The Black List: "TeenVogue" On Why Exotic Beauty Isn't A Compliment And More
Just know that Lupita's rap name is Troublemaker.
Welcome to The Black List! Each Monday, we'll share seven things from around the web that should be on every magical black girl's radar for the week.
1. Lupita Nyong'o drops BARS and spits a freestyle under her rap name, "Troublemaker."
Handle: @lupitanyongo
Platform: Instagram
So Oscar-winning Lupita Nyong'o shows off her hidden rap talent and busts a rhyme in the back seat of her car. Transformed into her alter ego "Troublemaker" with shades on (of course), the MC raps, "Dark chocolate plus I keep a sharp mane. Lancome fresh face, looking tailor-made. Disney on the books so you know I stay paid." BARRRRRRRRZZZZZZZ! Watch her full freestyle here. TEW CUUUUUUTE!
2. This thought-provoking piece on Teen Vogue delves into the racial context of "exotic" beauty and challenges the idea of exotic being a compliment to someone's appearance.
Author: Sable Young
Outlet: TeenVogue.com
Sable Young recalls times when people would say to her comments like, "You really lucked out with your mix," after learning that she was half-Korean and half-Chinese. Her double eyelid and high nose bridge made her beauty favorable among others, especially among Asians. "Having other Asian-Americans praising features that might imply I’m partially of European descent left me with a warped sense of what beauty really meant or could be," she writes. "Stereotypical signifiers of ethnic beauty and sexuality ... can be conveniently complimented with language that puts certain features on a pedestal while ignoring or even praising the lack of 'less favorable' ethnic features (dark skin, broad noses, slanty eyes), the ones that veer further from white on the racial spectrum." She brilliantly schools us and explains that we can appreciate women's beauty without racializing it, and doing so broadens the narrative of what beauty is. Read the full story here.
3. @CocoaSwatches on the 'gram shows swatches of new makeup on a variety of skin tones so that you can see how it really looks before buying.
Handle: @CocoaSwatchtes
Platform: Instagram
CocoaSwatches is an app that lets beauty lovers get the scoop on all the latest beauty products. You can check out makeup swatches on skin tones that are usually underrepresented, and there's other cool features, like makeup tutorials and a beauty blog. The app's Instagram account, tho, is a visually satisfying must-follow, showing square after square of lipstick, eyeshadow, foundation, and highlight swatches that will send any beauty addict over the moon. Follow here, and download the app here for iOS or here for Android devices.
4. Jimmy Choo taps rapper and singer Leikeli47 for the brand's 20th anniversary video and gives us COMPLETE life!
Channel: Jimmy Choo
Outlet: YouTube
The short vid stars supermodels Jasmine Tookes (above), Xiao Wen Ju, Amber Valletta, Milla Jovovich, Sasha Pivovarova, Lexi Boling, and Taylor Hill, all looking fierce and lip syncing to the oh-so talented rapper Leikeli47's "Girl Gang." 47 is still on the rise, so it's super dope that the mega fashion house used her song as the soundtrack for its campaign. "See this is how it feel to be a champion. We might fall down but we never run. You wouldn't neither if you knew what we overcome. Do you know all the shit we gotta overcome?", the rapper spits. Watch the full video here, and download the anthem here for iOS and here for Android.
5. And just in case you're like, "Who's Leikely47?", watch her video for "Bitch Switch" and thank me later.
It's only a matter of time before the whole world catches on to the lyrical and creative wonder that is Leikeli47. Her visual for her record "Bitch Switch" is but another reminder of the dope-assness of women (and it makes you wanna be her friend, too!). "Need a wash and set, but my hairstylist on a flight. So Imma take my ass home 'for somebody die tonight," 47 raps before warning, "Don't fuck wit' me." Watch the full video here... and then go download everything she's ever recorded.
6. Kbmaria answers every tightly-curled and coiled natural's prayer with an easy detangling routine that actually works.
Channel: Kbmaria
Outlet: YouTube
Detangling sucks and we'll probably never look forward to it, but at least now it's a lot easier, thanks to Kbmaria's simple method. Watch here how she she shampoos, conditions, and then parts her hair into sections for a stress-free detangle process.
7. Lane Bryant's #ThisBody campaign snags Gabourey Sidibe, Danielle Brooks, Ashley Graham, and more full-figured celebs to clapback at actual social media haters who judged them for their sizes.
Author: Jamie Feldman
Outlet: Huffington Post
Huffington Post covers Lane Bryant's latest body-positive campaign, #ThisBody. Actresses Danielle Brooks, Gabourey Sidibe, and Alessandra Garcia alongside models Ashley Graham and Candice Huffine share actual comments they've received on social media from trolls who hated on their bodies. "Big is not always beautiful!", "No one should be comfortable at a size 14.", and "Do you see those rolls?" are just a few of them. The ladies then address the commenters with clapbacks and embrace their full figures in bras and panties. Watch here and shout YAAAASSSS! as loud as you can!
That's all, Queens! Stay black and magically beautiful ❤️.
