So the color red is under attack. And just when it was reaching its peak in style, and brown beauties have embraced it fully, there is reason to push pause on that pucker.  According to the Washington Post: 
A recent federal analysis showing that 400 shades of popular lipstick contained trace amounts of lead has exacerbated an ongoing dispute between regulators and consumer activists over how much lead is safe in cosmetics.

"It's my first perfume with Coty, and it’s like starting a new story," said Roberto Cavalli, president of the Roberto Cavalli Group to WWD.com. And just who is this fragrance for? The Cavalli woman is “sexy and wild, just like my fashion...and they are sexy, strong-willed, glamorous, independent divas," says the designer.  The gold-shaped bottle will retail for $48 and $85 and will be sold in Cavalli stores nationwide, plus prestige perfumeries.

Last year around this time, the Mixed Chicks brand was in the press for sending an insensitive tweet about complexion and giving what many saw as a half-hearted apology. Who can forget the #teamlightskin tweet. But this year, they are making headlines, as the David to Sally Beauty Supply's Goliath. In an article for Inc.com, Wendi and Kim, the owners of Mixed Chicks, share how what started as a possibly wonderful and lucrative business deal—Sally Beauty Supply retailing their product—quickly turned into stiff competition from the mega brand after the two declined a deal with Sally. Some time after the discussions about working together went bust, Kim and Wendi were shocked to find a new brand on Sally's shelves called Mixed Silk.  Inc.com reports:

"About an hour after Etheredge learned about Mixed Silk, another retailer called with a similar report. Etheredge and Levy immediately dispatched employees to buy the products. Etheredge tested them that night and was unimpressed. Later, she visited a Sally Beauty store and found Mixed Silk prominently displayed on the checkout counter. When she asked about it, a clerk told her it was "a generic version of Mixed Chicks" and "virtually the same thing." Soon, more retail clients were reporting that customers were balking at buying Mixed Chicks, saying that Mixed Silk cost a lot less."

So after mulling over their options: If they sued and lost, they would have to pay Sally, and if they continued the lawsuit might drag out for years, costing them millions of dollars, but if they won they could recoup those losses. They chose the latter and sued the company last year. They are currently awaiting a court day in May of this year. "They messed with the wrong broads," says Kim.

Noxzema ad circa the 1970s that appeared in Ebony. Many would love to see this type of recognition return. Click here for more.

Ironically, "Unbranded" is a series of images taken from magazine advertisements targeting a black audience or featuring black subjects, which Hank Willis Thomas created. He removed the names of advertisers, logos and copy. The result are just beautiful, strong images. Click here to see more.

The original Grace Jones. That.Is.All. Click here for more.

Another ad, which appeared in Ebony magazine, depicting black family. Click here for more.

Pantene Pro-V is available in drug stores nationwide.

"It's an honor to represent a brand like Neutrogena with such a long-standing history of instilling health, confidence and beauty in young women - and that is something I strongly support," said Sandra in a company press release. "I've been a huge fan of Neutrogena since I was a teenager.  Since I'm always on the go - either on set or on the stage - it always helps keep my skin clean and fresh looking. I really love the Neutrogena® Deep Clean Cream Cleanser and the Facial Cleansing Bar."

Sandra can  be seen next in Will Ferrell's new film "Casa de mi Padre" (My Father's Home).  She also completed shooting Savages, an Oliver Stone film starring John Travolta, Blake Lively, Uma Thurman and Benicio Del Toro— in which she plays Salma Hayek's daughter.

Congrats!

The nine-item skincare treatment line rides on the philosophy of East meeting West, with a touch of fabulosity, of course! In her interview with WWD, she explains the concept:

"This line is about their Eastern allure of diet and beautiful skin. It’s based on cultures that live from the sea,” she said, ticking a list of ingredients such as fish oil, pearl powder, omegas, beta glucan, mushroom and Wakame kelp extract. Using whimiscal names like Pore It Out to describe a pore concealer; Watch Your Tone, an antiage peptide toner; Wrinkle Shrink, a wrinkle eraser product, and Hold It Tight, an anticellulite cream doesn't hide the fact that there is definitely technology backing up nature's cureall ingredients. "The Western [influence] is the medicine, the efficacy, the delivery and the clinical results. That’s why we call this Shinto Clinical; this is really a clinical range," she told WWD.

Shinto, which means of the gods, was co-created by New York dermatologist Eric Schweiger, targets women aged 25 to 45 and ill also be sold in Nordstrom. Prices range from $59 to $65.

Sony Music, the distributor of the song, has been ordered to pay a retroactive sum  (since 1997) of 1.2 million Brazilian reais, which equals about $650k in U.S. dollars. Ironically, Tiririca, who is half black was not charged in the lawsuit brought to the court system in Rio de Janeiro by 10 non-governmental organizations that fight against racism. Those organizations included: Center of Articulation of Marginalized Populations, Research Institute of Black Cultures, Union Group of Black Consciousness, Palmares Institute of Human Rights and Criola Organization of Black Women. 

The single sold about 250,000 copies when it was released in 1996 and the courts deemed it to be a racist song; now Sony will pay the price. I'm not sure which is more appalling and grotesque, the person who wrote the song, the half black man who sung or Sony who distributed it.  Tiririca, who grew up poor, and was known for first being a clown (yes, he joined the circus as a young boy), then created humorous spots about Brazilian's political system, was elected as Sao Paolo's congressman and still serves in office. Perhaps that has something to do with why he was blameless. And we thought we had identity problems.

Here are the lyrics, translated from Portugese by Blackwomeninbrazil.blogspot.com, who originally brought this story to light: Veja veja veja veja veja os cabelos dela (4x)
(Look look look look look at her hair (4x)
Parece bom-bril*, de ariá panela (It looks like a scouring pad for pots and pans)
Parece bom-bril, de ariá panela (It looks like a scouring pad for pots and pans)
Quando ela passa, me chama atenção (When she goes by, she catches my attention)
Mas os seus cabelos, não tem jeito não (But her hair just isn’t right)
A sua catinga quase me desmaiou (Her stench almost made me faint)
Olha eu não aguento, é grande o seu fedor (Look, I can’t take it, her smell is so bad)
Veja veja veja veja veja os cabelos dela (Look look look look look at her hair)
Parece bom-bril, de ariá panela (2x)
(It looks like a scouring pad for pots and pans) (2x)
Eu já mandei, ela se lavar (I told her to take a bath)
Mas ela teimo, e não quis me escutar (But she’s stubborn and doesn’t listen to me)
Essa nega fede, fede de lascar (This black woman stinks, she stinks horribly)
Bicha fedorenta, fede mais que gambá (Stinking beast, smells worse than a skunk)

What do you think of this?