Archive for September, 2006
Miss Jackson, Don’t Be Nasty
In searching for images to represent the Afrobella aesthetic, I did a Google image search for Janet Jackson. I’m sad to report that the first thing that comes up is a giant close-up of her breast on that infamous Superbowl Sunday, nipple firmly trapped in what looks like a ninja star. To quote Regina Spektor, [...]
Ask Afrobella, Part Deux
Sorry I haven’t been on my hustle this week, y’all. I’ve been fighting off a cold. I’m at about 75% right now, so instead of staying up till 2 in the morning writing Afrobella stuff, I’ve been drinking Nyquil and passing the hell out before The Colbert Report. Sad but true. I have lots of [...]
The Afrobella Interview: Motown Girl, the Curly Hair Guru
Let me make this plain – I am no hair care or beauty expert. But I recently had the opportunity to interview someone who is. When I first started Afrobella, readers started e mailing and telling me on the comments page, “girl, you need to check out Motown Girl. She’s the bomb.” I want to [...]
Because Relaxed Bellas Need Love Too…
Although ultimately Afrobella is about afros and naturally curly hair, I have to show my chemically straightened sisters some love. It’s not easy slathering the creamy crack on your scalp. Trust me, I know. I had one hairdresser who didn’t even grease my scalp to protect it from the burn. Every time I went to [...]
Hot Fall Trend: The Jeweled Eyelid
I was logging out of my hotmail account the other day, when this picture caught my eye. I simply had to find out more. The photo accompanied this MSN article, that declares jeweled eyelids as in for fall. My question is: Did jeweled eyelids ever go out with the seasons? I think some beauty looks [...]
Am I Missing Something, Here?
In a recent issue of Esquire, Brad Pitt gave a shout-out to Carol’s Daughter as being good for “black-person hair.†What’s the big deal? When my girl Fresh over at Crunk & Disorderly posted about it, the ensuing discussion provoked 276 comments and counting! Most people seem to be nonplussed, but a few took offense [...]
The Afrobella Interview: K.Foxx, Foxxy Lady
In New York, the hottest hip hop stations are Hot 97 and Power 105. Here in Miami, we’ve got 99 Jamz and 103.5 The Beat. Our Funkmaster Flex is DJ Khaled, an insanely popular jock on 99 Jamz. He rocks the mic from 6 to 11 on a show called The Takeover. Khaled’s style is [...]
First Blush
Blush scares me. A pretty pink glow always seems to work well for my caucasian friends, but whenever I’ve tried to apply cheek stain to myself or had it applied by a makeup artist, I didn’t like how it over-accented my round “Grell” cheeks. (It’s definitely a family trait.) I see blush as a dangerous [...]
A Most Favorable Comparison
My friend and former co-worker, the witty and wise Rebecca Wakefield, wrote a wonderful article about Afrobella on Category 305. It’s a new online magazine that offers artistic, cultural, and social analysis about this spicy sancoche of a city we have here. In the article, she compares my post The Blacker the Berry with a [...]
Fade Cream Update
Normally, I don’t post anything new until Thursday. Once my work deadlines are met, I can return to the calming safety of Afrobella. But I got this in an e mail and I had to share. It seems that the FDA wants to ban the use of over-the-counter skin bleach. I suppose the possible reasons [...]
Blot It Out
My first encounter with blotting sheets came early. My mom always seemed to have a slender packet of Papier Poudre tucked into her purse, and even when I was a wee one, she would wipe a thin, powdery sheet over my face whenever I got too shiny. Papier Poudre is a fine product – I [...]
The Grass Always Looks Greener…
I grew up in a pretty well-off nook of Trinidad. I didn’t have the same complexion as many of the friends I grew up with in my neighborhood. I remember many a sunny Saturday spent lounging in the pool, when two of my light-skinned or Trini white friends would play a game that I’ll call [...]
Afrobella of the Week: Janelle Monae
I’ve expressed my admiration for Janelle Monae a few times before. I first caught sight of her in the Outkast video for “Morris Brown”, which reminds me of an urban Who Framed Roger Rabbit. (I hope those guys never break up, the game needs their kind of creativity.) I love her style. Homegirl is fierce. [...]
Pissed Off
This is the Angie Stone I love best. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcHMBJ5tEqw She’s so real and strong and bad-ass in this video, with her fabulous fro, henna rinse, and leather skirt. “Brotha†is one of the best music videos out there in my opinion. Mahogany Soul is one of my favorite albums, and I’ve listened to Stone Hits [...]
Jimi Thing
When I think of head bands and hair ties, I instantly think of one person. Mr. Jimi. He made that particular hair accessory iconic. Sometimes, when I rock a scarf I think to myself – is this too Jimi Hendrix? Well, it depends on the kind of scarf and the time of day. But one [...]
