For anyone who thinks it’s too late to book a photographer, find the coordinating attire and produce a Christmas card photo, perhaps you need to take a page out of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s book — go with something you already have.
The pair revealed their annual holiday card, and in keeping with tradition, the photo featured was one from an event earlier this year, when the two attended the Invictus Games closing ceremony in September.
“On behalf of the office of Prince Harry & Meghan[,] the Duke and Duchess of Sussex[,] Archewell Productions and Archewell Foundation[,] we wish you a very happy holiday season,” the card’s message reads per Harper’s Bazaar. “Thanks for all the support in 2023!”
The card also included a link to the couple’s annual Archewell Foundation impact report, which features a video highlighting their work throughout 2023.
The reveal of this year’s card from the couple arrived just hours after the Duke of Sussex won a phone-hacking lawsuit against the Mirror Group Newspapers.
In a statement following the court win, he said, “I’ve been told that slaying dragons will get you burned, but in light of today’s victory and the importance of doing what is needed for a free and honest press, it is a worthwhile price to pay. The mission continues.”
Your house can smell like Prince
Prince was sultry. He was flamboyant and suave. He had soul. And he was a rock star. Of course, he smelled good.
According to the late singer’s former wife, Mayte Garcia, he commonly smelled like the women’s perfume Dune by Dior, to be exact.
“I don’t know if a lot of people know this about him, but he always wore women’s perfumes instead of men’s colognes,” Garcia recently divulged to People magazine.
Dune, which was originally released in the early ’90s, is loaded with decadent notes, including bergamot, patchouli, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, white powder and citrus. The fragrance can be found today at perfume counters in luxury department stores for roughly $130. Or, thanks to Garcia, you can invite the scent into your living space.
Garcia told People about a candle she devised that captures his signature scent for the Live 4 Love organization she and Prince founded together in honor of their son Amir, who died six days after his birth.
“I got the scent in oil form and added a little smokiness and sweetness to it,” she explained.
The dancer and actress said she started making the candles as a way to raise money for her dog rescue, and then she “got really good at it.” The candles currently benefit the Live 4 Love organization, which strives for better outcomes for humanity by supporting a variety of philanthropic programs and initiatives aligned with the foundation’s core values.
“The best part of my candles is that they are made with cocoa wax, so it burns really clean,” said Garcia, adding, “you can even put the oil on your skin!”
You know Prince would approve of that!
Fashion Fair teams up with National Black organizations for new breast cancer awareness initiative
To tackle the alarming disparities Black women with breast cancer face, Fashion Fair Cosmetics has teamed up with the American Cancer Society, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., The Black Women’s Agenda, Inc., and others to launch the “Shades of Strength” campaign. Focused on expanding breast cancer prevention and early detection awareness, education and support for Black women, this multi-year partnership bridges the gap between beauty and health.
“As a breast cancer survivor, I understand the importance of early detection, quality care, and the power of community support,” said Desiree Rogers, co-owner and CEO of Fashion Fair. “Fashion Fair is proud to stand with the American Cancer Society and our esteemed civic and social organizations in this vital initiative. Together, we are dedicated to creating a future where health equity is a reality for all.”
In honor of the collaboration, the beauty brand will be donating 10% of the sales of its “Iconic Lipstick” to the American Cancer Society. Shoppers can also receive 10% off by entering the code ShadesofStrength10 at checkout.
Meet the new class of brand founders in Sephora’s 2024 Accelerate Incubator Program
This week, Sephora announced a new class of founders into its Accelerate program. For the ninth year, the beauty retailer is welcoming a group of BIPOC beauty founders into its incubator program designed to diversify the beauty industry. Through its six-month curriculum, Sephora creates a foundation, network and ecosystem for brands to launch and thrive. In addition to offering mentorship, merchandising support, grants and investor connections, founders who complete the program receive an opportunity to launch in Sephora stores in North America.
“This year, we received more than 800 applications — a record-setting number of applications in Accelerate program history — which we believe is a testament to the unique and differentiated curriculum we’re able to offer, plus the strength of our community,” said Kristin Odegaard, Sr. Director, Merchandising Strategy and Business Development at Sephora in a press release. “Accelerate continues to serve as a vehicle for discovering, cultivating, and even launching these amazing brands that represent so many of our clients and the world today.”
This year’s class includes Black founders like Hannah Diop of Sienna Naturals, Katini Yamaoka of Katini Skin, Teri Johnson of Harlem Perfume Co., Denise Vasi of MAED Beauty and Quani Burnett of Soft Rows.
Ambi Skincare launches the “Skin Wisdom – It’s More Than Just Skin Deep” virtual panel series
Having healthy skin is more than skin deep, according to the self-proclaimed skincare authority for melanated skin.
On Tuesday, AMBI Skincare launched the “Skin Wisdom — It’s More Than Just Skin Deep” virtual panel, per a release to theGrio. The series intends to spread awareness about maintaining healthy, melanated skin. In addition to unveiling the brand’s new packaging, the inaugural panel was moderated by lifestyle curator, actress, host and digital personality Africa Miranda, and featured fashion influencer and Emmy-nominated TV host Kéla Walker, beauty and wellness influencer and warrior Angelique Miles, and entertainment TV host Christina Granville.
From personal skincare routines to beauty secrets passed down through generations to work-life balance to loving the skin you’re in, the group delved into a wide range of topics. Some of the panelists even noted how this sharing of wisdom was right in line with what Ambi has always stood for.
“I remember growing up, if you had issues with hyperpigmentation, Ambi was the one,” Walker said. “There was no one else marketing towards Black women or women of color for discoloration.”
The Natural Diamond Council and the Black in Jewelry Coalition join forces to educate the next generation
The next great American legacy jewelry brand may be in our midst.
The Natural Diamond Council has partnered with the Black in Jewelry Coalition on a novel jewelry education program launching at Baldwin High School in Baldwin, New York, in the fall of 2024. The program will expose the next generation of Black and brown jewelers to each sector of the jewelry industry.
“The Natural Diamond Council is proud to be partnering with the Black in Jewelry Coalition in 2024,” the managing director of the council, Kristina Buckley Kayel, told Women’s Wear Daily. “It is critical we facilitate and expand entry into our legacy industry, where long-term, quality careers are possible from design to technology to retail and beyond. Joining forces with BIJC to train, inspire and mentor potential talent among a high school population on the fundamentals of jewelry is a catalyst towards realizing our collective mission of building a more equitable future for the diamond jewelry industry.”
BlackMass and Ephraim Asili introduce “Sampling as Life”
This weekend, Yusuf Hassan and Kwamé Sorrell of BlackMass Publishing will collaborate with filmmaker Ephraim Asili to host a lecture performance to debut Asili’s latest show, “Song for My Mother.” Entitled “Sampling as Life,” at this event, the artists will combine “fragments of sound, image, video, and music alongside an open-ended dialogue” while diving into a discussion of the history of sampling within Black creative expression and expanding society’s traditional understanding of “authorship, originality, and forms of archival practice.”
According to Amant, “The installation investigates Ephraim’s journey across North Florida, from the small town of Quincy where the remains of his maternal lineage reside, to Daytona Beach, the home of Bethune Cookman University (BCU), one of the state’s four remaining Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).” Though tickets are currently sold out for the Sampling as Life event, fans can still purchase tickets to see Asili’s three-pieced body of work at the Amant nonprofit organization in Brooklyn.
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