Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Just days after her fashion line with British company River Island was panned mercilessly in the media, Rihanna announced a partnership (on her birthday, February 20… happy belated!) with cosmetics company MAC to create 31 products for the RiRi [Hearts] MAC line. And just like so many celebrity partnerships these days, this deal comes with a new title for RiRi:  ”creative partner.”

According to OMG! from Yahoo, the first item to come from the partnership will be RiRi Woo red lipstick, which will be sold at the Barclay’s Center on May 4, when Rihanna is performing in concert. She posted the photo below on Instagram with the message: “That’s right baby, I’m a #MACgal now! “Get into it, package designed and products created from scratch by yours truly! Thanks to the EPIC team at #MAC for giving me the opportunity to play and share my favorite s**t with my fans and yours.”

via Instagram

We also have some behind-the-scenes footage from her London Fashion Week show, just made available. Check it out below.

The women of CGC (L to R): Tracey Coleman, Charisse Higgins, Simone Mair, Gia Lowe, Melody Henderson, Julienne Brown

Behind the scenes and at the forefront of their events, the Curly Girl Collective celebrates diversity. CGC is the brainchild of six women from an array of backgrounds – their professions range from advertising to computer science, and their ages range eight years – who’ve come together under the common goal of honoring the diversity of natural hair.

“I think of our diversity is what makes us work so well together,” says Simone Mair, Director of Business Strategy. “It makes us who we are.”

In the summer of 2010, Tracey Coleman (Director of Events), Charisse Higgins (Director of Public Relations), Simone Mair, Gia Lowe (Strategic Partnerships Director), Melody Henderson (Creative Director), and Julienne Brown (Marketing & Promotions Director), couldn’t stop talking about their natural hair journeys. Their mutual obsession led to small get-togethers in Tracey’s apartment. The face-to-face gatherings gave them an irreplaceable sense of connection that the online natural hair community, while overflowing with information, just couldn’t compete with.

Determined to make this sense of community available to a larger audience, the Curly Girl Collective was born. I caught up with the ladies behind the brand to learn how they’re bringing online connections to the real world.

MADAME NOIRE (MN): How does CGC carry out its mission?

CHARISSE: Curly Girl Collective is centered around events with a focus on empowering women. Our mission is to create experiences that celebrate natural beauty and creatively inspire and educate women in and outside of the natural hair community. CGC celebrates diversity and creates experiences that give women the freedom to be their natural selves.

MN: What was the catalyst that gave you the confidence to jump into entrepreneurship?

SIMONE: Our launch event was in May of 2011.  To be honest, we really weren’t 100% confident that anyone would be interested in our event or even attend.  Although a few of us had experience hosting smaller parties/events, we were jumping in head first with this endeavor.  We had confidence in our skillsets and used our personal experiences to create what turned out to be a very successful event.  It was scary.  It was anxiety-driven.  It was exhilarating. And at the end of it all, though exhausted, it was so rewarding!

MN: The natural hair phenomenon has spawned many new businesses and blogs. Why is an organization like CGC needed?

CHARISSE: A lot of businesses and blogs were founded for the purpose of promoting, creating and/or reviewing products to help women navigate the landscape of the natural hair community. And that’s great! But our goal is a little different. We aim to truly create environments that speak to specific moments in the natural hair journey, with the goal of leaving our guests empowered, inspired and truly in love with their natural beauty. From coveting another woman’s curls (which is a very real feeling), to the issues one encounters when a love interest doesn’t embrace natural textures, our events seek to speak to the spectrum of topics in the natural hair journey.

MN: The main goals of CGC are issue-based (acceptance; providing a platform). How do you monetize your initiatives?

GIA: We’ve spent the past two years creating the groundwork – valuable experiences that women look forward to attending. From here, we hope to attract sponsors that are aligned with our vision and in return we can introduce their brands to consumers in an intimate way tailored to their business needs.

MN: What are the main issues your target audience is dealing with? How are you addressing them?

SIMONE: Some of the more common issues we hear from our audience are frustrations with hair health, regimens, textures, etc.  We also hear about frustrations with the perceptions of natural hair among loved ones, family, friends, business peers, etc.  None of us are experts in any of the topics aforementioned but we listen to our fans and we do our best to create events that address those issues such as our last co-ed event, Mane Attraction, where we provided an open judge-free platform to express how natural hair has affected their relationships with their mates.  Sometimes the resolution to a lot of issues is just communication.

MN: What’s the key to putting on a great event? How do you make CGC events memorable?

CHARISSE: It’s interesting, we really treat it like an advertising agency. We approach each event with the lens of a creative department, making sure our ideas are grounded in something innovative. With so many brands creating experiences now in the natural hair space, it’s imperative that we break through the landscape of meet ups, launches and seminars with events that push it a little further. And above all, our events are memorable because we make them fun–that’s really all that matters. At the end of the day, ladies just want to come out and celebrate the movement!

Allen Cooley/lip Addyct

Cosmetic company Lip Addyct has just signed Lisa Wu to create her own signature lipstick line, Chameleon by Lisa Wu. You might remember Wu from Real Housewives of Atlanta seasons one and two in which may have been a hot mess (like most reality TV celebs), but she made a name for herself in the process.

Also among many reality TV stars, there’s a limit to the a limit to fame they achieve. To most it would seem Lisa Wu’s brand has cooled off.

According to a press release, Lip Addyct founder, Adrienne Owens, is a fan of Wu’s and approached her with the opportunity. “Lisa embodies what I believe our ‘Addycts’ are – intelligent, beautiful women of elegance and sophistication,” says Owens in the press statement. “She’s a go-getter and, like myself, a mother who continues to press forward and achieves the goals she’s set for herself.”

Adds Wu in the release, ”I chose Chameleon to symbolize the innate capability women have to gracefully transition from one role in their lives to another. With Chameleon by Lisa Wu, they’ll be able to wear my lipstick colors to reflect those various roles.”

With Wu’s popularity waning, she doesn’t seem a likely choice for a product spokesperson. Maybe Lip Addyct is counting on Wu’s blossoming acting career to be successful, thus upping Wu’s stock. Wu will appear in the Charles S. Dutton-directed Must Be the Music, whose cast also includes Black Thought (of The Roots), Tasha Smith, and Meek Mills; First Impression with Lamman Rucker and Elise Neal; and The Internship, starring Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, and Owen Wilson. So there are some pretty big names in there.

When still married to football player Ed Hartwell, Wu had several businesses with him, including a real estate firm called Hartwell and Associates, a jewelry line called Wu Girls, a T-shirt line called Hart 2 Hart Clothing, a women’s clothing line called Closet Freaks, and a baby clothing line called Hart 2 Hart Baby.

But things went downhill. “Lisa and Ed Hartwell borrowed $2.9 million to buy their suburban Atlanta mansion in June 2007. Just more than two years later, Bank of America paid $1.9 million for the house at a foreclosure sale at the Forsyth County, Ga., courthouse, after the Hartwells defaulted on their adjustable-rate mortgage from the bank,” reports website Richest Net Worth. The Hartwells divorced in 2011. Wu was previously married to singer Keith Sweat. Richest Net Worth estimates Wu’s net worth is just about $100,000.

The deal with Lip Addyct will certain boost Wu’s bottom line, but will Wu do the same for them?

Source: nahright.com

Nicki Minaj’s endorsement of Mitt Romney instigated some of the splashiest headlines following the Labor Day weekend. Head scratching and eye rolls accompanied readers’ mouse clicks, racking up traffic numbers for news and gossip websites. “I’m a Republican voting for Mitt Romney,” she said on her mentor Lil Wayne’s mixtape. “You lazy b***** are f****** up the economy.”

Later in the week, panicked tweets began to surface. Chicago is losing its mind. A sixteen-year-old rapper named JoJo was killed after being shot twice on Tuesday. The incident occurred hours after a video emerged of JoJo taunting a rival named Lil Reese, an associate of popular rapper Chief Keef, making the violent lifestyle Chicago’s drill music glorifies that much more real. Keef’s notoriety stems from “I Don’t Like,” a local anthem made popular nationwide when Kanye West remixed the song with his G.O.O.D. labelmates.

With her closet full of wigs and the wardrobe of a teen in Tokyo, Nicki Minaj doesn’t present herself as someone to be taken seriously for her political views. Perhaps that’s why she felt she could get away with an easy punch line that puts down others to illustrate her supremacy. Most of her fans aren’t old enough to vote. What harm could it do?

What harm could a remix do either? West repeatedly partners with rappers who have grittier followings (including G.O.O.D. signees 2 Chainz and Pusha T) to appropriate buzz in the streets that his “luxury rap” distances him from. Not only that, he was able to bring attention to emerging music in his hometown. Everybody wins, right?

Everybody except for the impressionable young fans that take Minaj’s demonization of poor people as gospel. Except for kids like JoJo, certainly not the last to get swept up in a scene that produces music videos with kids as young as thirteen brandishing automatic weapons and throwing up gang signs. A scene that the music industry had already started to monetize.

As an immigrant raised in Queens, I doubt Minaj believes the poor are to blame for the nation’s ills and that the wealthy are better than the class she was born into. As a native of Chicago, I doubt West wants to promote music that fuels the killing of black youth. But their endorsements, ironic or otherwise, send a different message.

Whether Minaj took herself seriously or not, she used her influence to champion an elitist mindset without offering the slightest critique. Whether West intended to or not, he validated and publicized art that encourages violence, without the critical thinking artists like Lupe Fiasco have brought to the table. These messages are now tied to their brand, whether they like it or not.

Minaj and West’s missteps are unfortunate, and reflect a lesson we all should learn. An endorsement is not something to be taken lightly. Up-and-coming artists and politicians clamor for the stamp of approval of popular artists and publications for a reason. An endorsement transfers over a portion of the co-signers resources, influence, and reputation without signing a single contract. It doesn’t take an official partnership to endorse something; your words and actions speak just as loudly.

Before you align yourself with an outside person, brand, cause, or organization, do your research. It is important to have a solid understanding of what you are supporting and why you are supporting it. Your co-sign should do more than bolster your ego; it should promote your values.

The public wants the people and organizations they support to stand for something of value. Eighty-three percent of Americans say they wish brands would support causes, and 41 percent have bought a product because it was associated with a cause. With success comes an increase in power and responsibility. Ask yourself, what are you using your influence to promote?

Cortney Cleveland is a freelance writer and content strategist in New York City. You can follow her on Twitter @CleveInTheCity and visit her personal column The Red Read.

From YourTango.com

To understand the health benefits of love in a relationship, it’s important to understand the meaning and definition oflove. Love has so many meanings and interpretations. Countless people in the world struggle with defining what love really means to them.

Here is Wikipedia’s definition of love:

• Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment.
• Love is also a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection as well as ”the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another.”
• Love may also be described as actions towards others based on compassion, or as actions towards others based on affection.
• Love may be understood as part of the survival instinct, a function to keep human beings together against menaces and to facilitate the continuation of the species.

The word love itself has a variety of meanings and interpretations, making it very difficult for many to describe. The health benefits of love, however, are easy to identify and much more obvious. In this article, I would like to focus on the positive health benefits of love in a healthy, loving situation.

For the three main health benefits of love, visit YourTango.com.

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(Business Wire) — Brooklynn Sports & Entertainment, a sales and marketing arm of the Barclays Center, today announced that Willis Group Holdings plc (WSH 32.02, -0.03, -0.09%), the global insurance broker, has become a major partner of the planned Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The partnership with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment marks another bold branding move for Willis in the U.S. market. The broker, with operations around the world, doubled its size in North America with the 2008 acquisition of Hilb Rogal & Hobbs, and in 2009 significantly increased its global brand awareness by securing the naming rights to the former Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) in Chicago. Aligning itself with the Barclays Center, one of the most important new sports and entertainment facilities in America, represents further momentum for the Willis brand in New York City and, indeed, everywhere professional basketball and other events staged at the arena command worldwide attention.

As part of its integrated marketing platform within the arena, the Willis brand will be displayed prominently as the exclusive sponsor of the Barclays Center’s 38 Loge Boxes. The Willis name also will appear in all marketing and advertising associated with this premium seating, including a significant presence on Barclayscenter.com.

“We are thrilled to become partners with Willis and to help enhance its brand in Brooklyn and throughout New York City,” said Brett Yormark, president and CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “The Barclays Center will serve as a powerful catalyst in driving new business to Willis, which has built its reputation by providing world-class client service and global expertise. Offering unlimited networking opportunities, the Barclays Center will soon be recognized as a place where business gets done.”

“Brooklyn is a great global brand that’s reaching new heights with the Barclays Center. The borough has earned a storied place in sports mythology, from the heroics at Ebbets Field to being the birthplace of legends such as Vince Lombardi, Joe Torre and Joe Paterno,” said Joe Plumeri, Chairman and CEO of Willis. “Willis helps manage the world’s most complex risks, and we look forward to both helping the Barclays Center through its multi-faceted construction process and, when the arena is opened, to working with Mikhail Prokhorov, Bruce Ratner, Brett Yormark, Jay-Z and their team to carry Jackie Robinson’s legacy forward and bring a new generation of champions to Brooklyn and New York.”

Willis will provide insurance and risk management services to the Barclays Center and will play an integral role as an associate sponsor of the Barclays Center Business Alliance, the premier business association for the arena’s partners.

“Willis and the Barclays Center are a natural fit,” said Joe Gunn, New York Regional Partner for Willis. “Willis is all about challenging the status quo in the insurance industry and advocating fiercely for our clients around the world. We sense that same energy and excitement in our partnership with the Barclays Center, which will soon take New York and Brooklyn by storm and change the professional sports and entertainment landscape in this town. We couldn’t be more excited about our partnership, or more proud to provide the insurance and risk management services that will help Barclays Center become a reality.”

Joshua King, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Willis, said, “Like our deal for the naming rights to Willis Tower in Chicago, our involvement in Brooklyn is part of a strategic marketing program to elevate our brand and connect in a powerful way with clients, prospects and the community at large — here in New York and around the world. We look forward to a great partnership that will benefit all parties as we work together to make Barclays Center the home of future champions, and at the same time, raise the Willis flag even higher.”

In addition to Barclays, the naming rights partner, and Willis, the Barclays Center currently has 10 major partners, including: ADT, Cushman & Wakefield, EmblemHealth, MetroPCS, MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Jones Soda, Haier America, Phillips-Van Heusen, Anheuser-Busch, and High Point Solutions.

About Willis

Willis Group Holdings is a leading global insurance broker. Through its subsidiaries, Willis develops and delivers professional insurance, reinsurance, risk management, financial and human resource consulting and actuarial services to corporations, public entities and institutions around the world. Willis has more than 400 offices in nearly 120 countries, with a global team of approximately 17,000 employees serving clients in virtually every part of the world. Additional information on Willis may be found atwww.willis.com.

About Barclays Center

The state-of-the-art Barclays Center, to be located at Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues, will host more than 200 events annually, including professional and collegiate sports, concerts, family shows, and NETS Basketball. The arena will offer 18,000 seats for basketball and up to 19,000 seats for concerts, and will also have 104 luxury suites, including 15 Brownstone Suites (16 seats each), 68 Loft Suites (10 seats each), 11 Backstage Suites, six Studio Suites, and four Party Suites. The arena will also include six clubs and restaurants, and the onsite practice facility at the Barclays Center.

While construction has been on-going since last fall, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held in March 2010 to mark the next phase of construction of the arena, which is expected to open in late spring/early summer 2012.

The Barclays Center, designed by the award-winning architectural firms Ellerbe Becket and SHoP Architects, will be one of the most intimate seating configurations ever designed into a modern multi-purpose arena, with unparalleled sightlines and first-class amenities.

For more information on the Barclays Center log on to www.barclayscenter.com.

SOURCE: Willis Group Holdings plc

(Politico) — Bill Clinton’s stunning endorsement of an underdog insurgent running against the White House’s handpicked candidate in the Colorado senatorial primary should be proof that whatever the public perception may be of a united front between President Barack Obama and the former president, Clinton remains very much his own man – and his own political force.

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(Politico) — Bill Clinton’s stunning endorsement of an underdog insurgent running against the White House’s handpicked candidate in the Colorado senatorial primary should be proof that whatever the public perception may be of a united front between President Barack Obama and the former president, Clinton remains very much his own man – and his own political force.

Read More…

(Target Market News) — BMW of North America today announced a partnership with the FoxxHole Satellite Radio Channel starring Jamie Foxx. As the Official Automotive Partner, BMW will be integrated into show content by presenting a Joy of Comedy showcase, live interviews with BMW experts and other on-air mentions.  Through this commitment to FoxxHole radio, BMW will be working with the program to interact with listeners where they live, work, and play.  This robust partnership allows BMW to execute not only an on-air presence but also various actions in key markets as Jamie Foxx’s FoxxHole Radio Show goes on an 18 city live broadcast tour.

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(TG  Daily) — Microsoft’s Kin was available online on May 6th. Now, it’s in Verizon’s stores. A week is a year on the Internets. I like the Kin. For that matter, I like every new phone that comes out because, phones are like lollipops: they’re bright, shiny, colorful, and for the most part, easily digestible. However, the Kin does have a few extra things going for it: Microsoft and Robbie Bach, iPhone fatigue, and Android support, or the lack thereof.

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