FINALLY. Finally it seems like the heavy grey veil has been lifted off Chicago. The trees are green again. Flowers are blooming. Every neighborhood café is bustling. This is the time of year that reminds me of why we moved here. Spring has sprung and you can already feel summer coming up around the corner. This is my favorite time of year. It’s a time of anticipation and celebration and FUN. There are so so many things I’m looking forward to over the next few months. Here are five reasons I’ve been looking forward to summer 2013!

Blue skies and sunshine.

I totally took these things for granted, but I grew up in the Caribbean! Can you blame me? When I migrated, I lived in Miami where the weather is either hot, insanely hot, stupid humid, or thunderstorms. I didn’t really appreciate what four seasons meant until I moved. Now that I live in Chicago – which is gray, gloomy and miserable for like 6 months of the year – it seems like the first glimmers of blue skies, sunshine and heat makes the whole city smile. The weather this past weekend made me absolutely want to skip down State Street, and if I did, I don’t think anyone would have thought I was that crazy.

Alfresco dining, rooftop bars, summer nights!

Without giving away too many details about exactly where I live, I’ll say this — I am a city girl who lives within walking distance to a variety of fun restaurants and bars. When the weather is right, you can feel it in the air. Downtown Chicago comes alive with customers and couples and people with strollers, just going out to get a quick bite and a drink, buy groceries to go home and grill, or to just be outside enjoy the weather while it lasts. Around the lake, everyone is happy to just walk along the waterfront and soak up the sun. In neighborhoods like Wrigleyville, the beer gardens are open and everyone’s out enjoying the sunshine and a cold drink. There’s something really cool about alfresco dining on a perfect summer night. I absolutely love it! Especially in climates where it doesn’t get too humid and there aren’t too many bugs (like Chicago).

Bathing suits.

Yes! Really! This season there’s actually bathing suits that I look forward to wearing for what feels like the very first time. Monif C has an absolutely fabulous collection this season – I’m in love with her Sao Paulo high waisted bikini! And now my amazing friend Gabi Gregg a.k.a. Gabifresh has come out with her very first capsule collection of plus size bathing suits a.k.a. fatkinis. I need that purple galaxy bikini in my life, my body is ready! Gabi’s collection goes on sale tomorrow – May 15 – at SwimsuitsForAll.com.

Concerts.

Chicago is such an awesome city for concerts in the summertime, and this year my husband and I have plan to go to quite a few! Right here in Chicago there’s Pitchfork and there’s Lollapalooza. Every year we attend Lollapalooza and I’m totally looking forward to this year – the lineup looks more diverse than in recent years and there are some acts I’m dying to see! I was so excited when I heard Pearl Jam was coming to Wrigley Field…however their attempt at circumnavigating the traditional ticket issues and scalpers turned out to be a huge FAIL. Now tickets are nearly impossible to get, and astronomically expensive to get to because of scalpers. I also really wanted to see D’Angelo at the House of Blues this August, but floor seats are pricey. I’m putting it out the universe in the hopes that some tickets land in my hot little hands. Or that someone I know has a ticket oak.

Besides the aforementioned, there are some epic musical events on my radar – I’m not a house music lover but the annual Chosen Few picnic is super popular here and always attracts a crowd. And in New Orleans there’s the Essence Music Festival, which has a ridiculously sick lineup this year! I hope that I can make it. Time will tell!

Festivals and Farmers Markets and FUN

During the summer, each neighborhood in Chicago comes alive with festivals on the weekend. I always enjoy the neighborhood festivals, and then there are some truly unique Chicago experiences I look forward to every year. The Randolph Street Market is an outdoor celebration of antiques, gourmet food, live music, and vintage shopping – when it’s summer and a light breeze is blowing, there’s nowhere more fun to shop and wander around. I LOVE going. The Chicago Gourmet Food Festival is decadent, fabulous, over the top indulgence and it’s in the middle of Millennium Park, which makes for such a beautiful skyline backdrop. Can’t wait to go back this year! And the eagerly anticipated Taste of Chicago has stepped up the game all the way this year – there are food trucks and MAJOR concerts every night, including fun, Estelle, Robin Thicke, Maxi Priest and JILL SCOTT! I am SO THERE.

There are so many more reasons I’m looking forward to this summer, but these are just a few that I’m ready for RIGHT NOW! What are you looking forward to the most?

The post 5 Reasons To Look Forward To Summer appeared first on Afrobella.

This post has nothing to do with Lil Kim. And everything to do with coming face to face with your TV faves. I’m a big fan of The Daily Show, so when my friends at Dove told me the April Truth Day they wanted me to come to NYC for was being hosted by Samantha Bee, I HAD to go.

Do you watch The Daily Show, bellas? If you do, you already know Samantha Bee as their intrepid correspondent who bravely interviews politicians and newsmakers, tackling tough subjects with assumed, deliberate and brilliant insensitivity and ignorance. And when she isn’t reporting on stories about current affairs, she’s doing stuff like striding around Times Square, interviewing folks in a faux-shower for Dove.

I had to ask her about that, and more. And it’s so cool to come face to face with someone you watch often on TV, only to discover that behind the comedic veneer is a sweet, friendly, down to earth, nice person.

Samantha Bee is Canadian, and I was curious as to whether being an outsider to politics here lent to her perspective on the issues that separate our countries, like health care or gun control – stuff like that. “I think so, to some degree. It can be disconcerting being an inside-outsider. There are tons of cultural similarities, but we’re also totally different. It’s interesting how it informs society.”

Samantha gained a reputation on TDS as being the “always pregnant lady,” as Olivia Munn referred to her.I had to ask her about being a mom and it turns out her Wikipedia entry could use some editing for clarification. Samantha Bee and her husband (and fellow TDS correspondent) Jason Jones might have joked once about having kid #4, but it certainly isn’t happening, ever.

“Jason had a real vasectomy on The Daily Show! So Wikipedia is wrong, they should add that. How do you fix a Wikipedia entry?” As someone who had a Wiki page for all of half an hour, I have no idea.

We chatted about our mutual love of Dove. My history with Dove love goes back a ways, but not as far as Sam Bee’s. “My grandmother used Dove, t was her brand. So I’ve used it since I was a child, before I could even remember. Forever. And I use it on my kids, too.”

Since Samantha had asked so many women about their shower habits on Dove’s behalf (see video above,) we discussed our own shower routines. It turns out, I over shower – using both a bar and a liquid soap cleanser. I also luxuriate, listening to my Shower Songs playlist while I get clean. Samantha is the mother of three little kids. She has zero time to herself. “I do hair first. Hair, out of the way. I feel like then I do these parts (rubs torso) and then these parts (goes lower). Then I have to get out ASAP because a child is banging on the door. Or even worse, it’s too quiet. When it’s too quiet, something’s wrong.”

I had to ask her how she does it all. I don’t even have kids and I feel myself struggling with work/life balance issues. How do you figure out a work/life balance when you’ve got a husband, three kids, and a high profile job on one of television’s most popular programs?

“The secret is, don’t try to do anything very well. Give everything like, 75%,” she says in her usual comedic deadpan. Then she gets real. “I don’t know. Work/life balance? I just do the best that I can. Sometimes I just throw everything to the wind.” Samantha Bee pulls out her cell phone and shows me a photo of her living room floor, absolutely covered in toys. “This is my reality. That’s a good snapshot of what it’s like at our house.” And that made me feel better. We’re all trying our best, right?

Thanks to Dove for the opportunity, and thanks to Samantha Bee for being lovely. You can follow @Dove and @IAmSamBee on Twitter. And visit Dove’s Facebook page for more on the whole April Truth Day concept.

Disclosure: My trip to NYC was sponsored by Dove, but these posts weren’t – just in case you were wondering!

The post Rumble With The Bee – Interview With The Daily Show’s Samantha Bee appeared first on Afrobella.

I see a lot of bloggers doing a “My Week in Instagram” kind of post and I love the concept. Sometimes life moves too quickly to share what I’m doing in writing, which is why I LOVE Instagram, I can share snapshots of life and get instant feedback. And now once a week I’m going to bring it all over here, just in case you’re not already following me on Instagram! Here are some of my latest adventures and new products I’m trying out!

This was my makeup for the Red Pump Project’s Rock The Red fashion show last weekend, which was a great success! Always so proud of those girls – working hard and doing great work in raising awareness of HIV and AIDS. Click here to check out all of the fun via the Red Pump Project Facebook page. Such a great show!

Recently I got to have a lovely breakfast with a behind the scenes makeup icon – this is Fatima Thomas, senior artist with MAC Cosmetics. She’s amazing, and you might remember her from this post I wrote on being a fashion week veteran. We had a great chat about the industry, makeup, MAC, being a woman of color making a difference in beauty in her own way – she’s amazing. Look out for more of her on the blog! OH and I’m wearing my favorite new coat – the Ultimate Coat by Joe Brown for Simply Be. And my boots are from Bakers.

And for now check out this video she did for MAC and let her put you up on makeup game.

OK not to toot my own horn but I’ve been cooking some great dinners lately! Recently I’ve been obsessed with the Paleo diet and I’ve been reading websites and looking for recipes. So these are some of the items I’ve made that went over WELL.

That’s baked salmon done with garlic and herbs, roasted peppers and tomatoes and carrots, and sauteed southern greens from Trader Joe’s. All AMAZING. I can’t cook fish on the stovetop to save my life but I sure can bake it!

I love a good white chicken chili, and this came out SO BOMB. I like to slice a little avocado on my chili, it’s so melty and good! This was made with chicken thighs and I used a can of Bush’s new Cocina Latina Pintos a la Diabla. The sauce is muy delicioso.

I don’t think tacos are Paleo friendly because of the corn…but I had to do it! These are turkey tacos, served with homemade guacamole (YUM) and a little Brooklyn Salsa Company goodness on top. Nom nom nom.

I’m reviewing and LOVING these bath and bodycare product from St. Croix. Check out Itiba Beauty. I love this trend of beauty products coming from the islands, using island ingredients! Itiba sent me their Papaya gift set, including body scrub, lotion, and more. The scent is fruity and sweet and my skin loves the lotion so far!

Oh yeah, Max likes the scent too!

I’m working on a blog post about hot jewelers, and had to give y’all a spoiler alert.

HOW cute are these fish earrings by Tweak Boutique? I love them. Been rocking these all week!

I literally screamed when this came in the mail! I am in LOVE with this leopard backpack by Galian Rodem. Cannot wait for festival season to rock it!

At present I subscribe to four magazines – Rolling Stone (not pictured), Clean Eating,  Marie Claire, and O Magazine. I dream of someday writing for Marie Claire and O Magazine, and I have been learning great recipes and food prep tips from Clean Eating. What magazines do you subscribe to?

That was my week in Instagram and those were some of the incredible items I’ve been sent for review, items I’ve cooked and things I’ve done! And for even more of the latest products I’m reviewing and experiences I’m sharing, follow me on Instagram!

What’s your Instagram name?

Happy Easter, bellas!!

The post My Week In Instagram. New Products, New Adventures, Stories to Tell appeared first on Afrobella.

The Caribbean has a reputation for spicy food. Jerk, curry, pepper sauce – despite our already hot climate, we love our food hotter. But there’s one hot, extremely popular Trinidadian dish that left my American husband perplexed – corn soup. It is EVERYWHERE in my homeland. Sold on corners in high traffic nightlife districts, available for sale at every fete, and made with a loving and steady hand in homes all over Trinidad. Including my own.

Just about every Saturday, my sister Petal makes a big pot of her Trinidadian Corn and Beef Soup. Thick and comforting and nutritious, it’s a friend and family favorite and frequently we have “soup limes” (social gatherings where everyone comes over to eat soup)! My husband was surprised by that when we were last at home. His surprise wasn’t because of the social gathering aspect – Trinis love a lime! The surprise was that such a thick and hearty soup is so ubiquitous and popular in the Caribbean, when such soups are frequently cold-weather staples. My response – Trini corn soup is just THAT good. I love eating it at home in its native environment – most often out of a styrofoam cup on a pavement on Ariapita Avenue or Western Main Road in St. James, Trinidad. And I love making it for cold weather comfort food occasions, like this current frigid, snowy weather that’s hitting Chicago. A good bowl of Trini corn soup is a welcome taste of home for me, even while the weather outside remains frightful.

My sister Petal graciously shared her recipe, and when I tried to make it in Chicago I learned a few things by trial and error.

#1 – this will require some day-before preparation, and while you’re making it it requires attention and regular stirring. Don’t just let this sit in the pot while you check your social media because you could easily ruin a whole pot of soup without realizing it. I speak from experience.

#2 – not all of the ingredients are easy to find, and you’ll probably have to swap things out. Trying to make this myself made me realize how many varieties of delicious root vegetables (AKA “ground provision”) we use in Trinidadian cooking. When I tried to find eddoes and dasheen in Chicago, I was told that those are varieties of “taro root” and they likely had one kind but not the other. SO strange.

#3 – this recipe is HUGE and you can either make it and expect leftovers that will last a long time, or cut it down to suit you. The choice is yours!

Here’s my sister Petal’s recipe for Trinidad Corn Soup!

PETAL’S CORN & BEEF SOUP

Serves up to 10 – halve the ingredients for a smaller number of guests

Ingredients

2 lbs. lean cubed beef – seasoned at least night before

½ lb. split peas – pre-soaked – I use yellow but any color can be used

½ lb. salted beef – boiled separately then drained and added to soup pot – can substitute with cooked ham or pork sausage pieces

1 bag mini carrots cut into smaller bites

Salt & Black pepper to taste

A dash of Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ lbs. mixed ground provisions cut into smaller pieces (sweet potato, eddoe, dasheen, cassava – use American name alternatives) ** I used sweet potato, rutabaga, and butternut squash

2 yellow plantains cut into rounds

½ cups cubed pumpkin ** I have used canned pumpkin, or butternut squash here instead

1 cup potato – cut smaller

2 cans kernel corn

2 cans cream style corn

2 cloves garlic minced

½ cup chopped onion

1 hot pepper

¼ cup chopped chive

1 tsp. chopped thyme – Spanish or French

1 pack sweet corn cut into rounds

Dumplings – optional

Method

In a large pot place meat, peas, carrots and salt beef with enough water to cover ingredients

Cover and cook until beef and peas are tender

Add more water to make required quantity of soup

Add seasonings, onion, provisions, corns, pumpkin, potato, salt and pepper to taste

Add plantains last

Cook slowly and stir often

Taste again and adjust salt/pepper

Dumplings – Optional

Ingredients

1 cup of flour mixed from ¼ cup yellow cornmeal/remainder is white flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ cup water

Method

Mix cornmeal, flour, salt & baking powder – stir in water and drop spoonfuls of dough onto top of hot soup mixture while still in pot, cover and simmer 15 minutes

Enjoy!

It’s time intensive but a delicious taste of home. If you make it, let me know what you think! And for another version of Trini corn soup, check out one of my favorite food blogs, TriniGourmet.com!

The post Trinidadian Corn Soup – Perfect For The Caribbean OR Cold Weather appeared first on Afrobella.

The closest thing I can compare this feeling to, is the end of the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy re-awakens in her bed in the black and white world of Kansas. She opens her eyes and sees the people she remembers from Oz, and says “…it wasn’t a dream. It was a place. And you and you and you…and you were there!” Los Angeles is all green lushness, palm trees and rolling hills. Chicago, at present, is snowy sidewalks and grey skies. And I’m back at home, watching TV and seeing all of the famous people I was in the presence of just a week ago. “And you were there! And you…and you…”

My trip to Los Angeles was part of my adventures with Target Inner Circle. Target’s relationship with Essence magazine goes back quite a ways and is filled with support and mutual admiration. I went to L.A to learn more about some of Target’s incredible beauty brands, and to attend some truly incredible and inspiring events. Come with me, inside my latest Target Inner Circle experience!

The glitz and glamour began at an exclusive Target and Essence Magazine private influencer dinner, held at Spago in Beverly Hills. I’ve always been a junkie for Hollywood news, and it was such an honor and a delight to even GO to Spago. Wolfgang Puck’s cuisine and ambiance did not disappoint. The event was held in an absolutely stunning, huge back room. LOOK.

I mean. Just breathtaking. And some truly fabulous attendees were there. I brought along my two L.A homegirls, Felicia Leatherwood and Kim Coles. I love this photo of us!

I’m wearing a custom made Sofistafunk dress there, with my fave Jessica Simpson jacket and a necklace by Nina Nguyen. Felicia is rocking vintage and Kim is rocking Igigi!

The room was full of people I admire tremendously, including Target Style Expert, Tai Beauchamp and President of Community Relations, Laysha Ward, beautiful actress and total sweetheart Anika Noni Rose, fashion guru Mikki Taylor and Bethann Hardison, and celebrities like Tia and Tamera Mowry and Holly Robinson Peete. It was a carefully curated, very special experience and I was so honored to be there.

OK I was super excited when Anika said she remembered me from last year! She’s awesome. Follow her @AnikaNoniRose.

The amazing hosts of the glamorous evening – Target’s President of Community Relations, Laysha Ward, Senior Group Manager Greg Cunningham, and Style Expert, my friend @Taibeau AKA Tai Beauchamp!

All the guests got a truly amazing gift, courtesy of Target – we were gifted the beautiful, limited edition, no longer available Stephen Burrows Pazette Barbie doll. She is as fierce and as gorgeous as the models at Versailles in 1973. This is Target’s Senior Group Manager Greg Cunningham and the legendary Bethann Hardison, presenting us with the doll.

Oh and I wanted to FALL OUT when Bethann said she remembered my name and my blog from the early days of launching Vogue Black for Italian Vogue! What an experience.

The very next day I woke up early to get beautified by my FAVE Los Angeles makeup artist, Nicole Evans. She’s so incredible. Look out for more of her expertise on here soon!

I wore a fabulous emerald skirt by Sofistafunk with a teeshirt from Target! Shoes were from the Prabal Gurung collection. I jazzed the whole thing up with this incredible necklace that I got as a gift last year. And I carried a fabulous oversized clutch by African designer Aya Morrison. I got SO many compliments on my skirt and my clutch!

That is me and Felicia with actress Shanola Hampton, one of the stars of Showtime’s Shameless. She’s so adorable and approachable!

That’s me, Felicia and Miss Jill Scott – Felicia did her hair for the event! Gorgeous as EVER!

Last year at the Essence BWIH event, I was so caught up in the ambiance that the speeches didn’t penetrate. The whole time I kept thinking to myself, how did I wind up here? This year was my second time around in this incredible ambiance, and I felt more at ease. I was able to truly be present and absorb the messages we were being given. So the dessert I got seemed especially appropriate.

I truly was. And because I was present and calm in my spirit, I was able to learn so much from the experience this time around.

Gabrielle Union made such a strong impression at this year’s event – she received the Fierce and Fearless award and her speech was definitely that. Gabrielle spoke so eloquently about things every woman goes through, and things she went through to become who she is today. She spoke about being jealous of her fellow actresses and reveling in negativity and gossip….and then learning to do and be better. I was so touched and inspired by her. She really brought the room to an emotional brink and back.

Quvenzhané Wallis is so adorable and so self-possessed. She has a courage and grace beyond her years and I was so impressed by her speech!

Alfre Woodard blew the room away with her speech – I had no idea she could be so funny, bawdy, REAL. It’s so great to see behind the veil and realize one of your favorite actresses is also an incredible person.

And OPRAH’s speech was EVERYTHING. She was presented with her award by the graduating class of her Leadership Academy in South Africa – those girls are all poised, eloquent and gorgeous and they are so grateful to “Mom Oprah” for changing their lives. And now they’re about to begin college in America! Oprah spoke about the things we all share in common regardless of race or income level. We all have our insecurities and doubts. We all want to be seen and to know we did well. We all want to make an impact and a difference. We all want to be respected.

There’s a reason she’s Queen Mother OPRAH, y’all. I left this event so beyond inspired. I was too scared to actually try to meet Oprah but Target’s Laysha Ward did!

I can only imagine what that hug felt like. Glorayyyyy!

I met a whole BUNCH of amazing celebrities and I will make a Facebook folder so you can see all of them. But in summary, Retta of Parks and Rec is SUPER cool in person. Iyanla Vanzant is just as approachable and real as you might have hoped. Issa Rae is AWESOMENESS personified. And Loretta Devine is so sweet!

Thank you Target and Target Inner Circle for an absolutely unforgettable experience. And stay tuned for more on the beauty discoveries I made in LA while on this incredible trip!

For MORE on last week’s Essence Black Women in Hollywood experience, visit the blogs of my friends who were also there!

- Concrete Loop

- Luxetips

- The Curvy Fashionista

- The Glamazons

- Simply Rides

SUCH an amazing experience. Hope to be there again next year!!

The post My Target Inner Circle Essence Black Women in Hollywood Experience appeared first on Afrobella.

The woman is in her 60’s and still nobody does it better. The one and only Grace Jones has aged like only the most high quality wine. Today, let’s look back to one of the images that made her an icon. The album cover for Island Life.

Grace is GORGEOUS. Sinewy. Sleek. Her skin is enviably smooth and stunningly beautiful. This shot is all about her beautiful ebony skin, taut muscle, and artistic sensuality.

This is one of the most emulated images of Grace Jones, one of the most iconic. But how did she do it?

It turns out…she didn’t. This was a clever bit of pre-Photoshop trickery.

Via My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog:

“The picture was taken by a photographer named Jean Paul Goude who saw an intriguing subject in the model/ actress/ singer. He notes about that picture that “…unless you are extraordinarily supple, you cannot do this arabesque. The main point is that Grace couldn’t do it, and that’s the basis of my entire work: creating a credible illusion.”

Goude photographed Jones in a variety of positions using boxes to hold up parts of her body and then combined the images in a montage that eventually became the amazing image that you see above.”

Here’s the step by step mock up on how this photographic magic came to be.

Amazing, right?

Jean Paul Goude is no mere photographer, he is a French graphic designer and photographer who worked closely with Grace, loved Grace, and fathered a child with her as well – their son Paulo Goude is a musician in his own right.

Grace Jones is a beauty icon for many reasons – she is one of my major beauty influences, in fact. And this iconic image cements exactly why. She’s always been a genius collaborator, an innovator, a woman unafraid to share her body, her soul, her beauty, her talent and her unique, quirky personality with the world.

Viva Grace, and thank you Jean Paul Goude for this genius moment of black beauty history.

For more, read:

Grace Jones, the Definition of Fierce.

Grace Jones, Still the Baddest

10 Things You Never Knew About Grace Jones

My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog, the original post on the topic

Grace Jones album cover was a pre-photoshop fake.

And there you have it!

What’s your favorite Grace Jones black beauty moment in history?

The post 28 Moments of Black Beauty History–Grace Jones Island Life Photo appeared first on Afrobella.

Every day this month, I will feature a snapshot of black beauty history. Expect to see images, products, tastemakers, artists, models, and films that have shaped our world in terms of fashion and beauty today.

Most casual students of black history know about historical hair product impresarios and entrepreneurs – women like Madame C.J Walker, Annie Malone and Madame N.A Franklin are known names that are celebrated parts of our history. But in terms of actual makeup products made for women of color back in the day, far less is known or widely discussed.

According to good ol’ Wikipedia, “Before the 1970s, makeup shades for Black females were limited. Face makeup and lipstick did not work for dark skin types because they were created for pale skin tones. These cosmetics that were created for pale skin tones only made dark skin more gray. Eventually, makeup companies created makeup that worked for richer skin tones, such as foundations and powders that provided a natural match. Popular companies like Astarté, Afram, Libra, Flori Roberts and Fashion Fair priced the cosmetics reasonably due to the fact that they wanted to reach out to the masses.^[15]”

This is not to say that before the 1970’s, makeup intended for black women didn’t exist. It did. These products may not have perfectly matched or blended, but there was makeup marketed towards women of color.

Many of the products were powders, or creams – such as Hi Hat powder which was made in Tennessee, and came in shades of  “High Brown,” “Copper Bronze,” “Teezum Brown,” or “Toasted Chestnut.” Most often the packaging featured models with fair skin and straight hair, despite the target market.

Lucky Brown Cosmetics were made by Valmor Products Co., out of Chicago – the brand’s founder was famed art collector Morton Neumann – he is also credited for having created the brand’s art, but according to this very informative blog, Charles C. Dawson did much of the artwork but received little of the credit.

Valmor Products also produced Sweet Georgia Brown and Madame Jones brand products, which included things like powders and more controversial products like “brightening” night creams, as well as “black-o-lene” hair cream/coloring agent and “hair glow-ene” pomade. Posters for some of these items are available at BlackBettyPosters.com. I’ve also seen these kinds of vintage posters at the HQ of Chicago’s own Bronzeville Historical Society.

In the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, these were the kinds of cosmetics items being marketed to women of color, and this is how it was being marketed to us. In the 1970’s we saw the advent of a new era in cosmetics made for and marketed to black women who were embracing their identities and leaving these whitewashed images behind. I’ll get to those in another installment of 28 moments in black beauty history!

Do you remember seeing any of these packages around? What products did your mothers or grandmothers use? I’m so fascinated by our beauty history and the lack of exposure of it online!

For more, read Styling Jim Crow: African American Beauty Training During Segregation

Vintage Powder Room

Black Betty Posters.

The post 28 Moments in Black Beauty History – Our Makeup History appeared first on Afrobella.

Towards the end of 2012, I was asked to come back home to Trinidad, to give a talk at TEDxPortOfSpain. I had to deliver a 15 to 18 minute speech on courage. And it was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. It was one of the most liberating experiences I’ve ever had. This is me, immediately after giving my speech. 12.12.12. A day that shall live in Afrobella history.

What was so terrifying to me about being part of TEDx? Even though I do all kinds of appearances and public speaking gigs at this point, this was my first time going home to do such a thing. The first time that my parents and siblings would be in the audience, looking up at me on stage. The first time I was going to have to write a speech and straight up remember it, without a teleprompter or print out to guide me. The first time I was going to look out at an audience and see old classmates and teachers and former coworkers and people who have known me since I was 5 years old. It was a very surreal, This Is Your Life kind of experience.

I was incredibly nervous before the speech and I basically shut down and rehearsed as much as possible beforehand. TEDxPortOfSpain’s founder Keita Demming coached me through it on the phone and in person, when we both went back to Trinidad.

“I think courage should come with a warning label. “May make you sweaty and nauseous, may lead to stomach pains, sleepless nights and heart palpitations.” The actual act of being courageous doesn’t feel good when you’re gearing up for it. But being courageous leads to opportunity – and in my experience, it leads to more opportunities to be courageous.”

That’s how my TED talk begins, or at least how it began on paper. In person, the speech you memorized may not be the speech you give. But that’s fine. Because it’s your story. Your words. Trust yourself. All will be well.

“Courage doesn’t mean you don’t feel fear. To me it means that you just understand it better. You can analyze the fear. You should know what it is and where it is coming from. It helps you to face it.”

Getting through the TED experience helped me to understand my fear, and face it. My fear of public speaking comes from my fear of rejection and failure. I was afraid to go up there and bare my soul. I was afraid I wouldn’t live up to the TED credo of sharing an idea worth spreading. I was still very much in disbelief that I got chosen to do something so prestigious.

The feedback I’ve gotten has been nothing short of overwhelming. I’ve heard from so many people who silenced my fears, and said my speech touched their hearts, inspired them, and brought tears to their eyes. That is an amazing feeling.

When I was first asked to do this, to give a TED talk, I almost said no. My first thoughts were of doubt. My first thoughts were “I can’t.” And then “why me?” And I have come to realize that I can. I always could. And why NOT me? Maybe the message you aren’t sure you’re brave enough to share, is the one someone needs to hear.

I hope you like my speech. I hope to publish it online so everyone can read it, cause the written version is a bit more polished than what you see above.

Click here to visit the official TEDxTalks site, and click here to watch on YouTube – I’d sincerely appreciate your comments and likes there!

The post On Courage. Inside my TEDxPortOfSpain Experience appeared first on Afrobella.

On February 11 and 12, my homeland of Trinidad and Tobago will be in the throes of Carnival madness. I will be on my couch in Chicago, wistfully looking at tweets and updates from home. I’ve made a promise to myself that 2014 will be my year!

For those of you headed there this year, there’s a really helpful Huffington Post article on 7 Things to Know before heading to Trinidad for Carnival. Carnival is by far the thing we’re most known for and most of Trinidad and Tobago are caught all the way up in the frenzy. And I wouldn’t be a good Trini if I didn’t mention the fact that there is MUCH MORE to Trinidad than Carnival. Much more. So whether you’re visiting my homeland in time for our biggest cultural celebration or visiting at any other time of year, here are three things you MUST do in Trinidad.

1 – Discover Trinidad’s artists.

Trinidad is a diverse melting pot and it has a thriving artistic scene on so many levels – in theater  dance, visual arts, music, and also clothing and jewelry design. I really appreciated that on my last visit home, when I was invited to participate in Style Spirit Weekend, (an event that was less well organized than I hoped it would be if I might be completely honest). However, what the event lacked in organization, it made up for in creativity and talent.

I spoke to a small group of very passionate fashion fanatics, and the next day I attended the Style Spirit accessories show. I was delighted by the variety and quality of the work by these young, local, up and coming designers. While I was there, I discovered SO many jewelers. Ready? Check out these links!

Koko Karibi, African Ark Jewellery, Vyombo Designs, Rachel Rochford, The Oblique Imp, Sandalias, Ottoman Chic, TradeMark Designs, Fetarah Designs, Glam Tropic, C.L.A.S.P., Rocks, Frocks & Cocktails. Whew! Above you’re seeing jewelry by Vyombo Designs and Rachel Rochford. Can’t recall who those earrings are by…

And I met Misa Hylton-Brim. She was very sweet.

While in Trinidad I learned about Flower Child Designs, Janice Derrick, Rachel Ross, Beids by Chuff, Cocoa Vintage, Loud by Afiya, and Betchbum. And I met the incredible women behind Wadada Movement, love their style! It made me happy to see that Trinidad’s fashion scene has evolved to include so many young, vibrant contributors. And while I was there, I learned about UpMarket, a popular monthly market where local chefs and artists sell their wares. Next time I’m home, I am SO THERE.

So if you visit Trinidad, look to see if UpMarket or GreenMarket in Santa Cruz is happening. Stop by the pan yards. Look to see if any plays or art exhibitions are happening. Visit a local gallery or two. There are hidden gems to be found.

2 – Seek out Trinidad’s finest foods

When I go home, any semblance of a diet I may be on goes right out the window. There’s too much delicious food in Trinidad, and too many of my favorite things that I don’t get to have abroad! When you visit Trinidad, you absolutely must stop by a vendor for doubles (right by the airport is a great place to do it). Trinidad’s most popular national dish is roti, and there are several different kinds. Paratha or Buss Up Shut is my favorite. Dhalpurie might be the most popular. Sada is most often served at breakfast with vegetable chokhas, and dosti, and the best place to buy that is late at night by a woman named Kanhai in St. James who sets up shop (near the corner of Western Main Road and Mooneram Avenue, to be specific).

If you’re visiting Trinidad you are likely to eat street food, it is everywhere and it is GOOD. Gyros are insanely popular in high traffic social areas. So is Trini corn soup, one of my favorite local dishes. You can find pholourie and fresh coconut water around the Savannah.

Trinidad also has incredible fine dining and high end restaurants like Jaffa, Hakka, Joseph’s, Veni Mange, Chaud, and Flair (which came recommended by United Airlines’ Hemispheres Magazine). The culinary scene in Trinidad is thriving. For a unique spin on an American-style sportsbar, stop by Trotters (and say hello to my brother who might well be at the bar)!

My other must-have foods when I visit home steer towards the homemade. We usually get a black pudding (blood sausage) from Charlie’s in St. James. Someone at home usually makes a pelau. Last visit, my dad was proud to make his pommecythere chow (and it was DELICIOUS).

Another thing you MUST do when you visit Trinidad — go to Maracas Bay for bake and shark. YOU MUST. Come with me!

At the end of that incredible drive, along Trinidad’s northern coastline, you will park in the Maracas Beach parking lot and have the most delicious sandwich EVER.

Bake and shark (or shark and bake) is a popular fish sandwich that is primarily made right there at Maracas Bay. Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel once described it as the best fish sandwich he’s ever had, anywhere in the world.

Richard makes the most popular ones. Meet Richard.

He’s such a nice guy. And I have no idea how many sandwiches he’s selling in a day but he must be making money hand over fist. EVERYONE loves bake and shark!

If you’re visiting Trinidad for the first time, I encourage you to step out of your culinary comfort zone and try the local delicacies as much as you can. If you absolutely must have McDonalds or KFC for that familiar taste of home, fine. But when in Trinidad, do as the Trinis do and eat some good Trini food!

3 – Lime. As much as possible.

Liming is Trinidad’s national pastime. It is what we DO. There are academic treatise written on the subject. What is it? To lime is to hang out with friends. Hanging out, kicking it, socializing in an informal manner, whether it’s at someone’s house, at a bar, or on the sidewalk somewhere. For example, every time I visit home I must go and lime by my best friend Jolie. We sit on her patio, drink her mom’s homemade wine, and reminisce.

Currently the most popular liming area in Port of Spain is on Ariapita Avenue AKA D’ Avenue or WeAvenue, as this social-life-in-Trinidad website calls it. There’s fun to be found there almost every night of the week, but Thursdays and Fridays are packed with people. The bars and outdoor restaurants are overflowing with Trinis and tourists, socializing, drinking, buying food from street vendors….liming.

My best advice to tourists visiting Trinidad for the first time – be safe. Read all of the warnings available on international sites, just so you know where to avoid. Don’t be foolish and think all Caribbean islands are crime free paradises – just like cities in big countries, they aren’t. Don’t go strolling around downtown Port of Spain with a fanny pack and a big camera around your neck, educate yourself about where you are and where you want to go first. But once you’ve figured things out, and know how to move about the country – relax. Have fun. Make some new friends. Try some new rum. Try some new foods. Enjoy Trinidad for all it has to offer. It is a beautiful country with a unique, vibrant culture that you won’t find anywhere else. And I’m not just saying that because I’m from there and I’m proud of it (even though I might be a touch biased). Trinidad is a beautiful, special travel experience. I highly recommend that you visit, even if it’s not for Carnival.

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Hey there! It’s the first week of this bright, shiny, brand new year and already I’m writing to you from an airplane. I’m on the way to Las Vegas, where I’ll be speaking at Blogworld’s New Media Expo!

My session is on Tuesday morning and it’s titled How To Actually Grow A BIG Brand And Community With Just A Simple Blog. I’m excited! And nervous!

I’ll be honest with you guys — even though I get better and less nervous with practice, I still get nervous and I still feel like a fish out of water when I have to do this public speaking thing. At NMX there’s so many amazing speakers, so many of whom do this professionally and can truly speak to technology. And this is a 45 minute long presentation (as in Powerpoint). Not my field of expertise but I’m gonna give it my all and share everything I can, and I know I was chosen for a reason – because I can DO THIS!

And yes, as recommended in my Blogworld post on the Do’s and Don’ts of Conference Fashion – I will be rocking a power blazer.

If you can’t make it out, no worries – there’s a Virtual Ticket Pass so you can learn from Blogworld NMX’s featured speakers. Click here to register.

Vegas, here I come!

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