VIDEO: LoveBrownSugar 3 Year Anniversary Celebration

Pictures taken from Instagram #LBS3Year

So last week I posted my Kickin' It recap of the LoveBrownSugar 3 Year Anniversary party with the sights captured via photos. For an even closer look at last Thursday night's festivities, get into this recap video:

Shot & Edited by Sharifa S. Daniels 

Music: "Sweet Life" - Frank Ocean

My Insta-Week 9.3.2012

Happy Labor Day folks! Can you believe it's the last hurrah of summer already? I can't. I truly lived it up this summer. Hope you did too. Here's a glimpse of my last week & weekend of summer.

- My Whole 30 is officially over! Phew, what a journey. If you're thinking about doing a detox or body reset before the seasons change, I totally recommend Whole 30. Check out my post about it here - it's life changing! Even though it's over, I'm finding myself making much smarter health choices when it comes to food. That's something no "fad diet" can do. It's truly a mental reset. I know you guys are all like "Twitpic or didn't happen" so here's the proof below - before & after pics.

About 2 Weeks into Whole 30 (couldn't fit this dress before Whole 30 started)

This is 4 Weeks after Whole 30! The dress fits slimmer through the chest, waist & hips

-  I celebrated my blog's 3 Year Anniversary on Thursday! HUGE thanks to everyone who came out. Check out what a blast we had in this post or the Facebook Album. Also big up to Stella & Dot for giving me the perfect jewels to compliment my 'fit. The Renegade cluster ring on the top right is one of the pieces they gave me. I now wear it with everything.

- Made In America Festival this weekend was the perfect sweet ending to an awesome summer. I sang, I shimmied, I snapped Street Style. Twas good times. Check out the Kickin' It post for more on that.

What are you most looking forward to this fall? Soundoff below!

Kickin' It: LoveBrownSugar 3 Year Anniversary Event

Last night I had the time of my life at the LoveBrownSugar 3 Year Anniversary celebration. I waited until the end of summer to throw my shindig because I wanted all the details to be just right. And I'm so happy I did - we had a blast!

As you may recall, I posted the invite last week and I posted it for you all FIRST because I really wanted to finally be able to meet some of you lovelies. I was overwhelmed with the response. So many of you came out to celebrate this big day with me, I really felt loved.

With LoveBrownSugar readers & supporters

With Janel Martinez (Black Enterprise) and Kisha Timothy (LBS Assistant)

Some of the guys!

With Taiia Harris & Paula T. Renfroe of Juicy Magazine

DJ Carver The Great

I have to give a huge shoutout to my amazing sponsors. INGLOT Cosmetics gave us an awesome venue to party in. 1800 Coconut Tequila sponsored the yummy drinks. Tonnie's Minis (my favorite cupcake shop!) sponsored the sweets, Nail Taxi kept the ladies in style with free mini manicures, and Shea Moisture served as our title sponsor (love their products)!

The cocktails were delicious. 1800 Coconut Tequila cooked up a specialty drink called the "LoveBrownSugar Sunrise" - delish!

Our nail technician from Nail Taxi, Arielle, did an amazing job with everyone's manis!

The girls had a good time playing dress-up in the INGLOT cosmetics. I'm obsessed with their lipstick.

Special thanks also to Stella & Dot for giving the perfect complimentary jewelry for my ASOS dress. Last night I wore their Tempest Necklace, the Secret Garden cuff, and their Renegade Cluster ring.

I'll have even more footage of the event for you guys to see next week. Until then, check out the complete photo album from the event at LoveBrownSugar on Facebook!

Photos by ShadedBlaquePhotography

Save The Date: LoveBrownSugar.com 3 Year Anniversary

I'm having a partayyy! To cap off my summer-long 3 Year Anniversary Celebration, I'm throwing an end-of-summer bash on Thursday, August 30th at INGLOT Cosmetics. And instead of being stingy and only inviting my besties, I'm inviting YOU! If you're in the NYC area and you'd like to attend, RSVP to lbs3year@gmail.com for a chance to come to my Anniversary fete. I have a few slots reserved just for my readers so once the guest list closes, it's official - don't hesitate! Email asap to reserve your space on the list.

See you there!

LoveBrownSugar 3 Year Anniversary Winners Announced

It's finally time! Time to announce the winners of the LBS 3 Year Anniversary giveaways! Thank you ALL for being so amazing and coming back to the site on a weekly basis to enter my contests. I'm so honored that I have the chance to give back to you guys, even a fraction of what you guys give to me each day you come here and share in my experiences (and crazy talk). Love y'all! See below to find out if you won! If you're a winner, scroll to the bottom for instructions on how to claim. Congrats!

Day 1: LiSi Cosmetics Gift Bag

Congratulations to Cindy Aiton!

Day 2: Carol's Daughter Transition 1-2-3 Kit

Congratulations to Gloss & Sticks!

Day 3: No 9 Candle Co Candles

Congratulations to T'Rea, Ashley, and Zadry!

Day 4: Glossybox 3 Month Subscription

Congratulations to Tiffany Rene!

Day 5: POP Phone Giveaway

Congratulations to Leeann Diamond!

Day 6: Simply Be Animal Print Top

Congratulations to Jennifer Jacobssen, Kelleashia Tyus, Cherlyn Miller!

Day 7: Simply Be PU Sleeve Coat

Congratulations to Lasha, Nic, Cherice Allen!

Day 8: Simply Be Anna Sholz Dress

Congratulations to Keyanna, Kourtney Michelle, Danielle JuicyCarter!

Day 9: Carolina Amato Serpent Ring

Congratulations to Delana Murphy! (Updated 8/6 due to lack of former winner response)

Day 10: Debbie Merle Bracelet

Congratulations to Jay!

Day 11: Kera Plus Gift Bag

Congratulations to Mia Hall!

Instructions For Claiming Prize

Winners have 72 hours to claim prizes before new winners are chosen. Email LBS3Year@gmail.com with the following information:

1. Subject Line = Day (#) - whatever day's giveaway you won.
2. First and Last Name
3. Mailing Address

Congratulations to all the winners! 

LBS 3 Year Giveaway: Day 11

Today's giveaway (the last & final one of the month!) comes courtesy my hair sponsor for the BET Awards (and the reason I'm whipping my hair back and forth at the moment) Dana Gibbs of the dana's loft Hair Salon! I spoke about my visit to the salon briefly during my Road to BET Awards: Day 4 post. Essentially, Dana gave me a brand new look and I love it.

I told her I wanted big fluffy curls with honey-dipped ombre ends and that's exactly what she gave me. She was so incredibly sweet and supportive the entire time. And she really guided me through the whole process.

I documented the dana's loft Hair Salon visit for you guys, because I always get tons of questions when I do something new to my hair. Didn't want to leave you guys hanging! Take a look at the process below:


Dana has partnered up with LoveBrownSugar for our 3 Year Anniversary to give one lucky winner a travel size bag of the products she featured in the video. TRUST me when I say, these products are amazing. I've been using them to mainain my sew-in and to keep my own natural hair (the part left out) properly moisturized and they really work!

Enter below for your chance to win a packet of the goodies pictured above!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Special thanks to Kisha Timothy for snapping pictures, Lisha Hartgrove for the capture of this video and Sharifa S. Daniels for the editing.

LBS 3 Year Giveaway: Day 10

Happy Friday! Today's LoveBrownSugar 3 Year Anniversary giveaway is another piece of amazing jewelry, this one from Debbie Merle Designs.

As an artist, designer and cancer survivor, Debbie Merle is driven to share her unique perspective of the world through her eclectic, hand crafted pieces, which are both works of art and labors of love. About her collection she says "The symbolism behind the charms and agate beads in my jewelry signify healing, protection, love, happiness and passions about living life to the fullest!"

The folks at Debbie Merle are giving one LBS reader one of these cutesy baubles to cherish:

Want one? Enter your information below for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

LBS 3 Year Giveaway: Day 9

Today's giveaway comes courtesy jewelry collection Carolina Amato! They have agreed to give one of you lucky gals a Serpentine Ring (pictured below) which retails for $98. About the product, the brand says "An intriguing serpent envelops this rich faceted, garnet cubic zirconia and, from head to tail extends around the band and setting for total immersion into this fashion statement."

Sold? Yeah, me too. Enter below for your chance to win!

Eligibility (Enter in the Rafflecopter box)

1. You must be following LoveBrownSugar on Facebook & Twitter

2. You must be following Carolina Amato on Facebook & Twitter

3. Leave a comment about how you would rock this ring!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

LBS 3 Year Giveaway: Day 8

It's the third & last giveaway featuring Simply Be's A/W 2012 collection! And I saved the absolute best for last. Today's giveaway features their Anna Sholz Bird Dress, $115 which is a super chic ladylike dress with a fun print and sultry keyhole design.

Cute right? Three of you will win one of these babies! Follow the directions below:

Eligibility (Follow the directions in Rafflecopter below):

1. You must be following LoveBrownSugar on Facebook and Twitter
2. Leave a comment answering: "Where would you rock this dress?"
3. *Bonus: Tweet about the giveaway for an extra entry!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

LBS 3 Year Giveaway: Day 7

I'm back with another Simply Be giveaway! Three more of you lucky ladies will nab an amazing new piece from Simply Be's A/W 2012 collection. See below for deets!

Today's giveaway is one of my absolute FAVORITE pieces from the A/W 2012 collection. It's the perfect mixture of classic and trendy.

Last season when leather-sleeved wool jackets started popping up all over the stores, I was dying to get my hands on one! This season, the Simply Be PU Sleeve Jacket, $125 jacket will absolutely be my fall season staple.

Rocking it at the Simply Be A/W 2012 Luncheon

Eligibility (Follow the directions in Rafflecopter below):

1. You must be following LoveBrownSugar on Facebook and Twitter
2. Leave a comment answering: "What are you most looking forward to this Fall?"
3. *Bonus: Tweet about the giveaway for an extra entry!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

LBS 3 Year Giveaway: Day 6

We're winding down to the last 2 weeks left in my 3 Year Anniversary Celebration and I have a few more amazing prizes to give away! In celebration of LoveBrownSugar's 3 years of existence, I'm partnering up with one of my favorite plus-size fashion sites Simply Be to do a 3-day giveaway blitz of some of their newest Autumn/Winter 2012 pieces.

The new fall collection, which I had the pleasure of viewing during a luncheon with the brand last week, is absolutely phenomenal.

Trying out the new collection at the Simply Be A/W 2012 Luncheon

From chic 70's-style printed dresses to refined ladylike pieces and edgy leather -trimmed statement jackets, I am absolutely in LOVE with their latest collection. You can view the new A/W 2012 collection HERE.

So today through Wednesday, THREE of you lucky gals each day will have a chance to win a new piece from their collection.

Here's today's look:

This Animal Print Blouse it's the perfect compliment to fall's skinny jeans or leather minis. It's lightweight, it's trendy and it fits all body types. What more could you need?

Eligibility (Follow the directions in Rafflecopter below):

1. You must be following LoveBrownSugar on Facebook and Twitter
2. Leave a comment answering: "What would you wear with your Animal Print Blouse?"
3. *Bonus: Tweet about the giveaway for an extra entry!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

LoveBrownSugar 3 Year Giveaway: Day 5

Today's giveaway comes courtesy cool fashion techie product POP Phone! If you have an iPhone, Droid, iPad or laptop that you use for phone calls or Skype calls, you're gonna love this product. 

I blogged about it in February during last fashion week, in my recap about Robert Verdi's Luxe Lounge (here). He had them featured for all his guests to try out and pick one to take home. I picked up this pink one, which I love.

These are essentially an ode to retro phones that you can connect to your high-tech gadgets. Aside from being the most adorable tribute to old school telephones, they're actually better for you than direct phone usage as they help eliminate over 99% of absorbed phone radiation. And they're only $30!

Tons of celebrities have been spotted toting these babies around town. Everyone from Lenny Kravitz to Sarah Jessica Parker.

One of you lucky folks will get one of your own to take home. Follow the rules below & good luck!

Eligibility: (Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below!)

1. You must be following LoveBrownSugar on Facebook & Twitter
2. Leave a comment explaining how you would use your POP Phone
3. For bonus entry: Tweet about the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

LBS 3 Year Giveaway: Day 4

So you guys know how much I LOVE Glossybox. They're a luxe monthly subscription program geared towards providing beauty junkies like me with the best of the best in global luxury beauty products. I blogged about my first one in May and my second one in June (July's box review coming next week!). I even co-hosted one of their weekly Wednesday 3-4PM EST #GlossyChats all about "hair" back in May and had a blast chatting it up with @Glossybox_US and other friends on Twitter.

One of the things I LOVED about my first Glossybox was their uber chic pamphlet featuring global beauty trends. They're expanding on this idea and launching a full GLOSSY Mag online at their website featuring premiere beauty news, trends and wellness information. Wanna get on the list for their July box? You can sign up at Glossybox.com!

In celebration of LoveBrownSugar's 3 Year Anniversary, GlossyBox is partnering up with me to offer one of you lucky folks a FREE 3-month subscription!! Is that not dope? All you have to do is follow the rules below:

Eligibility:


1. You must be following LoveBrownSugar on Facebook & Twitter
2. You must be following Glossybox on Facebook & Twitter
3. Leave a comment below about why you should get this luxe box!

To make my life easier, I'm now using a Rafflecopter widget for these giveaways. So enter your info below! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

LBS 3 Year Giveaway: Day 2

You guys know I STAN for Carol's Daughter products. When I posted this review of their Transition 1-2-3 Kit, the response was so positive I decided to partner up with CD to give away a few boxes!

 Sadly, today marks my very last box that I'm able to give away. I figured the best way to cap off the series was by giving away this box during my anniversary! See below on how to enter to win this last goodie box:

Eligibility
1. You must be following LoveBrownSugar on Facebook & Twitter
2. You must be following Carol's Daughter on Facebook & Twitter
3. Leave a comment below about a "transition" you've made in your life.

Can't wait to hear your stories! Good luck!

UPDATE (8/1/12): Congratulations to Gloss & Sticks!

LBS 3 Year Giveaway: Day 1

It was around this time three years ago, in the summer of 2009, that I embarked on my incredibly journey with this fashion & beauty blog. LoveBrownSugar.com started out as a side hobby that turned into an obsession that has now blossomed into a true passion. And it's all because of you!

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