Weekly Motivation 07.31.11

He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away.

 ~Raymond Hull

Artwork by Nigel Morgan

Weekly Motivation 07.24.11

"A life without love is like a year without summer."

~Swedish Proverb

Artwork: Artist unknown, for website, click here.

The Scene: 8 Plus Divas "Diary of a Curvy Diva" Plus Fashion Show (Oakland, CA)

8 PLUS DIVAS is dedicated to women size 8 on up who want to feel sexy, beautiful and fabulous. Created by sisters Roseanna McCoy-Futch and Gazania McCoy-Washington, it is the mission of 8 Plus Divas to help ladies build up their self-esteem and confidence no matter how curvy they are. We provide our DIVA’s information about latest Plus Size fashion, Designers, Modeling, Events, Produce plus fashion shows and more.
Saturday, August 6, 2011, 8 Plus Divas will be heating up the Bay Area with "Diary of a Curvy Diva", a Plus Fashion Show/Expo/Mixer being held at Oakland Metro Operahouse (630 3rd Street Oakland, CA).


* Shop vendors

* Premiere Plus Fashion Show with top brands/designers/boutiques/retailers set to live Self-Acceptance Monologues. ( Comedian, Dance performance from full figured women, Spoken word Performance by Khari; a motivating inspiring show)

* Enjoy 2 full bars, and some free appetizers (21+ over Event)

* Free Goodie Bags

* Shop, Meet, Mix, Drink Dance & Enjoy the show!!!

Tickets are $20.00 if purchased online and $25.00 at the door.

To purchase tickets, and for more information, please visit: 8plusdivas.eventbri​te.com.

Facing Facts: Does Your Doctor Make You Feel Fat?

One of my Facebook Friends, Ms. Fatima Parker, posted the following article from msnbc.com in her group Beauty Diversity & Healthy Body Image about how doctors will attribute certain symptoms and problems to overweight people merely based on their outward appearance.

One of the quotes that stuck out to me in the article was this, from Arya Sharma, MD, PhD, chair of obesity research and management at the University of Alberta:

"I hear so many stories of doctors making assumptions about patients' health and lifestyles based on their appearance," says Arya Sharma, MD, PhD. "One of the key factors underlying this stereotyping is the notion that nobody would be obese if they were eating healthy and exercising," Dr. Sharma says. "But for every obese person I see who doesn't exercise two hours a day or who's drinking gallons of soda pop, I'll treat ten thin people doing exactly the same thing."

Perhaps if more women took a stand when they went to the doctor, and spoke up about how they wish to be treated, more doctors would work on their bedside manner. And if it doesn't change, then, as the article suggests, perhaps it is time for you to switch doctors.

Have you been to a doctor that has made you feel uncomfortable about your weight? Do you think that doctors should receive Health At Every Size (HAES) trainings in order to be better educated in dealing with plus size patients? Have you changed doctors after situations similar to the article and received a better response?

Read the full article here on MSNBC.com

On The Go: Beauty Travel Tips with Toccara

Model Toccara Jones recently offered her personal travel tips to stay beautiful this summer in an interview:

1. Drink plenty of water. It’s amazing! Planes will dry your skin out. I am traveling at least three times a week, and I can tell when I don’t drink enough water because my skin will get dry.

2. Wash your face, and take care of your skin. I love Neutrogena makeup wipes. It makes your skin feel good, and other brands don’t really take your makeup off as well. I also try to steam my face whenever I can, even in my hotel rooms.

3. Wear lashes. I love me some lashes! Even if you don’t have time to do your whole face, ladies, learn how to put those strips on! That glue can be dangerous for your eyes, so I prefer to put on the strip. Brows make the face too. I mostly keep a natural face when I travel though.

4. Keep hairpins on you. You never know when you’ll need to pin your hair up. They’ll come in handy, you can use them as paper clips, or to keep your shirt closed… It has multiple uses! [laughs] You’ll be MacGyver with those.

5. Wear brighter lipsticks. It makes your teeth look whiter. I’m a Chapstick girl [for moisturizing], and I’m so into my lipstick. It’s grown and sexy. Gloss can be messy when you’re meeting and greeting people, cheek kisses and all that.

6. Keep your nails natural. Fingernails are very time consuming, so I think the smart thing to do would be to go more natural when you’re on the move. If I could, I would keep my natural nails and file them instead of wearing nail tips and dealing with fillings. They can crack, and I have to deal with getting them done every two weeks.

7. Wear a good foundation under your clothing. Proper undergarments, slips and so on make anyone of any size look fabulous no matter what you wear.

Read more about what's new with Toccara and the rest of the article at http://www.urblife.com/the-look/toccara-offers-travel-beauty-tips/.

All Eyez On...: LeMystere Lingerie

Hi Friends! Welcome back to Beautiful You Mondays here on the Belle-Noir Mag blog! We are so glad to be back and cannot wait to bring you the best in everything beauty & fashion every Monday this summer! It excites us to begin with an announcement that came to us right before the holiday weekend about lingerie company LeMystere.

While most lingerie companies that sell items for full figures are not showing them on full figured frames, LeMystere Lingerie has broken the mold by featuring Plus Model Asia Mone't as the face of their Full Fit Collection.

Debuting with the spring campaign, Asia Mone’t will showcase the brand’s philosophy of being “all about the fit” by becoming the first full- figured model (and first model with a G-cup) used in Le Mystere’s advertising history.

“I am honored to be appearing in a brand that not only produces quality products for fuller figures, but is actually catering to the curvy woman in their marketing,” Asia Mone’t said in a press release. “I hope my appearance in this campaign will inspire women of all shapes and sizes to be proud and confident in their own beauty.”

Ladies, we always stress the importance of supporting the brands that will feature plus size women when selling plus size clothing. Check out the LeMystere website and the Full Fit Collection today. For more information on Asia Mone't, visit her website at http://www.asiamonet.com/. Congratulations, Asia Mone't, and thank you for being such a positive role model for plus size women and women of Color!