Mj Rodriguez has been giving us all of our lives since she emerged on our screens as the ever-so-fabbbulous Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista in Pose, in 2018. Since, she has captured the hearts of many all over the world, from LGBTQ advocates, to everyone in between. The beloved series officially came to a heart-wrenching end, after three seasons of tackling homelessness, sex work, the rejection that the trans community deals with on a daily basis and combined it with heart and dance to captivate millions around the world weekly.
Well, fortunately, the breakout star has been making her promo rounds for the final season of the show, and decided to stop by Harper's BAZAAR for their 'Go to Bed With Me' segment, a segment where celebs show off their bedtime nighttime routines. And after years of caked makeup and fast-paced entertaining, knowing and maintaining her skin is key. So, grab your notebook, sis!
Here's all the tea on Mj Rodriguez's nighttime skincare routine!
Here's what you'll need:
CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser ($16.99)
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream ($32)
Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment ($50)
Masqueology 24k Gold Under Eye Gel ($15)
Harper’s BAZAAR/YouTube
After popping on the screen with an already fresh face, she briefs us on a quick intro to get us started.
"My skincare routine consists of, I would say, maybe five to six steps. I usually have long days on set, long days on end. I spend 18 hours, 20 hours on set so that means that makeup is on this face forever and I don't like when makeup is on my face forever. It does me dirty. Literally. So, yeah, it's definitely self-care."
Step One: Facial cleansing
Harper's BAZAAR/YouTube
"The first product I use at night before I just come in and drop all my clothes, is this amazing product. It's hydrating. It's clean and foam cleanser, and it's also a makeup remover. My boyfriend got me on to it. It's great for makeup removal and also just make sure your skin is soft after it's done."
Step Two: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Harper's BAZAAR/YouTube
"The next product I'm going to be using, is my favorite skincare product. I love them so much, and they've shown me so much love. I use Kiehl's Ultra facial cream because it's hydrating at night, it just replenishes my skin after washing my face. It's sometimes a little dry afterward so I just want to make sure it's hydrated."
She also advises us to not use so much product!
"A lot of people overuse their products, I try my best not to because I want to save and also you don't usually need that much."
Step Three: Tackle those bags under your eyes, sis!
Harper's BAZAAR/YouTube
"This is Kiehl's creamy eye treatment with avocado. I have a big, big insecurity about the bags that are under my eyes. I've had them for a long time. And when I say a long time, ever since birth, so I always try to take care of my bags when I get a chance to. I love them though! Yes, I'm insecure but I still do love everything about my face."
She continues:
"Next I'm going to be sharing my 24K under eye gels. Now, I use these in the morning and at night. If I was stranded on a desert island and I had only one product that I could use, it would definitely be these eye patches right here."
Harper's BAZAAR/YouTube
Mj then goes on to emphasize the importance of using coconut oil for all purposes, something she says she learned from her grandmother, Ms Rosalie Davis.
"[This product], I think everyone should use when they wake up in the morning, when they go out on the beach, or when they going to sleep. Yes, baby. You probably thought that I don't use coconut oil, but honey, I am Black, I am Afro-Latina, and it is important that we use coconut oil."
After a quick demonstration, she finishes off her routine with Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate, and all is done!
Watch the full video below:
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Featured image via Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Among the many individuals who battle severe asthma, Black women face a unique set of challenges. It's not uncommon for us to go years without a proper diagnosis, and finding the right treatment often requires some trial and error. Thankfully, all hope is not lost for those who may be fighting to get their severe asthma under control. We spoke with Juanita Brown Ingram, Esq. and Jania Watson, two inspiring Black women who have been living with severe asthma and have found strength, resilience, and a sense of purpose in their journeys.
Juanita Brown Ingram, Esq.
Juanita Ingram has a resume that would make anyone’s jaw drop. On top of being recently crowned Mrs. Universe, she’s also an accomplished attorney, filmmaker, and philanthropist. From the outside, it seems there’s nothing this talented woman won’t try, and likely succeed at. In her everyday life, however, Juanita exercises a lot more caution. From a young age, Juanita has struggled with severe asthma. Her symptoms were always exacerbated by common illnesses like a cold or flu. “I've heard these stories of my breathing struggles, but I remember distinctly when I was younger not being able to breathe every time I got a virus,” says Ingram. “I remember missing a lot of school and crying a lot because asthma is painful. I [was taken] to see my doctor often if I got sick with anything so I was hypervigilant as a child, and I still am.”
Today, Juanita says her symptoms are best managed when she’s working closely with her care team, avoiding getting sick and staying ahead of any symptoms. Ingram said she’s been blessed with skilled doctors who are just as vigilant of her symptoms as she is. While competing in the Mrs. Universe competition, Juanita took extra care to stay clear of other competitors to ensure she didn’t catch a cold or virus that would trigger her severe asthma. “I would stand off to the side and sometimes that could be taken as ‘oh, she thinks she's better than everybody else.’ But if I get sick during a pageant, I'm done. I had to compete with that in mind because my sickness doesn't look like everybody else's sickness.”
Even when her symptoms are under control, living with severe asthma still presents challenges. Juanita relies on her strong support system to overcome the hurdles caused by a lack of understanding from the public, “I think that there's a lot of lack of awareness about how serious severe asthma is. I would [also] tell women to advocate and to trust their intuition and not to allow someone to dismiss what you're experiencing.”
Jania Watson
Jania, a content creator from Atlanta, Georgia, has been living with severe asthma for many years. Thanks to early testing by asthma specialists, Jania was diagnosed with severe asthma as a child after experiencing frequent flare-ups and challenges in her day-to-day life. “I specifically remember, I was starting school, and we were moving into a new house. One of the triggers for me and my younger sister at the time were certain types of carpets. We had just moved into this new house and within weeks of us being there, my parents literally had to pay for all new carpet in the house.”
As Jania grew older, she was suffering from fewer flare-ups and thought her asthma was well under control. However, a trip back to her doctor during high school revealed that her severe asthma was affecting her more than she realized. “That was the first time in a long time I had to do a breathing test,” she describes. “The doctor had me take a deep breath in and blow into a machine to test my breathing. They told me to blow as hard as I could. And I was doing it. I was giving everything I got. [My dad and the doctor] were looking at me like ‘girl, stop playing.’ And at that point [it confirmed] I still have severe asthma because I've given it all I got. It doesn't really go away, but I just learned how to help manage it better.”
Jania recognizes that people who aren’t living with asthma, may not understand the disease and mistake it for something less serious. Or there could be others who think their symptoms are minor, and not worth bringing up. So, for Jania, communicating with others about her diagnosis is key. “Having severe asthma [flare-ups] in some cases looks very similar to being out of shape,” she said. “But this is a chronic illness that I was born with. This is just something that I live with that I've been dealing with. And I think it's important for people to know because that determines the next steps. [They might ask] ‘Do you need a bottle of water, or do you need an inhaler? Do you need to take a break, or do we need to take you to the hospital?’ So, I think letting the people around you know what's going on, just in case anything were to happen plays a lot into it as well.”
Like Juanita, Jania’s journey has been marked by ups and downs, but she remains an unwavering advocate for asthma awareness and support within the Black community. She hopes that her story can be an inspiration to other women with asthma who may not yet have their symptoms under control. “There's still life to be lived outside of having severe asthma. It is always going to be there, but it's not meant to stop you from living your life. That’s why learning how to manage it and also having that support system around you, is so important.”
By sharing their journeys, Juanita and Jania hope to encourage others to embrace their conditions, obtain a proper management plan from a doctor or asthma specialist like a pulmonologist or allergist, and contribute to the improvement of asthma awareness and support, not only within the Black community, but for all individuals living with severe asthma.
Read more stories from others like Juanita and Jania on Amgen.com, or visit Uncontrolled Asthma In Black Women | BREAK THE CYCLE to find support and resources.
