Meet Iman: Supermodel, Entrepreneuress, and SYB Guest Editor!

Darlings,
I’ve always dreamed of being a glamorous woman. It all started when I was eight years old and told my Aunt San that I was ugly—and she told me to hold on through the awkward phase because when I grew up I’d look EXACTLY like early 80s actress, model, and former Miss Ohio,Jayne Kennedy. Jayne Kennedy!!! She wore a sexy candy-cane striped leotard in her own workout video!! Could my life one day be tinged with such fabulosity? At that tender age, I began reading all of Judith Krantz and Jackie Collins’ books, those shoulder-pads-and-sex-filled epics starring gutsy, lusty broads and the rich, rakish scoundrels who loved them. I’LL TAKE MANHATTAN, SCRUPLES, CHANCES AND LUCKY, are the reason I moved to New York City! I wanted to be one of those glitzy glamour queens with careers in magazines, photography, or fashion. Of course, these characters were all white, so I was going to be the “black version” (one of the main reasons I’m writing novels about black It-girls…why should the next generation have to dream of being anybody’s “version” of fabulous?).

You can imagine my glee when I actually made it to Manhattan and landed the glamorous job: Elle’s associate beauty editor! And it was a VERY good look—fashion shows, industry parties, free blowouts at the swankiest salons on Madison Ave. I saw my byline in the world’s biggest fashion magazine every month (not to mention, I finally resembled Ms. Jayne Kennedy). What? You couldn’t tell me SHIT.

But inside, I was a tad lost. As the only black beauty editor at a mainstream publication, I ran into some...situations. Like, I’d have a phone relationship with a publicist, and when we met in person I'd get the "oh, she's BLACK!" face. Like clockwork, the “you go girls,” and “uh-huh girlfriends” would tip-toe into conversations. Or once, a celeb colorist ignored my protests and left my highlights on way too long (hello? relaxed hair?!). I was horrified, not only that this uber-famous salon hired a chick unskilled at treating a variety of hair types (do we not have money for $300 highlights? okay, mine were free, but still)--but because I WENT BALD. Oh, and then there was the drama about my spring makeup story, where I'd included shades for each skin tone instead of saying, for example: "get the new red lip with Revlon Cherries in the Snow"--advice that would leave anyone not Cindy Crawford's complexion resembling H.R.Puff 'n' Stuff or wasting forty-five minutes in Sephora figuring out the right red for them (of course, these days most women's mags have caught on...duh). At times, I thought it would be easier to just be a “ version” of a white beauty editor—you know, sans any issues or distinguishing features. Like the white girl’s token black friend in the movie. Like Lisa Turtle on “Saved By the Bell” (she never made a fuss about having to always take Screech to dances, while all the others had dates). Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time, and God knows making change ain’t easy. Looking back, I just needed guidance and inspiration from a black beauty chick who’d done it pre-me.

Folks, it blazed into my life in the form of my first MAJOR story assignment—a profile of Iman and her new product launch, I-IMAN Makeup! I’ll never forget the first time I met her: I was an anxious 24-year-old sweating through my brand-new Chloe blouse, over-the-moon and terrified. Iman flung her office door open and as God is my witness, at 10am on a Tuesday, she was sporting the vampiest scarlet lipstick, an oversized leopard print hat, and skin-tight black leggings that would flatter roughly three people in the world. Friends, she was four months pregnant. “You look Somalian!” she trilled, kissing me on both cheeks. I fell in love. Here was a real-live, high-powered, glamour goddess of Jackie Collins proportions—AND SHE WAS NO “VERSION.” The real epiphany came when Iman pointed out that as black women in beauty we had the unique power to change America’s beauty standards—as a model in the Breck Girl Seventies and by creating makeup lines for women with skin of color (from African and Middle Eastern to Asian and Latina), she certainly broke a gazillion barriers. Power. My job, my words suddenly had PURPOSE—no more of that Lisa Turtle shit. And power, well, that’s real glamour, no? I finally felt like the woman eight-year-old Tia wanted to be. From that moment, I claimed Iman as my Fairy GodModel, and she’s been the sexiest mentor a girl could ever hope for.

And this week, she’s “Shake Your Beauty’s!” Guest Editor!! In place of Tia’s Top Ten list, I begged Iman to give us an insider peek into her five favorite products from her IMAN Cosmetics collection (for stores and more info, click on www.imancosmetics.com). So sweet, right? I’ve tried them all…here, in her own words, she explains why you should, too.

xoxoxo,
Your Faithful Beauty-Shaker, who, after this lengthy post, has developed carpel-tunnel syndrome.

IMAN’S TOP FIVE FAVORITE PRODUCTS, IMAN COSMETICS
1. TIME CONTROL SLOUGHING GEL: "This exfoliator is divine! Gentle enough for the body and face, it leaves even the flakiest skin impossibly silky—essential to achieving the smoothest, most streak-free faux or real tan."

2. CORRECTIVE CONCEALER IN SAND, CLAY, EARTH (light, medium, dark): "A heavy face of foundation is incredibly dated, plus it’s way too hot for all that drama! Its all about swiping this flawlessly blendable cover-up on problem areas and calling it a day. So clean."

3. SHEER FINISH BRONZING POWDER IN SAND, CLAY, EARTH (light, medium, dark): "I use Clay all year round, but absolutely nothing beats it in the summertime. Brush it along cheekbones, forehead and chin for a hint of sunny sparkle."

4. LUXURY LIQUID BRONZER: "Nothing says “I’m rich and fabulous and do nothing but sunworship all the livelong day” than sunkissed shoulders, legs, and everywhere in-between. Brilliant on all skin types".

5. LUXURY LIP SHINE IN SANGRIA: " This glimmering, golden-orange gloss will have you and everyone else positively tipsy. And it looks stunning on virtually every skintone. Ole!"