Love and Marriage BUT He's Cheating On YOU...

I must admit, I watched bits and pieces of Basketball Wives (Please don't judge me LOL). I was hesitant to watch last night's episode of Basketball Wives due to the unnecessary fussing and fighting. The last couple of seasons of this show were just over the top for me. I honestly do not enjoy watching women tear each other down every chance they get. Needless to say, I did tune in for a little while (like many others) and in that short frame of  time I realized... the views on love and marriage seem sort of distorted. 

 

When is it ever acceptable to marry a man who happens to sleep around with other women from time to time?

 

WHY get married?

 

If you are dealing with that sort of guy... this simply means he is not ready to commit to you (I can hear the round of applause now). Now don't get me wrong, I do realize Basketball Wives is a TV show and the drama makes for "good entertainment" (or so they say). The realization that many women in our everyday livese actually find themselves in this similar situation.

Marrying a man who is not faithful to you has to be one of the craziest things a person could do... unless it's an "open marriage" (I personally don't get that situation also BUT that's another blog post. #IJS)
 I find it heartbreaking to know women will accept "knowing" about the other woman before anyone else knows. I understand things happen BUT if you know your guy is cheating on you BEFORE you walk down the aisle and say "I do", THEN WHY GET MARRIED!? Situations like the one I just described, reminds me of "self torture". No one wants a broken-heart. REMEMBER to always protect your heart ladies, you only get one. 

AND not to bring another reality show into this, BUT during an episode of R&B Divas LA, Diva - Chante Moore had the other Divas re-commit to themselves. Each lady walked down the aisle, dressed in their gowns and recited their vows to themselves in front of each other. This was a very emotional moment for these women. I instantly thought of myself. What would I say? What do I vow to myself? You should do the same.

What do you vow to yourself?

 

As for me I vowed to do the following:

I vow to forgive myself for my short comings. 

I vow to accept my random craziness. 

I vow to embrace my big smile. 

I vow to unconditionally love myself. 

It is my hope and prayer that if anyone is in a relationship, it's a healthy relationship. A relationship that brings you true joy. If you're not in a relationship, learn to be your own best friend (a phrase my mother uses quite often). Treat yourself right. Be good to yourself. Vow to love yourself because you are worthy. 

NOW TIME FOR THE BOUQUET TOSS (smile)

images courtesy of TVOne

Did Beyonce copy Ciara?

Does Beyonce seems to be rocking everyone's hair style these days or what? 

This picture courtesy of wblk.com says exactly what I thought when I saw Beyonce's pixie hair cut pics... I thought to myself is 
Beyonce is rocking a blonde Rih Rih hair-do!?!

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the change Bey is going for. GO HEAD BEY! Do yo thang! No shade thrown here. 
(yes spelled and said just that way)

After a couple of days of the pixie cut, I suddenly saw BEY rocking a blond bob. Of course I screamed out loud... BEY!!! BEY ARE YOU REALLY ROCKING A CIARA HAIR-DO!! 

I wonder which celebrity hair style will be next?

 

I would love to see Bey ROCK a curly hair-do.

Often times it seems that she is forced to wear her hair blond and straight. 

Kurtis Blow!! 21 years old again!! Happy Birthday!!

Happy birthday Kurtis Blow!!

Break it up… break it up… BREAK IT UP…

#FLASHBACKFRIDAY

START YOUR FRIDAY OFF RIGHT!! (PRESS PLAY)

George Duke Rest In Peace

I love jazz!! It saddened my heart to hear of Grammy-winning artist George Duke’s passing. George was only 67 when he passed away from chronic lymphocytic leukemia. One of George’s biggest credits in music was the work he did on the late Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall” album, as well as his collaborations with Miles Davis, Michael Jackson, Frank Zappa, Al Jarreau, and even George Clinton. He was a great composer, producer and one my favorite musician. His smile, music, his life…This SF Bay Area native will be truly missed.

As you listen to one of my absolute favorite songs by him. Close your eyes and allow yourself to be swept away by the melodic tunes of the late great George Duke.

Sometimes love… Has no rhyme, and no reason. 

George Duke - Sweet Baby 

HEALTHY SMILES AND J. COLE (SMILE WITH ME)

MY SMILE!! Many of you may or may not know that this BUT the Choqolate Chiq doesn't have a perfect smile. However, I smile anyway (I have a BIG SMILE). In the past I would often cover up my smile. As I mature and get older, I tend not to care so much about covering my smile. One morning I woke up and heard J. Cole's latest song, Crooked Smile. This song had me rocking and smiling!! I LOVED IT for so many reasons!!

Smiling is good for the mind, body, heart and soul! It's really not about a crooked smile or perfect smile BUT it's all about a genuine, true, authentic SMILE!  

It is a known fact that there are many types of smiles. I tend to say we have the fake smile (I am guilty of this one in pictures) and we have the genuine smile (I am good for this one too LOL). The healthy smile is actually the true smile better known as the Duchenne smile.

French neurologist Dr. Guillaume Duchenne, investigated/studied the difference between True Smile and the False Smile.

How to recognize a genuine smile:
The genuine smile causes the Zygomatic muscles of the cheek to raise the corners of the mouth and the Orbicularis Oculi muscles of the eye (raising the cheeks and forming crow's feet around the eye). ALL of these signs indicate that the smile is genuine and that the person smiling is truly happy.           

Why do you want a genuine smile?
The true and genuine SMILE stimulates happy places in your body which cause "good" chemicals to be released, thus relieving you of stress and depression!! (I am sure when you think about it... you will agree)

I recently read an article on smiling and this description actually sums up why smiling is healthy! "On a biochemical level, smiling releases endorphins and serotonin. Endorphins are natural painkillers. The more endorphins your brain releases, the more your body can fight off symptoms of illness."

Isn't that wonderful (smile)!!

"Similarly, serotonin is a brain chemical that acts as a natural anti-depressant. Reshaping our mouth from a frown to a smile literally sparks serotonins dramatically shifting our sense of well-being from negative to positive."

PRESS PLAY AND SMILE WITH ME !!

(make sure it's a real smile)

Check out the link below for more information on smiling.
To purchase this song go onto Google Play

Thank you Underground Health Reporter for sharing & Celeste Yarnall, PhD
Read more: http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/duchenne-smile-benefits#ixzz2Xd0kzgSL
Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-health-benefits-of-smiling.html#ixzz2Xd02zrJT

Eat A Mango

I love mangoes. Mangoes have so many benefits. They are filled with antioxidants and vitamins suchas, Vitamin A, Vitamin E and are a great source of Vitamin C. This fruit aids in the prevention of certain cancers due the antioxidants found in this fruit. (That's right mangoes are known to have high amounts of antioxidants.) Mangoes contain a lot of beta-carotene. The beta carotene found in the mango is converted into Vitamin A. Why do we need Vitamin A? Vitamin A is not only good for your immune health but it also assist with repairing skin tissue (Some times we over  expose our skin to the sun's rays and this can really damage our skin). WHO KNEW... Skin health and mangoes really go hand in hand. Another vitamin that is found in mangoes is Vitamin E. Vitamin E is often called an antioxidant. This antioxidant does not only help fight free radicals in your body but it also aids in reducing the appearance of age spots, freckles and wrinkles. This is another reason why you will find skin products with high levels of Vitamin E. The same goes for the Vitamin C. Normally, we take Vitamin C for our basic immune health. Additionally, Vitamin C stimulates the production of collagen in your skin. This process will assist with giving you resilient and supple skin. Of course we cannot forget about the delicious flavor of a ripe, sweet-smelling mango. Mangoes are not only a tasty sweet treat but they are great for our bodies due to the high vitamin content and antioxidants. Mangoes are defiantly this Choqolate Chiq's favorite summer time treat.

Burberry's Rosewood Lip-gloss! I LOVE YOU!!

Hello World, recently I attended the Beauty Blush Hour at Nordstrom's in my home town of San Francisco (I love my city) with Beauty Blogger extradionaire Blinging Beauty - Tracey Brown (She is the best! Check out her review of the event at the link listed below). 
The Beauty Blush Hour at Nordstrom is what I call BIG BEAUTY FUN in an intimate setting. (Blog post regarding that event is coming soon!)
 
While attending this event I received a Burberry Beauty Box.  YES!! A BURBERRY BEAUTY BOX!!! When given this box I looked at it as if it was eatable. Honestly, I could not wait to open it! For crying out loud it's BURBERRY!! I felt like it was Christmas all over again. After the event I rushed home to open this box of sheer delight. I removed the beautiful black ribbon and began to carefully open the box. 

Once the box was opened, my face lit up! Why you may ask? How do I say this nicely... I saw fabuluos-ness!! YES BURBERRY beauty products were at my finger tips! (I did the happy dance). I promise to review each item I received later on so stay tuned. 

First I'll start off with Burberry's Rosewood No. 1 Lip-gloss. This is a must have item for every woman. If you know anything about ME then you know this Choqolate Chiq is a red lipstick addict. I'm a  proud member of #TeamRedLipstick BUT like every SASSY girl... I need variety (nod your head yes with me)! and Burberry's Rosewood No. 1 Lip Gloss was truly a necessity. 

The texture of this gloss PERFECTO. Very smooth. This lip gloss was easy to glide on. It has a creamy feel to it. Not only did my full lips looked simply divine BUT they also felt nourished (not greasy... I hate that feeling). Long wear! YES at least 6 hours ladies! The soft color of this lip gloss against my brown skin was infallible! This gloss is a *Choqolate Chiqs MUST HAVE ITEM! 

If you're going for that a bold or dramatic eye, BURBERRY'S ROSEWOOD LIP-GLOSS would be great to wear. 

OR let's just say, you want to look lively and elegant BURBERRY'S ROSEWOOD LIP GLOSS is your answer. 

If you are looking for that refreshed natural look!! GUESS WHAT?! Burberry Rosewood Lip Gloss gives you that and more!

Long story short! You'll love this gloss!!! 

Details about Burberry's Lip Gloss listed below:Formula: A creamy touch and perfectly adherent texture. Light oils and spherical powders give fluidity and comfort. 

• Benefits: Reflects light to create illusion of plumper, fuller lips. Leaves lips supple, glowing with natural highlights and subtle iconic tones. Protection: Ceramide complex recreates the intercellular cement. Hydrating formula keeps the lips replenished. Fine lines are filled from within, lips are naturally plumped. Shades featured in the Siren Red collection are No. 22 Coral, No. 21 Fondant Pink, No. 20 Pink Sweet Pea and No. 19 Mallow Pink.

To purchase this lip-gloss feel free to visit Nordstrom or go online to Burberry. The cost is  ONLY $27.00 (it's worth it)

Beauty Blush Hour article by Blinging Beauty listed below:
http://blingingbeauty.com/blinging-beauty-event-recap-beauty-blush-hour-at-nordstrom-san-francisco-city-centre/


*Choqolate Chiq - pronounced Chocolate Chick is a brown skin female whose complexion mimics the color of chocolate, milk chocolate and/or dark chocolate.