

First and foremost, thank you for staying home to help flatten the curve. We are living in unprecedented times with the weight of the pandemic weighing heavily on every person in the world. Despite this momentous occurrence, life is still happening. Nails are lifting, wigs are shifting and hair is growing everywhere.
How you choose to groom or not to groom during self-isolation is between you and Jesus. But we know that many women relish in keeping a body free of unwanted hair, so it's our job to help you get it done. We checked in with wax guru and owner of Pretty Girls Get Waxed, Kejuana Curry, for some tips and tricks for grooming at home since all salons have closed due to COVID-19.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Kei The Wax Guru✨ (@kei_thewaxguru) on Sep 14, 2019 at 7:44pm PDT
Kejuana founded Pretty Girls Get Waxed when she felt there wasn't a trendy, professional and fun, full body waxing center in Memphis, TN. "We provide quality hair removal without the pain and hassle, featuring our very own Signature Hard Wax created by our founder. Our wax centers employee the best licensed professionals to not only deliver superb service but to educate our clients on proper skincare."
With that in mind, please be careful and safe because we ain't got time for burns, scars or injuries. The wax guru is sharing some hot tips ahead!
To Wax, Shave or Use Depillatory Cream - That Is The Question
Pretty Girls Get Waxed
"If you have the guts to wax yourself and you're in need of a wax warmer, you can use a crock pot to heat your wax. If you don't have a crock pot, you can also use an essential oil plug in. (Recommended: Pretty Girls Get Waxed's Signature Hard Wax, for professional and non-professional use)
"If you want to shave, I highly recommend that you don't. Shaving is the worst way to remove hair from your body. Shaving can easily cause irritation, ingrown hairs, discoloration, and changes the texture of your hair to a more coarser state. Regrowth happens quickly, and because hair is cut off at the surface, regrown hair is blunt, not tapered, so hair will be thicker. Before you shave, I highly suggest you 'trim' with scissors ONLY!
"If you just have to use a depilatory cream (which I do not recommend) you'll be much better off stoping by Target and purchasing some hair removal wax strips like Flamingo Wax Strips. Again, this form of hair removal is much better than any other. Depilatory creams are heavily compacted with chemicals that can irritate the skin and burn the skin as well. Because they don't completely removal the hair from the root, you run the risk of ingrown hairs as well. Over time, the creams seep into your pores and cause inflammation and boils.
"'Quarantine Clean' isn't so bad if you know what to do. As an esthetician, I would never recommend anyone to use shaving or depilatory creams. They simply are not good for the health of your skin."
How To Wax At-Home
"If you're bold enough to wax yourself, there's a great easy-to-use hard wax on the market that is beginner-friendly. You can purchase a 2lb bag of wax and all the supplies you need to complete the task at prettygirlsgetwaxed.com. Waxing is going to be the healthiest form of hair removal. It removes the hair from the root so it grows back much slower. Because it is being pulled from the root, it thins the hair so when it does grow back in, it's finer and thinner.
"DIY waxing can be easy and very beneficial! Some great exfoliants are sugar, salt, coffee and baking soda. Mix it with your cleanser or water and apply the paste to your skin, rub it in and then rinse!"
Self-Grooming Hacks
Pretty Girls Get Waxed
"The most important thing to keep in mind when grooming yourself is yourself. Always do as much or as little as YOU feel comfortable with. Some people prefer having hair on them and that's OK. Groom yourself to your liking."
Brows
"One tip for grooming your brows is to brush the hairs up instead of brushing them horizontally. You get a better shape when you brush upward."
Bikini Line
"One tip for grooming your bikini line is more, more, more. Less is NOT more! More is best. Put on your underwear and gather them at the top, then remove all the hair that you can see. You always want to take off more just in case some [hair] tries to peak through!"
Legs
"One tip for grooming your legs is always do it! Silky smooth legs are always in! Wax your entire legs consistently and watch less and less hair grow each time!"
For more tips from Kei The Wax Guru, follow her on Instagram.
Featured image via @kei_thewaxguru/Instagram
Joce Blake is a womanist who loves fashion, Beyonce and Hot Cheetos. The sophistiratchet enthusiast is based in Brooklyn, NY but has southern belle roots as she was born and raised in Memphis, TN. Keep up with her on Instagram @joce_blake and on Twitter @SaraJessicaBee.
Eva Marcille On Starring In 'Jason’s Lyric Live' & Being An Audacious Black Woman
Eva Marcille has taken her talents to the stage. The model-turned-actress is starring in her first play, Jason’s Lyric Live alongside Allen Payne, K. Michelle, Treach, and others.
The play, produced by Je’Caryous Johnson, is an adaptation of the film, which starred Allen Payne as Jason and Jada Pinkett Smith as Lyric. Allen reprised his role as Jason for the play and Eva plays Lyric.
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Feature image by Leon Bennett/WireImage
A Celebration Of Black Voices: What You Missed At The 3rd Annual Black Effect Podcast Festival
Over the weekend, iHeart Radio held its third annual Black Effect Podcast Festival in Atlanta, attracting a star-studded lineup of personalities and shows. Charlamagne tha God, founder of the Black Effect podcast network was in attendance along with other notable personalities like Mandii B and Weezy WTF, the hosts of the popular Decisions, Decisions podcast, who also served as the festival's hosts.
Sarah Jakes Roberts, the esteemed pastor and host of Woman Evolve podcast, singers and co-hosts of the R&B Money podcast, Tank and J. Valentine, former NFL star and Funky Friday host Cam Newton and many more further rounded out the festivals' lineup.
The festival hosted panels that focused on mental health and the future of podcasting as well as many live shows. Good Moms, Bad Choices hosts, Erica and Milah, welcomed Dreka Gates and held a live dating show that was nothing short of hilarious. Naked Sports host Cari Champion sat down with Iman Shumpert and they discussed sports and dating.
Tank and J. Valentine surprised the audience with Jacquees, Cam had a live conversation with Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams, and Sarah closed out the festival with reality star Toya Johnson. Check out photos from the festival below:
(L-R) Shawn Bethea, Jay Barnett, Devi Brown, Charlamagne tha God and Amber Grimes
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Jamilah Mapp, Dreka Gates and Erica Dickerson
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Mandii B and Weezy WTF
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Porsha Williams and Cam Newton
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Iman Shumpert and Cari Champion
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Tank, Jacquees and J. Valentine
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network