All The Black Girl Beauty And Body Products We're Obsessed With Lately
Gone are the days when Black women had to search for products that made them feel seen. As a teenager, if I wanted to experience Black beauty products, my options were limited and often solely online.
I vividly remember wanting to try Carol's Daughter, and my mother had to drive me to a mall that was thirty minutes away just to experience their products in person. I remember feeling so elated to see and touch the products, ask questions to the women who worked there, and see photos of Black women and girls with hair like me in the marketing! It's such a different experience from being able to pick up a go-to product from that very same brand in CVS now!
Black beauty and body brands are now accessible in Target, Sephora, and Ulta, and digital marketplaces are filled with products and our faces for brands ranging from skincare, haircare, makeup, and more. When I look in my bathroom closets, it fills me with so much joy to see how many Black-owned and Black-founded products I not only have, but that have become part of my routine regularly.
Here are some beauty and body care products that I can't live without.
TPH By Taraji
Good Daze & The Wind Down Body Wash
Taraji P. Henson's self-care products TPH and Body by TPH have had me in a chokehold since their first body care products were released in 2022. The line is not only accessible with all products under $13 but also intentional for every part of your day.
Their energizing body cleanser, Good Daze, infused with mandarin and ginger, gets me pumped to have a productive day. Wind Down, which is a creamy body wash with notes of palo santo and ylang-ylang, helps me wash away the day and get ready for the good night's rest that I deserve.
Ami Colé
Skin-Enhancing Lightweight & Blurring Foundation Stick
My favorite clean beauty brand, Ami Colé, has launched its skin-enhancing foundation stick, which is the literal foundation of my everyday makeup look. I have sensitive skin, and there have been many products that my skin doesn't agree with, but this foundation never irritates my skin, and unlike other foundations, when I remove it, I don't break out.
When I'm pressed for time, this foundation elevates my skin in seconds while nourishing thanks to ingredients like shea butter and baobab seed oil.
Topicals
Slick Salve
Topicals' viral Slick Salve saved my lips this winter when I experienced dryness and is my go-to for the gym. And it's vegan! Their unique formula is a "barrier-building balm" that "instantly hydrates, soothes, and protects," giving your lips the hydration and moisture it needs all day long. Some critics have called it too sticky, but it's my favorite whenever my lips need some additional TLC.
SheaMoisture
Bond Repair Oil
The girls are repairing our hair repair era. While there are many lines on the market for hair repair, SheaMoisture's bond repair line is formulated for Type 3 and Type 4 hair. I can't and won't pretend that I use every product of the new line daily, but their bonding oil is my go-to before I style my hair. With a power-packed assist from their blend of Amla oil and shea butter, not only am I frizz-free, but my hair is also strengthened from root to tip.
EADEM
Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum with Niacinamide and Vitamin C
EADEM has been the answer to my skin's prayers over the past few months. I struggle with dark spots that are left after monthly hormonal acne, and this milky serum is for sure a splurge. Formulated with skin of color in mind, the Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum features vitamin C, niacinamide, and licorice algae as key ingredients.
Pattern Beauty
Scalp Serum
I can't deny it; I am a Pattern girl through and through. One of my favorite aspects of wash day with Pattern is their tingly, hydrating serum that soothes your scalp by giving it a sense of relief, which can be especially beneficial when wearing protective styles. I like to apply it following shampoo and conditioner in my wash routine. The ingredients, which include peppermint, rosemary, and lavender oil, feel amazing on my scalp and make me feel like I'm in the salon while I'm washing my hair in the shower.
OUI the People
Featherweight Hydrating Body Gloss Oil with Squalane
OUI the People's hydrating body gloss is a must in my skin routine post-shower. I wouldn't say that it's a replacement for moisturizer, but it's for sure a great addition and their orange blossom skin-barrier-boosting body oil helps my skin lock in moisture and makes it shine like no other oil has.
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Dubbed one of the "21 Black Women Wellness Influencers You Should Follow" by Black + Well, Yasmine Jameelah continues to leave her digital footprint across platforms ranging from Forever 21 Plus, Vaseline, and R29 Unbothered discussing all things healing and body positivity. As a journalist, her writing can be found on sites such as Blavity, Blacklove.com, and xoNecole. Jameelah is also known for her work shattering unconventional stigmas surrounding wellness through her various mediums, including her company Transparent Black Girl. Find Yasmine @YasmineJameelah across all platforms.
Skylar Marshai Talks Hair Reset With SheaMoisture Bond Repair 'Revive & Thrive' Campaign
This article is in partnership with SheaMoisture
Skylar Marshai is known for her extravagant style, and her hair is no exception. But now, she’s giving her hair a break and focusing on hair care with SheaMoisture’s Bond Repair Collection. “I feel like my hair has always been an extension of my storytelling because I know it's so innately linked to my self-expression that I've been thinking a lot about how my love for crafting my hair into these different forms and shapes has honestly never given it a chance to just be,” Skylar explains.
“So for the next few weeks, I will be wearing my natural hair out.” The SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection is infused with AminoBlend and HydroPlex technology, scientifically proven to make hair 6x stronger with 84% less breakage by repairing and rebuilding broken hair bonds (vs. non-conditioning shampoo). That’s why it's the perfect hair reset for Skylar.
“It's been a long, long time since I've worn my natural curls. I haven’t nurtured it in its natural form so I’m scared of breakage, of it being dry, of it being damaged,” she admits. “I do feel like my hair is in good hands because I will be using the SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection and it’s known for repairing damaged hair making it smoother, making it stronger like all of these very real concerns I have.”
Thanks to the unique blend of Amino Blend Complex (fortifying amino acids), Amla oil, and fair-trade shea butter used in each product, the hair will become visibly healthier after just one use. That’s because the collection focuses on repairing and reviving dry, damaged hair due to color, protective styles, heat, and more. This 4-step system, which includes Bond Repair Shampoo, Bond Repair Conditioner, Bond Repair Masque, and Bond Repair Leave-in, also enhances weakened hair bonds to reduce future breakage.
Skylar shows us how she uses the collection and it’s giving big, beautiful, healthy hair. “So I think it's gonna be some beauty to allowing my hair to rest,” she says. When it comes to styling, the influencer is “just gonna let Mother Nature do her thing.” Learn more about the SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection below.
Step One: Bond Repair Shampoo
Rejuvenate your hair with SheaMoisture Bond Repair Shampoo, your go-to solution for luscious locks. Packed with hella hydration power, this shampoo adds moisture by 60% while removing buildup without stripping your strands. This shampoo gently cleanses impurities while significantly enhancing shine, smoothness, and softness.
The Bond Repair Shampoo is the first step in the 4-step Bond Repair system, all of which are infused with the uniquely formulated AminoBlend, and HydroPlex, Shea Moisture’s technology that rebuilds hair strength at its core.
Step Two: Bond Repair Conditioner
Tailored to repair styling damage, this creamy conditioner locks in 12x more moisture than standard non-conditioning shampoos, boosting damaged hair strength by 1.5x with significantly less breakage. The creamy SheaMoisture Bond Repair Conditionerdeeply hydrates, enhances manageability, and leaves your hair looking healthier and shinier.
Step Three: Bond Repair Masque
This Ultra Moisturizing reparative masque is a moisture-rich game-changer for those dealing with the aftermath of hair damage caused by styling. The SheaMoisture Bond Repair Masque delivers 13 times more moisture compared to non-conditioning shampoos, ensuring your hair feels nourished and soft. Designed to repair and rejuvenate, this masque significantly strengthens damaged hair — making it twice as strong while reducing breakage.
Step Four: Bond Repair Leave-In Conditioner
Elevate your curl game with SheaMoisture’s Bond Repair Leave-In Conditioner. Lightweight and hydrating, the Bond Repair Leave-In Conditioner provides 12x more moisture than non-conditioning shampoos and tames frizz with 24-hour humidity control. Designed to define curls and coils, the leave-in conditioner enhances softness and shine allowing you to detangle effortlessly.
Bonding Oil
The SheaMoisture Bonding Oil is a multitasking all-in-one formula that acts as a heat protectant and provides the hair with moisture, strength, shine, damage protection, and intense nourishment. This lightweight oil not only offers 24-hour frizz and humidity control but also fortifies your tresses, making them up to 5 times stronger with significantly less breakage.
Feature image by @skylarmarshai/ Instagram
Normani On Trusting Herself And Rebuilding Her Confidence: 'I’m A Lot More Sure Of Myself'
Normaniis disclosing how being a part of Fifth Harmony negatively impacted her self-confidence.
Fifth Harmony, an all-girl group, was formed in 2012 during the reality singing competition series The X Factor. The group members consisted of Normani, Ally Brooke, Camila Cabello, Dinah Jane, and Lauren Jauregui.
Following their appearance on the show, Fifth Harmony released three studio albums and sold over 15 million copies worldwide before disbanding in 2018. Despite the group's success, Normani faced several hardships as the only Black person in Fifth Harmony, including racism and constant comparisons to her bandmates.
With the release of her debut album, Dopamine, as a solo artist, the 28-year-old shared with Rolling Stone magazine her personal growth throughout these experiences.
Normani On Journey With Fifth Harmony
In the conversation, Normani disclosed that even though she had dealt with unpleasant circumstances in Fifth Harmony, she doesn't have any animosity toward anyone because those moments helped shape her into who she is today.
“I’m grateful for all of it, even the moments where I might’ve felt inadequate or less than,” she said. “ It definitely has a lot to do with why I am the way that I am. It definitely took a toll on my confidence. It’s just another testament to my resilience. Would I do some things differently or wish that some things were done differently? Of course, but I also don’t want to sit here and make it sound like it wasn’t part of my story.”
Further into the discussion, as the “Wild Side” vocalist recounted her journey with Fifth Harmony, she revealed that she was pleased with the amount of success they had accomplished despite being teenagers.
“We were babies. We were so innocent and I think that is the struggle, to your point, of just us having to face reality under very unrealistic circumstances,” she stated. “I always say we did the very best we could with what we had, so that I’m proud of. There’s so much that I don’t even remember because I suppressed it. That’s just my way of protecting myself from having to deal with everything. But what I do remember is it wasn’t all bad. Like yeah, we struggled, but it was also really beautiful in what we accomplished together.”
Normani On Her New Era
Toward the end of the interview, when asked about her latest project and what she wants fans to take away from it, Normani shared that she wants her supporters to see how confident she has become in herself and her talents.
“That I’m f–king strong despite everything that I’ve endured. It’s a testament to my strength and my resilience and my discipline. I’m a lot more sure of myself, a lot more comfortable. I’ve done a really good job at navigating and getting back to who I am and recognizing the beauty. I’m trusting myself a lot more,” she said.
With this revelation, the “Waves” songstress has demonstrated how the power of staying true to oneself and refusing to conform to anyone's standards can be beneficial, even with the challenges she has encountered.
Normani’s debut album, Dopamine is out now.
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