The Beautiful Tom Ford

Tom Ford will finally be launching a full color cosmetic collection for women.  I have been waiting for this moment ever since I purchased his ‘ultra-creamy’ lipstick from his Private Blend Lip Color Collection a year ago.   To say that Tom Ford has a keen understanding of  women’s fashion is an understatement–he has a keen understanding of women period!  Oh, how I love this man!

It was he who brought sexy, sultry and allure to the confidant woman without making us look like street-walkers in the process.  Bold and beautiful is his trademark and with his beauty line he understands that simplicity is more. “…there are a lot of products out there you don’t even need.”  Mr. Ford recently told WWD, adding that he’s been obsessed with beauty since he was a child.  “When I was 14, I had to be taken to the emergency room because the cucumber slices I had put on my eyes – to camouflage the bags – had made them swell shut. I could eat cucumbers, but my eyes were clearly allergic to them,”  he said.  His obsession has been a blessing for the modern-day woman.  As a designer, movie director and a gentleman, he has shown us what it is to be glamorous, desired and admired by all who loves beauty.  Above all he has taught women, that beauty is perfection– a perfection that comes in all forms.  I personally think this is something that a lot of people don’t get when looking at Tom Ford  ad campaigns, but being an avid follower and an admirer of his work, I’ve gotten that message from the very beginning.   His work is a combination of contrast and beauty.  What else should we expect from a Texas native exuding European sophistication?

On June 24th the show ‘Visionaries: Tom Ford‘ airing on the OWN network, will take us on a Tom Ford journey unlike any other.  Learning more about the man behind the work of the modern-day woman.

 

Please visit tomford.com for more information on where to purchase his beauty products.

Published in: on June 13, 2011 at 12:57 pm  Leave a Comment  

An Eventful Weekend

Giving reviews is something that I don’t often do.  However, after this weekend I have no choice.   I went to Atlanta recently to visit my two best friends from my college years to have a girlfriend get-away.  I’ve visited Atlanta before and being that I currently live in NYC, I wasn’t expecting much from this city.  I was only expecting to have a wonderful time with my besties.   But this get-away turned out to be more than I expected when I ate at Imperial Fez and made a visit to the JeJu Sauna.

This Moroccan restaurant transcends the senses.  With great food, belly dancers and tantalizing decor, you will feel as if you’ve been transported to Morocco.  My friends and I ordered the 5 course dinner special.  The portions were just right and the dishes were great.  The best dish we sampled was the Lamb Shank.  Totally tender and seasoned to perfection!  The belly dancing was the fun part of the evening and a must see.  I could go on and on about this place, but one must experience it for themselves.

The JeJu Sauna is a must do, but it is not for the faint of heart.  The feeling one has after leaving this sauna cannot be explained, only experienced.

So the next time you’re in Atlanta, put Imperial Fez and JeJu Sauna on the must-do list. You won’t be disappointed.

Published in: on May 25, 2011 at 10:29 am  Leave a Comment  

Blossoming in May

Spring brings a type of rejuvenation that we all yearn for.  Whether it be a rejuvenated spirit, wardrobe or home furnishings, we should all bask in the newness that the month of May offers.

Take a class, learn a language, travel, discover or rediscover something that has always intrigued you, but above all, bloom into May by blossoming in undiscovered terrain.

Published in: on May 6, 2011 at 10:53 am  Leave a Comment  

The House Balmain Is Building

The Fashion House of Balmain has recently announced the appointment of  Olivier Rousteing as its new designer.  Balmain’s website states:  Mr. Rousteing will supervise the design and development of the brand’s men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections.  For those of you who don’t realize what a historic mark this is, let me just say that some color has been added to this fashion house.

Olivier Rousteing

Olivier Rousteing is of a biracial background.  He was born in France, placed in an orphanage and later adopted by a family that raised him in the Bordeaux region of France. And even though he doesn’t know the exact origins of his birth parents, he identifies himself as a person of a mixed race, having a black and white racial background.  This is significant in a country where the growth of racial diversity has caused anxiety over the ever-changing definition of  French identity.  Much of this anxiety has caused violent protests over the past few years.  This is why Rousteing’s appointment is significant, it shows that progress is in the making.  He himself is an example of the generational changes taking place in French society.

Many people of color are accomplished members of the French ateliers and produce skilled handiwork that is the hallmark of couture.  But having a young biracial man of color  being appointed as the caretaker of an historic French brand that was established by Pierre Balmain in 1945, is not only a rarity, but a pivotal moment in fashion history and French history.  As they say, ‘history repeats itself’, and it seems as if we may be re-embarking on an era of when people of color such as Alexandre Dumas with his literary genius, the Creoles of color and African-Americans during the 19th and 20th century who brought both skilled artisan work, literary contributions and musical staples to a country that prides itself on being the most refined and romantic place of all, will again be openly accepted and grandly appreciated.

Whether or not the Balmain fashion house will thrive under the direction of Rousteing is yet to be seen (I faithfully believe that it will), it has already thrived in future history books of fashion once again.

Published in: on April 28, 2011 at 12:01 pm  Comments (2)  

The Real Meaning of Vacation

I just returned from a much-needed vacation!  I visited islands in the Southern Caribbean.   Leaving from San Juan,  I visited St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Barbados and my favorite island of all, St. Maarten or St. Martin (depending on whether you’re on the Dutch or French side)!

I met so many interesting people, had plenty of fun, ate fabulous cuisine and just disconnected from the world, while reconnecting with myself.   I wasn’t even trying to go on a personal/spiritual journey when I took this vacation, but that is exactly what happened and I am very grateful for it.  I feel physically renewed, emotionally revived and spiritually replenished.

In this world of being busy-bodies, we often misinterpret the actual meaning behind the phrase ‘taking a vacation’.  The word vacation derived from the Latin word vacare, meaning “to be unoccupied, empty, free, or at leisure”.   However during my vacation, I spent Easter Sunday in Old San Juan, P.R.  In Old San Juan people are very spiritual/religious and it is something that you can actually feel and even smell in the air.    I visited an old Catholic church and while taking pictures, a priest came up to me asking if he would be seeing me at mass the following Sunday.  I informed him that I was visiting and as I began speaking to him about my renewed self, he informed me that the Latin word vacare actually derived from the Latin phrase vacare Deo, meaning “to be empty for God; to be at leisure for or available to God.”  He began to explain to me that when a true vacation is taken, it is only natural that one will feel spiritually replenished.  Then he asked me, Do you think it is an accident that you are here on “vacation” and speaking to me about this on Easter Sunday?

All I could do was smile, because at that very moment, I realized that nothing in this world is an accident or coincidence.  There is a time for everything and I will definitely began making time for the next ‘vacation’.

Published in: on April 25, 2011 at 1:45 pm  Leave a Comment  

A Must See…

Oprah Presents Master Class is a must see television show.  I have watched every Master Class show thus far and have learned so much, but it was Oprah’s very own Master Class that moved my spirit beyond anything imaginable.

In parts 1 & 2 she speaks of her life journey and the peaks and valleys traveled, but it was all about the lessons learned and what can be gained which are inspirational.  We can all learn something from someone else, but Oprah encourages us to learn from ourselves first and foremost.  To listen to ‘the whispers’, never give in to doubt, stop worrying about the other person and remain true to yourself, were reinforcements for my spirit.  What I loved about her Master Class in particular was the way she spoke to the camera.  Being that she is so comfortable in front of the camera,  it was as if I was having a one-on-one student/teacher conversation with her and she was teaching me what I needed to know to get through this school of life.

The only thing I can say is that no matter where you are on your life journey, every single one of us can learn a lesson from Oprah’s journey.  Please watch her Master Class series, it is truly life changing television.

Published in: on April 5, 2011 at 1:16 pm  Leave a Comment  

What A Life!

Elizabeth Taylor lived a life that many women only fantasize about.   Glamour, fame, fortune, beauty, jewelry and love.  Born in England to American parents in 1932, this blue-eyed beauty would grow up to be admired my women and lusted after by men all over the world.

Even though she is well-known for her beauty and her many marriages,  people fail to forget that the reason she is such a legend has to do with her immaculate talent.  This two-time Oscar winner proved that you can have it all: beauty, talent, grace, sophistication and be smart enough to know what to do with it!  How many women in Hollywood are currently living up to those standards?   Her charitable contributions, activism and philanthropic work can not be ignored either.  And even though she had many marriages and lovers, it was and will always be Mr. Richard Burton who will forever be remembered as the love of Elizabeth Taylor’s life.  How could he not be with the exotic vacations and fabulous jewelry he gave to her, as well as all the drama,  a relationship that toxic can only be remembered as such!

This Dame will be missed, but will always be remembered as an iconic legend.

Wearing a ring given by Richard Burton

Elizabeth Taylor wearing the Taylor-Burton Diamond in a necklace by Cartier

Published in: on March 23, 2011 at 10:28 am  Leave a Comment  

New Discoveries

For the past few weeks I have been in between a hibernate yet depressive mood.  This in between state of mind is never good for the soul, so I decided to read about anything and anyone for some sort of inspiration to get me excited and motivated.   Before I started my search, I decided to isolate myself in stillness and engross soul in my own thoughts, asking my Creator to guide me toward not only what I wanted, but also what I needed .  Because of my love of art, culture, music, language and literature, I figured that I have gained adequate knowledge about  obtaining inspiration without having to search outside of myself, but by searching within.  Knowing and understanding that everything first begins with God and ones own inner strength and inner peace.

Last night, I called my father.  I usually speak to him several times a week, but because of this isolation process, it was going on two weeks without him hearing from me.  During our phone conversation, we begin to speak about affairs concerning an upcoming family reunion and the conversation began to turn into a family history/genealogical lesson.   As my father is running down the names of his ancestors, I begin to tell him about my recent depressed state, my father says, “I remember when I was really young and I was feeling a little down and my Grandfather said that ‘A man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss.’ ” His Grandfather’s first cousin Auguste once told this to his Grandfather and his grandfather told him.   It seems as if my great-grandfather spoke of his cousin Auguste, who lived in France, frequently.   Auguste was a writer who not only wrote plays and novels, but he also helped to write great novels along with other French writers.  I told my father that the quote he said sound very familiar, as if I read or heard it somewhere before.   So I ask my father if he knew the surname to cousin Auguste from France and he said, that it  was either McKay or Markay, but being that it was a french surname, he was unsure of the spelling.  So this morning when I googled the quote, the quote is actually from my favorite author of all time-Monsieur Alexandre Dumas!  If you don’t know much about this author, please do some research on him.  It is because of him, I love literature as much as I doand it is also because of him, some of the greatest adventure movies have been made.  I knew that I had read that saying before, and as I did further research I discovered that one of Alexandre Dumas’ most famous assistants in writing some of his greatest novels was a man named Auguste Maquet!!  Talk about a motivational discovery of ones self and history.  I feel like one of those celebrities sitting in front of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

I will definitely be doing more family research to find out if this Auguste Maquet is the same first cousin of my great-Grandfather.   I will keep you posted….

Published in: on March 21, 2011 at 1:52 pm  Leave a Comment  

Vanity Fair Oscar Party

 

 

 

 

I must admit, I love seeing the pictures from the Vanity Fair’s after party for the Oscars.  So much glamor…I absolutely love it!!!!

For more pics click here.

Published in: on March 3, 2011 at 1:54 pm  Comments (1)  

Professional Addicts

As of late, the name Charlie Sheen seems to be the topic of conversation.  By now we have all heard about his rants and arrogance about him being the greatest actor on prime-time television.   However, when observing and really listening to what Charlie Sheen is saying, in some strange way, I have to wonder, does he have a point?  I do not condone his behavior, his actions or his arrogance, but when observing the history of numerous drug-induced talents, is there some truth to what he is saying?

Some people are highly functional addicts-a proven fact.  However, when performing their jobs well and act accordingly, we don’t question or punish them for their addiction.  Once the job performance suffers, their behavior gets out of control or which ever comes first, then their addiction becomes a concerning factor.  This is exactly what has happened in Charlie Sheen’s case.  The public has known for years about his addiction to drugs and numerous liaisons with prostitutes, but as long as he behaved and performed well, not much was being said.  When coming to the television set to film his weekly show ‘Two And A Half Men’, it was reported that he was a professional on the set and performed his job well.  At times, he did this while being high.  Even with the drug addiction rumors, the chaotic circumstances involving him and his ex-wife Brooke Mueller drug induced fights, and the all night drinking and partying that surrounded him while being employed at Warner Brothers, there was no outcry by his employers or the public for him to get help.  He was doing such a damn good job, that Warner Brothers decided to give him a salary increase of $2 million per episode and the show ratings increased!  Yet, as long as he behaved and performed well, the producers and creator of the show, didn’t seem to mind.  Maybe because of the show high ratings along with the millions of dollars being made, no one at CBS or Warner Brothers noticed.  It wasn’t until his public rants and unflattering comments about the producers and creator of the show, that it was decided that Charlie Sheen must be fired!  The well-being of Charlie Sheen was not of  much concern in comparison to the image of  CBS and the creator of the show.  That is what’s so shocking.  He wasn’t fired due to coming to work late, not coming to work at all or poor job performance.  He was fired for acting unprofessional while OFF the set!  But being high ON the set is okay as long as you act professional and give a great performance?  Wow, the standards of Hollywood never cease to amaze me!  Depending on the circumstances of his contract, maybe he does have grounds for a lawsuit or at least he should.

When I think of actors such as Robert Downey, Jr., Colin Farrell and others, it is truly amazing to me that while high on dope, some of these people perform better than those who are sober.   Could that be the reason why Charlie Sheen is so upset?  To come to work on time, remember lines, perform well, and remain professional while high as a kite, yet your sober co-worker is bullshitting around, not remembering all their lines and acting like a clown–but you end up getting fired for some shit you said on your “off” time!?

When you look at it from that point of view, maybe he does have a right to be pissed-off.

Published in: on March 1, 2011 at 2:08 pm  Leave a Comment  
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