The U.S. uniforms for the London Games were made in China, which sparked congressional criticism of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the USOC should be “ashamed of themselves” and Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., called the decision “not just outrageous, it’s just plain dumb. It is self-defeating.”

Ralph Lauren initially declined comment on the criticism, but 24 hours later announced clothes for future Olympics would be made in the United States.

Ralph Lauren has an apparel contract with the USOC through 2020.

“Ralph Lauren promises to lead the conversation within our industry and our government to address the issue to increase manufacturing in the United States,” the company said in a statement.

It’s too late to change anything for the 530 American athletes in time for the London Games, which start July 27. The uniforms for Opening Ceremony will remain as planned — blue blazer, cream-colored pants for men and skirts for women and a blue beret with red and white stripes.

The USOC initially defended the choice of Ralph Lauren, saying it was grateful for the support from an “iconic American company.”

On Friday, USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said the federation takes the complaints seriously.

“We are absolutely committed … to working with our sponsors to ensure that the concerns voiced are addressed,” Blackmun said. “In the meantime, we ask for the American people’s support. The members of Team USA have dedicated their entire lives to training for this one moment.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who along with Israel wrote a letter to the USOC chairman Larry Probst complaining about the situation, released a statement after hearing Friday’s news.

“When America’s best athletes are representing our country on the world stage, we should be representing the best of American-made goods,” she wrote. “The pride of our Olympic athletics goes hand in hand with the pride of American innovation and manufacturing. While I am greatly disappointed our athletes will not be dressed head to toe in Made in the USA this year, I thank the USOC and Ralph Lauren for hearing our voices and working to correct this mistake going forward. I look forward to cheering on Team USA.”

In this cynical world, Frank Ocean’s timing in revealing his sexuality seems a bit curious: The Tumblr-page announcement that shook the urban music world came less than two weeks before the release of his sophomore album, “Channel Orange,” bringing him an avalanche of publicity and making him the most celebrated figure in music at the moment.

It would all seem a bit manufactured — if we were talking about a lesser artist. But the 24-year-old Ocean — who already had music fans in the know enraptured by his self-released “nostalgia, ULTRA” last year — is so genuine in his artistry that it’s unthinkable that anything else in his mind could be contrived. And on the wonderful “Channel Orange,” Ocean continues to demonstrate that he’s among the truest, brightest new talents to come on the scene in a while.

In many ways, “Channel Orange” picks up where “nostalgia, ULTRA” left off: It continues on a similar musical path, filled with luscious, pillowy slow grooves (“Thinkin Bout You,” ”Pilot Jones”), whirring electro beats (“Pyramids”) and retro-soul (“Sweet Life”). But “Channel Orange” digs deeper than just intriguing melodies and beats: Ocean, who co-wrote most of the album with the likes of Pharrell Williams, James Ho and others, gets political on “Crack Rock” and deeply personal on “Bad Religion,” where he’s tormented by male lover who doesn’t return the affection, and cries: “If it brings me to my knees, it’s a bad religion.”

Of course, it’s Ocean’s same-sex declaration that has garnered him so much attention over the last two weeks. But anyone expecting “Channel Orange” to be some kind of gay pride statement may be disappointed: On most of the songs he’s pining for a woman, and the most overt same-sex love song, “Forrest Gump,” may be social commentary, but it comes across as just a sweet, whimsical love song — which, at its heart, it is.

As headline-grabbing as Ocean’s recent announcement turned out to be, the enduring story remains his talent, which is showcased brilliantly on “Channel Orange.”

CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: The most luxurious slow jam of the year, thus far, is the ever-dreamy “Thinkin Bout You,” as Ocean’s seductive falsetto gets the heart pacing.

French fashion house Louis Vuitton is again putting a bit of Japanese culture on the arms of its customers.

The brand, best known for leather goods, formally unveiled a new collection on Tuesday created in collaboration between Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs. The theme is bold, graphic polka dots — a signature of the artist — offered in a frenzied series of sizes and colors.

Jacobs and Kusama started with inspiration of “obsession and seriality,” according to a company statement.

The dots cover shoes, handbags, shirts, skirts and sunglasses, among other items.

Jacobs met Kusama in 2006. He is an avid art collector and was a fan of Kusama’s sculptures and paintings. “The obsessive character and the innocence of her artwork touch me,” Jacobs said.

In honor of the new products, Louis Vuitton created a splashy display for the brand’s flagship Manhattan store on Fifth Avenue that pays homage to three Kusama motifs: “Beginning of the Universe,” ”Eternal Blooming Flowers in My Mind” and “Self-Obliteration.” The building facade is wrapped in a pattern of dots.

The timing of the product launch and building installation coincides with the Whitney Museum of American Art’s new exhibition of Kusama’s work.

A decade ago, Jacobs and Louis Vuitton had great success collaborating with Japanese designer Takashi Murakami on a series of pop-art products that became instant must-haves among the fashion crowd and spawned a seemingly infinite number of mass-market items covered in similar-style rainbow-colored monograms and logos.

The rapper says “there’s no beef” between himself and Pusha T, despite back-and-forth diss songs released in recent weeks. Conflict between the two, simmering for years, boiled over when Pusha T of The Clipse signed with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music group released a track targeting Lil Wayne and his Young Money signee Drake.

Lil Wayne, who rarely responds in such cases, quickly released a brief song online called “Ghoulish” aimed at Pusha T “and anybody that love him.”

But in an interview at a Los Angeles Macy’s department store to promote his skateboarding-inspired Trukfit clothing line, Lil Wayne told The Associated Press he doesn’t plan to escalate the Pusha T conflict. He’s got business and fashion on his mind.

___

AP: What’s next musically? And what happened in the beef between you and Pusha T?

Lil Wayne: I just finished recording my “I Am Not a Human Being II” album. And we’re starting to work on the Young Money album. … It really wasn’t no beef, you know. It was just me. I just reacted. Just a reaction, a simple reaction. I don’t apologize for it because I’m human. But it was just my human reaction. I don’t take it back. But there’s no beef. Beef is a whole different thing. … I’ll move on.

AP: Do you consider yourself the most stylish rapper out there? How has your style evolved?

LW: I do not consider myself the most stylish rapper out there. I’d say if I had to consider someone the most stylish rapper out there, I would definitely say that would be a Kanye West or a Andre 3000. … Yes it (my style) has evolved because I was one of the guys that would “geek chic” it every now and then. … Now I’m just more into whatever works for me. I think that’s just age.

AP: What do you bring to skateboarding and why do you like it?

LW: Skating has so many styles. Once you pick up a skateboard, you’ll find out that it’s not a hobby, it’s not a sport, it’s a lifestyle. There’s so many styles to it that people enjoy that I bring a new one. … I love a challenge. … It’s fun as hell to fall and to not get something and then to finally land it. That’s like pursuing a girl that said no a hundred times and she finally say yeah. That’s what it feels like every single time.

AP: How did you start a clothing line?

LW: It was brought to me by my friends and peers. They was like, “Dude, you dress your own way and people follow that. You probably should have your own clothing line.” And it was just that easy.

AP: You also have a soda endorsement deal but don’t come across as a businessman like some of your peers. Do you deliberately keep it separated from your public persona?

LW: When it comes to me, myself, I’m very free-spirited, so that’s what you see, and that’s what you get you as in the public eye. But when it comes down to business, I believe that business shouldn’t be done in the public’s eye anyway. And I believe that business shouldn’t be handled in the magazines anyway. Business should be handled in the room amongst the people you’re doing business with. And that’s how I handle my business. And once I come out of that room, I’m back to being who I am. And that’s why I don’t come off as the businessman or nothing, but at the end of the day you can always say: “… This guy’s stock keeps rising and there is no driving force behind it but him.”

AP: Are your business ambitions greater than your music ambitions?

LW: I can honestly say my music is always going to be greater than my business side. Because I’m naturally a musician. And I don’t have to get paid, I don’t even have to have businesses. I will still do music. So that will always be my greater thing. … Business is business. And music is life.

AP: This is presidential campaign season. Do you plan to get political at all? Do you plan to go out and encourage kids to vote?

LW: I do. … And that comes from age, and that comes from my vacation on Rikers Island (the New York City jail where Wayne did time in in 2010). Now that I know how important voting and elections and all that is. … But everybody know that life is going to be life regardless of who is president.

Celebrity makeup artist Matt Rezaiyan insists the new lip color trend works on all ages: If it’s bright pink, orange or red on younger women, just use a lighter version in the same bold color family on more mature ladies.

“This summer’s makeup trend is all about color which makes doing makeup even more fun, so, do not be afraid of going bold with the eyes and if you are more of a lip kind of girl, no problem, just tone down the eyes and maximize on the lips. Try colors you have never done before like a bright pink, a coral, a tangerine orange, anything that you thought you never could get away with, you totally can this summer,” says Rezaiyan. “We have seen celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Scarlett Johansson and Rooney Mara even wearing these pops of color, so definitely don’t go shy on that.”

“Gossip Girl” Leighton Meester wore an orange-red lip color to the MTV Movie Awards that complemented her reddish- brown hair.

“I think I like to do a strong lip and a little bit of an eye but not too much. Clean skin,” says Meester. “I like to … not have to worry about wiping creases and worrying about things running.”

Kim Kardashian puts her color elsewhere, often blending different shades for a smoky-eye effect accompanied by a nude lip shade. If this is your preference, Rezaiyan says the perfect smoky look for this summer is based in blue.

“The best way to do it honestly is to get yourself some cream shadow, work that on the lid, just smoke it out, take a powder shadow that has a blue tint to it with a different brush and just kind of go over it again in the same area. That will kind of give it that blue tint,” he says.

Jet-setter Paris Hilton usually vacations during the summer months and prefers to keep her look natural.

“In the summer I am always in Saint-Tropez and Ibiza so I don’t really wear any makeup, I just wear lip gloss, a little mascara,” says Hilton. “I like to wear my hair in braids because you can just easily take it out, it has that pretty wave to it. You are always swimming on the ocean, you are always out, so it’s not really good to blow-dry and flatiron your hair during the summer.”

Renowned hair stylist Jose Eber is taking cues from New York Fashion Week, which had many runways with an undone vibe. Eber says this summer is all about texture, messy dos and pastel color rinses.

“There is a freedom of hair, let’s put it this way,” says Eber. “Women are allowed to wear their hair quite on the messy side. You have seen it on celebrities, you have seen it on models, you see it obviously all over the magazines, you see messy buns, you see messy braids. It almost looks as if everybody does their own hair which is not the case all the time.”

Where else to make a statement? Nails.

TV personality and fashion designer Whitney Port sported short dark, rounded nails with her thumb colored half-silver and half-gold. “Yeah, I think nails are just a fun way to accessorize an outfit, like they are the new accessory. It’s fun to funk it up a little bit.”

Bellacures nail salon founder Samira Asemanfar says neon nails can give your spirits a lift.

“I’ve always been a big fan of bright colors because I think that when you look down at your nails during the day, having a fun color that pops really brightens up your mood especially if you are working nine to five you are usually just kind of typing and you are like, ‘Yay, pink, pink!’” says Asemanfar.

Songwriter and performer Bonnie McKee’s manicure had four different nail colors with different glitter designs.

“My friend has a Pinterest site for nails and so I just go on and pick something and pick out my own color and say ‘do that’ and they can do anything, I swear,” says McKee.

Pop artist Ke$ha had black diamond-shaped nails with gold borders. “I was kind of going for like sexy witch or naughty flower child.”

But before you can go there, you need the right canvas and that goes for nails, hair and skin.

Those bases need to be healthy, the experts say, recommending lots of water, SPF and moisturizers.

1. Boston, MA

Where to Stay: Hotel Commonwealth, Fairmont Battery Warf, Boston Harbor Hotel, Eliot Hotel

Where to Eat: Newbury Restaurant, 49 Social, Abe & Louie’s, Ana’s Taqueria, Aquitaine, Back Bay Bistro, B & G oysters

Things to Do: Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, Fenway Park, Castle Island Park, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, The New England Aquarium, The Hall at Patriot Place, Boston’s Freedom Trail, The Royale Nightclub, Gypsy Bar

Airfare from ATL: US Airways $450 roundtrip per person

Basic Hotel Price: $179 a night

2. San Francisco, CA

Where to Stay: The Claremont, St. Regis Hotel, Hotel Del Sol, Cornell Hotel de France, Hotel Kabuki

Where to Eat: Canteen, Great Burgers, The House, Pazzia Restaurant, Nopalito

Things to Do: Touring the Golden Gate Bridge, Riding a Cable Car!, Sail San Francisco Bay, tour Alcatraz Prison, Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square (fabulous chocolate tasting!), The Bay Area Discovery Museum, and of course the beach

Airfare from ATL: US Airways $578 roundtrip per person

Basic Hotel Price: $99 a night

3. Denver, CO

Where to Stay: Breckenridge Ski Resort, Capitol Hill Mansion Bed & Breakfast, Magnolia Hotel, The Brown Palace, The Brodmoor

Where to Eat: Fargo’s Pizza, Sushi Den, Luca D’Italia, 3 Jacks Restaurant, Z-Cuisine, Cafe Brazil, Le Central, Wynkoop Brewery

Things to Do: Winter Park Resort alpine slide, mini golf, the Denver Zoo, Denver Botanical Gardens, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Larimer Square, Red Rocks Park and Ampitheater, Coors Field, 16th Street Mall, Coors Brewery, Molly Brown House Museum, Elitch Gardens Theme Park

Airfare from ATL: Delta Airlines $261 roundtrip per person

Basic Hotel Price: $99 a night

4. Orlando, FL

Where to Stay: Disneyworld Resort Hotels ie: The Grand Floridian, Disney’s Polynesian Resort,  Grand Bohemian Hotel, The Veranda Bed & Breakfast, Disney’s Board Walk Inn, Doubletree at Universal Orlando, Sheraton Safari

Where to Eat: Hue’s, Little Saigon, Johnson’s Diner, Dandelion Communitea Cafe, Dexter’s, Ceders, Ethos

Things to Do: Disneyworld, LEGOland, Universal Studios, House of Blues, SKY60, SeaWorld, Warbird Adventures, Cirque du Soleil: La Nouba, Harry P. Leu Gardens, Kennedy Space Center

Airfare from ATL: US Airways $359 roundtrip per person

Basic Hotel Price: $80 a night

5.Oahu, HI

Where to Stay: Aulani Resort, Turtle Bay Resort, Moana Surfrider, Waikiki Marina Resort, Hula Breeze Bed & Breakfast

Where to Eat: The Rainbow Cafe, Little Village Noodle House, Nico’s, Michels at the Colony Surf, Ono’s Hawaiian Food, Duke’s Canoe Club, Buzz’s Original Steak House

Things to Do: Pearl Harbor, The U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, Waikiki Aquarium, Shopping in Downtown Honolulu, Snorkeling and Windsurfing in Hanauma Bay

Airfare from ATL: United Airlines $913 roundtrip per person

Basic Hotel Price: $109 a night

Grab a magazine or even grab a cab and explore the world around you before you reach your destination! The opportunities are endless.

If you want to splurge:

1.  Clinique – Even Better Makeup
   SPF Level: 15
   Price: $26 at Sephora and Clinique Counters
2. MAC – Studio Fix Foundation
   SPF Level: 15
   Price: $27 from MAC and Macy’s
3. Smashbox – High Definition Healthy FX Foundation
   SPF Level: 15
   Price: $38 from Sephora and Smashbox
4. Dior – Diorskin Hydrating Makeup
   SPF Level: 10
   Price: $47 from Sephora, Macy’s and Dior
5. Bobbi Brown – Skin Foundation
   SPF Level: 15
   Price: $46 from Sephora, Macy’s and Bobbi Brown

If you want to save:

1. Neutrogena – Mineral Sheers Liquid Makeup
   SPF Level: 20
   Price: $11.99 at Target
2. Almay – Smart Shade Makeup
   SPF Level: 15
   Price: $9.99 at Target
3. Maybelline – Fit Me Foundation
   SPF Level: 18
   Price: $5.94 at Target
4. Covergirl – CG and Olay Simply Ageless Foundation
   SPF Level: 22
   Price: $13.99 at Target
5. Revlon – Custom Creations Foundation
   SPF Level: 15
   Price: $10.99 at Target

If you aren’t huge on buying foundation, you can always try a tinted moisturizer! Several big name make up brands make tinted moisturizers with SPF 30. Always wear sunscreen whether under your foundation or by itself. Protect your skin; it’s the most important accessory you have!