I have been receiving emails and phone calls asking about what products to use in this extreme heat. So I’ve decided that this months beauty blog will be about 3 of my favorite product lines. Try them out and be sure to email me with your findings!!

* (1) Elucence Shampoo and Conditioner line ~ This product is what I use on all my clients whether they are relaxed or natural. The products are enriched with Biotin, which aids in the growth of the hair. Also, this line is 92% natural, which is always a plus! They leave the hair feeling light with no product buildup or residue. Available at select salons. *In Atlanta, Attitudes by Moe Hair Studio 404-541-1221*. If you don’t live in Atlanta or near Attitudes by Moe, visit their website at www.elucence.com to find a retailer near you.

* (2) Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding ~ This is a MUST have if you are all natural, meaning no relaxer left on ends of hair. The product is formulated to immediately lock in your natural curl pattern without weighing the hair down or making hair feel “juicy”. I highly recommend that you take this product along with you on vacations or cruises, especially if water is going to be involved! Available either online at www.missjessies.com or at select Target retail stores.

* (3) Mixed Chicks Products ~ This product is especially useful with all weaving clients. If you have chosen to wear extensions this summer, then you will want to have this line in your beauty kit. The line includes shampoos, conditioners and styling aids that will keep your extensions in the best possible condition. It is especially excellent on Virgin Indian Remy or Natural Wave style extensions. Available either online at www.mixedchicks.net or at select Salon retailers.

These are simply my recommendations based on client reviews as well as my personal findings of products I’ve used on my clients. You may email me your reviews at info@mandrillhardge.com. Have a safe and sexy Summer!!

For more information, or to schedule an appointment to get your hair done by Mandrill, visit his website.
http://mandrillhardge.com. Also, please don’t hesitate to email him your reviews.

I tried this out. The instructions were fairly easy to follow. It did take some steady hands to do the cat eye, but I think it came together well for my first time.

Here is the look without my glasses.

I used a gray shadow as a base and a dark turquoise on the sides of my eye with a purple right in the crease like the video. I used the Maybelline Eye Studio cream liner in charcoal and Loreal Lash Architect Mascara, which I reviewed here http://cluelessfashionista.com/beauty/beauty-product-test-driveloreal-lash-architect-mascara.html

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This is how it looked with my glasses on.

Enjoy the latest installment of the Ladies, let’s talk series in video format. I figured I could get my point across by looking you in the eye (so to speak) and addressing things. If you have any questions or suggested topics, leave a comment or send me a message via the contact form.

Many thanks to the Jet Set Girls for the lovely diamond earrings I’m wearing! I won them in a contest. They have a fabulous travel blog that you should check out here www.thejetsetgirls.blogspot.com.

The site hasn’t officially launched yet so you can sign up by using the code, CluelessFashionista.

Enjoy the video and my personal tour of www.myskin.com.

Honey Facial * (do not use this if you are allergic to eggs!)

Blemished Skin Mask

I think I will try the Blemished Skin Mask first.  In addition to my weekly at-home steam treatments, I plan on getting to my goal of having beautiful skin again! Wish me luck!!

This is something I do year round because I have dry, sensitive skin. I suffer from all sorts of lovely dry skin conditions, even when it’s warm outside so moisture is something I always have to keep in mind.

When I finish my shower, before I dry off, I put baby oil on my skin. Then I pat my skin dry. After my skin is dry, I put on body lotion.

This one small thing helps to keep my skin moist and soft year round. You don’t have to put on a whole lot of baby oil for it to make a difference. For some reason, putting it on while your skin is still damp allows the oil to seep in more thoroughly than if you do it while your skin is dry.

In the winter time, when the temperatures outside drop and the temperatures inside go up due to the heat being on, I may switch to baby oil gel. The thicker formula helps. Either way, the baby oil keeps my skin soft and cuts down on the dryness.

One thing I’ve learned is that fashion is about more than just wearing the right clothes, makeup and accessories. If your outfit is fly but your skin is flaky, that’s just not fabulous.

I hope my little tip helps.

Today is the all too famous, sometimes infamous, Black Friday. Some of you may already be out shopping, but for those of you who haven’t ventured out yet, I wanted to share some twitter accounts of people that you should check out before you head out.

If you’re not on twitter, it’s fine. I’m sending the entire address so you can visit their page directly but if you are on twitter, I suggest you give these people a follow.

Black Friday Ads- http://twitter.com/BFAds
TGI- http://twitter.com/tgiblackfriday
Black Friday FM- http://twitter.com/blackfriday_fm

I hope you find some great deals out there today.

Happy Shopping!!

I do realize that many of you have stopped doing the regular mani/pedi trips that become par for the course during the warmer months.  Actually, I slow up on my mani/pedi trips some as well.  With wearing boots and gloves, those things don’t seem as important as staying warm and cozy in the winter.  However, this can be a bit of an issue when you finally do re-enter the nail salon after several months of no mani/pedis.  The good thing about our hands is that even when we’re not doing a regular manicure, we still maintain them because they’re always visible.  Actually some of you may still get a regular manicure even in the fall/winter months.  I know some people (I’m guilty of it as well) do the whole mani/pedi thing as a package deal so when you stop doing one, you stop doing the other.

Well although I haven’t seen the inside of a nail salon in a few months, I still want my feet to be well maintained.  I know what can happen when the pedicures stop and I didn’t want to deal with that this winter.  I know many of you have seen the infomercials about the Ped Egg and how it makes horribly dry feet look lovely and smooth.  I was a skeptic myself but after trying many different products, I decided to plunk down the $10 and give the Ped Egg a try.

Initially, it gave decent results but nothing mind blowing.  But as I used it more, I started to get more comfortable with it and realized that it was a really cool product.  Now it won’t instantly transform your cracked, dry feet into smooth, pedicured toes, but it will cut down on the dry skin buildup if you use it regularly.  When I first got it, I used it every so often but not very regularly.  Then one day I saw the commercial and decided to be more diligent with it.  Now I use it at least once a week to keep my winter feet more sandal friendly.

Now my feet are looking pretty good.  They don’t look like I’ve been to a salon but they also don’t look salon starved.  I highly recommend that you visit your local Walgreen’s or other retailer and pick up a Ped Egg.  You can order them online as well.  It definitely isn’t a pedicure replacement but it can extend the life of one.  Plus, when you do finally return to the nail salon, the technicians won’t look at you with a raised eyebrow or ask “It’s been a while hasn’t it?”

Let’s start getting those feet summer ready!  For more information about Ped Egg (please forgive the informercial feel to their website), visit their website www.pedegg.com

Well I am going to be introducing a new segment to further help us Clueless Fashionistas.  I realize that all the advice and tips in the world aren’t helpful if you can’t put them into action.  One of the best ways that a fashionista can be in action is by shopping.  So I decided to create a section where I offer different shopping tips and advice for you to implement along with the other fashion and beauty tips I hope you’ve come to expect and enjoy.

The shopping tips won’t be strictly about clothes and shoes because I think that fashion is a holistic thing.  It applies to your external as well as your internal.  To be truly fashionable, you must be beautiful outside and inside.  This means that you need to not only wear great fitting clothes that compliment you but you should also be as healthy as you can be mentally and physically.

So stay tuned for some great shopping tips and advice.  I spend my time looking out for best practices in shopping and I can’t wait to share them with you.  Also, since I want this to be a two way dialogue, please send me any questions, tips or advice that you have about shopping as well.  I would love to feature my readers in the blog.  Although I keep my ear to the ground about things, I cannot cover all bases all the time so please shoot me a message.

In this video, the lady recommends a mascara called Hypnosis and advises against waterproof mascara.  I’ve never used Hypnosis so if you decide to try it, please let me know how it works.  Also, I like waterproof mascara because it doesn’t run and with a good eye makeup remover towelette, it will come off nicely.  I personally prefer the Target brand makeup remover towelettes.  They’re reasonably priced and work really well in removing eye makeup, which is what I wear most often.  Ok, back to the video.  Enjoy!