You don't know what you've got til' it's gone, and when it comes to having clear skin, this statement is 100% big facts. Gone are the days where I could rinse my face with some Dollar Store brand body wash and go live my best life without fear of giant blemishes, rashes, and unexpected pimples. Now, my skincare routine takes approximately 20 minutes and $200 worth of products from Ulta and honey, my time and my money are spent.
With growing up comes bills, responsibilities, and worst of all, adult acne, and although you may be in the struggle season right now, sis, your glow-up is on the horizon and it may only take a few trips to the dermatologist and a new skincare system to get your face all the way together.
On a recent episode ofELLE's Wake Up With Me, R&B singer Justine Skye gave us the 411 on the morning routine that keeps her skin both hydrated and healthy AF. Along with checking her horoscope, Justine says that she prefers to ditch the morning java and start her day off with a dairy-free Matcha latte. She explained:
"I'm obsessed with matcha. I have to have it. I don't have to have it, but I would love to have it every day if I could. This right here is a nitro latte. It has almond milk and coconut milk in it. I try not to drink or eat dairy because it's not really that good for you. I tried that coffee thing that everyone does for a little while and I realized that it gave me anxiety and kind of like, panic attacks. I don't know. My heart would start beating really fast and I would start going crazy and like what's wrong with me? And for some strange reason matcha, which is supposed to have more caffeine than coffee, doesn't do that to me."
After eating some banana bread, checking her texts, emails, and horoscopes, Justine is off to jumpstart her skincare regimen, which is a delicious hybrid of Kiehl's and Clinique products that you should get your hands on ASAP.
ELLE/YouTube
Scroll below for details on the acne-prone routine that keeps her glow-on-go at all times:
Clinique Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam ($22)
ELLE/YouTube
"First, I use Acne Solution Cleansing Foam to wash my face and then I just pat my face. I try not to like rub it too bad."
Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion ($17)
ELLE/YouTube
"Next, I use Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion. It's kind of like an astringent. You shake it up and I get one of these lovely cotton pads and I just like put a little bit on there and I just wipe my face with it, focused on the nose area cause I feel like it's a lot of build-up in there."
Kiehls Daily Reviving Concentrate ($47)
ELLE/YouTube
"I use Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream and I mix it with a little bit of Daily Reviving Concentrate, which is like an oil that really just hydrates my skin. I use three drops of it. Massaging your face does help a lot, gets the blood flowing and circulating so you don't have bags under your eyes and stuff like that."
Cactus Flower & Tibetan Ginseng Hydrating Face Mist ($27)
ELLE/YouTube
"I travel with this, I keep this in my bag at all times because it just hydrates your face, you know like whenever it's feeling dry at whatever point. I'm not putting on makeup today because I'm just going to rehearsal. I want my skin to breathe and be healthy and just like get all the vitamin D from the sun and charge up my melanin, you know?"
Kiehl's Glow Formula Skin Hydrator ($38)
ELLE/YouTube
"I use this skin hydrator; one and a half pumps of that. And then this one, I don't really like massage into my face. I kind of just pat. And this is the glow guys. This is how you get the glow. Amazing, isn't it?"
A Handy, Dandy Toothbrush
ELLE/YouTube
And you can't forget to lay those edges, sis.
Clear Eyebrow Gel
ELLE/YouTube
"I always have to have my eyebrows in place, so I just used some clear eyebrow gel."
Featured image by Instagram/@JustineSkye.
Originally published on October 30, 2019
- Podcast Host Jourdan Ash Says This Simple Skincare Routine Is ... ›
- I Tried 6 Different Morning Routines & This One Made Me The Happiest - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
- Justine Skye Explains Exactly What MetixClass Is All About - Beauty ... ›
- Watch Justine Skye's 3 Ways to Win Instagram | Allure Video | CNE ›
- Beauty Crush Wednesday: Justine Skye – Fashion Bomb Daily Style ... ›
- This Beauty Routine is the Secret to Justine Skye's Perfect Skin ... ›
- This Beauty Routine is the Secret to Justine Skye's Perfect Skin ›
- Justine Skye's Unicorn Beauty Routine | Into The Gloss ›
- Justine Skye shares her six favorite fashion and beauty essentials ›
RELATED
During the Los Angeles tour stop, which spanned three dates on May 21, May 23, with the finale on May 24, xoNecole had the opportunity to test out the glosses included in this soft launch, as SZA revealed in a statement that "this is just the start of other lip products, including plans to launch stains, liners, and creams all inspired by SZA's “infamous layered lip combinations.”
Courtesy
So, what is included in the first Not Beauty launch?
The current Not Beauty products available are lip glosses that come in three shades: In the Flesh, Strawberry Jelly, and Quartz.
During my visit to the first LA Not Beauty pop-up activation, I not only had the chance to purchase all three glosses but also took a peek inside the blow-up log tent. Inside, fans got to experience SZA’s love for nature and her fascination with bugs, which are prominently featured in her performances for this tour. At one point, she even had human preying mantis prancing across the stage y'all.
There were blow-up photos of the beauty that is SZA for fans (myself included) to take photos, but in wooden-like tree trunks were a deeper dive into some of the ingredients featured in her products and their benefits.
For example, the glosses feature Hi-Shine Lip Jelly and Shea Butter as key ingredients and some of the listed benefits included are:
- Shea Butter - “A powerhouse ingredient, offering both functional and nourishing benefits.”
- Hi-Shine Lip Jelly (featured in the In the Flesh shade) - “Formula glides on with perfect adhesion to the lips without stickiness).
Courtesy
What are in the products?
Featured in an orange package, with images of a bug and flower on the side, the back of the box reads: “It’s NOT BEAUTY, it just works. Developed by Solána “SZA” Rowe.
As someone who never leaves home without a good lip gloss, I loved how compact the wood panel packaging is. Perfect to slip into my purse, or in the case of the show at SoFi Stadium, into my pocket when I’m not carrying a bag.
Because I’m a sucker for a good black and brown lip liner and clear gloss combo, I decided to wear the Quartz flavor on night one of the Grand National Tour LA stop, and it did not disappoint. I’ll admit, it’s light weight feel made me nervous because it felt like there was nothing on my lips. However, when I checked my lips in my compact mirror several times throughout the night, I was shocked to find that my gloss was still intact. I only reapplied once out of the habit of looking cute and applying my gloss, but not necessity.
Here are some of the ingredients featured, but not limited to, in the Quartz flavor.
- Polyisoubutene
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea)Butter
- Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
- Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
- Tocopherol
Courtesy
Lip prep
I’m a simple girl who loves to stay true to her roots. So ahead of the show, I stopped by a local Inglewood Beauty Supply store and grabbed a Black and Brown shade lip pencil for just under $2 a piece.
Shading the outline of my lips with the black pencil first, I used the brown to lightly fill the inside of my lips before applying my Quartz Not Beauty shade gloss.
How to apply
There’s truly no right or wrong way to apply lip gloss (in my opinion), with this being a brush applicator sort of product, I simply untwisted the top and swiped the gloss around my top and bottom lip generously.
Courtesy
Results
Again, my Not Beauty Quartz product stayed on my lips from the start of the show, which began with a fire DJ set from LA’s very own, Mustard, to the conclusion when Kendrick and SZA reunited on stage to send us home to their duet, “luther,” featured on the rapper's GNX album.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy
This article is about crystals not Scripture, so when it comes to the latter, I’ll just briefly say that if you mosey on over to Exodus 28, you’ll see that a high priest breastplate is referenced; one that contains precious gems including topaz, sapphire, agate, onyx and jasper (and that’s just for starters!). Yeah, it really is important to not just throw judgments around like confetti — know of what you are actually speaking of first (because that’s what Matthew 7 is really all about).
I did think it was important to mention that for potential skeptics about why this article even exists. Because although there are Scriptural and evenscience-based individuals who roll their eyes at the power of what gemstones and crystals can (possibly) do, I’m pretty sure that some of you are not surprised that the holistic and Ayurveda worlds see it all very differently.In those realms, energy plays a big role in physical, emotional, and mental health, and crystals are believed to cultivate balance or intensify certain feelings or experiences through that said energy.
That said, when it comes to sex, specifically, there are certain stones (which are basically what crystals are;in fact, all gemstones are a type of crystal) that are believed to help make intimacy even more satisfying. If you’re curious about which ones are, I’ve got 10 for you below.
10 Crystals That May Enhance Your Intimate Life
Unsplash
1. Garnet
Garnet is a rich shade of red that happens to be January’s gemstone. It’s considered to be one of the oldest gemstones around, one that Egyptians believed was a symbol of life and something that they oftentimes wore in their signet rings. As far as symbolism goes, garnet also represents love and vitality as well as energy, passion and even self-confidence — all of which are quite relevant when it comes to having an active and fulfilling sex life.
2. Amethyst
Queen Cleopatra and Leonardo da Vinci are just two powerful figures who were big fans of the purple gemstone amethyst. Interestingly enough, it is February’s birthstone — the month that Valentine’s Day falls under. Another interesting fact is many early Christians relied on this gem in order to increase their spirituality while many Greeks used to see it as a stone that provided protection. When it comes to intimacy, amethyst is also associated with love and devotion as well as feelings of calm and reduced anxiety — and since the less calm you feel, the easier it is to climax…well. #wink
Unsplash
3. Orange Carnelian
Looking to experience more joy and happiness? Or maybe you want to strengthen your friendships. Or perhaps it’s time to increase your pleasure levels or to go into deeper levels of sensuality. For all of these things, orange carnelian is a top-tier pick. As I did a bit more research on this stone, it’s considered to be a royal one and something that can bring forth peace. One of my favorite things about orange carnelian is it comes in different hues of orange — the deeper the color, the more passion it exudes. Just an FYI.
4. Rose Quartz
If you want to take your romantic relationship to another level, rose quartz has a solid reputation for helping to make that happen for you. In fact, this pink crystal is oftentimes referred to as being the stone of unconditional love because it encourages the wearers of it to both give as well as put themselves in the position to receive love too. Since rose quartz is also tied to things like emotional healing, restored trust and harmony, if you’re looking to make a much deeper intimate connection with your partner, this just might be the stone for you.
Unsplash
5. Rhodochrosite
Rhodochrosite is a red-rose colored stone that I personally hold dear. I say that because, as a survivor of sexual abuse, it is one that helps recovering individuals to work through sexual trauma (and trauma, in general). It is associated with love, compassion and strength as it helps you to process your emotions in a positive way, so that you are able to effectively release past pain and deal with any PTSD that you might have. You know, I know a wife who sexually struggled in her marriage for years because she had been sexually assaulted in college and never told her husband.
A stone of compassion is a precious one — including when it comes to dealing with sexual trauma and intimacy challenges and learning how to face them. Salute to this stone right here.
6. Citrine
Citrine is November’s birthstone and its rich yellow color explains why it represents things like abundance, prosperity, radiance and happiness. Aside from this, whether you’re seeking clarity, you’d like to be more creative or you’re interested in becoming more sensual, citrine encourages all of this. Sensuality is a dope word because it’s all about appealing to all five senses; especially during intimacy. To learn more about how to do that, check out “How To Incorporate All Five Senses To Have The Best Sex Ever.”
Unsplash
7. Red Jasper
While doing my own research on what red jasper represents, what I liked the most is it’s something that encourages emotional stability which is always a wonderful thing to have. Although it is a fiery red color, it also contains grounding properties and it symbolizes strength, courage and, another word that can always make sex more pleasurable: stamina. Since stamina is what helps both men and women to last longer during sex, anything that is a “stamina hack” earns an automatic mention when it comes to sex-themed content — including this.
8. Clear Quartz
A fun fact about quartz is it’s one of the most common minerals on this planet. When it comes to clear quartz, specifically, I like the way that it looks because it’s either a cloudy white or something that you can see straight through. As far as its symbolism is concerned, if you want to reduce physical discomfort, remove distractions and focus more on heightened levels of yourself, this crystal represents all of that. Clear quartz also encourages healing, spiritual growth and balance. To me, it seems like if you want to cultivate a spiritual or meditative (check out “What Exactly Is 'Orgasmic Meditation'?”) experience with your partner, clear quartz is a stone to try.
Unsplash
9. Shiva Lingam
I ain’t got no lies to tell you — when I first happened upon this particular stone, the first thing that came to my mind was an article that I penned for the site back in the day entitled, “Blow Your Man's Mind By Giving Him This Tantalizing Massage.” That’s because it explains what a lingam massage is and, as you can see, this crystal has that word all up in it. The history of lingam is a bit layered (you can read about it here); however, because it is considered by many to be a phallic symbol and that typically represents the penis — shiva lingam is a neutral-colored crystal that represents both sexuality as well as fertility. Shocking, right? #sarcasm
10. Pyrite
It doesn’t escape me that it’s kind of funny that I’m closing this out with a crystal that has the nickname “fool’s gold.” That’s due to its appearance. That said, it’s also a stone that has some interesting symbolism to it. Since it comes from a Greek word that means fire — of course, it’s a crystal of passion. Since it also taps into things like heightened energy, self-esteem, creativity, awakened senses and the removal of toxic thoughts — if any stone should be in your “let’s get it on” crystal collection, pyrite would be the one!
___
Know what’s kinda wild? While I was on Etsy’s site looking for another moonstone, a sake popped up in my feed on what the merchant calls their “libido crystal set” — and six of the 10 stones that I’ve mentioned throughout this article are featured in the collection.
Yeah, I’ll take that as a confirmation that whether you purchase a piece of jewelry that has one (or more) of these stones or you buy a piece of crystal itself to place somewhere in your bedroom — just putting your own energy into wanting a better sex life is a powerful step in the right direction to achieving it.
And what science can’t refute is the benefits of positive thoughts and actions — crystals or not.
So, if precious stones are totally your thing — enjoy, sis. Enjoy!
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Giphy