BeautyConLA 2019, "Beauty As Politics" Priyank Chopra Got Ripped then French Montana, Kelly Rowland, Tina Knowles-Lawson, Megan Thee Stallion, Arianna Huffington x Ciara with Maxine Waters.

By Laura Medina

You don't go looking for controversy when you're a celebrity, it finds you.

Case in point, BeautyConLA 2019 this past, recent Saturday.

What supposed to be your favorite celebrity doling life advice in how to be, after chatting about being tech investor, Priyank Chopra got into a verbal sparring with a Pakistani rights activist.

It went from how to be an empowered woman to regional/international political debate, through quick and short disses...

Mind y'all, this writer was there first-hand, with jaw dropped.

But according to TMZ, https://www.tmz.com/2019/08/11/priyanka-chopra-called-hypocrite-india-pakistan-conflict-peace-war/ and Hollywood Reporter, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/priyanka-chopra-responds-being-called-hypocrite-india-pakistan-views-1230776

Ayesha Malik accused Priyanka of being a hypocrite when Priyanka called herself a peace ambassador, citing an old tweet from February 26th, when Priyanka was cheering on the Indian military as patriotic Indian.  

Ayesha increased her attacking Priyanka of using her celebrity influence to push nuclear war on Pakistan, by India then accusing Indian Priyanka Chopra of infringing on Pakistani rights.

Priyanka retaliated back, telling Ayesha to quit venting then called her out for her bad manners.  Priyanka is no fan of war but she still insist she's patriotic Indian.

This recent BeautyConLA 2019 ain't glossing over identity or national politics.

According to eyeshadow maven, Huda Kattan, "Beauty is Politics."

As a backlash against Trump and the #MeToo movement, French Montana said he's French-Moroccan Muslim who prefer women over men any day and his company is entirely staffed with women running. He's a feminist because his dad left the family behind in the Bronx.  His mom worked her butt off, in a fried chicken shack.  He recalls returning home, his mom reeking of fried grease, crying and praying.  He's been a feminist ever since.

Priyanka Chopra stayed behind, to catch French Montana, as an audience member, after being attacked on stage.

Following French Montana in this non-stop juggernaut A-list train, Kelly Rowlands revert back to BeautyCon's idea of diversity and inclusivity in all sorts of looks, presentation, and beauty.

Saturday afternoon's finale was Beyonce's mom, Ms. Tina Knowles-Lawson.

She was a wealth of wisdom.

Ms. Tina commented on the importance of civility and common courtesy yet recommended self-improvement as one of the secrets to her daughter's, Beyonce, success.

As an hair stylist, Ms. Tina said that your clients will be doctors and lawyers, professionals who need your help in fixing them.  They'll eventually invite you to events, where you will learn etiquette. To truly "level up," Ms. Tina told this rapturous, eager audience to never be afraid to ask for help or advice from your professional clients in this beauty business.

Contradicting her down-home "Urban Cowgirl" image, Megan Thee Stallion (she's a second generation rapper while her recently departed mom, Holly Wood, was pioneering woman rapper) to have a "Hot Girl Summer," you go to college, like she did.  She told the tween audience to keep it "hot," you can still have a sizzling hip hop career while still going to college. Megan Thee Stallion is currently studying health administration as full-time junior at Texas Southern University.  "Keeping it hot" means having the best of both worlds.

BeautyConLA's A-list train isn't stopping.

Baby Boomer Arianna Huffington, of Huffington Post, and Ciara, arrived on stage, arm-in-arm.

Ciara is a trend.  This making her third high profile appearance, after SoulCycle (Rev Up with Ciara at Sound By SoulCycle Then Recovery with RCVR By Lululemon. https://luxurist.blogspot.com/2019/03/rev-up-with-ciara-at-sound-by-soulcycle.html ) and Propel Fitness Festival, Ain't Sex, Drugs & Rock N' Roll at PROPEL CO:LABS Fitness Festival with Charli XCX and Lucy Hale and Ciara is the new Jane Fonda for Millenials and Gen-Yers, https://luxurist.blogspot.com/2019/07/aint-sex-drugs-rock-n-roll-at-propel.html

Three times the charm.

Arianna is aware of the growing influence of GenZers.

Since this generation is raised on being non-stop "on" and hustling, Arianna, the wise Baby Boomer, said you really to set the world on fire and look good doing it, you need your beauty sleep to recharge your battery, brain, and skin, to keep you going.

After doing two non-stop fitness festival, Ciara also vouch of the power of sleep so you can set your intentions and goals straight.  Plus, you'll recharge enough energy to keep on doing those fitness events.

The surpise cherry on top was Congress lady, Maxine Waters.

The growing influence of BeautyCon is what attract Waters to the stage.

This is her first appearance at BeautyCon.  Before this, she never heard of it.

But, its constant message of diversity and inclusiveness then hearing and watching those ethos growing from looks and appearances to identity politics...and to some extent, regional and internation politics, this caught her attention to a fresh, growing constiuents, Gen-Zers.

Beauty as politics.

Chilling at Caesars Palace.

By Laura Medina

If you want to get away and hide out in air conditioned environment during the dog days of Summer, you can do it inside Caesars Palace.

First, you need RIMOWA Essential luggage, in bright colors to spot during baggage claim to haul off those goodies you will be shopping inside Caesars Forum.

This summer, RIMOWA introduces the first new collection of colored suitcases since the launch of its new visual identity. The four distinct colors, available for the RIMOWA Essential, are yet another fresh offering for customers loyal and new alike. RIMOWA understands that for many purposeful travelers today, making a distinct statement is important. While some might choose stickers or other accessories, plenty others may opt to distinguish themselves by sampling from a unique spectrum of colors. These newly available hues seek to provide just that. 

In typical RIMOWA fashion, the selection of these fresh colors is far from random, nor do they lack purpose and identity in and of themselves. While travelers so often focus singularly on the destination, RIMOWA seeks instead to ever ease the journey and encourage reflection on the moments in between. In keeping with this philosophy, these four new colors are sampled directly from the aerial view of remote coordinates usually seen only from above – the fleeting impressions of secluded places so often passed over that still beg to be visited.

The new RIMOWA Essential colors include Coral, inspired by Pink Lake in Western Australia; Slate, which takes its hues from the chalky, gradient grey hues of Indonesian mines; Sage, reflects the green shades of the Lake District in northeast England; and Saffron yellow of Tuscany’s rolling fields of canola flowers.

With detail ever in mind, each element of the new RIMOWA Essential colorways is expertly matched – from handle and zipper to badge and wheel housing – for a monochrome presentation that looks distinctly fresh, seasonal and modern. The new RIMOWA colorways for three RIMOWA Essential sizes are now available.

One souvenir you'll hauling off because you can't get enough and your friends back home, can't get enough...

What’s the perfect way to satisfy your summertime sweet tooth? With delicious seasonal treats from Honolulu Cookie Company.  To celebrate the complex and beautiful ideas that are at the essence of the Spirit of Aloha, Honolulu Cookie Company debuts the Share Aloha and the Aloha Matcha Collections.

Carry the aloha spirit anywhere you go and share the aloha spirit with several options designed to show off a love for Hawaii and a taste for travel. Perfect for those longing for a taste of the islands, choose from the Medium Aloha Window Box, Aloha Purse or the Aloha Suitcase Tin each showcasing a variety of the premium shortbread cookie flavors.

The taste of matcha, or ground green tea leaves, is becoming more and more popular in a variety of recipes world-wide. When mixed with the creamy sweetness of the rich white chocolate, it pairs perfectly with the premium shortbread cookies for a delicious summer treat. Enjoy the Aloha Matcha Box with the subtle sweetness of the new matcha flavor paired with the popular chocolate chip macadamia shortbread cookie as a yummy summer treat or the Aloha Matcha that includes the summer seasonal taste along with favorite classic flavors. It’s a summer gift with a subtle essence to be enjoyed with a warm breeze and a gorgeous view. The season Matcha Collection is only available for a limited time, while supplies last.

Enjoy the lasting taste of Summer with Smoked Burgers & BBQ at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, becoming the first restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip to serve All-You-Can-Eat BBQ available everyday starting at 11:30 a.m.

Priced at $49 per person, the menu includes:

• Beef Sliders: Angus beef rubbed with a special house spice mix, smoked house ketchup, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cheddar cheese served on a Hawaiian roll.
  
• Smoked Chicken Wings: Six smoked chicken wings served plain, or buffalo style tossed in signature BBQ sauce.
  
• Louisiana Hot Link Sausage: Grilled split pork hot links slathered in a signature BBQ sauce served with a biscuit.
  
• BBQ Pork: Pulled pork shoulder slathered in a signature spice blend and mustard BBQ sauce served with a biscuit.
  
• BBQ Chicken: Pulled chicken slathered with a signature spice blend and tangy BBQ sauce served with a biscuit.
  
• St. Louis Ribs: Tossed in signature smoked spices and BBQ sauce served with a biscuit.
  
• Sides: Mesquite Fries; Sweet Potato Fries; Truffle Mac ‘n Cheese; Potato Salad; Cole Slaw and Baked Beans.

Then, you can lighten up with your Surf & Turf with Water Grill.

For more than 30 years, Water Grill has delivered a remarkable dining experience through its devotion to quality seafood and culinary skill. Focusing on first-of-season seafood, Water Grill prides itself in offering a broad selection of fin fish, oysters, crustaceans and shellfish to its guests.  

Water Grill’s menu will change daily and feature a raw bar and chilled shellfish menu that will showcase the pinnacle of freshness in its offerings, inclusive of a selection of both Pacific and Eastern oyster varieties, as well as clams, scallops, lobster, sea urchin and crab. The seafood will be supplied by Kings Seafood Distribution, which delivers fresh fish directly to the restaurant through its internal distribution team.  Using their own seafood operation (KSD), allows the Water Grill to efficiently provide fresh seasonal offerings procured from waters all over the world. 

An exhibition kitchen showcases large sea water tanks displaying the ever-changing assortment of live products. The constantly evolving lunch and dinner menus will feature more than a dozen varieties of fish options as well as a whole fish program, allowing guests to choose from in-season offerings with multiple preparation styles.  Hide out, during the waning days and nights at Caesars Palace.

Honey Birdette is the New Victoria's Secret...

By Laura Medina

https://us.honeybirdette.com/?geo=US

Watch out Victoria's Secret, Honey Birdette from Australia is aiming for your market, worldwide.

Honey Birdette's Bodyguard Collection is as if Herve Leger turned his bandage tailoring into lingerie, form-fitting in all the right places yet stylish enough to wear as female empowering club/party-wear.

The style reminisces of mid/late-Eighties Power Plant with Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" MTV video classic, where female sensuality morphed into female empowerment, where sadomasochism/punk rock/New Wave bondage, seat-belt fabric and gear turned into late Eighties epitome of fashion.

In a sense, Honey Birdette's Bodyguard Collection is retro, looking back at fashion when it was sharp and strong, before the softness and ease of Nineties grunge and thrift/vintage shop frugality washed up.

Listening Party/ Single Release for Hip-Hop Rap Artist, Chef Sean's new single “No Name”, featuring Oxygen Channel's Sisterhood of Hip Hop's Siya, produced by Grammy Award Winner Harmony Samuels at The Phoenix.

By Laura Medina

Chicago turned Los Angeleno rap artist, Chef Sean, threw a listening/single release party for his collaboration with Siya, produced by Harmony Samuels at gastropub, The Phoenix, http://www.thephoenixla.com/los-angeles

Chef Sean debuted his latest single, "No Name," along with Oxygen Channel's Sisterhood of Hip Hop's Siya and ...

Hit maker, producer, Harmony Samuels.  The man behind Ariana Grande's debut hit single "The Way" as well as several songs from her debut album, Yours Truly and "My Everything". He also contributed 13 out of 14 songs on Fantasia's album Side Effects of You.  Before that, he produced hits for: Maroon 5, Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige, Brandy Norwood, Kelly Rowland, Jennifer Hudson, Ne-Yo, Keyshia Cole and others. 

The single release party was an intense and intimate celebration among artists, who are happy feasting on The Phoenix's Spicy Chicken Drumettes with blue cheese dipping sauce with crudites, pasta salad, grilled lamb sausages, accompanied with baskets of classic fries.

Straight-up but classic release party that any established and emerging artist, anywhere, can do anywhere.

At Chef Sean's/Siya/Producer Harmony Samuels' party, everybody is a buddy.

Thanks to Shiseido's WASO x Chef Sophia Roe, You Can Wear & Infuse Your Skin with Juice & Tonics, Instead of Drinking Them.

By Laura Medina

Shiseido partnered with women’s fashion & beauty magazine, Cosmopolitan, for The WASO Food Truck Tour. The truck parked at Sephora locations in Glendale's Americana at Brand then Old Town Pasadena, to celebrate the recent product launch of WASO, Shiseido’s skincare line inspired by the holistic and natural Japanese food tradition of Washoku.

With Cosmopolitan Magazine, clean vegan chef, Sophia Roe helped developed Shiseido's WASO line, using organic ingredients, fruits, and vegetables she always uses in her dishes.

Knowing the age-old cosmeceutical properties of fruits and vegetables, Sophia used her knowledge in incorporating cosmeceutical from juices and tonics to externally purify and fortify the skin, externally, as well as internally.

At the WASO Juice Truck tour stops, passer-bys were grated by jars of Sophia's carrot, orange, and ginger juices, that are also the very same ingredients in WASO's skincare products.

https://www.sephora.com/brand/shiseido/skincare?currentPage=2

In this Glazed Carrot recipe video, the carrots are used in...

Clear Mega-Hydrating Cream

and 

Color-Smart Day Moisturizer

Then, she uses loquats that is also in...

Color-Smart Day Moisturizer Oil-Free

and 

Quick Matte Moisturizer Oil-Free

The same honey she uses in the glaze, is the same honey used in...

Very moisturizing yet not pore-clogging Quick Gentle Cleanser...

The Shiso she crushes as herb, is in as a detoxifying ingredient in...

Purifying Peel Off Mask

For bedtime, Sophia does a classic three-steps system.  First, she cleanses while moisturizes with oil-free honey-based Quick Gentle Cleanser.  The second step is the carrot-based Clear Mega-Hydrating Cream then finishes the third and final step with ...

Yuzu-based Beauty Sleeping Mask.

Cosmeceutical at its best, Superfoods for super skin.

VH1's "Love & Listings" Spotlights LA's Hottest & Freshest Real Estate Talents & Trends with A-List Celebrities Clients with Taylor Schwartz.

By Laura Medina

Taylor Schwartz's dad told her either go to college or get a job, she got her real estate license at 18, instead.

While earning a living as a very young real estate agent, she uses her wages to support herself through college.  Chutzpah!

She never thought her decision to become a real estate agent at 18, would get her a role in VH1's "Love & Listings," airing Mondays at 10pm.

As a Gen-Zer catering to the housings whims to Millennial A-list clients housing wants and needs, Taylor breaks down LA's housing trends, smart and sharp young lady...

She's not worried the established Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers.  According to her, Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers had already bought their homes and properties and building equities. 

Obviously, what gets Taylor busy and on the go, are Millennials building their nests.

The most common housing trend that Millennials want is MidCentury Modern that is warmed with farm house aesthetic.

Taylor reinforces what is already known among long-term residents and natives, Millennials want that farm house MidCentury Modern nestled among the hills bordering LA proper and the Valley, the view and the fresh mountain air.

Taylor's housing trend is no better exhibited than the location for VH1's "Love and Listings" premiere party location, an hill top MidCentury Modern with a darn good kitchen, that doubles as single family then good enough for STK catering to cook and grill on for this party.

Can't go wrong with a classic and chic cheese, cold cuts, and dried fruit board.

A kitchen good enough for a STK chef to grill BBQ Shrimp and make "help-yourself Mac n' Cheese."

The party settled down "Love and Listings" finally aired on the big screen, poolside.

This is the new Hollywood trend.