Blaq Vixen Beauty

"I create shockingly attractive women that give a strong emotional message of empowerment and control. My subjects know what they don't want. They fight against stereotypes. They are wise in the ways of the world. They are "Thinking Women Goddesses." They are a mirror of myself."

Sandra Knuyt summed it up perfectly. That's what I want the Blaq Vixen to be - an empowered woman, a "thinking woman goddess" in the tradition of Oprah, Michelle Obama, Michaela Angela Davis, Condoleezza Rice,

I mentioned in "The Story Behind the Blaq Vixen Beauty Blog" that I wanted to redefine the meaning of a vixen. We all know that if you're a vixen, people typically think that you're shrewish, ill-tempered, bitter or sexually attractive. There's nothing wrong with being sexually attractive but I think you shouldn't be so quick to put your "secrets and treasures" out there on display. Strive to be mentally and emotionally attractive as well. Of course, a little leg, a little cleavage doesn't hurt every once in a while. Like Glamour Magazine, we also believe in the 40% rule here at Blaq Vixen Beauty - you show roughly 40% of flesh for "optimum allure."

Like Malinda Williams said in the "Angels Can't Help But Laugh" documentary, don't waste your pretty. Your goal isn't to be another video vixen! Right now, I think I owe you all an apology because in the original header of my blog, my girl is posing like one so I'm sending a different message. It's like for a minute there, Karrine Steffans was the official mascot for Blaq Vixen Beauty. I am so sorry babes! I guess I called myself trying to be more "sexy" when I couldn't really relate to the image myself. I'm still a tomboy at heart so it's sometimes difficult to embrace this girly side I've recently discovered. I'm cute mostly. From time to time, I am called "attractive" but rarely am I called "sexy." In a way, that's a good thing because it keeps me grounded.

I know I said I wanted to be a visionary for 20/10. Sometimes I feel like I've set myself up by using such a provocative blog title. However, I've decided that one of the underlying goals in my quest to "upgrade" myself is to redefine what it means to be a vixen. Also, I have to find my sexy! Like the new tagline says, "Nuture your inner vixen!" She's there; all you have to do is let her out once in a while!

According to celebrity hairstylist Johnny Wright, First Lady Michelle Obama never cut her hair...rather, he didn't cut her hair. All he did was a simple switch-up called the tuck-up!

"There are two things I do. The up-tuck, like you are tucking something in. Then I do a tuck-up. The up-tuck is when I position a small ponytail somehere on the head, and then I tuck the rest of the hair up under that ponytail. Then a tuck-up is when I take the hair and gather it all in the back. I then twist it and I pull up and tuck. And that's what she got at the White House. A tuck-up! Not a cut," Wright told the Urban Beauty Collective.

He then added that he has given "different celebrities" the tuck-up and that "it looks different every time depending on the length of the hair. It's a really easy updo. It looks really classy and appropriate for any occasion."

Apparently, there have been talks about cutting Obama's hair because he said that "this would be a nice length for her whenever we decide to cut it." Wright reported that she said, "Yeah." Based on people's reactions to Obama's faux coif, Wright confirmed that "whenever we do cut it, I'll probably go shorter now because everyone thinks that's the cut!"

Create the first lady’s faux crop for under $15 with Soft & Beautiful! Follow these simple steps to achieve Michelle’s stunning style, perfect for hot summer days:

Apply Soft & Beautiful Ultimate Style Protect Spritz on wet hair from roots to ends. Blow-dry hair with a medium sized round brush, to create volume and lift.

Gather hair in a loose pony at the nape and tuck under, pinning with bobby pins as you go. Finish with Soft & Beautiful Oil Sheen Conditioning Spray to leave hair looking healthy and vibrant!

I'm thinking about doing myself to see how it looks...want to know how it goes?