Trust & Believe: These Finds Will Help Revive Your Second-Day Curls
If there's one thing we know, it's that the relationship between a naturalista and her mane is filled with outstanding highs and sometimes embarrassing lows.
Some days, you feel like you're one of the JET Beauties of The Week. Other days, you just want to throw on a hat and disappear because your hair decided to do its own thing and show out. And we all know that dreaded feeling that comes the morning AFTER a bomb hair day. You know, the moment you take off your bonnet or silk scarf, shake out your hair, take a good look, and––yeah. We've been there sis, more times than we'd like to admit. But the good news is, you don't have to stay there.
Keep reading for some of our fave products that'll keep your second-day curls poppin'.
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Miss Jessie’s Jelly Soft Curls
Miss Jessie's
There's a reason why they call it jelly soft. If your curls are a little lackluster, dampen your hair or add a decent amount of this product to dry hair, scrunch for best results, and watch them come back to life.
Cantu Coconut Curling Cream
Cantu
If the smell doesn't get you sold, then the way this product enhances your curls will. This smooth cream lets your natural curl pattern shine through without weighing your hair down.
SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie
SheaMoisture
This product has been a staple for naturalistas seemingly since it first came out, and there's a good reason for that. It truly is one of the best curl enhancers for thick, curly hair. As a seven-year naturalista, this is one product that never does me wrong.
Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Fortifying Conditioner
Garnier
I firmly believe that one of the best ways to ensure good day-two hair, is to prep and properly moisturize it from the beginning. This brand is normally targeted towards our less curly friends but don't sleep on this conditioner. The fruit protein actively works to control frizz which sets you up for a smoother, sleeker finish once you get to styling.
Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Intensely Smooth Leave-In Conditioner
Garnier
We strongly suggest following up the Garnier conditioner with its leave-in companion. And that's because the infused Argan oil in both will help to seal in your hair's natural moisture while blocking out humidity. And with both systems working together, believe us when we say––your curls will look brand new.
Creme of Nature Pure Honey Curl Activator
Walmart
It's the shine and elongation for us. This curl activator not only keeps your strands looking silky smooth, it also helps elongate them, kicking shrinkage to the curb. And who doesn't want that?
Cantu Define & Shine Custard
Target
This custard gives you all the benefits of a nice, defined curls without the sticky buildup. It also keeps them soft and bouncy, no hard-crunch in sight.
SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Yogurt Leave-In Spray
SheaMoisture
When this line first came out, I had never heard of Manuka Honey. But honey, when I tell you this spray is the truth? Use this for a quick curl refresher to hydrate and reawaken your coils.
Eco Styler Black Castor & Flaxseed Oil Gel
Walmart
We know the jury is still out on whether or not we really rock with Eco Styler like that. But for those that do or those who are willing, this Black Castor and Flaxseed Oil version turns your curls from dry and dull to light and luscious with little-to-no effort.
Curls Blueberry Bliss Control Jelly
You aren't a true naturalista if you don't have this jelly in your stash. From your fave influencers to everyday babes, this product not only defines your curls but it holds the curl in place. That way your hair keeps its beautiful form day after day.
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Writer. Empath. Escapist. Young, gifted, and Black. Shanelle Genai is a proud Southern girl in a serious relationship with celebrity interviews, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and long walks down Sephora aisles. Keep up with her on IG @shanellegenai.
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.
Why Do Millennials & Gen-Zers Still Feel Like Teenagers? The Pandemic Might Be The Reason.
There’s nothing quite as humbling as navigating adulthood with no instruction manual. Since the turn of the decade, it seems like everything in our society that could go wrong has, inevitably, gone wrong. From the global pandemic, our crippling student debt problem, the loneliness crisis, layoffs, global warming, recession, and not to mention figuring out what to eat for dinner every night. This constant state of uncertainty has many of us wondering, when are the grown-ups coming to fix all of this?
But the catch is, we are the new grown-ups.
As if it happened without our permission, we became the new adults. We are the members of society who are paying taxes, having children, getting married, and keeping our communities afloat, one iced latte at a time. Still, there’s something about doing all these grown-up duties that feel unnaturally grown-up. Enter the #teenagegirlinher20s.
If there’s one hashtag to give you the state of the next cohort of adults, it’s this one. Of the videos that have garnered over 3.9M views, you’ll find a collection of users who are overwhelmed by life’s pressing existential responsibilities, clung to nostalgia, and reminiscent of the days when their mom and dad took care of their insurance plans.
@charlies444ngel no like i cant explain to her why i had to buy multiple tank air dupes from aritzia #teenagegirlinher20s #fyp
The concept of being a 20-something or 30-something teenager is linked to the sentiment of not feeling “grown up enough” to do grown-up things while feeling underprepared and even nihilistic about whether that preparation even matters.
It’s our generation’s version of when we ask our grandmothers how old they are and they simply reply with, “I still feel 45,” all while being every bit of 76 years old. In this, we share a warped concept of time while clinging to a desire for infantilization.
Granted, the pandemic did a number on our concept of time. Many of us who started the pandemic in our early or mid-20s missed out on three fundamental years of socialization, career development, and personal milestones that traditionally help to mark our growth.
Our time to figure out and plan our next steps through fumbling yet active participation was put on pause indefinitely and then resumed provisionally. This in turn has left many of us hanging in the balance of uncertainty as we try to make sense of the disconnect between our minds and bodies in this missing gap of time.
Because we’re all still figuring out what the ramifications of being locked away and frozen in time by a global pandemic will have on us as a society, there really is no “right” way of making up for lost time. Feeling unprepared for any new chapter of life is a natural rite of passage, pandemic or not. However, it’s important to not stay stuck in the last age or period of life that made sense to us because self-growth is the truest evidence of personal progress.
So whether you’re leaning on your inner child, teenager, or 20-something for guidance as you fill the gap between your real age and pandemic age, know that it’s okay to grieve the person you thought you would be and the milestones you thought you’d hit before you ever knew what a pandemic was. If there’s anything that the pandemic taught us, it’s that we have the power to reimagine a better world and life for ourselves. And if we tap into our inner teenager as a compass, we can piece together our next chapter with a fresh outlook.
Sure, we’ve lost a couple of years, but there are still some really amazing ones ahead.
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