Kickin' It: 2013 NOLA Crawl Recap

I'm back from the Big Easy! I got back earlier this week and I'm still on a high from all the excitement, good food, live performances, beauty parties and more we got into on our 2013 NOLA Crawl! As I mentioned, me and the girls (Jessica of Glamazons Blog, Danielle of The Style & Beauty Doctor and Lexi of LexiWithTheCurls) headed down to New Orleans to partake in the festivities surrounding the Essence Music Festival, and we decided to put on our very own "Crawl" similar to the FNO Crawl we did last September.

This might have been the best decision we ever made! Aside from receiving so much love from our sponsors like African Pride, Shea Moisture and CoverFX, we had an absolute blast making the rounds in New Orleans, taking in all the sights and even getting to meet some of you guys who were down in New Orleans with us! Here's a snapshot of all the amazing fun we got into:

African Pride Beauty & The Beat Suite

Upon arrival into New Orleans, we headed to the Wyndham Riverfront for African Pride's premiere event featuring songstress Kelly Price (who looked AMAZING by the way) and DJ Spinderella on the 1's & 2's.

Kelly dished all about her upcoming endeavors, including an album on the horizon for early 2014, and also about the challenges of being part of an industry that doesn't really embrace natural hair or plus-sized talent. It was a very honest and much-needed conversation.

DJ Spinderella still got it y'all. She had the crowd turned up at the African Pride event. Anyone else used to love some Salt-N-Peppa?

The event was chock full of product freebies and giveaways, including African Pride's Olive Miracle collection.

They were also doing makeovers and beauty treatments at the suite.

We got to snap a pic with the hostess of the evening, Miss Kelly Price! 

We also ran into the infamous Momma Dee (of Love & Hip-Hop ATL fame).

From left: Lexi,  Jessica, Danielle and Me!

Good times at the African Pride Beauty & The Beauty Suite!

Sidebar: Congrats to the five winners who won my African Pride giveaway. Check out who the winners are here.

The Shea Moisture Pop-Up Shop (Saturday)

Our next stop along the NOLA Crawl was the Shea Moisture Pop-Up Shop - one of my favorite places in New Orleans this weekend. I loved the homey, organic feel of the shop and of course being surrounded by some of my favorite hair & skincare products.

While there, I ran into natural hair blogger Curly Nikki.

I had a blast trying out all the products from Shea Moisture - from their body scrubs and hand creams to their curl creams and detanglers.

They have products for every skin type under the sun.

We did video interviews and took tons of pics with the Shea Moisture folks.

We got a little carried away shopping for products!

We had a great time! And just like that, Saturday was a wrap.

Kirk Franklin House of Blues Gospel Brunch

There's nothing like a good Gospel Brunch to put you in a positive mood on a Sunday morning. We went over to the House of Blues in the French Quarter to meet & greet Kirk Franklin and to indulge in an all-you-can-eat buffet of Southern, Louisiana-style breakfast. It was beyond amazing.

Shea Moisture Pop-Up Shop (Sunday)

At the Shea Moisture pop-up shop day party on Sunday, we ended up running into actress and natural beauty Nicole Ari Parker. I really love Nicole. Aside from being one of my favorites on the hit series Soul Food, I really admired that she took a leap and did the Big Chop during a time when being natural as a celebrity is still something slightly taboo in the industry. I think it was such a bold move and I appreciate her for that.

Her handsome hubby Boris Kodjoe was there as well. The power couple posed with the CEO of Sundial as well.

DJ C. Devone was on the 1's & 2's for the party - she did an awesome job

Imani from TribeCalledCurl and Julee Wilson from Huffington Post were there.

Photo courtesy Huffington Post

The lovely Julee of Huffington Post featured me in their Essence Festival Street Style gallery - head over to the site and check it out!

CoverFX Kept Us Covered

If you've ever been to New Orleans, you probably know that the humidity can be quite intense. Whenever heat & humidity are a factor, you need dependable makeup that will last you from daytime brunch to nighttime party-hopping. Me and the girls gave CoverFX a test run this weekend, and they passed with flying colors. I had barely any shine, thanks to their blotting powder and kept a crystal clear complexion due to their concealer. Had to give them a major shoutout. They were definitely a pivotal part of this year's NOLA Crawl.

We had such an amazing time in New Orleans this weekend! Have you ever been to NOLA or Essence Music Fest? Would you plan a trip there?

LBS Beauty: My Skincare & Makeup Essentials in New Orleans

I'm here guys! I have touched down in The Big Easy and can't wait to jump into all the Essence Music Festival festivities including the stops we plan to make along our #NOLACrawl. In preparation for the trip, I made sure to pack a few skincare and makeup essentials that will help get me through this long humid weekend in New Orleans. Check out a few skincare must-haves I packed from Shea Moisture and makeup essentials from Cover FX:

Shea Moisture Skincare Essentials

The best way to take care of your skin, especially with a change in climate, is to pamper it. I brought along with me some essentials like Shea Moisture's body butter, scrubs body washes and massage oils to pamper my skin. 

The Coconut & Hibiscus Body Scrub ($9.99) is my go-to when my skin needs some exfoliation and extra moisture. It's also great to combat the effects of dehydration and dryness from frequent flying.

I swear by Shea Moisture's Body Butter ($9.99). It's light enough to use during all seasons but really does a great job of providing long-lasting moisture. I have it in the Olive & Green Tea scent as well as the Lavender & Wild Orchid.

And even though it's from the masculine grooming collection, I really enjoy their Three Butters Wash & Scrub and Lotion ($9.99/each). Each is infused with Shea, Mango and Avocado butters. 

CoverFX Makeup Essentials

I was first introduced to CoverFX at a launch event they hosted last year. I've been obsessed ever since.  I bragged about their Total Cover Cream Foundation and Matte Setting Powder in my LBS Chic: Mixed Media post last December. 

What I really love about the CoverFX brand is the quality of their makeup essentials. This is makeup that goes on and stays put all day long.

I also love that they place an emphasis on making colors that match different skin tones so well. I use their cream concealer in Deep and it blends really well.

I'm also really impressed with their powders and bronzer collections. They were kind enough to send me their Illuminator, Bronzer and Blotting Powder which I plan to put to good use while in this NOLA humidity. 

What are your travel skincare and makeup essentials? Have you tried any of these products?