Nab some dollar store deals:Beauty on a budget

Hello All!
  I know that many many fashionistas, make up addict, etc. can not always shop at high priced department stores for their clothes and make up. That is where thrifting comes in handy with the clothes, but what about beauty products, such as make up or shampoo. THE DOLLAR STORE! Here where I live we have a wonderful dollar store that carries awesome beauty products. I purchased Maybelline there! (When some retailers need to get rid of extra beauty products, they sell it to discount shops). But you do not just want to buy any old thing from the dollar store because the stock can be old, but follow these guidelines, and grab some awesome deals!


1. Only buy products with a seal- You do not want to buy anything if it is not sealed. It may have been opened, tested, and that could cause bacteria. 
2  Stock up!!-. Always purchase nail files, clippers, scrunchies, mirrors, sharpeners,etc you can have a limitless supply with it only being a dollar!
3.  Try elf- I went to my dollar store and saw elf cosmetics! they have brushes, eye shadow, liners, and glosses for only a buck!! (Not all items are a dollar visit their website.) It is a great brand to use for the recessionista! 
4. Shake, Shake, Shake- Pressed powders can be broken shaking and dropped during the storage process, so gently shake the powder close to your ear to ween out the broken ones. (You will hear the broken pieces) this will also work for eye shadows!
5, Try DIY- I know everyone can not afford to go out and purchase whats trending, so what do you do? Do to the dollars store and make your own!  They have headbands, glue, pins, etc. to make the perfect accessory!


I hope you find these tips useful! Have fun shopping for a dollar!
God Bless!


~Crystal

LIKE ME ON FACEBOOK!

Hello All!

  I added a page on Facebook for ChurchgirlChic, so when you get a chance, you can like it simply by clicking the like button on the right hand side of the blog! Thank you for your support! 

~Crystal

Crackle nail polish:"Girl! I have never seen no nails like that in my entire life!"

I so love my crackled nails. I had to post this because I went to shake my pastors hand and he grabbed my hand said,"girl I have never seen nails like that in my entire life!" lol So I had to explain to my pastor how the polish worked and he then said, 'Crystal girl you be up on all the trends, don't you," lol. I so love my pastor..

 The polish lasted me about a week and a half before I had a minor crack! I so love this polish! I am thinking about putting it on again! My friend used it on her tips! Loving it!

A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO MY LADIES AND GENTS!

Hello All!

   Today I was looking back over my life and I thought about all of the things that God has done for me. I often wondered why God put me in certain situations. I remember having to drop out of college two years ago because my epilepsy started to worsen and I started missing so much school my doctor told me that I had to take a break. I remember wanting to quit at life because I thought that I was ugly &worthless. But through it all God got me out of those situations. Sometimes in the present I can say that I wish things would have gone a little different in my life. I wish that I would have been a college graduate by now, I wish that I was in the workforce working for Lord &Taylor, Saks, Bloomingdale, Macy's, etc. But I can say that I have learned so much about life and it circumstances at such a young age that if I do face situations as a mature adult I will know how to deal with them without ceasing. I can honestly say that through it all God has been right by my side! 

  So as I look at college graduates, God let's me know that I will be there soon. I know I will be there soon. So whatever you are going through never give up. You never know where God is taking you in your life, although it may not look like a lot we are all not fortune tellers. God may be setting you  up for something greater than your present! Encourage yourself, keep on going, and let nothing stop you from achieving your goals!

God Bless!

~Crystal

Love your Shade:Dark vs. Light Skin

Hello All,
  I was having an awesome conversation with one of my best friend's and her mother and it was about dark skinned women and light skinned black women. As you can see I am a dark skinned black woman, and my friend is a very fair skinned black woman. (So their was no bias in our conversation). I was offended when we were at church and a preacher told a young man that he was going to have a beautiful woman which was going to be light skinned and had long hair. I though to myself, is that what beauty means to some black men? I look at some black celebrity men, whether they are athletes, actors, etc., and wonder, "is that beauty to black men? Are black men only attracted to some black women if they only have fair skin? I always hear dark skinned girls saying," she thinks she is all that because she is mixed, or because she has light skin." And I have also heard that dark skinned girls are; ghetto, have nappy hair, or "good for nothing". Crazy, right?

    I did some research and the whole light vs. dark skinned problem started back in the days of slavery. Skin color was used as a tool of separation between the field workers and the house maids ( a product of the master and a black slave). But why is this state of mind existent in the 21st Century? I remember dating a Caucasian boy the summer after high school, and he told me that he couldn't wait to have light skinned children (YES HE SAID THAT) that looked like me. But I am not light skinned I am dark skinned. Little did he know I hated being dark skinned back then so that relationship soon fizzled away stemming from that statement. but now I can say that I love the skin that I am in and I know God made me beautiful(Psalm 139:14).

  I said all of that to say this. Love the skin that you are in. In times that we are in today we all, white, black, yellow, blue and green, should understand no matter how God made us we all are beautiful in his eyes and so should we be in ours!
Here are a few beautiful dark and light skinned black women that I admire for my own reasons

Much Love &God Bless!
~Crystal

Feather Earring DIY

Hello All!
 I am kind of late posting this but a fellow blogger gave me an awesome opportunity to be a guest blogger on her blog "GlamNoLablez". It was an awesome experience seeing something that I did on someone else's blog! Thank you so much Girl! Go and Check out her blog(AND MY POST ON DIY FEATHER EARRINGS)  HERE

Stay Blessed!
~Crystal

My Weekend!

Hello All!
  I have had such a busy weekend! I must admit, I love my life and the people in it! God has really been good to me! It started off Friday I changed clothes 3 times! The first two were lounge everyday clothes, but the third wardrobe change was for a girls conference that was going on at a friends church that I had to volunteer in. I do not think I got the memo because I walked in with the cutest little outfit and everyone else had on pajamas, and sweats! IT WAS AN ALL NIGHT CONFERENCE! My flats were on and I was out the door in 3 hours!

Top:Burlington

Jeans: Torrid

Scarf:Forever 21

Shoes: Charolette Russe

The next day I had my two little nieces Crystina and Faith for the day. Oh my we had a day! My nieces Crystina wanted to go to the park and I really did not feel like going to the park so my friend Shon and I took the girls to ColdStone"YUM!!" And then took the girls to McDonald's to play in the play land (They have a basketball hoop and a air hockey table!) They had a blast and so did I.

Blazer: Thrifted

Skinny Jean: Torrid

Shoes: Wet Seal

Oh what a weekend I have had. But I thank God because I spent it with the people that I love the most!
God Bless!
~Crystal

KiKi Sheard! Mighty!

Hey Guys!

 I heard Kierra "KiKi" Sheard's new single today and I love it! It is so youthful yet powerful. I am so loving this girl right now! She is an inspiration to many! It's called "Mighty".  Here it is!

God Bless!
~Crystal

Tara Lynn!

Hello All!

 I am so in love with Tara Lynn right now! She is a beautiful curvaceous woman who loves herself and her body! She is taking the full figure modeling world by storm! I can say that she is an inspiration!

~Crystal

VERSACE FOR H&M!

Hello All!
  I recently found out that the high end fashion label Versace will be collaborating with the brand H&M this year! I recently visited H&M for the first time a couple of months ago ( I do not live close to one :-( ..) and I fell in love! They have the high end look for ready to wear prices! Love it!

H&M creative advisor Margareta van den Bosch with Donatella Versace

I CAN'T WAIT!
~Crystal

Fresh Face Thurday: Natural make up look

 Hello All!
 The past few days have been hectic!  I live in Michgan and we have been having horrible thunder storms the past couple of days with 60 mph wind! So needless to say my curly hair was under a hat.....lol. And my make up was very natural. Today I used little to no make up for a fresh faced look! I did a  very pink/ nude look which I love!

On My Face:

Foundation: Black Radiance

Cheeks: Maybelline Mineral Blush

Lips: Scottish Lilt Lip Glass by MAC

Lashes: Maybelline XXL Mascara

Eyeliner: A cheap eyeliner..lol(it works)

Since it was so humid today I kept it very simple! 

P.S found out how I made these earrings click HERE

~Crystal

DIY Boyfriend Blazer "Cuff"

Hello All!
 OK, I know that in past post I have mentioned that I love to thrift and last month I found an 80's/90's style blazer that I had to have! (I have a million black blazers) so I had to make this one different. After I altered the jacket to modernize the fit of the jacket I wanted to add a cuff. I bought about a half of a yard of lace fabric for something else and I thought that it would be perfect for the blazer. The instructions are going to be below.
What you will need:
A blazer
Scissors
Needle, Thread, and Bobbin(if machine sewing)
Fabric of your choice (I decided on a black lace)

1. Turn the blazer inside out.
2. Take the fabric of your choice and wrap it around the sleeve of the blazer to get an idea of where to cut the fabric.( Make sure that it is not too much or too little fabric because this can cause the cuff to look like a five year old made it and that is not cute. he he.)
3. Pin the fabric around the edge of the sleeve to secure the fabric.
4. Began sewing the fabric onto the edge of the sleeve.
5.After the fabric is sew turn the jacket right side in and cuff the fabric and Voila! A custom made cuff for your blazer!

Have Fun!
~Crystal

MEAN GIRLS IN CHURCH???HUH?

^
IN CHURCH??????
NO!!!!!

Hello All,

 OK, question, have you every encountered a group of "mean girls"? Not at school, or work but at church? A Group of girls taking charge and will talk about you behind your back as soon as they get the chance? I thought this was crazy when someone told me about the "mean girls" at their church. I could have fainted! I thought that church was a place for someone to go and feel free and at peace not confined, bound, and uncomfortable.

  I guess some people feel as if they above everyone else if they have a certain talent that excels in the church, or grew to be "popular" with people because they think they are important because they have been "in church" their entire lives. I can not say that I have came into contact with someone who was a "mean girl" in the church but I have encountered someone I have had problems with inside of the church. I do not think that anyone should feel superior to anyone if they call themselves redeemed! I honestly think that some people do not know what it means to be redeemed.

  So to all of the mean girls in the church...GET OVER YOURSELF! No one is more important than God and his son Jesus! So please stop thinking that you are! Life should be about leading people to Christ no steering people away because of your hypocritical ways! This is all written with love because we should all try to stick together as best as possible! 

~Crystal

Getting into music: Kirk Franklin- Hello Fear

Hello All!

 I had to write this post because I am falling in love with Kirk Franklin's new CD "Hello Fear". I am playing this entire CD over and over again in my car! This reminds me of the Kirk Franklin and the Family kind of music when he first came onto the scene. I love his fashion sense, he dressed well for a man his size. But I guess when you are his size you have to dress well. (not joking). I was having a horrible day last week and this CD helped me so much! It encouraged me through music! I think everyone should go out and buy this CD!

Kirk Franklin's song, Hello Fear.

Thank You!

Hello All!

I just want to give a special thank you to my new followers! Thank you all so much for being interested in my world! I would also like to thank the people who has not followed be yet but comment! Thank you! Its not easy to get comments on your post and people still comment. I am very appreciative of everything!
Much Love to you all!
~Crystal

Happy Fathers Day!!

Happy fathers day to all of the fathers in the blog world! A special thank you to my father! he is the best daddy in the world. He is a friend, a spiritual counselor, a bank (hehe), and most importantly he has shown me what it is to be a "REAL MAN"!  I love my father, and I pray that you all love your fathers as well!
God bless!
~Crystal

Single & Loving it?????????

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

Question?????? Is their such thing as single and loving it? I have been single for almost 2 1/2 years and I can assure you, I am not loving it. I can admit, their was a time when I felt as if I didn't need someone in my life because I didn't like myself. I loved no part of myself, and let me tell you guys something, if you know of someone who feels like that, or you fell like that yourself, please do not enter any type of relationship, because you will settle, and once you settle, the relationship becomes more about keeping that person. And that is a sad feeling.

I know so many ladies talk about, " All I need is my girlfriends," or " I don't need a man to complete me," or my favorite, "I can do bad all by myself". It is kind of amusing because I did feel this way once. Although I do not need a man to complete me now, it would be nice to have a companion. I go everywhere with my friends, and sometime I do not like "hanging" with my friends. Now that I have found who "I am", I love myself, I am working on myself, I can say that I am indeed "Single & Loving it...but!!!!!! I would like a boyfriend too....lol. I am waiting because I know that God is the best match maker <3
Much Love!
~Crystal

2011 Summer Trend:Hair Accessories, and How to

Hello Again!

   Recently I have fell deeply in love with hair accessories( look out for a DIY post). I have recently purchased headbands, flowers, clips, and hair pins to wear in my hair. I have seen so many celebrities wear them and they were all over fashion week runways!

My cute little headband! I love it!

How do you wear a hair accessory?

Step One: Make sure you hair is styled accordingly. Do not use a hair accessory as an opt out of styling your hair. Style your hair to fit the accessory.

Step Two: Look like an adult! Hair accessories can sometime appear to be juvenile, so when wearing an accessory curl your hair, tease your crown, or pull your hair off of your face for age appropriateness. Wearing make up can help as well.

Step Three: When wearing a stretched headband or a flower headband go for the chic look pulling it closer to your forehead. When going for softer look wear it just about the forehead(Picture above).

Step Four: When wearing a large hair accessory, wear small earrings, and limited jewelry because the overall look can be a little much. So choose your statement piece. Not pieces! 

Step Five:Just Ask your stylist. When you go to the salon ask your stylist how to wear your accessories with your hairstyle. Stylist are creative so they will be able to give you great idea!

Have Fun!
~Crystal

OOTD:Wedding

Hey Guys!
OK my best friend from high school recently got married and I had to find the best outfit possible to wear to her wedding. I wanted a long dress and that is what I set out to look for. And I found it! I took the pictures in my backyard as the sun began to set I thought the dress was beautiful. It was $70.00 from Dressbarn Woman and it had a silk chiffon flow with beautiful beading at the waistline. I was in love! I got so many compliments on it! And I had to wear a red lip you'll....lol.

 Dress: Dressbarn Woman

Earrings: Made by me

Shoes:Target

My Red Shoes!

Hey guys!

   OK, I recently went to Baker and purchased the most beautiful pair of red shoes! I am known for wearing black all of the time, so buying red shoes was out of the ordinary for me. But here they are! 

Baker:40.00

Beautiful, Right? They are comfortable because the shoes have a padding on the inside and they were cheap! I am stepping into summer with my red shoes you'll! lol

~Crystal

Keeping Up with the Kardashians!!!!!!!!

Hello All!

Everyone who knows me knows that I love Keeping up with the Kardashians, not because of the drama or Khloe's very bad language, but because of their style! I love the clothes that the girls wear. Although Kim wears very short, form fitting clothes on talk shows and events, the girls have a very chic, style on the show. (Who knew that they covered themselves on the daily?) Well anyway here is the promo video for Season Six  to come on Sunday on E!

~Crystal

My new shoes!

My dream in life was to have a pair of nude pumps! And I got em'! this are my most beautiful shoes that I recently purchased (I snuck a picture during church while I was sitting...lol. The platform makes the shoes feel so comfortable, and I can stand in them all day!