The Radiant Beauty of the Melanated Queens of Black Panther
The epic and now iconic movie Black Panther hit the box office on Thursday, February 15th. It broke records, bringing in a whopping $218 million during the first weekend alone. It seems the ladies made up about 45% of the film’s audience. But, it’s the beautiful Melanated queens of Black Panther that seem to be driving its awesome success.
The Melanated Queens of Black Panther
The epic and now iconic movie Black Panther hit the box office on Thursday, February 15th. It broke records, bringing in a whopping $218 million during the first weekend alone. According to stats, most of the moviegoers responsible for driving its achievements were women. It seems the ladies made up about 45% of the film’s audience. But, it’s the beautiful Melanated queens of Black Panther that seem to be driving its awesome success.
he Melanated Queens of Black Panther. Image Source: Feminism in India
Who Are Black Panther’s Melanated Queens?
Black Panther’s plot defies conventional movies related to superheroes. Salamishah Tillet of the University of Pennsylvania told The Hollywood Reporter that the movie definitely passes the Bechdel test, which measures the sustainability of a film’s female characters. Tillet says that it’s:
“…those scenes in which two or more women are talking to, disagreeing with, or fighting alongside each other without a man present are some of the movie’s most riveting ones.
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The Melanated queens of Black Panther have become inspirations for women across the globe. They have taken part in a film that has transformed them into true women of history.
The Women of Wakanda. Image Source: The News Minute
Black Panther, also known as King T’Challa, is a character in the fictional African nation known as Wakanda, with many Black queens in his life:cesses behind making lipstick. You can see in my response to her above that the appointment was set and did our visit together on Friday, March 2nd at 4pm.
- Angela Bassett plays his mother, Queen Ramonda. She inspires her son to become a leader, even when he doubts himself.
- Letitia Wright plays his younger sister, Shuri. This feisty young lady is Wakanda’s smartest resident and is responsible for the innovative technology of the nation.
- Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o, Sydelle Noel & Florence Kasumba play the roles of lady bodyguards. They are a part of an all-women team called the Dora Milaje.
- Lupita Nyong'o plays the role of Nakia, T’Challa’s on-again, off-again love, a woman spy and a member of the Dora Milaje forces.
- Danai Guriraplays Okoye who is the Dora Milaje’s general. She’s also Wakanda’s head of intel and armed forces for the nation.
- Sydelle Noel plays Xoliswa, another woman of the Dora Milaje forces of Wakanda. Noel also stars on the GLOW Netflix series.
- Florence Kasumba plays the role of Ayo. She acts as King T’Challa’s head of security on the Dora Milaje team.
And, these are just some of the instrumental women characters of the box office hit. The film’s director, Ryan Coogler, says he intentionally allowed the Melanated queens of Black Panther to shine together and individually. It was his goal to surround King T’Challa with amazing, powerful women.
Black Panther’s Melanated Queens Hit the Red Carpets in Style
Black Panther Red Carpet Premiere. Image Source: Hello Giggles
Not only do the women of Black Panther play powerful roles, they are an awesome mix off-screen as well. Here are some of our favorite red carpet moments for these gorgeous Melanated queens:
Lupita Nyong’o on the Red Carpet
Some say Lupita Nyong’o brings magic to the film, the big screen and the red carpet. She always looks stunning at every celebrity event she attends. And, she killed it at the film’s premiere. Check her out in this plum-colored Versace gown, embellished with numerous jewels. She paired it with Giuseppe Zanototti heels.
Lupita Nyong’o on the Red Carpet. Image Source: US Magazine
Danai Gurira on the Red Carpet
International Women's Day is a celebration of ladies, our beauty, our significance and our power. It’s about the political, economic, social and cultural achievements of women. For this celebration, Danai Gurira made sure she was heard as she stepped into the United Nations' Observance of International Women's Day sporting a buzz cut and pink lipstick that’s both bold and trendy.
Danai Gurira on the Red Carpet. Image Source: Vogue
Angela Bassett on the Red Carpet
The Beverly Hilton Hotel was swarming with talented notables for the 2018 American Black Film Festival Honors Awards. And, Angela Bassett was no exception. She celebrated African American film talents wearing a Mangishi Doll dress that made her look like a true Melanated queen of Wakanda. It comes from an Afro-centric clothing line and cost a mere $169.
Angela Bassett on the Red Carpet. Image Source: Fashionista
Florence Kasumba on the Red Carpet
In the movie Black Panther, Florence Kasumba plays a bad @$$ woman warrior. And, when she stepped onto the red carpet for the film’s premiere, she looked the part. Check her out in her dramatic, fitted black sequence dress from David Tlale, a South African fashion designer. She accessorized it with a Christian Louboutin embroidered clutch and sandal wedges.
Florence Kasumba on the Red Carpet. Image Source: Black America Web
Sydelle Noel on the Red Carpet
During Black Panther’s world premiere, Sydelle Noel dazzled the red carpet with her golden goddess look. Her Marc Bouwer gown featured cutouts that left her shoulders and chest playing peek-a-boo. The shimmering look was paired with a super-high ponytail, fit for a Melanated queen.
About the Author
Bio: Kiesha Joseph is a content marketing geek. She writes articles related to pearls, jewelry, fashion and trends for the Pearls of Wisdom blog by The Pearl Source. Ms. Joseph is an author, blogger
Makeup Secrets Of Serena Williams
It never hurts to look to popular celebrities for makeup and beauty inspiration, and in this brief post, we’re going to take a look at the soon-to-be most radiant mother in the sports world. Serena Williams is currently missing the U.S. Open expecting the birth of her first child. In fact, as of the time of this writing, she’s in labor! But last we saw her she looked as stylish and beautiful as ever.
It never hurts to look to popular celebrities for makeup and beauty inspiration, and in this brief post, we’re going to take a look at the soon-to-be most radiant mother in the sports world. Serena Williams is currently missing the U.S. Open expecting the birth of her first child. In fact, as of the time of this writing, she’s in labor! But last we saw her she looked as stylish and beautiful as ever.
Williams has been about as dominant a sporting personality as we’ve seen in the last 20 years or so. At the outset of the 2017 tennis season, she was picked to lead the pack at the Australian Open and indeed wound up winning. Little did we know at the time that she was already pregnant! That about says it all regarding the type of athletic force Williams has come to represent. But throughout her illustrious career on the courts, she’s also defined herself with bold styles and seemingly effortless beauty.
Her Makeup Secrets
The tennis star has never been shy about playing the role of beauty icon or model, even if her main focus has remained relentlessly on athletic achievement. And during the 2016 U.S. Open we got some interesting insights into her routine thanks to an interview with her makeup artist, one Natasha Gross of Miami. The interview was conducted by New Beauty, and here we’ll mention a few of the key takeaways.
Gross opened up by discussing her love of NARS products for Williams’s editorial shoots (of which she does quite a few, naturally). The French-based cosmetics company has a full line of products, though Gross singled out the foundations and concealers as her favorites, and credited them with bringing out the luminosity to Williams’s skin – one of the features that are often highlighted with regard to her appearance.
The interview also covered the notion that Williams’s lifestyle could conceivably have negative effects on her skin. Indeed, rigorous athletic activity, sweat, and a lot of sun exposure can all be difficult to overcome in this regard! But here, Gross mostly referred to Williams’s dietary habits as reasons why her skin has never appeared to be anything less than flawless. To hear a career makeup artist simply say that eating healthy and staying hydrated makes the biggest difference is a nice reminder to all of us – even if we aren’t out chasing tennis titles for our professional lives!
And as a final point of interest, Gross actually seems to support a minimalist approach in general. Asked about Williams’s frequent smoky eye appearance on the courts, Gross simply said that the athlete does her own makeup for matches, focusing primarily on eyeliner and high SPF. Similarly, for red carpet appearances, it’s minimal eye shadow, lashes, and contouring. Given how striking Williams tends to look in general, this is a nice endorsement for the idea of achieving a great effect with relatively little product. Of course, Williams’s natural beauty comes into play a great deal as well. But mostly, her looks seem to come down to healthy skin and a few strategic touches!