Versailles: The Life and Times of Queen Khira

You know, there's a reason why you NEVER see negative reviews of products on Nouveau...It's because I absolutely DO NOT condone the spread of negativity.  If I don't like it, you will not hear me talk about it.  If you are an OG follower, you will recall my instant love affair with Juvia's Place several years ago.  as soon as they hit the scene, I was immediately smitten with the insane pigmentation and shadow quality; I could not sing her praises loud enough, and as new products have come out, I snapped them up ASAP.  I was all too thrilled to revisit an old favorite... Because I steer clear of controversy, it's not strange that I was completely unaware of all the dramatics recently surrounding the brand it's owner, Chi Chi Eburu.  So much so, that I logged on to the site 2 weeks ago to make another purchase.  After checkout, I headed over to YouTube to see what the beauty community had to say about my newest acquisitions.  It was then I was fi

This idea started in my journal this morning, then I later thought to pose it to the rest of the world...I recently came across an article (linked below the post) on theminsjournal.com that talked about lucid dreaming.  I no longer believe in coincidence, an took this as a response to the unanswered questions bouncing around in my head about what is actually HAPPENING to my mind and thought process as I grow, evolve, and change.  It broke me down in plain English, and helped me gain much-needed clarity on my current situation... What the article basically said, in a nutshell is that we are never truly awake until/unless we are completely focused, and living in the present moment.  The concepts of past, present, and future are all one construct; all existing right now, simultaneously.  In essence, we are constantly experiencing these things both consciously, and subconsciously.  What we do from day to day, is experienced through a state of Lucid Dreaming; a sort of half conscious

For as long as I can remember, the one thing that has driven me was the possibility of getting dressed up.  If it was a special occasion the next day, I would be in bed the night before, too excited to sleep, thinking about the out I would be wearing the following day.  The women in my life each played a significant role in molding my ideas about what the well-dressed female REALLY is, and the importance of wielding this power.  Te right outfit can mesmerize an entire room, and has the potential to effect the outcome of certain situations.  It was the summer before I turned 13, and my aunt Dinneen gave me a lesson that STILL resides with me, and is apparent and active in my children...the Art of Style... I had always been involved in the process of picking my own clothes to a certain extent, but I had NEVER gone school shopping without my Grandmother.  It had ALWAYS been our thing, and I looked forward to it.  This particular year, however, when I was entering middle school, m

Growing up, I never realized just how MANY lessons I was actually given on becoming Queen.  I was being groomed the entire time without ever knowing it.  One of the earliest lessons I can remember was being taught the "politics" on running an empire, satisfying the masses when everyone wants something different.  The way this lesson was taught to me was through the use of Neapolitan Ice Cream... At the Ponderosa, we LOVE our birthdays, and it is absolutely necessary that the occasion be marked with a family celebration.  Regardless of whatever plans you THINK you may have, it is a guarantee of a birthday cake fresh from the Italian bakery, Ice Cream, and Dinner.  I must have been about six years old, and the Mainor birthday season was in full swing, so that puts us at the middle to end of March, 1990.  Nana and I were in the kitchen, I was keeping her company as she put the finishing touches on one of her culinary delights.  The festivities were planned for later that da

I have been feeling like a caterpillar for quite some time now...knowing that my life and experiences are necessary for the transformation ahead, yet I can't help yearning to feel my wings glowing in the sun!  I found a chart on pinterest, that broke down the different steps to spiritual awakening into 7 separate stages: Stage 1:  Unhappiness and Emptiness Stage 2:  Perception Shifts Stage 3:  Seeking Answers and Meaning  Stage 4:  Finding Answers and Experiencing Breakthroughs Stage 5;  Disillusionment and Feeling Lost Stage 6:  Deeper Inner Work Stage 7:  Integration, Expansion, Joy This was incredibly helpful in me figuring out exactly where I was in my journey; it also helped to appease my impatience by offering an explanation as to what's going on inside of me... According to this, I have left stage 5, that of "Disillusionment and Feeling Lost", and am now fully immersed in stage 6, my :Deeper Inner Work"(all the while eagerl

Does anyone else wonder what happens when we sleep?  I have always been fascinated with the dream state, and its connection to our conscious lives.  We know that we dream; but what exactly is a dream?  My brain is so full throughout the day; constantly unfolding and rearranging thoughts every second of the day; therefore its hard to fathom that sleep is a mundane as to ONLY be providing rest to the body and mind...There has to be more to this process, and here are my thoughts on exactly what that is... Dream interpretation has long been a topic of discussion amongst the masses; since the beginning of time.  People have unceasingly sought council to determine what our subconscious mind is trying to say.  One thing can certainly be agreed upon, I DO think it is a means of communication with our higher selves.  Like meditation, it is a safe place to meet, and align our mental with our spiritual state.  The difference is, in a meditative state, we are consciously controlli

AKA: Heaven.  Oh how my dreams are filled with such a Utopia!  Ah, the pure pleasure to be gained by being able to peruse social media without the slightest intimation of stupidity... You know, the older I get, the less tolerant I am to fuckery.  I don't like  being told what is DOPE ; that decision is entirely up to ME.  How are you possibly able to make that determination on my behalf?  Moreover, your vision has been obscured, by either the money to be made, or the attention to be gained.  Countless individuals have thrown both quality and overall dopeness straight out the window, and have packaged and branded their own fresh serving of filth.  well I refuse to participate in the sheeplike consumption of the masses... Give me something to be EXCITED about!!  Put something out that touches my SOUL.  what happened to the Beautiful and Profound?  Is art now DEAD?  It has been quite a while since i have been truly moved.  For far too long, we have been absorbed in

From the start, I have been lowkey enamored with the concept of Youtube.  Its absolutely fantastic to have a FREE platform accessible from any corner of the world to display your own brand of creativity.  The audience being able to connect directly to the creator and express their thoughts is nothing short of genius.  I have watched, over the years, many channels grow, expand, and eventually leave the platform to pursue life goals; All made possible from the comfort of their own homes.  I would like to think as a loyal subscriber, that I was an intricate part of the process.  With that being said, I have a few things to say about what I want to see from YouTubers in 2019 and beyond... First, I LOVE the idea of audience participation, and asking for our opinions.  HOWEVER, if I am forced to watch 1 more video where "adoring" fans make a fool out of you, I think i just may give up on YOU all together.  Don't you get enough of being played by strangers in everyda

When I sit and think about all the times in a day when my answer to a request is "yes"; then cross-reference that with how many times I am saying that to myself , the statistics are drastically one sided...why is this?  For me to be the ultimate expert on all things Queen Khira, you would think that I would no doubt know exactly what she NEEDS ; so why are you denying yourself the power of " YES "?!  My answer in short, I thought that by fulfilling the needs of those around me, it would ensure my peace of mind, and their happiness would vicariously be my own.  This was a thought process that served me well; until it didn't...I slowly but surely became resentful, and started to feel like a servant, and nothing more.  I needed to figure out quick fast and in a hurry what the problem was, and FIX it IMMEDIATELY .   It is never a good thing, regardless of how must you love someone, to give everything you have and reserve nothing for yourself.  Grante