Good Morning, it’s Wednesday, 22 January. Elderly women in Japan are making friends in jail, ‘Japa’ is now officially an English term, and we’re wearing ballet-inspired sneakers. Also, we’re talking to Diipa Khosla about the latest launches from indē Wild: their viral lip treatment in Glazed Jalebi and Wedding Rose (which look as delicious as they sound) and why the vegan formulations are designed to mimic the efficacy of ghee.
Japan’s Elderly Prefer to Stay in Jail: Struggling with loneliness, elderly women in Japan are committing petty crimes –and even paying– to bond with other women in jail.
Nigerian Words Added to The Oxford Dictionary: 20 common Ghanaian and Nigerian words such as ‘Azonto’ and ‘Japa’ have been included.
Solar-charging Backpacks in Africa: A Tanzanian startup called Soma Bags is making backpacks that charge while children from low-income communities walk to and from school.
Get Vaccinated Before Umrah: By February 10, the Neisseria meningitis vaccine is compulsory for those looking to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia.
AI Pets in China: In a rather dystopian twist, AI-powered robot pets are growing popular among Chinese children for providing emotional support.
Facelift Without Surgery: Beauty journalist Tira Urquhart details her experience getting a buccal facial at Vanity House NYC, a procedure some say is an instant facelift.
Korean Titanium Lifting: The new Korean procedure uses laser technology to evenly distribute energy around the face, giving way for a chiseled jaw with no downtime.
Derm’s Guide to Tretinoin: Dr. Nkem Ugonabo’s tips for starting the retinoid include starting with a low percentage, trying the ‘sandwich method’, and using sunscreen.
Kwasi Paul’s Tailored Pieces: Samuel Boakye is the creative director drawing inspiration from Ghana and America. Our picks from their latest collection are the Ntomaa Blazer and the Atumpan Olive Jacket.
Fenty x Puma Avanti LS: These Rihanna-endorsed trainers in the royal blue and cream colourway might just be this year’s hottest kicks.
Denim from Momotaro Jeans: Momotaro makes authentic Japanese denim using Zimbabwean cotton. We especially love their Denim and sakura-dyed shirts.
Bloom Womenswear: The contemporary Nigerian brand that creates soft, feminine pieces has released the Adire two piece sets (on sale right now).
Sneakers Meet Ballet: Taqwa Bint Ali’s new collaboration with Adidas Originals is a collection inspired by ballet, function, childhood, and streetwear.
Kira The Label’s Unique Jewellery: We love handcrafted trinkets from Indian jewellery brand, Kira. Try the Bark Texture Choker and the Blue & Purple Watch Bracelet.
House of Masaba & Amrapali: A collab has been released with 46 stunning jewellery pieces. We’re especially in awe of the Trinket Hoarder neckpiece.
Supplements: Inositol supplements like these ones from Black Girl Vitamins may have several benefits for you, especially by improving insulin sensitivity and lowering blood pressure.
Gut Health in Your 30s: Gastroenterologist Dr. Mangesh Borkar shares insights on your gut as you age with tips on how to improve your digestion such as incorporating fermented foods.
Han Kang’s We Do Not Part: In her latest novel, the Korean Nobel Prize winner confronts Korea’s often forgotten historical traumas through two women who share a powerful friendship.
Kaija Langley’s The Order of Things: In this heart-rending children’s book, American writer Kaija explores the life of 11-year-old April who loses her best friend Zee and learns to live on.
🎧Sad Makeup: Yukimi sings soulfully about pretending to be happy in Sad Makeup.
🎧Omo To Sexy: BLNDE’s TikTok hit is here to remind you about how good you look.
🎧Dare U: NLE Choppa and Imagine Dragons make an unexpected collaboration with this triumphant battle cry.
Seun Kuti’s US Tour: Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 are going on a 25-date tour across the US starting April. Tickets available here.
Soul II Soul is coming to South Africa: The British music group will perform in Johannesburg and Cape Town on February 1 and 8.
Minho to Perform in Macau: SHINee’s Minho will have his first solo concert on March 8 at Broadway Macau. Tickets go live tomorrow (January 23) on Damai.
Diipa Büller-Khosla, a force in the influencer industry and now a global entrepreneur, has made huge strides in beauty with her ayurvedic beauty brand indē wild. Her beautiful jasmine scented Champi oil is the #1 bestselling hair oil on Nykaa (which is a massive feat in a market packed with effective hair oils), she has just closed a global deal with Sephora and her brand is a family affair with her mum, husband and daughter often getting hair oil massages for us to watch.
So today we’re talking to her about her latest beauty releases: the viral Dewy Lip Treatments in Glazed Jalebi and Wedding Rose, deep diving further into the brand and ofc Diipa’s secrets to a great champi.
Why did you launch indē Wild?
The inspiration behind indē wild lies at the core of supporting the modern day independent desi woman – on one hand I knew I wanted to launch something that celebrates and incorporates my Indian Ayurvedic heritage but on the other I knew I wanted science to also be a foundation to the brand. Therefore, I choose to launch indē wild as an opportunity to create a brand which acts as the intersection between the two filing in a gap I noticed in the skincare market.
How do you cater to the diverse needs of different skin tones?
Indē Wild focuses on creating inclusive formulations that address hyperpigmentation, sensitivity, and hydration. The brand prioritizes universally beneficial ingredients that work on varying skin tones and conditions. It celebrates diversity by tailoring solutions to common concerns across melanin-rich skin types.
Tell us about the ayurvedic ingredients you use?
Indē Wild products incorporate ingredients like turmeric, ashwagandha, and bakuchiol. Turmeric is renowned for its anti-inflammatory and brightening properties, while ashwagandha helps combat stress-induced skin issues. Bakuchiol offers a natural alternative to retinol, promoting collagen production without irritation.
Do you use ghee in your lip products?
What makes ghee unique for us is that we choose to not use it but rather employ its benefits.
What’s unique about ghee as an ingredient, is that it is not actually an active ingredient but rather it is bio-mimicked by other ingredients actively.
What this means is we utilize other organic traditional and scientific ingredients like squalene, shea butter, lotus flower extract to create this illusion of thick moisturizer that ghee creates.
Squalene for example mimics your skin's natural oils to deliver intense moisturizer, shea butter softens and restores the skin and lotus flower extract is rich in antioxidants which help soothe dryness to assist hydration.
Tell us how we can use the lip treatments?
The beauty of the dewy lip treatment now that we have our rose and jalebi glaze color is that it’s more than just a lip balm.
For example, we’ve had many customers use the rose to add an extra pink tint as blush to their cheeks. We’ve seen people use the jalebi glaze as a highlighter due to its shiny but darker color. Because our treatment is made with organic and natural ingredients, it can be used in any shape or form on the face without causing irritation.
Diipa’s secrets to a great Champi 🤎
My biggest life hack for champi hair oil is to warm the oil for 10 seconds before application, this small hack helps tremendously to deepen the nourishment it has on your scalp.
My second hack is to use a wide-tooth comb to help increase blood circulation from the scalp to the ends of the hair. In order to maintain overall hair health we suggest doing this hair oiling situation at least once to twice a week – consistently is key to see hair growth and nourishment.
