Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer

Gesi Lloyd

183 articles published

Skincare

Dermatosis papulosa nigra: the spots you keep misreading

A common skin condition among people of color goes misdiagnosed for years. Here's what it is, why it forms, and what removal actually involves. For years, those small dark spots along my cheekbones registered as background noise. Acne scars, maybe. Sun damage, possibly. It took a conversation with dermatologist Dr. Victoria Humphrey at the…

ByGesi LloydJune 3, 20260Comments

Mind

Navigating mental health care as a Black American takes more than courage

From licensure to cultural competency, finding a therapist who meets your needs requires knowing exactly what to look for and why it matters. Finding quality mental health care is difficult for anyone. For Black Americans, the obstacles go deeper, shaped by a long history of exclusion, misdiagnosis and institutional distrust that does not simply…

ByGesi LloydMay 31, 20260Comments

Celebs

Mel B proves scary spice never lost her fashion edge

From leopard print crop tops with the Spice Girls to sleek midi dresses and thigh-high boots, Mel B has spent three decades making fashion entirely her own. Before she was a television personality, before the reunion tours and the red carpets, Mel B was the Spice Girl you watched walk into a room and…

ByGesi LloydMay 30, 20260Comments

Beauty

50 beauty and fashion hacks that actually change how you get dressed

From pH-activated blush to magnetic lashes and waist cinch clips, these 50 tricks upgrade your look without a stylist, a salon appointment, or a full closet cleanout. A great look rarely comes from spending more. More often, it comes from knowing which small adjustments make the biggest difference for beauty. The 50 hacks below cover…

ByGesi LloydMay 29, 20260Comments

TV & Movies

What’s new and Black on Netflix this June: the stories shaping your watchlist

From Michael B. Jordan's Creed trilogy to the untold story of Bass Reeves, Netflix is loading up on Black-led films, shows, and hip-hop documentaries this month. June arrives with Netflix bringing a thoughtful collection of Black-led films, series, and documentaries. This month's slate leans into themes of legacy, power, and cultural memory, pulling from different…

ByGesi LloydMay 29, 20260Comments

Self Care

Self-care routine worth building your week around

From a deep-cleansing balm that grinds fresh on contact to a body oil that mimics a spa massage, these picks turn your routine into something worth looking forward to. There is a particular kind of tired that a good night's sleep does not fix. It lives in the skin and the shoulders, and it…

ByGesi LloydMay 28, 20260Comments

Beauty

Workday beauty products that hold up from 9 a.m. to after-work drinks

A workday that starts at 6 a.m. and ends somewhere around a client dinner is not compatible with a high-maintenance beauty routine. The products that work in that context are the ones that multitask, hold their ground under office lighting, and transition without a full reapplication. What follows is a curated list of tools and…

ByGesi LloydMay 28, 20260Comments

Beauty

Essence Festival beauty must-haves rooted in Black culture

New Orleans in late summer is not for the unprepared. The 2026 Essence Festival of Culture arrives in full force this July, and the city's humidity will challenge every product in your kit. Picking the right beauty bag is not a minor concern. It is the difference between a look that holds and one that…

ByGesi LloydMay 28, 20260Comments

Books

7 mental health books by Black authors every reader should know about

7 essential mental health books by Black authors worth reading this month Subtitle: These seven titles — from a novel about a daughter's psychotic break to Michelle Obama's latest — make an honest case for why Black mental health deserves its own shelf. Mental Health Awareness Month arrives every May carrying good intentions and, often,…

ByGesi LloydMay 27, 20260Comments

Music

Lauryn Hill at 51: the looks that built a legend

From knotted locs at Brixton to a Nefertiti crown at the Global Citizen Festival, Lauryn Hill's beauty journey mirrors her art: always evolving, always intentional. Lauryn Hill arrived in the early 1990s already fully formed. Her style was not aspirational in the way fashion magazines tend to define it. It was grounded. During a…

ByGesi LloydMay 27, 20260Comments

Default
Dark

Gesi Lloyd

Dermatosis papulosa nigra: the spots you keep misreading

Navigating mental health care as a Black American takes more than courage

Mel B proves scary spice never lost her fashion edge

50 beauty and fashion hacks that actually change how you get dressed

What’s new and Black on Netflix this June: the stories shaping your watchlist

Self-care routine worth building your week around

Workday beauty products that hold up from 9 a.m. to after-work drinks

Essence Festival beauty must-haves rooted in Black culture

7 mental health books by Black authors every reader should know about

Lauryn Hill at 51: the looks that built a legend

Hairline microblading is solving thinning hairlines one pigment stroke at a time

The queer films worth watching before the summer is over

Five steps to makeup that won’t melt off your face this summer