Julee Wilson

Bottega Veneta makes a fine fragrances comeback with five chic perfumes to lust over and add to your must-have list.

Why relaunch with one perfume when you can relaunch with five?

Plus, it won’t break the bank!

There’s a new beauty brand announced every day—and I’ve got the emails to prove it. However, it’s rare when the beauty biz gets to buzz about a relaunch. Once a brand winds down, it’s difficult to stage a triumphant return, but that’s just what Dolce Gabbana has done. The luxury Italian fashion house initially launched its cosmetics collection back in 2009 but later sold that side of the business to Shiseido from 2016 to 2021. Any true beauty buff would tell you that beyond DG’s impressive fra…

One of my greatest joys in life is evangelizing about how Black folk approach beauty (it’s honestly the reason this column exists). Part of that approach is a unique and hard-won love language that anyone can be inspired by: I like to call it “enhancing, not transforming,” and it reflects how the best products make us look like our best selves, not like somebody else entirely. This idea is deeply rooted in Black beauty, which is largely self-referenced: We know we’re gorgeous; we don’t need outs…

Yup, Rihanna has entered the haircare game, and unsurprisingly, she knows exactly what she’s talking about! If you’ve been keeping up, Fenty Hair is now the fourth major celebrity-founded hair brand to launch this year—right behind Beyonce’s Cecréd, Rita Ora’s TypeBea, and Brooke Shield’s Commence. It’s dizzying, *but* this particular launch feels right for several reasons. First off, RiRi is a certified style icon who has continued to churn out looks—which include headline-grabbing hairstyles—…

I get it, the Met Gala is fashion’s biggest night—its Super Bowl even! The head-turning gowns, sickening suits, and statement-making accessories are the stars of the show. But, as your beauty editor-at-large here at Cosmo, I must remind you of fashion’s supporting star…beauty! Makeup, hair, and nails, oh my! And IMO, the best beauty moment at this year’s 2024 Met Gala came courtesy of Zendaya. I mean honestly, this chick can do no wrong. She consistently shows up and shows out! The first thing…

Y’all! There’s no doper feeling than your inbox being blessed with an email titled: “Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s Haircare Brand: CONFIDENTIAL NEWS + INVITE.” Right? And my reaction was definitely as expected—an instantaneous squeal of sheer excitement and disbelief followed by a prompt response legally agreeing to keep everything I hear or experience a secret until…RIGHT NOW!Let’s just say, I was pleasantly surprised by the product selection, how everything felt in my 4b hair, and that Ms. Tina Kno…

Before this country’s recent racial reckoning, so many Black-owned businesses spent years, if not decades, hustling in the shadows. I’ve since personally watched lots of Black-owned beauty brands finally get the love and success they deserve. But one thing hasn’t changed yet: the general misconception that their products are exclusively for Black people. The truth is, these companies still tend to be “othered,” bypassed by those who consider them too niche or who don’t consider them at all. So h…

If you’ve been following along with my Yours. Mine. Ours columns, then you know that lotioning is of the utmost importance to me. Yes, “lotioning”—the Black community has claimed it as a verb. But I’m sure we’re not alone. Everyone needs to take care of their skin in a thoughtful way, which is why I wanted to take a moment to share my personal body-care routine. I’ve literally spent years perfecting the art of taking care of my skin, so I’ve got some gems to drop.As a beauty editor, I’ve got a…

There are very few moments in my booked and busy life where I get the opportunity to think about me—and only me. Sounds familiar, right? At this point, we’re all well-versed in the concept and benefits of self-care, but what we really need is the permission (from ourselves and others) and time (hard to come by, I know) to actually perform any. Well, friends, I’m giving us both in the form of something many of us have talked shit about forever. Starting now, I’m turning Wash Day into my proverbia…

If you’re anything like me, then you take holiday gifting seriously. It brings me endless joy to pick out the perfect item for each person on my list—and even more joy when that item comes from a Black-owned beauty brand. This is exactly why I created this gift guide, complete with the 15 best Black-owned beauty gifts of 2023. These brands are serving up the type of finds—from ultra-luxe lip oils to one-of-a-kind perfumes—that will definitely secure your spot as the best gifter in your crew. And…

Like any good journalist, I often find myself down rabbit holes. I’ve been known to relish deep dives into stuff like K-beauty trends, hair growth supplement studies, and LED light therapy. But the research spiral I’m currently stuck in is a little more confusing—and a lot more frustrating. Despite clean beauty being the buzziest thing in our industry, there’s no standard definition of or regulation around what “clean” even means (or “natural” or “green,” for that matter). And while I’m here for…

Beauty editor-at-large and Yours. Mine. Ours. columnist Julee Wilson takes on the age-old debate that melanin-rich folks don’t need sunscreen.

For our new cover star, taking over the music world comes as naturally as disrobing for her twice-weekly rubdown. The secret I learned lying next to her a few weeks ago? It’s thanks to a contagious confidence that’s inspiringly hard-won.

Ask any Black woman who inspires her when it comes to beauty and she will likely rattle off a list dotted with plenty of older dames. Like the legendary Diana Ross: This woman is 76 years old and looks like she just stepped offstage with The Supremes. Singer Grace Jones might as well be a vampire, slaying at 72 with her signature androgynous look. And then there’s late actress Cicely Tyson who, even at the age of 96(!), was stepping out and dazzling on red carpets. Insert the ubiquitous and belo…

There was a time not too long ago when I couldn’t imagine rocking my beautiful Afro as loudly and proudly as I do now. Especially in professional settings—I spent years heat-straightening my hair to bend to society’s annoyingly narrow beauty standards and to simply fit in with my white colleagues. And, honestly, because I just didn’t want to deal with all the “Wow, can I touch it?”s. Even now, with my hair in its full glory, I’m often dodging unwelcome touching (Alexa, play Solange’s “Don’t Touc…

A simple question that goes so, so deep. Beauty editor-at-large and Yours. Mine. Ours. columnist Julee Wilson breaks it down.

In her column Yours. Mine. Ours., Cosmo’s beauty editor-at-large Julee Wilson explores Black culture and beauty through her own dope lens.

The queens have spoken.