If you meet Taylor without a ponytail, she's humble, forgiving, and a true virtue of patience. But there's nothing that brings out my inner hot girl like a 40" yaki braid from my local beauty supply store, and that's big facts. Celebrities like Beyonce, Yara Shahidi, and Alicia Keys have all championed the braided faux ponytail with all the style and grace Biggie talked about and xoNecole has the details on how you can achieve this style, too.
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We're only a few weeks into the year and I know you're trying to get your finances all the way together, which makes this elegant yet budget-friendly style a perfect choice for mavens who want to slay without sacrificing a check at the hair salon.
With a brush, a pack of hair from the beauty supply store of your choice, some edge control, and a whole lot of bobby pins and the possibilities of your braided pony are endless.
If your interest is piqued but you're not sure where to start, here are some celebrity-inspired styles that will have you heading to the store ASAP:
Beyonce
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Give your chemically-treated hair a break and try out a blonde braided pony as a protective style.
Yara Shahidi
Earlier this week at the Golden Globes, Yara gave us all the Set It Off energy with this 90-style braided pony by Rio Sreedharan.
Issa Rae
Film Magic / HBO
Issa Rae never fails to come through with the natural styles and this one of a kind spin on a jumbo braided pony is no exception.
Yara Shahidi
Getty Images
No gallery of braided ponies is complete without a proper topknot and Yara Shahidi's expertly crafted high bun fits the bill perfectly.
Marsai Martin
Marsai Martin may be young, but she's here to show the world that high fashion comes fun-sized, too. Add gold thread to level up your elegance instantly.
Tracee Ellis Ross
Getty / Steve Granitz
This braided pony perfectly modeled by Tracee Ellis Ross is reserved for expert home stylists who know their way around a fishtail.
Janelle Monae
Getty Images
This butt-length, jewelry-adorned braid is proof of Janelle Monae's undeniable drip. Level up your pony by adding accessories that match your fit.
Featured image by Instagram/@rio_hair.
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"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
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When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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