Nicole

The U.S. Virgin Islands has a rich history and encompasses a people as diverse just the same. Whether you are descendants of slaves brought to the U.S. territory, someone who migrated from the neighboring islands or descendants of those who have migrated from other islands, or you visited and fell in love with the islands, there is always that question, “Who is a Virgin Islander?” Some may remember this question sparking many conversations as well as debates by the Constitutional Convention debate.

The All Ah We project is a multimedia presentation that contains a black-and-white pictorial presentation showcasing 40 Virgin Islanders from all walks of life and their respective answers to that question. In addition to people telling their stories, the presentation will also entail taped-recordings, and in some cases, video clips. The project is the brainchild of photojournalist Michael Nissman. “This is a very personal story for me,” Nissman said recently. “As someone with a mixed background, I’ve often wondered about this question of identity and how we identify with our background, birthplace, culture, ideas.

This portrait series will be featured as an exhibit in the VIHC sponsored forum “Building Community, Celebrating Diversity” scheduled May 7th and 8th 2010 on St. Thomas.

Most harbor bacteria that can lead to infection — think staph, strep, even E. coli. But if you test makeup properly, you can remain safe.

You know that sharing makeup is a no-no, and for good reason.

"If a woman has a cut on her lip and borrows lipstick from someone who has a cold sore, she'll get a cold sore. You can pass herpes [the cold sore virus], conjunctivitis [pink eye] and all sorts of things through sharing makeup," says Dr. Zein Obagi, a dermatologist based in Beverly Hills.

The FDA concurs. In recommendations for cosmetic safety, the agency warns against sharing makeup, saying, "Don't share or swap eye cosmetics — not even with your best friend. Another person's germs may be hazardous to you. The risk of contamination may be even greater with ‘testers' at retail stores, where a number of people are using the same sample product."But there are solutions. For instance, if you want to try lotions, use samples that people don't have to put their fingers into; instead of sampling from a jar, try a lotion you can squeeze on instead.

You can also clean the surface of the makeup tester with a tissue or a tissue dipped in alcohol before applying makeup. If you're trying lipstick, debride it with a disposable applicator. And always use disposable applicators or cotton swabs, never communal makeup brushes. "If the brush is made of animal hair, bacteria can grow into the actual hair and be harder to clean," Brooks says. You can also ask for a clean tester.

"Every makeup display that we tested, and we tested hundreds, always had disposable brushes and little pads to put on makeup, and they had all of that behind the counter but it was for the asking — they didn't have it for the general public just to pick up at their leisure," Brooks says. "And of course your Avon or Mary Kay lady had one-shot testers that have just enough to put on your lips or eyes, and some of the bigger brands had one-shot testers of foundation, lipstick or eye shadow as well — but not every brand carries that."

But despite all of her research, Brooks is not a makeup killjoy. "Even doing all of this research, I'm not afraid or afraid to send my daughters to the mall. I just tell them not to put anything near their eyes, nose or mouth and you'll be OK. I want women to be happy that they're women and enjoy makeup but just be careful."