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Curate The Vibes With These Black-Owned Candles For Every Mood
Black women of the 90s and early 2000s had incense, and Black women of today are fully embracing our luxury candle era. Candles have become just as important as our perfume selections, and as a luxury candle connoisseur, I keep all of my favorites in stock in my storage closet.
Whether you’re moving out for the first time and want to try new scents or looking to set the mood for a self-care day or sexy evening, consider these Black-owned candle brands to curate the vibe you’re looking for.
If You’re Feeling Bad & Bougie
The Original Candle
If you’re the bougie friend of the group, this candle is for you. Hanifa has become a staple luxury brand; with celebs like Tracee Ellis Ross, Jennifer Hudson, Naomi Campbell, and Danielle Brooks seen in her designs, they have become everyone's favorite brand. They recently launched their first candle, The Original. The candle is infused with notes of mandarin, orange blossom, caramel, sandalwood, jasmine sambac, and vanilla.
When Wash Day Comes...
"Wash Day" Candle
Cavo
Need some inspiration to get up and section that hair so you can get to washing? Not to worry. This pineapple, mango coconut milk, and sugar candle will have your house smelling as good as your favorite conditioner.
Wellness Girl Necessity
Sunday in Brooklyn Candle
If you’re a girl who loves clean scents that clear the energy in your home and feel like the best Sunday you ever had, you need this candle. Infused with wild basil and lemongrass, it’s guaranteed to help you find your zen.
For Sunday Brunch If You’re Hosting
Champagne Showers
Champagne Showers is the perfect candle for a birthday celebration, Sunday brunch night in, or toast to your next big win! The candle includes a blend of bright bergamot, peach fizz, and creamy woods. It’s a bubbly fragrance that’s as sophisticated as our girl, Jackie Aina.
After You Listen To SZA
"After A Good Cry" Candle
Cavo
Let the tears flow, and let the healing begin. This rainwater, lavender, vanilla, and bean and bourbon candle is just what the doctor ordered if you’re getting over a breakup. But once you’re done crying, just remember you're worthy of much more, okay?
For The Lover Girl Era
"Love" Luxury Candle
If you’re done crying and have found the one you’ve been waiting for, let this candle burn as warm as your love for your new boo. Harlem Candle Co.'s "Love" fragrance represents a dramatic, romantic theme with both masculine and feminine accords melding beautifully together, infused with crisp apple and watery green notes.
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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.
How This New Bond Repair Line Transformed One Mother's Postpartum Shedding Into The Ultimate Curl Comeback
This article is in partnership with SheaMoisture
For Crystal Obasanya, her wash day woes came shortly after her son did. The beauty and lifestyle content creator had been natural for years, but during postpartum, she quickly learned about one reality many mothers can relate to experiencing: postpartum hair loss. “Sis had thinning hair. Sis had split ends,” she shared about her hair changes in a Reel via xoNecole.
Over a year into her postpartum journey, Crystal explained she also had dry, brittle hair, noting that keeping it hydrated before pregnancy had already been “a task.” The 4C natural recalled going from thick hair during pregnancy to a thin hairline due to postpartum shedding as “devastating.” When it came to strengthening and revitalizing her hair, the new SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection was just the thing she needed to elevate her damaged coils to revive and thrive status and get them poppin' again.
SheaMoisture is providing us with the cheat code for transforming dry and damaged strands into thriving and deeply nourished crowns. By unveiling their 4-step hair system, the SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection is equipping you with the tools to reverse signs of hair damage caused by protective styling, heat, and color and is uniquely formulated for Type 3 and 4 hair textures.
The haircare system revives damaged natural hair by repairing and rebuilding broken hair bonds through a game-changing combination of HydroPlex Technology and AminoBlend Complex, a unique blend of fortifying amino acids formulated specifically for curly and coily hair. Scientifically proven to reduce breakage by 84% and make your hair six times stronger (vs. non-conditioning shampoo), the collection infuses your hair with the nourishment it craves and the strength it deserves.
All five products of the SheaMoisture Bond Collection are infused with natural strengthening ingredients like Amla Oil and fair-trade shea butter. The collection consists of the 4-step breakage-fighting Bond Repair system, as well as the Bonding Oil.
“When trying it out, I quickly noticed that my hair felt revived and renewed, and my curls were so hydrated,” Crystal said while using the Amla-infused Bond Repair Leave-In Conditioner. “I also felt my hair strands were stronger.” So much so that the influencer felt brave enough to get her hair braided shortly thereafter. “I can definitely say that I will be keeping it in my hair wash routine,” she added in the caption of her Reel about her positive experience using the products.
SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection is making bond-building a key player in your wash day routines and the purveyor of life for thirsty manes. Because who doesn't want stronger, shinier, happier hair?
Step One: Bond Repair Collection 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 Collection Shampoo is the first step in the 4-step Bond Repair system, all of which are powered by the uniquely formulated AminoBlend, and HydroPlex, SheaMoisture’s technology that rebuilds hair strength at its core.
Step Two: Bond Repair Collection 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 Collection Conditioner deeply hydrates, enhances manageability, and leaves your hair looking healthier and shinier.
Step Three: Bond Repair Collection 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 Collection 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 Collection Leave-In Conditioner
Elevate your curl game with SheaMoisture’s Bond Repair Collection 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 Bond Repair Collection 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.
Featured image courtesy
Tamia Monique Carter, better known by her stage name Flo Milli, is receiving her flowers following her electrifying performance on NPR's Tiny Desk concert series.
At just 24 years old, the rapper has built a legion of fans through her impressive discography. Flo Milli's career skyrocketed in 2019 when her singles "Beef FloMix" and "In the Party" went viral on TikTok. Capitalizing on this online recognition, the star signed a record deal with RCA Records. In 2020, Flo Milli released her debut mixtape Ho, Why Is You Here? The emcee followed this success with two studio albums: You Still Here, Ho? in 2022 and Fine Ho, Stay in 2024.
This trilogy of releases spawned several hit singles, including the viral tracks that launched her career, as well as "Conceited" and "Never Lose Me." These successes have cemented Flo Milli's status as a rising star in the rap scene.
In light of the lyricist's recent performance, xoNecole is unveiling five interesting facts about Flo Milli.
Flo Milli Is From Alabama
Flo Milli was born in Mobile, Alabama, on January 9, 2000. The "Big Steppa" rapper is one of two children, raised by both parents until their separation when she was seven years old.
In an interview with HotNewHipHop, Flo Milli revealed that after the split, she and her sister were raised by their mother. Describing life in Mobile, the star characterized it as dangerous due to high crime rates, with many incidents featured in the documentary series The First 48. Despite her hometown's challenges, Flo Milli has since relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, following her rise to success.
Flo Milli’s Hardships In High School Inspired Her To Rap
Growing up in Alabama, Flo Milli faced challenges, including being ridiculed by her peers in high school. In a conversation with Lady Gunn magazine, the emcee revealed that this bullying motivated her to pursue her music career and inspired her to prove her naysayers wrong.
“I’m never going to be in the same mindset that I was in. I feel like I’m constantly growing and evolving. So of course, my goals from five years ago, I’ve reached them so I have different goals and different inspirations,” she said. “So I’m definitely not thinking about my high school friends or peers or haters right now. Now, it’s on a bigger level. I have haters in the world. So that’s my inspiration, to prove them wrong. Or just prove to myself, honestly, growing as an artist. It’s just on a bigger level now. It’s like, I’ve accomplished this now. What’s next? What’s next?”
Flo Milli Dropped Out Of College When Her First Single, “Beef FloMix,” Went Viral
In 2019, Flo Milli's single "Beef FloMix" went viral on TikTok. This success prompted the rapper to drop out of Bishop State Community College, where she pursued a business administration degree while actively making music. In the same HotNewHipHop interview, Flo Milli reflected on how the track changed her life.
“I just felt like [school] was a distraction, it was taking up too much time. ‘Beef’ really saved the f*ck out of my life,” she explained. “When ‘Beef’ went up I was like, ‘Perfect timing, I don’t wanna be in school, I just wanna make music.’"
Further into the discussion, the "Conceited" lyricist revealed that immediately after the success of "Beef FloMix," she received numerous offers from different record labels. However, Flo Milli ultimately signed with RCA Records because she believed it was the right fit.
“It was a lot of record labels on the table, it was a lot of offers, but I felt like RCA was fit for me because—just the vibe,” she said.
Flo Milli’s Breakthrough Hit "Never Lose Me" Almost Didn't Make Her Album
In an interview with People magazine, Flo Milli revealed that her chart-topping single "Never Lose Me" almost didn't make the cut for her second studio album, Fine Ho, Stay. Despite already having songs lined up and the track showcasing a different side of her, the emcee shared that her belief in “Never Lose Me” ultimately sparked a change of heart.
"I feel like it was one of those songs I just followed my intuition with. It was so crazy. We were working on the album and that song was not going to be on the album at all. And it was also the song is a genuine feeling that I was feeling, so I was a little nervous to drop it because I don't really show this side to me," she stated. "But I'm glad that I actually listened to myself and was like, 'You know what? I'm going to just be real for a second,' and I snippetted it and then that's when I knew people was f---ing with it."
Since its release in December 2023, "Never Lose Me" has earned Flo Milli her first Billboard Hot 100 Entry and has been certified platinum, selling over a million digital copies.
Prior To Her Success, Flo Milli Used Influencers To Promote Her Music
Before her singles "Beef" and "In the Party" went viral on TikTok, Flo Milli devised a plan to promote the songs online by paying influencers to feature them in their posts.
The star's hard work eventually paid off in 2019 when she signed with RCA Records, a significant milestone in her career. In a discussion with Interview magazine, Flo Milli recounted her journey to success, detailing how she recorded music on a limited budget.
“I started working at jobs and saving up money to go to the studio. Mind you, I only got 200, 300 dollars at the most for my check. I couldn’t afford no beat, so I would just steal a beat from YouTube, make a video to it, like 30 seconds, me rapping it in my room,” she said.
“And then I would take half of my check, go to the studio, record it, and then I would take the other half of my check and I would invest in people who had a million followers, just famous dancers, or influencers, or whatever. I would be like, alright, ‘How much you charge to post my video for two days?’ And then they’ll be like, ‘Oh, this is 100 dollars,’ or whatever. So then once I posted the video and I got all the attention I wanted from it, then I would drop a song on SoundCloud. That’s how I built myself up. My first song got 20,000 listens, so that’s when I knew, like, ‘I got to keep doing this.’”
Flo Milli’s full Tiny Desk performance can be viewed on NPR’s official YouTube page.
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