HairConnections

African-American women and Alopecia

2018-01-16T14:19:00.000-08:00

Alopecia is a blanket term for all kinds of hair loss. Alopecia can be seen in woman and men, and in all nationalities. However, certain beauty habits and genetic factors cause black women in particular to be susceptible to more forms of hair loss. The good news is many of these forms of alopecia are not permanent and can be treated.

African-American hair is highly textured and dry. This causes it to be extremely susceptible to damage and breakage. Hair loss can start in the front near the hairline, the crown of the head, the sides of the head or all over the head. In addition, the hair loss can be patchy or thinning in appearance.

Factors that cause alopecia are stress, traction, chemical damage or illness. Stress can cause more hair than usual to enter into resting stage, which will cause them to fall out. At any given time at least 10 percent to 20 percent of our hair is in this resting stage; this is the hair we see in a brush. Stress causes a shock to the system, which makes more hair enter this stage than usual. This is called telogen effluvium. Another common cause of alopecia in black women is traction caused by wearing tight ponytails, extensions or extremely tight braids. Wearing tight hairstyles causes the hair to the tug from the follicle; over time, this causes damage to the follicle, which results in hair loss all round the hairline.

Hair loss due to using harsh chemicals, such as relaxers or perms, may cause burns on the scalp. These burns form scar tissue inside of the hair follicles causing permanent hair loss. Hair loss as a result of this is called cicatricial alopecia or scarring alopecia. Another form of alopecia that affects black woman is androgenic alopecia. Androgenic alopecia, also called male pattern hair loss, affects women who have entered menopause and those who have medical conditions that cause a shift in sex hormones.

Symptoms of traction alopecia are extreme thinning around the hairline and bald patches at the hairline. Symptoms of androgenic alopecia are diffused thinning all over the head or thinning hair on the crown. Symptoms of cicatricial alopecia are patchy hair loss, shiny smooth areas on the scalp and scarring or scalp damage. Symptoms of telogen effluvium include noticeable hair thinning.

In some cases, the cause of the hair loss must be taken care of before the hair can restore its growth. However, in cases of severe or localized hair loss, you may be told to use Minoxidil 2 percent topical treatment. This is an ointment, lotion or foam you use on the scalp every day to help restore hair growth. You can purchase this product over the counter under the name Rogaine. Another medication used to treat hair loss, in particular androgenic alopecia, is Tagamet. Although this medication is used to treat peptic ulcers, according to the American Hair Loss Association it has shown a powerful anti-androgen effect, which may work well in treating this form of alopecia.

African-American hair needs lots of moisture to prevent breakage and damage. Use moisturizing shampoo when washing to restore the hair’s natural oils, and do not wash your hair any more than three times in a week. In addition to this, moisturize your hair daily using natural oils such as almond, aloe, coconut or avocado. Do not wear you hair in tight styles. If you suspect you have an infection of the scalp such as ringworm, get it treated straight away to prevent excessive hair loss.

LaBron James flashes the world!

2015-06-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

LeBron James gave viewers a whole different kind of show on Thursday night during NBA championship game four between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors.

In an interview shot courtside, James adjusted his shorts and underwear, accidentally flashing the camera in the process. It was only for a split second, but long enough for thousands of screenshots to be taken. Don't know what all the hype is all about, it's just a penis🍆😜

HairConnections

2014-01-02T12:14:00.001-08:00

HairConnections

2014-01-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

Another baby bombshell! It turns out Dwayne's baby mama ALSO has two children with THIS sexy sitcom star!

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade just got engaged, but their extended family tree just keeps getting more complicated. And more star-studded.
On December 30, Dwyane confirmed that he had fathered a child with another woman during a time when he and Gabrielle were on a break. The next day, TMZ reported that his baby mama is a woman named Aja Metoyer, and that Aja named her son Xavier Zechariah Wade. The site added that Aja also has two other sons.

But that’s not even the half of it. Just hours later, TMZ updated its original story to say that sources tell them the father of Aja’s other children is none other than actor Damon Wayans Jr, who currently plays Coach on the Zooey Deschanel comedy New Girl.

Like we said, this family tree is getting really complicated. In addition to New Girl, Damon starred as Brad on the just-cancelled comedy Happy Endings. He’s also the son of Damon Wayans, which makes him part of one of Hollywood’s best-known comedic families, tied to the likes of In Living Color, White Chicks, and The Scary Movie franchise.
TMZ adds that Damon is very involved in his kids’ lives. And considering that Dwyane also plans to be very involved in little Xavier’s life, we’d say there’s a very good chance that the two will cross paths. Is it just us, or is this starting to sound like the makings of a perfect reality show? We know we’d watch. Just tossing that out there...

2014-01-02T11:46:00.002-08:00

Is Porsha Stewart Ready to Date in 2014? Her Answer May Surprise You!

With a brand-new year ahead and a fresh divorce in place, is Porsha Stewart ready to hit the Atlanta dating scene? According to a recent exchange on Twitter, The Real Housewives of Atlanta newbie is more than ready.

When one of her fans asked her if she thought she would be dating in 2014, Porsha responded, "absolutely lol." You can't get any more clear than that and the "lol" at the end almost implies that it would be ridiculous if she wasn't ready to jump back in the game. Even though it's been less than a year since the couple announced their split — or rather, since Porsha learned that Kordell was calling it quits via Twitter — we have to say that we're not entirely surprised to see Porsha moving on so fast. After all, she is young, beautiful, and loves to have fun, and deep down, she probably knows that Kordell wasn't the right guy for her. In fact, Porsha already dipped her toe back in the dating pool during 2013 when she let Steve Harvey set her up with an eligible bachelor.

Even if the experiment resulted in just one night out, a girl's gotta start somewhere and it was a good first step for Porsha as far as getting her groove back.We sincerely hope that Porsha finds her perfect match in 2014, someone who respects her and allows her the freedom to be both a mother and a career woman. In the meantime, though, there's nothing wrong with Porsha enjoying the single life and playing the field. Here's to many first dates in 2014!

Divorces: Is Will Smith’s Matrimony-dom With Jada In Danger Because Of Freaky Pics With Becky Co-Star?

2013-11-06T07:05:00.001-08:00

     Will Smith and his Focus co-star, beauty Margot Robbie, got too close at a New Orleans party last month and their salacious photo booth pictures that were meant to stay private, prove it.

According to Radar Online reports:

The Australian actress nuzzled with Jada Pinkett-Smith‘s hubby behind the curtain of the photo booth, suggestively lifting her shirt and exposing her bra as Will lifted his and pressed his bare chest against her.
    “He wasn’t acting like a married man; he gave no signs that he was in a committed relationship,” an eyewitness of the scandalous scene told the magazine.

    “What kind of married man would go into a photo booth with a 23-year-old girl and start to undress?”

    Jada wasn’t present at the party held on Oct. 25, begging the question: Could this be the final straw in their already troubled marriage?

    “When we did our audition together, we had a natural chemistry,” Will previously said of his co-star. “I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

    After weeks on the New Orleans set together the two got intimately close at the October party in question, the magazine claims.

    “Once they pulled the curtain back to take the pictures, they let their inhibitions run wild, laughing, hugging and nuzzling each other in the dark,” the eyewitness said.

    “Margot directed Will before each pose. First the ordered him to act like a gangster. Then she covered her face with a masquerade mask and leaned into his chest. Next, she asked Will to take a sexy picture with her, as she pulled up her shirt and exposed her lingerie for Will and the camera.

    “They were hanging all over each other, laughing like they were a new couple in love,” the source continued. “Will had just gotten done working for the day, so he definitely wasn’t intoxicated in any way — he knew what he was doing.”

    The scandalous couple didn’t wait for their photos to be printed and Will’s assistant later materialized and confiscated them, Star says.

    “Will and Margot never showed up back on set or attended the night’s festivities with the rest of the crew,” the insider revealed.

    “After they left the party, they were gone all night.”

    To see the shocking and sexy photos of Will and Margot’s photo booth session, pick up the latest issue of Star magazine on newsstands everywhere Thursday.

Divorces: Is Will Smith’s Matrimony-dom With Jada In Danger Because Of Freaky Pics With Becky Co-Star? - See more at: http://bossip.com/861614/divorces-is-will-smiths-matrimony-dom-with-jada-in-danger-because-of-freaky-pics-with-becky-co-star/#sthash.I4rWiWSP.dpuf

Chilli Launches Petition to Stop Cyberbullying

2013-11-04T15:02:00.002-08:00

TLC star Chilli launches a petition to stop cyber bullying due to online criticism of her son's sexuality

Here's the blog that caused Chilli to start this campaign and their apology to her

Celebrity children under 18 are off limits to scrutinizing bloggers, says TLC's Rozanda "Chilli" Thomas via a Change.org petition.
The singer recently started the online campaign against cyberbullying, citing one site in particular for posting upsetting comments about her 16-year-old son. "I can't describe the anger I felt at my son being ridiculed continuously by MediaTakeOut.com," Chilli wrote."My son had no choice in who his mother was just like many other celebrity kids do not. It isn’t fair that our children have to deal with cyberbullying because of the career choice of their parents. Anyone under the age of 18 should not be ridiculed or targeted by MediaTakeOut.com or any other website."
She added that it's not just a matter of pride, it's a health issue for the child and the community. "Kids who experience bullying are more likely to experience mental health issues that affect their ability to sleep, eating patterns, loss of interest in activities, health complaints, and decreased academic achievement. These issues can continue to persist in the victim through adulthood. In a minimal number of cases targets of bullying may retaliate by using extreme violence. For instance, 12 out of the 15 school shooters in the 1990s were victims of bullying. Victims of bullying are also 2 to 9 times more likely to consider committing suicide."
Fred Mwangagahunga, editor of MediaTakeOut, has since issued a public apology and a promised to "take action" against the staffer responsible for the posts and put in place "safeguards" to make sure it doesn't happen again.
"MediaTakeOut.com has a strict policy against criticizing children, whether children of celebrities or otherwise. It's not clear how an article that clearly violated our stated policy was published, but rest assured that I will get to the bottom of it," he wrote. "Our sincere apologies go out to Tron, Chilli, his family and anyone else that were offended by our comments." As of press time, the petition has over 2,000 signatures. Hats off to you momma!~ See this and other story's https://www.facebook.com/pages/HairConnections-Blog/256310311054838

Ciara Pregnant, Baby Bump PHOTOS? 'Body Party' Singer Flaunts Bigger Stomach During Abu Dhabi Festival

2013-11-04T14:20:00.000-08:00

Poor Thang! Ci-Error is so sad that we broke her baby news before she could attention slore it up with a major media announcement. According to Sandra Rose reports: Over the weekend I received yet another confirmation from an industry insider that pop singer Ciara is pregnant with rapper Future’s 5th or 6th baby. The confirmation came from an executive at Ciara’s record label, who obviously doesn’t read my blog on a regular basis. “Ciara pregnant,” he texted. “I know,” I text him back. During a follow-up phone call, the industry veteran shared how Ciara and Future are “excited” about their bundle of joy. He said they wanted a popular website to break the news of her first pregnancy — and how disappointed they were that the blogs spilt the TEA first. Several national media outlets are anxious to break the pregnancy news right now. But Ciara wanted to wait until she’s a married woman… to distance herself from Future’s other groupie baby mamas who all had their children out of wedlock. Though it isn’t confirmed, rumor has it that Future sired 5 children out of wedlock. Future addressed Ciara’s pregnancy in an interview on Hot 93.7. Without outright denying anything, he said simply, “it’s a rumor.” But it’s no coincidence that Ciara and Future announced their quickie engagement out of the blue last week — less than a year after they started dating. Ciara’s mini baby bump was on full display when Ciara hit the stage for Abu Dhabi’s “Beats on the Beach” last week. Cici wore thick leather outfits that were layered to conceal the baby bump. Cici has become something of an expert at holding her stomach in. But every now and then she is forced to exhale. “Every now and then she is forced to exhale”! Breathe girl… Well best of luck to CiCi on getting hitched before she pops that thang — have a great happily ever after with your hubby, baby and five stepkids. - Pic at top and story from Bossip.com

Tags Ciara Pregnant

(Photo : Instagram)

2013-08-22T15:00:00.001-07:00

Evelyn Lozada-Chad Johnson Split Detailed on Emotional Basketball Wives Premiere!

It was Shaniece who advised her mom not to reconcile with Johnson. “I don’t really think that’s a good idea,” Shaniece told Evelyn, who was considering doing so, adding that, “I didn’t like him from the beginning.”Lozada’s daughter added later that her decision to file for divorce immediately after suffering bruises at her then-husband’s hand was the right one. “I’m proud of you,” said Shaniece.“And I’m sure there’s a lot of other women who are proud too. Starting over isn’t so bad. We’ll start over
together.”

Not that it was easy. Evelyn Lozada has admitted that had the domestic violence remained private, she likely would’ve stayed with her husband. “I had physical scars. Obviously, I had to go to the hospital. I’m going to admit if there wasn’t, I probably would have went right back in
that house." "Would have brushed it under the rug. I wouldn’t have wanted the world to know,” she told Access Hollywood. “It’s still difficult even though it was a year ago."

"That was right after it happened. It was hard. I’m trying to move on with my life and now the show’s airing, so just having to deal with it all over again…”Though Evelyn shared that she was a bit relieved when Chad took responsibility for the incident, he recently suggested that he was just playing his part.

As for reports that the two may still reconcile, Lozada says that while she and Johnson are on better terms these days, there is no way it's happening.“I’m moving on with my life. He’s moving on with his life,” she said. “I’m glad things are where they’re at.

Basketball Wives Recap: Damage Control

This is going to be good, y'all! The mean girls are back with tagalong Suzie Ketcham trailing not far behind. It will be interesting to see if Evelyn Lozada, Shaunie O'Neal, and Tami Roman can keep their promise to keep tempers in check. Newbie Tasha Marbury is also going to be thrown into the craziness, but not this week. Of course, first VH1 needs to explain away Ev & Ocho.
A bittersweet melody plays as we're treated to a photo montage of Evelyn and Chad Johnson's wedding peppered with redacted police reports and Chad's mugshot. A somber Evelyn tells of her brother-in-law's death two days after she learned of Chad's cheating and the subsequent head butt that left her with several stitches in her forehead. She feels like people blamed her for ruining Chad's career. Is this Basketball Wives or the lead in for a 20/20 special?

Blaming the media for her negative portrayal as a hothead, Evelyn has taken a break from Twitter in an effort to collect her thoughts, and she is prepping for two interviews that will share her side of the story. She's meeting with her publicist to discuss her story, and dare I say I'm actually feeling sorry for Evelyn? On the day of her televised sit-down, a very conservative and demurely dressed Evelyn is prepping for her interview. She calls her mom for words of encouragement.
A teary Evelyn goes to visit her mother the following day, and she's still mourning the loss of her brother-in-law and her marriage. Damn! I'm getting teary. Thanks a heap, VH1. Evelyn is concerned that people are going to think she provoked his behavior, and her mother reveals that Chad has been texting her. He tells her mother that he was trying to restrain her when she was going off on him for cheating after three weeks of marriage. Evelyn's mother responds to Chad that she is extremely disappointed in his behavior, and Evelyn knows she's secretly hoping that her daughter and Chad will work out their problems. However, Evelyn is still livid with Chad for not publicly taking full responsibility for the incident and allowing her to look like a loose cannon in the media.

Tami and Shaunie are meeting up to discuss how they are consciously aware of how their behavior effects others. Tami wants to pause before she does or says anything rash, while Nostrils is ready to shed her quiet, soft spoken (oh please) demeanor in favor of being much more opinionated. A very calm and robot-like Tami (is she medicated?) is under a lot of financial hardships due to her ex-husband not contributing and her mother's illness. She wells up, sharing that the doctors aren't giving her mom much more time. Man, VH1 is certainly working overtime to make us feel sympathetic to the mean girls!
Evelyn goes to visit her daughter, and Shaniece inquires as to whether Chad has signed the divorce paper yet. He is, of course, dragging his feet. Shaniece hopes that her mom isn't harboring any hopes of a reconciliation, and she reminds her mom that she's been vocal about her dislike for Chad since he started dating her mom. Evelyn tries to defend Chad, but Shaniece isn't buying any of it. She'd never marry someone that her mother didn't approve of, but her mom was quick to marry Chad in spite of her objections. Shaniece never trusted him. How did Evelyn raise such a mature, well-spoken, insightful daughter? Let's give Shaniece a spin-off, please!

Shaunie is baking and playing therapist to Evelyn. Evelyn explains that she knows Chad loves her, and she's no longer mad at him. She just can't forgive him. Chad is still vying for Evelyn's affections. Shaunie is proud of Chad for not giving up, although she thinks he needs to work on himself. Evelyn feels like her soul is intertwined with Chad's, and I do wonder if she'll ever entertain a rekindled relationship with him.
The fierce foursome is meeting for drinks, and Suzie is talking about her extensive jaw surgery. Right out of the gate, Tami jokes that she's not sure if she's on board with Suzie's new face, and Suzie admits that she's been celibate for ten months…probably because her mouth has been wired shut. Thanks for the update, Suz! Let's cut to the chase, though. Tami wants the down low on Evelyn's divorce. Her friend will open up to Iyanla, but she's yet to tell Tami the whole story. Shame.
Basically, it wasn't finding out that Chad was cheating that upset Evelyn the most, it was that he didn't tell her. If he was going to be a crappy husband, he needed to be more discreet so she wouldn't be humiliated in public. Evelyn reveals that Chad is trying to get to her via subliminal Twitter messages. Did Shaunie just say that was sweet? Tami encourages Evelyn to give him a second chance, and she has to rely on faith since she has no guarantees that Chad won't get violent again.

Suzie can't believe her ears–no man should ever head butt a woman! She thinks her friend could do so much better. Unfortunately, she can't vocalize this since she can barely move her mouth. Who knew that Suzie would be the voice of reason? I'm not sure I'm on board with this change of pace! Shaunie asks if Tami would give her daughter the same advice. Of course, she would! She wants to see Rihanna and Chris Brown back together too. Who is this woman? Tami believes that Chad now knows there are repercussions to his behavior since she did leave. He made a mistake, and he's trying. Oh Lord, Tami. I think I liked you better when you bat shiz violent. Suzie agrees with me.
TELL US-WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE? DO YOU THINK THE WOMEN HAVE CHANGED? COULD YOU BELIEVE TAMI'S ADVICE?

Evelyn Lozada, Basketball Wives, Chad Johnson, Sports - See more at: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/08/evelyn-lozada-chad-johnson-split-detailed-on-basketball-wives/#sthash.3H8809lz.dpuf

Evelyn Lozada’s split from Chad Johnson was the focal point of the Basketball Wives Season 5 premiere, rehashing the developments of last year.
Ones that are clearly still raw, despite time partially healing the wounds.

Evelyn Lozada wed the NFL star in mid-2012, but they split just six weeks later after a fight that ended with him arrested for domestic violence.
Accused of infidelity after she allegedly found a condom receipt in the car, Chad Johnson head-butted her during the ensuing, heated argument.
Monday's Basketball Wives premiere showed Lozada deciding to go public with her story and meeting with her publicist to schedule a series of interviews.
There was a dramatic dinner with her castmates to discuss her relationship and a heart-to-heart between Lozada and her daughter Shaniece.
It was Shaniece who advised her mom not to reconcile with Johnson.
“I don’t really think that’s a good idea,” Shaniece told Evelyn, who was considering doing so, adding that, “I didn’t like him from the beginning.”
Lozada’s daughter added later that her decision to file for divorce immediately after suffering bruises at her then-husband’s hand was the right one.
“I’m proud of you,” said Shaniece.“And I’m sure there’s a lot of other women who are proud too. Starting over isn’t so bad. We’ll start over together.”
Not that it was easy. Evelyn Lozada has admitted that had the domestic violence remained private, she likely would’ve stayed with her husband.
“I had physical scars. Obviously, I had to go to the hospital. I’m going to admit if there wasn’t, I probably would have went right back in that house."
"Would have brushed it under the rug. I wouldn’t have wanted the world to know,” she told Access Hollywood. “It’s still difficult even though it was a year ago."
"That was right after it happened. It was hard. I’m trying to move on with my life and now the show’s airing, so just having to deal with it all over again…”
Though Evelyn shared that she was a bit relieved when Chad took responsibility for the incident, he recently suggested that he was just playing his part.
As for reports that the two may still reconcile, Lozada says that while she and Johnson are on better terms these days, there is no way it's happening.
“I’m moving on with my life. He’s moving on with his life,” she said.
“I’m glad things are where they’re at.”
- See more at: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/08/evelyn-lozada-chad-johnson-split-detailed-on-basketball-wives/#sthash.3H8809lz.dpuf

Evelyn Lozada-Chad Johnson Split Detailed on Emotional Basketball Wives Premiere - See more at: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/08/evelyn-lozada-chad-johnson-split-detailed-on-basketball-wives/#sthash.3H8809lz.dpuf

2013-08-06T16:15:00.001-07:00

Black Hair Care Tips for the Active Woman

African American women cannot afford to let the excuse “I don’t want to mess up my hair” keep them from meeting the recommended guidelines for physical activity. It is well know that African American women have higher rates of being either overweight or obese when compared to their peers. A main contributor to this occurrence is lack of exercise. Several barriers have been cited as reasons why African American do not workout including time, environment and finances. A new barrier recently researched is hair care maintenance. A survey conducted by Wake Forest University showed that 31% of the women surveyed were less active on purpose out of concern for their hair and style maintenance. This is a valid concern since African American women spend and average of $100 on salon visits or the negative effects sweat has on their hair. Salt in the sweat can dry the hair and make it more fragile. In addition, applying excess heating due to the use of hair dryers and flat irons may cause the hair to become brittle and lead to breakage. Many hair stylists believe that high heat applied to the hair should not be done several times during the week. Below are several tips for active African American women to protect and maintain hair before and during and after workouts.
Before the workout:
For long hair, either clip the hair off the neck, with a butterfly clip or ribbon tie. Neither method will leave indentations in the hair. Women with long or short hair can tie the hair up in a cotton bandanna or scarf. However, this is not advised for those who sweat excessively in inner portions of their head. This will cause swelling for women with natural hair and will cause the hair to feel brittle for women with relaxed hair. The bottom line is to make sure the hair is off the neck and hairline.

During the workout:
It is important to stay hydrated. Without enough water, the hair will lack moisture. For women who sweat a lot, periodically pat dry the hair to remove excess sweat.
After the workout:
For all hair types and styles, apply a small amount of leave-in moisturizer. For those who wear straight hair, after applying the moisturizer, wrap the hair and keep it tied tightly till you are ready for styling. For curly hair styles, after moisturizing, wear a bonnet if the plan is to blow dry and style. No bonnet needed if the plan is to keep it curly. For those who did not sweat a lot, after unwrapping the hair, finger style or flat iron with a light serum or light pomade to add moisture and shine back to the hair. For the heavy sweaters, apply a leave in thermal conditioner before blow-drying the hair on low heat. Then apply a small amount of serum before styling.
Weekly maintenance:
The active African American women should wash and condition their hair weekly and deep condition bi-weekly. Let the conditioner sit on the hair for 15 minutes before rinsing. Make sure to get protein treatments and conditioning treatments by a stylist. This will help you maintain great looking hair.

Live Healthier & Longer Through Cardio Exercise

A sensible diet along with Cardio Exercise is one of, if not the best way, to burn calories. If you increase your heart rate 65-80 percent its norm, (all the while maintaining that rate for 10 to 12 minutes), your body will awaken the production of fat burning enzymes. Not only will you begin to shed those unwanted pounds but you will also strengthen your heart, and boost the ability of your lungs to oxygenate your blood more proficiently. Typically people lift weights in order to build muscle mass; the heart and how it works coincides along those same lines. The more activity your heart sees through Cardiovascular training the stronger it becomes (weight lifting equates to larger muscles, just as cardio equates to a stronger healthier heart). With such activity you strengthen your heart and reduce your risk of suffering such things as heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular disease.
Aerobic exercise increases brain activity and is known to improve: cognitive processing velocity, general motor skills, eyesight and hearing. Improvements in your respiratory system correlate with advancements in your body’s cognitive functions- in particular your motor skills. Normal activity will also help slow down the aging process and improve mental progression. Studies have shown that a cardio program in which you dedicate approximately 15-30 minutes a day, (at least three times a week), can reduce your risk for illnesses that affect the brain such as Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a win/win situation; you reduce your risk from various diseases that negatively affect the brain, and alleviate some of the effects of stress and addictive cravings, (chocolate cake repellent). Aerobic exercise helps the neurotransmitters while increasing the amount of serotonin and dopamine to the body.
Work related stress is one of the leading causes of heart attacks and strokes. That’s why working out in general is good for you! Aside from what it does for your body, heart, and head; it can be very enriching to your life. Cardio and aerobic exercise is a self-care strategy that could aid in conquering disorders such as major depression and bi-polar disorder. And as previously mentioned cardio exercise helps increase the amount of serotonin to your brain. With a normal routine of cardio training, a healthy diet, and a positive outlook-you increase your chance for living a longer stress free life.

Story credited to: Atlanta Personal Training Blog

Wichita, Kansas Very own Tamara T. Allen, Author of the Hottest Book on the Market!

2013-08-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

Interview with Tamara T. Allen, author of I Crowned My Damn Self

By David Njoku
September 27, 2012

Tell us about your book, I Crowned My Damn Self.

It is a collection of Poetry that I have written over a decade, once I discovered how much I actually wrote I set a goal to have it all published one day. The poetry in my book is based off life’s personal experiences, things I seen on the news, friends that where murdered, deception of the heart, and the quest in me to find truth, and fight against social injustice. I dedicated this collection of poetry to 4 very special friends in my life who were killed due to various forms of murder. These murders were the energy behind me writing.

What genre is it?

Freelance Poetry, No rules, no guidelines

What kind of readers will it appeal to?
Click here for the rest of her interview!

Love & Hip Hop Atlanta Reunion Recap: Mona And The Technicolor Dream Coat

2013-08-06T10:00:00.001-07:00

It's Love and Hip Hop Reunion Time!!

Mona Scott-Young is moving up in the hosting world and now has her own reunion band. Touting the season as a Hip HOpera (why didn't I think of that??), she breaks down the drama from the past season before introducing the cast. It's like a technicolor explosion. Between K.Michelle's hair, Ariane's blue lipstick (yes, blue), Erica Dixon's eye make-up, and Mimi Faust's orange dress, I feel like I just woke up in Oz.    Kirk Frost gets booed, which he laughs off, because, hey, even he knows what a d-bag he is! He is dressed like an extra on Miami Vice, by the way.
Mona is no idiot, so she immediately pits Joseline Hernandez against Mimi, and the requisite derogatory name-calling, cussing, and hopping off the sofa ensues. Stevie J. stands up proudly, basking in the two women fighting over him. Mimi assures him that he's sorely mistaken, right before dodging Joseline's stiletto. We're off to a running start, I'd say. We are treated to a highlight reel of all the frenemy feuds. Ariane is the only sane one of the group.
After bringing up the status of Mimi and K.Michelle's friendship, Mimi rolls her eyes and tells Mona to ask K. K. then compliments Mimi on her orange dress (it is pretty), and you could cut the tension with a knife. Apparently Ariane's bridge building lessons weren't well received. Speaking of failed peacemakers, Traci tries to share her intentions to get Erica and Shay speak about their issues. Erica wonders if this is season two, not a rerun of season one, while Shay reminds Erica that she still isn't married to Lil' Scrappy.

Karlie Redd and Joseline ended the season as friends, but guess what? That's no longer the case. You're shocked, I'm sure. After insults about being old and remarks about being slutty, Mona moves on to the situation with Karlie and K.Michelle . Those women are fine, and K. Michelle doesn't care about Karlie's diss record…since it never got played on the radio. Also in a good, but distant, place? K. Michelle and Rasheeda.

Everyone's favorite love triangle is revisited, ending with the LPG proposal. Mimi asks why Stevie gave her a ring if he is in love with Joseline. She acts extremely high and mighty as Stevie drones on about the fact he'll always be there for Mimi and their daughter. Mimi counters that he keeps trying to hook up, although she won't give him the time of day. I think she was trying to rile Joseline, but Joseline shares that she's no longer worried about Mimi's "friendship ring" and she's pretty sure Stevie is getting on the side from multiple women, so Mimi isn't a threat. Um, is that a good thing?
Mimi explains that she doesn't have a problem with Joseline, but rather it's the other way around. Joseline reveals that she has an issue with Mimi for snubbing her when she drops off her daughter with   Stevie. That statement causes Mimi to fly off the handle, and Stevie hilariously screaming for security. Getting back to the LPG proposal, Mimi explains that she was laughing because it was typical Stevie J. crap, not her feeling vindicated. She begs   Stevie to be respectful of Joseline and to treat her better than he's treated the other ladies in his past. Joseline is in tears over the fact that she and Stevie didn't have mothers to raise them. Mimi wishes that Joseline would realize that Stevie is just manipulating her. Stevie doesn't want Mimi trying to sway Joseline's feelings. Mona asks Stevie point blank if he's engaged to Joseline, but he's all about avoiding the question. He tells Mona to stay tuned for season three. Classy.

Next on stage are Scrappy (paying homage to Elton John, it seems) and Erica and their mothers. Momma Dee is rockin' some princess attire. We are reminded of the couple's meddling mothers, broken engagement, and Scrappy's stint in rehab. Erica is very emotional, and she wants the best for Scrappy. Through her tears, Erica explains that the pair is working on being friends. While they both confess their love for the other, they recognize that they are always clashing. A reconciliation, if possible, won't happen overnight.

Traci and Drew's relationship is highlighted, and Traci is super heated screaming about investments and popcorn hoes. Traci is adamant that she no longer has feelings for Drew, but Mona, Drew, and the rest of the audience strongly disagree. Drew admits that he was jealous when Traci started seeing that other guy. However, he jokes that he could post a picture of his aunt and Traci would start screaming about her being a nasty groupie. Mona interrupts their antics to tell viewers to vote on their favorite L&HH ATL saying. Will it be Joseline's "Hey Maid!" Momma Dee's "And in that order," or Traci's own "popcorn hoes." Hold on to your tweets, my friend. This is going to be a tight race! Or not. It's popcorn hoes by a landslide.

The breakdown of   Kirk and Rasheeda's marriage is the next topic, and not surprisingly, it's Mona's cliffhanger. Until next time!

Want to get the look of these cute bow tie earrings Rasheeda is wearing, shop here for the look just click here http://www.treasurechestboutique.biz/

And also swing by (Celeb Boutique) for Love and Hip Hop Inspired- Clothing and More!
Next week, Nikko and Stevie face off, and Karlie is worried about a text message that Benzino threatens to reveal. As much love as Scrappy and Erica claim to have, it doesn't last through hour two of the reunion! Plus, K.Michelle performs!

TELL US-WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE REUNION? WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART?
[Photo Credit: VH1]

2013-08-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

Love & Hip Hop: Scrappy Admits To Making Up Rumors About Erica Dixon Sleeping With Married Men And Puts Ain’t Isht Shay On Blast

Scrappy admits he lied about Erica dirty dog creeping with married men and says Shay ain’t isht!

Scrappy Talks About Erica Dixon And Shay Johnson Lil Scrappy recently sat down with VLADTV and confessed to to lying on baby mama Erica and why he can’t mess with Shay Johnson anymore… “It got a little heated and you know Erica said some things about me that was kinda negative and wasn’t right. So you know, I was just acting out in the heat of things you know what I’m saying? Just going HAM, just going cold f-cking turkey.

Not that it was right for her to say anything, but it wasn’t right for me to answer back with that. She wasn’t never messing with no married guy and I know she was never pregnant by nobody. I would have been stopped messing with her. For real, like it would have never gone this long. I would have been said something you feel me? But um, I just want to tone that down because that is a lie.” Scrappy later goes on to explain why ain’t nobody got time for side-chick Shay! “Ain’t nobody really was messing with me when I was in my little rehab situation…I had one person that was, shouts out to Bambi, came to visit me a couple times. Erica, shout out to her. She came and brought my daughter to see me. I was able to see my daughter and Erica for Father’s Day. Other than that, I keep a distance from Shay because she really wasn’t instrumental in my rehab situation.”

Lastly. the rapper discusses the possibility of ever getting back with Erica:

Lil Scrapy: Erica & I will not get back together

Simon Cowell Expecting A Baby With Best Friends Wife

2013-08-03T12:39:00.004-07:00

Simon Cowell Expecting a Baby With Best Friends Wife, Lauren Silverman

Simon Cowell has changed a lot of aspiring musicians lives, the acidic former judge on American Idol, and current mastermind of The X Factor, and Britain’s Got Talent is about to be a father. The womanising Brit, 53, is expecting a baby with New York socialite Lauren Silverman.
A source shares “She’s around 10 weeks along Lauren and Andrew have been unhappy in their marriage for some time, and their divorce has been in the works for a while. As their marriage deteriorated, she and Simon became close.”

Lauren and Simon on holiday

Silverman, 36, is still married to Cowell’s close friend, I think that’s former friend now, Andrew Silverman, a real estate mogul in NYC. Lauren and her Andrew are estranged no divorce info as yet.

Andrew & Lauren Silverman during faithful times

Simon famously stated once in 2009: “G_d, no. I couldn’t have children. If I had them here drawing on the walls I’d go nuts. With kids, you’ve got a routine you can’t escape from. You’ve got to be up at a certain time. Got to listen. When all you want to do is sit in a corner thinking.”
Althought last year, he hinted in an interview with AOL Music that he hadn’t entirely ruled out the idea of someday becoming a father.
“Well…yes … and no. I do really, really like kids, because I can talk to them and listen to them. The problem has always been how much time you need to devote to bringing up kids. I’ve always dedicated all my life to work, and at 52, I’ve probably missed the opportunity.”
Well not anymore allegedly. Simon’s reps haven’t commented as yet. I can’t but wonder what Simon’s ex Teri Seymour, they were together for six years, part of the reason they split was because she wanted children. What are your thoughts?

Gabrielle Union goes blonde to play a reality TV star in new Chris Rock film

2013-08-02T14:41:00.001-07:00

Blondes really do have more fun! Gabrielle Union is glowing as she arrives on set with her brand new golden tresses

Her already stunning appearance was hardly in need of enhancement. But for her latest movie, The Untitled Chris Rock Project, Gabrielle Union has gone golden blonde and it suits her beautifully.

The 40-year-old actress showed up to set on Monday in New York City wearing a giant beaming smile and looking great in a figure-hugging frock.

Seasonal Hair Color

2013-08-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

Seasonal Color Analysis
for Women of Color

"How to Find Your Color Palette No Matter Ethnicity"

The seasonal color analysis can be a frustrating thing, right? I mean, like whenever you take a seasonal color analysis, you get "trapped" in either Winter or Autumn, and you just know it isn't right. The seasonal color analysis can be frustrating when your coloring doesn't seem to match with any of the typical colorings presented in this color system. If you have a softer and/or lighter coloring then the Deep Winter and Deep Autumn color palettes may look harsh on your complexion.
So where do you belong? I mean, women of color can't possibly fall within Deep Winter and Deep Autumn, only. Despite the general notion that there is a lack of coloring variations among women of color, that is not always the case with ethnic women with lighter characteristics.

Carole Jackson has admitted that the Color Me Beautiful-system isn't perfect and that women of color may have problems identifying their real color season. And because of this issue, she decided to revise her book - with a new refined seasonal color system, dividing each season into 3 groups depending on the intensity of your coloring. Which goes like this: light - dark, clear - muted, warm – cool. This is explained in the color theory section of this site.

Analyze Yourself in Relation to Your Ethnicity

So if you're a woman of color and struggle to find your color palette then you should base your search on the quality of your hair, skin and eyes, relative to your ethnicity, and not the typical Caucasian coloring. That's because a light African-American will typically appear darker than the Caucasian with the same color palette even though they share a similar intensity in their coloring.
For example, if you have lighter eyes, skin or hair color than what's typical in your ethnicity then you can actually be a Summer or Spring, and not just Autumn or Winter.

Light: Rashida Jones has sparkly green eyes, light olive skin and light brown hair, which are all characteristics of a Soft Summer or Soft Autumn - which basically means she's neither light or dark. I have yet to find ethnic celebrities with blonde hair and blue eyes :) People with an albino skin disease would most likely be a light. This means that some of the lightest ethnic women fall on Clear or Soft, not Light. However, if you are ethnic with a Soft coloring, you can dye your hair blonde and wear the Light color palette.

Medium: Beyonce has a light caramel skin tone, sparkly brown eyes and a lighter shade of brown hair - which make her a Warm Spring or Warm Autumn.
In some cases, Warm Spring/Autumn women who dye their hair lighter can wear some of the Clear colors.

Deep: Dark brown eyes and black to dark brown hair are strong indicators that you're a Deep. Skin tone can be anywhere from the fairest white to deep ebony. And supermodel Alek Wek has clearly a very deep coloring with the Deep characteristics.

Now let's take a closer look at examples of how it's possible to not be a Deep Autumn or Deep Winter despite being a woman of color:

Beyoncés Coloring

Many image consultants have diagnosed her as Deep Autumn. I'm not too sure about that though...

Here is a comparison of her wearing a typical deep Autumn green and a typical bright Spring green:

I like how the bright green enhanced her sparkly brown eyes, compared to the forest green which makes her look a bit muddy. My conclusion is that she is a Warm Spring, but she may flow into Warm Autumn as well. To be honest, I haven't completely honed her color palette - because she seems to look good in some Clear colors because of her sparkly honey brown eyes. But I would say that Warm is her dominant characteristic.

Here's another example of her wearing a 'bad' color. See how Beyoncé appears slightly drab in black, while her sister who is darker (dark brown eyes, darker hair and skin – Deep Autumn flowing into Deep Winter) looks divine in it? The clear red lipstick saved Beyoncé there :-)

Credit to WENN
Here's an example of her wearing black - which is a Deep Autumn's and Winter gals *power* color:

Beyoncé is looking pale in black and this is an indicators that she's a lighter Autumn or a Spring, as Deep Autumns usually look great in black.

Back to Top

Rihanna

Rihanna has light green-hazel eyes, caramel skin tone and ashy dark brown hair - which makes her a mix of light and dark, cool and warm.

She's a Soft. I'm still not quite sure whether she's a dominant Summer or Autumn, because she looks equally good in both color palettes. She could also be a Soft only. She seems to pull off both cool and warm colors - a typical tell-tale that she's a Soft-Muted because of her coloring's neutrality. Grays, raspberry and pinks look amazing on her and bring out the sparkle in her light hazel eyes. Greens blend well with her warm skin tone. Deep Autumn/Winter colors, on the other hand, like bright yellow and royal blue, look way off on her.

Here are some examples:

She's gorgeous but black isn't really her best color despite her dark complexion at first glance. I hate to say this, but dying her her black wasn't her smartest move.

Chris Brown Ft. Aaliyah — ‘THEY DON’T KNOW’

2013-06-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

Chris Brown makes a plea for love and unity with his new track featuring the late Aaliyah, Don’t Think They Know. Sampling a portion of Jon B’s They Don’t Know, you can also see clips of Aaliyah dancing in the background (via her video, Try Again).

Today in awkward appropriations of dead singers' images: Chris Brown released the visuals for "Don't Think They Know," a song off his upcoming album "X." The "Don't Think They Know" video is notable not only because the song features Aaliyah's voice, but because she actually appears in it in holographic form -- as a backup dancer for Breezy.
The footage of Aaliyah, which is technically a projection, uses clips from the late singer's "Try Again" music video.
Also interesting: The video's entire conceit is that Brown is some sort of unifying figure who hops out the back of a lowrider to unite Los Angeles and make peace between the Bloods and the Crips, two of America's most commonly known gangs. Brown's from Tappahannock, Virginia, but it's nice to see him at least preaching a message of unity, sort of?
In the video, cars have "X" license plates, which reminds us to remind you that his album comes out July 16. Watch Brown croon and dance above. We grabbed some choice stills below, including the last one, which seems to feature a Drake look-a-like, which is funny if it was intentional, because Drake and Chris Brown hate each other and Drake has a tattoo of Aaliyah and also posthumously used some of her unreleased vocals.



Love & Hip Hop Recap: Spreading The Love

2013-03-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

Last night's episode was a veritable love fest with friendship, mended fences, and a long-awaited engagement. What happened to the screaming and hair pulling and drink throwing? Not that I'm complaining, it's just a foreign concept.
We begin as a frazzled Erica Mena meets with Yandy Smith to share that Olivia Longott is recording her ballad thanks to Rich Dollaz. She can't believe that her ex-boyfriend would use that against her. Yandy asks about what Erica wants to do with management. Erica still wants to ignore the fact having a manager is important for her career. Yandy reminds her that Rich was the only person in her corner…Erica needs Rich more than he needs her.
Tahiry Jose's mom is in town and loves seeing her daughter's rap magazine centerfold. Tahiry is excited that she and her mother finally have an adult friendship after a tense childhood. They discuss their past, including how her father juggled his twelve kids before being deported. Her trust issues do seem to come honestly, that's for sure. The duo is crying over her father's indiscretions, and Tahiry thinks that many of her past issues have contributed to her problems with Joe Budden. Her mother encourages Tahiry to talk things out with her dad.
CLICK THE CONTINUE READING BUTTON FOR MORE!
Raqi Thunda is hosting Yandy and Lore'l for dinner. She tells her friends about her recent argument with Rashidah Ali who she compares to shoe salesman Al Bundy. The women wonder why Rashidah is so quick to cause problems, but the voice of reason (aka Yandy, who knew?) reminds Raqi that she's been quick to indulge in the drama. That statement hits home with Raqi, and Lore'l tells Raqi that she needs to channel the energy into hustling for her career. Did Raqi steal her pants from MC Hammer? They are too legit, too legit to quit…sagging, that is.
Mendeecees Harris is meeting with his artist Vado, and he's sharing his love for Yandy. He's managed to get a girl who is way out of his league, and his luck isn't lost on him. Mendeecees wants to do right by Yandy, but she can't seem to see that. Vado urges his friend to get on Yandy's mom's good side…that will clearly seal the deal. Mendeecees needs to explain his love for Yandy to her mom in order to make things right in his relationship.
Speaking of getting in good with the moms, Erica has realized that she needs Rich to be her manager. She decides to talk to Rich's Mama Jewel to get some advice as to how to proceed. Jewel shoots it straight…she isn't keen on Erica's disrespect for her son which shows when Erica isn't willing to sign a contract. Jewel isn't giving Erica any leeway, and I love her for it. Erica has a lot to prove as far as Rich's mother is concerned.
Trying to get her radio show on track, Raqi goes to her friend to solidify her show without Jen Bayer as her sidekick. He is quick to tell her that he knows all of her beef with Consequence, Joe, and others. Doesn't she realize that she's the common denominator? She's already lost two big players in the hip hop game who could have potentially helped her out with this gig. Raqi can't bury the hatchet when it comes to her haters, but that's all the executive wants to see…he'd be on board for a radio show of eating crow.

Not necessarily taking Jewel's advice, Erica shows up at Rich's apartment wearing a trenchcoat and little more. They chat about her hurt feelings while lounging on his bed. The couple admits that they both purposely hurt one another. Erica admits that she appreciates all that Rich has done for her, but more importantly, she misses him as her boyfriend. She's in lurve, y'all. The coat comes off, and VH1 needs to get the memo that we don't want to see lingerie and staged sex scenes. Am I right?
Mendeecees has planned a family day which includes Yandy's mom. The sentiment isn't lost on Yandy. He pulls her mother aside to share his feelings, and Yandy's mom is receptive when Mendeecees asks for Yandy's hand in marriage. She only asks that Mendeecees makes more of an effort to get to know her. He agrees, but he's intimidated by how frequently the family goes to church and how close knit Yandy's family relationships are. Yandy's mom reminds him that she isn't all that removed from his lifestyle, but she needs to know that Mendeecees is in for the long haul…she wants to know he'll still be around when her daughter is old and losing her hair. It's actually cute to see their exchange. Almost immediately, we're treated to Mendeecees shopping for engagement rings. He picks out a weapon/doorknob for his boo. Geez, that ring would double as a coffee table!

In an effort to mend fences, Raqi heads into the studio to work out things with Joe. He's apprehensive, and she acts like nothing ever happened between them. She explains to him that she's making an effort to get over personal hurdles to prove she can be professional. He doesn't trust her as far as he can throw her, and he requests an apology for Tahiry. Joe will only move forward with Raqi professionally when she can make amends with his ex.

Olivia is meeting up with her friend Tiffany…who also happens to be one of Rich's ex-girlfriends. Tiffany requested the sit-down, and she admits that she's still in love with Rich and wants Olivia's help in moving forward with him. Rich has enlisted Tiffany to spy on Erica at every turn and report back to him. This is twisted. Erica believes that Tiffany is her closest friend, and Tiffany is starting to feel guilty about sharing all of Erica's dirty secrets with Rich. Olivia warns Tiffany that Rich won't be settling down with anyone any time soon. Tiffany begs to differ.
Joe is ready to support Tahiry at a charity event which could send her to the Dominican Republic to see her father. He wants to go with her to the DR so he can be there when she confronts her dad. Joe thinks that he knows Tahiry better than anyone, and he needs to be with her when she makes such a big step in her life. No matter what she says, Tahiry's love for Joe is written all over her face.
Mendeecees and Yandy are looking for houses, and he's nervous about the prospect of proposing. A home and a ring ~~and a boyfriend acquitted of sex charges~~ all in the same day? Mendeecees gives a speech about jail and having kids making him a better person for Yandy. A teary Yandy is appreciative of Mendeecees' efforts to find a family home, but she wants a bigger commitment in place. He claims he wants to take things one step at a time…she doesn't need an engagement just yet. Playing it smooth, that Mendeecees. Of course, he surprises his lady love by taking her on a tour of the master bedroom which is littered with rose petals and candles. He gets down on one knee and proposes…without subtitles. How sweet! She love her ~~ice skating rink~~ ring.

Next week, Raqi's apology to Tahiry turns into a blow up, and Tiffany confesses her love to Rich. Joe tells his girlfriend that he may still be in love with Tahiry, and Yandy gets the shock of her life when federal agents start to investigate a now cleared Mendeecees in charges of child molestation. It's weird that VH1 is happy to air this now that he's been cleared, yet when the trial was going on the show didn't always air when planned.

Love And Hip Hop – Episode 7 –Recap

2013-02-26T11:58:00.000-08:00

Love And Hip Hop – Episode 7 – When Tellin’ It All Goes Wrong

“Mendeecees came to his [Maurice's] place of business and put hands and feets on him,” said Yandy in her confessional. Yandy, girl, feets? Beside her adding an additional plural to feet, it’s true. Her man did choke her cousin for an Instagram picture.”He got up and flexed his little muscles,” Mendeecees said. “You don’t touch my cousin,” Yandy said. “You do not respect my family.” Mendeecees doesn’t care who it is. The pictures were a problem for him so he handled it the way he saw necessary. Yandy’s point is that if Mendeecees wants to be part of her family then he has to fix the situation. “I told him to take it down after he told me about the fight,” she said.

Meanwhile.......

Lore’l and Winter are out celebrating Lore’l's record “This Is How We Do It” while also scoping out men. Winter wants Lore’l to find a rich boo as soon as possible and her advice: start asking for things immediately. Winter’s done writing her tell-all book about the music industry. “You don’t feel like none of these people are going to get mad?” Lore’l asked. “You are friends with these people.” Lore’l is in for a real surprise when she finds out she is one of “these people.”

In the studio, Rich Dollaz is meeting with his mentor and business partner Pete Gunz.
Rich‘s business partner is not here for Erica Mena as a singer. He wants Rich to cut ties with her so they can get back to making hit records. Mixing business and pleasure, he reminds him, was a mistake. Now that Erica won’t sign a contract Rich is reconsidering working with her. “Wrap that up musically, and wrap that up with the relationship,” said Pete. “You looking crazy out here.” Cheers to the real friends like Pete who tell the truth instead of what you want to hear.

Cons recants the Raqi drama for Jen revealing his new nickname for his enemy–DJ Perjury. “She gon’ sit there and try to paint it like you racist,” Con tells her. They’re both animated now. If Raqi is such a non-factor she certainly gets them both riled up. “She just talking, she just want attention, she just desperate,” Consequence said. “Remember this is all over no bread. Nobody even got no check,” Consequence said. Jen plays the victim as if she has no idea why there’s a beef now. Whatever, girl. “Thanks for yelling at her for me,” Jen said. The fact that she wants her man involved in messy drama between women is quite telling.

Later

Jen and Consequence are on the hunt for a personal babysitter. First up is the booby woman showing lots of cleavage. “You know what, I can’t do this because her boobs are staring me right in the face,” Jen said. The second interviewee was fired from her last job and “rather not get into” why. Next up is the part-time makeup artist to which Cons asks, “Where’s the connection to childcare?” Finding someone to watch their son wasn’t smooth, but it looks like they hit gold with Lexi.

No one is team Erica, including Rich’s mom. “Are you in love?” his mom asks. “I wouldn’t say that.” Mom dukes is not having the nonsense and she speaks her mind. “This girl is dangerous, Richard. She doesn’t need a manager; she needs a psychiatrist.” Rich goes blank as if he knows his mom has a point. “She is so damaged that she is going to cause problems for you.” His mom tells him to start thinking with his head and get his emotions out of it. “You need to get over it…You’ve got to move on,” she tells him. That easy? According to mom, yep. It’s that easy.

Meanwhile..............

Yandy takes Mendeecees to apologize to Maurice. “I don’t even know if I like you or not,” Maurice says off the bat. “You think I give a f— if you like me or not?” Mendeecees responds. Their egos are fully inflated. “At the end of the day you both are going to be in my life forever,” Yandy said. “I’m sorry for putting my hands on you,” Mendeecees apologized. Finally the fellas dap it up ending their beef.
“Mendeecees came to his [Maurice's] place of business and put hands and feets on him,” said Yandy in her confessional. Yandy, girl, feets? Beside her adding an additional plural to feet, it’s true. Her man did choke her cousin for an Instagram picture.”He got up and flexed his little muscles,” Mendeecees said. “You don’t touch my cousin,” Yandy said. “You do not respect my family.” Mendeecees doesn’t care who it is. The pictures were a problem for him so he handled it the way he saw necessary. Yandy’s point is that if Mendeecees wants to be part of her family then he has to fix the situation. “I told him to take it down after he told me about the fight,” she said.

Let’s get this straight. Tahiry mushes Kaylin in the head and Kaylin feels the need to apologize to Tahiry? Clearly Joe had a hand in influencing this decision. Kaylin says women shouldn’t wild out like that (referring to her own actions), but she had a problem with the song. “Do you have a problem when he raps about me today?” Tahiry asked. Kaylin doesn’t mind him rapping about Tahiry just not getting on a track with her, which makes no sense in Tahiry’s mind. Tahiry’s mad at Joe for saying he’d do something and backing out. For her it’s bigger than the record. And she wants Kaylin to know the next time she has a problem with something her man does she should check the man, not the woman.

Yandy tells Winter she’s “breaking the code” by exposing people in the industry through her book. Winter doesn’t think there is a code. It’s her life and story to tell according to her. “My only concern is if there’s going to be any threats posed on your life,” Yandy said. Winter “ain’t got no worries” and would rather talk about Yandy potentially managing Lore’l. All Yandy sees is dollar signs so if there’s no money to be made she’s not doing it. “For me it’s very important if I’m going to run around with an artist, that I can figure out how to generate some income from it.”

Erica meets up with Rich to tell him he was a little unfair. Rich is really uninterested in having this conversation until there’s a contract. “No contract, I get it,” Erica said. “But why are you making that such a big deal?” Maybe because legally he needs to make sure he gets paid for the work he’s doing. Rich tells her the relationship is too clouded right now. “I’m let you off the hook,” he tells her. Basically he accuses her of only being with him to jump start her career. “You can let me off the hook, but I’m not going anywhere,” she yells.

Winter’s book cover reveal brings Yandy and Lore’l together for what may be the beginning of a professional relationship. Winter reads the chapter about Lore’l to a room full of people. What Winter thought was an ode to their friendship actually divulged a little too much information, like how she was sexing “all these millionaires for free.” Yandy’s confused how this could be her friend but she’s telling all her business in this book. As Yandy said, “Oh, she done lost her damn mind.” Lore’l isn’t happy and can’t believe what’s happening.

“That was kind of foul,” she said. “We’ll talk. I don’t feel like this a group discussion for the room.” Lore’l pulled her to the side to let her know she rad the whole chapter and thinks it’s messed up. “I get you, you’re mad, you’re upset. That’s how I felt,” Winter said. “I don’t f— for money. Sorry,” she tells Winter. Bottomline is Lore’l doesn’t understand how Winter feels that there’s nothing wrong with what she wrote. “Hope you make all the money in the world off this book, homegirl, because you gon’ have some problems.” A lot of this could’ve been solved with Winter giving Lore’l a heads up, or she could’ve tried the whole not blasting your friend’s business in book route too.

Oscar Nominee Quvenzhane Wallis

2013-02-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

Oscar Nominee Quvenzhane Wallis Thanks Babysitter In Acceptance Speech

Quvenzhane Wallis is the youngest ever Oscar nominee, winning a Best Actress nod aged just nine. Ahead of the Academy Awards on Sunday, she's already picked up a gong for Best Breakthrough Performance at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards and showing her age, she thanked her babysitter in her acceptance speech!

Whether she picks up an Oscar on Sunday or not, Quvenzhane Wallis got a chance to thank the people that made it possible to play her role in Beasts Of The Southern Wild on Thursday when she won Best Actress at the Black Women in Hollywood Awards, hosted by Oprah. The nine year-old couldn't wait to thank her babysitter!

"I would like to thank everyone who helped me play this part, and everyone who was there for me, and my babysitter who was on set," said the child.

The mini fashionista looked adorable in a pink and white dress, teamed with her signature accessory - a fluffy handbag in the shape of a puppy!

Asked if one of her doggy bags would be chosen for the red carpet at the Oscars, Quvenzhane wasn't sure what to say:

"Um, my mom knows," she told reporters on the carpet before sitting down for Oprah's luncheon.

"You'll have to watch!"

At the same ceremony, Oprah reduced the audience to tears as she accepted the Power award. Oprah Winfrey acknowledged the nine graduates, who were all in attendance, of her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy For Girls:

"I never wanted to be a mother, but I am humbled by this day". Aww!

Again!

Quvenzhane Wallis, the tiny force in best picture nominee Beasts of the Southern Wild, will attend this year’s Academy Awards as a best actress nominee. The nom makes her the youngest lead actress nominee ever and the third-youngest overall nominee in the awards’ history.

After all this is a hair blog, and I just love the way her hair is pulled back in a cute little bun! And the beautiful curls.

Fashion Roundup:Oscars 2013

2013-02-24T10:53:00.003-08:00

Oscar Sunday is right around the corner and everyone’s buzzing about red carpet fashion. Want to know more about the fashion trends before the big night? To help you get ready, Oscar.com has all the videos and photo galleries for your fashion needs.

WATCH FASHION FACE/OFF
Host and Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) instructor Nick Verreos challenges three talented designers to sketch designs for Best Actress nominees Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Emmanuelle Riva, Quvenzhané Wallis, Naomi Watts and Oscar host Seth MacFarlane – join the conversation on #Oscar buzz and choose your favorite designs!

GET AN EXPERT’S TAKE
From Cate Blanchett in a pale yellow taffeta dress to Julia Roberts in a vintage Valentino dress, these are a few of the stars who made the best dressed list for fashion experts. Get a sneak peek at Tim Gunn’s Favorite Oscar Looks from over the years. Nina Garcia also shares her favorite Oscar looks, including starlets like Charlize Theron who rock out on the red carpet.

For all the fashionistas, get some inspiration with these sizzling looks on the red carpet.
Glitters and Sparkles has the glitz and glam from the 84^th Academy Awards.

With Sultry in Strapless, check out a few of the dazzling strapless dresses from the 2012 Oscars.

It’s a fashion blast from the past, with looks from Hollywood’s leading actors and actresses in Red Carpet Retro and ever changing ensembles in Evolution of Style.

Love And Hip Hop – Episode 6

2013-02-19T09:47:00.001-08:00

Love And Hip Hop – Episode 6 – Check Ya Self Or Get Checked

Before we get to Tahiry’s “h* sit down” moment we have to recap the other drama of tonight’s episode.
Erica wants to strike while the iron is hot. With her new single recorded she wants Rich to have the plans ready to shoot the video. “Yo, you’re demanding. Demanding in what you want, how you want it, when you want it,” Rich said. First thing’s first is a contract needs to be signed. Up until now they’ve been operating on the trust. “That would be officially giving you the keys to the car you’re driving,” she responded. Getting Erica to sign a contract won’t be easy.

Joe‘s girlfriend Kaylin takes a listen to Tahiry‘s “Devil” but is not feeling the song’s content. “I don’t understand that. If you gotta get detoxed from her life, why is she trying to be in it?” Kaylin doesn’t want Joe jumping on the track because she doesn’t feel Tahiry deserves it. She claims Tahiry isn’t keeping it real in real life. “That’s where I draw the line. You’re not doing a song with her,” Kaylin said. Joe confesses that he invited her to one of his shows. Kaylin naturally feels that should’ve been run by her first.

Yandy is this season’s advice giver. Raqi needed to vent about her blowout with Jen. Yandy’s not sure where the confusion is coming from if Jen knew she was coming on as a co-host. “Even if you didn’t get the memo you didn’t do s—,” Raqi says about Jen. Raqi brags about telling Jen that Consequence wanted to have sex with her. “I wanted her to choke on that ether. I served it.” Yandy is in shock when Raqi tells her that Jen pulled the white privilege card, but she still suggests Raqi apologize for bringing up Cons.

Jen retells her side of the story to Consequence reiterating that she’s been “co-signed out here.” Jen admits that she wanted to hit below the belt with her “taking my white a— to get a job” comment. “Well, here you go Raqi, now take that, b—h.” Consequence takes his girl’s side as expected. “With a b—h like her, she’s gonna take whatever you say — obviously — and run with it.” “She’s a mother—,” Cons said. “She’s a motherf—-,” Jen repeats. Cons went in the studio to prove he has his girl’s back by making a diss song about Raqi. Jen’s loving every second of it.

Yandy’s cousin Maurice is committed to getting her back to her pre-pregnancy weight. The before and after pictures are to prove his training methods work. But where those pictures end up may cause problems for him.
Mendeecees heads to the gym to confront her about the pictures of her working out on Instagram. “I shouldn’t be looking on Instagram seeing your a—.” “You came over here, you didn’t even greet me, you didn’t give me a hug, a kiss, say ‘hey babe,’ you popped up at the gym and you asking me about pictures?” “You can see cameltoe. You can see everything.” “Are you serious right now?” Oh, he’s dead serious. He wants the pictures down or there will be consequences. “All you missing is the pole,” he says. Yandy doesn’t understand the problem. He’s her cousin, she has a deal to help promote his business by letting him take before and after pics and that’s all there is to it. “You not gonna come to me about a cousin of mine.” Mendeecees isn’t letting it go. Yandy warns, “Mendeecees, you disrespect my family, it’s gon’ be a problem for me.”

Rich needs the loot fronted for Erica’s video. How much cheese? 15-20 stacks. His frat brother may be able to help, but he wants to be clear on the type of artist Erica is. “She’s a video girl?” he asks sarcastically. “Problem is: The partnership’s not here. We are the biggest, she is the smallest,” Keenan said. Ouch. Rich had to have been prepared for that type of respond. Gambling on an unknown artist is exactly that—a gamble.

As soon as Cons sees Raqi in the studio he lights into her about the disrespect she showed Jen. Raqi came to apologize, but Consequence isn’t trying to hear it. “You sleeping with the enemy,” she said. “I’m not sleeping with no enemy, I’m sleeping with my woman.” Raqi starts screaming about how she’s raising a black man so Jen’s comment was inappropriate. Cons reminds her he’s also raising a black man. “If two girls are having a catfight of course they gon’ pull out weapons,” he says in Jen’s defense. Cons tells her she’s desperate for attention. “This pen don’t stop, B,” he said. “Keep them enemies out the bed, B,” Raqi said. He resorts to calling her a “b*tch” as she walks out. Men should stay out of women’s quarrels.

Joe’s talking to Kaylin backstage at his show when Tahiry walks in. Joe beats around the bush to tell Tahiry he doesn’t think it’s a good idea to jump on a song with her. Tahiry thinks it’s bull that all of a sudden he can’t be there for her. “Right now you can’t get on the track because you’re trying to be considerate to who, to what feelings?” Kaylin interjects to let know Tahiry she has a say so. “You do?” Tahiry asks sarcastically. Kaylin stays calm and tries to explain to her that she thinks it’s a privilege to be on a song with Joe. Tahiry jumps up, “Sweetie it’s not about you at all because all you are is someone on the side who does whatever he says, so you really need to check yourself.” Tahiry hits Kaylin below the belt, “If you were handling your business he wouldn’t have to call me all the time,” Tahiry said. “I don’t call you,” Joe retorted. When Kaylin takes a jab at Tahiry’s career, Tahiry pops Kaylin in the head. “You look stupid,” Joe tells Tahiry. “Don’t call me…I’ll make your world go ’round rapper,” she yells. Joe tries to calm Kaylin down with his philosophies. Where was he when Kaylin was getting hit upside the head?

Erica gave Rich a couple weeks to make a video and she’s not happy that there’s no video. When Rich tries to explain to her that there’s a process she snaps. “All you had to do is pick up the phone and tell me what’s going on.” Rich let’s her know that she’s recorded a song for free, but he’s not paying for a video. “You know what, I’ll see you later. Cheap mother—-,” she says. So much for her working on changing that attitude.

Mendeecees takes things in his own hands and checks Maurice about Instagram pictures. Social media always getting people in trouble. “Maurice, you can’t just be putting pictures on Instagram without people knowing.” Maurice doesn’t understand the problem. And if he wants the pictures taken down so bad Maurice wants Yandy to tell him herself. Maurice starts working out in the middle of their conversation, which infuriates Mendeecees. He chokes Maurice out and we’ll have to wait to see how Yandy feels about her man beating up her cousin.

Love And Hip Hop Erica Mena Fight: Gets Beat Up Over Boyfriend, Tells VH1 'F**k Y'all' [FULL VIDEO]

2013-02-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

TMZ has exclusive footage of Love and Hip Hop celebrity Erica Mena getting into a fight in front of VH1 cameras. The model and aspiring singer was rushed twice by another woman named Tiffany and ripped her dress during the brawl.
The hot headed beauty is caught pushing the VH1 security guard telling him to get out of her way and also telling the production team, "F**k Yall." The fight was apparently over a man Tiffany once dated. Later, Mena tweeted, "Yeah I knocked @Tiffsway The F*ck Out Tonight SOO Classic! ... She wanted A Min of Knock out fame and got it!!!" Watch the big fight before it appears on VH1 below!

The hot headed beauty is caught pushing the VH1 security guard telling him to get out of her way and also telling the production team, "F**k Yall." The fight was apparently over a man Tiffany once dated. Later, Mena tweeted, "Yeah I knocked @Tiffsway The F*ck Out Tonight SOO Classic! ... She wanted A Min of Knock out fame and got it!!!"

Previously, Mena made headlines after posting baby bump pictures in a club drinking shots of alcohol. The Baby bump caption read, "Baby Shower," then another picture of her taking Petron shots. The reality star had the Internet in a frenzy when she hoaxed her own pregnancy for more publicity.
Credit: TMZ

Where does Brazilian wax come from?

2013-02-14T20:59:00.001-08:00

Where does Brazilian Wax come from?

Brazilian waxing originates in Brazil, hence the name Brazilian wax. This method of hair removal became more popular as the skimpier bikinis trend reached the Brazilian women. The first form of Brazilian wax hair removal did not actually involve the use of wax. A sugary paste was used to perform the task. Today, this is known as sugaring and is the preferred method for bikini waxing. Especially when opting for the Brazilian or French wax, as these areas are extremely tender and sensitive to harsher treatment.

Click picture to read more information, please you must be 18 years or older some pictures are and can be explicit. View at your own discretion, this is for informational use only!

Spotted Pregnant Kim Kardashian Babycation!

2013-02-12T08:35:00.005-08:00

Blame it on Rio: Pregnant Kim Kardashian shows off growing bump as she and Kanye West catch carnival fever while sightseeing

And the babymoon and babycation continues.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are making sure to see the world before their baby arrives.

Despite having hundreds of thousands of fans between them, the couple attempted to blend in with the rest of the tourists in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday.

Just a couple of tourists: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West visited the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday

The reality power couple visited the famous Cristo Redentor - Christ the Redemer - statue atop of Corcovado Mountain.
Obviously in awe of the statue, Kanye frantically snapped pictures of the landmark on his gold cell phone.
And, just like any other tourists, the couple made sure to get plenty of photographs of themselves replicating the statue's iconic stance.

Look at that! Kanye made sure to take lots of photographs of the famous statue

I'm famous too: The reality star playfully posed for her rapper beau

Got it covered: Kanye snaps another shot from a different angle

In a change of pace for the mega stars all cameras were not on them as other tourists ignored the couple in favour of the more famous identity on the mountain - Jesus.
Clearly enjoying the novelty of not being hounded, Kim playfully posed for her beau.
With her arms stretched out, Kim put her growing baby bump on display.

Spot on: Kim gets the statue's iconic stance just right

Bright babe: The 31-year-old wore a bright pink dress and neon heels for her day of sightseeing

Tourists: The couple made sure to take plenty of photos as they visited the iconic landmark

Touch The Sky: Kanye seemed to be in high spirits as he larked around with his pregnant girlfriend

The star donned a bright ensemble for her day of sightseeing wearing a luminous pink Juan Carlos Obando maxi dress which clung tight across her belly.
The 32-year-old teamed bias cut dress with the not very mountain climbing appropriate neon green and clear plastic Christian Louboutin Unbout Illusion heels.
Wearing her hair braided back off her face, the star shaded her eyes from the tropical sun behind large aviator sunglasses.

Bigger star in their midst: Other tourists ignored the famous couple, preferring to get pictures of the statue

Baby on board: Kim showed off her growing baby bump

Romantic: The couple seemed utterly besotted with each other as they wandered through the streets of Rio with their arms wrapped around each other.

Her rapper beau also shunned practically in favour of fashion wearing leather pants, a denim shirt - compete with a designer rip - and velvet loafers.
Earlier in the day Kim posted a picture of herself wearing the dress on her Instagram.
Taking the picture in the mirror of her hotel room, Kim inadvertently showed off what appeared to be her boyfriend's underwear, which he had left hanging out of his suitcase.

Oops! The pregnant star accidentally posted a picture with her rapper boyfriend's underwear in it

Peekaboo: Kim inadvertently flashed her Spanks

But luckily for Kanye karma quickly caught up with the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, as while she was posing in front of the statue she held her dress up revealing she was wearing nude colour control pants.
Underwear flashing aside, the couple appeared to be having a great time on their babymoon.
The soon-to-be parents are in Rio for the city's famed Carnival which attracts 2.2 million visitors.
But the festival is not their only stop on the trip. Kim confirmed on Twitter on Saturday she plans to go to Nigeria next.

Great fun: The pair clearly enjoyed their visit

Not made for walking: Kim held on to Kanye's hand as she descended the stairs in her high heels

Something to smile about: Kanye couldn't seem to wipe the smile off his face as he continued his day out with Kim by visiting the Mangueira Samba School in Rio de Janeiro

Peek-a-boo! The rapper seemed to be getting some practice in at playing hide and seek with his future child

When a fan asked if it was true Kim tweeted: 'Yes it is ;-) I can't wait!'
Kim is getting in as much travel as she can ahead of her July due date.
The 31-year-old and Kanye have not revealed the sex of their baby yet but were quick to confirm the pregnancy on New Year's Eve.
'It’s true!! Kanye and I are expecting a baby,' the reality star wrote on her blog.
'We feel so blessed and lucky and wish that in addition to both of our families, his mom and my dad could be here to celebrate this special time with us. Looking forward to great new beginnings in 2013 and to starting a family.'

Pretty in pink: Kim showed off her pregnancy style in a bright fuchsia flowing gown

Traveling companions: The couple are trying to get a lot of trips in before Kim gives birth in July

Kim Kardashian for Women By Kardashian Edp Spray, 3.4 Ounce Kim Kardashian Hides Her Baby Bump (PHOTOS)

It's no secret that Kim Kardashian loves a good bodycon dress, tight leather pants and sky high stilettos -- so when news broke that she and Kanye West were expecting, we had no idea what we should be expecting in the wardrobe department.

At first there appeared to be no difference between what Kim K wore pre-and post-pregnancy announcement (I'm sure everyone remembers her in that sheer lace dress only a few weeks back), but lately things have a taken a serious turn.

The mother-to-be was spotted in Rio de Janeiro with her beau, wearing a wrap dress. A loose wrap dress.
And this wasn't a one time occasion, Kim's fondness for maternity wear seems to be a trend lately. Recently, she has been seen in billowy tops and baggier pants ... but don't worry she isn't trading in her heels anytime soon (after all, she's still a Kardashian).
PHOTOS:

She looks nice, I wonder if these are stretched material maturity clothes, hair is always on point.

And what a beautiful Sterling Silver 6 Row Marcasite and Crystal Ring from LIA SOPHIA

Want to smell like a star, then try Kim Kardashian For Women by Kim K.

3.4-ounce eau de parfum
Voluptuos floral fragrance with a warm sensual drydown
Experience glamour and luxury with Kim Kardashian

HairConnections

African-American women and Alopecia

Identification

Causes

Symptoms

Treatments

Prevention

LaBron James flashes the world!

HairConnections

Is Porsha Stewart Ready to Date in 2014? Her Answer May Surprise You!

With a brand-new year ahead and a fresh divorce in place, is Porsha Stewart ready to hit the Atlanta dating scene? According to a recent exchange on Twitter, The Real Housewives of Atlanta newbie is more than ready.

Divorces: Is Will Smith’s Matrimony-dom With Jada In Danger Because Of Freaky Pics With Becky Co-Star?

Chilli Launches Petition to Stop Cyberbullying

TLC star Chilli launches a petition to stop cyber bullying due to online criticism of her son's sexuality Here's the blog that caused Chilli to start this campaign and their apology to her

Ciara Pregnant, Baby Bump PHOTOS? 'Body Party' Singer Flaunts Bigger Stomach During Abu Dhabi Festival

Basketball Wives Recap: Damage Control

Black Hair Care Tips for the Active Woman

Live Healthier & Longer Through Cardio Exercise

Wichita, Kansas Very own Tamara T. Allen, Author of the Hottest Book on the Market!

Love & Hip Hop Atlanta Reunion Recap: Mona And The Technicolor Dream Coat

Simon Cowell Expecting A Baby With Best Friends Wife

Simon Cowell Expecting a Baby With Best Friends Wife, Lauren Silverman

Gabrielle Union goes blonde to play a reality TV star in new Chris Rock film

Seasonal Hair Color

Seasonal Color Analysis for Women of Color

"How to Find Your Color Palette No Matter Ethnicity"

Analyze Yourself in Relation to Your Ethnicity

Beyoncés Coloring

Rihanna

Chris Brown Ft. Aaliyah — ‘THEY DON’T KNOW’

Love & Hip Hop Recap: Spreading The Love

Love And Hip Hop – Episode 7 –Recap

Oscar Nominee Quvenzhane Wallis

Oscar Nominee Quvenzhane Wallis Thanks Babysitter In Acceptance Speech

Fashion Roundup:Oscars 2013

Love And Hip Hop – Episode 6

Love And Hip Hop Erica Mena Fight: Gets Beat Up Over Boyfriend, Tells VH1 'F**k Y'all' [FULL VIDEO]

Where does Brazilian wax come from?

Spotted Pregnant Kim Kardashian Babycation!

Blame it on Rio: Pregnant Kim Kardashian shows off growing bump as she and Kanye West catch carnival fever while sightseeing

Kim Kardashian for Women By Kardashian Edp Spray, 3.4 Ounce Kim Kardashian Hides Her Baby Bump (PHOTOS)

And what a beautiful Sterling Silver 6 Row Marcasite and Crystal Ring from LIA SOPHIA

TLC star Chilli launches a petition to stop cyber bullying due to online criticism of her son's sexuality

Here's the blog that caused Chilli to start this campaign and their apology to her

Seasonal Color Analysis
for Women of Color