…According to you guys and the Glam Network, that is! That’s right, bellas — thanks to your support, yours truly won the title of Best in Beauty in this year’s Glam Network Awards! And a big ol’ photo of me is the front page photo on the slide show! Wow, wow, wow.
Thank you all so much for voting for me. Honored isn’t the word. I am so excited and proud and… hang on a second. I am tempted to get all teary eyed Sally Field “you like me, you really like me,” here, but Mama Bella reminded me that they play off over-long speeches at the Oscars. So I’ll save the fabulous dramatics and keep it short and sweet.
In August 2006, I dreamed up a blog that captured the essence of the kind of magazine I wanted to read, the kind that wasn’t at the store shelves. Something that was primarily about beauty, but didn’t make me feel like I wasn’t just as precious, delicate and gorgeous as the models of the opposite race, size, and hair texture as me. Afrobella started out with the intention of being a pure beauty blog with not much beyond product reviews and musings about natural black beauty, but along the way it evolved into so much more than that. Afrobella is an outlet for everything I care deeply about — beauty, hair, music, fashion, politics, whatever. The variety of topics has led to my exclusion in certain circles, but that’s OK. It’s also led to some wonderful ongoing opportunities, like the honor of participating in the blogger’s round table on NPR’s News and Notes. (I’ll be on again this upcoming Monday, April 28)! It’s been a wonderful ride, and the lesson I’ve learned is to follow my heart, and never limit myself.
It is such a pleasure and a privilege to be able to write about my obsessions and musings, to share my Caribbean culture, to put my thoughts about being a naturally beautiful black woman out there, and to participate in the exchange of ideas with so many of you all over the world. You make my life so rich and wonderful. I have so many big dreams for this blog and for myself as a writer — my mother always said, “Thursday’s child has far to go.” I’m on my way! Thank you all so very, very much for making one of them come true, and thank you to everyone at the Glam Network for your continued support.
My prize for winning is a Flip video camera, so I hope to start making some makeup and hair videos on YouTube soon.
Click here to see the slide show of this year’s Glam Network Award winners, which includes one of my first blog inspirations Beauty Addict, Hollyscoop, Popbytes, the amazing YourCause.com, and In Case You Didn’t Know.
YAY!!! I love you guys!! Thank you so, so much.
Congrats!!! As a fellow natural caribbean girl I “heart” this blog.
You really deserve the honor! Congrats!
That’s awesome! Big congrats!
Congraulations Bella!
Congrats Bella… hope this means you make some money. 😀
I never had a doubt in my mind that you would not win. 🙂
Congrats and keep up the great work.
Congrats Afrobella! I can’t wait for those You Tube videos.
Congrats:)) Keep up the good work.
Sungoddess — me too!!! LOL!
But the money sometimes takes a backseat to just being able to express myself and communicate with the world. Thank you all so much for your kind wishes, votes, and love. I really appreciate all of you!!
Ohhhhh Bella! Congrats! You inspired me to start blogging. Kept doing what you’re doing. Now many print will follow your lead and do spots on natural black hair.
congratulations Bella!!
You deserve it!!
Just being curious: what circles have you been excluded from?
Yay, Bella! Congrats!
Congrats Bella, your brother in Trinidad put me on to your blog and i haven’t missed a day since, your words are truly fascinating and come straight from the heart. Congrats again and God’s blessings to you in all your future endeavours!
Bella,
I am so happy for you and for us! I include “us” because it feels
you are representative of “us”. I believe that was your intent in starting the blog, having a place where we can celebrate ourselves. You have created(and continue to do so), a most interesting, informative, original and of course fun platform for all women of color.
I enjoy clicking “afrobella” on my favorites list every morning!!
Congratulations and much love from one of your biggest fans.
Love and Light,
Yolanda
Congrats! We here at home all know just how much ability you have & now others are seeing it & recognising it publicly! Do you get a Glam “best blog” sticker for the afrobella site?
Continue to be true to who you are & where you came from and always remember to thank those that helped you along the way & your star will continue to rise..we love you much..
Congratulations Bella!
A very well deserved win.
Peace & blessings to you.
Xica Bahia
Congratulations Bella!!! You are much loved 🙂
Props!
Congratulation, thats really awesome!
rock on
Hooray! You totally deserve it!
I feel extremely privileged to have stumbled across your site when I did. Congratulatiions!!
Wow, that’s fantastic! Yeah for following your heart and dreams! Congratulations on such a well-deserved award!
Little sister I will be taking a drink for you later in Trotters! Congratulations again, I don’t think you’ll ever stop making me proud!
This made me smile this morning. Congrats Bella!!! VERY well deserved. I’ve come across so many that majorly heart your blog. Although I don’t always comment, I’m always stopping in to check out what you’re talmbout *smile* I have so many posts saved for future reference. Keep shining lady!
Finally! MY VOTE COUNTS!! yeah!
Congrats! You deserve the accollades 🙂
Congratulations! You certainly deserve the honor. You are a bright spot in the day of so many!
CONGRATS, Bella!!!!! Very well deserved, you know we got your back. Keep up the great work. Best blog ever, the first time I found your blog I read EVERY page in two days. Love it!
SO HAPPY to be part of the ABSOLUTE AWESOMENESS that is AFROBELLA! As long as you’ll be writing, I’ll be reading! Someday I hope to be able to see Afrobella on the newsstands next to Cosmo, Glamour, Ebony and Essence…it’s so different from anything else out there! I hope you’re working on that—Afrobella in print would be AMAZING!!!! It can be a possibility—NEVER STOP DREAMING! Anyway, CONGRATULATIONS Bella! You are super talented and you deserve all the praise for your blog! I love it! 🙂
This makes a great day better! Many congratulations and blessings to you, Afrobella 😀
congrats bella! you rock!
Awesome! You definitely received the recognition you deserve! You inspire me in so many ways. Keep it up Bella!
Congratulations!
I am soo happy for you!!! I’m a recent convert from another beauty blog for women of color. You inspired me to start wearing my hair natural and stop wasting my money at a Dominican salon each week and just embrace my curls. I love your *honest* commentary and the fact that you review stuff that doesn’t end up in a magazine ad the next month (i.e you just don’t review new products that you got in the mail yesterday from a pr person).
Bella, keep up the good work on blogging about beauty, the islands, and pop culture in general!!
A person I voted for won something?!…. There’s hope that it can still happen!
Congrats bella! I think I am as excited as you are!
Congrats Bella! JOB WELL DONE!
A well deserved CONGRATULATIONS to you!! I am so proud of you and this site- and to think I found this site by accident. Can’t wait for the You Tube videos!! You are beautiful(as always) in the photo on the GlamNetwork site. Yippeee for Afrobella.
Congratulations, Bella. You so deserve it. You put your heart and soul into your blog and it shows.
Hey Afrobella!
Congratulations 🙂 You deserve it!
YAY!!!!!!!!!!! Bella!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats!
Congratulations! I love your blog and it’s great to see it get the recognition it deserves!
I’m doing a little happy dance under my desk at work, reading all of your comments. You guys are the BEST. Love to everyone!!
Congratulations on your award, it is very well deserved.
CONGRATULATIONS!! Well deserved!! while you are doing your happy dance at your desk, imagine a soca song and spin some pooch!
congratulations, Bellaaaaaa!!!! you so deserve this award – all us babybellas are uber-grateful for your site….where else could we learn about the ish you’re serving up?? looks like you’ll be out of “here” sooner than later…hurrah!
Go Bella Go!! Congratulations! Your blog is the ONLY blog I MUST check daily.
Thanks for all the time and effort you put into your blog. We appreciate you Bella. 🙂
Awwww …. you’re fantastic, Bella! Well deserved … xo
Congrats. I’m so happy for you. I love this site. Its been six months since I’ve had a relaxer. I’ve been wearing different braids styles to let the perm grow out. Yesterday when I took out my braids and washed my hair I had the biggest fro’ I was literally afraid. I almost went out and got a perm but I thought of this site and got some cornrows instead.
I’m new to this whole blogging era, but Bella I must say you have truly been an inspiration to me… You’re like my big sister!!! lol… Keep up the good work and make sure you stay ‘Afrobellicious’!!
CONGRAT!!!! YAY, BELLA, YAY!!!
Congrats!
Roooooollllll it gal, “ya smart and ya pretty”
Yea Bella!
we love you too, bella. congratulations! the people have spoken!
OMG you truly deserve it! CONGRATULATIONS!!
WHOoOooOOoOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Go AfroBella!!!
Congratulations! I love love love your blog. Its my go to guide for everything!!!
keep up the amazing working lady!
xoxoxoxox
CONGRATS!! you deserve this and so much more. You go bella!
Congrats Bella!!! You deserve it!!! Much success to you!!!
congratulations bella! you’re the only beauty blog i actually bookmark, so i think they are 100% right:-)
You go girl! I’m so happy for you!
Congrats from a new reader who loves your blog!
Congrats! I think this marks the first time that I’ve actually voted for someone and they won! Yay! =)
1 down, 1 to go. Now, if only we can vote Obama into office…
Congratulations Bella! You do deserve all of the good things that have come from this blog… the spirit of the sisters (and brothers) that look to you for advice, the release you get from sharing your views with the world, and yes, even the freebies you get because a company wants you to blog about their product! 😀 You done good girl!
Well done.Keep going
Well done.Keep going and doing your way. The best is still to come, I am sure about that.
Congrats beautiful Bella! You definitely deserve the recognition. Thanks to you, I am experimenting more and loving my natural hair. Please keep doing what you love.
Congratulations, Bella! You truly are the best ! !
Congratulations Bella!!! This is my favorite blog by far.
Congrats! Keep doing what you’re doing.
Girl you deserve it again and again. You inspire, teach and give us so much knowledge on so many subjects and levels.
Girl go on and run for Senate!!! Need someone to help keep people CUTE…
Congrats and much love
Pam
Congratulations and thanks for having this blog in the first place. This blog speaks to me not because we’re the same on the outside, but because we’re the same on the inside–even though the models in magazines are white, I feel they marginalize me as well, and I don’t even want to try and model myself after what is supposed to be ideal. I love to read the beauty posts (even though I have to modify some of them a bit when I try them!) along with the posts about music, politics, and life. Your site makes me realise that I can care about my looks and also care about my whole self, and what’s going on in the world. Unlike traditional beauty magazines, your site helps me feel like a person who is worthwhile beyond hair, makeup, and men. Thanks again, and your award is well-deserved.
Congrat, this is absolutely wonderful!
I just discovered your site this year and I love it. Keep it up!
You deserve this award! Congratulations!!!!!
Congrats!
Well deserved!
Brilliant – absolutely – BRILLIANT NEWS!!!
All the best, dearheart!
Anita
All the best! You’ve earned it. 🙂
Congratulations!! I knew you could do it.
Congrats!!! I knew you’d take the top spot!
You deserve it, keep up the good work :o)
Congratulations – you put Miami beauty on the map every day!
I am SOOOO late on this but…CONGRATULATIONS! I’m always happy when someone takes her passion and makes it work — for her and for other people. WTG Bella!
See what happens when I stay away for a couple of days, all sorts of wonderful happens!!! Like all the rest of the bellas have duly noted, Congrats, Congrats, Congrats, it couldn’t have gone to a more deserving bella!!!! To my Caribbean sista, you make me/us all very proud because you have given us a voice to our dreams, our loves, our dislikes, and most importantly our beauty!!!!
All that is left to say really is to for everyone to put their lighta inna di air ’cause “big tings a gwan” for you!!!!!
Congratulations!!! This is very much deserved! I love reading your tips and inspirations. Keep up the great work! High-fives, Arlene
I wanted to personally invite you to join Gilt Groupe http://www.gilt.com (Invite only online site providing members access to Men’s and women’s coveted fashion & luxury lifestyle brands- up to 70% off- exclusively online) as I just found out about it and it’s my new obsession. Love your site, love theirs, so thought I would make the intro…
Gilt Groupe is an invite only site, so their members are friends who refer friends who friends, but there is no fee associated with joining. You guys can send this link out though http://www.gilt.com/ggvip which brings you straight to a registration page!
They are have some great sales this week (all at 12pm EST)…Tuesday 5.6 Malo and Wednesday 5.7 Natori.
Happy Shopping!!
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I work on Tyra Banks’ publicity team. We would love to have a contact at afrobella.com to whom we can send updates on Tyra’s beauty-related projects. Please let me know who the best contact would be.
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Hannah
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