Face time

Soooo I've had quite a few people ask me about my skincare regimen lately and first of all, thank you--I'm flattered, but also, I spend a good amount of time trying to keep my skin healthy, so if it still looked shitty, I'd be really concerned. One of the main things I'm still struggling with when it comes to my face are the dark spots from former pimples--I have exactly 2.5 on my forehead, one above my lip, and one on each cheek and one dot on my nose...all of which are fading--thank God!

The first step in taking care of your skin is to make sure you're hydrated inside and out along with using decent products. I'm not blessed with perfect genes to have perfect skin, so if you're anything like me, you'll have to work a little harder just as I do to keep things smooth and even toned. For starters, DRINK WATER--a glass of hot water with lemon is good when you first wake up and a glass of room temp water before bed is great. 

Next, make sure you are removing your makeup before you go to bed (or once you get home) and if you don't wear makeup, make sure you're washing your face and moisturizing before bed--keep your face clean. When I run out of Simple's Micellar Water Wipes, I use Origins Clean Energy cleansing oil to remove makeup--sometimes I use it in the morning too as my face cleanser. Then I use Glossier's Mega Greens Galaxy Pack  face mask (about 2-3 times a week). Other times, I'll use those Tony Moly sheet masks--I've tried them all, but I particularly like the tea tree and the rice ones. After that, I'll apply the Darphin Aromatic Purifying Balm (every other night--not everyday) and gently pat on the Amaki Jasmine & Rose Nourishing Oil. If I have a pimple, I'll put Uncle Harry's Hemp Blemish Salve on it. That's it for nighttime. Also, once I save up my coins, I'll buy the Folie's Prickly Pear Face Serum because that thing works wonders--I've tried the sample and I'm obsessed. My other next purchase is going to be the Klurskin Hyaluronic + Vitamin C Serum because I know that thing also works wonders.

In the morning, I wash my face with Skinfood by AB's Charcoal Cleansing Bar and then I'll apply the Amaki oil (very lightly) along with Klurkin's Rosemary & Willow Oil Control Serum and Glossier's Balm Dotcom and then I'll wait a few minutes and begin applying makeup. That's it for morning/daytime. My next purchase will be Little Barn Apothecary's Rosewater Face Toning Mist.

Braided

On Halloween, I decided to get box braids for the first time... I had no idea what to expect or how my hair would react to it. I was hesitant for months and would set up appointments and then cancel because I'd chicken out--needless to say, it was a lengthy process beforehand and during me getting them done. It took 17 hours with maybe less than an hour break all together. My entire Halloween was spent getting my hair done. Now, I can say I've had them and I probably won't get them again any time in the near future. I really loved having them in and not having to worry about doing my hair, but the weight took a lot for me to get used to and when I took them out, my hair was pretty tangled. However, because I kept them super moisturized during the entire 5 weeks of wearing them, my hair was in decent shape after I took them out (minus the tangles). Check out some of the styles below (all of 3 styles, haha) and see what products I faithfully used everyday to keep them fresh and healthy. I was so inspired by all these natural and protective hair style blogs and IG pages and I just had to try them out. I do think everyone should try braids at least once.

 Yup--I used Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla products on them everyday. I would spray them with the leave-in conditioner and hair sheen and then wrap them with a scarf at night before going to bed. In the morning, I'd use their edge control smoother when necessary and once a week, I'd put their pure hair oil on the root of the braids. This stuff was really a blessing for keeping my hair in great shape while I had the braids in.

Chattin' with Cri Gabriele of Heart & Noble

I met Cri Gabriele of Heart & Noble last year at NYFW at her Croma presentation and she was by far one of the nicest and chicest designers I've ever met. She was so welcoming and totally passionate. Her designs speak for themselves—super futuristic/modern, but very wearable. All of her jewelry designs are statement pieces, so they definitely add that extra "oomph" to any outfit. I was especially drawn to her necklaces because when worn they feel more like a crown—they give off this majestic and bold feeling. If you have the pleasure of owning one of her designs then you know what I mean. It's something that just makes you feel so adorned. Back in September, I attended Cri's recent presentation for her Fanatic collection at Seaport Studios. I'm obviously late with posting this, but once again, she amazed me from her designs to the execution of the event—everything was just pristine. See a few pics from the event below followed by my interview with her...

Also, I had her answer a few fun questions, take a look:

For a quick translation (in case you can't see the small writing), read her answers below:

1.) cri gabriele

2.) the L.E.S.

3.) coffee +++

4.) all vedova (venice)

5.) perler beads

6.) "you're not supposed to give people what they want, your supposed to give them what they don't know they want yet." - diana vreeland

7.) sleep

8.) christopher walken, 100%

Bag Ladies

Last month, I had the pleasure to be a part of a really cool look book for Vavvoune, a super chic leather goods brand based in Brooklyn. The brand is focused on simplicity and sustainability. The products are made of full grain lambskin that's locally sourced—how cool is that?! Val Blaise (the designer) hit me up to see if I was down and of course I was like "totally!!" and the rest was history. It was shot by photographer Shen (sorry, don't know his last name, but his IG is @shendig27) and the lovely Sage White (@sage.white) did the makeup. I modeled with the gorgeous LaBrie (@tiedyetrappin). After the shoot, we hit up Peaches in Bedstuy for dinner + dranks. It was a great way to spend the last day of summer.

See what we cooked up...

Since I'm a tote bag type of person, this was my fave. It's like a super fancy tote.

Ready to put my life in it.

This purple was stunning... especially with grey.

Great way to add a pop of color to your wardrobe.

These cuties were great to carry around too—right on trend with the bucket design. Love the croc detail on the leather.

I just LOVE this photo of LaBrie—the color combos are perfect and she looks gorgeous.

I really love the leather pattern on this one. So bold and chic.

For those of you who carry purses to a party/concert, this would be ideal—small, but not too small. 

This is a great overnight type of bag. Perfectly oversized.

To shop Vavvoune or learn more, visit Vavvoune.com

Also, follow Val Blaise on IG @Vavvoune + @vavvoune.handmade