Both are at the crossroads of bodies and art, but originate from different cultures and have different histories, which have now taken on new meanings in today’s society.

Henna is steeped in traditions from the Arabian Penninsula, Indian subcontinent and the North & horn of Africa. However today what does Henna mean? When did Henna become so popular outside of its traditional usage, and is it solely connected to religion?

Tattoos are an old tradition dating as far back as 2000 BC, with Egypt's international trade spreading the practice across the world. But today what does having a tattoo mean? What are the social norms and judgement that come with having tattoos? Is it culture vulturing to get tattoos from another culture/language than you identify with?

We discuss this and all questions relating to these forms of body art, how they relate to an individual's cultural self-expression and perceptions outside of their traditional communities.

#UnprettyPodcast

Unpretty Podcast

https://www.instagram.com/unprettypodcast/

https://twitter.com/unprettypodcast

Joy Crookes

https://www.joycrookes.com/

https://www.instagram.com/joycrookes/

Sabira Haque

https://www.instagram.com/huqthat/

https://www.facebook.com/huqthat/

https://twitter.com/huqthat

Nish Rowe

https://www.instagram.com/nish_rowe_tattoo/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For people of colour, food is a huge part of our lives, it not only represents our culture but also the community we are part of. In this episode we want to discuss the impact of cultural diets on our skin and hair.

The bottom line is that whatever’s going on inside your gut will eventually show in your skin and hair. Food is the foundation of our lives, and diet is the main way for the body to obtain the required substances for growth and maintenance.

Modern science has proven that an imbalance in nutrition and poor eating habits are important causes of skin troubles and skin ageing. E.g psoriasis is more prevalent in western diets - high fat diet compared to developing counties.

Black and South-Asian people are often praised for their "good skin”, but is there more to it than genetics? Is there something about the foods from these cultures that actually help with promote healthy skin?

Are there elements of different cultural diets that have a more negative impact on skin, and if so, what are the alternatives? What can we learn from other cultures?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As black people, particularly women, we often change our hair, whether it’s braids, weaves, wigs and when you do, you have to prepare for the influx of questions. But what does it feel like when you feel like you are being judged on your hair and appearance at work? When you are made to feel inadequate or made to feel like how you look is a question on your ability to do your job?

When you google “unprofessional hair” images of black people with natural hair still appears. California was the first state in the US to ban hair discrimination to protect those who wear their hair natural in the workplace and school in 2019 with Virginia the next to follow. But in the UK we still have no laws in place.

We speak to Kevin Morosky and Nicole Crenstil about what they think it means to be your true authentic self in the work place and how to overcome the anxiety that may come with it.

Kevin Morosky

www.instagram.com/kevinmorosky

www.twitter.com/kevinmorosky

https://www.instagram.com/wearepocc/

Nicole Crenstil

www.instagram.com/nkrystal_

www.twitter.com/NKrystal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chi and Basma speak to Jules von Hep, celebrity spray-tanner and founder of self-tan brand Isle of Paradise, and clinical expert Dr Ewoma Ukeleghe and ask why conversations around tanning - be it from the sun or from a bottle - largely exclude black and non-black people of colour?

Is it due to Western pressures and ignorance? Inter-cultural colourism? Lack of awareness within the communities? A marketing oversight? Or perhaps a combination of all of the above.

The British Skin Foundation states that people with olive, brown or black skin have greater level of protection from the sun so “will not burn so easily or hardly at all”, but is this really true?

The need for those with darker skin tones to wear SPF, has only received media attention in the last few years and during the same time we have seen a rise of new self-tanning brands marketing their products to darker skinned consumers.

Why would someone with black or brown skin want to use fake tan? And why haven’t the big brands caught up with this, in order to market to POCs?

@unprettypodcast

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Dr Ewoma Ukeleghe

https://www.instagram.com/drewomaukeleghe/

https://www.instagram.com/skndoctor/

https://www.skndoctor.co.uk/

Jules von Hep

https://www.instagram.com/julesvonhep/

https://www.instagram.com/julesandsarahpodcast/

https://www.instagram.com/theisleofparadise/

https://theisleofparadise.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a week. It's been a year. It's been a lifetime.

The news surrounding the brutal murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in America who died at the hands of four racist police officers has given rise to the Black Lives Matter movement globally.

This episode was recorded on Wednesday 3rd June 2020, the day after all of our Instagram feeds turned black in solidarity against racism. While the world reads, reflects and says they are ready to listen, we too have been reading their words, reflecting on their actions (or inaction) and are speaking.

Basma and Chi are joined by Kaydine and Ayo, as the four founders of the Unpretty podcast come together to unpack their feelings over the past week.

#BlackLivesMatter

@unprettypodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing a new regular feature, Unpretty and Unfiltered, where we will have an unfiltered chat with trailblazers from our community; talking about their personal journey and experiences as people of colour.

For the first edition, Basma and Chi welcome beauty influencer Jayde Pierce to share her story so far, from growing up as a mixed race child in a predominantly black household, motherhood and becoming one of the UK’s leading beauty influencers.

Warning: This episode contains a candid and real conversation about eating disorders. If you would prefer to skip this, please do fast forward to around 15 minutes and enjoy the rest of the episode.

Unpretty Podcast

https://www.instagram.com/unprettypodcast/

https://twitter.com/unprettypodcast

Jayde Pierce

https://www.instagram.com/jaydepierce/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQhwqZ33f_APooCusvTCwww

https://twitter.com/JaydePierce

https://www.tiktok.com/@jaydepierce

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2018, Afua Hirsch wrote a story for the Guardian discussing the lack of representation within mainstream magazines. "Through ignorance and indifference, they frequently featured no one of black, Asian, mixed or any other ethnic minority heritage from cover to cover, while advice on makeup, skin care, hair styles and products was unfailingly."

Since then, things have progressed somewhat but is it really enough? With the majority of beauty content produced by the mainstream media either alienates the POC community or often misguided and tokenistic. Why are so few titles including the very basics for POCs - skincare, hair care, the perfect red lip?

Chi and Basma are joined by Celebrity and Entertainment Director of British Glamour, Josh Smith and Tolly T, journalist, writer and 1/3 of The Receipts Podcast

Unpretty Podcast

https://www.instagram.com/unprettypodcast/

https://twitter.com/unprettypodcast

Tolly T

https://www.instagram.com/tolly_t/

https://www.instagram.com/thereceiptspodcast/

https://www.instagram.com/storystory.atb/

Josh Smith

https://www.instagram.com/joshsmithhosts/

https://www.instagram.com/glamouruk/

Josh Smith interviewing Yara Shahidi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4dzeLBWfuw

Glamour UK Tracee Ellis Ross Cover Story: https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/tracee-ellis-ross-pattern-beauty-interview-2019

Josh Smith interviewing Gemma Chan: https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/gemma-chan-captain-marvel-feminism-interview-march-2019

Glamour UK Black History Month Beauty Special: https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/topic/black-history-month

Afua Hirsch, Glossies so white: the data that reveals the problem with British magazine covers https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/apr/10/glossy-magazine-covers-too-white-models-black-ethnic-minority

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Mainstream beauty media have extensively covered "at home" beauty hacks from fringe upkeep, to touching up your roots but what about textured / afro hair? Whether you've got a fade, beard, braids, buzz cut, dreads, weaves, an afro, the lockdown restricts access to our beloved barbers and hair stylists and many of us are having to learn to do it ourselves.

Award winning hairstylist, Charlotte Mensah, and barber to the stars, Mark Maciver (aka Slider Cuts), join Chi and Basma, sharing their tips, tricks and insights to help you manage your locks during lockdown.

Follow Unpretty Podcast on Instagram and Twitter @unprettypodcast

https://www.instagram.com/unprettypodcast

https://twitter.com/unprettypodcast

Charlotte Mensah

https://www.instagram.com/charlottemensah

https://twitter.com/hairlounge1999

https://charlottemensah.com/

Mark Maciver

https://www.instagram.com/slidercuts

https://twitter.com/SliderCuts

https://www.slidercuts.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA2B6dVjt-QFigKHIMwP-EQ

More tips to help you maintain your afro hair during lockdown from Charlotte, Mark and others in the links below

https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/head/article/48723/1/easy-lockdown-hairstyles-afro-black-hair-natural-charlotte-mensah-manketti-oil

https://www.esquire.com/uk/style/grooming/a31990236/best-long-hairstyles-men/

https://www.stylist.co.uk/beauty/afro-curly-hair-care-braids-tips-best-products/380560

https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/how-to-manage-afro-hair-at-home

https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/head/article/48686/1/doing-box-braids-passion-twists-natural-hair-bob-wig-fringe-quarantine

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join hosts Basma Khalifa and Chi Ufodiama on a journey to explore the world of beauty through the lens of people of colour - with the help of some special guests.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @unprettypodcast

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