#ESSENCEApproved: Glow Up With These Black-Owned Brands This Summer

I’m a sucker for a cute journal. Ask my fiancé, whenever I go to Target, I am bound to leave with a new one, lol. So, when the Be Rooted journals hit stores, featuring beautiful illustrations of women of color on the cover, as well as empowering messages, I knew I had to get one. As a part of your summer glow up and self-care practices, I highly recommend journaling and writing out your to dos or goals in a physical journal. Yes, I am a millennial, and while there are apps galore that you can use, there are also a ton of distractions and constant notifications on our phones. Consider unplugging this Summer and using a Be Rooted journal to write out your thoughts, do a brain dump of your to dos to free up some space in your mind, or create a checklist of your weekly, quarterly or yearly goals and track your progress. Trust me, this is something you’re going to want to try.

If you’re the type of “gworl” that loves a luxurious bath as a moment to decompress, consider trying the Honey Pot Calming Lavender Bath Bomb. This Black-owned brand smells amazing, and will give you the self-care, spa day you’ve been looking for. And you don’t have to wait until Self-Care Saturday, take some time for you any day that you’d like. The Honey Pot Calming Lavender Bath Bomb is sure to take your bath time to new self-care depths.

Now that we’ve worked on glowing up internally, let’s get into our outer beauty, starting with our hair. Every kinky and curly hair girl knows that a leave-in conditioner is a must, and if you’re looking for a great one, look no further than Camille Rose’s Moisture Milk. Whether you’re rocking a wash and go, braids or other protective hairstyles this Summer, apply Camille Rose’s Moisture Milk leave-in conditioner, after washing, and deep conditioning your hair, to give your hair the ultimate spa day. Not only does it smell good, but it will leave your hair feeling amazing. Thank me later, Sis!

Ladies, the Summer heat always tries to come for our edges, but we will not be defeated! Haha. Camryn’s BFF Gentle Edges Double-Sided Hair Brush/Comb is a God-send. Combining the edge-slaying tools that we typically use, this product is convenient and compact enough to fit in your bag. Pair with your fav, tried and true edge control, and use the comb side to shape your edges and the brush to smooth them.

And the category is…COLOR! Nothing says summer quite like a vibrant nail polish. Trade in your winter and spring hues this month for my favorite shade from Habit Cosmetics, the neon yellow polish within the Flower Child Trio. Not into neons? Consider the pink or the orange shades. You truly cannot go wrong with any of these options. Have some fun and try something new!

Last but certainly not least, while you’re prepping to pop out in your best looks this summer, don’t forget about your lipstick, Ladies. The Lip Bar is my go-to with so many bold colors that elevate and complete any look. Two of my favorite shades for Summer are Prom Queen and Bawse Lady, paired with The Lip Bar’s lip liners. Have some fun this Summer with your lip color. An ombre look is sure to be a showstopper for one of the events on your social calendar.