In About Face, xoNecole gets the 411 on IGers who give us #skincaregoals on the daily. Here they break down their beauty routines on the inside and out, as well as the highly coveted products that grace their shelves and their skin.
I had the pleasure of meeting Brooklyn-based creative Tauri Janeé when I was facilitating a conversation with her about the adultification of Black women during an online event curated by founder Yasmine Jameelah's organization, Transparent Black Girl. After speaking with the Black femme artist for nearly half an hour and doing a Zoom twerking session, I knew I had to speak with her about her glowing skin. Before we jumped into everything skincare, I wanted to know all about her career as a full-time creative and how it impacted her day-to-day life during the pandemic.
"I recently transitioned into being a full-time creative, meaning my income derives from the different creative projects I'm working on. Most of them are design-based which is affirming because I taught myself how to use Photoshop. I've also leaned further into influencing. I've always been intimidated by that career path, but quarantine has changed me," Tauri told xoNecole. "It's helped me realize how independent I can be and I've used that energy to invest further into my creative goals. In the past month, I've created more opportunities for myself than I ever did when I was a corporate girl."
In this installment of xoNecole's About Face, Tauri talks about a red lip boosting her confidence, using a face mask if she's feeling a little extra spicy for her skincare routine, and being inspired by Alicia Keys.
Her relationship with beauty and skincare…
"I'm still building a relationship with beauty and skincare. My high school prom may have been the last time I had on a full face of makeup. Right now, at this very moment, I still don't know the difference between primer and concealer. Growing up, the women in my family didn't place an emphasis on beauty. To this day, my grandmother will say things like, 'Who cares what other people think about how you look?' or 'Do whatever the [redacted] you want with your body!'"
My morning routine consists of...
"Unfortunately, I am one of those people who checks their phone first thing in the morning. I wish I could say I got up, drank green juice, then completed four sun salutations but that would be a lie. I also spend a good deal of time staring at the ceiling, trying to make sense of how every moment of my life has led to yet another day of me sleeping in until noon."
Tauri Janeé
My AM skincare routine looks like…
"When I remember to wash my face, I typically use Glossier's Milky Jelly Cleanser. I like it because it never leaves my face feeling stripped. It has a consistency that I've never felt in a face wash before. Afterwards, I use a toner from AMOREPACIFIC, followed by the Glossier Priming Moisturizer and an AMOREPACIFIC serum oil. My old job used to give away products that were gifted to us. I had to Google Amore Pacific and let's just say, when this batch is gone, ya girl does not have the budget to replenish it, ha!
"I'm always inclined to point out that I've been on birth control since I was a teenager and it has significantly influenced my skin. Often when people compliment my skin I respond with, 'Thanks, it's the hormones.' I don't say this as an advocate for taking birth control to manage your skin, but to highlight that it's not always about having the perfect product! Products I use during the day include Supergoop sunscreen, Glossier Rosewater Soothing Face Mist, Nivea Moisture Lip Care (this product has never failed me) and beauty supply store lip gloss."
My PM skincare routine looks like...
"If I'm feeling spicy, I'll apply a face mask. I like the Mask of Magnaminty from Lush."
How my skincare changes for the seasons…
"My skin gets so unbelievably dry in the winter. At that point, I'm practically inhaling moisturizers. My nose and lips suffer the most. I always make sure to moisturize them before bed. If not, I'll wake up with split skin to compliment the crust in my eyes."
My go-to makeup look consists of…
"I don't wear makeup. Every now and then, if I'm up for it, I'll throw on a red lip. My friends have a joke where they say, 'You know Tauri is feeling herself when the red lip comes out.' They aren't wrong. Nothing like the confidence that comes along with a red lip."
Tauri Janeé
How I approach beauty from the inside out…
"Drink water. I don't say this as a joke or to follow any trends. If I am not hydrated, I pass out. In grad school, I spent a day tanning in my backyard, only to faint on my kitchen floor later because I didn't drink enough water."
What self-care looks like to me…
"A good playlist, my journal, pastries and art."
My travel skincare routine looks like…
"My skincare routine goes out the window when I travel. How anyone can think of exfoliating while eating tapas on a foreign balcony is beyond me."
My earliest beauty memory…
"I used to rip pages of Alicia Keys out of magazines and show them to my godmother so she could recreate the hairstyles on me. Getting my hair braided are some of my earliest memories of feeling beautiful. I'd whine and cry throughout the process, but afterwards I would stand in front of the mirror in awe. I really felt like the girls on the cover of Vibe magazines. That's the power of representation.
"(P.S. There was a boy on my street who'd chase me around and say, 'Sing me a song, Alicia.' Shout out to him for gassing me!)"
For more Tauri, follow her on Instagram.
Featured image provided by Tauri Janeé
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While an evolution is a natural progression that happens as businesses grow, a rebrand is a total change. Lola tells xoNecole, "A total rebrand is necessary when a business’s current reputation/what it’s known for is at odds with the business’s vision or direction.
"For example, if you’ve fundamentally changed what your product is and does, it’s likely that your brand is out of alignment with the business. Or, if you find your company is developing a reputation that doesn’t serve it, it might be time to pump the brakes and figure out what needs to change.
She continues, "Sometimes you’ll see companies (especially startups) announce a name change that comes with updated messaging, visuals, etc. That usually means their vision has changed or expanded, and their previous branding was too narrow/couldn’t encompass everything they planned to do."
Feature image courtesy
The Brand Doula was born in 2019, and its focus is on putting "the experiences, goals, and needs of women of color founders first," as well as brands with "culture-shifting missions."
According to Lola, culture-shifting is "the act of influencing dominant behavior, beliefs, or experiences in a community or group (ideally, for the better)."
"At The Brand Doula, we work with companies and leaders that set out to challenge the status quo in their industries and communities. They’re here to make an impact that sends ripples across the market," she says.
"We help the problem solvers of the world — the ones who aren't satisfied with 'this is how it's always been' and instead ask 'how could this be better?' Our clients build for impact, reimagining tools, systems, and ways of living to move cultures forward."
The Brand Doula has worked with many brands, including Too Collective, to assist with their collaboration with Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Balanced Black Girl for a "refresh," aka rebrand. For businesses looking to rebrand, Lola shares four essential steps.
1. Do an audit of your current brand experience — what’s still relevant and what needs to change? Reflect on why you’re doing the rebrand in the first place and what success would look like after relaunching.
2. Tackle the overall strategy first — before you start redesigning logos and websites, align on a new vision for your brand. How do you want your company to be positioned moving forward? Has your audience changed at all? Will your company have a fresh personality and voice?
3. Bring your audience along the journey — there’s no need to move in secret. Inviting your current audience into the journey can actually help them feel more connected to and invested in your story, enough to stick around as changes are being made.
4. Keep business moving — one of my biggest pet peeves is when companies take down their websites as soon as they have the idea to rebrand, then have a Coming Soon page up for months! You lose a lot of momentum and interest by doing that. If you’re still in business and generating income, continue to operate while you work on your rebrand behind the scenes. You don’t want to cut existing customers off out of the blue, and you also don’t want so much downtime that folks forget your business exists or start looking for other solutions.
While determining whether the rebrand was successful may take a few months, Lola says a clear sign that it is unsuccessful is negative feedback from your target audience. "Customers are typically more vocal about what they don’t like more than what they do like," she says.
But some good signs to look out for are improvements in engagement with your marketing, positive reviews, press and increase in retention, and overall feeling aligned with the new branding.
For more information about Lola and The Brand Doula, visit her website, thebranddoula.com.
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Feature image courtesy
With 37 beaches, charming French bakeries, and Dutch wine and cheese shops, the island is great for those craving variety. It also serves as a perfect base for exploring the neighboring islands of Saba, Anguilla, and St. Barths - all just a ferry ride away.
If you’re looking for a destination for an upcoming solo or girls’ trip that combines adventure, beachfront relaxation, and great dining, here’s why St. Maarten should be at the top of your list.
Sonesta Ocean Point Resort
Sonesta Ocean Point
Where To Stay
To get to St. Maarten, I booked a flight to Princess Juliana International Airport, which is on the Dutch side of the island. After landing, I checked into Sonesta Ocean Point Resort, an adults-only, all-inclusive property about 10 minutes from the airport. The property has 24-hour room service, four bars, and three restaurants. My favorite restaurant was the cliffside Azul, where some menu standouts included mushroom ravioli, grilled swordfish, and braised lamb shank.
If you want to party, you’ve come to the right place. The resort also offers poolside DJs, nightly live entertainers, and the largest casino on the island, Casino Royale. You can also spend some quiet time at the Serenity Spa getting a bamboo massage in the Japanese Zen garden or enjoying an Island Flow massage in the outdoor gazebo.
The hotel is also located on Maho Bay, just steps from the famous Maho Beach. Nicknamed “airport beach,” the beach is a popular place to snap pictures of the planes landing or departing just a few feet above you. If you want to know the best time to hit the beach, check out the Sunset Beach Bar, which has a chalkboard with a schedule of landings and departures.
Downtown St. Maarten
Credit: St. Maarten Tourism
What To Do
While you could easily spend your whole vacation at the resort, there’s so much to do in St. Maarten. One of the best ways to discover the island is by ATV through Xplore SXM, which offers daily rentals and the option of a tour guide. The rental office is just steps from the resort, and I opted for a guided tour of the island.
The island is only nine miles long and eight miles wide, and it takes just a few hours to drive around the entire island. There’s no border control (just a sign to mark each side of the island), and you can easily travel between the two sides. As part of my tour, I stopped by St. Martin’s Orient Bay, one of the island’s best beaches. I also spent the afternoon strolling through Phillipsburg, the Dutch capital, and browsing around The Amsterdam Cheese and Liquor Store, which offers gourmet cheese, wines, and even wooden clogs imported from the Netherlands.
Orient Beach
Credit: Mariette Williams
Another popular activity in St. Maarten includes ziplining. If you’re brave enough, book a trip to The Flying Dutchman, the steepest zipline in the world. The ride is over 2,800 ft long and includes a drop in elevation over 1,000 ft. At the top of the ride, you can see neighboring Saba, St. Barths, St. Eustatius, and Anguilla.
During my stay, I also booked a visit to the recently opened We Culture Museum in St. Maarten—one of the highlights of my stay. A visit to the 8,000-square-foot museum includes complimentary drinks and a history lesson on Carnival across the Caribbean. There were instruments and handmade costumes on display, and I tried on some of the Carnival wings and headpieces.
The We Culture Museum
Credit: Mariette Williams
Where To Eat
Of all the islands I’ve traveled to, St. Maarten/St. Martin has some of the most diverse food offerings. On my first night, I took a taxi to Bamboo House, an Asian restaurant overlooking the city. The restaurant offers a variety of dishes like braised duck nachos and a special West Indies Espresso Martini made with Venezuelan rum.
During my ATV tour, I stopped for breakfast at Chez Fernand, an authentic French bakery in St. Martin, where I practiced my French by ordering the pain au chocolat. I also ate eggplant lasagna at Irie Gardens, a local vegetarian restaurant in Phillipsburg. St. Martin also has a big Haitian population, and Villa Royale serves traditional Haitian dishes like djon djon rice, pikliz, and grilled conch.
St. Martin is also home to several beach clubs, perfect for day drinking and lounging in breezy cabanas. Rainbow Cafe has a laid-back, boho vibe, perfect for slow brunches, and Ocean’s 82 is a beachside French restaurant specializing in seafood like roasted sea scallops and lobster fettuccine.
Aerial view of Saba
Credit: Kai Wulf
Where To Island Hop
St. Maarten is one of the easiest places to island hop, and you can collect passport stamps in three nearby countries. Start with a trip to Saba, a Dutch island about a 90-minute ferry from St. Maarten that departs at 9 a.m. twice a week. You could also opt for a quick 15-minute flight and experience landing on the shortest commercial runway in the world. I opted for the plane ride and held my breath as we touched down the 1,300-foot-long runway.
If you’re just in Saba for the day, plan a hike to Mount Scenery. Guided hikes are offered through the Saba Conservation Foundation, and my hike was led by Crocodile James, an expert hiker and local Saban, who took my group on a 90-minute hike to the top of Mount Scenery, the highest point in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Mount Scenery Trail
Credit: Mariette Williams
Views of Saba from Mount Scenery
Credit: Mariette Williams
Mariette pictured taking in the views of Saba
Credit: Mariette Williams
After your hike, stop by Tropics Cafe for a refreshing lobster salad or curry coconut shrimp.
I also recommend a day trip to Anguilla. The daily ferry ride is about 25 minutes long, and rides start at 10:30 a.m. In Anguilla, the best beaches are Mead’s Bay and Shoal Bay, and my favorite restaurants on the island are SALT at the Four Seasons Anguilla, Straw Hat at Frangipani Resort, and 20 Knots at Zemi Beach House, which has tables right on the beach. Anguilla is made for beachgoing, but you can also go horseback riding on the beach or enjoy a rum tasting at Zemi Beach House’s Rhum Room, the island’s only rum bar.
St. Barths is another option for a day trip, and the 45-minute ferry from St. Maarten to St. Barths leaves three times a day starting at 7:15 a.m. The island has a reputation for being a hideaway for celebrities and socialites, and like St. Martin, it’s lined with swanky beach clubs and restaurants. Check out Nikki Beach or Ocean Club St. Barths and head to the island’s capital, Gustavia, to check out French boutiques like Louis Vuitton and Cartier.
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Featured image by Kai Wulf