If you're a beauty lover that enjoys trying new skincare but hates paying for shipping, Amazon's latest venture is a dream come true. The online retailer recently released a line called Belei that has twelve products with skincare essentials like cleansing wipes, serums, masks, and moisturizers. Each is packed with powerhouse ingredients like retinol, vitamin C, squalane, and glycerin — and all for under $40.
Kara Trousdale, Head of Beauty for Private Brands at Amazon, said in a press release, "Our goal is to help customers spend less time and money searching for the right skin-care solutions."
We can all benefit from reclaiming our time and money by researching products that give us the results we crave while fitting into our budgets. One more thing that makes this line worth trying other than being free of ingredients like parabens, phthalates, and sulfates — is its satisfaction guarantee, which says, "If you aren't satisfied, we'll refund you for any reason within a year of purchase."
If you're curious about what the line has to offer, check out a few items I'm looking forward to trying below.
Meet Belei:
Belei Vitamin C + Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Courtesy of Amazon
Vitamin C is a must as it protects skin from pollutants. With vitamin C and hyaluronic acid as the key ingredients, your skin will be protected, brightened, and moisturized.
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Belei Oil-Free Micellar Facial Cleansing Wipes
Courtesy of Amazon
I always sleep with a pack of cleansing wipes on my nightstand, just in case I get the urge to "take a nap" before bed to end up falling asleep until the next morning. These alcohol-free wipes come in a set of two (25 wipes in each pack), which I think is budget-friendly. Not to mention with the help of micellar water, they lift off dirt, makeup, and oil without stripping the skin of its moisture.
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Belei Charcoal Balancing Mask
Courtesy of Amazon
A good mask is essential to any beauty routine, and this one is made with charcoal, which helps absorb excess oil to keep those pesky breakouts away and hyaluronic acid that helps skin retain moisture.
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Belei Dark Spot Solution Serum
Courtesy of Amazon
I am curious about this serum since I, like many women of color, have hyperpigmentation marks left by pimples. Formulated with niacinamide (which helps even skin tone), this just might be a product that helps me leave those marks behind.
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Belei Blemish Control Spot Treatment
Courtesy of Amazon
Loaded with 5.5% Benzoyl Peroxide, this spot treatment will zap a pimple in no time. Goodbye period pimples!
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Belei Oil-Free Face Moisturizer UVA/UVB SPF 50 Sunscreen
Courtesy of Amazon
Finding the right daily sunscreen option can be tricky, especially if you are prone to breakouts. But Belei claims this moisturizer is a good match for those of us with oily skin.
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Belei Triple-Peptide Eye Cream
Courtesy of Amazon
As I get older, I'm starting to think about adding an eye cream to my routine to combat the puffiness under my eyes in the mornings. This eye cream has two of the line's go-to ingredients: hyaluronic acid, and caffeine. For $22, I'd be willing to give this cream a shot.
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Belei Retinol Refining Moisturizer
Courtesy of Amazon
I don't go to sleep without moisturizing my skin with a retinol-based product since vitamin A keeps the wrinkles and pimples away. I'm always on the hunt for a new one to try. The ingredients in this moisturizer are a win for me because they lead with hyaluronic acid and squalane, which keeps the vitamin A from causing dryness.
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With the launch of twelve products, I think we can all find something to add to our ever-growing skincare trove. Have you tried Belei yet? Let us know in the comments down below!
Featured image by LaylaBird/Getty Images
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In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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Feature image by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
Taylor founded Mastermind MGMT, an agency that represents some of Hollywood’s best “image architects” like Roach, Kellon Deryck, and Kollin Carter, who are responsible for creating unforgettable style and beauty moments for celebrities like Zendaya, Megan Thee Stallion, Taraji P. Henson, and more. Taylor and her company possess an array of functions, but her biggest role is to be her client’s advocate. We hear endless stories about how creatives aren’t paid or underpaid in the entertainment industry, but Taylor ensures that her clients get their piece of the pie. The entrepreneur opened up about her company and her non-profit, Mastermind Matters, in an exclusive interview with xoNecole.
“I always say that I'm an artist advocate first, deal closer second. So my primary focus is to just make sure that the artist is getting everything that they deserve, whether it's compensation or, you know, certain accommodations, but just making sure that they have everything that they need to be able to show up and provide the best service that they're hired for,” she explained.
“So you know, in the beginning, it was hard because I didn't have any experience, and the artists who I was working with at the time–we were learning together, meaning neither of us had assisted anyone. We didn't have mentors in our specific fields. So every deal was like a new learning experience for us from the styling side and also from the business side, and so it took, you know, doing some research, using some very creative tactics, to find out information in the industry and just starting to request accommodations that I knew other artists were granted, who maybe didn't look like my artists.”
Photo by Christopher Marrs
Ten years later, there’s still not many people who are doing what Taylor is doing. However, things have gotten easier thanks to the research and connections she made in the beginning. During Mastermind MGMT’s ten-year anniversary celebration, she announced her non-profit, Mastermind Matters, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that focuses on helping young entrepreneurs through a 12-week program. The program is divided into “two routes.” The first route is for aspiring creative artists who want to start a business from their talent and all the things they need to learn about business, such as taxes, life insurance, etc. The second route is for practicing creative artists who are already in the industry but need resources such as how to plan for retirement or how to sustain themselves if they can’t work for a short amount of time, i.e., the pandemic.
“I just feel that I'm able to have a business and be successful because of their art as well. And so there are things that I know, I tried to teach it to them but understanding that I can only do so much because I'm not a subject matter expert in those fields,” she said. “So I at least want to be able to provide the resources, and then if they make their grown decision not to do it, then that's on them. But you know, I could be guilt-free and taking advantage of the resources that I'm also providing to them.”
Taylor continues to be an innovator in her industry by always pushing the boundaries of creativity and thinking one step ahead of everyone else. The Chicago-bred businesswoman is moving into the tech space thanks to a new invention created with her clients in mind, and she is looking forward to bigger collaborations in the future. Follow Mastermind MGMT on Instagram @mastermind_mgmt for more information.
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Feature image by Christopher Marrs
