Oscar Fashion… Be Kind!

Jennifer Hudson and Anika Noni Rose

Beyonce and Jada Pinkett-Smith

Keisha Whitaker and Queen Latifah

Penelope Cruz and Jennifer Lopez

Oprah and Mary J. Blige at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Tracey Edmonds and Shaun Robinson

Rashida & Quincy Jones and Will & Jaden Smith

Tanika Ray and Forest & Keisha Whitaker

Djimon Hounsou and Eddie Murphy

623 seamstresses beaten and whipped, 537 stylists cursed, 469 shoes re-dyed, 313 nails chiseled and 165 curling irons burnt-out and it was, for the most part, worth it. Many will debate the necessity of Ms. Hudson’s gold jacket but if nothing else, she’s been reading this blog (see below!) No one dress blew me away but I loved the way Oprah, Anika Noni Rose, Beyonce and Penelope Cruz looked.

Jada’s dress was disappointing. I’m not too sure what the bodice was all about. Keisha Whitaker's dress was ugly to me in the back with the roses but she still worked it and can someone explain to me who Shaun Robinson and Tanika Ray are?! Seriously, I see them all the time and I have no idea what they do.

Lasty, the men were sharp in their tuxes, bar Quincy. Wasn't Jaden so cute presenting an Oscar? I’m mad that Djimon didn’t win but at least he looked yummy. Don’t worry Djimon, you can always come cry on my shoulder!

From the Horse's Mouth...

CoverGirl's PR reps sent me this statement regarding the 'casting call' that occurred earlier this week. They read your feedback and passed it on to CoverGirl :

Thank you to all the women who showed up and stood in line in the cold for the CoverGirl Queen Collection casting call to share their stories on what makes them a “queen.” I was completely overwhelmed by the response and apologize I didn’t get to meet everyone! We couldn’t have predicted the number of women who would participate or the weather, and we’re disappointed we were unable to hear more stories. We heard from almost 300 amazing, inspiring women from all walks of life -- WNBA players, policewomen, cancer survivors, abuse victims, rappers, women from shelters, mothers, daughters, grandmothers, etc. -- and from all parts of the country beyond the tri-state area – Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, etc. We’re passionate about finding the perfect queen and honored so many women wanted to share their stories.

From,
Queen Latifah and CoverGirl

Hmmm...

Calling All Cover Girls!

Queen Latifah and CoverGirl are holding a casting call in NYC next week to find the next CoverGirl. Queen Latifah believes every woman is a “queen” and on Monday, January 29th, she is holding an open-casting call in NYC to find a new face to appear in an ad for the CoverGirl Queen Collection.

All women of color -- from Latina to African American -- ages 18-48 are invited to strut their stuff in front of a panel of judges, including Queen Latifah herself. Contestants will be asked to share their story as to how they have achieved both inner and outer beauty –whether it was through a recent accomplishment, community service, overcoming an obstacle or standing up for something they were passionate about. If you think you have what it takes head down there and give them your best pose! See details below...

What: Queen Latifah open-casting call to find a real woman to appear in the next CoverGirl Queen Collection advertisement

When: January 29, 2007 from 11AM to 4PM (line forms at 10AM)

Where: BB King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues)

If you’re thinking about going get inspiration from these ladies. Thanks to Samara for the info.

Sign Here: _________.

Rihanna's Cover Girl campaign will begin in summer of 2007.
Queen Latifah is the face of her own new makeup range, "Queen."
Kerry Washington, Oluchi and Beyonce join forces to head the H.I.P (High Intensity Pigment) campaign for Loreal... Are you worth it?!

Earlier this month Cover Girl cosmetics announced Rihanna as their newest spokesperson. This got me thinking about how far the beauty industry has come in regards to recruiting African-Americans to promote their products. Veronica Webb was the first black model to sign a major cosmetic contract with Revlon in 1992 and Liya Kebede followed in 2003 when she won a highly coveted contract with Estee Lauder and became their first black spokes model. In between that time Brandy has worked with Cover Girl and Halle Berry signed a major deal with Revlon. I once wrote a paper that talked briefly about corporations and their efforts to reach the African-American community. I found that while it’s beneficial public relations-wise for them to feature black women in their campaigns, it’s hard to convert that exposure into actual dollars. What do you guys think? Are you swayed by seeing images similar to yourself on the pages of magazines or on the TV screen? For me it’s simple. I go by brand and products. Revlon will always have a hard time getting me to use their foundations no matter how many black women they employ to ‘speak’ on their behalf (I don’t think they even make my skin color?!)

I do believe that hiring African-Americans is a necessity for giant cosmetic companies however, their products need to be developed further. Why only have four dark shades in their line when we come in at least 30 different shades? I am impressed by the range of products Cover Girl and Loreal have produced in their “Queen Collection” and “H.I.P.” lines respectively, but I’m sticking with M.A.C and Nars for the foreseeable future.

In any case, congratulations to Rihanna (Cover Girl), Gabrielle Union (Neutrogena), Queen Latifah and Joy Bryant (Cover Girl), Angela Bassett (Olay), Selena Breed (Lancome), fellow Ugandan Kiara Kabukuru (Cover Girl), Kelly Rowland (Dark & Lovely) and of course Beyonce, Kerry Washington and Oluchi (Loreal), for all scoring contracts. Let us not forget all the ANTM winners like Danielle, Eva the Diva for Cover Girl and Yaya who is currently in an ad campaign for Garnier.

Note: BAP’s: Reality or Myth? Find out here.

Are You Faking It?

Mary J. Blige and her husband Kendu Isaacs, seated front row at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards last week.
Kimora Lee Simmons arriving at Paramount Pictures' and Walden Media's screening of ‘Charlotte's Web’ at Clearview Chelsea West last week in New York City.
Candid of Kelly Rowland shopping on Fifth Avenue in New York City last week.
Queen Latifah attending the "Dreamgirls" premiere presented by DreamWorks Pictures & Paramount Pictures at the Ziegfeld Theatre on earlier this week in New York City.
Meagan Good walks on Main Street during the Sundance Film Festival back in 2004 in Park City, Utah. – Are these boots ridiculous? Yes. Does Meagan get away with them? Absolutely!

I in no way, shape or form advocate the skinning alive of animals for fur. It’s not even necessary in this day and age… Just fake it! I know Mary J. Blige, Kimora and possibly Kelly are certainly not faking. Some poor fox suffered for that wrap on Mary’s shoulders. And look at the pic of the Queen… :(

I think fake fur can look just as elegant and glamorous as the real thing, plus you don’t have to sleep with one eye open worrying if that was PETA you heard outside your window (them folks are serious with the cause!) So this winter faking it is good… See below for the goods.

Jeans 101: Sista Big Boned

Queen Latifah arriving at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood in March of this year.
Raven Symone promoting her new film “The Cheetah Girls 2” in Detroit in August of this year.Missy Elliott arriving at Ciara's Birthday Party at Marquee last month in New York City.

I’m not trying to leave out my bigger sistas, so below are a couple of great sites with extensive denim collections. I did my best to find jeans that flatter the thighs as well as the booty. I wonder where Queen Latifah buys her jeans, or even her whole wardrobe, she always looks so fly!