Product Shout-Out: Alaffia Sustainable Skincare

I am trying my very best to go green. Seriously. Slowly I have been replacing all my household products with green products, I wash my clothes in 100% Phosphate-free Certified Biodegradable laundry detergent. I'm in the market for a hybrid vehicle (and this is saying a lot ya'll, because I am a big-haired-big-eyed-bonified-Texas-SUV-girl. Just like I like my men, I like my cars oversized!) So, naturally, I have been searching for the perfect 100% organic, paraben-free, chemical-free face and hair-care products. And this search has not been cheap.

Alas, a solution: On a photoshoot for Jungle Gurl (off the chain re-designed one-of-a-kind vintage swimwear. Holla if ya hear me, my Jungle Gurl suit is my new obsession. I mean it's literally making me move to the beach, among others things, but that's a blog for another day) when another model was complaining about her eczema. One of the make-up artist suggested Palm Oil barsoap. Taking notes, as soon as the shoot was over I high-tailed it to Whole Foods looking for Palm Oil Soap. Bingo - Alaffia Shea Butter Face Soap with Goats Milk, Roobios and Vanilla Ylang, Ylang. Well that's an antioxidant power punch. $4.00! I'll take it. Because I had money to spare I went ahead and tried out their Roobios and Shea Face Cream.
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Ya'll, I have never gotten so many compliments on my skin. And this coming from a girl who has had acne, eczema, and skin sensitivity issues that have left me covered head to toe in a reaction. And it smells super yummy! Their power ingredient is pure, unrefined, 100% natural Shea Butter which has 'been carefully handcrafted using centuries old techniques that maximize the moisturizing and protective properties.' Here's another tid bit: 'Shea Butter's unique fatty acid profile and high content of vitamins E and A contribute to its protective and hydrating properties.' Well heck,we could all use a little protection and hydration.

My new regimen:

1) Cleanser - Alaffia Shea Butter Face Soap

2) Toner - Apple Cider Vinegar (100% Organic Unfiltered. I use Braggs)

3) Moisterize - Alaffia moisterizer.

I am super impressed with their products and just bought their toner. I love the Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar for night, but when you use it in the morning, you smell it on your face all day. Not really a good look.

And the best thing about Allafia is that it is Pure for a Purpose!

"The Alaffia/Agbanga Shea Butter Cooperative is an important part of the greater Sokode community in Togo, West Africa. We provide stable, fair incomes to over 80 families. The Cooperative also provides medical care and other assistance when needed. Our members are proud to be able to use their indigenous knowledge to feed and cloth their families. One of our goals is for the cooperative to be a model for other groups and individuals in Togo and other West African nations to follow. 10% of our sales go directly to fund community enhancement projects in Togo."

Well, community growth is what Cause Fabulous is all about!

So if your looking for a mild and magnificent natural cleanser, try them out. I wouldn't do you dirty, trust.

SMOOCHES! Netta

Sista Fabulous - Lorielle Broussard

I know that sometimes this blog may be all over the place. I mean, I go from Sex and the City to Hottest Summer Sports Athletes to Support Pediatric Cancer. But please understand that my main little goal is to inspire you readers to take responsibility for enhancing your life and the life of your community in a creative way. Pick a Cause and be Fabulous about promoting and supporting it! Change the world 10% at a time! I support different causes in different ways, but anybody close to me will tell you that I love encouraging, supporting, and watching woman living life with exuberance and vivacity. So today I am going to highlight a Sista Girlfriend who is doing just that Lorielle Broussard - Barackawear.

Cause: Promoting awareness and assisting in the election of the first African-American Democratic Nominee, Barack Obama, the candidate for Change!

Fabulous way in which she is accomplishing this: She along with her brother Brandon are the owners of Barackawear Inc. whose slogan "Barack the Vote" can be found on the backs of models, actors and musicians alike. Lorielle's background is in fashion and has toured as stylist to Ciara and Celebrity DJ Sky Nellor (you can tell by the fly way she's rockin her Barack the Vote wife beater and pearls - go 'head girl.) Their popular T-shirt company sells gear promoting the first African-American presidential nominee. And they don't stop there... To support their CAUSE 25% of all monies raised go toward the Obama campaign.

Lorielle and Brandon’s goal is to sell 100,000 t-shirts by Election Day and they are well on their way! Aside from selling on their website http://www.barackthevote.com/ they are now in Against All Odds clothing stores across the nation!

And in true Cause Fabulous fashion aside from supporting their candidate, Lorielle and Brandon are active supporters of their community, often donating T-shirts and gift certificates to support the Cause Fabulous of others including my non-profit CLAASS, Inc.

To purchase a Barack the Vote T-shirt click here or on any of the pictures above.

Until next time, Be Fabulous!

XOXO,
Netta!

Pucker for a Purpose: ROCK THE VOTE

Campaign season is in full force - complaining, bickering, blaming and all. But even with all the antics of the school yard (view McCain's Video Obama Love) We all must recognize our call to duty: TO VOTE! The environment, gas prices, healthcare, education - Our country is going through some major growing pains and we need to choose a qualified professional to guide us along the way. Stila cosmetics seems to agree! Teaming with Rock the Vote, the make-up company has launched Rock the Vote Red a Cause Fabulous that is causing me to pucker for a purpose! 1 - You can register to vote directly from the page and 2 - A percentage of the proceeds of each lipstick sale goes to Rock the Vote.

"Rock the Vote’s mission is to engage and build the political power of young people in order to achieve progressive change in our country. Using music, popular culture and new technologies Rock the Vote seeks to engage and incite young people to register and vote in every election. And we give young people the
tools to identify, learn about, and take action on the issues that affect their
lives, and leverage their power in the political process."

Well, Rock On! For more information on Stila's Rock the Vote Red or Rock the Vote, please click on the icons above.

XOXO,

Netta

When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough... Get a Massage!

"Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world. George Bernard Shaw "

So, I am a die-hard optimist. Really, I believe that any and everything is possible and stand by my favorite Flashdance quote "When you give up on your dreams... you die" (Boy Michael Nouri was a handsome young man. Anywho...) But even I, the eternal optimist floating through life on a hot-pink-tinted-silver-lined cloud, have my bad days.

As I have stated before, I am an actress and writer, living out here in Los Angeles a city where anything can happen any day. At 2pm you can call a number of friends or associates and grab an early afternoon martini. The home of sandy haired surfers and $25 Brazilian bikini waxes. One day a girl is walking the streets of Hollywood the next she's riding shotgun in a silver Lotus shopping til she drops on Rodeo Drive. Multi-cultured, environmentally friendly, vegetarian, 80-degrees and clear...My kind of city! But even in the City of Angels, sometimes fighting the good fight of your hopes and dreams can leave a girl a bit battered and bruised. Especially when you haven't had a paying calltime in several weeks (and I won't go into what several is.)

I mean, how the hell am I supposed to pay for my happy-hour-martini-induced-brazilian-bikini-wax and make it to the beach in time to ogle at the sandy-haired surfers on my three night a week comedy club waitress salary and a three month passed due cellphone bill? Times like this it is easy for one to have a perfectly timed meltdown. We all know that sometimes the best thing for your soul is to have an all out cry-fest. I mean snot-dripping, chin-quivering, can't catch your breath for the life of you, cry yourself into a sorrow induced ball at the bottom of your shower. Other times it is best to hit the ground harder, work extra long hours, push yourself to the limit and then two steps farther! But I have learned that their is also another option. Take your overworked-under-paid hiney to the spa. Yeah I said it.

It is time for woman around the world to take better care of themselves. And I for one am starting a trend! Treating myself like I would like a man to treat me: with love, adoration, and the occasion indulgence, make that over-indulgence. Maybe not everyday, but every once in a while for sure. So, after a particularly stressful week of hard work to seemingly disappointing results I checked myself into the Pasadena Burke Williams for a spa day, cellphone bill be damned!

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Ladies, I know, it sounds abit immature. How dare a woman who hasn't paid her bills go out and treat herself so excessively. And what do I say to that? Bah Humbug. If you let us, woman will take care of absolutely everything and everyone else until fibroids, breast-cancer, or a nervous breakdown forces us to take care of ourselves. By then it will take much more than a $55 calming-detox wrap to get back in order. So many women lose years of life to making sure that everything and everyone else is in line. Well, I for one don't want to look up 20 years from now rough and ragged, because I'll tell you a secret that I am learning: If you ain't together, the appearance of everything around you running like clockwork is just a facade, and it will all come crumbling down with you when you finally break.

"Not I," said the fly.

Let me calm myself down before I scare you away. It's easy for me to get all Malcolm on this issue, but realize that this here is a peace movement. I am not suggesting that anybody spend the rent on a weekend in Ocho Rios, Jamaica having your feet rubbed by a half-naked Mandingo while you sip Sangria on a white sands beach. What I am suggesting is that you put yourself first at least once a month - ahead of bills, ahead of the job, ahead of the stress. Take a day to refocus on your purpose, your goals and your dreams for yourself. A simple pedicure, manicure, or lunch at your favorite spot could be enough. It's time to burn the 'good' candles for yourself! I promise, If you take the time to focus on what the big picture of your life is, you'll figure out the small issue like paying your cellphone bill. Trust.

As for me, I didn't leave my spa day to a voicemail full of bookings from my agency, but I did leave feeling refreshed, regenerated and refocused feeling like my mind and body had returned to complete harmony. And according to Sallust, "Harmony makes small things grow, lack of it makes great things decay.” Like sanity.

In honor of making ourselves the Queen of our lives for one day, and to put it all into a little perspective my Cause Fabulous for this week is: Queen for a Day® a 501 (c)(3) non-profit. This beautiful organization takes pediatric cancer patients and takes their mind off of there day-to-day trials by offering them quality of life services. They pamper girls with make-overs, manicures, and a 'coronation ceremony' where each girl is crowned as a champion over her illness with a tiara donated by a pageant titleholder. They also treat the boys with hero-themed gifts, reinforcing bravery and courage through police officers and firefighters. That is fabulous on a whole 'nother level ya'll.

To donate to this fantastic organization please click here, or go to: http://www.qfad.org/home.htm

The End of an Era: Sex and the City

Disclaimer – If you have not seen Sex and the City, please do not read this weeks blog – cause I give it ALL away!

There are certain things that I have been able to count on: Jay Z and Beyonce refusing to answer questions about their relationship, Tupac releasing top charting albums postmortem; and Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte. Even after Sex and the City came to a celebrated end on HBO five years ago the ladies lived on in DVD, syndication, and the internet. These four fabulous girlfriends guided woman around the world through issues of love, loss, and labels. Even though my DVDs never disappoint, imagine my excitement when earlier this year New Line Cinema released that there would be a Sex and the City Movie!

Immediately the count down went on my Myspace page and I went into heavy study. Hours were spent at the tube watching and re-watching the girls go through the trials of single life in the city. I applauded triumphs and supported flaws, all the while becoming giddy at the idea of a sensational ending for Sex and the City (and therefore Womenkind) materializing on the big screen! Mazeltoph!

Finally, on May 31st I, six girlfriends and 200 other fantastically dressed fans crowded into the movie theatre. The second the theme music began we erupted in applause. It was the Super Bowl of Fabulosity and I had 50-yard-line tickets.

The entire first scene was like attending a Fashionista Festival with Carrie as the main event dripping in Vintage and fabulously flashing back on her life! Then came Samantha, Miranda, Charlotte, oh my! My heart was actually racing from excitement.

Everything was going great until Carrie presented the suit that she would be wearing to marry Mr. Big. Excuse me, a plain St. John-esque white suit? Not that there is anything wrong with St. John, as a matter of fact St. John is a staple amongst the ladies who lunch, it’s just that’s not Carrie! It’s like when Big got her the jeweled bird Judith Lieber bag (Season2-Ep. 22), cute, but not Carrie! I cringed. Then faux pas number 2: Carrie hesitates when Vogue asks her to represent 40 something brides. Not the Carrie I know whose religion is fashion, God is Gucci and bible is Vogue.

Finally someone slapped some sense into my girl when she decided to do the photo shoot and accept a glorious dress from uber-designer Vivienne Westwood. She even wore a whimsical little bird on her perfectly coiffed little head, Carrie to the C!

We all know what happens next, Big leaves Carrie at the alter like a little pussy and she spirals into depression for a year. Meanwhile My Steve cheats on My Miranda, My Samantha allows herself to waste away in Los Angeles, and My Charlotte gets pregnant and spends an hour thanking God that her life wasn’t as screwed up as her friends. What is happening? This isn’t the racy-romantic-sassy-sexfest-fashion-friendly-fairytale that I imagined. And where the hell is Carries CARRIE necklace! She can’t live without it, it personifies her (Season 6 episode 94 and 95!) Quick, get me a pair of Louboutins, I need to stand up!

I left the movie with mixed emotions. I wasn’t quite sure if my girls would truly be okay (especially after Carrie did actually marry Big in the St. John-esque-sin.) Somebody hum a spiritual, this situation needs a revival!

Then, the most interesting thing happened to me. I had a conversation with a girlfriend of mine. She’s smart, beautiful and sweet, but about five years behind me in maturity. The things that were important to her were boring the hell out of me, though I remembered at one time being just as interested in those catty dramas as she is now. I couldn’t get out of the conversation quick enough… boy have I grown. Then it donned on me, so had my girls.

All of my studying and excitement for the movie, I hadn’t left room for my girls to be at a space in there life that I didn’t agree with. I wanted them to be the same confused single women stumbling through life in sensational shoes and beautiful bags.

Yes, Carrie is still the fearless fashionista, but fashion is not her life. Her fashion now accessorizes her personality, not defines it. This could be why, after 10 years, she chose to retire the CARRIE necklace, no longer needing an object to remind her of who she is.

And Steve is a wonderful man, not a perfect one. It is possible that he and Miranda's life does have it’s own situations that need to be handled in an adult way, as apposed to an on-going joke (Miranda has chlymidia Season 3 episode 36; Steve has one ball season 4 Episode 58.)

If Samantha represents every woman’s inner she-roe, it is great to show that sometimes the best way to save yourself is to try what is right for everyone else, and then be brave enough to say that it’s wrong for you.

And what the hell is so wrong with Charlotte finally finding the happiness that she has been searching for for so long! (Trey is impotent season 3 episode 42, Charlotte has 25% chance of getting pregnant season 4 episode 59, Charlotte gets a divorce season 4 episode 62, Original birth parents from Charlotte, South Carolina decided not to give baby up for adoption season 6 episode 94. Charlotte has a baby Sex and the City- The movie, YAY!)

So though it didn’t end like I would have written it, it did end, and along with it an era. But I can’t write the lives of our Sex and the City sirens any more than they can write mine. So in honor of the Fabulous Ladies of Sex and the City, this week's Cause Fabulous is to honor your girlfriends, sisters, mothers, aunts, and all of the fabulous she-roes in your own life stepping out in style in Manolos and Military Boots, fighting and winning our own battles of personal growth and self-acceptance, and writing our own fairytale endings.

And if you are still uncomfortable with the end of Sex and the City…Rest assured that Tupac still has a hit in him, and Beyonce and Jay-Z will probably never release the pictures of that wedding dress.

Art for Life

I’m really big on inspiration. I get it from everywhere: walks, movies, books, conversations, antique stores, television shows, traffic. I thrive off of it! I literally get turned on by being inspired, any new way to light a fire of creativity within myself I jump at, which is why all my life I have desperately wanted to love art.

I envision myself as the type of woman with an art collection so sensational that museums actually beg me for the opportunity to showcase it. I would join the ranks of Tamia and Grant Hill, Chris Webber and my name sake Aaronetta Pierce who at one time with her husband had the largest African-American art collection in the state of Texas!

But as much as I fantasize about being a chic woman, cultivated and engorged in the art culture, my home a constant stimulation of exceptional works displayed on pedestals and walls with my guests, friends and family praising my unique taste and keen eye; There is one small problem, I know absolutely nothing about art.

I go to galleries and museums in search of inspiration but most of the time I end up being inspired by the bar or coffee shop. I hate to say it but the most interesting thing to me about the Mona Lisa is that she is rumored to actually be Leonardo Da Vinci. Creepy…but kind of cool.

It shames me to admit these things, I am an actress which is its own art form and the militant in me also yearns to offer support to anyone journeying the road less traveled, which is most artist.
So imagine my delight when, in search of my perfect piece I walked into an LA gallery and saw:
'Gold Digger, Like a Hooker... Just Smarter', by Todd Oldham. I felt the familiar tingle of inspiration. Could it be my first art piece? I actually found myself evil-eyeing the other patrons and protecting my piece like a guard dog. Finally, I got up the courage to look at the price. 'Price upon request.' Isn’t that 'art speak' for ‘Probably more than you can afford?’ A little down but not out, I went home to research the piece. Read: google!

‘Recording Artist/ Philanthropist Rhianna purchases 7 Todd Oldham pieces"

Huh? I got a little bit jealous and competitive. No Rhianna did not go out and buy my piece of art. Of course I knew she did, because she has excellent taste and wouldn’t leave that one on the wall. Sure enough in the list of works that Rhianna aquired 'Golddigger, Like a hooker... but smarter."

I found out that I could get a lithograph for $1100? But like I said, I know nothing about art, is that like a knock-off Gucci bag? I don’t think so. I want an original or nothing at all!

Well, the truth is, if the lithograph was $1100 then the original was probably out of my reach for the time being. Though in mourning I figured something out, I don’t have to be a Mona-Lisa loving, Renoir toting artistic erudite. The important thing about my art is that it inspires crazy, sincere, fabulous, fun, me! And it was then that I found her, or should I say them, at my favorite Sunday spot the Fairfax and Melrose Trading Post (which is a fantastic non-profit itself).
S.A.D., Shawnte

The artist is Shawnte’ Shawnte’ and boy is she fun. All of her pieces remind me of my fabulous girlfriends, my loving sisters, my superfly mother and all of my aunts! And I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all asking for prices because immediately I wanted to support this sister.

Hopefully Adi Chicks by Shawnte (bottom) will grace my walls very soon (In the event of another national…) But it is important for woman of all ages to find something to adorn their walls that speaks to them because as Picasso said, 'Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.' Amen to that.

Which is why this weeks Cause Fabulous is Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundations ‘Art for Life’ owned by Russell Simmons.

The Cause of the Rush Foundation is to present the highest quality arts education for children, with a particular focus on underserved, under-recognized or disadvantaged populations. His 2008 Miami event raised over $575 thousand dollars for youth in the Miami Dade community and that is just fabulous!

Dedicated to my girl Leigh, aka Whitley Gilbert, who is destined to have the kind of art collection that is shown around the world!

Boys of Summer

You know what I love about summer? Yes, of course the obvious… longer days, hotter nights, sipping Sangria during happy hour with reckless abandon, wearing too-short shorts and a devil may care attitude day and night sans judgment. I love the fabulous pool parties, the fantastic barbeques, the overall feeling of it’s a beautiful life! But there is something else…

Now, before I divulge this other decadent summer delicacy let me say that I am all about Girl Power. I love the authority of women embracing their inner Goddess and devouring all that life has to offer. But after such a big meal a girl needs a little rest and a little treat! Sometimes all we want is a sweet juicy piece of candy; And half-naked men playing summer sports is the perfect amount of eye candy for me!

Trust, I am an equal opportunity appreciator. In the words of Mae West, ‘Personally, I like two types of men, foreign and domestic.’ And what Cause is perfect for respecting and supporting the gamesmanship of men playing hot, sweaty, competitive sports around the world? Why the fabulous 2008 Olympics, of course!

According to Janet Hotzel, Development, United States Olympic Committee, donations cover all the needs of the athletes including lodging, food, transportation, and training. The athletes primary focus is on training to be the best they can be, so donations remove the need for them to worry about everyday necessities.

To donate to the 2008 Olympic fund and find out more about our talented team click here.

And in honor of athletic eye candy all around the world I have compiled my list of 10 top Summer Sport Hotties:

Okay, so Jason Taylor plays football, which is technically a fall sport. But he is currently on 'Dancing with the Stars', which is a spring show, so it all averages out to a Summer Adonis.

Japan's Akinori Iwamura, MLB Tampa Bay Rays. Didn't know who this guy was until I started my... ahem, Research. Glad to have... educated, myself.

Kelly Slater, Surfer (It's a sport ladies...)

Jamaica's Asafa Powell, World Record Holder, 100m dash. Usually I don't condone a man in tights. But, in this case I have no objections.

Sweden's Frederick Ljunberg, soccer. Soccer is just poundin 'em out, aren't they!

Brazil's Wagner Limeira, soccer. Now this is exactly what I mean by half-naked! Way to go Wagner!

Mexico City's, Rafeal Marquez, soccer. Soccer must be the world's finest sport.

U.S.A. Tennis Beauty James Blake. Love to love ya, James.

British Beauty, David Beckem. This goes without say.

Finally, Spain's Rafeal Nadal, Tennis