I've Had Sew-Ins For 6 Months. This Brand Helped Me Embrace My Natural Hair.
Both my acrylics and my bundles are long gone. My mustache is growing back with a vengeance, and it's safe to say that the quarantine has humbled me.
For the first time in a long time, I've been forced to take a good, hard look at my natural self and the woman I see looking back at me is upsetting me and my homegirls.
The ability to book a pedicure, wax, or silk press pretty much put my beauty routine on cruise control and now that I've lost it—your good sis is struggling. I am your good sis. Although I'm able to paint my own toes and put my wrist to work with a razor, the task of taming my tresses has been another story entirely. Now that my third sew-in in a row has reached its expiration date, I've come to find that my twist-outs never quite twist out and my wash-and-go makes me happy to stay at home.
Heat damage and bleach have pretty much fried, dyed, and laid my curls to the side, but just when I was about to give up hope, I received a package from Mielle that got my tresses together expeditiously. Before playing around with the products, I tapped my stylist, owner of Denver hair salon, Booji Beauty for a virtual consult where she gave me five must-have tips when it comes to perfecting my twist-out:
- Make sure to deep condition and rinse thoroughly before any protective style.
- Detangle from roots to end.
- Make sure it's completely dry before untwisting.
- Separate coils with oil on your fingertips (avoid over-separating).
- Be patient.
After my virtual consult with Jasmine, I tried Mielle's Rosemary Mint Collection for a Flexi-rod twist out on my fussy, chemically damaged hair.
Here's what happened:
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Step One: Activate Hydration
Pretty Honore/xoNecole
After shampooing my hair thoroughly with Mielle's Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo (Target, $10), I dove right into the deep conditioning process. I sectioned my hair into parts and applied Mielle's Rosemary Mint Strengthening Hair Masque (Target, $10) from root-to-end and began detangling. Then, I put on a shower cap and allowed this to sit for about three hours. I'd probably even sleep in this mask if I'm having a really bad hair week (which is pretty frequent for me).
Step Two: Rinse & Detangle
Next, I make sure I this masque is rinsed out completely (per Jasmine's instructions) and sectioned my hair to make sure it was completely detangled. Since where I live in Denver is EXTRA dry—and so is my hair––I applied Mielle's Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil (Target, $10) on my scalp and mildly split ends during this process.
Step Three: Get Twisted
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My least and favorite part of this process is getting twisted, which took me about two hours to get right. While my two-strand struggle was real, Mielle's Multivitamin Rosemary Mint Styling Cream (Target, $10) had enough slip for my grip to snap even the most unruly curls into shape. I then applied Flexi rods at the ends of my twists and went TF to bed. I allowed my twists to stay in for about two days, and no mom, I didn't go anywhere with these rollers in my head.
And then, it was judgment time.
The Final Results
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As a naturalista-in-training, I wasn't sure what results to expect from this experiment, but if all else failed, I could rest assured that my hair smelled good as f*ck.
After applying a generous amount of Mielle's Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil (Target, $10) to my finger tips, I unraveled my twists and discovered a curl pattern that I forgot existed. While I would suggest adding a leave-in conditioner to this routine to help curls stay fresh longer, and I still need some practice before perfecting my twist-out, this collection gave me the hydration and definition that I needed to say goodbye to my bundles for a while and finally embrace my natural hair.
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Featured image courtesy of Pretty Honore/xoNecole.com.
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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I Tried Uche Natori's Full Glam Routine & It Leveled Up My Everyday Makeup Look
Mastering a full glam is a work of art. I’ve always watched in awe at the glam girls who truly knew what it meant to bring a face together. One of those women is Uche Natori. Her full glam makeup looks have caught the eyes of thousands across her social platforms. She is a master at providing easy, fun, and fabulous looks. Watching Natori’s makeup tutorials has inspired me to do the unthinkable - trying to master a full glam makeup look for the first time.
One thing about me is that I am a natural makeup girl. I enjoy using concealer on my needed areas, with a bit of blush and mascara to seal the deal. The “no makeup makeup” look has helped me feel my best for many years, and truthfully, I never learned how to do much else. I don’t know how to put on lashes or what it takes to master a good contour. The only thing I have learned in the beauty world is how to make my makeup look like my skin. Although I’m proud of my accomplishments, I think it’s time to build my skills and try to keep up with the “girls.”
A Trip To Sephora
After binge-watching Natori’s videos, I learned early on that I didn’t own most of the items she used. I made my way to my local Sephora to purchase the following: cream contour, powder, foundation, brown lip gloss, neutral blush, and refresh my concealer. Most of these beauty items were familiar due to my past makeup adventures. Powders were more of a learning curve. I typically like my makeup to be dewy and light, so I’ve always avoided using powders. In 2024, I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I had no idea there were different powders for different purposes. The Sephora employee kindly explained to me the difference while I melted internally.
Thankfully, we could navigate a lightweight powder I could use daily without feeling overwhelmed by the product. I continued to bask around Sephora as I selected items from my favorite brands—Fenty, Rare Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, and more. Once, a confused woman in an overpopulated beauty store slowly turned into a kid in a candy store. It was safe to say I was having a time splurging on “Daddy’s money.” I mean, Daddy xoNecole.
Attempting To Be A Full Glam Girl
Fresh face
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I made the decision to skip eyeshadow and lashes for my first attempt. I figured it would be better to master the art of good face makeup before moving to more advanced makeup techniques. It’s also important to note that I used Charlotte Tilbury’s Flawless Filter for my base to ensure I didn’t overwhelm my sensitive skin.
These decisions made going for a “full glam” less intimidating and more achievable.
Foundation
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Foundation finish
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I prepped the skin before starting and wasted no time going heavy-handed on the Flawless Filter, Fenty Beauty’s Cream Contour, and Dior Concealer—all brands Natori has used in past videos.
Celeste Polanco/xoNecole
When applying contour and concealer, I had to rehydrate the skin. I learned very quickly how fast these items can dry on your skin. Natori typically applies a facial spray during her routine to keep her products hydrating, making them easier to blend. My skin welcomed my makeup again once I used the same technique with Milk Makeup’s Hydro Grip Setting Spray.
Concealer
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Concealer finish
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Blending began to become seamless, providing the perfect full face that I had always known I could achieve. Once finished, I locked in all my hard work with a traditional Sephora Setting Powder and continued to the next step.
Blush, bronzer, and lip gloss are my best friends. We’ve been going together real bad since my early 20s. Once I made it past securing a good face base, the rest of the makeup routine was familiar. I used NARS Laguna Bronzer to lock in my contour.
Bronzer
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Blush
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Adding a powder bronzer into my routine brought my face back to life and enhanced my facial features. To give my skin some radiance, I applied the Rare Beauty Blush In the color "Beige Peach."
Concealer after bronzer and blush
Celeste Polanco/xoNecole
Celeste Polanco/xoNecole
I added mascara, eyeshadow, and a lip to complete the look. At the very end, in very Natori fashion, I used one of her signature go-tos, the Patrick Ta Major Glow Balm.
The Results
The finished look
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I loved how my makeup turned out! I did a good job landing a good face base. A few areas that could be better are my blush and bronzer. I’m used to using a light hand, which makes my blush disappear in seconds. The point of a full-glam is for it to last! Moving forward, I will be fearless when applying blush and bronzer in hopes of longevity.
It’s safe to say Natori’s complete glam makeup looks are achievable for girls looking to step things up. Your inner glam girl goals are on the other side of your makeup brush, so pick your favorite Uche Natori makeup looks and get started!
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Featured image by Celeste Polanco/xoNecole