
Keke Palmer Is Over The Need To Be Perfect: "I Want To Be Ugly Sometimes And That's My Business"

In a world of constant social media smoke and mirrors, Keke "Stays With A Bag" Palmer is the refreshingly honest celebrity beauty spokesperson we need in our lives. And she isn't just an average celebrity. Not only has she been in the business since she was nine, she is also committed to just being who she truly is: herself. She speaks her mind proudly and often and has a refreshing willingness to be transparent with fans about personal aspects of her life, often in hopes of helping others.
Namely, a few months ago, Palmer shared that she struggles with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), and revealing that, among many other symptoms, the "least harmful thing PCOS can bring is acne," or in her case, severe acne. Posting an unfiltered, makeup-free selfie displaying spotting and scarring from breakouts, she wrote:
"Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome has been attacking me from the inside out my entire life and I had no idea. I do not have a medical degree but I did the research and took what I learned to a doctor and that led them to a proper diagnosis. To all the people struggling with this please know you're not alone and that you are still so fucking fine! MY ACNE AINT NEVER STOPPED ME. But we don't have accept this. Now I can really help KEKE! And I love her so it's ON."
And since that day, sis has been fully transparent about her journey, even doing make-up tutorials to show how to navigate the disease, saying in one of her latest tutorials for acne coverage:
"The gag is we're not perfect, but who wants to be perfect? I want to be ugly sometimes. And that's my business."
There is a reason Olay Body tapped her to be the face of their latest campaign (which turns out to be the perfect fit). She elaborated on societies pressures to be perfect, in typical Keke fashion, she kept it 100, telling Glamour:
"By accepting what you are and saying to yourself, 'Well, shit, I'm not going to be anything else.' At the end of the day, there are certain things that we can change, but when we haven't accepted ourselves, those things become even harder to grasp."
She continued:
"When you're beating yourself up and striving for perfection, it makes it hard to improve. And really, all we can and should be focused on is improving every day. When you let go of trying to be perfect and instead love and accept yourself for who you are and where you are, and give yourself some grace, you can have a better chance at improving the things you so desperately want to improve."
Currently, Palmer is on track to produce new shows for Disney+, but with her track record, I'm sure she has quite a few more projects up her sleeve. But in the meantime, she is occupied with being her own advocate, and taking back her health, for her, and for us. She tells SheKnows:
"To me, [talking about it] is informative — because a lot of people are struggling with stuff like what I've been struggling with, but not everybody makes them conscious of it."
We stan an honest, enlightening queen!
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Featured image by Parisa Michelle / Shutterstock.com
Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
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Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Ashley Versher is known for her work in the Tyler Perry's Beauty In Black series and more recently, she starred alongside Taraji P. Henson in the Netflix film Straw. But she is more than just her acting credits and stunning looks (her hair alone is everything). In an xoNecole exclusive, Ashley dishes on her first celebrity crush, how she spends her downtime, and her go-to haircare products because we need the deets.
Get to know Ashley below.
xoNecole: Where are you from?
Ashley Versher: San Francisco - BAY AREAAAAAA!!!!
xoN: What was your first major acting role?
AV: A 49ers Super Bowl commercial - I think I was 3.
Ashley Versher
Johnny Marlow
xoN: Have you ever had an embarrassing or funny audition story? If so, what happened?
AV: Yes! I was doing a self-tape once and I forgot to take off my bonnet. But the tape was so good I sent it in anyway.
xoN: Your hair is gorgeous. What has it been like navigating Hollywood with natural hair?
AV: Thank you so much! Navigating Hollywood with natural hair has definitely been a journey of self-discovery. Early on, I had to make a conscious decision about how I wanted to show up—not just in this industry, but for myself. Once I fully embraced my natural hair and committed to the journey, everything else began to align. It’s been nothing short of empowering.
Navigating Hollywood with natural hair has definitely been a journey of self-discovery. Early on, I had to make a conscious decision about how I wanted to show up—not just in this industry, but for myself.
xoN: What are your favorite go-to hair products?
AV: Ooooooo, right now I’m loving Camille Rose’s Jai Twisting Butter—it’s super moisturizing and gives me a fun, bouncy twist-out! I’ve also recently gotten into oils, and I’m especially loving sweet almond oil.
xoN: We know you as an actress, but what is another special talent you have that most people don't know about?
AV: I trained as a classical violinist for 13/14years.
xoN: Who is your hero?
AV: My mom. She’s incredible - full stop.
Ashley Versher
Johnny Marlow
xoN: How do you like to spend your down time?
AV: Ha! What’s that!? Jk jk, I love to travel, that’s honestly my favorite thing.
xoN: Who was your first celebrity crush?
AV: Prince.
xoN: What is your dream role?
AV: One day I will play a witch with Harry Potter-like powers!
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Feature image by Johnny Marlow