

I Didn't Believe In Online Dating Until I Met The Love Of My Life On Tinder
I'll be the first to say that Tinder gets a bad rep. It's been deemed the "hookup app" from those looking for something fun to do on any given night, and though it can certainly be used for a weekend rendezvous or a risqué meet and greet, for those who are really looking for someone special, it can be the answer to your solving single prayers.
When I see stories about social media and dating they are typically horror stories, but my experience has been the opposite--I actually found love through Tinder.
Around this time last year, I was preparing for one of the worst let-downs ever; the guy I was in love with had a wife, a girlfriend, and me... Horrible. When his girlfriend (whom I was told was his groupie) filled me in on what was going on, I cut things off. I had accepted a position with an amazing company and would be moving soon anyway. It hurt, but I had amazing friends to distract me. One weekend, while en route to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, my friends suggested that I download Tinder. I had heard of it, but I was over love and trying.
My friends suggested it for a good laugh, and if you have ever been on the app you know that you see a little bit of everything and definitely things that are worthy of a screen shot and conversation in your friends only group message. So I swiped right, entertained a few guys, and unmatched some more, but one day--about a month after downloading the app--I got a message and continued a conversation with a guy that wasn't like the rest. Just like me he was educated, intelligent, and open to love if it led to that. We messaged each other for 11 hours, which led to him asking for my number. We talked until 5am, a stretch for someone who is a grad student, but I didn't want to stop talking to him. The very next day, he informed me that he was passing through where I lived to pick a friend up from the airport, and he asked if I wanted to meet. I prayed I wasn't being catfished, but something about this felt right. We met, and just like the conversations on the app and the phone call, we clicked right away.
The pictures didn't do him justice; I was in awe. We talked all night and has an amazing time. After that he came to see me almost every other day until I went on another girls trip/conference. I knew I was catching feelings fast, but it felt like nothing I had ever experienced. We talked through my travels even more than before and he didn't miss a beat. He picked me up from the airport upon my return and took me directly on a date. His effort was something that I had never experienced, and after having my heartbroken was something that was needed. We spent so much time with each other that not only were we falling for each other, but we were becoming best friends. Although I initially told him I was moving and that we should just be friends, that quickly went out the window as we decided that we wanted to make it official.
That was almost a year ago, and being his has been one of the best decisions that I have ever made.
Who would have thought that swiping right would have led to this? I am in love with my best friend, and I met him on a dating app.
I owe Tinder for my happiness, and if you're open to love there's a chance that the right one may just be a swipe away.
For those who are beginning to jump back into the dating pool and are looking for something real over temporary satisfaction, here are a few tips on how to make Tinder work for you. (Yes you!)
1. Don't Fall For the Wrong Type
Realize that Tinder is full of all types of people. Depending on the area that you are in you may not see what you define as prince charming on the first swipe. But this can give you the opportunity to explore people that are outside of your comfort zone. Someone who is not from your hometown, not the same ethnicity as you, or someone who you normally wouldn't talk to. Thats a good thing, comfort zones sometime hinder us and keep us away from an awesome catch or at the least bit an interesting good time.
2. Don't Get Caught Up In the Swipe Right Hype
Tinder gives us plenty of options to swerve someone we are not interested. Utilize this option! From swiping left to un-matching, if you aren't feeling the vibe, let it go. Its cool, there are plenty of fish in the sea waiting to be swiped.
3. Let Their Actions Do the Talking
So you're swiping away and you're getting that “I'm ready for something more than just Netflix and chill" feeling. How do you know that the person who matched with you is possibly feeling the same? Conversation indicators! If your conversations are normal, you're talking about your background, your goals, things you like, things you don't, and this leads to the question of a date, this person is probably interested in something more that can lead to something serious. If the conversation leads to something sexual extremely quick, that is a big red flag. If the conversation leads to them asking to come to your house after five minutes of conversation, that is probably also a red flag.
4. Move At Your Own Pace
Conversations are going well, and you're getting tired of going back and forth to the app to communicate. He asks for your number, but when is the right time? Honestly the right time to give your personal number to someone is when you feel comfortable doing it. That could be a day, it could be weeks, or longer. It honestly depends on you. But there is a handy feature called Google Voice, where you can create a phone number that is forwarded to your phone and you can text and talk without ever giving out your personal number. I have some friends that have used this option for a precaution.
5. Go Public With It
If everything is a hit and you get to the point where mutually you are ready to meet and to go on a date, the biggest thing that I would suggest is meeting in a public place and making sure that someone knows where you are going and the name of who you are going with, just as a safety measure. My first official date with my Tinder boo was dinner and a movie, but it could be as simple or extravagant as you both desire.
6. Keep Calm, It's Just A Date!
Last but not least, set out to have fun! Dating is a fun experience, and even if the person doesn't end up being “the one", at least the person became a story to tell your friends about!
Update:
The love of Maurisha's life is now the answer to her forever. In 2017, Tinder Bae put a ring on it in an unforgettable way. Since he was a drum major back in the day, he decided to pop the question at the Magic City Classic and she said "yes"! The couple recently made things official-official by tying the knot in February 2019.
Maurisha Ross/Instagram
And this August, the two soulmates will be welcoming their first bundle of joy. Congrats to the beautiful couple!
Maurisha Ross/Instagram
Originally published January 31, 2017; Article has since been updated.
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.
Blac Chyna Opens Up About Her Initial Fear To Share Her Spiritual Journey With Others
Watching Angela “Blac Chyna” White’s transformation in real-time has truly been a sight to see. It wasn’t that long ago that she announced that she was reversing her cosmetic surgeries in an effort to go back to who she was before the world came to know her as Blac Chyna. In previous interviews, she stated that she was dissolving her facial and lip fillers, removing her breast implants, and getting a butt reduction, as well as removing the dimple piercings that enhanced her fame and controversial tattoos.
In a recent Tamron Hall interview, the mother of two said that she has “fully recovered” from the procedures. She is also celebrating one year of sobriety and opened up about being worried about how her new journey would be received by others.
“I’ve been in the entertainment industry for so long, right, and of course, like, you know, coming out, I’m like young, I’m gonna do wild things as we all have,” she said.
“...I feel like by me being vocal and showing everybody you can change your life and things can get better, like through myself, that right there is an accomplishment, and that’s a part of freedom, too.”
But as she started on her journey, many people have shown her grace, which is something she’s grateful for. “And then the fact that people have been showing me grace, it’s like amazing,” she said. “And I feel like when I did it, I just did it. It was more so like spiritual thing and I feel like people see that, and I’ve always been like my authentic self, so what you see is kinda what you get with me, and that’s just kinda what it is.”
Chyna, who recently received an honorary doctorate from Sacramento Theology Seminary and Bible College, has also repaired her relationship with her mom, Tokyo Toni. The social media celebrity surprised her daughter on the Tamron Hall Show. Prior to the sentimental surprise, Chyna dished on the reconciliation and having a better understanding of her mom.
“I must say, some of the things I have to take accountability for because, like my actions. As a mother, you don’t want to see your daughter doing certain things ‘cause it’s like it doesn’t matter what my past was or what we’re going through, I didn’t raise you that way,” she admitted. “So, it’s like, okay, maybe I was a little bit wrong. Maybe I was acting out a little bit. But I feel like as we grow older, I kinda see more, and I understand more.”
Chyna will be starring in season two of Fox's reality competition show Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.
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 Kevin Winter/Getty Images