The Basketball Wives Phenomenon: Any Excuse for VH1 to Show Angry Women Fighting

Like a lot of other people in the world, I am a reality show watcher.  I admit that the drama of watching seemingly real situations unfold on TV with the help of crafty editing and manipulation by producers is kind of sinful but in a good, I-can’t-resist-it kind of way.  But I was highly disappointed by this season of VH1’s Basketball Wives.  For some reason, the fights and the drama this last season was more about bullying rather than two women just getting into an argument or having a disagreement.  I’m not gonna get into who did what and who deserves blame because I think the past couple of weeks, people have been talking about that a lot. However, this morning, I saw a story about a new VH1 show called “Hollywood Exes” which features the ex-wives of famous men such as Will Smith, Eddie Murphy and R. Kelly and I realized VH1 is, yet again, trying to get us to believe that this will be another show about women trying to establish their own careers outside of their ex-husbands (although some of these women have been separated from their exes for YEARS) when really all, it’s going to be about is getting a group of women together and trying to see which ones will end up throwing bottles at each other or start a fight in a club.

I get it…I really do.  This is what people like to see; they want to see drama and fighting because it’s entertaining and television producers want to provide this kind of show because it makes for good television.  But after the backlash from Basketball Wives, I can’t help but feel like this whole type of, what they call, a “docu-series” is just putting a bad stigma against women.  I mean based on these shows, we’re all angry, catty and all we do is talk about each other behind our backs.  Where are the reality shows about a group of men who are “ex husbands” that fight with each other and cause drama?  Oh, those shows don’t exist. (Maybe I’m wrong?  Someone let me know if they do!).  

I think what bothers me the most is that when you read the description on VH1’s website of the show, they really are trying to put a positive spin on “Hollywood Exes” but I will bet any amount of money that at least two women are going to hate each other for whatever reason and end up in some big fight that will ultimately be the highlight of the show.  Well another thing I know for sure is that I will NOT be watching.  But I will keep my ear to the ground to see if my predictions turn out to be true.

What do you guys think?  Are you a fan of these VH1 shows like “Basketball Wives” and or “Love & Hip Hop”?  Do you think that the network is making these women or women everywhere look bad?  Will you watch the new show, “Hollywood Exes?”  Let me know in the comments below and as usual, Thanks for reading!

 

Related articles

• Royce, Kesha, & Jennifer Fired From ‘Basketball Wives’ (therussparrmorningshow.com)
• Love & Hip Hop Atlanta’s K Michelle values balance and Basketball Wives (examiner.com)
• Basketball Wives Kenya Bell Claim: “Jesus Stopped Me From Violence.” (praisecharlotte.com)
• Take Action Wednesday – Basketball Wives (peacemattershere.wordpress.com)

RIP Yvette WIlson

Yvette Wilson, former star of “Moesha” and “The Parkers” has passed away from cervical cancer last night.  My condolences and prayers go out to her family and friends.  It’s sad for me, having been a big fan of “Moesha” when I was young.  Yvette makes the second person of the original cast of the show to have passed away.  The first was Lamont Bentley who was killed in a car accident in 2005. However sad this situation is, they are both in a better place now…

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Chris Brown and Drake Fight in a Club (and other Nonsense)

This morning I woke up to news that Chris Brown and Drake (or their respective entourages) got into a “bottle fight” at a night club last night.  It is wrong of me to think that Brown kinda of deserved a bottle thrown at his face?  Ok, ok, I don’t entirely mean that but the whole situation is kind of ridiculous to me.

While the situation was happening or whenever it was over, Chris Brown sent out a barrage of hateful/subliminal tweets (and this picture above) about the incident which are now deleted (big surprise there).  If it is true that Drake was somehow directly involved in the fight or instigated it, then I have lost respect for him.  This whole “let’s have beef with each other” thing is so old and all these rappers/artists need to just stop.  Whatever happened to just worrying about yourself and minding your own business.

And the most ridiculous part of the story?  People are speculating that the whole “beef” is centered around Rihanna but I’m not sure I’m ready to fully believe that.  I could maybe understand it if Drake, being a friend or former (or maybe even current) lover of Rihanna might be angry at Chris Brown for what he did to her but that happened like 3 years ago.  Why bother acting out on it now?  That’s what makes it hard for me to believe that its about her.  But everyone also thinks that there’s some kind of love triangle gone wrong situation going on between them, referring to Rihanna as some kind of baton passed between now only Drake and Chris but other famous rappers and names as well.  It’s a shame, because I like Rihanna and I don’t think its fair to assume that just because she’s comfortable with her sexuality and chooses to express herself that she’s a “hoe”.  That is, assuming that any of this bull is true, which I doubt it is but who knows?

Anyway that’s my little input…
And speaking of sheer and utter nonsense….Rihanna was seen in NY recently wearing this…

Ok, I know I just finished giving her props for expressing herself and being comfortable and blah blah but  COME ON!  It’s not like she was at a studio doing a photoshoot or on stage at one of her concerts, she walked outside (in my hometown btw) wearing THIS!  *Sigh* To each her own, I guess…

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• Chris Brown Injured in New York Club Fight with Drake’s Crew (gossipcop.com)
• Chris Brown Told by Meek Mill That Rihanna ‘Belongs to the Game’ (celebs.gather.com)

Regaining focus!

You know that moment when you’re on the Internet looking up something, let’s say potato chip brands, for example and then an hour later you’re on YouTube watching videos of puppies? Or when you come across an old picture in your room and an hour later you find yourself surrounded by hundreds of pictures of yourself as a baby. I had a combination of both of these moments happen to me today. Allow me to explain…

After coming across an old profile I had on some random website, I ended up reading all the posts from an old blog I had on Blogspot in 2008 and after an hour of reminiscing, I realized that I have completely lost sight of the bigger picture when it comes to blogging. When I started that blog 4 years ago, I had no plans, no focus but I still had so much fun doing it. And even though I had only a few subscribers, I still posted as though I had hundreds. Looking back, I realize that I am completely jealous of the 2008 me. She was excited and eager to just write because she remembered and kept in mind that it was her favorite thing to do.

Now a days, I’m way too focused on what’s “blog-worthy” and creating content that people will want to read, which is why most days, I completely dismiss the idea of blogging because I have no idea what to write about. I guess I just have to realize that there doesn’t have to be rules or restrictions. I should be able to just write about whatever I want! Besides, it’s soooo much more fun to do it that way!

My Favorite Summer Looks: Patterned Leggings

This post is part one of a little mini-series I’m starting called “My Favorite Summer Looks” which is basically anything I’m excited to try or buy for this summer.  The first look is the patterned leggings.  It’s a trend that I haven’t yet purchased yet but I’m always thinking of ways to wear them once I find the pair that’s right for me.  Normally, I don’t really like when people wear leggings as pants unless they pair it with a long top or tunic but this look is super sexy and personally, I think wearing them as pants is probably the best way considering the leggings should be the statement piece in the whole ensemble.  So without further ado, here’s the first look I constructed!

As usual with any of my Polyvore looks, I tried to add pieces that were actually affordable for the average person just in case there’s an item someone is looking to buy!  Hope you like it!

Patterned Leggings Look 1 by xtinamarie8886 featuring oversized cat eye sunglasses

Striped pants
$20 – delias.com

Wedge heel shoes
£26 – pullandbear.com

Studded handbag
$60 – buckle.com

Stacking bangle
30 AUD – diva.net.au

ASOS oversized cat eye sunglasses
$21 – asos.com

Rockett St Georgekiss Wall Sticker – Black
$49 – coggles.com

blue chambray chelsea girl shirt
£18 – riverisland.com

Tell me what you think!  How do you or would you wear patterned leggings?  Thanks for reading and look out for more sexy, cute and fun summer looks!

Related articles

• Prints charming: patterned trousers for summer (thisislondon.co.uk)
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Beauty Top 5 Series: Essential Makeup Brushes

This post is for anyone looking to start their makeup brush collection and doesn’t know where to start.  In my opinion, through experience, I’ve found that these five brushes I typically use every day and they would be a great start to someone just getting started with using brushes.  Please note that the five brushes apply to the “type” of brush, not the specific brush you should get.  There are several brushes that fall under each category and you certainly don’t have to just limit yourself to one per category.  For some useful examples and visual aids, I’ve added pictures of makeup brushes from a low end seller, Coastal Scents and a high end seller, MAC Cosmetics.  There are of course many other places to get great brushes (some of which I will list below) but these are just some examples.  Prices and names/numbers of brushes are included.

1. Flat Shader Brush (For Eyeshadow)

Their purpose is to apply eyeshadow.  Simple and easy, right?  Flat Brushes are ideal because you can pack on the color or just sweep it across the lid.  Of course, they come in different sizes, and the one that’s right for you will depend on your eyelid size or how much coverage you want. The right flat brush could also be used, in some cases, as a concealer brush as well.  There’s no rule that you can’t use a brush in any way you want to!

2. Crease (Or Blending) Brush

One way to add dimension and depth to your eyeshadow is to apply a crease color.  A tapered blending brush or crease blush is ideal for doing this because its shape allows you to easily maneuver the brush into the crease of your eye (or the hollow space of your eyesocket or the defined line created when you open your eyes.)  The more pointed the tip of the brush is, the more defined your crease color will be.

3. Big Powder Brush 

A big powder brush is mainly for an all over application of powder to the face whether its translucent powder, a powder foundation or bronzer.  Some of these big brushes (like the buffer brush pictured above) can even be used to apply liquid foundation or you can use something called a stippling brush, like this one.  But for powder, I like to think that the bigger and fluffier, the better.

4. Blush Brush

Just like with everything else, blush brushes don’t have to be used solely for blush application.  They can also be used for contouring or highlighting, especially if their angled. An angled brush makes it easier for you to apply the product to your cheek bones and create that slimming shape to our faces that we seem to love so much!

5. Small Detail Brush

Last, but not least for your makeup brush essentials, is the small detail brush.  This can serve a myriad of purposes such as applying highlight to your inner eye (tear ducts), applying lip color, putting eyeshadow on your lower lash line, and even applying eyeliner, for example with a brush like this.

Other things to keep in mind…

Natural Vs. Synthetic Brushes- This is always a hot debate in the beauty world but honestly, in my experience, I’ve had synthetic brushes that were so soft they felt natural and natural brushes that weren’t so hot, so it really depends on the brand.  But there are ways to make synthetic brushes softer, for example, using hair conditioner after washing them.

High End Vs. Low End- Another hot debate.  There are people who refuse to buy anything other than MAC or other high end retailers for make-up brushes and there are others (like me!) who maybe can’t afford to have dozens of MAC brushes so we settle for the less expensive ones.  My advice: Focus on the lower end eyeshadow brushes and smaller brushes and splurge on the bigger ones for the face.

Other places to get brushes:
E.l.f. has really cheap brushes that are pretty decent in terms of quality.  And when I say cheap, I mean like $1.00 brushes!
Sigma brushes fall somewhere in between MAC and Coastal Scents and their brush sets are a wonderful investment!
BH Cosmetics is essentially the same as Coastal Scents, but (if I’m not mistaken) has less brushes to choose from.
And finally, an old classic, Sephora, which not only has brushes from best selling brands but also a pretty great collection under their own brand!

Hope you enjoyed this post and I hope it’s helped somebody out there!  Thanks for reading!

Related articles

• Coastal Scents Makeup Brushes- The Application Test (mynotsodailyramblings.wordpress.com)
• 3 Simple Ways To Keep Your Makeup Brushes Germ-Free (self.com)
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• Choose the Right Makeup Brush for the Perfect Look (thestylenet.net)

Don’t Call it a Comeback!

I’M BACK!!!!! Did you miss me?  I hope you did!

Unfortunately, due to stress, a heavy school work load and health issues, I was forced to take a hiatus on my blog.  I just didn’t have the energy or time to really put the effort that I felt was sufficient enough.  It was tough to make that decision because, if you’ve read any of my posts before you would have seen me talking about my promise to myself to post every single day but obviously, I couldn’t do that.

But now school is over (YES!), I’m feeling a lot better (YES! YES!!) and I’m ready to bring it on! (Or something a little less cheesy and cliche!).  I’ve missed out on talking about a lot of things and nearly every day I saw something or read something that I wanted so badly to blog about but couldn’t and now, even though the time has passed for some of these topics, I just gotta get it out there!  So here’s a list of some of the things I was dying to talk about while I was “away!”

Lately, everyone’s been bombarded with the Kimye pictures and posts so I won’t dwell on this or mention it (much) again but if I had been able to talk about it back when it started a month ago, I would have GUSHED over how much I love these too together!  They’ve faced haters and nay-sayers but I think they make sense as a couple.  Kim Kardashian is a powerhouse and needs a man that’s just as dynamic in his career as she is and I think she’s found it in Mr. Kanye West.

Love you dearly Beyonce, but this dress is God Awfully Ugly!  What baffled me was how much everybody loved it and raved about her first red carpet appearance at the Met Gala after having Blue but honestly…It looks like about 17 Sesame street characters died and were dyed to make this dress.

Britney Spears and Demi Lovato officially joined the judges on X Factor and already they’ve got a hater talking smack.  In an interview, while he was supposed to be promoting his new show Duets (which they only recently added him to because Lionel Richie dropped out) singer, John Legend, took a stab at the two new X Factor judges, insinuating that they weren’t “actually singers.”  Ouch.  What a loser!  He totally lost my respect for that one.

There’s so much more to say but I’ll leave it at that for now.  God, I missed this!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned!  I promise I’m back with a vengeance!

 

 

Related articles

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WHAT?! Tyra Banks fires ANTM Staples, Miss J. Jay Manuel and Nigel Barker!

I am so surprised and confused by Tyra Banks lately.  First she puts the kibosh on her talk  show that could have really taken her far then she fires half the cast of, what I consider to be her already failing show America’s Next Top Model.  I mean, who even watches that show anymore?  I know that for me personally, my viewing of it has dwindled down to completely not watching it at all.  And then to find this out?  I am so baffled!  If anything, Miss J is probably the most entertaining part of the show.  What’s keeping people watching now?  A dozen models giving each other attitudes and crying about getting their hair cut?  It’s getting old, Tyra!

Am I only one that thinks this?  Do you guys think that any good will come from this decision or do you wholeheartedly agree?  Let me know!

 

Trying something new…

I got my nails done today and got the curved shape I’ve been seeing everyone with lately. So far, it looks pretty cool! I’m used to having short nails so I have to get used to the length. So far I’m experimenting with nail colors until I find the right look. But I’ll be sure to fill you guys in on all my nail experimentations!

Biker Babe Wish List!

I am obsessed with bicycling! I got a bike from my bf for Christmas and I just got to ride it for the first time today and I had way too much fun! It’s something that I plan on doing a lot more often not only because it’s a blast but because it’s really good exercise. It got me thinking…I’m gonna need some biker gear! So naturally, I compiled a little wish list of affordable things I believe are necessary for a girly girl like me to have in order to be a bicycle babe!

Trying to carry a purse while riding a bike can be pretty annoying. Today I had a cross body bag but it still got in my way and it was too small for me to carry important things like tissues and a water bottle so a backpack is necessary. But I wouldn’t get just any one, it has to be girly and cute!

This might sound a little strange but I do not own a pair of sneakers. I always thought that they were kind of juvenile and boyish so as I grew into adulthood, I kind of left sneakers behind completely. But now that I want to work on being more active, sneakers are necessary.

I learned the hard way that wearing jeans while riding a bike is just not a good idea! The bottom of them, around the calf and ankle area were constantly getting snagged and dirtied by the pedal. I definitely see why bikers always wear tight pants or shorts. I’ll go with tight capris!

Coasting down a hill on a bike is so cool but it can actually get a little cool…or COLD rather. A nice warm and stylish hoodie would have helped!

And finally…safety’s first! I got away with it today but riding with a helmet, especially if I’m ever going to ride in the city, is really important. They might be “noob-ish” but busting your head open is even more noob-ish!

And that’s my biker babe list! I found all these items on ShopStyle but I’m sure any alternative to the things listed will be sufficient! As usual, thanks for reading!