

The Vegan Skincare Line This Content Strategist Swears By
In About Face, xoNecole gets the 411 on IGers who give us #skincaregoals on the 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.
There's a point in every woman's life where she has to go deep-diving into the endless sea of skincare products to find what works best for their routine, but social media marketing maven Destiny Taylor has a beauty tip that will help you save a few coins and keep bad skin at bay.
Less is more, and this is especially true when it comes to your skin, and according to Destiny, bombarding your face with expensive, medical-grade products may be doing your acne more harm than good. She explained, "My most significant beauty lesson was learning that when someone has acne, they don't necessarily need products formulated to treat acne. I've done significant damage to my sensitive skin in the past by using potent salicylic and glycolic acid products."
For this Cali-based creative, skincare isn't a routine, issa lifestyle—one that she aligned with early-on. "My relationship with beauty and skincare strengthened when I entered middle school. Puberty had me feeling myself, and I wanted to look as good on the outside as I felt inside."
As an adult, Destiny has learned that skincare is synonymous with self-care and is intentional AF about boffum. Along with eating healthy and working out, the 24-year-old content creator says that spiritual work is the essence of true beauty. "I used to only feel beautiful when I had a beat face and a bomb outfit. That was how I saw beauty in others, as well. Now, I feel most beautiful when my skin is soft and radiant, and when I feel grounded."
In this month's About Face, we sat down with Destiny to talk more about her favorite skincare products, radical self-care, and how she keeps her beauty in bloom all damn year. Here's what we learned:
My morning routine looks like...
"My typical morning looks like waking up at 5:45am, throwing on some gym clothes, and rushing out the door to pilates. Once I get home, I clean myself up and light some Frankincense. Then I'll grab my journal and express what I need to. I close my morning routine by meditating to some binaural beats until I doze off. My alarm wakes me up at 9am to get ready for work and head into the office quickly."
For my skincare routine in the AM...
"I keep things 'simple' with my morning skincare routine. I quickly cleanse with my Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel––this helps control my breakouts and calms inflammation. I tone with my Nolaskinsentials Witches Brew Toner––it's just a fancy witch hazel that helps control breakouts. I finish by hydrating with my Hydra Face Creme by Nolaskinsentials. I love an ultra-hydrating moisturizer that makes my skin soft and radiant––this gives me that and a little bit more."
For my skincare routine in the PM...
"At night, I use my Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel and Nolaskinsentials Witches Brew Toner and introduce some night-specific products. After cleansing, I exfoliate with my Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, which is one of my favorite products. It brings dull skin to life and eliminates inflammation. I may or may not go in with a mask. Right now, my faves are Nola's Pumpkin Enzyme Mask and Dermalogica's Charcoal Rescue Mask. The charcoal mask actively helps with cell turnover and is my go-to when I have acne scarring. I finish my routine with Nola's Glycolic Night Cream. Glycolic acid and neem oil are listed in the first five ingredients, so it's excellent for clearing acne-prone skin. Oh, and I can't forget my eye cream."
How the seasons change my skin and routine...
"My skin be bringing new energy every season, so I have to go with the flow and cater to it. The main difference between my fall/winter and spring/summer routines is the level of oil control my products offer. I like to be radiant all year long! In the warmer months, I want to use products that will draw out my natural oils because they are usually excessive during that time. In the colder months, I let my oils live since my skin is drier."
My go-to makeup look consists of...
"I wear makeup one to two times per week. I prefer sexy, fresh-faced looks and will add drama with lashes and my lippie from time to time. Brows are essential––they must be soft yet bold. I'll do a concealer, powder foundation, bronzer and highlighting concealer to achieve the perfect base. Plenty of warm gold highlighter. A dab of color on the cheeks, and a soft red gloss on the lips."
How I approach beauty from the inside-out...
"I feel most beautiful inside when I'm kind and helpful to others."
What self-care looks like to me...
"Something that makes me feel sexy––especially for my fellow single ladies! Going to pole dancing classes and dressing in sexy lingerie are my things. Something that makes me feel grounded––sage, incense, a journal, and a personalized alter fulfill this for me. Something that makes me feel alive––giving myself time to explore different interests is essential to me."
For more Destiny, follow her on Instagram @DestinyTaylorxo!
Shop Destiny's Beauty Staples:
*Some links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, xoNecole may earn a small commission.
Featured Photo by Instagram/@destinytaylorxo.
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Russell and Nina Westbrook Dish On The Key Ways To Avoid Resentment In Relationships
Russell and Nina Westbrook are one of those low-key, unproblematic couples we don’t talk about enough. They met in college and got married in 2015. They also have a beautiful family with three kids. While Russell is an NBA star, Nina is a licensed family and marriage therapist and a mental health advocate.
She recently launched the podcast The Relationship Chronicles with Nina Westbrook, and in the latest episode, she had none other than her husband on as a guest. The college sweethearts dived into important topics from marriage to children and how they navigate it all.
One of the topics they touched on was dealing with resentment in your relationship. The former MVP highlighted the sacrifices his wife has had to make in order for him to pursue a career in the NBA, and that’s why it’s also important for him to support his wife whenever he can.
“For me is respecting and understanding what your partner do and the time it takes,” Russell said. “Not kind of downplaying what they do, understanding the time and energy and effort they're doing to make sure whether it’s their job or making sure home is taken care of, and understanding that, I think that is the challenge of not being resentful.”
Nina agreed and also shared her thoughts on resentment. According to her, one of the best things couples should do is have their own identity and passions outside of the relationship in an effort to be fulfilled.
“I also think that when you’re in a relationship, that’s why it’s so important that each individual kinda pursue their own passions and follow their own dreams as I feel like it only becomes or leads to resentment when one person is not feeling fulfilled in what they're doing in their lives,” she explained.
“And so, they will start to look at the other partner who’s happy or excelling or promoting or moving along in their journey, then they’re left feeling stuck like they sacrificed themselves, their happiness, their career, their future and have not pursued it in the name of the relationship or their partner. So, it’s so much easier to avoid those feelings of resentment when you’re each equally pursuing your passions.”
The couple has many passions that they work on together and separately. Outside of basketball and his family, Russell has become known for his eclectic style and started the fashion brand Honor The Gift. Nina has her podcast, and she also started the mental health website Bene. Together, they run the Why Not? Foundation, which works with kids in underserved communities.
“I’m a firm believer that one person can’t be everything to you, so you have to sort of seek out those different friendships or groups or hobbies or activities that help to fulfill you,” Nina concluded.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Religion of Sports