Danielle Brooks showed off her fun, flirty side when she attended the 2016 Drama Desk Awards wearing a Nha Khanh $495 S/S 2016 Kenzie Sleeveless Lace Dress:
The sleeveless, lace and tulle dress features asymmetrical peplum detail along with an embroidered lace bodice. The scalloped bateau neckline and a scalloped v-back adds an elegant finishing touch.
Danielle rocked an asymmetrical bomb with a hint of blue in the front and a pair of silver Steve Madden sandals on her feet.
If you’re prepared to splurge, you can purchase her dress here for $495.
Happy Monday, Bombshells!
I’m currently in Trinidad, Cuba, using the last few minutes on my Etesca Wifi Card to write you about my experience thus far in Cuba!
We’ve only been here for a few days, but I am already deep, deep in love.
The country is beautiful, the food is delish, and the history is what really makes Cuba one of the most interesting places I’ve ever visited.
When you touch down, you instantly see loads of 50’s and 60’s era Chevy’s, Buicks, Pontiacs, and more.
The US severed ties with Cuba at that time, and thus ceased trading with the country, whose capital, Havana, was once the epicenter of glamour, gambling, and compulsive excess. What you see now is a country almost frozen in time, with the remnants of a once glittering Empire in disrepair.
Though people in the capital city lack the outside signs of wealth, they seem rich with happiness, pride, music, and culture.
It’s almost impossible to visit Cuba without having a context for history of the country. I’d recommend getting Frommer’s Easy Guide to Cuba, Fodor’s Cuba Travel Guide, and Lonely Planet’s Cuba Travel Guide to get a sense of the history of Havana, and Cuba in general. This is not your typical vacation. Be prepared to learn and experience a different way of life.
With that said…
1. Where to Stay:
My family and I rented a simple AirBNB for about $100 a night. The minuses? No Wifi and pretty simple dwellings. The bonuses? Our host Manuel, who went above and beyond, making reservations for dinner for us for our first night, coordinating a car to drive us around the country, and having his mother, Dina, make us breakfast every morning.
The advantages of staying at a hotel include Wifi, snazzier surroundings i.e. a pool and restaurant. I heard that the Hotel Nacional, is bomb…
…however, it costs about $325 a night. Zoinks! Here’s what I’d suggest: find an Air BNB with Wifi or just get an Air BNB and walk to a local hotel if you need Wifi (which is what we did). It depends on what your priorities are! To save money, go to an Air BNB. If you want to do it up like you’re in Miami, to a hotel you go. Understand that prices are pretty elevated.
2. Where to Eat:
On our first night, our host made reservations at StarBien, a lovely restaurant located in a mansion. You can find sumptuous lobster dinners for less than $20 CUC/USD, so that’s what I’ve been eating every night. My sister got the Ropa Vieja, and my stepmom ordered a Seafood soup. Whatever, you get it will be bomb!
We finished up with the Flan and were very happy for the night.
Day 2, we made reservations at Paladar Vistamar (please note, reservations are pretty much mandatory. Visit a hotel or have your host make a reservation for you). There, I ordered Seafood dinner again and my sister ordered onion soup and pork bruschetta. We were happy with the food, but all agreed that Starbien was better.
A lot of our contacts recommended going to La Guarida. We tried to go there when we landed, but you need to make reservations at least a week in advance to eat there (it’s that good). We’ve made reservations for La Guarida for when we return to Havana at the end of the week. Can’t wait!
A lot of people we spoke to said that food in Havana isn’t very good. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the food. Even the ham and cheese sandwiches we’ve gotten from unassuming rest stops have been tasty. So don’t believe the hype. Eat all the food you want (the seafood is delish), but don’t drink the water. Drink bottled water, or carry a water filtration system (my stepmom bought some from REI).
4. What To Do:
Havana is steeped in history! Take a tour of the city in a convertible Chevy, or just walk around Old Havana, popping into museums and ogling the cars and architecture.
My family and I went to the Museo Nacional des Bellas Artes. I’m not a museum person, but enjoyed the 19th century art and more contemporary paintings. I appreciated how many positive depictions of Africans I saw.
In terms of nightlife, Tropicana Cabaret is really fun. Tickets are expensive (about $100 per person), but in exchange you get snacks, a glass of champagne, and a quarter of a bottle of rum. Because we had 4 in our party, we had a bottle of rum to enjoy the night.
The show is electric and the costumes eye catching. Our show was rained out, but after a group of Argentinians made a fuss, the show went on with fabulous aplomb. It’s definitely a little cheesy and full of tourists, but fun–check it out if you’re ever in Havana.
Special Notes:
*People are so nice. I can’t stress it enough. And apparently it is against the law to carry guns or knives, so everything is quite safe.
*It helps to speak some Spanish. Just enough to get by. We currently have a tour guide who speaks only Spanish, so knowledge of Romance Languages can help at the very least to decipher what is being said.
*Style Notes: Cuba is hot, so don’t stress looking like a fashion plate. Also, our trip has involved lots of walking. So while I did slip on a sparkly dress and heels to go to Tropicana, generally you’re fine with flat sandals and something comfortable.
If you want to add spice, bring an assortment of cool sunglasses.
*Bring more than enough cash to get by. You will not have access to ATMs and you can’t use your credit card or even access your bank online! Have enough cash on you to cover food, drinks, taxis, etc.
*WIFI. OK. There isn’t a lot of Wifi. T Mobile said my phone would work in Cuba. THEY LIED.
You can get a Wifi Card, called an Etesca card, at cellular shops called Teleporto. You will typically see lines to get this card, along with a guard at the door, filtering in the crowd. Once you have the card, you have access to public Wifi, BUT the trick is to find somewhere where you can get a signal. Most public spaces, hotel lobbies, and some parks have access to Etesca Wifi. You’ll know when you’ve found a hotspot when you see crowds of people sitting on the sidewalk or lingering in the street on their smartphones.
That said, Cuba is not the place to go if you have a million things to do. When you come to Cuba, be ready to have fun..sip a Mojito…dance Salsa…and appreciate a slower lifestyle that lends itself to human interaction and connection.
My family is now in Trinidad, Cuba and we went exploring the city today. In Trinidad, you will find lots of live bands playing salsa. And my sister and I were literally swept off of our feet, dancing salsa with complete strangers. But there’s a warmth to everyone. People’s hearts are open. They are happy to see you and happy you are here, experiencing their world, even just for a moment.
These are the memories I will bring home to me from Cuba. It is an experience I will never forget.
More to come from CienFuegos, Trinidad, and more!
Have you been to Cuba? How was your experience?
*Want a different point of view? FBD staffer, Lami, visited Cuba as well. Read her take here.
*Read about how I got to Cuba and my 20 lb packing challenge on TheBombLife.com.
Celebs love Beyoncé as a ton of our fave stars seem to be flocking to her Formation tour. Nicki Minaj is no different as she posed backstage with beau Meek Mill before Queen Bey slayed the stage. The superstar rapper kept it cute for the camera in a $3,273 Balmain Lace-up Stretch-Knit Playsuit while Meek looked fly in a $345 Alexander McQueen Skull Graphic Long-Sleeve T-Shirt. Plunging lace-up necklines are a key silhouette in Balmain’s Resort ’16 collection. This sculpting stretch-knit playsuit is punctuated with gold D-ring embellishments and a belt so you can adjust the shape. Definitely Nicki’s aesthetic with the plunging neckline and gold embellishments, she brought the fierce factor. But at $3,273, is it worth the splurge? Nicki didn’t stop there, pairing her ensemble with Chanel pearl trimmed boots and a vanity bag by the house. Though they’re not available for sale yet, we’re pretty sure they cost a pretty penny.Meek Mill wasn’t too far behind with his Alexander McQueen Skull-Graphic Long-Sleeve T-shirt.This crewneck pullover by McQueen features black and white horizontal stripes and a striking hologram-inspired graphic of a skull emblazoned on the front.
So, Bomb readers. were their ensembles worth the splurge? Well, if you think so and can cough up the coin, you can purchase Nicki’s playsuit here and Meek Mill’s shirt here. Are you feeling their looks?
Sak Pase everyone?! After a very restful weekend, it’s time to get back into showing off our Bombshells! Today, we’ve got Amina from London:
She says, “My name is Amina Habeeb and I’m from London.”
“I’m a fashion blogger, stylist, presenter & content creator.”
“My fashion blog; www.cheapandcheerfulshopper.com focuses primarily on affordable fashion and looking good for less. I believe it’s not always about labels and high end brands, but more about how you wear something as opposed to where you got it from or how expensive it is.”
“I love shopping at thrift stores and charity shops and enjoy putting super cheap items together to make them look amazing!”
“It would be amazing to be featured as a bombshell and share my style with others as well as sharing my blog ethos of looking good for less. “
Okay Amina! Girl, your different hair is giving me fab Lil Kim vibes. I love your style, and as an avid thrifter myself, love when people show how to look fashionable on a budget! Anyway, if you guys want to see more of Amina’s style, check her out on IG: _thisisamina. So what do you think of her style?
Fashion Bombshell of the Day is a feature showcasing the singular style of Fashion Bomb Readers. Send your name, location, a description of your style, and 5-10 clear, unfiltered, head-to-toe pictures of 5-10 different outfits (no collages) to Bombshell@FashionBombDaily.com. Images submitted will be featured on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any of our social media platforms. Comments can be harsh, so bring your A game! Please be advised: once published, pictures will not be removed or taken down.
The rapper-turned-designer has officially released his highly-anticipated Yeezy Season 2 shoe collection which showcases a wide variety of sandals and endless supplies of boots. While retailing between $445 to $995, it’s evident that this release is beyond the point of splurging.
In contrast to the Yeezy 350s and 750s, the Yeezy Season 2 collection was not done in conjunction with Adidas. It turns out that the iconic athletic-wear label will solely handle the release of Ye’s popular Yeezy Boosts. The next collab set to launch are the light grey Yeezy Boost 750 which will drop on June 11.
Yeezy Season 2 highlights include peep-toe thigh-high boots crafted from lucite and suede, lace-up crepe boots and a a few mid-calf stunners. The pricey footwear is now available at key online hot spots including MyTheresa, Holt Renfrew and UNKNWN.
And, let’s not forget how Mrs. Yeezy herself rocked her own pair last week (not once, but twice)!
Sadly, it looks like us frugal fashionistas will have to take an L on this collection. But, I already know of a few retailers who have looks for less – so, stay tuned! 🙂 I got ya’ll!
What do you think of the Yeezy Season 2 collection?
As many of us sat glued to our TV screens last night awaiting the final results of the Miss USA 2016 pageant, my heart was immediately filled with warmth and gratitude. Not only was the pageant quite a show-stopped, but I realized ALL three top contestants (Miss District of Columbia, Miss Georgia, and Miss Hawaii) were women of color. While that was enough for me to be content, I literally screamed when Deshauna Barber, aka Miss District of Columbia, was crowned Miss USA 2016.
Deshauna Barber is a lot of things to a lot of people. I can’t help but admit I have a soft spot in my heart for her simply because she proudly reps my city of Washington, D.C. Aside from being a Washingtonian, she is also an HBCU graduate, woman of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and an active member in the US Army. Talk about Black Girl Magic!
As someone who has many family members who have actively participated in the military, army and various reserves, seeing a Woman of Color represent herself so gracefully yet with power truly fueled me. However, she didn’t just glorify the work that those who risk their lives for us every single day do, but she also spotlighted the internal and systemic damage that can come from it. Hearing her platform and what she aims to do with her crown and title, I was enthralled almost to the point of tears. Her platform focuses on PTSD treatment for soldiers and suicide prevention efforts among those in the armed forces.
When you exercise that black girl magic, it’s not just for you to shine. It’s for your light to help others.
Congratulations to this beautiful chocolate Queen who has taught us, once again, that Black girls rock and that there IS a space for us to achieve our goals and make a difference. I can not wait to see what she continues to do.
What do you think of the Miss USA 2016 pageant results?
Nicole Kidman was on hand for the New York premiere of her upcoming film Genius while flaunting a fair amount of skin in a Rodarte Fall 2016 Sheer Draped Halterneck Lace and Sequin Top, a Sequin Embellished Sheer Lace Skirt and classic patent leather ankle strap pumps.
The elegant top was paired with a dark lip, fishnets and edgy footwear. It boasts a one-sleeve feature and some bomb detailing.
Nicole’s skirt was also styled in a similar way but included an eccentric touch with a single leather glove and a matching buckle choker.
Rihanna is living up this vacation! Her bestie Melissa took a photo of the bad gyal in Turks and the Caicos Islands sporting a whooping $2,400 Rosetta Getty sleeveless white crochet top and Mikoh’s ‘Malibu’ black bottoms:Originally seen from their Resort 2016 collection, the top features an elongated silhouette, and a sheer underside. Rih ditched the long sleeve top and white bottom and wore it as a totally cute coverup while out in the water.
If you’ve got a little over 2k sitting around and want to elevate that beach attire this summer, check out the item here!
Originally seen from their Resort 2016 collection, the top features an elongated silhouette, and a sheer underside. Rih ditched the long sleeve top and white bottom and wore it as a totally cute coverup while out in the water.