My Throwback “Fly Cut,” Day 6

Posted by twilliams on Jul 16, 2012 in Hair | 0 comments

I have no words, 1988

Ladies!! The Fly Cut is finally launching — tomorrow! Have you signed up yet (click here)? Our first featured salon is Miss Jessie’s SoHo — and the deals we’re offering are SICK. Also sick? As many of you know, I promised to reveal some of my craziest throwback ‘dos every day till the launch. Today’s look is especially poignant. This is me at 13, at a slumber party. After we French-kissed pillows while watching The Lost Boys on VHS, I spent the better part of the night involved with velcro rollers, hairspray and a Mary Kay “winter” makeup palette, attempting to look like Vanessa Williams in “The Right Stuff” video. I missed by like 5,000 miles.

OMG THIS IS SO MORTIFYING. The things I do for you.

Can’t wait for the launch tomorrow, girls! Thanks so much for all your support, and for signing up, and for spreading the word to every black woman you’ve ever known. The Fly Cut, The Fly Cut!

xoxo, Tia

3 Hair Products You Need Immediately

Posted by twilliams on Jul 16, 2012 in Hair | 1 comment

I’ve been known to accidentally say some stupid stuff. Like, REALLY stupid. During a seventh grade oral report, I referred to a certain South African icon as “Howie Mandela.” I wondered if buffalos had wings long before Jessica Simpson did. The first time I got really drunk, I loudly asked my cousin’s Bahamian boyfriend — in front of a huge group of people — if he was gay (and you know West Indians do not play that shit). Last week, I uttered a comment that rivals all of these. It was at a launch event for a fabulous Dark & Lovely product (more on that in a minute), featuring their spokesmodel, Bria Murphy — daughter of Eddie and Nicole, the ex-model currently heating up “Hollywood Exes.” Of course, I sidled up to her and instantly asked how she felt about her mom being on that show. But instead of saying Nicole Murphy, I said “Tracey Edmonds” — who Eddie was married to for like five minutes a couple years ago.

Oh Bria...I'm SO sorry, boo. #partyfoul #canttakemeanywhere

She just kinda looked at me, and I giggled and quickly cleaned the whole thing up. But GAAAH. I should just show up to things with an interpreter from now on.

In happier news, the product they launched was truly kinda groundbreaking. Dark & Lovely’s new 6 Week Anti-Reversion Cream Serum  ($8.99) holds curls, waves and kinks at bay for up to six weeks between relaxers!! How fabulous is this? And because your relaxed hair stays smoother and straighter for longer, you’ll need to use less heat, which means less damage. Everyone wins. To use, you just apply a quarter size amount through damp hair before blow-drying. SO maje for relaxed girls.

Okay, so you also need these two new products…

1.) Mizani Supreme Oil ($14), a crazy-nourishing blend of argan, sunflower, olive, apricot and avocado oils (so good for hot oil treatments, or just as a blowdry oil or shine serum). It’s luscious, and lightweight, and doubles as a kickass antidote to ashy skin. Plus, it’s 99% plant-derived, so it doesn’t have an artificial bone in it’s sleek little body.

2.) Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy’s new Ultra Shea Balm ($5.99), an offering from a boss new hair brand that focus on a healthy scalp (honestly, it’s where long, healthy hair starts. You stuff will not grow if your scalp’s dry, or clogged up with dead skin and product buildup). This is my favorite product from the line — it’s a general styling hairdress, but you can also use it to moisturize your scalp directly. In short? It smells terrific and gives hair a pretty, healthy-looking sheen.

My Throwback ‘Fly Cut,’ Day 4

Posted by twilliams on Jul 13, 2012 in Hair | 2 comments

Hey ladies! As most of you know, I’m revealing my crazy throwback ‘dos every day until The Fly Cut launches next Tuesday! Have you signed up yet? Get thee to www.theflycut.com. And try not to bust a capillary laughing at this:

Werq, 1985

Oh this one’s a gem. Me and Katie McLeod, dressed to the nines, honey, on our way to see Desperately Seeking Susan. I was 10. I’m wearing a black lace fingerless glove, Apollonia-style. And and an Esprit two-toned denim jacket. But the key piece of this tackery is THE HOMEMADE HEADBAND, an homage to LaToya Jackson in the “We Are the World” video. I had one in every color. If ever there was a kid more a product of her time…

Ladies, don’t forget to hit The Fly Cut’s FB page to upload your own “fly cut!” My favorite one gets a very, very special giveaway!!

SYB Freebie: 5 Origins A Perfect World BB Creams

Posted by twilliams on Jul 13, 2012 in Beauty | 25 comments

Hola mis amigas! First off, shout out to Denene@MyBrownBaby for winning last week’s SYB Freebie, the Kiehls Aromatic Blends Orange Blossom Collection! I asked you to describe the first fragrance you fell in love with, and her response — about her dearly departed mom’s Fashion Fair lotion — moved all of us to tears. Gorgeous writing, Ms. Denene.

Enter to win FIVE of these babies.

And now, for this week’s SYB Freebie. I’m giving away FIVE of my favorite BB Cream on the planet, Origins A Perfect World SPF 15 BB Cream! This is huge. I’ve tried them all and to me, Origins has the prettiest finish and the best selection of shades for brown women (Smashbox rules too, but sweet baby Jesus, they’re forever sold out). And the ethereal glow, lightweight coverage and all-day moisture it provides is just…well, it’s utterly transforming. To be one of the five winners, hit the comments section and ask me your most pressing beauty question. Oh, and only girls who “like” my FB page are eligible! The SYB Babes with the most interesting/timely/universal questions win

And speaking of Origins, here’s a fun little video of me hosting the “green carpet” for their annual Origins Rocks Earth Month Concert featuring Gavin DeGraw. I really feel that the orange lip makes the whole moment. Thoughts?

Love ya, mean it!  xoxo, Tia

My Throwback “Fly Cuts,” Day 3

Posted by twilliams on Jul 12, 2012 in Hair, Salons | 2 comments

So as you now know, my sisters are forcing me to reveal mortifying “fly cuts” from my hair history — every single day until The Fly Cut launches next Tuesday! It’s only Day 3, and I’m pretty sure that whatever swag I had has totally evaporated. So embarrassing. Today, I give you this genius hair moment. Pre-flatiron, pre-anti-frizz. If you still love me after this, I’ll buy you a pony.

12 was a super-awkward year. But you love my new wave red pleather tie.

It was 1987, and there were no anti-frizz products at the time. We were living in Germany, and by September it’s already rainy and foggy and fuzzy-hair-inducing. When I left my house, I had a sweetly swooped bang and a waterfall of curls tumbling from my banana clip (jauntily swept to the side). When it was time for pictures, my hair was cotton candy. Ah well. Character-building experience.

A Few Things About Concealer…

Posted by twilliams on Jul 12, 2012 in Beauty | 4 comments

Hola muchachitas! Okay, so almost every time I post a pic of myself, I get a handful of SYB Babes dying to know my concealer sitch. Since I can take a hint (but not a second more of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta…please boycott, please) I decided it was time to pass on the best concealer tips I’ve picked up from the pro’s over the years! Here you go!

1.) The whole thing about concealer is that you want it to look natural, right? So every step you take should be with this in mind. Look at yourself in the mirror. Does it look like you have two bright, obvs way-lighter-than-your-skin-tone swatches under your eyes? Does it look cakey?  Has it settled into your fine lines? If yes, then it’s time to rethink your technique.

2.) If you wear foundation or tinted moisturizer, apply your concealer AFTER, not before. Sometimes your foundation does half the work for you, so you may not even need so much, just a couple dabs.

3.) Your concealer should be one shade lighter than your skin tone. One shade. Any lighter and you’re just putting a spotlight on whatever you’re trying to conceal.. Yes, the current trend is that Kardashian/Knowlesian uber-brightness under the eyes, but they’re dealing with bright paparazzi lights, or working the red carpet. That’s “concealer as event,” not a natural look that translates for day. Also, stick with yellow undertoned concealers.

Legendary.

4.) Since our skin color changes so much over the year — and, let’s be honest, brown girls have like three different skin tones on their face at one time (usually the forehead and chin are darker) — I’m a fan of concealer palettes, with like three or more shades you can blend together to custom-blend your own hue. My all-time favoritos are Make Up Forever 5 Camouflage No. 4  and Philosophy The Supernatural Color Corrector in Dark (above).

5.) Always apply moisturizer or eye cream before applying concealer. If you put it on a dry face, it’ll just settle into fine lines and make you look mad old.

6.) And now, the most important insider secret of all: Skip the tiny concealer brushes — the bristles just spread it all around, and you end up not covering up what you need to cover up. The same goes for when you swipe it on with your fingers. Instead, dab dab dab it on with the pad of your 2nd finger (the longest one…does it have a name?). Use quick, kinda-firm dabs — this pats it in, ensuring that your concealer goes where it needs to go. And stays.

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit comes with it's own powder. Makes your life a zillion times easier.

7) After applying, make sure you set your coverup with a light dusting of translucent powder. This helps ensure that it won’t slide all over your face during the day (especially important for oily skin types). Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit comes with it’s own powder, which is super-convenient.

Happy concealing, tenderonis!

My Throwback ‘Fly Cuts’, Day 2

Posted by twilliams on Jul 11, 2012 in Hair | 1 comment

Ladies, The Fly Cut launches next Tuesday, woot! And to celebrate, my sisters are forcing me to reveal mortifying “fly cuts” from my hair history — every single day until the launch. I’m a team player, but I’m definitely grumbling about this on the inside. Anyway, here we are, on Day 2…and I give you these ultra-silly hair moments:

Goofy Spice, 1982

So this is me in my second grade class picture, toothless and be-ribboned, sporting what Mama Shake used to call “Boing-Boing Curls.” We wore BBC’s on special occasions only. I think this is because ti took forever — there was a lot of water-spritzing and VO5, and then she’d mold each curl by brushing it around two fingers. Vigorously. I used to fantasize about wearing BBC’s while belting out “Total Eclipse of the Heart” on Star Search (only a fantasy, I’m supremely untalented).

Nowhere near sober, 1995.

Ha! So this was sophomore year at UVA, and Lady of Rage’s silly song “Afro Puffs” was the thing. Bored one night, me and my girls got tanked and decided I needed to experience puffs, like, immediately. So we teased and teased and sprayed my hair until I had these two huge balls on either side of my head. I feel like I look more like Minnie Mouse that a butch rapper on Death Row’s roster, but it was good times.

Ladies, hit The Fly Cut’s FB page and upload your fave/funniest “fly cuts!” The three best will win a very, very special giveaway!