According to the CDC, more than six million women in the United States ages 15-44 have trouble getting or staying pregnant. In the past, Gabrielle Union has been transparent about the fact that celebrities are not immune to this devastating fact. This leaves many women to believe that they may never be blessed with the life or family they've always dreamed of, but Gabrielle proves that there is hope for each and every one of them.
Less than a few hours ago, Gabrielle announced on Instagram that her life had been made complete, and the gift she thought she'd never be given was welcomed to this world by way of a surrogate. Today, she and her husband, Dwyane Wade became the parents to a healthy baby girl, proving that, like your grandmama used to say in church, "It ain't over til' God says it's over!"
The couple posted a few intimate photos with their tiny new family member with a caption that featured lyrics to the popular "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers and read:
"A LOVELY DAY. We are sleepless and delirious but so excited to share that our miracle baby arrived last night via surrogate and 11/7 will forever be etched in our hearts as the most loveliest of all the lovely days. Welcome to the party sweet girl! #onelastdance #skintoskin @dwyanewade ❤👑"
Who's cutting onions in here, damn it?! Celebrities including but not limited to Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Zendaya, Viola Davis, and Shonda Rhimes showed their congratulations in The Wades' comment section and even I can feel the love:
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Gabrielle and Dwyane have been candid about their desire to start a family since the beginning of their marriage, but they have also been equally candid about their struggles. After four years of marriage and enduring a number of IVF cycles and miscarriages, the couple decided to take another route to family planning, one that is becoming more popular among women as infertility rates skyrocket.
Gabrielle revealed in her book, We're Going To Need More Wine that, in the past, she's suffered more than "eight or nine" miscarriages and eventually came to the point where she felt that her body was a "prisoner of trying to get pregnant." Earlier this year, the actress shared that she also suffered from adenomyosis, a common reproductive disorder that affects more than 200,000 women every year.
Bobby Metelus/Getty Images
Her courage to speak up for the hundreds of thousands who experience infertility or pregnancy complications has emboldened other women to open up about their struggles. She has been a voice that has helped diminish the stigma that there is something "wrong" with women who are unable to conceive.
Gabrielle's story is proof that God doesn't always show up the way you wanted Him to, but He's always right on time. The Wades' new bundle of joy is a testament to the fact that black women are not confined to a monolithic view of conception and motherhood. The life of your dreams is attainable, so continue to refuse to lose hope.
We wish you all the love and joy in the world Gabby, you deserve it. Congratulations Mama!
Featured image by Bobby Metelus/Getty Images
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During the Los Angeles tour stop, which spanned three dates on May 21, May 23, with the finale on May 24, xoNecole had the opportunity to test out the glosses included in this soft launch, as SZA revealed in a statement that "this is just the start of other lip products, including plans to launch stains, liners, and creams all inspired by SZA's “infamous layered lip combinations.”
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So, what is included in the first Not Beauty launch?
The current Not Beauty products available are lip glosses that come in three shades: In the Flesh, Strawberry Jelly, and Quartz.
During my visit to the first LA Not Beauty pop-up activation, I not only had the chance to purchase all three glosses but also took a peek inside the blow-up log tent. Inside, fans got to experience SZA’s love for nature and her fascination with bugs, which are prominently featured in her performances for this tour. At one point, she even had human preying mantis prancing across the stage y'all.
There were blow-up photos of the beauty that is SZA for fans (myself included) to take photos, but in wooden-like tree trunks were a deeper dive into some of the ingredients featured in her products and their benefits.
For example, the glosses feature Hi-Shine Lip Jelly and Shea Butter as key ingredients and some of the listed benefits included are:
- Shea Butter - “A powerhouse ingredient, offering both functional and nourishing benefits.”
- Hi-Shine Lip Jelly (featured in the In the Flesh shade) - “Formula glides on with perfect adhesion to the lips without stickiness).
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What are in the products?
Featured in an orange package, with images of a bug and flower on the side, the back of the box reads: “It’s NOT BEAUTY, it just works. Developed by Solána “SZA” Rowe.
As someone who never leaves home without a good lip gloss, I loved how compact the wood panel packaging is. Perfect to slip into my purse, or in the case of the show at SoFi Stadium, into my pocket when I’m not carrying a bag.
Because I’m a sucker for a good black and brown lip liner and clear gloss combo, I decided to wear the Quartz flavor on night one of the Grand National Tour LA stop, and it did not disappoint. I’ll admit, it’s light weight feel made me nervous because it felt like there was nothing on my lips. However, when I checked my lips in my compact mirror several times throughout the night, I was shocked to find that my gloss was still intact. I only reapplied once out of the habit of looking cute and applying my gloss, but not necessity.
Here are some of the ingredients featured, but not limited to, in the Quartz flavor.
- Polyisoubutene
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea)Butter
- Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
- Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
- Tocopherol
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Lip prep
I’m a simple girl who loves to stay true to her roots. So ahead of the show, I stopped by a local Inglewood Beauty Supply store and grabbed a Black and Brown shade lip pencil for just under $2 a piece.
Shading the outline of my lips with the black pencil first, I used the brown to lightly fill the inside of my lips before applying my Quartz Not Beauty shade gloss.
How to apply
There’s truly no right or wrong way to apply lip gloss (in my opinion), with this being a brush applicator sort of product, I simply untwisted the top and swiped the gloss around my top and bottom lip generously.
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Results
Again, my Not Beauty Quartz product stayed on my lips from the start of the show, which began with a fire DJ set from LA’s very own, Mustard, to the conclusion when Kendrick and SZA reunited on stage to send us home to their duet, “luther,” featured on the rapper's GNX album.
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