C.C. Solomon's Blog, page 13

Blog Revisited: Getting Dolled

So once in a while I will be taking a stroll down memory lane and post a blog entry from years ago. My blog has gone through many makeovers including titles so a lot of this might be new to you dear reader. Take a look at this one:

Get Dolled Up…For the Store

So from time to time I will blog about the rules I wrote about in my novel, The Mission. Most of the rules are things I’ve heard from family, friends, TV or books and I decided to write a novel about a fictional try at following these popular “suggestions”. Some of these rules I have actually tried. Others I am conflicted about.

For instance:

Rule #3: Men can be found almost anywhere; you never know who’s out there so always look your best , even when taking out the garbage!

I met my first date since the “mission” began at the grocery store that Monday evening. Per the rules, I had to make an effort to look good wherever I went, so I dressed up for my weekly grocery shopping. Tight jeans, heels, hair down, makeup fresh. I spent less time getting ready for work.

Personally, this has been my hardship. I am one who will go to the grocery store right after a workout. Sweaty, frizzy haired. Guys still flirt because I have nice gym clothes on (hey, it’s half the battle of getting me out the door to workout) and they appreciate someone who works out. I actually feel good and therefore am exuding positive energy. The only negative is that I have my earphones in. If I’m jogging/walking from my house to the store I have to have my music and I carry that into the store. The side effect is that it cuts me off from communicating with those around me.

On the flip side, when I’m out wearing some heels, (click to read more)

 

Would you travel abroad to find love?

A friend mentioned taking some time off to travel to another country and find her Mr. Right. I’m not sure that would work but we all get into our Eat, Pray, Love moments from time to time.

But it got me to thinking, with the advent of online dating and apps, people find love close and far, is it so far fetched (assuming you are willing to relocate) to take a trip to find more than a good time, yourself, and peace but love too?

Is it a good idea?

The Pros are you could find a culture that strongly appeals to you. Just because you were born in a certain place doesn’t mean you have to stay there. There’s a large world to explore full of many types of people.

A major Con is being apart from loved ones and maybe the normalcy you are used to. My friends who thought about leaving figured they would stay at a destination a month to get a feel for the place. Seeing that it takes 30 days to break a habit I can see the logic that it could take just as long to get used to a new place to best decide if it’s worth the upstart.

Sites

One good way to get your toes in the water is trying out online sites and apps. One new site I discovered called Miss Travel takes the idea of online dating and mixes it with travel. On this site you can post a trip you’d like to go and set up a profile much like any online dating. You can search within your parameters for travel companions or search for trips they have posted. You can go 50/50, pay for both people, or look for someone willing to pay for you to travel with them (side eyes).  Not certain on the safety of this (I’d play it smart and book your own separate hotel room and maybe do some phone and skype sessions before). However, I can see the thrill in going to a new place and having a possibly cute partner to meet and accompany you.

Meet up is another good site to check out to get immersed into a culture on your own. You can join a group in the area you’d like to check out (maybe even an expat one). You can also reach out to local members before you arrive and perhaps set up a meet and greet.

Tinder can also be a tool to meet people and maybe find love abroad. It’s an international app so who knows who you can meet while visiting your destination.

Trip Advisor is one of my favorite travel planning sites for just about everything. However, you get the best use out of it if you go to the forums. Many times soon to be visitors will do a roll call to see who is going to the that particular place when they are. It’s a way to make friends (just be smart) if you are outgoing enough to reach out to the forum writers. Many locals are also on the site to give advice and guidance on their country which can be another way to meet people far and away.

Destinations

I can’t say there is a good place to find love (well maybe China since there is an overpopulation of men in need of wives). The places you might typically think are romantic might not lead to love. Therefore, I say go where your heart calls, where your passion calls.

However, if you are looking for places that might put  you in a romantic state of mind check out the following:

Italy- just about anywhere. How many movies are there where Italy is the setting for love? I’m partial to Florence/Tuscany myself.

Capetown, South Africa- This is where my friend thought she’d find love. With the beaches and social scene perhaps it’s possible.

Buenos Aires, Argentina- If the city is as sexy as the tango, maybe romance is here as well.

Caribbean- Many a gal and guy has gotten swept up in a romance in Jamaica. But be careful of swindlers.

London, England- Some may disagree but I found my time there, especially when I spent a semester, a bit easier to date. It’s an easy city to strike up a conversation with a stranger.

Bali- I just keep hearing good things about it. I mean it was the love in Eat, Pray, Love.

Good luck on your international love.

 

 

 

Quick Cook: Turkey and Rice

Found this recipe in a magazine and tried it out. Pretty tasty and super quick to make!

Here’s what you need:

skillet

sausage of your choice

2 cups rice of your choice

2 cloves crushed garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1 red bell paper sliced thin

1 small yellow onion, sliced thin

1 package broccoli or fresh broccoli

1/2 cup chicken broth or water

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil and garlic in skillet, add sausage until browned. Add pepper, onion, broccoli, broth, tomato sauce and black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile make rice according to package instructions. Stir in cooked rice to skillet and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Done in no time.

 

 

How to pack for the right trip

So after traveling to Malaysia and Thailand and experiencing lugging heavy bags, differing luggage limitation with all the plane rides and just buying more than I thought, I began to rethink how I pack for trips.

I love fashion and makeup and hair care is very particular for me because not everywhere I got will have what I need. However, to make your life so much easier in your travels, remember that packing is not a “one size fits all” type of event. So for my fashionable cosmo folks here is my suggested fashion packing ideas depending on trip type.

Beach Trip

Think Jamaica. There are the obvious beach toiletries like sunblock and insect repellant. But when you talk fashion keep it casual. If you are going to be on a beach climate the whole time there is no need to bring heels. Not even platforms. Everytime I do I feel like it’s a waste of space because I never wear them. The key word is Casual.

Swim suits
Coverups/romper
beach flip flops
“fancy” evening flat sandals that are easy to slip on and off for beach parties
day time sandals
shorts/tops
sun dresses/maxi dress
Simple accessories
tinted cc cream, powder or concealer; bright lip stick (pink, tangerine, red); colorful eye liner (blue, green, purple); shimmery/gold shadow; blush, lengthening mascara
find ideas here http://www.modcloth.com/shop/beachwear 

Big City Trip/High Fashion

Think Paris. When I went to Paris years ago one thing I noticed is that fashion is not a game. One way to scream “I’m a tourist” is to walk around wearing tennis. The women were serious about fashion no matter the age. I hung my head in shame when an older diva walked past me in heels with me in my gym shoes. Now I’m not suggesting go sightseeing in 4 inch heels but the key word should be Trendy.

Jacket/Shawl
comfy yet fashionable flats (think converse or toms or ballet flats)
Jeans/cargo pants and tops
“fancy” top to go with jeans
Little black dress /evening dresses/jumpsuit
strappy heels
booties
statement necklace/bracelet/earrings
primer, foundation, powder, high lighter, light and dark eye shadow, black gel eye liner, high volume/lengthening mascara, dark lip color and neutral lip color
see ideas here: check out tjmaxx for ideas

 

City Trip/ Casual Environment

Think South Africa. A place where sight seeing and exploring is the number one goal but yet happening night life still exist. The key word is Adaptable

Cardigan/Shawl
flat sandals
tennis, toms, ballet flats
shorts/jeans/cargo pants and tops
evening knee length or mini dresses
cute evening tops
“fancy” flat sandals, maybe a comfortable platform
neutral color jewelry (think gold/silver) both simple and statement
tinted cc cream, foundation, powder, pinks/reddish lip sticks, brown/neutral shadows, brown and black eye liners, high volume mascara
Check out www.asos.com for ideas 

 

Pack smart!

Products I Like Right Now

So new random post of beauty products that I like:

Skin Food Tea Tree Clearing Emulsion– Emulsions are a Korean type of beauty product, thinner than a serum so they should be the first level for product application to the skin. This is a good product to help with acne prone skin

NYX Wonder Pencil– It’s a three in one flesh toned pencil good for covering spots, brightening eyes and lining lips to prevent feathering and bleeding of lipstick.

Becca Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector– This is pricey but if you are a super oily gal like me it’s worth it to prevent crazy shine. You can wear it alone or under makeup and put it on later for touch ups.

Clinique Pep-Start – A good eye cream that gives you a wake me up in the morning if you have “tired looking” eyes. Just put on the skin under the eye.

Peter Thomas Roth Firm Peeling Gel Exfoliant– Also super expensive but I just get the travel size. I use this when I get dry, peely skin. Just massage into skin and it gets the dead skin, then rinse off with water.

Good Genes by Sunday Riley– Extremely expensive. I got a travel size. Can be used as a serum or overnight mask. It’s an all in one Lactic Acid Treatment which I use to plump any facial lines, even out my skin tone and exfoliate.

Sephora Colorful Cheek Ink Gel– Great gel blush, really pops on brown skin and just makes me feel cheerful.

Welp, these are my favorites right now! Till next time!

Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur

Stay

So this a funny story, my group actually switched hotels as soon as we arrived. It just wasn’t in the best of areas (a bit sketchy) and the accommodations just weren’t up to our standards. Call me a snob but, no buts, I’m a snob. So before my head even hit the pillow I already booked another hotel. Not going to bad mouth the place we were at and name it but we relocated to the Metro 360 hotel. Very nice hotel with a pool and a  block away from a ton of restaurants, bars and a large street food area. Also not too far a walk to the metro.

To Do

Kuala Lumpur is a small city but there is tons to check out. A must is going to the Batu caves. It is a religious cite with amazing statutes and the caves are uniquely up stairs. 270 something to be exact. But it’s well worth the exercise for a cool cave experience.

I spent most of money on this trip in Malaysia. As a shopping fiend this place is dangerous. Our tour guide took us to a Butik Shop, and you’ll find lots of these all over, where you can get local, handmade scarfs and clothing with prints more local to Malaysia.

I also swung through China Town for some light shopping and then on to Central Market which was more of the highlight of my shopping time where you can find a lot of local items to buy. It’s also where I got my fish pedicure (tickles)

If you are looking for more mainstream/western shopping then check out the KLCC Mall. It’s located in the Petronas Towers (worth a side visit to the top). The mall is super huge. Six floors. And, as I explained in Thailand, the food courts are serious foodie events. The food court on the higher level is very much local fare so I’d recommend that for the more adventurous eater. The lower level food court has a mixture of every single type of food you can imagine, from Pho to Pasta to Pizza. I want to go back and eat my way through the place.

Nom Nom Nom

Ok, moving on.

Nightlife

Like I said before, our hotel is near a bunch of nightlife on Bukit Bintang and that’s pretty much where I hung out (although I do recommend a visit to the SkyBar if you can make it, great views).

So near my hotel I went to Elevate night club which was good for RnB, Hiphop and reggae. Gypsy Bar also had good music.

The Whiskey Bar was dark, cool and trendy and had a drink named Obama. Good but pricey whiskey based drinks and the food, I heard, was pretty great. And they have cigars so they cool and stuff.

Opium served me the best meal of my trip

Noteworthy

So, Kuala Lumpur is a very liberal, majority (well 50%?) Muslim country. The next major ethnic group is Chinese, then Indian. There is also a large influx of Africans. This particular group has not always been met with open arms. This is in part due to some crime brought by certain African immigrants that “spoiled the bunch” sadly. However, I didn’t have any problems with how I was treated. We did not stand out like we did in Thailand. The most I got was a request to touch my curly hair (which was odd to me because I ran across a few locals with a similar curl pattern so I wasn’t that unique). I did not allow people to touch my hair because…

Ok so there were several places that did not have toilet paper. I’m not an expert in the culture but I was informed that the process is to clean with a hand (left?) and wash off (there were water hose type things in each stall). I carried tissue with me, although most places I went to had toilet paper. Cultural differences are always interesting to me. In the airport two women who were not used to toilets but there was a stall with a “hole” in the ground so they waited to use that one stall. I’ve seen such squatting toilets? in my travels before and had to use them. Had being the operative word. So to see women who preferred to use them over a regular toilet was curious to me. But I guess you go with what you know.

Overall this was a great trip and I’d definitely go back to Malaysia again and maybe check out some other nearby countries while there (Singapore and Bali are calling me!). Till next time…

Thailand : Phuket

Stay

One thing I failed to note is how cheap it is over in Thailand. You can really afford to stay in comfortable hotels for less money if western comforts are your thing (and they are mine). We stayed at the Grand Mercure in Phuket which sadly was not on the beach or even across from it. But it was walking distance to the beach and the hotel was five star and really nice (with a really good breakfast and daily happy hour) so I couldn’t complain.

It’s also walking distance to a market for shopping, some outdoor casual bars and many restaurants. It’s also not far by foot from one of the popular party streets which I’ll discuss later so it was a good location.

To Do

There are many touristy things to do beyond the beach. My group and I went to Fantasea, which is like a very mini Disneyworld with a Thai focus. You can ride elephants ( I don’t as I have ethical concerns about the treatment of the elephants), see a cirque de soleil style show (which was cute), shop, dine (the food wasn’t great, so I’d skip that), drink.

You don’t go to Thailand without getting a spa treatment. Specifically a massage. It’s one of their claims to fame as it goes back 100s (maybe 1000s) of years for their culture. So their experts and you can’t walk more than a few feet without passing a massage shop/bar/salon/spa. I like to go for a full experience so I wasn’t going to go into some “round the way” shop for a massage. I want a spa like experience. Sure it cost more but even that is cheaper than what it would be here. I went to the  So Thai Spa upon recommendation from a friend. For under the equivalent of $100, I got a head to toe massage including reflexology foot massage, body scrub, and facial. This was a four hour experience (that actually went quickly) including a tea break. I fell asleep a couple of times and woke up in a panic forgetting where I was (did I get myself Taken, my dad has no special set of skills so it would have been a wrap for me). It was an overall great experience and worth the money.

It’s worth your time to do an excursion while in Phuket, my group and I did a Phi Phi islands tour where we went to the island where Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach was shot It is pretty secluded except for a few campers but a nice beach (outside of some biting fish which I was lucky enough to avoid as I raced onto shore from the boat instead of lingering in the water, others weren’t so lucky and got bit).

We also checked out a few other secluded islands including a place called Monkey Island (actually just a beach where monkeys lived, not sure if humans did too). Sounded like a mini Planet of the Apes to me so I stayed on the boat. We also had an opportunity to find Dory and go snorkeling but I got a serious case of sea sickness and skipped that part (taking a speedboat in choppy waters for an hour does cruel things to the stomach so be warned, skip this excursion if you have a week stomach and the weather isn’t great).

Nightlife

Phuket is kind of a party place so there are a lot of nightlife options. One of the more popular party locations are on Bangla St which houses a lot of clubs. It’s a bit seedy for my taste so not sure I’d recommend it. There are regular clubs to get “turnt up” at but there are also a bunch of girls in pasties dancing on tables and with poles type places. I don’t like partying in that type of element but to each their own. There are classier options and I’d recommend doing an online search prior to going to check out other options if big clubs and seedy nightlife isn’t your thing.

Noteworthy

Again, like Bangkok, diversity isn’t their thing so seeing a group of black people was still a shock for many. We got a few insensitive comments from passersbys (from someone shouting “Obama” when they saw us to asking us if our hair was a “sew in”- ugh, who let the secret out about hair weaves and black women? Now everyone thinks all black women don’t have any hair, one woman refused to believe that the hair on our heads was our own (and it was thank you) and thought we were joking). People also assumed we were South African. Again not sure why so specific to that country.

Up next…Malaysia.

Thailand: Bangkok

Soo I recently returned from a trip to Thailand and Malaysia. It was my first time in Asia so I was looking forward to experiencing a totally new culture.

In my first post on my trip, I talk about Bangkok.

Plane Ride

It  was a long journey. This is not a place you visit for a long weekend. The flight from D.C. to Dubai was about 13 hours. Then from Dubai to Thailand was another 6 hours. I’m not much of a sleep on the plane kind of gal so and if you are like me this journey is not for the faint of heart.

I flew with Emirates airline and I’d give them five stars for the coach experience. One day I’d love to do business or first class with their reclining all the way back chairs and sleep space, showers and bar. However, coach was pleasant enough They had a lot of current tv and movies to keep me occupied when my eyes were too weak to read. They also kept us well fed and limitless liquor.

Hotel

Once I kissed the airport floors upon arrival (ok I didn’t do that, gross). My group took a shuttle to our hotel. Le Fenix Sukhumvit is a 3-4 star hotel located near a lot of resturants and bars as well as walking distance from the metro. Our stay included free breakfast which was pretty good for western standards (although they also had eastern fare).

To See/Do

Overall, when in Thailand, get your eat on. The food is spicy so be warned but it’s great for your digestion and metabolism! It’s worth it though, as the food is flavorful. If the spices aren’t good for you, there are other less spicy dishes and you can ask them to make a dish less spicy. I made the mistake of asking for a dish to be made the regular Thai way, sure I could handle it.

I couldn’t handle it.

Ok, so beyond eating, Thailand is great for shopping. Things are way cheaper there. In part because there’s a strong knock-off game going on there so be sure to check the quality of your goods. Also a lot of brands are made in Thailand so the selling prices is lower too (as long as it’s not a fake). Also, if you are into beauty and skincare, it’s a mecca for that as well as a lot of Korean and Japanese brands are featured there. I had a party with that and will do a post on that later.

Shopping is an event. The malls are huge. I went to MBK for shopping and it has a whole level just for eating. The food courts are on a whole new level compared to food courts in American Malls. Don’t scoff at dining in a mall food court in Bangkok. It is a foodie event with an overwhelmingly high amount of choices. I’d suggest checking out the Weekend Market as well.

I also did the regular tour thing. Mainly checking out the many buddisht temples. I went via Your Thai Guide who were excellent hosts. A note, on visiting temples, women should wear below the knee pants or skirts and keep shoulders covered. It was hot so this wasn’t fun but that is the respectful attire for visiting theses sites. During the tour I checked out the Grand Palace, the megasized Reclining Budda and the Golden Budda[image error]

Nightlife

There is plenty of nightlife in Bangkok and you can stay up late partying (just don’t get a face tatoo like in Hangover Three, sadly I didn’t get to visit that hotel rooftop but I heard the drink prices were insane especially compared to the more economical rest of the trip).

However, if anything, check out a rooftop while over there, the views are great. But there is nightlife for all the different vibes: hip hop, live bands, jazz, large mega clubs. Thailand isn’t yet on yelp but check out tripadvisor for ideas of good nightlife.

Noteworthy

Getting around was pretty simple there. Taking the metro was easy enough and the people who work there are friendly and will point you to the right way. If you get a cab, it’s best and safest to get one from a hotel and make sure it’s metered. There is also Uber over there. As with anything be smart. I only did Uber when there were a few of us, never alone.

Ok, I have to get this out. Thailand is not a diverse place. So if you are a brown person you are going to stand out. The people I was with and I got many stares and those in the group with braids got a lot of stares and requests to touch their hair. However, there were a lot of Asian tourist who were not used to seeing black people and they took seeing us as a photo opportunity. It almost got to paparazzi level. I didn’t appriciate it but I knew why. I hope one day enough black people, especially black americans, get the opportunity to travel abroad and to less popular choices in our community like Asia.

Next up…Phuket

Beauty Haul: ColourPOP lips and eyes

I am doing another beauty haul post. This time on some recent colourpop items. If you don’t know about this beauty  line, you need to. High quality products for cheap prices. So here is what I got:

Lips:

Lip Primer- Great as a base on lips from drying mattes and helps prevent feathering

Frick n Frack ultra satin lip. Feels almost like the mattes. Strong color and long lasting even after eating.

Ellarie lippie stix- matte. Love this color. Not as matte as the ultra mattes but still pretty good.

Grunge lippie stix- Matte. Great every day color. Also not really matte or drying

Eyes

Super Shock eye shadows- they all fill smooth and creamy. The colors are super rich but they will wear down quickly as it’s not all that much in the little tubs as you might think. But for about $5 a pop, it’s worth it.

Weenie – Beautiful sparkly color, unfortunate name

Porter- Rich maroon

Mooning- Deep brown

Mittins- Almost a purple with a bit of sparkle

Here are the swatches in order from right to left

Already eyeing my next colourpop purchases but I’ll wait until I return. In the meantime going to try to perfect a smoky eye look with my goods!

 

I was nominated

A big thank you to the blog Beauty and Cherries for nominating me for a Liebster Award!

The Liebster award is to welcome new bloggers into the exciting blogosphere, and let the community discover new blogs and meet new bloggers. It is generally given to blogs/bloggers who are new, and have less than 1,000 followers.

RULES FOR THE LIEBSTER AWARD:

•    Thank the blog(s) that nominated you on a post in your blog.

•    Answer the questions asked by the blog that nominated you.

•    Nominate 5-10 other new bloggers.

•    Create 10 new questions for the nominees to answer.

•    Notify all nominees via social media.

Liebster Award Questions ****

Why did you start blogging? To express ideas/tips/experiences that I thought would be helpful and relate to my fiction novels (one currently out on Amazon)
Name 1 beauty product you can’t live without. Mascara- a good one can change your life!
What’s your most favorite place? Beach- Negril, Jamaica
What’s your favorite blog post and why? Really, anything about traveling, which is my passion
What’s motivates you to continue blogging? New ideas and experiences
If you can change 1 part of your body – what is it? Sigh, would love flat abs
Name someone/something in your life that makes you happy everyday. Being in good health!
What’s your holy grail product? SPF!
What do you do to relieve stress? Watch a comedy (still love Golden Girls)
What’s your ultimate goal for this year? Love!

My nominees

Music is my Religion
Bountiful Curls
Beauty Books and Blogging
Love from Jess XO
Le Wendy Blog

My questions to the nominees?

Why blog?
If you had writing music, what would be one of your top songs on your playlist?
Favorite place or time to blog?
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
If you could do anything for a living, what would you do?
Besides blogging, do you have any other passions, and what are they?
Favorite meal/food?
Favorite drink (alcoholic or non alcoholic)?
What’s your spirit animal?
Celebrity crush?