5.29.2007

YBF Meet and Greet/Natasha's 25th Birthday

Many of you know that The B-Life keeps it fab and works with black celebrity gossip powerhouse, Young , Black and Fabulous, to give a NYC perspective. By popular demand and special request, we're posting a few pics from the first official YBF Meet and Greet that went down at Eyebar in D.C. a few weeks ago. Urban Socialite planned a flawless event and the ladies came out in record numbers to support their favorite blog and wish Natasha (YBF President) a happy 25th birthday. (Young people are really doing it!)













Congrats and thanks goes out to Natasha for keeping the WORLD up on hot black celebrity dish! Do your thing, we love you!

5.28.2007

B cheap...

Living the b-life is about having it all, but sometimes we're still aspiring to get it. That being said, you gotta know where and how to cut back without sacrificing the sexy. Trust, you can b cheap, and still get quality by spending a low quantity of your pesos.

We've put together a short list of cheap beauty products you can find at your local drugstore. These potions will keep you looking fierce without breaking the bank.
(All products have been tested, and they work magically.)

Vichy Normaderm Daily Exfoliating Cleansing Gel - $14

This exfoliator will slough away dead skin, clear up minor blemishes, and make room for you to glow. Vichy products can be found at participating Duane Read stores or at www.vichyusa.com.
Vichy Thermal Fix Eyes - $19

Ever wake up looking like you just got back from the club, even on a Wednesday morning? Thermal Fix will deflate those under-eye bags and keep that delicate area taught, but supple. (This is the best under-eye treatment I've used to date - no matter what the price.)

Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Frizz Control - Extra Strength Serum - $10 (price varies)

This miracle in a bottle will turn wool to silk. Apply after shampooing, and this formula will leave hair soft, silky, and shiny. No lie.

Dove Firming Beauty Body Lotion - $8 (price varies)

It's hard to eliminate cellulite for good, but a daily dose of this firming lotion makes a world of difference. Clumpy areas are smoothed out and legs appear much tighter. Warning, when you stop using the product, your legs will go back to their natural state within a few days. It's best to just keep this on hand at all times.


Johnson's Baby Oil Gel, Lavender - $4 (price varies)

My pageant-queen friend (thanks Court!) put me on to this baby oil gel, and assured me that my gams would look like 1 million bucks. A little dab will give your legs contour and shine, as you walk pretty in your Spring minis.


If you're not at La Mer and Yves Saint Laurent status, don't fret, you'll get there. Ta ta for now!

5.27.2007

B inspired...

"I thought if this doesn't work this could be bad, but if it works it could be great and what it could do for women in film and women in the world is bigger than my fear of that risk. So I thought, risk it. " ~ Halle Berry

5.25.2007

B out...This Memorial Day Weekend! (NYC)

The B-Life is vacationing on the French Riviera, so we're out of touch with this weekend's major happenings. Whatever you're doing, make sure to keep it fun and safe!

But wait, we have one suggestion for the party of the weekend in NYC...

5.24.2007

B short...

When I left for college, my very liberal sister gave me one piece of advice..."Don't let those girls convince you to cut your hair." But now we're older on a grown and sexy tip, so it's a whole different story.

The undeniable chic-ness of shorter cuts, like Rihanna's, have ladies running towards the shears to get ready for Spring. Peep a few bold cuts made by b-lifers who came out with the long end of the stick.

Brittanie took her long honey ringlets up to a carefree, yet sexy auburn crop. The style has lots of movement and wash-and-go capabilities.

Anju's raven locks were pretty, but she was ready for a change of pace. Her new layered chin-length bob gives her an urban sophisticated edge.

Lauren's old style was nice, but a little predictable. Her new 20's-inspired look is flirty and classy. Plus, this face-framing cut brings out her eyes and smile.

If you want to drop some of the dead weight, the warmer months are the time to do so. Take a chance, book a consultation and find pics of celebs with similar face shapes and hair textures. After all, like India said, "I am not my hair." It'll grow back!

B Museum-bound...

B-Lifer and art enthusiast, Lesley, compiled this list to put us onto
5 New York City Museums I bet you haven't even thought of going to yet:

1) The Noguchi Museum - Long Island City
The Noguchi Museum opened in 1985, presenting a comprehensive collection of
the artist's works in stone, metal, wood, and clay, as well as models for
public projects and gardens, dance sets, and Akari Light Sculptures. The
Museum--chartered as The Noguchi Museum--is housed in thirteen galleries
within a converted factory building and encircles a garden containing major
granite and basalt sculptures.


2) The Dahesh Museum of Art - Midtown East, Manhattan
The Dahesh Museum of Art is the only institution in the United States
devoted to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting works by Europe's
academically trained artists of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The
Dahesh serves a diverse audience by placing these artists in the broader
context of 19th-century visual culture, and by offering a fresh appraisal of
the role academies played in reinvigorating the classical ideals of beauty,
humanism, and skill.


3) The Rubin Museum of Art - Union Square Area, Manhattan
The Rubin Museum of Art (RMA) is home to a comprehensive collection of art
from the Himalayas and surrounding regions. The artistic heritage of this
vast and culturally varied area of the world remains relatively obscure.
Through changing exhibitions and an array of engaging public programs, RMA
offers opportunities to explore the artistic legacy of the Himalayan region
and to appreciate its place in the context of world cultures. The RMA
collection consists of paintings, sculptures, and textiles. Although works
of art range in date over two millennia, most reflect major periods and
schools of Himalayan art from the 12th century onward.


4) Weeksville - Brooklyn
The landmark Hunterfly Road Houses are the last surviving residence of 19th
century Weeksville, one of the nation's earliest free African American
communities. The area was named after free African American James, who
acquired property in the area in 1838, only eleven years after slavery ended
in New York State. By the 1860s, Weeksville had become an intellectual,
cultural and economic center for free African Americans. A model of the
African American contribution to the development of Brooklyn, the region and
the nation, historic Weeksville is the premier example of the 19th century
African American experience in the North.



5) Morgan Library - Midtown, Manhattan
The Morgan Library & Museum, occupying a newly enlarged, midtown Manhattan
campus designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano, houses one of the world's
greatest collections of artistic, literary, musical, and historical works.
Included in its holdings are original scores of Mozart and Beethoven,
drawings by Rembrandt and Rubens, medieval and Renaissance works, three
Gutenberg Bibles, literary manuscripts of Dickens and Twain, and
five-thousand-year-old Near Eastern carvings.

5.21.2007

B hot...

Maxim did their annual round-up of the flyest ladies of the year with the 2007 Hot 100. Our ladies made a few notable cameos...

#8 - Rihanna
#13 - Beyonce'
#55 - Halle Berry
(Sorry, we have to intervene on this one...1.) Can we get a more recent photo? 2.) Halle's not even in the Top 50 - please?!?)
#60 - Jessica White
#67 - Gabrielle Union
#72 - Cici
#93 - Christina Milian

Congrats ladies - this honor is well-earned! (Make sure to send holiday cards to your glam squad, trainers, nutritionists, and private chefs for helping you look to achieve this scorching-hot status.)

While we agree with Maxim's other picks like Scarlett Johansen, Jessica Biel and Shakira, might we suggest you consider the following girls next year:

Tyra Banks - for keeping it tight, even at 165lbs, and being that boss B, who's running it!

Selita Ebanks - Tyra's successor who's out there as the new angel working HARD for the money. She's a young woman who knows the value of good publicity - you can't hate on that.

Kerry Washington - Hello? Did you go to the movies at all this year? Kerry embodies classy sex appeal to the nth degree.

Let the campaigning begin...

5.20.2007

AIDS Walk New York 2007

Yesterday, the AIDS Walk New York went down in Central Park.
People every corporation from Liz Claiborne to Deutsche Bank came out to support the cause.
The New York Urban League Young Professionals were in full effect.





Characters from all walks of life rallied the crowds during the 6.2 mile course.
...and Cheer New York was among them. (Who said your dream of being a cheerleader ended in high school?)
Thanks to all those who made a donation and/or came out for the walk! We expected to walk in rain, but the clouds parted and the sun shined down for the cause.