Too much politics gets me down, bellas. Time to lighten up with a shoe post!

I don’t know how the weather is where you’re living, but for me in Miami, it feels like summer already. It isn’t quite at the point where I feel like I’m melting as soon as I open the door to leave my house, but we’re just around the corner. Summer in Miami is hot, sticky, and almost unbearable. (Don’t get me started on hurricane season, I’m nervous about this year). To combat the humidity and oven-like temperatures, you’ve got to dress like a native. Think light, flowy fabrics — linen is great. And flip-flops and comfortable shoes that breathe are a must! Here’s some of the sweet summertime shoes I’ve been spying.

My shoes of the Summer? I adore these toe strap flip flops from Old Navy. You might look at these and wonder, are they as comfortable as regular flip flops? I say yes. Actually, for me they’re even more comfortable. I’ve had chic cloth flip flops that basically cut the thin and delicate skin between my toes before. These won’t do that. When I first got them it took some getting used to, but now I am definitely planning on purchasing a second pair. Why? Because they’re chic — I’ve gotten quite a few compliments and questions on them — comfy, and just $5!! Holla! I currently own a pair in basic gray, but my second pair will definitely be one of the multicolored pairs. Love those.

I’ve been a fan of mary janes for as long as I can remember. Don’t interpret that illegally — I’m talking about shoes here! I rock a pair of mary janes at least three times a week. I’m a flats-only lady (OK, maaaybe you might catch me in a kitten heel at a party). They’re cute, funky, sometimes clunky, and always in fashion, if you ask me. My current favorite mary jane shoes are Crocs. Yeah, you heard right. Crocs!

I resisted them for so long. I still think the big Crocs are crazy ugly — it’s one thing to see a cute little kid in bright orange or pink clunkers, but for a woman like me… not so much. I’m sure they’re comfortable, but they didn’t appeal to me. I actually didn’t get the appeal of Crocs until I laid my eyes on Alice. Now these, I could wear! The Alice crocs are low-key, comfortable as you can imagine, and come in a slim-fitting style that goes great with jeans, skirts, whatever your fancy.
I finally get the appeal of Crocs — they are perfect for beach, outdoors, an afternoon stroll… they’re just really easy slip-on shoes. One word to the wise — take your time to make sure they’re the perfect size for you. I thought the 10’s were too big, so I got a 9 instead… and they are definitely super snug. They’re meant to be a bit big, I think — to let your foot breathe to the max. So my next pair will be in the right size, and I won’t question the Crocmeisters. (My next pair might be those Adara cross front flip flops. Tres chic! And for my ladies who love heels, did you know Crocs cyprus are the first high heels made by the popular brand? They’re kinda cute, no? I don’t wear heels, but I’d love to hear from any of you bellas who have tried these. Are they as comfy as you’d hope they would be?)

I saw these on My Air Shoes and flipped out! I have loved Reeboks with the straps for years upon years. These are the Milkfed Reebok Freestyles, created in honor of the Reebok Freestyle’s 25th anniversary. I love the pastel brightness of these — they make me want to get outfits to match! Yes, I am a dork like that. These shoes are super fun, and take me back to being 9 years old and absolutely dying to have a pair of high top Reeboks to wear to school. These make me want to jump rope and play hopscotch again. I want these just for the retro value, but I haven’t found a price point just yet… so for now, I’ll admire from afar. Did any of you own Reebok freestyles back in the day? Reminisce with me!

Which will be your shoes of the summer? Do you have any sandals or flip flops you absolutely can’t do without? Share!

I’ve been wondering when the Reverend Jeremiah Wright was going to speak out against the endless looping of his most controversial sermon. Finally his time has come. I just caught the tail end of his question-and-answer session, which CNN described as “a little bit heated.”

An audience member asked him if he was unpatriotic. “I served six years in the military. Does that make me unpatriotic? How many years did Cheney serve?” he asked, before the audience erupted in hoots and hollers.

Obviously the comments of Reverend Wright are inflammatory, and obviously they are unacceptable. There’s no defending “blankety-blank America,” ever. Even moreso when those words are shouted from a pulpit.

However… I do think it’s interesting that there are no endless loops of any of McCain endorser John Hagee’s most frightening remarks. Or that this photo of Bill Clinton embracing Jeremiah Wright following the Lewinsky scandal wasn’t ever plastered all over the television ad nauseum. I also found this eyebrow-raising Fox News interview with Father Michael Pfleger — an eloquent, intelligent priest and friend of Reverend Wright — to be really, really interesting. Perhaps you will as well.

The video’s 10 minutes long, but worth watching, just so you can see the agenda of certain “reporters,” and how news is given a plot, depending on which channel you’re watching. It’s an eye-opener, no matter who you’re planning to vote for come November.
(Hat tip to Stereohyped for the video link. That interview lingered with me long afterward, and Father Pfleger walked away just as things threatened to get REALLY interesting).

I had already left my home on Friday, by the time the Sean Bell verdict dropped. So I took the weekend to absorb the shock, and to try to understand how this verdict could possibly be handed down. I’m still at a loss.

My immediate emotional response to the news that the three accused officers were acquitted in the Sean Bell shooting case was outrage, anger, and that sickening feeling you get when justice has been perverted. My second response was jaded disgust. Surprise didn’t even occur to me — sadly, I would have been truly, happily surprised if the officers who fired 50 shots at an unarmed man were actually sentenced for their violent crime. But this sentence was just more of the same ol, same ol — same as Amadou Diallo, same as Ousmane Zongo, Johnny Gammage in Pittsburgh, and even Jean Charles de Meneze in London. When police officers gun down unarmed victims, it seems that the course of justice doesn’t run smooth and straight by any means.

Would a trial by jury have resulted in a different outcome for the Bell family? Perhaps — a jury of Sean Bell’s peers would probably be more than familiar with the NYPD’s reputation of racial profiling. But the defendants opted for a judge, rather than a jury. And lo and behold, that judge found reasons to question the witnesses’ accounts — “He said some prosecution witnesses contradicted themselves, and he cited prior convictions and incarcerations of witnesses,” that Concrete Loop article reveals. (note — the gif image at the top of this post also came from Concrete Loop).

They say that Detective Michael Oliver wept at the defense table. I wonder if those were guilty tears — after all, he did fire his weapon 31 times at the unarmed husband-to-be — or if they were simply tears of relief that he wasn’t going to be sent to jail for his actions.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg offered a statement afterwards — “”An innocent man lost his life, a bride lost her groom, two daughters lost their father, and a mother and a father lost their son. No verdict could ever end the grief that those who knew and loved Sean Bell suffer… America is a nation of laws, and though not everyone will agree with the verdicts and opinions issued by the courts, we accept their authority.”

My heart goes out to Nicole Paultre Bell and the rest of the Bell family. I can’t even imagine their pain, the emptiness they might feel inside. Rest in peace, Sean. 23 is too young to die under any circumstances, and these are especially heinous and tragic. I hope that somewhere down the line real justice is served, at the inevitable trials and civil suits to come. And there better be recompense somewhere – especially since someone working at the police union in Manhattan thought the verdict was FUNNY enough to make a PRANK PHONE CALL to Nicole Bell. (hat tip to Love is Dope for letting me know about THAT fresh outrage).

How do you bellas and fellas living in New York feel about this verdict, now that the weekend has passed? Do you still feel simmering anger in the pit of your stomach, or is it more like grim acceptance?

I love her music, I love her message, and I absolutely love her style — British import Estelle has been making big stateside buzz finally, and she’s made an impression on me as a style icon to watch. Here’s why.

Estelle is an unconventional beauty. She’s got distinctive features, and she doesn’t try to be anything other than who she is. From her first track, the phenomenal 1980, she revealed her roots in the lyrics, along with some offhand beauty advice —

“Boil a big pot of water on the stove to take a bath, Rub my face with Olive Oil, All my mates used to laugh...” ahem, is she talking about the oil cleansing method? No wonder she’s got such amazing skin!

Estelle seems to have sprung out already a self-confident, full fledged star. Her name’s more than appropriate in that regard. In the UK, she first made big waves in 2004 with her album The 18th Day, and she seemed poised to make worldwide waves, along with the then-new crop of British singers, including Miss Dynamite and Natasha Bedingfield, who she collaborated with on Free. LOVE that song! It didn’t happen for her then, and Estelle’s gotten some flack recently for speaking out against racism in the British music industry. Quite a few have branded her as a racist for her statement, but Paul McKenzie, editor of the urban music magazine Touch, agreed with Estelle. “There is a fashion for YWFs – young white females. They are the ones who are given the money and the time, and most importantly, people are patient with them. Duffy, if she hadn’t had this hit, would have been given a second chance, and a third. Estelle wasn’t. The people who hold the purse strings are looking at trends rather than talent. If you’re not a young white female – in other words if you’re black – I can imagine that is incredibly depressing,” he’s quoted as saying.

Estelle’s statement has been blown up into a beef between her and Duffy, which has brought attention to both artists. Estelle’s outspoken, but I think there is some essential truth worth considering in her brash statements. Either way, she’s flying a flag for dark skinned beauties and truly talented musicians. She’s got a gorgeous singing voice and she’s a skilled rapper. I think she’s going places, and I hope that kicks down the door for more musicians of her caliber.

Estelle’s look is simple, effortless, and easy to do. She plays up her beautiful eyes — she’s got eyelids perfect for bold makeup looks. Check her out in American Boy — her makeup is FLAWLESS. Glowing skin, big, beautiful kohl rimmed cat eyes accented with white or silver shadow, lush, mascara-ed lashes, and a pretty, subdued lip. Very polished, very fresh. She rocks the short hairstyle she describes as “Audrey Pepa” — Classic Audrey on one side, Salt-N-Pepa sass on the other. There are rumors that Atlantic Records has pressured her to change her hair and get her teeth fixed… but in this SOHH piece, Estelle says that’s rubbish. I sincerely hope so — the last thing America needs is another contrived pop singer whose style is borne from a Svengali who can’t see beyond a lacefront wig.

Estelle’s new album Shine is poised to make a stateside splash, and her hits are already blowing up on VH1 — American Boy is in regular rotation, as is Wait a Minute, which is produced by Will I Am, and relies on a heavy sample from Screaming Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You,” one of my favorite songs of ALL TIME. (the Nina Simone version rules too!)

I adore Estelle’s makeup in Wait a Minute — glow in the dark eyeshadow rules! That’s a fun club look — bold white/silvery lids under a black light guarantees attention. You could use MAC’s white Kohl eye pencil to accent just above your lids, and Urban Decay eyeshadow in a pale silver/pink like Cherry or Midnight Cowboy would be ideal for this look as well (don’t forget your Primer Potion! Wouldn’t want to sweat off all that gorgeousness on the dance floor). Of course, if you REALLY want to glow, you could go bananas and use real ravers’ glow in the dark eyeshadow. That bright yellow would really pop on brown skin.

Like myself, Estelle adores reggae music — her Grenadian background played some influence there, no doubt! Her new album — which drops next Tuesday, April 29 — includes a
cover version of one of my favorite classic reggae tracks of all time, Substitute Lover by Half Pint. (new reggae fans, don’t sleep on Half Pint. I think he was one of the main inspirations of Sublime’s sound. Listen for yourself and see. Half Pint rules). Here’s Estelle’s new, Wyclef-produced version.

Love that hook. She’s a stellar live performer, and I am just livid that I missed her performance this week in Miami. I hear it was fantastic. Alas. Next time for sure, Estelle!

Are you feeling Estelle as a style icon? Do you have a favorite Estelle track already? I love American Boy and the title track, Shine, which just makes me wanna dance. That beat is bangin’! Can’t wait to cop this next week. Enjoy Estelle with me this Friday, bellas and fellas. Happy weekend to you all!

…According to you guys and the Glam Network, that is! That’s right, bellas — thanks to your support, yours truly won the title of Best in Beauty in this year’s Glam Network Awards! And a big ol’ photo of me is the front page photo on the slide show! Wow, wow, wow.

Thank you all so much for voting for me. Honored isn’t the word. I am so excited and proud and… hang on a second. I am tempted to get all teary eyed Sally Field “you like me, you really like me,” here, but Mama Bella reminded me that they play off over-long speeches at the Oscars. So I’ll save the fabulous dramatics and keep it short and sweet.

In August 2006, I dreamed up a blog that captured the essence of the kind of magazine I wanted to read, the kind that wasn’t at the store shelves. Something that was primarily about beauty, but didn’t make me feel like I wasn’t just as precious, delicate and gorgeous as the models of the opposite race, size, and hair texture as me. Afrobella started out with the intention of being a pure beauty blog with not much beyond product reviews and musings about natural black beauty, but along the way it evolved into so much more than that. Afrobella is an outlet for everything I care deeply about — beauty, hair, music, fashion, politics, whatever. The variety of topics has led to my exclusion in certain circles, but that’s OK. It’s also led to some wonderful ongoing opportunities, like the honor of participating in the blogger’s round table on NPR’s News and Notes. (I’ll be on again this upcoming Monday, April 28)! It’s been a wonderful ride, and the lesson I’ve learned is to follow my heart, and never limit myself.

It is such a pleasure and a privilege to be able to write about my obsessions and musings, to share my Caribbean culture, to put my thoughts about being a naturally beautiful black woman out there, and to participate in the exchange of ideas with so many of you all over the world. You make my life so rich and wonderful. I have so many big dreams for this blog and for myself as a writer — my mother always said, “Thursday’s child has far to go.” I’m on my way! Thank you all so very, very much for making one of them come true, and thank you to everyone at the Glam Network for your continued support.

My prize for winning is a Flip video camera, so I hope to start making some makeup and hair videos on YouTube soon.

Click here to see the slide show of this year’s Glam Network Award winners, which includes one of my first blog inspirations Beauty Addict, Hollyscoop, Popbytes, the amazing YourCause.com, and In Case You Didn’t Know.

YAY!!! I love you guys!! Thank you so, so much.

There’s something really intoxicating about shopping at Sephora, Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, or Nordstroms, and stopping by the makeup counter of the brands you see mentioned in Vogue or Elle or Harper’s Bazaar. I remember my first Chanel lipstick — a deep chocolate berry brown I wore down to the nub back in high school, when almost-black lips were the hottest thing. (Raise your hand if you owned a black lipstick!) Fancy makeup makes you feel the part. If you lived your life like the glossy magazines dictate, you’d have a dresser covered in MAC, bedecked with Shu Uemura, and decorated with Dior. But in these days when gas prices are escalating, homes aren’t selling, and we may-or-may-not be in a recession, maybe you can’t afford a lipgloss that’s $25. Maybe a $50 giftcard at Sephora needs to get you the maximum bang for your buck. Maybe you yearn to pull that YSL lipgloss with the gold sparkles in it out of your purse, just to be flossy for once, but you need to pay the bills and can’t afford to splurge on a product that may not be perfect. So you’re asking yourself… but is it worth it?

Recently, I’ve gotten the opportunity to try out some of the fancier makeup brands. Some of them really are everything you’ve dreamed of, and make you feel like the epitome of luxury with each application. Some of them, not so much. Sometimes you might be better off spending $10 on two-for-one drugstore lipglosses than blowing $20 on just one. This is the beginning of some really honest reviews about the products you may have been saving up to purchase. I’ll start with the Fafi collection from MAC.

Ask just about any woman of color what their favorite makeup brand is, and you’ll get almost the same answer — MAC. It is the gold standard for women of color. Why? Because MAC has a reputation for high quality products with pigments that work with and last on darker skin tones. Their new Fafi line is super fun, with distinctive, graffiti-inspired packaging all designed by the makeup’s muse, French artist Fafi. Makeup Loves Me scored an exclusive interview with Fafi, check it out to learn more about her.

Click here to explore the super cool Fafi website, click here to peep the products. The Fafi stuff is funky, youthful, sparkly, and muted all at once. Some beauty bloggers love it. Some don’t quite feel the same. And apparently, Fafi isn’t selling as well as Heatherette, so you can still find Fafi stuff at the counter. So, is it worth it?

Mostly yes, sometimes no.

The thing that draws everyone to MAC is the quality. You know if you’re buying an item, be it a $14 lip gloss or a $34 eyeshadow kit, will be a well-made, wonderfully packaged, highly pigmented item. Fafi lives up to the quality standards, and some of the items in the collection are awesome. I think the paint pots are amazing. My favorite is Rollickin’, a subdued ice blue that looks great on my skin tone. Cash Flow is a buttery green-gold that looks better on than it does in the pot. But here’s the thing with Fafi. We’ve got lots and lots of pink happening. Is there such a thing as too much pink? This brown skinned bella says yes.

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