Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and if you’re a mom (or someone motherly) I hope you were feted to the max with all of your favorite things and I hope the day was spent in love and celebration of you! Even though Mother’s Day is now over, I still have one more giveaway in store – and this one is for the moms who read Afrobella.com! And it’s one of the biggest ticket giveaways I’ve had!

Bellas, let me tell you all about the Sony VAIO laptop.

I’m part of the Windows Champions program, which means the good folks of Windows give me an all-access pass to some of the hottest Windows PCs, Microsoft gear and news! Right now, I’m writing this blog post on a bright pink Sony VAIO Y. I LOVE IT. And I’m not even a pink lover! I’ll tell you why I love it. But first let’s get the specs out of the way, shall we?

SONY VAIO Y: Put a true pro to work for you with a laptop that offers superior portability, performance, and power. Enjoy HD graphics on the 11.6″ LED display, ample storage for your favorite multimedia, and the muscle of a new AMD Fusion APU—all in a slim, lightweight package. Price: $599.99

Specifications: AMD Fusion E-350; 4GB RAM; 320GB hard drive; Fusion Integrated Graphics; Standards lithium-ion battery; AC adapter

OK! Here’s what I love about my Sony VAIO Y, and this may be a factor for some of you…. I’m a self admitted Windows person. Remember those commercials, I’m a MAC, I’m a PC? I’ve always been a PC. I just feel more comfortable with the platform. The family had an Apple computer as our first machine when I was VERY little, but every computer I’ve owned myself has been a PC. Everywhere I’ve worked, the office computers are PCs. I associate PCs with putting in good work and that’s what I use my Vaio for on a daily basis.

Have any of you noticed how my blog posts look more professional lately? Photos embedded in a neat row and such? That isn’t because I did some special blogger HTML course (although that might be a great idea for the future…) It can be entirely attributed to Windows Live Writer, an incredible program that came with the Vaio. You can post directly from Live Writer and it allows you to embed, resize and edit photos in your post, include a watermark, embed video and hyperlinks with extreme ease, and even set your categories and tags before posting. I was resistant at first – it takes me a while to learn anything new and techy. But once I got the hang of Live Writer, I fell in LOVE. If you’re a blogger who lacks tech skills and haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend it.

The whole Windows Skydrive thing is awesome. Because I also have a Windows Phone, the photos I take with my phone are instantly accessible on the Sony VAIO laptop as well, which is SUCH an awesome tool for a blogger like me who uses her camera as phone almost always.

If you’re a traveler, this laptop is sweet. It’s so light and small and easy to travel with! It fits in a big purse. Although this is a petite laptop, the keyboard doesn’t feel all scrunched together. And if you’re using it on an airport tray table, it’s small enough that you won’t be terrified some jerk will crack it if you wind up sitting behind someone completely lacking in airplane etiquette, like this guy.

I think the Vaio was designed mainly with size, weight and portability in mind. The fact that it comes in this very girly pink color makes me think the intent was to create a machine for young women, like myself, who need a machine to work on while they’re on the go, and who are into the color and appearance of the machine they’re working on.

My only issue with the Vaio is the battery life, but hey – can someone show me a laptop that has consistently incredible battery life that doesn’t diminish over time? No, seriously – can someone? I’d love to know if one exists! The Vaio website says 5 hours 45 minutes of battery life but right now I’m experiencing substantially less than that – closer to two hours. Maybe it’s the way I’ve been using it and the  number of programs I’m running? I don’t know. All I DO know is, one lucky bella will win a pink Sony VAIO Y of their very own right here!

How do you enter, how do you win?

Leave a comment and tell me – What would YOU do with an awesome new laptop?

A lucky winner will be chosen at random and this contest will officially be open until MONDAY May 28 and a winner will be announced that week!

This contest is open to entries in the U.S.A, from readers over age 18.

If you have won a giveaway on Afrobella.com within the last calendar year, I respectfully ask that you skip this one and wish your fellow bellas well!

Winners will be notified via e-mail, and they’ll have 48 hours to respond with their name, address and phone number — if a winner fails to respond in time, an alternative winner may be selected.

This Sunday – May 13, in case you haven’t checked a calendar – is Mother’s Day! Now’s the time to order those flowers and put together those gift baskets, if you haven’t already. And for the moms who read Afrobella.com – I’ve got special Mother’s Day goodness for you through the rest of the week! Some of my FAVORITE brands have offered Mother’s Day giveaways, and I handpicked only the best for you!

Giveaway #3 – The Sofistafunk RX Emergency Skirt!

By now you already know how I feel about Sofistafunk The Skirt Company. I LOVE them! Everywhere I’ve worn their garments, I’ve gotten nothing but compliments.

The Oscars.

The Curls Unleashed Textures on the Runway event in NYC during New York Fashion Week!

The Red Pump Project Fashion Show here in Chicago!

Everywhere I’ve worn Sofistafunk, it’s been a head turning, OMG that is fabulous where did you get that experience. And bellas, I want YOU to have that experience too!

Behold, the Sofistafunk RX Emergency Skirt. It’s a brand new concoction by these amazing designers from New Jersey, and the intent is portability and spontaneity.

Isn’t that the CUTEST IDEA EVER????

As one of of my Mother’s Day giveaways, Sofistafunk is offering THREE LUCKY AFROBELLA READERS  a special Sofistafunk RX Emergency Skirt of their very own!

BUT unlike other contests, this WON’T be right here on the blog. This is a TWITTER ONLY GIVEAWAY!

How do you enter, how do you win?

Follow @afrobella and @sofistafunk on twitter and then tweet: @afrobella sent me! Please enter me to win the @sofistafunk RX skirt!

This contest will officially be open until MONDAY. So tweet it up! Oooooh and Sofistafunk is also on Facebook, check em out there!

This contest is open to entries in the U.S.A, from readers over age 18.

Winners will be notified via e-mail, and they’ll have 48 hours to respond with their name, address and phone number — if a winner fails to respond in time, an alternative winner may be selected.

Giveaway is closed and winners were chosen and announced via Twitter! Thanks for entering, ladies!!

As a teenager, I looked forward to my future with high hopes for clear skin. After all, we’re told that acne is a teenage problem, caused by bad food and oily skin and roiling hormones. At one point in my life I honestly believed that turning 20 would end my acne issues. And then I thought…maybe by age 25 this will be over. OK. Maybe 30. And now here I am at age 33, telling you the sad truth. Adult acne is real. Things usually get better, but if you’ve grown up dealing with breakouts, you’ll occasionally have to deal with them when you’re grown enough to be dealing with stuff like taxes and mortgages and kids.

Photo via Blinging Beauty

Now that I’m an adult, I know exactly what triggers my acne. I’m more likely to get breakouts after periods of eating badly, or spending too much time in the sun. Recently when I had a facial, the aesthetician was able to tell that I sleep on my left side and that I don’t always take off my makeup, “because the blackheads on that side of your face are so deep.” YIKES. Some of my acne issues are clearly my own fault. Other issues are caused by my hormonal cycle, my stress level, and other factors I have less control over. It can be hard to know how to deal with those kinds of acne issues.

Let’s clear this one thing up right here right now — the best way you can deal with adult acne is by tackling it internally by drinking more water, exercising and eating healthier, and finding a dermatologist. More often than not, we deal with skin issues by going to a spa for a facial or buying some over the counter product instead of dealing with things medically, and that’s really the most sensible way to deal with it — click here to find a dermatologist in your city. Personally, I’m taking a varied approach to the issue. Recently I visited a derm for the first time — more on that soon! I eat healthier than I used to, and I drink more water than I used to. I’m trying to deal with my acne internally, but externally I still need some extra help. And so I also still go for facials, AND I use over the counter acne products that include approved ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, and salycilic acid to deal with the pimples I get, as I get them. Allow me to tell you about my favorite at-home acne brands!

Mario Badescu — OK so I know I’ve raved on and on (and on) about Mario Badescu, but I LOVE their products. The second I get a zit, I reach for their Drying Lotion or Drying Mask. If I’ve already got a zit that’s erupted, I love the Buffering Lotion. My only issue with MB products is, I haven’t yet tried one that goes on clear and works under makeup. These are products for if you’re at home and want to dry up a blemish overnight. Click here to check out Mario Badescu’s acne products.

Murad — I’m a fan of the brand in general, but Murad actually makes a product to help with the issue. Murad Acne Anti-Aging Acne Treatmenttackles both blemishes and wrinkles, and claims to smooth fine lines and restore suppleness as well. All of this basically means it’ll get rid of your zits without totally depleting your skin of moisture, as acne products can so often do.

Clean and Clear — I may drift away and try other, more expensive products, but if I’ve got a zit and I’m out of town and don’t have my go-to’s, best believe I will buy a tube of Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10 from any store I can. Recently when a close friend of mine got like her third pimple ever in life, this is what I told her to buy. Good ol’ Clean and Clear will never do you wrong.

Neutrogena — I’d say that Neutrogena is pretty much the gold standard when it comes to drugstore skincare. Their Oil-Free Acne Wash was THE must-have face wash for my teenage acne days. And still to this day I’ll use it, or the newer Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment Power-Foam Wash which has a super long name but works really, really well.

Olay – When I think Olay, I don’t usually think acne — more moisture or cleansing or anti-aging, right? Well yes, but they also make a range of acne fighting products, including the Olay Professional Pro-X Clear Acne Protocol Kit, which is tailor made for adult acne. It’s a three part system involving a cleanser, a clearing treatment, and a renewing lotion. And Pro-X also makes a refining sulfur mask, for those of you who like masks for dealing with acne. (PS: These are my favorite face masks). (PPS: did you know aspirin makes an excellent at home acne mask? It’s basically salycilic acid! Click to learn more via BlackHairMedia.com).

Et voilà, my go-to, tried and true product faves for dealing with acne as a grown woman. Bellas, how do YOU deal with adult acne?

This Sunday – May 13, in case you haven’t checked a calendar about it – is Mother’s Day! Now’s the time to order those flowers and put together those gift baskets, if you haven’t already. And for the moms who read Afrobella.com – I’ve got special Mother’s Day goodness for you through the rest of the week! Some of my FAVORITE brands have offered Mother’s Day giveaways, and I handpicked only the best for you!

I’ve already rhapsodized about the goodness of Shea Radiance, let me tell you again why I love this brand. It works brilliantly on my hair and skin, and it’s 100% made with love. If you’re a lover of natural, vegan, fair trade beauty products, you’ll want to learn more about Shea Radiance. Founded in 2005 by husband and wife team Shola and Funlayo Alabi, their hair and skincare products are of tremendous quality and directly benefit communities in Africa that have partnered with them.  These are some of the women that work to create these shea products – and Funlayo herself is wearing the blue and white patterned outfit in the row of standing women.

I’ve been lucky enough to try out Shea Radiance’s hair products – all are made with unrefined shea butter, so using the complete product line from shampoo on through to styling product means your hair is intensely moisturized. My favorites of their hair products? I love the Moisturizing Hair Milk – it’s a light spray for kinky, curly, wavy hair and it’s made with water, aloe vera juice, shea butter, avocado seed oil, castor seed oil, and hemp seed oil. My hair drinks this stuff up and LOVES it. The Nourishing Hair Repair Cream is formulated for kinky curly hair that needs a heavier product – it’s great for braiding or twisting the hair but isn’t a super heavy product that has a ton of hold.

Shea Radiance’s skincare products are also awesome – thus far I’ve tried the Deluxe Spa Sampler which includes their Ivory Seed Sugar Scrub, Whipped Shea Butter with Kalahari Melon seed Oil, and the Shea and Baobab Antioxidant Cream which is light and fabulous for your face or specially beloved body parts. Of all their skin care products I have to say, a little goes a long way. Also if you’re seeking highly fragranced items, these aren’t what you might be seeking, they are earthy and clean smelling, but not all Shea Radiance products are infused with artificial fragrances or lathering agents. These are natural products for natural beauties! And FIVE lucky bellas could win a set of Shea Radiance goodies – including their hair products and the Deluxe Spa Sampler — in this special Mother’s Day giveaway!

How do you enter, how do you win?

Leave a comment below telling me why you think you or your mom will LOVE these products, and the contest will remain open until Mother’s Day, Sunday May 13 2012. Winners will be announced the week of May 14.

This contest is open to entries in the U.S.A, from readers over age 18.

Winners will be notified via e-mail, and they’ll have 48 hours to respond with their name, address and phone number — if a winner fails to respond in time, an alternative winner may be selected.

You can like Shea Radiance on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter! Good luck, mamas!

Lowkey obsessed –

1. To be secretly in the early, heady stages of infatuation with something or someone, the stage when you can’t stop thinking about said thing or person.

2. The feeling you get when you’re ready to tell the world about the new favorite thing you just discovered

3. The instant passion you feel for a new product you love that you need to incorporate into your arsenal ASAP.

4. A new hopefully-regular series where I tell you all about the awesome new thing I just tried, but haven’t road tested forever just yet.

(inspired by BBJ’s Fictionary and Urban Dictionary!)

Rare is the day that I try a product and become inspired to begin a whole new blog series, bellas. And yet here I am once again. The last time it happened, I started the You Deserve category (and the product that inspired it? Votre Vu Duette Luxe).

The product that inspired Lowkey Obsessed? It Cosmetics Vitality Lip Flush. I am in LOVE with Je Ne Sais Quoi.

It is so moisturizing, so pretty, so what I didn’t even know I needed.  For bellas like me, who may have two or even three-toned lips, it could be the perfect pretty shiny pink you never thought existed.

See my before on the left and after on the right. As you can see, my lips without pencil or color are kind of like a red grape – not consistently one color. This is a subtle, shiny, wearable, super moisturizing lippie – in terms of texture and appearance I’d compare it to Votre Vu Champagne Kisses, one of my favorite lip balms EVER. It’s even more emoillient than Chapstick or Softlips or Burt’s Bees. And it gives your lips a subtle flush of sheer pink that conforms to your lip color. Check it out.

So perfect for summer, n’est ce pas?

It Cosmetics is a really intriguing new product line – the creators reportedly “work with leading plastic surgeons to infuse the latest anti-aging technology into their high-performance color cosmetics.” Their products are intended to improve as well as beautify the skin, and they’ve been written about in more magazines than you can shake a stick at, even though you may not have heard of them or know their products by name just yet. Their products are on sale on QVC and everything I’ve been lucky enough to try so far has been pretty awesome.

The pink flush of Je Ne Sais Quoi delighted me the MOST, though. Most pink lipsticks have the effect of highlighting the discoloration of my lips, or revealing how chapped they are with opaque color that cakes in the cracks. But not this. It’s just sheer, supremely moisturizing lip shine that looks sheer or clear in the tube, but has this delightfully flattering effect. And when the shine fades, your lips retain a rosy glow. I’d LOVE to see my dark skinned bellas who have struggled to find a pink lippie try this and let me know your thoughts. I hope it’d work for everyone as well as it works for me!

Let me stop rambling and let them explain:

What is it: Vitality Lip Flush Anti-Aging Lipstick Stain takes the place of your lipstick, anti-aging conditioning lip balm, ultra-hydrating lip gloss, and your lip stain! This truly innovative formula contains Hydra-Luxe Technology including ingredients such as plum oil, cherry oil, shea butter, aloe, and jojoba that all work together to treat, hydrate, condition, and nourish your lips. It minimizes the appearance of lip lines and wrinkles. Plus, this lip flush is packed with anti-oxidants including acai, green tea, white tea, and vitamins A, C, and E to fight free-radical attack.

Who is it for: Anyone who wants a naturally pretty flush of color for their lips! It’s also for anyone who wants ultra-hydrated and conditioned lips.

Why is it different: Vitality Lip Flush Anti-Aging Lipstick Stain is developed to give that long-wear flush of naturally pretty color, the anti-aging hydration of a super-luxe treatment lip balm, and the infusion of a powerful stain that doesn’t dry out your lips. Plum oil, cherry oil, and a power-packed formula of anti-aging and good-for-you ingredients drench your lips with hydration. Works on all skin tones.

How do I use it: Apply directly from the tube for a sheer, naturally pretty flush of color that lasts.

AND this comes in two more colors I’m officially now dying to try!

Look, I wore a pink top (vintage Lane Bryant) and took a sip of my morning veggie juice to give you a comparison in pinkness. Oooh and my druzy earrings are by Nina Nguyen. Love her stuff!

Please excuse these raggely brows, I’ll be getting them take care of this week!

For this look I tried to come up with something SUPER simple and easy to wear, in colors that are office friendly or even appropriate for someone younger. What did I use to get this look?

– Urban Decay’s Naked 2 palette – mostly Bootycall, Chopper and Snakebite.

– Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes pencil in Gypsy

– Benefit They’re Real mascara

– Avon Glow bronzer in Deep Tan

– Josie Maran Argan Matchmaker Serum Foundation in medium/dark

– Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar

– It Cosmetics Vitality Lip Flush in Je Ne Sais Quoi. It’s $20!

It Cosmetics are available through QVC and you can follow them on Twitter or like them on Facebook.

Is this the pink lip color of your dreams? What products are you lowkey obsessed with these days?

Products provided for consideration but opinions are all mine, baby!

The New York Times just did a lovely little piece on products brought back by popular demand. Social Media Breathes Life Into Shelved Products featured the stories of women who have been stockpiling their favorite products via Amazon and Ebay, and the brands who are bringing their most popular products back according to Twitter and Facebook demand. I learned about a few brands I didn’t know about, and I love hearing about stuff like this because it turns me on to cult favorite products — for example, the Erno Laszlo powders that I’ve apparently been sleeping on and Lush’s All That Jas bath bomb which sounds absolutely DIVINE. I am a fool for anything jasmine!

Allow me to share a few of my actual favorite products I’ve tried, that have been brought back to life!

Carol’s Daughter Ocean has always been that refreshing, enticing kind of fragrance that your man loves to smell on you – and your man might also not mind using himself! Ocean is just as fresh and as clean clean, and I’ve always loved it. Now by popular demand, Ocean is back on HSN. My husband loves the body cleansing gel, and I adore the dry oil mist, which makes my legs and décolleté all gleamy and fabulous and fragranced with water lily, lavender, and blue marine. If you need an Ocean fix, check out the Ocean Bath and Body Indulgence Set, $39.90 for double the body cleansing gels and body creams (so a one-for-you, one-for-mom situation could work perfectly!)

Remember when Estee Lauder shut down Prescriptives in 2009, to much weeping, moaning and gnashing of teeth? Well there’s no need to cry into your last hoarded jar of Comfort Cream in 2012, bella – Prescriptives was “refreshed” in 2011 and you can get ALL your favorites at Prescriptives.com.  Yes, custom blending and all!

MAC puts out SO many collections a year that I have a super hard time keeping up with them, but despite all of the new hotness they bring forth, certain colors remain the most beloved in fashion capitals around the world. Rebel in New York, Russian Red in Dubai, Snob in Sao Paulo, Saint Germain in Tokyo, Morange in Paris. (So apparently I’m a New York, Paris kind of woman! Wonder what Chicago’s favorite color would be? Or Port of Spain, Trinidad?) To celebrate their most popular colors in these major global cities, MAC Fashion Sets is here, with trios of lipstick, lipglass, and nail lacquer to satisfy the matchy-matchiest among us. For my brown skinned bellas I’d recommend you check out the Europe and Africa set or the Latin America Middle East set, that’s where my fave colors (like Rebel Morange and Girl About Town) were.

Talk about using Facebook wisely. Bobbi Brown’s Bobbi Brings Back program used Facebook to crowdsource fans for their absolute favorite Bobbi Brown lippies. And now, they’re back! Fans voted for the return of Blush, Tulip, Clove, Tulle Brown, Wine and Scarlet. And according to In Style, the Bobbi Brings Back campaign wasn’t just a one-off thing for lipsticks, future campaigns will include cult favorite eyeshadows and blushes.

Just the other day I had a long, warm, affectionate conversation with an older black woman about Fashion Fair. “I remember that was the first lipstick I ever had. What happened to Fashion Fair?” Well to her and to anyone who’s ever wondered – first of all, Fashion Fair never went anywhere. And second of all, the brand is about to come back in a major way thanks to creative director Sam Fine. Sam is currently touring the nation on the Fashion Fair Truly Treasured Tour, – click that link to see if he’s coming to a city near you. He’ll be in Chicago in June!

Sam will be highlighting Fashion Fair’s delicious collection of plum and rose colored cosmetics. Click here to check out Truly Treasured. You see that Grapesicle lipstick? I need it! We have a DATE with DESTINY.

** edited at 7:30 am — so this post went live and my friend Audarshia on Twitter says BRING BACK VINCENT LONGO! Which reminds me! I FORGOT to mention that Vincent Longo is BACK and you can buy products on HSN! MY BAD.

In March the esteemed artist and founder of his own awesome product line brought his beloved Water Canvas™ Base Primer, Velour Pressed Powder, 1-2-3 Trio Eyeshadow and Perfect Shine Lip Gloss back on HSN. And MY fave Vincent Longo product, the gel lip stain, is back as part of a lip and cheek stain set. Photo via Bellasugar’s article fittingly titled Vincent Longo Cosmetics Set to Make a Comeback.

Those are some of my fave products that are back on the block! Did you see any old, new favorites?

My cat Max has been featured on Afrobella before – remember how little and cute he was when he first scampered into my life? Awwwww kitten! And now here he is, 15 pounds of FUN.

Life has changed so much for my furbaby since then.

Max was a Miami suburban street kitten, and he lived an indoor/outdoor life. Then he became more of an indoor cat, who’d run away and climb trees the second he could. Then we moved and he went from the sultry heat of Miami to a 12 acre spread in North Carolina, to a sad garage in Chicagoland for a little bit, and now here we are. Max is a high rise condo cat in downtown Chicago, and spends much of his day staring longingly out of the window at the birds that occasionally fly by. When he sleeps and his whiskers twitch and he makes little kitty noises, I am sure he’s dreaming of climbing trees, killing lizards, and hiding their bodies in my shoes (as he used to often do).

To make up for Max’s lack of outdoor fun, I let him get a good whiff of outside air every day – right now as I write this, he’s curled up by the screen and soaking it up. Because of high rise syndrome, he’s not allowed on the balcony. And to compensate for the lack of running around and climbing he used to do, Max now has quite the cat toy collection. He’s got a corner of our apartment so decked out with cat stuff, I’m sure even Jackson Galaxy would approve.

Max is a cat of strong opinion and particular taste. He only wants the Fancy Feast with the gravy – he hates that classic stuff and he won’t even sniff the high end Science Diet wet food I used to buy for him (but he’s addicted to their dry food). He won’t touch the lovely cat scratcher a friend gave us, but he’s all about the Bergan Turbo Track Toy. He’s obsessed with that thing.

When he wants attention or food, he’ll walk around banging our cupboard doors open and closed until we come over to deal with the situation. In the wee hours of the morning if he’s out of food, he will climb on my dresser and knock my lipsticks and necklaces on the ground until I get up and feed him. Despite that being EXTREMELY annoying, I still think he’s super cute and I put up with his shenanigans. That’s kitty love.

When the folks behind the Skratchkabin contacted me to see if Max would be interested in reviewing their scratching device/kitty abode, I said yes but with some reservations. It can take Max a while to show interest in new toys – if that interest ever makes itself apparent. I thought I took a while to familiarize myself with a product. It can take this cat even longer. BUT when we opened the Skratchkabin and set it up, there was interest!

Interest in examining this thing from all sides. I think part of Max’s concerns is the fact that there’s a back to the Skratchkabin. He doesn’t like being penned in with no chance of escape. He likes the mouse, because it’s big and tough and he loves using his back legs to wreak as much havoc as possible. It was REALLY easy for him to detach the hanger and the mouse from the front. We’ve had the Skratchkabin for a few weeks now and he’s only been inside of it twice, and that’s with the encouragement of treats.

So as a cat igloo/bed/hideaway, Max isn’t sold yet. BUT as a scratching device, he LOVES it. The Skratchkabin has definitely been helpful in giving him a surface to take out those feline instincts and aggressions, and he’s been better about leaving our furniture and shoes alone. Which is AWESOME. Because my leather office chair has had ENOUGH.

The Skratchkabin is $99 – which isn’t bad as far as cat furniture goes — and is available at KatKabin.com. They’re on Twitter @KatKabinUSA.

Are you a cat owner? No? Why not? Cats are AWESOME pets! If you’re looking to rescue a lucky kitty cat and give him or her a forever home, visit The Shelter Pet Project to find a shelter in your neighborhood.

Tangerine Tango is Pantone’s color of the year, and we’re officially in the midst of Spring – Chicago’s dismal weather aside. Orange is sizzling hot right now for lips, cheeks, nails, and even eyes. Yes ma’am, just the other day I gave Make Up For Ever’s orange Aqua Cream a try on my eyelids under a bold, black cat eye, with peachy cheeks and a shimmery nude lip. Lately I’ve been rocking orange lips in varying degrees of intensity, and it’s a head turner of a look. If done wrong, it can be very eighties. (When I told my mom I was writing a post on orange lips she said “IT’S BACK!!!” with tremendous excitement. That was her signature for a while!

Photo via Fashion Bomb Daily.

Recently a friend on Twitter asked me if I had a recommendation for THE perfect orange lip for brown skin. I didn’t know if there was one special orange for all of us. I had to ask incredible makeup artist Tia Dantzler, who offered some helpful orange lip tips. “That orange can be tricky. I like to use a pencil first to fill in. Sometimes you have an orange that’s too bright. So I like to use a brown or burgundy pencil as a base to tone it down. Or you can use a gloss or an orange lip balm. I like to tone it down before I turn it up.”

I dug deep into my own orange-or-in-the-orange-family lippie stash to see which were the best. Photographed here with my camera phone, apologies for photo quality:

MAC lipstick in Watch Me Shimmer from Shop MAC Cook MAC, which is a coral pink that’s super pretty and wearable

Black|Up Cosmetics lipstick in RAL 26 – creamy, bright, buildable orange with a touch of red coral to it, if you feel me

OCC Lip Tar in Safety Orange – the gold standard of longlasting orange lippies, with a touch of red for the bravest among us

Lancome color design lipstick in Corset, a matte coral peach that is so smooth and fabulous

Milani Lip Flash pencil in Flash Light – coral with red shimmer, very shimmery, great over lip pencil

Cover Girl blast flipstick in Cheeky, interesting orangey coral you customize – one side is shimmer, the other cream

Avon Glow Lip Gloss in Coral, the safest, sheerest, shiniest option for those who are a tad too shy for overt orange. Just a hint of creamsicle orange that’s super sheer, excellent when layered over a lipstick or pencil.

Those are the few I have – couldn’t find my tube of MAC Morange for the photo. Classic shade, one I LOVE.  Check out this post by Style And Beauty Doc for a few more classic MAC oranges.

If you’re looking for a brand new orange lippie, might I recommend Sephora? I stopped by the one on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue recently to check out their orange lip collection. And there were some GREAT oranges in store.

Urban Decay’s Super Saturated lip pencils are chubby and slick and highly pigmented and full of win, and Punch Drunk is a delicious orange cream. A Go Go by Kat Von D is a hot coral color. And then I hit the motherlode — Sephora has a Pantone Color of the Year collaboration that you can shop in store or online! Check out this display with all the Tangerine Tango you could want. Look!

So if you’re looking for your ideal orange, check out Sephora. And if you want to know how to wear them, consider the advice I got from Tia Dantzler. “It’s best to use a scrub on your lips first, because with bright lip colors they really show if your lips are peeling.” TRUE STORY.

Have you found YOUR perfect orange lip color? Tell me about it!

A few weeks back I attended a lovely brunch at the W Hotel on Lakeshore Drive. Hosted by Eden BodyWorks to launch the new Jojoba Monoi line (which I LOVE), a truly incredible and inspiring group of Chicago women came together for the occasion!

Many of my favorite people were there, my amigas Luvvie, Aramide of The Sassy Peach, Renisha of Renewed Fitness, Mitzi Miller of Jet Magazine, Raijean of SwaRai Blog, Bree of The Mane Source and Nikki of Nikki and the City, PR superstars Renae of Crush Media and In Her Shoes blog, and Ylorie, the VP of Marketing for Eden BodyWorks.

Love Ylorie! The homie Chuck Olu-Alabi was there to take amazing photos, which he does so well (check out his Etsy shop)! I made new friends, like Autumn of chic Chicago boutique Sir and Madame, the lovely Trizonna McClendon, the ladies of Mhe Magazine and @LoveYourNaps on Twitter, who’s a sweetheart. AND fellow natural hair blogger CharyJay who I’ve been DYING to meet! And so many other beautiful, professional ladies at the table.

With mimosas flowing, we gathered to hear the wise words of Los Angeles based trichologist, cosmetologist, and owner of the Mahogany Hair Salon, Dr. Kari Williams. I’d been wanting to meet Dr. Kari FOREVER, as she is an amazing, knowledgeable woman and we have many mutual friends in common!  Here I am sitting next to her right before the took center stage!

Dr. Kari has been touring the country to promote Eden Body Works’ new Jojoba Monoi product line, and to impart very necessary information about scalp health. I learned QUITE a bit, just sitting there and drinking in her wisdom (along with fabu mimosas). Here are some of the things I learned from Dr. Kari at the Eden Body Works brunch!

– You know how sometimes you ask someone what products they use in their hair and they’re like “oh whatever a little of this and a little of that?” Yeah, that’s not the best method. Dr. Kari believes it is best to have a product regimen, including shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, a lubricant and a styling product. She says staying within a specific product line is best because the product line has been made specifically to work together.

– Dr. Kari believes in washing hair at least once a week, for those with active lifestyles, more than once. She recommends deep conditioning with heat or a steamer on a regular basis, especially for natural hair.

– Lubrication and oil are important to our hair care. After conditioning, many oil the scalp or use grease, but grease just plasters the flakes from your scalp back down. Dr. Kari recommends using a light oil on the scalp but a heavier oil on the ends.

– When you think of moisturizing hair, think WATER. Ingredients in your hair products should include water in the top five ingredients, and then oil.

– Jojoba oil is also antibacterial, and contains Vitamin E.

– For caring for locs, Dr. Kari recommends hot oil treatments, no heavy creams, and you should rinse lightly. Locs hold on to energy. Love them gently, treat them with care.

– Too much protein treatment or in the products used can lead to dryness and breakage.

– You know how some people like to leave conditioner in super long, like overnight sometimes? And not follow the instructions on the bottle? Dr. Kari has seen some disasters because of that folly. “There is no need to sleep with conditioner, it can lead to dermatitis. Same with hot oil. It can lead to inflammation and burning of the scalp.”

– Shampoo is your friend. “A lot of women with curlier hair avoid shampoo because they think it will dry the hair, however it removes dirt and buildup on the hair and scalp. Dr. Kari is a fan of co-washing but says you should use shampoo once a week.

During the Eden Body Works event Dr. Kari presented an alternate way to use the Jojoba Monoi product line that has been a complete revelation to me. She suggested using the whole product line but switching the order of things around to use the Jojoba Monoi Revitalizing Conditioner as a pre-poo, and then use shampoo, deep conditioner, hair milk, and oil in that order. My hair absolutely LOVES this order of things. It makes a difference for me in terms of moisture and reducing frizz. LOVE. I need to take a pic to show y’all!

Meeting Dr. Kari and hearing her words of wisdom was a great experience – she regularly contributes to Natural Chica’s blog so you can check her out there. Thanks to Eden for an amazing time and such great products!

What are your biggest scalp issues? Would you visit a trichologist? I think I need to make an appointment!

When I think back on the earliest songs I knew and my earliest childhood memories, Bob Marley is there as the soundtrack. In my mind’s eye, I can remember seeing news footage of his funeral on Panorama, Trinidad’s national news program when I was a kid. Of course, I was only three. This may be one of the memories we create for ourselves.

 Photo by Kim Gottleib-Walker.

My father did a masters degree at the University of West Indies in Jamaica in 1981/1982. He returned with an armful of reggae albums – Bob Marley, Lone Ranger, Michigan and Smiley, Eek a Mouse, and Dennis Brown. We had almost all of Bob’s albums on vinyl – from Burnin’ on through to Uprising. I can still see myself, sliding the large black disc carefully from the album sleeve, carefully putting the needle down, then sitting back to soak in Bob Marley’s music. I remember singing Redemption Song so loud that one of my big brothers could hear me downstairs, and when he came upstairs he was too happy to let me know I got the words wrong. I made a point to learn the words, then.

Bob Marley’s music is part of the fabric of island life. You grow up with his music always lilting somewhere in the background, wafting out of a parlor or from a vendor’s cart, or a passing car. Because his music is so ubiquitous, it’s easy to overlook his most popular songs and feel like you know everything there is to know about him. I knew most of the information presented in Kevin Macdonald’s new documentary, Marley, which hits theaters, iTunes and On Demand today, April 20 – in a stroke of brilliant marketing and timing. I knew the information, but the presentation blew me away.

I got to see a screener a week ago or so. I went into the Marley documentary thinking I knew what I’d be seeing and it would be great. I left realizing that assuming you know and SEEING this man’s life play out before you is two totally different things. I left feeling all kinds of feelings – proud, empowered, heartbroken, grieving, but still in absolute awe. I left the theater convinced that EVERYONE needs to see Marley. Not just the college kids and the already converted fans. EVERYONE. Especially those who don’t know about the man and his message, and just think of him as ganja, good times and One Love. Because Bob Marley was so, so much more than that.

Obviously there can be no spoilers for a film like Marley, that’s like saying there’s spoilers for the end of Titanic or something. Everyone knows the end of this movie is going to be tragic. But there are revelations in seeing the tragedy unfold, and seeing how valiantly and desperately Bob fought to save his own life. It’s the part of his life that nobody else got to see, before now. The trip to Bavaria. Bob Marley in all of that snow, shorn of his crowning glory. Images that hit you square in the chest. And before that, the beginning – the life of struggle and poverty in Nine Miles and then Trench Town, the cameras traveling from First Street to Second Street, and then trodding on to Third Street as Bob did in Natty Dread.

I am only 33 and I don’t wanna sound like a grandma, but I wish more of today’s musicians and music consumers – the kids buying new music these days – would see this film. In his 36 years of life, Bob Marley made music that MEANT something. Music that seizes the heart and the waistline and makes you want to move and groove, with lyrics that spoke to struggle and poverty, injustice and righteousness, positivity and love. Music that directly addressed society’s ills. Music intent to provoke change.

I went to the screening with the homie Luvvie, and when we were leaving she was lamenting the state of music today. She was like “music isn’t ABOUT anything anymore.” My view is that nowadays popular music is about the self. It’s about how much I’ve got, how much of a gangsta/cool cat/sex kitten I am, how many expensive designer things I own, where I’ve been in the world, me me me. And before, there were people like Bob Marley who were making music about the world, and trying to make a difference in your own culture and society. I wish more of today’s popular, chart topping musicians would try to be more like Bob.

Marley shows a real, heartfelt portrayal of the man behind the Legend. Friends and family, the musicians he cut his teeth with, former lovers and baby mothers, and even Bob’s own children Cedella and Ziggy, share their memories. We learn that Bob Marley was a man of firm beliefs and expectations, a competitive and tough and seriously dedicated man, generous to a fault and aware of his position in the world.  He had crazy charisma and the ladies couldn’t help but fall for him, because despite the talent and the handsome visage, he was shy and introspective. It seemed that even when Bob was on the come up, he knew where he was going. He always had a message to be delivered around the world, to millions.

It’s amazing to see the journey – from Burnin’ and the struggles within the Wailers, to touring the world and performing before increasingly large and rapt audiences. It was fascinating to hear that Bob yearned to reach an African American audience that wasn’t yet feeling reggae all the way. He opened for The Commodores at a time that it should have been vice versa, just to reach a black audience in the USA.

What were the flaws of the Marley documentary? There weren’t many, but I must say, as someone who grew up so steeped in the music, I felt that the contributions of Peter Tosh were downplayed – despite the beef that simmered between the two men, they enjoyed tremendous creativity together and inspired the world together.

The crowd reaction really got to me at times – Americans are so quick to laugh at an accent that’s different, and it took me back to freshman year of college when I felt insecurity and pressure to adapt the way I spoke in order to be more clearly understood. I wanted to tell the annoying row of people behind me, HEY if you listen and stop giggling, you would clearly understand what everyone in the film was saying. Subtitles did help for some, though. I can’t lie.

Rita Marley makes a statement about melanoma in the film that troubled me, because the moment I heard her say it I knew it was untrue and also a possibly dangerous statement. It made me want to stand up in the theater and say “people that is incorrect.” Melanoma can affect anyone, regardless of ethnicity. I’ll be doing a series on skin cancer for people of color in May and I just interviewed one of Chicago’s best dermatologists, so this is a topic especially close to me right now. Please know that cancer never discriminates and we all need to be wise about that..

Even though the film was beyond amazing, I still wanted more. I wanted to see more of Bob Marley’s children – especially at the film’s end, because they are his truest legacy. I wanted to see Damian Marley, Stephen Marley, Julian Marley, Ky-Mani, Rohan – all of them. Even if it was just a group photograph. Something to show how his music and his physical likeness lives on through his children.

It’s been a week or so since I’ve seen Marley, and tonight, I am SO looking forward to seeing it again. This is a film I want to own on Blu-Ray and share with my family, it’s a film that will bear repeated viewings, and a film that I hope will inspire future generations. There will never be another Bob Marley. But the world can always use more people who were inspired by his music and his message.

Today and this weekend, in darkened movie theaters, college dorms, frat houses and homes across America, fans of Marley’s music will get to soak in the undiluted truth of this musical prophet amongst men. That in itself is a glorious and beautiful thing.

For a list of theaters where Marley will be shown, click here — and it’s also available On Demand and on iTunes!

Click here to visit the official website for Marley, click here to check out their Facebook page, and click here to follow them on Twitter.