Cassie Credits Alkaline Shower Filters & ‘Minding Her Business’ For Youthful Skin
Cassie Ventura--actress, singer, wife, mother, legend, and friend--has removed herself from the industry’s chaos in the best way. She packed her bags, married her bae, Alex Fine, who she shares two beautiful daughters with, and threw the deuces up at whatever was no longer serving her. Cassie and Alex, who wed in September 2019, welcomed daughters Frankie Stone in December 2019 and Sunny Cinco in March 2021.
Since, the beauty icon has kept a somewhat low profile, focusing on her family and a less indulgent lifestyle, even recently making a rare appearance opposite Chris Brown in his "Psychic" video. Despite opting for a quieter lifestyle, Cassie is always on board to chat about beauty, which thankfully, The Cut caught up with the singer to discuss all things from home life, advice she would give to herself, and her skincare routine. Keep reading for more.
Cassie on her morning routine:
Cassie has morning rituals that she sticks with, which include meditating and starting her morning with a cup of peppermint tea. “It calms my stomach, and it helps me recenter before the day starts. I’m also a huge water drinker. I have alkaline filters throughout our house. My favorite is the one in the shower, which has helped with the health of my skin and hair so much.”
Game changer?
Cassie also indulges in daily quiet time as a personal reboot. “Even if I only get three minutes to just be quiet, I believe in it. I think it’s important for my sanity.”
On motherhood:
“I actually repetitively remind myself to stay present. I never did that before,” she tells the mag. “I had a moment the other day where one of my daughters was on a rampage and I got really frustrated. My older daughter, Frankie, said, ‘Mommy, don’t forget to breathe.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ When you give them certain things, they give them back to you. It was wonderful to feel that from her. We sat, and she helped me breathe, and then I calmed down and I was fine.”
On advice to her younger self:
“Don’t worry so much because everything works itself out, and if you place yourself where you feel like you’re supposed to be, you’ll be fine. Doing things outside of your comfort zone is important, but doing things that aren’t right isn’t.”
On how she preserves her youthfulness:
“By minding [my] business. I don’t pass judgment on what people choose to do for themselves. I feel like there’s a lot to be said about people that live their lives and not everyone else’s.”
Cassie’s Skincare Routine:
Summer Fridays Super Amino Gel Cleanser, $35
Cassie always starts her morning with a double cleanse. She goes in with Summer Fridays’ restorative gel cleanser, an amino-acid blend that replenishes and protects the skin. “It’s really helped keep my skin clean without feeling overly dry,” she told The Cut.
Youth to the People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser, From $12
The next cleanser is her favorite, Youth to the People’s superfood cleanser, a gel with nourishing ingredients such as spinach, kale, and green tea, which soothe the skin while fighting signs of aging. On days when she’s rushing and doesn’t have time to double cleanse, this is the one cleanser she uses.
Buttah Skin Aloe Rose Refreshing Face Mist, $19
Cassie is not huge on using toner but is looking to work it into her routine with the help of Buttah's founder. The balancing spray acts as a toner by hydrating the skin with aloe vera and rosewater.
Ustawi Vitamin C Antioxidant Serum, $45
Next up is Ustawi serum, which is one she refuses to skip. “The products are made for melanin skin, and I’m obsessed,” she says. The oil-and-water-gel serum brightens the complexion and restores the skin’s natural glow.
Mario Badescu Herbal Hydrating Serum, $30
Cassie likes using hyaluronic acid–based serums like this one from Mario Badescu. It’s super-hydrating and boosts the skin’s production of collagen for a healthy glow.
Starface Hydro-Stars Party Pack - 32-Count, $11
When the inevitable breakout happens, Cassie busts out Starface pimple patches, which are dermatologist tested and absorb fluid from pimples to expedite the skin’s healing process. “Pimples are the absolute worst, and we’re all trying to get rid of them, but it’s okay to embrace them too,” she says.
Ustawi Baobab Fruit Ultra-Nourishing Moisturizer, $37
The final step in keeping her skin looking luminous is applying the Ustawi Baobab Fruit Ultra-Nourishing Moisturizer. Baobab is a natural African fruit that detoxifies and nourishes the skin. It leaves the complexion cushiony-smooth and targets hyperpigmentation.
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Featured image by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Another season of Love Is Blind has come to a close, and almost two months later we’re still unpacking the drama that is Clay and AD. The finale, reunion, and post-interviews with Clay and AD after season six of Love Is Blind left millions of people wondering - why couldn’t AD see the signs? Clay told her he had a fear of marriage, his parents experienced infidelity, and he seemed to have many doubts about saying, "I do."
After changing his mind at the altar and hearing AD question why she feels like she’s never enough, I was finished watching. I didn’t need to hear anything else because, at that moment, I realized this wasn’t about Clay; this was about AD feeling inadequate before she ever met Clay.
If I’m honest, I don’t watch much dating television. TikTok keeps me updated with the clips that I need to see in order to be kept in the loop, but it’s difficult for me to watch an entire season of dating TV because seeing Black women settle for less and questioning their beauty is a trigger for me. In many ways, there were points in my life where I was AD, settling and ignoring red flags because I wanted to be loved.
Now, on the other side, it doesn’t feel good to see Black women lower their standards on national television. There have been many hot takes on this couple and who was in the wrong. Did Clay play in AD’s face or did she not listen to the truth of what he told her from day one? Was his reason for joining the show to promote his business and not to find the one?
We’ll never know the truth, but what we can do is learn tactics to better our self-worth. Founder and CEO of The Self Love Organization Denise Francis shared her expertise with xoNecole on what tangible steps to take to improve feelings of worthiness. “Self-love blooms in a garden where self-worth is planted, nourished, and whole. However, when your self-worth is challenged, displaced, or broken, it could be difficult to rebuild," Denise explains.
How To Rebuild Self-Worth
During her self-love coaching sessions, Denise likes to walk her clients through the cornerstones of rebuilding self-worth: grace and self-compassion. To her, self-worth is never lost, it's only displaced, so practicing self-compassion and giving yourself grace is a must. "We tend to place our self-worth in entities and people of ourselves such as relationship status, physical appearance, material possessions, social media followings, what others think of us, and more. Self-worth is not something to be measured by anyone or anything outside of ourselves because we all innately hold value and worth.
"Self-worth is not something to be measured by anyone or anything outside of ourselves because we all innately hold value and worth."
"When we place our value into people or things, we tend to feel that we are not enough, worth it, special, or important when relationship status, job titles, friendships, and physical appearances are lost or changed. We then tend to feel lost within ourselves because we’ve placed our value outside of ourselves. Using grace and compassion, you can rebuild your self-worth by returning home to who you are at your core," she concludes.
How To Return Home To Yourself
Denise advises taking a step back and using self-reflection through journaling by answering the following journaling prompts:
First, ask yourself, "What do you tend to attach your self-worth to and why?"
Is it your relationships, your job title, your finances, your appearance, etc.? Why do you think you place so much emphasis on external status? How does it make you feel when you are defining yourself through these entities and/or people outside of yourself?
Then, ask yourself, "Without these things, who am I?"
Once you have your answers, show yourself kindness, remove the shame, and, as Denise says, "Redefine yourself by detaching your value from the things and people you have no control over and no longer serve you. Challenge yourself to define yourself outside of titles and societal values."
"By returning home to your core, you find value in who you are as a person. You begin to find value in the way you love instead of your relationship status, your compassion instead of your popularity, your drive instead of your income/job title, and your heart instead of your physical appearance," she adds.
"By returning home to your core, you find value in who you are as a person."
"Be intentional with healing your self-worth by leaning into the people and things that nourish your core values. Surround yourself with the people who love and cherish you, they will always remind you just how valuable you truly are."
It all goes back to self-compassion and grace. As Denise explains, leading with those two things as you heal and rebuild your self-worth allows you to reduce negative self-talk that might come up for you. "This weakens thoughts like, 'I am not enough... why am I never enough?'" she shares, "And 'I don't deserve this while strengthening thoughts like 'I deserve better,' 'I am enough,' and 'I am worth it.'"
Denise continues, "Once you return home and remember the irreplaceable person you are, you can rebuild your self-worth by placing it back where it belongs. It belongs to you."
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Featured image by LaylaBird/Getty Images
