Forever Shine

A messenger and a mentor!

Albertina Walker

"Queen of Gospel"

8.29.1929 - 10.8.2010

Pouty Mouth

Another example of politics at work while we all pay the price. Click on the title (Pouty Mouth) to read the article and you decide.

Like that $45 tube of lipstick, this comment makes me frown. So what’s a true Sister of the Gloss to do? Put on another shade of my favorite, “O” by MAC!

Smackdown: $45 For A Tube Of Lipstick? Now There's Something To Pout About!

We've heard the colors are absolutely gorgeous and that the case they come in is simply divine, but could a lipstick really be worth an extravagant $45.00? Apparently so. Designer Tom Ford has created a collection of 12 Private Blend Lip Colors that range in hue from the barest nude to the blackest berry. Yes, they are formulated with rare and exotic ingredients including soja seed extract, Brazilian murumuru butter (known for its powerful emollient qualities) and chamomile flower oil. And, they are touted to be richly pigmented, luminous, ultra-creamy, incredibly smooth and long-wearing. But could any lipstick truly be worth the pucker-up price of forty-five precious dollars a tube? Sisters Of The Gloss, that's for you to decide.

Lip Liners

Here's an opinion from Kelly Cutrone, founder of the public relations, branding and marketing company, People's Revolution:

You know where nice people end up? On welfare.

Well Kell, with bravado like that, you can wear any shade you so desire.

Forever Shine

This lady was a champ!

Lena Horne

6.30.1917 - 5.9.2010

Hollywood, Red Lipstick and Sex Symbols: A Celluloid Love Affair

Silent film star Theda Bara was probably the first actress to wear red lipstick. Thanks to the handiwork and make-up artistry of Maximillian Factorowitz, better known to the world as Max Factor, the deep red lips that blazed across the screen in the 1920's ignited a trend that to this day signals passion, romance, love and sex appeal.

In the earliest days of stage and screen, dramatic make-up punctuated by striking red lips separated actresses from the ordinary women who could not easily afford to buy extravagant beauty products. By the mid 1940’s that all changed. Several different make-up companies began introducing seductively named lipsticks and matching nail polishes that were sold in department stores and drugstores all across the country. From the red carpet to the living room carpet, from the ballroom to the boardroom, from the bright lights of Hollywood, to the dim lights of the bedroom, the allure of red lipstick is here to stay!

Some of our favorite red-lipped celebrities from the present and the past: Qwen Stefani, Scarlett Johansson, Krisitn Bell, Lil Kim, Chistina Aguilera, Madonna, Billie Holiday, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Naomi Campbell, Kate Walsh, Pee Wee Herman, Anne Hathaway, Queen Latifah, Kate Perry, Mary J. Blige, Ashley Tisdale, Boy George, Hayden Panettierre, Grace Jones, Chloe Sevigny, Diana Ross, Lady Gaga, Alek Wek, Taylor Swift, Angelina Jolie, Lena Horne, Beyonce, Betty Davis, Ava Gardner, Lucille Ball, Lola Falana, Beyonce and the list goes on and on….

There's a red lipstick hue for you too. If you have a cool complexion, a skintone that’s pale with pink undertones, choose cooler reds like a true red or a pinkish red. If you have a warm complexion, a skintone that has yellow, olive or darker undertones, choose warmer reds with a brown base, like a brick or rusty red.

Lip Liners

Here's an empowering thought from bestselling author and renowned sex therapist Dr. Laura Berman.

"Every woman has an inner vixen. Who is she? She is the no-holds barred, carefree, confident, brave, and sexual woman who lives inside all of us. She believes in the power of pleasure, high heels, and red lipstick."

Don't we all!

Lip Liners

This one comes from Tom Ford, fashion designer, film director, lover of red lipstick.

On the transformative quality of a polished lip in this month's Vogue, Tom says, "When I was a kid, when someone rang the doorbell, my mother would put on lipstick before getting the door. Lipstick makes you look dressed."

We couldn't agree more.

Forever Shine

Dr. Dorothy Height
March 24, 2010 - April 20, 2010

“....for the rest of my life, I will be working for equality, for justice, to eliminate racism, to build a better life for our families and our children.”

We remember and salute the remarkable life of Dr. Dorothy Height, civil rights activist, Chairman and former President of the National Council of Negro Women, 1994 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and 2004 recipient of a Congressional Gold Medal.

Job well done!

They Shine!

Conditions permitting, the Space Shuttle Discovery will land today. For me, the highlight of this mission will forever remain in my orbit: the four, highly accomplished, individuals who set a new record of four WOMEN in space at one time. Ten smooches to:

Pictured below
First row, l-r: Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Stephanie D. Wilson
Second row, l-r: Naoko Yamazaki, Dorothy M. Metcalf-Lindenburger

Lip Liners

This one comes from Catherine Walsh, a cosmetics industry executive.

Never underestimate the power of red lipstick. I wear it if I'm home alone reading a book.

Lip Liners

This one comes from Maya Angelou, an American poet.

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Jackie O We Miss You So!

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was an extraordinary woman! Her contributions to advancing the arts, her passion for history, the courage she displayed when faced with the tragic death of her husband, the hope she brought to a grieving nation, her devotion to her children, the beauty, grace and style she bestowed upon the highest office of the United States -- all are a part of the cherished legacy she left to the world.

Today, it's the glamour, the elegance, the irrepressible spirit, vitality and inimitable style that is top of mind. America's First Lady was Fashion's First Lady. An American icon of style and grace whose innate sense of fashion extended well beyond the clothes she wore on her back.

Jackie's simple yet classic style was effortlessly elegant. She favored clean lines, little adornment, and knew that less is always more. Her ever-present smile was a window to her dazzling inner spirit. She always looked so relaxed, so comfortable and so confident. Warm and approachable, chic and worldly, she possessed a vitality and radiance that still shines.

"We must give to life at least as much as receive from it. Every moment one lives is different from the next. The good, the bad, the hardship, the joy, the tragedy, love and happiness are all interwoven into one indescribable whole that is called LIFE. You cannot separate the good from the bad. And perhaps there is no need to do so either." Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Lip Liners

This one comes from Erica Jong, an American writer.

And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything,

you risk even more.

Wearing the Gloss - Do Something Empowering 2Day!

I completed, sealed and mailed the 2010 Census form. What did you do?

Smack, Dab and on the Money!

Sisters of the Gloss called this shot in a January post (1.28.10), way before Tiger's announced return to the Masters.

http://blog.zap2it.com/thedishrag/2010/03/tiger-woods-wife-elin-nordegren-helps-win-his-sponsors-back.html

What's the Difference.........

Between going rogue and hypocrisy? Not a dab, if you're Sarah Palin.

From today's headlines, this is a must read:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100308/cm_huffpost/490080

What Was He Thinking........Tom DeLay

The gloss has certainly gone to former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s head and it is clear that he is still dancing with the stars. One would think, resigning from Congress under big dark clouds of a Texas indictment for violations of state campaign finance laws and money laundering, would make one a bit more pensive, humble or even sensitive. Not a chance, DeLay exited the halls of the Capitol, but obviously refused to relinquish his platform for political hypocrisy – uh, commentary.

DeLay’s assertion that people are unemployed because they want to be demonstrates the disconnect, divide and sheer ignorance surrounding the realities of an economy still in crisis. Give this man chap stick and seal his lips with glue.

The Magic of Mona: What's Her Secret

Even though Leonardo Da Vinci's mysterious Renaissance woman has captivated, beguiled and mesmerized us for more than 500 years the true secret to her timeless seductive appeal has yet to be revealed. Centuries after its creation, the Mona Lisa remains a curious and unsolved mystery. This rare beauty, a coy and demure seductress, has held us in her power since the early fifteenth century when her piercing brown eyes and enigmatic smile first caught our gaze.

So what's her secret? Art historians tell us that the painting technique used by DaVinci (known as sfumato) which blurs the lines and edges of objects and people, is responsible for creating the intrigue and fascination. Maybe so. We believe the mystery is in the not knowing. Like most temptresses, Mona knew that discretion is just another element of the feminine mystique. The emotion that sparked the expression on Mona's face remains a mystery. And because the real secret of Mona's famous smile has yet to be revealed, her appeal will live forever.

Devine for all time.

Gaga, I Get It!

And for those of you who, at one time or another, chose to sway, shake, swoon or sashay with LaBelle, Cher or Madonna, you get “Gaga” too.

Following in the platform-wedged tradition of these out-of-the-box music and style icons, Lady Gaga defies the norm, takes risks, dares to be different and elevates the art of self-expression. And that, quite frankly, should empower us to sing our own tune, dance to the beat of our own drum and wear a shade of Lady Gaga’s “I’m a Star” to conquer any planet we so choose to orbit.

What Was She Thinking... Elin Nordegren

She's got her Tiger by the tail. People magazine reported that Elin Nordegren wants to go back to her "swinging" husband, golf's fallen sports hero Tiger Woods. With a renegotiated prenuptial agreement worth over 25 million and two kids she'd like to raise with their father close at hand, who can blame her? No doubt, there's more to this Tiger's tale. If Elin forgives Tiger, America will forgive Tiger. If America forgives Tiger, the major endorsements will return -- along with all of the spectators, all of the viewers and all of the fans.

To shield her from the brutal winds of public opinion, Elin should probably continue wearing the protective lip balm named Par For The Course.

What Was She Thinking... Sasha Cohen

After competing in the U.S. Championship last Thursday night and finishing second in the short program, Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen told the Salt Lake City Examiner,"When I ended that program and saw everybody standing, I felt so happy to be here after all the obstacles I’ve overcome,” She continued, “I’ve been to two Olympics and would love to go to a third but it’s not the end-all of my life. To me the accomplishment is being here and skating.” Said with the poise and the polish of a true professional!

Finishing 4th in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships last night could not have been the outcome hoped for by the gifted 25-year-old skater known for her beautiful artistry and effervescent on-the-ice sparkle. Yet, with her Vancouver dream dashed forever, she mustered the irrepressible spirit of a champion, and graciously passed the torch to the next generation of skating super stars, "They're great, they're cute, they're excited," she said as Mirai Nagusu and Rachel Flatt addressed the press after earning the two top spots on the U.S. Olympic team.

Watching her glaze across the ice after a four-year absence, I was so very impressed by her courage and charisma. Only one gloss could mark this occasion -- a shining fuchsia named Triumphant Star.

What was she thinking.......YaVaughnie Wilkins

I suspect she was thinking like thousands, millions even, of jilted women with spurned affections and broken hearts. With funds to put her Oracle executive lover on blast, YaVaughnie, who I suspect wears a shade of “Don’t Cross Me” Berry, has become the maestro of a global chorus chanting “You Go Girl!”

Oh, about Mariah Carey? Loved her in “Precious, based on the Novel Push by Sapphire.”

What Was She Thinking... Mariah Carey

So, there she was at the Golden Globes flashing her very own matched set of bronzed and brazen extraterrestrial orbs! My goodness, dear ones. We know that she is always doing the diva, but squeezing herself into a tight-fitting Herve Leger that's barely big enough to corral her ample cleavage does not a true star make. Even us stalwart devotees of the decollette know that there's a difference between sexy and sleazy. Walking the red carpet is, after all, jus a tad different than walking the street. So next year, Ms. Carey, if you must take the plunge, please plunge less, or not at all.

The lipstick we think she was wearing: Bombshell Gone Bust, an ultra tacky, champagne-colored gloss.