween Past

Happy Happy Halloween dolls!! Today is one of my most favoritest days! If you've been following my blog for a while then you know that I LOVE me some Halloween! I just love the novelty and fun of the day. I love to dressup and be creative with my looks and of coarse.....the MAKEUP!! I mean you can literally have the MOST fun with makeup on this day. 

So here is a post recapping some of my favorite looks and makeup fun over the years. Tonight, I will be at home as a unicorn giving out candy to all the kiddies! I didn't last year so I'll be sure to have some goodies for them so my house isn't on the naughty list in the neighborhood. I hope you all enjoy your day and be safe! 
Happy Halloween!

This was my Kim Kardashian inspired look and it was THE hardest thing to NOT smile all night long. I don't know how she does it. I LOVE to smile!
This zombie makeup I did for a Halloween party that year was a HUGE hit and Xtra scary for the kiddies. This is one of my FAV halloween makeup looks for sure. 
I think it's clear I have a THANG for Halloween makeup! 


I hope you dolls are going to be something fun! 

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Friday, September 29, 2017

Too Faced Just Peachy Mattes Palette Review




When I first laid eyes on the Too Faced Peachy Mattes Palette I was genuinely excited. Like happy in my soul excited! I’m dramatic about pretty makeup I know, Lol! The palette is actually apart of a full collection complete with foundation, blush, lippies and more. The palette is what stood out the most to me so I snatched it up.

The warm color palette is full of rich fall colors in this pretty compact case complete with full size mirror and smelled like peachy goodness!! I’m a sucker for the smell good and I was not mad at the peach scent.

So, let’s get into this palette shall we. It comes with 12 creamy matte shades ranging from beige to dark brown to berry shades. It has great transition shades and brow bone highlights to shades that pop like my fav Peach Sangria. I would say if you love matte shades and you love warm shades then you will love this palette. It is highly pigmented, very little fall out and super blendable. I realized I don’t have much Too Faced products in my collection but after this I will be adding more for sure. 
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Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Back to Basics: Must-Have Wardrobe Basics

Hey Dolls, welcome back to Day 3 of the 21 day Back to Basics challenge!

Today we are tackling the wardrobe. If you are anything like me, every morning you are faced with a closet full of clothes but NOTHING to wear. For the last few months, I simply give up and throw on sweat pants, gross I know. The sheer effort of constructing an entire outfit was just too much for me.  To be honest it often is when you're going through something. It shows in what you wear or how you present yourself to the world. For me, if I look good I feel good. So best believe not spending the time to feel cute and confident before I leave the house directly affects my mood.

My goal is to keep it simple, like everything else in this challenge, and stick to the basics. I went through my current wardrobe and pulled together my go-to pieces. I guess this would be my version of a capsule wardrobe. If you're not familiar with a capsule wardrobe check out this blog here. To explain it simply, a capsule wardrobe is a collection of pieces you compile and pull from when getting dressed. It is usually for an entire season and contains a limited number of pieces to include clothing, shoes, and accessories in some cases. For me, my capsule wardrobe will not be a designated amount of pieces but rather a color palette and scheme of simplicity. I have really been drawn to black, white and grey tones lately so that is the color scheme I will be sticking to for the remainder of this challenge. Now if something amazing catches my eye then I have no issue straying a bit but these pieces I've put together has me pretty confident for the remaining 19 days of the challenge. Hell for the entire Fall season or year if I was really about that black and white life!

So where do you start? Glad you asked! Here are the 12 wardrobe must haves that will keep me chic and put together with no fuss. These are closet staples everyone should own or be looking to invest in very soon.
3. Go-To Cardi
6. Crisp White Button Up
9. Black Bootie (and Brown for that matter)
11. White Sneakers
12. Black Tote


Shoes:
My most favorite category by far. Pairing down my collection to just 4 pairs of shoes was difficult. I don't like to play favorites with my children....I'm not that kind of mom. *sad face I will tell you right now....I don't know if I will be able to commit to this. Do you know how hard it was NOT to add in a red fringe sandal here?! Like, REALLLLLY hard!

Dresses: 
I mean a wardrobe must have is surely a little black dress. Here I've added a black shift dress perfect for work or more formal events. I added in a full cutout bodycon dress and cute lace fluted skirt number for if I'm feeling flirty. A grey dress with an open back to add well...some color. lol A black sweater dress as a layering piece and a black and white jumper for a more casual weekend option. Not necessary to have 4 black dresses but considering my lack of pants that fit, (hello thick thighs!) black dress are slimming, comfortable and practical in my case.

Bottoms:
Not sure how I missed my favorite pair of jeans in these photos but just pretend they are there on the end. You see them? Ok, great, glad we're on the same page because a great pair of jeans is ESSENTIAL! I mean they are practically life or death important. (Not being dramatic AT ALL) *totally being dramatic*
Besides that I pulled a great pair of black pants (Note to self: purchase black jeans), a black pencil skirt, white wide leg trousers because I like to cooooordinate and these black & white striped trousers for a bit of fun. 

Blouses:
I kept my blouse options pretty simple with this longline sleeveless button up from Eloquii that I LOVE and feel super comfortable in. My very 'healthy' chest at the moment is making it impossible to find a crisp white button up that I like so, for now, this is my version of said staple. I also love a good body suit and this deep V neck adds instant sex appeal. Speaking of sexy this gorgeous black see-thru top also by Eloquii (similar HERE) is perfect to dress up or down! Pair this with a pencil skirt or power suit and you have a beautiful look. I'm finishing off with a white cardigan because well....I love a good cardigan and this one from Ann Taylor is ma fav! 


Basic Tees/Sweats:
These are just a few basic layering items you will need. The simple T-shirt is a wardrobe staple. I love to get mine from the Gap, they have the softest, most affordable and best quality I've seen. Here I've pulled a graphic tee, scalloped tee as well as long sleeve tees because of the fall season. I also love to throw on this simple grey sweatshirt from J. Crew with ruffled hem and black Adidas sweat as a get up and go item on those cooler days.





Last, but certainly not least....accessories! Ok so I have no bounds when it comes to accessories to include bags, jewelry, and other fun stuff likes hats and scarves. So for this category, I suggest you have fun and do you boo! Just be sure to have at the VERY least a black tote and black crossbody bag. I mean you, for the most part, won't go wrong with those two bags right there. Have fun and accessorize your super basic wardrobe as you like!

What are some of your wardrobe must haves? I would love to know in the comments below! Also, have you tried a capsule wardrobe, if so, what did you think about it?

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Monday, September 11, 2017

Getting back on track: 21 Day Back to Basics Challenge

Morning dolls,

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is also the most simple. For example, when you feel stuck, uninspired or sad most often the cure is to JUST MOVE! Simply getting up to take a walk, call a friend or in my case write a blog post can be the hardest thing to do when you are in a funky place. While not the easiest thing to do the BEST thing to do is to...JUST MOVE.

These last few months I found myself wandering aimlessly, confused about my direction in life, questioning my purpose. We've all been there I know I'm not the only one ya'll! Life has it's ups and downs and it's all part of the process to get us to that magical place called 'our Destiny'. Luckily I've had much more ups then downs and I know no matter what the BIG guy upstairs has my back! #teamJesus

However, I still need to do my part on this end. No one can change your life but you. It starts from within. No matter how many friends or family I've had encouraging me or trying to pull me out of my slump, I wasn't going to budge until I, Me, Naja, aka Naja Diamond, Yours Truly was READY to do so. How does that old saying go.....you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink. So so true. You have to want it for YOU. Period.

With everything in disarray, and I do mean EVERYTHING! Not being confident about my style, or my body, hell my health overall is a damn mess with my skin breaking out and all (Coca-Cola will do that to you :-/). I was too busy complaining about the things I didn't like rather than doing something about it. Something had to change! If you want different results, you have to change the ingredients. (HELLO, Joyce Meyers reference! lol)

So I decided to wipe the slate clean. Go back to the drawing board. Clear the noise and the clutter of what things SHOULD look like or SHOULD be and just go back to the basics. Keep it simple. Starting today I'm starting a 21 day 'Back to Basics' challenge. Nothing crazy or complicated. It is literally just to help me, get up and get going. I'm starting with 21 days because I know me, it won't be long before I'm trying to add too much to my plate but taking this time to rebuild my foundation is important and if I need to make it a 30 or 60 day challenge to get that foundation back strong than that is fine too.

About the challenge: 
For 21 days my plan is to...
1. Establish and stick to a consistent morning routine. A good morning routine really sets the pace for a great and productive day. Right now my routine is a disaster!
2. Eat healthy. Not perfect but damn I think I forgot what a vegetable looks like I haven't had one in so long. Eeeekk, I wish I was kidding. SMH
3. Work out. Everyday. I'm so out of shape it's shameful. Working out needs to be a part of my life again. Even if it's yoga or some at home squats and walk around the block. Just MOVE!
4. Do what you love or spend everyday actively figuring out what that is.

So that's it. Basic I know and there are other goals I have but I know sticking to these main points everything else will just fall into place.

Follow along if you like and let's report back in 21 days to see how it's going? What are some things you want to change in your life, what steps are you taking to accomplish them? I want to know in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by as always your support is soooo appreciated!!
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Monday, July 10, 2017

My Summer Uniform: Jeans and a Tee

Lately, I've been wearing a uniform. My absolute GO-TO look for the last few months has been a pair of jeans and a fun tee. I try to stay away from the basic basic tees and opt for one with some fun details. This tee from H&M with a ruffled hem couldn't be more perfect! I just love it down to the color fit and all. I wish I had it in every color but thta might be a tad too boring for me.

For a look as simple as this I like to play with different accessories. Today, I pulled this fun straw bag I've had in my closet since last year and my favorite summer find from last year these cognac wedges.  Can you believe I found these at Forever 21! They paired perfectly with this simple look to get it the perfect injection of personality.

Finding pieces I feel comfortable in has been one of my great tasks recently. With the right items in my wardrobe I'm able to pull together a great look with ease. Here are a few pieces that are MUST-HAVES for me dressing these curves.


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Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Summer Cocktail Recipe: Peach Iced Tea

Hey dolls! 

Happy 4th of July to you! 

I hope you are having a great day with family and BBQ. Today is something a little different for my channel but I wanted to share a quick and simple summer cocktail recipe for you to try today or at any of your summer gatherings! 

Check out the video below on how I made this yummy and simple cocktail!
Supplies Needed:
Iced Tea of choice
Peach Vodka of choice
Ice
Lemon
Cute mugs juuuuust because :-D

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Monday, July 3, 2017

Life Update: Where Have I Been & Blog Plans

July 3rd......oh my, where has the time gone! Have I seriously not done a blog post since May 8th? Well let's just back it up to that point and catch ya'll up!

Whole 30 Update:
I'm breaking one of the rules by telling you this but I can NOT lie to ya'll. Whole 30 was HARD! Like, real HARD! So many restrictions and so many rules.

I basically made it to day 13 on the diet. I did EXCELLENT up until that point. Caffeine headaches had gone away and I was getting somewhat of a groove for what I liked and could eat but then something happened. I allowed myself ONE cheat and BAM it was over. I had made this delicious salad and yummy whole 30 approved wings and purchased this SUPER expensive (8 whole bucks!) whole 30 salad dressing. Got good and ready to sit down and eat when I decided to 'TRY' the 8 dollar, non-dairy ranch salad dressing that whole 30 said I can eat and boy was it GROSS! It was awful and I was mad....BIG mad! Mad I spent 8 dollars on trash, mad that I had a new bottle of Hidden Valley ranch in my ridge and couldn't eat it and super MAD that my dinner was now ruined from that awful taste in my mouth.

I quickly began to re-evaluate this tortuous diet I have subjected myself to (I'm dramatic, it wasn't THAT bad LOL). Why? Was this truly necessary? You don't even have food allergies. This is dumb Naja! Put the good ranch on dem damn wings and call it a day girl!

So there it went....my commitment to whole 30 was a wrap. Gone. Done. Finished. I ate my wings in peace with the GOOD ranch and regret not one single part of it. :-)

Let's see what else happened.....

June 5th was my BIRTHDAY!! Woo Hoo!

Excited and Blessed to see another year for sure but with all birthdays, come a time of reflection. Time to reflect on the previous year, where I am with my goals and if my New Years resolutions are on track. Needless to say I have some work to do. I need to step it up in the worst way and step it up I WILL do. Not just with my blog, that part is obvious. Other areas that need some work right now are physically, mentally and spiritually. These things don't just fix themselves, you have to work at it EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. It won't be easy and will require a ton of strength, discipline and focus no doubt. But there is no other alternative because being unhappy is a choice that I no longer choose.

So that's it, in a nutshell. Expect new content coming soon, I'll be trying out new things here on the blog so be sure to leave me your feedback and let me know what you're liking along the way. Interacting with you dolls really is the best and feeds my soul more than you know!

Have a happy 4th holiday loves and be safe!
 The Look:
Dress: Eloquii | Shoes 1: Steve Madden | Shoes 2: Payless (very old) | Bag: ShopBop | Shades: Quay 

























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