There's self-care Sunday, and there's Beyoncé's routine, Cécred Sundays - a weekly ritual she coined in honor of her haircare line, Cécred. InGQ’s October cover story, the singer and serial entrepreneur let the publication in on her newest Sunday routine, where she practices self-care.
"I take baths with essential oils. I do acupuncture, cupping, reflexology, and I play my sound bowls with my kids. I make honey, paint, decorate, swim, and design clothes and stages. I have written children's books for my children and design animation. Anything creative makes me happy. I also edit for fun. I genuinely enjoy it."
Following this interview, Beyoncé went viral sharing her entire wash day routine online filled with old and new Cécred products showing off her tresses and her tried and true routine to keep her hair healthy to Cécred's followers. She gave us a voiceover, step-by-step details, and those strands and hair follicles. Okay, Influencer Bey!
Beyoncé's proclamation of self-care and her journey to resting more and prioritizing herself truly echoes the sentiments of Black women all over the world who are yearning for deep rest, and sustainable wellness routines to curate time to pour into themselves and remember that we are much more than the work that we do, we are human beings that deserve to lean into self-preservation.
It's almost impossible to discuss Beyoncé without the acknowledgment of her next-level work ethic, but what does it look like to not just channel her ability to get sh*t done but to do absolutely nothing but care for yourself?
In order to commit to the process, of course, I had to get some Cécred. Their new Hydrating Conditioner, said to instantly strengthen and fortify the hair, was just released, so once I had my hands on that (and cleared my schedule because wash day is just that - a day), I started my day like Beyoncé's with a few additions of my own radical self-care necessities that I think she’d approve of.
The wash day hero has arrived.
Yasmine Jameelah/xoNecole
6:30 a.m. Alexa, play "Church Girl." Daily, I wake up and listen to my church's daily prayer call. My relationship with the church throughout life has been at times..difficult. Growing up a preacher's kid wasn't the easiest experience, but as Bey said - nobody can judge me but me; I was born free.
Actively choosing to heal from church trauma while going to church constantly again at times can stir up some old emotions, but starting my days with prayer never is. It gives me comfort and reminds me that God is with me and that people are praying for me.
7 a.m. I walked my goldendoodle; idk if Queen Bey has pets, but mine is serious about his walks, so we took a stroll together and came home and had breakfast, and I made myself an iced coffee. I use glass can-shaped glasses and straws (it makes the experience more intentional and memorable for me, like I'm at my own personal coffee shop) and sit at my window staring out at the tall buildings in my neighborhood. I usually turn on Girlfriends or Half & Half while preparing for church.
10 a.m. After showering and getting ready for church, I set aside my swim necessities because I knew I'd want to spend some time in the water after service. I've been swimming since I was a little girl. My father taught me how to do it, and it's been my favorite hobby ever since. I put my bag in the living room to remind me when I got home, and headed to church.
11 a.m. I arrive at church and greet my mama, who's also the pastor of the church. She's the first woman in history to be the senior pastor of her church, so it's a beautiful thing to see her living out her dreams. My family is everything to me, and Beyoncé is the ultimate family girl, so what better way to spend Sunday than with your loved ones?
Nothing beats an early afternoon swim.
Yasmine Jameelah/xoNecole
2 p.m. Church is over, and I'm headed to the pool, but before I get into the water, I pretreat my hair before the swim with some water and Cécred Nourishing Hair Oil. As a swimmer, I pride myself on keeping my hair healthy, and in order to protect my hair from being saturated with chlorinated water, I soak my hair in fresh water and apply hair oil to the ends of it. This allows the chlorinated water less of an opportunity to penetrate the hair and cause more damage overall.
3 p.m. During swim time, I love to play music. I swim above and underwater, and I curate a playlist to bring with me filled with soul music and overall music that stills and calms me. I swim for an hour, touch the lights in the pool at each lap, and speak aloud what I want to pray and manifest as I grab hold of them.
Posting up post-swim.
Yasmine Jameelah/xoNecole
4 p.m. Out the pool, and ready for my #CécredWashDay with Cécred's Clarifying Shampoo & Scalp Scrub. I followed up with the Hydrating Shampoo in the spa shower and then applied the new hydrating conditioner! It just launched this month, so I was anxious to try it out in my wash day routine. I'll admit, I don't usually reach for a lightweight conditioner because my hair is pretty thick, that said, I know women IRL who have used Cécred religiously for months, and their hair is growing and flourishing - so we're on board with the entire routine and will report back by winter on my results!
The line-up.
Yasmine Jameelah/xoNecole
After rinsing out the conditioner, I took the wash day a little further, applied the Moisturizing Deep Conditioner, and headed to the sauna. Sauna time allows me to let my body sweat and release toxins, and I get to have the ultimate deep conditioning experience, it's a 2-for-1.
I stay in until the conditioning cap feels hot, and then I go rinse it out, I applied Cécred Moisture Sealing Lotion to lock in all that moisture from the treatment, and their new Restoring Hair & Edge Drops because my edges need some TLC after years of braids and tight ponytails.
Giving my curls the ultimate deep-conditioning experience.
Yasmine Jameelah/xoNecole
5 p.m. I come back upstairs, walk my dog, and do some reading before I have dinner. Since it's Sunday, I head to my aunt's house for dinner. She started getting the family together after church to eat on Sundays, and we don't do it every week, but when she hits the group chat, we show up. She has dogs as well, so I bring my dog with me, and he eats dinner with his cousins.
We eat dinner, dance to music, and catch up on what's going on in each other's lives. We danced to the classics and started off honoring the loss of Frankie Beverly, then played some Michael Jackson, and ended with Sade (who my aunt was named after) and Luther Vandross.
9 p.m. I'm finally home from a beautiful Cécred Self-Care Sunday. My hair is clean, I'm fed (spiritually and physically), and I'm ending the day in bed with a book.
10/10 recommend a #CécredSunday wash day routine with a few of your own recommendations, of course. I can't wait for next week to come, and this time, I might add some more Bey-approved rituals (painting and maybe even a sound bowl.)
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Featured image by Yasmine Jameelah/xoNecole
Dubbed one of the "21 Black Women Wellness Influencers You Should Follow" by Black + Well, Yasmine Jameelah continues to leave her digital footprint across platforms ranging from Forever 21 Plus, Vaseline, and R29 Unbothered discussing all things healing and body positivity. As a journalist, her writing can be found on sites such as Blavity, Blacklove.com, and xoNecole. Jameelah is also known for her work shattering unconventional stigmas surrounding wellness through her various mediums, including her company Transparent Black Girl. Find Yasmine @YasmineJameelah across all platforms.
Exclusive: Melanie Fiona On Making High-Vibrational Music & Saying Yes To Partnership
Melanie Fiona is back! After taking a little more than a decade-long hiatus, she has officially made her return to music and blessed us with two singles, “Say Yes” and “I Choose You.” While both singles are very different from each other, they both reflect who she is today and the type of music she wants to make. In our conversation, the mom of two expressed what she learned during her time away.
“It's interesting, even when I said it is like coming back, I don't ever feel like I really left because I was always still performing. I've still been public. It's not like I went into being this recluse person or version of myself, but the thing that I really learned in this process is that I think things take time,” Melanie says in a xoNecole exclusive.
“I think often we're so caught up in it, being on the timing of demand or popularity, or, like, striking while the iron is hot and the thing that I've learned is that everything is on God's time. That's it. Every time I thought I would have been ready, or, like, things were taking too long, I had to reship some things, personally, professionally, in my life. I also gave myself permission to make a living, not just make a living, but make a life for myself.”
Making a life for herself included getting married to Grammy-nominated songwriter Jared Cotter, starting a family, and embracing new landscapes, such as podcasting as a co-host of The Mama’s Den podcast. She also began doing more spiritual work and self-care practices like meditation, sound healing, Reiki, acupuncture, and boundary setting, which allowed her to get in touch with her inner voice.
“I wasn't putting out music, and I wasn't experiencing a number one record, but I was being a number one mom,” she says.
“I was experiencing things that were allowing me to heal and get in touch with myself so that I could make new music from a space of joy and freedom, and excitement again because I definitely feel like I did lose some excitement because of just politics and industry and what it can do to your mental health and even your physical health. So giving myself the space to really just say, ‘Hey, it's okay. Everything's right on time.’”
The joy and excitement are felt in one of two new singles, “I Choose You,” which is more of a lovers rock vibe, a tribute to Melanie’s Caribbean roots. While the Grammy award-winner is known for ballads like “It Kills Me” and “Fool For You,” she is becoming more intentional about the music she makes, calling it high-vibrational music. She says her music is a “reflection of my life,” as it captures every facet, from hanging out with friends to riding around in her car.
“Say Yes” has the classic R&B vibe Melanie is known for. However, both songs are inspired by her relationship. Melanie and Jared got married in December 2020, and the Toronto-bred artist dished on their relationship. Fun fact: he is featured in the “Say Yes” music video.
“When we first started dating, I had come into that relationship post a lot of self-work. I had gotten out of a long-term relationship, I had a year and a half to date and be by myself and do a lot of work on myself alone. And when we met, I remember feeling like this has to be my person because I feel it,” she says.
“And so when we went into that relationship, and we started dating, I was very clear. I was like, I know what I want. I'm very clear on what I need, and I'm not going to withhold my truth about myself in this process because of pride or fear of rejection. I know you love me, but I'm coming with my heart in my hand to let you know that if we're gonna get there, we have to put fear aside and say yes. So that was kind of like my open letter to him, which is why the video is us having a conversation.”
Melanie also shares that saying yes to her partner has empowered her in many ways, including motherhood and showing up for herself. Her new EP, also titled Say Yes, will be available at the top of 2025.
Check out the full interview below.
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Feature image by Franco Zulueta
Serena Williams Hits Back At Skin-Bleaching Accusations: 'I’m A Dark, Black Woman, And I Love Who I Am'
Serena Williams is clapping back at skin-bleaching accusations. During a makeup tutorial for her beauty brand, Wyn Beauty, the tennis legend took the opportunity to address the "haters."
“And then I put just that neutral color, that is actually my skin color, and no, for you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin,” she said. “There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors.”
The rumors started after the mom of two posted a video of herself and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, at their daughter's school play. In the video, she appeared to look a few shades lighter. During her response, she revealed that she was volunteering at the play and wore stage makeup.
“Yes, I’m calling you out on this because it is ridiculous that everyone’s like, ‘Oh, she bleached her skin,’" she said. "I’m a dark, Black woman, and I love who I am, and I love how I look and that's just not my thing.”
The 23-time Grand Slam champion also said that she doesn't judge anyone who bleaches their skin as she "stays in my lane."
Serena has always had style on and off the court, and even collaborated with Nike with her own collection Serena Williams Design Crew. However, the tennis champ has now pivoted into beauty.
Wyn Beauty was launched in April 2024 with at 10-piece collection of lip, eye, and complexion products. The brand was inspired by Serena's time on the court and the packaging is reminiscent of a tennis ball due to its chartreuse color.
“Throughout my career, I was always searching for makeup that looked good after hours on the court, mixing products myself and creating my own formulas while traveling the world,” she said in a statement. As she continues to make a name for herself in the beauty industry, I'm sure we will see a lot more looks from the tennis star.
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Feature image by Marc Piasecki/WireImage