London Calling....

Hey all! I'm in London right now getting ready to jump on the train to Paris. I'm enjoying myself but can't wait to get back to share the details and pictures with you all.

Just wanted to say Hi!

Cheers and Au Revoir til my return


Kamika jet setting

Random Thoughts

Opinions are sometimes like virginity.  It's good to hold on to them a little longer and share them with that special person.  Otherwise all that mental mind hoeing can't be good.

Why dude at Sephora today get mad at me when he realized I was only exchanging a product and not buying anything new?  I could have sworn someone lied to me and told me that didn't work on commission.  It was like he went from being all lights, camera, action to brownout mode.

Don't repeat what I say and act like you're telling me something new.  I was there for the original conversation.  I know who told you the whoopty whoop.

I don't like men to be giggly.  It's fine after he's gotten to know me but don't be giggly before.  If he's giggling it means I'm bored. 

Joan on Girlfriends was dating a guy with wide hips.  I still get shocked everytime I see it in person.

I loves me some Fritters from Jim Dandy's in the South Central.

Kamika I'm getting itchy, which means I must be sleepy.

You Know What Irks Me?: The Reverse Race Sympathy Card

I was all set to post about the "Anti-Role Model" but while watching one of my favorite shows, The Amazing Race, I saw this mess that made me mad.  What mess, pray tell?  The REVERSE RACE SYMPATHY CARD.  

You may be asking yourself, "now what is the Reverse Race Sympathy Card?"  The Reverse Race Sympathy Card, not to be confused with Reverse Racism, is when someone of another race or someone at a momentary disadvantage tries to find sympathy and/or justification for their foul actions by calling out the fact that someone else, usually a black person [or insert your minority here], should allow them pass for their insulting behaviour because "the black person/minority knows how it is."  As seen in the video below at around the 3:24 mark.  Margie is accusing Jen and Kisha of laughing at her son's deafness and trying to shame them into contriteness by calling out the fact that they are black and they should know how it feels.   WHAT!!!   

 

How absurd to equate blackness with deafness. How exploitative of his deafness.  Luke isn't special, he just can't hear.  He's still able bodied, he just can't hear.  Equally disturbing to me is the tendency of some in our society to equate the fight for civil rights of African Americans to the current fight for homosexual rights or even better the Feminist agenda.  Entirely different issues with entirely different purposes.  I think it's really shady to feign empathy with someone for the benefit of having strength in numbers all the while exploiting them with the intent of distancing yourself from them once the battle is won.  

I thought Margie was way off base.  The fact that Jen and Kisha were black should have never been mentioned.  Her comments, obviously were not well thought out and in the heat of the moment, but they were still spiteful just the same.  Saying things like, "people like you" made her character obvious. The fact of the matter is Luke was being overly aggressive and rude. Previous shows have evidenced his unsportsmanlike conduct.  His being deaf does not give him the freedom to mistreat others. If anyone should know better it should be him.  HAH! Reverse Reverse Race Sympathy Card!

I get so tired of people thinking the only way black people can relate is if we dig far down into that deep dark emotionally charged pit of racial angst we all must have.  You know the government issued baggage we all got when we were born black...

Kamika still black, just a little more perturbed

Hairplay: Elasta DPR-11 Remoisturizer

I've been using this stuff for the last year or so and I still love it. Elasta DPR-11 Remosturizer is one of the best deep conditioners I've ever used and I've used a lot!

~It "contains 11 conditioning botanicals including Peach Blossom oil and Vitamin E

~Penetrates inner hair fibers to surge nutrients to moisture depleted hair

~Perfect hair repair treatment when combined with Elasta QP Protein Supplement.

I usually mix mine with honey, castor oil, and coconut oil, put on a plastic cap and cover my head with my warming heat cap for about 45 minutes. Afterwards I rinse with cool water and style. Instant softness, shine with no tangles or knots.

I you are concerned about cones and certain other ingredients, note that this has Dimethicone and Petroleum in it.

Ingredients: Chamomille, Nettle, Balm Mint Leaf Oil, Coltsfoot Extract, Horse Chestnut Extract, Sage Leaf Extract, Rosemary Extract, Petroleum, Cetyel Alcohol, Cetromonium Chloride, Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Laurus Nobblis Oil, Orange Oil, Neroli Oil, Black Currant Seed Oil.


Kamika Happy Conditioning

Colored Me: A Makeup Quickie

I got this sweet comment on my last Hairplay post and thought I would share it with you all.

First I must say that your makeup is fantastic, you look so beautiful. I'm
about the same shade as you but I feel like a clown when I try to wear it. I
was wondering if there was a special brand you use and if you could point me
to some books or websites on how to apply it properly so I don't end up
looking like Bozo.
Chante~

On occasion I get questions from people regarding my makeup and what products I use and I thought now would be a great time to share my techniques. I don't have many as I'm still a newb myself but whatever I have I'm willing to share. But first, let me go on a tangent.


Keep it simple and slow and always stay aware. For me it's always about keeping things simple. I don't have time for much else. Plus I get bored easily and have a tendency to waste money on stuff I don't need if I don't pay attention. Makeup is one of those really dynamic arts that you can easily get lost in. For blushes and lips, start slow by picking colors that are close to your complexion but with just a hint of color and branch out from there. For eyes, try colors that look good on your skin in clothing form.

As with most things - stay aware. Treat makeup counters as you would grocery stores. Never go to them hungry or in need of a pick-me-up. The artists will eat you alive, pitching all sorts of stuff that would work best on the set of Girlfriends and not in real life. Also, when you are in need, you can't always readily tell that Sunbasque and Margin are practically the same color and that one is just a little cooler than the other. Makeup companies are always trying to get you to buy the latest greatest shade of this, formula of that, etc. MAC is notorious for offering new collections with only slight color variations in the shades or repackaging last year's colors to make them look new and fresh this year. If you stay on top of your personal collection you'll avoid having four of the same color.

But to answer your question, I used to feel the same way when I had just started wearing makeup. The key for me, I've learned, is to stick with shades that are similar to my undertone. I have warm undertones. Women of color can easily wear pretty much any color under the sun, we just have to make sure we wear the right hue (shade/tint). Every color comes in a spectrum of cool and warm shades. For example take pink. Within pink you have the coolest blue-pinks (similar to Barbie pink) and you have the reddest-pinks bordering on hot pink and Fuchsia. I stick to the warmer shades. The cooler shades wash me out and make me look bland. I could go on and on and show you a color wheel but quite simply, I wear a lot of warm hued colors such as gold, copper, reddish pinks, purples, deep teal blues, lots of different greens, and even oranges.

Anyhoo, so I did a great video for you but my PowerDirector crashed. **Sobs** so until it can get some act right I've subbed a video from Scandalous Beauty. I'll be back on Friday with my personal product choices and hopefully a video.





Websites I love:

Ateyaa's Channel
Clumps of Mascara
The Style & Beauty Doctor
Temptalia

My fotki for makeup looks

Books I adore:





Kamika coloring outside the lines

Running Behind

...so the Colored Me post will be on Saturday instead of today.

Kamika stil editing

You Know What Irks Me? Twitter

Not an April Fools joke. I really don't like it! Folks are probably cursing me right now. But oh well. Twitter probably irks me because I don't fully understand it. How can anyone find the most mundane details of someone else's life so interesting? I don't like being that connected. The telephone ring gets on my nerves. In my mind I'm thinking, 'what in the world? Don't these folks know I'm reading, or knitting, or picking my boogers and scratching my tail and now is not the most opportune time to call?' But then again... If I was Twittering, twit'n, twot'n or whatever you call it, then they would know that. Twitter is like to cooler trendier version of the Big Brother eye in the sky.

I'm just saying folks (those prone to lying) better be careful with Twitter. Twitter gone get between a whole bunch of folks and their money and their honey. Too much history being saved on Twitter.

But I'm jus sayin. I feel like this dude.

<


Kamika old skool - just send me an email. LOL!

Hairplay: Curly Set On Natural Hair

Meant to post this on Friday. If you frequent my YouTube channel then you've probably already seen this. If you don't enjoy!

Curly Set On Natural Hair

How To Video:



More videos to come soon. Thanks for watching,

Kamika lovin this style

You Know What Irks Me? Ungrateful Kids

Motel Babylon has become a community, ya'll. I'm not holding back anymore. I have to tell you what is irking me so that I can be free. If you agree, you agree. If you don't, you don't. If you want to share your irks, put it in the comments. I may just co-sign on it.
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You Know What Irks Me? Ungrateful Chillens

Parents!!!

Please please please teach your children the value of saying and showing thanks! I'm not talking about any particular incident or any particular person, just children as a whole.

Children need to learn gratitude. When a gift is given to them regardless of the mode of delivery, a child should show thanks. Not the parents, but the child. Or in some cases the child in addition to the parent. When I say, 'mode of delivery' I mean regardless of if the gift came from a co-worker to the parent to give to the kid or some other person offered to pay (and the parent accepted)for something on behalf of the child. The child should still say thank you unless the parent is trying to keep it on the low-low or unless the gift-giver had ulterior motives.

Put the child's cursive/handwriting skills to good use. They learned it for a reason. Get them some thank you cards or even some wide-ruled lined paper and sit them down to write a Thank you note. Let em color a picture and put their name on it and some stickers. Whatever!

I'm getting so tired of parents saying thank you for kids that are of the age to be able to do it themselves. I'm so tired of parents ad-libbing for their kids and telling folks how much their kid loved a toy. Your kid couldn't verbalize that? Babies get a pass because they can't verbalize. But anybody that can speak up on some food (by name) can say thank you.

What happened to parents filling in the "please" and "thank you" for kids when they forgot to say it? Sheesh!

Kamika don't lie, it irks you too

This Just Irks Me

Most times I don't post because I'm just plain busy. Other times its because I wonder if the things I think about are relevant or just critical. I am a critical thinker and not in the critique judgemental form, although I do a lot of that too, but in the child-like "Why?" form. I dissect things constantly to get at the root of them. My natural tendency is to teach and simplify.


Although I try to think hard before I speak and season my words with love I often come off as high-minded and judgemental. The truth: I am high-minded, but no longer haughty or arrogant. I think on a higher plane. Not a plane unto myself mind you but one that constantly challenges my level of contentment versus my level of complacency. Naturally those around me receive some of the settling dust within my mind. I don't think I'm better than anyone, contrarily I strive to be "the least of these."


Most times when you are trying to serve others you don't get to talk about yourself - your fears, concerns, doubts, worries, desires... What irks you. You spend a good amount of your time listening and nurturing the dreams of some others. In this mode you can easily become angry, especially when you realize some people just don't want to change. Eventhough you try to love people where they are (in hopes that they will do the same for you) it doesn't always eliminate the bad after taste left in your heart. I refuse to be angry anymore. I want to talk about me.

My disclaimer is not meant to be heavy but more light-hearted than anything. Starting tomorrow I'll be back on my blogging game and will start a new column called "You Know What Irks Me?" I'm a start blasting stuff folk do. Myself included. Some will make you think, and some will make you mad. But trust, you'll more than likely be able to relate. The insanity must stop.

Kamika ahead of the game (I already wrote tomorrow's post)