LBS Beauty: Celebrity Stylist Q&A with Oscar James + CLEAR Giveaway

Now that the weather is warmer, it's transition time! Your hair regimen in the winter should be slightly different come spring & summertime. To help us clarify what changes need to be made with the new season, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy™ Celebrity Stylist Oscar James is giving us the 411 on everything from hair regimen to Spring 2013 trends. Oscar has coiffed an impressive roster of celebs from supermodel Tyra Banks to hip-hop Barbie Nicki Minaj and R&B songstress Elle Varner. 

Me & Oscar in LA for Grammy's weekend (via Instagram)

Check out his expert tips & enter below for a chance to win a full set of Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy™Ultra Shea products:

LoveBrownSugar: What are the best products to help with transitioning your hair from winter to spring?
Oscar James: Winter’s cold harsh weather can dry out the hair, scalp and skin. The best way to help transition your hair from winter to spring is by giving your scalp and hair some serious TLC. I recommend using a mask like the Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy™ Ultra Shea Deep Nourishing Treatment Mask, to nourish the scalp deeply, to help quench dryness and lock in moisture to dry hair. With this mask results, will be visible in just three minutes. Women should use it bi-weekly or more often, especially during the winter months. And make sure to comb it through the hair from root to tip so all of your stands are coated with the nourishing ingredients.

What are some spring 2013 hair trends that will be popular this season?
For spring, I am really liking hair with lots of volume and curls or an easy-going fishtail braid. Both styles look chic and easy to wear. However, be careful of over-styling. Many of the trendy styles you see women wearing can damage the scalp and hair leaving it dry and weak. I always say the foundation for great style begins with strong, beautiful hair. Always care for your scalp and hair to make sure it stays in great condition.

 1. Ultra Shea Nourishing Shampoo | 2. Ultra Shea Nourishing Condition | 3. Ultra Shea Deep Nourishing Treatment Mask | 4. Ultra Shea Nourishing Oil | 5. Ultra Shea Balm

Natural girls tend to wear their hair out more and do wash & go's when the weather warms up. Any tips on maintaining healthy hair without breakage with this type of style?

I love the natural hair trend! It can take a little more work to style natural hair but the benefits are beautiful. Get into a routine treating your scalp and hair to ensure that it stays healthy- moisturizing is key! Wash your hair using Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy™ Ultra Shea Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner to lock in moisture. Hair is most fragile when it’s wet, so be especially gentle in the shower. Use the Clear Ultra Shea Balm on the scalp to alleviate any dryness and lock in additional moisture.

What are some tips for combatting humidity when trying to maintain your style in the warmer months?
To combat humidity try and choose styles that play up your natural texture. Or, if your hair is relaxed, stick to textured styles like loose waves, a rod set or curly mane. Be sure to use just a tad more of a nourishing oil, like the Clear Ultra Shea nourishing oil, to coat strands after styling and to make your style more humidity-friendly.

Which one CLEAR hair product in your prep bag can you not live without?
The Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy Ultra Shea nourishing oil has found a permanent place in my styling kit. The oil instantly smoothes and nourishes the scalp for quick relief from dryness. The texture is light and non-greasy, making it ideal for taming flyways and adding shine to any style.

Wanna try the products? You're in luck! This week we're giving away 5 sets of product to 5 of you lovelies. 

Rules
1. You must be following LoveBrownSugar on Facebook and/or Twitter to be eligible.
2. You must be a fan of Clear Ultra Shea on Facebook to be eligible.
3. For bonus entry, tweet @LoveBrownSugar @clearhair with a link to this post OR Leave a comment in the section below.

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Join Me! 2nd Annual Fashion's Night Out Crawl

We're at it again! Remember last Fashion's Night Out 2011 when me and my blogger boos took to the streets of NYC and had an absolute blast? Check this Kickin' It: Fashion's Night Out 2011 post if you don't believe me or this one from 2010. We have a history of rocking FNO right.

This year, I'm overjoyed to announce I'm partnering up with some of my favorite bloggers to host yet another #FNOCrawl - this time with Danielle of Style and Beauty Doctor, Lexi of LexiWithTheCurls, Jessica of Glamazons Blog, Eboni of Fashionista Next Door and our amazing media sponsor Hello Beautiful! It's going to be a grand ole time.

Here's the lineup:

Stop 1. 6:00 - 6:30PM Maybelline NY "Catwalk" Contest in Meatpacking District (14th St & 9th Avenue)

Stop 2. 6:30 - 7:30PM DVF Store for Solange's DJ set (874 Washington Street, NYC)

Stop 3. 7:30 - 8:30PM Azealia Banks for MAC Launch & Performance (506 Broadway, NYC)

Stop 4. 9:00 - 11:00PM Elle Varner & Beautiful Textures Presents Curl Couture

Ready to party?? Tweet us with the hashtag #FNOCrawl if you're coming!

Kickin' It: Global Fusion Festival - Brandy, Elle Varner & More

LoveBrownSugar's newest assistant & contributor Makisha Timothy caught up with the stars this past weekend. Check out what she got into:

Festivals are a summer mainstay and this past Saturday, Philadelphia hosted it’s 6th Annual Global Fusion Festival at the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing. The festival brought out a diverse crowd both young and old. Headliner Brandy definitely had the biggest crowd with fans who were simply happy to see her back. With the exception of the very handsome and ageless Kenny Lattimore, who was there for the “ole heads” that probably got married to his music, newcomers such as Kendrick Lamar, Elle Varner and Luke James took the stage and showed and proved why they are up next.

Kendrick Lamar went first, drawing the younger crowd of hip-hop lovers. I must admit, he’s not the biggest guy in his crew, but his fans know exactly who he is. The screams from his female fans were deafening.

It is safe to say that when the host signaled Luke James to hit the stage, the fellas made sure they paid attention. The things women were doing to get to Luke were insane.

Kisha & Luke James

Fortunately for the women, during the press conference he gave after his performance, I was able to find out his relationship status and even learn about his perfect girl. Stay tuned for the video, it might be you. 

Elle Varner took me by surprise. She was so comfortable on stage and that voice is better than gold. Her full head of curls is easily a statement on her and during her press conference she shared how she gets her curls right, along with whose accessories she wore and where she got her killer wedges from.

Elle Varner performing

Kenny Lattimore melted the crowd. If you weren’t in love, you wished you were.

Brandy & Kisha

Brandy is back! To close out the show she hit the stage to a chanting crowd, some of whom were in tears, with what seemed to be a new purpose. 

She touched on it throughout the show and like a singer new to the scene, her energy was channeled through her love for her missed friend, Whitney Houston, and need to make her proud. 

She sported the trendy Giuseppe Zanotti sneakers that must have been pure comfort because she worked ALL of the stage.

As for the rest of her outfit, we'll forget about it. During her press conference, she admits to not having very much style and that she depends on her stylists to do the styling work. She even talked about her love for make up and joked about her nose. 

Overall the show set a new standard from what has been given in the past. The performers were diverse, and the show was very well put together. I left a new fan of Elle Varner, I fell in love with Luke and Brandy just sealed the deal giving me my best summer memory, period.

- By Makisha Timothy

Photo Credit:  Darren Burton

Celeb-Spotting at the BET Awards Ford Hotspot

So I told you guys all about my red carpet run-ins yesterday, but the real celeb spotting took place at the Ford Hotspot backstage, complete with the 2013 Ford Fusion as a centerpiece. Take a peek at all the amazing people I met and a few I interviewed:

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