Our latest Brew Beauty is actress Tika   Sumpter.

Born, Euphemia L. Sumpter (that HAS to be a family name) the 33 year old Texas native got her start in commercials,  and voice overs (being too short to mottle), she’s now ALL over your TV sets.  You may have seen her on ONE LIFE TO LIVE (for the past 5 years, she’s chosen to go off of contract- me thinks it has paid off.), if you do the daytime thing.

Currently, Tika is  guest starring on THE GAME, as Malik El DeBarge Wright’s rehabby lady love.  AND this season of GOSSIP GIRL, as socialite Raina Thorpe, where she is currently being wooed by the purdiest man (even purdier than the ladies IMO) on the show, Chase Crawford.

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

Witch Confession… I secretly watch ABC Family shows when no one is around (don’t even get me started on PRETTY LITTLE LIARS!)   GREEK has been a favorite of mine for a couple of years now. It is a cute show on about college years and ‘the others’ Greek System (haven’t seen a step show yet, just sayin’) .  And of course they have the occasional ‘very special episodes’ but  the cast is seriously racially diverse. Two of the 3 leading ladies are of color (so yay to that!) but mostly the one liners are so filthy and  hilarious, I can’t help it. I’m hooked.  And with this post, guess I’m fully out of the corny closet. Oh well. Enjoy the pretty ladies!

 Dilshad (left) Vadsaria (@DilshadVadsaria) was born in Karachi, Pakistan  an industrial seaport that is Pakistan’s largest city, and moved to the US at the age of 6.  According to her IMDB (which HAS to be wrong) she’s  34 playing a college sophomore…so, guess good Pak don’t crack, either! With a degree in biology from University of Delaware, the actress is also a smarty art!

Amber Stevens (@amberonistevens),daughter of radio personality Shadoe Stevens (remember that guy? gah, I’m old!) and a former model. Amber followed her showbiz roots.  A pianist and singer, she also trained with The Groundlings, an improvisational comedy troupe that calls Will Ferrell and Conan O’Brien  alum.  The Beverly Hills bred actress, has been on numerous prime time shows, including this season’s Grey’s Anatomy as a med student who shags Dr. Karev (there are worse side gigs to have).

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

 Shingai Shoniwa, singer and bassist of the  UK band Noisettes is our latest  Brew Beauty.

The Zimbabwean beauty  grew up in South London, raised by a single mother (her father died when she was 11). She once trained for the circus and performed with a burlesque troupe, Lost Vagueness.  She channelled that performance bug into singing and her calling was found.

Rolling Stone magazine said that “Shoniwa is a living, breathing manifestation of the rock & roll spirit, with a voice that is equal parts Iggy Pop and Billie Holiday.”

I have always had serious Anglophile envy. UK women are so much more creatively put together and less likely to follow watered down trends than we are in the US (basically any place that isn’t NYC). Plus they’ve got that bitchin’ accent.  I digress…

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

Singer Res @the1Res is our latest Brew Beauty. The native Phillian (I think I just made that up) burst on the scene almost 10 years ago with her amazing debut release “How I Do”,  a collection of inspired songs filled with unique soulful rock featuring her honey smooth voice.

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Top Chef host, model and authoress^© Padma Lakshmi is our latest Brew Beauty. This Indian-born beauty grew up in Madras, India and New York. She was born to an Indian father and an European mother (thanks, Wikipedia). When she was 14, Padma’s hip and arm were crushed in a car accident, leaving her with a scar on her right arm, just below her shoulder. She reps proudly for the birth mark/scar-having crowd by putting that scar on display any chance she gets… proving that perfection is for punks…don’t hide your beautiful imperfections! Padma would go on to work as a model during her teen years. She would later star in music videos and movies (see her fine lip synching job in Glitter).
Taste The Brew for more

Here’s a throwback post from October 2009, in honor of the very fly Nia Long’s 40th birthday today. There’s a reason she kicked off our Brew Beauties…She makes 40 look goooood! Go girl!

Now for the unveiling of a little something new we’re doing here at the Brew… okay, so really it’s not an unveiling of a new feature. I just saw “Good Hair” today and thought, hey, that Nia’s really purdy and seems so down to earth. So screw it… let’s make it a regular thing.  Introducing: Brew Beauty of the Week!

Not like Jet’s Beauty of the Week though.  We’re classy, not assy around these parts.

Anyway, here’s a look at the scene-stealing Nia over the years.

Head to our Facebook page for our Brew Beauty gallery to see more of Nia. And while you’re there, become a fan and then follow our blog, whydontcha?!?

Singer/Actress  Amber Riley(@MsAmberPRiley) is our latest  Brew Beauty!  The American Idol reject (IN YO FACE, failing Talent show!) stars as  Mercedes Jones on the Fox Hit ‘GLEE’.  The 24 year old California native, has a crazy amazing singing voice. Seriously- she sounds like a different person almost every time!   If there is anything fair in the universe, she will be a superstar!

 Here’s a behind the scenes peek of  Amber and costar Naya Rivera paying homage to Tina Turner from the “Duets” episode:

Jump over to our Facebook page for our Brew Beauty gallery to see more of Amber.  And while you’re there, “LIKE” us and follow our blog whydontcha?

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We love highlighting beautiful women around these parts. But not just women who have pretty faces… we like to bring you women who have something going on between their ears too! Case in point… artist, musician, poet and real renaissance woman, Amanda Diva. She’s this week’s Brew Beauty and our 21st “Beauty” overall. We got the chance to find out what makes Amanda tick, who she’d like to work with and, of course, her beauty secrets (it wouldn’t be a beauty post without that, right?)

Taste The Brew for our one on one with Amanda Diva

The gamine and sultry Corinne Bailey Rae is our latest Brew Beauty.  Aside from being my ‘Natural Beauty’  idol, I love how she has handled her career and personal life with dignity and grace.  Currently touring with her sophomore CD “THE SEA”, the British singer-songwriter also plays guitar and violin. 

Corinne  was born in Leeds  to a black Kittian father and a white English mother as the oldest of three daughters.  Early on she started singing in church choirs (of the non gospel variety) and started her own mostly girl rock band, as a teen. She studied English Literature at the University of Leeds where she graduated in 2000.  While at University, she began work as a hat check girl on an evening in her local  jazz club. Permitted to sing on stage with the jazz band when business was slow, it was there that she discovered a different type of music that sent her on a different musical path: “I kept hearing this jazz and soul  stuff and I realized I loved (that) music too”.

She married Jason Rae in 2001 at the age of 22; he would later died in 208 of an accidental overdose.

In 2004, she hooked up with Craig David mentor and collaborator Mark Hill (of the Artful Dodger) they produced Young and Foolish, to shop around to labels.

In 2007, her debut CD received 3 Grammy nominations including best New Artist, (though that was won by a little known singer named Carrie Underwood).

Check her out her live performance of The Blackest Lily

Jump over to our Facebook page for our Brew Beauty gallery to see more of Corinne.  And while you’re there, “LIKE” us and followour blog whydontcha?

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Corrine Bailey Rae photos courtesy corinnebaileyrae.net

Actress Rose Rollins, is our latest BEAUTY OF THE WEEK.  The New York native model turned actress co-starred on the last 3 seasons of “The L Word” as a not being asked therefore not telling, Army lesbian.

She  can now be seen on the NBC series “Chase”, portraying  Daisy Ogbaa, U.S. Marshall team’s weapon specialist.  Political correctness aside, I guess chicks with guns are just hot. 

Chase airs Monday’s on NBC -check local listings- and catch it while it’s still on the line up…just sayin’.

The only secret to growing healthy natural hair? Protection (nutrition  too, but that’s not this post) …which means lots of moisturizing, lots of conditioning and keeping the ends from collars and fabric. The rub?  Buns and updos can be a pain in the arse. Either you end up looking like Janelle Monae in a business suit (which though seriously cute is a little too much of a ‘look’ for my current still in the Reagan Administration Style office.) or a Lunch Lady.

Not to mention a zillion pins to create a casual ‘do is hell on my dome. Headaches before 8 am, not cool. It was with high hopes that I purchased the Goody Spin Pin. Could 2 odd looking devices really keep my wide (my hair grows big, not so much long) wig in tact? We’ll see. 

First try…twist dry hair into a bun and secure with pins… um FAIL! Almost lost a Spin Pin in the battle of snarly curlmageddon. I didn’t even take a picture of that hot mess b/c I was so traumatized by thinking my hair broke metal.  Spin pin recovered… all is well.

 Read the directions time.  Ahh secure with a pony holder FIRST okay then, why didn’t you say so? Spin one pin in at the bottom to anchor…and another at the top, just make sure they don’t lock together and… voila. I shook my head like a Polaroid picture (you know they way they frown upon) to make sure it was secure.  Even though it looks messy, it did not move!  This is some space age magic ‘ish! To remove? Just spin them back out! LOVE!

Canadian-born songstress Melanie Fiona (@melaniefiona) is our latest Brew Beauty. I’ve already expressed my love for her voice (I would totally make a weave outta dat silky 1B hair she’s got), but she’s also quite purdy!

Taste The Brew for more on Melanie