Women everywhere want to know the secrets of being and staying beautiful. From skincare to fashion styles, women and especially mothers are looking for answers.

Note: I was invited to the luncheon as media.

Recently Johnson's Baby Oil teamed up with Essence magazine for a special "What Your Beauty Secret?" Event. Guest attending the event would also hear beauty tips and secrets from a panel of celebrity beauty experts.

On the Essence beauty panel, moderated by Essence Beauty Director Mikki Taylor, was celebrity makeup artists Sam Fine, noted dermatologist Dr. Rosemarie Ingleton, beauty blogger and Johnson beauty consultant Tia Dantzler and Lisa Wu Hartwell, jewelry designer and Real Housewives of Atlanta.


Before the panel discussion and luncheon, guest could choose from different pampering stations to receive complimentary massages or manicures.


Guests could also have a meet and greet with Sam Fine. Let me go on record saying that Sam Fine really is fine...and more. He was gracious enough to stoop down for our photo moment so he didn’t appear taller then me. So a special thanks to Mr. Fine.

I also had a meet and greet with Lisa Wu Hartwell. I was super excited to meet her since Lisa is blasian (black and asian) just like my son. During our "moment" I shared this with her and thanked her giving a face to the blasian community as a celebrity. Go blasians!


Soon it was time for us to take our seats for the start of the panel and luncheon. As a blogger from the B-Link network invited to cover the event, I headed over to a reserved table to sit with Yakini (ThePrissyMommy) Kimberly (MomInTheCity) and Nichelle (StyleMom) and listen to the wisdom of the beauty gods. Some of the tips I learned.

• Cleanse, treat and protect should be our new motto. These are key steps for healthy skincare
• Use makeup with SPF to protect skin from both skin cancer and wrinkles. Also use a moisturizer while sleeping.
• Drink plenty of water, have an exercise routine and used biotin vitamins that stimulate hair, skin and nail growth. Having good skin means doing the work from the inside first.
• When testing a new product give it time, as least a month, to work with results.
• Change makeup with seasons. Heavier coverage in the winter, lighter in the summer.
• Choose family friendly products that are fragrance free and wont cause allergies. Very important if you have a young child.
• Coco butter is for body use, not for face use.

The panel also discussed the growth in the skin care industry for women of color. Many companies recognize the spending power of women of color (WOC) and are trying to meet out needs. They understand WOC are seeking ways to harmonize the skin tones differences. For these women key beauty staples to have are bronzers which come in liquid, stick or powder forms. Also mineral makeups are gaining in popularity for those worried about healthy skincare.

For women who want to experiment with color it's advised to stay away from florescent colors since most are not made to work with our skin hues. Instead use accents of colors on your nails or eye lashes. Just a bit goes a long way.

Lastly the panel encouraged women to know who they are and respond to that. Before going into the skin care isle, understand what you’re looking for and why. Choose products that have a multi purpose. This saves money and time.


After the panel the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN), an organization of women in all ages/races promoting positive portrayal of women in entertainment and society, received a $10,000 donation from Johnson's Baby Oil.

What a great end to a great event!