It's Self-Love Season: Here are the Valentine's Day Gifts You Can't Miss!
Hello February!
This month has been insane to say the least. The constant terrifying and heartbreaking news cycle has been really getting to me, and making it harder to stay focused on the positives and daily joys in life. I’ve been trying to remind myself to just tune out more to protect my mental health and the energy surrounding me, and try to focus on all the things that I’m privileged to have and incredibly grateful for.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and this year is all about self-love, whether you are partnered or single, so make sure you treat yourself and show yourself all the love you deserve. I rounded up some of the gifts of the season, and things that are helping me take care of myself in these crazy times.
Here are a few of my favorite self-care themed Valentine’s gifts you should add to your list!
5 Valentine's Day Gifts You Can't Miss!
Urban Decay Tube Job Mascara
I still love cluster lashes, but it seems the trend is fading and they may be going out of style, and personally the damage they have done to my natural lashes is very real. I just started using Urban Decay’s Tube Job Mascara, and let me tell you – they did their big one with these! The formula just glides on and leaves your lashes looking long and lush, without any of the damage that comes with lash extensions.
This mascara is perfect for your every day glam, and holds up all day without running or smudging.
The formula comes in black, brown, and a daring platinum blonde that would be perfect for a high fashion look. And paired with their 24/7 Liquid Stick liquid eyeliner which comes in all these colors, your eye makeup will be unstoppable.
And I never got over the Urban Decay 24/7 Glaze-On Shimmer Liquid Eyeshadow and All Nighter Setting Spray, so be sure to add those to cart when you get to shopping!
Viqure Lumirea Photofacial
I recently partnered with Viqure to review the Lumirea Photofacial Device, and this post isn’t sponsored - I just wanted to give an update after using it!
This tiny tool is a powerful and effective at-home light therapy tool designed to address multiple skin concerns commonly associated with aging. It uses a combination of 530-650 wavelength light (DPL) and 900-1800 wavelength light (NIR) to promote smoother, brighter, and more youthful-looking skin.
Unlike traditional LED devices that use a single wavelength, Lumirea’s dual-light approach targets different layers of the skin to support collagen production and cellular repair. This makes it more versatile—and potentially more effective—than cheaper at home devices.
With consistent use, this little thing will help address a variety of skin issues, like fine lines and wrinkles, uneven skin tone, dullness and texture irregularities, and improve overall skin vibrancy and resilience.
It is a little expensive, but if facials are in your budget regularly, you can skip those and this will be more than worth the investment. And you can use my code Malikah15 for 15% off the product!
Quince Cashmere and Silk
Stepping away from beauty for a minute, its freezing out there! And nothing says warm, cozy and luxury like a brand new cashmere sweater. I’ve been obsessed with Quince since I first got my husband one for Christmas.
I got their famous $50 cashmere sweater and to be honest was not impressed because it was super thin and you could completely see through it, so I did return that one. But I decided to try their heavier weight Fisherman Crewneck Sweater which was $99 and that was a world of difference. Obviously $50 is an amazing price for a cashmere sweater, but to me, it looked like a $50 sweater. The fisherman sweaters are $119 for the turtleneck and $99 for the crewneck, but they look like $300 or more, and they definitely give that quiet luxury look!
I love a cream turtleneck, but my makeup would never let me be great, so I got the turtleneck in black and the crewneck in cream. I also got coordinating washable silk skirts, the midi length was just $69.90 and the mini was $59.90 and I think these are some super cute and stylish winter looks.
Cecred Oil Ritual
Moving on to hair! If you have been following me for a while, you know I’m almost always in braids or a weave, but since September I decided to just give them and focus on the health of my hair and learning how to properly style and maintain it.
I ignored Cecred for a while since I truly thought it was all hype, but since I started regularly using the products after buying a bundle on sale, I have to say I am obsessed. My wash and style time is down to 2-3 hours start to finish for a silk press on my type 4 hair, and my strands feel hydrated the full 7-10 days between washes.
My hands down favorite product in the line is the Cecred Oil Ritual. I apply it to dry hair, sit under my steamer for about 20 minutes, then wash and deep condition. Not only do I love how this makes my hair look and feel, I love the ritual behind and the reminder to spend the extra time taking care of myself.
It is expensive, and I do use a lot of oil each time so it doesn’t last more than 4 or 5 washes, but for me and my healthy hair and length retention journey it is worth it!
Anecdote Candles
And the last thing on my list – you can’t have a self-care day without some candles, and my current favorite brand is Anecdote Candles. They are a small brand that designed candles inspired by trending moments and personal memories, all hand-poured in Brooklyn NY.
Bottomless Mimosas has been a long time favorite of mine for the bright citrus scent, and I also keep Mid-Century Modern and Pool Party in the rotation. I also grabbed a few travel sized tins of new scents I wanted to check out before committing to a full-size, and I highly recommend you take advantage of the lower prices on those to get to know which of these scents will be your fave!
What are you planning for Valentine’s Day?
10 Expert Self-Care Tips You Need to Survive the Rest of 2020
If 2019 gave us the words “toxic” and “no cap” then 2020 gave us #Self-Care
The year 2020 has been brimming with words such as #quarantine and #Covid19. It’s been an insane year, and as it comes to a close, things just don’t seem to be letting up. In many ways, we are all way more stressed and anxious now than we were back in March!
In spite of, or maybe because of all the craziness, another trending hashtag emerged in 2020 - #Self-Care. People have been posting about all the ways they prioritize taking care of themselves and maintaining their sanity in these trying times.
But what exactly does it mean to practice self-care? For starters, self-care will look differently to different people. For some, it may be a spa day to get a manicure or a massage. For others, it’s about looking in the mirror and saying, “I’m proud of you”.
The essence of self-care is to reflect on the relationship you have with your inner being, the goddess that is within you. There are many forms of self-care ranging from physical and emotional to social and spiritual. Self-care, in my opinion, is taking time to practice forgiveness and extending grace to yourself. It’s a time to be intentional about your goals and assess what you are doing to attain them. Self-care is more than just a hashtag. It’s about being present and available to the people that love and support you. It’s also about showing gratitude. Self-care is acknowledging that you have made mistakes and being kind to yourself. Self-care is recognizing that your healing and well-being are a priority. After all, if you are not good for YOU, then you won’t be good for anyone or anything else.
What is self-care?
Self-care is any activity that is done deliberately in order to take care of your spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health. Taking the time to be intentional about your own well being is vital to your relationships with others. As I said earlier, self-care in practice can look very different for different people. Part of practicing self-care is finding rituals that work for you.
What isn’t self-care?
Knowing what self-care is not might be even more important. By taking care of ourselves, we are in a better position to take care of others who depend on us such as our kids, romantic partners and colleagues. It is important that we understand that self-care is not a selfish act, but rather something we do selflessly in order to be our best selves.
We are mothers, entrepreneurs, wives and visionaries. Women are ambassadors for the human race, representing strength, love and life in all that we do. Thus, the need to maintain a positive state is essential to all those around us.
10 Tips for Practicing Self-Care
Create a work-life balance.
Take breaks when you need to.
Learn to say no.
Give yourself credit for how far you have come.
Make an appointment to see your doctor.
Do one thing a day that gets you closer to your goal.
Tomorrow is not promised. Use your PTO.
Get some sleep - you probably need more than you are getting
Focus on nutrition - not dieting to lose weight but making sure you are eating healthy.
Take a walk - sunshine and fresh air do a body good
And remember - refrain from judging how others practice self-care. Everything from a therapy session to a stiff drink can be self-care for someone!
About the Contributor
De’Jarnette K. Johnson is an author, blogger and owner of TheRealBlackCarrieBradshaw.com, a blog dedicated to love, life and relationships. De’Ja is a graduate of UA Little Rock with a Masters degree in Applied Communication with an emphasis on Interpersonal & Romantic relationships. Having completed her thesis on Ghosting, De’Ja has extensive knowledge on relational issues such as Attachment styles, Dark Triad personalities and Intrapersonal communication. She is also the creator of The Breakup Space, a 12-week program designed to help you cope with the loss of your relationship, manage your emotions and empower you to obtain the love that you deserve.
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4 Steps to Crushing Your 2018 Goals
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TheWooOfPoo #CollectiveBias
We’re about a week into 2018! Hopefully you have recovered from the festivities and have a fresh perspective on what you hope to accomplish this year. While I hate the term resolutions, I think that a new year is an important time to set smart, strategic goals that you can be held accountable for as the year progresses. Here is my road-map to setting actionable goals for my blog staying on track! Hopefully this helps inspire your journey to success this year!
1. Get Inspired!
There is nothing like a good book to help psyche you into action. I just finished reading The WOO of POO: Change Your Life In The Time You Take a Sh*t. If you aren’t familiar with Suzy Batiz or her company, Poo~Pourri, you are seriously missing out! The WOO of POO Before-You-Go® Toilet Spray is a game-changer! Just spray it in the bowl before you go and it forms a protective barrier that traps odor under the surface. So instead of smelling your roomie or lover’s poo, you just get a whiff of natural essential oils.
I’ve been a long term user of Poo~Pourri and have to say it has saved lives and relationships! So when I heard about Suzy’s book on Amazon I had to give it a read. The book is full of tidbits from Suzy and team on how they built a crazy idea into a multi-million dollar business. Add it to your reading list for some inspiration as you think about the goals you are setting and develop a roadmap to achieve them.
2. Stay Inspired
One of the first things mentioned in The WOO of POO is believing in magic. There are times when it feels like you are drowning in a sea of competition. And in the blogging world there is always someone with more followers, more engagement, or who you think is cuter or more stylish than you. Instead of letting the stink of potential failure keep you down, remember how unique your voice is and what you bring to the table. If you get lost along the way, there are several handy exercises in the book that can help you along the way. One of my biggest goals for the year is expanding my reach as a blogger, and sometimes it seems like an impossible journey, especially with all the changes to the Instagram algorithm. But then I remember when I started this journey, when I went from 200 followers to breaking my first 1000 and finally being where I am now. While I may not have exploded, I am growing at a steady pace, am proud of that, and am grateful to all of you who support my content.
3. Stay on top of my growth
Even though I wish I could snap my fingers and have a million followers, exponential growth does come at a price. Suzy and the Poo~Pourri team learned that when their company exploded after a viral video, and they almost went out of business. I still balance many responsibilities outside of blogging, between work, family, friends and a social life. I’m def not ready to manage a crazy editorial calender and blogging schedule, so I try to keep that in mind as I manage my growth.
4. Get Epic
Standing out in the bloggersphere is a challenge and one that I am trying my best to tackle! I'm planning to take my content to the next level by getting more creative and innovative every step of the way! Hopefully 2018 the best year for my business so far, and that it will only get better!
Let me know what you are hoping to accomplish this year and beyond, and how you plan to accomplish those goals! And check out The WOO of POO: Change Your Life In The Time You Take a Sh*t.on Amazon!
