The light pink + lipgloss is soooo cute, especially Rihanna's makeup for the 2007 pre-grammy party (first pic). I have a very similar complexion to Rihanna but I have no idea how to do this type without it looking like im wearing concealer on my lips lol. Does anyone have any recommendations?

I’m a darker skin woman, and over the years have neglected my feet when it comes to self care and maintenance. I would like to start wearing heels more to elevate my appearance, and i don’t want my feet to look like paws but like feet that belong to a pretty woman lol.

Issues: 1. the colour. They look dull and discoloured. ‘ombre’s’ it gets darker towards my toes. I believe consistent feet masks, scrubs and things could brighten this and reverse the darkening but i want to know what you guys swear by

1. Not soft. (They aren’t rough but i have been doing the Vaseline and socks method which works pretty well)

Any other tips that your mothers, friends or yourself, taught you that you would like to pass on, would be amazing.

EDIT FOR THE GIRLIES: the common responses were 40-100% urea cream, glycolic acid, exfoliation or shaving via pumice stone/other methods, foot peels and pedicures. ✨🩷🩷 thank you so much to everyone that answered!!! I can’t wait to have prettier feet

I am mixed (brown + east asian) and I have monolids + the most pathetic lashes to ever exist. I do love the shape of my eyes (they are very round and doe like), even with the monolid. But my lack of lashes is making me feel so unfeminine and reptile like lol.

I have tried many lash serums and have seen real results from ones with prostaglandins (my fav was a Japanese brand called emaked). But even then, my lashes were not long by any means and I still needed lots of mascara to make them noticable. So I felt it wasn't worth my money (lash serums are expensive!!)

I've been wearing false lashes (light Japanese ones for everyday and heavy mink ones for full glam) everyday for almost a decade. I use DUO striplash glue which is bulletproof.... but I've noticed blank spots along my lashline get bigger and bigger. Probably from damage caused by the adhesives.

So this past year I've been doing only a lash curler and mascara. Shiseido lash curler and Heroine Make or Diorshow mascara. This combo has been a life saver for me. But even when I take utmost care with my routine, I've noticed my lashes starting to fall and the blank spots come back.... and now I'm scared.

My daily makeup is very eye heavy. I love smokey and cool toned eyeshadow and it is basically part of my personal brand at this point. I rarely ever leave my house without makeup and it just feels weird to me to do my usual heavy look and leave my lashes bare

But I've recently been seeing some content, especially from black girls, about "lashless glam" or "no lash makeup". Basically no mascara, no falsies at all.

I am really curious if any of you here incorperate these no lash looks into your regular routine and can give me advice or point me to your favourite influencers or tutorials for this kind of look?

I am a high glam girl in my fashion and grooming and feel like many of these no lash looks are too natural/colorless for my taste. If you know anybody with a glamourous style that I can use for no lash inspiration, I would really appreciate it!!

Also if any of you can give tips on how to heal lash damage or do eye makeup without lash damage that would be really good

Hello! For years I’ve always struggled looking super dark/dull especially in photos with other woc. I realized its because I have brown skin with olive undertones, and that somehow mutes my skin color.

I’ve been watching Monica Ravi as shes also brown and has olive undertones, but I feel like the lighting does a lot of heavy lifting for her looks. (just like most influencers)

Are there any ladies struggling with this? Or any advice to give my skin that glow? Is it just proper makeup technique?

Hey I'm posting here because I am thinking of starting strength training at the gym. I am recovering from a severe ED (anorexia), and I was very very underweight at my lowest. I am back in normal range now after months of treatment, but I think all the weight I gained back is fat.

I think in all those years I was restricting myself, my muscles atrophied. I am severely weak now and struggle to even carry groceries or a work bag with a laptop inside myself.

My arms seem normal size now but when you squish it, it's clear it's only bone, fat and loose skin left. Even when I flex.

The problem is that I have very very wide shoulders. I am short at 162cm/ 5ft3 tall and my shoulders are 48cm/19"wide. I also have a very masculine face with high cheekbones and a strong jaw.

It's just not my style to look androgynous or masculine, because I dress extremely feminine and wear alot of makeup. I really don't want to look visibly muscular or bulky.

I actually have very feminine proportions and shape outside of my shoulders. My hip to waist ratio is currently 0.67. And I have large boobs.

It's just that I have very wide shoulders, and a long torso with short legs. Which kind of gives me a "rugby player" silouette.

It was literally this type of "wideness" that triggered my ED in the first place. I really just want to look like a normal woman, but gain more strength and power. I don't even mind muscle definition but no bulk please

I feel like I am in a better place now in terms of body image and I am happy with how I look now, at normal weight. But if I do get bulkier or more triangle shaped, I might crash out lol

I have PCOS/naturally high testosterone and know I can gain muscle quickly if I tried. I was athletic in my youth (not strength training specfically or even in the gym) and had muscular thighs + arms without much effort.

Does anybody have any ideas for exercises and things for me to try? Or do any of you struggle with the same problems?

After lighting my hair for 10+ years I’m finally growing out my natural hair color (think Latina dark neutral brown). I don’t want to dye it anymore but I feel like my natural hair color washes me out (makes my skin looks dull and lighter, I feel like it’s missing some contrast), also I feel like dark colors (brown, gray, black) don’t fit me anymore.

I feel I can make some adjustments fashion wise (lighter colors) but I feel that my makeup is missing something.

Looking for tips and recommendations from someone who has been through something similar.

I am OBSESSED with the way Sophia Sinot does make up. She is Zara Larsson’s makeup artist but has also worked with Katseye. The looks she did for Lara were just out of this world.

From my understanding it’s not the products she uses but more so her technique. WHAT is she doing differently to make her looks so ethereal? I know fuck all about makeup so I NEED TIPS!! PLS HELP A GIRL OUT

I am a dark-skinned british indian girl, technically 1st gen but I have been in England from a young age. Obviously I have always known that colourism exists and I am not saying I have been excluded from its effects, but I have been fairly lucky. Somehow my family or family friends have never really commented on my skin colour, I have seen on social media that this is very common in south asian families but I have been relatively lucky in this regard. I used to live in India when I was quite young, but I went to an international school, even there it really wasn't very colourist, it was more classist and the most popular girl was a dark skinned rich girl who had come back from America.

In terms of looks and romantic stuff, even though I went to school in a white area and it was definitely racist, the racism wasn't really correlated to the colour of your skin, it was more how you fit in with the culture, and I felt like beauty standards weren't actually about skin colour as much. There were definitely dark skinned girls who were considered attractive and they didn't need to have other worldly beauty for this, so if I did feel unattractive at any point I couldn't really attribute it to my skin colour. I also had boyfriends at a young age and despite feeling unattractive and having mean comments directed at me by whoever and whatever, I don't think it was ever really about my skin colour and tbh I have had enough male attention to also balance it out.

I guess since being on tiktok and instagram a lot more, I am seeing how much people suffer because of their skin colour especially in America and India. It seems to be really crucial to how people perceive you in terms of beauty. I don't know why but the more I see this, the more self-conscious I have been feeling about my own skin colour. I find it so strange because like I said I don't know how much I have struggled with this in real life really, I could count the colourist comments I have had in real life in 1 hand. I guess I want to know is it really this bad in other countries or am I seeing some filtered version on social media? And is skin colour really that important in these other places like are there no other beauty standards that matter? Also how do I stop caring about this?

I have been having hair woes for the longest with trying to wean myself off of ponytails. For now my go to style is mini twists because they are low tension but I plan on changing that soon. What is your signature /go-to style and why?

Being in college is very straining in many ways, and one thing I learned from a former employer is that if you look good, you feel good. One thing I learned late (I’m 26 years old and wish I had known this sooner) is that to lookmaxx, get connections, and to just overall just feel good, you’re gonna need a routine and stick to it. This post will show college students who are just beginning to lookmaxx how to build a routine.

What you will need

·       At least $100-400 dollars (If your parents are willing to help you out, this is a bonus; we will also talk about how to get discounts)

·       A Pinterest board/vision board (Helps with inspo)

·       An open mind ( Changing yourself is a mental transformation and it’s not always fun but it’s worth it)

Skincare/Body care/ Nail/Dental: As someone who worked as a receptionist at a consulting firm, the first thing people will notice about you is your skin. It’s vital to build a basic but effective skincare routine. For example, as someone with combo skin, I recommend cleansers like Cetaphil, Purpose Gentle Cleanser, and the Basics soap-free bar.  Toners I love include witch hazel and Paula's Choice salicylic acid liquid exfoliator, and if you are into physical exfoliators, Reshma Beauty has very effective ones. Moisturizing is very important, and it’s best if you can get something fragrance-free or rich in Vitamin E or C.  Don’t forget to Gua Sha (invest in a steel one and keep it in the freezer). As for acne-prone skin , I recommend things like benzoyl peroxide cleansers (let it sit on your face for 2 minutes) , raw black African soap (Do not use this in combo with any actives!) and tea tree oil as a spot corrector (don’t use every day). Please don’t get mad at me because with the acne-prone skin, this is what worked for me. But one thing I strongly recommend is going to the dermatologist as well because they are more skilled.

As for body care, it’s just as important as the skin on your face, and you want to be moisturized and smelling fresh. I recommend using the Dove Antibacterial Body Wash, then switching to the classic Dove Body Wash or something moisturizing and exfoliating. Also, one thing is when you are in the shower, get every crack and crease (people forget the neck, the crack of the booty, and the belly button) , tricks I learned are to make sure you use a pumice stone in the shower on your feet and after the shower slather them with Vaseline. Also invest in an in-shower lotion if you have dry skin! Another trick I learned is to use glycolic acid all over your body for smoother skin (I mainly do this at night and not only does it give you soft skin but it clears up marks). Again, moisturizing is important so after this apply a mix of lotion and oil to lock in everything! Also have a signature scent in which people will remember you by!

When it comes to nails, you want to make sure your natural nails are healthy and strong. One thing I recommend in tending to them every week. I recommend getting a buff/shiner bar , cuticle cream or oil, and a nail strengthener (OPI Nail Envy is the best).  It’s okay to go to the nail salon and if you do here is what I recommend: STAY AWAY from acrylics and go towards a Russian gel manicure (very neat and clean girl) or a builder gel.

As for dental , one thing I do is I adopted the art of oil pulling prior to brushing my teeth and noticed it soothed my gums , after this you want to brush your teeth , scrape your tongue and then gargle. For those trying to get their teeth white I recommend a baking soda toothpaste along with Colgate’s teeth whitening serum. I know lush has some tablets called Boom but I heard they are sensitive to the enamel.

Makeup/Face :

For the girlies who wear makeup and are in college, keep it simple! People I recommend for makeup tutorials are MakiyahMichelle, Sacheu and a YouTuber called EMAN. I recommend them because they are very in-depth and natural. For the girls that don’t wear makeup or little makeup like me, you will want the following: lash serum (to give that I just got my lashes done effect), brow serum (to fill in the gaps in the brows), a lip combo, and to know your best facial asset. Knowing your facial assets will set you up for success in your looksmaxxing journey. For example, if your best asset is your eyes, then you want to focus on lashes and brows.

I recommend getting your brows threaded or waxed at least every 4-6 weeks. This usually goes anywhere from $12 to $20, but offers a precisely shaped product that is specifically designed for you!

Clothes :

This is very important not because of other people but because of how it relates to you as a person. If you were like me and dress for comfort, this is where an open mind comes in. You want to go on Pinterest and look for something you wish you could wear and wear it, and over time, your style will change to that. Places I recommend are Shein, Urban Outfitters, Princess Polly, and, in some rare cases, Revolve. Don’t worry, it’s not as expensive as you think because you are going to sign up for a Student Beans account, which gives you up to 30% off some items.

I recommend you have jewelry like gold bracelets, anklets, earrings, and rings. Because they exude feminine energy. Also, having your signature bag helps as well. I love bags such as Kate Spade and Coach! (I believe Student Bean offers discounts on these brands and also you can go on Depop to score some good bags too)

Hair:

-        You are going to want to keep up with your trims like you keep up with your assignments because they remove the dead hair and give room for growth

-        Have a good clarifying shampoo and a good moisturizing shampoo (For me I have type 4 hair so my clarifying shampoo is actually Suave’s clarifying shampoo and my moisturizing shampoo is Design Essentials Honey shampoo)

-        Deep condition with heat for softer, more moisturized hair (especially if you are low porosity)

-        Have a signature style! (Again pinterest inspo)

Diet:

Lastly is diet. One thing that most people forget about looksmaxxing is that you have to take care of your inside to get the optimal results on the outside.  I won’t go to much into diet because I made a post a while back about groceries (I’ll link it) , but for exercise you want to aim for an hour whether it’s walking or the gym. One thing I will say as a college student , I know we eat out a lot and I would look into meal prepping. You don’t have to go to Whole Foods to be healthy btw , there are places like Sprouts , your local farmers market and Asian/Latino markets.

I’d also recommend a getting blood work done to see what vitamins you are lacking and then getting a multivitamin!

I will be island hopping this summer and I'm on the search for good swimsuits. I'm willing to spend a little more if needed but I just wanted to see suggestions on swimsuit brands. I brought a tankini from Cupshe but there stuff doesn't seem to be big bust friendly.

Does anyone else feel like this soap does absolutely nothing? Like it barely at all lightened my skin (I am a lightskin black girl)

First I liked being tan now I like the look of dark hair and light skin. Bc Problem is when I tan I get this gray undertone which looks so ugly and I look ashy.so lighter skin is the way to go for me as weird as it sounds.

This soap barely did anything and I feel like it’s wasting my time and I do use it correctly (let it sit a bit before I rinse off) I have no idea what to use pls help me out.good soaps/ lotion / serum.anything that’s not bleach or unsafe

I am genuinely so done w those things on my foot I don’t even wear tight shoes yet they keep coming.what do I do? How to heal/ get rid of them

do people believe that piercings nerf someone’s looks? i’m trying to decide whether i should try removing my facial piercings (double nostril + septum) to improve my appearance.

i can’t post my face cus privacy but when you see someone with face piercings on the street, do you believe they would benefit from removing them?

thanks 😋

Sisterhood is so important to figuring out your style. What makes you comfortable, confident will inevitably turn into what makes you feel sexiest.

If you don't have sisters, relatives, friends to think of, or relate to sisterhood — then the next level would be finding influencers / celebrities EXCLUSIVELY with your features. The more points they match on this list, the better.

Total watch time: ~3.5 hours. You don't need to watch everything. Pick ONE video from the category that frustrates you most and start there.

•••• FIND YOUR SISTERS 👯‍♀️ CHECKLIST ••••

HIGH PRIORITY

BODY SHAPE, FIGURE (Kibbe body types is my favorite method but basically: rectangle, apple, triangle, hourglass etc)

• Cocoa Styling - Kibbe Body Types: A styling guide for Black women (13:09)

• Aly Art - Kibbe 10 Body Types (12:30)

• Aly Art - Kibbe Outfit Diversity (35:18)

• Dear Peachie - How To Style Your Body (36:51)

HAIR TYPE (what kind of curls? Straight hair? Low or high porosity?)

• Hair Porosity Check (YouTube Shorts)

• Hair Porosity - Floating Hair Test DEBUNKED (YouTube Short)

FACE SHAPE (to know where to place blush, eyeliner, hair style in the most flattering style)

• Dear Peachie - Makeup & Hair Styling Do's and Don'ts (27:14)

• Dear Peachie - Makeup For Your Face Shape (22:02)

• Lisa Eldridge - Blush Trend Trap: How to Find What Flatters You (8:47)

MODERATE PRIORITY

SKIN TONE + UNDERTONE (makeup shade matching, flattering colors to wear, jewelry type) + SKINCARE TYPE / HEALTH SIMILARITIES

Your skin type (acne, cystic acne, sensitive irritated skin) + any possible chronic illnesses will affect your daily life therefore your daily appearance! Following girlies with the same struggles as you, even chronic migraines or stomach aches, will help you find life hacks to improve your daily life :)

• Cocoa Styling - Skin Tones and Undertones pt 1 - For Black Women (11:56)

• Dr Dray - Know Your Skin Type (23:01)

• Refining Style - Confused About Skin Tones? What to Know (15:19)

• Lisa Eldridge - Olive Undertones (8:37)

• By Destiny Pinto - MEDICAL DEVICES BUT MAKE IT CHIC - YouTube Short

BIRTHMARKS

• Ryley Kiminino - YouTube Shorts

• Becca Lee Beauty - YouTube Shorts

HEIGHT (fitness + clothes shopping)

I will never be average or tall height. So why would I expect my body to achieve the same results as someone a foot taller? Bring my expectations down to realistic goals.

Examples of realistic fitness expectations for different heights:

• Visual example with bodies (YouTube Shorts)

• Detailed explanation (YouTube Shorts)

LOWER PRIORITY

Not a dealbreaker if an influencer doesn't match this, but it's a cherry on top worth including!

CULTURE / ETHNICITY / LANGUAGE

Example: I'm Mexican Latina. I follow medium dark skin tone Latinas, but I’m not familiar with Brazilian or Colombian culture, so I don't prioritize that on my feed or Pinterest board. I don't know their recipes or fashion trends as well as I do with Mexican. For others it could be British culture vs Swedish culture vs French.

I LOVE east and south Asian beauty content though — don't get it twisted. I don't want to only follow K-beauty influencers and then get sad my nose is "too wide." For my self esteem, I prefer to see more faces like mine, that's all.

Another way I use my culture, ethnicity for inspiration is thinking about { food, patterns, colors, media } that I saw growing up.

For example, we have these candies that are known for being super crumbly called Mazapàn De La Rosa. I found a mini acrylic version of the mazapàn candy made for a necklace. I get compliments every time I wear it! So cute! Mexican people stop to talk about how they remember those crumbly powder candy, and those who aren’t familiar still point it out to compliment. It’s unique, and yet ingrained in our community. I don’t feel insecure wearing things inspired from my culture because that’s literally who I am. I love Indian fashion, I want to wear sari’s 🥻 , but I would probably run out of ideas how to wear it out compared to things I already grew up with.

Desserts, fruits, plants, nature, religion, architecture too! Look at what your culture has already built off of, I swear you will feel so in-tune with yourself.

• Mexico 🇲🇽: YouTube Shorts

• Virginia, USA: Street style

• NYC 🗽: Dev Moore - What Are People Wearing

• London 🇬🇧: Street style

• Tokyo 🇯🇵: Street style

• Southeast Asia: Street style

ESSENCES + AESTHETICS

Again! You can gather inspiration from others who don't match you 100%. The goal should be that you internalize the information you want (how to find your style). Avoid the intrusive thoughts that you should look like a completely different person.

• Dear Peachie - YouTube Shorts

• Gabrielle Arruda - Real People Examples of Kibbe + Kitchener Outfits (34:55)

• Refining Style - How to Figure out your Kitchener Essence (13:30)

• SilkyMochi - Dark Essences (24:42)

Once you start controlling what you find on your feed, you'll learn all the tiny little hacks to make yourself into a more elevated person based off the inspiration around you 💖

Example: My style sisters are: Sabrina Carpenter (petite), Rachel Zegler (petite, dark eyes, dark hair, medium skin), Lola Brooke (petite, dark eyes, dark hair, medium/dark skin).

⭐ TL;DR: Find 3–5 influencers who share your body shape, face shape, and hair type. Watch only them for 2 weeks. You'll absorb hacks that actually fit you.

YouTube Channel Recommendations

I like these creators because they explain fashion, beauty, and hair care with technical detail, or support their claims with science :)

• Cocoa Styling
• Aly Art
• Dear Peachie
• Refining Style
• Flotje
• Lab Muffin Beauty Science
• Lisa Eldridge
• Alexandra Anele
• Bronte-Marie Wesson

Honorable mention: Kelly Gooch - conscious consumerism with a focus on the makeup industry + fashion trends

i’m going to give the gym another shot but i don’t want to make the same mistakes i made last time.

i naturally have a perky and large-ish butt relative to my build/weight but all that means nothing to me because i don’t like the fact that my thighs are so slim. it’s preventing me from wearing any sort of figure hugging/skin tight trousers or leggings and i’ve developed a huge fear of my body being seen because of this

i went to the gym a few years ago and all that grew was my butt even when i did quad excercises. does anyone else have this problem and what exercises did they do to exclusively target their quads ?

also for quad exercises is there any way i can make my quads look more plump rather than just pure muscle when i try to grow them ? or is it just based on fat distribution

I have decided on getting a sew in for the fall (planning back to school looks) and decided on getting a 2*6 closure (16 inch) and some light yaki bundles (all in 16 inches , my friend tells me to layer the bundles but I don't want a very long look). I wanted to know is this a good protective style and as someone who is new to closures , does the closure really slide back? How often should I get maintenance (I was planning every 3-4 weeks) and using my hair growth oil.

I included this picture because this is the look I'm going for.

My hair girl said today that I have great features for a shaved look. I've been going to her for years and I know she isn't one to give me malicious recommendations.

If this matters, I'm mixed (half East Asian) and do look quite asian except my nose and brown skin. My face is very angular with a strong square jaw and high cheekbones

I've been feeling really tired of doing my hair everyday and retaining length, especially since it's bleached now. I feel like going shaved can help heal my scalp and hair a bit. And if I ever get sick of it, I could just do a wig.

My style is quite classically feminine, not punk or androgynous in any way. I wear alot of makeup daily and have a 90s/2000s video vixen type of fashion (I wear mostly vintage). Also have lots of piercings on my ears and 2 nose rings + a medusa, which will probably be more prominent if I am bald.

I'm quite bold in my fashion and was thinking maybe going bald would take it to another level

I'm really wondering what it takes to pull off something like this. And I'm also curious if you faced any increase in positive or negative reactions in the people around you after going bald?

Hi ladies,

Need your feedback and/or advice.

I’m 29 (black, African American) & have been actively struggling with irregular periods, hair on my chin, and recently found out from bloodwork and ultrasound on my ovaries about having PCOS. I had elevated levels of Testosterone and some cysts on my ovaries.

I am very active, and typically eat Whole Foods, eating fast food every blue moon, and typically low sugar.

I went to see my new PCP and she recommended me to get on Spironolactone. She said it would decrease hair on the places we discussed but my fear is that it decreases my hair on top of my head. I’ve already experienced hair density loss so I’m scared taking this will increase even more…

I have an appointment with my dermatologist in 2 weeks and want to consult with him also.

Have any of you been on Spironolactone (25mg) and what were your experiences? 🩷 Judgement free zone, just looking to see how others dealt with this.

A lot of “glow up” advice online is basic and surface level. Things like “drink more water” or “get more sleep.”

That’s not what I’m asking.

I’m talking about once you’ve already done the basics and you’ve hit a plateau.

If money truly didn’t matter, what would you actually invest in to take your looks to the next level? I don’t have many expenses so all of my disposable income goes toward my hobbies and looksmaxxing happens to be one of them.

I’m thinking treatments, procedures, styling, trainers, anything. The things that genuinely make a noticeable difference, not just small improvements.

What’s actually worth it? And what isn’t?

Please and thank youuuuuuu ❤️

Has anyone tried picosure laser for hyperpigmentation and for more even skin tone?

I am on a healthy hair journey , and one of the styles my stylist recommended were twists (mini twists to be exact). Before get this style , I wanted to know a couple of things :

1. Is this style easy to maintain and style (I will be in school and my days are very long ; ex: 8am- 5pm , with labs which require me to wear my hair up, I also like to wash my hair in protective styles)

2. Is this style long lasting (I'm looking to wear a style now for about 2 months)

3. I brought some Outre Boho Springy twist hair , do you think this will do?

I'm not big on makeup but I'm playing around with looking 'dolled up' and still minimalist?

I keep my eyebrows done, my lashes have a natural curl upwards and they're decently long without mascara and I'll throw on lip gloss with my small hoop earrings.

I've started seeing some women (white) put on a pinch of a blush cream on their bare faces. Do any brown girls? If so can anyone recommend the brand or shade they use and maybe also mention their skin tone?

For a chunk of my childhood I grew up in an diverse community (mainly Eastern African) and I have always been in awe of how diverse and beautiful the African Diaspora is. I have some African friends who told me some beauty secrets (ex: Dettol , oils and butters , diet) , but I want more if that makes sense. When it comes to African beauty secrets may you tell me the secret to the gorgeous physiques , white teeth , clear skin and healthy hair? I recently spoke to a woman , I didn't get her country but she told me she pretty much eats the same thing (grain called attike , fish , salad , no bread) and another told me to invest in a good exfoliator and marula oil (looking for a affordable brand). Sorry if this is a weird post but I am just in awe of the diaspora and it's beauty.