Monica & Brandy: Fashion & Beauty

Hi Beautiful People,
 
     If you're like me you've been waiting patiently for your favorite female R&B duo Brandy and Monica, to do another collaboration, like the one that garnered them their first grammy together for "The Boy is Mine" back in the 90's. Wow have we all aged. Marriages and babies later the ladies come back and hit us with "It All Belongs to Me" a song that talks about how a lot of us successful women who like to show our love by taking care of our men need to stop essentially and forget about no givsy backsies it all belongs to me. Many independent women can relate to this sentiment and I must say the wardrobe styling and the makeup on set is quite beautiful. Kudos to Monica and Brandy who continue to be a shining example that there is room for both talents and continue to support each other on the scene.
More solidarity should be shown similar Rihanna and Chris Brown who have shown that yes people make some crazy mistakes but everyone is entitled to forgiveness. Cake, Cake Cake, Cake! Love it!

Here are both videos "The Boy is Mine" as well as "It All Belongs to Me"

Monica - It All Belongs To Me - It All Belongs To Me -

Here are some of my fave make up looks from the two ladies 

Natural Hair Newbie... the Emotional Journey.

Hello Beautiful People!

    Can I just tell you the process of learning to love this new me, a natural newbie, has been quite a process not only has it been an adjustment physically but emotionally my goodness. You don't realize how much of an impact your physical has on your mental, and the outlook you have on yourself until you make a drastic change. For me that was making the drastic of going natural and dawning a low hair cut with just natural hair.

     Why did I do it? For a long time I wanted to go natural but always had a million and one excuses as to why I couldn't do it my scalp being tender is number one and the second being that I felt like my grade of hair was not a good one and finally that it wouldn't look good on me. Before the big chop in about a year span i had ran a gammit of short permed hairstyles after not doing so for reasons well basically my boyfriend preferred long hair. All along following with Rihanna's hair journey (lol it was fun I stopped at the Loud album no fire engine red hair for me). The last cut, a Mohawk cut that had grew out was what made me really ponder what my next course of action would be, would I grow out my hair to go back to long hair which meant monthly perms and wash and sets with my lovely Dominicans? The only draw back with a mohawk I'd have to go really short in order to do so. Then I thought to myself that maybe that if this was the only way I may as well take a chance and finally try going back all the way back to the natural me, a girl I haven't seen since 6th grade.

       What gave me the courage was an event I went to in Harlem for master artist Sam Fine who was promoting his amazing DVD (Sam Fine Beauty)  (which you should def buy) and I was in my wig and surrounded in a sea of beautiful sistas whom all seem to be coincidently natural and just lovely. As I looked around at wide array of natural styles and colors I was inspired and got a sense of pride to see that so many made the transition. Talking with Danielle (the style doctor) further liberated me with her freshly cropped do and beautiful red lip, her signature and my all time favorite look. I took this as a sign that the stars were aligned, no I didn't lol but one from God that it was time to let go of the creamy crack that had taken over my life. From that night I was on a mission, I knew that with the momentum I had from that night I had to cut all the straight hair off and make the change quick before Rihanna did something else that I would really love. So after some advice and research I went to a natural salon in downtown [Brooklyn called Sol. Rob would be the one to the honors and he made it a not so bad process by talking to me and telling me how beautiful I was. So I sat and sat and wondered when he would stop (lol I'm so dramatic)

       ...And then it was done... No matter how much he said how beautiful I was I wanted to cry. Unconsciously I had equated my beauty with hair... And now there was a short crop of it. Fast forward the next day I went to the Makeup Show where I saw beauty friends and was reassured how much this cut suited me. It took sometime but with more compliments I slowly built my self esteem back up but the question is now what next? It's a month layer and I have what I call an unruly fro my plan is to grow it out friends say cut it low again, so many decisions what do I do? Leave your comments below, email me photos of possible styles, colors or hit me on twitter @MissMerli

March 2009

Fall 2009

Nov 2008










March 2009

I gotta new attitude February 2010

March 2011

One of my favorite looks April 2011

 The new Miss Merli May 2011

Unruly Fro June 2011

???

What is next for July and August help me decide

Live, Laugh, Love and Learn

Miss Merli

Rihanna Living La Vie Jolie

In this post I wanted to celebrate the quick recovery of America's favorite "Good Girl Gone Bad" Rihanna. Her album "Loud" released today is a party album celebrating life and the love of it. As a tribute to my Barbadian princess photos from her beginnings to now. Congrats RhiRhi! Pictures courtesy of Essence.com

Rihanna is Art

I'm totally loving Rihanna's style and the album. Remember when the music industry was about an artist being able to have life imitate art. She did that here and got flack. Oh Rihanna's too dark, oh no Rihanna is too sexy,  goodness gracious I miss the shut up and drive Rihanna the one who sang about being under her umbrella. Guess what in life the light isn't always shining, sometimes being understated don't pay the bills, sometimes you need to let a dude no give you the keys to the car you don't even want him to drive. LMAO yup I said it Rihanna is what 21 or 22 and she's doing her and I appreciate her and respect her craft. Stop hating you don't have to co-sign everything someone does because regardless of anything she'll do her you'll do you. Now shut up and watch this ultra sexy and artistic Rihanna Rockstar Video

Michael Jackson Misunderstood Till the End

So it's not news to anyone anymore but Michael Jackson has passed away at the age of 50 years old. With so much left to give to the entertainment industry and the world at large, so it's heartbreaking to know his beautiful voice, and his genius mind has been silenced. This past week has proven to be a ride or die fan week where because of allegations that might I add were never, Ever, proven of Michael molesting children at his home. People have said really awful things about him because of the way media chooses to portray him on television, magazines, newspapers, and on the Internet. The problem that they continue to come across is that this man's talent was just out of this world only few people can be a famous celebrity the world over and he managed to do that in his 50 years on this Earth.

My heart truly goes out to his family and close friends minus Joe Jackson whom continues to seem to find ways to exploit his son in order to make monetary gain in life. I've had debates on the Internet via Twitter and Facebook as to the validity of the abuse that if you're smart enough and can read people and their psyche that it's so obvious that Michael and all of Joe's children were abused by his own hands both mentally, physically, and emotionally. People often say that they were just weird but guess what they weren't it was more to them than that. Everyone has their own opinion but I'm sure being a former abused child that this is what was taking place in the home. It's evident in his songs what had happen to him and the amount of pressure he was under as a child to measure up to his father's standards, i.e. "Childhood" From the Free Willy Soundtrack was such a great indicator of that. I don't want to hear about songs not meaning anything or just being fiction, any great song writer talks about things that they know or have seen. So to Joe Jackson a big F U is in order I don't have any respect for him whatsoever. For his wife whom by religion has chosen to either turn the blind eye or be brainwashed by Joe's reasoning for abusing his children I say I feel sorry for you but of course you'll have to deal with your maker providing you haven't asked for forgiveness for allowing it.

I hope that people start to really realize that life is so short, and that someone despite what the all mighty media says or portrays they've done, starts to cherish the best of the best in our society. Michael Jackson single handily made the 80's and 90's in pop culture amazing and people continue to sample his greatness when it comes to music and dance i.e Rihanna "Please Don't Stop the Music", Jay Z " H to Izzo" Chris Brown and his dance moves that are so reflective of his upbringing. This man was so amazing and so giving and he didn't deserve to be treated or talked about so disgusting as the way he was and I will continue to demand he be respected. At this time his body has not been laid to rest but I hope that his soul and spirit is with the Lord and that he's singing with the angels now watching over his family, friends and ultimate fans who believed in him all along. I love you Michael and I'll miss you but you'll never be forgotten.