OK, it’s Tuesday night. Don’t judge me! Yesterday was one of those why-is-today-so-ridiculously-unproductive days. And today was more of the same.

But last weekend was truly awesome. Last Monday was my birthday weekend. And my friends at Dove Visibly Smooth helped me celebrate! To help promote their amazing hair-growth-reducing deodorant, some of your favorite beauty bloggers have been invited to host Dove Visibly Smooth Girls’ Night Out events — click here to read about The Beauty Bunny, Clumps of Mascara, and This That Beauty’s Girls’ Night Out events in their cities.

I wanted to do something a bit different, since it was my birthday weekend. So instead of doing dinner or a lounge, I decided to invite some of my best blogger friends for a Girls’ Afternoon Out instead – at Allyu Spa, one of my aforementioned favorite spas in Chicago!

And here we are! From left to right:

Nikia of ChiTown Fashionista.
Aramide of The Sassy Peach.
Rae Lewis Thornton of RaeLewisThornton.com, a Diva Living with AIDS.
Brittany of Black is Breezie.
Karyn of The Fab Giver and The Red Pump Project.
Luvvie of Awesomely Luvvie, Luvv Divine, The Red Pump Project and prolly like 6 other random blogs LOL
me!
Jessica of Beauty Woo Me
and Courtney of Coco Cooks.

Allyu Spa arranged a beautiful room for us to hang out in, and we went in groups of three to get our manicures done.

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My mother’s first beauty memory was one of observation. She remembers watching my grandfather’s sister, Auntie Ruby, as she sat at her dresser getting ready.

“She would always have a huge flacon of 4711, and she would dab it behind her ears and on her neck. Being a six-year-old, sitting there and watching her was so different and fascinating. Everything she had was beautiful. That’s how I remember her,” she told me.

Today my sister sent me a text.

“Can you send Dominique some lilac hand soaps? She loves the name and the smell. She is a mini you!”

Wow, how that took me back!

My niece Dominique is four years old (here’s a picture of her and little sister Isabella!) and right now Dominque loves the word, the color, and the scent of lilacs. Her earliest beauty memories are of me and my mom and her mom, I’m positive. We’re the most makeup obsessed of the family. She loves the rituals of beauty, and wants the products from such an early age.

All of this got me reminiscing about my first beauty memories. My mom always had a dresser cluttered with things I wanted to touch. But the clearest memory of my first beauty product came from going to a fashion and beauty event with my mother. The event was a product showcase and fashion extravaganza, hosted by a family friend, who owned a fancy perfume and makeup shop in the mall that my mother was always shopping in. At this event we had to answer a trivia question to win a prize. And according to my mother, this was the question.

What is the color of Elizabeth Arden’s famous door?

I answered “red”. And won!

I was seven years old!

I remember having to go on stage in front of everyone, and pick up my prize — a big bottle of Fendi bath gel. They don’t even make this product anymore — it came in a bottle that looked kinda like this.

After that, I established myself as a beauty rookie not to be underestimated! And oddly enough, the next Christmas our family friend asked my parents if I could be so kind as to help out at his store during the busy season. And my parents said YES. That’s how I wound up working in the mall, selling perfume and lipsticks and fancy bath and body sets to women at the tender age of eight.

Reminiscing about all of this is so strange, but explains so much about me today – I’ve been on this product obsessed, beauty loving path for a long, long time!

What are your first beauty memories?

I love a pretty, feminine headband – nothing jazzes up an understated look better, IMO. But with oversized curly hair it can be hard to find one that fits, and if you find one that fits it can be hard to find a hair accessory that’s just the perfect size to stand out among your kinks and coils, while not being oversized and costumey.

That’s why I am smitten with L’Ange, the silver grey rosette headband by Boutique De Bandeaux. This Etsy store specializes in “handmade couture-inspired headbands for straight, wavy, curly, & kinky tresses.”

Their model is SO adorable – love her hair and that her personality comes out in her photos. And I’m loving Boutique de Bandeaux! Finally a pretty floral headband that I know will handle my hair with gorgeousness and grace!

L’Ange costs $19.

* Want of the Week is a new series of posts, featuring a random hodgepodge of stylish and desirable items!

The practice of acupuncture has been traced back as far as the Stone Age. The earliest known writings about acupuncture were published in second century Chinese medical books. And still, in modern day Western society, there are those who regard this ancient, proven medical practice as a reason for skepticism and raised eyebrows.

Billions of Chinese people around the world aren’t wrong. There’s a reason that this admittedly off-putting practice of sticking thread-thin needles into key, corresponding points in your body has been so popular for this long. Quite simply, I believe it works. And having just tried it for the first time – I totally plan to try acupuncture again.

My first interest in acupuncture came in Miami, when a friend with chronic back problems swore on his life that acupuncture had healed him of his pains. “Dude, just try it!” he encouraged. But despite stress levels that led to high blood pressure, bouts of nausea, and an ulcerated stomach, I still never listened. I went the traditional route, and was prescribed medicine to treat my symptoms. I tried to eat healthier and well…my efforts at exercise never took root and truly became the “lifestyle” I keep hearing it has to become. But that’s another post for another time.

The first opportunity I had to actually try acupuncture came when I was on board Royal Caribbean’s cruise ship, the Oasis of the Seas. That’s where I met Alaric Toy, the licensed acupuncturist who has a constant flow of enthusiastic patients in the ship’s spa. He told me all about the popularity of the acupuncture at sea program, which is currently offered on all the major cruise ships. He spoke passionately about HR646, a senate bill that aims to get acupuncture covered by medicare. And he explained what acupuncture could do for me, to improve my own condition.

“There’s an old Chinese saying — where there’s pain, there’s blockage. Where there’s blockage, there’s pain. The US Air Force is using battlefield acupuncture right now, because it offers almost immediate results. It gives you a sense of well being that can’t be measured. You’ll start sleeping better, eating better, makng better choices for yourself. I’ve been able to resolve the problems of people with pain issues who have had chronic pain for 15, 20 years,” he said assuredly. But despite the opportunity literally staring me in the face – I wasn’t yet ready.

It wasn’t until just a few weeks ago, that I found opportunity staring me in the face yet again. Spa Week Daily wanted to send me to the spa to experience one of their $50 Spa Week treatments as part of SPA MADNESS. And lo and behold — amidst the vajazzling and Botox and facials and body scrubs…there was the offer for me to experience acupuncture at Chicago’s renowned Ruby Room. This time, I leapt at the chance.

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When I sit to put my makeup on, I sometimes try to evoke the look of the beauty icons who inspire me the most. Of late, I’ve found endless inspiration in flapper chic and the biggest stars of that twinkling era. Especially if I’m going out on a romantic dinner date, or a fab night out with my girlfriends – I love decadent, 1920’s-style film noir quality makeup.

Consider the look of forgotten legend Nina Mae McKinney, who was known as the Black Garbo back in the 1930’s. Flawless. Timeless. Click here to read my Black Voices homage to her.

And behold, my forever inspiration, Josephine Baker. Drink in the stunning photo I found on the amazing Flickr site Discover Black Heritage. To me, Josephine is the definition of gorgeous. I wrote about her for Vogue Black this week, and they’ve posted some amazing photos of her to accompany the article. Click here for that.
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Bellas, I can’t even really wear heels, but today on Afrobella I’m proud to represent and rock these fly Alexander McQueen red pumps online all day!

Today is National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. One year ago, Karyn and Luvvie founded The Red Pump Project — an enthusiastic non profit organization which has tirelessly worked to raise awareness both online, and with a series of awesome events around the country. Today marks the celebration of the 500 in 50: Rock the Red Pump campaign — where fellow bloggers are encouraged to be part of the movement and show solidarity by featuring a Red Pump badge on their blog. And to write about what National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day means to them.

When I look at the statistics of women and girls with HIV/AIDS, it terrifies me. And when I look at the women and girls who seem to live their lives completely ignorant to the ongoing threat of HIV/AIDS, it astounds me.

Every 35 minutes, a woman tests positive for HIV in the United States.

Black women make up 66% of all new diagnoses of HIV in women.

These are statistics that should resonate with anyone who’s reading this. So how can you support the cause, and do your part to raise awareness?

If you’re a blogger, you too can participate in the 500 in 50: Rock the Red Pump campaign – it’s not too late!

You can become a Red Pump Ambassador and help to raise HIV/AIDS awareness in your own community.

You can seek out local HIV/AIDS charities in your neighborhood and offer to volunteer time, money, or supplies.

Or at the very least you can wear your favorite pair of red shoes today, to show your solidarity with the movement.
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