Favorite Lipsticks To Transition from Summer to Fall

What lipsticks have you been reaching for the most this summer? My beautiful blogger friend Chantel and I have been talking about lipstick favorites lately and decided we should share some together on our blogs. Chantel is a dope beauty writer that blogs over at Chantel Keona and keeps her readers on trend with the latest beauty and style finds! I couldn't wait to collaborate with her to collectively share a few of our seasonal favorites with our readers. The trouble is, however, I have so many lipstick favorites. This summer I have been picking up shades randomly, as my mood saw fit, so I had no clue how I would narrow them down. Then I had the perfect idea that brought my transitioning makeup bag to mind.

One of my favorite things about transitioning from season to season is updating my makeup bag. And while we have plenty more warm days of summer left, I thought I would start thinking about my transitions early. As I'm transitioning my lipsticks from summer shades to fall shades, I pulled a few of my favorites that I knew would transition well from one season to the next. So without further adieu, check out my picks below!

Nude Manicure | L.A. Colors Color Craze Nail Polish in Intimate

Many will agree that keeping your nails in check adds to your appearance. For this reason, I try my best to make sure my nails are presentable at all times. And while it's been ages since I've gotten a professional manicure, I don't mind shaping and polishing my nails for upkeep. Some weeks this looks like getting rid of hang-nails and painting them a vivid, pastel shade. Other weeks merely consist of making sure I don't bite my nails or chip my polish.

This week, my nail care fell somewhere in the middle. I pulled out one of my favorite nude polishes, L.A. Colors Color Craze Nail Polish in Intimate and was reminded of why I love this polish so much. Nude polishes give nails a nice, neat manicure without all the fuss.

My Favorite MAC Lipsticks of All Time

If you've been reading the blog for a while, and even if you know me well, you know I could talk about lipsticks all day. I could go on and on about my favorite shades, finishes, and even dupes if it comes to that. And if you aren't careful, I'll talk you into trying a new shade or two. There's just something about trying a new lipstick that empowers me (and empowers me to empower other women as well).

One thing I haven't talked about in a long time in this space here, however, are my favorite lipstick brands. After gushing over my all-time favorite lipstick on National Lipstick day via Instagram, many people asked me about lipstick suggestions via DM. In fact, a few of you guys even asked me what some of my favorite MAC lipsticks were. And since MAC is one of my favorite beauty brands when it comes to lipsticks, I decided it would be cool to share my favorite MAC lipsticks here on the blog, too.

Not only do these high-quality lipsticks come in so many shades, there's a finish to suit everyone's fancy-- 7 to be exact. Everyone can find a shade that compliments their skintone. And MAC lipsticks always meet the criteria for what I'm looking for in a lipstick: great color pay-off, long-lasting, and great scent/flavor. So without further adieu, here are some of my favorites from the brand.

Blues: A Poem

The blues
I’ve been feeling lately
Don’t really come
With a specific name.
And now that I think of it,
I can’t even tell you where
They came from.

All I know is that
I was minding my own business-
Things were going
Normal enough
And they showed up
Unannounced
At my doorstep
Greeted me like an old friend
That had known me from a
Past time
And needed a safe space
To settle for the night.

REVIEW | She Begat This: 20 Years of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Joan Morgan

I fell in love with journalist + feminist author Joan Morgan’s writing after reading When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost years ago. So, when I found out she would be working on She Begat This: 20 Years of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, I knew I had to get my hands on it ASAP. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill plays loudly in the soundtrack of my teenage years and I still find myself learning and relearning love lessons as I listen to it today. Joan Morgan’s exploration of this album, along with the likes of Michaela Angela Davis, dream hampton, and DJ Beverly Bond (#BlackGirlsRock) is so necessary + such a dope way to commemorate the 20-year anniversary of such an iconic album. I read this baby last weekend and when I tell you I got my whole life, please believe me!

I love how She Begat This opens with the late 90s when Lauryn Hill emerged on the scene as a solo artist and what makes this moment so iconic. Lauryn Hill created her own lane, sharing bold style choices, and a dark-lipstick, dread-locked aesthetic that was ahead of its time. I love that Michaela Angela Davis notes that she did this move to mainstream without “altering her blackness.” She began setting trends in her own way, making others take notice. This alone is a political AND feminist statement, long before the days of social media. Not only was it seen by women of color, but picked up on by Harper’s Bazaar, as they gave her the September 1999 cover. Not only was Hill's presence saying something serious, her lyrics could rival many in the male-dominated space of hip-hop. Lauryn Hill was becoming an icon before our eyes and Morgan noted every detail, lest anyone forgot or didn't know how major this was in the 90s.

Raising Readers: How to Encourage Reading at Home

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BreakfastAndRead #CollectiveBias

My love of reading was encouraged at an early age by my mother. She kept the house full of books, building shelves adorned with everything from encyclopedias, fairy tales, children's books, and even literary workbooks she would find at local thrift stores and yard sales. Sparking my curiosity, I took these various books as a challenge to read EVERYTHING I could get my hands on. As the years progressed, my curiosities grew, and my mom continued to gift me with books to feed them. Before long, I was not only fully immersed in reading, but also teaching everything I learned to my younger siblings.

Some of my fondest childhood memories start and end with reading. In retrospect, I see myself retreating to my room to bury myself in some fantastical read as an escape to a far away land. Then other memories involve mom buying me books from my wish list along with my favorite snacks to share with friends.

As tradition would have it, I encourage this same of love of reading in my children. What started as a weekly task I promoted heavily, soon grew into a healthy habit each of my children indulge in at their own will. And my heart grows full when I watch them reach for their books and snacks after finishing homework after school, just as I did as a child. How do we actually get our children to enjoy reading, you ask? In today's post, I'd like to share with you three easy ways to encourage early literacy in children at home.