Compiled by Audrey J. Bernard
Women’s Editor
The Design Essentials (DE) hair care system has been around since 1990 and is a popular “go to” hair product for women of color. Beauty visionary Cornell McBride envisioned a program that combined direct distribution of premium, quality hair care solutions with the education and knowledge to effectively use them in the salon and at home, which jumpstarted this phenomenal healthy hair care system. Today, MRL offers more than 40 premium beautification products sold to our discerning international clientele through our e-commerce website and direct-to-hair salons network of independent, exclusive distributors in the United States, Caribbean and the United Kingdom.
DE offers a strong commitment to improving the look and feel of your hair by providing healthy hair styling products that address and satisfy your specific hair needs. DE is your partner in style, and like a partner their products are designed to work with you to achieve styling success. DE understands that there are a myriad of hair types by nature and that hair care is a very personal and emotional experience. DE’s brands provide you with effective, professional-quality products that you can depend on to cleanse, condition, nourish, revitalize and restore your hair to its natural beauty.
Always involved in Black events, during Black History Month DE praised the current movement of inspirational women exemplifying all aspects of “Black Girl Magic.” From paving the way for others in their career fields to standardizing hair and beauty trends, DE salutes these 8 Empowering Women Giving Us Life & Hair Goals. And while they celebrate these 8 women during Black History Month, DE must also give acknowledgement to all the women of color out there making boss moves in your chosen career fields on a daily basis. Continue to show up and show out, and make sure your crown looks fierce while doing so!
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Angela Rye. This powerful political activist and CNN commentator keeps today’s professional young men and women ‘woke’ by advocating for economic empowerment, civic engagement, and political involvement. Whether she’s live on-air cracking “Bye Felicia” jokes or commanding a room through empowerment speaking, one thing’s for certain, Angela makes sure her gorgeous silk-pressed strands are always on point. Crowning her the true definition of brains and beauty.
Issa Rae. Actress. Writer. Director. Producer. Those are just a few titles Issa Rae holds at the mere age of 33 while producing her hit series, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl featured on YouTube and her latest comedy project, Insecure which features on HBO. But Issa’s creativity doesn’t stop there. When it comes to her mane she continuously serves natural versatility with signature updos that have us all rooting for everyone black!
Esperanza Spalding. After earning her first Grammy win for Best New Artist in 2010 (making her the first jazz artist to do so in that category), this four-time Grammy winner is letting it be known YOU CAN create your own lane in the music industry even when you may not fit into what’s considered marketable. Prompting the world-renowned genre-bending composer, bassist and vocalist known for her free-flowing trademark Afro and soulful eclectic style to constantly push the envelope when it comes to her artistic talent and paving the way for those that may not fit the jazz industry mold.
Tamron Hall. You can’t speak of leading black women in broadcast journalism without mentioning Tamron Hall. As the first African- American women to co-anchor The Today Show, Hall has also graced our television screens providing national news coverage for NBC and MSNBC to name a few. Whether it is her bubbly charisma, natural makeup beat, or fierce short pixie cut, Hall continues to redefine the image of women of color in the journalism industry – and we’re here for it!
Ava DuVernay. It’s no question that Ava DuVernay is exactly what we need in Hollywood right now! Sis is not only diversifying the process of film-making, but she’s also the first African-American woman to direct a $100 million dollar film, A Wrinkle in Time. But before big-budgets, DuVernay was responsible for writing, producing, and directing her critically-acclaimed film 13TH and the historical drama Selma, along with her current critically-acclaimed drama series Queen Sugar. While known for expressing herself through storytelling, DuVernay continues to display her creativity with her elegant loc hairstyles often seen on red carpet premiers and empowering interviews.
Taraji P. Henson. Most of us know her as Cookie Lyon on the Fox hit series Empire, for which she became the first African American woman to win a Critic’s Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series in 2015. Later winning a Golden Globe Award in 2016 – which was an amazing year for Henson. In 2016, Time Magazine named Taraji one of the 100 Most Influential People in The World, she won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for Hidden Figures, and she released a New York Times bestselling autobiography, Around the Way Girl. Her kindred spirit, sense of humility, and ability to switch up her hair like no other, has us all trying to live our best Taraji life.
Lupita Nyong’o. When this Kenyan-Mexican actress hit the scene in the historical drama, 12 Years a Slave, she quickly changed America’s perception of beauty in Hollywood – with her unapologetic presence of darker-toned skin and natural hair.
Named The Most Beautiful Woman by People in 2014, Nyong’o was also the first African-American celebrity to become the face of Lancôme Cosmetics. But beauty aside (inside and out), Lupita was the first Kenyan-Mexican woman to win a Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and continues to star in hit movies like Star Wars sequel trilogy and Black Panther. And speaking of Black Panther – can we all agree that Lupita has been slaying her natural hair and wardrobe looks while promoting the premiere of the highly anticipated superhero film.
Yara Shahidi. At age 18, this beautiful young actress and activist is already expressing her hopes of providing a platform to see more women of color in diverse roles. With a NAACP Image Award underneath her belt for her role as Zoey on ABC’s prime-time comedy show, Black-ish, it was no surprise when ABC announced Yara would headline Grown-ish (a Black-ish spinoff) in which she continues to serve us sass, style, and hairstyles during every episode of her early college years. Both on and off camera we admire Yara for her activism on social issues and her continued will to use her voice for good. We salute you young Queen!
