Fridays with Felicia: Volume 11

Fridays with Felicia: An intimate look behind the curtain as I share my favorite style/ beauty discoveries and ThisThatBeauty shenanigans from previous week.

The last few weeks have been (beautifully) brutal! I have been in so many airports that I recently earned the Foursquare “Jet-setter” badge…given to individuals who check into five airports. I was finally able to slow down with a lovely family vacation to Miami and then the Bahamas for a wedding. I had a blast…(see image to the right – Yep, that’s me and Senor Frog in the Bahamas. He’s feeling me…cant you tell?)

Lets kick off “Fridays with Felicia” with an awesome giveaway. After so much buzz over my recent review of Rio De Keratin (RDK) at-home Keratin Treatment, I am thrilled to partner with RDK and offer three lucky ThisThatBeauty readers the opportunity to win the at-home kit that Chrissy raved about in her review. Woot woot!

The deets are as follows…. to enter the contest, you must:

• Follow @ThisThatBeuty and @RDKhair on Twitter
• Leave a comment on my blog with your Twitter handle. This will serve as your contest entry. When I winner is selected I will verify that that individual is a Twitter follower of @ThisThatBeauty and @RDKhair. You will be notified via Twitter. Yay for social media!
• You may earn additional contest entries by Tweeting and ReTweeting the following “Win @RDKhair at home Keratin treatment at www.ThisThatBeauty.com @ThisThatBeauty“.
• There’s no limit to the number of times you may enter the contest.

This contest is open to US residents only and will run through July 18!

Speaking of hair, have you guys checked out Pantene lately? The frugalista friendly mass drugstore line recently revamped their offerings and I’ve got the scoop. had the pleasure of attending an intimate press breakfast presentation and round-table discussion on Pantene’s new launch. Celebrity Stylist for Pantene, Tippi Shorter, and Pantene Senior Scientist, Dr. Jeni Thomas walked through Pantene’s new collections and how the products cater to various hair types. I found the presentation to be especially helpful as selecting the proper products for your hair type/texture is key to achieving the best possible desired results.

Tippi and Jeni Pantene discussed the ins and outs of Pantene’s 4 new recently launched collections which are entirely based on hair structure: Fine, Medium-Thick, Curly and Color-treated.

During the event I had an opportunity to chat one-on-one with Tippi regarding my hair and get her expert advice on which Pantene line would work best for my hair. Hey, if Tippi can keep Alicia Keys’ locks gorgeous, certainly she’s more than qualified to advice lil ol me:) Here I am getting hair scoop from Tippi…

Because my hair is super dry (yet very soft, as per Tippi after giving my locks a quick touch:)) and in need of intense moisture, Tippi recommended that I shampoo with Pantene’s Relaxed and Natural shampoo because it has the highest level of moisture of all of the shampoos. However because my hair is very thick and in need of moisture, Tippi recommended that I condition with the products from the newly launched “Medium/ Thick” collection.

I was anxious to put Tippi’s recommendations to the test. While I am generally a fan of Pantene, I wasn’t extremely hopeful because my hair is currently the driest its been in years and I am about 5 weeks overdue for a relaxer touch-up…which means my coarse crinkly roots are doing serious battle with my straight relaxed ends. Not a pretty situation once wet. Yeouch!

Anyhoo, I followed Tippi’s advice and used the recommended products a few evenings later. Much to my surprise, the Relaxed and Natural shampoo and Medium Thick conditioner combo tackled my seriously dry multi textured hair. The shampoo was great at moisturizing and detangling my hair. After shampooing my hair wasn’t screaming for conditioner…you know what I mean? Sometimes after shampooing the hair feels like its going to disintegrate it doesn’t get a good conditioner, STAT. Well my hair didn’t feel that way after Relaxed and Natural…which is impressive given the fact that I am so overdue for a relaxer and have about two inches of new growth. I followed my shampoo with one of the tiny Medium Thick conditioning ampoules. I was tempted to use more than one ampoule, but wanted to follow the exact directions for an accurate review on ThisThatBeauty.

A few tips for Tippi — Follow product directions exactly! How many of us are guilty of leaving hair products on (especially conditioners) for longer than the directions require. Tippi encourages you follow directions as outlined. Mant times we think we’re getting extra benefits by using more product or leaving it on longer. Tippi says that products are formulated and tested to be effective in a certain amount of time. I applied Tippi’s advise and used the Pantene products as directed…and loved the results! Thanks Pantene and Tippi!

If you follow my tom-foolery via Twiiter you know that the girl loves vino. During the summer months I tend to favor refreshing whites….and sparkling wines are particularly favored. While in Miami I tried a really yummy sparkling wine that I am compelled to share. Mumm Napa Cuvee M is a wonderful semi sweet sparkling white wine. It is describes as: Elegant Light peach rose. Elegant aromas. Rich and complex. Fresh white and yellow stone fruits with subtle hints of wild strawberry. Heady touch of fresh brioche, with hints of vanilla and honey. Flavors of peach and pear combine with a creamy caramel character, on a long, satisfying finish.

Since it Lebron season its only fitting that I feature a Miami-centric event. MAKE UP FOR EVER, the official makeup sponsor for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Swim, is hosting   “Smudge-Proof Your Make Up” at Sephora South Beach (July 17 from 4-7pm). At the event customers can get their makeup done for FREE before heading out for a night on the town. Please feel free to share this event with your friends in the South Florida area (Clumps of Mascara, I’m looking at you:)).

Try out MAKE UP FOR EVER’s brand new Aqua Cream, a collection of 21 multi-use cream colors for the eyes, lips or cheeks that are 100% waterproof, sweat-proof, melt-proof and crease-proof. Aqua Cream is being used on the models backstage at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim. Stay tuned for daily makeup looks from the runway!

Saturday, July 17th, 2010
4:00pm – 7:00pm
Sephora South Beach
721 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL
(305) 532-0904

Speaking of   smudge proof makeup…how is your makeup holding up in this heatwave? While I love the finish of cream foundation, I must admit that its hard to reach for on a 100+ degree day. Lately I’ve been keeping my complexion balanced with Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Powder. The product is called 4-in1 because it is a foundation, concealer, powder and SPF 15 all in one. The pressed formulation is perfect for the consumer who enjoys the benefits of mineral but hates the loose mineral mess.

Here’s an application tip: If you apply your pressed powder and feel that the coverage is too matte, give you face a light mist of hydration with Fulvic Mineral Mist. This is a great way to refresh the skin and set your coverage.

As you guys know from last week’s Friday’s with Felicia, I was recently in LA working on a very exciting project with Cover Girl. I also had the opportunity to do makeup for five performing artists (who are also Cover Girl spokeswomen) who appeared live on stage with Queen Latifah at the BET Awards. In the coming weeks I will share additional details on the Cover Girl project which includes a very cool web-series that I am apart of — I do makeup for the women and give them beauty tips along the way. For now, here are a few shots of me and my Cover Girls after I glam’d them up for the red carpet and their on camera appearance with Queen Latifah at the BET Awards:

This one’s for my Twilight fans. *squeal* Actress Julia Jones, one of the newest additions to the Twilight cast, looked stunning at the premiere of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse in LA. mark Celebrity Makeup Artist Jamie Greenberg shares her expert beauty tips on how to recreate Julia’s red carpet look.

Face

“I started by using mark Mist Opportunity Multi-tasking Refresher to prep the face and applied mark For Goodness Face Antioxidant Skin Moisturizing Lotion all over Julia’s skin. Next, I added a touch of mark Get Bright Hook Up Highlighter in Golden under the eye area and mark Get A Tint Tinted Moisturizer Lotion SPF 15 Honey/Golden to even out her complexion. To give her a naturally radiant look, I dusted mark Bronze Pro Bronzing Powder everywhere except for her cheeks. To really emphasize her cheeks, I used a combination of mark Just Pinched Instant Blush Tint in Cheeky and Peachy and then lightly swept mark Glowdacious Illuminating Powder in Amped Up to the apples of her cheeks.”

Eyes

“I began by prepping her eyelids with the mark Please Hold Eye Primer in Medium/Dark to create a strong base for her eye makeup. I then applied a combination of three mark I-mark Custom Pick Eyeshadows to her eyes. I swept Magic across her lids, blended Latte into the crease and added Whisper under the brow bone. To add definition to her eyes, I applied the black shade of mark Keep It Going Longwear Eyeliner and Eyeshadow in Entourage to her top lash line and used the gold shade of mark Keep It Going Longwear Eyeliner and Eyeshadow in Iconic along the lower lash line. I finished her eyes with one coat of mark Scanda-Lash Hook Up Mascara in Blacklash for thickness and a second coat of mark Lash Splash Hook Up Waterproof Mascara in Black to lengthen and hold her lashes for the night.”

Lips

“I prepped Julia’s lips with mark Kiss Dry Goodbye Lip Smoother. To get her bold lip, I applied mark Kissink Lip Tintmarker in Red Siren topped with mark Gloss Gorgeous Stay On Lip Stain in Lolli”

As much as I love makeup, you all know that skincare is number one for me! While my daily regiment currently includes products from several different lines, I can respect the customer who prefers to keep it simple and use a comprehensive collection of products from the same line. When I learned of Dr. Harold Lancer, Beverly Hills dermatologist, and his line of skincare products, I had to share. The Lancer Method is Dr Lancer’s three-step skincare technique.   The Lancer Method follows the guiding principle that skincare does not have to be complicated to be effective. With a simple, daily 3-step program, the LANCERx products offer the efficacy of medical grade ingredients to quickly improve fine lines, texture, discoloration and pore size.

Step 1: Exfoliate – The Lancer RX Polish is an advanced exfoliator, removing dull, dead skin cells and leaving the skin noticeably smoother and more radiant. The natural sea minerals immediately energize the skin without causing redness (even for people with rosacea) and prepare it for effective cleansing.

The three step kit includes your choice of Extremely Pure Cleanser or Exfoliating Blemish Cleanser, Natural Sea Mineral Polish or Blemish Control Polish, and AM/PM Nourishing Treatment. And if celebrity endorsements float your boat, I hear the breathtakingly beautiful Keri Hilson is a fan of Lancer Rx

The only thing better than a great a party is a great party with a purpose. And year after year, my dear friend Melky Jean (baby sis of Wyclef Jean) does just that. Her annual birthday party/ charity gala is legendary. I was recently invited to attend Melky’s party/ fundraiser for her non-profit, Carma Foundation – an organization whose mission is to improve the health of poor and vulnerable women and children in Haiti. Melky has been doing amazing work in her homeland of Haiti. I am honored to support her foundation’s efforts. Here are a few pics from the charity event.

Melky and Wyclef perform

Me @ the gala

Have a beauty-full weekend!

xo, Felicia