It's that time of the year! All any of us could think of is the warmth, fashion, and beauty that will arrive with the Spring season. I can't wait for light jackets, cropped tops, long skirts, and tons of floral designs. Being able to have brunch while sitting outside sounds like a treat. Being able to lay on the grass with your shoes off while enjoying some music or a great novel sounds like a dream too. Spring also inspires creativity. Create some art and make magic happen.

Ok, you may have to provide your own margaritas. The NEW Bioré Skincare Blue Agave + Baking Soda Collection looks like something I want to try out. The baking soda in the collection is used to deep clean. I was surprised to learn that the Blue Agave provides conditioning benefits. These 2 ingredients make a kick-ass super team ready to fight against the issues of combination skin sufferers. You'll receive an exfoliating deep clean while still being able to condition those dry patches.

I've been all about the neons lately! Jazzelle Zanaughtti looked absolutely stunning for Vogue Mexico, July 2018.  She was photographed by the talented An Le in a beauty spread titled 'Luminosidad'. This looks like a Sci-Fi dream and makes my inner geek girl cheer with joy. 

The Eyes Don't Lie...

A Pop Of Color Can Make Your Day!

My Spring, Summer makeup is usually pretty simple. Bold lip, mascara and done! This year, I think I'm going to get groovy with a lot of bold eyeshadow colors. Realistically, I haven't played with eyeshadows in years... probably because I overdid it when I was 16-18 years old. I also love to experiment with brands and how good their quality and pigmentation is. 

"Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder"

The older I get the less makeup I wear. I think this happens to a lot of women. Perhaps when I'm in my 40's I'll start wearing more foundation and concealer or things to cover up small lines and wrinkles that will form with age. For now, I mainly enjoy a bold lip, bold brows, and a bit of mascara. The fact I don't wear a lot of makeup on the daily doesn't mean I don't enjoy playing with it. I often look forward to nights where I can glam up more than usual and play around with a nice, bright eyeshadow color (which I often do in during the Summer anyway). I was browsing around a few Vogue Japan editorials and loved the color used in the February editorial and the simplicity for March. 

Royalty in Color - Vogue Japan, Feb 2018.



I was born in February and my favorite color for most of my life has been purple. It's the color of my birthstone, Amethyst. Amethyst always transmitted feelings of peace, harmony, and balance when I stare at it long enough and appreciate it's beauty.  Purple is also known as the color or royalty, hence this editorial. Enjoy!

Ben Hassett - Photographer

Tom Van Dorpe - Fashion Editor/Stylist 

Joey George - Hair Stylist 

Erin Parsons - Makeup Artist 

Arianna Pradarelli - Casting Director 

Naomi Yasuda - Manicurist 

Ine Neefs - Model

Art Was the Mood - Vogue Japan, March 2018.

Hello Nubians, 

This year I went to New York Comic Con for 2 days and it was a lot of fun, but guess what? I didn't cosplay! I know, I know, crazy town. But I had just gotten back from Hawaii and I felt kind of rushed and decided not to do it this year. I have to be honest, it hurt my heart a little. If you've seen my cosplay looks from New York Comic Con past, you'd know I enjoy dressing up very much. When I saw all of the amazing looks from various comicbooks, video games, cartoons, tv shows, movies, etc. and saw all the detailed craftsmanship and time people put into their costumes...I felt a little sad for myself for missing out. However, it still made me happy to be in everyones presence. I was cheering them on in a weird way being on the other side admiring. With all of the time that goes into hair, make-up, sewing, and making armor amongst other things such as role play, it's cool to be part of this community of people. I've always believed it's therapeutic embodying these characters whether you want to play the hero or villain. We all go through different phases in our life where we may be considered the good or bad guy as do many of these characters.

Another funny thing about not cosplaying this year is that I had so much more time to enjoy booths. I got to take my time actually talking to people and touching merchandise because I wasn't being stopped every 2 seconds for photos. I'm hoping to share a few cool places I stopped by later this week. 

This year I noticed a lot of people were coming up with original characters too which I thought was awesome. Last year I did an original mashup of characters partnering with my friend Kaori. I dressed as DC Comics Wonder Woman & Two-Face. You could check it out here. 

Ghost Rider, Rugrats, Cuphead, Lydia & Beetlejuice, a few Anime looks, a awesome DC Cosplayers meet-up and more. Enjoy the photos below.

























Cheers! 

Xo Nubia Xo 

Hey Nubians,

"With Science Fiction There's Endless Possibilities" - Anna Torv

I know I'm a little late on this one but I'm completely head over heels in love with the Gucci Fall 2017 Campaign. Anyone who can make fashion fun and have us use our imagination a bit more while getting dressed in the morning has a fan in me. I'm not a big Star Trek fan which is what the editorial is highly inspired by, but I do like films such as Forbidden Planet and Creature from the Black Lagoon that have also influenced this shoot. I've also always been smitten with 1950s & 1960s fashion, glitter makeup and ravishing red lips and futuristic looking hairstyles with a touch of retro Hollywood glam. I also need the glasses in this shoot in my life, they'd make a great staple to my Fall wardrobe. 

Hey Nubians, 

"Listen sister, if I want your opinion, I'll beat it out of you." -Elvira

Some of you may know I am a HUGE horror fan so naturally I got hyped last Halloween when I saw LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs introduced Mistress Of The Dark, Elvira’s very own specialty makeup palette! Elvira AKA Cassandra Peterson, is known as a Queen in the horror realm and the "Queen of Halloween". She has always been a hostess with a very vampy & sexy look and a lot of sass. That wonderfully creepy lady sure knew how to entertain her viewers. I'm sure all the goth boys probably had a crush on her! Non goth too.  I haven't seen enough write ups on this palette so even though it's a few months old, I thought I'd share it with you all just in case you missed it. Plus I love how LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs celebrate horror fans through beauty. 

"All of us at LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs are honored to collaborate & celebrate with one of the “greatest of the great” horror icons going back 35 years! In commemorating these awe inspiring 35 years…we introduce, Mistress Of The Dark, Elvira’s very own specialty makeup palette!  We are honored at LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs to introduce with “the one and only” Elvira, our gorgeous, custom, limited edition, (coffin shaped, of course) make up palette honoring the many roles, our inspiring, late night horror hostess/actress, Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) has brought into all of our lives. "



Did I mention this product is talc free, paraben free, vegan and cruelty free?! The LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs Mistress Of The Dark Elvira palette features colors that the character wears herself. Nothing too bubbly of course, but there is a gorgeous shade of blue in there I have my eye on... and may be on my eyelids soon. There are also red tones, black, and white. The coffin shape of the palette is perfection of course and a brand signature.

Here is a beautiful photo of the makeup being worn I pulled from the LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs website. The colors blend very nicely and seem to have good pigmentation. 



You may also enjoy some bad ass Elvira quotes hidden under the palette! 

  

The palette is limited edition and limited quantity so if you're a fan, better order it asap!
You can head on over HERE to order. 

Have an amazing, spooky day! 

Cheers! 

Xo Nubia Xo 

Hey Nubians, 

Who saw the latest episode of CW's The Flash?!

Wasn't it absolutely AMAZING? I don't want to give any spoilers away but my goodness, I was tearing up during certain scenes. I can't wait till next Tuesday! On another note, You know who always looks gorgeous and beautiful in an absolutely sinister way? Killer Frost AKA Caitlin Snow played by Danielle Panabaker. Her makeup always looks flawless even after one of her crazy battles with Barry or Cisco. 

I noticed this week on instagram, The Flash makeup artist Kari Anderson shared the products she used to keep this frosty villain looking badass and chilly. I'm a big fan of some of the brands she used such as Urban Decay, Kat Von D Makeup, MAC Cosmetics, NARS & more. See the instructions on her post. 


I thought it was a great post to share because whether we're cosplaying for a Comic Con or sometimes dressing up for Halloween, we could easily get stuck on finding a good color and making sure it's good quality. These all seem like quality products and I have experience with many of these brands. 



The lips use a variety of products. Have fun making it work. 

I hope we get some closure on The Flash next week. Maybe there's hope for Caitlin Snow yet... 

Cheers! 

Xo Nubia Xo

Hey Nubians, 

"It's not about brand, it's about style"

When I was a young little girl, I used to wake up on Saturday mornings with my brothers to watch the X-Men animated series cartoons. Later, I'd get into the Batman and Spiderman animated series as well. This was my introduction to comicbooks too. I would also play video games: Mario 64, Tomb Raider, Crash Bandicoot, Nights, just to name a few. When I became about 15 years old, I started getting very interested in fashion & style and started separating myself from the crowd and trends to create my own vision through things that inspired me. That was the beginning of a long style, beauty & geek journey that is still evolving till this day.

Here are a few ways Comicbooks, Art, and Pop Culture have transformed my style... 

1) Confidence

I have always told my friends that there's a big difference between fashion and style. I think style is made up of attitude & courage. I grew up watching Super Heroes / Heroines and Villains on television and this helped me develop a certain kind of confident attitude. As a young girl, I gravitated towards female characters first and seeing strong females such as Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Jean Grey, or someone like Princess Mononoke from an anime film made me feel like I could overcome so much. Whether it was Jean Grey dealing with her Phoenix Saga, or Batgirl having to lie to her father the Commissioner all the time, these ladies were always overcoming hurdles and I found it so inspiring. Confidence in style is probably going to be your strongest allie... even if you feel a little crazy you must own what you do.








2) Color

Boom! Pow! Wham! Bang! I am such an enormous fan of color and making a statement. When I wear black too often I feel like my soul starts turning off. I love fashionable colors and textures and things that POP in general. It's fun and different and allows your imagination to run wild. I always admired Roy Lichtenstein artwork and how cool yet tragic some of the pieces were. I always had so much color around me within art and comicbooks. It stuck with me throughout life for sure. Color therapy is real and it will brighten up your day. Betty & Veronica from Archie Comics had such unique, cool and colorful style and probably the most relatable to everyday wear. I would enjoy their looks just as much as the stories. 














3) Conventions
I started going to New York Comic Con at the Javitz Center around 2004 or 2005 maybe? Reed Pop didn't run the convention yet, I'm not sure who did. But Ever since I started going I never stopped. The cosplayers inspired me so much because they were building amazing costumes from scratch just like fashion designers make clothing. Some of the costumes I saw must have included so much imagination and creative technique. I remember witnessing so much Lolita and Harajuku style and being blown away by this Steam Punk panel I went to around 2006. It was sooooo inspiring and made me want to step my game up in both cosplaying and fashion. If you think you can't get inspired by a Comic Con convention you're terribly mistaken. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new. You'll thank me later for the cultural explosion you'll witness. 

















These are just the 3 top reasons I can think of off the top of my head. In reality there are endless amounts of ways geek and pop culture have influenced my style and I'm so happy about it. Always pay attention to the things around you. Slow down and really look. They might influence you more than you think and change your life in all sorts of magical ways. 

Cheers! 

Xo Nubia Xo