

These 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Collabs Are Representing For The Culture
I will never forget the feeling of watching Black Panther for the first time. Now, here we are gearing up for Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverfour years later. To think about the film without Chadwick Boseman is challenging to process. However, we know all who worked on the film will honor his legacy while delivering a movie we'll discuss long after we leave the theaters.
This time around, Marvel Studios is partnering with brands—many of which are Black-owned—to get us all ready for opening weekend, November 11th. From nail care to hair care to coffee, there are several Black-owned businesses to support. And there's even a collab with a makeup brand that always brings it when working on creative projects.
Keep reading for all the deets on each collab!
Marvel Studios' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Layovers
Pear Nova
If you're unfamiliar with Pear Nova, the Chicago-based nail salon founded by Rachel James in 2012 is Black-owned and offers a range of polishes you can order online and use for your at-home mani. However, this collaboration with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is all about Layovers (think press-ons, but better).
The limited-edition layover nail collection features custom nail art inspired by Black Panther that is both long-lasting and reusable. The collection includes three designs: Vibranium Claws Layovers, Wakandan Tech 101 Layovers, and Rituals + Royals Layovers. And each set includes 24 almond-shaped luxury faux nails, a nail file/buffer, a cuticle stick, and nail glue.
Limited Edition Bevel x Marvel Studios Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Safety Razor Gift Set
Bevel
For the Marvel fanatics in your life, shaving just became more fun. Bevel collaborated with Black Panther to design their best-selling double-edged safety razor in a limited-edition all-black. In addition, because the razor is specially designed for coarse and curly hair types to reduce bumps and irritation, shavers will get a close shave with a one-of-a-kind Wakanda style.
Young King X Black Panther Wakanda Forever Collab
Young King Hair Care
Young King Hair Care is a plant-based, natural hair care line founded by wife-and-husband team Cora and Stefan Miller to redefine male grooming for young boys of color. Young King offers products from co-washing to stylers, and their collaboration with Black Panther is no different—just much cooler for wash day. The Wakanda Forever limited edition line includes a co-wash treatment meant to condition and detangle, styling balm, custard curl enhancer, and refreshing spray, all adorned with Black Panther packaging we're sure your kiddos will enjoy.
MAC x Black Panther Marvel Collection
MAC
One thing MAC does well is collaboration. Am I the only one still using their MAC x Aaliyah Makeup Collection lipstick? From what we can tell, this 18-piece collection adorned with specially curated Wakanda details and colors, including an eight-shade eyeshadow palette decorated with T'Challa's Claw necklace and a blingy highlighter designed with the Black Panther emblem, is going to be equally as amazing. Prices for the limited-edition collection range from $23 to $39.
Bonus: BLK & Bold x Marvel Studios' Black Panther Wakanda Forever
BLK & Bold
I wake up and drink a cup of BLK & Bold coffee every morning. I love starting my mornings with a Black-owned business. Plus, knowing that five percent of all BLK & Bold profits are used for good makes my morning cup of joe even sweeter. So I was excited to see their latest collaboration with Black Panther. This limited edition drop has three offerings: dark roast, medium roast, and Keurig k-cups, with packaging featuring Shuri, Okoye, Nakia, and M'Baku.
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Featured image via MAC Cosmetics
Bianca Lambert is a proud Atlanta native soaking up the Los Angeles sun. She is the founder of Mae B: a stationery company for women of color and a digital content creator on a mission to elevate the voices of women of color everywhere.
How Content Creators Hey Fran Hey And Shameless Maya Embraced The Pivot
This article is in partnership with Meta Elevate.
If you’ve been on the internet at all within the past decade, chances are the names Hey Fran Hey and Shameless Maya (aka Maya Washington) have come across your screen. These content creators have touched every platform on the web, spreading joy to help women everywhere live their best lives. From Fran’s healing natural remedies to Maya’s words of wisdom, both of these content creators have built a loyal following by sharing honest, useful, and vulnerable content. But in search of a life that lends to more creativity, freedom, and space, these digital mavens have moved from their bustling big cities (New York City and Los Angeles respectively) to more remote locations, taking their popular digital brands with them.
Content Creators Hey Fran Hey and Maya Washington Talk "Embracing The Pivot"www.youtube.com
In partnership with Meta Elevate — an online learning platform that provides Black, Hispanic, and Latinx-owned businesses access to 1:1 mentoring, digital skills training, and community — xoNecole teamed up with Franscheska Medina and Maya Washington on IG live recently for a candid conversation about how they’ve embraced the pivot by changing their surroundings to ultimately bring out the best in themselves and their work. Fran, a New York City native, moved from the Big Apple to Portland, Oregon a year ago. Feeling overstimulated by the hustle and bustle of city life, Fran headed to the Pacific Northwest in search of a more easeful life.
Her cross-country move is the backdrop for her new campaign with Meta Elevate— a perfectly-timed commercial that shows how you can level up from wherever you land with the support of free resources like Meta Elevate. Similarly, Maya packed up her life in Los Angeles and moved to Sweden, where she now resides with her husband and adorable daughter. Maya’s life is much more rural and farm-like than it had been in California, but she is thriving in this peaceful new setting while finding her groove as a new mom.
While Maya is steadily building and growing her digital brand as a self-proclaimed “mom coming out of early retirement,” Fran is redefining her own professional grind. “It’s been a year since I moved from New York City to Portland, Oregon,” says Fran. “I think the season I’m in is figuring out how to stay successful while also slowing down.” A slower-paced life has unlocked so many creative possibilities and opportunities for these ladies, and our conversation with them is a well-needed reminder that your success is not tied to your location…especially with the internet at your fingertips. Tapping into a community like Meta Elevate can help Black, Hispanic, and Latinx entrepreneurs and content creators stay connected to like minds and educated on new digital skills and tools that can help scale their businesses.
During a beautiful moment in the conversation, Fran gives Maya her flowers for being an innovator in the digital space. Back when “influencing” was in its infancy and creators were just trying to find their way, Fran says Maya was way ahead of her time. “I give Maya credit for being one of the pioneers in the digital space,” Fran said. “Maya is a one-person machine, and I always tell her she really changed the game on what ads, campaigns, and videos, in general, should look like.”
When asked what advice she’d give content creators, Maya says the key is having faith even when you don’t see the results just yet. “It’s so easy to look at what is, despite you pouring your heart into this thing that may not be giving you the returns that you thought,” she says. “Still operate from a place of love and authenticity. Have faith and do the work. A lot of people are positive thinkers, but that’s the thinking part. You also have to put your faith into work and do the work.”
Fran ultimately encourages content creators and budding entrepreneurs to take full advantage of Meta Elevate’s vast offerings to educate themselves on how to build and grow their businesses online. “It took me ten years to get to the point where I’m making ads at this level,” she says. “I didn’t have those resources in 2010. I love the partnership with Meta Elevate because they’re providing these resources for free. I just think of the people that wouldn’t be able to afford that education and information otherwise. So to amplify a company like this just feels right.”
Watch the full conversation with the link above, and join the Meta Elevate community to connect with fellow businesses and creatives that are #OnTheRiseTogether.
Featured image courtesy of Shameless Maya and Hey Fran Hey
Mo’Nique Opens Up About Leaving The 'Independent Woman' Narrative Behind In Her Marriage
There has been an ongoing conversation on social media around the term “independent woman.” While it once was a badge of honor to call yourself an independent woman, who else was singing I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T at the functions? Many women are now slamming that narrative. Just recently, our girl Ciara received massive backlash online following the release of her song "For Da Girls" because she was seemingly praising women “who don’t need no man,” and some social media users thought the song's message could be seen as a contradiction because she is happily married to Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson.
Although Ciara didn't publicly address the flak, the topic of traditional values in marriage became front and center again when Mo'Nique shared her thoughts on how the concept of an independent woman could cause a struggle in the power dynamic of one's relationship and why she felt it wasn't suitable for her union with Sidney Hicks.
The veteran comedian has been married to Hicks since 2006, and the couple shares two children: twins David and Johnathon Hicks. In an interview with Vulture, Mo'Nique, who was promoting her new Netflix comedy special My Name is Monique, revealed the factors that led to her decision stemmed from the effects she "witnessed" in her parents' relationship and her own with Hicks.
Mo'nique on Instagram: "HEY MY SWEET BABIES❤️❤️ HAPPY HAPPY EVERYTHING!!! HAVE AN AMAZING DAY MY BABIES! Throwback from VEGAS RESIDENCY I LOVE US 4REAL"
Mo'Nique On The Independent Woman Concept And Its Effects
The 55-year-old told the publication that growing up, she would see her mother --while juggling a job and other household duties-- cook regularly to ensure that her father had something to eat when he came home from work and iron his clothes.
But as Mo’Nique would describe, things quickly became a "competition" in the pair's relationship after deciding that they would "do the same thing" because they were both working individuals.
"There was a time when we were coming up … My mother made sure dinner was on the table Monday through Thursday, 6 p.m. My father never went without an ironed shirt. It was just things that I watched my mother do, and both of my parents worked. Then we went through this era of, 'Well if I work like you working, you could do the same thing I can do.' Then it became a struggle, and it became a competition in the household. I was a part of that. That's what I knew. That's what I witnessed," she said.
Further in the conversation, Mo'Nique disclosed that as she became an adult and started watching television programs like The Oprah Winfrey Show, she often heard messages of "independence and empowerment," especially for women, so much so she incorporated that into life.
Despite being influential and financially well-off, The Parkers star added that the downfall of that message was that it could be an incredibly lonely experience.
"When I started watching Oprah Winfrey … Oprah never said these words, let me be clear. Oprah Winfrey never said, 'You don't need a man.' We watched her action. We watched her talk about independence and empowerment," Monique explained. "We watched that, and we followed that. If that's what the most powerful Black woman is doing in this country, then that's what we should be doing, too. We got involved in it, and we watched it, and we followed it, and then a lot of us found ourselves very lonely. We had all the power, we had all the money, but we went to bed very lonely."
Mo'Nique On Her Marriage to Sidney Hicks
After pondering about the life she wanted for herself and Hicks in the future, Mo'Nique expressed she happily allowed her husband to take the lead because she knew her place and how beneficial both parties were to the union.
"So, I had to say to myself, I want something different. When I'm 80 years old, I want to sit on the porch and hold hands, and rock back and forth in a rocking chair, and watch our great-grandbabies play. That's the happy place for me, in knowing my place. I don't have to pee standing up. I can sit down like a lady should. If there's a strange sound in the house in the middle of the night, I don't have to jump up and take a flashlight. I have a man that does that. When we pull up somewhere, I don't open up my car door. I have a man to do that," the Precious star explained.
Although Mo'Nique admitted that she did struggle to relinquish the ideas that came along with being an independent woman because it was ingrained in her life at a young age, all that changed was when she found her "true love" with Hicks.
She wrapped up her sentiments by saying many could experience that shift once they, too, are with a partner they love.
While this concept around the independent woman may continue to spark debates, it's always best to just do what suits you and your relationship.
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Feature image by @therealmoworldwide/ Instagram