In About Face, xoNecole gets the 411 on IGers who give us #skincaregoals on a daily. Here they break down their beauty routines on the inside and out, as well as the highly coveted products that grace their shelves and their skin.
Candice Sabiduría is a woman of many interests. Not only is the 21-year-old a model and an actress, but she is also the founder of the vegan and cruelty-free skincare brand, SABii SKiNCARE. The budding entrepreneur decided to take her affinity for clean beauty into her own hands by throwing away store-bought products that only seemed to wreak havoc on her skin. She found that formulating her own products with special care and attention to the ingredients in them reflected in the overall health and clarity of her complexion.
Though SABii SKiNCARE targets skin concerns like texture, hyperpigmentation, and acne, Candice has a personal mission of upholding "good skin" as healthy skin. "Healthy skin has hair. It has hair, it has pores. It even has dark marks [and] discoloration. It has fine lines and wrinkles," she explains to xoNecole. "We're all going to have these things, which are the hyperpigmentation, dark circles under your eyes. All those things are healthy skin. I think once people realize that, people's standards of beauty are going to change drastically."
Courtesy of Candice Sabiduría
Her own relationship with beauty strengthened once she started doing little things outwardly that made her feel differently about her beauty inwardly. Things like self-care days, reciting affirmations, starting her mornings with calm instrumental music, taking bubble baths that scream "indulgence," and treating herself to meals alone impact the way she feels in her skin overall. "I just love being alone and finding that comfort and that beauty and just being able to do things for yourself," she adds.
As far as her most significant beauty lesson, Candice is all about hydration. "Always hydrate. Not just on the inside but the outside. People say drink water, which is great. Do that, but also hydration from the outside," Candice shares. "I love steaming my face. That's something you don't need to go out and buy anything. You can literally boil some water and put in some essential oils if you want and steam your face. That's a big tip for me. Hydrate. Just hydrate, hydrate, hydrate."
Keep scrolling for more insight into Candice Sabiduría’s morning and night skincare routines.
Candice Sabiduría’s A.M. Skincare Routine Looks Like…
Step One: Cleanse
Once You Go Black Foaming Liquid Black Soap
Sabii SKiNCARE
"I start out with cleansing my face. I use my cleanser, which is Once You Go Black. It has a black soap base. When I cleanse my face, I like to cleanse my face for one to two minutes to really activate the juices. I do that while I'm in the shower. I come out. I like to pat my face to dry it. Always pat. Always, always, always pat."
Step Two: Toner
Jucii Drops Toner
SABii SKiNCARE
"Then, I go in with my toner. I use the Jucii Drop Toner from my line and it's a niacinamide toner with pomegranate extract, which really helps any dark marks I have and dullness in my face. I like to let that dry. This is also an important step. For my skincare, I wait 60 seconds between each product application to really let my skin absorb the product properly."
Step Three: Vitamin C Serum
Orange You Clear Dark Spot Serum
SABii SKiNCARE
"Then, I like to go in with a vitamin C serum. That's also from my line, it's called Orange You Clear, which is like a cute little play on words. It's a gel serum, which I love. I love the way a gel cream applies."
Step Four: Collagen Gel
DHC Astaxanthin Collagen All-In-One Gel
DHC Care
"Once the serum's absorbed into my skin, I use this. It's a collagen all-in-one gel. Fun fact, collagen doesn't absorb into your skin topically, which I know, but I love the way that this feels, so I don't care."
Step Five: Moisturizer
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+
Clinique
"My morning time moisturizer is Clinique. Their Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion."
Step Six: Sunscreen
L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Day Lotion SPF 30
L'Oreal Paris
"My final step is a sunscreen. I have three sunscreens that are my favorite and I pick them differently depending on my mood that day. My number one favorite is this one. It has 30 SPF and is also a dark spot corrector. I just love the way it makes my skin glow.
"Sunscreen is always going to give you that extra glow factor. I think it's important to wear sunscreen because it locks in all the work you did before and it makes sure that the ingredients that you're using that are active to fight hyperpigmentation are allowed to work. So, without that, you're kind of stuck in the same place for a while."
Courtesy of Candice Sabiduría
Candice Sabiduría’s P.M. Skincare Routine Looks Like…
Step One: Double Cleanse
DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
DHC
"In my nighttime skin-care routine when it comes to cleansing, I like to double cleanse. Now, double cleansing, you can do it in so many different ways. I usually do two different ways of double cleansing depending on what my skin needs. The oil cleanser I use is Deep Cleansing Oil."
Once You Go Black Foaming Liquid Black Soap
SABii SKiNCARE
"Then, I usually go in with a non-moisturizing face wash, nothing that's like milky. You're not going to want to do that with double cleansing oil. The one that I like, I use either the Once You Go Black or recently start using this Urban Hydration Bright & Balanced Aloe Vera Leaf Face Wash. This is good, but I wouldn't recommend using this more than two or three times a week. The other way I like to do a double cleanse is, I'll do a non-moisturizing cleanser first. So, I'll usually use Once You Go Black, and then I'll add a cream cleanser."
Step Two: Toner
Jucii Drops Toner
SABii SKiNCARE
"Once I'm done with that, then I will pat my face dry and start my skincare prep. To start the skincare prep, I go in with my toner, which is Jucii Drops."
Step Three: Serum
Bouncii Serum
SABii SKiNCare
"I will sometimes I'll either do the Orange You Clear or I'll use my hyaluronic acid [from my line], which is Bouncii. I like using hyaluronic acid at night as well as in the morning, just because I feel like it gives my face that plump, I need. Especially if you do it at night, you see the results in the morning. So, I love that.
Step Four: Moisturizer
Versed Skincare Skin Soak Rich Moisture Cream
Versed Skincare
"For my moisturizers, the one I've been really liking is by Versed and it is their Skin Soak Rich Moisture Cream. It's for dryness and anti-aging. I like to go to bed with something thick on my face."
Step Five: Eye Cream
OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright Eye Crème
OLEHENRIKSEN
"I do use eye creams as well, but I don't use eye creams every day. When I do use eye creams, I never put them on the inner part of my eye. Your skin has pores that are very sensitive there. For most people, if you continuously put eye creams on the inner corners of your eyes, you're going to see acne flare-ups or enlarged pores, or inflammation in that area. So, I never recommend people do that. When I do use eye creams, it's usually in the morning.
"I like to use OLEHENRIKSEN, their Banana Bright Eye Crème. And also, I like to use this one. I have like dark circles. It has a little tint to it. I don't use a lot of this. This is a very thick eye cream. And again, don't put it on your inner eye because this a hundred percent will make my pores inflamed because it's just moisture overload."
Bonus Step: Face Mask
Avo Babii Exfoliate + Mask
SABii SKiNCARE
"I love doing face masks. I'm a face mask girl too. I love the avocado mask [from my line]. My favorite. It gives me the hydration I need. When I do my wash day, I put my mask on, and then I'm also in the tub and it gives me everything I need. It exfoliates my skin very gently. I have sensitive skin, so I'm not able to do the harsh exfoliations, even chemically. So, it gives me the new, fresh feeling that I need and it starts my week off perfectly."
For more of Candice, follow her on Instagram @candicesabiduria.
Featured image courtesy of Candice Sabiduría / Illustration by Kyra Jay
In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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Feature image by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
Taylor founded Mastermind MGMT, an agency that represents some of Hollywood’s best “image architects” like Roach, Kellon Deryck, and Kollin Carter, who are responsible for creating unforgettable style and beauty moments for celebrities like Zendaya, Megan Thee Stallion, Taraji P. Henson, and more. Taylor and her company possess an array of functions, but her biggest role is to be her client’s advocate. We hear endless stories about how creatives aren’t paid or underpaid in the entertainment industry, but Taylor ensures that her clients get their piece of the pie. The entrepreneur opened up about her company and her non-profit, Mastermind Matters, in an exclusive interview with xoNecole.
“I always say that I'm an artist advocate first, deal closer second. So my primary focus is to just make sure that the artist is getting everything that they deserve, whether it's compensation or, you know, certain accommodations, but just making sure that they have everything that they need to be able to show up and provide the best service that they're hired for,” she explained.
“So you know, in the beginning, it was hard because I didn't have any experience, and the artists who I was working with at the time–we were learning together, meaning neither of us had assisted anyone. We didn't have mentors in our specific fields. So every deal was like a new learning experience for us from the styling side and also from the business side, and so it took, you know, doing some research, using some very creative tactics, to find out information in the industry and just starting to request accommodations that I knew other artists were granted, who maybe didn't look like my artists.”
Photo courtesy of Tamara Taylor
Ten years later, there’s still not many people who are doing what Taylor is doing. However, things have gotten easier thanks to the research and connections she made in the beginning. During Mastermind MGMT’s ten-year anniversary celebration, she announced her non-profit, Mastermind Matters, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that focuses on helping young entrepreneurs through a 12-week program. The program is divided into “two routes.” The first route is for aspiring creative artists who want to start a business from their talent and all the things they need to learn about business, such as taxes, life insurance, etc. The second route is for practicing creative artists who are already in the industry but need resources such as how to plan for retirement or how to sustain themselves if they can’t work for a short amount of time, i.e., the pandemic.
“I just feel that I'm able to have a business and be successful because of their art as well. And so there are things that I know, I tried to teach it to them but understanding that I can only do so much because I'm not a subject matter expert in those fields,” she said. “So I at least want to be able to provide the resources, and then if they make their grown decision not to do it, then that's on them. But you know, I could be guilt-free and taking advantage of the resources that I'm also providing to them.”
Taylor continues to be an innovator in her industry by always pushing the boundaries of creativity and thinking one step ahead of everyone else. The Chicago-bred businesswoman is moving into the tech space thanks to a new invention created with her clients in mind, and she is looking forward to bigger collaborations in the future. Follow Mastermind MGMT on Instagram @mastermind_mgmt for more information.
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Feature image courtesy of Tamara Taylor
