This post was sponsored by SheaMoisture. I’ll never forget the first time I had to buy my own hair products in America. It was late August, 1998. I had just become a freshman at the University of Miami. I had grown up in Trinidad, surrounded by women with similar hair issues to my own. We… read all

Socks and ties and socks and underwear and socks and a nice shirt and maybe a wallet or a belt or some of those whiskey stones — for years I took a very material, literal approach to Father’s Day. My dad could rely on certain gifts every year. It’s always a challenge to think of… read all

My best friend Lauren texted me at 12:23 pm on April 21st. I thought that was odd, it was in the middle of the work day. I was in the middle of a hectic afternoon myself, and hadn’t been paying attention to social media for much of the morning. “OMG, please tell me it’s not… read all

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Audre Lorde made the declaration in the epilogue to 1988’s A Burst of Light, and today that quote has come to resonate in the online community. You see it shared on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram, but what does it really… read all

Bellas, if you know me then you know my love for the color purple goes back long and far. It’s been my favorite color since I could first say the word. It’s become my signature shade, in lipstick and in life. And now, I’ve found a new reason for loving and respecting purple.  The Allstate… read all

Last week, a coward and a terrorist committed a vicious, pre-meditated hate crime against an innocent group of people as they gathered to worship. He sat with them for an hour while they prayed and admitted that they did their best to make him feel welcome, and still he had enough hate in his heart… read all

I’d say that Baltimore has an image issue. There are sweeping perceptions of the city based solely on news headlines and fictional representations in TV and film, that don’t begin to capture the complexity, the reality and the beauty of Baltimore as a whole. Baltimore clearly is a city with real issues that need to… read all

I’m just old enough to remember a time before manicures were commonplace. When I was growing up, manicures were for the fancy or for special occasions. Now, many of my friends have weekly nail appointments. I live in a part of Chicago where there’s a nail salon almost every three blocks – and when a… read all

It’s hard to write light when your heart is heavy. And right now, my thoughts are wrapped up in darkness, in distress and in stomach churning worry for America – particularly the city of Baltimore. It’s yet another name to add to a list that’s too long, another city in turmoil, another case of police… read all

January 5, 2015. Day 5 of 365. We’re in the heady days of New Year’s resolutions. Everyone’s making a list, creating a vision board, and planning new ways to become better people in the next 360 days. It’s an exciting time. A time of promise. A time of self flagellation. A time of personal critique,… read all