Laduree Paris est 1862

The line up was coming outside of the store (pictured above)

While in Paris I went to the best place to buy Macaroons at Ladurée Champs Elysées, I waited in line for about 1/2 it felt like an hour though since I was tired . But I would recommend that if you do visit Paris to buy a box (for yourself) because they taste great.

The history of Parisian tea salons is intimately tied to the history of the Ladurée family.

It all started in 1862, when Louis Ernest Ladurée, a man of south-west, miller by trade, created a bakery at 16 rue Royale in Paris.

At that time, the Madeleine is a business area in full development where the greatest architects of luxury French are already installed.

In 1871, when Baron Haussmann gave a new face in Paris, a fire allows the transformation of the bakery pastry.

Continue reading here.

Click here for their shop locations

"Fleur du Desert" - Paris Premiere

(L-R) Roch Lener, Waris Dirie, Liya Kebede, Francois-Henri Pinault, Sherry Hormann and Peter Hermann attend the 'Fleur du Desert' Paris premiere at Theatre Marigny on March 7, 2010 in Paris, France.

Waris Dirie

Liya Kebede, Francois-Henri Pinault

Carine Roitfeld

The Paris premiere of Desert Flower / Fleur Du Desert took place today in Paris France, click here to watch the trailer.

picture source:wireimage

My Favorite Moments of 2009

Chanel Iman, Sessilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn, Arlenis Sosa worked the runways of Paris, London, NYC and Milan, they all had great editorial work in 09 and I wish them continued success in 2010.

London, England

Paris, France

Caribana 2009, Toronto Canada.

Walking the streets of Paris and taking in the beautiful culture and fashion. I enjoyed Paris so much that I went there twice this year. And I'm looking forward to going back again. I also enjoyed my trip to London, England and Belgium also.

This year I became debt free, no more student loan, no more credit cards zero all gone and I'm very happy about that and will be keeping it that way also. :)

I've recently dropped 2 dress sizes and I plan to drop about 2 more in the coming year.

Overall I just had lots of fun and I hope you did too.

My favorite movies of 09. Hangover, Avatar, Princess and The Frog, Julie & Julia, Sherlock Holmes, The September Issue, Coco Before Chanel, Law Abiding Citizen I know I'm missing many other movies from this list but I go to the movies every weekend and I honestly can't remember all lol.

Saddest moments of 09. The loss of many celebrity's this year. May they rest in peace.

Click here to view my archive of 2009

Body of Top Model Pulled From River

PARIS (Feb. 29) - The body of Katoucha Niane, one of the first African women to attain international stardom as a model and a vocal opponent of female genital mutilation, was found in the Seine River, police said Friday. Known simply as Katoucha, the former top model for Yves Saint Laurent and other top designers was found Thursday near the Garigliano bridge in Paris, judicial police in Paris said.

An autopsy showed no signs of foul play, pointing to the possibility that the 47-year-old may have fallen accidentally into the river, they said.

She had been missing since January and was last seen returning home from a party. She lived in a houseboat near Paris' Alexandre III bridge, and her handbag was later found on the boat.

The Guinean-born model told The Associated Press in 1994 that she ran away to Europe at 17 aiming to be a model. Her big break came when Jules-Francois Crahay, then the designer at Lanvin, spotted her in a line-up. The label hired her as a fitting model. Her first catwalk modeling was for Thierry Mugler at the start of the 1980s.

After quitting the runway, she turned to speaking out actively against female circumcision, describing her own experience at age 9 in a book, "Katoucha, In My Flesh," which was published last year. Continue reading

Asa ‘Jailer’

I saw this video over at clutch magazine and I really like it. Its by French-Nigerian artist Asa. Asa was born in Paris. Her early life in the City of Light left the little girl with only the vaguest of (happy) memories, since she was no more than two years old when her family returned to live in Nigeria. Paris was just one stage in the life of her courageous and hard-working parents. But her fate was tied up with the city : it was to Paris that Asa returned twenty years later and where her life as an artist took wing.

Asa grew up in Lagos, a city teeming with people and buzzing with energy but also home to a deep-rooted spirituality. Islam thrives shoulder to shoulder with Christianity in an atmosphere of tolerance, the young imitate America, and the turbulent city moves endlessly in an infernal and yet harmonious ballet of love and hate, laughter and violence, poverty and wealth. Read more here

Momo Heats Up Paris Fashion Week

While the temperature outside hovered around freezing during Paris Fashion Week, inside the Four Seasons Hotel George V Fati Asibelua, the creative talent behind Momo, increased the heat with the presentation of her A/W 2010 /11 Fall Collection. Selected as one of Africa’s ‘grands talents de la mode’, Fati Asibelua unveiled the collection to a crowd of press, buyers and fashionistas as part of the Arise L’Afrique on Friday, the 5th of March.


Fati Asibelua’s capsule collection of sophisticated dresses speaks to the elegant, refined woman who appreciates the finest quality fabrics and finishing. Staying true to her design aesthetic of mixing African patterns with modern, contemporary shapes, the collection is an eclectic blend of traditional couture brocades and jacquards in black and navy with metallic threading and a splash of pink. The shapes are bold in graphic drapes with sharp silhouettes. By contrast, the finishings are delicate sheer organza linings and silk georgette bindings. “I have always had a passion for opulent fabrics. For this collection, I have given a modern interpretation of a traditional African print with a very luxe result,” said Asibelua. Audience favorites for this season’s must have luxe fur trend from Momo were the plush fox fur coat with leopard spots or the mink chubby with grommets.

Fati Asibelua is “one of Africa’s most talked about design talents,” according to Vogue UK, and has become a major force in the Nigerian fashion industry building Momo into one of the continent’s most influential and sought after fashion brands. Already shown on the runways in New York and London and worn by some of the world’s most renowned models including Liya Kebede, Chanel Iman, Jourdon Dunn, judging by the reaction on Friday night’s presentation, expect Momo to grace the Paris runway in the future.

Momo Styles Website

View more photos below

The Palais Garnier

Palais Garnier at sunset

My mom snapped this shot of me, its so off center that it turn out nice lol.


The Palais Garnier, also known as the Opéra de Paris or Opéra Garnier, but more commonly as the Paris Opéra, is a 2,200-seat opera house on the Place de l'Opéra in Paris, France. A grand landmark designed by Charles Garnier in the Neo-Baroque style, it is regarded as one of the architectural masterpieces of its time. The building is located in the IXe arrondissement and is served by the metro station Opéra.



1 History
2 Architecture and style
3 Influence abroad

Pictures from outside and inside The Palais Garnier.

France gripped by mass strike to protest fallout from global economic crisis

An activist dressed as French president Nicolas Sarkozy demonstrates in Paris. More than a million French public sector workers staged a massive strike, as anger at Sarkozy's handling of the economic crisis erupted in a day of protest.Photo:Joel Saget/AFP

I really hope these strikes clear up by March because I'm planning on going to Paris that month with my mother for vacation.

France is being hit by a massive strike by public and private-sector workers fearful over the fallout from the global economic crisis.
Officials say the strike has shut down rail and subway lines and left millions of schoolchildren without their teachers. In Paris, commuters braved freezing temperatures and biked, walked and even took boats to work. Continue reading here

7 More Days Until My Trip To Europe

Panoramic view over the western side of Paris, at dusk, from the top of the Tour Montparnasse.
Top: City of London skyline, Middle: Houses of Parliament, Bottom left: Tower Bridge, Bottom right: Tower of London.

In 7 days I will be going to London, England and Paris, France for the 1st time. I'm visiting family members that I've never met before my Great aunt and cousins etc. I can't wait to see my family and visit the sights of both London and Paris.

Black Up | Paris

At blackUp, we believe that every woman deserves qualitative products that respect her needs and requirements. We work with renowned research laboratories and manufacturers to give you the best cosmetics ever.

Our mission: offer you a large choice of innovating products and a high end quality of service.

Created in 1999 by professional make-up-artist Fabrice Mahabo to express his passion for colours and textures, blackUp is the first make-up-artist brand dedicated to women of African descent.

Paris showroom store

Shop online here

Fabrice Mahabo ,b September 26,1973, is an artistic director from Ivory Coast.

He started out at the age of twenty-six. With his diploma from the Christian Chauveau school of artistic make-up in Paris, he persuaded an investor to back his project.source

Luxe Vacay: Hotel de Sers, Paris

"Away from the spotlight of the Champs Elysées, the Hôtel de Sers is a discreet witness to the splendors of 19th century Paris. Today, this mansion has been restored to its former glory without fanfare, offering its guests small château charm and star quality. There is an immense portrait gallery, a restaurant with a lovely courtyard garden, impressive wood-paneled lounge, and of course, welcoming rooms, bright suites, several of which offer breathtaking views of Paris." Click here for more info on this lovely hotel.

Momo Presenting at Arise L’Afrique Collective Paris Fashion Week

 Momo’s Creative Director Mrs. Fati Asibelua

Momo’s most recent designs from Mnet Face of Africa Finale.

Momo: African Luxe at Paris Fashion Week 

Abuja, Nigeria 01 March, 2010.  After showing on the runways in New York and London, Momo takes the stage during the prestigious Paris Fashion week.  Selected as one of Africa’s brightest design talents as part of the Arise L’Afrique, Fati Asibelua, the creative force behind Momo will present her Fall 2010 / 2011 Collection in the form of an artistic fashion installation on Friday, the 5^th of March.  


Fati Asibelua is “one of Africa’s most talked about design talents,” according to Vogue UK, and has become a major force in the Nigerian fashion industry building Momo into one of the continent’s most influential and sought after fashion brands.  Worn on international runways by some of the world’s most renowned models including Alek Wek, Liya Kebede and Chanel Iman, Momo embodies elegant, timeless designs that celebrate the femininity of a woman.

Eiffel Tower My Last Night in Paris

I'm back from my trip to Paris & Belgium. I'm a bit tired but had a great time. Enjoy the pictures and videos I will be posting over the next few days.

Hall of Mirrors, Palace of Versailles

Versailles is so "beautiful"

Versailles (French pronunciation: [vɛʁsaj]), a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial center. Located in the western suburbs of the French capital, 17.1 km (10.6 mi) from the center of Paris, the commune of Versailles is the préfecture (administrative seat) of the Yvelines department. read more info here

French aircraft missing off Brazil

An Air France passenger jet with 228 people on board has gone missing over the Atlantic Ocean on its way to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.

The aircraft dropped off radar screens after it took off from Rio de Janeiro on the Brazilian coast on Monday, airport authorities said.

Air traffic control lost contact with the flight at 06:00 GMT on Monday, shortly after it took off.
A spokeswoman for the Paris airports authority confirmed that the aircraft had not arrived at its destination, where it was due to land at 09:10 GMT. Continue reading

Zambian President Mwanawasa has died: report

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa died in a Paris hospital on Thursday after suffering a stroke earlier this week, South Africa's Talk Radio 702 reported. The radio quoted a Zambian High Commission spokesman as saying that Mwanawasa died earlier on Thursday morning. Mwanawasa was taken to hospital in Egypt just before an African Union summit on Monday and Tuesday and then transferred to Paris.

Lancôme celebrates 75 years Arlenis Sosa New Campaign

Arlenis Sosa photographed by Mario Testino for Lancome Paris.  Lancome is celebrating it's 75th Year in the business and is taking on new direction while still maintaining their company values. 

 Lancomes philosophy is to "reveal, accompany, and elevate women to help them flourish regardless of age, style or skin colour.  Along with Arlenis Sosa Lancome Paris brand ambassadors are Kate Winslet, Julia Roberts,Elettra Wiedemann and Inès Sastre .

Kate Winslet

For those who haven't seen Arlenis previous ads for Lancome click here to view.

source

Modele: Joan Smalls

 photos edited by me.!

One of my favorite models of the season is new comer (well not that new) Joan Smalls. Joan Smalls is from Puerto Rico and is 22 years old. She is signed with IMG Models {New York, Paris, London, Milan}. This season the Puerto Rican beauty walked in total 44 shows (NYC, Paris, London, Milan combined). 

Click here to view more runway shows Joan Smalls walked this season.

View more photos of Joan Smalls below

Rose Cordero Covers Vogue Paris March 2010

Rose Cordero covers the March issue of Vogue Paris 2010.  Click here to view full editorial

Andre Leon Talley Private Breakfast And Discussion

Fashion editor Andre Leon Talley attends a private breakfast and discussion at the 21 Club on May 18, 2010 in New York City. ATL was giving a lecture about Paris Fashion here are some quotes from the discussion.

1.) Learn some French - " When I got to Paris and I could speak French, I know how much it helped me to establish relationships with Karl Lagerfeld, with the late Yves St. Laurent. French, it just helps you if you’re in fashion. The French people started style. "

2. Etiquette is a must- " [ANTM winner, Krista] had a sense of etiquette — she wasn’t a potty mouth. There were some girls that were just, I don’t know where they grew up! Someone should tell them how to talk, or how to respond to other people in a stressful environment. She just expressed to me the kind of tools you need to be a successful model: punctuality, grace, manners, speaking properly to people, looking well-groomed, focused."

View more here over at theCut