That’s right, yours truly will be part of today’s blogger’s roundtable on NPR’s News and Notes! As you might imagine, there’s much to discuss - I’m sure that tomorrow’s debate will be among our topics. I’m very much looking forward to watching.

Listen out for me, and forgive me if I sound tired — I was out late last night thanks to Jay-Z and Wyclef Jean’s free Barack Obama Campaign for Change concert! A full recap will come later today - I’ve got a slideshow’s worth of photos, videos a-plenty to upload, and lots of fragmented notes to disseminate and share with you all. But in summary, it was a total blast and I’m so happy I was able to be a part of the movement last night. Yup, I called it a movement. That’s how it felt! (If you can’t wait for my recap, click here for a concert review by my coworker Tim).

Have the happiest Monday possible, bellas and fellas!

Planning a wedding can be super stressful, and pulling off the wedding of your dreams can be insanely expensive. From the catering to the flowers to the dress to the invitations, thank you cards, and favors — there are so many little details to remember, and so many bills to pay. Especially with the economy the way it’s been, every penny counts. I could more than identify with this e mail from a bella on a budget.

Let me start by sayin “I TRULY ENJOY THIS WEBSITE” it’s been a blessing…I am not sure if my question will get a response; but I’m going to put it out there regardless. I’m a DARK SKINNED SISTA; planning a wedding on a budget. I would really love to get my makeup done by a professional, but can’t afford it at this time… so I’m going to do it myself. Can anyone direct me in the right direction and provide me the name of the best makeup line for my complexion. I went to Sephora inside JC Penney and was so embarrassed after being told that they did carry colors for my complexion.. it discouraged me from going into another store. Please help !!!

New Beginnings

Hey New Beginnings, let me just start out by saying CONGRATULATIONS!!! Weddings are so wonderful, and I know exactly how excited and nervous you are — that was me six years ago. I needed a wedding on the affordable tip, and in a city like Miami, it ain’t easy. Because I had to do it all myself (ten days after we graduated from college, no less!), I picked up a LOT of tips for planning an affordable wedding.

Here’s a tip for ya — a brunch wedding is cheaper than a dinner wedding, and just as beautiful. Also, that way your ceremony’s over by like 4:30 in the afternoon and you have allll night to enjoy your honeymoon suite!

Let’s talk makeup and I’m gonna be frank — I think the Sephoras inside JC Penney suck. The selection is teeny, and the last time I went there (because the Sephora at Dadeland Mall was closed for construction), they told me they don’t even sell Sephora gift cards. They can only sell JC Penney gift cards. In fact, I’ve left the Sephora at JC Penney disappointed myself, more than once. So while I find it shocking that you went to a cosmetics store that informed you that they don’t carry colors for your complexion (in 2008 Really), the fact that it was one of those lame mini-Sephoras makes sense.

New Beginnings, you need to go to a better department store (or a REAL Sephora) for your bridal makeup experience. Normally I am all about drugstore makeup shopping, but for a wedding, I’d advise you invest in a few makeup staples (namely a great concealer, a powder, and perhaps a bronzer or blush), that will last you long after the wedding bells have rung. Don’t worry — you can still hit the drugstore for special-day items like eyeliner and mascara, to save money. Budget is the watchword, but you want to look your best on your special day.

For advice, I turned to my friend and coworker Raina McLeod. Say hello to Raina!

Together, we’re the calendar editors of the Miami New Times. Also, we’ve got our own blogs. You already know about my Pretty in the City — well, Raina writes the sassy sex advice column Magic City Kitty. Check her out for frank answers to your freakiest questions. Meow!

As a glowing, beautiful dark skinned sista herself, I knew Raina would have some really helpful advice for New Beginnings. I didn’t expect that she’d hit so close to a recent product review I did!

“I actually don’t use concealer at all, but when I’m feeling like smoothing it out a lil extra, I use Bobbi Brown’s tinted moisturizer. It’s nice n’ light, but gives plenty of coverage and moisture without leaving my skin oily. Then I like Bobbi’s bronzer and blush to finish it off.

I guess I’m a Bobbi girl and didn’t really know it! But I like her stuff, because it enhances my skin tone’s natural glow and NEVER leaves me lookin ashy like MAC and Cover Girl have in the past. I haven’t experimented with a ton of brands, but I would definitely recommend Bobbi Brown to the DARK SKINNED SISTA.”

Co-sign with Raina 110%. I was just raving over Bobbi Brown’s bronze shimmer brick, and seriously, I don’t regret dropping that $40 at all. This bronzer will take you from wedding day fab to everyday office chic to beach goddess gorgeous with minimal effort.

In terms of finding your shade, the moisturizing cream compact foundation comes in shades from alabaster to espresso, and the creamy concealer kit is a smart buy for a bella on a budget — $32 gets you the concealer and an attached sheer finish loose powder to set the concealer. Make a trip to your local Saks or Bloomies or high end department store of choice (ie: not Penney’s) and befriend the makeup artist at Bobbi Brown. They will be more than happy to help you and offer you makeup tips, and — if you wind up wanting to go with a professional perchance, you might even be able to make an appointment for a makeover the morning of your wedding. I always score business cards from makeup artists at department store counters. Many of them would be more than happy for a little portfolio-building side work, I imagine.

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I put myself on a political diet this week, but wouldn’t you know it - there HAD to be a story that made me turn my back on my one-politics-post-a-week promise to myself. It all started with Matt Drudge posting his main story about Gwen Ifill today. All last night and most of today, there was Gwen’s smiling face as a target for right-wing hatred, being accused of bias before she’s even had the opportunity to moderate the debate. But here’s the thing — there were quite a few facts about the Gwen Ifill story that Drudge got wrong. So allow me to speak my piece. Because I sincerely respect and admire Gwen Ifill like that.

Fact – Gwen Ifill’s book is called The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama. Drudge’s blaring headline referred to it simply as the “Age of Obama” book. An obvious attempt to start a fire, fan the flames, and enjoy watching a useless blaze while real news takes a backseat.

Fact - Gwen Ifill’s book is not a “pro-Obama book,” and it isn’t even entirely about Barack Obama.

Lo, from Amazon: “In THE BREAKTHROUGH, veteran journalist Gwen Ifill surveys the American political landscape, shedding new light on the impact of Barack Obamas stunning presidential campaign and introducing the emerging young African American politicians forging a bold new path to political power.” In the book, Ifill profiles Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and U.S. Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama. She interviews former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vernon Jordan, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, and Senator Obama to add context to the changing face of African American politics. “We’re very lazy when we think about race in this country. We try to put it in a box. It’s Jesse [Jackson] versus Al [Sharpton], or Jesse and Al versus everyone else… We love simplistic conflict. There’s a whole group of people who have Ivy League degrees and immense accomplishments who actually benefited from the things their parents were fighting for,” she is quoted as saying in this CNN article.

Fact – Barack Obama’s candidacy is undeniably historic. He is the first African-American ever nominated for president by a major political party. He’s changed the face of political history, and even his political rivals have acknowledged the signficance of that. Because of this, there are going to be many, many books written about him. As a close observer of politics, Gwen Ifill makes a great candidate to really analyze the significance of his rise to prominence. However, that doesn’t mean that her writing about him reveals an immediately positive bias. See, this goes back to what I was writing about in my previous political post this week — the assumption that because you’re black, you’re backing Barack.

Gwen addressed that with CNN as well: “I‘m in great demand — everyone wants to talk to me — but I’m not speaking for the whole race,” Ifill said. “My job is to be a reporter. I cannot be the great interpreter. It’s not my job to be on someone else’s air telling them what black people think.”

Ifill told Kurtz, “I still don’t know if he’ll be a good president. I’m still capable of looking at his pros and cons in a political sense.” Besides, Ifill says, “no one’s ever assumed a white reporter can’t cover a white candidate.”

Seriously.

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Hey bellas!

Carol’s Daughter and I did things a bit different for what turned out to be one of the most popular giveaways ever. I hear that over 600 of you entered!
The winners have all been contacted. Congratulations to Carla, Ladene, Jaymie, Linda, and Thedra — you won my favorite Carol’s Daughter products (including Hair Milk, which was named “Best Natural Wonder” in the 2008 Best of Sephora Awards)!

If you didn’t hear from me — don’t lose hope and try again in the next giveaway!

I have something truly funky and unique coming up for the next one, a real by bellas for bellas kind of product. I’m working on lining up cool giveaways through the end of the year — got a popular skincare brand and some hot new fragrances in the works, bellas! Speak up and tell me what makeup or hair product you’d like to win the most!

This is my internal crisis as a beauty blogger — Rome is burning. The economy is in the veritable toilet. A gas shortage. Banks are eating each other, and thanks to global warming, so are polar bears. What is this world coming to? And here I am, going to write about makeup? Sometimes I look at the list of products that I have to review, and I feel so conflicted.

I figure the best I can do is:
a. suggest products for bellas on a budget,
b. tell you which products to avoid at all costs, and
c. let you know which products are truly worth your purchase.

Because the bellas who can afford to whimsically purchase a $60 bronzer based on a cavalier product review are lessening in number. I’m gonna focus on my essential favorite items by two of the top makeup brands on fancy department store shelves — Bobbi Brown and Shu Uemura.

I still remember getting confused between Bobby and Bobbi Brown. The makeup artist started her product line in 1991, and since then she’s all but eclipsed my instant name-association with Whitney’s ex. Bobbi Brown is known as a must-have, subtle and classy brand by any cosmetics-loving diva. If a makeup pro like Lianne the Makeup Girl raves over Bobbi Brown’s stuff, you know it’s worth a purchase.

Bobbi always has great palettes — exhibit A, the Shimmering Nudes palette, and exhibit B, my new obsession, the Moon Rock Long Wear Eye Palette — four “celestially inspired” long wear cream eye shadows that can be also used as liner. $55, but the gorgeous silver fox who runs the Bobbi Brown counter at Saks Dadeland, assured me it would last forever.

She didn’t convince me to buy the eye palette, but she DID convince me to buy Bobbi Brown’s famous bronze shimmer brick compact — that’s it up above. $38. Absolutely no regrets. I have used this thing every day since I bought it. It makes my cheeks look luminous, and used individually as eye highlighters, makes my eyes look incredibly bright and glowy. Loves. This is a bronzer for all shades of beautiful, but I think it’s especially wonderful for beautiful brown skin. It can be subtly shimmery on its own, or swirled over your fave blush to add an extra dimension of gorgeous.

The Saks makeup artist dusted it on my cheekbones, then highlighted my brow bone with the lightest shade. I was initially skeptical, but instantly convinced. Love the shimmer brick, and any bella who loves an outstanding eye that can go from day to night with subtle but effective layering, will adore the metallic eye shadows. I’ve been rocking these in broad daylight as an easy daytime face, just a dusting along my eyelid, and a lightly applied fingertip to highlight the brow bone. Finish with black liner alone the lash line, coat of mascara, and I’m out the door. Sage (a shimmering gray green), and Penny (bangin’ golden copper) are my favorites.

Other products I’d like to snag from Bobbi Brown? I hear great things about the Brownie shimmer brick, and the pink ribbon Breast Cancer Month lip collection looks universally flattering. Multitaskers, busy bellas, and newbies to the makeup scene would do well with the basics palettes, perfect starter sets in compact packages you can take and use anywhere.

I’ve already done quite a few Shu Uemura reviews — still loving the cleansing oil, which d’oh! Would have been great in a travel bottle for the trip to Vegas, and I told ya, the Fiber Xtension mascara is a great secret weapon for special occasions. Shu Uemura is primarily known for their crazy false lashes (like, for example the Tokyo Lash Bar collection). I couldn’t apply them onto myself in Vegas, but my sister in law Katrin did, and she rocked a pair very similar to these, that had a pretty greenish strip to bring out the color of her eyes. Lashes can be insanely pricey — like these Viktor and Rolf lashes,which go for $95 a pop dontcha know.

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