JAN 2009
Appears in Vogue editorial, photographed by David Sims
Walks the spring Chanel, Christian Dior, Givenchy, and Jean Paul Gaultier couture shows in Paris
Rihanna | MySpace Music VideosDid Chris Brown turn Rihanna into the supposed hard singer on this video? i always envisioned Rihanna as a soft spoken nice young lady, what has happened to her? and whats next thug,gangs,crews?etc
Can rapper Jay-Z's latest album titled "Blueprint 3" live up to the hype? Yes, I am a big fan of Jay-Z, but in this article I am going to give a honest review of "Blueprint 3".
The album consist of 15 tracks with production by top producers such as Kanye West, Swizz Beatz Timbaland and Pharrell. Here is a quick break down of the album.
"What We Talkin About" starts off the album and is an intro song that gives you that feeling that you are about to hear something great. It is a decent track but it could have been a little more hard hitting. What I mean is, it could have been a little more aggressive and up beat, but Jay is known for doing intro tracks like this so I can't really complain.
The second song on the album titled "Thank You", Jay thanks his fans and his foes in a very fluid flow that rides the horn filled beat effortlessly. This song is good mainly because of the rhyming.
Track 4 "Run This Town" is easily one of the best songs on this album in my opinion. Kanye West and Rihanna really makes this song a winner. I love the beat and really the whole concept of the song.
Even though the track that Swizz Beatz produced is his typical "Swizz beat" I really like It's up temple vibe. I would say this is the most energetic song on the whole album.
Track 8 "Off That" is a track produced by Timbaland featuring new comer Drake.The song is ok, but I feel that Drake should've actually rapped a verse instead of just doing the chorus.
In "Venus vs. Mars" Jay really gets creative with the metaphors as he raps over just an ok beat. Overall not to special.
The last song on the album is a good one titled "Forever Young". It is very similar to the last track on Jay's last album "Kingdom Come". The combination of a really nice beat an a heart felt flow, this is a definite winner.
In closing
I honestly was expecting a little more from "Blueprint 3", but it is a good album overall. I give it a 3 out of 5 stars. I'm tough on Jay because he has set such a high standard in his past works.
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Most of the women of color have had their own experiences of struggling with their afro hair. This has encouraged them to make their move of having their hair relaxed and straightened out more willingly than embracing their natural curls.
The natural curls have this fantastic look, and often have a cool and funky edge. In spite of this to be able to make most out of the afro hair, it is very vital to treat the natural curls properly. The main and most typical dilemma that the women of color will be facing with their afro hair is the frizzies. To be able to tame the frizzies, treat your natural curls well and using some hair moisturizer whilst your hair is still damp.
If your hair is thick, then you had better opt for creams instead, and if your have finer frizzy hair, a moisturizing lotion will be fine. You also have to keep in mind that you have to stay away from any heavy and sticky products such as waxes because they will dry your hair out and encourage more frizzes.
Aside from avoiding waxes, you have to avoid any product that contains even the smallest, tiniest microscopic level of alcohol that is every so often found in hairspray.
Apart from treating your hair well, having a good hairstyle that will fix your natural curls is another good option.
I have to applaud a woman of color who has short hair and openly embraces their natural curls, obtaining a chic and carefree outcome with their short hair. You can wear your short hairstyles straight along with rows of flawlessly lined small curls that are done weekly by your hairdresser or at a wash-and-go Afro.
Short hair can give you that more carefree and classic look, and not just that, but it will also highlight most of your features. You can always have a talk with your stylist and ask for his or her opinion on what will complement the shape of your face.
Braiding is also a hairstyle that will be perfect for women of color. By using the hair extensions, the short hair becomes longer and the thin hair becomes thicker. You have the preference of choosing the classic businesslike braid style that is braided together with the ends being twisted into a bun at the nape of the neck. However, you have to be careful still, is the hair is braided too tight it will result in thinning of the hair and may even cause bald spots.
Wearing your natural hairstyle will make you feel more untroubled about yourself and your do. What you need to do with your natural hairstyle is to do a two stand twist every after washing your hair and then put conditioner on the twists and let them be for a few days. It will be a big help for you when in accounts of saving more money that would or else be spent for your hairdresser every month.
However, if you really want to straighten up your hair then that is fine, but if you are more happy and comfortable with your natural curls then why not try these hairstyles for women of color to be of help.
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Posted using ShareThis Tiger Woods will be in public view Friday morning for the first time since the early-morning car accident in November. Woods will be saying he's sorry.
In front of a single television camera at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., home to PGA Tour headquarters, and with three wire service reporters and an undisclosed number of pre-approved golf writers present, the 34-year-old superstar will be talking for the first time since admitting in December he was unfaithful to his wife, Elin. Woods will apologize for his behavior, his agent Mark Steinberg said Wednesday. No questions will be allowed.
"While Tiger feels that what happened is fundamentally a matter between he and his wife, he also recognizes that he has hurt and let down a lot of other people who were close to him," Steinberg said in an e-mail. "He also let down his fans. He wants to begin the process of making amends and that's what he is going to discuss."
Ariel Meredith 1986 Born in Shreveport, Louisiana 2008 Signs with Ford Models in New York, and Elite Models in Milan and Paris AUG 2008 Trace magazine features Meredith as a rising star SEP 2008 Debuts at the spring Vera Wang show in New York; also walks for Diesel, L’Wren Scott, Milly, and Baby Phat 11 SEP, 2008 USA Today follows Meredith as she takes on New York Fashion Week Story» SEP 2008 Walks the spring Aquilano e Rimondi, Brioni, D&G, La Perla, Elie Saab, and Junya Watanabe shows in Milan and Paris 2008 Models for H&M catalog 2009 Becomes one of the faces of D&G for spring, alongside Tanya Dziahileva, photographed by Mario Testino
Ariel Meredith, 24, was discovered at age 14, but did not pursue modeling full time until she had completed her education. A Shreveport, LA., native, Ariel is currently featured in a Dolce and Gabana campaign, has posed for V Magazine, French Magazine, H&M and Gap. This is Ariel’s first appearance in the Swimsuit Issue. "I knew I wanted to be a model during one of those times when my parents would pick up the camera when I was a little girl and say 'take a picture,'" she said. "I would just puff out my little hip and say 'OK.'" Meredith's mother, Marjorie Meredith, said her daughter was always posing. "If you look through any of the family photo albums you will find Ariel in a noticeable and striking pose," she said. When Meredith was 14 years old, she won a modeling competition in Dallas. In 1998, she signed with Ford Models in New York and the Campbell Modeling Agency in Dallas. As a teenager she graced the pages of Seventeen, Teen Cosmopolitan, Cosmopolitan, Sugar and Teen magazines
Place of Birth: Louisiana, USA Height: 5'10.5" ; 179cm Measurements: (US) 32-24-34 ; (EU) 81-61-86 Dress Size: (US) 2 ; (EU) 32 Shoe Size: (US) 10 ; (EU) 40 Mother agency: unknown Agencies: Ford Models - New York
Elite Model Management - Milan Elite Model Management - Paris
Meredith is one of 19 models frolicking in the surf in this year's edition. Her mocha skin shines in ample silver jewelry, a light dusting of sand and a barely-there bikini so hot it's certain to set fire to grocery checkout-line shelves. The Shreveport native appears in two photos in the magazine. The pictorial earns her a coveted place in a small, elite sorority of SI swimsuit models. Fellow members of this sisterhood of the string bikini include Trya Banks, Heidi Klum, Cindy Crawford, Bar Refaeli, Brooklyn Decker and -- believe it or not -- a few women who actually play sports, Serena and Venus Williams among them. In addition to the printed page, Sports Illustrated posts dozens of outtakes from the shoots on its Web site. Last year, the site got 500 million hits the first day the pics were posted. This is serious exposure, and it's not a gig open to every model. Swimsuit models are thin but must have curves. "We need girls who aren't anorexic-looking and aren't only going to fit into size 0 runway clothes," said Diane Smith, senior editor of the issue. These models also must have serious self confidence. Meredith is a 5-foot-10½-inch size-2, and nearly every inch of her is subject to public scrutiny in this spread. Smith said Meredith had more than just beauty going for her. "When I met Ariel, I thought she was unmistakably perfect for the swimsuit issue," Smith said. "We're always trying to push the limit, and we need girls who are really game adventurers, and Ariel has such a great attitude. I thought, here's someone who will jump on Mayan ruins." Meredith flew to Mexico in October for the shoot near Tulum on the Mayan Riveria. The photographers, models and makeup artists set up shots on pristine beaches and icy blue lagoons, at tiny cantinas and nature preserves. "It was great and I was willing to just dive in and try to get the best possible shots," said Meredith, reached by phone in New York between casting calls for Fashion Week, which opens Friday and ends Feb. 20. For the biggest week in American fashion, she's already booked for the Nicole Miller show, and the rest of her schedule is filling up quickly. Meredith showed up on Fashion Week's runways for the first time last fall. After walking for Vera Wang, Milly and Nicole Miller in New York in September, she was off to Europe, where she modeled in eight shows in Milan, including heavy hitters Dolce & Gabbana. The designers loved her look, casting her in an ad campaign, which appears in the glossiest of glossies around the world. Since then, her career has hit the accelerator. Meredith just flew back from the Maldives, where she was shooting a campaign for Swedish fast fashion company H&M. She's also recently posed for J.Crew and Ann Taylor Loft. On the phone, Meredith, not surprisingly, sounded tired. "I'm just trying to have fun with it all," she said. "But now I have to go, I've got a casting."
Remy hair is usually marketed as the highest quality in hair extensions, and for good reason. Why is Remy human hair such a great choice of hair extensions? Let us look at exactly what Remy hair is, in order to understand this.
What is Remy Human Hair?
Remy hair has just two defining characteristics:
• All its cuticles (the long layers of cells that coat our hair) run in one direction from root to tip.
• It is gathered from the donor in a way that the cuticles remain aligned; hence, there is no tangling.
There are further types and categories of Remy hair.
Categories of Remy Human Hair:
• Single Drawn/Double Drawn:
Single drawn Remy hair is the one in which the hair wefts are made of hair of different lengths. This closely resembles naturally growing hair and looks realistic. Double drawn Remy hair is the one in which the hair wefts are made of hair strands that are all exactly the same length. These look very neat, but they are very expensive because of the time and effort it takes to sort each individual strand of hair by length.
• Virgin/Non-Virgin:
Virgin Remy hair is simply that which has never been chemically treated; hence, it has suffered from little chemical or styling damage. This is the highest quality in Remy hair extensions. Remy hair that has been treated (such as dyed, bleached etc.) is called non-virgin.
• Remy Hair Sorted By Origin:
The most popular and the highest quality Remy hair is Indian in origin. This hair is thin yet strong. Other varieties are Chinese, European, Brazilian, and, possibly, Russian, though the existence of the last has always been somewhat controversial. European hair is very fine, and Chinese is strong but coarse and thick.
Advantages of Remy Hair over Ordinary Human/Synthetic Hair:
Remy hair has significant advantages over ordinary human and synthetic hair.
Advantages of Remy human hair over other human hair:
Human hair from other origins, even if it is of good quality such as non-Remy European, does not have cuticles growing in the same direction. Thus it is prone to tangling and consequently breaking. The absence of unidirectional cuticles also means less shine than Remy hair.
Advantages of Remy human hair over synthetic hair:
Synthetic hair is highly prone to styling damage, especially heat-based styling. It does not look as natural as Remy hair, and there is a world of difference in the natural bounce and shine of the hair. The advantage is that is available in greater variety and is cheaper.
The bottom line is this: Remy hair might be a little (or significantly) heavier on your pocket, but when you compare its look to that of other varieties, it is completely worth going for as far as hair extensions are concerned.
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African American Media Moguls: Delivering the Messages Despite the Downturns
By Meta J. Mereday
As the media industry joins the ranks of others that are facing tremendous declines and losing advertising revenue, African Americans in the media have also faced extreme challenges. First, the underrepresentation of African Americans in the media on the covers and in the board rooms is significant.
The inadequate coverage of African Americans due, in large part to the lack of depth in minority media ownership, has provided a unique opportunity in the nation’s current economic conditions. The media industry is taking major hits as revenues are dropping, readership and viewership totals are down and the journalism and media industries are bumping along the same rocky roads as the automotive industry where thousands of jobs were lost in a matter of days.
This has resulted in a rippling effect that has generated business closures and hampered the economic growth and development. The difference with the closure of a media property is the business that is lost as well as the voices, information and ideas that are carried to the people.
The media provides more than a product or service, especially to African Americans. African Americans in the media provide a much needed outlet to express the news and views of people of color who are so often given one-dimensional representations in mainstream media, or none at all.
“Running a media operation in today’s market is difficult, but not impossible and the opportunities are still there for African Americans who were not high in numbers from the start,” states L.P. Green, II, Founder, L.P. Green & Partners, a multi-platform media group that includes magazine publishing, online media and webcasting. “It requires understanding where the trends are and knowing how to apply sound business practices and creativity to capitalize on them. We stand on the shoulders of some great men and women who stayed the course in hard times.”
Research shows that radio and magazines have a strong following within the African American market. Most inner cities have an “urban format” station that attracts a large listenership within the African American communities. African Americans in media have preferences regarding the communications vehicles that best represent their interests.
Magazines with the highest ratio of African American stories and images generate the highest percentage of African American readers and consumers of advertised products. However, promoting a spot on the radio or printing an advertisement in an “urban-focused” publication is not enough to retain and sustain a long term following of African American support.
Participating in events and hosting activities that are relevant to the lives and culture of African Americans reinforces the much needed “cultural connection” between the publication and the consumer that transcends all the others in the pack. While magazines are a well received media within the African American community, the large number of failures brings home the message that despite a glossy cover featuring an African American in order to address the needs for African Americans in the media, you will discover that “without substance, there is no future.”
“You must still understand that African Americans in the media have to be shown in as many scenarios as any other ethnic group because they are just as diverse,” adds Green. “Publications that try to pigeon-hole this target market and to feature them with a singular focus and not as a people with many interests will fail.”
Because people of all ethnicities, especially African Americans, are multi-faceted, there needs to be a multi-faceted, hands-on, issue specific approach reflecting African Americans in the media to reach this burgeoning market segment and to maintain their loyalty and longevity.
in music videos and I would ask, 'Why can't I be like them?' They have a curviness, a sexiness. Coming from a black [Jamaican] community, curves are celebrated and being the skinny black girl when I was growing up was hard."
