We decided to switch up the scenery this week. There's a beautiful 19th century construction in the neighborhood that we couldn't take our eyes off of.
It's like a little slice of Europe in New York. I distinctly remember posing in front of a church similar to this one in Florence.
These jewels were gifted to me via House of Harlow (the cuff) and Bom Bom Jewelry (the ring). Nail polish color is Essie Bright Tights.
After 3 months of heat-lessness Nikita of My 12 Month Natural Hair Challenge wants to shed some light on her process. Next week, look forward to hearing her top three natural hair lessons. This week, she spills the beans on her top 5 natural hair product categories.
It's hard to navigate the sea of hair products out there, but here are some I love...
1. Oils/Sealants:
I like both light and heavy oils for my hair. The lighter oils (argan oil and olive oil) I utilize for everyday use and the heavier one (coconut oil) I just use once a week. A lot of people with bigger curls don't like heavier oils, but my hair drinks it up. Also, shea butter is hands down one of the best sealants I've come across.
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.
It's almost that time of the year again. Yep, you know what I'm talking about. New York Fashion Week! The time of the year when my Twitter timeline is chock full of celebrity sightings, stiletto street snaps and complaints of starvation. Well, this year I don't want to do it alone. This "Devil Wears Prada" (well, more like ALDO) lifestyle is more than I can handle by myself this year. So for the first time, I'm opening up the LoveBrownSugar family to two additional members. Sound interesting? See the description below:
LoveBrownSugar.com is in search of two fashionista to help out during NYFW - one Fashion Contributor and one Fashion Intern:
Interns must live and breathe urban fashion and beauty and must have a keen eye for what's hot, trendy and "in". We are looking for someone with experience in fashion journalism and editorial. You must have excellent Internet research skills, writing and reporting skills as well as experience in online media and blogging and using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc.
You must have a positive attitude, strong work ethic and excellent attention to detail.
This is an amazing opportunity to get experience behind-the-scenes assisting with New York Fashion Week event coverage, show coverage and exclusive press previews. You may even get the opportunity to assist on photoshoots, celebrity interviews and more!
Intern Requirements: - Must be based in NYC - Must be available the duration of NYFW (September 6th - 13th) - Must be able to respond to all emails and phone calls promptly - Professional attitude and warm personality. Able to work in a fast-paced environment.
Contributor Requirements: - Journalism/Communication background a must - Must be available to work (remotely is fine!) all of NYFW - Editorial experience a plus
Positions start immediately through the end of NYFW with the possibility to continue.
Email resumes and cover letters to luvbrownsugar(at)gmail.com!
So I skipped this post the other week because my schedule was cray and I had no time to insta-snap. Sigh. Last week was definitely a week of discovery for me. Here's what I got into:
- The Whole 30: So I'm on a new 30-day nutrition plan called Whole 30. I have to credit Erika from Style Activist with putting me onto this plan. I had been searching far & wide for a good detox/body reset to finish off my summer and bring me healthily into the fall/winter season. And so far, it is working amazingly well! I've dropped a dress size in just two weeks and I have more energy than I ever thought possible. I'm crafting a blog post about it this week, so stay tuned for further details. In the mean time, click over to Grit & Glamour's "Get Started on Getting Healthy" post. She has a TON of great advice and links to the Whole 30 plan.
- Laugh & Love: I spent this weekend running the streets with one of my partners-in-crime Sandrine Charles (see her luxuriousness in the pic on top left). I had been feeling kind of down last week so instead of jam-packing my weekend with to-do's, I kept my schedule wide open and just...lived. Spend one day a month with absolutely nothing on your to-do list. And spend time with people who make you laugh - it's good for your health.
- That Juice: I hate greens. Yeah, I said it. The new plan I'm on REQUIRES the ingestion of leafy greens and, at first, I thought I might die slowly. You want me to eat greens? Hell nawl. I hate them. But I found a trick! Juicing. I can ingest an entire bag of Kale or Spinach if it is juiced with a hint of apple, carrot and ginger. Voila! Farm to cup.
Aspiring to break into the fashion industry or simply intrigued by it? Well LoveBrownSugar has something for ya! Our “Get Like Me” series highlights exclusive interviews with industry insiders from celebrity stylists to fashion designers, editors, fashion PR heads & more!
You guys loved our last fashion designer spotlight so much, I decided to follow up with yet another dope artisan to grab inspiration from. Leading the Get Like Me pack as our very first accessory designer is handbag and jewelry designer Melanie White. The NYC-bred designer not only has her own accessory line, but she owns and operates her own boutique in the City of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia). Check out her story:
Name: Melanie White Location: Philly Personal Style in 3 words: Classy, Chic and Edgy Favorite Designer(s): Melody Ehsani, Rachel Roy, Marc Jacobs, Christian Dior Must-Have Accessory: Earrings. In high school, that was my pet peeve - girls that didn't wear earrings. Even if it's just studs, that's my must-have.
When did you know you wanted to become a designer? When I was younger, I was always doing things with my grandmother. My grandmother was an artist. I was always helping her do things. We would go to craft classes. But my real start was in college. I would do things as a hobby, but then I started making things and people liked them. So when I graduated I started the actual line.
How did you come up with the name of your brand - "Melanie Marie"? My name is Melanie and Marie, that's my mom's middle name. My mom has always been the one helping me all the way through and I wanted to incorporate her in it somehow. And I thought it was catchy and cute.
In fashion, was accessories always the thing that made you stick out? Yes I've always been known to have some type of something on that everyone would comment on. So it's always been my thing. From the jewelry I have collected, not even the ones that I make, I have bins and bins of things under my bed and in other rooms - just full of accessories.
What inspires your creativity? I could go outside and see something. If I see a flower and it has pretty colors I will want to do something with those colors. If I see someone wearing something out and about. If i see a girl and I think she looks cute, I will think of accessories she should be wearing. Life, being out and about and seeing and hearing things.
What has been the most memorable comment given to you about Melanie Marie? I got an email from a random person in another country saying how much they liked my stuff and that everyone complimented them each time they wore my stuff. They just felt like I inspired them to go out and do something. They had things that they wanted to do but were scared to do it, but me being young and being able to follow my dreams, they just felt inspired and I thought that was really nice. That was about a year in.
Has Melanie Marie consumed your life entirely, or are you actively involved in other things? Oh no I do other things! It's not just all Melanie Marie. My partner and I own a boutique in Philadelphia. He's actually my boyfriend. We own a boutique nearby Temple University's campus. We opened on January 21st. It's called Greek & Life Boutique.
What's next for Melanie Marie? Shoes! I love shoes and I want to start making them, so that would be the next thing I want to do. When I originally started Melanie Marie, it was just handbags but they are really expensive to manufacture and accessories I really like so much more. So I put handbags to the side, but the next thing will be shoes!
Melanie & Beyonce's stylist Ty Hunter
Three pieces of advice for aspiring accessory designers? 1. Stay positive. There are so many people that will say "oh you shouldn't do that, it's not gonna work."
2. Research what you're trying to do so that you have something that consumers want and you won't be one of the millions just trying to do "something".
3. Don't give up. It's cliche, but a lot of people start something and if it doesn't take off they'll just quit, but I would say don't give up.
What's in your bag? It's not that much because I switched to a clutch yesterday. I have my wallet, lipstick, lipgloss, eyeliner, nail filer, cell phone, phone charger and a Melanie Marie bracelet. I have some make up, credit card. It's pretty light. Surprisingly light!
I never used to be a "bright lipstick" kind of girl. I was the friend with JUST mascara and lipgloss in her beauty arsenal. But over time, I've grown to appreciate and embrace a statement lip. I can throw on the simplest outfit and a bright red lip will pull it all together. Since starting this blog, I think that's one of the biggest beauty requests I've gotten. "What red lip shades do you use? Which should I try?" This one's for you! LoveBrownSugar Top 5 favorite red lip shades:
This is hands-down my favorite red lip of all time. I used to be a non-believer. Until I tried it! Not only does it give a vibrant red color, it's matte so it stays put for long periods of time. Warning - it can be drying! I would prep lips with moisturizer before applying it.
2.Pinky-Red: TIGI Decadent Lipstick in Luxury, $19
When I want a red that has a hint of a pink punch behind it, I go for this shade. It goes on smooth and creamy. Really perfect for summer BBQ's and daytime looks.
This is my day to day favorite! Why? Because I can restock with no guilt. It offers vibrance and it's a great red for a number of different skin shades. It's also moisturizing. It does smudge though, so plan to reapply throughout the day.
When I want an orangey-bown undertone to my red lip, I spring for LiSi's lipstick in this dewy orange-red called Matinee. Also a budget-friendly pick, it offers just a sheer amount of color but just enough to make an impact.
Feeling special? Just-got-paid-Friday-night? Spring for this luxurious lip shade when you have a few extra coins to spare. It's offers runway-ready color payoff. Save this one for special occasions
What's your favorite red lip color? Share your picks in the comments section!
Tonight marks the return of the “snaps, crackle and pops” better known as The Braxtons. The ladies along with Miss Evelyn return to Wetv for the continuation of season 2, now known as season 2.5 of Braxton Family Values. Yesterday at the London Hotel in New York, LoveBrownSugar.com sat down with Towanda, Traci, Tamar, Trina and Miss Evelyn to discuss where the season picks up and continues. They laid it out for us, with lots of laughter and personality to boot.
On season 2.5, Tamar Braxton claims “This 2.5 you really get to see a lot of everybody else.” For everyone who wants so much to “stan” for Traci, according to Towanda, “you get to see more of Traci in her marriage and her being a mother and a business woman.” Yes, finally we can strip her of being “the wannabe” because according to Tamar, “she is far from that.” And I agree!
Towanda, the glue that holds the sisters together, seems to have a rocky relationship with the father of her children Andre. But according to her, “I’m the girlfriend whose relationship you don’t know much about, but you just know it works for her.”
Trina’s role as wife and partyer has overshadowed the singing career that she has been working on with her band. She now has her first single out, “Party or Go Home,” which has been getting lots of play on the party scene. Trina will be releasing an EP very soon. When asked about what we can expect to see, she explained “In the near future, you’re not gonna have any ballads. I think it’s really important for me to establish who I am as a solo artist before I delve in to all those other genres of music because I don’t want to confuse my fans.”
We all want new music from Tamar, but she and Vince are conceiving their “love on top,” as she refers to her future baby bump. According to Tamar, a little one is “in the works.”
The Braxtons are some beautiful women, so of course I had them share their beauty secrets:
Tamar said, “right now everyone’s on Make Up Forever and Black Opal. And we use Dove soap because we have crazy sensitive skin and those products are very sensitive to the skin.” Who knew Dove Beauty bars work great on the face?
And who do you think they all said in unison was the most fashionable sister? "TAMAR!" Well, 3 snaps in a Z snap to that! Season 2.5 continues tonight on Wetv at 9pm.
