Source: Hayden Greene / Hayden Greene As rumors fly that New York Fashion Week is losing its impact, one thing remains certain. We still rule the runway and the sidewalks. Black style, Black talent, and Black creativity has always set industry trends and now black entertainers are starting to share of that cultural capital with Black brands. We stopped by the Circle of Sisters Expo to ask some of the biggest names in entertainment some of their favorites. Check out what they had to say below when we asked them about their favorite Black brands. Larenz Tate Source: Hayden Greene / Hayden Greene “There’s an incredible designer that I really, really like by the name of Rich Fresh for Power season 6 world premiere, I wanted to put something super special so I called up Rich Fresh and he got me and my wife together.”
Source: Victor VIRGILE / Getty Let me start by saying Christian Siriano is an ally for the culture. He’s always leaned into dressing Black Hollywood, whether it was coming to the rescue of Leslie Jones who couldn’t find a designer to dress her on the red carpet, or stylishly shaping the curves (and even placing her on the runway) of Danielle Brooks . At the Orange Is The New Black season finale, many of the women were wearing designs by Siriano. While we praise diversity in fashion , we still have a long way to go. It shouldn’t be a headline that a designer is dressing a curvy or tall Black woman. However, his efforts, have helped to push diversity in the industry and call out designers who are still designing for the same, monolithic customer. Nevertheless, even allies can make mistakes. Source: Victor VIRGILE / Getty Siriano partnered with TRESemmé for hair looks for his NYFW Spring/Summer 2020 show and while they only brought the product, he brought the inspiration. According to WWD , Sirano showed hairstylists a photo of Gigi Hadid in a braided style and dubbed the look the “Gigi Braid.” And while yes, Hadid may have worn this exact hairstyle, when I think of braids, I do not think of white women. There is nothing wrong with Gigi Hadid wearing a braided hairstyle; however, there is a huge problem in the industry (and media) with Blackness only being desired or adored when placed on white bodies. Braids have a long history going back to Africa. Specific braided styles represented class and even occasions while some braided styles were actually maps to freedom during the slave trade . Source: Victor VIRGILE / Getty By simply dubbing one braided ponytail, which Black women have been wearing since they were kids as the “Gigi Braid” is erasure of a community of people. An erasure of history. Erasure is a form of racism that has been embedded in American culture when it comes to Black people. To not even acknowledge the history of something is to say it doesn’t exist. He could have still called it the ‘Gigi Braid’; however, it should have had some historical context. With a platform as large as his, simply adding that braids are historically from Black culture and natural hairstyles have seen a resurgence on the runway and red carpet, would have educated a mass of people who probably aren’t looking for this information on their own. We’ve already been through this with Bo Derek and her braids. “Bo Derek Braids” are not a thing. Bo Derek is a woman who wore braids, but she did not start or create the braided style. The ‘Bo Derek Braids’ nomenclature occurred after the 1979 movie ‘ 10 ‘. If it seems like one is nit picking, fast forward to almost 40 years later to Kim Kardashian (who whether we like it or not, influences culture), called her braids ‘Bo Derek Braids.’ Mis-education is also a form of erasure. With the CFDA placing diversity as a major importance, it’s imperative to know that it goes beyond throwing more Black models on the runway . Fashion is fantasy so inspiration will be taken from a multitude of places; it’s important to correctly site where said inspiration is derived. DON’T MISS: Marc Jacobs Sends White Models Down Runway In Dreads, Dismisses Cultural Appropriation When Cultural Theft Is Mislabeled As Cultural Appropriation Free People Takes Cultural Appropriation To A Hairy Level [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3057189″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Brande Victorian / Courtesy of Danielle James There is nothing like a bold, red lipstick . It takes any look up a notch and exudes sex appeal with a few simple swipes onto your lips. However, of course, something so beautiful and alluring couldn’t come with a few problems. Red lipstick seems to be one of those colors that never just stays on your lips. So, when Megan thee Stallion announced it was a hot girl summer, how can you have a summer beauty slay without red? Source: Danielle James / Courtesy of Danielle James With all white parties and men to be kissed, every hot girl needs a red lipstick in her arsenal. One that she doesn’t have to constantly check up on. One that won’t end up under her bottom lip or daringly dance outside the constraints of her lip line. A red lipstick she can eat a solid meal and not end up wearing it by the end. A red lipstick that she can apply in the morning, have a cup of coffee, give a kiss to her partner and still have it look freshly applied by her first meeting of the day. It’s possible. You deserve this hot girl, no matter your morning (or night) routine. So imagine my surprise (and happiness) when I stumbled upon a such lipstick. I finally got a chance to learn more about Deck of Scarlet at BeautyCon 2019 . This company began in 2016 and is the sister company to Scentbird, a fragrance company. It’s a beauty subscription model, releasing palettes to their subscribers bi-monthly. The company has been around since 2016 and is known for providing you with consistently fresh makeup and beauty tutorials to help you create the looks. Not into the whole subscription model thing? No worries – they also allow you to shop the makeup on the website as well. They have a beautiful red lipstick in ‘Siren’ ($23.00, deckofscarlet.com ) and when I tried it out, I was instantly in love. The formula applied smooth and the pigment not only matched the website, but also the packaging. I tried this lipstick out on two different occasions and both results were the same: the lipstick held up. The interesting thing is that Deck of Scarlet doesn’t even advertise this magic, which made it feel like a beauty secret I needed to share. For the best results with matte red lipstick, I recommend a few things: Before wearing any red, I exfoliate your lips the night before, especially if it’s a matte formula. Matte formulas tend to accentuate any dead skin on the lips. Prep your lips with a lip primer (but do NOT apply an lip gloss or balm) – with a matte lipstick, it will cause the lipstick to shift no matter how great the wear is on a matte formula. A lip primer can be professional like, Lip Insurance Lip Liner ($20.00, ulta.com ) or something as simple as the concealer you use for the under eye area. Now back to the experience. I wore it one Friday summer night and was shockingly surprised by the end of the night. So surprised, I took this horrible photo in the elevator but have to share anyway. I quickly applied this lipstick before I left the house, drank rosé, ate dinner, had a little makeout sesh (hey, we said it was a hot girl summer and this hot girl is single) and went home! When I saw my lipstick was STILL and only feathered slightly. I was like, ‘alert to all hot girls!’. Source: Brande Victorian / Courtesy of Danielle James I tried this lipstick again for work and was so impressed. I even wore it with a white shirt because I was that confident about not worrying that it would transfer. The lipstick lasted all day and I got lost of compliments at work. I also noticed that it makes your teeth look whiter, meaning it most likely has cool undertones. The lipstick led me to try out one of their eyeshadow palettes. I tried ‘Destination Desert’ ($44.95, deckofscarlet.com ). I’m going to try it again, because I didn’t find it heavily pigmented and I used a primer to help bring out the color. I’m going to try it again; however, I’m going to dampen my applicator to help the color come out more. If you try out this, please tag me @TheIslanDiva on Instagram or Twitter and let me know your experience! DON’T MISS: Pucker Up (Down There): There Is Lipstick For Your Vagina LET’S MAKEUP: Trust Fund Beauty Almost Matte Liquid Lipsticks Are Pigment Perfection LET’S MAKEUP: See Rihanna’s Mattemoiselle Lipstick On Every Shade Of Melanin [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”2924543″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Corbis/VCG / Getty With wedding season is full swing, it’s always smart to make sure you have all your essentials handy. While we love that this occassion allows us to show off our glamorous side , it’s important to do so with comfort in mind. There’s nothing worse than having to nurse sore feet or dealing with oily makeup while trying to enjoy the festivities. In an effort to keep you focused on having a good time, we’ve compiled a list of five products you need to look and feel your very best!
Source: valentinrussanov / Getty Plus size women are losing a retail staple. Plus-size retailer Avenue announced it will close all of their stores, according to a press release via liquidation company Hilco Merchant Resources. This plus size store is a staple for size 14+ women looking for moderately priced, everyday work clothing, dresses, bras, and more. Avenue has 222 stores located in 33 states within the U.S. The store was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in New Rochelle, New Jersey. In 2007, the company was purchased by Redcats USA (who is part of the Kering company). In 2012, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and was purchased by Versa Capital Management. Now, the company is liquidating all of their locations. What does this mean for you and their plus-size customers? It’s time to shop! Via press release, they revealed, “Avenue shoppers will be amazed not only by the incredible savings, but also by the great selections and styles available at the closing sale.” The brand currently has a lot of great summer styles, up to 70% off, allowing plus-size women to stock up for their August and September summer vacations and beyond. Personally, I like to also shop for upcoming seasons, so this is a great opportunity to also shop for summer by buying timeless things like a white dress or sandals. Avenue shared, “Given the popularity of the brand and the seasonal trends, merchandise is sure to sell out quickly. We are encouraging consumers to shop early and take advantage of these offers.” Naturally, as time goes on, they will continue to slash prices to get rid of merchandise. Will you be shopping Avenue before they close? If you are a plus-size woman, will you miss having access to this retailer? Share with us in the comment section! DON’T MISS: Be The Guest Of Honor At Your Next Summer Wedding With These Plus Size Ensembles See The La La Anthony x Ashley Stewart Collaboration On Plus Size Women Here Are Our Favorite Plus Size Looks On And Off The 11 Honorè Runway [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3053305″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty Justine Skye’s beautiful brown skin is the dewey stuff dreams are made of. The singer turned Tales actress opened up about her role in the BET show and how she keeps her skin so flawless. HelloBeautiful: Tell me about your role in Tales and what we can expect from your character? Justine Skye: I play a young dancer who has dreams of being a superstar. She dances to make a living for herself and her little sister, but she hates it and her boss is a jerk. She ends up following her dreams no matter what the cost and in the end, she comes out on top. HelloBeautiful: Women rave about your glowing brown skin, when did you fall in love with your melanin? Justine Skye: I used to get made fun of A LOT when I was in elementary school. I would say, I started to fall in love with my brown skin in high school. That’s when I started to truly see the power in my complexion. HelloBeautiful: How did Beyonce’s “Brown Skin” song make you feel? Justine Skye: It’s such an empowering song, I know it makes every brown girl feel amazing. HelloBeautiful: What beauty secrets can you share with us? Justine Skye: I try to keep my skin well hydrated and clean. I use Clinique Acne Solution products and their moisturizer. I guess a secret would be Kiehl’s glow formula skin hydrator. Catch Justine Skye in Tales on Tuesday at 9pm on BET. RELATED STORIES: HAUTE OR NAUGHT: Justine Skye Is Melanin Magic In Moschino 25 Majestic, Melanated Pictures Of Justine Skye [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3011583″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Nathan Pearcy / @npearcypics Nafisah Carter’s first inspiration to become an entrepreneur was her mother. But it wasn’t until college that she realized she had a passion for doing hair. Friends would line up outside her dorm room to get their hair done, which is how she made extra money. After graduating college, Nafisah went to hair school. “When I started beauty school, I was just interested in hair,” explains the North Carolina native. “I went to Dudley, and Dudley would come in to talk to us about the careers. Then I realized people work with celebrities and travel. He told us about so many different careers in hair and that’s when I realized I want to work with celebrities. I thought it was cool.” Nafisah was exposed early on to entrepreneurship watching her mother travel state to state for different trade shows. “I saw her work hard,” says Nafisah. “I liked the traveling. She made her own schedule.” Nafisah’s dream of becoming a celebrity stylist eventually came true. “I recently worked with Michelle Williams, Erica Mena, Misty Copeland” to name a few. Nafisah decide to move to New York where she began working at the renown Rita Hazan Salon. “When I worked in New York that’s when I learned everything I learned about working with celebrities,” she explained. “I helped with them in the salon. I was mesmerized when Jennifer Lopez came to get her hair done.” After launching her own beauty boutique, she ventured into the hair extensions. The international celebrity stylist says she decided to start her own hair line when she got frustrated working on low quality extensions one day. ” “A lot of my clients would come and their hair was bad. It would tangle, it would shed, it would melt on the flat iron. I wanted a good product for my clients because I knew I was doing a good service. A good service with good quality hair so that way they can have a long-lasting hairstyle. I did a lot of research. It took a long time because I ordered hair, I did a lot of testing.” After finding a product she approved of, Nafisah launched Pyara Hair. The soft, natural and luminous bundles are scented, packaged and ready to be installed with a glamorous lifestyle in mind. Each bundle is tangle free, shed free, and chemical free, and color friendly. The Bombshell Beauty Collection includes Straight, Curly Kinky, and Wave textures that and can last up to 3 years. With hair standards techniques constantly changing, Nafisah is consistently elevating her craft taking classes to stay on top of the latest hair trends. “I stay on social media, different shows and practice on my friends and family.” But the beauty mogul covets a classic look over following the trend. “People tend to go with the trends, and I tend to stay away. That is what keeps my clients in my chair.” Nafisah plans on expanding her business with a product line for weave care. Follow her on social media and check out PyaraHair.com . RELATED STORIES: How Hair By Ivy Went From Homelessness To Celebrity Hair Stylist In 2 Years Beauty Influencers Come Out To Celebrate Celebrity Hair Stylist Kahh Spence’s Collection Launch
Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty Halima Aden is shifting fashion industry standards. After making history as the first Miss Minnesota contestant to compete in a burkini and a hijab in 2016, the Somali model recently broke barriers again when she became the first model to wear a burkini in Sports Illustrated . As she continues to grace major fashion magazine covers and hit runways in her hijab, the outspoken catwalker also uses her budding supermodel status as a platform for advocacy for refugees, the Sudan Crisis, and more. We caught up with Aden about general modest fashion, dressing modest in summer, her take on trends, and more at W South Beach during Miami Swim Week in Miami over the weekend, where she was on hand to help choose the winner of the Sports Illustrated Model Search and slayed the runway at the Sports Illustrated Fashion Show.
Source: Noam Galai / Getty Mya never seems to age and that could be a testament to her natural skin care regime. While promoting her role on Girl Cruise, the 39-year-old songstress revealed her deepest beauty secrets and get this, they won’t break the bank or cost you much besides a trip to the supermarket. MUST READ: Mya: ‘Girls Cruise’ Shows How We Handle Disagreements And Differences As Women “For great skin, it’s inside out,” the vegan singer said while promoting her role on the show Girls Cruise. “Drinking lots of water as well as lots of natural juices. Trying to get away from the sugars, which will break you out. Trying to stay away from fried foods is my third rule because the oils come out in your skin. Trying to eat as many raw foods as possible to help in skin recovery.” Mya also limits the chemicals she uses on her skin. “I use natural coconut oil instead of makeup remover. I use shea butter for sunblock.” But her biggest beauty secret is that she uses the inside of certain fruits as exfoliants. “I take mango peels and rub them on my skin for moisturization or a mask. I use sour sop or the inside of guava to exfoliate It helps me rejuvenate really quick. Catch Mya on Girls Cruise every Monday on VH1. RELATED STORIES: Mya: ‘Girls Cruise’ Shows How We Handle Disagreements And Differences As Women LET’S MAKEUP: Mya Shares What’s In Her Bag
Source: Arun Nevader / Getty Miami Swim Week 2019 will give you all the swimsuit inspo you need for summer vacation, baecation and beyond. This year we got diverse bodies and swimsuit styles that will have you ready to pack for your next resort vacation. Swimwear is more than just bikini’s and one pieces. The colors, cutouts, and accents have created stylish pieces that will make you want to spend more time poolside posing than actually swimming! Personally, I love having a unique bathing suit or something that has just a little flair. It was great to see all the trends for swimwear. We rounded up our top 9 trends for you to see. Keep on clicking to check them out!
