GIVEAWAY: Violent Lips Tattoos

As you may have seen in a previous post, I have been toying around with Violent Lips lately. I snagged them at an event during New York Fashion Week, and now it’s your turn to try!

To win a pair of Violent Lips lip tattoos in Red Zebra, you can:

• Reblog this post
• Leave a comment saying how you would wear your Violent Lips
• Follow MASQUEmag on Twitter
• Follow MASQUEmag on Youtube
• Follow MASQUEmag on Facebook

Each bullet point you complete is an extra entry for you. That’s five chances for you to win, good luck! Contest ends Friday, March 2nd. 

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"DUI" by Teyana Taylor ft. Fabolous and Jadakiss

Loving this new groove from Teyana Taylor. The songstress, known more for belting out tunes, keeps it mellow and downright sexy with this track. Throw two noteworthy MC's on the song, and you have a hit. I can't wait to hear Ms. Taylor's full album release soon, hopefully.


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REVIEW: FriendHouse

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NYFW: Alice + Olivia FW 2012

Alice + Olivia is always full of so much character, so much life. Expect to see loads of texture, lots of colors, and a lot of diversity this Fall/Winter. A true party indeed, the Alice + Olivia presentation was an honor and pleasure to attend. All the kings horses and all the kings men drew this collection together with lots of pizzazz. 

Alice + Olivia FW 2012 reminded me a lot of myself - versatility at its finest. Leather and sequins one day, tulle and organza the next. A dash of parisian class, a sprinkle of city edge and a dash of glam give you all plenty to look forward to this fall. 

See these and a lot more pictures on the MASQUE Magazine Facebook page.

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TREND: Florals

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NYFW: Jenny Packham x Laura Mercier FW 2012

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DIY: "Game Over"

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STYLE I LOVE: #NYFW Essence Magazine

Outside of the excitement of the shows at New York Fashion Week, we look forward to the street style captured outside of the “tents”. Essence Magazine snapped some great photos of fashionistas on their way in and out of shows in front of Lincoln Center. Some of my favorites:

Tocarra Jones, Model: Alexander McQueen dress, vintage fur, Yves St Laurent shoes

American Express, Associate: JCrew dress, JCrew coat

Kimberly Martell, Natural Hair Blogger: Forever 21 blazer, Forever 21 leggings, boutique clutch, Aldo shoes

Natalie Dean, PR Professional: ASOS dress, Akira blazer

Check out the rest of the Essence Street Style flicks here.

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Beauty Must-Have: CLARO Acne Clearing Device

If you follow me on Youtube, you know I have a problem with adult acne. About three years ago, I had a serious breakout and my skin hasn’t been the same since. 

I was offered the opportunity to try the CLARO Acne Clearing Device, and I will be honest - I was very skeptical. I didn’t quite understand the concept of an at-home treatment that is usually done in an office under a LOT of supervision. Were the goggles that came in the box supposed to protect me? 

There was a huge, juicy pimple sitting on the top of my forehead and I seized the chance to go at it with the CLARO Acne Clearing Device. I sat the tip of the device carefully on top of the bump, pressed the button, and after a few bursts of IPL (Intense Pulsed Light - which is a combination of heat, blue light, red light, and infra-red energy) I was done. It didn’t seem like anything happened. 24 hours later…

I took a look in the mirror, and all of the bacteria and inflammation was gone. The con is that a blemish was left. I’m used to dark spots on my face, but no one likes to add another one! 

The CLARO Acne Clearing Device is available at Best Buy for $194.99. At this price tag, it’s only fair it come in three colors (Cobalt Blue, Onyx Black, and Hot Pink). I would definitely suggest this product if you can flip the bill for it - there’s no lotions and magic potions and it literally takes seconds to zap zits away!

Disclaimer: I have received the reviewed product from Best Buy for free.

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NYFW: Ainsley Fall 2012 Presentation

70’s whimsy was in full effect at the Ainsley Fall 2012 presentation. Chiffons, suede, and knits were ever present on curvy silhouettes. The interactive presentation invited guests to “walk the gemstone healing path to awaken your inner power”. 

What was most impressive was the fluid mix of hard and soft textures; chunky knits atop chiffon pleats, chiffon pussy bows tucked into suede bellbottoms. I adored the vintage look and feel, and I know for a fact I will be pairing a knit with a pleat - two of my favorite things. 


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Grammys 2012: Favorite Looks + All Black Everything

With the death of Whitney Houston looming over everyone, stars came out in beautiful and daring silhouettes in shades of black. Multi-Grammy winnerAdele wore a charming and flattering Armani Prive piece while Alicia Keys stunned in a curve hugging number from Alexandre Vauthier and a statement gold collar. Corinne Bailey Rae looked her usual sweet self, with a beautiful floral bevy of fabric from Christian Siriano and a gorgeous curly side-swept hairstyle. 

Who were your favorites of the night? 

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STYLE I LOVE: #NYFW Natural Hair

There’s been a lot of running around for New York Fashion Week these past couple of days, including the Curls Unleashed launch and Mattieologie’s Big, Blogging, and Beautiful event.

I ran into these natural beauties whose style I had to share.

Essence of The Essence Of…’s afro is truly astonishing - full of luster and thickness. Her secret? Mixed Chicks Leave-In Conditioner. And you know I have a thing for cobalt blue and statement necklaces.

Rocquelle of Consider Me Luvly bestowed my heart in her vintage blouson sleeve shirt. “This started as a dress. It wouldn’t go over my hips, so I cut it and made it a shirt instead”. I know that struggle too well!

One my girlfriends, Deanna, had a beautiful cinnamon bun in her hair. She said it was a last minute style but it looked like a million bucks. 

Have any style you love that you’d like to share this Saturday? Post a link below!

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The Final Walk from Brooklyn Circus @ Target’s First Saturday at Brooklyn Museum

Brooklyn Circus is an ecelectic, tantalizing, and delicious fusion of retro tailoring and urban nouveau. “Swagger” doesn’t even begin to describe what founder Ouigi Theodore brings to the plate - maintaining his finger on the pulse of street style is what keeps Brooklyn Circus breathing. 

And the throngs of beautiful people during Target’s First Saturday at Brooklyn Museum in February 2012 is a testament to the power of Brooklyn Circus. Fashion-clad onlookers, photographers, and families alike gathered to witness the beautifully angled jaws and carefully crafted outfits on the Brooklyn Circus models. Success is a word most use to describe the pinnacle - I truly believe the success of this show was just the beginning.  

Classic menswear with an edge, Brooklyn Circus is full of nothing but surprises. We are all definitely looking forward to their 100-year plan. 

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OUTFIT: Lady Sings the Blues

Some very exciting things are in the works with some amazingly gorgeous and talented friends of mine. We met up for brunch at Bryant Park grill to catch up, try on pretty handbands from Gla.MAR.ous, and pucker up our pouts with Heidi D. Cosmetics. Sundays have never been better.

Dress: Vintage, Ebay, $4

Belt: Forever 21, $3

Bracelets: H&M, $5.95

Shoes: H&M, $10 

Flower Brooch: H&M, $2.95

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Stella & Dot Spring 2012 Collection

Nothing pulls an outfit together like a statement necklace. And nothing makes a fashionista happier than a statement necklace that is lightweight and easy to wear.

I am pictured here in the Pegasus Necklace from Stella & Dot’s Spring 2012 Collection. One of my favorites of the bunch, the Pegasus is a “striking bib of intricate gold feathers hand-sewn to silk organza cascade”. 

In fact, all of Stella & Dot’s Spring 2012 collection is of the same vein - stunning yet light enough to let you move freely. Stella & Dot prides itself on both high functionality and high style. With prices from $24 to $199, you don’t have to sacrifice either or. 

No joke, I was seriously smitten with Stella & Dot’s statement necklaces to the point where I didn’t want to part with them. The entire collection is full of transitional day-to-night pieces that work with anything from crisp white shirts to jewel tone silk blouses. Stellar. pun totally intended

You can sneak a peek at the rest of Stella & Dot’s Spring 2012 Collection on the MASQUE Magazine Facebook page.

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OUTFIT: Rough & Ruffles

In the spirit of the Chinese New Year (I taught my kids a class on it a couple weeks ago so I’m like, yenno, a pro), I was cleaning up my desktop and found this picture from New Year’s Eve. I combat the super feminine lines of my dress with a leather biker jacket and colorful printed scarf.  I’m all about balance.

This year is the year of the Dragon, and after reading through my fortune with Tineey, I have lots of great things to look forward to. I’m excited, and scared, and all those things in between. Happy 
Chinese
 New Year! 

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OUTFIT: Sunday Morning, Sun is Shining

“You look fresh off the set of ‘Mahogany’” - Eddwina Gregg

My style is based on my mood. Sometimes, I am grunge with a maxi dress and combat boots. Some days I am ultra feminine with sweetheart necklines. But a lot of the time, I’m vintage.

The first three weeks of 2012 have been incredible. I’ve developed a certain je ne sais qois that has me looking forward to the future, but completely reflective of things done in the past. You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been, right?

Right. So with my reflective disposition and a wind chill of NYC that sent the temperature well into the teens, I grabbed my favorite Ralph Lauren coat and headed over to the Eddy & Bri Studio. 

I was able to experience Eddy & Bri hands-on (no seriously, I touched every item that is available on their site!). When I saw this One Shoulder Knee Length Dress I was smitten. Topped with Eddwina’s personal vintage necklace, I was channeling several types of Diana Ross! Harlem, you know how to treat a lady.

Visit Eddy & Bri’s site, or find them on Facebook and Twitter! If you enterSAVE20 at checkout, you receive 20% off. 

Coat: Ralph Lauren

Dress: Eddy & Bri

Shoes: Isabel Toledo

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OUTFIT: Go Shorty, It's My Birthday

For my big 2-5 this year, my friends joined me for “The Nutcracker” at BAM. Afterwards, we did dinner and headed to a lounge to shake it down. I donned this pleated dress from H&M for the occasion ($35), my trusty Flower Brooch, and an amazing clutch I got at Goodwill for $3. 

I was very skeptical about this dress on the hanger, but it feels SO amazing. The words “regal” and “Grecian Goddess” don’t do it any justice.

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Ouidad Transformation!

This past weekend, I was a hair model for Ouidad Flagship Salon in NYC. Ouidad is a salon dedicated to providing top-notch services for women with all types of curly hair. Ouidad and her stylists are curly hair gurus and experts on coils, and have perfected curly-hair hair cutting over the past 30 years. 

This is a BEFORE picture. See those wisps up top? That is inches of split and dead ends that I have been holding onto because I have been desperately trying to retain length - a common crime naturals commit. 

My stylist used:

• Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Shampoo
• Ouidad 12 Minute Deep Treatment (You know I have dryness issues!)
• Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner
• Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Styling Gel (AKA the magic potion that, once twisted, gave my hair incredible definition)
• Ouidad Shine Glaze Serum 

My stylist, Kim, used Ouidad’s incredible “Carve & Slice method” to remove bulk from my hair, dead ends, and create a shape that frames my face perfectly. Since my big chop over three years ago, I have never had my hair professionally snipped. Oh, the many wonders it does.

No more dead ends!!! Look at that definition - I seriously have not stopped looking at my hair since I left the salon, haha.

One important tip my stylist mentioned was to layer products - not just scrunch everything into your hair at once. This gives each product a chance to work their magic!

I’d like to take a moment for my coat, that I’ve slowly been trying to inch into my daily wardrobe! And I’m wearing the most comfortable Bandolino Dress that I picked up when I stopped by the Eddy & Bri studio the other day. 

Do you have any before & after natural hair transformations to share? Post below!

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