Gray lipstick is a hot beauty trend that’s the stand-out color between nude and dark brown. The muted taupe adds a high-fashion flair to Fall outfits and accessories!
This popular shade comes in a variety of tones, just like any other lipstick and can be worn with monochromatic clothing. Beyoncé accented her gray lipstick with a coordinating suit and Chanel brooch.
When wearing this lip trend apply a simple face; using limited eyeshadow and blush.
Everyday girls can find the perfect gray lipstick from the following beauty brands.
ESSENCE, the leading media, technology, and commerce company serving Black women, debuts ESSENCE Girls United. This impactful new initiative is designed to inspire young Black women through a year-long mentorship program, as well as an interactive digital/social content hub that will convey the core principles of leadership and self-love.
ESSENCE Girls United demonstrates the iconic brand’s mission to serve its multigenerational audience globally as a 100% Black-owned company across its platforms through content, culture, and community—especially the millennials who comprise of 26% of its core. With its focus on mentoring young girls, this multi-platform program will feature year-round video, digital and social content that will focus on core pillars, including: “Owning Your Power,” “Presenting with Confidence,” “Developing Brand You,” “Finding Your Voice,” “Making a Difference In Your Community,” “Life Skills 101,” and “Self-Love.” The initiative will also feature workshops and conversations with thought leaders, a social network directory for girls to interact with each other, a mentorship program, a leadership development “toolkit,” events such as the upcoming ESSENCE Girls United Summit and much more.
“ESSENCE Girls United will allow us to even further demonstrate the brand’s commitment to inspire Black women by engaging this vital audience,” said Moana Luu, ESSENCE Chief Content and Chief Creative Officer. “With year-round content across all of our digital and social platforms, ESSENCE will be a great resource for our girls in the areas of leadership, confidence, and self-love.”
As part of the initiative, ESSENCE and Ulta Beauty will join forces to co-produce ESSENCE Girls United:Beautiful Possibilities. This exciting six-part web series will use digital and social content to create a deeper connection with young Black women. The web series will include a search to discover six young women who will then embark on a journey to discover their personal potential and elevate their entrepreneurial spirit all within the beauty industry. Each young woman will have a chance to participate in an opportunity of a lifetime, including helping to create a limited-time collection for Ulta Beauty; mentorship by ESSENCE and Ulta Beauty brand leaders and more. ESSENCE Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities is open nationally to girls ages 16-19.
For more on ESSENCE, Girls United visit ESSENCE.com/GirlsUnited, pick up the November issue of ESSENCE or join the conversation on social @Essence #ESSENCEGirlsUnited.
Essence Communications, the leading media, technology, and commerce company serving Black women announced a record-breaking economic impact of $280 million for its 2018 ESSENCE Festival® presented by Coca-Cola. Growth in Festival attendance, which reached more than 510,000, and a boost in tourism spending within the host City and State of New Orleans, Louisiana, garnered the highest fiscal input in the event’s 24-year history. Nearing 130,000 attendees per day, the ESSENCE Festival is now also the nation’s largest entertainment and cultural event based on average daily attendance, leading events including Coachella, SXSW, New Orleans Jazz and Made in America festivals.
“As one of the world’s largest annual curated content experiences attracting an international audience of more than a half million people over the course of one weekend, the essence Festival packs a proven and powerful economic punch–and continues to reach new heights in collaboration with the State of Louisiana and City of New Orleans,” said Michelle Ebanks, CEO of Essence Communications. “Working together with our government and enterprise partners, we are pleased to report the highest-ever contribution to the growth and profitability of local businesses and services that help to create an unforgettable experience for our Festival community.”
With the 2018 summer Festival season wrapped, the 4-day Essence Festival has emerged as the leader in size and economic significance among the country’s largest live events and a top destination for tourism during Fourth of July weekend. Through attendee surveys and analysis based on event production, lodging, food & beverage, retail, gaming and transportation spend, the annual economic figure represents a substantial benefit to Louisiana and New Orleans seasonal tourism and shines a spotlight that furthers the legacy of one the nation’s most culturally rich and diverse destinations.
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JULY 06: (L-R) Angela Rye, Mary J. Blige, Maxine Waters, Alencia Johnson, Queen Latifah and Remy Ma pose onstage during the 2018 Essence Festival presented by Coca-Cola at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 6, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Essence)
“This year’s Essence Festival was a great success in terms of attendance and national exposure for New Orleans and Louisiana. I believe many of the Essence Festival attendees will be returning to our state for years to come,” said Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.
“On behalf of the City of New Orleans, I am grateful for our continued partnership with the ESSENCE Festival and proud of the impact that’s been made,” said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “This year’s Fest generated tremendous economic activity for the City — money that went to our large and small businesses and to the working men and women who make them run. We look forward to another historic year in 2019.”
In addition to the attendance and economic impact, the scale of talent, programming and digital engagement at the ESSENCE Festival is unmatched. A 2018 Essence Festival by-the-numbers analysis reveals further record-breaking engagement including 100+ performing artists; 200+ influencers, leaders, creators and celebrities; 150+ Marketplace entrepreneurs; and 200+ hours of live content throughout the weekend that generated 5 billion+ media and PR impressions and reached trending status on social media, featuring 103+ million posts, shares and likes and resulting in 14+ billion social media impressions.
“On the eve of the ESSENCE Festival’s 25th anniversary, scheduled for July 4-7, 2019, this summer’s extraordinary gathering underscores the convening power of culture, as well as the continued interest and engagement of Black women globally around community and content that empowers and inspires,” said Ebanks. “We were thrilled this year to be able to introduce new entrepreneurial and business experiences such as our ESSENCE E-Suites and our ESSENCE Marche e-commerce platform. But there’s so much more. As an almost five-decade-old startup, we are excited to move forward not only as a reimagined media and content company but also as a technology and commerce company using 21st-century platforms to provide even more effective solutions to our community of women. We are continually evolving to shape our work to meet their needs with increasing depth and relevance, and this is just the beginning.”
The 2018 ESSENCE Festival was executive produced by Essence Festivals LLC, a division of Essence Communications Inc. (ECI), and produced by Solomon Group. GeChar was the executive producer of the 2018 ESSENCE Empowerment Experience.
Sponsors of the 2018 ESSENCE Festival included presenting sponsor Coca-Cola and major sponsors AT&T, Ford, McDonald’s, State Farm and Walmart.
About Essence Communications Inc. Essence Communications is the number one media, technology and commerce company dedicated to Black women and inspires a global audience of more than 17 million through diverse storytelling and immersive original content. With a multi-platform presence in publishing, experiential and online, ESSENCE encompasses its signature magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; as well as live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival. Essence Communications is owned by Essence Ventures, an independent African-American owned company focused on merging content, community, and commerce to meet the evolving cultural and lifestyle needs of people of color.
Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss is busy! After recently wrapping up filming scenes for the reality show–along with opening two new restaurant locations, developing a cosmetics line and more–the 42-year old songwriter and mother of two are trying to have another baby with husband Todd Tucker. But as she admits to ESSENCE, the road hasn’t been easy.
“We’re definitely trying to figure out ways to grow our family,” she revealed. “I know a lot of people thought that meant that I was pregnant. But I’m not pregnant. Let’s be clear. I saw that floating around the internet…”
“Unfortunately, it’s not happening…” she said of conceiving a baby. Burruss also shared that fans will see her struggle with fertility on the upcoming season of Real Housewives. “So obviously we’re just going to be talking about what that means for our family…”
For more on this ESSENCE.com exclusive, see below:
“In playing these lovers who really keep each other honest, we’ve developed a friendship where we can speak very, very candidly to each other. There’s a lot of trust between us. When you have that kind of trust with another actor, you can push further and do things that surprise you because you feel like you’re supported…” –Tessa Thompson talks to ESSENCE about working with her Creed IIco-star Michael B. Jordan
ESSENCE COVER STORY: TESSA THOMPSON
Actress Tessa Thompson has gone from Hollywood’s best-kept secret to widely sought-after it girl. From heading across the pond to film a Men in Black spin-off with actor Chris Hemsworth (where ESSENCE caught up with her), to reprising her role as Bianca in the upcoming Creed II—she’s on everyone’s radar. Looking stunning in ESSENCE’s upcoming November spread (shot in Columbia Road in London), she talks about everything from working with co-star Michael B. Jordan to pushing boundaries when it comes to her artistry. “Obviously, I like the idea of expanding perceptions of what a woman can be and what a woman of color can be,” Thompson tells ESSENCE Entertainment Director Cori Murray in the cover story, London Calling. “I like to introduce new spaces…” ESSENCE’s November issue will be on newsstands October 26th. Attached is the cover—for more on the upcoming issue, visit ESSENCE.com
Since the moment she arrived on the scene, Kelis has done things her own way. A beauty chameleon and genre-bending musical talent, the singer has always been in a league of her own.
Now, she graces the cover of ESSENCE’s Global Beauty Issue where she gets candid about taking a break from the spotlight and working at her own pace. “One of the biggest things I reiterate is self-care,” the singer told ESSENCE.
Kelis talks fame and so much more in ESSENCE’s October Global Beauty Issue, on newsstands this Friday, September 21.
Essence Magazine October 2018 Cover Story featuring Kelis Photographer: Adrienne Raquel
Celebrity Makeup Artist Tasha Brown worked with bareMinerals Power of Good Ambassador, actress Letitia Wright for the 2018 Emmy Awards – below is a breakdown of the look!
Who: Letitia Wright at the 2018 Emmy Awards
The Look:
Inspiration: Letitia’s gorgeous gown featured great shine and texture which immediately inspired Celebrity Makeup Artist Tasha Brown to give Letitia peachy and bronze tones to keep her looking ethereal to match her dress. Tasha added soft, arched brows and golden eyeshadow with a natural skin finish added glowing shimmery highlights on the cheekbones and eyelids.
How to Get the Look:
Skin
Tasha prepped Letitia’s skin by saturating her cleansed face with bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Defense to create a smooth moisturized canvas for makeup. She then applied bareMinerals Original Loose Powder Foundation with SPF 15 in shade Golden Dark with the bareMinerals Beautiful Finish Foundation Brush in a tapping motion through the center of Letitia’s face for light coverage, creating an even base for the rest of her makeup.
Cheeks
Tasha used a sheer layer of bareMinerals BarePRO Glow Highlighter in Fierce to highlight the tops of Letitia’s cheekbones, a center of nose and chin for a bit of glow and dimension. To add a healthy flush of color, Tasha lightly dusted bareMinerals’ Gen Nude Powder Blush in That Peach Tho along the hairline, on temples and on cheeks with a large fluffy brush.
Eyes
Tasha applied the deep bronze tones of the bareMinerals Gen Nude Eyeshadow Palette in Neutral all over the eyelid to better complement the color of Leticia’s gown.
Lips
Tasha finished off the lips without a liner for a softer edge to the lips and applied bareMinerals Gen Nude Lip Lacquer Buttercream Lipgloss in Flirt for a soft nude peach with a sheen to match the sheen of the gown.
Where to Find Them:
bareMinerals products are available at bareMinerals boutiques and bareMinerals.com. Also available at Sephora, Sephora inside JCPenny, ULTA, Macy’s, Dillards, fine spas and salons. Visit bareminerals.com for store locations.
Australian singer/songwriter Madison Daniel spent Tuesday afternoon showing support for Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet’s Wonderland exhibition during New York Fashion Week while wearing a Stacey Bendet original.
