Month: August 2020

Accessories /

How To: Shop Your Closet and Create Instant Outfits

Would you believe that I have not been in the mood to shop?  That’s because I’ve been practicing social distancing and focusing on virtual events.  But, there’s always a solution to every problem.

One perspective is that I have always been an advocate for shopping in your closet.  There are so many wonderful pieces in there that you have probably forgotten about.  From accessories to midi dresses, I can guarantee that you’re closets are filled with instant outfits.

A suggestion that I share with my Personal Style clients is to create outfits (in your spare time.)  The worst time to figure out a hot look is right before any event.  Life is a lot easier when you have something to wear!

The outfit shown below is an example of just that.  I was leaving out the door for a lunch date and needed to put on pieces that exuded my personal style.

Cape Blazer:  Amazon | Cami & Jeans:  Express | Strappy Heels:  Target similar | Crossbody:  Louis Vuitton similar

 

Beauty /

TOPICALS SEEKS TO TRANSFORM THE WAY GEN Z FEELS ABOUT SKIN

Today marks the launch of Topicals (MyTopicals.com), a revolutionary new skincare company that seeks to transform the way consumers feel about their skin by making the treatment of stigmatized skin conditions synonymous with the luxury and fun of self-care. Available online, Topicals products are also featured now through October at Pop-In@Nordstrom inside select Nordstrom locations and online at Nordstrom.com.

Founded by two dynamic young women of color, 23-year-olds Olamide Olowe and Claudia Teng, Topicals was born out of necessity. One in four Americans live with chronic skin conditions. Costly doctor visits and prescriptions are often avoided because one just “learns to live with it.” As women of color who lived conditions like severe eczema and post-barbae folliculitis, both Olamide and Claudia grew up settling for products that didn’t really serve them or represent how the condition appeared on their skin. They joined together to create effective and luxurious products that are carefully formulated to tackle skin conditions like eczema, hyperpigmentation, psoriasis, and more — but don’t break the bank.

“This is an industry that has not evolved and has used many of the same formulations over the last 30 years,” says Olamide Olowe, Topicals CEO and Co-founder. “Having lived with a serious skin condition myself, I found there were limited treatment options available, and none of the brands looked like me. I could use an over-the-counter product that didn’t address my specific needs as a Black woman with darker skin, or spend thousands on pricey prescriptions. With all of the amazing beauty products out there, I still didn’t find one that helped me with my flare-ups. I knew we could do better.”

“With my background in clinical research and dermatology, I saw firsthand the lack of access to care that existed for these types of skin conditions,” says Claudia Teng, Topicals Chief Product Officer, and Co-founder. “For me, I knew there was a serious opportunity to create something affordable, and that not only educated a broad amount of people but also made their treatment experience more enjoyable. Our mission is to make chronic skincare management synonymous with the fun and luxury of self-care, taking the focus off of perfect skin and helping our community have funner flare-ups.”

The founders of Topicals are focused on creating an inclusive community around real, positive, and authentic discussions about their skin. And since chronic skin conditions often lead to serious mental health issues because of the stigma, shame, and embarrassment often felt by those with them, Topicals is donating 1% of profits to various mental health organizations. Prior to launch, Topicals donated over $10,000 to and partnered with Sad Girls Club, Therapy for Black Girls, and Fearless Femme 100, and are partnering with the JED Foundation at launch.

Among the supporters and investors in Topicals are several high-profile Black women, including Netflix CMO Bozoma Saint John, entrepreneur and DJ Hannah Bronfman, and the Emmy-nominated stars of the hit show “Insecure” Issa Rae and Yvonne Orji. The initial investment round, led by Lerer Hippeau, also saw participation from Humble Lukanga and Mucker Capital as well as the CEOs of Warby Parker, Allbirds, Casper, Harry’s, Bombas, and Red Antler.

Topicals is launching with two signature products: Like Butter, a hydrating mask for dry, distressed, and eczema-prone skin, and Faded, a serum for discoloration and dark spots. Each and every ingredient is clinically backed, and the power-packed formulas have been tested on all skin tones. In addition, Topicals products are vegan, fragrance-free, made for all shades in mind, and carefully crafted to be eco-friendly with recyclable tubes and packaging.

Like Butter (1.7 oz) – $32

A whipped, hydrating mask that moisturizes and soothes sensitive, dry, stressed out, and eczema-prone skin.

Key ingredients:

  • Camellia Sinensis Leaf: antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory; reduces itch and redness
  • Madecassoside (Centella Asiatica): accelerates wound healing, fortifies skin barrier through collagen and fibronectin production, anti-inflammatory
  • Colloidal Oatmeal: helps to soothe itch and irritation
  • Chinese Rhubarb Root: decreases levels of hyperactive immune cells, antimicrobial
  • Ginseng Root: anti-inflammatory; reduces itching, inflammation, and swelling
  • Turmeric: anti-inflammatory, shortens wound-healing time, improves collagen deposition

Faded (1.7 oz) – $36

A gel serum that combats dark spots and discoloration from sun damage, scarring, and inflammation.

Key ingredients:

  • Tranexamic Acid: prevents melanocyte tyrosinase activation, and excess vascular development (which can cause melasma)
  • Kojic Acid: inhibits melanocyte tyrosinase function
  • Azelaic Acid: prevents tyrosine conversion to melanin; scavenges free radicals
  • Licorice Root: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, melanin-degrading, and tyrosinase-inhibiting capability
  • Centella Asiatica: anti-inflammatory, scavenges free radicals
  • Niacinamide: limits melanocyte stimulation, scavenges free radicals
  • Melatonin: anti-inflammatory, inhibits melanocyte activity

Beauty /

LALA ANTHONY STUNS ON ESSENCE SEPT/OCT COVER

In the September-October issue of ESSENCE, La La Anthony — best-selling author, actress, designer, producer, and multihyphenate maven — graces the cover and provides perspective on the often-discussed issue of Black women and identity. In the cover story, Finding Success on Her Own Terms, Anthony talks candidly with ESSENCE Deputy Editor Allison McGevna about everything from co-parenting, raising and protecting her Black son in America, celebrating her Afro-Latina identity and the importance of telling Cyntoia Brown’s story.

 

She shares with ESSENCE:

  • ON PROUDLY BEING AFRO-LATINA: “I’m Afro-Latina: I’m Black, I’m Puerto Rican, I’m all of it. I’m proud of it.’ But no one really understood that. They were like, ‘You’re one or the other, and that’s it…”
  • RAISING A BLACK SON IN AMERICA: “I always talk to him about how he needs to deal with police. It’s sad that these are the conversations we have to have with our children, but this is the world we live in. I make sure he knows that and understands the seriousness of it. I’m not trying to scare him in any way, but I want him to live in reality.”
  • HER APPROACH TO CO-PARENTING WITH CARMELO ANTHONY: “My son is at the center of everything… he is watching us, so if we’re out here being reckless or not leading with love, then what kind of example are we setting for him about how he should treat women or how people treat and love each other? … A lot of times, people forget that, and I understand, because you get emotional when you’re going through different things in relationships. But I always want my son to be able to say, ‘No matter what, my parents loved each other. My parents loved me.”
  • ON BRINGING CYNTOIA BROWN’S STORY TO THE SCREEN: “For her to trust me with this story, after everything she’s been through, it’s not something I take lightly.”

Timed with its cover launch, also ESSENCE announces the newly launched online hub titled “Protect Black Women and Girls.” As the leading media, technology and commerce company serving Black women and their communities for 50 years, the hub was created to help provide more persistent visibility of systemic racism, racial inequities, and police misconduct today with particular attention to justice yet seen for the Black women of the movement like Breonna Taylor and Toyin Salau. The hub includes a series of essays and op-eds from Black women activists, academics, and thought-leaders including Tarana Burke, Kimberlé Crenshaw, LaTosha Brown, and more. As Kimberle Crenshaw says in her original essay for the hub, “If we are ever to truly protect young Black women like Toyin Salau or Breonna Taylor, we must first tell their stories.”  For more on ESSENCE’s Protect Black Women and Girls Hub, visit ESSENCE.com.

The September-October issue of ESSENCE hits newsstands on Tuesday, August 25. For more on this month’s issue, visit ESSENCE.com.

Accessories /

Choosing A Stylish Pair Of Glasses: Online Shopping

If you take a look on the internet you will see that there is a wealth of different eyeglasses online for you to purchase. Nevertheless, you should never merely go for the first nice pair you find. You want to make sure your cash is spent well! In order to buy the best glasses frames online, you need to consider several different factors. This blog post aims to give a helping hand with that by revealing a checklist of important eyeglass qualities you should be looking out for. By the time you have finished reading you should have no trouble finding the best glasses online for you.

Popular trends 

Of course, the main reason for purchasing glasses online from the likes of eyeglasses.com is because they are needed to improve your vision. However, they are also considered a stylish fashion accessory too. In fact, there are a lot of people who wear glasses without lenses nowadays merely for style purposes! Therefore, when buying glasses frames online you should consider the trendy styles on offer.

Featured Photo from Style Caster

Remember; when buying eyeglasses it is important to go for something that is stylish now and is still likely to be stylish several years down the line. You don’t want to have to buy a new pair of glasses every time a new season comes along!

Aviators are extremely stylish at the moment, especially when it comes to men’s eyeglasses. They have a classic feel to them, meaning they are unlikely to ever be viewed as outdated. In addition to this, small rectangular and oval frames are always going to be popular and well-liked. They are smart and sophisticated and suit most people. Nonetheless, the most popular style of eyeglasses at present is undoubtedly wayfarers. These are cool and quirky, and look as equally good on men as they do women.

Deciding on the right colour for your frames 

A lot of people opt for black when purchasing glasses. However, there is an array of different options available. The colour you go for can, of course, be picked via personal preference. Nevertheless, it is recommended that you take your skin tone, eye colour and hair colour into account. In other words, do you have a warm or cool complexion?

Warm complexions – If you have a warm complexion then purchasing eyeglasses online in any of the following colours are recommended: copper, gold, khaki, letterbox red, off-white, and coral.

Cool complexions – If you have a cool complexion then any of the following colours are advised: plum, dark tortoise, black, silver, jade and blue.

To conclude, glasses are undoubtedly purchased to help people improve their vision, but this does not mean that the style of them should not be considered. After all, doesn’t everyone want to look good?

You can ensure that your glasses are an accessory that makes a style statement by taking advantage of the tips provided in this article for purchasing glasses online. Consider the latest trends and your complexion to benefit from the best pair of eyeglasses for you specifically!

Collaborative Post