These Celeb Beauty Brands Are Giving New Meaning To Having Skin In The Game
Diversifying your brand outside of entertainment is something that a lot of celebrities are taking seriously. We’ve seen it in the early 2000s when rappers began creating clothing lines such as Nelly with Apple Bottom and Jay-Z and Damon Dash with Rocawear, but now it’s all about beauty and skin. With Rihanna seeing massive success with her Fenty Beauty and now Fenty Skin line, other celebrities are looking to get into the health and beauty space as well.
While we love us some RiRi, it is perfectly fine to venture out and see what other Black celeb beauty and skin care lines have to offer. Check them out below:
S'Able Labs by Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre Elba
Hollywood’s sexiest couple Idris Elba and wife Sabrina Dhowre Elba have decided to dip their toes into the skin care world with S’Able Labs. S’Able is Elbas spelled backward and the products are genderless. Sabrina recently talked about her exciting new venture with her husband in Vogue, “We realized quickly that there was no one doing it in the wellness space that looked like, spoke like or felt like us—there was no representation for people of color who wanted to be into wellness and fit in,” she said. “Plus everything was gender-focused—I’d have conversations with my husband on products he didn’t think he could use [due to them being aimed at women], but could.”
Cay Skin by Winnie Harlow
Supermodel Winnie Harlow recently launched Cay Skin, which is a sun and body care brand. As a model, Winnie works long hours and sometimes she’s working those hours in the sun. In an interview with Essence, Winnie recalled suffering from sunburn after modeling in the Bahamas from sun up to sundown. She revealed that no one on the shoot wanted her to reapply sunscreen because “it didn’t look good.”
However, that experience motivated her to develop her skin care line. “I wanted to make sure it was good to use for people who have sensitive skin, who have vitiligo, who are light, dark, any color under the sun,” she said. “I wanted it to be beneficial for everyone because everyone needs sun care and protection from the sun.”
Kinlò by Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka also has a sun care line called Kinlò. The tennis star launched the line in hopes of bringing awareness to skin protection and skin cancer in Black and Brown communities. Naomi opened up about what she learned when developing the line. “I was shocked when I learned about the statistics of skin cancer in communities of color, particularly about how much higher the mortality rate is for those of us who are diagnosed with skin cancer,” she said in an interview with Oprah Daily.
“That really opened my eyes to the fact that protection for melanated skin is a real public health need, and I immediately wanted to facilitate a conversation around that to help debunk the myths about us not needing to wear sunscreen because we have natural melanin. That's not true.”
Humanrace by Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams' skin care line Humanrace is a vegan, eco-friendly and genderless line that he developed with his dermatologist Dr. Elena Jones. The musical genius shared the story behind the brand name Humanrace to High Snobiety. “When we started working on the shoe design [at adidas] we knew it was going to be something for the human race,” he said. “And so that just became the inspo. And here we were, making shoes with these positive affirmations on them and people were paying for them.”
“It was this amazing case study [where] people would pay for something positive coming from me and coming from my group. And there, the Humanrace concept was born. I suppose, everything after it, up until now which is skincare, we've just been literally thinking to ourselves what category makes sense next? For me, any category that we step into we want to make it better than the way we found it.”
SKN by Lori Harvey
Socialite turned beauty entrepreneur Lori Harvey dropped the secrets to her glowing skin with the launch of her five-step skin care system, SKN by LH last year. The clean, vegan, cruelty-free was inspired by Lori's journey to healthy skin after years of not finding products that suited her specific skin issues. She shared the why behind her brand with Vogue, "I have rosacea and would struggle to find the right products to use. Then I got into modeling, and between shoots and backstage at runway shows you have so much makeup being put on your face. My skin was constantly going through it. So after using, like, 20 different products on my face at one time, I felt like there had to be a simpler way for me to get my skin looking the way I wanted it to.”
"I’m someone who has extremely sensitive skin, so I wanted to create an easy, step-by-step routine for all skin types, but one that definitely catered to people with sensitive skin who want to achieve a radiant complexion but don’t know what to use to get it," Lori continued. Vitamin C, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid serve as some of the line's hero ingredients. The core collection was released with much success and sold out in three days of its October launch.
EleVen by Venus Williams
Tennis great Venus Williams also got into the sun care game by adding sun care products to her lifestyle brand EleVen. In an interview with The Cut, Venus admitted that she “wasted the first 35 years of my years in full sun exposure” and now she wants others to not make that same mistake.
“In the beginning, my philosophy for choosing a sunscreen was always: the uglier, the better,” she said. “So if it had a horrible cast on my skin, and wouldn’t blend in, I figured, well, I’m getting even more sun protection … and that’s not necessarily the truth [laughs]. But you know, once you’ve been a deviant for so many years, you’re just trying to make up for lost time.” The champion said that her products won’t leave you with a cast like many well-known products.
Keys Soulcare by Alicia Keys
From soul music to Soulcare, Alicia Keys now can add skin care entrepreneur to her endless list of accomplishments. The mother of two launched Keys Soulcare and it is a “clean” line that aims to go beyond the skin and take care of your mind, body, and spirit. In an interview with Ulta, the singer opened up about why she decided to create the line.
“Personally, I’ve always struggled with my skin and eventually I realized it was because of the energy I was carrying, toxic emotions or relationships that played a big part in how I reflected from the inside out,” she said. “I realize self-care — self-love, really — has always been super important to me. And I know for a fact we aren’t often taught how to access it for ourselves. So, this is a new accessible way to look at the process.”
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ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Just When This Couple Was Ready To Delete Dating Apps, They Matched & The Rest Is History
How We Met is a series where xoNecole talks love and relationships with real-life couples. We learn how they met, how like turned into love, and how they make their love work.
There was a time when the question, "Does he give you butterflies?” was always associated with happy feelings and positivity. But between love bombing, situationships, stories like Reesa Teesa, and the overwhelming number of bad dating stories, many millennials have become hesitant – even cautious – of feeling chemistry too early. Nevertheless, the truth remains: if intentions are genuine, there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging the spark sooner rather than later.
Frederick and Josephanie Buffington are a beautiful testament of this notion. During our discussion, they humorously walked me through how they connected, their immediate attraction, and how they’ve been able to passionately follow these feelings all the way to the altar. The couple attributes their exciting new marriage to discovering who they were individually and knowing what they desire from partnership prior to meeting. Check out their story below.
How and where did you two meet?
Frederick: Well, I’m a Southern gentleman from Arkansas. It’s not really my thing to get into dating apps and stuff like that. But after being in Atlanta for a while and talking to a friend from the area, she explained why she deals with them, and it made sense to me. So I gave it a try, and it failed about eighteen times (laughs). But when I was on the verge of hanging it up, a pretty little thing popped up on my screen.
Josephanie: I actually got on the app that day to delete it. I was like, I’m done with this, and I don’t want to do this anymore. But I saw him and was like, let’s wait a second. And he sent me a message, we matched, and the same day he called me. We ended up talking on the phone for like seven hours, and that was like it for us.
"I actually got on the app that day to delete it. I was like, I’m done with this, and I don’t want to do this anymore. But I saw him and was like, let’s wait a second. And he sent me a message, we matched, and the same day he called me. We ended up talking on the phone for like seven hours, and that was like it for us."
Were you attracted instantly, or did it develop over time?
Josephanie: No. Nah, I’m just kidding – I was always attracted to him.
Frederick: Yeah, she has always been this fine.
xovelshee/ Instagram
Walk me through the courtship. Did y'all ever have that awkward “what are we convo, and who initiated it?
Josephanie: No, we didn’t have that conversation. Because it went so fast, after date three, we decided we were doing this.
Frederick: By then we had talked about life goals and everything enough that we realized if we went different ways, we would be stupid.
And what made you want to commit to a relationship with one another? How did you know it was special?
Josephanie: Because it went so fast. It was like a whirlwind, and usually, I steer clear of those. But this was fun, intense, and energy-filled. So I was like, let’s just ride this wave and see where it takes us.
Frederick: Yeah, and we ended up here. I’m really picky about everything. For me, it was like 2-3 weeks in when I realized she wasn’t getting on my nerves, so I knew it was something there. It sounds funny, but I’m serious. Like, I used to get to a point in dating where I’d start thinking a woman breathed funny or just something random would turn me off. This was different. I was just enjoying it. And still, no matter who I’m in the presence of or who approaches me, I just don’t see anything trumping this.
"It was like a whirlwind, and usually, I steer clear of those. But this was fun, intense, and energy-filled. So I was like, let’s just ride this wave and see where it takes us."
xovelshee/ Instagram
Speaking of time, what do you do to keep the relationship spicy?
Josephanie: That’s all me. (laughs)
Frederick: That’s where her career as a sex therapist comes in. (laughs).
I love that approach. I’m curious what did you two learn in your single season?
Josephanie: I got to know myself and put emphasis on my intrinsic value. It’s not about 'what I’m bringing to the table.' It’s about who I am as an individual, and what my value is, and where my value lies. That’s not about what I’m doing but who I am.
Frederick: Yeah, I figured out who I was before I got with her, too. Outside of social media and what your friends/family think, it’s important to figure out what you like because, ultimately, you’re going to have to live with that decision. So know who you are and let them know who you are. During my single season, I took the time to really know myself and I focused on what I like. Again, I’m picky. So, I had to figure out what I really liked before I drove someone else crazy. And then she was patient with me, so I ended up making a good choice (laughs).
xovelshee/ Instagram
What was the biggest challenge that you had to overcome together?
Josephanie: I recently had surgery. So, I had 64 fibroids, a major abdominal myomectomy. I couldn’t do anything for myself, and he was there 24/7. I was in the hospital for 5 to 6 days, and he slept on the floor the whole time.
Fredrick: And those floor mats were not there for everybody. Her mother was there too – shoutout to her mother. That was definitely something very challenging that we got through together.
Finally, what’s your favorite thing about each other?
Frederick: Her booty. No, I’m just playing. I’ll give it to you in order: her confidence, intelligence, humor, and then the booty and smile.
Josephanie: My favorite thing about him is that he is the epitome of Black boy joy. He’s always laughing, he’s always smiling. There’s always jokes. His personality radiates. You can’t help but want to be in his presence.
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