blackgirlish

New Foundation Routine

Hey Beauty Bestie,

I followed a celebrity makeup artist’s foundation routine on YouTube.
I think it is this is the best highlight and contour look that I have ever done! See for yourself:

I’ve been using ABH products for years now and used them for this look. Over the past few months, I have fallen in love with mink lashes. For this look, I also brought back favorites that I hadn’t used in over 5 years.

I will post a separate video of makeup I got for Black Friday. Some of the products were used for this look. Links to all products are in the video description on YouTube.

Y’all are probably tired of me talking about Boxycharm, but I saved on most of these products by having the subscription. I would have never heard of or tried the brands if it wasn’t for Boxycharm.

What is your favorite foundation product?

Thanks for stopping by!

Best,

Erica

GRWM: Natural Hair Vs. Weave

The last few years I have tried different hair extensions (weave). I’ve worn clip-ins, a sew-in, and even wigs.

But…Have you wondered what my real hair looks like?

I made the decision to transition from relaxed to natural hair 4 years ago. There have been some bumps along the way, but I do like where my hair is going.

Most of my relaxed hair broke off, but I am grateful that it all grew back. And then some.

I am somewhat of a product junkie, but I don’t believe that wash day has to be a whole day. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

I may do a deep condition or hot oil here or there, but it isn’t an every week thing. I’m trying to get better at it, but it is something I will just have to plan better for in the future.

A few things that I have changed since going natural:

I rarely straighten my hair with a flat iron or hot comb.
I’ve only blow dryed my hair twice this year.

Before, going natural, when I would hear Hair Gurus say they hadn’t used heat on their hair in months I used to be skeptical. I used to be in dismay really. How could they function without heat?

Now, I understand.

My fro is thick. It would take a few hours just to blow dry and another hour or 2 to flat iron.

I would love to try a silk press at the salon but would need to find a stylist that I trust.

Which one do you like better: natural or weave?

Thanks for stopping by!

Best,

Erica

October Boxycharm Box: Ego

Hey Chica! Here’s something we can both agree on:

The September Boxyluxe box was pretty awesome, the October box has to be even better than the previous boxes, right?

Now, I’m going to show you each of the 4 items in this month’s Boxycharm box…

and share with you my initial reactions.

A charcoal Mask by

Look:

Everybody and their mama are into Charcoal right now!

In my experience, charcoal is hydrating, but I’ve never spent that much on a mask.

Luckily, this includes at least 2 uses of the mask with peel-off fabrics. I can’t wait to use it 🙂

Retail Price: $30

Green Clean by Farmacy

I’m so happy that this is a cleanser and not a primer! I felt like the last few boxes included primers. This is my first time using this brand so I hope it is a good experience.

Retail Price: $30

A Deep Red Lipstick by Kat Von D

Everyone raves about Kat Von D products. I’m happy to finally get to try her brand.

I like the shade of lipstick I received, but I wish it was glossy. It is a pretty color, but it looks weird on me when it dries.

Retail Price: $20

A Good Mascara

I don’t know why there are scuffs on the outside. I have used this mascara a few times and there aren’t any issues with clumping or anything.

Retail Price: $24

Midnight Mascarade Face Palette by PUR

I really like their highlight and contour palette I got a few boxes ago. I usually stick to neutrals, golds, and greens. I try tones of pink and red sometimes. I like that this palette has purples and blues.

I may pull out this palette for my Halloween look. Which reminds me to practice it next week! Bella is going to be an LOL Doll and I am going to be Barbie/Nicki Minaj.

Retail Price: $24

Love,

Erica

Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Etsy Shop

11 Beauty Brands I want to Try

Hey Beauty Bestie! I really want to try some new beauty brands.

Anastasia Beverly Hills and Tarte will always be favorites, but with new brands popping up all the time I want to give them a chance. And also see if they are worth the hype.

Glossier

Beauty Brands I want to Try — via Medium

I love Glossier’s slogan of skin first and makeup second. I love the no-makeup makeup look and really want to try their products. I wish they had more shades, but will probably try the deep or even mix 2 together.

I love their marketing, packaging and how dewy it seems to make the skin look. It is also pretty affordable.

Makeup Revolution

Even with the drama and mold fiasco going on with the Wants palette I still want to try this brand. I love how affordable it is! Looking at the packaging I thought it was going to be 2 or 3 times as much as it actually is.

I can’t wait to order the Wants palette when it is in Ulta again! I also want the needs palette.

Fenty

Everyone is giving Rihanna’s makeup line praise! I love that this brand has so many shades. I want the Highlight and contour trio so bad! I would also like to try a powder from her line.

Huda Beauty

I didn’t even know that Huda Beauty was in Sephora until I went to pick up my birthday gift last month. I like the range of shades in the palette. It is a little pricey…but I still want it.

I love that there are 18 hues in their eyeshadow palettes!

NARS

NARS has been on my wishlist a few times over the years and I still have not tried them. I would like to try some products from the Orgasm collection.

I like that their collections have such provocative, but female empowering names. The packaging is very nice too.

House of Lashes

As much as I love lashes I still haven’t tried this brand! I know they have been on my wishlist a few times, but I still have NOT tried them. Maybe this year. Just maybe.

I love their marketing. I love their packaging. I love that they sell really cute little cases to put them in. I lose 90% of the lashes that I buy. So an actual case to put them in would be nice.

Bite Beauty

I love that the lipsticks have scents like coffee or vanilla. If you have ever watched one of my unboxings you would know that I love to smell lipsticks straight out of the package.

I hope to have the chance to make a few custom shades of my own at their Lip Lab in NYC, San Francisco or LA. I hope they come out with more Lip Lab locations. Beauty lovers are spread out all over the US.

Lip Bar

I came across Lip Bar on Instagram. A fellow entrepreneur said that I should check out her lip line. I really like the packaging and the shades! The owner’s story is nice too 🙂

Didn’t realize it was in Target! I hope one near me has it.

Tatti Lashes

You know I love lashes! I came across this brand a few minutes ago. They look so pretty. I’m really into mink lashes, but I like that these are not as thick.

Tatti lashes seem to be very long and spread out. Which could look dramatic or soft depending on the makeup look.

Coloured Raine

Beauty Brands I want to Try - Coloured Rain — via Coloured Raine

Coloured Raine has vivid shades and is affordable.

This brand is not available in a Target near me. Even on Target.com there are only 2 products available. I will have to order directly from ColouredRaine.com. On their site they have quite a few palettes on sale 🙂

Pat McGrath Labs

Beauty Brands I want to Try - Pat McGrath — Via Popsugar

I saved the best for last!

Pat McGrath is extremely talented! She is a branding and creative genius! Her in-store launches make me want to pay for a plane ticket and hotel to experience it for myself.

I have been following this account on Instagram for a few months now. I love the packaging! I have a thing for gold and black. Go UCF Knights (I’m Alumni)!

Tried any beauty brands on this list? Which Beauty brand do you want to try?

Love,

Erica

BoxyLuxe: September BoxyCharm

What's In my boxyluxe box - September 2018 - Blackgirlish.com

Hey Beauty Bestie!

Yesterday, I got my BoxyLuxe box in the mail! I couldn’t wait to open it so I recorded an unboxing. You can scroll down and see each product too! You can see it here:

Product #1 Park Ave Princess Chisel Palette by Tarte

I love the shades of this palette! I also like that it has a really big mirror included. This is my first time trying a highlight and contour palette from Tarte. I have used their eyeshadows. lipsticks, lashes, mascaras, and blush before.

Product #2 Baked Blush-N-Brighten by Laura Geller

Never heard of this brand! During the unboxing, I didn’t realize that the compact included a mirror. I like the shades in the marble. Can’t wait to try it.

Product #3 Nightingale Smokey Eyeshadow Palette by Pretty Vulgar

I loved the gel liner by Pretty Vulgar that I got a few boxes ago. I hope that I will love this palette just as much. I think I will use all the

Product #4 Death Valley Dry Shampoo by R + CO

I’ve never used a dry shampoo before, but this smells really good. I will try this in Bella’s hair first! My wash day is tonight so I’m not going to use this til a few days later.

Product #5 Limited Edition Photo Finish Primer Water by Smashbox

Today, literally just sprayed this on my face and it looked good. Not shiny at all. No tent at all. I love that it can be used as a primer and finishing spray. It smells good but stung my eyes.

Product #6 Ipenema Sunset Glow Oil by Sol De Janeiro

At first I thought it was tanning oil. I don’t need tanning oil. LOL. Then I read that it was glow oil. Like a body shimmer. I like the glow so this is exciting. Especially with winter coming up. This may help maintain the glow even in cold weather.

Product #7 Liquid Lipstick by Violet Voss

I’m excited to try this matte lipstick. The shade swatched well on my arm. I think I will still put a gloss on top of it.

Product #8 732 Airbrush Foundation Brush by Luxie

This brush is so beautiful. I plan on getting the whole brush set! Can’t wait to use it.

Product #9 Stem Cellular Anti- Wrinkle Moisturizer by Juice Beauty

My 30th birthday is approaching. I am going to start using this at night in hopes that it prevents the onset of wrinkles. This smells very clean like lemon.

Product #10 Ojitos Brush Set by Alamar Cosmetics

You know I love brushes. Almost more than I love the product sometimes. lol. I was skeptical about getting things from this company since the palette arrived broken a few months ago, but these brushes seem nice.

Product #11 Dolly Bow Make-up Headband by The Vintage Cosmetic Company

I’ve needed one of these headbands for awhile not to protect my roots and extensions while I do my makeup. The bow is so cute. It reminds me of my daughter’s LuvaBella doll headband.

Bonus Product Boxy Charm Tote Bag

The Boxycharm tote bag is super cute! I will probably use it when I don’t want to use plastic. I wasn’t expecting it at all. It is very cute.

Your Turn: What was your favorite product?

I want to hear from you! Was this box hit or miss for you? Will you be keeping your BoxyLuxe subscription? Are you getting excited about the December box?

Not with Boxycharm yet?

Why not? You gotta sign up! My makeup collection has grown so much in the past 5 months. I look forward to my box the first to 12th of each month. Join the fun here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Love,

Etsy Shop | Beauty Instagram | Main Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

3 Features of a YouTube Intro

Hey Beauty Bestie,

The last few weeks I have been making YouTube Intros for my Etsy customers.

Think about these 3 Features of a YouTube Intro before you contact a designer or make it yourself.

Visuals

Will your intro be a mix of different clips? A really cool background with text? A mixture? Custom illustrations and motion graphics. Intros may look simple, but the more intricate they are the more they will cost.The look and flow of your intro are important so that you can know how much time and/or money you want to spend on the project. Lots of video clips mean lots of video editing. The same thing with custom illustration.ots of video clips means lots of video editing. Same thing with custom illustration.

Text

What will your intro say? Will it say anything? Will you do a voice over? Will you have a song?

The typography part of the intro is just as important as the visuals. Will it say your channel name? Your name? Or a phrase?

The simple text is easy to add, but if you want script font that looks hand-written on the screen or any other animation that will take extra time too.

Any voice-overs or music will be up to you to add. If the designer adds it that will cost more.

Transitions

Will there be a burst with the channel name revealed? Will the channel name be on top of the icon? Will there be snippets of video clips and graphics all together?

This goes along with visuals. The more transitions and effects the more time it will take to make and render.

Your Turn: Do you have a YouTube Intro? Is it a mixture of clips or just text?

Thanks for stopping by!

Best,

Beauty Instagram | Personal Instagram | Etsy Shop

Oval Nails Inspiration (19 Photos)

Hey Beauty Bestie,

It has been FOREVER since I did an inspiration post.

I’ve been rocking oval/round nails for the past few years and am looking for new colors to try.

Get inspired with me:

Natural, Bridal Pink by em_mahon on Pinterest

All White on Pinterest

Pastels by nailpolishaddicted.com

Pale Pink by @kaywolfx on Pinterest

White Glitter by @solinsnaglar on Instagram

Dark Sea Green Press On Nails on Etsy

Marble Press Ons on Etsy

Matte Gray on Pinterest

Purple by Phazessalon.com

Nude with glitter by watchoutladies.net

Ombre French by Exclusive Beauty Salon

Glossy Gray by Buzzfeed

Solid and Marble Nails by http://cestquoicebruit.com/feminin/nude-obsession/

round french murakaminail on Instagram

Pink and Rhinestones by eyecandynails.wordpress.com

Blue on Pinterest

Black by availableideas.com

Hot Pink by topfashiontimes.com

Red on Pinterest

Which one is your favorite? I have natural pink right now, but for my fill in may get white or ombre french.

Let’s Pin together! I love pinning fashion, makeup and hair ideas 🙂

Best,

BoxyLuxe Confusion: Boxycharm Luxury Box Launch Recap

Hey Beauty Best,

The first half of this day has been a rollercoaster of emotions.

Up until a few minutes ago, I was bummed/pissed! After trying for an hour and a half, getting an error message and losing hope I was waitlisted. A few hours later I got an email that I got the upgrade. Now I am relieved/happy.

A timeline of events:

Early August, got an email about being interested in BoxyLuxe.
Received e-mails with Spoilers and specific instructions to upgrade over following weeks
September 1st Refreshed my e-mail box from 8:54 AM until 9 AM EST
September 1st 9 AM EST as mentioned in previous emails there was no email in my inbox. NOTHING.

9AM EST Boxycharm announced on Instagram and Twitter that BoxyLuxe was live and that we had to click their link to sign up. I noticed several other charmers saying they didn’t get an email.
9:04 AM one of the comments said “Sold out in 4 minutes? WTF!!”
9:07 AM I receive the email to upgrade to BoxyLuxe. I clicked submit, but instead of a confirmation received 502 errors on both phones I was trying to use instead.

9:45 AM logged in on my computer and same thing. Error message saying their Oops their nails are drying. This was followed by several 504 messages. Both on Internet Explorer and Chrome.
9:50 AM sent BoxyCharm customer service a screenshot of me attempting to upgrade.
Kept refreshing the page up until as adviced by other charmers on social media. At 10:49 AM EST I got through.
To a landing page with a cheesy skit saying that BoxyLuxe is sold out I am waitlisted.
1:15 PM EST found a subreddit about the mishap. A user said that the waiting list email was a mistake and that they were fixing it.
Checked my email box and I did have 2 emails from Boxycharm about my BoxyLuxe order!

Why I was pissed

Why would I want the December box when I didn’t get the September box that I wanted? Boxycharm needs to start listening to what their customers WANT.

If I get another undereye cream for a problem that I do not have IDK what I will do. I’m sick and tired of getting primers too. How many does 1 person need in a year? Send me brushes, palettes, and lipsticks!

In August, I wanted the Smashbox lip set and/or the House of Lashes Lashes. Of course, I didn’t get either one of them.

The best boxes this year have been the May and June. July’s box was okay and August’s box completely SUCKED. That’s why I didn’t post my unboxing.

Things Boxycharm Could Have Done Better

Communication

They could crystal clear with charmers about how to upgrade. If it is a link in the bio say that. If it is a link in an e-mail blast say that. Don’t change the instructions day of the launch.

Hosting

On my other blog, I have talked about hosting. A company of their size should have known better. Those many people accessing the site at the exact same time spelled disaster. A ghetto, generic error page isn’t good enough. As the customer, I shouldn’t have to press a green button on a page over and over. Your website SHOULD WORK.

Ways To Upgrade

They should have told charmers that there were a few different ways that they could have upgraded to BoxyLuxe. Within your account, in Boxycharm you could have clicked upgrade on your account settings. Not sure how long this feature was available, but I tried to use this method. The other 2 methods previously mentioned were clicking on your email if it came or the link in the bio. Which the link in the bio didn’t really help. It just asked people to join. There was no solution in the bio to upgrade for existing charmers.

E-mail Marketing

How was an email sent 7 minutes late? Isn’t this something that is set up in the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) weeks in advance? Whoever is in charge of this is probably getting cussed out at this very moment.

Also, being speedy in correcting the mishap with the waitlist e-mails. I know I was devastated when I got mine and elated when I got the confirmation e-mail.

Social Media

If you have the platform for customers to leave comments you have to have the skin for the backlash when mishaps of this magnitude happen. Several if not thousands of comments were deleted including a few of mine from Boxycharm’s Instagram. You thought the comments were bad, wait until you open up the queue of customer support tickets.

Leave out the Jokes

Grown adults that are obsessed with beauty were told they were waitlisted for a luxury makeup subscription box. Especially while others were magically confirmed despite them being sold out. That’s like those moms in the 80s that were fighting over cabbage patch dolls. Not the best time for the CEO to be in a cheesy video with an employee getting the box taken from her. It was distasteful and immature. He was actually laughing in the video.

Why am I happy Now

I didn’t want to miss out. I have never been the first at any beauty launches…ever so I think it is kind of cool.

The main thing that lured me into the September BoxyLuxe box was the Park Avenue Palette by Tarte. If you are new to my blog that is one of my favorite brands.

Hoping the September BoxyLuxe box is a good one like when I first signed up for Boxycharm in May.

Your Turn: Did you get the BoxyLuxe subscription? How long did you try to upgrade? Did you get the waitlist and confirmation email? Were you confused like me?

Til next time.

My Favorite Hair and Makeup Looks of All Time

Hi Beauty Bestie,

Today, while opening my August Boxycharm box I realized that I haven’t updated my ericaravon Youtube trailer in 2 years.

In my new YouTube trailer, I shared a ream of Snaps and videos of my favorite hair and makeup looks of all time. My hairstyles change A LOT, but the makeup essentials like highlight and contour products are the EXACT SAME.

Why has it been so long? I tried to get consistent posting on that channel and just couldn’t. Unless I bought something new I didn’t feel like sharing. That has changed.

I have realized that posting stuff regularly even if mundane to me may be useful to someone that comes across my content. Think about your favorite YouTubers.

Don’t they share the same type of products all the time? How many more foundation tutorials do we really need to see?

We are human. Over time, things change. Products I loved when I first start using makeup have been replaced with “better” products today. Ways that use that product have changed.

Check it out for yourself! All products are in the description bar on YouTube:

What is one of your favorite hair or beauty product of all time?

Best,

Personal IG | Twitter | Beauty IG | Mommy Blog | Etsy Shop

I spent so much time making social media posts until…

Instagram Stories Templates for Fashion Bloggers and Boutique Owners

Hi Beauty Bestie!

From the title of this post you know I’m going to share some social media golden nuggets with you, but today is different. Today, I’m going to talk about the design part of social media.

Whether you love or hate creating visual content it still has to get done.

I spent so much time making social media posts for clients, until I started using templates.

What are social media templates?

Easy to edit designs
Can be used to promote your brand
Pre-made in the sizes you need

Who are templates for?

Bloggers, social media managers and entrepreneurs that are too busy to make social media content from scratch.
Bosses that are getting serious about their brand.
Content creators at all design levels

What software do you have to have to use them?

Social media templates are made for Photoshop, Illustrator or Canva. Pick templates for the platform you are comfortable using NOW and then try another software later. You don’t have to purchase software. You can try software then upgrade if you really like using it.

Just Added! Lifestyle Social Media Templates

20 Easy to Use Templates for Instagram Stories and Instagram (Facebook and Twitter too)
Take your lifestyle/travel blog’s social media content to the next level!
Save time creating beautiful, cohesive branding

You can purchase them in my Etsy shop here.

Instagram Stories Social Media Templates

12 Easy to Use Templates for Instagram Stories
Show off your best photos and announce new look books and arrivals!
Save time creating engaging branding

You can purchase them in my Etsy shop here.

More Templates Coming to my Etsy Shop:

Fitness
Beauty
Photoshop templates too…

Want exclusive Templates for Your Brand?

I can create a branding pack just for your brand in Photoshop or Canva! Send me a message in my shop or an e-mail at epartnersmarketing@gmail.com to learn more.

Thanks for Stopping by,

Best,

Marketing & Design Blog | Mommy Blog | Etsy Shop | Portfolio

PS. I got another Influenster box that I will be sharing with you soon!