Confessions of a Shopaholic: Nasty Gal Shoe Cult Collection

Could our obsession with Nasty Gal have grown anymore?
The popular clothing company, started by Sophia Amoruso has manifested from a small ebay account into a $1 trillion e-commerce market. But with the introduction of their very own shoe line, our fave website will soon offer Shoe Cult, a line wide range of cute, affordable footwear.

(More info and pictures of the line at VIBE Vixen)

Flavor of Friday: Holiday 2012 Edition

 Whoop! It's the last Friday before Christmas so I'm dubbing this "Flavor of Friday" our official Holiday 2012 edition. Lots of good information in store for you guys this week including some of my favorite holiday gift guides from across the web, New Year's Eve dress ideas and a few after-Christmas shindigs for my NYC gals to RSVP to. Check it out:

The Ultimate Vixen Gift Guide

Once upon a time, somebody on Instagram called me a"Vixen". And I liked it. Mmmhmm. Aside from being a VIBE Vixen contributor and having been featured as their Vixen of the Day, the ladies over there know what they're talking about! They have great taste. Hence, you should check out their "Ultimate VIXEN Holiday Gift Guide" and get some inspiration before the last weekend of holiday shopping ensues.

Click on over to VIBE Vixen for news, style stories & more!

 

The Beauty Girl's Holiday Gift Guide

I don't trust everyone's opinions when it comes to my beauty product recommendations. But one girl I do trust is beauty blogger Eileen from Miss Whoever You Are. Aside from her being a super fly chick, she's tapped into what's hot & new in the realm of beauty, especially for dark & lovely ladies like myself. Eileen was nice enough to include my LoveBrownSugar x LiSi Cosmetics nail lacquer in her roundup this year. For that I'm eternally thankful!

Check out Holiday Gift Gude: For The Beauty Girl on MissWhoeverYouAre.com

New Year's Eve Dress Roundup

It's creeping up! Before you know it, it will be here. Yup, New Year's Eve is around the corner. Have you bought a dress yet? Didn't think so.  If you're at a loss for ideas, hop on over to The Style & Beauty Doctor and get you some inspiration. She has a complete list of NYE dresses that won't break the bank, for all sizes from petite to curvy. No excuses!

Check out New Year’s Eve Dresses That Won’t Break the Bank for All Sizes

Blake Von D Celebrates 4 Years

Happy Blogaversary to my good friend Blake Von D. For those of you who will be in the NYC area, Blake will be celebrating her 4 year blog anniversary on December 27th 7-10pm. RSVP info is above - don't say I never told ya!

Have a great weekend yall! Don't get trampled at the mall holiday shopping this weekend or anything, I need your pageviews to survive. (Hah! I kid! Well, maybe not really)

Cover Girls: Teyana Taylor for VIBE Vixen

When the ageless Pharrell recruits you to his team, when Jay-Z refers to you as "Lil Swag," and when Kanye West wants your help designing his clothing line, you just have to be something special. You may not know Teyana Taylor for her many talents, but you definitely know her for two things; her envious locks and her distinctive urban chic style.

This September, the G.O.O.D. music artist graces Vibe Vixen's Fashion Issue and is even the stylist of the cover. It's only right. In the issue, Teyana talks about a recent feud between herself and Rihanna's "Navy" after a picture of Rihanna was mistaken for her. She credits herself with bringing back tomboy chic and we couldn't agree anymore.

The first time we were introduced to the Harlem native was on MTV's My Super Sweet 16 and for a very long time after, people wondered what she actually does aside from being so damn fly. Although her notorious sense of style hasn’t hurt, Teyana admits that she's "ready to really, really start working" and "be bigger than the clothes and the fashion."

Read the full story over at Vibe Vixen

Thoughts on this spread?

- Makisha Timothy

Cover Girls: Tia Mowry for VIBE Vixen

Tia Mowry is giving "hot mama" on the cover of VIBE Vixen this month, rocking a white blazer and royal blue. Just call her the Memorial Day special. Was anyone else as flabbergasted as I was that Tia and Pooch decided to quit BET's "The Game"? VIBE Vixen has the scoop on her life post-BET and all the amazing things she's doing from her new book "Oh Baby" to her reality show, her new role as an auntie and more. Check it out here!

What do you think of the cover?

Hair Tutorial: LoveBrownSugar & VIBE Vixen

Hey loves! So remember back in January when I got my hair done by the lovely stylists at True Indian Hair? Yes, this post and this post I was rocking that amazing sew-in of Kinky-Curly hair. So I actually filmed that whole process as a segment for VIBE Vixen TV! Check it out below as I walk you through the step-by-step sew-in process:

 

So I have to say, I was a little nervous while this video was being made. But I'm so happy with how it came out! Stay tuned for more videos about my fashion & beauty adventures on the streets of NYC. I'm just warming up!

Have you ever had hesitations about installing extensions? I wanna know, soundoff below!

Cover Girls: Melanie Fiona Covers VIBE Vixen

On the heels of her new album release, The MF Life, R&B songstress Melanie Fiona covers VIBE Vixen.  She's giving off-kilter glam with this melon sorbet dress and menswear tie. Absolutely love her style. VIBE Vixen chatted with the Canadian sensation about her new album, her emotional highs & lows, heartbreak and self-confidence:

Flavor of Friday: Rihanna's Line, DVF for Gap Kids & More

Cover Girls: Meagan Good For VIBE Vixen

Red is clearly the color of the month. Makes sense, it's the color of love, right? We went from gushing over Beyonce post-preggers in a red Alice By Temperley dress to Meagan Good on the cover of VIBE Vixen. This picture of the new Californication star is amaze. She looks absolutely stunning.

That red dress? Mama is proud!

Speaking of red dresses, I'm super excited to be kicking off my New York Fashion Week schedule with The Heart Truth's Red Dress collection show tonight! The Heart Truth is an organization founded to create awareness for women's heart health, backed by the National Heart Lung and Blood Association. Each February they host a show and have notable celebs walk the runways in designer donated red dresses. 

Last season, Taraji P. Henson walked the show (Read that NYFW post here) and she looked stunning in a Naeem Khan dress. This season I'm looking forward to seeing Chaka Khan and LaLa Vazquez Anthony walk the show among other notable celebs. Make sure you follow me on Twitter @LoveBrownSugar to get the tea on what's happening this fashion week.

Stop right there! Have you voted for me on the Silver Jeans Co Facebook page yet? Click 'Like' on my style post! I'm the chosen representative for the East Coast! And if you comment, you'll be entered to win a free pair of jeans!

Cover Girls: Keke Palmer for VIBE Vixen

I'm absolutely obsessed with Keke Palmer on the cover of VIBE Vixen. They're handpicking some of my favorite ladies this season, huh? Their first Dec/Jan cover reveal was none other than classy & chic Tracee Ellis Ross (see it here).

Now taking a younger spin on the issue's cover is actress and singer Keke Palmer. She chatted it up with VIBE Vixen about her love life & new projects in 2012:

Cover Girls: Tracee Ellis Ross for VIBE Vixen

One of my favorite style icons, Tracee Ellis Ross, looks absolutely stunning on the cover of VIBE Vixen. Doesn't she just exude edgy sophistication? Love her! In their 3rd Digital Edition, VIBE Vixen uncovers a few things about Tracee you might not know. Check out some of the interview snippets below:


VV: Is it difficult balancing your role as producer with starring in the show?
Ross: I wouldn’t say difficult, but it’s definitely makes for a long day. But it is the kind of full plate that I adore. I adore this kind of work and it’s very rewarding. The producer role very much plays into the kind of person I am. In the evolution of my career it is a really exciting step for me because I am the kind of creative person that has a real opinion about the kind of images that I want to portray and want in the public in general. So having a seat at the table with the many voices that is part of the collaborative art of television is really and exciting and wonderful for me.

VV: Let’s talk about your style. Before when we spoke, you mentioned that some of the pieces from Girlfriends would find their way into Carla’s wardrobe. What’s the inspiration? Do you work with designers or find things out and about?
Ross: It’s stuff that’s been found out and about. The way I went about Joan and Carla is I always ask myself who this woman is. Every once in a while people say Carla is so much like Joan, and I’m like, ‘People, Tracee plays both people.’ So what you’re seeing that’s the same between Carla and Joan is not Carla being like Joan, but it’s Tracee. Tracee was Joan and Tracee is Carla. It’s so funny people don’t understand that, it makes me laugh.

You can read the full article on VibeVixen.com. What do you guys think of Tracee's cover look? I'm gagging at the amazingness of her, per usual. Soundoff below!

LoveBrownSugar Feature: Vixen of the Day

Special thanks to VIBE Vixen for featuring me as their Vixen of the Day today! I'm super excited and I'll actually be contributing as a VBlog contributor for them starting next week! Of course, you guys will be first to know when my stories are posted. In the mean time, feel free to check out my story on Vixen!

Photo Credit: Brandon Haynes

Dress: H&M, Shoes: Steve Madden, Bag: Elliot Luca, Ring: H&M

Check out my Vixen of the Day interview here!

Cover Girls: Tika Sumpter for VIBE Vixen

Hollywood's newest "It-girl" Tika Sumpter chatted it up with Vibe Vixen recently for her exclusive digital cover issue this week. I had the pleasure of meeting Tika Sumpter (HERE) during fashion week, and let me say this girl is just as gorgeous in person as she is on screen. And she has a beautiful spirit, which isn't always true for many celebs.

Cover Girls: La La for VIBE Vixen Digital Edition

MTV VJ, reality star, and basketball wife (the real kind) Lala Vazquez Anthony graces the digital cover of VIBE Vixen! As some of you know, I'm a contributor to VIBE's sister site Vixen so I'm super proud and excited to see La La, an industry gal I consider to be a positive and drama-free figure - being featured. Check out snippets of her interview with Vixen HERE.

What do you think of La La's return to NYC? Soundoff below!