Make-under

“Throwin’ out her blush stick and makeup/ Cuz she don’t need it anyway/ Silk skin, pretty face…”
– Blu & Exile, No Greater Love

It’s about that time to change my makeup routine. Mainly I’m talking about foundation. I usually wear a lightweight makeup on a daily basis. Light coverage because my goal is not to cover up, but to even out what I perceive to be redness on certain parts of my face. I also have yellow undertones and I think that tends to make me appear sallow and splotchy. I have freckles as well, so I don’t want to cover those up. Just make everything nice and neat, ya know? At the moment I use Prescriptives Virtually Fresh makeup in Antelope.

The pros to my makeup: It gives that lightweight coverage I want and provides SPF protection. The cons: Washing it off every night, it costs about $30 and as the weather changes, my skincare needs change. Lately, I feel like my makeup looks a bit off color. This happens when your skin color changes due to tanning or lack thereof.

Luckily, I’m not one of those people who MUST wear makeup to leave the house. It’s mostly habit, but not a necessity. I generally have good skin that is even in texture and without blemishes (until that time of the month, when I can expect two to three pimples to pop up).

Luckily, I’ve found a new product that I’m falling in love with: Philosophy’s The Present. Billing itself as “clear makeup”, The Present provides moisture and an airbrushed appearance. Oh, and it made my skin feel super soft.

Not that it costs much less than what I’ve been using, but it feels good on my face and helps control the oiliness of my skin. I think it’ll make a nice addition to my makeup bag for the times when I’d rather do without the “real” makeup.

I’ll still be rocking my bronzer (although I’m thinking of going more pink for fall), mascara  and light lips on the daily, adding in shadow and liner when I want my eyes to pop.

In case you’re wondering what else Bourgie uses, check out my makeup bag’s most used items:

Prescriptives Sunsheen Bronzer in Medium
Clinique Cream Liner in True Black
Benefit Bad Gal Lash in Black (although I’m dying to try it in plum!)
Clinique Blushing Blush in Iced Lotus (used as an eyeshadow)
Clinique Eye Shadow Duo in Strawberry Fudge
Benefit Silky Finish Lipstick in Sugar Rush
Clinique Soft Shine Lipstick in Honey Gloss
Nars Semi-Matte Lipstick in Pigalle

Obvy I like pinkish colors. They help me not to feel overdone. However, you can overdo pink and come out looking like a baby hooker. Not a good look.

Bourgie Adventure: Hip-hop show

Last night I went to a hip hop show in NYC to see Che Grand, Blu + Exile, and Wale. This was by no means my first show of this kind, still, they always make me laugh.

First of all, boo to WHOMEVER was responsible for jacking up the sound so that Che couldn’t perform. There’s nothing more annoying than paying money to see a certain act and getting stiffed. Big ups to the dude from London who kicked the beat box and allowed Che to get off a few rhymes.

Secondly, I have no idea why men are so hostile to women at hip hop shows. You’d think they’d rather be in their all by themselves, sausage partied up. As far as I can tell, they assume you’re some kind of groupie rather than a fan. Especially someone like myself. I think it’s because I don’t go dressed in big jeans, nondescript t-shirt and dunks. I tend to wear low-heeled boots (in the winter) or open-toe flats (summer), skinny jeans and a snarky fitted tee. LOL. Just typing that made me laugh. My point is that if you’re not trying to look like a boy, then chances are the dudes there are going to resent your presence. I got a couple of sideways looks last night. Lames. I was downstairs at one point, where they let the performers and their folks congregate I guess, and some chick asked me if I was part of Wale’s “entourage”. Um, no. “I’m not a groupie, I’m a fan.” She says, “Oh, ok, well you didn’t look like it, just asking.” Me: Stale Face. She was a nutjob anyway. She was up in there in a tie-dye sundress and a wooden parasol!

Oh, and someone please tell these fools that rolling around with a luggage rack on your back is sooooo 1994. This one nigga dressed like it was 30 below outside had the nerve to stand in a packed crowd with a huge backpack on. I thought he couldn’t get anymore annoying until her started rapping. DUDE. Nobody came to hear YOU spit, okay.

On a positive note, I got to take a picture with Kwame‘. See, this is important because I collect rappers. Some people collect coins. Others collect angel figurines. I collect pictures with old school rappers. The Kwame shot is the latest and lives among the likes of Biz Markie, Melle Mel, Craig Mack and Chris “Play” Martin. I can’t find my Doug E Fresh though :(

The show itself was pretty decent. Blu was worth my entire $15 and at least one beer (Boo to SOBs for charging 7 bucks for a beer). I mainly went to see Wale, but was sorta disappointed. Let’s just say the performance was bittersweet. Plus: Wale performed with UCB, a go-go band. I’ve loved go-go ever since I went to college in ’99. Always a great time when a go-go band is around, I kept wanting to dance it out, but the crowd wasn’t the type to lift their leg up and put their booties on the floor. Minus: Wale didn’t do many songs, he really just let the band go off. And the songs he did do, well you could hardly hear what he was saying. I’ll stick to Wale via my iPod from now on, but will make it a priority to hit up a Blu & Exile show whenever possible.