The homies! Me, Kim Coles, Felicia Leatherwood, and Luvvie Ajayi!

From the minute I was met at the airport, I could see the love and heart behind Fro Fashion Week.

Tarin Boone, saying wonderful things at the end of my keynote speech

Tarin Boone is the creator, and her whole family is involved in the production of the event. So as soon as I arrived, I could feel the presence of family, love, and passion.

The venue they chose, Melia Hotel, is a beautiful 25 floor high rise with a stunning view of the Atlanta skyline. This is the room where I delivered my keynote speech.

Bloggers Brands, and Brunch was all about the top natural hair care brands coming together with passionate bloggers and natural haired women. Having this powerful table of 60 women come together to listen to my words was a truly magnificent moment in my life.

Basically I shared my journey as a blogger, and listed the reasons why I believe the top beauty brands around the world all want to work with me. That’s because my voice is sincere and unsullied, I don’t cut and paste and share information I don’t believe in or can’t speak to, and I do my best to be consistent. When you read Afrobella.com, you know exactly who you’re hearing from.

At the end of my speech there was rousing applause which really meant the world to me — I still get SO NERVOUS before public speaking, so the applause is like instant relief afterwards.

If I look teary-eyed in this video recap by Route TV, I totally was — because Tarin announced that they literally shifted the timing of Fro Fashion Week to meet my schedule, seeing as I’d be attending New York Fashion Week afterwards. I was so honored by her words.

Fro Fashion Week was a more intimate and thoughtful sort of natural hair event, laid out so that brands could have individual rooms and that attendees could directly interact with the creators and PRs. I loved meeting the creators of natural hair brands like CoCo Curls, Shea Radiance, Jessicurl, and Kynx – it makes such an impact to see the person who actually came up with the product idea and worked hard to make it come to life. So inspired by all of them, and more to come on their genius products! I met amazing designers of Reclaimed Fashions and want to wear their everything. I really wanted this one Etta James teeshirt but it was unavailable, alas!

The Beautiful Textures room was lovely, and that’s where me, Kim Coles, Luvvie, and Felicia Leatherwood got a little silly in the OMG Booth!

Saturday night ended with the penthouse party hosted by Kim Coles — that was packed, and FUN. The dancefloor was the place to be, apparently — I came in from doing interviews in the next room and everyone was breaking it down to the kind of old school jams I LOVE best!

If you’re not familiar with Thirsty Roots, get familiar! They do the best event coverage and video recaps in Atlanta.

We made SO many new friends at Fro Fashion Week. And right when I was leaving the hotel, who did Luvvie and I run into? The stunningly beautiful and super nice Mae of Natural Chica!! I absolutely love Mae. So genuine, such a gentle, sweet ray of sunshine. YAY!

Fro Fashion Week was an absolute blast. I met SO many amazing women, did some great interviews, and took photos with a whole lotta people. If you’re one of them, please tweet me, post on my Facebook wall, or leave a link below. You helped make the experience extra special!

Maybe right now you’re sprinkling your skin with glitter before getting into that intricately adorned costume to palance and pose off in your all-inclusive section.

Maybe you’re in New Orleans getting ready to throw beads, drink hurricanes and ride on a float.

Maybe you’re in Brazil and are preparing to samba like Ash Wednesday doesn’t exist!

Photo via TrinidadCarnival2010.com

No matter where you’re celebrating, I hope you have the BEST TIME, and while you’re having fun, be smart and be safe! If you need makeup tips, read this vintage interview with Trinidadian makeup artist Sandra Hordatt – makeup tips for Carnival WOW!

- Be sure to stay hydrated — it’s so easy to get caught up in the air of inebriation and excess and drink too much, but in the blazing sun that’s a recipe for disaster! Try to drink a glass of water for every alcoholic drink you have. That way you won’t get dehydrated or nauseous as the day carries on.

- Don’t forget to wear your sunscreen — skin cancer and sunburn don’t discriminate based on your color! I know many women with deep complexions who swear they “don’t need sunscreen.” I beg to differ. We all do, especially if you’re going to be jumping and waving in the hot sun for two days straight.

- Roll with a group — even if you’re a strong, independent woman who can take care of herself…be smart. If you have to run to the bathroom, grab a friend to go with you. If you need to take a break for a bit, take a friend or two. Don’t roll solo, don’t just disappear and not let your friends know where you went off to. Be smart about your surroundings.

And most of all HAVE FUN for those of us who can’t be at home to enjoy it!

Happy Carnival Monday and Tuesday to my Trinis and Brazilians, Happy Mardi Gras to my friends in New Orleans!

Look at that cold Chicago wind just whipping it back and forth! And that is the “OMG I’m freezing can we please go inside” smile, just so you know!

When the winter weather is dry, cold and crisp, my hair gets poofy and needs more deep conditioning and regular, gentle detangling before the tangles become too impenetrable. When it’s wet and miserable like it is today, my hair goes floppy and limp and won’t hold a consistent curl pattern. It’s quite frustrating, trust and believe!

During wavering winters like this, I go back to the tried, tested and true winter hair care routine – click here to read that classic post. I switch to heavier hair care products – now’s the time to bust out your funnel or take out your mixing bowl to add moisturizing agents to your existing products. I’ve found that my hair responds best to shea butter products, and oil based products at this time of year. If you’re the kind of bella who is open to mass market natural hair products – an Informed but Flexible or Anything Goes natural, if you will – you might find yourself falling for Crème of Nature’s Argan Oil line of products. If you love the fragrance and feel of argan oil from Morocco, you will most likely love this stuff.

My favorite product from the line is the Intensive Conditioning Treatment, it makes for a great cowash with lots of slip for detangling, and leaves my hair visibly and tangibly moisturized after use.

The kind folks at Crème of Nature are offering 10 lucky Afrobella readers a chance to try out their Argan Oil product line!

Your prize pack will include:  Moisture and Shine Shampoo, Intensive Conditioning Treatment, Strength and Shine Conditioner, Oil Moisturizer and Oil Treatment.

How do you enter, how do you win? All you need to do is leave a comment here telling me the following — what is your best winter hair care tip? The ten best answers will win a gift set of Crème of Nature’s argan oil infused hair products.

This giveaway will be open until next Thursday, so comment away!

Best of luck, bellas!

That’s right — I’m defining naturals by type! But not in a divisive way (I hope), this is all in fun and love! I’ve been more than one of these naturals throughout my hair journey. Maybe you have too!

– The All-Natural-Everything Natural. This particular bella won’t touch anything including those bad hair ingredients. Don’t get her started on mineral oil, sulfates or silicones because she will educate you with a quickness on why she doesn’t use products made with those ingredients, and why you shouldn’t either!

– The Informed But Flexible Natural. She’s got an arsenal of go-to products and has pretty much figured out what her hair wants and needs. She is well aware of the effects of mineral oil on natural hair and in general she steers clear of many mass market hair products… but she’s down to try new things and may use some products including those controversial ingredients from time to time to achieve a particular style, or just because it was on sale, or she feels like it!

– The Anything Goes Natural. This bella has a very carefree approach to hair product purchases. If it looks like it’ll work, she’ll try it! If she sees a decent review on a blog, she’ll try it! Whatever she feels like styling, shampooing, or conditioning with, she’ll try it — from the most pure hair products to the stuff made with 200 ingredients you can’t pronounce.

– The Anything Goes, Frugal Edition Natural. This is the bella on a budget. She may be a college student who can’t afford to buy the more pricey and buzzed about hair products. She may be just dealing with this economy and trying to figure out what works best for her hair on a limited budget. Either way, she knows when all the BOGO sales are, she’s totally down to buy dupe products at Sally Beauty, and you’re most likely to find her loading up on hair products at Walmart or at the drugstore.

– The Cocktailer. Do you have a funnel? A collection of natural oils at the ready? A big ol’ bottle of honey that’s intended for beautifying purposes only? Then you too can be a cocktailer — the kind of bella who loves to add her own ingredients to already existing products in the hopes of improving their effectiveness.

– The Mixtress. The Mixtress takes cocktailing up a notch — instead of just putting a little ingredient remix on a product, she is down to DIY! She’ll use a electric mixer or hand mixer to crank out products of her own. She’s inspired by people like Lisa Price, Anita Grant, and Tasha Burton of BelleButters. Next stop, opening an Etsy shop!

– The “What Are You Using” Natural. These are usually new naturals, people who have transitioned repeatedly, or keep believing there’s an elusive product out there that will give them a look they haven’t so far been able to achieve. This bella is most likely to corner you while shopping, at a social event, or even in the ladies room just to ask about your product regimen.

– The Stay In Her Lane Natural. This bella has a product that she uses, and that is ALL. You can most often find her swearing that “**insert product here** is the only thing that works for my hair,” even though she hasn’t tried many (or sometimes any) other products. Often this particular bella has been natural for a long time and has figured out a regimen that works for them — or finds the new natural hair world a bit overwhelming and doesn’t want to roll the dice on new products that may disappoint her and be a waste of money.

In my experience those are the top types of natural haired women, according to how they respond to the products on the market. What kinds of naturals did I miss? What kind of natural are you??

I don’t want to write this post. I don’t want to write about losing Whitney Houston. I’ve written recent RIP tribute posts for Etta James and Don Cornelius, but this loss cuts deeper. It’s too sad. There’s an ache of deep, disappointed sadness that has been over my shoulders like a shroud since Saturday.

Where were you, when you found out? I was standing backstage after the Texture on the Runway show in New York – a fabulous night out before the news hit. It was so hard to pose and smile and pretend to be happy, with news like that crushing your chest. I left shortly thereafter, en route to another fabulous event. Even as I was rushing through the crowd, I saw the sad faces. My friends told me afterwards that a few people were crying.

Some people feel silly about caring so deeply when a celebrity dies. I don’t. I get it. The feeling is about the loss of a person you’ve never met, sure. That doesn’t mean your grief is invalid. Even though you’ve never met them and didn’t actually know them, that doesn’t mean that they didn’t affect your life. Whitney Houston’s music was part of the soundtrack of our lives. Many of us can chart our formative years right along with her discography. For me, the Whitney album was of an era when I played with Barbie dolls and watched Casey Kasem’s countdown on television. I remember dancing along to I Wanna Dance With Somebody, and wishing I had her hair. Wishing I could look like that, and sing like that.

The Bodyguard soundtrack was one of the first albums I bought myself. We all loved Whitney in Waiting to Exhale. Her version of I’m Every Woman helped to bring that beautiful, uplifting song and message to a new generation of women. Whitney’s version of the Star Spangled Banner made me feel pride for a country I didn’t even live in at the time.

It still gives me chills. To this very day, that’s one of my favorite performances and you can see that Whitney knew she had nailed it. When she raises both hands in the air, there’s a pride and joy that’s so beautiful to behold.

That’s the Whitney I want to remember. That’s the Whitney that we all hoped would someday return to the spotlight.

I don’t want to write this post because I don’t want to admit that Whitney isn’t coming back. I hate that her performance in the remake of Sparkle – set to be released in August – will be a posthumous release, serving as a reminder of what we wish could have been.

When Michael Jackson died, I wrote a piece for Ebony.com titled Who Feels It,Knows It (which has since disappeared from the site but is referenced here). When MJ died there was deep pain there, but I can’t say that I was shocked. There was hurt, swaddled in a feeling of inevitability. Same with Amy Winehouse. There was a downward trajectory that the world witnessed and disseminated with inappropriate humor and a sense of offhand inevitability. An air of there-he/she-goes again, until they’re gone for the last time. “Who feels it knows it” says it best. Whitney knew it better than anyone else.

Whitney Houston on the death of Michael Jackson by RichJuz

There’s a truly unpleasant callousness I’m seeing in comments online and in social media. I’ve been trying to avoid it at all costs, because it makes my temper rise. I came close to confronting some of the tweets I saw an acquaintance make, but decided against it – it isn’t worth it. I realize that my perspective isn’t going to change anyone else’s. The way I feel about Whitney Houston might be the way someone else felt about Heath Ledger or Kurt Cobain or Janis Joplin or Judy Garland. But it seems that now, it’s seen as cool to be callous and acceptable to cast judgment about the path someone else walks along. I am not here to judge how Whitney Houston lived her life. What’s the point of that, now? Wouldn’t now be the ideal time for respect and appreciation of her undeniable talent? Compassion for those who knew her and loved her? Despite some of the uglier responses, there has also been an outpouring of love and appreciation, and real emotional honesty.

Since Whitney Houston’s death, I’ve been hearing from people I know and respect, who speak to how her music affected their lives. How her beauty and the message within her songs, inspired them to love themselves. I’ve heard from people who have suffered the same loss that her family is dealing with now, the particular pain of losing someone who had a history of struggling with addiction. If you’ve ever known or loved a person who deals daily with addiction, this cuts so close to home.

I can’t imagine what it feels like to be Cissy Houston right now. Or Bobbi Kristina. Or Bobby Brown. Or Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Kim Burrell, Monica, or Brandy – the famous friends and family who loved Whitney the most publicly. If we as fans are grieving this hard, how do you feel if she was a living, breathing part of your life?

There are some absolutely amazing tributes flowing forth in the wake of Whitney’s passing. Here are some of the best that I’ve read.

Rich from FourFour’s Always Love.

Greg in Hollywood.

dream hampton for Ebony.com.

Josie Pickens for Ebony.com.

Farai Chideya’s Whitney Houston: Perfection Undone.

Cat Marnell of xoJane.com on the death of Whitney Houston.

Denene of My Brown Baby.

I thought Jennifer Hudson’s tribute at the Grammys was poignant and lovely, given the turnaround. But I agree with Luvvie – I’m holding out hope for a more substantial tribute. When the superstars who surrounded her in life are ready to sing again, here’s hoping they put together a fitting tribute to Whitney Houston and lift her up in song.

RIP, Whitney Houston. We will always love you.

This month in Afrobella Art, Veronica features insight from Peggy Cooper Cafritz.

Peggy Cooper Cafritz , via O Magazine

Peggy Cooper Cafritz is an internationally recognized art collector, historian and conservator of African and African-American art. Amongst her extremely notable achievements — she founded the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington DC, and continues to serve the school. From 1979 to 1987, she chaired the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and in 1993 President Bill Clinton appointed her vice chairperson of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

In July 2009, Peggy lost her entire art collection due to a fire at her Washington DC estate. Reports estimate her home alone was worth $5.2 million. Media reports did not list the price of the art collection, although Cafritz notes that it was priceless. She is the perfect person to discuss the finer points of building — and re-building — a stellar art collection.

Veronica Marshall interviewed Peggy to get the finer points on starting a collection of your own. Take it away, Veronica!

I don’t know about you, but I love the month of February. Although I celebrate my “blackness” all year long, I love Black History Month because it always brings with it some of the best music festivals, movie screenings, lectures, and art exhibits. However, this year, I’m celebrating with a little retail therapy – I need art for my new home.

Ealy Mays – Yellow Mama Lisa

Adam Smithmada: Drive By Blues

If you’re like me, you’ve realized that starting a collection can feel overwhelming and it’s not always affordable. The good news – art doesn’t have to be expensive, and finding great artists is easier than you think.

Peggy Cooper Cafritz is an avid collector, advocate of the arts, and patron of young artists. After two decades of collecting African and African-American contemporary art, Cafritz knows how to curate an artful home.

Here are her must-follow tips for getting in the know on up-and-coming artists and how to invest in their work:

1. Develop an eye for what you like. “Anyone can collect art,” says Cooper Cafritz. “Trust your instincts and buy artists who really grab you. It’s also very important not to be intimidated by what someone else collects or someone else’s collection.”

2. Buy from students at art high schools. “Many cities have high schools for the arts and they often have exhibitions where art is for sale and it’s not very expensive.”

3. Start by collecting posters and/or prints. “Look for posters and print reproductions of more expensive, highly sought-after artwork.” Our advice: you can also check out national and local newspaper archives for inexpensive photography worthy of framing.

4. Go to as many local exhibits as you can. “Identify up-and-coming artists that you like and begin to follow them – buy their work and then follow them throughout their careers.”

5. Buy an artist’s work early. “Buying artwork at the start of an artist’s career makes a big difference, the biggest difference. Many of the pieces I own I bought early in the artist’s career; many of them would be out of my reach today.” A few artists topping her list are Nicholas Hlobo, Angel Perez, and Jordan Cash-Cooper.

Brandon C. Cox – Flossin’

Brandon C. Cox – Remix

If you’re looking to buy art on a budget, here are two additional tips that have worked for me. First, negotiate, negotiate, and negotiate. Artists love to create but they love to sell their work more, so ask if there’s flexibility in their pricing. Second, if you can, always buy direct from the artist. Galleries have to pay the bills and to do so they charge a markup on the work they sell.

So now that you know the “how,” here are a few artists we are following:

Tell me who your favorite artists are. We may just feature them on Afrobella.com!

Last weekend I was in Atlanta for the truly wonderful Fro Fashion Week event at the Hotel Melia downtown. And this weekend, I’ll be in New York during all the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week madness, for two awesome natural hair related events! And you know I’ll be tweeting all of the glitz and glamour for you, right? Follow me! And let me tell you about Curls Unleashed. The brand new product line by Organic Root Stimulator will be hitting store shelves soon. To drum up even more anticipation for the product line, they’ve been throwing some really cool events in major cities!

Last week in Chicago I attended my first Curls Unleashed event — at The Shrine — and it was phenomenal! Swanky and chic, and singers Jaguar Wright and Eric Benet performed. Click here for photos via Uptown!

This Thursday I’ll be in the midst of another Curls Unleashed event in New York City. The Curls Unleashed launch party will be hosted by my amiga, YouTube phenomenon Taren916, and attended by myself and the lovely Kim Coles amongst many other naturalistas! I’ll be your official insider tweeting the news for you all!

And on Saturday night there’s TextureMedia’s Texture on the Runway event which is sure to be BEYOND fabulous, and packed with a veritable who’s who of the natural hair blogger world — be sure to check out their dope website, TextureOnTheRunway.com for the livestream! I’ll be reporting live from Saturday’s event to keep you up to date on the sweetest styles to sashay down the runway.

You can follow on Twitter @Curls_Unleashed, and on the evening of the event follow the hashtag #CurlsUnleashed to see what the brains behind the brand are working on. And on Facebook (at facebook.com/CurlsUnleashed) tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at their inspiration boards and artistic team to see what makes a fashion event come to life! And check out the product line itself at CurlsUnleashed.com – I’ve been testing it out and I love what I’ve tried so far!

See you soon, NYC!

1 – OMG I have to give a speech? And not just be on a panel with other people? Everyone will be looking at me — yikes!

2 — What on earth will I wear?

3 — How am I gonna do this makeup?

I worked on my speech over the course of two or three weeks in fits and starts. I figured out an outfit. And Atlanta’s own makeup artist Nyssa Green, kindly came by to do my makeup before my keynote speech for Fro Fashion Week. In case you aren’t aware, Nyssa is an Emmy Award winning makeup artist, and owner of The Green Room Agency. I was lucky enough to wind up on the Brown Girl Beauty Uncensored panel alongside Nyssa at the Beautylish Beauty Social, and we instantly became homegirls. Despite all of the accomplishments she’s achieved and famous friends she has, Nyssa is one of the most regular, chill, down to earth people I’ve met in this fancypants industry. She’s as cool as it gets, and I was so blessed to have her beat my face? And honey, when I say she beat my face to the gods — believe me!

I’m SAYING, though!

The whole time Nyssa was doing my makeup, I was taking notes on the products she used and asking her why she was using them. Let me take you step by glorious step through this look!

Top – Calvin Klein via Marshalls, skirt by eShakti.com, jewelry Max & Chloe, purse by Moto — check out this brand new, up and coming designer! And haircut by Felicia Leatherwood. And now, the makeup breakdown!

The product list:

Iman and Ben Nye foundations

Iman Powder, to blend.

Kryolan Setting Powder: “This is one of my favorite powders. It will make your makeup last all day and make your skin look flawless. It’s similar to Cover FX powder in that it’s a setting powder that’s waterproof. It gives your makeup all day hold.”

Damone Roberts eyebrow pencils in Minx and Miss Ross

Anastasia Brow Gel

A no-name eyeshadow palette that a fan of Real Housewives of Atlanta ran up and gave her in the street. This led to a longer discussion about upcoming brands and the importance of investing in labeling. Basically because Nyssa was given this package of eyeshadow in a plain black box with not even a business card stuck to it….she has no idea what she’s using. But it works!

To apply eyeliner she used the Stila eyeliner brush and it was so incredibly soft and gentle.

She applied individual lashes that she gets wholesale from the beauty supply store.

To line my waterline, she used NYX Jumbo eye pencil in Black Bean. “It’s one of my fave pencils, because it’s so fat and smooth and soft! I keep them in my fridge because they’re so soft. I LOVE them.”

For my lips she busted out the Make Up For Ever flash color palette and then topped the mix with Iman lip gloss in Glitzy.

My blush and bronzer were from a kit by Pur Minerals.

I had to ask Nyssa what her thoughts were on finishing sprays. “I’m all about making the makeup last and there are safety nets built into my system. From the primer to that Kryolan setting powder. The only two makeup finishing sprays I’ll use are Final Seal, and the Make Up For Ever fix spray. That’s it.

And what about washing it all off? Nyssa is a fan of oil based cleansers, her favorite makeup removers include Shiseido and Bobbi Brown exfoliating cream wash. “it’s one of the best things to wash your face with if you wear a lot of makeup.”

Nyssa made me look and feel GORGEOUS and we had fun the whole time! Thank you for being so amazing, Nyssa! You made me feel so beautiful and blessed!

Click here to follow Nyssa Green on Twitter, and click here for The Green Room Agency’s Facebook page!

Sometimes I really wish that the 32 year old me could go back and talk to 13 year old me, and let her know that everything was going to be alright. I wish I could tell her that the skills and resilience she gained in school would stand her in great stead down the road.

I wish I could show her this photo, of myself speaking at this past weekend’s Fro Fashion Week. To show her someday instead of being too shy to raise her hand and speak up in class, she would be holding a microphone and delivering a keynote speech to a room full of women.

I wish I could convince her to embrace her own beauty at an earlier age. To love herself just the way she is, and to live right in the moment.

I wish I could prove to her that time is just sand trickling through an hourglass, and that she should cherish and live in every moment before she grows up too fast.

I wish I could tell her that although being a teenager might make you feel powerless, all of those collective experiences — the pain, the laughter, the heartbreak, the angst, the embarrassing moments as well as the glorious ones — were necessary because they would someday help to make you pretty powerful.

Pretty Powerful is Bobbi Brown’s campaign to reclaim real beauty, and I find the message behind it to be so very inspiring.

“I believe that beauty comes in all ages, colors, shapes and sizes. It’s not about looking like someone else or trying to be someone you’re not. It’s about figuring out what works for you… Being Pretty Powerful is much bigger than beauty. It’s about confidence and the path you take to achieve it.” — Bobbi Brown.

That says it all right there.

For Pretty Powerful 2.0, Bobbi Brown personally chose 30 women to represent the range of beauty we come in. Visit Bobbi Brown Cosmetics to see “before” and “after” photos, video footage and interviews, testimonials, face charts and inspiring beauty images of the diverse women participating in this campaign, women like Women’s National Basketball Association star Alana Beard, model Jenny Shimuzu and broadcast journalist Mary Alice Williams.

What makes you “pretty powerful?” Is it your spirituality? Your sense of humor? Your life experiences? Share with me!

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Bobbi Brown via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Bobbi Brown.

Let me tell you about when I met Damone Roberts. It was in 2009, I was still living in Miami and still had a regular day job, and I was attending a beauty event dedicated to women of color at Macy’s…I wanna say in Aventura Mall. In those days I was still at the paper, so I would try to feature events I could also write about here on Afrobella! I remember sitting in a small room for employees only at Macy’s, interviewing makeup artist Patrece Williams. The door opened and in walked Damone, with that resplendent mane and glowing skin. Damone is a gorgeous individual from the minute you look at him. And as I interviewed him I came to realize that his beauty shines from within. Damone is a lovely gentleman with a desire to inspire and I really enjoy his company!

In case you don’t already know, Damone Roberts is often called The Eyebrow King. His salons in Beverly Hills and New York are meccas for stars seeking essential beautifying. He is one of the best beauty professionals in the business, and he has plucked perfect brows for the likes of Madonna, Beyonce, Vanessa Williams, Robert Downey Jr., Diana Ross, and… Cicely Tyson.

Which brings me to today’s post. When I learned that Damone was the man behind Cicely Tyson’s gorgeous look at the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards, I needed to learn more! How do you paint the face of a living legend? Find out in my interview with Cicely Tyson’s main makeup artist, Damone Roberts!

Afrobella – I believe you’re Cicely Tyson’s main makeup artist – that is AMAZING to work with such a legend! How long have you been working together? How did it begin?

Damone Roberts — Miss Tyson and I have become dear friends over the years & I now have the pleasure of calling her my “Spiritual Mother”! Her knowledge, energy & legacy always make me leave our times together with my mouth open. I’m actually trying to convince her to write her memoirs. Believe me when i tell you the public only knows the movies & awards, but “the story” is what stops you in your tracks. I absolutely love her! We met randomly one day several years ago, when she was walking by my Beverly Hills Salon and she stopped in after noticing the sign that said “brows”. Can you imagine how blessed I am to look up & see this icon who I watched in major movies since I was literally a baby, walk into my home? The other day I was out front picking something up off the sidewalk & Sidney Poitier walked by and said “Good Morning”. I remember one day I was sitting in my back alley doing a conference call & Diana Ross pulled in. I know it’s a surreal existence & I never take it for granted.

Afrobella — For the SAG Awards, Cicely looked incredible! Can you please share what products you used on her for the occasion, and which are your favorite products for women of color in general? Are there special tips and tricks you use for more mature clients?

Damone Roberts — Thank you for the compliment. She is a beautiful woman so I always play up her features. I’ve done her for all her major Award Show appearances lately, if our schedules allow. For The 2012 Sag Awards I used my new favorite foundation. It’s called “Fit Me” by Maybelline! I love how some of these drugstore brands are really stepping up their game. My loose powder of choice is YSL! I used a combination of The Damone Roberts Brow Shadow in “Minx” & “Miss Ross” for the brows. The eyes were done in several warm tones by MAC. The eyeliner & mascara was by my friend LaLa Vasquez’ new line called “Motives”, while the lashes were by my other friend B Scott called “Bitch, Boo, Bye”. I’m a huge fan of the Queen Latifah Cover Girl Bronzers and use them daily…on Miss Tyson i used “ebony bronze”. Lastly I used my friends A.J Crimson & Keisha Whitakers lipgloss line Kissable Couture in “Tyler”. For more mature clients I always go softer on the powder & thicker on the brows.

Afrobella — Are you already anticipating a look for the Oscars? Can you share your best red carpet makeup tips with me and Afrobella readers? I’ll be working the Oscar red carpet this year and could use all the advice I can get!

Damone Roberts — That’s incredible Afrobella! Good luck with that. I remember one year I actually did brows on the red carpet for the oscars. it was insane! My advice is stay present and take it all in. It’s an experience that is like no other. Literally everyone you ever seen on screen is directly in front of you. This year we are going back to glamour. Movie stars are looking like movie stars again. I’m predicting alot of red lips & dramatic brows. I’m so proud of Viola Davis & Octavia Spencer. Talk about talented! i recently did makeup for a photo shoot with Vanity Fair Magazine with the cast of “The Help” and Viola told me I taught her many things about makeup from watching my TLC TV show “10 years younger” a few years back. We had a good laugh about that, and now she is nominated for Best Actress for the biggest award show on earth. I’ve stopped questioning how these things happen & just look up say Thank You God.

Afrobella – What’s your best advice for an aspiring makeup artist, who strives to have a career as remarkable as yours?

Damone Roberts — I truly feel like I’m just getting started to take my career where I always envisioned. The journey has been long & trying, but I have learned to never put a lid on a dream. With that being said, I believe one must first envision where they want to go. Take your career seriously & show others how serious you are, instead of talking about it. Be on time (actually early, so you’re ready for your client when they walk through the door), keep your brushes & hands clean (nails short), and always respect the privacy of things you may be privy to when you are spending an hour in someones face. Lastly, never think you are to good to not learn something new. A true artist always knows that there is more out there. I was also a makeup artist first, who then started to focus on brows. I was serious & smart enough to know there are plenty of other makeup artists out there…what’s going to make me stand out? Find your own version of “special”.

Afrobella – Are you working on any new, cool projects — a book, a DVD, classes, a product of your own — that I can share with my readers? I know you stay busy!

Damone Roberts — I just joined forces with E! Entertainment TV co-founder Alan Mruvka to launch THELOOKBAG, “a luxury beauty sample club,” where beauties get at-home monthly deliveries of the latest and greatest products to try! The beauty industry is consistently growing and it can be a bit overwhelming to walk into a beauty department and have no direction. THELOOKBAG.com gives subscribers a way to try things out for multiple uses in a resealable container before you decide to purchase. How many products do we all have sitting in the back of a drawer that we only used once? We saw a void in the market and decided to join forces to fill it for a minimal membership fee of $10.00 monthly. We also personalize the samples for you after finding out your skin & hair type, favorite celeb look, etc.

I launched The Damone Roberts Tinted Brow Gels late last year and they are doing extremely well. Kelly Rowland came in recently and tweeted to the world how they changed her life. It comes in several different natural shades & took me over two years in the lab to develop. I just sent over every shade to Beyonce because you never know what look she will be rocking. They are available at my salons in Beverly Hills & New York, or DamoneRoberts.com.

Lastly I’m in the lab working on my own makeup line. I’m not interested in doing makeup that has been done before. I’m interested in taking it to a whole new level & i believe we are in the midst of creating that. These things have not been done before & trust me when i tell you…it’s about to be on & popping!

You can follow Damone Roberts on Twitter @DamoneRoberts, and
like his official Facebook fan page. Damone, you are SO AWESOME! Thank you Damone, for everything! And I can’t wait to see Cicely Tyson’s look at the Academy Awards!