Every year I like to celebrate by hosting a giveaway. This year I’m a day late, but I’m truly psyched about this one. Bellas – allow me to introduce you to Fairwinds, a unique jewelry collection by Rachel Roy. The collection is a collaboration between Rachel and Fairwinds Trading. Every item has been hand-crafted in Africa by a female-owned business.

This clutch was made in Tanzania, using local fabrics.

These gorgeous earrings were made in Rwanda, featuring beads made in a paper layering process.

This bracelet is made from shredded woven paper, using traditional Rwandan techniques.

Right now, Rachel Roy’s Fairwinds collaboration is available at rachelroy.com and select Macy’s stores and macys.com, and the collection compliments Macy’s Rwanda Path to Peace collection of amazing baskets — which is also made by Fairwinds Trading!

I reached out to Rachel to learn more about the collaboration.

Afrobella – What inspired you to collaborate with Fairwinds? Was this a kind of collaboration you’d dreamed of for a while?

Rachel Roy: One of my goals has always been to help women achieve better lives through financial freedom and independence – that, to me, is about creating job opportunities. Partnering with Fairwinds was a natural choice and to be able to provide and sustain jobs in Africa is essential – the work that Fairwinds does is inspiring and it was a natural partnership.

Afrobella: So far there are three beautiful items from this collaboration – what’s next in store?

Rachel Roy: We will continue to offer seasonal items integrated into all product categories: Sportswear, Jewelry, Shoes and Handbags. Materials used will include handcrafted beads made from varnished paper and woven materials from recycled fabrics and cloth indigenous to different regions in Africa.

Afrobella: What are your hopes for the women of Fairwinds, and for this fashionable collaboration?

Rachel Roy: My hope is that this collaboration and my work with the organization will not only support these women and their families but raise awareness for women in Africa as well as the larger issues – nutrition, education and health care.

I’m delighted and honored to offer an exclusive giveaway of Rachel Roy’s complete Fairwinds collection — clutch, earrings, and bracelet!

All you have to do is leave a comment and let me know — which is your favorite Fairwinds item, and how do you plan to rock it? — comments will be open until March 12!

Good luck!

Oh and click here to join my Facebook fan page. And are you on Twitter? Click here to follow me!

Related posts:

1. Afrobella’s Rachel Roy Giveaway!
2. Belated Birthday Candles
3. Rachel Roy Giveaway Winner!

This is the time of year where pink ribbons mysteriously appear on every item at the drugstore, where annual walks are walked and funds are raised, all in the names of the Susan G. Komen fund and breast cancer research.

When most people think of breast cancer, they think of the most obviously affected area. Not everyone addresses the less obvious things that are affected by breast cancer, like self esteem, overall well being, and hair. But for some women, cancer can attack those things are well.

When my Aunty Gemma was diagnosed with breast cancer, I got to see how breast cancer can go far beyond the chest. My aunt struggled with hair loss, and what to do in the aftermath of cancer therapy. In an effort to answer some of her questions, I reached out to an expert in the field.

Vaso Spirou, the owner of Miami Beach’s Salon Vaso is known and widely respected as a master colorist and hairstyling artist who specializes in curly hair and caters to the needs of South Beach’s elite. Her salon is sleek, sexy, and captures the exclusivity of the city. But Vaso’s hidden passion is in helping and serving the needs of those affected by cancer. As a survivor herself, she knows all too well the debilitating effects the disease can have.

“It has a major emotional effect on your beauty. Losing your hair can help you feel even worse,” she said in a telephone interview.

For clients of her gorgeous salon, Vaso customizes store-bought human hair wigs — offering scalp measurement so the wigs fit perfectly, and styling the wigs so they look normal and natural for each customer. “Why would you want to look different, especially when you are going through something as serious as breast cancer?” she asked.

Vaso offered five helpful tips for patients dealing with cancer-related hair loss.

1 — Find a hairdresser who knows you and knows what you’re going through. Tell them you’re hunting for wigs that they can customize. It takes personal attention, and if they’re unaccustomed to styling wigs, perhaps they know someone who can help.

2 — When the hair grows back post-chemotherapy, it will grow back thicker, denser, and more coarse. Definitely different. It’s typically more wiry. So be aware that there will most likely be a change in your hair’s texture after cancer. Sometimes it even grows back a different color.

3 — Don’t even think about relaxer, chemical treatments, or extensions right away. When your hair grows back thick and healthy enough, you can use extensions and chemical treatments again. If you know you’re going to go through chemotherapy, it may be best to consider cutting your hair off and wearing a wig at a certain point — just to have an easy transition into the hair issues that may result.

4 — Don’t be afraid of looking like you’re wearing a wig while you’re wearing a wig. There are amazing wigs that kind of adhere to your scalp. I recommend hotheads.com.

5 — Last, and in my opinion, most importantly, Vaso recommends dealing with the psychological effects on self esteem by taking a positive attitude. Speaking from her own experience, she declared “I woke up this morning saying to myself — I wanna live, I don’t want to just survive. They have to make up their minds to live every day.”

In addition to being sagacious, sweet, worldly and wonderful, Vaso is charitable. Here’s another reason for you to make an appointment with her if you’re ever in the 305 — all proceeds earned on Mondays in the month of October will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Salon Vaso also offers incredible manicures, pedicures, and body treatments. Visit her website here, and you can also follow Salon Vaso on Twitter.

Are you a breast cancer survivor? Or do you know someone who is? Please feel free to share your experience and advice regarding cancer and hair loss right here — you could be helping someone who’s dealing with this issue right now!

Related posts:

1. Oprah’s Hair — So Many Questions!
2. You Have Taught Me
3. Afrobella Asks You — Hair Help for Little Dreads

LOVE. THEM.

So imagine how geeked I was to meet them! Yup, two weekends ago I had the privilege of meeting the Funky Divas during a stop on their Rooted in Nature beauty tour, on assignment for Black Voices.

Click here to read my original post, and click below to watch the video!

Please excuse my nerves.
I also met Angela Guy, senior VP general manager of Softsheen Carson, who told me more about Roots of Nature. I’m curious about that reconstructing deep treatment, so expect a review to come!

The girls were sweet as pie and seemed honestly interested in checking out the site. So Cindy, Terry, and Dawn might be reading this. If so — hi!! It was wonderful to meet you, and I look forward to hearing some new music from one of my favorite groups ever!

What’s your favorite En Vogue song, bellas? I’ve been listening to Free Your Mind lately, and WOW that song and the video are so progressive and ahead of its time!

Related posts:

1. En Vogue, Retro Chic
2. Say Hello to Vogue Black
3. Bellas! My Second Vogue Black Post is Up

From the minute Disney announced the first African American princess movie, The Princess and the Frog, the buzz has been building. And so has the concern.

Disney’s history of racial sensitivity in their cartoons caused eyebrows to be raised early on, and understandably so — having waited this long to produce a film starring an African American princess, the pressure was on Disney to come correct. Every little detail of this particular princess will be analyzed, criticized, and committed to history. The film will open for an advance special engagement in New York and Los Angeles from November 25 to December 13 (click here for those special tickets), and will open nationwide December 11. I’m going to reserve judgment until I’ve seen the film itself. But in the meantime, allow me to unabashedly gush about what Disney’s already done right.

For super special The Princess and The Frog merchandise, Disney’s teamed with one of my favorite brands, Carol’s Daughter for a truly magical beauty collection.

Click here to sign up to be first to know about the Fall 2009 release of the Carol’s Daughter collection, starring Princess Tiana.

I was lucky enough to catch up with Carol’s Daughter creator Lisa Price, to get her feelings about this awesomeness. It was so inspiring to hear how this came about, and how this little company that could has managed to become part of Disney history. And to find out straight from Lisa herself, that her mother’s parents were from Trinidad? This Trini bella felt very proud all around.

How crazy has it been for Lisa? To go from making beauty products in her kitchen, to the shelves at Sephora, and now to doing official products for Disney’s first African American princess?

“Well, it was a big deal to hear that there was going to be an African American princess, period. And then to hear we were in the running to create products to go with the film, it’s like almost more than you want to think about. Like, seriously? Then there was so much work to do, you’re just focused on the work. Coming up with the fragrances and the design and making sure everything’s perfect…it wasn’t until I saw the labels on a board here at the office that it hit me – Disney and Carol’s Daughter. It would have brought tears to my eyes just to see an African American Disney princess, but then to be part of this, it’s been amazing.”

Lisa was particularly enthusastic about the opportunity, because Disney had been a part of her life as a child. She knew and understood the significance of Princess Tiana, to future generations of little black girls.

“Being someone who grew up with Disney movies, who loved Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, I loved the stories and the animation, but I didn’t know how to identify with them. I remember asking Santa to bring me long blonde hair like Cinderella’s. It wasn’t that I didn’t like myself, but I believed that that was what beauty was. That’s what a princess looked like. So its nice to know that little girls don’t have to feel that way if thy don’t look that way,” she said. And Lisa took the time to set me straight on an assumption I’d made from seeing the early sketches — “Tiana’s hair is actually textured – it s not straight. They have to be careful as well, with that particular depiction.”

Appropriately, the Carol’s Daughter products for The Princess and The Frog are beauty staples Princess Tiana would most likely use. “The Beauty Within” shampoo includes aloe leaf juice, “Inner Shine” conditioner uses sunflower seed, olive, and sweet almond oils. The “Dream Big” hair detangler is my favorite in terms of ingredients — glycerine, aloe, and castor oil would give my hair supreme slickability, and the “sharing means caring” bubble bath promised a delicious water lily-scented afternoon of decadence. But I struggled. Do I use this stuff, or do I keep the bottles in tact? The packaging is so adorable!

“I have the first ones in my office, and I love them,” says Lisa. She went on to explain how this princess movie will be different in more ways than one. “Disney teaches such wonderful lessons to children, and the story of Tianna is actually an inspiration. It’s about working hard. We see her putting work behind her dreams and passions to bring them to life, not just waiting for fortune to come her way. She’s empowered & takes charge of her destiny. I am very very proud and honored to be a part of this film,” she added.

The Princess and the Frog caps off a historic year in many ways — 2009 has been a banner year for black hair in the media. Michelle Obama’s every change in style makes headlines. Then we’ve got Chris Rock’s Good Hair also about to hit theaters, and Tyra Banks hosting Real Hair Day (which is apparently becoming a feel-my-scalp tour experience, as seen on Larry King the other night). Lisa agrees with me, black hair is having a big moment and this could be attributed to the Obama factor. “I think it has a lot to do with Michelle Obama – the media is always obsessed with first ladies, and it raises interesting questions & issues we haven’t seen before in the mainstream. Have you seen Good Hair yet? It’s awesome,” she added.

I shared my struggle with Lisa — to open or not to open? She didn’t make my decision any easier. “Well, its a beautiful bottle you want to keep and save because it’s a collectors item…but then when you get past that it’s a product that performs. We tested them not just on kids, but on adults, and these are pediatrician tested products that don’t include harsh detergents. We used a water lily accord fragrance, not too overpowering. So if mom wants to feel like a princess along with her daughter, she’ll like these products as well.”

I agree. I broke down and tried the bubble bath and the hair detangler. Both are winners!

The Princess and The Frog products will be available online Oct 1 — click here to sign up for the first updates about the items available for sale — there are four individual products, and a three-item gift set costs $24. Already I hear 10,000 people have signed up for info!

But this weekend only, I’m SO psyched to be able to offer Afrobella readers a special special SPECIAL giveaway! Carol’s Daughter is kindly offering to send THREE Magical Collection Gift Sets to Afrobella readers — open only to people in the continental USA.

All you have to do is tell me — what are your hopes for The Princess and The Frog? Do you plan to see this movie, December 11?

Because I know this giveaway will be greeted eagerly, I’m closing comments on Monday, by noon.

Good luck, bellas! Have a fabulous weekend!

** edited Monday September 28 at 12:41 CST — 49 comments! Alrighty bellas, I’m closing these now and will choose winners during the week. Thanks for entering, and good luck to all of you!

Related posts:

1. First Look at The Princess and the Frog
2. Happy Halloween!
3. The Princess and the Frog — Did You See It?

In the music industry today, finding artists who truly understand the importance and effect of their image is rare. Even moreso when it comes to females. It can seem like socially conscious musicians like Queen Latifah, Lauryn Hill, Tanya Stephens, and India Arie are anomalies of the industry. Compare their success to the stars who get the magazine cover shine today. Sometimes when I listen to the radio or watch music videos on TV, I’m filled with an overwhelming feeling of despair and unbelonging.

See, I’m a bella who’s constantly seeking music that uplifts, enlightens, and informs. So when Queen Ifrica came on the scene, I sat up and took notice.

I clearly remember the first time I heard her voice — at first I thought she was a dude, simply because her intonation in the chorus of Daddy is so deep. The lyrical content is so heavy. In case you’ve never heard Daddy, click here to experience it. Be forewarned – it’s not every day a song about incest becomes a hit reggae song.

Tackling heavy subject matter head on is what Queen Ifrica does. Name another female artist who’s addressed a topic as controversial as skin bleaching in the Caribbean — a chronic problem as revealed here.

“My complexion is better than ever!”

I love her spirit and her sentiment.

I recently had an opportunity to interview Queen Ifrica, and it was beyond fantastic. We chatted for an hour about everything from her musical influences to Michael Jackson, to her views on hair and homosexuality. Will this post end in a giveaway? read on and find out!

Queen Ifrica was born into music. The daughter of ska legend Derrick Morgan, she was mentored by the legendary Tony Rebel. Music has always been her destiny.

“I can say that music realy chose me. I was living in the rasta community, so I’m just being myself in my belief of self-fulfillment,” she revealed.

Although Queen Ifrica’s music is steeped in reggae — she is equally adept at chanting as she is at singing — her sound cannot be limited to traditional reggae music. Elements of R&B and modern soul are evident on her latest album, Montego Bay.

Lioness On The Rise is the first single, and I love the down-to-earth vibe of the video.

Ifrica admitted to having diverse interests and influences. “Reggae is the foundation of it, but I don’t put a boundary on my music. Music has no boundaries.”

One thing I particularly wanted to ask Ifrica about was her position on the other females making waves in music today. Whether it’s in Jamaica or around the world, sex sells and artists are doing everything up to and including bending over backwards to get attention and sell records.

“I guess that’s what the culture of what society is all about. Sex is a big market. But if you don’t think about who you are and what you stand for, then what is it worth? My thing is, when all of this is past and gone, what are you going to think when you look back on life? You don’t want to look back on your legacy and be ashamed of anything. Especially for Caribbean women in the music, don’t let yourself be a platform for someone else’s message. Female artists – we might be in a male dominated industry, but you don’t have to play their role to fit into it. It’s about personal reponsibility for your actions. But at the same time, I am not a saint!” she said with a knowing chuckle.

Ifrica credits the female influences are leading the path that she’s currently on. And I found some of them a bit surprising!

“My female role models are Miriam Makeba, I love Sister Carol, Sister Nancy, and Nina Simone. I admire Beyonce and Alicia Keys because of what they do outside of music. Same with Angelina Jolie because she is a humanitarian. We can all be responsible and make a difference in this world.”

Being charitably conscious is of tremendous importance to Queen Ifrica, and many of her songs address the inequalities and poverty that plagues Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. But Ifrica wanted to make clear – her songs aren’t solely targeted at her homeland.

“The topics I address aren’t just things that affect us here in Jamaica. It is wherever the poor are concentrated all over the world. Men make war and rumors of war. But love is the greatest defense.”

We chatted about several of her songs and the motivations behind them, but one in particular lingered with me and motivated me to seek out this interview to begin with. I had to ask her about Mi Naah Rub, her anti-skin bleaching anthem. So few artists have addressed this topic, particularly in a sensible and outreaching manner. I could tell it was close to Ifrica’s heart.

“In Jamaica here, it is sad to walk into the garrison and see the level of skin bleaching. There is no label on these products and the smell is beyond terrible. The goverment doesn’t intervene and there is nobody coming in to combat the importation of these products. The insecurities is what they are feeding on. I have so many ladies who come to me and tell me about the problems it has caused them. I tell them – love yourself, look at yourself in the mirror and love yourself. And artists are encouraging women to bleach their skin and walk about naked. Why is it so important to then to destroy a nation that used to love itself and see itself as beautiful? From the forums I do, I see that love and self love are hard to find in the community. It is a slavish mentality many have, and it is the individuals who have to be willing to change.”

All of our talk about skin bleaching and learning to love one’s appearance led us to discuss an individual who came to symbolize so many of our collective issues — Michael Jackson. Ifrica became extremely animated when discussing the tragically deceased King of Pop.

“I’ve been a Michael Jackson fan from day one. Michael Jackson was a youth who was a victim of this very same thing, this self hatred. I think he is the ultimate example. His dad was his greatest downfall in this life — telling him he is ugly, he is black, he has a big nose, don’t love yourself as you are born to be. There are so many men and women like Missa Joe, so hard to the world. It is a subliminal thing. Until we as a people learn to overcome it, there will not be change.”

One topic I especially wanted to ask Ifrica about was — duh — hair. That’s what so much of Afrobella is about, and being a proud rasta woman I knew she’d have wisdom to share. Ifrica gladly went back to the roots.

“I started growing my locs, really at age 15. I had locs before that and my aunts combed it out. So briefly I had straightened hair,” she recalled. But of course, that didn’t last long.

“You don’t have to be a rasta who hails Jah Rastafari to grow dreadlocks. But for me it was a part of my life, of my tribe. There was something in me that — it is an inborn need.”

I noticed that she referred to her hair as “dreadlocks.” Having been previously chastised by readers for using that term, I had to ask her — how does she feel about the word? Would she call them locs, or dreadlocks? Why or why not?

“I am a dreadlocks rasta woman,” she stated simply, and with great pride. “The debate over words… it comes from people who are familiar with it but they don’t truly overstand what it means, or the significance behind it all. It’s RASTA, it’s DREADLOCKS. That is what I believe,” she said.

Well alright, Queen!

I understood where she was coming from; as someone who grew up in a country where this hair is more than a style, I never before encountered anyone who shunned the word “dread” until I moved to America. Where many will argue that there’s “nothing dreadful about locs,” Ifrica and many of the rastafarians I have known in my life would counter, “there’s nothing dreadful about being a natty dread.”

Either way, it’s semantics. We quickly moved past questions about words, and I had to ask for some tips for my rastabellas. What was the best advice she could pass along to those who wear locs? Queen Ifrica had much knowledge to impart. Here are her best tips:

– “For those who love to twist… it’s not the healthiest thing to do. It can thin out your hair and break it. Locks are formed from the residue you would normally comb out from your hair, that is what grows it. So just let them grow.

– Castor oil is a VERY good thing. And for those who hate the smell, there’s a scented castor oil now.

– Wash your hair only when it is itching. You don’t need to wash it all that often. The natural oils are important to the health of your hair. Washing can strip them out.

– The hair is very soft, no matter how it looks – it is actually very soft to the touch. So you need products that nurture it. In Jamaica there’s the Mango and Lime products. They are excellent. I love the leave in moisturizer. It has all natural ingredients, cactus is part of it. Any hemp based products are very good for dreadlocks, too.”

Before the interview ended, I had to ask about a touchy issue that quite honestly, I make a point to ask every reggae artist I’ve been lucky enough to interview thus far. I ask the question simply because I want to know and understand the root of this controversial issue as it affects reggae and dancehall musicians. I want to understand, because I don’t agree with the hatred. So I asked — Queen Ifrica, what are your views on homosexuality? I was extremely, pleasantly surprised by the complexity and consideration of her response.

“I don’t delve into it a lot, but I believe we have to fully understand what being gay is before we have a discussion. There needs to be hope, and an acceptance of every individual. I don’t think everybody who is gay truly wants to be gay. I say this because, especially since I wrote the song Daddy, I have been in touch with many gay people who will tell you they have been abused at some time in their life. Until we can sit down and see eye to eye, we should reserve judgment. I would love to sit down and have a televised, public, eye to eye discussion with the gay leaders here. But In Jamaica, we are so hypocritical. It is not as homophobic as it seems. There are actually a lot of gay people who live and are happy and safe here in Jamaica,” she said.

I was surprised to hear that, because it’s not the impression you get from the horrific news articles that make international headlines. But the same goes in Trinidad – as I have already stated on more than one occasion, I’ve got gay relatives and grew up with close friends who are gay. And growing up in the Caribbean, you’re exposed to a great deal of ignorance about what “causes” homosexuality, and I’ve had to cut good friends off for intolerable levels of ignorance over this very touchy topic.

Ifrica continued.

“I was watching a documentary on TV about a gay teenager recently, and he was in so much turmoil. He needed a hug. I wanted to hug him and tell him, don’t force yourself to be who you are not. Go through what you have to go through. But on the other hand, I would love the gay community to allow people to speak their mind. Look at the Miss California scandal. You should be able to express your feelings without being shouted down.”

Ifrica ended that topic on a straight talk note — “People need to think more about situations like Darfur and look at people who don’t have a gay or straight problem. They have a surviving day to day problem.”

It is those people who Ifrica is focusing her attentions on most of all these days. She’s working on getting her foundation off the ground, dedicated to a close friend who lost his life due to senseless violence. In his honor, she ventures into poor communities and speaks to children who need a boost in knowledge and self esteem. In his honor, she’s donating computers and books to the youths in Jamaica’s garrisons. She plans to tour, for sure. Check the VP Records website for details on that. But more than anything, Ifrica plans to do good works for those who listen to her music and her message, and for those who she can physically affect with her presence.

And now here’s your turn, bellas! My friends at VP Records will give 3 copies of her brand new CD, Montego Bay to three lucky readers. All you have to do is leave a comment below, telling me which of Queen Ifrica’s songs you like the best — she’s got several videos on YouTube. I’ll close comments Friday and pick winners over the weekend.

Big, big respect to Queen Ifrica. I sense we’re going to hear a lot from this beautiful lioness on the rise in years to come. Congratulations, and thanks for being my first Afrobella of the Month in more than a minute!

Related posts:

1. Queen Ifrica Giveaway Winners
2. The Glorious Return of Afrobella of the Month — Janelle Monae
3. Afrobella of the Week: Marcia Griffiths, Queen of Reggae

I figured it’d be a good idea to get my feet wet by interviewing some designers. So when I got the word that eternally gorgeous and talented New York based designer Rachel Roy was about to debut a new, affordable fashion line at Macy’s, I jumped at the chance to ask her some questions. Without further ado…

I love that you’re coming up with more affordable items for women in my demographic, can you tell me more about the overall inspiration and aesthetic of the line? What I’ve seen so far is bright and fun!

Accessible fashion is very important to me, and I believe every woman should get the opportunity to express herself through style. I have wanted to design a fashion forward yet affordable collection since I was young. With this collection I focused on accenting women’s best features while keeping the clothes edgy and youthful.

I think it’s interesting that your affordable line is at Macy’s, which I must admit doesn’t spring immediately to mind when I think “affordable.” What made you choose Macy’s as opposed to say, Target?

I knew the price points for the collection would be affordable no matter where it was sold, and the team at Jones Apparel Group and I were both so impressed and honored by Macy’s support. We completely saw eye to eye in how we wanted this collection to look and in what ways we would position it to customers.

Not only are you respected in the black community as a designer of note, for many of my readers, you are a beauty icon. Talk to me about your personal style. Any advice for women who are seeking affordable ways to express their own personal style?

Stay confident and happy and the rest will follow. Know what works for your face and body and embrace your personal style, not necessarily the current trends.

My blog is primarily about beauty and hair, as well as fashion. You always look so beautiful — any favorite products that you’d recommend for women of color?

Because of my Indian ancestry, I love darkly rimmed eyes – a messy eye adds a sexy yet natural look to a classic outfit. To make the eyes smoky, I use Revlon Luxurious Color Kohl Eyeliner in Black Truffle on the inside of the lids.

I’m a plus size woman, and the industry has improved somewhat for full figured women, but I still find that my fashion options are limited. Someday I dream of being able to shop and enjoy a Rachel Roy plus size line. Any plans to expand your fashion empire in this area, for fuller figured women?

Yes – I have always wanted to incorporate plus sizes into my collections and plan to expand in this realm soon.

I’m extra excited about your new line of accessories and ooh, did I hear sandals? Tell me more!

I loved being able to further extend my vision for Rachel Rachel Roy through handbags, shoes, and jewelry. A great outfit is nothing without the perfect accessories, after all!

Rachel was a doll to answer my questions. I’m kinda psyched, even though I must admit being saddened that plus sizes are still a blip on her horizon. Ah well. If you want to see advance looks of the upcoming collection, check out Rachel Roy’s Facebook, and her Twitter page.

Related posts:

1. Belated Birthday Rachel Roy Giveaway!
2. Afrobella’s Rachel Roy Giveaway!
3. Rachel Roy Giveaway Winner!

In the world of eyebrow shaping, there are the laypeople (the ones who wax you at any standard day spa or mall outlet), and there are the superstars — Anastasia, Damone Roberts, and Miss Rashida B., among them. Rashida flits between Miami and Chicago, beautifying the brows of the truly fabulous in both cities. When she isn’t plucking, shaping, holding down her popular Chicago salon, The B Spot and getting namedropped in the likes of Vogue magazine and Daily Candy — Rashida’s keeping it real on Twitter as @beautyschooled. AND she’s got an awesome blog of the same name — where she drops knowledge and interviews professionals in the world of makeup and the beautifying industry.

My interview with Rashida was unconventional in the sense that we were cracking each other up and bonding like old friends (even though we hadn’t met yet!) So without further ado, here are some of Rashida’s best tips and quips.

I had to ask her about the infamous eyebrow weave video — despite the repeated promise of “celebrity status,” Rashida is not feelin’ it.

“I don’t recommend it. It doesn’t look good in person. Maybe you can use it for photography, to achieve a certain look for a photo shoot…” she suggested. Oh, Rashida you are being too kind.

What about the latest no eyebrows trend, as identified by the New York Times?

“I’m gonna say no to that as well, unless you’re a runway model. If you absolutely have to achieve that look, there’s this stuff called spirit gum which you can use to smooth them down.”

One of the things I loved about interviewing Rashida is, she is no nonsense. She broke down her feelings about waxing and threading, without hesitation. And she got this formerly wax-happy bella to think twice.

“Tweezing is my preference, but I’ll give you the facts. The saddest thing I’ve been hearing lately is about clients going to get their eyebrows waxed and walking away with scabs. That’s when you go to a place that isn’t professional. There should be a consultation form when you go into a professional waxing salon. They don’t do that. What if you’re dealing with a diabetic? Diabetics, you don’t wanna lift the skin off them for fear of infection. Are you on Retin A? Are you on Accutane? These are questions that need to be asked before you get waxed. And don’t get me started on the double dipping and the stick… if you think about it, they’re using the same wax for your eyebrows, your upper lip, and your bikini area. And they’re just double dipping the stick into the same wax.”

Um, EW. I never even thought about that before.

I had to mention a popular chain of wax salons that ahem — I had a ghastly experience with back in Miami. Now they’re offering “celebrity brows,” where you can go in and ask for let’s say, the Megan Fox brow. It sounded ridiculous to me. And Rashida agreed.

“That’s… insane. You don’t have Megan Fox’s face, or her eyebrow shape. You can’t go into an eyebrow shaping like that. Don’t think thin, don’t think thick. Beware of eyebrow trends. It should be all about your face, your brows, and what’s gonna look right on you. It happens all the time, where ladies will say to me “I want eyebrows like my friend.” Well, unless your friend’s gonna give you her face, that’s probably not gonna work.”

So what are the perfect brows, according to Rashida B?

“It’s all about your facial features, your brow shape, and your lifestyle.”

Lifestyle?

“Yes — if you want high sculpted brows, that might not work for an everyday 9 to 5 job. And if you’re a low maintainance person but you want high maintainance brows, you’re gonna have mad stubble for days.”

What about eyebrow stencils?

“They should pile them all up and burn them. I can spot ‘em a mile away. Oh, you’re Anastasia high arch #3, hi!”

What about threading?

“Threading is great if you have alot of thick hair. For your facial hair, sideburns, upper lip… great. But for your eyebrows, you probably don’t have alot of thick hair there. And they lie you down and tell you to pull your forehead. So when you let go, what happens? It looks great up there, but then your face relaxes. I don’t agree with any eyebrow method where they have you recline. That makes your face look completely symmetrical. It’s not a true reflection of what you’re going to look like later on when you’re out and about on the street.”

So if someone perhaps couldn’t afford Rashida’s services, and wanted to do their brows themselves?

“Find a picture in a magazine, of someone who has the same facial features and eyebrow shape as yours. Don’t try to be Megan Fox or Jennifer Connelly or whoever has the hottest brows. Find someone who looks like you. Then take a white eyeliner pencil, or a light colored concealer stick, and use it to create that shape on your face to make sure it’ll look right on your face. Then pluck the hairs that are covered by the white pencil/concealer. Don’t go overboard, don’t get obsessed with getting the one hair in one area… try to look at the big picture.”

I followed Rashida’s advice to the letter and tah-dah! My brows look GREAT. Another tip of advice from personal experience, sit in good light so you can really see the hairs you’ve covered with white pencil, and use a good pair of tweezers. For beauty needs like this, I am LOVING the Tweezerman Lighted Slant Tweezer.

My interview with Rashida couldn’t end without a question I also put to eyebrow king Damone Roberts — is there a particular famous person who’s eyebrows she’d like to work on? Hmmmm?

“Until Michelle Obama showed up, I didn’t have one!” she responded.

Ding ding ding! I knew that’d be the answer. Lord knows I heart the First Lady but it’s undeniable that her eyebrows could use some fresh talent and a little growing in. Rashida more than agreed.

“I’m gonna need someone to work on that, OK? Have you read my brow blog?”

I hadn’t, yet. But in case you were also concerned, click here to read Rashida’s take on Michelle O’s brows, which fully explains why they are the way they are.

As she explains at the end of her post, “Brows should be shaped in a manner that is best suited for the client, in a shape that flatters and compliments their individual facial features, never mind what the eyebrow stylist’s preferences are.”

I agree completely, and here’s hoping Michelle opens up her circle and finds additional people to help keep her as flawless as possible. Like um, Rashida perhaps? Hey, she’s right here in Chicago!

In summary, Rashida B is made of awesome. After this interview I had the good fortune of meeting her at the Blogalicious kickoff party here in Chicago, and it was SO much fun. Can’t wait to visit her salon and get the Rashida B brow treatment for real! You know I’ll review the whole shebang!

Related posts:

1. Ask Afrobella Part Deux — On Brows
2. Makeup Tips from Damone Roberts!
3. That Twenties Glam

I’ve been restraining myself from shopping lately, so I can’t tell you how much fun it is for me to fantasy shop for someone else! I just got a delightful Ask Afrobella question for my pear-shaped bellas.

Bella,

Stasia

Stasia, I feel you! Wedding season is upon us, and we’re in the midst of prom season. Tis the season for pretty dresses, and some extra junk in the trunk shouldn’t mean you look any less smashing. But I have particular taste in what I like to wear, and I didn’t want to leave you and your friend in my highly opinionated hands. I wanted to consult with an expert. So I reached out to Catherine, one half of the mother-daughter team behind chic online plus size boutique La Grande Dame.

They started the store when they noticed the distinct lack of clothing for full figured women. Whenever Catherine and her mom would try to go shopping together, it was always difficult to find items that fit. Catherine blames this on several things.

“I think designers tend to be sizist. They don’t design clothes for a larger body. There’s a big stigma about being larger, and people who work retail don’t understand the needs of a full figured customer. ”

Believe me, La Grande Dame does. They do their best to make the online shopping experience as swift and easy as possible, and they’re available via live chat and phone. And when you call, it’s actually Catherine at home on her computer, helping to answer your question.

So here’s what made La Grande Dame the perfect candidate for your question, Stasia — not only can you shop by occasion (hello, wedding attendant, and hello puttin on the ritz!), but you can also body type — click here for pear. And Catherine had one particularly gushing recommendation for a pear shaped bella. “Every pear shaped woman I know says the David Meister rouched V-neck dress is the miracle dress.” That’s it up at the top of the post.

So what else did we love for your body type? Oooh, the silk Shelton dress is so feminine and so pretty! And it comes in gorgeous jewel tones. LOVE.

The silk criss cross ruffle blouse and matching skirt would be dynamite together and surprisingly chic apart. The raw silk wrap dress will play up your sumptuous voluptuousness (you like that? You can use it later! LOL) and the tafetta flower dress “draws the eye upward,” so if you want to hide your hips, it could help.

Catherine recommends the Tadashi halter dress which is figure flattering and on sale! I really, really dig Richie by Olivia Harper — a maxi dress that would look outstanding at a daytime, outdoorsy wedding or a chilled-out prom.

Above all else, Stasia and friend — walk tall, work your makeup and accessories, and know you’re a show stopper. So often we seek to downplay what we perceive as figure flaws, when we should celebrate what we’ve got. Not everyone’s as blessed, and don’t you forget it!

Have fun at your special event!

See anything you like, bellas? I LOVE that Shelton dress, I do!

Related posts:

1. The Afrobella Holiday Dress Guide
2. Spring Into Summer Dresses
3. Afrobella ♥ Dorothy Perkins

We met and clicked right away at the Macy’s Women of Color event, and it’s rare that I meet someone who I can instantly say, someday I’m gonna be like “I met her when.” I say this because I know Patrece is a star on the rise. Someday I want to click on Bravo or the Style Network and watch her dispensing makeup tips on her own show – she’s THAT sweet, warm, funny, and has presence and personality for days. And her attitude was both refreshing and inspirational. “A humble person is a successful person,” she believes, and let me tell you – from interviewing so many people, that is rare to hear, and even rarer to experience. I can’t say enough nice things about her.

Patrece is the makeup artist of choice for Laila Ali, Colin Cowie, and Debbie Turner Bell. And you can see her hard work every morning bright and early — Patrece is holding down the fort on the CBS Early Show, doing makeup for Maggie Rodriguez, Harry Smith, Russ Mitchell and Dave Price along with all of the celebrities and dignitaries who come through the green room before their interviews. And it all began when she moved from Fort Wayne, Indiana to NYC, and worked at the MAC makeup counter.

“I am living my dream,” she declared during her presentation, and I know she inspired many of the aspiring artists and cosmetics employees at Macy’s that day. I managed to put together a little video of highlights from her demonstration. Click below to watch, but be forewarned – I’m the worst videographer ever. What are you in for here? Terrible, terrible camera angles, misguided attempts at zooming in, continuous shaking, not-so-great audio, occasional applause with the camera-in-hand, and cackling laughter from myself and the loud, loud lady right next to me. Oh, and amazing makeup tips!

Mark my words, one day Afrobella will have a video person down to produce some slick content. One day it won’t be up to me and my complete inability to film.

On this day, she admitted she wasn’t feeling well and her mom (who is her rock and her guiding light), had to stay behind to care for a sick relative. And very sadly, that relative has since passed. Please join me in sending positive thoughts and prayers to Patrece and the Williams family.

Despite the personal burdens in her own life, Patrece pulled it together and taught me and the audience so much about makeup, and about grace under pressure. I’m happy to share some of her top makeup tips!

— Patrece uses many different makeup brands, but MAC ranks high as her favorite. “I love MAC’s foundations. I think they’ve done the research and taken the time to really cater for women of color. I worked for them for 5 years, so I can attest they take it seriously.” Patrece loves Studio Fix liquid foundation, which dries to a powder. This probably explains why I look so frickin shiny in my photo next to her! Note to self, tone down the shine before posing for photos with famous people with flawless makeup.

– In Patrece’s professional opinion, the best way to put on foundation is to start in the T-zone area. Use a dime size amount, stipple on under your eyes, and on your nose and forehead. Then feather it down and out to make sure the coverage is even and looks natural. Patrece focuses foundation on the center circle of the face. “Foundation should just enhance your skin and give it a glow.”

– Patrece (and most makeup artists in general!) loves and recommends lipliner. But she doesn’t use the pointy part. “Lay the pencil flat and point the tip to the bow of your lip. Use the flat edge to give a smudging effect on your lips, rather than a sharp line. That way you can use lipstick or gloss to blend the color and it lasts all day,” she says. Patrece LOVES a plum colored lipliner on women of color. And she specifically recommended a brand and color of lipgloss – I’ll blog about that soon, promise! She used a lighter color of gloss at the center of the lip to highlight or contour her model’s lips. Note to self, try that at home!

– Patrece loves and highly recommends using powder eyeshadow as eyeliner. “If you have oily skin, liquid or cream eyeliner or eyeshadow is going to crease. With powder eyeshadow, you save money and get two uses out of one product.” She uses and recommends MAC makeup brush #266 for applying eyeliner, or for filling in eyebrows. She used an indigo purple shadow and started applying it right in the lash line. “Eyeshadow looks matte, whereas pencil can look shiny. And you don’t always have to use black or brown shadow as your liner. Sometimes I like to use gold eyeshadow and smudge over it with brown to bring that iridescence out. I also love a plum or indigo shadow,” says Patrece. She used the very tip of the #266 brush to just place the color, not to brush it on the lashline. And she used shadow both on the lid and under the eye!

– DON’T pump air into your mascara! Open it to where you can see just the stem of the wand, then turn it and pull it out. That way the product remains creamy and good to use while it adheres to the brush. Patrece prefers to put on mascara on the bottom lashes first, very lightly. She starts on the outer corner by the ear and moves to the center, using the wand to pull the lashes down as she applies mascara. “What we’re trying to do is create an illusion of thicker, fuller lashes. Push the mascara from the base of the lash, pull all the way down, then push them up,” she says.

– Patrece doesn’t always use an eyelash curler – bellas with long lashes don’t necessarily need one, she says. But she loves strip lashes, and reuses them four or five times a piece, just by removing the glue and reapplying them.

For now I just have to say thank you again to Patrece for the opportunity, and to my amigas at Macy’s. Of course you know normally I link to the people I interview, but Patrece doesn’t even have a website! She hasn’t needed to have one yet – her success has come from word of mouth recommendations. I plan to (and hope to) keep in touch with her, so if you’re in need of makeup advice or have a specific question, I’ll ask her for ya!

More to come from Patrece soon – I’m interviewing her on her drugstore product recommendations next!

Related posts:

1. Makeup Tips from Damone Roberts!
2. Get The Look – BET Awards Makeup
3. Meeting Billy B

Damone Roberts is known as the Eyebrow King. He believes that every face deserves the perfect frame, and makeup starts with a good brow. He’s got a salon on New York’s Fifth Avenue, and another in Beverly Hills. His artwork has graced the faces of celebrities like Madonna, Beyoncé, Mandy Moore, Vanessa Williams, and Brandy. He believes in the power of attraction and he is putting it out there to the universe — he wants to work with Michelle O.

“I would LOVE to get my hands on those brows! Because she’s a beautiful woman, but her arch is too extreme. I want to make it a little softer, a little prettier,” he explained, as we met during the Macy’s Women of Color event — here he is in the green room with the lovely Patrece Williams. Look out for her makeup tips next week!

Naturally, I took the opportunity to ask Damone all about his specific makeup tips for beautiful black women who want to enhance their natural beauty. Some of his tips were downright surprising! Without further ado, here are some top tips from The Eyebrow King.

1. “Anything who knows anything about eyebrows knows it’s not about trends — thick or thin brows. It’s about finding the best shaped brow for your face. And I say the thicker the better. It really makes a difference. Thin brows can make you look too stern.”

2. “When I shape brows, I start with wax, but then I tweeze. I’m not a personal fan of threading. The thread is kept in their mouth and it’s constantly moved around… it’s not the most sanitary method, in my opinion.”

3. “If you need to fill in your brows, don’t use an eyeliner pencil. They’re too soft, they’re waxy, and they don’t look good. Get a brow pencil, or brow powder with the right brush. It all depends on your personal preference.”

Damone sells his own brand of brow pencils, powders, gel… everything. And for women of color, he recommends his soft black brow pencil. The name of the color? Miss Ross. Love it! He also loves MAC’s brow pencils in Strut and Spiked for brown skinned bellas.

4. “I want to tell women of color about the power of pink! We’re so safe with brown, bronze, and gold makeup. But pink is gorgeous on our skin! We can wear EVERY color on our skin! So get away from the typical deep berries, bronzes, golds…and go for something different instead.”

I took some convincing. But Damone dabbed some of his favorite pink lipglosses — Dior Reflect in Clutch Pink 517, and Rose Satin 657 — on the back of my hand, and I was willing to listen. SO pretty, and so subtle.

Damone’s other pink favorites include MAC blush in Pink Swoon, which is so not the kind of pink I’d normally reach for! And we bonded over items from the Hello Kitty collection. A lovely and anonymous beauty blogger gifted me with several items, and my best best Lauren sent me the tinted lip conditioner, which again was the kind of color I’d normally avoid, but turned out to be really sheer, pretty, and feminine when I applied it with a sparing hand.

Very inspiring! Much respect and thanks to Damone for his time, and for so much information. He’s an awesome person and I hope to meet him again in the future! Stay tuned next week for beauty tips (and video!) of Patrece Williams!

Happy weekend, bellas!

Related posts:

1. By Popular Demand – Damone Roberts’ Fave Hair Products
2. Makeup Tips from Miami’s Most Fab
3. Patrice meets Patrece!