Thank God For Make-Up Artists!

Ladies and gentleman of the internet community...
Please allow me to introduce the incomparable, the extraordinary 'T' of Superior Style!



This is a rising star in the world of glamour-fication, and a personal stylist whose clients largely include fabulous women of (all) color. 'T' flew out from the biggest borrough in NY to style a friend for her nuptials over the last weekend (coming blog, stay tuned!) and still had time to clip, re-shape, pin up, blow out, and transform a bunch of us along the way. (Below is 'before' y'all)!



We had a great time playing in a very large national make up store (until we were told that photography was forbidden because it somehow hurt the brands!!!??? That is one for Brunsli!). I think that one of the make up artists working there must have heard 'T' advising us that it was not necessary to spend the money buying super-expensive make up or facial care products! (Folks, this man can work wonders with products bought at the local drugstore).


Have you seen an eye smolder like this before? That was a 15 minute make up job! (Check out the 'hater' behind the 'model'! I'm just kidding, that was a good friend also along for the adventure!


It was really wonderful for me to get to know 'T' over the past few years. I have always been interested in hair and make up, but people tend to say that I have dark skin (I personally think that I look just as I am supposed to). Well, in high school, my make up never matched my skin (this was LONG before cosmetic companies ever thought to market to and make products for women of color specifically), and when I was in college I was always told by women at department store make up counters that my skin was so 'nice' that I didn't need make up at all (they would never admit that they didn't make products for people like me! I hate racism.)! I also really hated testing make up in the stores, only to have a consultant suggest a product that would be so 'pretty' on dark skin (usually something called 'plum,' 'raisin,' 'blackberry,' or 'dusk') only to see it turn to the color of chalk as soon as it touched my hand. Since I'm on the topic, let me say one more thing: I also really hate the names 'deep,' 'dark,' 'deepest dark,' 'dark 2' and so forth for foundations and powders. Would white women like to buy products called 'ghost,' 'washed out,' 'anemic,' or 'pale'?

So, when I met 'T' I was very sceptical about him knowing how to work with me, and I was very nervous about some of his choices. BUT WHEN HE WAS DONE, I looked like a stahhh!!!




We also allowed 'T' just a little bit of sightseeing...but just a bit!

We dipped down to Carmel to have a walk and a look around. Y'know, I love to stroll through this very charming little town, they have great restaurants, and cute little shops and boutiques. It can be very romantic and cozy, yes. BUT, we got some pastries and got outta there after a very brief look-see.... (The Tuck House in Carmel is famous obviously for its appearance, but also for its tea and pastries).



The California coast needs no boosterism from me, but I am taken by how dramatic the coast is, both because of the rugged cliffs and the rapidly changing temperature and sky. Sexy!

Every trip along the coast must include a photo stop at this magnificient and impressive bridge. It has appeared in many films, and the beach below is also the site of a famous love scene (I was not in it...).

Nothing like friends (and make up artists)!

LA Trip

I rolled down to SoCal to visit some good ol' friends of mine from my university days in LaLa Land. I love driving down the coast, and I love having my iPod at my side. Too bad all of the other unlucky drivers stuck in the LA traffic (on a Saturday no less) had to listen to me singing at the top of my lungs (what can I say, Midnite's "Bushman" penetrates deeply!).

After chilling for a few, we headed straight to Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles for dinner. Folks, you have not eaten until you've had their succulent breast and tasty waffle (mine with a side of cornbread). It is always the smartest purchase I make in LA.


We then thought that we'd try out the Hookah Cafe on Pico Blvd. None of us had any idea what we were doing, but the waiter made a real sweet blend for us that actually became too sweet after about 2 minutes! I'm not sure how people manage to do this for an hour, but we had a good laugh and an even better cough!




We were celebrating my friend's coming nuptials and my other friend's graduation (I was just celebrating a weekend off!). After the hookah and hacking, we went to a very swanky hotel in Santa Monica and shared some champagne to really celebrate in style. (We did have one celebrity sighting: the director Tim Burton was sitting to my right out of the frame of the photo below, of course). My friend gave us lockets as a way of saying 'thank you' for our friendship and support. I think that all brides should do something similar for their good gal friends who listen to them and advise them on their relationships (come to think of it, the groom should give us gifts too, especially if they realize that their wives will go to their good friends when they inevitably encounter conflict in the marriage:)


The following day we made a stop at the LA County Museum of Art, always a nice thing to do on a Sunday afternoon. There was a special David Hockney exhibit going on that was actually NOT that interesting, but ok. We met a very interesting woman who worked in the museum (a proud Puerto Rican woman who figured out that my good friend was also from the island based on 'attitude,' hair texture, and our conversation in the bathroom). She told us all about the famous Latin celebrities who visited the exhibit (precisely the kind of info. I am looking for!). We still had fun walking around the exhibit and fantasizing about how much money we needed to donate to get our names chiselled on the wall of donors....

The Last Braid Job?

I know, I know. I really should not be looking at these old pictures, but I went to see the folks over the weekend and was very taken aback when my mom finally admitted that she missed me in the braids! I would never diss my mom publicly and I would never allow anyone to speak poorly about my family, but gee whiz, I was a little hurt. I think that if I weren't in such an awkward phase of the sisterlocking process I would have handled it better (or maybe she wouldn't have said it), but I'm not even too crazy about how the coif looks right now. Oh well. I am still committed to being less focused on what other people think about me (which is no small task, I'm telling you!).



I am still happy I made this decision, and this state of mind was confirmed by the fact that I also braided my mother's hair over the weekend. Now, I learned to braid my own hair because the cost of getting it done was exorbitant, I couldn't stand the lack of professionalism on the part of my braider, I hated feeling so dependent on someone else to take care of my hair, and I hated that I often had to risk my life in the neighborhood where my braider lived and worked (she is extremely talented, but I wanted to live to show off the new do!:) Anyhoo, my female family members closely watched to see how my braiding developed and I ended up giving them VERY inexpensive braid jobs (that would easily cost 500 bucks anywhere else...but it's family, y'know). So last weekend was my very last braid job I hope...don't worry, I will convince my mother yet to sisterlock her stuff too!

Organic Dreads vs. Sisterlocks?

So I've been following the ongoing online conversations and debates about people's decision to lock their hair (as well as the lively discussions about WHO decides to do so!). Whether or not people consider themselves to be getting closer to their 'cultural roots' or to be freeing themselves from the tyranny of chemical processing and marathon braiding or twisting sessions, the choice to lock one's hair provokes a lot of commentary from friends, family, and strangers alike. I thought that the transition to sisterlocks would be simple for me because I was accustomed to wearing my hair in microbraids. Although people have repeatedly said that sisterlocks and braids are entirely different things, that information went in one of my ears and out the other. My hair is going through a crazy stage right now, but I remain committed to working on my own obsession with how other people perceive me and my own sense of my self.

My friend and colleague in the picture below has a similar background to me, growing up a minority in majority white areas...the complexities of integration :) His mother also responded strongly to his decision to dread his hair, and he spent many an evening dodging scissors and clippers. He started his locks himself around age 12 and has been wearing them for over ten years. He was also the first brotha to complement my change to sisterlocks (I accepted the complement but I wonder why he never commented on all of my various braid jobs?! :)

Morning Jog

Although people tend to say that I look thinner with my hair sisterlocked, I still feel the need to get a little exercise in the morning. When I had to run the 1/2 mile during PE class in junior high, I always looked forward to the day when I would no longer be forced to jog again. Of all the ways to get/stay in shape, I never thought that I would voluntarily choose running. These days I am impressed with the fact that I can run 15 minutes non-stop, no small feat for someone like me who prefers tv, books, and internet surfing (:




At any rate, I am blessed to live in an area that has an amazingly beautiful coastline that makes a morning jog very pleasurable and inspires all class of philosophical contemplation!

The Soft Spike Files

I too shall weigh in on the soft spike curlers. First of all, I was impressed to see that they featured a locked sister on their website, her before and after photos were gorgeous. So this is me with a mix of sizes. My hair is longer in the back, but after reading how others felt the curl initially comes out too tight, I thought to try the larger size (since I had somewhere to be that same evening). I rolled my hair after washing and left them in for only an hour (again because of a lack of time).





My hair was curly enough (I thought) and still has some curl in it a couple of days later. I did leave the house with a headband and without pulling the curls apart too much. BTW I also had a shirt on (strapless!). I am receiving many more compliments about my hair from other people of color. I got alot of attention for my braid extensions from whites, but rarely from blacks. With the sisterlocks the reverse is true. There were many locked women at the film festival, but virtually none of them had heard of sisterlocks.

The Women of Color Film Festival

A transformative time was had by all at the 2006 Women Of Color Film Festival www2.ucsc.edu/woc/wocff06/home.html. The festival is the longest running film festival in the United States featuring the work of women of color. As these artists receive much less attention in mainstream and independent film festivals, this venue has been especially significant for showcasing and discussing their very important work and perspectives. This years festival was entitled "Regenerations" and featured the music, art, film, and video by an amazing assembly of women.





The painting to the left is by the wonderful artist, poet, and scholar Pamela M. Chavez Zamora pmlchavez@yahoo.com



The piece above right was one of my favorites by Dalia Mendez www.ixchelena.com



On the left is the artist Pamela, along with other organizers and participants of the festival (that's me on the end).

Below is a photo of the incomparable AfroCuban hip hop artist Wanda with the legendary activist, scholar, and festival keynote speaker Angela Davis.



I must mention the very important documentary NO! by director Aishah Shahida Simmons screened at the festival (notherapedocumentary.org). This extraordinary piece discussed violence against black women within the black community. Please check out her website and read more about the documentary.

I should also mention director Maori Karmael Holmes piece Scene Not Heard about women in the Philadelphia hip hop scene.

Please take a look at the film festival website for more information on the work shown and about the festival's history.

Getting Out of the House!

So, I'm starting to notice that all of the pictures I have put on my blog feature me somewhere in my house. I can also see how often I have bags under my eyes! I think that all the books you see behind me explain that factor, but the upside down bicycle (to my right and out of the frame) also proves that I am not taking full advantage of the amazing summer weather.




I decided to shift venues, and seeing this plaque gave me an indication that I was on the right track. Although my new locale was lovely (from the outside), the university library, during the summer, wasn't exactly what I had in mind.



I've got to work on getting out more! What are folks doing for fun and excitement this summer?