Lady Gaga's Body-Slimming Secret? Flexees Shapewear

Lady Gaga's body is so fit she can wear underwear to a baseball game and feel right at home. Yet even she knows the magic of a great shapewear garment.


The Queen of Little Monsters everywhere, Gaga rocked the Flexees easy-up brief while out and about on the town. Only $30.32 (a steal in shapewear-land!), the brief controls the tummy, shapes the hips and lifts the rear.

Gaga paired hers with a silver pointy-bra top, rockstar shades and a coat...but you and I can wear the brief UNDER our garments. Clothes easily glide over it and no static cling!

(P.S. If you do indulge in the Gaga-inspired no pants trend and wear your brief alone, I'm not judging - wink!).


As you all know, I am a huge supporter of shapewear and Flexees always does the trick.




Shop Flexees here:

More Flexees...

Kisses,

Coutura

Shop the 40 Sexiest Summer Wedge Sandals

The hottest summer shoe style? Chic and easy wedge sandals.

Not only do wedges take your look to new heights, but they are so much more comfortable than stilettos its ridiculous.

They're also insanely versatile; you can wear them to the cookout (on grass!) and dress them up for a night out on a town.

Check out Glamazon-approved picks for summer:

More Jeffrey Campbell...

Kisses,

Coutura

Call the Glambulance: Vaseline Creates a Facebook App that Makes You Look Whiter in Pictures

Have you ever wanted to make yourself appear whiter in pictures? Me neither.

Vaseline has created a skin-lightening Facebook app in India, which the country's notorious skin-bleaching and lightening cream epidemic makes even more disturbing.

The goal of the app is to promote skin lightening creams to men, and the ad features Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor "with his face divided in dark and fair halves."

If this seems appalling to you, you're not alone. People all over the web have expressed disgust at Vaseline's willingness to promote an unattainable Western standard of beauty. Moreover, skin-lightening creams pose a health threat as many products illegally contain steroids, causing harmful and painful side effects.

In no way did Vaseline create the obsession with skin lightening creams in America and abroad (umm...everyone remembers Sammy Sosa's transformation below), but they certainly shouldn't feed the craze via Facebook.

What are your thoughts? It is a genius and harmless business venture or should Vaseline be more socially responsible? Discuss.

Kisses,

Coutura

Source

A Day in the Life: Aliya S. King's Platinum Launch Party with Mashonda and Her New Man, Michael Honablue

One of my favorite writers, Aliya S. King, celebrated her book release yesterday evening at Bo Concept. Guests like Mashonda (the ex-wife of rapper Swizz Beats), Tashera Simmons (DMX's wife) and Bevy Smith enjoyed Hennessy Black cocktails, Get Em Girls platinum cupcakes and Sexy Treats chocolate-covered strawberries (yum!).

While DJ Sewlyn Hinds spun tunes in the background, the room full of young tastemakers and celebs toasted what promises to be one of the best books of the year.


Aliya S. King's first novel, Platinum (Touchstone Hard Cover; Simon & Schuster) offers a juicy, provocative behind-the-scenes look into the world of rap stars' wives and girlfriends. Haven't read it yet, but will be sure to give you a review when I do!


From what my girls Bevy Smith and Belle of A Belle in Brooklyn say, it's one of those rare books that make you want to scream, cry and throw it across the room. The one thing you won't be able to do, however, is put it down.

And can I just say I love that Mashonda was there with her new boo, Michael Honablue, an Emmy-nominated TV producer? Now, I don't take sides (...or atleast I'm trying not to) but her interview just released on Vibe.com today brought me to tears. Here's to moving up and moving on, Mashonda! And that white dress is gorg (no better revenge than looking fabulous).


Here's what Mashonda and Tashera had to say about the novel:

After introducing Aliya, Mashonda told the crowd: “If you ever want to see what our lives are like, you need to read this book.”

Tashera Simmons, wife of DMX, who is profiled in Platinum recalled how meeting Aliya changed her for the better: “I met Aliya when she was writing an article for Vibe Magazine about the secret lives of Hip Hop Wives. I met her when I was feeling trapped and Aliya helped me to open up and be honest about my life.”

I can't wait to get my hands on this book! In the meantime, tell me what you think of the looks from last night's event. Are you excited for the debut of Platinum? And what are your thoughts on Mashonda's Vibe.com interview?


Kisses,


Coutura

Get Sexy Swimwear Guide: The Hottest One-Piece Suits

Haven't quite found that perfect swimsuit yet? Not to worry, Glamazons, there's still time.

If you're looking to make a statement on the beach, while flattering your body in the best way possible, look no further.

I've scoured the web for the hottest, most flattering styles of the season...and am presenting them to you in our four-part Swimwear Guide.

Today's grouping is sizzling one-piece suits, that were seen on the Agua de Lara runway.

Check out my top picks below...and happy Shopping!

More Asos...

Kisses,

Coutura

GLAM OR SHAM?: Lala and Carmelo's Wedding with Kim Kardashian, Lebron James and More

While The-Dream and Christina Milian made their way to divorce court, Carmelo Anthony was in NYC putting a ring on Lala's finger.

Sure the engagement lasted forever, but I'm not judging. At least we know this isn't a fly-by-night marriage just so the kid isn't born out of wedlock (cough...Christina and The-Dream). 

And any event that brings out fabulous fashion is a celebration in my book. 

Check out the top looks of the night below (with designer names) and give your verdict on who was GLAM and who was a SHAM.

Lala arrived at the venue before the wedding looking fabulously casual and chic. I see those studded Christian Louboutin loafers, girl!

Kim Kardashian showed up in a Herve Leger dress, Loren jewelry and Christian Louboutin heels. She wore the tightest, most shimmery dress she could find---or is it just me? She certainly looked stunning and is a great friend; rumor has it she paid for Lala's wedding dress and one of her bachelorette parties.

Kelly Rowland has been getting it right these days in my book. The lovely singer wore a purple long-sleeved dress and leopard print pumps to the event. Very demure yet modern and classy at the same time. A class act!

Oh, Ciara. Is this look for the club or your friend's wedding? Between the busy print, the one-shoulder and the hemline that will creep up and display all her goodies with one wrong step, she looks a dusty sham (my opinion). And what in the Sasha-Fierce-hell is that on her finger? I can't.

Serena Williams does it again in a classy, flattering strapless dress, peeptoe pumps and a matching clutch. While I'm not crazy about the hair, I must say she looks chic and presentable.

Lala's good friend, and Beyonce's cousin, Angie Beyince, kept the leopard trend alive this time mixing it with royal blue. I think that dress is super-flattering on her figure (ruching and draping are your friends, ladies!) and am a big fan of the look.

"Couture" details aren't for everybody. Trina is gorgeous but this look gives me urban high school fashion show and that's not a good thing.

Miami Heat's most controversial player, Lebron James, showed up in a dapper gray suit and sleek shades with long-time girlfriend Savannah by his side. Maybe we'll see his wedding right after next year's championship ring? Haha (Shameless Lebron fan moment).

Ok, my favorites were clearly Kelly while Ciara and Kim Kardashian weren't following the rules of etiquette in my opinion (don't dress for the club at someone's wedding). Glamazons, give your verdict on the looks. Who was Glam and who was a Sham? 

Kisses,

Coutura

Photos: The Socialite Life, YBF.

Just Another Reason That Proves 'The Dream' Is A Loser

Ok, Glamazons, he may be a musical genius when it comes to creating hit songs, but I've never been a fan of Terius Nash (also known at 'The Dream.') There's always been something about him that skeeves me out, so when I heard the news that Christina Millian was not only marrying him but also having his child, I hoped that maybe it would change my mind about him. (I'm all about the family man in Hollywood.) But, nope, it never changed. And now, I've just read that he and Millian have separated amidst reports that he cheated on her with his assistant of a year, Melissa Santiago. (Score one for the assistant who will now reach new heights of fame a la Rachel Uchitel style!)

Although this pic (below) surfaced of Santiago straddling a wedding-ringless Nash in the Carribean over the weekend, The Huffington Post reports that Millian split from him back in late 2009 but kept the decision private in order to protect their baby daughter Violet. Weird because the couple originally wed in Vegas in September 2009 and even had a second ceremony in December. Why get married not once but twice if you've already decided to call it quits?!

This will be the second disastrous marriage for Nash. (He was previously married to singer Nivea and they have three children together.) Maybe he's trying to compete with Diddy (who has 5 kids) as to who can have the most children and baby momma's?! (In Diddy's defense, at least he never married Misa Hylton-Brin, Sarah Chapman and Kim Porter.)

Hmmm..what do you think of this situation, Glamazons? Will you continue to purchase music from 'The Dream?' Do you even care? (Because in actuality, I don't...I just wanted to further prove my point that Nash is a loser hahaha)

xo

Ferocia

Betsey Johnson Announces Plans To Launch A Second Fragrance...and Makeup!

Let me start this post off by telling you that I love, love, me some Betsey Johnson! From the clothes she designs to the consistent energy she conveys, I think she's such a fab inspiration.

While I was toiling away at WWD as a beauty writing intern (i.e. still one of the best jobs I've ever had!) about four years ago, I was asked to interview her at the launch of her first signature fragrance. (That's us pictured above..please don't judge my physical appearance..I was a hot mess back then hahaha)

She was super gracious, kind and funny and (even though she wears crazy colored outfits and her hair in pigtails sometimes) very level-headed. So, how excited was I to see that the fashion designer has signed a seven-year contract with Inter Parfums, Inc. to create fragrances, personal care products and color cosmetics?! (Beyond excited since I'm obvs a fan...duh.)

Although sales for this fragrance tanked, she's ready to get back into the saddle by launching a new one next month.

"I think that after some kind of clothing existence, a designer needs a fragrance," she told WWD. "It's just like you have dessert after dinner."

The unnamed fragrance will be a modern interpretation of the first fragrance she created in 1982. No other details about the fragrance have been released, other than her stating that "it aint gonna be au naturel, sweet, foodlike-like chocolate-[or] patchouli."

Also unknown to many, Johnson created a small color cosmetics collection back in the eighties which included red and hot pink lip and nail polish.

"I grew up in heavy stage makeup because I studied dancing with a brilliant Broadway showgirl," she told WWD. "So I love makeup. For a designer, makeup is part of everything your customer wears, ideally, from head to toe."

Much like her recent Fall 2010 show, I'm sure that her upcoming fragrance and cosmetics collection will be fun and full of color.

xo

Ferocia

The One Beauty Product That Keep Me Looking Alive

You know how sometimes you can feel so exhausted that your face actually physically hurts? (Or am I the only weirdo that experiences this?!) Whatever the case may be, that's how I feel right now. Exhausted. However, there's on beauty product that always keeps the skin on my face looking alive, tight and rested (even if I've only slept for like two hours). It's none other than the Estee Lauder Night Repair Serum. There's all kinds of scientific data that tells how it works, but looking at my face above is all the proof you need. (Note that I received zero to nil hours of sleep the night before this photo was taken of me and my first cousin Tim...crazy, right?!) I highly suggest that you check it out immediately. Yeah, it's a bit pricey but whatevs. Beauty is not only pain, but it's also money...and when it's worth the money (like this product is) then you really have no reason to complain!

xo

Ferocia

MAGAZINE SHAM: Cosmo PhotoShops Britney Spears' Head onto a Different Pic of Her Body

Can someone explain why the new cover of Cosmopolitan looks like an experiment in Microsoft Paint gone wrong?

That's clearly Britney Spears' head attached to a different pic of her (significantly airbrushed) body. It'd be scary if it wasn't so laughable. Editors are literally creating celebrities' bodies on their PC's these days.

I know Brit Brit is not easy to photograph, but seriously...attaching two pictures together? That's going too far.

And if you're going to attach pictures and photoshop anyway, put her head on Catherine Zeta Jones' body so we all have something more impossible to aspire to.

What do you think of this Photoshop, job? My vote? Complete sham.

Kisses,

Coutura

Why is Teen Vogue Treating Gay Boyfriends Like a New Phenomenon? AND The Top Four Reasons Every Glamazon Needs One

You know a social phenomenon is old when it gets covered by a major print publication. Teen Vogue recently released the article, "Is a GBF (Gay Best Friend) the New Must-Have Accessory for Teen Girls?," which equates gay male boyfriends (or husbands as Ferocia and I call it) to handbags, heels and rings.


The association of a human with a product, accessory to be exact, isn't all that bothers me. It's the idea that this is something new.


I've had a gay best friend since my male cousin preferred to jump rope and do my hair instead of playing basketball. 


A diva, better yet a Glamazon, and a gay man are a match made in disco heaven.


My current gay boyfriend---mover and shaker and fashion reporter, Daver Campbell---is the love of my life. There he is below.

I spend many nights out partying in NewYork City with him or making dinner, drinking wine and talking nonsense in my Brooklyn apartment. If he were straight, we would be married.


He is a wonderful friend and a great addition to my life just for being who he is. My good friend, Beautylicious, feels the same way about her gay husband, Josh Swann, who she's been close with for years (he's a manager at MAC Cosmetics and essentially, the younger Sam Fine).

And Ferocia's gay boyfriend, David Lopez, hooks up her weaves so you know they're living happily ever after. 

They have each enhanced our lives in SO many ways, but here are the top four:


-GAYDAR


Every diva is faced with the challenge of warding off undercover gay men who pretend to be straight but in actuality, are "brothers on the DOWN LOW" (Oprah voice.) 


I regularly call on my gay husband to "surprise" visit while I'm hanging out with my boo of the moment in an effort to determine what team he truly plays for. 


One night, a potential suitor admitted to my gay BF that he "hasn't hooked up with a man yet because he doesn't have the guts." See why a gay BF is necessary?


-SHARED LOVE OF FASHION/BEAUTY


Let's ditch the stereotypes: not all gay men are into Fashion and Beauty! But if yours is, there's no better friend to bounce your new clothing or makeup choices off of. 


Why? Because he knows as much about fashion and beauty as a woman does (if not more) but still includes the male perspective. (Trust me on this, gay men may not want "trout" but they still appreciate a woman's body (breasts, hips, butt and legs) and will tell you when you're looking HOT.)


-RELATIONSHIP ADVICE


I always get relationship advice from my gay BF because at the end of the day, he IS a man...which means he still approaches relationships in that direct, no-nonsense way that all men do. 


When it comes to dating, my gay bf gives me a fresh perspective and priceless advice that my women friends can't provide. And I love him for it.


-BEST OF BOTH WORLDS


Did you ever dream of a man who will fix things in your apartment and go shoe-shopping with you, without complaining, later that evening? I have that and more in my gay boyfriend.


We can go from watching sports to critiquing fashion to blasting Lil Kim seamlessly. He does all the things my man won't do, and some of the things my man does (like kill bugs, lol). It's the perfect relationship, without the sex of course.


----


Teen Vogue Editor, Amy Astley, feels that a reason to pick up a gay BF is because they aren't competitive and judgmental like most women via The Cut Blog:

Friendships with other girls — even the healthiest and most supportive of relationships — are always a teeny bit complicated. I hate to admit it, but I feel like a tiny troll next to one of my besties, who is as tall and stunning as a supermodel; another good pal is so outrageously successful that one can't help but seem a bit of an underachiever in comparison. And that's the problem: We girls compare ourselves to one another, and it can just get a bit ... intense. Thank goodness for gay best friends. I treasure my GBFs — I live in New York City; I have many, many! — because they are noncompetitive and nonjudgmental, and we make each other feel accepted and cherished.

Umm, some gay/straight men are competitive and some women aren't. And you can feel just as insecure around a fab model-looking girl as you can around a ridiculously handsome guy (like our gay boyfriends above, haha). I think insecurity has more to do with a person's self-esteem than whether she chills with gay men or straight women. But maybe that's just me.





Anyway: yes, Teen Vogue, gay best friends are amaazing but not close to an accessory, only there to make you feel more secure. Gay men aren't products you select off of a shelf---they're people...though I DO love them like my Louboutins (and that's a lot of love).


Kisses,


Coutura

More EMF 2010 Fun!: The Glamazons Hanging Out in New Orleans

Whew! I can't emphasis on how pooped I am right now, but when I tell you that Coutura and I had a blast in New Orleans at the Essence Music Festival, I mean it! We're so grateful to Ford for having us as one of their special media guests. Check out some of these fun photos we took while there!

That's us along with our new (honorary Glamazon) friend Ferrari Cruz, special correspondent for Rolling Out! She lives in L.A. and is beyond awesome. (You should follow her on Twitter: @TheCruzControl)

Here we are striking a pose with Chris Chambers (on the far left). He's the owner of The Chamber Group and is a bestie of The Glamazons. And the other equally attractive female with us is our publicist bestie Sarah Cunningham (who also works at The Chamber Group).

Look at this fun Takers towel Coutura caught while were hanging out at the blue carpet. Cute, right?!

And, of course, we were like dancing machines while hanging out at the Belvedere Lounge backstage at the Festival. Here's Coutura breaking it down..get it girl! But, she had to stop and take this pic after spotting her musical fave Raphael Saadiq. (She looooves him!)

xo,

Ferocia