Review: Limoneira Avocado Body Bar and Lemon Avocado Body Butter

I think that I have finally found the perfect soap and lotion combination for my skin. Limoneira's Lemon Avocado Body Butter and Avocado Body Bar left my hopelessly dry skin feeling smooth and lively.

If you are someone that is looking for natural products, Limoneira should be at the top of your must try list. I am traditionally allergic to lemons. A glass of lemonade will break me out like you won't believe! But I found both the soap and the body butter to be incredibly soothing. No itching or breakouts here- the soap has a hearty earthy scent while the lotion goes on the skin cool and refreshingly. I. Am. In. Love.

For those of you that not only care about a product being natural but also about how it is produced, you should also look into Lumineira. They are producing products as sustainably as possible, employing smart water management and solar energy on their grounds. Want to learn more? Visit Limoneria.com for more info.

Preview: OCC Fall Collection

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is back with its Fall/Winter Collection: Unknown Pleasures.

The collection includes six new lip tars: Lament, Covet, Manhunter, Pagan, Technopagan, and Vain, $18 each,

along with six Nail Lacquers: Dangerous, Covet, Poison, Distortion, Pagan, and Technopagan, $10 each.

Not to be overlooked are their Cosmetic Colour Pencils in Sebastian and Lydia, two fun shade of purple, $16 each.

 You can purchase the collection now at Sephora.com and OCCMakeup.com and at OCC flagship boutique on 9/19  

Andre on Frizz

If you are not familiar with Andre Walker, all you need to know is that he has been doing mega star Oprah Winfrey's hair for YEARS. He also has his own collection of hair care products, and gives us tips on how to tame the frizz during these last days of summer.

1.       Use Q-Oil  by Andre Walker Hair                                        
The Q-Oil is great for controlling summer frizz and is recommended for all hair types.

Q-Oil, $35.00

Available at www.andrewalkerhair.com

2.       Braid your hair
Braids are cool and clean looking in summer heat. A French braid in the front will keep hair from falling your face, while a side fishtail braid can be a very sexy option.

3.       Try a pulled back knot
A pulled back knot is intriguing and can show off a great pair of earrings. Try securing the knot on different areas of your head, like on top, or to the right or left side of your nape.

Learn more about Andre Walker's products at: www.andrewalkerhair.com

The Terrible 29s 2: Emotions Make You Cry Sometimes: The Symptoms of Almost 30

I have always been an emotional person. I cry a lot. But since I turned the big 2-9, I must say, I spend a large amount of my day in tears. So many bills and so little time. So much stress. So much extra! When I am not shoving cookies down my throat I am whaling but I must say, I have gotten good at doing them both at the same time.

Question: Is this what being an adult is? As a child, I envisioned adulthood as hanging at the mall for as long as I wanted with my super pretty friends. Now I see it is more like trying not to curse while making a payment plan with AT&T. I am almost 30 and nowhere near where I thought that I would be. Nowhere near. Where is my house and my luxury vehicle and my super long hair and my marriage to Marlin Wayans (don’t judge me)?

It has been suggested to me that I should go to a shrink but there is no need: I know why I am crying. There is so much that I really want to do in life and for some reason, I feel like I am running out of time! When I felt the clock starting I was in college, dancing on stage at my favorite night club. As I feel the speed increasing, I find myself on my bedroom floor, doing my taxes myself because I can’t afford to go to H&R Block.

I don’t want to be a kid again but I don’t want this. At what point do I get to exhale and buy a cocktail that won’t take my checking account into a spiral into the negative? 40? 50? Or is this feeling of deep panic, fear, and uneasiness the tight shoe that we have to get used to wearing as we glide into middle age? If someone could text me the answer while I am on hold with Chase that would be great.

Review: Belli Fresh Stat Pre-Treatment Scrub and Anti-Blemish Facial Wash

Most of you know that I can be a bit of a facial wash phobe. I can't say that I know why. But when I found out that Belli had cool ingredients like cucumber, peppermint, and green tea, I had to try it! 

I started off with the Fresh Start Pre- Treatment Scrub. The scrub is light and isn't abrasive and scratchy. It does tingle a bit but don't worry. I'd just the peppermint. 

After the scrub, I then moved on to the Anti-Blemish Facial Wash which felt sooo cool on my face. And the plus: it smelled really good.  I washed my face after application, but you can leave on for 5 minutes as a mask. 

Both products are paraben-free and allergy tested. This is great for me because I have sensitive skin. I also washed each product off with cold water, which was like a happy dance for my face. 

The end result is my face looking brighter and feeling VERY soft:) I will totally be using again. Get your products today at Ulta.com. 

Kandi Notes

At the recent Ladies Who Brunch Atlanta "Royal Tea" event, I got the opportunity to hear some of my favorite business women speak. The above pic shows the panelists and hosts: (L-R) Dayira Jones (Co-Founder of Ladies Who Brunch Atlanta), Emily B. (Celebrity Wardrobe Stylist/Shoe Designer/Vh1's Love & Hip Hop New York), Latasha Wright (Celebrity Makeup Artist/Cosmetic Line Creator), Necole B. (Entertainment Blogger), Kandi Burruss (Grammy Award Winning Artist/Serial Entrepreneur/Bravo's Real Housewives of Atlanta), Cynthia Bailey (Supermodel/The Bailey Agency/Bravo's Real Housewives of Atlanta), and Bianca Rush (Co-Founder of Ladies Who Brunch Atlanta)

But my favorite business advice came from singer/songwriter/entrepreneur/ reality star Kandi Burruss. Below are a few of her business pointers:

-Use your name in your business ventures for branding purposes

-Trademark your name and buy all of your web domains

-When it comes to new ventures, don't always think you are going to make money. You may have to work for free, but look at the opportunity and not the money. 

There were so many women in business to network with and so much business wisdom to take in. And on top of that, I got to hit the photo booth with one of my fav bloggers: Kiwi The Beauty! I'm so ready for the next Ladies Who Brunch event. 

App Love: Goodshop.com

It's true: I'm not really that App friendly. But the Goodshop app is a fashionistas's dream! Here's the deal: the app gives you access to over 5,000 online stores and over 2,000 deals, coupons, and promo codes. Then it turns around and gives a percentage of your purchase to your favorite cause. As if you all needed more reasons to shop online! Learn more at Goodshop.com.