Soft Feet and Skin with Goats Milk!

Hey Divas,

I have a cheap, easy and effective home remedy for you if you want glowing, touchable skin and soft feet.You can purchase canned goats milk at your local grocer. It will likely be in the same aisle as the condensed milk.



First, for the foot soak.
Combine goats milk, sweet almond oil, and hot water in a basin (or sink as I like to do). You could also use coconut, avocado, jojoba, or olive oil. Try a Whole Foods if you're not sure where to find these. Soak feet for at least fifteen minutes. If you calluses or rough skin, you can rub your feet with a pumice stone or callus remover. However, never use a razor on your calluses because they'll come back with a vengeance.

After your feet are beautiful and soft, keep them moisturized. Curel makes a nice deep-penetrating foot cream.

Now, for the skin scrub.

Pour a generous amount of sea salt in a bowl. Saturate the sea salt with goats milk until the mixture is lightly slushy, not soupy. Does this make sense? The exfoliant should be thick. Then add sweet almond oil. And mix. You don't even need gloves for this. You can scoop the mixture into your hands and rub onto your limbs. I like to use it (in the tub) before showering, or on damp skin. It works best that way. The result is skin that is silky and glowing.



Happy scrubbing,

Ike

A Woman'$ Worth: Worth Your Gander

Good morning Divas,

Mom has been telling me it's not how much you make it's how much you save since I was a toddler. And now that I'm a grown woman with grown woman bills and grown woman shopping habits-- her advice is more relevant than ever!!!

A Woman'$ Worth is an amazing blog!! I just stumbled upon it yesterday. It's written by a woman of color but really, I think any young and fabulous diva, regardless of whether she's still walking the halls of academia, taking care of a family, or climbing the corporate ladder, could benefit from it. Arlice Nichole gives financial information,book recommendations, savvy money saving tips, and advice on how we can all reach our personal BESTS. This blog is really a TREASURE. Visit. Bookmark. Love. Love. Love.

A Woman'@ Worth

Coins and Checks,
Ike

Fly Alert: Gracia Mid-Length Grey Trench Coat

Divas!

I love a great mid-length trench coat. Why? I love anything with fabulous collar and a snug waiste! It's the perfect combination of sporty and sexy and it moves with ease from the street to the club. This particular piece by Gracia can be purchased for$99 at Oki Styles. Oh, for you fly girls who like to party like a rock star on the weekends, this new site has some great, unique pieces for your wardrobe (and it's Black owned).

-flyness and funk

Ike

Wedding Dress of the Week

This week I decided to post this Monique Lhuillier, Estee/Josephine, design because it seems like the perfect dress for a Valentines Day Wedding. The a-line and lace detail exudes timelse romance and the pink sash adds the perfect flirtatious touch. Cupid's so jealous.

TIP:Monique too pricey? Many skilled independent wedding dress makers can create Monique-inspired gowns. The first place you should visit is the Bridal District in NYC.

-flyness and funk,

Ike

At-home Beauty Treatments For the New Year

Hey Divas,


It's my birthday today and the first one that I can honestly say I feel older. Also, I'm using my wish to ask God for a miracle. Dealing with tragedy over the holidays is pretty rough. Nevertheless, I'll be going to a nice restaurant with my family today and having a bit of bubbly tonight. I'm keeping it low-key this year.

Now to you. Tomorrow is New Years Eve, right? As promised, I'm going to provide you with tips to have the dewiest skin, softest feet, and prettiest hands come new years... and all of these treatments can be done right at home.



BODY



Go into the New Years soft as a baby and glowing. If you haven't already, start with getting rid of excess body hair. I love NADS and the reason why is because its all natural, it's not too too painful, it does a complete job and the bonus... it also acts as an exfoliant. The sugary/citrus mixture adheres to the top layer of skin cells and removes dead skin, so it's a wonderful way to begin the beauty process.



Okay, this evening you'll want to take a hot, steamy shower (steam, remember, is good), allow your pores to get nice and open, and exfoliate. I suggest you two products. First, I love good ol' St. Ives Body Scrub. Why? Because it's just the right consistency to really remove dead skin and leave the skin smoothe. The trend for a lot of beauty makers is to combine an exfoliant with a moisturizing base (like a lot of the sugar scrubs) and the problem here is that while you get added moisture, you loose some of the product's exfoliating capacity. Also, the granules of St. Ives are just the right size, small and round, therefore capable of moving with ease over your skin. Exfoliants that use larger crystals can be a bit too harsh and they don't do as good of a job covering the skin.



Now, when I want to glow on with my bad self... I follow the St. Ives with Sunshine Spa's Herbal Salt Scrub. It contains mineral rich dead sea salt with a healing blend of oils including almond, safflower, grapeseed and avocado, as well as Vitamin E. Now I first learned of this product in a spa in Africa. I went in to have a "dead sea salt scrub" and this is what they massaged into my damp skin. After rinsing it off, my skin was so soft and radiant for days. I remember flying home the next day, crossing and uncrossing my bare legs as I admired their natural sheen. So, imagine my delight when I discovered this spa product in the beauty isle of Whole Foods! Today, it is part of my Sunday beauty ritual.

To use at home, while your in the shower turn off the water and pat skin drywith a wet cloth until it's damp. Then take a good amount of the salt scrub and massage into your body in a circular motion. This process should take about five minutes. Do a thorough job. Rinse off and allow your skin to AIR DRY. This is really important. You will notice the glow and intense moisture immediately. I promise.


After the shower, moisturize skin with a liberal amount of Johnson&Johnson's Baby Oil Gel. I like to use this at night because when applied to damp skin, it makes it baby soft and tender. Trust me on this one.




Face


We don't want to bring in the New Years looking tired, dull, or parched. So make preparations this evening to have a dewy face tomorrow. I like to exfoliate the face with a mild, natural alpha hydroxy. Combine lemon juice, a few red crushed grapes (tartaric acid) with some sugar. Smoothe over face and rub gently. Let it sit for about ten minutes and then rinse. The citric acids in lemon in combination with the mechanical exfoliation of the sugar crystals work remove any dull, dead skin cells from the top layer of the face. The thing about facials is that your face always looks better the next day, so do this now!

I also like using Queen Helene's Grape Seed Extract Mask the day before a big event because it does a marvelous job with the pores.

The next step to having a wonderful face tomorrow is to drink lots of water and cup's of jamal (yerba mate) today and cleanse the body of toxins, excess water, and SALT which will surely make you look puffy tomorrow. Holiday cuisine is usually salty.


The final step to being fresh faced tomorrow is to sleep well tonight.





Hands


For smoothe hands the best thing to do is to rub hands together with the Sunshine Spa dea sea salt scrub or another moisture rich exfoliant for about five minutes and rinse. If you don't have time to get a mani/pedi, be sure to push back your cuticles and shape nails. No hang nails on New Years! Polish them with a color that pops or sparkles. Your nails want to celebrate too!


Here are some of my favorite colors, and they can all be purchased at your local drugstore!

~Milani Glitzy Stilleto, a sparkly pink for the girly girls


~Milani Glitzy Stars, a clear polish with silver and irridescent sparkle (very New Years appropriate)


~Loreal Pro Manicure Nail Polish, Breaking Curfew (as you will be), a sumptuous, sophisticated and deep plum. Loreal also makes a special mistake-proof brush that leaves you with professional-looking results.


And don't forget to brush on Milani's top-coat nail polish. It's as shiny as the one they use in the nail salon.














Feet

Remember the scene in Boomerang with Murphy's character looks at his date's feet the next morning (Lela Rochon) and cringes. Well because you may very well be in that situation New Years morning (I know some of my divas are naughty), don't let your crusty feet be the deal breaker.

Having said that, I will now suggest that you slather your feet in plain, sugar free, yogurt.... yes I said it, yogurt, for about twenty minutes this evening. Yogurt contains enzymes that penetrate calluses and rough spots. As a former dancer, I have searched far and wide for rough feet cures.

The best way to do this treatment is to buy a tub of yogurt and dump it into a plastic bag, like a shopping bag. Then sit down with both feet in the bag. It feels kind of gross, I should warn you. When you're done, wipe your feet, tie the bag up and discard.


Rinse off the yogurt, and then with St. Ives exfoliant and a foot smoother (those rough paddles you scrub your feet with), go to work.

Finally, rub them down with the same sunshine spa dead sea salt scrub and then send me a thank you letter at flyfunkydiva@gmail.com. Seriously. You'll want to. Rub them in Johnson and Johnson's Baby Oil Gel and sleep in sweat socks. You know the routine.

flyness and funk,
Ike

Urban Expressions Hand Bags

Hey Divas,

Featured in Life&Style and Cosmo magazines, my latest fashion find is a trendy, sophisticated, quality hand bag for a steal. At last! Urban Expressions bag designs rival those of Marc Jacobs and Lanvin. They all come in great color combinations with fantastic metal hardware. I also love that they are roomy and conspicuously fabulous, for women with big lives to carry around. If only the envious women on the street knew that I shelled out about $50 for my piece of flyness.

Purchase them here.

-with flyness and funk,

IKE

oh wait.... the cheap way to get antioxidants

Just in case you don't want to spend $80 on your bath water....

This product is a serious bang for the buck. Good old Queen Helene. Available at http://www.queenhelene.com/ or at your nearest beauty supply store for $4.60.

Real verses Imagined: Tiffany's Rings

All I want for Christmas is this Tiffany's ring!!! It's a Frank Gehry (brilliant architect turned veteran jeweler for Tiffany's). Pave diamonds set in 18k White gold. Retails for $14,000. http://www.tiffanys.com/.








But since I have neither achieved immense wealth or fame (give me 'till 2011) nor married rich, It's not happening. Stumbled across some fabulous replica's though at http://www.evesaddiction.com/.



This sterling silver peridot bubbles ring retails for $36.

This sterling silver and cubic zirconia sevillana ring, also for $36.

The sterling silver and cubic zirconia atlas ring (my favorite Tiffany's collection) is also $36.

Moet Tastes, Zinfandel Budget: The Solution for the Perfume Obsessed

In the words of famous perfumer Pierre Dinand, "Without Perfume a woman is naked." It's so important that a woman's scent is evocative of her personality, her carriage, and... her very womanhood. Quite often the best scents (House of Guerlain, Chanel, Creed) are those made of complex, exotic notes that are designed to tittilate and intrigue the olfactories. Nevertheless you may pay a grip for such fragrances.





NOT anymore. There's a store called United Roots right down the street from Yale's campus that I stumbled into one day, just out of curiosity. To my sensual pleasure, I found over 800 scent types in oil base!!! United Roots carries designer-type scents (Cocomademoiselle, Magnetism, Armani Code, Shalimar Light), essential oils and blends. Every time I go there I stay for over an hour. Oh and prices.... between $5 and $25. Perfume fans, welcome to paradise!

A word of caution: while some scents are enhanced in their oil base (the original base before alcohol is added) others are not. Oil-bases tend to be base-note heavy and they don't have the same dynamic scent-release quality of alcohol bases in which you first smell mostly the top, then the middle, then the base-notes. The oil base tends to flatten the smell. Nevertheless it lasts practically all day, verses 3 to 5 hours, and the little $5 roll-on sticks are perfect for sticking in your evening clutch to freshen up your scent at the end of the night.... or the next morning (a fly diva's got to stay prepared, hehehe).



The website is http://www.unitedroots.com/. The store is located at 49 Orange Street, New Haven CT and there is another at 140 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport CT. If you are anywhere near this area, it's worth the trip.

Back to Basics for Winter Skin

The temperature is plunging, I'm spending more time inside and paying more attention to my skin. Really, the only way to fight dry, parched, dull winter skin is to MOISTURIZE like crazy. I'm not a big fan of lotions either. I think lotion is a wonderful way for companies to save money at the expense of your skin. The main ingredients are alcohol and water. Alcohol is an emulsifier but it dries your skin out and water provides temporary hydration, but no moisture. Historically women of color have maintained soft, ageless skin (think about your grandmother's skin) because they have understood the power of a sturdy moisturizer, even when they didn't have access to retail beauty products. So this winter, overlook all the empty promises in your nearest beauty isle and go straight to the natural source.

1. Raw Virgin Coconut oil: A beauty staple of Philipine women for years, the secret to its incredible moisturizing properties is in its molecular structure. Where as most skin oils consist of a large chain fatty acid, coconut oil consists of a medium chain fatty acid, making it lower in molecular weight and capable of greater absorption into the skin. I use it every morning fresh out of the shower and after two minutes I am left with nothing but shine. No film, no grease. Your skin drinks it and it hydrates from within. You should be able to find some at your local grocer in the food isle. Its a solid at room temperature so its relatively easy to handle. Coconut oil is attributed to deep moisturization, preventing wrinkles, age spots, promoting a healthy glow, and shielding skin from infection. I even use it on my face. Don't by if mixed with mineral oil. It ruins it's molecular properties.

2. Coco Butter: A staple in the Black community that has recently experienced growing popularty in the main stream beauty market. Cocobutter prevents wrinkles, blemishes, and provides wonderful moisture. It can be found in its pure form at many beauty, holistic, and health stores or online.

3. Shea Butter: I use this every night before bed. Shea butter has infinite uses (food, skin, hair, you name it) but it is spectacular for your skin. Shea butter is rich in Vitamins A, E, and F which promote healthy, clear, blemish free skin. It is higher in unsaponifiables ( a type of fat) than most other oils, which is what gives it its extraordinary moisturizing, wrinkle fighting properties. It contains cinnamonic acid which is a natural sun screen. It is also low in molecular weight, thus it is readily absorbed by the skin and it wont clog pores. You can use this on your face especially if you are 25+ and looking to begin an anti-aging regimen. Some say it helps prevent acne. It is also great for treating skin conditons like exzema, which I have so I know! I can't stress enough the importance of having fresh, pure, shea butter that has not been out too long or mixed with chemical additives. Shea butter has comprehensive chemical properties but they are also very delicate properties that will be void if the shea butter is tainted with. Like cocobutter, purchase on-line or at a beauty, health, or holistic store.

4. Vaseline: Good old vaseline! I mean need I say more. Moisture-phobic people knock it now a days but that's okay, let them have dry parched skin. This is still an amazing (and cheap) way of moisturizing the skin, especially problem areas like the feet, hands, and elbows. It's thick consistency protects skin against moisture-loss during the winter months. Yes, vaseline is greasy, as hell. But I like to use it every night before bed all over my body (excluding my face) and then I cover my feet in sweat socks. My skin is incredibly soft each morning. You just can't beat it. Contrary to popular belief, vaseline is not great for your lips. It can even make them more chapped. Coconut oil however is amazing for kissable lips.

With that said, here are some products out there that stick to the basic ingredients. I think it's best to purchase the pure versions of these ingredients, but if you use a product that contains them make sure that the moisturizing agents are main ingredients and not water, alcohol, and other emulsifying agents. Also look out for other excellent oils for your skin in the ingredients list like jojoba oil, avocado oil, olive oil, sweet almond oil, and safflower oil.

Fly Products

1. Chic Afrique Herbals makes amazing soaps with nothing but moisturizing agents such as shea and coco butters, palm and olive oils. The moisturizers are also top quality. The smell... good enough to eat. The company is owned by two black women, one a former doctor.

2. Nubian Heritage's Honey and Black Seed Lotion. Despite the fact that its a "lotion" it's really rich in all the good stuff (shea butter , jojoba, etc.) This company's shea butter cremes are fabulous as well. They are usually mixed with other oils such as lemon grass to soften the consistency. They smell great too.

3. Carols Daughter Sexy Belly is fabolah! It's loaded with shea butter, cocoa butter and jojoba oil and improves the skin's elasticity (i.e. STRETCH MARKS) and also the Almond Cookie Shea Souffle. It's light but oil rich and the Almond cookie line smells incredible!! (Men will notice)