Day three of Essence Fest at the Creator’s House met our fresh-faced guests with, “Face It Forward,” GU’s beauty panel to kick off the last day. Moderated by ESSENCE Senior Beauty Editor Akili King, GU sat down with beauty, fashion, and lifestyle content creator Uche Moxam. This beauty has the luxury soft life down pat, and came prepped to share her favorite beauty tips with our zillennial beauties.
The key to a good face beat is enhancing the beauty you already have, and King and Uche get into how to pull it off. Whether it’s a glowing base or a flawless ombre limp combo, the tutorials Uche demonstrates on her platforms offer tips to amplify those natural features. As they say, when you feel good, you look good. Tapping into that internal beauty can be exactly what’s needed to elevate your routine and give you the support to take the world by storm.
King jumped in by asking Uche her favorite products, go-to methods, and inspiration behind her beauty practices. Uche’s beauty journey as a creator stemmed from seeing the need to take her beauty routine into her own hands after one too many traumatic experiences on set as a Black model. She began exploring the steps that made her feel most confident and her online beauty community grew from there. The biggest takeaway she’s gained from the women in her life, whom she credits for most of her beauty inspiration, is how important it is to be skin-focused.
Creases cut to the gods, long lasting blush, and foolproof concealer hacks — the two beauty experts have tested them all and gave the GU space a rundown of the tried and true. Advice highlights include: prioritizing a good skincare base before makeup application, allowing each product time to settle in, investing in a good under eye cream to avoid concealer creasing, and most notably, steering clear of makeup wipes when possible (we suggest reaching for a good cleansing balm alternative!). For Uche, leaning into deep berry tones to compliment her natural complexion has been a game changer.
King highlights that beauty practices are, “an important part of showing up as your full and best self,” and asks Uche what she does to prioritize wellness through these practices. She speaks to skin and beauty care being an opportunity for “me time.” Something that she has learned on her journey, and with the help of her husband, is that, “I can pour into myself and I do have that time to do that; life is not running away from me.”
On the note of pouring into yourself and your individuality, Uche shares that, “vulnerability is the key to connection. I have thrown caution to the wind, opened up, and tried new things. Every time I’ve done something that is rooted in authenticity and is true to myself, I am rewarded for it.”
As King affirms for everyone, “beauty should be defined for ourselves.” An affirming beauty practice can provide the support needed to step out as your most comfortable and realized self. The most important step to a flawless makeup routine is doing whatever makes you the most confident. Beauty routines can be transformative self care practices, meant to make the person doing them feel more assured in themselves and their expression. Whatever your method or aesthetic, always remember: your routine is for you.