Sources: Shutterstock, WENN

24-year-old Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky aka Rakim Mayers appears to have just landed himself in the hot seat with the ladies. Did he nonchalantly rap about date rape? No (Well, at least not that we know of). Did he  discredit the civil rights movement by spitting sexually explicit and disrespectful lyrics about a civil rights icon? Well, no. His offense was way less dramatic, but an offense nonetheless. During a recent interview with The Coveteur, when asked his opinion on women who wear make-up, the “Choppas On Deck” rapper expressed that he isn’t a fan of red lipstick on dark-skinned women.

“I like red lips, it’s fine. I’m going to be real, though: it’s bad for making out, because it gets on the guys. But for real, for me, I feel like with the red lipstick thing it all depends on the pair of complexion. I’m just being for real. You have to be fair skinned to get away with that. Just like if you were to wear like—F**king for instance, what do dark skin girls have that you know fair skinned girls cant do… Purple lipstick? Naw, that looks stupid on all girls! Purple lipstick, guys! Like, what the F**k,” said Mayers.

You can probably guess that the hasty blanket statement wasn’t well received, especially considering all of the dark-skinned beauties who fiercely and flawlessly rock red lipstick.

“Oh ASAP, you should just stick to rapping. You clearly know nothing about perfecting a bold and beautiful lip. While there isn’t one universally flattering red, there are definitely enough shades out there to find the right one for every skin tone. And last time we checked ASAP’s fellow Harlem-native rapper Azealia Banks, who has a lovely dark chocolate complexion, is making a pretty penny off her purple-hued pout,” wrote the Huffington Post’s Julee Wilson in an article titled, “ASAP Rocky’s Misguided Beauty Advice.”

More interesting commentary came from the ladies over at CLUTCH, who compiled a photo presentation of brown-skinned stunners who have been able to pull of the red lip in an article titled, “Dear ASAP Rocky: Here’s Why You’re Wrong About Dark-Skinned Women and Red Lipstick.”

“Of course, this flawed logic isn’t surprising coming from someone whose known for his Rag doll braided hairstyle. But I want to address it because these kind of egregious myths associated with skin color are far too prevalent. ASAP Rocky isn’t the first to believe this untruth, and he won’t be the last. Red lipstick is one of those magical colors that work on everyone. Women with skin tones that range from deep to pale can find their perfect red and wear it with ease,” a portion of the essay reads.

Twitter also offered some pretty humorous commentary on the rapper’s beauty tips.

What are your thoughts on A$AP Rocky’s “beauty tips?”

Asmau Ahmed, Founder of Plum Perfect

An age-old problem for consumers and the beauty industry is the lack of products being created that match the variety and depth of skin tones and complexions that exist.

In 2012, after years of research and testing, Asmau Ahmed, a trained engineer, launched Plum Perfect, a mobile and web-based application that operates as the ultimate personal shopper, picking out beauty products that are a perfect match for you every single time.

Ahmed wasn’t the only one that noticed this void. A few months after she launched Plum Perfect, Pantone launched their 110-shade SkinTone guide and partnered with Sephora on a foundation matching system, further underscoring the need for this type of technology on the market.

I recently caught up with Ahmed to get the inside scoop on Plum Perfect and to learn more about the company’s expansion beyond beauty products into the fashion and home categories.

Madame Noire: How would you describe Plum Perfect to someone who has never heard of it before?

Asmau Ahmed: Ultimately, Plum Perfect is designed to increase the excitement and customization of [shopping for beauty products]. We personalize the shopping experience online and in-store, by guaranteeing the right color match for every unique woman.  Our application allows for any user to customize her matched colors by price, product type, color, brand or look (ie. natural, glam, wear to work).

You can take a photo of your face and Plum Perfect will instantly determine your unique color signature and search across products and retailers to present you with the perfect makeup finds.

[We will also] launch our fashion application that will use the same technology to read the color of a dress and recommend the perfect purse to accessorize.  The launch of fashion will be essential to both men and women – no more guessing which tie will work with that shirt!

MN: When did you launch Plum Perfect?

AA: May 2012. But, I’ve spent many years building the technology, filing patents etc.  Since our launch, we’ve experienced 350 percent growth in new users and 150 percent growth in returning visitors.

MN: How many retailers/brands have signed up for this platform?

AA: Over 20 top brands and retailers are part of the Plum Perfect network. We expect this technology to be an online game changer for our preferred retail partners, with reach into beauty, fashion, and home décor.

MN: How long did it take you to convince your first retail/brand partner to sign up? Was it an easy or hard sell?

AA: Once I figured out the key was to show a demo of what we’ve built and its capabilities, it was an easy sell.  We have a number of different ways that we can partner with brands and retailers. One exciting new initiative is Beauty Sampling 2.0. where we use technology and each person’s unique color signature to recommend colors and products that she will love AND use.  [Madame Noire readers] can register at PlumPerfect.com to be notified when this program goes live! 

Hey Noirettes, 

In 300 creative words or less – tell us why you’d like to win La La Anthony’s Fall 2012 Make-Up Collection. Has it been ions since you’ve tried a new fierce red lipstick hue? Did you lose your fully stocked make-up bag? Or did your boyfriend use your most prized black eyeliner to leave you a message on the mirror? If so, let our editors know!!!

Between October 16 – October 30, 2012, Madame Noire will kick off its first social media targeted contest collaborating with mother, wife, entrepreneur and actress La La Anthony.

One lucky winner from Madame Noire will win her Fall 2012 beauty collection Motives for La La based on their compelling story!

The Editors at Madame Noire will select the best narratives and forward them directly to La La personally!

Out of the top 5 selected, La La will choose one and send a personal Thank You video, as well as her amazing collection.

Submit your story now via: motivesforlalacontest@madamenoire.com!

Check out our cool staff makeovers, courtesy of Motives for La La!

For rules and regulations hit the link!

thinkstock.com

You’d like to think that if you truly love each other and know each other, you’ll always understand each other’s intentions. You’ll never misinterpret why he did or said this, or perhaps failed to do or say that. But no matter how close you are to somebody, you’re still separate entities, with your own minds, your own stresses and your own desires. And after being with someone long enough, even the smallest slip-ups can blow up into relationship-ending issues. Don’t let these insignificant matters ruin a good thing.

From StyleBlazer

It’s no secret that we love a good crimson lip: we have at least three red lippies on our person at any given moment. This fall is all about the deep vampy colors, but we also love a gorgeous bold pink lip. Pink adds fun to just about any look, and it’s great on all complexions.

Check out 5 of our fave bold lipsticks.

1. M.A.C Girl About Town Lipstick, $15 at M.A.C

This bright pink runs a bit on the cool side, yet works well on all undertones.

Read more at StyleBlazer

More on Madame Noire!

• Where Are They Now? 8 Sassy And Silly Sidekicks From Some Of Our Favorite Black Sitcoms
• Finding Food In Your Bra And 6 Other Big-Breasted Girl Problems
• Do We Allow Men To Be The Fathers We Ask Them To Be?
• True Story: I Dated A Man With Horribly Bad Breath And Lived To Write About It
• True Life: My Birth Control Gave Me Crazy Side Effects
• Nobody Likes A Negative Nancy: Are You Optimistic About Dating?
• Did You Know They Dated (Part IV)? 14 Celeb Couples We Were VERY Surprised By

Source: The Is Your Conscience

Men have their radars too when it comes to women and dating. It might be embedded in their “guy code” or could be from personal experience, but when it comes to getting to know a woman, certain ‘red flags’ or warning signs alarm them of what they might be getting themselves into.

All of us have fallen for the exception to the rules and warning signs, and so have men, and the lesson and outcomes seem to be the same.

“I’ve dated women even after they’ve showed me these signs simply because there was something else about her that allowed me to look past them. But if we do end the relationship, and it ends up being because of red flags I noticed before, I end up being more disappointed in myself for not knowing better and not sticking to what I believe.”

Straight from the opinions of males (unidentified for privacy reasons), here are some red flags men take notice of while getting to know and dating a woman:

Source: Madame Noire

Want to look good for your next date, but not looking to splurge for your look? Looking the part for a date should be effortlessly chic, but not rob your pockets. Looking good for your next date night doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. Do your research, prepare ahead of time and save some money to look just as good on a budget!

Here is how you can do it!

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Makeup and I have a love and hate relationship. I love it on other people, especially those who beat their faces to perfection, yet I hate it on me.

It wasn’t always like that. Back in my teens and my late 20s, I was one of those ladies who loved to dabble in the war paint. In fact, I wore the stuff everyday in full regalia from the liquid and press powder foundations to the concealer to the blush, eye shadow, lip liners and gloss and mascara.  Back then, I saw makeup as not only a way to boost confidence but to accentuate the positive while disguising what I perceived as negatives.

But now that I am heading into my mid-thirties, the extra time spent in the mornings in front of the mirror fussin’ and fixin just doesn’t appeal to me as much. I would rather hit the snooze button and spend the extra twenty minutes or so sleeping.  Don’t get me wrong, sometimes makeup just completes the look. So if I’m headed out somewhere nice, I might pull out the caboodle and press my face. However, even that is not always a given.

Part of  my disillusionment with make-up involved worrying – wondering if the look I had achieved prior to leaving the house held up through the day. I can’t tell you how many moments in life I missed because I was in the bathroom or held up in my compact mirror, making sure that my face wasn’t getting away from me.

Now, I have a newfound appreciation of all my natural features including my nose and discoloration under my eyes, which I used to try to “fix” with makeup. I also love being able to touch my face without fear of some of it rubbing off onto my hands or clothing.

But perhaps my appreciation for my natural face isn’t all that it is cracked up to be – at least according to Sam Fine, celebrity makeup artist and creative makeup director for Fashion Fair Cosmetics. According to Fine, the biggest beauty mistake that I, among other bare-face Black women make is not wearing makeup. He says, ““I think the biggest beauty mistake is not understanding how to enhance your beauty,” Sam added. “And I think a lot of [women of color] are scared that makeup is going to make [them] look fake, ‘It’s not gonna look like me, they’re not going to have my color.’ I think that they just tend to step away from the category when a brand like Fashion Fair, is releasing a liquid foundation in July to add to the range of colors. Nineteen shades! There will be 17 shades in liquid! And if you look at that, that’s not a range that’s broken up for general market vs. African Americans. So you really are getting a wealth of coverage options and colors. I think the biggest mistake is not participating in the game at all.”

Interesting. Sounds more like a plug for Fashion Fair Cosmetics’ new foundation line than actual unbiased beauty advice. Product placement aside, there might be some truth to what he says. As one Facebook friend of mine – a photographer with years of experience – has suggested, the natural look is overrated and those who think that they look better without makeup are deluding themselves. In fact, his exact words were: “That whole natural thing is for people who don’t entertain the masses, everyone y’all watch, buy cd’s from, concert tickets to see, etc. rocks it. That natural line is corny!”

Ouch, that’s kind of harsh. As much as I was ready to” go in” on my FB buddy, I had to acknowledge that he too might have a point. We are an image-conscious society.  Every day on television and in the magazines, we see images of celebrities and even non-celebrities alike with their faces made-up to perfection. Even among the menfolk and in the news industry, men are encouraged to wear make up although it’s supposed to be the news we’re supposed to be paying attention to – not the faces of the anchors. Some say television personalities need to wear make-up because of the harshness of the lights, which seems to highlights one’s flaws, but the truth of the matter is that folks do look more appealing with makeup on than without. Even I notice a difference in the number of cat-calls from men on the street when I am wearing makeup as opposed to when I am not – not that I am looking to be harassed on the street by strange and random men. But you get my point.

hauteliving.com

by R. Asmerom

When Iman spun her brand to back a make up line for women of color in 1994, the market reacted favorably. Just two years after launching Iman Cosmetics at J.C. Penney, the company registered sales of $25 million and went on to sign a deal with Proctor & Gamble to distribute her cosmetics to the mass market. But things didn’t go as planned according to the supermodel, as stores like Walgreens didn’t want to position her goods prominently.

“It was a no-go,” Iman told New York Magazine. “They wanted me to be placed at the back, which they considered, like it is, for the ethnic section, which I was totally against it for no other reason but ’cause also I never considered myself an ethnic brand.”

The reaction from the market led Iman to conduct her business primarily online, and although business is booming, the Somalian businesswoman knows it could be even better if she had a foothold in more stores.

One example that Iman shared with New York Magazine about how misled the mass market is when it comes to understanding women of color is the reaction she received to her launch of a liquid foundation last year. ”I decided to create a liquid foundation, which I have been told numerous times by the retailers, “Oh, black women don’t buy liquid foundation,” right? she recalled. Despite the nay-sayers, the liquid foundation became her top selling item.

More on Madame Noire Business!

• Behind the Click: Ashley Baxter, Digital Marketing Manager for J.C. Penney
• How She Made It: Alia Jones-Harvey, Producer of A Streetcar Named Desire
• Why African Philanthropists Are Calling For Africapitalism
• Will Scandal’s Success Pave the Way for More Diverse Images of Black Women?
• How She Made It: Jeri Lynne Johnson, Founder of Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra
• Entrepreneur Spotlight: A Sister-Run Business Brings High-End Tea Stateside

If you want a backstage pass to fun and flirty makeup than you must check out celebrity make –up artist, Kiam Barrese’s  – Backstage Cosmetix.  Even though Ms. Barrese has worked with the likes of Erykah Badu, Taraji P. Henson and Solange just to name a few, she believed that everyone no matter whom they are or where they are from – that their life is their stage. More than just make-up, Kiam created a line that provides the best performance tool– preparation. And we know all the magic begins Backstage!

Here is a sneak peak of what’s Backstage…

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