Cynthia Bailey for Obvious Magazine

A little while ago I got the change to work with model/reality tv star Cynthia Bailey. It wasn't my first encounter with her as I visited with her at her agency, The Bailey Agency, here is Atlanta. She is a very down-to-earth person and was extremely easy to work with! (No divatudes with her!) Check out the cover shot that will be published in Obvious Magazine as well as some behind the scene shots I took on set.

Achieving the Pregnancy Glow

Photo by Laretta Houston,

This may come to a shock to some, but yes I'm expecting!!! While I may just be a lucky girl to not have a lot of breakouts and sickness, I wanted to share some things that worked for me with achieving that "baby glow". I know there's a lot of old myths and wives tales that associate having the glow by the sex of the baby, but I think you may be able to control some of the issues. Here are some things I think that could help...


Symptoms of Pregnancy Concerning Skin:
- Dryness
- Breakouts
- Dullness/discoloration
- Dark spot - redness

  Tips to help combat these symptoms:
- Water, water, and more water! Isn't this the ageless beauty secret? Well not only will your skin need the water to flush out toxin and hydrate, but your baby will need it as well.
 - Don't skip out on the prenatal pills. Though these are really taken to provide nutrients to the baby, the Vitamin A and E are also great for skin and nails
- Eat more fruits and veggies. I was lucky to crave fruit all day and night! I also didn't eat and lot of meat which I think helped with my skin as well.
 - Don't skip out on a good skincare regime. You're skin is probably sensitive so make sure you regularly wash pillow cases and makeup utensils so that you don't transfer bacteria. Also be sure to wash your face day and night, moisturize, and exfoliate when appropriate.

 Lastly, as you know I'm big on the tinted moisturizer vs foundation. I mix my Bobbi Brown oil-free tinted moisturizer with my bronze radiance Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, layered over my oil-free Laura Mercier primer. I throw on MAC Fabulush on my cheeks, a little bronzer, mascara, concealer, then I'm out the door!

Hope this helps! Here's my maternity photos of me and my baby boy! :)

Photo by Laretta Houston

Male Grooming for TV: Game Change's Danny Strong

Back in March of this year, I had the pleasure of working with producer/writer/actor Danny Strong while he was in Atlanta promoting his controversial HBO movie GAME CHANGE. I did his grooming for his interviews with CBS Atlanta and CNN as well as the movie premiere.

Tips for male grooming for TV:
Most men want to look as natural as possible with no traces of makeup shown on camera. For Danny's grooming, I applied Makeup Forever HD foundation sparingly in a slightly darker shade so he didn't appear too pale in front of the camera. I used a small amount of concealer where necessary to cover any small spots/blemishes. I also set it with a small amount of loose translucent setting powder, and small amount of balm on the lips. That's about it! Check out the CNN interview to see how the makeup looks on camera and if the movie airs again it's actually a good one that set a HBO record for most views in the first weekend with over 3 million views! Check it out:

Spring 2012 Trend: Coral Escape

 

Spring is my absolute favorite time of the year! Ok maybe I'm partial because I'm a May baby, but I always love the fun colors of the season. In true Spring fashion, coral is a great color to rock with neutrals, metallics, and hints of blue or green. Check out some of my coral picks for 2012.

Sally Hansen's Kook-A-Mango Nail Polish:

MAC's Costa Chic Lipstick (with Prestige "poppy" lipliner)

Nars Cream Blush in Cactus Flower

Beautiful and Bald Barbie!

I believe that this doll is long overdue, but I love that it is finally being done by Mattel. There are many young girls fighting with cancer and this is a great doll to help with addressing the issue of hair. Like India Arie's song "I Am Not My Hair", this doll shows the beauty of a girl or woman despite having long, flowing hair.

The power of social media is so strong! This doll came to Mattel's attention through a Facebook campaign with over 150,000 likes. Mattel will now produce and distribute the dolls exclusively to children’s hospitals and other hospitals treating children with cancer throughout the U.S. and Canada, directly reaching girls who are most affected by hair loss.

Barbie is not the first though! Moxie Girlz and Bratz have already jumped onboard with the concept, manufactured by MGA entititled "True Hope Dolls" and hit stores June 2012.