My Vicarious Life: September 2011

Indian Summer

Apostrophe September 29, 2011

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You're Invited: Beauty Chat w/ Makeup Artist AJ Crimson

AJ Crimson September 27, 2011

By Katrice

Join MVL for a special 1-hour real-time chat with celebrity makeup artist and luxury cosmetic designer AJ Crimson on October 6th from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. right in the comfort of your own home {or office}. Crimson, noted for work with Brandy, Fergie, Hillary Duff, Amerie, Keyshia Cole, Eva Pigford, Forest Whitaker and Sean Combs, will join us on the My Vicarious Life Facebook fan page to chat one on one and answer your makeup questions, offer beauty tips and talk about Kissable Couture, his fab lip gloss line.

Here's how it will work: Have questions about your foundation, choice of color palette or the basics? Get them ready now. Then, during the chat, type your question on the fan page wall and AJ will answer you directly!

As a beauty expert and luxury cosmetics designer, AJ Crimson is one of today's premier influencer in beauty, fashion and entertainment. With an established reputation for clean yet luxe makeup and skin techniques, AJ's attention to detail combined with his innovative and creative beauty solutions make him first choice for artists, celebrities and magazines across the country. This will be the perfect opportunity to get an expert perspective and improve your technique. Exciting! Right?

RSVP here and be sure to join the chat next Thursday!

About AJ Crimson

Along with having a bevy of devoted clientele such as Grammy Award winning musician Estelle, Grammy Award winning vocalist Letoya Luckett and many others, AJ Crimson has quickly become one of the foremost authorities of celebrity beauty and is widely requested for key campaigns with artists and celebrities. Editorially, he is an oft-quoted beauty and cosmetics media expert. His analysis and work is regularly featured in fashion and lifestyle magazines worldwide such as Glamour, Harper's Bazaar Espanol, InStyle, Real Simple, Essence, Vibe and many others.

Currently the young co-founder and creator, Crimson, spearheads the collaborative efforts of the widely popular luxury cosmetics line, Kissable Couture with business partner and co- founder Keisha Nash Whitaker.

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Burberry Prorsum Spring 2012 RTW Goodness

September 26, 2011

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Inspiration Found: Bottega Veneta Spring 2012

Bottega Veneta September 25, 2011

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I ❤ San Francisco

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market September 24, 2011

By Katrice

I recently traveled to San Francisco for the first time and spent a long weekend getting to know the very East Coastesque city in the west. As soon as I arrived, I set out on what I expected to be a 20-minute errand to the drug store. Instead, I walked the SoMa {South of Market} district surrounding my hotel for two hours. I was in love. Beautifully mild weather, libations from The Coffee Bean and a quick trip through the Union Square shopping area ... San Francisco had me at hello.

{The view from my window first thing in the morning. Lovely fog.}

Stay here: InterContinental Hotel San Francisco is one of the city's most eco-conscious luxury hotels featuring rooms with floor to ceiling windows, i.e. an abundance of natural light. I never drew the curtains on the wall window that ran three quarters of the way around my room and only needed to use the lights at night. Loved it. ICSF is primly located in proximity to the Union Square, the Museum of the African Diaspora and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, so there was plenty to see from the 28th floor. The hotel is also home to Luce restaurant and arguably the best brunch in the city.

Eat here: Roy's San Francisco

Its menu features an eclectic choice of entrees from the Crunchy Golden Lobster Potstickers and Teriyaki Cheeseburger to Smoked Tomato Soup, Bravo White Cheddar & Winchester Gouda Grilled Cheese with a Waimanalo Greens Salad.

{Crispy Crab Cake Salad Sundried Tomato Pesto, Citrus Vinaigrette}

Go here:

Drop by the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Saturday for lunch and take in a cooking class or just grab some fruit courtesy of certified California farmers to take back to your room for a snack.

Visit the Contemporary Jewish Museum for the Black Sabbath exhibit -- a musical journey through a unique slice of recording history, the Black-Jewish musical experience from the 1930s to the 1960s. Visitors will learn about how Black artists treated Jewish music as a resource for African-American identity, history and politics.

There is great boutique shopping in the various districts of SF. On my way from the Ferry Plaza I walked through Chinatown and then Union Square where you can find everything you're looking for from Zara to Hermès. Love.

Wear this:

Layering is a must. Pack a lightweight scarf or pashmina, a blazer and comfortable shoes.

{Started out in layers and ended up in a light cardi by the afternoon.}

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Win SheaMoisture Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Soufflé!

Coconut and Hibiscus Curling Souffle September 23, 2011

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MVL Radar: Leather Leggings for Fall

Burberry September 20, 2011

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Stella McCartney Falabella Woven Tote

Falabella Woven Faux Nappa Small Tote September 19, 2011

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A Lesson in Afrology

afro September 16, 2011

By Katrice

At least once every few weeks, I hear someone who is so discouraged with her natural hair say that she is thinking of reverting back to a chemically straightened coif. And I feel like jumping into action with every tip I have learned by trial and error or heard in my three years of getting to know my own hair the way it grows out of my head.

I feel like I should do something, not because I am against straightened hair -- because I'm not; but because I don't want us to give up on our "selves."

Going natural is not easy. It's not always beautiful and revelatory ... And every woman's process and reasoning is different. But, the stark reality is our hair, the way it grows out of our heads, is a fundamental part of who we are. We just haven't seen that part of ourselves since we were girls and we have gotten so out of touch that we reject it.

So many times, I hear women say that hair is just hair, i.e. a non-factor. I have said it myself; But, that is only true situationally. We are deeply affected by our hair's response to our desires for it and subsequent manipulation. While we tend to see our hair as more an accessory than an appendage, it is actually more of the latter. For some of us, it is just as essential and affected as our skin. It is just as sensitive and responsive as our nails. And unless, you make the ultimate decision to shave it all off -- it can be a major factor in how we feel every day.

WE are heavily influenced by Western ideals of beauty. Straight is more feminine. Straight is more professional. Straight is easier to maintain. Straight is more beautiful. Straight is more civilized. Straight makes others more comfortable with us and in turn us more comfortable with ourselves.

Why? Because anything other than straight takes us back to our "primitive" days.

"Late in the 18th century or early in the 19th century, Americans in the southern U.S. began to refer to negro slaves as nappy heads, comparing some tightly curled negroid hair to the nap on some cloth or fur. It was not a compliment." - Bill Casselman

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