Black Girls From the Hood Are the *Real* Trendsetters of Beauty

This is an open love letter to the Black girls who grew up in the hood. Black girls whose safe place was the beauty supply store aisles and nail salons. Black girls who lay their edges perfectly with a toothbrush. Black girls like Sexyy Red, Caresha and JT of the City Girls, Ice Spice, Glorilla, Jayda Cheaves, Dess Dior and more are the girls in which every little hood girl sees themselves.

Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, I was obsessed with the "around the way girls" who effortlessly wore white eyeliner in their lids, juicy beauty supply store lip gloss and their hair styled in the latest trend. Because I grew up surrounded by love, I never realized that I grew up in the projects until I went to college because, despite our low economic status, making a dollar stretch for everyone in our neighborhood was an underrated skill. Never did I miss any beauty maintenance, nor did any of the girls I grew up with.

@enteringn3bula Aint stoppin me #blackgirltiktok #beyonce #blackgirl #90s #imthatgirrrrl #renaissance #princessloko ♬ original sound - yoncé

At any time, you could spot the fly girls on the streets with long acrylic nails, always decked in gems, charms and jewels with the flyest patterns. My sister, cousins, aunts and friends were heavily into gold rings on each of their fingers. In the late '90s and early '00s influenced by heavy rap culture girls such as Mia X, Trina, La Chat and Gangsta Boo, the women in my family and neighborhood could be seen sliding gold caps onto their teeth mixed with the heavy usage of black gel to get their finger waves and baby hairs just right.

@danielfunnyashelll #greenscreen m HOODS HOTTEST PRINCESS HUNNY