Feeling so grateful for women like Misty who fight to be seen and heard.
Natural Beauty: Lupita Nyong’o
When I see Lupita, two words come to mind — style and grace. Of course, there are many others I can think of (like beautiful, super-talented), but then I’d be going on for days. She seems so grounded and poised and I couldn’t be happier to see a young woman living her dream.
Let’s talk about her fashion choices. Whether it’s clothes, hair or makeup she always gets it right. Last month she shared her beauty secrets with Racked:
“I use a lot of natural oils—like avocado oil and Hawaiian kukui oil—and try to drink lots of water. I think your skin really needs to be nourished from the inside rather than outside, so eating right and drinking water really goes a long way. I’m very low-maintenance.”
By the way, wasn’t Lupita’s Oscar acceptance speech just perfect? And if you missed the one she delivered at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon, here’s a short excerpt.
“…And my mother again would say to me, “You can’t eat beauty. It doesn’t feed you.” And these words plagued and bothered me; I didn’t really understand them until finally I realized that beauty was not a thing that I could acquire or consume, it was something that I just had to be.”
I just love her…
Huge congrats to Lupita on her Oscar win! So well deserved. Xx…
Brown Sugar Lip Scrub
No one wants to walk around with dry lips. It makes you a little self-conscious (plus, it makes your lipstick flaky too). The best way to have soft lips is to exfoliate using a lip scrub. I’ll let you in on a secret — I’m not one to spend a lot of money on beauty products because most times you can use items that you already have in your kitchen. Food does the body good. So if it’s good enough for you to eat, it will benefit you skin and hair topically, as well.
I made this scrub using three simple items: coconut oil, honey and brown sugar. It’s so simple and works just as great as products like these from Nordstrom:
What you’ll need:
1.5 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of honey
2 teaspoons of brown sugar
What to do:
Combine the coconut oil with the honey. The oil moisturizes and nourishes the skin while honey contains cleansing and healing properties and is a natural binder.
Add the brown sugar and fold it into the oil/honey mixture. Brown sugar not only tastes great, but is also the perfect natural exfoliant. It’s not too harsh and leaves skin soft to the touch.
Transfer the scrub from the bowl into a small jar or container.
How to use:
Massage a generous amount onto lips using a firm, circular motion. Wipe away with a tissue or warm wash cloth.
Now you’ve eliminated dry, flaky lips and have a smooth base for your favorite lipstick or gloss. Here’s to having kissable, smooth lips in time for Valentine’s Day!