PACKING VACATION BEAUTY PRODUCTS LIKE A PRO!

Who loves to travel? I DO! I just came back from the lovely island of Grenada with the bestie and some girlfriends. To say I had a blast is an understatement. Before I left for all of the fun in the sun, I had a plan for my loads of beauty products. Skincare is my passion so what I brought along had to be clear and precise. The goal was: Pack LIGHTLY and EFFICIENTLY. And remember, I’m using travel sized goodies (because I’m working on my issues with over-packing lol). Guess what! Scaling down worked and my skin didn’t have to suffer because of it.

The first thing that came to mind when I started packing my goodies was my number one. Do I even need to mention it? SUNSCREEN. Listen guys, skin cancer does not discriminate. Stop thinking the sun’s rays won’t harm you. It will in the long run. Since I normally don’t go a day without my Bobbi Brown Tinted moisturizing balm, I packed that first. But my goal was to scale it down even from that gorgeous tint. I also brought my Clinique Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Face Cream and for full body, Olay Fresh Effects Soak Up the Sun Protection Lightweight Moisturizing Sunscreen. It’s SPF 15 so I applied it every 2 hours while I was in the sun.


NEXT! A sister is tired. Working my full time job by day and blogging round the clock can take a toll. Let’s not forget getting in as much physical activity when I can so that my body parts don’t have a love affair with gravity. It can be written all over my face. So eye cream is ESSENTIAL. And you know, I have to use the BEST. I’m 35, I work hard and I deserve it! The Eye Concentrate from La Mer is my absolute favorite product and no trip can go by without it! Grenada certainly didn’t. It went in the bag!

A good lightweight cleanser comes in handy. I didn’t want to bring anything too harsh since I was spending a lot of time in the sun. For Grenada I brought the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. Travel size, of course. It’s perfect for a vacation nighttime routine.

Minimal makeup is how I do vacation. I really don’t do much for the eyes when I go away. I love the healthy glow without all the fuss. For this trip I packed my Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, My Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector® Poured Crème Highlighter, and my Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella (MY FAVORITE RED LIP). I like to keep a green eyeliner on hand for the lower lid when I want my face to pop. I packed the MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in Landscape Green. I wanted to glow, and I did. DAS IT!

Face wipes are not only great to have as a first step to cleansing but also they’re good to keep in your carry-on bag for the plane. Sometimes when you’re in the air you need a good wipe to freshen up your skin. Keep a pack with you at all times.


Lotions and Creams tend to feel too heavy when I’m spending my time in warm climates but I still like to have something on hand just in case. I was lucky enough to get gifted with Diptyque travel set that covers all my moisturizing needs and then some. The set included a Luxurious Hand Balm (perfect for the plane), Precious oils for bath and body, a Revitalizing Shower Gel and a Rich Butter for the body. You can find a similar set here. This set is not only the perfect size but looks quite chic. What else would you expect from Diptyque?

Those were my most important products but there were some other goodies that made the cut too: nail polish for touch-ups, nail polish remover pads, tweezers, shampoo & conditioner, hand sanitizer, sheet masks, and facial mist. You don’t have to pack exactly what I did, this is just a guide. But I’d love to hear what your favorite vacation beauty products are too! Drop me a line.

Next time you travel, don’t forget to pack your very best skin!

xo IKA

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DIY SKINCARE!!! HOMEMADE & NOURISHING!


I have been the queen of product obsession for years. The list of skincare, haircare, cosmetic brands in my aparment can go on for days! But lately I’ve revisited my once LOVE for DIY (DO IT YOURSELF) products for the skin. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t thrown out my Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cleanser, let’s not get carried away, but here’s a list of my favorite DIY products. All made in my kitchen and a surefire way to embrace an all natural living 😉

1. Daily Moisturizing Body Oil (Summer): I love a light misty oil in the Summer. You don’t want anything too heavy in the hot months but strong enough to keep the skin dewy. Mix coconut oil and rose water in a small spray bottle. This combination creates a light fragrance and keeps the body feeling fresh. If it’s solidified, place the bottle in a cup of warm water while you’re showering. It’ll be ready to spray on your damp skin shortly after.

2. Daily Moisturizing Body Butter (Winter): I mean, just talking about this makes me happy! I’m probably happier in the winter months just becuase I get to use the heavy stuff! With Winter knocking on our door, I’ll be busy for the next few months. Here you go; super easy: Mix raw shea butter, coconut oil, and almond oil in a small jar. Boom, done! This combined with an exfoliator (see #3) during the harsh winter months will have your skin feeling like a baby’s bottom!

3. Weekly Exfoliator: HELLO! Have we met? You should already know this is my favorite. My DIY Brown Sugar Scrub not only tackles dead skin cells on my dry skin, but is highly requested by my friends and family! I’m going to start CHARGING! Mix raw brown sugar, coconut oil, almond oil, jojoba oil and honey(optional) in a small jar and keep it in your shower. I can tell you from experience this is a great gift! It comes from the heart!

4. Weekly Hair Oil (Pre-Shampoo): I’m convinced that this concoction of oils makes my tresses thick and healthy. Get a bottle with a nozzle for easy application and mix grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, avacado oil, rosemary essential oil, tea tree essential oil together for a hair treatment that has you wanting more! This particular mix is for before shampooing. The rosemary scent is quite strong and isn’t recommended for everyday use. For an even deeper moisturizer, warm this mix up and create your own hot oil treatment.

5. Daily Hair Spray (For Braids, Locs, Twists): A few months ago I was sporting Senegalese Twists in my hair which I absolutely LOVED, btw. It’s important to treat my hair underneath styles like this so that it isn’t too dry and brittle. I created a daily spray that boosted the moisture up and kept my twists looking fresh. In a spray bottle, add 3 parts water and 1 part vegetable glycerin, tea tree essential oil, and jojoba oil. I LOVE THIS MIX! For natural textures, moisture is essential, regularly.

6. Daily Post-Workout Scalp Spray: So this is super important; especially when you’re in a protective hairstyle. After a workout or simply when you feel your scalp needs a little something extra without the hassle of washing, it’s crucial to freshen the scalp and keep too much buildup from happening. We all can’t wash our hair every single day so here’s a trick I do for inbetween washes. It’s simple! Mix 100% pepermint oil with a little bit of jojoba oil. Don’t overdue the jojoba; the point is to avoid buildup. What the peppermint does is breaks up the salt from the sweat on your scalp! Amazing right? It’ also gives a little tingle and cooling sensation which can feel quite refreshing after a hard workout!

7. Sugar Lip Scrub: Have you seen my lips? SOFT! LOL 🙂 Here’s the trick: Mix Brown Sugar (or white sugar) with a little bit of olive oil (you can also use coconut oil or honey) and pop it into a small jar. If you scrub your lips every other night, you’ll see a major difference! Trust me, this is an all year round essential!

I hope my list inspired you to get in the kitchen and start mixing. We love healthy skin and hair. There’s no better way to improve them than using what comes from the earth. Work on it! 😉 You know you want to! What are some of your favorite DIY skincare/haircare products? Share with us!

xo IKA

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COCONUT OIL!!!

Coconut Goodness!

Hey friends! Coconut Oil is by far my number one must have product in my house! It’s something that I think every woman should have. It’s not just for cooking; I use it for hair and skin. I’m currently using Trader Joe’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. You can decide which one works best for you. Just make sure it’s unrefined/pure. Here are some of my uses:

1. Body Moisturizer: Coconut oil is great right after shaving your legs. It also works really well on top of your moisturizing butters in the winter. Try moisturizing your legs with shea butter and sealing it with coconut oil

2. Hair Oil: I use coconut oil on my hair right after using leave-in conditioner. For natural and relaxed textues, it’s also great during the week to freshen up protective hairstyles like braid outs, bantu knots and buns

3. Makeup Remover: Try coconut oil when you’re removing your eye makeup or lip-stains. Works like a charm

4. Overnight Foot Cream: Massage your tired feet at night with coconut oil and then slip on a pair of socks. This really helps to keep your feet smooth. Summer is around the corner. No dry feet in sandals please! 😉

5. Body Scrub: I add coconut oil to raw sugar when making my own exfoliator. It really softens up the sugar grains and helps to moisturize while getting rid of dead skin. It’s amazing! For an added bonus, add your favorite essential oil. Try Lavendar or Eucalyptus for a spa experience at home! Click here for how to make my DIY brown sugar scrub. It’s a perfect gift for your friends and family!

These are just a few ways that I like to make use of coconut oil. How do you use yours?

xo IKA

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NATURAL vs. RELAXED

It's YOUR Hair. Do What You Please!!!

It’s YOUR Hair. Do What You Please!!!

It’s obvious! There is a natural hair movement going on right in front of our eyes! You see beautiful natural tresses all over social media and all over the streets! For years black women (not all) but many have been relaxing their hair to make it straight. I AM ONE OF THEM! This is a huge topic in the black community and constantly discussed among my friends and family.

At the very young age of 5 my mom put my first kiddie relaxer in my hair. Yes, 5! I’ve never looked back. Well actually, I’ve tried to reverse the cycle a few times and failed. There was a time in high school where I wanted Locs! The problem is, once your hair is relaxed, that hair can’t be reversed. You can’t wake up and say, “I’m not into this perm let me bring it back to natural.” You would have to cut off all of the relaxed hair to be natural again, or grow it out with the pains of transition breakage for some. Breakage is horrifying for all women! You would also have to get adjusted to natural hairstyles that you might not be used to. I’ve found that today, most of my friends and family are natural; even my mom went back, last year. I’m like the last girl standing! Lol

So…

I want to hear from you! Ladies who are newly natural, what made you decide to transition? Send me a note about your natural hair journey. Take pictures, express your feelings. Let me and the rest of our readers know what you went through and what worked for you. What struggles did you come across? Relaxed girls, I haven’t forgotten you (I’m in the same boat). I want to hear from you too! Why do you choose to stay relaxed, or have you been thinking about switching? What works for you and which ways have kept your relaxed hair healthy? This blog is here as a platform for women who support each other and learn from one another in all journeys; natural or relaxed! Afterall, it’s your hair! To be honest, I’m half relaxed and half natural! LMAO! Do what you want; no judgment! Whichever way you choose, do it with CONFIDENCE! Let’s Talk! 😉

xo IKA

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