My Black Is Beautiful at Essence Music Festival

On my last day in New Orleans, I had only a half-day to soak up the rest of the Essence Music Festival festivities. So I high-tailed it over to the Convention Center to luxuriate at P&G's My Black Is Beautiful lounge. Celebrating another year as a major sponsor of The Essence Music Festival, MBIB collaborated with UNCF (United Negro College Fund) and Black Girls Rock! to launch the "Imagine a Future" initiative which is designed to positively impact the lives of one million black girls over the next three years, by providing tools and resources to foster a greater sense of self-confidence and self-esteem.

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LoveBrownSugar Picks: Summer Reading List

One tidbit about me you may not know: although fashion & beauty are my pride & joy, reading is really my first love. I can remember being in preschool and my mom nearly taking me out of my then-preschool, because I went home crying one day that my teacher took my Dr. Seuss books from me and gave me toys instead. Books were my everything.

Anyway, despite my passion for reading, I often get so bogged down with my work responsibilities & social life, that I don't leave enough time to feed my mind with literary works. When I do find the time, I really delve deep. Here are a few pieces in different categories I've enjoyed flipping through this summer. Whether you're into beauty how-to, self-help or relationships, there's something for everyone in my list...

Kickin' It: Rising Affluent Conference

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 1st Annual Rising Affluent conference in NYC. If you follow me on Twitter or if you saw my Confessions of a Shopaholic: Business-Savvy Chic post, you know I've been raving about attending the conference for a while now. What an amazing time! I was so inspired by the entrepreneurs and successful folks who came out to give their gems of advice. I was overwhelmed by the amazing group of peers that came out to learn and grow. And of course I snapped street style pics! Below find some of my favorite quotes, and some of my fave looks.