Celebrity Coverage
Teyonah Parris Is Fully Blūm With New Hair Extension Brand – Essence
Photographer: Ashley Nguyen at Munehaus Creative Studio
It’s all concerning the texture of actress Teyonah Parris’ hair. Known for her roles in and , the actress didn’t know what her natural texture looked like after years of straightening her hair. To her surprise, she had curls. And, like many black women, Parris began experimenting with different hairstyles. During this journey, she began to note that there weren’t many brands of curly hair extensions available on the market. That said, she is creating her own line, Flowerwhich will likely be released in mid-September and can fill the gap.
“In acting, after going natural, I show up on these sets and they don’t have anything that matches my hair,” Parris tells ESSENCE. “I feel so inadequate, like a burden, like I’m a problem or too much of a problem for them to have to figure out what to do with my natural hair,” she explains of the workplace discrimination that many black women face. This reality made her feel like she couldn’t fully embody the character she needed to play while filming, a sense shared by many other black actresses.
Because of this issue, Parris needed to wear her natural hair on red carpets, doing it herself, using suggestions she learned from hairdressers. She also says that hairdressers on set didn’t know the best way to braid her hair or look after it. “As a black woman with curly, kinky, natural hair, I’m also someone who likes to have a solution,” she says. “I could show up with my own extensions.”
With that in mind, she created Blūm for ladies, including herself, to experiment with their hairstyles. Additionally, the actress can use extensions on set and transform into the character she needed to be.
What to expect from the brand? Quite a lot of textures—including wavy, curly, and coily hair. “It was important to me to keep texture, curly, and coily hair all the time, for women who need it.”
In addition to creating her curly hair extensions line, Parris is a mom, entrepreneur, and actress, and taking good care of herself is essential to her overall well-being. One way she takes care of herself and keeps her hair healthy is thru her minimal hair care routine: washing, conditioning, and trimming.
After all, in response to Parris, your crown is the muse of your beauty. “Hair is an expression of where I am emotionally, mentally, in the moment,” she says. “The way you have to love your hair and care for it to grow is a direct reflection of how you love and care for yourself.”
Celebrity Coverage
A’ja Wilson Wins Record-Tied Third MVP Award, Leads Las Vegas Aces to Playoffs – Essence
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson continues her historic streak by being named WNBA Most Valuable Player Kia 2024announced the league on Sunday. The award marks Wilson’s third profession MVP honor, tying with WNBA icons Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson. Wilson is barely the second player in league history to receive the honour unanimously, joining Cynthia Cooper, who completed the feat in 1997.
Wilson’s dominance on the court this season far exceeded her scoring average. She totaled 1,021 points, 451 rebounds and led the league with 98 blocks. Her scoring average of 26.9 points broke Diana Taurasi’s 2006 record of 25.3 points per game, and her 9.8 defensive rebounds per game set a brand new league single-season record.
Among the highlights of the season, Wilson had two of the league’s highest-scoring games, scoring 42 points against the Dallas Wings and 41 points against the Phoenix Mercury. She became only the second player in WNBA history to record 25 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and five blocks.
Additionally, Wilson’s community involvement earned her the 2024 Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award. This special award is close to Wilson’s heart, as Staley coached her during her college years on the University of South Carolina, where they won a national championship together.
Wilson’s MVP campaign capped a historic 12 months for the Aces, who’re well on their way to becoming a WNBA dynasty. Her impact helped the Aces (27-13) earn the fourth seed within the 2024 WNBA Playoffs, and Wilson is the backbone of a team that’s looking for a 3rd consecutive championship.
Wilson credits the fourth MVP vote she received last 12 months as motivation. “It kind of fueled me up when I started working out in the offseason, but around February I got fed up with it,” she said. “I didn’t want to give that person that energy, and that’s when I started to shut down.”
The 6-foot-4 forward’s legacy as one of the vital decorated players in WNBA history continues to grow as she also leads Vegas in scoring and rebounding. Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier finished second in MVP voting with 467 points, followed by New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (295 points), Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark (130 points) and Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas (83 points).
In recognition of the MVP award, Wilson will receive $15,450 and a specially designed trophy from Tiffany & Co.
Celebrity Coverage
ICYMI: Jourdan Dunn’s Iconic Pixie Hairstyle and More – Essence
Dave Bennett/Getty Images
Last week, the celebs gave us a glimpse of their first moments of autumn beauty. From Beetlejuice style bangs from pixie cuts to 2-toned smokey eyes, it’s clear that this season’s hair and makeup is all about sophisticated punk. That means kitten cuts and a move away from daring pink are all in.
Jourdan Dunn closed out LFW’s fortieth anniversary with cropped bangs that were sculpted Balmain hair products and luscious lashes on the Icons Party. Not far behind, Jodie Turner-Smith and Gabrielle Union-Wade, each sporting glazed lips, attended the Burberry show in grunge and glitter eyeshadow respectively. Tracee Ellis Ross, then again, went for a festive vibe with red lipstick, deep mauve eyeshadow and a touch of blush.
For FKA Twigs, the “Kitty Kat” hairdo was the primary in a series of Eusexua wigs — a mood Kelela captured together with her cropped bob Okuzawa’s Kabuto on set with ESSENCE. Meanwhile, Doechii had her eyebrows removed, but compensated with an additional-long, teased ponytail, secured with an equally long bow. To end the week, Sabrina Elba wore barrel-shaped curls in a bob — bringing a summer favorite to fall.
In case you missed it, take a look at the 13 best celebrity beauty moments of the week.
Celebrity Coverage
A Fall Hairstyle Rihanna Approves: Medium-Length Curls – Essence
Neil Mockford/GC Images
BobsLobs and pixie cuts, like Rihanna’s iconic short black bob, have been among the most beloved hair trends this summer. While these big cuts have been flooding our feeds all season long, this week the Fenty Hair founder introduced mid-length curls just days before fall.
Rihanna didn’t take the front row at London Fashion Week to have a good time the opening of Fenty Hair’s recent home in Selfridges. Her loose waves were parted to the perimeters, with the left half tucked behind her ear, revealing a chandelier-shaped earring. On the opposite side, the waves sat above her breasts — accentuated by custom Jacquemus robe— and rocked manicure butter.
To achieve this look, Fenty Hair Global Hair Stylist Ursula Stephen she washed her hair with shampoo and conditioner before preparing 5 in 1 heat protection type. She then curled the sections with a medium-diameter iron, pinning each section because the curls cooled. After resting, Stephen combed the curls and backcombed the roots for added volume, securing his curls with edge control.
The tycoon matched her hair together with her cherry-coloured makeup, which was highlighted Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Stix Lipstick in “Blaz’d Donut” and Snap Shadows Eyeshadow Palette in “True Neutrals”—turning this look into Rihanna’s first fall trend.
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