She has won 32 Grammy Awards, 30 MTV Video Music Awards, and is the first Black woman to top the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with her latest single, “Texas Hold’em.” In terms of her accolades, Beyoncé is in a league of her own. But when it comes to navigating her beauty politics woes, the Houston native has plenty of allies.
Black women’s appearance, from the way they style their hair to their body shape and the depth of their skin, is put under a relentless microscope. And no matter how many Grammys you win, you can’t protect yourself from the troubles that come with excessive recognition. A focused lens is always pointed at you.
These polarizations do not discriminate on the basis of class or creed. Regardless of your tax liability, your appearance is subject to merciless dissection and ridicule. Unhealthy goings-on with the inner workings of a biased beauty system have been lyrically chronicled by Beyoncé over the years, making her recent venture into the beauty field a logical choice and a celebrity right .
From a love letter to deeper skin in “Brown Skin Girl,” to a lyrical analysis of the harm caused by unrealistic, white-centric beauty standards in “Pretty Hurts,” to the Jackson 5 in “Formation.” ‘s nostrils and Afro baby hair to shout out. Involving herself in the allegory of her beauty scriptures has been a central pillar of her career.
Perhaps this is why the announcement of her hair care line, Cécred, which was officially launched on February 20th, was not met with the same disdain expressed at the announcements of other celebrity-owned or backed manufacturers. . Blame it on late capitalism and general celebrity fatigue, but there’s no doubt that our tolerance for celebrity-fueled beauty brands has reached a dead end.
But Beyoncé so skillfully hides herself in the bosom of passion born of earnestness that her efforts do not leave the same residue of deception in our mouths.
Like many of Beyoncé’s projects, Secred emphasizes an undisputed commitment to artistry, craft, and intention. From the brand’s heritage-soaked origins, which revolve around Beyoncé being nurtured in her mother’s salon, to its cutting-edge packaging and attention-grabbing ingredient list, it’s hard to believe it’s the same rinse-and-repeat cycle we’ve grown up with. Destroy the space in a way. I’m used to accepting it reluctantly.