My Style Icons: The Prodigal Daughter Returns

MY STYLE ICONS: THE PRODIGAL DAUGHTER RETURNS

STYLE ICON(n): A PERSON, PLACE, OR THING THAT SYMBOLIZES STYLE

PRODIGAL DAUGHTER(n): A FEMALE WHO HAS LEFT HOME AND WANTS TO RETURN.

Ever try tiptoe-ing back into a relationship with someone when you know you *bleeeeepppped* up? Hey, it's me, and I'm tiptoeing :-/. Typing on eggshells here hoping not to receive the thrashing I deserve for being so abruptly neglectful. I mean it's not your fault that I have a day job that moonlights as a night job right?  I sat around for months wondering what could I possibly have to say good enough to be listened to after being silent for so long. I decided to share with you what I've been recently interested in and I'm going to "hail Mary full of grace" pray that you click your heels when you read it and declare"there's no place like home." Now, I know I will need to prove my love to you all over again but in my best Faith Evans impression I'm singing to you "onnneeee more chaaaannncceee."

Yeah so, what exactly am I talking about today? STYLE ICONS. *slides open wooden creaky door* Father, forgive me for I have sinned; I have been in a FUNK with fashion. I think we all hit points in life where the things we normally crave just don't do it for us anymore. I was bored with everything around me fashion wise but like a wise person (named Fly11) once told me "it takes a boring person to be bored." That's when I realized it was up to me to find my own inspiration for fashion and allow it to remind me of why I change clothes 27 times a day and become just a little off kilter if my earrings don't match my outfit. MY STYLE ICONS did it. These ladies below are not only my girl crushes but women who inspire me to put just a little more effort into my hair, my makeup, my clothes, my shape, my everything really. These are MY STYLE ICONS and I hope you enjoy.

1. EVA PIGFORD

INSPIRATION: Short hair don't care! When Eva first stepped on the scene via Tyra Bank's smashing hit reality show, America's Next Top model, I was shock-stricken. Yes she was beautiful but in a very rebellious sort of way. Here was an African American woman, romancing mainstream camera's and audiences with her moody short hair in a world of horsehair divas. Some days it was soft and gentle with a romantic curliness and other days it was razor-sharp and angry with it's spikes and tall stance. Never was it luke.warm. The way she carries ANY style they give her is more of a nod to her confidence than her unfairly flawless facial features. Daring! From color to cut...EVA's style screams "oh yeah? try me," and this bold attitude is much needed in THIS life.

2. NIA LONG 

INSPIRATION: Just timeless...and for all the RIGHT reasons(No Kim K and Ray J demos). She came onto the scene as our princess and we watched her emerge into a queen! Nia has maintained her class and regality throughout pregnancies, relationship failures, and career mishaps. Her style embodies a very trendy sex appeal that never crosses the line. I have always considered the true test of a woman's natural beauty to be how she handles pregnancy and as you can see from the pics...Nia maintained her FLY very well. Her style's focus is also confidence as her face always seems to say *cues techno beat* "I'm sexy and I know it" while sporting the right clothes to match her attitude. Her hallmark for me however, is the perfect way in which she balances sex appeal, fashion, class, and confidence.

3. KELIS

INSPIRATION: Freedom...we all crave it while Kelis dominates it. I can say with certainty I don't always agree with her style choices but I can tell she doesn't care; and this my friends is key. Style longs to evolve and change whether radically or slightly. Kelis reminds me that it's okay to make radical changes when I want and to make them for me, not for the approval of others. She and I tend to have a hair coloring fetish in common although she jumps off bridges with hers while I just let me feet dangle off the edge. Not to mention, she's just gorgeous; even though she had the best gift in the world also known as Nasir Jones and she gave it away. A free-spirited wild child with a vintage calling who seizes every day as if it is her last is something I can definitely turn to. I've woken up before and wished for pastel pink highlights to go with my blond hair color and I know that if none of you would ever talk to me again, Kelis would. *smiles*



So when I'm feeling bombshelter low and lethargic in regards to my style...I turn to these women for encouragement and through their photographs they tell me to "get up and go get fly." Who are your style icons?

Honorable Mentions:

Omnia Vincit More | Fashion Conquers All

A CALI COMEUP: GO 'HEAD & PUSH MY BUTTONS!

New random obsession I have in acessory land is .... button earrings.
I honestly think when you go natural (About 2 yrs in now) you start to explore with
your personal style. Post type earrings were always seen as a no-no to me… a
true child of the 80’s big hoops craze. (see my Bamboo earrings from my MAMA! http://bit.ly/rhelsk )

I picked a random shop on Etsy and clicked purchase… then……

LOVE THEM!! my three pairs came in cute little boxes wrapped in pink ribbons
within DAYS! They are pretty true to size and noticeable even with my huge hair
in the way. Only drawback was I wish I was able to track the shipment (did not
rcv a shipment notification via email) Besides that I would most def recommend
this shop. Thanks for the great service!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/prisstheshop

If you check them out tell em Cali sent ya.
Anything #DOPE is #CaliApproved

Follow me on Twitter @Cali_B for all things #Dope

The Hair Chronicles! To Be Continued...

Hello all! It has been 5 months since the BC(big chop) and I've really just been going with the flow. However, now that winter is almost here, I know that I need to work on my protective styles. I have been rocking my fro all full and free for the last couple of months, so last night I decided to go head and... twist.

I hadn't twisted my hair since the summer, probably because it is so time consuming, but I had some free time last night so I thought...what the hek! Three hours and 1/3 jar of curly pudding later I had my style. I tried to start off my two-strands skinny... but as your hands get tired you start grabbing bigger sections of hair. Especially since my hair, in my opinion, is growing pretty fast!

The following pics are of my two strands, then and now... You can see a bit more length this time!

In these last couple of months I have tried a couple of different natural hair products and kept using some that I have been using since I was a kid. Luster's Pink Oil Moisturizer Hair Lotion has always been my friend and my hair seems to still like it. My all time favorite hair grease is BB's Super Gro, it's light and gets the job done. I also really like Shea Moisture product; the curl&shine shampoo and the curl enhancing smoothie. To twist my hair I sometimes will use Jamaican Mango&Lime locking gel or Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding. I really like the curly pudding it doesn't contribute to too much shrinkage, at the same time it's not that heavy... and it smells good!

So No! I haven't given up... I am still rocking the natural. I haven't died or fried it...yet! LOL! The best part is, that I am really enjoying my hair journey and I love sharing it with you! Till next text... Thanks for reading another page of my Hair Chronicles!!

Omnia Vincit More Fashion Conquers All

"Too Pretty for Homework..." T-shirt Uproar Shuts Down Sales

Being a feminist in tranistion to a womanist, my natural inclination was to shoot out copies of my 4.0 gpa graduate school transcripts to every JCPenney store in the United States upon viewing this "I'm too pretty to do homework so my brother does it for me"t-shirt that was being sold online by the company. The message crosses a multitude of lines beginning with female oppression and reaching all the way to unhealthy self-esteem. However, women are the number one consumers in the marketplace for a good reason....we are GREAT at allowing them to make us feel like we're not pretty enough and it didn't start with nor will it end with this t-shirt.

Being a teacher puts this ideal of pretty clashing with intelligent into a new perspective because I see repeatedly that girls are indeed outperforming boys in the classroom and recent research on college degree holders also supports this change in trend...at least as it relates to the black community. I've watched sets of paternal twins come through my classroom and each time, the girl twin earned much higer grades than the male twin. But again, this is in regards to the black community. This concept of, "I'm too beautiful to think" seems to be growing out of control as we revisit the age of young girls referring to themselves as Barbies(thanks Nicki MiNOT) and becoming all too familiar with acrylic and lip gloss before they can solidly write a research paper. I hiss at not only the disservice this does to young girls but also to young boys by training them to believe women are to be seen and not heard and that their "boy parts" alone will make them smart. This negatively impacts male/female relationships by projecting gender roles that undermine the most important task of a couple and that's teamwork.

Despite all that is clearly wrong with this t-shirt, including it's horribly tacky design, I've come to a crossroads about the way it's been handled. The question I am inclined to ask is "Why do we need people to police us?" JCPenney resorted to pulling the t-shirt off of their website (it wasn't available in stores) due to outrage spurned by clothing designer Melissa Wardly reposting a tweet on Facebook and Laura Todd's online petition on Change.org that was viralized by women's right organizer Shelby Knox via the same media outlets. On the surface it seems to be a victory for women's rights however when deeply analyzed, it just might be a loss for human rights. Freedom of speech is one of the most valuable privileges one can have, as expressing differences of opinions is what makes us all unique. Thus, I can't support the fact that the company was forced to stop selling this merchandise simply because a great deal of people didn't care for the message. This seems to be a fanciful cover-up of a freedom of speech rights violation that finds itself in a pile marked "unnecessary" because after all, consumers do have the option of simply not buying the t-shirt. The more powerful message would've been to see the t-shirt for sale and keep our money in our pockets out of disgust; but I think people at least deserve that option of making their own decisions.

This is a sticky situation that JCPenney has gotten us into and it appears there wasn't really a way to fix this, even though the company has issued an apology statement to the masses. A few months ago, David and Goliath-makers of message tees, went under fire for their shirts that read "Future Trophy Wife" and "I'm Too Pretty for Math." But I haven't heard anyone vocalize disgust for their "Boys are Stupid, Throw Rocks at Them" message tee yet....don't worry, I'll wait. What we seem to be promoting is an agenda just as lopsided as the "others" who don't want to respect the brain power of women by stepping on freedom of speech to get our way; making us something more like bullies than advocates. The solution to the ill's that lie deep within gender roles will not begin with the pulling of a message tee. It will begin when we fight just as fiercely for human rights as we do for women's right. For once, I would just like to see people make the right decisions on their own and not because they've been left without a choice in the matter. Fashion is about freedom and while it does have a responsiblity for what it perpetuates, it is also vulnerable to being ignored. When we don't like something, don't support it but controlling others freedom of expression is a dealbreaker. I am a woman and I approve this message(not the one on the t-shirt though).

Omnia Vincit More | Fashion Conquers All

The Hair Chronicles! Curly Nikki MeetUp

Curly Nikki STL MeetUp

The energy in the building was electric!

I honestly did not know what to expect for this event. All I did know was: nine months ago I decided to go natural, 2 months ago I did the big chop, and a month later I went to rsvp for this Curly Nikki event. I did not know much about Nikki, before my big chop, but right before I cut my relaxed hair out of my head… I looked her up. I watched blogs, I read articles, and I visited websites… I even downloaded the app to my iPod touch. Curly Nikki is definitely doing it big for natural beauties!

I pulled up to Exo and saw the array of natural hair beauties and it was an ahah moment! Who said that natural hair was not beautiful? Smh! Not only were these ladies beautiful but in abundance! I had not seen Exo packed like this in a long time and it felt good. It felt good to walk through those doors, through those natural hair beauties, and thank that natural hair lady who was responsible for the evening… Nikki! This STL meetup was sponsored by the absolutely fantabulous Shea Moisture, and there were gift bags for the first 350 guest. The event had a calm feel, appetizers, drinks, and lots of lots of hair chat.

When I first walked in the event, the view was amazing. I proceeded to walk through the dozens upon dozens of women that all seem to be having a good time. As I went upstairs, even more people and to my surprise some men…LOL! I guess they knew that this was the place to be and that it would be packed with women. Not only was the inside full but the outside was filling up just as quickly… all of this in the name of natural hair!

I could not help but feel proud… proud that I made this choice and that I wasn’t alone. As I went around talking to people and hearing their stories I noticed the variety of styles, textures, and lengths. It was amazing how you had all of these different looks on the heads of these women and no relaxer. As the cameras were flashing and the conversations were going the room turned their attention to our host for the evening, Nikki! I won’t go in on who she is and where she’s from because I want you to check her out for yourself @ http://www.curlynikki.com/

The event was coming to a close but nowhere near over. Thanks to Made Monarchs the event rolled right into the after party, also at Exo. When I left I didn’t feel exhausted or ready to leave, I felt rejuvenated, full of ideas and reassurance… I was walking tall and rubbing my fingers through my natural hair. Getting more compliments than I could give and thinking to myself, yes, natural hair is beautiful… and this is only the beginning!

*Thanks to all the lovely ladies that allowed me to take/post their pictures**

Cali's Got Sole: It's Ok If You're Flat!

In the words of my girl @Fly11 "Flats need personality!" NO we were not talking about breast size, but shoes.

Flats are already at the bottom of the sexy totem poll. There is no heel to give your calves that good ol "I work out" look. No height to make all of your skirts a bit more risky so..... Flats need their own little bit of UMPH.

Sunday I was summoned by the Shoe Gods to DSW..... to browse of course. Green was on my mind for some odd reason. In my profession as a Trainer comfortable shoes are a must. From standing to give presentations or running around desk to desk I need to be cute but on the move. Fall is upon us so it was time to get some jazzy flats.

I bought the ones on the right. Here's why

• Left shoes were turquoise CK's, very pliable leather but wider than needed, made my feet look huge
  


• Rhinestones on the heel & toe can easily give off a "cheap" look or a trend... I am the Anti-Trend
  


• Flats on the right have a unique pattern .... and were on clearance.... SCORE! LOVE EM
  

The new additions are Batik by b.o.c ( Born Concept). On sale for $29.70. They even have cushion patches on the arch and heels spots. http://www.dsw.com/shoe/b.o.c.+by+born+women

I might have to pair one of Fly11's pencil skirt ideas with the new shoes :) check them out here http://bit.ly/r9gFJ8

These babies are #CaliApproved

What to Do When Your Heels Are On Crack: Tips and Treatment

With the three hundred and twenty degrees temp's we've been experiencing this summer, you would think sweat could moonlight for lotion right? Maybe on some bodies but apparently not mine as a certain area seems to get drier during the months of hell's convention; this area is none other than my feet(which my mother says look like hands). Perhaps it's because we tend to bear them nudely during the summer, making them susceptible to contact with an invisible heel cracking monster ghost type of being. Whatever the case, my feet have been nothing short of dehydrated this summer.

As some of you may have realized from my daily twitpics of my foot, I've been recovering the entire summer from a broken foot injury. Naturally, when something is broken the last thing you want to do is touch it, thus my broken foot went on vacation from the vigorous scrubbing it's used to. I was at my wits end with my feet and entirely sick of looking at the raised white flesh that was screaming "hi I'm dead skin, can you funeralize me please?" Having a broken foot made me a little leary of nail shops so I resorted to at home treatment. My journey led me to discover a PHENOMENAL product that has turned my rugged heels into glideable slopes along with a few other techniques that I will share. Somehow I doubt that I'm the only person who comes home after a nice scorching adventure outdoors with heels that feel like they belong on Kung-Fu Panda's body. So save yourself the frustration by using the tips below.

My Life-Saver :

Toe the Line from Bath and Body Works 

($15.00 or Buy 2 Spa products and get 1 free)

I used this product daily along with a generic foot file which I actually prefer over a pumice stone for scrubbing away dead skin. Both tools can be purchased at any local Wallyworld-ish type of store, self-checkout is recommended.


Tips for Finding and Keeping Soft Heels

Foot Soaks: Luckily for me I take baths nightly so these double as my "foot soaking" action but if you are a shower-taker then you will need to set aside at least 20 minutes to soak your feet in water daily or until the skin on your feet becomes baby bottom smooth. Any container that will comfortably fit both feet will do but a foot bath or massager is recommended.

What to put into your Foot Bath? There are many options that can be as simple or extensive as you would like:
1. Mild Liquid Soap
2. Vinegar(used for anti-fungal purposes) or Lemon Juice. My nail spa actually uses freshly cut lemons in the water which is also good but mixing the water with lemon juice is more effective.
3. Essential Oils (peppermint being one of my faves) with herbs such as sage (also a fave).
4. Then you have yummy recipes such as this one:

• 1 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup of milk
• cinnamon for fragrance
• Water (temperature and amount are not important)

*always wash and rinse off your feet after soaking*

Foot File or Pumice Stone: the benefit of the foot soak is not only relaxation but skin softening. Soaking the feet helps to make dead skin visible and easier to remove. The tool for removing dead skin is either a foot file which truly serves an emory board for your skin or a pumice stone. From my experience, foot files work better for removing dead skin while pumice stones are perfect for smoothing the skin out once dead skin has been removed. So yes, I actually use both...slay me. To get the most out of this process use a formula like the "Life-Saver" pictured above. It serves as scrub that aids in making the heels even smoother when using the Foot File for more intense dead skin removal. The Toe the Line product pictured above is also the perfect option to use when you don't have time to dedicate to a foot soak but know your feet need a little T.L.C.  My shortcut is to apply the scrub above to the bottom of my feet and then use a foot file to exfoliate.

Sleeping in Socks: This is an age old remedy that still works like it's brand new. After going through the dead skin removal process, slather either very thick moisturizer made for feet or good old petroleum jelly onto your feet. Be sure to rub in the moisturizer thoroughly, focusing on the roughest area with a deep massaging motion. Finally cover with the thickest pair of socks you can find. You can actually find thick and soft socks in the bath and body section of any convenience store that will work perfectly. In the morning your feet will be noticeably but not miraculously softer. This tip works best when it is used consistently. If you stick with it, you will be AMAZED at the results and I bet your beau will be begging you to rub your feet against him then....or maybe I'm the only one who likes rubbing my feet against people *hangs head*,

Dry on the Outside = Dry on the Inside: This can't be stressed enough and despite how much it seems to be OVER stressed, we still end up not listening. Guess what I'm going to say? *the crowd says in unison* DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. Well if you all would listen, I wouldn't have to keep repeating myself :). It is true, water is full of miracles for our body....makes sense that most of our world is filled with it. As essential as water is to our bodies, because we don't immediately go into shock when we don't drink it, there are still some of us who will go an entire day without consuming even ONE cup of water *angry mother face.* So our body sends us warning signs, dry skin is one of them. You may say, "Well I do drink water though." Each body is different and depending on what you do throughout the day you just may need to consume more water than the average person. If dry skin ever presents itself, simply try drinking more water and see what a difference it makes. This is especially critical in the summertime when dehydration is a most viable enemy.

Omnia Vincit More | Fashion Conquers All

Freaky Muscato Wine Tasting: Exclusive Interview with Kyjuan and Murphy Lee

 (Photo: Murphy Lee, Fly11, and Kyjuan)

On Wednesday eve, the masterminds behind Freaky Muscato-a fastly growing brand of Moscato wine, hosted a private wine tasting at the Grand Marais Golf House in Centreville, IL. This event was geared towards alcohol distributors and media outlets in an effort to further expand the brands audience, which isn't hard to do if you have a good product. The verdict is in, the stories out, and the streets are buzzing because it has been confirmed and decided that Freaky Muscato is without hesitation, an excellent product. As St.Lunatic's member Kyjuan would later say during our evening banter, "It's strong enough for a man but sweet enough for a woman." I wonder if he knew he was writing all the crafty parts of my blogpost...hmmm. The event started a little off schedule but the staff was very accommodating and apologetic about the time delay which led to an enjoyable evening. I was given an opportunity to snag an interview with the brand owners Murphy Lee and Kyjuan, both popularly known for their success with the St.Louis based rap group were Nelly got his start, the St. Lunatics. Checkout the exclusive interview with Murph and Kyjuan below, pics from the event, and Murphy Lee's latest single that can be heard banging out of speakers all around St. Louis.  Next time you are out and about, try a bottle of Freaky Muscato-a wine that delivers just as much taste as it does kick. 

Exclusive Interview

Q: Why would I buy your Moscato over all the others on the shelf?
Muprhy Lee: The other ones are BORING! (laughter)
Kyjuan: The other ones are normal....this is that wine that, you know how you go over your family house for like dinner and they tell everybody to bring something and you bring that $8.99 jug of wine and they be drinking that all day, and then you bring that one bottle in and they be like "Oh nah I gotta get some of that!"
Fly11: So it's different?
Kyjuan: Oh definitely that's what it is, it's freaky, freaky is different.

Q: Where did the interest in creating a Moscato come from?
Kyjuan: Well, me and Murph...we really only drink wine, we started off nine years ago drinking Pinot Grigios, then we moved to Riesling, then went to Moscato about six years ago. We took a lot of the flack that everybody always brings up when someone says "Hey I'll buy you a drink what you want?" and you be like "Pinot Grigio" and they be like "Hey! Thats a girl drink! Man, what you doin? You might as well get a cherry." (laughter). When a lot of people go to a bar, they ask for a Moscato but when you ask for a vodka your gonna say Grey Goose, Belvedere...you're gonna ask for a kind, Moscato doesn't have a face yet.
Fly11: So you saw an open market?
Kyjuan: We saw an open market, especially when you're hearing the gangsters with full grills rapping about it, talking about "Moscato, Moscato, I ain't buyin out the bar unless they got Moscato." (laughter)

Q: On a scale of 1-10, how successful has Freaky Muscato been in your opinion?
Kyjuan: My personal opinion, a ten.
Fly11: Why?
Kyjuan: Because I've been through this before, this is music, it's just a different type of ten dollars. When you see people working a project, without you even really working it, it really let's you know that you got something. We waited, we sat back, and Schnucks came to us...they went and bought it on their own without us setting up a meeting, that means we did our work in the street so it's like music. When labels come and get you, that's a good feeling.
Fly11: So you were able to use what you've learned through music to sell and distrubute your product?
Kyjuan: Definitely.


Q: What market has responded best to your product?
Kyjuan: St. Louis, it's where we started first, we are branching out right now. We are in Louisville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Nashville, Kansas Cityall the way down to St. Louis and St. Louis all the way up to Chicago and we're working on Georgia. So it's moving fairly fast with us coming out in November. No one has ever seen a liquor come from the bottom up, like even Ciroc, Ciroc was out for 8 years before Puff got on it.


Q: When Moscato is no longer as popular, what's your plan?
Kyjuan: Aw we good! (laughter) But you know we got different brands in the works right now, we got the Pink coming, we got a vodka coming very soon...
Fly11: You said Pink, what's Pink?
Kyjuan: A pink Freaky, like a Rose, we have a vodka coming, Freaky V at the end of the year and we have a flat wine coming. See the thing about wine and the thing about a lot of people, is that they scared to say that they don't really want that hard drink. So a lot of times they go towards the pink Moet, they go towards the Rose because it's sweeter, they mix they drink because it's sweeter. That's why we made the bottle the size it is so it's doesn't feel girly; it's a celebration bottle. You don't need a tool, it's 11.5% so it's strong enough for you. It's reasonable, it's great, it's not overpriced, it's worth every penny.
Fly11: I will admit, it's a very unique product. I'm a wine drinker and I've never had a white wine as strong. It's a powerful product that does exactly what I want it to do.
Kyjuan: Thank you. If you find something stronger than 7.5% or 8% a lot of times it's nasty because they make it too strong. So we made it sweet and strong. We came up with a whole system to cover all the angles that people wouldn't like.

Q: Where can I buy Freaky Moscato?
Kyjuan: We are in over 14 Schnucks, Dirt Cheap, Randalls, any hood liquor store. If you get lost you can go on DrinkFreaky.com and locate us. We are in over 250 stores, we're in Sam's. We are working on some things now like Quiktrip. You can go on DrinkFreaky.com, if you order more than 4 bottles we'll send them to you for free.

Q: How can people find out about your promotional events for Freaky Muscato?
Kyjuan: DrinkFreaky.com or follow me @KyjuanSTL or you can follow @MurphyLee or you can follow @FreakyMuscato on twitter, facebook same thing. We regular, this (points to bottle of Freaky Muscato) is the only thing that's special. Don't freak and drive!

Q: Excellent interview, last words?
Kyjuan: We have an air freshner coming out next month called Air Play, we keepin it real real fresh, this ain't no play. Musically checkout Murphy Lee, Wine, Weed, and Women...the three W's that you need in your life. We're on a Freaky Tour though, we're on a Wine and Women Tour. We are doing about ten cities.
Fly11: When does that kickoff?
Murphy Lee: August 12th, Dallas, Texas the Wine and Women Tour is going down with Murphy Lee live in concert, we pouring Freaky all night for the ladies so it's gon be nice.
Fly11: Where can find out about the locations for the tour?
Murphy Lee: TBA, you can go to Murphyleeucme.com for the dates, they will be up by August 1st.

Murphy Lee's Latest Single: I'm Dat Wut's Dat Poppin

Event Photos

 Kyjuan serving Freaky Muscato

 Attendees enjoying bottles of Freaky Muscato

 Kyjuan and Murphy Lee pose with distributors

 Tonna expressing her enjoyment of Freaky Muscato. She can't believe it's sweet AND strong

Kyjuan signs cases of bottles for one of his distributors

Omnia Vincit More | Fashion Conquers All

Fashion Fair Snags Former Carols Daughter President As Their Own

 (Photo Credit: thestyleandbeautydoctor.com)

The label which our aunts, grandmothers, mothers, and slightly older sister girlfriends have long clinged to since it's launch in 1973 is headed in a new direction. Young sophisticates such as myself, well, we have our M.A.C. stores to worship at but let us never cease to remember that Fashion Fair's existence helped birth many of the brands that boast millions of dollars worth of popularity among young African American women today. Just the other day I spent time with my "not far away" from 50 year old cousin who's skin is so impeccable even her doctor recently asked her, "What are you using on your face?" Her response, "Oh, just Fashion Fair." Though modern day fashionistas and socialites have seperated from the cosmetics brands that opened many doors for women of color, to consort with more trendy brands who woo us with high-pigment eyeshadows, there is STILL some good in this marriage...as evidenced by my older female relatives skin alone (which honestly is flawless by the way)! Thus, this new change in leadership sparks flames of excitement in the atmosphere as make-up junkies, mua's, and occassionals sit back to watch, Clarisa Wilson cast spells on consumers everywhere in her role as Fashion Fair's new President.

(photo credit: wwd.com)

Clarisa Wilson is the epitome of that last Chanel dress (discounted of course) on the rack and it happens to be your size...a miracle of sorts! With her track record of over 20 years of trendsetting and award-winning success in the cosmetics industry, it is hard to imagine she would ever be free for the taking; but she was and Fashion Fair snagged her! Fashion Fair is owned by Johnson Publishing Group, the party responsible for the still beloved JET and Ebony Magazines, making them the leading black independently owned media company. Earlier this month, Johnson Publishing Group secured JPMorgan Chase's Special Investment Group as a source of funding which may have helped them bring Clarisa Wilson onto the staff as President. Wilson, who had been serving as a consultant for Fashion Fair most recently, is accredited with the successful relaunch and exponential expansion of Carol's Daughter. As a result of her vision, Carol's Daughter became more readily available via internet, store counters, catalogs, wholesalers, and more which lead her to receive awards from Indie Brands, Natural Health, and Black Enterprise. Prior to her success with the line that boasts Will and Jada Smith as well as Jay-Z as investors, she served as general manager of L'Oreal USA'S Mizani division which became a favorite of a multitude of African American hairdressers overnight. Her successful leadership of the Mizani team also led to her racking in many accolades, and a few awards.

Wilson is already in powerhouse mode as she shares her first plan of action for the Fashion Fair brand with happi.com which quoted her as saying her strategy is to “leverage the brand’s DNA into the product line so there will be more fashion and color stories, and we will take these stories to the website.” Be on the lookout for the Fashion Fair website's relaunch in mid-August. Women everywhere, join in the buzz of excitement as consumers anxiously await the revitalization of a brand that has achieved pioneer status in this industry.

Omnia Vincit More | Fashion Conquers All

A CALI COMEUP: More Earring Finds

LOVE LOVE LOVE EARRINGS! The simpliest hairdo or outfit can be set off just right with a fly pair of ear icing.

Check out some of my unique favs- all were paid for. I write about stuff I actually like, no bribing/kickbacks here

( and yes... the Bamboo earrings on the left are a pass down from mi madre....She has had them since I was 12 and I am __ yrs young now... every Fly lady should have a pair of old school faithfuls)


ATL- LITTLE FIVE POINTS
I pretty much just need to move to Atlanta….it would be cheaper than the visits and easier on the heart with the family I hate having to leave…. But anyways…
Little Five Points= EVERYTHING USA. One of the few places in the nation people can do what they want, when, and with who and it’s the norm. LOVE IT
You can click the pics for the info on the shops (2 diff vendors) Most of these styles are the norm right now. Truthfully I only bought 1 feather earring on purpose… got an 80’s idea, HA! The Africa shaped earrings are wood but not too heavy to sport, yup yup

DESIGNS BY TRACI
Not only is Traci freaking hilarious (she has a personal & professional twitter page) but creative. I love these designs not only for the colors but shapes. I HAD to have the square ones with the color blocks. That is super old school AND I was always that kid who never went to sleep until the tv went _____________________ flatline. She also has a college team collection. Each purchase $50 or over you get a free tee

Check her out at http://www.dbtcollection.com/

LA BELLA VIDA STYLE
Ok… yall know I’m a FSF (Female Sneaker Fiend for you newbies) and all of Estasha Goodwins earrings let me rock my retro kicks and have the earrings to match. IS THAT AN ATARI JOYSTICK?!?!?!?! YESSSS SUHHHH! Of course my “CALI” customs are in my top ten. They were a random though I had, emailed and BAM… they were made.

You can contact La Bella Vida Style at ESTASHA@GMAIL.COM
And check out some of the work at http://www.etsy.com/shop/LadyDutchess0313?ref=si_shop

Most of the fun of earring shopping is I never really TRY to shop for them. I find my jewels in the most random spots at times (besides my intentional purchases from some of the artist above) If you check them out tell em Cali sent ya.
Anything #DOPE is #CaliApproved

C-ya

Follow me on Twitter @Cali_B for all things #Dope

Relationship Weekly: My name is _____ and I hoard……PEOPLE!

Yup you read that right. Some of them like to think of themselves as the following: well liked, popular, a great networker or a good guy/girl. Truth is they are 1 part user and 3 parts selfish…….. They come in all shapes and sizes and in all walks of your life. There is a thin line between a People Hoarder and someone well connected. The difference lies in the motive……….. Walk with me for a sec

So you broke up weeks, months, even years ago but they just KEEP ON POPPING up in your life….. Is this fair? They come around long enough to make you get the Wayne’s World Dream Waves and a faint smile while thinking back to a happy place. You walk away from this encounter with a teeny tiny glimmer of hope and think “Wow…. (Insert Hoarders name) thought about me enough to call” ….Well um….. SNAP OUT OF IT! That is what People Hoarders do. They collect people in their lives and never let them go. Remember one of the mental defects of a Hoarder is holding on to things due to old memories or “just because”. God Forbid you erase your ex-boyfriends number out of your phone right?... WRONG… let it go! Stop being friends with his sister that you could barely tolerate. Stop going to her homegirls job when you see her car parked out there….really man….really… (NOTE: People Hoarding involves some tactics that are related to #THETHIRST)

We have all been guilty of this, yes even you dear reader. We justify it in all sorts of ways…”She referred me to a good massage therapist” …*side eye but Yes I have heard that one from one of my boys before* …..“Oh he is helping me get a discount on this computer”…… so that is why you are texting him “I miss you” KNOWING damn well he has a new girl? Naw shawty doo-wop, YOU ARE A PEOPLE HOARDER! Ever know a dude who says “I’m still friends with all of my Ex’s”?..... (I WILL GIVE YOU A MOMENT TO ALL SAY THAT PERSONS NAME OUT LOUD AND SLAP YOUR KNEE) Yes my dear, you now have a name for the individual described above.

Wonder WHY People Hoarders exist?

-You make it easy to be hoarded….. Always available…drop everything to tend to this users needs. Not only that you tell the current person in your life lies to make room for this Prairie Dog who keeps poking his/her head back around.

-A possible lack of self esteem on the hoarders end. Think of how amazing it must be to call your honey dips for the last 5 years and not only do they all pick up to talk BUT tell you EVERYTHING they are up to…. Good, bad and otherwise

-Most importantly…….POWER…. mind screwing the hell out of someone to make them feel they have a chance again, or that you really give a darn about if they finished that degree or not….then sliding in a “Hey… can I come through?” *looks at clock….ahem it’s MIDNIGHT* ………yup…. That my friend is POWER

Let me explain why PEOPLE HOARDING is bad. YOU ARE BLOCKING YOUR BLESSING. No I am not going to church on you but shall we have a moment of brutal honesty? Holding on to old feelings or “what if’s” will leave you stuck right there… IN THE PAST. By no means is moving on easy, but neither is quitting smoking. Sometimes you just have to go cold turkey and let it all go. Think of it as cleaning out the closet for new clothes. Now if you are the hoardee then yeah…. Do the math… why give someone the glory of knowing how you are doing when they didn’t want to be a part of that?

Now that you have read this and pointed out the toxic people that are hoarding you, pack them away. File them under “No Thanks” and “Moving Right Along”. Better yet ARE YOU THE HOARDER? Think about how unfair it is for you to Pop Goes the Weasel on some broad you know was super in love with you who you are not ready to settle down with…… let her be. Karma is real. You control yours, don’t Hoard others.

*goes back to online shopping*… after all if I’m done hoarding people… I have room for other things :)

The Hair Chronicles!!

It has been about 20 years and countless jars of relaxer... But when it came to my hair... relaxed is something I didn't feel at all. The chemicals had to stop and finally the big chop!
So I have been asked many times everyday... why did you cut your hair? Why the fro? Why go natural? The real answer, the truth... hm! I could say personal or religious reasons, it's due to hair breakage or hair damage... but the real answer is because I wanted to. I was tired of not wearing my hair the way I really wanted to; tired of it all. I have been wanting to stop relaxing since I graduated high school. However, going to school in the south, hair was gold. Beauty was determined mostly by your hair. I wasn't that confident in myself to do what I wanted so I went with the relaxer.
You want to be unique and stand out, but not for the wrong reasons. You want to be different but not odd. So you fall into this trap to do enough to fit in, but different enough to be noticed. So after senior prom I did not stop relaxing but I did stop going to shops. I mean 1. you save money 2. you save time and 3. you can do mostly what they do yourself. So although I wasn't going natural I did have my natural style. I had styled my hair every different style you can think of, almost every different color. I always looked at my hair and asked myself, "why haven't you gone natural yet?" My hair would grow too fast and every time it grew past my shoulders I would cut it. I wasn't happy with it, I was settling for the relaxer cause I thought it was easier and simpler.
Fortunately when I turned 30 I was done and I wanted to make a decision. So I would spread out the relaxing of my hair more and more till my 31st birthday came around and that was the last time I relaxed it! I let it grow out for 6 months, the new growth was getting longer and longer... I finally stopped thinking about it, cause the more you think about it the less likely you are to go through it... It got to the point where school was out and I had nothing but opportunity.
I got up one morning washed my hair, looked in the mirror and just... cut it! It was gone! Once you cut it, that's it no going back. I looked through pictures of all my relaxed do's and just smh... So I just think that this is just another step on my hairdo ladder! I actually feel more relaxed now then when I had to relax my hair. It was a bit scary. I did not know if I was really going to go through it. But I thought to myself...Ain't nothing to it... but to do it. Just another page in my hair chronicles!








~TeeMichelle *mother/educator/poet*
"At the end of the day... Just do You, after all... hair is fashion too!"

Omnia Vincit More/Fashion Conquers All

Seven Top Models of Color Series: Veronica Webb the Photogenic Writer

Veronica Webb (February 25, 1965-)

“She is extremely organized. Veronica knows what she likes and what path she wants to be on in life,” says designer Rachel Roy. (source: wjs.com)

A timeless beauty and cool people scene cruiser, Veronica Webb continues to be an industry sweetheart who's used her beauty to open a multitiude of doors.  Born to a working class, yet stable family in Detroit, Michigan, Webb dreamed of becoming an animator. Her move to New York in 1983 to attend school led to her discovery as a model just two years later by a makeup artist who crossed her path while shopping in a housewares boutique in Soho. Veronica left school to pursue modeling and modeled her way right into an exclusive contract for Revlon as a company spokesperson, becoming the first black supermodel to receive a major cosmetics company deal. Prior to landing this major deal, she'd walked in a number of high fashion shows and graced the cover of many national and international high fashion magazines. She also had become the face of "Isaac Mizrahi."

Before the Revlon contract, which turned out to be the height of her career, she ventured into acting, appearing in Jungle Fever, a movie written by her former boyfriend Spike Lee. Since that gig, she has landed roles in 11 more movies with her most recent being Dirty Laundry, released in 2006.  She modeled on the runways for designers such as Isaac Mizrahi, Karl Lagerfield, and Chanel. Dabbling with broadcasting, she appeared on Good Morning America and the fashion-focused syndicated show from Vogue mag, Trend Watch.

Having discovered a love for television, she went on to become the co-host for Tim Gunn's Guide to Style show on the Bravo network. However, her work there only lasted for one season before she was replaced by someone far more experienced in the style industry. Her evolution  in the latter years of her career led her into the field of journalism leading her to work as editor-at-large for Interview Magazine, maintain a monthly columun in New York City's Paper Magazine, and also a weekly columin in Italian fashion mag, Panorama. In addition, she has published work in a number of popular print publications. Within the mix of so many activities, she also managed to pen an off kilter sort of autobiography entitled Veronica Webb Sight: Adventures In The Big City, which includes a collection of memoir style essays.  Most recently Webb was added as a contributing editor for Conde Nast's Cookie magazine.

Webb is revered in the industry for her sense of style and widely respected for her journalist creds. She still works in all capacities today and is a popular request for fashion mag profiles and editorials. Being a divorced mom of two keeps her personal life entertaining but in spite of her many obligations and ventures, she never ceases to be at the right event, dressed the right way, and at the right time. Am I the only one who thinks her and Halle Berry are hiding a kinship from us? Hopefully not.

Omnia Vincit More | Fashion Conquers All