About Us

This blog is about how the world is viewed by the visual and the visually impaired. The intent of this blog is to bring the two worlds together. It is administered by two fabulous sisters, Toni, who is sighted and Robin, who became visually impaired in 2002 at the age of 18 due to misdiagnosis.



Sunday, March 14, 2010

I Have My Make Up...Now What?

Sorry guys…our blogs have been geared mostly towards women these past few weeks…don’t worry we’ll get to you soon! I promised makeup tips! I must say I am a MAC cosmetics fan as you know from my previous post…in my opinion they have colors for EVERY skin tone and their eye shadow and lip colors are delicious! I always feel like I’m in a candy store when I visit! Experiment with different brands to find what works best for you. Once you’ve found the products you like, how do you apply them??? How to apply makeup is not just an issue for the visually impaired, it also can be an issue for sighted women as well. There have been plenty of times I’ve gotten my makeup done by my MAC guy and then got home and was not able to recreate the look once on my own…ugh I wish I could just pack him up and bring him home with me lol!!! The most important tip is to make sure you have good makeup brushes…the type of brush you use can make a world of difference of how your make up looks. MAC has great brushes, but they can be a bit expensive; if you want a budget friendly alternative try Sonia Kashuk which can be found at Target stores or Eco-Tools which can be found at Ulta. When holding your make up brushes, do not hold them as a pencil close to the end towards the bristles, this will make your make up go on heavier…hold it loosely closer to the middle of the stick or further up so you have a little play…this way you don’t apply too much make up and the look is softer; this tip is also very useful when it comes to applying dark shadows (this is how Robin creates her smoky eye look)! Another tip is when applying foundation (Robin and I use powder foundation – Studio Fix) use a large powder brush instead of the sponge…this can guarantee full cover. A great tip for applying eye shadow is to not apply dark colors higher than your eye ball…Robin always follows her eyeball to know when to apply the next color…it works for her because she has small eyes…I’m not sure how it will work with others…I have HUGE eyes so it depends on the look I’m trying to create for that to work for me; but if you’re visually impaired I think this is a good rule of thumb. Lastly, lipstick...lip liner should blend in so make sure you don’t get too contrasting of a color between your lip liner and lipstick. When you apply lip liner trace the line of you top lip and on the bottom lip only go from the corner of your mouth half way to the center on both sides…do not line the entire bottom lip…leave the part directly in line with the middle of your chic unlined…this give your lips a pop (thanks for that little tip Raphael! LOVE IT!!!) After the lining, fill with color…press lips together and MUAH you have fab lips!!!! Here are some great links for applying make up if you’re visually impaired:

http://www.visionaware.org/how_can_i_continue_to_apply_makeup_0

http://www.livingblind.com/make-up.html


and MAC Cosmetics website because I love MAC lol!!!

http://www.maccosmetics.com


Smooches! Until next time…beautifully blind and fabulous!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

And The Oscar Goes To...

Sunday March 7, 2010 was a momentous time for people in the film industry, as many were recognized for their efforts throughout the night. Yes, it was Academy Awards time. The night began with all of the celebrities being interviewed and asked questions not only about their nominations, but also what she/he was wearing. As my mom described the various fashions, it appeared as though there were some really glamorous dressed celebrities, while others remained on the scale of being interesting.
Setting aside fashion, I was very intrigued with this year’s Academy Awards. There were a couple of films and actors/actresses, who I was rooting for to win. I love listening to movies, as I am a frequent attender to the cinema. However, due to the high visual nature of movies, I often find myself asking someone what is being shown on the screen. With this in mind, there are a lot of blind/visually impaired individuals who find themselves in similar circumstances; when it comes to movie viewing. Therefore, in 1990, WGBH Media Access Group created descriptive services for the blind.
Descriptive services enable blind/visually impaired individuals to be able to have access to the visual elements as sighted people through detailed narrated descriptions (WGBH Media Access Group). In addition to movies, the descriptive services can be found on some televisions and vcrs by going to the second audio program (SAP) option. The SAP option enables some television programs on PBS, CBS, FOX, and Nickelodeon to have detailed narration (WGBH Media Access Group).
You’re probably sitting there wondering what does descriptive videos for the blind/visually impaired have to do with the Oscars, well it’s a good question, and I’m about to tell you. To my surprise, on Sunday, as I was listening to the Oscars, my Mom and I noticed that two of the award categories had the descriptive feature. The award categories were the Original and Adapted screenplay. It was great being able to have the scenes described, because I had the opportunity to view the same elements as sighted individuals.
Sometimes I feel left out during the Golden Globes and Academy Awards when they show visuals. I feel this year, that during the original and adapted screen play, the Academy Awards leveled the playing field for both sighted and blind/visually impaired individuals; giving everyone a chance to enjoy themselves. Although, there were only two categories with descriptive adaptations, I applaud the Academy Awards for reaching out to all of their audiences by providing the descriptive narratives; giving everyone the opportunity to partake in these most prestigious annual shows. Inclusiveness is the key to success.
Hopefully, the Oscars and other shows will adapt to society’s needs and provide descriptive narratives in all award categories as they plan for their next awards show. I am not sure why the Academy Awards picked the original and adapted screenplay categories to use the descriptive feature, but what I am sure about, is that our society is becoming more aware and moving towards progression. If you would like to give feedback to the Oscars, you can visit them at http://www.oscars.com.

Friday, March 5, 2010

FASHION, FASHION, AND MORE FASHION

It is believed by many, that a person’s wardrobe is a gateway into revealing what type of personality or mood she/he has. Donna Karen said it elegantly when she stated, “Today, fashion is really about sensuality; how a woman feels on the inside.” With fashion week’s kickoff in New York last month, it is fit that we talk about fashion in my life as a blind individual. Through fashion, people can express themselves in many different styles; whether it is the conservative, professional/business, formal, casual, sporty, and as Toni puts it, “The grown and sexy” look.
My personal choice of style is the casual wear. I have a complete jean fetish, and can’t get enough of them. In addition, I love wearing hats; whether it is baseball caps, visors, or skullies. In fact, for a while in undergraduate, I think I was known as the hat girl. LOL. Whatever I may be wearing for the day, I can always count on Toni and my niece Imani to evaluate my outfit. I don’t have to see to sense Toni and Imani looking me up and down, as they give me feedback; my two fashion consultants. LOL.
Although I have lost my eyesight, my individual style has not changed. There is a misconception within society that blind/visually impaired individuals are not interested in fashion or care about their appearance. Blindness is not a determinant on whether or not a person is interested in fashion, but instead their individual preference.
After being blind for almost eight years, I came to the conclusion that there should be a discussion around how to make the stores and malls more accessible to blind/visually impaired individuals. Accessibility gives way for everyone to have the same opportunity to express their own style. Such accessibility could include Braille labels and paying special attention to the arrangement of the items. In a lot of instances, finding items in stores can be quite difficult because everything is spread out, and not in a specific sequence. Whenever I go shopping, my mom, Toni, or friends assist me in picking out clothes by telling me the colors, sizes, and prices. I assess whether or not I like the clothing by their descriptions and touch.
All in all, the over arching fact is that we need to be more inclusive of everyone in all facets of life; whether it is fashion, sports, technology, etc. Physical ability is not a characteristic and does not define a person, but instead is a mere circumstance. So, let’s all be beautifully blind by helping get rid of the divisiveness in our society and creating awareness.