LoveBrownSugar at Coachella 2013 Style Contest

It's almost time! I'm 3 days away from my trip to Coachella Music Festival in California and I'm so hyped for #LBSatCoachella I can nearly breathe! This year is officially my first time attending the Coachella Music Festival, and per usual I have no idea what to wear. I need your help!

I'm going for 3 different looks based on the three different days I'll be there for the weekend. I have a few different activities planned that I'll need attire for. Here are the looks:

Day 1: Boho Chic

This look should have a bohemian vibe to it. Think fringe, maxi-dresses and prints galore.

Day 2: Casual Cool

This look should be simple but chic and incorporate jean cutoff shorts (my faves!) for the hot Coachella Valley sun.

Day 3: Poolside Party

This look should incorporate swimwear and chic beach/pool-ready accessories.

Gather inspiration from across the internet and share it with me via Instagram, Pinterest OR Facebook for a chance to win a custom LoveBrownSugar Summer Festival Survival Kit with special gifts for your own summer festival chic, including nail appliqués, skincare essentials, hair goodies, makeup and more!

Entry Instructions:

1. Pick ONE platform to share your inspiration. You must be following LoveBrownSugar on the platform you share your pictures on (either Instagram, Pinterest OR Facebook)

2. For Facebook: Upload inspirational pictures to the LoveBrownSugar Facebook Page and title each entry with either "Boho Chic", "Casual Chic" OR "Poolside Party".

3. For Instagram: Upload inspirational pictures to your Instagram account, tag @LoveBrownSugar with hashtag #LBSatCoachella and give each entry a title of either "Boho Chic", "Casual Chic" OR "Poolside Party".

4. For Pinterest: Create a Pinterest board titled "LBS at Coachella"with your inspirational images. Once the board is complete, leave a comment on this post with a link to your board so I can take a look!

Three lucky winners will take home a prize. 

Good luck, can't wait to see your submissions!

LBS in LA: Essence Black Women in Music Event

 "I'm going going back back to Cali Cali...."

Yes yes y'all. Biggie-style, I'm headed back to LA! As you're reading this, I'm probably boarding the plane with a turban on and my overnight bag in tow. I had to get this announcement out before daybreak though - I couldn't hold back my excitement!

The Essence Black Women in Music event, taking place tonight, Wednesday February 6th will honor new musicians and style stars Solange Knowles and Lianne La Havas. Hosted by Grammy winner Kelly Rowland and Essence Editor-at-Large Emil Wilbekin, the two honorees will perform live sets for the occasion.

I'm beyond excited to attend as a special guest of Lincoln, who is the presenting sponsor of the event. Lincoln's all-new luxury midsize sedan, the 2013 MKZ, and the luxury full-size sedan, the 2013 MKS, are the official vehicles for Black Women in Music and will chauffer both songstresses to the red carpet. This is the fourth consecutive year that Lincoln and ESSENCE have collaborated for this chic invitation-only affair. I can't BELIEVE I'm getting the opportunity to attend!

Follow me at @LoveBrownSugar on Twitter and Instagram for up-to-the minute updates about the event. I'll be live-tweeting my entire trip including snaps of the red carpet, interviews, celebrity run-ins and last minute fashion & beauty choices before the big night. As of now, I'm still undecided on a dress! Got my shoes though, whoop whoop!

Join me on my second adventure to LA! I'll be tweeting live updates with hashtag #LincolnRedCarpet - wish me luck! (praying I don't hyperventilate when I run into my girl Solange)

Road To BET Awards: The Big Day

 If you guys are following along on Twitter or Instagram, you probably saw me updating all the BET Awards - Ford Hotspot action live yesterday. I'm having so much fun! Between meeting celebrities at the Ford Hotspot, to shuttling around LA in the 2013 Ford Escape to meeting Usher (I nearly fainted), it's been an amazing time so far. I finally figured out how to live-blog directly to the site so today on the red carpet I'll be updating the site every hour so you guys can see the action straight from the source. In the mean time, here's a brief recap of what I got into yesterday:

I arrived at the Ford Hotspot around 2PM yesterday. Immediately I was greeted by the lovely ANTM finalist and model/correspondent Toccara.

Can I say how PROUD I am of Toccara? From being the first plus-sized finalist on ANTM to now being a reality show star and TV host, she's definitely proving that big girls do it better. Love her!

She showed me her faboosh nails. So gorge!

I have my own little VIP table at the Ford Hotspot. Felt so special!

The 2013 Ford Fusion is the main attraction at the Ford Hotspot. Isn't this chic? I would not mind giving this baby a test drive. Ford will be giving one of these cars AWAY during the BET Awards Pre-Show with 106 & Park. You can register to win at www.bet.com/brandnewescape - it could be you! Don't say I didn't tell you...

Toccara chatted it up with all the stars. Above she's with Nadine Ellis of BET's series "Let's Stay Together"

With Tank, who I randomly ran into at LAX earlier that morning. 

Here I am with cutesy boy band Mindless Behavior. They are so adorable!

 And with Elle Varner, who has an awesome head of curls and a killer voice. Can't wait to see what her stylist Wouri Vice will have her clad in tonight.

We got to meet R&B crooner and producer Usher! Omg I nearly fainted!

And here's a group picture of Toccara with the Ford Hotspot bloggers once we were off duty - EURWeb and TalkingWithTami.com.

 That's my quickie update for now! I'm in the midst of choosing a dress and getting my makeup done so I'll catch you guys later. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter and right HERE on the blog for my live-blog of the red carpet at 1PM PST/4PM EST!

Who are you looking forward to seeing on the carpet??

Live From The Ford Hotspot

Guess who just figured out how to blog live from the BET Awards?? Yay! Keep it locked for updates LIVE from the Ford Hotspot.

Road to BET Awards: Day 4

I'm in LA yall! It's officially the day before the BET Awards and I've finally landed in the Sunshine State. Right now I'm getting ready to head over to the Shrine Auditorium but not without a quick update about my crazy day yesterday. So, despite being incredibly annoyed with ASOS for not shipping my other dress options (major fail), I focused on getting my hair and nails done in preparation for the big day. Here's a brief recap:

So yesterday I finally went to the Dana's Loft salon in the Lower East Side and got my hair "laid" by celebrity stylist and salon owner Dana Gibbs. I showed her my inspiration pictures from this post and told her that I wanted big beautiful curls with ombre hair.

She started out by washing and blow-drying my hair. She blew out my hair in twists then started to braid it up for the extensions install. To achieve the color, Dana lifted the hair with bleach and kept it just light enough for my liking.

 Here's me with Dana after she was complete. 

 Stay tuned for a full video of the whole process - coming soon!

Next I went uptown to celebrity manicurist Lisa Logan's salon for a minx session. Yes, guys. The same manicurist who does Beyonce's nails! And who put Minx nails on the map. I was BEYOND excited, and she did an amazing job. We picked a tribal print pattern from her newest exclusive collection with Minx. More details on that coming in a follow up post!

 I know this post is short & sweet but I promise to post a follow up with more detail, pics, etc! Running short on time so keep up with my 2012 BET Awards x Ford Hotspot shenanigans on Twitter @LoveBrownSugar and on Instagram!

I'll be tweeting live from the #FordHotSpot - feel free to send me questions for your fave celebs if you see me snap pics of them!

Road to BET Awards: Day 3

So yesterday it really hit me, like for real for real. I was running around town like a chicken with its head cut off. Here's what I got into:

The Makeup

So remember yesterday when I said I was heading to new cosmetics store Lisi Cosmetics for a consultation? Well I did and they hooked me up with an amazing look that I may be able to replicate in LA. It's neutral enough to wear with different dresses but dramatic enough for red carpet. Take a look at the process:

So the arsenal included a combination of Foundation, Illuminator, Blush, Lipstick, Lip gloss, Eyeliner and Eye Shadow.

Here's my face before - no makeup, blank canvas.

The makeup artist Erica Nicole used a flat Foundation Brush to apply the foundation in my shade.

Then used a loose powder to set the look.

Above is my face after foundation applied.

Then she used the Illuminator to warm up my face and applied smoky eyeshadow to my eyes.

Above is the complete look! She topped off my lips with "Fierce" - their intense burgundy red lip color. Thoughts?

The Dress

Next up, I hopped over to the Monif C. showroom in midtown to see what options they had for my red carpet look. 

The first look they pulled for my was the Zoe Charmeuse Dress in Blue. I love the asymmetrical style and the vibrant color.

Next I tried out the Marilyn Convertible Ruched Dress which was really sexy but I was a bit self-conscious about my midsection.

It's super convertible. There are like 40 ways to wear this dress. Love it!

I tried on the Zoe Printed Dress as well, which I thought was awesome but in the end, I ended up loving the blue one best! This is going to be in my top three arsenal for the big day.

Big Thanks to Monif C for allowing me to stop in! They have some AMAZING piece, and you can check them all out on the Monif C Website. Stay tuned to see if this dress makes the final cut. 

Thoughts? Should I go with the "Zoe" Dress in Blue?

Road to BET Awards: Day 2

It's Day 2 and my head is already spinning! Today I'm solidifying a few details for my weekend in LA. I still need to find the perfect red carpet look and I'm all about having multiple options. Take a peek at what I got into yesterday:

The Shoes

So if you follow me on Instagram (I'm @LoveBrownSugar), you might have seen me shoe shopping last night. I needed to grab a few options quickly so I went over to ALDO and started browsing for killer yet comfortable styles.

By popular demand (and by my own), I went with these ALDO Bloise shoes on the top right. They were on sale too! (here's a similar style online for $67). I figured since they're neutral they would be perfect because I still don't have a dress picked out. AND they were comfy! Win/win. I may be shelling out for another pair if one strikes my fancy before i head to LA but we'll see.


The Makeup Look

So I'm heading to the Lisi Cosmetics store in downtown Manhattan for a makeup consultation today. I've narrowed it down to three main makeup looks. Give me your honest opinion on these:

I could either go with June Ambrose's smoky eyes, The heavy color eyelids and red lip or a more neutral/understated look like Jennifer Hudson's. What do you think?

The Dress

So I ordered the above options from ASOS.com yesterday and got them express shipped. I may not be going with either of these dresses for any part of the weekend, but I figured better safe than sorry.

I'm also headed to plus size designer Monif C's showroom to try on a few cool pieces. I'm gagging over this neon dress:

So perhaps I'll end up rocking that one? Still in limbo. In the mean time, weigh in! 

Tell me your preference for my makeup and dress in the comments section! 

Follow me on Instagram (LoveBrownSugar) and on Twitter @LoveBrownSugar for up to the minute updates on my Road to BET Awards!

Road to BET Awards: Day 1

It's official guys! I've been granted the opportunity to fly out to LA and cover the 2012 BET Awards!! I am BEYOND excited. One, because this will be my first time in LA and two, because my very first post EVER on LoveBrownSugar.com was about the BET Awards! That was end of June 2009. Now, on the eve of my site's 3 Year Anniversary, I'll be soaking up the action in real time. Crazy how in 3 years time things have come full circle! Instead of yapping about the red carpet fashions from my computer screen, I'll be tweeting them live from LA!

I'm partnering up with motor company Ford  to live-tweet straight from their Ford Hot Spot at the BET Awards. Make sure you follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #FordHotSpot as myself and other  folks will be snapping red carpet pics, doing interviews with the stars, and soacking up all the action from the Ford suite. In addition to all that amazingness, Ford is giving one BET viewer the opportunity to win a brand new 2013 Ford Escape and $1,000 in cash. Yes, y'all. Someone is winning a car!

Ok now for the dilemma...what am I going to wear???!

So I've narrowed down a few options for hair, nails and for red carpet looks. Here's what I'm planning...

The Hair: Big Honey-Dipped Curls

Ok so don't freak out! I'm not dying my hair blond or anything, but I am FINALLY experimenting with color. I've been yearning to play around with the ombre hair trend, so I figured my "trip to Hollywood" would be the best time to try it. Instead of dying my own strands (I'm terrified of color damage!), Dana Gibbs of the Dana's Loft Salon is installing extensions for me that will allow me to play around with color and texture. I'm getting my hair "laid" on Friday - can't wait! I'll be using the Kinky-Curly textured hair from True Indian Hair. Remember when I did the Milkmaid Braid tutorial? It's the same hair - super luxe. This time I may get a bang in the front. We'll see!

The Nails: Glitter, Tribal or Animal?

Pics courtesy Pinterest

So I'm still undecided about which nail look I'm going for. I'm leaning more towards the "graphic glitter" look on the left but I'm open. Thoughts? Suggestions? Hit me in the comments.

The Shoe: Neutral-Neon Combo

I'm still undecided about what shoe I'd like, but I know I want it to be a neutral, platform with some amazing pop of color or intricate design. Nothing like a statement shoe! Which of these is your fave?

The Dress: Floral, Neon or Little Black Dress?

So I'm still completely undecided about the type of dress I want to rock. For me, it's between a bold tribal or floral print, a bright neon A-line look, or a little black dress. What's a girl to do? All the above dresses are from ASOS.

I need your help! Give me some suggestions in the comments section. I only have 3 days to decide! Feel free to tweet me @LoveBrownSugar with your suggestions too!