Over the past couple of years, the beauty industry has made tremendous strides in becoming inclusive of all shades and I am totally here for it!
For a long time, the beauty industry has failed women of color when it comes to creating products that suit our deep range of shades and varying undertones. It seems like since Fenty Beauty came into the game in 2017, carrying 40 shades of foundation has become an industry standard. Brands have been putting in work to create foundations and other product categories that represent all shades of beauty, particularly the darker end of the spectrum. Though much work is being done, one product that brands have repeatedly missed the mark on is bronzer.
Prime Beauty
I was super excited when I stumbled upon Brownzers by Prime Beauty. These Brownzers are matte (not glittery) bronzers and made with women of color in mind. This is literally a dream come true to women like myself who love the idea of bronzer but struggle to find bronzer shades that are actually deeper than our skin tones. Most popular bronzers on the market don't come in shades that suit Black women and, quite honestly, it's a bit disappointing.
Thanks to these bronzers that make the beauty needs of women of color "primary, not secondary", I'm no longer mixing the brown shadows in my Juvia's Place Warrior palette to create a bronzer that looks good on me. These chocolate girl-friendly bronzers are offered in 3 shades: 'Glow Coast' (light brown), 'Bronzeville' (medium brown) and 'Chocolate Litty' (deep brown) to enhance your melanin. The clever shades names made me even more excited to try them out.
Writer MIKA/xoNecole
Here’s what my makeup looks like before I added bronzer:
Writer MIKA/xoNecole
My makeup looks good, but I know a touch of bronzer would elevate it. Some people may ask why do women of color need bronzer anyway? Bronzer is a great finishing touch to your makeup to give your face a bit of dimension and an overall sun-kissed look.
Over the years, I've become a huge fan of bronzing as opposed to contouring. Think of bronzing as contouring's much more calm "sister". It takes way less effort and precision, yet it gives your face that little extra "life" that it needs.
Here’s what my makeup looked like after applying the 'Bronzeville' bronzer from Prime Beauty:
MIKA/xoNecole
After applying bronzer, my face looks much more complete and warmed up. I actually look and feel like I have a vacation tan. In reality, I'm in 40 degree weather in NYC. 'Bronzeville' is my preferred shade of the three that Prime Beauty offers. However, I can see myself using 'Glow Coast' and 'Chocolate Litty' in the future as well.
Overall, I think the Brownzer's by Prime Beauty are absolutely worth the $21 price tag. Besides the fact that their bronzers come in shades that are flattering on WOC, these bronzers are ideal for any makeup lover; from novice to professional. They apply super smoothly, which makes blending simple. Also, they are buildable, so you can start with a little bit of bronzer on your brush and add more bronzer as needed. FYI: You don't need a lot at all.
Wearing 'Brownsville'; Pictured 'Chocolate Litty'
MIKA/xoNecole
So, if you're in the market for a new bronzer or are looking to try bronzer for the first time, I would highly recommend trying one of the Brownzer's from Prime Beauty. These bronzers will open you up to a makeup category that hasn't met the needs of WOC in the past.
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Featured image by MIKA/xoNecole
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But it wasn’t an easy road, especially with reality TV. From the beginning, Crystal and her castmates bumped heads due to misconceptions and alliances with her ex-husband’s former partner, Monyetta Shaw. However, the mother of three exclusively tells xoNecole that she doesn’t regret her decision to join the show.
Crystal Renay
Photo courtesy
“Honestly, being in that space, we had a– you know, when you're first getting to know people, sometimes it can be smooth, and sometimes it can be rocky,” she says. “In our case, it was a little bit rocky and just getting to know each other, and I like to call it growing pains. And I felt like we had a couple of moments, but all in all, like the experience was really good for me, and I would do it over again.”
Crystal describes herself as “career-oriented” and says she is in her selfish season because she is now prioritizing herself first. But she admits that she is still healing from her divorce. The reality TV star shares some tips for others who may be going through the same thing.
“I would definitely say pray, pray as much as you can. Try to take your emotions out of your reactions to things because it’s always going to be something that you don't like in the situation,” she says. “But we can't move off of emotion because 10 times out of 10, a few months later, you're not going to feel like that. So, I'm a firm believer in not doing things that I will regret later. So I would just say be patient with yourself and stay positive.”
While there may be an opportunity to find love again, that’s not Crystal’s focus at the moment. She is in the rebuilding phase of her life, emphasizing the importance of self-care, personal growth, and finding her own happiness. She has had her share of challenges, including dealing with negative emotions and the public's perception of her, but her priorities involve spending quality time with her children and running lucrative businesses.
“I would definitely say pray, pray as much as you can. Try to take your emotions out of your reactions to things because it’s always going to be something that you don't like in the situation.”
“With my kids, I'm very hands-on. I’m team mother with soccer kids, and they don't really make no goals because they like five years old, but I'm there cheering them on every week,” she jokes. “I want to travel, especially this summer, with my kids and take them somewhere internationally because they're at the age where they can handle a long flight. So, me just spending more time and more new experiences with my kids is my main focus with them and showing them all the love that I could possibly give them.”
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Photo courtesy of Crystal Renay
