Born in New Hampshire, but raised mostly in Arizona, Baze Mpinja just might be the most unlikely beauty writer ever. Her life has been a series of firsts: her parents emigrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the United States, making her a first-generation American. She is her mother and father’s first-born child, and she's the first woman in my family to graduate from a university. Her grandmothers never learned to read—when they were growing up, girls didn't go to school. That’s why her career as a writer at times seems unfathomable.

Baze moved to New York City right after college with dreams of working in the music industry, but she took a detour into the beauty world and never looked back. She's spent my fair share of time writing about hair tips and eye shadow tricks, but she loves when she gets a chance to start deeper conversations, sharing her personal experiences and writing candidly about the way that beauty effects our lives.

When she's not working, Baze enjoys eating and cheers-ing my way through Brooklyn, Off-Broadway shows, group texting, fitness classes and complaining about the MTA (because it's better than talking about politics).