Magazine Glam: T.I. Covers JET and Marries Tiny in a Three-City Tour

It's official. Rapper T.I. wed his longtime girlfriend, Tiny, at a courthouse in Miami Beach yesterday. But that's not all. They're taking their show on the road via UsWeekly.com.

Their next stop is a wedding in front of friends and family on a private island off the coast of Miami.  Then, they'll host a reception in Atlanta and party with friends in Las Vegas.

That sounds worth the wait to me. This is totally the year of the long-term fiancee (shout out to LaLa).

T.I. also covers JET this month in a crisp white suit and an angry stare. Judging from the cover line, he addresses the many media rumors and lies that seem to plague him. Hmm. I'm way more excited to see wedding photos. Apparently, Tiny's wearing Valentino (work!).

AND I think they are soo cute together! Congrats to the new couple.

Kisses,

Coutura

The biautiful Japanese Koi Fish Tattoo

The biautiful Japanese Koi Fish Tattoo.............
Fish Koi Tattoos Japanese Koi Fish Tattoos Design.Fish Koi Tattoos Meaning and Symbolism.The word "koi" comes from Japanese. Koi fish are specially bred in Japan for their color. A prize example can be valued in the $100,000 range. Koi are a type of carp and have been cultivated and bred in Japan for possibly thousands of years.

If you have been to Japan you will notice they are a common feature in most traditional Japanese gardens. They most likely originated from Eastern Asia, Aral, Black and Caspian Seas. Earliest records of Koi have been found in China and have been widely spread in Japan.

For the Japanese Fish Koi represent strength and power because they are often able to lift their entire body up and jump out of the water.Koi fish tattoos are beautiful and wildly popular right now.

Koi fish tattoos of course have a long history and go all the way back to ancient Japanese times and it is a definite Japanese or Asian tattoo theme. Therefore the tattoos that represent koi fish often show them splashing in the water and water flying everywhere which shows of their strength. Plus as an added bonus they are an absolute beautiful fish and the colors of them lend themselves to a tattoos.The beautiful bright oranges mixed witht he blues of water make for an ideal tattoo plus since they are traditionally a Japanese tattoo they lend a sort of forgien mystery to their air.Fish Koi tattoos are now very popular among men and women. Typically men get them on their shoulders or calf and women like to get them as a lower back tattoo.There are a few out there that also get them as full back tattoos with more of a tradition Asian design.The color scheme of the Koi fish tattoo is very important element. A common color scheme would be the Yen Yang design of black and white. Most of the cases, the color scheme work the best if integrate with your shin color. For instant, if you have a dark or olive skin color it may be more suitable to choose a bright hue so the Koi fish tattoo to make it more visible.The natural colors of white, red, black, yellow or gold or perhaps a mixture of those colors would be applicable if you really want the test of more traditional style.Always remember that Koi Fish tatto o needs a place of honor on your body.

Men generally get them on their shoulders or calf and women like to get them as a lower back tattoo. Additions- Along with the koi fish tattoo you can always put some water in the background that splashes around the fish. Also Cherry blossom flower are very traditional and go well with a Japanese themed tattoo. Cost-It all depends on what size, how many colors, and type you Want.Additions and if you want the work custom designed or you are going to use flash. They typically run between $50 to $250 dollars.

Source:http://www.articlesbase.com

Triball Arm Tattoo Image

Triball Arm Tattoo Image

Fantasy Arm Tattoo Gallery

Fantasy Arm Tattoo Gallery

Buy Mary J. Blige's My Life Fragrance on HSN and Help Send Young Women to College

As we reported in April, Mary J. Blige is preparing to launch her My Life fragrance THIS Saturday on HSN and HSN.com (following the launch, the scent will be available at Carol's Daughter).

But here's the latest: The R&B diva will donate $1 of the proceeds from each sale to help put young women through college this Fall.

In collaboration with her women's empowerment organization, FFAWN, Mary J. Blige is using her star power to help support and strengthen our youth. ::Applause::

Make sure you tune into HSN tomorrow to hear Mary's story and give back through the purchase of her new fragrance, which retails for $46. Though you can't smell it through the TV screen, Ferocia and I promise you it smells sultry and alluring. You will not be disappointed!

Kisses,

Coutura

Photos: ThatGrapeJuice.com.

*The* International Best Dressed List

It's that time of year, fashion-followers! Time for the release of Vanity Fair's illustrious International Best Dressed List. Fear not, if you haven't cast your vote yet. I just cast mine today. Since the entries for men weren't too exciting, I'll just fill you in on who my choices among the nominated/ listed females were.

Charlotte Casiraghi. She has style, she has grace. Oh, and she also has enough money to buy anything she wants, so the sky is the limit.

Of course I voted for my personal style icon: Charlotte Gainsbourg!

Maggie Gyllenhaal, one of the true fashion originals in Hollywood. She always manages to wear something new and exciting.

First Lady Michelle Obama. Not since Jackie O has a first lady generated so much attention in the fashion department. New York Magazine also tracks her every look.

Vogue's Lauren Santo Domingo. Alexandra Kotur has her as a perennial favorite for her best dressed list. It's only a matter of time before the LSD takes over Vanity Fair's list as well. Let's face it, she was born to be a style icon.

Carey Mulligan is another exciting fashion risk-taker. Plus, I loooove her short hair. It's tough pulling off hair that short, but she carries it off flawlessly.

I've made my picks! Who are yours?

(** all images from Google**)

AD GLAM: Glamazon Letoya Luckett is the New Face of Luster's Smooth Touch

Glamazon favorite, Letoya Luckett, has something new to celebrate. The R&B singer was just named the spokesperson for Luster's Smooth Touch product line and celebrated Wednesday night in the city with a chic soiree via Jonesmag.com.

Check out the box below - don't you love it? (She's obviously my fave DC member ;).

Wearing Nicole Miller and Christian Louboutin, the beautiful singer partied it up all night while guests, including Keyshia Knight-Pulliam danced to the hottest tunes out spun by DJ Beverly Bond and walked away with product giveaways and stocked swag bags.

Scroll down for pics and Luckett's fab impromptu shoot at the ESSENCE office earlier this week, and click here to read about Letoya's fave products and news on her upcoming album:

Work those red shoes, girl! What do you think of Letoya Luckett's new endorsement deal? Was she the right pick for the brand? 

Kisses,

Coutura

Photos: YBF, ESSENCE.com.

AD GLAM: Nike is the Latest Company to Push the Big Butt "Trend"

Who knew all along, when I was eating soul food and hitting the Stairmaster, that I was making a political statement by embracing my butt?

Well, according to Nike, a butt is a bold message to society, rather than a part of the female body that has been celebrated, if marginally, for years.

Their big butt campaign displays a woman of mixed ethnicity proudly showing off the extra fat around her butt next to a speech about the power of the derriere.

Take a look below:

Wow. I have to say, I always find it a little odd when 'body parts' or 'plus-size figures' become en vogue. When addressing a woman's body, I feel that a commitment to accepting all shapes (big butts and flat butts) is ideal. Maybe that's naive, wishful thinking on my part. But when the Jennifer Lopez-es, Beyonce's, Serena's and Kim Kardashian's are no longer popular, should we all go back to feeling too curvy again? There's danger in that.

I, for one, will love my butt even when Nike's moved on to a new body part. I did laugh at the comment about the space heater though, LOL. 

What do you think of the ad? And the new big butt trend?

Kisses,

Coutura

GLAM OR SHAM?: Mya Matches Her Blonde Hair with Blue Contacts

At Young Jeezy's All White party, R&B singer, Mya, debuted a new beauty look to match her blonde hair: blue contacts.

Her newly-blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail this time, making her pretend-blue eyes pop even more.

Her bold new look has tongues wagging, with critics wondering what's behind the eye color/hair color change (some are claiming she wants to look 'whiter'). I don't necessarily see a sociopolitical statement in Mya's hair.

That doesn't mean I like it. I prefer her brown-eyed, brown-haired look, but find her beautiful either way.

And if her goal is to get attention and turn heads, then she's accomplishing what she set out to do.

What do you guys think of her look?

Kisses,

Coutura

Photos: EliteDCMag.com.

Willow Smith to Design a Fashion Line, Says Rihanna is Her Fashion Icon

Remember when we discussed Willow Smith's funky style? Most of you believed she was picking out her own crazy outfits and Mom, Jada Pinkett, was letting her walk out the house in them. Well, we were wrong.

It turns out the budding fashionista has the same stylist as Rihanna, which isn't completely far-fetched considering Rih's head-turning looks. That stylist, the amazing Mariel Haenn, told HollywoodLife.com the backstory behind Willow's daring style. She said that Willow admires Rih's look, weighs in on her outfits (which she prefers to be more rockstar than princess) and is starting her own fashion line! Gasp.


Will more teens walk around looking like this? Only time will tell...

Check out the clip below and read more here:


On Rihanna:


“Willow is definitely inspired by Rihanna’s style,” Mariel Haenn tells HollywoodLife.com. “We make an effort to give Willow her own style, so as not to be a mini-version of Rihanna, but Willow really knows what she likes and what she doesn’t like, and she’s vocal about it.”


Mom, Jada Pinkett's input:


“Jada said upfront that she didn’t want us to dress them like standard kids, like with Sesame Street T-shirts,” Mariel says with a laugh. “And the kids really like dressing as adults and hope that adults will want to dress like them. But Jada will put her foot down if there’s something she doesn’t like, though if the kids really love it, she’ll usually let it pass.”


On Future Clothing Line: 


"With Rihanna, pretty soon after she came on the scene, you started seeing designers from Forever 21 to Gucci coming out with styles mimicking her look. We hope the same thing happens here, but I think the ultimate goal is for Willow and Jaden to have their own line." 


Would you wear Willow Smith's designs? And what do you think of the painted ear look she recently rocked?

Kisses,


Coutura

Try This!: MAC's New Dual-Ended Mascara, Haute and Naughty Lash

Yes, Glamazons, we know all about the controversy swirling around MAC cosmetics right now with the whole Rodarte makeup collection. While I'm glad to hear that the brand has decided to turn it around and rename products in the line, I was more excited about this new mascara they recently launched! (Sounds vain, I know, but I am a beauty product whore, so I just couldn't help myself in being enamored with what's laying in front of me instead of a collection that I haven't even touched yet!)

I also have to say that while I usually love everything that MAC comes out with, their mascaras usually suck. The formula is either too goopy for my liking or the brush just does nothing to accent my lashes. However, the Haute & Naughty Lash is a winner!

The mascara features two different sized wands in one container. The skinny wand located at the top is hot pink and is perfect to achieve a more natural, less glam look. The fat wand has a sparkly purple cap and gives you va-va-voom lush lashes. Because I have long, lifeless lashes that stick out and do nothing, I start with an eyelash curler. Then, I use the fat wand to add definition and volume. I end the process by brushing along the tips of my lashes with the skinny brush to add a bit of separation.

MAC Haute & Naughty Lash ($18) is available now on maccosmetics.com and nordstrom.com. However, it won't hit your nearest MAC counter until September 16.

xo

Ferocia

Thierry Mugler Introduces New Fragrance: Womanity

Finally Glamazons! A fragrance created with real women such as myself, Coutura and you in mind.

I will admit that I've been slightly swamped as of late (already slightly is an understatement; I'm swamped) and I didn't even get a chance to attend the actual launch event the brand invited me to last month. However, I was sure to request a bottle so I could check it out and then it stayed right there in the box on my dresser until yesterday. It was pretty late and I'd just finished brainstorming some more beauty post ideas for Glamour.com, when I decided that a good spritz of fragrance would provide the pick-me-up I needed.

My eyes went to SJPNYC (Sarah Jessica Parker's newest fragrance) because it makes me feel all Sex And The Cityish (yes, sometimes I pretend that I'm Carrie Bradshaw..don't judge me) but then I opened up the pink box of Womanity instead.

And wowza! This stuff is amazing, Glamazons. First off, let's talk about the packaging. There may be light pink liquid inside, but it looks very strong; almost like an Amazonian-totem-pole-statuette-thingie wouldn't you say?

Thierry Mugler said that he designed the bottle to look this way because "it is designed for a woman who leaves her mark; like a woman who would have her statue made." However, he said that he created it with practicality in mind. "This is very important for me and for women in terms of their everyday lives," he said.

Now, let's get into the actual fragrance. The cool part about this stuff is that it contains the strangest ingredients. It opens with a note of fig, then there are notes of caviar and somehow it manages to get all woodsy with some fig wood and leaf. See? Doesn't sound too enticing, right? But that Mugler is some kind of fragrance genius in that he got the combination just right so it smells sweet, spicy and dries down to some serious sexy.

Now it's your turn to try it! Womanity will be available for purchase at Bloomingdale's next week (August 2010) and Nordstrom as well as http://us.boutique.thierrymugler.com by October 2010.

Prices range from $98 (for 2.7 oz) to $58 (for 1.0 fl oz). There's also a shower gel ($40); body milk ($45); body cream ($55); and 1.7 oz refill bottle ($58).

Let us know what you think of it once you nab your own bottle!

xo

Ferocia

ESSENCE Editor-in-Chief Speaks on White Fashion Director Controversy

As we reported on Monday, ESSENCE Magazine has been under fire as of late for hiring a white Fashion Director, Ellianna Placas. Powerful media figures like Michaela Angela Davis, former Fashion Editor at ESSENCE Magazine, and Nawja Moses, media personality, have both spoken out about the issue. The one voice we hadn't heard from? ESSENCE Editor-in-Chief Angela Burt-Murray.


After reaching out to the ESSENCE PR department and not receiving a response, we stumbled across a quote Burt-Murray shared with Media Ink:


"I understand that this issue has struck an emotional chord with our audience. However, I selected [Placas], who has been contributing to the magazine on a freelance basis for the last six months, because of her creativity, vision, the positive reader response to her work and her enthusiasm and respect for the audience and our brand. We remain committed to celebrating the unique beauty and style of African-American women in ESSENCE Magazine and online at ESSENCE.com."


I applaud Angela Burt-Murray for standing by and defending her decision. What do you think of her statement?


Also, last night Bryan Boy from the popular blog of the same name, tweeted:


How racist is this Michaela Angela Davis woman? http://bit.ly/9M3PGG So what if a white woman is capable of handling a black magazine?


It seems several people are crying reverse racism in response to the uproar about ESSENCE's white director. I feel they are missing the point. No one is saying Placas is not capable.


The overarching concern of women who have voiced disapproval is that the fashion industry, as a whole, is still very one-sided with white people occupying the majority of the top positions at major magazines. 


If the industry was more diverse as a whole, then a white Fashion Director at an African-American magazine would feel different I believe. But the reality is there aren't nearly as many opportunities as there should be for fashion editors of color in this business. And the hiring of Ellianna Placas means there is one less opportunity for African-Americans in the fashion industry, at a magazine that, as Burt-Murray said, "celebrates...African-American women."


One of our readers captured the sentiment best:


"What sticks out vividly in my head is come fashion week the chair that says "Essence Mag Fashion Director" will have a white woman sitting there amongst her peers whom are all white. Not a black face in site. Its truly disheartening."


Do you agree with Bryan Boy that the backlash surrounding Ellianna Placas is "racist?" Discuss.


And see some of Placas' work on Ciara below via Necole Bitchie:

Kisses,


Coutura

The New Dark and Handsome Face of Calvin Klein: David Agbodji or Coutura's in Love

Boy, does Calvin Klein know how to pick them.

We've drooled over Djimon Hounsou and marveled over Mechad Brooks. (Because I love you, I included all their ads below).

But the latest star of the Calvin Klein ads is my personal favorite. Meet David Agbodji.

The 23 year-old Parisian-born model of African descent was handpicked for the new Calvin Klein campaign. According to NYMag.com, he loves photography, karate and basketball. Oh, isn't that a coincidence? I love them all now too.

Apparently, he's known for his full lips (gasp! so am I...) and is a Taurus (stop it! so am I...).

Check out swoon-worthy pics of him getting dressed below. Yum, yum, yum. Whatever Calvin Klein is selling, I'm buying.

Oh and as promised, a trip down man candy memory lane when you scroll down.

::Goes to fan herself::

David Agbodji

Djimon Hounsou

Mehcad Brooks

Kisses,

Coutura

Source