We caught up with the R&B sister duo — and Beyoncé protégés — to chat skincare, music and beauty icons.
%20to%20critical%20acclaim.%20Billboard%20even%20called%20it%20one%20of%20the%2010%20best%20R&B%20albums%20of%202020.%20%22We're%20still%20finding%20ways%20to%20navigate%20this%20and%20perform%20for%20our%20audience,%22%20says%20Halle%20over%20a%20Zoom%20call.%20%22It's%20been%20like%20an%20interesting%20creative%20project,%20but%20we%20miss%20the%20energy%20of%20an%20audience%20and%20hearing%20people%20sing%20our%20songs%20back%20to%20us.%20But%20we're%20making%20it%20work.%22%0A%0AMaking%20it%20work%20seems%20to%20be%20the%20underlying%20theme%20of%20the%20sisters'%20year,%20and%20work%20they%20certainly%20have%20been.%20Chloe%20and%20Halle%20have%20just%20been%20announced%20as%20the%20new%20faces%20of%20Neutrogena%20—%20the%20brand's%20first%20ever%20sister%20ambassadors.%20%22We%20grew%20up%20seeing%20Neutrogena%20commercials%20on%20TV,%20and%20particularly%20that%20iconic%20face%20splash%20moment%20%5Bin%20the%20sink%5D%20and%20we'd%20always%20re-enact%20it,%22%20laughs%20Chloe.%20(Be%20honest:%20who%20among%20us%20didn't%20nearly%20flood%20our%20parents'%20bathroom%20at%20one%20point%20or%20another%20trying%20to%20do%20the%20same?)%0A%0A%0A%0A %0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0AView%20this%20post%20on%20Instagram%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A %0AA%20post%20shared%20by%20Neutrogena%20(@neutrogena)%0A%0A%0A%0A%0AIconic%20face%20wash%20moments%20aside,%20Chloe%20and%20Halle%20are%20fans%20of%20Neutrogena's%20sunscreen%20offerings,%20thanks%20to%20their%20sheer%20protective%20finish.%20%22Because%20women%20of%20all%20skin%20tones%20and%20types%20%5Bcan%20wear%20them%5D,%20including%20us%20with%20our%20brown%20skin,%20because%20it%20doesn’t%20leave%20a%20white%20cast,%22%20says%20Chloe.%20%22It%20doesn’t%20hide%20your%20aura%20and%20your%20true%20beauty.%22%0A%0A%22As%20Black%20women,%20it’s%20taken%20a%20long%20time%20for%20us%20to%20find%20a%20good%20sunscreen%20that%20works%20with%20our%20skin%20and%20doesn’t%20leave%20a%20white%20cast,%22%20says%20Halle.%20%22I'm%20grateful%20to%20be%20part%20of%20a%20brand%20that%20thinks%20about%20things%20like%20that%20and%20is%20inclusive.%22%0A%0AAs%20one%20of%20the%20first,%20and%20only,%20artists%20signed%20by%20Beyoncé's%20record%20label%20Parkwood%20Entertainment,%20Chloe%20x%20Halle%20have%20been%20ones%20to%20watch%20for%20years.%20To%20date,%20the%20sisters%20have%20earned%20an%20impressive%20five%20Grammy%20Award%20nominations%20and%20far%20too%20many%20other%20award%20show%20noms%20to%20count.%20When%20asked%20what%20women%20are%20on%20their%20watch%20when%20it%20comes%20to%20beauty%20inspiration,%20Halle%20is%20quick%20to%20answer:%20%22Billie%20Holiday,%20the%20epitome%20of%20vintage%20beauty%20and%20glamour.%20And%20Beyoncé%20and%20Regina%20King,%20of%20course.%20Women%20who%20aren’t%20afraid%20to%20be%20unapologetically%20themselves%20are%20definitely%20my%20beauty%20icons.%22%0A%0ASo%20how%20have%20the%20now%2020-%20and%2022-year-old%20sisters%20(Halle%20and%20Chloe%20respectively)%20handled%20being%20in%20the%20public%20eye%20in%20the%20last%20nine%20years?%20With%20a%20level%20of%20grace%20and%20poise%20reminiscent%20of%20their%20mega-star%20mentor%20and%20label%20manager,%20of%20course.%20%22Just%20because%20we're%20in%20the%20public%20eye%20doesn’t%20mean%20we%20have%20be%20perfect,%22%20says%20Halle.%20%22It%20doesn’t%20mean%20we%20have%20to%20look%20flawless,%20can’t%20have%20pimples,%20or%20can’t%20be%20human.%20I%20think%20we’ve%20matured%20to%20point%20where%20we%20can%20get%20that%20out%20of%20our%20heads.%22%0A%0A){kind=link}
Sister duo Chloe and Halle Bailey — perhaps better known as Chloe x Halle and also known as Beyoncé protégés — released their album Ungodly Hour last year (yes, in the midst of a pandemic) to critical acclaim. Billboard even called it one of the 10 best R&B albums of 2020. “We’re still finding ways to navigate this and perform for our audience,” says Halle over a Zoom call. “It’s been like an interesting creative project, but we miss the energy of an audience and hearing people sing our songs back to us. But we’re making it work.”
Making it work seems to be the underlying theme of the sisters’ year, and work they certainly have been. Chloe and Halle have just been announced as the new faces of Neutrogena — the brand’s first ever sister ambassadors. “We grew up seeing Neutrogena commercials on TV, and particularly that iconic face splash moment [in the sink] and we’d always re-enact it,” laughs Chloe. (Be honest: who among us didn’t nearly flood our parents’ bathroom at one point or another trying to do the same?)
Iconic face wash moments aside, Chloe and Halle are fans of Neutrogena’s sunscreen offerings, thanks to their sheer protective finish. “Because women of all skin tones and types [can wear them], including us with our brown skin, because it doesn’t leave a white cast,” says Chloe. “It doesn’t hide your aura and your true beauty.”
“As Black women, it’s taken a long time for us to find a good sunscreen that works with our skin and doesn’t leave a white cast,” says Halle. “I’m grateful to be part of a brand that thinks about things like that and is inclusive.”
As one of the first, and only, artists signed by Beyoncé’s record label Parkwood Entertainment, Chloe x Halle have been ones to watch for years. To date, the sisters have earned an impressive five Grammy Award nominations and far too many other award show noms to count. When asked what women are on their watch when it comes to beauty inspiration, Halle is quick to answer: “Billie Holiday, the epitome of vintage beauty and glamour. And Beyoncé and Regina King, of course. Women who aren’t afraid to be unapologetically themselves are definitely my beauty icons.”
So how have the now 20- and 22-year-old sisters (Halle and Chloe respectively) handled being in the public eye in the last nine years? With a level of grace and poise reminiscent of their mega-star mentor and label manager, of course. “Just because we’re in the public eye doesn’t mean we have be perfect,” says Halle. “It doesn’t mean we have to look flawless, can’t have pimples, or can’t be human. I think we’ve matured to point where we can get that out of our heads.”