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Mariah Carey's latest scent, Lollipop Bling, is exactly what you'd expect from a woman whose life closely resembles Barbie's and who happens to be married to a comedian-turned-rapper. The collection of "flavor-inspired" fragrances pay homage to the moment that led Carey to become Mrs. Nick Cannon.

"The inspiration for Lollipop Bling was Nick's marriage proposal to me," she told the New York Times. "He first surprised me with a ring-pop -- romantic, fun and young-at-heart -- like me!"

The scents are named for Carey's hits -- "Ribbon," "Honey" and "Mine Again"-- and were a collaborative effort from the singer, Elizabeth Arden and the brand that distributes Ring Pops, Topps Company. The notes of the three distinct scents were inspired by the candies, especially Ribbon, which perfumer Laurent Le Guernec told the New York Times was heavily inspired by the Blue Raspberry Ring Pop's "juiciness and sweetness." The other flavors feature notes of fruits like raspberry and pineapple and sweets like chocolate and honey.

Continue reading Mariah Carey's Sweet and Street With Lollipop Bling Fragrance

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For everyone who didn't get enough essence of Halle Berry with her first two fragrances, the Oscar-winning actress is prepping for the launch of a third, called Reveal. Berry spoke to Women's Wear Daily about her new scent, which she said will be similar to her first two fragrances, Halle and Pure Orchid, but unique.

"I had an understanding of a direction I wanted it to go," Berry said of Reveal. "I wanted this one to be a little more floral, but the inspiration was still about keeping it classic and easy."

The new fragrance is more floral than her previous concoctions and features her favorite flower, mimosa. With other notes of honeydew melon, peach and plumeria flower, Reveal sounds like the ultimate summer scent.

Continue reading Halle Berry Reveals Third Fragrance; Jennifer Lopez Launches Love and Glamour

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Non-prescription skin lightening creams may contain toxic amounts of mercury, according to a study performed by The Chicago Tribune. The creams, which claim to lighten skin, lessen dark discoloration and eliminate freckles, are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has prohibited the use of mercury in those types of products for 20 years now, yet when the Tribune tested 50 such products, six of them were tainted with illegal levels of the toxin.

The newspaper bought most of the products in Chicago and ordered a few online. Five of the creams had greater than 6,000 mercury parts per million, a level that is harmful enough to cause kidney damage "at least," according to a researcher at the University of Illinois School of Public Health. The Chicago-area stores that sold the harmful products agreed to pull the products in question from their shelves, while a couple vowed to stop selling the creams altogether.

Continue reading Skin Lighteners Pulled from Shelves

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Mary J. Blige's
latest project is titled 'My Life,' but the nine-time Grammy award winner isn't re-releasing the seminal album that cemented her cult status among women. The 'My Life' project is a fragrance that Blige is releasing through Carol's Daughter, the soulful beauty brand that she co-owns along with Jay-Z, Jada Pinkett Smith and founder Lisa Price.

Continue reading Mary J Blige to Launch Carol's Daughter Fragrance

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Kerry Washington
and Zoe Saldana, two of our favorite actresses, both made the prestigious "Most Beautiful" list in this week's issue of People magazine.

Saldana, who posed for the magazine in natural makeup and a wavy bob that reached her shoulders, chatted about her definition of beauty.

"My idea of beauty is more internal, it's inside," she told the magazine. "If you don't feel beautiful on the inside, there's just no projection."

Washington, who is gearing up for the release of her latest film 'Mother in Child,' agreed to shoot her photos completely without makeup, a practice that's becoming something of a trend for the magazine industry, with stars like Jessica Simpson, who covered May's Marie Claire' bare-faced, and model Joy Bryant and Kim Kardashian, who appeared in Harper's Bazaar nude without the aid of Photoshop.

"This was a real adventurous challenge today, to do a photo shoot with no makeup on," Washington told People, which shot the star with a mane of long, loose curls. "When I was changing outfits, I would look in the mirror, 'Oh my God, we're actually doing this with no makeup!'"

Continue reading Kerry Washington & Zoe Saldana Make People's List

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Grammy-nominated singer Keri Hilson's 'Perfect World' is also a beautiful one: Global beauty brand Avon recently announced that the Atlanta native will be the face of three brands, scents Imari and Imari Seduction and Avon Color. One of the brands, Imari, was previously endorsed by Jennifer Hudson.

"I'm so excited and honored to be Avon's newest face," Hilson said in a press release. "Avon has always been dedicated to empowering women through beauty. I've always strived to do the same with my music. To be a part of that experience means a tremendous amount to me."

The star's getting right to work, with her first official print appearance in an Imari brochure coming this August and brochures for Color after that. Hilson will also drop in on the company's annual sales conference later this month.

Continue reading Keri Hilson Tapped by Avon; Replaces Jennifer Hudson

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Beyoncé's latest fragrance, Heat, is clearly the diva of the perfume counter, with total sales reaching $3 million -- in one month! She got a head start earlier this month when she moved 72,000 bottles of her provocative fragrance in just one hour while signing autographs at Macy's Herald Square in New York, reports Women's Wear Daily.

We'd have guessed that consumers might be a little weary of celebrity fragrances, what with Halle Berry, Kim Kardashian and Queen Latifah all hocking ubiquitous fragrance collections in the past few months. But Heat, which is technically not Beyonce's first fragrance since she released signature scents through Tommy Hilfiger in the past, managed to outpace celebrity competitors by about 12 times. According to the New York Daily News, the average Hollywood scent only makes about $2.5 million in a whole year.

Continue reading You Must Not Know About Heat: Beyonce's Fragrance Beats Competition

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http://freshfiction.com/images/authors/16373.jpeg Mikki Taylor, Essence's legendary beauty and cover director, is retiring after 30 years with the magazine. She's expected to hand over the day-to-day tasks of overseeing the publication's beauty pages and cover direction in favor of a freelance position as Editor-at-Large where she'll still have a hand in producing cover images and working with celebs, reports a press release from the company. More than an editor, Mikki was a beauty and fashion personality who's recent career included appearing on TV One's 'Makeover Manor' and VH1's 'Charm School' in addition to regularly gracing the mag's pages herself in a regular column and appearing in online video segments.

"I am thrilled to continue to serve women of color in my new role as editor-at- large, with innovative platforms that showcase our beauty" she said. "Without a doubt, this is the most exciting period in the history of Black women ever and I look forward to this new threshold in my career that will allow me to inspire and be inspired by women around the world."

Continue reading Essence Beauty Director Mikki Taylor Retires

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