How many times do you snap photos of yourself before you post them on your social media feed? How many filters do you use? I bet you even have a favorite filter that makes you feel confident. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, I believe that it is fair to assume that we all get a little anxious before we post photos on the internet for the world to see.

Recently, the best athlete on the planet, thee Serena Williams posted some new images on her Instagram. As per usual, she got people talking about her latest pics.

In her pictures which she eventually deleted, she’s pictured sitting down wearing a black sweater dress with red heels. While the picture isn’t terrible it’s wasn’t fans’ favorite either. However, it sparked enough conversation around the athlete’s styling choices. And of course, when it comes to Serena Williams, the conversation goes left pretty quickly.

Up until recently, Serena Williams slander was pretty typical and rampant on social media —especially Black Twitter. In fact, some of the most popular Black Twitter users used to regularly make fun of Serena Williams as a way to grow their followers.

First, why are so many cis men sharing this particular photo and weighing in on how she looks? Now, we’ve seen many people especially those who are part of Black Twitter— grow their followers by misgendering Serena Williams. We also are aware of how many years Black people have made the Williams sisters the punchline for their ugly jokes. While we can discuss the choice of styling Serena went with for this particular look, it seems to me that pe, especially men are enjoying the opportunity to joke about her looks without getting pushback from social media. Besides, who is going to call out misogynoir when everyone else is doing it, right?

Insert eye roll.

Whether you believe this photo is Serena’s best or worse photo isn’t the point. The point is why are so many people, especially men always so eager to drag Serena. A lot of times, I feel Serena Williams is a trigger for some folks. I don’t know what she’s done, but she’s under an unhealthy microscope of criticism by Black people and it’s concerning.

I’d be dishonest to say that colorism doesn’t play a part in the vitriol Williams gets online. She’s one of the few dark skin superstars on the planet.

Women are conditioned that every photo they take must be their best. Hair has to be perfect, makeup has to be beat, and you have to be in the perfect pose to show off your good side. And on top of that, once we post our best photo, we immediately expect a lot of likes praising our beauty. Yes, it’s a superficial, instant gratification form of validation from strangers but in a world full of influencers and viral content, it can also be lucrative.

So what Serena’s photos didn’t live up to your expectations? Hell, they might not have lived up to hers either. But the fact remains, why do so many folks take pleasure in ridiculing Serena?

But you make fun of the Kardashians all the time…

I sure do, unapologetically too. The difference is—the Kardashian and Jenners are anti-Black, culture vultures. Serena hasn’t said or done anything to my knowledge that has been problematic. So the hate she receives online, especially within the Black community is odd to me. Why can’t Serena just exist without people waiting to dogpile on her?

We all have off-days. We are not perfect. Even beautiful people are human. The need and expectation to be flawless all the time is a particular desirability politic I’m not interested in feeding into. It feels sexist and anti-black to me.

Looking for a little extra sugar and spice in your makeup? Well Bésame Cosmetics recently launched its Mary Poppins Collection and it’s just as whimsical as you’d imagine it to be. The pastels colors will have you singing as you beautify yourself with the magic of the one and only Mary Poppins.

A close look at the collection

The Mary Poppins Set is $68 and it includes a translucent finishing powder, a signature red lipstick and a creamy rouge that can be used for the cheeks and lips. This kit also comes with Mary Poppins’ signature compact and it looks exactly like the one she had in the movie. The best part is this kit comes with a free tote with artwork based on the film and is packaged in a Victorian style keepsake box.

The Mrs. Banks Set is $35 and it includes a peach-colored lipstick and nail polish. The nail polish is a peachy rose neutral color that works for everyday looks. The packaging is just as adorable and full set. Unfortunately, you won’t receive an adorable tote bag with this. However, you will receive some retro Mary Poppins postcards that you will enjoy sending to your friends.

The Poppins Red Lipstick which is $25 which is currently sold out. Equally as cute and flattering the long-lasting red lipstick keeps color and moisture on your lips all day. It’s also packed in a cute, gold unforgettable metal tube.

About Bésame Cosmetics

Bésame Cosmetics is the timelessly elegant makeup brand created in 2004 by Gabriela Hernandez. As a designer and makeup historian, Gabriela creates meticulously designed, historically inspired, and highly pigmented cosmetics that surpass expectations. Our simple yet luxurious formulations are made with pride and a labor of love for Gabriela, each one being 100% cruelty-free and created for sensitive skin. They do not contain gluten, parabens, or mineral oils. Owned and operated by Gabriela and her family, all products are produced locallyin California with Gabriela overseeing every batch.

Hurry and get yours before it’s all floats away!

Finally you can wear fragrances inspired by your favorite anime.

If you love anime then you know it can take up all the space in your head over time. Get introduced to Aishify—a Black-owned beauty brand delivering perfume and beauty goods inspired by your favorite anime. Whether you are a fan of Sailor Moon or No Hero Academia, you are guaranteed to find something you will enjoy.

Soon, you’ll be thinking about all your favorite anime characters and reimagining how they smell and will find yourself examing the notes of these perfumes. Don’t you dare front as you’ve never thought about what the Sailor Scouts would smell like.

Aishify is a magical-girl brand you want to support. We have to stan anime fans who can come up with a concept we can all appreciate!

According to their website here is how the brand started:

We are Ada and Uche and we are the co-owners of Aishify. We are best friends and sisters who are of Igbo descent and love all things anime, fashion and skincare! In case you were wondering, the name Aishify comes from the combination of the words Aishiteru (which means “I love you” in Japanese) and Ifunanya (which means “love” in Igbo).

So now you probably want to know what are the notes in fragrances, right? Well, here are the notes from their Academic Chaos Line (Body Oil) collection:

Deku’s Tears: if you’ve ever wondered what Deku smelled like when he wore that suit to rescue

Bakugo, this is it. Loyalty, determination, and sandalwood!

Bakugo’s Sweat: a sharp, explosive scent! This scent is a burst of energy with an underlying trace of coconut.

Uravity: a sweet scent that’s as adorable as Uraraka’s blush; this scent is calming, gentle and brings to mind thoughts of fruit punch and gummy bears!

Indifferent or Clueless (Shoto) : this scent is bold but gentle; mildly spicy and cool! Shoto’s scent is unwavering, just like his loyalty – but really, was Shoto ignoring the social cues or just unaware of what’s going on?

Dabi Is A Todoroki: change our mind! This electric scent that brings thoughts of fireworks and burnt spearmint leaves is as laid-back and fiery as everyone’s favorite villain.

United States Of Smash: Named after All Might’s Epic Technique; this scent is a whirlwind of melon fruits with a hint of unwavering bravery.

So what are you waiting for? Bring in the New Year with some smell goods inspired by your favorite anime! Shout-out to the Sailor Moon Fans Podcast for introducing Aishify to the masses!

Hot Girl queen and Grammy-nominated rapper Megan Thee Stallion flaunted her latest nail design on Instagram and Twitter. In true hottie and nerdy fashion, she donned a fresh set of The Powerpuff Girls inspired nails that grabbed the attention of blerdy girls across the internet.

The signature pink hearts with the cool kaleidoscopic effect is a callout to The Powerpuff Girls fans everywhere. The hot pink with hearts is an ideal aesthetic for hot girls everywhere and Meg ain’t the only one rocking them.

Black girls took to social media to upload their Powerpuff Girls inspired nails and as you can see, all the interpretations are fly.

s/o the professor utonium 💖 pic.twitter.com/l75yDkNhG2

— Baby P (@suazop_) November 25, 2020

🙉🙊I meaaaann ya’ll can follow my press-on nail page on Insta if you want 🥺❤️ @prettyasnails.x I’m still working on the website 🤓 pic.twitter.com/DgqPqm84Cq

— Miss Paige (@PaigeyLocks) November 25, 2020

Being a Black girl is so dope.

Megan continues to make nerd gatekeepers pressed every time she expressed her love for a particular fandom. Fortunately, this time around, Black girls everywhere can relate to enjoying the pint-sized superheroes from yesteryear. The Powerpuff Girls captivated millions of kids across the world with their spunky attitudes, bright aesthetic and relatable stories of balancing girlhood and always saving the world.

🥰🥰🥰🥰 pic.twitter.com/Oc2vZsSIT5

— Niq (@niquuuuex3) November 25, 2020

However, most folks who like The Powerpuff Girls also like Sailor Moon and we already know that Megan is not a fan of the sailor scouts (I know, it’s so heartbreaking!)

So what do you think about her nails? Do you like them? Can you see yourself rocking some Powerpuff Girl nails?

The internet had a collective meltdown this past weekend for some hoes in this house.  Cardi B’s newest single, featuring Megan Thee Stallion, aptly named WAP, dropped along with an savagely enticing video.

For my kink-friendly folks, you’ve got a new theme song. For the rest of the unwashed masses, WAP simply stands for Wet Ass Pussy. Good stuff right there.

The Blessings

We had golden nipple sprinklers. We had Normani throwing that thang in a circle. The Twerk Gods had both Cardi and Megan doing more splits than an ice cream shop. In other words, to quote the King of Fuck Boys, Life Is Good. Even without the red bottoms.

Enter The Musty Marathon

However, in the Lord’s wet tissue paper of 2020, apparently seeing two female rappers with a sexy video is controversy. Hearing two women rap about their pussy, their sex game, and how much they enjoy sex was listed as a war crime. The complaints ranged from how this video brought women back 50 years to this type of music being why we have COVID right now. We had everyone from some random hobosexuals with no money to minor midwestern politicians too unattractive to have opinions weighing in. 

However, my true axe to grind falls solely on men. Because men are embarrassing. All the time. I wanted to lie and say sometimes, but no. It’s every fucking day.

Make It Make Sense

Look. I’m not picture perfect when it comes to this argument. I’ve been one of those “sexually repressed, think I know everything, how dare the world not be what I say it should be” type of men in the past. However, I’ve done this thing called WORK. Where you dig deep, ask questions, and then realize you simply have a perspective of the world, not ownership of it.

What does this mean? Simple. Mind your goddamn business. It’s a song. With a video. Which was visually AWESOME. The fact that on a sunny Saturday morning, you unkempt, morning breath dragons got up to complain about the state of femininity is HILARIOUS.

You think sticking a finger in someone’s ass is freaky. It’s not. That’s basic. You can’t even fathom the idea that women enjoy sex in all of its variations. Then you get on the internet and slut shame. Weird. You subscribe to three different OnlyFans accounts and still fix your fingers to state who gets to be a wife. 

Afterwards, you shift the blame to music and say this kind of track is too vulger. Interesting. You knew the entire chorus to Put It In Your Mouth when you were 11. You’ve sung Nate Dogg’s verse from Ain’t No Fun with your whole chest out. Didn’t you go from the window to the wall back in 2003? With the sweat dripping down on the balls? Do not lie. Weren’t you trying to be Nelly and credit card swipe some ass cheeks because of Tip Drill? You even created a GoFundMe to ressurect BET Uncut.

In Conclusion….Hoes Be Mad

Cardi herself even said there are rappers for the type of consciousness the complainers keep asking for. But they are never supported. She is right. If you’re not running to Jay-Z or Lil Baby to sound like Common or Earthgang, then why the hell do you think Cardi should make music like Noname? Everybody has their lane. We’ve been raised on drug dealing, smashing hoes music, yet deepthroating pussy popping bars are too much?

So this….THIS…is the death of music huh? I even saw a man talk about how far we’ve strayed from music from Lauryn Hill and Arethea Franklin. As if blatant songs about sex, cheating, and secret relationships is worse than coded songs about sex, cheating, and secret relationships. Mmmk.

I thought about putting screen shots for all these encounters then changed my mind. I don’t show off ashiness, I moisturize it to make it disappear.

I’ll say this once: you bitches are hateful. You have no joy. You are angry at EVERYTHING that doesn’t look like struggle. 

The song happened. The video happened. The reaction of women enjoying it happened. That’s life. Case closed. 

Hit up a therapist and quit using Beyonce’s internet bandwidth to kink shame. The rest of us over here will keep having a good ass time.

Because those that actually get WAP could never complain about WAP. 

There’s only one complaint about the whole video, and well, we got an instant fix.

Also ladies, I don’t give out advice for free anymore, but if there’s one thing I’ll leave you with, it’s this:

Use it wisely.