Events: Universoul Circus at TWO LOCATIONS in STL!

Universoul Circus is a BIG family tradition among all black households, I don't care what anyone says.  The only circus I've ever attended was Universoul.  A big top spectacle of global proportions, the 2016 production of UniverSoul Circus takes fans of all ages on an unforgettable journey of light, sound and soul!  I swear after each show my cousins and I would go back home and try to flip over the couches, do back bends and...someone ended up hurt.  But nonetheless, everyone knew when Universoul was in town, you were going!

And this year....TWO LOCATIONS!!! You read right!  If you took your kids, or your grown ass to the performances within the past two weeks, then you went to the stopping ground for the show, Jamestown Mall.  But starting Wednesday, Universoul will also be performing Downtown at the Dome's Tailgaitor's Lot!

As someone who grew up anticipating the wait of this circus to come around, you do not UNDERSTAND the excitement I have....I mean I'm more excited than my child!

So to all the kids, big, small, and at heart, this is a great family event that brings the fun and laughter out of everyone!

Tickets are on sale now for performances for Aug 31st-Sept 5th.  Get yours now!  Don't be that person who misses out on all the fun.  And as a special treat, check out a snippet of what UNIVERSOOOOOULLLLL brings when it comes to family entertainment!

*this post was sponsored by Universoul Circus

Blogger Insight: #BBUPowerHour is HERE!

Guys, I haven't shared the good news with you (bad AK).  But I recently became the Regional Director of Black Bloggers United for Saint Louis!!!!

As a black blogger, especially in Saint Louis, you know how epic this is.  We finally have a place to call our own, build a community, network and collab with bloggers like ourselves!

More importantly, we're apart of a group that expands over 6 cities regionally, and one city internationally (we have a Regional Director in Botswana!).  So even though our group is still growing, we are already connected with over 300 members!

Something that we have going on that I'm really excited about is our #BBUPowerHour sessions.  Have you ever heard of an "accountability partner"?  Well basically that's someone who makes sure you get your shit done!  They're also there to bounce ideas back and forth and to collab as well!  I myself have two permanent accountability partners (my team) but there are many bloggers out there who don't have that support system, which is why #BBUPowerHour was created!

6 cities, 6 places for you to come and join us!  For those of you who will be joining me in Saint Louis, we will be meeting at Coffee Cartel (CWE) at 12pm.  I STRONGLY encourage anyone who is coming to bring their laptops, tablets, planners, notebooks, business cards, cameras, and whatever else you need!  I will probably stay afterwards if anyone wants to do a few pictures in the CWE that you can use on your site!

Make sure to check out Black Bloggers United and see what we're all about, and to RSVP for the power hour, just click here!

See you all then!

Makeup: Lippie Review-Nyx Cosmic Metals!

Hey hey hey!  New lippie review here, and today we're reviewing Nyx's Cosmic Metals!!!  Now for some reason, these haven't received the hype that I wish they would have, I mean I bought them AS SOON as they hit Nyx's website.  So hopefully this review generates the much needed buzz, because I am IN LOVE with these metallic lip creams!

PACKAGING
Same packaging as Nyx's liquid suede.  Long tubing but still compact to fit into a pocket or clutch.

PRICE
$7.50 which is very affordable

FORMULA/COLORS

These metallic lip creams come in 11 different colors, which I so happened to have copped them all :)

I love the consistency of these lip creams, even though Nyx's considers it a lip gloss, it covers well for the most part.

The only cons I do have is one, the pink lip cream seems to stain the most, but that tends to be the case with all of Nyx's pink lip products.  Another con is the coverage can vary, but I believe that these metal lippies were purposely deigned to be bought with Nyx's new liquid suede lippies (at least half the colors are exactly the same).  Once you use them both together, as shown below, the coverage is 100% and the color really pops!

So what's going to be coming up next on our next couple of segments of lippie reviews, we're going to be reviewing Nyx's new liquid suedes, doing a review of the mates between Nyx's liquid suede and Nyx's cosmic metals, and also OCC's lip tar!  You don't want to miss it!

Until then, drop a comment and let us know what you think!

Fashion & Style: Vintage Chic (+Linky Party!)

Another day, another fashion show, another time I had to figure out what the hell to wear.

And considering my first outfit didn't come in time (bruh) I had to think.

If you know me, you know that even though I'm a former/current fashion blogger, I don't do the typical fashion blogger outfit.  I hate wearing heels (I think I'm too big for my feet to support lol), and I need to feel some what comfortable.  So my go to?  Vintage Chic.

Yes, Vintage Chic is the name and all around affordable is the game.  Considering the event, Pins x Needles (recap coming soon), I didn't feel the need to overdo it, and knew I would still look great in a casual outfit while finding a couple of areas to make my focal points

Those focal points so happened to be my signature multi-print gemmed cross body from ALDO...

And my charmed aztec necklace from ALDO.  The rest of my comfortable yet stylish ensemble consisted of mom jeans I scored from Savers for only $4, denim dad hat from Amazon for only $7. mustard top from Target, Converse from Famous Footwear, and various statement rings from Old Navy which ranged from $7.99-9.99 which an additional 30% off.

Don't get me wrong, my room is stocked with heels, but fashion shows don't mean you have to wear them, or look like you just hopped out a Benz, knowing damn well you didn't, hell I know I didn't.

So when in doubt? Vintage Chic my friends.  Old t-shirt?  Worn down sneakers? With a little effort you can turn those into key vintage focal points of any outfit.

Be sure to stay tuned for our recap of Pins x Needles and also of our dad hat look book, but for now....

LINKY PARTY!!!!

We haven't had one of these in soooo long, and I'm excited to get one started.

So if you're not familiar with linky parties, here's the deal:

Copy and paste our button on your blog
Add your link to a recent OOTD post.

Simple right?  Cool!

Can't wait to see those awesome OOTD posts!

                   

Just Bloggers: No Explanation

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    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Rants & Raves: What Exactly is a Coon Really?

Black people, my black people, we have to do better.

Because I swear to the all mighty heavens if I hear the word coon again I'mma fight someone.

Here's what happened (story time!)

Apparently there is a video out of a policeman tassing a man in a wheelchair (we'll add the link to the video when we find it).  Our lovely blogger Diamond voiced her opinion to someone making a video response to the situation, stating while she doesn't condone the actions of the officer AT ALL, she felt the situation could have been handled differently from both parties.

And....she get's called a coon, on top of many other disrespectful names I'm still pissed off about.  So to all of these "woke" people who love to use the term "coon", let's take a history lesson on the REAL meaning of the word.

Coon was originally coined as the nickname for the Whig Party members of the U.S., and the raccoon was their symbol, or mascot so to speak.  Raccoon - Coon.  Makes sense.  And unfortunately the term was later used to describe the holding houses for the slaves for sale.

Now somewhere down the line through history, we end up here where black people are calling other black people coons in the sense of them being an Uncle Tom. Basically all of these new and found "pro black" people call other black people coons for supporting anything that has to do with the white race.  It makes me sick.  If you call someone a coon, you need to call yourself and every other black person a coon.  Let me explain:

Unless you can prove that 100% of what you wear and consume comes from our ancestors, then you're supporting the white mans empire.  For example, that simple shirt on your back was most likely designed by a team who is employed by a white CEO.  After they design the garment, they send the sample request over to their manufacturers in either China, Taiwain, Japan, and sometimes Africa where slave labor is used.  Not suppose to, but it happens all the time.  From there the samples come back to the USA, where the markup is enormous, sold in stores, and the white CEO makes millions if not billions.

So who are you calling a coon? 

Being pro black does not mean you have to single out every white person, that's not how it works.  Just like not all black people are ghetto, hood, or uneducated, not all white people are racist.  And by using the term coon in its incorrect state, YOU MAKE ALL OF US LOOK DUMB AS HELL!

This made me so mad, that I had to do a response to it:



So my question to you all is, why use the term coon? Why do we feel in our community we have to be so pro black to the extreme just to prove we support the cause?

Drop a comment below and lets talk!

Events: Pins x Needles TOMORROW!

I've said it once and I'll say it again, summer is my favorite time of year because of all of the fall fashion shows.  And one of my favorite shows thus far is Pins and Needles.

Originally called “Project:Design!,” the Pins and Needles competition was created in 2007 by Dwight Carter, Creative Director at Brainchild Events. The rock and roll fashion show fuses rock counterculture and fashion. Carter spent years working in events and PR, while also managing bands and working in the music industry. Along the way, he became connected to the fashion scene, working to help produce fashion charity show Threads 4 Hope (Produced by Mother Model Management) and co producing St. Louis Fashion Week events. The six designers showcasing their looks in this year’s competition are: Marcel Coleman Jr. (Saint Louis, MO), Andrew Clancy (Nashville, TN), Richard Cotto (Saint Louis, MO), Laila Fattal (Brooklyn, NY), Morgan Mason (Saint Louis, MO), Wiki Wang (Saint Louis, MO)

Check out this exclusive interview with last year's winner, Barbara Bultman:

Because of its popularity, VIP already is sold out (partly because of me lol), but standing room tickets are still available for $15.

Hope to see you there!  If you won't make it, you suck, but no worries, we're going to be streaming live with a recap to follow!!!

*This post was sponsored by Pins & Needles and Socially Jen

Blogging Insight: Insuring Your Sh**-Protection Plans for Bloggers & Creatives

Our camera is gone.

Yep, gone.  As in stolen.  Obviously there are a million reasons why someone would steal a DSLR, I mean you can pawn it, get cash, or use it for yourself but honest to God, I never thought it would happen to us.

And while the new one is on its way (can't stop the hustle), this made me wonder...what do we do to protect ourselves if this was to happen again?

The fact is, as much as we cherish the equipment we spend so much money on, there are some situations that we can't control  There are people in this world who don't care about how hard you've worked for what you have and they rather take it for themselves.  Or there may be a time we are just that careless enough to leave our cameras, phones, and laptops where ever we may be.

So...what is there to do?

Well after doing some research because I'll be damned if this shit happens AGAIN, I've found that there are companies who insure your cameras, laptops, and other pieces of equipment.

First and foremost, if you're a renter or homeowner than you are quite familiar with renter's and home owner's insurance.  Some, if not most of these plans, covered your items if they are stolen from the household.  Where the annoying part comes in is just like with a car, you still have to pay a deductible, in most cases $500.

For us, this didn't make sense because we were able to get everything (camera, extra lens, carrying case, software, etc) for $500, so we technically wouldn't be getting any help.  If you have equipment that cost way more than $500 ($10,000+) then taking advantage of your renter's insurance isn't such a bad thing.

Now if you so happen to not use any renter's or homeowner's insurance, there are many companies who provide insurance coverage specifically to those creatives such as:

Professional Photographer's Association-Cameras

Hill & Usher-Cameras

Student Insurance Partners-Laptops & Phones

TCP-Cameras

Worth Ave Group-Laptops & Cameras

Insureon-Cameras

Square Trade-Both Cameras & Laptops

Hiscox-Cameras

Safeware-Laptops

And apparently, even Nikon & Cannon have been known to lend out equipment in the case of your property being lost or stolen if you have a big project to finish up.

With the above insurance companies, however, just make sure you check the deductible amount.  Some have deductibles as low as $250 and some have deductibles as high as $1000.

Some things we all can do so that we never have to use the insurance we buy to protects ourselves is:

Never leave your equipment in your car

Invest in a lock for your carrying cases/bags

Never let anyone borrow it, if they need to use it rent it out or make sure you are present when it is being used

Put away equipment when company comes over, doesn't matter who they are.

I hope these tips has helped someone so they don't end up in the same situation as us.

And be sure to stay tuned, because we'll be talking on Blogger Insurance next time...yep it's a thing.

Drop a comment below and sound off!

Rants & Raves: Yall Wanna Be Black So Bad Huh?-Injectable Melanin for Tanning

I swear we have the most weirdest conversations at my job.

This conversation however, made me proud to be a melanin poppin' diva!

My coworker was telling me how her neighbor uses Melanotan...injectable Melanin for people who want that "summer glow" without going to the tanning salon or laying out in the sun where, you know, you could get cancer.

In simpler terms, because these mfs try and confuse you with these big words on their website, Melanotan produces synthetic melanin that flows through your body to make your skin more tan and dark.

Just like there are different shades when you get a spray tan or different settings on the tanning bed, these injectables have different levels for your skin type.  And apparently, it can be use as a weight loss method as well because of how the chemicals increase oxidation in the fatty acids in your body.

I honestly don't know what to think (mind you I'm laughing as I'm typing this) because I didn't realize the extremes people go through to look....well like a black person.

And in some cases I understand for those experiencing skin cancer or some type of skin condition.  Maybe this could be further tested and developed for people who have lost pigment on parts of their body, who knows.

But for the people who just use it to look more tan, dark, blaaaaaaaaaaaaackkkkkkkkkk, it's interesting because we get made fun of for our color all the time yet people go to these extremes to look just like us.

So when myself and my fellow members of the African American community use the hashtag #melaninpoppin or #melaninonfleek I have more of an appreciation for it.

I just didn't realize that being brown was so desirable...thoughts?

Love, Sex, & Relationships: I'm Glad My Bitchy Attitude Drove You Away

My attitude is fucked up.

And I don't give two shits (if you hate cussin' this website is not for you).

The fact is, my way of thinking when it comes to men and relationships has shifted over the years is not even funny.  I use to be that "oh let me let EVERY MAN into my heart, my space, and my mind" to "you better be ready to prepare this 10 page paper on why I should even talk to your funny looking ass".

I wouldn't even say that this different mind frame has come from past experiences, failed experiences, but just more so...common sense.

Women, and men, we have to do better.  Everyone does not deserve your all.  When you give someone your all, you give them your time, your space, your mind, your body, your sanity, your loyalty, your trust, and most importantly a piece of you.  If you keep willingly give these pieces to each and every person you claim you "love", you're not going to have anything left for that person who is destined for you.

You know all those women saying "n*ggas aint shit" and "these bitches is for the birds", those are the people who have either given all the pieces to their heart away, or the ones who keep taking selfishly with no intent of giving back.

So please, don't be offended if I give you slack, I'm a nice person but baby I ain't stupid.  Every man that comes into my life ain't here for good intentions, and simply doesn't even deserve for me to pass along a smile.

And when you try to "tell me" about myself on how I'll be alone and miserable and come crawling to you....tell that to my man who deals with my rude ass EVERY DAY!

Attitudes run the world, remember that.