Fashion & Style: Halloween Costumes for 2015

To this day, one of our most viewed posts is Sexy Halloween Costumes for 2013.  This year however I want to mix it up, and not neccessarily do sexy halloween costumes, but more so the most creative costumes I've seen on social media thus far!  And in the spirit of Halloween and because we haven't done a contest in a while, we're going to be giving away a mystery Halloween gift basket!  Filled with candy and other goodies, this will go to the person with the best/most creative costume (in our opinion).  Contest starts today and ends November 6th.  Submissions can be sent to us via email at mindofafashionista@hotmail.com, Facebook, or Instagram.  Can't wait to see everyone's costumes and check out our picks of some of the creative costumes we've found on social media thus far!

Hands On: Pumpkin Crazy

Now that I've secured a job in my field (and you know that's major), I've been more financially able to plan things, more so plan fun activities for me and mini me.  Last week I decided to take her Thies Farm, where on the weekend, Pumpkin Land is in full force!

Mazes, hay rides, and pumpkins galore, Thies Farm was a fun and very inexpensive place for me and Aubrey to go and have a Sunday Funday.  She climbed the hay towers, screamed down the slide, and even got her face painted one of her favorite characters, Hello Kitty.

But the fun wasn't over yet.  I bought her a small pumpkin there at the farm, only being $3.50.  But where was I to get my pumpkin?  And if you know me, you know I go big, so I needed a pumpkin to match.  And little did I know that Aldi had the most gigantic pumpkins I've ever seen, at least 25 pounds if not more, for only $3.99!  After lugging my pumpkin to the car, we needed a few more things for our fun DIY project and we headed to Michaels where I scored big once again.  Not only was I able to use a 50% off one item coupon, but also got 20% off everything, which made 8 cans of spray paint only $19!

A photo posted by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Ak Brown (@akjapbae) on Oct 25, 2015 at 1:03pm PDT

After rushing home from what seemed to be like a long day, we got our newspaper and spray paint, and decorated our pumpkins for the neighborhood to see.  I went with a more sophisticated gold, where as Aubrey wanted multi colors as she puts it (lol).  This project took us 15 minutes at the max, and our pumpkins dried in record time.
Such a fun, hands on activity that didn't break the bank, and a tradition we will continue for years to come! Do you have any fun Halloween projects you do for Halloween?  Drop a comment and share below!

Makeup: My MAC Dupe..Apparently

If you follow me on Instagram, which I hope you do, then you know I've been on the move.  It's the beginning of Saint Louis Fashion Week and so far I've been to many events these past two weeks.

At one of these events, Fashion Week Boutique Hop (recap coming soon) I was stopped at least 7 times about the lipstick I had on, and everyone thought it was MAC!

And as much as I enjoyed everyone's compliments, I can't credit MAC, this was a dupe.  I primarily used "Queen" by RK by Kiss Matte Lip Lacquer with a touch of Revlon Colorblast.  On the corners, I tend to do a different type of ombre, displayed above, and that was used with a Wet n' Wild lip liner.

In total for all of the products I used versus one tube of MAC is $11 vs. $17.

This WAS NOT! intentional as far as me finding a dupe of MAC but I am so glad that I did!

Do you all have dupes for any other MAC shades? Drop a comment below and let us know!

Rants & Raves: Our New Direction

  

I write this post, with so many emotions I might add, that change is coming to this blog.  I made the announcement on our Facebook page and my personal Instagram page, and I'm doing it again to make it known big things are happening.  Long story short...Mind of a Fashionista (the name) will be no more.  I say this with sadness because Mind of a Fashionista was and is my baby (besides my real baby).  I started this blog back in 2013 as a way for me to stay relevant in the fashion industry.  At the beginning of my college journey I was majoring in fashion design and entrepreneurship.  I wanted to open up my own clothing line, Lawrence Anthony, and have all the success I saw other designers have at New York Fashion Week and beyond.  But being careless and naive, I found myself in a situation that turned out to be the biggest blessing that could happen.  I became a mom.  A 20 year old mother who had to figure out how to manage shit, how to balance life, and I had to grow the hell up QUICK!  And with that, my decision was to turn away from fashion design and to open my eyes to fashion blogging.  Almost three years later this blog has grown in more ways than I could have ever imagined.  And anyone can see why I am somewhat emotional about letting the name go...I feel like my child has went to college or something!!!

Even though I love the name so much, my blog is a business, and I have to think in a business mind frame.  More so, this brand is not just about me, it's about me and my best friend and our journey through this blogging world.  When we re branded the first time at the beginning of this year, my mission was to solidify to everyone that Mind of a Fashionista was in fact two minds that think like one, and it seemed that my efforts to make that point just weren't getting into people's heads.  Secondly, we have grown from just being fashion and beauty bloggers and we don't want to be restricted due to our "niche".  With our new blog workshop series Divergent Place, it has inspired us to take the plunge and not be scared to do what the hell we want to do.  Yes fashion is still our passion, but we want to talk about so much more, and when it all comes down to it, our name wouldn't allow us to do so.

So to all of our fellow readers, subscribers, and #MOAF lovers, we thank you.  This is definitely not the end for us, but just the end of Mind of a Fashionista (the name).  Within the next couple of months you will slowly but surely start to see our new brand Just Bloggers: No Explanation take full force, where we not only will keep posting about our love for fashion, style, and beauty, but also take a more head dive approach at writing topics such as love, sex, & relationships, celebrity opinion pieces, fun projects and recipes we find on Pinterest, and so much more!

We hope that this gives us a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiig opportunitiy to connect with other bloggers that we have been meaning to chat with, and we know in our hearts you will love our new brand.  Make sure to follow us in anyway you can (check out our new social buttons on the right) to stay up to date on our makeover!

Once again, thank you to everyone who has been on this journey with us!

#werejustbloggers

Hair: Now I'm The Blue Hair Bandit #2

I needed a change.  A major change.  You know how it gets, same routine, blah blah blah, and I had to do something.  I've wanted to cut and color my hair for a long time.  And I've done it before, but wasn't able to find anyone to cut or color the way I wanted, whether it was due to them being HORRIBLE or smart enough to let me know they weren't experienced enough at that point (thank you). So first, after going back to one of my old stylist I got my hair cut, thanks to Pinterest, and thought I would be content.

A photo posted by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Ak Brown (@akjapbae) on Sep 5, 2015 at 1:03pm PDT

But looking at other people who have these ROCKING hair colors, including fellow blog mate Diamond, I knew this feeling of wanting color would not go away.  And thanks to the Fashion Week Boutique Hop, I was able to get this done!

Now with the color, I wanted something grey with a navy tint, but because we were pressed for time I decided to go with a blue.  First, after lifting the hair once, we put the dye on, which looked more so like a purple blue...and after some sitting, heat, and washing of the hair, BOOM!

A photo posted by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Ak Brown (@akjapbae) on Oct 22, 2015 at 5:47am PDT

I love this color for many reasons.  First, the way my hair is, some of it still being natural, my hair has SO MANY colors and tints to it!  At the roots it's more of a dark blue/purple, in the middle it's a nice, oceanic teal, and at the ends it looks like a light blue/grey, which was not planned but so cool looking!  And what makes my hair a little different is that I only dyed the long hair I have, all of my undercuts are black.

My hair even looks good in different lighting situations, I am so IN LOVE!

A photo posted by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Ak Brown (@akjapbae) on Oct 22, 2015 at 7:07pm PDT

So for now, I am the blue hair bandit #2, there are so many other colors I want to try and explore, but until then, get use to the #bluehairduo of #MOAF!

Drop a line and let me know what you guys think of the new do!

Makeup: Could It Be...Sweat Proof?

A lot of us struggle with running makeup. During a midday face check you may find your face a shiny, runny mess thanks to sweat and humidity. Maybe you have a wedding to attend and want to have a flawless look for any photo ops with the lovely couple. Do you want to go to the gym or dance all night to your favorite songs without your makeup looking a mess?  

I've tried many different types of foundation and usually the result is not quite what I'm looking for as far as the staying power. There are tips and tricks to get makeup to stay, but a lot of us struggle with keeping the foundation on and looking fresh, especially when it's hot and that can leave our faces looking like an oil slick. We all want to have a flawless, fresh, and natural makeup look whenever we please. Thanks to science and technology you wish has been granted, or so it seems.
Many beauty manufactures understand the struggle and have created sweat proof makeup. Sweat proof makeup has been on the scene for a few years now making it possible to get through the day and a session in the gym make up in tack. Sweat proof, according to Merriam Webster, means resistant to sweat. Sweat is made up of water and salts. It is excreted from the pores on our skin to help us cool off. Our perfectly engineered bodies can unfortunately destroy a perfectly made-up face.

INGREDIENTS:
Titanium Dioxide is another common ingredient and is a pigment. It is used to protect the skin and provides opacity to cover blemishes. Talc and/or mica is used to add shimmer. It is considered to be a filler and helps with a smooth product application. Makeup also contains thickening agents, fatty acids, antioxidants, and preservatives. Silicone is a key ingredient. It is able to bind and resist water. This creates a barrier on the skin and keeps in moisture for hydration. It is a naturally occurring mineral that can be synthesized, or made in a lab.  It is used to create a flexible barrier on the skin.  There are different types of silicones that provide benefits depending upon your skin type due to differences in their chemical properties. For more about the science behind silicones visit FutureDerm for more beauty science tips. On to the good stuff the foundations that will keep that face fresh:

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 MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof  Foundation $33 - 24 hour long lasting formula that according to MAC, will not budge. It is oil-free, transfer-free, and sounds like it is worry free. Definitely worth a try! Photo credit: MAC Cosmetics  
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Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation - $42 - This foundation is said to remain flawless providing buildable coverage and combating shine. Their customers gave this one a 5 star review and it is highly recommended. Photo credit: Smashbox
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Bobbi Brown Long Wear Even Finish Compact - $48-This liquid makeup in a compact promises smooth, even skin lasting up to 12 hours even in humid conditions and is available in 20 colors. There is also a liquid version. Photo Credit: Bobbi Brown Cosmetics
ImageRevlon Colorstay Whipped Créme Makeup - $14.99-Made to be light and provide an all-day, flexible wear.  Photo credit: Walgreens

Others worth mentioning:
Clinique Stay-Matte Oil-Free Makeup
Maybelline Superstay 24HR Makeup
Rimmel London Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation

PRIMERS

As I learned more about sweat proof, all-day flawless makeup I started hearing a lot about Primers. The key to anything, makeup included is having a solid foundation. Primer is just that it creates a base layer to help in application and staying power. For those of us with oily skin we can also use primer.  Check out the two below.
Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer $52 at Sephora.com and was recommended to me for my oily skin. (It still sits on my wish list).
 
Shine Control Primer by Neutrogena is more budget friendly at $13.49

Fashion & Style: Balmain DELIVERS!

BALMNATION IS HERE!

A few months ago we helped announce that H&M and Balmain would have an exclusive collaboration happening this November, and now it's coming to life!

This past week Balmain had an one of a kind event bringing the collaboration to reality, and now, the look book as been released!

I don't know about the rest of yall, but I try to snatch up any type of collaboration that H&M does, you're getting designer looks for way less than what it usually goes for, and you won't be able to find these type of designs anywhere else!

Here are my personal favs of the look book, both men and women, and as you can see, the overall aesthetic of the collection is simply to die for!

Take a look, and to see the entire look book for yourself, clicky here!

Pics:http://www.elle.com/fashion/news/g27148/balmain-hm-collaboration-lookbook/?slide=38

Lippie Review: Marc Jacobs

You know what today is?! It's Lippie Review Monday!  And today I'll be reviewing Marc Jacob's "Le Marc Lip Creme".  I think everyone woman should have at least one designer lipstick, that they can wear on a very special occasion or have to compare with other similar brands, and Marc Jacobs is mine.

The lipstick packaging itself is something I haven't experienced with most of the other lip sticks I own, from the slick black oval tubing to the magnetic retractable top, it's something I really enjoy.

The formula is a creamy satin, and this color, "202: Goddess" is a vibrant red-orange.  It goes on really smooth and isn't hard on the lips.  Taking it off is easy as well, leaving little "stainage".

Two critiques I will say is one, I've heard a lot of people complaining about this lipstick beading up around the corners.  I haven't had this happen personally, but have seen that happen on someone else.  Two, the longevity is a little disappointing for the cost ($32), I have to apply a few times throughout the day vs some of my cheaper lipsticks that I only have to apply once in a 7-8 hour time span.

All in all, I give Marc Jacobs about a 3.5/4 out of 5, not a bad purchase at all.  I will definitely be buying a few more designer brand lip products and do an in depth comparison, to see which brand is ultimately the best.

What do you guys think? Drop a comment and let us know

Blogging 101: Getting Down With Social Media Management

An important part in most people's lives is social media.  Being able to connect with friends and family through the internet, share your life in a snap, and just have fun is what we're all about in 2015.  Social media is also a very important part in a blogger's life as well.  We use social media to update our readers on new blog posts, collaborations, giveaways, and more on top of driving traffic to your blog.  The question is, HOW THE HELL DO YOU MANAGE IT ALL!  Like seriously, from all of the social media sites that most of us are on, including:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

GOOGLE+

BLOGLOVIN'

YOUTUBE

SNAPCHAT

PODCAST WEBSITES,

it'll take more than just a mental note to remember when and what to post for each site.  So where do we start?  Well, that's where the handy, dandy, social media schedule comes in.

First, before even making or setting up your calendar you need to analyze your accounts to get a clear picture of really what the hell you're doing.  For instance, what should I post on each account?  What times and how many times should I post on each account? So to first develop a great social media schedule, you need to research each of the main social media accounts you use and get a general idea of when your content is the most "poppin'", whether that's in the morning, afternoon, evening, during the week or weekend, etc., and go from there.

Once you've done that, you can plan when to post to each day.  I suggest focusing on either one type of social media a day (ex. Facebook on Mondays, Twitter Tuesdays) or the type of engagement per day (ex. follow for follow on Mondays, recap of blog posts on Fridays).  Again, it all depends on your reader engagement and stats.

Once you got the basics down, it's time to execute.  Either online (ex. Google Calendar, Trello), or with a nice paper template, write out what will be shared on what day, at what time frame you're aiming at posting, and so on.  I suggest starting off with planning a week and then work your way up to planning out the entire month, obviously once you create an entire month's worth of posts!

We are in the processing of figuring out a social media schedule we can stick to, so any ideas, tips, and tricks will help!

And for an added bonus, here is a social media calendar we found on Pinterest, make sure to follow us for more blogging tips and tricks!

Fashion: Seriously...

I'm definitely going to do a YouTube video and podcast on this topic because I need you guys to hear the affliction in my voice and to see my facial expressions when I talk.  But until then, let's just go ahead and put it all on the table...these mfs are tripping!  Who?!  Designers and magazine publications committing back to back offenses of cultural appropriation.

Now I just did a couple of posts about this not too long ago, and it seemed to have died down, but with Paris fashion week in full force, cultural appropriation has been popping out from each and every corner.  It's truly upsetting.  And what some people don't seem to grasp is that we don't care that people like it, or think it's a "trend", but what we do CARE about is that most of these styles, garments, and beauty routines are what many of us do on a daily basis and have been since we were born, what our mothers, grandmothers, and so on have been taught since our race has existed.  And, these are the same "trends" that we probably got made fun of for, or got a million and one questions about, like what we wore, or what we did as far as our beauty regime was some foreign concept no one could understand.  I am sick of this ish, SICK OF IT!

You don't believe me, ok, let's put this to a test, check the pics below:

These are beauty supply slippers, sold for under $10 at every hood beauty supply.  I owned a black and a red pair in middle school.

How can you depict African culture with NOT ONE African or African American human being?!  And it's spelled wrong!

Kylie Jenner wearing braids, dreads, etc, is not edgy or new, she got some black ding ding in her life and thinks she's one of us now, have several seats

These are bantu knots, nothing new, but something every natural girl tries to master in their hair journey, something that can take hours, and something that has been done for YEARS!

Cornrows?  Child please, everyone has gotten cornrows since they were little, sitting on the floor in between your cousin's lap crying because it hurt sooooooooo bad, beads on the end, and gel on the side to lay down the baby hair.

And there are plenty more examples besides these.  Probably the most f'ed up example of all is Cosmopolitan having the AUDACITY to crown the Kardashian/Jenner clan as the first family of our generation, totally disrespecting the real FIRST FAMILY-THE OBAMAS!  Boy I tell you, I've written to Cosmo before, with no response I might add, but I''ll damn sure do it again.

What are your thoughts on this?  Is anyone else as mad as I am or am I just over-exaggerating (I'm not FYI)?  Drop a line and let me know please!

Blogger Insight: Know It All Bloggers? I'm Sick Of Them & Strive Not To Be One!

"Know it  alls", people who think…they know it all, but seem not to possess all of the information they put forth that they know, more so have mastered.  Yes I know, very intellectual of me to say, but it comes with a purpose.  Scrolling on Periscope I saw someone I follow make a broadcast “Why Does Everyone on Periscope Have to Be an Expert!”.  I have been saying this in my head for many months now, but not just about the Periscope community, but the blogging community as well.  It seems we are in the stage of competition more than creatively expressing one’s opinions and having a “round table” discussion if you will.  Every blogger is striving to be the best, the master, or the expert in their niche, but for what?  Being the expert will not guarantee you more work necessarily, and I personally don’t want that pressure.  It reminds me of those cute little pins on Pinterest saying “8 Sure Fire Steps to Start a Blog and Make It Successful” but that article is not the bible on blog success.  No one’s path is the right path for any and everyone so it’s a little misleading.  There’s one blogger, who a lot of people might know, who is thought of as the “guru” of turning your blog into a business and essentially making over a 6 figure income.  One of those methods was to utilize Amazon affiliates, and listening to what she said I thought it was a good idea.  Unfortunately here in Missouri, we cannot take advantage of Amazon affiliates.  After noticing the glitch I asked the blogger if she could recommend any alternatives due to the situation…no response.  Comments under me receiving responses but mine seemed to have been skipped over, and eventually I never got an answer.  As an expert, aren’t you suppose to be there to help guide and answers questions of the ones who you’ve given this information to?

Point is, striving to be an expert is taking away from what the real blogging purpose is.  Here at #MOAF, we give tips, tricks, stuff like that but in any post we do, we always try to make it known that this is from what we have experienced, that we are still learning right along with everyone else, and that we are DEFINITELY open to bigger and better solutions than the ones we might have come up with.  We don’t want to be experts, we don’t strive to be, and in turn, I think that makes us just a little bit more authentic than the rest.

Fashion: F2, Re-Imagine Runway

You guys know I love fashion...ok that was just a redundant statement, but you guys also know I LOVE FOOD!!! I'll admit, I have a food addiction, sue me, but who doesn't love fine cuisine?!  I mean the display, the smell, and the TASTE, heeeaveeeen!  So putting my first love and my second love together in one event just makes it that much better!

The place to get both worlds of fashion and food is F2 (Fashion x Food) hosted by Brainchild Events.  You might be remembering back in that good ol' nogin of a recap we did last year.  Same event, but better than ever.  This year, Pins & Needles Winners Alexis Cook & Barbara Bultman will be showcasing their award winning designs as chef Tyler Davis creates stylish and savory courses to compliment the designers vision.

5 courses with eye popping designs to match, this is definitely a night for the ultimate fashion and food lover.  Make sure to purchase tickets here, and also check out pics from last year's F2's event, and follow Brainchild Events on Facebook for details and to stay up to date on other upcoming events!

*photo credit: Brainchild Events

Beauty Corner: What's Your Go To Palette?

I am slowly but surely starting to become obsessed with eye shadow palettes.  But for me, I only have a few that I rock with.  I focus more so on other features such as lips or contouring, on account of my sexy white frames, that I never gave a thought to wearing eye shadow.  So with that, I tend to gravitate more towards neutral, nude palettes to offset the contouring of my face and the complexion of my skin.  Now that I have a real grown up lady job however, I am trying to look more depart as a fashion blogger and makeup enthusiast, so what I want you guys to do is drop me a comment and let me know what your favorite eye shadow palette is!  I'll choose 2-3 and do a product review on and mention you as the recommendation in the post!  Ready, set, GO!

Beauty Corner: NYX Liquid Suede Lippie Review

A photo posted by Ak Brown (@akjapbae) on Sep 27, 2015 at 2:43pm PDT

Am I the only one who will willingly admit they're a lipstick addict?  Well I am, lowkey, with over 160 lipsticks and counting!  So what I've decided to do is to simply conduct some "Lippie Reviews" of all of the lipsticks I have and will soon acquire, to get your opinions and maybe get recommendations for other products!

For my first Lippie Review, I'll be showcasing the new Nyx Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick, available online and also at Ulta (where I got mine from).  First and foremost, I need someone to let me know when Sandstorm and Vintage go back in stock.  I have been on the lookout for these two colors and they are sold out online at both nyxcosmetics.com and ulta.com and in stores (which should tell you how popular they are).

The colors I was able to get (shown below) still seem to do me justice.  The colors themselves are bright and vibrant, and the application is smooth and creamy but dries really well into a nice matte lip.  And for only $6.99, it's definitely worth it, not to mention I was able to take advantage of the buy 2 get 1 free promotion.  Two critiques I would say are that these cream lipsticks are somewhat hard to get off, I tried using soap and water and also makeup remover and I had a little of a difficult time getting these off my hand and my lips.  Second, compared to another product in the Nyx line, their soft matte liquid cream, I prefer the soft matte over the liquid suede.  The liquid suede is a little sticky on the lips at first where as the soft matte dries like INSTANTLY and you cannot feel it on your lips at all, which sets the foundation for long lasting lips with little need to re-apply.

Have you purchased any of the liquid suede?  Let us know what you think!  Do you like them?  Is there anything Nyx should change about the formula?  Drop a comment and let us know!

LSR: Are You The One? MTV Will Help You Find Out!

One of our purposes on this earth, as most would deem, is to find our soul mate, fall madly in love, and be forever happy until our time comes to proceed into the next life..or at least that's what I've been hearing.  But I know damn well it's not that simple.  Cheating, commitment issues, fear, anxiety, and the want to just live a fun, single, young life all come into play that can hurt anyone's chances of falling in love and meeting "the one".  Not to mention dating has changed so much.  More and more people are meeting in unconventional ways, such as online dating like Facebook, Tinder, Skout, etc., which causes for some questions and concerns.  But from what I've seen, there's success in this type of dating, me and my boyfriend even met online (shutup).  So with all of these ways of dating, and all of these distractions, how can you be certain you will ever meet the one for you?  Well...MTV sure in the hell has a bomb ass solution if I do say so myself.

MTV's "Are You The One" is the most blunt and forceful way to find who you're determined to be with.  Based on personality and other components, 10 single women and 10 single men are predetermine-ly paired up before entering in the house that they will ALL live in, having their soulmate chosen for them based on these components.  Now it's just up to them to figure out who their true love is.  Stuck in a house with not only their destined significant other, but with others trying to infiltrate, searching for their one as well, it becomes...well crazy.

I've seen the second season, mostly because I'm Facebook friends with one of the cast mates, Garland Brown (same hometown), which prompted me to see how this experiment would turn out, and now I'm eager to see how season 3 will go down.  It's crazy because, I hate playing matchmaker.  I can't have that burden on my shoulders if it turns out the guy and girl I set up don't like each other. I've had that happen wayyyyyyyyyyyy too many times and it's annoying af.  I've even been set up on a few blind dates or met a few people online, and let's just say...I should have called Neve, catfished much?  But then again I would love to see a couple I put together succeed and be happy, like one couple who actually met on season 1 of "Are You The One".  They 're even married and just welcomed a baby into their family.  That's what I want to happen with anyone I set up, so maybe there is hope for matchmaking after all.  Hell if MTV can do it, maybe I can try once more.

Season 3 is well underway, the second episode aired yesterday, and even though it's only day 2, everyone has to act fast.  Did i mention that if everyone finds their true love, everyone splits 1 MILLION DOLLARS?!  Yep, MTV be balling!  So the drive of being happy, loved, and rich is making everyone get down to the nitty gritty and weeding out who just doesn't mesh.  And what MTV is doing for season 3 is including us, as the viewers, in with the drama.  During every premiere episode, fans can join “Play AYTO” by going to campaign landing page. Players will be asked questions throughout the show like, “Are Amanda and Connor a perfect match?” or “How many perfect matches will they get?" If they guess correctly, they’ll earn points. The winner at the end of the episode will be entered into a sweepstakes for a trip for two to HAWAII. So, if you win the episode, you have a 1/20 chance of winning this trip (because there are 10 episodes and 1 winner during the east coast airing, 1 during the west coast). This is the first time MTV -- or Viacom for that matter -- has used this type of interactive technology for a full season of a show!

So I don't know about yall but I'm trying to win some prizes, me and my man wanna go to Hawaii!  You know I will be playing while I'm watching the drama unfold.  If you haven't seen an episode yet, shame on you, but don't worry, you can check out the first episode along with bonus clips to see what this new form of matchmaking is all about.  Definitely be sure to tune in each and every Wednesday, 10/9c, and be sure to follow "Are You The One" on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram!

Fashion: Jewelry Game On Fleek With Angara

Now that I have an adult job, or a big girl job as Diamond would say, I've been thinking of stepping my wardrobe game up entirely.  Every woman should have some key pieces in their closet, I believe, such as one pair of signature designer heels, a signature designer handbag, and grown woman jewelry.  But you can't get your jewelry from just any place.  You have to make sure that this place takes pride in providing you as the customer with one of a kind selections while at the same time giving you great value for your money.  I've mentioned this company before and you might have remembered from a previous 5 Point Style Guide I did, and I will mention them again, Angara is the place, your place, for your jewelry needs.

Why Angara?  Well, because it's simple.  First and foremost they're known for their magnificent gemstones, hints why they are called "The Gemstone Destination".  They specialize in Sapphires, Rubies, Emeralds, Tanzanites, Diamonds, and other precise gemstones.  Angara also offers a wide range of jewelry from rings, bracelets, and earrings to different occasions such as engagement rings and wedding rings, and they have products for all different price ranges.  For me, that's a need.  Quality pieces without going broke.

Not to mention, Angara is celebrating their 10 year anniversary!  10 years of creativity, consistency, craftsmanship, and customer delight.  I personally love their Double Prong Emerald Cut Ruby Halo Ring from their best seller collection.  This ring is something that is very much versatile with any outfit I might wear, and you guys know that's what I'm all about, minimalist and versatility.

Gorgeous right?  So why not get something for yourself!  Since we're celebrating Angara turning 10, you guys as my loyal readers have the chance to take 20% off!  Just use the code "10Years" at checkout to get your discount!  And, make sure to like, subscribe, and follow their Facebook, Twitter, & Youtube accounts for the latest news and details on special promotions and contests!