By now, you may have already read about the new line of Degree Natureffects products.

And you may have even read our post about Mary J. Blige teaming up with Degree to give a free outdoor show in New York City to celebrate nature and the outdoors.

Well, today was the day! And a rainy one, at that. But when Mary J. took the stage in the middle of Times Square, I was there with my umbrella to catch a few minutes with the star.

First, you may be wondering, what does Mary J. Blige have to do with deodorant? Simply put, the Natureffects line is all about empowering women to get out and enjoy nature, while Blige's charity, the Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now, is all about empowering women, period.

The two combined forces and celebrated their partnership with a free outdoor show, laying down some astroturf and faux foliage to make Times Square a little greener for a day. After delighting the public with an impromptu set of three hit songs, Blige met us in her trailer to talk about her charity, and of course some beauty and style gossip.

StyleList: Tell me what your charity is all about and why it means so much to you.
Blige: "My charity is called FFAWN, Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now. Our initiative is to educate, empower, and encourage women. To make sure that they know they can give themselves a second chance -- especially women who, you know, give up on themselves. We're sending young women to school -- to a women's academy of excellence -- and they're going to graduate and go to college because of us. Everything that we can do to make sure that women are empowered and have the confidence and skills they need to go reach their full potential."

StyleList: What do you do when you really need to relax and de-stress?
Blige: "I go by myself. That's really it, I just kind of go quiet. I don't get massages a lot, unfortunately I'm not that type of woman, but that's a nice thing to do as well."

StyleList: It's raining like crazy today. How do you get your hairstyle to stay put in weather like this?
Blige: "Just spray it really hard, and that's it!" Blige laughed. She also credits Kimberly Kimble's products for her coif.

StyleList: Was there anything you bought recently that you just couldn't wait to wear?
Blige: "Yeah, this!" [She points to a black leather cuff on her wrist with gold hardware.] "It's a Hermes cuff. I was searching all over New York because they have the ones with the silver [hardware] but they don't have the ones with the gold. I saw this lady with it on one day and I tore New York up trying to find it. Let me give June Ambrose credit -- I called June, I said 'June, no one can find this bracelet!' And June found the bracelet. You know, they were kind of weird down at Hermes, they were kind of lying and saying that they didn't have it. It's about who you need to speak to."

Hard to believe that even Mary J. Blige could have trouble tracking down an "it" accessory, right? The star will have plenty of accessories to keep her busy this year, though, as she launches her line of Melodies sunglasses and starts a fragrance venture with HSN.

We'll be watching!