Life, Love and Lip Gloss

I try to keep my posts solely about style but my definition of "style" continues to evolve. Oye vey. While at home chillaxing recently, I stumbled upon a show on BETJ about Black women and dating. Usually I enjoy BETJ’s programming (kinda hard to screw up after big bro BET) but unfortunately the documentary like show featured about 6 or 7 women, Black women - all seemingly professional, financially secure, attractive; ranting and complaining about the quality of Black men for them to date. It felt like a bad re-run although I had never seen it before. Enough. Enough already with the depressing statistics about Black men in prison (trust me, stats are manipulated all the time). Enough already with rattling off the low percentages of Black women getting married (so relative). Enough already with the complaining about not being able to find a "good Black man". Enough!

Yes dating can be tough. For EVERYONE. No I’m not implying that ish doesn’t sometimes seem f*cked up for "us" in the romance department. It has been hard on "us" since we arrived (before the Mayflower that is). But now that we’ve established all of this… Then what? Are we going to all wake up tomorrow morning and slit our wrists? I’ve had my heart broken, I’ve been lonely, I’ve been depressed, I’ve been cheated on. I’ve also been in the type of love people write songs about. I’ve shown my affection for a dude with no reciprocation. But I’ve been showered with compliments and gifts too. I've gone out with a blue-collar worker and a suit-wearing corporate honcho. I’ve been on dates courtesy of the iron horse and a Metrocard (my best date in fact) and I’ve dated someone who drove a shiny, new Jag. My point is there are peaks and valleys in the dating world just as there are peaks and valleys in every other area of our lives. And newsflash: every guy you date doesn’t have to be your future husband. Kiss a few frogs. Live a little. Please. Maybe the odds are not in our favor, maybe I’m delutional because of the way I was raised (I’ve been told that), maybe I’m totally wrong but doggonit, the complaining and sulking we’re doing (collectively) is so lame. Let’s try something else.

Please.


Moving right along. I actually tried something else last week that I am in deep like with. Lip gloss! But not just any gloss. I’m not a big make-up wearer and I’m very brand loyal with the make-up I do wear. Other than lip gloss, I only fool with mascara and occasionally bronzer/highlighter. I’m also leery of beauty products with bells and whistles. Does it do the job it is suppose to do? Well? That is what I care about. Enter Go Light On My Lips Lip Gloss. This line has been around for the past year or so but is still fairly under-the-radar. What is so special about this gloss you’re wondering? Well, it provides the perfect hybrid of long lasting shine and just enough color to make your lips look even more kissable. However, it isn’t too sticky like many other glosses are. Created by Emmy winning make-up artist Elena George who has beat the faces of everyone from Star Jones to Salt ‘N Pepa, these glosses also have a built-in mirror and a light! How fab, right? Elena suggested I try Brown Sugar Baby ($38 with monogram, $19 without) and she did not steer me wrong. Plus the blinged out B on the top is such a conversation starter and I’m a sucker for anything personalized. Visit her site here to check out the other colors and the mascara.

P.S. - I am in a relationship now but it is far from a fairytale. Mr. TK and I might live happily ever after. We might not. Regardless I hope to remain optimistic about life, love and yes even a really good lip gloss.