When was the last time you invited your inner queen to come out and play in the mirror? Afrobella.com’s creator Patrice Yursik has just the right products for you to RSVP and enjoy your “Beauty Fit for a Queen” beauty bash. The Black History Month ambassador for Procter and Gamble’s My Black Is Beautiful, Afrobella has curated a your-wish-has-been-granted list chock-full of her top picks, which includes top brands CoverGirl Queen Collection, which aims to make every woman feel like a queen with their Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss, LashBlast and Colorlicious Lip Gloss; Pantene, which celebrates strong women and empowers women to be strong and shine like only a real Queen can with their Pro Truly V and Repair and Protect lines; Olay and Crest.
It’s so exciting to have products made especially for us brown girls. Here, Afrobella shares how she and MBIB are celebrating the everyday Black woman.
Why did you create Afrobella?
I started Afrobella in August 2006 … it was kind of a whimsical decision. At the time, I worked in print media at a newspaper in Miami and they dictated what I could write, should write and I had a particular beat. I wanted to write about things that I care about and I saw there was a void in media.
I wanted to share more things. I felt there was not a enough representation of my particular kind of beauty. I am talking about natural hair, being a Black woman and being a plus-sized woman. There was nothing celebrating our unique beauty, textures and shapes.
How did you come up with the name?
My husband, friend and I were siting around brainstorming. I expressed to them I I wanted something that said Black is beautiful. My husband looked at me and said, “Afrobella.”
What kind of commitment does it take to manage a digital brand like Afrobella?
I left the newspaper job in 2009 and moved to Chicago. Afrobella is my everyday fulfillment. I am committed full time.
Why did you agree to be the face of ‘Beauty Fit for a Queen?’
I am really proud to partner with My Black Is Beautiful and the Kroger Co. We are doing Beauty Fit for a Queen. It reminds us we are beautiful and need to take care of ourselves. We often are caught up. We have to take the time and enjoy the beauty fit for a queen, once a week, once a day, whenever you can.
We hear the phrase take care of your self, what does it really mean?
With Beauty Fit for a Queen, there’s CoverGirl and I chose makeup products that will certainly make a girl happy. For Pantene, there’s the line dedicate to natural hair, Truly Natural. Olay is a legacy skin care brand. My mom used it and it continues to be an innovative brand for cleansing your skin. And, there’s Crest for oral health and hygiene. It is something we need to focus on in our community.
Self-care for some people is working out every day and getting in a good sweat. For some it’s about spiritual relationships and going to church. For others, it might be going to a therapist and talking things out. There’s even taking the time to reconnect with yourself and meditate. There are so many ways for us to take better care of ourselves.
Find the hashtags #MBIB, #BeautyFitForAQueen and/or@MBIB on the social channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – to join the conversation. You can also visit www.BeautyFitForAQueen.com.
You can be a part of the Beauty Fit for a Queen social pages by using the aforementioned hashtags and sharing your personal experience with the following hashtags.
CoverGirl: #CoverGirl
Pantene: #ShineStrong
Olay: #BestBeautiful
Crest: #Crest
MBIB’s Beauty Fit for a Queen Top Picks From Afrobella will made available on Feb. 1 at select The Kroger Family of Stores locations across the country.
