Solid Article on Bey's success!

Yes, I like Beyonce's music although I do think she's more well manufactured star than natural "It" girl but these days who isn't? I'm not a member of the AARP but I was an unusual kid so I much preferred American Movie Classics over cartoons any day! This love of watching films rippling with old hollywood glamour, snippy one liners, haughty fast talk accents, sizzling wardrobes & PURE ACTING without scenes packed with violence, in-your-face sex, or stacked with derogatory language, gave me a real insight to what talent looks like since it was part of my early childhood before R rated was even an option. Not only did the actors of old do it with style & distinction but they also endured work environments and pay that would make todays celebrity shudder in shock!

So, without further delay, I encourage you to read this very insightful, fact based article about the success of one of today's hottest stars. I agree with every word - if you don't - well let's just agree to disagree - chow!

Beyonce Article

4 Easy Pieces

It's no secret that I love to shop but I am no fashion snob! From high end to low end prices, I love it all. I have a good eye for quality as proven by all the compliments I receive on my varied stylish assortment of pumps a la' Payless. The funny thing about those compliments is always the look of surprise on the complimenter's (is that a word?) face followed by "Payless!? Realllly?" Yes, Payless - don't hate - navigate - as in the website if you don't wish to pay the actual store a visit. Snobs! Personally, I love the little high of finding adorably styled shoes at a fraction of the cost for high-end pumps, flats, sandals, etc. Throw on some dark shades if you must & get down to Payless pronto - unless you have some sort of aversion to saving yourself some cash ..

Check these out!

So much to love, so little to spend!

Ok, hopefully, I will convert some of you label-whores out there to give the old P.S.S. a try! Now, moving on to a few deliciously yummy finds - I love this Stretch Dress by Shoshanna!

Here are few more lovely, little numbers that I would very much like to call my very own & yes, I know summer's over but here in the Chi, we cherish our summer's since our winter's are nothin nice! Soooo, I'm holding on to the thought of warm summer days a tad longer than I should.

This Stella McCartney Crepe Dress is an interesting twist on the little black dress, no?....




• Black crepe.
• Gathered bodice.
• Drawstring scoop neckline.
• Cap sleeves.
• Slim skirt.

The following dresses inspire visions of a summer breeze, soft curls, a fresh pedi & strappy sandals. They are both "sexy without trying too hard" since they hug & curve in all the right places. Fitted top, lose bottom & vice versa - important rule of fashion.

Cream/Chocolate Cotton Printed Braided Back Dress



Tie Strap Bandana Dress

Janet on Oprah!!

Yesterday, Janet appeared on O's show. Of course I watched it, although it was not that "revealing" of an interview. Most of what she discussed, I'd heard before with the exception of her views on the whole Superbowl fiasco.

Let's discuss shall we?

"The halftime show with Janet Jackson was billed as an event that would be remembered for years to come—and was it ever. For the grand finale, Justin Timberlake sang "I'm going to get you naked by the end of this song," and he did just that—ripping Janet's bustier and exposing her breast, naked except for a large sunburst-shaped ring.The incident sparked a firestorm of controversy that swept across the country. The Federal Communications Commission received more than 500,000 complaints and CBS was fined $550,000."

So, naturally Oprah asked if it was planned?

"No," Janet says. "What people don't understand is, he was to rip the piece off that he did, but more came off than what was supposed to. … It was a very embarrassing moment."

So then Janet says that she "can't believe her breast caused global interest". "There was so much more going on in the world that was so much more important," she says.

Now, Miss Jackson says she also regrets issuing an apology for the Superbowl incident and blames the poor decision on her former management team.

Ok, U.B.A thinks it was planned as a terrific jump start to launch her album that was released later on that year to dismal reviews & lackluster sales... a terrific plan that backfired & cost Janet one of the best marketing relationships she had.. MTV! I think the experience humbled her and made her realize that not all the world wants to see you naked.

Moving on to Justin's role in the "boob flash heard round the world", we all know that many think he (Justin "Sexyback" Timberlake) got away without so much as a scrape to his public image while Janet was thrown to the wolves!

Damita Jo says all of the emphasis was put on her & they were friends & he didn't have her back. See, Dunk takes friendship seriously & says she's "a very loyal friend."

During a recent MTV interview, Justin said "I probably got 10 percent of the blame. I think America is harsher on women …and I think America is unfairly harsh on ethnic people."

Janet also said that ole' J.T. has reached out to her but she's not feelin him right now but will hollaback when the time is right for HER!

Now, let's talk about the real deal - the WEIGHT LOSS - of course!

Ok, so Miss Lady said she lost 60 pounds in 4 months the good ole fashioned way: Exercise & Eating Right! Mmmhmmm. U did? Really? Ok, sure.

Here's the thing & please keep in mind that I like Janet. I'm a big fan! I've watched her grow up from Penny to Charlene to Cleo. I have all the CD's from Janet Jackson to 20 Y.O.

But something tells me that like the superbowl fiasco, this whole "gained weight for movie role" is just an excuse to justify why she got fat. Why can't stars just be honest? True, it's really none of our business BUT if you're going to discuss it at all - why not tell the TRUF!

"Just months after paparazzi photographed Janet at her all-time highest weight, 180 pounds, she returned to her normal size".

Exactly, so who's to say that the infamous pics weren't yet another fabu ploy to let the world see "how big I am before I go under the knife & get this stuff lipo'd out!"

"Janet credits her four-month transformation to nutritionist David Allen and trainer Tony Martinez. Janet drastically cut her food intake, but to keep her metabolism going strong, she ate frequent, small meals of vegetables and lean meats. She also worked out five or six times each week, combining strength and cardiovascular training."

Yes, I know the key to losing weight is portion control, regular vigorous exercise and healthy eating, but 60 pounds in 4 months?? With amazing results like that? Tight skin, flat 6-pack abs, not a stretch mark or inch of chub in sight huh? C'mon now, stop pulling the wool over the publics eyes! Maybe I'm just playing devil's advocate but it bewilders me that someone so familiar with the ole plastic surgery game would want to work that hard & could actually achieve such perfect results in such a short amount of time!

Not to mention, she lip synced during both performances on Oprah. I was very dissapointed! Wassup with that?? I mean, Janet could dance & sing with the best of em. That's why everyone from Britney to Beyonce has tried to copy her performance style but nobody rocks it like Penny so WTF with the lip sync? If you're workin out hard enough to drop 60 pounds in 4 months when the standard weight loss is 5 pounds per month (google it if you don't believe), then dancing & singing should be easy considering you once did it no problem!

Well, we all know she love her some him so no big newsflash there.

I'm glad she's happy although lil strange that she doesn't really know Mike's kids & haven't really talked to him during his stay in the Middle East. I'm sure she has free long distance on her celly. I know it's the Middle East so the per minute rate must be a mutha but still...

Beauty Recipe of the Week

Got Acne? Try this:

Okay, so when I say acne, I don't mean flared-up, red, bumpy, oozing, something is trying to escape my face acne. If you have that kind, a dermatologist should be sitting on your lap right now, but I'm referring to the annoying pimple that can ruin a date, job interview or anything that requires your presence anywhere else but inside your place, hidden from majority view. If you got that - try this - then hollaback & lemme know the outcome.

ACNE REMEDY:

2 to 3 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 C. boiling water
Steep basil leaves in water for 10 to 20 minutes.
Cool, then apply to face with a white cotton ball.

Listing - gonna give it a try!

Listing...
Have you heard of the art of listing? It's a simple way to "blog" without discussing anything in particular. Just start a list of as many random thoughts as you want.....

Here we go...

1. Beyonce's new CD isn't so bad afterall.
2. I'm reeeeally feelin Robin Thick's track "Lost Without You"
3. I think HE gave me a cold.
4. The weather in Chi-town is pretty funky lately.
5. Maybe that's how I got sick,
6. No, it was definitely him.
7. He was sick all last week.
8. I need to wash my hair.
9. I dread it because I have a lot of hair.
10. It's time consuming but I need to do it.
11. Grey's Anatomy & 24 are my two fave shows.
12. It always surprises me how easy it is to get caught up in a tv show.
13. Today is Day 1 of the detox.
14. That's not a show but it's what I'm doing to remove the toxins in my body.
15. We all have them so 6-7 weeks of healthy eating and CHT is on my menu.
16. CHT stands for Colon Hydrotherapy.
17. Don't knock it till you try it.
18. I'm doing it to cleanse my system, improve my health & increase my lifespan.
19. The added bonus of shedding pounds is a nice thought but not my reason for it.
20. No, honest.
21. I'm done listing.

What's Your Fashion Style

My Fashion Style is Classic:

I like what's stood the test of time...
Simple, well styled clothes that don't scream trendy
I wouldn't be caught in animal prints, fake fur, or super bright colors

Take the Quiz!

It's such an amazing product!

Of all the awful things to mess up a beauty addict's look, the worst offender of all has got to be acne! I hate pimples, even the tiniest annoyance can make me want to stay home avoiding all outside contact.

All the while growing up on the mean streets of Chicago (okay, maybe not so much mean as slightly aggrivated), I enjoyed blemish free, caramel smooth skin. In high school, I casually passed many a pimply faced lad without ever thinking the sheer havoc this stuff reeks on one's psyche not to mention confidence. Kids are cruel so I consider myself blessed to have missed that boat. But don't think it didn't hit me hard shortly after my 22nd b-day. I don't know what happened, there I was, starting a new job, kickin around a new beau, only to find an uninvited guest tagging along with us on every date! I could've just died I tell you! After receiving 2 dermatologist referrals & wanting to slap the one who told me that it was makeup & to stop using it & then it would go away. Hmmph, first of all, if shady grady had've asked he would've known that I only wore a slight sweep of pressed powder aaaaannd that it couldn't have been the problem given the way my skin erupted! I'm talkin nodules here people, nothin cute by any means.

Anyway, lucky for me, I found the best dermatologist for ethnic skin that Chicago has to offer maybe the world) & she saved me! My skin cleared up completely but that was over 9 years ago. I still get pimples but nothing like that fortunately. It was a nightmare & although I had to return to Dr, Breadon last year after a lapse from B.C. left me looking horrendous, she had me back to normal in no time. Yea, she's gooood!

Having said all that, I was assaulted by approx. 4 pimples last week & my normal plan of attack failed to save me so two nights ago I mixed in a drop or two of lovely Extra Virgin Olive Oil with my PM CLEANSER and drifted off to sleep. The next morning, the large pimple on the right side of my face had completely disappeared & the remaining three were shrinking fast. I repeated the same process with my AM CLEANSER & the 2 remaining pimples are much smaller than before & on their way to "SEE YA" land! I've said it before & I'll say it again - Gotta love EVOO!

My Top 4 Beauty Staples.......

I love beauty products! Since the time I was 5 years old & discovered my mother's red, glossy, lipstick, I've been hooked. I couldn't resist smearing that pretty red gloss all over my lips & feeling a sense of elation that was only bestowed toward Sesame Street & cookies at that wonderful time in my life. Since then, I've discovered many things to feel excited about & cookies still make the list but my love, adoration & sheer excitement for all things beauty has not fizzled out one tiny bit. Yes, I consider myself a connoisseur of beauty products so naturally I have an arsenal of "must-have", "can't-be-without", "no you can't use that even though I have several duplicates" items that I love!

Since I'm such a generous girl, I'll be happy to roll out 5 of my red carpet lovelies just for you.......

1) Clean & Clear Oil Sheets: These are an absolute must for anyone with potato chip on a napkin grease spot oily skin! I didn't always have oily skin but something happened to my hormones at 21 & before I could say "this ID izzz legal" I was covered in oil & acne to rival any puberty stricken kid. Sad thing is, here I am five or six 21st b-day's later & I'm still having the same problem! Luckily, the kind folks at Johnson & Johnson keep pumping out these wonderful blue film sheets to keep the greasies at bay. If you have oil, you gotta get these sheets - period!

2) Ardell Brow & Lash Growth Accelerator: This stuff is pure nirvana! It's cheap, it's convenient & best of all - it works! I get my brows tweezed & waxed once a month by Chicago's best brow artist (& possibly the world's - yes, she's that good). But, I have this weird thing about wanting every brow wax to be like the first brow wax so about a week or two before my next appt. I start to use this stuff! I use it on my brows & on my "used to be" sparse lashes & my brow girl is always tickled at how my brows are a complete before & after evertime she's done with them. Plus, my lashes are now thick, full & mascara ready! Every time! .

3) Essie "Exotic Liras" nail polish - I wear nudes on my nails but gotta have hot color for the pedi's! This is the PERFECT SUMMER COLOR - fresh deep dark pink - looks amazing on tan skin & dark complexions! I love it - can't bring myself to switch after 3 summers!

4) Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Yep, good ole fashioned grocery store purchased Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It's the best body moisturizer ever. With the exception of my face, the rest of my skin is pretty dry & lotion just doesn't do the trick soooo I use EVOO on my skin & I swear I could go days without moisturizing if I wanted to & my skin would still be soft without being ashy in the least. After I finish my shower, I smooth EVOO all over before getting out of the shower & wrapping myself in a huge fluffy beach towel. Then, I go about doing my hair & makeup while my skin soaks up the moisture, blot dry the oily spots before getting dressed & voila!

Creating My Beauty Blog.....

I am in the process of finally putting this thing together. I'm only 51% computer literate so I hope to have it up & running by the end of the week. It's 11:25pm in Chi-town & yes I should be sleep for my 7am arrival at my 9-5. Buttt, I can't nod off so why not post right?

I just listened to Bey's (that's Beyonce for those not fully acclimated with chartopping, booty popping, hyperactive video speak) & I was surprised to find that two tracks I heard on the net aren't featured on the CD "B-Day". "Lost Your Mind" & "Creole" are 2 very upbeat tracks with a lot of yelling which seem to be the norm tempo for this CD. Nevertheless, they have both grown on me so I can't complain. I don't care what anybody says, ms. lady is getting some serious issues off her chest with this one. "Still in character" my foot, she knows that's all her, venting her feelings about ..... well, unless you live under a rock... u know who. Ok, nighty, nighty..... a beauty addict needs her zzzzzzz's!