Brown Girls Finally Have Some Brown Lipsticks To Wear For Fall
Is it just us, or does it feel like a never-ending struggle to find an actual brown shade for your skin?
Some look ashy, others look too dark. Some look too pink, and others...well, we don't know what they are. Brown lipsticks and brown liners have been in our purses for years, so the fact that it's taken THIS long to get it right is just downright sad.
Thankfully, a lot more Black-owned brands and staple beauty brands in our beauty arsenal have finally started hearing our pleas and are giving us options. So if you want a brown lipstick to add to your collection (girl, because we know you do), then check out some of our most recent faves:
Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick
'Pretty Auburn' is a super cute brown at a cost-effective price point and y'all better not sleep on the Sephora collection! It's lit!
Get this look here.
Feature photo courtesy of Mented Cosmetics
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Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Who Is Tyla? The South African Artist That's Taken Over TikTok With Song "Water"
If you’ve hopped on social media, particularly TikTok, lately, then you’ve probably heard Tyla’s song “Water.” So far, the song has been used in over 500,000 TikToks, and there’s even a “Water” dance challenge where people are mimicking the singer’s dance moves from her music video. The song’s virality has landed it at No. 9 on TikTok’s Viral chart. While “Water” would be considered her breakout hit, the South African singer has released other singles like her first song, “Getting Late,” in 2019, “Been Thinking,” and “Girl Next Door,” featuring Ayra Starr. She even opened up for Chris Brown on the European leg of his “Under the Influence” tour earlier this year.
The international artist opened up about her sound in an interview with Time. “I knew I wanted my sound to be a mixture of pop, R&B, Afrobeats, amapiano,” she said.
With all the talk on the internet about Tyla and “Water”’s popularity, it's time to find out a little more about the 21-year-old singer.
@tyla_ Dc @Litchi #tyla
Tyla’s South African
Tyla Laura Seethal was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, and she always had dreams of being a singer. “I’ve always been like a big dreamer, but it never used to be a reality for us, especially in South Africa,” she said in a video for Spotify Radar. “Like there’s not a lot of people that make it out. Growing up in Johannesburg gave me my edge, amapiano is growing, I’m so proud. Just being from South Africa, it’s just a flex.”
Tyla Revealed She’s A Little Shy
The “Water” video shows Tyla in a sensual light, which she revealed was somewhat out of her comfort zone. “I really wanted to create a video that felt organic. I wanted something that felt hot and steamy,” she told Essence. “This is something new for me. I was kind of shy, but I mean, we made it work.
Tyla’s Musical Inspirations Include Michael Jackson, Rihanna And Wants To Work With Drake
In an interview with Real Life Street Stars, Tyla revealed that her music inspirations are Michael Jackson, Tems, and Rihanna. Later, she further explained how she would like to model her career after the "Work" artist. “I look up to Rihanna. She’s done an amazing job, and I hope to one day be on that level and even bigger.” She also shared her dream of working with Drake, saying that “he’s such a diverse artist” who has successfully crossed over to multiple genres.
Tyla Likes To Draw In Her Spare Time
Outside of music, the “To Last” artist shared that she also likes to draw. “I draw…but I don’t say it because I always feel like one day people are gonna have a drawing competition, and then I’m like, now, put on the Picasso out, and I’m not on that level,” she said to Real Life Street Stars.
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Feature image by Jason Mendez/Getty Images