KINLÒ is professional tennis player Naomi Osaka’s new skincare brand for melanated skin – Screen Shot
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KINLÒ is professional tennis player Naomi Osaka’s new skincare brand for melanated skin

If you’ve never heard of Naomi Osaka before, then you’re probably not into sports or tennis more specifically. As the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles—whatever that means, am I right?—Osaka has made a name for herself as the reigning champion at the US Open and the Australian Open as well as a four-time Grand Slam singles champion. In other words, she’s a badass.

But Osaka is now making headlines for another amazing announcement: the Japanese tennis player who was born to a Haitian father and a Japanese mother is about to launch her very own skincare brand KINLÒ, which will solely consist of products specifically created for those with darker skin tones.

“What drew me toward this project is having memories of being a kid and not knowing how to protect my skin,” Osaka said in an interview with Business of Fashion. “I only started wearing sunscreen recently.”

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While an exact launch date hasn’t yet been announced, it has been revealed that the brand is set to arrive this autumn and debut with multiple products, which will all retail for less than $20 each. The complete collection will be available for purchase online, and Osaka has already given fans a preview of what’s to come. Along with an SPF 40 tinted face lotion, there will be a body spray, lip balm, eye cream, and an SPF 50 tinted face lotion made specifically to withstand physical activity—duh.

As Osaka explained in her interview with BoF, to her, KINLÒ is more than an opportunity to offer customers with darker skin tones skincare products that don’t leave behind a white residue on their skin. “This is a public health need. I used to tell people that I didn’t need to wear sunscreen—but even if you have melanin, you need to take care of your skin, and I am passionate about that,” she said.

Osaka is not the first person to fall victim to poor knowledge surrounding the importance of wearing sunscreen. In fact, the question of whether people with darker skin tones are less likely to get sunburnt or skin cancer is one that is still heavily argued to this day. A simple search on Google will serve you a variety of articles on the matter such as one published in 2019 by The New York Times titled Should Black People Wear Sunscreen?—which, by the way, was written by Kendra Pierre-Louis, a dark-skinned black woman.

In truth, as Pierre-Louis explained herself, anyone can get skin cancer, regardless of age, gender or race. And that’s more reasons to celebrate Osaka’s upcoming skincare brand, which could hopefully spread awareness on what remains a widespread issue. In preparation for KINLÒ’s launch, the tennis player has been working closely on the collection with dermatologist Doctor Naana Boakye to create products that are beneficial and moisturising rather than harsh on the skin.

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Une publication partagée par 大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka)

Sharing news of the brand with her Instagram followers, Osaka wrote “I never thought I would ever start my own company … I hope these products can help a lot of people and potentially save lives because I really feel that we aren’t protecting ourselves as much as we could.”

Make sure to keep an eye out this upcoming autumn for Osaka’s KINLÒ, and in the meantime, tell your loved ones to apply sunscreen every day.

Booty skincare is the latest beauty trend you should get ‘behind’

When we think about skincare, we tend to put our sole focus on the face and forget about the rest of our body from the neck down. One particular region affected by our neglect is the butt. Did you know that you can also get acne down below, even on top of stretchmarks and cellulite? These can be just as distressing as a break-out on your face.

Worry no more, because thanks to the new beauty and skincare trend, amazing brands focusing on products targeted for the wellbeing of our booties are popping up, meaning this long-overlooked body part can now finally get the attention it deserves! Here are some of the best butt-care products you should try.

Scrub it with Anese

Anese makes cruelty-free skincare for your booty, boobs and body that actually works. Because all of your assets need tender, loving care. The company has a no-bull policy when it comes to its skincare. Its products are made with purposeful, high quality, ethically sourced ingredients—with thousands of positive reviews, Anese is the body care know-it-alls!

Anese’s ‘That Booty Tho’ scrub has already become a cult-favourite for many. “This ultra-finely milled formula contains a unique mix of oils, extracts, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids perfect for a gentle yet effective bum exfoliation,” writes L’Officiel.

Customers can either choose to buy the scrub as a one-time purchase for $29 or subscribe to a recurrent delivery of your choice for $24.65. While Anese is not yet available in the UK, the brand has recently announced that it will be available very soon. Scrub that ass!

Moisturise it with Sol de Janeiro

Sol de Janeiro’s ‘Brazilian Bum Bum Cream’—pronounced ‘boom boom’—is a fast-absorbing (and luxurious) Brazilian body cream with an addictive scent from a blend of salted caramel and pistachio notes. Its formula tightens and firms the skin of your fabulous peach while adding a hint of shimmer to it. Tasty!

You can get your own little ray of sunshine on Cult Beauty for £18 for 75 millilitres or £44 for 240 millilitres. Pick your fighter.

Double moisturise with Evereden

You might not have noticed, but it can get pretty dry down there. So why not moisturise it twice? If you’re as into skincare as I am, then you’ll be interested in this second option: Evereden’s ‘Nourishing Stretch Mark Cream’, which retails for $45 on the company’s website.

This intensely hydrating cream combines 12 nutrient-dense ingredients with powerful peptides to instantly soothe and relieve any kind of itchiness. Potent natural actives synergistically reduce the appearance of imperfections, rebuild collagen, and improve skin elasticity. And yes, Evereden ships to the UK.

Butt-mask it with Bawdy

Bawdy’s ‘Slap It Caffeine Butt Mask’ is a caffeine-infused mask designed to retexturize and clarify the sensitive skin of your bum, leaving your skin looking plump, hydrated, and smooth. Bonus? You can order it on Amazon with next day delivery for only $10. Be a badass with a great ass!

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Nourish it with Truly

Made with a blend of high performing ingredients including apricot, orange flower, and watermelon, Truly’s ‘Buns of Glowry’ serum will instantly give your bum the firmness and glow we all pine for. You can buy your new favourite serum on Truly’s website for £20.42 as a one-time purchase or £18.37 if you decide to subscribe to this product.

Whether this tush-oriented trend is the result of the increased amount of time we now spend sitting on our butts at home remains unsure, but I personally can’t complain about it. From 2019, we’ve seen a boom in what we’re calling ‘inclusive wellness’—care that focuses on every aspect of yourself and every part of yourself. Looking back on the 90s and toxic trends such as heroin chic, it’s hard to think in 2021 that butts were ever considered undesirable.