WE'VE MOVED!!!

Well, not me, actually.But BLF has a new home!

Be sure to check us out at:

www.BlackLatinaFabulous.wordpress.com

Where you can get the latest on hair, makeup, fashion for less, and all your favorite Black Latina Superstars! See you there!

SAG, Baby!!

It's the SAG awards, and that means starlets will be turning up the heat to perk up the Acadamy's (and the moviegoer's) eye! Latina's were out in full force, below are two of my faves:

Naya Rivera;

I absolutely hate using food terms to describe Latinas but this look is nothing short of caliente! She is head to toe perfection in her Naeem Khan dress, and she smartly let the dress shine with a natural makeup application, soft hair and light acessories. I may watch Glee (and forgive them naming her character Santana) after all!

Gina Torres;

I have no idea why she's here but I'll be darned if she didn't look ah-mazing!! Gina's makeup is always flawless, she could walk the red carpet in a black garbage bag with that face and no one would notice. And I am having SUCH hair envy right now! I am not worthy, I am not worthy.

Zoe Saldana;

 

Zoe, I need you to repeat after me; "I am NOT a quasi-married mother of six". This would have been the perfect dress (and was, to some degree) if her last name was Jolie. This is not a look for a 30-year old action star who just got back on the market! Girlfriend can pull off almost anything, but can you please try anything else?

Congrats to 'The Help' for your recent success!

Out & About; BLF at Raine Magazine 10th Issue Launch Party!

I had the pleasure of attending Raine Magazine's 10th issue launch party on January 19 at the luxurious and exclusive Thompson Hotel LES. Raine Magazine (http://www.rainemagazine.com/) , an industry insider magazine focusing on the new, innovative and the up-and-coming, featured Sula NYC in their current issue, and I came to show support. Guests of the launch party were treated to cocktails, music, a mini fashion show, and godie bags with samples of the magazines features. Enjoy the photos from the event below!

All photos courtesy & copyright of Kyle Felton Photography, Inc & Lisa Ramsay

Golden Globe Gloriousness!

Winter was nowhere to be seen as the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards set the red carpet on fire! Understated elegance was the theme of the night with red carpet mavens and honorees donning simple shifts, muted colors and modest accessories. There were no real risks taken tonight in my opinion, but it was a great way to start off the awards season! Check out some of my faves below:

Nicole Ritchie in Julien MacDonald (Accessorised with Neil Lane!);

Now, THIS is how you attend an awards show! I have never been a fan of big looks on non-nominated guests and Nicole makes a simple, yet elegant statement here. Bonus points for her flawless makeup.

Zoe Saldana in Jason Wu;

 

Zoe's red carpet looks have been a bit mature as of late and I am happy to see her in such a youthful frock. It strikes the perfect balance between elegant and edgy, and the hem showcases her Brian Atwood pumps beautifully. Go girl!!

Dania Ramirez;

Ok this has nothing to do with anything but for those who think this red carpet stuff is easy peep this for a second:

Laz Alonso in..Who am I Kidding!

Laz Alonso at the Warner Brothers InStyle Golden globes afterparty. I have no idea who he's wearing. I just needed any excuse to show off the luciousness that is Laz Alonso. Take it in ladies, take it in.

What were your favorite Golden Globes fashions?

Black & Latino- A Discussion

Gotta thank mun2.tv/blackandlatino for initiating a great conversation!

"What does it mean to be black and Latino in the U.S.? Featuring interviews with Latino actors Laz Alonso ("Avatar", "Jumping the Broom"), Tatyana Ali ("Fresh Prince of Bel Air"), Gina Torres ("Suits, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys") and Judy Reyes ("Scrubs"), musicians Christina Milian ("Dip it Low") and Kat DeLuna ("Whine Up"), and journalist Soledad O'Brien (CNN), among many others."

While I absolutely loved this series, I found a disturbing trend among these and other videos like it in the comments section. Videos like these prompt a discussion, but mostly within the Black community as to whether we, as Black Latinos, even have a right to be offended. Most of the posts either accuse of of "not contributing to the black agenda" (which is rediculous, I Love Lucy for example was a revelation in television, and starred a Black Cuban), or not classifying ourselves as "Black" until it suited us.

While I can understand their frustration on the surface, at this point does it even matter? What do you think?

Why Are We Here?




I dare you to tell them they're not Latino. Or FABULOUS.
**Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

 

"A lot of people don’t realize that I’m Latina, which is fine. One thing about being Latina is that there isn’t one look that comes with the territory. I don’t expect people to know my cultural background just by glancing at me. I do, however, expect that when I tell people my family is from Puerto Rico, that I will be believed and not accused of trying to be something that I’m not. It usually goes something like this: a person having a conversation with me discovers one way or another that I’m Puerto Rican and fluent in Spanish. That person then expresses their shock over these realizations for any number of reasons–common responses are, “You don’t look Latina” and “I thought you were black!” I never said I wasn’t black. And since when does being black and being Latina have to be mutually exclusive?

In my experience, people tend to have an uninformed and rather narrow view of what it means to be Puerto Rican. For me, not looking like some people’s idea of a typical Latina has been challenging and often painful. I constantly find myself trying to justify who I am, and why should I? I’m proud of my heritage and my family. Both of my parents are from Puerto Rico. They raised two kids in Brooklyn and later in New Jersey, where we ate arroz con gandules and pasteles and listened to salsa music. I feel just as at home in Puerto Rico, where I still have tons of family, including aunts, uncles and cousins. Puerto Rico is in my blood. And that has nothing to do with the color of my skin.

I’m not angry with anyone who doesn’t understand the complexities of race and culture. And I’m also not interested in having long, drawn out conversations about how it’s possible for me to look like this and speak Spanish. In fact, sometimes I make it a point not to mention my parents’ birthplace because I don’t always feel like having the inevitable discussion that follows. Instead, I let people look at me and come to their own conclusions. As I start to get my feet wet in Hollywood, I already know that there are certain parts I won’t even be considered for. The character can be Puerto Rican and speak Spanish just like me, but Hollywood defines Latina as Jennifer Lopez and Sofia Vergara. As beautiful as they are, we’re not all one race in Latin America. But I don’t go to auditions so that I can give history lessons to film executives. I’d rather skip the entire process.

I’m raising my son to understand who he is, and it’s my hope that he’ll never let others define him. It reflects poorly on us when we don’t educate ourselves about the rest of the world and what it looks like. I encourage people who are interested to learn more, do research and ask informed questions. If you’re lucky enough to visit various countries in Latin America, you’ll be baffled to see the blackest of the black and the lightest of the light living together. And I dare you to ask one of them to prove their latinidad."

~LaLa Vasquez

I published this in it's entirety because this puts to words something I have felt all my life but have not been able to describe. If you have ever wondered why this blog exists, it's for all us round pegs who are tired of being stuffed into square holes. Enjoy!