Coming up in the world as a young Black woman sure does come with the whole bunch of no's and don'ts. Nonsense like:
Don't wear that black lipstick, you'll look too goth. Don't wear that red lipstick, you are too dark for that. Don't color your hair blue, you're going to look crazy. Don't cut off all that pretty hair, you're going to look like a man.
These limiting beliefs of what Black girls can and cannot do doesn't leave a whole lot of room for us to explore and experiment.
Beauty blogger Elisa, more popularly known as Shantrinas, has been a mentor on social media for women looking for fun and simple makeup and natural hair tutorials. She is a self-taught artist that can help anyone pull off a bold look, especially those of us with darker skin tones. Recently, Elisa chatted with xoNecole about style, beauty, and what makes her so unapologetic about the way she rocks them both.
Shantrinas/Instagram
What stands out about Elisa is her fearlessness in experimenting with different looks and colors, whether it's through her choice in beating her face or with styling her hair. She can instruct you on executing a range of looks from a striking and bold look, or the face of the Girl Next Door. She believes that is the most wonderful thing about the world of beauty. She is exercising the freedom of becoming your own personal fantasy.
"My style is constantly changing... It started when I went through the whole emo thing because I liked their style and I thought it was a little different. Then I got a bit older and thought I needed to calm down a little bit and I started being a little more toned down, but now I'm kinda all over the place and [it] is based off of how I feel that day. If I want to look like a fairy one day, that's cool and if I want to look like something else the next day, that's fine, [too]," she explained. "The whole reason that I actually went natural was that I wanted to dye my hair... I wanted pretty colors in my hair either purple or pink."
Shantrinas/Instagram
Purple or pink may be the last color the average woman would think of when dyeing her hair but Elisa is no stranger of thinking outside of the box. She grew up inspired by Kelis, loving alternative styles and being infatuated with the emo crowd along with the drag queen community. As a result, self-expression knows no bounds. She shared, "Even when I was younger, people would say, 'You shouldn't be wearing makeup. You shouldn't be wearing that color. You are too dark for this, you are too dark for that. And I said I like how this looks! I don't care what you think, I'm going to do it. I'm going to wear dark lipstick [and] love bold eye shadow I don't care if you think I look like a drag queen. I'm going to do it."
And she does it well. In each YouTube video, you can see her rocking her luxurious natural tresses in different colors like orange, purple, aqua blue, or she might just surprise you and cut it all off because to her, it is just hair.
Shantrinas/Instagram
Creativity is what keeps her going and she uses makeup and hair (the way a painter uses brushes) to create and experience a feeling; even going as far as experimenting with different color eye contacts and highly pigmented makeup colors. Shantrinas mentioned that she is also really into special effects makeup. Her advice when it comes to women that want to try something different with their look and are trying to get out of their comfort zone in the world of hair and makeup, is to do what feels good.
"I think you should find your own individual style. Don't be so pressured to be a certain way when there are so many other things you can be. If you want to try something, just go for it. Don't think about it too much, that is where the anxiety builds. Just do it."
Shantrinas/Instagram
You can catch Shatrinas diving into the world of fitness and clean eating while mixing up different colors to put in her hair. To keep up with this makeup loving, healthy living maven, check out her YouTube channel or on her Instagram @Shantrinas.
Thank you, Elisa, for giving us the inspiration to venture out of our comfort zone every once in a while.
Related Stories:
Hair Color To Try: Red -Read More
Real Women Show How They Rock Bold Lip Colors -Read More
Trend Alert: Ten Bright Eyes For The Season - Read More
New Jersey native creating a life that she loves while living in gratitude. She loves using beauty, and fashion to create a balanced lifestyle while prioritizing wellness. A devoted fur mom, and a full-time lover of laughter. She is out for revenge against the darkness by being light, taking her own advice, traveling the world, and letting you know that you are so lit! Connect with her via IG @iamzaniah and please visit Zaniahsworld.com
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.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
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.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Marc Piasecki/WireImage