Beyonce for H&M Summer 2013 Campaign

The rumors have been going around since January, but it's now officially confirmed! Amidst the Beyonce world takeover comes another power play by the songstress and mogul. Beyonce is the face of H&M's summer 2013 campaign. The retailer flew Queen Bey (who apparently, according to a brand rep, gave "personal input on the pieces seen in the campaign") off to the Bahamas to shoot the summer collection.

Related: Beyonce for Vogue March

Once images are released, we can expect to see the star lounging beachside in the latest swimwear and summer attire from H&M's summer collection. "I've always liked H&M's focus on fun affordable fashion. I really loved the concept we collaborated on to explore the different emotions of women represented by the four elements - fire, water, earth and wind," says Beyonce. "It was a beautiful shoot on a tropical island. It felt more like making a video than a commercial."

H&M, the beach and Beyonce - three of my favorite things. Can't wait to see the rest of the campaign!

What do you guys think about Beyonce as the face of H&M?

Source: Vibe Vixen

LoveBrownSugarTV: Summer Trends 2012

Last night I had the opportunity to host a live chat with Wave45 TV all about Summer Trends of 2012. It was my very first time doing a livestream so I was a little nervous (and slightly awkward) but I had a great time overall! If you'd like to see what I discussed, you can watch it below. I'll be doing a chat like this with Wave45 on a biweekly basis so stay tuned for upcoming topics. Also, if there's anything you guys would like to see me talk about in future livestream shows, let me know in the comments section:

Video streaming by Ustream

4 Styling Tips For Summer Neons

So neons are all the rage. What's new? Most of us shopping the racks at major retailers this season have probably spotted an overwhelming number of pieces in fun neon colors like pinks, oranges and blues. The tricky part about rocking a neon? Figuring out how the heck to incorporate it into your wardrobe without resembling the front sign of a 24 hour diner! So, I've thrown together a few quick tips on styling neons for the summer. Check it out: [CONTINUE]

My Insta-Weekend 6.8.12

It was everything a great summer weekend should be - sunny weather, bright clothing, brighter drinks and sale shopping. This weekend I...

- Spent too much time shopping at Joe Fresh (love this shop, I literally spent 2 hours browsing, trying on clothes and sampling their nail polish bar)

- Got cheap margaritas at this amazing outdoor mexican spot in midtown called Blockheads

- Indulged on a childhood favorite, Mister Softee

What did you guys get into this weekend?


Follow me on Instagram! I'm @LoveBrownSugar

Banana Republic Summer Dress Collection Preview

Last week I had the pleasure of attending Banana Republic's Summer Dress Collection Preview in New York. The folks at Banana Republic invited bloggers down to their Soho, NY location to preview what has come to be their summer dress collection. I'm all about the summer dress, so of course I stopped by to check out the new styles.

Summer Wrap Up: Part 2

 One thing I'll miss dearly about my summer wardrobe are fun printed pieces like this one...

 I spotted this skirt at a local vintage shop and instantly fell in love with it. I paired it with a strapless black top and belted it at the waist.

Top: H&M, Skirt: Vintage, Shoes: Dollhouse (posted them HERE), Bag: Vintage, Bangles: H&M, Headband: Forever21

This summer I also experimented more with lip colors. I've never been much of a beauty guru, but working for a magazine I got into experimenting with different products and writing reviews. One of my new faves is L'Oreal's Infallible Lip Color Stars Collection.

This cherry red lip color is the "Beyonce". Bright and bold...and it literally lasts all day. Believe me, I tried scrubbing it off to no avail.

What were your summer beauty must-haves?

- Photos by Brandon Haynes Photography

Summer Wrap Up: Part 1

 Sadly, summer is coming to a close. In honor of these last few fancy-free moments, I decided to let my hair down (more like...out) and snap as many pics in the sizzling sun as I could squeeze in. These outfit posts I'm releasing over the next few days pretty much sum up my summer. Fun, crazy, hectic but overall...beautiful. This is my summer wrap up...what's yours?

This summer I moved to historic Harlem. Huge for me since it's my first apartment in NYC, and ironically, I live only a block away from the building my mom grew up in. All things come full circle I guess. I don't live in this beautiful Strivers Row brownstone I'm posing in front of. I'm not too far away though...

I really love my neighborhood. One of the great things about summer is the fact that there's no excuse to stay inside. 

 I did alot of walking this season, strolling through my neighborhood, trying out new restaurants, discovering new shops, etc. I learned alot.

 There's an old saying that goes something like "You have to know where you've been to know where you're going..." It's something to that effect. Anyway I got a tattoo this summer of an Adinkra symbol called Sankofa which essentially means "Learning from your past to build for your future". The entire summer was filled with life lessons. Anyway, the "past" piece is super important to me. Might be why I like vintage so much. Like this bag, something that's old and worn and has been through alot (despite popular belief) can be the most beautiful.

 But of course we all love "new" stuff too. This little trinket was probably my favorite accessory this summer. Got it from this street vendor in Soho. His name is "G" and I passed by him everyday on my lunch hour. I don't think he knows how much he's touched my life. Another important lesson from this summer.|

Top: Forever 21, Shorts: H&M, Jesus Piece: Forever 21, Double Finger Ring: Street Vendor, Silver Cuff: Street Vendor, Bag: Vintage, Shoes: Kelsi Dagger

- Photos & Video courtesy Brandon Haynes Photography

Behind The Scenes Video

So the inspiration for this outfit came from a challenge given by my dear friends at Kelsi Dagger. I did a video on how to rock the same Kelsi Dagger Karina shoe two different ways. I've never posted to Youtube before so this is all very new to me (and scary...yikes!), so show me some love and spread it if you like. And stay tuned for Summer Wrap Ups Part 2 & 3...

LoveBrownSugar Chic: It's The Little Things...

As these last fleeting moments of summer pass, I'll be taking these next few weeks to relax, rejuvenate and appreciate all the things that have brought me joy this past season. From bright turquoise nail polish and bubble gum pink lipstick to Thai iced coffee, whimsical memoirs and bright-colored rings, each "little thing" served it's purpose and made this summer that much more enjoyable.

 As an ode to "little things", I've posting a few photoshoot outtakes featuring a little gem I found at a local jewelry store. I really love this ring...can you tell?

 What were some of your favorite "little things" this summer?

Confessions of a Shopaholic: H&M Fashion Against AIDS

 As you all know I'm a HUGE proponent of fashion initiatives that benefit the greater good in some way, shape or form. A while back I posted about the ASOS Africa collection and how it benefits fair labor practices in Africa. People like to demean the relevance of fashion and the industry because it allegedly isn't "curing cancer" or "saving lives" but I beg to differ. Not only is fashion therapeutic but there are also tons of initiatives out there that use fashion as a means to raise funds that support real issues - AIDS being a huge one. So, everyone's favorite low priced retailer H&M has taken it upon themselves to introduce for the 3rd consecutive year - Fashion Against Aids; an entire line of clothing devoted to raising money for AIDS research. I'm absolutely in love with every piece...

(Tunic, $34.95)

When I first saw this tunic, my eyes widened to twice normal size. I'm absolutely in love with the color and the lace outer lining. Reminds me of the Abu Dhabi scenes in Sex & The City 2 Movie! Anyone seen it yet?

(Sandals, 24.95)

As a huge fan of tribal print, I can so appreciate these flats. They're the perfect statement piece to jazz up any summer outfit.

(Dress, $24.95)

I love the girly, ruffly silhouette of this piece. And let's not even talk about the print. Peach zebra print?! I die...

(Men's Tshirt, $12.95)

I see myself rocking this one with jean cutoff shorts a few wooden bangles and jeweled flats. Again,loving the print!

I was able to snag a few pieces of my own. Two of my favorites: the printed harem pants and the zebra braided necklace...

Here's a twitpic of me rocking both:

I decided to hike up my harems and tuck a transparent black top into them. My fave peeptoe booties and the zebra necklace top off the look! Below is a promo video from H&M's fashion vids about the collection...

ATTENTION: This collection is Limted Edition! So make sure you snab your pieces now, before it's too late. Check HM.com for locations.

Image Source