Beauty Secrets From "Afrobella"

Meet Patrice Yursik, founder of the blog Afrobella, the go-to guide for brown girl beauty and fabulous hair and makeup advice. Patrice is a lover of all things natural and is known for her honest, articulate advice and dedication to celebrating inner beauty as much as outer. She began her blog when she realized there was a need to celebrate women of all shapes and sizes, and to show them how to love their inner beauty in addition to discovering new makeup. She loves to celebrate natural hair and organic beauty products, but most of all, she strives to empower her readers. We spoke with Patrice to find out which products make it onto her skin every day (she gets to test a lot!), who her favorite beauty icons are, and many more beauty secrets!

Q & A: Patrice Yursik of Afrobella

Q: Tell us about your skin care routine.

The most important part of my routine is moisturizer. I have combination skin—it's a little oily and dry—so I love the Mario Badescu line. I use the Enzyme Cleansing Gel every day, and whenever I get a spot I always apply the Drying Lotion. Just a tiny tab takes a pimple away overnight! At night I always apply Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate and Rosa Artica. I'm getting older, so I need to take more care of the skin around my eyes.

Q: What product can you not live without?

I couldn't choose just one! I can't live without moisturizer. I change up the brand all the time, switching between drugstore and more expensive brands, but I always choose one with SPF. I also can't live without Belle Butters Neutralizing Butter for Oily Skin.

Q: How about nails—what are your favorite colors?

I love rich, metallic colors, and I'm really enjoying a lot of sparkle at the moment. I go on eBay to buy Nubar 2010, which is my current favorite color! I put it over other polishes to give them a glittery, holographic look.

Q: What are your favorite makeup tricks and tips?

I love everything that Sam Fine has to say, and learned so many tips and tricks from him. My number one tip would be to smile at yourself when you apply makeup. I spend most of my day smiling at people, so I like to know what I will look like when I do! I also like to apply my bronzer in the shape of the number 3. The top of the 3 is your hairline, the middle is your cheekbone, and the bottom is the underside of your jawline. It works every time!

Q: Do you have a signature scent?

I'm my mother’s daughter when it comes to fragrance. She always had an arsenal of beautiful scents on her dresser, all in gorgeous bottles. Perfume is like your personality, and I think you need to change it for the occasion. I like different scents for day and night, and right now I'm loving Marc Jacobs Lola during the evening, and Daisy for day. I also love a classic fragrance, and Chanel No. 5 has a special place in my heart.

Q: Which new products are you excited to try?

I'm obsessed with Mally Poreless Face Defender! It is like nothing I've used before and works wonders at priming your skin and keeping you oil-free during the day.

Q: Do you have a product that's your secret weapon?

This might sound biased, but it's the Lip Glass that I created with MAC. It's my signature color, so it has a special place in my heart. It's not in production anymore, but I have a big stash!

Q: You spoke on the Brown Girl Beauty Panel at The Beauty Social. Any beauty tips?

Don't look for outside validity. You need to find your confidence and love yourself from within. If you constantly look at other people and compare yourself to them, you'll never be happy. I also think you should find yourself a great moisturizer with SPF—I can't push this enough! Try brands such as Aveeno, Olay, and Mario Badescu. They help your skin stay younger looking!

Q: What's the best thing about working on your blog?

Honestly, it's the readers. I'm become so much more aware of the power of my words and the effect they have on people's lives. I never used to think anyone cared about what I said, but so many people have opened up to me, and to know that I've touched their lives is incredible.

Q: Last question! Who is your beauty icon?

I really can't choose one! I have three. Firstly, my mother. She's in her early seventies and she still goes to the spa every week. She's tremendously inspiring to me. I also love Diana Ross. She's so beautiful and iconic, and she constantly inspires me to embrace my own beauty. Lastly, Josephine Baker. I remember when I was going through a punk stage and trying to discover who I was, and I saw her perform at the '83 Central Park Concert on TV. Seeing her completely changed me.