The Essentials - How To Feel Fabulously Sexy

Every woman has an inner bombshell if she wants to bring it out.  Playing the coquettish role every once in a while is not only fun, but an exciting way to thrill your lover.  Feminine charms go a long way in not only snagging a prized alpha man, but must be maintained in keeping him too.  Cultivate an air of mystery to keep him intrigued, feel empowered with your sexuality, create standards of flawlessness for yourself.  

Of course, feeling fabulously sexy is in itself quite a treat.  There's a rush that tingles through you in commanding the attention and eyes of all in a room.  What made me even think about this was the power that Marilyn Monroe had over men in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", which I watched on Saturday. There was just a LIGHT that she gave out and sensuality oozed from her pores.  Who wouldn't want to feel that empowered?

Here's the top 5 items that I feel every woman should have in her Feeling Fabulously Sexy arsenal:

1. A great push up bra!  Rounded, high sitting décolletage is sexy, youthful, and looks good in all clothing.  

Even in a t-shirt and jeans, a push up bra just makes you feel like you can turn heads!  They are literally my favorite item of clothing and always a welcome addition to my wardrobe.  Get fitted properly so that you have the right support and wear the correct size (most women aren't the right size at all apparently) and ensure that your cups don't runneth OVER (sure sign of a too small bra, don't need a nipple-gate episode).  From luxury like La Perla to high end department such as Nordstrom to the ever sexy Victoria's Secret on down to regular Walmart bras, there's a large variety of options on style/color/price range for all vixens!

push up bra

2. The right makeup kit.  Having the right items at your disposal can go a long way to making you look polished, sexy, and beautiful.  A perfect foundation or powder to even out the skin, highlighter to make the light dance on your features and give you a glow, mascara for flirty voluminous lashes, kajal or kohl liner for impeccable smoldering eyes, and of course a richly pigmented red lipstick for lush lips.  

3. F**k Me Pumps.  These are the shoes with the sky high heels, sex appeal for days, and gives you an arch in your back with a sway to your walk.  Every woman needs at least one pair of heels that makes her feel like sex on legs!  

4. As Beyonce so aptly put it, a Freak'um Dress

otherwise known as a dress that looks like someone poured you into it and hugs all of your gorgeous curves perfectly.  There are dresses for every body, just find one that's flattering and emphasizes at least one of your enviable assets.  Let me tell you, there's NO WAY you don't feel like a million bucks in that thing and have everyone flocking.  

5. A warm, sexy signature scent.  The sense of smell is the greatest for triggering memories, so leave him with a lasting impression!  There are so many choices out there and picking the right scent to linger on everyone's minds and instantly think of you when smelled is a great way to create an air of intrigue.

Those are things that I think are essential in any woman's repertoire; what makes you feel fabulously sexy?

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Are You a Marilyn or a Jackie?

Marilyn Monroe and Jacqueline Kennedy- Onassis are two women that are still emulated and talked about today, true icons in every sense of the word. When you think of Marilyn Monroe, blonde bombshell, cute, bubbly, sex kitten, and shapely all come to mind. When you think of Jackie Kennedy - Onassis, you think of class, quiet sophistication, elegance, posh.  In other words, the women have nothing in common except for sharing JFK's bed *wink*

Then I stumbled upon the fact that there is now a book out called "Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn" and just have to have it!  Both women have qualities that are worth learning from.

Readers start by taking the definitive quiz to determine where they fall on the Jackie/ Marilyn spectrum, and then it's on to customized advice on beauty and style, sex and marriage, power and career, decorating and entertaining, and more. Any woman who has aspired to Marilyn's sultry allure or Jackie's unstoppable elegance (or who wants to balance sexy and serious) will love these entertaining lessons on channeling your inner Jackie or Marilyn in any situation, from throwing a dinner party to penning a love note. Sidebars compare Jackie's and Marilyn's dating tips, lists of favorite books and music, diet plans, and even makeup know-how. Packed with charming two-color illustrations, this is the book that gives every woman her own star power.

Totally awesome right?  So take the quiz and let's hear it, are you a JACKIE or a MARILYN?  

1. DURING TIMES OF STRESS, YOU ...

a) go for a walk on the beach.

b) meditate.

c) pour gin in your tea. 

2. FOR YOU, SEX IS ...

a) uncomplicated and fun! 

b) a way of saying, “Thank you.”

c) a means to an end.

3. BEFORE YOU MEET A MAN FOR DINNER, YOU ...

a) shave your legs. 

b) run a Dun & Bradstreet on the guy.

c) break out your tippy-tallest Manolos and hope for the best.

4. YOU WAKE UP EVERY MORNING ...

a) with your day completely planned.

b) and do whatever you feel like.

c) turn to the person next to you, and say, “Hello, dear.”

5. YOUR CHILDHOOD IS SOMETHING ...

a) not discussed.

b) to be celebrated.

c) you've been running from your whole life.

6. YOUR FATHER ...

a) loved you and gave you confidence.

b) was Clark Gable.

c) taught you to throw a football.

7. YOUR MOTHER ...

a) scares the hell out of you.

b) left you all of her Balenciaga and Schlumberger.

c) secretly loves your little sister (you know, the “pretty one”) more.

8. AFTER YOU SLEEP WITH SOMEONE FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE ...

a) offers you the lead in his movie.

b) asks you to marry him.

c) has a Cartier bibelot on the breakfast tray.

9. IN YOUR OPINION, MONEY IS ...

a) everything.

b) no, we mean it—everything.

c) not that important—as long as you have a roof over your head and Veuve Clicquot in the fridge, you're cool.

10. MEETING YOUR FUTURE MOTHER-IN-LAW FOR THE FIRST TIME, YOU ...

a) convert to Judaism.

b) brush up on your French.

c) eschew underwear.

11. FORMER BEAUX KEEP UP WITH YOU ...

a) on Facebook.

b) on the front page of The New York Times.

c) they don't. They're still devastated by the breakup. They'll never get over it. Never.

12. YOUR BEST FRIEND IS ...

a) your roommate from prep school.

b) your hairdresser, makeup artist, stand-in, publicist, housekeeper, majordomo, Peggy Siegal—or some varying combination.

c) just you, baby. Just you.

ANSWER KEY

To Determine Scoring:
Tally up your responses, giving yourself one “Jackie” point for each question you answered about her correctly and one “Marilyn” point for each correct Marilyn answer. Whichever score is highest corresponds to your predominant archetype. In case of a tie, you are either kidding yourself or are Uma Thurman.

1) a) Jackie
b) Jackie
c)Marilyn

2) a) Marilyn
b) Marilyn
c) Jackie

3) a) Marilyn
b) Jackie
c) Marilyn

4) a) Jackie
b) Marilyn
c) either

5) a) Marilyn
b) Jackie
c) Marilyn

6) a) Jackie
b) Marilyn
c) neither

7) a) either
b) Jackie
c) Jackie

8) a) Marilyn
b) Marilyn
c) Jackie

9) a) Jackie
b) Jackie
c) Marilyn

10) a) Marilyn
b) Jackie
c) Marilyn (of course)

11) a) neither
b) either
c) Marilyn

12) a) Jackie
b) Marilyn
c)Marilyn

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Beauty Blogger QOTD: Own Anything Hello Kitty?

I am in love with all things Hello Kitty!  In college it was my nickname because i was the youngest, short cute girl in the group and so it just stuck and I love buying things from the cutie cat.   :)  I have the necklace, a ring, headbands, and 2 super cute debit cards.

 

My SOUL still weeps that I missed buying everything from the MAC Hello Kitty collection....EPIC FAIL on my part!  I don't know what I was doing to miss that opportunity. :'(

And I NEEEEEEEED this Hello Kitty laptop in my life, like as SOON as possible! Santa, I've been a good girl this year, please bring it my way!

Are you into Hello Kitty?  Do you collect anything at all (needn't be hello kitty, just period)?  

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Beauty Blogger QOTD - Favorite Thing to Do?

Day 05 question — Your favorite thing to do?  Eating!  I am a huge foodie and love to try new restaurants.  Since I travel a ton, picking the food itinerary based on yelp or awesome places I've seen on the Food Network or Travel Channel is the first and favorite thing that I do for an upcoming trip.  I think that it's great to really explore a city through its cuisine, especially ones that they are famous for! Here in Chicago we are king of the deep dish pizza, a yummy indulgence.

I'm always watching shows like "Bobby Flay Throwdown" and "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" to get a list of recommended eats.  Whether high end like lobster risotto or pedestrian like a gooey philly cheesesteak, my taste buds celebrate it all!  What are some of your favorite foods?

*bet you thought I'd answer something like doing makeup or shopping huh?  ;)

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Friend Friday - The Unwashed Masses

The topic this week, according to Friend Friday founder Modly Chic, is "All Natural". 

"This week we're veering more toward the beauty side of things and
talking about the growing trend of going all natural by eliminating
shampoos, soaps, deodorant, etc.  In case you missed it the NYT over the weekend had an article entitled the Great Unwashed, which is all about this growing trend. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/fashion/31Unwashed.html?_r=1

Pretty interesting topic, but I hope TOO many don't start going unwashed because I really don't want to smell a bunch of Au Natural folks!  Lol, on to the questions, feel free to answer them in the comments too!

1. The move to do away with soap, shampoo and deodorant has been growing in popularity in the last year. What are your thoughts on this trend?

Horrified!  I don't want to smell the unwashed masses.  Riding the Metra and "L" train is bad enough without everyone banning showering!  Staying mindful of INGREDIENTS in products is great so that we can all use healthy products, but doing away with them all together?  Let's not!  I don't want to be in a permanent rendition of Woodstock, lol.

\

2. Be honest how often do you wash your own hair?

I'm a black girl with natural hair so once a week suffices.  In the summer, I wash with shampoo once a week and conditioner wash every 3 days or so if I've been sweating.  

3. Have you tried to go the more natural route by forgoing shampoo? What happened? Or would you be tempted to try it?

My scalp HATED when I would do conditioner washes only, so it was a no-go for me.  An angry scalp that is breaking out isn't exactly fun, so I just make sure to use healthy shampoos.  My scalp loved when I did an apple cider vinegar rinse in leiu of a shampoo though, that was quite nice.  You put cool water, apple cider vinegar, and tea tree oil into a bottle, shake, and pour over scalp.  Lovely.

4. What products do you use and have you ever gone with more organic alternatives?

My shampoos are Trader Joe's Tingle Tree and Pure Life aloe shampoo, very healthy and full of natural ingredients.  I buffer them with olive oil as well, so pretty much use natural ingredients in my hair all around.

There are great natural products for the hair and many that I love: 

Qhemet Biologics Amla and Olive Heavy Cream Moisturizer $16.50  I call it my caviar for the hair!  It leaves me with soft, plush hair especially when I do twists.

Blended Beauty Curl Styling Butter $21 Great holding cream!  I can do wet twists with this and have the most defined twist out EVER.

Kinky Curly Curling Custard $17 

Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner $10.28

Aubrey Organics GPB Conditioner $10.28

Extra Virgin Olive Oil $7-10

all of my product recommendations can be found here: http://www.socialitedreams.com/my-product-recommendations/

5. What about that daily shower? Would you forgo that opting to shower three times a week instead?

Hmm....lazy days lounging around the house I may skip a shower but I wouldn't make it a scheduled habit, lol.  I need to use up all of these wonderful products that I have somehow ;)  And yeah, stinking up the place isn't really something I look upon fondly.

What's your take on the Friend Friday Questions?

*Also, I missed the past couple of days with the beauty blogger questions of the day, so here are the answers:

Day 03 — Your favorite brush = Denman Brush

Day 04 — Your favorite foundation = I am always trying new ones and am not MARRIED to any really.  This summer I really liked the Revlon PhotoReady foundation because it showed up SO well in photos, made me look like I had a flawless look.  Now the color is all wrong, too dark/orange so I will take that chance to try something else *product junkie Chesire Cat grin*.  I liked the Studio Sculpt by MAC when they did my Diana Ross makeup look in NYC  so that may be an option.  I'm just not sure yet!  As long as it doesn't make me look orange, which tends to be a major problem with makeup for brown beauties...le sigh!

Okay, I know that I just haphazardly added things to this friend friday, but please go ahead and share your thoughts on the subject!  Have a good weekend my loves.

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Scrubba Dub Dub - Exfoliation 101

Sexy, healthy, glowing skin can be had with an awesome exfoliation regimen!  From the top of your head down to your pretty toes, there are products and recipes ready to get the skin looking and feeling its best.  How often do you exfoliate?  I admit that I'm haphazard with doing it, but I plan to stay on point and do it once a week or so.  Here are some exfoliation tips:

Many don't think to do so, but did you know that you can and should exfoliate your scalp?  It cleanses product build up away, relieves itchiness and flakes, and helps with dry skin.  In order to exfoliate the scalp you can create a mixture of 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of conditioner, and 1 table spoon of olive oil.  Mix that together then apply in sections to your wet scalp and massage well with your finger tips.  Follow with shampoo and conditioner!  Mmmm, didn't that feel good?

There are tons of great face scrubs on the market!  They can come in the form of exfoliating gel, creamy scrubs, foaming scrubs.  Those with dry skin definitely benefit from creamy scrubs as they will keep dry flakes at bay and your complexion glowing.  Just be sure to have a rich moisturizer for afterwards!  Gel scrubs are ace for those with oily skin and can clear away debris that may exasperate acne.  What's your favorite face scrub?

face exfoliator

Kissable lips are only worthy of a pucker if they aren't chapped and flaking!  Keep them soft by having lip scrubs nearby.  Apply a nourishing lip balm afterwards for an enviable pout.  I personally use the Tarte FRXtion duo that has a sugar scrub on one side and a lip balm on the other.  The packaging is so cute with a pop up mirror!  

frxtion

However, there are MANY options on the market and I plan on trying the different varieties, probably the Lush one next.  Have you tried any of these?

lip scrub

In the winter time, my hands have a tendency of being very temperamental.  The skin wants to turn different shades, they turn dry and rough all willy nilly, just a nightmare!  This fall and winter, relentless exfoliating and moisturizing will be key!  The Lush system that I talked about in this post: Reach and Touch Somebody's Hand would be perfect for keeping those hands in top notch shape!  

First, she gave us Lemony Flutter cuticle cream to soften our hands and Ocean Salt as a cleanser scrub. I already knew that things would be great because I'm a sucker for citrus smells and it all just seemed rich and decadent!  Hands were covered in product, feeling warm and soft, right up my alley!  We rinsed that all off and applied their amazing Dream Cream which truly is dreamy!  My hands were about as soft as a warm cashmere robe!

Body Lotions & Creams by Lush

Do you have a favorite regimen for keeping your hands soft and pretty?

Body scrubs come in a wide variety of prices and fragrances.  There are tubs of sugar scrub, body washes that also exfoliate, and more!  When using a body scrub, pay extra special attention to the elbows and knees as those areas tend to get rough more easily.

body scrub

Do you have a favorite body scrub that makes you feel like silk?  I use a tub of Naturally Victoria's Secret and quite like it!  

Last but certainly not least, don't forget your feet!  I know that sometimes we slack on the pedicures as the sandals get put away, but the skin doesn't stop needing attention just because it isn't out daily kicking up sand!  Minty peppermint scrubs tingle and soothe dry, tired feet and are a marvelous way to get your toesies looking and feeling terrific.  

peppermint foot scrub

Hopefully this was helpful and you can keep your skin touchably soft this fall and winter!  With it being colder, there are plenty of indoor cuddle activities that will make you oh so glad that you exfoliated!

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Hump Day Hotties - EyeCandy Wednesdays (Golden Boys)

It's Wednesday again, girls, and you know what that means!  HUMP DAY HOTTIES *waves bra over head* Woohoo!  Let's check out the eye candy, shall we?  All of our hotties this week have golden, bronze, beautiful skin that you just want to rub all over. Mmmph!  

Boris Kodjoe: This hottie is setting the television screen on FIRE ever week with his new show "Undercovers" and I couldn't be more happy to see him on the regular :D  

*damn* He's just......yeah

Willy Monfret: Look into his pretty eyes and you may get lost for days!  Total yum

Gary Dourdan: I loved him on CSI, those eyes were a weekly indulgence of mine!  

Lenny Kravitz: What a bad ass!  Tight body, rocking career, and boy can he handle his...instrument!

 Shemar Moore: Quite the pretty boy, isn't he?  Gorgeous smile, make ya weak abs, just all around delicious caramel goodness!

Is it hot in here or what?  Those men got my temperature rising, what say you? Who are some hotties that you'd like to see on the list? Enjoy!  (For previous hump day hotties posts, click here)

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The Red Cheeked Bag Lady

Great handbags will always be a love of mine, with shiny hardware and pretty design details like faux croc.  I still remember standing in DSW and STARING at would come to be my favorite bag that I own, a Jessica Simpson dark teal creation.  I stood there for 20 minutes, caressing it and knowing that I didn't have the money at the time but my mom came over and saw my puppy dog eyes as I gazed at it lovingly; wouldn't you know it, she bought me the bag!  Oh happy day, and that is the answer to the Day 2 "get to know the blogger" question of: What is your favorite bag that you own?

Isn't she a beauty?  I am quite impressed with many of Jessica Simpsons accessories, SURPRISINGLY.  The shoes are comfortable for high heels and the bags are often times quite chic.

jessica simpson

Do you own any of her items?  What do you think?

As well, the Sephora Friends and Family sale is still going on and you know I couldn't let it end without another purchase!  (Code is ff2010 until November 3rd and you get 20% off)  A pretty red blush was catching my attention and it goes by the name Exhibit A by Nars.  

I have a neutral brownish color blush, a pretty soft pink, a glowy peach/rose gold but no where in my stash was a pretty RED blush!  *Le Gasp!*  The only two reds that I could even find were the Exhibit A or Frankly Scarlett by MAC, so I went with the Exhibit A because it was a clear crowd favorite with my tweeps on twitter when I polled about a red blush.  I'll be sure to swatch it when I receive!

In the last post, eyeliners were the topic and I took everyone's advice and snagged some Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners!  I really like that they come in limited edition sets for a much lower price, which makes it great to test out many colors. They generally run for $17/full length pencil, but the sets give 9 half size pencils and 1 large pencil for $36!! That's such a steal and I never run down pencils anyway so a half size is just perfect :)  Do you use the 24/7 liners?  What are your thoughts on them?

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