Entertainment
How Shani Darden prepares the star’s skin before the Met Gala
Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Shani Darden
This Monday, Hollywood’s favorite stars will fly to New York for the biggest ball of the 12 months: Met Gala 2024. Aesthetician, including Sofia Richie and Kelly Rowland, Shani Darden attached. “I love coming to New York and was excited to have the opportunity to prep some clients’ skin before heading to the Met Ball,” she tells ESSENCE. Darden is sticking to this 12 months’s “The Garden Of Time” dress code, bringing out the skin of the evening’s most blooming guests. “It’s a big weekend for us and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Below, Darden shares her celebrity skin-approved secrets, the importance of prepping your skin, and how one can recreate your signature facial have a look at home.
ESSENCE: Why did you choose to maneuver your beauty services from Los Angeles to New York this weekend?
Shani Darden: In addition to the Met Ball, we’re also hosting an event throughout the weekend at the Sephora store in Soho where people can enroll for a mini-massage with my Triple acid peeling. It’s the next smartest thing to getting one in every of my peels in my studio, and I’m so excited that everybody can experience the red carpet glow at home.
Can you tell us which celebrities you will likely be giving facials to?
You’ll just need to wait and see! I’m incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to arrange the skins of the most amazing actors, actresses, artists and lots of others. I do know that the Met Ball is a giant red carpet event and I never assume that I’m a small a part of that have.
How do you prepare your clients for the red carpet? Can you give us the most significant steps for a mask?
All my clients receive my Signature Facial Face, which is tailored to the needs of every client’s skin. I like to supply clean skin that’s taut and sculpted with an easy glow. My facial treatments include vibration therapy, light chemical peeling, oxygen therapy, microcurrent, extractions when needed, LED light therapy, cryotherapy, and just a few other things.
Before an event, I like giving my clients a lactic acid peel since it’s great for all skin types and is not too harsh. It doesn’t dry you out, you literally leave glowing. This is the best. Customers liked it a lot that I created a version for home use, my Triple Acid Signature Peel, during the pandemic. It is a terrific skin regenerator that leaves your skin glowing and your pores clear between visits.
We know that stars will most probably be wearing full makeup for the Met Gala. Why is it necessary to arrange the skin before applying makeup?
Preparing the skin before applying makeup is amazingly necessary. You need to create a clean, smooth canvas and a moisturized base before your heavy red carpet makeup. Before applying makeup, I like to recommend using a cleanser like mine Cleansing serumto scrub away all dirt and impurities out of your face. After cleansing, use my Facial shaping wand stimulate circulation and firm and tighten the skin.
The last step before applying makeup is moisturizing. This is one in every of the most significant steps to be certain that the makeup blends well into the face and doesn’t create a sticky or crease effect. I like mine Firming and moisturizing serum since it not only moisturizes but in addition helps protect the skin’s protective barrier. After a moisturizing serum, I go along with a moisturizing cream like mine Moisturizing peptide cream. It provides 72 hours of hydration, but can be non-comedogenic, so it doesn’t clog pores.
How can we recreate the Met Gala face at home?
Triple Acid Peeling is the perfect homemade facial scrub that means that you can recreate the glow of the red carpet in the comfort of your personal home. The treatment consists of a 2-stage peeling powered by three acids to renew and brighten the skin, in addition to a neutralizing mask to deeply cleanse and tighten pores.
Step 1: Use a peeling based on lactic, glycolic and mandelic acid, which immediately removes dead skin cells from many layers. You apply it with the included brush and leave it for 2 minutes.
Step 2: Apply a soothing kaolin-bentonite clay mask that neutralizes the 1st step. You will feel a fast, intense tingling sensation – that is the neutralization of the peeling. Deeply cleanses and tightens pores by removing dirt and sebum without excessively drying the skin. The skin stays renewed, smooth and radiant. I like to recommend doing this every few weeks for optimum skin refreshment.
What are you most enthusiastic about this weekend?
I can not wait to see these amazing creations and I’m very curious how everyone will interpret this 12 months’s dress code: “The Garden Of Time”.
Entertainment
An attempt to save the image of Jeff Bezos’ future wife backfired after weeks of outrage and ridicule over her skimpy outfit
Lauren Sánchez has apparently gained a popularity for her fashion hits and misses as social media users began following her every move.
Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ current fiancée stepped into the highlight long before she met the Amazon co-founder, after years spent as co-host of “Good Day LA,” a reporter for “Extra” and host of “So You Think You Can Dance,” and he even starred in a number of movies like “Ted 2.”
She faced criticism for posting a sultry selfie in November in a negligee-inspired gown by designer Laura Basca. In October, the 54-year-old again faced backlash when she showed off her latex Halloween costume as Catwoman.
Now, weeks after being deemed “cheap” and tasteless, the founder of Black Ops Aviation has turn out to be a subject of discussion.
On December 5, Sánchez and the business mogul attended The New York Times’ DealBook event in New York City. For the occasion, she wore a white Alexander McQueen suit and a white lace corset. The beaming bride-to-be sent two mirror selfies of her outfit, which she signed: “winter white.”
One follower particularly was stunned by the whole look he ejaculated that she was “very attractive and beautiful, gorgeous and stunning, charming and fantastic young lady, sexy, charming, charming and elegant” in the photos that Sánchez took.
Two other people swooned over the photos and wrote: “So chic and elegant!” and “You look great.” But as you would possibly expect from online viewers, not everyone was impressed.
Jeff Bezos’ fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, cropped a photograph of him in a jumpsuit and then set Instagram on fire with her look.https://t.co/n7YNGctQFE pic.twitter.com/DNKP2i9o9C
— Sean Joseph (@sjoseph_sports) December 2, 2024
When Page six published paparazzi photos from the trip, the critic commented: “It’s 30 degrees in New York and she gets out of the limo in a white Miami smock, her bra visible to everyone. No taste. Nothing. A cashmere turtleneck, flannel trousers and a wool jacket can be classy.
Someone else sharply asked: “Who can be the first to tell her that she looks tacky and not elegant and refined? Does she even know what sophistication means? A 3rd person noted: “She looks more like she’s wearing a bathrobe.”
Lauren Sanchez 2003 vs. Lauren Sanchez 2024
Nothing to see here, people, move on#LaurenSanchez pic.twitter.com/mgr4vj6mFq
— Occam was right (@OccamWasRight) November 21, 2024
Another person wrote in a comment from a licensed pilot: “White means…” possibly referring to rumors that Sánchez and Bezos are scheduled to exchange vows over Christmas. At least one person doubted the couple would have the opportunity to say “I do.” This person said: “This will be the longest engagement ever. They will NEVER get married and we all know why!!!!”
Sánchez told the “Today” show hosts that she was in the process of planning the big day last month. She didn’t comment on speculation about exchanging Christmas vows.
Renewed interest and scrutiny of Sánchez has increased as the pair have been spotted in various locations in recent months. The couple reportedly began dating in 2018. Their engagement was announced five years later, in May 2023. Their upcoming wedding can be a second journey for each of them.
Sánchez was previously married to celebrity agent Patric Whitesell, with whom she has two children. She can be the mother of a son, whom she shares with Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. Bezos was married to the mother of his three children, Mackenzie Scott, for 25 years once they divorced in 2019.
Entertainment
Apart from the song with singer-songwriter India Shawn – Andscape
India Shawn is a contemporary muse with a chilled nature, crafting love stories and heartfelt tales in smooth, charming songs. With over a decade of experience in the music industry as a singer-songwriter, Shawn has incredible strength. She was born in Los Angeles, and her musical roots reach throughout the country. Beginning her profession in her hometown, Shawn eventually found herself in Atlanta, where she immersed herself in the city’s deep-rooted R&B scene, further shaping her artistry.
“I transferred to ATL, I was in 10th grade, and that’s when my music journey really started,” Shawn told Andscape. “I met people who were trying to get by, so I ended up recording and learned what songwriting was really early on.”
Before releasing her debut EP in 2012, Shawn wrote songs and collaborated with artists similar to Chris Brown, El DeBarge, Keri Hilson and Monica. In 2013, she gained much more notoriety when Solange Knowles published her song “I’m Alive” on the Saint Heron compilationmarking her as an artist value watching.
Following the release of the single “There Must Be a God” from the Andscape soundtrack, she caught up with Shawn to learn more about the muse behind the vibes.
Name:
India Shawn
Hometown:
Los Angeles
Artistic soundscape
Airy, soft, telling a story, multidimensional, soft, mysterious, atmospheric
The oldest musical memory
Shawn’s soulful sound is deeply rooted in her upbringing, with influences drawn from her childhood memories and the musical culture of her church. “I sing with my sister all the time, and I also grew up singing behind my mom in church. She was the leader of praise and worship. So I feel like most of us R&B kids have that experience,” Shawn said. “I had these little solos in church, and I believe what made me consider in it was that after the service people got here as much as me with tears of their eyes and said, ‘You really moved me while you sang.’ “These early moments of connection with music and audiences laid the foundation for conveying depth and sensitivity through her music.
Influences
For Shawn, music, especially R&B, has all the time held a special place in her life. “Me and my sister are harmonizing in the living room, just picking some of our favorite songs, including for me Mariah Carey, Babyface, Boyz II Men and (and) Brandy,” she said of her early music memories.
Creative process
Shawn often draws inspiration from real-life experiences and relationships that influence her music. She weaves this into the authenticity and atmosphere of her songs, but she didn’t immediately recognize where her inspiration got here from. “It’s funny that it took me so long to make that connection, but I realized that I was telling my whole story and presenting my business through my music,” she said. “It took me two albums to realize, wait a minute, I’m giving people a lot to understand here… these aren’t just songs. This is truly the life I live.”
Challenges and development
As Shawn’s profession grows, so do his moments of appreciation and reflection. “I literally just thought about a very gradual progression of my career. It’s like step by step, but there are more breakthrough moments. My first tour, which was so beautiful, I just knew I could pack a room and people knew my lyrics and sang my songs to me. Those moments that make the waiting not in vain.”
Shawn has plenty of recommendation for up-and-coming singer-songwriters. Her biggest sacrifice? Collaboration is essential. “I think (cooperation) is really why I’m still here. So find your people… you’ll know when it feels right, you’ll have that freedom and fluidity, and you’ll be able to really create things and create without having to think too much.” He also shares the importance of patience. “Just be patient during the journey. This has been a theme throughout my profession. Let it develop. I feel like more things come from being in that flow and being present reasonably than forcing all of it.
Current project
“There should be a God”, the lead single from Andscape , now streaming on Hulu, also serves as a teaser for Shawn’s solo album. “(This song) is such a manifestation of God’s love,” she said. “I think when you find yourself in a place of waiting, you can feel very hopeless. So when you see glimpses of God’s love again, or the fact that you know there is a higher power, there is a source that is thinking about you, has you in mind, has a perfect plan for you, it’s just like the clouds parting. And this is the moment, I understand. I understand that I had to go through all this to get here. And that’s exactly what I felt in the studio that day.”
Entertainment
ICYMI: Tessa Thompson’s Mocha Lip, Danielle Brooks’ Updo and More – Essence
With just a number of weeks left until the tip of 2024, the celebrities are setting the tone for the brand new 12 months this week. And although mocha mousse is anticipated to be fashionable in 2025, neutral shades in darker tones have gotten more and more popular. Paired with an array of beauty eras – from elegant Twenties updos to 2000s-style round pink, the brand new Hollywood showcases its best 12 months-end beauty moments.
Tessa Thompson and Issa Rae are the newest to debut mocha lips holiday shade near the season, and Coco Jones’ lipstick was cranberry red. Doechii’s perforated suggestions and signature face-lift tape made it probably the most avant-garde look of the week, and within the sweetest moment, Chloe and Halle Bailey’s round pink cheeks made pink cheeks a winter styling staple.
From makeup to hairstyles, Sabrina Elba and Alva Claire opted for light, coffee colours, and Jourdan Dunn’s short hairstyle proved relevant at any time of the 12 months. Meanwhile, Lupita N’yongo, Danielle Brooks and Venus Williams’ braided buns showed just how classic this style may be.
In case you missed it, take a take a look at 17 of the very best celebrity beauty moments from the week below.
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