Bold & Beautiful: How To Rock A Black Lip
There's nothing like a bold lip color to make you feel confident and sexy while standing out from the crowd. While your office mates are slicking on their fall reds and subtle oranges, some of us are turning our pretty pouts into statements that say go bold or go home!
A confident woman should feel comfortable rocking a black lip any time of year. Don't wait for the cool seasons to roll around to pull out your darker-hued lipsticks and glosses. If you're looking to finally master that technique of how to apply your lipstick seamlessly, let's take it back to the basics.
Here's an easy step-by-step guide on how to paint your pout black and embrace your inner bad gal!
Step 1: Exfoliate & Moisturize
You always want to exfoliate your lips first before applying any lip color. Gently massage the product into your lips to remove any dead skin cells to create a smooth surface for your lipstick. After about a minute, take a warm towel and gently remove the exfoliator.
Tip: If you don't feel like splurging on a lip exfoliator, you can do it yourself by whipping up a little olive oil mixed with sugar in the raw and voila....your own homemade lip exfoliator.
After exfoliating, apply a lip balm for moisture.
Step 2: Line & Fill In
I like to line my lips starting with the outer corner and working my way in. Continue to fill your lips completely in. This gives your lipstick a good base to cling to and ensures that you have even color. This is a great trick for you ladies who have one lip that may be darker than the other.
Next up, take the edge of the black lipstick and reline the lips first then proceed to apply the lipstick as you would any other shade. Take your time and go slow so you don't end up outside of the lines. Blot your lips together gently to deposit the color evenly all over.
Tip: Use a lip brush to apply the color for more precision.
Step 4: Touch It Up
Finally, for the finishing touches, take your lip liner pencil again and reline your lips after you've applied the lipstick. This will help your lipstick from “bleeding" outside of the lines, giving you perfectly lined lips. Clean up any minor mistakes with a tissue.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Megan Thee Stallion Shares Her Transformative Approach To Health And Wellness
Megan Thee Stallion is back and better than ever — both physically and mentally.
ForWomen’s Health May/June 2024 cover, the 29-year-old rapper bared all, opening up about her healing journey following the aftermath of the July 2020 shooting incident by rapper Tory Lanez.
“A lot of people didn’t treat me like I was human for a long time,” she told the publication. “I feel like everybody was always used to me being the fun and happy party girl. I watched people build me up, tear me down, and be confused about their expectations of me.”
She continued, “As a Black woman, as a darker Black woman, I also feel like people expect me to take the punches, take the beating, take the lashings, and handle it with grace. But I’m human.”
While the “Savage” artist exudes confidence through her stage presence and boisterous lyrics, behind the scenes, Megan was experiencing a silent battle with her mental health. “Before I went onstage, I would be crying half the time because I didn’t want to [perform], but I also didn’t want to upset my fans,” she says.
With pressures from the outside world piling up, Megan experienced “dark times,” that caused her to isolate from the public eye.
“I didn’t want to get [out] from under the covers,” she recalls. “I stayed in my room. I would not turn the lights on. I had blackout curtains. I didn’t want to see the sun. I knew I wasn’t myself. It took me a while to acknowledge that I was depressed. But once I started talking to a therapist, I was able to be truthful with myself.”
The “Wanna Be” rapper also details her current workout slip and diet that work hand in hand, giving her the mental clarity and stamina to perform at her highest level. For four to five days a week, Megan is locked in with one of her two trainers, Emory “Joc” Bernard and Tim Boutte, doing a variety of workouts like Pilates, running up and down sand hills at the beach, or hitting the StairMaster or elliptical for upwards of 40 minutes.
Best known for her “Megan knees,” leg day is a must — with hip thrusts, goblet squats, leg extensions, and “stallion kicks,” being included in her circuits.
With a combination of therapy, stepping away from imbalanced relationships, and daily movement, the Houston Hottie has since been able to reconnect with herself on a deeper level; putting her happiness before the opinions of others. “Working on myself made me get into working out because I needed to focus my energy somewhere else,” she shares. “I used working out to escape and to get happy.”
“I’m in a space where I feel good mentally, so I want to look as good as I feel.”
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Featured image by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images