All posts by Jeeva Ganeshan

I am an Indian Sri Lankan American, mother, coder, runner and free spirit. Cinnamon Spirit is my first social column and has been a vessel to transport our thoughts to all who find our content relevant and useful. We hope to be a positive influence on the young and influence our communities to embrace our natural beauty.

10 Fashion tips for our men!

1. Short sleeved shirts and ties do not go together : The NASA control room look may come back in the future but it is not happening right now. This look is a definite no no for business.

2. Own a two button jacket that fits well: This is a must have for work and semi casual occasions. Remember to button up at all times other than when you are seated.cinnamon-spirit-two-button-jacket

3. Bow ties plus a shot of confidence: We are for this traditional look but in today’s world you need a shot of confidence to pull this off. Ladies do like bow ties

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4. Match your tie with the width of your lapel: If your lapel is wide, go for a wider ties and vice-versa if narrow. Mixing a narrow tie with a wide lapel is a no no.

5. Your belt should match your shoes in color and texture : When buying shoes, consider investing in matching belts. Mixing these colors can be tricky, unless you are planing on wearing something funky for fun.

6. Big baggie pants make you look short: Do not wear them unless you want to look shorter

7. Trousers should be long enough: They should be long enough so they cover the top of your shoes and do not expose your socks. It’s only when you are seated, should your socks be visible.

8. Socks should match your pants: When buying pants, try to match your socks to pants in other hues. That way, when you remove your shoes or are seated, your socks blend with your pants and don’t break up the ensemble.

9. Ties should reach your belt buckle: It has become more common for men to wear ties longer than the belt buckle but this is the most desirable length. Anything shorter would seem sloppy.

10. Properly knotted ties have a dimple in the middle: Try the different kinds of tie knots such as the Four-hand-knot, Windsor-knot or the Pratt knot. Depending on what you prefer, they can range in width.

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Foundations for dark skin tone

Finding a suitable foundation that works for  our skin tone can be tricky. Here are some tips for you to find something you love wearing everyday. The idea is to match your skin tone and give it a smooth, natural look.

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  • Test 3 shades that you think will work on your jawline. Resist the urge to blend and wait five minutes for it to settle.
  • If you have oily skin, go one shade lighter
  • If you have dry skin or wrinkles, powders can accentuate this problem.
  • When using a foam foundation, shake well, pump a quarter-size blob into your palm, then stipple it onto your face with a damp sponge. This will keep the bubbles intact till it gets to your skin and spreads evenly.
  • When in doubt, look for warmer bronze shades to avoid the ashy look.
  • We’ve included the price of these products so you can go out and experiment with what suits you.

1. Becca Ever Matte Shine Proof FoundationThis product has four different shades for darker tones, making it much easier to find your match….$US42.00cinnamon-spirit-becca

2. Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation: The darkest shade, espresso, has a tiny bit of sparkle, giving you an all-over glow that’s noticeable even on your chocolate skin….US$ 40.00

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3. Lancôme Teint Visionniare Foundation: It comes with a spot corrector, perfect to combat manchas or patches in skin tone…         US$ 60.00

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4. Makeup Forever HD Foundation: This one includes five different shades of brown and is oil-free….US$42.00

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5. Black Opal Foundation Stick: This brand is formulated specifically for brown skin, so it’s guaranteed to meet your needs. Plus it is one fourth the price of some others…US$ 10.00

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6. Fashion Fair Oil-Free Perfect Finish Foundation: This cream-to-powder foundation comes with 17 different shades of brown and glides on without that caked-on look that often happens when using powder foundations…. US$ 25.00

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7. Clinique Even Better Foundation: This compact foundation comes with many deep shades, and it also combats dry skin…         US$ 32.00

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8. Covergirl Queen Collection All Day Flawless Foundation: No need to drive yourself nuts trying to find matching products — this is a primer, concealer, and foundation all in one….US$ 12.00

9. L’Oreal True Match Super Blendable Foundation: The name speaks for itself. The variety of shades blend smoothly into skin, leaving a natural, fresh-faced finish… US$ 11.00

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10. Urban Decay Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup: The three dark shades address your specific undertones too, making it a flawless match… US$ 39.00

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This article has gathered it’s information from ‘s work for the Cosmopoliton,  Alden Wicker‘s post for LearnVest and Erica Smith‘s article for TotalBeauty.com.

Embracing one’s identity is beautiful. We love that!

So, yes I have to root for this girl. First she is a nerd, second she attended University of Michigan, third she is gorgeously brown and fourth… she participated in pageants to pay off school. Moments like this I am proud to say I am American.

From Miss New York

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She dazzled the audience with her confident and positive outlook on American  integration and continued with a fushion performance of classical Indian and Bollywood dance ( checkout this link for the video)cinnamon-spirit-nina-davuluri-indian

Oh did I mention… confidence is the color yellow?

What a great ambassador for America! Go Nina!
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Classic hair that shows off your fabric and skin

Long, bold dresses with classic tight hairstyles is back.

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It draws attention to your facial features and clothing.

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Pair up bold colors like red, green or white with brocade and flaunt your skin.

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All about that bass, ’bout that bass….

Love the skin you’re in …. that’s a popular tagline however our skin is like a house plant or pet that needs regular TLC (Tender Loving Care)

Neglect can make it feel sad and the by product … you look sorry. Eeek!cinnamon-spirit-male-model-face

Whether a man or a woman, this four step, 5 minute routine should improve the health of your skin 30 percent and make a visible difference within a week. Get ready to bare it all and look fabulous!

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  • Cleanse …. You don’t need a fancy cleanser! Find a soap free, oil free cleanser at the drug store, which should cost around $US 10.00. Cetaphil, Boscia, Purity, Neutrogena, Clinique… they are all good.
  • Tone … Find a toner that is water based and make sure it has no alcohol or glycerin. Again, this does not have to be expensive. Neutrogena and Boots have toners for under 5 bucks. Toners help with the PH balance, freshens the skin and repairs it.
  • Moisturize … This is the last step to perfect skin. Give your skin a little moisture if it is off dry to normal skin type. If you have oily skin, you can skip this step. Find a mild, perfume free moisturizer. My favorites under $20 is Josie Maran, Cerave, ROC and Neutrogena.
  • Finally…repeat this routine every night. Or twice a day. It just does not work when you do it once in a while…

Confidence is the color … yellow!

My Mother always said yellow was the color for dark skin and I believe it now. It requires a certain confidence to pull off but man does it generate cynosure.

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Lakshmi Menon combines her dusky beauty with ease on the runway.  Her skin makes the red and orange look so good!

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MIA – champion of people who grew up in tough situations like hers….

My favorite rapper/entertainer. She is creative, out-spoken, gorgeous and rocks the music world with her unique style.

Including samples of traditional Tamil sounds, this Sri Lankan born Tamil Rock star opens up about talking her way into an English Public School, America not getting her message and the Super Bowl fiasco.

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For those who don’t know about MIA AKA Mathangi, listen to her interview with National Public Radio (NPR)

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Beautiful Brown Girl

Maybe it’s the clear skin, distinctive eyes, the eye and face makeup, the jewelry or just the color of her skin! It just works.

In particular I like the way her makeup is done.  Slight blush to accentuate her cheek bones and the dark outline of lipstick that keeps things natural. She has served as my poster child on several occasions  to help my glamour effort….simply because our skin tone is almost the same.

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What is Cinnamon Spirit?

The story of Cinnamon Spirit, one can say started last week… or is as old as I am or older.

It’s no lie that media and society has fallen short of giving the beautiful dark skinned people of the world their proper representation. This is an effort to rectify that problem.

We want to showcase the beauty of being brown. We want to talk about fashion, health, technology and social demeanor that suits brown skinned people. We want to turn the spotlight on dark skin tones.

Our intent is to have the following sections

  • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
  • Health
  • Technology
  • Real People