rickiloves

What you need…

You need a denim shirt in your life. Don’t debate me on this lol.

Denim shirt: Thrifted (Similiar here and here)

For fall and beyond you need two things: A denim or chambray shirt if you’re fancy AND to stop looking back at your past. So first let’s discuss why you need a denim shirt (I’m not fancy). A denim shirt GOES WITH EVERYTHING! I hate to scream but it really does ladies. If you don’t know what to wear throw on a denim shirt and jeans and add accessories or not and you have an instant easy outfit where you looked like you tried (I won’t tell nobody). I have styled my new favorite Levi’s denim shirt which I thrifted for seven dollars 3 ways for 3 different occasions. I love this shirt because it is fitted and can work with a lot of different looks vs an oversized one. First up: Work.

If you have a business casual work environment you can throw on a denim shirt with your favorite bottoms for a whole new look. Here I paired my shirt with my Fashion Nova pants which I wore before here. The denim shirt tones down the bold pants and the printed heels add a fun business vibe.

The next look I came up with can be worn for happy hours with the girls or date night with your man.

I wore one of my fav fun skirts with the shirt this time. It’s a fringe skirt from NY and Co and it’s perfect for going out. The denim shirt pairs well with the neutral color and I tied it at the waist for a sexier feel. I promise even though this skirt is a basic color you could pair your shirt with ANY print or color skirt (even sequins) for a casual glam vibe.

The final look is my Mama uniform.

Jeans: Fashion Nova Booties: JustFab Earrings: Sam Moon (local)

I wore my denim shirt with my fav comfortable skinny jeans, new black booties and some fun colorful earrings. I can be chauffeur, cook, assistant, atm OH I mean Mama in this outfit and still feel stylish.

As I thought about writing this post about one of my favorite fall pieces I begin to think about what fall really means. Fall is the time of year people start collecting a harvest from the seeds they planted. I thought about the seeds I’ve planted in my life and ultimately the seeds I wish I planted and I begin going down the dangerous road of my past and what if. What if I would have started this blog in 2009, where would I be now? What if I would have not moved or what if I had made different decisions regarding my life. Would I be where I think I should be? Truth is I will NEVER know and another truth is I have to believe I am on the path that God wants me to be on. I may have not made the best decisions or I may have procrastinated on different things but that doesn’t mean I’m doomed or that I still will not reap a good harvest in my life. So stop looking at the woulda, coulda, shoulda and start making thoughtful decisions NOW because we cannot change our past. We can definitely learn from it but we should not dwell in it and let it make us feel bad or sorry for ourselves. I’m just gonna enjoy where I am now on the way to where I’m going. Hopefully, you’re doing the same.

“It’s been too long…

Kimono (here) Tank (old) Jeans (here) Booties (here) Earrings (H&M)

Since you’ve been gone, feels good when I’m with you. I miss you, come back home.” – Monifah. Those lyrics are exactly how I felt about blogging. Just to let you know Pandora stays on the 90s R&B station and when I heard this song I knew I needed to get back to blogging. What can I say? There’s no real excuse for my absence besides just life. We had Hurricane Harvey come to Houston at the end of August and honestly even though my immediate family was safe and dry, it just messed me up mentally and emotionally. But shiggity happens and as humans especially as women we must learn to get back up and keep pushing and that’s what I’m doing.

So here I am and I’m in one of my favorite pieces for summer but showing you how to transition it to fall. The kimono. And this one was only $14 from good ole Boohoo.com. I hate to kimono y’all to death but this one was perfect for fall with all the black and the deep red. I am in love with red this season. The color just warms my blood and makes me feel alive! (Yeah I’m corny lol) And I. FREAKING. LOVE. KIMONOS. So yeah I got another one coming to the blog soon. What can I say? They’re the perfect piece for layering and they let me cover up this hurricane weight I’ve gained without looking frumpy. I would order a size down on this particular one unless you live for the drama which I do of course and I really like that this one sweeps the floor and I’m 5’7. It also has a sash if you want to cinch in the waist. The rest of the outift is a basic black tank and my fav fashion nova high waisted jeans. And some basic black booties from JustFab because I was too lazy for heels lol. And for all you ladies who comment on my waist, I do have one but spanx and waist shapers are my bff. Proper undergarments help complete a look, not to necessarily slim you but smooth those lumps and bumps, I’m just saying. Beyonce wears them okkkkaaayyy so I ain’t shamed! So what colors and trends are you loving this fall? And what tips can you give for getting out a funk? I’d love to hear about it all, let’s talk!

Bodak Mustard?

AirBrush_20170819215104 — Tank: old Pants: Fashion Nova

Confession time: I love ratchet music and I am definitely one of the many women I know who are feeling that song! I also like Cardi B. I am not a big fan like my girl Ranisha but I always thought she was pretty genuine and real when I watched her on Love and Hip Hop. I immediately thought about her song when I saw this pants on Fashion Nova’s website. But of course they are more of a mustard than a yellow so I had to change the title of this post to match! LOL Of course I snagged a couple of more items so stay tuned to the blog for more.

AirBrush_20170819214754 AirBrush_20170819105034 AirBrush_20170819214916

I had wanted to try the paper bag pants trend for awhile so when they had their 30% off sale a few weeks ago these immediately went into my cart. I love how the pants cinch your waist in! I am not gonna keep ya’ll too long with this post but I missed blogging and I had to share this look!

AirBrush_20170819215007

AirBrush_20170819214652 — Loving my necklace for only $5! Thanks Eve!

So what do ya’ll think about Bodak Yellow? My favorite part is when she says she fixed her teeth and it ain’t cheap! HA! Just a little song to take our minds off all that is happening in the world today. Let me know your thoughts on these pants and the song!

Just say…Nope!

AirBrush_20170718173830

As usual I am late to the graphic tee party. I had been on the look out for a graphic tee I liked ever since I saw this post here. I really wanted to showcase how you can dress a simple tee up or down. You know I am all about stretching your wardrobe and your money. I think I achieved that with these two looks. For the first look I paired my tee with simple jeans and my gold sandals. Let me tell you something about me. I am not a fan of silver on myself. It looks pretty on other people but for me gold tones are usually my preference. It’s all about taking what you love and making it work for you when it comes to style. You don’t have to wear something you may not like simply because it looks good on other people or it’s trendy. I would wear this look anywhere, with the kids doing activities, shopping or even a simple movie date. And because the shirt was only $6 I wouldn’t even feel bad about messing it up lol.

AirBrush_20170718201738 — T-shirt: Forever 21 Jeans: Fashion Nova Sandals: Shein

AirBrush_20170718200628 AirBrush_20170718200511

For my second look I paired my graphic tee with a pencil skirt and heels. I have to say I was feeling this look. I loved how simple and easy it was to put together but I still felt stylish and chic. The heels added a pop of color as well as my lippie. I would wear this look to happy hour with the girls or a date night out to dinner.

AirBrush_20170719065816 — Skirt: Asos, old similar here Shoes: Shoedazzle

AirBrush_20170718203159 AirBrush_20170718201146 AirBrush_20170718201640

When I saw this shirt it also spoke to me lol. My kids say this is my favorite word but it’s funny because I didn’t always know how to say no. I didn’t realize that there was power for me in saying no, and when I said yes to things I didn’t want to do or have I gave up control. How many times have we as women ran ourselves ragged trying to get things done we never really wanted to do in the first place? *Raises hand* I’ve spent my money (don’t co-sign that loan girl!), my resources and most importantly my time (which you cannot replace) all because I was afraid to say no. I was a people pleaser and I didn’t want someone to not like me because I didn’t want to do what they asked me to. I feared rejection, plain and simple. I had to recognize that it wasn’t my business if people were mad at me because their requests or demands didn’t fit in my agenda. I had to learn if people didn’t want to be my friend or apart of my life because I said no to them then their love or friendship was conditional and I don’t need that anyway. Who wants to always live up to conditions and standards other people place on them and never be able to be human and make mistakes? I realized I had to do what was best for me and learning to say no freed me up for people and activities that benefited my life and guided me toward my purpose. I am not saying don’t do things for people or loved ones but what I am saying is to do those things because you want to and out of love (how many times have we’ve done things we don’t want to and ended up half assing and frustrating ourselves?) Take care of you and regain back your control and time, money, etc. Say no and mean it (be firm but polite and you owe no one any explanations!) And if you still are not sure how to say no, get this t-shirt and just point!

AirBrush_20170718200434

Love Ricki

Skin is In

Skin is in so show some! On your face I mean! Talking about my skincare routine and products I use and love on the blog today.

AirBrush_20170717065627

Happy Monday ladies!!! Now I’m down for showing a little leg and maybe even a little cleavage here and there but the skin I’m referring to in this post is in our face! As I’ve grown older (and wiser and better I might add lol) I have paid more attention to taking better care of my skin. I love make up and how it makes me look and feel BUT 93.7265% of the time I am make up free. I am a busy woman with a family, work, and other activities so make up is not a priority when I’m trying to just make it out the door! And that especially applies on Monday! So I want to share some of the things I use in my skincare routine today.

Ladies as we age it is sooooooo important that we take care of our skin. Our skin has been through so much as our bodies have changed throughout the years. We’ve had acne, sun exposure, dietary changes and we maybhave had medical issues involving medications that can cause changes in our skin. I will tell you the absolute first step to great skin is drinking water. Period. Water helps hydrate our bodies and our skin which leads to a brighter appearance, less breakouts and plumper skin (think less wrinkles). So get you about 8 glasses a day. I guarantee you this will work!

Secondly we must clean our skin. Everyday twice a day I use a cleanser on my skin whether I wear make up or not. It’s important because just think about all the things you come in contact with daily whether it’s in the air or something you may handle with your hands and then touch your face. The cleansers I recommend are Clean and Clear Morning Burst face wash and Avon Anew Clean Cleansing Foam (shop my Avon e-store here). I like the Clean and Clear in the a.m. because it does include little beads that wake up your skin and I use the Avon at night because it thoroughly removes away all the dirt and grime from the day.

In addition to cleansing daily, if I wear make up I makes sure to remove makeup with Garnier Micellar Water. This stuff works! I use the one with the teal top which is formulated for eye make up removal. I just saturate a cotton pad and wipe away my makeup. I also use it to clean my lashes and then spray with alcohol to disinfect. I would definitely recommend this product especially if you are a make up lover like me.

L3960515

I always follow up cleansing my skin with a moisturizer. I have combination skin and even though I tend to get oily especially in the summer I still moisturize because your skin needs that hydration. You will actually cause your skin to produce more oil if you do not apply moisturizer because it is trying to make up for the moisture it needs. A smooth moisturized face also helps apply your foundation and concealer more smoothly. I use the Avon Anew AHA refining cream. I love this moisturizer because it’s thick and a little goes along way. I follow up my moisturizer whether I wear makeup or a little drop of the Avon MagiX Face perfector because it contains SPF. I only use a little because it personally does not keep me matte but I love the protection it gives against the sun.

I have always had acne and as an adult I still have break outs especially around my time of the month. Because of my acne and the fact I pick at my breakouts (Don’t do it!) I have hyperpigmenation and acne scarring. To help fade my dark marks I use Ambi Fade cream. This stuff is old school but it works! BUT you must use it consistently, preferably twice a day. I also try to use it as soon as a dark mark appears and normally I sew it fading in a few weeks. It does also contain sunscreen to prevent dark marks from getting darker.

13534121

Finally once a week I make sure to exfoliate. It is very important to deep clean your skin and pores and scrub away dead skin cells. This will give you a brighter appearance and for your cleansers and moisturizers to penetrate your skin more deeply. When we age the skin cells our body makes slows down so exfoliation aids in producing new ones. I use Clean and Clear Deep Action Exfoliating scrub and I normally cleanse in the shower using a cleansing brush. The one I have is from Oil of Olay which is on its last leg but Avon makes one which is on sale for $24.99 which I plan on purchasing. The power brush really helps get deep and my skin feels so good after using it.

Now I am a reformed product junkie so I’ve tried alot of products over the years but I have narrowed my routine down to these steps and products and I really feel my skin has improved as I’ve gotten older. Some things like the Ambi are tried and true and some things are new like the Micellar water but will remain a staple. If you have skin issues I always suggest doing your research and visiting a dermatologist. So what are your skin care secrets? I would love to know so please share in the comments below!

Love Ricki