Ghana native Asantewaa Prempeh's beauty regimen[1] is all about keeping it simple. The baby-faced grad student, who moved to New York City to study filmmaking, prefers products that are long-lasting, especially since price and purity are among her top concerns.


To keep her skin smooth and blemish-free, Prempeh uses Aveeno face wash, lip balm from drugstore Duane Reade and a lot of shea butter[2] . But she admits that there is a big difference in the shea butter sold in the U.S. and in her homeland. "The ones here are refined and have lots of other products in them. The ones in Ghana are pure shea butter. It's really hard, so I mix it up with oil, like olive oil, and then use that," she explained.


When we asked about her cute and curly twists underneath her black hat, Prempeh revealed that it's a protective hairstyle[3] she does herself as she transitions from wearing straight, permed hair to her natural, kinky texture. Natural hair blogs[4] have been a great resource, but she's still trying to figure out what works best. In the meantime, the young filmmaker washes her strands with a DIY coconut milk and honey pre-poo treatment[5] and locks in moisture with coconut oil.


As far as makeup, she swipes on a black eyeliner from MAC Cosmetics every day. "I like the smudge and the smokiness you can do with the pencil and define it afterward," said Prempeh. "With the Engraved pencil[6] , it stays longer -- even through rubbing and swimming, it still looks nice."


best eyeliner


Photo/Art: Raydene Salinas


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  • Aveeno Positively Radiant Brightening Cleanser


    $7, <a href="http://www.target.com/p/aveeno-positively-radiant-brightening-cleanser/-/A-11537364" target="_blank">target.com</a>




  • Pure African Shea Butter


    $7, <a href="http://www.houseofbeautyworld.com/raco10pushbu5.html?gdftrk=gdfV2786_a_7c912_a_7c7402_a_7craco10pushbu5&gclid=CK3vlPnaibkCFdKj4Aod-VIAng" target="_blank">houseofbeautyworld.com</a>




  • Trader Joe's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil


    $6, <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=554" target="_blank">traderjoes.com</a>




  • MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil In Engraved


    $16, <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/151/476/Powerpoint-Eye-Pencil/index.tmpl" target="_blank">maccosmetics.com</a>




  • ChapStick


    $2, <a href="http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/chapstick/ID=644-brand" target="_blank">walgreens.com</a>




  • Coconut Oil Beauty Tips From Giada De Laurentiis


    Coconut oil has many beauty uses-it can moisturize your skin and hair, all while sprucing up a healthy diet. That's why we sat down with Celebrity Chef and Natural Instincts Spokeswoman Giada De Laurentiis to find out how she incorporates coconut oil into her everyday regimen and in her recipes. Watch the video to get her tips and find out how coconut oil can make your life a little more lovely too.





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