A never ending stream of artistic and cultural consciousness brought to you by T.S. Williams BKA T. Will.

  • Monthly Favorites: August & September Beauty Finds

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    August & September Favorites

    In my active attempt to get back to revert from sole social media opinions and build my own platform I decided I wanted to start doing monthly favorites. I’ve been taking notes keeping a log for the last two months so I decided to include August & September together.

    August 2025

    Ioni Waterproof Kohl Liner in Black

    I’ve really been loving this particular eyeliner, it states put all day especially as I work in education and don’t always have time to touch up my daily eyeliner. It is amazing on the waterline but just smooth enough to smudge if necessary.

    Maybelline Matte Ink in ‘Insider’

    I’ve been searching for a cool toned peach shade of nude for fall, as a child of the 2000’s I love a concealer lip-isque kind of a look. This one definitely fits the bill, along with other one lipstick on this list.

    Loreal Foundation Powder in Deep (as eyeshadow)

    I got this foundation powder to use as a bronzer over summer then one day decided to use it as an eyeshadow as I didn’t have my normal day time smokey eye shade. I ended up loving the way it looked so much that it has fully become my day time smokey eye shade over the last two months. I looooove it for a quick all day smokey eye, apply kohl to the waterline and take this on a big fluffy crush all over.

    Elf Satin Lipstick in ‘O Face’

    A true 2000’s concealer lip shade, this shade is super cunt with a black-brown lip liner. I wore it for picture day at work and I thought I looked so much like my mom in the 2000’s, you couldn’t tell me anything.

    ORS Relaxer in Regular Strength

    I switched my relaxer in August after not liking under-processing I was seeing from my previous brand of box relaxer and let me tell you, this is my jam!!! It is a pixie cut girls dream, especially since I was growing my hair to a 60’s bobcrop so I can rely on my micro pixie for the sleekness I am used to. I’ve been waiting 5 weeks rather than 4 and with this no lye

    Vaseline in aloe scent

    I guess this is me coming out as The President of the ‘I Love Vaseline Fanclub’. Especially for body care, vaseline is that girl and the scent of this one just makes me love it more. I used up an entire large jar over the course of the summer because I use it for everything. Basing my hairline and brows for relaxing or dying?? Vaseline. All over moisture? Vaseline. Protecting my skin when I shave my brows? Vaseline. I use it for everything!

    Kim Kardishan perfume oil from the BSS

    Lovely, soft powdery scent that lingers all day, no notes.

    Game of Ice & Fire audiobook

    Toni Morrison ‘Sula’

    September Favorites

    Black Filofax (A5) I got off Facebook Marketplace in a set for $5

    I mean, do I need to say more??? I got a steal of 2 a5 size Filofaxes for $5 cash, one I am using for my journal/planner, the Black one I am using as creative journal. I am currently working on new art so it has been perfect to stuff in my purse for all day brainstorming.

    Ruby Kisses Waterproof Eyeliner in ‘Glittery Black’

    This eyeliner has been living in my purse makeup bag for the last month. Smooth, very easy to apply and gives a subtle smoke to the eyes on days I don’t want a full on daytime smokey eye.

    LA Colors Iridescent Lipgloss in ‘Glazed Donut’

    Another favorite that has been renting space in my purse everyday of the month. Gorgeous with just a lipliner, especially gorgeous with a concealer lip as a lipstick topper.

    LA Colors Lip Liner in ‘Black-Brown’

    My everyday lip liner, I wear it with every lipstick or lipgloss I wear honestly.

    Bigen Semi Permanent Color in Blue Black

    This is my current color in my pixie cut, as I am growing my heart out currently. The rinse applies well after my relaxer and is easy to touch up.

    Danessa Myricks Blurring Flushed in Jubilee

    This has been my everyday blush and now that its a week into October, it still is honestly. Perfect barely there blush that gives you a nice flush of color, looks like you’ve been running.

    Sidenote: I’m a blush addict so I always like my blush to look like I am hot or truly flushed aka waaaay too much blush lol.

    And with that, those are my monthly favorites for August & September. I’ll try to be less vain next month but what can I say I’m a virgo & it was my birthday month lol.

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  • Who was your most influential teacher? Why?

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    By TyShawnna S. Williams for Insidemyweedbag.online

    I saw this question posed as a daily prompt and thought it would be amazing to write about, especially since this is a relevant topic my therapist and I have been discussing at length. Recently, I’ve been putting myself out there along with my writing, sharing my thoughts and stories with others in hopes of connecting on a deeper level. During one of our sessions, she asked me who was the person that made me realize my writing was good, thus inspiring me to want to be a writer. After reflecting on this, I’d have to say that was Ms. Cassandra Broadus, my 9th grade Creative Writing class teacher. Her passion for storytelling and her ability to draw out the creativity in her students made a profound impact on me. She encouraged us to explore our imaginations and to express ourselves freely, fostering a nurturing environment that allowed my talents to flourish. Every time I submitted a piece for her feedback, I felt a rush of excitement and validation, as if I were discovering a new part of myself. It was through her guidance and support that I began to believe in my abilities and dream of becoming a writer one day.

    She was this super cool slam poet who just so happened to teach at my school, in addition to being in the Army Reserve at the time. She always had a super cool pair of sneakers on, particularly these composition notebook style Dunks that I begged my daddy for and I still can’t find to this day. Although she was the youngest teacher I had in my high school career, her impact on my life and love for writing outlasted her peers by a landslide. The poets and writers introduced to us in this class, like Zora Neale Hurston, Kai Davis, and Jasmine Mans, are still some of my favorites today. I found myself spending the summer after her class not only writing lots of poetry of my own but obsessing over these writers. Before her class, I had been writing quite a lot but only stereotypical/predictable things I felt people would be willing to read from me. Even in writing as much as I did, I would only share it with like 4 friends, if that; my family couldn’t have told you the plot of these stories, poems, or books I was writing.

    Besides the large amount of exposure to rich writing I received, I also took a lot of nuggets of wisdom about being a woman and life. I was in a very awkward stage in my life, even for me as someone who would consider themselves to be a consistently awkward person, but she did not see me as my peers saw me. She spoke life into me and my writing in many ways, often encouraging me to dig deeper into my emotions and experiences, urging me to turn the seemingly mundane into pieces of art. In being who she was, she showed me how to be myself without fear of judgment, instilling in me a sense of confidence that I had previously lacked. As I have been putting my writing as well as myself out more and more these days (not on here I know I know but that is also changing now that I have a new position and consistent schedule), I find myself thinking about her quite a lot. Not just in a writing sense either, but about her personhood, how deployment affected her, does she have kids now, you know those things. I often wonder how she has navigated her own journey since our paths crossed, and I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards her for the role she played in my development as both a writer and an individual. I don’t know if she knows it or if I’ll ever get to tell her, but she made a profound impact on my life and writing. It is my hope to be able to tell her just how much one day, to express the depth of my appreciation for her guidance and to let her know that the seeds of wisdom she planted have grown into a flourishing garden in my life.

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