Willow’s Bold Moves and Big Feelings
By Jessica CruelPhotography by Zhong Lin
In music and in life, Willow Smith sees no limits: “I just have to trust myself.”
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BLACK BEAUTY
Black-Owned Makeup Brands
By Darian Symoné Harvin and Sarah Han
Every single one of these brands deserves a spot on your top shelf.
17 slides
BEAUTY SPOTLIGHT
Black-Owned Skin-Care Brands
By Angela Trakoshis and Jennifer Hussein
We found complexion-perking finds for basically every skin type.
15 slides
BRAND DISCOVERY
Black-Owned Hair-Care Brands
By Gabi Thorne
These brands have everything you need, no matter your texture or type.
11 slides
Interviews
- P(R)ETTY POLITICS
Representative Jasmine Crockett: “I'm Nobody's Punk”
The congresswoman dives into everything wrong with the infamous eyelash incident. - Shelf Life
Taraji P. Henson Has a Fully Functional Nail Salon in Her House
She's even doing her own nail extensions on the set of her latest movie. - Just Asking
How Issa Rae Has Kept Her Edges in Tact All These Years
The actor shares her favorite hairstyles, her best DIY skin-care tip, and the one beauty trend she can’t stand. - COVER STORY
How Saweetie It Is
The star is back with new music, a sharper vision, a budding acting career, and the grit to make this new phase her best yet. - JUST ASKING
How Ziwe Uses Makeup to Look Like “a Goo-Goo Ga-Ga Young Gen Z Baby”
The author and comedian talks beauty trends, writing a book, and her new collab with Urban Decay.
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Here Comes The Bride
8 Natural Bridal Hairstyles That Will Elevate Your Wedding Day Look
By Annie Blay
These textured hairstyles are as elegant as they come.
Silky Smooth
Everything To Know Before Getting a Keratin Treatment on Natural Hair
By Annie Blay
Longer silk presses sound amazing—but what’s the catch?
BOO WHO?
Black Women Are Fed Up With Instagram Hairstylists
By Annie Blay
Deposit demons, “hey boo” texts, and lengthy policies.... How did things get this bad?
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Beyoncé's Mom Gave Me a Haircut Using Cécred Products
By Jessica Cruel
Here are my honest first impressions of the singer's highly anticipated hair-care line.
A New California Bill Aims to Ensure Incarcerated People of Color Have Access to Suitable Hair Products
By Marci Robin
The Culturally Competent Hair Care Act recognizes that curl-focused formulas are a need, not a luxury.
CURL CLASS
A New Law Requires All Cosmetology Students in New York State Learn to Style Textured Hair
By Kayla Greaves
In the past, students would have to seek additional courses for specialized training.
MAGICAL PLACES
Inside the Lives of Black Disney Adults
By Ayana Lage
Even a media conglomerate with a rough track record for representation can offer a welcome escape.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Black Video Game Characters Are Finally Starting to Accurately Represent the Culture
By Essence Gant
Fed up with Afros that look like cauliflower and fake Jamaican accents, Black gaming professionals are fixing the industry’s diversity problem
Diversity in Gaming
Black Girl Gamers Band Together Against 2023’s Final Boss: Loneliness
By Sierra Leone Starks
Rethinking the stereotype of the solitary gamer.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
The Future of Beauty Is Being Built by Black Nerds
By Jessica Cruel
The latest edition of the Melanin Edit celebrates all those people who were told they couldn’t be nerdy — and the communities they built anyway.
FIBROIDS 101
Everything to Know About Myomectomy Scarring
By Zahra SpencerPhotography by Miranda Barnes
Black women are more prone to uterine fibroids and more likely to need surgery to treat them. Here, doctors share tips for navigating your aftercare.
The Most Stunning Hairstyles We Spotted at Curlfest This Year
By Gabi ThornePhotography by Rachel Pickus
After a three-year hiatus, attendees showed up to the world's largest natural beauty festival with ‘fros full of flowers, curls in all shades of the rainbow, and intricate braids.
30 Black Women Share What It's Like to Live With Uterine Fibroids
By Kayla GreavesPhotography by Miranda Barnes
“No one ever tells women our periods aren't supposed to be painful. I spent so much time just pushing through something I thought was normal.”
Patient Diary
Finally, a Liposuction & Tummy Tuck Story From a Black Plastic-Surgery Patient
By Kovie Biakolo
One woman's account of taking the plastic surgery plunge.
Making Change
Plastic Surgery Hasn't Always Welcomed Black Folks — It's Time for a Shake-Up
By Sierra Leone Starks
Surgeons are finally wielding their scalpels differently, honoring beauty beyond Eurocentric constraints.