Today, Amazon officially kicked off the holiday season with the opening of its Black Friday Deals Store (amazon.com/blackfriday), as well as announcing new, convenient ways for customers to shop as well as new, exclusive entertainment for the season.
Amazon’s curated shopping guides take the guesswork out of gifting and help customers delight their loved ones, plus treat themselves this holiday season. With low prices and best-ever deals, innovative ways to shop a vast selection, and convenient doorstep delivery with free shipping for ALL shoppers on more than 100 million items, Amazon has you covered this holiday season.
New this year for Amazon customers:
Take the guesswork out of gifting: Customers can shop four gift guides, including our most comprehensive Amazon Fashion Gift Guide ever, as well as the new “A Holiday of Play” lookbook available on Kindle or online, providing top Holiday Toy List picks for kids of all ages.
Enjoy a movie break with a holiday classic: Exclusive access to It’s a Wonderful Lifeon Prime Video – the first time in the film’s 72-year history that it is included in a subscription streaming service!
Delivery as fast as today: Tens of millions of Prime members in the U.S. can choose from more than three million items available to ship with Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery – the largest same-day selection in the U.S. Additionally, two-hour delivery from local Whole Foods Market stores is now available in more than 60 cities making holiday feast planning even easier.
Ask Alexa: Customers now have access to Butterball Turkey Talk-Linevia Alexa. Simply ask “Alexa, open Butterball” to tap into decades of experience on how to cook the perfect turkey from Butterball Turkey Talk-Line experts.
Deck the halls: Real Christmas tree delivery on trees ranging from the 10 to 14-inch Charlie Brown Christmas Tree (available now) to the six to seven-foot Fraser Firs, Balsam Firs, Black Hills Spruces. All treesover $25come with Free Shipping.
Shop in store: Now open in the SoHo neighborhood of NYC and at Park Meadows in Lone Tree, Colo, Amazon 4-star features products rated 4 stars and above, are top sellers, or are new and trending on Amazon.com. Customers can also visit one of the more than 100 Amazon store locations in 22 states where you can shop for highly-rated gifts, devices, and smart home accessories. Find the Amazon store nearest you.
Gray lipstick is a hot beauty trend that’s the stand-out color between nude and dark brown. The muted taupe adds a high-fashion flair to Fall outfits and accessories!
This popular shade comes in a variety of tones, just like any other lipstick and can be worn with monochromatic clothing. Beyoncé accented her gray lipstick with a coordinating suit and Chanel brooch.
When wearing this lip trend apply a simple face; using limited eyeshadow and blush.
Everyday girls can find the perfect gray lipstick from the following beauty brands.
The RE9 Advanced Brightening collection by Arbonne was developed to address the specific needs of dull, sallow, uneven skin tone and dark spots. Infused with clean brightening ingredients, the vegan products improve the appearance of skin glow, radiance, luminosity, and skin tone, as well as minimizing the look of dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles with twice-daily consistent use.
Six high-performing products make up the collection, including a cleansing foam, lightweight serum, and SPF 15 mineral sunscreen. Featuring a proprietary Sakura Bright Complex, created with ascorbyl glucoside, a form of stabilized vitamin C, cherry blossom extract and birch leaf extract. Botanical-based emulsifiers, surfactants, and moisturizers also support the delicate skin barrier by increasing hydration.
Key Brightening Ingredients
The proprietary SakuraBright Complex, with dermatologist-recognized brightening ingredients, helps improve the appearance of skin glow and luminosity, minimizing the look of dark spots with consistent use
Cherry blossom extract promotes the appearance of skin radiance with hydration
Ascorbyl glucoside, a stabilized form of Vitamin C, brightens to help temporarily diminish the appearance of dark spots, improves the appearance of skin tone and helps revitalize the look of skin’s radiance
Birch leaf extract hydrates to help promote luminescent, flawless-looking skin
Licorice root extract hydrates, leaving skin with a vibrant, healthy-looking, natural glow
This dual-phase toner and softening lotion provides gentle exfoliation to finish your cleansing routine while prepping your skin for the next step in your regimen. Botanicals provide essential hydration to ensure skin is looking fresh and glowing.
This concentrated serum is your portal to healthy-looking, radiant skin. Our proprietary SakuraBright Complex delivers essential nourishment to target the appearance of dark spots and uneven skin tone for a lit-from-within glow that begs to be noticed.
Protect your luminous skin from UVA/UVB rays without the concentrated mineral formula that contains botanicals vital to supporting your skin’s radiance.
Pat this on gently around the eye area to lock in moisture and help reduce the look of fine lines, puffiness, and dark circles. Our proprietary SakuraBright Complex helps the delicate skin around the eyes look brighter and more youthful.
An ultra-hydrating blend of botanicals, along with our proprietary SakuraBright Complex, deliver essential nourishment to maximize the skin’s natural repairative cycle and reduce the look of fine lines while you sleep.
Essence Communications, the leading media, technology, and commerce company serving Black women announced a record-breaking economic impact of $280 million for its 2018 ESSENCE Festival® presented by Coca-Cola. Growth in Festival attendance, which reached more than 510,000, and a boost in tourism spending within the host City and State of New Orleans, Louisiana, garnered the highest fiscal input in the event’s 24-year history. Nearing 130,000 attendees per day, the ESSENCE Festival is now also the nation’s largest entertainment and cultural event based on average daily attendance, leading events including Coachella, SXSW, New Orleans Jazz and Made in America festivals.
“As one of the world’s largest annual curated content experiences attracting an international audience of more than a half million people over the course of one weekend, the essence Festival packs a proven and powerful economic punch–and continues to reach new heights in collaboration with the State of Louisiana and City of New Orleans,” said Michelle Ebanks, CEO of Essence Communications. “Working together with our government and enterprise partners, we are pleased to report the highest-ever contribution to the growth and profitability of local businesses and services that help to create an unforgettable experience for our Festival community.”
With the 2018 summer Festival season wrapped, the 4-day Essence Festival has emerged as the leader in size and economic significance among the country’s largest live events and a top destination for tourism during Fourth of July weekend. Through attendee surveys and analysis based on event production, lodging, food & beverage, retail, gaming and transportation spend, the annual economic figure represents a substantial benefit to Louisiana and New Orleans seasonal tourism and shines a spotlight that furthers the legacy of one the nation’s most culturally rich and diverse destinations.
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JULY 06: (L-R) Angela Rye, Mary J. Blige, Maxine Waters, Alencia Johnson, Queen Latifah and Remy Ma pose onstage during the 2018 Essence Festival presented by Coca-Cola at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 6, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Essence)
“This year’s Essence Festival was a great success in terms of attendance and national exposure for New Orleans and Louisiana. I believe many of the Essence Festival attendees will be returning to our state for years to come,” said Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.
“On behalf of the City of New Orleans, I am grateful for our continued partnership with the ESSENCE Festival and proud of the impact that’s been made,” said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “This year’s Fest generated tremendous economic activity for the City — money that went to our large and small businesses and to the working men and women who make them run. We look forward to another historic year in 2019.”
In addition to the attendance and economic impact, the scale of talent, programming and digital engagement at the ESSENCE Festival is unmatched. A 2018 Essence Festival by-the-numbers analysis reveals further record-breaking engagement including 100+ performing artists; 200+ influencers, leaders, creators and celebrities; 150+ Marketplace entrepreneurs; and 200+ hours of live content throughout the weekend that generated 5 billion+ media and PR impressions and reached trending status on social media, featuring 103+ million posts, shares and likes and resulting in 14+ billion social media impressions.
“On the eve of the ESSENCE Festival’s 25th anniversary, scheduled for July 4-7, 2019, this summer’s extraordinary gathering underscores the convening power of culture, as well as the continued interest and engagement of Black women globally around community and content that empowers and inspires,” said Ebanks. “We were thrilled this year to be able to introduce new entrepreneurial and business experiences such as our ESSENCE E-Suites and our ESSENCE Marche e-commerce platform. But there’s so much more. As an almost five-decade-old startup, we are excited to move forward not only as a reimagined media and content company but also as a technology and commerce company using 21st-century platforms to provide even more effective solutions to our community of women. We are continually evolving to shape our work to meet their needs with increasing depth and relevance, and this is just the beginning.”
The 2018 ESSENCE Festival was executive produced by Essence Festivals LLC, a division of Essence Communications Inc. (ECI), and produced by Solomon Group. GeChar was the executive producer of the 2018 ESSENCE Empowerment Experience.
Sponsors of the 2018 ESSENCE Festival included presenting sponsor Coca-Cola and major sponsors AT&T, Ford, McDonald’s, State Farm and Walmart.
About Essence Communications Inc. Essence Communications is the number one media, technology and commerce company dedicated to Black women and inspires a global audience of more than 17 million through diverse storytelling and immersive original content. With a multi-platform presence in publishing, experiential and online, ESSENCE encompasses its signature magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; as well as live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival. Essence Communications is owned by Essence Ventures, an independent African-American owned company focused on merging content, community, and commerce to meet the evolving cultural and lifestyle needs of people of color.
Made with a combination of powerful antioxidants, this is the remedy for when you need to fit back into that little black dress or just want to hit reset, while still leaving you feeling energized.
With the holiday season right around the corner, it’s easy to overdo it. Champagne, sugar, and salt can leave you feeling bloated and sluggish. Enter Debloat, the latest addition to Bobbi Brown’s EVOLUTION_18 wellness collection and the perfect remedy for when you need to fit into that little black dress or just hit the reset button.
Debloat helps with water retention by flushing out extra fluid, (thanks to our signature Water Balance Blend of hydrangea root, dandelion and juniper, and powerful ingredients like matcha, ashwagandha, and apple cider vinegar), while still leaving you feeling energized. For the holidays and beyond, consider this your new secret weapon.
Vanessa Hudgens debuted a new (and temporary) look over the weekend – an extra-long, sleek ponytail. If you have short hair like Vanessa’s, or just want to add length to your pony, try Hairdo.
Hairdo 16” Human Hair Wrap Around Pony ($199, Extensions.com)
Hairdo Pony extensions are available in synthetic and human hair options and are very easy to use. Simply create your pony, wrap the extension around the base of the pony, and fasten in.
Note: This celebrity is not wearing Hairdo products, but we wanted to show you how to get the look by using them.
“In playing these lovers who really keep each other honest, we’ve developed a friendship where we can speak very, very candidly to each other. There’s a lot of trust between us. When you have that kind of trust with another actor, you can push further and do things that surprise you because you feel like you’re supported…” –Tessa Thompson talks to ESSENCE about working with her Creed IIco-star Michael B. Jordan
ESSENCE COVER STORY: TESSA THOMPSON
Actress Tessa Thompson has gone from Hollywood’s best-kept secret to widely sought-after it girl. From heading across the pond to film a Men in Black spin-off with actor Chris Hemsworth (where ESSENCE caught up with her), to reprising her role as Bianca in the upcoming Creed II—she’s on everyone’s radar. Looking stunning in ESSENCE’s upcoming November spread (shot in Columbia Road in London), she talks about everything from working with co-star Michael B. Jordan to pushing boundaries when it comes to her artistry. “Obviously, I like the idea of expanding perceptions of what a woman can be and what a woman of color can be,” Thompson tells ESSENCE Entertainment Director Cori Murray in the cover story, London Calling. “I like to introduce new spaces…” ESSENCE’s November issue will be on newsstands October 26th. Attached is the cover—for more on the upcoming issue, visit ESSENCE.com
The final makeup look can make any costume much more impactful. Let the NEW Rimmel London Magnif’Eyes palettes take your eye candy to the next level with their three new color palettes: Electric Violet, Crimson and Jewel Rocks!
With a mix of 12 high-shimmer and matte shadows, the frightful creations are endless.
The new non-crease, a non-fade formula will stay looking sharp in even the most haunted of houses.
From your eyes to your cheeks to your lips, hints of purple and mauve are perfect for fall. Show off your royal side with the jane iredale Purple Rain Eye Shadow Kit ($59, janeiredale.com).
Use the lighter shades like Sprinkle and Shower for a daytime look and the more regal purple shades like Cloudburst and Deluge for a smokey, date night look.
From elegant to edgy, our silky smooth shadows deliver the style you want while staying put for long-lasting, crease-free color. Use alone, layer or blend together for different looks.
Berries & Cream PurePressed Eye Shadow Duo ($30, janeiredale.com)
Silky smooth and simple to blend, this crease-free, long-lasting and richly colored eyeshadow can be used wet or dry. Gentle and safe for sensitive eyes.
For full, kissable lips, our top-selling tinted lip plumper delivers moisture and essential oils that soften the skin and contribute to the appearance of a fuller lip.
SOLUTION: Formulated with natural ingredients like charcoal, witch hazel water, and glycerin, this purple peel-off mask detoxifies the skin by purging clogged pores.
SOLUTION: Enriched with coconut extract to improve skins elasticity, these gold and charcoal under eye patches moisturize and soothe the delicate under eye area.
LAST STEP: After you’ve masked and fixed your skin issues, apply a few swipes of this clear gloss enriched with Chia Seeds and Rose Hip Oils to provide high-shine and nourishing moisture to the lips
