Our most valuable possessions are those which can be shared without lessening-those which, when shared, multiply.This is why whatever we possess becomes of double value when we have the opportunity of sharing it with others.

Kelly Augustine of  MasQue Mag does this very deligently throughout blogs/vlogs , persuading her readers to  go out and grab the world by the lapels.

What we enjoyed most about her blog is how she incorporates   healthy living  and meeting people who have a real interest in food and sharing ideas with them. Good food is a global thing and we  find that there is always something new and amazing to learn , love it!

Her style is easily ideal for the everyday girl, its cute ,fun but very comfortable showing us that you can still look pretty darn good on a budget ” it’s not who you wear but how you wear it” ..

Check blow to see how our interview with  Kelly unfolds

Q: Tell me a little about yourself.

I’m a born and bred New Yorker with a desire to help everyone in some way or another.

Q: What’s your motto or the advice you live by?

Do not wait. If you dream of something, work towards it immediately.

Q: What does fashion mean to you and what inspires you to blog?

Fashion is a mouthpiece. How I dress is directly affected by my mood, and I allow what I wear and how I present myself to speak for me. What I’m inspired by at the moment is also reflected. My blogging is inspired by my life. I’ve always been in the business of oversharing with my friends, and the wonderful people that take the time to read my blog I also consider friends. Knowing that I’m giving my friends information they can use and apply practically is what really keeps me going.

Q: How did you get into fashion? 

My grandmother has always been my fashion inspiration. From a very young age, I watched this beautiful woman that I look up to live her like fabulously. I always knew I wanted to be like her.

Q: Where do you see your blog a year from now?

MASQUEmag will always be a reflection of the life that I am living – whether I’m married with kids, living in another country, or pursuing a new endeavour. MASQUE will always be a portal where people can come for tips, advice, and a peek into Kelly Augustine.

Q: How would you describe your signature style?

My signature style is practical glam. I like to  be comfortable in my clothing. As a “fashionista”, you are a walking, moving expression of a designer’s art. You need to be able to live in it!

 Q:  What one outfit  on you blog  represents your individual style? 

My Miss Tina Knowles outfit is the closest to my personal style. It’s moveable, colourful, practical and simple, yet fun. There’s studs, there’s lucite, there’s lots of fabric – all the things I love!

Q:  How do you go about updating an outfit or look?

I update according to the seasons. I have one white high-low dress I love to wear. For the summer, I paired with a bright, layered necklace. For the fall, I can wear with a leather jacket, darker accessories and a motorcycle jacket. It’s all about being appropriate.

Q:  What is your favourite feature to accentuate? 

Do I really have to say it?! lol My lady hump is my favorite part of my body, next to this gleaming smile of course!

Q: What are your favourite places to shop?  

I seriously live in thrift stores, and I wear select items from Forever 21 - the more grown up pieces. I’m obsessed with H&M, and I’ve most recently fell in love with Nordstrom. I also scour EBay Fashion regularly, you’d be surprised at the high-end luxury pieces you find for dirt cheap on there.

Q: Do you have any Fashion Challenges?

My shape makes it very difficult to shop. I have an hourglass figure where my top is small but I’m busty, my waist is small, but my hips are very wide. Shopping is definitely a hassle, but I’ve learned what works and doesn’t work for me.

Q: Do you find that you follow fashion trends, or do you play by your own rules?

I typically play by my own rules, but I like to incorporate trends here and there. It’s more than wonderful to embrace trends, but I believe in interpreting them in my own way. One piece of advice – do not follow a trend if it’s not your style! It’s so obvious when you do.

Q:  Is there a fall trend that you’re dying to incorporate into your wardrobe? 

Opulence! I’m pretty mum at my 9 – 5, so I love the idea of breaking out and getting full-gaudy after hours.

Q:  Name 3 Bloggers whose style you just live for.

Franceta of Frantic Dreams, Brittany of PocketsandBows, and Allison McGevna of Inside Allie’s World. All three ladies take risks and know what works for their bodies.

Q:  As you know, my blog is geared towards “Life” and “Style”, so tell me in what ways you combine the two.

As I mentioned before, I like my style to be liveable – it should be an extension of your life. Fashion should never dictate how you live. You wear the clothes, don’t let them wear you!

Q:  What advice would you give to up and coming Fashion Bloggers?

Do not blog just because you see the perks that other bloggers get. Blogging is VERY hard work that is hard to keep up with if you’re not dedicated to it and love what you do. I always tell people I have two jobs – my 9 to 5, and my blog. Blogging looks very glamorous, but if you want to put out 100% of your best work, you have to be very dedicated to it. Work hard to play hard!

It was nice chatting with you Kelly we wish you all the best in your future endeavours

Thank you so much for this opportunity! Your consideration means a lot to me

“Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. [2 Corinthians 9:7]“

Every Tuesday on this website ,you can expect to see a new blogger , artist ,stylist etc… If you know of anyone who will love to be featured in this segment or interviewed ,send your name, location, a description of your style, and 2-6 picture(s) to theultimatelifestyleblog@gmail.com

Just recently we have been on the search for the best substitute for fruit juices and carbonated drinks .There are many options for what to drink, but without a doubt, water is the best choice.

Drinking an adequate amount of water is sort of acquired taste and not many  people are really up to drinking a gallon of water every day. The general rule of thumb is that you need to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water daily. So, if you weigh 100 lbs., you need to drink at least  50 oz. of water each day.

However today our choice of drink  is not water  but vitamin water, recently we bumped into this post and couldn’t wait to share it with you.

Below are the recipes and directions of  ZSJ’s five signature colour-free, sugar-free and bpa plastic free alkaline vitamin waters.  Enjoy these combinations or get inspired to make your own!!

It simple, cheap and easy way to get your vitamins in a delicious and hydrating way.

*Note, these combinations still have major healing benefits even if you do not have the powdered forms of vitamins as the fruit, vegetable and herb ingredients alone have incredible healing power

You may opt to add in a sweetener of your choice.

Recovery
This vitamin water is ideal for recovery post-workout or after a large bout of physical activity. Blackberries and Cherries aid in replenishing oxygen in the blood while pomegranate and glutamine help to restore and repair muscle tissue damage.

Ingredients:
1/2 Pomegranate Seeds
1/2 Cup Blackberries
1 Cup Cherries (pitted)
5ml Glutamine Powder
Pinch Himalayan Crystal Salt
750ml – 1 litre Filtered Alkaline Water (or Purified water + 1 Tsp Fresh Lemon Juice)
Directions:
1. Muddle blackberries, cherries and pomegranate in a small bowl and add to a large 1 litre glass or mason jar, add remaining ingredients and stir
2. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours

C*Power
This vitamin water gives you a boost of anti-viral and anti-inflammatory vitamin C. With natural citrus fruits and camu camu powder, c*power
is ideal for boosting your immunity after an illness or just keeping your body empowered. This is an excellent combination for weight loss.

(Source: theultimatelifestyleblog.wordpress.com)

DeejayPuffy  recently released his new mix  Freezer Burn 2 and lets just say it has been turning heads since the drop.

The compilation includes a total  of 39 tracks , a perfect mixture of pop, house, dance, caribbean soca  and a couple exclusive remixes. Some of the  artist on the mix include Swedish House Mafia,Skrillex,Big Sean,Kanye West ,Edwin Yearwood , Yanick Hooper, Lil Rick,Fari,Alison Hinds etc….

This time around we allowed some of his fans otherwise known as “Puff Miners” to give us a quick short idea on what they thought of the overall mix. Many thought it was “very original ,extremely energetic ,a great playlist to listen to when exercising ,”sick /ill”, some even went as far to say frost bite never felt so good”

I believe those comments say it all and we couldn’t agree more ,however for those who didn’t  have the contingency of  listening to Freezer Burn VOL. 2 , please do so now by clicking play above.

If you are interested in contacting DJ Puffy for bookings view the social sites below

Twitter

Facebook

Tumblr

SoundCloud

Youtube

Website

Email :get@djpuffy.com,

To add rhinestones, you’ll need:

• a chevron friendship bracelet (tutorial found here)
• 5-6” crystal rhinestone chain (last used here)
• 1 yard of embroidery floss
• an embroidery needle
• a pair of scissors

1. Thread the needle with embroidery floss and tie the end into a double knot. Push the needle through the back of bracelet. Lay the rhinestone chain along the middle of the bracelet, using the chevron pattern as a guide.
2. Stitch the floss between the first two rhinestone links, pushing needle out the middle of the bracelet. Bring the needle back through the middle, this time further down between the second and third links.
3. Continue stitching between the rhinestone links. After the very last stitch, tie a double knot on the backside and trim the ends

4. 1. Your friendship bracelet is sparkling and finished!

For the whole diy steps click here

Amber Rose by David Field for Blackbook June 2012 by Faith

(Source: theultimatelifestyleblog.wordpress.com)

This recipe is full of ingredients to help keep your body feeling young! The coconut water keeps skin hydrated, and wheatgrass is a superfood that keeps damaging toxins from invading your skin. Coupled with a slew of powerful antioxidants, this shake provides a perfect mix of healthy ingredients that will detox your body and keep your skin from aging prematurely.

Ingredients

1 cup coconut water

2-3 wheatgrass ice cubes (juice fresh wheatgrass and freeze)

2 handfuls spinach

3 pineapple spears

1/2 lemon, peeled

1 small green apple

1 tbsp ginger

Directions

Pour all ingredients into a blender, blend to desired consistency, and enjoy!

Raquel Pinto by Urivaldo Lopes for L’Officiel Ukraine June 2012. Styling by Jonathan Mahaut, Hair by Studio Andersen Paris, Makeup by Laure Dansou. Raquel models pieces from Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, and more.

(Source: theultimatelifestyleblog.wordpress.com)

Materials Needed:

• 3 Straws

• Gold Spray Paint

• Colorful Paper (tip: look for interesting prints from a magazine)

• Tacky Glue

• Needle & Thread

Steps:

• Spray paint straws.

• Cut an inch or two off, depending on how big you’d like your triangles to be.

• Attach paper to each triangle with glue.

(Source: theultimatelifestyleblog.wordpress.com)

Today’s WTF (Weird True Freaky) News:

Husband ‘Butchers Wife In Front Of Their Six Children

A man is under arrest in Germany after killing his wife in front of his six young children and cutting her into pieces.
Orhan Sircasi then ran on to the roof of his apartment building clutching her severed head in one hand and a butcher’s knife in the other.
The 32-year-old killer of Turkish origin fought off police as they tried to seize him early this morning by lunging at them with the knife and swinging the head like a club.

After he lunged at police with the severed head of his wife he threw it from the roof of his five storey apartment building to the street below.
He was overpowered on the rooftop in Berlin and taken into custody.
Then officers entered the apartment in the Kreuzberg district of the capital to find the dismembered body of his wife and the six children aged from nine months to ten years.

‘They were in a terrible state,’ said a neighbour. ‘He made them watch as he butchered their mother then cut her up into little pieces.’
Neighbours alerted police in the early hours of the morning after they heard screaming coming from the flat. It is unclear what caused the fatal row.
The children have been put under psychiatric observation as their father was charged with murder.

Stunned neighbours of the man in Koethener Strasse, in the working class Kreuzberg district of Berlin, covered the head with a blue plastic bag until police retrieved it.

Media reported that the man was often violent towards his wife, beating and kicking her if she displeased him, especially after he had been drinking.

Blood spots were seen outside the flats near the Potsdamer Platz.

One neighbour was quoted by Tages Spiegel as saying: ‘I can’t get the sound out of my head.’

The suspect is thought to be known to police for various offences including negligence, and traffic and drug offences.

He is due before the courts tomorrow.

Review : The Music Factory 2012 Spring Edition

The entertainment scene in Barbados has been turning heads as of lately and this all begun last year November with the Barbados Music Factory Winter Edition .This event  received such remarkable  feedback and response from the numerous amount of patrons  that they had no choice but to do it again.

Those of you that are new to the event may be puzzled as to exactly what TMF is,basically it consists of a selective amount of DJ’s who showcase their talent for the public.It is an attempt to bring electronic dance music to the masses on a scale that hasn’t really been done before, clearly not in Barbados and not really to a large extent in the wider Caribbean.

This time around it inhabited 20 DJs who varied between the Main House with a line-up including D’ankh (UK), Andy Norman ,Krystal Roxx (Hed Kandi) and our very own  Simply Smooth + ScratchMaster ;  the  Big House (sponsored by Afro Acid) featuring big names like Brooklyn Mike (Miami/NY) , The SS Experience featuring Steve Silk Hurley & DJ Skip (USA), and Jamaicans Alric & Boyd (Afro Acid Caribbean) and the LIME Rave Stage featuring local favourites including DJ Jus Jay, DJ Puffy ,Karpologistand DJ Cyclone.

Upon my arrival I was greeted by the Big House , which was station in the back of the event, quite invisible to those coming through the general gate. This stage ended up having next to no one partying under it practically the only negative and disappointing observation of the music factory.

Despite that,I must commend and tip my hat to the music factory crew  for such an energetic and overall  fantastic event. All the DJs surely came prepared especially the ones that I got to hear, so much talent in one place was completely mind blowing.

From stage hopping between Krystal Roxx & Jus Jay set ,especially when she  pulled out Coldplay’s “Fix You”,that moment was so surreal and beautiful. To touching the sky and floating in mid air through DJ Puffy ,Simply Smooth /Scratch Master’s set .

Puffy’s set was aberrant to the other DJ’s who played that night .Big tunes came one after the other , with  most of them being  bajan origin and I’m quite certain this is particularly one of the reasons the crowd was so amped up especially when he added in the use of live drums.

Another highlight to the event was during Simply Smooth & Scratch Master set, they were  very unique. Instead of playing most of the usual dance and pop songs they threw in a couple rap tunes as well and the crowd still remained hype .

It takes a lot out of a person to keep a crowd entertain, I don’t think much people recognize that and somehow these DJs got it done for a whole 9 hours.TMF is the only event I’ve been to in Barbados and actually see people smiling and partying, no smart phones nothing just dancing and enjoying the night. Two guys even manage to jump on top of the speakers while fist pumping and dancing , eventually of course security came and remove them .

Enclosing ,if you did not get the chance to participate or witness  the brilliance and talent that incompass the music factory, above is a short clip  that we managed  to piece together throughout the event.

(Source: theultimatelifestyleblog.wordpress.com)