Thankfully, something that my ancestors blessed me with are thick eyebrows and long eyelashes. But because I actually prefer to do my own eyebrows at home (because sometimes the professionals shape them in a way that I'm not exactly thrilled with), there are times when I can get a little, shall we say overzealous, when it comes to removing sparse hairs. If you can relate to where I am coming from, then you know that it can feel like for-e-ver when you're waiting for your eyebrows to fill back in. Something that has helped are some of these all-natural remedies below.
Whether you're looking to have thicker brows or you want to be able to get a little more length on those lashes of yours, here are some things, that you probably already have at your crib somewhere, that can totally help you out and hook you up.
Jamaican Black Castor Oil
Personally, I'm a big fan of Mango & Lime's Jamaican Black Castor Oil line. Currently, my collection consists of their rosemary, lavender and vitamins A-D-E bottles. Jamaican black castor oil is dope because the properties in it are able to heal acne marks, deeply moisturize your skin and, it even contains antifungal and antibacterial ingredients that can help to heal skin infections over time. What I personally use this type of oil for is my hair. It conditions my tresses, helps to prevent breakage and even makes my hair thicker too. Something else that Jamaican black castor oil is able to do is nourish your eyebrows' and eyelashes' hair follicles so that they grow thicker over time.
How to Apply: All you need to pour about a half teaspoon of the oil into the bottle's top. Then dip a Q-tip into the oil and spread the oil over your brows and along your eyelashes. If you do this every night, you should notice fuller eyebrows and eyelashes in about a month. (Bonus tip: If you add a drop of vegetable glycerin to the oil, it can help your eyebrows to fill in even faster. Just make sure to NOT do this with your eyelashes. Vegetable glycerin can irritate your eyes if it comes into contact with them.)
Shea Butter
Shea butter is the ish. It really is. The reason why it's considered to be a "superfood for your skin" is because it has a combination of nutrients (including vitamins A and E) and essential fatty acids that helps your skin to produce collagen, soften scars, reduce skin inflammation, seal ends of your hair and heal chapped lips. It's a great base for DIY deodorant as well (you can cop a great recipe here).
Something else that's special about shea butter is it's able to coat your eyebrows' and eyelashes' hair follicles as it provides vitamins to help them thrive. It's pretty common to notice that your eyebrows seem thicker, even after your first use.
How to Apply: For your eyebrows, all you need to do is scrape a little bit of shea butter out of its container and gently massage your eyebrows with it. Then use an eyebrow brush to smooth your eyebrows over. For your eyelashes, just rub a tiny amount between one of your index fingers and thumbs until the butter melts. Glide your index finger along the top of your eyelid where your eyelashes are. Do this before turning in every night. Growth should be noticeable in 4-6 weeks.
Onion Juice
Onion juice is great for our health in a myriad of ways. Thanks to the sulfur, vitamins B and C and potassium that's in onions, if you consume them on a regular basis, they will help to maintain your heart health, fight cancer cells, boost bone density and fight off bacteria that can lead to infections up the road. Since onions also have properties that strengthen hair follicles while increasing your hair's volume too, that's what makes it another awesome treatment for your eyebrows and eyelashes.
How to Apply: Onions are pretty potent, so of course you don't want the juice to get into your eyes. As far as your eyebrows go, once you DIY some onion juice (there's a cool recipe here), you can apply it directly onto your brows. Dip a Q-tip into the juice and let it sit on your brows for 10 minutes. Then, with a wet washcloth, thoroughly wipe the onion juice off of them. If you want your eyelashes to get in on the action, drinking a little onion juice is the route that you should take. If you add some honey to it, you'll instantly have a potent all-natural cough syrup too.
Fenugreek
Something that I've been taking for a while now is fenugreek supplements. I do it because, believe it or not, it keeps my breasts "perky", thanks to the phytoestrogen that's in it (if you're a new mom, it helps to get your milk flowing too). Some other things that fenugreek does is it regulates blood sugar levels, boosts the libido in men as well as in women, balances cholesterol levels, relieves menstrual cramps, maintains liver and kidney health, and can even help to reduce a virus-related fever. Something else that the properties in fenugreek does is strengthen hair follicles. Plus, the lecithin that's in it can help your eyebrows to retain their natural color and even slow down premature greying.
How to Apply: This particular remedy is best for your eyebrows only. If you soak one-fourth cup of fenugreek seeds overnight and grind them into a paste the following day, it will create a paste that you can put directly onto your eyebrows. Do this twice a week. You'll see results in around five weeks.
Coconut Oil & Olive Oil
The combination of coconut oil and olive oil is a pretty impressive one. Coconut oil has fatty acids, lauric acid, Vitamin E and iron that all work together to support your brain, kill various forms of bacteria, viruses and fungi, satisfy intense hunger cravings, reduce eczema symptoms, improve oral health and deeply moisturize your skin. Virgin (unrefined) olive oil is loaded with healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamins A and E, polyphenols, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and antioxidants that will protect against heart disease, reduce type 2 diabetes risk, treat rheumatoid arthritis and even improve bone health.
The fatty acids in the coconut oil supports the protein that your hair is made out of while the Vitamin A in olive oil will stimulate the production of sebum in your hair follicles so that your eyebrows and eyelashes are both strong and well-conditioned.
How to Apply: If you scoop out a half teaspoon of coconut oil, add a half teaspoon of olive oil to that and stir them both together, you can then apply a thin layer of the combination on your eyebrows and over your eyelids. Do this at nighttime and you should see thicker and healthier hair within 3-4 weeks.
Vitamin E
If you don't have a bottle of Vitamin E (or a multi-vitamin that contains it), you definitely should. It's a fat-soluble oil that can deeply moisturize your skin, heal wounds, smooth out scars and fight signs of aging. Thanks to the emollients that it contains, Vitamin E can actually balance the sebum that your skin naturally produces. Also, thanks to all of the antioxidants that are in it, Vitamin E can also help to prevent infection too. Vitamin E is great on the eyebrows and eyelashes tip because it contains compounds that can increase blood circulation to your hair's follicles while strengthening the hair that comes out of them at the same time.
How to Apply: Vitamin E is super easy to apply. Use a needle to pop a hole into a Vitamin E capsule. As you squeeze the capsule, rub the oil over your eyebrows. When it comes to your eyelashes, because this type of oil is a little on the sticky side, just keep in mind that a very little bit goes a long way. Mixing a half teaspoon of almond oil with the oil from a capsule, then apply the combo to a disposable mascara wand. 3-4 weeks should give you some of the results you've been looking for.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a plant that contains around 75 different components including vitamins A, several Bs, C and E along with calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and copper. So, it's no wonder that it's such a powerhouse with regards to maintaining our health. If you consume 100 percent pure Aloe vera juice, it will build your immune system, maintain your digestion, lower your cholesterol levels, relieve arthritic pain and can relieve constipation. If you apply it onto your skin in gel form, Aloe vera has antifungal elements that can treat dandruff on your scalp, soothe psoriasis and, thanks to the antioxidants that are in the plant, it can relieve chapped lips and tone your skin as well. Also, if you apply Aloe vera, in gel form, to your eyebrows and eyelashes, it can strengthen your hair follicles so that there is less shedding.
How to Apply: With a disposable mascara wand, put a thin layer of 100 pure Aloe vera gel onto your eyebrows and eyelashes before turning in at night, then wash your face in the morning as usual. Noticeable results should occur within a couple of weeks.
Biotin-Rich Foods
Biotin is a vitamin that all of us need. It improves the quality of our skin, strengthens our nails, stabilizes our blood sugar levels, boosts our energy levels and even helps to keep our thyroid levels in check. You know what else it does? It makes our hair healthier as it helps it to appear thicker too. So, if you're looking for an "inside out" way to get your eyebrows and eyelashes to flourish, getting more biotin-rich foods into your diet is definitely one of the best ways to do it.
Foods You Should Eat More Often: Next time you're at the grocery store, make sure to pick up sweet potatoes, cheese, eggs, mushrooms, spinach, nuts, avocados, almonds and sunflower seeds. All of them will give you the biotin boost you've been seeking so that your eyebrows and eyelashes are more glorious than ever, girl. Enjoy!
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So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
It’s not like it has to be a bad thing. In fact, studies say that somewhere around 15 percent of engaged couples actually met through a friend. All I’m saying is, before you entertain someone’s “I’ve got someone I want you to meet” invitation, it would benefit you to interview them first — for the sake of all parties involved.
The questions that I recommend asking? The following six are what I think can get everyone on the same page, so that there is more pleasure than regret from the hook-up attempt.
1. Why Are They So Invested?
GiphyTwo things that I recently watched over again are the series Survivor’s Remorse (the writing is so damn good) and a movie called Trapped in Temptation (both are currently on Tubi). Something that both of them made me think about is the fact that motive reveals a lot when it comes to why people say and do the things that they do.
When it comes to the movie, specifically, without giving the film away — let me just say that, if you are in a relationship, be really careful about listening to individuals who try to talk you out of maintaining it. More times than not, the motive is shady as hell. And honestly, sometimes people who are close to obsessed with you being in one deserve a bit of side-eye too.
Now, if it’s someone who loves all things love, they are in love and they want you to experience something similar — that’s sweet. Just make sure that they are approaching the set up from a healthy space. What I mean by that is they don’t see singleness as some sort of relational handicap or they aren’t trying to override what you want for your life as if they somehow know better (there are so many ways to be a control freak, y’all).
Hmph. Now that I think about it — make sure that the set-up crew isn’t trying to use you to “save” some male friend or relative of theirs. I say that because I once knew a mother whose son had — count ‘em — 10 kids and she was FOREVER trying to get me to date him. Girl, that wasn’t for me. She was looking for a Holy Ghost Jr. for that child of hers. I’ll pass. HARD PASS.
Bottom line with this one — if someone wants to set you up with someone else, the first thing to ask is why? Make sure to really listen to what their answer is. Then pay attention to if your mind, body and spirit are at peace with their answer(s).
2. Do They Know What You Want?
GiphyI don’t know about y’all, but the people (and let’s be honest, by far, it’s usually women) who have tried to set me up with someone? They didn’t even know what my preferences or type was. Hell, they didn’t even know my thoughts or timeline as it relates to being in a serious relationship were either. And what that boils down to is they were trying to hook me up based on their agenda, not mine — and that usually meant that the guys who they came up with? Yeah…I was good on them. LOL.
Yeah, if someone wants to hook you up, you definitely should ask them if they know what you are looking for in a guy when it comes to his looks, personality, passions, spirituality, relational desires and goals, location, etc. Because, indeed, what is the point in going out with someone who is fine as hell and yet, you want kids and he doesn’t (or vice versa) or who has a great personality yet he isn’t even in the same ballpark of your spiritual beliefs?
If your friend really wants to help you out, valuing your time should come with that — and that means bringing someone into your life who complements your lifestyle. No wiggle room here.
3. Are They Aware of Your Deal-Breakers?
GiphyLast year, I wrote an article for the platform entitled, “Should Bad Sex Actually Be A Relationship Deal-Breaker?” The thing that I think needs to go on record about deal-breakers is they aren’t exactly standards that you have. No, a deal-breaker is something that can’t be worked out even after trying to negotiate or compromise. When it comes to relationships, a deal-breaker might be how long two people should date before becoming exclusive or getting engaged. Another deal-breaker might be if being religious is more important than being spiritual and how that manifests itself (church or no church, etc.). And yes, another deal-breaker may be what each other’s sexual needs and expectations are.
When someone is setting you up, it is imperative that they know about your standards. For instance, for me, I am not interested in dating a divorced person, pretty much ever (I Corinthians 7:10-11). I’ve had friends who have tried to hook me up with that demographic before and it has always been a moot effort. The fact that some of them have gotten frustrated with my convictions has absolutely nothing to do with me. Some have tried to get me to compromise my deal-breakers too — like a long-distance relationship. Is it a firm “naw”? No. However, it’s not really something that I am interested in, so why not just…recommend someone local?
Yeah, if someone thinks that they know you well enough to hook you up, they absolutely should be well-versed in what your deal-breakers are before they do. And if they’ve never asked, all they are doing is assuming — and we know what that typically means. LOL.
4. What Is Their Track Record?
GiphyIt’s kind of wild that we now live in a time when more couples meet online than they do through “old-fashioned ways” like via their friends (although some reports say that Gen Z is getting back to that) — and yet, here we are. Still, if you are willing to let someone play pseudo matchmaker in your life, you are well within your rights to inquire about their track record in that department. Have they hooked others up, successfully, before? Has any of their “Cupid work” caused both people to get exactly what they wanted out of the situation? If/when things went awry, why was that?
I know someone who is constantly trying to hook people up. Thing is, maybe 10-15 percent (no joke) of their efforts have proven to be positive and fruitful — and we’re talking about close to close to two decades of them doing it. Listen, time is too precious to be out here doing stuff ONLY to please other people. That said, if someone wants you to devote some time to one of their grand ideas, you are well within your rights to ask about their past and current success score when it comes to it.
5. Can They Keep Their Own Feelings Out of It?
GiphyWanna know if someone who is offering to do something for you is actually doing it more for themselves? If they try to make it be about them when things don’t go the way they would like, that is a dead ringer. An example? They post a message about you on social media and then question you about why you didn’t do the same thing in return. Another example? They do something for you and then throw it in your face during an argument. Still another example? They set you up with someone, it doesn’t work out, and suddenly you’ve put them in a weird spot. No dear — you put your own self in that position by trying to hook two people up in the first place.
I promise you, it will spare everyone unnecessary energy spent (or even drama experienced) if, before you agree to be hooked up, you get the matchmaker on record stating that they will keep their emotions out of it as much as possible. MEANING — they will do the introductions and then let the chips fall where they may. If they can’t do this, my two cents (save it or spend it) would be to decline the offer. Because all you need is someone texting you about why you haven’t called their cousin back or having an attitude with you when you break up with some guy at their church who they thought was the perfect catch (P.S. These aren’t hypothetical examples — LOL).
6. Will They Respect Your Boundaries? Start to Finish?
GiphyYeah, this final one is a biggie. Just because someone sets you up with another person, that doesn’t automatically or necessarily mean that they should have the right to the details of the dynamic. I don’t care if it’s the first date or the 10th date. I don’t care if you decide to just be sex buddies or to have a full-blown relationship. I don’t care if you stay together or break-up — it’s your relationship which makes it your business. Whatever you share is privileged data.
Yeah, I would say that probably the most challenging thing about being hooked up by someone you know is they have a tendency to think that they are a part of the relationship too — and that is a lie. If things go well beyond a couple of dates, you and the guy should discuss what you will both share with the person who introduced you and then agree to stick to that boundary, no matter what. It’s a great way to protect the dynamic, to keep “outside voices” from influencing the growth and to navigate how you want to move, moving forward.
Someone who hooked you up for the right reasons and knows how to honor limits? They will understand. Will they ask questions? Absolutely. Will they pry? Nah.
___
Should you sit and let someone hook you up? I mean, you never know how your blessing will come. Just make sure that they are prepared for you to do some digging into their mindset before they start sweetly meddling into your love life.
It’s only fair. Hell, and right. LOL.
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