Break the Box February

FirfsetbE2d0it14ion Valentine's
Day DIY
S2oLt-Wonrveaaeeyt
Inexpensive ways to
What one married couple has to give meaningful,
say about finding the one. Ladies, classy gifts!
tell your men (not boys) to pull up
a chair so you can read this article Academic
Prowess
together! for All

To College & Beyond!

Make
Me A
Match!

Cute Gift Ideas!

Power
Couples &
Sisterhood

Get your calendars
ready, BGUs!

"Stay true to yourself
and never let anyone
distract you from your

goals."

- Michelle L. R. Obama



Black Girl Unlimited (BGU) is an online
magazine designed with four things in
mind: promoting dOPE Black female
images; creating and nurturing a
community of sisters; providing the BGU
Girls with strategic platforms for brand
expansion; and giving our readers quality
content to live life as a Black girl,
unlimited.

The BGU Girls are a blessing to this
project and I know firsthand that they are
beyond pumped to share their
knowledge and experiences with you,
give you advice, and invite you to
become a BGU Girl, too! Stay tuned
throughout the year because each
monthly publication will be saturated
with insightful articles, trendsetting
fashion and style, practical life
applications, and ways to bREAK THE
bOX!

For 2014 we will focus on expanding the
BGU Girl Team, devleoping quality
content, building community and
sisterhood, meetups, launching our
youth symposium, and supporting Black
female owned/run businesses and
leaders. We are accepting inquiries to join
our team, partner on projects, and speak
to young women and girls.

Black Girl Unlimited is an experience and
a lifestyle. So far, it has been more than I
ever imagined it to be and I thank God for
being a part of this, which tells me that it
will only get better. Are you ready to live
your life as a Black girl, unlimited?

bREAK THE bOX,
Jaleith Zakiya Gary
Founder/CEO & Editor-In-Chief

February 2014 Tapbueoblluliuctsaitnwioohnuastr! uypocuo'dmliikneg to read
In This Issue...

Spring Wishlist...........10 At Black Girl Unlimited, we're intent
The New Winter Layers...........12 on providing you with quality
Conversations Her Way...........16 content that will be resourceful to
Editors' Favorites: Winter you! We value your opinion and
Must-Haves...........18 want you to share it with us. That's
Spend Thrift...........20 whywehavemadeitsoeasyforyou
Love On The Menu...........23 to tell us what you think.

Simply click here to share your
feedback! We'll be sure to get back
to you within 3 business days.

Love on a 2 Way Street...........24

Make Me a Match.....32

Valentine's Day DIY...........36

Academic Prowess for All...........38





JALEITH ZAKIYA GARY
FOUNDER/CEO & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

FASHION & STYLE EDITOR | ASHA JANELLE
HAIR EDITOR | SABRINA LARIVE
BEAUTY EDITOR | BRETTNEE NELSON, MUA
FOOD EDITOR | KYLA SWEETZ
FAITH EDITOR | B. LEAH

CONTRIBUTERS

APRIL KJ | MISSY G
BREY G. | NIEKA
CHERA DEE | NOELLE
JARIA | RITA D. L.
J.A.S. | SHAWNEE GENESE
KIMBERLY MARIE | SUPER NOVA

CREDITS AVAILABLE AT

Confidence is the best
accessory.

She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.

-Proverbs 31:25 (NLT)

Kylie Crossbody in
Saffiano Leather,

$138 at coach.com

Asha Janelle's
Spring Wish List

Original Wayfarer Classic,

$150 at ray-ban.com

Chuck Taylor Fresh Colors,

$50 at converse.com

Bold Strip Shift Blouse, Crinkled Tea Length Skirt,

$34.95 at hm.com $34.95 at hm.com

Here are some of my wish list items for the upcoming
spring season!

Kenie, $69.99 at ninewest.com denai Quilted Rain Bootie,

$285 at toryburch.com

THE NEW WINTER LAYERS

PILE ON THE JEWELS

Wintertime is here ladies and it’s time to Bracelets
layer up. However, this is not just about your
cold weather necessities like gloves, hats, Having an arm full of bangles was everyone’s definition
scarves… Layering up your necklaces, of layering on bracelets. You could also hear the person
bracelets, and even rings is a big trend right wearing them from miles away. Your arm candy doesn’t
now and the saying, “Less is More,” is out of the have to be just a pack of 20 to 30 (or more in some
window! Accessorizing is all about enhancing unfortunate cases) thin, round circles. There are so
your personal style. Here are a few tips to many different types of bracelets that are perfect for
keep you looking on trend. staking up on your wrists and decorating your beautiful
arms. Start with a focus point. Watches are always an
Necklaces easy start and help you never to be late to anything
(well, only if you’re actually using it to tell time and not
A great beginner’s tip for layering necklaces is that it’s just for looks…GUILTY!). Then add some unique pieces
all about the lengths of the necklaces. You don’t want like beaded bracelets, cuffs, or even charm bracelets.
to build upward onto your neck, you want to build Try to stay around 3-5 bracelets per wrist, especially if
downward. Longer necklaces elongate your torso and you have a large watch or cuff to show off.
make you look tall and lean. Start off with a short
necklace (about 14-18 inches) that hits right at the check out our chart of
collarbone. A nice, delicate chain with a little charm is a necklace lengths!
sweet and dainty beginning layer. A bold statement
necklace will balance out the subtle necklace you
already have on to amp up the style. The statement
necklace should be the main focus. A long and simple
strand will complete your layering look.

Rings & Things...

It's easy to forget to layer or stack
your rings, but we'll show you how
to do it right!

Rings

The ring is a lot of girls’ favorite accessory (MINE). It
can draw attention to your fresh manicure and many
are big enough to stand alone as your focal
accessory. Layering rings has never been this easy
with the stackable bands and midi-rings. Begin with
your statement ring—that will be the star of the
show. Your supporting cast can be thin bands that
you stack up on a few fingers or you can have one on
each finger. Midi-rings are a go to for piling on the
rings, but not having them all next to each other and
having you feel like you’re Mr. T…
Remember to have fun with all your accessories. It is
all about balance, but it’s also about expressing
yourself through your style. There are no right or
wrong ways to wear your jewelry and if you follow
these simple tips, you will have everyone asking you
to go jewelry shopping.

- Asha Janelle

cHLOE & hALLEYoung, Black Girls Unlimited who bREAK

THE bOX! Check out their rendition of
"Pretty Hurts," but consider yourself
warned - they're nothing short of
#dOPE.

Chloe and Halle Bailey, ages 15 and

13 respectively, are young, talented, ambitious,
and accomplished Georgia Peaches born and
raised in Atlanta. They have over 25 million
views on their YouTube channel and more thank
300K YouTube subscribers!

Winners of the 5th season of Radio Disney's Next
Big Thing, Chloe & Halle are living their dreams.
They write their own songs and do amazing
covers of popular songs in their own way. Their
voices are uniquely theirs, but pair together so
well.

Chloe and Halle have been involved in a number
of films, including "Meet the Browns," "House of
Payne," and "The Fighting Temptations," just to
name a few!

These BGUs certainly bREAK THE bOX in more
ways than one!

"Pretty hurts, we
shine the light on {cHLOE & hALLE}
whatever's Fun Facts:

worst..." Chloe is a big fan of Michael

Jackson, Whitney Houston, and

Beyonce.

Halle's favorite colors are
purple and blue! (We wonder if

she likes our color choice for this
piece ;o)

Chloe & Halle have worked
alongside greats in the acting
and music industry like Angela

Bassett and Beyonce.

Halle loves dragonflies for
their beauty and grace.

Chloe loves electronics and
science and is a self-

proclaimed nerd (We think being

smart is cool, too!)

To learn more about Chloe &
Halle, visit their website:
www.chloeandhalle.com





Editors' Picks
Lucky No. 7

Weaskedoureditorstosharetheirfavoritethingsandwintermust-haves. Basedonwhatthey
shared, we're pretty certain you need to take care of your skin, hair, and lips this sea

1 kiss me tonightTM, $15 at 2 Nivea Lip Butter: Raspberry Rose
philosophy.com Kiss, $2.99 at target.com
3M·A·C Lipstick in Diva, $16 at
maccosmetics.com

4Blistex Deep Renewal SPF 15,
$2.99 at drugstore.com

Helpful Tip

Protecting your skin from dryness can be challenging,
even with a good selection of moisturizers in your
arsenal. The best way to keep your skin and hair
beautiful and suppleis to drink lotsofwater. We know, it's
noteveryone'sfavoritepasttime,buttrytodrinkonecup
ason! more than you do now every day for a week. Add an

extra cup each week until you're at the recommended
daily amount for your size. Keep a Beauty Journal to
track the changes in your features... and yes, hair and
skin are simply parts of you - not all of you.

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, 7
$7.29 at walgreens.com
Olay Complete All Day Moisture
100% pure, unrefined shea butter, Cream with Sunscreen, $7.99 at
as low as $7 at amazon.com drugstore.com

Spend Thrift

A SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

BY BREY G.