My Personality Expressed in a Dress…

Lisa Peyton-Caire

Ladies:

I suffer from multiple personality disorder–in clothing, that is (LOL)! In any given week, I may borrow from a hodgepodge of fashion genres based on the demands of my schedule and the nature of the meetings on my calendar. But if I had to pick a dress or two that embodied my true personality (or a big part of it, at least); that expressed my unique feminine essence, the two beauties below by designer Akua Angel would definately make the list! I admit that at heart I am a Bohemian beauty –a naturalist with a bent toward the earthy, effortless, and ethnic. I’d trade in an executive suit any day for the relaxed, feminine, yet bold & elegant beauty these two gems offer.

Dress by Akua Angel

Soul Dress by Akua Angel

What about you? What’s your fashion personality? Send me a few photos! I’m anxious to see!

Lisa

Advertisement

This Just In: L’Oreal WhiteWashes Beyonce (Surprised?)

Lisa Peyton-Caire

Friends:

my favorite beauty blogger, AfroBella, expressed her views on the current ‘whitewashing’ of Beyonce by beauty giant L’Oreal, which comes as no surprise. It demontrates again why it is critical for us to own, manufacture, and support our own beauty ventures, or at the least, NOT to support those who do not fully represent or appreciate our beauty as it is. Read on and talk back.

Whitewash and Photoshop

August 8th, 2008

Is anyone genuinely surprised by this recent L’Oreal Feria/Beyonce skin lightening advertising drama? I wasn’t. Not at all. This has happened to Beyonce before, after all. And I don’t get why so many people are blaming Beyonce — do celebrities get final approval on how they look in advertising? I’m inclined to think not, given everything I’ve read about stars getting upset about how their appearance was altered for print. Beyonce’s not a Photoshop pro who touches up her own pics. Just about every image you see in a magazine has been digitally retouched by a angel somewhere along the line.

Lighting is artfully manipulated to soften harsh lines or to brighten up skin tone. Colors are lightened or saturated to become more vibrant. Bodies are digitally altered to appear more svelte. Cosmetics advertisements are probably the worst offenders — the deception begins before the photographs are really taken. You didn’t believe that the eyelashes celebrities bat at the screen in just about any mascara ad on TV were real, did you? All fake, sad to say.

I guess I’m just jaded by the practice, and I don’t think it’s going to change. I see a photo like this Feria ad, where Bey is practically unrecognizable, and it makes me angry. Of course it does. But then my analytical side kicks in. Call me cynical, but I just see this as one of those cyclical beauty industry sins that only become controversial when it’s glaringly obvious. Respect to Jezebel and Racialicious for wading so deep into the issue, because sometimes I’m like — oh no, not again.

In order to effectively make a statement to the advertising industry that hey — Photoshopping in your skewed, ethnically exclusive perspective of beauty is not cool — consumers have to get to the point where they’re so angry that they boycott the brand, the magazines, everything. That never happens. A comment on that Racialicious thread summed it all up pretty well, IMO — Black Canseco, an industry insider who has a pretty cool blog of his own put the Photoshop whitewashing issue like this: “It’s simply part of the business; and the business does it because it sells; and it sells because the masses of folks prefer it/are comfortable with it/believe this is how it should be.”

So now what?

Exactly. Does this kind of thing make you outraged? Do you believe consumers have the power to alter industry-wide practices? I’d love to hear from you all on this issue. Now what, indeed?

See My Lovely List of Beauty Picks!

Lisas Lovely List

Hey Ladies!

Visit SisterSpeak Online Magazine today to check out my Lovely List of beauty products straight from my personal vanity! These products are tried and true in my book and live up to their intended purpose.

Putting the list together was super fun, and just the first installment of more great reviews to come!

If you have a product to recommend, share it with me at beauty@sisterspeakonline.com .

And if you’re a product manufacturer or hand-made mixologist, send us your samples. If we like them, we’ll review them on SisterSpeak Online for all to see! 

Now go get pretty!

Lisa

Celebrity Make-Up Artist Akua Auset Inspires Beauty

Akua Auset Inspires Beauty

Beauty, brains, and business collide in the form of Akua Auset, “fairy godmother to the stars” and successful sisterpreneur. Beauty is her passion and she’s found a way to advance her mission to heal the hearts and minds of women and girls through her fascinating work.

SisterSpeak Online recently had an opportunity to speak with Akua, also a published author working on her second title due out this fall.

Click here to read our EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW now!

Also, experience Akua’s magic and sensational talent below…a true inspiration!

Secret for Glowing Skin & Perfect Make-up for Every Complexion!

I recently met Ms. Marquita online (below), a professional make-up artist in St. Louis, MO. Her radiant skin and flawless make-up struck me and I simply had to know her beauty secret! Green is certainly her color! This is what she said:

Lovely Marquita in Green

 

I use vitamin E creme to moisturize my skin. It works wonders! It’s not oily and it absorbs well. The foundation on my pic is custom blended; it was in the kit I purchased at school.

I love M.A.C. cosmetics foundations also; there are several you can wear alone or blend together to achieve the perfect look. I was afraid of wearing different colors on my eyes at first, but when I started playing around with them, I realized there were all kinds of colors out there that complimented my dark complexion.

As for my work, I just look at a face and create…

Gorgeous Marquita in yellow

Thanks Marquita! Keep shining and best wishes for a fab beauty career!

 

Check out Marquita on MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/msmarquita

Another Beauty Tip From Kelly Laws: Summer Beauty!

In the summer months most women shy away from foundation due to the heat.  An alternative to foundation is tinted moisturizer.  Due to its light formula, this easy to use skin enhancer is a must for humid weather. 

Another must is mascara and lip gloss/balm. Using these products will allow your natural beauty to shine through without looking too ‘made up’. 

Also, make sure that you keep your eyebrows arched because this makes your face look clean and polished.  If your issue is acne/blemished skin, drink plenty of water to flush out the toxins and bacteria that cause acne. 

Remember, foundation was never meant to be a coverup but a skin enhancer. 

Thanks Kelly for reminding us that natural is best when it comes to beauty! And we were just talking about beautiful eyebrows the other day. We agree, it makes the look along with healthy skin!  

The Perfect Eye!

2

Originally uploaded by BlackHoney

Wow, I don’t think my eye make-up has ever looked as perfect at that in the photo. I’ve gotten one professional make-up application (can you believe it–just one) at a MAC counter in NYC, and though I loved the look and the fake lashes (yes…just for one special night!), my eyes looked nothing like this. I think it’s the brow that stands out the most and adds the intensity and beauty to the look.

All make-up artists out there—we’d love to get a few tips from you on how to create this fab look at home!

A Beauty Secret from A Beauty Pro…

Kelly Laws, founder and CEO of MakeUp On The Go, a traveling beauty service in Gary, Indiana says:

Hey Everyone!

Just wanted to share a beauty secret of mine.  One of the products that I highly recommend is the Philosphy Skin Care Line.  The Purity Cleanser is very gentle and removes all–and I mean all makeup including eyeshadow and mascara without stripping your skin.

 

I also enjoy using their Microdelivery Exfoiliating Wash which gently removes the dead skin from my face.  I then follow with their Hope In a Jar moisturizer.  This miracle cream is not greasy and heavy yet works wonders on my skin.  I love the fact that it’s light with a smooth texture especially on hot and humid days. 

If you’re not sure whether you will like it, ask the counter for a sample pack to see if it will work for you.  Enjoy!!! 

If that’s where Kelly gets her glow, we’ll definately try it!

Thanks Kelly!

More Beauty Secrets from Real Women!

Alice from Chi-town says:

I HIGHLY recommend Kukui Oil. It’s a nut native only to Hawaii and for those of us with dry, thinning skin, it puts a nice emollient on the skin. A couple of drops smoothed over the face, the elbows, knees, any part of the body, makes all of the difference in the world. And the scent is amazing – light, not overpowering. It’s very good for treating eczema.

You can order it online direct from Hawaii at Oils of Aloha. I don’t believe that it’s available stateside.

 

A Few Beautiful Things…

We found this eye candy online at Pretty Afrika & Nubian Creations, a mother-daughter business duo based in Chicago, Illinois. Attorney turned jewelry designer Sandra Aya (Pretty Afrika) & her seamstress/designer mother Madam Theresa (Nubian Creations) craft these original handmade beauties fusing traditional African style with modern design elements.

The designs are pretty indeed! Check them out!