Who We Love: Gorgeous Black Women

Why We Love It: Gorgeous Black Women is a super portal to find inspiration from women of color. From jet black skin, to creamy tones, to kinky locs, straight tresses, supermodels, athletes, celebrities, politicians, and all of those in between. This blog is the ultimate tribute to some of the most beautiful and inspiring Nubian women, and as you scroll along, you are bound to learn something new! This is why we love Gorgeous Black Women!

Our Top 5 Favorite Posts:

20 Sexiest Black Women Over 40!.

All Black Vogue Italia.

What caught my eye from the Spa Goddess body care line was their packaging and presentation! I think it is so important to make your product look enticing and beautiful. When I decide whether or not to buy something (especially something handmade) I usually always consider the packaging and presentation first...before the product. What I like about theirs is that it is clean, simple, pretty, and fresh! Nevertheless, I really like this body care line and they offer up some pretty special and unique items to adorn your body with after a long day!

I also blogged about this over at JuBella & I thought you all would be inspired by it as well. I just love Designer Trina Turk. Her style is always classy, feminine, and filled with beautiful colors and fantastic patterns...don't ya think?

I love these prints and cuts from La Lesso! I also thought this post would be quite inspirational to all the ladies out there who sew. These lines are super easy to reproduce on the sewing machine, especially the "handkerchief" cut!

“Traders in the 19th Century originally brought the spotted kerchief known as 'lesso" to the East African coast from India. They were sold in joint units of 6 that were two kerchiefs wide and 3 kerchiefs in length. These six pieces soon adapted to become one large sarong. They were then produced in matching pairs, one was wrapped around the body and the other over the head and shoulders."

One of my favorite models right now is French (African & Algerian) beauty Jessi M'Bengue. Her natural free flowing curls are very inspiring and she takes some of the cutest and etherical like photos! You might recall seeing her fashion spreads in Trace and Oyster Magazine, as well as on the Urban Outfitters website! You can view more of her portfolio here.

So we all know how drying our hair can get from all of our cotton sheets soaking up every ounce of moisture in our hair as we sleep and even when wrapping during the day. On top of the loss of moisture, have you ever tied on a silk scarf before going to bed, only finding yourself digging around the bed the next morning trying to find it, because it is no longer on your head?

Oh my! I just discovered these little South African gems over at Etsy, and I am in love! Their promotion ads immediately caught my eye with their incredible artistic flavor. The Bokkie shoe line is filled with color, pattern, and the most adorable style that suits the comfort of my style. I love those boots and the babydoll flats would be addictive not to collect them all. So head on over and check out their collection and pick you up a pair!

If you love Nigerian Fashion Designer Duro Olowu as much as I do then head on over to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of this months Vogue Living. There is a one page writeup with him where he talks about his love for textiles! In case you are wondering, the lovely lady wearing his pieces in the photo with him is London based Photographer Gisela Torres. This one is definitely going to be pasted into my inspiration book!

Leave a Comment: How do you keep your feet looking pretty? For many of us ladies our feet can end up being one of the most neglected parts of our body. Taking the time to nurture your feet with a cleansing and therapeutic pedicure will give you much relaxation and can help energize your reflex muscles with a good massage. Below you will find a few of our favorite picks & tips for the pedis! All of them are great especially the Cutie Kit, which is a great alternative to using the tools that your spa or salon uses that could very well contain dirty germs and lots of other things that you might not want coming home with you. So taking a good grade of professional manicure and pedicure tools along with you to your next appointment could save you from some medical bills or an over the counter purchase.

I am so happy that so many of you all enjoyed and were inspired by last weeks fashion week: ymib style! I got lots of great feedback. I too was inspired by many of the designers and photography and I have a lot of “theme weeks” coming up in the near future that I think you all will love. So for all those that missed out on Fashion Week here on ymib, here are the links to all of the articles, and bites that were featured!

Articles:

Bezem y Mai Lan

Artistic Aya

Designers We Love: Lafayette 148

Clutch Her Style: Dede Sutton

The fashion promo photography for Mama Clothings 2007 collection was so inspiring. I really admire the line because they seem to incorporate lots of nostalgic trends, societal icons and issues, and symbols within their collections, each one having a theme. Nevertheless I thought I would share these inspiring fashion forward photos! They make me think of the days of John Lennon, peace, war, rainbows, mellow moods, and love!

Vintage online boutique Avant Gaudy has some really cute pieces for very affordable prices that can add some life and a cool breeze of a blast from the past to your wardrobe collection. “Although we are in a society with fewer ways to distinguish ourselves, here at Avant Gaudy we appreciate the unlike minded. In its time the avant-garde encompassed art, music, literature, and fashion, making fearless advancements while propelling culture as it was known into a new age. At times aggressive, strange, and always pointedly counter culture, a tinge of the gaudy sparked the moment.” -avant gaudy

I love the fashion photography of the current Zulu Rose collection. Their pieces are injected with tribal influences, street style, and afro-vintage inspiration. Check out their list of stockists to find a boutique that carries their pieces near you. You can also find a few of their pieces in their online boutique as well.

We caught up with the fabulous blogger Sylvia of I Like Her Style to track down five things that she is currently loving! Aren't those blue metallic shoes divine, and although that Fendi bag costs a pretty penny, I heart the pop of fuschia! Great picks Sylvia...We Like Your Style! Be sure to check out Sylvias blog often as she posts some fabulous fashion pieces, products, news, and celebrity pics, and many times some great interviews. My favorite is when she finds pieces that resemble the style of our favorite fashionista celebs!

I simply fell in love with the pieces of the Tracy Feith Collections. Just feast your eyes on all the candy coated colors in the background of his interview with Danny from Americas Next Top Model. Surfer turned designer, he designs such beautiful clothes that are eloquently fused and inspired by natural colors from ocean waves, eastern lands, and sunsets that results in such a girly, bright, and airy Bohemian style! His boutique is located in the popular shopping district of Nolita in New York just a hop skip and a jump from the posh shopping of SoHo

Have you ever heard of Nayo? Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, this lovely songstress carries a sultry voice that at many times reminds me a bit of Sade. Especially this song called "African Girl". You can pick up a copy of her latest abum here on Amazon. Nevertheless, I thought not only did her music sound great but so is her fashion taste!

We all know that herbal teas do wonders for the holistics of our body, but did you know that they can be just as healing for our outer beauty as well! Adorning your face with a herbal steam facial at least once a week can keep your pores clean & breathing freely and can provide your skin with that much needed moisture. To top it all off, you can enjoy the healing aromas of all sorts of herbal blends that you can mix up in your home spa. Here is what you will need:

1. Large pot filled about half way with water

2. Herbal blends: this can be any combination of herbs and teas. I especially like to use chamomile, lavender, mint, and sometimes to add to the ambiance I will spice up my herbs with some aromatic spices like star anise, cinnamon, or vanilla.

3. 2 Fresh clean towels

4. Headband or Scarf to pull your hair back away from your face

Directions:

As a small child, Tracy and her Mother would sit together, side by side on sewing machines and make beautiful things, getting lost in the bliss of creation. Her lady-like Grandmother served as Tracy’s first fashion icon. Tracy moved from her hometown of Detroit, Michigan to Manhattan where she attended Parson’s School of Design.

Every lady likes to keep her lips looking good and healthy, and the best way to keep the pucker perky and happy is to glide on some juicy, organic, and natural lip gloss and butters! Here are 5 of my favorites:

1.Deli Gloss, 2.Get Your Shine On Shimmer Case: Burt Bees, 4.Pure Vanilla Healthy Lip Butter: Sephora, 4.Fruit Pigmented Lip Gloss: 100% Pure, 5.Nvey Eco Organic Lip Lustre - Coco Honey.

Uju Fashions was born in 2005 when the designer Carla Unegbu took a trip to Africa. The beauty and boldness of their garments inspired her to create a line of women's fashions that are as beautiful but more wearable in our part of the world. Her hopes are to start a factory in Nigeria to help improve the lives of ones that touched her life while she was there. You can see more of Uju Fashions by visiting her myspace page.

Five foot nine Sudanese model Atong Arjok is one of our favorite Nubian models to have hit the runway since Alek Wek. She has walked the runway for renowned Designers such as Lacoste, Heatherette, Diane von Furstenberg, and Phillip Lim just to name a few. Her photos are striking ans her neckline is just so graceful! She is definitely a model we love!

Leave a Comment: What products are essential in your hair care routines?

Natural hair loves moisture! Here are two of our favorite models sharing some insightful tips on how they keep their natural hair looking cute, fresh, and moisturized!

Leave a Comment: What are some of your favorite fashion and beauty magazines?

‘Colures’ offers Style and Culture for the Modern Woman of Colour and is a perfect mix of fashion, arts, black hair and beauty. Articulate features and inspiring lifestyle pages include interiors, food, finance, travel and weddings etc.

May 12th through May 18th is Fashion Week YMIB Style! Get ready for a week filled with all things that are fashionably inspirational! From a few wonderful interviews to lots of fabulous Daily Bites highlighting some of our favorite fashion lines, shops, and magazines. We will be posting nothing but fashion all week long!

It's no secret that if you want to find some unique, one-of-a-kind, vintage, thrifty, artsy, and handmade fashion on the web, that Etsy is the way to go. Check out these 4 etsy shops that I just love! Leave a Comment: What's your favorite etsy shop?

1. Thimble Scratch, 2. Nstyle Vintage, 3.Vintage Air, 4. V. Lutz.

Oh, how I just love Kerry Washington. I think her style is unique, sultry, and super classy for the most part. She can go from rocking a sleek Jackie O cut to a vintage bohemian dress and carries both exceptionally. Her makeup is never overdone, and to me she just has a fresh natural face and she seems to have a stylish personality to match her wardrobe as well!