Now that my favorite season has arrived, I had to make sure that I shared at least one article on the topic of teas — because if there is one thing that is super soothing to the soul (that also has proven health benefits), it’s a hot cup of herbal tea (with a teaspoon of honey in it). The reason why we’re going to explore teas that specifically can help to improve moods is because, let’s not act like a lot of what is going on in our country right now isn’t stressful AF.
And just like I’ve told some of my friends, this is the time to almost become obsessed with cultivating a sanctuary space within your home (check out “15 Ways To Make Your Home A Cozy Sanctuary This Fall”) and doing as much pampering and self-care as possible, so that you can feel calm and relaxed. And yes, one way to do that is to know what you can consume that will help to make you feel better.
That starts with 10 teas that can help you in an abundance of ways — including when it comes to elevating your moods (which is something that we all need from time to time)…just in time for cooler weather and all that fall has to offer (yay!).
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1. Turmeric Tea
Antioxidants-wise, turmeric tea is pretty potent. And that is why health experts say that it is able to do everything from strengthen your heart and soothe arthritis-related symptoms to improve the quality of your liver and even decrease some of the symptoms that are directly associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). And yes, if you happen to be having a low day, the super active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, can help to boost your moods and even make depression-related symptoms less apparent.
2. Passionflower Tea
Feeling a little stressed out? If so, passionflower tea may be just what you need. I say that because the strong antioxidants in this tea can help to relieve anxiety, decrease symptoms that are associated with menopause (like hot flashes and headaches), can lower your blood pressure and is supreme when it comes to improving your quality of rest. Also, since passionflower tea has a reputation for being a sex hormone balancer, if you’re in a cranky mood because your libido hasn’t been where it usually is, this is a tea that can help out in that department as well.
3. Chamomile Tea
If you’ve got digestion issues, you want to control your blood sugar levels a bit better or you want to do a bit more to keep your heart health intact — where’s your chamomile tea at? Aside from all of what I just said, this herbal tea is a fan favorite among many health experts because it also hydrates skin, helps to heal acne (from the inside out), makes it easier to sleep and it even has properties in it that can lower your risk of being diagnosed with certain types of cancer.
And if you know that your moods have something to do with a lack of sleep or you are feeling restless in some way, chamomile tea may just be the all-natural remedy that you’ve been looking for. For decades, it’s had the reputation for helping to relax people to the point where they are able to feel soothed and are able to sleep soundly.
4. Black Tea
Black tea is one of the most popular teas when it comes to getting rid of free radicals. This is important because the stronger your body’s cells are, the stronger your immune system will be and the less likely you will have to deal with chronic diseases.
Black tea is also a winner because it helps to lower cholesterol levels and improve your gut health, it has the potential to decrease your blood pressure and reduce your risk of experiencing a stroke and, if you can’t seem to concentrate on something (in the moment) to save your life, black tea is a drink that can make it easier to focus too — not to mention the fact that black tea increases longevity…and if that doesn’t put you in a good mood, what in the world will? LOL.
Seriously though, black tea also makes the “good mood list” because it has properties that contain polyphenols (a group of plant-based chemical compounds) that have been directly linked to less stress and better moods.
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5. Lavender Tea
Lavender tea is the kind of tea that every woman should have in her possession. Since it contains anti-inflammatory properties, it can help to relieve menstrual discomfort. Since it contains antifungal elements, it can help to treat yeast infections from the inside out. Since it is loaded with antioxidants, it can strengthen your immune system and even encourage hair growth. And just how is it good for your moods? Well, something else that lavender tea’s properties are able to do is calm your nervous system down. And the less anxious you are, usually the better you end up feeling…right?
6. Lemon Balm Tea
If you’re looking to get rid of a bit of inflammation in your system, look no further than lemon balm tea because, among science and health experts alike, it has a solid reputation for that. Lemon balm tea is also good for you when it comes to bringing relief to menstrual cramps (which damn near puts us all in a bad mood), improving symptoms that are related to insomnia, strengthening your memory and overall cognitive abilities and even treating indigestion.
Another cool thing about lemon balm tea is, since it contains properties that help to relax you, it can put you in a calm state of mind — even under semi-stressful situations.
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7. Chai Tea
Personally, I am a super fan of chai tea. Not only do I like the way that it tastes, I’ve always dug that chai means life in one of my favorite (spiritual) cultures: Hebrew. If you’re curious about how chai tea can help your health and well-being, it does so by filling up your system with antioxidants, reducing menstrual and headache discomfort, easing digestion issues, decreasing muscle-related pain and keeping your blood sugar levels in check.
And if you’re dragging a bit after lunch, chai tea is also great at increasing your energy levels and making you more alert. Chai latte, anyone?
8. Peppermint Tea
Any tea that has a hint of mint is going to automatically be exhilarating — and that alone makes it worthy of this particular tea gem list. Plus, peppermint tea is able to reduce headache (and migraine) discomfort, freshen your breath, clear up nasal congestion, aid in supporting your weight loss efforts and it can also make seasonal allergies easier to deal with.
That said, if the mood that you’re experiencing has something to do with mental fatigue, studies reveal that peppermint has the ability to give you a natural energy boost without putting you on the (potential) roller coaster ride that can come with consuming caffeine. Awesome.
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9. Sage Tea
Are your cholesterol levels totally off of the charts? You definitely need to have some sage tea in your kitchen cabinet or pantry then. Sage works effectively in this area by improving your lipid profile/panel — which basically means that it helps to reduce how much fat is in your bloodstream. Aside from that, sage tea can help you when it comes to fighting off free radicals, improving the quality of your skin, reducing bad breath, soothing a sore throat and decreasing nausea in pregnant women.
How is it great for your mood? Well, if you happen to be going through perimenopause, since it contains estrogen-like properties, it can help to reduce symptoms that are associated with it as well as making it easier to relax and feel less stressed out.
10. Blooming Flower Tea
If you’ve never heard of blooming flower tea before, it’s basically tea that is made out of tea leaves and edible flowers. As a tea lover, I like this particular one because it’s pretty as hell to look at. Beyond that, blooming flower tea also has some impressive health benefits including the fact that many (edible) flowers are loaded with antioxidants and amino acids.
Not only that but they can help to strengthen your immune system, they are able to increase blood circulation throughout your body, they can improve your vision (over time), make your hair and skin (more) radiant and they are superb when it comes to improving digestion and detoxing your system.
Mood-wise, consider a cup or two of blooming flower tea a couple of times a week in order to get more rest at night and experience less brain fog (which can put you in a bad mood due to feeling confused and not being able to concentrate) throughout the day. Yep…pretty and potent. Enjoy, sis. 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.
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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.
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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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