Brandy was only 16 when she was catapulted into the spotlight and 25 years later, our good sister's skin has still kept the same energy. Her appearance alongside our forever homegirl-in-our-head Monica in last Monday's Verzuz battle proved that not only does Black not crack, but it only gets better with time.
Although the artist formally known as Moesha is pretty low-key when it comes to dropping details about her personal life, in a 2016 interview with Allure, Brandy spilled all the details on how she's kept her skin on 10 for more than two decades. According to her, the first step to having great skin is falling in love with its evolution:
"It's a beautiful thing to grow and to see your face changing, and your body changing, and your mind changing. It's inevitable, so I definitely embrace it. But staying fresh and being your best self, that's what it's all about. It's about taking care of your health and being in the shape of your life, and eating the right way."
Brandy, who often likes to do her own makeup, says that along with her Beauty Blender and M.A.C. Mineralize Skin Finish Natural Powder, patience is a must-have part of her beauty routine:
"Patience is definitely the main thing with makeup, because you have to take the time to blend. You don't want harsh lines, and you have to give yourself enough time to do your face the right way. Contouring is also very important for me, because I don't have a bridge on my nose, and there's a lot of space in between my eyes, so I have to do different things with the contour that pulls it all together. I love contour, but not where it looks like I contoured. I've learned how to do it where it's very natural."
For more of Brandy's essential beauty finds, scroll below!
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Beauty Blender
Amazon
"I can't live without the Beauty Blender. That's my favorite thing ever. My makeup doesn't look good when I don't use it. I'm so thankful that [Beauty Blender founder] Rea Ann Silva just stepped it up with that vision. She used to do my makeup on Moesha, and she would always talk about this product, and to see her soar in the makeup field is unbelievable."
Diamond White Rich Luxury Cleanse
Saks Fifth Avenue
"Well, I found this product line about four years ago called Natura Bisse. I use its Diamond anti-aging collection. Usually I never really believe in that kind of that stuff, but these products are my favorite stuff ever. I use the Diamond White Rich Luxury Cleanse to clean my face."
Diamond Gel Cream
Saks Fifth Avenue
"I use the Diamond White Glowing Mask, I use the Diamond Extreme Eye cream for the bags, and I use the Diamond Gel Cream all over my face. It's a little pricey, but it works for me, so I spend my dough on my skin stuff. Because that's everything. You have to keep your skin looking nice. And I drink a lot of water. That definitely helps."
Nars Mizubake Kabuki Brush
NARS
"I go from my eyebrows down the sides of my nose, and I blend and blend. I like the way my eyebrows connect to the contour, because then it hides all the lines. I use the M.A.C. Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder in Deep Dark. It's not too dark, and it's not too light. It's perfect for a caramel girl. I also use different brushes to do the contour. I like the Nars Mizubake Kabuki Brush. It can do anything; it's the everything brush."
Featured image by Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com
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While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Feature image by Leon Bennett/WireImage
The first time I did it, I was among a group of ladies and we were encouraged to write down our feelings in our journals. Afterwards, we huddled around and one by one burned our pages with some ladies even revealing what they wrote. It was a beautiful moment and a great way to support each other.
The second time I did burn journaling, I was by myself. I was reading Calling In The One and one of the practices involved writing down the things I wanted to let go of and burning it. I had Cleo Sol’s “Know That You Are Loved” playing in the background on repeat while I burned the pages in my apartment bathroom.
What Does Burn Journaling Do?
Based on my experience and others' explanations, burn journaling is a cathartic practice. The act of burning serves as an emotional release of past traumas, old thoughts, and negative feelings. It’s also a way to say goodbye and/ or forgive.
Types of Burn Journaling
There are different examples of burn journaling: Burning journals after writing, burning letters and burning lists.
Burn Journals
As stated before, you can write in a journal and burn it afterwards. It’s up to you if you burn it page by page or wait until you fill the journal up and burn it altogether. There are journals you can buy for the sole purpose of burning them afterwards.
Maskot/ Getty Images
Burn Lists
This technique involves writing a list of things you want to let go of and then burning it. Burning the list symbolizes the release of those things.
Burn Letters
Another example are burn letters. For this technique, you write a letter to someone that you either want to forgive or let go of, but instead of sending it to them, you burn it.
Safety Precautions
If you do decide to try this practice, make sure to be safe. Use a fireproof bowl for burning and never leave it unattended. Alternatively, you can shred the pages.
If you’re in Atlanta and want to try burn journaling, meet me this Sunday for Burn Journaling & Walk.
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Feature image by Mikhal Dmitriev/ Getty Images