Author: Kimberly West

Style+Life+Fashion is the brainchild of Kimberly West, a consultant, and on-air lifestyle expert. Although Kim started blogging as a hobby due to her love for Fashion, she quickly gained a loyal following as a respected industry expert and contributor for numerous fashion websites. She seeks to provide the latest trends as well as educate consumers about all aspects of fashion. Kim has hosted television segments as a fashion and lifestyle expert with ABC 33/40, WBRC Fox6, ABC2 News, Fox 45 WBFF, The List Baltimore, and WBAL News. Her fashion interviews include well-known industry experts such as Tai Beauchamp, Tomima Edmark, Julie Weiss, Clinton Kelly, Gianni Rich, Darius Gibbs, Dean Banowetz, and Lilliana Vazquez. In addition, she’s interviewed reality star Queensly Felix and R&B Artist, Keyshia Cole. She has also collaborated with online features for Glamour Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Macy’s, and worked to stream digital content and video for New York Fashion Week 2010.
Beauty /

Black Beauty Roster & Lori Harvey Host Celebration in Black Beauty Excellence

To kick-off BET Awards Weekend, Black Beauty Roster (BBR) hosted an incredible luncheon event yesterday – Friday, June 24th – at the EDITION West Hollywood to honor top BIPOC beauty pros and industry leaders who work behind the camera. Speakers included Sir John, Larry Sims, Vernon François, Ebonee Davis, and more with a special keynote from Lori Harvey, founder and CEO of SKN by LH.

Notable attendees included MSNBC Host Symone Sanders, JT of City Girls, Chelsea Lazkani of Selling Sunset, Lauren Speed-Hamilton of Love is Blind. 

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: Larry Sims and Candiace Dillard during the BBR Hosts Celebration in Black Beauty Excellence at The West Hollywood EDITION on June 24, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Black Beauty Roster)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: Roche Barnes during the BBR Hosts Celebration in Black Beauty Excellence at The West Hollywood EDITION on June 24, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Black Beauty Roster)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: Mike Snow during the BBR Hosts Celebration in Black Beauty Excellence at The West Hollywood EDITION on June 24, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Black Beauty Roster)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: Mandy Aracena during the BBR Hosts Celebration in Black Beauty Excellence at The West Hollywood EDITION on June 24, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Black Beauty Roster)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: Kayla Nicoleduring the BBR Hosts Celebration in Black Beauty Excellence at The West Hollywood EDITION on June 24, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Black Beauty Roster)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: Christiana Cassell and Fesa Nu during the BBR Hosts Celebration in Black Beauty Excellence at The West Hollywood EDITION on June 24, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Black Beauty Roster)

Black Beauty Roster (BBR) and Lori Harvey Host Star-Studded Luncheon to Celebrate Black Beauty Excellence at the EDITION in West Hollywood

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: Symone Sanders, Maude Okrah, Simone Tetteh and Alencia Jonson during the BBR Hosts Celebration in Black Beauty Excellence at The West Hollywood EDITION on June 24, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Black Beauty Roster)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: Tulani Elisa, Lindsay Wagner and guest during the BBR Hosts Celebration in Black Beauty Excellence at The West Hollywood EDITION on June 24, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Black Beauty Roster)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: Lori Harvey and Simone and Maude during the BBR Hosts Celebration in Black Beauty Excellence at The West Hollywood EDITION on June 24, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Black Beauty Roster)

ABOUT: Black Beauty Roster’s mission is to bring meaningful diversity across the fashion and entertainment industry by amplifying the work and talent of Black Beauty Professionals. Top talent, media, and celebrities in the industry came together to celebrate BIPOC beauty pros and industry leaders. Lori Harvey, founder and CEO of SKN by LH, presented the special keynote and Sir John presented the Allyship Award to Barry Lee Moe, the Department Head Award to Stacey Morris, the Legacy Award to Sam Fine, and finally the AJ Crimson Trailblazer Award to Kim Roxie. Event sponsors included Warner Bros. Discovery, Sephora, Kerastase, Oribe, Color of Change, and more.

ABC /

GMA3: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW’ HEADS TO NEW ORLEANS 

To kick off this year’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ presented by Coca-Cola®, ABC News’ “GMA3: What You Need to Know” co-anchors Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes and ABC News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jen Ashton will host a special broadcast originating from the heart of New Orleans at Brennan’s in the French Quarter.  

 

On Thursday, June 30, the “GMA3” team will be live from “The Big Easy” to kick off the festival, which ends on Sunday, July 3. Drawing more than 500,000 attendees annually over the holiday weekend, ESSENCE Fest is one of the largest festivals in the country. 

 

As DJ D-Nice spins throughout the show, Robach, Holmes, and Dr. Ashton will interview actress Marsai Martin and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, and look at the hottest fashion trends to expect at this year’s festival with ESSENCE beauty and fashion editor Blake Newby. The show will also give viewers a look back at the history and beginnings of ESSENCE Fest and detail how it became the massive celebration of Black culture it is today with ESSENCE CEO Caroline Wanga. 

 

“GMA3” executive producer Catherine McKenzie said, “After these last few years, as cities are opening their doors to embrace tourists, we are excited to take the show on the road and capture the joy throughout ESSENCE Fest and New Orleans. We hope this coverage will shine a light on this important celebration and help grow appreciation for the amazing contributions of Black culture to American society.” 

 

“As the nation’s largest festival by per day attendance, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture is the crown jewel of celebrating Blackness, which fuels commerce, capital, and capacity that garners true economic impact for our global community,” said Wanga. “We are excited to return to New Orleans live and thrilled that there are options for virtual participation, that our full diasporic family, through our unapologetic “It’s The Black Joy for Me” manifesto, is happy to share with GMA3.” 

 

In addition, this year, The Walt Disney Company is the exclusive entertainment sponsor for ESSENCE Fest, bringing talent, exclusive screenings and experiences from across the Company’s iconic brands and touchpoints, including ABC, ABC News, Disney Branded Television, Disney Cruise Line, Disney+, Disney Studios Content, Disney Television Studios, Disneyland Resort, ESPN, Freeform, FX, Hulu, Marvel Studios, National Geographic, Onyx Collective, Pixar and Walt Disney World Resort. Specific programming, experiences and talent appearances will be announced next week. For more information about Essence Fest, click here. 

 

Follow “GMA3” and the journey to ESSENCE Fest on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. For more information, attendees can download the ESSENCE app or join virtually on Essencefestival.com.  

 

ABOUT ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Essence Communications is the number one—and only 100% Black-owned—media, technology and commerce company at scale dedicated to Black women and communities. With a community of more than 31 million Black women, ESSENCE inspires a global audience through diverse storytelling and immersive original content rooted in Culture, Equity and Celebration. The brand’s multi-platform presence in/ publishing, experiential and online encompasses its namesake magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; and signature live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, ESSENCE Black Women in Sports, Fashion House, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival of Culture.

 

Birmingham /

First African American Sponsor of a Vulcan Statue

Selena Rodgers Dickerson makes history as the first African American sponsor of an iconic Vulcan statue. Rodgers Dickerson’s statue is the 15th edition of the Vulcan on Parade project, a community art project in which miniature replicas of Vulcan are displayed throughout the city of Birmingham for public enjoyment.

Painted by local artist Erica Chisolm, the i3 Academy-hosted statue is named “S.O.A.R,” an acronym used to encourage students to be Safe, on task, go Above and beyond, and be Respectful. The statue will remind i3 Academy students of the endless possibilities awaiting them. The statue was erected in front of the school last month. “I wanted this statue to be something that students of i3 Academy would see every day that they could carry with them. When times get tough, this is a symbol that represents us as people and our community here in Birmingham. That was my vision for this statue.” Selena Rodgers Dickerson, President, SARCOR Rodgers Dickerson has a long-standing relationship with both the Vulcan Park Foundation and the i3 Academy as she sits on both boards and has a daughter currently enrolled in the academy.

She serves as the President and CEO of SARCOR, a women-owned small business enterprise that provides innovative solutions to the challenging projects of its private, corporate, and municipal clients. Selena R. Dickerson is the president of SARCOR, LLC, located in Birmingham, Alabama.

She strives to educate others on how to become successful business owners. Her mission is to utilize her expertise to leverage strategic solution-based diverse, equitable, and inclusive initiatives through business endeavors, philanthropy, integrity, and spirituality.

Beauty /

Luster Premium White’s Pearl Infused Pro Light Dental Whitening System: Unboxing Video

Luster Premium White’s Pearl Infused Pro Light Dental Whitening System works up to 7X faster than all major whitening kits! With three easy steps, you get visibly whiter teeth in just 30 minutes and 6 shades whiter in 3 days! By using both light and heat, the patented Xenon teeth whitening light is proven more effective and quicker than other teeth whitening LED light systems. Developed by dentists, this kit includes: Pro Light, Serum, Rinse, and Pearl Infused Mint Whitening Toothpaste.

Reveal your brightest smile, cleanest teeth, and happiest gums NATURALLY with GuruNanda. Their NEW dentist-recommended Oxyburst Whitening Mouthwash is a patented formula that truly does do it all – freshens breath, supports tooth and gum health, and gets teeth their brightest white, all within seconds. The cutting edge of oral care and beauty, this patented mouthwash contains two components: a proprietary blend of seven 100% pure and natural essential oils for whole mouth health and fresher breath, and oxygen-powered whitening ingredients. Together, they gently remove stains, create fresh breath, and support stronger teeth and gums. No other mouthwash whitens teeth better or faster while seamlessly integrating the natural healing of Ayurveda and state-of-the-art Western medical technology to help you reveal your most dazzling smile.

Teeth Whitening System Unboxing Video

https://www.tiktok.com/@kwest1908/video/7109305428470762798?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7004470180639147526
Essence Magazine /

Father’s Day Sale: This Year Gift Your Dad Stylish African Print Pajama Pants

Nkeoma is a female-owned, African-inspired luxury loungewear brand that has been featured in Forbes and Essence. It celebrates African culture by showcasing traditional African prints with stylish designs and quality fabrics. Their sleepwear collections feature products such as their men’s sleepwear. Their sleep pants are made with quality silk fabric and authentic African prints with bold colors with a look that will have dad feeling chill and sexy around the house.

This Father’s Day, take advantage of their buy one get one 50% off sale on their Lion Head Print Pajama pants starting June 1st no code is needed at checkout.

Lifestyle /

Getting the Right Diagnostic Medical Supplies

One of the many important areas to consider when you work in the medical profession is ensuring that you have an appropriate number of supplies and the right supplies for getting a diagnosis. This means you’ll need to purchase from legitimate, reputed suppliers and ensure your diagnostic gear is of world-class quality. With this in mind, consider the following information on getting proper diagnostic supplies and why doing so is absolutely crucial.

Featured Photo from Scary Mommy

Quality

When you work in medicine, giving patients the correct diagnosis is quite possibly one of the most important parts of your job. To do this correctly, you need to ensure you have all the diagnostic supplies for any possible diagnosis. If you find this difficult or don’t know where to look, there are various websites that sell a variety of medical diagnostic machines to suit every diagnosis there is.

Of course, you need to ensure the machines you buy are of good quality and that they will provide an accurate diagnosis, as giving a patient the wrong diagnosis could be catastrophic – not only for them but also for you and the reputation of either the medical practice or hospital that you work at.

Therefore, to avoid medical mishaps with low-quality supplies and equipment, it is always important you do plenty of checks on the website you are buying the equipment from and on the equipment itself to ensure you are getting the best quality for your money and your patients.

Variety

It’s also important to ensure the site you are ordering from has a wide array of products. This doesn’t just include the type of products you want to order but also the various brands you have to choose from. Most trustworthy medical supply sites will give a number of different kinds of products for you to choose from and should have every single medical item you could ever need, more or less.

Also, within the scope of available products of the same nature, there should additionally be plenty of individual brands for you to choose from so you can compare them against one another, such as based on their price or what other customers have to say. If the website doesn’t offer you variety, it’s best to shop elsewhere.

Not only does a website offering a wide choice of products and brands mean you can compare them against one another, but it also means you can try out all the many brands and models to see what works best for you and your patients.

In addition, there may also be a chance that a diagnostic tool may work better for some patients than others, so having this variety means you can overcome the potential issue of certain goods being ill-suited to certain patients, as well as use trial and error to find the best products.

Labeling and Information

You must also double-check what purpose each product is for and that they have all been labeled correctly. This, again, is why you should use a reputable site, as they will mark the products accurately, but if you go through a sketchy website, they may not label the products correctly or may even put labels on the wrong products – which could be catastrophic for both you and your patients.

Ultimately, making sure that the website you are using for your medical supplies has a wide range of product and brand choices, is legitimate, and that the supplies themselves are genuine and properly labeled is crucial – because it will save you so much hassle, time, and money in the long run, in addition to potential medical disasters.

Accessories /

Kendra Scott Unveils First-Ever Engagement Ring Collection

Today, Kendra Scott enters a new category with the introduction of The Engagement Collection by Kendra Scott. Building on a successful fine jewelry business in Kendra Scott’s repertoire, entry into engagement was a natural next step for the brand. This launch comes as the company celebrates its 20th anniversary and marks the second new category expansion this year,  following the successful introduction of Watches and Watch Bands in April.

As a brand that places an emphasis on innovation, Kendra Scott made the decision to work with lab grown diamonds. The debut eleven-piece Engagement Collection by Kendra Scott features lab grown diamonds that are F in color (colorless), VS2 in clarity range, and available in carat weight from 0.5 to 2 carats. All rings are custom, made to order, and delivered in approximately three weeks.

Inspired by Kendra Scott’s signature icon pieces, each engagement silhouette bears custom details unique to the brand’s design DNA. Available in Solitaire, Halo, and Signature silhouettes, the rings feature a traditional center stone, including Round, Oval, and Emerald. Customers have the option to customize the ring with their choice of 14k White Gold, Rose Gold, or Yellow Gold. Representing joy, optimism, and the promise of a bright future, a singular Yellow Sapphire was thoughtfully placed at the bridge of each Solitaire setting or burnished at the base of Iconic Halo rings.

Designed to be as beautiful and unique as each love story, Kendra Scott offers a bespoke customer experience complete with a dedicated in-house Diamond Expert, who will guide the couple through their custom ring journey. The customer will select every facet of their ring, from carat weight to pavé additions to metal selections and personalized engraving. The Engagement Collection by Kendra Scott will launch at twelve retail locations across the country as well as online via virtual appointments.

“For twenty years, our customers have invited us to be a part of their wedding journeys. The launch of the Engagement Collection by Kendra Scott will allow us to be the wedding destination from proposal to happily ever after,” said Kendra Scott, Founder, Designer & Executive Chairwoman of the brand. “When creating this collection, we challenged ourselves to consider every detail. Fundamental to our design process, each ring can be customized and curated to match every couple’s unique love story.”

The engagement experience will launch in select Kendra Scott retail stores, including Tampa Hyde Park, Pittsburgh Walnut Street, Savannah Broughton Street, Charleston King Street, Dedham Legacy Place, Nashville Hill Center, Lexington Summit, SoHo New York, South Congress Flagship in Austin, Dallas Preston Center, Las Vegas Summerlin and Houston Heights Mercantile, and online at kendrascott.com/engagement-rings.html  Price points will range between $1,350–$8,150.

 

About Kendra Scott 

Kendra Scott is a leading fashion accessories brand inspired by the personal experiences, travel, and sense of community of its founder and designer, Kendra Scott. With over 2,000 employees, Kendra Scott has over 100 standalone stores across the US and is sold in premiere retailers including Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, and 600 specialty boutiques worldwide and boasts a thriving web business. Kendra Scott is known for its kaleidoscope of beautiful accessories as well as the innovative and customizable Color Bar® experience. As the brand continues to grow, the company remains true to its founding philosophy of “Family, Fashion, Philanthropy” and since 2010, has given back well over $50 million to local, national, and international causes.

Lifestyle /

Make Your Home A Sanctuary

Graduation season and Father’s Day are approaching and below are three great gift ideas that are perfect for the home:

COVE HANGER-This patented Cove Hanger (launched April 11th) was designed by Jessica Davidoff when she became a mom and her wardrobe got longer-and her closet shrank! Longer garments take up twice the space (top and bottom). Traditional hangers cause wrinkling, collection of floor dust/pet hair and can snag clothes touching the lower rack! The hanger’s ground-breaking patented top locking feature secures the bottom half of the garment-place over and through the hanger then lock-a hanger for TRAVEL too! This unisex hanger accommodates all longer garments: suites/jackets/coats, trench coats, maxi/midi dresses, kaftans, skirts, jumpsuits and wedding/evening gowns. Made of recycled plastic and has an anti-slip velvet base. There is a scented ribbon with their custom fragrance, Morgan Park-a modern take on sachet fragrance for clothes that is also available. Both products are the first of many to come from Cove! Available: https://www.createyourcove.com

THE MAGIC WEIGHTED BLANKET–This comforting weighted blanket has been fondly referred to as “the blanket that hugs you back” and is the original “OG” of weighted blankets. Invented by a father, driving his young daughter who was playing in the back when she put a “beanie baby” toy on his shoulder and it felt surprisingly very comforting. He had an epiphany-what would a whole “beanie” blanket feel like? He came home told his wife and she made a prototype in 1998! Since then, research shows that weighted blankets bring down anxiety among other benefits. Manufactured solely in the USA, comes in a variety of the softest material coupled with the glass beads sewn into the blanket make this the best blanket on the market. What a perfect gift to give to anyone who suffers from anxiety or stress? It has been shown to also comfort people with autism or who suffer from PTSD. Available: www.magicweightedblanket.com

LumiCharge II Smart(est) Lamp-Rarely does one find a functional desk lamp that is design friendly in a home office, kitchen, bedroom, study or at the office! The LumiCharge II is it! Designed by an engineer whose desk was always cluttered. Between his phone charger, lamp base, clock, he needed actual room to work! So he designed a SLEEK and SOPHISTICATED smart lamp that looks good anywhere! LumiCharge dimmable LED desk lamp features include: charging station, Qi 10W fast wireless charger, a universal phone dock, motion sensor, aesthetically pleasing for both home & office décor, full calendar display with date, time, temperature settings, dimmable display backlight, multiple brightness level (remembers last setting) and “new” UV and ANTI-MICROBIAL paint coating to reduce the growth of germs on the surface! LumiCharge also has a T2W model with a bluetooth speaker.

Beauty /

Celebrities Glowed at The Met Gala With the Help of Tracie Martyn and Rodial

Models, singers, actors, and designers looked radiant on Monday night at The Met Gala and achieved their flawless glow thanks to the Red Carpet Facial® offered at the Tracie Martyn Spa as well as Rodial‘s skincare and makeup.
Karlie Kloss, Camila Mendes, Camila Cabello, Thomas Dougherty, Prabal Gurung, and Maisie Williams all prepped for the event with Tracie Martyn’s Red Carpet Facial® before making their appearance on the Met steps. The signature treatment features crystal-free diamond microdermabrasion, Beyond Microcurrent® facial therapy, and a special anti-aging amber LED light treatment. This provides a natural facelift and improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while giving a perfect radiant finish.
Celebrity makeup artist Frankie Boyd provided his beauty breakdown for the star-studded event, creating an entire look with Rodial’s luxury line of skincare and makeup products. Including their Plumping Collagen Lip Oil ($34), Soft Focus Glow Booster Drops ($60), and Glass Powder Loose Setting Powder ($59). Created by former beauty editor Maria Hatzistafanis, Rodial is focused on enhancing your natural beauty while combining skincare, makeup, and science, driven by results.
Accessories /

Modern Picnic Launches on Saks Fifth Avenue E-Commerce

Modern Picnic knows that the working woman does not compromise style for function and all products are specifically designed with that in mind. With an insulated interior and a sleek vegan leather exterior, Modern Picnic is encouraging women to ditch the paper or plastic bags typically used to carry food, and instead opt for beautiful, functional, reusable alternatives. Available in six styles – The Snacker, The Mini, The Luncher, The Large Luncher, The Backpack, and The Tote – each product has a classic design to effortlessly fit into most women’s wardrobe. The innovative bags include design details with intention such as an outside pocket, interior slots for silverware, a removeable cross body strap, signature gold hardware, magnetic closure, and The Backpack also includes a laptop sleeve. “Modern Picnic understands the importance of developing quality products that people love and we’re excited for this partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue to expand our audience and further engage and connect with our consumers.” says Founder + CEO Ali Kaminetsky.
Today, the brand has roots in charity, women’s empowerment, and is committed to creating innovative, multifunctional products. Modern Picnic has garnered the support of advisors and investors including Alexandra Wilson (Co-Founder Gilt and Glamsquad), Michelle Grant (Founder, Lively), Monica Royer (Founder, Monica + Andy), Adam Schoenberg (Co-Founder, Hook & Albert), Michael Cline (Founder, Fandango), and NJ Falk (Manager Partner, APL). The brand is also backed by strategic brand partners such as American Express, S’well and Hungryroot.
In an effort to provide working women with a faster, cheaper, and healthier way to carry lunch, Modern Picnic is committed to impacting the community and creating products for women, made by women. Modern Picnic is now available to on www.saksfifthavenue.com and direct-to-consumer on www.modernpicnic.com.