A few months ago, my husband and I sat in the tiny living room of our two-bedroom apartment in Harlem, and the idea of moving to Austin, TX was introduced. Without hesitation, without even the slightest flinch, I responded, “Yes. Let’s do it!” I’m sure even he was not expecting this response. We fell in this quiet trance for a few minutes as I looked around the room. At the boxes of picture frames I ordered the previous week from West Elm. At the new artwork my parents brought me from their last trip to Haiti. At our plants sitting on random corners of bookshelves and windowsills. I had just really begun to settle in. There was so much work to do. So many rooftop dinners I had planned. The sunset, our friends, laughter, empty glasses that were once filled with a delicious wine or colorful cocktails. I had plans, you see?
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Let's talk nudes!
in BEAUTY
A couple of months ago, I collaborated with Refinery29 on a series of #shortcuts videos. Despite the brutal December snow storm, the whole day was just warm and magical! The entire crew consisted of bad-ass women. Being in the studio as a talent inspired me beyond anything I could imagine. I loved that they considered my ideas while I had the full benefits of a "talent". The studio was a fun, open atmosphere where we created a few fun looks that involved glitter, color, nude lipsticks, and of course headwraps. When I posted the nude lippy video (posted below) on my page, many of you reached out to ask me which lipsticks I used. I also noticed the same feedback on the Refinery page, which of course prompted this post!
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Touch me - A Valentine's Day Lookbook
Touch me
Not with your hands
Nor with your lips, you see
Embrace me
With just your words
Sweet nothings
Caressing my ears
Sending chills across my neck
Down to my back
Tell me
Walking Barefoot Down the Aisle
Almost three months ago, exactly one week before our eleventh-year anniversary, I married the love of my life. It was truly the most beautiful day of my life. It was everything I needed. It was everything I wouldn’t dare dream of as a child lost in the Haitian clouds. It was magical.
On the day of the wedding, a mesmerizing storm lifted me from my sleep around six in the morning. I looked at the mountains, hidden from the sun, kissed by the dark, grey clouds, and I smiled. My ancestors were with me, celebrating before the festivities even started. I could feel them dancing underneath the deep dark clouds. As I get older, I no longer associate darkness with sadness, and so I knew that the dark morning was everything but somber. My great grandmother was crying, and they were tears of joy. I knew that because that’s what I do, too, when I’m really happy. I cry.
Feeling Full...
in NYC, STORY TELLING
In addition to being a full time student at the university, I served on the board of several on-campus organizations, worked three part-time jobs, and during the holiday season, I'd scour the student center website and craigslist for random gigs. During my freshman year, I found a dish-washing/serving opportunity at a wealthy family's home in a town near my campus on Thanksgiving. It offered $15-$20/hour just to help clear tables, wash dishes, and tidy the kitchen.
I remember that day clearly because I'd never experience anything of the sort. It was my first time ever setting foot in a wealthy American home. It was the kind of home I read about when I was just an awkward, skinny, dreamer-girl in Haiti. The kind of home I thought I'd move into when the US called for me, not the one-bedroom apartment in Newark my parents, little brother, and I found refuge to during my early teenage years. The place that collected most of my tears.
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