The Zoe Report

Khalea Underwood

Bio

Khalea Underwood is Beauty Editor of The Zoe Report. She writes, edits, reports, and conceptualizes features and photoshoots on all things hair, makeup, skincare, nails, and fragrance. You can catch her lurking backstage at New York Fashion Week, picking up tips from artists and assistants or cornering models about their favorite SPF moisturizers. A proud graduate of Howard University, Khalea's bylines have also appeared on Refinery29, Us Weekly, College Candy, MTV, and the New York Daily News. She earned a Webby Awards 2019 nomination for Best Use Of Photography for a Refinery29 feature on the beauty of natural hair. When she's not swatching products or tweaking her four-step skincare routine, she enjoys decorating her new apartment, reading, shopping, and spending time with her family. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @letsbeKHAlear.

The Secret To Making Your Fake Freckles Last Underneath A Face Mask, C/O Jason Wu

You'll probably be reading this a lot this week, so let's just get it out of the way now: Fashion Month looks a bit different this year. With most presentations being virtual, and with social distancing practices being enforced backstage and front…
By Khalea Underwood

The $3.49 Hair Tool That Makes My Faux Locs Look So Realistic

I didn't realize how much I changed my hair until I started dating in my early twenties. Whenever I'd upload my favorite photos on an app (pro tip: one selfie, one full body, and one personality shot), my looks were always different, and it'd be the…
By Khalea Underwood

The $5 Secret Behind Madisin Rian’s Glowing Complexion

This global pandemic is affecting people in ways both big and small, to say the least. But if anything, it's given the world a reason to slow down. Including your favorite jetsetting models like Madisin Rian. "I am trying to take advantage where I…
By Khalea Underwood

7 Trendy Plus-Size Brands That I'm Shopping This Fall

In some ways, I'm a creature of habit. Nearly every morning, I wake up at around 8:30 a.m. I make the same smoothie. I check the same news sites, listen to the same low-fi playlist, and use the same core hair and skincare products. I do pride myself…
By Khalea Underwood

An Alicia Keys & e.l.f. Cosmetics Lifestyle Beauty Brand Is Coming Soon — Read More

Make space on your vanities for another exciting celebrity collaboration: e.l.f. Cosmetics and Alicia Keys are joining forces for an exciting new "lifestyle beauty brand" hitting shelves in 2021. "A culmination of Keys’ personal skincare journey and…
By Blake Newby and Khalea Underwood

The Real Reason Rihanna Launched Fenty Skin With Only 3 Products

The next time I complain about my overloaded email inbox — or, umm, if you happen to be waiting for a response from me — I'll simply chalk it up to being like Rihanna. "I start my day by checking emails," she tells an intimate group of beauty…
By Khalea Underwood

Your Favorite Too Faced Foundation Is Getting A Major Update Soon — EXCLUSIVE

There's no denying that wearing makeup looks a little different these days. While there are some who don't even want to touch a brush (*raises hand*), others who do deign to don a full face are looking for withstanding formulas that don't budge,…
By Khalea Underwood

The Fall Lipstick Trend We’ll Definitely Be Trying, Thanks To Chanel Haute Couture

We always look forward to Chanel's shows, whether we're catching an in-person glimpse at the Grand Palais in Paris or gazing at a virtual presentation from a streaky laptop screen in, say, Flatbush, Brooklyn. And even though fashion week will…
By Khalea Underwood

The Only Plus-Size Leggings That Stay Up All Day

March 15, 2020. It's the last day that I wore an actual pair of jeans — or "hard pants," as Twitter called them. Since New York has been under government-mandated lockdown for the better part of the year, I've had no reason to pull out my favorite…
By Khalea Underwood

The Top Drunk Elephant Products That Our Editors Swear By

As a beauty editor, there's one question that friends, family members, readers, and random revelers at the bar always ask me — does Drunk Elephant actually work? In short: yes. Absolutely, yes. Despite the myriad of skin concerns that plague…
By Khalea Underwood

Kim Kardashian's New Fragrance Is "Exactly What Kris Jenner Smells Like" — EXCLUSIVE

While families across the world are creating different ways to cope with social distancing, the Kardashian-Jenner family is in the same boat, only it's a little bigger. (If you've seen Kim Kardashian West's viral makeup tutorial with a special…
By Khalea Underwood

9 Floral Spring Perfumes That Our Editors Adore

Believe it or not, but it's officially spring. And while our current state of affairs might not allow you to, say, enjoy a mint julep al fresco at your favorite neighborhood cafe, there's no reason to ignore the joyous equinox completely. Today…
By Khalea Underwood

Giambattista Valli Had The Sparkliest Makeup Look From Paris Fashion Week, Hands Down

Spa-fresh skin and subtle hair accessories have been popular throughout fashion month, which is befitting — especially in Paris, where the rain is incessant and the wind is whipping. But at the beauty look at Giambattista Valli Fall/Winter 2020…
By Khalea Underwood

Off-White Just Made A Case For Pink Mascara This Spring

I chuckled to myself after a security guard handed me a branded all-access pass at Off-White Fall/Winter 2020 on Feb. 27. Firstly, because I knew my hypebeast brother would be, well, hype... and would possibly want to sell the flimsy tag on StockX…
By Khalea Underwood

The $7 Hair Gel That Jawara Used In A Multitude Of Ways At Mugler Fall/Winter 2020

The Mugler girl is one who isn't confined to fashion's rigid standards. Let's not forget last season, where a refreshingly diverse cast of models — of all genders and sizes — wore spiky stilettos and mesh inset dresses. But the Mugler girl is also…
By Khalea Underwood

Dior Just Co-Signed This Major Hair Trend For Fall

"It's Maria's world, not a beauty counter," Peter Philips jokingly tells a small group of reporters backstage at Dior Fall/Winter 2020. And walking into the Feb. 25 presentation, held at Paris' Jardin des Tuileries, attendees got a taste of what Ms.…
By Khalea Underwood

Pat McGrath & Guido Palau Created 90 (!) Looks For Marc Jacobs Fall/Winter 2020

You never know what you'll get when you enter the doors of the Park Avenue Armory on the last day of New York Fashion Week — which is Marc Jacobs' show, the finale of the week, to be exact. Last year, Pat McGrath and Guido Palau churned out 60…
By Khalea Underwood

The Surprising Inspiration Behind Rodarte's Fall/Winter 2020 Glam

It always rains at Rodarte, I joked with a publicist before opening my umbrella and stepping into the drizzle — just like I did after leaving the backstage preparations in September 2018. Not that I mind. The gray, moody clouds lend themselves to…
By Khalea Underwood

Proenza Schouler's Fall/Winter 2020 Beauty Look Was One You Can Do Yourself

Day five of New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2020 was rainy, dreary, and cold. Personally, I didn't feel like trying — just brushed up my brows, applied some gloss, and headed to Spring Studios. Proenza Schouler's Fall/Winter 2020 beauty look…
By Khalea Underwood

The Secret To Keeping Your Valentine's Day Date Lip On All Night Long Is This

Valentine's Day is just around the corner — and even if you're spending the evening in the company of girlfriends rather than your one true love, it still calls for a lewk. And pardon the idiom, but Valentine's Day and red lipstick are a match made…
By Khalea Underwood