For years, my lipstick loving life was all about color. The bolder and brighter, the better. Hello, when given the opportunity to come up with my own color I devised All Of My Purple Life. I LOVE a vibrant lip color. But I also realized that I leaned heavily on color to give me courage…. read all

Without a doubt, Issa Rae has stepped into her light and her purpose and it is glorious to behold. I adore her and the squad on Insecure. And I LOVE seeing her shine as one of the latest COVERGIRL representatives, giving awkward black girls new goals to aspire to.  Today, Cyber Monday, marks the debut… read all

Fun fact – sometimes on blustery days when the Chicago wind is howling and I still, for some reason absolutely have to venture out of my home, I don’t wear anything on my face but moisturizer, mattifying primer, sunglasses and lipstick. Gotta have the lipstick. It pulls the look together and makes me look like… read all

On Instagram, I use the hashtag #IndieBrandLove to highlight and celebrate the independent brands I’ve tried and can vouch for in terms of product quality. And now I’m sharing that spotlight here on Afrobella.com! Get to know some of my favorite independent fashion, beauty, food and cultural brands and let’s show them a little #IndieBrandLove!… read all

Every brand has them – the best sellers, the tried-and-true items, the products they’ve been making for the longest because the people keep coming back for more. In the biz they’re known as hero products, and beauty brands strive to cultivate and maintain them. What makes a product a hero product? Consistency. Quality. It has… read all

Empire is one of those shows that frequently gets labeled as a “guilty pleasure.” For me, there is no guilt. There is only pleasure. I enjoy Empire for the glamour, the drama, the sizzling intrigue and especially the STYLE. I grew up on a diet of Dynasty, Falcon Crest and Knots Landing; and Empire gives… read all

I love wearing a bold, bright lip. But honestly, sometimes a bold, bright lip doesn’t love me back. Chapped, dry lips are the enemy of bright lipsticks and glosses. There’s no better way to point out “HEY, I’ve got dry skin issues” than to slather on a creamy matte lipstick, pre-exfoliation. It’s like pointing a big… read all

The weather’s starting to heat up around these parts and I am SO ready for it! Spring has sprung and summer is around the corner – it’s time for backyard BBQ’s and picnics in the park and bike rides along the lakefront here in Chicago! Forget Christmas – THIS is the most wonderful time of… read all

Summer, you’ve been fun. A LOT of fun. We’ve had our share of adventures and I’ll never forget you. But right now, our time is coming to an end. Like sands through the hourglass, you’re running out on me. It is just about time for it to be fall. And that means it’s time for… read all

You never forget your first, am I right? I’ve told the story a million times – when I was little, I “worked” at a busy perfume and cosmetics store in the mall in Trinidad, over Christmas. Of course being just a kid, there was only so much actual work I could really do. I remember… read all