“I Turned My Grandparents’ Interracial Love Story Into Music”: BEKA On Legacy, Identity & EP Your Skin

“I’ve really been exploring me, where I come from and how I came about,” says BEKA, beaming over Zoom, all vibrant in her trademark red lip. “It felt important to put down in words this kind of deep revelation that I was having.” The deepest of these revelations form part of the singer-songwriter’s self-penned EP Your Skin, a collection of atmospheric, hope-filled pop, exploring themes of legacy and identity, beauty and self-confidence. We meet just before the EP’s release, during rehearsals with her band and before she joins electronic music duo HONNE on their world tour. BEKA is, as she puts it, “ecstatic”. After a string of standout performances supporting acts like Laura Mvula and Griff, she’s more than ready to share the music she describes as a “magic, medicinal thing” that allowed her to heal. read more

My Mom Was a Celeb Aesthetician, and Now I’m One—Here Are My Go-To Picks

Here’s why I’m grateful: Had Peterson not had a mom with a very cool job that let her travel to L.A. and experience skincare magic firsthand, then she might not have gone to aesthetician school and co-founded Nuface. And where would that leave the rest of us? I got my first Nuface Trinity Starter Kit ($339), I don’t know, six years ago, and now I have the Nubody ($399) as well, so I can attest to both of these tools’ lifting and sculpting wizardry. In fact, I’m not sure what I would do without them. read more

17 Crossbody Bags For Every Event on Your Social Calendar

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It doesn’t take much convincing to get us to want a new bag. The excuse of a new season is pretty much all we need; right now, we’re looking to find cute summer bags we can wear well into fall. The current silhouette on our wish list is a classic crossbody bag. Not only are they versatile and stylish, but they’re also so convenient to carry. Plus, these days, so many crossbody bags also come with top handles or shoulder straps, so it’s kind of like buying multiple bags in one. read more

When A Married Lagos Man Breaks Your Heart: An Exclusive Excerpt From Nearly All The Men In Lagos Are Mad

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Just how mad are the men in Lagos? It’s a question Nigerian author and actor Damilare Kuku explores in 12 short stories in her first novel,Nearly All The Men In Lagos Are Mad. With relationship themes spanning infidelities, sexting and ‘situationships’ sons and mothers, serial bachelors (and married and engaged ones), to infertility and sexual assault, Kuku’s provocative debut is a brilliant, witty, punchy account of the messiness of relationships. From the young woman who tries to find her ‘oyibo’ soulmate on the streets of Lagos, the pastor’s wife who defends her husband from an allegation of adultery to the wife who threatens to cut off her husband’s penis, Nearly All The Men In Lagos Are Mad is told mainly through the eyes of Nigerian women who are all grappling with the perils of trying to find lasting love and companionship, and, for Kuku, at its core, is a “love letter to women.”  “Each story is based on women’s experiences, women I know,” shares Kuku to Unbothered UK ahead of the novel’s release. “There’s so much we don’t talk about as women.” read more

This $38 Product Is My Secret Weapon for Great Skin—It’s Finally Back in Stock

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So what makes The Minimalist one of my favorite products of all time? For one, it buffs, blends, and melts so seamlessly into the skin, and unlike so many foundations and concealers, it looks better and better the longer you wear it. With some kind of witchcraft, it still looks freshly applied by the end of the day. I usually wear my makeup for a full 10 hours, and by hour 10, there’s still no creasing! Second, a little bit goes a long way, which makes the new, more generous portion all the sweeter. What’s more, Merit’s A+ lipstick formulaThe Signature Lip ($26), which is frequently sold out in multiple hues—will also be back to full stock, and with orders over $75, customers will receive the brand’s limited-edition summer bag read more