The Mind Candy Beauty podcast had its first live event to kick off New York Fashion Week’s SS26 season. The Mind Your Beauty: It’s Generational panel was hosted and moderated by Mind Candy Beauty founder Lyric Christian and her mother, Jamene Christian.
The mother-daughter duo as moderators was perfectly on theme as the panel discussed all things generational and diasporic beauty rituals. The two brought together Refinery29’s Chief Content Office Brooke DeVard, ESSENCE’s Senior Beauty Editor Akili King, makeup artist and Glamazon Beauty founder Kim Baker, and celebrity and editorial makeup artist Raisa Flowers for a candid conversation.
The panelists reflected on and shared their earliest beauty memories. Think: perm kits, Luster’s Pink Lotion, and Blue Magic hair grease. They also highlighted how rituals are often passed down through generations. Confidence emerged as a central theme, with red lipstick symbolizing power and self-assurance, and the tradition of affirming one another to reinforce resilience.
Everyone on the panel shared how their mothers and grandmothers were powerful influences and how beauty is about more than physical appearance. It’s about details, energy, and spirit. Flowers also discussed Caribbean perspectives, noting how creativity was often stifled in favor of conformity. Yet, the diaspora remains a “bouquet of the human race,” as Baker put it, sharing the vibrancy in its diversity.
Christian also shared with the audience that her mom always says, “they always want the rhythm, but not the blues.” In other words, she underscores the complexities of celebrating Black beauty in the broader world. Many may want to imitate us, but never want to celebrate us. The biggest takeaway, though, is clear: beauty is revolution, carried forward through ritual, resilience, and self-definition.
