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Red Lipsticks For Dark Skin

     Bri Fitzpatrick      Leave a Comment

black

Red Lipstick In American Culture

Red lips are iconic. Throughout modern American history, they have come to symbolize power, femininity, and sensuality. For many women, red lipstick is a tool that helps them tap into their strengths and tackle the world with confidence and poise.

I’ve had seasons of being intimidated by red lippies. Why? Negative messaging in media and culture. Growing up, some would say that red was unflattering next to deep brown- clownish even. I’ve heard it be referred to as loud, garish and even promiscuous.  Interestingly enough, these sentiments were only expressed when the bold color was worn by black women. Let’s pretend to be shocked. 

Rejecting Stereotypes About Red Lipstick

Throughout my twenties, I’ve been intentional about rejecting those ideas. Deep brown beauties can wear any color with style and grace. Let me tell you, I’ve seen some black and brown girls wear the heck out of a red lipstick. If you’ve been toying with the idea of going for a bold red, this is your sign to just go for it. 

Red Lipstick Inspiration

On the fence? Check out some amazing looks featuring red on women of color. PS. I threw in a personal example – plus a quick tutorial to help you achieve my favorite red combo! You can also get inspiration from this list of iconic red lipsticks from Harper’s Bazaar!

Rihanna

Rihanna stuns wearing a red lipstick from her brand Fenty Beauty

Janelle Monae

Janelle Monae stands out with a red lip at the Met Gala

Lupita N’gyong

Lupita plays with color wearing a bright red lip and powder blue suit

Zoe Saldana

Zoe Saldana holds an award on the red carpet- wearing a sporty black dress and a red lip

Brianna (@thatbreezybeauty)


My Favorite Red Lipstick Combo

I’m wearing my favorite red lipstick combo. I’ve been obsessed with lining my lips with Beauty Bakerie’s Bite Sized Lip Whip, in the shade Truffle. It’s a rich, deep brown. Then I fill in my lips with Beauty Bakerie’s Cake Pop Lippie in the shade Apple Acai. The result is gorgeous and really complements my skintone.

Do you have a favorite red lipstick?

Hair Dye Without Damage- Easy Temporary Hair Color Tutorial

     Bri Fitzpatrick      Leave a Comment

I dyed my hair a bold green shade without any dryness or damage. You can too.

I know you’re here for the hair story, but first I have to share a quick life update.

We made it to 2022. It’s a big deal. 2 years into this panorama. It’s wild . I’m honestly so grateful. Everyday is a blessing. Tomorrow isn’t promised. My goal is to live my best life now by living life on purpose.

I’m excited to use this platform to do just that. This year, in addition to beauty inspiration – you can expect even more self care, mindset and motivational content. After all, feeling beautiful starts on the inside with confidence and boldness.

I’m excited, I hope you are!

While we’re talking about being excited…

I forgot to share some amazing news. As of December 2021, I am a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. I’m honored to be a part of the oldest Black sorority because of it’s amazing legacy of supreme service to all mankind.

That also means that on January 15th I celebrated my first Founders’ Day. If you’re a regular reader of Breezy Beauties you probably know how much I love going all out, so it shouldn’t be very surprising to hear that I did a hair and makeup look for J15.

What I used: 

Poise N Ivy Green hair wax

Clinique Even Better Foundation 

Dose of Color – Pretty Cool Eyeshadow Palette

Beauty Bakerie 👩🏾‍🍳-Do It For the Graham palette

Beauty Bakerie 👩🏾‍🍳 -Brownie Bar palette 

M.A.C.  lipstick – shade Sultry Move

NYX Lip liner- shade Downtown Beauty 

Farmasi – Satin Pink Lip Gloss

Tag a friend who’s a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Bright and Vibrant Sunflower Inspired Makeup Tutorial

     Bri Fitzpatrick      Leave a Comment

Affiliate disclosure

See how my summer’s going (quick life update) plus a fun tutorial to help you create a vibrant Sunflower inspired makeup look.

“Me: Hey beauties. What’s up?

You: So, are we gonna pretend like you haven’t ghosted us for the last 3 months…

Me: See, what had happened was…”

Yeah, so about that; I’m so sorry. I’ve been MIA for the past few months. Life has been a complete whirlwind. It’s still kinda crazy but it’s mostly a positive kind of crazy at this point and I’m embracing it and adding blogging back into my crazy life. I’ve missed you guys so much, so I thought I’d take a little time to catch up with you and give a summer 2021 life update. I’m also sharing a bold and vibrant sunflower makeup look(full tutorial), because those are the vibes we need as we head into August.

—–Keep reading for my life update, or skip ahead to the sunflowers—

SO- this whole year has been crazy. I mean truly NUTS.  I lost one of my grandmother’s in November of 2020. My other grandmother passed in March. Needless to say, it was a bit overwhelming and I chose to take a step back from blogging so I could focus on keeping everything else in my life together. 

A lot happened during my blogging break. My sister had my nephew in late May. He’s such a handsome little guy. He’s brought so much joy into my family’s life.  After a sad period of time, it’s so great to have something positive to focus on. So grateful! I’m in love. Of course, my nieces are still auntie’s little princesses / diva’s in training. 

In June, I started a new job. It’s a new exciting position with lots of opportunity for growth. I feel so blessed and fortunate. The company is amazing. Of course, with any job, there’s a learning curve. I’ve been devoting a lot of time and energy into my work and developing my skills as a professional. So much of my free time is spent listening to audio books on sales, leadership and business. Applied knowledge is power and I for one am trying to APPLY PRESSURE… OKAY. 

In July I took a few days off for a family wedding and mini vacation. We stayed in a gorgeous luxury cabin in Hocking Hills, Ohio for 5 days. 20 plus family members, many of whom I just met recently. I literally gain 6 (I’m counting their significant others) DOPE cousins. It was such a good time. I even played Spades for the first time. It’s an experience that I would not trade for anything but it also left me playing catch up the rest of the month. 

  • Old Man’s Cave in Hocking Hills, Ohio
  • Old Man’s Cave in Hocking Hills, Ohio



I’m hyper aware that thirty is right around the corner. At 28- almost 29, I have roughly a year and a half to achieve my flirty thirty goals. There are so many things I want to accomplish. I know I don’t have to have everything in place, but I want to have the ground work laid. These years are foundational. I’m really working to elevate myself both spiritually, mentally and financially so that I can be a better person for myself and my future family. I don’t want to be one small emergency away from stress and struggle, so I’m sucking it up. I’m learning how to adult in hopes of rewarding myself with mimosas on the beach once the world is fully reopened. 

One thing I have been extremely consistent about these last few months is my exercise routine. I think it’s kept me grounded and given me a sense of control. If you’re following me on IG, you’ve seen some of my post workout selfies. It’s nothing too complicated but I’m thinking of sharing some breezy workouts on the blog. After all, looking good and feeling good go hand in hand. I’m down to share anything that makes stuff that’s typically daunting, overwhelming and difficult feel breezy and approachable, so I‘M DEF HERE FOR IT.

Let me know what you think and what YOU want to see more of. My goal is always to make content that enriches this community. Just ask, and I most likely GOT YOU. The goal is to finish the rest of this year out strong. If you’re not already doing so, please take a moment to join my email list. You’ll get beauty inspo, updates and other cool tings. Anddddd, you’ll never miss a makeup challenge, product review or giveaway.  

I think I got most of the life ramblings out of the way. Thanks for “listening”. I know that a lot of you are going through strange seasons of life as well. Believe it or not, makeup is an artistic escape for me. I find it extremely relaxing. It helps me decompress. You would not believe how often I put on a full face, BEAT TO THE HEAVENS at 10 pm, snap a few pics and proceed to wash my face and throw on my bonnet. They say practice makes perfect. Because it is my go to way to destress, I can honestly say I get plenty of practice. It’s crazy to see my growth in skills –even compared to summer 2020. 


Okay, enough about me and life and goals. Let’s talk about sunflower vibes. It’s giving us- “we’re literally outside”, glow from within, skip through a field ENERGY. Like sis, ISSA VIBE. Almost as much of a vibe as Issa Rae eloping with her boo in Southern France.

What I love about this look is how forgiving it is. It’s very easy to correct mistakes. If you decide to attempt this look –1. TAG ME. 2. Blend, blend and blend some more. Going back to your transition shades (I used Mango Pudding and Warm Cocoa from my Proof Is in the Pudding Beauty Bakerie palette) if you over do a bright shade or if it looks too harsh will be incredibly helpful.

One tip that I did not use, but HIGHKEY wish I did was using tape. A lot of makeup wearers will use a piece of clear tape- think Scotch or 3M to tape off the outer corner of their eye to their temple. Once they’re done applying shadow they remove the tape and have a cleaner more polished look. Definitely not a necessity but oh so helpful.


Tell me what you think of this radiant look!  I challenge you to recreate this look. Post it using the hashtag #breezybeautysunflower. I’ll share it on my IG (@thatbreezybeauty)!

Ready to recreate this fire look and play hide and seek in a field of sunflowers? Of course, you are. Checkout my YouTube video to see exactly how I did it.


Full Product List:
Primer- Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF Primer (A radiant sunflower glow starts with sun protection!)

Foundation-IL Makiage Woke Up Like This Foundation

Concealer-IL Makiage F*#% I’m Flawless Concealer, Beauty Bakerie Aquaglass Concealer

Eyeshadow Palettes- Beauty Bakerie- Proof Is In The Puddin’ palette (shades Mango Pudding, Bread Pudding and Rice Pudding), Beauty Bakerie – Sugar Cookies Palette (shade name Dip Baby Dip), E.L.F- Hot Jalapeño palette (yellow shimmer … no cutesy name for this one).

Lashes- Magnetic lashes from OpulenceMD Beauty*. Style- Unicorn. Used with magnetic liner from OpulenceMD Beauty*

Eye Liner- IL Makiage Ink Liner

Lips- The Lip Bar- Savage and Heartbreaker

Blush/Bronzer/Contour- Beauty Bakerie Brownie Bar

Setting Powder: Beauty Bakerie Flour Setting Powder– Shade Caramel/Plantain


I hope the rest of your summer is a vibrant as my eyeshadow!

XOXO,

Bri

*denotes affiliate relationship

9 Highly Rated Black Owned Makeup Brands to Check Out ASAP

     Bri Fitzpatrick      Leave a Comment

These black owned makeup brands are top notch.

People of color, specifically black women, are oftentimes overlooked in the beauty world. Many brands neglect black consumers by launching complexion product lines with limited (if any) options for deep skin tones. Other times, the offense is subtle; creating 15 shades of pale pink lipstick or “nude” products that only reflect the natural shade of European descendants. 

Not only is the experiencing frustrating, it can make black beauty lovers feel like outsiders and reinforce the many voices in western culture that calls African features less desirable. As a black woman, I felt like this many times from a very young age. One of the reasons I’m passionate about beauty, is its connection to self-concept. We should love ourselves regardless of our appearance but we should also redefine what is beautiful and fall in love with our own aesthetic. 

In my journey to do this, I’ve found some great beauty brands that have recognized and celebrated black beauty from the beginning. While I love seeing mainstream beauty brands include more comprehensive color options in their in their product launches; I make a point to support black businesses who have made this a priority since day one. This is a list of black owned makeup brands that have top rated products. Some of them, I’ve tried. Others are on my must try list.

Beauty Bakerie

Beauty Bakerie was founded in 2011. It offers a wide variety of bakery themed makeup products. I’ve tried quite a bit from this company, including their long-lasting lip whips and several eyeshadow and blush palettes. If you like highly pigmented products and a bit of whimsy, this is a brand worth checking out. 

The Lip Bar

The Lip Bar is known for stunning lipstick shades. Founded in 2012, this brand is close to my heart because its founder is from my home state of Michigan. Founder, Melissa Butler, is a HBCU grad with a degree in finance. After working as a stockbroker, she decided to launch a line of vegan lipsticks. After being rejected from SharkTank, the company managed to negotiate partnerships with Target and Walmart. We love to see the black girl magic!

My favorite shades from The Lip Bar are Savage and Drama Queen but I can’t wait to try more. They’re super pigmented and the color options are amazing. Recently, they’ve added complexion products to its product lineup.  Visiting their flagship store in Detroit is definitely on my bucket list. 

Mented Cosmetics

I haven’t personally used Mented Cosmetics yet but they’re definitely a hot black owned brand to watch. 

Mented Cosmetics offers a full range of makeup products, but is most known for its lipsticks. They offer a great selection of nude lippies. They also have a variety of red shades that complement deep skin. 

Iman Cosmetics

No black owned beauty brand list can omit Iman Cosmetics. Founded by model Iman in 1994, Iman Cosmetics is known as the first company to specifically cater to women of color.While I haven’t tried this brand myself, it’s been going strong for over 2 decades. 

Fenty Beauty

Fenty Beauty was created by music and fashion icon turned entrepreneur Robyn Rihanna Fenty. Rih Rih, who has a passion for inclusivity, revolutionized the industry by launching her makeup line with 40 shades (they currently offer 50). The makeup is arguably as iconic as Rihanna herself. 

Since we’re talking about black owned businesses it’s worth mentioning that the company is only 15% black owned. Fenty’s parent company is LMVH, a Parisian company that specializes in luxury products (think Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, etc.). French billionaire, Bernard Arnault, is the majority owner, while Rihanna acts as CEO. 

Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Labs falls under the category of high end makeup brands that I’m dying to try. Pat McGrath is a black British makeup artist who created makeup lines for Giorgio Armani and other luxury fashion houses prior to releasing her own makeup line. McGrath was dubbed the most influential makeup artist in the world by Vogue. She has worked with notable celebrities such as Oprah and Madonna. 

I could definitely use a bit of luxury in my life and the fact that it’s black owned and HIGHLY RATED puts it on my must-try list. 

LYS Beauty

If you like “clean beauty”, you definitely need to check out LYS Beauty. It’s a black owned cosmetics brand committed to offering plant-based, vegan beauty products at an accessible price point. Everything in its product lineup is under $30. The company goes beyond the typical requirements of clean beauty. According to LYS Beauty’s website, none of its products have ingredients like talc, mineral oil, fragrances, gluten, or SLS. It also claims to include ingredients that actually improve common skincare concerns. 

I haven’t tried this brand yet, but it certainly sounds impressive AND the packaging looks so luxe. 

BLK OPAL 

Black Opal or BLK OPAL is an OG in the black beauty game. It’s been making makeup for black women since 1994, however it just recently became black owned. 

Black Opal was founded by a chemist named Niko Mouyiaris.  Niko saw how limited makeup options were for his wife Carol, a black woman of Jamaican descent. Niko passed in 2019 and Carol now owns the company with the help of fellow black woman co-owners, Desiree Rogers and Cheryl McKissack. 

It’s just as important to have accessible drugstore and luxury options. Thankfully, the new owners, who have crazy impressive corporate pedigrees have landed distributorship deals with major retailers like Walmart, Target and Rite Aid. Easy to find options are always a good thing. 

Uoma Beauty

Uoma Beauty was founded by a Nigerian woman, Sharon Chuter, in 2018. Uoma means beautiful. According to its website, the company values self-expression, colorful living, African pride, and inclusivity and strives to create an “empowering tribe while igniting a “beautiful rebellion”. Fans of Uoma love its wide shade selection (51 shades from super deep to very pale in a variety of undertones). 

Beyond complexion products, the brand has lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes that look amazing. I currently have my eyes on its Coming 2 America collection. It’s all so stunning. 

These are just a few of the many amazing black makeup brands that are out there. As a bonus to those of you who like to “shop small” many of these brands are also small independent businesses. Black queens from across the globe are running these brands. I’m thankful that the internet creates a global economy which results in a plethora of options for you and I. 

Which black owned brands do you love? Tell me a black owned product that I NEED to try. 

Simple Everyday Skincare Routine

     Bri Fitzpatrick      Leave a Comment

Today, I’m sharing my 2021 skincare routine. With 2021 proving to be only slightly less hectic than 2020, you’re not alone if your skin is going through it. 

All of us want to feel confident. Even makeup lovers need to be able to love the skin they’re in. Part of this is a mindset. Embracing your authentic self is a choice. The other part requires spending time and energy finding a skincare routine that helps your skin flourish. 

Maskne (mask related acne) is my most recent arch nemesis. My current job is in retail sales. That means that I skin at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week – wearing a mask. I don’t say this to complain.  COVID can be scary and I’m all for taking necessary precautions. The reality of situation, doesn’t mean I like my newly acquired crater face. 

A few months ago, my younger sister- who struggles with cystic acne Facetimed me to show off her radiant, makeup free glow. She’s always gorgeous, but I stunned to see how clear her skin was. She told me about her recent decision to try Curology. Impressed by her results; I decided to try Curology out for myself. 

It’s worth mentioning that I have no affiliation with Curology. All thoughts are my own and reflect my personal experience with the product. 

I’ve been using Curology for about a month and a half. The company uses an online assessment to pair subscribers with a dermatology PA. They take the assessment and submitted photos to prescribe a custom prescription formula. My kit included a cleanser, moisturizer, body wash and prescription medicine. 

My Routine

My skincare routine is pretty simple. In the morning, I wash my face with my Curology cleanser. I follow up with my moisturizer… and DONE.  I add one extra step at night. I wash my face with the cleanser, apply the medicated face cream and finish with the moisturizer. Of course, I use the body wash in the shower to address any blemishes on my body. 

My Prescription

Let’s take a look at my prescription.  According to the website, my custom formula was designed to address acne, hyper pigmentation/ dark marks and skin texture. The cream uses ingredients like azelaic acid, clindamycin and zinc pyrithione to help me meet my skin goals. 

During the past several months, my skin woes have been concentrated to my chin and cheek.  That is one of the reasons I attribute my breakouts to my mask. In addition to being more intentional about my skincare, I started wearing a silk mask. I wanted to ensure that I was doing what I could to be gentle on my skin.

I definitely took several weeks for my breakouts to calm down. Curology told me to expect results from the prescribed active ingredients with 6 to 8 weeks. At week 5 or 6, I’m just starting to see results. I also notice how soft and moisturized my combination skin feels. I’m hopeful to see dark marks lighten with continued use. 

I discontinued use of all other skincare products (including facial masks) to let my skin adjust to my new routine. I’m looking forward to incorporating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, rose water and aloe vera. 

My Results

Take a look at my progress over the last month or so. 

The photos I took for Curology to assess my skin. I look rough. Mask related acne and stress were significant factors.
Approximately 1 month of use. Experiencing less flare ups, however I still have significant scarring.
A better look at the scarring. I’m noticing that I’m not very good at taking makeup free pictures on flare up days.

Challenges

Using the right ingredients to target problem areas is an important component of any skincare routine. What’s more important, in my opinion, is consistency. Your products can be perfectly curated to address your concerns, but if you don’t use them as directed, when directed you won’t see the results you’re looking for. 

Using these products has actually allowed me to improve consistency. In the spirit of transparency, I’ll disclose the truth; it’s still a work in progress. I definitely have missed n occasional morning or evening during the past several weeks. 

Skincare Tips

I’ve found a few things very helpful in my quest to become more diligent and consistent with my skincare routine. 

Reminders

Utilizing the reminder/alarm system on my smart phone is super helpful. I set up a recurring note on my calendar with an alarm. It’s definitely helped me minimize my instances of forgetfulness. 

Leave It Out

As an extra safeguard, I keep my skin care products in a prominent location. Keeping my core skincare products on the sink helps me remember. I’ve had moments where I’ve gone to the restroom during the middle of the night. As I wash my hands, I see my skincare products by the sink. I realize that I skipped doing skincare and mistakenly snoozed my alarm. 

Doing your routine at 2 AM is better than not doing it all. 

Don’t Get Discouraged

It’s easy to feel like giving up if your miss a day of skincare. Don’t do that. If you had a busy morning and forgot, still do your evening routine. Shoot for progress, not perfection. 

It’s a journey…

That’s what I’m doing for my skin this year. Has the pandemic (stress or masking) changed your skincare needs? 

I’d love to hear what you’re doing to get or maintain your glow. Have you tried Curology or any other popular skincare system? Did you see results or did you think it was overhyped?

As, I continue my skincare journey, my biggest goal is to get rid of acne scars and hyperpigmentation. Leave any hacks you think I should try in the comments. 

Regardless of what your skin looks like, you’re beautiful. Enjoy the process and take care of yourself. 

CURLS’ Wash and Go Gel on 4A Natural Hair

     Bri Fitzpatrick      Leave a Comment

Curly girls, where you at? Let’s talk about CURLS’ new wash and go gel.             

If you have textured hair, like myself, you probably know how challenging it can be to achieve the perfect wash and go (a style that highlights your natural curl pattern by using curl defining stylers and gels). My go to gel for years has been Eco-Styler Gel. It does an amazing job of defining my curls and coils, but it leaves a hard, crunchy gel cast that can’t be scrunched away.

A friend of mine shared a discount/affiliate code for the CURLS brand. I’ve used a few of their products in the past and was curious about its recently launched series of styling gels. I grabbed all four.

Curls Wash and Go Gel, B N Control Sculpting Gel

The green bottle was formulated specifically for “wash and go’s”. The company calls it the B n Control Sculpting gel. It’s supposed to have a firm hold without flaking or having drying alcohols.

Is it worth it?

Read more to see an in-depth assessment of this gel. We’re getting into the nitty gritty. Everyone knows us curly girls are PARTICULAR when it comes to our products.

Smell

Neutral to bad. This is not one of those products that makes passersby admire the scent of your hair. While I didn’t think it stunk, the mixture of ingredients was slightly unpleasant.

Price

This gel retails for $5.99. I used a discount code so I paid a little less. Even without a discount, the price isn’t bad for 10 oz of product. If you’re ingredient conscious, this is a good affordable option.

Ingredients

I mentioned that this is a decent choice for ingredient snobs on a budget. TRUE… but I still had to side eye an ingredient or two. It has silicones in the formula, something I generally try to avoid.

That being said, redeeming ingredients include aloe vera juice, shea butter and jojoba oil and does manage to omit drying alcohols.

How Much Product I Used

A LOT. I didn’t measure or anything like that, but I can comfortably say I used at least an ounce of product, and it’s not that my hair is that long. I probably should have used less but I felt like I was using enough for it to define my curls. So I used more. (More on that to come).

My Results

Unfortunately I lost my day one results, as I switched phones that day. I do have a picture of “day two hair”. This is after spritzing (liberally) with water and fluffing. 

One great thing I can say about this gel is that it didn’t make my hair take forever to dry. Even with my liberal usage. My hair dried in under 3 hours which for me is almost miraculous.  Unfortunately, I think it failed to define my curls. I can achieve a fluffy wash and go’s without gel… so I going to rate this product as fairly ineffective on my hair type.

I’m almost sure that this product was meant designed for curl patterns 2c-3c, despite the company advertising it for all curl types. One size fits all is not typically a real thing in the natural hair world.

If you’re a type 4a-4c natural and have given this a try, let me know how you liked it. If anyone with looser curls has tried it, let me know how you liked it.