Editorial

Medium • 3rd October 2022

Under A Sea of Racial Fuss: When Can We All Be Part of The World?

Under A Sea of Racial Fuss: When Can We All Be Part of The World?

The subject that I will discuss is something that I wanted to take my time to think deeply about because of its effects on not only the idea of beauty for the entertainment industry. But the image of representation for children everywhere, especially in American culture. Of course, fantasy and reality are different, but for children, their minds still grasp onto the idea of magic and wonder that the animation world provides for t

Geaux Queen • 18th December 2023

Hair That Defies Gravity but Belittled Tragically: Texturism in the Beauty Industry

"Girl, your hair is so nappy. Look at them beaded bees in the back of your head!"

"You must be mixed to have all that hair. Ain't no way you're just black."

"How do you even wash that? It looks so matted."

"Can I touch your hair...oh, it's so soft, it feels like a dog."

"Girl, put on a wig and cover that mess!"

"How do you expect to get a job with hair like that?"

My hair is vital to me, and for most women, especially women of color, our hair makes a statement of who we are. But these phra

Geaux Queen • 2nd August 2023

Natural Menstruation V.S. Hormone Fluctuation & The Gate to Womanhood: A TikTok Debate

Medium • 12th June 2023

Our Common Denominator

Last summer, my ex-best friend and I had an argument, which I thought concluded our relationship for good. It was not the first time we disagreed on a topic, as we are both outspoken Black women. However, this situation differed from others as the escalation of events left a mark on my relationship with her and myself.

It all began one afternoon during one of our usual hour-long phone calls; she was reading about the singer Adele regarding some of the cultural appropriation backlashes she has f

Medium • 9th May 2023

Complexity and Femineity of a Young Black Woman: “Feel Me Cry” by Chloe Baliey Analysis

“Feel Me Cry” is an excellent way to start my coverage of the album, In Pieces, not only because it is one of my favorites but its transition into the reality of the complexity of relationships regarding emotional and sexual intimacy. The piece goes even further by establishing a sense of self and the issue of submission to a romantic partner, which many face especially African American women. We fight for our identity as independent people but struggle to push society to grasp that our empowerm

Medium • 1st May 2023

The SUNOMA Arts Museum Officially Makes its Way Home

The SUNOMA Arts Museum Officially Makes its Way Home

On Thursday, October 27th, 2022, The Department of Arts and Humanities Building held the Inaugural Opening of the Southern University of New Orleans Arts Museum (SUNOMA). SUNO alumnus, Ted Ellis, is SUNOMA’s first director. He is a self-taught artist with 30-plus years of experience in realism and impressionism, which combine the nostalgia and inspiration of his Orleanian roots.

In addition, Ellis is an extraordinary scholar in African and A

Medium • 1st May 2023

“New Age Swing” Taking R&B by Storm: Lah Pat Editorial Exclusive

Every artist has a story that drives their creativity and determination. Some start their journey young, vibrant, and new to entertainment, allowing all the world to see them fail or succeed. Then there are one-hit wonders, continuously gripping the thread of fate that can bind them to stardom. However, some break that line between tradition and innovation. Regardless of their background, they fight for their place in the entertainment sector, and that is what artist Lah Pat continues to do.

Bo

Medium • 1st May 2023

SUNO’s School of Social Work Shakes Things Up With DCFS

SUNO’s School of Social Work Shakes Things Up With DCFS

Southern University at New Orleans’s Millie M. Charles School of Social Work has over sixty years of outstanding community service and student development since its founding in 1956. Also, its recent contribution to New Orleans, The Center for Grief & Trauma Therapy, provides counseling services for community children and adults, providing a compassionate and conducive environment. With the financial assistance of The Wisner Foundation, th

Medium • 1st May 2023

The College Journey Is No Obstacle With The JCS Project

The College Journey Is No Obstacle With The JCS Project

Earning a college degree is a milestone, especially for those of minority communities and low-income families. It is also a student’s first step towards individual freedom and professional development. However, college is a long journey that we only complete with a team backing and supporting us through each obstacle. Although many of us have family and friends to assist and support us, a significant number of individuals go on their acade

Medium • 17th April 2023

A New Mayor for the Big Easy?

A New Mayor for the Big Easy?

The mayoral election for New Orleans is complete, and the city congratulates LaToya Cantrell on her reelection win. However, the number of votes for other candidates indicated that not all New Orleans residents felt the election was guaranteed. It also showed that not everyone was satisfied with Cantrell’s first-term performance. Nevertheless, Cantrell sets standards as an upstanding mayor and a symbol of New Orleans’s pride. The city has spoken and welcomes Mayor

Photo by kat wilcox on Pexels

The SUNO Observer • 2nd December 2022

What is Yet to Come: New Orleans Crime and Community

Medium • 22nd October 2022

Chemistry Of Scent & Fragrance Personalities Explained Ft.

In this episode, Ekta sits down again with Master Perfumer Veronique Gabai for our weekly Fragrance Friday series. Veronique takes a deep dive into the process of testing a scent and the mindset of a true perfumer.

“As you learn the craft and you and you start in that world of fragrance, you always have the image of the perfumer, smelling those little pieces of paper, that we call blotters. And blotters allow you to smell a multitude of things, and so it allows you to work and fine tune your pr

Medium • 20th October 2022

The Complexity of American Beauty & Fashion

When I think about the historical aspects of beauty, it often brings me to a difficult place because I was never what one would consider the beauty standard. For example, I am an African American woman with a broad nose, chubby face, hip dips, back fat, large thighs, and bust with no booty (cries in silence). But in all seriousness, beauty and fashion are drastically changing, which is tremendous. However, all this acceptance and diversity brings to light issues we never considered, such as cult

Journal of Translation Science • 19th October 2022

https://www.oatext.com/pdf/JTS-8-475.pdf

Medium • 19th October 2022

The Board is Making it a lot Easier for Brands to Succeed Ft.

In this episode, Ekta sits with April Uchitel, Co-Founder of The Board, to discuss her transition from fashion expert to CEO and to revolutionize commercial networks’ meaning and value.

“I kind of accidentally became the CEO of Violet Gray. I had known Cassandra Gray (founder of Violet Gray), and I first talked to her about a project she was doing with Amazon and as I had just built a marketplace for Spring. And then she basically said that she’d rather hand me the keys. So, I kind of inherited

Medium • 17th October 2022

The Power of Japanese Inspired Hair Rituals Merged into A Brilliant Formulation ft.

The Power of Japanese Inspired Hair Rituals Merged into A Brilliant Formulation ft. Lynn Power, Co-Founder of Masami Haircare, Podcast Summary

In this episode, Ekta sits with Lynn Power, Co-founder of Masami Haircare, to discuss how Japanese haircare rituals’ unique and nourishing techniques influenced herself and Co-founder James Hammett to formulate this revolutionary brand. Lynn comes from the marketing world, from her 30-plus years in advertising and assisting brand founders as the CEO of J

Medium • 15th October 2022

Indulging In a New Category of Fragrance: Aroma Perfumery, Ft.

Indulging In a New Category of Fragrance: Aroma Perfumery, Ft. Laura McCann, Founder of Adoratheraphy, Podcast Summary

In this episode, Ekta sits with Laura McCann, Founder of Adoratheraphy, to discuss her journey into holistic wellness through the combination of ancient Egyptian medicine. Through her health issues resulting from her use of her physical and mental well-being, she went on a journey to understand aromatherapy which would change her life forever

“When I was first introduced to ar

Medium • 14th October 2022

An Edited Approach Towards the Skin’s Microbiome ft.

An Edited Approach Towards the Skin’s Microbiome ft. Dahlia Devkota, Founder of Editrix Wellness, Podcast Summary

In this episode, Ekta sits with Dahlia Devkota, Founder of Editrix Wellness, to discuss her journey from the editorial field into the skincare industry.

“It was really an organic process; I did not set out to start a brand. I really started out as a beauty editor, and came from the editorial space, did it for a number of years. I worked with Allure Magazine, was a beauty editor at

Medium • 13th October 2022

Dr. Rebecca Marcus, MD FAAD Discusses The Role of Minimizing Your Skincare Routine, Podcast Summary

In this episode, Ekta sits with Dr. Rebecca Marcus, Broad Certified Dermatologist & Founder of MAEIMD Serum 6, to discuss her journey into the skin care industry, which began as a young girl suffering issues with severe acne.

“I also recall my experience with skincare products as a young girl, looking for just the right thing that would save my life, I kind of felt it was at the time. And feeling that things that were prescribed by doctors, you sort of had to choose at that time between somethi

Medium • 12th October 2022

Rosacea Management Skincare That Is Balanced in Nature & Nurture ft.

Rosacea Management Skincare That Is Balanced in Nature & Nurture ft. Shannon Johnson, Nurse Practitioner & Founder & Chief Formulator for MeridaSKIN

In this episode, Ekta sits with Shannon Johnson, Nurse Practitioner and Founder & Chief Formulator of MeridaSKIN, to discuss her journey into the skincare market, which began with her battle with rosacea.

“Merida Skin emerged as the solution to my own skin problems. I developed rosacea at 30, and that was my first real experience with problem skin

Medium • 11th October 2022

Social Media Inspired Makeup Lands Space in ULTA ft.

Social Media Inspired Makeup Lands Space in ULTA ft. Fiona Co Chan, Founder & CEO of YOUTH FORIA, Podcast Summary

In this episode, Ekta sits with Fiona Co Chan, Founder, and CEO of YOUTH FORIA, to discuss the brand’s fantastic adaptation to marketing through the COVID-19 pandemic. But, more importantly, creating a makeup brand that is not only simple to use but great for the skin, so much so that you forget to take it off!

“Some of my happiest memories are, funnily enough, the first time I got

Medium • 10th October 2022

Tuning Into The Beauty Vibe Ft. Noelle Shine, CEO of VIBE PARTNERS, Podcast Summary

In this episode, Ekta sits down with Noelle Shine, CEO of VIBE PARTNERS to discuss her journey for the last 30 years in the beauty industry with the original managing team of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty. While there, Noelle would develop global customer distribution and trading strategies for the first three years of its founding.

“Trading doesn’t necessarily only mean distribution, it could be figuring out what you want to be famous for because that can become a founding stone for you.” (Shine).

Medium • 7th October 2022

Indie Skincare’s Rising Star, SIMPURE Is Raising the Bar for Industry Wide Standards Ft.

In this episode, Ekta sits down with Annabell Catania, Founder of SIMPURE, to express her journey into formatting a new meaning of skincare with Indie Luxury. Annabell’s journey has courageous and humble beginnings as she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer at age 26, which made her want to understand the chemistry behind products we use for such a sensitive and essential area: the skin.

“I had stage 3 breast cancer at 26, and after five surgeries, a double mastectomy, and several amou

Medium • 6th October 2022

Understanding The Brilliance of Branding Ft.

Understanding The Brilliance of Branding Ft. Nancy Poller, Brand Designer & Creative Director of Aligned Design Co., Podcast Summary

In this episode, Ekta sits down with Nancy Poller, Brand Designer & Creative Director of Aligned Design Co. The boutique design studio assists with packaging designs for successful brands in Europe and the U.S, such as Afrocenchix, Rose & Skin, and Tamara’s Sugar. Nancy discusses her journey into the marketing world, leading her into designing to formulate the bri