‘Cortisol face’ and the lies about muscly women

26 Apr

Lily West, The Weight Of Becoming (2025)Gallery / 22 images ”Ever since I stopped lifting super heavy and incorporated more low-intensity workouts, not only did I feel so much less bloated throughout the day, but I’m in such a better shape now,” – that’s how Mandana Zarghami says she got rid of what’s being called “cortisol face” in a TikTok video. Zarghami is not the only wellness influencer encouraging women to ditch lifting weights in favour of low-intensity exercises like walking and pilates. Other women on #GymTok have claimed that walking instead of running avoids facial puffiness associated with “runner’s face”, stopping lifting is what “snatched” their body and quitting HIIT workouts helped them lose weight. While the buzz around “lowering your cortisol”...

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12 Mar

How Black Women Can Achieve Blurred Lips—Spring’s Most Lived-In

by Beauty Tips

Makeup, Featured

How Black Women Can Achieve Blurred Lips—Spring’s Most Lived-In

Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for BET Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… Having soft lips doesn’t just refer to the texture. Instead, this season, blurred lips are the ultimate indicator of how soft yours actually are. “We’re in the midst of a new beauty renaissance, and blurred lips feel undeniably romantic,” MAC national artist Ximena Curtis tells ESSENCE. “They’re effortless, flirty, and deliver the perfect pop of color without doing too much.” First gaining popularity as a K-beauty trend, blurred lips “have been popular for years, and usually are connected to a more natural, youthful look,” says Erika Guinn, vice president of brand marketing and community at NYX Professional Makeup. Seen on celebrities from Zendaya to Lori Harvey, Naomi Campbell to Jodie Turner Smith,...

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21 Feb

13 Black Women Who Have Made Beauty History –

by Beauty Tips

Makeup, Featured

13 Black Women Who Have Made Beauty History –

Hulton Archive/Getty Images Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… Since before the first Black History Month, which was originally introduced as “Negro History Week” in February 1926, Black women have been making beauty history. Annie Turnbo Malone founded the cosmetics school Poro College in 1917 to teach Black haircare; Madame C.J. Walker (who attended Poro and opened the hair school Lelia College) formulated a Black haircare method and product line called Walker Haircare System selling her philosophy of “hair culture“; And, soprano singer Anita Patti Brown founded a mail-order cosmetics and perfume business called “Patti’s Brazilian Toilette Luxuries” in 1920. Now, on the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, we look at all the women who continued to revolutionize the industry since then. From...

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8 Feb

Toffee Makeup Is Winter’s Warmest Beauty Trend For Black

by Beauty Tips

Makeup, Featured

Toffee Makeup Is Winter’s Warmest Beauty Trend For Black

Stephanie Augello/WWD via Getty Images Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… It’s the coldest season of the year, but winter makeup couldn’t be warmer. In other words, we’re predicting the toffee makeup trend will take over the red carpet in 2026. After all, the end of 2026 saw everyone from Paloma Elsesser and Zoe Kravitz, to Laura Harrier and Sabrina Elba rocking the toasty look. That’s because “toffee makeup sits between natural makeup and glam makeup,” says Kelly Zhang, celebrity makeup artist and founder of Kelly Zhang Makeup. With warm tones predicted to dominate the new year, toffee makeup “feels elevated but still everyday.” Ahead, Zhang breaks down how Black women can achieve the toffee makeup look—and best products to do it with. Zoe...

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