Hair flowing, skin glowing, body-snatched — these are some of our major beauty goals for summer. To help us achieve these goals, we asked ultimate beauty babe Dana Hill, founder of Cocotique, one of our favorite Black-owned beauty boxes, for her warm-weather beauty tips and picks.
Sunny Isle Jamaican Black Castor Oil Pure Butter
“When you’re packing for your summer getaway, you don’t want to weigh down your luggage with a ton of beauty products. This 100-percent pure Jamaican black castor oil butter is great for hair growth; as a sealant for dry hair; and it relieves an itchy scalp, soothes eczema and fades scars, blemishes and acne marks. It’s multipurpose and multi-useful. LOL!”
$11.99. jamaicanblackcastoroil.com
Belle Bar Organic Custom Hypersensitive Watermelon Face Mask
“Created by the lovely mother/daughter trio Annette, Solange and Tianna, this organic DIY mask gently works its magic on sensitive summer skin that has become irritated from too much sun exposure. What I love about this brand is that you can customize your mask by the addition of add-ins to the base mask to personalize it [for] your specific needs. I recommend adding rooibos to reduce redness and irritation; potato for brightening and tightening; and avocado seed to restore nutrients to your skin.”
$49. bellebarorganic.com
Native Deodorant in Coconut & Vanilla
“ I love the sweet tropical scent of this all-natural deodorant. I think it’s a healthy alternative to chemical deodorants. I promise you; it won’t leave you feeling or smelling funky. It’s comprised of baking soda, arrowroot powder and acidophilus to keep you fresh and dry.
$12. nativecos.com
The Lip Bar Lipstick in Cosmo
“Every woman needs a red lip for summer. I especially love these supermoisturizing lipsticks that are formulated with shea butter, coconut oil, avocado oil and vitamin E. Plus, they are made by my fellow boss babe Melissa Butler, who just launched this must-have in Target!”
$12. target.com
Farmacy Green Screen Daily Environmental Protector Broad Spectrum SPF 30
“Sunscreen is my No. 1 skin care essential year-round, but especially for summer when I’m outdoors more. Not only does this nonchemical version protect you from the sun, but it also hits all the marks for us brown beauties–no white cast, ladies! It’s also formulated with natural antioxidants, such as marigold and aronia extracts. These two ingredients protect your skin from free radicals emitted from smartphones, tablets and computers that can lead to accelerated photoaging. And if that’s not enough, it also has a proprietary ingredient called Echinacea GreenEnvy, a patent-protected variant of Echinacea purpurea that makes your skin glow.”
$36. farmacybeauty.com
SheaMoisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Shampoo & Conditioner
“This duo is the absolute best at keeping my dry, coily, curly hair moisturized and healthy during the blazing hot season. The scent is heavenly, and on wash day, it makes combing through my somewhat thirsty strands a breeze. Plus, best of all, 10 percent of all proceeds from this collection supports women-led businesses.”
$10.99 each. sheamoisture.com
Joséphine Cosmetics Le Voile – The Veil Tinted Balm
“This organic bronzing and moisturizing face balm, created by the glamorous Brooklyn-based diva Sholayide Otugalu, is simply divine and a game changer. With one swipe of this magic concoction, your skin will glow like it’s lit from within. It’s infused with Brazil nut oil, coconut oil and arnica extract, and has light-reflecting microspheres that make your skin glow.”
Beneath Your Mask Polish Detoxifying Body Scrub
“Exfoliating your body is a must in summer as it stimulates your circulation and can help prevent and lessen the appearance of cellulite. You’re putting nothing but goodness on your skin when you use this scrub. This skin care collection was created by Dana Jackson after she was diagnosed with lupus. Out of necessity, she developed a safe, nonirritating and nontoxic skin care line that wouldn’t weaken her immune system. ”
$70. beneathyourmask.com
Glamazon Beauty Cosmetics Eye-Conic Eye Concealer/Corrector
“I’m all about a minimal makeup look for summer, but it’s important to use a little magic to hide your dark circles to look refreshed. Expertly created by Kim Baker, a former model and makeup artist, I promise you’ll want to keep this creamy under-eye color corrector in your makeup stash. It’s noncreasing as well as being humidity- and sweat-resistant. Also, the golden and peachy hues are perfect for neutralizing under-eye circles on darker skin tones. Just slap on your favorite skin tone-matching foundation on top, and you’re good to go.”
$18. glamazonbeautycosmetics.com
Reshma Ubtan Turmeric Face Mask
“With the scorching heat, humidity and stagnant air, pollution can be worse this time of year. Add this mask to your arsenal to unclog your pores and to detox your skin. With its special blend of herbs and turmeric’s amazing anti-inflammatory benefit, it’ll leave your skin soft and glowing.”
$7.99. reshmabeauty.com
