Every year it comes around and I totally want to be there! But then life, responsibilities, and lack of funds get in the way. Damn you, Essence Festival - every year you fill my heart with such longing.

This year I read all about the fest courtesy of my friends on Twitter who were lucky enough to go. Angel from Concrete Loop featured some pics that made me say oooh, weee Maxwell! And I saw some brilliant performance videos on Vivrant Thang's YouTube page -- loved the Michael Jackson tributes by Lalah Hathaway and Melanie Fiona!

Besides the awesome live music, there's a festival worth experiencing wrapped around the Essence experience. And from what I heard, one of the hottest places to be was the Bond Over Beauty hospitality suite at the W Hotel. See that gift bag there? It is just filled with goodies I'm dying to try!

Featuring multicultural brands Motions and Soft and Beautiful and put together by Honeymag.com, the whole gifting suite was stocked with free hair-care products and glam gurus who were on hand to offer consultations, treatments (and yes, even massages) for the crowd. DJ D-Nice kept things lively with tributes to Michael Jackson on the turntables, and my fave Huxtable, currently a series regular on Tyler Perry's "House of Payne," -- Keisha Knight Pulliam was the hot hostess.

Check out Honeymag.com for a full recap of the event and click here for more info on Motions and Soft and Beautiful.

Jealous green is NOT my color! So I'm gonna have to save my dollars for next year's fest. Did you go to Essence this year? Tell me about it!