LIP SERVICE

Two ideas for luscious summer kisses: try a DIY lip scrub, then snap up the most luscious looks for melanated lips from brands created BY Black women FOR Black women.

Black women, revel and rejoice in your very God-given Blackitude! Most of you don’t need to shoot yourself full of freaky fillers to achieve a plump, plush kiss. Ladies, the fastest-growing cosmetic procedure in the world today is lip augmentation. Although Black women have long been mocked for their appearance, the tables have now turned. Women everywhere want full, succulent lips not gifted to them by genetics!

This summer, remember two things about your lips: the skin there is thinner than on most of your body, so a body scrub will be too rough for this sensitive zone. Also, wearing a slick of gloss or petroleum jelly out in the summer sun actually concentrates UV like a laser, sizzling those lush lips like ribs on the grill, so take care to protect lips with a sunscreen lip balm as step one. Our vote for the best sunscreen lip balm is (sadly) not Black-owned, but it IS called Jack Black, Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25, with Shea butter. One squeeze, and you’re ready for a layer of fabulous color.

First, the scrub. Start simple, with 1 teaspoon of honey and two teaspoons of sugar. Try using a V-E-E-E-R-R-R-R-R-R-Y soft baby toothbrush to apply the scrub (use light pressure, please) if your lips are dry and flaky. Add one teaspoon of almond oil to the sugar-honey emulsion for a yummy, marzipan-like treat.

And now for the color! Look for these indie Black-owned brands when shopping for makeup. Not there? Write to the store manager and request that they stock the brand you want. We love supporting Black-owned businesses for many reasons. First, Black-owned brands are naturally aware of the likes and loves of Black people. And supporting Black-owned brands sends a very clear, very strong message to those other brands about the viability of Black buying power.