In 1959, a little French-Brazilian film called “Black Orpheus” captured the imagination of the world, won numerous awards (including the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and the Palme d’Or at Cannes), and launched the career of a gorgeous Black American actress, Marpessa Dawn…

Here’s what you had to say:

Briah: “I loved ‘Black Orpheus.’ I remember as a little girl thinking that Marpessa Dawn was one of the most beautiful women ever!”

What women want, women get. Thanks to a new cosmetic surgery procedure, women can
bring their love for high-heels to new heights, literally. At Beverly
Hills Aesthetic Foot Surgery, the menu of services caters entirely to
high-heel lovers’ foot, toe and heel imperfections, reports the Wall
Street Journal.Here’s what you had to say:
Clarissa commented via Facebook: “Now the world of modern medicine is going too far.”

Portia wrote via Facebook: “Yes, Yes, Yes, I would have the surgery.”

Get ready to give your skintight skinnies a rest this fall and opt for a more relaxed wide-legged silhouette. Spotted all over the Fall 2010 runways, the wide hem is a favorite of Celine, Chloe and Oscar de la Renta. We love how this shape creates a straight line from hip to ankle, no matter your size…

Former White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers has an effortless cool. During her time with the Obama camp, she personified a fresh and modern approach just as equally in her wardrobe choices as she did in her work with the First Family. Whether she’s in work mode with a sleek skirt suit or gabbing with Anna Wintour in the front row at New York Fashion Week — her look is always polished and put together, with a hint of modern…Here’s what you had to say:
Staci commented via Facebook: “A woman of class and style.”

Melba wrote via Facebook: “Despite her exit from the White House, she has remained poised, headstrong and positive.”

Barely-there eyebrows are so passe — especially after full, Joy Bryant-esque brows ripped the runway in London, Paris, Milan and New York. This season, trade in your tweezers for It
Cosmetics’ new Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil…

Here’s what you had to say:

LaTonya commented via Facebook: “I am glad that I was born with well-behaved eyebrows.”

Lois wrote via Facebook: “Threading is the best! I will never go back to waxing. With threading the results are perfect. I love it!”

Are you a fashionista? Let ESSENCE see your personal style. Submit at least 1-2 full-length photos of yourself wearing your finest fall and winter outfits to be considered for the Street Style section of the magazine…

That old saying, “Black don’t crack,” is definitely rooted in reality. Black women hardly seem to age at all (just ask Diahann Carrol or Ruby Dee). As a result of the natural oiliness of our skin, African-American women are less likely to develop fine lines and wrinkles — still, there are always more things we could do to keep our complexion looking youthful, radiant and supple. Here are ten ways to preserve your youthful glow…

All of us have gone the high school days and one of the many many songs that I could always associate with it (well, for us girls) is At Seventeen written and performed by Janis Ian. This is a great song for those ugly duckling girls at seventeen like me. This song certainly brings lots [...]

Smythson has been crafting extremely fine (and, let’s be honest, extremely expensive) stationery and leather goods for over a century now, since Frank Smythson first opened his doors on London’s New Bond Street. But in recent years, the offerings, while largely unisex, skewed toward the women’s market. But this holiday season, the men are getting theirs. A new collection of men’s business accessories aims to bring the gents deeper into the Smythson fold, with several styles of briefcases, laptop bags, overnight cases, wallets, and small leather goods. (A new, more masculine logo—a circular silver button dotted in the center with the line’s hallmark Nile blue—is also being introduced.) Smythson’s longtime creative director, Samantha Cameron, recently moved into a design consultant position, the better to accommodate her new role—as wife of Britain’s new prime minister, David Cameron. It’s not hard to imagine one of the new cases finding its way to the PM’s office at 10 Downing Street.
Men’s accessories range from $1,200 to $2,200 and arrive this October at Smythson boutiques, www.smythson.com.

Way back last October, a curious trend emerged from the Spring 2010 shows. Call it a case of cat-scratch fever—designers and hip girls were all feeling cats. Paris was just about meowing, with Miuccia Prada’s kitty-print collection for Miu Miu, which found (alongside daisies and reclining nudes) cartoon felines printed on collars, dresses, tops, and accessories. (At Azzaro, Vanessa Seward heard the mewling, too: She commissioned Kuntzel+Deygas, the graphic designers behind the sleek opening credits to Catch Me if You Can, to create drawings based on her own cat, Monsieur Jo.)

Ever since, the cats have been on parade, appearing in ads (costarring with Kristen McMenamy in the spooky, Steven Meisel-shot Lanvin Fall 2010 campaign, pictured), in editorials, on influencers, and even at a few high-profile weddings (Charlotte Olympia designer Charlotte Dellal put her adorable flower girls in kitty headpieces for her May stroll down the aisle).