HAVE HER STYLE!!!

When it comes to fashion, Lady Jay Dee is an icon to reckon with. Her style is simple and sophisticated. This fashion-conscious diva attributes her beauty to good skin-care, a healthy diet and exercise!

Name: Judith Wambura a.k.a Lady Jay Dee

Star: Gemini
Occupation: Award Winning Music Artist

This week, Shear Advice features her sense of style and attention to beauty. She is all about natural beauty, and says she prefers simple but vibrant looks. Although she is blessed with long natural hair which is her main preference, JD occasionally wears wigs to change her look and confesses that they are a time saver!

She says that in order to have beautiful even toned skin, you need to eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. But most importantly, laugh. Relax. Enjoy life.

However, make-up is what a real Diva needs, nothing more! Make-up works like magic. If you get it right, it can change your entire persona in seconds and people might mistake you for someone else. You could have long lashes with large eyes one night, then soft bronze cheeks the next morning. But do you know what the best part is? Choosing the right make-up can make you look like a million dollar lady, have flaw-less, even toned, clear complexion skin that nobody can ever believe it is not your natural look. My personal advice, take it as it comes!

Classy Black Lady

Classy black lady is an illustrative, since we as black women have to come to terms with certain naturals, say, not being blessed with the longest of tresses. Well, other ethnicities have a bunch of complaints too and instead of sitting down to brood over it, a solution has been found. Thanks to the beauty industry, women the world over have embraced extra beauty must- haves and decided that to have it would only mean to be classy, and as a matter of fact, these things are expensively real yet bring out the best in the beautiful.

For a while now, women have worn eyelashes for occasions and events where dramatic eyes were necessary - awards, weddings and parties. Long, full eye lashes are just sexier, classier and more feminine. A woman’s beauty is on her eyes and eyelashes help to accentuate that beauty. If you use mascara to lengthen the lash, it appears real and very very classy.

Weaves have trended as the classiest expensively real must haves. Most of the trend setters and fashionistas will admit that they wear weaves to give them that extra edge in beauty. If you do not have patience to grow your hair - something very few African women have been blessed with - the weave will come in handy. Please go for something that suits your face and creates sophistication for you.



Acrylics have evolved into a nice piece of art thanks to the ever growing nail designs that have emerged in the fashion and beauty industry. Once you overcome the discomfort as a first time wearer, the rest is history. Acrylics are of help if you want to grow your own nails. The best thing about them is they give instant grooming.


Contact lenses are the rage this season with a variety of colors to choose from. Pick a color that will flaunt your whole self and give you that umph.You are looking to be classy so go all the way and opt for the comfort and ease of wearing contacts instead.




The list goes on and on but all you have to do is try to come to terms with your natural self and apply only limited amounts of whatever you opt for, making it appear as real as it can be. Remember, classy is in the way you put it on and flaunt it. You are looking to be classy not trashy.

Beauty from the inside out

Yesterday, the world celebrated World Widows' Day, something which was encouraged by Humanitarians and concerned people the world over. Among the front runners of the recognition of such days is Mrs. Cherrie Blair, wife of the former British Premier Tony Blair. See, Cherrie was not just a pretty face on number 10 while her husband went ahead to represent his country in honor, she is a successful Barrister, a philanthropist, a humanitarian, a mother and a sister who has stood up for women rights.

There are so many celebrities and ordinary citizens who have stood up for women's rights too especially the helpless widows and women in general. In countries where women have not been allowed access to jobs, this plight has reached a concern. There are various ways in which every individual can make this world a better place and turn make the universe beautiful from the inside out. Here are a few suggestions and examples of people who have created beauty in their works and can encourage us to stand up for the helpless.

Cherrie Blair

She has specialized to fight for human rights, employment, European law and arbitration. Her foundation, matrix chambers looks to provide improved services to widows and under privileged women. You too can stand up and represent your community by first off showing concern against mistreatment and abuse at community levels. Be the voice.

Oprah Winfrey
Oprah has been the voice of the under privileged and has used her media influence to touch the lives of other people through her O foundations. She has fought for the rights of girls and has even gone further to build a school for girls. It is a form of empowerment. You don't have to be as rich as Oprah, you could volunteer to educate girls in your community formally or informally and have your input.




Wangari Mathai


She is Kenyan Humanitarian, women rights activist and a parliamentarian who has stood up in matters concerning the environment and has never put her foot down. She believes that for a community to live harmoniously and with life longevity, nature comes first. Her Green belt movement has earned her recognition on the global platform and she has given women hope to stand up for their rights. Wangari is a living example of persistence. Many widows are side lined and not included in environmental issues. They in the end have land and property taken away from them. You can learn from Wangari and help a widow in your neighborhood by supporting her.




Maeza Ashenafi
Maeza Ashenafi is an Ethiopian women activist who has led for freedom of the undermined Ethiopian women and against cultural taboos against women. She is a voice for the voiceless at the united African Nation’s University. You too can join emancipation groups and fight against injustice through your group.

Tanzania women's media Association is another group of women who have created a platform to fight for women's rights. The group specializes in fighting for fair portrayal of women in the media among other activities. You too can help fight stigma in areas where women are portrayed as the weaker sex. In this day and era, women have stood up for equal rights and that should be the case.

To sum all the above, women have come a long way to fight against injustices such as domestic violence, incest, forceful take over and psychological torture through abuse. It is therefore all of the community's rights to protect its members and we as Africans should put this under consideration in order to create a peaceful and loving, more beautiful environment to live in.

TREND SETTERS

For a while now, African wear has come out of fashion but fashionistas have more than ever opted for the new African look because of how far it has come and the fusion it has endured in the fashion arena.

Originally, only old village belles covered themselves with African fabric from head to toe but it’s not the case anymore. This fabric has been revered lately and is sharing the runway with top world’s class designers and gaining its own in the world of fashion. With African wear you can always make a statement because of the brightness of the fabric and variety of design which allows the designers space to be as creative as they wish.

A number of leading fashion designers are getting the opportunity to blend on the runway because of the power of the attire. Local fashion designers such as Mustafa hassanali, Ali Remtulla, Robi Morro and many more fashion designers are being recognized for their ability to take this fabric and work magic with it. Mustafa Hassanali in particular has a knack of blending the African fabric with sheer to create a unique fusion.

There are a number of ways one can wear the African fabric and look great for any anticipated occasion.

His and hers

This is a perfect way to shout it out and look great together. It is recommended for married couples.

African material reloaded for a more hip/ contemporary look.

Men are also catered for in this diverse range

Maintaining the original look and also be very chic especially if you chose your colors right

Just like other clothe ranges, African wear does not leave anyone behind, every body is catered for.

Many fashionistas prefer the fusion/evolution of the African fabric to fit modern wear. It is now gaining momentum on the fashion scene

Fashion designers like Mustafa Hassanali have chosen to fuse this fabric to create modern clothing.

A wrap is a very beautiful way of remaining Afro centric

You can wear an African material in addition with another material of your choice and pull it off. It looks great.

Even world top models like Naomi Campbell favor the African attire at times.

Now that you have an idea on what’s hot, flaunt it with African attire and feel your best.

FRAGRANCE

Scent of sophistication

It is quite a sight watching a beautiful lady or good looking gentleman yet if they passed by, it would either break or make your general conclusion of them. This is because of their scent-on most occasions you will love a person better if they concluded their neat touch with a fresh fragrance and shun another who is well dressed yet smells so terrible you would want to bloke your nose when they passed by.


Although many people chose to ignore this while others fall for the wrong kind of perfume, choosing a fragrance is something which needs to be done carefully in order to meet what you desire. In this case, meaning a sense of expression through the art of smell.

As a matter of fact, a fragrance speaks volumes and can define or classify you. Most people blindly chose their fragrances but first, you need to know that there are some fragrances for men only, others for women only and a few unisex. You however can’t pass wearing cologne as a woman or a sweet perfume as a man because they won’t define you. Some smells define masculinity and others feminity.Unisex perfumes have just a touch of the two. It is close to yin and yan- perfect balance.

Men's fragrances are known by their strong and bold scent, while the perfect Ladies' perfume will have a sweet, calm and soothing scent.

You also need to differentiate between night and day perfumes. Night scents are heavier than day perfumes because the cool in the night intensifies the fragrance. Day perfumes however are mild due to the heat and activity which is carried on during the day. Not everybody favors a certain fragrance and you tend to meet a lot of people during the day. You therefore need to choose a mild perfume to work.


When you buy a fragrance, try to make sure it has a long staying power. Please stick to originals to get the most out of your scent. Fake goods have a low product rate and most mixtures are not done correctly or with the wrong chemical. It in the end turns out to stay for a little while or not smell good at all. You will then appear cheap in your quest to spend less. Invest in a good brand. Getting a good recommended brand fragrance would do you good.



Is your body clean enough to wear fragrance? You need a good bath before wearing a fragrance because the body odor can completely kill the scent if not clean. Having a good bath rids the body of sweat and all the other toxins from the body. When you mix the toxins with perfume, it creates an over whelming toxic smell. Look into this to ensure you have the best of your fragrance.


You should also get something that defines your personality say sweet and sexy or confident. Yes, these are created in scents. How you can do this is up to your personality to fit. Alternatively, you could ask the sales person to give you a clue or go with a friend who knows you well.

When you go to choose a fragrance, do not use more than two testers as this can completely change the scent of the perfume …

High street hit list-you at your best

While they may be trendy today, chances are women’s beauty products will change every other month. However, although the changes may be with the shades, every 'girly' lady needs these to make it in the fashion world. Yes; these are part of the must-haves got from a starlets fashion bible-something you should never go without lest your niche in the fashion industry is all ruined. This will be of massive help in line with beauty and self and also, let’s say, with helping to create a better you.

Hair
The top fashionable style for you is not the one copied from a celebrity yet get no compliment at all for yours. Please go with trends that suit you. If you wear your hair right, you will have it. You can choose to go a bit edgy within your limits and pull it off and get a few more stares and lots of compliments. Opt for something that defines you in the most beautiful way. You want to look beautiful and it’s for you, right?

Fringes work best for long faces, like Naomi Campbell's (Above). Depending on your taste, you can wear a fringe that falls directly in the face or on one side of the forehead (Below)

Nail varnish
There are an endless number of trendy colors available in the market to choose from and varnish is an important part of a beauty routine if you like color. If there are no alternatives to suit you, create French tips as they are a sophisticated look that fit for any clothes color.
Lately, nail art has also become a popular trend but you need to go easy on the design. You don’t want to look like a drag queen or something of the sorts.



Eye pencil/liner/Eyelashes
Eye liner defines the face. If applied well around the contours of the eyes, it looks really pretty. If you don’t have knowledge, you can get a quick makeup tutorial from a trendy friend. One should differentiate from the day eye liner and night look. Use it to fill sparse eye lashes too. Whatever look you opt for with the eyeliner, do not make a mess out of it or the entire face will look messed up.

Shampoo
Shampoo is recommended for cleansing the head to remove oils, dirt, dead skin and contaminant particles from the hair. There a many shampoos in the market that promises to achieve a wide range of benefits from fattening strands to adding color and texture. You need to know exactly what you want for your hair say adding volume or conditioning because shampooing your hair is vital for growth.


Eye shadow
The essence of wearing eyeshadow is to make the eyes stand out but you can use it to apply simple definition too by wearing just a little bit. It is one of the most important routines of wearing make up as color creates the beauty. However, the colors that you choose should be chosen with guidance on what blends with the outfit you are going to wear.

MAC Pigment eyeshadow has always been my favorite. It comes in more than 15 colours and when applied, can stay bright and fresh for more than 12 hours!

Compressed powder
This is the most widely used cosmetic that enhances the appearance of the skin. a friend of mine calls them instant age rewinders because it makes her face appear much younger after she has applied it and they really work to cover shine or blemishes.An authentic powder gives beautiful coverage without cakage and a touch up filled without a hassle


Yes, after you apply these simple must haves and incorporate them in your daily walk with fashion, then you are fit to be called a diva.