Let It Clump: Dr. Miracle's, Miss. Jessies 'an Essie

Yaaaay, it's time for a Let It Clump post. We haven't had one of these in awhile.
This series is where we stop talking about make-up to explore other areas of beauty and beyond. That's anything! Nails, hair, fashion, jacked up love lives..anything! Any suggestions? Let me know at Brittany@ClumpsOfMascara.com.

Today we are going to rap on two haircare lines and we'll have a few nail polish shots and just an overall good time in this edition of Let It Clump.

And yesss, I've provided a video for you folx who loooove to hear my annoying voice. I try to front like I hate makin' videos....but really I love it! Heheheeee...

First up we have Dr. Miracle's.

First of all, I can't say that I'm a fan of their commercials. I think they are a tad bit offensive and a little over the top. And then of course it has that implication that a big fro-style hairdo is "toe up" but long curls (ahem, or weave) is acceptable. I beg to differ. I'll save the ranting for my personal blog but if you can get past the commercials you will find some pretty decent products.

Dr. Miracle's has everything from no-lye relaxers to dandruff serums and hair sprays. I dabbled around in the over 6 of their products and have good reports on all of them! My 8 minute video will tell you what I think.

Next up is Miss Jessies Curly Pudding and if you haven't watched about video yet I talk about this product as well.


I seriously think this is one of the most over-rated products I have ever purchased. Not to mention it is too expensive. I purchased the sample size for $7.00 which was enough to play around in but the product itself did absolutely nothing for me. BTW: a 16 oz jar is $38.00. *looks around* I don't think so.

But it does smell good.

And that's where the joy ended for me. I think that products like these are really for people with wavier textures. If anyone can find products that actually work for people thick and kinky...please let me know because I'm starting to think they don't exist.

My friend Nicole asked me about Essie's fingernail polishes. I'm actually new to this brand but I loooove the formula. It's better than.....dare I say it....China Glaze. *gasp* Yes, I'm cheating on China Glaze with Essie and I'm lovin' the affair.

Ohh, look at Alligator Purse.
A beautiful "fall" terracotta-like color

I am obsessed with this Pool Boy. It's like
a muted magenta. I have it on my toes now.

A color both my Grandmother and I can
agree on. Spritzer is the business!

Bahama Mama in the light

Bahama Mama in the dark

So yesss, I'm all over Essie's products now. I got these from Ulta for buy 2 get 1 free and even snagged that Spritzer for only $2 in the clearance bin.


So we've covered a lot. Tell me your thoughts on Dr. Miracle's, Miss. Jessies and Essie. Any must haves? Any regretted buys? Let ya girl know!

Peace and prettiness.

...oh and check out Glam.com's newest channel: Blacklife.

And my column at MahoganyButterfly.com

[photo credits: drmiracles.com and missjessies.com]

Welcome Jaimie!

Say HI to Clumps of Mascara's first ever guest editor, Jaimie!
Jaimie, darlin'....tell us a little about yourself.

I probably first got into makeup in 7th grade. My mom has been a part-time AVON representative since before I was born so I've always been into body care and moisturizing. I haven't attended any professional classes, but I read about it all the time since I got into it. So I've learned a lot over the years through tutorials, and mostly just trial and error on myself so I wouldn't say newbie. I do know that the most expensive doesn't always mean the best, but I do like my GOOD high end things. I will get a drugstore mascara though.


I'd like to show that light black girls can wear bright colors and DARK colors tastefully , because as much as people think we can wear everything, we can't.


Jaimie decided to kick off her intro post with a review.
Check it:

Frédéric Fekkai Summer Hair
Zero-Humidity Frizz Control

So we all wish we could do the wash and go like *ahem* some certain peoples can and this product claims we can get one step closer. When I hear Zero-Humidity Frizz Control, it says to me, “Relax. You can wash your hair right before you run out the door running errands and still be fly. I won’t let the heat turn your hair into a big fluffy poof” So I gave it a shot.


Product: 5 out of 5
Packaging: 4 out of 5
Quality: 5 out of 5
Price: $22! Available at sephora.com, any ulta store, and various other locations.


The Claim: “Conquer frizz all day with this weightless, alcohol-free mist. Spray-on antidote for frizz-prone hair that seals the cuticle to stay sleek. Helps protect hair from the effects of UV rays with Solarshield™ protection, an innovative sun protection technology developed by Frédéric Fekkai that helps combat the effects of UV rays on hair.” - Sephora

The Good: I love the smell. It reminds me of a Pina Colada, but not as sweet. It’s a light smell and perfect for hair, you smell it when you want to and it’s not there distracting you all day. It really does do what it claims. I tried it on myself, my sister, and a cousin. I have wavy hair and my sister has curly; it really does bring out the natural curl of your hair without exploding it into one huge mess. My cousin keeps her hair natural and unrelaxed and it works great for her too. I know in Georgia the humidity can really put a number on your ‘do, turning it from sleek to weak in about an hour. This product is perfect for those pool/lake/beach days when you just want to wash or rinse your hair and go and not worry about a halo surrounding your head. It leaves your hair feeling really soft and it really does keep the humidity at bay.

The Bad: I had a couple problems with my squirter getting jammed, but I think that just may be my bottle. I also wish that there were more product in it. It takes a while to fully saturate your hair depending on how much hair you have; I had to spray for a lil bit to make sure I had coated my hair properly

Overall: I’d have to say that if you were looking for a good spray to keep your waves under control on those summer days that this would be it. The price is a little high, but it does last you a while.



Don't forget to enter the Bee Contest. You have until Friday!

Trader's Joe Conditioner

It's been a minute since Clumps of Mascara has done a post from the Let It Clumps series. Let It Clumps posts are where we stop talking about make-up to explore other areas of beauty and beyond. That's anything! Nails, hair, fashion, jacked up love lives..anything! Any suggestions? Let me know at Brittany@ClumpsOfMascara.com.


Today I have to share with you the best conditioner of my life!!!

Trader Joe’s Conditioner
..from the Nourish Spa collection

I don’t know ‘bout you gals but I’m not touching a conditioner that has laurel or laureth sulfates in it. I’m just not. Call me picky but my hair acts a plum fool when I get near a conditioner that contains these drying ingredients. And since MOST conditioners on the market contain them, I’m stuck spending a buttload of money on all natural conditioners or having my Mom, the hearbalist whip up something for me.

It has been awhile since I found a good conditioner. Until….my girl Nywele hooked me up with this Trader Joe’s Conditioner. Are you kidding me? This has to be the BEST conditioner I have ever used since having natural hair. It is amaziiiiing! And I know know why. I mean, check out listing of the first few ingredients.

Ingredients: Purified water, organic rosemary oil, organic Valencia orange citrus, organic mango, organic lemongrass, organic ginko biloba…..and it goes on and on listing organic EVERYTHING. No wonder my hair loved this. No wonder I didn’t get that limp and stiff feeling I get from a lot of other conditions. No wonder my hair soaked in the moisture.

This conditioner, I mean…I can’t say enough about it. Since I’m a no-pooer (which means I don’t use yucky shampoos), this stuff has been great for my hair. It even lathers a bit which really pleased me since conditioners typically don’t lather. And after doing my research I found that a 16.9 oz bottle is less than $3. What?! That’s nothing!

The downside about this?

Trader Joe’s isn’t located in Florida!!! Nooooo!! Good thing my girl got 2 of these for me which means it should last me for quite some time.

And to add insult to injury, I hear from HappyCurls.com that Trader Joe’s is adding Dimethicone do this product. Now I’m not going to act like I know what that is but it ain’t organic or some kind of herb so I’m buggin’. Now I really have to send funds to people who have Trader Joe’s in their cities to stock up on the “original” brand. Yes, it is THAT serious. I highly recommend this conditioner for my napptural sistas and anyone looking for an all natural way to take care of their hair. Thanks so much, Nywele! The naps thank you too!

Has anyone else tried this conditioner? What are you currently using? And does your hair re-act BADLY to sulfates?

Happy 3rd Nappiversary!

Happy Saturday, everyone!!! My nappiversary is on April 23 and in celebration I did a hair video. This makes my almost 3 years of having beautiful nappy hair! And while most people don't undersand the big significance of this....my true nappturals understand! Check out zeee videoooooo.

And enjoy your Saturday!!! Nywele....I got the goodies! I am soooo in love!

Carol's Daughter Review

It has been a crazy week for me so I haven't had the time to do much updating with me packing to move to Florida so I figured I'd do a quick review on a hair product that I used recently. This is Carol's Daughter Rosemary Mint Herbal Shampoo with Sea Moss. This is the first shampoo I have used in my hair is very long time. I am a no-pooer and don't shampoo my hair so I was a bit hesitate with what this product would do for me. But I am a natural-lite and since the products were all natural and lacking sulfates, I figured I would give it a shot.

The smell is niiiice and was very pleasing to me since I'm a big fan of Rosemary the essential oil and the spice. When we think of shampoos, we often think of getting nice lathers but this product didn't do so and that was okay with me since lather often=sulfates. I massaged my scalp and gave my hair a good cleanse. I let it sit on my hair a bit to find that it was actually bringing out my natural curly cues.

Those little curly cues always disappear when my hair dries. After rinsed out the shampoo I was a bit saddened at how limp my hair felt. It was hard and unmanageable. Ugh, what happened?

So I don't know about this one, ladies. This product didn't make me want to convert to using shampoos again. So I'm sticking with the ACV rinses and conditioners. I've heard that ACV rinses work well for all hair types so click here to try the recipe for yourself. It does wonders!!

Oh....and Happy Black History Month. In fact here's a fact:

In 1871, Jefferson Long of Georgia became the first Black to make an
official speech in the House of Representatives. He opposed leniency to former Confederates.

You can find more facts by the link to the right of the this post...Black Facts online.

Peace and Fists up and a fabulous weekend to all!

My Nappy Hair!

Hair Hair Hair Hair Hair Hair Hair Hair

*very long post about hair. make-up talk will resume soon*

Finally the requested hair post. Yaaaaay!!

More than make-up, I love my natural hair. I didn't love my hair this much when I had a perm. Before I went natural, I felt like every other Black sista. Goin' to the salon to get a touch-up, wraps, hours under the dryer, split-end frustrations! But I just adore my hair now. When my skin gets to breakin' out, my knees start crackin', and I get plagued with the flu from my kids, my hair still stands strong. She’s a soldier.

I transitioned from permed hair to natural through micros (bad idea!) for 4 months. On April 23, 2005 I was offically natural. I cut off my own hair with scissors in my dorm room and haven't looked back to the lye since.

Here are some resources:

My Hair Journal-So in Love with my Nappy Hair

My YouTube Hair Vid-Pelo Negro
Nappturality.com-http://www.nappturality.com/
Motowngirl.com (my #1 Site ever)-http://www.motowngirl.com/

Noooow, onto the pictures. I usually only wear my hair in 3 ways:

[2 STRAND TWISTS]

[TWIST-OUT/CHUNKY FRO]

[AFRO]

…..sometimes I’ll bust a scarf, fro-hawk, The Frederick Douglass, the afro puff or a funky hat. But those are rare since I’m teaching now and don’t have time to be all eccentric and strange. Miss those days. Here are some pics of those funky do’s.

[AFRO PUFF]

[F.DOUGLASS---funny, I know, but I love it. It's funky!]

[FRO-HAWK]

[GYPSY SCARF]

[RASTA HAT]

Here are the products I’m hip to these days.

I’m not a die hard Carol’s Daugher fan. I mean, I do think the products are fab but since my Mom is an herbalist she can make similar items and for free. CD is a bit on the 'spensive side. But since I’m not living near home, I’ve had to buy products. I will never ever ever put shampoo in my hair. The devil, I tell you. If I feel like my hair needs a good cleanse, I do an ACV (apple cider vinegar) rinse or whatev Moms can make for me.

“Can’t live without” products are:
Olive Oil
Rosemary/Jojoba blend
Aloe Vera
VO5 Conditioners

But here's the sad truth.....I don't spend much time doing my hair. I can go up to 2 months without washing or combing it. The only thing that takes time is the 2-strand twists. 4-6 hours. But those hours can last me for 2 months. It's a dream.

Now color is a whoooole 'notha story. I've done honey brown, orange/red, blond streak (ha, don't ask), jet black and everything in between. I've never had a weave or worn a wig and probably never will....just not me. I've done extensions and usually give my hair a break with 2-strand extentions once a year. But micro=death. Straightening with heat has only happened once. Never again. I'll probably loc this year since I love the low-maintenance fabulouslness of them.

I mean, really....that's it!! Any questions about the naps, just ask!!

BB, NARS & Ochre Style

My internet service is the pits and this is the first time I've been able to access it since Friday so I guess I better update quickly before my connection suddenly disappears!

Most of you know that my ventures into foundations weren't so hot. MAC's StudioFix and StudioTech killed my face. Literally. Scroll the blog. I've got pictures to prove it. I stopped using those products but I still wanted some kind of coverage. Especially since I had post pimple marks on my face (lemme tell you....cocoa butter is amazing. It seriously lightens dark spots like that *snaps*) Bobbi Brown's Tinted Moisturizer is simply fab! This is my first attempt with tinted moisturizers. Because my skin is naturally dry, I love how this product gives me some added moisture and a light coverage. It's great for the winter months. I stiple it on my hand and then on my face and blend all over. It goes on beautifully and I don't get that make-upy" look that I dread. When applied with the 187 brush, it is a dreeeam. At $43 a bottle, a little goes a long way which is a good thing for a broke beauty like myself. I'm a NW45 in MAC colors so I use the "Dark Tint" for the BB Moisturizer. Because it does leave me a bit shiny, I buff NYC's loose translucent powder on top. I absolutely adore it. And so far...no break-outs so A+ to Bobbi Brown!

Another product that I adore is MAC's Ochre Style from The Originals collection. What a beautiful muted gold! It looks beautiful when paired with Trax, Sketch and Handwritten. Because it is a bit sheer, I used UDPP and Bamboo paint for the color to really POP! See how simple it looks here.

But when I add a crease color...

I love it! Simple, neutral but.....nice.

And yesterday I went to check out the N Collection. Didn't see anything that I liked. As I've mentioned, I think I'm pretty good in the neutral department. But I did go to Sephora and got NARS Crazed. I've been wanting it for a minute. This newbie has very little experience in the blush area so watching me learn how to do that will be fun!

And I'm also going to do a natural hair post.

Just because I realize there are a lot of us out there with beautiful natural hair. But dang, I can't wait to get my locs like lovely Yummy and Divine Rae.




See my curly Q's!

Yay! Ohhh....and per some blog sista suggestions, I've also dipped into some mineral make-up too. Stay tuned for reviews/pictures of that.

Peace and natural beauty.

Pigments and more...

PIGGIES!

PIGGIES!!

Now let's rap on pigments for a quick second.

I absolutely love them!!! Their versatility is amazing. I have found so much success is virtually all of the pigments I've played around with...

Pigments are sooo much fun and you can use them everywhere! Eyes, lips, face, nail polishes, etc. My top 3 favorite so far are:

1) Vanilla....I love this heavenly color. I've used it as a highlighter, dabbed it on my lips and even sprinkled some in my lotion for a summer shimmery look. It's a amazing.

2) Coco Beach...the BEST crease color I've come across so far. It blends amazingly with my knock off 224 brush. An absolute gorgeous color.

3) Melon...I loooove this color. In the jar it looks a bit bright, but when applied on my skin, it is a little more toned down. This on my lid with Coco beach as my crease is such a GREAT neutral color. My Mom, who is NC35 looks amazing with this color too.

:: I'll post pics soon of my pretty piggie combos.

.....I'm still playing around with some other MAC piggies that I have such as Kelly Green, Cornflower, Fuchsia, Golden Lemon, etc. And of course I have the SAMPLE sizes of pigments. I highly suggest purchasing samples instead of spending a whooping $19.50 on a jar of pigment that you won't use in a lifetime. A little really goes a looong way.

Where can you get samples?
Once upon a time, I believe Ebay users could sell samples, but that has recently stopped. I found a great seller through Specktra who not only has a great selection of pigments, but has GREAT prices, as well. Shoot Cheryl an email at Cher65@sbcglobal.net and she'll email you a list of her colors and prices. She's amazing for business, friendly and her service is fassst. She lives in Cali, I in Florida and I got my pigments in 3 days! Get up on it!



I think I'm more in love with MAC pigments than the eye shadows. I find myself grabbing for a piggie daily now instead of my palette.

Check out my Wish List:
-UPDD Primer Potion (on sale @ Ulta..buy 2, get 1 free. I need to stock up for Cali)
-Humid
-Woodwinked
-Naked Lunch
-Humid
-Novel Twist Basic Brush set
-A brown lip pencil. Probably from Jordana 2/$3. I love this cheap brand!
-Vanilla pigment (don't have time to order out, so I'll prolly have to buy the whole thing!)
..that's it!





Look at the lippie stuffs stash from my purse. Ain't this sad? Love 'em all too. All under $4. Except that MAC Jellybabe which came in a gift set that I got as a gift. That MAC in 3D has me gettin' excited so let's hope it's worth the hype, ZDazzle. No amazement since C-Shock here!


Guess who is graduating? Me in 10 days? How I'm going to wear my hair is quite the wonder. Someone mentioned a weave or wig. Okay....looks good on some, but I'm not the type to wear styles like that. Plus, I'm kinda big on my natural hair so to hide it on a big day would be such the contradiction to me. Any ideas? I look dead in this pic, but what about a headwrap UNDER the cap? No?






New look!! If I'm not in the mood to go all out on the eyes, I simply do...eyeliner, fluidline and mascara! That's it. I'm lovin' it! What's goin' on in your make-up world? Any new finds and whatnot?