14TH ANNUAL ESSENCE BLACK WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD AWARDS AND 2ND ANNUAL ESSENCE HOLLYWOOD HOUSE

Building on its years of providing platforms to ensure Black creatives “receive their flowers” for their contributions to Hollywood and global culture, ESSENCE, the leading and only 100% Black-owned media, technology and commerce company at scale dedicated to Black women and communities, today announced the honorees for its highly-anticipated 14th annual Black Women in Hollywood and feature programming for its 2nd annual Hollywood House. As the yearly can’t-miss event for Black Hollywood taking place during Oscars Week since 2008, the Black Women in Hollywood experience spotlights some of the most renowned and accomplished women leading at the forefront of the film, television and creative industry and has now honored 65 Black actresses, directors, producers, writers, costume designers and more. This year’s stellar roster of honorees include EGOT winner, producer and entrepreneur Whoopi Goldberg (The View, The Stand); GRAMMY, EMMY and TONY Award-winning and OSCAR-nominated actress, singer and producer Cynthia Erivo  (Genius: Aretha, Harriet); EMMY Award-winning actress/producer Zendaya (Malcolm and Marie, Euphoria); writer, actress and showrunner Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You); and Golden Globe winner, Oscar-nominated actress and GRAMMY-nominated singer Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday), who will also perform. The event will be hosted by actress and producer Laverne Cox (Promising Young Woman and Disclosure). Presenters will be announced at a later date.

Previously produced as an invite-only luncheon, this year’s ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood will be streamed as a virtual experience for the first time and will air Thursday, April 22, 2021 from 7-10 P.M. (ET) on ESSENCEStudios.com and ESSENCE.com. The theme, “Mastering Our Stories,” will focus on the resiliency of Black women in Hollywood through the years—including during the unprecedented pandemic.

“ESSENCE has demonstrated our commitment to highlighting the power and resiliency of Black women for 50 years, and part of that has included creating opportunities to uplift and recognize each other when no one else would,” said Latraviette D. Smith-Wilson, ESSENCE Chief Strategy & Engagement Officer. “In a world where finally the needs and contributions of Black women are increasingly – though not always sustainably – being acknowledged in new ways, ESSENCE’s platforms such as Black Women in Hollywood remain unparalleled cultural forums that uniquely convene us in celebration and encouragement of each other and in recognition of the perseverance, fortitude, grace and innovation that have been required on our journeys. ESSENCE is incredibly proud to celebrate all our Black Women in Hollywood honorees for their immense talent and achievements, as well as for being a voice for Black women everywhere in ways that may not always be apparent and in rooms where we may not always be present. We see you. We hear you. We honor you.”

“Every year, we start our planning for ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood with one important question: What stories amplified Black women’s experiences?” said Cori Murray, ESSENCE Deputy Editor and co-producer of Black Women in Hollywood since its inception. “This year’s honorees and their individual projects have helped reframe and expand the narrative of Black women’s joy, pain, challenges and triumphs on screen that have allowed so many of us to see pieces of our own lives within. With the added layer of the pandemic, these master storytellers have kept us sane and more importantly, seen.”

In addition, ESSENCE’s Oscar week activities will culminate with its second annual ESSENCE Hollywood House, which will be held on Friday, April 23rd. Hosted by actress Storm Reid (A Wrinkle in Time, The Invisible Man), ESSENCE Hollywood House was developed to provide compelling and engaging live content aimed at sparking meaningful conversation and action to drive more inclusion in Hollywood, as well as to provide an opportunity for Black creatives – aspiring and established – to educate, collaborate and empower one another with a purpose. The experience features thought leaders, industry stakeholders and members of the creative community including actors, directors, writers, showrunners, studio heads and others who will lead a curated schedule of interactive conversations, virtual panels, masterclasses, fireside chats and more. (Reid will also host the Black Women in Hollywood red carpet pre-show.) Presenters will be announced at a later date. To register or for more details, visit ESSENCE.com.

ESSENCE’s upcoming May/June 2021 issue (on newsstands in April) will feature its annual Black Women in Hollywood package highlighting each honoree. Stay tuned to ESSENCE.com for highlights and behind-the-scenes access to the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards and ESSENCE Hollywood House. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @essence #BlackWomeninHollywood. Join in the discussion on Facebook.

ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood and ESSENCE Hollywood House are presented by Ford and sponsored by L’Oréal Paris.

For more details on the 2021 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards, visit ESSENCE.com/BWIH. ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood and ESSENCE Hollywood House are produced by ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Egg-cellent Easter Decor Tips from TheSoul Publishing

The Easter Bunny is on his way! Easter is just over a week away (Sunday, April 4), but it’s not too late to decorate for the holiday or craft a special Easter basket for young ones.

TheSoul Publishing – the company behind some of YouTube’s most-watched channels – has put together several fun and easy tips to decorate for Easter this year.

  • Hand towel bunnies! Simply twist a brightly-colored hand towel into one long piece, and secure the bottom third with a rubber band. Add googly eyes, a puff ball nose, and wrap a ribbon around the rubber band to create a simple and adorable bunny – perfect for mantle decoration! (Full instructions here)
  • Naturally dyed Easter eggs: If you’re looking to avoid harsh chemicals for your Easter egg dye, or just don’t have time to buy prepackaged kits at the store, you can use household items to achieve the same result. Try turmeric, beets, purple cabbage, and more! (Full instructions here)
  • Adorable seasonal place settings: Are you hosting Easter brunch this year? Make a holiday-appropriate place setting with a bunny napkin, complete with an Easter egg face! (Full instructions here)
  • Egg-celent Herb Garden: Get your chives, parsley, and cilantro ready for Easter by planting them in egg shells to keep the soil fertile and add a nice holiday touch to your kitchen window. (Full instructions here)

Vice President Kamala Harris inspires in First Trailer for ‘VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: CHASE THE DREAM’

Legacy Distribution is proud to present Vice President Kamala Harris: Chase The Dream, a revealing feature-length biography that traces the tenacious and trailblazing prosecutor from Oakland, California, to the White House.
Executive Produced by Dana Webber (Michelle Obama: Life After The White House) and Brian Aebech, this new documentary brings to light the pivotal events in Harris’ life which fueled her journey to the highest-ranking office of any female in U.S. history.
Featured Photo:  USNews.com
Vice President Kamala Harris: Chase The Dream is now available on Amazon Prime. Link Here.
Chase The Dream captures the issues, the debates, the political deftness, and the campaign-winning smile, which helped lead Kamala Harris to the White House. On January 21, 2021, at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, Kamala Harris took her place in history, not only realizing one of her dreams, but inspiring generations ahead to chase theirs.

Forever 21 launches #ForeverLA Collection

Forever 21 has just announced its #ForeverLA collection featuring NBA licensed Lakers merch! The exclusive collection features masks, crew socks, shorts, embroidered tanks, tees, and joggers for men & women. While the collection naturally dons the team’s signature purple and gold colors, it also features tie dyes, white and black color blocking, prints, and more. The collection ranges from $9.99 – 39.99.

Best Bags for Better Weather from Nada Sawaya

We’re finally seeing the start of warmer days so it’s inevitable that we start to spend more time outdoors in the sunshine – that also means more time assembling our best outfits to impress after so long indoors, and nothing does the job better than the new ‘Je te Veux‘ handbag from Nada Sawaya.
These bags offer a burst of color to finish off a perfect look – available in red, blue, tan and black. Their unique geometric design turns heads and makes them instantly recognizable.  Available in three different sizes, the Je te Veux bag opens completely to expose the interior – allowing enough space for anything you might need for spring/summer festivities.
This bag is the essence of modern luxury. Each one is delicately handcrafted slowly by high-end ateliers in Florence, Italy, who pay close attention to each signature detail. The result is a glamorous and highly functional accessory that will last a lifetime.

The Must-Have Beauty Subscription Box for Woman of Color

Lovely ladies, adjust your crowns and get ready to get your glow on. The Beem Box has arrived to encourage and inspire your beautiful souls, inside and out.

Expect to be obsessed by The Beem Box, the essential beauty subscription box for black and brown-skinned beauties. Frankly, it’s the box that every woman of color wants and needs tailored just for them.

The Beem Box includes beauty must-haves such as liquid lipsticks, eyeshadows, makeup brushes, liquid liner, moisturizer, lip liner, setting spray, eyelashes, lip glosses, mascara, lipstick, body lotion, and much more!

Included in each box are useful tips and information on the goodness of each product and how to use it. Practice your makeup looks while being safe at home and stay ahead of the trends (there’s only so much Netflix you can watch, right?).

Founded by a woman of color, The Beem Box is an easy, fun, and practical way to discover the best luxury and indie makeup brands for women of color that are conveniently delivered straight to doorsteps.

Gift to yourself and share the love with family and friends (great for birthdays and Mother’s Day) with these wonderful options:

Get a Box

Receive a beautiful box every other month ($39.95 per box, plus $5 shipping)

Give a Box

Order a subscription as a gift and the recipient will receive three Beem Boxes as they’re released on the 17th of each delivery month ($109 plus shipping)

Give a one-time gift box with seven full-sized products ($45.95 plus shipping.)

Women’s History Month and Forever 21

March is Women’s History Month and Forever 21 has launched a new collection of fierce women’s empowerment pieces that will also give back!

For every piece purchased in the collection online or in-store, Forever 21 will give back $1 to Step Up—an organization committed to propelling girls living in under-resourced communities to fulfill their potential by empowering them to become confident, college-bound, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of professional women.

Herself Magazine Graphic Tee

The collection will feature pieces for men and women; and retails from $2.99-$24.99.

Dermaflage and StyleBlueprint

Dermaflage brings innovative formulations and techniques from the Hollywood pro makeup artists to the everyday person to solve some of the beauty industry’s most challenging problems. The brand is all about self-confidence and empowerment through improving the complexion.

The power of self-confidence changes people’s lives. When they look their best they accomplish more in the world. When a brand helps people do this, it brings more joy into the world.

In a world that judges us by our outside instead of our inside, we need products that cover our insecurities and boost our self-confidence. Dermaflage brings the best innovations from the worlds of Hollywood professional makeup artists and dermatologists to your makeup bag. Dermaflage customers are confident and living as their best selves.

Join the confidence revolution.

Dermaflage was recently asked to sell the line on southern-focused styleblueprint.com since they are a woman-led southern start-up.

The company’s gave away a Dewy Skin bundle from @dermaflage to 3 lucky winners! These 3 products are all you need to combat dry winter skin & glow with a beautiful dewy complexion.

  • Lit From Within Glow Balm: a bronzer, blush & highlighter cheek palette that gives the skin a warm incandescent glow
  • Good Skin Corrective Cream: peptides, hyaluronic acid & antioxidants moisturize & plump the skin
  • Multi-Task Remover: moisturizing & restorative jojoba oil combined with olive oil makes this your 1-step makeup remover, oil cleanser, anti-aging serum & moisturizer.

WAFF48 Lifestyle Segment: National Hot Breakfast Month Blueberry Brie Melt

February was National Hot Breakfast Month.  Nationwide, food retailers were encouraging everyone to start their day with a warm meal.  I couldn’t agree more because there are so many benefits to eating a hot breakfast.  Number one, breakfast foods help fuel the body and provide a sharper focus while boosting the metabolism.

In support of this initiative, I hosted a lifestyle segment live from my kitchen!  It was a lot of fun because I was able to inspire the local Huntsville audience with a delicious meal.

Julian’s Recipe Blueberry & Brie Melt

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups blueberries
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 8 Julian’s Recipe Wafels
  • 4 ounces of brie cheese, thinly sliced

 

Directions:

Combine the blueberries, lemon zest and sugar in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for about 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened.

Place the butter in a grill pan over medium-high heat. Then place your wafels into the pan.

Add 4-5 slices of brie cheese on top followed by a generous scoop of the blueberry compote.

Add the second wafel on top and then flip! Allow 2-3 minutes per side or until golden.

Serve while hot and enjoy!

Click on the link to watch the segment:  WAFF48