Healthy-looking skin is fine. Healthy, glowy skin is fire.
Since summer began, I’ve been obsessing over having the most radiant skin from head to toe. I’m talking illuminating so bright, Golden Hour looks like it lasts all day. There’s a lot of factors to consider when searching for the perfect body glow product because they all serve different purposes. I, personally, love more of a wet look but my best friend prefers to shimmer like a character from Twilight. There’s also the consideration of those who like a natural gleam that melts into the skin. Some products come in the form of a serum or oil, some are scented with beneficial ingredients, and a few even have SPF protection.
It can be overwhelming. Luckily, I’ve tried and tested a number of body products, both editor-recommended and influencer-approved, so you don’t have to. Below are my six favorite products that’ll give you the summer body glow you deserve.
Keys Soulcare Sacred Body Oil
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Being the all-natural queen she is, Alicia Keys’ body oil is exactly what I expected. Soulcare’s Sacred Body Oil is simple, minimalistic, and light. It’s the perfect day-to-day addition to establishing the “your skin always looks so healthy” reputation. I’m not a huge fan of the marula oil’s earthy scent, but wearing it over my Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Lotion breaks it down. They also play nicely together as hydrators since the Sacred Body Oil includes baobab and jojoba oil. I appreciate the dropper style of distribution so I have better control of the amount used compared to pump bottles.
Bonus points for a little bit going a long way. When I tell you my skin looks like I just stepped out of a natural spring…chef’s kiss.
Refy Body Glow
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If you were a 2023 Glaze Donut nail girly, you’ll appreciate Refy’s Body Glow. It’s described as a “lightweight moisturizer,” which is definitely true, but the real highlight is its pearly pigment that literally turns you into a walking glazed donut. The Body Glow only comes in the shade Topaz but is complimentary to all skin tones. Personally on my dark skin, I looked both glowy and slightly bronzed.
It’s a thicker consistency than the others on our list but isn’t heavy or greasy.
There is a very light shimmer that you only really see in the sunlight. If even that subtlety still isn’t your thing, you might opt for the next up on our list.
Kopari Sun Shield Body Glow
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Kopari’s Body Glow is another pearly goodie but without the shimmer. It melts into and enhances your skin’s richness more than anything else. The best thing is its UVA and UVB ray protection components. All three shades contain SPFs of different ranges – Rose Gold 45 (pictured), Gold 50, and Amber 30. Of course, everything has its cons. I found myself re-applying it almost every hour to look refreshed.
A trick I found helpful à la TikTok recommended topping it off with setting spray. I got the best results from Urban Decay’s All Nighter with Hyaluronic Acid and Milk Makeup’s Hydro Grip Spray. They’re both water-based, with over 10 hours of long-lasting results.
Pixi On-The-Glow Bronzer + Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum
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Here’s a 2 for 1. For the girlies who like a bronzed, dewy look, this one's for you. Pixi’s On-The-Glow Bronzer takes a turn from the previous products. It’s in the form of a stick so I apply it directly from the tube and blend it with my fingers. I honestly wish Pixi made a jumbo stick for the full body. This less than an ounce tube is best used on the face, neck, collarbone, and (if you’re feeling extra) cleavage. Buildable colors like “RichGlow” (pictured) and “BeachGlow” are ideal for deep skin tones and are perfect for adding warmth to your face instead of using contour products.
Aside from looking like Laneige literally crushed up diamonds for this formula, the Glowy Makeup Serum is just as beneficial as it is pretty. Directions include adding drops to your foundation for long-lasting wear or using it as a makeup primer. I prefer to use it as the final step to my skincare even after sunscreen if I’m in a minimal makeup mood. Honestly, I haven’t used a face serum that’s kept my skin this hydrated for hours.
ILIA Liquid Light Serum Highlighter
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Remember the Twilight friend I mentioned? ILIA’s Liquid Light Serum Highlighter is her in a bottle. You know how we add highlighter under our brows to enhance the arch and illuminate our eyes? Imagine that effect all over your body with the addition of ultra shimmer. At first glance, I didn’t expect to see a difference between any of the three shades – “Nova,” “Atomic,” and “Astrid” (recommended for deep tones). But there actually are noticeable subtle changes in their gold hues. I stayed away from Nova (soft gold) because I noticed a bit of a white cast after applying it, but “Atomic” (pink pearl) wasn’t as unforgiving.
Pro tip: add a small dot to your foundation before applying it to your face and neck to keep the look even. Thank me later.
Gorgeous skin doesn’t stop at your face. Your body deserves to shine, too! Treat yourself to one or all of these goodies and let your summer skin get its glow on.
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RELATED
While an evolution is a natural progression that happens as businesses grow, a rebrand is a total change. Lola tells xoNecole, "A total rebrand is necessary when a business’s current reputation/what it’s known for is at odds with the business’s vision or direction.
"For example, if you’ve fundamentally changed what your product is and does, it’s likely that your brand is out of alignment with the business. Or, if you find your company is developing a reputation that doesn’t serve it, it might be time to pump the brakes and figure out what needs to change.
She continues, "Sometimes you’ll see companies (especially startups) announce a name change that comes with updated messaging, visuals, etc. That usually means their vision has changed or expanded, and their previous branding was too narrow/couldn’t encompass everything they planned to do."
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The Brand Doula was born in 2019, and its focus is on putting "the experiences, goals, and needs of women of color founders first," as well as brands with "culture-shifting missions."
According to Lola, culture-shifting is "the act of influencing dominant behavior, beliefs, or experiences in a community or group (ideally, for the better)."
"At The Brand Doula, we work with companies and leaders that set out to challenge the status quo in their industries and communities. They’re here to make an impact that sends ripples across the market," she says.
"We help the problem solvers of the world — the ones who aren't satisfied with 'this is how it's always been' and instead ask 'how could this be better?' Our clients build for impact, reimagining tools, systems, and ways of living to move cultures forward."
The Brand Doula has worked with many brands, including Too Collective, to assist with their collaboration with Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Balanced Black Girl for a "refresh," aka rebrand. For businesses looking to rebrand, Lola shares four essential steps.
1. Do an audit of your current brand experience — what’s still relevant and what needs to change? Reflect on why you’re doing the rebrand in the first place and what success would look like after relaunching.
2. Tackle the overall strategy first — before you start redesigning logos and websites, align on a new vision for your brand. How do you want your company to be positioned moving forward? Has your audience changed at all? Will your company have a fresh personality and voice?
3. Bring your audience along the journey — there’s no need to move in secret. Inviting your current audience into the journey can actually help them feel more connected to and invested in your story, enough to stick around as changes are being made.
4. Keep business moving — one of my biggest pet peeves is when companies take down their websites as soon as they have the idea to rebrand, then have a Coming Soon page up for months! You lose a lot of momentum and interest by doing that. If you’re still in business and generating income, continue to operate while you work on your rebrand behind the scenes. You don’t want to cut existing customers off out of the blue, and you also don’t want so much downtime that folks forget your business exists or start looking for other solutions.
While determining whether the rebrand was successful may take a few months, Lola says a clear sign that it is unsuccessful is negative feedback from your target audience. "Customers are typically more vocal about what they don’t like more than what they do like," she says.
But some good signs to look out for are improvements in engagement with your marketing, positive reviews, press and increase in retention, and overall feeling aligned with the new branding.
For more information about Lola and The Brand Doula, visit her website, thebranddoula.com.
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And he elaborated on his decision during his recent visit to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. "Listen, when you calm down you can focus," the 49-year-old mogul said. "I've been good to me."
He also explained how his financial status can complicate things and being celibate helps him see things clearer.
"[Money is] when things start getting complicated, things start getting confusing cause people come in for different reasons," he said. "If you go on a date but you have no interest in anything, I can see you now. I said, ‘God damn, girl, you fine, but you ain’t got nothing going on."
When Stephen asked if The Accomplice author has ever been married, he responded with, "I am safe. I’m not a happy hostage. I’m here. I’m free. I made some mistakes, just not that one."
Later on in the interview, 50 clarified that he still wants a romantic relationship and possible marriage down the line, but that's not his focus at the moment. "I want someone I can love in my life too, just not right now. I’m fine."
50 has had a lot of high-profile relationships, from Vivica A. Fox to Ciara. Here's a look back at his relationships below.
Shaniqua Tompkins
Before 50 became famous, he was dating Shaniqua Tompkins and they share a child, 27-year-old Marquise Jackson. For years, the former couple have been involved in a back-and-forth over their son and eventually, the rapper's relationship with Marquise turned sour.
Meagan Good
Meagan Good confirmed in a Hollywood Unlock interview that she and the Queens-bred rapper did date in the past. They reportedly dated from 2002 to 2003, and she starred in his music video for "21 Questions."
“Just to bring clarity on that, that was over a decade ago, and it was for about a year. … I kept it under the radar intentionally because…at that time in my career, I’d just come off of Biker Boyz, I’d just done the music video, and my career was going in a really great way," she explained. "And what I didn’t want was my connection to him to be the catalyst in any type of success that I had."
Vivica A. Fox
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50's relationship with Vivica A. Fox might be his most memorable one yet. After publicly complimenting her on her dress at the 2003 BET Awards, they showed up at the MTV VMAs together later that year. Their love affair was brief, but their public feud lasted years. Two decades later, they seem to have both put the petty past behind them.
Joy Bryant
Joy Bryant and the "In da Club" rapper reportedly dated from 2005 to 2006. The two were co-stars in Get Rich or Die Tryin' and had impeccable chemistry. However, it seems they couldn't replicate that chemistry offscreen.
Ciara
Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage
The "Can't Leave Him Alone" collaborators dated from 2007 to 2010. In 2012, Ciara revealed why they ultimately called it quits during an interview with the Ricky Smiley Morning Show. “He’s obviously far from afraid of anything that he can control. But at the same time — him not being afraid of anything in that way — the one thing he is afraid of is love," she said. "And with that being said, in a sense, he’s afraid of me.”
Chelsea Handler
The couple that surprised everyone the most was 50 Cent and Chelsea Handler. The comedian called the mogul her favorite ex. “I love 50 Cent, he was fun. He was just a sweetheart, and he was fun to be around,” Chelsea told Entertainment Tonight in January 2023. “My friends loved hanging out with him. I loved hanging out with him. It was a pretty short-lived romance. It was only two months. But yeah, I mean, If I saw him, I’d definitely have a drink with him.”
Daphne Joy
50 dated model Daphne Joy from 2011-2012, and they share a 12-year-old son, Sire. The Grammy award-winning artist is currently suing his ex for defamation after she accused him of rape. This accusation came after 50 asked for sole custody of their son following Lil Rod's sex abuse lawsuit against Diddy, which alleged that Daphne was a longtime sex worker. The model has also accused her ex of abuse in the past.
Jamira "Cuban Link" Haines
Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images
Jamira Haines, known on social media as Cuban Link, and 50 began dating in 2019. Since then, they have made many public appearances together and have been posted on each other's social media pages. However, it appears the law school student and the rapper are no longer together. While neither party has confirmed the breakup, Jamira has scraped her social media with any traces of 50.