The Stylish Digital Divas Of Instagram You Should Follow Today!
September 6th, 2012 by Fashion StaffEssence.com listed a few of their favorite fashion instagrammers & we can’t help but agree that the list is FIERCE! Check out a few of our favorite fashionistas on Instagram below…
Check out more top Instagram picks on Essence.com
Essence Music Festival: Escape To New Orleans Ep. 2
July 17th, 2012 by Christen
Missing all the fun, excitement, music & entertainment of Essence Music Festival? Don’t worry. Escape To New Orleans episode 2 is here! Recently, I got the chance to explore the city, alongside Nate from WorldWideNate.com to get a bona fide experience of what New Orleans, Louisiana truly has to offer. Thanks to the Ford Escape – I got the chance to escape to New Orleans and experience the rich history, delicious food & a certain je ne sais quoi – that’s authentic, only in New Orleans. From the Pralene Connection to the French Market and the haute nightlift of Frenchmen street - Check out the second of four webisodes airing on Essence.com this week – below.
Refresh Your Summer Style With Coca Cola & June Ambrose
July 11th, 2012 by ChristenOver the weekend two special Essence Music Festival fans were treated to an intimate style refresh compliments of Coca Cola and haute style guru – June Ambrose. Coca-Cola launched their “Style Refresh”contest, where two festival attendees text-to-win and were announced via the Essence Music Festival mainstage. We caught up to June backstage at EMF right after the Style Refresh winners were announced to talk EMF Fashion Do’s, Don’ts and the one must-pack item for next year’s festival.
June Ambrose Backstage at Essence Music Festival after announcing Coca Cola Style Refresh Winners
On EMF Fashion Don’ts & Dos…
“I have turned a blind eye to the fashion don’ts seen during Essence Music Festival, however you can never go wrong with a flowy maxi dress during Essence Music Festival. That’s the one item that every girl needs to have in their suitcase for next year…” – June Ambrose
On Over-doing the maxi-dress trend…
“Try optional maxi looks, for example the mullet look (a maxi dress that is short in the front and long in the back) – it gives you a great alternative look while embracing the comfort and feel of a maxi.” - June Ambrose
The very next day, each winner received a shopping and styling experience with June Ambrose at Saks Fifth Avenue in New Orleans. We got the chance to meet with both winners as they shared their personal style, fashion consultation with June and what they had learned though this amazing experience. Check out the Coca Cola Style Refresh Press event where June talks style, motherhood & stilettos below…
:: VIDEO COMING SOON ::
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- June Ambrose Backstage at Essence Music Festival after announcing Coca Cola Style Refresh Winners
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- Coke June Ambrose EMF PRESS JUNKET 2012
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- June Ambrose
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- June Ambrose expresses her love of HI/LO style
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- Coca Cola Style Refresh Winner talks about what she’s learned
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- June Ambrose and Coca Cola Style Refresh Winner discuss style
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- Refreshing Style compliments of June Ambrose & Coca Cola
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- June Ambrose & DeeDee Faison strike a pose!
Taking The Next Step in Life With Chaka Khan and the Verizon SuperLife Graduation
July 10th, 2012 by ChristenDuring the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, LA over the holiday weekend – Verizon Wireless kept busy hosting several events celebrating life’s journeys starting with a celebration of women making it to the next level in life with the Verizon SuperLife Graduation.
One year ago, Chaka Khan’s The Chaka Khan Foundation in conjunction with the Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies and ESSENCE partnered on the SuperLife Transformation Program™, an in-depth life and community-altering transformation process for deserving women who wished to accomplish their lifelong goals. To launch the program, these women first gathered at the 17th annual Essence Music Festival and met with Chaka Khan and author/inspirational speaker Iyanla Vanzant before embarking on an extraordinary journey of personal and community improvement. Now one year later, each of these women returned to where their journey began—on the Essence Empowerment Experience stage at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
Chaka Khan performs ‘I’m Every Woman’ at the Verizon SuperLife Graduation
“The SuperLife Transformation program has been an oasis of optimism as these women whom we celebrate are likely to become the entrepreneurs and leaders that this country needs,” says Chaka Khan, 10-time GRAMMY winner and Founder of The Chaka Khan Foundation. “After witnessing their transformations in the past year then to come full circle and commemorate their triumphs in this wonderful and memorable occasion will be one of my fondest days to remember.”
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- SuperLife Graduation stage
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- The SuperLife Graduates are ready to cross that stage
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- Chaka Khan performs ‘I’m Every Woman’ at the Verizon SuperLife Graduation
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- Chaka Khan, Dr. Denese Shervington, Essence President Michelle Ebanks
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- Chaka Khan, Essence Staff & SuperLife graduates post for a class photo…
Photo Credit: Chris Mitchell
Essence Music Festival: Escape To New Orleans Ep. 1
July 5th, 2012 by Christen 
If you’re looking for the genuine New Orleans experience, look no further. Recently, I got the chance to explore the city, alongside Nate from WorldWideNate.com to get a bona fide experience of what New Orleans, Louisiana truly has to offer. As a native (of sorts), my lineage has roots in the Crescent city, however my experience is limited as I’ve only been to New Orleans once before at the age of 9. Thanks to the Ford Escape – I got the chance to escape to New Orleans and experience the rich history, delicious food & a certain je ne sais quoi – that’s authentic, only in New Orleans. Check out the first of four webisodes airing on Essence.com this week – below.
Divas On Destinations (Sneak Peek): My Great Escape To New Orleans!
May 30th, 2012 by ChristenRecently, I was afforded the opportunity to explore the great, resilient city of New Orleans, Louisiana with Essence Magazine. Throughout my week-long experience, we canvased the entire city in the 2013 Ford Escape in search for an authentic New Orleans experience! No matter if you’re headed to Essence Music Festival in July or you’ve experienced all the tourists attractions that you thought New Orleans has to offer, we got deep into New Orleans from the history, shopping, food & more – and trust me, you’ve never seen New Orleans like this before!
Next month, Essence.com will be airing weekly webisodes where my favorite guide Worldwide Nate & I share tips & tricks to enhance your escape to New Orleans. But you know I couldn’t wait to share my experience first hand! Check out a few of these behind-the-scene pics of our fun times in the Big Easy, you’ll never guess all the places we explored (but you can take a few guesses in the comments section below) & stay tuned for the official webisode release on Essence.com soon…
Essence Beauty Awards: The Bold & The Beautiful!
May 14th, 2012 by Christen
ESSENCE Beauty Director Corynne Corbett; Vice-President of Marketing for Johnson & Johnson, Janis Smith-Gomez; celebrity manicurist Lisa Logan; celebrity hairstylist Ted Gibson, L’Oreal chemists Balanda Atis and Janine Cherette; celebrity stylist June Ambrose; ESSENCE Associate Publisher Stella Araya Weil and ESSENCE Editor-in-Chief Constance White
ESSENCE, the preeminent lifestyle publication for African-American women, announced the winners of the ESSENCE Best in Black Beauty Awards, Tuesday, May 8th. ESSENCE Beauty Director Corynne Corbett and celebrity stylist June Ambrose served as co-hosts of the ultimate beauty conversation during this invitation-only event.
Q Parker of 112 attends the ESSENCE Best in Black Beauty Awards at the Dream Hotel in New York City.
The ESSENCE Best in Black Beauty Awards honored beauty innovators who are influencing what’s now and next. The honorees were: Balanda Atis, Group Leader, and Janine Cherette, Color Cosmetic Scientist, of the L’Oréal USA Research and Innovation team; Ted Gibson, celeb hairstylist to the stars and head stylist on What Not To Wear; Janis Smith-Gomez, Vice-President of Marketing for Johnson & Johnson; Lisa Logan, go-to manicurist for Beyoncé; and Pat McGrath, makeup artist who masterminds the runway’s most sought-after looks from New York to Milan. Grammy-nominated artist Janelle Monáe—who is known for her own groundbreaking sense of style—also shared in the awards presentation.
In addition, the evening featured a “live gift wall” showcasing the winning products from the ESSENCE Best in Black Beauty Awards 2012 listing—highlighted in the magazine’s May 2012 issue—in which ESSENCE’s beauty editors and a team of experts highlighted the best makeup, skin care, nail, fragrance and hair picks. Attendees even had an opportunity to sample the products on-site. For more information and to vote for your beauty favorites, which will be revealed as “Readers’ Choice Awards” winners in the October issue of ESSENCE magazine, visit www.essence.com/beautyawards/
Photos: N. Melton / M. Rowe / Essence.com
For more photos visit Essence.com
Haute Spring Fashions Fit For A Diva On A Budget!
April 26th, 2012 by Fashion StaffLooking to revamp your wardrobe on a budget? Essence Magazine serves up Divalicious Fashions For Under $50! Check out a few of our favorites from the list below…
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Credit: Photography by Stuart Tyson, Styling by Stella Rey/Mark Edward, Inc. & Sabrina Grande/Rj Bennett
For more fabulous finds under $50 visit Essence.com.
A Thousand Words With Actress Kerry Washington…
March 6th, 2012 by ChristenWinner of “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” for Ray at the NAACP Image Awards in 2005 and nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for “Best Actress” in the film Lift in 2002, Kerry Washington is a versatile and fearless actress who has built an impressive list of credits in a relatively short amount of time. She garnered critical acclaim for her roles in The Last King of Scotland opposite Forest Whitaker for which she was nominated for “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” at the NAACP Image Awards in 2007, The Dead Girl opposite Marcia Gay Harden and Brittany Murphy, and in Lakeview Terrace starring opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Patrick Wilson. In April 2012, Kerry is set to star in Shonda Rhimes highly anticipated drama ‘Scandal’ for ABC.
Recently, Kerry was honored by Lincoln & Essence during the Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon during Oscars Weekend in Hollywood and shared details about her role in the new Eddie Murphy flick “A Thousand Words”. Check out what Kerry Washington has to say:
QUESTION: We’ve recently posted about the Five Must-Haves For Every Professional Woman’s Purse. Name Five things in your purse?
1. An iphone
2. Energy Vitamin packs by David Kirsch (vitamin mineral powder)
3. A bottle of water
4. A book I’m reading
5. A layer of clothing (a scarf, sweater, something because I’m always cold)
QUESTION: You recently accepted an award from Essence “Black Women in Hollywood” and was named an honoree. What has that meant for you?
KW: I think that it’s great when we, as women of color support one another. One of the things that I said in my acceptance speech at the Essence Luncheon was that I pray for the success of my fellow Women of Color in this industry because when one of us does well it creates a space of opportunity for more of us. It’s why I want a film like “A Thousand Words” to do well, because then we get to make more comedies about the values that speak to the goodness of who we are as people. It’s why I want a show like “Scandal” to be a hit, so that all of the networks know that you can put a woman of color in the number one position and have a success, even though they’ve been afraid to do that. The more that we support each other the stronger we’ll continue to be.
QUESTION: What are your Top 3 favorite websites?
1. Style.com
2. New York Times.com
3. The chalkboardmag.com
QUESTION: What drew you to the film ‘A Thousand Words’ and to the role opposite of Eddie Murphy?
KW: What drew me most to this film were the values of the story as a whole. I really love that the story is about the value and importance of communication, and of saying what you mean, and meaning what you say. One of the important things that Eddie’s character learns is that It’s just as important to listen when communicating as it is to speak. All of those messages are dealt with in a comedic way. It elevates the issues in a way that makes them fun, and I love that. In terms of [my character], I enjoyed playing a woman who was committed to her husband, and to her family and really willing to make it work; willing to even do things outside of her comfort zone because she really believes in the beauty of the relationship and wants their family to work.
What are your favorite apps?
- Yelp (because I travel so much and I can find a great movie theater and an organic grocery store no matter where I go)
- Twitter ( I love being able to interact with people live)
- Instagram (it’s fun because it brings artistry back to digital photos
- Pandora (it’s the best)
What Can you not live without?
- Prayer, that’s the most important relationship
Amen to that! You can follow Kerry Washington on Twitter (@kerrywashington).
Check out the film trailer below:
For more on the film check out http://www.
This post was written as part of a compensated campaign through Blogalicious’ bLink
Essence Black Women In Hollywood: RED CARPET LIVE STREAM
February 23rd, 2012 by Christen
Can’t wait until Sunday to get a little red carpet action? No worries. You can get your pre-Oscar glam on with today’s red carpet live stream of Essence magazine’s Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon. The fifth annual event in L.A. will honor Oscar favorite Octavia Spencer, along with Kerry Washington (see last year’s event), Pam Grier, Paula Patton, and Shonda Rhimes.
Divas Drive In Heels: As the official sponsor of the event, the 2013 Lincoln MKS full-size sedan will be featured at the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood luncheon as well. The new MKS will be the centerpiece of the event and on site for guests to enjoy. The newly designed fleet of Lincoln vehicles will be on hand to transport VIPs and celebrities into the event.
(LIVE from the Black Women In Hollywood Luncheon: Stay tuned for my LIVE tweets from beyond the red carpet and inside the event.) Follow DivasandDorks on Twitter. #EssenceBWIH
To watch stars like Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Sanaa Lathan, and many more walk the red carpet, catch the the live stream on Essence.com starting today at 2:30 ET/11:30 PT.
