You’ve all probably heard of Karina Pasian by now, right? The just-turned 17-year-old dominicana who’s got Quincy Jones for a godfather and had Diddy and Jay-Z fighting to sign her? Well if you haven’t, it’s time to give her a good listen. Raised in Washington Heights and co-managed by her father and hermano, Karina has the pipes–and an undeniable Future Star aura–that other aspiring R&B songstresses would kill for. She’s frequently compared to Alicia Keys because of piano-playing, R&B soloista skills (and let’s face it, her striking looks), but we’d rather let her songs, like the spright, mid-tempo single “Can’t Find the Words,” speak for themselves.

Karina is curently touring as the opening act for nerd-rapper extraordinaire Lupe Fiasco, and her debut album, First Love, drops everywhere August 19. Here’s your first look at the album cover…how cute is it? Very Brandy-meets-Ella Fitzgerald, who happen to be two of Karina’s biggest idols, and yet it totally reflects her teen spirit. We had a great conversation over lunch with Karina and her siblings yesterday, and we’ll be sharing that with you closer to the album. For now, suffice to say that this is one chica who deserves all the hype.

-M.H.

MeetKarina.net

Karina Pasian [MySpace]

–Angelique

–Angelique

–Angelique

–Angelique

–Angelique

–Angelique

Hola chicas! You’ve heard me say before what a sucker I am for cute packaging. But sometimes a product is well-packaged and well-meaning, and for those I just flip. Lippman Collection Start Me Up kit ($40, Nordstrom stores nationwide and lippmancollection.com) has the best of intentions: It includes a cuticle remover and oil, 2 Second Nail Primer, Rehydrating Base Coat, Baby Love baby-pink polish, and On A Clear Day Top Coat–all in the most adorable miniature bottles, which are nestled inside a blue-and-white striped case. It’s the sweetest thing I’ve seen in, oh, about a minute. Now chicas, it’s an anniversary special available only from mid-July through mid-August, so wrap your pretty little fingers around one soon!

– Angelique

It all comes down to a bad break-up…with my former roommate. She’s taking me to court for an “illegal lockout”dispute. Forget the fact that home girl hasn’t lived in my apartment in over a year and is not even on the lease, she’s loca!

I’m scared in this court and I don’t really deserve to be in here, but sometimes life isn’t fair. I was good friends with my former roommate and now it’s turned into cold stares outside the courtroom and lawsuits.

I was raised never to hate anyone in my life. And even though this crazy beyatch is taking me to court-I still don’t hate her. It reminds me of when a guy you love  turns out to be totally different than you ever thought and all of a sudden you see an awful side to him, but she was my friend, not a boyfriend.

I did once date this guy who was still living with his ex-girlfriend (which he never told me about)! He was also AWOL from the Army and of course, I didn’t receive this memo until much later either. Same guy told me I would never become a writer; that was when I knew it was time to end the relationship. He never bothered to return any of my vintage dresses, fancy lingerie, or beloved books even though I asked him several times.

[This is me after my last break-up. Sad, right?]

I’m going to sound like a hippie but I try to love everyone in my life. And it’s utterly disappointing when people let you down.

Do I have too much faith in humanity? Should I become less trusting of boyfriends, roommates and people in my life in general? I’m latina and I don’t ever want to be known as cold-hearted. Like the saying goes, “It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,” right? Have you ever had an experience that made you lose faith in the people around you?

[Me, in better spirits.]

Un Abrazo Fuerte,

Lex

–Angelique