Essence! Cargo Lipgloss! Jourdan!

Hi ladies,
Wheee! BIG NEWS!! After eleven years in the biz, I've published my very first cover story! Check out the new, April 09 issue of Essence magazine...I wrote the cover piece on Iman, Taraji P. Henson and Serena Williams! It was so much fun interviewing them (since it was way before Benjamin Button even opened, I didn't ask Taraji any Brad-centric questions. You know, things like...is he as gorgeous in person? Did he try to adopt you?). I'd tell you all about my experiences with the ladies, but then you wouldn't pick up the issue. Go get it, girls! Sigh. Mama's proud.

Okay, enough bragging. Onto what you came here for. Muchachitas, it takes a lot to get me all hot and bothered over a lip gloss. As you well know, I'm happy enough rocking my ages-old Revlon Lustrous Lipgloss in Raisin Glaze. But I recently stumbled across the magic that is Cargo's new blu_ray High Definition Lip Gloss in Montego ($24), and now have a new obsession. First of all, this is probably THE shiniest gloss I've ever encountered (and without shimmer, so it doesn't make you look like a Bratz doll. Or Fergie. Redundant?). Secondly, it moisturizes as deeply and consistently as Carmex or something...which is great, since my lips are constantly chapped. Thirdly, the shades are so pretty on brown skin; my favorite is Montego, a lush, rose-bronze. And finally, the cap features a sassy little "timestrip," that remembers when you first opened the gloss, and tells you when it's time to get rid of it! I mean, are NASA engineers now formulating lipgloss? Here's how it works: The "timestrip" window gradually turns red as months go by, and when it's fully red, it's time to get a new one. The coolest!
xoxo,
Tia

PS...

Any Jourdan Dunn fans out there (by the way, this pic is from the March 09 issue of Japanese Vogue)? You must check out New York Times' Style section blog, The Moment Blog for their latest installment of their "Model-Morphosis" photo gallery. Today, The Moment Blog follows our Jourdan on her travels backstage at Paris Fashion Week!