Most women get so hung up on getting tan that they forget to keep a little “life” in their cheeks. SO, the best tip I can give for getting a perfect sun kissed look is to not forget blush! But what are the right shades for your skin? See below!

 Fair – Sheer Beige bronzer & a soft peachy pink blush

Olive – Honey colored bronzer & a peachy blush

Medium – True Bronze bronzer & a deep Pink

Dark – True Bronze with shimmer & a warm cinnamon blush

What’s your favorite Bronzer/Blush? Let me know on twitter – @BrittG_

www.brittgarrison.com

Check out the first record from EDGER Jazzy’s second project called “Boomerang.” Co-written by Jazzy and Bobbie Pen and produced by Wow Jones. If you love the sound of her voice you will Love to see the feature that EDGE did with exclusive interviews and photos. 

Boomerang (Come Back) by IamJazzy

“Boomerang”  is Available for purchase on itunes here 

With that in mind, Clark and Tins discuss the New York Knicks from the signing of J.R. Smith, the return of Carmelo Anthony, what Lin has meant to the psyche of the fan base and more. Let’s jump right into it.

***

Tins: Clark, “Linsanity.” It’s taken over the sports world, spilled into pop culture with rumors of Kim Kardashian’s magical reproductive organ calling his name and even made it so Jeremy’s family can’t even go to the grocery store without being stalked by the tabloids. What are your thoughts on this madness?

Clark: It truly is a great story. Everyone loves a great story. And nobody can appreciate random greatness like New York City. But I must admit, in a basketball sense, I wasn’t truly a believer until his recent explosion against the Dallas Mavericks. The previous teams he played against were in the bottom half of the league and even though the Lakers are an elite team, they have the worst point guard situation in the entire league so I wasn’t sold when he dropped 38 on LA. But the Mavs are top-tier in every way and that kid dropped 26 points, 14 assists and five steals in a big win. Kudos to the kid man, kudos.

Tins: Agreed. From a personal standpoint, I couldn’t be happier for the guy. He seems 100% genuine and from the interviews I’ve read/seen from him, I love his approach to the game. He said something to the extent that he spent countless nights crying not knowing if he was making the best decision for his future, but if he was ever afforded the chance to prove himself one more time, he’d just go balls to the wall and leave it all on the court. Needless to say, he’s doing that and more. That being said, I still do not want to crown J. Lin “king of the world” just yet. I’ve see all this stuff on television saying he’s done (insert accomplishment) in nine games while it took Magic or Isiah or any other Hall of Fame caliber point guard “x” amount of games. Sometimes I feel as if the world is hyping him up so much, just to tear him completely apart if he goes through a string of games where he struggles.

Without being long winded, let’s just say I pray the guy continues to do well, though. It’s a great story for the league and a valuable lesson to be learned in his journey. Oh, and shout out to that game in college when he dropped 30 on UConn. That was pretty damn amazing. Moving forward, however, let’s transition to the topic everyone seems to have doubts about – the Lin/Carmelo dynamic. Is it that complicated or simply a case of media hype and fan overreaction?

Clark: Melo is in a lose-lose scenario. If he comes back but Lin’s star still shines the brightest on the team, people will begin to question Melo’s own stardom and if he was as good as advertised during the first 8+ seasons of his career. If he comes back and the Knicks begin to struggle, he will be the first to blame since they were rolling prior to his return to the lineup. Honestly, you’re dealing with a top 10 talent in the NBA who has always wanted the opportunity to showcase that talent on the biggest stage. I think Melo will have a smooth transition back into the lineup. Hell, he’s the reason Lin got his opportunity in the first place. Scorers love to play with pure point guards because all they have to do is get to their sweet spot and wait for the ball. Lin and Melo can be the biggest blessings either one has had if they play this right.

Tins: Mark my words, pending Lin is actually a legit long-term solution at point guard for the Knicks, it could be the best thing to ever happen to Carmelo’s career. Anthony’s going to get his points mainly because he’s that great of an offensive threat. And if you can still put up numbers by sharing the rock with Allen Iverson, I’m almost positive playing alongside Lin would work. My main thing with Melo is this. He’s going to have to learn how to play better without the ball. It’s the same thing we said about LeBron and Wade last year and it applies to Anthony now. He’s not going to be able just hold the ball for 12-15 seconds each time down the court and let his one-on-one game do the trick. Instead, if Melo can get down the court, post his man up on the elbow and call for the ball, we could be looking at something special. Think about it. Lin’s already made Tyson Chandler a better offensive threat, Landry Fields is looking comfortable again and Steve Novak may have just found his ticket to staying in the league (camping out behind the three point line). Who’s to say J. Lin can’t have a positive effect on arguably the league’s most dangerous scorer?

It’s all speculation at this point, but it leads me to my next question. Let’s say the Knicks can remain healthy for the remainder of the season, they become more and more acclimated playing with one another and finish as a top five seed out East. Can they legitimately beat the Bulls and/or Heat in the spring?

Clark: Yes, but more the latter than the former. As with anything in the NBA, it’s all about matchups. To me, the Heat beat the Bulls, the Bulls beat the Knicks and the Knicks beat the Heat, if that’s what it comes down to. I know some of you may be surprised by that but hear me out. Melo has routinely beaten both LeBron and Wade throughout the course of their careers. Routinely. He enjoys going against the two of them because he feels like he doesn’t get mentioned with them enough. Amar’e and Bosh cancel each other out. If Lin plays how he does now and B. Diddy is close to healthy, I take them over Chalmers-Cole. Getting J.R. Smith shrinks at least part of the gap Wade has at the two-guard. The difference? Tyson Chandler. Just ask any of the Heat players about the problems he gave them in last season’s finals. I think it would happen again.

On the other hand, the Heat have already shown how much of a problem they are for the Bulls. But with Chicago, the gap between Rose and Lin is wider than at any other position. Rip-J.R.? Wash. Melo-Deng? Melo but Deng is no punk. Amare-Boozer/Gibson? Depends on the day of the week. Noah-Chandler? So many elbows, so little time. The difference would be that Rose would specifically destroy Lin just to prove a point (no pun intended). So as usual, it would come down to matchups. Give me the youngest cat to ever win an MVP award.

Tins: The keyword you mentioned was “matchups.” Depending on what line up a team goes with, all hell could break loose. And in the interest of not repeating things, marinate on this. If New York can advance past the first round, Madison Square Garden may explode. Seeing that arena going bonkers is one of the best sights in sports and if we’re lucky enough to have Marv Albert calling the game, that may be the closest we both get to heaven on Earth. Well, not the “closest,” but you get where I’m going with this. You know how I feel about Derrick Rose. I think the world of that guy, but with no real second option scoring, it’s going to be hard putting all the weight on his (bad) back come playoff time. We all know Boozer is better off delivering suspicious hair styles than actually being worth a damn when Rose needs him most (normally, this is where the Joe Johnson hate comes seeping back into our articles but I’ll refrain).

Mark my words, however. A Miami/New York Eastern Conference Finals would be a ratings bonanza. I’m pretty sure we can both admit that. And I’m glad you mentioned J.R. Smith. He’s going to shoot them out of some games. He’s going to win them some games. But sweet baby Jesus, him and New York will be the greatest reality television show running. All I’m asking is that they sit his sister beside Spike Lee.

Clark: Well, all I know is this. Either Paul, Durant or Kobe in the finals or Melo or Rose in the Eastern Conference playoffs, it doesn’t matter who, I just need one of them to be the reason that LeBron goes into year 10 of his ballyhooed career still in search of his first ring. Jesus truly is the homie. So be my homie, and make this happen. Better yet, let Jeremy Lin hit the game-winner in Miami in Game 7 to send the Knicks to the Finals. Yep, that’s what I’m wishing for, so it shall be.

Tins: I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. **Woosah, woosah** Your hatred never ceases to amaze and it’s gotten to the point where I expect it regardless of what we’re talking about – sports, music, gas prices or Sallie Mae. You’ve managed to get under my skin almost at will with this disdain since we were freshmen at Hampton. Not anymore though. Well, at least not until the playoffs. So, throw your shots around. I’m made of teflon at this point.

Linsanity is great. K.D.’s the second best player in the league. And here’s to both of those guys continuing to make the league so damn exciting. Just don’t get in the way of The King’s coronation this June.

Clark: I don’t know any Kings *Ye shrug*

“I turned my first trick when I was 8 years old”, says one of the characters in Kenyetta Lethridge’s “Innocent Flesh” as she dives into a monologue about how her own mother forced her to have sex with men for money the same summer a serial rapist was on the loose. This is just one of the many heart wrenching stories intertwined to create a little over an hour of some of the most breathtaking theater this town has to offer.

The production begins with the 4 actresses basking in the innocence afforded to us as young children. Each woman takes her turn sharing her hopes and dreams for the future, each with an overarching goal: to be loved. The quartet then takes the audience through a series of  hard to swallow, no holds-barred tales of life on the streets, the allure of human trafficking and their undying desire for the affection of their pimps. On this night at Hollywood’s Zephyr Theater, much sadness fills the playing space as audience members began to shed tears within the first two scenes. Perhaps more moving than the talented performances is the pure passion that seems to have accompanied the entire piece which can be attributed to Lethridge’s large investment in addressing the very real issue of under age prostitution in America. Having spent much time working in the Los Angeles public school district as well as being a product of one herself, she admits to having seen the beginnings of women heading towards living “the life”.

“I would leave work and see the young girls from my classes being approached by men far too old to be interested in them”, the writer/actress explains, “the girls were just happy to have the attention but these men knew what that their intentions weren’t good”. And this is something that Innocent Flesh delves deep into. The desire, the longing, the aching for affection from someone other than the person staring back at them in the mirror. The vulnerability that makes us love children also makes them a prime target for men (and women) looking to capitalize on free labor, underdeveloped mental capacity and the grim attraction of  American citizens willing to share in the destruction. What struck me most about the production was its inclusivity. Each of the women standing boldly in her culture: one black, one white, one Latina, one racially ambiguous…all experiencing the same ill-fated life path. But it didn’t end at race. Present also was the often forgotten dichotomy of the class system–one of the characters actually comes from family of well to do doctors.

With no stone left unturned, one would be hard pressed to find a way to separate one’s self from the harsh reality of the matter: it could happen to anyone of us. Any young woman or man that we love could find themselves in the hands of someone waiting to exploit their innocence. None of us are exempt or above, so what will we do to stop it? If there’s one blinding lesson to take away from Innocent Flesh is that there is no ready made, after school special cure for this epidemic. The solution lies somewhere between a reconstruction of the family value system in America and uprooting the evil that lies in the quest for financial gain by any means possible. It will undoubtedly be a long road to ridding the streets of underage and legal street workers but this production shines a powerful light on a dark corner of our country. Modern in its approach, the gritty tales cut deep and the references to pop culture carefully chosen by Lethridge causes one to consider responsibility, power to affect change and the dire need for conversation as the growing number of preteen and teenage pregnancies sky rocket alongside the percentage of human trafficking arrests ranging from the ages of 13-18 years old.

Innocent Flesh is the first, in what I hope, will be an ongoing call to arms by the artistic community surrounding this subject. It’s awakening and terrifying in its power. And when it leaves Los Angeles to open off Broadway later this year there is no doubt that the world will take to it the same way everyone in that overlooked theater in Hollywood did on its opening night.

Kenyetta Innocent Flesh <—click here for the entire interview with director Kenyetta Lethridge

We all have them. When you see that unsuspecting soul walk by and your heart stops every time, so much so that its  almost annoying.  Your words get all tangled when you talk to them. Flirting is guaranteed when you are together. It’s your breath of fresh air. Your ice tea on a hot day.  Your crush. But wait, what if you have never set eyes on this person, never heard their voice, never observed the way they walk or even live in the same time zone? Is that weird? No. Thank you, Twitter.

I’m talking twitter crush. I have one and I know you do too. It’s the person you can’t help but read every fleeting tweet they happen to type. Oh and let them get a new avi you’re the first person to see it. Furthermore, every now and then if they happen to @ you …. Well the day somehow just seems better. What are sure-fire ways to know you may be feeling a follower?

You care what they talmbout – oh you’re looking with your looking ass. You smile when they make jokes or maybe you just love and understand their sense of humor.  No tweet eludes you and you find yourself having live conversations with your man about something your crush just tweeted. All bad.

You make sure everything is spelled right and makes sense when addressing them- no typos for you. If you ever happen to meet, grammar won’t stop this love. Cause for some reason that matters so much.

You don’t like them bitches nice young ladies he tweets all day – you can’t help but feel a little sting when he is flirting with somebody that is not you. Nah B that’s mine.

You actually meet in real life based off 140 characters that tickled your fancy all the way to reality – My own personal experience led me to meet my twitter crush in person and as expected, we had great conversations and still do! We work much better as good friends which should be expected cause nobody actually likes their man all the time…

Point being, Twitter can be a great place to meet people you actually like meeting so make sure you use that to your advantage. On that note I met a good friend via twitter and we are going to Vegas in June go say hi to her: @itsLee_Yuh!

Indigo is a Los Angeles-based FIDM fashion student, indie alternative artist and works in the Celebrity VIP Services/PR department at Giorgio Armani. Entrenched in music and fashion, I know you will agree she’s one to keep an eye out for.

“Float” showcases a unique blend of passion and depth, and lyrically captures a vulnerability prominent in Indigo. The song is a beautiful push and pull….high and low. There are waves of hope, then the backlash of reality. Floating in fantasy, wondering why you are crashing down…..

The song was produced by an amazing Silver Lake-based producer, Adrian Trujillo and the video was directed by Erick Sanchez and David A. Rodriguez of YKMG.

Indigo continues to work on her debut EP which she will be shopping to labels this year.
To view her previous videos, download songs for free and see past press, we just launched her Facebook music page at Facebook (dot) com/IndigoCharlieMusic. She can also be reached via Twitter at @IndigoC.

“Float” can be downloaded for free via Indigo’s Facebook or at SoundCloud x Indigo Charlie

Are you feeling it?

Highly Anticipated Handcrafted Lipstick Line Launches Spring ’12 Collection

     The girl-next-door turned lipstick designer serves up ‘top shelf beauty’ with her new handcrafted lipstick line

NEW YORK (Feb. 16) – The newest luxury cosmetic line, The Lip Bar, will debut its first spring collection of lipsticks-handcrafted to provide customers with “intoxicating, top-shelf beauty.”
Tuesday, February 21 from 6pm-9pm at PRANNA lounge on 79 Madison, The Lip Bar will introduce guests to 12 bold lip colors, naturally blended with vitamin E, shea butter and avocado oil. These dynamically designed shades, named after and inspired by popular cocktails, offer consumers a chance to experience fearless self-expression in a non-conventional way-through lip color.

Exhausted with traditional shades of lipstick, 25 year-old financial analyst, Melissa Butler, set out on a personal journey of passion. Her goal was to craft a lipstick that presented shameless, vibrant color with a healthy, natural blend.  ”When I decided to start my own cosmetic line, my approach was to be as natural as possible without compromising the boldness of the lip hues. Often women are afraid of venturing outside of the average lipstick colors. It was my goal to encourage self-expression through beauty by providing  “Beauty with a Splash of Color.”

With only a background in business administration and a couple years’ savings, the budding entrepreneur read, researched and experimented-formulating lipstick. Ultimately arriving at a perfect personal recipe, Butler took her lipstick design into production. From the black, contoured curves of her lipstick containers to the red, kiss-sealed applicator, Butler’s resonating theme was to sell a product that invoked an experience. “A lipstick experience-that makes women feel luxurious, confident and strong. And a lipstick, that is unsurpassed in craftsmanship, quality and color.”

The collection launch event, hosted by former MTV “Twitter Jockey” Gabby Gregg and co-hosted by sunglass designers CoCo & Breezy, will allow friends, family, fans and media a first chance to preview and purchase the cocktail inspired lipsticks.  Highlighting popular drinks, such as the mint green Sour Apple Martini and the warm coral Bahama Mama, guests are invited to mix, mingle, eat and drink, and experience the story of how a Detroit-native, made her lipstick dreams come true.

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For More Information:
Brandi Hunt- Media | brandi@thelipbar.com or info@thelipbar.com

About The Lip Bar: The youthful, fun and sexy concept of a cosmetic bar comes from Melissa’s desire to synergize alluring bold lip colors with every twenty-something’s favorite social setting. Unlike your average cosmetic company, The Lip Bar caters to your individuality. Through our highly pigmented lipsticks, we aim to encourage self-expression through beauty. Product will be available for online purchase, midnight Feb. 22.

To Have Your Toast to Beauty: The Lip Bar

If you haven’t already, get his mixtape here: A Drunken Man’s Words

Check out our quick with Locke here: Locke Kaushal Edge Magazine Interview

Her take: I sashayed by a room where he was hanging with a few of the younger boys. They seemed to be laughing about everything and anything. They were irrelevant and I didn’t have time for the things they were into, so I went on my way. Eventually, he ended up approaching me.

His take: Your mother eyed me constantly. She would see me hanging in the church with the other boys and I could tell she wanted to get to know me, but she was too afraid.  I knew that one day she’d get over her fear and approach me. This is exactly what she did.

They never seem to agree on this part. Every time I bring it up they giggle while retelling the tale, accusing one another of lying and ultimately agreeing to disagree.

They do agree on one thing however, their unrequited and unconditional love for one another.

My parents aren’t perfect. During their college era, they engaged in a brief separation because of mutual differences. Their marriage is filled with ups and downs, as most other unions are. They’ve been tried and tested through the trials life has thrown at them. They’ve been over hurdles that were almost insurmountable.

However throughout all their tribulations, two things remained consistent: They’ve surpassed each trying moment side by side and both individuals have owned up to their mistakes and taken numerous steps to rectify their wrongs.

As individuals in a partnership, they’ve laid down a firm morale when it comes to the rules of the infamous “relationship.” This notion is probably why I’m twenty-four and just delving into the first serious relationship of my entire life. I wasn’t picky. I wasn’t caught up on physicality. I was looking for a man with the same values that my parents instilled within me. Sure enough, after what seemed like eons, I found him.

But even Adonis was flawed.

After his mistake, my boyfriend was set on righting his wrongs. He sent me a text on the morning I’d concluded that I’d forgiven him:

“What time do your parents get home? I need to talk to you with them there.”

My mind raced. I had no idea what he had in store for the evening. I was afraid that he was going to explain to my parents that he was breaking up with me. Why would he do that with them around? Perhaps I’d found a man who planned to take “honor” overboard?

The questions were persistent during my entire work day. It tugged at my heart as I ruminated his intention on the train ride home. I was beyond scared.

At 7:30pm, the doorbell rang. I let my boyfriend inside and sat him in a chair across from the sofa that my father and mother sat in. I sat somewhere nearby.

He started,

“I made a mistake. I’m sure you’ve heard what’s happening between Erica and I right now and I want you to know that I’m going to rectify this. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure she never hurts again. I promised you, when I first sat with you that I’d take care of her and I will.”

Jaw.

Dropped.

I never thought, in a million years, that I’d have a man come to my home and explain himself to the people who’d loved me most. I could not believe my eyes or my ears.

Two significant things happened at that moment.

The first: My love turned and looked at me in a way that I’d only seen my father look at my mother.

The second: My parent’s concerned faces melted into the most approval I’d ever seen for any person I’d ever brought home to meet them.

We spent the next hour talking about the realities and hardships that happen within a union. My father even suggested that if we ever needed advice, we should consult them. The sixteen year old boy, with a gap tooth smile suddenly, emerged from my father’s eyes as the, wide-hipped and glasses wearing, sophistication of my mother danced in their reflection. Suddenly, I watched a smirk grow upon my mother’s face. When my father noticed it, he returned it. While my boyfriend spoke, they both turned their grins towards us. It’s as if they both shared a secret that he and I did not yet know.

I can’t wait until I discover it.