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Buy Black Friday: Pretty On Purpose NYC

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Another Friday, another opportunity to Buy Black. Today, we’re highlighting the clothing and accessory line, Pretty On Purpose. This Brooklyn based company launched in 2012 and has the goal of transitioning into a wholesale house. Check out some of their pieces on the following pages. If you’re interested in purchasing, click the links to buy.

New #sockalert Limited supply! Search #fishnet feet. #getthelook by clicking the link in bio.

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Fishnet Ankle Socks, $5.90

 

When the devil thought he had you! Not today Satan!! Feeling good thanks to @jstlbby - Shirt can be purchased by clicking link in bio #nottodaysatan

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Not Today Satan, $18.90

For The Culture Cap, $20.00

 

#newarrival For my Cat eye lovers #

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High Brow Cat Eyes Glasses, $5.90

 

Designer Bamboo earrings, $5.90

 

Pretty in Pink Suede Dad Cap, $12.90

 

Oddly enough these were last weeks 'best sellers' Click link in bio for colors. Search :Fancy Feet

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Fancy Feet (lace Ankle socks), $4.90

Medium Cuban Bling Link Ankle Bracelet, $12.90

They're back with a slimmer silhouette. Our Rock Star flat tops 2.0 Click link in bio to grab you a pair. Only a few left 😎

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Rockstar Flat Tops 2.0

The post Buy Black Friday: Pretty On Purpose NYC appeared first on MadameNoire.


Alicia Keys Debuts A New Look For The Summer

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A post shared by Alicia Keys (@aliciakeys) on

After inspiring us all to go makeup-free, Alicia Keys is now reminding us why we love braids so much. Not that we actually needed anymore convincing but the 36-year-old  singer has been known to slay braids since she first arrived on the scene.

Yesterday (July 22) night, Keys took to Instagram and debuted a new look for the summer: vibrant orange and pink braids. The “Grammy winning chanteuse usually rocks calmer hues like jet and chocolate brown but this striking mix of colors compliments her caramel complexion well.

Back in January, Keys told Glamour magazine that she thinks “it’s beautiful when a woman is comfortable not being the norm.”

#views #nyc

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PEOPLE furthered reported on the story, sharing, “I didn’t think wearing braids was something revolutionary or iconic; that was just how I loved wearing my hair. I recognize now that how you look is your statement, because it’s a claiming of yourself. You’re saying, ‘Look, world. This is me. Love me or hate me, I really don’t care.’ I guess that is the revolution.”

The post Alicia Keys Debuts A New Look For The Summer appeared first on MadameNoire.

According To Beyoncé’s Makeup Artist, Here’s How To Ensure Melt-Proof Brows This Season

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We all know just how hard it is to master melt-proof makeup in the summertime. It’s a feat not many of us have achieved, myself included.

However, according to Sir John, the makeup artist behind Beyoncé’s flawless glow, believes that melting makeup doesn’t have to be synonymous with heat and humidity. Especially since he has the perfect handy hack for keeping eyebrows in place whether you decided to pencil them in or use a gel or shadow.

To keep brows in place, he recommends spraying hairspray on a thin toothbrush and then rubbing it gently on your brows (in more extreme cases like when on tour with clients, he has used a glue stick in place of hairspray)Once you complete the aforementioned, he suggests continuing your normal brow routine by penciling them in with a waterproof product like L’Oréal’s Paris Brow Stylist Definer ($8.99), which creates the highly coveted tiny, natural hair look.

The post According To Beyoncé’s Makeup Artist, Here’s How To Ensure Melt-Proof Brows This Season appeared first on MadameNoire.

Get Into This New Jam From Justine Skye Featuring Jeremih

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Back For More ft. @jeremih OUT NOW!!!

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It’s been nearly a year since rising R&B sensation Justine Skye released a project, but she’s back.

Her latest song, “Back For More,” is a smooth, mid-tempo jam featuring Jeremiah and samples a familiar tune. If you guessed the hypnotic beat of Nelly’s “Flap Your Wings,” you’re correct.

Taking turns flaunting their harmonies and melodies, the duo sound unstoppable.

“Got me all up in my feelings/ You out partying, I’m chillin’ / You don’t miss a good thing until it’s gone / You don’t take me serious until I’m done,”sings Skye.

The hook and bridge are handled by Jeremiah, who coos, “You’ll be back for more/ You won’t regret it / You’ll be back for more / I’ll call it payback if you do / But we both know what you want on the low.”

Skye recently tweeted that her album is not only done but on the way. Well, from the sounds of this track, she’s got more greatness in store.

The post Get Into This New Jam From Justine Skye Featuring Jeremih appeared first on MadameNoire.

Lamar Odom Says He’s Working On A Tell-All Book

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Lamar Odom is slowly but surely making his way back in the spotlight after he was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel and rushed to a Las Vegas hospital just two years ago.

The former Lakers player recently visited the Wendy Williams show where he spoke candidly about everything from his near death experience and his marriage and divorce from Khloe Kardashian. Now, after such an honest and open conversation, Odom revealed to In Touch Weekly that he’s working on a tell-all book about his life.

“I have a book coming out, an autobiography,” he said. “[The book will cover] everything. It’s a free-for-all. [I’ll be] open about everything that’s been going on in my life, about the past.”

A source close to Odom also shared with the tabloid that Odom will delve into his drug addiction and much more, saying, “Lamar is going to include never-before-told secrets about cheating, sex, and drugs, the booze, the pills, the cocaine, all of it.”

There has yet to be a release date for Odom’s book.

The post Lamar Odom Says He’s Working On A Tell-All Book appeared first on MadameNoire.

Beyoncé’s Madame Tussauds Wax Figure Removed Amid Criticism For ‘Adjustments’

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While Madame Tussauds is heralded as a world-class museum featuring wax sculptures of some of our favorite celebrities ranging from Michael Jackson to Zendaya, folks are side-eyeing them for their latest recreation.

Of who, you ask? Beyoncé.

Earlier this week, the Twitterers collectively bashed the museum when a member of the Beyhive snapped a photo of Beyoné’s wax figure at Madame Tussauds New York City location. While the fan referred to the statue as “fierce,” others couldn’t help but notice at just how much the Lemonade singer didn’t look like herself.

Case in point: her lighter complexion and unfamiliar facial features. A Twitter user even vented how the statue looked more like Lindsey Lohan than Queen Bey.

Apparently, this isn’t the first time Madame Tussauds failed at creating a convincing Beyonce statue as one fan tweeted, “They never get Beyoncé’s wax figures right. I guess she just can’t be duplicated.” Need prove? Check out this loss the Louis Tussaud’s Wax Museum in Niagara Falls, Ontario took when they tried to replicate the global sensation’s greatness.

Now, after numerous fan complaints,  the figure was taken off of the floor on Thursday (July 20), The New York Times reports. That same day, Madame Tussauds New York sent an emailed statement regarding the figure.

“Our talented team of sculptors take every effort to ensure we accurately colour match all of our wax figures to the celebrity being depicted,” the statement read. “Lighting within the attraction combined with flash photography may distort and misrepresent the colour of our wax figures, which is something our sculptors are unable to account for at the production stage.”

24 hours later after the initial statement, Madame Tussauds sent out another statement explaining that the wax Beyonce was back on display after a few adjustments: “We love, respect and enjoy a working relationship with Beyoncé. We have adjusted the styling and lighting of her figure and she is on display.”

The museum hasn’t provided further details.

The post Beyoncé’s Madame Tussauds Wax Figure Removed Amid Criticism For ‘Adjustments’ appeared first on MadameNoire.

Working Smarter: Is Your Hard Work The Reason You Can’t Get Ahead?

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academic success

At 33-years-old, I’m a part of the millennial generation whose parents and grandparents routinely label entitled and self-absorbed. We’re the last in a long line of generations who were told we were “special snowflakes” who with hard work, determination and a college degree could have the American dream delivered to our doorstep. Many of us subscribed to the notion that hard work can and does pay off. So in high school we (well, actually not me, I got contact lenses in 9th grade and you couldn’t tell me nothing as I traded in my books for the boys) buried our heads in books just knowing those college-level courses would place us ahead of the game. We obsessed over SAT scores and aggressively aimed to get into Ivy League schools regardless of how much they cost because we knew an undergrad degree from them alone was enough to kick us into high gear towards that six-figure salary and Dutch Colonial in a gated community.

But then 2008 happened and many of us graduated in a recession only to discover that even with our kick-ass valedictorian speech, 5.0 GPA and Brown degree, we may have been able to snag some kind of employment and maybe even afford a brand new Lexus, but we were still living pretty average and not making the six-figures we were promised. To add insult to injury, a new study is showing that when it comes to changing the world in a Mark Zuckerberg kind of way, your valedictorian status probably isn’t really a big deal.

Time.com recently reported on a study that followed 81 high school valedictorians and salutatorians after graduation to see what became of students who were seen as the brightest and best in their classes. Karen Arnold, a researcher at Boston College, discovered that of the 81 students she observed, their average GPA was 3.6, and by 1994 many of them had received their college degree. Arnold observed that 90% were in professional positions and 40% were in the highest tier of their respective employers. Although none of those observed were exactly living broke, none were necessarily doing anything “spectacular” either which poses the question: Does academic success guarantee notable career achievements? Arnold says the answer is clearly no and our culture’s attitudes and expectations regarding education are to blame.

When it came to the debatable success of her study’s subjects, Arnold says “doing everything right” may be the quickest path toward mediocrity:

“Even though most are strong occupational achievers, the great majority of former high school valedictorians do not appear headed for the very top of adult achievement arenas.”

“Valedictorians aren’t likely to be the future’s visionaries . . . they typically settle into the system instead of shaking it up.”

The study confirms that “doing everything right” in terms of traditional success standards of “hard work + degree = a good life” isn’t necessarily misleading but may be the reason why so many of my friends find themselves frustrated in the careers and unfulfilled. Many of my peers are slowly beginning to feel like hamsters on a wheel as they revamp resumes, sit through boring staff meetings, wait to accrue vacation time and keep their fingers crossed for promotions. They’re able to afford the basics: a decent home in a nice neighborhood, a new car every couple of years but do they feel like their making any kind of difference in the world? No. And furthermore many of them feel replaceable and stuck in positions where they aren’t valued and anyone with a few brain cells and two working arms could perform.

Arnold says this is because traditional career paths value conformity and not innovation. In other words, our generation may be filled with more “Yes Men” than independent thinkers.

“Essentially, we are rewarding conformity and the willingness to go along with the system.”

Many of the valedictorians in Arnold’s study admitted to not being the smartest kid in class, just the hardest worker. Others reported they aimed more to give teachers what they wanted than actually knowing the material better. Most of the subjects in the study were classified as “careerists”: they saw their job as getting good grades, not really as learning.

If you think of it, many of the leaders we look up today didn’t take the most traditional career or educational paths. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook was a Harvard drop out and is now the fifth richest person in the world at 33 years old. Many of the tech giants including Bill Gates of Microsoft and Travis Kalanick, once the founder of UBER are all folks who gave the finger to the front row in class and trusted their ideas and ingenuity more than any textbook. Does it mean that a college education is worthless and that you can’t be a success just playing by the rules? Of course not, but it does mean if you want to make a significant mark on the world, you’re probably not going to do it by following your syllabus. The article breaks down exactly why:

“School has clear rules. Life often doesn’t. When there’s no clear path to follow, academic high achievers break down.”

“Following the rules doesn’t create success; it just eliminates extremes—both good and bad. While this is usually good and all but eliminates downside risk, it also frequently eliminates earthshaking accomplishments. It’s like putting a governor on your engine that stops the car from going over fifty-five; you’re far less likely to get into a lethal crash, but you won’t be setting any land speed records either.”

Maybe it makes sense to take a chance on trusting your professor less, and your gut instinct a little more. Some of us millennials don’t give ourselves enough credit and we talk ourselves out of pursuing our passions before we even begin to explore the great impacts they could make not just our own future but others in the world. Because the truth is working harder doesn’t always work when it comes to changing the world. And even if I spend the rest of my days in data entry, I think it’s important to teach my daughter to work smarter and embrace her individuality, and most importantly question everything. Just because it’s always been done one way, doesn’t mean it’s the best way. So start that YouTube channel. Write that book. Open that restaurant. We won’t all be Mark Zuckerberg’s but that doesn’t mean we all have to settle for being Leslie in HR for the rest of our lives either.

Toya Sharee is a Health Resource Specialist who has a  passion for helping young women build their self-esteem and make well-informed choices about their sexual health. She also advocates for women’s reproductive rights and blogs about  everything from beauty to love and relationships. Follow her on Twitter @TheTrueTSharee or visit her blog, Bullets and Blessings.

 

 

 

The post Working Smarter: Is Your Hard Work The Reason You Can’t Get Ahead? appeared first on MadameNoire.

“I’m Always Pushing For More.” Yvonne Orji Talks New Series And Keeping The Faith

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yvonne orji talks second season of insecure

We all need a “Molly” in our lives and I’m not talking about the kind that causes panic attacks and profuse sweating. I’m referring to a friend that inspires you with their hustle, co-signs your craziness and is honest with you when you’re about to make a donkey’s behind out of yourself. If you’re a fan of Issa Rae’s hit show Insecure, you know that Yvonne Orji is the actress behind the corporate bad ass who has better luck practicing law than love as she and BFF Issa navigate the wins and L’s of their lives one trap song at a time.

The actress recently sat down with Her Agenda to talk about how she got her start as an actress, how her faith has helped guide the way to success and her career aside from the hit HBO series she’s come to be known for.

So how does a girl go from getting a master’s in Public Health to jumping in front of the camera? 33-year-old Orji says she literally stepped out on faith:

“My faith was the bridge for that. I wasn’t checking for the entertainment industry. I didn’t even know I could be a part of the entertainment industry or to what capacity.”

“Nothing about this seemed right, anything I’ve ever done or ever wanted to do, but…it’s really [about] practicing trust [in God] and saying ‘Yes.’ Getting that internship for the Writer’s Room was saying ‘Yes.’”

Orji steps were definitely ordered. In addition to landing the role of lovable and impeccably dressed “Molly”, she’s also hosted Chris Rock’s Total Blackout tour in Atlanta, hosted “The Wait Is Sexy,” an honest TedTalk in which she was very vocal about her decision to wait to have sex until she’s married and is currently working on a pilot for the series FirstGen. The semi-autobiographical series will center on Joanna, a first generation Nigerian-American who trades a career in medicine for a chance at stand-up comedy. Orji shared that the show has required a lot of passion as well as the message she hopes it will promote:

“I say all the time, it takes nine months to have a baby. Anything before that is premature.”

“However, long it’s going to be, it’s going to come out like ‘Kaboom!’ guess who just stepped in the room. It’s going to be dope.”

“There’s so many stories I want to tell with this show that I think will resonate, not only with people who are FirstGen, but with anybody who comes into contact with FirstGen. Like ‘My best friend is from Ghana, and I didn’t know that her parents put pressure on them. This show has helped me see why they’re 4.0 students.’ TV has the opportunity to educate in a way that opens you up to understand other people and start conversations you probably wouldn’t know how to start. It gives you an entry way.”

With executive producers Oprah and David Oyewelo, we’re sure the show will be well worth the wait.

Even with all the moves she’s making, Orji is clear that self-care is important:

“I’m always pushing for more. How can we pack on more to that? For me, I live by can’t stop won’t stop. Yea, I can use a vacation, but there’s work to be done. But rest is important and I take it. When my body is like ‘Sit down! Be humble.’ [I listen] because I have to replenish.”

So what can fans look forward to in the second season of Insecure? Orji tells Entertainment Tonight that the next chapter will focus on growth for the characters:

“Molly is trying to be a better version of herself from season one,” Orji explains reminding us that her character’s insecurities haven’t completely gone away “because, you know, she was a beautiful mess.”

She shares that the show will also explore subjects that the black community is hesitant to touch such as mental health and getting professional help and open relationships. Orji reveals that’s what makes the show so different:

“That’s what makes the show really exciting and funny and fresh.”

“Last season, we talked about homosexuality within the black community. We looked at black women who cheat. And those are things that we haven’t necessarily seen before. The show is always going to throw up a lob and see where it lands, never telling you a right or wrong.”

You can read the complete interview here where Orji shares the insane time of the day she gets her best work done and her goal to bring the black rom-com back. You can also check out the misadventures of Molly and Issa when the second season of Insecure airs on HBO Sunday, July 23rd.

The post “I’m Always Pushing For More.” Yvonne Orji Talks New Series And Keeping The Faith appeared first on MadameNoire.


Put It In Writing: 50% Of African-Americans Die Without A Will

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estate planning

If you’re fan of the OWN series Queen Sugar, you’re well aware how much a will can make all of the difference when it comes to the people and property left behind when a loved one passes. As I finalized flight and hotel reservations this past week for an upcoming weekend getaway me and hubby will be taking soon, he interrupted my talk of checked bags and the burger place I want to go back to with, “We really should have something in writing about what happens with our daughter in case anything ever happens to us.”

It’s a thought no one ever likes to entertain, but one I entertained briefly a few weeks before during the benefits re-enrollment process at my job as I shopped life insurance and listed beneficiaries. I’ve seen the drama that can unfold when a relative passes and no plan is left in place. Family members channel their grief into disagreement and drama and make major arguments over minor details like whether to go with the lilies or carnations for funeral flowers. Although it’s easy to take on the attitude that you won’t really be aware of what happens in the event of your death, the truth is that you can have a say in what happens with not just your assets but also the relationships between your friends and family during what will probably be a very difficult time.

As a part of their Money Series, mater mea reached out to estate-planning lawyer Lori Anne Douglas who dropped some gems about the importance of creating a will and updating it according to the changes in your life:

Douglass, a partner at New York City-based Moses & Singer LLP, shares not having a will can have consequences for your family down the road and it’s not fair to assume your family will just figure it out:

“People don’t understand that when you die, all your stuff stays here,”

“And if you don’t make a plan for it, it’ll get to the next generation, but there’ll be a significant haircut.”

She also believes that failure to estate-plan is one of the reasons why generational wealth has often alluded the African-American community:

“Having done this for 25 years and watched all the money that was lost in families because they didn’t have any planning, I am convinced that if the African-American community got on the good foot and every Black person who is alive over 60 did their estate planning, we’d be the richest minority group in the United States in one generation. We used to be the assets. Now we have assets.”

Douglass shares that when it comes to estate-planning, it’s best to get the assistance of attorney, particularly when issues such as property and guardianship of children come into play because things can get very complicated. She also adds that estate-planning doesn’t just have to apply to what happens in the event of your death, but also what happens in the event that you become disabled and can’t communicate your wants and needs:

“It’s equally as important. Most people are going to be disabled for some period of time before they die now that people are living so long. If the person becomes disabled and can’t make their own medical or financial decisions, the only way that somebody can legally make [decisions] for them is to go to court and do a guardianship or conservatorship proceeding. It’s expensive and time-consuming, and it’s just really unnecessary.

A person [should] complete, for medical directives, a health-care proxy that appoints somebody to make your medical decisions if you can’t make them; a living will that address whether you want to be removed from artificial life support if that life support is only going to prolong your natural death; and a general power of attorney that allows somebody to make your financial decisions if you can’t make them. All of those documents can be found online for free.”

Douglass also shares that when it comes to costs, it’s much cheaper to administer an estate when there’s a will in place than when there isn’t one:

“More than 50% of African Americans die without a will. Everybody should have a last will and testament if you don’t have a more complex estate plan, because it’s always cheaper to administer an estate when you have a will than when you don’t have anything.”

And when it comes to your little ones, you can’t just assume that they will automatically be placed in the care of a favorite auntie or set of grandparents:

“If you have minor children, a will is the only legal document where you can nominate guardians for your children.”

To learn more about estate-planning and making sure your loved ones are cared and provided for in your absence, you can read the two-part article here.

The post Put It In Writing: 50% Of African-Americans Die Without A Will appeared first on MadameNoire.

Usher Hit With Another Hefty Lawsuit Claiming He Exposed A Second Woman To STD

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Usher

Between R. Kelly’s alleged harem and Usher’s 2004 hit “Let It Burn” taking on a whole new meaning, the foolery isn’t over just yet.

After recently released court documents revealed that Usher paid a sex partner $1.1 million for giving her herpes, yet another woman is speaking out about her intimate experience with the R&B singer.

According to TMZ, an unnamed woman who claims Usher knowingly exposed her to an STD is now suing him for $10 million, citing “emotional distress, negligence, and battery.” Court documents tied to the case refer to the woman as “Jane Doe” and detail that she and Usher had not one but two sexual encounters in April, the first occurring at her Atlanta home.

The woman, whose name is listed as “Jane Doe” in the legal docs, claims that she and Usher had two sexual encounters in April, the first of which occurred at her Atlanta home. She goes on to assert that during their initial purported encounter, the woman performed oral sex on the 38-year-old and engaged in sexual intercourse. While the suit is said to state that Usher did in fact wear a condom the first time, they engaged in unprotected sex the second time around at a hotel in New Orleans.

Interestingly enough, the woman has not been diagnosed with an STD. This suit follows this week’s media headlines of legal documents revealing that Usher paid another sex partner an upwards of a $1 million for giving her herpes. “Jane Doe” also expressed that while she’s not infected, she is concerned because she was “exposed.” She also went on to say that if Usher would have been forthcoming about his health she would have not had sex with him.

Usher has yet to publicly address the lawsuit nor the recently revealed court documents.

The post Usher Hit With Another Hefty Lawsuit Claiming He Exposed A Second Woman To STD appeared first on MadameNoire.

Here’s How To Keep Your Foundation From Melting In The Summer Heat

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applying makeup

Summertime makeup woes are a real thing. From an obsessively oily t-zone to choosing between cream, gel, and powder applications, we’ve all felt the wrath of trying to maintain a beat face this season.

However, there’s hacks, tips, tricks, and solutions for everything and thankfully Lijha Stewart, MAKE UP FOR EVER’s Director of Artistry and Education, has the answers. ESSENCE recently caught up with Stewart, asking her how ladies can keep their foundation from melting in the summer heat, to which she answered, “Primer acts like velcro for your foundation, while setting spray locks your foundation in place.”

Of course, keeping your makeup in place also has to deal with the products you choose and it’s ingredients. “The right summer primer for your skin type is important!” she continued. “Meaning, if you have oily skin, avoid primers that have too much silicone. This can cause more slipping and moving of your foundation. Instead, try a primer that is water-based or oil-controlling, as this can provide a more stable base and allow the primer to soak into skin rather than floating on top.”

Ladies, if you’re looking for the right product to extend the wear of your makeup, Stewart recommends MAKE UP FOR EVER’s Step 1: Skin Equalizer Hydrating Primer ($37, sephora.com) and Mist & Fix ($30, sephora.com.

Read the full story here.

The post Here’s How To Keep Your Foundation From Melting In The Summer Heat appeared first on MadameNoire.

Take A Look At Nike’s Chrome Blush Collection

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After much anticipation, Nike’s Chrome Blush collection has officially arrived.

As we all know, one of the best parts of working out is sporting super cool gear, which is exactly what the ultra-feminine, 31-piece athlesiure collection is all about. With 21 of the pieces being cool kicks, the rest is a mix of sports bras, tanks, leggings, and much more that you’d make use of while running, training, or even handling your every day routine. And of course, the color palette is indicative of it’s name, so there’s items to cop in colors ranging from blush-toned pink to black, white, and grey.

With prices being reasonably marked at $25 to $160, we’re sure that this collection will sell fast. Head over to your local Nike brick-and-mortar or the Nike website to get your Chrome Blush fix.

In the meantime, check out some of the styles from the collection that caught our eye below.

 

Nike Dry Versa Long Sleeve Training Top ($65)

 

Nike Free Focus Flyknit 2 Chrome Blush Training Shoe ($120)

 

Nike Sportswear Track Pants ($60)

 

Nike Air Zoom Fearless Flyknit Chrome Blush Training Shoe ($140)

Nike Breathe Running Tank ($50)

 

Nike Free TR7 AMP Training Shoe ($100)

 

Nike Classic Swoosh Medium Support Sports Bra ($30)

The post Take A Look At Nike’s Chrome Blush Collection appeared first on MadameNoire.

This Woman Is Proving That You Can Get Fit Anywhere, Literally…

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Long gone are the days of skipping out on your workout because you can’t make it to the gym or are too tired to make the trip. Seriously, just ask Ivone Ekman or follow her on Instagram (@angoswede).

The 32-year old accountant and part-time fitness trainer hailing from Washington, D.C. doesn’t let anything get in her way of staying fit. Stuck at home with the kids and can’t find a babysitter? No worries. In true Ekman fashion, plant yourself right in front of your couch and get to work. From weighted squats to leg presses, overhead presses, and more, she’s all for unlikely fitness equipment.

So, what happens when you’re traveling or on vacation and want to workout but might not have access to a gym? “Grab a chair girl!!! And put that booty to work,” she captioned one of her many Instagram workout posts, which has built her a loyal following .  “With just a chair in the comforts of my hotel I did jump squats to warm up, step ups, split squats, overhead squats, forward and backward lungs, and good mornings. So much more you can do with just a chair.”

Well, if that’s not enough motivation to get it in anywhere, we don’t know what is. Continue scrolling for more motivation to kick your fitness into high gear.

 

The post This Woman Is Proving That You Can Get Fit Anywhere, Literally… appeared first on MadameNoire.

Did You Know Ameriie (Yes The “1 Thing” Amerie) Is A Best-Selling Author?

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ameriie becomes best-selling author

I don’t know about you guys, but it could be 37 degrees in the dead of winter in the middle of a blizzard and all I need to do is pop on Ameriie’s debut single, “Why Don’t We Fall In Love” for it to feel like it’s the first day of spring. Throughout the early 2000’s, the singer would top the charts every now and then with hit singles like “1 Thing” and “Heard Em’ All” and earlier this year she dropped new music with the song, “Redrum”.

After marrying producer Lenny Nicholson in 2011, Ameriie channeled her talent into other ventures including a Youtube channel called “Books Beauty Ameriie” where she reviews books, makeup, hair care products and more. Last year, Entertainment Weekly reported that the songstress teamed up with other BookTubers and YA giants like Nicola Yoon and Marissa Meyer to create Because You Love to Hate Me, a new anthology published through Bloomsbury Press, celebrating the villains of the world. When asked on why she chose to create a book centered on bad girls and guys she shared that she believes our interest in the dark side says a lot about how we see ourselves:

“Everyone loves to hate a villain (or loves to love one, even), and sometimes we’re afraid of what that might mean about ourselves and our own values. What is right? What is wrong? Can something very wrong today be deemed a necessary evil years later? Where’s the line? Is there a line?”

“For me, storytelling is more about questions than answers, and it only made sense to explore the concept of villainy from as many perspectives as possible.”

Fast forward to July of this year and fresh off independently dropping her latest album “Drive”, Ameriie officially added the title of editor and author to her name when Because You Love To Hate Me hit shelves. Ameriie, who wrote the foreword in addition to editing the anthology and contributing a story of her own, shared with Instagram followers that the work recently made its way to the New York Time’s bestseller list and even shared some moments from a book signing. Check out a few pics below that highlight yet another talent of the lovely Ameriie!

Instagram Photo

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“My Mission Is To Humanize The People Of The City.” Lena Waithe Shares Backstory Of That “Thanksgiving” Episode And Upcoming Project “Chi”

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lena waithe talks the chi

Master of None is a hilarious, but still severely slept on little show by comedian Aziz Ansari that tackles the experience of being a millennial American through the eyes of different cultures without making us feel like he’s attempting to fill some kind of quota. If you’re a fan, you may have caught one of the stars Lena Waithe truly step into her role as main character’s Dev’s best friend, Denise, a super dope chic who just happens to be an African-American lesbian. The episode “Thanksgiving” was recently nominated for an Emmy and centers around Denise’s experience coming out to her family. Waithe recently sat down with EBONY to share if and how the episode reflected her own reality. The 33-year-old shares she didn’t actually feel all that compelled to tell the story at first:

“I think for me as an artist I never had a desire to tell that story, per se. I just felt like I want to show queer people, particularly a queer Black woman, post that part of her life. Dating, hanging out with her friends, kicking it [and] having a certain kind of swag. I feel like most of our stories tend to be coming-of-age, which happens to include a coming out theme. When do we get past that?”

She goes on to explain that Ansari and co-writer Alan Yang convinced her the show would tackle the experience in a way that hasn’t been shown before, and Ansari even  worked around Waithe’s busy schedule at the time (Waithe was working in London) to make sure her writing, and not just her story was a part of it:

“I just told it to them in the writer’s room. I was like, ‘You guys will still write it and come back and tell me what we’re shooting.’ They were like, ‘Nah, we need your writing too. We need you to help us with it.’”

She also talked about how personal and scary the writing process was, but she’s thankful to her colleagues or giving her the opportunity:

“What we shot is 90% of what we wrote in that hotel room in London. It was fantastic and the process was really cool. I had never really written with somebody like that.”

“It’s a scary thing to come out. It’s a place I don’t go back to every day, but to kind of just sit in it and to relive that, to know I survived it, to know I came through it was really powerful. It was a really amazing experience. And for people to respond to it the way they have I think is just revolutionary.”

“It really is a tribute to my family. It’s a tribute to how strong you have to be to come out not just to your mom, but to yourself, to your friends and to the world. It really just was a wonderful gift that Aziz and Alan gave me. I didn’t even realize at the time that it was such a huge gift. But I’m just glad that we got to do it.”

Waithe also shared what she hopes to accomplish with The Chi, an hour-long  drama recently picked up by the Showtime network which Deadline describes as, “a relevant, timely and distinctive coming-of-age story and follows a half dozen interrelated characters in the South Side of Chicago.” Waithe says she hopes to shatter the broken image some have of the city:

“My mission is to humanize the people of the city. I ask that people be patient with us in the first season, we’re trying to figure it out. It’s not just me. I have a lot of producing partners that work with me on the show. I think my biggest thing is definitely to maintain the integrity of the city. That’s my goal.”

She reveals Common, a fellow Chicago native, along with his team are also helping with the show for which she wrote the pilot for a few years ago.

You can check out the infamous “Thanksgiving” episode in Season 2 of Master of None which is currently streaming on Netflix. You at least have to watch it for Kym Whitley’s line about the sweet potatoes alone.  You can also read Waithe’s exclusive interview with EBONY here.

The post “My Mission Is To Humanize The People Of The City.” Lena Waithe Shares Backstory Of That “Thanksgiving” Episode And Upcoming Project “Chi” appeared first on MadameNoire.


Building Your Child’s Self Esteem | Mommy in Chief

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ABOUT THIS EPISODE In this episode of Mommy in Chief, we are discussing how to build your child’s self esteem. It is very important as a mother to build your child’s self esteem from birth. We also have a special treat for you at the end of the segment. You don’t want to miss the […]

The post Building Your Child’s Self Esteem | Mommy in Chief appeared first on MadameNoire.

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