Bombshell By Bleu by Bombshell Magazine

starring

REGiNA HALL

the cast

Dear Bombshells, Editor Ebony Aalayah Creative Director Darryl Glover Graphic Design Nia Blackmon Fitness Editor Tanyka Renee Social Media Amber Kennedy Contributors Elton Anderson AJ Crimson Justi Embree Apuje Kalu Yisreal Richardson

bombshell is a Bleu Life Media & Entertainment publication

If our only job were to keep you informed on the latest news in beauty, fashion, and lifestyle then we couldn’t really say our jobs were well done. As your editors it is our duty to keep you encouraged, motivated and determined to become the best you possible. This month we wanted to share with you some inspiring words that are sure to fuel you desire to continue to strive for excellence. “Between the ages of 15 and 32, don’t worry about getting married, don’t worry about settling down, don’t worry about having a baby, give birth to yourself” -Kelly Cutrone “When you want something the whole universe conspires to help you” -Paulo Coelho “You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks or even months over-analyzing a situation; trying to put the pieces together, justifying what could’ve, would’ve happened.....or you can just leave the pieces on the floor and move the f*ck on” -TUPAC “People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough, give your best anyway. You see in the end it’s between you and God, it was never between you and them anyways.” -Mother Theresa “Every single thing that has happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come” -UNKNOWN “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great” -Zig Zagler With Love From Your Editors, Ebony Aalayah, Tanyka Renee, Darryl Glover

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contents

Featuring... 4 health: Hollywood Diets Health Trends 6 trending topic: Graphic Mania 10 bombshell: Regina Hall 14 bleu boutique: Made in L.A.

health

hollywood diets

A town sought after for the limelight and finer things with the promise of dreams becoming realities. In a city so stunningly beautiful and, endearingly captivating, it’s not hard to get lost in the superficial. Bursting at the seams with self-proclaimed dieticians, health experts, and trainers, the abundance of bizarre health crazes, can be perplexing and seriously overwhelming. We’re here to help you figure it all out. Think of this as your guide to setting the real apart from the shams as we dish the truth on some of the most popular diets known to grace Hollywood.

The Master Cleanse

The Paleo Diet

The Alkaline Diet

This modified 10-day juice fast is aimed at total body cleansing using simple, natural ingredients to holistically detox the body allowing for the shedding of excess fat.

A high-protein, high-fiber diet that assumes lose weight without cutting calories based on the premise of eating food that can either be ‘hunted of gathered’.

Alkaline food rich eating plan that works to balance the body’s pH through diet leading to increased health and longevity

Celebrities Who’ve Tried It: Beyoncè Knowles, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashanti

Celebrities Who’ve Tried It: Grant Hill, Megan Fox, Jessica Beal

Regimen: consume only a mixture of lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and natural maple syrup for 10 days; You can drink water at anytime; Diuretic tea before bed; One liter of salt water in the morning .

Regimen: Go Paleo, and you'll eat lots of fresh, lean meats & fish, fruits, and vegetables consisting of healthier fats while eliminating any processed and refined food ,wheat, and dairy products.

Pros A full body cleanse to restart the body and allow for a fresh start from bad habits. Clear skin and strong nails result from toxin removal. Cons Low energy, nutrient imbalance and risk of muscle loss.

Pros: A clean diet without additives, preservatives, or chemicals. Increased iron intke and large consumption of plant nutrients in fruits, vegetables, oils, nuts, and seeds result in anti-inflammatory benefit.

Worth It? The worth of this cleanse lies in the goals of the beholder. This cleanse allows for extremely quick weight loss and can be beneficial for those who are overweight/obese and are looking to restart and recover from years of toxin and fat buildup resulting from bad habits. Generally, however, this diet is exhausting, so regular exercise may not be an option, as the cleanse could result in low energy and decreased overall acuity

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Cons An expensive meal plan to follow. Excluding dairy can cause a lack of calcium, resulting in weak, fracture susceptible bones. Worth It? The Paleo diet is rich in fiber, antioxidant vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids all of which can be beneficial to your health. Additionally, this diet is naturally gluten free and low in added sugars, trans fats, salt, and heavy carbs. Though extensive research hasn’t been done to correlate the Paleo diet and weight loss, most people will lose weight primarily due to the restricted food choices. What you eat and how much depend on your goals. This diet is heavily reliant on meat consumption, and may not be the best option for vegetarians

Celebrities Who’ve Tried It: Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Aniston Regimen: Working toward a healthy, equalized pH concentrates on incorporating alkaline-forming properties as your primary food choice. These foods include natural vegetables and fruits, grains, almonds, and tofu and soy products. A strict Alkaline Diet holds the general rule of thumb that 80% of what you consume should be alkalizing foods and20% acid-forming. Pros A high concenration in fresh produce and high in nutrient value. Cons Keeping track of alkaline- vs. acid forming foods. The exclusion of certain fats and oils can result in the lack of essential fatty acids production. Worth It? Due to the lack of scientific evidence, the alkaline diet may not be suitable or even safe for everyone, and it is commonly recommended that necessary adjustments be made to this diet on a caseby-case basis, as your body requires.

DID YOU KNOW?

To neutralize a glass of Coke or Pepsi with a pH of 2.5, it would take 32 glasses of alkaline water with a pH of 10.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is a great way to balance your pH levels. Disease and bacteria breeds in acidic environment A pH less than 7 is considered acidic. Some examples of acid forming foods are artificial sweeteners, table salt (NaCl), beer, processed cheese, beef, fried foods and soft drinks. Just a tablespoon of ACV in your glass of water will help with weight-loss, improve skin tone and aid in detoxification by helping to alkalize the body. When purchasing your Apple Cider Vinegar make sure to get the raw, unfiltered and unprocessed kind that still has all the "mother" in it. The raw ACV is full of vitamins, minerals and enzymes that will allow you to see maximum results.

health trend non-abrasive everyday detox We live in a dirty world. Toxins are everywhere, the air, water and our food. In an attempt to protect our immune system, our body will try to naturally detox these toxins through our colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph and skin. Sometimes the body gets overwhelmed and an overbuild of toxins can occur. To avoid sicknesses, acne prone skin and chronic fatigue you can help your body by trying one of the easy, cheap and non-abrasive detoxes below. Don't forget to consult with your doctor before trying anything, especially if there are any health concerns.

Oil pulling Oil Pulling has been around for thousands of years. This simple ancient Indian detoxification method not only improves the teeth, jaw, gums and breathe, but also helps in curing many other illnesses that occur throughout the body. The process is easy, you take a tablespoon of raw oil (coconut or sunflower) and swish and suck through your teeth for 15-20 minutes. By doing this you are pulling the toxins out of your body, so make sure you do not gargle or swallow the oil. Spit all the toxins into your toilet and flush. The oil has become highly toxic and you do not want to spit into your sink.

Skin brushing Our skin is the largest organ in the body, it absorbs and digests just like the other organs. It is the body first line of defense against toxins. Skin brushing aids in the detoxing of these toxins. To skin brush you use a soft, dry, natural brush and gentle brush the skin upwards towards the heart. You start at the soles of your feet and work your way up using circular counter clockwise strokes. Skin brushing is great for removing dead skin cells, improving the circulation of the blood and lymph, reducing cellulite and overall detoxifies the body.

DID YOU KNOW?

The body's natural defense of an overbuild of toxins is to surround them with mucous and fat. 5

trending topic

Prada S/S 14

Pop Art At Prada, Miuccia Prada chose the pop art route. The runway was flooded with bold faces and primary colored embellishments. Pop Art was also a hit for James Long and Julian David.

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Laser Laser graphic prints were the main event for designers like Guy Laroche, Fashion East, and MSGM. It seems before any sketching or draping happened, designers took to the graphic world to create one of a kind prints that would later morph into the stunning garments we witnessed storming down the spring/ summer runways.

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ThE ReIgn Of

Words by Yisreal Richardson · Photography by Elton Anderson · Styling by Annabelle Harron & Apuje Kalu for bombshell · Makeup by Autumn Moultrie · Hair by Justi Embree · Produced by AJ Crimson for BLACKBOARDGROUP Mgmt.

Showing everyone that she can conquer any role, from funny to serious, Regina Hall has used her grace and talent to take Hollywood by storm.

rains and beauty can be a deadly combination, but being a Hollywood box office bombshell is even more lethal, just ask the beautiful Regina Hall. Sitting pretty in the chair of her hair stylist, the former NYU grad student is an open book. Adding a sincere heart to the deadly combo making it a trifecta, the starlet gives a peek into a few chapters in her life such as following her dreams in honor of her late father, to bringing awareness to Scleroderma disease in support of her mother, it’s clear as day that even with all the talent and passion in the world, family foundation has been the blueprint guiding her when facing Hollywood adversity. Best known for her colorful role as "Brenda Meeks" in the Wayans brothers’ Scary Movie franchise, the hilarious starlet humored her way into hearts everywhere. Although a natural fit for comedy, she stepped out of the box and explored her acting range in more

serious productions such as Law Abiding Citizen and Paid in Full, proving to be more than a one-dimensional actress. While most stumble over the typecasting cobblestones laid in their paths, Regina has skipped gracefully over them while becoming a mainstay in Hollywood. With a plethora of roles under her belt, she admits that her moves weren't intentional. "I don't know if it was a conscious effort", she says reflectively. "I’ve tried to pick projects that I thought were good. Fortunately, I had a great team and we were able to be patient and pass on some things. We didn't focus on how big the roles were, but who my co-stars would be so that I could learn, grow, and be present. One thing always leads to another, but for us, it was important to diversify." Proving truth to her words, Regina starred in the comedy-drama Ally McBeal, & landed a recurring role on Law & Order: Los Angeles. Being one of few educated, career driven fe11

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males of color shown on TV programing, its not a surprise that years later Regina relates to the pressures that other black actresses face today. With thriving shows such as ABC's Scandal starring Kerry Washington and BET's Being Mary Jane with Gabrielle Union, it's safe to say that the absence of black, educated, female character leads on television are over, but not so fast, as there can never be a positive without a negative. With leading roles for black women being few and far between, many are upset that black women are being shown as mistresses, as in the case of Scandal’s Olivia Pope.

hile Regina is no stranger to television or a challenging role, she graciously weighed in on the matter. "I don't see Olivia Pope as being a mistress, but as a high powered attorney that happens to have a flaw in her character. Her flaw is that she is in love with a man that is also in love with her." She continues on to say that, "I honestly don't think if white women were playing these roles that it would be the highlight of their characters. For instance, if we were talking about James Gandolfini's character from The Sopranos having an affair, it wouldn't be a big deal, just associated with being in the mob." She finishes with, "I don't see Gabrielle's character as a mistress. She's a professional woman who is financially the backbone of her family and simply trying to find her way. We have to shift the focus a little bit because we have to be open that these are multi-faceted people and it’s wonderful to see all side of these characters.” For an actress of Hall’s caliber, being humble in Hollywood may not be the easiest task as it’s easy to get caught up in your own hype, but in Regina’s case, quite the opposite happened thanks to a little sibling teasing; a few tough-love jokes can definitely bring a girl down a few notches. Tickled and embarrassed, Hall laughingly admits that still to this day her brothers call her "Dog Face," a childhood nickname given to her by her siblings. Although they were protective and supportive, her brothers made sure she was treated like one of the boys. "I would ask them to buy me something from the store, and they would say, ‘Now Gina, you know you're ugly and we need that money to buy

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you a husband’." The former so called "Dog Face" turned beauty lets out a few shortlived chuckles as she gives credit to her brothers for helping her build tough skin. "It especially helped me during improvisation" she adds. Just another life lesson learned on the path to adulthood. There was no way that she could imagine that some of her biggest revelations were yet to come. The loss of a loved one will undeniably hurt you, but learning something from their passing can most certainly help you. "My father died of a stroke when I was twenty-three. That changed everything for me. It really put things into perspective and that's when I really began considering acting.” With a new understanding of how precious life really is and the importance of moral support, the darling daughter gave an encouraging hand to her mother as she was diagnosed with Scleroderma; the chronic systemic autoimmune disease that primarily affects the skin. Hall explained, "They're two forms of the disease, one of them being crest syndrome which many people live a long time with, and fortunately that is the version my mother has. She continues to receive treatment and is consistently monitored by her doctor. We’re just blessed to able to have information on it and there's even more info on the disease now.” With the amount of love and support amongst the caring clan, family really is truly one of the driving factors behind her success. Even in her work she sometimes takes pieces of her characters, as she believes that "art has a way of informing life and vice verse". With new projects on the way like Think Like A Man Too, there’s plenty that people will take away from this movie If life isn't hard enough, the film industry can be even worse. Its superficial, shady, and sometimes a full-blown THOT (That Hollywood Over There). However, with a humbled spirit, effortless talent, and an intelligence such as Regina Hall's, it’s easy to knock out any curve ball thrown at you on the field of life. Suffering the lost of her father and accepting her mother's diagnosis are just a couple out of several that has been pitched to her. Stepping up to the plate yet again with the FX series Married due out this fall, I'm sure they're home runs in Regina's future contributing even more excellence to the Hall family legacy.

opening Page Suit Anthony Franco Jewelry Effy Jewelry Shoes Q by Pasquale This Page Dress Claes Iversen Shoes Q by Pasquale

bleu boutique

MADE in meet the locals

D.ra Respectfully knows as the entertainment capital of the world, The city of Angels is now becoming a powerhouse in fashion with the help of these native creatives.

The damsel in an awesome dress Draclothing.com

Charlotte Stone Created the only sandal you really need Charlotte-stone.com

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Melody Ehsani Bringing an innovative eye in fashion Melodyehsani.com

Skingraft The masters of the Sinister-Chic look Skingraftdesigns.com

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