
The Internet United To Help This Little Girl Recognize Her #BlackGirlBeauty & We're Not Crying, You Are.

Last Sunday kicked off this year's International Women's Month and what better way to do it than uplifting the little queens in our lives? This past weekend, an Instagram live video of an Atlanta hairdresser (who we now know as Shabria) speaking life into a beautiful brown-skinned girl named Ariyonna went viral and proved that not all heroes wear capes. In the video, Ariyonna is seen breaking down into tears after saying "I'm so ugly," which ultimately proved to be a touching moment for women across the internet. Shabria captioned the post:
"While doing her hair she had alllll the energy in the world then out of nowhere she stares at herself and gets soooo discouraged 😢 it broke my heart into pieces because she has the GREATEST energy and the most beautiful smile and heart ! She comes from a great home & loving mother . I just think when kids go to school they learn and pick up sooo much different things that they don't know the definition but they know the feeling ! Keep her in your prayers and keep lifting up our future!!!"
The video has since amassed millions of views and thousands of comments from celebrities like Jada Pinkett Smith, Michelle Obama, and Viola Davis, who expressed their mutual support for the young queen in heartfelt messages. Director Ava DuVernay wrote:
"In tears over this. Somebody told this child this and her heart broke and her confidence broke and she believed it. Thank God for this beautiful spirit in her life to tell her differently. This video shows how deeply we harm each other. And fully we can lift each other up."
Among Ariyonna's supporters was also Hair Love creator, Matthew A. Cherry, who launched a massive social campaign that rallied creatives to show their love for young Arianna through artwork and Black Twitter showed up and showed TF out, sis.
While this year may have gotten off to a rocky start, I'm pleased to say that this is the type of wholesome, Black AF content I like to see on my timeline.
For more stories that are poppin' in the news this week, click below!
Niecy Nash & Jay Tucker Finalize Their Divorce & Agree To No Spousal Support
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In October, Niecy Nash and her husband, Jay Tucker, announced their split after 8 years of marriage and this week, the couple seems to have amicably finalized their divorce, proving that not all breakups have to be bitter.
Page Six reports that in their separation, Niecy will retain ownership of their Bell Canyon California home and 2016 Tesla while Jay will walk away from the marriage with a 2011 Ford F-150 Truck and one final payment of $185,000 from his former spouse.
While the couple's romantic journey may have come to an end, they have done so as friends and both waived their rights to spousal support. They wrote in a joint statement on social media:
"Our union was such a gorgeous ride. And as we go our separate ways now, we feel fortunate for the love we share — present tense."
Omar Epps Teased A New Movie With Mekhi Phifer & Larenz Tate & Our Hearts Can’t Take It
Omar Epps just teased a new movie with Mekhi Phifer and Larenz Tate and no one film should have all that chocolate.
In a cryptic Instagram post, the actor wrote:
"Been hard at work trying to create something incredibly special for all of you! We're one step closer... 💥🐐💥 Stay tuned...."
While we're not sure what these three have in the works, we're definitely here for all of it.
This Lipstick Tutorial Has Gained More Than A Million Views
This viral Tik Tok video has gained more than a million views and 134K likes on Twitter and this Black beauty blogger is at the helm.
Jacinda Pender's lip tutorial series is everything we didn't know we needed and she recently sat down with Allure to break down the details behind her iconic glossing methods. She told the publication:
"This is [for] whenever I'm in the mood for a dark glossy lip look, which is rare. If I had the time, patience, and energy to rock this badass glossy ombré look, I definitely would. It's such a sexy look that radiates such strong dark, mysterious, and vampire energy."
In the post, Jacinda is seen applying the f*ck out of an ombre lip that is perfect for both a work slay or a night out on the town. Since the success of her short video, Jacinda says that fan support has done wonders for her career in the beauty industry.
"I just want to say THANK YOU guys for supporting my lip swatch series because it's allowing me to partner with companies that will remain nameless and opening doors for me, thank you."
To recreate the look, here's what you'll need:
Coachella Is Postponed Until October
Reports reveal that Indio, California officials are not here for your germs and will postpone Coachella until October due to the coronavirus outbreak. Coachella and Stagecoach are the latest major music festivals, following the Ultra Festival and Miami and SXSW 2020, that have been affected by the viral disease.
The announcements come as the list of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S. rises to 116.
This Is The Ciara-Inspired Hair Trend That's Taking Over The Internet
This unique hair trend is living proof that the internet was made for Black creatives. Don't @ me.
After seeing Ciara's stylist masterfully spell the word "melanin" in her hair, social media user Shanell Khan decided to recreate the look. Much to dismay, they don't sell block letters at the hair store. It was then when Shanell used her ingenuity to bring the celebrity-inspired look to life:
"I really missed my nephew and then it Hit me...That light bulb moment lol: [Children's] Wooden blocks. Like why didn't I think about this before? I ran to the store and I was soo happy when I stumbled across these with the letters already written on them (I was soo excited !!! I had a quick dance 😂🤣 my close friends know the excited dance 💃🏾 the workers at the store probably thought I was cray cray 😅😂🤣😅) I bought some brown beads and got a carpenter to make the huge round ones. Shout out to him!!"
Featured image by Instagram/@lilwavedaddy.
Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Self-Validation, No Meals After 5 P.M. & The Wellness Rituals That Helped Lizzo Take Her Power Back
Don't let the "weight release" fool you, Lizzo's transformation wasn't just physical. It was spiritual, emotional, and deeply personal. In her Women's Health cover story, the "Good As Hell" artist opened up about the low point that became the catalyst for radical change in her life, inside and out.
In the summer of 2023, Lizzo found herself at the center of what she calls painful allegations when some of her former dancers filed a lawsuit against her. The 37-year-old singer has denied their claims, and though she has experienced "backlash my entire career," going through such legal woes coupled with public scrutiny proved to be detrimental to her mental health, leading her to one of the darkest periods of her life.
She told Women's Health, "I got very paranoid and isolated. I wasn’t even talking to my therapist. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t open. I wasn’t myself anymore."
After spending months in isolation, Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, decided to go to a tour stop on the Renaissance World Tour. She was nervous that the public would shun her, boo her, or reject her, but instead, she was embraced. It shifted something in her and after feeling so in the dark, she saw the light again. "It made me feel like, wow, maybe I don’t want to die," she shared with Women's Health.
"That was the kick-starter to me being like, ‘Okay, Melissa, get your ass in gear and take your f*cking life back.’"
Her first step in Operation Get Your Life Back? Cutting out the external noise. She gave her team total control of her social media and stopped looking at comments. "My validation was from external sources, people telling me they loved me, or that I look good, and accepting me," she explained. "But if that’s all I’m getting my validation from, when it changes—and it will, because people are not always going to like you—what happens? Where are you going to get your love from?"
Lizzo continued, "I can convince myself that I’m beautiful, my body fine, no matter how big or small. But reminding myself that you can’t let others tell you who you are—that was hard work."
Lizzo started going to therapy again, she started practicing quigong meditation, reading books, journaling, and doing sound baths. She released unhealthy relationships, drank echinacea tea, and began incorporating Pilates as a means to "feel sacred" and "be gentle" with herself.
But what many have interpreted as a "weight loss transformation" after she popped out sharing she met her "weight release" goal earlier this year, Lizzo has clarified that it has been something deeper for her than the aesthetic of a smaller body. "I wanted to be big-girl skinny," she told the mag. "Every big girl knows what I’m talking about. Big-girl skinny is 250 pounds." According to her, it was her back issues that inspired her to take the physical part of her wellness journey seriously.
I DID IT! #weightrelease
@lizzo I DID IT! #weightrelease
Through her friend Kelly Rowland, she linked up with her now-trainer Marvin Telp and developed a fitness regimen that prioritized strength and intention. Her weekly schedule now includes moves like single-leg deadlifts, reverse flies, and lateral lunges, along with infrared sauna sessions and cardio. Add to that a change in eating habits after realizing her vegan diet no longer served her (to be fair, she wasn't doing the vegan thing the "healthiest" way).
All the meat substitutes, bread, cashew cheese, and soy left her bloated and lightheaded, so now she's switched things up a bit to fill the nutritional gaps. When it comes to diet, it's heavy on the protein and vegetables for Lizzo. A typical day eating looks like scrambled eggs and cauliflower hash browns for breakfast, Thai chicken salad or lettuce wraps for lunch, and turkey meatloaf with greens for dinner.
She also has a strict cutoff of no meals after 5 p.m. to support her GERD and give her body the time it needs before bed to digest her food sans the acid reflux. Of her relationship with food and wellness, she told Women's Health, "There's a balance. I think that's what true health is."
Read Lizzo's full cover story with Women's Health here.
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Featured image by Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock