

Lauren London Shows Us How She Achieves Her Flawless Everyday Look
Since Lauren London’s breakout role in the 2006 cult classic ATL, the actress captivated audiences with her stunning beauty and quickly became known as one of the baddest Black women in Hollywood. At 38 years old, the mother of two’s beauty is still unmatched and she recently shared her beauty secrets with Vogue.
Check out the You People star as she dishes on her favorite Black-owned beauty products, how she stays looking young, and why no one can touch her eyebrows.
Vogue/ YouTube
Skincare
Lauren is an advocate for washing your face, especially after a bad experience she had in high school. “I’ve always been serious about washing my face,” she says. “I feel like when I was in high school, I learned the really harsh lesson of going to bed without washing my face and I had a really bad breakout on my forehead.” The L.A. native uses the Black woman-owned brand Undefined Beauty R&R Cleanser.
Because Lauren has sensitive skin, she likes to use natural products on her face. One of her favorite products, which is also owned by a woman of color, is PurpL & Prosper Calm Complexion Serum. This serum has jojoba oil and licorice root that helps with skin sensitivities.
Vogue/ YouTube
“Growing up, I don’t remember any Black-owned skin[care] products around our household and I feel like now it's more available, it’s out there,” she says. “It’s skin[care] products that actually understand what’s going on with my skin.”
She also likes using Therabody TheraFace PRO, which she credits for smoothing out fine lines. “Red light is really good for the rejuvenation of your [skin] cells and fine lines ‘cause sis is not 22 anymore,” she explains.
Vogue/ YouTube
While the actress enjoys her skincare routine, she admits it’s not a regular thing. “I don’t always have time to do this routine, especially in the morning when I have to rush to take the kids to school,” she confesses. “If I have some time and I do want to take time with myself and be intentional about my face–this is also very therapeutic–I’ll do all [of] this. If I don’t have time, it’s giving face wash and a moisturizer.”
Makeup
When it comes to makeup, Lauren starts off with Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer and follows that with Tom Ford Color Correcting pen and Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Concealer. “I have really, really dark circles because I don’t get enough sleep,” she says. “I have two kids, so I use this Tom Ford Color Correcting pen under my eyes before I go in with concealer.”
She then uses Tatcha The Silk Powder and Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream.
Vogue/ YouTube
“Growing up, Rite Aid or CVS would be where I would buy my makeup and it was really hard finding a color that matched my skin complexion and I felt like you would have to mix and match and I’m not good at that,” the actress explains. “I think as time has changed and as makeup has become more inclusive, I hope everyone can find their shade.”
When it comes to her eyebrows, Lauren plays no games. She reveals that she doesn’t let anyone touch her brows. She says, “I like to keep my eyebrows kind of thick and anybody who knows me knows I don’t touch this.”
Vogue/ YouTube
She later continues, “When I get my makeup done professionally, I don’t let anyone do my brows. They can do anything else, my eyebrows are mine.”
In the Netflix film You People, Lauren got to work alongside legendary actress and ageless beauty Nia Long. Nia plays Lauren's mom in the film and she raves about meeting and working with one of her “beauty icons.”
Vogue/ YouTube
“So on this new movie You People, I actually got the honor to work with one of my beauty icons Nia Long,” she gushes. “She’s a professional. The way she carries herself as a Black woman on a set and she’s so pretty on pictures and much more beautiful in person. Her face card does not decline.”
After applying Fenty Beauty Liquid Killawatt Fluid Freestyle Highlighter, NARS Powder Blush, Lancôme Hypnôse Drama Instant Volumizing Mascara, and Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer, Lauren sets her makeup with Tatcha The Luminous Dewy Skin Mist to complete the look.
Lauren London’s Guide to Flawless Brows & Concealing Dark Circles | Beauty Secrets | Vogue
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Feature image by Vogue/ YouTube
London Alexaundria is the contributing editor for xoNecole. She is an alum of Clark Atlanta University, where she majored in Mass Media Arts and has worked in journalism for over ten years. You can follow her on Instagram and TikTok @theselfcarewriter
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.