Sultry Shingai in Harper's Bazaar

A few nights ago during a spout of insomnia and channel surfing, a skinny woman with big hair stole my attention. Her name is Shingai Shoniwa,pronounced Sheen Gee, of Zimbabwean descent and hails from England. She's the lead singer and bassist of the music group Noisettes. The girl  has style and personality for days, so much so that you can't help but to become a fan.  Here she is posing for Harper's Bazaar; see more here and feel free to obsess of the Noisette's song "Never Forget You" here.

Wrapped Up

Hey Bazaar Girls and Boys, It's been a while. I know, shame on us. But, I wanted to share a last minute Christmas wrapping idea.

What: Personal Message Gift Bag

The front: Hey You, Merry Christmas. 

The back: 2010

How: Write a simple message on a paper bag with a black Sharpie marker. To jazz your bag up try using different writing styles.

Merry Christmas

Your Favorite Song is a Lie.

Dear Music Industry,

Most of my favorite songs are repackaged hits from the 60's and 70's. Words cannot express how much my heart breaks when I realize how unoriginal you are. Don't pretend that you're creating "art" when you're just recycling beats and lyrics that belonged to another generation.

XO,
Ericka

Are You An Amber?

A few days ago I made a shopping trip to my local mall. I'm not sure if it's like this for everyone else, but whenever I need to walk out with shopping bags I always leave empty-handed and I didn't want that to happen this trip.

After 30 minutes of picking over the endless racks I found a statement piece! I ran my hands over the sleeves of the dress in approval and thought my mission was complete. Then I realized the dress I had fallen in love with so quickly already had a home in my friend's closet.

Although I tried to ignore it, I didn't like the idea of being a clone. Seeing myself in the mirror with her dress on opened a flood gate of questions. But nothing ceased the desire to head for the cash register until the following scene began to play out in my head:

In the end I couldn't go through with the purchase. I've never been an Amber and I refused to let that trip be a turning point.

 Have you ever been tempted? Or have you ever noticed that your friends new dress looked a lot like the one you had on last week. Sound off in the comments below.

Speak Life Sundays!

Tune!

The Etiquette Post

I was going through my favorite videos on YouTube and I came across a classic scene from the early days of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air". It's dinner time and Will is amusing himself by creatively making a tune with the silverware and china. Although, it was worthy of hitting radio waves the impromptu performance was a bit innappropriate.



With Thanksgiving approaching, we've put together a top five etiquette list of things Will Smith might do at the dinner table but you shouldn't.

Thou Shall Not Bring See Food to the table. You know the joke we all played when we were younger? The one where you ask if anyone wants sea food and then you proceed to show them all of your bits and pieces. Yeah that one. I agree it was hilarious the first time. But, now that we're adults we don't want to see what you're working with. So, once the food goes in chew with your mouth closed.

Thou Shall Not engage in social network sites (Twitter, Facebook), text, or make a call during dinner. So, most of that didn't exist during the 90's. But, we'd be willing to bet that if it did Will would be sending tweets about Uncle Phil eating the entire turkey by himself.

Thou Shall Not stretch across the table. It's better to "pass the peas like you used to do" than to reach over your neighbor.

Thou Shall Not criticize the food. Yes, Mama can make the dressing way better. But, if you don't having anything nice to say... don't say anything at all.

And the most important rule of them all!

Thou Shall Not perform a song at the table without asking for requests first. .... Okay that last one was clearly a joke.

Follow this list and you should be fine!

Speak Life Sundays

We're starting a new segment that will highlight artists with a positive message called "Speak Life Sundays" (insert applause here). First up is the group Level 3:16.

The It-Girl Factor

Urban Dictionary describes the "it-girl" as someone every girl wants to be. She has style, smarts and self confidence. Lately we've noticed a common denominator between the majority of "it-girls".  They're all in love with the art of disc jockeying. 


Like a moth is drawn to a flame these trendsetters are drawn to turn tables. Here are a few of our favorites. 

Beverly Bond the DISC JOCKEY. She is also a model, wife and hero around the world for making "Black Girls Rock". 

Solange Knowles the DISC JOCKEY who also delves into singing, blogging, dancing and motherhood.

Alexa Chung the DISC JOCKEY well known for the show "It's On With Alexa Chung"  having impeccable style, and her famous Madwell collection. 

And of course we couldn't end this post without acknowledging the queen of "it-girls". Meet Ruth Flowers, she's a 70 year old DJ who rocks nightclubs in Paris without skipping a beat. 

BTW IT'S OUR 100TH POST CHEERS TO US :). 

I've Been Minxed

"And you don’t do it for the man, men never notice" - Drake

 I'm not sure what grabs me the most... the way light reflects off of their shiny surface or the fact that they're low maintenance and have a long life expectancy. Either way, Minx nails are great addition to the nail art culture. 

What are they? A solid film with adhesive on the back that's heat activated. Just imagine really shiny stickers. 

How Does it Work? Just like any other visit to the nail salon, you start off with a manicure. After making sure your nails are perfectly shaped the film is applied. There's no top coat or drying time. After the excess film is cut to match your nail shape you're all set to go. The process probably takes 35 minutes or less, which is about the same amount of time I'd wait for a regular manicure.  

How Long Do They Last? Manicure's are supposed to last a week, while pedicures should last up to five weeks. I was advised to firmly press the edges of my nails whenever I got a chance and to stay away from greasy substances in order to keep them looking fresh.  I only noticed a little bit of wear on the edge of my nails after the fifth day. 

Are They Worth it? Of course! My nails have never received so many compliments. Minx are literally conversation starters!

Beauty Vitamins

Bobbi Brown's Makeup Manual has a section in her book that provides readers with great tips on living a healthy lifestyle. She states how this healthy lifestyle directly impacts how you look and feel. There are certain nutrients that are important for maintaining healthy skin, hair, and nails. These nutritents include vitamin A, B, C, D, E and healthy Fats. If you're like me and is not a fan of taking vitamins in the pill form, you can get your vitamins in the foods that you eat.

Down below are the different vitamins and a few examples of foods for each:


Vitamin A
- raw carrots
- sweet potatoes
- cantaloupe, apricots, and mangoes

Vitamin B
- whole grain cereal
- berries
- green leafy vegetables
- eggs
- soy beans

Vitamin C
- oranges, grapefruits
- spinach, broccoli, tomatoes

Vitamin D
- fish oils (salmon)
- milk
- mushrooms
- yogurt

Vitamin E
- nuts (almonds)
- avocado
- berries

Fat
- avocado
- fatty fish
- coconut

- BY CANDACE REELS

Product of the Week

NARS blush in Orgasm

It's a pink peachy color with golden undertones. So not only is it a blush, it can also be used as a bronzer.

It's a soft, sheer powder blush that doesn't feel heavy on your skin. It's perfect for the day and night. I'm pretty much in love with this blush and haven't felt this way about a cosmetic product in a while. With a name like Orgasm, how could this blush not be magical.

-BY CANDACE REELS

A TRIP TO THE MUSEUM... on your laptop.

A few nights ago I couldn't sleep because I kept sifting through all of these photos. I hope you enjoy them just as much as I did. 

Team Beasle!

A lot of buzz has been swarming around a new songstress who goes by the name Beasle (no last name necessary). I've read great things about her on Twitter, Facebook and have even heard rave reviews from my own home. So, when a video of one her recent performances popped up on Facebook I had to see what all of the hype was about. Needless to say I was impressed, specifically with her rendition of "I'm Going Down". I'm going to go out on a limb and say her version is up there with Rose Royce, Mary J Blidge, and Tamera Mowry. Yes, it was that good! Check her out below:

Willow Smith Whips Her Hair