YO-TOI.COM: style, fashion, music, DIY beauty, cooking

In a (cobalt) blue mood.

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:46:42 +0000

I have more than one favorite color, but blue is my favorite of the favorites. My birthstone is sapphire, so blue is in my zodiac. I feel inspired to add some bright, cobalt blue pieces to my closet for spring and summer.

1. Liz Floral Romper, Nasty Gal

2. Tory Burch Logo Belt, Nordstrom

3. Michael Antonio Greer Pump Wedges, Piperlime

4. Essie Blue and Green Shades, Zappos.com

5. Wanted Cobalt Blue Flats, Endless.com

6. Jason Wu Jourdan Chain strap shoulder bag, Net-A-Porter

7. Pieces Sava Wrap Bracelet. ASOS

In my headphones: Pump Your Breaks Mix by Prince Aries A chill, old school mix for a Sunday afternoon drive,...

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Friday Music: 1-O.A.K. – Special Request

admin — Fri, 04 May 2012 22:57:02 +0000

Miss that funky, ghetto, stanky R&B like we had in the 90s? Me too. Thankfully there are albums like 1-O.A.K.’s Special Request to keep the vibe of real R&B alive. 1-O.A.K. represents Oakland, but his vocals over the Honor Roll Crew’s champagne-soul-meets-Bay-Area-slap sound reminds me of riding down Crenshaw on a summery weekend afternoon.

Monday Music: THE KISSING GAME: AN ASHLEY OUTRAGEOUS x SPINTELECT x TWELVE BAR MIX This mix contains like 80% of my favorite songs from...
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Currently coveting for spring: polka dots, stripes, and sorbet colors

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 05:47:29 +0000

I’ve had these pics rom the Daily Buzz Style/Madewell Century City shopping event hanging around for some time now (since mid-March), making it clearly too late to do a recap (my bad!). Nevertheless, I had a memorable time sipping champagne, pretending to be a fashion blogger, putting together outfits and snapping photos.

The mint green skinny jeans came home with me.

Keds are so 90s preppy…

Tribal stripe Keds

Having fun with color…coveting the polka dot cardigan….

Striped flats are so Audrey Hepburn. I’m also loving the vintage scale as the shoe display.

What’s your spring style inspiration?

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A few pics from the past 7 days + are you Instragramming?

admin — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 04:56:27 +0000

Ever since I joined the iPhone club I’ve been taking tons more pictures while going about my everyday life. I’m no photographer but my iPhone 4s has the bomb camera. It’s hard to not snap photos when the moment arises and Instagram has become my favorite way to capture and share random cool stuff…which in my life is usually beer, food, fashion, things I see in the streets, and boys.

A few photos from the past 7 days…

Almost floor seats at the Clippers vs. Kings game @ Staples Center

Buddha mural on Western Ave in Los Angeles #streetart

"It's not a glass. It's a chalice."

As a digital marketer, of course I have thoughts on the Facebook/Instagram buyout. And I’m not mad at it. We (the users) don’t pay for it, Instagram has to make money somehow. Hopefully the buyout won’t interrupt the cozy simple feel of Instagram – if they start plastering mobile ads on the screen it would totally ruin the experience – but I can foresee companies paying to have branded Instagram pages and sponsored results appearing when we look for others to connect with. When it happens, don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Connect with me on Instagram

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Monday Music: THE KISSING GAME: AN ASHLEY OUTRAGEOUS x SPINTELECT x TWELVE BAR MIX

admin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:44:25 +0000

This mix contains like 80% of my favorite songs from the early 90s to the 2000s. I like listening to breezy, upbeat playlists like this on weekends, but especially on Mondays. Mondays generally suck but a dope soundtrack prolongs the weekend…if only for 65 minutes, in my head.

Thank you to Ashley Outrageous, Spintelect, and Twelve Bar for putting this out to the people!

Source: Ashley Outrageous

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Let’s talk hair: One n’ Only Argan Oil product line review

admin — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:15:11 +0000

Argan oil has been around for ages but in 2012 it’s getting its moment in the natural haircare spotlight. I’ve seen argan oil products featured on a few of my favorite curly hair blogs and in my never-ending quest to find products that accentuate my hair type, I decided to try a few key products from the One n’ Only Argan oil line to spruce up my spring hair regimen.

If I’m not being lazy, I start off with an olive and/or coconut oil pre-shampoo treatment. I slather my damp hair with a mixture of warm olive and coconut oils, put on a plastic cap, and let sit 30 minutes to overnight.

I then shampoo my hair once with Argan Oil Moisture Repair Shampoo, massaging scalp with the pads of my fingertips, working my way down to my ends. Rinse thoroughly.

After thoroughly rinsing the shampoo, I separate my hair into 4-6 sections. I apply Argan Oil Moisture Repair conditioner and detangle with a wide tooth comb, finger detangling any knots. I let the conditioner sit for 5 minutes.

I rinse in cool water to close the hair cuticle and squeeze excess water from my hair. I let it air dry for ten minutes, seal with olive/coconut oil mix and Creme of Nature Rosemary & Lemongrass Leave in Conditioner.

To style, I create 8-10 large twists, smoothing a bit of One n’ Only Argan Oil styling cream on to each section before twisting. Once hair is fully dry in the twists, I undo them and fluff to my desired style. The resulting style is similar to this:

The argan oil moisture repair shampoo and conditioner line aren’t my default go-tos but on those wash days I feel my hair needs to be infused with moisture I go to this. If I neglect to do the pre-shampoo treatment I notice more dryness – the product line seems to work best for my hair in conjunction with oil treatments. The styling cream is thicker than I’d like, and tends to cause product buildup on my hair. I try to limit its use to once a week during the initial styling process. On the mornings I need to smooth my curls while getting ready, I much prefer to use a product with more liquidity, like Curly Sexy Hair’s Curling Creme.

Have you tried One n’ Only’s argan oil product line? How did the resulting style work out for you? Share in the comments!

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Take a tour of Cassie’s closet with Italian Vogue

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:13:48 +0000

Cassie gives a tour of her closet for Italian Vogue. The thing I like about Cassie is that she has that perfect mix of street and high fashion going, she looks great in both sweats and sneakers or a party dress and red bottoms. I’m still not digging the shaved sides of her head but the fish tail braid is really cute.

Play the video to learn more about Cassie’s style vibe and to see her favorite pieces inside her closet.

Source: The YBF

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Eco-friendly spring wreaths

admin — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:26:01 +0000

When I think of wreaths, I usually think of Thanksgiving and Christmas. With spring officially upon us, the idea of handcrafted spring wreaths are a fresh and inviting way to add a natural fragrance to the home. Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh flowers?

From OrganicBouquet.com

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Spring 2012 style inspiration: Orange scarves

admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:55:55 +0000

Orange is supposed to be the Pantone color of the year for 2012. Tangerine Tango, to be exact. Orange is a great color but it’s not one I would swathe myself in. I prefer to wear small pops of orange, like a bright orange manicure or a scarf. These beautiful, bright spring scarves have me thinking of adding some citrus to my spring style.

1. Matthew Williamson Floral Print Scarf

2. Piombo Lattice Border Scarf – Orange

3. Ana Accessories Safari, So Near Scarf

4. Ralph Lauren Collection Printed silk scarf

5. Sonia by Sonia Rykiel Polka-dot cotton-voile scarf

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Rebranding myself: New domain name coming soon.

admin — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:31:06 +0000

My blogging rhythm has been inconsistent as of late, and I thought I should put fingers to the keys and explain why that is.

For a time I thought I was losing interest in blogging. It started as the typical blogger block stemming from a crazy work schedule and personal priorities, and then became deeper than that. On a subconscious level I felt like hiphopmuse.com no longer represented what I want to express. I’ve grown a lot since I started this blog in 2008, from a mid-twenties female hip hop head to a now almost thirty OG who can’t relate to a lot of what’s out now. I will always love hip hop, and there are some dope artists who keep me inspired. I’m just too fucking old to be posting rap videos and mixtapes every week and keeping track of who’s beefing with who. I’m an aunt now. I have a 401k. I’m more concerned with keeping a nice wardrobe and home than seeing your favorite swag rapper freestyle while piss high on purple stuff. I have grown woman shit going. My blog has to grow up with me.

I also feel changing my domain to include my name is more effective personal branding. I want my blog to be a representation of who I am. To do that, I can’t have a domain name that restricts me to a musical genre. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still be posting rap videos and mixtapes. I’m still gonna be crashing shows and blogging about it. The content of this blog will remain the same, but it will have a more personal feel going forward.

I ain’t going nowhere, but hiphopmuse.com is being laid to rest. Pour out a little liquor…and say hello to yo-toi.com.

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