Whitney Houston

August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012

I believe everything that can possibly be said about one of our last real modern day Divas has been said.   So, I –usually of many many opinions–would just like to remember the Beauty we met, the voice we fell in love with, the sister we saw struggle to get up and (often angrily) wanted the best for and ultimately lost.

Rest in peace.

For more photos of Ms. Houston (and family and friends), please visit our Brew Beauty Gallery and while you’re there “Like” us.

Viola Davis is riding high this award season on the acclaim of her Golden Globe, Screen Actor’s Guild and Academy Award nominated performance in “The Help” and looking lovlier than ever.  Frankly, she has been an under  appreciated major talent and beauty, for years.

Hollywood is finally getting hip to what the-a-ter goers have known:  Viola Davis is a force to be reckoned with.  The  South Carolina born/Rhode Island raised,  Julliard graduate  has received accolades for a while now. But those who may be unfamiliar, let’s roll that beautiful bean footage of accomplishments:

• 2001,Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Tonya in King Hedley II
• 2 Drama Desk Awards, for her work in King Hedley II and, in 2004, for her work in an off-Broadway production of Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage.
• 2008, Nominations for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for “Doubt”.
• 2010, Davis won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role as Rose Maxson in a revival of August Wilson’s Fences.

Though primarily lauded for her stage work, Davis has appeared in numerous films: Out of Sight, Solaris,  Traffic, Syriana, Kate & Leopold, Antwone Fisher and Disturbia. Her television work includes a recurring role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and a starring role in the short-lived Traveler.

For those who are arguably justified feeling “some way” about another black woman being nominated for an Academy Award for portraying anything less than what African American women currently professionally bring to the table, along with  all of the ”Mammy” historical connotations that comes along with the a role as a housekeeper,  (** Personally, I don’t think most of these angry mobs read the book OR saw the movie- so I’m going to just say that the maids were not one dimensional or stereotypical –YET I absolutely get your point.) 

Viola says of her role in “The Help”:  The thing about the African-American community compared with the white community is, we are more concerned with image and message than execution. I don’t play roles that are necessarily attractive or portray a positive image. They are well-rounded characters. When you squelch excellence to put out a message it’s like passing the baton and seeing it drop.

Married to fellow actor Julian Tennon since 2003, in addition to his two children from a previous relationship, the couple adopted a baby girl,  Genesis, last October.  And on the shallower note… THOSE GUNS, THAT SKIN, GAWJUS!

Head to our Facebook page for our Brew Beauty gallery to see more pictures of Viola and our other Brew Beauties. If you have a suggestion for a future Beauty, drop us a line.

Our latest Brew Beauty, Erykah Badu (@fatbellybella) is something of an enigma. She’s a singer/songwriter, producer, actress and even a certified doula–yes she even knows somethin’ bout birthin’ babies.

With a voice that throws back to the bluesy greats, Ms. Badu embodies that extra special “X-Factor”, that they created  an International reality shows franchise to find,  Yet she seems as down to earth as one of your closest home girls.

The Dallas native attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, she studied theater at the historically black college Grambling State University. Concentrating on music full-time, she left the university in 1993 before graduating and took on several minimum wage jobs to support herself. he taught drama and dance to children at the South Dallas Cultural Center. Working and touring with her cousin, Robert “Free” Bradford, she recorded a 19-song demo, Country Cousins, which attracted the attention of Kedar Massenburg, who set Badu up to record a duet with D’Angelo, “Your Precious Love,” and eventually signed her to a record deal with Universal Records. -Source

In her personal life, she’s taken some heat from the Negro Delegation for having 3 kids with 3 different men: Seven Sirius (Andre Benjamin), Puma Sabti (The D.O.C….wonder if she called him that in B.E.D.?), Mars Merkaba (Jay Electronica). Of that she says, they all seem to have a mature co- parenting arrangement.  Hey, you like it, I love it.

In an industry of R&B clonettes,  The Badu possesses a unique ever evolving authenticity that screams:  ”I’m doing me. Get on board or get left behind!”

No wonder she manages to snag the hottest dudes in the game. Nothing is sexier than authenticity.  I mean come on, she turned Common into  crochet pant sportin’ simp. I bow down to her!

Whether she’s rocking the head wrap, a big ole afro hair hat, or stocking cap. Erykah Badu is simply stunning and an original.

Plus there’s that $500 donk:

The Beginning:

Head to our Facebook page for our Brew Beauty gallery to see more pictures of Erykah and our other Brew Beauties. If you have a suggestion for a future Beauty, drop us a line.

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If you’ve been watching CNN this week, you may have caught a brown face adding some color to the midday. Isha Sesay is an anchor for CNN International, based at the network’s global headquarters in Atlanta. She’s worked for the network since 2005. And… she’s our latest Brew Beauty.

Sesay was born in London but moved to her parents’ native Sierra Leone as a little girl. She began her career as a researcher for the BBC and now anchors the “Back | Story” program for CNN, giving viewers an inside look at how news is gathered there. Sesay doesn’t have much down time as she also hosts and reports for CNN’s “Inside Africa” and earlier this year, she was added to “Anderson Cooper 360°.” Sesay has covered the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, the 2008 U.S. presidential election and breaking news events in Zimbabwe, Russia and Liberia. She has a degree from Trinity College – University of Cambridge in the UK and a pretty good weave (just a random observation).

Here’s a bit more about Isha Sesay:

Head to our Facebook page for our Brew Beauty gallery to see more pictures of Isha and our other Brew Beauties. If you have a suggestion for a future Beauty, drop us a line (no people who make a living by making it clap, please).

Image via CNN
Source
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Newcomer Brit Actresses Antonia Thomas and Kehinde Fadipe are our latest Brew Beauties!

Let’s meet ‘em!

Antonia Thomas

Kehinde Fadipe

I’ve already waxed on about how Britian’s Misfits is currently one of the best hours dedicated to videotape.  I thought I would take a look at two of the reasons they are also warming my ‘Sister Power!!” heart.  It makes you wonder that there are TWO women of color on a hit TV show, who are strong, sexy, complex and driving their own story-lines.  Two black actresses with actual formal training.

Hmm, think we can get something like that here?   I swears, I’m so moving to the UK.

Taste The Brew for more

Freida Pinto is our latest Brew Beauty. You probably know this gorgeous actress from her role as “Latika” in Slumdog Millionaire back in 2008. She also starred in Rise of the Planet of the Apes this year. Freida tops the list as India’s highest paid actress… and she’s never done a Bollywood film. Save that factoid if you ever meet Alex Trebek.
Taste The Brew for more

When I tire of the silly American television, I flip to BBC America for the refined talents of the Brits. Plus, they say sh*t on TV like it’s nothing and a well-placed cuss word makes me giggle (I am, after all, a silly American). So, while scanning the BBC last year in search of Idris Elba, I stumbled upon the gem that is Law & Order: UK and the shiny, bouncy hair of Freema Agyeman. Like, seriously, it’s thick, healthy and well-conditioned. But, more importantly, she plays the layered –almost mysterious at times– prosecutor “Alesha Phillips,” and she’s our 30th Brew Beauty.

Freema was born to an Iranian mother and Ghanaian father and grew up outside London. She’s appeared in the BBC’s TV series Doctor Who and Torchwood and the British soap opera Crossroads.

Here’s a look at Freema in action on Law & Order: UK.

You can catch Law & Order: UK on BBC America, Wednesday nights at 9 pm (ET).

Head to our Facebook page for our Brew Beauty gallery to see more pictures of Freema and our other Brew Beauties. If you have a suggestion for a future Beauty, drop us a line.

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 So, I gave my sister a bit of a side eye when she dropped yet another unsolicited hair product recommendation via IM.  ”Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls, buy it!’ .  The last Miss Jessie’s product I used was a gifted tub of Curly Pudding, that worked well but just had a strong grapeish scent.   I’m extremely scent sensitive and just couldn’t hang.  But, finding myself in Tarjay the same night, and needing something for my ‘do. I said ‘Fug it.’ and picked up a tube.  I opened it, it smelled faintly of lemons, which is great, for me. Citrus are really the only kind of scents I can stand for too long.  Read the back…and they claim it’s for ALL types of curls. Ohhh, I’ll be the judge of that, Lady Jess, I’ll be the judge of that!! I present to you 2 types of curls 1 product! GAME ON!

She wants me to call her "Princess Linzz" but I prefer "Linzo with No Benzo"...and I'm posting this soo...

Linzo No Benzo:  I’ll admit I am a serious product junkie and have tried every product claiming to be exclusively for curly hair except Miss Jessie’s because of the stank smell and outrageous prices. However, I had the Product Junkie Pookie itch to experiment with something new and picked up a sample size for 10 bucks (regular size a whopping $34.00) of Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls. I’ll admit I instantly fell in love, as my curls formed instantly! The product has a faint lemony scent that actually fades after a few hours. For best results, apply to damp hair or use a spray bottle filled with water and your favorite essential oil and spray sections of your hair. Deposit a dime-size amount into your palms, lightly rub your hands together and apply to your hair from root to tip keeping your hands clasped in the form of praying hands. Scrunch ends and continue praying and scrunching for every section of your hair.  Finally, let hair air dry or use a diffuser on cool for extra volume and bounce.  EXTRA: For extra hold, apply a teensy dab of Kinky Curly Custard on top after your hair has dried and curls have formed.

PrewFro Poppin'

 ELPHABA:  My curls are always on PrewFro status, so more than looking for something to form them, my goal is find products that maintain the natural curl while avoiding the 3pm frizzies. I’m a little more of a wild card than my sister, so I squeezed a Sacagawea Golden Dollar  sized amount (you gotta do big things, son!!) in my palm, and raked through my curls with my fingers (I didn’t pray as much, since I did my Buddhist chanting when I first woke up), while my hair was slighly more moist than damp. Hit it with the diffuser…what heat setting? Who cares. DRY THAT ‘isht, I’m late for work!  Concentrating on the roots, cause I likes it BIG, I leave the ends a little damp and let them dry naturally. Cause, that’s how I roll! So, anyways, it’s 1pm, fully dry and me likey!   The curls are shiny and defined.  So Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls.. you’re a win. 

Next question…anyone know of a good waxer?

Tyra Banks is pretty busy these days. Lately, we’ve seen her out –dressed as a model superhero warrior– promoting her new “book,” Modelland. But she’s also got a fashion and beauty site called typeF which she launched earlier this year to offer “women the personalized style know-how they are looking for, when and where they want it, at home or on the go.” The site’s YouTube channel features short tutorials on how to achieve your best look, be it the little black dress or how to lay down an afro. Wait. What? Lay down an afro? I have never searched for this information on the innawebs. Ever. If anything, I’m trying to get my afro to be bigger. But anywhosss, perhaps this is advice that someone needs. There’s a “hair expert” on Tyra’s site who’s offering “tips” to natural hair wearers and African American women overall. Her advice got the natural hair community’s shea butter in a curdle.

Did she really just paddle brush on dry hair? Mamma nooooo!

After receiving a slew of negative comments, the typeF people deleted the comments and issued this statement.

Oh, but this little nugget of beauty advice still exists on the site:

C’mon Tyra…

C’mon.

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The classic naturally bellissima, Sanaa Lathan, is our latest Brew Beauty.

With her film debut  in Blade in 1989,  the 40 year old actress has built a resume that includes the classiques of fine Negro Cinematude.  Who does not know the uber cheezy, but still gets me every time:  “I’ll play you for your heart” from “Love & Basketball” or remember Taye Diggs’ character proposing, right before the Electric Slide, in “The Best Man”.  Or Taye Diggs’s other character, telling her: “You are the perfect verse over a tight beat.”   in “Brown Sugar”? …sigh.

OK fine, fine, they were characters in movies, but Sanaa is such a winning easy going actress that her classic characters  feel like your closest homegirl.  Comfortable, familiar and completely root-for-able. Even when she’s kind of a beeyotch (“The Family That Preys”) or a kidney stealing who-are (“Nip/Tuck”) you still kinda love her.

Lately Sanaa has been doing the the-a-ter (as your cousins like to say) thing in  London (starring in the all black version of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof) and New York (Vera Stark).  She currently co-stars in “Contagion”, in the-a-ters and voices  Donna Tubbs on the “Cleveland Show”.

To see more of pretty pretty Sanaa, head over to the Witches’ Brew Facebook Fan page Gallery. And LIKE us darnit!

Andy Allo (@andyallo) is our latest Brew Beauty, the star on the rise sings, writes, motells (side-eye and a nod to Arrah Kelly), acts and produces.  The Cameroonian born, LA Based artist is known for her haunting throaty  vocals and  natural  beauty.  She has appeared in shows such as  Attack of The Show! and The Game (Remember Tee-Tee’s Girlfriend who fell for the Malik Wright hot tub okeydoke?)  

Working on a mixtape and currently touring as part of the New Power Generation, the uber-talented singer, is currently unsigned- but I don’t think that will last for long. Once you go Prince, well you at the very least get to purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka.

Check out her 2009 self-produced debut  Album “UnFresh”.

Prince Euro Tour dates, if  you’re an International Playa.

Andy covers  Yeezy, below.

And to see more of Andy, head over to the Witches’ Brew Facebook Fan page for the Gallery. And while you’re there, go on, LIKE us. You know you wanna!

 Beverly Bond (@BeverlyBond) is our latest Brew Beauty.   The 40-something  DJ, Mottel^TM(Arrah Kelly)  and Black Girls Rock! founder was raised all over the state of Maryland by a single mom.  As a nomadic child, Beverly,  used music to give her a grounding sense of consistency and familiarity.  Moving to NY to pursue motteling^TM   in the 90′s,  she assumed thought the logical next career step would be acting.  But in an acting class, she explored themes centered around being her ”authentic self”.  Taking that to heart,  in 2000,  DJ Beverly Bond  was spawned.  She quickly became the It Girl DJ to the NY scenesters, you could catch her on the wheels of steel  in small intimate venues and giant fashion and industry events alike. 

In 2006 she founded BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Inc.  non-profit youth empowerment and mentoring organization established to promote the arts for young women of color, as well as to encourage dialogue and analysis of the ways women of color are portrayed in the media.  The genesis of Black Girls Rock was a simple tee shirt, with names of Black women doing Big things in the world.  Says Bond, “ I was writing down all of these names and just couldn’t fit them all. In my attempt to try, I said, ‘This is bigger than just a shirt.’ So I decided to start a mentoring program.”

The  dedication of her life to Beats and the empowerment of Black women, what’s more beautiful than that?

Head to our Facebook page for our Brew Beauty gallery to see more of Beverly.  And while you’re there, “LIKE” us and follow our blog.

Get involved:  BLACK GIRLS ROCK!

sources: Black Enterprise,  ANSWERS.COM