Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Wellness, Beauty & More | Book Roundup Summer 2019





Books are fun, no matter what the season is. But there's something about summer that makes me feel like we have the extra time to finally start crossing those titles off of my list. My long, long, long list.

This month, specifically, I've been feeling in the mood to read these (fairly) new books off of my wellness/beauty list and these are the ones that stuck out to me the most.

Pure Skin by Victoria Tsai



Besides being an visually stunning book inside and out, Victoria Tsai’s Pure Skin is a wealth of knowledge that provides insight that even the most veteran skincare
enthusiasts would appreciate. Victoria doesn’t seek to overwhelm or burden her readers with too much information, but don’t expect her to oversimplify it. From
sheet masks to sunscreen, Tsai delves into each topic with the wisdom of a woman who’s been a skincare enthusiast her entire life.

What I love best about Pure Skin is the way that Tsai provides natural remedies and alternatives to common skincare problems. Victoria could have easily
turned this book into a glowing Tatcha review. Instead, she uses her passion and wisdom to truly help her readers. As much as I used to be against “kitchen skincare”,
the way that the benefit of each household ingredient was explained lessened my aversion to using putting food from my fridge onto my face.

If you’re new to figuring out what skincare product is best for your skin-type, wanting to know what practices will work (and how to do them), or you’d like to know
more about Tatcha’s founder and CEO’s life and work, then Pure Skin would be a really fun and quick read.




The Miracle of Vinegar by Emma Marsden


If you grew up in a household with parents or grandparents of color, you probably already know that vinegar is worth its weight in gold, not only when it comes to
cooking, but pretty much for everything else. I still have vivid memories of the taste of malt vinegar on hot, fresh french fries and the less appetizing smell of the white
vinegar foot soak my grandma used while relaxing on the weekends.

The Miracle of Vinegar is a book filled with vinegar’s greatest hits, including some I had never even heard of before. Marsden breaks down each type of vinegar and
what it’s best used for. Since vinegar is natural yet acidic, it’s great for cleaning tough, stuck-on grime, unclogging drains, and wiping down glass. Best of all, there are
tons of recipes in the book, a lot of which use apple cider vinegar, which helps with digestion, so bonus! This is a perfect read for anybody who wants to cut down
on chemical waste, be a little more mindful of what they’re inhaling while cleaning, or wants to know more about this miraculous condiment!


Moodtopia by Sara-Chana Silverstein


Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Or sad? Or stressed? How many times have you, instead of trying to understand the root of those feelings, decided to either
ignore them or cope with them in an unhealthy way, until it was too much to handle and you said or did something that was incredibly unlike yourself?

Moodtopia doesn’t want to teach you to bottle your feelings away and pretend that everything is fine. It’s going to teach you how to listen to yourself and
assess out the root of the issues that lead you to the breaking point (hopefully before said breaking point). Life is constantly bombarding us with challenge after
challenge, bill after bill, event after event. And while it’s become more socially acceptable to answer, “not at all’ when someone asks us how we’re doing, we still
struggle within our social circles to admit that stress isn’t taking as much of a toll on us as it actually is.

Through paying close attention to and charting your moods, creating a space that is conducive to to being your best self, along with using aromatherapy
and herbs, Silverstein strives to help you achieve balance and ease the way into finding healthy coping mechanisms and solutions to stressful situations.


Skin Deep by Bee Shapiro


It’s so easy to fall down an Instagram rabbit-hole, scouring for hours to find out what products celebrities use in order to get the looks they do. Like, how does
Gabrielle Union stay looking so radiant, all the time? And what exactly does Lisa Bonet use to keep her hair immaculate? Well, Skin Deep has done all the nosey,
busy work for us!

Any and everybody  you’ve wished you could (and some people wouldn’t have ever though to) just text really quick and ask “girl, where’d you get that highlighter?”
are spilling all of their beauty secrets for The New York Times’ Bee Shapiro. Each person gives a little blurb on makeup, skincare, haircare, fitness routines, and more.

Let be frank- a lot of the products and services that are displayed cost an arm and a leg. And why wouldn’t they? The the people featured in this book have high
paying jobs with expensive taste to match. But the great thing is that most of them are moderately affordable and accessible from stores like Sephora and Nordstrom,
so there’s no excuse to build up a pretty robust wishlist in plenty of time for Christmas.


The Skin Nerd by Jennifer Rock


Everyone has that friend who is going to give it to you straight. You know, that person who you go to in order to get the actual truth- the ones your nicer, more polite
friends are just too sweet to say. Jennifer Rock is that friend. And she’s telling you to get real with your skin.

Before you can think about treatments and oils and sprays, you have to be up front with how you’re treating your body. What you put in is really what you get out. Rock
gives real useful advice using her unique brand of bluntness, humor and wisdom. That advice that should be simple to us, but with our hectic, modern lives,
it sometimes gets lost amongst the chaos. You’re going to find new ways to take care of your body from the inside out and then, and only then, will you move on to
the tricker subjects like serums, SPF, and sheet masks.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a fresh-faced newbie or a skincare OG; there’s something you definitely don’t know in this book.Rock isn’t going to give you the steps
to get magically clear and radiant skin overnight. But if you follow her skin commandments, you’ll be more than well on your way.
Sunday, May 12, 2019

How to Plan to Have a Fantastic Summer in 5 Days | ivyleaguebabe


We’re finally getting that warm and fuzzy feeling...you know, the one that comes with the knowledge that summer is finally upon us. Longer days, greener scenery, even the loud rolling thunderstorms -- literally everything about this weather is finally putting everyone in the mood to go out and do more. Even if that means standing right outside the front door just to feel the sun on our skin again.


I think it’s funny how as soon as it starts getting colder, this obsession over having a better summer than the last begins. I mean, who’s not looking forward to hanging out with friends without having to shovel a foot of snow off your car, making plans without having to check to see if it will be literally zero degrees outside that night, or being able to go jacket-less to the bar to show off your incredibly well-coordinated outfit? We use the entire winter to think about the swimsuits we’re going to wear, the trips we’re going to take, and which restaurants we want to try when the sun finally makes its way back around and smiles on us for another four or five glorious, glorious months (unless, that is, you’re living in a climate when it’s 75 and sunny all year round. You’ve never known real pain!).


With work and family and general life drama, the season always seems like it sneaks up on us too quickly. Bam! Summer comes and everyone’s planning to have the best summer ever. But by the time July rolls around, we’ve ended up spending most of that time under the covers with a bag of Takis and the curtains drawn, binging The Umbrella Academy on Netflix (which, I guess doesn’t necessarily constitute a bad summer).


In order to really get the most out of your summers, it's going to take some discipline. I mean synced iCals, writing in notebooks, budgeting, the whole nine. But summers are meant to be breezy, I hear you saying, I don’t even want to think about writing in a notebook, note-taking is NOT for the summer! Okay I hear you, but consider this: taking it one step at a time to have the best summer on the books? Definitely worth it!


Budget?


Adding up flights or gas, food, tickets, and a lot of money for alcohol can get a little bit pricey. Just as we budget for everything else in our lives, saving up a little extra for the summer is no different. The Sephora VIB sale is happening as we speak, but I have a strict budget in order for a road trip to Toronto in August, so painfully, I’m living vicariously through my Instagram feed instead.


During the summer, I plan to spend $20-30 extra in food every week, just in case there are new restaurants I want to try or outdoor dinner parties I want to chip in on. I'll spend about $20 more in gas and $150-200 in unplanned travel fees. Any leftover money is great to add to savings you already have, but not having enough money is honestly heartbreaking.


Picking up some extra shifts to put away $50 a week for a few months in the winter is a great way to be sure that your travel expenses are covered, even if you don’t have anywhere to go. If it’s a little to late in the game to have saved up before hand, I always consider picking up shifts in the summer, whenever I can. It’s the perfect time too, since a lot of your coworkers are probably going on vacation soon, the slack needs to be picked up by someone, and it might as well be you!


The Takeaway: Put money away in a summer fund. How much extra you’ll need depends on how many restaurants are on your list to try.



Work Out That Schedule


So, at the moment, I have two jobs and an internship, which is great for me; I’m able to save money and the internship is a great step forward in my career. But between that and sleeping, I’m left with oh... zero days off and almost no time to myself. It’s easy for really busy people to get depressed during the summer, even with all of the beautiful weather, because there’s a lot of plans that have to be sacrificed in order to go in to work. To make every day of the summer count, I start by knowing exactly what days I’m NOT going to have to make plans.


Google Calendar has been a lifesaver, since I’m usually on a desktop when I’m at work and I can make changes that I can see anytime I log in. There’s a ton of color customization options if aesthetics makes a really impact on your productivity, as it does mine. I can also see what tasks I have to accomplish and try and do them on days where I have time after work, so that my weekends are as clear as they possibly can be. Also, requesting vacation time waaay in advance takes so much stress off your shoulders (trust me, so much stress).


The Takeaway: Actually use the calendar app on your phone!



Can I Phone a Friend?


Crying in the movie theater alone is an incredibly cathartic experience, and I recommend doing it if there’s just a lot going on with you and you need a solid 120 to get yourself together. But  plans are typically best when you have a buddy to go with you! Remember that different friends are best for different events, but don’t count out your drinking buddy to be great to come with you on a museum date!


Be aware, your friends and family probably have just as much going on as you with work, vacations and birthdays (send them this article so they can be prepared - there should be NO EXCUSES). Sync those calendars and make sure you double and triple check plans, especially if you made them months in advance. We all know how quickly plans can change!


The Takeaway: Make sure your friends don’t flake on you.



Research... a Necessary Evil


The worst feeling is loving a band and having them never stop in your city because you live in a flyover state (thanks, Ohio!). The second worst feeling is seeing that they did play in your city a couple days ago, and you had no idea. That’s why finding out what events are happening in your city, or the cities that you’re traveling to, in advance can take the stress out of scrambling for time and money the week of. You’ll also be able to find events you didn’t even know were happening!


The best sites I’ve been able to find events through have been BandsInTown, Eventbrite and Ticketmaster. Also, check your local museums, city travel websites, and Twitter friends for the most updated lists of events. Keep a list of your events and travel dates, itineraries and even flyers up on the fridge to keep you


The Takeaway: Google is your BFF!



Stay Flexible!


Even though you have your money right, your schedule on lock, your friends sworn to be your plus one, and the tickets in hand...something’s bound to go wrong. And sometimes, cancelled plans lead to the most memorable, fun, spontaneous days. If one of your parties gets rained on, have a backup plan to rent a movie and have a day in at your place. Check what movies are playing in theaters. Are any new restaurants opening in your downtown area? When one door closes, don’t forget that a ton are still wide open and you might not have to RSVP for them!


Even if your schedule is like mine, and you’re working most days, try making mundane tasks fun. Going grocery shopping with my best friend is just as much fun as seeing a movie or going out to dinner with her, and it’s also knocking off something from my to-do list in the process. Seeing vacations and festivals on social media can make us feel like our summers have to be picturesque or extravagant for them to be worthwhile, but have fun where and how you can and always remember that their lives on social media aren't always what they seem.

The Takeaway: Everyone’s summers aren’t going to look the same. Even if you aren’t lying on a beach somewhere, it doesn’t mean that your summer was a complete bust! Plan to do what you think is fun, and the memories make themselves!

Go out and have an amazing Summer '19!
Thursday, January 17, 2019

Insta-Crush | More Models of Color You Should Be Following



New Year, new timeline! If you're looking for some fresh faces and inspiration to start 2019 off right, here's a list of 8 models you should follow (if you're not already!).

Milan Dixon (@modelmilano)


a super radiant #girlcrush who doesn't get nearly as much shine as she deserves!

Leomie Anderson (@leomieanderson)


If you're not following this boss babe yet, you NEED to get on that. She's a Victoria Secret model who also has her own brand, LAPP,  that champions women both in the media and the community.

Nafessa Williams (@nafessawilliams)



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Nafessa is one of the stars of The CW's "Black Lightning" (it's second season finale is on January 21st!") and she's the most adorable!

Kristina Elise (@kristinaxelise)



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Runway, editorial- she's got them both on lock. If you haven't been following her, you've been really missing out.

Gabrielle Richardson (@fridacashflow)



Gabrielle's an arthoecollective curator and a model appearing on UrbanOutfitters.com and in Nylon mag. She's got the most perfect skin I've ever seen (seriously, this girl glows in the sun)!


Simone Thompson (@slickwoods)



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You've definitely seen her face; this hot (new) mama is one of Rihanna's favorite models, appearing in both her Fenty Beauty campaigns and her SavagexFenty shows.

Paloma Elsesser (@palomija)


Something about Paloma just oozes cool and confident like no other. Plus she's got killer style to boot.

Natasha Ndlovu (@natashandlovu)



She's the embodiment of style and class. Could you ask for more, really? (And her YouTube channel's amazing as well!)

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