STRONG ENOUGH TO BEAR THE CHILDREN... AND GET BACK TO BUSINESS

#Motherhood 

Like most women I wear many hats throughout my life. I am a daughter, wife, coworker, poet, art lover, manager/supervisor, business owner, red lipstick addict, nail polish addict, maid, short order cook for a lunch time menu only AND A MOTHER! 

I have a daughter and a son I love dearly. My daughter is growing up so fast... I literally can't believe it! I look at her and still see that little baby I held, the baby with 2 ponytails and 2 bottom teeth, the baby who sat in her car seat singing with me as we commuted to and fro (Bitter Sweet). 

Now she's ready to fly the coup. 

Being a mother is hard work. Some areas we excel and in other areas we can do a little better. The balancing act of #motherhood and life is one that can never be described as easy. You do the best you can and remember to smile along the way. 

My daughter and I tend to lose our minds when Beyonce's song WHO RUNS THE WORLD... GIRLS comes on. 

She laughs every time I scream out the part where Bey sings STRONG ENOUGH TO BEAR THE CHILDREN AND GET BACK TO BUSINESS! 
#MyLife  

 Hug her while you can.

Remember to be supportive. 

Share your fashion sense with your little girl.

 Look at her when she's talking.

Remember to smile.

Photos info

New Wave Limited Edition Nail Polish by Marc Jacobs

If you know me...  then you know I am a bonafide #nailpolishaddict. I love everything from the caviar look, velvet shellac, to the latest craze of sea shell polish. 

I'm a total sucker for glitzy, shimmery and quick drying lacquer.

While perusing the aisle in Sephora, I decided to try on Marc Jacob's Limited Edition New Wave polish (because I'm a SUPER junkie for blue nail polish).

Photo credit. http://www.marcjacobsbeauty.com/

Word on the street is... this varnis gives you the wet look and it's an extreme wear polish (confetti is falling). 

Like any chiq (chick), I love ALL shiny wet polishes. Why you may ask? To me this means a top coat is not totally necessary (tap dancing). 

The moment I applied this Navy blue polish I fell in love (I know... Again lol). 

1. Easy to apply formula.
2. The shine was evident. (One coat and I was hooked).
3. The drying time was pretty speedy!! 

Of course this polish was not $ 1.99! It was $ 18.00 but I was worth it! Not to mention my daughter will definitely use this polish therefore, it's worth it (Mother and daughter moments are priceless). 

Long story short, I'm a happy camper!  

Take a look! Tell me your thoughts.

A bold color with vivid shine against my choqolate skin! 

Love it! 

THIS IS CHOQOLATE CHIQ APPROVED!

Btw... I recommend using a base coat (this color can stain your nails and a top coat (finish your mani with a top coat for extra protection).

(B) Beyonce + (B) Braids! = A+

BEYONCE does it all!!

She's a super star, mother, wife, business woman and humanitarian! Beyonce's work ethic amazes me! 

She works hard! and that is #NoLie. 

 BUT WHAT I LOVE MOST ABOUT BEY! IS THE WAY SHE ROCKS HER BRAIDS! 

Bey has worn every weave/wig possible... whether it's blonde, strawberry blonde, honey blonde or auburn. She has just about sported every possible hair do one could create! 

MY FAVORITE STYLE ON HER ARE ACTUALLY WHEN SHE WEARS HER HAIR BRAIDED! JUST TAKE A LOOK! 

I'm sure you will agree. 

 BEY KEEP THE BRAIDS MAMA! You look fabulous! 

Photo sources: iam.beyonce.com, huffingtonpost.com, rollingout.com & dopecelebkids.tumblr.com

Lupita The Beautiful!

Congratulations Lupita!!
Lupita made the cover of The "Most Beautiful" issue of People magazine.

I am elated that she was added to the list! Afterall, she's a talented and beautiful! Intelligent and beautiful! Lupita's fabulous sense of fashion, her gorgeous smile and of course her smooth choqolate skin make her the total package... BUT WHAT I LOVE MOST IS HER ATTITUDE!

Lupita is the epitome of #InsideOutBeauty.

Lupita said, "Happiness is the most important thing,"

Yes! HAPPINESS!! The state of being happy.

People believe that they are happy because of the material possessions they  have. True happiness comes from within. It's important that you feel good about you!

Here's one of my favorite quotes regarding happiness:

"If you think sunshine brings you happiness, then you haven’t danced in the rain." – Unknown

Congratulations Lupita Darling!!!
#TEAMINSIDEOUTBEAUTY

Rest In Peace Karyn Washington -

This morning I woke up to hear the sad news regarding Karyn Washington's (founder of For Brown Girls) death. Apparently she committed suicide (Bless her soul). Needless to say I am still in shock and very sad about this news. I pray that her family be comforted especially during this time. 

Someone reached out to me to participate in the For Brown Girls project called The #DarkSkinRedLip Project. I was elated needless to say. After-all, I have a true love for red lipstick but after reading her site, I immediately connected with what this was all about. This was about more than red lipstick or rapper A$AP Rocky's ignorant comments/opinion on #darkskin women who wear red lipstick. The real life lesson here was actually all about uplifting one another, self love and being proud of dark brown skin. 

For Brown Girls served as a platform where women with pretty smiles, choqolate (chocolate)brown skin and countless shades of red lipstick were a divine display of true beauty.

You may find it hard to believe that some dark brown skin women and girls grow up believing their skin is not beautiful. I'm here to tell you it's true. For Brown Girls gave dark skin women a place to share experiences and celebrate who we are. I believe in the mission of For Brown Girls and I'm grateful for Karyn Washington's drive and determination to create a safe place for brown skin girls to shine.

We all must realize true beauty starts from within. It's the beauty from within that makes you radiant. This is true for every ethnicity, nationality and every shade of brown.

Karyn Washington may you rest in peace. I will never forget the great work you started.

Links for Brown Girls: www.forbrowngirls.com

Lupita and Lancome are a match made in heaven!

Oh the joy that flood my soul... when I read, Lupita was chosen to be an Ambassador for French beauty brand Lancôme.

Lupita's smooth, dark choqolate (chocolate) skin tone and stunning smile aren't the only things that make her captivating... Check out her beautiful words below regarding the start of her journey as Lancôme's Beauty Ambassador.

"I am truly honored to join the Maison Lancôme, a brand with such a prestigious history that I have always loved. I am particularly proud to represent its unique vision for women and the idea that beauty should not be dictated, but should instead be an expression of a woman's freedom to be herself," 

Lupita is the perfect example of #InsideOutBeauty. 

Congrats Lupita Darling!!! Rock on!!

AND... yes the bold blue eyeliner she rocked is by Lancome Darling! 

Eliminate Dry and Drab Hair - DIY Avocado, Honey & Olive Oil Hair Mask

DIY Avocado Hair Mask 

Did you know avocados are known for keeping your hair hydrated?!
It's true! Avocados are great way to prevent split ends also. I'm sure you wondering how, right? It's all about the natural avocado oil. This light weight oil is easily absorbed into the scalp and into the hair shaft. You can never go wrong with this natural oil. 

The next ingredient you'll need is honey.  Honey is the almighty humectant. This natural humectant draws the moisture to your hair (this is great for those who suffer from having really dry hair... like me). It's full an antioxidants as I've said in my HONEY post. 

The last ingredient is olive oil.
Olive oil gives your hair added shine and seals moisture in.

LOCK YOUR MOISTURE IN and throw away the key!

 SHABBY HAIR  YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED!

The answer to your your dull-as-dish-water hair can be found in your kitchen (I crack myself up)! 

Deep conditioning accompanied with this DIY Avocado Hair Mask is the ticket (Get on board).

Ingredients: 

1 ripe avocado

1 Tbs olive oil (feel free to substitute with your favorite oil ex. almond or jojoba)

1 Tbs honey

Instructions:

Open the avocado and remove the seed. Scoop out the flesh of the avocado and place it in your bowl. Add a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of olive oil into your bowl. Blend ingredients. If you want a smoother consistency, use a simple hand mixer.

Next, apply this mixture generously to your hair, first making sure your hair is damp for maximum absorption. Part hair into four sections and massage the avocado paste into your hair. Feel free to use a wide tooth comb to distribute the mixture evenly.

Once your hair is saturated with the Avocado Hair Mask, cover completely with a shower cap.Leave on your head for 30-35 minutes and allow the mask to deeply penetrate hair. Rinse the mask out completely with warm water and follow through with your normal hair routine.

Now let's say you don't feel like whipping up a hair mask... Check out Blinging Beauty's perfect alternate Burt's Bees Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Hair Treatment! (Click here for the original post) 

Pics courtesy of www.med-health.net, www.thenibble.com & www.health.com 

SHE'S THE BOMB WITH A BEAUTIFUL SMILE!

She's a talented, beautiful dark-skin, actress AND she has a smile that can light up a room. Do you know who I'm talking about?  

DID YOU KNOW... Lupita was inspired to become an actress by watching the movie Color Purple! (YES THE COLOR PURPLE) Lupita said, "When I saw Whoopi Goldberg and she looked like me, I was like, 'Oh, I can do this!'" WHOOPI INSPIRED LUPITA!! It seems so rare that you ever hear anyone mention Whoopi Goldberg for inspiration BUT why not? 

Now for my Whoopi rant! Throughout my life people have said, Qi you have a big smile like Whoopi Goldberg! (Some people think this is a horrible thing and that it's not accurate.) Quite naturally I say thank you and THEN I say... I wish I had Whoopi's money! I'd really smile like WHOOPI THEN! (I am cracking up... but I am so serious)

We all know... no one is perfect but we cannot deny the many accomplishments Mz. Goldberg has achieved... to name a few... She is one of the few persons to win an Oscar, a Grammy, a Tony, and an Emmy. She has been seen in over 150 films, and she was once the highest-paid actress of all time. Her humanitarian efforts are more than a notion and she is an activist (Power to the people). 

Of course we all know...she is (MY FAVORITE) a moderator and co-host of The View, Whoopi actually replaced Rosie O'Donnell (I totally forgot Rosie was on The View).

NOW FOR THE NEWS YOU MAY NOT KNOW! DID YOU KNOW! 

Whoopi Goldberg & Ben Silverman sold an Interracial Romantic Comedy to ABC called Iman and Andy! I KNOW RIGHT?! YES I AM SERIOUS!  

Here's the scoop (Courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter) "Iman & Andy is a thirty minute comedy about two 20-something interracial coworkers at an online magazine who have been secretly dating. They are forced to work on a relationship advice blog when thenew editor-in-chief exposes their relationship." ( I cannot wait to see this one) 

LONG STORY SHORT! WHOOPI is actually BEYOND inspiring! BUT what I LOVE the most about her is the fact that she is happy with who she is! despite what people may say. WHOOPI! YOU ARE THE BOMB!! ROCK ON!  AND LUPITA YOU HAVE IT RIGHT!! 

Who Is The Choqolate Chiq?

Who is the Choqolate Chiq? 

I am the following: 

I am a mother, wife, big sister, and a daughter. I am dark skinned, African-American woman from San Francisco, California. I have an awkward sense of fashion (I believe ugly items can be cute), I have super coily #naturalhair and I cannot live without music.

I am best known for...

My big smile, awesome sense of humor (this opinion may vary), and my red lipstick addiction. 

Why do I call myself the Choqolate (pronounced chocolate) Chiq (pronounced chick)?

I am the sweetest, dark choqolate, brown skin chiq you'll ever know!! 

Did you know... 

I grew up thinking my dark skin was deemed as ugly and undesirable (sad face).

Unfortunately, I remember what it felt like to hear someone say, "dark skin is ugly" and I remember being treated badly because of my dark skin tone. I will admit these things were very hurtful to my self-esteem. (Don't worry this did not ruin my life. This experience taught me a lesson.)  

As I grew older, I began to realize my skin was really beautiful. My dark brown skin was not a curse or some thing to hate. My complexion looked like #Choqolate. I learned to love and embrace the skin that I am in.

Random fact about me:
I love celebrating womanhood no matter the skin tone, ethnicity, size or shape. 

Random fact about the blog post called Choqolate Chiq :
This page is meant to encourage all women, while paying attention to darker skin women who need that extra encouragement. 

I want women everywhere to be proud of who they are. Whether you are white choqolate, light choqolate, milk choqolate or dark choqolate... OR no choqolate. 

It's important for you to know that true beauty comes from within and shines on the outside. 

This Choqolate Chiq is all about #InsideOutBeauty.

BEY'S 2014 CALENDAR IS HAUTE!!

SHE IS... Flashing bits of skin, rocking sexy black latex boots and sporting a hat like she runs the world! 

SHE ALSO... Never ceases to amaze the world with her sultry, stylish, sex appeal.

SHE IS... BEY BABY!! 

BEYONCE IS THE "NEW" BOSS (Diana Ross is still THEE BOSS in my book BUT Beyonce is right behind her!)! Here are a couple of my favorite shots in black and white accompanied with my thoughts if I were BEY! 

 I RUN THIS!! 

 Yeah... You love my style

 You coming over or what!?!

I am a DIVA BOSS! Now take the picture!! 

Check out the behind the scenes video below! AND I'm sure you want your own copy of Beyonce's 1st Calendar right?! Here's the link >> shop.beyonce.com.