Each year, ESSENCE hand-selects the beauty products, gadgets, and individuals shaking up the industry for the annual Best in Black Beauty Awards. To celebrate this year’s extraordinary winners, which included The Lip Bar and Fenty Beauty, an intimate gathering was held in New York City that brought together the Black beauty industry elite.
Before the festivities officially kicked off, actresses Naturi Naughton and Ryan Destiny chatted with ESSENCE’s Fashion and Beauty Director, Julee Wilson, about their favorite beauty hacks, their self-care routines, and how they get their flawless smiles.
Glowing from the inside out:
Naturi Naughton: “In the morning, I always drink water. I have multiple water bottles all around my house, I’m a little bit crazy about it, but water is really the secret to life. So I try to make sure I drink a good amount throughout the day.”
Ryan Destiny: “I’m really into smoothies and like to keep them organic and really healthy because I don’t really like to eat vegetables. I have to eat them in smoothie form. So, if I’m feeling low, I’ll have an acai bowl or smoothie during the week.”
On their flawless smiles:
Naughton: “One of the people I was really inspired by growing up was Whitney Houston. I was always in awe of her teeth and her smile, so I knew I had to keep my teeth together.”
Destiny: “Since I was young, I knew this was what I always wanted to do, so I knew having a perfect smile was important. I had braces, actually, and that changed my life. And if wasn’t for that, I honestly don’t think I would be where I am.”
How to stay grounded in today’s social media obsessed world:
Naughton: “I put my phone on ‘do not disturb’ at night because I know if I hear the sounds of alerts and texts, I’m going to be tempted to look. So, this helps me stay in the moment.”
Destiny: “As for social media, I try not to stay on it too much, but it’s really hard because I love Instagram. But I try to find time during the week to not be on it and do other things like reading a book or watching HGTV.”