Healthy-looking skin is fine. Healthy, glowy skin is fire.
Since summer began, I’ve been obsessing over having the most radiant skin from head to toe. I’m talking illuminating so bright, Golden Hour looks like it lasts all day. There’s a lot of factors to consider when searching for the perfect body glow product because they all serve different purposes. I, personally, love more of a wet look but my best friend prefers to shimmer like a character from Twilight. There’s also the consideration of those who like a natural gleam that melts into the skin. Some products come in the form of a serum or oil, some are scented with beneficial ingredients, and a few even have SPF protection.
It can be overwhelming. Luckily, I’ve tried and tested a number of body products, both editor-recommended and influencer-approved, so you don’t have to. Below are my six favorite products that’ll give you the summer body glow you deserve.
Keys Soulcare Sacred Body Oil
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Being the all-natural queen she is, Alicia Keys’ body oil is exactly what I expected. Soulcare’s Sacred Body Oil is simple, minimalistic, and light. It’s the perfect day-to-day addition to establishing the “your skin always looks so healthy” reputation. I’m not a huge fan of the marula oil’s earthy scent, but wearing it over my Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Lotion breaks it down. They also play nicely together as hydrators since the Sacred Body Oil includes baobab and jojoba oil. I appreciate the dropper style of distribution so I have better control of the amount used compared to pump bottles.
Bonus points for a little bit going a long way. When I tell you my skin looks like I just stepped out of a natural spring…chef’s kiss.
Refy Body Glow
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If you were a 2023 Glaze Donut nail girly, you’ll appreciate Refy’s Body Glow. It’s described as a “lightweight moisturizer,” which is definitely true, but the real highlight is its pearly pigment that literally turns you into a walking glazed donut. The Body Glow only comes in the shade Topaz but is complimentary to all skin tones. Personally on my dark skin, I looked both glowy and slightly bronzed.
It’s a thicker consistency than the others on our list but isn’t heavy or greasy.
There is a very light shimmer that you only really see in the sunlight. If even that subtlety still isn’t your thing, you might opt for the next up on our list.
Kopari Sun Shield Body Glow
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Kopari’s Body Glow is another pearly goodie but without the shimmer. It melts into and enhances your skin’s richness more than anything else. The best thing is its UVA and UVB ray protection components. All three shades contain SPFs of different ranges – Rose Gold 45 (pictured), Gold 50, and Amber 30. Of course, everything has its cons. I found myself re-applying it almost every hour to look refreshed.
A trick I found helpful à la TikTok recommended topping it off with setting spray. I got the best results from Urban Decay’s All Nighter with Hyaluronic Acid and Milk Makeup’s Hydro Grip Spray. They’re both water-based, with over 10 hours of long-lasting results.
Pixi On-The-Glow Bronzer + Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum
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Here’s a 2 for 1. For the girlies who like a bronzed, dewy look, this one's for you. Pixi’s On-The-Glow Bronzer takes a turn from the previous products. It’s in the form of a stick so I apply it directly from the tube and blend it with my fingers. I honestly wish Pixi made a jumbo stick for the full body. This less than an ounce tube is best used on the face, neck, collarbone, and (if you’re feeling extra) cleavage. Buildable colors like “RichGlow” (pictured) and “BeachGlow” are ideal for deep skin tones and are perfect for adding warmth to your face instead of using contour products.
Aside from looking like Laneige literally crushed up diamonds for this formula, the Glowy Makeup Serum is just as beneficial as it is pretty. Directions include adding drops to your foundation for long-lasting wear or using it as a makeup primer. I prefer to use it as the final step to my skincare even after sunscreen if I’m in a minimal makeup mood. Honestly, I haven’t used a face serum that’s kept my skin this hydrated for hours.
ILIA Liquid Light Serum Highlighter
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Remember the Twilight friend I mentioned? ILIA’s Liquid Light Serum Highlighter is her in a bottle. You know how we add highlighter under our brows to enhance the arch and illuminate our eyes? Imagine that effect all over your body with the addition of ultra shimmer. At first glance, I didn’t expect to see a difference between any of the three shades – “Nova,” “Atomic,” and “Astrid” (recommended for deep tones). But there actually are noticeable subtle changes in their gold hues. I stayed away from Nova (soft gold) because I noticed a bit of a white cast after applying it, but “Atomic” (pink pearl) wasn’t as unforgiving.
Pro tip: add a small dot to your foundation before applying it to your face and neck to keep the look even. Thank me later.
Gorgeous skin doesn’t stop at your face. Your body deserves to shine, too! Treat yourself to one or all of these goodies and let your summer skin get its glow on.
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RELATED
While an evolution is a natural progression that happens as businesses grow, a rebrand is a total change. Lola tells xoNecole, "A total rebrand is necessary when a business’s current reputation/what it’s known for is at odds with the business’s vision or direction.
"For example, if you’ve fundamentally changed what your product is and does, it’s likely that your brand is out of alignment with the business. Or, if you find your company is developing a reputation that doesn’t serve it, it might be time to pump the brakes and figure out what needs to change.
She continues, "Sometimes you’ll see companies (especially startups) announce a name change that comes with updated messaging, visuals, etc. That usually means their vision has changed or expanded, and their previous branding was too narrow/couldn’t encompass everything they planned to do."
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The Brand Doula was born in 2019, and its focus is on putting "the experiences, goals, and needs of women of color founders first," as well as brands with "culture-shifting missions."
According to Lola, culture-shifting is "the act of influencing dominant behavior, beliefs, or experiences in a community or group (ideally, for the better)."
"At The Brand Doula, we work with companies and leaders that set out to challenge the status quo in their industries and communities. They’re here to make an impact that sends ripples across the market," she says.
"We help the problem solvers of the world — the ones who aren't satisfied with 'this is how it's always been' and instead ask 'how could this be better?' Our clients build for impact, reimagining tools, systems, and ways of living to move cultures forward."
The Brand Doula has worked with many brands, including Too Collective, to assist with their collaboration with Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Balanced Black Girl for a "refresh," aka rebrand. For businesses looking to rebrand, Lola shares four essential steps.
1. Do an audit of your current brand experience — what’s still relevant and what needs to change? Reflect on why you’re doing the rebrand in the first place and what success would look like after relaunching.
2. Tackle the overall strategy first — before you start redesigning logos and websites, align on a new vision for your brand. How do you want your company to be positioned moving forward? Has your audience changed at all? Will your company have a fresh personality and voice?
3. Bring your audience along the journey — there’s no need to move in secret. Inviting your current audience into the journey can actually help them feel more connected to and invested in your story, enough to stick around as changes are being made.
4. Keep business moving — one of my biggest pet peeves is when companies take down their websites as soon as they have the idea to rebrand, then have a Coming Soon page up for months! You lose a lot of momentum and interest by doing that. If you’re still in business and generating income, continue to operate while you work on your rebrand behind the scenes. You don’t want to cut existing customers off out of the blue, and you also don’t want so much downtime that folks forget your business exists or start looking for other solutions.
While determining whether the rebrand was successful may take a few months, Lola says a clear sign that it is unsuccessful is negative feedback from your target audience. "Customers are typically more vocal about what they don’t like more than what they do like," she says.
But some good signs to look out for are improvements in engagement with your marketing, positive reviews, press and increase in retention, and overall feeling aligned with the new branding.
For more information about Lola and The Brand Doula, visit her website, thebranddoula.com.
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Now, while it’s another message for another time that if this type of sex-related craving feels impulsive or out of one’s control, it could be a sign of someone who is leaning into some level of sex addiction; however, that is not what we’re going to unpack today. Today, we’re going to look into what could be going on with you if it seems like, lately, you’ve been having a greater desire for sex, and you can’t quite pinpoint why.
Because, just like, say, a craving for a particular type of food oftentimes reveals something that is going on with you physically or mentally — sex cravings tend to bring certain things to light in those same areas, too.
Let’s dig in…
Hormonal Shifts
GiphyAlthough I don’t have social media accounts, I do tiptoe out there to see what’s going on — and boy, do I roll my eyes whenever I hear folks act like being over 40 is old. SMDH. It’s especially annoying when I hear about it in the context of sex because, believe it or not, there are a lot of late perimenopausal and menopausal women who are “gettin’ theirs” more than some of these 20 and 30-year-olds are (just ask them).
One reason is that the fear of experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, for many, is now in their rearview mirror. Another is because some are taking a form of hormone therapy to treat the changes that their system is going through — and when you’re getting more estrogen, progesterone, and/or testosterone into your body (in order to level things out) — HUNNAY.
For other women, even consuming phytoestrogens (plant-based estrogen) like peaches, garlic, berries, spinach, and cabbage can make them want sex more than when those aren’t a part of their diet. Bottom line here, a shift in your sexual hormones can definitely cause you to desire sex more than you have before (or have in a while).
Ovulation
GiphyBack when I was a teen mom director for the local chapter of a national non-profit, something that I used to tell “my daughters” all of the time is when you know that you’re ovulating, that’s when you need to be hypervigilant about using wisdom when it comes to the sex-related decisions that you make. I’m thinking that most of you get why: your body was designed to feel its horniest when you’re able to get pregnant — and that is during your time of ovulation.
That’s why it really is a good idea to keep up with your cycle and, if a baby is not something that is on your priority list right now, you either avoid having sex during that time of the month or make sure to use some form of birth control. Chile, even women with low libidos can find themselves wanting to hang off of a chandelier or two when they are ovulating. It’s nature’s way.
A Healthy Diet
GiphyIf you happen to be someone with a sluggish sex drive and you know that you spend most of your time in a drive-thru, there is probably a direct correlation there. No joke. There is plenty of research out in cyberspace to support the fact that a wack diet and low sex drive have a lot in common. While processed foods and unhealthy fats can throw your (sex) hormones off, foods that are filled with zinc, vitamins B12 and D, and iron can ramp up your desire for intimacy.
This is why many people who decide to make a lifestyle change as far as their eating habits are concerned are oftentimes surprised by how much sex is on their minds and how much easier it is for them to orgasm because of it. While a part of it can be due to a boost in their sexual confidence, a lot of it has to do with consuming foods that will literally feed their libido (in a healthy way).
More Exercise
GiphyPlainly put, exercise makes you hornier. Not only does it boost your testosterone levels, (consistently) working out also lowers your stress levels and gives you a boost in the self-esteem department. On top of that, exercise makes you more flexible, builds up endurance, and increases blood circulation which can turn around and intensify your climaxes as a direct result. In fact, this is oftentimes why people will want to have sex right after a workout session.
While we’re here, let me also share that too much of a good thing can end up being counterproductive. What I mean by that is, that although it is wise to exercise on a regular basis, make sure to not overdo it. Something known as overtraining syndrome can result in fatigue, insomnia, and irritability; no one can really have amazing sex when all of that is going on.
Being a Certain Age
GiphyWhile it used to be said that the sexual peak for men is in their teens and for women, it’s in their 30s (some believe it’s because after 35, it’s more challenging for women to get pregnant and so our biological clock plays a role in it all), some research believes that coming to that conclusion isn’t fair because aging affects people differently. For instance, while on one hand, people in their 40s tend to see a dip in their sex hormones, as we’ve already discussed, hormone therapy (for both men and women) can level some of those issues out, if not increase some people’s sex drives altogether.
Adding to that, it should also go on record that some studies indicate that women between the ages of 27-45 actually have a stronger desire — or craving — for sex than women between the ages of 18-26. So honestly, there goes the myth that being younger (automatically) means that you’re hornier. #Elmoshrug
Certain Medications
GiphyIf you used to have a higher sex drive and you’re currently on an antidepressant, that could be why your desire for copulation has decreased. Some studies say that as much as 40 percent of people who are on these types of medication end up having a lower libido (by the way, antihistamines and beta-blockers can have this effect, too).
On the other hand, if you’ve been taking a prescribed drug to increase your sex drive (perhaps like Vyleesi or Addyi), then it would make sense that you may have an increased libido level. Other meds that may have a similar effect include birth control pills (since they alter your hormones), medications that help to treat Parkinson’s disease, along with dopamine-related drugs.
Less Stress
GiphyIf, on the days when you don’t seem to have a care in the world, you also desire sex more than usual, that’s not a coincidence either. Thing is, when you’re all stressed out, that can cause the stress hormone known as cortisol to work overtime and, when that happens, that can end up suppressing your sex hormones which can deplete you of sexual urges. Ironically, there is a flip side to this because when you engage in sexual activity, that actually elevates feel-good (and bonding) hormones like dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins, which can also de-stress you.
So basically, if you’re craving sex, you probably aren’t very stressed out (right now), and if you want to stop being stressed out, you probably should have some sex (some protected sex, if you don’t want to be stressed later up the road…if you know what I mean).
Having an Amazing Sex Life
GiphyTo me, this one right here should be a given because when something is both good to and for you, why wouldn’t you want more of it? So yeah, if you have a great sex life with someone, it’s common sense that you’d want to engage in that act with them as much as possible. Hey, not to mention the fact that orgasms activate your brain in a way similar to a drug high does.
So, if while reading this, you’re thinking about sexting your bae to make arrangements to — eh hem — satisfy your craving, I say go for it! To “greatly want” to connect with your partner in order to have some fulfilling and satisfying sex? What in the world could possibly be wrong with that?! Not a damn thing.
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