On hiatus.....AGAIN!

Day 1 of the Maryland Bar exam is now complete. Day 2 tomorrow and then a short break.

Sorry I've been gone for so long....but gotta pass this on the first try! See you next Monday and have a strictly stylish day!

Strictly Fab Diva Song of the Day: Alicia Keys "Superwoman"

Okay, I love this song...and the video...and I'm feeling so much like it lately. Must be in my destiny....I been called "Superwoman" since middle school...I might as well accept it now...

Enjoy!

MAN DAY: Just Give It To Me Straight....

Happy Man Day!

Here's a post guest blogger, Ken from Only Knives. Interesting read, but a word of caution for my men of color who are prone to hair bumps. Straight razors aren't typically recommended for those who are predisposed to razor/shaving/hair bumps, so make sure you do your research before you decide to make a switch.

Enjoy!

10 Reasons to Shave With a Straight Razor | Save the Earth, Some Money and Your Face

Posted on: Jul 2

Shave with a straight razor? What is this, 1850?

I admit I was skeptical the first time I tried it too. But once I saw Johnny Depp wield the infamous blade in Sweeney Todd, I was convinced I needed to give it a shot. And you know what? It didn’t take long before I was hooked.

Maybe it was the thrill of cheating death, maybe it was reconnecting with my ancestors, I don’t know. But now that I’m a convert and have had a chance to reflect, I’ve made a list of the top 10 reasons why others should switch to a straight razor too.

Some of these reasons may be tossed aside lightly, I admit. But if at least one of them rings true for you, beware — straight razor shaving can be quite addictive. Some men have even been known to do it every day!

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1. Save Some Dough

Over the long haul, it’s amazing how much money you can save with a straight razor. With the price of premium disposable blades going for upwards of three bucks a blade, it doesn’t take long to recoup the cost of a well-made straight blade.

Over the course of a man’s lifetime, a disposable razor can cost as much as $10,000 more than a straight blade. That could pay for a new car! Granted, it might be a Yugo, but still.

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2. Go Green

Ever think about where those safety razor cartridges go when you’re done with them? They go to a landfill, of course.

One blade might not seem like much, but when you add up the millions of cartridges thrown away by men every day, coupled with the cardboard and plastic packaging and it’s actually quite significant.

How significant? Well, 20 million American male shavers go through a five-pack of disposable blades every eight weeks or so. Each package weighs about two ounces. Multiply it out and you get… ABOUT 10 THOUSAND TONS of waste each year!

Holy hairball, Batman, that’s a lot of trash!

Straight shaving, by comparison, produces very little waste. The blade can be resharpened and reused pretty much forever. There’s no packaging either.

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3. Be a Macho Man

No doubt about it - shaving with a straight razor is manly. Anyone willing to stare danger in the throat must be a man’s man, right?

Start shaving with a straight razor and your life may change in some subtle ways. Men will fear you, women will swoon. Just like Crocodile Dundee, you’ll no doubt be tempted to shave in public once you’ve got your technique down.

And if your technique is not yet so refined? Tell your friends that those blood splotches on your face are a result of your daily battle with a “cut-throat blade” and watch them cross to the other side of the street.

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4. Pamper Yourself

Once you know what you’re doing, shaving with a single, straight blade is actually easier on your skin than shaving with a triple-blade razor.

Why is this? Two of the most common problems with shaving — razor burn and ingrown hairs — are directly attributable to using more than one blade.

In the case of razor burn, a triple-blade scrapes the skin three times as much as a single blade. This leads, of course, to three times the irritation.

As for ingrown hairs, those are caused by the multi-blade technique of pulling the hair out and cutting it below the line where it penetrates the skin. When the hair grows back, it can grow back under the skin.

So why not just switch to a single, disposable blade? The problem with that approach is that those disposable blades dull quickly. Shaving with a dull blade is even worse for your skin.

The solution? A sharp, single-blade straight razor cuts the hair cleanly, closely and without irritation.

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5. Get In On The Ground Floor

Shaving with a straight razor is a hot new trend. New trend? Huh? Haven’t straight razors been around for several centuries?

Well, yes in fact they have. But shaving with a straight razor has become a lost art. The number of straight razor shavers had dwindled dramatically as of about 10 years ago.

But now, straight razor shaving is becoming “retro cool”. Interest has picked up significantly over the last few years.

If the trend keeps up, it’ll soon be mainstream. Are you the type that likes to catch a new trend before it’s played out?

If so, now is the time to try out straight razor shaving.

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6. Embrace Danger

Scared of putting a deadly weapon just inches from your jugular? Maybe the straight razor isn’t for you.

There’s no question that a safety razor is safer than a straight razor. The blades are angled correctly in a safety razor cartridge and the sides are protected by the plastic casing. But if you like to live on the edge, straight shaving might be just the thing.

Truth is, the danger of a straight razor is more a product of our imagination than a real threat. A careful shaver who keeps his eye on the blade and is careful to use a motion that is perpendicular to the blade is unlikely to suffer more than a nick or two.

When first starting out, straight shaving will certainly produce more of those nicks than a safety razor but, over time, a proficient shaver can minimize the threat significantly.

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7. Make New Friends

Folks wielding razors scare you a little bit? Not to worry. The straight shavers I’ve met are actually quite friendly and willing to help novices.

As with most niche hobbies these days, there’s an active community of straight razor shavers online. They’ve even been known to have an occasional get-together, where members bring their razor collections and swap behind-the-scenes stories from inside the washroom.

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8. Take Up a New Hobby

Straight razor devotees are quite passionate about their skills. While many men start shaving with a straight razor as way to get the ultimate shave, many of them get hooked on the straight razor culture. Honing your skills in search of the perfect shave is an enjoyable, if somewhat time-intensive goal

In addition, many straight shavers become razor collectors. Vintage straight razors can be found on eBay, at antique shows and even at garage sales. Collecting, restoring and showing off straight razors can be gratifying and rewarding.

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9. Learn A New Trade

The economy got you down? Thinking about leaving your job and taking up a new profession? How about becoming a barber?

Okay, this is unrealistic, unappealing or just plain silly for most of us. However, stories abound of hobbyist straight shavers who got carried away by their craft and decided to become pros.

And, if straight shaving is about to go mainstream, you can bet these guys are going to be in demand.

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10. Channel Your Inner Grizzly Adams

Got a little overzealous with your “vacation beard”?

Shaving a longer beard with a disposable razor can be a tough job. The cartridges in a safety razor get gummed up fast with hairs, making it unwieldy for any significant long-hair shaving.

You’ll find yourself madly cleaning your blade every stroke or two and may even need to use more than one cartridge for a single shave. You’ll likely resort to using a beard trimming scissors before starting just to make the process manageable.

Longer beards are no problem for a straight blade, though. The straight blade has no internal surface to get gummed up. In fact, the same smooth stroke works as well on longer-length stubble as it does on a five-o-clock shadow.

So go ahead and grow it. Dan Haggerty would be proud.

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More Info

Want to give it a try? Christopher Moss’ has written an excellent illustrated how-to guide while the Wikipedia, as usual, has a great history and overview of straight razors.

Want to interact with a great bunch of guys who have done it before and can offer some excellent advice to newbies? Check out StraightRazorPlace.com. You can lurk for a while and read up on some of their excellent introductory posts. Then, when you’re ready, dive in and ask some questions. They won’t bite, I promise!

If you do end up taking a stab at straight-razor shaving, let me know how it goes. I’ll be the guy with the big smile and the little bits of tissue paper all over his face.

Have a strictly stylish day!

Strictly Fab Contest: Glam Boulevard

Hi fab readers!

One of my network partners, Glam Boulevard, is having a first year anniversary contest and is inviting all to enter. Some of the fab prizes are described below:

There are 10 prizes and 1 grand prize, with retail value that range from
$28 to $498 (Juicy Couture, Valentino, Armani, Donna L'Oren, L.A.M.B.,
Helena Rubinstein, Hale Bob, Badgley Mischka, Dior, Stuart Weitzmann, are
among the brands featured).

For more information about how to enter and win, click here.

Have a strictly stylish day!

Strictly Fab Event of the Week: DC One Shot Exclusive on July 18, 2007

Happy Monday! I will be back to my Strictly Fab picks in August (after the bar), but I do have a great event that is going on in DC this weekend. If you are in DC this Friday, check it out!


The DC One Shot Exclusive is the first upscale event of its class in Washington ,DC on July 18, 2008 from 8-10 PM. This is an opportunity for the nation's up and coming independent artists to perform their one and only best song in front of nationally recognized Artists, Record Executives, Producers and Entertainment consultants. This event will be a red carpet
exclusive with a press wall that many can’t rival. It also will include media coverage at
one of the most extravagant and posh night clubs in the Washington DC area, “Club Ibiza”.

The participants of this event will receive 15-minutes of personal (collaborative) critique from the Judges/executives that will help them to grow their craft and a possible chance to start negotiation for future record deals.

So if you have the song, the stage presence, and the confidence all in One Shot, “The DC One Shot Exclusive” is your event and “Club Ibiza” is the place.

The DC One Shot Exclusive- You have One Shot to make it POP! Bring you hottest song and your hottest performance because you only have ONE SHOT!!!

Club Ibiza: http://www.ibizadc.com/ (1222 First Street, NE WDC 20002)

Have a strictly stylish day!

Strictly Fab Beauty Product: Skin MD Natural

I recently received a bottle of Skin MD Natural and lemme tell you---I'm a firm believer of Aveeno lotion and Eucerin for my dry skin--but I have since changed my tune! I am skeptical of trying new products because it took so long for me to find anything that keeps my skin completely moisturized. The "skinny", or should I say, watery and lightweight lotions never worked for me and the heavy ones left me way too shiny and greasy.

Then I got my bottle of Skin MD Natural on the recommendation of an associate. Because the lotion is so lightweight, I didn't think that it could achieve the goal of moisturizing my dry skin. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it kept my skin moisturized without feeling greasy and my skin was soft to the touch. Not just a regular lotion, it is a "shielding lotion" that is not only an skin emollient, but also protects the skin from substances that would "rob" it of its moisture.

Here's a better description from the official site:

A Shielding Lotion is far more effective as a dry skin care treatment than mere moisturizing lotions or protective creams. If you suffer from dry skin, you know that just using a moisturizing lotion doesn't solve the problem.

Skin MD Natural™ is promptly absorbed, without the slightest hint of any greasy or oily feeling or residue, transforming the outer layer of skin into a hydrating invisible shield.

Glycerin has been the standard against which all humectants are measured. Until now no other humectant drew in as much moisture from the air as glycerin. But the proprietary formulation in Skin MD Natural™ has a moisturizing factor of at least 6 times greater than glycerin.

I am hooked! I especially love these facts about Skin MD Natural:
No animal products or testing
Fragrance and colorant free
Dermatology tested
Non-comedogenic
Hypoallergenic
Paraben free

For more information and where to find Skin MD Natural, check out the official site.

Have a strictly stylish day!

Strictly Fab Diva of the Day: Elle of In A Word...Fab

Hello fab readers!

I wanted to shine a spotlight on my fellow fab blogger, Elle of In a Word...Fab. She is vying for a job as a fashion jockey in Japan courtesy of H&M. Not only is she a fab diva who has it all together (no bias on my part although she guided me through law school and is my soror), she is on her grind doing double duty as an accomplished attorney by day and a fashionista by night. Do it girl!

To vote for the fab Ms. Elle, click on the link below (I love the video!):

http://www.hm.com/us/?deeplink=tokyo;view;Tokyo-b1beda13-7435-4f85-8161-84ba5771b920-93-2.wmv#/tokyo08/

The fab Ms. Elle herself

Good luck Elle!

Have a strictly stylish day!

MAN DAY: The new cool is Black

Man Day has made a triumphant return....aren't you so glad?! If you have read my past posts, you should know that I am definitely on the Barack Obama bandwagon---hard---and I really love the Ebony "cool Black" covers that I have seen floating around the net. Here, by no surprise, is my most favorite, Mr. Obama himself.


Now, I couldn't present brotherman without presenting his best half, Mrs. Michelle Obama. Check out a fashion review of the fab Mrs. Obama courtesy of the folks at AOL Black Voices.

A snippet of the actual post is below--I absolutely love it!

Michelle Obama earned her law degree from Harvard University in 1988, after receiving her undergraduate degree from Princeton. She met her husband, Barack Obama, while working as a lawyer in private practice. Yet, Michelle really flowered in her career when she moved to the public sector, honing her professional appearance and capacity to serve as the vice president of community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center. While Michelle's style has not changed much over the years, Mrs. Obama seems to effortlessly project the image of the modern president's wife. Take notes on her classic style.

Have a strictly stylish day!

Strictly Fab Wedding: Malinda Williams

Here's a guest post courtesy of the folks (specifically Ms. Porshe!) Essence.com about the strictly fab wedding of one of my favorite actresses, Malinda Williams (written by Ms. Williams herself). She will be writing about her joys and trials while planning a wedding, so you can follow along her blissful journey with her. Enjoy!

July 07, 2008

He proposed to me, I said yes, now what? Do we hold hands and skip on over to the justice of the peace, sneak off to a private island with 25 of our closest friends and family, or do we go all out and have an opulent, fit for a duke and duchess-type affair? Believe it or not, this was a really tough decision. We knew we would get married but we knew not how. I will say this; we are quite happy with our decision but it is certainly not without it's drama. Turns out saying "yes" was the easy part.

We knew immediately, that we had to have a semi-lavish affair. We had to have all the family and friends there to celebrate with us. Good food, great music and more love and inspiration than we could ever ask for. Much easier said than done. I guess the first thing I would do is find someone to help me pull this thing together. Someone who understands that a classy, chic, fun affair doesn't mean we have to spend our entire life savings. We aren't a couple of 23 year-olds just getting our lives started. Regarding throwing a big wedding, Suze Orman would probably tell us "you are not approved". Well, as much as I value Suze's advice, I was determined to make it all work without going into debt, so I set a budget and everyday I fight to stick to it. I'm sure people would love to imagine that for a hollywood actress, money is no object. Please! In these times, no matter how much money is available, we've gotta be smart.

I also had to find inspiration for the overall design. Like most girls, I had a pretty clear vision of the tone of the event. I just needed a clear way to convey that to the team of people who would be executing. There is so much to consider, but if I want this to work, I really have to get people to understand what the dream looks like. The photo below is a design board I found. I thought it reflected some of the ideas of what I was going for. I want the wedding to feel classic and timeless. In a word, Vintage-Mod. What do you think?...

Have a strictly stylish day!

I'm back....well, sort of....

Ok, I'm back.....a little bit at least. It's crunch time for bar study, so I will post a few posts this week--courtesy of guest columnists---until August 1st. By the way, here's the newest addition to the fam, Ryan Patrick:


Have a strictly stylish day!