Latina.com Blog

So my friend and co-worker here at Latina just came to me raving about this product she recently tried: Kiehl’s Pineapple Papaya Facial Scrub ($25, kiehls.com). Apparently, she was having a little blip of acne and the Kiehl’s expert at the counter recommended this exfoliator. It exfoliates with real fruit enzymes rather than huge granules or harsh chunks; therefore it’s gentle on inflamed or irritated skin. But what really struck me was her skin tone. Her cocoa complexion was positively radiant! Before she uttered a word I said, “Stop right now and tell me what you did to your face.” And tell me she did. You better believe I’m getting my hands on a tube tonight.

When it comes to TV, I’m not your typical Latino. I genuinely dislike the George Lopez Show, and I don’t find Ugly Betty even remotely funny–in fact, I think it’s pretty annoying. But who cares what I think? I want to know about other people’s TV preferences. So I asked 20 of my Latino friends about their viewing habits, with questions like, “Which shows do you enjoy most?” and, “Who’s your favorite Latin star on television?” Their answers not only surprised me; some of them made me burst into laughter.

For starters, when I asked respondents to name the hottest Latina TV star, more than half of those surveyed answered Eva Mendes! Really? What show is she on again? The answer is no show, because Eva is a movie star. It says something about how popular this month’s Latina cover girl is that fans chose her over other Latinas who are actually on TV, like America Ferrera and Selena Gomez. Or maybe this particular group I surveyed has a thing for the big screen, because they also voted for Andy Garcia as the hottest Latino!?!

Some people chose America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) and Benjamin Bratt (The Cleaner)–two celebs who actually are on TV–as their favorite TV male and female star, which was a relief. It was a sad survey for George Lopez and Niurka Marcos, who were voted LEAST favorite male and female TV star.

Finally, I asked people which star they’d most like to read about on Vivo por TiVo, and unanimously they chose My Name Is Earl’s Nadine Velasquez. So as I type this, I’m working on getting Nadine to pay us a visit in the coming weeks. Check back soon to read the interview and find out about MNIE spoilers!

In the meantime, who’s your favorite Latino TV star? Share in the comments section below.

-Lee

What’s up, people? Okay, I’ll get right to it. To continue my thought from yesterday, the next hair-raising gift idea I have for you comes from Bumble and Bumble. Now, I know it’s not a good idea to judge a book by its cover, but I’m sorry; this particular ‘book’ is too cute to pass up. Their Gentle Gift Box ($50, bumbleandbumble.com) is literally an adorable bright blue box, and inside lays the always-desirable gift of great hair in the form of their best-selling Gentle Shampoo, Super Rich Conditioner and Styling Lotion. But the best part is that nestled behind these 8 oz. products is a pinwheel of vividly colored hair ties. Honestly, how fast do you go through hair ties? They just disappear, am I lying? Well, it will be hard to loose sight of these blue, pink, green and brown bands, I’ll tell ya that much. – Angelique

Hey, boys and girls. How are y’all feeling today? I’m stressin’, myself, not going to lie. I just found out about an overseas trip I’ve got to take in the coming weeks and the to-do list beforehand is as long as my arm. What I do not need to be stressing over is holiday shopping. I told you ladies I would be back with more cute beauty gift ideas, and I’ve got two for you. They are both for the, shall we say, hair obsessed chicas in your life? Queen of Curls, Ouidad, is offering adorable little travel bags chock full of her essential shampoos, conditioners, clips and combs; the Curls and Coming to Town set – perfect for the gym – is only $20, and the Peace, Love and Curls styling kit is $36 (ouidad.com). The next fab gift idea…I will tell you all about tomorrow! Tell then…Angelique

There’s something about Target I just cant resist. Every time I’m there, I try to convince myself that I won’t be buying, but–of course–I always end up leaving with something!

This past weekend was no different. I showed up determined to be strong, but as I slowly passed the shoe aisle, I noticed a group of girls enthusiastically trying on the new Sigerson Morrison for Target shoes. I quickly had a flashback to the last days of summer, when a pair of these shoes arrived at the Latina offices and we couldn’t stop talking about how cute they were. When they finally hit stores about a month ago, Latina’s beauty assistant Sandra almost immediately purchased a pair, but I was still late to the game! Until now.

Not wanting to miss out on the fun any longer,  I squeezed between the group of ladies and picked up this gold studded pair of Divya Crystal peep-toe pumps ($26, target.com). Now how do you wear peep-toes in this chilly, almost-winter weather? Well, I’m going to wear mine with an all black outfit and colorful tights. If you don’t have a Target nearby, just order a pair online–they’re a great gift for any fashionista in your life. Until the next session…

-Melissa

For all you hardcore David Archuleta fans out there, here’s a quick scoop before Thanksgiving. I met up with David and his incredibly sweet mother, Lupe Archuleta, just yesterday–check out our matching scarf action in this photo!–and the pop star revealed that “Touch My Hand” will no longer be his next single, as many outlets have been reporting:

“They changed it. It’s gonna be “A Little Too Not Over You” now. That’s one I wrote with Robbie Neville, who wrote “One Step at a Time” for Jordin [Sparks], and Matthew Gerard, who wrote “Breakaway” for Kelly [Clarkson]…It was cool because it’s like, I can’t believe I’m working with these people. Sometimes I feel like I’m wasting their time because they’re working with some kid who came off of American Idol who laughs too much and stuff [laughs]. But it was cool, they were really great to work with and I learned a lot.”

Though I generally gravitate towards “Touch My Hand” when I listen to David’s album (it sounds vaguely Tears for Fears-esque to me, and I love that), I think this is a smart change of strategy. “A Little Too Not Over You” helps to validate him as a pop-R&B artist who sounds current (a la Chris Brown–speaking of which, can you believe how far David’s come since his awkward cover of “With You” on Idol?), and not just the adult contemporary favorite of grannies across the nation.

David also talked about what it was like to be in the company of so many A-list artists at the American Music Awards this past weekend:

“I felt like I wasn’t supposed to be there or something! I still feel like I need to prove myself, that I should be here among all the other artists and stuff. I was excited to see Pink, Leona Lewis, and Daughtry, and Chris Brown, and Annie Lennox, and Jordin–but I’m friends with Jordin! She’s awesome, I love her. She’s always giving me advice–she’s like, make sure you’re giving yourself some breathing time and taking care of your voice, and just remember to have a good time. Things like that…Jordin is like my big sister, and David Cook’s like my big brother.”

Aw. We hope David stays this humble forever.

What do you think, Chuleta fans…do you like “A Little Too Not Over You” better than “Touch My Hand”? And make sure you check back next week for our video interview with David and Lupe Archuleta, where David talks about the Spanish-language version of “Crush” he’s recording, reveals that Lupe has recorded a couple of songs herself (much to his mami’s dismay!), and much more…Happy Thanksgiving!

-Monica

Man, if Harvey Milk (1930-1978) were still around, what would he have to say about Prop 8? “My name is Harvey Milk and I’m here to recruit you,” is most likely what he would start off with, as he did with every single one of his speeches.

There are several reasons you should watch Milk, the new Gus Van Sant flick which opens today about New York-born gay rights activist Harvey Bernard Milk (played by Sean Penn). For one, he’s an important part of history. In 1977, Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man voted into major public office in America. Secondly, his victory wasn’t just one for gay citizens; it was also one for seniors and minorities and union workers who knew what it meant to struggle.

Not only did Milk understand basic human rights—he knew how to fight for them. By doing so, he gave people one of the most fundamental things any great leader can: hope. Of course, he made enemies along the way, including fellow supervisor Dan White (played brilliantly by Josh Brolin), who shot Milk to death on November 27, 1978. That night, 30,000 people marched from the Castro district to City Hall in a peaceful candlelight vigil.

If you still need more convincing, here are some other reasons to watch the biopic, which many (including yours truly) are predicting will be nominated for at least one major Oscar (Best Actor for Penn, for starters). There’s also Diego Luna, who plays Jack Lira, one of Milk’s lovers (his most memorable one at that). Brolin, who, generally rocks in pretty much every role he tackles. And James Franco, who’s just really nice to look at.

Did you know it was over 30 years ago that L’Oreal Paris coined the phrase “Because I’m worth it?” And aren’t we all? I think so. No, I know so. And so does L’Oreal, a company that annually selects a “Women of Worth” honoree to receive a $25,000 donation to their personal non-profit organization. Nominated this year was Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, who in 1997 launched LEAP – Leadership, Education and Partnership – Academy University Charter School in Camden, New Jersey (one of the poorest cities in the U.S., mind you). The college-prep school, aimed at helping at-risk youth, boasts having graduated four student classes with 100 percent college placement. Though she is one of 10 honorees at this year’s award ceremony, she won my vote – and my heart. To learn more about this amazing program, visit womenofworth.com.

Hola, fellow Mamis! My name is Carla and I’m a 27 year old Cuban Filipina American and where as most young women my age gab about late night cocktails, killer outfits and juicy sex gossip, my daily updates revolve around late night breastfeeding, poopy diapers and missing bobos (or pacifiers to some). In less than a year, I got hitched, knocked up and became responsible for another human being…oh and now, just 13 short months later, I found out that I’m pregnant again!

So, there is just no denying it. I am officially a Mami – not a mom, not a mommy, not a mother – a Mami. I’m figuring this motherhood thing out day by day. It isn’t easy but it’s great fun and I love it. So what exactly qualifies me for Mami status, you ask? Well, let me break it down for you:

• I’m have one 16 month old named daughter named Dessa and another little one on the way in 2009 and I plan to raise my babies to be proud Cubans (are there any other kind?).
• I drench my daughter in Violetas every single day, every single time she changes her outfit and sometimes just because I can.
• I have taught our daughter to call my husband, Jeremy, Papi (but everyone once in awhile she sneaks in a Daddy).
• She’s been strapped with a name tag bracelet and an azabache pendant necklace since the day she left the hospital. Oh, did I mention the earrings?
• I already started talking to my husband about her Quincenera. She will get the dress of her dreams.
• I dance around the house with my daughter and husband at least once a day to some good old fashioned Salsa music.
• I’ve sung “Los Pollitos Dicen” more times than I care to remember since my daughter was born.
• I knew the value of a faja after pregnancy way before Gwenyth Paltrow, Spanx or Brooke Burke made it trendy.

In The Mami Diaries I’ll be filling you in on everything from raising Dessa, to the anticipation of finding out the sex of this baby in my belly (stay tuned, the ultrasound is scheduled for 12/23!) to how this Mami tries to keep things steamy with her hubby, all the while still trying to find some time for herself. I hope you’ll join me here for a look at motherhood the modern Mami way. Now tell me, what makes you a modern Mami?

Welcome back, ladies! I’’m so glad you’’re here for more Retail Therapy! Recently, I visited the ladies at Avon to see what was new with the brand. Now, I know you might be thinking–”Avon?” –Why should we fashionistas care about a brand that’s usually associated with mamis placing phone orders and catalog-pushing aunts?” Well, it’’s time to take a fresh look at Avon, because they’re back in tune with what ladies want and are making their mark with fashionable yet inexpensive pieces.

Take their new jewelry collaboration with Kenneth Jay Lane, for example. Statement necklaces are all the rage this fall (and they’ll be the must-have accessory for Spring ‘09, too), and Avon just knew that the best person to collaborate with on the season’s biggest trend would be this legendary designer. I highly recommend picking up this Kenneth Jay Lane Jewewltone Statement Necklace ($40, shop.avon.com)…because why spend mega-bucks on a great piece when you can get the same look at a much lower price?

The best part is that Avon doesn’t stop there–if you ladies buy the statement necklace, they’ll include a pair of KJL jeweltone statement earrings ($15 if purchased individually, shop.avon.com) for free! Ladies, this is major! I recommend wearing the necklace over a crewneck dress, while the earrings would stand out best with an updo and a shoulder baring-top. That’s right, ladies, bare those shoulders…it’s the holidays, which is no time to be shy! Just remember not to wear both pieces together. Make one statement at a time.

-Melissa