Monthly Archives: February 2013

The road to a more beautiful you!

Amour Creole wants to hear from you! We encourage our readers to always strive to be the best versions of themselves, and we want to help!   Let us help you reveal your most beautiful skin.   Leave us a comment at the end of this story explaining your skin type – simply answer the questions we posed below. In the next weeks, our beauty experts will tailor answers based on your skin type and provide you with the best skin regimens and recommended products.   Face First Studies show healthy looking skin is one of the biggest draws for the opposite sex as healthy skin signifies a healthy person and a healthy person is the ideal mate for reproducing.   Your face is typically your first impression so most of us try to put our best face forward. We use the newest and best foundations, powders and other concealers, but how do you really feel about your skin when all the make-up is washed off?   Let us help you achieve healthy skin and reveal the most beautiful version of you.   Back to basics: Know your skin type Our skin texture changesthroughout the seasons and throughout life. You … read more

Where Did My Money Go?

Simple ways to save money so you can spend the cash on things you really want. To save on cash, we all know to brew our coffee at home and to stop splurging on restaurant dinners, but there are plenty of other easy ways to keep you money in the piggy bank.     SELL YOUR GIFT CARDS – Don’t use gift cards on unnecessary purchase. Giftah.com allows you to sell gift cards for up to 90% face value, giving you cash for necessities.   KITCHEN EXTRAS – Save a few pennies by slashing your use of paper towels and plastic baggies. Paper towel rolls that tear in half-sheet sizes are easy to find in most supermarkets. The smaller sized sheet is sufficient for most clean-up jobs. Plastic baggies can easily be recycled by washing the baggies with laundry and leaving them out to dry. Then they’re good as new.   FLEXIBLE VACATION PLANS – When looking into vacation plans, make your dates as flexible as possible. Flights and hotel packages can be booked for much lower costs on certain weekdays and off-weeks.   ORDER ONLINE – Ordering items online can spare you the costs of sales tax and transportation … read more

Entrepreneurship 101

In the wake of the recent financial crisis, many people dream of becoming entrepreneurs and owning their own businesses. Whether you are dreaming about it or are actively taking steps to make it a reality, here are some pearls of wisdom I’ve gained along my entrepreneurial journey that you might find helpful.     Adjust your mindset Entrepreneurs spend several years living like most people won’t so that they can spend the rest of their lives living how most people dream. If you’ve been working as an employee most of your life, you are going to have to adjust your mindset and start thinking like a business owner. That means you have to start taking control, being decisive, learning how to take and manage risks, and be willing to be uncomfortable.   Find your passion/purpose Truth be told, you should do something that you absolutely LOVE. Better yet, you should love it so much that you would be willing to do it for FREE. Life is short, so why not spend it doing something that you love to do. I’m a firm believer that you should never chase money – for the simple fact that if you are always chasing … read more

Owning our narrative: HCX celebrates Haitian film with annual film fest

History is written by the victors. It’s an old saying, but one that rings true, especially in the case of Haiti.   “It’s very important that we utilize the power of film to change Haiti’s narrative, and tell our own stories,” Regine Roumain, executive director of the Haitian Cultural Exchange (HCX) said. From May 9 to May 12, HCX will host their 2nd annual Haiti Film Fest in New York.   Film is a very powerful medium that attracts a lot of different audiences, Roumain said. We decided to take up our own space and start telling our own stories, all the while providing a platform for artists to share their creations.   “One of the reasons we felt it was important to have the festival was so we could provide a community-led, alternative distribution channel here in New York,” she said. “Our aim is to preserve, celebrate and cultivate emerging artists for the Haitian community.”   The 2-day free festival will take place at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights, with an opening reception on Thursday, May 9 featuring a special performance by Emeline Michel. Twenty-one films will be featured, including “Toussaint Louverture” with Jimmy Jean-Louis.   The festival will … read more

Donna Karan teams up with global fashion figure heads to bring a million hearts to Haiti

When you hear the name Donna Karan, the first thing that comes to mind is her globally known fashion brand DKNY. What you don’t think of, at least at first, is the preservation of Haitian culture; a task that she’s decided to champion through her foundation     Karan joined forces with eBay and CFDA, a trade organization for North-American designers, to launch Fashion for Haiti: One Million Hearts, an auction whose proceeds will go to supporting the work of artisans in Port-au-Prince. The auction, which runs until May 2 on eBay, features custom-designed papier-mâché hearts personalized by some of the world’s leading designers including, Diane Von Furstenberg, Oscar de la Renta and Narciso Rodriguez.   “The artistry and skill is breathtaking,” Karan says, about the local artists and manufacturers she worked with while visiting Haiti. “I am so inspired by what I am seeing and the people with whom I’m working with. I couldn’t be more excited.”   The custom hearts were designed by Magali Dresse, a Haitian artist working in Haiti to package the “creative spirit” of the artisans into a product that is attractive to sell to foreigners.

La Belle Vie: An interview with director Rachelle Salnave

L’ union fait la force, unity makes strength, is the Haitian national motto. It’s the platform on which the first black nation gained its independence from France in 1804. Despite this saying, the Haitian culture has built its own notions on social status based on who they’re related to, which part of the country their family is from, the schools they attended and even their skin complexion.     Rachelle Salnave, director of La Belle Vie, set out on a mission to discover her Haitian roots. In the documentary she examined these biased concepts to determine the source of this intolerance, and began the movement of changing the prejudice that exists in Haitian society.   AC: What message are you trying to convey with La Belle Vie? RS: La Belle Vie examines identity; my identity. By discovering my roots, I discovered Haiti. I wanted to examine my roots to determine where this complexity comes from. What you saw was only an excerpt of the documentary. It’s in post-production. I’m editing the film.   AC: In La Belle Vie Your aunt, Marie-Simone states “we are not the right color.” What did she mean by that? Was she referring to not being … read more

Melissa P Bernier Esq

Principal and Managing Attorney of Bernier Legal, LLC; a boutique Entertainment, Fashion and business law firm.     Melissa completed her undergraduate studies at New York University and earned her law degree from Hofstra University School of Law. Melissa is a member of the New York State Bar, The Business Law and Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Sections of the New York State Bar Association, The Metropolitan Black Bar Association and the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association.   Contact Melissa www.bernierlegal.com Twitter facebook.com

Styling with Dayanne Danier

“The beginning of the year is a good time to go through your closet and see what pieces you have not worn in a while that can be given away. Use the extra closet space to spice up your wardrobe with the latest trends.”

Ania Charlot

Her love for the fashion world and drive to take on challenges is what drove this Haitian beauty into the world of modeling. Ania Charlot, like many others in the Haitian community, grew up in a family where her parents strongly believe the only way to make it or have a better life is through education. After completing college, Ania moved on to her true passion which has led her to walking the catwalk during Mercedes Benz fashion week in New York and appearing in editorial spreads for Vogue Italia.  

To Send or Not to Send: The Remittance Dilemma

From the day Jonas Baptiste immigrated to the United States 27 years ago, a large portion of his earnings has been sent back to his family in Haiti. “I send as much as I can, to the point where I have more in Haiti then I do here,” explained Baptiste. He sends them about $500 to $600 each month. Over the years, the money has built homes for relatives and paid for everyday expenses like groceries and utility bills.“It’s hard,” he admitted. “I live in a studio apartment in Brooklyn because that’s all I can afford. I have financial responsibilities back home. I can’t forget that.”     The Haitian expatriate community sends about a billion dollars annually to Haiti — a quarter of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, according to data from Haiti’s Central Bank. The majority of the money comes from the United States and Canada. The country’s history of economic instability, especially in light of the 2010 earthquake, has left the economy increasingly dependent on money sent from relatives living abroad. Remittances to Haiti are the most stable source of national income and account for more revenue than the country’s investments and exports combined.   On average, … read more