Time to accessorize!

I may be a couple of months late for this trend, but it has finally worn me down and I really HAD to get one of those cute dangly chain necklaces. I know that they’ve been in for a while, but I really wanted to get one because they’re incredibly cute and can totally dress up any outfit—even a simple plain t-shirt.

I went to the mall and started my search. I really didn’t want to spend too much on it, especially since I have no idea how long this trend will last. I rather spend a lot of money on something that that I know will be around a lot longer.

My first stop was Dynamite. I usually shop there for jewelry because I tend to find a lot pieces at a great price. I did manage to find a nice simple silver dangly necklace within minutes of walking into the store. The fab necklace was only $12.00! I was soo exited I almost bought it on the spot, but I wanted to see what the other stores had to offer. So I made my way to Le Chateau.

I adore the jewelry selection at Le Chateau. They have everything that you could possibly want and they cater to women of all ages. Everything from super trendy to simple and elegant.

I studied the jewelry section until something caught my eye. I saw a blingalicious necklace that I really wanted to own, but it was a whopping $22.95!? I wasn’t feelin’ the price tag, so I put it back on the hook and headed straight to Ardene.

As soon as I walked in, I saw a sign on the wall that read, “3/$15”. Basically, anything on the wall was 3 for 15 bucks! Woo hoo! You couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. It was virtually impossible to leave empty handed. The price point and the selection were insane!

The first piece that I picked up was a silver multi-strand necklace with a patch of black strands. It actually reminded me of a necklace that I saw Rihanna rocking in a photo. So you know it had to be hot! Cool, one down two more to go! Then I saw a long, gold chain with interlocking hoops that looked ridiculous…in a good way! I envisioned myself wearing a plunging neckline and donning this in-you-face necklace. I soooooo had to get it. So I picked it up and started the search for the last necklace to add to my collection.

Okay, the last one took a while to find. After a few minutes (which actually felt like eternity), I found a shiny silver necklace that was adorned cute chain links. I took all three necklaces to the cashier, paid for them and pranced merrily out of the store. I was sooo happy with my purchase. I basically got all three necklaces for the price of one! Even with the tax, it came up to $17!? Okay, I am the bargain diva! Holla!

-Michelle

Beauty 411

Drugstore Beauty

I actually like makeup, but my application skills.....well, that’s another story. I normally slap on a gold tone eye shadow to my lids, brush on some mascara, and I’m good to go. If I’m feeling particularly adventurous, I’ll blend in a dark colour to add some pizzazz to my peepers!

On my day off from work I found myself at Walmart (yes, the fun never stops!), and I perused the makeup aisle. I was actually on the hunt for green eye shadow. I saw an advertisement with Rihanna wearing a cute combo of green and beige eye shadow, and I was hell-bent on finding that colour quad. Advertising works, eh!

I walked over to the Covergirl section and I found the eye shadow combo that I saw in the magazine. I liked the colour but decided not to get it because it didn’t quite complement my skin tone. I walked a little further down and I spotted Emerald Smokes—a green eye shadow quad from Maybelline. I liked the selection of khaki and dark green, but wondered what it would look like on my skin. I decided to get it because it was only 6.97!

When I got ready for work the next morning, I opted to debut my new eye shadow. I read the easy to follow instructions on the back of the quad. It didn’t take long to apply.....and grrls, my eyes looked FIERCE!! My eyes appeared wider and completely refreshed. It was exactly what I’ve been looking for.

Michelle

Happygrrl of the Month

DivaGirl Fitness

Laura Furtado

Diva is the female version of a hustla, of a hustla of a hustla. Those are the lyrics to Beyoncé’s hit single, Diva, but it’s also the perfect description of Laura Furtado. She is a driven, self-proclaimed workaholic who accomplishes everything that she sets her sites on.

I’ve been obsessed with Laura for at least 3 years now. I’ve heard about her legendary sensual dance classes (they were previously known as Laura Furtado's Sensual Dance For Women, and now go by the super cute name, DivaGirl Fitness) but I have yet to take one. Yes, despite being fully aware of the classes for quite some time, I embarrassingly haven’t had the privilege of taking any of them. I know.... shame on me and my lazy ass!

I realize that I should be more active and work out, but I’ve never had any interest in going to the gym. When I first heard about Laura’s sensual dance classes, I knew that it was something that I would enjoy. It’s not like a typical workout routine; women can get fit and feel healthy by dancing and having a good time. The fact that her classes incorporate a sexy vibe was also quite appealing to me. I’ll admit that I am freakishly fascinated with pole dancing and Strip to Fit classes, however, my timidity got the better of me. I felt a little nervous and insecure twirling up and down on a pole and pretending to strip for all to see. However, I have promised myself that I will conquer that fear soon and partake in one of her classes!

Over the past few years I’ve received Laura’s e-mails and newsletters and I’ve witnessed her become more and more successful. She started off only offering classes in Brampton, and she has now branched out by offering classes all across the GTA. There are even classes in Montreal!

Not only has she been successful with her dance classes, she has singlehandedly become a powerful brand. She has evolved into a multi-faceted empire, simply called DivaGirl Inc., which includes DivaGirl Fitness, DivaGirl Entertainment and the newest division, DivaGirl Beauty.

After receiving her latest e-mail, I decided that it was time to contact her. I had to meet her. I heard about her for so long I felt it was time to share her story.

I met her at 9:00AM on a Saturday morning for coffee. We spoke about her passion for dance (pssst...she’s been dancing since she was 6 years old!), the fact that she’s too busy to sleep, and that she has plans on writing a book. Check out what else I learned about her...

What inspired you to pursue dance as a career?

I kinda fell into it. I used to teach private hip hop classes and I started taking sexy dance classes with Sophie Luxton in Toronto. I eventually became a member of a sexy exotic troupe. I thought, “This is wicked!” So I found out more about the [sexy dance] trend happening in L.A. and then the person that I was teaching hip hop classes asked me, “Why don’t you start your own classes?”

Why haven’t you opened your own dance studio?

I didn’t want to be stuck in one location. I wanted to create a movement. In order to create a movement, you can’t sit still.

I thought to create a community where we are all freelance instructors. That is why DivaGirl has the potential to grow anywhere.

DivaGirl Fitness encompasses the DivaGirl licensee program in which we get other instructors on board to run their own DivaGirl classes in various cities. It’s my certification program. I certify instructors with sexy dance fitness classes.

How did you come up with the name?

I wanted something catchy that was going to be marketable. I’m very big on marketing and business and I know that if I wanted to have longevity, I had to make it fun.

I used the word “Diva” because it’s all about feeling confident, strong and taking charge of your own life—which is pretty much what our classes are based on. The word “Girl” plays off the playfulness of women.

Why did you change the name?

With Sensual Dance people got the wrong idea. They thought that the classes were more exotic, like stripping—which we teach (Strip to Fit), but we also offer other types of dance.

If I stuck with Laura Furtado Sensual Dance For Women, I would have been limited to the path of just dancing, which is great, but I think the drawback of dancers is if you just dance, you have limited opportunities. If you try to reposition it to encompass other areas of development, you will grow so much.

What dance styles do you offer?

Sexy Pole, Sexy Jazz Dancing, Show Girl, Strip to Fit (the most popular!), Belly dance, Broadway jazz, Caribbean Soul/Reggaeton, Dance grooves, Dancehall reggae, Girl-a-licious, Hip hop belly dance, Kama, Samba, Zumba, among others.

Have you considered offering classes in other locations?

My goal is to be in every major Canadian city.

What response have you gotten from your students?

They are extremely loyal. Some people have been with me since day one. Some clients say that I’m fun, and easy going. But I’m also a hard teacher in the sense that I really push people. I’m very energetic and full of life. I like seeing others get into it.

I get calls from women saying that they want to dance sexy. They want to dance sexy for their husband. I think it’s becoming more acceptable now.

What do you think about the shows—So You Think You Can Dance Canada, America’s Best Dance Crew etc?

It’s awesome. It’s about time that dance has been put in the limelight. There is so much talent that’s out there.

Can men attend?

No, we are a community of women who encourages women to get fit, have fun and feel sexy!

And with that last question the battery in my tape recorder died. Laura and I continued to chat like BFFs for half an hour more and I promised to take one of her dance classes. Wish me luck!

-Michelle