soulae

Shoes, the fifth and necessary element!

To me shoes are the fifth and necessary element. The shoes you wear say a lot about you. We all want to look our best and be notices (I know I do). It feels good when people admire my shoe game because I feel like I am doing something right. It is tough when times are tight to buy new shoes just for the heck of it. So there are certain rules that I follow to make sure that my feet always look there best and money stays in my pocket. 

Save a sole, Repair!

Instead of throwing out that worn down pair of heels, grab it and make an assessment of how bad the actually damage due to wear and tear is. Is it just the heel that may need to be replaced? Can those scuff marks be buffed out? Take your shoes to the local repair shop, for just a few bucks you can get new soles or get your scuffs buffed. 

Get your shine on!

Instead of buying that shiny new pair of shoes you see in the window, visit your local shoe shine guy and let him hook you up. Your shoes will look like new and you would have helped someone out during this rough economic time. 

If you must shop, do so wisely.

If you just have to have those shoes that you have been dying for shop around. You may not need to buy that expensive shoe when you can find the exact shoe or something really similar at a cheaper price. If you want that designer look for prices that fall within your budget check out stores like Aldo, Steve Madden, Bakers and Pay less. You will be able to find those designer looks for a whole lot less than what you would pay and you may even be able to get a couple pairs with that extra cash you will be saving. 

For a peak at what Aldo and Steve Madden have to offer check out this article in Essence magazine. 

Until next times Dyva's and Divo's!

Nine West Spoils me "Rotten"

via www.zappos.com

One thing you will learn about me is that when it comes to shoes, Nine West can never go wrong (if they do it is very rare). They have me spoiled "Rotten" with their styles and colors. No matter what the occasion I can always find the shoes that I need at Nine West.

Anyway, I found this lovely pair on sale at www.zappos.com and love them. I must say that I prefer the tan color but brown is screaming my name since it is on sale. Anyway this can be considered a deal of the day because these and many other Nine West (and other brand shoes) are on sale now.

So check them out and Happy shopping!

Triple Moisture: A new Product from Garnier

Can I say, not what I was expecting? I found this product in my local dollar store for $3 and purchased both the shampoo and conditioner. Since the label promised triple nutrition I decided to give it a try that night. My first impression was not good at all. The shampoo left my hair feeling waxy, and the conditioner did nothing at all for me. I tend to lean towards conditioners that are heavier and give me that certain softness to my hair, this did none of that. 

I am a garnier user, my regular hair reggie includes:

• Deep Condition with Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Fortifying Deep Conditioner. Since I am on a strictly no heat reggie, I make sure that my DC/EVOO mix is covering my hair, then I plastic cap it, and go about my chores for the day. I leave it in for anywhere between 45 mins - 4 hours(I know but sometimes things happen). Once I feel that my hair has had enough conditioner, I rinse and shampoo.
• Shampoo with with Garnier Triple Nutrition. This is new to my regimen, I just decided to try this out because it looked great. Triple Nutrition contains three essential oils, Olive, Avocado, and Shea. These are three products that I use seperately in my hair anyway so why not us a product that says it contains all three. 
• Condition with Garnier Triple Nutrition. Again, this is another newbie to my hair reggie and it is worth it. 
• Once I have conditioned I add my essential mixutre of oils before I dry m hair at all, this way I can seal in as much moisture as possible. Like said before I have always been a Garnier junkie. My initial love with Garnier products started with the Moisture Works line which really helped to cut back on the dryness of my hair. As I have mentioned many times in other posts, I suffer from desert hair (I know, it's like the sahara!), so when I am searching for new products there are things it must have and promises it must make before it can come home with me. 

Anyway, I decided to give the GTN another try and re-worked my regimen to see if I could achieve better results the second time around. Instead of conditioning first with the GTN, I decided to shampoo and then Deep Condition with the GTN Conditioner. The results were fantastic, my hair has never been as soft and easy to manage. I was able to finger comb my hair and did not have to use as much oil and moisturiser as I normally do to achieve some semblance of decent hair. 

My curls were more defined and my hair smelled great, needless to say three weeks later I am still using this as part of my weekly reggie and love the results. I havehad to switch up to try new products and have even ventured back to my GMW, but still I must say that the Triple Nutrition gets my vote of approval. This one is a keeper!

Only in a Woman's World

I just love this cute little series from the people over at Glam.com. They have teamed up with Frito-Lay to bring us the short series that features four ladies going through the trials of living a healthy life. Whenever I need a laugh I go to the site and check out these ladies doing things that we all have done a time or two ourselves.. 

So, here I am sharing my laughs with you! 

Vintage Bamboo Hoop Earrings, Vibe!

via www.girlprops.com

At the start of the summer I talked about wanted to take it back and get some bambo earrings. Well I have found the ones I want and don't have to break the bank. These are exactly like the ones I had back in the 80's, early 90's. When I got to high-school I could finally buy my own with my name in the middle!

Ah, this reminds me of the good-ole days!!! Ladies take a gander, you may find something you like at this site too. www.girlprops.com

Bohemian Rhapsody: Fall Fashion Trends

I have been on the lookout for some fun fall fashions to share with you all. Here are a few that I found from Dots. Let me just say that I am all about being fashionable as longa s it does not break the bank. The right combination of clothing, shoes and accessories can really turn a lack luster outfit into something eye catching.  So check out these combinations and tell me which one you like best!

Yours Truly, 

nykki's blues

Guys, I am jones-en for these haute blue heels that I found. These are my must-haves at the moment in preparation for my arrival next month in the Big Apple (home). I am not normally fond of blue and do not have much of it in my closet but when I saw these shoes I knew they were worth me building an outfit around them. Somestimes I am just in the mood to make a statement and these would definately do just that. 

For the ladies that are avid blue lovers here are a few other blue pics that I have found just for you! This time it may be ok to let the blues get you!

For more true blue must-haves check out these sites:

www.torrid.com

www.piperlime.com

www.payless.com

www.bakersshoes.com

Until next time!

Yours Truely, 

The Stiletto Workout

There are times when I just take to the web in search of interesting things that will keep me entertained and also add some sort of value to my life (yes, I just had to find a way to make aimless web surfing sound meaningful). During times like these I find things that sometimes I should not find and sometimes I must share with others. This is a moment when I have made a discovery that I HAVE to share. 

Just a little background first, since I am soon about to graduate from college (for a second time) I decided that I would need to step my stiletto game up since I will more than likely enter the corporate world. I have never been one to wear heels on a daily basis, I can stumble to a function, find a chair and look cute for the evening but running daily errands and wearing them just because has never been my thing. So I went in search of some tutorials on how to walk in heels. After reading a million articles, blog posts and search query results I decided to see if I could find someone on youTube that could teach me what I needed to learn. 

The Stiletto Workout was the final result of my tedious search to walk in heels. It is not a tutorial on walking (or in my case, not falling) in heels, it is an actual workout that can be done while wearing a heel of any size. The purpose of the workout is to build your leg muscles which will enable you to look good and also work the core muscles that support you while looking haute in your pumps. After about a week of daily workout I decided to try my luck and wear heels to the office for an entire day without my backup flats in my bag. I must say that it worked, I made it through the day and even some late afternoon errands and did not trip, fall and embarrass myself in front of some gorgeous hottie (even though my dogs were barkin when I got home and I had to soak my feet for an hour, wink). 

For anyone looking to spice up their work out routine to keep it fresh this is perfect for you. Trust me when I say you will feel the burn! You will also get some kicks out of the fact that you are working out in heels and you may even feel a little crazy, but once you feel the results you will be hooked just like I am. 

So dyvas, get out those heels, crack open that box of new stilettos and WORK-IT! 

Great Skincare Finds: St. Ives

We are all familiar with the St. Ives brand and have probably used it at one time or another. For me, I have used the apricot scrub for years and love the way it gives my face that clean feeling. With a little effort it even helps to eliminate the appearance of those stubborn blackheads around my nose. On one of my many trips to the Walgreens in search of yet another product to try for my new hair regimen I stumble across some new St. Ives products and also noticed that they have a new look (which I like!).

The first thing that I found was the Oatmeal and Shea Butter Body Wash. Anything that has the word Shea in it is an instant magnet for me. Lately I have been using shea butter in everything (un-refined of course) and it has helped with the dryness of my skin as well as with my hair. Anyway I grabbed a bottle of the body wash and must say that despite the $8 price tag, it has been three months now and I have not missed my dove essential moisture body wash at all. The smell of the Oatmeal and Shea Butter body wash is great, it is a smell that attracts, not repels. For a person like me with dry and itchy skin, it gives me just the right amount of moisture and keeps my skin soft. 

The second thing that I found and I must say I really like is the Oatmeal Shea Body Polish. I was not sure at first what a body polish was exactly, I soon discovered that it is a gentle exfoliating scrub that leaves my skin clean, soft and radiant. At first I was addicted and used the Body Polish daily, but with a price tag close to $7 I decided that I would use it twice a week. The body polish add some extra moisture to the mix when you use it with your Oatmeal and Shea Butter body wash. The lather that you get from it makes you feel great and the smell is wonderful. 

A lot of ladies have been putting the focus on sulfate-free products and I can understand the reasoning behind it. However I have yet to find something without sulfates that makes my skin feel as soft  as this, also leaving me with moisture during the day. The Oatmeal and Shea Butter combinations are not the only ones that St. Ives is offering. You can also try these combinations to see which one you like best:

Mineral Therapy

Collagen Elastin

Also, just to make it easy for you, here are the most popular items from St. Ives:

Facial Cleansers

Hand and Body Lotions

Let us know which one you decide to try and what your thoughts are!

The Essential Little Black Dress

My closet is about to be home to one of my best purchases yet. The Marilyn Convertible Dress is a dress for any occasion. I just happened to be browsing the plus sized net and found this dress that could be converted into numerous styles. Imagine having one dress that you can wear to every occasion and still have people saying "Wow". 

With just a little manipulation you can have 20 different dresses only taking up a little hanger space in your closet. Now my only decision is where to get it from, I can get it from this place for $89.99, or I can splurge on Monif C for $195. To me they look exactly the same so I may just take the first route for now, even though I advise you all to check out the other dresses in Monif C's collection, she has some hautness. 

You may be wondering why you even need to own a little black dress? Its simple, diversity. Owning a nice fitting, polished black dress can save you time, money, and closet space. Instead of always having to step out and shop for something new for each church event, business function or glamorous evening you plan to attend you can just spice up this one essential piece with little effort. 

Accessories are the key to making it work. The right shoes, handbag, scarf, broach or jewelry can change the appearance of even the simplest of things to something eye catching. You can use accessories to make your black dress the focal point of your outfit or you can choose accessories that demand all the attention for themselves. Any way you go, you can not go wrong with owning a black dress, even if it is just for the knowledge that black makes every ones curves look good. 

So on your next shopping adventure consider adding a black dress to your closet, you will not regret it. 

The Little Black Dress is Essential!