Three Afro-American celebrities that have had cosmetic work done.

Love it or hate it, cosmetic procedures are a part of life these days. Celebrities of all ages and race, including many Afro-Americans, are having work done to perfect their looks – but who has been tinkering with Mother Nature? Here are three well-known Afro American celebs that have had a tweak here and there:

Kelly Rowland 
Kelly Rowland is arguably one of the most beautiful women in the world and, at a first glance you might think she is au naturel. But look a little closer and you’ll see the former Destiny’s Child star and X Factor judge has had her boobs enhanced. That’s right; this glamourpuss opted for a breast enlargement back in 2007 telling Cosmopolitan UK: “It’s something I really wanted to do for myself – not for a man, not for work, for myself. And I love them!” During breast enhancement surgery, implants are inserted into the chest by a reputable surgeon and this gives the patient a more voluptuous appearance.

Photo credit: The Dash Empire

Jennifer Hudson 
She’s a huge star in Hollywood, but even Jennifer Hudson has had a little cosmetic help in the form of lip fillers. According to the Daily Mail, the actress made the admission during an interview with Oprah Winfrey on Oprah’s Next Chapter, saying: “When I did Dreamgirls, I actually had to get my dent right here injected because it was affecting the lighting. And when I got it done the doctor was like, ‘I don’t want to do this do you realise people come in here and pay to have the lips you have naturally.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t want to, but I have to for the movie.’”

Janet Jackson 
It’s no secret that Janet Jackson had a nose job when she was sixteen, but she’s also rumoured to have had a boob job, multiple liposuction sessions – and it seems plastic surgery runs in the family. Not only did Michael have multiple rhinoplasty procedures, but his sister La Toya appears to be following the trend. If your compare old and new pictures of the star, you can see that her nose looks considerably different and seems to be thinner than ever. It’s thought she may have also had cheek implants and giving the family history – would anyone really be surprised?

Surgical and non-surgical procedures are available at clinics across the world. They can permanently change the way you look and boost your confidence (if done correctly) – but would you have any work done?

Spotlight | TonyMoly UV Sunset Daily Sun Cream.

"What's your sunscreen?" This question I've been getting a lot these days. Not surprising since the heat is really on in this tropical country. You'd be crazy to leave the house without some sort of sun protection. Unless of course, you want to be charred in this 36-degree Celsius weather.

And so to answer that burning question, here's the sunscreen that I've been using for the longest time - TonyMoly UV Sunset Daily Sun Cream SPF30/PA++.

TonyMoly! 

I got this as pasalubong from my cousin-in-law who used to work in Korea. Been using this for more or less six months now, and as you can see, this tube is still far from running on empty.

SPF30/PA++

This sunscreen has a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30, which means you're protected from cancer-causing UVB rays for at least 7.5 hours. The general rule, however, is to reapply sunscreen every 2 to 4 hours at least.

As for the protection strength, the PA++ indicates that this product has 4 times protection power against UVA rays. These harmful rays are the ones that cause wrinkles, sunspots, uneven skin tone, and just about anything bad to the skin.

If you can read Hangul, then bravo!

Since the literature at the back of the tube is written entirely in Hangul, I had to refer to the Tony Moly website for the product description. In the website, it goes something like this:

Softly application without skin irritations. Water Melon – protect skin from UV rays, primrose – antioxidant, protect skin, Green Tea Extract – strengthen skin immune system.

Grammar fail, I know. But at least it gave me an idea of what this sunscreen is made of.

Here's how the Sun Cream looks like.

Now what I love the most about this Sun Cream is that it's gentle on the skin. I've always had issues with Western sunscreen brands, mostly because I have uber sensitive skin. One of the main reasons why I stuck with this brand is because it has never broke me out, nor has it given me any allergies.

Its formulation is just right - non-sticky, lightweight, not runny, but not too thick either. The cream is easily absorbed by the skin. You won't even feel that you have sunscreen on. It also has a nice scent, which goes away rather quickly.

The price isn't bad, either. As per the Tony Moly website, this costs only Php 458 and is available at Tony Moly branches here in the Philippines. In Korea, this sells for 7800 won (Php 285 when converted).

What I love:

- SPF30/PA++

- Non-irritating.

- Lightweight.

- No icky, sticky feeling.

- Works well with most of my BB creams.

- Nice scent.

- Affordable price.

What you might not like:

- None, I guess. :)

How about you, what's your sunscreen? :)

Make Your Porch One Great Place.

It is very nice to live in a house. Though it requires many efforts and finances to be maintained in good condition and to make improvements on it, you can never compare its comfort to anything else.

The indoor space is important, but surely it is very good if you take nice care about your porch and backyard, because there you will spend many nice and pleasant hours. The porch is the face of your place – what a nice rhyme. It is the first thing a person will see from your house. So you do not have to neglect its look and the opportunity to make it unique.
Last but not least, make it nice for yourself and your family.

There are several simple and easy ideas, that will help you have good looking porch. You may not have a special garden in front of your house, but it is good idea to put pots with flowers near the entrance. This way you will feel nice aroma each time you leave or come inside the house, which will create special tranquil impression for coming home and nice fresh mood when you are going out to work or anywhere else. When you are arranging the flowers, pick some with calming scent like the lavender, gardenias or jasmine. Roses can also do great job, if they have strong smell.

The hot summers will sometime take you out on your porch, spending cooling evenings with a drink in your hand. You will need comfortable furniture first of all, but you should give a chance to the idea to install a ceiling fan. It will both add special looks and will be very useful equipment for the hot evenings.

In case you have many pots with flowers on your porch, but they are all different and you do not like it this, you can take them and paint them all one by one in terra-cotta color. You can do the painting in any other color, it will be all good as long as they look the same, but the terra-cotta color will create special connection and association with the ground.

Even if you do not have finances to buy special furniture for the porch, you can still make it comfortable as you furnish it with stuff from sales. You can find very nice looking and unique things. If they all look different and this bothers you, you can make pillows and covers, which will make one big ensemble from all these parts. Use bright and live colors, stripes and any other patterns to give your façade catchy and positive look.

Spotlight | BYS Smudgeproof Waterproof Eyeliner.

A good friend of mine came to me the other day, asking for help. She had to be all dolled up for her son's Commencement Exercises, and she needed a good, inexpensive eyeliner to use.  I asked her to try the BYS Smudgeproof Waterproof Liner which can be bought at Watson's, and sells for Php 249 only.

BYS Smudgeproof Waterproof Eyeliner.

Yesterday, my friend gave me a call to tell me that the product I recommended was a winner. For someone who's not too adept with liquid eyeliners, she didn't have much difficulty using the product. Plus it withstood the unbearable, unforgiving summer heat. Feedback like these make me really happy - all the more because I was able to help a friend in need. Haha, the dilemma of us women.

I can personally attest to the greatness of this product, as I've been using the BYS Smudgeproof Waterproof Eyeliner for about a month now. I bought this on impulse during the last 3-Day Sale at SM San Pablo. It was on sale for Php 199 only and I just couldn't resist adding it to my shopping cart. But this baby turned out to be a really good find so I don't regret buying it on a whim. 

This one's in black, obviously. :)

Made in Australia. Not tested on animals. 

The BYS Smudgeproof Waterproof Eyeliner comes in a sleek 4mL bottle. I can't remember if there are other shades available, but this one is Black. Its rubber tip applicator is stiff and very thin - great for creating fine, precise lines. It feels a bit scratchy the first time it comes contact with your eyelids, but you'll get used to the feel of it eventually.

Super thin!

One swipe of the BYS Eyeliner on the left, two swipes on the right.

Its formulation is dark and opaque, it's not runny, and it dries quickly, too. Best of all, it's as smudgeproof and waterproof as it claims to be, even without a primer on.

Rubbing it with water.

Rubbing it with Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.

Rubbing it with Face of Australia Makeup Remover.

What I love:

- Sleek packaging.

- Highly pigmented, buildable color.

- Opaque formulation; not runny.

- Dries fast.

- Easy to use.

- Great for creating fine, precise lines.

- Smudgeproof, waterproof.

- Can last throughout the day.

- Cruelty-free.

- Non-irritating.

- Affordable price.

What you might not like:

- Brush feels scratchy on the eyelids.

Of course, here's the customary Face of the Day. Witness the BYS Eyeliner in action, haha. :)

FACE: Majolica Majorca Skin Lingerie Pore Cover, Benefit Erase Paste in Medium,
Missha Wrinkle Filler BB Cream #21.
EYES: Ever Bilena Eyebrow Pencil in Brown, BYS Smudgeproof, Waterproof Eyeliner in Black,
Majolica Majorca Lash King Mascara in Black.
CHEEKS: Tony Moly Lip & Cheek Tint in Cherry Pink.
LIPS: EOS Lip Balm in Vanilla Wonderland, NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Milan.

Have you tried any BYS product? Let me know which ones are good so I can try them, too! :)

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