J.Lo Realizes A Big Dream

J.Lo has announced that something new is on the way for her. In 2021, she will officially realize a long-time dream.

It was announced several months ago that she was coming out with, you guessed, a skincare line. This is a no-brainer. She’s long been known for having beautiful, glowing skin along with a serious skincare regimen. J.Lo definitely realizes the importance of taking care of her skin. It has served her well.

Her brand, dubbed JLo Beauty (of course!), will launch on January, 1, 2021 on its respective website. The brand will launch with eight skincare products including eye cream, a dietary supplement, and sunscreen.

J.Lo is pretty amazing and I expect that this product will be no less. One product she mentions that is used in her brand is olive oil. She says that the oil is part of her mother and aunt’s beauty secret. To be honest, it has been one of my long-time favorites to because it’s really an oil made for the skin. The prices vary for each of the launch items. So far, there have been rave reviews from those who were fortunate enough to test the products before they are released to the public.

Save ya coins so you can be part of this brand’s historic launch in a few weeks!

Keys Soulcare

Skincare is king!

This year, many of us have had time to really sit still, be quiet, and ponder our next steps. For some people, it’s led to new jobs, rekindled relationships, and thinking about the future. For others, it’s been very creative. Alicia Keys is definitely one how has benefitted from this time in quarantine.

She recently announced her brand new skincare line, Keys Soulcare, and it’s on sale now. The brand currently boasts a skin transformation cream, a candle, and facial roller.

From what I recall, Keys stated that she wanted to have a brand with the aforementioned items specificially. She wasn’t looking for much to expand to an entire brand. Rather, she wanted to provide people with something that could give self-care in small, attainable doses.

It’s not too hard to light a candle, wash your face, pat it dry, and apply some skin cream, and then use a facial roller to help the product really go into the skin. We can do that, right?

Currently, Keys Soulcare is available at Ulta.com with product prices ranging from $25 to $38.

Russell and Ciara Wilson Announce R&C Fragrance

There’s a new fragrance in town.

Ciara, along with her husband, Russell Wilson, recently announced a brand new fragrance that resulted from a quarantine date night. The fragrance, R&C, reflects their loving union and features two scents. One scent is masculine, the other feminine. They can be worn separately but also work powerfully well together.

The prominent “together” theme is even reflected in the bottle design! The two scents are intertwined in such a way that the bottles almost appear to be kissing. Isn’t this indicative of their love story? The Wilsons are both powerful individuals but together, they are an unstoppable brand and complement each other so well.

The price point for this paired fragrance is $90 (which would be $45 per bottle, for the math heads out there) and that’s a great price point for fragrances.

If you need holiday gift ideas, this would be a great one. The fragrance goes on sale starting today and can be purchased here.

Netflix Just Announced This

Yesterday, Netflix announced that some major classic shows are coming to the popular streaming service.

Over the next 3 months, we will have access to these shows (let the binge watching begin!). I, for one, am looking forward to this and I know I am not alone. Shows such as Moesha, The Game (limited seasons), Sister, Sister, Girlfriends, The Parkers, Half & Half, and One on One will be lighting up our Netflix accounts as we approach the end of summer and start to say hello to autumn.

Thinking of the impact of these shows, Girlfriends comes to mind as a lesson in makeup for me. Makeup Artist Rea Ann Silva really nailed beauty-consistently. When I look at the series, I see beautiful women, not (heavy) makeup. Everything flows so well that the show still serves as an inspiration. The makeup accurately compliments the hair and clothing of each cast member. Silva created what we now know as the Beautyblender while on the show out of a need while working on set. I’d say the show has served her well.

So grateful for all of these shows and the cast and crew of each of these shows that made such great television.

See the upcoming dates below:

August

Saturday, August 1st- Moesha

Saturday, August 15th- The Game (seasons 1-3)

September

Tuesday, September 1st- Sister, Sister

Friday, September 11th- Girlfriends

October

Tuesday, October 1st- The Parkers

Tuesday, October 15th- One on One

Here’s to happy watching!

Remembering B. Smith

Over the weekend, we received news that the legendary and beautiful B. Smith passed away. The annoucement came via her husband, Dan Gasby’s, Facebook page.

As the condolences started to make their way around, I thought about my own experiences with her and her impact on me.

I first remember seeing the iconic model, author, restuaranteur and history maker on her television show, B. Smith Style, where I spefically remember the segment on how she cared for her makeup brushes (of course that had me hooked!).

I knew she was a model and that she’d made history in the 70s as the first African American model to grace the cover of Mademoiselle but I didn’t know a lot about her brand and what she offered. All I can say that is I’m glad to have experienced it in some way.

In addition to watching the tv show, I also attended an event where she was also in attendance, along with her husband here in Richmond. They were very personable and down to earth. It’s one thing to see people on stage or from afar and another to experience them up close and personal.

Later, I had the opportunity to eat at her restaurant-both the DC and NYC locations. The fare was different at each spot-both eateries were upscale and simply elegant. I enjoyed my food and her interpretation of each dish was both culturally and regionally befitting.

I am so grateful for the beauty icon that we knew as B. Smith. She will be greatly missed.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPOTLIGHT: Pat McGrath

This Black History Month, I celebrate the legendary and iconic makeup artist and entreprenuer Pat McGrath.

From Great Britian, McGrath always had a knack for beauty and art. She knew she wanted to pursue a creative role when the time came. Her success is legendary.

Pat McGrath is known for her creative and artistic ability and can be seen on the runways of major fashion powerhouses season after season and year after year. McGrath’s vision and influence are far reaching-influencing beauty trends for the masses. Her talents have taken her career to heights that many only dream of.

I can recall her saying that she always wanted her own makeup line and in 2015, the world was introduced to Pat McGrath Labs. It is only right (and natural) for her to have a beauty line. If anyone knows makeup, this woman does! She has used her expertise and knowledge to help launch and grow other famous big-name brands. This experience only prepared her for her own line. I love how this worked for her!

Besides having a stellar artistic career, I chose to highlight this icon because she answered a desperate need in the beauty industry-inclusivity. Her foundation, for instance has a ton of shades, guaranteeing that there is something for everyone. Foundation tends to be the most difficult find for woman of color and to see a brand such as this one answer that definitely deserves recognition.

I also respect this fellow artist’s drive to get things right and do things right. For instance, did you know that her foundation took 6 years of research and preparation before doing to market? That’s pretty amazing! The work that was put into making this a success is not to be taken lightly.

I’m looking forward to hearing and seeing more from this billion-dollar brand in the near future. As a matter of fact, the brand is scheduled to release several new products-in the coming days including concealer, eye shadows and powders.

Thank you Pat McGrath for all of your amazing contributions to beauty!

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez

Today, Selena Gomez announced her new makeup line that will be coming out in the US this summer. Gomez, 27, made her announcement by way of social media (including Instagram and Twitter), that she is teaming up with Sephora for distribution.

The products will be available exclusively through Sephora and Sephora J.C. Penney. As Gomez joins the growing list of celebs coming out with beauty lines, I am looking forward to seeing what the brand has to offer when it officially launches this summer.

For more information, you can follow the brand using the IG handle @rarebeauty.

2019 Grammys

Music. It’s helped me get through many times-happy, sad, joy, pain. It also helps me to push through things and get tasks done. It also helps me think and has helped me verbalize what I want to say. To say music is a lifeline is a major understatement.

So, needless to say, I was watching the Grammys this year. I like to see what the celebrities have in store for us. In saying that, this post is strictly about the fashion and the makeup. I’m highlighting a few of my favorites here.

My top 3 red carpet looks (in no particular order) were Jennifer Lopez, Chaka Khan and Lady Gaga. What I liked about all 3 of these looks were that they really represented each artist well and really fit the personality that comes to mind when I think of all 3 of them. The hair and makeup for each look fit very well.

The host, Alicia Keys, had some nice looks as well. She stayed with a minimal makeup look that still goes along with her ‘no-makeup’ look theme that she was really into a few years back. I personally like the idea of minimal makeup when hosting an event like The Grammys. She had several outfit changes and not a lot of time.

Overall, there were several beautiful gowns, outfits, jewelry and makeup. For an event like this, it’s so wonderful to see stars who are really comfortable in their own self-expression.

The Royal Wedding 2018

Wow! The day is here and the ceremony is now over. It went by so fast! It really does seems like only a month or so ago that we heard about the upcoming nuptials and May 19, 2018 seemed so far away. Now, it's a beautiful memory. 

There were so many takeaways from this day and it would take me forever to get through all of my personal ones, so I'll make this short, or as short as I can. 

First of all, let's talk about how amazing this couple looks! The bride is absolutely breaktaking in this timeless, stunning Givenchy gown. It was truly made for her and fit her like a glove. Prince Harry was quite dapper. I love to see a groom with style. It was nothing short of befitting to wear his military uniform. Check out his medals. 

Secondly, let's talk about her headpiece. That tiara was so beautiful! The train was befitting. An already stellar gown was made that much more stunning by this wonderful touch. It was yet another piece of her ensemble that looked like it was made just for her. It fit her style.

One takeaway  for brides is to be yourself. I had heard one British commentator state that this was the "best" he'd ever seen Meghan Markle look. She always looks great to me but I know exactly what he meant. When bridal is done right, the bride is shown in ALL her glory! The guests and the world see the bride in a new light. There are many moving parts to bridal beauty. This brings me to my last point. 

My third and final point is her makeup. All I can say is "WOW!" This is really makeup done right. There was an initial rumor that her friends were going to do her makeup. She was not going to hire an artist. I have to be honest-that didn't sit well with me, at all. I would definitely respect her choices, it's her wedding after all. Let me explain my reasoning behind this statement.

Whenever one puts ALL of the energy into planning a day as big and monumental as a wedding, you want ALL professional hands on deck. Why have a designer gown, professional photographer, beautiful venue and wonderful food (for starters) and leave your face out of that? It just seems a little bit, well, wrong. Professional work should be included in every aspect of your wedding.  

Her makeup was so 'wowing' with its beautiful, understated simplicity. It's the kind of makeup that I stare at for hours. It was skin that looked like skin. Her smokey eyes, lashes and glossed lips were the perfect look for her. Her artist has had plenty of experience with celebrities and it shows. 

It was said that she really likes and embraces her freckles. Her artist heard her and we could see some of them. Thank you for showing us!

 I have had brides with freckles  who wanted to show them off and I really enjoy working with them! Women who embrace their unique qualities are very comfortable in their skin. By wanting to show off their uniqueness, they are saying to the world "this is me and here I am." 

The smokey eye is a wonderful look. It was simple and understated yet went perfectly with the personality of the bride and her gown. It was regal. It was royal. It fit. This was a day that will be remembered for a long time to come.

I am wishing this happy and wonderful couple ALL of the best!