i switched to avalon organics conditioner a couple weeks ago, and i’m so glad i did! i found their shampoos and conditioners on sale at whole foods, and decided to give them a try. i don’t know if i’ll be able to use the conditioner at its regular price ($8-$9, depending on where you get it), but i also have a feeling that i won’t be using up the entire bottle too quickly. the product has such a thick and creamy consistency, and it has worked wonders for my hair. EXCELLENT for co-washes, especially during winter and/or in dry climates.
i specifically purchased the revitalizing shampoo with peppermint and nourishing conditioner with lavender. i am interested in the olive and grape seed oil conditioner as well.
as for make-up, i prefer to play up my eyes more than anything else. i love almay’s one-coat triple effect mascara, along with their intense i-color purple eyeliner (for brown eyes). i usually line the bottom eyelid, and soften the line with a charcoal shade of rimmel eye pencil and/or revlon eyeshadow. i also love using green or gold shades on the bottom corner of my eyelids (near the nose). i will also apply a dark shade (like dark brown or black) on the crease of my eyelids, and highlight underneath my eyebrows with some gold.
more importantly, i think healthy, glowing skin should be sought after. i wash my face with nasabb’s black soap, and follow with witch hazel and aloe vera gel twice a day. since my skin is oily and acne-prone, i also make sure to scrub once or twice a week with st. ives apricot scrub. consuming flaxseeds and taking biotin and zinc supplements are also great for the skin. and as always, be sure to drink a lot of water. i usually have a huge 1-liter bottle of fiji water that i refill regularly.
some of my other favorite products are:
-burt’s bees beeswax lip balm
-l’oreal voluminous mascara
-neutrogena mineral sheers powder foundation, bronzer
-bobbi brown foundation stick, warm almond
-almay pure blends lip gloss, fig
-biore self-heating mask
after i did the big chop almost two months ago, i feel like my fashion and beauty sense has been more precise. before the big chop, i asked myself a lot of questions– mainly different versions of: can i pull this off? and then there were some stupid questions. will i need to change my wardrobe? will i need to work out more and lose some weight? all in all, i was thinking about it a lot, and i finally just did it. i grabbed my scissors and started snipping. i knew that i was over-thinking the big chop because of curiosity, but i was hesitating because i had never cut my hair so much. but enough was enough.
at first it was a shock. right after i cut my hair, i stared in the mirror and thought to myself: what have i done?!i’ll never be able to wear a fro. a mini-fro is out of the question. this just doesn’t look good! ugh! but i was wrong. i started messing around with my make-up, hair pins, head bands, and jewelry. i realized that i would have to be a little more creative with how i put together my outfits. super over-sized circular earrings became over-the-top. long, dangly earrings looked more elegant and brought better attention to my face. (i’m also on the look-out for larger studs.) high-waisted skirts and dresses also work better, along with scoop neck (and v-neck) cuts, loose/flowy blouses, and shift dresses. and more than ever, i prefer scarves over necklaces.
in short, i have found that what works for me is finding the right pieces that really compliment my face– not distract from it. with short hair, the attention automatically goes to your face. everything else must compliment your face. this doesn’t have to mean boring colors and no accessories. for me, it was the opposite. my short hair has given me the opportunity to experiment and have fun with clothes that i haven’t used in years. everybody’s style is different, but i definitely think that the big chop will allow you to change the way you dress without changing your wardrobe.
[featured clothing: adorable forever 21 dress with a floral texture. it features an empire waist and deep-v cut that works great with short hair. comes in beautiful colors for spring, summer, and fall!]
First, I would like to commend you on announcing the American Graduation Initiative and acknowledging the importance of community colleges. While interning for Women Employed, a Chicago-based social advocacy organization, I gained first-hand knowledge of the many difficulties that today’s community college students face. The interviews I had with single mothers attending Olive Harvey College allowed me to apply their individual stories to the bigger picture.
Work-study is hardly given to students who actually need it. Childcare is either limited to a small age window or not provided at all. Most importantly, too many community college students aren’t provided with the academic, financial, and guidance counseling that is vital to any student’s education. If these are the problems that students face now, can you envision what their situations will be like after the budget cuts have surfaced?
The goal of social mobility through higher education must remain tangible to anyone. It is hence crucial that work-study, grants, and loans are more properly allocated to low-income students who are having difficulties finding a job during this recession. On-campus housing shouldn’t be limited to students who don’t have children. Colleges need to have support systems that will guide their students through the difficulties of juggling school, family, and work. Finally, community college students should never resort to throwing in the towel, whether it is because of lack of financial aid or lack of affordable childcare.
WE’s Clear Connections Project has successfully linked a coalition of community colleges to lawmakers in Illinois, so that colleges can effectively communicate what is working and what isn’t. This program should likewise be found across the nation so that any and all barriers to higher education are acknowledged and stopped. If more lawmakers gain the first-hand knowledge that I did, the American Graduation Initiative will really make a difference.
First, I would like to commend you on announcing the American Graduation Initiative and acknowledging the importance of community colleges. While interning for Women Employed, a Chicago-based social advocacy organization, I gained first-hand knowledge of the many difficulties that today’s community college students face. The interviews I had with single mothers attending Olive Harvey College allowed me to apply their individual stories to the bigger picture.
Work-study is hardly given to students who actually need it. Childcare is either limited to a small age window or not provided at all. Most importantly, too many community college students aren’t provided with the academic, financial, and guidance counseling that is vital to any student’s education. If these are the problems that students face now, can you envision what their situations will be like after the budget cuts have surfaced?
The goal of social mobility through higher education must remain tangible to anyone. It is hence crucial that work-study, grants, and loans are more properly allocated to low-income students who are having difficulties finding a job during this recession. On-campus housing shouldn’t be limited to students who don’t have children. Colleges need to have support systems that will guide their students through the difficulties of juggling school, family, and work. Finally, community college students should never resort to throwing in the towel, whether it is because of lack of financial aid or lack of affordable childcare.
WE’s Clear Connections Program has successfully linked a coalition of community colleges to lawmakers in Illinois, so that colleges can effectively communicate what is working and what isn’t. This program should likewise be found across the nation so that any and all barriers to higher education are acknowledged and stopped. If more lawmakers gain the first-hand knowledge that I did, the American Graduation Initiative will really make a difference.
i switched to avalon organics conditioner a couple weeks ago, and i’m so glad i did! i found their shampoos and conditioners on sale at whole foods, and decided to give them a try. i don’t know if i’ll be able to use the conditioner at its regular price ($8-$9, depending on where you get it), but i also have a feeling that i won’t be using up the entire bottle too quickly. the product has such a thick and creamy consistency, and it has worked wonders for my hair. EXCELLENT for co-washes, especially during winter and/or in dry climates.
as for make-up, i prefer to play up my eyes more than anything else. i love almay’s one-coat triple effect mascara, along with their intense i-color purple eyeliner (for brown eyes). i usually line the bottom eyelid, and soften the line with a charcoal shade of rimmel eye pencil and/or revlon eyeshadow. i also love using green or gold shades on the bottom corner of my eyelids (near the nose). i will also apply a dark shade (like dark brown or black) on the crease of my eyelids, and highlight underneath my eyebrows with some gold.
