Not like this, Blac Chyna. Not like this.
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We try not to spontaneously write off everyone with a Kardashian family affiliation, if only because that circle gets larger by the dayโand because Kardashians are people, too (or so we hear). But the former Kardashian in-law (and current co-parent) known as Blac Chyna clearly shares the familyโs penchant for notoriety-stretching endorsements and shameless self-promotion, since sheโs now aligned her self with infamous skin-lightening brand Whitenicious by Dencia.
Founded by Cameroonian pop star Dencia, Whitenicious raised major controversy when it debuted in 2014, touting itself as a โfast acting, 7-day dark spot remover,โ with before-and-afters of its formerly milk chocolate-hued founder turned a milky skin tone.
Similarly, Whitenicious x Blac Chyna Diamond Illuminating & Lightening Cream, which is thus far being launched and promoted exclusively in Africa, suggests โlooking at the bright side of our faces,โ with several Instagram posts featuring the media personality and mother of two preening with a Swarovski-encrusted jar of cream, and appearing slightly paler than her already light-skinned self.
The productโs homepage claims the product โbrightens [and] lightens without bleaching skin outโโand as TMZ reported, a rep for Blac Chyna said that โsheโs been using Whiteniciousโ corrector for a few years to deal with her hyperpigmentation.โ But the affiliation has understandably raised the ire of social media; so much so that comments have been disabled on all promotional posts on Instagram.
But of course, that didnโt stop Black Twitter from going in on what many viewed as a hypocritical partnershipโand one contributing dangerously to the skin-lightening epidemic and colorism in many parts of Africa and beyond. (Fun fact: Chyna will be in Lagos, Nigeria this Sunday to launch her $250 per jar product) At least one even suggested that Blac Chyna now revert to her birth name, Angela White.
We are all for black women being entrepreneurs and making coinโespecially a single mom whose child support is currently in dispute. We were all rooting for you, Chyna. But this ainโt it, sis.
And for those who wonder why mention of Chynaโs Kardashian ties were deemed necessary, just peep her promotional video, cryptically set to a sample of Kanye Westโs โFlashing Lights.โ
Correction: Nov. 20, 2018, 6:27 p.m., EDT: An earlier version of this post mistakenly identified singer Dencia as Nigerian. She is, in fact, Cameroonian.
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