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Sanaa Lathan Answers 8 Questions About Her Favorite Things And Now We’re BFFs
Sanaa Lathan has been out here securing the Netflix Bag, and is starring in one of their newest series, Hit & Run. The new action thriller follows a happily married man whose life is turned upside down after his wife is killed in a mysterious hit-and-run accident in Tel Aviv. Enter Lathan—the main character's former flame who helps him figure out the answer to one increasingly difficult question: Who killed his wife?
Chiiiiile.
Her character, Naomi, is an investigative journalist who is doesn't play with the people, m'kay? And our girl has been enjoying her new role wholeheartedly, telling Glamour:
"I knew right away that it was going to be a good show. There are a lot of twists and turns."
TheLove & Basketballactor teases, revealing that she especially loves thrillers despite having starred in almost every genre. And soon she'll be adding another thing to her résumé: This year she'll be directing a feature film. I see you!
While discussing her latest career moves and being the effortlessly amazing Sanaa, she even shared a few of her favorite things (which I'm always admittedly a sucker for). Here's what we've learned about our leading lady:
Her go-to dog outfits.
The actress admitted that she's basically like us and dresses her dogs up too (when she can).
"She hates clothes. There are some pictures of her on my Instagram from when I was shooting in New York and it got really cold. I got her a little down jacket and she looked like she was so miserable…. She's so funny. But she doesn't like the clothes, so we have gotten her some like pink rhinestone collars and little harnesses."
Her most used app:
Because none of us like to truly admit to checking our social media accounts as soon as we wake up (and a hundred times more throughout the day), she went with a close second.
"I'm addicted to Amazon Prime. I get boxes all the time that I don't even open. And then when I open them, I don't even remember ordering them. I'll wake up sometimes in the middle of the night and order stuff. It's kind of bad. I need to work on that. I like to order this gum that I chew called Spry. It doesn't have the aspartame in it or sugar, but I'm a little obsessed with it. It's made with a different kind of sweetener. It's not as bad for you."
Her most listened to playlist (she shared the link with us too!):
"I have one Apple Playlist called Feels, which is kind of a midtempo that they update every week. I'm constantly getting what's new. Sometimes I listen to pop. Sometimes I listen to R&B. Sometimes I listen to oldies. I'm truly eclectic. When I'm working, I either have silence or there's one that's called Pure Focus and it has no words, but it's kind of cool. You have a little ambient music, but you don't have to be distracted by the words."
Her comfiest pair of shoes:
The comfortable shoes heard around the world, are a fave of Sanaa's as well.
"I ordered another pair of Birkenstocks because they're falling apart. I don't know what it is. They're not the cutest, but I have to get in them as soon as I get home. I had a black patent leather one that just fell apart, and I just ordered another one so I could have a backup. They mold to your feet or something. It feels good."
Her favorite skincare product:
Now, you guys know that around the xoNecole offices, we love to discuss skincare. So when we hear of new finds, we have to share!
"I like this organic canola oil. It's on Amazon and it's called Camellia. It's from Sweet Essentials and it's $13.99. I have it all over my house; throughout the day I put it on my face and it's so silky. It makes your skin so supple and moisturized. I love it."
Buy this product here for only $14!
The drink always in her fridge:
Sanaa chuckles at the thought of her answer and reveals:
"The LaCroix LimonCello is my thing to the point where my mom was like, 'You drink too much of that.' It doesn't have sugar, but I have a little bit of an addiction. At least it's better than soda. I also love Watermelon Wonder Synergy kombucha."
Her wellness routine:
"I try to meditate every day. I do transcendental meditation, but I believe they all have benefits. I started meditating seriously about six or seven years ago because I went through a really traumatic period where I wasn't handling, processing all of that well, and started having panic attacks.
"I had a friend who died suddenly, and it was just a lot. Instead of dealing with it, I kind of just kept working and it caught up with me. I wanted to address it holistically, so I started doing this practice. As soon as I started meditating, it kind of went away. Now it's just part of my life."
Self-care is the best care.
What she's reading:
The book on her bedside, is actually of one she is directing in her debut.
"I'm going to direct one of the books that I'm reading now. It's called 'On the Come Up' by Angie Thomas. She's the same writer who wrote The Hate U Give—a New York Times best-selling author. It's a coming-of-age story, about a 16-year-old rapper who is finding her voice. It's a beautiful script. We'll be shooting later this year, and I'm super excited about it."
As a huge fan of Brown Sugar, can't wait to catch this one.
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Stay tuned for what Sanaa has coming up in her career, but in the meantime, here's the trailer of her current Netflix show, Hit and Run.
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Featured image by Jim Spellman/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.
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
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Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
Photo courtesy
When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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