Hair Stories: Make It Shine

Amerie, Porschla Coleman and Jessica White brighten the red carpet with ultra shiny tresses.

1. Pantene Pro-V Relaxed & Natural Conditioning Wrap & Set Lotion, $4.99, www.walgreens.com; 2. Phytospecific Beauty Styling Creme, $24, www.sephora.com; 3. Platinum Silkening Gloss by Kenra, $12.35, www.brightonbeautysupply.com; 4. Tui Hair Oil, by Carol's Daughter, $18, www.sephora.com; 5. Tui Jojoba & Shea Butter Sheen, $17, www.carolsdaughter.com; 6. Silken Seal Liquid Sheen by KeraCare, $18.70, www.thebeautyauthority.com; 7. Silk Finishing Gel by Mizani, 411.49, www.mountainbeautysupply.com; 8. Serious Shining Spray by Elucence, 48, www.curlmart.com

Black hair can be dull and lack natural shine compared with other ethnic groups, but that doesn’t have to become the story of our lives. Encourage a natural state of glow by regularly conditioning your hair. Just slather on a crème conditioner after washing your hair in the shower and leave it on for ten minutes. Remember to rinse your hair afterwards with cool water to close the hair cuticles. For a little extra gloss after styling, avoid products with mineral oils. If you see it listed as one of the top three ingredients run for the hills! Products with a high mineral oil content are purely cosmetic and just sit on top of the hair shaft instead of nourishing it – which should be the objective. If you like using a particular product with minerals oils be sure to wash (and condition) your hair once a week. Silky smooth hair is only a healthy regimen away!

Read My Lips: Berry Delights

Rihanna, Jessica White and Heather Headley show that berry lips can provide retro, modern and classic looks respectively.

1. No7 High Shine Lip Gloss in “Sugar Muave” available at www.cvs.com; 2. Almay Ideal Lipcolor Lipstick in “Berry” available at www.drugstore.com; 3. No7 Stay Perfect Lipstick in “Velvet Kiss” available at www.boots.com; 4. Sweet Jelly Lip Gloss in “Delicious” by Rimmel; 5. Color Perfection Lipstick in “Chianti” available at www.maxfactor.com; 6. Lip Tint SPF 15 in “Black Cherry” available at www.bobbibrown.com; 7. Iman Luxury Moisturing Lipstick in “Bewitched” available at www.walgreens.com; 8. Lip-Liner Pencil in “Salsa” by Nars Cosmetics

Plum to berry shades suit all skin tones and add a sensual look to any made-up face. A more subtle statement than red, plum shades are a great way to go if you want to experiment with color. Be sure to use a primer on lips before applying any lip color to condition your lips and help color last longer. Primers are also excellent at preventing lips from drying out and cracking. Try Smashbox’s Lid & Lip Primer, $24 from Sephora.com.

LBD Season...

Model Jessica White arriving at Diddy's Vibe Magazine Cover Celebration and "Press Play" Album Release Party at Crobar in New York City last month.
Amerie attending Max Azria's Spring 2007 Dinner And Cocktail party at Ten June Restaurant and Bar in September of this year in New York City.
Jamelia arriving at the Emporio Armani One Night Only Fashion show at Earls Court as part of London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2007 in September of this year.
Jill Marie Jones on the red carpet of the First Annual ELLE GIRL Hollywood Prom party held at the Hollywood Athletic Club last year.
Elise Neal and Nia Long at the 2006 AAWIC Film Festival Closing Awards Ceremony last month in NY.

Every girl needs at least one, maybe two! The Little Black Dress (LBD) is a closet necessity, much like the gold sandal or perfect-fit jeans, it's a fail safe oufit as well as being classic. With Christmas and Thanks Giving fast-approaching, it’s time to get our party wardrobe into first gear. The women above make looking stunning seem easy… and it is! All we mere mortals need is the perfect black dress. See below for ideas...