What do you get when you bring together 34 of the dopest game-changing women on the planet? You get the 2019 Support Your Girlfriends "Glossy Possé" Retreat at Moon Palace Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica! This is what took place in August as leaders in television, women empowerment, non-profit, finance, technology and more set aside five days to cultivate sisterhood on a distant shore.
While most people would have anticipated drama and chaos when traveling abroad with strangers, we experienced nothing of the sort. In fact, our bonds began at our local airports, moved through our WhatsApp group, and landed in Montego as we met our VIP concierge from MoBay to take ground transportation to our home away from home.
Founder and visionary Nikkia McClain established this getaway three years ago as a retreat for herself and her favorite girlfriends, empowerment leader Lucinda Cross, and social justice activist Tamika Mallory. What began as a simple relax and relate escape for these girlfriends has now turned into a full five-day connection retreat for like-minded women to connect at heart and curate our own girlfriend experiences in Jamaica and beyond.
Writer Sybil dancing Sybil Clark-Amuti
Landing in Jamaica, I was immediately greeted by my VIP transport representative and matched with a fellow travel partner. After a brisk move through customs and luggage collection, we were driven to grab local eats at Scotchie's (shout out to Hugh, our driver and fellow foodie) for the best jerk chicken I've ever had in my entire life. With a scenic ride ahead, my newest girlfriend and I broke ground over chicken and travel and realized the beginnings of our Glossy Possé connection had officially begun.
Yes, Jamaica has so much to offer, but my new Glossy Possé provided so much more! Moon Palace Resort was the perfect destination to house our moments and curate the memories that every girl's trip commands.
Here's what happened at Support Your Girlfriends Retreat:
We stepped outside of our comfort zones and created new relationships.
Power Workouts With Jennifer Williams
Tene Nicole
With busy schedules and a ton of responsibilities, each one of us said "yes" to the unknown and jumped a flight to Jamaica where we roomed with new girlfriends, feasted over fresh Jamaican cuisine, and were challenged to sit back and let the itinerary take charge.
We shared our story.
With digital strategist Sandra Garcia-Lowery as our host, we learned to be vulnerable and own our stories to create bridges that we can cross in the present and future.
We got movin'.
With Jennifer Williams as our beach body and fitness lead where we tackled 60 minutes of high-intensity physical release on the sands of Ocho Rios.
We hydrated our hustle.
Get Hydrated Urban Hydration Beach Day
Urban Hydration
With Psyche Terry, founder of Urban Hydration, we were taken through an exhilarating mind and body experience, aligning our hearts and minds for optimal hustle!
We shined each other's crowns.
As the author of Boss Brides, Charreah Jackson led us through a healing moment where we looked into our sister's souls to truly see one another for who we really are, QUEENS.
We yachted on a private island tour where we danced the day away!
Yacht Outing Group Shoot (Dancing)
Sybil Clark-Amuti
We made a BIG ASK.
With empowerment speaker Lucinda Cross, we pushed past our boundaries, got honest about our dreams, and spoke them aloud. POWERFUL!
We took control of our money.
With finance leader Shekera Green, we started taking small steps towards the generational wealth we all desire!
We took our place in the movement.
Group Beach Shot
Tene Nicole
As activist Tameka Mallory reminded us, we must do our part to carry the legacy that our ancestors started as freedom-fighters for humanity.
Needless to say, Jamaica owes me NOTHING! From the super swagilicious welcome bags filled with treats from air pods to athleisure and more to midnight dancing at the Moon Palace night club, I am FULL. Nikkia reminded us that we are the missing piece to our sisterhood puzzle. We give the quality of the sisterhood that we'd like to receive, and we can spread that "Glossy Possé" sisterhood everywhere we go.
Special thanks to Nikkia McClain of Tené Nicole Marketing and Public Relations, Moon Palace Resorts, the Jamaica Tourism Bureau, Urban Hydration, All Day Alba, and Indique Hair for making the Support Your Sisters Retreat unforgettable!
For more information, follow Support Your Girlfriends on Instagram.
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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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