Search Results: Cierra Black
Calling all Virgos, it’s our time to shine. Virgo season is well underway and one of our favorite Virgo beauties, Beyoncé, celebrates her birthday today. As the poster child for the always-evolving, creative, detail-oriented earth signs, Beyoncé is taking another lap around the sun and doing so in style.
What better way to celebrate the greatest performer of her generation, and the ones since (not up for debate), than to take a moment to highlight some of her most inspiring beauty looks to date.
Debuting 27 years ago, Beyoncé has been on mood boards since for her hair, makeup, nails, and sartorial styles. From The Writing’s On The Wall to Self-Titled and Cowboy Carter, the trailblazer has perfected her beauty routine while at the same time shifting in style through the years and her creative eras.
In the late ‘90s and early 2000s we saw her rocking the popular thin eyebrows, frosty eyelids, and microlink-like braid styles that flowed into loose extensions — arguably the precursor to the goddess, mermaid braids we see today.
Into Bey’s solo career we saw glamorous looks like the often-imitated B-Day era updo and the larger than life curls which stole the show during her 2006 BET Awards performance. Self-Titled brought us an edgy-leaning tousled bob with highlights and sultry, smokey eyes. Lemonade ushered in the eponymous cornrow extensions now referred to as Lemonade braids.
OG Beyhive remembers her peak blogger-esque Instagram era with the collages that always featured her intricate nail designs— because, in true Virgo fashion, everything’s in the details. She carried this knack into the beauty looks throughout the musical film Black Is King, which featured countless hair and makeup looks that highlighted and embraced African diasporic beauty.
The 2023 Renaissance World Tour provided a wealth of style inspo as well, with Beyoncé gracing the stage each night in soft glam, shimmery eye looks and elongated tresses of various styles. She concluded this era with platinum blonde hair that carried us into the Americana goldilocks looks of Cowboy Carter today.
In honor of the Queen Bey’s birthday, revisit some of her most inspiring, trendsetting beauty moments—from the bugaboo braids to Cecred-certified natural curls— below.
Coco Jones is what we’d call a triple threat: A talented actress with a heavenly voice and a certified style icon. The Southern Belle has stolen our hearts both as Hillary Banks in the hit show “Bel Air,” and across the internet for her bubbly personality. Her show is underway with its third season, promising scandal, suspense, and, of course, Hillary’s stunning style choices.
Jones is a vision to watch in her current role, though she has been in the game for much longer. She organically built her musical career as she acted across several titles, including Disney’s “Let It Shine,” and showcased her soulful sound on her EP “What I Didn’t Do.” Now, she is carving her own lane in the industry with her unique beauty and talent.
From updos to long tresses, here are 12 times Coco Jones gave us ethereal beauty and endless material for our mood boards.
1. Braided Detail Clovers Homage
Simple, yet timeless. Jones recreates Gabrielle Union’s iconic character look from ‘Bring It On’ with this Clovers Homage. She spares no details, completing the style with mini soft scrunchies at the ends of her braids, one of the go-to accessories of the era.
2. Half Up Top-Knot
One of Coco Jones’ signature touches that we love is her go-to two-strand accent that frames her face. Here, she features this touch in a half-up look that pulls her hair into a top-knot, allowing the rest to flow down her back for a performance-ready ‘do.
3. Platinum Pink Barbie
Serving us Black Barbie realness, Coco switches the color up for the “creepin” music video shoot with a light pink install, complete with voluminous curls. This style is physical proof that she can rock any style she pleases and pull it off.
4. Crimped Waves
One of the best style hacks is adding some dimension and texture to a beautiful look, which is exactly what Jones does here. Here, waist-length tresses are effortlessly styled with crimped waves, adding just enough character to make for a fun and casual look.
5. Blunt Bob
You know we love a bob! One thing’s certain, and two’s for sure: Jones’ face card never declines. To emphasize this fact, she arrives at LaPointe’s NYFW show with a blunt, fashion-forward bob that accentuates her features and strikingly tops off her overall ensemble.
6. Bumped Ends
A tasteful touch on the classic side-part, Coco completes one of her VMA looks with a shoulder-length, straight style that flows into a sharp flip. This style exudes personality and flare, the ideal eye-catcher to set-off her fun wardrobe of the night.
7. Larger-Than-Life Chanel Homage
Pictured here: a real life-doll. Here, she perfectly executes another homage to a Black Beauty fave, with this rendition of Naomi Campbell’s 1992 Chanel look. With burgundy-tinted blown-out hair styled in two teased ponytails
8. Elegant Updo
All pinned up for her big night at the Grammys, the musician styles her hair in a beautiful updo, letting loose curls gently frame her face as she accepts her first Grammy Award. This look perfectly compliments her face, showcasing big congratulatory smiles all around.
9. Retro Bun Details
The sign of a true style icon is whether you can last the tests of time, and Miss Jones hasn’t met a style era she can’t pull off. This retro look featuring a trio of buns, complete with a detailed parted design, is the epitome of It-girl energy.
10. Accessorized Rapunzel Braid
For her Coachella cameo, she joins Renee Rapp on stage with a slickback knee-length braid studded with bedazzled hoops throughout. This creative look was such a fun way to spin a tried and true hairstyle, making it her own and giving us the innovative inspo we needed to spice up our own styles.
11. Goddess Braids
What’s a better way to channel that inner goddess than with goddess braids themselves? On her European getaway, Coco Jones tastefully styles her trendy goddess braids in a few ways, showing the versatility and elegance that braids can provide.
12. Classic Bussdown
There’s nothing like the classics. Our beauty icon is stunned with this sleek middle-part buss down, the perfect style to complete her neck-breaking courtside look.
Which CoCo Jones look is your favorite?
There is much to be said about Love Island USA, Season 6. It shattered streaming numbers, it’s taking over all of our feeds, and it’s sparking discourse that could rival the best sociology 101 classes. If Love Island is all anyone can talk about, it’s safe to say that Serena and Kordell are the internet’s collective Roman Empire.
The winners of Love Island USA S6 have become internet sensations over the summer, with many audiences growing fond of the honest yet caring dynamic between the two. A striking conversation that continues to follow the couple zeroes in on a forever hot topic in the Black community: hair.
Image Source: @loveislandusa
Love Island’s Representation of Black Contestants
If you are a Love Island veteran, you know that spending several weeks in a poolside villa with messy challenges provides a challenge in itself for textured-hair contestants. For this reason, many Black contestants with textured tresses have to be strategic with the styles they choose, lest they embarrass themselves with unkempt hair on international television.
Black islanders, particularly the women, across Love Island seasons have been the undeserving targets of global criticism over their appearance, which, of course, includes heightened commentary surrounding their hair. This commentary generates speculative weigh-in from Black communities on the maintenance of chosen styles, and altogether racist commentary from broader, less educated populations.
Image Source: @whitbrownsx
The standout star of Love Island UK S10, Whitney, recently revealed her clever albeit unconventional method to accomplish swapping her wigs without the cameras’ attention, in order to minimize unfavorable content or criticism. The amount of hyper awareness Black people in these circumstances possess is revelatory of how intense the critical gaze can be.
While efforts such as the growing visible inclusivity from hair brands and policies such as the Crown Act have ushered in avenues of acceptance and understanding around Black hair, Black people are still held to unrealistic standards. In some cases, it is almost as if the more knowledgeable people grow about Black hair care, the more critical they become.
Image Source: @jempugh35
The ability to spot someone’s lace or wig glue was not widely possessed, outside of Black women, until recently. Now, we are seeing broader audiences jump into conversations and critique Black women’s hair in detail, as was the case with UK S9 contestant Tanya and her visible wig glue. Suddenly, everyone is a Black hair expert, and everyone has an opinion.
Receiving grace as a Black woman has always been an uphill battle, with the ever changing goal posts of beauty standards perpetuating this fight. Place this reality in the context of a wildly popular, vanity-based reality dating show, and the criticism becomes amplified.
How Black Hair Is Scrutinized
With USA S6 in particular, Black hair was pushed to the forefront, becoming a character of its own, and for reasons one may not expect. The two main Black women contestants, Serena and JaNa, received relatively positive commentary surrounding their hair and overall appearance, while Kordell, the central Black man in the villa, underwent microscopic observation.
It is often said within Black circles that you can tell a lot about a person based on how they wear their hair, with the assumption that the better it’s maintained, the more culturally connected one is to the community. Further, it is believed that the way a person styles their hair can reveal a lot about their romantic preferences, as hypothesized through the “hard wig, soft life,” theory, wherein Black women whose wigs appear to be unnatural or “stiff” looking are often partnered with wealthy, yet culturally unaware white men.
Serena’s ability to keep human hair goddess braids intact for the entirety of the summer, amidst compromising challenges and a humid climate is a feat in itself, and one that has not gone unnoticed by many viewers. In addition to her overall personality, this detail garnered her even more likeability amongst Black audiences. It is this same reason, however, that stirred up apprehension for some upon first laying eyes on Kordell.
Admittedly, my first thought upon seeing him walk on screen was ‘why would he come on tv without having fresh braids?’ As it has since been revealed, contestants wait extended periods of time in the hotel prior to entering the villa, which may well be the reason for his braids not looking salon-fresh. This personal knee-jerk observation reveals how ingrained these socially constructed cues can be. My second thought was just hoping he had the ability to refresh his braids as needed as his time in the villa went on.
How Relationships Influence Hair Care
Image Source: @korde1ll
Kordell’s hair became such a large point of discussion that it evolved into a marker with which audiences tracked the storyline and the status of his and Serena’s relationship. Mid-season, it was revealed that Serena is quite the skilled braider, and therefore responsible for Kordell’s ability to keep his hair styled. The variety of styles he went on to wear prompted intrigue amongst fans and quickly positioned him as an early favorite. Once the drama unfolded and the couple briefly split, Serena was no longer maintaining his hair, and it showed. The state of Kordell’s hair soon became indicative to whether or not he and Serena were on good terms, proving further how impactful hair can be to a story, to communal connection, and to outward presentation.
Image Source: @marayjanee
The moment that cemented the couple’s fate was the clip released of Serena finally doing Kordell’s hair again in the bathroom. This scene was important not only because it signaled full reconciliation but also because it displayed a culturally resonant moment on mainstream reality television that many had never seen before. Serena caring for Kordell’s hair in this way symbolized more depth to the relationship than cameras could show. So much so that when it came time to meet each other’s families, one of the first things Kordell’s godmother did was thank Serena for maintaining his hair.
Love Island USA, with its record-breaking streaming numbers, stood miles apart from other seasons for countless reasons, one undeniably being the representation Serena and Kordell provided. Black hair has always been a source of fascination, scrutiny, beauty, and connection, and its role in this season of Love Island was no different.
With the highly anticipated Love Island USA reunion coming on August 19th, it’ll be interesting to see if there are any conversations regarding Black Beauty.
From undisputed face cards to graphic liner, beauty took center stage at the 2024 Olympic Games. In addition to nail-biting finishers and record-breaking moments, the women competing at the Paris games embraced their individual beauty despite the harsh global stage they were thrust upon— and the criticism that often comes with it.
Beauty is an effective tool that allows a person to highlight their unique features, feel more empowered when entering a space, and showcase who they are in nonverbal ways. On the other hand, logic would have one think that ridiculing a woman’s looks while she is competing at such a high-level of athletic difficulty would be out of the question, however misogyny often proves otherwise.
Discourse erupted during the early days of the games as Simone Biles received ludacris commentary about her hair not being styled to onlookers’ standards. To this she responded, “next time you wanna comment on a black girl’s hair, JUST DON’T.” The 11-time Olympic medalist went on to stun crowds with her athleticism, touching up her golden glam look in between competitions.
Ilona Maher, the now first-time Olympic medalist, discusses beauty at length on her social media platform. She unapologetically expresses her femininity in the face of hundreds of comments critiquing her appearance and stands as a voice for expansive displays of beauty. Through her humorous content she shows just how connective and universal beauty can be.
Screenshot from Simone Biles’ Instagram story
Not only did these women give the athletic performances of their lives against the toughest competition in the world, but they did so staying true to their personal expressions of beauty and style. U.S. Rugby player and internet sensation Ilona Maher is ever-present in her signature red lip. Meanwhile, American soccer player and gold medalist Trinity Rodman stood out on the field in baby pink braids.
We can’t forget how Brazilian gymnasts Rebeca Andrade and Flavia Saraiva arrived at the competition each day with glimmering graphic eyeliner. And speaking of gymnasts, Jordan Chiles executed masterful routines while sporting decorative, extended nails— and yes, she can compete in them just fine. Additionally, Chiles and Simone Biles reapplying their lip products after executing insanely difficult routines delighted many beauty fans as they reveled in the young women’s greatness. Overall, the two ushered in a new standard for the way athletes carry themselves.
Then, Twanisha Terry could be spotted flying down the track due to her long braided ponytails and waist beads. Additionally, Melissa Jefferson and Jamaican athlete Shasha Lee Forbes sported patriotic hair bows, and Anna Cockrell and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone accepted their medals with stunning natural hair styles. Two-time Olympic medalist Sha’Carri Richardson left it all on the track with adorned nails that repeated her powerful quote, “I’m not back, I’m better.”
Across the board, these Olympic beauties see your comments about their appearances and are making it clear — they don’t care. They are reminding audiences, through enthusiastic conversations online, that women can be both strong and beautiful; have a playful sense of humor and still take their craft seriously. Athletes can pose with their flashy fronts and still be recognized as the legitimate talent they are.
Kelly Rowland no longer cares about outside opinions. After dedicating 26 years to an industry closely associated with beauty, Rowland has discovered that her own perspective matters most. Fittingly, on Sunday at Beautycon, Rowland discussed self-acceptance with President and CEO of Essence Ventures, Caroline Wanga,
Wanga opened the conversation by asking how Rowland reconciled with not always seeing herself reflected in mainstream beauty. To this she revealed that she is “still in the midst of” resolving this. “I think that we constantly are,” she added.
Then, the conversation shifted to the topic of hair. Rowland revealed her hair journey was fortunately positive. While growing up in Tina Knowles’ beauty salon in Houston, Rowland discovered early on that her hair was a means to explore herself.
Rowland and Wanga later reflected on how being darker skinned black girls led to hesitancy around trying out certain lipstick shades. Rowland talked about how she’s evolved from this, thanks to the help of makeup artists who encouraged her to try bright colors. She then transitioned into reminding the audience to embrace their uniqueness. She used the analogy that we’re all part of a beautiful garden—each of us a special flower that makes it complete.
Rowland concluded the conversation with an affirmation that left the audience in awe. “I don’t have to compare myself to anybody because I am one of one,” she said. “It is important to not shrink for anybody. Be the best version of yourself that you can possibly be. Show up for yourself first, not the world.”
After a four year hiatus, Beautycon is back and as beautiful as ever. The glam-centered conference kicked off Saturday morning in Los Angeles with Beautycon’s Brand Programming Strategist, Sophia Dennis, and Essence Ventures’ President & CEO, Caroline Wanga. The two hosts warmly greeted the attendees, affectionately referred to as “the beauty rebels, and set the tone for a weekend full of inspiring discussions, immersive experiences, and exposure to rising beauty brands.
Thought-provoking panels on the main stage revealed that today’s beauty innovators are ushering in conversations surrounding realistic acceptance, holistic health, and sustainable practices. The discussions focused on anything from disrupting the beauty space to advice and techniques from industry professionals. Many of the chats—which included icons such as Tia Mowry, Kelly Rowland, Marsai Martin, and more—also honed in on the idea that beauty isn’t only skin deep.
Meanwhile, creators and business owners Arnell Armon and Lora Arellano bonded over balancing motherhood and creative passions. Additionally, beauty activists such as Tess Holiday challenged the audience to redefine what they understood beauty to be.
Across the venue, Beauty Brand Haven provided a chance to connect brands and consumers, bridging the gap between them. There, beauty rebels stocked up on samples from brands such as Camille Rose, Good Weird, Beauty Beez and made gentle. Many brand representatives there shared the same sentiments as Rebundle’s Ciara May. “Our product is all about touching, feeling, and experiencing,” she told ESSENCE. “So it’s important to be able to see it in action. We’re very intentional about that.”
An extravagant fashion show and performances by BIA, Rhea Raj and the House of Balenciaga brought the evenings to a close and left participants feeling empowered. The return of Beautycon proves that beauty inclusivity is more than just a buzzword, and begins with everyone. If you missed out on the talent-studded affair, don’t be too disheartened. You can find a glimpse into the fun-filled weekend below.
