xoNecole Launches The Coachella Of Girls’ Night Ins: Pajamas & Lipstick
On Friday, April 19, xoNecole launched its new event series: Pajamas & Lipstick: A Girls' Night in Experience. The four-hour event featured a one-of-a-kind photo booth experience, a fireside chat, and pampering and reflexology stations with massages that will have you calling home to your mama.
90's and 2000's jams from DJ Ohso filled the room at Upstairs Atlanta, intensifying the Coachella vibes and turning the floor into a Soul Train line. The ambiance created by the dimly lit candles, floor cushions, cactuses, and floral tepees, created an atmosphere where women could relax, dance, and let loose.
Whether guests arrived solo or with a group of friends, the Find The Guest icebreaker game helped attendees meet and bond with each other which set the tone for the rest of the night.
Throughout the evening, guests indulged in cocktails, light bites, and desserts almost too cute to eat while snapping Insta-worthy pics in the interactive photo booth.
After a few sips of Ketel One's signature cocktails, attendees were ready for a fireside chat hosted by founder Necole Kane, radio personality Tracy G., and correspondent Dana Blair. The dynamic created amongst the hosts and their ability to tackle raw conversations on relationship and sex generated a ton of laughter and made a few men working the bar listen intently.
The hosts' insightful conversation on whether independent women could learn to submit in their relationship left women pondering on current and past lovers.
Tracy's joyful spirit and candid commentary on everything from being a reformed cheater to penis sizes left the crowd contemplating, does size really matter? The consensus amongst the room was crystal clear. In 2019, size matters but foreplay matters way more. While women debated amongst themselves, the fun was just heating up on stage.
It was very clear throughout the night that Tracy G is someone who is unapologetic about sharing her truth with the world in hopes that the next woman can gain something through her experiences. The room was whisper-quiet as she revealed her journey to finding love and how it began with cleansing herself in a year of celibacy. "For a period of time, I felt like lust had a leash on me in a sense, and I was using the male gaze as a form of validation," she shared. "...Celibacy helped me to just understand who I was beginning with a spirit before I even decided to look at myself as a woman."
When an attendee jokingly revealed she'd choose a guy working at McDonald's that puts it down in the bedroom over a financially stable guy with bad sex, Tracy reminded the women in the audience that as boss women, their role is to teach:
Women are some of the best teachers on the planet. I feel like love can be replaced with other terms and if you know how to pleasure yourself, what is wrong with directing? You want to be a boss but you can't tell a ***** what to do? The reason why the sex is bomb is because another woman taught him.
Special guest and five-time gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross shared her experience as a married woman juggling a demanding career and a toddler. Her perspective allowed guests to see a different side of sex and relationships. She expressed to women that sex does change after marriage, and most definitely after having children. She also allowed the audience to dive deep into her story when she talked about adjusting from life as an Olympic athlete to a full-time mother and entrepreneur. Her candor allowed guests to laugh and empathize with her journey.
"I've been very blessed to find a man who wants to be married to a Beyonce or a Michelle Obama. It fills him up to see me walking in my purpose," Sanya told the audience.
Toward the end of the evening, guests were in for a surprise when their names were pulled at random to answer spicy questions on sex and dating via the Pajamas & Lipstick envelope game. At check-in, each guest was given a wristband to indicate their relationship status: single (pink), in a relationship (blue), married (purple), it's complicated (yellow), and their status corresponded with the envelope they were able to choose from.
Lining the wall behind the naked teepee were brightly colored envelopes stuffed with questions to make your mouth drop! For example, would you date a rich man with bad sex or a financially unstable man with amazing sex?
To top off the night, attendees left with swag bags filled with products by Kiss nails, Creme of Nature, Posh Candle Co., The Honey Pot Company, and The Lip Bar.
To say the evening was a memorable one, would be an understatement. It was an experience curated to help women feel empowered in their personal lives.
Fortunately, for those who were unable to attend, Pajamas & Lipstick is coming back bigger, better, and to a city near you. Take a peek at a preview of the night below:
xoNecole Launches PAJAMAS & LIPSTICK: GIRLS NIGHT INyoutu.be
To stay up-to-date, follow Pajamas & Lipstick on Instagram @pajamasandlipstick.
How This New Bond Repair Line Transformed One Mother's Postpartum Shedding Into The Ultimate Curl Comeback
This article is in partnership with SheaMoisture
For Crystal Obasanya, her wash day woes came shortly after her son did. The beauty and lifestyle content creator had been natural for years, but during postpartum, she quickly learned about one reality many mothers can relate to experiencing: postpartum hair loss. “Sis had thinning hair. Sis had split ends,” she shared about her hair changes in a Reel via xoNecole.
Over a year into her postpartum journey, Crystal explained she also had dry, brittle hair, noting that keeping it hydrated before pregnancy had already been “a task.” The 4C natural recalled going from thick hair during pregnancy to a thin hairline due to postpartum shedding as “devastating.” When it came to strengthening and revitalizing her hair, the new SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection was just the thing she needed to elevate her damaged coils to revive and thrive status and get them poppin' again.
SheaMoisture is providing us with the cheat code for transforming dry and damaged strands into thriving and deeply nourished crowns. By unveiling their 4-step hair system, the SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection is equipping you with the tools to reverse signs of hair damage caused by protective styling, heat, and color and is uniquely formulated for Type 3 and 4 hair textures.
The haircare system revives damaged natural hair by repairing and rebuilding broken hair bonds through a game-changing combination of HydroPlex Technology and AminoBlend Complex, a unique blend of fortifying amino acids formulated specifically for curly and coily hair. Scientifically proven to reduce breakage by 84% and make your hair six times stronger (vs. non-conditioning shampoo), the collection infuses your hair with the nourishment it craves and the strength it deserves.
All five products of the SheaMoisture Bond Collection are infused with natural strengthening ingredients like Amla Oil and fair-trade shea butter. The collection consists of the 4-step breakage-fighting Bond Repair system, as well as the Bonding Oil.
“When trying it out, I quickly noticed that my hair felt revived and renewed, and my curls were so hydrated,” Crystal said while using the Amla-infused Bond Repair Leave-In Conditioner. “I also felt my hair strands were stronger.” So much so that the influencer felt brave enough to get her hair braided shortly thereafter. “I can definitely say that I will be keeping it in my hair wash routine,” she added in the caption of her Reel about her positive experience using the products.
SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection is making bond-building a key player in your wash day routines and the purveyor of life for thirsty manes. Because who doesn't want stronger, shinier, happier hair?
Step One: Bond Repair Collection Shampoo
Rejuvenate your hair with SheaMoisture Bond Repair Shampoo, your go-to solution for luscious locks. Packed with hella hydration power, this shampoo adds moisture by 60% while removing buildup without stripping your strands. This shampoo gently cleanses impurities while significantly enhancing shine, smoothness, and softness.
The Bond Repair Collection Shampoo is the first step in the 4-step Bond Repair system, all of which are powered by the uniquely formulated AminoBlend, and HydroPlex, SheaMoisture’s technology that rebuilds hair strength at its core.
Step Two: Bond Repair Collection Conditioner
Tailored to repair styling damage, this creamy conditioner locks in 12x more moisture than standard non-conditioning shampoos, boosting damaged hair strength by 1.5x with significantly less breakage. The creamy SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection Conditioner deeply hydrates, enhances manageability, and leaves your hair looking healthier and shinier.
Step Three: Bond Repair Collection Masque
This Ultra Moisturizing reparative masque is a moisture-rich game-changer for those dealing with the aftermath of hair damage caused by styling. The SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection Masque delivers 13 times more moisture compared to non-conditioning shampoos, ensuring your hair feels nourished and soft. Designed to repair and rejuvenate, this masque significantly strengthens damaged hair — making it twice as strong while reducing breakage.
Step Four: Bond Repair Collection Leave-In Conditioner
Elevate your curl game with SheaMoisture’s Bond Repair Collection Leave-In Conditioner. Lightweight and hydrating, the Bond Repair Leave-In Conditioner provides 12x more moisture than non-conditioning shampoos and tames frizz with 24-hour humidity control. Designed to define curls and coils, the leave-in conditioner enhances softness and shine allowing you to detangle effortlessly.
Bonding Oil
The SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection Bonding Oil is a multitasking all-in-one formula that acts as a heat protectant and provides the hair with moisture, strength, shine, damage protection, and intense nourishment. This lightweight oil not only offers 24-hour frizz and humidity control but also fortifies your tresses, making them up to 5 times stronger with significantly less breakage.
Featured image courtesy
Draya Michele And Jalen Green Address Backlash Over Age Gap In Their Relationship
Romantic relationships with significant age gaps often attract heightened attention and scrutiny, especially when they involve an older woman dating a much younger man.
This criticism is usually viewed as a double standard, considering society's general acceptance of couples like Jay-Z and Beyoncé or Julius Tennon and Viola Davis, where the male partners are over a decade older than their female spouses.
The debate surrounding age gaps in celebrity relationships reignited in March when Draya Michele, a 39-year-old former reality star and entrepreneur, revealed she was expecting her first child with her boyfriend, 22-year-old Houston Rockets player Jalen Green, after nearly a year together. Immediately following the announcement, Michele, who has two sons from previous relationships, faced massive backlash due to the couple's 17-year age difference.
In response to the scrutiny, Michele posted a quote on her Instagram story, which has since been deleted, suggesting she was comfortable with being "misunderstood." The post read, "Get comfortable being misunderstood. Only a fraction of people will be able to truly grasp your essence. You are not on anyone else's timeline of comprehension."
Since then, the couple welcomed their daughter in May and maintained a relatively low profile regarding their relationship. However, during a recent outing in Hollywood, Michele and Green shared their thoughts with TMZ about the criticism they have received.
Draya And Jalen On Age-Gap Backlash
When asked about the online chatter surrounding their relationship, Michele revealed the couple's strategy for dealing with negativity. "We try to stay off the internet and not really listen to that kind of stuff," she explained.
Green echoed this sentiment, stating they don't care about the public backlash. The former Basketball Wivesstar elaborated that they strive to live as normally as possible by blocking out the hate.
“We block it out and we mind our business,” she stated.
When questioned about why she was facing scrutiny despite the pair looking the same age, Michele disclosed that the entire ordeal was strange.
“I don’t know what people’s problems is,” she said. “We are two adults– being in love. I don’t know why that would rub people the wrong way. It’s kind of weird. Love is love at the end of the day.”
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Feature image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images