Well kids, it’s been an exciting week to say the least. Since launching my line of camera/bag straps less than 7 days ago, I’m so proud to announce my first brand collaboration with It Cosmetics.
We’re doing a limited edition Pretty Connected x It Cosmetics ‘Capture It’ strap. We’ll be launching the strap at Disney with the top beauty vloggers/bloggers attaching them to the Instax Mini 9 camera for them to run around the Magic Kingdom and capture their adventure. I named this series of straps the “Jamie” after It Cosmetics founder, Jamie Kern Lima. I want all of my straps to be named after inspiring women, and Jamie is the ultimate girl boss. She’s made real change happen in the beauty industry, being the first prestige brand to use real women of all sizes and skin issues as models. Her acceptance speech for the CEW Achiever Award still gives me chills! 
Outfit details: RXP dress from Bandladies showroom, Givenchy lace up boots, Neiman Marcus Barry Jewelry Crystla Lightening Bolt Hoop Earrings (on sale, $15!).
The Jamie strap is currently available in black and pink. The limited edition silver color (without the It Cosmetics/Capture It branding) will be available starting February on prettyconnected.com/shop
A note about the recent attacks… While I recognize there has been some recent controversy over the shade range of the new full-coverage moisturizer, I think this was a case of bad reporting and lack of education. The brand only launched 12 shades of the new product, 3 of which are for dark skintones. While I understand why women of color — all color, my medium skintone, middle eastern skintone as well! — would like more of a shade range, this is not an attack on darker skin tones. This product has a physical SPF 50, which means there are limitations. Before bringing ethnicities into the conversation, I truly believe It Cosmetics #1 commitment goes to women with sensitive, problematic skin. So their choice to use a physical (which is known to be more effective and safer) and not chemical sunscreen should be honored, even though there is more flexibility with a chemical sunscreen. And thus, they actually can’t go darker without the formula looking chalky or ashy. Lets be honest, It Cosmetic’s doesn’t put out products that suck, so to ask them to do something mediocre or leaves a cast isn’t fair. They don’t have the technology to correct this, and I don’t know any other brand that does either. That said, for all of their other non-SPF foundations (and why the backlash Tarte is getting is warranted — although maybe we could be a little kinder?), I think an extension of shade ranges is in need. Fortunately It Cosmetics already has a shade extension for all tinted non-SPF products planned to roll out in the next few months. Something that was in the works far before this controversy came about and not in reaction. Anyone that thinks Jamie Kern Lima has anything but total love for women — all women, all shapes, skin-tones and skin types hasn’t watched her acceptance speech for the CEW Achiever Award from last year.
I hope I didn’t offend anyone with my opinions, but I think it’s important to stand up for brands we believe in, call others out when they are wrong, and accept it when they commit to do better — including with Tarte. I’m glad brands are paying attention to what consumers want, and I give Fenty so much props for launching with 40 shades and showing the world that what women want is diversity!