I was recently invited to HSN headquarters in Tampa, Florida to interview Mary J Blige in connection with the promotion of her My Life fragrance collection. During my visit I was treated like beauty royalty and for this I am incredibly thankful to the nice folks in Tampa (Hi Mindy! Hey Brad!).

As a Beauty Editor/ Blogger and all around beauty industry fixture, I occasionally interact with and interview celebrities about their collections, collaborations, product launches, etc. Regarding Ms. Mary J Blige – and THIS must be said– Mary J Blige is THEE most gracious celebrity I have had the pleasure of interviewing. And while I am certainly a MJB fan (“What’s the 411″ was my 90′s e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g), I assure you, this is no crazed fan girl rant (I am a journalist, people). Mary was kind, patient, warm, genuine, giving, and offered valuable insight into beauty, brand building, and the importance of legacy.

Without further ado — from Mary, to me, to you:

Felicia Walker Benson for ThisThatBeauty:

Mary, I’ve followed your career since “What’s the 411″, which was almost 20 years ago. Can you talk to the importance of building your brand and creating longevity as an entertainer and specifically as a female entertainer.

Mary J Blige:

It’s been a while. The early part of my career, I was in a cloud….trying to get to this place where I am right now and enjoying it all . So no, it doesn’t seem like its been 20 years. But I am enjoying where I am right now. I’m like “Gosh, this is wonderful. This is great. Has it really been 20 years. I hope I have 20 years left because I want more of this”!

FWB for TTB:

What’s your favorite…”What’s the 411″ or “What’s the 411 – Remix”?

Both. I love the remix. Oh my God, it was crazy. And the original–it was great too. It was amazing. Music was just so good at that point in time…for everyone!

FWB for TTB:

Talk to the importance of building a brand and sustaining over a 20 year period.

MJB:

Branding is incredibly important because it is here when you are gone. It sustains your legacy. You have to be careful with your brand and make sure you are sending the right message. It’s one of the most important parts of why I do this. My brand is about loving, nurturing, and giving people what they need to heal and get through life. I want to give people what they need to make it through life and heal. Your brand is your legacy…it’s the thing that exists when you’re asleep in bed and when you’re long gone.

FWB for TTB:

In looking at the evolution of Mary J Blige the entertainer, it’s obvious that you enjoy fashion and are respected for your fashion choices.  Can we chat a bit about your decision to go into beauty?

MJB:

Beauty is something that I saw in my mom when I was a young girl. The women I grew up around were so beautiful, like you…your skin is fricking incredible and even your hair. You look like a healthy, beautiful, black woman (ME: *gushing and thankful the whole time*). I grew up around women who wore red lipstick like you and really took pride in their appearance. They had great skin, wore red lips, wore fragrance, and wore beautiful fragrances. My surroundings made me want to be glamorous even though I was a tomboy. My friends and family inspired me to get into beauty. There’s just something special about a woman who smells great, who feels beautiful. It’s a beautiful thing. Beauty is a big part of helping you to feel better…if you smell good, you feel good.

FWB:

Mary, it’s clear that you are a symbol of transformation and positive self-reinvention for many women, which is one of the underlying themes of beauty. Can you please share how your emotional  journey has dovetailed with your philosophy on beauty?

MJB:

I train and work out. I honestly believe that beauty starts from within. You have to get your head right. If your thoughts are not right, you’re not going to look right. I drink a lot of water. I don’t diet hard but I try to keep balanced. Beauty starts inside, you can really blow someone away with your spirit, like you Felicia, you’re giving me all spirit and you are blowing me away with your inner beauty. I can tell you are a good person (ME: *near tears…she’s so kind to me*). And you look nice, but it starts from within. Inside out beauty is what I believe in. And I also believe in forgiveness.

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Words to live by. Thank you Mary J Blige and HSN!

Girls, believe the hype.  CND Shellac’s claim of at least two weeks of chip free, mirror-shine finish is absolutely true! I’ve been rocking my CND Shellac manicure for almost three weeks and the finish is as glossy as the day it was applied…and for the record, I am quite domestic (cook/clean regularly) and I work with my hands (makeup artist). I highly recommend CND Shellac for women who desire a long lasting manicure. Whether you’re a girl about town who wants the perfect mani, always….or a busy mom who doesn’t have time for weekly salon visits — CND Shellac is for you!

If you’re in the NYC area, visit the salon where I had my CND Shellac manicure applied:

Jin Soon Hand and Foot Spa

I recently discovered the most unique line of flat nail polish and I have been bursting at the seams ever since, trying to find the perfect time to share my beauty booty with you. While browsing one of my favorite beauty destinations, Michael Angelo’s Wonderland Beauty Parlor, I stumbled upon KO Knockout. The line is developed by makeup artist Mike Potter…a name you probably recognize as the artist behind the hair and makeup for the stage and film versions of Hedwig & the Angry Inch. So you see, boyfriend is a visionary!

With shades like “Calamine” (it looks exactly as you would imagine), “Pool”,  and “Ox” — KO Knockout offers a nail lacquer collection that fuses Rocker Chic with Victorian Style.

The flat lacquers are richly pigmented and deliver opaque color with just one coat. I encourage you to go off the beaten path and explore polishes not available in your local nail salon or Sally Beauty. KO Knockout is a fun and innovative line of high quality lacquers. ThisThatBeauty approved!

Click here for a complete list of retailers

]]> http://www.thisthatbeauty.com/2010/12/ko-knockout-flat-polish/feed/ 6 http://www.thisthatbeauty.com/2010/09/thisthatbeauty%e2%80%99s-back-from-the-tents-exclusive-coverage-of-mercedes-benz-fashion-week-ss11-new-york-%e2%80%93-butter-london-for-vena-cava/ http://www.thisthatbeauty.com/2010/09/thisthatbeauty%e2%80%99s-back-from-the-tents-exclusive-coverage-of-mercedes-benz-fashion-week-ss11-new-york-%e2%80%93-butter-london-for-vena-cava/#comments Sun, 26 Sep 2010 05:40:40 +0000 Felicia http://www.thisthatbeauty.com/?p=7372

Union Jack Black and Yummy Mummy were the Butter London colors of choice for Vena Cava’s Spring 2011 nail look.  Neither of the colors are new but based on the Vena Cava’s line of seventies inspired pieces that included cropped pants and knee length and longer hemlines, the choice of dual toned nails was spot on. The nails added edge to the somewhat conservative clothing. Press on nails were made specifically for Vena Cava and are not sold by Butter London.

For Spring 2011 Butter London has three colors that are not yet named (Shown above).  According to Founder and Creative Director, Nonie Creme, inspiration for the existing Spring colors came from impressionist lace and print fabric.  The green shown above was “muddied up with a bit of black” to give it some edge and get away from the pastels.  More colors will likely be added to Butter London’s line after New York Fashion Week.

Nonie Creme sees nail art making a comeback for spring 2011.  However, It will be refined and tasteful with simple graphics.

To recreate the look at home…

The best way to get this look at home is to use press on nails. Apply two to three coats of Yummy Mummy to the nail and allow it to dry.  The best way I find to get the half moon is to use the ring and index fingers to hold the nail (upside down) on the middle finger. (The top of the nail to be painted with the half moon, should be held away from you.)  In one fluid motion, apply one coat of Union Jack Black. Allow nails to dry completely and you are good to press on.

Butter London polishes are ‘3 free,’ that is free of formaldehyde, DBP, and Toluene.  They also have treatments for cuticle and nail care.

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This post is written by ThisThatBeauty Contributor, Christene Carr. For more: @CNicholaC,  www.christenecarr.com, and www.hairandskinjunc.com

Fridays with Felicia: An intimate look behind the curtain as I share my favorite style/beauty discoveries and ThisThatBeauty shenanigans from previous week.

What a week…phew! I’ve been so consumed with fashion/beauty press previews that I almost forgot to pick winners for my “The MakeupShow” giveaway. Luckily @meaganshea tweeted *several* times to remind me:). The two lucky winners are:

• GlamGigs
• Tai_Chi (you still need to tweet me back with your full name so that I can put you on my guest list)

Congrats ladies! You get to attend TheMakeupShow and meet makeup greats like my boo to the right, the legendary James Vincent (google him. LOL). You may each bring a friend. So for those of you who did not win…friend these gals on Twitter and try to tag along!

I popped in on several beauty and fashion press previews this week. Some I’ll highlight here and others I’ll cover in upcoming posts. All in all, I was quite pleased with this week’s presentations!

Lipsy London is en route via select Bloomingdale’s stores and bloomingdales.com.

The trend-happy youth inspired UK brand kicked off their US launch with what else?…a British Afternoon Tea Party.

While Lipsy London offers an extensive collection of tops, bottoms, lingerie, and accessories…the strength of the collection appears to be it’s party dress category — particularly the VIP dress collection.

While viewing the Lipsy collection, I thought a lot about the Lipsy US customer. Who is she? Well given the heavy trend influence (feathers, studs, Grecian one shoulder dresses — oh my!) I’m getting a visual on a young woman who is in her late teens to late 20′s…She is celebrity-style inspired (reads US Weekly religiously)…She parties like its 1999 (and likes her ensemble to be reminiscent of said year, 1999.)….She’s never tardy for the party…She has a smoking hot body and legs that don’t quit.

Speaking of fashion, trend, style, etc — Here’s my Accessory Report for the week:

My favorite new headband comes from New London Pharmacy NY ($8). It is extremely comfortable, does not cause a headband-headache, and is great for dressing up a casual hair style. As you can see from the picture below, I am still doing my two loose romantic braids from last week (they’re so easy going and carefree for spring). My DVF cat eye sunglasses are pretty much a daily staple. I rarely leave the house without them.

With the recent drop in temperature this week, I’ve been rocking my mustard yellow lamb skin with suede detail fingerless gloves. They’re by Jypsea.

The best possible start to my day is a beauty breakfast. This week The Body Shop invited me to attend a beauty editor’s breakfast with their top International Makeup Artist, Chase Aston. During the intimate breakfast Chase walked us through the new Italian baked shadows, blushers, bronzers, and nourishing lip products.

Generally not a fan of shimmer on shimmer, the Italian Baked-to-last eye Color ($14.00) product was a pleasant surprise. The multi-tasking shadow duo contains two shimmer shades but the deepest shade of the two is strongly pigmented and creates beautiful contrast against the lighter shade…as opposed to total wash-out like so many shimmery pairs. The shades can be applied either wet or dry to take eyes from fresh and natural to sexy and intense. I love that the products are mom/on-the-go friendly in that they can be applied and blended seamlessly with the fingers. True story. Now obviously for a more polished look, you would use a brush, but for a simple lid color and light crease contour — your fingers will do!

Delipscious Tinted Lip Balm ($10.00) is perfect for the costumer who wants a subtle hint of shine, moisture, and color. The product contains naturally-derived ingredients and natural food flavoring. It is formulated with 100% food grade ingredients. The four shades feature fruit oil to match your chosen flavor and fruity shade – Peach, Watermelon, Berry or Papaya Crush.

The Body Shop’s International Makeup Artist, Chase Aston calls Sheer Lip Color ($12) the next step up from Delipscious Lip Balm and is perfect for the woman who wants to introduce a stronger color influence to the lip. Sheer Lip Color is available in eight mouth-watering shades.

This week I attended an exclusive preview of Women’s Health Beauty Award winners. Cocktails, manicures, and award winning beauty products — oh my!

I spent time with a rep from Boots and learned about the UK based skin care line that’s developed a very loyal following here in the US.

Here’s a sneak peek of the winning beauty products. The full list will be made public in the June issue of Women’s Health magazine.

In looking over the illustrious display of winners, I was as pleased as punch to spy a number of products that have been featured on ThisThatBeauty. Great minds….

Click here for previous coverage of mark. Gloss Gorgeous Lip Stain

Click here for previous coverage of L’Oreal Infallible Lip Gloss

Click here for previous coverage of Clinique Even Better

“Fridays with Felicia” would be incomplete without the mention of my nail color du jour. This week I was invited to cover the launch of some exciting new products from Perfect Formula. As of right now, the products are so new that they are not yet available online. I promise future coverage that includes a polish that changes color with your mood! Can you even? Here’s an exclusive sneak peek of the products. More deets soon…I promise!

Have a good weekend!

xo,

Felicia

I love introducing intriguing new products! STRANGE BEAUTIFUL is a most interesting line of lacquers. Unlike most polishes with catchy descriptive monikers, STRANGE BEAUTIFUL colors are deliberately nameless. Instead, creator Jane Schub believes it is more thought provoking and stimulating to remember each color by its reference or inspiration. Drawing influence from a vibrant red Olivetti Valentine typewriter designed by Ettore Sottsass and Josef Albers’ colour theory, the lacquer line blends elements of beauty and design. Every STRANGE BEAUTIFUL polish is packaged in an engraved lucite box. The innovative 220 strand brush ensures effortless pigment distribution. STRANGE BEAUTIFUL is free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, and DBP.

STRANGE BEAUTIFUL is available at Bergdorf Goodman and www.luckyscent.com.

]]> http://www.thisthatbeauty.com/2010/04/thisthatbeauty-nails-it-strange-beautiful/feed/ 3 http://www.thisthatbeauty.com/2010/03/thisthatbeauty-nails-it-orly-sweet-color-collection/ http://www.thisthatbeauty.com/2010/03/thisthatbeauty-nails-it-orly-sweet-color-collection/#comments Fri, 26 Mar 2010 05:03:32 +0000 Felicia http://www.thisthatbeauty.com/?p=4385

New for Spring, french professional nail care brand Orly is set to introduce the Sweet Color Collection. This limited-edition color offering consists of six yummy candylicious inspired pastel shades. ThisThatBeauty’s fav is “Snowcone”

• Pixy Stix: a coral red
• Lollipop: a pastel purple
• Lemonade: a sherbet lemon yellow
• Gumdrop: a soft mint green
• Cotton Candy: a light pink
• Snowcone: an electric blue

Visit www.orlybeauty.com for further information.

Are you suffering from an acute case of “Manicure Boredom”? The term is loosely defined [by me] as the overwhelming feeling of “meh” that hits you when its time to select a polish for your weekly mani. Essie Ballet Slippers….beat it! OPI Linkin Park After Dark…so over! If you’re stuck in a mani rut, check out my montage of bad azz nail art.

May you be inspired!

It’s time for another installment of “ThisThatBeauty Nails It”.

I love how I announce the upcoming installment of “ThisThatBeauty Nails It” as if this is actually a regularly occurring series. Like I’m actually churning out lacquer reviews on a somewhat consistent basis. Shame on me. The nerve! Tis true…my lacquer lovin’ is lacking. I am seriously slackin’ on my polish pimpin’.

<steps into confessional booth>

Dearest ThisThatBeauty readers:

It has been five months and seven days since my last installment of “ThisThatBeauty Nalis It”. Sure, I mentioned NARS Purple Rain polish as part of the Spring Collection rundown. And recently I dished colorful deets on the OPI Hong Kong Collection just last month. But much time has passed since a wrote a good old fashioned “ThisThatBeauty Nails It” lacquer review. I promise to do better!

In an effort to “do better“, I am bringing on guest blogger and lacquerholic, Aina Lee. A “lacquerholic” is not just what Aina is, it is also the name of her popular nail polish blog. I am delighted to welcome Laquerholic to ThisThatBeauty. So without further adieu, here is Lacquerholic’s review of “Re-Fresh Mint” from China Glaze Spring 2010 Collection – Up Up and Away.

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The bright and pastel polishes of the Up Up and Away collection transport me back to those carefree summer days when I played in Central Park as a kid.  The youthful hued collection also makes me think of the classic song by the 5th Dimension of the same name.  “Up, Up and Away in my beautiful balloon”, but I digress…

The shade “Re-Fresh Mint” is just that….a refreshing minty green pastel that is a bit lighter than Essie’s Mint Candy Apple. For the image in this post I applied three coats of polish (no top coat). The formula is somewhat off an oddity as it is thick, yet slightly runny. In terms of application method, I found that the faster I applied each coat, the better the end result. Applying the polish at a snail’s pace will result in unsightly streaks. I tried to keep the coats thin and as neat as possible. This was a bit of a challenge as I’ve never been one of those kids who could paint inside the lines!

As for the shade of the polish, I really like it.  Mint green polish was never top of my list…even as the craze swept a few months back with shades like DamoneRoberts 1968 and Chanel Jade. I tend to favor dark vampy polishes. I was not sure I would like “Re-Fresh Mint” against my skin-tone, but was pleasantly surprised. I am really glad that I gave in to the craze! If you desire to go green, get “Refresh-Mint” at  beauty e-tailers like Sally Beauty Supply. Get it while it’s hot!