The Power of Mun Nighttime Dream Youth Serum

Loading your skin with antioxidants is key for healthy glowing skin. Mun No. 1 Aknari Nighttime Dream Youth Serum uses a mixture of Prickly Pear Seed Oil, Argan Oil, and Rose Oil to restore the skin's health during a restful night of beauty sleep. Each one of these oils are extracted from Morocco's dessert lands and have unique properties which reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also evens the skin's complexion, brighten dark circles, and nourishes your skin all while fighting free radicals. This is an absolute beauty must have that's perfect for every season!

"Fit For a Queen" Event

For all my lovers of EVERYTHING beauty here is an event you don't want to miss! ​

​Obi Nwabuzor & 1 Life 2 Live Ent present “Fit For A Queen: An Event For Royalty”, a day soiree for beauty and fashion at Rooftop 760 (760 8th Avenue New York, NY 10036) on Sunday, June 2, 2013 from 3:00 - 6: 00 p.m.

Queens will be treated like royalty at the Hair Bar, Beauty Bar and Nail Bar. Photos and raffles will be posted courtesy of host Christina Brown and INDIQUEnista of LoveBrownSugar.com. The first 100 guests will receive gift bags featuring products from local and national sponsors including: Uptown Magazine, Southern Hospitality Labs, Melanie Marie Accessories, Shea Moisture, The Lip Bar, Carol’s Daughter, Miss Jessie’s, Curls, Ginger+Liz, and more! Proceeds from the raffle will be donated to Petals-N-Belles Non-Profit Organization. 

We Love: Stila's Glow In The Dark Lipstick

If you love a bold lip try Stila’s new line of After Glow Lip Color.  The collection includes six new lip shades that also glow in the dark.  The blend of special fluorescent pigments are, according to Stila, three times brighter than conventional lip colors. Then, at night, they're designed to glow under UV light.  Yes, you read it right, the cosmetic glow stick has the ability to illuminate your mouth bringing new meaning to the saying “Let Your Lips Do the Talking!”

Get Me Bodied

Looking for that nice summer glow?  Try giving your skin a little extra TLC for the upcoming season by following these three steps:

1)      Exfoliate:  Using a mild exfoliant like Organicapure’s Delicate Body Scrub use circular movements to buff away dead skin that you may have picked up during the winter months.

2)      Rejuvenate: Reward your skin with a great Anti-Oxidant Cream that will repair damage caused by harsh climates. We love Hylunia Ultimate Antioxidant Cream.

3)      Hydrate:  Lastly get glowing by applying a rich cream like Belle Butter’s Unyevu Butter.  The butter made of mango, apricot, and neem oil helps to nourish the skin without the heavy texture found in most winter lotions.

5 Summer Make-Up Tips

The key to wearing make-up in the summer is to keep it LIGHT. It's best to do away with  the heavy liner, lipsticks, foundation. Opt for a primer, BB cream, or even CC Cream instead of foundation.  A bronzer in loose powder form should be your best friend.  It's great for enhancing that summer tan you've been working on! Do away with heavy lipsticks, which can give a wintery feel, and go for a tinted lip balm.  And most importantly, makes sure every product you use provides SPF protection. The key to a flawless summer look is foremost healthy skin! 

DIY: Ombre Nails

What you'll need:

Two color polishes and a topcoat. You can choose colors that compliment or go bold and pick two that clash. Experiment with different combinations and see what works.

A sponge, a plastic sheet and toothpicks.

Step 1: Using the lightest of the two colors, paint your nails and wait for it to dry completely.

Step 2: On a flat surface, paint a generous amount of the colors right next to each other on to the plastic. Make sure they're just about touching at the edges.

Step 3: Using a toothpick, swirl the two colors together in where they meet. The area where they mix will determine the length of the graduation. So if you want a long graduation, mix a bigger section of the colors, if you want less of a fade, just mix them together a tiny bit.

Step 4: Take your sponge and dab it directly down on to the polish a few times.

Step 5: Dab the sponge directly down on to your nail. Keep dabbing lightly and moving it very slightly up and down your nail.

​(You can repeat this step as many times as you need to. Just make sure each layer is completely dry before sponging again otherwise you will start smudging the bottom layers and ruin the whole thing.)

Step 6: Add a topcoat. Or two or three! The sponging makes this mani very bumpy so you may need a couple of topcoats just to even out the surface.

Step 7: Clean up all the excess using a brush dipped in acetone or polish remover. I use a Q-tip dipped in remover for the big bits I can reach on my skin, then a small brush in pure acetone as I get closer to my nail and to make a crisp line near the cuticles.

All finished!

Battle of the Balms

To BB (cream) or not to BB that is the question… CC cream has emerged and made BB Cream lovers a tad bit confused.  The major difference is the proof in the cream.  While BB cream works as a multi-tasker with non-brightening primer, light foundation, moisturizer and sunscreen in one it doesn’t help with skin correctives.  CC cream contains a skin brightening primer, light foundation, moisturizer, sunscreen, anti-aging ingredients and sometimes collagen boosters.  Both creams give you coverage while keeping your skin’s health in mind.  Beauty Balm lovers can’t help but notice that BB creams tend to be a bit heavier compared to Color Corrective Creams which tend to be a tad lighter making them better for acne-prone skin and focuses on concealing existing issues.  The major difference between the two is that BB creams contain non brightening primers while CC creams do.  The pro’s say CC creams are better for the summer month’s because of their lighter consistency and flawless coverage. Give each a try and let the battle of the creams commence!

Get Scandal Ready

We’ve all been guilty of indulging in Scandal a time or two…maybe 3.  While watching season 2 we couldn’t help but notice Olivia’s perfectly pink pout.  To achieve her look try Stila Beauty Color Balm Lipstick in Isabelle or Make Up Forever Aqua Rouge 20 Pink.  Who knew being scandalous could look so good?

Get Glowing

If your bronzer isn’t giving you enough glow try giving your natural glow a little TLC.  We love Perricone MD’s Blue Plasma.  The “un-peel” resurfaces and unveils new skin by unclogging and purifying your skin cells all in one application.  It’s gentle enough to use daily with your own skin regimen and strong enough to help extract your skin cells to reveal beautiful healthy glowing skin! What more could a girl ask for?

Pierre Hardy for Nails

Pierre Hardy for Nars collections is now available for a limited time only at Nars.com.The limited collection which is inspired by the brand's shoe designs includes nail polish and blush in shades that are perfect for spring/summer.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks

Nothing says April more than a fabulous lip and cheek. Bobbi Brown has done it again with her new Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks. This multi-tasking cream color is convenient and chic! You can blend it on your cheeks for a beautiful day glow, or blot it on your lips for a soft pink finish. The best part about this must have beauty gear, is that one hundred percent of the proceeds from the limited edition Pretty Powerful Pot Rouge in Pretty Powerful Pink will support organizations that provide women and girls with education opportunities, job skills, and work experience. It’s one of the most beautiful ways to give back!

($25; bobbibrowncosmetics.com)

Coachella Fun!

In preparation for Coachella, Christina Brown of LoveBrownSugar.com, received the ultimate Coachella Inspired look! Using BOUNCE Deep Wave, BOUNCE Coil Curl, & PURE Curly, these three curl patterns gives Christina an effortless & unique curl pattern that will make her sure to stand out in the Coachella mix!​ Indiquenista & celebrity make up artist/stylist, Ashley Stewart, gave her a pop of color on the lips and accentuated her eyes! 

​Christina's hair & make up is complete but she still needs the perfect Coachella outfit! Help her pick her look out. Click her picture for more details!

Kate Spade's "Live Colorfully"

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of this iconic American Fashion house, Kate Spade releases their latest fragrance- Live Colorfully. The fragrance contains top notes of sparkling mandarin, pink water lily and star anise. Base notes include sheer amber, radiant musk and Tahitian vanilla and tiara flower, golden gardenia and coconut water resonate at the perfume’s middle tier. This fragrance is perfect for the upcoming warmer temperatures!

(katespade.com/fragrance)

Janelle Monae Covers Essence

Janelle Monae looks absolutely gorgeous (as always), on the May cover of Essence Magazine. In this issue, the Cover Girl talks, image, sex appeal, and artistry. After winning her first grammy earlier this year, she's busting out of the indie scene, and creating her own shine. Janelle is definitely one of our faves- we absolutely love her sound and unique sense of style. 

Dream Cream

True beauty starts with your skin, and harsh weather can be detrimental to your skin quality. This summer’s dry desert wind and brutalizing sun will be no match for your skin with Erno Laszlo Hydraphel Day Cream.  This rich preparation mimics your skin's natural moisture to protect and renew your skin without irritation. Nourishing plant oils and antioxidants combine with broad-spectrum UV protection, to deliver a smooth skin texture with along with the coveted healthy glow.

Hydraphel Day Cream SPF 15 Ultra Rich Protective Moisturizer, $85, www.ernolaszlo.com.

Indique x Wale Contest- Winners Revealed!

Thank You for all of the submissions for the Indique x Wale Hair + Tee Giveaway!

The winner for the @iloveindique twitter handle is: @poeticlovee!

The winner for the @iloveindique instagram handle is: @_Raquelbateman!​

​Congratulations ladies, you have both won TWO Tubes of Indique Hair & the Amazing Wale "Bad" T-shirt designed by Suetsai!

New Fragrance by Lanvin: "Me"

The highly anticipated April release of the new fragrance, Lanvin Me is finally upon us! Designer Alber Elbaz collaborated with perfumer Domitille Bertier, to create the new, unique fragrance that is said to accentuate strong will, intimacy and sensuality.  Lanvin Me has top notes that include soft florals, which are sweetened by the addition of ripened blueberries. The middle note has a slightly tough licorice kick. To ensure the scent lingerers on the skin, base notes include intense yet seductive tuberose. The fragrance is available as 30ml, 50ml and 80ml Eau de Parfum. This fragrance is a must have this spring!

http://www.lanvin.com/#/en/news

Beautiful Nails by Jin Soon Choi

This season is all about eye-catching color, and our nails are no exception. We love the newly released nail paint line Jin Soon, created by celebrity manicurist, Jin Soon Choi. She was inspired by a recreation of Monet's Garden at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, she saw last spring. The five glossy pigments-Blue Iris, Tea Rose, French Lilac, Poppy Blue, and Coral Peony- are thoughtfully named, beautifully packaged, and best or all, they practically never chip!

DIY Salon Quality Nails

You can save a few dollars, or nail salon visits, with Sally Henson's Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips. It's simple, quick, and the results are amazing! Take a look below:

1.Start off with clean nails free of oils and lotions. Wipe each nail with polish remover to make the appliques more adhesive.
2. Size each applique to your nail for the perfect fit.
3. Peel of the plastic film on both side of the nail polish applique.

4. Apply it to your finger nail starting at the cuticle, and press outward towards the end of the nail. 

Now you can add color or designs to your nails in an instant!

Beauty Advice

Want to make your small eyes look bigger? Stay away from dark eyeshadows. Start with a nude base, then apply shadow a shade or two darker than the base to your crease and use your finger to blend the color up toward your eyebrows.