When Picture-Day Combs Don't Actually Comb
How differences fundamentally shape even our smallest rituals
Rituals & Potions
On beauty routines, and when they fail
My Lifelong Frizz-Ease Addiction
How I became convinced my hair wasn’t curly, it was defective
Skin-Firming as Self-Flagellation
Using a remedial lotion—that may not even work—only worsened my body image.
How Concealer Covers Up Women's Labor
Many women’s magazines promise to show readers how to fake eight hours of sleep with the help of the neutral paste, and an arsenal of highlighters, lash curlers, and other tools.
The Hundred-Year-Old Fix for Razor Bumps
There are a slew of products aimed at black men with this problem, but I found relief in early-20th-century razor technology. Now, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur has built a company around the old-fashioned solution.
Should I Keep Spraying This Water on My Face?
What if it’s French?
My Pointless Battle Against Puffy Eyes
I've tried creams, wands, and almost got surgery. Now, a new treatment is on the horizon.
The Scorched-Earth Acne Solution
Isotretinoin, better known as Accutane, is the acne drug of last resort. It let me shed my skin—literally—for the price of some gnarly side effects.
Protein Powder and the Promise of Transformation
18-30 grams of protein and a lot of internalized ideas about masculinity per serving
When 'Good Hair' Hurts
For years, I relaxed my black hair using painful chemicals as a way to find acceptance in my mostly white environment.