BeChicMag.com

BLACK FRIDAY AT H&M
By Arleny

The biggest shopping day in America is here! Black Friday is known for mark downs and insane specials in electronics, cosmetics and clothing. One of my favorite stores and a definite stop for me tomorrow is H&M, and I am excited to tell you all about their specials. Get ready to stay warm this winter with their 50% off select outer wear!

I’m obsessed with sweater frocks- you can pair them up with a hot pair of booties or dress them down with cute ballet flats that will go from $34.95 to $10.00. Party dresses are priced from $39.95 to $15.00! Men and children are included in the specials of course, from patterned shirts for $10.00 to girls sweaters for $5.00, you will find something for everyone.

Most H&M stores will open at 6am and some will open as early as 5am so get your shopping on early because you’ll get 25% off any item of your choice from opening until 10AM! Happy Thanksgiving everyone and happy shopping! Until next time, stay chic!

This week’s must-have
By Bijoux
We have something in common with celebrities like Beyonce, P. Diddy and Alicia Silverstone: We love the Beauty Blender and you will too.

The pink sponge is by the far the most amazing beauty tool I have been introduced to. It really does deserve all the hype, and the cute packaging has been getting the attention of many. With her product, Rea Ann Silva shares the secret of how the beauty blender helps applying make-up so effortless.

Before actually using the egg shaped sponge, I took a look at a few tutorials. The lessons were well worth it. Moistening the egg causes it to expand and have a bounce effect when dabbed on the skin to give it a non-streak finish. The dampness allows the make-up to actually stay on the skin. I thought it would only work with creamy products, which I am not fond of. The blender is phenomenal and works with blush, bronzer and loose powder.

So why the egg shape? The cornered end makes it so much easier to apply concealer while the rounded edge helps blend make-up into the jaw line and cheeks with a barely there finish. Compared to my brushes which are my absolute favorites for applying make-up, the beauty blender was able to do so much more in less amount of time. The beauty blender should be a part of you make-up application process. You will not regret it. The sponge is re-washable. It comes with its very own cleansing soap and can be sent back to the company to be recycled – not bad for taking care of the earth and staying beautiful at the same time.

Beauty Blender. Available at Ricky’s, Sephora or BeautyBlender.net $20- $35

Our editor met with celebrity make-up artist Jackie Gomez who also uses the Beauty Blender on celebs like Beyonce!

Tips to Avoid the Holiday Pounds

By Shelika Baez

The Holidays have finally arrived and soon we will be emptying our bank accounts and tipping the scales over with those extra pounds we gained. But, before we put ‘weight loss’ as a New Year resolution, there is still time to prevent putting on the pounds during “Cookie Season”.

We spoke with Certified Athletic Trainer Carlos Gual at the University of Maryland for some tips to prevent us from falling into the overeating trap before it’s too late.

First cardinal rule,

Eat Normally. “Starving yourself is about the WORST thing you can do,” explains Gual. “The human body is wired for survival. When your body does not get nourishment your body starts to rely on itself. Once you finally eat your body is taking everything that you consume, transforming it to fat and restocking its fat supply.”

Stop eating with your eyes. “Just because something looks delicious doesn’t mean you need more of it. The flavor doesn’t enhance with every bite. Take a sample of it and move on,” advises Gual.

Eat slowly. “Chemically there’s a reaction that happens in the body after it has been eating for about 20 minutes. This reaction signals the brain that the stomach is full and that its time to stop. If you eat slower you will have consumed less food by the time you reach 20 minutes.”

Get moving. Whether it is volunteering in your community, playing touch football with your family or merely dancing in your living room. Don’t sit still after eating so many calories. It takes about two hours to fully digest a normal meal and being sedentary only allows for fat storage.

The only way to avoid looking like Santa or Mrs. Claus in your Holiday portraits is to continue being active and eating well-balanced meals all year around.

If you make anything your motto this Thanksgiving, it should be this: “Thanksgiving Day is just that. A day. It isn’t a four-day weekend. Enjoy Thursday and get back to your diet the day after. The same goes for the holidays. They are just a DAY- not a month vacation from your responsibilities to your body.”
Carlos Gual, ATC is the assistant Athletic Trainer for the University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

Spanish Harlem’s Gentrification (or Development) Examined

By Carolina Baker

We attended a private screening of Ed Morales and Laura Rivera’s Whose Barrio? The documentary takes a look at Spanish Harlem as real estate speculation increases property values past the point of affordability for locals. Over the last few years, Spanish Harlem has seen an influx of people that can afford higher rents than longtime residents. The higher income of new residents creates upward pressure on rent. One local is “flabbergasted that one bedroom apartments are renting for as much as $1,700 a month”.

Throughout the film, Ed Morales narrates his relationship with El Barrio. Morales credits the neighborhood as being the birth place of salsa dancing, hip hop, and graffiti art. Local residents are interviewed, outraged that they can no longer afford to buy a home in their district. They also believe powerful people want to kick them out. Likewise, incoming residents are skeptical of locals, doubting the legitimacy of the public housing that surrounds their new apartment complexes.

Everyone agrees that change is inevitable. Yet there continues to be a struggle over who gets a say in what is called Spanish Harlem’s development by some and its gentrification by others. City councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito believes Spanish Harlem’s gentrification is unavoidable. Her role is to defend the community by extracting concessions from developers while fighting for affordable housing and the retention of the neighborhood’s ethnic groups and customs.

As long as the different communities within Spanish Harlem continue to distrust each other, it will be difficult for residents to benefit from the synergies that do exist when people of mixed incomes cohabitate. The overall perception from both sides is that residents shouldn’t be priced out of their own neighborhoods. As a local resident said, “Come join us in our community, but please don’t take over”.

BOOK REVIEW
By Carolina Baker

I recently finished Mary Tomer’s book Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy. The book is a compilation of pictures, interviews and opinions showing the evolution of Michelle Obama’s fashion style. I read about designers like Jason Wu, Kai Milla, Michael Kors and the effect Michelle Obama has had in fashion and on American women. I had no idea that the J. Crew outfit she wore to the Tonight Show sold out hours after she appeared or that each item worn generated a 200-person wait list by the end of the week.

Mary Tomer touched a cord by showing how the First Lady makes fashion work for her as a working mother, a wife and an educated woman. My opinion for her as a fashion icon evolved as I delved deeper into the book and was shown how she dresses to please herself as opposed to a way that is meant to be of service to her status.

I found myself gazing for quite some time at the pictures Tomer included, appreciating how Michelle Obama stands out in crowds of coats, turtlenecks and buttoned-up suits portraying youth, optimism and modernity. Maybe Michael Kors said it best, “Looking good doesn’t exclude educated women. It’s okay to be interested in fashion and taken seriously.”

Our editor Mercedes Sanchez spoke with the author on-camera about the Mrs. O blog and Tomer’s book deal. To see the interview click here

Mrs. O: Face of Fashion Democracy is in bookstores now and on Amazon.com $25.99