One Lovely Blog Award

Hi everyone! I first want to give a HUGE shout out to Tiffani from The Beautiful Life. She passed on the One Lovely Blog Award to me. Although I was SUPER late reading her post, I am very flattered that she selected me for this award. So, thank you tons Tiffani! Okay, so apparently, recipients of this award are supposed to share 7 random facts about themselves and then pass the award on to their favorite blogger. With that being said, let's jump right in. Here's my 7 random facts about me. Enjoy!

1. I mainly type with 2 fingers. I don't know why I can't type with all my fingers. I've been typing with only 2 fingers since I can remember. The good thing is, I can still type very fast. ;-)
2. I can't blow my nose, so I have to use an aspirator...you know, what you use on babies. Weird, right?! Blowing my nose REALLY hurts my ears and makes them pop. Plus, it gives me ear infections. So, instead, I use an aspirator.
3. I was "technically" considered overweight for my height during my junior year in college. I'm 5'2 and at that time, I weighed 138 lbs. I found it interesting and humorous, so I wasn't at all affected in a negative way. Instead of gaining the infamous "freshmen 15", I gained the "junior 15"???
4. I failed my driver's ed vision test during high school...WITH my contacts on! Luckily for me, the lady instructor complimented how pretty I was and let me slide. Being pretty paid off!
5. Too much starch instantly gives me hiccups. It's true. My favorite foods are bread and potatoes. Every time I eat them, I get hiccups right away. 
6. I graduated #8 out of 360+ students in my high school class. Back then, I considered myself to be Octorian of my class. It made me feel important, lol.
7. I always say Sonic's with an "s" instead of Sonic. It has been a habit ever since I was living in Spain. When you're away for too long, you tend to forget certain things.

Okay, so that was just 7 of many little random fun facts about myself. And the next One Lovely Blog Award goes to....Ahkeeia from Ahkeeia's Food Blog! 

The Curly Girl Handbook (Expanded Second Edition)

Hi there! I've been hearing about this book for a while, so I decided to purchase it and check it out for myself. I haven't read the whole thing yet, but so far I am liking it. If you have curly or wavy hair, and you wear it natural, you may also want to get your hands on this book. Whatever your curl type is, there is a daily routine for it. I never knew what mine was before buying this book (I have corkscrew curls). 

It also came with an instructional DVD showing you how to cleanse, trim, and style your own hair. Healthy hair is my main priority, so I am obsessed with caring for my hair! I'm learning more about what my hair needs and doesn't need in this book. If you're interested in more information, check out my latest video on YouTube. Let me know what you think!

My First YouTube Video

Hey, everyone! So, I FINALLY got the guts to make and post a video to YouTube the other day. As I mentioned in my very first blog post, I have been on YouTube for quite some time now watching people I subscribe to for tips and advice mainly on hair and makeup. 

It feels good to finally have a video of my own on my YouTube channel. I admit, I was VERY nervous when filming. I even had to restart a bunch of times just to start off right, lol. You never know...People all over the world could be watching. So far, I have gotten some good feedback. 

Please rate, comment, and share this video with your friends (click on link below). And don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel. Enjoy!

A Few Favorites

So here's some of my favorite products as well as a couple of new products that I am loving right now. I've heard many great things about them, so I decided to try them out for myself. Feel free to share some of your favorite things as well. The more, the merrier!

Shampoo/Conditioner

I came across Urban Therapy's Twisted Sista shampoo and conditioner on YouTube. I got it from Walgreens for about $4 each. It's sulfate-free, so it doesn't strip your hair of its natural oils. What I like about it is that not only do these products moisturize my hair, it locks it in. You know how some shampoos leave your hair feeling drier than it was before you washed it? Well, this shampoo does the reverse. It puts moisture back into your hair. I absolutely love the conditioner. Out of all the conditioners I have tried in my life (and there's been plenty), this one allows me to comb through my hair in literally less than 15 seconds on each side in the shower. Amazing! If it can detangle my curly hair in a matter of seconds, then I know it'll work for you!

Leave-In Conditioner

Have you ever had to rinse out your leave-in conditioner? Well, guess what? It wasn't a true leave-in conditioner! Ouidad's Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner is exactly what it is presented to be: a conditioner that you actually leave in your hair without ever rinsing it out. I use this every single time after I've washed and conditioned my hair. I also use it for those in between days when I just wet my hair and go. This product is so creamy and it really does lock in the moisture. It's also sulfate-free. I have already re-stocked on this product. I got it from Sephora for about $18. Yes, it is a bit on the expensive side, but it is well worth the money!

Facial Cleanser

One of my friends introduced me to Clean & Clear's Morning Burst Facial Cleanser. I got it from Target for about $5 and have been testing this product out for about 4 days now. So far so good! I will admit that I have not always been consistent in the past with using daily facial cleanser products to wash my face. However, my friend along with the soothing smell of citrus fruit, has motivated me to do it more often. I like that the beads actually do burst and dissolve into a cool and soothing feeling. This facial cleanser leaves my face feeling very soft. Ever since I opened the bottle, I've been looking forward to washing my face with it in the mornings and even at night!

Face Makeup

Okay, so I was always opposed to using face makeup mainly because I never knew how to apply it and don't even get me started on the many failures I've had of picking the wrong tone...However, my friends have opened up a whole new world for me. With their assistance, I was finally able to find one that matched my skin tone. Coincidentally, the winner was Maybelline's Fit Me product line. For the liquid foundation and powder, I am in the color 350. And for the concealer, I am in the color 30. Now that I have the right tone, I made sure I remembered how to apply everything correctly. I think I did a good job for my first time. I loved the way it made my face look even and smooth with less blemishes. Now all I have to do is work on a foundation routine!

Perfume

For a very long time, Paris Hilton's Can Can had been my favorite perfume. To my surprise, after smelling Juicy Couture's Viva La Juicy, Euphoria is now considered my second favorite perfume. Viva La Juicy has taken over my heart and has been my number one perfume for about 4 months now. As most us girls do, I discover new fragrances from my mom's bathroom full of perfumes, lotions, and oils. If I could describe this perfume in one word, it would be long-lasting. It literally lasts ALL day. I can still smell it on me when I get home from a long day out. I have gotten so many compliments on it. I absolutely love it!

My New Hair Weapon

I came across this product through YouTube and after hearing so many good things about it, I decided to try it out. I had been using so many different hair products in the past, but none of them nearly compares to this one. I am absolutely and irrevocably in LOVE with this product! I have never been committed to a hair product so fast until now. It's so amazing how good it works! If your hair frizzes up on the regular, try this product out. 

I have curly hair, so all the hair products I blog about will be more geared towards my hair type. However, this may work on other hair types as well. This frizz-correcting serum is very light. It doesn't weigh my hair down at all. I use it right after I wash or wet my hair. All curly heads should invest in this product! You can order it from www.sephora.com.

Welcome to My World!

Hi everyone! My name is Dominique. This is my first time doing something like this as I do not have much blog experience whatsoever (lol). However, I am interested in learning more about this. The world is BIG and there's tons of people in it that want to share their lives and experiences. 

After subscribing to people on YouTube whether it's for tips on hair and makeup or looking at dance choreography, I was inspired to do this. So, welcome to my world! 

Hopefully, this blog will be an inspiration to someone out there. I don't know what things I will be posting or blogging about as of yet. It'll probably be as random as my life is (lol). However, I hope that you all enjoy my site. 

You can also follow me on Twitter @niquenique321 or add me as a friend on Facebook (Dominique Payne). Like I said, I'm new to this. So, please bare with me and most of all, enjoy! :-)