AFROPUNK FEST 2012 . FASHIONBOMBDAILY.COM COUTURE

My feature on the creative and very stylish fashion blog FASHION BOMB DAILY 

Location: Commodore Barry Park, Brooklyn, NY
Event: Afropunk Fest 2012

What I'm wearing?

Top: Boxing Kitten
Bag: H&M
Pants: From Primarck department store in the UK
Sandals: Steve Madden.

STYLED BY SELAM

2 more looks! I'm not much of a model but I'll do anything to help out my hard-working, and very deserving friends.

DON'T WE KIND OF LOOK LIKE SISTERS, THOUGH?

Yes, I'm nuts. And yes, she's gorgeous. And yes, maybe she's my sister in my head, but..

Oh, and YES, I know my hair looks crazyy.

NY FASHION WEEK . DREAM COME TRUE!

SO SORRY I'VE BEEN AWAY!! ... but, i have a legit excuse!!! i've been working the tents at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

A truly awesome and unforgettable experience - i'm enjoying every second of every show. From the time i walk into the tents until the designers take their final bows at the end of their shows my eyes are wide open, and my jaw - on the ground.

in the famous words of my favorite reality TV show stylist Rachael Zoe:

"LIT-ER-ALLY, I DIE!"

Dr. COUTURE

KIND OF INSPIRED BY LITTLE MS. DAKOTA FANNING IN THESE ICONIC 90'S DR. MARTEN COMBAT BOOTS! I THINK THEY ARE MAKING A COME BACK! POW!

BROWN GIRLS, RED LIPS . COUTURE

me (kourtney), selamawit, belen, tianna

2010 . FASHION PREDICTIONS

Bright Bold Solids!

Red Lipstick! I know, it's already "in" but keep it going! my favorite is the Neutrogena Brand.

Sequins! Blazers, Leggings, Dresses, Tops, Etc...

Tulle skirts - the "Sophisticated Princess Look" is always in!

2010 . COUTURE

(it was just punch, but either way i'm 22 y'all! LOL!)

FASHION'S NIGHT OUT PICTURES

ME, OUTSIDE OF BRYANT PARK

TAYLOR MOMSEN ON BLEEKER STREET

FASHION'S NIGHT OUT . + COUTURE

OUTSIDE OF INTERMIX

LIVE MODELS

MOMMIE!

OUTSIDE OF CYTHIA ROWLEY

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 - Was not only the first day of Mercedez Benz Fashion Week but it was also Fashion's Night Out, and yours truly (+ my mom :) ) was in attendance.

I spent most of my time down in the Village on Bleeker Street, Where Teen Vogue had a block party + fashion show & free concert featuring Taylor Momsen (Little J for Gossip Girl).

Overall it was a tremendous event, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself, walking through the streets of NY on that brisk autumn-esque night. I could feel the intangible presence of the love of fashion from everyone I came across...

& I took advantage of all the free stuff! :)

NATURAL HAIR . COUTURE (CLUTCHMAGONLINE.COM)

The following is a list of some of the sites that cater to healthy hair with the added bonus of natural ingredients.

Oyin Handmade

Website: http://www.oyinhandmade.com/
Oyin is family-owned company, named after the Yoruba word for honey. Handmade hair and body products for women, men and children all made in small batches to ensure freshness. Free of petroleum, silicones, and fillers.
Product Pick: Juices and Berries - Nourishing Herbal Leave-In
Usage: Moisturizes, detangles and shine. Great refresher for those hot summer days.
Ingredients: Spring water, infused with herbs known to help stimulate the scalp and encourage hair growth; Vegetable Glycerine and nutritious essential oil blend.

Anita Grant

Website: anitagrant.com
All of Anita Grant’s Goodies are hand made to order, her natural ingredients are purchased directly from farming communities and/or partnerships with fair trade and organic suppliers throughout the world. The site features a beautiful array of natural products, although they are for hair, are truly mouth watering. If you have trouble deciding what to try, be sure to check out the yummy sample sizes.
Product Pick: Rhassoul Deep Condish
Usage: For Thick curly hair and locs. Detoxifies your scalp leaving hair light, soft and fluffy.
Ingredients: Rhassoul contains Iron, Calcium, Potassium, Silica, Magnesium and Sodium. Unrefined Black Cocoa Butter, natural Soya based Vitamin E, Honey and more.

Qhemet Biologics

Website: http://www.qhemetbiologics.com/
Features products for men and women made with natural ingredients such as aloe vera, amla, castor oil, coconut oil, Egyptian wheat grass and more. Check out the site’s recommendation chart before ordering. The site is currently in the process of restocking it’s inventory, and will be re-stocked for an upcoming sale on July 3rd.
Product Pick: Tea Tree & Grapeseed Therapeutic Pomade
Usage: Natural healing, regenerative treatment for irritated and flaky scalp. Repairs damaged follicles.
Ingredients: 100% natural, mineral oil, lanolin and paraffin-free combination of cold pressed Grapeseed and pure Tea Tree oils.

Jane Carter Solution

Website: http://www.janecartersolution.com/
Part of the Jane Carter Solution philosophy is that they believe that “hair is hair,” and that segmenting hair care by ethnicity does not encourage diversity, love and multicultural coexistence. Jane also hosts free live conference calls where she discuses her products and answers hair care questions. See the site for more details.
Product Pick: Scalp Renew
Usage: Pre shampoo scalp treatment that stimulates hair growth by cleansing and exfoliating the scalp.
Ingredients: Pure essential oils of Peppermint, Lavender, Tea Tree, Sweet Orange, Rosemary, Ylang-ylang, Bergamot, Vitamins A, D,&E.

Kinky Curly

Website: kinky-curly.com
Kinky Curly products are formulated to give moisture and hold without drying out hair. Features paraben, petroleum, mineral oil, silicone, free products.
Product Pick: Curling Custard
Usage: Moisturizes, curl definition, hold, shine. For wet, freshly washed hair. Recommends that thicker hair types use with leave-in conditioner.
Ingredients: Botanical infusion of water, Horsetail, Chamomile, Nettle and Marshmallow, Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Agave Nectar Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Pectin, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate and natural fragrance. A little goes a long way.

Karen’s Body Beautiful

Website: http://www.karensbodybeautiful.com/
Handmade hair, body and bath products that promote a healthy, holistic approach to beauty that are made from natural ingredients. Karen’s Body Beautiful also sells products for babies, men and the home. The site also features a virtual hair consultation.
Product Pick: Hair Milk
Usage: Moisturizes, detangles, defrizzes and defines curls. Can be used on wet and dry hair.
Ingredients: Purified water, Jojoba and Avocado Oils, Vegetable Wax, Vitamin E, Panthenol, Arnica and Calendula Flowers, Echinacea, Nettle and Horsetail Extracts, Vegetable Glycerin, Wheat Germ Oil, Fragrance Oil and Natural Enzymes.

I’ve seen via YouTube great twist and braid out results from Karen’s hair milk, and like most all products offered you can choose your own scent which is a plus.

ASHA’S Be Naturally Beautifully

Website: http://www.myashas.com/index.html
Natural bath and body products for women and men. Exotic plants and herbs made from natural, handmade products that will provide you with earth’s secrets to obtaining beautiful hair, luxurious skin and a healthier body.
Product Pick: Rosemary Mint Herbal Shampoo
Usage: Cleansing, conditioning for hair and scalp.
Ingredients: Infusion of Rosemary and Peppermint

Taliah Waajid

Website: http://www.naturalhair.org/
Alcohol free moisture based products for twists, dreads, braids and natural hair. Products feature the S.T.E.P.S. system - System To Enhance Protect and Strengthen. The system is an all natural anti-bacterial system based on Bay Laurel. All colors and fragrances used are derived from dried fruit extracts or juices.
Product Pick: Stimulating Herbal Cleanser
Usage: Helps eliminate itchy scalp and other minor scalp irritations. Great low pre-poo also good for locked and braided styles.
Ingredients: Pure Distilled Water, Indian Hemp, Olive Oil, Wheat Germ, Yarrow Root, Sodium Laureate Sulfate, Rosemary, African Herbal Cleansing Complex Sea Salt, Sage, Silk Protein, Corn Oils, Corn Silk, Vitamin E, Fruit Bio-flavonoids, Bay Laurel, Cocomide (coconut bio-flavanoid)

Product Sites

• http://www.honeyfig.com/


• http://www.naturallycurly.com/


• http://www.sistasplace.biz/


• http://www.afrokinks.com/


• http://www.treasuredlocks.com/


• http://beautifulmadame.com/

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KOURTNEY - AUTHOR . COUTURE

THAT'S RIGHT! Ya girl is a published author! :)

Check me out - I wrote the manuscript for a coloring and activity book for the new G.I. Joe: The Rise of COBRA 2009 motion picture movie, last summer during my editorial internship at Simon and Schuster book publishers. It was so much fun! challenging at times because I knew nothing about G.I. Joe, being that I played with barbie as a little girl, but it was most definitely fun!

I'm Hype! - Google me!

<---- There it is!

http://books.simonandschuster.com/Yo-Joe!/Kourtney-Bailey/GI-Joe-Movie/9781416978275

EVA CHEN, BEAUTY DIRECTOR AT TEEN VOGUE

So, Friday August 14, I had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Eva Chen the fabulous Beauty Director at Teen Vogue for an informational interview!!

Be. Jealous. !!

Here are the top 5 things I took away from our meeting, which was highly enlightening, and tremendously encouraging!

1. 'THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR HARD WORK!' - Ms. Eva was not afraid to reinforce the fact that throughout her career, every position she worked, no matter what magazine it was, SHE WORKED HARD! I feel that it's important to not only let others know how hard they must work to get where they wanna get, but also to not be ashamed to let them know how hard you have worked!

2. PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL. - Ms. Eva proved to me that she still works just as hard as she did as an intern or a student when she glanced over my resume and was able to pick up on small punctuation and cosmetic errors on my resume. Things that countless other trained eyes hadn't mentioned. I was grateful.

3. SHE WAS "INFORMATIONAL" - Well, full of information. It is natural of human beings to want to talk all about themselves and their accomplishments, especially when someone has reached out to them for their guidance and knowledge. But, Ms. Eva took the time to thoroughly explain to me various positions and hierarchies within the fashion magazine industry. Very informative!

4. PREPARATION - I, of course, had a few questions written down in my notebook to ask (to guarantee that I wouldn't be sitting there in aww and silence because I had actually made it to her office.) But, she was also prepared to meet with me (see #3 above). We sat in her office at 4 Times Square for an invigorating hour, and I didn't need to glance down at my questions twice! I got exactly what I came for.

5. HAVE A GREAT PERSONALITY/ BE AN OPEN, GREAT PERSON. - It is almost rare, but certainly more common nowadays to be able to go to such a large company and score an informational interview with the 'Directors' or 'Editor-in-Chiefs.' But Ms. Eva Chen was willing and open! (which, I feel, has a lot to do with her success) She could relate, as she had embarked on her own informational interviews during her post graduate days. I truly appreciate that she answered all my questions and really took the time to get to know me. She didn't try to intimidate me with her knowledge and expierience of the industry but instead she conversationally tranferred her understanding from one person who loves fashion and beauty to another!

Needless to say, (but I will say it again!) I Left the building enlightened and encouraged that friday afternoon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEE

TODAY I TURNED 22!

ST. GERMAIN

MAC's Saint Germain lipstick from thier Sugarsweet Collection, is a favorite of trendsetter Amber Rose. BUT more importantly St. Germain is a district in the one and only Paris, France ...

In fact, yours truly dined at a quaint Italian (ironically) Bistro in St. Germain during my weekend excursion in Paris 2 months ago. It was AMAZING! if ever you go to Paris (which you absolutely MUST do in your lifetime) spend a few hours and get lost in St. Germain. You won't feel like a tourist, but you'll feel as if you're in the Paris that you see in old romantic movies, the Paris that everyone talks about...

The lipstick is comparably as glamorous as its namesake Parisian neighborhood.

The black girl in the AD has on the actual lipstick color.

(yes, that's me enjoying déjeuner, lunch in st. germain)

AVIATORS . MY PERSONAL FAVS

Classic! Unisex! and Commanding! My favorite aviator sunglasses from H&M for only $6!!!

JUST A THOUGHT ...

AMBER ROSE! Her hair!? What do you think? Personally i think she has the face to pull-off a bald head. Could every girl do this and still maintain thier femininity the way she does? can anyone?

Rihanna and Cassie are half way there.

I've been looking for a new 'do ... should I???

SOLANGE, AU NATURALE . COUTURE

Chop! Chop! Ms. Solange Knowles cut the length and relaxer off of her precious tresses and went "natural" as black women call it. Personally I think it's great! Solange responded to the criticisms about her new look via her twitter account “this. phase. of. my. life. i. want to spend . the time. the energy. and the money. on something else. not in the hair salon.” Yes, girl! I'm right with you! “i. just. wanted. to. be. free. from. the. bondage. that. black. women sometimes. put. on. themselves. with. hair... dont. want. a. edge. up. or a perm. because. im not trying. to make this "a style" or a statement.”

Me? I think that natural hair is beautiful! You can not change what God gave you, it's natural (Not even with a relaxer).

I've gone 6 months and 2 weeks with no relaxer and I don't plan on getting another one, ever!

I Love running my fingers through my natural curls. So, Solange Knowles: I applaud you!