Frugal and Fabulous: The Finale + A Lil' Inspo Via Cardi B!

Photo courtesy of Complex Magazine

"... Say I don't gotta dance, I make money moves!"

- Cardi B, The Great

Ladies, we made it to the final day in February, WOO-HOO!!! Yesssss, we have reached the finale. Today is the very last day of Frugal and Fabulous February and it will officially be over at midnight. How are you feeling? Better yet, how well did you do? I will admit, I cracked a couple times, and I know for a fact a some of you did too because you told me so. NO SHADE! But, I promise you I held strong for a really long time and shopped hella less than usual. The thing to remember here is that we tried, right? Even better, we know that with proper discipline, our impulse shopping and buying can totally be controlled. Let's reflect!

Wakanda Forever! Five Things I Love About Black Panther

Alright, I gave you guys a full weekend, a holiday, and two regular-degular days to go see Black Panther before I ranted about it on my blog. I've personally seen it twice already: Thursday night, I went to its pre-screening with my friend Amahdiya, and I saw it again on Sunday evening with my family. Time is up for y'all, and I'm ready to talk about it. That film was EVERYTHING and more. It literally exceeded all of my expectations and I've never felt so good after watching a movie. I promise you I am not exaggerating. There is so much about this film to take in and it's a whole win for black people! Black Panther is more than just a Marvel movie featuring a black superhero. 

"Sooo many things we could talk about the movie 'cause there were so many underlying messages: the true strength of black women and the roles we play in the black community, is it better to segregate ourselves as a black culture, how RICH Africa really is, African vs. African-American."

- Chelsie Boyd, Holder of Black Girl Magic & Fellow Blogger-Boo   

Ryan Coogler is a true, creative and genius of a director! I knew this movie was going to be fire the moment I found out Wakanda was in his hands. Anytime he and Michael B.(ae) Jordan work on the same production, black excellence is the only thing that comes of it! Check their receipts. I could go on and on about how amazing the film is, but I've managed to compose a short list of five things I loved the most.

Frugal & Fabulous: Money-Saving Update + Rihanna Is Goals!

Image extracted from Rihanna's Instagram account @badgalriri

Look at Rihanna. Can you say GOALS?!

Hey ladies! We're almost half-way through February, Y'all doing alright? I'll admit, I almost cracked in Sephora last Monday. I gave my mom a gift card to shop there for Christmas. She's been itching to (finally) spend it and insisted that I go with her. She's fully aware of my shopping fast, so I don't know why she wanted to play with my feelings like that, but I agreed to go. As soon as I walked in, I noticed the Fenty Beauty display fully stocked and on fleek with all 40 shades of the ever-popular Pro Filt'r foundation. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I've been struggling to secure my bottle since it released. *refer to the post here* I decided to get matched, but it took everything in me to refrain from making a purchase. I instead got a lil' sample and continued to compose a mental wishlist of all the things my heart desired. I did well! *pats self on the back*

My Creative Girl Hangout: Party Deets + What It's Like Working With Creme Of Nature

Happy Monday loves! It's a fresh week with a fresh set of goals to crush. I hope you all had an amazing weekend because I most certainly did. I had a party!! *throws confetti* Saturday, I hosted my very first Creative Girl Hangout and it was absolutely fantastic. Last month, I announced to you guys that I landed a spot on Creme Of Nature's Styling Squad to promote their brand new line of Coconut Milk styling products. Saturday's event was to celebrate the launch of the goodies and me, of course. I held it exclusively, invite-only, and turned my job into a tropical hangout filled with coconuts, creative girls, curls, and good vibes! If you follow me on Instagram, I'm sure you saw a little glimpse of it, but I will have official pictures and stuff up very soon! In fact, an entire recap video is going to be on my channel. A few people inquired about my party look, and you know I love to share so here's a post all about it. I'm also going to talk a little bit about my partnership with Creme Of Nature and what it's been like working with one of my favorite brands.

Hey February: Financial Responsibility + "...everybody black!"

Happy February!!! It's the second month of the year and I'm so here for it! I've been ready to kiss January GOODBYE for a while now. It seems like it lasted way too long. I had a great month, but still... it was like never-ending. If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that I've decided to challenge myself by going on a shopping fast. I have about 45 of my followers doing it with me and it feels absolutely amazing! Together, we're going to conquer the month of February without spending "extra" money.

I created it as a money-saving exercise because I shop entirely too much! I've composed a list of seven tips, a pledge, and a playlist for inspo and motivation. If you're interested, find all the deets and read more about it here. Feel free to send any questions to me via email at hello@janeebarbre.com.

To access the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fund$" playlist, click the cover photo featuring Logan Browning above.

"... it's such beauty in black people, and it saddens me when we're not allowed to express that pride in being black, and that if you do, then it's considered anti-white. No! You just pro-black, and that's okay. The two don't go together. Because you celebrate black culture does not mean that you don't like white culture or that you're putting it down. It's just taking pride in it, but what's irritating is when somebody says, you know, 'They're racist!', 'That's reverse racism!' or 'They have a Black History Month, but we don't have a White History Month!' Well, all we've ever been taught is white history. So, why are you mad at that? Why does that make you angry? That is to suppress me and to make me not be proud."

-Tina Knowles, "Interlude: Tina Taught Me" x Solange

Photo Extracted from Issa' Rae's Instagram account. @issarae

I absolutely can't let the month begin without acknowledging Black History Month, also known as African-American History Month. I love being black, so this month feels extra special to me. It's an honor to celebrate and recognize black individuals who have made significant shifts in the culture, from Harriet Tubman to Barack Obama. I'll start by saying that Issa Rae said it best with her, quote at last year's Emmy Awards. When asked by a commentator on the red carpet who she'd be rooting for, she replied, "I'm rooting for everybody black. I am." It was a magical moment and a forever mood. Let's take a moment for Issa! I am ALWAYS rooting for "everybody black."

Click here to see the clip.

Cheers to being Fabulously Frugal February, filled with Black Excellence and Joy!
*Ca-Ching*

xo,
Janée