Tag: Hair

Black-Owned Beauty Brands We Love

Published on by Lee1 Comment

If we could only pick one thing that we have loved to see in the beauty space over the last several years, it would be the diversification of brands—especially, Black-owned beauty brands. Top retailers like Sephora, Ulta, Target, Nordstrom, and more have diversified their catalogs exponentially to increase the number of Black-owned brands that are carried both in-store and online—and many retailers are even monitoring shelf space to ensure it remains this way.

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Having access to more Black-owned beauty brands is not only an important way to support brands and founders but also to drive change for the entire Black community. It’s easier than ever. And what’s more, so many of these brands are changing the game and challenging industry norms—we’re talking extended shade ranges, and more inclusive skincare and haircare products. And more offerings that were hard (more like practically impossible) to find before.

To celebrate this, we have compiled a list of twelve of our favorite Black-owned beauty brands that offer products across all categories: skincare, haircare, makeup, body care, tools, and more.

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12 Black-Owned Beauty Brands We Love

Topicals

Topicals offer one-step skincare solutions that are backed by science and made for every shade. With an emphasis on skincare products that are suitable for flare-ups, founder Olamide Olowe knows how connected skin health and mental health are, so Topical’s mission is to transform the way you feel about your skin.

Gilded Body

Gilded Body believes that feeling beautiful and achieving wellness is found through self-care. They carry body care products that engage the senses and invite the user to slow down and bask in the luxury of high-quality, botanically driven, dermatologically developed skincare and tools.

Pat McGrath Labs

Nicknamed the “Mother of Makeup,” Pat McGrath is the world’s most influential and in-demand makeup artist. With countless launches selling out in record-breaking times, the hype for this brand is real. And it continues to push the boundaries of the makeup industry.

Range Beauty

Range Beauty offers makeup essentials for ultra-sensitive skin—specifically, for acne and eczema. Alicia Scott, CEO, and Founder suffered from eczema and cystic acne. She was frustrated that she couldn’t find makeup that acknowledged both her skin tone and her skin conditions. Range Beauty was born to ensure that those with any skin type, in any shade, could find products they could trust.

Fenty Beauty

We’d be remiss not to include RiRi’s beauty brands, Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin. After years of struggling to find products that performed across all skin types and tones, Rihanna set out to create Fenty—first starting with makeup and then extending into skincare.

Lys Beauty

The mission of Lys Beauty is to diversify the clean beauty industry. Founded by Tisha Thompson, Lys Beauty was the first Black-owned Sephora Clean Makeup brand! Their products have universal shade offerings, provide high-performance results, and the best part: they are all under $30

Oui the People

Oui the People aims to build efficacious products, designed thoughtfully, that help you feel great in the skin you’re already in rather than pursuing flawlessness. Crafted without sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrances, and phthalates, their products range from shaving necessities like razors and exfoliators to hydrating body balms and glosses.

Pattern

Powerhouse Tracee Ellis Ross founded Pattern with the promise of meeting your hair where it is and empowering your curl pattern. To keep hair healthy, hydrated, juicy, and joyful, Pattern offers a range of products for washing, treating, and styling. 

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Briogeo

Briogeo is on a mission to empower every person to succeed on their hair health journey. They know that everyone’s journey is different, so they have multiple lines of products that are suitable for damaged hair, thin hair, frizzy hair, dry scalps, and beyond. This way, each individual can confidently embrace their unique hair, texture, color, and everything else that makes them or exactly who they are.

Mielle Organics

Monique Rodriguez is an RN turned Founder and CEO who has taken the haircare market by storm through Mielle Organics. Created with nature and science, Mielle Organics is a haircare and beauty brand that believes healthier ingredients encourage healthier hair and skin.

Luv Scrub

Mesh exfoliators have been used in West Africa for generations. But it wasn’t until 2011 when Caroline, Founder of LUV SCRUB, realized it could become a cult-favorite product outside of Ghana. It immediately pushed boundaries in the body care space. And now, this magical mesh can be found in some of the largest retailers including Nordstrom, Ulta, and Bloomingdales.

Black Girl Sunscreen

Shontay Lundy created Black Girl Sunscreen after being frustrated with the lack of sunscreen options formulated for women of color. Made with melanated skin in mind, Black Girl Sunscreen has filled a large gap in the market and has continued to grow exponentially since its inception.

DIY Olaplex Recipe

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Olaplex has amassed a loyal following because of its seemingly magical ability to smooth, soften, and strengthen damaged hair. But at $30 for 3.3 ounces, it’s not the most budget-friendly product on the market. Not to worry, though, because TikTok clued us into an easy, inexpensive hack to DIY our Olaplex at home.  

The DIY Olaplex recipe calls for just two ingredients: water and flaxseed. You will boil down the flaxseed to create a gel that is to be applied to the hair. Flaxseed is jam-packed with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, both of which are incredibly nourishing. For the BeautyLeeBar touch, we added a few drops of mielle organics Rice Water Split End Therapy because it contains rice water—one of our favorite ingredients for strengthening hair and promoting hair growth. We also sometimes add The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density and CAMILLE ROSE Rejuva-Drops Grow Back Serum. These products Replenish and hydrate the scalp, Stimulate the hair follicles, reduce breakage and shedding for thicker, full hair, add strength and shine, and encourage healthy hair growth. Get the recipe below. 

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DIY Olaplex


Recipe Type: Hair treatment
Serving Size: 1 person/week’s use
Prep Time: 2 min
Cook Time: 5 min
Total Time: 7 min

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Ingredients:
¼ cup flaxseeds
2 ½ cups water
mielle organics Rice Water Split End Therapy, The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density, CAMILLE ROSE Rejuva-Drops Grow Back Serum

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine flaxseed and water in a pot. The more flaxseed you use, the thicker the gel will be. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. When it reaches the consistency of egg whites, use a cheesecloth to strain the mixture into a container. Mix in a few drops of mielle organics Rice Water Split End Therapy, The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density, CAMILLE ROSE Rejuva-Drops Grow Back Serum. Apply the mixture to hair and leave on for at least 10 minutes. Keep the gel in the fridge for about a week for continued use.

@eltoria_

DIY HAIR GEL! #beautyhacks #budgetbeauty #diyhair #hair #hairhack #hairtips #foryou #foryoupage #beauty #beautyguru #diy #diychallenge #diybeauty

♬ original sound – Eltoria
@mypawfectfamily

You can store it in the fridge for about a week:) #olaplexdupe #hairhacks #thickhairtips #diyhairtreatment

♬ Homie hopper – trap 💋

WATCH: How to Refresh Knotless Braids

Published on by LeeLeave a comment

If your knotless braids are old and you’re wondering how to refresh them and make them look new again without having to redo them then, this is for you.

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In this episode of hair, beauty influencer Lee shares tips for reviving old knotless braids to look brand new.

She wrote:

It is very important to maintain your braids to make sure they last, are clean, and look fresh. Here is my routine on how to maintain knotless braids (small, large, or jumbo braids!)

Check out the video here:

Here’s what you need:

  • Mousse
  • A bowl of water or a spray bottle with water in it
  • Cotton pads
  • Edge control
  • Hair oil – it can be jojoba oil, tea tree, it’s really up to you
  • Leave-in conditioner
  • Gel
  • Mini hair clips/pins are optional
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How -To

  1. Grab a cotton pad and lightly saturate it with water. Then use the saturated cotton pad to clean along the lines of your box braids. This will help remove any build-up from products used originally and dirt.
  2. After you have cleaned all the lines, mix your water with some leave-in conditioner and hair oil. Then spray this on your hair roots and massage in. Once this is done, tie the hair down so the natural heat from your scalp can work its magic and your hair follicles can soak them up for about 20 minutes.
  3. Apply some gel around the braid sweeping the hair towards the braid. Neatly making the parts clear and new again. You can secure it with a mini hair clip/pin if needed.
  4. When you’re all done, apply some edge control to your edges to sleek them down. Grab your mousse bottle and apply a generous amount to flatten any flyaway and finish off with hair spray.
  5. You can choose to tie the hair down for a few minutes after this to further secure it, but that’s about it.

When you’re done, your hair will look brand new and will last for a few more weeks. Go ahead and add something extra with beads, twists – your choice!

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For those of us who like to watch hair tutorials to get it right, here are more how to refresh your box braids video below.

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And if you still decide to loosen your braids, here are some ideas for your next hairstyle.

Hair Colors That Scream Summer 2022

Published on by Lee2 Comments

With the imminence of hot weather right around the corner, you’re likely swapping for cooler sheets and breezy clothes. You’re preoccupied with the important changes that will make summer not only easier, but bearable. The last thing you’re probably debating is a big hair change. In 2022, we get that a big hair change isn’t going to solve your problems; we’ve evolved past that as a society (or at least, once we all hit the mid-20s). But that’s precisely how these trending summer hair colors were developed. They’re subtle, chill, and very “that girl.”

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Beyond a low-maintenance haircut, a new take on your hair color can make you feel like you just stepped onto a runway… even if you’re just commuting to the office in the morning. If you’re lusting after a new look (or just want to see what all the hype is about), these hair colors will give you hella inspiration at your next salon appointment. 

1. “Expensive Blonde”

We discussed “expensive brunette” heavily in the winter and early spring, but this summer, it’s coming around again for the blondes. What is “expensive blonde,” you ask? Unlike the icy, platinum blondes and balayage that have us in a chokehold all of the 2010s, expensive blonde is all about a blonde that looks truly natural and subtle. It usually contains a lot of really fine highlights throughout that add dimension in a soft way. It’s typically more on the neutral to golden side, which is a sharp shift from the white blondes we all were partial to years ago. Blonde is getting a refresh, and I, for one, am stoked about it.

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2. Ginger

In 2022, everyone’s going red (us included!). You’ll be hard-pressed to find a celeb who hasn’t taken it for a test drive. Kendall Jenner, Sydney Sweeney, Zendaya, SZA—it’s everywhere. Luckily, there are tons of different red tones you can try depending on your skin tone and your current hair color. Blondes can make the easy shift to strawberry (like Sweeney did), while a brunette can add extra warmth and brightness with a cherry red or copper.

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3. Mushroom Brown

In summer, we usually look forward to golden, sunshine tones in our hair. But in 2022, the grungier, the better—even in our hair color. Mushroom brown isn’t the first wave of a ’90s hair color revival (we mean, “expensive brunette” was practically made by the ’90s supermodel), but it nods in a very different direction than we’ve seen previously. It’s grungy and lived-in, thanks to those cool, grey tones. It’s perfect for someone who’s looking for a color they can easily transition to fall and winter instead of having to change up their hair tone once the seasons change.

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4. Rose Gold

If there’s any color trend getting us excited right now, it’s rose gold. While it’s bright and different from your usual blonde-brunette-redhead, it still somehow looks natural and subtle when paired with a shadow root. If there’s anyone who can show us how chic it is, it’s Hailey Bieber, who just rocked this color on the cover of Allure this spring. 

5. Buttery Blonde

https://www.instagram.com/p/CS2XVIjF67h/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Golden tones of blonde have been swirling around the last couple of years (largely thanks to the influencer, Matilda Djerf), but “buttery blonde” is a fresh take. It’s a bit darker than the blonde we’re used to, and it has lots of dimension through lowlights instead of highlights. This warm color somehow always looks natural and might even make people believe you were born blonde (we won’t tell anyone the truth!). 

6. Chocolate Caramel

A warm, caramel brunette dream doesn’t get any more summertime. It’s like you drenched your hair in honey. You can go for a balayage to keep this low-maintenance or bring the brightness up to your roots to frame your face. Issa Rae has tons of extra dimensions in her curls that make this hair color look extra glam. To get a similar look, ask your hairstylist for lots of babylights throughout.

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7. Warm Brown

For brunettes who don’t want to add lightness but are looking for a change for summer, you can’t go wrong with adding a touch of warmth to a chocolate brown shade. This looks like your hair just got a natural boost from being in the sunshine, and it’ll pair beautifully with all the bright summer clothes in your wardrobe (per Selena Gomez’s bright green above). 

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And what’s even better, you might be able to get this at home with an at-home toner or hair gloss to save a little money. 

8. Y2K Highlights

For the early adopters, this trend is about to blow up in a major way, so now’s the time to prepare yourself. The early aughts are in everything beauty, fashion, and pop culture (hi, Bennifer!), so it was only time we started nodding in that direction for hair color. If you’re worried this will make you look like you’re 13 again, trust us: hair colorists in 2022 aren’t about making you look like you just stepped out of a middle school dance. Instead, they’ll add bigger highlights throughout your hair up to the root. Think of it like you dumped a whole bottle of Sun-In on your hair—that’s the vibe.

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