Same questions + different person = The Beauty 3/6/5, an interesting peek into the lives and beauty personalities of our fantastic readers!

This week’s edition of The Beauty 3/6/5 features Petra from Montreal! Petra is a lawyer.

She likes live music, natural hair, and juice.

So, without further ado…

3: PERSON

1. Describe yourself in 10 words or less.

Athletic, happy, engaged, positive.  An intellectual aesthete who loves conversation.

2. Tell us about your personal philosophy.

Be and stay engaged.  Actively live life as opposed to passively going through motions.  And a part of that is finding out what makes you happy and fulfilled and actually doing these things.

3. “I am the most beautiful when…”

I am balanced and engaged.

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Check it out…

By Marina for Beauty 365

Check out the 5 things that I learned the hard way after having my little one. Now, that I am expecting again, things are going much more smoothly, thank goodness.

But, seriously, why doesn’t anyone warn you about this stuff?!

1. The first trimester isn’t just morning sickness (which is never only in the morning, btw!) but it also comes with the most overwhelming fatigue you can’t ever otherwise experience. You can work 2 jobs and only get 2 hours of sleep and do crazy physical labor and you’ll never be as tired as a woman in her first trimester. I wish I knew so I could prepare for it somehow. There were days where I’d be scared to walk because I thought I would fall asleep and fall down (which almost happened a few times!). It was especially bad when I was working and would fall asleep driving. It is TOTALLY worth it to save your sick/vacation days for when that happens!

2. Umm… CRAZY skin discolorations! WTF is that black line running from my belly button down to my vajayjay??? And, why am I no longer caucasian down there? All your private areas get darker during pregnancy. Including nipples, underarms, and all existing birthmarks.

3. Sure you don’t get your period for 9 months… but I had no idea that I would then have my period for 6-8 weeks straight after giving birth! That’s like all the periods you missed all at once! I found this out well into my pregnancy and was like WHAT? Having to deal with that on top of a screaming infant when you have no time to bathe is so annoying and gross!

4. Buying maternity clothes is so exciting! But I wish someone warned me ahead of time to not go too crazy too fast. Even though maternity jeans/pants have the elastic band which will expand with your growing belly, your belly isn’t the only thing that grows when you’re pregnant. With my last pregnancy I went and bought all new maternity jeans to last me through my whole pregnancy. Unfortunately, my hips got so much wider around month 7 that none of those jeans fit anymore. So I was stuck having to buy new jeans and pants and I was so upset I couldn’t use the ones I had already bought. So this time around I knew to only get a few things and then get more later. The ladies at the store will never tell you that. They love first time suckers like me!

5. Baby showers make you register for everything under the sun. What a bad idea! Every baby is different and has a mind of their own. So even though it’s tempting to register for everything upfront while other people are paying for it, some stuff will end up being unusable. I got so much stuff that either Rebecca hated or I hated when it actually came to using them. It was so helpful going to the store with Rebecca and trying them on to see which stuff I liked best.  Going to the store as a mommy with some experience is so much better and bringing the baby to try stuff out with you is the best!

BONUS TIP: Oh yeah.. one other thing… Save your money on stretch mark creams! They don’t work!  Not getting pregnant is the only way to prevent stretch marks!  All the money I spent on stretch mark creams could’ve paid for a massage which would’ve been much more rewarding!

Thoughts? Any moms out there have another tip to add? Moms-to-be what say you? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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Tips to Keeping Your Skin Hydrated During the Harmattan [This Day Style]

Benefits of Oiling Your Hair & Scalp [BoldSky]

The Case of Settling for Mr. Good Enough [The Atlantic]

Birchbox Aims to Simplify the Business of Beauty [The New York Times]

How to Be a Great Mentor (And a Great Mentee) [The Next Web]

You Lazy (Intellectual) African Scum! [Mind of Malaka]

10 Reasons Your Hair Isn’t Soft [Black Girl with Long Hair]

7 Tips for Girls Who Hate Makeup. [CollegeCandy]

How to Contour Your Cheeks [The Fashion Bomb]

20 Things Life Is Too Short To Tolerate [Marc And Angel]

Amazing Tips To Get Your Stuff Organized [Mom Trends]

xo,
Ugochi

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Image credit: This Day Style

Just a quick post to say hello (or shall I say “How far?” ) from Nigeria.

I’m on holiday (finally!) and have been hanging out with the family and following the Occupy Nigeria Movement (national strike and fuel subsidy removal protests).

Of course, I’ve been working on getting the beauty scoop for you guys as well — Naija Beauty post to come!

And, as you remember Weaves are Big Business in Nigeria…

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib3Azi84jUk]

Soooo, I decided to do as the Romans do and borrow one of my sisters wigs to be wearing around.

Still not quite used to it though!

Anyhoo, I won’t be blogging regularly for a little bit, but I will be active on Twitter, so check me out (@Beauty365).

I’d love to hear how are you guys enjoying the new year! Leave a comment and let me know

Bye Bye, Beauties!

xx,
Ugochi

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xo,
Ugochi

by Stephanee for Beauty 365

Winter and I go together like oil and water, we just don’t mesh well.

I get the super sads when cold weather approaches and all I do is long for spring. Not only do the winter months make me depressed but it also does the unthinkable; it turns my sexy, dark tan into a pale and sickly hue of blah.

Enter Murad Bronzing Boost with SPF 15 ($38), an oil free bronzing formula that instantly brightens and darkens (and oxymoron I know ) your skin into sun goddess status. You might not have control of the seasons but you can still have your bronze-y sun kissed skin.

Absolute Bronzing Boost boasts that it can be layered so you can control how sun-kissed you want your face to be. When I first wore this product I swear I got a few head turns at work and I must say myself the glowy dew Bronzing Boost creates on my face suits me better than pasty pale skin.

I applied it with my fingers and it blends incredibly well.  For you beauties who are already nostalgic for warmer weather don’t fret because this bottle of bronzer will help you hold on to summer skin all year long. Absolute Bronzing Boost is available at Sephora or murad.com.

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Image credit: Murad
Disclaimer: This product was provided for editorial consideration. Opinions, are all mine! For more information, please see our disclosure.

by Stephanee for Beauty 365

The first time I used Sonia Kashuk’s Large Powder Brush was at Ugochi’s house while getting ready for an event and it’s been on my wish list ever since.

I finally came around to purchasing it the other day and I was glad I did because I was lacking a proper powder brush. Quality brushes can make all the difference with makeup application and this one never seems to fail.

This large powder brush is super soft, picks up product perfectly and applies powder to you face with ease. The sleek and ergonomic design fits your hand which also helps with application.

This brush looks professional and stands up to any other pro brushes you may have in your collection. The price isn’t bad either ($19.99) considering other companies sell makeup brushes that retail for way more.

Sonia Kashuk products are sold at one of my favorite stores, Target! While you’re there check out other products from her line — I know I will.

What’s your fave Sonia Kashuk product?

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When I think of Juicy Couture I think of all things girly, cute, pink and of course who can forget their signature velour track suits.

One of my favorite fragrances of all time has got to be “Viva la Juicy” and now my fav Juicy scent has been reincarnated into little roller balls along with three other yummy fragrances; “Peace Love & Juicy Couture,” “Couture Couture,” and “Juicy Couture.”

The roller balls ($19) come in 0.25 oz perfectly cute bottles which I love not only because I can have all of Juicy’s signature scents for a great price but, unlike other perfume bottles, I can carry them around in my purse…

I work in an airport and going through security is a drag (no liquids over 3.5 oz – boo!) These are great for beauties that love to have their choice fragrances on the go or frequent fliers like me. These roller balls also make the perfect birthday or Christmas gift.

In case you were wondering:

Viva la Juicy – has notes of mandarin orange, amber, gardenia, honeysuckle and wild berries (no wonder it’s my favorite!).

Peace, Love & Juicy Couture - has notes of feminine wood and freshly-cut blossoms.

Couture Couture – encompasses mandarin and natural orange flower scent blossoms, pink grape accords, star jasmine, honeysuckle, blushed plum, warm amber, vanilla and creamy sandalwood.

Juicy Couture – has a bouquet of tuberose absolute, wild rose, princess lily and grounded in notes of crème brulée, vanilla, precious woods and patchouli (now I craving crème brulee). You can find these little treasures on juicycouture.com or any department store.

And in honor of Juicy Couture’s roller ball fragrances I decided to use this as an excuse to try out this nail tutorial online I found online.

Tadaaa!

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Disclaimer: This product was provided for editorial consideration. Opinions, are all mine! For more information, please see our disclosure.

by Stephanee for Beauty 365

Ugochi, Uzoma and I were invited to Burt’s Bees holiday launch event a few weeks ago.

During our intimate tour with one of their representatives, I got to thinking about all of their products and how they are completely natural, so much so that they don’t even need masks and cover ups in their testing labs.

If natural products exist and work just as well as (if not better than) other products with chemicals, why aren’t more companies jumping on the au natural bandwagon?

Recently I’ve been a bit more conscious of what I put in and on my body. This is surely thanks to close friends and family including my brother who is very mindful of what he eats and uses on his skin and Ugochi who is a health nut that is slowly but surely rubbing off on me.

I can’t say that I’m completely knowledgeable of all the products I’m using, but being aware and making an effort to learn is definitely the first step to changing my lifestyle. Burt’s Bees is helping me get one step closer to a healthier beauty routine with their 100% natural products. We were able to pick out some goodies from their line and these are the products that became my favorites very quickly.

Cranberry & Pomegranate Body Butter ($13) and Sugar Scrub ($13) are part of Burt’s Bee’s holiday collection. The sugar scrub does the job and it smells so good that I have to hold myself back from eating it. It’s great to follow it up with the body butter but I found that the scrub is quite moisturizing and there’s no need to apply lotion after.

Coconut Foot Crème with Vitamin E ($9) is a winner for me because my feet need extra TLC since I’m on them all day. The cream is thick, the color of honey and smells like coconut and mint. It’s like a treat for my feet, just apply, add socks, wake up and voila soft feet.

Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Crème ($8) I’ve been using every night before bed since I got it. It is thick but melts into your skin and leaves your hands feeling soft and supple. Loves it!

Baby Bee Nourishing Baby Oil ($8) I fell in love with as soon as I saw it. I have a thing for oils and this baby oil can be used on baby or adult skin. I find it best to use on moist skin and a little goes a long way. Smells scrumptious, too!

Do you have any Burt’s Bees products that you love to bits and pieces? If so, do let us know!

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Disclaimer: Products were provided for editorial consideration. Opinions, are all mine! For more information, please see our disclosure.

by Stephanee for Beauty 365

Yellow diamonds seem to be all the rage this season with Rihanna singing about yellow diamonds in the sky (I wouldn’t mind having a yellow diamond on my finger!!!) and more importantly the Versace launch of their new fragrance, Yellow Diamond.

Not long ago, Versace invited us to the launch of their new fragrance Yellow Diamond at the Versace Boutique on 5th Ave. I was more than excited to be present in an exclusive area that Victoria Beckham and Donatella Versace herself frequent. How cool is that?!

It was a pleasure meeting Alessandra Giansanti, Executive Director of P.R. and marketing for EuroItaly who introduced us formally to the fragrance and broke down the scents that encompass Yellow Diamond.

This scent is meant to invoke a sunny day and does just that with notes of Diamante, orange blossom and amber wood. The aroma brings visions of summer days on a yacht with my Versace gown dripping in yellow diamonds (a girl can dream can’t she?!).

Versace brand might be too opulent for my salary, however with the launch of Versace for H&M and their fragrances anyone can indulge and have a taste of the lavish life.

If you can’t own yellow diamonds at least you can smell like you do.

xo,
Stephanee

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