Model Nikia Phoenix: "Being A Freckled Face, Natural Haired Girl Isn't Easy"
The first thing that draws me in about 35-year-old model and content creator extraordinaire Nikia Phoenix is the striking way freckles paint her face.
Her unconventional beauty, no doubt, is the thing that grabs you first, but it's the quirks and fearlessness of her bold personality that echo enough within to make you stay. I could be biased though. I have been an avid reader of her blog, Model Liberation, for years. She talks style, beauty, hair, advice, and of course model life, and in a way that was very much “no bullshit". She gives it to you straight, no chaser, and it makes her beauty resonate with me more. It's so much more than what you see on the surface, it's skin deep.
“Being a freckled face, natural haired girl isn't easy. I've always felt different," she's said of herself, “Because of faith, I've been able to embrace who I am and prosper."
Phoenix had humble beginnings as a graduate of University of South Carolina, whose first job post-grad was that of a television news producer. She's always valued education and learning as a life long process. Somehow a chance meeting with Greg Alterman of Alternative Apparel led her to venturing off into modeling, which led to commercials, campaigns, and billboards. This, of course, brought about the fruition of her blog Model Liberation, which no doubt gave her the motivation to take her content creation to a new level with her work as Managing Editor for the women's lifestyle brand, Simone Digital and the revamp of her official site, Nikia Phoenix.
On one fine day, she was able to give it to me straight. We talked the modeling industry, self confidence, and what motivates her as a young creative.
On her first taste of modeling:
In the 90s, there were always these model searches held at malls that me and my friends would go to and try out for because we lived in a small town and had nothing else to do. Strangely enough, I always got picked for those. My mom was always like, “no, no, no, not gonna happen." Finally, one time she said it was okay because it was for a modeling school. Because it was just for a modeling school, it seemed so superficial to me, so I decided to go for the acting portion. I knew I wanted to pursue journalism in school and needed some time in front of the camera speaking, so what better way to get the best of both worlds? I did that. I had agencies in Atlanta interested in repping me and the plan was to do that part time while taking classes at Georgia State. I think that scared my mother because it ultimately ended up being a “no" so I had to walk away from it. At that point, I was like, okay well that's not supposed to happen.
On the jumpstart of her career as a working model:
I took the traditional route, went to college, got out of college, and got a job. That didn't really work out, so I went to L.A. While in L.A., I was in a coffee shop and got discovered by the owner of Alternative Apparel. It was funny because we were having this long conversation about community fashion and design. At the time I had reenrolled in school for fashion design. And you know how it is when you go to get coffee in the morning – if you have a scarf on your head you don't care. I had a hat pulled halfway down my face, but from that, he was like, “I want you to be in my campaign." (laughs) I was like, alright! When I went to see it was a legit set, it was a legit shoot. From then on, I took it seriously. This is what I'm supposed to do because modeling was something that kept coming up in my life, so this was what I'm supposed to be doing.
On the conflicts of being dubbed the “edgy girl" in her industry:
Even after having a major campaign running and other campaigns going, I still couldn't get representation. It was very difficult because they kept saying that I was this “edgy" girl – they kept giving me excuses for why I couldn't [model]. I felt like, 'Don't you see that I'm still here because I can?' Even now, I can walk into an agency and probably hear similar things. I've been doing this for 11 years, I'm obviously still good for it. When this dream of mine started in the 90s, that's when models were allowed to be “different". That is when unique beauty was embraced. Stacey McKenzie was the first black model that I really saw landing major campaigns. I was like, oh snap! If she can do it, I'm good, I'm good! (laughs). Then the industry started to change where they wanted more cookie cutter models that looked all the same. I was dubbed the not-so-PC term “exotic". There's nothing exotic about me, I don't know what you're talking about. I'd hear exotic or “edgy". I know I can give a mean side-eye, but I'm approachable (laughs).
On using the modeling industry's obsession with youth to her advantage:
I'm actually glad that my big break was when I was 25. That's the age most models retire, but that was when I got my first foot in the door professionally. I couldn't walk into agencies and be honest about my age. They'd assume that I was washed up if I told them my real age. What I'd like to say is first of all, black don't crack (laughs). I'm glad that I did start when I was 25 because by then, I was coming into my own as a woman and knew what I would and would not do. I knew that I wouldn't stand for a “no". If I was 16 and someone told me “no", I'd probably cry in a corner and be miserable for the rest of my life. When you're 25 and someone tells you “no," you're like really? Watch. So imagine now being 35 when people tell me “no" (laughs).
On her journey to self acceptance through self love:
There are moments when I don't feel beautiful – there are moments when we all don't feel beautiful. We're so critical of ourselves and we nitpick everything. We stand in front of the mirror and find the tiniest little blemish and fixate on it. And I have a lot of them (laughs). I was in a coffee shop the other day and this lady comes up, she's standing beside me, and she has her baby with her. This little boy was staring at me – not looking at all – just staring, like, what in the world? I am assuming he never sees black people with freckles (laughs). When that used to happen, I used to get offended. In the same moment that there was a kid staring at me like I'm from another planet, this woman comes up to me asking if she can take my picture and information because she has a friend that might be interested in using me for a campaign. There's God saying stop looking at things negatively, let me throw you a bone really quick.
On what turns her on:
Photos by: Alexia Lewis
Oh my goodness, am I going to kiss-and-tell? I love a man who anticipates my needs and makes me feel like we are the only two people who exist in that moment. He is my king and I am his queen and with every touch he reaffirms that union. There's no room for selfishness in our universe. I am not attracted to cockiness and I certainly don't want a man who is timid either. If I'm not afraid to let go, he shouldn't be either. Put in work and we'll get each other high.
On when she feels sexiest:
I am loved, confident, and I know who I am. It's not about comparing myself to anyone else or trying to play someone else's game. The ball is in my court. Feeling sexy has so much to do with being appreciated and knowing your value. I've come to realize that I don't necessarily have to seek that approval from the opposite sex. It's within me, I only have to believe it.
On her love of social media:
I love social media and the fact that it allows us to see that yes we're very different but we have so many similarities. Outside of my own family, it took a very long time for me to find other black people who had freckles. When you talk to other black people who have freckles, they say the same thing, “People picked on me", “People said black people don't have freckles", this that and the other. There's strength in knowing that we've all been through it and that we're all still here. I look just like my mom and when my mom and I talked about accepting who we are, she says that I helped her accept who she is because she would see the same struggles that she had with acceptance coming up in me and my sister. In order to be able to tell us how to deal with it, she had to be able to deal with her own issues.
On what she doesn't like about social media:
I read through comments on Instagram and sometimes those comments are not very nice. People love the internet because they can be somewhat anonymous. They aren't going to get approached on the street for the bullshit that they put online. I let it roll off of my back, but I might also say to that person that I am a human being, not an inanimate object. You might not think I'm beautiful, that's your opinion, but I think that I am beautiful. But like my grandmother says, “If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."
On L.A living:
L.A. has its moments. I love this place, but I also don't love this place. I feel like there's not room for growth. You hit a glass ceiling and I am sure everyone feels like that in the places they live. In L.A., you either have it or you don't – there's not much room for in between. Sometimes I feel like I'm sitting on top of the world, but when you go for months without booking jobs or you still live in an apartment where you have a roommate, you're kind of like, okay, I'm not where I want to be yet. So then I think, relocating could be the answer. It's a gamble. It's definitely a gamble. It's not like those 90s sitcoms you watched (laughs). There's not a whole lot of people of color here. That's a smidge of my reality.
On her creative entrepreneurial endeavors:
Last year, I started writing down all of the things I wanted to do and I called it my "Oprah Plan." I asked myself, why isn't there a black equivalent of Jessica Alba with her Honest company? Why isn't there a black equivalent of Martha Stewart? I said, let me just do it. When you think about the apps that are doing well or the businesses that are doing well, they don't own a storefront. They don't keep products in house, they source you out to over sites that do. You go to them for everything. Why can't I own a marketplace for black businesses to do the same thing? I am working on that with my business partner. Also, being so involved with the beauty business, I am tired of hearing black women go through so many difficulties with finding products that work for them. I am working on a beauty shopping experience where I bring the products to them called Black Girl Beautiful, starting in L.A. with plans to bridge the gap in Atlanta later. In Atlanta, I hope to pull our resources together and understand that there is power in the village and create a networking event called Crème de le Crème where black creatives can come together and create for ourselves by ourselves. I also have a secret dinner club series in the works called Nikia Phoenix presents: Supper. That's just a little taste.
On doing things that ignite her soul:
This is a really exciting time not only for me, but all of us. I am becoming who I am meant to be. Modeling and blogging - It's all evolved into this... what I'm working on now. Are you living your dream or someone else's? That's real talk. I want women to know the power we control and the clout we possess. I want other creatives to understand that every no is an opportunity for a bigger yes. Through various passion projects, I am creating content dedicated to helping you believe in yourself. It's more than group therapy, it's legit motivation. If you're going to talk it, be about it... so let's go for it.
- Beautiful Black Women With Freckles | Essence.com ›
- Freckled Black Women Demystify Freckle Folklore - Vogue ›
- Model Nikia Phoenix Opens Up About Learning to Love Her Freckles ›
- 16 Black Women Adorably Rocking the Faux Freckles Trend - BGLH ... ›
- Salem Mitchell Is Changing The Modeling World One Freckle At A ... ›
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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It’s spring, and it’s time to blossom into our favorite pastel nail colors. We can finally part ways with dark, neutral tones, looking forward to colors that make us feel lighter in spirit. Spring is a time to lighten the mood with floral designs and other aesthetics. Soon, our social media feeds will be filled with tons of nail inspiration, giving us many options. However, we can also understand how time-consuming it can be to find the perfect nail design.
We’ve collected 10 of the trendiest nails for every aesthetic. Warning: choosing one of these designs may cause every girl to ask you where you got your nails inspo from. In those moments, it’s advised to remember us. You’ve been warned.
Subtle Pastel Girlie
So, if you want to ease into your pastel colors, we get it. This nail art is perfect for getting into the nail season without fully committing. We love the subtle flower design with nude undertones. This color palette is ideal for anyone looking to keep their “clean girl aesthetic” without being too dull. If the solid pink color is still too much for your liking, try opting for nude on all the nails and allowing the two floral design to have their moment. There are many ways to get into the season without stepping outside our comfort zone.
Chrome Flower Girl
This nail design is an absolute show-stopper! Make everyone blind every time you wave hello with this incredible chrome art. This design is unique because of the gorgeous mix of purples, pinks, and yellows. This design is for the girl ready to move on from winter and enter her “spring girl era.” As if the colors alone weren’t enough, the two floral designs are the icing on this already captivating work of art. Live spring out loud with this masterpiece!
Yellow Mellow
Yellow is a signature spring color. This design honors the season with various yellows, making it stand out. Each pigment adds contrast to the design. This color scheme makes us want to break up with the typical nude aesthetic that has been around for way too long. Move forward and be the spotlight with the incredible yellow design.
Short But Mighty
Calling all of my short-nail girls! Yes, the rumors are true - we can have fun too. Short nails get a bad rap for not being as flashy as long nails. This design put those rumors to rest with its adorable pastel nail aesthetic. We love the hint of green complimented with pink floral nail art. This design is fun, classic, and refreshing for the upcoming season. Must have short nails for your job? No problem! Don’t lose out on feeling like that girl with this not-so-subtle nail art.
Pastel Anyone?
Gorgeous, gorgeous girls wear pastels! Can’t pick one pastel color for your next nail appointment? No worries! The beauty of nail art is that there are no rules. You can wear each pastel color on your fingertips with no regrets. This nail design proves just that with its impeccable color scheme matched with chrome to make things more interesting. Don’t stress yourself trying to find a design or pick a color. Do it all! You only live once, after all.
French Tip With A Twist
We love a classic white French tip as much as the next person, but in 2024, we are stepping it up! This pastel French tip will have all the girls screaming. Become mesmerized by the swirls of pinks, blues, and yellows across your tips. With this nail design, you’ll have anyone under your spell.
Easter Treat
Easter isn’t over until we say it’s over! This adorable Easter-inspired design will have you leaping into spring. Just look at those cute bunnies complimented with Easter eggs! The colors, design, and festive aesthetic have us jumping for joy. This design also has a nice balance of nudes, which can be great for anyone who wants to have fun with their nails and stay committed to neutral tones. This design has something everyone can appreciate, from the nail art girlie to the neutral girlie.
Simple Spring Chic
We have the perfect nail inspiration for you if you want to keep things clean and classic. This simple nail color eases into the season while still maintaining a classic touch. Let your jewelry be the glam when rocking this clean nail color.
Flower Girl
This design truly captures spring without words. From the colors to the flowers, there isn’t a part of this design that isn’t refreshing. The hues of pink alone give us soft girl Barbie vibes. Let your hands do all the talking with this perfect nail art.
Seeing Things Clearly
Finally, winter is behind us, and the spring sun allows us to see things clearly - just like this nail design! Clear nails have not gotten enough respect until now. These gel x clear spring nails are all you need to set the tone for the season. Colorful flowers are the main vocal point of the design while remaining simple. This design is a breath of fresh air we’ve all been waiting for. Welcome to spring!
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Feature image by Justin Lambert/ Getty Images